Anjaneeya worship: Faith and Strength

In India, Anjaneeya is known by many names including  Hanuman,  Maruthi, Vavuputhra and Anjanai Kumara. He is worshipped all over India and the world as a God to whom you can pray for solutions and relief for problems. Most Hindu temples will have special place for Hanuman. He is an embodiment of great devotion, strength, intelligence and courage. He plays a very important role in many places in the great Epic Ramayana . The verses in the book Sundarakandam  describes  in detail how he successfully flew across an ocean to locate Goddess Sita and bring the good news to his Lord Sri RAMA .

There are many famous temples for him. In Chennai we have Nanganallur temple, on the way to Pondicherry we have  Panchavadi temple, near salem in Namakkal  there is a famous Anjaneeyar temple and near Tirunelveli at Suchidram we have another  Anjaneeyar temple. In Delhi, on the  Poosa road, there is a 108 feet high statue temple and another  near Vijayawada, Mumbai chembur. The list goes on and on….

In north India most households will have  the book: Hanuman Chalisa. This is a text for chanting every day, of which two cartoon CDs have been made in India and are very popular. In the US an attempt is being made to make a full length movie on Hanuman by Sri Uru Patel with actor Keanu Reeves playing the lead role. His picture is also displayed prominently in gyms!

It is said that Hanuman is the most poular and sought after God on the internet. Sri Krishna and Sri Vinayaka have over 8.45 and 7.64 lacs devotees/supporters respectively. There is a record 26.8 lac people who are Hanuman’s devotees and the number is increasing…..

Prayers seeking his support give courage, strength and direction to his devotees. He is available at all times to the needy and distressed, rich and poor and all are equal to him. All he asks from you is true and sincere selfless devotion.  One can find devotees praying with Tulsi leaves, flowers and garlands made out of Sri Ram writings, fruits, honey and grains as offerings.

Many all over the world have experienced the positive vibrations and strength derived from His worship. There is an increasingly long list. People in India are happy to know that the President of the United States, Mr Barack Hussein Obama, is also a devotee and carries a small idol with him at all times.

Hindu Marriage: Tradition and Rationale

The tenets of the Hindu marriage, its conduct, procedures and styles are explicitly laid down in the Vedas. The Hindu wedding is a balanced blending of religion, morality, culture and joy, making it a memorable event. The Vedic rituals solemnise the marriage while indoctrinating the specified duties of the couple through life. The rituals are symbolic of beautiful and noble sentiments.

The following lines go some way to explaining the significance of this important ritual:

GANAPATHI POOJA: The God of initiation is invoked first to keep away all impediments and for a smooth conduct of proceedings. This is followed by Navagra pooja.

VRATHAM: This is performed with invocations to various Gods: Indra, Soma, Chandra, Agni, with a vow to uphold values. This is followed by Kasi yatra.

VAKKKU NICHAY MUHURTHAM: The bride’s father and groom’s father solemnize the final betrothal ceremony.

This is followed by exchanging of garlands to symbolize the union of bride and groom. Then there is OONJAL, PAALIKAI SEEDS SOWING CEREMONY, VARA PUJA and Kanya Dhanam (father gives the bride to the groom). The bride will now wear an exclusive KOORAI sari with a belt of reed grass. Mantras and thanks giving hymns are chanted to deities. The father gets a word of assurance from the groom three times!

MANGALYA DHARANAM: Timed to the auspicious hour, the tying of Managala sutra (also called thali), with a back ground of loud Nadaswaram (called ketty molam), ladies sing the popular GOWRI KALYANA VAIBHOVAMAY. Three knots are tied: one by the groom and the remaining two knots by his sister, thereby welcoming the bride to the family.

This is followed by Pani grahanam and sapthapathi. This is walking seven steps around the fire while mantras are chanted. It is a confirmation of friendship, love, strength and, taste to live together inseparable for rest of their lives.

PRADHANA HOMAM: Homage paid by the couple to Agni, the fire GOD, a prime witness to the marriage. Then comes a treading on the grind stone, showing the star arundhathi (embodiment of an ideal wife and chastity), next LAJJJA HOMAM (brides offering to sacrificial fire) followed by AARATHI.

SHOWERING OF AKSHADAI: All elders and invitees bless the couple for their health, wealth, peace, love, joy and happiness.

Spiritual Experiences: Haridwar and Rishikesh

A train journey of about 42 hours, covering 5 states, took us north from Chennai to Haridwar. Rishikesh is one hour from Haridwar and further up is the Capital of Utterkand State: Dehradun. Delhi is a further 4 hour drive from Haridwar. Both Rishikesh and Haridwar are border areas and entry points for the famous Pilgrim yatra to Kedarnath and Badrinath. The river Ganga, originating from Gangaothri, flows through these towns which makes these places serene and much sought after tourist holy destinations. Ganga is worshipped as a provider, supporter and caring mother. The perennial flowing river calms down our agitated minds to elevate us to a state of peace and tranquility. The holy waters are carried back home and distributed to near and dear ones.

Many spiritual leaders have settled down here on the banks of the Ganga to establish centres of learning, Ashrams. There is Chinmaya ashram, Swami Sivanandha ashram, Swami Dyanandha Ashram, Pathajali Ashram and up to fifteen more. These are residential campuses wherein disciples of masters continue the great work. They are today centres of culture and tradition. Accommodation is offered to visitors but one needs to book in advance as there is a waiting list year round.

The towns are full of small narrow by lanes. Mostly three-wheelers run on these roads alongside cycle rickshaws. Everywhere we can witness a clean environment and simple lifestyles. Vegetarian food is available in road side eateries called Dhabas who offer fresh hot rotis, dhall and vegetables at unbelievable low prices (attracting every tourist). The local population is made of mostly shop keepers, traders and artisans. They sell products and wares to the tourists who come here almost every month excluding the rainy season. Being a tourist location there are many tourist/taxi operators and hotels on the river front catering to various budgets.

We had requested accommodation at Swami Dyanada Ashram and we were very happy to get our confirmation for a weeks stay. The Ashram is housed in an area of 5 acre of land in plenty of greenery with over 5 residential blocks and 250 rooms. There is a prayer/mediation hall, a beautiful temple on the banks of river, a dining room (to seat over 300) Visitors are treated with access to a very good library having an excellent collection of sacred old books in Sanskrit, Hindi and English which are available on CDs and DVDs. There is a lovely shop selling books written By Swami Dyanadha with lectures available on CDs and DVDs. There are also rudraksha malas, special chains rings made of 5 metals, wall hangings, useful items for a prayer room, wall decorations and a host of other unique items.

Our day starts at 4 am to go and attend temple pooja in the ashram temple right located in front of the river Ganga. Besides the main deity Siva, there are smaller temples for Ganapathy, Adisankaa, Hanuman and Jyothir lingams. It is a beautiful, white marble structure very clean and very well maintained with poojas and chanting performed in the traditional style.

We are given an early break fast so that we can attend the lectures and classes conducted by teachers in the ashram. After lunch we have free time for interactive sessions, library, reading or personal work. We then go for a river bath in Ganga (ice cold water flows even at 4 pm)- no soap, oil, or shampoo and all one needs is a towel and a change of clothes. The river is so pure and Divine, an ideal location for prayer and meditation, and generally reflect upon oneself in total silence. Many offer obeisance for departed souls in the family. We attend an evening prayers session by 6.30 pm and a special aarthi on the river front for matha Ganga. We participate with awe, admiration and total surrender. After an early simple dinner we retire, not before a stroll in the green woods and cool gardens full of flowering shrubs.

We made trips to the hill temple of Neelakanda Mahadev housing a beautiful swayamboo lingam of Siva. We are allowed to perform abisheham ourselves with milk and holy waters. It is said a visit to this temple is a cure for illness and a salvation for our misdeeds. We also visited the Ram and Lakshman Jula at Haridhwar for a feel of Haridwar which is known for temples and its markets. We also attended the famous Ganga Aathi at Triveni ghat, a great sight and a evening to remember all our lives. We  joined a special group and were allotted a priest to our aarthi, for our family, and received Prasad afterwards. A very satisfying experience.

Days quickly flew by and by Thursday evening we prepared for our next halting place, Haridwar, not before offering our grateful thank you and gratitude to members of the ashram. As customary we offered a donation to cover our stay and food and liberal tips to service staff (over 30 people) that made our stay a very pleasant experience.

We had booked our stay at Haridwar in Hotel Basera, which has a central location very close to the railway station. We had the the good fortune to get a car arranged through a contact of ours- Sekar from Delhi. Our driver knew all the local places and was very efficient in organizing smooth and hassle free visits to all locations. In addition to a repeat visit to Ram and lakshman jula areas, we went to the hill temples Manasa devi and Chandi devi. The route up is through cable cars, well organised by the management, a car comes every two minutes which can house four people  and takes 15 minutes to reach the top. Good Darsan and prayers to mother Kali, a little bit of shopping and we are back. The view all along was wonderful and we also witnessed the Aarthi at Hariki Pouri Ghat. We were fortunate to get in to the VIP darsan area through our drivers contacts! The view of 7 big Aartis being performed for the river Ganga was a thrilling sight to see with background chanting of Ganga matha slogas.

One afternoon we went for a bath in a very special ghat reserved for state VIPs, a very private and exclusive affair! As per our plan we spent an afternoon at Baba Ramdev centre, consulting doctors and getting tips and advice with general ayurvedic medicine.  It is a very well organised set up and the consultation was free.

We bade goodbye to our driver with farewell gifts and generous tips. A special gift and Prasad was packed and conveyed through our driver to our sponsor.

The third day was kept for local shopping and preparation for our final packing for our return trip next morning. We had three more bags full of gifts and ganga water for our friends back home! Our camera is full of photos and we transferred the pictures to CDs. The trip was extremely worthwhile with some of the experiences being beyond words to describe. We are grateful to the Almighty for his help, guidance and direction. A very special thank you is in order for our kind hearted and caring sons Vivek and Arjun, with whose support this trip was possible. An experience which will stay with us for a long time to come .

We boarded the train back to Chennai after 3 hectic days at Haridwar. The hotel people had packed us plenty of food to keep us going for one day and we relied on the dining car for the second day of the journey. We travelled home content with three more pieces of luggage full of giftsand ganga water for our friends together with two CDs full of photos and memories.

Easy and effective ways to de-stress

Certain events and situations in our daily life can cause tension and stress. This in turn can cause a delay to our progress and leave you wondering what to do next. Many of us will have come across such situations and most of the time will brood about it instead of finding a way to deal with it.

This need not be the case. The sky does not fall because of these happenings and there are some easy and effective tools for you to use. You will be back to be yourself in no time.

- Do not get close to people who have a negative or complaining attitude for very small issues. Avoid them, keep away from such people as they are infectious!

- Keep tapping your thighs  and hum your favourite song or music.

- Call and speak to your close friends or well wishers

- Learn to say no to offers and attractions which your inner mind will not accept. It is such temptations which land us in difficulties. Also do not accept jobs which you can not do even if you are promised exorbitant payment.

- When you are stressed your brain does not work to 100%. Seek help from people who are close to you.

- When you are stressed in your work, look away for ten seconds at things which you like to enjoy. These may be fresh flowers, paintings, trees,  birds or whatever inspires you. A new flush of energy will come to you.

- Write down the reason for your stress then tear it off and throw it away.

- Start doing some physical activity such as cleaning your room,  running, skipping or yoga. Stretch your legs and your feet and your mind will become lighter.

- Prepare a basin of warm water, add some salt and soak your feet for half hour.

- When you happen to do a blunder, recall yourself and laugh it out, then you will not feel so badly when others point it out.

- Pop a couple of sticks of chewing gum in your mouth and enjoy chewing. You will have seen some sportsman doing this all the time!

- Drink a cup of warm milk with some added honey. Retire to a dark room and go in to meditation.

- Try and divert the mind to some thing else. Recall your favourite last holiday, a recent big achievement, a noble worthy act or help rendered to a needy person. It will make you feel better.

- You should be aware that we all have our share of problems, so there is no point in allowing it to affect you. Solve it to the best possible extent and move on. Tomorrow will be a different day.

- Realise that there are limitations to your ability and the resources at your command. You do your share and God will take care of the balance. Have Faith.

- Keep telling yourself that you are a good person and that only good will happen to you. Repeat this ten times and positive vibrations will start happening.

A letter from father to son

Every father and mother has the welfare of their children as their primary focus and their time and energy will be given always. The roles played vary with the child’s age and needs, nevertheless in the whole process a close bond is established and it remains unchanged. In quiet moments this is recalled it and it always brings a smile, happy feelings and moments of bliss.

When it comes to writing the thoughts of a father and what he would want to communicate to his son, the following are some of the main aspects that come to my mind as a father myself who is a very close friend and well wisher to my sons:

- Life is precious and equally fragile. So everyday is a gift. Try and live it to the best of your ability in any given opportunity.

- Be aware of every passing second. Watch all the activity happening around you- it will make you active. It may be the birds going about in search of food, the sun coming out in the eastern horizon, flower buds opening out or pet animals happily playing with one another. Time and space never remains constant.

- Appreciate your mother’s cooking. Praise it to Heaven! Make it a habit to eat together as a family, rather make it a rule, and a special rapport will form in the family.

- Follow your Heart. The mind will waver, but the heart seldom does. Respect the voice of your inner conscience for decision and direction.

- Seek a job which you will enjoy doing as you enter the stage of careers and cocktails. It is possible that you will get sucked in to the vortex called the rat race, but never be overwhelmed. We all are human, but we need to have the courage to step out of it. Nothing will be lost, only some illusions will shatter. Consider this a good riddance.

- Money is important. Earn well, adequately to support your family needs, your plans for future, savings for rainy days and retirement and for paying back to parents and society for their help in making you what you are today. Enjoy the pleasure of earning but never allow money to control you or your conscience. Remain balanced and humane. This is a very useful and very powerful tool to give you strength and propel you forward so use it very carefully.

- Find your love and hold on dearly. Be a good father and husband. Give your children space to make mistakes but be available to help and hold them when they fall. Your being with them should make them happy and confident.

- Speak up when you have to. Try not to live in a state of fear, fear changes nothing. Encourage the formation of an environment where there is respect, care and concern for each other. The power and initiative is in your hands as is with everyone.

- Don’t have regrets, however learn from the mistakes and, wherever possible, make early and quick amendments. Do not carry grudges as it does not help anyone.

- An unlimited capacity and potential is within you. It is your job to discover, unearth and make it useful to you and your society. Great discoveries of science have not been made by accident but from consistent and hard effort. Never get discouraged by failure of efforts, they are only stepping stones to success.

- Follow the example of a master or guide but decide your own direction.

- We can not be perfect or right all the time. Slips and failures can happen, it is part of life, but as long as you realize that your positives are better and higher than your negatives you have nothing to fear.

- Caring words are not enough to express the care and concern reflected through a sister, mother, wife, grandmother or great grandmother. From our very beginnings through growth, development and our current situations they have played an important role and continue to have a special status. They are the very foundation of our existence. We have confidence in their opinions and judgments. We have to continue this excellent and supportive tradition without any reservation, hesitation, influence or egotism.

I will continue to remain proud of you, my dear son. May you be blessed with growth and achievement.

Take care

Your Father

Recharge yourself with meditation

Murphy’s Law says if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Every time we solve one problem a new one springs up. This is a common, normal experience for all of us. Maybe no one can escape this or be free of problems. However, the least we can do is to ensure that we do not fret and worry about them. The pressure of life is so great that any stresses will affect us physically and emotionally.

The solution is not to succumb to our frustrations by fighting back or running away from them. Those reactions can create still more problems for us in our relationships. We therefore need to find an acceptable alternative solution to defuse tensions. Meditation is one way to counter stress, as it is a process by which we can experience higher spiritual realms. Meditation helps by bringing physical relaxation and it also puts us in a state where we are absorbed in an enjoyable, blissful experience and become oblivious to the problems of the outer world.

We select a pose in which we can remain calm and quiet. By focusing our attention on a point between and behind the two eye brows, we withdraw our attention from the outer body. The body then becomes as relaxed as it is in sleep and the mind is free to go in search of realms with in. With this inner support we can then face our problems with a clear mind and find solutions. We are able to make more rational decisions because we see life from a higher angle of vision. We feel less stressed as we remain calm, which in turn relaxes the body, and thus our chances of stress related illness decrease.

It is possible that as you sit in meditation all sorts of turbulent thoughts will come to your mind. This happens because of the deep rooted tendency of the mind to dwell up on worldly objects. To counteract this a point of focus will come to the rescue. The panchakshari Om Namah Shivaya mantra will induce seekers into deep meditation. The five syllables are the bij-aksharas or seed letters of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether of which our body is made. Constant repetition of these holy syllables, either verbally or mentally, generates powerful spiritual vibrations, that will render the mind pure and one pointed. This leads to awakening of the kundalini, the spiritual energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine, the muladar, in each individual.

As you progress in meditation you will come to experience a sublime state, which will lead you to realise your inner most self, the abode of eternal consciousness.

We can meditate at any time of the day. We can begin our day with meditation, also end the day with meditation, during travel, during office lunch breaks, or immediately after returning home from a hard day’s work. We can overcome life’s stresses and strains and discover the key to relaxation and tranquility.

Ensure your holidays are enjoyable experiences

Now and then, every one of us has the basic urge to break away from routines so that our days are different. Going away to a new destination or a favorite location helps us to fulfill this need and we return mentally and physically recharged. We enjoy the experiences, the enlightening interactions and the learning and pleasure of being one with the nature. Being able to enjoy late mornings and late nights, to go out dressed in your fine holiday clothing, to shop with gay abandon, eat in road side cafés and taste choice local recipes adds additional thrill to the whole adventure!

In order to ensure it becomes an enjoyable experience we must take some small steps well in advance. Most experienced travellers do all this as routine and if we follow in their footsteps we can be reasonably assured that our holidays will also become an enjoyable experience.

It is vital that one decides the location, month and days of travel well ahead. The preferable month to do this is in January for the obvious reasons. For most working people a six day get-away from Sunday to Saturday twice a year seems ideal. Of course there are exceptions, and when you go for package tours the days of tours are already fixed and you can select the one most suitable for you. In addition to your holiday plans, there is always the option of weekend breaks.

The very next assignment will be to undertake some research and collect all the information about the place you intend to go. This should cover: weather information, road maps, distances, routes, modes of travel, languages spoken and the political climate (eg. disturbances such as possible strikes). Details of information centres and tourist spots should be clearly listed so a decision can be made as to what to see and what to bypass! Linked to this is what you will need to take with you. It advisable to take two trolley/wheel bags of different sizes in addition to shoulder bags. The shoulder bags help to keep your hands free during daily outings whilst giving adequate storage space for extra cash, camera, water bottle, emergency medicine, towels/tissue papers and even some snacks! Do not overload your bags and leave adequate space for your holiday shopping and new purchases that you may buy during the trip. Why not pack an extra shopping bag too?

Before you leave your house or flat it advisable to check the doors and windows to make sure they are safely locked. Ensure that appliances such as the TV, music systems, audio video equipment, computer, gas and microwave are off or disconnected. However it is a good idea to keep the fridge running with some essential food which can come in handy when you return home.  It is not advisable to talk about your going away for a trip in wide circles. Better just to inform a selected and trusted few and one or two close neighbours or flat mates. Prepare a list of things to be attended to on return as a priority so that things arent forgotten. Charge your cell phone and camera and pack your daily needs (medicines/prescription and reading materials). It is wise to prepare a new telephone index with important contact numbers. It is a good idea to carry different modes of cash like travelers cheques, debit cards, hotel vouchers and credit cards and an extra lock and key which can come in handy in new locations. If carrying cash it is best to split the cash with your co traveler, this will then spread the risk and ensure cash safety and security. It is better to have separate covers with allocated money for each activity, it will make things easier and ensures better finance control.

In case you are using a hired car, make sure you get a reliable and reputed operator and ask for an experienced and senior driver. Treat him cordially with all the dignity and respect due to another passenger. Get his cell phone number and clearly spell out your rules for the journey: safety norms, speed limits, test his knowledge of the route and locations. Do not assume or take anything for granted. Also invite him to join in on refreshments that you have en-route as this will help create a better rapport. Let him know you have come for a peaceful holiday and the lesser the hiccups, the better it will be for all!

It is a good idea to leave your valuables and excess cash in the hotel’s locker or deposit it with the hotel and get a receipt. Enter the information in your personal diary and remember to inform your co-passenger on such essential and important the details. Do remember to collect back the same when checking out! A good idea is to plan for each day during the previous evening after dinner, when you are noting down the highlights of the day. In case you are planning to stay with friends, inform then in advance and ensure they are expecting you before you arrive at their house. Buy some small gifts for them and offer to share a part of their daily work load as this will always a nice gesture on your part. Remember to take their family out for dinner before you leave them and also post a nice thank you card for their hospitality.

It is worthwhile to buy some small and useful gifts for your friends back home. If you have a video camera, ensure you use it to capture moments of your trip as you will enjoy watching it once in a while, particularly when you need a bit of cheering up! It is very good medicine. Time your return home to be at least a couple of days early to your actual day of going back to work. This will give time to get back to your routines in comfort. Once you settle down, enjoy the pleasant job of handing over the gifts to your friends, sorting your holiday photographs, forwarding these to friends and perhaps writing your experiences down (or on to your blog!). Wait awhile before thinking about your next holiday for it will come sooner than you expect!

Travel opens up everyone and is a great panacea for the many issues affecting us. So do keep travelling and enjoy the experience. You will become a much admired and sought out person for you will have so much to share. A treasure of wealth which all can joy.

Reflections of a holiday in Ooty, Coonor and Coimbatore

“Every night as you go to sleep, your vision doesn’t sleep, your goals don’t sleep, your aspirations don’t sleep, your world doesn’t sleep. The power to make your dreams a reality is in your own hands. Make your move first and he will do the rest for you!”

Since January we had been thinking of going away for a long holiday for rest and quiet away from life’s routines. Considering the hot weather in Chennai from April to June, the preferred location was any nearby hill station with an elevation of over 4000 feet. Our inner mind also craved to complete the much aspired trips to family temples near Coimbatore. That settled it and Nilagiris was the choice.

With support and encouragement from Vivek, Vaishnavi, Arjuna and family friend Jaya, we planned an itinerary for two weeks. From then onwards the rest was only a question of preparation and execution which was fairly easy compared to earlier bridges we have had to cross!

We all have some favorite trains and mine happens to be the Nilagiri blue mountain train running between Chennai and Ooty. We instead drove from Mettupalayam as the hill train was cancelled (a small disappointment). However, the road trip was equally enjoyable with the comfort of breathing the wonderful smell of Eucalyptus as we started climbing through the hairpin bends, appreciating the special signals of our driver to other bus, car and lorry drivers- a very courteous lot!

We halted for an hour near a waterfall for breakfast and continued via Coonoor to reach Ooty. We stopped to buy some fresh vegetable and fruits from the city market enroute and then by lunchtime we checked in to the resort in the lovely Elk hills above the lake. A comfortable room with good furnishings facing the town, a small compact kitchen with all utilities: oven, fridge, utensils, shelves and wash basin. Geetha was quick to unpack and lost no time in busying herself in the kitchenette (as she had come well prepared from Chennai). A menu of Pongal, Sambar and Salad was ready in no time and was the first of very enjoyable meals.

In the early afternoon we went to the botanical gardens (formerly the Royal Botanical gardens) to see the galaxy of flowering plants and lovely decorations for the annual flower show which was scheduled in two days time. We saw vibrant salvia, asters, marygolds, dahlia, anthuriam, hoyhocks, roses, antirinum, sweetpeas, and button roses. We walked down to the Tibetan shops to buy sweaters and scarves (they sell good quality at reasonable prices) and on to commercial road to buy Amma’s favorite homemade chocolates and essential medicated oils. The air became cooler around 4 pm and so we enjoyed a hot cup of Nilagiri tea and biscuits.

During the following days we established a routine of morning walks, trips to Ramakrishna center for prayers and meditation and visits to selected tourist spots in the afternoon. We enjoyed the trips to the rose garden, wax museum, boat house near the lake, chellarams and flower shows. We also browsed and shopped in supermarkets, department stores, modern stores and the shops run by tribal-toddas. Lunch was had out in the Marwari hotel (good, simple food). We could watch the IPL 20 matches in our room and participated in games organised by resort people. We enjoyed a trip to a tea factory to see the process of tea manufacture, buy their special tea packets and joined in a group trip to viewpoints like the Pykkara hydro project. We regularly visited a nearby temple of Vinayaka, Durga, Amma, Navagraha and the hill God Muneeswarar to pray for the success of Arjuna’s Graduation, the winding up from Virginia, safe travel and settlement in Texas and the safe return of Vivek and Cathy to London. The regular feedback we received from Arjun kept us in a peaceful and happy frame of mind. God answered our prayers and we were proud of the role played by all members of the team. Good show!

We said good bye to Ooty on the morning of the seventh day and arrived in Coonor to check in to Hotel Vivek by midday. Here we had to evolve a different routine as there was no facility for cooking. The hotel was in upper Coonoor overlooking a tea estate, fairly close to Sims park and the market area, Bedford circle. The changes unfortunately gave a sore throat for myself and indigestion for Geetha. However with the help of a nice Lady doctor (Dr Chitra Devi originally from Coimbatore) we managed to get the correct diagnosis and medication.

Coonoor is a nice compact place, milder in climate compared to Ooty, a calm, quiet town surrounded by tea estates. It has many famous landmarks like the military academy, Madras regimental centre, needle factory, Ketty valley, Sims horticultural park, boarding schools and shopping malls selling hill products. We spent a lot of time walking around Bedford Circle and Sims park. We also managed a visit to Ketty valley to see a real-estate development covering over 30 acres, where a promoter from Bangalore was developing a layout and selling housing plots from 10 cents (one “cent” is 432 sq feet) to 20,30 and 50 cents. The site is 5 to 6 kilometres from Coonoor (midway between Coonoor and Ooty). The cost and registration of a 10 cent plot comes to 19 lacs and with the construction of a 1000 sq feet house it would come to 32 lacs! Unfortunately this costing does not fit with this writer’s dreams. The vision was to have nice big house in such a hill station in 4-5 acres of wooded land facing a valley. However, some day it will certainly happen!

After 5 lovely days in Coonoor we drove down to Coimbatore to check in at Hotel Sri Lakshmi at Gandhipuram. We had a 3 day plan here which included: a trip to Palakad Manapully Bagavathy temple, a trip to Marudamalai Muruga temple, Saibaba temple, Danavathri temple at Kottakal ayurvedic centre and a trip to Isayoga centre at Vellingiri hill. We managed all the trips very well with help from my friend at Coimbatore, Dr Raghunath, and concluded the visit by boarding the train to Chennai as per schedule. It was very satisfying to be able to thank God in our favorite temples for his support, help, directions and blessings to members of the family: TVR, Geetha, Penny and Bill.

Back at home we settled in immediately, but took a week to get adjusted to the weather! However, it’s a fact of life so no use complaining about it. We surprised our friends with gift packets and showed them the photos. They were happy for us and hoped and prayed that we get blessed with such holidays at least twice a year. For they say we deserve it, will it come true?

Chennai is now a favoured destination

Chennai becomes a very special city for tourists and locals during the months of November, December, and January. A fusion [ called Sangamum in Tamil] happens. There is music in the air, Carnatic songs and clasical keerthanas are sung by exponents in concert halls accompanied by instrumental musicians on violin, Mirdangam and Ganjira. Dance presentations such as Bharat Natyam, Kutchupudi, and Odessy take place. So do drama and theatre festivals, craft, art expositions, book exhibitions, Pongal festival , magic shows and circus shows. You name it, its all there, reflecting our culture and heritage. The mild weather prevailing during these months encourage our participation and involvement.

These are special months for the deeply religious. The Tamil months of Kathigai and Margazhi are considered very auspicious. Devotees of Muruga and Ayyappa undertake their Padayathra trip to the hills after the austerity days. The fronts of houses are decorated with Ramgoli and lamps. Sisters pray for the welfare of their brothers and brothers in turn give presents and gifts!

The state sponsored Trade and Tourism fair takes place in the city with stalls of departments, industries, traders and special organizations. In addition there are eateries, fun games, special promotions of furniture, household and electrical items such as air-conditioners, TVs and cars all in the comfort of the trade centre. Expositions of exclusive handicraft items, village artisan’s products, clay products, leather and brass wares can also be found on show!

We have heard of the Dubai and Singapore shopping festivals and now we have a Chennai shopping festival too. During the last week of December and first week of January most of the department stores come out with unbelievable discount offers for all products of home use. It’s a great shopping phase for all middle class people and many save up during the year to avail these offers! They share information with friends and it is a fun time, a happy phase for all, as new products come home much to the merriment of all concerned. It is also a two sided coin as the benefit goes both to buyers and sellers.

Pongal is the harvest festival which is celebrated with prayers and thanksgiving to the Sun. This is followed by thanksgiving to the bulls and cows (our farmer’s friends). These are big annual events in the villages and smaller towns of Tamil Nadu.

We also have an annual cultural event conducted by students of IIT called Sarang. Music performances [Indian and western], dance shows, clay modeling, crosswords and plate painting are some of the events. Then there is the Mega Book Exhibition with over 150 stalls displaying the latest and most famous books in the market.

The annual conference of Theosophists is conducted in spacious premises in Adyar. Delegates come world over for the conference, discussions, groups and meetings. The Festival of Kalashetra gets underway with wonderful dance dramas and music performances, beautifully presented in open air and indoor auditoriums. We also have the Chennai Sangamam Shows wherein artists from rural South India come in groups to present at various events. These are a fascinating reflection of village arts, dances, music on drums and is a state promoted project to revive and help village artisans.

We get the opportunity to hear the lectures of well known speakers like Swami Dyanandha, Swami Boomanandha, Swami Paramarthananda, Nochur Venkatramanji, Swami Sudhananda and others. Specific chapters of the Bhagavad Gita are taken up for weeks of presentations in auditoriums. Each day’s session would be a maximum of two hours, and each are very useful teachings and rare opportunities to correct our living styles and attitudes.

In addition to all this many special events take place such as the Heritage Walks. Groups of people are taken around the historic places of Chennai escorted by a guide. Places to be seen include forts, palaces, ancient churches, temples, museums and Adyar Creek. There are tree walks in the Guindy National Park for schools students. Then there is the turtle walk which takes place on full moon days along the coast during the egg laying season, which all age groups participate in.

Rarely does one get such opportunities to witness as many events in three months! Chennai is very popular and is catching the eye of everyone in India as well as people from overseas. The festival has evolved and is run by local people for the benefit of everyone! This trend is likely to continue in the coming years on a much bigger scale and will invite tourist groups from all over to come to India and Chennai.

Life restarts at sixty

The coming of sixty years denotes the beginning of a very personal, exciting phase of life. It is very challenging and equally thrilling because to make it a success or failure depends greatly on your mental framework and attitude. The positive factor here being your own achievements in the past 60 years, God wants you to live this phase still better and therefore this opportunity has been given to you! An opportunity to catch up with all that you could not do, for whatever reasons, they do not matter now, for what matters is here is the chance, better make good use of it!

In order to make a success of this important activity one needs to shake off and shed a few things. The computer savvy among you will understand if I say erase or delete here! Foremost in this list are words like AGE and RETIREMENT. Age has never been a yardstick to measure one’s personality/attitude/or abilities. Ageing is a part of nature or growing up and has many positives which offer immense benefit. In real life there is nothing called retirement from all. It is a word coined by those escapists who want to hide in their own web or cocoon. Like self pity all these thoughts can trigger negative emotions and they rightly deserve to be tossed in to a dustbin or moved to the delete section! We see many people nearing sixty starting to give over importance to their health problems or ailments and will only talk about this most of the time. This neither helps them, the ailment or the listener! In fact this can be their favorite topic for all occasions which psychologists would term as attention seeking techniques. So why join the band wagon? Be different, live your sickness cheerfully with the support of medicines, Yoga, and meditation. Think of the millions who have much more serious ailments, but who live better than you. In fact they can make others laugh, so where is the problem? It remains well hidden in our mental framework, fuelled by unrealistic and unknown perceptions.

Sixty therefore is not the time to withdraw from life, on the contrary with our background and experiences in life, we can be much sought after persons. This is the time when one is free from routine family obligations, job pressures, and is at peace with one’s self! Double blessed are those who have an understanding spouse with similar perceptions of life. The love, peace, and joy one experiences kindles our imagination. As a result creativity blossoms and spritual awareness is pronounced with deeper insights in to life. We become balanced, content with minimum essential needs and wants. As a result a great spectrum of happiness emanates within you, which you only can experience and enjoy! In this stage and phase the imbalances of daily life will hardly make a dent in you as you learn to forgive and forget.

We are now free to explore all that life has to offer! Be it a new hobby, learning a language, music, writing, travelling to new locations, gardening, cooking new recipies, painting, mountaineering, exploring jungles, learning yoga, meditation, enrolling for voluntary social work, giving a helping hand to orphanages/senior citizens homes….the list is limitless! Sixty is certainly not the time to abandon your desires or interests; rather it is the ideal time to pursue your long cherished dreams, passions and past times. Listen to your voice and out will come a long list of things undone for many reasons and now is the opportunity. Remember most of the Nobel Prize winners in all fields are veterans.

So sixty is not the end! It’s a renewal or a new beginning. Accept the realities, but do not succumb to them. Ageing is inevitable, as is the associated symptoms such as absent mindedness, but this does not affect our creativity, mental acumen, shrewdness or discerning ability. Like our body which needs a dose of physical activity and exercise to stay fit, our mind must also be kept engaged, kept stimulated and rejuvenated with new things which we enjoy doing. Sixty is the right time to reassess our life and plans and act to fill up the gaps to the greatest extent. We have handy tools like the computer, internet, Dish TVs, cell phones and a big range of electronic gadgets which helps us to connect to people far and wide, to such an extent that loneliness will become a forgotten word.

We can become achievers even after sixty, for achievers are not born, they are made! It is not through inheritance, family lineage, connections or support. History tells us such back door entries have never sustained nor celebrated the joy of achievement. This is the time to gain and to give. Senior citizens are much cared and sought after in countries like India, Japan and China for they have so much to give. The paths they have travelled are milestones and directions to the emerging younger generations. This will direct them to achieve a balanced life with a good foundation on spiritual wisdom, build a super structure adapting to current needs and never to sway to temporary swings and attractions. Like a land mark, you will live a life well lived and well remembered.