Hiatus!

What a long gap it has been since I blogged last, and so much has happened since - film personalities Sunil Dutt and Ismail Merchant died last week (both died the same day)...seems strange how things happen so fast - to think that some 700 people died of ambushes and suicide bombings in the month of May in Iraq...

Ah well, I found a great place to read Tintin Comics on the net!!...THANKS NILU FOR THE LINK!!..

And another thing which has completely blown me over in the last 2-3 weeks - Sudoku. God, what an addictive little thing it is..Hindustan Times and Times Online are two great sources of daily Sudoku puzzles...

Got to know Budu Mamu and Maeen are also to travel to Europe...so that makes quite a few of our relatives flying around lately!!!!...

Queen Victoria

Today I found an interesting site on Queen Victoria - full of pictures of her, Prince Albert and their family in the 19th Century. I have included the site in the links section. Truly, it seems so amazing how the old Queen outlived virtually all her children! And her grandchildren included the Tsarina Alicky and Kaiser Wilhelm II !!! What seemed yucky was the fact that they ended up marrying immediate cousins (but then, it was a custom in Europe - did Hilter's parents - and Hitler himself - not do the same?).

Again, for the entire time that I browsed through the site, I was completely lost in the time - the mid 19th century. Under the aegis of this plumpy little lady, England managed to do what Alexander the Great or Napoleon, or Hitler and Stalin could not - conqueror regions across the globe and forge an Empire "where the sun never sets"... And perhaps the most remarkable thing about this empress was - she was such a great family woman too - just see the pictures of her with her children, her pages, her grand children and even her great-grand ones....well, she was also lucky to have such stalwarts as Gladstone, Disraeli, etc as Prime Ministers.

Also, I never knew she had a munim!!! Well, see the pictures for yourself. In one of the pictures, Queen Victoria has sketched maharajah Dhuleep Singh, the son of the legendary Ranjit Singh himself, dressing up her son Alfred. It was Maharajah Dhuleep Singh who had to surrender the Koh-i-noor, among a host of other jewels, to the Queen.

The British did a lot of good in India - and most of what we lost to Queen Victoria's England is what was natural - we do not ask Uzbekistan or Mongolia to return what Mahmud Ghaznavi or Taimur took away. We never asked Iran to return what Nadir Shah took away from us - then why do we expect England to return the Koh-i-noor and other jewels? History is witness to such arrant decadence demonstrated by our princes and maharajahs - was it not Mohammed Shah, the Mughal ruler who exchanged his turban with Nadir and thus parted with the Koh-i-noor? Guess I am sounding quite political now. Better stick to the subject..

Queen Victoria lived 1819 to 1901. I guess the one other guy whose pictures I have seen on the net, who outlived Queen Victoria was Theodor Mommsen - the great German Historian who got the 1903 Nobel. His Roemische Gesischte is supposed to be a classic - and its truly surprising that there is no English translation available - atleast not in India.

Well, well, well...give me a page of any History book and I would blabber away to glory...couldn't help it.

Film on Amma at the Cannes

Darshan – The Embrace", a film on the life of Amma has been officially selected for showcasing at the prestigious 2005 Cannes Film Festival. Jan Kounen, an award winning filmmaker who was born in Netherlands and is based in France, directed the film. Manuel De La Roche of France, is the producer. The film festival now in its 58th year is taking place 11 – 22 of May 2005. Darshan – The Embrace will be screened on 18th May 2005 at 10:15pm.

Jan Kounen and his crew began shooting the footage for the movie in 2003 during Amritavarsham50, (news) Amma's 50th Birthday celebration in Kochi. Afterwards, Kounen and his team traveled with Amma on Her Indian and International tours in order to complete the movie.

Jan Kounen has several feature films to his credit, including 2003 Blue Berry – A 'mystical western' that starred Vincent Cassel, Juliette Luweis and Micheal Madison.

"I want to present the portrait of a women, who as a young girl had a vision which made people feel she was going crazy. I want to document the journey of that girl into her present avatar as 'Amma'", Kounen said.

On what inspired the project, Kounen said: "I was restless and plagued by several dilemmas and Amma eased away all these and showed me the right path."

About the film, Kounen says, "when I first took up the project and started filming, I thought, 'Amma is a good person, doing good things, in turn I can do something good for Her'. But as it went on, I realized, no, I am the one who is receiving the gift". (read more 10 September 2004th Interview with Jan Kounen)

Producer Manuel met Amma in 2002 in Amma's European programme. He says that he is quite impressed by Amma's love and compassion that Amma exuded made him feel that he got to make a movie about Her life. "The goal of all Mahatmas is the same: love and compassion." He says, "All of them have the profound knowledge of human being and to be in contact with them is uplifting. The way the pay attention to the people, ease their sufferings and remove their tensions. Today, they are sought out more than ever before. They protect values that are threatening to disappear."

The organisers and producers had extended an official invitation and were very keen that Amma will honour them by being present as the Guest of Honour during the festival and screening of the movie. Amma has conveyed Her best wishes and blessings for the function and will also be sending a video message which will be screened at the festival. Amma has directed her disciple Swami Amritaswarupananda to represent on Her behalf at the Cannes Film Festival. Mr. Sudhakar Jayaram, General Manager, Amrita TV, will accompany him.

The official selection of the movie on Amma's life at Cannes Film Festival is a significant not only for Amma's devotees and admirers across the world, but to all the spiritual people across the globe.

Related links

http://www.Jankounen.com ( 9 minutes promo preview of the film can be viewed)

http://www.festival-cannes.org (The page is in french, click on the UK/US flag on right top for English version)

Weekend: Leaving Char Imli once and for all

It was a nostalgic moment - collecting whatever remained at what was our home for 12 good years - our longest stay in any place and bidding adieu to all who worked for us, the lovely trees, the memories of Dimpy, Conchie and Jimmy - our three beautiful pet dogs, Gyaneshwar, Hiralal, Xalxo and his family, and Ganesh. Saturday was spent rummaging through old papers, shuttling between Char Imli and my in-law's place, and Bagmugaliya, which would be our focal point four years hence. I feel lucky to have been here with my parents, helping them shift and therefore, see for once our lovely home for the last time. Also got to know about Bonnie's getting an opportunity to go to Paris to attend an exhibition. What a news it was!! This teeny girl studying Architecture at Bhopal could manage to enter a competition and get to go to Paris for a month! She is truly an inspiration - proving that everything is possible with hard and sincere efforts...

A Tintin Treat this week!!

I recently ordered a set of all 21 Tintin comics for a friend and what a treat it has been through this week. I told this friend of mine that I would read the entire lot before handing them over to him(I had read most of the Tintin comics but a few had been left out somehow). So everyday, while my wife is away to Delhi and Panipat to help my parents settle down at Delhi, I have been reading the comics.

Read Seven Crystal Balls, Picaros, The Prisoners of Sun, The Calculus Affair, Tibet....They are so good -each character has his or her set of eccentricities(though many many look very similar - many have long protruding chins, most wear glasses). The funniest character in the series is Haddock, undoubtedly. And I also like the funny Indian names used - Lady Yamilah, Fakeer Chandra Patnagar Rabad (Seven Crystal Balls),Maharaja of Gaipajama (Blue Lotus)...I also loved Herge's other series - Jo, Zette and Jocko. Their "Valley of Cobra" and "Destination New York" adventures are quite good and the former is entirely set in India and has some funny names like Maharajah of Gopal...

The oddest looking guy in the entire series has to be Dr Decimus Phostle (Shooting Star)...he looks like a half moon. Even his portrait has stars around his face, so the resemblance is there...Shooting Star did have very funny looking characters. Even the Bohlwinkle Bank guy looks funny...Gen Tapioca also looks funny (resembles a centurion in Asterix...the one in Big Fight who always talks very loud) (In fact I would like to note a very good site that lists down all characters that have appeared in Tintin comics:

http://tintin.eugraph.com/tqsect/visquiz/gallery/index.html

And the most irritating guy has to be good ol' Jolyon Wagg!

I truly wish there were more Tintins...I truly find it the most entertaining comic series ever made(Asterix comes close and was good only till Goscinny and Uderzo worked together..the later ones are just too bad!!).

Swami Vivekananda's Chicago Speech

Chicago Address

by Swami Vivekananda on September 11, 1893 at the World's Parliament of Religions

Sisters and Brothers of America,

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, sources in different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

Why we disagree: 15th September, 1893

I will tell you a little story. You have heard the eloquent speaker who has just finished say, "Let us cease from abusing each other", and he was very sorry that there should be always so much variance.

But I think I should tell you a story which would illustrate the cause of this variance. A frog lived in a well. It had lived there for a long time. It was born there and brought up there, and yet was a little, small frog. Of course the evolutionists were not there then to tell us whether the frog lost its eyes or not, but, for our story's sake, we must take it for granted that it had its eyes, and that it every day cleansed the water of all the worms and bacilli that lived in it eith an energy that would do credit to our modern bacteriologists. In this way it went on and became a little sleek and fat. Well, one day another frog that lived in the sea came and fell into the well. "Where are you from?" "I am from the sea." "The sea! How big is that? Is it as big as my well?" and he took a leap from one side of the well to the other. "My friend", said the frog of the sea, "how do you compare the sea with your little well?" Then the frog took another leap and asked, "Is your sea so big?" "What nonsense you speak, to compare the sea with your well" "Well, then," said the frog of the well, "nothing can be bigger than my well; there can be nothing bigger than this; this fellow is a liar, so turn him out."

That has been the difficulty all the while.

I am a Hindu. I am sitting in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. The Christian sits in his little well and thinks the whole world is his well. The Mohammedan sits in his little well and thinks that is the whole world. I have to thank you of America for the great attempt you are making to break down the barriers of this little world of ours, and hope that, in future, the Lord will help you to accomplish your purpose.

Address at the Final Session: 27th September, 1893

The World's Parliament of Religions has become an accomplished fact, and the merciful Father has helped those who labored to bring it into existence, and crowned with success their most unselfish labour.

My thanks to those noble souls whose large hearts and love of truth first dreamed this unfearful dream and then realised it. My thanks to the shower of liberal sentiments that has overflowed this platform. My thanks to this enlightened audience for their uniform kindness to me and for their appreciation of every thought that tends to smooth the friction of religions. A few jarring notes were heard from time to time in this harmony. My special thanks to them, for they have, by their striking contrast, made general harmony the sweeter.

Much has been said of the common ground of religious unity. I am not going just now to venture my own theory. But if anyone here hopes that this unity will come by the triumph of anyone of the religions and the destruction of others, to him I say, "Brother, yours is an impossible hope." Do I wish that the Christian would become Hindu? God forbid. Do I wish that the Hindu or Buddhist would become Christian? God forbid.

The seed is put in the ground, and earth and air and water are placed around it. Does the seed become the earth, or the air, or the water? No. It becomes a plant, it develops after the law of its own growth, assimilates the air, the earth, and the water, converts them into plant substance, and grows into a plant.

Similar is the case with religion. The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, not a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth.
If the Parliament of Religions has shown anything to the world it is this: It has proved to the world that holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and the destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written, in spite of resistance: "Help and not Fight", "Assimilation and not Destruction," "Harmony and Peace and not Dissension."

Meine Gedanken und Ansichten

Spent the weekend reading Confessions of A Thug by Meadows Taylor. I never thought a book existed on 19th century India that provided such vivid imagery of life then. Since I live in Indore, the fact that the Thuggee cult was most active in the Narmada (or Nerbudda) region seems unsettling. Apparently, Thugs used to take 40000 lives every year and continued with their practice of strangulation for close to 300 years. And to think that I have spent a good part of my life in the region that only about 150 years back was an extremely mature and deep rooted crime organization that did not spare many many travellers...god! I guess in such moments one must thank the British imperialists for "cleaning" up our society of so many ills. Lord Bentinck, in particular ("Cleaning" exercises are almost always synonymous with purges and witch-hunting, but sometimes are the only way one could uproot a deeprooted evil practice.).

The best part about the book however is the objective, un-racist and extremely lucid narration, unlike, say, A Passage To India (though, a bias against Hindus is clearly visible in Confessions...). Seems Queen Victoria asked for a copy of the book even when it was in a draft state - so much was its popularity then....

The rest of the weekend was spent helping my parents pack their bags and leave Bhopal for Delhi. It was a very sad time, leaving the house of 12 years...so many memories there...and leaving the graves of our pet dogs Jimmy, Conchie and Dimpy....its almost as if an entire chapter of our lives got closed....

Labour Again!

Seems Tony Blair is back in office for the third time! With such uncharismatic leaders in the opposition, this was but natural (considering Tony managed about 60% of the seats, this opinion is shared by most of the voters there). Guess with the number of Asians in England, Labour may never go out of power in the UK (I don't think it was Tony's victory in any case. UK surely needs charismatic leaders desperately)...

Nitin Sawhney's Koyal: The video

Saw Nitin Sawhney's video last night for the first time yesterday and got the creeps - the music is certainly great - a true underground trip-hop, Indian traditional music mix (reminded me of Portishead's Glory Box, Tricky's Hell's Round the Corner and Massive Attack). What was very unique was the use of the 1929 Franz Osten/Himansu Rai movie - A Throw of Dice as the video. The army that is shown was a contingent of the Maharaja of Mysore's army - elephants, foot soldiers and all. And that truly blew me away. I just love the esoteric, musty feel of old sepia movies and photographs. Fortunately, the net is replete with 19th century and turn of the century photographs...wish more use of such movies are made in videos so that we all have access to these timeless treasures...

Guess I better get back to work...