I VOTED TODAY

5TH MAY 2013

KENNETH GEORGE SCHOOL, BENGALURU

Today, 5th May 2013, Sunday, Karnataka State Legislative Assembly Elections.... It's once in five year exercise if the government survives......Voting is the right of every citizen of the country. Unfortunately, lately politics and politicians have made the system so bad that elite, educated and well meaning people do not seem to have any meaning ....... as the majority of uneducated rural area masses decide the result. People vote on the basis of caste, religion and affinity.  Forming a government is difficult as no single party comes to majority. Politicians also look for such a situations so that in a coalition government, they play a key role.

It;s Byatarayanapura Assembly Constituency and Krishna Byre Gowda of Congress is sitting MLA.
The venue of the voting place was Kenneth George English School, nearby in Bhuvaneshwari Nagar. There were 16 contestants with Krishna Byre Gowda from Congress party, A Ravi from BJP and Hanumanthe Gowda from JDS.
It was a peaceful and short exercise as there was not a big crowd. Voter's card was checked and a slip was given. Indelible ink was placed on one finger. Electronic Voting Machine had 16 names with their symbol. When the green button against the name is pressed one votes for that person. That's the end of voting.
Hope there will be reasonable and definite mandate from the people for a stable government.
Sunday May 5, 2013

WAY OF LIVING

Dressed up like ANJANEYA, accompanied by two musicians, one singer with harmonium, and other with tabla, going from house to house on streets....... singing bhajans......... you can see this in Bangalore....
The man is holding book on Ramayana..... Imagine how people think of different ways of earning a living......
You call it creative, laziness, or easy going ........

Apparently they expect a handsome amount of money, Rs 10, Rs 50 or sometimes they may get Rs 100 from a very considerate, orthodox people.....  If they visit about 80 to 100 houses in one morning, just one can think how much money they would have made, on the day of their outing on the streets......
That's  a WAY OF LIVING....... at least for some people...... happens only in India......
Wednesday, 24 April 2013

YUGADI 2013 GET-TOGETHER

21ST APRIL 2013

BIRTHIMANE, BENGALURU

The term “Ugadi” has its origin in the Sanskrit word “Yugadi”, that means ‘starting of a new Yuga or period’. It is the beginning of VIJAYA NAMA SAMVATSARA. This traditional festival is usually celebrated in the second half of March or in early April. People from all over Karnataka celebrate this festival with much enthusiasm and gaiety.
Ugadi marks a change in the lunar orbit as well as the beginning of the new Hindu lunar /solar calendar. It also heralds the advent of spring. Mother Nature awakes from her deep slumber to give birth to new plants and cover earth in a blanket of green. As spring accompanies new life on earth, this festival of New Year accompanies a feeling of joy, growth and prosperity. The nine day long spring festival of Vasanta Navratri begins on this day and concludes on Ramnavami.(19 April 2013) 
All the members of the family gather and pray together and seek blessings from the Almighty during Ugadi celebrations. It was on Sunday 21st April, we had get-together in Bengaluru Birthi Mane. 

We had elder brother Seetharama Somayaji, Senior member of the family and his wife, Sunanda, his daughters Usha, Sandhya and their husbands Suresh and Sadaram,  Dinesh Varambally his wife Rekha, daughter Samhitha,  another brother B P Somayaji's daughter Shyla and her husband Prof Uday Kumar and children, Anagha and Adithi, and sisters's grand children, Adarsh and Niranjan and in absentia, daughter Shubha, in-law Raghu and Lahari, and son Ravi and his wife Vidya in UK...... Food, as is the normal trend in all festivals, occupies an important place in this festival too. Special dishes are prepared and enjoyed by the people to mark the festival.

Special grand lunch was prepared by madam of the house  Nalini Somayaji, with oats luddu and Badam burfi as sweets. Every one had good times, Sadaram had good sleep after lunch, Suresh and youngsters enjoyed game of JENGA. where as ladies had their usual topics for discussion.
Monday, 22nd April 2013

BOOK - LIFE OF PI

The book "Life of Pi" written by Yann Martel, took a fairly long time to complete it. It's the winner of the Man Booker Prize award has been made into a 3-D film, directed by Ann Lee.
It's the story of One Boy, One Boat and One Tiger.....  after a tragic shipwreck, a solitary lifeboat is left at the mercy of the wild blue waters of the Pacific. It's story of endurance and survival of a sixteen-year old boy named Pi and a 450-pound Royal Bengal Tiger, called Richard Parker.
It is also the tale of adventure and friendship and finding courage in the most unexpected places.
The beginning of the book, the author spends lot of time analysing various religions, Hindu, Chrstian, Islam etc and the various food habits of people.
However, when the zoo animals are shipped to be transported Canada and the family also joins. Tragedy strikes in the sea and the ship sinks, except for few animals and Pi, rest perished.
Pi survives for 227 days in the hostile conditions
The books makes an interesting reading and the movie is excellent.
Wednesday, 17 April 2013

YEAR END PARTY

Children after completing their year end examinations are very much relived. But they have little discomfort only on the day of announcement of results. However, it's only short lived.  Very soon they are back to enjoying holidays.

To celebrate the end of the year, a party was organised for children coming to BIRTHI MANE  for tuition. There was fun, cake, chips...... music and dance. They enjoyed thoroughly .......
Happy holidays...... till next time......
March 29, 2013

A MEMORABLE INCIDENT

Somayaji with Sundaresan

It was those days....early 1980's...... when I was living and working in Yola, Nigeria..... Friends were only relations.... Mr Sundaresan family was close friend to us..... they had a son Sreenivasan (Cheeni) Grade X, who was studying in India and two daughters Priya & Usha, living with them......
Communication was poor..... no telephones, no computers, no mobile phones or SMS's..... mutual visits were only contacts.....
Sreenivasan, then must be 15 yrs old, was to come from India to join his parents for holidays. Mr Sunaresan traveled to Kano, International Airport, a distance of almost 800 kms from Yola, to receive his son.......
Bur due to some emmigration clearance  issues, he was held up at Chennai Airport. The information was not received by the parents. They didn't know what happened to him and whole family was so worried that Sunderesan's wife, Prema, stopped cooking and eating also. Few days passed without any information.

Nalini with Premakka

As I and my wife were regular visitors to their house, after a week, one morning went to their house, told them casually...... Today, Cheeni will come..... I will go to the airport and bring him and left......
When the plane landed in Yola Airport, to my surprise, the boy was getting down from the plane...... without notice, was received and taken to parent's home........
Imagine the ecstasy of Sundaresan's family...... Premakka absolutely could not believe cheeni has come..... She hugged him and confirmed that it was true......

Dr Sreenivan,  wife and son

Last week, we met now Dr. Sreenivasan, (now scientist at Atomic Energy Commission, Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu) his wife and son in Chennai..... remembered the incidence and laughed out loudly..
Thursday, 21 March 2013

MEETING OLD FRIENDS

Jose, Balakrishnan, Dr Bhagvan, K Gopal

Functions are occasions to meet friends and acquaintances and catch up with lost contacts. It was such an occasion at Chennai on 18th March, at the Wedding of Umakanth's daughter Anupama.

Premakka, Vatsala, Vidya Neelakanthan & Priya

During my Nigeria days in the 1980's, where I used work in Gombe, Yola, Numan of Nigeria, anyone from India or Srilanka used to be close friends. Those were the days of no mobiles, laptops or computers. Contacts were only through visits. Towns were far apart (Gombe to Yola 250 kms) and still used to meet OUR people. Umakanth used to be the manager for Best & Crompton Company putting up power lines at different parts of Nigeria.

Sundaresan and Neelakanthan

So met K Gopal, Balakrishnan, Jose, Neelakanthans from Best & Crompton and Sundersean family at Chennai. It was  a grand re-union.
Monday, 18th March

WEDDING - ANUPAMA & VIGNESH

18TH MARCH 2013

MRC CENTRE, CHENNAI

Umakanth's daughter Anupama wedding with Vignesh was scheduled for 18th March at Velliamma Hall at Mayaor Ramanathan Chettiar (MRC) Centre at Chennai. Since Umakanth was  a close friend from Nigeria days, and it was his long standing demand that we attend the wedding celebrations, we were there.

Traditional Tamil wedding with modern touch in a grand hall, lots of people, meeting some old friends, some have become really old, some are still keeping fit and kicking, and was a grand re-union. early grand lunch, catered by A C Rajasekharan, with lady hostesses taking care of guests and making them comfortable.

Evening grand reception, with stage re-done with beautiful flowers and lighting and buffet meals, so many varieties, choice is yours..... on a perfect setting.....
Tuesday, 19 march

ABACUS CERTIFICATES

10TH MARCH 2013

Course completion certificates were given to students who have completed their levels in a simple ceremony on Saturday at the ABACUS CENTRE premises.

Though few students are joined the course, they are quite happy with the learning of mental arithmetic talking place in them and their speed increasing. Parents also expressed their delight over the child taking keen interest in the ABACUS METAL ARITHMETIC learning program.
The Course Instructor, Mrs Nalini Somayaji gave away the certificates in the presence of the Franchise Mr B Jayarama Somayaji.
Sunday 10 March 2013

GRUHA PRAVESHA - HIRIADKA

MARCH 2013

HIRIADAKA.

Gruha Pravesha is a ceremony performed on the occasion of one's first entry into a new house. Once the house is ready, the family moves in on an auspicious day that is determined by the astrological charts. Purity of panchang (almanac) and auspicious time (muhurat) must be considered during the gruha pravesh.
Dinesha, resident of Bommar Bettu, Hiriadaka, Udupi District, constructs a modern  house close to their old house and performs elaborate house warming ceremony on 22nd Feb 2013, inviting all friends and relatives. The ceremony is over two days, one in the evening and the next day with Gana Homa and Sri Satyanarayana Pooja, followed by grand lunch, for all well wishers, friends and relatives. It's celebration of happiness and prosperity.

Ritual follows that a cow and calf is brought into the house, performed pooja, given food and then taken back to its shed.

Apart from observing an auspicious date, the house-warming ceremony is another vital aspect and it is compulsory before moving into a house, whether rented or owned. In India, the house-warming ritual is regarded as second in importance only to the wedding ceremony.

Vasthu Sastra says that all dwelling spaces are alive with unseen entities and prayers are necessary to purify the space from negative energy and to allow the flow of positive energy into the property. It is believed that unholy vibrations may have resided in the vacant space, which is why prayers are conducted asking the unseen forces to leave before new, protective energies are invited to occupy the space. It is recommended that a priest perform the house-warming ceremony because it involves several levels of cleansing.

Those who follow different faiths can conduct the ceremony differently to invoke the blessings of the Almighty, elders or well-wishers. In the Indian tradition, the sacred rites are performed to bestow good health, wealth, peace and prosperity to the house owner. The function begins with a pooja (a rite of worship) for Lord Ganesha, the main deity, and the breaking of a coconut to clear all obstacles in the way of the auspicious event.

5 March 2013