Ugadi Festival – 2010.

The Telugu New Year will commence in five days from today that is from next Tuesday, 16th March. All Telugu festivals (except ‘Sankranti’) are celebrated according to the lunar calendar and hence the Telugu New Year’s Day does not match with the western solar calendar - a fixed date. The Telugu New Year would commence from the next day after the new moon in March or April every year.

The Telugu New Year’s first day is celebrated as Ugadi Festival. Ugadi in Sanskrit is Yugadi (Yuga+Adi). Yuga means Era and Adi means New, so Yugadi or Ugadi festival is the celebration of the New Year. 15th March is the last new moon day (Amavasya) of the current year and the next day 16th March is the first lunar day – Shukla Padyami of the first Telugu lunar month Chaitra Masam.

Every Telugu Year has a name, there are sixty such names in a chronological order. At the end of sixty years the names would be repeated once again. The name of the current year is Virodhi Nama Samvatsaram and the ensuing New Year is Vikruti Nama Samvatsaram.

In short, Ugadi Festival which is celebrated on Shukla Padyami of Chaitra Masam is on 16th March this year. And the name of the New Year is Vikruti Nama Samvatsaram.

The festival is celebrated with great fanfare. Ugadi greetings are exchanged with all near and dear ones. Prayers are offered to the deities at home and blessings are sought for a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Kankanam/Talisman is tied on to the right wrist of every member. Wheat grains placed in front of the deities are picked up in a small quantity by every family member using just three fingers to foresee how the year ahead is going to be for them. If an even number (Sarri) of grains is picked up, the year is going to be normal and if an odd number (Baesh) of grains are picked it will be an excellent year. Then Ugadhi Pachhadi a unique drink placed as Naivedhyam at the deities is consumed. Ugadhi Pachhadi is prepared using water, Jaggery, Tamarind, raw Mango, Neem flowers, Salt, Oma/Tymol seeds, dry Coconut, dry fruits – Cashew and Sara palukulu/Chironji. Ugadi Pachhadi has Shadhruchulu - meaning six different tastes that are sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, hot and saltish.  This tasty drink which in some houses is prepared as chutney is a symbolic reminder of the myriad facets of life one would be facing in the year ahead. Later, the festive lunch is a sumptuous one with some traditional items like Polelu/Bobbatlu. People also visit a Temple in the neighborhood to seek blessings for a very good year. Either at the Temple or on TV one also listens to Panchanga Shravanam that is listening to the predictions for the year from the Telugu religious almanac which covers all people, occupations, weather, agriculture, calamities and so on.

New Year commences on the same day for Karnataka and Maharashtra States as well. It is celebrated with almost the same rituals and fanfare in Karnataka as Ugadi and in Maharashtra as Gudi Padwa. 

Rajya Sabha passes Women’s Reservation Bill!

The Women’s Reservation Bill which was under debate and pending for close to fourteen years has now been passed in the Rajya Sabha, yesterday. There is tremondous rejoicing all around me and for that matter all over the country. The Bill will get passed in the Lok Sabha on 16^th March and then with the President’s assent it will become an Act. This Act will ensure 33 percent reservation to women in Parliament and State Legislative bodies. It would have been much better and wonderful if once for all the reservation percentage was fixed at 50 percent so that there is no question of any gender discrimination or further demands, agitations and struggles for raising it in the future.

The greatest and proudest achievements of Indian freedom and democracy ever since its independence have been of declaring reservations and concessions from time to time for several deserving castes, communities, religions and sections of people in Schools, Colleges, Government Services, Public Enterprises, Politics and the Governance of our country. This has helped our country in making all round development and keeping everyone happy. With content employees and countrymen, our Public Sector Industries are the best in the world and the performance of all our Government departments  are so efficient. This apart offering of freebies and heavily subsidised food grains, Electricity, LPG etc., have been the biggest contribution of our leaders in nation building.  

In India we respect women more than any other foreign community or country. The top two postions in our country that of the Rashptrapathi is occupied by a very popular and extraordinary lady Mrs. Pratibha Patil and that of the President of the Indian National Congress Party which is in power at the center and several States is held by the almighty guiding force behind the Government, yet another intelluctual Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. Now with this Bill we will be encouraging more such women to represent us in the Governance of our country.

And I am very glad about all this. Through this column, I wish to congratulate all the women in the country and wish to see the most deserving among them to represent us. My special congratulations are also to the lucky women who are sure to contest and win in the elections, the wives, daughters, nieces and daughters-in-law of established male politicians who will have to sacrifice their constituencies for their womenfolk. 

The future of our National Game???

The above portraits are of some of India’s greatest Hockey players of yesteryears (L to R): Dhyan Chand, Leslie Claudius, Balbir Singh Sr., Ajit Pal Singh, Udham Singh, K.D. Singh Babu, Mohammed Shahid, Dhanraj Pillay and Gagan Ajit Singh.

It was a pleasure watching on TV the inaugural ‘Hockey World Cup 2010’ match between India and arch-rival Pakistan at New Delhi on 28^th February. For those at the stadium it was an extraordinary experience full of excitement and happiness. India’s 4-1 victory was a very impressive performance.  The Indian team’s game plan, moves, aggression, energy levels were at their best. This gave rise to great hopes that the World Cup would be India’s and even otherwise it would secure the second or third place in this tournament.

This victory gave rise to lot of news and discussions. It reminded us of the glorious period of Indian Hockey, when it won SIX straight OLYMPIC GOLD medals between 1928 and 1956. During this period India won all the 24 matches it played at the Olympics, scoring 178 goals and conceding only 7 goals! What a great record, an impossible one to break. Subsequent to such brilliant performance over so many years India could win only two more Olympic gold medals in the next 50 years, one at Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and the other at Moscow Olympics of 1980.

Though Hockey is the National Game of India, it is the most neglected game. No attempt is made to make it as popular as it was in the past. Especially in Andhra Pradesh I hardly see it being played by children or youth. In my childhood we used to play every game, hockey, foot ball, cricket, volley ball, tennis, shuttle-badminton, and table tennis regularly and more so when inspired by any national or local teams playing any of these games around that time. These days, right from the time a child begins to talk, education becomes top priority and the only game taught is Cricket. A person who does not have knowledge of Cricket in India is a dunce and when it comes to the National game, I think 95 percent of the population do not know the field positions or even the names of past or present great players. It is the duty of the authorities to encourage such an ancient and great game at every level in the country. They have to organize regular tournaments at school, district and state level to rekindle interest in the game and make it popular once again. In this manner great many players would be born and the best among them will represent us to bring honor to the country and make us proud of our national game.

Coming back to the ongoing World Cup matches, India after winning over Pakistan lost the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th matches it played against Australia, Spain and England. And today it played its 5^th match with South Africa and this has ended in a draw. This unfortunate situation puts us in a position to take the 7^th or 8^th rank in this tournament.  

LONG LIVE! Raj News Channel/T10/Telangana TV/Telangana Gunde Chappudu/Voice of Telangana ….

A TV Channel to focus on the 10 Districts of Telangana, its news, people, history, culture, festivals, food and problems and so on is going to be launched on Ugadhi festival day that is Telugu New Year’s first day, 16^th March 2010. It is Raj News Channel. It has started beaming test programs and they are Telangana specific as announced and are quite impressive.

I wish and hope that it will also bring out the neglect of Telangana in every field since 1956, by its rulers from other areas, the agreements and government orders that have not been implemented, the promises that have been made in manifestos, election campaigns and at every opportunity and then broken, the ill treatment to the people, the arrests, the lathi charges and the killings to suppress the voices for justice in Telangana. It should also expose in detail the recent turn around, bluffs and dramas enacted by politicians from the night the Central Government announced the process for the formation of Telangana State.  This channel should also expose the Telangana stooges and betrayers who because of their weaknesses live at the mercy of other area politicians. I am emphasizing on this agenda because all other TV Channels owned by people from other areas do not cover Telangana and its problems – past or present in a truthful manner. Debates on Telangana issues and deceits are diluted by flimsy examples and excuses which have no bearing on Telangana. All this has to be countered. This TV Channel should educate and unite the people of Telangana and help us to achieve a separate Statehood.

In this process, the people and politicians from other areas will make every attempt to throttle or kill the TV Channel. These rogues are good at destroying anything that is beneficial to Telangana and unfortunately our politicians are neither united nor strong enough to fight them or fight for our welfare. I wish the TV channel all success and pray God to save us and this TV Channel which is attempting to save us.

A bright day turned gloomy for Hyderabad, yesterday.

It was a very bright and nice morning here yesterday. It was the inaugural day of the India Aviation Show 2010 at the Begumpet Airport. The second Air Show in Hyderabad and a much larger one than the previous one. The inauguration of the show was a grand and happy one. When all seemed well, tragedy struck the air show.

As thousands of people were watching a very impressive “Four Plane Aerobatic Formation” by the Indian Navy’s Sagar Pawan Team, one of the Aircrafts – Surya Kiran crashed into a residential building in the nearby Bowenpally area, just as their performance was coming to a close. This happened around 11:45 AM and soon there was news of the death of pilots, Commander SK. Maurya and Commander Rahul Nair and a civilian. As news spread of this tragedy through phone calls and news channels people all over the city were shocked and felt very sorry.

The top photograph is of the four aircrafts in a formation some time before the accident. The plane that crashed is the second from left. The second photograph is of the crash site.

Death always causes heartache and finds fault with God and the people who may be responsible for this accident. But ultimately lessons have to be learnt from such sad occurrences and all necessary precautions taken to prevent such tragedies.  

The photos below are of us at the Air Show.

Beware of the Indian TV-Mega Serials.

The above photographs are of the family watching the video recording of the dances at the Wedding reception of my nephew, Dr. Udhay Bhasker. The enthusiasm and interest shown by the family in viewing this recording is obvious from the above pictures. However this article is not about this wedding event or viewing of the recording but about Telugu and Hindi TV-Mega Serials. This article is to warn people not to watch these serials as they have a very bad influence on majority of the viewers.

Watching even one serial has ill effects and watching more is much more dangerous. Even occasional viewing is bad as each episode creates such suspense or twist that it would make you see the next and the next. The twists, turns, climaxes, anti-climaxes, plots, murders, marriages, re-marriages, revenges, jealousies and what not would go on in circles and circles for years with no end or a meaningless ending.  Viewing such serials becomes an addiction. The main aim of the Serial producers and telecasters is to suck as many people as possible into this addiction for the purpose of improving their viewership ratings and for selling ads. It is never to tell a simple straight story which is useful in our day to day life or with much needed social messages.

A recent article I read stated that mostly women are the victims of this addiction and they are vulnerable to diseases related with abnormal blood pressure, anxiety and obesity. Some of them may waste their time in discussing the serials or neglect their day to day works, their children and their social responsibilities. With all the violence, criminal plotting, jealousies, deceit, greed for money, jewellery and riches, love for the extremely beautiful and hatred towards the normal looking persons is bound to inspire harmful behavior in children and even in some adults. Under these circumstances the best thing to do is to keep away from such dangerous shows.

The best alternative would be to spend more time with the family members’ chit chatting, going out, more socializing with friends and relatives, watching nice movies, watching reliable News channels and other short jovial, interesting and knowledgeable TV programs. And of course, spend some smart time on the Internet, but never watch the Indian TV Mega Serials. In short, this crooked entertainment is a waste of time and harmful to our personalities and families.

Holi Greetings!

Wish you all a very Happy Holi! And thanks a lot dear ones for the Holi Greetings you have sent me. I cordially reciprocate the same.

I think no other country in the world has as many festivals as we have. And every festival is celebrated here with so much enthusiasm, joy and love. And perhaps Holi festival tops the list with every member of the family and community participating in the celebrations. The celebration with colors, the smiles, the laughter, the chasing, the dancing and the pranks that you see all around are pure happiness. Though Holi festival is today, 1^st March, the celebrations started yesterday, it being Sunday. 

Yesterday night there was all round jubilation in the city as bonfires of Holika, Kamudu and Nathuram were made. Added to these, effigies of several politicians betraying the separate Telangana cause were burnt all over Telangana amidst shouts and jeering. To top up this happiness there was the victory of India over arch-rivals Pakistan by 4-1 goals in the opening World Cup Hockey match, later in the night at New Delhi.

It is little past noon now, but the celebrations are still on, perhaps with the late risers and those with innumerable friends. I hope it is a very happy and safe Holi for everyone.

Some environmentalists and social groups suddenly wake up a few days before Holi and criticize the traditional bonfires stating it is causing deforestation.  They tell us that water has become very scarce and we are wasting it on this day. I appreciate their concern, but I request them to spare us our happiness on this day and continue their movement for the rest of the 364 days in the year.

The above photographs are of our Holi celebrations this morning.