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. 

Why were the recent Chinese intrusions across the LAC carried out?

The PLA had intruded into Indian territory to collect Cordyceps fungus : a report.

Numerous attempts of Chinese intrusion into Indian territory were to collect Cordyceps - an expensive herbal drug in China, Indo-Pacific Centre for Strategic Communications (IPCSC) said on 25 Dec.

Chinese soldiers have been accused of illegally entering Arunachal Pradesh in search of the fungus or the Himalayan Gold. Cordyceps is claimed to be costlier than gold in China.

Mainly found in the Indian Himalayas and at higher altitudes of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in southwestern China. Cordyceps has been valued at $1,072.50 million globally in 2022. China is the largest producer as well as exporter of Cordyceps.

In the last two years, the Cordyceps harvest has waned in Qinghai, the largest producing region in China as the fungus grew scarce. At the same time, demand for the highly prized Cordyceps has increased  sharply in the last decade as an emerging Chinese middle class seeks it to cure everything from kidney disorders to impotence, despite a lack of scientific evidence", according to IPCSC.

High demand and limited resources have led to the fungus' overharvesting, experts say.

'Output fell to 41,200 kg in 2018 from 43,500 kg a year earlier, a 5.2% slump, revealed data from the bureau. That's fraction of the 150,000 kg reported by provincial media for 2010 and 2011', according to the IPCSC.

In recent years, Chinese Cordyceps companies in Qinghai have been paying the locals millions of yuans to block off entire mountains for Cordyceps harvesting.

Surveys show that the annual Cordyceps harvest has declined. This according to the collectors, can be attributed to overharvesting.

"Some towns in the Himalayas rely on collecting and selling this fungus for a living. In fact, experts say that up to 80% of household income in the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas can come from selling caterpillar fungus", according to IPCSC.

Courtesy. The Mint.

My take

Hope it isn't fake news! A bit difficult to digest!!

Tailpiece.

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

Handed over 4 grand to the caretaker for the temple's special activities tomorrow.

Wrote out my mail for the selective audience and there were many responses; Anitha's was the best!

Watched the new year's program on Mazhavil Manorama.    

Ratan Tata..........In his own words (2).

.........contd.

"All in all, it was a big move. I remember after I was appointed Chairman, I walked with JRD to his office, where he told his secretary that he had to move out. I said, 'No, J, don't move out, this is your office for as long as you want'. He said, 'Where will you sit? I said, 'Where I'm sitting today - I have an office down the hall and that's fine'.

I was lucky to have him there. He was my greatest mentor and the years that he was alive, I used to go into his office and say, 'J, I wish this had happened 10 years ago, we have such a great relationship'. He was like a father and a brother to me and not enough has been said about that.

Ever since, my life has been for and about growing the company. When I was appointed Chairman, it was believed my surname got me the position but my focus was on creating something bigger than us all and on giving back, which has been in the TATA DNA since the start. With Jamshedpur for instance, while our workers were thriving, the surrounding villages were suffering. It became our goal to uplift their quality of life as well......things like these came naturally to us.

Even with the Nano - I remember seeing a family of 4 on a bike in the heavy Bombay rain - I wanted to do more for these families who were risking their lives for lack of an alternative. By the time we launched the Nano, our costs were higher but I'd made a promise and we delivered. Looking back, I'm proud of the ar and the decision to go ahead with it.  

That's what my life has been about - work became a lifestyle. I was always at Bombay House or travelling, that's why even though I came close to marriage with 2-3 different partners, I ouldn't go through with it because they'd have to adjust to my lifestyle and that didn't sit right with me.

Now that I'm retired, that lifestyle has changed again. People ask if I'm truly 'retired' and to that I say - there's no doubt about it. I'm enjoying the separation from the company - I don't look at newspapers and worry about the bad stuff anymore.

But let me tell you, retirement isn't about playing golf or reading on a beach whilst sipping on a coctail. In fat, never before has the urge to do more, been greater. From affordable aner treatment, to making the lives in rural India easier - I'm looking forward to making it happen at the Tata Trust. I'm trying to enjoy myself to be honest - I'm spending time with friends - old and new, across age groups, who I'm constantly learning from.

At 82, I'm still learning, so when you ask me to give advice, I feel like the 'right advice' changes over a period of time - but the one thing that remains unchanged is the desire to do the right thing.  

So I'll say this - leave the advice and do the right thing, even if it isn't the easiest thing to do. When you look back at your life, that's what's going to matter the most. Doing the right thing".

........concluded.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, lit the lamp at the puja room, opened up the house, put on the music. The chores and had breakfast before bath.

Washed down all the soiled clothes and completed my usual work.

Elsie, mom's friend from the LIC had dropped by to look us up. Damn sweet of her!

A quiet evening! 

   

Ratan Tata........In his own words (1).

Quite an interesting life story!

"I had a happy childhood but as my brother and I got older, we faced ragging because of our parents' divorce which in those days wasn't as common. My grand mom brought us up. 

Soon after, when my mother remarried, the boys at school started saying all kinds about us but our grandmother taught us to regain dignity at all costs, a value that's always stayed with me. It involved walking away from these situations instead of fighting back.

And if it weren't for grand mom, I wouldn't be half the person I am today.

"My father and I couldn't agree on the same thing - I wanted to go to a college in the US, he insisted, he insisted on UK. I wanted to be an architect, he insisted on me becoming an engineer. If it weren't for my grandmother, I wouldn't have ended up at the Cornell University in the US. It was because of her that even though I enrolled for mechanical engineering, I switched majors and graduated with a degree in architecture. My father was upset but I was finally my own, independent person in college and it was my grandmother who taught me that courage to speak up can also be soft.

After college, I landed a job at an architecture firm in LA, where I worked for 2 years. It was a great time - the weather was beautiful and I loved my job. It was in LA that I fell in love and almost got married. But at the same I'd made the decision to move back, at least temporarily, since grand mom wasn't keeping too well. So I came back to visit her and thought that the person I wanted to marry would come to India with me but because of the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict her parents weren't okay with her making the move anymore and the relationship fell apart.

After the move, I did spend some time with my grand mom. I'd run with my dog, catch up with her and we'd have long chats. I'm glad I got that time with her before she passed because right after I moved to Jamshedpur for an internship at what's known as Tata Motors now.

It was a waste of time - I was moved from one department to another and sine I was a family member, no one told me what to do - I spent 6 months trying to be 'useful'.

It was only after I moved to Tata Steel that I got specific work and my job got interesting.  I started from the floor and understood the plight of those working there. So years later, when we downsized Tata Steel from 78,000 to 40,000, we ensured to pay them their present day wages until retirement - it's been in our DNA to serve those who serve us.

Then, in 1991, JRD stepped down as the Chairman of Tata Industries and then from Tata Sons, there was vicious criticism. There were other aspirants, who were vocal of him having made the wrong decision. I had been through this before, so I did what I knew best - maintained silence and focused on proving myself. The criticism was personal - JRD got clubbed with nepotism and I, as the wrong choice. I was under scrutiny but the time I spent on the floor served as a big plus - I hadn't gotten there from nowhere.

.......to be continued.

Tailpiece.

We kept up our conversation till a quarter past 1 and then hit the sack. 

Got up at 6 and sent off the morning messages and turned off to catch up on some more sleep. Got up around a quarter to 8, the chores and cleaned up the Chevy.

Breakfast at 9, conversations galore and Ammu had helped me with pending work on the laptop.

We left Mini's by about a half past 2, dropped Padmakumar-Rema at Pidavoor and returned to Raj Nivas. Siesta.

The evening chores.