August 15 Rangoli

Rangoli: Srilakshmi Suresh

For more designs, visit the Rangoli page.

Tribute to C Ashwath

Contribution: Shwethapriya
Design: RK

Shankar Rao: The Unsung Hero

Pics: PS Prakruthi

This is the story of a very inspirational 98 year old Indian World War II and army veteran whom I met in Bengaluru. He led an amazingly difficult life but was still a very cheerful and happy person. His story is truly uplifting and touched everyone he met.

by PS Prakruthi

In the month of May 2008, I made another cherished trip to India. Unlike other trips where I would mostly spend time in my grandmother’s home, talk and laugh with my relatives and friends, explore the local areas and tour the famous sites of the South, during this trip my family and I went to see the awe-inspiring Himalayas. Having lived and grown up in the U.S., to touch the soil of the Rishis and visit Vyasa’s cave, see the origin of the Saraswati River, and visit the very last village at the Indian border was overwhelming that cannot be articulated. I felt at peace and rejuvenated. Later, I went back for a few days to Bengaluru, to Vyalikaval extension, 4th main road. What more could this visit have in store?

Down the road, adjacent to my grandparents’ home is an old nondescript house. Among all the bustle and clatter of busy the 2nd main road, living alone, not in the nondescript house, but in its 10ft x 10ft shed, was a quiet and elderly gentleman. This man sat serenely in a small chair with a japa mala in one hand quietly doing japa. The shed was extremely austere, but the gentleman, looking younger than his 98 years, always wore a tranquil smile. He carried a worn pocket-sized copy of the Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit with him always. If you happened to notice him, and took time to ask, he would tell you his compelling and unbelievable life story.

Born on May 5, 1910, in what was known as British Malaya, he had a peaceful existence until he was 12 years old. Without warning, his parents were tragically killed in their home by a bomb. A war was going on then and bombings had become commonplace. The young child had been to school and came home to find his parents killed and his home destroyed. This horrific incident sent him into shock and he had to be taken care of by a neighbour. His mind had erased the memory of who he was and he could not recall his name or that of his family and life. While he was thus recuperating, the British came in and without a hint took him away to serve in the British army. At the age of 12 he lost his parents, his home and his freedom.

“The Britishers asked me my name and when I told them that I did not remember, they gave me one,” he said on the day I met him in 2008, sitting behind a desk beside a picture of Shirdi Sai Baba. “So, they said ‘OK, from now on you will be called Shankar Rao,’”. Ripped from the only family and home he ever knew, Shankar Rao at the age of 12 was put to work in the British military. He had to live and move with the British army soldiers, wherever they were encamped and engage whomever they battled with. Rao said that he and other Indian children were used as workers to help in the battlefields, helping to load ammunition and to be at the service of the British soldiers during battles.

When he turned 14, Rao was then forced to fight in the British army. He fought in battles of wars that he knew little of much less why he was fighting. He fought in Burma; he describes how, as a child soldier, he walked with other children soldiers from Singapore to Thailand and from Burma to Manipur to Assam. In Burma and Thailand he fought under the command of Lord Wavell, the Field Marshall for his unit. When they had reached Assam by foot, the British took the Indian soldiers to Kabul and then Kandahar. Then the British decided that he would fight for them in Europe during World War II.

Having survived the battles in Asia he was sent to fight in the Middle East, then onward to Tunisia, Africa, and finally, to the Italian warfront. Rao recalled how the British, Americans, and Russians had pushed the German forces back. He vividly remembered the Indian freedom fighters who were being held in the Andaman Islands being released. Among them was Subhash Chandra Bose, who was the leader of the Indian freedom forces. Rao animatedly described that he witnessed many of the unspeakable horrors that were prevalent in World War II. He sadly stated that there was so much blood and destruction that he had witnessed unceasingly since his childhood and now in the worldwide conflict that he became seriously ill. He was weak and in need of serious recuperation, his mind once again had come under the constant onslaught of violence. In 1944, with the war coming to a frenzied end, he was finally sent back to India with barely any strength, his body and mind exhausted and broken. He spent the next three months recuperating in the General Hospital in Delhi. Mercifully perhaps, some of the atrocities he had once again witnessed in the long war were erased from his memory.

I asked Rao how he was treated by the British who needed him and others like him to fight their wars. Rao said that the Indian soldiers were mistreated and discriminated against; there was a lot of racism, and in battle, that made things even more perilous. Rao recalled that the world and Indian history of that time lucidly, a unique historian that one would be hard pressed to find nowadays. He remembered pivotal moments not only in WW II but also in the quest for India’s people gaining their much fought for independence. He described how at that time he was in the hospital in Delhi, Subhash Chandra Bose was captured and his personal assistant SA Iyer was released. After his brief rest at the hospital, the British weren’t finished with him; he was sent to Jabalpur to work in the armoury making guns and weapons for the British. But by this time, India’s people had risen. Once again Rao would be called upon to fight and risk his well-being and life. But this time was different. Now he would finally be fighting for his own people and for his country. During the violence that marked the days of the Indian partition, Rao fought to defend India against Pakistan’s attacks. India was finally free of the British despot and so was he. He went on to defend India against China in 1964 when the Chinese attacked Indian Territory.

Rao served and sacrificed for his country again and again and was unsung, unheard of, and unknown. There are few Indians of my generation who know of or can comprehend it. I imagined him as a young boy, losing his family, forced to work and fight for the foreigners that were ruling his land and finally being able to fight for his own people. My journey to the Himalayas, to the borders of India, everything that I was able to see and revel in is only possible because of the tremendous sacrifice of heroes like Rao who fought to make freedom possible. Most of them are totally unheard of and their life stories cannot even be retold to the younger generation because so few are alive now who can tell it. So much has gone unrecorded. The history books banally repeat the same tired and prosaic litany of ‘events’.

Moreover, I was astonished to note that Rao told his story without any bitterness or contempt for those who had taken everything away from him and brought so much turmoil to his life. His eyes have compassion and understanding in them as he detailed his past tribulations and those of others he knew. In fact, if one had seen him one would not even guess that his life had been touched by anything untoward. One might wonder how this is possible – for a 98 year old man without any living family who has to live alone on his military pension and whose living arrangements are literally ascetic. He called his small room with a cot, a bookcase and a desk his home. There was no running water in the room, only one cold water faucet behind the shed where he took his bath. Yet, he never complained and looked happy and peaceful.

How, I wondered, can a person who had sacrificed and suffered so much, went totally unnoticed and unappreciated, who was elderly and alone, got that kind of contentment and insight? Rao himself provided the answer. He said his immense strength and implacable serenity came to him directly from a Higher source. He was a very devout man and he believed there was only good in this world. “Of course everything is fundamentally good,” he said, as though it should be obvious to everyone. “If you think everything is good, you yourself are God. Paramathma lives in you. “ I asked him if he had any family that he knows of, I was startled by his reply: “Everyone I meet is my family, whoever talks to me, I see them as a member of my family.” He said with a smile on his face. Rao firmly believed in the power of good thoughts and was constantly doing japa. “Instead of thinking nonsense, or gossiping, I do japa. Even when I have a few minutes with nothing to do or if I’m waiting for someone or something, I do japa.” He stated. Throughout his life, his unshakeable faith in God and his deep-rooted Hindu values kept him grounded and saved him from anguish and despair. “Certainly, that faith in Him is what has kept me so long and so well”.

I thanked Rao profusely for taking the time and effort to share his remarkable story with me; to this he replied “I am so happy to see a young person such as you, who wants to know and learn about our past. It is so important that everyone understand their history and past and not forget. For the present generation life is different; they want money and enjoyment, they care not for other things. But if everybody is willing to learn the world will be a beautiful place. God Bless you”.

And I do feel truly blessed that my remarkable journey which took me to the peaks of the Himalayas and down South to Bengaluru ended with my finding out about this extraordinary 98 year old veteran gentleman who personified sacrifice, kindness and everything our Hindu and Vedic knowledge embodies. My husband says Rao reminded him of a Kannada poem by D.V. Gundappa which means: “Let me be like a flower in the dense jungle that blooms and is fragrant even when no one is there to appreciate its beauty; let me bloom for the sake of the Lord.”

Shankar Rao passed away peacefully in his sleep on Vishu/ Tamil New Year day (April 14, 2009) at the age of 98. He donated his eyes and his body to hospitals for the benefit of others.

Quiz on the Beach (QOTB)

Is the possibility of a recession giving you sleepless nights? Do you feel like taking some time off and chilling out? How does a visit to a beach sound? Or would you like to involve yourself in some serious quizzing? What if you were offered the chance of doing both at the same time? Sounds interesting???

T. A. Pai Management Institute’s annual B-School fest, Atharva invites you to participate in the Quiz on the Beach (QOTB) to be held at Kaup Beach, Udupi, Karnataka. QOTB is held on the shores of the magical Arabian Sea with an old British built lighthouse serving as a backdrop. So pack your bags and come down to Kaup Beach for some serious fun!!!

Quiz Flavour: Business Quiz
Host: T. A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal
Quiz Master: Mr. Arul Mani
Date: 10th January 2009
Open to Corporates

Please check out the links below for further details:
Poster and Rules
Atharva – Picasa Album
Atharva Website
Quiz On The Beach – Registration for Corporates

For further Clarifications contact:
Puneet Kapoor : 09880885040
S. Gopinath : 09742353966
Nikhil Bhat : 09742502691
E- Mail: atharva09.tapmi@gmail.com

Letter from an erstwhile RwB reader

Dear Ramakrishna,

I am P.Rangachary. I am a retired IAS officer from Chennai and i USED to be an avid reader of your blog for a long time. I used to personally know the sadasivams and later on my brother was an employee of The Hindu and we were lucky to attend a few talks R.K.Narayan gave.

I got hooked on to your blog when i was browsing through the net a few years back and carefully tracked how you were writing. I used to silently read it week after week and enjoy it. But, It has been a long since you have put up a posting here. Why? What happened? For those who want to contribute, they can surely open their own blog. This is not a ayappa swamy Hundi or Dharma sathram nor is it rocket science for them to open their blog. It is not difficult.

This blog is ramblings with bellur and it is for you to ramble and people like me who are fans of yours, to read. The others will learn to ramble on their own blogs. They must learn to. It is an old indian adage to say that ‘the curry in the neighbours house is more tastier’. Similarly you are also getting these other outsiders to blog in your blog. Similarly, I used to be an avid reader of your blog till others started seeping in and the quality of writing and everything came down drastically. I was so disappointed that i decided to stop my weekly dosage of RwB. I have come back here after more then a year and i still don’t see you writing that much.

Pardon my ignorance or arrogance, but i think You have become lazy in the excuse of others contributing. Writing is a sadhana that you have taken up. You must stick to it. If you have any friends who are writers, you ask them and they will tell you how much one needs to be dedicated to a work like writing. I remember a great writer once when asked if someone else could write his books, he replied that the same someone else will also ask him if he could sleep with his wife, take over his property and so on and so forth. If you want to read others writing, you can go to their blogs. People like me (who used to be avid readers and fans of your writing) find it very disappointing to see you not writing. So, it is a kind request to you start again. I am sure you have many wonderful topics to write on. I will wait eagerly for the next posting and hopefully it will be from you.

I am not happy that you have got 3 lakh hits. If only you would have written, you would have 10 lakh by now. Let the other fellows go and write their own blogs. I can see that you are yourself encouraging others to write and contribute. It is not bad, but you will agree with me when i say that, the neighbourhood curry tastes nice, but only ONCE IN A WHILE. Overdosage of it can make you forget your own taste or even make you forget the very art of cooking. This is a sincere request from an old retired man. Do not spoil my fun i used to have , of reading this blog, by allowing others.

I hope you will not take me in the wrong sense. I am like a fatherly person to you. I hope to re-start my weekly reading of your blog and hopefully i will see some more of the exciting material i used to read here.

My regards to your family and your children.

Yours Sincerely
Rangachary
Chennai
India

Lakshmi Shobhane Lyrics

Courtesy: Bhoomasri

shobhAnavennire suraroLu shubhaganige

shobhAnavenni suguNanige
shobhAnavennire trivikramarAyage
shobhAnavenni surapriyage shobhAne ||pallavi||

lakShmInArAyaNara charaNakke sharaNeMbe
pakShivAhannageraguve
pakShivAhannageraguve anudina
rakShisali namma vadhU-varara ||1||

pAlasAgaravannu lIleyali kaDeyalu
bAle mahAlakShumi udisidaLu
bAle mahAlakShumi udisiLAdevi
pAlisali namma vadhU-varara ||2||

bommana praLayadali tannarasiyoDagUDi
summaneyAgi malagippa
namma nArAyaNagu I rammegaDigaDigu
janmaveMbudu avatAra ||3||

kaMbukaMThada sutta kaTTida maMgaLasUtra
aMbujaveraDu karayugadi
aMbujaveraDu karayugadi dharisi
pItAMbaravanuTTu meredaLe ||4||

oMdu karadiMda abhayavanIvaLe
mattoMdu kaiyiMda varagaLa
kuMdillaladAnaMdasaMdoha uNisuva
iMdire namma salahali ||5||

poLeva kAMchiya dAma uliva kiMkiNigaLu
naliva kAlaMduge ghalakenalu
naLanaLisuva muddumukhada cheluve lakShumi
salahali namma vadhU-varara ||6||

rannada molegaTTu chinnadAbharaNagaLa
chenne mahalakShumi dharisidaLe
chenne mahalakShumi dharisidaLAdevi
tanna maneya vadhU-varara salahali ||7||

kuMbhakuMchada mele iMbiTTa hAragaLu jaga
tuMbiguruLa mukhakamala
tuMbiguruLa mukhakamalada mahalakShumi jaga
daMbe vadhU-varara salahali ||8||

muttina oleyanniTTaLe mahalakShumi
kastUri tilaka dharisidaLe
kastUri tilaka dharisidaLA devi
sarvatra vadhU-varara salahali ||9||

aMbujanayanagaLa biMbAdharada shashi-
biMbadaMteseva mUgutimaNiya shashi-
biMbadaMtesevamUguti maNi mahalakShumi
uMbudakIyali vadhu-vararge ||10||

muttinakShateyiTTu navaratnada mukuTava
nettiya mele dharisideLe
nettiya mele dharisidaLA devi tanna
bhaktiya janara salahali ||11||

kuMda-maMdara-jAjI-kusumagaLa vRiMdava
cheMdada turubige turubidaLe
kuMdavarNada komale mahalakShumi kRipe-
yiMda vadUvarara salahali ||12||

eMdeMdigu bADada araviMdada mAleya
iMdire poLeva koraLalli
iMdire poLeva koraLalli dharisidaLe ava-
LiMdu vadhUvarara salahali ||13||

devAMga paTTeya melu hoddikeya
bhAme mahalakShumi dharisidaLe
bhAme mahalakShumi dharisidaLA devi tanna
sevaka janara salahali ||14||

I lakShumi deviya kAluMgara ghalakenalu
lolAkShi mellane naDetaMdaLu
sAlAgi kuLlirda surarasabheya kaMDu
AlochisidaLu manadalli ||15||

tanna makkaLa kuMda tAne peLuvadakke
mannadi nAchi mahalakShumi
tannAmadiMdali kareyade obbobara
unnata doShagaLaneNisidaLu ||16||

kelavaru taleyUri tapagaidu puNyava
gaLisiddarenU phalavilla
jvalisuva kopadi shApava koDuvaru
laleneyanivaru olisuvare ||17||

ella shAstragaLodi durlabha j~nAnava
kallisi koDuva gurugaLu
ballida dhanakke maruLAgibbaru
sallada purohitakkoLagAdaru ||18||

kAmanirjitanobba kAminige sotobba
bhAminiya hiMde hAridava
kAmAMdhanAgi muniya kAminigayadanobba
kAmadi gurutalpagAmiyobba ||19||

nashvaraishvaryava bayasuvanobba para-
rAshrayisi bALuva Ishvaranobba
hAsyava mADi halludurisikoMDavanobba
adRishyAMghriyobba okkaNanobba ||20||

mAvana koMdoMbba maruLAgihanu
gADha hArvana koMdoMbba baLalida
jIvara koMdobba kulageDeMdenisida
shivaniMdobba bayalAda ||21||

dharmavuMTobbanali hemmeya hesarige
ammamma takka guNavilla
kShammeya biTTobba narakadalli jIvara
marmava meTTi kolisuva ||22||

khaLanaMte obba tanage sallada bhAgyava
ballidagaMji barigaida
durlabha muktige dUraveMdenisuva pA-
tALakke iLida gaDa ||23||

ellarAyuShyava shiMshumAradeva
sallIleyiMdali tolagisuva
olle nAnivara nityamuttaideyeMdu
ballavarenna bhajisuvaru ||24||

prakRitiya guNadiMda kaTTuvaDedu nAnA-
vikRitigoLAgi baredalli
sukhadukhaveMba bommAdi jIvaru
duHkhakke dUrenipa enageNeya ||25||

obbanAvana maga mattobbanAvana mommaga
obbanAvanige shayanAha
obbanAvana poruva mattibbarAvanigaMji
abbaradalAvAga suLivaru ||26||

obbanAvana nAmakaMji bechchuva gADha
sarvarigAva amRitava
sarvarigAva amRitavanuNisuva ava-
nobbane niraniShTa niravadya ||27||

niraniShTa niravadya eMba shrutyarthava
oredu noDalu naraharige
narakayAtane salla duritAtidUranige
maruLa manabaMdaMte nuDiyadiru ||28||

oMdoMdu guNagaLu iddAvu ivaralli
saMdaNisive bahu doSha
kuMdeLLaShTillada mukuMdane tanageMdu
iMdire patiya nenedaLu ||29||

devarShi viprara koMdu tannudaradoLiTTu
tIvidda harige duritava
bhAvaj~nareMbare Aladeleya mele
shivana liMgava nilisuvare ||30||

hasi-tRiShe-jare-maraNa-rogi-rujegaLeMba
asura-pishAchigaLeMba bhayaveMba
vyasana barabAradu eMba nArAyaNanige
pashu modalAgi neneyadu ||31||

tA duHkhiyAdare surarArtiya kaLedu
modavIvudakke dharegAgi
mAdhava bAhane kesaroLu muLugida
bhAdhipa kesara biDisuvane ||32||

bommanAlayadalli iddavage layavuMTe
janmalayavidavanige
ammiyanuNisidda yashodeyAgiddaLe
amma ivage hasi-tRiSheyuMTe ||33||

Aga bhakShyabhojyavittu pUjisuva
yogige uMTe dhanadhAnya
Aga dorakoMbude pAka mADuva vahni
mattAgalellihudu vichArisiro ||34||

rogavanIva vAta pitta shleShma
Aga koDuvude rameyoDane
bhogisuvavage duritava nenevare
I guNanidhige eNeyuMTe ||35||

rammedeviyaranappikoMDippudu
rammeyarasage rati kANiro
ammoghavIryavu chalisidare praLayadali
kammArar yAke janisaru ||36||

ekatra nirNIta shAstrArtha paratrApi
bekeMba nyAyava tiLiduko
shrIkRiShNanobbane sarva doShakke si-
lukaneMbudu salahalike ||37||

ella jagava nuMgi dakkisikoMDavage
salladu roga rujinavu
balla vaidyara keLi ajIrtimUlavella
salladu roga rujinavu ||38||

iMthA mUrutiya oLagoMba naraka bahu
bhrAMta nInelliMda torisuvelo
saMteya maruLa hogelo ninna mAta
saMtaru keLi sogasaru ||39||

shrI-nArAyaNara jananI-janakara
nAneMba vAdI nuDiyalo
jANariMdariya mUla rUpava tori
shrI narasiMhana avatAra ||40||

aMbudhiya udakadali oDedu mUDida kUrma-
neMba shrI hariya pitanAru?
eMba shrI hariya pitanAru adariMda svA-
yaMbhugaLella avatAra ||41||

devikiya garbhadali devanavatarisida
bhAvavannu balla vivekigaLu
vasudheyoLage kRiShNage janmava-
Ava pariyalli nuDiyuviyo ||42||

AkaLisuvAga yashodAdevige
deva tannoLage hudugidda
bhuvanavellava toridudillive
A viShNu garbhadoLaDaguvane ||43||

Aneya mAnadalli aDagisidavaruMTe
aneka koTi ajAMDava
aNureNu kUpadali ALda shrI hariya
janani jaTharavu oLagoMbude ||44||

adariMda kRiShNanige janmaveMbudu salla
madananivana kumAranu
kadanadi kaNegaLa ivanedegesevane
sudaterigiva niMtu silukuvane ||45||

adariMda kRiShNanige paranArI saMgava ko-
vidarAda budhru nuDivare
sadarave I mATu sarva vedaMgaLu
mudadiMda tAvu stutisuvavu ||46||

eMda bhAgavatada cheMdada mAtanu
maMdada mAnava manasige
taMduko jagakke kaivalyavIva mu-
kuMdage kuMdu korate salladu ||47||

hattu varShada keLage makkaLATikeyalli
chitta strIyarige eraguvade
artiyiMdarchisida gokulada kanyeyara
satyasaMkalpa berisidda ||48||

hattu mattAru sAsira strIyaralli
hattu hattenipa kramadiMda
putrara vIryadali sRiShTisidavaruMTe
artiya sRiShTi harigidu ||49||

roma-romakUpa koTivRikShaMgaLa
nirmisi gopAlara teraLisida
namma shrIkRiShNanu makkaLa sRijisuva
mahime ballavarige salahalike ||50||

maNNaneke meddeyeMba yashodege
saNNa bAyoLage jagaMgaLa
kaNNAre torida namma shrIkRiShNana
ghanate ballavarige salahalike ||51||

nArada sanakAdimodalAda yogigaLu
nAriyarige maruLAhare
oraMte shrIkRiShNanaDigeraguvare
ArAdhisutta bhajisuvare ||52||

aMbujasaMbhava triyaMbaka modalAda
naMbidavarige varavitta
saMbhramada suraru eLLaShTu kopakke
iMbiddarivana bhajisuvare ||53||

avanaMguShThava toLeda gaMgAdevi
pAvanaLenisi mereyaLe
jIvana seruva pApava kaLevaLu
I vAsudevage eNeyuMTe ||54||

kilbiShaviddare agra pUjeyanu
sarvarAyara sabheyoLage
ubbida manadiMda dharmaja maDuvanele
kobbadiralo paravAdi ||55||

sAvillada harige narakayAtane salla
jIvaMtarige narakadalli!
novanIvanu nimma yamadevanu
nova{govA} nI hariya guNavariya ||56||

narakavALuva yamadharmarAya
tanna narajanmadoLage poraLisi
maraLI tannarakadali poraLisi koluvanu
kuru ninna kuhaka koLadalla ||57||

bommana nUru varSha pariyaMta praLayadali
summaneyAgi malagippa
namma nArAyaNage hasi-tRiShe -jara-maraNa-du-
Shkarma-duHkhaMgaLu toDasuvare ||58||

rakkasarastragaLiMda gAyavaDeyada
akShayakAyada shrIkRiShNa
tuchCha yamabhaTara shastrakaLakuvanalla
huchcha nI hariya guNavariya ||59||

kichcha nuMgidanu namma shrIkRiShNanu
tuchCha narakadoLu analanige
bechchuvanalla adariMdavage naraka
mechchuvaralla budharella ||60||

maneyalli kShameya tALda vIrabhaTa
raNaraMgadali kShamisuvane
aNuvAgi namma hitake manadoLagina kRiShNa
muniva kAlakke mahattAha ||61||

tAya poTTeyiMda mUlarUpava tori
Ayudha sahita poravaMTa
nyAyakovidaru puTTidaneMbare
bAyige baMdaMte bogaLadiru ||62||

uTTa pItAMbara toTTa bhUShaNaMgaLu
iTTa navaratnada kirITavu
meTTida kuruhu edeyalli torida shrI-
viThThala puTTidanenabahude ||63||

RiShabhhaMsamUShakavAhanaveri mA-
nisaraMte suLiva surarella
eseva deveshanara sahasakke maDidaru
kusumanAbhanige sariyuMTe ||64||

oMdoMdu guNagaLu iddAvu ivaralli
saMdeNisive bahu doSha
kuMdeLaShTillada mukuMdane tanageMdu
iMdire patiya nenedaLu ||65||

iMtu chiMtisi rame saMtarAmana padava
saMtoSha manadi nenevutta
saMtoSha manadi nenevutta tanna shrI
kAMtaniddeDege naDedaLu ||66||

kaMdarpa koTigaLa geluva sauMdaryada
cheMdavAgidda cheluvana
iMdire kaMDu ivane tanage pati-
yeMdavana baLige naDedaLu ||67||

I terada surara sutta noDutta lakShmi
chittava koDade nasunaguta
chittavakoDade nasunaguta baMdu puru-
Shottamana kaMDu namisidaLu ||68||

nAnAkusumagaLiMda mADida mAleya
shrI nAri tanna karadalli
pInakaMdharada trivikramarAyana
koraLina meliTTu namisidaLu ||69||

uTTapoMbaTTeya toTTAMbharaNaMgaLu
iTTa navaratnada mukuTavu
duShTamardananeMba kaDeya paMDegaLu
vaTTidda harige vadhuvAdaLu ||70||

koMbu cheMgahaLegaLu tALamaddaLegaLu
taMbaTe bheri paTahagaLu
bhoM bhoM eMba shaMkha DoLLu maurigaLu
aMbudhiya maneyallesedavu ||71||

arghyapAdyAchamana modalAda ShoDashA-
narghya pUjeyittanaLiyage
oggida manadiMda dhAreyeredane siMdhu
sadgatiyittu salaheMda ||72||

vedokta maMtra peLi vasiShTha nArada moda-
lAda munIMdraru mudadiMda
vadhUvarara mele shobhanadakShateyanu
modavIvutta taLedaru ||73||

saMbhramadiMdaMbaradi duMdubhi moLagalu
tuMburu nAradaru tutisutta
tuMburu nAradaru tutisutta pI-
tAMbaradharana mahimeya ||74||

devanAriyarella baMdodagi pAThakaru
ovi pADutta kuNidaru
devataruvina hUvina maLegaLa
shrIvarana mele karedaru ||75||

muttu-ratnagaLiMda kettisida haseya nava-
ratna maMTapadi pasarisi
ratnamaMTapadi pasarisi kRiShNana
muttaideyarella karedaru ||76||

sheShashayanane bA doShadUrane bA
bhAsurakAya hariye bA
bhAsurakAya hariye bA shrIkRiShNa vi-
lAsadiMdemma hasege bA ||77||

kaMjalochanane bA maMjuLamUrti bA
kuMjaravaradAyakane bA
kuMjaravaradAyakane bA shrIkRiShNa ni-
raMjana namma hasege bA ||78||

AdikAladali Aladeleya mele
shrIdeviyaroDane pavaDisida
shrIdeviyaroDane pavaDisida shrIkRiShNa
modadiMdemma hasege bA ||79||

AdikAraNanAgi Aga malagiddu
moda jIvara tanna udaradali
moda jIvara tannudaradali iMbitta a-
nAdi mUrutiye hasege bA ||80||

chinmayavenipa nimma manegaLalli jyo-
tirmayavAda padmadalli
rammeyaroDagUDi ramisuva shrIkRiShNa
namma maneya hasege bA ||81||

nAnAvatAradali naMbida surarige
AnaMdavIva karuNi bA
AnaMdavIva karuNi bA shrIkRiShNa
shrInAriyoDane hasegeLu ||82||

bommana maneyalli rannapIThadi kuLitu
ommanadi nehava mADuva
nirmala pUjeya kaigoMba shrIkRiShNa pa-
ramma mUrutiye hasege bA ||83||

mukhyaprANana maneyalli bhAratiyAgali-
kke baDisida rasAyanava
sakkaregUDida pAyasa saviyuva
rakkasavairiye hasege bA ||84||

rudrana maneyalli rudrANideviyaru
bhadramaMTapadi kuLLirisi
svAdvannagaLanu baDisalu kaigoMDa
muddu narasiMha hasege bA ||85||

garuDana meleri gaganamArgadalli
tarataradi stutipa surastrIyara
mereva gaMdharvara gAnava saviyuva
narahari namma hasege bA ||86||

nimmaNNana maneya sudharma sabheyalli
ummeyarasa namisida
dharmarakShakanenipa kRiShNa kRipeyiMda pa-
ramma mUrutiye hasege bA ||87||

iMdrana maneghogi aditige kuMDalavittu
aMdada pUjeya kaigoMDu
aMdada pUjeya kaigoMDu surataruva
iMdiregitta hariye bA ||88||

nimma neneva munihRidayadali nelesida
dharmarakShakanenisuva
sammatavAgidda pUjeya kaigoMDa ni-
ssIma mahima hasege bA ||89||

muttina sattigeya navaratnada chAmara
suttanaliva surastrIyara
nRityava noDuta chitra vAdyaMgaLa saM-
pattina hariye hasege bA ||90||

enalu naguta baMdu haseya mele
vanite lakShmiyoDagUDi
anaMta vebhavadi kuLita kRiShNana nAlku
dinadutsavava naDesidaru ||91||

atterenipa gaMge yamune sarasvati bhA-
rati modalAda surastrIyaru
muttinAkShateyanu shobhAnavenutali tamma
artiyaLeyage taLidaru ||92||

ratnadAratige sutta muttane tuMbi
muttaideyarella dhavaLada
muttederella dhavaLada pavanava pA-
Duttalettidare sirivarage ||93||

bomma tannarasi koDe baMdaregida
ummeyarasa namisida
ammararellaru bagebage uDugoregaLa
rammeyarasage salisidaru ||94||

satyalokada bomma kaustubharatnavanitta
muktAsuraru mudadiMda
muttina kaMThIsarava mukhyaprANanitta
mastakada maNiya shivanitta ||95||

tannarasi koDe savinuDi nuDivAga
vadanadalliddagni keDadaMte
vahni pratiShTheya mADi avanoLagidda
tannAhuti dibbaNa surarige ||96||

kobbida khaLaroDisi amRitAnna UTakke
ubbida haruShadi uNisalu
ubbida huruShadi uNisabekeMdu siMdhu
sarvarigaDigeya mADisida ||97||

mAvana maneyalli devarigautaNava
dAnavaru keDisade biDareMdu
dAnavaru keDisade biDareMdu shrIkRiShNa
devastrIveShava dharisida ||98||

tanna sauMdaryadiMdunnatamayavAda
lAvaNyadiMda mereva nijapatiya
heNNu rUpava kaMDukannye mahalakShumi iva-
ganyarekeMdu beragAdaLu ||99||

lAvaNyamayavAda hariya strIveShakke
bhAvakiyarella maruLAge
mAvara sudheya kramadiMda baDisi tanna
sevaka surariguNisida ||100||

nAgana mele tA malagiddAga
Agale jagava jatanadi
Agale jagava jatanadi dhariseMdu
nAgabaliya naDesida ||101||

kShudheya kaLeva navaratnada mAleya
mudadiMda vAridhi vidhigitta
chadura hArava vAyudevarigitta
vidhuvina kaleya shivagitta ||102||

shakra modalAda dikpAlakarige
sokkida chaudaMta gajaMgaLa
ukkida manadiMda koTTa varuNa madu-
makkaLAyuShyava beLeseMda ||103||

matte deveMdrage pArijAtavanitta
chittava seLevapsarastrIyara
hattusAvira koTTa varuNadeva hari-
bhaktiya manadalli beLeseMda ||104||

poLeva navaratnada rAshiya tegetegedu
uLida amararige sallisida
uLida amararige sallisida samudra
kaLuhidanavara manegaLige ||105||

unnata navaratnamayavAda aramaneya
chenne magaLiMda virachisi
tanna aLiyanige sthiramADi koTTava
innoMdu kaDeyaDi iDadaMte ||106||

hayavadana tanna priyaLAda lakShumige
jayavitta kShIrAMbudhiyalli
jayavitta kShIrAMbudhiyalli shrIkRiShNa
dayadi nammellara salahali ||107||

I padava mADida vAdirAja munige
shrIpatiyAda hayavadana
tApava kaLedu tanna shrIcharaNava sa-
mIpadalliTTu salahali ||108||

iMtu svapnadalli koMDADisikoMDa lakShmI-
kAMtana kaMdanenisuva
saMtara mechchina vAdirAjeMdramuni
paMthadi peLida padavidu ||109||

shrIyarasa hayavadanapriya vAdirAja-
rAya rachisida padavidu
AyuShya bhaviShya dinadinake hechchAguvadu ni-
rAyAsadiMda sukhiparu ||110||

bommana dinadalli ommomme I maduve
krammadi mADi vinodisuva
namma nArAyaNagU I rammegaDigaDigu
asura mohanave naranaTane ||111||

maduveyamaneyalli I padava pADidare
madumakkaLigemudavahudu
vadhugaLige oleya bhAgya dinadinake hechchuvadu
madananayyana kRipeyiMda ||112||

shobhAnavennire suraroLu shubhaganige
shobhAnavenni suguNanige
shobhAnavennire trivikramarAyage
shobhAnavenni surapriyage ||shobhAne||

Rajkumar: Truly a Bangarada Manushya

by Krishna Rao

It was a summer in the late 1970s when I visited relatives in Madras (now Chennai) during my holidays. A family friend living in Kodambakkam told me that Kannada actor Rajkumar lived down the street. One evening I walked up to the actor’s house wondering whether I would get an opportunity to meet this revered star. My chances of seeing him at close quarters in Bangalore were slim with crowds thronging everywhere he went.

As I stood near the gate, a pack of dogs barked menacingly from the inside. Just as I begun to turn away a white car pulled up. The rear seat window rolled down and a friendly face smiled and inquired. It was the superstar himself! When I told him that I had come from Bangalore to see him, he got down from the car, signaled the maid to take the dogs away and invited me inside. It was a humid evening and Dr. Rajkumar looked visibly tired, perhaps after a long day of work.

He asked me to take a seat along with him in the verandah. He seemed completely at ease and relaxed as he asked me about school, hobbies, interests etc. as we sipped coffee. He then asked me if I would like to meet his family for which I readily agreed. He took me upstairs and introduced me to his mother, a petite elderly woman who stood with folded hands. At once, I understood where he got his humility. I noticed a number of children in the household and asked him who they were. He explained that they lived as a joint family and some of them were his nephews and nieces.

He introduced me to his wife and children and took me to the balcony. His face lit up in pride as he pointed to a portrait of his father and spoke of his theatrical abilities. He showed me some of the trophies that he had won for his movies. Throughout the time, he never showed an inkling of inconvenience or intrusion of his privacy. We talked and talked for 45 minutes. As it was getting a little dark, I told him that I needed to go.

He was about to follow me downstairs when I politely told him that I could find my way out and that he should not take the trouble of getting down the stairs. He replied that it was just good manners to see off a guest all the way. He even opened the gate, shook hands and wished me good luck with my studies. It was truly a magical experience! Over the decades, I was fortunate to meet several accomplished people from around the world. However, the childhood encounter with Dr. Rajkumar remains etched forever in my mind for his extraordinary simplicity and kindness. He had the heart to set aside his own plans for the evening to make a child happy! Only a sincerely caring person would do that. He was truly a Bangarada Manushya!

Rajkumar was born on April 24, 1929. He passed away on April 12, 2006.

Also read:

• Dr.Rajkumar: My hero
• RK with Rajkumar
• Sadaa nanna kanna thumba, ee ninna bimba…

People who drain our energy

by Latha Vidyaranya 

We often come across people after speaking to whom we feel so drained of our energy! Perhaps we can call them ‘energy-vampires’! They keep talking to us endlessly about themselves and their woes and constantly complaining on somebody or something that they seldom allow us to talk in between and make a contribution to the talk. It becomes a monologue rather than a dialogue. In spite of getting bored and irritated with such people, we continue to give them our precious time thinking that we are in some way obliged to listen to them. S/he may be our friend, our sibling or our own parent, especially mothers, who go on talking about their past difficulties or their present poor relationship with another child or in-law or about anything else that least interests us. But we simply surrender to them and continue to give them our time.
 
STOP! We are in no way obliged to listen to them always! It is fine to give our ear to somebody who may badly want to share his/her difficulty to lighten their emotional burden. We are doing a good job by helping them to relieve themselves of some life problem that they had been suppressing all these days. In fact at the end of the session they feel so grateful to us that we were patient enough to listen to their woes and perhaps even gave a few valuable suggestions to overcome those troubles. It is perfectly laudable.

But not so laudable is lending our time to listen to the same old stories of our own kith and kin day in and day out! We have every right to withdraw ourselves from such people because we are ending up as victims ourselves! This surely is an abuse on our time! Please understand that as adults we all have our own priorities set and we need time and energy to reach these goals. We can not let someone eat up all our time and constantly weep on our shoulders. We have an obligation to help them realize that it can not go on and on and that we will not be available to them henceforth to discuss things that may not have any solutions and that we are all obliged to cope with certain of these difficulties that have no visible end. In fact we are doing a disservice to them by developing a kind of dependency in them upon us.

Once this is stated matter-of-factly the ‘energy-vampire’ realizes that each one of us adults is responsible for our own upliftment or digging our own graves! We all have to draw energy from our own inner resources and help ourselves out of difficulties or learn some coping strategies. They need to very clearly see that their continuous outpours everyday with us is creating distances in our own relationship with other family members. Others (our spouse, our kids) have an equal right to demand our time, all of which is currently being drained by this particular person. You can not let other relationships get damaged because of your misplaced priorities on this person’s woes. Please wake up now and keep people at right distances and allow yourself the precious time and space that is very much required for your own growth.

Latha Vidyaranya’s articles featured on RwB:

• Learning Disability in children
• Fathers also need to balance home and work
• Postpartum Depression
• Celebrating Differences in Life
• Synesthetics can see smells, hear pictures, and smell colours and numbers
• Parenting

(Latha Vidyaranya is a Special Educator and Counsellor and has founded ‘Empower Counselling Centre’ in Malleswaram, Bangalore.)

Rangoli-28

Rangoli: Srilakshmi Suresh

For more designs, visit the Rangoli page.

Diwali Sweets: Some Simple Recipes

by Bridget White Kumar

1. JELEBI CARAMEL CUSTARD
Serves 6 – Preparation time 1 hour

Ingredients
6 Jelebis (available in any Indian Sweet stall)
3 eggs beaten
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ litre milk
6 tablespoons sugar
A pinch of salt
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon butter  

Take a flat bottomed baking dish and grease it well with butter. Boil the milk and keep aside. Pre heat the oven till slightly warm. When the milk is slightly cold add the eggs, vanilla essence, flour and sugar and beat well till there are no lumps. Pour a thin layer of this mixture into the baking dish and let it set in the warm oven till it forms a base. Take out the dish and arrange the Jelebis in it. Pour the rest of the mixture over the Jelebis and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes till the custard sets and is   golden brown on top. The custard should be moist and not dry. Garnish with sliced pistachios.

***

2. MARMALADE ROLL
Serves 6 – Preparation time 1 hour

Ingredients
250 grams flour / maida
250 grams butter
200 grams sugar
3 eggs beaten
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon orange essence
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons marmalade
¼ teaspoon salt  

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Cream the butter and sugar together in a suitable bowl. Add the beaten eggs, orange essence and mix well. Fold in the flour a little at a time. Add a little milk if the mixture is too thick. Pour into a greased and floured cake tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or till the cake is cooked and brown on top. Take a sheet of thick brown paper and sprinkle a little water on it. Sprinkle sugar liberally on it. While the cake is still hot, turn it out on to the dampened paper. Cut it horizontally in the center without going to the ends and open it out so that it becomes a square. Spread warm marmalade on it then roll it tightly with the paper to form a roll. Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. When required cut into round slices and serve.

***

3. SEMOLINA COCONUT BARFI
Makes 30 pieces – Preparation time 1 hour

Ingredients
2 cups grated coconut
1 cup roasted fine soogi / Rava
3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
½ cup condensed milk
1 teaspoon ghee
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
½ teaspoon food colour either pink or green
 
Roast the semolina with a teaspoon ghee till it gives out a nice aroma. Melt the sugar with the milk and condensed milk in a thick bottomed vessel. Add the grated coconut and mix well. Cook till the coconut is soft. Add the semolina, essence, food colour and ghee and mix well. Simmer on low heat till the mixture becomes thick and leaves the sides of the vessel. Pour on to a greased plate and cut into squares.
 
***

4. CASHEW NUT TOFFEE
Makes 24 pieces – Preparation time 45 minutes

Ingredients
½ kg good cashew nuts, broken into bits
250 grams sugar
1 teaspoon ghee

Powder the sugar and keep aside. Roast the cashew nuts lightly then dry grind in a blender till smooth. In a thick-bottomed pan, melt the powdered sugar with ¼ cup water, boiling only once. Reduce heat and mix in the ground cashew nuts. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes then take it down. Remove from heat and pour on to a greased plate. Flatten with a wooden spoon or rolling pin. Cut into squares or diamond shapes.

***

5. DRY FRUIT FUDGE
Makes 35 pieces – Preparation time 1 hour

Ingredients
1 tin condensed milk
300 grams sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
200 grams chopped almonds, cashew nuts, & walnuts
100 grams chopped raisins
100 grams desiccated coconut
1 cup milk
 
Melt the sugar with the milk and condensed milk in a thick bottomed vessel. Add the desiccated coconut and mix well. Cook till the coconut is soft. Add the chopped almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts, raisins, vanilla essence and ghee and mix well. Simmer on low heat till the mixture becomes thick and leaves the sides of the vessel. Pour on to a greased plate and spread with a wooden spoon. When slightly cool cut into squares.

***

Bridget’s recipes featured on RwB:

• Have fun with Mangoes
• Tricolour Marble Cake and Eggless Tea Cake: Recipe

(Bridget White Kumar is a Bangalore based author of 5 Cookery books specializing in Anglo-Indian Cuisine.)