The city of Pondicherry

The year was 2008. And it was our(4 friends') first cross-border (state) venture. And it was Tamil Nadu. With our base station as Chennai, we had one day to discover Pondicherry. I was more keen on looking at it as a former french colony, and kept my eyes open to look for the influence they had left back.
In front of one such building:

Driven by these intentions and concluding that the best way to accomplish them would be to wander on its streets, we hired bicycles from a local cycle shop. And I was right! There was no better way it could have been done, with the time-factor ticking away. The good old buildings and amazing architecture urged us to lock the images within us - eternally.

Pondicherry - with a perfect blend of Old Tamil traditions, disciplined city structure and a spicy French touch provided a good day off. If you are the kind who likes French cuisines, you can probably relax and spend time at one of the French cafes there. And not to forget the famous Aurobindo ashram, which was founded by Sir Aurobindo Ghosh. The ashram has a good collection of books as well.

The best part of the times I'd spent here would definitely be
> cycling on the streets - with aged architectural splendors surrounding our ride; old governmental buildings, specifically French ones.
> admiring the immensity of the ocean, which by the way appears all of a sudden, out of nowhere in the city of Pondicherry.. like a door opening to salvation!

2 purposes - caught!

"I shed my inhi­bi­tions, my fears, I trav­eled light. I traded my stock options for a lonely planet, my cell phone for a com­pass. My brief­case for a back­pack. I took off. I wan­dered in the com­pany of tourists, rev­el­ers & a gui­tar as old as me. I learned that peo­ple are good. Strangers are fas­ci­nat­ing. And that every jour­ney reveals another. I’ve lost track of time. And per­haps my job, my apart­ment & my fiance. But I have my com­pass & I know its point­ing me in the right direction "
- Found this quote on one of my favorite sites by Anita Bora.

Khuda ka raasta khula hai! May be this is what it means to just hit the road. And MOVE. Simply MOVE, meet new culture, be one amongst them, learn and explore. Appreciate and admire at creation and the manipulation of these creations. Take an unknown road, a bus or a rail whose destination is strange. Stop, drop and mingle. For, the best is felt and learnt when one mingles; living fully and by becoming one with his/her environment.. like the inseparable fragrance in the flower; the colors in paint. Ultimately, colors bloom in nature. So, does a human being. This alone gives the best experiences in life and once into the world, nothing is to be left unexplored. Because you wouldn't want to repent when you reach 60 years' milestone. "Into the wild" as Christopher McCandless in the name of Alexander Supertramp experimented with the Alaskan wilderness. Everything else is hottegaagi, genu battegaagi (which of course is important). But, the ultimate purpose of life would be to never stop exploring what it holds in it's navel. Desha sutthu, kosha oodhu. In my experience gained in years, I have found these two alone to be the prime purpose of life. The rest can rest! - i.e., On a broader perspective!

Another travel account

Bylakuppe

It’s a mini Tibet out there. Monks of age as small as 6-7 years can be found. The monastery is also a home for aged monks. This is one of the regions provided as shelter to the fleeing Tibetans. The Namdroling Monastery. Neatly maintained, you feel like you are in Tibet (minus the Himalayan ranges). When we arrived at the place, pleasant sounding prayers were in full swing, with monks chanting. Also, all of them equally astonished to look at us (– the visitors) as we were to look at them!

Many parts of the temple is built by gold, for which it is known as The Golden Temple – includes a massive statue of The Buddha and 6 other monks. The walls of the monastery are filled with beautiful and colorful paintings mostly depicting the life and stories of The Buddha. I tried to look around to find someone to get an explanation. But could not. Their dedication is worth an appreciation when it comes to preserving and propagating the teachings of Buddha to followers.

Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta

It was surprising to feel a sudden decline in temperature as we moved up the Gopalaswamy hill, which is located near Gundlipete in Chamarajanagar district. It is the home of Lord Gopalaswamy (do observe the idol - is very divine and different, full of life). Water trickles down at the entrance of the garbha gudi for which it is prefixed “Himavad”, it is worshiped as the holy water. On one side of the hill, you find plain land and villages and the other side with mountains resembling the tea plantations of Munnar, with sun rays piercing the clouds onto the hills.

Talacauvery
Located in Brahmagiri, it is the place where River Cauvery (worshipped as a goddess - Lopamudre) takes birth. Talacauvery is a neatly maintained religious and tourist spot.

With the bit of gyan obtained from the pujaari – “Lopamudre was the wife of Agasthya muni. Like all sages, he set out on journeys for Loka-kalyana, with a nirbandhana on Lopamudre that she should stay at Brahmagiri. And somehow, with time, she decides to move forward and does. People around in Brahmagiri plead her to stop. So, during this time between her start of flow and stop by the local people, it is not known where she flows or how she flows – and is thus known to flow as Guptagaamini. After a distance, Cauvery reappears in Bhagamandala”. There is a small temple of Agasthya muni within the premises of River Cauvery’s origin.
Brahmagiri amidst the clouds holds with it, a breath-taking scenic view and it gave me a second chance to be a part of the clouds! Bhagamandala has a temple of Lord Bhagamandaleshwara. Temple's architecture is influenced by Tibetan style. “Triveni Sanagama” – the sangama of rivers Cauvery, Kannika and Sujothi can also be seen here. It was all dried up with very less water.

Kodagu

Well, what can I say about this part of the world! Words can’t describe and colors can’t paint! The smallest district in Karnataka, but tremendously huge in beauty - with misty mornings and drizzles at least once per day! There is no particular place that I can describe, but the city of Madikeri was not very impressive. It is the surrounding towns that catch you. One aspect to look out for – the towns and its people close the day as early as 8 – 9 pm (you will not find a single shop open, nor a house that has burning lights). Each patch of land is beautiful and green with coffee estates. Those who are passionate about driving (and don’t mind the road curves) will have a great time here. Just start your engine and move – anywhere! Reward – Fresh air and nature’s best looks!
If you get a chance, you can visit the neatly maintained estates. The place gives a hard time for school-going children who live here. They commute everyday on foot to attend schools and colleges.
A great break from the city’s buzzing life; I missed it for almost a week. Coorg holds my hometown (though this was only my second visit in life till date) and that makes me a proud Coorgi! (not those native Kodavas)

One Love

China (also the rest of the eastern countries) amazes me. I have literally fallen in love with this nation and its ways. The name “China” has Indian origin (from Sanskrit Cheena). I wholeheartedly wish India and China get together and form what has been known as Chindia lately. It will be the dawn of a super power. Both nations show tremendous growth in economy (though India is way behind China) and the recent President’s visit seems to have set a new start in the bilateral relations. May be things could have been sorted out with much care immediately after Independence. Nehru’s lack of introspection when it came to political diplomacy, appointment of his kin Krishna Menon, who triumphed at the same, ruined a possible chance to avoid enmity. Tibet and Dalai Lama only formed one of the inevitable causes for deteriorating the relations further. It will forever hurt that the then President, Nehru was so complacent when it came to handling a frenzied situation, put a regiment at stake with a neighboring country, with his mind lost in visiting (rather touring) countries across the world (while his own lay burning). He paid no heed to the compromising conditions (which was supposed to be a reasonable deal) put forth by the Chinese (in an attempt from their side to save further destruction caused by war), and he openly declared to “teach China a lesson” (Haha!) with seldom knowledge of the inadequacies faced by his own army! I can’t recall the numbers accurately; in the final encounter, each Indian soldier (with tattered clothes, famished because of lack of appetite, eye sight blurred because of a false promise from the government to provide them with sunglasses for protection against the harsh sunlight reflections in ice-capped mountains) had to fight several (5 I think, not sure) fresh, energetic, well-equipped, brisk Chinese soldiers. The end of a once glorious troop with its brigadier captured and taken to China. I would suggest the book Himalayan Blunder. The author (brigadier) describes that there is no humiliation for a soldier greater than being captured alive, set free in his home country after term served, and then being a target for the doubts and questions raised on his patriotism by his own country – which he had to go through. The book awakens and provokes every emotion present in you. The plight of Indian soldiers – no matter how much I describe here, I’ll hugely fall short from conveying its intensity.

“Not everything from the west is good” - was the remark that my Chinese born-brought up in Canada-USA citizen-visiting India boss put in front of our team when we were discussing some social issue. I’d say, nothing from the west is good! (not referring to South America) One of the worst feelings (or the best - depends) for a person is when he does not want to be himself anymore - which is the driving factor for him to change. Change is the rule of life - change in persona, an individual human being or the change/evolution seen in a set of people-forming a civilization - as I have elaborated in my previous post. We do live in a civilized society. But present Indian way of living – I do not understand. Is it some kind of a hybrid model of the Eastern world meeting the western world leading to a renewal and replacement of our good old traditions and customs? If yes, why the change? Or, is it that the customs and our way of life have been forgotten because we do not have enough time to ponder over it? Why do we think the west is good? (When I say “we”, I mean the changing lot of us, the changing aspects and who think the west is the best) I am referring it to be thought of as being “good” by us, because, you wouldn’t change or favor it, had it not been good. Or, is it because our way of living was “not so good”? (Phew! I am complicating it!)

The North American continent (which forms the prominent part of the” West”) - have we noticed has no age-old civilization of their own? A bunch of European people followed Christopher Columbus’s discovery –English, Dutch, French, Spanish and so on formed colonies and it is their descendants that form “The West” now. The very first line in wiki on American History -“The first residents of what is now the United States emigrated from Asia over 15,000 years ago by crossing Beringia into Alaska. Archaeological evidence of these peoples, the ancestors of the Native Americans, dates to 14,000 years ago”. The natives of that land are the Indians or the Red Indians. Even if you browse, its history starts with Columbus (1493 AD)! The so called “western civilization” formed because they got a vast, never-inhabited land (almost a continent), started from the scratch, applied and implemented all the success of Industrial revolution and the boon of newly emerging technology and made it what it looks today. Yelli namma centuries old traditions and civilization, and where the recently emerged set of burger-eating civilization! (Pizza is again Italian) No match whatsoever! Australia also comes under “The west”. The British sent prisoners to Australia (mainly Irish) and the formation of colonies again. The Aborigines of Australia are the native Australians.

So, with all these in mind, why is it that we do not want to be us anymore? What is it that the west has that entices the “changing us” so much!?! Are we so vulnerable to change that we are putting no efforts at all to resist the change? Or let me put it as - changing in the streams one necessarily has to, to keep in pace with the world is acceptable. But, it does not mean one has to give up what forms his roots’ identity. To give up our culture, heritage, (worst – some of them even despise it) is not agreeable. If this continues, there will be nothing of our Indian Civilization left for the future generations to dwell on. It will probably settle down to Graduate course on "Studies of Indian Culture and Heritage" by the Universities that exist in the West.

The Indian peninsula and the South-East Asia are rich with culture and heritage that the West cannot attain even after billions of years. Every custom Hinduism – Sanatana Dharma (includes Hindus, Buddhists, Chinese, Jains, Sikhs etc), Islam follow has a reason behind it (superstitions exempted). We have had great mathematicians like Aryabhata and Bhaskaracharya. Aryabhata – inventor of zero. To imagine the mathematical world without zero is itself scary (at least to me!) What would the poor infinity (1/0) do!! How would the metric system take birth! Bhaskaracharya’s renowned mathematics treatise “Leelavathi” – is the name chosen for a prestigious International math award. Chanakya – a great administrator and politician, a shrewd observer. I happened to flip pages of the Arthashastra at a book store and I directly landed on the page which gave “Ways of torture” (The description itself sounded torturous!) What a keen observer! The Buddha and his principles. Epics of Ramayana and Mahabharatha define Dharma, inculcate morals and values. We gave the world Nalanda University – where the affluent from across the world came to study. What happened to our way of living?! At least it deserves reminiscence, recognition and respect - and today’s generation aren’t even aware of how great a civilization they are born in! Swami Vivekananda - with his speech in Chicago caught the world mass back in 1893. Every other aspect is changing, ranging from no Akbar – Birbal stories, no Tenali Rama, no gilli danda and kuntepille for children to HARIKATHE, YAKSHAGANA – which might vanish within 5-6 decades. Vedas – I myself don’t know wholly what it is actually about. Yes, we have to change with time. But, not to the extent of letting go all that should be held on to.

Back to relations with China, if media leaves the two countries’ diplomats alone (stop forecasting China war 2012!), they would settle down to form a close relationship. http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/10/stories/2010061062390800.htm I loved the last line in the article - A top member of the Indian official delegation summed up India-China relations in terms of “pengyou” and “zhengyou.” “Pengyou” is a superficial friend. “Zhengyou” is a serious, real friend who will frankly admit to problems and work at overcoming them: “We have a zhengyou relationship with China.” Great!