Interesting read

Pilot-less Planes to Become a Reality soon?

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Pilot-Less Planes Might Become A Reality Before Driver-Less Cars

airplane, flying

NB: Not a pilot-less plane.

A piece in this week’s Economist looks at developments in pilotless planes and goes on to claim that autonomous civil aircraft could be flying before cars go driverless. 

It is potentially a huge new market. America’s aviation regulators have been asked by Congress to integrate unmanned aircraft into the air-traffic control system as early as 2015.

Some small drones are already used in commercial applications, such as aerial photography, but in most countries they are confined to flying within sight of their ground pilot, much like radio-controlled model aircraft.

Bigger aircraft would be capable of flying farther and doing a lot more things.

Pilotless aircraft could carry out many jobs at a lower cost than manned aircraft and helicopters — tasks such as traffic monitoring, border patrols, police surveillance and checking power lines.

They could also operate in conditions that are dangerous for pilots, including monitoring forest fires or nuclear-power accidents. And they could fly extended missions for search and rescue, environmental monitoring or even provide temporary airborne Wi-Fi and mobile-phone services.

Some analysts think the global civilian market for unmanned aircraft and services could be worth more than $50 billion by 2020.

What is unlikely, of course, is that passengers will accept being flown around in a pilotless plane any time soon. But this technology could allow for commercial jets to fly with just a single pilot. 

 

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Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/developments-in-pilot-less-planes-2012-11#ixzz2DFfND2ia

Beach Walk…A Luxury Money Can”t Buy !!!!

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source:::: article by Bishwanath Ghosh…The Hindu.

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Many of us don’t consider exercise beneficial unless we shell out a lot of money.

Boat Club Road is one of the posh neighbourhoods in Chennai, if not the most posh; and such is its snob value that many people who don’t live there drive all the way to Boat Club Road for their morning walks — either in the hope of rubbing shoulders with the who’s-who of the city (when they are alone and without the trappings of their exalted status) or just for the kicks. Morning walk on Boat Club Road: it can’t get any more fashionable.

I don’t know if the story, about people driving all the way to Boat Club Road just to walk, is entirely true, but I would like to believe there is some substance to it. I have a friend who once upon a time went there for morning walks and who, at the drop of a hat, still likes to quote her “Boat Club Road friends.”

Sadly, even though I will soon complete 12 years in Chennai, I’ve been to that road only twice, perhaps thrice, that too in the evenings. I have no idea how it looks early in the morning, though I would like to know.

I walk in a much humbler location called Jeeva Park, a stone’s throw from my flat in T. Nagar. I’ve known Jeeva Park longer than any other place in Chennai: in its lap I find sweet memories of younger days (I’ve been walking there since I was 30) and also the assurance of good health even as I touch middle-age. The park, like most parks in the city, is well-maintained and extremely user-friendly.

One has to hand it to them: Chennai’s administrators, even though they often lack planning and imagination when it comes to basic infrastructure, they understand the importance of parks in a city dweller’s life. If only more people flocked these pretty neighbourhood parks: that way there would be less people flocking hospitals. But many of us don’t consider exercise beneficial unless we shell out a lot of money. In fact, people often sign up with expensive gyms or fancy yoga classes only so they stick to their regimen, the rationale being: “Since I’ve paid through my nose, I might as well be regular.”

What they don’t realise is that the best gyms, where birds sing for you from the trees and where you see greenery instead of mirrors, come free. And recently, I discovered a gym where they have the sea! A few years ago, I heard about the Marina being beautified and even noticed some cosmetic changes on the beach from a distance, but considering it was a government initiative, one didn’t expect a fantastic transformation. After all, you tend to take all government promises with a sack of salt.

But one lovely evening a few weeks ago, I happened to be at the Marina and I was amazed by what I saw: a broad jogging track, flanked by places to sit and skate, running for a length of 2 km northwards from Gandhi statue. Which means, to and fro, you cover 4 km — more than sufficient for your heart to be happy. All you will need is a pair of decent shoes and an iPod.

Needless to say, I have been hitting the Marina at least thrice a week ever since. On one side, you have the sea running with you, and on the other, the rich heritage of Madras. And the fresh breeze. It’s a luxury money can’t buy.

Keywords: morning walks, Chennai walkers, Bishwanath Ghosh column

Public Apologies of Few Tech . Companies in 2012….

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The year 2012 was filled with high octane tech launches, iPhone 5, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Android Jelly Bean, iPad mini and a plenty more. Each event was festive. Then there were other events too, where tech companies came out public about their follies and said “please forgive us users”. Read on to know few such tech companies who did public apologies as compiled by Network World.

Apple

Apple’s iPhone 5 and iOS 6 were most awaited Apple products of the year. But somewhere down the line Apple fans went queasy over buying iPhone 5 and updating their OS to iOS6, for these Apple products left out the omniscient Google Maps. The fans were more annoyed when they discovered the biggest flaws in Apple’s mapping service.

Apple CEO promised to make up for this and apologized: “At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.”

Microsoft’s bundle of apologies

When it comes to apologies, Microsoft had a bundle of them this year. Some coder from the company has pulled a naughty prank, by slipping a raunchy term in the software code connecting Linux Kernel to the Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization product. And there was also a raunchy dance routine that preceded an Azure presentation in Norway.

Microsoft issued an apology: “We thank the community for reporting this issue and apologize for the offensive string. We have submitted a patch to fix this issue and the change will be published in a future release of the kernel.”

And Microsoft also issued apology for a dance folly at Azure presentation in June, “This week’s Norwegian Developer’s Conference included a skit that involved inappropriate and offensive elements and vulgar language. We apologize to our customers and our partners and are actively looking into the matter.”

And then the company apologized again for interruptions to Azure services in July when its cloud offering went on the fritz in Western Europe: “We sincerely apologize for any issues this caused impacted customers, and will make the necessary adjustments to help prevent a similar issue from occurring in the future. Impacted customers should contact support to file an SLA credit,” wrote Mike Neil, general manager, Windows Azure, on a company blog.

Google earnings snafu, Gmail outage

Google like its wide range of services has also a plenty of apologies they made this year, for several of their service shambles. In October, Larry Page, CEO of Google apologized during an analysts’ call for accidental early releasing of its earning statements which caused fall in Google’s stock price “I’m sorry for the scramble earlier today”, however the stock did not stabilize even a month later. In April and June the company issued apology for Gmail outages: “We apologize for the inconvenience and thank the Gmail users for their patience and continued support. We are continually making improvements to its system reliability, which is our top priority.”

However in July, the users face another Gmail outage, which left the company embarrassed. Nevertheless company apologized again; the apology resembled the previous one: “Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better.”

Yahoo’s massive breach

Yahoo apologized in July for a network breach that compromised users’ data. About 400,000 Yahoo user names and passwords, among other information were exposed. The breach was especially bad because it tied in with Gmail, Hotmail and other online accounts. The hacker group who claimed the responsibility said it used a SQL injection.

Yahoo’s apologized over this issue: “At Yahoo! we take security very seriously and invest heavily in protective measures to ensure the security of our users and their data across all our products. We confirm that an older file from Yahoo! Contributor Network containing approximately 400,000 Yahoo! and other company users’ names and passwords was stolen yesterday, July 11. Of these, less than 5 percent of theYahoo! accounts had valid passwords. We are fixing the vulnerability that led to the disclosure of this data, changing the passwords of the affected Yahoo! users and notifying the companies whose users’ accounts may have been compromised. We apologize to affected users. We encourage users to change their passwords on a regular basis and also familiarize themselves with our online safety tips at security.yahoo.com.”

Nokia’s camera trick

Nokia’s big Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 splash in September got off to a rough start when the promotional video about the phone camera’s Pureview camera technology got in fix over Nokia’s not-so-hidden cameraman trick.

As Network Worlds Colin Neagle wrote in September: “Nokia was caught red-handed in a lie, after tech bloggers spotted a cameraman capturing a video the company claimed was shot with its new, highly touted Lumia 920 smartphone. After apologizing,Nokia posted a real video shot with the Smartphone, displaying the optical image stabilization (OIS) camera technology that was faked on the first try.”

Tech bloggers in the promotional video spotted a reflection of a cameraman with a professional camera actually taking the shot of a woman on a bicycle, and were upset about Nokia’s lie.

The company said its main fault was failing to publish “a disclaimer stating this was a representation of OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) only.”

McAfee

McAfee the security software firm apologized in September when the update to the antivirus software that generated false negatives for some malware on Windows personal computers, leaving users flummoxed.

“We would like to apologize for all the disruption caused to our many customers worldwide. We recognize the issue is very serious, and are doing everything we can to resolve it.”

source::::silicon india net
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Nikesh Arora…Google”s Fourth Pillar !!!!

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The internet has ingrained into our day to day life. There are currently over 1.5 billion internet users, which means, if considered as a country, the “online community” would have been most populous in the world. The amount of information that gets stored online in a year exceeds 50 times what was created in entire human history. Yet, Nikesh Arora says “you have seen nothing yet”, in an interview with Shyamal Majumdar of Business Standard, on the way exploring the Google’s Business Boss’ thoughts on online world’s migrants and natives and how advertisers are missing the bus.

Arora, the fourth most important executive at Google, after founders Sergey Brin, LarryPage and Chairman Eric Schmidt, says that online world is moving fast from migrants to natives, making net connectivity a “must-have” from “nice-to-have” just five years ago. “People like you and I are migrants in this online country. But people of my daughter’s generation are natives because they haven’t seen a world without Googleor Facebook,” he said.

So this transition of being a native in theonline country will eventually see most of the things that we know to become extinct, and his list of things includes entire media business in its current form like television advertising, which is destined to move into interactive networks.

Also, books will be dead and become just collectors’ items; Arora says “I can see this happening with my daughter who is in the ninth standard. Earlier, her books used to come in a big box. This year, she has been given an iPad. The books come loaded with it; she does her homework and submits it online, and her teacher uses cloud to access it.” He asks, “Can you imagine kids of her generation ever carrying books when they join college?”

Being a chief salesman at Google, which clocked revenue of $38 billion in 2011, he says, the challenge is how this transition, of migrants to natives, can be managed because that will impact the search giant’s revenue flow. Close to 96 per cent of Google’s revenue comes from advertisements.

Arora faced 399 rejections before getting a job at Fidelity Investments. “I thought life would be easy after doing my Masters from Boston and an MBA from Northeastern University. But here I was in an alien country — married but without a job, and living off the $3,000 that my father had sent me,” he said.

On reflecting about the time he joinedGoogle, Arora said that he was planning to do something on his own when a friend asked him in 2004 to consider joining a company that could offer a start-up kind of an atmosphere. The two Google founders conducted the interview among the artifacts of the British Museum; he says “We walked around. We looked at the exhibits and a lot of our conversation was about the Rosetta stone,” referring to an Egyptian artifact that dates to 196 BC and is inscribed in three languages.

Majumdar writes that one of Arora’s key contributions at Google has been driving revenues from other regions and building relations with advertisers. Presently more than half the company’s revenue comes from outside of the U.S. compared to just one-third when he joined eight years ago. It’s thus obvious why Google made a rare move last month, and decided to pay its top salesman $8 million in cash, instead of the previously agreed upon stock options and stock units. Arora, who made more than $23 million last year, will have to repay Google if he chooses to leave his position before April 25, 2015, the date the stock units and options will have vested.

Majumdar writes, whilst Arora at the age of 45 already been a top player at Google, and won’t he remain the tallest pygmy in a company where the founders are much younger than him? Before winding up his worthwhile conversation, he asks Arora, what’s next? To which Arora says, “Does things to undo the pattern every time his life takes on a steady pattern”. But he still loves going to office every day in a company that loves disrupting conventions, and where his colleagues are always excited about solving the most complicated of technological problems, Majumdar adds.

source::::silicon india net
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Why U.S.A. Can”t Get $20 Tablets Like India?!!!

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Aakash, India’s low cost tablets made recent headlines by being the cheapest one available in market. Students were in store for a big surprise, as Datawind, the makers of Aakash 2 offered the tablets to them at just RS. 1,132, which hardly touched the $20 mark, after a government subsidy. For others, it’s made available for $45 retail, yet retaining the tag of cheapest tablet in India, probably the world too.

The price of these gadgets, along with almost all the “smart” functions similar to high end devices, will bring a lot of people to computing world, a sure excitement for the people of developing nations like India and china.

But the people of developed countries just can’t get the tablets with same functionality as of Aakash 2 at its price. Though the tablets are cheap, the distance from supply chains or the manufacturing base of these devices to the countries where they are marketed, will add 100 percent to the cost of tablets, and then it’s not cheaper any more.

We can take the example of iPhone 5, which was recently released in India. The device follows a stiff route till it gets into the hands of users. There are shipping charges, import duties, margin for the importer, the new warranty charges, as its original warranty isn’t valid in the country of import. And in India there are three levels of distributors—the importers, who brings the goods into the country, then he sells it to super stockiest, like wholesaler, then wholesaler sells it to distributers, who in turn sells it to retailers, and finally retailer sells it to customers, each levels have their cuts in turn shooting up device prices.

Aakash was able to overcome all this and reach the customer carrying the tag of “cheapest tablet.” But how? According to Suneet Tuli, CEO of Datawind, who spoke to Mashable about strategy the company follows to bring the tablets at amazing lower costs, “the Micromax Funbook, which has approximately same specifications as that of Aakash 2, costs around Rs 6,500 or about $120, which is about twice the prize of their device. The reason is that Datawind assembles the tablet in India upon importing parts from South Korea, china and U.S., which is cheaper than importing completely assembled devices.” Then the company markets the products online or by couriers, saving the commission on distributers and retailers.

In China, it’s a similar story, says Jay Goldberg, a financial analyst. Functional 7-inch tablets can be had at Shenzhen malls devoted to electronics for as little as $45. That’s because the supply chains required to build these devices are located in the city and in nearby provinces.

Many of China’s cheap tablet manufacturers hit on the idea accidentally, says Goldberg, and it all started with the manufacturing cell phones which were cheap too.

“Not quite 10 years ago, Mediatek of Taiwan entered the cell phone market,” says Goldberg. MediaTek Inc, a fabless semiconductor company, designing and selling components for wireless communication and other electronic gadgets, found contract manufacturers in mainland China that had machines to put chips on circuit boards, and they were mostly doing this as subcontractors, churning out parts for larger electronics companies with recognizable brands.

Later the company figured out it could save money by handing these manufacturers both the chips required to build a phone and a complete blueprint for assembling them into basic phones. That transformed thousands of small manufacturers from subcontractors into factories for completed products. This same strategy led to development of cheaper Smartphones and tablets too.

source:::: silicon india net…

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Who Left Bilva Leaves Here?…asked Mahaperiavaa…

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Who Left the Bilva Leaves Here?

(An incident that made Maha SwamigaL melt)
Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Feb 17, 2007
Publisher: Viketan Publications
Translator: saidevo

Once Kanchi Maha SwamigaL undertook his divya darshana yAtrA with his entourage to Sri Saila kSetra which is known as the ‘Dakshina Kailash’.

When they reached Kurnool, AcharyaaL was given a grand reception at the borders of the city. SwamigaL was accommodated in a bhajan maNDapa where he gave a discourse on Sanatana Dharma in Telugu to the large gathering of devotees. At the end of the lecture, he gave the devotees his blessings and prasAda and continued on his yAtrA.

As they were at a small distance away from Kurnool, it started drizzling and increased to heavy rains in no time. The devotees of SriMaTham and the palanquin bearers (called bhogis) prayed to SwamigaL to sit inside his mena and not get wet. AcharyaaL did not accede. He said, “When all of you are walking drenched, only I should come in the palanquin? No, I too shall walk the same way like you!” and started walking fast. A Shiva temple became visible at a calling distance. SwamigaL visited the temple with his entourage, where he was given a warm welcome with the honour of pUrna kumbham. After everyone towelled and changed into new clothes, they had dharshan of the Lord of the temple. When the darshan was over, the rain had also stopped, and they resumed their journey.

After they passed a distance of seven or eight miles, a fertile Zamin village was sighted. All the people in the village with their family and children came to the boundary of the village and welcomed Maha SwamigaL with pUrna kumbham. Thereafter, the Zamindar of the village prayed to SwamigaL with humility: “Our village should become holy, sanctified by the holy feet of SwamigaL. You should stay here for a few days. There is a large choultry here with facilities for your stay and puja punaskArya. A clean puSkaraNi is also nearby.”

The entire village prostrated to SwamigaL and prayed. AcharyaaL was moved by their AtmArta bhakti. He gave them his anugraha and announced to their immense happiness that he would stay with them for twenty-one days.

The village wore a festive look on the next morning. Arrangements for the ChandraMauleesvara puja were done, AcharyaaL having left for his bath in the nearby pond. The aged SriMaTham kAryastA asked the youth who were doing the arrangements with anxiety: “ENdAppa! You people have arranged for a large samRuti of flowers, but then there are no bilva patra (bhilva leaves) among them! How can Periyavaa do the sahasra nAmArcanA without them?”

The youths stood, wringing their hands. The kAryastA did not leave them at that. “ENdAppa, if you stand mute like this, will the bilva leaves arrive of their own accord? Go and tell the village people about the requirement of three-leaved bilva clusters for Periyavaa’s ChandraMauleesvara puja and ask them to bring large numbers of them in bamboo baskets. Get someone who understands Telegu and talk to them. If that does not convey it properly… show them the nirmAlya leaves we have–the remains of the earlier pujas done by Periyavaa, and ask them to bring the leaf clusters!”

The youth came out with a person who spoke Telegu, bringing with them the nirmAlya bilva leaves. They showed them to the people in the village and requested them to bring the leaves within the next half hour. The people told them that they had never seen a tree that has clusters of three leaves on a single stalk. The village vedic pundits also confirmed that there were no bilva trees in their village.

SwamigaL arrived, finishing his bath. The puja articles were ready in the centre of the hall. The first question Maha Periyavaa asked on having a glance at them was, “ENdAppa! Have you arranged for the bilvam for arcana?”

The MaTham kAryastA hesitated. AcharyaaL asked, “Why, what’s the matter? Aren’t bilva patrAs available in this place?” The kAryastA said in a soft voice, “Yes, Periyavaa! The village people and the vedic pundits here say that there are no bilva trees in this place.”

SwamigaL smiled to himself. It was 10:30 hours in the morning. SwamigaL walked hurriedly towards the backyard of the choultry. He entered the cattle shed of the cows. He climbed and sat on a rock of black stone found there, and lapsed into meditation. The SriMaTham notables were worried that the bhikSA vandanam for ChandraMauleesvara and Periyavaa might stop for want of bilva leaves. Tears started welling up in the eyes of the kAryastA. The news reached the Zamindar who sent people to search for the bilva trees in their place, but was disappointed. The time was 11:30 hours. People had gathered around the cattle shed, waiting silently with anxiety. The sight of Maha SwamigaL in meditation on the rock reminded them of sAkSAt Sri Parameshwara sitting in the Kailash mountain. Suddenly they saw a SriMatham devotee coming from the entrance, carrying on his head a large basket. His face was full of happiness. He heaved the basket down in the hall–and what wonder, the basket was full of bilva leaves! Everyone was happy at the sight and SwamigaL whose meditation was disturbed descended from the rock.

His first question to the kAryastA was: “The bilvam for the ChandraMauleesvara puja has arrived now (right)? besh, let us get inside.”

SwamigaL took a few laves in his hand from the basket. They sparkled with the lushness of green. AcharyaaL asked his kAryastA, “Who plucked these leaves with such care that not a single cluster of them is defective? People said that there were no bilva trees in this region. Did you ask where these leaves were plucked?”

The kAryastA looked at the man who brought the bilva basket. That youth said, “Periyavaa, I casually went to the entrance and noticed that this basket was kept on the eastern side under the pandakkAl. When I rushed and checked, it was full of bilva leaves, Periyavaa.”

“That is alright, but did you ask who brought it and placed there?”

“I asked Periyavaa, but nobody among those assembled there had any idea.”

“Then who could have placed it there?” asked AcharyaaL laughingly. No one had anything to reply. As he moved towards the puja spot, AcharyaaL smilingly turned and said, “Perhaps our ChandraMauleesvara Himself has brought the leaves?”

SwamigaL started the puja. His arcana to Sri ChandraMauleesvara with the lush green bilva leaves made everyone rapturous. The prasAda was distributed after the puja. In the evening, AcharyaaL held an upanyAsa on Srimad RamayaNam in Telugu. The entire village litened to it with happiness. On the morning of the next day, a bhajan troupe of that village sang and danced with ecstasy at the entrance of the choultry. The entire village wore the look of an occasion of wedding. AcharyaaL went to the pond with some of the people of the MaTham.

The kAryastA who was busy with some work at the backyard asked the youth who brought the bilva leaves the previous day, “ENdAppa, lots of bilva are required for today also. You seem to be a lucky man. Check if anyone has left a basket under the pandal staff today also.”

The youth ran to the entrance. What a wonder! Like the previous day, there was a basketful of bilva leaves kept in the usual spot! The youth carried the basket happily and reported to the SriKAryam (manager), “I found this basket at the same spot today also; don’t know who kept it there and when was it placed.”

SriKAryam was surprised and confused as to who was bringing the bilva leaves with such secrecy. AcharyaaL returned. When he noticed the bilva leaves kept ready for puja in the hall, he turned his face meaningfully at SriKAryam. The man prostrated to AcharyaaL and said, “Yes, Periyavaa. Another bilva basket at the same place today also. Nobody knows who kept it there.”

SwamigaL completed the ChandraMauleesvara puja. When he finished his bhikSA and was sitting in solitude, he called SriKAryam and told him, “You should get up early tomorrow morning and do one thing. Take someone with you, and check without anyone seeing you. Find out who is leaving the bilva basket. And bring that person to me. You need not ask that person anything. You understand?” AcharyaaL smiled. SriKAryam gave an affirmative nod, prostrated to the sage and moved away.

On that evening also, SwamigaL’s Srimad RamayaNa upanyAsa was held. As before, the entire village listened to it happily. It was early morning the next day. The bhajan troupes of the village had gathered and were singing merrily at the entrance to the choltry. SriKaryam and his two assistants stood hiding behind the large banyan tree at the entrance and were keenly looking at the pandal. At 8:30 hours, a boy emerged from the mango groves on the eastern side. He had a large, dry basket on his head. He sported a tuft of hair and wore a dirty dhoti tucked under this thighs as mUla kaccha. He looked here and there, went near the pandal staff, heaved his basked down and started turning back. SriKAryam ran and stood before him. The boy’s hands and legs started shivering as he looked at the man before him. He immediately prostrated to the man who asked him, “Is it you who kept this bilva basket here for the last two days?”

The boy nodded yes to this question.

SriKAryam told the boy, “Alright. Go and have a bath, tie your tuft properly, wear what you usually wear on your forehead and come here in the afternoon. I shall take to the Periya Sami. You can get his blessing. You come looking bright, without this dirty dhoty, understand?” The boy nodded yes and ran away.

SriKAryam narrated the event to SwamigaL, who said, “Besh, besh! For the last two three days, he has been doing a large service. Shall bless him and give prasAdam”, and left for his bath.

It was 3:00 hours in the afternoon. As ordered, the boy came. SriKAryam pointed him who was standing hesitatingly in the corner of the courtyard wall, to SwamigaL and said something. SwamigaL called the boy near him. The boy came near him, prostrated and stood with folded hands. AchayaaL had a laugh, looking at the boy’s appearance, who looked bright with vibUti streaks on his forehead and all over the body, wearing a white dhoti as mUla kaacha, and a tuft of neatly tied hair. SwamigaL asked him to sit down in the courtyard, but he did not sit.

“What name?” SwamigaL asked him in Telugu.

“Purandara Kesavalu”, he replied clearly in Tamil. AcharyarvaaL was surprised as he said, “Besh, you talk Tamil well! What was the name you said?”

“Purandara Kesavalu(nga).” The boy spoke his name slowly and clearly.

AcharyaaL raised his brows as he asked him, “You talk in Tamil!”

“My story, you should listen to it, Saami…” His eyes were stringed with tears.

“Besha. Tell me, tell me…” SwamigaL urged him. Purandara Kesavalu started talking.

“My native place is Usilampatti(nga), near Madura(i). Within two years of my birth, my mother passed away in an illness. From that time, only my father raised me. When I was six years old, he came to this region with me to earn a living. He got the job of tending the cattle in the Zamin of this village. I did not read or go to school. But I have learned a lot from my father. My father was very fond of music. He would sing the songs of Purandaradasaru and Tiruvaiyaru Thiyagarasa Saami very well. He has also taught me to sing and I too can sing those songs. Because of his liking for music he named me Purandara Kesavalu. He is no more now. Two years since he reached his mOccham (liberation). I am tending the Zamin cattle now. They feed me in the Zamin and pay me. I am now twelve years old, Saami.”

SwamigaL was moved at his words and asked him with surprise. “Alright. Since there is no bilva tree in the surroundings here, where did you get this much of bilva?”

Purandara Kesavalu replied humbly. “There is a large growth of grass and shrubs on the foothills at three miles from here, Saami. From the days of my father, we used to go there and let the cattle browse. There are three large bilva trees there! My father would bring me the leaves of those trees and tell me, ‘Elay Purandara, this leaf is called bilvam. It is ambuttu (such a) visheSham-daa (speciality), to perform puja to Sivaperuman with this leaf! Have a look.’ That was in my mind Saami. When I saw the people of this MaTham show a sample of this leaf on the day before yesterday and ask for a lots of them, I understood immediately, ran to the place and brought them in a basket. Since I feared that if you came to know that the leaves were brought by a cowherd boy, you might not accept them for puja, I kept the basket here without anyone knowing it. This is the satyam Saami!”

Moved further at the words, AcharyaaL kept silent for sometime. Then he said with affection, “Purandara Kesavalu, what do you want? Tell me what is your wish. I shall ask it to be fulfilled from the MaTham.”

At the sage’s words, Purandara Kesavalu exclaimed, “Siva, Siva!”, patted is cheeks and said, “Saami, my father used to tell me, ‘Purandara, we should not desire for anything in this world. But we should wish for only one thing.’ I have two wishes now. If you permit me, I shall speak one of my wishes now. The other one I shall ask you on the day you leave this place, Saami.” The boy’s eyes were filled as he prostrated and rose.

SwamigaL went melting. He urged the boy, “Come on, tell me, what is your wish.” The boy said hesitatingly, “It is nothing else, Saami. My father has taught me a number of songs of Purandaradasa Saami and Thiyagarasa Saami. I should sing them before you Saami, till you stay here! You should listen to them and grace me!” AcharyaaL was immensely happy at the boy’s wish.

“Purandara Kesavalu, definitely, you sing here. I shall listen to your songs. I shall ask everyone to listen to them. You come everyday in the afternoon at three o’ clock. Sit down and sing before me. Let ChandraMauleesvara Swami’s grace be with you.” SwamigaL blessed him. “You will rest in properity.”

Purandara Kesavalu went happy. AcharyaaL persisted. “This is alright Purandara Kesavalu. Say what is your other wish, let’s hear it.”

“When you leave this place, I shall pray to you with that wish, Saami”, he replied with respect. SwamigaL asked SriKAryam to give him prasAdam and a lovely tulasi garland. Purandara Kesavalu was very happy to wear it. He prostrated to the sage and took leave. From the afternoon of the next day he started to come and sit down on the courtyard floor and sing the kIrtanas of Sri Purandaradasa and Sri Thiyagaraja known to him. SwamigaL listened to his singing, sitting in the hall. His voice was sweet. SwamigaL corrected the pronunciation mistakes the boy made in singing.

It was the twenty-first day of their stay. After completing Sri ChandraMauleesvara puja and taking his bhikSA, SwamigaL started from that village. Coming out of the choultry, he gave a lecture of blessing to the people who had gathered to bid him farewell. Everyone was in tears listening to his parting words. Then he moved away with his entourage, but AcharyaaL suddenly remembered something and looked back at the choultry. Purandara Kesavalu was standing sobbing under the pandal there, his hands around a staff.

SwamigaL asked the boy to be brought to him. He came running, prostrated on the ground and got up. The parabrahmam looked at him with affection, smiled and said, “Purandara Kesavalu! For the bhakti, shraddhA, jnAna you have, you should rest in prosperity. You spoke about your other wish on that day! What is that, my boy?”

Purandara Kesavalu said: “When I was tending the cows with my father, he used to tell me, Saami: ‘What we should pray to God, you know? We should pray, ‘God, I don’t want maRu poravi (another birth); I should go to moccham (liberation); you shoud give me your grace (for that).’ For that we should live with satyA and dharma. If you meet any mahaan in any of the times, you pray to them to get you moccham.’ You should get me that moccham, Saami.”

That parabrahmam was surprised to listen to such words from the mouth of a twelve year old boy. Then he said with a laugh as he blessed him, “Don’t worry. At the apt time, Bhagavan will you give you the blessing of the attainment of that mokSa.” AcharyaaL called the Zamindar of the village and told him, “Inform SriMaTham immediately about anything that concerns this Purandara Kesavalu”, and left the village. Everyone came up to the boundary of the village to bid farewell to SwamigaL.

It was a day several years later, and the time was around two in the afternoon. AcharyaaL, who was conversing with devotees in Sri Kanchi MaTham, suddenly rose and came out of the MaTham and started walking briskly. People followed him. He halted at the Kamakshi Amman PurshkaraNi and took bath. Then he started chanting something with closed eyes, standing in the waters of the pond. An hour later, he did another bath and japam. In this way, he repeated the sequence for seven or eight times, until it was six in the evening. Before he climbed the steps of the bathing ghat and sat on a step, a person from the MaTham came running and stood before him. AcharyaaL looked at him inquisitively. He said, “A telegram from Kurnool. Says that Purandara Kesavalu is seriously ill. Don’t know who is this person, Periyavaa.”

SwamigaL told the people around him, “That Purandara Kesavalu is no more now! He had his kAlagati just a little while before. When I stayed in their village he asked me on the last day to get him mokSa. I told him that he would get it by the grace of ChandraMauleesvara Swami. Suddenly he took ill with some terminal fever and was suffering (now), anxious about his mokSa. In the order of things, he should take another six births to attain mokSa. I did the japam and prayed for him that somehow he (will skip the remaining births and) attain mokSa. Purandara Kesavalu is a good Atma!” With these words, AcharyaaL started walking briskly back towards SriMaTham.

The people of the MaTham stood transfixed with amazement on the steps of the pond!

source::::kanchperivaa forum …www.periva.org
Natarajan

Read more: http://periva.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=expenglish&action=display&thread=2994#ixzz2DDJNY8DR

Message For the Day… Be Grateful To GOD…

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How to develop Gratitude?

If you look around the world, you will realize that the design of nature is so perfect. Everything functions meticulously in your favour and yet, you complain when you lack minor things. This craving for what you do not have is ingratitude.

Think about the number of years you have been arrogating various provisions. If you were to pay for these provisions, it would add upto several digits. The law of gravity is maintained perfectly. The Ozone layer in the ionosphere is designed to prevent ultraviolet rays. Oxygen is heavier than all other gases so it remains on the ground for us to breathe, and all other poisonous gases rise into the atmosphere. Who is responsible for this? There seems to be an unseen benefactor. You need to be grateful to the unseen provider!

Further, imagine if you were to set up a family on the moon, do you realize the number of things you would have to take care of like water, the atmospheric condition, and millions of other designs of nature?

We take many things for granted because they are already taken care of, and yet, we are ungrateful for all the provisions.

If you examine your life within you, you find so many things that can go wrong, but they are maintained ingeniously. Therefore, when your mind desires something that you do not have, count the blessings and focus on those things that you already have.

You have to be aware of your provisions and your provider. Thereafter, you develop an attitude of gratitude. Devotion to GOD is essence in this attitude of gratitude. Marcus Aurelius recommended the technique to Think of what you have rather than what you lack. Of the things you have, select the best and then reflect how eagerly you would have sought them, if you did not have them

Always learn to enjoy the GOD Gifted short life, before we realize that it was too late!

SOURCE::::INPUT FROM ONE OF MY FRIENDS.
Natarajan

Tulsi Gabbard …to Take Oath on Bhagavad Gita in US House of Representatives !!!

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She is neither an Indian-American nor has she ever visited India. But on
Wednesday, she became America’s first-ever Hindu-American Congresswoman.****

Meet Tulsi Gabbard, a 31-year-old Democrat, just elected to the US House of
Representatives from faraway Hawaii. Endorsed by****

Hawaii-born President Barack Obama, she defeated her Republican rival by a
landslide (80.6% to 19.4%).****

A practicing Hindu, Gabbard frequently recites from the Bhagavad Gita. So
when she takes her oath in January as a newly-elected member, she will do
so, placing her hand on a copy of the Hindu scripture. It will be the first
of its kind in the history of the 223-year-old House of Representatives and
the Hindu-Americans are excited about it.****

Born in American Samoa to a Catholic father and a Hindu mother, Gabbard
moved to Hawaii with her family when she was two years old. Her parents
gave all their five children Hindu names — Bhakti, Jai, Aryan, Tulsi and
Vrindavan. Keen to visit India at an early date, Gabbard has pledged to
work for closer US-India relations.****

“It is clear that there needs to be a closer working relationship between
the United States and India,” she said in recent remarks, quizzing: “How
can we have a close relationship if decision-makers in Washington know very
little, if anything, about the religious beliefs, values, and practices of
India’s 800 million Hindus?”****

Defending her Hindu faith, which came under attack from her Republican
rival David Kawika Crowley during the campaign phase, Gabbard believes her
faith would be an asset in Congress.****

“Hopefully the presence in Congress of an American who happens to be Hindu
will increase America’s understanding of India as well as India’s
understanding of America,” commented Gabbard, who was feted by
Indian-Americans at a recent fundraiser in Washington.****

Gabbard’s victory was a foregone conclusion from the time she easily
defeated her rival Mufi Hannemann in a party primary in August. Hawaii,
being a predominantly Democrat territory, few doubted her chances against
her Republican rival.****

“Hindu-Americans have run America’s major companies and universities, won
Nobel prizes and Olympic gold medals, directed blockbuster movies, and even
flown into space. But one profession has so far been out of reach: Member
of Congress,” wrote the Washington-based Religion News Service, ahead of
Gabbard being declared the winner.****

Although there have been two Indian-Americans in the US Congress to date,
neither of them were Hindu. The first, Dalip Singh Saund, who was elected
thrice from California back in the 1950s, was a Sikh. The second, Bobby
Jindal, who was elected twice, beginning 2004, had converted to
Christianity in his early years.****

In 2002, at the age of 21, Gabbard became the youngest person to be elected
to Hawaii State House. The very next year, she joined the Hawaii National
Guard and was deployed to Iraq in 2004 as a medical operations specialist.
Awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for her service, she currently serves
as a Captain. Between her two deployments to the Middle East, Gabbard
served as an aide to long-time US Senator Daniel Akaka.****

Gabbard, who fully embraced the Hindu faith as a teenager and follows the
Vaishnava path, has said that her faith helped her through her posting in
Iraq, where there were daily reminders that she could be killed any time.***
*

“First thing in the morning and the last thing at night, I meditated upon
the fact that my essence was spirit, not matter, that I was not my physical
body, and that I didn’t need to worry about death because I knew that I
would continue to exist and I knew that I would be going to God,” she said.*

source::::input from one of my friends..

Natarajan

கந்த சஷ்டி கவசம் பிறந்த தலம் ..சென்னிமலை !!!

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கந்தசஷ்டி கவசம் பிறந்த தலம்    ..சென்னிமலை !!!

நவ 18 கந்தசஷ்டி 

கந்தசஷ்டி கவசம் அரங்கேறிய தலம், ஈரோடு மாவட்டம் சென்னிமலை சுப்பிரமணிய சுவாமி கோயில். இங்குள்ள முருகனை வணங்கினால் பிறந்த பயனை அடைய முடியும் என்ற நம்பிக்கையுள்ளது.

தல வரலாறு:

நொய்யல் ஆற்றங்கரையிலுள்ள கொடுமணல் கிராமத்தில் “பெரும்வெளிர்’ இனத்தவர் வாழ்ந்தனர். இவர்கள், பண்ணையக்காரர்களிடம் மாடு மேய்க்கும் வேலைபார்த்தனர். ஒரு காராம்பசுவின் மடியில் தினமும் பால் இல்லாமல் இருந்ததை, ஒரு வேலையாள் கவனித்து பண்ணையாரிடம் கூறினார். ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட இடத்தில், மடியில் இருந்த பால் முழுவதையும் தானாகவே சொரியவிட்டதை பண்ணையார் கவனித்தார். அந்த இடத்தைத் தோண்டியபோது, ஒரு சிலை கிடைத்தது. அதன் முகம் பொலிவுடன் இருந்தாலும், இடுப்புக்கு கீழ் சரியான வேலைப்பாடின்றி இருந்தது. அக்குறையைப்போக்க அந்தப் பகுதியை சிற்பியைக் கொண்டு உளியால் வேலையைத் துவக்கினார். உளிபட்ட இடத்தில் ரத்தம் பீறிட்டது. பணியை நிறுத்திவிட்டனர். “”ஆண்டவர் அப்படியே இருக்க பிரியப்படுகிறார்”, என்று சென்னிமலையின் மேல் பிரதிஷ்டை செய்தனர். இவருக்கு “தண்டாயுதபாணி’ என்ற திருநாமம் இட்டனர். .
தம்பிக்கு முதல் பூஜை: எல்லா கோயில்களிலும் விநாயகருக்கு முதல் பூஜை உண்டு. இங்கோ மூலவர் முருகனுக்கு நைவேத்ய பூஜை முடிந்த பின்பே, சந்நிதி விநாயகருக்கு பூஜை செய்யப்படும்.
முருகன் ஞானப்பழத்தால் கோபித்து வந்து மலைமேல் வீற்றிருப்பதால், அவரை சாந்தப்படுத்தும் வகையில் தொன்று தொட்டு இவ்வாறு நடக்கிறது. பங்குனி உத்திர திருவிழாவுக்கென தனித்தேர் உள்ளது. நொய்யல் ஆறு, சென்னிமலையிலிருந்து 3 கி.மீ., தூரத்தில் ஓடுகிறது. கோயிலின் தென்புறம் உள்ள மாமாங்க தீர்த்தம், கோடையிலும் பொங்கி வழியும்.
அருணகிரிநாதர் திருப்புகழ் பாடி மகிழ்வித்து முருகப்பெருமானிடம் படிக்காசு பெற்ற தலம்.
கந்தசஷ்டி கவசம் அரங்கேற்றம்: “”துதிப்போர்க்கு வல்வினைப்போம், துன்பம்போம், நெஞ்சிற் பதிப்போர்க்குச் செல்வம் பலித்துக் கதித்தோங்கும், நிஷ்டையும் கைகூடும் நிமலன் அருள் கந்தசஷ்டி கவசம் தனை”… என்று முருக பக்தர்கள் மனம் உருகி பாடும் கந்தசஷ்டி கவசத்தை இயற்றிய பாலன் தேவராய சுவாமிகள், காங்கேயத்தை அடுத்த மடவிளாகத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர். இவர் மைசூர் தேராச உடையாரின் காரியஸ்தர். கவசத்தை அரங்கேற்றம் செய்ய வேண்டிய இடம், சென்னிமலை தான் என்பதை முருகனின் அருளாணையால் உணர்ந்தார். அதன்படி அங்கே அரங்கேற்றினார். “சிரகிரி வேலவன் சீக்கிரம் வருக’ என்ற புகழ்மிக்க வரியை அதில் எழுதியுள்ளார். தந்துள்ளார். “சிரம்’ , “சென்னி’ என்ற வார்த்தைகள் தலையைக் குறிக்கும். மலைகளில் தலையாயது சென்னிமலை என அவர் போற்றியுள்ளார்.
அடிவாரத்திலுள்ள நஞ்சுண்டேஸ்வரர், பட்டாலி பால்வெண்ணீஸ்வரர் கோயில்கள் சிற்பக்கலைக்கு எடுத்துக்காட்டாக உள்ளன.


source:::::DINA MALAR..Tamil daily.

Natarajan

காலேஜ் டு களத்துமேடு !!!!

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source:::::DINAMALAR…Tamil Daily…
Natarajan
விவசாயிகளே வயல்களை பிளாட்களாக்கி நகரங்களுக்கு நடக்கும் காலம் இது. இந்தக் காலகட்டத்தில் கல்லூரிப் படிப்பை முடித்துவிட்டு நேராக கலப்பையும் கையுமாக களத்துமேட்டுக்குப் புறப்பட்டிருக்கிறார்கள், கரூர் மாவட்டத்தைச் சேர்ந்த ஒரு எம்.பி.ஏ. படித்த அக்காவும் எம்.காம். படித்த தம்பியும்.
கரூர் அருகே உள்ள தட்டாம்புதூரைச் சேர்ந்த வினோதாவும் அவரது தம்பி முருகானந்தமும்தான் அவர்கள். விவசாயத்தை ஏதோ பொழுதுபோக்காக மட்டும் நடத்தாமல் ஆறு ஏக்கர் நிலத்தில் ஆண்டுக்கு 7 லட்ச ரூபாய் சம்பாதித்தும் இவர்கள் புரட்சி செய்துள்ளனர். இந்தச் சாதனை பற்றிக் கேட்டால், முருகானந்தம் பெருமிதத்துடன் பேசத் தொடங்கினார்.
“எங்க அம்மாவும் அப்பாவும் விவசாயம் செய்துதான் எங்களை படிக்க வைத்தார்கள். “நாங்கள்தான் காடு மேடுனு வெயில்ல கஷ்டப்படறோம் நீங்களாவது நல்ல வேலைக்குப் போயி சந்தோசமா இருங்க’னு சொல்வாங்க. பக்கத்துல சின்னதாராபுரத்துல இருக்கிற காலேஜ்லதான் படிச்சோம். அதனால் காலேஜ் போறதுக்கு முன்னாடியும் வந்த பிறகும் தோட்டத்தில் வேலை செய்வோம். எங்க அக்கா எம்.பி.ஏ. முடிச்சதும் வேலைக்குப் போகலாம்னு முடிவு செய்தா, சம்பளம் 10 ஆயிரம்தான் தருவதாகச் சொன்னார்கள். ஆனா அக்கா அந்த வேலைக்குப் போகல. அதைவிட அதிகமா விவசாயத்துல சம்பாதிக்கிறேன்னு சவால் விட்டாங்க. நானும் கல்லூரிக்குச் சென்றுகொண்டே அக்காவிற்க உதவியாக இருந்தேன். நான் எம்.காம். முடித்ததும் “நீயாவது நல்ல வேலைக்குப் போய் சொகுசாக இரு’ என்றார்கள். ஆனா எனக்கும் பத்தாயிரம் ரூபாக்குத்தான் வேலை கிடைச்சது. அதனால் நானும் அக்காவுக்கு உதவியா விவசாயத்துல குதிச்சிட்டேன். ஊரிலுள்ளவர்களெல்லாம் “விவசாயத்தை நம்பி வேலையை விடாதே கஷ்டப்படுவே’ என்றார்கள். “விவசாயத்தில் ஜெயித்துக் காட்டுகிறோம் பாருங்கள்’ என்று நானும் அக்காவும் தீவிர விவசாயத்தில் இறங்கினோம். முதல் இரண்டு வருடம் லாபம் கிடைக்கவில்லை. ஊர்க்காரர்கள் கிண்டல் செய்ய ஆரம்பித்தார்கள்.
அதைப்பற்றி கவலைப்படாமல் திட்டமிட்டு பயிர் செஞ்சோம். முருங்கை, தர்பூசணி, கடலை பயிரிட்டோம். முடிந்தவரை இயற்கை மருந்துகளை மட்டும் பயன்படுத்துவோம். காலை 6 மணிக்கு தோட்டத்துக்குள் சென்றால் மதியம் 12 மணிக்குத்தான் வெளியே வருவோம். கடுமையாக உழைத்ததால் 2 ஏக்கரில் 60 டன் தர்பூசணி 70 நாளில் எடுத்தோம். முருங்கையும் நல்ல லாபம் தந்தது. இப்படி போன வருடம் மட்டும் 7 லட்சம் சம்பாதித்தோம்.
கிண்டல் செய்தவர்கள் எல்லாம் இப்ப ஆச்சரியப்பட்டு நிக்கறாங்க. தற்போது மலைவேம்பு நடவு செய்து வருகிறோம். அது மிகுந்த லாபம் தரும். இப்போது நாங்கள் சந்திப்பவர்களிடம் “விவசாயத்தை கைவிடாதீர்கள், முறையாக செய்தால் அதைவிட லாபம் தரும் தொழில் ஏதும் இல்லை’ என்று சொல்லி பிரசாரம் செய்து வர்றோம்.
விளை நிலங்களெல்லாம் இப்போது வீட்டு மனைகளாக மாறி வருகிறது. பல விளை நிலங்கள் தரிசாக கிடக்கின்றன. இவையெல்லாம் மாறி விவசாயம் நாட்டில் செழித்தால்தான் நாடு முன்னேறும். “படித்தவர்கள் அதிகளவு விவசாயத்திற்கு வந்து அதிகளவு சம்பாதிப்பார்கள்’’ என்றார் நம்பிக்கையுடன்.
நம் எதிர்பார்ப்பும் இதுதான்.

– கரூர் அரவிந்த்