Learn, Grown and.... Unlearn?

Few days back, while reading through a blog sent by a friend I came across an excerpt from a book “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” by “Robert L. Fulghum”.

The small excerpt had few things jotted down about things that are taught to kindergarten kids. The first thing that stuck to me when I read that was, where all this is gone now. I wonder if these are there only to be taught in Kindergarten and forgotten in youth and with age.

These small nuggets are sowed into the young minds irrespective of caste, language, grasping level and geographies so that they grow with them and one day are capable of re-sowing the seeds.  These are the foundation blocks taught which not only apply to the kids but to everyone in their everyday walk of life.

I wonder why people think of passing the buck on to someone and not think of owning the mess they create, where the thought of share and smile is lost, not realize that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

If the process is to learn when you are young, forget in youth and preach in old age, then I guess time would come when the kids would question their elders about all the preaching. I suppose it has already started.

I hope you all live back your kindergarten days again with the list and bring it back in our so called fast paced lives. Here is the  list for you all :)

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

One More Journey of Sun

Sankranti is the Sanskrit word in Indian Astrology which refers to the transmigration of the Sun from one Rāshi (sign of the zodiac) to another. Hence there are 12 such sankrantis in all. However, the Sankranti festival usually refers to Makara Sankranti or the transition of the Sun from Dhanu rashi (Sagittarius) to Makara rashi (Capricorn).

 Considering the winter solstice marks the beginning of the gradual increase of the duration of the day. Scientifically, the shortest day of the year is around December 21–22 after which the days begin to get longer, hence actual Winter Solstice begins on December 21 or December 22 when the tropical sun enters Makara rashi. Hence actual Uttarayana is December 21. This was the actual date of Makara Sankranti too. But because of the Earth's tilt of 23.45 degrees and sliding of equinoxes, Ayanamsa occurs. This has caused Makara Sankranti to slide further over the ages. A thousand years ago, Makara Sankranti was on December 31 and is now on January 14. Five thousand years later, it shall be by the end of February, while in 9,000 years it shall come in June.

 While the traditional Indian Calendar is based on lunar positions, Sankranti is a solar event. So while dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing as per the Gregorian calendar, the date of Makara Sankranti remains constant over a long term, 14 January. Makara Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Magha.

According to the Puranas, on this day Surya(Sun) visits the house of his son Shani(Saturn), who is the lord of the Makara rashi(Zodiac Capricorn). Though the father and son duo did not get along well, the Surya made it a point to meet his son on this day. He, in fact, comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day thus symbolizes the importance of the special relationship between father and son.

 Makar Sankranti, apart from a harvest festival is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture. It is said as the 'holy phase of transition'. It marks the end of an inauspicious phase which according to the Hindu calendar begins around mid-December. It is believed that any auspicious and sacred ritual can be sanctified in any Hindu family, this day onwards. Scientifically, this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. In other words, Sankranti marks the termination of winter season and beginning of a new harvest or spring season.

 In India it is known by different regional names

Makar Sankranti or Sankranti - Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and West Bengal.

Uttarayan- Gujarat and Rajasthan

Maghi - Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab

Pongal - Tamil Nadu

Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu - Assam Valley

Shishur Saenkraat - Kashmir Valley

Makara Vilakku Festival - Sabarimala Temple (Kerala)

Sankranthi In Karnataka

 This is the Suggi or harvest festival for farmers of Kaveri basin of Karnataka. On this auspicious day, young females (kids & teenagers) wear new clothes to visit near and dear ones with a Sankranti offering in a plate, and exchange the same with other families. This ritual is called "Ellu Birodhu."Here the plate would normally contain "Ellu" (white sesame seeds) mixed with fried groundnuts, neatly cut dry coconut & fine cut bella (Jaggery). The mixture is called "Ellu-Bella" (ಎಳ್ಳು ಬೆಲ್ಲ). The plate will also contain sugar candy molds of various shapes (Sakkare Acchu, ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಅಚ್ಚ್ಹು) with a piece of sugarcane. There is a saying in Kannada "ellu bella thindu olle maathadi" which translates to 'eat the mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and speak only good.' This festival signifies the harvest of the season, since sugarcane is predominant in these parts.

In some parts of Karnataka, a newly married woman is required to give away bananas for a period of five years to married women (muthaidhe) from the first year of her marriage, but increase the number of bananas in multiples of five. There is also a tradition of some households giving away red berries "Yalchi Kai" along with the above. In North Karnataka, kite flying with community members is also a tradition. Drawing rangolI in groups is another popular event among women during Sankranti. 

An important ritual is display of cows and cattle in colorful costumes in an open field. Cows are decorated for the occasion and taken on a procession. They are also made to cross a pyre. This ritual is common in rural Karnataka and is called "Kichchu Haisodhu

Wish you all a happy Sankranti

Pessy - Possy tête-à-tête.

This is a short story about friends Miss Penelope and Miss Portia. Their friendship runs deep and long even with little dissimilarity between the two.

Miss Portia is a sweet charming girl whose smile is very infectious. Every time she smiles, the twinkling eyes mesmerizes people around her. Miss Penelope is a girl with a staid face. She always has an air of contemplation around her. Portia is known as Possy or Pos among her friends while Penelope as Pessy.

New Year has arrived and Possy decides to pay a visit to Pessy and calls her for a tea at the Central Park Café. Below is a transcript of their tête-à-tête.

Possy: Hey Pessy. Wish you a very happy new year

Pessy: Hey Pos, wish you a happy new year.

Possy: What’s up Pessy? You don’t seem to be happy about the New Year.

Pessy: Oh its nothing, I am just worried as to what might happen in this year. You know last year hasn’t been good for me.

Possy: Its alrite Pessy, last year is past, move on and look at the new one. You remember your promotion is due this month and so is your birthday. Shouldn’t you be thinking about all these new things than worrying about the past?

Pessy: Oh well that reminds me that there is going to be more work, moving up the ladder comes at price Pos. And who is worried about the birthday anyways I don’t think I can take a day off with so much work on my head.

Possy: Don’t worry Pessy, your birthday is on a Friday, take off and have a nice long vacation I am sure your team would understand that you haven’t had a vacation in sometime now.

Pessy: Gosh, it’s on a Friday I would be driving out. Who would want to be traveling on their birthday Possy and spend so much on a short vacation when there is work at the back of your mind?

Possy: I think you are overtly negative Pessy. Look at the sunny side of life.

Pessy: yeah I am sure there is a sunny side but right now I am down under an umbrella Possy.

Possy takes Pessy for a stroll around the park to change her current mood.

Hopefully Portia manages Penelope to go out of her umbrella and enjoy the sun shine in her life.

Wish you all readers a very happy new year and do remember to always look at the bright side of life!

Note: There is no resemblance to any characters living or dead and the story is purely fictitious.

A passage through Karnataka.

Well its Christmas time again which means its time for Vacation. This time we hadn’t “planned” any vacation as such, instead we decided on a road trip to explore the bounty beauty of Karnataka.
Our road trip was for 7 days starting on the 24^th of December 2011 and ending on 30^th December 2011. The plan was to cover various terrains of Karnataka which included wildlife, hills and mountain ranges, temples and beaches. There were last minute changes to the plan as the Forest Department decided to cancel our booking at Bhadra Wildlife thanks to the bureaucracy of this state. Hence we dropped the wildlife plan and decided to relax at a home stay instead.

I have split this blog into the 7 days and places we covered sparing all the readers from a lengthy short story!
Here is the summary of the places we covered and places we stayed.

Places covered
Bangalore > Sakleshpur > Sringeri >Agumbe > Kollur > Kodachadri > Kundapur > Marvanthe > Gokarna > Om Beach > Kudle Beach > Jog Falls > Shimoga > Bangalore.

Places we stayed:
Sakleshpura: Makkithitta homestay.
Agumbe: Doddamane.
Kodachadri: Our lovely little tent.
Marvanthe: Turtle Bay resort.
Kudle Beach: Café Paradise.
Jog Falls: Sharavathi Nature Camp.

As a last thing I would like to say that we are proud to have made a decision to explore Karnataka. It’s a place with so much of variety and unexplored virgin beauties that it leaves you spell bound. Just to state an instance, there is a stretch from Sagara to Shimoga which looks nothing less than Scotland. I don’t intend to compare here but its the beauty of the place which is just splendiferous! The best drive I have had so far must be here I guess.
Hope you all have a good time reading the 7 day blog.

ಸಿರಿಗನ್ನಡಂ ಗೆಲ್ಗೆ!! ಜೈ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ!!
 Day 1: Bangalore - Sakleshpura - Manjarabad Fort - Makkithitta homestay

Day 2: Mudigere - Sringeri - Agumbe 

Day 3: Kundadri hills - Barkhana falls - Jogi Gundi falls - Kollur and Kodachadri. 

Day 4: Sunrise at Kodachadri, Kollur, Kundapur and Marvanthe

Day 5: Kundapur, Gokarna, Om Beach and Kudle Beach

Day 6: Trek to half moon and paradise beach, jog falls

Day 7: Jog falls, Shimoga and

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