4 Cricket matches, 3 Birthday parties, 2 Weddings and a Funeral

Last 2 weeks in April and beginning of May this year happened to be long holiday weekend(s) for most people in the UK. Last week it was Good Friday with Easter bank holiday Monday and this week it was 'Royal wedding' (on Friday the 29th) with Mayday bank holiday Monday. Three days of annual leave would guarantee an easy 11 day holiday (seven days annual leave would give a 17 day break!). This happens very rarely in UK (other than during the Christmas/New year time). It was also the hottest April month in last 100 years!

I watched IPL, which has been a mixed bag for the team from Kerala- the Kochi Tuskers. They had lost the last 3 games in dramatic fashion and today was the fourth match, which they had to win to be in contention for the play-off's. It was the most bizzare game that was played with Delhi dare-devils due to various reasons; but the one thing which stays in mind is that how many runs can you give off a single delivery? This was the fifth ball of Umesh Yadav's first over. First he bowled a wide delivery - a high bouncer (an extra run), then his beamer flew for a six (that was above waist high for Brendon McCullum whose stylish reflexes made the ball fly over fine leg for a maximum- now 1+1+6) before he finally managed to bowl a legal delivery that McCullum crash-pulled over the midwicket boundary i.e. 1+1+6+6=14 runs! Anyway the match was won by the Tuskers.

The Royal Wedding was fantastic. We watched the whole programme live on tele and it felt really nice. Kate and William appeared to be a couple in love. I wish their married life is happy and successful. The wedding was truly royal- the systematic arrival of guests, the elegant arrival of Kate (now the Duchess of Cambridge), the church service, the journey of the newly weds back to the palace, the drive in Aston Martin and the finale was the Balcony kiss. The whole world (some 2 billion) watched the whole show directed from London displaying the pomp and lavishness that Britain does so well. It was like a fairy tale come true to many people sealed with a kiss. I would say it was like 'love in time of cholera!'

We went to Durham for the seventh annual day celebrations of 'Sruthi' on Sunday (30th) It was an authentic malayali cultural evening (as always). The highlight was the tribute of UK malayalees to ONV Kurup, who was recently awarded the 'jnanapitam', the highest literary honour given in India. It was a fantastic evening of 'ONVmayam' that included "Kavyadrishyangal"- a unique portrayal of woman and nature as depicted in many ONV poems, " Aatmaavil Muttivilichathu Pole- An informal discussion and poetry session with ONV, "Varika Gandharvagayaka Veendum"- A short musical focussing on contemporary life and incorporating many nostalgic ONV songs and finally "Maanikyaveena Ganamela" led by Aparna Rajeev featuring many melodious, memorable and everlasting ONV lyrics that have mesmerised generations. It was also good to see Mr K Natarajan's (affectionately called 'Rajettan') first book being launched by Sri ONV Kurup. The book is titled 'Guruvum Laghuvum' a collection of simple yet elegant poems written in malayalam. It was a rejuvenating and nostalgic evening. I did not feel tired driving to Durham and back at a stretch (6hours)!

Manikutty had her birthday in between. We had a small cake cutting on her birthday, followed by a barbecue party on Sunday. Both went very well. It was good weather, family, friends, great food and a delicious cake:). She is planning a third party for her school friends this weekend- A' canoeing party' at Leicester Outdoor pursuits centre!

There was also the wedding of Malayalam film actor Prithviraj to his love in Kerala. I cannot understand the 'hoo haa' raised by this, especially among some of the fairer sex who are not 'fully happy or satisfied' by this wedding. My feeling is that if the couple who got married, their families and friends do not have any major issues, then why are some annoyed about this?

The holiday culminated with the news of a 'sea funeral' that my brother broke early on Monday morning. i.e. the death of OBL in a dramatic action by 'US navy seals' in the 'heart' of Pakistan...

Wonders of Universe

I finished watching this four part series presented by Brian Cox in BBC 2 (Sundays at 21:00). Who are we? Where do we come from? For thousands of years humanity has turned to religion and myth for answers to these enduring questions. But in this series, Brian presents a different set of answers - answers provided by science.

This was one of the finest science programmes I have watched on the relationship between 'time-space-matter-light-nature'.

1. Destiny

In this episode, Brian Cox considers the nature of time. He explores the cycles of time that define the lives of humans on the earth, and compares them to the cycles of time on a cosmic scale. Cox also discusses the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics (Entropy- eg: many ways of reaaranging the sand grains with out changing the structure) and its effect on time, and the Heat Death theory concerning the end of the Universe.

Brian seeks to understand the nature of time and its role in creating both the universe and ourselves. From an extraordinary calendar built into the landscape of Peru (The 2,500-year-old solar calendar in Chankillo was built by a civilization of which very little is known), he travels through the beaches of Costa Rica where Sea tutles come and lay eggs at night in the beach- something that has been happening for the last 100 million years. He explores the cycles of time which define our experience of life on Earth. But even the most epic cycles of life can't begin to compare to the vast expanse of cosmic time. For instance, just as the Earth orbits the Sun, the solar system orbits the entire Milky Way galaxy. This orbit takes a staggering 250 million years to complete. We have probably travelled 1% of that time (humans I mean!)

Arrow of time; as each moment passes, things change and these are irreversible. Is this an illusion?

Ultimately, Brian discovers that time is not characterised by repetition but by irreversible change. From the relentless march of a glacier, to the decay of an old mining town, the ravaging effects of time are all around us. The vast universe is subject to these same laws of change.

As we look out to the cosmos, we can see the story of its evolution unfold, from the death of the first stars to the birth of the youngest. How giant stars explodes rather implodes and death/ birth of stars. ie the explosive death of one of the first stars in the universe.This journey from birth to death will ultimately lead to the destruction not just of our planet, but also the entire universe, and with it the end of time itself.

Yet without this inevitable destruction, the universe would be without what is perhaps the greatest wonder of all; the brief moment in time in which life can exist.

2.Stardust

In this episode, Brian discusses the elements of which all living things, including humans, are made. He explains how these elements are related to the life cycles of the stars and the recycling of matter in the Universe.

In the second stop in his exploration of the wonders of the universe, Professor Brian Cox goes in search of humanity's very essence to answer the biggest questions of all: what are we? And where do we come from? This film is the story of matter - the stuff of which we are all made.

Brian reveals how our origins are entwined with the life cycle of the stars. But he begins his journey here on Earth. In Nepal, he observes a Hindu cremation. Hindu philosophy is based on an eternal cycle of creation and destruction, where the physical elements of the body are recycled on to the next stage. Brian draws a parallel with the life cycle of the stars that led to our own creation.

Next, he explains how the Earth's resources have been recycled through the ages. How every atom that makes up everything we see, was at some time a part of something else. Our world is made up of just 92 elements, and these same 92 elements are found throughout the entire universe. We are part of the universe because we are made of the same stuff as the universe.

3. Falling

This episode documents how gravity has an effect across the Universe, and how the relatively weak force creates an orbit. We also see how a neutron star's gravity works. Finally, there is a look back at how research on gravity has enabled us to better understand the cosmos.

Gravity seems so familiar, and yet it is one of the strangest and most surprising forces in the universe. Starting with a zero gravity flight, Brian experiences the feeling of total weightlessness, and considers how much of an effect gravity has had on the world around us.

But gravity also acts over much greater distances. It is the great orchestrator of the cosmos. It dictates our orbit around the sun, our relationship with the other planets in our solar system, and even the way in which our solar system orbits our galaxy.

Yet the paradox of gravity is that it is actually a relatively weak force. Brian takes a face distorting trip in a centrifuge to explain how it is that gravity achieves its great power, before looking at the role it plays in one of the most extraordinary phenomena in the universe - a neutron star. Although it is just a few kilometres across, it is so dense that its gravity is 100, 000 million times as strong as on Earth.

Over the centuries our quest to understand gravity has allowed us to understand some of the true wonders of the universe, and Brian reveals that it is scientists' continuing search for answers that inspires his own sense of wonder

4. Messengers

The final episode shows how the unique properties of light provide an insight into the origins and development of mankind and the Universe. We also see how the speed of light is both a measure of time and distance. This leads on to pinpoint one of the early events in the evolution of life.He travels from the fossils of the Burgess Shale to the sands of the oldest desert in the world to show how light holds the key to our understanding of the whole universe, including our own deepest origins.

To understand how light holds the key to the story of the universe, we first have to understand its peculiar properties. Brian considers how the properties of light that lend colour to desert sands and the spectrum of a rainbow can lead to profound insights into the history and evolution of our universe. Finally, with some of the world's most fascinating fossils in hand, Brian considers how but for an apparently obscure moment in the early evolutionary history of life, all the secrets of light may have remained hidden. Because although the universe is bathed in light that carries extraordinary amounts of information about where we come from, it would have remained invisible without a crucial evolutionary development that allowed us to see. Only because of that development, i.e. the observation that Light travels with a finite speed through space at a rate of 299 792 458 metre/second or 10 million million km in one year or 1 light year; So a light year is not just a measure of distance but also a measure of time! Because of this we can we now observe, capture and contemplate the incredible wonders of the universe that we inhabit.

I seemed to understand some of the meaning of Universe and birth of it when I was watching the programme, but now it feels to have gone out of my mind with a big bang!

I think it is interesting to note the similarities and differences in this programme and the views expressed in Indian Philosophy. The Hindu cosmology and time lines in a way is the closest to modern scientific time lines and even more, which might indicate that the big bang is not the beginning of everything but just the start of the present cycle preceded by an infinite number of universes and to be followed by another infinite number of universes. The Rig Veda questions the origin of the cosmos in:

Neither being (sat) nor non-being was as yet. What was concealed? And where? And in whose protection?…Who really knows? Who can declare it? Whence was it born, and whence came this creation? The devas were born later than this world's creation, so who knows from where it came into existence? None can know from where creation has arisen, and whether he has or has not produced it. He who surveys it in the highest heavens, he alone knows-or perhaps does not know. (Rig Veda 10. 129)

The later puranic view asserts that the universe is created, destroyed, and re-created in an eternally repetitive series of cycles. In Hindu cosmology, a universe endures for about 4,320,000,000 years (one day of Brahma, the creator or kalpa) and is then destroyed by fire or water elements. At this point, Brahma rests for one night, just as long as the day. This process, named pralaya (Cataclysm), repeats for 100 Brahma years (311 trillion, 40 billion human years) that represents Brahma's lifespan.

According to Bhagavad Gita "sahasra-yuga paryantam ahar-yad brahmano viduh", meaning, a day of brahma is of 1000 mahayugas. Thus a day of Brahma, kalpa, is of duration: 4.32 billion solar years.

1000 Mahayugas = 1 kalpa = 1 day (day only) of Brahma
(Two kalpas constitute a day and night of Brahma)
30 days of Brahma = 1 month of Brahma (259.2 billion human years)
12 months of Brahma = 1 year of Brahma (3.1104 trillion human years)
50 years of Brahma = 1 Pararddha
2 parardhas = 100 years of Brahma = 1 Para = 1 Mahakalpa (the lifespan of Brahma)(311.04 trillion human years)
One day of Brahma is divided into 10,000 parts called charanas. The charanas are divided as follows:
The Four Yugas
4 charanas (1,728,000 solar years) Satya Yuga
3 charanas (1,296,000 solar years) Treta Yuga
2 charanas (864,000 solar years) Dwapar Yuga
1 charanas (432,000 solar years) Kali Yuga

The current Kali Yuga began at midnight 17 February / 18 February in 3102 BC (Julian calendar)

According to Carl Sagan and Fritjof Capra, similarities between what they consider the latest scientific understanding of the age of the universe, and the Hindu concept of a "day and night of Brahma", is much closer to the current assumed age of the universe than other creation myths (when taken literally). The days and nights of Brahma postulate a view of the universe that is divinely created, and is not strictly evolutionary, but an ongoing cycle of birth, death, and rebirth of the universe.

According to Sagan: Hinduism is the only one of the world's great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which time scales correspond, no doubt by accident, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long, longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang. And there are much longer time scale still.

Some believe that with the "AUM" sound, known as "pranava manthra", the Universe was started, similar to the big bang theory. "Omkara", the sound of 'Ohm', is very important in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.

Capra, in his popular book, The Tao of Physics, wrote that: This idea of a periodically expanding and contracting universe, which involves a scale of time and space of vast proportions, has arisen not only in modern cosmology, but also in ancient Indian mythology. Experiencing the universe as an organic and rhythmically moving cosmos, the Hindus were able to develop evolutionary cosmologies which come very close to our modern scientific models. One of these cosmologies is based on the Hindu myth of lila—the divine play—in which Brahman transforms himself into the world.

I like the statement made by Swami Vivekananda who interpreted the Adhvaitha Vedantic understanding of evolution to be in harmony with Darwinian theory. In his commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, he writes:

"There seems to be a great difference between modern science and all religions at this point. Every religion has the idea that the universe comes out of intelligence. The theory of God, taking it in its psychological significance, apart from all ideas of personality, is that intelligence is first in the order of creation, and that out of intelligence comes what we call gross matter. Modern philosophers say that intelligence is the last to come. They say that unintelligent things slowly evolve into animals, and from animals into men. They claim that instead of everything coming out of intelligence, intelligence itself is the last to come. Both the religious and the scientific statements, though seeming directly opposed to each other are true. Take an infinite series, A—B—A—B —A—B. etc. The question is — which is first, A or B? If you take the series as A—B. you will say that A is first, but if you take it as B—A, you will say that B is first. It depends upon the way we look at it. Intelligence undergoes modification and becomes the gross matter, this again merges into intelligence, and thus the process goes on. The Sankhyas, and other religionists, put intelligence first, and the series becomes intelligence, then matter. The scientific man puts his finger on matter, and says matter, then intelligence. They both indicate the same chain. Indian philosophy, however, goes beyond both intelligence and matter, and finds a Purusha, or Self, which is beyond intelligence, of which intelligence is but the borrowed light."

Raavanayanam

The new Mani Ratnam movie Raavanan (Tamil version) or Raavan (Hindi version) has brought the major epic 'Ramayana' again as a hot debate topic.This epic as told by Valmiki is the story of the 'perfect man' Rama and his accomplishments. But shouldn't it be called 'Raaavanayanam' as this epic is as much the story of Raavana as is it of Rama based on the perspective, how we look at it? Perhaps if there was another 'Valmiki' and if he had made Raavana as the central character, the whole aspect of this struggle between good and evil and moral and immoral would be viewed completely differently.

Ravana's characterization is open to interpretations.The name Ravana is from 'ra' meaning the sun and 'vana' signifying generation. He is the great grandson of Lord Brahma. A metaphorical interpretation of Ravana's 10 heads is that the heads are a symbolic way to show the world about his knowledge of the six Shastras as well as four Vedas, ten Holy Scriptures in all.

Even though Ravana is portrayed as the villain in Ramayana, this view is open to question due to lack of any overt instances, and is so questioned by a considerable number of believers. It can be argued, for example, that Ravana’s abduction of Sita was not driven by lust for her, but instead it was done to punish Ram for attacking his sister Shurpanakha. What Lakshmana did to her ie cutting of her nose for proposing to him after Rama rejected her was a reaction out of proportion to what Shurpanakha did. It may be that Lakshmana did this for fear of Sita's safety. The extreme nature of the act upon his unarmed sister enraged Ravana (as a brother) and he abducted Sita to avenge the insult- if Ravana would not avenge his own sister - then no one would look up to him as a protector of his subjects/ dependents. Nevertheless Ravana never ever touched Sita while she was being held as his hostage. He visited her regularly and asked her consent to marry him. Every time Sita declined, but there is not a single instance when Ravana misbehaved with Sita. He plays the role of a gentleman to the core, (though this could have been due to a curse from Kubera's son that he would lose all his 10 heads if he forced himself on any woman).

Ravana also authored Ravana Sanhita, a powerful book on the Hindu astrology. Ravana possessed a thorough knowledge of Ayurveda and political science. He is said to have possessed the nectar of immortality, which was stored under his navel, thanks to a celestial boon by Brahma. Pleased with his resilience and devotion, Shiva gave to him the divine sword 'Chandrahasa'. Ravana was a lifelong devotee of Lord Shiva and is said to have composed the hymn known as Shiva Tandava Stotra.

Mani Ratnam's movie, Raavan (Hindi) and Raavanan(Tamil), clearly inspired by this epic was a movie I had been waiting for some time since I heard of it a couple of years ago.

I went to watch the Tamil version first and had to go all the way to Birmingham to watch it. But the trip was worth it as the movie was simply wonderful. It was stimulating and entertaining...a great treat- the photography, music, script, location, direction and above all the performances of Vikram (as Raavanan), Prithviraj(as Rama) and Aishwariya (as sita).

Vikram was amazing and I felt he brought out the various expressions and emotions of the tribal leader Veera to all its glory.He acted as though he had 'ten heads' with varying facial expressions. Prithviraj as Dev (the police officer) and Aishwarya (as his wife) also had a chemistry together and did well. Aishwarya's transformational change of feelings towards both men were enacted superbly. This would probably stand out as one of her best performances possibly after her debut movie 'Iruvar'.

I then watched the Hindi version (in Leicester) and I must say that it was disappointing! Though the back ground artists were all the same, the central character Beera (Raavana) by Abhishek Bachchan was at the best average, especially if we compare it with the performance of Vikram in the Tamil version. I will not be surprised, if in the future Raavanan (Tamil) would be considered a huge hit among Mani Ratnam's movies and Raavan(Hindi) as an average film.

I was also impressed by the interviews given by the artists at the London Premiere of the movie. These interviews in the 'you tube' are also a good hit! Prithviraj was quite eloquent and articulate in his comments. Vikram and Suhasini(who wrote the script) were also quite impressive. But both Mr and Mrs Junior Bachchans were depressing in their words especially if you see that the crowds were cheering almost just for them. They could have been a bit more prepared to face the interviews at such a landmark venue.

After reading Ramayana, two questions, every firm believer of Lord Rama would love to avoid are
1.How could the divine person hide behind the trees and murder Bali/ Vali (brother of Sugreeva) behind his back?
2.Why did he suspect Sita and later ditched her?

In this film these two aspects are brought up in a sublime manner. Dev, the inspector is hiding in crowd of women and shoots Veera from behind when he is actively taking part in his sisters marriage ceremony. Also later to accomplish his mission of destroying Veera, Dev starts questioning his wife about her chastity and asks why she could not take a lie-detector test!

I have never found any convincing answers for these actions of Lord Rama. It might be that he wanted to give an impression that even the 'perfect human being' can never be perfect and will have some negative connotations left to ones own interpretation.

Tail piece: I hope in the future some one will make a movie on Mahabharata with Karna (my favourite person in the epic) as the central character.

Mani nadam 2

Manikutty was asked to write a favourite poem during this half-term holidays...It was interesting to note that she selected one of my all time favourites from school days. ie "Stopping by woods on a snowy evening". I asked her why did she liked it...she said it is because it describes the forests and snow. I tried to explain the deeper meaning of it and may be she understood a bit of the holistic perspective!

I felt that I should upload this just because of the sheer depth of meaning of life explained in such a simple style by a great poet of the twentieth century. I remember my English teacher in school reciting this poem and saying this was the favourite of Pandit Nehru's too.

'The woods are lovely, dark and deep

But I have promises to keep

And miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep'

3 simple sentences conveying the truth of nature, of our selves......

Peace, piece and politics

Why did Obama get the Nobel peace prize? This is the intriguing question everyone seems to be asking. Even his hard-core supporters were 'taken aback' (in a positive sense) and surprised by the announcement. Obama himself seems a bit overwhelmed by this extraordinary gesture; he may have expected it after his 4 year or possibly 8 year term when the fruits of his promises may have cretated a more peaceful world, but definitely not so early in his political career.

According to the Norwegian nobel committee he won for efforts to boost diplomacy and co-operation. "Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future; his diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population." The Nobel committee’s logic appears to be a proactive one. This award reflects the tremendous hope that people have seen with the emergence of Obama as a world figure with high expectations.

But still the question remains ie do you reward accomplishments, or encourage future actions? It is very surprising to note that President Obama was nominated for the coveted prize just 2 weeks in to his presidency (the dead line for Nobel prize nominations every year is Feb 1 and he took oath as president a fortnight before that!). Can some one be awarded just based on the way he or she 'speaks' than his or her 'actions'?

This award could possibly be a reply to the former US administration by the ' old Europe'...Possibly the last big slap on the face for the republicans and for the former 'cow-boy' team who ruled US (and world) with arrogance and hawkish attitude.

Of all the Nobel prizes awarded every year it is the peace prize that always creates the most controversy both for acts of omission and commission! The glaring omission I can think of is not giving the peace prize to Mahatma Gandhi (though he was nominated for peace prize 5 times). It is widely rumored that the nobel committee may have selected Mahatma Gandhi as the likely winner in 1948. It didn't give it because he passed away before the announcement and that it wouldn't award it posthumously......though they awarded it posthumously to a fellow Scandinavian in 1961, who died after being nominated. I don't have to cite examples of acts of commission as many 'winners', especially in the field of 'world peace' have been awarded the prize.

Any way you cannot take back the award once its announced, though most people think it is a bit premature. This award brings with it additional responsibilities for Obama and hopefully we can look forward to some sensible and fair decisions from the present US administration. May this award serve as an impetus for consensus, courage and compromise rather than one of crime, confrontation and confusion.

I came I saw I conquered....

The Kannur I Saw

For a person born and brought up in Trivandrum, as a kid, Cannanore (anglicised version of Kannur) was always a place very very far away.

My childhood memories of Kannur are filled with communist movements and comrades. I remember achan saying about AKG (the legendary communist leader, who is one of his favourite idols and mine too), EK Nayanar etc. Later it was all the comrades or their families who comes for various reasons to Trivandrum (ie visiting secretatriat or PSC or Medical college hospital/RCC/ Sreechitra MC). They would come to our house, usually stay at our place, mummy cooks food for them, especially if anyone is undergoing specialist treatment at the hospital.

Though Kannur has a lot of history and is the land of Theyyams, in recent times it is infamous for all the wrong reasons like political killings, bombs, police firings, 'the kannur lobby' of party etc...

In 2007 we met Chinthu and Manoj and through them many other friends in Kannur. I visited Kannur in 2008 for the first time and stayed for a day with Chinthu's parents.

The people of Kannur, I felt generally were open and simple. The landscape is very green with many rivers, mountains, temples, virgin-beaches etc. I felt it was a mixture of laid back village folks, the colourful Theyyams, traditional temples, red-forts of communism with a bit of modernism in and around Kannur city. No wonder Kannur is said to be one of best ten cities in India to reside! Kannur international airport is coming up at mattanur,once operational Kannur international airport will be the largest airport in Kerala. Kannur is also the place of the only muslim royal family in Kerala (Arackkal)

Chinthu's home is situated near thrichambaram temple. It stands on the top of a small hill with good views of greenery around. It was the peak of south-west monsoon. The rain, calm atmosphere, lush green trees, serene surroundings creates a nostalgic aura.....sort of a romantic nature or indeed the nature felt to be romantic....An ideal place for a writer for some innovative creation.

According to one of my close friends "the homes around 'thrichambaram temple' appear brighter and had some sort of divine blessing; however, houses in the vicinity of 'rajarajeshwara temple' always felt a bit dull and dark"!

So my temple journey during this visit to Kerala started here. The first was Madayyilppara and then by next 14 days I had done a 'spiritual marathon' of 53 temples!! (http://adhvaitha.blogspot.com/2008/12/53-temples-in-2-weeks.html)

1. Madayilppara Bhagavathi temple
Madayilppara is a hilly area (infact there are lots of hills around Kannur including Ezhimala where the Naval academy is situated) located at Pazhayanangadi. The government has a project plan to transform the area into a cultural village.

This temple is supposed to be the most popular Bhagavathi temple of North Malabar (the main Diety is Shiva- East facing): On the Southern side of Shiva's 'srikovil' is Bhadrakali (West facing), the diety with most importance and prominence. The priests are 'Piradanmar' who does Shaktheya puja. Devi is supposed to be in fearsome and fiery mood here who is present in the state after killing demon Darikan. It seems one of the main offerings here is cooked meat.

2. Vadakunnu Shiva temple

The next stop was the famous Vadukunnu Shiva temple on hillock of the Madayippara. This is an old structure and is currently under renovation. There is a beautiful lake nearby. Mythology says that Devi, after killing the demon Darikan, took a dip in this lake. It is said that this lake, situated on the top of a hill, never dries; even in the hottest summer.

3. Cheruthazhom Raghavapuram Hanuman temple:

Though the main diety is Sriraman here, the temple is known for Hanuman swamy. There is a large pond in front of the temple. It was 'ramayana month' (Karkidakam) and so could hear ramayanam being recited..nostalgic....The prasadam ('aval') from here was arranged by uncle previously...

4. Parasshinikadavu Muthappan temple: Arguably the most famous and prominent temple in Kannur. This temple is revered by most religious people of Kannur and Kasarkode. A temple where alcohol is an offering and is not banned in the temple premises!

We parked our car here and walked to the temple. On the way saw a toddy shop and further down a Communist party office...It may be a coincidence (or may be not) that a communist party office, toddy shop and a temple are all in a short distance which was like a snap-shot of Kannur!

Theyyam: I should write a few words on THEYYAM. This is an art form that has religious, cultural and social dimensions. It is a highly ritualistic folk-dance, well preserved with its rare and gorgeous make-up and costume, lively foot work with lot of verbal and non-verbal expressions. Theyyam is unique to Kannur and Kasargode ('Kolathunadu') and I think represents the glorious past and culture of Kannur.

Though I have seen Theyyam in Tele, this was the first time I was watching it. The belief is, that gods and goddesses come in to our midst through the medium of the possessed dancers and converse with us. The performers usually belong to Vannan, Malayan and Velan communities.
We went to Parashinnnikadavu temple the next morning to catch a glimpse of it. 'Lord Muthappan' probably represents the dual divinity of Shiva and Vishnu. Therefore there are two Theyyams- 'Thiruvappana' and 'Vellatom' (Shiva- cresent shaped crown and Vishnu- fish shaped crown). They come as a long procession with lots of music, singing and performance. The songs were very traditional with folk rhythms.

Thiruvappana theyyam looked and felt more powerful. Aunty said that we could go and speak to the theyyam and even ask questions. After the initial rituals and performance that went for about 30 minutes I slowly headed towards them. The Vellatom theyyam held my hands....looked into my eyes and said that I was coming from very long distance...and also that everything is and will be fine in the future :-). It was really powerful.....
I think if some one wish to learn about the ancient past of North malabar, they should learn about Theyyams. It is so rich in art, culture, heritage, language, rituals and music. Later we went and had prasadam- ie Tea, boiled gram (peas) with coconut slices.

Some distinct features ot temple

1. Dogs are allowed and found inside temple premises

2. Alcohol/ dry fish/ meat are offerings

3. Free food given in temple

Behind the temple is Valappattanam river. It was monsoon at its best and appeared really beautiful

Also went to the famous snake park established by none other than Comrade MVR..Never realised that the park had such a rich variety of reptiles and other animals. Will write on this separately.

That evening went to the famous trinity temples of Kanjirangad, Rajarajeshwara and Thrichambaram.

On the way to Kanjirangad...

5. Kanjirangad Vaidyanatha temple: This ancient temple is situated in Pariyaram Panchayat (6km fom Taliparambu and it seems Kooveri is only about 5 km from this place. Should try to visit there this year) ...The main diety is Shiva (believed to be svayambu or self-originated) in 'physician' form. According to Manoj's dad Shiva here is 'doctor's doctor'. Main festival is on Sivarathri but Thiruvathira in the malayalam month of Dhanu is also very important.

If 6th day of the Malayalam month is Sunday then the devotees will call it 'Six Sunday' ('aarum njayyar')and is considered important. It is believed the same day was the temple installed. Another legend is that as brahmin ladies were prohibited from entering Rajarajeshwara temple(see below) the Kolathiri raja (Shathasoman) constructed this temple.

6. Rajarajeshwara temple:
This was the second temple we visited that evening. Felt very strong vibes at this temple.. Taliparamba is regarded as one of the ancient Shakti Peethams. Legend has it that the head of Sati fell here after Shiva's tandavam following Sati's self-immolation. The main festival celebrations are Shivarathri and Vishu. In olden days there were 64days festival during the interval between Shivarathri and Vishu.

The temple is considered as one of the 108 ancient Shiva temples of Kerala by most experts. It has a prominent place amongst the numerous Shiva temples in south India. If any problem is encountered in temples of South India, the final solution is said to be sorted here by 'prashnamvaippu'

Some unique characteristics:

1.The temple has no kodi maram as opposed to most other temples in Kerala
2.Men are allowed to enter the shrine at any time, but women are allowed only after 8 PM (the belief is that shiva would have gone to Cherukuunu Annapoorneshwari temple by then)
3.It may be that the main diety could be in Shankaranarayanan form or rajaguru Brihaspathy as Rajarajeshwara sankalpam (acceptable to both Shaivites and Vaishnavites). However, it is generally and widely accepted that Shiva is the main diety, though 'Koovalam' flowers that are dearest to Shiva are not used here for pujas
4. Only 'Neyyvilakku' (ghee) is allowed inside the 'chuttamblam' and oil is not permitted
5."Moonnedhathu thozheekuka"- A custom whereby pregant women (except brahmins) visit and pray at three prominent temples in Taliparamba. Apart from Rajarajeshwara temple, the other two temples are Sri Krishna temple at Trichambaram and Vaidyanatha (Shiva) at Kanjiragad. It is believed that Shiva at Rajarajeshwara temple assures the child a high status, Sri Krishna of Trichambaram bestows it with good nature and mental qualities and Shiva at Kanjiragad temple gives the child long life. (Brahmin ladies, instead of this temple goes to Thrichambaram, Mazhoor and Kanjirangad)
6.This temple is also considered as most sacred for performing Koodiyattam and Chakyar Koothu Whenever a new Koodiyattam is being directed, it is first performed at this temple. The title "Vidūshakaratnam" and "Veerashringhala", a Golden Bracelet are given from this temple for acheivements in these performing arts
7.It is also believed that Sri Raman during his victorious return from Lanka, stopped here to offer worship to Lord Shiva. In honor of his presence, devotees are not allowed into the 'namaskara mandapam' even today

History:

The Shiva linga here is believed to be thousands of years old. Legend has it that Siva gave three sacred Siva lingas to Parvati for worship.

1. A sage called Maandhata prayed Shiva and it seems lord Shiva gave one of the Siva lingas to him and said to install only at a place where there was no cremation ground. The sage, after searching all over, found Taliparamba the most sacred spot where he installed the Shivalinga. After his death, the linga however disappeared into the earth.
2. Maandhats's son Muchukunda offered similar prayers to Siva and got a second linga, which too disappeared in course of time.
3. After many centuries the third Shivalinga was handed down to King Shathasoman. He then installed it in the present temple built by him

7. Thrichambaram Sreekrishna temple
This temple is considered the 'grama-temple' of Thaliparambu. The temple is believed to have got the name from Thiru Shambara or the holy shambara in reverence to Maharishi Shambara. Trichambaram Temple has three ponds attached to it, with the temple for Durga(Jaladurga). There is also a belief that as Srikrishna is in 'roudra bhavam' (Fiery mood) praying here early in the morning may not be 'utthamam'

The annual temple festival is for a fortnight-from Kumbham 22 (usually March 6) every year to Meenam 6 (which generally falls on March 20). Elephants are not permitted for the festival celebrations.

On Kumbham 22 'Balaraman' comes from Mazhoor temple . Till meenam 2nd there is 'thitambu-nritham' at pookottunada. On Meenam third there is no major ritual. On the 4th there is 'nadu valamvaikkal'. On the 5th it is 'Chirayil aarrattu'. On the 6th its brothers parting (Koodipiriyyal). This is said to be very emotional.

It was raining heavily when we were doing the pradashinam. It was pitch dark when we came to sree-ayyappan's kovil. But somehow lights came on when we started praying. It was amazing! The lights went off as soon as we left!! The puja for Jala-durga was also amazing. A lot of strong vibes in the vicinity.....

8. Perillasherry Sri Subrahmanya temple
This temple is located at Perillasherry near koothuparambu. I was excited to hear that this is AKG's place; but the journey along the Kannur – Koothuparambu road was Horrible with abundant holes, bumps and 'small rainwater pools'. Literally the roads to Perillasherry were in Perils.

According to Manoj's dad, the temple is said to be consecrated by Sriraman. As Hanuman was late bringing the idol, Sriraman took his bangle ('peruvala') and made the idol...so it is called 'peru-vala-cherri' that later became perillasherry.

There is a huge pool in front of the temple. It had well laiden bricks and steps... After Perillashery went to see Parameshwaran Namboodiri and then it was good bye to Kannur.

On my way to Thrissur now......a short but sweet visit . A kind of Déjà vu......May be I should be saying I came I saw and I got conquered by the beauty and fragrance of north malabar.....

100 moments of solitude

Most people are afraid of solitude...Not having a friend or a partner or family with you all the time is something many people cannot imagine. But doesn't solitude have a beauty of its own? In fact if you consider this is in a philosophical way we come to the world on our own (unless we are one of the twins/triplets!), go from this world on our own and when we sleep (ie more than one third of our life time), we are on our own (not sure until we wake up)...

Solitude, I meant is not complete isolation or loneliness or complete lack of social contact. Infact on the contrary I meant it as living on our own at the same time having a great social life...It is important to make a distinction between 'Loneliness' and 'Solitude'.

Loneliness is a negative state, marked by a sense of isolation. One feels that something is missing. You can be in a big party and can feel completely lost or you could be with people you know and still feel lonely (I remember a movie written by MT Vasudevan Nair-'aalkoottathil thaniyae'..this concept is beautifully expressed!).

Solitude is the state of being alone without being lonely. It is a positive feeling and constructive state of engagement with oneself. In solitude you yourself are your best companion! Solitude would be an ideal opportunity to reflect on ones own life...A person will have all the time in the world and it is no longer time that controls you, but you control time. You are not adjusting your life for someone else but your life gets adjusted for you. There is no hidden agenda, no sacrifices, no disturbances...you are like a free bird. Solitude in this manner can be refreshing, rejuvenating, replenising and revitalizing ones own inner state of richness.

The duration and degree of solitude and its effects also depends on ones personality: For some its alright attitude and feel very comfortable on their own, some cannot remain on their own even for a few minutes and gets terribly disturbed and dissatisfied, for others like monks solitude is a way to spiritual awakening (specifically long-term solitude).

In scientific terms human nature is to form social/ personal relationships especially from a evolutionary point of view. Though long term total isolation can be disturbing and might have untoward effects on human physiology; solitude can be a bliss; where you are what you are, how you are and be 'yourself'.

I conclude by a popular quote: Loneliness is the poverty of self and solitude is the richness of self.

Homosexuality in India

The Delhi High court in a landmark judgement last week struck down the provision of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalised consensual sexual acts of adults in private, holding that it violated the fundamental right of life and liberty and the right to equality as guaranteed in the Constitution. However, the court was clear that “the provisions of Section 377 will continue to govern non-consensual sex and sex involving minors.” The court quoted from Nehru's own words "the theme of inclusiveness" that is so fundamental to India's constitution ie the rights of minority sect.

This ruling doesn't mean that homosexual act in india is legal, but it is not criminal. It is important to make this distinction in the judgement between decriminalising the act and legalising the act. Indian judiciary has stepped in once again when the politicians, legislatures and conservatives hesitated to act conclusively. This indicates the strength, power and fairness of the Indian constituition /Judiciary

There will be a lot of opposition especially from the conservative elements of the society. The points that are likely to be raised against this ruling are that-Homosexuality is against the law of nature (I don't know who dictates or defines 'law of nature'?), it is not according to the traditions, values, religion(s) and that the society will fall into chaos.

A persons sexual orientation or behaviour is likely to be influened by both nature and nurture; wearing my hat as a scientist I would say it's more in your 'genes than in your jeans'. ie more genetic factors combined with hormonal (pre and post natal) and environmental influences. So from a medical point of view homosexuality could a 'normal' variant (or 'abnormal' based on ones thinking)

The issue has been mentioned in various religious traditions. All the abrahamic religions(Judaisim, Christianity and Islam) believe that homosexual behaviour is sinful. In Indian religious traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism) it is less clear and is seldom discussed in detail. However, rig veda says 'Vikruti Evam Prakriti' which probably mean 'what seems un-natural is also natural', and some interpret this as 'any act is natural'.

I also remember a malayalam movie in this context- 'Deshadanakkili Karayarilla'...a movie that clearly portraits the relationship between two girls (a lesbian and possibly a bi-sexual) so subtly handled by none other than late P. Padmarajan. He is so skillful and tactful in producing such a work of art during his time. This reveals his genius nature and wide variety of themes he uses in his movies.

Coming back to the subject of LGBT, a change in law doesn't change society's perception. This is a step, society may take many years to accept or follow. It would be better to debate on this subject from a social, political and legal angle rather than bringing religion into it. Most importantly what is required is an awareness, education and more open discussion.

കഥ പറയും മുന്പേ......

AK Lohithadas passed away this morning...Very sad and unexpected loss to the whole malayalam film industry.

I would say that he is one of this kind of 'scripwriter- director' whose movies were high in artistic content,but at the same time, depicted common mans life and themes in a realistic way...very similar to the 'Padmarajan- Bharathan', 'Sreenivasan-Sathyan Anthikad' combinations he made many successful movies in what is called the 'Golden age of Malayalam cinema' (eighties and ninties) with Sibi Malayil. Before this time there were broadly two types of movies ie either the art /parallel cinema and the mainstream commercial movies. The boundary between these two were gone in the late 80's ...thanks to all these filmakers.

Lohithadas' first script was for the movie 'thaniavarthanam' and after that there was no turning back. He wrote script for about 30 movies, directed about 10 movies, acted and wrote songs in a few. He received many state and atleast one national award (Bhoothakannadi-his debut movie as a director) if I remember correctly. Most of his movies had a bit of tragedy in it and may be thats one of the reason it stays in mind for ever.

Some of his memorable movies and scenes for me include:
1. The helpless mother mixing poison in rice and giving it to her son (Thaniavarthanam)
2. The dashing of the hopes and aspirations of a middleclass young man and his family due to just one incident and how the society sees it and dictates the life of people (Kireedam)
3. The relationship and love between two brothers and the circumstances that lead to one's concealment of the others death and the trauma, he experiences..... (Bharatham)
4. The dreams of a poor fisherman father (and daughter) who wants his daughter to become a doctor being shattered by her love and subsequent marriage to her childhood friend (Amaram)
5. The life of an extended farming family in Kerala told through the responsible and loving elder brother (Vatsalyam)

One dialogue I cannot forget is in Dasharatham (Mohanlal). This dialogue probably summarises what Lohithadas has to say about life....

"ഇതു എന്റെ life ആണ് . ഞാന്‍ അത് ചില്ല് പാത്രം പോലെ എറിഞ്ഞു പൊട്ടിക്കും , അലമാരിക്കുള്ളില്‍ ഇട്ടു പൂട്ടും , ചപ്പാത്തി പോലെ പരത്തും ,റബ്ബര്‍ പന്ത് പോലെ കളിക്കും അത് എന്റെ ഇഷ്ടം . ആരും ഒന്നും പറയണ്ട ”

This list is endless ...His highness abdullah, Kamaladalam, Adharam, Sallapam, Kanmadam etc, etc...His loss is irreplacable( like Padmarajan), but I hope he has shown the way for others to make similar themes in the future and bring back the golden days of Malayalam cinema...

A tribute to the 'King of pop'

I was in disbelief when LA Times and CNBC first confirmed the death of Michael Jackson last night. He 'is' the king of pop music...a true legend. His music was an inspiration for one whole generation. He produced the sort of music which is played and popular in all parts of the world.

Michael Jackson's music was of a unique variety that left a long lasting impression when one hear it. It appealed all ages from paediatrics to geriatrics....He was a popular culture for over 4 decades...The influence and inspiration he had on the young generation is amazing. His flamboyant clothing (tight military style jacket) his dance movements like backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish sometimes squeaky, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing with his trademark sunglasses and his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance all meade him arguably the most exciting performer of his generation

I first listened Micheal Jacksons songs as a kid in school. His album Thriller was a great hit..one of the all time hits. His songs in that ie Thriller, Billie jean, Beat it etc were just out of the world...

The whole world is mourning his death....from Tokyo to Timbaktu...from Mombasa to Mexico





A mourning fan in front of his wax statue in Las vegas

In our college there used to be lot of people who dressed, acted and 'idoled' him. I remember a guy at Mar-Ivanious who was just like him...his mannerisms..the way he rode the bike etc..
Another major influence MJ had was in 'Break dance'....All the youngsters tried his signature moonwalking or various acrobatics!...infact every, almost every other student wanted to be like him.... If you speak to any person (young or old) about western music they would all know Michael Jackson. Such was his popularity......It seems that even a 'drink' in Malayasia is named after him!

Michael Jackson was the biggest pop sensation of our time (similar to Elvis and 'Beatles' in the previous era) . One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era. His peak was in mid 80's to mid 90's. Later in his life he faced many accusations and was described as a 'tortured genius'.

He was coming to London next month, where I was planning to watch him live for the first time :-( .......But his style and music will remain in millions of hearts for generations to come..........

His albums were:
Got to Be There (1972)
Ben (1972)
Music and Me (1973)
Forever, Michael (1975)
Off the Wall (1979)
Thriller (1982) Thriller is said to be the world's best-selling record of all time.
Bad (1987)
Dangerous (1991)
HIStory (1995)
Invincible (2001)

The balance sheet of T20 world cup

Congrats to Pakistan who convincingly won the final against Srilanka. Pakistan, who fell agonizingly short in the last world cup and have been through so much problems as a country in the last two years, have pulled off a great victory. One might have felt sad for Srilankans, but Pakistan deserved to win the match and the cup. They peaked at the right time and thanks to Afridi who won the MOM award in both semi-final and final.

Afridi quite literally represents everything for a 'pakistani team'......He is a great talent (team) who has underperformed on many occassions previously, but has the calibre to beat any team anywhere in the world on his (their) day. This goes on to prove the age old notion that form is temporary, but class is permanent.

I went to watch a few of India's matches. Saw the first match in Nottingham where they won against Bangladesh, though not convicingly. Manikutty also had the first experience of watching a cricket match live again at Trentbridge where she saw Srilanka beating Westindies and India beating Ireland.

A photo by Manikutty

Crowd support for India was tremondous where ever they played.....

Indian fans performing for the live telecast

Most of the sponsors were Indian companies.....


I was also at Lords last sunday only to see India being expelled from the world cup by a fighting English side. I must say that there is nothing more beautiful in cricket than at 'Lords' (the home of cricket) on a sunny day, packed with full capacity of passionate supporters.....It was literally a 'sea of Blue'.....But alas the Indian team let the fans down again in a big tournament! They lost all the 3 super-8 matches and left for home dejected. Who is to blame? The loosers were again the Indian supporters. The BCCI, team management and the team recieved hefty cheques as usual. It would have been wonderful if the players had shown a bit of the passion like their supporters and gone out of the tournament showing their grit and determination rather than being kicked out in such a cowardly and cheeky manner....

Support for India just outside Lords stadium

The most visible landmark in Lords...the mediacentre....Inside Lords it was all 'Blue', felt as though the match is played in India.....

The famous pavilion where millions of Indians have the memory of Kapil dev and team lifting the worldcup in 1983....


The T20 have given a few messages:

1. Twenty twenty is here to stay; though it may not affect the test cricket significantly, it will take away the sheen from one day internationals, who will definitely suffer

2. There are no under dogs or favourites in a T20. Anyteam can win or rather any one can loose as is being exemplified in this year s IPL where the bottom 2 teams from last year( Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers) went on to play the final

3. T20 is not just about hitting out or slogging every ball...there needs to be a clear planning, partnerships and perfect execution of the process to gain the upperhand.

4. Who said T20 will spell the 'death' of bowlers in cricket? infact it was the 2 teams with the best bowling resources (MMM ie Murali-Mendis-Malinga for Srilanka and AAA ie Aamir-Afridi-Ajmal along with Gul for Pakistan) that went on to play the final.

5. T20 will also totally change the way, the world views cricket. From 10 or fewer nations it will spread to many countries and it is only a matter of time and its not if, but when cricket will become a regular feature of Olympics.

Red faced

Indians have again done themselves proud by 'mature voting' and giving a clear mandate in the recently concluded Elections, the biggest democratic process in the world. In todays unpredictive world specifically in South Asia where she is surrounded by volatile neighbours, India has shown the world the true meaning of 'by the people, for the people and of the people'.

In this 'election cyclone' along with the caste and communal politics, the communists also fell. They were routed in the red fortresses of Kerala, and its own Bastion in Bengal. What has happened since late Harkishan singh Surjeet handed over Party's mantle to the so called young 'Karats' and 'Yachuris'? How come from a tally of about 59 seats in 2004 they came down to a mere 24 in 2009?

A lot of questions to be answered by the official leadership of all left parties, though it is generally felt that the attitude of the so called 'young brigades' that were much more theoritical and inflexible led to this huge defeat. The National left front leaders forgot the key lesson in politics ie to have your house in order before you attack the UPA with matters like Nuclear pact; the left specifically CPM totally turned blind eye to the deepening crises in both Kerala and Bengal. The 'new breed of young' CPM leaders rather than being pragmatic and dynamic went for the rigid communist policies. They lost touch with common man and were more involved and infatuated with the outdated anti- imperialism.

Interestingly a lot of policies that paid rich dividends to the UPA govt are 'left' policies. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the National Old Age Pension Scheme, National Maternity Benefit Scheme, Mid-Day Meal and Integrated Children Development Scheme, the Targeted Public Distribution Scheme, National Family Benefit Scheme, Right to Information, Forest Rights Act, farm loan waiver etc. The left never made any attempt to high light this in their campaign and instead went after the blind propaganda of an 'unreal' third front based on an anti- left, anti BJP platform. The common people soon understood the stand taken by the third/ fourth front that they were trying to get as many seats as possible to be in a good bargaining post-poll position; but alas all their dreams were shattered by the convincing outcome of 2009 elections!


In Kerala it was clear that people were fed up with the infighting between the two major factions in the ruling CPM. The present leadership in Kerala were totally egoistic, autocratic, arrogant and aggressive against anyone who they felt were not supporting them. It is sad to note that the party which was once led by the legendary leaders like AKG and EMS are now in hands of a bunch of 'pseudo-comrades'. One person who came out relatively unharmed in this whole debacle is the Kerala Cheif minister Mr VS Achuthanandan.


The common man who supports the communist party is not unhappy with this defeat. In fact one of the Kannur comrades told me it was a 'good shock treatment' given by the people of kerala to a party which is a part of their life. May be this statement reflects the general feeling of the party supporters in the state.


There will be a lot of 'post-mortem' meetings and analysis of this whole result scenario. Though it is clear that the 'SNC lavlin case', the marriage of conveneince with PDP, the aggressive stance take by the CPM against the smaller parties in LDF, alienation of general public and anti-media stance were the main resons in the party's failing, the leadership may take some other 'vague' explaination line and get away this time. But its better to accept the mistakes, make necessary changes and attitude by a clear introspection...the sooner the party realise and correct this the better it is for Kerala....

Idealess and hopeless star singer contest

I couldn't help not writing a few words on this programme which I started watching recently.....Its called Idea Star Singer 2008, supposed to be a 'hit' programme in Kerala.I had asianet TV for the last 6 years but have not watched this till this year.

What happened on the 'Kacheri round' for Somadas and the subsequent bullying of him in the hands of the Anchor-girl and Judging panel is beyond some thing civilised people could comprehend in the 21st century. The respect and interest I had for this have gone.....

A person should never have been humiliated like this in front of a live audience and those watching this programme all over the world (and in youtube).....

To add insult to injury, the anchor person was appealing to the public (indirectly) not to vote for Somadas

Except one judge all were brutal, cruel and saddistic towards this unfortunate chap. I dont have any civilised words in my dictionary to express this atrocity...sorry.....

Mani nadam-1

2 years ago while Mani was at Montessori Nursery (topic- Space)
Manikutty(MK): Acha
Achan: yes, molae
Manikutty: Acha are there people in Space in other planets like there are in Earth
Achan: No idea molae...It is possible :-)

Last year at Fairfield (Topic- even and odd numbers)
Manikutty: Acha, 2,4,6,8 etc are even numbers and 1,3,5, 7 are odd?
Achan: yes, that is correct
MK:Is Zero an odd number or even number?
Achan: Not sure molae
MK: I think it is even
Achan: why?
MK:because the pattern is even, odd, even ,odd...so as 1 is odd and 2 even, the pattern should be that zero is even...
Achan: I think you are right....
More Maninadams to come.......

Time is cyclical not linear.....

What goes round comes round...How true....
I never like to add any thing here from my clinical work...But today I really felt the urge to scribble this....10 years is a long time....but you clearly remember some of them...though many years have passed.
No coincidences only 'incidents for a reason'.....

Heart disease awareness

I was invited to give a talk on " Heart disease awareness" by the Leicester Kerala Community(LKC). When Binu (the secretary) mentioned this to me, as usual I said 'yes', but later realised that I have undertaken a substantial task and needed a lot of reading, research and references. However, it was a good learning process for me that reiterated a lot of points I already knew, refreshed some and also learned more on a few key issues.

The crowd was mainly composed of families with a nursing or health related background, that made the presentation all the more interesting as well as challenging. I took Achan, Dasachan and Manikutty too.

I wanted to make the talk more interactive and two-way rather than a lecture. I started the talk by asking about the risk factors for the heart and related illnesses. The crowd responded to this question beautifully and said about most of the known risk factors. I then introduced my newly found mnemonic (reminds me very much of my medical-school days) for this

ie "ABCDEFG-SO". I reminded the crowd to remember this all the time.

A- Age and Alcohol (and also being Asian especially from Indian sub-continent)
B- Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
C- Cholesterol (Especially high LDL, TG and low HDL)
D- Diabetes and Diet
E- Exercise (rather lack of exercise)
F- Family history of heart disease, high BP, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes
G- Genes

S- Smoking and Stress, Sex(male)
O-Obesity

I went through all these points one by one concentrating on the CED (Cause-Effect-Do)of these ie
Whats the Cause?
What are the Effects?
What can we Do?

'Nature and Nurture' both plays a part in the development of any problem. Nature is something which we cannot change and these are factors which are irreversible ie Age/ Male-sex/ Genes/ Family history etc. However we can do a lot on 'BCDE' ie BP/ Cholesterol/ Diabetes and Diet/ Exercise (Nurture).

The most important aspect of this whole symptom/ disease complex is that what ever you have (ie hypertension or obesity or heart-disease) the management is more or less the same by adopting a similar solution to many problems.

The strategy includes modification of life style factors ie eating more vegetables/ fruits, less fatty food, physical and mental exercise(like yoga, relaxation techniques), stopping smoking, reducing alcohol, taking regular medications if on treatment etc. I emphasised the age old saying 'prevention is better than cure'.

The feed back after the talk was quite good. I was presented a memento on behalf of LKC. The success of any talk/presentation depends on the home-work we have done. It is important to be simple, crisp and clear, at the same time keeping the crowd engaged and getting the message across.

Tail piece: Manikutty later told me that she felt my talk was boring....:-)

Raja Yoga- 4

Session 7 (24.02.2009) and Session 8 (26.02.2009)

These were the last 2 sessions of the course. The main thrust and core discussion again was on God and the Time- cycle. These sessions were more or less a continuation of the last 2 sessions (http://adhvaitha.blogspot.com/2009/02/raja-yoga-3.html).

A lot of questions were asked by the participants to get more clarity on the different ages of time-cycle, re-birth, capacity and purity of soul. It was a quite complex discussion, but I felt Paramjit tried his best to make us all understand the concept of birth and re-birth of each soul and the different ages. In the end we all did a role-play of the 'time cycle and souls'.

The points I think that were clarified included:

• There is a continuous stream of souls coming to the physical world.
  
• All the souls are pure, but differ in capacity
• Souls come to the physical world pure and goes back into soul world (at confluence age) pure
• Souls who have a higher capacity and/ or purest of the pure come early ie they come in the Golden age/ Silver age
• A soul in the Golden age will have born, many times more than ones in the silver age and this process is continuing into Copper and Iron age (present)
• The less purer souls (not impure) with a lesser capacity may experience only few/ even a single birth in the Iron age
• The Purity of the souls is inversely proportional to the population of the physical world.

Paramjit also introduced the concept of 'Tree of humanity'.

• The seed of humanity, of the human family, is the Supreme Soul(God)
• The trunk of the tree symbolises the era of Golden and Silver age
• The closeness of the trunk to the seed/ root symbolizes how souls at that time embody God’s qualities. Such souls are revered as ‘gods’ and ‘goddesses’ ('Divine' beings)
• As a tree grows, its trunk expands in size and many branches and leaves are formed. New leaves signifies new souls and the population increases.
• In the copper age and later Iron age, prophet souls like Abraham, Sri-Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Shankaracharya, Guru Nanak and so on starts appearing as people became more body conscious . New branches and sub branches signifies new religions (in Copper age) and later sects/ cults (in Iron age) respectively.
• Each Religion creates their own branch and brings with them their own followers from the Infinite Light, until they too decline and splits into many branches and sub-branches. Each branch thinks that they are the real tree...

We have three teachers in life

1. Knowledge (application of this knowledge is Wisdom)- Best way
2. Learning from experiences/ mistakes- Second best way
3. Time- It might be too late as we may reached the point of no-return.

For a Soul to come to this world- needs a physical body; so the supreme soul also needs a physical body to come to earth. The supreme soul comes to the earth in the physical being who has the most pure and highest capacity soul. This would happen (according to Paramjit, already happened)in the most spiritual place on Earth ie Bharat (India). Paramjit tells that this person is called 'Shivababa' through whom God speaks the knowledge (the easiest way to be awakened and become 'soul conscious')


Summary:

It has been a wonderful journey for me so far. Did I learn anything knew? Yes, Of course a lot of things. I think this course has helped me in understanding more about our 'true self'. The concept of 'Mind- Intellect- Sanskara' is an effective way of having control over your thoughts and subsequently your actions with the 'intellect' acting as a 'filter'.

The understanding that 80% of your thoughts are those where you do not have any control over ( ie waste thoughts) is indeed an efficient way to express positive feelings and improve concentration. It also helps when we imagine that everyone including ourselves are playing a role, when we are interacting with people in different situations.

This form of Meditation is helpful in imagining that we are 'a point of light' (soul) and could be practiced at any time, anywhere and in any position that you feel comfortable. It doesn't require any formal way of preparation other than becoming soul conscious and practicing it regularly.

I have re-discovered that I could just close my eyes and go into a 'state of meditation' when ever, I want to. Even when Iam traveling in a busy train or at a crowded place or when going to bed or waking up from sleep or just even when Iam engaged in something I could take a minute or few minutes out, imagine the positive thoughts and feel the positive energy.

The first four sessions ie being a self sovereign, awareness of body and soul, the three levels of consciousness and Karma were quite a reiteration of many aspects that we already knew or are aware through one source or other. I would say that this was the best part of the course, that were simple to understand and comprehend.

The second half ie sessions on God, Time cycle and Tree of humanity were more complex, challenging and at times difficult to grasp. The concept of space, time, infinity etc is always going to be difficult to explain and understand in such a short period of time. But I felt Paramjit has done and doing a great service by taking such sessions and explaining this version of 'Raja-Yoga' in a simple, clear and most importantly, a practical manner. Om Shanthi......

Raja Yoga- 3

First and Second Session: http://adhvaitha.blogspot.com/2009/02/raja-yoga.html
Third and Fourth Session:http://adhvaitha.blogspot.com/2009/02/raja-yoga-2.html

Fifth Session 17.02.2009

Today Paramjit introduced the concept of God, which is the third way to settle ones Karma ie Remembrance and constant awareness of God

He first asked "who are your parents?" . If the question is asked to Sheep, it would say 'sheep'; an elephant will say 'elephant' etc similarly a human being (in 'body consciousness') would say its a Human or a 'Soul Conscious Being' would say its a soul and its the 'Supreme soul' (or Paramatma)

He/ she is known by different names like Prabhu, Ishwar, Jehovah, Allah, Bhagawan, Shiva, Jesus etc
His / her qualities include Oceans of love, purity, peace, happiness, mercy, bliss etc....
His /her roles include father, mother, friend, companion, brother, satguru, teacher etc
His/ her home is the 'Land of peace' or the 'incorporeal world' (Nirakar)
We communicate with God through our thoughts(ie Raja Yoga)

He gave the example of the first name JOHN who is known differently, but is all the same name

e.g: John (Leicester)
Sean (Ireland)
Juan(Spain)
Jean (France)
Johan (Holland)
Johann(Sweden)
Ian (Scotland)

(BTW in Malayalam he is known as Yohanaan)...

Similarly, Saint Nicholas (UK) is known as Santa Claus(US) or Father Christmas...Likewise God is known by many names like Prabhu, Ishwar, Jehovah, Allah, Bhagawan, Shiva, Jesus etc

A 'Guru' is a person who leads us from Darkness ('gu') to enlightenment('ru'); Satguru is a true guru.

I note that there is no equivalent word or term for Guru in English (like a lot of Sanskrit words). I am always wonder-struck by this divine language. The more I learn Sanskrit the more I feel the power in each word, each sentence, each hymn. I also felt the positive vibes with each pronunciation and one needs a proper Guru to understand this better. I should write on Sanskrit language (and Samskrita Bharati) soon in a separate blog.

God has infinite love, unlimited, ocean of love,peace, bliss. He/ she is beyond defamation, beyond praise. He/ she is the creator, sustainer and the destroyer. One point here I was not in complete agreement with Paramjit was when he said 'God is not Omnipresent'. Paramjit says God is present only in the incorporeal world. ie a non-physical world. God cannot be a human being because human beings have to go through the cycle of life and death where as god doesn't. Paramjit says this is one of the differences between a soul and a supreme soul.

Like an insulated electric wire,the 'insulation' of body conscious has to be removed to become soul conscious. Switching of TV doesn't stop transmission...so when we become soul-conscious we are able to recognise the overflowing love and bliss transmitted continuously by god. God never give sorrow, but always pass on happiness. When you remember god, you come to have 'god like qualities'. Its always a 2 way communication..experiencing all his love.

Paramjit then mentions the story of a person who believes that God would protect him all the time ie having cent percent or more faith. Once there was severe flood. This person believed that god would come for his help and so did not accept any other help. The water levels were rising. A pedestrian passing by said, "hey come on..the water is rising". This person replied, No.

As the ground floor flooded he went to first floor. After some time a 'boat' came and offered help. he denied it. Later he went to the roof and then a helicopter came to his help, but he did not accept help. later he drowned and reached heaven. He asked God why was he not helped during floods and allowed to drown. God replied " What I cannot understand is that I first send the pedestrian, then the boat and later the helicopter, But why didn't you accept any help?"!!

Realising and remembering God is like a spiritual lottery; do not beg....take it from God. We have a right over god ..he is always giving..'am I taking' is the question.....This power from god enables Karma; settles Karma with out suffering

People who are ignorant, disobeys God like Adam and eve, Pandora's Box, Sita crossing the 'Lakshman rekha' etc...No human being can be god...God is beyond the cycle of birth and death
and this seems to be the main difference between from humans.

Sixth Session (19.02.2009)

Today's topic was on TIME.

"Time don't control me, I control time".

In western concept time is linear. however, in the east time is cyclic..like the 'rain cycle'. ie the cycle of clouds-rain-water-streams-river-sea-evaporation-water vapour-clouds-rain etc.

When the water come down to earth as rain drops they are pure and clean. But they take the external dirt while flowing through river, sea etc and later when it become vapour and rain again, it become pure. Like wise every soul is pure, but have different capacity. Similar to electric bulbs(20w, 40w, 60w ore 100w) or a beaker with 1l, 2l, 5l, 100l capacity or a runner who can run a Marathon(26 miles) or a half-marathon, or some one who can run 5milesor 1mile, each soul has a capacity.

From the 'soul world' there is a constant drop of souls to earth( which enter a human body) like rain drops. Each quarter in this time cycle are called

Golden age
Silver age
Copper age
Iron age

There is a small gap between the iron age and next Golden age called the 'Confluence age'. The Golden age(like 'heaven') and Silver age (like 'semi-heaven') are ages when people were 'Soul Conscious'. In this half, ones actions are neutral.

In Copper age and Iron age (like 'hell') humans are 'Body Conscious'. During this second half (ie during the start of Copper age) 'religions' came (like Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity , Islam etc). Life span starts getting shorter and shorter as time progresses through the ages , population increases. The purity of souls decreases. In Iron age as Iron gets rusted quickly (unlike gold) people are also rusted with impure thoughts and actions.

God intervenes in the confluence age and takes them back to the soul world. Paramjit stopped this session by asking to think about four questions, which he would discuss in the last two sessions:

1. How does God intervene?
2. Who would know this is God?
3. Where
4. When this will happen?

A few questions were asked by the participants. There were a couple of people who joined at this session. They asked questions on God/ Time etc.

Summary so far: The concept of God and Time were introduced in the last 2 sessions. Interesting topics, explained with a lot of examples. I very much enjoyed the initial four sessions on being a self-sovereign, being soul conscious and Karma. However, I felt that the concept of Time and to some extent God, were a little more complex and a bit confusing.May be with time, the concept of time could be understood better.