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Thursday, 16 September 2021

Retire happily. Enjoy the second innings!

Retire happily. Enjoy the second innings!

In fact, you have only retired from your job or profession, rest everything is the same. Hence no need to change your lifestyle. Continue to live your life as before with a benefit of more time at your disposal. Continue with your usual daily routine. Some seniors after retirement try to change their eating habits. They try diet control, live on juices, traditional snacks and reduce intake of food as compared to earlier days and live on frugal meals. On the contrary eat as before, enjoy your meals. Avoid rigorous exercise; take up walking and loosening exercises........

Many seniors who retire from their job or profession think they have retired in all spheres of life. Actually it's a new innings rich with experience and understanding of life. Once at a political meeting, a politician warned his colleagues and officials – Don’t mess with senior citizens. They have the time, experience and the purpose to pursue the matter!

The big mistake retired people do is trying to change their lifestyle, eating habits, feel they have done all in life. And tend to relax and take a back seat. Keep yourself occupied in something you love to do - reading, writing, painting, traveling or devoting your free time constructively in some NGO. With modern technology and internet, one has many options. Make a choice and pursue it. Actually age is in the mind. If you think young, you will feel and behave young.

The mantra is, keeps your legs strong as it is said, aging starts from the feet upward. Hence when you are old, the feet must always remain strong. Don’t be afraid of thinning hair or it turning grey or skin sagging or wrinkles or going out of shape in some areas. As summarized by the US Magazine ‘Prevention’, strong leg muscles are listed on the top, as the most important and essential one. If you do not move your legs for two weeks, your leg strength will decrease by 10 years.

A study by the University of Copenhagen in Denmark found that both old and young, during the two weeks of inactivity, the legs muscle strength can be weakened by a third which is equivalent to 20-30 years of ageing. As our leg muscles weaken, it will take a long time to recover, even if we do rehabilitation and exercises. Therefore, regular exercise like walking with proper footwear is very important. The whole body weight/load remains and rest on the legs. The foot is a kind of pillars, bearing the weight of the human body. Interestingly, 50% of a person's bones and 50% of the muscles are in the two legs. The largest and strongest joints and bones of the human body are also in the legs. Strong bones, strong muscles, and flexible joints form the Iron Triangle that carries the most important load on the human body. 70% of human activity and burning of energy in one's life is done by the two feet. When young you take it for granted, but once old you realize the true meaning.

The foot is the center of body locomotion. Both the legs together have fifty percent of the nerves of the human body, fifty percent of the blood vessels and fifty percent of the blood flowing through them. It is the large circulatory network that connects the body. Only when the feet are healthy then the convention current of blood flows, smoothly, so people who have strong leg muscles will definitely have a strong heart. And live a healthy and happy life.

Aging starts from the feet upwards. As a person gets older, the accuracy and speed of transmission of instructions between the brain and the legs decreases, unlike when a person is young. In addition, the so-called Bone Fertilizer Calcium will sooner or later be lost with the passage of time, making the elderly more prone to bone fractures. Bone fractures in the elderly can easily trigger a series of complications, especially fatal diseases such as brain thrombosis. So take care not to slip or fall.

Exercising the legs is never too late, even after the age of 60 years. The feet/legs will gradually age with time, exercising our feet/legs is a life-long task. Only by strengthening the legs, one can prevent further aging. Please walk for at least 30-40 minutes daily to ensure that your legs receive sufficient exercise and to ensure that your leg muscles remain healthy. Hence it is said – Legs for life.

Senior citizens should bear this in mind - never teach anyone anything, unless requested, even if you are sure you are right. Do not try to help unless asked for. Just be ready and available for it if possible. Do not give unsolicited opinion all the time. Do not expect everyone to follow your opinion, even though you feel your opinion was the best. Don't impose yourself on anyone on any subject. Don't try to protect your loved ones from all the misfortunes of the world. Just love them and pray for them. Don't complain about your health, your neighbors, your retirement or your woes all the time. Don't expect gratitude from children. There are no ungrateful children; there are only stupid parents, who expect gratitude from their children.

Don't waste your last money on anti-ageing treatments. It's useless like gone with the wind. Better spend it on a trip. It's always worth it. Take care of your spouse, even if he/she becomes a wrinkled, helpless and moody old person. Don't forget he/she was once young, good looking and cheerful, may be he/she is the only one who really needs you right now. Try to understand new technologies and keep up with time. Follow the latest news, constantly study something new, a new skill, a new dish, a new indoor game, do not fall behind, and change with time. Don't blame yourself for whatever happened to your life or to your children's lives, you did everything you could. Preserve your dignity and integrity in any situation, till the end. Keep your investments, properties and savings to yourself and your spouse. Anyway it will go to your children after you are gone.

Remember, you're still alive and kicking, someone needs you. Dress well, be presentable, your children and others will appreciate it. Be in touch with your loved ones and friends. Talking to them from time to time is like a gush of fresh air which recharges and freshens up the body, mind and soul. Lead a happy retired life. Remember you have not retired from life. Be as usual, enjoy life. You have time on your side for various activities. Celebrate life - eat, drink and have fun but with a small warning - do it within limit. Just as kids will be kids, oldies will be oldies!

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Sunday, 12 September 2021

Burma’s connection with Ratnagiri?

Croma MediBuddy USTRAA

Burma’s connection with Ratnagiri?

Many might wonder what Burma has to do with Ratnagiri. But you will be surprised to know there is a strong connection, a historic connection which can’t be forgotten. The Burmese king and the royal family lived here in a palace for many years, and still exist in Ratnagiri. It’s an imposing structure, with traditional design in red. A quiet reminder of the history of the days gone by which had seen better days and the glorious past during the British rule in India. Read on to know how did the Burma king, and his royal family arrive from faraway Burma to Ratnagiri, a little known remote town on the west coast of India in the state of Maharashtra.

For many years on our journey from Mumbai to Goa, travelling by rail or road we passed Ratnagiri. We had heard of a few places of interest to be seen here. But never bothered to stop and explore the spots. Later we planned a specific trip to Ratnagiri to spend a few days and visit the places around. We went by road in two cars to enjoy the beautiful sights on the way. We booked accommodation in advance and stayed in a home stay; a well laid-out and furnished bungalow with modern amenities and parking. Through a contact, hired a vehicle from a local to visit and explore the tourist spots, beach, historical places and famous temples around Ratnagiri. It was worth a visit as we got a chance to see some interesting places, some historical sites and popular temples and monuments.

Ratnagiri is a port town in Maharashtra, western India and has a busy station on the route of Konkan Railway. And can be reached by road and rail. Overlooking the Arabian Sea, Ratnadurg Fort and the Bhagwati temple and a lighthouse are the main attractions. Northeast, a fish museum and aquarium that includes turtles and a whale skeleton draw crowds. North of the city, the popular Ganpatipule Temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesh. Northeast, visitors can visit Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, a forest area sheltering tigers. Ratnagiri has a diverse range of tourist attractions in the form of monuments, temples, and beaches. The beaches of this region are the most popular ones and some of the famous sand trails are Pawas Beach, Ganeshghule Beach, Ganpatipule Beach, etc. Places to visit in Ratnagiri - Bhatye Beach, Mandavi Beach, Marine Aquarium & Museum, Thiba Palace/Thibaw Palace, Ratnadurg Fort, Ganeshgule Beach and temple are the main attractions.

Ratnagiri is the birthplace of Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He was born here on 23 July 1856 after which he moved to Pune with his family when he was 10 years old. Ratnagiri was also is the place of confinement of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar from 1921 to 1935, initially in jail and subsequently under confinement.

The native and the most spoken language in Ratnagiri district is Maharashtra's state language Marathi along with a local dialet Malvani and other languages like English and Hindi are spoken in the urban areas like Ratnagiri and Chiplun. Mango, the king of fruits, is famous for its splendid taste all over India as well as the world over. The Ratnagiri district is famous for Alphonso mangoes. More than 65,000 acres of land is under mango cultivation, and the biggest production of Alphonso mangoes in India is in Ratnagiri.

I had read about the Burma connection some years ago. Thibaw Palace was the residence of the exiled king of Burma. And it was during this trip, we found out about the Palace, the Burmese king, the Thibaw rulers and decided to visit the place. On the outskirts of Ratnagiri town we reached a large open area with a few vehicles parked on the road with tourists and people gathered at the huge gates leading to the palace grounds. Once inside, the pathway leading to the palace was bare with only plants and trees. And at the far end the palace, a massive red colour structure stood out. A mute spectator to the good and bad days of long gone by years.The palace was built in 1910 for the king, with a marble-floored dance hall and archaeological museum.

In 1886, King Thibaw of Burma was exiled to Ratnagiri after he was deposed and his country annexed by the British Empire. Along with his pregnant wife, his junior queen, and his two young daughters, he lived in Ratnagiri for many years, as a prisoner of the British Crown. Ratnagiri was chosen for its remote location, some 3,000 miles from Thibaw's former royal seat of Mandalay, accessible only by sea for parts of the year and far from any territory of any rival European power who could influence or try to rescue the king from here.

Burma (now Myanmar) was partitioned from India in 1935. Britishers took over the Burma kingdom and arrested King Thibaw last Burmese king. Thibaw, was interned under the British from 1886 until his death in 1916. The Thibaw Palace was built by the Britishers to keep King Thibaw under house arrest. Though the king was under British rule, he was given legal rights and was treated with state honour.

Thiba palace was built by British Government to keep the former king of Brahmadesh (now Myanmar) Thabba Min in house arrest. It was built in the year 1910. Until 1916, the king and queen of Myanmar lived in this palace. Now there is a museum in this palace. Some of the things used by King Thibaw are still preserved in this palace. The palace is a beautifully constructed three storied structure with sloping roofs. Semi-circular wooden windows with beautiful carvings are the main attraction of this structure. There is a dancing hall with marble floor on the first floor. One Buddha idol is installed at the back side of the palace. This idol was brought to India by King Thibaw. One can have a mesmerizing view of Someshwar creek, Bhatye Bridge and Arabian Sea from this point. This place is also famous for the beautiful Sunset.

British after defeating the local Rajas in battle did not kill or slay the rulers outright. The distant exiles were meant to assuage the feeling of the subjects. The King is housed at a distant place with no harm to them was the narrative. This policy allowed some time for the British to rebuild a semblance of the administrative machinery of the respective rulers and allow time for the subjects to accept British authority, rather than demanding abrupt overnight submission. A hefty financial package was allotted to each ruler so that they could live a comfortable life when in exile, also giving the rulers a stake in the arrangement and thus dissuading them from fomenting any trouble. It was astute thinking and smart policy of the British that helped them to control and rule vast territories. Bahadur Shah Zaffar, the last Moghul emperor was defeated and was exiled from Delhi to Burma where he died later.

The Burmese King and his royal family lived in comfort and a peaceful life away from his people and kingdom. The King was granted certain special favours to keep them happy and not create any problems for them in his land. They lived here till their end. Some of their descendants are still living a simple and an unknown life. Once the rulers now most of them live in abject poverty.

In 1995, Hindustan Times contacted the descendants of the Thibaw rulers in Ratnagiri. They even managed to locate the grand-daughter of King Thibaw, known as Tu Tu. As per the report -Tu Tu, was brought up in poverty and not being educated, forgot all about her royal heritage except having one sorry looking poster painting of her mother kept in her home as a faint memory among the many gods. Without money or education, Tu Tu married a local mechanic and had at least six or seven children, all of whom are more Indian in appearance, religion and culture. Tu Tu, for whom Burma is a forgotten past, still lives in Ratnagiri as an old woman and speaks fluent Marathi with a rural Maharashtrian accent.

This is the sad story of the Burmese King and his royal family, defeated by the British, exiled in a far away land and settled in a remote town so that nobody could reach him to plan or create any trouble for the British rulers in Burma. A sad end of the royal family compared to the glorious days in Burma.

The best way to reach Ratnagiri is to take a bus or a taxi from Mumbai if you plan a road trip. One can also reach by railway as almost all trains on the Konkan railway halt here. Ratnagiri station is about 7 km and Ratnagiri bus station is 1 km from the palace. Best time to visit Ratnagiri is from October to March. The summer here is pretty hot from March till May. Ratnagiri is famous for Haapus Aam (Alphonso Mango). Tourists can buy cashews, mangoes, aam panna, kokum sharbhat and other local delicacies.

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Monday, 6 September 2021

Agalega – A remote outpost

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Agalega – A remote outpost

It’s possibly true if you have already heard about Agalega, India’s remote island military base a little away from Mauritius. Its main purpose is for vigilance, keeping the ears and eyes open to keep a tab on what’s happening in the area and the shipping routes mainly to counter China’s aggressive design. Agaléga is one of the outer islands of Mauritius located in the Indian Ocean, about 1,000 km north of Mauritius island. The population of the islands as at July 2011 was estimated at 300. A lot has been said and written about this for a while now.

Agalega, specifically North Agalega Island is the island where India has shown interest and is building its military base. It is controlled by Mauritius. It has Reunion Island to its south, controlled by the French and Djibouti Island Chinese base in the north. Hence its location is strategic and important for India to hear and keep an eye in the Indian Ocean.

Agalega base will serve two major objectives for India. One, to coordinate with the allies in case of any emergency, and recently India conducted a joint patrol with French vessels from the Reunion. And the other main objective being surveillance of the vast ocean, and keeping a strict vigil on the vital shipping routes. Keeping an eye on Southern Africa trade routes as most of China’s energy trade is concentrated here. The island is just around 12 km long and 1.5 km wide. It has a population of less than 300 and is small even by island standards. From a ghost island to a strategic military base is a big turnaround for this quiet island. But why is India keen on developing this military base?

Agalega was a wilderness surrounded by sea, but in 2015 India sought access to it to develop it as a staging point for its Air force and Navy. After six years, the island has a 3,000 meter-long runway, is capable of hosting India’s new Boeing patrol aircraft and a new seaport is being constructed to the north.

Beijing is looking to box India in with the String of Pearls initiative to contain both land as well as the maritime footprint of India in the region. String of Pearls refers to the network of Chinese military and commercial facilities developed by China in countries falling on the Indian Ocean between the Chinese mainland and Port Sudan. India is very much aware about this trap and its implications and is working to counter measures to fox the Chinese plan and weaken or demolish the String of Pearls initiative.

Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is India's policy or doctrine of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. In 2015, Prime Minister Modi introduced the vision of SAGAR or 'Security and Growth for all in the Region' to focus on cooperative measures for sustainable use of the oceans. The mission also provides a framework for a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain in the region.

Mauritius has denied a report that it has allowed India to build a military base on the remote island of Agalega, with a government official telling AFP that no such agreement exists between the two nations. Agaléga are two outer islands of Mauritius located in the Indian Ocean, about 1,000 km north of Mauritius island. However he stressed India and Mauritius share a good relationship and are partners in trade and business. And there is a special bond with India given the vast population in Mauritius of Indian origin.

Australia too is shifting its focus – PM Scott Morrison announced close to $580 million to upgrade four military bases to the nation’s north once again due to the aggressive moves by China. Upgrades including larger airstrips in the Northern territory, new fire ranges, and training facilities are being planned.

For India, Agalega is mainly a surveillance post to keep itself abreast and ahead of the designs and plans of hostile countries towards India and the region. In future it could be used as the launching pad for the air force and navy to counter any evil designs in the vast region.

Big Bazaar Kama Ayurveda

Thursday, 5 August 2021

Break the chain!

Decathlon Kama Ayurveda

Break the chain!

This is a true short story which many elderly people will identify. This is the story of many senior citizens whose children are working abroad for a better life. The aged parents pass their retired days either in loneliness or in the hope of seeing their loved ones soon. They come to stay for a few days and go back. This is the harsh reality of life. Enjoy the days you are together and then wait for their next visit.

An elderly couple, both Mr and Mrs Pai worked for the bank and finally retired. They had only one son, well educated, who was married and settled in USA for a few years now. They lived in a modest flat in Mumbai. For the first few years of retirement, they were happy enjoying their retired life, doing things at their leisure. But time to time, they looked back on their earlier busy days of going to office and bringing up their son.

Later after a couple of years, they were bored and loneliness set in. For a change Mr Pai suggested to his wife, let's go to Sawantwadi and stay in our old house for a few months and then return refreshed to Mumbai. His wife agreed and got busy packing. And after a few days, they left for Sawantwadi, the place where Mr Pai and spent his childhood grew up. Both were excited to go there after a long gap to be one with nature. They boarded a luxury bus and reached their destination after many hours. On reaching their house, though tired, were excited to clean up the place which had been locked for a long time. They got busy cleaning and dusting the place.

As they were busy cleaning, he heard somebody call from outside, a familiar voice. He saw an elderly man. He was thrilled to see his childhood friend Prasad who somehow got the information about his friend's arrival to his birth place. He joined them in the cleaning and had a long chat of the good old days and old friends. Once all the cleaning was done, he left promising to come the next day. Prasad arrived the next day; the couple enjoyed his company and had a long chat. While leaving in the afternoon, he told the couple - Tomorrow you both should come home for lunch. Mr Pai replied- let's join you later during Ganesh festival or some other festival. Prasad added, my wife too insisted you should come tomorrow for lunch. And they reluctantly agreed.

Next day the elderly couple reached Prasad's house before 1 in the afternoon. They were welcomed by Prasad, his wife and daughter in law. His son was married a couple of years ago. Prasad informed them that his son too will be coming before 2 to see them. Besides his married daughter too, staying close by would be joining them for lunch.

Both Prasad's son and daughter arrived before 2. All sat down round a big table, chatted, laughed and enjoyed the sumptuous meal. After a good lunch and chatting, the couple bid them goodbye and left for home. On the way back home, Mr Pai was unusually quiet. His wife found it strange, that while having lunch with his friend and family, he was cheerful, enjoying and talking, but now quiet. His wife was worried and enquired if he was unwell. After a while, he told his wife - how nice it was at Prasad's house full of people, with laughter, talking and fun. But at our home, just both of us, with none else to talk to, and quietness all around.

Since that day, Mr Pai was quiet and withdrawn. He also thought about how would his wife cope and manage all alone if he is no more. His health deteriorated. He fell sick, and with the help of Prasad his wife admitted Mr Pai to the nearby hospital. The doctor on checking him said, he his fine, nothing to worry about, but he is suffering from anxiety. We will keep him under observation for a couple of days. He needs company of friends and loved ones. And he will be fine. Mrs Pai too felt that he is missing his son and his family.

His son was informed in USA. She told him all about the visit to his friends place and how he longed for company of his family. After a couple of days in hospital, he returned home. He too was worried and assured his mother – all will be fine. Let me see what can be done. And he told his mother to take care and that he would keep in touch. She too knew, he couldn’t do much from there, except give her moral support.

Though Mr Pai was home, he was not his cheerful self. Prasad would give him company and talk about the good old days which brought some cheer on Mr Pai’s face. Once he left, Mr Pai would be quiet and deep in thoughts.

After a couple days the son called from USA and spoke to his mother and as usual to enquire about his dad’s health. While she was still talking to her son, there was a big smile on her face and in a hurry she handed over the phone to her husband. The husband was curious to see his wife happy and smiling. He grabbed the phone and started to speak to his son.

The son said - Baba next month I am coming to India. The father replied, don't rush, no need to come, I am fine now. You can come later conveniently. And the son interrupted and added - Baba I am coming to India for good with my wife and son. I gave a serious thought to it. I have decided, I want to break the chain now, or else my son too won't return and later we too might be alone. We're coming back for good. We will stay together in Mumbai and visit the Sawantwadi house periodically. We will eat together, enjoy and have fun.

There was a big smile on Mr Pai's face and a new glow of happiness. Keeping the mobile down, he hurriedly turned to his wife and said, our son is coming back to us. Our daughter in law and grandson too will be here. Now there will be noise, joy, chatting and laughter in our house. Let’s clean up and make arrangements for their arrival.

Mrs Pai smiled and looked at her husband and said – my old man is young and energetic once again!