Kashmir Unrest

Over the last 2 months , they has been no let up in violence in Kashmir Valley. With more than 70 civilian deaths and numerous injuries , the current crisis spear headed by the young stone pelters has given an unexpected punch to many in Delhi.
What is on the mind of young stone pelters ? Is it rudimentary and over simplified “azadi” inculcated by leaders who want separation from India. Or these men , born under the silence of the gun who have witnessed many conflicts and trauma made them turn into “pressure pots” who express much through pelting stones.

Well there is something missing greatly in Kashmir or any other conflict zones in India. That is “respect”. The image of India demonized as men in uniform who don't fall under the vicinity of any known law is deep rooted in many people living in these zones. The thought of “azadi” is seen as a solution to this.
There are some “intelligentsia” or elevated “stateless people” who advocate complete freedom to Kashmir valley or support their right to self determination. But will be there any chance for survival for Kashmir valley as a independent nation,which landlocked between three powerful neighbors ,India Pakistan and China requires more logical reasoning. The current “guardians” of frustrated kashmirs ,mainly separatist leaders and jihadists are radicalizing their society and selling pipe dreams of independent kashmir without having any idea how it will work.

Conspicuously the current unrest is not given due coverage in Pakistan media which is bickering over the aid , rehabilitation and ineptitude of current Pak administration in handling the devastating floods. Pakistan who is struggling with many demons which they created in the past , offers no hope or future for kashmiri people. And their support to Kashmiri “azadi” movement is meant for installing a proxy regime there which is amenable to them as they did in Afghanistan.

India 's future as a responsible state lies not in powerful army ,economy or massive structures built for commonwealth games. There should be environment where justice, livelihood and individual freedom or expression are treated with paramount respect. We have failed in Kashmir over and over again , by running a state filled with para military and army. But still, Kashmirs has a better hope with India than with separatists or Pakistan who are eager to take them to dark ages.

Reflections on Tamil nadu

Well I think I should say few things about Tamil Nadu ,a place which I visit frequently. Like most people, I feel Tamil Nadu is growing . Lot of new roads ,palatial buildings , shopping malls ,multiplexes are mushrooming everywhere and it needs to be reckoned that Tamil Nadu may be the fastest "growing" state in South India. Away from all these growth indicators ,I feel Tamil Nadu faces some unique problems ,mostly social and cultural ones.

Right from the Cholas , Tamil Nadu witnessed massive cultural and artistic surge which translated into massive stone structures with aesthetic carvings ,music ,dance forms .It continues to inspire and create some of the brilliant people the world has ever seen.

But Tamil Nadu also has a society who are marginalized and completely disconnected with their culture and heritage. May be due to casteism ,they were denied a descent living ,learning and respectful co existence. And that continues , they still live a life without having a culture which defines broad based personal and social behavior. Driven by low self esteem, they treat with people who dont speak their language as aliens. On top of it ,they live in a identity provided by movie stars or their avatars as politicians.

I have been to lot of historical places in Tamil Nadu. Gigantic stone structures always amazes me. But I am equally worried how these wonderful pieces of heritage is treated in Tamil Nadu. May be protecting these wonderful pieces of art involves bringing back these people into mainstream and create an environment in which they can connect with their culture. It requires more human intervention and lot of social empowering.

Hawking and theory of everything

Downloaded the video of Stephen Hawking's theory of everything using Bittorrent . It is a very informative video on efforts to bridge quantum mechanics and general theory of relativity. It talks about issues on "explaining" gravity which is part of four fundamental forces of nature (Other three are electromagnetism, weak interaction, and strong interaction).
Human beings over a period of time tried to explain things based on senses.Unfortunately our senses can think only of three dimensions and it requires complex mathematical equations to define dimensions beyond that.
Recently there was another attempt to define theory of everything.

Movies

Watched some movies over last few weeks
Kadosh
A Israeli movie who shows the pathetic life of women in a orthodox jewish society. Wonderful movie.

Into the Wild
A true story of Christopher McCandless an american wanderer who almost lived alone in Alaska and died due to starvation at the age of 24 .An inspiring movie but it disturbed me a lot.I liked his idea ,that people should not derive happiness from relationships instead they should look towards nature to "derive new experiences" and happiness .

Redacted
A movie by Brian de Palma about "Mahmudiyah killings" in Iraq. It is very disturbing movie about American soldiers who gang-raped and murdered a 14-year-old Iraqi girl named Abeer Qasim Hamza, after murdering her mother , father ,and her sister aged 5.


Shawshank Redemption
It is rated as one of best movies ever made. A story of hope and how people handle adversity.

These days I stopped watching junk commercial movies. Time is precious and we should not do anything which will not add any value to ourselves or improve our understanding !

A visit to Navagraha temples

16 th Wednesday Jan Morning 8 am

Reached Chidambaram from Bangalore.
Got into a small hotel and freshed up and visited the temple. Stayed there for half an hour in front of powerful and serene Nataraja .

Walked outside the temple thinking what to do next ,surfed the net in nearby internet cafe and found out some basic information about Navagraha temples near Kumbakonam,took down the names of the temples . Well to be honest I had no idea how to go there since all these places were scattered around Mayiladuthurai in 50 km radius. But I always believed in making a first attempt and assumed that rest will fall in place. So found that there is a one on the way to " Mayiladuthurai".

2:30 pm started on bus
3:15 Vaitheeswarankoil (Mars) (Darshan timings 6 am to 1pm,4 pm to 9 pm.)

It is between Mayiladuthurai(15 km) and Chidambaram (25 Km) .Found out that temple opens only at 4pm. Vaitheeswarankoil is crowded and a untidy place and it is famous for "Nadi Astrology".In between I picked up an interesting conversation with a guy who introduced himself as a Muslim working in Middle east. He told me that there is a navagraha temple at Thiruvengadu which is near to this place.

4-15 pm
After darshan at Vaitheeswarankoil ,a person told me that I need to go to Sirkali to get a bus to Thiruvengadu..So I reached Sirkali after 10 min ,and I got into another bus.A fellow passenger told me that it will take 20 min to reach Thiruvengadu and it is about 12 kms from Sirkali. Also he told me I can visit "Kethu" temple today itself and it is quite near to this temple.

5-15 pm Thiruvengadu temple (Mercury).(Darshan timings 6 am to 12 pm, 4 pm to 9 pm.)
It is a vast place and neat with a vast ground. The temple is very serene and peaceful and enjoyed walking around that place.

5-40 pm
Started from Thiruvengadu to Keelaperumpallum.(Kethu). There is a mini bus service ,but a person warned me not to depend on that,instead he asked me to take a bus to Dharmakulam (Mayiladuthurai-poompukar route)and take a rickshaw from there to cover another 2 kms.Bus took another 15-20 min to reach dharmakulam and I thought of taking a walk instead of dealing with "rickshaw guys".It was a typical beautiful village with lot of paddy cultivation along the side of the road. I wanted to take some pictures ,but didnt feel like spending time on it.

6-15 pm Keezha Perumpalam(Kethu) (Darshan timings 7 am to 12 am,4 pm to 8 pm)

It is a very small temple in the middle of a pure village and I couldnt even find a shop nearby.

6-40 pm
I walked back to Dharmakulam and waited for an hour for a bus to Mayiladuthurai. It took almost an hour to reach there and found a descent hotel to get a good sleep. In between I made up my mind to visit the remaining six temples in the next day itself.

I took a room at a hotel called "Golden Tower" on M.G Road.At 10 pm,after having a shower and dinner I went to the reception and asked whether I can get a taxi next morning to cover the six temples.He called up a guy immediately and we started negotiating a price and finally we agreed on Rs 1700 .I told him I would like to start at 6:30 am.
17^th Thursday. 5-45 am
Woke up from bed ,and walked outside to have a tea at a wayside teashop.It is one of the best ways to mix with local people and be part of human race.

6:25 am
I checked out from the hotel and sat down at reception. Immediately I saw a white ambassador car with "mercedes" symbol on the front.The hotel guy told me that is the car I am supposed to travel. We started immediately and first went to the ATM to withdraw some cash and driver told me we are going to Thirunallur which is almost 30 Kms away on the way to Karaikkal. He drove fast into a place graced by the beauty of the nature. Driver introduced himself as Selvam.

7-15 am Thirunallur (Saturn, Darshan timings 6 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 9 pm.)

Selvam asked me whether I need to take a bath in the pond there ,I said no .Later I came to know that is the custom there. Saturn temple is a fairly large temple and it was crowded. But I managed to get a darshan ,and I guess it would be very difficult to do it on Saturday. At 7-40 am we started towards the next temple ,Thirunakeswaram.We almost traveled back and took a turn before reaching Mayiladuthurai

8-50 am Thirunakeswaram (Raghu, Darshan timings 6 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 8:30 pm)

It is fairly big temple covering a huge area. I circled around that temple three times ,and prayed for the well being of my friends and relatives. There is a pond in front of temple and circled around that place taking some pictures. I enjoyed some nice views from there. I was feeling hungry and Selvam told me that we need to go to Kumbakonam to get some good food.

9-20 am
Started towards Kumbakonam which is 6 kms away.Selvam took me to a nice vegetarian restaurant and had a nice idli-sambhar. When we started I asked whether I can visit Darasuram to visit Airavateswara temple built by Rajaraja Chola II ,he told me it is possible and it is around 5 kms from there.

10-15 am Airavateswara Temple

Well this is not a temple meant for worship even though daily rituals happens there.It is a protected monument and taken cared of by Archaeological survey of India and it is under renovation. Even though it is not big as Brihadeeswara Temple at Tanjavur ,it is storehouse of art and architecture and very exquisite stone carvings. The front mandapam is in the form of huge chariot drawn by horses.I clicked some pictures and walked around a bit. At 10:30 am I rushed back to the car since Selvam told me that we need to cover another 30 km to go to next temple at thingaloor.

11.15 am Thingaloor (Moon , Darshan timings 7 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 8:30 pm)

Temple at thingaloor is a small one in the midst of a village can be reached from Thanjavur (10 km) .The temple is almost 2kms away from the main road ,except rickshaws there is no public transport to reach there. I watched a "pooja" there and felt very refreshed after that.At 11.45 am we started towards Alangudi . Selvam told me that we need to reach there fast to have a darshan since temple closes at 1 pm.

12:40 pm Alangudi (Guru ,Darshan timings 6 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 9 pm)

It is fairly medium sized temple and it seems there is some renovation at the main entrance.I thought I have enough time to have darshan ,but when I went closer to that I got little nervous .I saw a huge crowd waiting for the darshan in a queue and I wasnt sure whether I am going to make it before 1 pm. But it seem it didnt close at 1 pm due to the crowd and I had the darshan before 1:30pm .At 1:40 we started towards Kumbakonam to have a lunch and Selvam told me that remaining two temples will open only at 4 pm.We went to same restaurant where we had breakfast and casually started towards next one at 3 pm, Thirumangalakudi.

3.25 pm Thirumangalakudi (Sun , Darshan timings 6 am to 12.30 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm)

Temple at Thirumangalakudi is dedicated to Sun and it is 15 kms away from Kumbakonam and it is known "Sooriyanarkoyil".It is relatively small temple and needs urgent renovation.I waited till 4 pm there to have a darshan and felt very energetic after that.At 4-15 I started towards Kanjanoor

4-20 Kanjanoor (Venus,Darshan timings 7 am to 12.30 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm)

It is 2 kms east of Sooriyanarkoyil. There is no seperate idol for Sukra. It is a very small temple
At 4:35 pm,I am done with all nine temples ,wow .Selvam dropped me at Mayiladuthurai at 5-15.I thanked Selvam whole heartily and started towards Pondichery via Cuddalore.
At 9 pm I reached Pondichery ,I thought of staying night there and visit Aurobindo ashram. But I was tired like hell.Then I found that there is a ticket to bangalore in KSRTC and brought that without thinking anything else.

When I reached Bangalore ,people asked me how was the experience.
I kept quiet ...
Peace , we should always thrive to achieve it ....somehow .

Some pictures

Traveling alone

Most people like traveling ,but may not know how to travel alone.These are very generic tips which will help you to travel alone without trouble.

* Find out information about the place from the web .There are lot of information available on Wikipediaand wikitravel.
* Be aware, in some places hotel owners dont give the room for a lonely traveler,since they think that these people have a "potential " to commit suicide.Avoid these places ,or try doing a booking over phone before you reach there.
* Carry a light backpack.Backpacks are easy to carry if you are forced to walk a long distance.
* Dont keep all cash in one place.Carry only one credit card (preferably) or debit card.If someone snatches your purse ,make sure you dont have much to loose.
* Carry biscuits or other "ready to eat" food items and water .If you dont find any good hotel to eat you can have this.Dont drink water from outside.
* Have a light meal and eat lots of banana.Banana will help you to achieve a "stable stomach" and ensures smooth bowel movement.
* Carry mosquito repellent always.
* Wear comfortable clothing (t shirts /track pants/kurtas/cargos/khakis).
* Dont carry expensive cellphones and other gizmos.Carry a basic cellphone .Criminals always nails down a "prey" based on looks and gadgets they carry.Always try or pretend to be commoner .
* Use public transport ,buses and train.Try avoiding auto rickshaws or taxis since they charge horrific rates and may be operated by criminals.
* Dont go walk /trek all alone especially in forest or other lonely places.Try walking along with other groups.Criminals and animals are a real threat.
* Ask shop owners or policeman if you are unsure about a place.They can give very good information on other nearby tourist destinations and good hotels.Avoid touts.
* Manage your time very well.Travel becomes horrible if you run out of time.
* If you want the travel to be memorable, you need to walk or trek and this requires lot of fitness.

@ Kanchi

Sat June 23 Morning

Got up as usual, sipped some green tea and sat idle. For sometime I had a strange desire to go to Kanchipuram and I thought of making a try. After getting fresh, packed my bag with very essential clothes, took a light breakfast, took some cash from ATM and started towards bus stand. When I reached bus stand ,I came to know that there is no direct bus, I need to go to Vellore first and then Kanchipuram. Bus started at 10:30 and it took almost another one hour to get out of Bangalore city. Journey was comfortable due to moderate temperature which was triggered by a depression in Bay of Bengal and well designed roads. It went via Hosur ,Krishnagiri and took a turn towards Chennai. By around 3:30 pm bus reached Vellore and immediately got into another bus to Kanchi aka Kanchipuram, one of the oldest cities in India.

Bus went through lush green paddy fields and seemingly pleasant for the eyes. By 4-45 I reached Kanchi .After having a light snack I followed a sign towards Ekambaranatha Temple .At some point I asked someone the way to "temple", he told me go to straight. Surprisingly I reached in front of Kailasanathar Temple which was built by Pallavas in 8^th century AD. It is a small beautiful well maintained structure with amazingly intense sculptures. I spend some time, took some pictures and this time I walked towards Ekambaranatha temple.

Ekambaranatha temple is one of the five forms of abodes of Lord Siva which represents "earth". The main priest told me that "lingam" was worshipped by Goddess Parvathi and it is known as "Parvathi Lingam". Temple complex is huge, spread over 40 acres, but it is not well maintained. I tried walking inside the complex but seemed impossible since it was getting dark. From there I went to Kamakshi Amman Temple, where I had to wait for some time to get a "darshan". I always envied people who lived near to big temples. I felt those structures and atmosphere has filled their lives with something more than the illusions created by humans recently.

By around 8 pm, I felt like I am tired and asked a police man where I can find a hotel. He politely told me a direction. I walked into a modest hotel and asked for room. Before showing the room, the hotel guy warned me against mosquitoes .I told him I am prepared, as I always include mosquito repellant in my bag while traveling. After having dinner I watched some television program on "climbing Mount Everest" on discovery channel. I couldn't really understand their "resolve" and "determination". Sooner I retired to sleep.

June 24

I got up early at 5:30 am, walked down to café for coffee. Surprisingly the café was crowded and people were really enjoying the morning coffee. After getting fresh, I checked out from room and walked a bit .After that I "negotiated " for a auto rickshaw and asked him to take me to Varadharaja Perumal Temple .Temple was huge and it was built by Cholas in 10^th century .I stood some time in peace and waited till 7am to enter the "inner sanctum" of the temple. When I walked into the interior of the temple I found that "inner most sanctum" is in first floor and can be approached only from a particular way. Ancient temple always presents me a mystery and as usual this didn't disappoint me .I walked a bit to explore the temple, took some pictures. By that time I realized that I need to start towards Bangalore early. After having breakfast I started my return journey.

Looking back it was a amazing weekend

Pictures