Context

Thoughts on Communication

2011-11-22T08:07:00.000-08:00

Communication is multi-layered and multi-dimensional. People express themselves in layers. At the top most layer of the discovery process are “facts.” Stuff we put into forms and documkents. Below this is slightly complex inteelectual sheath that shares thoughts and opinions. And finally you have an emotional ore feeling circle. Further thoughts are ometimes expressed verbally and expressly. Sometimes thoughts are not shared at all. Emotions too are suppressed totally in socially driven culture where what others think matters more than what we truly want to do.

Inspirational leaders continuously sharpen the saw and learn to hone their communication skills. They no longer see people and their communication as black and white; they are able to see rich color and 3D images that bring out the underlying thoughts and emotions. They are also able to detect suppressed emotions pretty fast and help the other party to articulate and express them. When the issue is out it becomes an object available for analysis and resolution.

Floatel--Kolkata

2011-11-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

20.11.2011

I am here at Kolkata to conduct a session at the certification course on Valuation at Hotel Floatel (lit. a floating Hotel!)

The venue is a renovated ship on the river Ganges adjacent to Baboo Ghat. The main hotel with the state rooms is on the ship which is accessed by a narrow pontoon bridge. The conference halls and reception are on the boat jetty.

The balcony, terrace and walkways both on the ship and on the jetty provide a nice view of the Ganges River and the stately buildings on either side. The steamers and boats plying on the river are a pleasant sight. It is pleasantly cold and there is mist. The atmosphere so early in the morning (8:00 AM) is pretty sleepy!

Both the Howrah Bridge as well as the new bridge are visible on either side from the Hotel.

Howrah Bridge uses only suspensions and is built without letting down any pillars into the middle of the Ganga.
Just opposite Floatel is Rama Krishna Ghatt where every Saturday the same pundits who perform aarthi puja at Haridwar perform the same Pooja in the evenings.

In search of the Striped Cat

2011-11-22T07:53:00.000-08:00

I am at Bhandara to conduct a programme on Financial Awareness for the engineers od Ashok Leyland at the Bhandara unit. I decided to use Saturday to visit a few places of interest near Bhandara. Bhandara is very near the Tiger territory. Large reserves like Kaanha and Bhandavgarh are not very far. But the nearest and most feasible visit was to Nagjeera about 70 kms east north east of Bhandara.

The wildlife park is accessed by a well maintained road. Private vehicles are allowed inside provided they are accompanied by a guide. I took a guide as wellas the jeep with open roof and raised seating in anticipation of a face to face meeting with striped cat! But I had no such luck. There were reports of a sighting at waterhole at 8:00 AM that morning of a mother and two cubs. There are about twelve of these beasts at Nagjeera together with a whole lot of fauna like owls, eagles, deer—both Chital and Sambhar, bear, leopard, gaur and of course the ubiquitous langur. A wildlife spotter must have keen eyes and patience. This is because most animals have hides and featrhers that are camouflaged and meant to fade into the background of russet brown and faded green.

I did get a nice shot of an owl inside a hole in a tree. The owl was sleeping with its head sticking out of the hole high on top of a tree.

I also saw herds of Chital. I had a magical moment when a herd of Chital crossed the road and went grazing on the otherside. I stood up for a better shot and the herd started running away. One of them, a doe stood, turned her head srraight at me and posed for a perfect shot. Since I used my Sony DSLR and not the Canon EOS 450D, the shot is a bit grainy. But still it is a real wild life shot and arguably my very first.

As I wended my way back to Nagpur airport without having glimpsed even the tail of a live wild tiger, I made up my mind that one day somewhere or the other I will shoot a real, live, tiger I the wild from at least twenty feet.

Korambhi

2011-11-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

12.11.2011

Before leaving for the Tiger reserve, I visited the temple of Amrutha Devi at Korambhi. Near the banks of the Wain Ganga perched atop a hill is the Temple. From the hill there is a breathtaking view of the river as it bends around a curve. At the foot of the hill ias a bathing ghat and boat jetty.

There about 150 stairs making for a strenuous but short climb. I enjoyed the view from the top and spent a few serene moments in front of the deity and invoked her blessings on my endeavours. The pujari was a friendly chap whio readily agreed to permit me to take a photograph. At the entrance of the temple before approaching the main entrance is a small shrine on the left dedicated to Kala Bhairav. The idol is terrifying and symbolic of the primordial energy that is uncontrollable and unpredictable.

After the visit I came down and walked to the river bank to have glimpse of the Wain Ganga. Thereafter we left for Nagjeera.

Buddhism on Vegetarianism—A different perspective

2011-10-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Most people in Srilanka (69 per cent to be exact) are Buddhists. Buddhism preaches Ahimsa. Yet the Sinhalese relish and eat the flesh of fish, fowl and beast. I was curious about this apparent paradox. Our garrulous guide, mr. Sumedh, gave this quixotic explanation based on his perception of Buddhism. (He is the son of a Police officer who was a great follower of Jiddu Krishnamurthy.So he is not unaware of the intricacies of the philosophy of his religion.)

“I think therefore I act. The thought leads to action and action binds you in karmic knots. So whatever you do without forethought or desire has no karmic impact. This includes what you eat. This is a non-issue for a Buddhist. In fact extreme preoccupation with Vegetarianism is also a Karma creator!

The goal is to overcome Karma not argue about food! Sumedh asked if I would argue whether it is sinful to eat “soap”? No! Why? Because, NOBODY can eat it! But the fact that flesh is edible also means that it was intended for human consumption. (This is similar to the Judeao-Christian argument). Those who eat it may do so. Others who don’t want to need not. Why argue about it and try to influence others thus creating more Karmic Bonds.

I neither agree nor disagree with his views as I don’t want to get into Karmic knots either!

Buddhism in a Nutshell

2011-10-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

I discovered a Book Titled Buddhism in a Nut Shell by the Venerable Narada Thera. I found it to be a succinct and sound exposition on the religion from a Therawada point of view.

“There was no teacher ever so Godless as the Buddha, yet none so god-like”

When we see so many Buddhists praying at the Tooth Relic Temple we would naturally be worried whether the Buddhists worship the Buddha! The answer is an emphatic no! Why then do Buddhists build Viharas and imasges of the Buddha, offer incense and flowers at the altar, kneel before the image of the Buddha and pray? To whom do they pray? Here is thje answer given by the Ven. Narada Thera:

“An understanding Buddhist in offering flowers and incense to an image, designedly makes himself feel that he is in the presence of the Living Buddha and thereby gains inspiration from his noble personality and breathes deep His boundless compassion.He tries to follow his noble example.”

Advaita the doctrine of Non-dualism advocates self discovery and attaining oneness with the Brahman through True Knowledge. Buddhism says that Nirvana is the route to total breaking away from the Karmic cycle of pleasure and pain caused by actions and reactions. In this sense Advaita and Buddhism are so near to each other as to be almost the same! So much so, that the Advaita Doctrine has been accused more than once by commentators of the Dvaita and Visistaadvaita sects as no better than Prasanna Boudham (Or Buddhism in Disguise!)

Continuing with the Thera’s words;

“The Bo-tree is also a symbol of Enlightenment.These external objects of reverence are not absolutely necessary, but they are useful as they tend to concentrate one’s attention. An intellectual person could dispense with them as he could easily focus his attention and visualize the Buddha.

For our own good, and out of gratitude we pay such external respect but what the Buddha expects from his disciple is not so much obeiscance as the actual observation of the Teachings.

The Buddha says: “He honors me best who practices my teaching best. He who sees the Dhamma¹sees me.”

The Buddha not only speaks of the futility of offering prayers but also disparages a slave mentality. A Buddhist should not pray to be saved, but should rely on himself and win his freedom.

I too believe that a visit to a temple should be purely for the upliftment of the soul. The Ven. Thera quotes Dr. Radhakrishnan, a noted authority on Ancient Indian Philosaophy:

“Prayers take the character of private communications and selfish bargaining with God. It seeks for objects of earthly ambitions and influences the sense of self. Meditation on the other hand is self-change.”

I believe that everything can be attained if we change from within rather than pray pitifully for an external intervention from a supreme diety. Prayers, if at all used should be a positive assertion of our innate purity as being that is complete in itself and a resolution to change our perception and thereby our circumstances.

Dhamma literally means the Teaching.

Sojourn in Serendip – IV

2011-10-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

We wended our way from Nuwara Eliya to Colombo through Emerald green tea estates that rolled away on all sides. The road wound along the lush green estates. In the distance were the tall mountain peaks.

En route we came across numerous water falls and cascades created when the Kelani River meets a rock formation that defies erosion. The river then falls down to the next harder rock and so on as it creates a layered waterfall amidst the green fields.

We stopped at St. Claire’s Falls which is, by far, the most picturesque of the waterfalls in this region. We also saw Devon’s Falls which is just opposite the St. Claire’s Estate Tea Centre. We had an invigorating drink of the tea brewed on St. Claire’s Estate. Still further away is Hatton, a small British Settlement developed by Tea Planters during the British Colonial period.

In the distance we can glimpse the mist-covered heights of Adam’s Peak or Sri Pada, the second highest peak in Srilanka but arguably the more popular. The Sinhalese believe Buddha visited the Island Three times during his life.Every year thousands of pilgrims climb this figh mountain to view the foot print (Sri Pada) of The Buddha on the Summit. The Muslims believe the print was that of The Prophet Mohammed (May his name be Praised) and the Hindus that it is the holy foot print of Sri Rama! I am sure the Christians have an equally convincing story of a visit by Jesus to the Islands when he left his imprint on this high peak. Well, after all, Religion is not about God it is about Belief!

As we move down from Nuwara Eliya to Colombo, the Kelani River accompanies us singing a merry song on its way to the plains. The terrain on which the water flows makes it ideal for white water rafting.

For the curious movie buffs, it may be interesting to gret down from the car and take detour on foot to the lacation where the famous movie, “The Bridge on the River Kwai” was shot. The forest area between Khanchanabhuri (where the Tiger Temple is situated) and Burma is the place where the story of the famous movie, “The Bridge on the River Kwai” happened. My friend B Ramakrishnan has travelled on the legendary train across the bridge. But the movie was shot here in Srilanka on the River Kelani. A bridge was actually constructed here and was destroyed as part of the shooting.

Another place of interest could be the huge bungalow of Dr. Anand Jayasuriya, now converted into a restaurant which houses his imperesssive collection of classic vintage cars including a couple of Rolls Royce, a porche and a Jaguar.

Sojourn in Serendip – III

2011-10-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

English Tea Time

Leaving Kandy we moved on to the heights of Nuwara Eliya to check into the Galway Forest Lodge. Nuwara Eliya meaning “the City of Dawn” is the town at the highest elevation (about 2000m above sea level) in Sri Lanka and its tallest peak, Piduruthalagala (2555m) can be seen from here. The city established by the British in the Nineteenth Century is known as “Little England”. In fact there are some stretches of this quaint colonial landscape where a traveler would honestly believe himself to be in Shropshire or Kent; that is, of course, until a green autorickshaw or the ubiquiyous posters of President RajaPakse comes into one’s view.

Nuwara Eliya is in the Heart of the Tea Estate. On the way, there are numerous Tea Factories, remodelled into Tea Centres that serve tea, Lunch and also sell pure Ceylon Tea. On Request it is possible to have a guided tour of the adjoining factory. We visited a Tea Factory on BlueField Tea Estate.

Asoka Vaatika

In the evening, we braved the weather to visit the Temple of Seetha at Seetha Eliya. En route we attempted a walk in Gregory park on the banks of Nuwara Eliya lake. But a heavy downpour chased us back to our vehicle.

The Ramayana is compelling narrative that is Pan-Indian. Every region in India has a shrine associated with the star-crossed prince of Ayodhya who was God incarnate as Man! The story crosses the sea and enters Sri Lanka when Ravan the King of Lanka abducts Sita, the wife of Rama. Sita was kept imprisoned in a garden of Asoka Trees. It is on the location of this Asoka Gasrden or Vaatika that the Temple of Seetha at Seetha Eliya is built. The Temple houses 3000 year old idols of Ram, Lakshman, Sita and Hanumanji. The idols are somewhat defaced and new idols are used for regular worship.

The Asoka trees (or atleast what remains of them after Hanumanji’s destructive frenzy during the burning of Lanka) have been since destroyed by the British. But the location itself still has a few Asoka trees gto bear witness. The soil nearabout is black in color as the entire forest had been burned down when Hanumanji went bersek and put the city of Lanka to Flame with his burning tail. The huge print of Hanumanji’s foot as he took gigantic form or Viswaroopa to disclose his true identity to Sita is another significant part of the visit to Nuwara Eliya.

The ardent traveler can go further up the hills where there is a Ravana Temple and a Waterfalls called Ravana Falls where the demon Ravana is said to have taken his bath.

Thence we drove past N. Eliya town and had tea at the Grand Indian Restaurant opposite The Grand Hotel, a beautiful colonial hotel surrounded by green lawns and tall trees.

Sojourn in Serendip – II

2011-10-30T03:17:00.000-07:00

A Buddhist Kerala

Take a chunk of the hilly regions in Kerla like Kottayam or Munnar; remove the hindu temples and put budhist Viharas in their place and voila you have Srilanka. A Buddhist Kerala is Srilanka. The same greenery; coconut and banana trees; rubber plantations; elephants; small rivulets and brooks gurgling on their way to the sea! The water from the King Coconut is sweet like nectar and is a must-drink for every visitor to this emerald isle atleast twice on every day of the visit!

Daytime is pretty warm even on the hills. The even

ings bring sudden bursts of rain and a mild cold that makes the weather pleasant. From the high eyrie of the balcony in Randholee Resort, Kandy we could see a large part of the city of Kandy. As the twilight and mist make it darker the lights of the twinkle down below like the gems and jewels for which the island of Taprobane (another name for Srilanka) is world renowned since ancient times.

The same view offers a different tapestry in the early morning as I walk out on to the Balcony after a refreshing sleep. As the mists swirl below around the domes of the Buddhist temples and the red tiled colonial houses the new day is ushered in by the sun as it licks awayu thew mist with its glorious rays. The distant mountains are surrounded by clouds and only the high summits and peaks are visible. (The Sri Lankan name of Kandy is Kanda Uda Rata which mens the Hill Country.)

One of the important places to be seen is UNESCO Heritage sight of the Temple of the Tooth Relic. The shrine contains the tooth of the Buddha as a relic. Buddhists do not worship any image. Nor do they make offerings to “God”. The Tooth Relic Shrine is simply a place where devout Buddhists go to experience the presence of The Enlightened one so that they can reinforce themselves in their own search for Parinibban, the supreme goal of every Buddhist.

A Word of Warning!

If you are posing for a photo near the image of the Buddha in Srilanka, please avoid standing in front of the image with your back to it or by the side of the imge. It is better to stand with your profile to the camera with hands folded in prayer. The Srilankans are strict in preventing people from turning their back on the image for a photograph as it is a sign of disrespect.

From the Tooth Relic Temple, a huge Buddha statue can be seen on top of a neaby hill. The image of Buddha in seated posture faces the Temple. This mountain top was the place where the death penalty was actually executed in those days! As the peak was clearly visible from the Kandyan King's palace adjacent to the Tooth Relic Temple, the King could assure himself that his sentence has been carried out by looking at the peak of this mountain where the grisly sight of the hanging corpse could be seen! Thus this was rightly termed the Peak of Death.

Later, with the advent and growth of Buddhism, the death penalty was abolished. The deathly gallows were replaced by the Benign Image of the Buddha in seated position facing the Tooth Relic Temple and reminding monarchs and Governments alike down the ages of the value of forgiveness and forbearance.

Fear not Dear Brother!

The approach to the Tooth Relic Temple is through a pathway set amidst green lawns. On the p[athway and around it are numerous statues of famous personages. While each one has a story to tell, I was impressed by the statuette of a young boy set on a high pedestal.

The boy, Madduma Bandara of Ehelepola was the second son of a revolutionary Sinhalese who had criticized the rule of the then Srilankan King. The father was to be beheaded for his seditionary statements but he ran away. His family was then sentenced to death on 17^th May 1814. Madduma’s elder brother was frightened at the thought of death and hesitated when the Eight-year-old yet Lion-Hearted Child Hero Madduma Bandara came forward with supreme courage to face the executioner’s sword first with this exhortation to his elder brother:

“Fear not, Dear Brother, I will show you how to face Death!”

As I said earlier, the Weather is warm during day with intermittent showers in the evening. So we were constantly carrying umbrellas agaist the possibility of rain. We had lubnch at another restaurant with a view. This time we gazed at the panoramic view of the lovely city of Kandy spread out in concentric circles from the Kandy Lake. The lake lies gleaming at the centre with the Tooth Relic Temple on oneside. The circular roads wind up and around the city on the slopes.

Green Demesnes

Later we strolled through the Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya. The Gardens are spread over 147 Acres. The Garden traces its origin way back to 1371 under when it was first established by King Wickramabahu III. Later in the reign of King Kirti Sri from 1747 to 1780 this was made a Royal Garden and from 1780 to 1798, King Rajadhi Rajasinghe resided therein, where a temporary residence was erected for him. The noteworthy feature of the Royal Botanical is the Orchidarium which houses exquisite and beautiful specimens of every colour and hue.

I could not help compare this Garden with the Lal Bagh Gardens in Bangalore. The Lal Bagh is bigger with 240 acres. But it is not as well maintained or luxuriantly green as the Periyadana Gardens. Yet the horticultural attractions have similar background and History. Both Gardens were originally commissioned by Oriental Monarchs for their personal pleasure. The Lal Bagh was begun by the ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali in 1760 and was completed by Tipu Sultan, his son. Both the Gardens came under British Possesions and were under the care of successive British Superintendents who were successful in converting them into objects of admiration. The Royal Botanical had Mr. Alexander Moon, while the Lal Bagh had Mr. James Cameroon.

In the evening we witnessed a performance of traditional Kandyan Dances. The performance culminated in grand finale when a few of the performers did a fire walk through a blazing fire.

Sojourn in Serendip - I

2011-10-30T03:14:00.000-07:00

Introduction

This year I decided to spend Diwali in Srilanka en famille. The decision was obviously serendipitous as Chennai experienced extreme rain and inclement weather right on Diwali day! So here are some tidbits from my sojourn in Serendip or Srilanka, as it is now known.

A Little Late is Alright

Our Srilankan flight UL 122 arrived a bit early at The Banda

raNayakeInternanational Airport, Colombo. Our Guide-cum-Chauffeur Sumedh (aka. Bandhu), was quite surprised to find his national airlines arriving on time! The Flight numbers of Srilankan used to have the prefix AL which was expanded as “Always Late”! Now they have been changed with numbers prefixed by UL whicgh is “Usually Late”! Definitely an improvement! Incidentally our return flight too was almost on time! Thus we experienced a bit of Serendipity right at the beginning of our sojourn in Serendip!

Poo Paper and other Pachydermic matters

Woud you like to see a group of abouy fifty to sixty elephants of various sizes and ages bathing, frolicking and simply having a lot of fun in the waters of a running brook? Then, you should visit Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage. The Orphanage on the banks of the Maa Oye houses a huge contingent of about sixty-five of these gentle pachyderms which have been either abandoned or wounded or injured and left to die in the wild. The Elephants here range in age from newborns to elderly matriarchs. Pinnewala claims to have the world’s largest collection of captive elephants. (Note: This claim needs verification as Punnathur Thota in Guruvayoor Kerala is another place which has a sizable captive-elephant population. These are not abandoned wild elephants, but rather tame elephants donated by thankful devotees to the Guruvayoor Templew. Notable among the inmates at Guruvayoor was Kannan the elephant donated by the current CM of Tamilnadu.)

We had lunch at the restaurant overlooking the Maa Oye. From the restaurant on the balcony, we could see the elephants of all shapesand sizes sporting and playing in the water. The really enjoyable sight were the little baby elephants running here and there under the huge feet of the elders. Occasionally they had mock-fights and tussles which were easily subdued by a nearby elder or the Mahouts who were close by and watching carefully.

They make paper and other handicrafts out of elephant dung at Pinnewala. The paper which is hard, tough and ideal for packing material is alliteratively called Poo-Paper! As elephant dung is highly vegetarian and is mostly leaves, shoots and bark, a lot of fiber can be recovered from it when it is boiled and filtered. The resultant fibrous pulp is soaked in water and made it into pulp. The pulp is then subjected to a process very similar to the making of hand-made paper used at Auroville in Pondicherry. The only difference is the source of the pulp! We visited a Poo Paper workshop where we saw how the paper is made. (Believe me, the paper does not stink!)

On the way to Kandy, we halted at one of the numerous spice gardens that line the route. The prices are sky high and even the temptation of the miraculous cures promised by the “Spice Doctor” does not loosen our purse strings. Purchases are the prerogative of foreigners, I suppose.

Strategic Thinking

2011-09-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

I am at Vaizag, where I offer a course on Business Strategies and Management Control Systems. The students are busy discussing a Case Study on Indus Towers. I am attempting to make them see the shift in Strategic thinking from the older Confrontational or Zero-Sum approaches to a Collaborative Win/Win Approach. Indus Towers is a collaborative venture that tries to combine the strengths of three companies Airtel, Vodfone and Idea that are otherwise fierce competitors in the marketplace. I want the group to

I see a tendency not merely amongst students at B-Schools, but people in general to form an opinion and look for the facts. Whereas, like Sherlock Holmes, they should be collecting all the facts together and piecing together the Whole Picture before forming their opinion.

The opinion once formed generates a tunnel vision that precludes seeing other relevant facts. A strategic framework built on such an incomplete premise may suffer from serious weaknesses.

The Innovative Manager

2011-09-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

03.09.2011

I am now at the plant of a leading Tamilnadu-based Automobile Major, delivering a session on Cost Reduction Techniques to a group of bright young engineers. I am trying to make them understand the need for constantly and continuously reducing costs. This demands a Creative outlook. The old algorithimic approaches fail as the challenges from the environment intensify. What is needed today is an attitude of continuous ideation and inventive problem solving.

Being a Manager now does not only involve faultless execution, it also demands continuous innovation in the execution both at the process as well as the product level. This is the Challenge of the new millnium. This is the challenge of change.

The seeds of Revolution

2011-09-01T04:37:00.000-07:00

I am now nearing the Gurgaon Toll gate. I can see the twenty one gates. A constant stream of cars and vehicles strugge to get in by day and out by night

as the twilight of the evening sinks towards pitch- black darkness.

As my car glides past the Gurgaon toll in the night, I see huge highrises with lights burning on all the floors. I drive through the roads in darkness passing Islands of splendor and light amidst a sea of squalor and darkness.

Gurgaon is a suburb perpetually under construction. Well planned and landscaped gardens, office complexes and gated communities on the one side and hutments and pavement-dwellers on the other. The rich and affluent have their own lawns, walkways and shaded nooks. Just across the road, the poor li

ve in makeshift houses shaped out of the sides of wooden crates.The ge

neral indifference of people to this obvious contradiction is so pathetic.

Gurgaon is arguably a personification of India at the dawn of the new millennium. Extreme wealth flaunted blatantly alongside extreme poverty and a patent apathy of the elected democrtatic government to provide even a modicum of civic amenities or infrastructure. The main highway heading west is spotless. But any road cutting

across the median highway and leading into Industrial or residential Gurgaon is pitted and full of potholes. In many places there are huge holes where there should be a road. The roads are, no doubt, wide, but they are dusty and have very few lights. The malls and office complexes as well as gated communities have their own cement roads leading from the main road. If I am painting a dystopic vision, believe me it is from real life and not from imagination.

The furore and public participation in the movement spawned by Anna Hazare is a direct response to the vague sense of incompleteness and unfulfilled potential. At present, it is only the educated elite and the middle classes that are protesting. But, when the battle cry is taken up by the truly deprived who have nothing to lose but their freedom to die a miserable death, there will be, or should be a revolution of a different kind. Hopefully, Anna should be able to control it and steer it out of extreme violence or extreme compromise.

The Kanaga Sabhai at Perur

2011-09-01T04:22:00.002-07:00

One of the most exquisite experiences in appreciating the beauty of temple sculptures in South Indian Temples would be a visit to the “Kanaga Sabhai” or Golden Hall in Perur, Coimbatore. The Kanaga Sabhai at Perur is situated in the Temple of Shiva as Patteeswarar at Perur. The Hall is on our right hand side i.e. The Northern Side) as we enter the Temple through the main Gopuram.

The His

torical Link

Before we proceed to appreciate the beauty of this hall and its famous sculptu

res, we should understand the link between Perur and Chidambaram. It is said that the Thillai Vazh Anthanar, who are the hereditary caretakers of the Chidambaram Temple visited Perur at the behest of the Nayanmar Sundarar and acknowledged that the Kanaga Sabhai was, indeed, a beautifu

l sight to behold. This is possibly why you can see many of the sculptural masterpieces in the Perur Kanagasabhai figuring as motifs on the main Raja Gopuram at the Chidambaram temple; for example the image of Gaja Samharamoorthy and Bichadanar.

But, I think

to truly understand the link between Perur and Chidambaram, one needs to accept the Madurai connection, which arguably is the common link. This is because both Perur and Chidambaram have benefitted from the patronage of the Naickers of Madurai. So the statues of Agora Veerabhadrar and Agni Veerabhadrar which are gigantic icons in the outer praharam of the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple are depicted at Perur as smaller life size figures.

To understand why these three temples which are thus widely separated spatially have such close sculptural links, we must, as I said, understand the Naicker link. The Kana

ga Sabhai, which took 34 years (1625 AD to 1659 AD

) to build, was the brain child of one, Alagadhri Nayak, a brother of Thirumalai Nayak, the Telugu ruler of Madurai. (The Telugu connection in Tamil History is a story by itself and it needs another post of its own!)

The chief Architect who built the Kanaga Sabhai was Kambanachari. The Kanga Sabhai has a symbolic structure.

The Spiritual Symbolism

The Kanaga Sabhai has 36 Pillars

representing the 36 principles of Saiva Sidhanta. There are fifteen steps situated at three different elevations. Each set of five steps represents the Panchakshara or the five letters of the sacred Mantra of Shiva, “Om Na Ma: Shivaya”

The santum santorum of the Lord Nataraja, the Divine Cosmic Dancer is supported by four pillars representing the Four Vedas; it has Nine Windows signifying the Nine Planets likewise the Human Body which has Nine orfices. ( Nava Dvarey Purey Dayhee (Bh. Gita 5:13) Mentally renouncing all actions, the Sovereign dweller in the body (i.e. Atman) resteth serenely in the “City of nine gates” I’e. the body. What are the Nine Gates? The nine apertures that give access to and from the human body seven of them on the face (two eyes, two nostrils, two ears and one mouth) and the two apertures onthe trunk—the gental organ and the excretory organ.)

The lord is reached by the Panchakshara and is to be found inside the Nine Gated City. Veda is knowledge, true knowledge; which is the knowledge of truth, and which alone can libera

te the deluded jeeva and in one effulgent cosmic brilliance make everything known. This is Chidambara Ragasyam or the Secret of Chidambaram which lies open and accessible to all who seek here at Melai Chidambaram or the Chidambaram of the west, which is another name for Perur.

As this wondrous and liberating secret is disclosed here at the Kanagasabhai in Perur, It is not surprising that Perur is considered a place of liberation from the continuous and painful circle of birth and death.

But, the reason why Perur Kanaga Sabhai is of great importance to the Connoissieur of Indian arts and culture are the eight exquisite sculptures on the pillars (four on either side) lining the hall. The stones used to carve the sculptures were brought down from Maruthamalai. These sculptures are, for want of a better word, the star attraction!

Luckily,

the sculptures are in good condition and can be viwed through glass panels which protect them from the unsavoury attentions of the devout and curious alike. The same cannot be told of the smaller icons on the other three sides of each pillar. Well, who except this blogger would walk around each pillar to see these smaller figurines that are linked to the tale told by the main sculpture? An attempt is herein made to describe them.

Nirutha Ganapathy

The father is dancing; so why not t

he eldest son? Left leg on his vahan the mouse a

nd right leg slightly raised and gently touching the ears of the animal, the elephant-headed lord is immersed in the dance eternal. The deity is here represented with eight hands and the trunk twisted to the right (Valam Puri). The Lord’s pot belly is circled by a jeweled ornament with excellent detailing. Even the Mooshikam or Mouse is detailed minutely. One can discern the nails on the Mooshik’s toes!

As we move from from the Lord of Auspicious Beginings who is the embodiment of all knowledge, we behold his Brother.

Arumuga Peruman

Sitting in a relaxed pose (Sukasan) with his left leg folded on the Dancing Peacock Lord Subramanya or Shanmukh (Six Headed one) is also ready for the dance. The usually extended tails of the

peacock are here shown together. The Peacock forms an exquisite curve that compliments the six- headed twelve-armed warlord. (Well, we can see only five as the sixth is believed to be at the back of the figure which is attached to the pillar.) Do take a little time to appreciate the fold of the Peacock’s tail feathers, the decorations including the eyelets on it and the shaping of the Peacock’s legs.

As you behold the Lord can you hear the invitation of Arunagiri Nathar when he beseeches the Lord to come before Prabuda Deva Raya

n and his court: “ Come dancing O Lord, Come Dancing to us, Come dancing seated on a dancing peacock, come dancing nowhere!!! (Now Here!)

Oorthva Thandavar

Shiva is the King of Dancers. Once Kali invited him for a contest in Dancing. As the contest became fierce, the Lord decided to end it all and make Kali realize her true self.

So he

raised his right leg directly right up to towards his right ear! This pose with the upward rised right leg is the best among the 108 dancing postures of Shiva as depicted above the sanctum sanctorum of the Big Temple at Thanjavur.

Just see the intricate workmanship that shows one of the eight pairs beating the damru or the drum below the raised leg! The drum is held in front while the hand comes down from behind the raised leg creating a vivid image. The contortions of the body are carefully shown with every dimension perfectly right. In fact, the figure makes it clear that the pose is not impossible for the human anatomy to attain. But it needs a suppleness of the muscles and bones that comes effortlessly to the Lord and after much effort to mere mortals!

Observe the implements in each hand. Can you see the abayahastha on the second hand from the bottom on the right? Th

e Lord never forgets the welfare of his creation!

Brahma is shown with five heads as this scene occurs before The Lord Shiva removed it as a punishment for his ego and pride. You can see Lord Vishnu keeping the time of the beat with his hands and Karaikaal Ammaiyar who had wished to be below the Lord’s feet when he danced. On the other sides of the Pillar are Nandhi and Narad Muni.

Alankattu Kali

Perur brings together the memorable stories of many of the South Indian Temples. For example the story of the contest between Kali and Shiva was enacted at Thiruvaalankaadu a temple near Thiruvallur not very far from Chennai.

To depict the contest in its entirety, Kambanachari has placed the image of the Kali of Thiruvalankaadu right

opposite the Oordhva Thandava Moorthy. The face of Kali viewed from the sanctum of Lord Nataraja shows remorse and shame while from the doorway we see anger and frustration. What a human touch. No one like’s to be defeated. But all of us have to control our emotions!

Behind the Kali on the Pillar are the other two Shakthis embodied in her, Lakshmi and Saraswathi.

Agni Veerabadrar and Agora VeeraBadrar

The Son of Brahma, Daksha Prajapathi performed a Yajna where he refused and neglected to give Shiva his due sacrificial portion. Enraged by this Shiva created from Himself, sixteen VeeraBhadras to punish Daksha. The Agora Veerabhadra, here depicted in the very act of killing the Demon. His Trishul is embedded on the Asura’s head. A scorpion is enmeshed in the God’s matted hair. His eyes spout fire and his raised whiskers show a just anger that rushes to destroy the forces of evil and darkness wherever they are present. Sometimes even inside the dark recesses of the devotee’s soul!

Agni Veerabhadra is shown after the killing of the Demon. As I remarked, larger-than- life versions of these two sculptures can be seen at Madurai.

After Daksha’s head was severed from his body, he was brought back to life

by the Lord. But, unfortunately as his head had been thrown by the enraged VeeraBhadras into the sacrificial fire he was revived with the Head of a Goat. And, I have been told that the prayer that he chanted with his voice bleating through his Goat Throat was the Chamakam, a prayer where very line ends with “Mey” which resembles the sound made by a goat! (This is possibly Apocryphal!) But, you can see the figure of the Goat-headed Daksha on the Pillar behind thew Agni Veerabhadra Swami.

Gaja Samhara Moorthy

The Lord Shiva killed the Elephant-shaped demon Gajaasura. Shiva placed his left leg on the head of the Elephant and skinned the animal and spread out the skin like a blanket around him. This sculpture shows clearly the contour of the Elephant with its bent head, legs and tail. The Eight-armed God is shown with his right leg raised and bent. The symmetry of this figure is classicand defies description.

In fact, the figure is so well balanced it could stand freely without a pedestal to hold it!

Bikshaadanar

Lord Shiva took the shape of an attractive young sanyasi in order to teach a lesson

to the Rishis of the Tharuka Vanam. The rishi Pathnis on seeing the young Sanyasi lost their self control and ran after him. This sarvaloka vassekara Moorthy is shown opposite the Gaja Samhara Moorthy. A diligent perambulation of the sculpture would show you the figurine of a Rishi Pathni immersed in her contemplation of the Lord!

The pinnacle of the South Indian school of Sculpture can be witnessed at Perur. And the crowning glory of the Kanaga Sabhai is the central free hanging stone-made chains with a stone lotus dangling at the end which can rotate and move around! Obviously, the entire arrangement of chain and lotus must have been crafted from a single boulder!

Don’t believe me, go and see for yourself!

Pichavaram--Still Moments among the Stilt Mangroves

2011-08-27T02:08:00.000-07:00

I have heard a lot about the back waters and Mangroves of Pichavaram near the Temple town of Chidambaram and I have always wanted to visit. I managed this finally as, duly approved by the beetter half, we made our way to the backwater from Big Beach Puducherry. On the NH 45A after crossing Cuddalore one has to take a left near C-Mutlur (Okay there is an B--Mutlur but we never saw an A--Mutlur!) Pichavaram is situated in Kille thaluk.

The Boat House and Restarant are Okay. As we reached there mid-morning, the heat was terrible. We took a motor boat and traveled down the back waters. The ecosystem is essentially Halophytic or salt water tolerant. A peculiar flora of the region are stilt mangroves that are essentially inter-tidal marine plants mostly trees bordering coastal areas. In India they are found only in PichAvaram and the Sunderbans. The Mangroves consisting of plants like Rhizophora Apiculata or Rhizophora Mucanota grow on exposed roots that raise the plant above the sea level. The stems are able to exchange gases and as the tides raise every day they also take in water-borne nutrients. . The roots are embedded in the water-soil, and are similar to the Banyan Roots.

For an extra charge the boatmen will take you throgh canals with overhanging branches of Mangroves forming a tunnel of cooling shade.

Pichavaram may be visited once to see this unique eco-system in action.

Losing oneself in the Immensity of Life

2011-08-27T01:58:00.001-07:00

This year August 15th Independence Day has fallen on Monday giving us a glorious long weekend!

I spent the weekend relaxing on The Big Beach, Puducherry. Though the place is in Puducherry itt's almost Cuddalore. Big Beach is a partr of the Zest Brand of properties. It is really exclusive and has a club house feel rather than a resort. The magnificent view of the green lawns and the sparkling sea beyond is spectacular.

I took time off to sit by the beachside on 14th Evening. Totally at one with nature. Huge sea. Stretching Beach. Sky looming overhead. What are we? A small speck hanging on to the surface of something so immense and large, we do not have the equipment to comprehend fully.

The best one can do is to lose oneself totally in it. Immersed. Enveloped. Surroiunded. A part of it. IT.

No Preparation is the Only Preparation

2011-06-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

The Motto of the Boy Scouts is "Be Prepared." But I feel that sometimes its simply better to float with the flow and not plan too far ahead. This is possibly a great change in Paradigm for me as I am a meticulous "planner" and believe in thinking about and preparing for every eventuality. Meticulous planning and review have been quite useful to me in professional and training work. But, as I said, too much of a concern for the future robs us of the here-and-now expereriential joy of living.

Moreover, in a very real sense, who can predict the future? And even assuming we can arrive at degrees of certainty abvout the future, external events cannot be foretold. The recent events in my life have helped me form this view. So many things are just happenstance. But they have a bearing on the quality of our life.

Does this mean that I am against planning as an activity. Not at all; There must be strong focus on a coherent long term strategy which is rooted in values and principles. But, micro-management of the details of day-to-day living may result in fussiness and frustration. Our approach should be robust enough to adapt to changing events while keeping in mind our long term vision and direction. The best metaphor is a river that uses every weakness in the terrain to cut its way through while never losing sight ofd its ultimate direction, the sea!
In the words of Lee Lozowick, " no preperation is the only preparation."

New Age Swami says Corruption is OK

2011-05-29T03:01:00.000-07:00

On 21^st April Swami Bhodananda addressed the members of the Madras Management Association at Hotel Deccan Plaza. The swami spoke quite well with a lot of polish and sophistication. He justified the need for modernization and decried any call to go back to contentment amidst dirt, squalor and disease.

He proceeded to suggest that Indians should strike a middle path between the “blind worship of Mammon in a hedonistic search for pleasure” and “total apathy under the pretext of renunciation and sacrifice.”

Somewhere deep down the swami came across as a guy who has hit on a formula to hold educated moneyed audiences by mouthing platitudes plausibly and spouting Sanskrit when confused. He quotes well from the Gita and the Upanisads. But he appears to be no more than a well-oiled pulpit orator from amongst the new breed of career swamijis. This is not meant to be derogatory at all, especially in a country that takes pride in respecting sadhus. As far back in Indian history as during the mauryan era, there were a class of itinerant mendicants who relied on society to feed, clothe and shelter them. This is part of the Hindu culture. It is only when these renounced souls expect to be driven around in luxury cars and treated like celebrities that their credibility is questioned. There will be a class of Sadhus so long as there are people eager to fall at their feet.

One thing I missed with Sw. Bhodananda was the systematic pattern of delivery and reverence to Guru Parampara that is a hallmark of established organization like the Rama Krishna Mission or the Chinmaya Mission or Sw. Dayananda Saraswathi’s Mission. In fact I was a bit surprised when the Swami began his “discourse” directly without a brief Salutation to God and his Guru! OK! He is a new age swami who embraces change for it’s own sake!

Like a seasoned stand up comedian he threw in a few well-delivered jokes. I liked these:

· The Swamiji goes to a hotel and orders food. After the meal the swamiji is charged $18. He pays with a $20 bill. The hotel owner who had been part of the audience at the discourse of the swami did not give back the change. The Swmiji asks him why. The guy says, “Swamiji, it was you who said Change should come from within. So search within”. (A bit corny, nio doubt but it has a flavor of Zen in it.)

· A visitor meets two men in a Lunatic asylum. He asks the first the reason for his being there. The man says, “I am here because I loved a woman and I couldn’t marry her.” The second man in reply to a similar enquiry says, “I am here because I married her!”

The swamiji went a bit too far in his attempts to appease the predominantly busuness audience when he openly declared that we should a cast a blind eye on rampant corruption because “that is the way it is with the world”. He said corruption is inevitable in a country that is moving from Developing to middle income status. I question the logic of Swami Bhodananda’s view because development and corruption have no correlation whatsoever. There are numerous countries in the EU which have developed economically without encouraging corruption. On the other hand countries where the corruption quotient is high tend to be poor and under developed. He went on to “justify” corruption by naming other countries like Israel which are even worse in corruption. It is apparent that Israel cannot be on the swamiji’s itinerary during his next world tour! Unless of course he has been permitted by the US to make these comments!

An argument is support of accepting corruption as a way of life doesn’t sit well on a monk who shold either be above these mundane matters or willing to condemn every type of unrighteous behavior that demeans the individual and society.

Listening in Silence

2011-05-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

LISTEN and SILENT are two words with the same alphabets and are very closely associated. To LISTEN you have to be SILENT!

Kanipakkam

2011-05-29T02:56:00.000-07:00

During a recent visit to Chittoor in April, I visited the Ganesh Temple at Kanipakkam. This is a famous temple situated about twelve kilometers from Chittoor. It can be accesed from the Bangalore Bye Pass road as well as from the city. As we travel towards Chittoor on the Bangalore road, just before entering Chittor the road forks. The right hand of the fork leads into Chittoor town; the left goes onward to Bangalore. Journeying down this road for about three kilometers we reach the right turn for the Thirrupathi bye-pass. The sign post for Kanipakkam is clearly displayed and after a drive of about twelve kilometers we reach Kanipakkam which is on the left hand side of the road.

The temple has been beautifully renovated and the temple gopuram is elegant and imposing from the distance. Apparently, the temple attracts huge crowds as there are provisinons for handling long winding queues. Luckily, we had no problems as the day we visited was the date of the Final World Cup Cricket Match!

Opposite the main entrance which is reached by a covered pathway from both North and South is the temple tank. We washed our feet therein and thus purified entered the temple. The temple as such is slightly below ground level possibly because the original sanctum was once a pool of blood. The sanctumis a small shrine and the murthy is swayambhoo; a rock formation resembling the elephant headed God with a huge golden crown atop the “head” of the image.

On the way back after Darshan one of the priests who was distributing the holy water was kind enough to relate the sthala puranam or “story of the place”.

The Kanipakkam Sthala Puranam

The land where the temple is now situated had originally been donated to group of handicapped people by the local king. They were suffering from a diverse set of disabilities such as blindness, hearing impairment and so on. One day as they were digging a well for water, the trowel hit a rock. Blood spurted out from the place where the metal had made a gash in the rock and splattered on the handicapped people. Lo and behold they were made whole and regained their faculties. The blood gushing forth from the “wound” spread out and intermingled with the coconut water from the coconuts that devotees broke near the shrine. This liquid got collected in shallow pool which had an area of about a Kani (one and half acres) of land! Thus was derived the name Kani Paarkam or water occupying one kani of land. Eventually the diety was identified as Ganesh from the distinct ewlephat head and trunk. The miraculous property of this “water” flowing from the idol spread far and wide and people with incurable maladies flocked t o Kanipakkam for relief from their sufferings and a cure ofor their unfortunate condition. The water flowed freely and entered the nearby Bahula rive which was earlier flowing qqquite near the temple precincts. It has currently receded further.

How the river got its name is another miraculous story. Two brothers had wandered into a chieftain’s mango grove. Being extremely hungry, the younger of the two ate a mango. The owner who was the local chieftain ordained that the handsand legs of the “thief” be severed from his body! Thus cruelly mutilated for a minor offence, the younger brother was taken by the elder to Kanipakkam where they placed their complaint at the santum of Lord Ganesha. When the water of the river touched thw body the younger brother regained his limbs . In Sanskrit, Baahuy means hands or limbs and as it had made the limbs grow again this cleansing and curing river was henceforth called “Bahula”.

This story also gives credibility to a prevailing belief that people who are unjustly punished or accused can pray to the deity and obtain relief. Similarly a confession made openly and sincerely at Kanipakkam absolves the commiter of the offence from the sin or Papa. Under the Evidence Act a confession made before a maguistrate alone can be enforcedas evidence in a court of law. But British judges and subsequently Indian courts have consistently allowed and admitted as evidence the statement of a person who had heard the accused make an open confession at Kanipakkam! Nowadays the statement is taken as a relevant fact or corroborative evidence.

There is a temple to Hanuman nearby on a small hillock called Ardhakonda (Or part of a mountain). Thisd is in allusion to the popular belief that this hillock is a piece of the famous Sanjeevani Hill that fell down in this area while Hanuman was porting it to the battle field in Lanka. Due to paucity of time we could not make it there.

The temple is open almost throughout the day. The sanctum is open till 4:00 PM when it is closed for an hour to perform Abishekam. Avoid Sundays as it can be quite crowded on that day.

The Badugas—Simplicity and Happiness

2011-05-29T02:54:00.000-07:00

During my trip to Coonoor in January this year, I had the opportunity of visiting a community of Badugas and interacting with them. The Badugas are Veera Shaiva Lingayats who fled Karnataka to escape the persecutions of Tipu Sultan, the then muslim ruler of Mysore.

Here are some tid bits about the Badugas:

There are both Vegetarians and non-vegetarians among them. The Veera Shaiva Lingayats are pure vegetarian. An essentially agrarian community, they are fiercely loyal to their identity as Badugas. The youngsters and elders form a seamless chain through which traditions, customs and usages have been passed down since time immemorial.
They are a simple contented people. They are patriarchical and large families live together in peace and harmony with common kitchens and common lands. They strictly prohibit marriages within the same Hatti or village. So a man from one hatti, say kallatti, has to search in another hatti for a bride. This prevents consanguinity and promotes biological diversity while at the same time preserving the close-knit nature of this community.
There is no concept of dowry or exorbitant demands from the brides family. In fact the entire marriage cost is borne by the groom!
Five or seven elders of the groom’s village go one day before the marriage to to the bride’s village with a symbolic Ana Kaasu or small gold coins as gifts. They are treated with respect when they reach the bride’s place where they seek the consent of the bride’s family to take the bride to their village for the marriage function. They visit every house in the Hatti and take consent! The bride too has to visit every relative, fall at their feet and take blessings. The bridal party then proceeds to the groom’s village where the nuptials take place.
The Badugas are world famous for their hospitality. In fact UNESCO has recognized them as the most hospitable community in the world! We experienced this first hand in the Hatti where, at every house we were “forced” by the host to eat or drink something. A baduga delicacy is Thupputhittu (it literally means dipped-in-ghee) a sweetmeat made of flour. It tastes best when dipped in hot tea!
The hatti is situated right in the middle of a valley surrounded by the Nilagiri hills. Thew Hatti consists of arrays of houses built one above the other with each house having a huge courtyard in front where the Badugas can meet together and have fun. The houses are essentially small because they have to retain the warmth. Each unit has a small hall, an inner room with a wooden platform for receivng and seating close guests, a small alcove for pooja and a kitchen. The Bedrooms are on the first floor and are accessed by a wooden step ladded. The comfortable beds are laid on the wooden flooring to increase the warmth. Each house faces east and has a window in the first floor giving a magnificent view of the surrounding hill side. So every one wakes up in the morning every day to a panoramic view of sunrise on the mountains! What can money provide except a false sense of security. The lifestyle of the Badugas epitomizes the value of simplicity and the benefits of aligning our life with nature.
The badugas being Lingayats, carry a saligramamon their person in small siver casket. They carry this wiuth them permanently. The men wear the casket knotted to their sacred thread which is worn like cross belt across the body from left to right. The women wear the casket in their mangal sutra or on a chain around their neck.
Whwen a Lingayat is finally summoned from this sublunary abode, his body is buried in a seated position with legs in the lotus position and the hands held in front of the body palms upward. Finally after the body is interred into the triangular catacomb, the saligramam or lingam that the Lingayat has been carrying throughout his life is placed inside the mouth and then the body is buried. This, in my opinion is another symbolic reference to the oneness of creator and created. Jeevathma Paramatma Ikyam.

The King's Speech

2011-05-29T02:49:00.000-07:00

I am glad that I did not read any reviews or even know the gist of the story before watching this Oscar winning movie. Right from the first scene where the duke of York fails to deliver his maiden speech to his father, King George V’s loyal subjects as his father’s representative to the last scene when he delivers the moving speech to His people as H M king George VI, the movie is great.

Extremely well designed period settings and authentic casting of well known public figures such as Chamberlain and Churchill make the movie a treat to watch.

It is not merely the story of a Monarch who stammered and then delivered an awesome speech. It also portrasys the human side of the royal family. The deep longing that “Bertie” (King George VI) played by Colin Firth has for normal life and a friend to whom he can pour out his heart is moving. The movie is the story of a unique friendship between Lionel Logue the Aussie Speech therapist (Played by Geoffrey Rush) and King Geoge VI.

The last sub title on the screen says, “ Bertie and Lionel remained friends throughout their life.” This is the essence of the movie.

Colin Firth as the stammering King makes the suffering of a speech impairment immediate and palpable. He is a King; yet he is a normal man with a normal problem. He is supportedand sucoured by his wife ( Bonham Carter) who is “immensey likable” according to Outlook magazine film reviewer Namrata Joshi.

The death of King George V, the abdication of Edward and coronation of George VI are well known events. But the movie thoughtfully avoids cliché and pomp and sticks to an inside-out look at these events from the point of view of the players rather than the public. So we have thee King and his family watching the cortonation in black and white on screen! (A factoid I picked up from Maggie our city guide during my recent visit to London: The Kohinoor diamond was not worn on George VI on his crown during the coronation. It adorned the queen. This is because the stone is considered inauspicious on men though women may wear it with impunity!)

Each speech or event is put in the context of a human being, a family and a life. This lends an intimacy to the viewing experience anda consequent empathy with the protagonists. The arch bishop tells the king that he is worried about the head he is going toi crown. The King retorts, “but it is my head!’

This brings out another basic theme in the movie which is the continuous loss of privacy and freedom to live one’s life the way one wants to. The pressures of having to live up to the expectations of a whole nation drive a boy to become a stammerer.

“My game; my turf; my rules”— This is Lionel’s comment to Berties wife when asked to visit him at the Palace. This is his voice, Subdued, yet smooth and firm like silk. Not holding tight but never letting go. He rises above his own frustrations as a failed actor to help Bertie perform his most important role as a King. In this sense, Lionel is the epitome of the Eighth Habit which says, “Find your Own Voice and Inspire Others to Find theirs.”

Title to the Calf

2011-05-29T02:47:00.000-07:00

I was lecturing on the Sale of Goods Act recently when I had this peculiar query from a participant:

A female elephant was sold by A to B. The elephant was pregnant and during transit from A to B, the elephant delivered a calf. To whom does the calf belong? The querist was not clear as to how neither seller nor buyer was aware that the elephant was pregnant. Apparently the elephant alone was aware that she was in the family way!

My reply:

As the sale had taken place as is where is without any specific provision as to disposal of accretions, B the seller would be entitled to the calf. I was support by a whole contingent of participants from Kerala in this view. I also learnt that the price of an elephant may range from rupees ten to fifteen lakhs. Wow!

Punctuality

2011-05-29T02:46:00.000-07:00

If I give the time and you don’t come, you insult me. When you give the time and you don’t come you insult yourself.

Glimpses of the Life Eternal

2011-05-29T02:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in moments of inspired intuition when the ego sublimates, the veil of ignorance is lifted slightly and I glimpse the dizzying splendour of life eternal.

Varkala—God Proposes; Wife Disposes

2011-05-29T02:26:00.000-07:00

2011 seems to be the year for visiting Thiruvananthapuram. Here I am again in the sleepy-headed somnolent capital of God’s own country. I am here to attend a professional conference. The city is interspersed with quaint two-storey buildings with sloping red-tiled roofs. Some of these date back to the Travancore era when colonial structures were built side-by-side traditional kerala houses. The old secretariat building is a white colonial structure that is quite imposing and a relic of a Trivandrum that could absorb western intrusion without losing an iota of its essential Malayaleeness!

I personally feel Trivandrum would always be caught in a time warp. We can step back into the past to about a hundred years ago by simply taking an unplanned detour from a main thoroughfare into the side lanes and streets with their arrays of ancient houses amidst lush green coconut trees.

This time thanks to the enthusiasm of a couple of professional friends, I went to Pazhavankaadu Ganapathi Temple and Sree Kandeswaram Sivan Temple. The Shivan temple which is a short walk from the main Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple is small but sanctified. The idol was totally encased in sandal paste with the face of Shiva with Trinethra clearly delineated. We also witnessed the Seeveli or the ritual perambulation of the idol around the temple precincts. This is an important ritual in the Kerala temples and is the last one for the day. After this the main door is closed till the morning Nirmalya Darshan. The idol is taken three times around the sanctum affording everyone an opportunity to have a clear dharshan. Larger temples in Thrissur and Guruvayoor use elephants to carry the idol. Here the idol was carried by the main thanthri by hand. This temple has a pure white decorated bull that walks majestically in front of the seeveli possession. The bull is an alternate symbol of Shiva as it is the vehicle or Vahan of the God.

During my New Year visit to Trivandrum we did visit the beach at Varkala. The place is famous for its white sands and we found tourists from abroad flocking here too, though not in such large numbers as at Kovalam. The place is also an important religious shrine and is known as papanaasam. This is because of the Janardhana Swamy Temple which is situated on a hillock nearby. Last time I could not visit the Temple and have darshan of the Lord who is believed to accompany the departed soul on its last journey to the nether worlds. God beckons and Man proposes but Wife Disposes!

Not being accompanied by my wife, this time I made it. The main entrance is from the Agraharam on the Eastern side. There is a wide flight of stone steps leading up to an entrance mandap. The roof is made of wood and the walls have nice carvings on them.The more popular entrance is a narrow and steep staircase on the northern side as the buses stop here on the way to the beach.

I saw a bas relief of Lord Rama, an obedient Hanuman with arms folded in salute and a larger image of Garuda ready to fly on the pedestal bearing the entrance Mandap. The Nine Prajapathis were once cursed by Brahmaji to be born on earth. Sage Narada threw down the dress of Bark or Val-kala he was wearing as a symbol of renunciation and advised them to go down to the world to the spot where his Val-kala or dress of bark fell down. That place became Varkala. The connection with Rama is described thus. Rama could not attend Brahmaji's Yajna at Varkala on his way back to Ayodhya as he was in a hurry to reach Nandigram and relieve Lored Bharatha. But instead he did attended through his doppelganger, a brahmin called Janarthana. The idol of the Lord Janarthana in the Temple has one of the hands of the deity carrying the ritual water offered by Brahma to be drunk after the meal to its mouth. Tradition has it that this hand is slowly rising towards the mouth and that when it finally reaches the mouth of the idol, the Pralaya or Apocalypse will ensue!

The sunset at Varkala beach is a divine sight.

I made a third visit to Thiruananthapuram in February to attend a Masonic meet. This time it was pure business. Before leaving I dropped in on the Masonic temple a t Trivandrum.

Coonoor

2011-05-29T02:25:00.000-07:00

Ootacamund is polluted and congested. Denuded of tree cover, it has become a highly commercialized concrete jungle. The Ooty lake (No! the Ooty pond!) with its amusement arcade and food stalls completely covering the lake front is a parody of the place I enjoyed visiting as recently as in the late eighties or even early nineties. The Botanical Garden retains and reflects a little bit of the former splendor possibly due to its protected position behind walls.

For the discerining traveler to the Nilgiris, Coonoor is a better option. Coonoor, which was formerly the commercial and trading centre is now emerging as a viable alternative to Oooty as a hill resort. The pleasant town built on the slopes of the surrounding hills is similar to Shimla or Kohima where scenic beauty and day-to-day commercial life go hand-in-hand.

For those of us who decide to eschew the beaten “tourist” track to Ooty, a good idea is to take the toy train from Coonoor to Ooty and back. This historical track was laid in 1897 by the British. It is, today, a museum piece. The stations are preserved almost in the same condition in which they were originally built more than a hundred years ago. The route cuts across valleys and runs thrugh tunnels which cut into the intervening hills. The stations between Coonoor and Ooty are Wellindon, Aruvankadu (there is a cordite factory here), Keti (the famous last scene in Moonram Pirai was shot here) and Lovedale.

Isha Dhyana Lingam

2011-05-29T02:21:00.000-07:00

I have heard a lot about the Isha Yoga Centre and was keen on visiting the place. During my visit to Coimbatore and Coonoor in January this year, I had an opportunity to do so. The Centre is about 40 kms out of Coimbatore at the foot of the Sacred Velliyangiri hills. The base of the Velliyangiri hills from where the devotees ascend is about a kilometer from the Isha Centre.

Silence is a norm here. As we enter the complex we see a a huge black sculpture of a Nandi or seated bull in modern minimalist style. The sculpture depicts the rib cage and bone structure of the bull thus adding an element of verisimilitude to an otherwise iconic image. The Nandi is seated facing the Dhyana Lingam which is inside the covered dome within the complex. As photography is prohibited inside I could not take any.

All cell phones and cameras are to be deposited before entering the complex. The volunteers and serving devotees at the Centre are extremely courteous. Before commencing the perambulation of the shrine we are invited to view a five minute introductory video which explains the significance and symbolism of the various parts of the Centre. It also serves as a guide to behavior for visitors, There was no evangelistic or other content in the video seeking to “convert” the visitor to the views expressed by Jaggi Vasudev or Isha. It was just information on a take-it-orleave it basis! This is very professional.

The first point in the tour is the Linga Bhairavi Shrine. Female facial features are superimposed on an egg shaped Linga Roopam. The eyes, the red tilak and nose ring indicate the female energy flow. The Trishul is embedded in front of the idol at a slightly acute angle instead of the usual perpendicular. The shrine has no shikara or gopuram and like almost all other enclosures in the complex is shaped like a WWII nissen hut. The shrine, as such, is situated below the ground level and is approached by broad steps and wised platforms where devotees can sit. This ensures that all devotees get a good view of the altar.

The next pavilion is the Theerth Kund. A small pool akin to a swimming pool situated about 80-90 feet down. It reminded me of temple tanks in Kerala where covered steps lead down to the water. Inside this pool is a Mercury Shiv ling which almost spherical. For a fee one can enter the pool and hug the lingam. This is supposed to be good for your health. There very few visitors when we were there and we could have entered. But as we had no chage of clothes we refrained from entering.

Thereafter we made our way to the main attraction—The Dhyan Lingam. The publicity photos are apparently short at a wide angle and give the impression of a towering phallic symbol with a serpent twined around the base. In reality the dome is not as high as I expected and the Dhyana Lingam was not as awe inspiring as I had hoped it would be.

There are small recesses like catacombs around the lingam on the curving walls. Visitors who enter the shrine are made to sit in these recesses and meditate. The claim made by Centre is that a person can attain a state of bliss or ananda just by sitting there without trying to concentte or even attempting to meditate. Personally, I could not feel the connection. I spent the mandatory ten minutes alternatively closing my eyes or staring at the snake entwined phallus thinking and watching my thoughts. May be I am not ready for Isha or vice versa?

The passage that leads to the Dhyana Lingam shrine has bas relief images of famous devotees of Shiva like Meiporul Nayana, Poosalar Nayanar, Akka Maha Devi, Kannappa Nayanar and Sadhasiva Brahmendrar.

The food court and memento shop sell crafts and eatables. It was a bit surprising to find that an institution that advocates organic and natural food and a non-spicy diet is selling every type of junk food in its own official cafeteria. Why don’t they offer a taste of organic food in their own food court?

The entire place is commercialized and aimed at lightening the purse of the one-time tourist visitor. But it is all a good cause if we go by Jaggi Vasudev’s promise to convert the world into a eco-friendly green paradise.

Asthamudi

2011-03-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

Asthamudi is a huge lake near quilon. The lake is connected to the Arabian Sea by waterways and canals. It also has connections with the backwaters criss-crossing the region between Kollam and Kochi.

The eponymous Club Mahindra property where I stayed is a long stretch of palm-lined flat land on the banks of the lake. From my room, which has a nice sit out, I could see the waters of the lake glistening in the early morning sun. Small wavelets surge and subside on the surface of the lake which stretchews out in all directions right up to the distant horizon.

It was literally like spending a few days in paradise. The weather was cool with occasional heat. I spent the time catching up with my reading while sprawling on one of the hammocks lining the waterfronmt! Sometimes we went for boat rides out to the Arabian sea or on the canals and waterways running through the villages.

Thiruananthapuram--New Year 2011--First Visit

2011-03-06T08:27:00.001-08:00

It is my usual practice to take a week off at the end of every year and use the opportunity to review the past 365 days as also plan how I would optimize the forthcoming year.... I invariably leave Chennai and spend the week in a remote location, ideally near nature and temples...This time, I spent the New Year 2011 in Kerala...with my family.

I spent some time at Kovalam near Thiruananthapuram...

We stayed on the Vilinjam Beach in Sagara Resort. The sickle shaped beach curves beautifully with a walk way and glittering shops and hotels serving freshly caught fish. As the sun went down into the Arabian Sea, the place was a colorful sight with neon bulbs and signboards everywhere. The foreign tourists wandering all over the place gave the feel of Pattaya Beach, Thailand. The only thing missing was "Walking Street"! :-)
The mornings were spent bathing in the sea. The waves are gentle here and just standing in the middle of the rolling smaller waves with water up-to one's hip and then rising with a larger wave moving towards the shore is a delightful experience. The coastline forms a nice inlet or cove at Vilinjam with rocky promontories on either side holding a huge body of water between them. It is upon the southern promontory that the Lighthouse stands.
On the afternoon of the second day I climbed the Vilinjam lighthouse with my children. The tedious climb up the winding staircase was worth it because the view was great. From the circular turret we got a glorious view of the beach and surrounding areas in the east and the large expanse of sea on the west. Fropm atop the ligyhthose we saw a kite circling the ocean. As we were above the Kite, we got a Birds Eye View of the Bird!
Later in the evening we went to Attukkal Bhagavathy Temple and then Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple. In the outer corridor of the Attukkal Bhagawathy temple, which holds the Guinness record for the Largest assembly of women in a singkle place for Pongala, there is a concrete image of Hanuman on one of the pillars. I was truly facinated by the image. The Deity is depicted majestically upright with tail raised above the head and legs apart. The right hand holds the lowered mace or Gadhayudham and the left is on his hip. The head is lowered as if looking down at the devotee paying obeiscance to him. It is a great and unique figure.

Maruthamalai

2011-03-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

I was in Coimbatore on 13^th January. I visited the Temple of Lord Muruga on Marutha Malai. AS the temple was almost empty we had a lot of space to move around and enjoy the divine experience. My earlier trips to this shrine had been quick on-the-way to Ooty visits when I had no opportunities to savour the ambience. Moreover I could see huge improvements in the place. The rough-hewn steps leading up to the main shrine have been replaced by broad granite ones. The view of the main Gopuram Structure (Raja Gopuram - which is still under construction) from the car park is superb as the elevation rears up majestically with the mountain ranges towering up and above in the backdrop.

There is a separate shrine for Shiva and one for the divine mother Parvathi too! Apparently Murugan is a dutiful son here sincerely taking care off his parents. Ganesha the Big Brother is as usual ubiquitous. There is huge Ganesha idol just next to the sanctum and a beautiful Valampuri Vinayagar with trunk twisted to the right near the Dvajasthambam. As we get down from the main shrine, we can see the Pancha Vrksha Vinayagar at the base of five intertwined trees with dendritic profusions all around. Nera the Pancha Vrksha Ganapathi is a stone slab with an image of Murugan in bas relief. The sculpture depicts the Warlord sitting on a peacock with its tail feathers spread out like a fan behind the Lord. The Vel or spear in his hand is directed downward as idf piercing our ignorance (maya) and Ego (ahamkara)!

This sculpture reminded me of the pillar sculpture at Perur where Arumuga Nayanar or Murugan is depicted in three dimensional splendor seated on a peacock. The craftsmanship is so exquisite that the sixth head is carved on the reverse side and can be seen from behind the pillar! The Perur temple has been recently renovated.

A little down is the Adhi Moolasthaanam where the swayambhu idols or stones representing Muruga, Valli and Devayanai are enshrined.

About sixty steps or so further down is a shrine to Pambatti Siddhar, one of the Eighteen Seers who are renowned in the Sidhha Lineage. Due to lack of time (!) we couldn’t go there. I made up my mind to visit this shrine as well as the Shiva temple at Perur on my next visit to Coimbatore.

The Flute and the Football

2011-03-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

This is a nice story related by Mr. T R Pachamuthu, Chancellor, SRM University in his acceptance speech on receiving the For The Sake of Honor Award from my Rotary Club:

The flute and the football went to God. The football complained that although both of them were essentially filled with air in order to perform their duties, the flute was kissed while it was kicked. God smiled and said, “ You take in all the air and keep it inside, while flute gives out everything that it gets. No wonder that you are kicked and it is kissed!”

I liked this story and related it at a seminar on the Seven Habits at Chennai. I was giving the participants who were senior Chartered Accountants an overview of the Seven Habits and my own experiences in internalizing them. I repeated this story in the context of Being Proactive. One of the participants Mr. Sekhar a Chartered Accountant gave a different take on this story. He made the point that the football could never follow God’s advice because its role demanded that it retained the air. The role of the flute as a corollary precludes retaining even an mg. of air that it gets. He brought out clearly the need for role clarity without unnecessary emotional overtones.

I continue to marvel at how different people view the same thing so differently!

Janani Janma Bhoomi

2011-01-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Indian Capital Markets: From here where?

The year 2011 has opened with a mixed bag. Hopes and aspirations of both investors as well as the business community are hanging on a precipice. The question is whether the markets will harden and start moving north or whether it will hover around at current levels. Many leading lights in the capital market are giving their guestimates for Sensex and Nifty as on 31.12.2011. A better idea may be to predict the price of onions. Onions truly seem to have replaced Sensex as the talk of the town. Jokes apart, the broader issue is not about the market itself but rather about the sustainability of the India Shining Story.

Although the liberalization story should rightly be traced to the decisions of the young and intrepid Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, his untimely death at Sriperumbudur led India down a slightly different tunnel into the wonderland of economic development. Liberalization continued with two other policies resulting in the coining of the aconym LPG—Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization. The author’s of the new India Growth story were, of course, Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh.

There is an apocryphal story about the Liberalization story which goes like this: Manmohan then Finance Minister, goes to Rao’s house one morning almost as soon as he took over as Prime Minister. It’s early in the morning and the FM has a sheaf of papers in his hand. Rao opens the main door still in his lungi and asks him what he wants. Manmohan says, “Sir, we are proposing to partially liberalize the economy. This is the new industrial policy and the Government Orders where we are delicensing 14 industries. Will you please sign them?”

Rao looks at Manmohan and asks, “How many industries are we planning to liberalize?” Manmohan informs him that on the whole there is proposal to liberalize 21 industries. Narasimha Rao says, “Why are you delaying the process. Bring all the GOs to me in one shot, I will clear them all!”

Whether this story is true or not, the haste that the then Prime Minister showed was laudable as India had nearly a decade of economic growth back log to make up when compared with China, Taiwan and Korea. But, once the policy framework was put in place, the statutes were slowly amended to suit the policy. Rival governments might have differed on political ideologies but they have not wavered from the common LPG agenda.

The proof of the pudding was proved in the eating. The India growth story has not lost its steam. The global financial melt-down has left India comparatively unscathed. This is also due to the decision not to make the rupee fully convertible. Full convertibility is not economically bad, as such. In fact the relative indifference with which most Indian Business men have treated the Liberalized Remittance scheme seems to indicate that India is seen as the best investment destination. Similarly the rush of qualified professionals abroad has abated post Global Melt down. There are many Indians working abroad who wouldn’t mind coming back to Bangalore or Chennai given half the chance. They seem to echo the feelings of Lord Rama addressing Lakshmana in Lanka.

When Lord Rama defeated Ravana in the historical battle of Lanka, Lakshman, Lord Rama's brother asked him to settle in that beautiful city of Lanka which was supposedly made of bricks of Gold. This is the actual quote from Valmiki Ramayan of Lord Rama's answer to Lakshmana's request.

अपि स्वर्णमयी लंका न मे लक्ष्मण रोचते ।

जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी ॥

Api swarnamayee lankaa na me Lakshmana rochate

janaanee janmabhoomishcha swargaadapi gareeyasee

(O Lakshmana, I don't like Lanka though made up of gold

(because) mother & motherland are greater than heaven.)

I think it’s the right time to accept the power of our motherland and our capability to emerge as a super power in the world. This is one of the greatest times to be an Indian in India! 2011 marks the beginning of an epoch in the annals of our nation which may never occur again. 1991 to 2010 saw two decades of growth which was steady but slow. The next one decade as we move towards 2020 will see growth as we have never seen before. Whole cityscapes will change. New cities will be born. In this story of growth the beneficiaries would be those companies that do not simply accept or adapt to change but those that initiate and embrace change.

As investors we need to watch out for companies that have a proven track record of innovation and change. We should look for business models that work on changing with customer needs and profiles. Classic examples are the Telecom and Software sector where the customer base is growing steadily. Companies like Bharthi Airtel deserve a glance even at the current price levels keeping in mind a long term perspective. In the Software and Information Sector, we should wait and watch for opportunities to buy scrips like Infosys and TCS, when the markets take a dive in March-April.

The Infrastructure and Construction story are yet to happen. The potential scrips are not yet listed. But, with increasing opportunities, the huge construction contracting companies with huge order books on hand will access the primary markets. The length of the roads to be laid; number of new airports to be enlarged or built anew will be reflected in the huge bottomline of these companies. Some players like VA Tech Wabag Ltd and CCCL will be potential gainers. But ethical practices, corporate governance and professionalism in management will distinguish the winners from the also-rans. The fall-out of this would fuel the successs stories of cyclical like Steel and Cement.

Banking is a service sector line that is going to see a continuous progression growth followed by consolidation. Some of the potential targets for acquisition like IOB, Karnataka Bank and the small Kerala based banks are the best bets. A larger bank which may come out of the consolidation phase as winner is HDFC.

But all this will need an environment or climate that nurtures independent entrepreneurial effort as well as a level playing field where the Indian business houses can consolidate their position before taking flight as emerging transnationals with global reach and control.

Let me conclude this article with the wish list for India Inc as well as the Indian Investor:

· Rational, if not lower direct and indirect tax structures with clarity in the implementation issues.

· A Government where an honest administration service works outside the stranglehold of political bosses and their convoluted and self-serving agenda.

· Better Infrastructure in the form of smoother roads, larger harbours and broader telecommunication bandwidths.

· Reduction in the cost of raising finance through the development of more stock exchanges and other Market Infrastructure Intermediaries.

In the words of the immortal poet Rabindranath Tagore in his Gitanjali, “into that heaven of freedom let our country awake.”

A thought to begin the year

2011-01-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

And let no one imagine that it is a mere fancy, the attaching of importance to the birth of the year. The earth passes through its definite phases and man with it; and as a day can be coloured so can a year. The astral life of the earth is young and strong between Christmas and Easter. Those who form their wishes now will have added strength to fulfill them consistently.

—H. P. Blavatsky

Lucifer, January, 1888

Imagine the Earth devoid of human life, inhabited only by plants and animals. Would it still have a past and a future? Could we still speak of time in any meaningful way? The question “What time is it?” or “What’s the date today?” — if anybody were to ask it —would be quite meaningless. The oak tree or the eagle would be bemused by such a question. “What time?” they would ask. “Well, of course, it’s now. The time is now. What else is there?”—Eckhart Tolle in “The Power of Now”.

Throughout the recent Coonoor trip, I did not wear a watch. Nor did I plan anything based on time schedules. I went with the flow enjoying every minute as it came to me and allowing it to pass by without regret or happiness.

I am slowly understanding the meaning of silence and its role in promoting true happiness. Sometimes words are inadequate. Silence alone can satisfy certain situations. I continue my experiments with silence.

Silence promotes contemplation.

Silence promotes listening.

Silence Promotes Concentration.

Silence promotes understanding.

Silence forces the other person to make himself clearer by speaking from his heart.

When I speak I ASSUME; so I make an ASS of U and ME.

When I am silent there are no assumptions. So I don’t make an ASS of U and ME!

Matthur

2010-12-30T04:53:00.000-08:00

Every temple in India has a tale behind it. Mathur situated 10 kilometers on the left of the Thiruthani-Thirupathi road is no exception. When work was underway for laying the railway line, the diggers discovered a beautiful statue of Devi Mahishasuramardhini under the ground. The eight-foot high idol depicted the multi-armed manifestation of Durga on a lion piercing the asura with her three pointed spear. The Asura is ignorance; Devi is Light. They have built a nice little temple near the railway track. The place is a divine location with open fields, a small tank with water and in the distance the mountains running in a continuous range.

The Neem Tree (Azadirachta Indica) situated right in front of the sanctum sanctorum, which is intertwined with a Peepul Tree or Arasa Maram (Ficus Religiosa) is the Sthala Vrksham. The Neem tree is the symbol of Shakthi or Energy and the Peepul tree is the male. Thus when these two trees grow intertwined in a place they symbolize the natural meging of energy into matter to create life force. While Neem and Peepul trees are worshipped on teir own, the reverence shown to these twinned trees is even greater. Further, the local lore has it that the Devi out of her infinite compassion takes on herself all our sorrows and bitterness. Symbolizing this transference of bitterness, the leaves of the neem tree in front of the sanctum sanctorum at this temple are devoid of their usual sharp bitterness. The leaves of this tree are offered as prasadh to devotees at the temple.

A rare view of the Sholinghur Temple

2010-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

25.12.2010

I made my annual pilgrimage to Sholinghur today. As we had spent the night in Sriperumbudur, we took the Kaveripakkam route. We took the right at Kaveripakkam on the Chennai-Bangalore highway after the Kancheepuram cutting. We passed through Banavaram which the railhead for Sholinghur and made our way to Sholinghur. On the way we could glimpse the holy hills on our left from quite far away. The Kaveripakkam road runs radially and meets the Arokonam connecting road very near shoilnghur. So we got a rare glimpse of both the hills in a line. So, here is a shot of Chinna Malai with the shrine of Yoga Anjaneyar on top and behind it at a dizzying height is the Yoga Narasimhar Temple atop the Periya Malai, where Lord Narasimha and Amirthavalli Thayar reside. You can see the Gold Leaf Plated Vimanam of the Lord shining brightly in the morning sun.

Karl Kubel Institute, Anaikatti, Coimbatore

2010-12-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

21.12.2010

I am here with my good friend and trainer Roopkumar to conduct a two-day Outbound Training Programme for the senior executives of Texmo Industries.

I have heard a lot about Karl Kubel from Coimbatore Trainers and corporate executives. But I could never visit. Nestled at the foot of the Anaikatti range of hills, the Institute is picturesque with green lawns and spreading conifers. It is run by an NGO founded by Karl Kubel a German philanthrophist. It has locational advantages for conducting Outbound training. More than 100 people can be accommodated in the various training blocks scatteres over the sprawling grounds. Each block has its own rooms for lodging and Training halls. The Dining area is common and centrally located. The food was healthy and hot and had a Kerala flavor. In winter when the air is vchilly, it is almost like a hill resort.

Behind the Institute from south to north the western ghats rear up majestically. The road passing by the Institute goes further up to Anaikatti and thereafter to Mukkali, Mannarkad, and Silent Valley in Kerala.

There is absolutely no external disturbance due to the remote location. The fact that the cell phone connection is fragile means we don’t have to bother about participants going out for taking calls.

My ears, so used to the continuous buzz and background muzak of city life were pleasantly relieved by the total silence prevailing in the institute. This absolute “Nisabdha” or “absence of noise” served to accentuate sounds and make them louder than usual. The chirping of birds in the morning and the sound of a twig cracking as someone steps on it were clearly audible.

There is a very tenuous moble connection outside the main gate of the Institute. I went thither after the morning tea break to call up my office. I squatted on a conveniently placed concrete seat (possibly made for this purpose?) and spoke to Chennai. As I sat there after the call, I could see spread out before me the magnificent view of the range of mountains, shrouded in greenery with a bald peak here and there rearing up above the emerald slopes. In the near distance the yellow and white moths flew from flower to flower and fluttered through the low-hanging branches of the trees lining the opposite side of the curving ghat road. I simply sat there “enjoying-the-moment.” Even the regret that I did not have my camera handy was silenced in the realization that enjoying-the-moment now was more important than attempting to capture 2D images.

Shah Commision Report- Lost, and Regained

2010-12-26T07:26:00.001-08:00

Whenever I speak about the Shah Commission report I am faced with a stone wall of apathy. Nobody is aware or interested. Whenever we speak of the emergency, people immediately say, ‘Ha..yes…It was Indra Gandhi wasn’t it?’ and then go on to state, if they are above fifty that all said and done trains were on time during emergency. How cheaply we are willing to sell our birthright.

Is it not better to be freeman in prison than a man without conviction or freedom to express it in a country where trains are on time but there is only one political opinion allowed.

Mr. Era Chezhian ex-MP has taken out and dusted his copy of the Shah Commission report and has published it. The report sets out in matter-of-fact terms the atrocities committed during the Emergency.

The book (a hard bound demi size tome released at a special discounted price of Rs. 700/-) was released by Shri L K Advani at Chennai on 19^th December. I had gone to the P S Senior Secondary School where this happened to attend the Tamilnadu Investor Association Meeting. Finding this event going on, I decided to enter and listen. I felt that a copy of the book would be a good addition to my library so I acquired it.

Thuravoor Narasimhaswamy Temple

2010-12-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

09.12.2010

There are numerous temples for Krishna and Bhagavathy Matha in Kerala. Temples for Shiva or Mahadevan as he is known here also abound. But a temple for Narasimhamurthy (The man-lion deity)? My curiousity being aroused by Mr. Unnithan I decided to visit the Narasimhaswamy temple at Thuravoor on the way back from Kayamkulam to Kochi Airport.

The temple is quite visible from the main Highway. There is a huge temple tank and behind it the Temple in typical Kerala style. Adjacent to the main shrine there is anot

her for Sree Krishnan. This shrine is a cylindrical or rounded structure with a conical shikhara. There are a few interesting murals (wall paintings) of Narasimhavatar. One depicts the lion face with the body elided. The rakshasa king Hiranyakashibu is on the lap of the deity and

two of the eight hands of the Lord are tearing out his entrails. The lowest pair of arms hold the body firm. The third pair is depicted as taking the entrails to the gaping leonine maw with sharp pointed teeth. The upper most pair of arms is raised aloft holding the symbols of Vishnu, the Disc and the Conch. A truly gory depiction bringing out the Ughram or ferocity of this anthropomorphic incarnation. And below this bloody spectacle stands Baktha Prahalad hands clasped in devotion and eyes closed in the ecstasy of Love for the Lord.

Thuravoor is a main area of the Gowda Saraswath Brahmins. The temple was built by one Ravi Naik a devotee of Lord Narasimha who was told by the Lord himself to install an idol at the location of the present temple. The Lord also sent two divine sculptors to carve the idol. The sculptors worked in secrecy and instructed Ravi Naik not to peep. The overenthusiastic devotee hearing no noise from inside, could not resist himself and peeped in at the last moment. The sculptors were gone but the idol of Lord Narasimha was there almost complete and wondrously beautiful, except for the tip of the finger of one foot. The temple is now under the control of the Ko0chi Dewaswom Board. The original Narasimhar idol was moved for safety to the Anantha Narayanapuram Temple in Alapuzha.

Ochara Parabrahma Temple

2010-12-17T01:11:00.000-08:00

The last time I was in Alapuzha was during my annual Sabharimala trip when we passed through the town to visit Ambalapuzha, Mannarshala and Haripad. Before that, quite a long time ago I had taken a pleasure trip on a Kettuvellom or house boat from Quilon to Alleppey. En route on the backwaters we visited Vallikaavu. We heard about the Parabrahma shethram in Ochara, but due to other preoccupations, couldn’t make it.

This time, I was able to do it. The temple has a gopuram with a Rishabam on it. The shrine is an open air shrine. The long walk from the main entrance leads to a huge spreading peepul tree that is the embodiment of the all-pervading single-self- which- is- in- all; the Parabrahma. Parabrahma is not to be confused with Brahmaji the creator who is but one manifested form of this total being. In Sanskrit Param means beyond or ultimate. The Parabrahma is the one-in-all-all-in-one essence of the manifested and unmanifested being which goes beyond shapes and forms. This is the Virinchi-Narayana-Sankaratman referred to in the vedic chant. As this concept can never be depicted in any form, the formless whole is worshipped without a temple or shrine. The tree symbolizes it with its spreading branches that seem to extend everywhere. Behind this shrine is another and a third dedicated to the naga deities. This place like Mannarshala is a surviving cult of pantheistic worship where nature is worshipped as the manifested form of the unmanifested un-knowable whole. In keeping with the holistic tradition, there are no Brahmin Pujaris. The acolytes are all non-brahmins who are traditionally responsible for the upkeep of the shrine.

The words of the song, “Yenna thavam saidhanaai, Thaye yashodha, yengum nirai Parabhrahmam unnai, “Amma”, endru azhaika, yenna thavam saidhanai?” (Oh Mother Yashodha, What penance did you that you had the privilege of being chosen by the all pervasive Lord to call, “Mother!.”) rang in my ears as I perambulated the trees and paid obeisance to the Lord of the World who is everywhere and Nowhere i.e. Now Here!

For a moment I glimpsed the totality of the whole and therein saw myself seeing the whole…! Like the Divine mother, and Arjun later in the Mahabharath war, I reeled and failed to grasp it!

Ochara temple is the only temple for Parabrahma in the country.

NTPC Kayamkulam- Workshop on Communication Skills

2010-12-17T01:07:00.000-08:00

07.12.2010

I am now at NTPC Kayamkulam Project to conduct a workshop on “Communication Skills” for their Executives. The guest house is a massive building with green lawns and pleasant landscaping.

Kerala is in a different time zone. Time simply slows down here! Believe me. We can squeeze out every morsel of existential bliss in this indefatigable state where the people have merged their life with nature through wisdom and contentment.

The entire Kayamkulam Project is next to the backwaters. Because it is a Naptha plant with a Combined Gas cycle and Steam Cycle, it produces less heat emission. So the place doesn’t have the desolated look of the environs of a coal burning power project. But this is a small plant producing just 350 MW of power out of the total 30000 MW produced by NTPC in all. So, the natural ecosystems are not disturbed at all. The Kayamkulam Kayal or Lagoon is just adjacent to the plant with the Arabian Sea beyond in the West. The road to the plant winds by the side of the Lagoon. Every where we can see a variety of water fowl sitting on the green bushes and shrubs and the submerged trees. It’s a veritable Bird Sanctuary! There were Cormorants, storks, heron and other fish eaters. They circle the water and suddenly swoop down greacefully to catch their prey. The way they land on the ground with their wings spread out and forward to control their descent is ever interesting sight.

Autocratic Leaders?

2010-12-17T01:05:00.000-08:00

I spoke on Inspirational Leadership at the General Management and Communicartion Skills Programme at thew SIRC of the ICAI. I gave the participants a case study to discuss and present. While presenting their views, they used the phrases Autocratic Leader and Participatory Leader.

Now, the word Autocratic Leader is essentially an Oxymoron combining as it were two essentially incompatible concepts. Leaders are people who inspire trust, affection, adoration and admiratrion. These emotions can never be kindled by an autocrat, who prefers to command rather than convince the team. Autocratic Management styles can be seen as acceptable only in the services where discipline is the difference between life and death. Some managers who rely on authority derived from designation and positional power use the autocratic style. They can never be called Leader and are invariably hated by their teams if not openly, at the very least behind their backs.

Another “autocratic” style is that of the dictator. This style may initially command a slavish following due to cultism or extreme and illogacal adherence by the group to a dogma. Such despots like Adolf Hitler and Idi Amin invariably end up in ignominy and public contempt. So mucgh for “Autocratic” Leaders!

The term participatory leader is a tautology or useless repetition. A leader is always participatory. Truly Inspirational Leaders are always democratic; every voice is heard and addressed; decisions are based on consensus and agreement rather than by enforcement of the will.

To insist that a Leader should be participatory is like stipulating that a fish should live in water! There is no other way! Inspirational Leaders use the Purpose Empowerment Praise Model and

a) Share the same Picture to ensure that every member of the team is crystal clear on what they are supposed to do;

b) Empower their teams through Meaningful Delegation of authority;

c) Go bryond monetary rewards by praising the team constantly and unstintingly.

Inspirational Leaders Inspire by Example. They command respect and adoration by playing their roles effectively rather than by throwing their designation at the other person.

Team Building Workshop-Premier Mills Group Coimbatore

2010-12-17T00:58:00.000-08:00

I reached Coimbatore late in the evening. The next day, I conducted a workshop on Team Building for the employees of units belonging to Premier Mills Group in Coimbatore. Here is the feedback received from Mr. B Shanmugam Senior Manager – Personnel & Administration of the units:

Staff members from our 3 units have participated and the total strength was 30.Program started at 9.30 sharply and faculty Mr.Srikanth from Management Study Centre has conducted the program in a very lively manner.All members participated actively and the session was interesting and informative.Importance of team work was highlighted by using tools of team play, group discussion etc., Requirement of leadership quality at all levels, interpersonal relationship was also stressed.The participants were divided into groups and given exercise to complete the task as a team.Feedback received from all the participants is very good and all have come forward to apply the concept learnt in their day to day industrial life.The program gave overwhelming response from all the participants and we thank you very much for giving such a valuable training program to our staff members.

Sky and Water from speeding train

2010-11-28T09:46:00.000-08:00

28.11.2010 5:45 PM

I am in the Ernakulam-Bangalore Superfast Expres travelling towards Coimbatore. It is always an enjoyable experience to sit at the window of a speeding train gazing out at the passing scenery and landscape. As the train hurtles past the huts and houses every scene is a brief vignette of a long story in someone’s life, here this moment gone the next, leaving us to wonder what happens after that.

After we streamed out of Ernakulam Town and headed north beyond Idapally, the scenic beauty of coastal Kerala could be viewed again. Backwaters and inlets; green fields; yellow flowers; and of course swaying coconut trees fringing the banks of the water ways.

As we crossed Aluva station and crossed the Periyar Bridge, I glimpsed the enchanting vision of a bend in the Periyar river. Twilight is a great time when nature uses the setting sun and the clouds to paint infinite colors and hues on the canvas of the sky. When we add the reflective capability of a large body of water such as the broad Periyar river as it flows past Aluva, we have a great montage of sky, water and not incongruously for Kerala the twinkling lights of a high rise buildings in the back ground.

Walk on Marine Drive--Ernakulam

2010-11-27T19:24:00.000-08:00

It has always been my desire to take a long walk on Marine Drive in Ernakulam. My usual visits to this town are invariably pass throughs on the way to a training program or Sabhari Mala. This time, with a whole evening at my disposal, I decided to do it.

My walk on Marine Drive was indeed a pleasure. I went into the Subhash Bose Park and walked along the wall abutting the sea. In the distance, I could see the ferry boats carrying passengers to Bolgatti and Vypin Islands. In the dimming twilight of dusk, the scene presented a calming sight. I sat on the wall with huge expanse of the Arabian Sea behind me. I sat communing with my inner self with the dense vegetation of the park before me and beyond that the speeding traffic on Marine Drive.

The park is mostly in a state of extreme disrepair. Some of the art noveau sculptures lining the walkway are deformed or rusted. Those parts that are not in extreme disrepair are under repair! Pits have been dug up everywhere, tiles stacked on the lawns and pipes strewn all around. The park is divine and calm. It is worth better maintenance, upkeep and care.

I, then, moved on to the boat jetty. There, from a raised platform nearby, I got a magnificent view of the ships and the sea. I walked back to my Hotel with sense of fulfillment and felt at peace with myself.

Kochi--Nature and Pollution

2010-11-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

27.11.2010

I am here at Kochi to attend the Southern India Regional Conference of the ICAI. I am staying at Bharat Hotel one of the most popular, if not the best, travel destination in Ernakulam. I asked for and got a sea facing room. The view, such as it is, is of a wide expanse of water with cranes and jetties visible. In the extreme horizon I could see a few ships.

Most towns in Kerala have a village look with moss covered tile-roofed buildings rubbing shoulders with ultra-modern high-rises. Ernakulam is no exception. Eventhough it is the commercial capital of the state, it used to maintain its sylvan atmosphere till very recently. Kochi is paying the price for progress. Many BPO and Tech Towers have come up. While the greenery is almost intact in the outskirts, the mid-city area especially near the railway track is congested and devoid of any green vegetation. The pollution and ambient temperature levels are quite high. But as we leave the snarl of the main city and its congested lanes and go into the outskirts, nature reclaims her right to God’s own country and the surroundings become again verdant and picturesque.

The weather at Kochi is balmy and cool. It looks like rain, but there were no major downpours. Much of Ernakulam town is tree-covered, esp., Marine Drive the long road on the sea shore near Bharat Hotel. Marine Drive is lined on either side by old trees with overhanging branches that form a veritable tunnel of green.

Six Steps to Success

2010-11-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

I delivered a speeech on "The Six Steps to Success" at the Sindhi Chamber of Commerce on 24th November 2010. This is a gist of the speech.

These thoughts are based on more than a decade of practice of and contemplation on the Seven Habits of highly Effective people. As I started implementing the 7 Habits in my life, things fell in place. My definition of success underwent subtle yet vital changes. Further contemplation and discussions with other eminent trainers, thinkers and corporate leaders has led me to formulate this action plan. As you will agree there are lot of theories and “instructions” on how to succeed. Most of these “self-help” books are written by arm-chair consultants who have not tested strength of their own theories on the anvil of experience and practice. Moreover, exhortations to think positive are invariably useless because after building up the positive energy, the direction is not there and the energy simply disappears. So, these six steps are a “how-to-do-manual” rather than a “what-is-it?” theory.

Share the Same Picture

Most of the time employers and employees are not on the same page. They are referring to different paradigms or perceptions. It is therefore necessary to listen and understand and thereafter clearly state what we expect from the other person so that he or she is crystal clear on her task.

Choose the Right Response

There are many ways in which we react to a situation. But, there is only one Right Response. The Right Response is that which helps you and the other person to achieve your goals in a sustainable way. It is not necessarily the obvious response. It may not be the easy response. But it is that single response that will build long term relationships while at the same time achieving short term needs-based goals. To choose the Right Response, we should not allow our emotional brain to take over. We should rather be slow to react, think and then choose those words or actions that are the most meaningful and productive in the circumstances.

Have a Bias for Action

All said and done, more is said than done! This step is the ultimate clarion call to action. The very same thoyght is expressed in Bhagwan Sree Krishna’s words in the Baghavad Gita: “Tasmath Yudyasva Bharatha!” –“Therefore, fight O son of Bharat!”. We are so busy weighing the pros and cons of an opportunity or crisis. In the mean time the opportunity is lost or the crisis becomes uncontrollable. So doing something is far better than sitting idle! We can always learn from our mistakes and ensure that the next time we get it right.

Make Every Minute Count

God has given us a great gift: Time! Everything happens in time. Time is indestructible, unending and irretrievable if lost. Money lost can be earned again. Every possession is replaceable or will bew seen ultimately as worthless. But we are doing now this moment is priceless. It is our only tangible possession! Thus, if we concentrate on the minutes the hours will take care of themselves. Successful people constantly review time usage and waste. What we are doing at any given point in time should either benefit our individual growth and development; or it should benefit our family; or it should benefit our organization; or it should be beneficial to society at large. Otherwise, why are we doing it! This is the simple approach to time management that goes beyond diaries and planners!

Inspire by Example

I was conducting a Mentoring program at a large corporation recently. During the sessions one thing that emerged from both Mentors and Mentees was that the Mentees look upon the Mentors as Role Models. The Mentors too accept that their true influence was when they demonstrated ideal behaviour. Advice was a waste. Anyone can give advice. Only leaders have the guts to follow their own advice! This is summed up by Mahatma Gandhi in his words: “My Life is my Message.” What message will our life communicate?

Embrace Change

From the late eighties onwards one word that dominated industry and commerce was “quality”. But the next two decades of the new millennium will give more emphasize on the word “innovation”. This does not mean quality will take a back seat. No way! But, quality is a given. The constantly increasing rate of change would mean that corporations and individuklas would need to constantly keep redefining themselves to succeed in a changing world. Otherwise we may be left stranded in the side lines of progress. So the right response here is to “embrace change” willingly and voluntarily rather than resist it or follow suit when others change. Those people who are at the cutting edge of change would definitely reap the rewards.

In conclusion, we can say that these six steps are cyclical. After reaching a certain level of success, we should embrace change and create a new vision. This vision should be shared with our teams and again we will start the journey to the next height! Let me conclude with the immortal words of Rabindranath Tagore and pray that in our country, “tireless striving will stretch its arms towards perfection!’

Mentoring: The Art of Developing People

2010-11-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

Mentoring: The Art of Developing People

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is a process in which a more skilled or more experienced person, serving as a role model, teaches, sponsors, encourages, counsels and befriends a less skilled or less experienced person for the purpose of promoting the latter’s professional and / or personal development. Mentoring functions are carried out within the context of an ongoing, supportive relationship between the mentor and mentee.

Why should a person be a Mentor?

I am sure you will agree that giving is a great source of peace and inner happiness. This is recognized and accepted by persons from every walk of life and every kind of social environment.

Usually giving is associated with charity or giving away money. While this is laudable and praiseworthy, when we give money we give something that anyone can give. Thus giving money, after sometime, may become mechanical. Some people adopting the attitude of a Karma Yogi donate their valuable time and energy in physically serving the afflicted, especially during times of calamity and distress. This too is a great act of altruism. But it can provide only temporary relief to the affected person.

Great indeed are they who possess knowledge and experience in a field and who are willing and able to share this knowledge and wisdom with another to nurture and help that person to grow in that field. The sharing of their wisdom acts as a seed or acorn that grows into the mighty oak tree.

These are the people who act as beacon lights in a storm for the confused youngsters and novices by sharing their wisdom and experience. They are called Mentors and this process of nurturing is called Mentoring.

You have probably been mentored already!

Many people can remember being helped by someone who took an interest in their welfare, shared their experience and knowledge with them, and enabled them to develop.

Often they remember these relationships as playing a crucial part in their personal and professional development.

Pause for a moment to reflect.

Who was your role model? Who was your Mentor? What was his contribution to your growth? What feelings do you have about him? Would you like to play a similar role in the life of another person?

When this mentoring relationship comes to an end, you will want to move on. There will be other people who come along in your life who will become your mentees.

What are you waiting for? Start Mentoring!

Become a Mentor for a budding youngster and help him / her realize their fullest potential.

Cyclone Jal at Puducherry

2010-11-26T19:09:00.003-08:00

I was in puducherry when the cyclone Jal hit TN. The wind speeds were quite high and the lake enroute to Pondy on the ECr was brimming with water. The wind whipped at us and swirled all around.

We stayed at the Mother Sea View Guest house just behind Ajanta Hotel on the Beach Road. So we got a magnificent view of the besch and the high rollers as they crashed down on trhe black rocks. We simply sat in the balcony watching the waves and enjoying a ring side view of the force of nature!

Investment Planning after 21.12.2012!

2010-11-05T04:09:00.000-07:00

20.10.2010

I conducted a one hour session on Retirement planning for the retirees of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., (BPCL). After listening to my ideas on long term financial planning for security with growth, one of the participants asked this question;

'Sir, you are asking us to plan for the long term. But, they are saying the world will come to an end in 2012. So how to plan now?'

I looked incredulously at him honestly believing that he was joking. When assured by him that he was serious, I replied,' sir if the world ends on 21.12.2012, it's better to go short November 2012. If the world is destroyed, it doesn't matter anyway. But if due to the panic-mongering markets drop drastically, you stand to make a killing!'

2010-11-05T03:05:00.000-07:00

The teacher enters the class room. The group is ready and willing to learn. The teacher looks around smiles at everyone and greets them.

Then he asks them, “Friends, who am I?’ He assures them that it is not a question born out of an existential identity crisis.

The group throws up numerous options;

Teacher, Guru, Lecturer, Trainer, Facilitator, Coach, Mentor….

He patiently allows them to exhaust the list while firmly refusing to accept any of these words as describing his role fully. Finally, they give up and ask him, “Go on…tell us…who are you?’

He smiles at them again and says, “I am your co-student!”

They are surprised. A Co-student? Then, who will teach them?

He walks around and asks another question. “Well then, who are you all?”

This time, they wait for an answer. For they sense that to describe themselves as students is somehow not apt.

He announces, “You are all co-faculty!” The group starts applauding. They’ve understood now what he is trying to tell them. He has broken the barrier. There is no teacher. No taught. They need to actively engage in the learning process. Participate through questions and sharing of opinions and thoughts.

Learning can happen at any time! Any casual comment can spark a connection for any one of them and help them to learn.

The constant churning of thoughts and opinions is the essence of the knowledge transfer and acquisition process. Anything else is mechanical.

Thoughts on Writing a play

2010-11-05T03:03:00.000-07:00

Writing a play and having it enacted on stage is a complex form of communication. An author or a painter can get his message across through a comparatively direct or “easy” route. This is because an author or artist can relate directly to the reader or viewer. It is this directness that makes reading and viewing art an extremely personal exercise. The joy is in the slow realization of the message as the story unfolds or the intricate details of the picture become clearer.

A play is more complicated. The playwright needs a good director. A good director needs actors who understand the script and interpret it honestly and as the playwright intended. So, when a play is interesting and entertaining the credit goes to a whole team of people who made it happen for the audience.

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

2010-11-05T03:01:00.000-07:00

The story moves forward like a sluggish river. The author (Henry) shifts from Canada to a “big city”. The vagueness of the city’s actual identity is part of the surreal nature of this novel.

Henry is approached by a reader of his book, a Taxidermist, who consults Henry on how to write a play. The main characters are “Beatrice” a Donkey and “Virgil” a howler monkey. The play is encated on a shirt; a striped shirt. The play is simply a series of conversations between Beatrice and Virgil.

Henry journeys between the “real” world of his life with his wife and his work at the Chocolate Road, amateur theatricals and learning music and the unnatural setting of Okapi Taxidermy where he meets the Taxidermist. Everybody from Henry’s “real” world recognize the Taxidermist for what he is.. A creature devoid of emotion or comprehension of the sufferings of fellow creatures.

The novels takes an old theme of the Nazi atrocities against the Jews during the Holocaust and gives it a totally new and disturbing twist.

Beatrice and Virgil explores the attempts by Holocaust victims to articulate their experiences. Words are not enough. So they decide to use gestures, games, facial expressions etc., The entire list is called “A Horrors Sewing List.”

Reading Beatrice and Virgil is like taking a peaceful and drowsy boat-ride on a placid lake when all of a sudden everything becomes horrible and macabre; the boat capsizes. I am sucked into a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. Finally as I read the “Games for Gustav” section, I am sobbing and weeping. In a way I have lived through the horrors. I was there. I am a witness too….

Lessons from a Tree

2010-11-05T02:52:00.000-07:00

Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil is a deceptive piece of creative writing. It begins with the rejection of an author’s new work on the holocaust by his publishers. He revels in his misery and becomes angry with the publishers for their inability to understand his work. He finally learns how to come to terms with his failure. The description that follows traces the mental journey he takes from desolation to anger and finally a draining out of all emotions. The last line is a great motivational thought.

The London park was not like that. It was an expanse of the loveliest grass, a symphony of green. There were some trees, buy they stood very tall with high branches, as if they were mindful of not getting in the way of the unbridled grass. A round pond gleamed in the centre of the park. The weather was warm and sunny and people were not in great numbers. As he wandered about the park, Henry awoke to what had just happened to him. Five years of work had been consigned to oblivion. His mind, stunned into silence, sputtered to life. I should have said this…. I should have said that …. Who the fuck was he …? How dare she …?-so the shouting match in his head went, a full-blown anger fantasy.

A moment came when the tense muscles twitching in Henry’s body and the emotions seething inside him came together and spoke in unison: with his fists clenched in the air, he lifted a foot and stamped the ground with all his from his throat. He hadn’t consciously decided to act out like this. It just happened, a snap expression of hurt, fury and frustration. He was near a tree, the soil-stamping was and bare, and the impact of his foot-stamping was thunderous. It was a giant tree, a galleon with its sails in full rig, an art museum with its entire collection on display, a mosque with a thousand worshippers praising God. He gazed at it for several minutes. A tree had never before been so soothing to him. As he admired it, he could feel the anger and distress draining from him.

After an hour or so, he made his way to the edge of the park. A sign informed him he was in Hyde Park. The irony struck him. He had entered the park like Mr.Hyde of Stevenson’s tale, deformed by anger, willfulness and resentment, but he was leaving it more like the good Dr.Jekyll.

A stroll in a London park and an encounter with a beautiful tree at least taught him that useful lesson: if you are pitched into misery, remember that your days on this earth are counted and you might as well make the best of those you have left.

As easy God to make...and break...

2010-11-05T02:48:00.000-07:00

One of the features I liked in the De Vriksha play on Vikramadhtiya was the depiction of the God Ganesh. One of the screen-bearers was made to sit on a stool. His head was covered with a red towel placed vertically. The end of the towel was rolled up and held in the actors left hand like the trunk of the elephant-headed God. The towel was held in place by a head band. The right hand was raised in abhaya Mudra. All this happened right in front of the audience! Suddenly, the God was there!

This is the essence of rural art forms like koothu. No elaborate make up or costumes are needed. In a matter of minutes, a well known villager becomes a divine being Vinayaka!

As the Kattiyakkaran elaborates, Ganesha is such an easy God to make…and break! This scene also had a social comment about how the very same idols of the God Ganesh which are worshipped one day are rudely and irreverently broken and thrown in the sea the next. The symbolism of Avahan and yatasthan prathishtam are violated so crassly by our over-zealous brethren!

Vikramathithan Kathai by De Vriksha

2010-11-05T02:44:00.000-07:00

On 10^th October I had the opportunity to witness a performance of “Vikramathitthan Kathai” by De Vriksha. Ms. G Sreedevi, a disciple of Na Muthuswami had directed it. The cast was a group of youngsters (all male) who were first-time on-stage actors with a passion for theatre.

The play was highly interactive with the Kattiyakkaran connecting the audience to the actors. This role was portrayed with élan and grace by the actor who played it. We could see the amount of practice which had gone into the miming, movements, acrobatics and gestures.

Koothu-P-Pattarai plays are very subtle and use different vehicles to get the message across to the audience. I could see very little of it here. For example, the Kattiyakkaran was dressed in jeans, T-shirt and hat. This could have been further explored. Why not Vikaramadhityan and Patti also be in modern dress. After all the characters were liberal in using twentieth century devices like cell phones.

The artist who played Vikram was stiff. The role could have been done with more friendliness and humor, especially when Vikram refuses to cut his own head as a sacrifice to Kali.

The play was entertaining and absorbing. The acting by and large was above average. But it lacked social comment which is a hall mark of Koothu-p-pattarai. But the goal was to show case talent. In this they had succeded!

I was asked to speak after the play. I praised the artists and also quoted a poem from Mahakavi Bharathiyar. This drew an instantaneous and spontaneous applause. Tamil audiences are dialogue-bound and respond well to the spoken word.

Rotary Pre-PETS at Vellore

2010-11-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

10.10.10

A pleasant drive to Vellore and back in the morning. I am taking over as the President of the Rotary Club of Madras Southwest next July. Rotary requires Presidents-elect like me to attend a President Elects Training Seminar (PETS). This was a Pre-PETS or Arimugam for introducing the new Presidents-elects to each other.

I travelled with my Lodge brother Vinoth Kumar in his Ford Ikon. He is taking over as Presidehnt of the Rotary Club of Madras North East. The venue was a large air-conditioned hall called Kumaran Mahal in Sathuvachary, very much on the main highway. We could see, in the distance, the hills that surround Vellore.

On the whole an excellent Pre-PETS with great entertainment. Bro. Vinoth and I chatted a lot on the way. He shared a lot of information about his life and his brief sojourn in Australia.

The photograph shows us with the Dist. Governor-elect, his wife, our Asst. Governor REtn. Vaidy and the Presidents under him.

Sunflowers

2010-11-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

A field of sunflowers on the route from Pandharipur to Pune on our return.

Gajanan Maharaj Ashram

2010-11-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Gajanan Maharaj Ashram and Guest House. The Best Place to stay in Pandharipur. It is very near the Temple.

Vitobha Temple--Pandharipur

2010-11-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

The rear entrance of the Vitoba Temple, Pandharipur. A rear view of the shikara.

Ganapathi Baba

2010-11-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

Tonga

2010-11-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Motorised vehicles are not allowed beyond a certain point on the way to the temple. So devotees prefer these tongas.

The Colors of India

2010-11-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

The Colors of India

2010-11-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

On the way to the Vittal Hari Temple, we can see many shops with colourful vermilion mounds like these.

Go Matha

2010-11-04T06:51:00.000-07:00

Gow and calf. Outside the Krishna Temple in Pandharpur. This temple is located right in the middle of the way to the main temple. I found the finish, workmanship and detailing exquisite.

Donkey Love

2010-11-04T03:56:00.000-07:00

If love can make Donkeys of men, what happens to a Donkey in love?

Rainbow--Photographed on the way to Pandharipur

2010-11-04T03:54:00.000-07:00

Shivaji Maharaj

2010-11-04T03:44:00.001-07:00

Every town and village in Maharshtra has a statue of Chatrapathi Shivaji in a centrally located market place or chowk. The great leader is invariably depicted mounted on a horse with drawn sword, as if in readiness for imminent battle. These photos were taken early in the morning at Pandharpur.

These statues are as ubiquitous in Maharashtra as our own Arignyar Anna in Tamilnadu. But I do wish we had chosen a more picturesque person of whom to make an icon.

A View of the Chandrabhaga River in Pandharpur

2010-11-04T03:41:00.000-07:00

A Piece of the Moon

2010-10-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Pandharipur is situated on the banks of the Bhima river. The Bhima is also called the Bhivara. Nearing Pandharipur, the Bhima takes a crescent shaped turn. Hence this stretch of the river that washes the shores of Pandharipur is known as "Chandrabhaga" or "a Piece of the moon." Another story is that The Moon God (Chandra) bathed here to shake off a curse thus giving this piece of the river the name "Chandrabhaga." As in most of Hindu mythology and lore, there is no certainty in anything except in the belief that a bathe in the Chandrabhaga will wash away all one's sins.

The temple of the great devotee Pundalik stands in the midst of the Chandrabhaga River. Pundalik was the Emperor Muchkund in his earlier birth. By the blessings of Lord Sri Krishna, he was born again as the great devotee Pundalik. Lord Sree Krishna came to Pundalik's house near Pandharipur. Pundalik was serving his parents and therefore requested the Lord to wait! He placed a stone brick for Sree Krishna to stand on while waiting! And there the Lord stands to this day waiting for his devotees; to embrace them in his all-encompassing love; hands on hips and a mischeivous smile on his lips! You can see Pundalik's temple in the middle of the Chandrabhaga River in the photo.

Although we couldn't bathe in the Chandrabhaga (The river was in full flow and the current was dangerous), we sprinkled the water on our heads from the river in an act of symbolic purification.

Abhanga Amrut

2010-10-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Being a Jnanamargi, I have always been a bit sceptic about Bhajans and Kirthans. So I have neber truly understood the significance of the Vittal shrine in Pandharipur. All this changed as I entered the holy shrine of Panduranga Vitthala in Pandharipur on 28th September. After our Dharshan at Shirdi, we decided to visit Pandharipur. The journey takes nearly six to seven hours due south-east. We skirt Sholapur the railhead for Pandharipur. The best place to stay is at the Shri Gajanan Maharaj Dhrmashala. This well maintained and picturesque rest house is maintained by Shri Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon. A realized soul whose samadhi mandir is in Shegaon near Bhusawal in Maharashtra. I have been there with my Uncle when I spent the holidays with him at Akola.

The Gajanan Baba Rest House is pretty comfortable and they managed to find acomodation for all of us. After a quick bath to refresh ourselves, we made our way to the temple of Shri Vitthala. Fortunately there was absolutely no crowd. We simply walked straight to the sanctum sanctorum where We beheld the glorious form of the deity. Instead of attempting a description, I quote Dr. Gopal Benare's translation of Santh Tukaram's Abhang:

Beautiful is the image standing on a brick with his hands upon his hips.

On his neck is Tulsimala

On his loins a yellow silk garment

This image is my everlasting delight.

The Fish-shaped pendants sparkle in his ears

The jewel Kausthubh shines at his neck.

Tuka says:- Here is all my pleasure

I will contemplate his face with love.

I felt a similar tug in my breast as I kept gazing at the small idol of the Lordd Vitthal of Pandharipur. The image is not an intricate piece of art like the southern temple idols. Nor is it huge and impressive. Compared with many other images it looks round and primitive. But I felt that I could simply strand there immersed in this visuion of joy. I felt a lightening of my burdens; a sense of release; as if a bird had been let out of the cage.

Reluctantly, I dragged myself away from this tantalizing vision.

Investment through Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)

2010-10-15T00:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a query from a Participant of my Finance for Non Finance Executives Program and my Response:

Dear Sir,

Greetings to you! Hope you are doing great.

Let me introduce myself first iam Sreenath, an employee of VA Tech Wabag Ltd. I've attended your training programme on 'Basics of Finance' hope you remember it.

This mail is just to get clarification from you regarding Mutual Fund, kindly spare few minutes of your busy schedule in this regard. I've started investing in Mutual Fund on your advice (bought Reliance Tax Saver Growth Fund with a lock in period of 3 years under SIP).

I came across the Mutual fund broker advising me to take SIP rather than in single time purchase of the units. Even you adviced us to go for SIP than the one time purchase of the units. Can you kindly explain how adopting SIP will be better than one time purchase of the units as the NAV value gets increased day by day (as i have a good amount of money as savings which i've planned to buy the MF but got struck with the advice to go with SIP). Also pl advice me the best peforming Mutual Funds as i've planned to buy immediately.

Your kind help in this regard will be highly appreciated.

With kind regards / Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Sreenath T S

Engineer - Projects

VA TECH WABAG LIMITED,

Here is my Response:

From: Srikanth Msc [mailto:sreesri@mscindia.org]

Sent: 15 October 2010 13:14
To: 'Sreenath T S'
Subject: RE: Mutual Fund-Portfolio Advice

Dear Mr. Sreenath,

The strategy of investing through SIP is not a stand-alone strategy. It is (as the name implies) a systematic and disciplined approach to portfolio building. It has another advantage because you can average the cost of the units by buying more at lower prices for the same monthly commitment. Similarly a fixed amount SIP would automatically reduce the number of units you buy at high prices.

Remember SIP is beneficial only over longer periods like 3 to 5 years. In fact a SIP regularly maintained for five years is an unbeatable investment which will yield you high returns irrespective of market boom or depression.

Your investment in Tax Saver Units is good as a tax planning device. But it is not a great portfolio choice as Tax Saver funds generally give lesser returns than Non-tax saver diversified Equity Funds. But, Reliance Tax saver is a good choice.

In addition to SIP you can invest any lump sum surplus available in the following Mutual Funds:

Reliance Vision Fund-Retail Plan

Reliance Growth Fund-Retail Plan

HSBC Equity Fund

HDFC Equity Fund

Franklin India Blue Chip Fund

The list is my personal choice. Do go through the portfolio mix of these funds before investing. Always invest in growth option as this will build your portfolio.Further,, I suggest that you wait a little bit for the market to correct itself before investing. Sensex hovering above 20K is not a good time to commit your bulk funds. Hold on a little and invest when the market tumbles as it invariably will post Diwali.

Wish you all the best!

Do mail me for any other clarifications.

S. Srikanth

B.Com,MS (M.S.), F.C.A., F.C.S., C.I.S.A (USA)

Excellece Through Education

۞ Chief Enabling Officer ║ No.4, Balaji Avenue I Steet, T. Nagar, Chennai - 600 017 ║ Phone:4212 3501, 4212 3502; Fax:4212 3503 ║ Mobile:9840426166 ║ E-Mail: sreesri@mscindia.org ║website: www.mscindia.org ║ Blog: http://www.sreesri7h.blogspot.com ۞

Quotables

2010-10-13T02:17:00.000-07:00

Having God in your boat does not mean that you won't face any storm but it means that no storm can sink your boat.

Quotables

2010-10-13T02:12:00.000-07:00

Person who has ANGER needs no ENEMY.

Person who has KNOWLEDGE needs no WEALTH.

Person who has KINDNESS needs no PROTECTION.

He will surely acquire them on his own!

Drive from Pune to Shirdi

2010-10-03T21:42:00.001-07:00

27.09.2010

Driving down from Pune to Shirdi. This time we decided to reach Pune and proceed to Shirdi. Shirdi is North West of Pune. There are two routes, one via Sangamner and the other through Ahmednagar. The road is pretty with frequent ups and downs. On either side the verdant green fields role away into the distant horizon. We crossed the river Bhima which becomes Chandrabhaga near Pandharpur; the river Velu and the Seena near Ahmednagar.

There were occasional showers and the weather was extremely pleasant for the nearly six hour drive. We stayed in a Hotel called Sai Moreshwar. They have large rooms which can accommodate upto eight people.

The Chavadi Procession

2010-10-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Attending Shej Aarthi at Shirdi always makes me imagine how it would have been when Baba actually walked the lanes of Shirdi and how the day would have ended at Dwaka Mayee in preparation for Baba's procession to the Chavadi nearby.Was this how the day was closed in ancient Shirdi samasthan. with Mahalsapathi and Tatya Patil taking Baba from Dwarka Mayee to the Chavadi?

Shirdi Pilgrimage

2010-10-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

27.09.2010

Shirdi is North of Pune. Its actually nearer to go from Mumbai to Shirdi via Nashik. The road from Pune to Shirdi goes vis Ahmednagar. This is the district headquarters. Shirdi is in Ahmednagar district.

The foreword of the Sai Satcharitra begins with these words:

"Shree Sainath Maharaj came for the first time to Shirdi approximately fifty years ago. This village of Shirdi is in Kopergaon Taluka, of Ahmednagar District."

At that time, in the early 1900s, Shirdi must have been a small village with a few huts and houses around the mosque or Dwarka Mayee. Today Shirdi is a sprawling town spreading out. It is a pligrimage centre with millions of devotees thronging everywhere. They have even constructed a Mall called Sai Plaza right next to the temple!

We were lucky this time as there wasn't that much of a crowd in Shirdi. We were able to obtain a pass for the Shej Aarthi and had an extremely energizing Darshan. The Shej Aaarthi is performed at 10:30 PM at the end of the day. Aarthi Bajan is sung in unison by all and thereafter an account is given to Baba of the day's happenings!

Blessed are they who touch Shirdi soil.

Inspirational Leadership Training

2010-09-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

I was conducting a half-day session on Leadership at the Institute of Company Secretaries of India today. The session was highly interactive as the participants played enthusiastically in the activities

While sharing my Five Rules of Leadership, I spoke about the need for Leaders to have a Bias for Action. One of the participants made the point that Bias is a negative word and I could have preferred the word "Preference". I agree that Bias seems to have acquired a negative connotation through usage and leans nearer to prejudice. But the word is essentially an indication that someone likes one option over another. A Bias for Action means we prefer to do things rather than simply keep analyzing. To lean towards something because you don't like something else, or you like something more than something else.

Businessdictionary.com defines Bias as the Propensity to act or decide without customary analysis or sufficient information 'just do it' and contemplate later. Popularized by Tom Peters, author of 'Search For Excellence,' as a distinguishing feature of agile firms.

Quotables

2010-09-21T08:27:00.001-07:00

“The way you do the little things says a lot about the way you will do the big things.”

Quotables

2010-09-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

- Bertrand Russel.

Quotables

2010-09-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

“Great minds discuss ideas

Average minds discuss events

Small minds discuss individuals” – Anon

Visarjan 2010 Chennai

2010-09-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

19.09.2010

It is Visarjan time and the roads are blocked with lorries carrying Ganesha idols of varying sizes to be dissolved in the Bay of Bengal.

An Itinerant Trainer

2010-09-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

I am basically an itinerant rainer going wherever I am called teaching whatever I know to people who desire to know. My peregrinations have once again brought me to the Garden City.

Banglore is cool and pleasant. It is once again the Air Conditioned city I remember it to be except that, in those days the AC effect began even as early as July.

Here is a nice quote about learning and knowledge sent by my friend Lalitha a Bangalorean herself:

“For the one who knows to be able to teach the one who knows not, first the one who knows must know that he or she does not know all things; second, the one who knows not must know that he or she is not ignorant of everything. Without this dialectical understanding of knowledge and ignorance, it is impossible, in a progressive, democratic outlook, for the one who knows to teach the one who knows not.” Paulo Friere – in Pedagogy of Hope

The Power of Mathematics

2010-09-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

A really funny cartoon from the book Cosmic Verses: A humorous Rhyming History of the Universe by James Muirden.

Sunset on the Wainganga

2010-09-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

This shot was taken from the Wainganga bridge on the Bhandara-Raipur Road from the Eastern side towards the southern side. I liked the play of the setting sun on the water and took the shot with a little strip of land visible on the extreme western bank.

Wainganga bridge

2010-09-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

On the road from Bhandara town to the Ashok Leyland plant, there is a river that cuts across the road. This river is the Wainganga which is a tributary of the Godavari. The Wainganga has its source in Madhya Pradesh and flows through Maharashtra. The river is pretty sluggish here as it passes near Bhandara on its way to joining the Godavari near Nashik. Currently the river is crossed by a strong concrete bridge. From this bridge you can see the former bridge built one hundred years ago by the British. The locals say this bridge has survived many floods. During the monsoons this bridge would be submerged.

I took this shot from the eastern ewnd of the new bridge in the evening around 6:00 PM on 14th September.

Ganpathi Bappa Moriya!

2010-09-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

In Maharashtra Vinayaka Chathurthi is celebrated for ten days. So everyone is still in devotional mood. There are Ganapathi idols everywhere and Puja is performed religiously at every one of these votive shrines by ardent Maharashtrians singing, “Ganapathi Bappa Moriya, Mangal Murthi Moriya!” This is the idol placed in the Ashok Leyland guest house by the staff and their families. I joined them at the Puja in the evening and witnessed Aarthi etc.,

Ashok Leyland Bhandara

2010-09-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

I am here at Bhandara to conduct a Financial awareness program for the executives of the Bhandara unit of Ashok Leyland Limited. It is a two day program.

If you proceed further for another twenty kilometers, beyond Bhandara town the Bhandara unit of Ashok Leyland lies on a sprawling green 230 acre rolling grassland on the southern side of the National Highway. The plant is at the edge of the forest and I am informed that sightings of Deer and wild Boar can be had frequently and sometimes even a stray leopard. Just adjacent are two major reserve forests.

Locating Bhandara!

2010-09-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

12.09.2010

I spent almost the whole day travelling from Chennai to Bhandara. First I flew from Chennai to Mumbai and then flew another hour and a half to reach Nagpur. Nagpur airport is chic and modern; it could well be a miniature version of any airport abroad.

To locate Bhandara, I suggest that you take a map of India and locate Nagpur somewhere in the center. Now, imagine that you are drawing a thick black straight line towards east (that would be your right hand side if north is on top as it should be) with an eye-liner pencil; the line is almost straight except in places where it curves up and down when you find it difficult to control the soft tip of the pencil. This is the road running out of Nagpur to Raipur. Whatever scale you are using, when you’ve drawn the equivalent of seventy kilometers, you

have located Bhandara. You can take your line further east to Bhilai and then Raipur and on and on. This is the central portion of India where there is maximum space between east and west. Gujarat on the western cost and Bangladesh on the East or W. Bengal and the North East. I think this part of Maharashtra and MP were once the thick jungles that Indians had to cross to reach Kashi or Kashmir on pilgrimage. Although post independent India has tamed these forests somewhat, the flora and fauna are just waiting to take over at anytime.

As we drove from Nagpur on the Road running east to Bhandara, the setting sun was behind us bathing the road with a tawny light that shined on the trees and grass and made them look fresh and bright.

We passed through Bhandara which is a typical “developing town” in India’s agrarian heartland. It is small pocket of industrialization surrounded by green rice fields on all sides. This is a rice belt and people are rice eaters here. The prevalence of paddy fields has resulted in numerous crickets that take refuge in the guest house.

Instant capture!

2010-09-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

Having a 5 mega pixel solid camera built into my Nokia cell phone is the equivalent of having a sketch book and an infinite variety of color pencils perpetually on hand. Every object, shape, color theme or juxtaposition of images can be captured for future examination. Here is an image I saw from my bed in the GITAM guest house room!

The Cutting Edge of Technology

2010-09-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

It is believed that the Maratha Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was presented a sword by goddess Bhavani. The name of the Sword was ‘Chandrahaasa’. The Information Technology block at the GITAM University is Called Chandrahas and hasan image of the sword on the elevation as well as a statue of the Maratha King facing the entrance. I think this is meant to symbolize Cutting Edge Technology trhat has to be as sharp as Chandrahaas and as effective in overcoming obstacles. I relly admire the genius who has planned and executed this massive institution of higher learning with so much clarity and sensitivity.

Established in 1980, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) is the dream child of an inspired group of eminent intellectuals and industrialists of Andhra Pradesh, India, led by popular parliamentarian Dr. M V V S Murthi, M.A., B.L., Ph.D. to set up a centre of learning in technology, management and medicine in the picturesque port city of Visakhapatnam. The vision of G The successful saga of GITAM University started with its establishment of College of Engineering. Responding to the expanding needs in the fields of technology, management and medicine, GITAM College of Management Studies, GITAM Institute of Foreign Trade, GITAM Dental College, GITAM College of Science and College of Pharmacy have been added to the ever growing list of GITAM Institutions. In these twenty seven successful years GITAM University has emerged as one of the most sought-after centers of professional education in the country.

About Hugs and Fools

2010-09-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Let a FOOL hug you but don't let a HUG fool you.

Shivaji is invited by Afzal Khan to his tent where Afzal plans to hug Shivaji and kill him with his tiger claws. But Shivaji is faster in plunging his dagger. The picture on the right has acaption that describes Shivaji as a terrorist. This needs to be understood from different perspectives. But the fact remains that Shivaji is still an Inspirational leader who is legendary for his bravery and cunning.

learning from Mistakes... continued....

2010-09-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

A Short and Cute Proverb:

"You have to learn lessons also from others mistakes., Because you will not get TIME to do all the mistakes....

Enjoy making mistakes!

2010-09-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

I love teaching at Business Schools because it gives me an opportunity to interact directly with the bright young minds that are going to be involved in managing India Inc., in the future. I get to see them here, as it were, “in-process”; in a formative stage. They are fluid; somewhat confused; yet rigid in their confidence in their own inte

lligence.

I tried to make this current group of MBA students at GITAM appreciate the need to be flexible in their approach to resolving managerial issues.

Most engineers as well as finance professionals have passed through an educational system that consistently rewards being right and punishes being wrong. While this approach is perfectly justifiable with respect to exact sciences and like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Arts like Accountancy, it is dangerous in an MBA program where abstract ideas are being shared and compared.

To demand a right or wrong answer for a case study would be inappropriate. Approaches can be discussed and their pros and cons analyzed or even debated. Reasons can be attributed for success for success or failure of a company. Generic learning should be derived there from.

When a participant in an MBA program sticks to his view as the “only” correct one, he is regressing back to his “Right vs. Wrong” learning patterns that exclude by definition all information that contradicts this view. This could even lead to totalitarian attitude that could be dangerous to the organization if present at the middle or senior levels of management.

During the session, I made an impassioned plea to the students to “enjoy making mistakes i.e. being wrong!” One of the students a smart and vociferous communicator, Indrajit Bannerjee stood up and politely made this point:“Sir, we do things to be right. We don’t do things to be wrong! So you are wrong to say that we should enjoy being wrong!”

This was followed by heavy applause from the class.

I was impressed by his words. I decided to take my own advice and enjoy being wrong! Yes! He is right! You don’t set out to make mistakes and get things wrong. You plan to get things right!

The point is what you do when you are clearly shown as being wrong. Are you willing to listen and see other perspectives to understand where you went wrong or are you busy defending your concept of “Right”? This is the essence of the art of learning from mistakes with joy. How we deal with failure determines our ability to succeed. What you do when you’re wrong influences your ability to be right!

Vaizag Landing 2

2010-09-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

You can see clearly the coastline and the city hugging it in this shot.

Vaizag Landing - 1

2010-09-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

On my way to Vaizag this time, I begged the air hostess and got Seat 2 B, a window seat and managed some good aerial shotswhile landing at Vaizag.

Anna Salai by Night

2010-09-08T09:15:00.001-07:00

A Night shot of the Y Bend in Mount Road (Anna Salai) taken from the Terrace of Hotel Mathura.

Habits of Highly effective Managers

2010-09-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

I delivered a lecture on Habits of Highly effective Managers art St. Jodsephs College of Engineering on OMR, Chennai. The campus, adjacent to the Sathyabama Deemed University is masssive. It looks more like a theme park with beautifully maintained lawns colorful statuary and aeshtetic buildsings everywhere.

My lecture was well received by the students.

Dark Tree

2010-09-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

I photographed this tree from the Window of the ICAI Branch. I am experimenting with the Picture Manager. By reducing the saturation and increasing the contrast I have made this image look like it was shotlate in the evening on a stormy day. It wasactually shot in full sunlight at 16:00 Hrs.

Teachers Day 2010

2010-09-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

05.09.2010

I am at GITAM Vizag for my third and final visit. It is coincidental that I am here on Teachers' Day. The Students were quite profuse in thieir greetings on Teachers' Day.

I am also getting a lot of mail and SMS greeting me on this day. The following mail touched me:

From: satabdee borah

Sent: 05 September 2010 19:34
To: Srikanth S
Subject: Happy teachers day!

Sir wish you a very Happy Teacher's Day! It was an honour as well as a pleasure attending your Corporate & Allied Law classes for the Final batch which started in november 2009. We really need such motivating & engaging teacher such as yourself in Assam! With regards.

Satabdee Borah.

Thank you Satabdee.

I take this opportunity to thank all students who sent in greetings. I wish all my students who ever learnt any subject from me all the very best. I bow down in gratitude to all my teachers, especially my illustrious Guru and greatest teacher Prof. K S Anantharaman. I rededicate myself to the spirit of Teaching, Training and Counselling and make a promise to myself to be honest as a teacher and seek the unblemished welfare of the student in all my endeavors.