Trying my hand at various arts AKA Panileni Mangali

See and Lavish Praise.

Our Pooja & Aditya's Birthday Party

Due to circumstances, we could not do the Ganesh pooja on Wednesday, so we had the Pooja, followed by Aditya's birthday party at Cloverleaf Bowl with his friends on Saturday.

Unlike the Kavali folks, we restricted our foraging to our housing complex, and while we could not find Ummetta or Bilva, we collected the oak, poplar and willow leaves for a total of 21 types.

While IS (and Aditya, ha ha ) used their artistic skills to tie the mamidaku toranam to the front door and decorate the pooja mantapam, I had a marathon cooking session making the prasadams and gettting the pooja samagri ready.

With everything set, we started the Pooja with Aditya repeating the mantras after me. In the middle, we were joined by Seenu, Sudha, Mrudula and Arjun, followed by Srinivas's cousins family and another good friends' family.

Following a great pooja, we gorged on the prasadam lunch and headed off to the bowling alley for bowling, pizza and cake.

The Mandapam - decoration by IS

Pasupu Ganapathi by Krupa

The Poojari

The attendees

Prasadam - Pulihora, Daddojanam, Saggubiyyam Payasam, Potlakaya Perugu Pachadi, Sorakaya Sambar, Undrallu, Tomato Pachadi, Mudda pappu, Neyyi, Dondakaya Kura, Annam + Panakam, Vadapappu & Panchamrutam

Ready to be eaten....

After the pooja, during which he was devoutely pelted with flowers, akshintalu and leaf stems, a still standing Ganesha 

Aditya celebrating hi 8th birthday - more photos to come later...

WHEN THE CLOCK TURNED BACK

The clock turned back on Vinayaka Chavithi day by about 45 yrs.
Two boys and  a girl went skipping along the railway track in Kavali station and gathered Pathri for the pooja.
Gouri's botanical knowledge and the experience of SLN and SVN carried the day and we gathered about 15 types of leaves.
Danimma, Nimma, Vishnukranta, garika, Jilledu,Ummetta, Uttareni,Jammi, Regu, Ravi, Devakanchana, Ganneru were gathered from Railway yard
Balurakkasi, Jazi and Dasani (Mandara) were got from our house
Maruvam, Thulasi and Mamidi were sent from Old Town
and Maredu was supplied by Amar.
Darbha and velaga were bought.
These are according to some Pathantharalu.
Devadaru, Machipatri, Brihathi (vakudaku) and Maddi were unavailable and were substituted here.
The rest (to make up bulk) were made up from the stack bought in the market place.

SVN and DMR went at 6 am to Sankara Math and got us the idol made of mud which was supplied free of cost.
The flowers from our terrace garden were enough for the pooja for all of us (SLN, DMR,SVN and ARK) and so all in all it was sort of like our childhood days when very little was bought and most of the items were gathered by us.
Later we had a festive lunch in the old town.
Gouri made Undrallu and Payasam; Sarada made Bobbatlu (Swathi fried them and got her new dress spattered with hot oil) and Pulihora; Padma made Potato fry, Sambar, Vadalu and rice helped by her assistant cook Summi. Gongura pachadi made the day before and Perugu completed the menu.
A happy festival celebration indeed.

                                         Our flowers

                                         Our flowers for pooja

                                          Pathri and Undrallu

                                          Pathri Undrallu and Payasam
                                        

                                         Getting ready for starting pooja. Vinayakudu peeping from a corner.

                                                    Panchamrutham, Vadapappu, Panakam, and Aratipallu as               
                                                    Naivedyam.

FDI IN RETAIL MARKET

what is the impact ? gain or loss for india?

What is the future of the UPA govt?

Now that Mamata has withdrawn her support, what is the Pundit opinion on how the next few days might shake up?
Will India go to mid-term election? Will TrinMul have a change of heart? What might DMK do? Will Jagan be pardoned in exchange for monetary help? What say BSP and SP?

Predictor of the closest outcome shall receive accolades on the Blog....

my recent sketches.

How trolling the web helped me rediscover Bhookailas

A while ago, I was watching Bhookailas. I watched this movie when I was a kid, and all I really remembered was the song, "deva deva dhavalachala mandira"

 However, this time I watched the song "Munnita Pavalinchu" for the first time...It was a very catchy melody with an unfamiliar voice and an unfamiliar actress.

Look up on Youtube told me the dancer was Kamala Lakshman and the singer, the Karnatic great M.L.Vasantha Kumari.

Further trolling landed me on this blog maintained by an American lady from Utah about classical dances in Indian movies.
http://cinemanrityagharana.blogspot.com/

A post on that blog led me to this comparison video of Pandit Gopi Krishna's Tandav dance in Kannada and Telugu, Gopi Krishna, the great Kathak dancer and of Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje fame.

And Youtube's recommendation feature alerted me to Helen's dance in the same movie, a fresh and bubbly Helen very different from Mehbooba or Monica.

Definitely worth a second watch......

memorable

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W34q8Qp7al4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIEz9AtpqwI&feature=relmfu

A concert in DC

http://www.svlotustemple.org/concert2012/tickets.asp?r=1347420352118

SPB and chitra will be there. Incidentally I get to be in DC around the same time. Do u think I should make it to this?

Songs From Yester Years

While going on with the list (which can run to 100s depending on one's taste), I thought I will add a couple of songs.
The first deals again with TOLERANCE (a commodity mostly lacking in today's world)
and the other about the aspirations and unfulfilled wishes of the suffering Indian masses from 1958 to today. The second version of the second song is mostly propaganda like but it will give some idea of the current state graphically.
 Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega

Dhool Ka Phool (1959)

(tu hindu banega na musalamaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega)-2

(achchha hai abhi tak tera kuchh naam nahin hai
Tujh ko kisi mazhab se koi kaam nahin hain)-2
Jis ilm ne insaan ko taqaseem kiya hai
Us ilm ka tujh par koi ilzaam nahin hai
Tu badale hue waqt ki pahechaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega
Tu hindu banega na musalamaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega

(maalik ne har insaan ko, insaan banaaya
Ham ne use hindu ya musalamaan banaaya)-2
Qudarat ne bakshi thi hamen ek hi dharati
Ham ne kahin bhaarat, kahin iraan banaaya
Jo tod de har band, wo toofaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega
Tu hindu banega na musalamaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega

(nafarat jo sikhaaye, wo dharam tera nahin hai
Insaaf jo ronde,wo qadam tera nahin hai)-2
Qura'an na ho jisame wo mandeer nahin tera
Geeta na ho jisame wo haram tera nahin hai
Tu amn ka aur sulah ka aramaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega
Tu hindu banega na musalamaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega

Ye deen ke tajar,ye watan bechane waale
Watan bechane waale
Ye deen ke tajar ,ye watan bechane waale
Insaan ki laashon ke qafan bechane waale
Qafan bechane waale
Insaan ki laashon ke qafan bechane waale
Ye mahel men baithe hue qaatil ye looteren
(kaanton se madh rooh-e-chaman bechane waale)-2
Tu un ke liye mout ka elaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega
Tu hindu banega na musalamaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega




Phir Subha Hogi (1958)

vo subah kabhi to aayegi,  vo subah kabhi to aayegi
in kaali sadiyo ke sar se, jab raat kaa aachal dhalakegaa
jab ambar jhum ke naachegi, jab dharati nagame gaaegi
vo subah kabhi to aayegi

jis subah ki khaatir jug-jug se,
ham sab mar-mar ke jite hai
jis subah ki amr^it ki dhun me, ham zahar ke pyaale pite hai
in bhukhi pyaasi ruho par, ek din to karam faramaayegi
vo subah kabhi to aayegi

maanaa ke abhi tere mere in aramaano ki, kimat kuchh nahi
mitti kaa bhi hai kuchh mol magar,
inasaano ki kimat kuchh bhi nahi
inasaano ki izzat jab jhuthe sikko me naa toli jaayegi
vo subah kabhi to aayegi

daulat ke liye ab aurat ki,  ismat ko naa bechaa jaayegaa
chaahat ko naa kuchalaa jaayegaa,  gairat ko naa bechaa jaayegaa
apani kaali karatuto par,  jab ye duniyaa sharamaayegi
vo subah kabhi to aayegi

bitege kabhi to din aakhir,  ye bhukh aur bekaari ke
tutege kabhi to but aakhir,  daulat ki ijaaredaari ki
ab ek anokhi duniyaa ki, buniyaad uthaai jaayegi
vo subah kabhi to aayegi

majabur budhaapaa jab suni,  raaho me dhul na phekegaa
maasum ladakapan jab gadi,  galiyo me bhikh naa maangegaa
hak maangane vaalo ko,  jis din suli na dikhaai jaayegi
vo subah kabhi to aayegi

II version of the song

Tomato Patchadi & Tirupati

Today I made Tomato Patcahdi with Vine Ripened Heirloom Organic Tomatoes from our backyard. The tomatoes were very flavorful and the Patchadi reminded me of Tirupati.

Even though I stayed at the hostel for a period, I was fortuante to have Indiratta and Peddamma feeding me for a large part of my B.Tech. I loved both of their Tomato Patchadies and they both had a steady supply of the same for my and my friend contingent's unexpected drop ins and lunch/dinner demands.....

There are certain foods that are inextricably linked to certain people for me. Every time I eat the said food, I remeber them...

Indiratta and peddamma for tomato patchadi and ravva kesari; Peddamma for semiya payasam; Ranga Babai for fruit salad/custard, Durga pinni for Kobbari Lauzu, Ammamma for nuvvula chimmiri, Siva atta for Chakkilalu, Vijji pinni for Panasa pandu/poota rekulu, Subbarao Pedananna for Jeedipappu mitahi, Tatagaru for Kalakhand, Viswam babai for Malai Kaja, Gopal Babai for Gulab Jamoon, Nanna for Mysore Pak, Paala Kamalamma for Ariselu....to name a few....

RIP Varghese Kurien

The man resposible for making India a self-sustaining dairy nation and for creating the Amul brand. I remember Operation Flood and parodying it to Operation Blood - at least two glasses a day.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-trends/Amul-brand-builder-Verghese-Kurien-The-man-who-turned-India-into-largest-milk-producer/articleshow/16328573.cms

Where are the new generation Borlaugs and Kuriens? We need  Water revolution and Power revolution in India.....

A prayer for all religions

Regardless of one's god....

ae maalik tere bande hum


aise ho humare karam

nekee par chale, aur badee se taley,

takey huste huey nikley dum



bada kamjor hain aadmi,

abhi laakhon hain is mein kamee

par tu jo khadaa, hai dayalu bada,

teri kirpa se dharti thami

diya tune humey jab janam

too hee zelegaa hum sab ke ghum



jab julmon ka ho saamnaa,

tab tu hi humey thaamnaa

voh burai karey, hum bhalai bharey,

nahi badley ki ho kaamnaa

badh uthey pyaar ka har kadam

aur mitey bair ka ye bharam

To Hell and Back, Lassen Volcanic National Park

As Nanna said, the travel bed bugs were biting hard, so I planned an impromptu trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park and Pacific Coast Redwoods this weekend. We left on Friday night and returned on Sunday night. 

The trip ended up being QUITE SCARY as a result of a few more impromptu decisions. Read on to find out why!!!!!!!!

The 300+ mile drive to Redding was uneventful, and we wrapped up our night with excellent dinner and an awesome Chocolate Souffle (my first experience eating a real Souffle).

The next morning found us driving to Lassen Volcanic National Park, site of the Lassen Peak volcano ( still classified active, last eruption less than 100 years ago) and Bumpass Hell, an active hydrothermal area. http://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm

We left Redding late, after a leisurely morning breakfast, so by the team we reached the park, it was already 11AM. We drove around the park a little, attended a few Park Ranger programs, so Aditya could get his Junior Ranger badge, so by the time we started our 3-mile hike to Bumpass Hell, it was already 3:30PM.
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/hiking_bumpass_hell.htm

Bumpass Hell got its name from Mr.Bumpass, who fell into the bubbling water heated by the lava and lost his leg. We hiked down to the boardwalks of Bumpass Hell, where we saw Steam Vents, Fumaroles and Sulphur Mudpots. Wind was blowing some of the steam on to the board walks, so we got a nice steam bath.

More pictures of the Lassen Park:
https://picasaweb.google.com/100439682375564182182/LassenVolcanicSep12012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJ_ntKbUyc-BqAE&feat=directlink

By the time we started our 250 mile drive from Lassen to Eureka, it was already 5:30PM. We were quite hungry and realized that Red Bluff was going to be the last major town before Eureka, so we stopped there for dinner, having excellent Mexican food.

Srinivas enjoying fried Jalapenos

From Red Bluff, we had two options to get to Eureka, State Route 299 and State Route 36. Google Maps listed 299 as 20 miles more but listed the same travel time. We decided to go the shorter route, considering the fact that both were state routes and we left Red Bluff at 7:40 PM to start our drive to Eureka.
NOW COMES THE SCARY PART...........

SR 36 is a very winding rode with steep embankments and curves, going through Shasta-Trinity National Forest, a think dense forest of Pines and Redwoods. Entering the forest in the dark was a scary prospect. How scary, we did not realize, until we were half way into the road, at the point of no-return. We switched on the high beam and started driving cautiously, for if we accidentally hit a deer or a tree, we had no kind of light source with us, not even a flashlight. There were no towns nearby and no cell phone signal. Being in the bear country, anything happening to the car was a frightening thought.

Very soon, the road narrowed further to the point where there was no road divider, just a single lane road....We lost the visual cue of the center yellow line that was giving us earlier warning about curves. As if that was not enough, we entered into a construction zone, where the road surface was scraped off and was very bumpy. We were wondering what else could be thrown at us, when thick fog started rolling in, reducing the visibility further. We crawled along at a speed of less than 20 miles / hour, when we came upon a stretch of road that was one-way, with space for only one car. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there was no traffic on the road at all, so we passed through the one-way and continued our journey onwards. We encountered quite a few wild deer, but luckily none came on the road.


Soon, the pines gave way to giant Redwoods flanking the narrow roadway, but we were in no mood to enjoy their majestic beauty. Sitting stiff in our seats, hearts thudding loudly, we navigated SR 36, finally joining Highway 101 at 11:20PM, 4 hours after we left Red Bluff, for our 100 mile drive.

Apparently, it is a popular motorcycle route as described by this biker blog, which has some nice day time pictures of the road and also scary discriptions of the twists and turns........
http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/Highway36.htm

One good thing this unplanned risky drive taught me is that I need to put some emergency supplies in the car. While we had adequate food and water, there were no lights, flares or protections against the elements. I am going to buy them tomorrow and load them in the car.

Another positive of this drive was the unpolluted night sky. With no lights for miles, the full moon and the stars were a night time spectacular I have not seen in a long time. It was an incredible experience, a silver lining to this scary cloud.

After sleeping like logs in Eureka, we grabbed some awesome breakfast including Banana Bread French Toast and started our drive back to Newark through the Avenue of Giants, a large collection of Redwood trees.

The California Redwood is the world's tallest tree, in fact, the currently living world's tallest tree is near Eureka. However, its location is not publicly disclosed for fear of human traffic.

From Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoia_sempervirens

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Redwoods_State_Park

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_of_the_Giants

We saw quite a few attractions, such as Drive-through tree, a house inside a single redwood log and a tree house inside a tree. We also found a monkey in our car.

Avenue of the Giants

Drive Through Tree

One Log House

More pictures , redwoods drive: https://picasaweb.google.com/100439682375564182182/AvenueOfTheGiants?authkey=Gv1sRgCPyf2sGy4bLwIw#

We returned home safe and sound, having thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but also determined to take more precautions for future road trips.

Birds of Plano

Sunday was a good day for starting an overdue note on the birds of Texas. On Sunday, "Summer...was a thousand colors in a parched landscape". The view from the window would have had an artist reaching for her paintbrush:

The still copse of trees sweats dried leaves, a green canopy with a yellow carpet.  The dark, wrinkled, hardwood bark of the trees contrasts well with the occasional rusty spots in the foliage- the weathered patches in Mother Nature's green tunic.

Right at the foot of the tree in front of the window, a  mocking bird drinks water from a bowl than Poonam had put out in the morning. On a branch of the neighboring tree, a mourning dove is curled up for an afternoon snooze. Who says hibernation is only in the winter? Nothing beats a siesta in the heat! The faded pastel pink and browns of its down enhance the feel of Sepia on this sun-burnt afternoon.

One can see an unusual amount of activity in the thick bushes that are intertwined with the trees. They had borne berries recently, providing a well needed lunch for the European starlings and the resident Red Cardinals.The reclusive Cardinals are easily identified by their characteristic chik-chik. If one waited patiently, the reward would be a sighting of the brilliant red of this bird.

The northern mocking bird is the most common bird of this area, and the state bird for several surrounding states, including Texas. Not a striking bird, I guess its value is more cultural, thanks to the book by Harper Lee (Perhaps appropriately, the quote at the beginning of the blog is from the same book). Apparently, it is a good mimic too.

This thicket is home to other birds, less frequently seen. The Downy woodpecker (most probably) is a resident- I couldn't get a proper view of it. The Carolina Chickadee is a visitor, announcing itself with this garrulous song.  The Blue Jay, with its plaintive cry, is also easily identified. The Blue Jay and the Chickadee looks similar to the Indian Roller and the Great Tit of India respectively, although the Indian birds have more striking colors. There is also a resident Hummingbird, but I have had only glimpses of it. The only possibility is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Other birds that I have seen in the locality:

- Belted Kingfisher
- Common Grackle
- American Crow
- Sparrows (quite common, but not able to ID the genus exactly)
- Unidentified Raptor (gray colored bird)
- Egrets and ducks

Overall, I find that Indian urban bird landscape is richer, but this has been rewarding too.

Pictures from the web:

Collared Kingfisher

Mourning Dove

Northern Cardinal

Blue Jay

Carolina Chickadee

Northern Mockingbird

Downy Woodpecker