Milma On Wheels.

Innovative ideas can bring in dividends. 'Milma On Wheels' initiative was launched by the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation - known by its trade name Milma. Undertaken by the three Regional Co-operative Milk Producers' Unions - TRCMPU of Thiruvananthapuram region, ERCMPU of Ernakulam region and MRCMPU of Malabar region is turning out to be a cash cow.

The idea was first mooted by the KSRTC - Kerala State Road Transport Corporation as part of the cash-strapped corporation's proposal to find a use for its buses deemed unfit for the roads.

The first "Milma On Wheels" was opened by TRCMPU at the Thiruvananthapuram KSRTC bus station. The entire cost of refurbishing the bus is borne by the regional unions and they pay a monthly rent of Rs.24,000/- which varies from place to place. Besides the rent, they also bear the cost of redoing the interiors which comes to around Rs.5 lakhs or more.

"Milma On Wheels" has achieved break even and revenue generation has been good. Though the profit margins differ from place to place, the project has proved a success. Besides the regular KSRTC buses, some of the low floor buses have been offered for the initiative.

These buses act as live advertisements for Milma. The insides of the vehicles have been transformed to showcase its various products. Every thing from milk to value-added products made from milk can be bought at these supermarkets on wheels.

The current distribution of the Milma On Wheels, apart from the ones mentioned earlier, are at :-

     * Thrissur KSRTC bus stand.

     * Ernakulam Boat Jetty.

     * Kannur.

     * Muvattupuzha and Kottayam bus stations are in the pipeline. 

The seating within these modified vehicles are six and eight seaters to facilitate snacking for customers.

- Adapted from an article by Anu Kuruvilla.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid comes for work and she gets fish for Kittu and gang.

The evening chores.

Renegotiating the Indus water treaty.

Coercive diplomacy in play?

A multilateral agreement that has stood the test of time is now arguably facing its test as India has put Pakistan on notice to renegotiate the Indus Water Treaty. India's coercive diplomacy is not just against Pakistan but also against the World Bank, whose leadership in the past had done commendable work by negotiating the treaty way back in 1960. India reckons the current leadership of the World Bank erred by allowing two problem-resolution mechanisms on the same matter to run concurrently though the rule book allows for only one at a time for their graded escalation. The difference in perception is about hydroelectric power projects built by India on their tributaries.

While Pakistan in 2015 sought a neutral expert to look into the differences and India was okay with it, a year later, it unilaterally wanted the matter sent to the court of arbitration. Mark the diplomatese : If differences aren't resolved by a neutral expert, they are treated as disputes and taken up for arbitration. After putting the matter on ice for six years, the World Bank inexplicably set up both mechanisms simultaneously last year, resulting in India boycotting the arbitration court. India reasoned that it would be ridiculous if the two mechanisms came up with conflicting findings and jeopardised the treaty. In its tit-for-tat, the government slapped a notice on Pakistan to join the talks table within 90 days as per the treaty since it refused to discuss the issue under the Permanent Indus Commission that meets at least once a year.

India appears to have taken a calibrated step to leverage its upper riparian advantage to renegotiate the treaty. Though the government sought to underplay it as a technical matter, employing the dispute as a counterweight to curb cross-border terror is very much on the table. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2016 said after the Uri attack that blood and water cannot flow simultaneously. However, India lacks the ability to impound or divert those waters, even if it wants to. How it would eventually play its coercive cards remains to be seen. But after staying neutral in the Ukraine war despite humongous Western pressure, the government perhaps reckons it can deal with a weak Pakistan and the World Bank on its terms.

Courtesy. The editorial NIE.

My take

A smart move on the Indian government's part and we must rake in maximum advantage!

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle late, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. 

To the bank to carry out two nefts.

A quiet afternoon, thereafter.

Try to understand!

This is for those cheering a small US based "activist firm" trying to hit Adani with the Hindenburg Report while also shorting its stock. This company is mired in controversy with multiple pending cases of fraud, malpractice and even a corruption scandal.

And this is an offence by stock market regulations of many countries as it is considered market manipulation and profiting from it. But let's forget all that and consider their reports to be true because that's what you may believe in.

It is well known in India that Adani is seen as close to PM Modi and the BJP. It is also well known that Adani helps India by making risky investments in ports, logistics and mining in far away countries securing India's interests.

We need to understand, tomorrow, these same "activist" firms may hit Reliance and TATA too if they are seen as a front for the Indian government in geopolitics, buying ports to compete with rivals and mines to secure supplies. In fact, these two companies have higher debt than Adani.

Should we cheer that too?

It doesn't matter which party's government is in power or which country it is, companies are used by the state to further its own interests. And corporates are well known to work for political parties around the world.

In the US, Amazon is openly known to fund and support one party - the Democrats. Amazon was making losses for a long time yet overvalued in the stock market for many, many years with a lot of debt.

Did anyone do a hit job on Amazon shorting its stocks while publishing reports, how much ever it may be true? No, because Amazon works for US national interests. No party in the US will try bringing it down. Same with Tesla and many other US companies.

In fact, the US is well known for bailing out private companies in the name of national interest using tax payer's money. That's why countries like the US, UK and China are so powerful. They use their companies to be a in geopolitics and in projecting power. Remember EIC?

Today, you may cheer that Adani is getting hit and you may love it because it is considered a crony of the BJP. But it is the Indian economy and India, the country that will suffer, whih includes you. They will continue to hit and hurt our companies no matter which party is in power.

Unfortunately, in India, we are slaves of petty local politics and do not understand great power geopolitics. Great power geopolitics is what actually drives our growth and future in this globalized world.

Until Indians and our political parties rise up over petty politics in the interests of India like the US or UK, we will forever be a third world country ruled over and used by the west as a market and a source of cheap labour.

Anyways, enjoy your cheering for loss of Indians and Indian companies created by foreign forces while it lasts.

We can't digest Ambani, Adani or a Baba. We are okay with Amazon, Walmart, Tesla, Samsung, Hyundai, Honda getting rich.

My take

It's crystal clear that inimical international forces are at work to deny PM Modi a success in the General Elections of 2024, which he is assured of by the tremendous work that he has done and brought the country to its present eminence in the world. His vision and statesmanship have been accepted by the world leaders and make him their natural leader and many of them seek advice from him for their internal problems!

I'm sure Prime Minister Narendra Modi will overcome all obstacles and come up trumps as we navigate ahead in time.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

It was a quiet Sunday.

Helped Lekha water the plants in the evening.

   

  

Positives in negatives!

A young woman was sitting at her dining table, worried about taxes to be paid, house-work to be done and to top it all, her extended family was coming over for festival lunh the next day. She was not feeling very thankful at that time.

As she turned her gaze sideways, she noticed her young daughter scribbling furiously into her notebook. "My teacher asked us to write a paragraph on Negative Thanksgiving for homework today".

Said the daughter.

"She asked us to write down things that we are thankful for, things that make us feel not so good in the beginning but turn out to be good after all".

With curiosity, the mother peeked into the book. This is what her daughter wrote :

  * I'm thankful for the Final Exams because that means school is almost over.

  * I'm thankful for bad-tasting medicines because it helps me feel better.

  * I'm thankful for waking up to alarm clocks because it means I'm still alive.

It then dawned on the mother that she had a lot of things to be thankful for!

She thought again....

She had to pay taxes but that meant she was fortunate to be employed.

She had house-work to do but that meant she had a shelter to live in.

She had to cook for her many family members for lunch but that meant she had a family with whom she could celebrate.

Moral. We generally complain about the negative things in life but we fail to look at the positive side of it.

What is the positive in your negatives? Look at the better part of life today and make your everyday a great day.

Be happy and blessed always.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

A quiet Saturday, to begin with. Ramesh, the gardener had come by with his assistant, Abhinand and set things right, around the house.

Helped Lekha in watering the plants.

  

Tougher penalties, a must.

There's an immediate requirement to have tougher penalties to rein in road rage.

First Delhi, now Surat. Two accident victims were dragged to death by car drivers for several kilometres on busy city roads. Hit-and-run accidents are turning into spine-chilling hit-and-drag accidents. There has been a rash of such acts which has left the country horrified. Kanpur saw a similar accident where two women were dragged along with their scooter and Bangalore saw two such incidents in a week - a 71-year-old citizen dragged for over a kilometre, clinging to a two-wheeler and a woman driving with a person on her bonnet.

All these accidents are classified under road rage - aggressive behaviour targeted at other motorists - and could range from abuse to violence. Punishment for road rage is not severe for the first offence, it is imprisonment for up to six months and/or a fine up to Rs.10,000/- and for the second offence, two years imprisonment and/or a fine of Rs.15,000/-. Such offences should attract tougher action and even suspension or revocation of driving license. The perpetrators of hit-and-drag accidents, whether fatal or otherwise, should be charged with murder. Often, such inhuman acts are deliberate rather than accidental and are not prompted by road rage alone. The men were drunk in the Delhi case but knew they were dragging the girl's body. In the Bangalore case, the youngster dragging the senior citizen was unrepentant. Psychologists have suggested that a mental fitness certificate should be made mandatory along with the driving license. The other strange phenomenon is filming such acts and uploading videos on social media instead of immediately calling law enforcement authorities. While such videos do help nail the offender, the intention is questionable.

These incidents also highlight that road sense and traffic etiquette on Indian roads are deplorable and safety is at a premium. This is especially so for pedestrians, marginalised and deprived of even the right to cross a road. Impatient, rash drivers in big vehicles, honking indiscriminately, are the norm. Disciplined traffic movement and management in advanced countries should serve as a template for our cities. We need extensive lessons on road behaviour for every driver, preferably taught in schools. Drivers should remember that a powerful vehicle brings the added responsibility of ensuring safety. The presence of traffic police officers and CCTV cameras is imperative and should help bring some semblance of order on the roads.

- the editorial masthead of the NIE 

My take

Zero-level tolerance for any laxity on this score.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid had come by for work.

A normal Friday! 

  

The 74th Republic Day.

Had hoisted my personal flag, made in khadar, at our balcony on the dot at 0800 hrs. And by 1030 hrs, I was in front of my television set to watch the Republic Day Parade at New Delhi. The stands on either sides of the 'Kartavya Path' were packed with people. 

The first egg must have hit the faces of the media people/houses who'd smirkingly said that Modi is packing the spectators' stands with street vendors, the labourers working in the 'central vista project' and the rag tag because there were no spectators! Why don't you guys stop peddling lies, for heavens' sake? It'll do a lot of good for your health!

The Prime Minister laying the ceremonial wreath at the National War Memorial was solemn yet elegant. The convergence of his motorcade and the President's arrival at the ceremonial dais was well synchronised, with clock like precision. The expressions on the face of the Egyptian President's - the chief guest for the event - said it, all through the parade as to how much he enjoyed the event.

The Egyptian contingent leading the parade was very appropriate and each one of them got sucked into the prevalent mood of the environment, in that, their marching was synchronous, full of 'josh' with full throated war cries as they marched past the saluting dais.

The marching contingents, the tableaux that followed were elegant, as usual.

The cultural treat that was provided was gladdening to the eyes.

What I shall carry in my mind about this year's Republic Day Parade is the strength of women power of the country that was projected all through. Our President standing up and receiving salutes throughout the event, women commanding and seconding contingents and a full quarter hour of music and dance 'on Naari Shakthi' by an elegant team of young, beautiful women and handsome young men from all parts of the country, pressed home the message.

That image shall ever remain etched in my mind!  

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. 

A nice holiday it was.        

Swift action.

Congratulations to the Indian Government for taking yet another bold and courageous deision in killing another termite on Indian soil.

One committee of the UN, The United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan, was operating for the last 74 years in India. This group was in India since 1948 observing the dispute between India and Pakistan.

All these years India was footing their expenditure pertaining to their office and staff including their accommodation, food, transportation and other miscellaneous expenses. Sometime back, this same committee declared that J&K dispute is not a bilateral issue but a trilateral issue also, with China and that India is blocking them in their work. They also complained that whatever finance is given by India is not sufficient and India should increase their financial assistance.

The Indian government swung into action immediately and cancelled the visas of their entire staff of 40 members and asked them to leave India within 10 days. Action speaks louder than words.

Times have changed and people must realise that it's time they behave maturely! Should have been shown the door after the Shimla Accord.

They overstayed their hospitality but kept providing vital security related information to their bosses in the US, which in turn played its cards both ways.

Reportedly, in 2013 it was revealed that India was put into high surveillance by the US.

My take

Today's India is neither meek nor timid! It puts across its point of view confidently, without fear or favour.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Shaun, of the ICICI Bank, didn't fetch up, as promised.

Went for the matinee show of Mammootty's 'Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam'. A good movie but the Tamil conversations went above my head; Lekha explained it to me. Mammootty is good!  

Layoffs in the US!

80,000 Indians in US face layoff heat. Have to find a new job within two months or leave the country; share their plight on social media platforms.

         * 200,000 tech employees lost jobs in the US since November.

         * 30 - 40% of the affected are Indian IT professionals who are on H-1B and L1 visas.

         * 60 days grace period for non-immigrant visa holders to find another job or they will have to 

            leave the US.

         * Swedish music streamlining company decides to trim 6% of its workforce or 600 employees.

With a series of layoff announcements by all top tech companies globally, reports suggest that 60,000 - 80,000 India IT professionals in the US have lost jobs. A majority of them are said to be on H-1B and L1 visas, who will have to find another job within 60 days or pack up.

Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and Alphabet together have laid off 51,000 employees. Till now, 3,11,592 employees have lost jobs, according to Layoffs.fyi, which compiles data from public reports and tracks layoffs. In 2023 alone, 174 tech companies laid of 56,570 employees.

Many affected Indians have shared their stories on social media.

* Monambigha M, one of the impacted Google employees, said in a LinkedIn post that she must spring back into action as being an immigrant on an H-1B visa does not give her the flexibility to take time off. She joined Google only 10 months ago.

* After working with Google for three years and six months, Kunal Kumar Gupta received the termination mail.

According to HR experts, it is not difficult for those who lost jobs in the US to find one in India. Hiring intent for IT professionals across tech and non-tech companies to revert to its pre-pandemic levels.

"Hot skills such as full stack engineers, data analysts and scientists, DevOps specialists and cloud engineers will be sought after.

- Uma Kannan in the NIE

My take

Hard times but we will tide over these rough times!   

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid was at work today.

 

Noble deeds.

For this mother-son duo, service begins in their village.

Their vocation is a service beyond monetary gain. The two doctors' efforts at treating people with respect and compassion have come as a blessing for the residents of their native Pulinkunnu, a water-logged village in Kuttanad.

Dr Grace George (69) and her son Dr Mathew George (43) have been working at the Government Taluk Hospital in Kuttanad without accepting any remuneration for the past many months. Mathew chanced upon a notice from the superintendent of the hospital in July '22 inviting doctors and paramedical staff ready to work voluntarily.

"It got me thinking about sharing my knowledge and skills with the people of our village. I contacted the superintendent and joined the hospital on 27 Jul", says the MBBS degree holder from the Thrissur Government Medical College. Mathew had spent many years in Muscat, Oman before returning to his homeland two years ago.

Grace also worked in Muscat for 42 years and her husband George was a businessman in the Gulf country. After returning to Kerala, George followed his passion and started farming activities in Kuttanad. Mathew, who shares the passion, decided to support his father. Grace, a graduate from the Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital, also runs a free clinic near their house.

"After I joined the taluk hospital, I realised how shortage of medial professionals can affect patient care. I shared the concern with my mother and she decided to join the hospital three months ago", says Mathew.

Besides them, four nurses, two pharmacists, one data-entry operator and a social worker do voluntary work at the hospital.

- Biju E Paul in the NIE

My take

There are many heroes among us doing extraordinary work. My salute to each and every one of them.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 10.

It was a quiet Monday.

Ammu was winging her way back to Boston, after the two-month hiatus, to join back in her MBA classes at the Babson College.    

The Ahom burial system.

The Moidams (also Maidams) in Assam are the burial system of the Ahom dynasty (13th to the 19th century). Out of the 386 Moidams explored so far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative and most complex examples of this tradition.

The Moidams are set to be nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site this year. There are two categories of nominations - Cultural Site and Natural Site. The Moidams will be nominated in the category of Cultural Site!

India has 40 World Heritage Sites - 32 of them Cultural Sites, seven Natural Sites and a mixed site! Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park are among the seven natural sites. Currently, there's no World Heritage Site in the category of Cultural Sites in the Northeast.

A total of 52 sites were in the rae and four of them were ready with dossiers but the PM hose the Charaideo Moidams.

A team of the UNESCO National Heritage Committee would visit Assam in September to inspect the Moidams and take a decision in March, next year. There could be immediate recognition, referral which entails clarification, deferral where things need to be rectified and rejection. Never before has an Indian nomination been rejected!

The Moidams enshrine the mortal remains of Ahom royalty - previously, those of the deceased with their paraphernalia were buried but after the 18th entury, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation, entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Moidam at Charaideo. The Moidams are highly venerated.

- Prasanta Mazumdar

My take

Another feather in the country's cap!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 10. 

Video talked with Ammu as she's leaving for Boston tomorrow afternoon. Two months passed on in a jiffy.

A quiet Sunday.

At Puthuvayil Veedu.

The day had commenced at 0400 hrs, went through my chores and was ready by a quarter past 5. Anto, with his auto rickshaw, was at the gate at that time. Lekha had packed up three dosas and chutney for my breakfast during the travel. Reached the railway station soon after, bought my ticket and walked into the train which was on platform no.3.

Befriended Ivan, a class 4 boy who has been brought up well with the best of values. His mother was with him but was hostile, wonder why? Did she, even for a moment, think that I was one of those types who made friends with the child to 'maaro' line on the mother, I wonder? Had my breakfast when the train was slowly chugging into Thrippunithura station and it was a trifle after 9.

The train reached Kottayam by 0940 hrs. Had a cup of tea at the platform and by around a quarter past 10, I went off to the Public Library. Took the librarian's permission to sit in the reading room to browse through the day's newspapers and charge my cellphone.

Aniyan, Aravi maman, Rajan maman and Pappi kunjamma came by and I interacted with each one of them. Maman, Gopu and Bijumon sir had come along with Aji as the sa'arathi, close to 12. The meeting was nice and Maman was handed over a cheque of Rs.5 lakhs, being the library's contribution towards the renovation of the Puthuvayil House - Muthachhan's ancestral house at Neelamperoor.

The five of us had lunch at Hida and then, we went to the Puthuvayil Veedu. The facelift is going well indeed and we got everyone together to discuss the ongoing and forthcoming work of the Puthuvayil Veedu. The warring relations were told to behave and work together towards the benefit of the monument.

Met the 87-year-old Santha kunjamma who suffers from Alzheimer's and is bedridden. She kept smiling at us as we tried to make her understand as to what was taking place. Felt really sad and there was a lump in my throat as we left Neelamperoor. 

Maman had dropped us at the Changansserry bus stand from where Aniyan and I clambered on to a Kottayam-bound fast passenger. From there, I was able to board the low-floor-a/c bus, bound for Bangalore. Aniyan reached his house by 1830 hrs while Maman had reached his house at a half past 9. Gopu leaves for Bhubaneswar tomorrow. to organise the Film Festival there.

I'd reached Thrissur by 10, boarded the Guruvayur FP and got off at the LF college bus stop from where I'd walked into The Quarterdeck. A quick wash and change and then, had a quiet dinner!

Tailpiece.

And tomorrow, Radha mami, Jagada Mami and her sister, Pappi kunjamma, Rajan maman and Aravi maman are off to Dubai for the next five days. Had wished them a nice trip, earlier in the day.  

Santha kunjamma's pitiable sight has got stuck in my mind ever since I met her this afternoon. Sad!   

Rare photos!

Rare photos from World War II Jewish ghetto shown in Warsaw. Never-before-seen photos of the Warsaw ghetto - from a roll of film shot by a Polish firefighter under the noses of the occupying Germans - were unveiled to journalists.

A glimpse into the horrific scenes

Although taken during the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising when Jews rose up against the Nazi occupiers, they do not depict the actual fighting. But they do show apocalyptic scenes of buildings on fire, deserted streets strewn with rubble and German soldiers escorting Jews to their deaths.

Capturing deportation of Jews

Some of his father's other images, including photos capturing the Jews being deported are held by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

Holocaust from a different perspective

The museum's historians said that the value of the pictures lies in their being the only known images from the ghetto uprising that were not taken by the German forces and which, therefore, were not shot with the intention of serving Nazi propaganda.

Putting their lives at risk

Grzywazewski, then a 23-year-old whose family members were risking their lives to save Jews, took his camera into the ghetto and secretly photographed Jews being led to Umslagplatz, the holding area where the occupying German forces held them before deportation to the Treblinka death camps. The images also show burning buildings.

Taking photos clandestinely

Some of the photos are blurred or not framed well, indicating that Grzywazewski, who was an avid photographer was taking them surreptitiously.

A detailed photo

The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews says the discovery adds more pictures to the deportation sequence. Furthermore, the ones in Washington are prints that have been cropped, with the newly discovered negatives offering more details.

33 photos shot by Zbigniew Grzywaczewski

The roll of film, which includes 33 photos from the ghetto, was shot by Zbigniew Grzywaczewski, a non-Jewish Pole and firefighter.

It was only rediscovered in Dec 2022 by his son, Maciej.

Warsaw Uprising

It began on 19 Apr 1943, after German troops and police entered the ghetto to deport its surviving inhabitants. Some 750 young Jewish fighters armed with just pistols and other light arms attacked a German fore more than three times larger.

In their last testaments, they said they knew they were doomed but wanted to die at a time and place of their own choosing.

Courtesy. Ex-files in the NIE.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Our fruit basket was home-delivered.

Maman desires that I attend the program tomorrow at the Kottayam Public Library. He made Gopu also to speak on his behalf.   

The Covid-19 after effects!

School closure hurt students' learning ability : Survey.

Prolonged school shutdowns due to Covid-19 have set students back by over 10 years in terms of their basic skills, a new survey showed. According to the Annual Status of Education Report ASER-2022, children's basic reading ability is down to pre-2012 levels and their maths skills to 2018 levels.

The percentage of children in Class 3 in government or private schools who can read at Class 2 level dropped from 27.3% in 2018 to 20.5% in 2022. Similarly, the percentage of 5th grade students who can at least read a text at the Class 2 level, dropped from 50.5% to 42.8%.

Notably, states that had higher reading levels in 2018 witnessed a sharp decline in 2022 with Kerala dropping from 52.1% to 38.7%, Himachal Pradesh from 47.7% to 28.4% and Haryana from 46.4% to 31.5%.

The most affected states in terms of reading ability are Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with their figures dropping from 22.6% to 10.3% and from 18.1% to 5.2%, respectively. Tamilnadu, Mizoram and Haryana recorded decline in maths skills, the survey said.

Increase (in proportion of Class 8 students who can do division) is driven by better outcomes among girls and students in government schools.

69.6% of Class VII children could read basic text in 2022, down from 73% in 2018.

- Amit Pandey in the NIE

My take

Covid-19 has set us back by a decade, almost!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Today's Vichani kunjamma's 4th remembrance day.

Lekha had gone across to the Mammiyoor Shiva kshetram for a darshan of the good Lord.

A quiet Thursday.

Honeybees to take the sting!

The Madhya Pradesh forest department is banking on the power of bees to prevent incidents of human-elephant-conflict (HEC) in the jungles of the eastern districts of the state.

The department has released the Recommended Operating Procedures (ROPs) to prevent HEC, including promotion of beekeeping in forest areas. "Elephants are afraid of bees as they can sting them in the trunk and the eyes. The collective buzzing of bees troubles the elephant. Keeping bee boxes on the route of the elephants will prevent them from intruding into human habitat".

The micro, small and medium enterprises will promote beekeeping among villagers residing in forest areas. The beekeeping promotion scheme will be linked with the National Rural Livelihood Mission to ensure compensation to bee-keepers in the event of destruction/damage to the bee boxes by elephants.

However, the Bhopal-based wildlife activist, Ajay Dubey has posed the following questions :-

   * Has this idea been successfully implemented anywhere and desired results achieved?

   * In case of being stung by a bee, how can it be ensured that the wild elephant in painful anger will only take a route without human habitats?

   * The said forest areas have a significant sloth bear population. What will happen if the bees end up attracting the bears to intrude and cause human casualties?

Rising HEC incidents have led to  26 human casualties and also resulted in incidents of electrocution, poisoning of tuskers.

- Anurag Singh in the NIE

My take

Needs to be monitored very closely on execution!

Tailpiece. 

Got up at 6, the chores, the Wednesday 'aarathi' of the house and was ready by a 10' to 10.

The maid comes for work.

A quiet day, otherwise.

Go fly a kite!

It was a week after the funeral. She had buried her hard working accountant husband who had painstakingly worked from morning till sundown, risen from clerk to bank manager, sent two children to college and jobs abroad with the income and given her a comfortable life style.

It was a week after the funeral, as she rummaged in his cupboard looking for documents and files he had meticulously kept and it was then that she saw the secret compartment.

She opened it trembling, she did not want to know any secret about her husband, she did not want to find anything that would disturb memories of the solid, dependable, hardworking man he'd been.

But she opened the compartment. She felt something light and papery to the touch, then slowly, carefully pulled out, not one, not two but a dozen kites. They were fresh as if just bought from the kite shop down the road and she wept as she saw them.

"One day", he'd told her, "I'll have time to fly kites on the terrace!"

"You seem to have flown them before?" she'd said.

"I loved them when little", he'd said, "I loved the feel of the kite in the heavens rising up and reigning like a king!"

"Why don't you do so this Sunday?" she'd asked.

"Overtime!" he'd said, "But maybe next Sunday or the holiday that comes after that!"

She wept as she felt the crisp paper. She wept as the kites spoke a dream of a dead man, who'd wanted the simple pleasure of flying them, up in the sky.

Her sons came home the next day. They saw the kites fixed on the sitting room wall, "Ma", they protested, "This is not the time to celebrate, this is a time of mourning!"

"Yes", she said, "I know it is and that is why I've put them there!"

They felt the paper, they stared at the lovely designs and they listened to their mother as she told them where she'd found them. They had tears in their eyes, as they thought of their dad and the kites he'd never flown.

"Ma, I'd like to take one home!" said her eldest.

"And I want one for my home too", exclaimed the second.

She gave the kites to them and her heart gladdened as they called her the next week, "We're picking you up mother, we're going to spend the weekend camping!" 

"Camping?" she asked, "I've never camped before!"

"Nor have we but that's the kite we want to fly mother. Come along!"

She smiled as they drove down the mountain track, she looked at the car of her second son behind and as she looked out of the window, she felt she could see her husband, laughing as he flew a kite, higher and higher into the wind, reigning like a king.

His sad kites in the cupboard had made his sons fly theirs.

Go fly a kite......!

Courtesy. What'sApp

My take

Do what your heart tells you to do! Anytime is appropriate time!!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

A quiet Tuesday! 

  

More than half the job seekers are women!

A large section of Kerala's youth is on the hunt for jobs, a survey conducted by the state's Knowledge Economy Mission has revealed. As per the survey, Malappuram district tops the list with the most number of job seekers - over 6 lakh. This is followed by Thiruvananthapuram, with 5.09 lakh youngsters and Kollam, with 5.02 lakhs.

In almost all the districts, women make up more than half of the list. In Thrissur, this is high as 61%. Idukki has the least number of jobseekers - 1.75 lakh people.

"Majority of today's youngsters are dissatisfied with their current jobs. Many are paid as little as Rs.10,000/- per month", the director of the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council said while explaining the survey findings.

"The current education system does not imbibe youngsters with the skills that are in demand today", he further pointed out.

Given how the economy is still recovering from the aftermath of Covid-19, the director also alluded that it will be a while before things turn promising. It is precisely this very reason that has prompted the state to consider building a knowledge-based economy, which is deemed more shielded from catastrophes like Covid-19.

The survey, part of the 'Ente Thozhil, Ente Abhimaanam' campaign, was envisioned to empower the state to roll out measures to tackle unemployment and more ambitiously, build a knowledge-based economy. The findings from the survey are certain to shape the state's economic policy in the coming year.

The survey which began in May 2022, was completed in just eight weeks. Kudumbashree workers covered 81,12,268 households to make it possible. The Knowledge Economy Mission intends to provide jobs to 20 lakh educated youth by 2026.

- R Rahul, in the NIE

My take

Lofty aims and laudable! Hope it fructifies.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 10.

To the ICICI Bank to get Lekha's add-on credit card reactivated and to buy 'raamacham'.

A quiet evening.

India is not so developed.

That was what I was thinking as I was returning to India, for holidays, after spending a great amount of time in the US.

* As I landed in Delhi, I was craving for Gol Gappas.

And after relishing it, I felt terrible.....Gosh! I cannot use my credit card here at the stall. I will have to pay cash.

"India is not so developed".

Then I saw everyone scanning QR odes and making digital payments across the market! I learned it's UPI that the Government of India introduced in 2016, faster and easier than using credit cards.

Countries are dying to get this technology from India.

    *     *     *

* I reached home and realised I had forgotten to get eggs.

I thought....Gosh! If it were the US, I would have ordered eggs online which would have been delivered in 5 hours.

"India is not so developed".

Then I saw Blinkit, Instacart etc and was shocked to see the eggs delivered in freaking 7 minutes! How is that even possible? I was numb for those 7 minutes

Indian companies have mastered the supply chain challenges!

      *   *   *

* I was later entering the airport and took out my ID card for the scan.

The CRPF person politely refused. They just scanned my face and let me in because of #DigiYatra.

I was shocked again! 

I have been to North America, Europe, South America......they ask for ID cards everywhere.

       *   *   *

That's when I realised we should STOP underselling ourselves!

Be proud of our Identity, our Culture and our Ability to innovate and thrive!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

After breakfast, had gone to the town to buy grocery from the Harisree Supermarket and to get our fruit basket.

The Ancheris and Saumya had fetched up by a quarter to 1. They had lunch and tea and kicked off for Kozhikode to spend the evening with Geetha's elderly relative.

     

What it means to be a Veteran?

Today is Veteran's Day. What is a 'veteran' all about?

"The soldier is the Army.

No army is better than its soldiers.

The Soldier is also a citizen.

In fact, the highest obligation and

privilege of citizenship is that of

bearing arms for one's country".

- George S Patton Jr.

* The smell of brass polish.

* The boots shining.

* The aroma of uniform.

* The bugle calls.

* The salutes.

* The WD cable, call never

dropped.

* The trenches Were Abode.

* The Sahayak so precious,

Man Friday.

* The pull through, pulled us

through.

* The glistening medals.

* The invaluable time.

* The life spent together.

* The life we missed.

* The festivals, family enjoyed, 

the day we came home.

* The 6 B, we don't, but we do

miss.

* We don't miss call for getting 

together. 

* Ironing of lounge suit.

* Searching for miniature medals.

* The golf cap.

* The side cap.

* The one after one tales Trivia of

Past.

* Worth for living long, worth

more than worth, for next life in

Army.

My take

Proud to be a Naval Veteran!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 10.

The Ancheris will be with us for tomorrow and the day after.

A quiet evening.

 

 

What sort of a guy is this cheapo?

The Shocking Incident of Peeing on an individual on an AI Flight.

The Incident

* Hema Rajaraman, above 70 years of age, was travelling Business Class, Seat 9A, on board  Air India  flight AI 102, from JFK to New Delhi on 26 Nov 2022. 

* During the course of the flight, shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off, a completely inebriated Shankar Mishra - he'd consumed four drinks by then - the passenger of Seat 8A, walked up to the lady's seat, unzipped his pants and urinated on her.

* The blighter was a VP in the MNC Wells Fargo. He was fired by the company when the incident came to light.

Now see what the airline did in the aftermath.

* "Two stewardesses wiped the victim off the pee and washed her" - wonder what that means?

* She was refused a change of seat as requested by her, saying that she'd have to shift to the first class and that it should have the captain's permission..

* Once the inebriated guy had come back to his senses, he was made to sit opposite the victim to negotiate and work out a deal! The victim was not interested in it at all.

* The lady stuck to her stand that the guy needed to be arrested for his waywardness.

The subsequent bizarre happenings.

* The airline didn't consider it prudent to report the matter to the DGCA or the aviation ministry or to even report the matter to the Delhi Police and have the guy arrested, on arrival, at the destination.

* Instead, the guy was allowed to flee and he was on the run.

* Spearheaded by Arnab Goswami's Republic TV channel, as the case was brought to the knowledge of the general public, action was initiated and the blighter was arrested in Bangalore.

* The court had refused bail and the guy has been remanded to 14 days' judicial custody!

* The shameless guy has, through his lawyers, now stated that it was the lady who'd urinated on herself.

My take

* What sort of value system does the guy possess? Is this what his parents taught him during his upbringing?

* If he has a family of his own, what example is he setting to his children?

* He needs to be shamed after having been named. Suitable punishment should be meted out so that he doesn't misbehave in life, ever. It should also serve as a warning for future misconduct. 

* What the blighter needs to do reduce his agony is to accept his mistake and apologise to the lady. He's continuing to goof up and make a very pitiable sight!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

It was a quiet Friday.

 

Prof Asher - Friend of Malayalam.

Professor Asher, who took Basheer across the seas, passes away at 96.

"Me Grandad 'ad an Elephant"! That's how Asher chose to translate Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's brilliant short novel Ntuppuppakkoraanendaarnnu, taking the 'Sultan of Beypore' across the seas.

Prof Ronald E Asher, who passed away late last month, aged 96, was a Britisher by birth but he was often mistaken for a Scot, given that he chose to settle in Edinburgh. His association with Kerala started in 1964, when he came to meet Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. He returned the very next year to interat with Basheer. As a linguist who specialised in Dravidian languages, he had deep-seated love for Malayalam literature and culture.

Prof Asher's intense admiration for Basheer's works was well known. Whenever he visited Kerala, he made it a point to visit Beypore and Thakazhi to meet the family members of his favourite authors. In an interview in London, Asher recounted his first meeting with Basheer. "I shared biryani with Basheer and it was really fun. We had some very relaxed conversations, which were also very informal. He was a good conversationalist. It was like reading a story, sharing his anecdotes in a very interesting way. I conversed with him in English but I could understand Malayalam".

Professor Asher never missed an opportunity to visit Kerala. When the Basheer Trust informed him about his winning the Basheer Award in 2010, he beamed like a child. "I couldn't quite believe it when they send me the email. I looked up at the Basheer Trust's website for the previous award winners. I just couldn't believe that I belong to that great group of artists, writers and sculptors", he had quipped.

"Thakazhi was a different personality altogether, who gave quite a different introduction to the literary world with his writings. It was a really good experience meeting these two writers. I got very close to both of them. It somehow makes the stories more real".

- Cynthia Chandran in the NIE.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 9. Washing machinex of bed linen. The interim maid, Aswathy does her work well and volunteers to take on additional ones without being prompted.

A quiet, relaxed day. .   

Back at The Quarterdeck.

The day had the texture of the last four days. Last night, had hit the sack much after midnight, as I'd quite a few pending work.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 8. Packing was completed and we left the hotel by a 20' past 9 for Thodupuzha, which was just 20 kms away. Enroute, we'd breakfast and reached the venue of the meeting well in time. Met all the participants and the organisers. 

The meeting began at a quarter past 11 and we wound up at a half past 1. Aniyan had fetched up from Kidangoor quite early in the morning. So, we were three from the family.

The crowd was enthusiastic and the josh was all pervading. From the interest shown by the participants it was evident that the district will put up a good show! 

Had a quick lunch and I'd caught an auto rickshaw to get across to the KSRTC bus stand. Boarded a bus for Ernakulam and from there to Guruvayur. The driver, Xavier, drove really well and wasn't he thrilled when I told him that his driving was good, towards the end of the journey.

Reached home by a quarter to 8 and joined Lekha in snacking and dinner, after a good wash and change. 

Tailpiece.

The outing that had begun at the unearthly hour of 3, on the 7th, finally came to an end this evening. Finished the final district of Idukki.

At Moovattupuzha.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready well in time. Today's program was scheduled later than usual and hence, had a lot of time to get ready. Had breakfast at the Hotel Alagapuri, nearby and reached the Touring Book Stall (TBS) conference hall well in time. The meeting started at 11 and was well attended, with many from the audience putting questions across to our technical team. 

On completion, we'd gone across to all on Mrs Marar, whose husband was an ardent admirer of my Muthachhan to share her grievance at the recent passing away of her husband.

Advocate Rajan - our district co-ordinator - and we'd lunch together, again at the Alagapuri hotel before we cast off for Thodupuzha. Before setting course, I'd set our site on the net right with the new inputs. 

Had tea and snack enroute and we retraced our trail via Kunnamkulam, Thrissur. Had our supper at Angamali at a quarter past 9.

Reached Moovattupuzha by 10. Stayed at the VS Residency for the night.

Tailpiece.

A good coverage of our activities at Malappuram, yesterday by the press today. By today's work, we'd covered Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod and Wayanad districts.

At Kozhikode.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 7. Reached Guruvayur temple at about 5' to 8, but missed the special darshan time as the door of the sanctum sanctorum was closed for the 'pantheeradi puja'. So, we'd gone outside the inner space, bought diaries for our staff of the Foundation, photographs of the good Lord and we also had a cup of tea.

Meanwhile, there was a massive power breakdown thanks to the mishandling of the geyser in the bathroom of Mom's bedroom. Bijeesh has been told about it and he'll come later to set it right, he'd said.

By a quarter past 9, we're back in the innards of the temple for the 'darshan' and it was a good one. Lekha and the maid's breakfast was really late as we returned by a quarter past10. After putting in the clothes and personal effects into the suitcase, it along with the laptop, was put into the car and we were off to Malappuram town and boy, what a charge it was to be on time for the press conference at the Prashanth Auditorium!

Jaffar, our co-ordinator of the district, had given us lunch and took us to the conference hall on the top floor. The district collector, Prem Kumar, came in a trifle late and gave a good speech covering the program. The interaction with the women of Malappuram always gives me a high for their interest and spontaneity in doing things.

The scheme was explained by our technical team.

After the completion of the program, we set course for Kozhikode where we spend the night. Our place of stay is at the Sikshak Sadan, a government enterprise but sadly, badly managed! A comparatively early evening.

Tailpiece.

An interesting day. Covered the districts of Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram. 

Remembering Dad!

Had got up at a half past 3 and gone through my chores. Maman had ascertained as to whether I'd got up at a half past 3 as I'd asked him to, last night before going to sleep.

Manu, our sa'arthi, came late at a 20' past 5 and upset our original plans. So, I could join up only with the second batch of 'bali tharpanam' offering crowd. So, Maman and I'd quickly reviewed the situation and he, along with the car, left for Kottayam without much ado. The offering of the 'bali tharpanam' began at 7 and by the time it was all over, it was around 8.

It was another occasion to introspect about dad as today is dad's 11th Remembrance Day. The backdrop of Thiruvallam made it only more intense! After finishing with the entire event, I'd left for boarding the road transport corporation's bus to the East Fort and then caught an auto rickshaw to the bus stand at Thampanoor. 

After a nice breakfast of idiappams and peas curry, washed down with coffee, I'd boarded a Fast Passenger bus to Kottayam and reached there around a quarter past 12. Joined Maman, Aniyan and the others at the Kottayam Public Library. After a bit of a pow wow, we'd lunch at the Indian Coffee House. 

Prof Devassya of the Sree Sankara College travelled with us till Angamali, where we'd a cup of coffee before going our separate ways. We set shape for Malappuram and as we reached Pattambi, it was decided that we'd spend the evening at The Quarterdeck, with Lekha. So, we did just that.

So, Maman, Bijumon sir, Mahesh and Manu were our guests, who'd brought in the dinner. I was back home much earlier than predicted.

The newcomers thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Tailpiece.

We hit the sack as usual. Covered the districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam.

At Thiruvananthapuram.

Got up at a quarter to 1, went about my chores and was ready by a half past 2. Called up Sajeesh and he'd called up at our gate by a quarter to 3. Went off to the railway station and was well on time for boarding the Intercity Express. Had to call up Paulson to ascertain my seat in the chair car and it was, C1 Seat no.1. And I recited my prayers during the train's transit from Guruvayur to Thrissur.

Earlier, Kittu was at the door apprehensive about both of us leaving all over again. Saw that look of relief on his face when he realised that only I was going. He, then, disappeared into the darkness.

The lady on seat no.2 and my neighbour was Priya Suraj, the TTE. A lively, young lady who had interacted with me and told me her story. She was an athlete-par-excellence and had run for India in the 4x100 mts relay, during the last Commonwealth and Asian Games. In fact, she has got into the Indian Railways on the sports quota.

She has promised to stay in touch and we exchanged our cellphone numbers. During that short period, she had shown that she was disarmingly simple in outlook and an uncomplicated young girl! May god bless her in all her endeavours.

Reached the Foundation by a quarter past 10 and after saying my hellos to one and all, had joined up with everyone at the Conference Hall on top. The meeting on the Digital Literacy program explained to all the stakeholders as to what we were going to do for the next three months.

Lunch was at the Rest house canteen. Returned to the Foundation and participated in 602nd episode of Aazhhakkoottam. The chief guest was former DGP, Mr PJ Alexander, IPS. It was a nice interaction. 

Went to the nearby Sastha kshetram and had a good darshan. Wound up from there by a half past 8 and reached home soon after. Interacted with Ammayi and subsequently, it was a comparatively early evening.  

Tailpiece.

Covered the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta.  

Limbering up!

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready for Sajeesh, the hair stylist who fetched up at a half past 7. My good morning messages went off subsequently.

Put the soiled clothes into the washing machine.

Was ready by a quarter past 10, a nice breakfast of idlis and tomato chutney began the day well. Off to the town for the following :-

   * SBI, to give instructions for the nefts.

   * ICICI to clear glitches of  our credit cards and add-on card. 

   * National Supermarket to pay the bill and pick up sundries.

Wound up the washing machinex.

The ICICI branch manager had dropped by. He's on transfer to a branch at Thriprayar. Will miss him and he got me to open a new account. Paying up the credit card bills will now be easy.

The Chevy was washed down with Lekha's help.

Packed for my trip for the Foundation's work. Paulson got me the reservation in tomorrow's Intercity Express.

Tailpiece.

It leaves Guruvayur by 0325 hrs!  

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Got up at 5, Rema had prepared tea and we went about our chores with gusto but by the time we were ready, it was a half past 8. And by the time I'd rearranged the luggage in the boot and cast off for Mallan's Clinic, it was about a quarter to 9! Padmakumar showed us the way onto the main road, as usual.

Reached the dental clinic by a few minutes to 10. Had wait for about half an hour for the doctor to take on Lekha's problem. It took another 45' for her dental furniture to be corrected. He gave us the usual tips and we're supposed to meet him during the first week of April, next.

We, then, went across to Panampilli Nagar to park our vehicle, catch an auto rickshaw to go to the Titan showroom at Broadway. Lineesh was there and we were given our gift, in an elegantly packed paper box! And after that, we'd our favourite lunch of fried rice and Gobhi Manchurian.

A break at the IOC petrol bunk at Sahodaran Ayyappan Road to take in fuel and check tyre pressure. And then we sped off to Guruvayur, had tea and snack short of Kunnamkulam and collected our fruit basket from a wayside shop. Mithun of the National Supermarket was given the list of groceries which was brought in, soon after.

Went about opening up The Quarterdeck systematically while Lekha went about unpacking the luggage.

Kittu's entire family had come by for food which Lekha had prepared and given.

A quiet evening, thereafter.

Tailpiece.

Had logged a total distance of 932.1 kms during this trip.. 

To Thrippunithura via Manarcaud!

We'd got up at 5, thanks to Lekha's cellphone. Lit up the lamp in the puja muri, switched on the music and went about our chores. Was delayed by about a half an hour and we could leave for Pidavoor only by about a few minutes to 8. Rema and Padmakumar were ready and after wishing Ramachandrettan and Aji a happy new year, we left for Sarala kunjamma's house without much ado.

Vidya gave us the coordinates of her house and after a light yet tasty breakfast at the Padma Cafe in Adoor. Ambili, the server did a good job as she went about serving us our food with pleasantness all round. And by about a half past 9, we'd shaped course for Sarala kunjamma's house.

And we reached there by a half past 11. Passed through a kaleidoscope of emotions on seeing Sarala kunjamma after what has been a long while. She was cheerful, talkative and seemed to be very, very happy seeing us. In fact, she did say that she liked me the most in the family. It was nice to hear that.

A cup of coffee, followed by a scrumptious lunch - these were thanks to the energetic efforts of Vrinda and Vidya of preparing them to entertain us! I'd purposely given them no time by announcing our visit only around 10, this morning, to understand the exact route to their house!

We were there for over three hours and they were the happiest times in recent days.

We left Sarala kunjamma's house by a quarter to 3. The drive was uneventful and we reached Rema's place at Sidhi Kedar after a tea and snack at Udupi Mummies Restaurant.

God, please take care of my Sarala kunjamma and keep her in good health for many more years!

Missed the smiling face of the security man, Ganesh who had passed into the mist of time a couple of days ago, thanks to a massive heart attack. He was cremated yesterday in the presence of a few of his relatives working at Kakkanad.

Tailpiece.

Adieu Ganesh! Can never forget your pleasant countenance. May your family have the strength to tide over these difficult times. Om Shanti! Sadgati.    

Hot springs of Manikaran (2).

.....contd.

Lord Sri Rama's temple was constructed by Raja Jagat Singh in the 17th century. It is at an altitude of 1,756 mts and is located about 35 kms from Kullu. And an episode in the Ramayana has it that Lord Sri Rama used to frequently travel to Manikaran to worship Lord Shiva. The stories of god coming to Manikaran for offering prayers makes it a lot more of a spiritual experience. It is claimed that even before 1905, these hot water springs sprang with full force making a 11 to 14 feet high fountain. The temperature of different springs at Manikaran is 64 to 80 degrees Celsius. There is no Sulphur in these springs.

An earthquake in 1905 damaged and 'slightly tilted' the much-revered Lord Shiva temple. According to the Sikhs, during the third Udasi, the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak came to this place on 15 Asu 1574 Bikrami, with his disciple Bhai Mardana. 

Mardana felt hungry and they had no food. Guru Nanak sent Mandana to collect food for the langar (the community kitchen). Many people donated atta (flour) to make roti (bread). The one problem was that there was no fire to cook the food.

Guru Nanak asked Mandana to lift a stone and he complied and a hot spring appeared. As directed by Guru Nanak, Mandana put the rolled chapatis in the spring to his despair the chapatis sank. Guru Nanak then told him to pray to God saying that if his chapatis floated back, then he would donate one chapati in His name. When he prayed all the chapatis started floating, duly baked. Guru Nanak said that anyone who  donates in the name of God will have his drowned items float back.

The sacredness of the Gurudwara is so much that pilgrims consider that there is no need to visit the other spiritual places in India, after visiting this holy place.

Not just an esteemed place for the Sikhs, Manikaran carries much significance for the Hindus too. In the environment of the famed Gurudwara, three hot water springs, which are essentially used as sacred bathing ghats. One of them is found under the Manikaran Gurudwara and the other two adjacent to it. 

The scrumptious langar comprises of authentic style North Indian thali of white rice, rotis, kadhi and aloo sabzi. The aroma of the food surrounds the langar.

The local inhabitants use the hot spring waters to cook most of their meals by dipping it in the bubbling waters. True it leaves a mark behind on the utensils but who cares if the fuel bill is misused and is a great savings.

Like the gorges, the hot springs are also considered holy and many people visit Manikiran to take a dip and get salvation from their sins. A bath here for beyond 10 minutes is not highly recommended due to its elemental properties. The body might not be able to accommodate the change in water immediately.

- Marcellus D'Souza

..concluded.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, lit the lamp in the puja room, opened up the house, put on the music. The chores and was ready by a quarter past 9.

A quiet Tuesday as we slowly started winding up our activities out here for an early morning move, tomorrow.

 

Hot springs of Manikaran (1)

While the north of India as well as Bombay freezes fighting the cold weather, 80 kms from Manali, is the hot spring of Manikaran. Nestling among sylvan surroundings in Parbati valley, Manikaran is famous for its hot springs. Manikaran at an altitude of 1,829 mts and 40 kms from Kullu has the finest hot water springs. The word Manikaran (in Hindi) comprises two words - 'mani' (gem) and 'karn' (ear). So, it means a gem that is worn in the ear-ring.

Located in the Parbati valley amid the Parbati river, this little town is quite famous and a common halting point. The place of worship welcomes you through a bridge right across the hot spring. The fluttering of the colourful flags hung from the Gurudwara and the prayer hants ehoing from within is an unforgettable spiritual experience.

Manikaran is a pilgrimage centre for Hindus and Sikhs. Hindus believe that Manu recreated human life in Manikaran after the flood, making it a sacred area. It has many temples. The temples are dedicated to Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu. According to legend, when Lord Shiva and his consort, Parvati were walking in the valley, Parvati dropped one of her ear rings. The jewel was seized by Shesha, the serpent  who, then, disappeared into the earth with it. Shesha only surrendered the jewel when Shiva performed the cosmic dance, the Tandava and shot the jewel up through the water.

Apparently, jewels continued to be thrown up in the waters of Manikaran until the Kangra earthquake of 1905.

The name Manikaran is derived from this legend. Its importance is also judged from the fact that the devas of Kullu valley pay regular visits to this place on specific dates.

Carved out of stone is the iconic Shiva sculpture at the mandir in Manikaran. The steam rising from the hot springs creates a clouded view of the structure, which gives a very mystical vibe to it.

........to be continued.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, lit the lamp in the puja room, the house was opened up and the music was switched on. The chores and was ready by a quarter past 9.

A quiet Monday. The schools had reopened after the Christmas holidays.

The evening chores.

On a spiritual tack!

The first day of the new year and this is how it went off unstructured, unplanned!

Got up at a trifle before 6. Lit the lamp in the puja room, opened up the house and put on the music. The chores and I was ready by a quarter past 9.

Earlier, had wished Cdr Banjo 'many happy returns'. Gavvy and his family are around with them on holidays. So, things are hectic for them.

The caretaker had come by to remind us about being at the temple by a half past 6, this evening and had confirmed that he'd be getting us lunch. Things went off as usual and Padmakumar and Rema had fetched up by 1. Lunch was already on the table courtesy, the caretaker. 

With Rema and Padmakumar around, the lunch table had got noisy and boisterous.

It was then time for a short siesta.

After a light tea and snacks, had washed up and driven across to the nearby 'Thrikkonnamarkodu' Devi temple in the neighbourhood. Had a nice 'darshan' and did enjoy the fixtures of the renovated temple. Took a few snaps too.

We, then, headed for the Kusappilli temple for the evening's puja and the other proceedings. Met my cousin, the 77-year-old Sadasivan chettan whose birthday it was, today! Spoke to quite a few people whom I knew. I was standing in for another - in organising today's event at the temple.

The evening 'aarathi' was nicely done and the offering was great. Had sat down to enjoy the offering and on completion, kicked off for Pidavoor to drop Rema and Padmakumar.

It was a quiet evening thereafter.

Tailpiece.

Had hit the sack after a half past 12, last night. 

It was a quiet Sunday.