Will India wake up?

Everywhere you turn, there is one scam or the other staring you in the face. In India, we are used to it. We have always made a big noise when this surfaces, and most often completely forget about the whole thing in a few months time.

But, with this menace increasing day by day, and when we find politicians and top bureaucrats looting public money, can the average citizen keep quiet any longer?

In organizations, we often look for fresh blood especially in senior positions, who will bring in new thinking and different perspectives to the functioning of the organization. Similarly, can we adopt the same strategy for politics as well? A democracy is of the people, by the people and for the people. Is it not our responsibility to stand up and say that we will not tolerate such looting and corruption any more? Do we still believe that India will be a global power in 2020? Maybe when it comes to corruption, we will top the list.

I recollect this poem by Sri Rabindranath Tagore which all of us have read in our school days. This poem, a prayer rather, captures the fundamental principles that any nation must adopt.

Where the mind is without fear
And the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up
Into fragments by narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

Will India wake up?

Cheers

Radio Astronomy Centre

If you have an inclination towards science, particularly astronomy, you must visit this place near Ooty. If you have children accompanying you, I recommend you take them along to have first had experience about this research centre.

The Radio Astronomy Centre (RAC) is part of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of the well-known Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) which is funded by the Government of India through the Department of Atomic Energy.

Some pictures of RAC.

Here is their website: http://rac.ncra.tifr.res.in


Some specific information from their website:

The Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT, as it is known) is a cylindrical paraboloid of reflecting surface, 530 m long and 30 m wide, placed on a hill whose slope of about 11 degree in the north-south direction which is the same as the latitude of the location of ORT. This makes it possible to track celestial objects for about 10 hours continously from their rising in east to their setting in the west by simply rotating the antenna mechanically along its long axis.

The Ooty Radio Telescope has been designed and fabricated fully indigenously. The ORT completed in 1970 and continues to be one of the most sensitive radio telescopes in the world. Observations made using this telescope have led to important discoveries and to explain various phenomena occurring in our solar system and in other celestial bodies. I visited this place during my college days to interview a scientist at RAC for my article in the college magazine. I remember asking him what his vision was, and he replied "to find out the origin of the universe'! Although entry is restricted, the RAC encourages students from educational institutions to visit the centre. Others are also allowed with prior permission. Just yesterday I called RAC just to be sure that they still permit visitors. The gentleman who spoke to me was very enthusiastic and said it would be good if the vistors wrote a letter to them, or called them in advance for permission. RAC is located about 1km from Muthorai Village, a pleasant uphill walk. Muthorai village is about 6kms from Ooty. Locals should be able to show you the way. Here is the address. Radio Astronomy Centre National Centre for Radio Astro Physics Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Ooty - 643 001. Ph: 91423 2550334 / 2550335 Fax: 91 423 2550135 Cheers

Restaurants in Ooty

In Ooty, south-indian food is common. There are however a few restaurants offering north-indian and continental dishes on their menu. While there are quite a number of restaurants in Ooty, you can check out the following places which are good.

1. Tandoori Mahal, Commercial road
2. Hotel Nahar,Charring Cross
3. Hotel Dasaprakash, Ettines Road
4. The Nilgiri Woodlands, Ettines Road
5. Hotel Savoy, Sylks Road (little pricy)
6. Around Charing Cross, you will find quite a few bakeries including Hot Breads and Ooty Bakers selling delicious breads, cakes, pizzas, and the like.
7. Modern Stores and Kingstar Bakery are famous for homemade chocolates, nuts and other confectionary.

My favourite restaurant is Shinkow's Chinese Restaurant which I have never missed to visit for any special occasion since childhood. It is located in Commissioners Road, and the food is awesome!

Cheers

Shopping in Ooty

Ooty is famous for coffee, tea, homemade chocolates, eucalyptus and other aromatic oils, spices, toda jewellery and clothing, and ofcourse a wide range of woolen clothing.

Commercial Road in Ooty is the main shopping place.  There are numerous shops selling clothing, footwear, homemade chocolates, toda shawls and jewellery, etc. Toda shawls are the ones woven with hand using black and red threads on a white background. There are many government run establishments as well selling a wide variety of items. But, you must check out the following places for value for money.

Woolen clothing
There is a Tibetan market just opposite the famous Botanical Garden in Ooty. There are rows of small shops, all looking similar. They are mostly run by the women folk of the Tibetan community. In the shops, you will find exclusive woolen wear including sweaters, shawls, caps, jerseys, cardigans, pullovers, jackets, sweatshirts, jumpers, hoodies, etc. While bargaining is not entertained, the prices are reasonable. Shawls with embroidery and stone work come really cheap. Please remember to look out for beautiful woolen stalls in plain as well as multi-colours which look elegant over your Kurtis. They cost from Rs: 180 to Rs:250 only. They are however priced over Rs:600 in showrooms in Chennai! You will also find lovely clothes for children at affordable prices. It is a sheer pleasure walking around the Tibetian market. You will often come across Tibetan women folk, busy with their knitting while carrying babies on their backs. The cute little babies with tiny eyes, patiently clinging to their mother's back are priceless.

Antique Jewelery and Handicrafts
There is a place called Big Shop on the commercial road where you will find exquisite toda jewellery and other antique jewellery apart from handicrafts. They are in the business for several years.

Genuine Leather items
There is a small store called SKINS in YMCA complex just after the commercial road. It is a few yards away from Big Shop. You will be amazed at the variety of things this tiny shop has to offer. You will find anything in pure leather in this place including - leather handbags, purses, wallets, shoes, boots, leather toys, belts, key chains, a wide range of leather jackets including some with fur which are stunning. They have a wide range of collections and you will not know what to pick up. They also have many different gift items like bangle cases, jewellery boxes, diaries - all in pure leather.

The store is run by a tribal family in the Nilgiris, and it is the only shop in Ooty which sells genuine leather goods which are guaranteed. If you are looking for fancy handbags, this is not the place. All they sell is made of pure leather - sheep, calf and goat. Please also make sure to check out the hats which they sell made out of Camel leather. The leather animal toys are elegant and look very real.

You can bargain, and will realize the prices are very much affordable when compared to the showrooms in big cities selling the same items!


Cheers

Arai Kasu Amman

Arai Kasu Amman

I must share this miracle here.

A few weeks ago, my mother lost her gold chain weighing 5 sovereigns. After frantically searching for it for one whole day, she called me one evening literally crying. She had visited me in Chennai just a week before, and then later visited my sister-in law in Coimbatore before leaving to Ooty - our hometown. She said that she remembered wearing the chain while in Chennai, but could not recollect where it was now. Both my sister-in-law and I searched our homes just in case the chain was in our homes, but could not find it. I then told my mom that it must be lying somewhere in the house, and so asked her to look again carefully. I understood from my dad that they could not locate the chain the next day as well. He further said that all at home turned the house upside down and searched in the most unusual places as well, but could not locate the chain.


More than the value of the lost jewelery, all of us were worried about my mother's health. She was very much stressed and could not eat or sleep. We prayed that we somehow get back the chain just so that my mother could be happy. She was already in poor health and was very upset because of this incident. She also did not know whom to suspect if we had assumed it was stolen. There were several visitors to the house in the week, and we could not suspect our servant maid as well because she has been working for several years in our house, and is basically a nice lady. My mom said that my servant maid would feel bad if she was questioned. I could not help but admire my mom's good heart.

Sitting in Chennai, I could not do anything but pray. Something then prompted me to do some search on the internet to get back lost items. I was so desperate for the sake of my mother and was wondering if there was any solution at all.

I then came across information about Arai Kasu Amman, and the miracles experienced by many people. I read that in case you have lost something or do not remember where you have kept things, documents etc, you have to pray to her with faith that you will prepare 'panakam' water mixed with jaggery, cardamom powder if you get the lost item back, and within no time your items / things will be retrieved.

I immediately downloaded the photograph of Arai Kasu Amman and prayed sincerely. I also told my mother about Amman and told her to place some jaggery and a rupee in our pooja room and pray faithfully. My mom said that she only had some old stock of jaggery in the house. I told her not to worry but place whatever jaggery was available in the house, and pray. She did exactly that without any hesitation.

Within 4 hours thereafter, my dad called me to say that they had got back the gold chain! I could not believe my ears, and was ofcourse eager to know what transpired. I understood that my servant maid had come to work as usual, and seeing my mom very upset had enquired what was wrong. My mom immediately broke down and told her about the incident. My maid has then told my mother not to worry and the chain should be there somewhere in the house only and that she will help locate it. As she was sweeping the floor, they found the chain under the Treadmill. My parents were speechless because they did search the house thoroughly. God knows how it went there! All of us, especially my mother were so happy.

My mom and I thanked Arai Kasu Amman for this miracle, and as vowed, the next Sunday I went to the Arai Kasu Amman temple located near Vandalur zoo in Chennai, offered jaggery and prayed. It is a small and a beautiful temple located just near the Lakshmi Kubera Temple. There are 108 ammans in the temple, including the main deity. I bought the pooja items just for Rs:100, and the priest there taught me how to perform pooja myself to all the 107 ammans located around the main deity. I offered prayers as was told, and then the priest performed the archana to the main deity. Along with vasthrams, they also gave me a coin (arai kasu) which I was asked to keep in my pooja room. It was a wonderful experience. I also bought two pictures of Arai Kasu Aman, one for me and the other for my mom.

A picture of Arai Kasu Amman which I have at home and offer prayers everyday is pasted here.

Cheers

Weather in Ooty

Check out this link for updates on the weather in Ooty and surrounding places.

http://www.accuweather.com/en-us/in/tamil-nadu/udagamandalam/quick-look.aspx