Mrigashira, Monsoon and Murrel!

Today is Mrigashira Karthe, it would begin at 10:15 PM and end tomorrow, 9th June at 9:00 PM. Rain on Mrigashira day is a good omen. Rain on Mrigashira day is considered benevolent; it forecasts a very good rainfall in the current monsoon season.  And luckily it rained today morning and again in the evening and looking at the overcast sky it looks like it is going to rain tonight and tomorrow and the prediction will come true this year!

As I have written earlier we have the custom of eating fish on Mrigashira Karthe day so we are having fish for tonight’s dinner and for all the meals tomorrow! Murrel is the most commonly consumed fish on this occasion but we are also having another delicacy Seer. We look forward to this day for having compulsory fish!

Mrigashira Karthe day is significant for one other reason. It has made Hyderabad popular all over the world for its Fish Medicine or Fish Prasadam which is administered as a cure for Asthma, free of cost on Mrigashira day.

I have written two articles on Mrigashira Karthe earlier, 1) Hyderabad’s “Fish Prasadam” for treatment of Asthma and 2) It is our tradition to eat fish on “Mrigashira Karthe”. You may reach these articles by clicking on the following links:

1) http://srisrilara.blogspot.com/2010/06/hyderabads-fish-prasadam-for-treatment.html

2) http://srisrilara.blogspot.com/2010/06/it-is-our-tradition-to-eat-fish-on.html 

“Namaste Telangana”, first Newspaper of and for Telangana is launched!

I have gone through the inaugural issue of “Namaste Telangana” and found it interesting.  I wish the Newspaper will become very popular and soon reach a record circulation. The Newspaper was inaugurated yesterday, 6th June 2011 and is available in the market from today. The above clippings are from the first issue of the Newspaper.

Apart from its role of being a source of information about events from India and around the World; I WISH that it’s most important duty would be to cover the News of Telangana’s 10 Districts in detail. It should expose all the neglect, injustices, atrocities, plundering, insults and brutality that Telangana continues to suffer.  It should explain of all the broken agreements, assurances and promises over the last six decades made by various Governments. It should condemn the politicians and political parties which continue to make false promises to Telangana through speeches, manifestos and mahakutamis. It should sternly deal in accusing and criticizing the betrayers of Telangana and those who are dilly dallying and delaying the formation of Telangana State. The flimsy and silly excuses and the baby talk of politicians to postpone their decision on formation of Telangana State by months and years should be criticized. These beggars of votes, who would do anything and play every trick to come to power, become slaves of their bosses to become Ministers or Chairmen and thereafter neglect us and silence our questioning with batons and bullets. They do not deserve any mercy; the Newspaper should expose and condemn them with no regard. It should counter the false stories and propaganda being spread by vested media against Telangana, Telangana people and separate Telangana movement. It should educate and unite entire population of Telangana to become powerful and bring an end to the evil forces and rule tormenting them. The Newspaper should safeguard our honor and ensure that we lead a better life forever.

THANK YOU! For Eliminating Terrorists Harming India.

A big THANK YOU! AMERICA! for eliminating the enemies of our country, the latest one being last night. And last night our Sarkar was very busy suppressing a democratic protest of its citizen, Baba Ramdev at Ramlila Grounds, New Delhi, with brutal force, and then as usual offering prayers to a foreigner and protecting dynastic rule. Sleeping over problems and suppressing protests with brutal force seems to be the rule of this Sarcar. God please bless us great leaders and wisdom to elect them!

To see readable images, please click on the newspaper clippings.

World Environment Day – 2011.

Today is World Environment Day and Hyderabad - GHMC is doing its share for a better environment. The “Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation” (GHMC) has imposed a complete ban on the manufacture, usage and storage of any kind of plastic carry bags. Plastic is not biodegradable. The plastic bags and packing we use so extensively during shopping for carrying merchandise to our houses can last as waste for thousands of years. These plastic bags and wrappers create serious environmental problems and are a menace to society. They block sewerages, drains and waterways and are also harmful to animals.

Good decision GHMC! on this important occasion. 

“Akanda Hare Rama Nama Sapthaham” from 29th May to 5th June 2011, at Hyderabad.

In commemoration of the 36th death anniversary of Sri Avadhutendra Saraswati Swamiji, “Akanda Hare Rama Nama Sapthaham” is being performed since 29th May at “Sri Avadhutendra Saraswati Swamy Nilayam” that is the house of Sri Kasoji Niranjan, my brother-in-law. Sapthaham is nonstop Bhajan; which is the melodious recitation of the names of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna for 7 days as: “Hare Rama; Hare Rama, Rama Rama; Hare Hare. Hare Krishna; Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna; Hare Hare”, with rhythmic clapping and music accompaniment. The above photographs and video are of Swamiji, Sapthaham-Invitation, Sri Kasoji Niranjan and the Bhajan Hall during the current Sapthaham. As in the past, Sapthaham is being conducted with great reverence and devotion and as usual, it is a well-attended event.   

To know in detail about Sri Avadhutendra Saraswati Swamiji and his relationship with the family of my brother-in-law and about the weekly Bhajan, Ekaham and Sapthaham at my brother-in-law’s place; you may read my blog post of 4th August 2009, by clicking on the following link: CLICK HERE: "Sri Avadhutendra Saraswati Swamiji".

A precious family photograph!

The above photograph is of prominent elders of our family. It is a 35 years old photograph, snapped in November 1976 on the occasion of my nephew, Dr. Sudheer’s Puttu-Ventrukalu function at Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Nampally Gutta, near Vemulawada in Karimnagar District. Dr. Sudheer is my elder brother Dr. Lakshminarsu’s eldest son; he was eleven months old at that time.

From left to right, the family members are 1) Sri Dubbaka Sathaiah mamaiah garu, my father-in-law’s elder brother, 2) Sri Kasoji Sathyanarayana mamaiah garu, my sister’s father-in-law, 3) Sri Dubbaka Yadagiri mamaiah garu, my father-in-law, 4) Sri Narayanaraopeta Bhaskarachary garu, my father, 5) Sri Narayanaraopeta Nagabushanachary peddhanana garu, my father’s eldest brother, 6) Sri B. Ramakistaiah peddhanana garu, a very close friend of my father 7) Sri Kasoji Niranjan bava garu, my brother-in-law and 8) Nacharam Veerachary mamaiah garu, my paternal aunty - Sarojini akkaiah’s husband. It is the only photograph I have with so many elders together. Another interesting fact about the photograph is that almost all of them are dressed in the traditional Dhoti and Kameez. Most important of all is that this photograph reminds of a very happy and major celebration in the family attended by a busload of family and relatives and a few others who joined us in cars.

Dr. Sudheer is the eldest of my parents’ seven grandchildren and all functions pertaining to him were naturally celebrated enthusiastically and in an elaborate manner. For his Puttu-Ventrukalu function, we went on a 3 days and 2 nights pilgrimage to Vemulawada and Nampally Gutta. We went there in a bus that can be seen in the above photograph, with all close relatives. Few others came along in their own vehicles as I mentioned above.

Nobody from the immediate family missed the occasion. We camped at Vemulawada and had Darshan of Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy and visited many other Lord Shiva Temples there. On the second day, we went to Nampally, climbed Nampally Gutta (hillock) and had Darshan of Lord Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy and performed the Puttu-Ventrukalu ceremony in front of the Temple.  We climbed down the hill to have a sumptuous Non-veg. lunch that was organized by us under the trees and returned to Vemulawada for the rest of the trip. We as youngsters with so many cousins present enjoyed a lot; playing games specially Antakshari. Everyone remembers this huge family pilgrimage and function and to me, it will always be memorable as it also played a big role in my courtship.

I wrote about our family deity, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy of Nampally Gutta and our ancestral tradition of offering Puttu-Ventrukalu that is Kesha-Kandana or First haircut of a baby boy at this Temple, in an article titled “Our Family Deity” on 24th April 2009.  You may read that article by clicking on the following link: "Our Family Deity"

Time for Telangana - Economic Times, 01/June/2011.

To read the article on formation of TELANGANA STATE in today’s “Economic Times”, a photograph of which is at the top of this article, please click on the following link:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/editorial/time-for-telangana/articleshow/8674024.cms