Putinism: Russia and Its Future With the West - Walter Laqueur
Sunday, August 2, 2015
The Seeker - Karan Bajaj (Spoiler Alerts!)
Honestly, I wouldn't mind working in the fields or eating only millet and eggplants for meals. I wouldn't mind sleeping on a thin mattress in a hut where the only source of light is a candle. But scorpions, lizards and a cobra in the toilet would make me run to find the nearest exit. In a nutshell, I am not destined to become a yogi. Well, at least not in this life for sure, if what the protagonist of this book, Max, has to go through to reach Nirvana is anything to go by.
Okay. Here's another confession. This talk of misty Himalayan mountains, mysterious yogis and a person toiling away in an investment bank getting an epiphany to drop it all and head to the mountains in search of answers to universe's unanswered questions is what made me go for this book in the first place. Honestly, who hasn't had similar thoughts at least once a month? Okay, once a quarter or on an annual basis at least? :-)
So we have Max whose heart isn't anymore in analyzing excels sheets to make some sense out of all that data. He puts in his papers and lands in the country that people believe promises answers to life's most basic questions. A couple of pages full of descriptions of India's hot climate, poverty, population and decibel levels follow. A trip to a market of stolen goods (zebras and tiger in a market, huh?), a couple of nights spent at a youth hostel, an unsuccessful sojourn up the Himalayan peaks, an impromptu trip to Dehradun later he lands up at an Ashram in the middle of a nowhere. And the story loses its way right there. The long winded descriptions of the yogic poses and what they were doing to his body nearly put me in a deep coma. The awakening of his Kundalini was unbelievable enough but ability to walk on water (not sure why he didn't try his hand at turning water to wine while he was at it!) and talk to snakes (Harry would have been as green as a portion cooked by Hermione with envy!) was simply too much for me! I nearly put the book down.
The only thing that appealed to me later was the author's commentary on the subject of religious sects or Akhadaas. Also Max's decision to stay back to look after NaniMa in her last days rather than going in search of a Guru who may or may not teach him anything new.
But if someone were to ask me how Max's story ends, I have no clue. I read the last page twice but was unable to make up my mind about whether Max reaches Nirvana or not. I am not sure about Max but as far as I am concerned, I would forever be seeking an answer to that question!
Okay. Here's another confession. This talk of misty Himalayan mountains, mysterious yogis and a person toiling away in an investment bank getting an epiphany to drop it all and head to the mountains in search of answers to universe's unanswered questions is what made me go for this book in the first place. Honestly, who hasn't had similar thoughts at least once a month? Okay, once a quarter or on an annual basis at least? :-)
So we have Max whose heart isn't anymore in analyzing excels sheets to make some sense out of all that data. He puts in his papers and lands in the country that people believe promises answers to life's most basic questions. A couple of pages full of descriptions of India's hot climate, poverty, population and decibel levels follow. A trip to a market of stolen goods (zebras and tiger in a market, huh?), a couple of nights spent at a youth hostel, an unsuccessful sojourn up the Himalayan peaks, an impromptu trip to Dehradun later he lands up at an Ashram in the middle of a nowhere. And the story loses its way right there. The long winded descriptions of the yogic poses and what they were doing to his body nearly put me in a deep coma. The awakening of his Kundalini was unbelievable enough but ability to walk on water (not sure why he didn't try his hand at turning water to wine while he was at it!) and talk to snakes (Harry would have been as green as a portion cooked by Hermione with envy!) was simply too much for me! I nearly put the book down.
The only thing that appealed to me later was the author's commentary on the subject of religious sects or Akhadaas. Also Max's decision to stay back to look after NaniMa in her last days rather than going in search of a Guru who may or may not teach him anything new.
But if someone were to ask me how Max's story ends, I have no clue. I read the last page twice but was unable to make up my mind about whether Max reaches Nirvana or not. I am not sure about Max but as far as I am concerned, I would forever be seeking an answer to that question!
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Jimmy Boy and Gaylord Bakery
It wasn't my first trip to the Parsi restaurant. In fact, after my first visit, I had decided that next time I will go for their Thali. But I wasn't ravenously hungry that day and so couldn't have done full justice to the meal. So we decided to go a la carte. I wasn't too enamored by Dhansak the last time I was there. But it has got nothing to do with their Dhansak in particular. I suspect that in general I am not very enthusiastic about the idea of mixing lentils with meat.
Anyways, getting back to that Sunday's lunch, we ordered Jardaloo Salli Chicken, Parsi Rotti and Berry Pulao. We had tried Jardaloo Salli Chicken before here and loved it so there were no surprises as far as the taste goes. But like last time I again felt that some of the pieces needed to be cooked a bit more. Rotti was like every other Chapati and Roti - not sure what was different about it to warrant the name 'Parsi Rotti'. The Berry Pulao had dried Pomegranate seeds in it - what we call Anardaana - I was under the impression that the dish is supposed to contain special berries from Iran. The Pulao was not dry (thank God for it!) and was full of flavors. I am sure it is going to be ordered every time we come here in future. I wanted to know what the ruby red cold drink everyone was having was. The server told me that it was Raspberry Soda. I got one as well but it tasted like liquid jelly - didn't like it much.
This time we headed to Gaylord Bakery for sweets and ended up going for their Phirni and a slice of Walnut Pie. I have only word to describe their Phirni - Awesome! It was creamy with a lot of substance (and not just froth as served in many places!) and the sugar content was perfect. I am a lifelong fan now. The walnut pie was good but had a lot of walnuts - not my cup of tea :-( Maybe next time I should go for the peach one.
Anyways, getting back to that Sunday's lunch, we ordered Jardaloo Salli Chicken, Parsi Rotti and Berry Pulao. We had tried Jardaloo Salli Chicken before here and loved it so there were no surprises as far as the taste goes. But like last time I again felt that some of the pieces needed to be cooked a bit more. Rotti was like every other Chapati and Roti - not sure what was different about it to warrant the name 'Parsi Rotti'. The Berry Pulao had dried Pomegranate seeds in it - what we call Anardaana - I was under the impression that the dish is supposed to contain special berries from Iran. The Pulao was not dry (thank God for it!) and was full of flavors. I am sure it is going to be ordered every time we come here in future. I wanted to know what the ruby red cold drink everyone was having was. The server told me that it was Raspberry Soda. I got one as well but it tasted like liquid jelly - didn't like it much.
This time we headed to Gaylord Bakery for sweets and ended up going for their Phirni and a slice of Walnut Pie. I have only word to describe their Phirni - Awesome! It was creamy with a lot of substance (and not just froth as served in many places!) and the sugar content was perfect. I am a lifelong fan now. The walnut pie was good but had a lot of walnuts - not my cup of tea :-( Maybe next time I should go for the peach one.
Kumbhalgarh (Ekaant, Epic Channel, 16th July 2015)
Did you know that there is a wall that is 36 Km long and 24 Feet wide in India? That at first glance it looks eerily similar to the Great Wall Of China? That in fact, as far as long and wide walls go, this one ranks second after the Great Wall worldwide and first in India? Well, I didn't - until Ekaant's 16th July episode told me about it.
This wall happens to be around the fort of Kumbhalgarh, that is located at around 80 Km from the Rajasthani city of Udaypur. This fort was built by the ruler Rana Kumbha(1443-1468). The construction started in 1433 and got over by 1448. Like many places in India, this fort too has a legend associated with it. It is said that when the wall began to be constructed, it kept on crumbling to pieces. A holy man told the King that the Gods are not happy and only if a human being sacrifices his or her life would the construction go as planned. The catch was, of course, that the sacrifice must be made willingly. Obviously no one came forward so finally the holy man offered himself. He instructed that when his head is cut off, they should start builing the wall from the spot where his head landed. Guess they must have followed his instructions otherwise the wall wouldn't be here. The spot has a memorial dedicated to that holy man.
History tells us that Mewad saw happy days during the reign of Rana Kumbha. He built 32 forts and did a lot to decrease the influence of Alauddin Khilji on Rajasthan. Unfortunately, he was murdered by his own elder son. The son took to the throne but as the people of his kingdom were against him he had to leave. He did reach Malawaa but legend has it that he could not stay alive for long - a bolt of lightening killed him. The Gods certainly didn't waste time in meting out the punishment it seems.
The next story associated with this fort is known to almost every Indian. It is about an infant prince who was about to be murdered because another person, Banbir, wanted the throne. Banbir walked into the prince's chamber and asked the servant lady taking care of him where the infant was. She pointed to an infant sleeping soundly nearby and Banbir lost no time in killing the prince. The twist in the tale was that the servant lady had dressed her own son in the prince's clothes and sacrificed him so that the prince could live. Her name was Pannadai and the young prince who returned to Mewad at the age of 15 to claim his right to the throne was Udaysingh. He was crowned the King in 1540. His son Rana Pratap was born in this very fort.
Rana Pratap made sure that Akbar would never realize his dream of conquering Mewad and make it a part of the Mughal empire. Akbar sent a mighty army led by Mansingh to conquer Mewad in 1576 which led to the famous battle of Haldighat. If you were awake during your history classes you would remember that Rana Pratap's horse Chetak has been immortalized in the pages of the history along with his brave master. :-)
Kumbhalgarh was conquered by the Mughal army that was led by Shahabaz Khan in 1578. And history tells us that there were two reasons for this - one, the Mughal army polluted the water sources that Rana Pratap's forces were using and two, there was a sudden (!) explosion in the ammunition stored by the Rajasthani army.
Rana Pratap passed away in 1597. His son Amarsingh was crowned as the King. After Akbar's death in 1605, his son Jehangir came to Mewad to conquer it. A treaty was signed in 1615 and Mewad was more or less war-free after that. India became independent in 1947 and the fort was probably abandoned soon after that.
It has been years since I visited Udaypur and Jaipur. I didn't know about Kumbhalgarh then. But since I have started watching Ekaant, I know it in my heart that one day I will go around the country visiting these forts which have largely been forgotten by everyone else - except for the pages of the history.
This wall happens to be around the fort of Kumbhalgarh, that is located at around 80 Km from the Rajasthani city of Udaypur. This fort was built by the ruler Rana Kumbha(1443-1468). The construction started in 1433 and got over by 1448. Like many places in India, this fort too has a legend associated with it. It is said that when the wall began to be constructed, it kept on crumbling to pieces. A holy man told the King that the Gods are not happy and only if a human being sacrifices his or her life would the construction go as planned. The catch was, of course, that the sacrifice must be made willingly. Obviously no one came forward so finally the holy man offered himself. He instructed that when his head is cut off, they should start builing the wall from the spot where his head landed. Guess they must have followed his instructions otherwise the wall wouldn't be here. The spot has a memorial dedicated to that holy man.
History tells us that Mewad saw happy days during the reign of Rana Kumbha. He built 32 forts and did a lot to decrease the influence of Alauddin Khilji on Rajasthan. Unfortunately, he was murdered by his own elder son. The son took to the throne but as the people of his kingdom were against him he had to leave. He did reach Malawaa but legend has it that he could not stay alive for long - a bolt of lightening killed him. The Gods certainly didn't waste time in meting out the punishment it seems.
The next story associated with this fort is known to almost every Indian. It is about an infant prince who was about to be murdered because another person, Banbir, wanted the throne. Banbir walked into the prince's chamber and asked the servant lady taking care of him where the infant was. She pointed to an infant sleeping soundly nearby and Banbir lost no time in killing the prince. The twist in the tale was that the servant lady had dressed her own son in the prince's clothes and sacrificed him so that the prince could live. Her name was Pannadai and the young prince who returned to Mewad at the age of 15 to claim his right to the throne was Udaysingh. He was crowned the King in 1540. His son Rana Pratap was born in this very fort.
Rana Pratap made sure that Akbar would never realize his dream of conquering Mewad and make it a part of the Mughal empire. Akbar sent a mighty army led by Mansingh to conquer Mewad in 1576 which led to the famous battle of Haldighat. If you were awake during your history classes you would remember that Rana Pratap's horse Chetak has been immortalized in the pages of the history along with his brave master. :-)
Kumbhalgarh was conquered by the Mughal army that was led by Shahabaz Khan in 1578. And history tells us that there were two reasons for this - one, the Mughal army polluted the water sources that Rana Pratap's forces were using and two, there was a sudden (!) explosion in the ammunition stored by the Rajasthani army.
Rana Pratap passed away in 1597. His son Amarsingh was crowned as the King. After Akbar's death in 1605, his son Jehangir came to Mewad to conquer it. A treaty was signed in 1615 and Mewad was more or less war-free after that. India became independent in 1947 and the fort was probably abandoned soon after that.
It has been years since I visited Udaypur and Jaipur. I didn't know about Kumbhalgarh then. But since I have started watching Ekaant, I know it in my heart that one day I will go around the country visiting these forts which have largely been forgotten by everyone else - except for the pages of the history.
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