tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-311168502024-03-10T11:09:24.407-07:00Figuring Things Outc u r i o s i t y + w w wDinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.comBlogger829125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-1680633059293363042024-03-10T11:08:00.000-07:002024-03-10T11:08:40.598-07:00Ananathashayana VishnuThis must be one of the most beautiful sculptures I have seen of Anantha-shayana - Vishnu reclining on the 'endless' serpent, Anantha. One of the largest of these Ananthashayana sculptures is at the Padmanabha-Swami temple in Thiruvananthapuram, a city which itself is named after the deity. At the sanctum of this temple, the reclining Vishnu is so large that he needs to viewed through three Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-28055331463617018892024-02-04T09:22:00.000-08:002024-02-04T09:22:49.050-08:00On Diminishers and IlluminatorsAn interesting talk by David Brooks: ---------------------------------LINKS* Thornton Wilder and The Angel That Troubled the Waters: A Plea for Physician Healing - "...Without your wound where would your power be? It is your very remorse that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men..."* Michael Gerson on Depression - https://unitedbrainassociation.org/2019/03/28/Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-35086816915579261582024-02-03T08:59:00.000-08:002024-02-03T08:59:22.826-08:00Ramah, Ramou, Ramah!Last week marked the political re-inauguration and 'consecration' of the Sri Rama temple at Ayodhya. While I am still trying to understand the complex ways in which this event was built ground-up from the community-level across most of north India - the house-to-house campaign with the "akshath", the all-day langar (community kitchen) that was set up across housing societies with live Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-34963536158892572152024-01-22T09:11:00.000-08:002024-01-22T09:11:24.802-08:00LocavoreThe yummiest Kachori's are sold in the back lanes of Khari Baoli. A small eatery in Khajuraho served the the best dry-mango pickle I have tasted, and some of the nicest meals I have had were served in tiny, family-run eateries in Kyoto...Good food is often underrated, and very often served far from the world of frenzied reviews, tik-tok videos and reels. It often reminds me of Joshua Bell, one ofDinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-73712401608997526932024-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:002024-01-28T09:14:00.462-08:00The Balkh Connection - Resurrection of PersianA carpet from Balkh adorns our living room. It is a constant reminder old assignments with the UN in Afghanistan, of traveling long dusty roads lined with the relics of various wars, of bustling markets and lovely lilt of Dari language.Dari is a variant of Persian widely spoken in the country. I had always imagined that the Persian influence on Afghanistan dated back to the reign of kings rangingDinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-26022981298821885372023-10-28T09:02:00.002-07:002023-10-28T09:02:11.440-07:00Gaza, Ukraine, HypocrisyHow much of rage and resentment can one fit into the smallest possible space?Since the so-called 'Al-Aqsa Flood' of 7 October, 2023, I have been trying to understand why a few hundred young men would barge into homes, kill, rape and kidnap children, women and the elderly, and then brace themselves for the bloody retribution that would inevitably follow.Seen from this part of the world, the Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-39980305644291230642023-10-14T09:28:00.027-07:002024-01-28T09:25:29.321-08:00Indole-ntOne of the most remarkable things I learnt this week is about an organic compound called Indole.The topic came up randomly on X through a Business Insider video titled, "Why is Jasmine Oil so Expensive?". A firm in Tamil Nadu was being featured for being one of the largest exporters of Jasmine oil in the world. While it is interesting to know the kind of effort that goes into the Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-31805272283086683152023-07-30T09:57:00.003-07:002023-07-30T09:57:27.633-07:00Chennai - Metro to the 'Oldest Sweetshop'Last week i found myself in Chennai after a long-long time. The city had, of course, changed over the years - it now had a much better airport; the long awaited metro connection was now up and running; bigger, brighter lit buildings had come up along the Anna Salai, and all the hotels seemed fully booked by the hundreds of delegates who had come to participate in the the G-20 ministerial Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-20504392215405084202023-07-25T07:07:00.005-07:002023-07-25T07:15:42.610-07:00 Global Rankings: Hunger, Democracy and Human RightsEvery year a a bunch of 'independent research bodies' publish 'global rankings'. More often than not, in India, these rankings become a subject of newspaper headlines, op-eds, TV debates and opinion pieces that dominate the public discourse for a while. At times rankings are also raised in the parliament, steering not only public policy one way or the other.It was only last year that I caught a Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-18201303989706091142023-06-23T11:00:00.001-07:002023-07-09T08:39:54.785-07:00Ajanta Valley - Chaityas and ViharasIf there is any place that completely defies expectations it must be Ajanta.We grow up reading about this place in our school textbooks, it figures in superlative terms when people discuss art and architecture, and it is even the name adopted by a popular brand of wall-clocks...and yet we know so little about the people who built this amazing complex of excavated temples - Chaitya's and Viharas -Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-75095936761812708212023-05-14T02:48:00.001-07:002023-05-14T10:37:05.074-07:00A Trek to Laam Dal & Baleni PassIs there anything that compares to the sheer immensity and magnificence of the Himalayas?Each year we spend about a week away from 'civilisation' pondering over this question. A week away from internet / mobile connections, roads, toilets and home comforts. This summer it was a trek to Laam Dal and Baleni Pass in the Dhauladhar Mountains of Himachal Pradesh. On the maps it did not seem like Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-66550783634974640452023-04-22T22:30:00.002-07:002023-04-22T22:30:15.703-07:00Sanskrit Poetry - Going by the MetreWhat is the Sanskrit word for Python? - AjagarWhile the English word for the snake has its origins in the Greek word Puthōn, the name of a huge serpent killed by Apollo, the Sanskrit word, Ajagar is a combination of "Aja" (goat) and "Gara" (swallow). So any snake that can swallow a goat could be called a python. The word can also be used for a boa constrictor or an anaconda.In Sanskrit, the verb Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-10181715261124364292023-04-09T10:53:00.004-07:002023-04-09T10:53:40.723-07:00Glimpses of JakartaArrivalThe visa-on-arrival section was packed with folks from the Netherlands. "The Dutch have a special place in their hearts for Indonesia...", gushed the youngster standing next to me. Maybe this is the Dutch equivalent of the Raj-nostalgia but over the next few days it was amply clear that this sentiment was a wholly one-sided. The Indonesians certainly did not care much for the colonial Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-90197120946416093332023-02-24T10:15:00.000-08:002023-02-24T10:15:09.566-08:00Ukraine & Sy Hersh It is now one year since the Russia-Ukraine war began.All through the murder and mayhem, the wanton destruction of cities and displacement of people that has been happening since 24 February, 2022, one thing has become increasingly clear - the whole thing is what we suspected it to be: a set-up. It is the people of Ukraine who are getting played by its 'friends and allies'. The currentDinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-87278655073104098002023-02-19T07:06:00.003-08:002023-02-24T07:56:14.754-08:00Buddhism in Bhutan What is the difference between Tibetan and Bhutanese practice of Buddhism?Most of the sights , sounds and smells of Bhutan are familiar to those who have travelled to Tibetan settlements across India. The meticulously hand-painted temples, fluttering prayer flags, the steaming hot momos and thukpa, monks in deep maroon, and the distinct smell of incense. One thing that is missing in Bhutan Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-27199061607031979672023-02-11T09:21:00.005-08:002023-02-11T09:31:35.258-08:00The Alerce Trees of Pumalin A man goes looking for the oldest living trees on the planet. He finds them in Chilean Patagonia and gradually buys up the area around these trees. Over the years this private property covers an area covering of over 3000 square km!Initially it was a private nature reserve of Doug Tompkins, the founder of North Face, and his wife, Kris, the former CEO of Patagonia brand of hiking gear. Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-62552235181820455842023-01-27T07:35:00.004-08:002023-01-29T08:09:06.021-08:00A Matter of Fermions and Bosons What is the world made up of? We all remember something about this from our school days: All matter is made up of atoms, which in turn are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. We also learnt over the years that things are not so simple..This engaging video presents one of the best explanations I have come across so far, of what the latest scientific research tells us, as well Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-31045507096116461172023-01-21T08:49:00.003-08:002023-01-21T08:49:42.334-08:00Invisible Demons I have often wondered - if global warming and climate change is really a ticking time-bomb, why does it not bother most of us?A part the answer to this question was found in an event I attended last week at the Max Muller Bhavan in New Delhi. MMB is the German cultural centre in the heart of of the city. In the pre-internet days it used to be considered a cool hangout for its cafe, Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-39066622652172952762023-01-15T09:04:00.004-08:002023-01-15T09:04:50.457-08:00Starting with Murakami My first book for 2023 is a book Haruki Murakami wrote a few years ago - "Killing Commendatore" ((Japanese: 騎士団長殺し, Hepburn: Kishidanchō-goroshi).One issue with eBooks - for better or worse - is the fact that it does not give you a let you get discouraged by the size of a book. This one has over 700 pages - not the regular, non-serial, Murakami but certainly not the sort I Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-75091490687996744042022-12-12T06:42:00.000-08:002023-01-07T06:42:52.273-08:00Phobjika's Reeds and Cranes Phobjika Valley is quite unlike the Himalayan Valleys I had seen so far. Located almost on the same latitude as Kathmandu and a lot lower than Kashmir, what struck me at first is the absence of intensive agriculture. This seemed like an indulgence in a mountainous country that imports a lot of its food.The valley has bee left in its original form for a good reason. Except for patches of Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-87414005069707707942022-12-11T09:15:00.003-08:002022-12-11T15:58:45.296-08:00Credit Cards in BhutanIn the age of digital payments it feels strange to carry around wads of currency notes. This is exactly what happened to me last week in Bhutan. For the entire duration of the trip that covered about 800km, from Paro to Thimpu, Punakha, Phobji Valley, Trongsa and onward to Bumthang and back, I was unable to use any of my credit or debit cards, let along e-payment apps like PayTM, GPay or Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-62448921040858616832022-11-12T09:09:00.003-08:002022-11-12T09:09:43.200-08:00Numbers in Perspective - II: Wages & Taxes I was struck by this chart which appeared in a report published last week, titled, "The New India", by Morgan Stanley Research. The tapering bars represent manufacturing wages inAsia, and India figures at the right extreme, with a wage-rate per employee that is among the lowest in the world. At US$0.8/hour, India's wage-rate was lower lower than Indonesia at US$1, China at US$7.1 and Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-67768155394830859832022-10-31T10:15:00.007-07:002022-11-12T08:40:00.173-08:00Numbers in Perspective - I: Capital MarketsThe stock market in USA tanked a few days ago after Elon Musk finally decided to take over Twitter. While it is the dharma of markets to swing and sway wildly to various sentiments, one data-point stood out - the loss of market-cap suffered by seven top companies of USA was bigger than the entire capitalisation of the Indian market!Only a few months ago the newspaper headlines had announced Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-16449818235634292922022-10-30T07:51:00.000-07:002022-10-30T07:51:04.397-07:00Dutch Doors, English WindowsIs there anything in common between Dutch doors and English windows?One interesting thing I learnt last week was the way in which taxation has a lasting impact on the way in which societies behave and evolve. Apparently in the Netherlands property taxes were linked to the size of the main-doors facing the streets or or waterfronts. So, in order to minimise their tax liability, houses began Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31116850.post-20717068267310755642022-10-11T10:12:00.004-07:002022-10-11T10:12:56.214-07:00DW News: Cynical GreenI was listening to this news-video on my way to work, and it had me laughing out loud. Here was a fine sample of the Western media being exposed for its slant, bias and bare-faced hypocrisy.The title is, of course, misleading - "Does the World Want a Greener India? - International investors view India as both risky and vulnerable". At a time when the words 'risky' and 'vulnerable' would best Dinakarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02139480754726008948noreply@blogger.com0