Orion Mall & ISKCON

I know I know I have been away from blogging for quite sometime now. Though there have been many instances which did inspire me to scribble, my thought process dint let me complete any of them. I would come back to them eventually but for now to that one topic which inspired me to get back here.

Being born and brought up in Bangalore, finding a place to visit on a weekend is a challenge by itself. However when we decided to take up this challenge, it was the new “Orion Mall” which came to our rescue.

Orion is the name of a new Mall which has sprung up between Yeshwanthpur and RajajiNagar and comes as part of the Brigade Gateway Lifestyle Enclave. It is one of its kind as it opens out to a courtyard rather than to a busy street. The open courtyard overlooks the premium luxury brigade apartments, World Trade Center Bangalore and the best of them all is a man made lake.

The makers of the mall have put in enough effort to ensure that the mall provides a nice surreal feeling than exhaustion which is very common in other malls. There are premium restaurants like Mai-Tai, Mainland China which line the lake and makes one feel out of Bangalore.

Orion is not just any other mall for it has some of those small things which make it interesting like a food court which looks like a street from Europe. There is an aesthetic sense to the food court with fancy paintings which adorn the walls, and dull street lamps providing the soft light effect. There are enough benches and drinking water outlets in each floor so that one can enjoy the mall without feeling the fatigue.

The mall has just the right blend of luxury brands like Mango, Zara, Debenhams and the common ones like Westside, Lee, Levis. The mall also does have one of the biggest Swaroski outlets.

There are two approaches to reach the Mall, one from the Yeshwanthpur flyover and the other from the Chord road side. However the chord road end is blocked due to Metro construction

A visit to the mall in the evening is sure to make one feel out of Bangalore.

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At a very short distance from Orion is one of Bangalore’s biggest temple complexes ISKCON.

ISKCON stands for “International Society of Krishna Consciousness”.

In September 1987, ISKCON Bangalore was operating from a rented house in the city with a handful of devotees. Under the leadership of the Temple President,
Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, ISKCON Bangalore applied for a 7-acre hillock from the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). The BDA had described it as waste land as it was a huge piece of monolithic rock and could not be converted into sites. The BDA sanctioned the land at a cost of Rs. 11 lakhs to be paid in 90 days. This hillock was then converted to the ISKCON temple complex

There are two entrances to the temple, one is a general public entrance which takes one through a series of stairs and the other is a vehicle entrance. The staircase to the temple is a long and winding one with a small break to deposit the camera, bags and chappals.

Once the items are safely deposited, there are series of temples which one comes across before entering the main complex. The first temple that we encounter is of Lord Sri Prahalada Narsimha and then comes Lord Srinivasa Govinda.

A broad series of staircase then leads to the main temple complex which is a huge prayer hall comprising of three deities. Sri Sri Radha Krishna Chandra, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga are these three deities adorning the main hall.

The main prayer hall is huge and splendiferous. The ceiling of the sanctum sanctorum is adorned with paintings of Lord Krishna and his childhood. The gopurams inside the hall looks magnificent. The mesmerizing bhajans in the main hall hold the devotees with such power that one wouldn’t feel like leaving the hall. However for those who would like to soak themselves in the chantings can do so as there is provision for the devotees to sit at the center of the hall.

There may be different programs which are specific to each day and the day we were in the temple, there was “thepothsava” which is called “Panihati Chida Dahi Mahotsav” in ISKCON.

The exit from the temple complex leads us to a lot of shopping options ranging from bakery products, idols and souvenirs of lord Krishna, clothes and various other stuff. The prasad is offered at the end of the stairs.

Do keep aside enough time to enjoy the grandeur of the temple.

So the next time you are wondering where to head on a weekend, try out this option, it is sure to engage for one whole day.

Club Cabana

Well the next post in this section of day outings is here. Generally we as a couple haven’t explored the umpteen resorts flanking Bangalore, but we decided to make to this one thanks to my bro.

Club Cabana played host to us on one of those weekends when we wanted to just go out and not spend at home.

Tucked away from the main road and the airport crowd, Club Cabana is located about 25kms from city in the Devanahalli taluk.

The resort has a varied set of Club and Water sports apart from the bowling alley, pool table and foosball. It also has a specialty restaurant and a welcoming reception area.

Wave pool

We reached the place around 11 and immediately were attracted by the wave pool which is the first thing one gets to view from the reception area. No doubt that that’s the place where maximum people were found.

Having soaked ourselves in the pool we headed to other water attractions. There are two water slides; one where a water tube is used to slide through the water and more than person can slide through it, the other is where one person slides down at a time without a water tube.

I was excited to try all of them, but my dear one wanted to test the water and so he asked me to choose one of them first. I chose the one where I can go on the slide all alone and enjoy it. But what a disappointment that was. I wasn’t able to slide even one fourth the distance, I was stuck and had to creep all by myself half the way and then went down like a deflated balloon.

Water Sport area

Since I said I dint enjoy the ride, he wanted to try the ride himself. Well he started off well and came down splashing water but at the end of it we saw that he had hurt himself. Well that was the end of our water slides and we decided to laze around in pool called lazy river.

If you are tired playing around in all the water rides then you can relax in the lazy river. You are provided with a water tube and all one is supposed to do is laze. The water current takes you along the circuit. At the end of the lazy pool circuit there is a variety of water fountain which is resembles a water fall.

Only when we were done with all the water sports did we realize that our stomachs were rumbling and it was time for lunch.

There is an in-house restaurant which provides a buffet spread which is quite tasty. After quite a meal and some relaxation it was time for some outdoor games.

I have heard that earlier the outdoor games was in another property called Jade Garden but now the outdoor games are at the other end of the resort within the same campus. However there are limited options.

One can choose from table tennis, basket ball and badminton and archery though there is no specific court for badminton. The bowling alley is a compact and well designed one but is small compared to the Amoeba alley.

I tried the simple archery and quite impressed at my own attempt.

Since there wasn’t anything much to do, we concluded the day with a session of photos with the family and bid farewell to the resort and headed back home.

If you are water enthusiast, want to relax and not do many activities then head to Club Cabana with family. There is enough for everyone to relax.

Nandi Hills with a different perspective

It was one of those weekends in Bangalore which was rain washed for two or three days and the city had returned to being “green”. 

Not to miss these wonderful weekends, the plan was set to head to Nandi hills the nearest hill station to Bangalore.

My only remembrance of Nandi hills was the visit I paid when I was a kid on a blazing hot summer day. But having seen some of the beautiful mist covered pictures of Nandi in recent times, a visit to this hills station was in the queue to get a firsthand experience of it.

What better day than a weekend which has had some rain previous eve to reload the greenery back in the hills, plans being made and things set, it was time to leave. 

The drive to Nandi hills is not very scenic, now that the New Bangalore International Airport has made its presence felt. However the consequence of this advancement is the good condition of roads that take you all the way to the hills.

There is not much to stop and have a peek en-route but we found some small rose gardens which hadflowers in full bloom. Of course one will not be able to reach the garden but admire its beauty from a distance and let them be in their tranquility. 

Nandi hills are best viewed in the wee hours of morning when mists and clouds swallow up the hills and form their shadow on the farms below. Though our excursion was planned to be at that point of day, it did not come about due to our multiple stops for pictures on our way.

There are around 40 curves from the base of the hill to the entrance which also issues tickets. Once the tickets are bought, cars are allowed to enter inside the site. The roads are formed in such a way that one can see few of the interesting things by being in the car.

The premises on top of the hills are maintained by the Horticulture department and have a done a commendable job.

View points

Some of the additions to the place compared to when I visited last are structures which bear a resemblance to tree houses, view points along the way which have taken up the shape similar to Opera house, Australia. 

There are enough benches in the landscape for the tired to take rest.

We made use of these benches to have our breakfast and it was nothing less than a picnic in the woods of course with yum food.

 There are hidden places which you can enjoy though not listed in the main attractions in Nandi hills like a tank right behind the Yoga Nandishwara temple. You can sit here for hours enjoying the cool breeze and witnessing the ripple effects on the water.

The horticulture department park also extends through length and breadth of the hills and one can get engrossed in the nature here without any disturbance of the outside world. Take enough time to explore the entire park on foot, which is the best way to feel nature on the hills.

Some of the must visit places atop the hills are:

• Nehru park : Huge park with lots of greenery, keep enough time aside to enjoy the place which is worth all the walking.

•    Tippu drop : There are two ways to reach it. One is the pathway through the steps which run beside the Yoga Nandeeshwara temple and for the adventurous you can make your way through rocks and boulders. (This actually gives you thrill but ensure to bring enough warm clothing, its pretty breeze here.)

• Yoga Nandeeshwara temple: It’s an ancient temple and has been well maintained considering the infrastructure available atop. It’s not to be missed

• Tippu’s summer palace: It’s at the other entrance of the park, nothing much to see since it has not been maintained well.

• Amruth Sarovar: Another place which has got nothing much to offer.

• Gavi veerabdhadra Swamy Temple:

•  Ganesh temple

Entry & Timings: 

The entrance gate which issues entry ticket opens at morning 6.30 and the tickets are charged at Rs 5 per person.

Accommodation:

In case you have not quenched the desire to explore the place, then you can stay on the hills. There are various options for varied budget

•  Hotel Mayura Pine top is managed by KSTDC and provides the profile view of the hills

• Traveller Bunglow which is managed by the horticulture department. For reservation contact the horticulture department at Lalbagh. On call bookings are rare and this place requires booking a month in advance (It was under renovation on 1^st September 2012)

• There are various other options on the way to Nandi hills as well.

Food

There are not many options to have food on top of the hills except the Hotel Mayura pine top but none other which requires a mention.
Hence it is advisable to carry food and have a picnic lunch.

Other information

Nandi Hills is one of the unique place in Karnataka which offers paragliding activity.

Nandi Hills is cyclists paradise, a good ~400 meters of altitude gain in ~7 km of ride, The bikers/cyclists from Bangalore storm there on weekends and holidays. It's a very good hill training spot for them.

For enquiries and booking the traveler bungalow contact:

DIRECTORATE, Horticulture Department, Lalbagh, Bangalore-560004.  Phone: 080-2657-9231   
SPECIAL OFFICER, Nandi Hill Station, Chikkaballapur Taluk, Kolar district. Phone: 08156-2678621   (Between July 16th to March 14th)

Bhoganandishwara temple.

This is an ancient temple situated on the foothills of Nandi hills and at a distance of 50 odd kilometers from Bangalore. There is a sign board which informs tourists about the temple in Nandi village but very few take the turn.

The temple is a mix of architectural styles from Hoysalas, Cholas and Vijayanagar empire period.
The façade of the temple overlooks flourishing green lawns which are exceptionally well maintained.  

The temple hosts three main shrines dedicated to Bhoganandishwara, Arunachaleshwara and Uma Maheshwara. The temple is divided into two area one which holds the shrines and the other which looks like a cultural center with an adjoining temple pond. The entire temple possess aesthetically designed pillars, carvings to hold your attention long enough to not let you go.

The serene nature of the temple and its surroundings wiped out all our weariness and we were rejuvenated once again.

For more information contact

Sri BhogaNandiShwera Swami Devalaya
Nandigrama, Nandi Village, Chikkabalapura
Contact Mr. Vijay Ph. No. – 09341170852

Cluster of fun and activities – Navarasa

It has been almost a year since I was absorbed into this swarm of art and activity enthusiasts. Little did I know when I joined that it is going to be a part of me through out my journey.

I was looking for a place which can help me take my fervor towards kathak to a serious note when I chanced upon this place Navarasa. I dint hesitate for a moment and called up the number given on the website. A petite voice answered all my queries and said that she is on a break and not conducting the classes and I can join them when they resume again.

Curious as I was, I located this place to be on my way from office to home. I walked up to its door to find it locked with a notebook and a pen hung to it with a note saying that they are closed for a few days and to leave the contact details on which they could revert.

When they did call back it was to tell me that I can join them on the following Monday for a test. A group of girls dancing gracefully welcomed me to Navarasa for the very first time and sitting in one corner with a plaster on her leg was my guru – Shridevi Mahadevan.

A ligament tear in her ankle few days back explained her state. I wondered at her commitment towards Navarasa that made her come even in a difficult time such as this but she had more her in disposition to surprise me.

People came in and went away from Navarasa but the enthusiasm of Shri never faded for once. She keeps on going and going and imparting new things. Coming from a background of software industry its remarkable to see how Shri has immersed herself into art and creativity. She is always on her toes to try something new, to do something different and her enthusiasm with little kids in her creative cocoon requires acclamation.

In my journey with Navarasa, there was never an instance where I felt monotony of routine. Navarasa was a stress-breaker for me. That one hour I spent everyday in Navarasa bought with it new amounts of energy every time. There was no pressure to out do your peers, never the pressure to achieve something unreachable to you, it was always fun and learning.

Before I knew, I was one among the friendly, graceful and dedicated group of girls planning for the Second Annual Day of Navarasa.

Oh, what a time that was. For the new enthusiasts of Navarasa it was the thrill of performing on stage for the first time and for the leading set of Navarasa it was to better their performance this time. It was bigger and better with many forms of art coming together at one place.

It unquestionably was a mammoth successful event and the effort put in by everyone is commendable. But my partiality lies with my teacher who did almost everything from choreographing the kathak sequences to coordinating, with people incharge of the premise, tailors for our costumes, selecting the theme for the event poster, getting the invites done, recording videos,  practicing her own performance and to top it manage  small kids and most importantly their parents. It was an event which has sketched itself in my memory to be there for a long time.

Navarasa hosts a range of art forms like Contemporary dance, Belly dance, dance workshops theatre, puppetry and creative classes for kids. Djembe workshops, Yoga workshops and more.

If you are looking for something to break your monotony, do hop into Navarasa. http://navarasa.co.in/home/

Disclaimer: This writing is purely out of my interest and has not been compelled by Navarasa or Shridevi.

Art Thou Cooking

What is that one thing which comes to your mind when you hear “Cooking”. For some people cooking is necessity, it’s a process, it’s a skill, science and for those who don’t take pleasure in it, then cooking can be a pain, a bane etc… 

I wasn’t introduced to cooking for a long time. Since I was the youngest in the family there were many others who took care of it. Finally when I did undertake the task of cooking it was necessity first and then inquisitiveness. My necessity was fulfilled by our very Indian “Meri Maggi” and my inquisitiveness started and ended with the brewing cucumber soup. Even though they were pretty simple things to start off with and had turned out quite well, there was something missing in them.

It was only later when I took up cooking on a more serious note and cooked up quite a few things, did I notice this “missing ingredient“ in the dish even though they tasted pretty good.

I will take you through a small story through which I discovered my missing ingredient.

In the beginning of this blog I asked you all a small question, what is cooking? Here is my experience when I asked the same question to the main actors of cooking.

The first set whom I spoke to was a group of representatives from Vegetables (who are one of the main actors in our daily cooking) as to what they feel. A lot of them came across to be depressed; some showed torment and others were neutral. I went about making inquires to their state. Their distress was in the way they were being treated. Not many were in a mood to play 20-questions game but a little newbie there showed some interest and said this:

“When I was in my farm I had so much space, so much air and so many of my friends but since I have come here I am put into those miserable plastic covers and dumped in the refrigerator which is overflowing with so many of my kind. I hardly have space to breathe and more importantly I am stuffed with others who are not my kind and belong to a different species. I don’t like this place”.

Seeing that this little newbie had found some solace in expressing its concern, another of them spoke up. When I saw this new speaker I was amazed at how it carried off itself. There was an air of diva around it and I wondered what the diva is doing in depression chamber. The diva had story to suit its own concern. Here is her account: “I am bored of being chopped the same way all time, irrespective of the fare and the cuisine.

And even when I am being cut there is neither grace nor thought.”

The anger swell up so much in her that the way in which she retorted floored me. “Imagine you go to a parlor and ask your known hairdresser to give you a nice hair cut and they end up chopping it, pulling it according to their whims and fancy. What you feel when you look at yourself in the mirror after this havoc has been done to you is precisely what we feel when we are pulled just because you humans are lazy to draw your knife, cut haphazardly because you are short of time. Do you really care how we look? Imagine what you go through when someone is lazy to give you a clean look and does it sluggishly.” And with that she went away and I could see that she was wiping away her glistening tears.

Now that I had heard two depressing stories, I thought I will inquire with the other groups as to what they had to say when an old meek voice called me back. When I turned around I saw a weak red vegetable which would have looked quite fuller and exquisite in a red suit its youth but now looked dull. Upon asking the cause for its state said

Mrs. Red: “How does it matter”?

I was startled. I said it is of importance to keep up ones health.

Mrs. Red: “But what is the point? At the end of it they are going to poke me and that too in the most unpleasant way.”

Me: Yeah but that’s how they are going to make best of you.

At this remark of mine an angered youth came from behind the group and said.

“Really do you mean what you are saying? You humans do not know the use of utensils and do not understand what goes well with each of us. When we are already squashy and flexible why do you have to use a sharp ended slotted turner which doesn’t suit us? Use it to turn you dosas and not on us.”

This came as a shock to me. Who would use a dosa turner to mix food? I am sure there must be some of our kind who do that. Well I had spent enough time here with this group and there were more to be checked upon.

So I moved on to my next guests, the crockery group. They were a bit more cheerful than the veggies but the appearance of some of them was dreary. Looking at the brighter ones I assumed that they must be new additions to this group but that was not to be the case. I asked the fresh looking ones as to how long they had been in service. I was shocked again with their answer. Most of them were in their service for reasonably long time and yet had managed to retain their shine. To lighten the mood I asked them the secret of their beauty. All I got at first was a big big guffaw. Picking up one of the shiny ones I asked what the matter was.

“Well, there is no secret with us that gives us this shining. It is with you all who use us so seldom that we manage to retain our shine. Yeah that expression on your face is very well correct, we are not special and nor are we made to be special, we are the left out kind.” Though we are the “mixing spoon” we are always replaced by that “dosa turner’ who is presently resting.

You must have heard the story of our “Mrs. Red” in the vegetable section. The cause of her state is this gentleman here who is resting now after a long days work. Don’t get me wrong, as a matter of fact he is the most used in our group, but hardly gets any credit for it. Doesn’t he resemble like a guy on shipping dock who is tired after a long day’s work and without bath for many days. He is ill-treated and he gets to replace any one of us yet doesn’t get a wash.

Now that you are here, look at those tiny little spoons. Do you see anything strange in them?”  I was still gazing at them when the mixing spoon started again. “You see their head, it looks clean shaven and well maintained? Now see their tail, anything strikes you?” A careful observation of that revealed that the spoons looked unintelligent and also their tail looked more worn out than their head. It dint make sense to me and I turn towards my speaker and he says. “Don’t give me that surprised look. You are the culprit for his state. Instead of using one’s head if you use their tail, this is how they will end up in one corner. You stir your coffee, delicious juice with his tail while holding him by his neck what more can you expect out of him.”

I was still digesting things that I had seen and heard when another of them walked up and told me this. “As long as you humans don’t learn to provide us basic facilities like wash, proper store room and task we will ensure to rob your food of its glory.”

This presage was enough to drive me away from there and to realize so many mistakes we all do day in day out. Most of us consider cooking to be a mundane task which we all need to do each day to fill our appetite. This doesn’t come at once, it comes from the pomposity. This pomposity comes from cooking for years together without any one checking upon.

Nature has blessed us with so many vegetables, fruits, and spices and equipped us with a tongue that can relish all this. Engineers and smiths have worked hard to provide us with in-numerous tools for cooking. But what do we do, we end up baking something in a pot with whatever we get and fill our appetite.

Cooking is a great example of a melting pot between art and science. The science process starts when you collect ingredients, identifying which works well, and blends into amazing flavors to come up with your dish. Cooking is also an art. It is symphony of taste, aroma and colors that tickles the senses.

The next time you are in kitchen do make some time to observe what’s around you. When you cook understand what combination and spice is going to give that extra flavor. And when you do this you will realize the missing ingredient called “Art”.

Cooking is a good mix of art and science, which when forgotten can become pain, bane, unexciting etc.

Hope you all add that special ingredient and give your taste buds a well deserving treat.

Did you hear the school bell ring

The sound of those bells remind me of a man in his late 50’s wearing a khaki uniform standing near the gate and welcoming all the kids with a broad smile on his face and stretched arms. That is how my first day at school began.

My first school was a simple building with 4 floors and its wall soaked in pastel colors, nevertheless the popular one in the locality.

 The first floor of the building was dedicated to all those small wonders who had mustered courage to step out into the world away from their mother’s cuddle. They were the most pampered. The remaining grades occupied the other floors with the senior always in the top floor.

There was no playground within the school premises; an open plot of area 100 by 60 was taken on rent by the school and everyone had to walk for some distance to reach their classrooms. Not one child did feel the brunt of neither heat nor the cold walking that distance, neither did the parents complain. They were more than happy to stand there smile and wave at the kids irrespective of who was their parent, while the latter walked in a line to enter the classrooms.

Step into 2012.

While I was having my tryst with the newspaper one morning, I came across an advertisement in Times of India which had the caption as “KNOW YOUR SCHOOLS”. My curious brain wanted some food and it got more than it had asked for.

Times of India has been organizing an “Expo for schools” to help parents choose the best school for their kids. I was wonderstruck at the very concept of it, but I dint know there was more that would strike me than just this expo.

The expo brings in one place all those schools who want to advertise themselves to the parents and draw the maximum crowd. Showcasing 20 international and some residential schools, the event attracted over 2,000 on Day 1.

 This triggered the explorer within me; I wanted to know more of what is happening in the school sector. Being out of school for more than a decade I thought I was out of sync. I went through the websites of some of the schools mentioned in the expo to see what they offer and what the parents would have to shell out in order to get their kids “admitted” into the school.

 My research showed that some of the top listed schools had average tuition fees of at the least a Lakh in the first year which included the actual fee, the admission fee, not sure what this meant, some deposit. Apart from this there were transport fees, books, uniform and other things that were not included.

However the school websites also bragged about the facilities that they can provide to the wards. Some of the facilities that were common were swimming, basket ball, tennis, football, music, dance, yoga. Some were at the extremes citing horse-riding, LCD TVs inside the school bus and GPS systems installed so that the school can track the buses.

The schools which came second to these top schools also wanted to compete, so there were the same sets of extra curricular activities provided by them, of course please ignore the horse riding, LCD TV and the GPS system! However their fee was comparatively less. I wasn’t sure what would differentiate the two levels.

I wanted to research what the demand was when the supply was at this level. I read some of the blogs, forums where parents want to know the schools in their area and which is the best among them. This is what amazed me the most.

If I can put it this way, the top two requirements of the parents was that the school should not emphasize more on the academics, there should be enough scope for extra-curricular activities and the number of kids in each class should not be more than 25.   

I realized that as the ratio of number of students per class and the tuition fee was inversely proportional. As the number of students per class increased the fee charged by the school decreased.

How is the school selected for the kid then? The parents discuss about the schools in this forum and then based on the reviews about the school they come up with a first list of schools that they would like to visit. Then comes the school visit, where the parents go to the short-listed schools ensure that the facilities that they have gathered information about is right and how useful they are.

Then comes the interview of the teachers and the principal about the roadmap of the school (Talk about influence of IT sector). I remember one of the funny comments I read in a forum posted by a parent. One particular school was not chosen for a lady’s son and the reason posted was that the words used by the teacher was not up to the dictionary standards!! I couldn’t believe what I read.

Once the school-visits are done the list of schools which have to be applied for are shortlisted. Now comes the admission-application part. The range of application cost varies from Rs. 250 to 1000. The story doesn’t end after sending out the application. Next comes the preparation for exams, yes you read it rite parents prepare to face the interview for their kids to get into the school, once the kid is in school the story has just begun.

The other interesting article I read about the schools is about weekly boarding schools. These are normal schools which have started off with boarding facilities per week. As in the kid is picked up from home on Sunday evening, stays at the school the entire week and then is dropped back home by Friday evening. The advantage of these schools as cited by the parents is that they reduce the travelling time and the kids get more time to spend with friends and leaning new skills. Also it’s easier for a working couple who then won’t have to worry about a nanny. On a lighter note I thought the kids would start calling their parents as weekend mom and dad.

Well, I am not against any of this neither am I saying that they are all bad. All that I felt when I read these articles was how complicated we have made life. Some of the facilities provided in these schools may be good and some may be extravagant but the thought of school has change drastically over a decade. I felt the schools are now more into churning out kids who are brilliant in both academics and extra-curricular activities and making huge money. No wonder the Government schools are all locked up and empty.

Gone are the days when our parents never had to think twice about the school I had to join, the choice was very simple: put your child in a school where all the other kids of the community are in. There was no short listing of schools, no school visits, interviewing the teachers, assessing the campus of the school, filling an application form. Life was much simple and happy.

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.