From Flab to Fab - Journey of my wife from her post pregnancy blues ...

I am trained in several forms of physical activity - Martial Arts , Boxing , Kettlebell , Bootcamp, Bikram Yoga and Pranayama Yoga .

While I believe there is no need to go to a gym for remaining fit I could not have got a better student than my own wife who was all flab post her pregnancy alongwith severe back pain. Now that she is back to her fitness best , I think it will benefit a lot of people to know the various techniques and methods used to bring her back to her original form.

A combination of all forms of exercising keeps me the fittest in the whole group of colleagues and friends in my circle.Here on , I will be adding my experiences and imparting my knowledge to all who are interested.

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Post pregnancy my spouse was suffering from severe back ache.While several sessions with specialised physiotherapists did not seem to bring relief to her sate, I decided to experiment with my own set of wisdom.

1st phase

1) Pavanamuktasana


2) Pada-Hasthasana


3) Bhujangasana


4) Salabhasana


5)Poorna-Salabhasana


-----------------------------------
2nd Phase


6) Dhanurasana


7) Supta-Vajrasana


8) Ardha-Kurmasana


9) Ustrasana


10) Sasangasana


11) Janushirasana and Paschimotthanasana


12) Ardha-Matsyendrasana


13) Kapalbhati in Vajrasana


to be contd.....

I , Suyodhana ( Duryodhana ) - An epilogue

An Epilogue of Duryodhana (Suyodhana)

[Mahabharata has always inspired me.Each character in the epic has a story to say.While scholars may differ in their view.I feel each and every character in the epic has two shades - one negative and the other positive just like any other mortal being.While it is an established fact that History is always written by Victors, I feel there is every reason to believe that there may be sections in the story which may have been manipulated to show some characters in a grey shade deliberately.Considering that no parents can name their kid Dushasana (meaning one who misgoverns) or Duryodhana (one who fights for evil) , I am quite sure there is lot more to understand about the characters and all characters are correct in their own way.

The paragraphs I have written below is only an opinion I share ,from Duryodhana's point if view.]

Scene – Kurukshetra Battle, Kaurava Camp, Night of Day 17

Remorse had struck the Kaurava camp. The great Karna had been killed by Arjuna. The impending defeat was now the only certainty for the Kauravas.

Grief struck Suyodhana stood helplessly staring at Karna’s noble corpse in disbelief. Suyodhana was submerged in sorrow, more than he was when his younger sibling Sushasana was murdered scornfully by the beastly Bhima. Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, Kritavarma and a few others stood speechless beside their revered prince.  Suyodhana’s affection for his loyal friend was known to all. The mighty and dreaded Suyodhana today resembled an orphan in the hands of fate. Never did he think he would see such a day when his most beloved friend and brother would be grounded to an eternal slumber leaving him alone to face the demonic phase of anguish.

 “Take away all my wealth, take away my kingdom, and take away all I have O Kripacharya. If all wealth could have brought back my beloved companion back please do so. Scared I am of no soul on earth or heaven or hell. My dear friend Karna is more precious than all world put together. I have lost all my near and dear ones in this battle but cannot bear the separation of my dear friend Radhey.He stood by me in all good and bad phases like a shadow which never leaves the body”said   Suyodhana.

Seeing the prince’s grief Kripacharya was deeply moved and said "O great warrior , by ambition and ravenousness we placed too great a encumbrance on friends and near ones. They have uncomplainingly borne it and laid down their lives on the battlefield and attained the heavenly abode. There is but only one course left to you to make peace with the Pandavas. Do not, O King, any longer continue this catastrophic fight. End it and save the thousands still waiting to be dead."

Even at that moment of deep misery, Suyodhana did not delight this guidance. "Possibly, there was a stretch for that, but it no longer exists. What talk can there be of peace between the Pandavas and us with all this resentful blood between us, the blood of our dearest and theirs? If I surrender in order to escape death, how can I escape the contempt of the world? What happiness can I hope to have in a life so ignobly saved? And what joy can I hope to find in sovereignty, secured by a peace after my brothers and relatives have all been slain? Can the peace treaty bring back my dear ones back to life? Can it bring back my Karna ? I cannot insult the sacrifces of all great souls and behave like a coward. We will fight till we die. Hastinapur belongs to the great lineage of Kauravas. Maybe we will lose but we may strive for glory in death than strive for cowardice.’

The words of Suyodhana were cheered by fellow-men. Battle it was and in battle men do not die they attain martyrdom. The sacrifices glorified the brave men in their respective lineage. There was still a few hours before dawn would break and before long the henchmen lifted the royal corpse for performing the last rituals.

Suyodhana sat all alone in his camp reconciling himself to the situation. A few night lamps had died , running out of oil. The night lamps lit in his room attracted moths which died instantly when in contact with the blazing heat. Suyodhana gazed at the lamp and his moist face glowed in the dim light. The moths are like the warriors in the battlefield, he thought.

He rose and walked close to the mirror. He was still wearing his heavy armour. Bruised and tired he was. Staring at the mirror he proclaimed -

“I , I am Suyodhana the elder most son of Dhridharashtra. Hated by most. The final day of war is closing in .Defeat is staring at us. History will perhaps always know me and my brothers as evil. History is after all written by victors as always. Our names will be tarnished and personified with evil deeds. But, I am the true inheritor of the throne. My father was blind and Pandu his younger brother was throned the emperor. When he left for the forest my father became the emperor and he governed over the massive territories with utmost sovereignty. I am his eldest son. I am the true heir of the throne. Why must I sacrifice the throne to the incapable Pandavas who do not even have a factual biological father. I am the inheritor of the throne which once belonged to the great Bharata Maharaja. How can one forget the fact that Yudhishtra and his brothers are but borne out of Niyog. The day won't be long before they declare these illegitimate sons as the sons of our deity  Gods Vayu and Indra.How can one forget that Mata Kunti was but characterless in her youth and I will not be surprised if she has more children.

The Pandavas have always enjoyed the celebrated support of Drona , Bheeshma , Kripacharya and all elders. I was always termed as notorious. Vidura  wanted me killed on my birth as he wanted his Niyogi son Yudhishtra to ascend the throne. Vyasa cursed me. As a kid I always protected my younger brothers from evil Bhima who relentlessly and un-provokingly harassed and bullied them to show case his superiority and strength. Elders , others than Shakuni rebuked me and humiliated me and never guided me or applauded me on good deeds. I and my brothers have always been desirous of the love Bheeshma gave the pandavas. For my brothers I was always there. Arjuna always fancied himself as the numero uno archer. Drona supported him. The prides of both these heroes have been broken by me and my friend Karna time and again. Draupadi always spoke contemptuously with us Kauravas and insulted me and my father by calling me a blind man’s son during our trip to Indraprastha much to the joy and cheer of Bhima. What wrong have I done if I gave back the insult during the friendly dice match? I am an emperor and should be treated like one. History will always highlight one part of the story after I am gone. Today, I have lifted the dead bodies of my brothers, uncles and sons.

By base tricks, they contrived the death of my warriors, who fought bravely according to the laws of war. They could not have dreamt of victory in a fair fight with Karna or Bhishma or Drona. They cheated on us everytime and yet declare themselves as Dharmic. I have always been an able ruler and administrator and my nation hath never known poverty and misfortune before this battle broke out. Untouchability and casteism will divide the society. Equality will never exist in a society which is governed by the Pandu putras. Calamity will strike further if they become   emperors.”

Dawn was about to break, the sun was about to push through the dark canopy of smoke still raging out of the previous day’s battle. Birds no longer chirped on the ravaged and bloodied land of the dreaded battle. A few vultures were feasting on the dead and wild ravens and foxes dragging the dead in the battleground for a  beasty meal. The battle drums and trumpets will resound in a few moments from now.

“I do not repent for what I did”.So saying Suyodhana turns around and lifts his mace. He is all prepared to fight till the end. His bruised and weary hands lifted the heavy mace. The anger on his face glowed like bright ardour. “Here I come, foes. The lone protector of the kuru clan is still alive to avenge the death of the brothers and relatives and friends alike. The battle is still on. Here I come, panadavas.”

The battle conch of Krishna has been blown and can be heard from miles away where the Kauravas are all set to begin their new day with a new morale. The battle for the day is about to start. This could be the final day of the battle…..

                                                                                   

Durga Puja

For the last 6 years I have not seen the famous Durga Puja in Kolkata.I was born there and have never missed the festival , whether I liked it or I did'nt..
Infact when I was around in Bengal I think I took this festival for granted somewhere within me .... and as such did not realize the sheer cherishment of being subjected to the unique experience of the festival.
So many Pandals were erected in a matter of time .... unique designs , mammooth effort , millions of rupees all spent for a mere four days.Some of the pandals are worth being referred as national monuments .... the elegance of the craftsmanship is worth mentioning and makes one believe we people can just do anything if the will is there.
To be very honest I have never missed this festival till.... today.A strange sense of nostalgia seems to have gripped me today as I crave to be part of the celebration of the Devi's return.I am running after a career, running after money but wonder if I am actually losing out something in this run.
Days are rolling by, weeks are becoming months and months years and in a quest for a better livelihood we in IT have been staying away from our family folk.
As a kid , I remember we used to go to the behala Post office Durga Puja pandal early morning on Saptami to give Anjali. Decked up in new attire as we walked through the street, we would have certain onlookers gazing at us or even some uncles and aunts asking us how many new dresses we had been gifted this time.The higher the count you have managed , the better.Five days of puja would have meant , at least five dresses.If anything less , you would be considered a black leg.Pandal hopping at night with my parents was another occassion to wear your new stuff.
The meaning of Puja again changed when I reached my teens as I found it very awkward going with my sisters or parents to visit the pandals, parading in my new dress all the way to pandal. Somehow the idea was all by itself embaressing , especially when people gazed at all of us top to bottom and looked at my companions.
After I got a little more older , Puja had a new defination...going around to a selected few pandals with the 'special friend'.
Times have now changed and now I am a married man.... Wish I could hold my wife's hand and take her through the unique experience of Pujas which one can never experience in any part of the world.Wish I could once again go for the Anjali , wish I could once again walk through the streets pandal hopping .....and experience the sheer joy and enthusiasm of the five year old who waited year long for this impending festivity to arrive yet took it for granted.

(Un)Flavour of the season - Santosh Pandit

These days it has almost become a daily routine habit for me and my wife to entertain ourselves by entering the name "Santosh Pandit " in You Tube.Entertainment is readily available at the click of this name.

A lean dark skinned creature who always wears his characterstic designer suit with slippers , has buckteeth and always boasts of the Guniess record he holds and the ....that's the man we malayalees are so fond of these days to " Teri vilikyel "

So many interviews , so many songs , so many funny visuals , so many debates ... all centered around a so called " Alien Star " Santosh Pandit.Infact all the Malyalam TV channels are only have serious debates on one person - the great pandit and his fluke movie ...or was it a fluke ???

To be honest , I initially abused this man when he first uploaded his video on " Krishnenum Radheyum " ...... ' idiot will ruin the image of all malayalis .... as if one sreesanth was not enough we have one more monkey to be embaressed about' ...now that was my initial reaction.

But today when I see the whole world against this one man .... I side with him and ask one simple question ..... What crime has this man commited ? Has he killed anyone ? Why is he being invited to public debates where eminent personalities circle him and abuse and try humiliating him ?? Kudos to this man who still accepts such invitaions and justifies ,clarifies and argues his point each time he is hit by the greats .... Also for doing an all in all in making a movie is indeed a commendable job.

It takes a lot of guts to actually to actually go to a place surrounded by your foes who are hell bent on demotivating and poking fun of you.Even the anchor will spare no stone unturned to demoralize him.

Looking at the good points of this pandit I observe the following : -
1) He has innovative lyrics and not the old fashioned poetic lyrics
2) He has good music sense
3) He has a lot of confidence and is an avid speaker
4) He is perhaps a very intelligent man which is why his movie is the talk of the town

Looking at the cons I feel he must refrain from singing as there are better trained people in the market.Also he has a long way to go before he becomes a good director.

I feel a proper grooming can give Malayalam industry our much wanted Sreenivasan like actor.

Give it a thought dear malayalees ....

My Faith in Indian History

Indians just do not seem to take pride in their history and simply categorize most sections as "mythology".I stumbled upon this wonderful article which has been written by one of the archeolgists who happens to also be a staunch follower of Lord Krishna.

Over 35 sites of the Mahabharata have been identified in the North, all of which have yielded material culture - painted grey ware (PGW) pottery painted over with designs in black pigment, and antiquities in uniform and identical levels. This pottery is made of a superior quality of paste formed of well levigated clay and fine, well-burnt fabric achieved by distributing heat in the kiln evenly. This civilisation is also characterised by the use of iron, unknown to the earlier Harappans.

Hastinapur, between Meerut and Mawana in Uttar Pradesh, is now a forgotten village, but excavations in 1952 revealed the existence of Vidur-ka-tilla (Vidura's palace), Draupadi-ki-rasoi (Draupadi's kitchen) and Draupadi Ghat (for bathing), besides copper utensils, iron seals, ornaments made of gold and silver, terracotta discs and several oblong-shaped ivory dice used in the game of chauper.

Iron objects numbering 135, and which included arrow and spearheads, shafts, tongs, hooks, axes and knives indicate the existence of a vigorous industry. There are indications of brick-lined roads and drainage systems, and an agro-livestock based economy. The PGW of Hastinapura has been assigned to 1100-800 BC. The events of the Mahabharata probably occurred around 1000-900 BC.

Later, according to the Matsya and Vayu Puranas, a heavy flood on the River Ganga destroyed Hastinapura, and Nichakshu, the fifth king after Parikshit (Arjuna's grandson) who ascended the throne after the Kurukshetra war, shifted his capital to Kausambi, 50 kilometres from Allahabad. There is definite archaeological evidence of a massive flood level. The devastation by the Ganga is still visible in the thick clay soil.

After their exile, the Pandavas asked for three villages: Paniprastha, Sonaprastha and Indiraprastha, generally identified with modern Panipat, Sonepat and Puranaqila in New Delhi. These sites have also yielded the same pottery and antiquities. Building structures with drainage systems and PGW were excavated at Purana Qila.

Kurukshetra, now in Haryana, was the site of the Kuru war. Excavations here have yielded iron arrow and spearheads, dated by Thermoluminence (TM) to 2800 BC. Today it is a town of bathing pools. At the Brahma Sarovar, a large lake 3,600 feet by 1,500 feet, Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra are said to have bathed after a solar eclipse. Bhishma lay on his bed of arrows at Bhishma Kund. Arjuna shot an arrow into the earth and a cool fountain of water flowed out directly into Bhishma's mouth, creating the Ban Ganga pond. Eight kilometres away is the village of Thanesar, the capital of Harsha Vardhana in the sixth century.

Yet, the excavations were stopped soon after these finds were revealed, and were never resumed. Why?

The submergence of Dwaraka is described vividly in the epic. Arjuna asked the residents to vacate the city immediately as it was going to be submerged by the sea. Dvaravati, according to the Sabhaparva of the Mahabharata, was heavily fortified. Dr S R Rao started excavating the Dwarkadish temple till he hit the remains of 15th, 12th and 9th century AD temples. He dug on, passing two earlier temples, until, at a depth of 9.5 metres, they came to the remains of two towns destroyed by the sea. From the earlier of the two they recovered the characteristic lustrous red pottery of the period and region. Encouraged by his findings, he decided to search for Dwaraka.

Underwater exploration yielded two gateways, fort walls, bastions and a jetty at a depth of 10 metres off Dwaraka, in the Arabian Sea. Apart from corresponding to the Mahabharata's description of the architectural features of the city and the mode of its submergence, it has directly fixed a date by TM for the pottery of Dwaraka at 3520 years BP (Before Present).

Other finds include pottery, bronze and iron implements, three-holed triangular stone anchors at Dwaraka, a late Harappan type of seal made of conch of a composite animal - a bull, unicorn and goat - and lustrous red ware pottery at Bet Dwaraka, linking the site to the Harappan culture, and thereby establishing its continuity.

Bet Dwaraka was an island frequented by Krishna who is said to have visited its Shankhodara Temple. It also contains the only ancient temple for Matsya, the epic saviour of the world at the time of the Great Flood. The materials discovered at Dwaraka corroborate history and myth, and fix a date for the inundation of the city - between 1500 and 1300 BC.

The most remarkable aspect of both epics is their geography. The Mahabharata mentions many small villages, tanks and hills, which are still identifiable.

What is the historicity of the Mahabharata? Our doubting historians will never accept any of these finds unless they are supported by inscriptions, which will never be forthcoming as the earliest Indian inscriptions belong to 300 BC. So, do we treat the epic as myth till they are satisfied?

Western scholars tried to establish a connection between Krishna and Christ, claiming that the former was derived from St Thomas' teachings about the latter, but literature and archaeology have proved otherwise. The Chandogya Upanishad mentions that Krishna Devakiputra was a student of Ghora Angirasa and the author of the Upanishad, which repeats the teachings of the Bhagavat Gita word by word.

In the 4th century BC, Chanakya refers to the story of Krishna's birth, while Megasthenes mentions that the Sourasenoi (Surasenas or Yadavas) worshipped Herakles (Krishna). Their two great cities were Methora (Mathura) and Kleisobora (Krishnapura?) on the navigable river Yobares (Yamuna). He also mentions that Herakles (Krishna) sent his daughter Pandaia to rule over the kingdom of Mathura (Madura) on the southern sea. Was she a descendant of the Pandavas, and did the latter re-emerge as the Pandyas, whose southern capital was named after Krishna's capital, Mathura?

Panini, Patanjali and the Buddhist and Jain works also mention Krishna and the events of the Kurukshetra war, while the Chinese traveller Yuan Chang records that a great war was fought at Kurukshetra and the bones of dead warriors lay buried under the soil.

In 180-165 BC, the Greek ruler Agathocles issued coins with images of Vasudeva holding a chakra. Several inscriptions are available in the first century BC: the Greek ambassador Bhagavata Heliodorus erected a Garuda column to Vasudeva at Besnagar; the Mora Well inscription near Mathura mentions the worship of the five Vrishni heroes, including Vasudeva; stone enclosures (Narayana vatika) were built for Vasudeva and his brother Shankarshana (Balarama) at Ghosundi and Hathivada.

The most controversial site is, of course, the temple at Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna. I am not aware if any excavation has been done here, but tradition and even eminent historians associate the site with the birth of Krishna, which is why Aurangazeb consciously chose to build a mosque over it.

Apart from knowing that vyuhas were army formations, I never really understood their formation or penetration. Rajan has computerised them to work out how the various Kaurava warriors were placed and how the Pandavas entered and destroyed these vyuhas, increasing the sophistication of what was always believed to be a primitive tribal war.

Krishna's divinity is a matter of faith, established by his identification with Lord Vishnu. But archaeology has conclusively established the veracity of the Mahabharata and the existence of the cult of Vasudeva-Krishna at a very early period. The epics form the soul of India, and Rajan has done well to document and bring alive ancient history.

Science, God and RAJANIKANTH

God made the earth,sun , moon , planets , birds , animals, humans and all living beings and then he created............ Rajanikanth. I recently received a mail from one of my colleagues and would like to share it with anyone who has been following my blog.

Also after having witnessed the "fanatic fan - following "this man enjoys... even in an isolated Perth city...I am forced to beleive he is indeed god's chosen child .......A Marathi by birth , a conductor in Karantaka and today the King of Indian Moviedom.

What I mention below is not for the purpose of hurting anyone's emotions ....please read it in a light spirit..No offence as these are not my ideas:)And to be honest I like rajnikanth movies ....he takes us to a world where we mortals cannot think of reaching ...Afterall who can think of a 60 year old man romancing the Miss World with grace ....

So here we go :-------------

1. Rajinikanth killed the Dead Sea.
2. When Rajinikanth does push-ups, he isn't lifting himself up. ...He is pushing the earth down.
3. There is no such thing as evolution, it's just a list of creatures that Rajinikanth allowed to live.
4. Rajinikanth gave Mona Lisa that smile.
5 .Rajnikanth can divide by zero.
6. Rajinikanth can judge a book by it's cover.
7. Rajinikanth can drown a fish.
8. Rajinikanth can delete the Recycle Bin.
9. Rajinikanth once got into a fight with a VCR player. Now it plays DVDs.
10. Rajinikanth can slam a revolving door.
11. Rajinikanth once kicked a horse in the chin. Its descendants are today called giraffes.
12. Rajinikanth once ordered a plate of idli in McDonald's, and got it.
13. Rajinikanth can win at Solitaire with only 18 cards.
14. The Bermuda Triangle used to be the Bermuda Square, until Rajinikanth kicked one of the corners off.
15. Rajinikanth can build a snowman out of rain.
16. Rajinikanth can strangle you with a cordless phone.
17. Rajinikanth can make onions cry.
18. Rajinikanth destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise.
19. Rajinikanth can watch the show 60 minutes in 20 minutes.
20. Rajinikanth has counted to infinity, twice.
21. Rajinikanth will attain separate statehood in 2013.
22. Rajinikanth did in fact, build Rome in a day.
23. Rajinikanth once got into a knife-fight. The knife lost.
24. Rajinikanth can play the violin with a piano.
25. Rajinikanth never wet his bed as a child. The bed wet itself in fear.
26. The only man who ever outsmarted Rajinikanth was Stephen Hawking, and he got what he deserved.
27. Rajinikanth can talk about Fight Club.
28. Rajinikanth doesn't breathe. Air hides in his lungs for protection.
29. There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Rajinikanth lives in Chennai.
30. Rajinikanth kills Harry Potter in the eighth book.
31. Rajinikanth does not own a stove, oven, or microwave, because revenge is a dish best served cold.
32. Rajinikanth has already been to Mars, that's why there are no signs of life there.
33. Rajinikanth doesn't move at the speed of light. Light moves at the speed of Rajinikanth.
34. Rajinikanth knows Victoria's secret.
35. Water boils faster when Rajinikanth stares at it.
36. Rajinikanth can throw the Thackerays out of Mumbai.
37. Rajinikanth kills two stones with one bird.
38. Google won't find Rajinikanth because you don't find Rajinikanth; Rajinikanth finds you.
39. Rajinikanth gave the Joker those scars.
40. Rajinikanth leaves messages before the beep.
41. Rajinikanth once warned a young girl to be good "or else". The result? Mother Teresa.
42. Rajinikant electrocuted Iron Man.
43. Rajinikanth killed Spiderman using Baygon Anti Bug Spray.
44. Rajinikanth can make PCs better than the Mac.
45. Rajinikanth puts the 'laughter' in manslaughter.
46. Rajinikanth goes to court and sentences the judge.
47. Rajinikanth can handle the truth.
48. Rajinikanth can speak Braille.
49. Rajinikanth can dodge Chuck Norris' roundhouse kicks.
50. Rajinikanth can teach an old dog new tricks.
51. Rajinikanth calls Voldemort by his name.
52. Who do you think taught Voldemort Parseltongue? Rajinikanth did.
53. Chuck Norris once met Rajinikanth. The result - He was reduced to a joke on the internet.
54. Rajinikanth got small pox when he was a kid. As a result small pox is now eradicated.
55. Rajinikanth’s calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd, no one fools Rajanikanth.
56. Rajinikanth grinds his coffee with his teeth and boils the water with his own rage.
57. The last time Rajinikanth killed someone, he slapped himself to do it. The other guy just disintegrated. Resonance.
58. Rajinikanth once had a heart attack. His heart lost.
59. Rajinikant is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.
60. Rajinikanth can run at speed of light around a tree and screw himself.
61.Rajinikant can lick his elbows.
62. Rajinikant once ate an entire bottle of sleeping pills. They made him blink.
63. Rajinikant does not get frostbite. Rajnikant bites frost.
64. Rajinikant doesn’t wear a watch. He decides what time it is.
65. Rajinikant got his drivers license at the age of 16 seconds.
66. When you say “no one is perfect”, Rajinikant takes this as a personal insult.
67. In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Rajinikanth could use to kill you, including the room itself.
68. Words like awesomeness, brilliance, legendary etc. were added to the dictionary in the year 1949. That was the year Rajinikanth was born.
69. The statement "nobody can cheat death", is a personal insult to Rajnikanth. Rajni cheats and fools death everyday.
70. When Rajnikanth is asked to kill some one he doesn't know, he shoots the bullet and directs it the day he finds out.
71. Rajinikant can give pain to Painkillers and headache to Anacin.
72. Rajinikanth knows what women really want.
73. Time and tide wait for Rajinikanth.
74. Rajinikanth sneezed only once in his entire life, that's when the tsunami occurred in the Indian ocean.
75. As a child when Rajinikanth had dyslexia, he simply re-scripted the alphabet.
76. Rajinikanth collects Honey from his private Moon - HoneyMoon.
77. Rajinikanth can answer a missed call.
78. Rajinikanth doesn't need a visa to travel abroad, he just jumps from the tallest building in Chennai and holds himself in the air while the earth rotates.
79. Rajinikanth's brain works faster than Chacha Chaudhury's.
80. Rajinikanth doesn't shower. He only takes blood baths.
81. To be or not to be? That is the question. The answer? Rajinikanth.
82. The quickest way to a man's heart is with Rajinikanth's fist.
83. Where there is a will, there is a way. Where there is Rajinikanth, there is no other way.
84. Rajinikanth's every step creates a mini whirlwind. Hurricane Katrina was the result of a morning jog.
85. Rajinikant doesn’t bowl strikes, he just knocks down one pin and the other nine faint out of fear.
86. Archaeologists unearthed an old English dictionary dating back to the year 1236. It defined “victim” as “one who has encountered Rajinikant”.
87. There is no such thing as global warming. Rajinikanth was feeling cold, so brought the sun closer to heat the earth up.
88. Once a cobra bit Rajinikanth' leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.
89. Rajinikanth is a champion in the game "Hide n' seek", as no one can hide from Rajinikanth.
90. Rajinikant proves Newton wrong all the time. Every time he performs an action, he simply eliminates anything and everything that can provide the reaction.
91. Rajinikant is a weapon created by God to use on doomsday to end the world.
92. Aliens do indeed exist. They just know better than to visit a planet that Rajinikanth is on.
93. We live in an expanding universe. All of it is trying to get away from Rajinikanth.
94. If at first you don't succeed, you're not Rajinikanth.
95. Rajinikanth's first job was as a bus conductor. There were no survivors.
96. Rajinikanth does not style his hair. It lays perfectly in place out of sheer terror.
97. When Rajinikanth plays Monopoly, it affects the actual world economy.
98. Rajinikanth is the only man to ever defeat a brick wall in a game of tennis.
99. Rajinikanth's house has no doors, only walls that he walks through.
100. Rajnikanth doesn’t answer nature’s call nature answers Rajnikanth’s call.
101. Rajnikanth can double click 2 icons at the same time.

Cursed by Mortals

Defeated Again......Rejected again...
Proved Unlucky in love ....
Here stands alone the Casanova who fearlessly swept women by their feet
Defeated again.... Rejected again ...

Wonder how you will save the blushes of the ever punishing planets
From the S's whom you shared your limelight one time
Wept and Cursed you as they left ...
Go hither you may but defeated you will be ..said they
And here you are Defeated again ...rejected again

Even the Balancing act of Sugar in Guruvayur cudnt save you ...
Cursed you are ....Defeated you are....
You may be the most eligible man around
But you are cursed by the tears of the women who wept for you ....
Defeated you Are........Rejected you are... And now Isolated you are ....

Birthday Celebration

Its been exactly thirteen months after my arrival at Perth.I finally celebrated by birthday ....... after a gap of four years...I think I have overcome the curse of Stuts finally .....I was cursed by her for having forgotten her birthday....And ever since I never had opprtunity to celebrate this occassion ...and always had reasons to feel unwanted for during this occasion as well as during the biggest Puja of Bengal .... Last four years I was never at home ... was always out ...but even colleagues never came to know my birthday ... even if they kept track of it .... Someway or the other this occassion would be slipped out ....

As fate would have it I actually celebrated this occassion thrice this time .....One day before at work place when colleagues graced the occassion in a memorable way .... had cut the cake ..... then back at home when room mates once again celebrated it ... and finally the next day when a close friend requested me to celebrate this occassion once again ....

Well Perth , I have reasons to remember you for a lifetime.Last one year was indeed eventful ..so many people .... so many moments ....so many thoughts ...My Failures,my success ...... lots to recount...

Next week I travel back to India for a two week vacation .....and as I travel I must also remember that a wedding of a close friend will get over before I step on Indian soil....Thus a sangeet which was supposed to have been composed for me will be someone else's .....but the Australian flag and beach sand I keep just for you ..... as it is indeed tough to forget some people even if you have never met them ................

CorruptionWEALTH Games

When I first heard India would organize the CommonWealth Games ... I was thrilled.Felt proud that we Indians are now out to serve as a coming out party to the world ....much like the Chinese in the last edition of Olympics or even Japan in 1964........Afterall such events are suppossed to be an advertisement for the host countries .....just like the recently concluded Soccer World Cup .... I remember some of our office colleagues went all the way to South Africa just to watch the matches and only returned to work after the event got over.

Though we all know we cannot come anywhere close to what South Africa had succeded in doing ... yet I knew India would definately come out with an event which would definately make our neighbouring foes envy us.

As I closely watch reports and updates about how the Commonwealth expenses have been blouted only to fill the pockets of officials handling it ......from top to bottom,I wonder how big an enemy CORRUPTION is for my India.When Britishers ruled us ... we knew who all our enemy were .... but Corruption ...this devil can exist anywhere from top to bottom and you cannot spot it with naked eyes .....We are all subjected to the atrocities of this devil that has enslaved India once again ...

Suresh Kalmadi may keep protesting and declaring he is innocent but every onlooker knows that this whole CWG nautyanki is nothing but a bundle of corruption and dishonesty....inflated bills ....poor quality materials imagine anything related to corruption and you will find it all here.....

In the heart of hearts Iam pretty optimistic to believe that in true Indian fashion we will manage to ride over all the obstacles in the 11th hour and the Games will not be the fiasco that our Television news anchors and newspaper or magazine columnists have been declaring.But I do believe that it is high time we think of some strong laws to arrest and kill this big evil we have in India - CORRUPTION.

Though I know this will never happen because for passing such a bill in Parliament, will need honest people ..... A LAW which sentences a DEATH PENALTY to a person who is found guilty of corruption is the need of the hour.

The allegations — kickbacks, needless commissions to mysterious off-shore companies, forged letters, unexplained payments to non-existent London firms, inflated purchase figures, etc. — is so great that no denials will seem convincing. Clearly a lot of people have got very rich out of these Games.

With ugly worms tumbling out everyday, the organisers of the Games have now started blackmailing. We may be crooks, they say, but if you act against us then this could endanger the Games which are only a few weeks away. So like it or not, you are stuck with us.

Any action against the crooks may have to wait till the Games are over. The racketeers are hoping that, in classic Indian style, if the Games go off relatively well, we will forget about these charges.And public memory is indeed short and we will forget everything in sheer ecstacy and joy of the success of this Game .... and the crooks will go scot free again waiting for their next prestigous assinment when they would again have inflated bills of 4000 INR for a roll of toilet paper.......

There should be CBI enquiry into all details and a death penalty should be given to all accused.Our hard earned money is lying in the personal accounts of the scoundrel officials.

RAJNEETI

Yesterday watched Rajneeti at Carousel ..... Thanks to Chris he persuaded me to accompany him and we made it to this hall.Its been almost a year and gosh !! I reallized Ive never been to Carousel even once before......Well Piccadelly was too close so had reasons to avoid a far off mall.Must however say that Indian INOXes or Theaters are definately at par with the best at any point of time.In Europe , in Africa and now Australia .....India must be back in whichever area ....when it comes to watching movies we are still at par with any of the other countries.....Reasons big enough for the Bollywood Industry which keeps thriving and boosting the Indian economy in a big way......

Ahh ..coming back to rajneeti I must say its a purely influenced out of mahabharata.Obviously I liked it because Mahbharata has always influenced me.Ajay Devgan who plays a role similar to Danveer Karna attracts pethos and sympathy in one.There were'nt any specific reasons to hate Manoj Bajpai's role. He plays Duryodhanas role in this movie , Ranbir plays Arjuna and Nana plays Krishna ( I remember he was named Brij Mohan )...Ahh forgot to mention Arjun Rampal ...he plays the ever snobbish and immoral Bhima and sexy Katrina plays a role simliar to Draupadi always being shared by brothers.....

The ending was as expected but then the ending looked more like a forced one .... with Prakash Jha hell bent on delivering immediate results to the anti hero.Perhaps he was too influenced by Mhabharatand time was a constraint..... All in all I would say the movie is watchable at least once for sure.

And before I end this topic I would like to mention that Duryodhana was not as bad as projected in our Television serials and Bhima was anyday the snobbish and unruly person.Kunti was a characterless lady and Arjuna was a successful person just because of the blessings of the Lord.Karna was always the best persona both in warfare and character alike...And just to add about Duryodhana's benevolence ..... Dont forget he was the only one among everyone who accepted and befriended a Suth Putra(Shudra or lower caste).... So who do you think is the justified emperor ? Yudhishtra or Duryodhana.....And yes of course the root cause for the battle was a woman - Draupadi who insulted and tauntingly referred to Duryodhana as a blind man's son who is also blind....... She is the real vamp......

The Biggest B of the Century

Success has never been a slave of another person like it has been for this one man – Amitabh Bachchan.I have been a diehard fan of this 6 feet 2 inches tall man ever since I was five years of age. I worshipped him like a god. My parents were also fans of this charismatic man.

If on a Friday his movie released my mother would insist father to book the tickets in advance for Sunday matinee, lest there was every chance of us to not even manage tickets in black at the last ,moment as the rush would be profound. Everything related to Amitabh appealed to me.I would often insist my parents to buy me his postcards(worth 50 paise those days)……. … would claim Iam Amitabh myself …………. Would try and buy shirts or T shirts having similar shades as worn by Amitabh in his last movie ( Could not get his costumes ..size mattered)…..would wait to hear a song on the radio which was picturized on my beloved demi god…..would run upstairs to our landlord’s house to watch the Wednesday Chitrahaar to catch a glimpse of my hero expecting his songs to be played ….I was really crazy …………..So much so that my parents found a new means to make me have the vegetables I hated having …… My dad deliberately declared that pumpkin was the favourite vegetable of Amitabh and I would innocently start consuming it though I hated it the most …….. I was given to believe that Amitabh was strong and tall just because he had pumpkins ……. I realize these were mere stories as I am only 5’9 and several inches shorter than this maestro …………..

My Amitabh- Bhakti was profound ,at least among our known people, that they even to this day call me Amitabh ….(I feel very embaressed when I see people turning around to see who this new Amitabh is and contempt fully turn around their heads…….).Each time he cried in his movies I wept,each time he bashed the goons I would wait to get my turn and pray my strength also gets transferred to my hero so that he could give stronger blows to his opponent……….

Not many are aware of the fact that a series of comics were released in the mid eighties to encash the fame of this hero.Diamond Comics had launched “ Supremo”.Gulzar was supposedly the Script Consultant of the series.However the series of Supremo was short lived and did not run for a long time. The attire of Supremo was unconventional.Unlike Superman couture of undies-over-tights Supremo has a piece of brown cloth draped coyly around his waist, held there by a hip-holster. What is thrilling though is the fact that everywhere Amitabh’s face is drawn in these frozen, movie-poster kind of expressions, as if it was copied from various photos and stills. Very sweetly, the issue also has a letter from Amitabh to the kids thanking them for their support during his illness.

I dedicate this post to my hero whom I worship even to this date.I have managed to get some rare collections of his photos which I would like to share with all of you ……

RIGHT TO SELF DEFENCE

A few days back someone narrated to me about an incident in New Zealand where an Indian was stolen off his belongings at knife point. He even declared Indians were easy prey for thefts as they are always very timid and chicken- hearted. On the contrary Australians or even the Chinese are very brave and always dared to challenge a thief who tried assaulting him.

This made me think for a really long while.Infact I am still thinking ………….We always proudly announce the bravery of our ancestors who valiantly fought battles against the princes or empires which tried to enslave them. The conceited attitude of our silver screen Indian hero who singlehandedly managed to uproot the Pakistani forces in movie Gadar showed how much rebellious we can be. Yet in reality we common Indians are actually cowards not ready to brave the challenge of an opponent.Perhaps this has something to do with the mental set up where one feels he or she is weaker than the other person whom he is confronting.

However our epics provide historical evidence to our warfare skills and also mention about the most devastating weapons used during those days.Certain weapons such as the Brahmastra were as strong as the Nuclear Weapons which have only been invented by Americans in the last decade.While a group of scholars may disgree to what I just said there is enough evidence to show that the epic Mahabharat and Ramayan were only a part of our history and not just a story out of someone’s pregnant mind.

More importantly India was traditionally rich in "martial arts" which includes dhanurveda , literally the "science of archery", śastravidyā , literally "knowledge of the sword".The Vishnu Purana text describes dhanurveda as one of the traditional eighteen branches of "applied knowledge" or upaveda..The historical form of wrestling is called mallayuddha in the north and malyutham in the south.

In contemporary India, major martial arts styles practiced are Kalaripayattu in Kerala, Southern India (an umbrella term for diverse armed and unarmed styles), and Pehlwani wrestling in Northern India. Notable regional styles include thang-ta from Manipur and gatka from the Punjab region.

I have myself undergone some training in certain forms of self defence and feel every Indian should undergo a basic training in some form of martial art to bolster his self-confidence. The education of today only trains ones mind for the virtual world but not for the actual world where any form of threat may be encountered by an individual.Moreover gyms promote body building but cannot build the mind.

Verma Kalai and Kalaripyuttu have specifically impressed upon me. Varma ati or Marma ati is a form of martial art which involves martial art based on attacking sensitive pressure points of the human body. On the other hand Kalarippayattu is one of the oldest fighting systems in existence, it is still practiced in Kerala and contiguous parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as well as northeastern Sri Lanka and among the Malayalee community of Malaysia. This martial art was practiced primarily by the martial castes like Nairs of Kerala.

Kalaripayuttu includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods. Believed to have been introduced by Lord Parasurama who is said to have retrieved Kerala from the sea, this martial art was taken across to China by a South Indian Buddhist monk, Bodhi Dharma who incidentally, invented Zen Buddhism.Hence Kung Fu and other forms of Chinese martial arts have their origin in Kalaripayuttu.

Inspite of being the master of all martial arts at one time, today India can hardly boast of any Martial Art School promoting Kalaripayattu or Verma Kalai.Apparently, we may occassionally spot a Karate or Kung Fu training school in city locations however.

It is important to inculcate in all citizens of HINDUSTHAN the need to learn self defense techniques.The Government should ideally take a few steps to promote the Indian Martial Arts.Why do we need to adopt Chinese Martial Arts when we have better and more fierce self defense arts at our own backyard. More importantly the Government should take steps to include martial arts a compulsory subject in every education institute a child goes to.Every citizen should have the RIGHT TO BE BRAVE ....RIGHT TO SELF DEFEND just like the RIGHT TO SPEECH……………….

- DeepS

I , ME & MYSELF

Introducing myself reminds me about my early school days at Paul's when our Anglo teacher would ask us to write an essay about "Myself".All of us would be confused scribbling our names and counting on the people whom we stay with and then borrowing ideas from the person sitting next to us.

Today Iam starting this blog after someone very close persuaded me to start it.I must say this blog is a dedication to the bond of friendship I share with the master specialist of method madness.

I , Me , Myself .......... DeepS.... naam tho suna nahin hoga .... Afterall I am no star ...no super human ..... no... Kriish .... no Dark Knight ......Just a simple Keralite born in Kolkata, travelling all over the world and has good and evil in him like any other common man.YET IAM DIFFERENT !!

As the blog matures I am sure you will realize that if every child is special(reference to Taare Zameen Par) ..... then every child grows up to be special ........... :)

The good the bad the ugly ... all in I , ME and MYSELF is all set to start from today............................................................................................................................