Warrier's Collage November 1, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE On Monday November 1, 2021 1) Welcome to Kerala https://youtu.be/zD43hknPtLc 2) Kathakali, from Kerala https://youtu.be/NvZsoIiD5q0 Good Morning While VVIPs in Kerala are struggling to restore "M" and make "KERALAM", on "Keralappiravi" Day (November 1), Collage is trying to look at "God's Own Country" from a different perspective. Select Responses will be included in Collage tomorrow. Nice Day M G Warrier Thought for the day : charan singh (@CharanSingh60) Tweeted: Unity in Diversity - 56 भगतु सतिगुरु पुरखु सोई जिसु हरि प्रभ भाणा भावए आनंद अनहद वजहि वाजे हरि आपि गलि मेलावए सुंदर, रामकली That person is devotee, true Guru, who accepts will of God Experiences happiness, celestial music & God embraces such person 923, SGGS https://twitter.com/CharanSingh60/status/1454560208206790657?s=20 A Select Messages 1) V R Chittanandam Cheñnai Shri Babusenan's piece in today's Collage (31.10.21) is as usual very interesting. He leads the reader diligently to the climax. The ending was not expected at all. Very good narration. Chittanandam 2) V Babusenan Thiruvananthapuram Shri Venugopal's story on humility reminds one of a similar story said about Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Here is what Sherlock Holmes had to say on the subject : "My dear Watson, I cannot agree with those who rank modesty among the virtues. To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate one's self is as much a departure from truth as to exaggerate one's own powers." (Story : The Greek Interpreter*) *Know more : "Plot Summary of the Adventure of the Greek Interpreter - Owlcation" https://owlcation.com/humanities/Plot-Summary-of-the-Adventure-of-the-Greek-Interpreter 3) V S Rangasayee Navi Mumbai Shared a Sanskrit Clock* https://images.app.goo.gl/pKTUsLcqah6YAV4r8 *At Pune Sanskrit University 4) Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai Yesterday's (30th Oct 2021) Collage had published Guru Vandana. All of us have felt the necessity of a guru in our lives one time or the other. None of us are capable to do everything on our own. Someone who is more knowledgeable, intelligent and successful in life will definitely make a difference in our lives too. ‘Gu' means Guhya or darkness and‘Ru' means remover or alleviator. He who removes our ignorance and makes our life happy, comfortable, enlightened and blessed is our guru or guide. If we are egoless and open minded, lot of things can be learnt easily. (Continued at H2) B Focus on Kerala a) Back to School on Monday, November 1, 2021 "Schools in Kerala To Reopen From Tomorrow After A Gap of 20 Months Amid COVID-19 Apprehensions | 📰 LatestLY" https://www.latestly.com/india/news/schools-in-kerala-to-reopen-from-tomorrow-after-a-gap-of-20-months-amid-covid-19-apprehensions-3008105.html/amp Schools in Kerala To Reopen From Today After A Gap of 20 Months Amid COVID-19 ApprehensionsPrimary students and those in Classes 10 and 12 will attend their schools from today (Monday) while those in Classes 8, 9, and 11 will attend classes from November 15. The state education department has put the slogan "Thirike Schoolilekku" or 'Back to School'. b) Less known facts about Kerala Media may forget to share or forget after sharing : 1) A "Kerala Model" from RBI Retirees "RBREA - Kochi" https://rbrea-kochi.org.in/retrospect.html Excerpts : "The Retirement Home Project, costing Rs 20 Cr, consisting of 68 fully furnished residential units on ownership basis, ( totalling about 60,000/ sq.ft in five floors ) in a one acre plot with 45 meters river frontage, at a calm & quiet place, Gandhipuram near Periyar river in Aluva was completed in three years and was inaugurated by Shri N S Vishwanathan, the then Deputy Governor of RBI, at our Family Get Together function, on February 3, 2019. The Prathyasa Retirement Homes has since been renamed River Bank Residency;" (This is just one of the many initiatives by the RBI Retirees in Kochi. Other more significant efforts by the Kochi-based RBI Family now led by a team which includes Nandakumar, Johnkutty (I had the opportunity to work with both of them) and P A Paulose relate to Social Responsibility to fellow-beings, arranging get-together and tours for RBI Family members etc. For more, please open the link 🙏-Warrier) 2) ULCCS LTD : A legacy in cooperation which will be 100 years old in 2025 : https://ulccsltd.com/home banner An inspiring Cooperative Story Since 1925 ULCCS Legacy A story of how labourers became owners The journey of ULCCS, the Rs. 6.6K Crore cooperative, started with 14 people and a capital of 6 annas (37 paise) for catering to the needs of the lower strata in northern Kerala, who were denied jobs by the upper castes in retaliation to their attempts to reform the society challenging the caste discrimination prevalent then. Initially, the society took up small road works and slowly gained a name for itself for completing projects with utmost quality. ULCCS Legacy 3) Kerala Bank "kerala bank - What you must know about the newly formed kerala bank" https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/what-you-must-know-about-the-newly-formed-kerala-bank/amp_articleshow/72486385.cms Note : A result of the long pending dream of the Kerala Government to set up its own bank, Kerala Bank received the RBI’s approval recently. The new Kerala Bank will be the largest banking network in the state of Kerala. Kerala Bank results from the amalgamation of the district cooperative banks with the Kerala State Cooperative Bank. In its formation, 13 District Cooperative Banks are being absorbed into the Kerala Bank. The Kerala government has said that the objective of forming Kerala Bank is to empower the cooperative sector. Talking on the immense prospects awaiting the Kerala Bank during its formation, the chief minister Vijayan said, "All district cooperative banks have strong base. And when all these merge together and form one bank, it will soon become the biggest bank in the state.” It may be recalled that the Kerala-based Associate bank State Bank of Travancore was merged with SBI last year. C Collage in Classroom : Kerala History 1) Glimpses of Heritage "Dutch in Kerala - Glimpses of World History through Kerala and Dutch" https://dutchinkerala.com/rarebooks.php?id=07 Visit : "An educational site intended to allow the visitor to examine and read some of the great books that are digitally photographed from some of the greatest libraries at very high resolution. These range over a wide variety of topics and rarity. The books are presented so that the viewer can examine all the pages in medium to medium-high resolution." 2) Kerala History "Kerala - History | Britannica" https://www.britannica.com/place/Kerala/History Excerpts : "Two years after India’s independence was achieved in 1947, Cochin and Travancore were united as Travancore-Cochin state. The present state of Kerala was constituted on a linguistic basis in 1956 when the Malabar Coast and the Kasargod taluka (administrative subdivision) of South Kanara were added to Travancore-Cochin. The southern portion of the former Travancore-Cochin state was attached to Tamil Nadu." D Empty Nest Syndrome : Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai Success has its price. An ailing old mother, residing alone, in a large house in India, writes a soulful letter to her successful and busy children, settled far way, in distant America. A heart-wrenching piece. My Dear Children, Hope you all are enjoying the new leaves of a distant Spring in your adopted land, as I wait alone in this huge house for the monsoon to arrive. Rains remind me of that stormy night when your father had passed away in sleep and I sat up by his bedside alone remembering the children we raised together. He always had a wish to die with his children surrounding him. Continued at H1 E Blogs & Links 1) World sans money &... "A pecuniary world" https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/inkanexpression/a-pecuniary-world-38541/ Excerpts : "But this typically rectangular piece of paper leads to unabated wars, callous mass-murdering, not-so-dramatic hacking, and all the crime transpiring in this only world, as of now. It seems the apposite thing to do will be to erase the invention of money(if we could), and for that matter, the barter system inasmuch as it can virtually evaporate crime. But they say that with bad comes the good; the same is with money; with crime comes development. Everything, the glowing lamp; the paper on which I am writing this is owing to the fact that the invention of money itself." 2) One Tree, Forty Fruits* https://youtu.be/ik3l4U_17bI *Link idea Courtesy : T J Kurup Thiruvanantapuram F Leisure 1) Better be yourself, it's safer* A 65 year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience.. Seeing God she asked "Is my time up?" God said, "No, you have another 33 years, 2 months and 8 days to live." Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a Face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck. She even had someone come in and change her hair colour and brighten her teeth! Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it. After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance. Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had Another 33 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the Ambulance?" (YOU'LL LOVE THIS) GOD REPLIED : "I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU" 2) Some Humor around the Church*... 👉 There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country. "Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk. "Only the Ten Commandments." Answered the lady. 👉 Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning." 👉 A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses." When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. "Lead us not into temptation." 👉 There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets." 👉 While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... "Energy efficient vehicle : Runs on oats and grass. Caution : Do not step in exhaust." 👉 A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?" A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy. "Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked. "You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... " 👉 A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. "Reverend," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip." The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business." 👉 A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!" His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?" The son replied, "I do know!" "Okay," said his father. "What does the Bible mean?" "That's easy, Daddy." The young boy replied excitedly, "It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.'" 👉 Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt." Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the Pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about. He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming." 🙏 Give me a sense of humor, Lord, Give me the grace to see a joke, To get some humor out of life, And pass it on to other folk! *Received from Dr T V Surendran Mananthavady 3) Final Diagnosis* SMILE A police officer pulls over this guy who had been weaving in and out of the lanes. He goes up to the guy's window and says, "Sir, I need you to blow into this breathalyzer tube." The man says, "Sorry officer I can't do that. I am an asthmatic. If I do that I'll have a really bad asthma attack." "Okay, fine." sighs the officer. "I need you to come down to the station to give a blood sample." "I can't do that either. I am a hemophiliac." Says the man. "If I do that, I'll bleed to death”. "Well, then we need a urine sample." "I'm sorry officer I can't do that either. I am also a diabetic. If I do that I'll get really low blood sugar." "Alright, then I need you to come out here and walk this white line." "I can't do that, officer." "Why not?" "Because I'm too drunk." *Received from A P Ramadurai Cheñnai G Quotes about Kerala "(Best Kerala Quotes) ➜ 53 Amazing Quotes About Kerala" https://indiaview.co/best-kerala-quotes/ Like : "Bid farewell to the rest of the world and without any worries and headaches travel to Kerala for a few days and, you will eventually gain a lot to express and share with the world". (At the risk of losing my own credibility, my suggestion is, better cross-check whatever negative things you hear about Kerala, especially if it is told by a Keralite. 🙏-Warrier) H 1) Continued from D1 But I knew how busy my children were, am sure if you could, you would have definitely come down once in the past three years when your father was ailing. Deepa accused me later of not calling her that night over phone or skype, but you all would be out working, and Rupa (daughter-in- law) would be busy picking kids from school. After all, it must have been a bright day at the East Coast then. This letter might be the last one I write to you all. Hardly have I received answers to my previous ones, barring the one or two that you sent regarding the status of the bank accounts and the house that your father had left behind. But well, I perfectly understand why you can't reply to this old format letters. They are very time consuming, something which you all don't have. And when emails can reach in seconds then why not send mails. But using skype on a laptop that Rupa had sent is too difficult for my arthritis-affected fingers to operate on. I dictate my letters and Shyamali writes them. She has studied till class 8 and has good handwriting. Probably Rupa doesn't know I have almost become immobile due to the crippling pain. But how will she? I am not asking any of you to take a flight out of USA to attend to your ailing mother. You all have demanding jobs in your adopted country and your kids are growing fast. Well, now coming to the reason for writing. The house needs repair and as you know I have very limited resource as your father had made all joint accounts with you both and after his death you became their soul operators. I do not have much resource left for the upkeep of this old house. Your father's pension however takes care of my medical expenses. Surely, you should always keep practical thoughts before emotions. They help to frame grand success stories just like yours. But though my relatives feel I am a successful mother being able to make my children settle abroad with plush jobs, somewhere I feel my success story is just a society's demand. Did I really wish for this lonely life without even seeing my children once in a year? Last week a promoter had come. He has connections with the local political mafia and maybe I shall someday meet the same fate that your aunt met. She was murdered last year for she refused to sell her property. They did their homework well. They know you both are settled abroad and hardly have any interests here. They wanted your phone numbers and email ids. They are ready to pay a hefty sum for sure. And if you both wish you can sell it off now. I shall go to an old age home that I have already identified. Janu Auntie stays there and is enjoying among the old and ailing, many of whom have been abandoned by their children. But I am lucky. Am I not? I can still live in the same house where I lived since I was a 20 year old blushing bride. Hope you both, my computer engineer son and my professor daughter, will not throw away the letter into a waste paper basket as a sentimental brooding theory paper. Just read them if you get time as a treasure trove of memories. And oh! I forgot to tell you. I have kept some money aside in the bank so that you can perform my last rites with that after my death. I wish to buy the passage to heaven with my own money. All my luck to you and your children. Love, Your ailing Mom. This seems to be not an isolated instance but a common affair in many affluent families. The sons and daughters residing in US may think that this is the exaggerated version and that they keep very much in contact with parents and have a nice communication with all the current technologies. Do the parents wantonly blame the children? The survey says that the condition prevails in many families and mushrooming of old age homes is a concrete evidence. It is an undeniable fact that upto 75 or so parents may look strong but afterwards deterioration in health is faster and declining ratio is much higher. Year by year neuro problems develop, brains shrink, memories fail and fear of death is fast approaching. Essentially during this period overseas residing boys/girls too have their own responsibilities, pink slip threats, teen age problems etc. Insurance premia are too high and it is not advisable to take the parents there, nor is it practical to visit parents often. Decent old age homes with proper care is a feasible option while domestic care is impossible. Many parents like us are sailing in the same boat, and it is not such a bad option to those parents who are prepared to accept the realities. Is there really any dearth of emotional support or do the parents have unrealistic expectation from NRI sons and daughters? It is very painful to read that letter looking from the point of view of the ailing and aged mother. I feel it is the loneliness that kills more than anything else. I have no doubts that the adult children should understand their responsibilities to take very good care of the mothers either by arranging someone to look after the mothers or by mutual consent move them to an old-age home where they find similar aged people as company. But, it is my honest opinion that a mother who taught their children how to love the parents would never have to write such a letter. Moreover, the mothers would understand their adult children's responsibility towards their children as well. We can't expect our son who is raised in the US to think of migrating to India to look after us. Such being the situation in many cases, I feel, after a certain age when the parents feel they are too old (irrespective of actual age) to handle their affairs themselves, it is safer always to move to an old age home or if it can be afforded, move to a retirement community where everything including food/medical issues are taken care of and at the same time, can have your own space. In today's competitive world it is only fair to let children decide their stay etc based on their career needs instead of making them feel guilty. A naturally caring child will automatically do what is possible for his or her parents without asking for it. In a broader perspective, we just need to get used to the reality of changing social structures. Save wisely for such eventualities. Times have changed. Children fly the nest and are gradually moving the way of kids in other countries (leaving home and leading their own lives). So let the parents also learn to follow the same kind of social pattern where they fulfil their duties by feeding, clothing and educating their children upto a reasonable degree. Then let the kids fend for themselves for higher education if they wish to study further. Let them realize the value of money and not mistake the parents for 'akshay patras' or bank ATMs for life. Save money for your old age requirements. Stop looking on children as 'budhaape ka sahaara' (props for old age). If they do love and look after you, be grateful to the Lord above for such kids. If they don't, then don't set yourself up for disappointment. However, if the same mother were to write slightly more neutrally, casually mentioning her condition, stating facts like the matter about the property (without trying to bring in sentiments such as ancestral property etc.), it is likely that the same children might feel more protective of her and her interests. This letter is heavy emotional blackmail. Not the best solution to her problems. When one expects something which may or may not happen, one is setting oneself up for disappointments. If one is grateful for being given the privilege of raising children, then that is it. The privilege itself is the reward for whatever efforts and sacrifices the parents make. We may lose a debate but should win the life. There is nothing wrong in losing the argument for winning harmony. I wonder why fathers normally don't get involved in such conflicts. It is either they are not at all sensitive to insults or they know better what to care and what to ignore. 2) Continued from A4 Sanatana Dharma or Indian Philosophy places the knowledge of the Parabrahman, the Supreme Lord at the highest level compared to all other types of knowledge. It is called Paraa Vidya. All others are Aparaa Vidyas meaning inferior or less useful. Nowadays there are counsellors for child upbringing, to deal with physically challenged kids, to deal with adopted children, to give palliative care for terminally ill, to advise in bereavements, financial consultants, stock market advisors and so on. Some prominent Gurus have established business empires under the garb of 'spirituality' to the tune of thousands of crores. Hinduism also preached that 'Atma Saakshatkaram' is never a possibility without Guru.. There have been many Gurus who really guided the people to such a path and lived a selfless life Saint-Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharishi, Kanchi Maha Swami, Shivananda and many others. Some Gurus taking advantage of this aspect in Hinduism amassed wealth, became super rich Gurus in the garb of teaching yoga, meditation, nature cure and living a cosy life style. Some have gained popularity through ventures in Yoga, alternative medicine and agriculture, as well as their advocacy on Indian political issues. There are certain gurus with embracing cult, popularly known as 'hugging saint' and have established schools, colleges and Universities. Life is the greatest teacher, where many times it knocks us down completely and teaches some valuable lessons, through bitter experiences. Internet is the latest guru, through which we are exposed to multitude of information with just a touch or swipe of the computer. Of course Google Guru is there providing tons of information. I used to compare Google/Internet information to keerai( Greens). We buy three bundles of keerai for a family of five. We remove grass, clean it well in large bucket of water. Keerai gets reduced to one sixth or even one tenth. Though we start cooking in a large vessel, we get masiyal in a small cup to serve two ladles of tasty tasty masiyal to each. In the same way we get too much information and we need people to guide us what to look for and how to look for and how the vast information can be converted into knowledge, nay, wisdom. Otherwise Google will convert you into another Google, a storehouse of unwanted information and garbage containing significant information buried in unknown areas. In Bharatha Natyam, especially, lot of importance is given to Guru. Even after reaching prominence, they highlight the importance of Gurus. More than schools and colleges, in Fine Arts like music and dance-much is talked about guru shishya bhava and paani or style. My DIL in an Engineering graduate from Pilani but learnt Bharatha natyam in kalakshetra style from her 7th year. Her Arangetram was in 1991, when she was 14.She has given many performances in many sabhas in Madras, Dubai, Singapore and US. She is highly disciplined.After the birth of two kids, she left her IT job and conducts Bharatha Natyam classes in California.She was awarded Kalaratna Award during Cleveland Dance Festival. On many occasions she used to learn from me word by word meaning for Tamil and Telugu padhams and pushpanjalis in Sanskrit to fix correct choreographic adavus and abhinaya mudras. Before she was married to my son in 1999, I didn't have much idea about Bharatha Natyam, though I am much interested in musicology. After her arrival we had lot of discussions about Fine Arts. Recently she choreographed a piece about pancha bhuthas ( Five Elements) . Like a Sishya seeking a true Guru, Guru also should ensure that whether a sishya is capable of assimilating the knowledge he is ready to give. Who can be a better Guru than the Lord Himself? He has created the entire Universe that teaches so much to us everyday. Vathsala Jayaraman