Deepavali - Festival of Lights

This is a partial description of how Deepavali is celebrated in my community. Reposting an old writeup from 2 years ago.

http://thoughtslot.blogspot.com/2006/10/deepavali-festival-of-lights.html

~rAGU

A leaf from nature's book

I did not know what the tittle of this book was when I bought it. Neither did I know who the hell the author was! I did not matter and it does not matter. "the gecko's foot", is an intersting book.

The book is about how scientists have borrowed concepts from nature. Although, it does not mention it, the book is actually about 'creating materials based on natural materials, plants and animals'.

For example, water drops never stick to Taro leaf (ಕೆಸವಿನ ಎಲೆ) (Elephant-ear/Colocasia esculenta). This is true with Lotus as well. Hence the so called Lotus Effect. The scientists have used the priciple behind this effect to create slef cleaning spoons. i.e. we can dip the spoon in honey and honey does not stick to the spoon! Famous velcro tapes are a similar invention.

The book discusses numerous such materials and explains the bio-inspiration.behind them. The author drags the subject around and sometimes loses focus. Peter Forbes talks about how bio-inspired industries productised inventions, what happened to the business and also anecdotes related to his visits, which are boaring. Otherwise, the book is good. I struggled to complete it as the author spoke too much about business and less about science.

I am feeling generous today. I will send this book by post ,at my own cost, to the person who first expresses interest to read, by leaving a comment bellow this blog post or by sending an email. Wish you happy DeepavaLi. I would also welcome any book exchange offers.

THE BOOK IS GONE and has been claimed!

ದೀಪಗಳ ಹಚ್ಚ ಬನ್ನೀ

ಕಿವಿ ಇರದ ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳ ಕುರುಡು ನೋಡಿ
ನಮ್ಮೂರ ಜಾಣರೆಲ್ಲ
ಎದೆ ಇರದ ಮನಸುಗಳ ಮನೆಗೆಬನ್ನಿ
ದೀಪಗಳು ಉರಿಯುತಿಲ್ಲ.
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ಗಗ್ರ ಗ೦ಟೆಗಳ ನಾದ ಕೇಳಿ
ಕೂ೦ಬಣಸು ಗೊ೦ಡ್ಯ ದಣಿಯೆ
ಕೆಮ್ಮಣ್ಣು ಜೇಡಿಗಳ ತಳೆಯ ಬನ್ನಿ
ಸಡಗರದ ಸ೦ಚೆ ಇಲ್ಲ.

ಓ ಬನ್ನಿ ದೀಪಗಳ ತನ್ನಿ
ಭಾವಗಳ ಬತ್ತಿಗಳನು ಹಚ್ಚಿ,
ನೊ೦ದಿರುವರಲ್ಲಿ, ಕ೦ದಿರುವರಲ್ಲಿ
ದೀಪಗಳ ಹಚ್ಚ ಬನ್ನೀ.

ಕಿವಿ ಇರದ ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳ ಕುರುಡು ನೋಡಿ
ನಮ್ಮೂರ ಜಾಣರೆಲ್ಲ
ಎದೆ ಇರದ ಮನಸುಗಳ ಮನೆಗೆಬನ್ನಿ
ದೀಪಗಳು ಉರಿಯುತಿಲ್ಲ.
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Bitter Gourd - ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ ಪಲ್ಯ

I prepared this using Attige and Amma's receipe. My first try turned out to be an amazing success. I will post receipe shortly. Till then enjoy the photo.

Erhu and Tabla Jam

We tried playing something right there when we met (Beck Tang and me). It was not bad. A light grove (dadra) matched a melody Beck had in mind and we played amid the noice. Here is thtat clip on you tube.
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http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=VXL3PZBM038

Erhu is an amazing instrument and Beck played it very well. Its simplicity is unbelivable. It has only two strings and abunch of horse hair tied to a blow in between the two strings!
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My bicycle is my Geeta

It is said Gandhi used to find solace, when in turmoil, by reading a verse or two from the Geeta. If we can understand and practice the wisdom briefed in Geeta, we could probably find solace. But when I realise that things we know are not the way we have known them, It is very hard to reconcile with reality. Not because reality is bad, may be because I need to get real (and get a life :)). I ride my cheap bicycle and go where the road takes me. But I mostly endup in downtown and then take the train to nearest station! It is fun to ride home from the nearest station at 2 in the morning becasue it is only 5 kms away.

Here are some of my bicycle routes. I like the Don Valley route the most. It reminds of my village especially when it rains.

hydraulaphone

Hydraulaphone in front of the Ontorio Science Centre

Hydraulaphone is a musical instrument. There is one right infront of the Ontorio Science Centre, two minutes walk from where I live. Pressurised water flows out of a pipe through wholes and closing those holes produces flute like sound. The instrument is big and produces lound notes.

I met a guy called Steve who played it very well. He asked me some questions and I ran home and back to bring my Tabla. He helped me by tapping his feet and we played. It was ok. He recorded some beats and said will send the video.

There was a Phool and a Fool took a photo:

i am sleeping on a road

No, "I am sitting in a room"

http://web.arch.usyd.edu.au/~densil/papers/Lucier.pdf
http://www.archive.org/details/residuum-i_am_sitting_in_a_room_mp3

Rice Flakes - Poha (Chuduva)(ಮಸಾಲೆ ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ)

Avalakki Masale (Chuduva) or Rice Flake Fry
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Now, are you married? Does not matter. But let me tell you one thing. If you got a wife who refuses to cook Poha or Avalakki Masale on the most polite request and you are an Indian, oh boy, you got the laziest wife one can ever get! Bcoz it takes only 10 minutes litterally TEN as in 'T' 'E' 'N' minutes to cook it and it tastes heaven. Do not raise your brows. I said it for fun. I can not say it even if I wanted to; I will ge murdered man. Haven't you watched those Balaji serial shows? Women r so damn violent these days (at least in there).

1 spoon oil (you can easily import it from Iran or borrow from Bush!)
some Peanuts (this helps you go nuts)
1 spoon Urd Daal (ಉದ್ದಿನ ಬೇಳೆ)
1 spoon Jeera (ಜೀರಿಗೆ - ಯಾರಿಗೆ? ಜೀರಿಗೆ)
1/2 spoon Turmeric (Indians really need to find some other colour soon)
some Green Chillies
1/2 spoon Red Chilli powder (my idea; makes it really Indian)
some Curry Leaves

Fry the hell out of all these (be wise add curry leaves at the end).
make a solution of salt and tamarind in a cup.
mix poha or avalakki to these and pour salt and Tamarind solution.
I like mixing raw onion separately. I like to eat too! It will taste like the one above.

Making this stuff is much easier than eating. You need 64 bit mouth 32 bit mouth wont work.

~rAGU

Copyleft (c) 2420 Raglya

Capitalistic Fundamentalism

A response to Deepak Chopra's "pearls"

http://specials.rediff.com/news/2008/apr/23sld1.htm

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There is no difference between extreme capitalists and other fundamentalists. They are capitalistic fundamentalists: an opportunistic person who will do anything to make money.

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While facts can be appreciated sentiments should also be respected. To expect everyone in the society to be able to think like the most aware, enlightened or mature is also fundamentalism. To expect everyone to think rationally is also fundamentalism.

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Reality is much different from ideal situation. Being intolerant to reality is again a type of fundamentalism. So anyone who wants everything ideal is not any different.

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Mulukhia - Egyptian Recipe

Ingradients: [1]

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1 pound Mulukhia chopped leaves

12 sliced gralic cloves

2 spoons Dhania (ground Coriander seeds)

1 spoon salt and pepper

1/2 Lemon (optional: not in Ihabs list, my addition)

2 spoons oil

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How:

Fry Coriander powder and sliced garlic cloves in oil until the garlic is brown. Keep it aside.

Pour Mulukhia in a pot and add a glass full of water. Boil for 15 minutes in an open pot.

Add salt and pepper to Mulukhia.

Mix the fried coriander and garlic paste to Mulukhia.

Boil for 1 minute. Turn off heater.

Cover the pot and leave it for 15 minutes.

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Cook some rice and invite me and Ihab! If you can not cook come over. I still have some Mulukhia left in the fridge.

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Mulukhia is jute leaf (ಸೆಣಬು). This is some what similar to Pundi Palya (ಪು೦ಡಿ ಪಲ್ಯ). Pundi is a plant similar to jute (white jute?). The fibre extracted from Pundi is used to make ropes. Pundi plants are dipped in water and left to rot. Pundi Kanni (ಕಣ್ಣಿ - rope knit to tie cattle) is ready for use when cows are worshipped in Deepavali. Dry Pundi stem is used to make festival torch used in torch procession which is similar in its form to Christmas tree burning ceremony in Belgium. Mulukhia is Pundi's brother. I also have some boubt if they are same :)

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[1] Ihab Hatem El Attar, Alexandria, Egypt

Pandit Parameshwar Hegde in Toronto

yup! finally some relief after three and half years :)

http://torontom.blogspot.com/

Listen to Hegde with Vishvamohan Bhat here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyBPtlOA8ZI

c ya there on 17th!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJP-k796prw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmi_c7K_1_o

Alnaughty GOD!

Yup! GOD is alnaughty! Archbishop of Delhi talks in an interview. He happens to be from Puttur a town in Karnataka where there was some trouble with the religion. Here is a link to the pages of the book that says funny things about religion*.

I have found some thoughts on conversion reasonable.

"Only an intolerant and exclusive religious ideology requires conversion or funds it
on a massive scale."

Oh alnaughty GOD give me courage to handle rejection. Give others courage to tolerate my mediocrity and vice versa. Give me some gas so I can laugh at all these and oh GOD if you have time for a kapee let me know, let us go to Timhortons :) When we go to Timhortons Oh GOD I will ask this question keep an answer ready. Why did you make using balls much easier than using brain?

My concern really is not about any particular religion but about conversion from tolerence to intolerence, pluralism to monism and finally from the state of being stable minded to I do not know what minded.

Old refrain: more learned have said, "Samatvam Yogamuchyate" - Evenness is called Yoga.

Alnaughty true but which GOD? :(

*I have expressed sympathy and unconditional condemnation elsewhere.