To Kochi on work.

Dateline 29 Apr

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Breakfast of sewaiyan upma.

Worked on my laptop.

After an early lunch, took off for Kochi to take part in the book appreciation at the Chaavara Cultural Centre. Reached there by 3 and rendezvoused Maman and team. Met Father Anil Philip.

The district level co-ordinating committee meeting, followed by discussions on IAS Escalator, authored by K Mohandas, IAS the elder son-in-law of R Balakrishna Pillai. A nice evening where I interacted with retired IAS bigwigs like Paul Antony, Tom Jose, PC Syriac, Dr Dhanalakshmi and Sri Raja Sreekumar Varma.

Dinner at our old haunt, the Ceylon Bake House and reached Lekha and The Quarterdeck by 11.

Settled them down to their beds within no time.

 

FTA inked with New Zealand.

Free Trade Agreement between India and New Zealand has been inked. Here are the key takeaways :-

* $20 billion investment commitment over 15 years.

* Special emphasis on strengthening MSMEs and women-led enterprises.

* India offers market access in 70.03% of the tariff lines, which covers 95% of New Zealand's bilateral

   trade.

* India protects key interests in dairy and agriculture; benefit for labour-intensive sectors like textile and

   leather.

* New Zealand facilitates health and traditional medicine services for the first time.

* Student mobility and post-study work visa for STEM graduates, skilled professionals; opens new 

   pathway for 5,000 skilled occupations.

My take

A good thing to happen.

Tailpiece.

A quiet Tuesday.

Went to the Saroja Multi-Speciality Hospital and met Dr Sreekumaran Pillai for Lekha's case. Carried out an MRI. 

 

London marathon gets into history books.

Kenya's Sawe, the current World No.1, created history by becoming the first human to dip under the two hour mark in the marathon.

Importance of breaking the two-hour barrier

For a long time, humans thought this record would be impossible to achieve. Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, in association with Nike, in fact dipped below the two hour mark at Vienna in 2019. However, he did it in a controlled environment so it wasn't valid for the purposes of a world record. Now, Sawe has done it. Yomif Kejelcha, who came second, also went under the two-hour mark (1:59:41).

Why it was only a matter of time

* Shoe technology has improved massively. The importance of science and holistic training approaches 

   is evident. Also, the marathon, at the elite level, has seen official times be repeatedly slashed. 

* The sixteen fastest timings in history have all come since 2019. In fact, this is one record which has 

   kept breaking.

1:59:30  Sawe's timings at London marathon on Sunday.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath followed by breakfast of poorie bhaaji.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

Booked an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow.

Sincerely hope that things would be sorted out by tomorrow.

An interesting story revisited.

Govardhan Hill, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh

In the Braj region of UP's Mathura district near Vrindavan, rises Govardhan Hill, a low sandstone ridge extending roughly 21 km. Though modest in height, it is among the much revered landscapes in the Krishna tradition. According to the Bhaagavata Puraana, Krishna persuaded the villagers to worship the hill instead of Indra, the rain god. In response, Indra unleashed torrential rains and Krishna lifted the hill to shelter the community. The episode establishes the idea that nature itself is worthy of reverence.

This idea continues in the practice of Govardhan Parikrama, a 21-km circumambulation undertaken by thousands daily - I, too, have undertaken this parikrama during my last visit, during Oct '25, though I must confess that it was in a vehicle. Many walk barefoot, some perform Dandavat Parikrama, progressing through full prostrations. The route passes sacred sites such as Radha Kund, Shyam Kund, Kusum Sarovar and Mansi Ganga, each linked to episodes from Krishna's life. The hill is also central to the Braj Chaurasi Kos Yatra, a wider pilgrimage circuit.

Pilgrimage peaks during Govardhan Puja, where offerings of food symbolise gratitude to the sustaining land. Here, there is no single shrine; the landscape itself is the deity.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams and kadala.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched an episode of Crime Patrol followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Die empty.

The most beautiful book to read is Die Empty by Todd Henry. The author was inspired and got this idea of writing this book while attending a business meeting. When the Director asked the audience : Where is the richest land in the world?

One of the audience answered : The oil-rich gulf states. Another added : The diamond mines in Africa.

Then the Director said : "No. it is the cemetery.

Yes, Cemetery is the richest land in the world because millions of people have departed/died and they carried away many valuable ideas that did not come to light nor benefit others. It is all in the cemetery where they are buried".

Inspired by this answer, Todd Henry wrote his book, "Die Empty" where he did his best to motivate people to pour out their ideas and potential energies in their communities and turn them into something useful before it is too late.

The most beautiful of what he said in his book is : "Do not go to your grave and carry inside you the best that you have. Always choose to die empty.

The true meaning of this expression, is to die empty of all the goodness that is within you. Deliver it to the world before you leave.

If you have an idea perform it.

If you have knowledge give it out.

If you have a goal achieve it.

If you have resources assist the less opportuned

Love, share and distribute, do not keep it inside".

Let's begin to give. Remove and spread every atom of goodness inside you.

Start the race now!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams, egg roast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched an episode of Crime Patrol followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Guidelines to stay safe in the spiralling heat.

* Avoid direct exposure to sunlight between 10 AM and 3 PM when 'uv' radiation is at its peak.

* Stay hydrated : drink plenty of water at regular intervals.

* Use protective gear such as hats, umbrellas and sunglasses while stepping outdoors.

* Wear loose, light-coloured cotton clothing that covers the body.

* Take frequent breaks in shaded or cool areas during travel or outdoor work.

* Outdoor workers, fishermen, bikers and tourists should exercise extra caution.

* Elderly people, children and those with existing health conditions should avoid prolonged outdoor  

   exposure.

* Be aware that surfaces like water, sand and concrete can reflect UV rays and increase exposure.

* Seek medical attention if symptoms like dizziness, excessive sweating, fatigue or sunburn occur.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the television.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on our courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath followed by breakfast of puttum pazhavum.

Worked on my laptop. 

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

            

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Got up at 4, went through our chores and were ready by 6 but quite a few small things perked up at the last moment that by the time we kicked off on our journey, it was a half past 6. Our first stop was at the Nagaraaja kshetram at Randalummoodu, as usual. Drove till the road transport corporation's service station and handed over the Chevy to Monish.

We had a darshan of the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapati, walked around the temple and resumed our journey. Had dropped in at Lekha's sister, Letha's place to hand over the mangoes collected from my compound. Had our breakfast at the Padma Cafe at Changanaasserry. It took a lot of time as the service was found to be wanting.

Reached The Quarterdeck by 2, sent Monish back and had a lovely lunch made by the maid. Siesta.

The evening chores, Rejith was called in to hand over the clothes for dry cleaning.

A quiet evening thereafter.

Tailpiece.

The Assembly elections to West Bengal (1st phase) and Tamilnadu took place today registering a 92.5% percentage in the former and 85.6% in the latter. The results should be interesting!