The MUMBAI Terror Attacks...

I just don’t get the idea. People talk about lighting a candle to remember the innocent people who died during the terror attacks at the TAJ in Mumbai. My heart is full of resentment, pain and seeking revenge. For how long, how many days and most important how many times will v keep saying, “its OK.. We know about the terrorists, we can work out a plan and be well prepared when they strike the next time etc.. “. The truth is it just doesn’t work. Ya, it is a known fact that its not an easy task, but its not an impossible one either.

People have hoisted our national flag in front of the Taj is wat i came to know. N may i know the reason why? Oh, is it bcse v conquered the terrorists? But the core is that v killed 9 of them, captured one, but how many innocent lives did v ve to pay for it? Enough of this thought saying peace and non violence. It works only for those people who have some concern for humanity and human lives. I just see no victory and absolutely not a reason to celebrate. Just 10 people had the power, the thought and intelligence to screw up an entire nation’s sleep and peace for 60 long hours. Doesn’t this thought burn inside u? I have always felt proud about calling me an Indian. But this time, I broke down. Revisit the memory lane, not a long distance, just the recent past. How many terror attacks? It’s become so easy that the Indian security can be by passed and bombs can be plotted anywhere and anytime, at will.

The prime reason lies in the strength of our security force. The training that these people receive is far below level when compared to the training that the terrorists undergo. The difference lies in the training, the arms and ammunition used and the compensation paid for giving up their lives. The thought that “Wars are won by the might in the heart than in the supplements (arms)” might hold good for arguments and debates, but it jus doesn’t work. I can have the might of an elephant in my heart, but without guns, I can’t do my duty. I am well aware that my opponent can gun me down in seconds. “Knowing this really well, how can the government expect me to lay down my life just like that??” is the question on every Jawans mind. The guns used were far below par, infact some reports indicate that these were similar to the ones used during the world war II. I suppose the London newspapers highlighted the same.

Not only this, there are reports that the bullet proof jackets weren’t available. Only ten jackets were there. There were footages depicting the ATS chief trying out various jackets. The question to be asked is that why don’t these people have a tailor made one. The same was highlighted in the Devil’s Advocate too. The papers also indicate that some of the jackets that the commandos wore were “riot-jackets” and not “bullet-proof” ones.

The other reasons were “our system”, “our intelligence agencies”. The question remains that “in spite of receiving repeated alerts from various sources that there are possibilities of a terror attack, we weren’t prepared”. People might say that its a false news, but the fact remains that all leading newspapers in the US and UK have quoted that this information was passed on to our Indian officials many times. A leading UK daily has also mentioned that the Officials were informed that TAJ could be one of the potential zones. But we didn’t pay enough attention to it, look what it has cost us? 220 people dead. The NSG which should have reacted in 20 mins to one hour took almost 20 hours to reach there (As quoted by the news papers). Reasons – no dedicated transportations planes or copters.

Where is all the money going? I personally feel that the Indian Government needs a major restructuring, young blood needs to take it all up, bloody (pardon me), those at the top should realise that the post held by them and they are accountable to all that is happening. I hope that these shouldn’t repeat in future. We should no longer wait. Its all action hereafter. “Thorn for a thorn” is wat these people understand. Its high time that we fight and put an end to these terrorist attacks.

History behind the worship of Sabari Sastha...

The customs of the pilgrims to Sabarimala are based on five worshipping methods; those of Shaivites, Shaktists, Vaishnavites, Buddhists and Jainists. At first, there were three sections of devotees – the devotees of Shakti who used meat, liquor and other drugs to worship their deity, the devotees of Vishnu who followed strict penance and continence, and the devotees of Shiva who partly followed these two methods. It was then that the Buddhists and Jainists entered, spreading the concepts of Ahimsa. Another name of Lord Ayyappa is Sastha which means Buddha. This is a prime example of the reach of the Buddhist beliefs to this part of the world. All these can be seen merged into the beliefs of pilgrims to Sabarimala. The chain the pilgrims wear comes from the Rudraksha chain of the Shaivites. The strict fasting, penance and continence is taken out of the beliefs of the Vaishnavites. Ahimsa is taken from the Jainists. The constant and repeated utterance of prayers reminds one of the Buddhists. The offering of tobacco to Kaduthaswamy can be considered to be taken from the Shaktists.

Those who decide to go to Sabarimala need to observe strict celibacy. The procession of Malikappurathamma to Saramkuthy and her return without any exuberance shows one the patience, endurance and mental strength a man can achieve. The ghee filled coconuts in the blazing fire hearth symbolizes the burn off of one’s selfishness. A bath in river Pampa stands for driving away the sins one committed in his life.

The striking significance of the beliefs about Sabarimala is the absence of the touch-me-not-ism among the upper castes of Hindus. All are equal before Lord Ayyappa. Even the deity and the devotee are known by the same name – either Ayyappa or Swamy. This is the only such belief in the entire world.

Through the observation of strict penance, fasting and continence, one learns to control his senses. He gives up his lust and other human desires. He remoulds himself. On reaching his destination, he realizes the meaning of Thathwamasi – ‘That is You’. Thus he recognizes the enormous power, restraint and resilience from within. Another importance which is more relevant these days is the oneness of diverse religious beliefs. It is one temple in the world, with doors open to all, whatever be their beliefs. The triumvirate of Ayyappa, a Hindu; Vavar, a Muslim and Kochu Thomman, a Christian speaks volumes for this factual truth. It is here that Sabarimala becomes more of a reality than a myth.

The reality of Sabarimala...

In my earlier post I had indicated the history or typically the myth behind the sacred shrine of Sabarimala. The reality as stated in the history books are as follows:

The Pandalam Royal Family has its roots in Tamil Nadu. The members of the Pandalam Royal Family are descendants of the Pandya dynasty of Madurai. The Pandya Kings fled to today’s Kerala in two groups, after losing the battle against Malik Khafer, the General of the then Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji. One group settled down in Punjar (Kottayam Dist) and the other in Pandalam in 1202 AD. The then ruler of Venad helped them establish the Kingdom of Pandalam. The Kingdom of Pandalam extended to over 1,000 square miles. The royal family of Pandalam belongs to the 'Bhargava Gothra' while other Kshatriya families in Kerala belong to the 'Viswamithra Gothra'. Secularism was one of the prime principles of Pandalam dynasty and they helped the other religious followers to build a mosque at Kadakkad and a church at Kudassanad. It is also believed that those who settled down in Pandalam had sympathies toward the Buddhist beliefs.

There is no clear evidence as to when did the pilgrimage to Sabarimala begin. After the instauration of the temple, it left unreached for about three centuries. One of the Kings in the later generation rediscovered the traditional paths to reach Sabarimala. He had many followers with him, including the descendants of the Vavar family. They refreshed their resources at Erumely and this marked the beginning of the famous Petta Thullal at Erumely. They laid down their arms at the place today known as Saramkuthy. Those who are on their maiden visits to Sabarimala thrust arrows at this place. The temple was then renovated. In 1821 AD, the kingdom of Pandalam was added to Travancore. 48 major temples including the Sabarimala temple were also added to Travancore. The idol was erected in 1910. The temple conflagrated in 1971 and underwent a major revamp.

The History of Sabarimala... Swami Saranam

Sabarimala was once under the regime of the Pandalam dynasty. So there can’t be a mythical history for Sabarimala without the mythical histories of Lord Ayyappa and Pandalam dynasty. Lord Ayyappa, the deity of Sabarimala had his human sojourn at Pandalam as the adopted son of the King of Pandalam. It is believed that the King of Pandalam, who didn’t have an offspring to assume his throne, got a baby from the banks of the river Pampa. The king heard an oracle that he should take the baby to his Palace and that the baby will show the intent of his birth at 12. Because the baby had a bell tied in a string around his neck, he was called Manikandan; meaning a person who has a bell around his neck. At 12, he would be known as Ayyappa. The King took the baby home and the Royal Family accepted the child as the Prince. But after some time, the Queen delivered a baby and the attention of all except the King in the Royal Family switched to the new born baby. The Minister in the Royal Palace told the Queen that unless Manikandan was thrown out of the Palace, her own son could not become the next King. He was playing on her jealousy. It worked out. According to the directives from the Minister, the Queen pretended to have fallen ill. The Royal Family doctor prescribed her the milk of leopardess. It was also a trick of the Minister. He knew that Manikandan would take up the challenge. As expected, Manikandan went to the forest in search of leopardess-milk, despite resistance from the King. He was around 12 now. In the forest, in a fierce battle, he killed the demon queen Mahishi, who used to attack and kill the people and their cattle. She was even feared by the Gods. After she was killed, all the Gods praised and worshipped Manikandan. Knowing the intent of Manikandan’s visit, the King of the Gods, Indra, transfigured into a leopardess and the rest of the Gods joined them, as leopards. Manikandan climbed on top of the leopardess and led the way back to the Royal Palace. Everyone was surprised to see the Prince coming with a group of leopards. Ayyappa took rest underneath a banyan tree. The Queen and the Minister were now frightened and confessed to the King about their misdeeds. Finally, the King came out himself with others to welcome his son to the Palace. Manikandan forgave the misdeeds of his mother, the Minister and others. Despite demands from the King that Manikandan should take over as the King of Pandalam, he nominated his younger brother to follow his father. He then took the King to the forest and told him that the intension of his human sojourn was complete and that he had to leave now. He then blazed away an arrow toward a hill. He asked the King to construct a shrine for him where the arrow alighted. He also requested his father to come annually to visit him at the shrine. Thus he gave up his human life and his divinity entered Sabarimala. Parasuram, another incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu, built the idol of Ayyappa and the architect among the Gods, Viswakarma built the temple in the Sabarimala (Sabari hills) at the place where the arrow alighted. This is the myth about Lord Ayyappa.

The Story of THIRUVANNAMALAI

Thiruvannamalai is one among "pancha bootha sthalam". Everyone would have heard about this story when you were all kids. Once Brahma and Vishnu wanted to see the feet and the top of Shiva's head (Adi and Mudi) and they started pursuing it. Even after going to the deepest possible place under the surface, Vishnu could not spot Shiva's Feet and he accepted that. But Brahma went up above a long distance and could not find it. But he lied to Shiva saying that he had spotted what he was pursuing and he claimed "thazham poo" to be a witness. Lord Shiva realised that he was lying and from then on, he banished any kind of Brahma worship in Shiva temples and ostracised "Thazham poo" for his poojas. Lord Shiva was angry and he turned into a mountain and vanished. Now that mountain is supposed to be the "Thiruvannamalai" or "Thiru Annamalai". Since Lord Shiva was angry, that place is really a hot place and it is designated for "fire" among the "Pancha Boothas". 

            Annamalai = arunamalai, aruna thirini anna aaidichi, arunachalam = arunamalai, achalam in sanskrit in mountain, everybody might be knowing this info. According to literature, the hill was of fire in the Kritha Yuga; manickam (a variety of carbuncle) in the Thretha Yuga; gold in the Dwapara Yuga and emerald in the Kali Yuga. The hill thus evidences the fact that He is the light, the all-illuminating and all-pervading glory.

            Thayar's name is unnamulai amman.In Arunachala Mahatmyam and Arunachala Puranam, Parvati, known locally as Unnamulai, unites with Siva to such an extent that each shares the other's form. Unnamulai means, 'She whose breasts have never been suckled'. Traditionally, Siva and Unnamulai appear as a half-male and half-female figure, the left side being Unnamulai and the right side Siva. In this merged or unified state Unnamulai becomes Siva's sakti, the divine energy which brings into existence all manifestation. Iconographical representations of their combined form, which is known as Ardhanariswara, show a half-male and half-female body, with the dividing line being the vertical axis running down the middle of the body. Parvati (Unnamulai) earned the right to this union by performing intense tapas over two lifetimes, the first as Sati, and the second as Parvati.

Social Security and Responsibility

Wen v talk of security, the first thought that comes to my mind is that “whether v ever had secured society??” reason goes back to the early post independence period... On Jan 30^th 1948, wen our mahatma was shot dead, the British stated something to the Indians who were enjoying their newly gained independence... The statement was

“Hey u Indians, u termed us as brutal, cruel, inhuman greedy souls on earth, but v succeeded in something which u cudnt... inspite of the various riots n the controversies that arose, V saved Mr. Gandhi’s life for a long period... N u ppl cudnt save his life even for a year... “

Isn’t the statement true... V cudnt save his life even for a year... It hurts badly... Our society has never been a secured one... as time goes by, the extent of insecurity has risen gradually... V haven’t paid the necessary attention to this growing weed in the society over time n suddenly v stop to wonder at this massive growth...

People mite judge that i belong to a minority by reading this blog. But isn’t the truth. Its the other way around. There is a constant increase in the working women population and this is directly proportional to the growing insecurity. When I think abt our society all that comes to my mind is the increase in murders and rape, the latest being the murder of TV journalist Sowmya. Though everyone wud blame the police force at the outset, it isn’t the duty of the police alone to safeguard the society. It is the duty of every individual. How many of us wud stop on seeing an accident r stop a thief trying to escape? All that v think is “Why the Hell shud I, wen I am not affected?” I wud tell u people - wen it strikes u; it wud strike harder...

As citizens we shud ve some social responsibility. If a majority of the Indians have a heart and b true to it, organizations like RSS and VHP wud ve been out of the window. These assholes (pardon me for the language) think they are the guardians of the country and the culture. They believe in violence and dadagiri. The followers of these organizations enter the houses of these innocent people, rape them and murder them, finally providing justification for their activities. These people shud b shot on sight. The first one on the list shud be the Thackareys. The poor nun was raped in the centre of the market and the so called responsible citizens of the society keep watching the hungama.

I had a personal experience with one of my friends, thought I don’t wanna name him. He met with an accident. He had a head injury and if any person wud ve stopped the car to help us, v cud ve saved his life. Today v stand without him. Why is this society so selfish without any concern for others? I also live in this society. I help persons in which ever small way I can. Infact many of my friends and family members do it. V read in papers that Indians lend out money and aid to the affected people in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia etc. Why don’t we do the same when it comes to our own country? I think this is reflective of our human behaviour. We try to be nice to the outside world, but to our loved and dear ones – we show our anger, our aggression and arrogance.

To put it in one straight line, “Helping hands are the requirement of the hour than praying lips”. Be alive to the society, react and respond to our country. I suppose that, one day our country wud become the best place in the entire world to live.  

FRIENDSHIP - NATPU - DOSTI

Hmmm... Friendship... eh.. Everybody thinks that its the simplest topic that anybody in this world can talk of. Even a 5 year old child could do it. But, as the saying holds good, “Everything simple is important and most difficult to understand and implement.”

When I think of this word, I reassess my “thought approach”. Should I try approaching this word like I always do. Start off with “Definition”... Nope. I adopt a different approach because I have a notion that when you define a word, you normally fill it with constraints.. Friendship is something beyond all these constraints. It is characterized by small fights, arguments, sharing emotions, fun, sorrows, smiles, laughs, tears, hugs, kisses, affection and moreover holding on to each other.

The other aspect of friendship, everybody in this world, including me, can talk of philosophies and give a long lecture on friendship. Do we actually implement what we preach? Is it right on our part to preach something and practice something else? I have certain friends who differ with me... I have a notion that, “You should always accept friends as they are, and not ask them to change to your wishes and then accept them”.  Put it across in simple words, “I am what I am, U are also what I am” is what most people want. My friends, some of them say that the other person should change as per your wishes. I have been pondering over it for years and still I don’t find an answer to this. Is it in reality possible for us to put “our friends and their interests” in front of “our ownself and interests”?? I doubt. I have been trying to do it over years and I in my life feel that the success percentage is somewhere around 70 to 80 %.

I feel that friendship is all about 3 Fs - forget, forgive and fun. Many of us expect the others to do the first 2 Fs and keep the last F for themselves. This is where the relationship starts getting sour. Empathizing with the other person’s feelings is enough to keep the relationship alive and healthy. But the reality is dependent on how this is executed.

“Friendship is not measured when both take care of each other, it is measured when one ignores and the other still continues” – William Shakespeare. The man was absolutely correct. What the big heck in measuring something when everything is perfect, the skill and the strength are best when the assessment is made in a chaos. It is a fact that more often in life we lose people because of sheer misunderstanding and impatience. I feel that we should reassess ourselves and focus in not losing our dear ones because of misunderstanding.

 “Paasam vekka nesam vekka Thozhan undu vaazha veikaa, avana thavira uravukaaran yaarum ingilae... Ullam mattum naane, en usura kooda thaane, en nanban ketta vaangikena solluvain........

NATPAI KOODA KARPAI POLA ENNUVAIN...... “

To sum it all, I feel that friendship is all about identifying the hidden lies in your smile and the hidden truth in your tears. Friendship is as sacred, infact more sacred than one’s virginity. One thing in life which can never be replaced or substituted is FRIENDSHIP. I am fortunate enough to have lot many friends in life and I promise that I will live upto the trust they have on me.

Sachin is GOD

Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon as well. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses, anticipation. If he doesn't have a signature stroke - the upright, back-foot punch comes close - it is because he is equally proficient in each of the full range of orthodox shots (and plenty of improvised ones as well) and can pull them out at will.

Though he has adopted a noticeably conservative approach in the last quarter of his career, there are no apparent weaknesses in Tendulkar's game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.

Some of his finest performances have come against Australia, the overwhelmingly dominant team of his era. His century as a 19-year old on a lightning fast pitch at the WACA is considered one of the best innings ever to have been played in Australia. A few years later he received the ultimate compliment from the ultimate batsman when Don Bradman confided to his wife that Tendulkar reminded him of himself.

Blessed with the keenest of cricket minds, and armed with a loathing for losing, Tendulkar set about doing what it took to become one of the best batsmen in the world. This was after he was turned away from a fast-bowling camp in Chennai by Dennis Lillee.

Tendulkar's greatness was established early: he was only 16 when he made his Test debut. He was hit on the mouth by Waqar Younis but continued to bat, in a blood-soaked shirt. His first Test hundred, a match-saving one at Old Trafford, came when he was 17, and he had 16 Test hundreds before he turned 25. In 2000 he became the first batsman to have scored 50 international hundreds, and in 2008 he passed Brian Lara as the leading Test run-scorer and the first to 12,000 runs. He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs - remarkable, considering he didn't score his first ODI hundred till his 79th match.

Tendulkar's considerable achievements seem greater still when looked at in the light of the burden of expectations he has had to bear from his adoring but somewhat unreasonable followers, who have been prone to regard anything less than a hundred as a failure. The aura may have dimmed, if only slightly, as the years on the international circuit have taken their toll on the body, but Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world.

Brand Equity of INDIA

To all those people who might not b sure abt wat exactly “Brand Equity” is, in simple terms, it refers to all those parameters associated with a Brand name which either ‘adds to r subtracts from’ the value delivered by it...

India - A country of diversities, once branded for co - existence, peace, historical monuments, literature, sculptures, flora and the fauna, the famous independence struggles, ahimsa etc. is now branded all over the world as as “UNSAFE country”... The country is now branded all over the world as the land of terrorism, sexual harassment, communal fights, rape, politics, bribe, murder etc... Is this wat is the way that v want our HOLY motherland to be symbolised?

Who is to b blamed for these liabilities that negate the equity of Brand INDIA? Like I have mentioned in my previous blog, the prime reason r the so called CITIZENS... As citizens v ourselves have a poor equity, v lag in our duties and responsibilities, but excel in something called as the “blame game”... This grows and spreads gradually into the arena of politics, sports, management, social welfare n wat not... u name it n its ther...

N a look at the security aspect... the most spoken about theme on media, parliament, gossip etc. India, though never stood for a secured society, neither did it stand for an insecure society. Lets take a walk back and look at the past 6 months, all that v c is BOMB blasts, rape, communal wars, murders across all metros... especially the working women... People talk abt the additions made by the BPO n IT sector to the economy, but do they pay required attention to the security concerns it raises??? Do these ppl spend enough time in appointing cab drivers and monitoring their behaviours... The Indian police force, known all over the world is not able to bring the situation under control, at times I actually think as to why situations aren’t like in films.. IN films our police act sensibly, figure out the Plot and arrest the villain... In reality, the question remains..........

Wen it comes to communal riots, v need no introduction... it has been a picture that v have been witnessing from the independence period... The one big disadvantage that branched out from the victory of independence was the communal fights between our own brothers... though 61 years have gone by, symbolised by various ups and downs; one common feature that has been the same is the communal riots...

On one hand, V look at India growing leaps and bounds in the global context... India acquiring organisations across the world... Beating the shit out of most leaders in the industrial segment... On the other hand, v c that India is getting hit on the basic necessities and values it once stood for... Like Al ries and Jack Trout mentioned, when organisations grow they tend to forget the basics... that is,” forget what made them famous”... N when this happens u don pay enough attention to ur basics and focus only on the periphery...peripheral growth wud result in short term profits, but when the core gets rotten gradually a slump is sure to happen.... to summarise, “The strength of a building depends on the strength of its foundation...”

Management theory talks of Brand equity as a function of associations, awareness, loyalty and quality... From that point of view, the awareness level is on the rise... may b there mite not b a country in this world which is not aware of a country (brand) India... the quality – its degrading every day... loyalty – pls don ask my opinion on this...  the answer to this basic question provides my view... how many people in India wholeheartedly support and wish that India should win in a cricket / hockey match?? V talk abt loyalty??? ;-)... wen it comes to paying taxes, oh my goodness!!! The most innovative methods to cheat is evolved ther... associations – hmmm, a mixed response... but if the current state prevails, may b all the positive associations wud die...

As residents of the country, pls let us try being a citizen first... cleanliness, charity, growth etc starts from us and our Home...

I jus hope that in future, the World wud sing

“Saare Jahan se acha Hindustan hamara.....”

The journey continues... JAI HIND!!!