Anahata...

Anahata means unstruck sound. Life, the whole of existence, is made of subtle vibrations of sound. There is only music - that music is Anahata, and to experience it is to know what bliss is. That state of elysian and sublime bliss. How would life be if it were to be devoid of sound, music and the assorted mind-boggling variety of exotic and esoteric instruments?

The genius of man.

The genius of innovation.

The genius of creativity.

The spirit of evolution.

The spirit of enlightenment.

The spirit of determination.

It is with a feeling of deep gratitude, reverence and love(yes!) for those evolved souls that I am penning this article down. I bow to them all. They who played with the instruments in their quest to bring out the unstruck sound - Anahata - within themselves to an enjoyable and blissful form. They who constructed the instruments on the basis of instinct, intuition and science. Most things in life do have a scientific basis. But then, has everything been done keeping that basis in mind for the first time?

This is not a comprehensive list. From whatever instruments the author has come across or rather heard, a mention of some with reference to certain genres so as to further hightlight the genius of man. I always have the licence of being a non-musician.

• Carnatic - Voice, Violin, Veena, Flute, Jalatarangam, Saxophone, Guitar, Mandolin, Mridangam, Ghatam, Tanbura, Nadhaswaram, Tavil, etc.
• Hindustani - Santoor, Sarode, Sitar, Voice, Flute, Tabla, Guitar, Veena, Violin, Sarangi, Shehnai, Pakhawaj, etc.
• Jazz - Piano, Voice, Guitar, Saxophone, Trumpet, Cymbals, etc.
• Western Classical - Piano, Stringed (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass), Lute, Harpsichord, Percussion Drums, Flute, Oboe, etc.
• Others - Saz, Balama, Ukulele, Banjo, etc.

PS: Well, being deprived of the faculty of hearing would make life an unstruck sound. At times when I think of such things, I feel totally helpless. It is beyond my circle of influence and control. All that I can do, is to pray and sincerely hope that He/She gives them the much needed confidence, fortitude, determination, courage, etc. to carry on with their lives.

Spirit of Sport.....

Before I start this article, let me mention that I am not a great sportsperson. Badminton has always been a passion. Cricket used to be a dangerous favourite during my childhood and adolescent years (I guess the same would apply to most Indian boys). However, I always loved watching the variety of matches being telecast on TV; ranging from National Hockey, World Olympics, World Cups (Cricket, Football), Tennis Grand Slams (all 4 of them), etc, etc. This article is not meant to be about the various sporting events; nor is it about the players. Nor is it about a sport's role in politics and peace efforts. It is more at the micro level. The spirit of sports, competition, victory, determination, etc. among the players; be them amateurs, hobbyists(like me) or professionals. However, at the professional arena, it does get quirky with the amounts of money involved and the politics of sports.

I have always wondered. Can any person understand an another better? I suppose sport is the activity where the players, all equally passionate about the sport, resonate together to elevate the sport to a much higher pedestal. Just the spirit matters. Nothing else matters. No prizes, no money, no appreciation, no recognition, no adulation - well, they do not truly matter. A Man understands another perfectly in a sport. The sport brings them together. Even the best of friends become enemies during the match. There is no concept of give and take. We always play to win. But then, if we lose, after a good battle, we always think that the better person has won. Often, losing a good battle proves to be a great means of satisfaction too.

Consider this game of badminton between two good friends. The scores tied at 14-14. The game extends to 17. The scores go like this: 15-14, 15-16, 16-16, 16-16, 16-17. Does it truly matter as to who won? What is wrong in coming second? Both deserved to win the game. They fought it well to the nail-biting finish. Are such games publicised? I am sure scores of these games would be happening between two good friends playing any game for that matter in any part of the world everyday. What keeps them going? The world doesn't even know about them. They do not get prizes or media coverage. Here is where the spirit of sport comes into picture. The harmony of the individual with his passion made possible courtesy his opponent.

Lastly, I dedicate this blog to Nitin, Vishnu and Gopi for providing this author with wonderful opportunities to have played amazing games with them over the past 1.5 years; be it singles or doubles in Badminton. Each one of us would be parting ways soon on our journeys towards our individual destinies. It was a pleasure playing with all of you. May we all continue to pursue our passion with other like-minded individuals; wherever our respective journeys might take us.

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya...

This blog is dedicated to abhi and others who are responsible for my coming back to blogging life.

Feelings of claustrophobia made me take the extreme step of moving my entire blogsite elsewhere. Were there any regrets? There definitely were; for the author would always love to know that his writings are infact being read by people (both known and unknown). The outreach of the blogspot has amazed me. Some wanted to know if I was a writer. Friends and acquaintances, some of who now know not much about me appreciated my simple(?) writings. They encouraged me to write. When I think of these people, I feel sad. But nevertheless cannot be helped.

I feel totally restless and uncomfortable when I think about the so many windows unknowingly created by me. Isn't this ironical. I who had always believed in letting very few people know about certain things have committed this egregious crime(?). It is difficult to not reveal oneself when writing non-fiction. Why should they know in and out about me? My fantasies, my dreams, my aspirations, my frustrations! It is all about mutual disclosure of ideas. Henceforth, this blogsite would be solely mine.

Well, to cut a long story short; I gave in to the evil side of the force.

Then it all happened. Mails from people asking me if I had brought my blogsite down. And I could detect the tinge of disappointment. Well, I am learning to be a narcissist, right? Then, there were people, whom I prefer to keep anon., who helped me see the light. Well, I promise that I would never give over to the evil side again. Let there be light, and let it spread all around.

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

O Mother! Lead me from darkness to the path of light. We are all unified in our ignorance.

Let me end this with a wise quote from Albert Einstein

Co-operation:A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer lives are based on the labors of other people, living and dead and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.

This is not to mean that what I am saying is right. There is no universal concept of right and wrong. I might become an open book. People might take advantage of my openness. People might hate me, love me, avoid me, want to know me, castigate me,etc. for what I write. The only thing I can promise is frankness. There might be times when I rake up controversial issues; when I offend people knowingly/unknowingly. If reading my jottings makes the people think, helps them define themselves better; I suppose then that the reason for this blogspot is fully justified. It does merit mention that I am able to define myself better courtesy these jottings.

Peace!

Alma Mater...

I dedicate this blog to one of my very good friends, :);)\!*, who happens to be an IITian, and who is currently undergoing the blues of separation from one's alma mater.

Before you proceed, let me acknowledge the triumph of sanity over anger; and the victory of the good over the evil forces. May the force be with all of us. :)

______

Well, I unfortunately joined the "BITSAT vs IIT-JEE" community in orkut 15 minutes back. The seemingly hopeless and pointless discussions that followed there made my blood boil. I am a proud BITSian; and vanity happens to be my favourite sin too. I would consider BITS to be the haven on earth. Well, I am free to think what I want, right. I would definitely not like any Tom, Dick and Harry disrespecting my mother - alma mater without knowing her, her love for her children, etc. The least I can do is to write this article. In case I have offended the ones under target, I shamelessly would not apologise for that. However, I do respect the IITs..and her right-minded, right-thinking (no political overtones intended) IITians. Lastly, this is definitely not a case of grapes having gone sour.

What prompted me to write this article, was the lack of humility among certain people. I don't want to point fingers at any one. I personally know of many IITians and BITSians, some really close, and from what I know of them, they are the perfect gems that you can find in any friend or person. Their humility, zeal for life, passion for what they do, etc., has often been a source of inspiration to me. But then, there are certain people who infact debase themselves courtesy their unwanted/excessive pride to the absurd heights of vulgar marketing of supposedly their own "intelligence". I guess, only, empty vessels make more noise. People who really have the right stuff inside them pursue their destiny in silence. Period.

Btw, does it make sense to think about the IITs and BITS alone when it comes to college undergraduate education? What about other colleges? Well, from my personal experience, it doesn't really matter as to where one is from. It rightly depends on the individual and the individual alone. Trumpeting your own trumpet or living under the illusions/delusions of being geniuses amounts to slandering the pure institution of a mother. It doesn't speak good about a person and more importantly about his/her alma mater. More often than not, she moulds us in more ways than one.

We are given the most important lessons in life, straight from a loving mother's mouth, and I am sure those lessons would be for life. Where we are taught to live by ourselves, where we are fortunately/unfortunately forced to learn to live with the same set of people, where heady independence is provided to let one chart one's own destiny, where the world is that small place, etc. And since all educational institutions are the places of learning the intricacies of life, both academic and non-academic, it does seem reasonable to respect all of them.

From the author's personal experience with himself and with many of his friends and acquaintances, the unshaken and unquestionable fact is the love of the alma mater for her children and vice-versa. Most people become dangerously attached to her - she lovingly fondles, embraces and cherishes your presence for 4-5 years - the most important phase in one's life - the transition from angry adolescence to mature youth. When we think that everthing is perfect, nothing else can be better, where the present way of life seems to be the best possible, where friends are selected with care, then, all of a sudden, she betrays you. Or rather her genuine love, care and concern force her to violently throw out her child from her circle of concern and influence. Needless to say, the lessons learnt from her would be permanent and the friends made there would become friends for life. So, does it matter if she happens to be an IIT or a BITS or any other place? It is just the beautiful, wonderful, harmonious relationship between the individual and the alma mater that truly, madly and deeply matters. Nothing else matters.

I bow down in deep reverence, love and gratitude to my beloved mother - my alma mater - the ONE with a myriad of manifestations. It is time we all learnt to accept, love and respect her in all of her manifestations.

Vande Maataram!

Vegetarianism....

Disclaimer: One of my very good friends felt that this article was more on the aggressive side. Initially meant to be a humorous anecdote of my amusing experiences in the US, it has knowingly/unknowingly taken the shape of heavy sarcasm or satire in parts. I repeat, this article is not meant to offend anyone. I do apologise if some people did get offended. I respect a person's preferences and expect the same from him/her. Period.

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Eroteme for the clarification on kosher.

Does any religion truly forbid eating meat. Does any religion profess vegetarianism. I truly do not know. Pork is forbidden for Muslims and Beef for the Hindus. The entire world seems to be feeding on these two animal meats in the form of bacon, sausage, ham, steak, or whatever. Pigs live in unhealthy environments and even if they are bred with care, I simply do not see the point in consuming them. Does that mean I am pro-Muslim. Hindus treat or rather worship the cow - Kamadhenu. Hence, beef is naturally forbidden for them. Does the reason sound hackneyed. Does that mean I am pro-Hindu. It merits mention that certain religions like Buddhism, Jainism, Judaism (Kosher), etc. have stricter restrictions on diet.

It so happens that my ways of eating is often a point of amusement and bewilderment to one and all; especially more so after surviving in the US of A on vegetarian food (where eggs too are forbidden) for nearly two years. Some of my closest Indian friends too find it surprising to the point of absurdity my dietary preferences. People, naturally, have cajoled and some times, threatened me to have meat. They find it shocking when I go about asking waitresses if they use chicken broth to make the rice (very common in Mexican restaurants) or if they use lard or beef extracts in the beans that usually supplements the quesadilla or enchilada. The cheese-burger available in MacD's has beef/ham (I am not sure; not that it matters to me). There is a joke that everything out here is "vegetarian". I religiously go through the contents when purchasing groceries.

So, naturally, people think that I am paranoid about not having meat. They naturally ask - Does Hinduism forbid having meat. Little do they know of India. In a land with a myriad of different cultures and religions, with almost 50-50 veggies and non-veggies; where some Hindu's have beef too to show their modernness and broad outlook(!); where the ancient people (including the rishis) consumed meat, most people find it difficult to accept that meat-eating in India is common too. Most of these incidents involving my paranoia are indeed amusing to me. My answer is often this. Well, I have survived this far on grass and the likes. I don't see the point of turning over to the other side, and if I may dare, the dark side.

Preferences apart (be it personal, religious, spiritual or whatever), scientific studies have proven that red meats are unhealthy. Chicken and Fish are supposed to be good for health. I suppose too much of anything is bad. This principle applies to potatoes too. I do not want to convert people of either faiths. Each person is entitled to his/her preference. I would respect that. I just hope I am not wrong in execting the same from them. I do not want to get into arguments over the Saathvik/Taamsik nature of the foods. People have these wise questions (esp. from the other side) - Isn't milk non-vegetarian. Doesn't the milk come from the blood of the cow. Don't plants have life. Well, I simply have no answers. But, I take it that these questions still do not justify having meat. Arguments sound phony. Most people who have meat love it; and if they say that they love it without any iota of guilt, I suppose it is okie. What I hate is double standards.

Fantasies of the Human Mind...

This blog is dedicated to my good friend avaldes for introducing me to the saga and more importantly, for being patient with me.

The Human Mind is a true enigma. The fantasies it can weave are indeed spell-bounding and unimaginable (a nice paradox!). Yesterday, I had been to the "Revenge of the Sith" - the final episode to make the Star Wars saga complete (one of those few movies I have happened to watch on the day of its release). The much-awaited episode that was meant to link the disconnected episodes I and II with episode IV (released 28 years ago!).

Well, the author was always of the opinion that movies depicting reality, drama, emotions, etc. were more desirable than the ones that claimed to be sci-fi, action, etc. Where there was realism and sense, I supposed the movie was good enough. I still find it difficult to digest one of the scenes in Rambo, where he fights a battle against an infinite no. of tanks with a gigantic gun. Mind is to be put to rest in such cases. The same applies to science too. Did they ever think about the recoil of the gun?

Somehow, Star Wars seems to have created the impact - to the point of conversion of faiths. The six episodes were highly unrealistic and were yet amazing. What made it special was the very fact that a human mind with George Lucas as the vehicle had thought of such a fantastic tale of fantasy; complete with the works. Human emotions, drama, intrigue, love, affection, attachment, suffering, betrayal, loyalty, etc. have surfaced in this sci-fi saga spanning 6 movies and nearly 28 years.

Well, Star Wars indeed has a cult following in the world. I suppose I am one of the latest members.

May the force be with all of us.

Indianness VIII - The Indian Summer....

Among the four seasons, Summer happens to be one of the least preferred ones; and Indian summers are known for their heat. Surprisingly, people somehow try to relate a person's imbecility or shades of madness with the Indian Summer. Madras, on the other hand, is known to have only one season - a prolonged summer characterized by differing shades of hotness (to put it in simple terms, as, hot, hotter and hottest). However the author would prefer to refer to Summer as the season from April to June, when most children in India have their vacation. Three months of vacation to start with during their childhood only to be followed by a steady decrease in the duration as they grow up.

Children would be children and the oppresiveness of the heat doesn't simply bother them. Summer hapens to be the most privileged of all the seasons for them. That is the time, when they get the longest stretch of holidays. A time of constant activity, summer camps, family trips, ice creams, banganampalli mangoes, mischief at its highest, water melons, curd rice and pickles,visit by their closest cousins, etc. Madras boasts of a beach that does the children proud during the summer. Mango, the king of fruits and one of the cherished fruits of India, is consumed in its raw form (pickles or with that pinch of salt-chilli powder) or as the ripe one during this season.

Ice-cream happens to be a favourite amongst many of us. Most families do not encourage their children to have the same during the other seasons; citing the undebatable reason of possible cold, fever, sore throat, etc. that could possibly affect their school life. The heat on the other hand makes it acceptable for the children to have ice-creams and cool drinks. There was a time when Rasna, lemon juice, etc. used to have an important place in the heart of a child. I frankly do not know, if it remains so now, or if that place has been wrongly usurped by the less healthy drinks like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or whatever.

The evenings were spent playing cricket on the roads. Where temples were within reach, the late evening was the time for a visit to the temple. More often than not, there used to be a temple activity that used to attract a crowd in the evenings. When the children were not lost in the huge temples, they also played with their friends or they made friends rather easily with others of their own age to play hide and seek, running and catching, etc. Such simple-hearted people were the children. They believed in spending their vacations in the best possible manner. The elders kept themselves busy by discussing the germane issues of increasing price rise, increasing taxes, the sweltering heat, the water problems, the Indian politics, Coffee, the increasing mischievousness of the children, family dramas, etc. with their friends. All these with the temple activity as the background.

Sadly, all good things do come to an end. The last fortnight of May is the time for getting ready to school. This is a lovely time too for the children. They are pampered beyond limits with the new shoes, dresses, bag, lunch bag, water-bottle, books, textbooks, pens, pencils, colors, etc. Simple things like these brought these children such unlimited happiness that they would remember these occasions of pampering for an year. Surprisingly, the drudgery of school seemed to become more bearable then. It was not that the children didn't like their school or teachers or classmates. It was just that the summer, the one which most adults hate, seemed to be too precious. And compared to the precious times spent, the school and the post-summer activity unsurprisingly paled in significance and rightly looked more like a mundane way of life.

Indianness VII - Curd Rice and Pickles..

This is the best time to write about this topic - the peak of summer and vacation time for children in India.

Well, a South Indian specialty; not available elsewhere. Rather, its value known and appreciated only in South India. The author is not being partisan out here; nor does he want to show his preference for a particular type of cuisine;nor is he is a regionalist. It is a point of amusement when the South Indians profess their love for this specialty,at times, beyond limits acceptable by others. Well, I love this simple, easy to make, specialty of South India - that is one of the most essential must-haves during the hot South Indian summer. People ignorant of this deadly combo are welcome to try it out. And people who are so much in love with this same combo - do take note of the fact that we are all united in our love for the same.

What makes it special? Curd rice is of great medicinal importance and having it as the last course of a meal is healthy. Some people claim that it is a great soporific, which might be true. I am not writing this article to discuss the medicinal properties of Curd/Lactose/whatever. How is it meant to be had? For this, I have an answer. The days of hot summer afternoons. The time of vacations. The home alive with the innocent laughter and pranks of children - friends, cousins, cousin's friends, etc. Elders advising or rather strongly recommending the kids to have curd rice/dahin bath/thayir saadam/mosaru anna and a glass of buttermilk/taak/mor/majjigai so as to prevent dehydration. The item by itself is of not great culinary taste. What makes it special is its side-dish: the pickle/lonchey/uruga/uppinkai. The pickle by itself is very spicy and not advisable for excessive consumption. However, the elders are always lenient when it comes to the combo. They rightly feel that the spiciness of the pickle is compensated by the curd rice.

So what kind of pickles exist to make this combo so deadly? Well, here is where I am grateful to my ancestors. A mind-boggling variety of pickles exist. Nellikai/Amla, Nimboo(Lime), Vadu Maanga(Tender Mango), Avakkai (cut mango), Thokku (grated mango), Tomato, Mixed Veg, Onion, Ginger, Gongura, etc.. The women are experts in pickle making and make preparations in advance keeping the importance of the pickle during the summer season in mind. My mouth waters whenever I think of having curd rice with vadu maanga and its spicy brine solution under the shade of a mango tree with friends.

Well, with the advent of rapid modernization, would such frequent regular happenings of the past become a sad case of virtuality for the future generations to come?

Indianness VI - Carnatic Music....

I bow down in reverence to all the souls who are/were musicians in this demesne of music - Carnatic Sangeetham. I sincerely hope that they overlook the mistakes that might seep in; as this person writes about it. I might have partially written about this elsewhere; but this is the first time, I am writing about it in completeness(?).

Carnatic music - with its strong emphasis on rhythm, melody and feelings - provides the fundamental, essential and harmonic basis for India's rich cultural heritage. Hindustani music, its sister, on the other hand has nevertheless been influenced by West Asia. Essentially South Indian, with compositions predominantly in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Sanskrit; this form of music has withstood the test of times and invasions. Despite the absence of unity among the people, this art was nevertheless heavily protected. The Guru-shishya parampara school of thought helped in more ways than one. It is a closed form in the sense that it would be very very difficult for an outsider to truly appreciate it; and most of the technicalities would be considered esoteric. Most compositions were part of the Bhakti movement - which believed in attaining salvation through the path of Bhakti yoga. Hence, they were related to the divine masculine and feminine faces of the Trinity.

Purandaradasa, the Father of Carnatic Music laid the foundation for a systematic approach to the impartment of this musical form. The Trinity of Music developed it based on the Melakartha system with divine mellifluous compositions. It provides no scope for improvisation (barring the alaapanas); infact the musicians do not want to improvise; and the rasikas do not want them to. It would be indeed blasphemous and amount to showing dis-respect to the composer. Each krithi is rendered only in that raaga, so desired by its composer. So many luminaries have helped sustain this form of music. The festive kacheri season sees many concerts during this time by musicians, both young and old; rising and established.

So, is this form limited to the few (sadly, yes) people who know it or appreciate it? I don't know why, but somehow it is the common opinion that this form is limited to Brahmans alone. I am not really sure about the element of truth in this opinion. Would it be difficult for non-Brahmans to appreciate it if they want to? Would it be difficult for people of other religions to appreciate it if they want to? And, do these "differences" exist in this era of nationalization and globalization?

It is our's, India's jewel on her crown. We are responsible for its sustenance and fortunately, we can do so in more ways than one (however small and insignificant).

1. Attending the kacheris. Nothing comes for free. A Rock/Pop concert by a famous star/group attracts people, who have no qualms whatsover in paying hefty amounts as entrance fees. The music is heavily commercialized and contemporary with its own appeal. Do we really understand the elements of music during these concerts? It is most often a time to be among the hep crowd. So, what's wrong in attending a carnatic music kacheri even if one doesn't truly understand its elements? In what way is it less fashionable?

2. The young, new, and rising musicans hold the key for the sustenance of this art form. Support them in every possible way. They need us and our encouragement. Remember that most of them, would have chosen this as a vocation. They are dependent on this for their living. Money shouldn't be a limiting factor for them which could possibly force them to seek alternative vistas. The music form needs them more than the musicians need it.

3. Purchase original CD's/cassettes. That is the least we can do. Say a complete NO to piracy.

4. Our not knowing the languages - Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Sanskrit, shouldn't deter us from trying out carnatic music with an open mind. When people consider it fashionable to learn French/German/Spanish, what stops them from learning a new language?

5. It is an Indian art form that has amazingly been protected. It is pure, virginal and blissful. We, as the responsible citizens of India, should do our best in ensuring that it remains that way.

Just like a flower has no religion, Music also has no religion. - Amjad Ali Khan

There can be no bigger folly than failing to appreciate what is ours.

6. Encourage children who are learning some form of Carnatic Music. They should know about the glory of this form. They should know that they are among the (fortunate few!) potential stones being polished to become diamonds. I do not imply vulgar glorification. In the present times, young children are more attracted to filmi/contemporary western music. They consider it hep to be among the crowd. I am not saying that they shouldn't be exposed to other forms of music. Too much of anything is madness. What I am really against is their lacking respect for any form.

7. Encourage organizations like SPIC-MACAY and others that help in promoting musical awareness among youth. The youth and children hold the key! They are the ones that need attention, encouragement and guidance.

.... and so on.