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Monday, 13 April 2015

Agumbe – Cherrapunji of the South

Agumbe – Cherrapunji of the South

It is popularly referred to as the Cherrapunji of the South, as it receives the second highest rainfall in India. It is also home to the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, the only permanent rainforest research station in India. The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) was founded in 2005 by Romulus Whitaker, a herpetologist........

You must have heard about Agumbe Ghat from drivers or travelers by road. Agumbe is a small village, about 130 km from Mangalore on the west coast, is perched at a height of 826 meters in Shimoga district, Thirthahalli taluk in Malnad region of Karnataka. It is about 357 km from Bangalore, the state capital. And about 24 km from Shringeri and 55 km from the Arabian sea and the west coast of India. Udupi is the nearest railway station. The nearest airport to Agumbe is at Mangalore. Agumbe is associated with rainforest conservation efforts, documentation of medicinal plants, tourism (trekking and photography), power generation through hydro-electric and promotion of cottage industry.

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One of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats, Agumbe offers view of the beautiful sunset on the Arabian sea from the Sunset Point on the Agumbe–Udupi road. It is ten minutes from Agumbe. Travellers on the highway from Shimoga to Udupi or Mangalore stop here to enjoy the cool climate and breath-taking sight. Under the Koppen system of climate classification, Agumbe is an Am climate that is tropical monsoon climate. A dense fog hangs over the ghat adding to its natural beauty.

The Agumbe Medicinal Plants Conservation Area (MPCA) was established in 1999 to protect the important medicinal plants of the region. The Foundation for Revitalisation of Local health Traditions (FRLHT) recorded 371 plant species in the MPCA at Agumbe, of which 182 were medicinal.

The driest month in Agumbe is February with an average rainfall of 1 mm. The wettest month is July with an average rainfall of 2,647 mm. The mean annual rainfall is 7,620 mm (300 in). The highest recorded rainfall in a single month was 4,508 mm (177.5 in) in August 1946. There are a number of waterfalls in the locality. They are a beautiful sight.

Barkana Falls: It is northeast of Agumbe . It is 850 ft in height. It’s the tenth highest fall in India and falls in to the Seetha river which powers a hydro-electric system. The viewing point is about 4 km from the end of the approach road.

Onake Abbi Falls: at 400 ft is smaller than Barkana Falls. In Kannada, onake means pounding stick, a tool used by villagers to pound grains to flour. Trekking for about 5 km through rainforest leads one to get a open view of the falls.

Jogigundi Falls: is a small waterfall near Agumbe. This is about 800m deep and usually full of water.

Koodlu Theertha waterfall is located about 20 km from Agumbe.

The Mani reservoir lies to the north. Being part of the Western Ghats mountain range, Agumbe lies in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also close to the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kudremukh National Park. As Agumbe is a small hill village the population is roughly around 500 – 800 people. The village covers an area of 3 sq kms. The villagers are mainly farmers cultivating on the land around. The Raksha Kavacha Weavers’ Co-operative Society represents the beginning of cottage industry in the village.

This forest is also a great place to view the longest venomous snake in the world – the King Cobra. It was here RK Narayan’s classic tale of Malgudi Days, a serial shown on television, was entirely shot here. The lush greenery and cool atmosphere is a pleasant change from the sea level hot and humid weather. It is accessible by road on the way to Udupi or Mangalore. The winding ghat road is an experience in itself. During monsoon one can see the nature at its best, but one has to be careful of the wet and slippery roads which are accident prone.

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Scientists say they have found a way to extract colour from black

Researchers claim they have found a way of extracting vivid colours from patterns typically seen as black. Surfaces appear black because their nanoscale structures that reflect light are completely disordered, causing all light to be absorbed. With a technique to control the way light passes through the disordered surface, they reproduced a Chinese water colour painting with high colour accuracy.

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Rajwada at Sawantwadi,
Maharastra, India

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Sunday, 5 April 2015

Do you know the natural powers of Rudraksh?

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Wearing rudraksh mala (necklace) or rosary of these beads is not a fashion statement. I have heard from elders the benefits and the power of rudraksh. But does it really help? In ancient India, the sages and holy-men wore them round their necks, arms, etc because of their invisible powers of emitting positive energy and health benefits. The dried fruit, a bead is called the rudraksh. As per experts there are 38 types of rudraksh, and are available in 21 faces or mukhi as they are commonly known. The different faces of rudraksh signify or represent different powers they emit, thereby providing different benefits to the person who wears it on his body.

Rudraksh, known as a divine mystic bead is said to have originated from the tears of Lord Shiva. The bead is known to pacify negative and malefic effects of various planets on human life. A rudraksh is suggested by analsing one's date of birth. The mystery of the entire life of a person is hidden in his date of birth, as such the career path, success or failure in life, relationship and even physical ailments can be known by analysis of one's date of birth. Ancient medical texts claim that a rudraksh can help balance the vital chakras of the human body, which control the bile, wind and phlegm. It is without side effects and bestows on its wearer positive and beneficial effects. Rudraksh is an amalgamation of two words Rudra meaning 'Shiva' and Aksha meaning 'eyes'.

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The red (rudra) seeds (aksa) of the tree Eleocarpus Ganitrus are very popular as a folk remedy and has curative powers. The hills of the lower Himalayas are covered with these trees and other similar species, which has a warm, dry soil and offers sloping drainage. Apart from curative properties, it is believed these large, hard, reddish-black seeds have miraculous powers. The ridges in the rudraksh are called mukhi. Traditionally, the seeds have ridges (mukhi) varying from one mukhi to 31 mukhi. Rudraksh in the range of one to nine mukhi are generally prescribed as remedies for astrological debilities of the nine grahas (planets), while the range ten mukhi to fourteen mukhi are assigned to the deities according to the local customs and sacred traditions.

One single tree can produce hundreds of blue fruits. Inside these fruits are seeds that bear all of the mukhi (ridge) patterns, from one to 30 plus mukhi. Authentic and natural rudraksh never float in water, whereas the man-made artificial beads from poly-resin found in the markets, especially near the Chinese border always float. The most common non-medicinal or non-remedial use for rudraksh seeds is making beads to be strung as a mala (rosary) for counting prayers during recitation of mantras.

People are advised to select a rudraksh that suits your body and personality. Any individual irrespective of his/her religion, caste or creed, whether a vegetarian or non-vegetarian, can wear a rudraksh to benefit from the positive effects it emits. Rudraksh beads have intrigued humans since time immemorial. Ancient Hindu religious scripts say that a rudraksh is believed to have originated from the tears of Lord Shiva.

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A rudraksh not only has mythological significance but also scientific relevance. Research conducted by modern scientists has proved that a rudraksh has inherent electromagnetic, para-magnetic and bio-magnetic properties as well as inductive capacitance, which empowers the bead to cure the human body medically and spiritually. On the material plane, it helps pacifying the malefic effects of different planets thereby ensuring success, career growth and prosperity.

The tri-mukhi or three-faced rudraksh, for example represent agni (fire) and is used for avoiding or overcoming bad luck, and for acquiring good education and wealth. It is said the gera-mukhi or eleven-faced rudraksh represents Lord Indra and it is valuable and is normally kept in the place of worship or cash box, as it is believed that it attracts enormous wealth. Besides it is also believed that, women who are unable to conceive a child, are soon blessed with one. Sometime back, an NGO working for domestic and stray animals decided to try this rudraksh for the benefit of ailing animals, the results were encouraging.

It is believed power, wealth and all the comforts of life can be yours if you wear an ek-mukhi or single faced rudraksh, which is relatively rare, highly valued and very expensive. Power means spiritual power. Sometimes more than one auspicious mark, such as trishul (trident), om, serpent, etc is found on a single-faced rudraksha. Former Indian Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi used to wear a mala (rosary) made of 108 ek-mukhi rudraksh, and it is commonly believed that these single-faced rudraksh brought her immense power and fame. As per custom, one is supposed to recite ‘om yam ham shroun ye’ eleven times before wearing the rudraksh.

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Do-mukhi or two-faced rudraksh brings about a positive change in the powers of concentration and retention. It is useful for those seeking spiritual power. They are supposed to recite ‘om shreem hreem kshowm vreem om’ eleven times before wearing it.

Wearing a tri-mukhi or three-faced rudraksh brings you learning, wealth and helps in warding off bad luck. They should recite ‘om rem hoom hreem hoom om’ eleven times before wearing it.

The char-mukhi or four-faced rudraksh is generally associated with wealth and good health. They should recite ‘om vam vam tham ham yee’ eleven times before wearing it.

Success in all walks of life and good health is assured if you wear a panch-mukhi or a five-faced rudraksh. These are the most common ones worn by people at large. One should recite ‘om hram aam kshamyom svaha’ eleven times before wearing it.

The general belief is che-mukhi or six-faced rudraksh helps in attaining some ‘siddhi’ or special power. It also brings success in general and business in particular. It is supposed to help you to get a distinction in education. They should recite ‘om hreem shreem kleem soum yem’ eleven times before wearing it.

Rudraksh tree

For some unknown reason, saat-mukhi or seven-faced rudraksh is rarely worn. It is associated with wealth, esteemed and respect and spiritual evolution. They should recite ‘om hram kreem hreem soum’ eleven times before wearing it.

Rudraksh has an old tradition in Hindu culture. It is also a symbol of spiritualism. It is worn for positive energy emitted from the bead. However it is suggested that one should wear the rudraksh only after consulting an expert in this tradition. It is said the right rudraksh emits positive energy and is considered beneficial to the person wearing it. Similarly, doing Mahamritunjaya mantra japa using rudraksh mala, offering bel leaves and Panchamrut on Sivalinga is considered to be holy.

One can also select a rudraksh based on the purpose or problem faced by an individual. Normally the date of birth of an individual is analyzed to determine planetary influences, both good and malefic, on an individual’s life thereafter, the right rudraksh is advised. Rudraksha symbolises the link between heaven and earth. The sacred beads are also believed to boost luck and prosperity of the wearer significantly. As per some astrologers, rudraksha can also help remove malefic planetary effects.

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Sunday, 29 March 2015

Living Languages & Many Tongues

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Language is a means of communication. Human being is a social animal and needs to communicate and interact with other humans; and this is what separates us from other species. According to Ethnologue, a research project that tracks living languages across the globe, India is the most diverse with over 450 active languages. Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Nigeria have more active languages.

Identification of a language can be controversial as some experts identify language on purely linguistic grounds while others also include social, cultural and political factors.

Indian constitution recognizes 22 languages as the official languages of the country. There is a demand to include 38 more. The peculiar thing about India is that even one language changes in style, tone and spoken words after every few kilometres.

There are about a dozen countries in the world with more than 200 living and spoken languages, including indigenous languages. They are as follows – Congo 215 languages, Brazil 228, Australia 244, Cameroon 281, Mexico 288, China 301, USA 420, India 454, Nigeria 539, Indonesia 707 and Papua New Guinea 838. There are many countries like Philippines where more than 4-5 languages are spoken and Tagalog is predominantly spoken among-st the Filipino population.

Besides, there are many countries with two or less languages – Cabo Verde 2 languages, Iceland 2, Saint Lucia 2, Samoa 2, San Marino 2, Vatican 2 and North Korea 1. Since earlier days, English and French were considered Lingua Franca; languages, a means of communication in a vast area by different people who were once ruled or influenced by either of these countries.

A country as vast and diverse as India, Hindi is considered the national language though it is not officially so. Since the British ruled India for over 200 years, English acts as a link language among-st Indians and plays an important role in all spheres of life, be it mere communication, business, law, legal matters, etc. A state like Karnataka for example, the state language is Kannada, but in north Kanara, Konkani is spoken. In south Kanara, Tulu, Konkani and Beary are spoken. In Coorg, Kodgu and Coorgi are spoken. In Bhatkal, near Mangalore, the Muslims speak a language with a lot of Arabic words. In Andhra Pradesh, now divided into Telengana and Seemandra, Telugu is the state language, a different Urdu called Deccani Urdu, with a sprinkling of words of surrounding areas, is spoken with a south Indian accent by the Muslims here. Similarly, the Marathi spoken in western and coastal Maharastra is different from what is spoken in Vidarbha region and interior Maharastra. A similar pattern is noticed across India in different states of the union. In Goa, some elderly Goans who have seen Portuguese rule, speak Portuguese. And in Pondicherry, a few people speak French. These are some of reminiscences and legacies left behind by the old rulers.

It is said most of the Indian languages have derived from the ancient Indian language, Sanskrit, considered to be the mother of all languages. In Karnataka, a village near Mandhya still converse in only Sanskrit. And in some regions with a very few people speaking in some of the old languages, many of these old languages are not active and dying to be lost forever. They will be extinct and lost to mankind.

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Tuesday, 17 March 2015

The Velankanni Basilica

Tamilnadu is famous for its numerous ancient temples, believed to be over 3000 in number with a rich and long history, but it is also home to the Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to Mother Mary and is a major pilgrim center. The Velankanni Basilica, commonly referred to as Our Lady of Good Health or Sacred Arogya Matha Church, is renowned to have miraculous healing powers and attracts over 20 million devotees from all over the world every year. The town was among the worst hit by the tsunami in 2004, but the shrine was safe and not touched by the nature’s fury.....

Most people may have heard about Velankani in Tamilnadu in south India but wouldn’t know much about it. With the fine blend of history and divinity it has become a part of spiritual tourism in India. It is a divine place for the faithful and devoted Christians. Not only do the Catholics from all over, but people of other faiths too believe in the goodness and revere the church as Our Lady of Good Health. There are numerous stories of the miraculous power of the church.

On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, on the east coast of India is the quiet district of Nagapattinam, it is home to the most revered of all Marian sanctuaries in the world. The Velankanni Basilica, commonly referred to as Our Lady of Good Health or Sacred Arogya Matha Church, is renowned to have miraculous healing powers that attracts over 20 million devotees from all over the world every year. Christians believe in visiting it at least once to see the holy place for blessings and fulfillment of their prayers. The devotees feel a great sense of fulfillment and sense of divine satisfaction. Many believe the structure and church is really overwhelming and emits a divine power.

Annually over 20 million pilgrims visit the shrine from all over India and abroad, and an estimated 3 million people visit the shrine during its annual festival falling on 29 August to 8 September every year. The 11-day annual festival concludes with the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of Mary on 8 September.

Velankanni is popularly known as the Lourdes of the East. As per the legend, the origins of this church can be traced back to 16^th century and its founding is attributed three miracles – the apparition of Mary and Jesus to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the survival of Portuguese sailors devastated by a violent storm in the sea. It is built in the Gothic style, was modified by the Portuguese and then further expanded later to take in the influx of pilgrims. The church building was bestowed the status of a basilica in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. Since then the place has attracted devotees, catholic and other faiths from all over.

The vision of Mother Mary is believed to have appeared to the shepherd, and she had asked him for some milk to feed the infant Jesus. The followers believe in the chastity and purity of Mother Mary and her miraculous healing powers. Perhaps one of the greatest miracles was seen in the year when the great tsunami hit the eastern coast of India destroying life and property all around; however the shrine was untouched and unscathed by the nature’s fury though it was not very far from the devastated area. This has reaffirmed the belief of the devotees who flock here specially during the eleven day festival.

The church is located about 350 km south of Chennai and it is easily accessible by rail, road and air. Nagapattinam, 15 km away from Velankanni, is well connected via rail transport to all major cities in India through Chennai and Trichy. Tiruchirapalli International Airport is situated at a distance of 165 km from the church.

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Also read:

Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, Goa

The Story of Milagres Church, Mangalore

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Hornbill Festival:

Hornbill festival is held in Nagaland during December. The festival is packed with plenty of folk performances and rock shows by local artistes. It's also dubbed as the Festival of Festivals. It's a ten days event where various tribes of Nagaland come together to celebrate their colourful and rich culture. If you're a music lover, then the Hornbill International Rock Contest hosted every year featuring up-and-coming bands across the country. It also showcases the rich traditions of Nagaland across various local tribes.

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Sri Krishna Temple, Udupi,
Karnataka in India

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Sunday, 1 March 2015

The Pre-historic Art Gallery

Not many people may have heard of Bhimbetka or the rare paintings. Bhimbetka is 45 km from Bhopal, in Madhya Pradesh in India. The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters are a glimpse into a Paleolithic civilization. The oldest painting at Bhimbetka goes back 30,000 years. The name Bhimbetka comes from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandav Bhim, as legend goes, had rested here during his travels. However UNESCO decided to grant it a World Heritage Site status as late as 2003.

The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters are an archaeological site of Paleolithic civilization, exhibiting the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent. It is located in the Raisen District, 45 km south of Bhopal at the southern edge of the Vindhya hills, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it is near Abdullaganj town and inside the Ratanpani Wildlife Sanctuary. South of these rock shelters are the rangers of Satpura hills. At least some of the shelters were inhabitated by Homo erectus more than 100,000 years ago. Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found amongst the Bhimbetka rock shelters is approximately 30,000 years old. They were declared a World Heritage Site in 2003.

The name Bhimbetka is associated with Bhima, one of the Pandavas in the epic Mahabharata. The word Bhimbetka is said to have derived from Bhimbaithka, meaning – the sitting place of Bhima. The entire area is covered by thick vegetation with abundant natural resources with perennial water flow, natural shelters, rich forest with flora and fauna, and it bears a striking resemblance to similar rock art sites as in Kakadu National Park in Australia, the cave paintings of the Bushmen in Kalahari Desert and Upper Paleolithic Lascaux cave paintings in France.

Bhimbetka has over 750 caves with only fifteen open to visitors. Etched on the walls are paintings, most of them depicting sample sketches of animals, both domestic and wild, including bison, tiger, rhinoceros, elephant, wild boar, monkey, antelope and peacock. There is also a depiction of hunting scenes and battle. The more recent paintings depict dance resembling the formation of the Gond tribes that inhabit the region. A mixture of vegetable dyes, animal fat, manganese, red stones were used for the paintings. It was only in 1957 that Indian archeologist VS Wakankar discovered these caves. They lay hidden deep in a forest, and it is the reason for their late discovery and preservation.

For more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGzAbkHOyUU

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Picture Post:

Penha De Franca Church across river Mandovi, Goa in India

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The book forays into the life of Bharata who stood tall in the midst of others in Ramayana. The story of Bharata every Indian has grown up with, but did not notice his role in the episode.

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