Warrier's Collage 31082020 : Happy Onam

Warrier's Collage 31082020 : Onam in Kerala https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/230816/pookkalam-is-an-everyday-affair-in-purameri-kovilakam.html https://youtu.be/_sJvOGF1_Ok Where Onam is celebrated 365 days with flower decoration since 1942. (K C Udayavarma Raja and I studied in KRHS, Purameri in the same divisions during 1952-59, when his father was teaching there. Later he himself served in the same school and retired as head of the institution. Today, a Malayalam Channel (Reporter) is featuring the above tradition maintained by his parents since 1942, as part of the Channel's Onam Day programmes-M G Warrier) Happy Onam M G Warrier A Interaction 1) About "Collage" Holiday on August 30, 2020 " Since we're now addicted to it, we feel the pinch...You've been putting lots of efforts in it. Really great" Bimbadhar Misra Hyderabad (Thanks MisraJi.) 2) M G Warrier Remain creative, age no bar https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/inspire/life/stay-creative-at-any-age Wondering why this link is here? Collage is open to all age-groups. Remaining creative has no age restrictions. This article focuses on the idea. B Current Affairs Impact of C19 on Economy https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/anichh-economics/effects-of-covid-19-on-indian-economy-25305/ Just for a bird's eye view of the present situation. Net of "Debt" which country is in a better position to move forward, only time will tell. C Onam in Kerala 1) Celebrated by one and all https://www.holidify.com/pages/onam-kerala-festival-407.html A fortnight of celebrations 2) Onam in 2011 https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/keralites-celebrate-onam-the-world-over/article2439578.ece/amp/ A Media Report D Readers' contribution 1) Chittanandam, Chennai B S Raghavan's poem Shri B.S.Raghavan joined the West Bengal IAS cadre in 1952 and was the Commissioner of various Departments. He also served as the Chief Secretary of Tripura. He was Director, Political and Security Policy Planning in the Union Home Ministry and the Secretary, National Integration Council during the period of the first four Prime Ministers. He was a US Congressional Fellow for two years (A US Congressional Fellow enjoys all the privileges of members of the Congress except voting rights) and Policy Adviser to UN (FAO), and Chairman of three UN Committees. He has been chief executive of four major public sector enterprises. He is now a columnist and author, connected with social service and educational organisations. Shri Raghavan completed 93 years of age recently and he penned a poem on this occasion. I like to share this poem with you for its poignancy. Chittanandam (Thank you-Collage) GREETING TOMORROW TODAY LEST TOMORROW NEVER COMES NINETY-THREE NOT OUT! B S Raghavan Ninety-three not out, still at the crease, Batting on, but ill at ease, Older I’ve grown by one more year That’s left a trail of woe and fear, Wreaking havoc, wrecking hope, Setting the world on a slippery slope To nothingness, both far and nigh, I linger on, I know not why. How long more in wild goose chase Of this and that vain craving and craze! My life has its full course run; Applaud when my day is done. Judge me kindly whate’er my sin Trust me, please, through thick and thin, I meant naught but the good of all, Whether it showed wasn’t my call; I bear no grudge, I mean none ill, I want all to have their fill Of joy and health and peace of mind, I wish well of all mankind. I wish to seek, to learn, to know, Till my end not cease to grow, On all I touch to put a scent: This is my will and Testament. 2) V Babusenan A R Rajaraja Varma There is one name that Malayalam language and literature should always remember with gratitude. It is that of A R Rajaraja Varma (1863-1918) who is reverentially called 'Kerala Panini' because of his sterling work to systematise Malayalam grammar. Through translations and original work, he enriched Malayalam literature, besides demonstrating his great scholarship in Sanskrit. But, when such an eminent personality was elevated to the professorship of indigenous languages and later to the principalship of Maharaja's College, Thiruvananthapuram, many eyebrows were raised because of his lack of qualification in English! Throughout the pre-independence days, this scorn of the vernacular persisted, especially in educational institutions, which got reflected in ranks, status and scales of pay. In earlier centuries, this discrimination existed in another form. It was between Sanskrit and the regional languages -Malayalam in Kerala. All of us know the anecdote connecting Melputhoor and Poonthaanam, the former refusing to evaluate the quality of the poem written by the latter. This scorn of Malayalam existed in a more virulent form in the previous century, that is the 15th century. The Zamorin of Kozhicode was a great patron of scholars and poets. Let us visit his famous Court. We see there 19scholar-cum-poets of whom17 are Namboodiries from different illams-all very great scholars and exceptionally talented poets. The 18th is none other than Uddanda Sastri who hails from Kancheepuram. The last, the19th, is Punam, who is also a Namboodiri, no doubt, and no less talented. But that group is known as 'Eighteen and a half poets'. It is deliberate, not a mistake in arithmetic. Punam Namboodiri is considered as a half poet only, because he writes in Malayalam while others write in Sanskrit. What better example is needed for the discrimination we are discussing? Some people will try to mollify us. They will say: "Arakkavi has another meaning: Arachakavi (King's poet) So what is meant is18 arachakavies.That is Zamorin's 18 poets." "Gentlemen, please don't try to hoodwink us. In Malayalam idiom we will say that you are filling the crack with darkness. If what you say is correct, you should have said 19 Arakkavies. In effect, you have totally ignored Punam." This would be our response. This so-called half-poet did valuable contribution to the Champu Movement in Malayalam. In Sanskrit, literary contributions are of three kinds: poetry, prose and an admixture of poetry and prose. This third kind is known as Champu. The half poet wrote the best Malayalam champu 'Ramayanam'. Once Punam, treated with contempt by the pure Sanskrit poets, stood up in the royal court and recited a sloka in praise of the king. After giving the usual attributes such as thunderbolt to enemies, Kamadeva to lovely women (he may actually be a rickety old wretch), Punam landed on a beautiful metaphor. He said: "O, my Lord, King Vikrama, you are the thilakam on Mother Earth's forehead. It is my prayer that, until she takes bath in the great Pralaya water, which alas can't be avoided, you will shine on her forehead with the present brightness undiminished." For 'alas' Punam used the word 'hantha'. Moved by its appropriateness, Uddanda Sastri came to where Punam stood, embraced him and adorned him with his own silk shawl saying "Antha hanthaykku intha pattu". The 'thilakam' (thodukuri) has disappeared but the half-poet's sloka has taken its place." 3) Life's Lessons : Vathsala Jayaraman Exercising an option "which was not there" saved the situation! In our families mother used to have an open hearted talk with the daughter when her marriage is fixed.Advices relating to behavioural psychology, humility with parents-in-law etc were in the list. Very often talked about advice was the smartness that is needed and not the academic brilliance of various subjects. Even sage Kanwa gives a detailed instruction ti his daughter Shakunthala when she leaves for her husband's house. ( Kalidasa's drama Abhignaana Shakunthalam) Amma used to tell us the following story. In a village a farmer fell into debt.He owned a huge sum to a money lender. The old money lender had an eye on the young beautiful daughter of the farmer. The moneylender suggested a tricky plan by which he could waive the debt. The plan was that he would bring a black pebble and white pebble into a money bag. The girl had to take one closing her eyes. If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail. It was a pebble strewn path. The girl was very smart. She silently saw the old man picking two black pubbles and putting into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag. There were only three possibilities 1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble. 2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat. 3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. "Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked." Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one. This story which my Amma told me in 1950s now find a place in all the management text books. SWOT-Strength-weakness-opportunitiy and Threat is one of the finest dogmas in Management science termed as Lateral Thinking. Unless we train our mind how to go about in crisis, we may make a mess of everything. Hanuman, the Ram Sevak is an embodiment of such practical intelligence and the story of how he set fire to Sri Lanka is well known-from tail to tower. Pancha tantra stories are abound in such Lateral thinking.. There is a point in what we learn, even if it is a concocted story. E Blogs and Links 1) Kadathanad http://kadathanadrajahs.blogspot.com/2009/08/kadathanad-rajahs.html?m=1 2) Ashok Warrier https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/no-silly-point-in-life/article32472521.ece Life's Cricket, with a difference! 3) Vasanas https://youtu.be/BTDwZzHT8gQ Chinmayananda on Vasanas F Leisure 1) Healing the natural way* Advice from Maria Sabina, Mexican Curandera (Medicine Woman) and poet. ✨🍄✨🍄✨🍄✨🍄✨🍄✨🍄✨🍄✨🍄✨ ”Cure yourself with the Light of the Sun and the Rays of the Moon” With the sound of the river and the waterfall. With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds. Heal yourself, with the mint and mint leaves, with neem and eucalyptus. Sweeten yourself with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile. Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a touch of cinnamon. Put love in tea instead of sugar And take it looking at the stars Heal yourself with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain. Get strong with bare feet on the ground and with everything that is born from it. Get smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with the eye of your forehead. Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier. Heal yourself, with beautiful love and always remember ... ”You are The Medicine" *Forward received from Komal Khatri, Mumbai 2) Relax : Eye Contact Medico Legal joke of the day* A recent article in the Times reported that one Anita Patel, has sued a reputed Hospital, saying that after her husband had surgery there, he lost all interest in her. A hospital spokesman replied in court : "Mr. Patel was admitted for cataract surgery. All we did was corrected his eyesight". *Received from V S Rangasayee