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...

Anger..

I was riding to the office today morning, and happened to wait at the signal. There was strange and harsh sound of a person shouting at another person.

It was a father with his daughter (around 2 years old) in his shoulders, shouting at an auto-driver. The issue was that the auto driver rebuked the father for some random reason at the signal. This is an everyday issue with the auto drivers, who think they know the best driving and traffic rules ( I assume it to be so..)..

What I was more concerned is the kind of reaction I saw from the father, who appeared to be a decent professional. He used rude words and went down to the level of an illiterate in uttering words. All offensive statements like 'I will put you in jail for talking to me like this.. I am driving slowly with my daughter.. And dare you shout at me..' , 'You are playing with me without knowing my power; I ll hand over you to the police.. I will convict all your family members and put them to jail..'

I was dumbstruck at the way the new father reacted to just one or two words that the autowala uttered maybe purely because of some kind of bad mood. It happens with most of us in life. When we are angry, we tend to show our anger on others. But there is a limit to everything. The way the father shouted at the autowala was totally meaningless. Why will a man get so angry and utter totally unecessary words?! Is he not literate enough to understand that he is educated and the prime purpose of education is to make you a man with sense, and throw away anything that is nonsense.

And what is the moral he is teaching to his young daughter who is just beginning to see the world?! He must have sure instilled this in the fresh mind of his daughter. Is this what the new generation is going to be taught? Is this what we want our future generations to learn and be like?!

Lets think !

Women 2011

"A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture, and transform. A woman knows that nothing can come to fruition without light. Let us call upon woman's voice and woman's heart to guide us in this age of planetary transformation." ~ Diane Mariechild

Well, I just witnessed the celebration of the 100th year of International Women's day last week.! And this year, it was different from the norm. There was a small celebration arranged in office, with all the women being greeted with a rose, and a gift in the morning. As I was reflecting on the success of the event, after a big time failure of V-Day event in the office, I was also a little surprised, as to why this celebration happened at all. There is of course an International Men's day, but most of the men out there don't even know such a day exists. Why this hype for women?!

It is obvious. After a baffling struggle to obtain our space in a male-dominated society, we can only feel satisfied at having succeeding in making men understand that we are no way less competent than they are, in ANY field. We have just crossed a major barrier; we still have a long way to go.! There is nothing to feel happy about for celebrating Women's day in such a strong sense, where end of the day, all that a woman gets is a pack of chocolates and gifts and fluffy dolls. Should women remain happy just feeling happy about what great women of the past achieved?! Dont we have the responsibility to succeed and prove our capacity until there is no necessity to encourage women to participate, but women are always part and parcel of everything that can happen in the world!

To be frank, I felt that women have achieved what they wanted in their life, seeing the celebration yesterday. But quickly did I also realize that the struggle that women took to reach this day, was longer than anyone could possibly imagine. This millenium has witnessed a significant change and an attitudinal shift in the thoughts of every woman and the society in itself, about women's equality with men and their emancipation. My point here is we have just started and we still have a long way to go.

Consider the women reservation percentage in India. This is primarily given for the reasons like:

• Encouraging more women to participate in politics and society.
• An attempt to bring down the rate of female foeticide, infanticide, and issues related to women' health. Sex ratio in India is an alarming 1.06 men for every woman.
• Bringing those women who are still in the dark about emancipation to light and life..

I bet most of us have listened to Ms.Sunitha Krishnan's speech at TedXClassroom Project. She is one example of hundreds and thousands of women out there who are fighting to establish the rights of women. She herself being a victim of rape in her teenage, has dedicated herself to rescuing those numerous children who are suffering because of the sex industry and she is keen on spreading awareness about the issue, and changing the mindset of people who treat women as slaves. The speech she gave was more than a motivation for many people around us. But still, we are bound by our family to keep away from people who have become victims. Such is the society today. This is one example enough to prove that women still have a long way to go in establishing their rights.

We see women these days, working at their office, taking care of their household, taking care of the kids and family and still trying to maintain the same calm she always had. Isn't this proof enough to understand that women can make good resources in any field, in any walk of life!? There are regions in India, that ban women as witches and ill-treat them. It is disheartening to hear such news, when the world is educated enough to stop believing in something blindly.

Today though we see a lot of change with respect to women emancipation, numerous issues still exist in all spheres of life - cultural, economical and political. There is till date, problems that could be rectified if only people understood that they are lives.

There is still a long way to go, in order to establish the fact that women and men are equal in all walks of life.! That day, there will be no reservation for women, because, that will be day when women are ready and willing to participate in every activity across the world. That will be the day, when men understand that women are capable of doing everything.

Potato and Oyster Mushroom curry

Cooking doesn't appear interesting to me all the time.. So, once in a while, when I feel tempted to cook, I make sure it tastes good..
And somehow, mushrooms have been my favourite experiment at cooking.. Of the two three varieties I tried, I felt todays' is the best.. So, here is the recipe for you.

Ingredients:
1 Onion ( halved and sliced big)
2 Tomatoes ( big sized, sliced)
Oyster Mushrooms ( 8 - 10 )
Cilantro leaves (½ cup finely chopped)
Potatoes (Cut into small dice)
Salt to taste
Garam masala
Chill Powder
Turmeric Powder
Cooking Oil

Let's get started. 
1. Heat oil in a pan, add onions and cilantro leaves and fry them till they become soft and translucent.
2. Add mushrooms, spices and salt and saute for 5 to 6 minutes till the mushroom splash water.. 
3. Splash water if the spices seem to get dry.
4. Now add tomatoes, potatoes and ½ cup water to it and cook under medium flame for around 7 minutes.
5. Simmer the stove once bubbles are seen and allow it to cook under low flame for 20 minutes., so that the potatos and mushrooms get cooked.

Your potato and oyster mushroom curry is now ready to serve. 
It tastes great with rotis, and rice. Try it.. I am sure you will love it.. ;)

Recent episodes @ work

Life has been pretty cool for the past one month.. I was crowned with the title 'Ms. Logica' at the Back2School event @ Logica. This got me in touch with a lot of Syntillations members and I got enthusiastic to work with such dedicated group of people.. Besides being total fun, it taught me a lot about organizing events, playing dedicated roles behind-the-scenes. When an event turns success, all of them backstage are at heights of excitement, and I understand the reason why! This experience is something totally worth it, of all the effort that was put in by the team. 

The first event for which I volunteered to coordinate is 'Stars of Chennai'.. This is an event organized by Plus Dreammakers, an event management organization in association with Logica; Logica being the title sponsor. This is primarily a CSR event with the motive of entertaining the underprivileged children from various NGOs at Chennai. We were team of 4 nominated 'Core Team' members for 'Stars of Chennai'. What I learnt was managing activities to the minute detail..! 

It was heartwarming to see the event turn up a success live on stage. And the prime motive of the event was well experienced. Amidst celebrities who performed on stage, were the cute tots dancing to the tune of music, forgetting everything else in the world! What a pleasure and treat to the eyes and heart it was to see those little kids dance to joy! Needless to say, it was the most satisfying experience to be part of the team in making of the event. I have often wanted to be spending time with children who really need love and care. And this has been the first event which took me close to that wish of mine. :) I feel quite happy and excited about this, and I have pledged to myself to sponsor atleast one child for his/her education in future. 

And next in line is the 'Annual Sports Day' at Logica Chennai held on October 2, 2010 at YMCA Grounds. Nandanam. Here, though I was not so involved with the coordination activities off-event, the experience on-event was truly awesome. It has been ages since I witnessed a fully energetic Sports' meet anywhere. It gave me a new sort of enthusiasm and energy. 

And the amount of energy I saw in each of the participants, needs no description. It was simply fantastic. I should definitely learn a lot from the organizing members of the event, for their efforts were seen live on ground yesterday. We rocked the grounds yesterday, with fun and when required, seriousness in the game. I feel so glad to be part of Logica and Syntillations (the employee social club at Logica). 

I am waiting for more events in line.. Hope they make me more enlightened and enthusiastic to do more for entertaining the fellow community. 

Am I dreaming ?!

Yes, you got me right! This is exactly the idea that Nolan planted in our minds in those amazing 148 minutes of dream-to-wake-up..

Little did I realize that my dreams also do similar things that Nolan projected! We consider our dreams as stupid the moment we wake up; for what we see are seemingly unrealistic objects linked together. But today, Nolan has planted a new form of idea in my mind! 'While we dream, our mind creates and perceives the dream world simultaneously. Our mind does it so well that we do not even realize it'. 

Things that just didn't make any sense to me till sometime ago, make a real difference now. Human mind is an amazing tool whose creativity is used only to a meagre amount when awake! Thanks to Nolan for bringing to light this factor! Many aspects captured in the movie, are something that we naturally miss to comprehend in our dreams! The power of our subconscious!

Jotting down the factors from the movie which I could relate to in my dreams:

• In a dream, time passes slowly. Just minutes in our real world and hours in our dreams.
• Never realizing how we got to that spot in the dream.- Ahem! Are we really in the real world?! To think about it, do you exactly remember feeling when you came into the earth! Don't tell me, you know the day and time you were born, your parents told you that!
• Our mind can think beyond what we think it really can - I remember dreaming that my school auditorium is in the middle of a sea! :P
• Realizing pain when we get hurt in dreams - 'pain is in the mind'. - If you have dreamt ever that you were shot with a gun in ur palm, you would wake up to realize that your palm hurts. Yes, it did in my case!
• Something like music, a kick waking us up from our dreams! -

I've never had the habit of trying to remember dreams unless I think the dream has some signifance. Just remembering dreams can make you feel the creative power in you - I feel after watching 'Inception'. Though I feel like writing more about dreams and dreaming, I will stick to wondering and trying to dig the mystery with 'Inception'.

What started as a 80-page film treatment ten years ago, grew into what we know today as the mindblowing 'Inception' by Nolan. I am definitely not here to write a review about the movie, coz I have questions, increasing in number everytime I think about it.

And with such an impressive cast, who can all deliver perfectly, no wonder the movie is a big hit. Di Caprio has certainly done his best and the enigmatic Mal is no way less. Unlike other movies where the characters vanish quickly from the audience' thoughts, this movie reminds us of every character in it, whenever we think about the movie. Di Caprio has proven his skills in his movies, like Shutter Island and this, where he plays someone who is emotionally broken down.

He has made a perfect balance of characters and the right sequencing of the storyline, creating a whole fantastic screening for the audience. Had this script been made by other filmmakers, it is bound to be a disaster or atleast a mess. Nolan has definitely risked in trusting on the viewer's intelligence, which is partly the reason for some people not liking the plot. I would rather say they did not understand it enough to like it.

People have several interpretations of the movie. Maybe this is a-movie-with-no-definitive-interpretation. None but Nolan can actually say on what basis the movie was built. One of the reviews I read said, this is Nolan's own life that was filmed metaphorically and it was the first most acceptable reading in my view so far about inception. I have now watched it twice, and still more doubts arising, I feel like watching it more, and I still feel I will never comprehend!

Nolan is a genius to have left millions of audience thinking, even days after watching the movie. And it takes soo much imagination in real world to bring in something like dreams. The penrose stairs, a train right in the middle of the road coming from nowhere, a lift to reach the different parts of Cobb's memory, the gravity-defying fistfight, linking each level of dream via gravity shift (when the car moves and twists and turns, the Hotel where Fischer is in shifts in gravity), city folding on to itself, etc.

It took almost 60 of the 148 minutes to explain the magnificient dream-world that Nolan takes us to, still making it a point to leave the audience with several questions in their mind. What is more beautiful is how he made a blend of emotional and intellectual sorts, with so much complexity! And those fantastic time-sequencing, with a few seconds for the van to plunge into water, the lift to explode and the slow-motion explosions; a whole city built by Cobb and Mal being broken down, and with all the complexity sequencing the scenes right for the audience to understand everytime where a person comes from and where he is now - all soo stupefying!

There are quite a few plot holes, but I preferred ignoring them because of the other major areas in the movie I was trying to figure out! To mention a few of them - if gravity shift is felt in next level dreams, when the van falls, the effect should be experienced in the other levels as well. How does one wake up from limbo? If that is as simple as dying again to wake up from limbo, why was it projected as a complex deal where the person has to be trapped!? If Mal and Cobb entered Limbo for the first time where they were trapped for 50 years, did they die in a first level dream which took them to their world!? If the totem's very purpose goes null and void if a second person touches it, then Cobb's totem cannot work because it was originally Mal's!

Nolan was not just talking about subconscious, memory and altering thoughts, he has been trying to deal with the very nature of art itself. Screenwriting is an art and he has given a completely new form of life to it. Truly an artist with the power to make millions think and keep thinking.

Shall I say in conclusion - "True inspiration is impossible to fake!"

Picture courtesy: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/rorschachsrants/news/?a=13101 

A hot and sweet start...

Ahem.. This blog is basically to scribble whatever comes to my mind now and then.. But just to give a hot and sweet start, I have a recipe here for you. :) Read on...

This is a favorite dish of mine from childhood. I remember eating two three cups of it everytime my mom cooked this at home.. And this time I was curious to try it myself.. And surprise! It came out well.  I felt delighted.. Here I come posting the recipe for you to relish!

I would call it the hot and sweet mango curry. 

Ingredients:

Raw mango (1 number)

Green chillies (4 numbers)

Turmeric powder (a pinch)

Salt to taste

Jaggery ( 4 spoonfuls)

Water (1 cup)

Mustard seeds (1 teaspoon)

Curry leaves ( 4 to 5 leaves)

Cooking oil (2 teaspoons)

Preparation method:

Slice the mangoes. Vertically slit the green chillies.

Take a frying pan. Transfer the water to it and bring it to boil. Add the sliced mangoes, green chillies, turmeric and salt. Leave it until the mangoes get cooked completely. Add the jaggery to it and mix them well till the jaggery melts and mixes well with the cooked mangoes. Your recipe is almost done. Remove the pan from the stove.

Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Now add curry leaves. Add the prepared mix of jaggery and mango to it. And you are all ready to taste the dish.

This can be an awesome combination for any south Indian lunch. It can also be eaten as a snack in the evening...

P.S.: This is my first new post in this blog. All the other posts are imported from my old blog...

Take a risk !

Unless you do, its not going to happen!

The dream, the plan, the vindication by triumph,the love that heals, the balmy climate where you can live languidly, the new body you want to build, the education, the career, the home, the travel, the gain, and all the glory.

All that you want, all that you cherish depends on you taking a risk.

Everything involves a risk. Everthing!

Nothing in this world is static, so you have to risk all the time.

Your risk to grow. You grow to stay young, to have hope, to believe in the world as you create it.

Risking isn't easy. If it were, it wouldn't be a risk.

What do you risk?

You always risk losing something you care about when you risk, because a risk isn't a step. A risk is a leap.

What could you lose?

Your belief that you are safe?

You're only safe if you keep on risking.

Your belief that you are happy? You are only happy if you are growing.

Your belief that your work is done? If you are alive, your work is always just beginning.

You need to risk to adapt, to discover, to know, to learn, to give up, to let go, to see fully, to accept the world and what it bestows.

You need to risk to find yourself.

You need to risk to live.

I can.

I know I want to ...

I can.

I know I have to ...

I can.

Yes!

I can.

Taken from 'Finding your strength in difficult times'

...courage !

I vividly remember these lines from my school diary.. While I was at school, once in a week this was sung at the school assembly.. 

It takes courage to answer a call.

It takes courage to give to all.

It takes courage to risk your name.

It takes courage to be true.

It takes courage to dare- what no other will share.

To be standing alone with whom no one will.

To be ready to stake for another man's sake.

It takes courage to be true.

It takes courage to say what no other will pay.

To give each man his share.

Though there will be less to spare.

To be seeking no more than the neighbour next door.

It takes courage to be true.

What is surprising is that, is that it beguiled me even when I was a child.. 

Courage - It can make anyone do wonders in his/her life! 

Be it anything that you feel like doing/achieving, the most basic thing you need to have is courage.. Believe that you can do it.. And say to yourself that it can definitely done as you put in efforts to achieve the same.. I am sure life can do wonders for you..

2 States - the story of my marriage

We have probably read quite a number of novels by foreign authors. But something that is most appealing is when we can relate to our life the most. And Chetan Bhagat is a writer who gives novels that relates to our lives some way or the other. Of all the books he has written so far, this I would say will be more appealing to a specific group of Indians, the Punjabis', the Tamizhs' and IIM-A grads. I was excited to read the synopsis, and the umpteen number of comments that the author received for his latest book "2 States - The Story Of My Marriage". And the more surprising part is that he has dedicated this book to his in-laws himself having been in a situation similar to the storyline in the book.

Too much being already written about the book, I assume this is just yet another review. There are some notable areas of the book to which some of us can relate to:

1. IIM-A

2. Tamizh Brahmins (Non-brahmins can also equally relate to it, in my opinion)

3. Punjabis' ( I guess North Indians can generally relate to it; I am not sure though)

4. Citibank (Not sure what it is to be actually in Citibank, though)

The plot begins with life at IIM-A. Krish (Krish Malhotra) and Ananya (Ananya Swaminathan) begin their journey at IIM-A. Ananya is described as beautiful and attractive who has already received 10 proposals even at the start of her life at IIMA. Krish and Ananya meet up, become friends, and then fall in love with each other. Life at IIMA has the usual college sequence. Krish secures a job at Citibank(posted to Chennai) and Ananya at HLL (Chennai).

As Chetan has rightly portrayed in this novel, in India, marriage is not just a union of two hearts, but the union of two families. So here they are struggling a battle to win the hearts of both the parents. It is an interesting journey which the couple take to reach their goal.

The author has rightly described the way a North Indian would feel about South India. And the mindset of a South Indian home is just perfect in its description. Krish was diplomatic in dealing with Ananya's family and winning each of their hearts. The Punjabi families' description was fun to read, but I could hardly acknowledge the description to the truth behind me being a Tamilian.

Something that made me think was the way the people think. India would become lot better if inter-religious marriages can happen. A change in the mindset of people is a definite necessity today. There is a lot of importance given to complexion and money in the north while I felt these are not just the only two elements that will decide happiness in a family. The South Indians are more worried about the culture and their community being modified.

This book as many have already pointed out, is in a ready-to-be-made movie format. If only this could be made into a successful movie, people might end up learning what exactly is lacking in India that would make it a better country to live in. Living amidst numerous cultures and being tolerant towards each other is good; people should also realize that we are 'One India' and love is definitely above location/religion/appearance. True Love can win over any hard circumstances, if determined.

'We are Indians first' and only then S.Indians/N.Indians and Hindus/Sikhs etc. When India wakes up to this truth and lives together as a nation readily accepting other religions/culture amongst the families themselves, India will rise up to the status of being a truly secular country.

The book brings in this point from Krish and Ananya's conversation every now and then. The novel ends on a positive note, saying the future will live in a state named 'India' and not Punjab or Tamil Nadu. This is the kind of attitude that every Indian should develop.

The book is for light entertaining reading. Grab a cup of coffee, sit on your favorite couch, relax with a bit of music and get ready for the latest youth entertainer that Chetan has given us.

Chetan has become one of my favorite writers now given the fact that he writes stuff that we can personally relate to our lives, be it college education, hostel life, or approaching parents seeking for acceptance of love and being 'Indian'.

A Lifetime Experience....

It was the second Sunday of October, 2009; a sizzling afternoon. We had our ‘donor passes’ ready for the most awaited show of AR Rahman, in his own home land. This spectacular event was proposed to happen on the grounds of MARG Swarnabhoomi, which is close to a hundred kilometers from the place I reside in Chennai. Buses were arranged for pick up and drop at various points in the city and Cuddalore and Pondichery. I personally felt, had it not been for the transport arrangements, it would have been really tough to reach the location, for it took 2.5 hours nonstop.

Ok! Let me tell you, this is the first ever live concert in Chennai after Rahman won the coveted Oscar award. This is a part of Rahman’s ‘Jai Ho World Concert’ tour. The proceeds of this event would be used by Shakthi Foundation and Rahman Trust to help the handicapped children.

We were 8 in number, who gathered at Adyar to take the bus from there. It was fun fun all the way to Swarnabhoomi. Though the gang was full of strangers, we built a quick resonance that added to the fun. We started from Adyar at 2:30 pm and reached the spot at 5:00 pm. We then witnessed what I would call an awe-inspiring set up, seating for an approximate 80000 people. We took the 500/- donor pass and happened to sit at quite a distance from the stage. The stage had a baffling arrangement enough to attract every audience. Slowly the crowd gathered, and by 6:30 pm the grounds were full. I was dumbfounded to see so many people from different parts of the country and even foreigners all waiting to see the ‘Mozart of Chennai’, AR Rahman. He is truly a ‘genius’. The estimated number was around 30000 but I believe the actual number was galactic.

The crowd was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the most celebrated genius in music.

People excited the energy levels of the crowd by shouting and dancing. We had a 2.5 hour wait before Rahman arrived. The team consisted of close to 80 performers, including Rahman, Sivamani, Hariharan, Sadhana Sargham, Tanvi Shah, Rashid Ali, Benny Dayal, Blaaze and others.

The concert commenced at 7:30 pm when the huge crowd applauded Rahman with all enthusiasm. I was almost tired by the time the concert began, but seeing Rahman on stage, my energy levels boosted up. I was there in the midst of the huge crowd listening to Rahman begin the concert singing Jaage Hain (Ore Kanna) from Guru. The excitement in the crowd stepped up on listening to Rahman and trying to get a glimpse of him. Rahman quickly gave the number Khalbali. This was followed by ‘Athiradee’ from the tamizh movie ‘Shivaji’, all these performed by Rahman himself.

Rahman quickly got on a crane and moved up to make it easier for his fans to see him better, simultaneously singing. It gave a stupefying effect to the audience. Rahman reads the mind of his myriad fans. He gave a right mix of fast and slow numbers to excite the entire audience. The next number was the super hit ‘Kadhal Rojave’ rendered to the audience by Hariharan and Sadhana Sargam. Next in line was Delhi6 rendered by Benny Dayal, Tanvi and others.

Next in line was ‘style’ from Shivaji followed by one from Slumdog Millionaire. Next came the most stimulating number ‘Konjam Nilavu’ from the tamizh movie ‘Thiruda Thiruda’ which charged up the energy levels of every audience. This was followed by ‘Ringa ringa’ from Slumdog Millionaire, yet another energizing performance. This was followed by the latest ‘Fiqraana’ from the movie ‘Blue’ and ‘Dil Se Re’ from Bombay. As for me, music can make a person or break a person. My mood swings with music quickly. I was enraptured listening to all my favorites live in front of me. It is indeed true that music is miraculous. The atmosphere was turning more energetic and waiting to take in more. Now came ‘Jashn-e-Bahara’ from Jodha Akbar. Drawn by the fascinating music, the audience was cheering up with high spirits.

Imagine the rise in enthusiasm, all ARR music lovers, when ‘Snegithane’(Chup Ke Se) is being performed live on stage! I was hypnotized listening to this song, one of my all time favourites. Next came the rendition of ‘Mausam and Escape’ by Rahman himself. Rahman made sure he satisfied each one of the umpteen number present then listening to his music. Next came in Rahman’s own voice, ‘tu bole main boloon’. We were all enchanted by what we were witnessing, for it is an experience of a lifetime.

‘Tamizha Tamizha’ from Roja in Hariharan’s voice. Believe me, this song at a situation where thousands of Indians, have gathered together, is sure to bring in the patriotic spirits. The entire crowd stood up with a lot of audience waving the national flag to celebrate the moment to the fullest.

This was followed by ‘Uyire uyire’ (tu he re) from Bombay by Hariharan.

I was expecting ‘Kabhi Kabhi aditi zindagi’ and was almost disappointed for it was not performed so far. And then Rahman, as he always reads people’s mind, gave this piece sung by Rashid Ali. I was overwhelmed with joy hearing it. Then followed ‘Rehna Tu’, which is one of his best, from the original performers. Guess what! Next came ‘Taxi Taxi’ the all time favorite among the youth today. This was followed by ‘Mayya Mayya’ from Guru.

This was followed by a break for around 15 to 20 minutes when Rahman handed over a sum of 1 crore to Shakthi Foundation and Rahman Trust. I was so disappointed thinking that the show was over. And then said Rahman,”The best is yet to come”. The whole crowd felt so delighted and jumped with joy.

Rahman was at his best when he sung the number ‘Azeem O Shan Shahenshah’ from Jodha Akbar. The crowd was lured by the perfection in his moving from ‘Azeem O Shan’ to Rukumani theme from Roja and then gradually moved to Veerabaandi Kotayile from ‘Thiruda Thiruda’. Rahman is simply the best. It was such a beautiful transformation that was being performed. Rahman was all dressed in a white with green lighting on the stage as he rendered to the audience, ‘Khwaaja mere Khwaaja’. It was such a beautiful match of the stage décor and his way of singing. I personally felt, it was an amazing performance.

Any live concert, I feel is incomplete without Chithra on stage. I was thwarted not seeing her on stage, and that too, in a concert by Rahman. Then came the surprise. She was there, singing my favorite, ‘Kannalane’ from Bombay with Hariharan. The crowd was once again in high spirits when listening to the melody rendered by Chithra. She didn’t stop with just one, she performed ‘Jiya Jale’ as a follow up to Kannalane. I was doubly excited.

This excitement was not let to fade away, when Hariharan and Rahman were there rendering ‘Ay Hairathe’ from Guru. This was followed by ‘Aye Bachchuu’ from Ghajini.

The concert came almost to a close with the third last of the performances being ‘Mustafa Mustafa’ from Kadhal Desam. It was astounding to see the huge crowd of delirious Rahman fans stand up and wave their hands respecting the worthiness of friendship. The song is surely a masterpiece which will remain the favorite of all people who respect friendship as one of the most important relationships in life. I was overwhelmed with joy to be a part of such a huge crowd giving an enthusiastic recognition for friendship.

This was followed by ‘Humma Humma’ from Bombay which is a super hit even till today. It was made even more enjoyable with Blaaze moving around with his part of music in.

Now came his masterpiece, and the concert was coming to a close.

Yes! You guessed it right, it is ‘Jai Ho’ which saw an all charged up crowd going high in spirits. The atmosphere was made astonishingly festive, with colorful fireworks filling the sky. Any Indian would have surely felt high levels of patriotism at that juncture.

It was a feeling beyond explanation to be part of those moments with Rahman in the midst of us. I was let down because I didn’t see Rahman’s ‘Vande Mataram’ coming. I am sure a lot of people in the crowd would have felt that.

Rahman knew that was what his fans were expecting, when he quickly changed from Jai Ho to ‘Vande Mataram’. Guys! I should tell you, it was an amazing feeling when all this happened. As I write, I can still feel and relish those last moments of the concert.

Rahman gave a perfect finish to the awe-inspiring concert. Rahman is undoubtedly a ‘genius’ who will stay in the hearts of millions of people for the joy he brings in all our hearts.

As for our gang, we enjoyed the whole show with a lot of energy, and had fun. One little issue which if rectified would have made the show perfect was the volume of the vocals. The volume of the music was so high or the volume of the vocals was low. As for the first half, we had a tough time unable to hear the singer properly.

Eliminating the little flaw which we felt was evened out by Rahman’s performance, the concert was one in a million. I was enthralled and still feel the same. Hats off to the ‘Maven’.

Picture Courtesy: rahmaniac.com ; moviegalleri.blogspot.com