That Gazelle pic reviewed with zoom effect.
“Sher sunoge ya mein Gazelle gaaon”
Rainbows can be full circles. However, the observer normally sees only an arc formed by illuminated droplets above the ground, and centered on a line from the sun to the observer’s eye.
Crater is huge , diameter 11 Miles ( 20 Km ). By comparison . Crater Lake in Oregon is 5 miles dia.
National Park including Crater is packed with wildlife galore.
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Original Mountain before Volcano ( 2 Million years ago ) was likely 17000 Ft High.
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One of 7 wonders of Africa.
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GIPPY’S GALATTA by Gippy Doré
SUNDAY 26th. AUG. 2018 – WODEHOUSE CORNER AT DORE’S
August was a pleasant month of cool breeze with showers that washed bright the leaves of sturdy trees standing amidst craters and potholes. Nature, ever reliable, cleansed the roads and the skies to the relief of tired lungs. The evening at Dore’s place was tinged with that Wodehousean bliss that is vain to seek elsewhere in the theatre or the movie halls, the shores of the sea or the desolate gardens. A member spoke in despondent tones of the decline of this historic city, once vibrant with the classy touch of the cosmopolitan and the international, now groaning under the decay of neglect with broken bridges and shaking stairs (a decline that would have been the delight of Gibbon) under a siege of corruption and chaos. “Calm down, buddy”, responded a member. “All this is a temporary phase. Now it may look bleak like the morning darkness before daybreak. But with the rising sun “Westward look!, the land is bright.” The quote was lost on our friend who ranted about the skyline that is disappearing, the renovation that looks like rape and so on. Thoughtfully, refreshments were served and the mood changed with levity to laughter. A member observed that these days the medical fraternity pushed patients into recklessly into hospitals. Now fit as a fiddle, bouncing on the jogging tracks, next day down with heart blocks but safe with some surgeon and his shiny knives. Stretched out like a leaf floating on water while stents, whether needed or not, are placed in his veins and arteries. The bewildered patient knows not what’s happening as various tests are run up and down, as apron coated doctors move about with clipboards in hand, with one eye on his bank passbook and the other to reassure his declining confidence. After a clean up of his purse he is discharged with a list of medicines and follow-up dates all tidily filed in an attractive folder. Eternal vigilance, friends, is the need of the hour. Caution: Beware of doctors and lawyers. A member described a one-day Seminar that he attended. The subject of the day’s deliberations was: “Scaling the walls of Corporate Excellence.” He was deputed by his company to attend the seminar and had resigned to confine himself for at least 6 hours with crashing bores from audience and faculty alike. He never did enjoy these seminars but his boss sent his nomination with the fees and here he was in a 4-star hotel where participants were received by a silk-saree-clad lady with folded hands and a sweet smile. They were escorted into a large hospital-bed size lift which opened to the flower decorated hall with many round tables covered with immaculate cloth, with small drinking water bottles, writing pads and ball pens. On the platform, two or three tables were joined to make a long table that was covered with clean white cloth with 5 water bottles and 5 flower vases placed at equidistant intervals. Each had a name plate kept nearby in case they forgot their names. This promised 5 speakers who, by the end of the day, would show the participants how to scale the slippery walls of corporate excellence without any ladder. A short character was adjusting the mikes by speaking out “One, two, three” as if memorizing numerals. The participants, many dressed in 2-piece suits (some in 3-piece), trickled in cautiously fiddling with their ties and looking around for a good seat or an inconspicuous seat from where one could make an easy unseen exit if required. Some ladies, well dressed in dark business suits, sat huddled together for comfort and general feeling of safety. Those seated were going through the bulky seminar folders packed with Xeroxed copies of articles from various past management magazines that are available so plentiful these days. There was a bustle as the speakers arrived and the Seminar Coordinator took the mike and commenced his well prepared speech introducing the subject. He scarcely spoke two sentences when the mike screeched in loud agony and greatly upset the audience that was slowly settling into a passive listening mode. Not so with Coordinator who was used to such antics of mikes everywhere. The short character adjusted some controls and the speech resumed. He explained that the first speaker was Dr.Bhoothalingam from some University in Bhopal, next we are fortunate to have with us (so he said) is Dr. Jambunathan from Jabalpur University followed by Dr.Jagadeesan from Jadavpur University, Dr.Sreedevi from Srikakulam and Dr. Hyder Ali from Hyderabad Chamber of Traders. Bhoothalingam had a loud penetrating voice like a peripatetic fruit vendor. He kept the audience alive with many jokes that sent ripples of laughter up and down the hall. He boasted of how he turned around Trickle and Solidified Honey Corporation which built up spiraling sales and smiling profits. Diversifying is vital, he thundered, as he spoke of how different types of honey from the slopes of every mountain range were exploited, including one from a flower that blooms once in seven years at a height of 5 thousand feet near Mahabhaleshwar. He concluded saying, “So, dear friends! That is that and this is this.” (whatever that meant.) The next speaker Dr.Jambunathan proved to be a stunning bore. He spoke slowly and referred to various slips and notes. It appeared he had some success with a hardware outfit called “Dainty Scissors and Handy Hammers” which may have been a thrilling subject for tailors who worked with scissors and carpenters who loved hammers. The demand was from every household and every village across the country. It is the product that you sell, my friends that takes you to heights of excellence, he explained. There was not much interest in the participants who were unlikely to be thrilled by either of the products. They looked forward to the short break where at last they stood in queue for the diuretic coffee and sandy biscuits. The rest of the day’s activity was much the same drivel where high sounding buzz words dwarfed the ability to think. Post tea break lectures were worse, passages were read out, audience yawning and looking here and there for signs of lunch. After lunch many chose to quit. A group entered the lift to go down and pressed the wrong button which took them to the basement where brooms, brushes, broken buckets were lying with sundry items collected over the years. They extricated themselves by reaching out to basement and then to the ground floor that was marked by “0” with a sigh of relief for fresh air. Today, being rakshandhan it was a time for sisters to tie rakhis on the hand of brothers. Few may appreciate the valuable sentiment behind this wonderful festival and the token that brings a sister and a brother together even for a set of coloured threads embellished with an incarnate flower or other symbol. A member recalled an article in the previous day’s Asian Age which told of the first rakhi that was tied to Lord Krishna. It appears that Krishna cut his finger by accident and to stop the flow of blood Rukmini sent her servant to get a cloth for bandage. Sathyabhama herself rushed out to her room to get some bandage. But it was Draupadi who immediately tore her saree and bandaged the bleeding cut. This was the first rakhi. This gesture was not lost on Lord Krishna who, years later, covered Draupadi with unending yards after yards of cloth while she was being disrobed in the Sabha. Of such is Divine Grace and a festival that comes around year after year.
— PG.
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Camp Jamshedpur /27th Aug 2018
Dear family, time indeed flies with wings -It seems like yes’day that the 2-day wedding”n’CHN was followed by ‘Bou-bhath at Kolkata; for Poornima & Sourav.But 8 years have rolled by .It all became possible with help & blessings from TDN/Nat/ Dore families coming together.We wish P & S gr8 anniv. & ask you to forward or respond as you wish. Both are achievers & the duo are now a trio !
With luv & blessings,
Lakshmi and Kartik
.... Music by OPNayyar & lyrics by Qamar Jalalabadi for the song quoted by Babu Chittapa "Homre Banglades mein har Gori ke lambey baal, Luchirey Pakodey Daal,Lokkhy nachey taley-taley, Khay shudhu Machchi-Daal khay-go, shudu khaygo! " Main bangaali chokra Karun pyaar ko Nomoskarom; Main madraasi chokri Mujhe tumsey pyaarum " ....
– it was 1957-58 I think, long before East
Pakistan was renamed Bangladesh !
Dear Babu – Chittappa – Ruma kaki,
We continue to cherish the wonderful
occasion, when you both & A-A made it
to Chennai, to attend the wedding in spite
of time constraints. In fact, the group
photo assembly did take more time as
the ‘Bride’ was in the changing room, and
you all rushed to the Airport from the
Mandapam on Fri 27th Aug ’10, eight years
ago to date.
It was historic for the T-O-D family that the
4 chittappas( RCD, PCD, Gippy & you) could
participate in ‘ Naandhi ‘ ritual and the
Muhurtham over the 2 days,just to bless us
both & the newly-weds.My Ammaji was
delighted beyond words ! To have the senior-
most Radha Chitti & Ruma Kaki in the
Mandapam was indeed a Bonus. The other
noted elders to grace the wedding were
Manohar & Shridhar chittappas,with Suguna
& the large ‘Koratti’ clan of Jeji mama.As
tweeted by Suresh on WA, it was indeed
a large ‘phamily’ gathering.
To do justice to the song quoted above, the
Muhurtham at Chennai was followed by the
‘Bou – bhath’ceremony (& a grand Reception)
at Kolkata; and where a ” Vegetarian ” Fish
( Cooked Vegetables shaped like a fish !)
was served for us vegetaians. So we did
have ” Machchi Daal ” for lunch that Sunday !
With regards & Namaskarams,
Yours Affly, Lakshmi and Kartik
Babu, I am trying to locate a Dore family picture taken in Hyderabad sometime around 1941. The entire Dore family is in the picture and so is our family, my mother standing and Lalita, Manohar and me, all sitting down upfront. Manohar has his index finger on his cheek and I am sitting right in the middle as a two year old with a laddoo in my hand.
It was in our family album but all that was lost in the Lucknow flood in 1971. Would be vey grateful if you can fish it out from TOD and send it to me.
Thanks and all the best to you and the family,
-Shridhar
Family group photo attached. Enjoy Shridhar chitappa!
-Nandagopal Doré
Awesome, thanks! Nandu. Exactly what I was looking for!
-Shridhar
Thank you for your prompt response hitting target on bull’s eye.
Kudos. 👍 🙏
BTW I like to believe I am also in this picture though cannot be perceived. 😄
-Raj Dore
7th Aug 2018
Dear family,
Devika turned 1yr- 1month on 6th Aug.
Enclosed is video of Devika(Viki) with
Poornima…voice-over by me.
Luv & Regards, Kartik
(Note for Mr SK Menon: pls show video
to Mr Giri Dore )
-Kartik Dore
SUNDAY 29th. JUlY 2018 – WODEHOUSE CORNER AT DORE’S
Members arrived with their monsoon gear and for a while there was much animated talk on the new weather pattern that defies reliable forecasts. The daily weather report still gives delightfully vague statements like “One or two scattered showers, heavy to very heavy in some parts, accompanied by thunder and lightning in isolated parts” and so on. Cleverly crafted by some legal expert and hemmed by excellent principal and subordinate clauses. Dore said that reading such a forecast before stepping out is of no use as he for one could not say whether he stands in that part of the city where there will be isolated showers or heavy to very heavy rains. So he looks up the sky and opts to decide to take his umbrella giving the benefit of doubt to the weather blighter.
The reason why Dore has to step out, rain or shine, is the stubborn silence of his land line for the last three weeks and the telephone company has been doing nothing about it. He met the telephone company linesmen, supervisors, managers and several others up in the hierarchy but they were all frank in sincerely saying that nothing can be done about it as the diligent digging of several kilometers around by the Metro underground rail project had struck a fatal blow to the phone cables below and many a junction box has been ripped apart. The end result was that over 1500 phones were laid to rest and so severe has been the damage that there is no saying when the lines would be restored. Every morning and nightfall Dore says a silent prayer and lifts the receiver to check if the patient is showing even feeble signs of breath or recovery or any faint mutter or murmur but the silence persists. Wodehouse, in his place, would have said, “Tombs are chatty in comparison.”
A member observed that, in the last decade or so, hair care and hairdressing has been a preoccupation for thousands who are challenged by falling hair and growing bald silently at the back of the head. It starts with a circular patch, the size of a rupee, quietly increasing (owner unaware) until it reaches the size of an average papad noticed by the family and neighbours. This sets off a crisis and a hectic search is launched for a quick cure. The member said that his next door neighbour received by VPP a large size pack at a rip-off price in response to an advertisement in the back pages of a magazine in praise of a hair oil that guaranteed excellent results. The neighbour was maha-impressed by a warning in the instruction pamphlet to take care when rubbing the oil on the head not to touch it lest hair may grow on the palms. He purchased soft gloves and commenced the treatment. Daily he checked whether there was any growth by standing in his balcony in the bright light of the morning with a mirror, moving it to different angles to get the light and shade effect. By the end of the month he realised that he was the victim of a fraud but the seller could not be contacted as there was no such shop at the address given. Not one to to be defeated easily he researched into the world of wigs. Now wigs, it appears is an old device and much in vogue in India and abroad. Human hair was collected from the heads of corpses, stored and processed for making wigs even from the mediaeval times. Reference was made to an extract from Charles Nicoll’s treatise on “Shakespeare on Silver Street” where the immortal Bard’s lines were quoted:
“The golden tresses of the dead,
The right of sepulchers, were shorn away
To live a second life on second head….”
Strange thing, this love of people for hair, for promotion of healthy tresses and classy clinics for tonics and treatment. At this point, a member narrated how his friend had sported a wig after buying it at a fairly exorbitant price and was, in fact, using it for quite some time. Was his friend comfortable using the wig? “Not quite.” He admitted. It appears however that even the wig was not comfortable though seated imperially on the crown. This was evident when during a ride in a car on a windy day while negotiating a bend round a circular garden, the wig dislodged itself from its HQs and took off in a North-North easterly direction and vanished without even a vote of thanks. Relieved of the foreign body sitting on his head, he did not go for a replacement. He merely wiped his head and thanked God for small mercies.
Then there are those who dye their hair and the market is crowded with modern clinics and expensive stylists with their patents and promises. Anyone who holds out a hand of hope is always welcome to the young and the old. All these in the trade of hair, skin and products of beauty are prophets of hope. PG recalled how in a factory the GM’s steno-secretary one Mr.Nathan who had a basket of white hair on the head went ahead and dyed his hair with the darkest shade of black and turned up for work. The GM who on a normal working day dictated more than 20 letters by noon did not send for his secretary as he was under the mistaken impression that the chap did not show up, even though he was seated as usual in the general office. Late afternoon and the GM was restless and on enquiry was told that Nathan had come in as usual. Nathan was summoned and the GM was aghast to see the unrecognizable revised avatar of his steno-secretary, half smiling and half smirking, after “the alterations and repairs”. The GM, amused but also quite upset, shouted “What! Do you want to join Hollywood now?” Much laughter around defused the situation.
Well, these days if no one is around to make you laugh, you are advised to keep a pet. In his novels Wodehouse used a variety of pets (often to the discomfort of the characters around) from Eustace the monkey in Uneasy Money to a snake and an alligator (Wilfred) belonging to Lotus Blossom. Was this yet another masterly stroke of the author in calling upon his imagination to practical use? Well, it appears that reality is not far behind. In Melbourne a crazy fellow kept a one metre long crocodile as his pet but left his house open. The reptile wandered round the streets on Christmas Day and settled outside a Mall leading to some lady stumbling over it with her shopping bag. The croc was sitting quietly on the footpath and it seems the Police are frantically looking for its owner.
The bizarre tastes of our fellow men, in the end, make up the puzzling fabric of life and laughter.
— PG.
VICHANNA’S CORNER
By V. C. Doré
I have been reading a lot on Hindu mythology of late and this Khushboo (yah Nasha!) and Suhasini controversy made me look back on the different epics. The subject of sexuality and pre martial and post marital or extra marital sex has been openly depicted in many and unlike other cultures ( present-day Tamil Culture!) , have never tried to hide it or put it under the carpet. In my last articlce I gave only a few examples. Indeed such instances of “licentious” behavior and sexual expediency have been culturally honored in ancient India. Pre marital sex not a big deal any way.! When girls and boys reach puberty at 14 and 18 respectively and pursue profession and higher education and do not marry till nearing 30 or above , do you expect then to be virgins!?
Take the case of Urvashi ( the name given to a exquisitely beautiful woman )or another damsel Rambaiy. In the oldest Indian Book in the RigVeda, the King Purvaras ,incidentally. a married man had an affair with Urvashi, without a purohit! And saath pheri. In one of the passages it is claimed that Urvashi copulated with Purvaras three times in day even without the aid of Viagra! The commentator narrates that this misadventure?) befell Urvashi because of ever handy mystic device Saapam . The rishis Varuna and Mitra excited by the charms of Urvashi , both ejaculated, simultaneously! That must have been an great engineering feat!
This act produced Rishi Agastya. Because of the Unfair curse Urvashi was sent to earth to be mortal beings – Aishvarya rai or Kajol You can guess!
The above are little known episodes. But here are well known stories of Vishwammitra’s Tapas to become brahma rishi ,was spoilt by Gods ,when they sent the proverbial Menaka(not to be mistaken for sardarini Maneka wife of late Sanjay Gandhi) to get Vishwamtira aroused .The result was Shakuntala .She had a premarital sex with King Dushyantha. They had a son Bharat. The BJP can proudly call our country India that is Bharat .In our religious ceremonies we chant Bharatavarshe Bharata Khande. It seems we Indians never had properly married relationships/.The forbidden fruit always tastes better.
I will be accused of blasphemy when I talk of the main character of Bhagwat Gita. Pravin Togadia and other Hindu stalwarts will protest. I admire Shri Krishna Bhagwan for his extraordinary strength and prowess in seducing 16,000 Gopis .Among the Gopis the most prominent Radha—a married woman. In Today Laws She will be charged with adulterous relation even with a God under the Hindu law( applicable to only Hindus!).Radha is so well acclaimed that in many part of Benares and UP it is common way of greetings Radhe Shyam. Against some religions and even in Hinduism sex was meant only for procreations is all hogwash- it is evident from the mythology that sex was primarily for pleasure .
I will now say something for which I will be —-? Did any of you know that Vishnu had two wives. One was Laxmi the goddess of wealth .When Vishnu looked for a good hill station he chose Tirumalai ( Tirpathi) No doubt a wonderful cool place. When he was searching for the right spot he fell for a local beauty and wanted to marry her name is Padmavathi. But how could Laxmi agree to stay in the same place with Padmaavthi ? So Vishnu made home for her at the foot of the hill Tiruchanur.. However Vishnu had to pay heavy price for this compromise .Laxmi(goddess of Wealth) would not part with any money for this illicit deal. So Krishna had to borrow from Kubera ( the federal bank!)That is how a Hundi( the tall white bag) at Tirupathi which daily collects crores of Rupees.,Vishu still paying Kubera for his indiscretion. For every story there is authority(?) This you will find in one of the small books on sale at Turpathi –Sthaalpuranam. All this only proves the tolerance of Hindus which the Tamil are unnecessarily talibanising. Laxmi was willing to remain married to Vishnu but Padmavathi had to stay in a Chinna veedu officially recognized for the second woman. in Tamil households.
Have you ever heard of King Vichitraviray? He died before he could make his two wives conceive.—Ambika and Ambalika. Vichitravirya’s mother Satyavathi (what a perfect name for Truth!)who was keen to “vamsahvriddhi” asked his own son(?) Veda Vyasa ( also illegitimate—son of Parashar and the fisherwoman Matsya kandi- Like father like son! to impregnate the two women !.As dutiful son Vyasa did as he was told-( How I wish we had such convenient mothers!).As opposed to normal Yoga this is known as Niyoga This resulted in two sons. .Ambika was so afraid that she closed her eyes- Drhritarashtara was born blind. The other,Ambalika shivered and the son born was with skin trouble. Then the mother sent the maid servant who enjoyed herself and Vidura the wise man was born( proves that the best progeny is born out of pleasant and satisfying sex!),Among Reddi communities in Andhra, even today, it is custom to send maidservant to the prospective bridegroom to check his performance!. All of them were born out of boon bound deities and not their mother’s husband.! I have already stated in my last article about Karna – like present day examples of unprotected sex results in unwanted pregnancies. Today’s Tamil operas state even in unwanted pregnancies, they want to keep their boy friends child-, against pressure to abort see Asai ,Anandam, Kolangal
Adi Sankara who was truly enlightened who wrote many treatises on Advaita Philosophy and Vivekachudamani on Self and non Self has written a beautiful book Saunderya Lahiri- I could not imagine how Sankara who never had sex or liaison with ay woman could write beautifully the charms of a woman in his sensually lyrical verses on Devi .
The temples of Khajuraho . is a classic example. The child widow Hemavathi was ravished by Moon God and that is the start of Rajput dynasty Chandela.
Hinduism is a very frank and liberal religion and talibanisation is indeed very shameful
Yatha bhootha prajanathi. See the Truth as it is.