I wrote this review  in a letter to my brother Ramesh about 12 years ago. Understand that Mr P.V.R.K Prasad passed away today and as respect to him I am posting this in my blog.

                                                                                         25th Sep,2005

Dear Ramesh                                                                 

                              Thanks for suggesting me the book “Naa Ham Kartha-Harihi Kartha.”. I read it from cover to cover, in one sitting. The author, Mr.P.V.R.K.Prasad, is an I.A.S officer and the book is about his experiences as an E.O. (Executive Officer) of T.T.D (Tirumala Thirupathi Devasthanam). E.O is an administrative head of T.T.D, appointed by the Government of Andhra.

                                      One can look at it as a management book as he describes his administrative achievements in reaching out to all the devotees of Lord Venkateswara in making their pilgrimage to Tirumala, a pleasurable event besides, a devotional experience. But, it (the book) turns out to be a philosophical one as he accredits his entire success and the inspiration behind, to Lord Venkateswara (Hari). And hence the title.   

                                      It is not uncommon for any successful administrator to look back and analyze various components that contributed to his success. The magnitude of success, given the multidimensional influences including devotional, traditional and major one being political, the author finds, with full conviction, the role of inexplicable constituents in the end result. He quotes innumerable incidents rather miracles in his personal life after assuming the role of E.O of TTD and that led him to believe the existence of His unseen yet tangible guidance.  It is said, God helps those who help themselves, more so when the intent is for the welfare of a community.

                                      For me, one interesting   learning from the book is about “DASA” sampradaya or tradition. This monumental tradition started in Karnataka about 500 years ago - the intent was to bring down the knowledge of God espoused in Vedas and Upanishads, to common man thru folklore songs and story-telling form in vernacular, Kannada. A grand movement to spread the knowledge of God in a simple but effective way, protecting the tradition of Bhakti or theism in society. And, that Dasa moment stood as a bridge between esoteric Vedas and common man. A person gets initiated as DASA, takes a vow to spread the gospel, yet remain as a house holder, but lead the rest of his life as a DASA, the servant of Lord.  When two DASAs meet they say -”Hare Srinivasa”, typical like saying hello. The DASAs, after initiation, assume a different name as per sampradaya or tradition which ends with the word DASA- Purandara Dasa, Kanaka dasa were of this creed.

                                The author, immensely impressed by the kernel concept of the tradition, had undertaken a “DASA Project under the auspices of T.T.D and helped it spreading further by releasing various audio cassettes and LP records, by evincing interest in common populace.

With his excellent writing skills, the author makes you to pause and ponder on various occasions during the course of reading.

Ramesh, when you get a chance read it…incidentally, immediately after reading the book, a colleague of mine, a Muslim, came to say that he had gone to Thirupathi for meeting some clients and had a chance a to visit the temple of Lord Venkateswara. He duly handed over me the Prasad, the famous Thurupathi Laddu….wow….Naa Ham Kartha - Hari hi Karta…

Hope my review and feelings make you run for the book. This EMESCO book costed me 90 rupees.

Regards

Sudhakar

In electron we trust

Whenever I write an email or an essay, I am amazed at the marvel of the computer. What a comfort it provides! Does anybody write in any other way - pen to paper or typewrite? No way, we are wedded to the key board, screen and mouse. If I write an extra alphabet or a word, all I have to do is to click the “backspace” which swallows, letter by letter all extras. If I delete an extra letter, I can always use “undo” button to bring it back. Deleting the entire para has never been so easy. Just press of a button, it simply vanishes into, nobody knows where. I wonder where these deleted paras or words go in my computer. Will each para be stripped as words and then as letters before being sliced and consigned to ignominious retreat? If sliced how each letter is done – vertically and laterally like I slice an onion into pieces. Then I can never get cut onion back however, I confess, but computer can bring back!

When offices were still paper-stuffed (unlike todays paperless regime), I had issued stern warning to the staff not to clear my wastebasket. For, at least once during the day I dip my hand into it to pull out some dubious paper, which I threw inadvertently or thought of waste at that time which later became vitally important. Is there any mysterious hand that pulls out in computer all that deleted stuff, in case I need them back?

If electrons, the tiny weeny particles run computers, will they act like a drama band performing various symbols or letter formations on the screen at the command from the keyboard? Do some of them wait for their turn behind side screen? Coming back to my delete question, will they dump themselves in a keg waiting to reincarnate in original in case the knucklehead at the key board changes his mind? Or, do they soak into an invisible duster like the one used in a high school classroom and when dabbed, powder of electrons would fall back to life?

Are they not accountable to some bigger entity sitting at the centre, like Proton or unbiased Neutron? Otherwise, how do they carry out such important assignments – starting from weather forecast to landing on Mars? There must be a roll call for them to march on when I switch on the computer. They may not yell “Yes Sir or Yes Madam” before stepping out but all of them should get back when I switch off the computer to “Electronic Stores”. That is fair. Otherwise, whose business is inventory control?

Is inventory not important? How does it bring back a saved document as same “cast” every time I recall it if inventory of electrons is not reckoned correctly. I get unnerved when I think of integrity to inventory, more so during financial transactions.

If my pension is deposited in my bank account, it is solely due to the grace of some electrons. A group of them will shift their sides and appear on my side. And when I transfer money to another account, part of them will go away from my side, Is it? Hope they don’t lose loyalty in between!

With biometric systems in place, it is electrons that prove whether it is somebody or me. So much at stake and our lives depend on them. “In electron we trust” should be our new patriotic epigram.

If there is any electron-religion, I am converted into and fanatic about it, for my safety and security. Will you join me?

The Fourth Wave

In the recently concluded World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Switzerland, the discussions were about the Fourth Industrial revolution, among many other vital issues, that is about to begin which would alter the way we live, transact and coomunicate. WEF, a membership forum, as a mission engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. And is committed to improving the state of the world thru Public-Private cooperation. A real think tank to take stock of the achievements and guide the contours of future endeavours for improving the life in general.

Let us recapitulate the three Industrial revolutions before attempting to grasp the fourth one. Till the second half of the 18^th century, man had been deploying his muscle power aided by animals - horses, elephants and donkeys either to build mammoth monuments, like the Pyramids or Taj Mahal to the simple tasks of carrying material or for excavating the earth for coal or minerals. In 1784, a Scottish mechanical engineer, James Watt invented and perfected the manufacturing of steam engine heralding First Industrial revolution. It lead to ease of transportation of both men and material and efficiently replacing the human labour in the factories. The miracle machine had  greatly enhanced Production and productivity  and brought many comforts to society. The Tractor running on a stream engine replaced horses, improved harvest cycle, and agricultural output. Textile factories produced better quality fabrics.

Until the onset of steam engine, the textile factories were built near the waterfalls to garner the kinetic energy of the falling water to run the “Water Wheels”, connected to the machines. It imposed restrictions on the location and Watt’s invention moved the factories to the cities close to the availability of skilled workforce, improving the overall performance. Besides, it freed the Cotton industry from the vagaries of Nature.  Though the first Industrial revolution claimed colossal achievements, the real winner, in the words of James Watt “we can conquer the nature, if we can but find her weak side”; thus, man began conquering the Nature.

In the ensuing decades, the invention of electricity, with sociological changes - democracies replacing oligarchies and evolving of organised labour paved way for, sometime in 1870, the Second wave of the industrial revolution. Further inventions in electronics, aviation and communications accelerated industrial growth leading to mass production of automobiles and consumer items to keep pace with growing desires and demands of the society.

While the first industrial revolution is about mechanization, the second wave is about consolidation and enrichment by further inventions. However, the speed and time, two components still remained a puzzle for man in winning over nature. That incessant desire lead to the inventions of computers and networking them on one highway with internet sowed the seeds for third wave of the Industrial revolution in 1969.

The powerful microprocessor produced high-speed computation and evolved industrial automation to a higher degree with safety and fault-tolerance as standard features, besides improving the productivity. The launching of Geo-stationary satellites with advanced communications technologies gave a handle to understand and monitor Nature’s most wavering aspect – the weather.  It also opened a window to widen our comprehension on the origins of the universe through space travel. The third wave helped us to master and unravel the human anatomy aiding us to stretch the longevity and quality of life .While first two waves allowed us to conquer space, the third wave allowed us to access to the fourth dimension, the time. It made us to be present in more than one location at the same time thru video streaming, bestowing us an Omni-potency to a greater degree- a step closure to conquering the Nature.

Coming back to the Fourth wave, as predicted, it will be the Digital Revolution. It is about Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Industrial Internet of things. Robots will be deployed for clearing nuclear waste or treating patients afflicted with contagious dieses; Vehicles will communicate with each other (V2V) for safety and communicate with Infrastructure (V2I) to manage around traffic signals for fuel efficiency. The health of people will be monitored on a continuous basis and predicting the need to visit Hospital. Wearable devices will take us to “augmented reality”; we will be where we want to be, of course on virtual world. Having mastered Space and time, we will be conquering “Reality” by designing it to our wish. Perhaps, we will, soon be living out of a Sci-fi movie as detailed out.

 Nevertheless, we collectively committed a crime while enjoying the benefits of the three waves of industrialization - the assault on climate, making the mother earth feverish. In our pursuit of good life in the fourth wave, we need to redeem that sin consciously. Let us welcome “The Forth wave – the Digital Disruption”.

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Tornado in Syria 

The destructive tornado starts as a gentle breeze. The hot air, being lighter goes up, but sometimes, cool air above acts as a shield preventing its natural upward movement. The hot air remains down, gets hotter due to (warm) earth’s surface, gains momentum, and starts whirling around. It gains energy by heating up further and breaks through cold air, spouting up. Then, the monstrous tornado begins to swallowing everything on the way, until it expends all its energy.

The “Arab Spring” started as a gentle breeze in Tunisia swept through many countries and still raging in Syria swallowing many lives, displacing millions of innocents.

The Beginning. May 2010

 26 years old, Mohamed Bouazizi left his home as usual to sell fruits and vegetables in the sidewalks of Tunis in Tunisia. He had been doing it, eking his living, earning close to a $ a day, barely enough to sustain his widowed mother and five of his kin. Three inspectors from the council have asked him to pay bribe. The amount demanded if paid, would leave him broke at least for that day. He refused.

 Then, one of the officers, a woman, Mrs. Faida Hamdy had slapped him, threw his cart and scales. He refused to yield.  She did not realise, at that time, the consequences - as how the rest of the world would pay for it. He ran to the council office to report to higher ups, but to no avail.

 Then, something stirred deep within; he picked up a can of petrol, poured over him, and ignited up into flames in front of the same council office.

With 90% burns, Mohamed Bouazizi died in the hospital within few days. This incident gained huge nation-wide sympathy among Tunisians, soon catapulted into revolution, bringing down the government eventually. This is the beginning of Arab Spring, which spread to neighbouring country, Egypt, toppling the Government. And, then to Yemen, resulted in civil war.

 Most of the Middle Eastern countries are oligarchical societies run by Royal families and not by elected governments. What King says will be the law.

Women are not respected and do not have basic freedom. They have to wear burkha or hijab in public. Any violation in conduct of dress will attract severe punishment, while men are  allowed to practice polygamy. Syria is one such country ruled by Al-Assad, wielding power for more than 2 decades. The Arab spring arrived here sometime in 2011.The tipping point was, when schoolchildren made a protest march in Derra (a Syrian city), Al- Assad deployed military and arrested them. The protests against arrests were peaceful, to begin with, from People of Syria, but four children were tortured for writing graffiti against the establishment. That led to revolt against the government, and the government responded angrily by opening fire, killing many people. Then, people wanted Al- Assad to step down. Al-Assad did not agree. However, some section of the people supported Al-Assad and some were against him. This was in 2011 when Arab spring found its roots everywhere in west Asia. Anti-establishment protests continued for two more years. Since the military is with Al-Assad, the rebels found themselves at the receiving end devoid of any weapons to fight against armed military.

Exactly, during that time, Al-Queda was on the verge of disintegration. The unrest in Syria breathed life into it. With a change in leadership, the erstwhile Al-Queda had re-framed as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.) with changed ideology. The group’s new ideology is a caliphate (means Islamic state in the world with Calif as head) as Salafists of Sunni Muslims. That means even their brother Muslims, Shiias are enemies for them. The open secret is that ISIS has backing and financing from Sunni kingdom Saudi Arabia.  

ISIS had befriended the rebels in Syria to support them with military equipment – Guns, ammunition, etc to fight against Al- Assad. The rebels of Syria were caught between devil and deep Sea, Al-Assad or ISIS. They chose to join hands with ISIS, which was fatal. Rebels perhaps thought enemy’s enemy would be a friend. That was a blunder. And, that led to full blown civil war in Syria. Al-Assad vs innocent rebels supported by ISIS terrorists. By this, tyrant Al-Assad had become a good boy in the eyes of Russia deemed fighting against terrorist outfit ISIS. So, Russia started supporting King Al- Assad and began bombing ISIS. Meanwhile ISIS had occupied part of Syrian territory and started discarding revolting people or at best started using them as pawns.

In the occupied territory, ISIS started collecting taxes, water and electricity cess from people and that is their revenue. Now Syria is part ruled by Al-Assad and part by IsIs. Common people who started as rebels with a cause are now facing the tyranny of ISIS. ISIS, the scoundrels had begun committing atrocities on women - using them as sex slaves or even selling them like commodities. Since Syrian people are suffering from both sides, they started fleeing the country for safety to nearby Turkey, Lebanon and to Europe.

In this scenario, Paris with recent terrorists attack joined Russia and bombed Raqqa, the headquarters of ISIS in Syria. Britain forced to join them. GOP is criticizing President Obama for his uncommitted stand on Syria. In my opinion, the ambivalence is understandable. Rectitude can never be measured on a scale, and to side the lesser evil over bigger bully. Rather, the central theme must be to protect human values and action must be towards saving the innocent Syrians who have been suffering between two wrongs.

It is four years since onset of war in Syria. So far, 60 million people, half of them children are misplaced. Over 100,000 killed in the war, over 35,000 drowned while illegally crossing Mediterranean Sea. Neighbouring Islamic countries – Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and Turkey all wish to end the war but it is their second priority*. Every one of them have their ulterior interests in Syria, clearly laid out – Sunni domination for Saudi, Denouncing Kurds(another rebel group) for Turkey, Shiia resurgence for Iraq…..With so many emotions at stake, the end seems unlikely in near future.

The Arab Spring, the Tornado is yet to expend all its energy.

* Recently, Turkey, Russian alley in Syrian war, shot down Russian fighter plane on the ground it entered (incursion) Turkey’s air space – too silly, that left whole world perplexed. It is because Turkey perceives Russian actions in Syria are not in tune with their interests. Too complicated. Is n’t it?

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 [V1]

New Year Resolution

The days are numbered for ushering the New Year. Time to flip the last page of the calendar so dearly kept so far. Time to buy and exchange greeting cards. Time to party and guzzle few drinks. Time to welcome the New Year with lots of hope.

This is also time for one more habit bound ritual, taking New Year resolutions. We have plenty of choice here like spread of the New Year party. Quitting smoking, Exercise as part of fitness regime, implementing a dietary routine to lose few pounds, improving vocabulary, the archaic list goes on. Statistically, most of the New Year resolutions never see the light of the day after 3^rd week in January. No surprise. We all know about it.

We don’t have to run to psychologists to know the reasons behind the failures. The change desired is so steep; simply, cannot be sustained without steely determination.

Some of the resolutions are the urgent needs of an individual - life and death kind of, like quitting smoking or alcohol. Strictly speaking, one need not tag them to the onset of the New Year to begin implementing. New Year does not bring any special airwaves to breath-in, to succeed. Isn’t it?

I have a solution from my personal experience.

I took to smoking for fun as a student and soon it entrenched in my psyche, so deep I became an addict. Over a dozen years, I could feel my body asking for nicotine in every 25 to 30 minutes and I cannot hold but to light a cigarette to douse it. Fortunately, before it could affect my health, I realised and quit. Yes - I dropped it as if it’s a burning coal. I never felt the urge from then on and many of my friends called me lucky for giving up on a whim. It taught me a major lesson- habit is a thought. It will be with you as long as you entertain it. If you don’t entertain the thought, it deserts you. That is the secret. Same holds good to acquire a good habit – hold on to that habit-thought unceasingly.

Some dirty habits are community based. One such bad habit we all collectively, unknowingly indulged is, degrading the climate. We insulted and bruised her to the limit in our eagerness to conquer her. We are digging up, every ounce of her innards, burning and rejoicing. It has been continuing from last two centuries. We threw the uncivilised dirt in to the air, we cannot see and so we never noticed it. Of late, we started feeling it.

Until recently, she was silent and we took it as our victory. When reactions are surfacing, we are clueless and are beyond our comprehension. We need to mend our ways with steely Resolution. It is the time to end this dirty habit and protect mother earth’s fineries. It is the time to keep entertaining the thought of mother earth at every event of our life. Serious thought must precede the action.

The resolution has been taken collectively well ahead of New Year in Paris.

And it is the need of the hour, rather every second, to entertain the thought of restraint by each one of us to silence pleasure seeking soul within and start leading the life from private luxuries to sharing with the public -  otherwise, the years, if not days, will soon be numbered.

Best Wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year for mother earth’s sake.

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Temples in Mulbagal

“Mulbagal” is a small, bucolic border town in Karnataka, about 55 miles away from Bangalore, on the way to Tirupathi. A sleepy town, time runs slow here and occasionally stops too. Here, every day is just a copy of the previous day. Sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening, the only cosmic event that occurs daily in Mulbagal: nothing more special happens that cries for anyone’s attention.

Rewind 350 years backward, Mudalabagilu was an important administrative outpost of erstwhile Princely Mysore State. Mudalabagilu means, in native Kannada, Eastern Street, an entry door to Mysuru State. In fact, it was so for Vijayanagar Empire too. As a gateway, it was a busy town verifying the identity of people entering the kingdom and checking of material movements, in and out. However, trampled by time, Emperors have faded, kingdoms have faded and so the importance of Mudalabagilu. The name itself went thru several distortions in time, and perhaps deemed so trivial, nobody bothered to notice it even. Eventually, it is Mulbagal, today.

If you are wondering why I am talking about an insignificant town, is that, it houses many historic temples and I visited two of them last Friday. While my Verna car was passing thru the main street, we halted to enquire about the way to the temple, I found, three young guys, leaning on their stationary cycles, leisurely talking about something I cannot even guess, but must be a mundane topic, as they readily responded and guided us.

Anjeneya Temple.

Information available about temple is very sketchy. No records of, when and who built it. No inscriptions on the temple walls.

The two priests in Anjaneya temple, wearing ceremonious white “Dhoti” with green and red boarder, befitting their priestly duty welcomed us.

  Then, one of them performed routinely, what is expected – took the copper plate with lighted oil lamp and circled it around the main deity Anjeneya and brought it back along with few tulasi leaves as Prasad. The granite statue is close to 12 feet height and around four feet width. Here, Anjeneya is depicted, holding a knife in one hand and his main weapon “Gada” in the other hand. It is very pleasant standing close to the deity and praying, unlike in other temples, where the deity is located deep inside the sanctum sanctorum, barring the entry of public.

When asked about the significance of the temple, the priest narrated the story. Arjuna, after winning the epic Kurukshetra war, came here to pray Hanuman. Thanks giving to Hanuman for having stood as badge on his ensign that fluttered atop his chariot, protecting him throughout the war.  Arjuna installed and consecrated the deity, legend says.

Since Hanuman is inseparable from Vishnu, the premises also houses Varadaraja and Rama temples, believed to have been consecrated by Sage Vasishta. It is said that Great Sage Bhrugu, one of the seven grand sages visited the temple.

It is impossible to verify the veracity of these claims; however, historians confirmed that the temple was built around 1200 AD. 

Someswara Temple.

I wonder why some Shiva temples are known as Someswara Temples; Som is another name of Chandra, the moon. Since Shiva wears moon on his head, is also called Someswar. It is Shiva’s one of many names – accepted, but my doubt persists, yet.

The Someswara temple in Mulbagal is constructed in 12^th century, coinciding with Chola period.

Locals believe the Shiv Linga is swayambu – manifested on its own.

The priest claimed to be new to this temple and could not throw any light about the temple origins. Contended with darshan, we left the temple.

I saw a notice near the main gate, a pale green board with white colour letters, declaring the temple status as protected monument by Karnataka Archaeology Department. Immediately after my return, I had written to Director of Archaeology dept. seeking more information on the temple origins. Hopeful to get interesting reply.

It took almost three hours to reach back home covering 55 miles, wading thru the thick Bangalore traffic.

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Taj Mahal.

I had been visiting Delhi periodically for the last 15 years but never attempted to visit nearby Agra and Taj Mahal. Indifference towards monument?  No. Languid disposition? Yes. Anyway, I had to make it along with my Japanese colleges coming from Tokyo.

The traffic in Delhi until we reached Delhi-Agra highway, was anything but chaotic, however the drive on highway was very comfortable. But, then, the way to Taj in Agra, the city that housed symbol of love, is through unhygienic surroundings and dirty roads - over flowing open drains or stench of left overs of human uncivility.

In contrast, no sooner we crossed the huge red gate, Taj Mahal stood majestically. This white shining edifice is breathtakingly beautiful. With its four-ornamental and guardian pillars, Taj Mahal is truly a gem in India’s diadem. Now I regret my earlier indolence of delaying the visit. It is made of special white marble of high quality; some of it was brought from Persia.

Shah Jahan, the grandson of Akbar   built Taj in memory of his loving and departed wife, Mumtaj Mahal. Mumtaj was his third wife and died while delivering his 14^th child. The grieving Shah Jahan built the mausoleum as an expression of his love that houses tombs of Mumtaj and his, later. So much adoration for a woman and love! Great! Deffinitely, he had strained relations with all future widowers and husbands.

The construction of Taj started in the year 1642 and took 20 years to complete with skilled artisans from India and other parts of Asia. Around 1000 elephants toiled during 2-decade long construction; aiding human imagination, it is said.

The pathways to Taj from main gate are through well-maintained gardens.

When once I stood next to Taj, I realized its huge size, but hardly interesting, may be, because the symbol of love is out of single frame of sight. The fine and intricate artwork on marble is a commentary on the skill of artisans.

One rumour has been running thru the history of Taj that Shah Jahan had killed or chopped off hands of artisans who built Taj, preventing them to replicate it. Thus, he desired his creation to be unique and single. A man who built embodiment of Love, could he be so ruthless? I doubt.

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 In its close to 400 years of existence, Taj weathered ravages of time, onslaught of rebels and wrath of a brutally insensitive British governor whose  vain attempts to auction off Taj, not once, but twice, left the  monument intact.

British humourist and writer Edward Lear once described, after visiting Taj, "Henceforth, let the inhabitants of the world be divided into two classes - them as has seen the Taj Mahal, and them as hasn't."

Though there are other equally great monuments in Agra, I left the city next day morning, back to Bangalore – contended, for the time being, to be on the Taj side of the world.
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