The Immortals of Meluha

A title that was rejected by plenty of publishing companies until one finally accepted the story and published it. This book, within a week of its release, was the buzz word you could hear everywhere around you if you are surrounded by book-lovers. This book, released in February 2010, became an instant hit, selling over 125000 copies, and the demand for the book was so huge that it had to be reprinted several times to keep up with the demand. It became one of the best selling novels of 2010.

I kept away from this book, till a week ago, when I decided to read the book. I tend to not read Hindu mythology in a language other than Tamil, and I was of the opinion that this is a mythological book until I read a small piece of it at Landmark. Misled by the cover picture, I thought it was some sort of religious remake of existing Hindu mythology.

I order this book online (Flipkart) along with its successor, The Secret of the Nagas. I read the complete book in less than a day. The book is about – What if Lord Shiva was not a figment of rich imagination, but a person of flesh and blood – a man who was raised to become godlike because of his karma.

These lines attracted me further. An interesting plot. The novel revolves around the protagonist Shiva, who is a Tibetan immigrant to the land of Meluha, a perfect ancient India as Amish has described, how he pursues Sati (Parvati) with all his deepest love, and how his karma recasts him as our Mahadev, God of Gods.

For those who think this is only for Hindus, you are wrong. It has nothing to do with Hinduism. It has all the perfect society that could be imagined to exist 4000 years ago, a period where this novel is set.

If this book is plainly read, it is yet another novel, with a different plot, blending myth and history, with volumes of fabulous imagination. Amish has blended all the important characters of our Hindu mythology with vibrant imagination, and has cast a beautiful narrative out of it. Plainly read, the narrative is quite predictable. At least, I felt that way. I loved some of the explanations given for the society that Amish has created. The Maika system, Somras, Vikarma etc. are to be really appreciated.

If you look deeper into what this book tells us, a whole lot of philosophy is hidden within a wonderful story line. 

a.   We, as individuals should be judged only by our karma, not by caste, religion, region, etc.

b.   What is evil? – Something that is different from your world of ideas
are some of them.

Talking about the author, Amish Tripathi is an MBA turned writer, and is now writing the third book in the Shiva Trilogy, The Oath of the Vayuputras. Though the story line is simple, his imagination and the blending of characters into it, and infusing his philosophical ideas into it is worth appreciating. Another aspect I loved when I checked out this book at Flipkart was the video trailer for this book. It is definitely a cool way of attracting even non-readers out there.

I have the second part of the Trilogy in hand. Let's see what this creative author has to say about the Nagas.

Walking down the memory lane!

Today, I am seated comfortably in the Chennai facility of Logica, quite comfortable with the environment and work life! As I think of what I was three years ago, this day, I was just-out-of-college, waiting to face the world with all delight. And I sat at the reception area in Bangalore office, not knowing what the world of IT has in store for me, waiting for my turn of interview.

Yes! It was this day, in the year 2008, that I took my interview with Logica, as a fresh graduate. Filled with a mind full of expectations and excitement, I saw many other eager faces waiting to clear interviews and be part of 'One Logica' who were 'Releasing their potential', like the old brand of Logica said. Now I am a proud member of the big team 'One Logica' and we are being 'brilliant together'.

And I am also happy to see that quite a good number of people who got selected along with me are still with Logica. People have come and gone. But the goodness I find with that specific team is something that is beyond expression. I started off as a silent employee, who broke off the cocoon to see the opportunities that lay in front of me.

All through my journey of three years, I have experienced everything that I came across, without turning back. Be it the internal project (guruLib), or Schenker, or CQ5, and not to forget Syntillations, it is a world full of fun and opportunity. Of all my experiences, I would rate Syntillations the best of all, for I got to know a variety of logibods from different departments, and taught me what really 'One Logica' is. This is a fantastic people club that exists purely for the benefit of logibods, to have fun @ workplace along with seriousness.

I did have my bad times, when I was unassigned to projects, and had to fight my best to get myself 'billable'. I did have my other bad times with unexpected rating all the time, but everything taught me how to handle situations. I have learnt lots in my life, in all these three years of my life @ logica.!

Thanks to Logica! :) 

The Tipping Point - A Review (Part I )

We are all fascinated by changing trends. Something which was never famous a few ago, has become commonplace, and is being the trend today. A previously unwanted item will suddenly gain attention that is explicable.

Take the rise of mobile phones. Just a decade ago, it was something very very expensive for a basic model, and incoming and outgoing calls were charged at sky high prices.. Over the last two years, we see a significant change in people using the mobile phone. Anyone from a daily wage laborer to big business magnets, we have a cell phone. And no ordinary features are actually left out while we go for a cheaper phone. This happened all of a sudden. I was doing my Class 11 when my dad got a mobile phone, which was considered a luxury at that point of time. And today, each person holds a mobile phone, and make use of it to the fullest..

We have seen same kinds of businesses grow up or decline. Here in this book, Malcolm discusses what / who brings change in the society, so that something that was unnoticed, suddenly became so recognized.

This book is lively and engages the study of several ideas as above, wherein there was a tipping point for shooting up of that particular business or whatsoever. He suggests there are some people in the society capable of achieving this.. As I am writing this, I am only halfway through the book, but this has influenced me enough to start writing about this book.

I will describe in short and crisp terms what this book is about in the future posts. Till then, let me get back to more of the 'tipping point'.

Think Green!

We have been hearing and seeing quite a lot happening to make the world a greener and a happier place to live in.

Everyday, we see people campaigning some way or the other trying to spread the news that the green is precious. I was traveling to Adyar, a few days back. Have you ever noticed that the road in which CLRI, Anna University and IIT Madras, and Cancer Research Insitute, Guindy National Park are located is way cooler than the other roads ? Had you been into the 'greenery at its best' types campus of IIT Madras, where they have tried to preserve nature, you will realize what trees do to mankind, and the earth!

You get into IIT Madras from the dusty and polluted roads, you are in to experience gentle breeze and fresh air, with the beautiful deers and blackbucks adding a treat to the eyes! The greenery at IIT Madras campus makes it a much better place to live in inside the city of Chennai than any other. To get to the point, we experience cool weather and gentle breeze amidst the hot and humid weather if we are surrounded by trees. So why destroy them!!! Its like destroying the natural goodness!

Neyveli is another example! I am proud of living in this yet another green place. This place, where just the employees to NLC Ltd. get to live in their corporation allotted flats, is a serene and green place, neat and clean. The entire credit goes to the people and the administration that goes on in maintaining and developing the living area. Mining means deforestation! Ain't it!? Yes, but the administration makes sure they plant saplings in all the areas that has been mined post mining, to ensure that the greenery is intact. They have been growing more than 18 million trees in the township, mining and reclaimed areas to safeguard the ecological balance of the region.

And there is something to add to this. The township is a place wherein at least 18000 employees (executives, non-executives and labors) working with NLC Ltd. And these people live in the township residences allotted to them by the corporation. Every shop at this township uses recyclable paper bags. Not one shop around here supplies plastic covers as is seen in the other places. And you want a food parcel to your house, take a lunch box and get it packed. Thats how it works here and the employees and their families have been so supportive of this cool idea because it concerns Green Earth. Besides, Neyveli has always been a greener and a cooler place to live in, with clean drinking water and clean air to breathe. I am posting a picture of the aerial view of the living area and the mining area, of NLC Ltd. 

Aerial View of the residential area at Neyveli! Green and blue! Yes! Buildings do exist! :)

The bucket wheel excavator at the Mining Area in NLC Ltd

I was skimming through the newspaper today, where I read about Vikram and his idea of 'Pasumai Puratchi' (tamil - translates to 'Green Revolution'). To those who don't know this man, he is one of the top actors in the Tamil Film Industry and a heartthrob of plenty of girls out there. There is a huge fan following for this guy. He took an initiative of planting saplings at the YMCA facility at Kottivakkam. This is one example of an individual taking efforts to do something to the society thereby making it a greener place to live in. He took to his advantage, the fact that his fans follow him, and transformed this into something good for the environment. Does this strike a cord?! Read the article published today, in 'The Hindu'.

And another detail that stuck me as I was walking through the ever-crowded streets of T.Nagar. While I always wonder, what is with people and all the shopping stuff at this place, what caught my attention yesterday were those saplings that were distributed for anything you buy from the shop 'Pothys'. An excellent initiative, to motivate the common man to plant more trees. Yesterday, I was there shopping and when my dad produced the bill at the counter, wow, we got two beautiful saplings. And it felt so happy to come back home with green saplings where you went buying clothes. T Nagar being a heavily crowded area, the amount of people who come to shop are huge and therefore the impact that this 'Gift Sapling' can do to individuals in huge.

Likewise last year, when we, Logica were the title sponsors of the event 'Stars of Chennai' conducted by Plus Dreammakers, they were environment-friendly enough to present each of the chief guests with a sapling as a memento.

And my almamater, BITS Pilani Goa campus, made sure each of us planted a sapling in the fresh college, and took care of our plant, as they grew. It has our name boards beside the saplings were planted. This has been happening every year. Man! Something to be appreciated!

Yes, we do see enormous efforts put in everywhere to bring awareness in the common man as well as make changes to move towards a greener environment. But I still see the use of plastics, and non-recyclable stuff being used by people around me so casually. If so many people take so much efforts to make the world a better place to live in, why does not every individual make some effort himself?! Are we not responsible for the society?!

A humble request to everyone reading this post patiently for this long a time: Please make sure you use our available natural resources carefully. Always at any moment, ensure that you are doing something to ensure a greener future. Keep in mind "Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money". Lets join hands to save the earth! Lets do our bit to make the world a better place to live in.

Life..

Got it from a friend's album on facebook..

The T.V Series

I type this post listening to one of my favorite compositions from the tamil movie 'Angadi Theru'. I have been filling my blog at The MBA Odyssey, that I forgot to actually write a couple of posts on this blog.

It is amazing how we get so involved in many activities so as to forget some other activities. And something that I have got addicted to these days is F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

God knows how I am going to control my urge to watch this tv series nonstop. I wished they had more seasons.. It is so compelling to stop with just one episode. I have watched each episode so much that I remember the lines. I wonder what an amazing experience it would have been for the team to have been working on it for so long. I find it exciting when I see those young faces turn old with the seasons. Ten seasons would have been so much of their acting career, and I am sure these guys would have had awesome fun through the course of those ten years. Monica and Chandler and Phoebe (that's a funny noise, yes, as Rachel's sister exclaims!) and Ross and Rachel. Emma and Ben are other attractions in the episodes, not to miss Janicee (O...M...G..! ) and Mikee...

I can keep going on and on this amazing series. Another interesting action filled series is Prison Break. Who can forget this wonder sitcom by Paul Scheuring, with Michael Scofield..! Michael and Lincoln are awesome siblings I should say. I learnt the importance of really applying engineering to practice, in this series, with the brilliance portrayed through Wentworth Miller. If Friends is a sitcom, where just 5 people can make it wonderful, Prison Break is something that has been made magnificent with every episode ending with a compelling note to watch the next. I missed Season 4 because I lost touch with the previous episodes. I am hunting for the full set of episodes, so I can watch them all over again.!

I wordle'd my blog..

These are the words that are most used in my blog.. Isnt that exciting???
Thanks to Wordle...