My Musings

Introduced in 1993, the Rajdhani Express from Chennai to Delhi (Hazrat Nizamuddin) run on two days a week, on Fridays and Sundays. Starts at 0610 from Chennai and after stopping at six or seven stations, like Vijayawada, Warangal, Nagpur, Jhansi, Bhopal, Agra it reaches HZM next day at 1020. Vijaya and I have travelled by the Rajdhani Express from Delhi to Hyderabad earlier in the 1990s. From Chennai too we have travelled once to Delhi. Recently on July 16, 2010 we travelled yet again, returning on 23 July 2010 from Delhi. Fully airconditioned, the train has I AC, 2 AC, and 3 AC coaches. Complimentary meals are provided. With concessions for both of us, the fare is around 2500.00 for we two. Though it is supposed to be a "prestigious" train, the facilities are not upto the mark. Stinking, waterless toilets, dirty liveries are the order of the day. Food is so-so. Why can't they provide South Indian food like Sambhar Saadam, Thayir Saadam in this train starting from Che...

மன்னியின் ஆப்தீக ஸ்ராத்தம். பெரிய மன்னி (மைதிலி) சென்ற ஆண்டு 2009 ஆகஸ்ட் மாஸம் 1-2 ஆம் தேதி நடு இரவில் காலமானார். அவரது ஆப்தீக ஸ்ராத்தம் இந்த வருஷம் 2010 ஜூலை 22-ஆம் தேதி தில்லியில் நடந்தது. அதற்கு விஜயாவும் நானும் ஜூலை 16 காலை ராஜதானி எக்ஸ்பிரஸில் சென்னையிலிருந்து கிளம்பினோம். அர்விந்த் காரில் சென்ட்ரல் ஸ்டேஷன் வந்தோம். தில்லியில் வாசுவும், அபிலாஷும் வந்து எங்களைக் கூட்டிச் சென்றனர்; ஸ்ரீகாந்த் வீட்டில் காரியங்கள் நடந்தன. நாங்கள் அங்குதான் இருந்தோம். ஞாயிறு, ஜூலை 18 ஊன மாஸிகம் நடைபெற்றது.இதுதான் 4வதும் இந்த வருஷத்தில் செய்யப்படும் கடைசியுமான மாஸிகம். வாசு, ஸ்ரீதர், ஸ்ரீகாந்த், ரவி நால்வரும் கலந்து கொண்டனர். சாஸ்திரிகள் 11-30 மணிக்கு வந்து, காரியத்தை ஆரம்பித்தார். மதியம் 1-30க்கு முடிந்தது. 2-45 க்கு சாப்பாடு முடிந்தது. தயிர் பச்சடி, பழப் பச்சடி, வாழைக்காய், சேப்பங்கிழங்கு, பாகற்காய் என 3 கறிகள், (எல்லா கறிகளிலும் நிறைய தேங்காய்) , கொத்தவரங்காய் கூட்டு, வாழைத்தண்டு மோர்க்குழம்பு, ரசம், தயிர், எள் உருண்டை, பயத்தம் உருண்டை, அதிரஸம், வடை, பயத்தம் பருப்பு பாயஸம் என திவஸ சமையல்தா...

Vijaya and I shifted to Chennai from Hyderabad in December 2001. I had retired on 31 August 2001 from Defence Research. # 1 Mandapam Road, Kilpauk - Dec 2001 to Feb 2002. Arun- Gayathri and Arvind were living at Mandapam Road, Kilpauk near the waterworks and we moved in with them. From day 1, we were on the lookout for a new, more spacious house. We (Arun) saw a hand-written ad in a supermarket that a house is vacant. # 2 Aspiran Gardens, Kilpauk - Feb 2002 to 30 August 2005 We were satisfied with this house (3 BHK) and we shifted there - 77/85 Aspiran Gardens, 2nd Street, Kilpauk, Chennai 600010 in Feb 2002. Tel number 2644 4995. House owner Mr Ratnakar Shenoy lived on the GF and we in the I floor. The house was very convenient in all respects. Before Arvind got married in June 2004, ARUN-GAYATHRI shifted to another house nearby. That was in May 2004. Within months, Krithika Arvind found it "difficult" to commute to Thiruvanmiyur to her music classes etc. So we sh...

The football (soccer) world cup 2010 started on 11 June 2010 at Johannesburg, South Africa. There were 32 teams in all, divided into 8 groups. Brazil, Spain, Argentina, England were the favourites at the start. Group A: Uruguay, Mexico, South Africa, France Group B: Argentina, Korea Republic, Greece, Nigeria Group C: USA, England, Slovenia, Algeria Group D: Germany, Ghana, Australia, Serbia Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Denmark, Cameroon Group F: Paraguay, Slovakia, New Zealand, Italy Group G: Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast, Korea DPR Group H: Spain, Chile, Switzerland, Honduras Last edition's (2006) champions (Italy) and runners-up (France) were among those teams that were eliminated in the Group stages. Uruguay, Mexico, Argentina, South Korea, USA, England, Germany, Ghana, Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Chile progressed to the Round of 16. At this stage, Argentina, Brazil were the favourites. Round of 16 started on 26 June and ended on 29 June with tw...

This morning, Friday the 9th July 2010, I went to Aayakar Bhavan at Nungambakkam, Chennai and filed personally the Returns for the AY 2010-11. New SARAL - II form. The section is in the New Block, 4th floor, Room No 423 (for Govt Pensioners). We had to locate it with a bit difficulty. Vijaya came with me to the Aayakar Bhavan. Rajappa 09 July 2010 12:05 noon

Amma's Sraththam - 2010 We three brothers (Sugavanam, Jayaraman, and self) perform the sraththams of our parents every year at Chennai; our elder brother Sundaresan performs at Dapodi, Pune. Amma's Thithi is Aani, Krishna Paksham, Ashtami. This year (2010) amma's thithi came on Sunday, 4th July . This is the first sraththam that we are performing at our Besantnagar house (22nd Cross street) Vijaya and I purchased the grocery items, Vaathiyar Saamaankal like Varatti four days before, from Ambika Appalam Depot Mylapore. Some grocery items especially the paruppukal we purchased from Kamadenu, Besantnagar. A day before the thithi, we purchased all the vegetables, fruits incl vaazhaipazham from nearby Besantnagar Veg shop. On 4th morning Sugavanam purchased Vaazhai Ilai and Pushpam from Thiruvanmiyur. This year i missed the South Mada street ambience. Preparations started on 2nd itself; on 3rd July evening Vijaya and I cut vegetables. On 4th, the day of Sraththam, w...