Sanathana Dharma, a way of living…

Sanathana Dharma is the true nature of Hinduism. India is a country with profound culture & deep-rooted values, rich in tradition and festivity. Hinduism is one of the gems that we Indians should be proud to adorn ourselves with. On the contrary, this religion is infamous for blind beliefs and customs. Ironically, it is we Hindus who’ve been instrumental for the same.
Many of the rituals followed by us carry immense meaning & importance. When they were initially formulated by our good old seers, they were very well aware of the significance of the same. A renowned space scientist Jayanth Narlikar rightly said that we Indians have lost the “questioning ability” somewhere down the line… The sages of the past used to question their masters when asked to follow something. Questioning is now considered as being disobedient o rather taboo; thereby belittling the very existence of Hinduism.

Prayers, Gods and temples are being out rightly commercialized. Novel ways of pleasing the Almighty mushroom day by day; giving Hinduism an artificial make over. Money rules the roost as always! Brahmins are supposed to be “brahmana bahujana priya,” instead, over the years, quite sadly, the saying has become, “brahmana bojana priya!” Thousands of rupees are spent on Upanayanam; sadly only a few understand it fully and perform ‘sandhyavandhanam.’ It is such ignorance which insults Hinduism. Eg., Vinayaka Chathurthi or Navarathri means only food and bonhomie to us! Why don’t we think beyond? If the rishis of the past could do it then, why not us now? Due respect to the people who perform rites with a sense of understanding though…
Temples & religious establishments are full of lucrative offers. Various poojas are recommended and performed in the name of God, showing us all a live example of materialism in the dress of spirituality! Scriptures exhort that God realization should be the goal of a human being. They also teach us simple ways of leading a life that is gratifying. I believe service is the best way of pleasing God; mere chanting of the Lord’s name would not suffice to wash away sins.
I exhort to all, that ours is a sensible and practical religion which is more people-friendly and sure does not consist of anything absurd. The onus is on us to carry forth this religion and prevent from any form of degeneration; in other words we should be the ambassadors of “Sanathana Dharma” or in simpler terms, “a way of living…”

Memoirs…

Memoirs…

Etched in my mind stands my trip to my little hometown, Kottayam. I get a very summery-feel as I step into my ancestral home in Kerala. A gush of childhood memories came rushing through my mind making me behave like a child! Yes! Really seeking the attention of all my maternal uncles and of course my grandparents! A warm welcome as I enter the threshold of my native home. A breeze of nostalgia just blows across my face and takes me back to my childhood summer holidays!

                      The aroma of freshly brewed coffee beckons me to the kitchen, which is located half a mile away from the entrance hall. This is where I tasted my first cup of black coffee. My heart is pounding with joy and excitement, and I run into all the rooms of the house, just to survey if things have changed or still the same; and as predicted, they had changed, though not fully. Soon I start catching up on family itsy-bitsy with all my aunts and uncles. The house was as full as ever; filled with relatives and students who used to come for tuitions held by my uncles. The traditional “nalukettu” (a long square shaped space in the center of the house) had been converted into a study/ teaching room with a typical blackboard and a few benches, exactly representing a class room. This is where my maternal uncles take classes of mathematics for all standards of children. They are well known for their expertise in tuitions.

                   This house was always my playground back in school vacation days. The house in its entirety has stood tall during all trying times and always is a source of respite and contentment for me both as a kid and as a grown-up. I quickly walk up to my camera pouch and start clicking pics with an eye for detail, wanting to capture every part of my beautiful home. In the event, I go to the picturesque green pond located within the premises of this huge home. Soon I rewind to the day when I went tumbling down and fell into this pond and how my uncle came to my rescue and took me out of it!! Fond memories indeed…! I then take a sneak-peak into every corner of the house with my Canon 4.0 mega pixel cyber shot camera; just wanting to make sure I cover every portion of my home. Gradually, the day came to an end, and upon severe persuasion and plea, I get my dad’s permission to stay over that night so that I can prolong my fun-time with my kith and kin, for I had lots to catch up on!

                        With full of fun and frolic and of course lots of nostalgia, my cameo stay at my grandma’s home drew to an end and it was time to bid adieu to all. With a half-hearted smile on my face, I waved everyone a goodbye and left my home, truly hoping to revisit soon!

                       Memoirs of this are still vivid in my mind and shall never be forgotten, for they are immeasurable and priceless!! Hail Childhood!!!

                    

  

Queen of the Arabian Sea...

A beautiful town it is, standing with pride on the Arabian Sea.
Queen of the Arabian Sea it is...
Indeed, it's Kochi, my favourite place.
Small, yet a happening place, no wonder it's the regarded as the commercial capital of Kerala.
People of different genre it has,
A busy place it always is...

One thing I can assure you,
wherever you go, you'd never be lost, because there's one long road linking all others, the great M.G. Road!!

An array of shops and institutions you'd find on this main road, and of course how could any one miss the Marine Drive!!
Beautiful are it's backwaters, with ships docked....
No matter how crowded, every person can find a place for themselves there...


I can go on and on about this city of mine...
But i reckon you'd enjoy more if you visit this small and picturesque land in God's own country!

Café Tapas…

Café Tapas, a walk down the velachery main road, just past the police station… Drop in anytime between 11.a.m and 11p.m., for some Coffee. Finger food. Nirvana, as they put it…A bold and novel concept designed for corporates and circles of friends to hang out with, especially in an ever developing place like vela…

Located under a tree, a bank converted into a coffee place, and run by a group of youngsters, from backgrounds like hotel management to recruitment, this is the perfect hangout place for anyone who just loves some solitary relaxation…It wears a thorough ethnic look; right from the flooring to it’s interiors… Lovely drapes, artistic curios, some books on relaxation and wellness for both sale and reading, granite benching, walls covered with bamboo, on which hangs a small black board written with colored chalk listing out the menu, and of course, not to forget the Buddha statue which would catch everyone’s attention, are the highlights of the ambience at Café Tapas…The rates are also very much affordable…eg., a tall glass of rich coffee shake just costs you Rs.55/- Some of their inter-continental menu highlights include Signature coffee, Satvik soups and salads, Bread Sutras, Chaats and many more as they call it …The best part is, there’s no non-veg…thanks to the Buddha statue there!

As my husband and I just stepped in, a young guy, one of the front runners of this place, greets us with a broad and welcoming smile…Extremely hospitable person, when asked about the specialty of this place, quickly hands over a menu card, and is never reluctant in taking us through the menu...not forgetting every detailing…after quite a long conversation on how this concept was conceived and materialized, he introduces himself as Bharath. A hotel management guy, with experience in five star hotels, he and his group of cousins and brother have come up with this joint venture, Café Tapas.

One can indulge themselves in some nice coffee and relaxation in their cozy sofas…and sit back and read some books and magazines, enjoy some soothing music at the backdrop… While we placed the order, Bharath sneaks in, and hands over some puzzles to solve, quite a different concept to keep us occupied as food gets ready. As our rich coffee shake and expresso arrived, we are still found solving those puzzles! When found cracking our heads with those puzzles, Bharath readily comes in and offers clues to solve ‘em… and voila! they are solved with ease! Even as he reminds us that our food was getting cold, we do not want to stop trying those puzzles with the given clues!

After an hour-long indulgence in coffee, food and puzzles, with much hesitation we decide to bid adieu to Café Tapas, but of course with the satisfaction that we’d be able to revisit this place! Bharath hands over a colorful suggestions diary, made out of recycled paper. He then hands over a bookmark to the two of us as a souvenir…The best part about this place is that it’s drop dead ethnic, even the bill was inserted into a nice and ethnic card made out of recycled paper! Three cheers to Café Tapas!!! As they rightly put it, Coffee. Finger Food. Nirvana…all three are one hundred percent guaranteed with quality at vela’s own coffee hangout!

Life ...


Isn't this a short life we lead, not knowing when it would cease...
none other than the Almighty has the rights of it's cessation!
Who really cares about that anyway?!
Why do we mortals hold a grudge against people for reasons aplenty...?
To all those who feel others' talk badly influences their life, pity on all of them, including me!!
How much time does it take to ignore malignant thinking by a 3rd person; who is in no way going to decide our next breath??
After all, life is short...coz you never know!!
So, lo, behold life as it comes & take it in it's stride...!
And of course smile....:-) :-) :-)...it doesn't cost you a dime!!!

Ramblings of a mind


Ten thousand are the thoughts within a fraction of seconds...
One superior than the other...
I wonder where they come from, as though a sudden gush of waves came by the sea!
Some with sense, and more of nonsense:-) Krishna, do you know where they originate from??
Why do you feed them into my mind anyway?
To sleep one lies down, and the next second wakes up to pen down some things...Bizarre it is to even ponder over this!
This penning I know not where it's taking me to, but for sure is like a welcome summer rain!!!

Desire aka fetish...


Like the Annie's song, you transported me to an altogether new horizon...
Thoughts, nay, thought waves gush into my mind that keep ringing a bell all the time!
As though the rain Gods are going to pour and thunder,
so is my mind set for an outburst of thoughts...
A fetish to get back to you everyday...
A fetish to be with you all day...
I know not why I think this way,
Yet a fetish to lurk on the same thing everyday!

When you sealed yours with mine as i said 'No' with dismay,
My mind travelled a long way...
Pleasant ramblings of this sealing remain as though a newfound preoccupation!
This for sure has left me with some lovely memories to sit back and ponder over...Yes passing fantasies are indeed a thrill!!
Krishna, I know not what I need, guide me through the right way though...