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Temple Circuit : Haasanmba - Doddagaddavalli - Hiremagalur - Belavadi - Javagal

A spur of the moment decision, next I know we are planning or rather packing for this day trip to have the darshana of the very divine Hasaanamba Devi. Multiple attempts in the previous year landed up with disappointments and hence, I was eager to have her darshana this time around. Along with a couple of my colleagues, the family of one of them joined us in this trip. It was such a blessing to be in the presence and to listen to the timeless wisdom of the elders of the group. The entire trip was a very happy family experience, with the elder couple caring for all of us as their own children.   
We started from Bengaluru around 5:45 am. Enroute we stopped at MTR on Bengaluru - Hassan highway and treated ourselves to a sumptuous breakfast. Food is really good here !!! Haasanamba Temple 
A very divine temple nestled within the Haasan city, a much revered Devi whose darshana is available only for a specific period in a year. First and the foremost, we need to thank the Government, di...
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Book Review: Agastya - Anuradha Gajraj Lopez

  This book was released by Subbu recently, which piqued my interest. Agastya Muni (as he is commonly referred to) is a very revered saint in the southern parts of Bharathavarsha and naturally I was attracted to this work. Overall, I feel the first half of the book is a good introduction to those unfamiliar with the stories, legends and history associated with Agastya muni. The second half of the book is a fan account of one of the prominent Kalari teachers of modern era and culminates with the author’s personal encounters with the revered sage. The author’s father is said to have been a medium to encapsulate the teachings of the great saint which is captured in the last part of the book. There are quite a few aspects of the book which I differ with and I try to capture my observations as below: Timeline of Ramayana and Vedic period as captured by the author is incorrect. Vedic is much more older and Ramayana is quite old Quantifying Ramayana and Mahabharatha as epic diminishes the...

In Memorium : S. L. Bhyrappa

 Words are just insufficient to describe the sense of loss of a great person for the country, for the society and personally for me. One of my friends asked me to speak about SLB sir, but no matter how hard I tried, mind didn’t cooperate. Perhaps, it required some sinking in about the loss of an individual as accomplished, influential master like him. I am sure there are many more accomplished writers and authors who have worked closely with SLB sir and have written eloquently about the great man. I tried to put to words what impact he had on me in my life. To describe S. L. Bhyrappa in words is to attempt to describe an ocean holding a fistful of water. The impact of his words on his audience was very individual, but highly impactful. I found SLB sir quite late (on relative terms) in my life. Though I had heard and read about him in papers, I never took up the courage to go and start reading his books. Perhaps, it was providence that I found his writings at a time when I was searc...

Movie Review: Su from So - My take

                                                                    (Pic Credit: Wiki) Su from So or rather Sulochana from Someshwara is a blockbuster movie running in the theatres to house full shows. And for good reason.. This is a masterpiece .. an absolute masterclass in story telling, script and layering of multiple nuances in the most simplistic of situations. There are reviews galore and it would be absolutely useless to write a review about the movie. However, after coming out of the movie hall, I reflected on the movie and the undertones of the various characters (specifically the emotional arcs) embedded brilliantly into the narrative. This is my attempt to capture some thoughts rummaging through my mind as I walked out of the theatre. Small mistakes have huge snowball consequences Ashoka makes a mistake. To ...

Book Review : Naayi Neralu - S. L. Bhyrappa (Eng. Translation by L. V. Shanthakumari)

  Naayi Neralu translates to Dog and Shadow - representative of the 2 constant companions of the soul in its journey as a human being. They don’t leave the side of the man and always follow him wherever he goes. This novel from the maverick writer S. L. Bhyrappa covers some very interesting topics including rebirth / reincarnation, societal norms of what is acceptable, long lasting impact of actions, deceit, while also touching upon some minor topics like conversion in the name of rational religion. Beyond all these, this novel is an excellent reminder of what is impact of one’s karma across generations. Spanning three generations, this novel captures the story of Kshetrapala (Vishwesvara) and his previous cum adopting family comprising of Acchannayyanavru, Nanjakka, Venkamma, Achyutha. There are characters like Thirumala Jois who is the father in the latest birth of Kshetrapala who act as a beacon of dharma in the complex web woven by the master story teller. The events are centre...

Book Review: Same as Ever - Morgan Housel

  (Pic Courtesy: Amazon Kindle) This is the 2nd book from the author that I have read and I have to admit that I am a big fan of his writing. Written in a very engaging way, this book holds the attention of the reader throughout without any boring moments and loads of anecdotes and wisdom nuggets stitched together to create a wonderful masterpiece. In the book, the author remarks : “ People don’t remember books. They remember sentences ”. Nothing could be more truer about this book than this statement. The book may appeal differently to different readers. Personally, its a great insight into the human psyche, perhaps a timely reminder for our own behavioural introspection, wonderful template for leadership skill training and perhaps, a walk down the history with various events connected to form a wonderful enlightening narrative. The book covers various topics like Risk Management, Need for acceptance of unique minds with their own quirks, Reversion to mean, Probability and its imp...

Book Review : Ikigai - Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles

    ( Photo Courtesy : Amazon Kindle) Ikigai - meaning Making a life to be worthwhile. One of the highly recommended books, this book is an amazing collection of facts and data points from an involved research from specific regions of the world, where humans tend to live longer than the rest. To be more precise, it captures the essence of life of centenarians and their way of life. Is there something for us to learn and imbibe from these “young” elders? Okinawa region in Japan is known to have the largest concentration of people living beyond 100 years. The authors have travelled to this region and interviewed many residents to identify what is the secret of longevity - Which is where IKIGAI as a concept fits in. Simple daily practices with profound impact is explained in a very beautiful manner. For example “Hara Hachi Bhu” - Fill your belly upto 80% is one of the core tenets of the long life, which is supported by ensuring that food is served on small plates so that one eats...