My Musings

BRINJAL - A EULOGY. Brinjal, Kaththarikkai, Baingan, Vankaya, Vaangi – whatever name you call it by, this most versatile vegetable was known in India by “vatingana” even in 206 BC. Its purple colour signifies the presence of anthocyanins – the antioxidants that guard the heart, inhibit bad cholesterols, and prevent blood clotting. Any shade of blue, red or purple indicates the presence of these antioxidants – plums, purple grapes, onions, red radish, beetroot, jamun, figs, and of course brinjals are good sources of anthocyanins. Brinjal contains nasunin, a brain food that protects the brain cell membranes. It lessens arthritis, prevents cancer. Brinjals of all varieties like pale green, white, not just purple varieties, are highly rich in potassium, second only to bananas. Potassium, we all know, is very vital for muscles and nerves. Potassium helps lower the high BP and stroke. Dietary fibres facilitate regular and easy movement of the bowels, controls the release of blood sugar into ...

TSUNAMI TSUNAMI That was a word, tucked unobtrusively inside the dictionary (on page 1784 of the Chambers Dictionary, to be precise), and none of us even dreamt that it existed. Within a short time, it has become the most repeated and most dreaded word in English. TSUNAMI - Tsu means harbour, nami means wave. In Japanese. The Chambers Dictionary defines it as “ a very swiftly traveling sea wave that attains great height, caused by an undersea earthquake or similar disturbance.” What havoc it has created along the TN eastern coast besides others seacoasts in South India, and other South Asian countries. The death toll is over 24000; in TN alone it would cross 4000, Andaman & Nicobar another 4000+. One cannot even visualize the devastation, destruction, and death caused by this demon. Enormous. Numbing. Could it have been predicted? Could it have been warded off? The answer to both would be NO. However, the earthquake of the order of 8.5 could have been monitored, tsunamic conditions...

INITIALS # INITIALS “Initial” is the letter beginning a word esp. a name, so the dictionary defines it. But, in real world, with some initials your mind is immediately drawn to some men/women and fond memories of these persons. In our family, say GRS, doesn’t it bring memories of our father / grandfather? I don’t know if GSR was widespread, but I feel KVS is rather prominent. Any other instances? Just say MS – who do you recollect instantaneously? That wonderful, melodious Queen of Carnatic music. MLV takes you to another Carnatic musician; TMS was the ‘voice’ of Sivaji and of MGR. Yes, MGR is known as just MGR. Like MGR, NTR was there in Andhra. But, no other actor was famously known by his initials. I doubt whether Shah Rukh is known as SRK. The film personality Meyyappan is known by AVM. Think of JRD, the name Tata just pops out. The man who put India on the steel industry map and on civil aviation among many other things. The three letters TVS signify the man TV Sundaram Iyengar, t...

** We are like this only. Easy to question “where is Advani, where is X, where is Y”, but, let’s ponder for a sec. Tamilnadu is an atheist State, let us digest that first - If not atheist, definitely anti-Brahmin. Vote bank politics play a powerful role here as in entire India. And caste politics. The present CM had lost 40 out of 40 recently. The bleak prospect of losing 234 out of 234 looms large. Veeranam, VCD were all just passing clouds. But, the momentum gained with these shall not be forfeited to the opposition. Keep the impetus on – at whatever cost, even arrest Sankarachariyar; dub him as the “most dishonest criminal”, make him eat “prison prepared food” just like any other criminal, show and profess to the entire world that “I am more anti-Brahmin than anyone else!” Do a midnight-arrest drama on Deepavali day; prove that “for me, Kanchi and Karuna are equal” Show the footage of the gory murder repeatedly with EVERY news-bit even after seven days – impress the voters with your...

Changes in the Indian menu over the ages. The food that we Indians have been eating has been, over the millennia, steadily evolving both in variety and taste. These have been identified from relics and fossils and also described in written lore. The eminent food scientist Dr KT Achaya has analyzed these in a scholarly and entertaining way. He points out that dosai and vadai have a 2000-year history in Tamil country but Idli is a definite foreign import. The earliest reference to Idli occurs in 920 AD and again in 1130 AD. But no mention is made of Urad dal, the long fermentation and steaming the batter. The kings who went to Indonesia in 800-1200 AD brought the IDLI from there (It was called kedli, those days). The Harappan civilization had rice, barley, wheat, karamani, moong, masoor, dates, pomegranates etc. During Vedic period (1700 BC), we are informed, rice, urad dal, spinach, pumpkins, cucumber, suraikkai, paagarkai, radish, brinjal, mangoes, oranges etc were available. Kothamall...

MILK – An Indian Success Story. Doodh, doodh, doodh - India is poised to produce a staggering 90 million tonnes of milk in year 2005. That will be 10 mn tonnes MORE than the second largest producer,USA. India produced 88 mn tonnes in 2004 and 84 mn in 2003. But, how was the condition in India 60 years ago? During early 1940s, India had an acute short supply of milk and the Govt had banned its use in hotels, and restaurants. One black coffee, please. The Bombay Presidency introduced special distribution centers to ration it to expectant mothers and young children. Milk supply was an urban nightmare those days. In Bombay alone there were thousands of cattle sheds scattered across the city and their dairying practices were both unhygienic and unscientific. A Parsi gentleman, Dara Khurody who was the milk commissioner of Bombay, took up the job of re-organising the milk supply. He established a huge milk colony in the village of Aarey near Bombay, which is today the largest state-owned mil...

NAVARATHRI (KOLU) Festivals in Hindu culture are aplenty all through the year – starting from Varuzha Pirappu, to Deepavali, to Pongal. But, no festival, not even Deepavali, can match Navarathri for the splendor and richness. In Bengal, it is THE POOJA. The entire State wears a festive look these ten days. In Mysore and Karnataka it is opulence personified. In Gujarat and Mumbai it is Dandia - garba time. In many cities like Delhi it is Ram Leela. Hyderabad will be shining during these 10 days. The entire country is decked up. No other festival can simply match Navarathri. The festival to celebrate the triumph of GOOD over evil. In TamilNadu we celebrate it as a private, not a community, festival. Decades ago the festival was simple, performed with bhakti-shradda. Steps (padi) were made with whatever available material, clay dolls of Gods and Goddesses in their purest form were only displayed, young girls going about personally inviting others, and SINGING in all the houses they visite...