Few random thoughts

shared on Facebook .

Dr. Krishnaja A.P.

26th October 2015

Few random thoughts shared on Facebook .

Kerala is nature at its pristine best:
With a unique charm she mesmerizes you with her majestic serene beauty. This is the
place to experience thunderous monsoon in all its romantic glory. She emerges draped
in primordial green.....the stunning parrot green of
rice fields to the deep emerald of coconut palms,
with all shades of green painted in between. The
clear blue skies and endless soothing blue waters
complete the frame. Kerala is an enchanting land of
great natural beauty and serenity. A tinge of pride
often creeps in, whenever I discuss Kerala's captivating natural beauty. Yes. I feel
privileged to be from here. (http://s3.scoopwhoop.com/ada/kt/1.jpg)

A tribute to amchi Mumbai and a salute to Mumbais women:

I left home when I was 20, came to Mumbai when I was 22. A major part of my life has
been spent at Mumbai, except for intermittent periods of stay at Calicut, Ghaziabad,
Ludhiana, Pune and Delhi. Sure enough it was a tough and harrowing period, I was
nervous, unsure, with absolutely no idea where this new path would finally lead me.

(http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/36/90/fb/gate-way-of-india.jpg
content/uploads/2012/05/11101.jpg)

http://lifeinmumbai.co.in/wp-

Very soon I realized Mumbai is unique, a city that takes you into its fold with no
questions asked unlike other cities, a city that grants you freedom to pursue your
cherished goals. What mattered was hard work; who you are or where you came from
were irrelevant. No other city provided a better environment for women across all
social strata, from the lowest to the highest, a city that gave freedom to live, work,
function, grow on their own terms, gave respect and dignity without drawing
unwanted attention to their womanhood. This is a city where women can truly make it
on their own, each one a winner, a symbol of triumph against all odds. This is a tribute
to Mumbai, my favourite city and all its women.

Rain is a natural bliss:

I miss the Monsoons in Kerala. The pitter patter of rain drops, everything washed
fresh and clean, the green landscape taking an added hue, the snow white spider lilies
lining the pathway of our house in full
bloom, spreading a faint fragrance, the smell
of earth stirring something deep inside, the
slithery ones coming out for a leisurely stroll,
the tiny red crabs running around in hurry as
if on a supervisory job, the rage and roar of
monsoons in Kerala is truly enchanting, romantic, adventurous and need to be
experienced. (http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/white-spider-lily-flower-hymenocallis-caribaea-garden-38626197.jpg)

Monsoon Musings:
Rain continues to hamper normal life. City limping back to normal after dreadful
Friday. The news continuesYes. For those who have to venture outside, the rain is
indeed troublesome. But right now, for me, the rain feels like one of the most beautiful
gifts of nature. Sitting by the window at home, watching the downpour, is truly a

magical experience. Indeed, the incessant rains brought relief from sweltering heat and
some colour and drama to my life. I love these misty, dark rainy days, when the sound
of the raindrops seems almost like music. Last night, I enjoyed a meal of rice, piping hot
rasam, and spicy pepper chicken, the perfect end to a day filled with incessant rains. Its
also just the right time to eat crispy, golden-brown pakoras of onion, green chillies
and coriander -- sipping hot tea afterwards. It reminds me of the vacations spent at our
family home in Podanur. The monsoon also takes me back to my childhood in Calicut,
when we would catch young fish in Horlicks bottles, or sail paper boats with a wick
inside, betting on whose would reach the farthest.
I find the rains romantic, magical and beautiful
the perfect weather for heading to the seaside and
munching on tangy, roasted corn on the cob.
Embrace rainy days, enjoy what you can of
them, enjoy the peacefulness that a rainy day can
bring. You wouldnt have that rainbow if it wasnt for rainy days. (http://mystikalindia.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/05/Monsoon-in-Kerala-Fishing-in-the-rains.jpg)

Athirapally Falls: The Athirapally Falls, rightly called Niagara of India is located
about 47 kms from Thrissur, Kerala. The song Barso re megha megha featuring
Aishwarya Rai dancing to the music of rains, in Mani Ratnam movie GURU, was shot
in Athirapally. Athirapally, at the entrance to the
Sholayar ranges of the Western Ghats, situated
1000 ft. above sea level on the Chalakudy river, is
a scenic forested landscape with cascading
waterfalls. Falling from a height of 80 feet, the
magical Athirapally falls against the scenic
landscape makes a majestic frame especially during monsoons. (Photo Courtesy: Sukanya K.C.)

Lord Shiva:
Lord Shiva is one of my favourite deities, very fascinating. Shiva is unique, Shiva is an
enigma, compelling me to marvel at the persona where varying attributes so beautifully
complement each other. Makes me wonder, which aspect is more vital, the raw
pulsating creative energy or is it the dispassionate, ascetic yogic aspect? Shivam,
Shantam, Advaitam. It is said Shiva is finally the divine within. Shiva is peace, the
infinity, beauty and non-dual one.

Lord Shiva with 26 faces and 52 hands, Temple Tower - Thanumalayan

Temple, Sucheendram, Tamilnadu:
Built in 17th century, the temple is an architectural marvel known for its exquisite
workmanship in stone. There is an Anjaneya or Hanuman statue, 22 feet in height,
carved out of a single granite block. Four musical pillars carved out of a single stone 18
feet in height- emit the sounds of various musical notes when struck..

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Thanumalayan_Temple_Suchindram_Kanyakumari_Tamil_Nadu_%E0%
AE%A4%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%
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On Genoa:
I remember Genoa as a beautiful city that has retained much of its old world charm
here you can stroll down stone-lined medieval streetstake a look at art at countless
museumsBeautiful buildings, gorgeous churches, faades decorated by stuccoes and
frescoes. One will be surprised by the gorgeous architecture and opulent churches that
appears around each street. Skirted on one side by sea and other side by mountains , the
city appears vertical. No wonder Genoa has a beautiful harbour with a backdrop of all
magnificent houses nestled up the hillside. Europe's biggest aquarium where I spent an
enjoyable 3hrsalso a beautiful promenade along the sea-- a place to stop for a bite
and taste Liguria's cuisine . Genoa with its rich history is a great city.

(Photo-The writers)

On Malabari cuisine:
To truly understand Malabari cuisine, you have to know the history of this place and
how it changed the chemistry of the regions cuisine. For more than 2000 years, traders
from foreign shores, whether the Arabs, Chinese, African, Portuguese, Dutch and
English, have visited Kerala. The ancient Tamil kingdoms and the Central Asian
muslims coming via North India too influenced ancient Malabari cooking. One of the
worlds earliest fusion cuisines can probably be found here.

The cuisine has been influenced by all those who landed here in search of spices and you

find a blend of different dishes adapted to local tastes. The enchanting array of seafood
and meat delicacies is a wonderful reminder of these foreign influences. The taste-long
lingering.....biryanis are a must-eat when visiting Calicut. The malabar biryani, fried
prawns, mussels and bitter gourd fry we had at Paragon restaurant in downtown
Calicut, on my last visit there in 2000, is still fresh in my memory........

(Photo-The writers)

On Rajasthani cuisine:
Love some of these...Laal Maas & Churma Laddoo.. more.........Often wondered, how a
desert landscape with harsh climatic conditions built such majestic, massive fortresses,
palaces and is intrinsically linked with such an awesome cuisine. Amazing spirit &
cuisine!

(http://s3.scoopwhoop.com/ach/rajas/2.jpg
http://www.indianmirror.com/cuisine/images/rajasthani-dal.jpg

http://s3.scoopwhoop.com/ach/rajas/10.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-

LoxhGVNd1A/VMbWsxmp0KI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/_ipOg0j4DV8/s1024/India-ChittorgarhFort-M.jpg)

As I mentioned sometime back of course I enjoy eating Laal Maas & Churma Laddoo .
Rajasthan fascinates me. I am amazed indeed by the enigmatic terrain. The stark, arid,
desert landscape in contrast with its rich heritage, myriad hues of textiles, dazzling
jewelry, painting, pottery, metal, ivory, leather craft and vibrant furniture is a visual
delight. Often wondered, how a desert landscape with harsh climatic conditions built
such majestic, massive fortresses, palaces and is intrinsically linked with such an
awesome cuisine. Amazing spirit & cuisine!

On Nurses Day:
Fondly remembering all the nurses who have touched our livesextremely helpful and
caring in critical times remind me of the saying that the goal of medicine is "to cure
sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always."
Majority of these healthcare professionals I have come across are from my home state
Kerala. Many trained Malayalee nurses in this noble yet demanding profession, not
every ones cup of tea, come from traditional families, are the sole financial support of
their dependent families back home. Kudos to these enterprising, resilient women
willing to serve humanity with a smile, who go far and wide in remote areas of the
country and world at large. From my experience, I truly admire and respect their ability
and humane touch to take care of invalid total strangers bringing a certain dignity to
their plight. This is a tribute to all Florence Nightingales.

On Kudumbashree:
Quite recently while surfing TV channels, I came across the social reality show of DD
Malayalam, Ini Njangal Prayaam jointly produced by Thiruvananthapuram
Doordarshan and Kudumbashree. Since then I watch this programme every day.

Kudumbashree , a Kerala state Govt. initiative launched in 1998 is an innovative

women-oriented community network that would work in tandem with local self
governments for poverty eradication and womens empowerment. One of the largest
women's movements in Asia, the programme has 41 lakh members and covers more
than 50% of the households in Kerala. Focusing on three critical components: micro
credit, entrepreneurship and empowerment, it has successfully addressed the basic
needs of the less privileged women, shown them avenues to a more dignified life and a
bright future.
Kudumbashree is not only a model for India but for the whole world. Highlights: 41
lakh poor families brought under the community based organisations (CBOs) consisting
of 2.61 lakh Neighbourhood Groups (NHG), 19,773 Area Development Societies (ADSs)
and 1,072 Community Development Societies (CDSs) - rural urban. Mobilised a sum of
Rs. 2664 crores as thrift and disbursed loans amounting to Rs.10728 crores to the
members of Neighbourhood Groups. Literal meaning of Kudumbashree is prosperity
(shree) of family (Kudumbam). I am amazed and inspired by the stories of these
women, true heroines.

(http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02581/11ctjab05coconu_CO_2581570e.jpg
http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01674/05tvm-women_GS0_05_1674467g.jpg
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9lj6LdKfHO0/maxresdefault.jpg
http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01322/06tvtvCafe_Kudumba_1322707f.jpg)

Brilliant exercise in eco-feminism:

Celebrating the girl child: Here's what India can learn from a Rajasthani village,
Piplantri, perhaps the only village in the state, in fact in India, where when a daughter
is born, the family members plant hundred and eleven trees to celebrate the occasion.
This wonderful eco-conscious tradition ensures that an increase in human population
will never come at a cost to the environment. It is literally helping to ensure a greener
future with each new generation FIRSTPOST.COM

Dr. E. K. Janaki Ammal (1897-1984):

Dr. E. K. Janaki Ammal (1897-1984) renowned Botanist, pioneer in Ethnobotanical
research in India, the former Director-General of the Botanical Survey of India, the
first woman Oriental Barbour Scholar and D.Sc (1934). She headed the Central
Botanical Lab at Allahabad, Regional Research Lab, Jammu, before settling down at
Madras in 1970, as Emeritus Scientist at Centre for Advanced Study in Botany,
Maduravoyal, doing field work, until her death in 1984. Coauthered with C. D.
Darlington in 1945 - The Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants.

(https://d1u4oo4rb13yy8.cloudfront.net/f36a9a5a-5358-4e13-9602-784ae798f701.jpg
https://d1u4oo4rb13yy8.cloudfront.net/f36a9a5a-5358-4e13-9602-784ae798f701.jpg)

Random Musings / Reflections .

My mood is cheerful and optimistic:

Nothing fazes me. I want closed windows

opened, want fresh breeze to blow into my life, ready to embark on untested trails. Life
has taught me to depend on myself....
"Celebration is my attitude, unconditional to what life brings. Celebration is
gratefulness for whatsoever life gives to you. This is the basic art of life how to
change misery into celebration, how to change a curse into a blessing, how to use
suffering to grow, how to use pain to be reborn. Dream the impossible dream. It may
look absurd in the beginning - - It does look - - but if it is strong enough, it transforms
your reality." Osho
Life is like a patchwork quilt. Some patches bright and colourful , a few dull and
monotonous. 2014 was indeed one of the toughest years I had. I thank universe for
seeing me through it. When I look back at the crucial choices I made in life, sometimes I
think would it have made any difference? Certainly I could have made other / better
choices, followed another path, done things in an entirely different way. But I am
happy with my choices, feel I chose well and thats what matters. Priorities change over
the years. Nothing remains constant except change. Then you realize its only fluidity
that keeps relationships alive and thriving and trust, confidence, love and respect are at
the core of any meaningful relationship.
Change can be frightening at times for the uncertainty it brings along almost pushing
us out of our comfort zone. But change also opens another door, presenting a fair
chance to grow in a new direction. So when we are faced with a sudden unpleasant
change, put aside the fears, learn to embrace it, rather than retreat into a shell. Instead,
look out for the opportunities it provides to grow.

"How swiftly our lives can change completely. Sometimes what seems to be a big
tragedy turns out to become the greatest good in our lives. I learned so much from such
experience, I came to value life in a different way. I began to look at what is really
important to me."
I think, above all, it is the person you become over the years with life's varied
experiences, and not the things you achieve or the things you acquire that is most
important.
"Take the complications, rules, shoulds, musts, have tos, and so on out of your life.
Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change."
Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back.
Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives and problems that we may not even
notice that we've let them fly away. Sometimes we are so caught up in who's right and
who's wrong that we forget what's right and wrong. Sometimes we just don't realize
what real friendship means until it is too late.

"The factor that sustains a genuine

friendship is a feeling of affection. If you lack that, then you won't be able to sustain
a genuine friendship."
"Human relationships are never static. They change from day today, because they are
highly complex and also because people are changeable. And life intrudes, Problems
intrude and create tensions."
"The spontaneity of now, the vividness of here. This is the basic substance of life.
They are the drops that make up the stream. They are the essence of life itself. Patience---Faith----Openness----Simplicity---Solitude----Intermittency----, is what the sea has to
teach."

We are all, in the last analysis, alone. Parting is inevitably painful, even for a short
time. And yet once it is done, I find there is a quality to being alone that is incredibly
precious. Life rushes back into the void, richer, more vivid, fuller than before."
One has to come to terms with oneself not only in a new stage of life but in a new
role. Woman must come of age by herself- she must find her true center alone. The
lesson seems to need re-learning about .every twenty years in a womans life. Ann
Morrow Lindbergh Gift from the sea.
Life is a painting and you are the artist, you draw the lines and color it with the
colors of life and make it your masterpiece.
I am in love with life.... rude shocks, jolts, pain or otherwise. You never know what
awaits you at the turn. The beauty of life lies therein.
To live dangerously means to live. Living flowers only in danger. Risk is the only
guarantee for being truly alive."
Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes
out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.
On the eve of Republic Day:

The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work,

Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without

morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without
principles. On the eve of Republic Day, we salute our great freedom fighters ...and
soldiers who sacrificed their lives...
Cell Phones:

Talking or verbal conversation is a forgotten art and writing is almost

extinct. Cell phones, texting, listening with earplugs on, social media now enhance
communication. ..leading slowly to the evolution of a new species of Homo sapiens
you see everywhere now....

On Mothers Day:
Mums the wordIve never liked the words mum, mom, ma and mummy always
reminded me as I often told my daughters of bandaged Egyptian mummies. But
through years of trying to get them to call me by the more civilized Amma, theyve
stubbornly stuck (much like Fevicol) to the three letter variations. So, on Mothers Day,
tracing my journey with Aditi, Rohini and Sukanya, who made me into a mother. If
you've never been hated by your child, you've never been a parent. I BeJe Davis

Rememberences:

With fond memories of the two Amazing, Strong, Resilient women in my life
Grandma and Ma (Ponnamma & Amma). I feel fortunate and blessed for those early
influences. Thanks for being such an integral part of my life.

(Photo-The writers)

In Rememberence of our dear brother Jayku (Jayakumar P.R.) who passed away in
1992 at Delhi:
When death suddenly snatches away someone we love, in the ensuing
sadness that engulfs us we yearn for one more day .. one more word... one
more touch...fully realizing it cant be. Then slowly we begin to remember
facets of not just the death , but the life as well. We then hold onto the
memories of our entwined lives, quite priceless and too beautiful to forget.
June 2014 has just passed by, completing 22 years since we lost our
brother. Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day.
Unseen, unheard, but always near; still loved, still missed and very dear."
(Photo-The writers)

When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a

treasure. "The fact that the loss is forever sinks in .striking at certain junctures
when somewhere deep inside you cry out at the continued presence of an absence.

On 21 August 2014. Charus 10th death anniversary:

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no
one can steal.
Those we love don't go away. They walk beside us every day.
Unseen, unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed and forever
dear.

(Photo-The writers)

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