tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69979286058084177732024-02-19T12:40:21.587+05:30breakfreebreakfree is a blog about my life, my writings and basically my experiences in the journey called "life", my passions, my hobbies, and well basically about me and anything that catches my fancy..Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-49697276185040470362012-02-17T03:59:00.000+05:302012-02-17T03:59:23.601+05:30Amazing PoetrySome of my favourite and inspiring poems i hope the readers of this blog enjoy this post .<br />
To begin with i had read this poem first in middle school and well the meaning is evergreen. One by Rabindranath Tagore: Where The mind Is without Fear:<br />
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high<br />
Where knowledge is free<br />
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments<br />
By narrow domestic walls<br />
Where words come out from the depth of truth<br />
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection<br />
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way<br />
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit<br />
Where the mind is led forward by thee<br />
Into ever-widening thought and action<br />
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. <br />
<br />
Swami Vivekananda's Techings are a great inspiration as well a really good one by Him:<br />
Quest For God<br />
<br />
O'ver hill and dale and mountain range,<br />
In temple, church, and mosque,<br />
In Vedas, Bible, Al Koran<br />
I had searched for Thee in vain.<br />
<br />
Like a child in the wildest forest lost<br />
I have cried and cried alone,<br />
"Where art Thou gone, my God, my love?<br />
The echo answered, "gone."<br />
<br />
And days and nights and years then passed<br />
A fire was in the brain,<br />
I knew not when day changed in night<br />
The heart seemed rent in twain.<br />
I laid me down on Ganges's shore,<br />
Exposed to sun and rain;<br />
With burning tears I laid the dust<br />
And wailed with waters' roar.<br />
<br />
I called on all the holy names<br />
Of every clime and creed.<br />
"Show me the way, in mercy, ye<br />
Great ones who have reached the goal."<br />
<br />
Years then passed in bitter cry,<br />
Each moment seemed an age,<br />
Till one day midst my cries and groans<br />
Some one seemed calling me.<br />
<br />
<br />
A gentle soft and soothing voice<br />
That said 'my son' 'my son',<br />
That seemed to thrill in unison<br />
With all the chords of my soul.<br />
<br />
I stood on my feet and tried to find<br />
The place the voice came from;<br />
I searched and searched and turned to see<br />
Round me, before, behind,<br />
Again, again it seemed to speak<br />
The voice divine to me.<br />
In rapture all my soul was hushed,<br />
Entranced, enthralled in bliss.<br />
<br />
A flash illumined all my soul;<br />
The heart of my heart opened wide.<br />
O joy, O bliss, what do I find!<br />
My love, my love you are here<br />
And you are here, my love, my all!<br />
<br />
And I was searching thee -<br />
From all eternity you were there<br />
Enthroned in majesty!<br />
From that day forth, wherever I roam,<br />
I feel Him standing by<br />
O'ver hill and dale, high mount and vale,<br />
Far far away and high.<br />
<br />
The moon's soft light, the stars so bright,<br />
The glorious orb of day,<br />
He shines in them; His beauty - might -<br />
Reflected lights are they.<br />
The majestic morn, the melting eve,<br />
The boundless billowing sea,<br />
In nature's beauty, songs of birds,<br />
I see through them - it is He.<br />
<br />
When dire calamity seizes me,<br />
The heart seems weak and faint,<br />
All nature seems to crush me down,<br />
With laws that never bend.<br />
Meseems I hear Thee whispering sweet<br />
My love, "I am near", "I am near".<br />
My heart gets strong. With thee, my love,<br />
A thousand deaths no fear.<br />
Thou speakest in the mother's lay<br />
Thou shuts the babies eye,<br />
When innocent children laugh and play,<br />
I see Thee standing by.<br />
<br />
When holy friendship shakes the hand,<br />
He stands between them too;<br />
He pours the nectar in mother's kiss<br />
And the baby's sweet "mama".<br />
Thou wert my God with prophets old,<br />
All creeds do come from Thee,<br />
The Vedas, Bible, and Koran bold<br />
Sing Thee in Harmony.<br />
<br />
"Thou art," Thou art" the Soul of souls<br />
In the rushing stream of life.<br />
"Om tat sat om." Thou art my God,<br />
My love, I am thine, I am thine.<br />
<br />
I'm greatly influenced by the teachings of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravishankarji and here is an absolute delightful read by Him:<br />
Beyond the heaven is my abode<br />
come to me. come to me.<br />
Don't stop, come to me.<br />
If you get stuck in the heaven,<br />
you will return back from there to hell.<br />
Don't stop in the heaven, come to me, come to me.<br />
<br />
My abode is beyond heaven, far away from here.<br />
Come to me, come to me<br />
All the charming faces, boys and girls, eyes and noses,<br />
hairs and dresses, cookies and sweets and chocolates,<br />
pass them on.<br />
Smiling and dancing, come to me, come to me.<br />
<br />
My abode is beyond the heaven.<br />
come to me.<br />
Joyfully move in this direction, a thousand blessings on the way.<br />
walk through them, don't get stuck.<br />
Pass through them.<br />
come to me.<br />
<br />
Angels are ready to serve you, and crown you with the highest.<br />
Don't stop before that.<br />
Come to me, come to me...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-15425870865986954282012-02-17T03:50:00.001+05:302012-02-17T03:50:07.609+05:30A post after a really long timemy blog has been inactive for a rather long time and im the only one to blame. but i promise to put up some posts now and then...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-5126012520793459212011-03-06T20:17:00.000+05:302011-03-06T20:17:11.672+05:30Writing this out of sheer frustrationWe all say that the world is becoming a smaller place to live in. well,i often wonder how true that is with the times we live in :the era of globalisation, digital media, space travel and more avenues that are still in its nascent stages of booming the world..yet we still have a few borders to cross. a few mountains to climb.But who or what are we as individuals or societies??<br />
Take for example in India there are so many different states with different cultural and religious traditions and unique in own way ...yet indian society is still bound together by collectivism.. <br />
I was recently at a ceremony of a muslim sufi friend ( a great childhood friend of mine )and asked by a non indian who i am ?,what i am , etc etc.. well so i came out with the usual (being an art of living volunteer )i said i am a human being above all well she was literally like what the hell?because apparently all the other indians had some or the other idientity aprt from being human...(i simply laughed ) and so then i started explaining out to her how actually india is the cradle of humane values it all originated here infact and that its better to be a human being first rather than being a hindu,sikh,atheist ,punjabi , indian ,etc etc... she was so confused that belonging one nation people has so many different ethinicities or rather mini nationalities..while in her country sweden, the emphasis was more on individualism and humanity but having lived in a place like australia for over two years and at the peak of racism against indian students i felt it was quite weird that the caucasian race spoke of humanity.. look at the violence theyve created in the world: the crusades, the conquering and inquisition of their mannerisms and religious beliefs on many nations like india, the recent brutal wars on afghanisatn and hanging an innocent saddam hussein for oil?the spanish inquisition, the portugese inquisition in goa ,india where millions and millions of hindus were burnt alive or forced to convert, the decline of a mildly mystic religion of paganism in their own lands, todays issues of global warming , environmental damage, overconsumption,the economic recession(well it definitely didnt start in asia), the creation of islamic terrorism(it was america who first funded bin laden to fight the u.s.s.r )which has backfired on them, the great talk of being non racist and big wild dreams of world peace...my my the western civilisation may be good but its still not all that great...they talk of indias huge support systems, joint families of japan and fake godmen in india they really have to get their heads set and decide what they want because even with all the problems asian countries have far lower co2 emissions and amongst the worlds largest recycling facilities( the largest being india), we may not be that monetarily rich like the west but we were also under invasion rule for over 2000 years and british rule for 150 before that we were the most advanced countries on the planet mathematics originated here , spirituality, family system, business management (infact in all gr8 management schools people study the bhagvad gita that definitely says a lot about our modernity of 5000 years ago)we shelterd the sufi's, parsi's, syrian christians and jews when they were banished from their own countries doesn't that say a lot about our humane values??asian countries religiously and culturally dominated each other for 20 centuries without ever going to a single war... we believe in non violence maybe thats why today egypt has taken inspiration from our non violent means to topple its corrupt government...we as asians exist as an individualistic yet collective society and we are much happier than those nations where individualism has almost failed...in asian countries like india one can find a hindu, muslim,sikh, jain, christian , buddhist , atheist all socialising together and many religions like hinduism and sikhism often being part of the same family... there is no restrition on anything only we have great support systems as we are collectivist in nature .. we have more friends huge family supports and less divorces we need fewer psychologists because we can share with many and get advice from others experiences, another example is japan where the grandchildren are sent to live with and learn from the experiences of the older generation... we have our spirtual values and yet we as individuals are different from each other...we may have higher stress levels as you sometimes but what the hell as a race we are happy we have lower levels of depression in our society :25% of american population above the age of 18 suffers from depression and 35% of europe according to the u.n report .. well in india only abot 8-10% of the pop. given that we are the 2nd largest pop so we ahve very small numbers...we must look at the positives our culture has instead of aping the westerners blindly :for chrissake we had to have the west endorse our ancient practices of yoga and ayurveda before we could revive them we had to have the western celebrities endorse our graceful and elegant sarees as cool and high fashion before we brought them out of our vast catacombs of clothes...we had to have the brits make chicken tikka masala their national dish and bhangra their music before we could make them cool in india, it took some one like richard gere to make indians sit up and take notice of the plight of the docile,demure and harmless tibetans...why cant we for once turn the tables?? why for once we as a collective society who whine whine and whine about our government do something? vote yes..).Then we whine when our relatives say dont do this and that do it this way or these clothes would suit your figure better or ur talented at this and yet when we are in trouble, a vast majority of us either go running to those relatives whom we winge and whine about or expect them to come 2 our aid... in india we have even strangers from the same community who will come out to support us.. isnt that a strange brotherhood then???so i ask isnt it better to be a human being, an individual, and yet live in a collective society??Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-32817019249041497592010-12-08T10:03:00.000+05:302010-12-08T10:03:15.393+05:30.....And so you live ....( a tribute to my late friend gaurav nath)You taught us how to smile, <br />
you taught us how to laugh,<br />
....how to see a bright spark in every creation,<br />
How to jump,<br />
how to play....<br />
<br />
You embodied a divine spark within yourself ,<br />
you spread the light across the darkest hours,<br />
you were an ocean of calmness,<br />
a bolt of lightning,<br />
a spark of electricity,<br />
a bubble happiness<br />
and all things adventurous you were...<br />
... And so you live on in another plane of existence <br />
.... in our hearts, spirits and minds....<br />
we will always cherish those sweet memories, <br />
those satsangs and your beautiful voice....<br />
.... jumping around and being there for each of your dear friends....<br />
.... living each moment ... and enjoying life....<br />
Am sure wherever the powers planned and plotted to send you into another plane you are doin the same......<br />
and making new friends and chershing your old memories.....<br />
enjoying what another plane of existence has to offer...<br />
..... And so you live...<br />
touching the lives of many,<br />
yet being detached...<br />
an expression of humbleness<br />
a ray of sunshine....<br />
and in this way so you live......Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-78774222175786474192010-10-31T20:59:00.000+05:302010-10-31T20:59:26.680+05:30Mamma Mia- Another Abbba Fav...<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hj2yWHvTGWs?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hj2yWHvTGWs?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-66247830421536841202010-10-23T18:38:00.000+05:302010-10-23T18:38:01.079+05:3024WELL , its sunday tomorrow , the 24th of october and im turning 24 a step closer to completing a quarter of a century on planet earth. I cannot even begin to pen down in words what exactly i'm feeling. Am i feeling old?? well not really but i ain't getting any younger physically either- mentally i'm still 14, 15 or 16 or whatever, physically i look like a chubby cherubic high school kid ( well atleast that is what people have been telling me off late ) i guess it is all only because of all the strenuous yogic and meditative practices i but my mind and body through.Well yeah ive been doin thesze kinds of things since i was 10 years old so there goes it. <br />
Hmm, im still wondering what i have achieved in my nearly 24 years of existence?? well it depends what one defines as achievement-according to me its peace of mind, happiness,contentment,success,and an unconditional love for everything that exists.<br />
If its one thing ive learnt and probably learnt the hard way, its to take somethings with a pinch of salt.<br />
In all these 24 years, ive spent every moment learning, exploring and creatively honing my various skills. Ive learnt so much- be it from the Bhagvad Gita or the Sukhmani sahib, ive learnt that human life is all the same- everyone goes thru ups and downs.<br />
ive learnt life is what one makes it out to be- if one makes life happy- it will be full of joy and laughter, if your too serious well ...<br />
ive learnt to just accept somethings and let them be that way....<br />
well id have gone on and on with this post but i have to sign off for now...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-27453628218916291772010-09-23T10:48:00.001+05:302010-09-23T10:49:57.850+05:30One someone who changed my life :)Writing after so long well just makes me want to write. And what do i write about?<br />
one someone who has completely changed my life.<br />
Since all you readers are wondering who is one someone is , i shall disclose his name a little later in the post.<br />
I was really astonished to see someone so multidimensional in todays stress filled world who lives such a carefree and stressfree life at his age.<br />
A masters in statstitics from IIT yes IIT,<br />
a good dose of anger , albeit short lived and for very good reason - anger out love is not anger he says it is a suggestion to improve your life.<br />
The best vegan cook i know- i mean come on i thought there were no substitues for gelatin until he told me about agar agar.<br />
The one who has introduced me to many organic foods in the last 5 years that i think i have known him. <br />
A teacher and an inspiration to millions of youth across the globe and he still remembers my name , my wild ways - yes i do have some- like drinking cold coffee and sleeping at 4 am sometimes<br />
oh the way he has changed my life - i mean if one could could just listen to this gifted soul even once in their entire lifetime all their problems and dilemma's about life would be solved in a jiffy. <br />
He not only cooks , but plays the piano with mozart like precision.And, despite being a Parsi, knows far more about the ancient Vedic wisdom and meditation i can imagine. I owe all my yummy yummy veggie dhansak making skills to him and his mother .<br />
The one who has taught me that life is what you make it out out to be. <br />
He is one of the wittiest kids and the most mature adult( well i attritube this aspecat of his larger than life personality to being a disciple of one of the Gretest Englintened Beings alive on plant earth- H.H Sri Sri Ravishankar).<br />
The one who still remembers how i love travelling and studying and how rebellious i was at one stage. Infact he went to the extent of calling my change in personality the "Taming of the Shrew".<br />
He has always been oh so inquisitive about all my vfx and 3d works and how animated movies are made.<br />
A big smile, long wavy silvery hair, a long nose, the reddest of palms i have ever seen and the grace of an ethereal presence in him.<br />
I call him bau or bawa ...aka by others as MR. Khurshed Batliwala .<br />
to know more about one of the most inspiring souls i have met this life time do visit<br />
www.bawandinesh.name<br />
Wishing bawa a very happy birthday and hoe he continues to be his merry witty self in the years to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-39322785673108937092010-09-20T16:00:00.000+05:302010-09-20T16:00:33.197+05:30A Short UpdateAugust and september have been quite busy months and therefore i havent got a minute to pen down my thoughts until today. I started studying again yes i did indeed and business management is quite interesting. My nani and nanji were down from delhi for almost 4 weeks and what fun it was. I had my wisdom teeth removed that was painful. Learnt and finaly mastered how to bake oat cookies. Been on a weight loss diet - well more exercise than anything else actually.... some short recipes coming up soon...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-66600615575483758642010-07-20T18:29:00.000+05:302010-07-20T18:29:54.291+05:30One of my favourite Abba songsthis is one of my fav abba songs it tittled i believe in angels and i can really relate to the lyrics....<br />
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qFHbwikzNds&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qFHbwikzNds&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
just listen to the lyrics........amazing...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-44483361335539839372010-07-10T10:42:00.001+05:302010-07-10T10:57:13.178+05:30A Short Update about my lifehmm so ive been slacking on the blogging front for quite a while now. I must apologise to all readers of this blog . I have been on a travelling spree espcially to delhi - nanaji thank you for being in hospital and scaring the wits of us and for the random trips. 3 - 7th june a random trip without even packing clothes. Can one really imagine that. Then back to bangalore and off to the International Centre of The Art Of Living Foundation for a course called " YES+ Summer Magic "<br />
a personality enhancing and stress relief advanced program with over 2500 youth. Well this was my 3rd advanced program and the first ever summer magic. What an experience it was. A lush green beautifully landscaped place on the outskirts of such a hectic city . This place never ceases to amaze me everytime i go there- so much buzz and activity yet so peaceful.<br />
I have never done Surya Namashkar so slowly in my life and i really thank my teacher Dinesh Bhaiya for showing me the essence of weight loss just by performing slow meditative surya namashkar. thank you . Well the other meditations and silence was deep and i gained a lot more clarity about my life once i was out of silence. It was a fun 11 day soulful journey into the self.And yes His Holiness Sri Sri Ravishankar did take a few sessions of meditation and pranayam for our group. I still feel so blessed and blissed altough my heart is still there at the ashram i wish i could stay for longer. <br />
Yes we did get souvenirs in the form of tshirts , bags and bookmarks this time as a memeory yes the bacgs are eco friendly cloth bags and made in hindustan as the tag says. And thank you Bawa for ur witty answers and all to the most complex questions. Oh and i forgot to mention that there was an awesome play staged for us called Anand and Benaifer...more in the next post with pics..Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-34074181078030578342010-05-11T21:05:00.000+05:302010-05-11T21:05:44.375+05:30Yoga- Part 1my intial fascination with yoga started when i was a little girl.i used to watch some of the older people twist their bodies into all sorts of knots and postures and keep wondering how it was all done. then one day my mum explained the basic stuff saying it was all yoga. Yoga is derived form the sanskrit word yug- meaning union of mind , body and soul. In Hindi it became yog and once it went overseas it became yoga. Indians of today find it extremely different to first accept their own ancient wisdom before the west has accepted and proven it. Mind you yoga is a 3000 year old science of the body . With increased popularity of yoga in the western world- one of the basic factors being - it relieves stress and keeps the body fit and thats why its a great combination of exercise and relaxation.<br />
All yogs is derived from Patanjali, the father of modern yoga. The Patanjali yogasutras form the base of almost all modern yogic and meditative practices. It is infact Sage Patanjali who is regarded as the father of modern Yoga. Yoga has many different forms and the yogic practices can differ from individual to individual , and different thoughts of schools can have their own variations. However, yoga ultimately has the same goal- individual wellbeing.Yes, well it could be quite amazing that 3000 years ago someone came up with a series in which one can exercise individual dody parts to cure numerous ailments. Well , i must say that for his time then Sage Patanjali was no less a genius as Bill Gates is regarded today- by the way even Gates has a personal yoga instructor. Yoga infact has many layers and forms ( which will be discussed in the next post) and the subtle differences is what makes each form unique. <br />
Today, yoga is no longer considered a hippie, cultic spirtual practice but is available at the hippest of fitness clubs accross the globe. Infact so much has the craze caught on with young urban working and non working professionals that sportswear brands have targetd the markets.<br />
Yoga is at the core a whole body workout from head to toe and affects every organ of the body in a positive way if the postures are practiced correctly.<br />
Infact every person who practices yoga has their own individual workout to suit their body type and health requirements- so much is the customisation that is possible with this lovely form of exercise.<br />
Yoga not only physically keeps one fit but also mentally- improves concentration, keeps one calm and focused and numerous other findings which have been proven by modern medical research.I would definitely recommend yoga toeach and every single person who is looking for a form of fitness today.<br />
(to be continued )Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-67970716493688345212010-03-19T19:03:00.000+05:302010-03-19T19:03:16.190+05:30Sundried Tomato with Fresh FennelHmm so i had some sundried tomatoes lying in the fridge and didnt know what to do with them until i found some fresh fennel , that too organic in the neighbourhood spencers. This recipe comes out more like a preserve and tastes good with lightly toasted bread or as part of a salad.pictures will be uploaded soon. I am particularly fond of tomato not just because red veggies add lovely colour to a dish but the fact that tomatoes are loaded with lycopene,are great to use in face masks for oily skin- i am not kidding here, the ancient indians and egyptians used fresh tomato pulp with fullers earth to remove skin impurities and i've tried this myself and it leaves the skin glowingLycopene has also been shown to improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays. Not only that , tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants that work towards prevention of certain cancers thanks to the lycopene.<br />
Fennel - for centuries in ancient india, fennel , aniseed have been used as natural acidity regulators after a hevy meal- ever wondered why after a heavy meal of indian food fennel is served as the after mint? well it increases the metabolilism and works like gripe water. Fennel tea is amazing for indigestion and gastric troubles.<br />
Olive Oil- hmm what to say about this lovely perhaps one of the most nutritious cooking and dressing oilsThere is a large body of clinical data to show that consumption of olive oil can provide heart health benefits such as favourable effects on cholesterol regulation and LDL cholesterol oxidation needi say more?<br />
the recipe:<br />
250 gms of sundried tomatoes<br />
2teaspoons of aniseed whole<br />
fresh fennel bulb and leaves<br />
salt and pepper -about a teaspoon<br />
sugar /palm sugar - 1 teaspoon<br />
in a bowl, add the tomatoes , salt,sugar,and pepper and fennel or aniseed seeds( saunf). then chp the fennel bulb stems coarselt and wash along with the fine leaves . add all this to the tomatoes. pour some olive oil to cover the mixture a little and mix well..let soak overnight or for a few days so that the tomatoes absorb the flavour. Donot put it in the fridge unlessit is very hot climate the oil congeals and has to be left outside to return to its natural form...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-60488361033569034862010-02-12T18:24:00.000+05:302010-02-12T18:24:28.805+05:30Maha ShivratriTonight and tomorrow is Maha Shivratri.<br />
http://www.komalkapur.blogspot.com/search/label/MahaShivratri<br />
last year around this time, i have posted a few posts ranging from the meaning of Shivaratri to Kashmir Shaivism. Do go through those posts and leave your valuable comments.<br />
today, i want to dedicate a post to the Devanagari: ॐ नमः शिवाय,mantra.<br />
The book The Ancient Power of Sanskrit Mantra and Ceremony, Volume I defines Om Namah Shivaya as:<br />
"This mantra has no approximate translation. The sounds related directly to the principles which govern each of the first six chakras on the spine...Earth, water, fire, air, ether. Notice that this does not refer to the chakras themselves which have a different set of seed sounds, but rather the principles which govern those chakras in their place. A very rough, non-literal translation could be something like, 'Om and salutations to that which I am capable of becoming.' This mantra will start one out on the path of subtle development of spiritual attainments. It is the beginning on the path of Siddha Yoga, or the Yoga of Perfection of the Divine Vehicle."<br />
"Na" refers to the Gross Body (annamayakosa), "Ma" refers to Pranic Body (pranamayakosa), "Shi" or "Chi" refers to Mental Body (manonmayakosa), "Va" refers to Intellectual Body (vignanamayakosa) and "Ya" refers to Blissful Body (anandamayakosa) and "M" or the "silence" beyond these syllables refers to the Soul or Life within.<br />
IN the expalnation of one of of the most renowned spiritual masters of this millenium, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Aum Namah Shivaya is a panchakosha mantra . When ever you are in doubt or in difficult times one must chat the whole japa. Om Namah Shivaya can be chanted 108 times cycle everyday. It not only affects the cosmic conciousness but also has an effect on the different parts of the human brain.<br />
Adi Shankaracharya says that the name "Shiva" means "the one who purifies the one that repeats His name."<br />
The Universe is said to be made up of vibrations. Vibrations give rise to form. As the name "Rama" gives rise to the form of Rama, similarly, the name "Shiva, in Aum Namah Shivaya" gives rise to the form of Shiva (Maheshwara). (Sivananda)<br />
Namaḥ Shivaya is called Panchakshari (5 syllable mantra) whilst Aum Namah Shivaya is called Sadakshari (6 syllabled mantra). Namah Shivaya is recommended to be chanted by householders, whereas the prefix "Aum" is added to the mantra by those who have renounced the world. However, according to Sivananda, Aum Namaḥ Shivaya is also alright for practise by worldly people, as gradual repetition makes the mind proceed from the gross to the subtle.<br />
Upamanyu said that if you practise this mantra enough so that it vibrates continuously in your heart, then you don't need to do any yoga or further practises like pranayam.<br />
Brahmamuhurta, or the time at around 4 o'clock in the morning is the peak optimum time for spiritual practises like japa because at that time the whole world is asleep and the mind is like a blank sheet of paper on which any impressions to be made last long.<br />
Variations of Panchakshari:<br />
Namah Shivaya<br />
Namaha Shiva<br />
Shivaya Shiva<br />
Shivaya Namah<br />
Shiva Shambo.<br />
Rudra Pooja:The Shri Rudram (Sanskrit श्रि रुद्रम्), to which the Chamakam (चमकम्) is added by scriptural tradition, is a Hindu stotra dedicated to Rudra (an epithet of Shiva), taken from the Yajurveda (TS 4.5, 4.7).[1][2]. Shri Rudram is also known as Sri Rudraprasna, Śatarudrīya, and Rudradhyaya. The text is important in Vedanta where Shiva is equated to the Universal Brahman. The hymn is an early example of enumerating the names of a deity,[3] a tradition developed extensively in the sahasranama literature of Hinduism. By the first few centuries CE, the recitation of the Śatarudrīya is claimed, in the Jābala Upanishad, to lead to immortality.[4] The hymn is referred to in the Shiva Purana.[5]<br />
The text is also famous for its mention of the Shaivite Panchakshara ("five-syllable") mantra (Sanskrit: Namaḥ Śivāya), which appears in the text of the Śatarudrīya in the eighth anuvaka.[6] The text also contains the mantra Aum Namo Bhagavathe Rudraya.Through the chanting of Sri Rudram, Lord Siva's various attributes and aspects are invoked and worshipped. Chanting the Rudram is considered to be of great benefit. The Rudram chanting can be done with or without the accompaniment of a Vedic yagna ritual. When accompanied with the Vedic fire ritual, it is called the Rudra Yagnam. It is said that Lord Shiva after Bhasmasura was killed with the help of Lord Maha Vishnu performed the Tandava Dance and then Performed the "Rudra Yagna" for the Betterment of Humanity, this Place where the Rudra Yagna was performed is where the "Sri Kalahasti" Temple stands now, this temple also has one of the 12 Jyothirlingas of Parameshwara.<br />
It consists of two texts from book four of the Taittiriya Samhita (TS 4.5, 4.7), which is a recension of the Black Yajurveda.<br />
Shri Rudram or the Namakam (chapter five) describes the name or epithets of Rudra, which represent his aspects. Additionally, the devotee asks for the benevolent aspect of Shiva to be invoked rather than the terrible aspect and requests forgiveness of sins. The Chamakam (chapter seven) asks for the fulfilment of wishes. Each part consist of eleven anuvaka or hymns. Traditionally Rudra is assigned the number 11, and among the thirty three deities of the Vedic pantheon, eleven are considered forms of Rudra.<br />
[edit]Shri Rudram<br />
The anuvakas of Shri Rudram correspond to the eleven hymns of TS 4.5, with the final anuvaka extended by an additional eight verses, including the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra. The central Shaivite mantra, Aum Namah Sivaya is also derived from the Shri Rudram, it appears (without the aum) in TS 4.5.8.l.<br />
[edit]Chamakam<br />
The second part of the text, corresponding to TS 4.7, asks God for fulfillment of wishes. The repeated phrase, cha me literally means, "and to me [be this granted]", accompanied by a list of desirables which are primarily necessary appurtenances for Vedic sacrifices.<br />
The original context of the Chamakam is the piling up of the fire-altar of the Vedic religion. The hymn invokes, apart from Agni and Vishnu at the beginning, a pantheon of Vedic deities that are successively linked with Indra to enable the yajamana or sacrificer/patron to successfully perform Vedic fire sacrifices or yagnyas, such as the Agnishthoma, Somayaga, and the Ashwamedha. The Chamakam can be interpreted both as a preparatory for a physical external sacrificial ritual, or the inner, possibly yogic sacrifice involving pranic control, since the yogic "vital airs" are explicitly mentioned as sacrificial adjuncts in anuvaka, or stanza 10.<br />
The interpretations of the text commonly taught today are clearly Vedantic, while the Vedic texts at the time of their composition were probably intended for the context of ritual sacrifice.<br />
The President of the Ramakrishna Mission, at Chennai, in commentating on the foreword to Swami Amritananda's translation of Sri Rudram and Purushasuktam, stated that "Rudra to whom these prayers are addressed is not a sectarian deity, but the Supreme Being who is omnipresent and manifests Himself in a myriad forms for the sake of the diverse spiritual aspirants." Sri Rudram occurs in the fourth Kanda of the Taittirya Samhita in the Yajur Veda.<br />
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami explains in the lexicon section of his book, Dancing with Siva, that "Sri Rudram is a hymn to the wielder of awesome powers. It is a preeminent Vedic hymn to Lord Siva as the God of dissolution, chanted daily in Siva temples throughout India."<br />
[edit]Smarta interpretation<br />
The prayer is commonly interpreted to show that Vishnu is another aspect of Shiva and to accordingly hold that Vishnu and Shiva are one and the same God from an Advaitan or Smarta viewpoint. Interestingly, the Vishnu sahasranama, in a similar manner, states Shiva is an aspect of Vishnu. <br />
Below is fantastic link i chanced upon, the rudra pooja with an english translation<br />
http://www.scribd.com/doc/18663065/2601866-Rudram-and-Chamakam-With-English-TranslationUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-84712462770591235882010-02-12T17:37:00.000+05:302010-02-12T17:37:13.619+05:30LifeLife<br />
life:<br />
i’d consider the beginning of my life to be like a vast ,textured but blank white canvas <br />
ready to be painted on and explored-an empty canvas like that of an artists thats ready to be painted on… only here ,i am trying to unravel the mystery of what life means to me .<br />
i really dont know how to express the concept of life in a few simple short sentences <br />
but,here is what i think life is all about :<br />
lifes about good times and bad,<br />
experiencing a gain and a loss at times,’<br />
joy and sorrows<br />
sharing and daring chossing between the good and the bad,the right and the wrong<br />
its about being optimistic at times and pessimistic at others<br />
leisure and hard work<br />
its about living on the edge<br />
Life-live it to the maximum<br />
<br />
p.s i wrote this post sometime in 2006/2007 on my rediif blog just publishing it here now for lack of anything new to write.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-68199083970978211362010-02-10T19:18:00.000+05:302010-02-10T19:18:25.641+05:30Mysore and CoorgIt was a rather short trip to these two places which i consider made by the Divine. Both are heavenly in their own ways.Mysore is just about two hours away from bnagalore and with the new elrt and nice highway, the drive is rather smooth. W e left on 25th january evening and thought we'd stop off at the mysore temple and press our way to coorgbut the Divine had other plans. 26th morning, we left out hotel and yes our family did stay in Ginger Hotels and had the most amazing darshan in Chamundeshwari temple it was as if the Mother Godess had called us especially for the darshan and ive been going to that temple on the hill since i was a little baby and all the priests know my dad nevertheless it was a fantatic Sahasranam/ Stotram that was specially done for us by the preist and then w ehad the panchamurtham prasad which comes from right inside the sanctum sanctorum and i guess at 9 a.m we were amongst the first devotees to get it. Alas my brother was lazy and couldnt wake for this maybe the divine had something else in mind for him.<br />
We also had the previous nights dinner at Pai vista hotel in the jungle themed restraunt which is right outta african safaries and even the animals are made out of fibre glass ( pics of this and temple in next post)<br />
<br />
On 2 coorg then..<br />
i have spent atleast 6 years of my chilhood on an estate in coorg and everytime i visit , its like seeing the divine creations of mother nature come alive . The fragrance of fresh pepper, coffee, vanilla (coorg is one of the largest producers of organic vanilla beans in india), cardamom and cinnamon touch my nose with a slight tinge of the aromas of allspice. Coorg is one place which has been described as the scotland of India and i do so agree with that as having been to scotland myself i can see the similarities except that scotland is famous for scotch whiskey and coorg for coffee, the scenic beauty of both places is stunningly mesmerising. Well in coorg i stayed with family friends and of course my age old buddies sheena and sunil whom i have known for the past 23 years it was their dads birthday which made my dad make such an impromptu trip 2 coorg. The food was divine and of course sheena's artisan jelly and cakes are outta this world of course i did make some amazing veggie thai curry and all but all in a days work it was fab to catch up with old friends. Of course the moment one enters coorg , the unmistakable magenta robes of tibetan and buddhist monks greets you. And of course did i forget to mention the beauty of sunsheen estate- named after my friends sunil and sheena is absolutely stunning i men from coffee to cinnamon to paddy and vanilla to a few organic lemon tree everything nature could ever produce grows here...i had a fab time there and hope to visit again very soon..Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-63777438820455714032010-01-21T20:41:00.000+05:302010-01-21T20:41:49.172+05:30My first restraunt review-TandoorI have been going to this place called "Tandoor" ever since i was a little kid .Tandoor as the name suggests is bangalore's answer to authentic punjabi tandoori cuisine. Being a punjabi who ha slived her life between bangalore and delhi as a child and a major part of the teenage years in bangalore, i can quite comfortably say that yes tandoor is a must visit if you love tandoori and mughlai food.unfortunately, my camera is outta charge so i will upload the pics later. The warm lighting, the see thru kitchen,the lovely inlay inspired enamels on the roof, the coper glasses all remind one of a bygone era of havelis in punjab. even the ghazal sufi music is quite pleasant to the ears. I've grown up eating non -vegetarian food altough since ive turned 20 ive eaten only seafood and vegetarian so i can quite comfortably say that the kababs and tikkas here are amongst the very best you can get in bangalore. The best being the royal afghan at the windsor manor.Their Fish Tikka , kadhain prawns, paneer lababdar is exceptinally good. The fish is quite mildly spiced and tender when compared to fish tikka ive eaten elsewhere in bangalore. I have a strong feeling that the same lababdar gravy is used for chicken and fried cubes of cottage chesse is dunked into this upon order. The kadhai prawns are also good. The Garlic Butter Naan of course has been my favourite ever since i was a kid a sper my parents i could ignore the rest of teh food and eat two garlic naans with the vinegerette onions alone. Hmm weird i suppose but when you are a four year old who has a maida high i suppose your parents can't do much?Their Murgh Badami and Malai Tikka and Peshawari kabab have been other cnstant favourites apart from the Dal Makhni and Pudina Parantha.For the desserts they have the typical kulfi,kheer, gajar ka halwa(where i feel my mum's turns out much better). The malai kulfi is the best tough. Beverages include a yummy fruit punch which, lassi, and a whole of of nouveau inspired coolersalong with alcoholic drinks and cocktails. A meal for two at tandoor would cost approx rs 1,500 with starters, 3 dishes of maincourse one being prawns and another fish,2 naans and 2 parantha's a fruit punch and 3 desserts thrown in (i cant live with out eating less than two kulfi's here).Believe me its worth every penny tough and i just cant help butgo there really often.Beware the place is uite popular amongst the expats and the northindian community in bangalore and is always packed but now that they have two places-one in oasis and the original on M.g road and a newer branch at the oasis mall in koramangala. Reservations are a must.<br />
But its worth everyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-60025672922153616452010-01-11T18:59:00.001+05:302010-01-11T19:23:56.395+05:30The 12 Laws Of KarmaAn amazing video to understand karma. A beautiful must watch if yoou want 2 gain a deeper insight in2 what "Karma " is all about<br />
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<br />
<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7ZX8QSdJ9go&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7ZX8QSdJ9go&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-28481715470409317602010-01-08T15:23:00.000+05:302010-01-08T15:23:21.125+05:30Happy New Year2009 just wooshed by and the last 3 months of 2009 were just too busy for me..<br />
Here is wishing Everyone a very rocking 2010 and a wonderful year ahead.. i just got back from delhi myself..<br />
here is what november and december of the last year was for me: cousins wedding in phuket in november so was holidaying in thailand for 15 days came back 2 bangalore for 3 weeks then off it was to delhi and i just got back 2 days ago so will blog about my adventures in delhi later..<br />
Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful 2010Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-67430750516763734612009-11-09T22:19:00.000+05:302009-11-09T22:19:25.145+05:30Just For everyoneokie off late i have not much to blog about . so here is a post to thank everyone who has palyed a major part in my life.....<br />
all at random tough<br />
Mum : just the fact of ur existence i know that unconditional love and support exists for me in this world even tough it takes me a coupla days to clean my room and the such.<br />
Dad:i love the advice you give on any and every issue . and the way u still let me mess up ur hair once u get back from work<br />
Pranav- my baby bro. the fact that u make me realise that like isnt as perfect and idealistic as projected outside.<br />
Dinesh Bhaiya- i really aspire to be an ocean of calmness that you are. and the the way you inspire me to carry on when a tsunami has struck me a stough nothing great has happened.<br />
Bawa- there is no logical genetical explanation for the phenomenon i call Bau . the practical wisdom,witty humour and of course indias finest vegan chef.<br />
Master- thank you for always being there and being a guiding force in my life.<br />
Ranjit anna- one of the most awesome people ever. can ask any question from music to astrology he will always have some answers.<br />
Badeppa(paternal grandpa)-i remeber going for long endless trips to nirulas in delhi to eat at the salad bar and eat numerious scoops of hot chocolate fudge.thank you for tolerating my madness<br />
Maternal Grandparents- the number of times i have lost my temper over stupid issues from less salt in tamatr ki kadhi to not having my clothes ironed properly-thank you for the madness again<br />
Abhishek, Madhuri, Spandan, Sampath , Amrita, Anju, Bhairavi, Arvind,Gaurav, Vishal, Mrigank, Ritika, Shalini,MS. Anjana Mani- the fact that all of you are always just there 24/7 whenever we need you<br />
Sheeena and Sunil- 23 years of my life and you've known me for all 23 . thank you for always being my friends and seeing me thru thick and thin all the time .<br />
Chris,Korin, Meggan Brummer, Gayatri and atul, preet,clare,kavitha-thank you for making me feel like one of'em in aussie . <br />
Varnit,leisha,arun,vandana,rohan,sehar, nilufer,priyanka ,neha- for seeing me thru those maddening teenage years - we were going thru the same nonsense together.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-25166990562210275842009-11-06T14:32:00.000+05:302009-11-06T14:32:14.852+05:30Tabouleh<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Here is a basic recipe:2 bunches of fresh parsley (1 1/2 cup chopped, with stems discarded)2 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped,1 medium onion, finely chopped,6 medium tomatoes, diced1 tablespoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper1/2 cup bulghur or daliya , medium grade6 tablespoons lemon juice6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.its an easy to make middle eastern salad or a med salad but quik to make and those are the ingredients required.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>first soak the dliya in luke warm water for approx 10 mins then drain out , soak in fridge cold watre for another 5-7 mins ,drain put the daliya in a muslin cloth and squeeze out the water. next coarsely chop the mint and parsely,chop the tomatoes and the onions.</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>now in a plate separate the grains of daliya and put in 2 a serving bowl, add parsely, onions, mint tomatoes, sprinkle the olive oil(i use cold pressed extra virgin or it tastes good even with canola oil),lime juice, salt and pepper and toss well.</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving . Tasted quite good. I made it on a sunny afternoon when i wasnt in the mood 2 cook much.to make the serving bowl look nice one can use lettuce leaves to line the bowl and then add the salad in.Tastes good with pitta bread(ill putup that recipe soon just ahve 2 get pics) or whole wheat bread which is slightly toasted and buttered.am sorry i havent been able 2 upload the pics will do it once i can access my own system which has crashed.</i></b></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-7191001366630752082009-10-14T10:04:00.000+05:302009-10-14T10:04:53.495+05:30The Festival of Lights- Diwali<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdvBBflYZckH6biPe1FpVl9_Vsi3EqSVeCNlfeHIh2TBttLVXENJNRhczYkjTWr0jmXKYUaPHqRStQjVBbs_qVewNsQHT7WQvhyphenhyphenZQz-MJ7Ciml8QOCOpuhgfI6MeegUzhfOVn18PPVHg/s1600-h/diwali-diyas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdvBBflYZckH6biPe1FpVl9_Vsi3EqSVeCNlfeHIh2TBttLVXENJNRhczYkjTWr0jmXKYUaPHqRStQjVBbs_qVewNsQHT7WQvhyphenhyphenZQz-MJ7Ciml8QOCOpuhgfI6MeegUzhfOVn18PPVHg/s320/diwali-diyas.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>It is the festive season in India and as per the Hindu Calender, Diwali or the vedic new year is just around the corner- to be celebrated on the 17th of october. Diwali has many stories and signifies different aspects in different parts of india.<br />
As per Hindu calendar, the five day festival of Diwali is centered on the new moon day that ends the month of Ashwin and begins the month of Kartika, beginning on the 13th day of the dark half of Ashwin (Ashwin 28th) and ending on the 2nd day of the bright half of Kartika (Kartika 2nd). The main day of celebration varies regionally- in south diwali is celebrated one day earlier -this is called chotti diwali in the punjab and the rest of north india. Basically, on this day , the homecoming of Ram from exile is celebrated with great pomp and crcakers are burnt. On this day, Lakshmi and Ganesha poojan is done - to bring wealth and prosperity in to the house.<br />
Diwali isnt only celebrated by the Hindus in Inidia but today has become a global phenomenon thanks to globalisation.<br />
In Jainism, Diwalli marks the attainment of nirvana by Mahavira on 15 October, 527 BC.<br />
Deepavali has been significant in Sikhism since the illumination of the town of Amritsar commemorating the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji (1595-1644), the sixth Guru of Sikhism, who was imprisoned along with 52 other Hindu kings at Fort Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir. After freeing the other prisoners, he went to the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) in the holy city of Amritsar, where he was welcomed happily by the people who lit candles and divas to greet the Guru. Because of this, Sikhs often refer to Diwali also as Bandi Chhorh Divas - "the day of release of detainees.<br />
The festival is also celebrated by Buddhists in Nepal, a majority-Hindu country, particularly the Newar Buddhists.<br />
In India and Nepal,Diwali is now considered to be a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians and Nepalese regardless of faith. Kerala is the only state in India where Deepavali is not a big celeberation.<br />
Kidha is celebrated for a differing number of days by different communities. Though the core days are common and fall on exactly the same set of days across Nepal and India, they fall in different Gregorian months depending on the version of the Hindu calendar being used in the region. The Amanta ("ending on the new-moon") version of the Hindu Calendar has been adopted as the Indian national calendar. According to this calendar, which is prevalent in southern India and Maharashtra, the 6-day celebration is spread over the last four days of the month of Ashwina and the first two days of the new month of Kartika. According to the Purnimaanta ("ending on the full-moon") version prevalent in northern India, it falls in the middle of the month of Ashwayuja/Ashvin. In the Gregorian calendar, it falls generally in the months of October or November. In Nepal, it is celebrated according to Nepalese calendar. The festival marks the last three days and the first two days of Nepalese era.<br />
On the day of Deepavali / Deepavali, many wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks. Some North Indian business communities start their financial year on Deepavali and new account books are opened on this day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-76505919548604151842009-10-02T22:49:00.000+05:302009-10-02T22:49:59.555+05:30A refreshingly refreshing Drink<strong><em>okie so its the ingredients that make this drink an absolute delight- a version of the desi adrak-pudina shikanjvi but with a modern twist to it.</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>i will put up th epics in a few days as im having a problem with my net conection here.</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>so here goes:</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>for the ingredients:</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>a few leaves of fresh pudina (mint) ( i used approx 5-7 as i like it a bit mild)</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>freshly grated ginger - about 1/2 to 1 tsp (depending on how strong you want the ginger flavour)</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>sugar or jaggery-about 2 tsps of sugar, i used fructose a healthy low cal sugar alternative ..</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>juice of 1/2 a lemon</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>a pinch of black salt( optional)</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>okie so now in a stone/steel mortar and pestle grindle the mint leaves into a paste- this brings out the amazing mint oil(incase you dont want to continue making the drink after this, the mint oil is an excellent remedy for joint pains when heated with olive oil or an excellent remedy for acidity-mix the mint oil and a little bit of the paste in watre and boil until warm and drink it up)</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>then add the freshly grated ot finely chopped ginger(for this recipe finely chopped is better)to the mint and grind some more,</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>then add the sugar and grind again for about 1 min approx.</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Add this to a serving glass,then add the lemon juice - i love lemon juice so i used half a lemon but one can use less if preffered-the lemon basically balances out the flavours and acids when soda is used- yes the twist in the drink is soda- so after this adda pinch of black salt if desired and then add chilled soda and voila - a modern twist of the traditional desi pudina - adrak shikanjvi is ready.</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>the recipe takes about 5 mins approx and it actually isnt a stedious as i make it sound here but then ive even engligtened on the effects of pudina ka taila and what the use of lemon in the drink is etc, etc.</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>This drink is exceptional when served mid afternoon on a hot summers day or even after a hearty meal- be it lunch or dinner- it has ingredients which aid digestion.Hope you all like this and od leave your comments.</em></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-30126126641632300242009-09-19T12:38:00.002+05:302009-09-19T12:42:07.545+05:30A new Layout or Template- Suggestions Pleaseokie so am a bit bored with the existing layout and template of my blog. So am open to suggestions as to what kind of colours and layout i can have now. Also, what more would the redaers of the blog like in terms of content?<br />stuff about my life ever since i got back from sydney my opinions on everything and anything , recipes and restraunt reviews,stuff about spirituality and related things, or anything else?leave your comments and do lemme know....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-30756518678035595502009-09-18T14:22:00.002+05:302009-09-18T14:47:21.227+05:30BBMP at Fault or parental negligence?For the last two days , Karnataka's new and popular local english news channel News 9 has been running stories about an 18 month ols boy Vijay , who was washed away in a storm watre drain.<br />Many of the press people and bangalores high elite intellectuals feel that having an uncovered drain in the backyards of of one of Bengaluru's poshest and busiest suburbh i.e Koramangala, is all the fault of the BBMP and also negilienge of the BBMP. <br />OOk, i agree that the state of infrastructure in this city is quite appalling when compared to say Delhi . But what about Vijay's parents who couldn't use their common sense and stop their child from playing in the heavy rain and near an uncovered drain?are they not to be blamed equally or as much as the civic authorities of BBMP? In bfact it has been the civic authorities who have been conducting the search for the body in different lakes for the last two days. Okie so what? Children have fallen into wells in NCR region, Punjab and Haryana and other cities but how much has the state media or national media blamed the civic authorities for negligence?It in fact, in my humble opinion is a sheer waste of media airtime where they were called BBMP "sick" and running a campaign to send "Get Well Soon Roses" to the BBmp. How ridiculous to run the story for 48 hrs. non stop when they were more pressing matters of state and national importance for the channel to cover. Ok so isnce this is a blog and im entitled to air my views,here is what i feel: yes its the fault of bbmp partially - yes the lack of covered drainage and other civic amenities and proper garbage dispensing systems but this is only 40 to 50% of the faults. The rest is the fault of or negiligence on part of the parents as well.<br />As for issues like cleanliness well all the citizens of bangalore are also at fault. As far as covered drainage is concernedyes i think it is a must - even 5000 yrs ago the Indus Valley people were more civilised than us - atleast they had a proper grabage collection system and covered drainage. In the face of modernisation and globalisation , are the citizens of India and especially the citizens of Bangalore retrograding? For, i think that it only when the citizen scome together or support the civic bodies like bbmp can the civic bodies take action. For example, 2 years ago, the bbmp started waste segregation for recycling plastic in whitefield and koramngala. The experiment flopped in whitefield. Why? residents thought throwing plastic waste and paper paste in seperate bins was too much of a hassel. But considering that whitefield is a locality where many Nri's live, it would have been easier because in the western nations garbage segregation is a must but why? their logic was that the local authorities didnt supply them with bins - that imho is nonsens- it worked and is still wokring in koramangala- the reason being the citizens of koramngala wanted to make a difference . So all am saying is it is in the attitude of citizens that can make all the difference. The drain in koramangala could have been covered but for some residents who oppose it. I hope now that the people opposing the covering of the drain( its been on blueprint for 5 yrs) suport the endeavours ofbbmp insted of opposing it. I seriously do hope they wake up now.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6997928605808417773.post-59533457903822863982009-08-19T15:46:00.002+05:302009-08-19T15:52:32.593+05:30A short Updateokie so ive taken the semester off because of the racism issue and other reasons.what ive been doing:<br />just got back frm delhi and had a bad back so got an amazing session of cranio sacral therapy yesterday.<br />Watched love aaj kal- yup its watchable especially for the hep looks of saif and teh aahun aahun song and the punju twist to it.<br />catching up on my sleep..Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0