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!!