National Herald Case and Kuala lumpur mystery

So you are wondering the connection between National Herald Case and Kaula Lumpur mystery?

Most people see this picture as the mystery of the abandoned Jumbos at the Kuala lumpur airport.

I see it as the mother-son duo who were hauled to the court in the National Herald case today but are conveniently parked in the Indian parliament.

the similarities don't just end there

1. Both Kaula lumpur airport and Indian Parliament are facing a Jumbo problem. What to do with them?
2. They are big, out dated bodies occupying valuable space and hampering daily operations. Stalling parliament or blocking the runway serves the same purpose. Neither planes nor legislation can take off because they are blocking the runway.
3. Their only qualification is that they can be only be called planes (or politicians) due to historical reasons but are defunct now
4. The service operators (and voters) did not know what to do with them, so parked them in inoperable condition in usual suspecting place

Global Warming and COP21 situation

So global warming alarm bells finally got over 190 countries at the COP21 table to agree on targets less than 2 degree centigrade. In my earlier blog article in 2009 I had argued that the climate elasticity is not something that people can put a finger on. And therefore the ecological rubber band is much less than the magical figure of 2 degree that was touted upon. 

Finally there is some realization to that end, and the target is an 'ambitious' 1.5*C though no one is clear how its going to be achieved. There is a grand vision on containing global warming but there is no actionable road map with responsibilities fixed in the operative part of the COP21 agreement. It is not legally binding either. Developed countries have got away with murder (literally), a bit like the big boys partied hard throughout the night and left some change on the table in the morning for the clean up. And yes, they are now clutching on to phrases like sustainable consumption like some toilet paper 

100 years and still elementary Mr.Einstein!

In my earlier post i wrote how Albert Einstein made for a great humanist and social thinker. His biggest contribution was however reserved for science - but how many realize that he changed science itself by redrawing the basic understanding of the universe?

Most of the scientific findings in human history have been like sedimentary deposits on the rising plinth of human discovery and understanding. But one man’s findings were so extra ordinary and fundamentally different that the entire scientific edifice had to be remolded to his findings. 100 years to date.

Armed with just 10 equations he redefined gravity in terms of how it bent space and time in unimaginable ways (if you want to see how Gravity can play havoc with Time and Space watch the latest Hollywood flick Interstellar). In comparison Issac Newton and Charles Darwin appeared child’s play in the complexities he solved involving multiple variables seemingly contradicting each other.

His theory puts everything in perspective - right from the structure of the universe to its beginning as the mother of all explosions (Big Bang)

Humanity took one huge leap with his equations setting in motion a fundamental thought– what exactly happened a few seconds after the universe was born and its corollary - what will happen in its final dying moments. 

This infographic traces the uncharacteristic journey of this remarkable man for most of his formative years

 
My tribute once again to the man who primarily changed my perception (& countless million others) and enriching humanity‘s progress - which by all yardsticks is a spec in the vast expanse of the universe’s timelines.

Intolerance debate - new twist

The country is awash with the intolerance debate, social media has exploded with fury over the latest remarks from film star Aamir Khan about ‘growing intolerance’ in the country. A sentiment echoed by his costar in the tinsel world Shahrukh khan in the recent past. Many so called intellectuals especially Govt award winners (like the Padma) have joined the bandwagon in returning the awards conferred on them. All in a short span of about 8-10 months.

These people have taken some isolated incidents in the country and have painted the country’s secular fabric with a very broad brush with this single word (intolerance). And doing so they have unwittingly assaulted on the common sense of the AAM ADMI in the process. The common theme in social media is one of anger and dissent at these people for picking the wrong cudgel. For the majority it has no factual bearing or historical basis and is now widely come to believe as the wild imagination of a few alarmist people. At worst it could be a ‘manufactured dissent’ (as put by BJP, the ruling party which rightly feels that barbs are aimed at discrediting its governance) largely due to the leftist leaning intelligentsia in the country.

The Hindi word equivalent of intolerance is asahiShNuta or asahaniyata . But someone rightly gave a new science definition to the raging debate in the country 

What is the unit of intolerance?

- Its ॐ (ohm: Ω)

 
By definition its as follows

Original Ohm’s law - the current flow through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference (voltage) and inversely proportional to the resistance (or intolerance)

The neologism (i.e, alternate meaning) in my mind for this word is now as follows

New Ohm law - the opinions flying through a celebrity or award winner is directly proportional to the potential ideological difference and inversely proportional to the political affinity with ruling party

All this and its time to do a Washington post's style invitational on the intolerance word . Washington Post asks readers every year to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

InTOILerant (av) - someone who is accused of not working hard enough.

InTOLLerant (av) – someone who opposes fees collected in toll booths (like the MNS for instance)

InTROLLerant (av)- social media followers who rebel or dissent at the inappropriate comment made by celebrities

Luctose intolerant  – someone who blows up all the luck coming his way

Unveiling Anjanadri Hill: Hanuman's Birthplace Chronicles

Exploring Anjanadri Hill: Hanuman's Birthplace

I embarked on a recent journey to Anjanadri Betta, the sacred hill near Hampi that is renowned as the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. However, this trip turned out to be more than just a pilgrimage; it was an enlightening exploration of the rich history and spiritual significance of this remarkable place.

Anjanadri Betta, located approximately 25 kilometers from Kamalapur in Hampi, offers a serene setting for seekers of divine connection. To reach this hallowed ground, I traversed through the town of Anegundi and navigate some rugged roads, thanks to the assistance of my trusty SatNav.

Perched atop a hill, the temple overlooks the majestic Tungabhadra River, formerly known as Pampa. As I ascended the 575 steps to the summit, I marveled at the breathtaking landscape, characterized by stone gorges, colossal granite boulders, and the meandering river. While the renowned Virupaksha temple could be spotted on the opposite bank, the rest of the remnants from the once-mighty Vijayanagara Empire remained concealed from view, adding a sense of mystique to the surroundings. The towering gopura of this temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, graced the landscape.

For budget-conscious travelers seeking value for money, I recommend staying at Mayura Bhuvaneshwari, conveniently situated near the ruins of Hampi. It's a short 45-minute drive from the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. The rooms are clean, the food is satisfactory, and the ambiance is enhanced by the lush green gardens. What's more, it's operated by the Karnataka Tourism board. If you prefer a resort experience, Kishkinda Resort is a popular choice among foreigners, offering opportunities for cycling and exploring the nearby hamlets.

Anjanadri Hill: History, Topography, and Spiritual Significance

Anjanadri Betta's topography is a mesmerizing blend of geology and mythology. The landscape features a harmonious interplay between rocks, the meandering river, lush paddy fields interspersed with coconut groves, and ancient stone structures from the Vijayanagara era emerging from natural rock formations. Tourists flock here to witness the captivating sunset, which adds the final touch to this visual spectacle. For Hindus, this place represents a fusion of geology and mythology, with its seven magnificent hillocks steeped in the religious epic of the Ramayana, serving as a backdrop to the splendid Vijayanagara architecture.

These seven hillocks, including Kishkinda, Anjanadri, Matanga, Malyavanta, Rushyamukha, Hemakuta, and Rathnakuta, have significant connections to the Ramayana. Kishkinda, nestled within the Dandaka forest, was the monkey kingdom during the Treta Yuga, where Sugriva and Hanuman played pivotal roles. Nearby Rushyamukha hill served as their dwelling place, where Lord Rama sought their assistance in his quest to rescue Sita. Inscriptions in Kannada dating back to AD 1069 from Devighat and AD 1088 at the Somnatha temple in nearby Munirabad testify to these events.

Hemakuta Hill, where Lord Shiva performed penance before marrying Pampa, and the nearby hamlet of Anegundi, believed to be Kishkinda according to Valmiki's Ramayana, further reinforce the connection to the epic. The largest monolithic statue of Ugra-Narasimha, the man-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu, can be found in Hampi, adding to the region's rich historical tapestry.


 

Anjanadri Hill Hanuman temple: The small temple atop the Anjandri Betta which signifies the Hanuman birth place is strikingly modest compared to the massive profile of lord Hanuman in the Hindu pantheon and his place in the hearts of millions of devotees. A young hindi speaking lad from UP carried out the aarati of the swambhu (naturally formed) vigraha of lord Hanuman. He appears in his classic stance i.e, sideways posture, his oblique eyes fixing his grace on the devotee as one enters the sanctum sanctorum. In the adjacent room, two Sants were immersed in a non stop recitation of bhajans in front of the holy triumvirate; Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman made from pure white marble. In the same vicinity, a statue of Anjanadri, the divine mother, faces north, while the others face east, emanating an intense aura.

At the temple entrance, a small aquarium houses a specimen of the floating rock believed to be used in constructing the Ram Sethu. A saint who was reciting bhajans joined us for tea, introducing himself as Ram Khilavan Mishra. Two visiting ladies turned out to be Sadhvis from Gorakhnath Math in Uttar Pradesh.

Outside the temple, a friendly group of monkeys eagerly awaited coconut offerings, while surprisingly, squirrels were also spotted in this rocky terrain. This unique blend of wildlife reflects the devotion and presence of Lord Hanuman's other devotees in this sacred place.

The journey to uncover the birthplace of Lord Hanuman continues beyond Anjanadri Betta, weaving through the rock-cut temples of Vijayanagara and culminating at the Panchamukhi Kshetra, the cave temple where Sri Anjaneya revealed himself in his five avatars: Hanuman, Hayagriva, Narasimha, Garuda, and Varaha to Swami Guru Sri Raghavenda (know the real life 'Lagaan' incident that occured during the British rule here)

A journey in search of Hanuman birth place begins at Anjanadri betta, his glory reverberates in the rock cut temples of Vijayanagar (like the Hazara Rama temple), attains a crescendo at the brindavan of Swamy Raghavendra and culminates at the Panchamukhi Kshetra, the cave temple where Sri Anjaneya revealed himself to the Swami in his five avatars -‘pancha-mukha’ avatar 

Update 17-10-2021

French Ambassador to India  Emmanuel Lenain visits Anjanadri Temple

In recent updates, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has declared Japali Theertham near Akasha Ganga waterfall in Tirumala Hills as the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, claiming research and evidence. 

As I conclude this journey, it becomes clear that Anjanadri Betta and its surroundings are not just a physical location but a tapestry of history, mythology, and devotion that continues to captivate the hearts and minds of those who seek the divine in this sacred land.

My earlier blog article on Lord Hanuman  

Trivia: Hanuman is Barack Obama's Luck Charm. In an interview with Youtube creator Nilesen, it was revealed that Lord Hanuman is in the US President's personal memorabilia which he carries everywhere along with few other things in his pocket for inspiration.

Smart City India - Namma Belagavi

The initiatives for Smart City Belagavi, India has started off in the right earnest and I was involved in submitting  my wish list to the City Corporation recently. 

The need for a new agenda: Belgaum-Belagavi-Belgaon is nicely poised to take on the mantle of a smart city, it has the right mix of ingredients for a modern city in the making; namely cosmopolitan population, a rich sense of history, a melting pot of cultures, salubrious climate, and strategic location (mid way between the financial & technology capitals of India i.e, Mumbai and Bengaluru). What is more important is its size (about 5.5 Lacs), which I believe is just about right for testing new ideas, implementing smart city technologies and developing an eco-system to sustain it without much hassles. What is particularly important from a political point of view is that the 'Smart City Belagavi' initiative will have a positive impact in driving social cohesion (i.e, bring together disparate groups with political agendas based on linguistic or regional identities) and drive economic growth and prosperity which has suffered as a result of this turmoil.


We have to look at various solutions to put the city on the smart city India map ranging from the high tech to the simple, and from the game changing to the essential, identifying what works and what is most suited for the indian eco-system. Smart City Belagavi initiative will have to rely on drawing up a road map and plan with digital technologies at its core. This means that the agenda involves relying on inexpensive storage, computing, bandwidth and sensors which is collectively called as ‘the internet of things (IOT)’. IOT will help generate large amounts of data that can be used to plan civic resources, save energy, improve efficiency of the civic bodies and help deliver better services to its citizens. That is essentially to my mind, the agenda for the Smart City belagavi project.

I have compiled a list of top 10 issues that the city administrators have to keep in mind while working towards this. Essentially it revolves around two themes

1. As a smart city, Belagavi city (BCC in particular) will optimize its resources use, reducing the carbon footprint to the minimum by improving its efficiency.
2.  Belagavi as a Smart City will involve its people, apart from civic administrators and other stakeholders like Pvt Institutions, Govt etc  in the planning and implementation process

 
 Click here for the final report of the Smart City Proposal (SCP) made by the Belagavi City Corporation that catapulted it to the 15th position in the first list of 20 Smart Cities announced by the Modi Govt.

My other article on Belagavi cuisine, this to-be-Smart City also has great food joints too!!

Benghazi hearing: You can’t handle the truth

The congressional hearing on the Benghazi attack which was live on CNN yesterday beat all TV programme's hands down. It was gripping, riveting and full of court room drama, except that it was no court and the defendant was none other than former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. I could draw parallel to the movie few good men (1992) in which Tom Kaffee (Tom Cruise as the prosecutor) grills army Col.Nathan Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson) in trying to solicit the confession from him about the code red command issued by him.

In a similar fashion the Congressmen on the panel, many of whom were prosecutors, rattled a wave of attacks that came one after another directed at Clinton. Using slide shows, video clips, various committee reports they tried to pin her down on following

• That she deliberately ignored warnings and feedback on the Benghazi attack that led to the killing of its ambassador
• There was something more to her personal relationship and equations with the slain ambassador
• That she deliberately misled the American public with false statement that it was provoked by a social media video that led to a sudden uprising while admitting in private that it was a planned attack

Clinton on her part played the usual dodgy role deflecting pointed questions like a shrewd politician. She was no Col.Jessup who in a sudden burst of emotion looses cool and blurts out his admission to the crime. She looked composed (rather nonchalant and almost dismissive in the beginning) except for one instance where she choked up a wee bit. One thing the ex-secretary of state seemed to suggest (uncannily like Jessup in the movie) to the worked-up congressmen "You can’t handle the truth" (loved the way Jack Nicholson delivers this dialogue in the movie, with slow measurd tone laced with sneer and almost dismissive attitude)

The complexities of functioning of the various govt depts, constraints, decision making process, geo political turmoil’s and the impact it has on a super power machinery was at fore in what was one of the best live programs in a while.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns

Tanu Weds Manu Returns film begs the following question

Have you ever seen a hindi movie dominated by a Heroine? Maybe a few (in the past).Yes.

Have you ever seen a hindi movie where the heroine makes a mincemeat of the Hero and dominates every frame of the reel. Beginning to end?

If you have not - see this movie. Kangana run out's the hapless hero in the movie

'Banno tera swagger laage sexy’ - is an apt tune for Kangana Ranaut's uninhibited performance in the movie

Just Watching her free wheeling baarati dances will be enough to say - Paisa vasool. In one such dance, she just gives vent to her frustration and if you want to see an angry young girl equivalent of Amitabh Bacchhan, those few frames will convince you.

Kangana Ranaut heralds a new breed of heroine - breaking the Stereotypical Indian female in Hindi cinema in every possible way. There is an edginess about her, a kind of gay abandon too. But what is interesting about her is that she is capable of carrying the burden of the entire movie on her slender shoulder, like she does in  Tanu Weds Manu Returns.

The Manali girl slips into a Haryanvi dame role with aplomb, the Sita-aur-Gita formula gets rehashed a bit but Kangana Ranaut is Gita-turned-Sita vs another Gita in this rollicking sequel.

Paryushan 2015

The champions of the hindutva brigade have made a political flip-flop again

Back to dark ages

CONGRESS = REGRESS?

The party has successfully taken the state including the country's silicon valley back to dark ages.

Nine Pins

Poli' ticks'

Yawwwwn......the Sushma Swaraj - Lalit Modi controversy in my kaleidoscope

Democracy with Strings

One humdinger of a picture and an inspiration - the logo in making

The venture idea was positioned clearly in our mind when we set out on the new Business venture. We knew the gaps in the market place and wanted to fill them with a unique value proposition. We also realized that having a simple, clear yet strong identity was also crucial to occupying the consumer mind space. The eCommerce market is a fiercely growing and competitive business landscape in India. It takes a lot more to stand out than a mere value proposition.

Health care in this space is like the plain Jane on the ramp walk: unglamorous and barely noticeable . For a young demographic crowd gorging on clothes, footwear and accessories, where fashion and trends is the buzz-word, hip hop happening market places selling lifestyle products are the toast of the eCom world today. But a churn is happening, albeit slowly and as the population greys, consumer priorities and preferences will follow suit. And we might find the sweet spot here...... or so we believe.
  
However this blog article is about our logo and why we were inspired by the Vitruvian man.

for starters,vitruvian man is a perfect culmination of the genius of Michelangelo whose skill of fine arts and knowledge of science culminated into a humdinger of a picture. It packs a thousand punches, so to say, about the divinity of creation and HIS sense of proportion in humans and paradox in numbers (i.e, trigonometry if you like). And Michelangelo brought this paradox and proportion beautifully in the vitruvian man.

NASA was inspired too, it sent a vitruvian type image of human form in the deep space probe as beacon for the intelligent life (?) on earth about 30 years ago. And it has just entered inter stellar space!

For us vitruvian man stood for the 1490 AD message of Michelangelo: that the Meso-cosm unites the Microcosm with the Macrocosm of our known Universe. Simply put the workings of the human body is an analogy for the workings of the universe.

Cosmic healing therapy for instance is based on this premise, it believes that Gaia (energy of mother earth) which is a part of the energy of the supreme consciousness and intelligence, which we are surrounded by, has the power to unblock the malfunctioning chakras in the human body and restore it to normal health

Hahnemann the father of homeopathy propounded this in a slightly different way - Similaia Similibus Curantur (like cure likes). Starting with cinchona tree, he proved that substances that cause symptoms similar to an existing disease would acutely aggravate the condition and present other side beneficial effects.

He devised a process called potentization that would release the spirit or the dynamic healing force contained in these substances. Given in small doses, these highly potentised substances stimulate the body’s abilty to heal itself ( a bit like how they show advanced alien forms cure themselves in Hollywood movies).

And this system of medicine stood the test of time (200 years todate) and is delicately poised at the intersection of medical, human, biological, physical and spiritual sciences.

Our logo encapsulates this spirit

• The image is made up of small dots in various dimensions represent the pills and drops (common form in which homeopathy is administered). Homeopathy medicines typically come in pillules.drops,Globules which are spherical in shape.
• The dots spread out in all directions from the center (inside out) indicating the innate healing abilities of this form of medicine..This corresponds to the Hering’s law of Homeopathy
• The dots are placed like the petals in a flower representing the Bach flower remedial system of homeopathy. Dr.Edward Bach, an English doctor from Warwickshire in 1886 discovered 38 flower Remedies containing healing properties with the help of which the sufferer could again strength to over come his anxieties, his fears, depression and so assist in his own heating in a natural way.
• Inside it is the Michelangelo's Vitruvian man signifying the oneness with nature striving for balance and proportion
• The Vitruvian man with arms spread out also symbolizes ‘H’ as in Homoeopathy

Art of War

‘Art of War’ is more than a phrase, it’s a ephemeral idea that practically encapsulates everything . If you know what I mean. It is also a millennial bestseller from china ( there was a tag if any). Proof that its has spawned many adaptations - Art of War for dating, Art of War for small Businesses, Art of war for living the life you want to live and so on.

At its core the book is essentially about managing resources, adapting to a situation, making the most of your advantage (however meager they may be) , solving a situational problem, keeping your forces motivated etc., all of which are the empirical baseline business principles of modern management.

At the end of it, however ironic it may be, is that the actual science of war is actually avoiding it. To imagine that 1500 years ago , an army general could envision that “Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting," - Sun Tzu is simply wondrous