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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Quality - the art of Virtual tools

Excellence is always shrouded with mystery. Any attempt to express or measure it, in practical terms is like defining the abstract. And best management practices are no different however scientific they are.

Over the years, the way business is being carried out, has become complex and its dependency on 3^rd party tools is more evident than ever before. Can we imagine running an organization without MS office? “Hunger” for betterment is not enough but reach and deployment of such tools have become bare necessity of trade.

For any progressive group, the topic will always be, how  to enhance the quality by deploying new and powerful software tools. Now, plans are afoot in all organizations to integrate the systems, from field to boardrooms, to run  on one string and most of it is expected to be on “cloud”, thus adding a “Omnipresent” dimension to    team members to poll or process  information  in real time mode, of course to the benefit of customers. The end result is expected to be nothing less than excellence  from "Virtual world."

However, I never expected that my euphoric thoughts on “Virtual tools” would take a beating by seemingly unconnected event, in the last week-end.

I had to accompany a friend of mine to Halebid and Belur temples, located around 90 km away, on the north-western side of Bangalore. The temples depict Hoyasala architecture and legend of the land says, in 10^th century, under the patronage of a generous king, the master sculptor “Jakkanacharya” and his able team carved out masterpieces of sculpture and build these temples. The experts described the temple as "supreme climax of Indian architecture". The temple walls are decorated with statues depicting various events of life - a wedding, a romancing couple, a warrior and various aspects of God - all are finely carved out of black granite and brimming with life. The bottom of the wall has a border with elephants standing in line holding the tail of front one with trunk. The guide was telling, though all elephants are look alike, close observation reveals, no two are of same design. The kingpin is the statue of a woman “looking into mirror” .The artist finely embedded her feelings as well. The woman is examining her make up while holding a mirror in hand. She is not happy with her “mascara” or colour of lipstick, perhaps, she is bit irritated by noticing  fine lapses - maybe she is getting ready to meet her man friend soon and understandably the occasion calls for better preparation. All these feelings are manifesting and vivid even after 1000 years - as if, this fine piece of art is quietly talking to me. And that’s the commentary on the esoteric craftsmanship. My guide went on saying, all stone blocks are not suitable but a chosen few and sculptors are masters of Science of evaluating the quality of stone.

Suddenly, amidst great art, I was pushed into reverie - what tools these artists had had about 1000 years ago? Power drills, steel files or computers to check the design?? They had most rudimentary iron hammer and a pencil of metal to chip out, bits of granite – and the outcome is a stupendous art and stood ravages of time, reflecting their glory even after centuries! They had spacious imagination and high degree of skill coupled with determination. And under the heat of their will to succeed, even hard granite softened and took the desired shape. By sheer discipline, they had earned the passwords to “That” Operating System to invoke these virtual tools at will. Perhaps, that’s the secret behind those eternal masterpieces.

What really are today’s “Performance – enhancers”? Computers or Fine tools or Hunger for higher performance or mix of all? Or something that deeply enshrined within our psyche?

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With Shiva at Tiruvannamalaialai  

It is always my wish that I will be all alone in any temple, its surroundings are clean, also wish that inner precincts of temple are calm and silent; and the priest is cordial enough to allow me to pray at ease instead pushing me out of sanctum sanctorum.

None of these wishes will ever come true in Thiruvannamalai Temple.

And yet, and yet, and yet: you will be at peace with yourself by having darshan of Annamalaiyar - That is Arunachala Shiva. The consort of Arunachaleswar is “Apithakuchamba”, the mother aspect of Parvathi.

The temple is located in sprawling 25-acre compound with four large towers (Rajagopurams) in all cardinal directions. The main entrance to the temple is from eastern tower.

The seventh century Jnana Sambhadhar mentioned about Thiruvannamalai temple in his Thevarms (Verses). And it was patronised by successive rulers of Chola, Pallava, Vijayanagar, Hoyasala dynasties thereafter. Thus, the temple is sanctified by eons of worship.

The backdrop of temple is the Holy Hill Arunachala. The spiritual grandeur of Arunachala is deeply rooted in mythology. As legend goes, once Brahma and Vishnu had a bitter argument claiming the supremacy over each other - the creator or the Sustainer; who is mightier or great?

A typical ego clash and ensuing one-up-man ship. Then, Lord Shiva appeared as a column of light and tested them to find out the ends of the column. Brahma went up flying along the column of light while Vishnu went down burrowing the earth. Both failed and subdued in presence of greater Power. Then, Lord Shiva as a gesture of benediction, the column of light, condescended as hill for the benefit of mankind. Since the colour of flame is crimson red  ”Aruna” and the hill is “achala (Insentient)- it is Arunachala- reflecting the true aspect of God – “Dynamic Inertia.”

As seen while going round the Hill

Shiva manifested and is worshipped   as five elements - panchabhutas – Arunachala as fire, in Chidambaram as Akash (space or ether), in Kalahasthi as air, in Kanchi as earth (Ekambareswar) and Jumbukeshwar as Water. These are important pilgrimages of Lord Shiva.

No sooner, one enters the town of Thiruvannamalai, it is the holy hill that beckons - the peace that emanates is quite palpable even for an agnostic. That is the power of Holy Hill Arunachala.

Once Parvathi playfully closed the eyes of Shiva in their home garden in Kailash. Though it was a brief second in Kailash, it translated into ages for terrestrial realms and plunged them into darkness. Realizing the impending calamity, Shiva opened his spiritual eye and saved them. To redeem the sin, thus accrued by her act, Parvathi had come down to Mount Arunachala and undertook penance. Shiva graced her and to end such future separations from her, He offered half body and became “Arthnareeswara”. Signifying this divine act, there is “Arthanareeswara Temple on the eastern slopes of Arunachala.

Arthanareeswara Temple - Shiva as half  man and half woman 

Venkatraman, a runaway lad of sixteen, who later became a world teacher, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi lived on Arunachala Hill over 50 years. He extolled the glory of Arunachala in many vernacular Tamil verses, together known as “Arunachala Stuti Panchakam”- Five Gems in praise of Arunachala. He reemphasized the importance of circumambulation of the holy hill, a distance of 8 miles, in one’s spiritual quest. Devotees go round the hill, in bare foot, chanting various names of Shiva, a spiritual practice followed over the centuries. Ramana Ashram is another must visit place in Tiruvannamalai.

Of all festivals that Temple celebrates, the major one is Karthigai Deepam. A lamp is lit in a cauldron on top of the hill on full moon day in the month Karthigai, generally falls in November-December. The lamp is called Mahadeepam. More than 25 lac devotees gather to witness Mahadeepam every year.

In Ramanashram

Devotees doing Giripradakshina

If you can visit the Temple, go round the hill, visit the Ramana Ashram and witness Mahadeepam all in one breadth is a sure way of winning spiritual grand slam.

 How to Reach: Tiruvannamalai  is well connected by road from Bangalore and Chennai. A 5-hour drive.

Where to Stay: Fortunately, it is a place to suit every wallet. Many budget hotels are available. I recommend Ramana Towers if you are going with your family.