Srilekha,
1st August 2010.
As flows the streamlet along;
With full of music and song,
So may our friendship glide,
Shedding happiness; on every side.
Happy Friendship Day!
N. Raghu.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Jai Ho! Telangana, Jai Jai Telangana.
This article is in continuation to my blog-post dated 26th July 2010 on the by-elections in Telangana; on 27th July 2010. The results of these elections were announced yesterday, 30th July. I am very happy with the results. Instead of writing an article on this happy outcome I decided to just post today’s newspapers headlines, from eight popular newspapers of Hyderabad to tell about the election results as emphatically as it was won and in very bold letters! in Telugu and English.
You may see my blog-post of 26th July by clicking on this link:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Are they not ashamed of repeatedly being called "promoters of terrorism"?
On 26th July, Sunday, “WikiLeaks” released over ninety thousand documents giving information on terrorism, military excesses and human rights violations. “WikiLeaks” is a whistleblower website that publishes Government leaks from anonymous sources. The revelations have created a sensation and shocked millions of people all over the world.
“WikiLeaks” revealed the identity of one particular country which is the main source of terrorism in its own land and at various places in the world. Its misdeeds and plans were reported in length by “WikiLeaks”. This is old news to those who already know about this country. Though called a democracy this country has been mostly ruled by the military or those controlled by the military. Leaders come to power there by dubious means and then very soon they are dethroned, exiled, assassinated, or hanged and so on. There is total anarchy in this country. A Government exists there but it cannot do much for the safety and welfare of its people and prosperity of the country. As “WikiLeaks” has revealed some agency/agencies of this Government encourage terrorism by means of training and supply of arms. And every time such an exposure is made this Government goes into the strongest denial mode. Some countries believe these denials and help the Government of this poor country with huge aid to help fight terrorism!
The super powers of the world are trying but are not successful so far in containing the terrorists of this country. God knows the entire truth, may he safeguard the interests of millions of peace loving people of this country and the people of the world from the terrorists of this land.
In the meantime as the world repeatedly calls it a terrorist state, I wonder how it absorbs the insults, in spite of its denials. May God convert these beasts into civilized peace loving people.
Monday, July 26, 2010
By-elections to 12 assembly seats in Telangana are tomorrow, 27th July 2010.
It is elections once again and too soon this time in 12 constituencies of Telangana. Tomorrow, 27th July starting from 7 A.M. up to 5 P.M and beyond there will be elections at Siddipet, Sirpur, Chennur, Mancherial, Yellareddy, Nizamabad urban, Dharmapuri, Koratla, Huzurabad, Sircilla, Vemulawada and Warangal West. Three major parties are in the fray, the Indian National Congress (INC), Telugu Desham Party (TDP) and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). In Nizamabad urban constituency a BJP candidate is contesting with the support of TRS. The core issue in this election is separate Statehood for Telangana.
All the contesting candidates and their supporters are assuring and promising that it is only through their support that a Separate Telangana is possible. And they are piling accusation after accusation on the rival parties stating that they are deceivers and selfish politicians. Till recently some of these candidates have not talked of Telangana out of timidity or as puppets in the hands of Telangana exploiters. It is just to misguide the electorate that they have begun to talk of separate Telangana. Anyway the seriousness of these assurances from such politicians would fade after the elections as they are tame dogs of Anti-Telangana goons. Yet another group of candidates follow a shameless leader who is more cunning than a fox (Jitthulamari Nakka/Gunta Nakka) whose only aim is to become Chief Minister by hook or crook and project himself through a TV channel and a Newspaper as the greatest leader in the universe. In this process he is constantly playing with the aspirations of Telangana people and scheming to throw out Governments in AP and at the center by joining hands with one party or the other.
Majority people of Telangana have realized the true colors of such spineless, deceiving politicians. Their hatred towards such politicians is so intense that most leaders of these parties including their high command or politburo members did not have guts to face the angry electorate; they have not even canvassed from Hyderabad. They have no answers to the injustices done to Telangana and several promises they have made to just cheat and come to power. I wish all those making false promises to Telangana will bite the dust in these elections. Those who win the elections should fight for Separate Telangana more intensely.
And once the election results are announced on 30th July in whatever pattern they are; all the TV Channels, Newspapers and political analyzers should keep aside their biased and distorted views and ultimately emphasize and speak out that every vote polled in this election is for a SEPARATE TELANGANA ….. as every political party has ASSURED it. And let the world know the truth that the people of Telangana want a separate State.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
What a grand way to retire!
On 22nd July, Muttiah Muralitharan the great Sri Lankan cricketer playing in his last Test Match bowled for the last time to P.Ojha of India to set an unsurmountable record and retired. This was the first of the three Test Match series being played between India and Sri Lanka at Galle, Sri Lanka. This last ball of Murali dismissed Ojha, won the Test Match for Sri Lanka by 10-wickets and more than all it was Murali’s 800th Test Wicket a great achievement and a record that I am sure will never be surpassed. You may click on the You Tube link below to catch the excitement of this mighty record, the victory and the farewell to Murali:
Muralitharan’s career, performance and record make me all the more happy as his origins are from India. His paternal grandfather Periyasamy Sinnasamy went from present Tamilnadu to Sri Lanka in 1920 to work in the Tea plantations there. Periyasamy Sinnasamy later returned to India along with his daughters and settled in Tiruchirapalli. However his sons, including Murali’s father Sinnasamy Muttiah remained in Sri Lanka. Sinnasamy Muttiah runs a successful biscuit making business in Sri Lanka.
You may visit the following ESPN-Cricinfo website to get all the statistical information on Murali’s cricketing career:
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Ujjaini Mahankali Jatara / Lashkar Bonalu / Ashada Jatara – 2010.
The
annual Mahankali Jatara festivities organized by Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple,
Secunderabad is on the 1st and 2nd of August, this year. I wrote on Mahankali
Jatara earlier on 3rd July 2009 in this blog, explaining the festivities, its
popularity and the grand manner in which it is celebrated. I mentioned there
that this festival is known by many names, such as Ujjaini Mahankali Jatara,
Lashkar Bonalu, Ashada Jatara and Bonala Panduga. You may see this old post for
lots of information on the Jatara by clicking on the link below:
http://srisrilara.blogspot.com/2009/07/ujjaini-mahankali-jatara-lashkar-bonalu.html
In the earlier post, I have not put any photographs of the Deities of the Goddess, Temple, Bonalu, Potharaju, Rangam, etc. I just posted some pictures of “Jatara Welcome Banners” put up by friends of my son, Srinath. However, in this post, I have put up many photographs depicting the Temple, the rituals and the celebrations. The third and fourth photographs are posters in Telugu giving details of the Temple's history and the schedule of Temple events from 18th July to 2nd August 2010 and the Jatara on 1st and 2nd August. You may click on these posters to enlarge the view and read easily, there is a lot of interesting information (in Telugu).
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Yadagirigutta.
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Yadagirigutta (on a hillock)
in Nalgonda district is just 64 Km from our house in Secunderabad. It is the
most frequently visited important place of pilgrimage by us. Similarly, for
thousands of families in Hyderabad and all over Telangana it is an
all-important Temple. Being close to Hyderabad there is a heavy rush of devotees
to Yadagirigutta and especially during weekends and holidays. When my children
were young and at school, we used to go there often on Saturday afternoons,
stay there overnight and return on Sunday, after two Darshans of Sri Lakshmi
Narasimha Swamy. Nowadays we mostly return on the same day. Now that my sons
are grownup; they also visit the Temple on their own as and when they desire.
Accommodation at Yadagirigutta was never a problem for us as my brother-in-law,
Sri Kasoji Niranjan’s family have donated a spacious, air-conditioned quarter
to the Temple administration in the ’70s and then again in 2008 and this is where
we stay.
Sri Narasimha Swamy is an incarnation of Sri Vishnu, the fourth of
the Dashavatharas (Ten incarnations) of Sri Vishnu. This incarnation was to
eliminate Hiranyakashipu an Asura king. Hiranyakashipu had received a boon from
Sri Brahma the creator of the world that he should remain a very powerful king
with no rivals and that he should not die from any known means and conditions.
Thereafter Hiranyakashipu was responsible for many misdeeds and he also began
tormenting his son Prahalada in several ways for praying Sri Maha Vishnu. One day
in irritation Hiranyakashipu asked Prahalada “where is your god Vishnu”.
Prahalada said he is there everywhere. Retaliating in anger he asked “is he
there in this pillar” and kicked the pillar. Sri Vishnu appeared from the
pillar in the form Narasimha meaning in the form of partial man and partial
lion as can be seen from the pictures below:
This form and timing were required to overcome the boon that Sri
Brahma bestowed on Hiranyakashipu. In this form, Sri Narasimha was neither human
nor animal. He appeared at twilight when it is neither day nor night. Sri
Vishnu carried Hiranyakashipu onto the threshold of the courtyard which is
neither indoors nor outdoors and put him on his thighs which are neither on
earth nor space and using his sharp fingernails as weapons he killed
Hiranyakashipu. Though Narasimha Swamy was in uncontrollable anger during this
entire episode he blessed Prahalada richly and made him king. Since then Sri
Vishnu in the form of Sri Narasimha Swamy has become a great protector of his
devotees and he is worshipped by all.
Yadagirigutta Temple history tells us that long ago in Threthayugam
there was a saint called Yada Rishi who did penance on this hillock in the cave
where the present Temple is situated. Pleased with his penance Sri Narasimha
Swamy appeared before him in five different forms as Jwaala Narasimha Swamy,
Yogananda Narasimha Swamy, Gandabherunda Narasimha Swamy, Ugra Narasimha Swamy
and Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy and bestowed Moksha to him. And this hillock is
being called Yadagirigutta after the saint Yada Rishi. These five forms of
Sri Narasimha Swamy got manifested into finely sculpted forms in this cave.
Since then these deities are being worshipped with great devotion by
generations of sages, archakas and devotees who are blessed and their wishes
fulfilled. Sri Narasimha Swamy is sometimes referred to here, as Vaidya Narasimha
Swamy (Doctor) as a multitude of sick people who visit this Temple and stay on
the hillock for a few days are cured of their chronic and painful ailments. Many
persons narrate their experiences, they all say that Sri Narasimha Swamy
appeared in their dreams and administered medicine or has operated upon them
and they are cured!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Our granddaughter Sudhiksha’s “Compering-speech” video.
Today morning our 4 years old granddaughter, Sudhiksha compered for a program at her school. We are happy that she has performed well. You may listen to her short speech by following the video link furnished below. Hope you too would like our granddaughter’s performance.
Comments on Sudhiksha’s performance through emails and on Dr. Sudheer’s facebook - wall:
Sudheer Chary my lil' princess compered, beyond compare ;D
www.youtube.com
Our granddaughter Sudhiksha's Compering speech at a School function on 16th July 2010.
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