Summer Vacation 2009: The Experiences

Often I used to hear people say that Banglore is an air-conditioned city. However I experienced it firsthand when we went to the city in the first week of June. In spite of the increasing traffic congestion and pollution the weather of the city was very cool and pleasant. It was indeed a great respite from the oppressive heat of Bathinda. The mornings and evenings were cooler but the nights were cold and you needed a blanket to cover yourself with.

Living in a residential colony of Banglore was another experience. The residents were mostly IT professionals from multi lingual backgrounds. And the common language for interaction among them was English. It was interesting to watch their children using English with their friends in the park.

From Banglore we made a short trip to Mahabalipuram and Pondichery, two well known coastal towns in the south, against all the established wisdom of travel and tourism.

Mahabalipuram is one of the ancient towns of India which is famous for its temple architecture. According to the historians it was an important port on the southeastern coast in the early times. The town is also known as an open air museum as it is dotted with a number of old temples, some of which are the living specimens of our temple art and architecture. Normally the temples in India have been found to be of three types --cave temples, those made of single rocks and the perched ones. Interestingly Mahabalipuram can boast to have all the three types. 

The one that struck me the most was the awesome Shore Temple, which as the name suggests, lies exactly on the shore. This majestic perched temple that was built over a thousand years years back during the period of the Pallavas is a living testimony of our rich cultural heritage. In spite of the regular onslaught that it faces from the wind, rain and the sea itself, it speaks volumes about the people’s belief, knowledge and skills in the past. The other structures depicting traditional Indian mythology are also very striking.

Near the Shore temple we came across a number of shops where stone statues of various shapes and sizes are made and sold. This brought to my mind several questions--- What is the history of temple architecture in Tamil Nadu and India? How some of the beliefs of the people are linked over a large part of the country? Are their some families living in Mahabalipuram that have been associated with this art for more than thousand years?

We also had an opportunity to see a classical singer singing devotional music in one of the temples there. It was indeed a reminder of the association of Carnatic music with the temples in south India since the early times.

Pangs of Separation

Adnan came to see me in the office today.

He was a student from Nepal
whose Exams of class XII had got over
And who was leaving the hostel for ever.

The very idea of his absence from the hostel
from tomorrow gave me the pangs of separation.
I couldn't express it to him but I was restless.

I came home but I wanted to meet him again.
After an hour I went towards the boys' hostel.
My eyes were searching him constantly,
I saw him with Yam
taking the snaps of the students playing in the ground.

The pictures of his two years' stay
were passing through my mind throughout the night.
My recent playing badminton with him,
the most memorable.
His moving from side to side to recieve my shots were indeed striking.

Adnan was bright, cheerful and positive ----
had all those qualities symbolic of the young generation.
His leaving the hostel
filled my eyes with the pangs of separation.

arun

The Da Vinci Code : A Review

The Da Vinci Code is one of the best known novels of the contemporary literature.The author of the novel, Dan Brown, has deftly woven a plot that integrates some of the conflicts that exist between religion and spirituality, tradition and modernity in the society today.

The story of the novel begins with the assassination of the curator of Louvre museum, Jacques Sauniere who leaves several clues to reveal the enigma that the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci stands for in the west. Leonado Da Vinci may be called the hero of the novel as he is the pivot around which the story is centered. However the main characters are Robert Langdon, Professor of symbolism at Harvard and Sophie Neveu, a French cryptographer.

On the basis of the clues left by Sauniere these two characters try to decipher such mysteries in the novel that have stirred the whole western world today. Ironically professor Langdon is not only chasing these mysteries along with Sophie, he is also being chased by the police as a suspect of the murder.

Through the unfolding of these clues Dan Brown has tried to relate the great works of Da Vinci to the life and times of the society in which he lived. The author must have done an exhaustive research in this regard as the facts given in the novel seem to be very accurate. Moreover the list of these facts is long.

The great paintings of Da Vinci, Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, are the two of the many cases in point. The background of Mona Lisa's painting and the presence of a lady in The Last Supper reveal the perception of the great artist on the equality of sex. By portraying this perception of Da Vinci Dan Brown has tried to indicate how a particular section of religion has tried to lower the status of women in the society over the ages.

Dan Brown is a great artist who has integrated all these elements of plot, character, facts and techniques in such a way that the world of the novel seems more a reality than fiction. In fact at several points the boundary between the facts and fiction gets blurred.

- Arun Jee

Sevagram to Shodhgram

"Sev agram to shodhgram" is a book that narrates the story of a doctor couple who are rendering yeoman service to the people living in the  remote villages of Maharastra.

Dr Ajay Bang and Dr Rani Bang completed their education in medicine from a prestigious university in the USA and, instead of going along with prevailing tide of brain drain,they decided to settle in the tribal ares of Gadchiroli district in Maharastra.

Influenced by the ideals of Gandhiji, this model couple has been able to prove that if you have the will and commitment you can surely bring smile on the countless faces of the suffering humanity in those villages which constitute the heart of India. Working against all odds of financial strain, illiteracy and the rigid traditions of the tribal people they are able to provide the medical treatment and training to them on basis of the constant action research that they are doing in these villages. Many of their articles have been published in the leading international journals of medicine. Their work has been recognized by the WHO and other international organisations.

The Bangs have been successful in their mission not just by their knowledge and skill but also by involving and winning the people for whom they are working. They have done some commendable work on the diseases related to women, children and men with a high degree of success. Some of the diseases of those areas are malaria, pneumonia, filaria and those related to malnutrition etc.

The tireless and unflinching efforts of this couple are a great source of inspiration for all of us. Dr Ajay Bang,who is also the narrator in this book, seems to be making a call to the countrymen at the end when he says, "Friends, you can make the difference."

arun jee

Impressions of Childhood

I remember, I remember

I remember I remember
The four o'clock bell at school When I would come home rushing by

swelling with joy

to let the kites go high,
very high in the sky
There was no fear then
of the rays of the sun
Be they violet-ultra or red-infra.

I also remember
the days of the summer evenings
when I would enjoy to the brim, hours on end
the dipping, splashing and playing
in the river that was flowing.

I remember, I remember
how I would pick
a few lines of a song
and keep on humming the whole day long
Then there was no restriction
of time, place and action.

When I look back now
at those good old days
when ignorance was bliss
and innocence was joy

I understand that
I have come a long way
from that state of heaven
that is known as childhood

--- arun jee