Warrier's Collage November 14,2020

Welcome to Warrier's Daily COLLAGE November 14, 2020 Saturday Your daily share of inspiration, writings - by you, for you : Curated by MG Warrier Children's Day 2020 https://youtu.be/FQRKCpoiiRg HAPPY Deepavali: https://youtu.be/7rjCssl3dEY (Message from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson) Quote for the day: "Time is not measured by the passing of years but by what one does, what one feels, and what one achieves." -Jawaharlal Nehru Shri C V Subbaraman from Mysuru says: "I think, Collage is ever growing in size and dimension!" Such encouraging words keep the "Collage" going, and forces me to get up when the alarm goes at 5 30 a m. When free, watch the Children's Day celebrations and Boris Johnson's Diwali Greetings using the links above. I have received print copies of "Restoring TRUST in Governance*". Those of you who have ordered copies with Notion Press Chennai or Amazon.in will receive your copies during the coming week. By that time eBook version also will be uploaded at online sales outlets. Best Wishes M G Warrier *Online sales outlets : 1) Publisher: https://notionpress.com/read/restoring-trust-in-governance 2) Amazon https://www.amazon.in/dp/1636335896/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_mRPRFbG3RREQ5 A Interaction 1) Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai "Wonderful response by Shri Panchapagesan Sir. Thank you. On reading your reply, I am reminded of eleventh skandam of Shrimat Bhagavatham in which Dattatreya speaks about 24 gurus in his life. Those Gurus include in addition to five elements, plants, bird, hunter, fish, a prostitute woman, elaborating on the reasons why they are considered gurus. There is nothing in the world which does not teach us. From the good as well as bad, beautiful as well as unpleasant, we learn how to be/how not to be. vathsala jayaraman" 2) Komal Khatri Mumbai This Diwali is different. This Diwali is not about whether my house is sparkling clean, it is not about whether I have prepared a variety of goodies to eat, it is not about whether I have that perfect ethnic attire and jewelry for the occasion, it is not about a bucketful of bucks I would be spending on shopping, it is not about having a grand vacation at an exotic location, it is not even about whether my golf game will improve more ...... This Diwali is more about Survival. It is about being grateful that we are still able to breathe and alive for this day. It is about being thankful for the love and care from our loved ones. It is about being with the family under one roof and spending time together. It is about lighting a Diya for all those dear and near souls who left us. It is about extending support and spreading cheer to family and friends who have lost their people...It is also about spreading happiness to those who have suffered losses in jobs and businesses... This Diwali is more about being hopeful, for a healthy & happy tomorrow. Stay safe 🙏 3) Anecdotal History of RBI https://www.amazon.in/dp/9332703116/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_6vYRFb9S3FJ8C Have a feel of how marketing happens at Amazon.in Surprisingly, there was only one review and that was about the price and not about the book. And the book is by a person who reviews one book per week for us. We need to introspect. B Kerala Kalamandalam turns 90 https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/kerala-kalamandalam-turns-90/article33083623.ece?utm_source=thdance&utm_medium=sticky_footer C Nostalgia Vathsala Jayaraman remembers a 1990 experience: Another Deepavali has arrived. On the arrival of Aipasi month, my thoughts go back to incidents that happened in 1990. Let us have a glimpse of my experience. The following is the English version of my real experience written in Tamil and published in a Tamil magazine 5 years back on the eve of Deepavali. Come Deepavali, people start planning well in advance about the clothes to be purchased and sweets & savouries to be prepared. Now a days many women don't make them at home. Many order for the same from popular shops, as money is not a big concern. 30 years back the situation was entirely different. There are people who need huge quantities of sweets and other items and want to buy quality products at a reasonable price without any strain on their part. A few families gather together, engage a cook, prepare huge quantities, share the expenses according to their requirements. It was the year 1990. Some 30 families decided to join the scheme. Everybody prepared a list of their requirements. Since my house was an independent house with a big kitchen, I offered to organise all the preparations at my residence. Laddu, Jangiri, Mysore pauk, Badusha, Wheat Halwa, Badam Cake and Coconut Burfi were among the sweets. Savouries were Mixture, ribbon pakoda, kara sev & a few other items. I contacted a cook named Ambi Uncle, familiar to me, and handed over the list. Since it was a huge order he readily accepted and handed over a list of groceries to be purchased and the list of rice flour and basan to be ground in the mill. The next day we got all the things from the store. Our hall was full of packets.To protect cashew, sugar etc from the ants was a problem. I took leave for a day and went to the grinding mill by an auto since the items were really very heavy. I waited at the mill for nearly 2 hrs and the flour was ready. While I was transferring the bucket containing basan into the auto, the handle of the heavy plastic bucket gave away and the entire basan dropped on the muddy road. I had to buy the bengal gram dhal again and repeat the process. Just 4 days before Deepavali Ambi uncle was ready with his two assistants. They had brought with them the necessary big gas stove, big frying pans and other accessories. As the soaked wheat was put inside the grinder there was a demonic sound with smoke from the grinder. I switched off. The manual grinder which had been meditating amidst sunshine and rain in the open terrace for the past 15 years, was brought down with great difficulty through the steps. It was quite a difficult job to remove the dust accumulation of 15 years. As the cook was an expert, he finished off his job in 2 days. The storage was the problem. I had to take out all the big new dabbas intended to be gifted to my daughter during her marriage from the loft. I had to spray gamaxane around each dubba to protect from ants. Ambi uncle received his charges and went away. As I had been trained from my younger days to keep to-the-pie accounts, it was not a problem for me to prepare general expenditure list and also individual due lists. I took care not to include the second time purchase of basan. I estimated the cost of the remaining groceries and the cost of the remnant heated oil in the pan and discounted the same from the individual list. When I calculated ,the net profit worked out to nearly 18%. Really I felt happy as though I have achieved something and heaved a sigh of relief. When I looked back, the kitchen looked pathetic with all flour, ghee and oil split everywhere. It took nearly two hours to clean the kitchen with washing powder and set things to normalcy. My husband took pity on me and brought some tiffin from the hotel. With the weighing pan I weighed each item as per the list and kept everything ready. It was past midnight when I went to bed. Next morning at about 10 A. M. all my friends arrived. After serving coffee I handed over the bakshanams and the list. You have to see the expressions on their face on seeing the list. I wished I had a camera to have a snap. The comments started one by one 1 I thought there will be 50% profit. It is not at all cheap. Better I had made at my home itself. 2. We have entangled. No Go. We have to pay the money. 3. The rent for the big vessel is a waste. 4. You need not have engaged an auto for going to the mill. You could have walked the distance. So many commentaries of this type. By this time, two chartered accountants( husbands of my friends) joined us. They started questioning me how I had calculated the gas charges, on what basis I had arrived at the proportionate rate for each item. They argued that having undertaken the job, I was duty bound to give breakup figures of groceries, fuel, and labour charges for each item. Without waiting for my reply they simply left my house cancelling the order. Another two of my friends also followed the auditors. All other ladies took the items and half heartedly paid the amount. Didn't these intelligent super accountants know that it was not possible to arrive at the individual price when such a mega project was undertaken? Or did they pretend? All these women who never even lifted their little finger while the preparations were on, stood in the front for arguments. We gave away the cancelled orders to a nearby orphanage. My son who came to celebrate Deepavali was totally shattered. My mother-in-law who was watching all these things quietly went inside the kitchen and slipped on the floor on account of a small drip of oil, omitted to be cleaned the previous day. She had to undergo hip surgery the next day and our Deepavali was celebrated in the nursing home. How much of labour? How much of mental agony? The net result was a heap of insults and pointed verbal attacks. Even in the assembly, people do not raise such impertinent questions. All my efforts became futile. When there are so many complications in such a small event, we can very well imagine the struggles in a coalition Government consisting of different parties of different ideologies. I could very well appreciate the meaning of the compulsion of 'Coalition Dharma' very often referred to by our Ex-prime minister. My husband, who is a personification of patience told me in a soft but firm voice: "Let this be an opportunity for you to understand the world". More than 100% true. Sweet turned bitter. Vathsala Jayaraman" (A case study about Social Service, Karma, Karma Phala, costs and prices, neighborhood relationships and so on. Watch out for my Blog on some of these next week-Warrier) D Mythology "MAKARA" Mythical, part animal, part fish, Makara is a distinctive and ancient symbol of the Karava race and the Makara flag is one of the popular flags used to date by Karawas across Sri Lanka at their family ceremonies.The Makara, is a composite dragon with a curious mythical structure. It symbolizes the house of Capricorn in the Zodiac to which it has given its name Makara in the Hindu calendar. It has the head of a crocodile, horns of a goat, the body of an antelope and a snake, the tail of a fish and feet of a panther. Makara is half animal half fish and it is sometimes described as having the head of an elephant and the body of a fish. The makara has a lion's forepaws,horse's mane, tendrils of fish and horns of deer or dragon. The crocodile won't release the prey until it is dead.Makara is widely represented in many weapons. As a symbol of water, the head of makara adorns corner projections of the temple and rain water outlets. Makara festoons are found behind the enlightenment throne of Buddha image. We shed tears due extreme sorrow or due to extreme happiness. Sometimes man sheds crocodile tears denoting insincere remorse. The word is being used as an idiomatic expression. Do crocodiles cry? Crocodile tears are the products of its lachrymal glands situated behind the nicitating membrane, the third eye lid of the crocodile. Earliest reference to this phrase has been in existence from the year 1563 only, with the implication of insincerity. It is very difficult to trace the origin of this phrase. But it is sheer common sense to understand that why an apparently remorseless creature should weep over its victims inspiring people to frame such a popular phrase after its name. Crocodile observers say that crocodiles create a strange sound, cry and sob in a strange way to lure sympathetic victims into its vicinity,surprises them,slays them, makes a sound like that of weeping and then swallows the victims.It is this strange pretence ( not exactly) ,natural way of preying that has created the popular saying. Leave alone the phrase. Many of the creatures like crocodiles tend to swallow the salt water along with their food. The natural way of releasing this salt is through tears.It has been tested and proved that crocodile tears contain three times more salts than the sea water,and 5times more salts than what is present in its blood. It is a pity that the innocent crocodile with its normal behaviour has become a symbol of false remorse. Apart from this, a rare disorder called"crocodile tears syndrome" exists in human beings. It is a complication resulting from facial paralysis. The nerve fibres destined for a salivary gland are damaged and by some error develop into extra tear glands producing profuse lacrimation. Whenever such patients start eating, these glands produce excess tears through one of their eyes.Since this is not due to emotional outburst, the medical world has termed it as'crocodile tears syndrome" Makara Yazh or Makara Veena . Makaramukha veena is famous in Srirangam Temple.‘ Hechariga’ – Careful! - the warning goes out loudly, clearly and musically. It is a call of concern to Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam, as He mounts the Yali steps, during the Ira Pathu festival. The ones warning Him are the hereditary vainikas of the temple. ‘Hechariga Sadanamu Ekanta Ranga,’ in Yadukulakhambodi is a composition of Vijayaranga Chokkanatha Nayak. Even as the vainikas play, the processional deity goes up the eight steps, two at a time. The song has four charanams, one for every two steps. To say that what the vainikas do is extremely difficult is an understatement. All five of them have to hold their veenas upright, sing and play in synch, and climb the steps backwards, even as the crowd, anxious to have a look at Ranganatha, leaves them very little space for manoeuvrability. I am also reminded of one of the necklaces donated to Varadaraja swamy of Kanchi by Lord Clive, then British Governor of the Madras Presidency. It is said that Clive came on the day of the Garuda-seva festival of Lord Varadaraja and that he presented his wife’s necklace to the priest to adorn the Lord. The necklace is known as Clive Makara*-kandi and is used to decorate Lord Varadaraja on theGarudotsavam day. The movement of the Sun from one zodiac sign into another is called Sankranti and as the Sun moves into the Capricorn zodiac known as Makara in Sanskrit, this occasion is named as Makara Sankranti in the Indian context. Makara denotes sea dragon or water monster. Capricorn or Makara is the tenth sign of the Zodiac. It is indicated by a Sea Goat. The symbol of Capricorn is indicated by goat with a twisted horn. The Sun stays in Capricorn from 14th January to 12th February as per sidereal zodiac which is followed by Vedic Astrologers and from 22nd December to 20th January as per Tropical Zodiac followed by Western Astrologers. Capricorn is ruled by the planet Saturn. Its characteristics are yearning for peaks and ultimate realization, ambition and eagerness for renouncement to achieve something. It symbolizes ultimate realization, merging of personal with absolute, complete renouncement of personal pleasures, materialism and pragmatism. Some important Indian personalities born in Capricorn are Salman Khan, A. R. Rahman, Rajesh khanna, MGR, KJ. Jesudas and a few others. The song that captures everybody- composed by Ooththukkadu Venkatakavi " kuzhaloothi manamellaam' contains the lines" makara Kundalam aadavum, atharkerpa makutam oli veesavum'(As Krishna plays on his flute the makara kundalams on his ears also dance and the gems in his crown shine lighting the kundalas.) Vathsala Jayaraman V T Panchapagesan joins the discussion. Says: "I am from Makara Rasi. May be what you say is to some extent true As I read yours.🙏 Be Well, V. T. Panchapagesan" E Blogs and Links 1) Children's Day in India https://www.business-standard.com/about/when-is-children-s-day 2) Jawaharlal Nehru: Quotes https://www.brainyquote.com/lists/authors/top-10-jawaharlal-nehru-quotes