India - the precursor

India - the precursor
I am zapped. As time passes, you discover that so many things, which one thought, are western in origin, are actually, made in India. The lip kiss is described in a 3500 year old Sanskrit manuscript and it is the oldest known mention of the lip kiss anywhere in the entire world. Previously I thought that only the concept of ZERO, originated in India. At least, that was what our school books said. But as you grows older, you are more and more, enlightened. So at a certain age, long ago, I came to know that, the art of making love, was immortalised in the Indian classic called Kama sutra. Not only was it written down, but was illustrated in all glory as well sculptured, in ancient India.
The same thing about plastic surgery. Again it was a surprise that rhinoplasty (nose surgery) and other plastic surgeries used to be conducted in ancient India. It was described in a well known treatise by Sushruta.
Humans took to flight due to the pioneering work of the Wright brothers. But there are descriptions of flights in many Indian classics like Ramayana and Mahabharata!! And these descriptions are so detailed that you are forced to believe, describing how the world is seen from the air. Vaimanic shastra by maharishi Bharadwaj is easily available on the net.
And what about the atom bomb? Again there are descriptions in Mahabharata, about weapons which were so lethal that they could annihilate thousands upon thousands of fighters in an instant. Again the descriptions are uncannily similar to the havoc caused by the nuclear weapons. There are descriptions of great fireballs, mushroom clouds, people being incinerated, nails falling off, etc.
Extraction of zinc from its ore was an Indian monopoly, no one else in the world knew how to do it. Talking of metals and metallurgy, no one yet knows how the non-rusting iron pillar was manufactured since it has never been done in modern times!!
The world goes gaga over the engineering excellence required for constructing the pyramids. But just imagine the engineering excellence required for constructing the Ellora temple in Aurangabad. It has been excavated out starting from the top of a huge stone hill!! Just imagine how it could have been done... No one can, it's so intricate and perfect. And in the nearby Ajanta caves, one huge cave has been made, again by the same method of excavation of rock, and the sun shines exactly on the stupa, through the high windows carved near the entrance, exactly on the summer and the winter solstice. That's amazing, isn't it!
So be proud that you belong to this amazing country called India.
Yatin

the chicken and egg story

The chicken and egg story
What came first? Chicken or the egg? I read this story in today's Times of India, that researchers have concluded on this age old question. Till now I had always thought that this is just an English idiom to describe what caused what... To describe this better, let me give you latest example.... Is there really intolerance which caused a leading actor to give a controversial statement.... Or did his statement result into intolerance of his remarks. But that is not the subject...
I was most surprised that this can be a subject of research...i mean researchers are actually trying to find out what came first... The chicken or the egg. And the researchers have concluded that the chicken came first, since the protein which makes up the egg shell comes only from the chicken. That had me stumped... After all, it cannot come from humans. And why cant the egg have come first, since the chicken evolved much later, much later than the dinosaurs, who laid eggs! Why would some researcher spend his precious time to get an answer for this question. What benefit can be derived for mankind by finding out whether it was the chicken or the egg. But then , in the western hemisphere, they do research on everything under the sun... And beyond. For example, someone did a research on how long does it take for cow dung  to dry out... Now how could that be of any benefit to anyone, including the cows? But then research goes on. It goes on because sometimes it leads to break through in totally unrelated areas... For e.g. Few years back there was research on how geckos can walk on walls without falling.... They found that there are Nano hairs on their feet which work like Velcro, and this finding helped the researchers develop a sticker, reusable self adhesive tape. So now we know for sure, what came first... The naturally sticky gecko feet came first, before the reusable adhesive tape...
Now many of you might join the research bandwagon to find out what keeps your wife in good humour... But don't try it out, you may lose many precious hours to find an answer to an unanswerable question!!
Yatin

Running tap water

News article - my thoughts
"Surprised by the sight of running tap water", said some students who are currently in Pune city. These unfortunate students are daughters of some farmers who committed suicide, in the draught hit areas of Maharashtra, who have been brought to the city by an NGO, under a rehabilitation program. That remark set me thinking. Continuous draught conditions for last few years combined with burden of high loans, and daily inability to fill stomachs at home, is what finally breaks the farmer forcing him to take the extreme step. His family, consisting of his wife and children and sometimes his aged parents, have to suddenly cope with the  big loss, in addition to the already existing problems , which pushed the farmer to suicide. Hence the NGO is working for rehabilitation of the next generation of these farmers, hence the students are in the city.
Now, the running water in taps is mainly due to water distribution initiatives taken by the government to provide water to cities by building water storage facilities on the outskirts of the city and then bringing that water to the city by laying pipelines. So if this is possible in the cities then why not in villages. Well, for one, in the villages the water is not only required for the activities like drinking, cleaning and washing, but also for the very critical task of agriculture. The only solution I feel, is that the government should consider a village in the same scale as a city, and provide water works on the same scale. If in a city, the water is for the huge population which resides in the high rises as well as the slums, in a village it will be for the fields as well as the small populations. The money for the same can come from  rich corporates and individuals, who should be motivated to contribute, by providing them with some tax sops.
Only then, will there be some sort of support mechanism for the farmers, who have to currently fight on many fronts. But will this be possible, what with many dams being under construction for so many years, with only the many fold increase in costs and no progress on the ground. But I am sure all these problems will be resolved over a period of time and theses students will see running water in their village homes and in their fields.
Yatin

katyar kaljat ghusli

Katyar kaljat ghusli
Cinema par excellence!! Hats off to the vision and confidence of Subodh Bhave for pulling it off. No adjectives to describe this movie. What ethereal and divine singing by all the singers. It is a casting coup by Subodh Bhave to cast Shankar Mahadevan in a pivotal role. The Ganesh pujan song with which the movie starts off, is so devine. After one particular song sung by Shankar Mahadevan, the court audience is shown with tears in their eyes, they are so touched by the myriad feelings expressed through the song. I can tell you that, no acting is required here, the song does touch you to the core. Even I had tears in my eyes. Excellent singing by Shankar and beautiful sound arrangement and background score by Shankar, Ehsan, Loy. This film is their best to date.
And what can one say about the singing by Rahul Deshpande... He is incomparable and in a league of his own... No other singer comes near to him, he is so good...i don't know which singing deity resides in his body.
Mahesh Kale... Now where did this singing diamond come from...I personally had never heard him before. But his singing is Apratim.... Especially the climax song sung by him stays with you long after you have left the auditorium...
And who can forget Sachin.... Magnificent acting... Though he has always been known as a good actor, whether in his initial days with the Barjatya's , when he was , but a teen with cute looks or in some Amitabh movies like Satte pe Satta or in his later Marathi movies with Ashok Saraf and Laxmikant Berde, acting of this calibre was never seen before. How come this extraordinary talent of his was never exploited by any director before... Not even by himself. Whether it is his initial good and genial nature in this movie or the transition to a jealous and egoistical man, he is excellent. And the crowning glory of his acting calibre, is in the last climax scene, where he raises the katyar to stab the character played by Subodh Bhave in anger and in one fluid motion, his facial and eye expressions transform into one where he beseeches Subodh to continue singing for the rest of his life... You really feel for his character. Worthy of the highest awards on offer...
If you have not seen this movie yet, don't miss it... It will be surely an experience of a lifetime...
Yatin

peace

Peace
Is peace possible in this world? What is the solution for bringing eternal peace? All the world would like to have an answer to this. There is lot of innovations happening in the field of science, space, medicine, internet gets faster and faster, it's the world of 4G telecom speeds, better and faster roads, faster cars, humans clone other animals, cars will fly in a few years and no one will bat an eyelid, body parts can be 3D printed, probes built by man have reached the farthest reaches of our galaxy, and medical advances are so great that man can live for long. But at the same time man becomes more and more greedy, he wants more money, but more dangerously he wants more power. Power to satisfy his ego, power over the lives of other people, power to do as he pleases, power to bully and when he seeks such power in a hurry he takes harsh actions and doesn't care where those actions will lead, as long as his own needs are satisfied. For satisfying present needs of extreme power, he creates monsters which , over a period of time, turn out to be Frankenstein, which turn back and start devouring their creators. Wars were fought over territories, wars are fought for oil and in future wars will be fought over water. So does it mean that one should not except peace for a sufficiently long period of time? Someone will say that only meditation and love will bring peace to the world. But can a man with an empty stomach meditate? Maybe a monk can but what about the common man? So what is that elixir of peace? I have reached the conclusion that permanent peace is not possible. This is because everybody "wants" nobody wants to "give". This has been the past and this will be the future. Whatever peace you are enjoying, is an open window to the sunshine, which might get shut any moment, and you fall back into the depths of darkness. So appreciate and enjoy this window till it lasts. Alas folks! There appears to be no solution for lasting peace in this world other than to, only "give" and not keep any expectation of return. The Universe came into being with a big bang, now its infinite, but then it will also one day implode upon itself and die. And you and me are, but a tiny speck of dust in it. Some insects live for only a few days, some, a few hours. And in the timespan of the Universe, we are just like insects. So whatever time you and me have, enjoy it by spreading love and giving, and not having unreasonable wants.
Yatin

E -Toilet

E-Toilet launched in Mumbai
The other day, during the Diwali holidays, we were going to our Native village. And this contraption, installed on Thane Belapur road, immediately caught my attention. Looking like a modern phone booth, it was all shiny, and the board on the top, said it with great modesty, "E-Toilet". Till now, in India, we can identify a public toilet, when you see (actually you don't want to see) , a person, either standing or sitting, getting it out of his system, oblivious to the world. Or if you see a constructed toilet, "Sulabh Sauchalaya" (which is one of India's well known brands) or it is that toilet constructed at bus stands and railway stations, which attracts the desperate denizens, just by the smell which radiates in all directions. Thus this E-toilet was certainly new to me and I decided to investigate. That time I was not in a desperate situation hence it was only to satisfy my curiosity and expand my sphere of knowledge, that I decided to investigate. Ignoring lot of protests from my wife and daughter, I screeched to a halt, on the side of the road and proceeded towards the contraption. First thing which I noticed was that the area around it was clean and there was no pungent smell in the vicinity. Impressed, but thinking that, maybe this is so because of it being newly installed, I went nearer. Second major discovery was that there was no person sitting outside, collecting money from prospective users. Suitably impressed, I saw that there was a board on the side...i went nearer to read. This board was really a user instruction manual!! It made a really interesting and entertaining read... Read on...
1. If E-toilet is empty insert coin- OK, you have to pay first before using... But how do you find out whether someone is using or not... No instruction...
2. Enter inside and pull the door from inside, only one person allowed inside- OK, why would somebody not shut the door... And why would two persons enter at one time... But then I thought, in India, anything is possible, so the toilet authorities are taking no chances and giving clear instructions...
3. After going inside, shut the door- OK, in the previous instruction you should pull the door, now you also have to shut it... This instruction is for those people, who like to do it in the open... This instruction makes it doubly sure that the door is shut tight and there is total privacy... So thoughtful...
4. On commencement of use of the toilet, light, fan and... VOICE GUIDE will start- why on earth, is the voice guide needed... People have been doing it for ages... Any ways... Of course they might not have used a E- toilet before, I remind myself...
5. After use, please press the flush switch to clean the toilet- yes, this instruction is required, otherwise people will come out without cleaning toilet. Of course, one is not sure whether the users will follow this instruction once their work is done
6. If the E-toilet is not cleaned then there is a facility to automatically flush and clean the E-toilet- if this is written, I am afraid, no one will follow the previous instruction, knowing the gentry who are expected to use it.
7. After use please clean the E-toilet- the toilet authorities are trying to make it doubly sure that people follow instruction no. 5.
8. Don't make a mess in the E-toilet- it is a hope that after this instruction, people will diligently follow it. After all India lives on hope.
The long list of instructions cleared my misunderstanding. It is not even remotely connected to the internet like E-chat, E-shopping, E-banking, etc.
So people, have lots to eat and drink and then rush to the nearest E-toilet to get that feeling of eternal bliss.
Yatin
 

vada pav

Vada pav
I read different versions of eating vada pav today and was reminded about one unforgettable episode when I ate vada pav. It was unforgettable because it had nothing to do with the satiation one feels after eating a vada pav but something which makes me remember it even though almost 5-6 years have passed.
Once myself and my better half had gone to Dadar to my parents residence. With nothing particular to do I suggested that we go to Dadar west, near Chabildas school and have vada pav at Shree Krishna vada pav centre. As you know, previously I used to stay in Dadar and lot of fond memories are associated with the place. And one of the strong memories are of my 11th and 12th std., when I had my tuition classes in Dadar west, where I used to go regularly. Well, I don't exactly remember what I gained from those classes but I strongly remember going to the same Shree Krishna vada pav centre, which was the first stop before entering the classes. And I must tell you that the vada pav served there was mouth watering, to say the least. It was served hot and melted in the mouth.  we used to eat it, the hot vada pav scalding the mouth.
It was these memories which prompted me to suggest to my wife to accompany me to have the vada pav once again to refresh the mouth watering taste. So we went walking and got down from the iconic Tilak bridge and reached the vada pav centre. This vada pav centre continues to be a centre of attraction for all the denizens who still flock to Dadar for work propose as well as shopping propose. Thus there was a big line and we joined the line patiently awaiting our turn. As we progressed closer to the counter, my mouth started watering in anticipation. My wife is not a foodie at all, and she was just humouring me by accompanying me to eat the vada pav. Finally we had paid, the rate now being almost 10 times what I used to pay during my teens but who cared... The hot piping vada pav was in my hands. Myself and wife moved to the side of the road so that we can have the vada pav at our leisure without getting disturbed by the milling crowds. So there I was, indulging in my foodie delight. Now most of you know that green chillies are also served along with vada pavs and I was enticed to eat one... And that decision resulted in lot of chaos... for me...i don't know what happened or how it happened but the chillie burst in my hand and the next moment my eyes 👀 were burning...a piercing scream escaping my mouth, my wife totally confused on what had happened... Later on she told me that all people on that street were looking quizically at me. There I was forgetting all about the vada pav in the paper plate with the only concern being to bring fast relief to my eyes. I tried hard to open my eyes but in vain since the pain was just too over powering. At that very moment my wife bought a packaged water bottle and then the attempts to douse the fire burning in my eyes , started. Finally after almost emptying the bottle on my eyes, was I again able to see the world, albeit through watering slit eyes. In all this confusion myself and my wife had all but forgotten about mouth watering vada pavs and instead of indulging my taste buds, I was more concerned about saving my vision. Thus one of my five senses took precedence over another and I had to forego the pleasure of eating a mouth watering vada pav.
Yatin