Akshardam temple New jersey

It was a snowy rainy cold day in New Jersey today ( yesterday night for India ) .

Shyam had told me weather is bad in weekend so we will have to postpone our outings to a weekday .

Since he needs to be in his research work in University of Rutger and a couple of days in Manhattans Flat iron university peering at his STARS weekend would have been ideal to go out but weather was making an issue .

I had told him just one day in N York and one day for BAPS Swaminarayanan temple in

 N Jersey itself but in Robinsville which wasnt very close to New Brunswick .

America unlike India has a poor public transport system so I couldnt just hop on a bus and no train existed in this route ..

And then serendepity worked....

Paulo Coelho again proved himself right of how universal forces act at times to do thier best ,not at all times but at times only .

Chandra or Chandrasekar an young friend of mine since 2017 when I met him on another freezing trip to New york in a greyhound bus when I travelled alone from Cleaveland ,to me the young IT professional was good company to talk in the bus .

But we kept in touch ,

Later Chandra moved back to Chennai and stayed there with family ,

For last few years we were not in touch 

Last was when he arranged all help by remote control from Chennai for our trip to Sri Sailam temple through his brother in Hyderabad .

Chandra hailed from AP .

So I got a new year greeting from Chandra about his being in new jersey and If I had any plans to visit US  !!

I called Chandra and told him when I would be in NJ 

Chandra was delighted and asked my plans which I mentioned ,

He then said Uncle BAPS temple trip is my responsibilty on Saturday ,though I tried to tell him it wasnt fair for him to be spending his weekend away from his family and later about bad weather but Chandra had no excuses to change his plans .

By 2 pm Chandra drove in picking me and Shyam to a sleet driven drive to BAPS .

From taking picture in the rainy snowy slush to holding my hands so as I wouldnt slip in the snow and guiding us all around the magnificient temple Chandra guided us .

BAPS Swaminarayanan temples exist sll over world and in India ,called Akshardhams they are built by Swaminarayanan trust 

The biggest temple in the western hemisphere is  in its 185 acres in Robinsville spending 92 million dollars to build in 15 years a mind blowing work of art and Indian  temple architecture showcasing the best in Indian spirituality , tradition and heritage to the world as an object of priceless beauty ,a veritable fairy land ,a spiritual Disney world of fine creativity and efficient management the Swaminarayanan Akshardam  in Robinsville was one place no Indian should miss to see in the US of A .

Shyam and Chandra in no time became close friends and melded well .

Chandra had more plans and increasing intensity of snow only worried me ,he said Sir shall we go to Venkatachalapathi temple ? 

We put our foot down ,

So he said ok lets go to my house as Monika had prepared dinner for you both ! 

This was the surprise he kept to the end and would not listen to any excuse so we drove back in the darkening dusk in snow flurries creating eerie dark visuals .

Chandras cute children and Monika welcomed us to thier cosy home .

After some small talk and getting warm we were given an authentic Telengana Veggie dinner 

We had delicious Pesarattu dosa with peanut chutney ,Puliyodra with Avakkai pickles 

Alisanda Appa rice crackerel 

Chintaka pachadi a tamarind based chutney 

Shudh desi ghee melted over all this 

Fresh curd rice with fried green chilly to bite and finally dessert as Junnu usually made out of colostrum milk of cow made in US using its powder .

So much effort to give us a warm traditional cuisine which we obviously enjoyed .

After all this Chandra refused us to take an UBER back but drove all the way again in the by now increasing snow to drop us home .

What a treat it was !

Universe definitely conferred here making Paulo Coelho a honest writer !

 

Everest flight

Last year this day  was eventful as we went at dawn to airport to catch the Everest sighting mountain flight 

Most of the 52 members in our group had booked for it .

There are several airlines providing professional Himalayan range sightings the most important being Mt Everest amongst them.

Buddha airlines Yeti airlines and many more .

Most had fleets of small jet planes

Prices ranged from 150 to 200 US $ per head though as a group we had a good concession .

For this each was given a window seat and at 25000 ft the ranges came into view first on right side so all seated on right side could see take fotos etc then left side passengers were allowed one by one to enter cockpit for a moment to take snaps and see Everest .

By chance if very cloudy no sighting made 100 % refund is given only deducting airport transfer charges from hotel .

The Everest flight had a seperate terminal in the Tribhovandas international airport .

We statrted at 5.30 am reached airport by 6 am it was raining heavily and we managed to rush in without getting totally wet .

We had to show our passports to check in 

Security checking was elaborate 

Later we were taken to plane by shuttle bus .

We were given a chart with mountain peaks named and Everest towered above rest

We did see Everest and Lhotse very clearly but not others .

It was awe inspiring to see chomolunga or sagarmatha as known in Tibet or in Nepal .

Strangely Everest was named after a map draftsman who was boss of the englishman who found the exact height .

The border between Nepal and Tibet China went along the summit of Everest .

The hillary steps and the icy glacier of north pol suicide point could all be imagined

To me an Everest buff it was the nearest i could get to see the magnificient peak as even yo hike to base camp was no mere feat forget about attempting to climb Everest which was for skilled mountaineers .

• At end of it we got a certificate too
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

 

Shani Singanapur

 

January 2023  we were in Maharasthra .

After visiting Pune and Shirdhi we planned to visit Nasik and on way to pray in famous temple for Shaneeswara associated with Saturn planet and who is prayed to ward off evil influences in ones life .

Close to Ahmednagar the Shaneeswar idol is a swayambhu or self formed stone idol discovered by sheperds grazing thier cattle and sheep in  the area ,found a stone bleeding when they touched it with thier staff .

The temple is an open one with no cover 

Women traditionally were not allowed in precincts of the idol till recent activism and a court ruling that eomen should be allowed to pray like men .

We hired a car from Shirdhi to Nasik via Shani Signapur and Thriyambakeswar .

We realised the day was Ammavasa and it was one of few days where crowds are very high .

As we feared we were stopped one km before temple asked to park car and walk rest of distance joining huge crowds of pilgrims 

I was very doubtful of darshan as I preferred less crowded temples .

Luckily for us our driver was a local and assured us he would find ways ,he got us a spl car allowed to go upto temple and came with us .

The que we saw was shocking it would take hours to reach the idol .

Again our driver knew a short cut and took us to police personell ,we requested thrm as Doctors from kerala and our need to be on our way 

The police were very helpful and they allowed us to directly enter the central place 

Oil abishek is prime pooja in the temple we all had oil bottles with us bought in local shop .

Earlier devotees poured oil directly on idol and place was oily and slippery but now one had to pour oil a little away and it was pumped by tubes directly onto idol and collected as prasad and gtound was clean and dry .

We were out in half an hour a feat indeed on that crowded day 

We returned back 

Our driver told us no house in Shani signapur ever locked his house and there is no history of theft as no robber dares to rob from Shaneeswaras proximity 

Even local UCO Bank was kept open 24 hrs but with safegaurds .

We then sped towards Thriyambakeswar and Nasik 

Palliative medicine

 This has been posted with Consent of patient and family only .

Though I do not like posting pictures of my patients much I did this to dispel the notion that Palliative medicine is all depressing and end of life 

Even some physicians feel so .

The end of life care is called Terminal care which is also under Palliative medicine .

This patient is 84 year old lady  having multiple myeloma which has progressed with treatment but she can continue for some more years 

She does have pain which is treated in her case with Morphine .

As you can see she is cheerful and normal 

The  myth that  Morphine is only to make patients sleep to reduce pain and has so many side effects is widely spread .

Morphine is an opioid narcotic if used judiciously by physicians trained for it ( Palliative specialists ) gives complete relief of pain  and good quality of life 

Most patients are active and lead a normal life some are more tied down to wheel chair or bed while this patient can walk comfortably 

Many patients even without advanced cancer but curable types may have severe pain initially when being treated 

Most children with bone tumours soft tissue tumours adults with extensive breast cancer all have pain initially  but with oncology treatment they become completely cured .

So pain management is needed only  in initial period but later can be stopped .

I have several patients whose Morphine or fentanyl are stopped and are now living cured of thier disease too .

So it's a myth to feel that once narcotics is started its for life 

over dosing rarely occurs as its a team work between family of patient and Palliative physician in knowing his or her condition adjusting dose etc .

All my patients have my mobile number and none misuse it to call me at odd hours .

Palliative medicine is not only for cancer but in several chronic long standing incurable conditions 

 life style diseases like Diabetes mellitus with target damages ,renal failure patients on dialysis ,Motor neuron disease , neuralgia like trigeminal neuralgias ,Alzheimers disease, Parkinsonism ,HIV AIDS ,Spinal injury induced paraplegias ,post Amputation pain or phantom pain etc .

Pain beyond 6 months is called chronic pain and needs different medications from acute pain and is classified into neuropathic and Nociceptive pain .

Pain management is both science and art which needs empathy ,care of social spiritual dimensions of patients too and good communication skills .

Relief from pain is the best reward for both physician and his patient .

It's possible with Palliative medicine with use of interventional pain management as needed to get total relief of pain .

In cancer radiotherapy in small doses too helps .

Pain relief makes a big difference in quality of life of patient and family .

Mundu madakkal

 

Mundu madakkal is folding of mundu or vesti or lungi @ to north indians .

When I posted this attempt to mime mundu madakkal there was lot of intrest .

One friend asked me why I had a  ferocious expression on mundu madakking so I decided to write on the quantum physics of mundu or dhoti or indian sarong or vesti or lungi foldings and unfoldings .

Mundu madakkal dear people ,is a body language of agression ,ie it shows 

person is ready for a fight and preparing for it 😉

Our superstars Mohanlal and Mamooty made this a celebration .

Every time they gracefully folded their mundus there were claps in anticipation of  pulverised villains in thier mega hits 

Like an unsheathed knife a folded mundu had to see some punches before it could be legally unfolded !

Its written in Keralas Constitution you see .

Lalettans 

(Mohanlal is fondly called lalettan ie elder brother by all mallus from an infant to a100 year old  ) 

Lallettans mundu madakkal and meesa murukal ie twirling moosh all mallu macho acts , is a preview to the solid bash one could look forwards to .

Theres  even a fan song that goes like this ...

Mundu madakki Lallettan

Meesa murukki Lallettan 

Nengade changu Lallettan .

(Our Lalettan has folded his sarong

Our Lallettan has twirled his moosh

Our beloved Lallettan )

One needs to appreciate mallu film fights .

They are  not at all comic like in Telugu or at times Tamil films ,or even like in older Malayalam films where a literally comic pantomime took place as stunts .

Some funnily impossible , most acrobatic dance moves .

Prem Nazir the evergreen hero who cavorted with plumpy damsels like Jayabharathy and Sheela most of time and was the proverbial tree circumbulator occasionaly did get into a predatory mood but those times he made it obvious with his face and stilted moves with sound comic to watch these days .

Satyan another yesteryear hero  wasnt very good in the romancing part but did better in punching villains with some true anger .

The he man of yesteryear Malayalam films was  the bronx muscled Jayan whose dalliance of a well kept body unshirted like Salman khan of today had some strange mannerisms like stretching his both hands like kal ho na ho Shah rukh before he punched his villains out pf action ,he had a sardonic grin to go with it which appeared lusty to most ladies of those dsys 😁

Compared to these three the Lal Mamooty brought more sincerity to stunts .

I remember it was Somans and Madhus excellent fight in Idha ivide varu that changed the tone of stunts to reality ones .

The other superstar Suresh Gopi delivered his punches laced with his peppy dialogues  and a distinct shake of his head that left the villain with no other possibility but oblivion after those deadly punches but he too did stunts that looked real .

Of course Lallettans fights topped the charts .

Most were raw ,tough ,dusty muddy ,wet ,and at times violent .

One can never forget him in films like Thaazvaaram ,Kireedam ,Spadikam .

They were class stunts when one punched the one sitting next to us in the theater with unison to the film  being carried away .

The punches are given and recieved very believably .

So mundu madakkal act is almost religious in symbolism .

It needs the right facial expression of anger .

Adrenaline has been shown to show a spike in the mundu madakkan as well as those who see it .

The reverse is true too 

 Mundu thaathal or unfolding the folded mundu .

Here it conveys respect love appreciation and reverence .

Mundu thaathal is like lowering the national flag while last bugle chimed distantly .

It was after a mundu madakal stunt like the closure of Shiva Thaandavam a slide from ferociousness and anger to calmness and peace !

The yuga changes you see .

So never ever belittle the subtle movements of a mallu mundu .

They are moments of mallu emoting .

They are the lingo that another mallu will recognise and say what ho !

while others look at it as Greek and Latin .

Next time you meet a mallu in a mundu watch out for those unfoldings or if you are unlucky for the foldings .

"Mundu madakkiyal oddikko"

"If a mallu folds his mundu make a run "

is an old Chinese proverb 😁😂

So with a flick of his lower garment the mallu conveys a lot his anger or respect