Ramayan - கத்துக்குட்டியின் கேள்விகள்

Before I get into details, I have a website recommendation to make- www.historicalrama.org (Thanks to Supri). The website has got a lot of factual details trying to prove the Ramayana is not a myth. For the record, I just browsed that site and the question I'm going to raise here has still been unanswered in that website as well.

When I was extremely bored at work one day(don't even ask me why!), I was going through an article in Wiki on Hindu Cosmology and I came across this:

1. Satya Yuga (Krita Yuga):- 1,728,000 Human years
2. Treta Yuga:- 1,296,000 Human years
3. Dwapara Yuga:- 864,000 Human years
4. Kali Yuga:- 432,000 Human years (5,111 years have passed; 426,889 years remain). Kaliyuga started in 3102 B.C.; CE 2009 corresponds to Kaliyuga year 5,111

According to Hindu mythology and Vedic cosmology the universe is cyclically created and destroyed. The life span of Lord Brahma, the creator, is 100 'Brahma-Years'. One day in the life of Brahma is called a Kalpa or 4.32 billion years (the approximate life span of the earth). Every Kalpa (one day in the life of Brahma), Brahma creates 14 Manus one after the other, who in turn manifest and regulate this world. Thus, there are fourteen generations of Manu in each Kalpa (one day of Brahma). Each Manu’s life (Manvantara) consists of 71 Chaturyugas (quartets of Yugas or eras). Each Chaturyuga is composed of four eras or Yugas: Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali.

(Courtesy: Wikipedia)

If this is the case, then we SHOULDN'T be knowing about The Ramayan which happened in the Treta Yuga, or for that matter, even the Krishnavatar, which happened in Dwapara Yuga. Because according to Hindu cosmology, the world in which Rama walked and lived(?!) is not the world that we live in, right now. It was destroyed. It was a different yuga. Then, how do you explain the authenticity of the Ramayan?

(For all the people who are going to abuse me, because I'm contradicting God... well... muahahhaha. You are welcome to do so.)

Friday- Talent!

The walk from the Ashok pillar bus stop to my office is an eventful one. I am almost always on the phone during the 10-15 minute walk, but there is one thing that is always striking - the stench. There is a slum establishment on the way, and people exrete on the roads, and human excreta of all shapes and sizes and stench occupies the pavement. There is a similar establishment on my way back home, closer to home actually, that I cross in the bus everyday. Everytime I cross the place, almost half the people in the bus close their noses. Some wonder aloud. "How do these people live amidst this?!" I reply, "You get used to it". My reaction is always awe. I try and peep in to see what they have at home. There is always a TV. You can see women cooking. The interiors of the houses always look clean. And, everybody seems to know everybody else!! Now, these are real human beings with real lives. I think of all the apartments wherein a dead person was found only three days after the death because the stench from the decomposing body became overwhelming. People living among all the stench would have never let that happen.

Anyway, now, this place near my office was very colorful that day- some amman temple carnival(thiruvizhaa). That was when I saw them!! Kolams in all varieties- poo kolams, butterfly kolam, deepam kolams and what not! That was when I understood why they say everybody has some talent in them!

Friday - Today was a holiday!

Aah...My state is mourning for the loss of the neighbouring state chief minister. I am mourning because my company is compensating this holiday with two full working Saturdays. Sigh. This is when I miss school and college. All those rainy day holidays... the freedom to just take leave and stay home when you're bored or sleepy... the famous 3 week holiday that we got due to the Sri Lankan issue... omg. I never dreamt I'll say I miss MOP. But I do now. I'm going to see Jhankar tomorrow...as an outsider. Feels so weird.

Friday- Horoscopes

I have this habit of looking at Horoscope predictions. I don't know how I became interested in it...maybe it is in my genes, because dad can give decent predictions reading a 'Jadagam' and his knowledge was got from books. So, anyway, I somehow tend to look at the horoscope in newspapers and online whenever I can. I don't tend to go by it though. But sometimes I can relate to the horoscope for my sign.(especially The New Indian Express horoscope is scarily accurate at times!) And I know the sun signs by heart :P

I've read Scorpio is compatible with Capricorn, and I find a lot of my good friends and people who actually understand me too much are Capricorns (Eg: Bhuvana, Supri, Yushi, Dinesh)

Scorpio

"The most magnetic, the most mystifying and the most misunderstood sign of the zodiac"

"Possessiveness and jealousy are the characteristics traits of the Scorpion and a Scorpio cannot tolerate sharing something or someone they considers theirs. Whenever they become involved in a relationship, they become emotionally much attached, though it may take some time for their partner to realize this." (Sometimes, this gets too much. We aren't extra jealous or possessive, are we?)

I somehow like my sun sign. Maybe because my sign represents whatever I am, or because I'm that way because of my sign. But I never met a fellow Scorpio friend up until college(with the exception of our Philosopher Subha), and in college it sort of became an overdose. I found Sukanya. I found Bumboo. I also happened to find Deepika. *Shrugs*

I somehow always find sun sign predictions and personality matches...I've seen living proof of this, and also people who are totally opposite to their signs. Whatever. Horoscopes are fun, and as long as they remain just for fun, eet ees acceptable I guess.

Ok...so now you are wondering what is the WHOLE POINT of this post?! Well, it is completely pointless :-) Got the point?



PS: Ok. The truth is I've been trying to see if there is the remoteset chance if Scorpio and Taurus can be good friends. As far as I can see, it seems quite impossible. (Sandy is an exception).

Friday - Noodles!

I had noodles for tiffin today :-) The yumminess inspired this post!

Instant noodles were a rage when I was a kid. I guess that's when they started getting popular and we were all addicted to Maggeee at some point of time! For almost everyone, instant noodles was the first thing we learned to cook, even before we learnt to make coffee(Remember Shriya Sharma in Sillunu oru kaadhal, making noodles for the other kid with glasses?) and the greediness with which we ate/shared the noodles is very significant :-)



And, like everything that is popular, noodles also has its share of controversies. The glue/wax that is getting mixed to the water, and that making you sick... pre-cooked food items being unhealthy etc. Once, I read in a magazine that we have to boil the noodles in water, then drain that water...(which will be cream in color by then, after a few things dissolving into it..wax?!), add water again, add the masala and cook it. Ok...now, healthy food is ready. But believe me, I tried it once and the once superb noodles tasted very bland, even with the masala thingy. Maybe it is wax, maybe it is something else...but that sure adds to the taste. And, as I am from "Live to eat" and not 'eat to live' category..."I | don't | care"(like that pimple ad!)

Friday - Swine Flu Prevention!

Oops.. sorry this is being posted a day late!
Aaha... you guys should've seen this coming! When there is swine flu everywhere, I got this absolutely hilarious e-mail from Burfi:

SWINE FLU ALERT....

Apart from the normal symptoms there are some visual symptoms they had found in recent cases. Do not please come to office if you look like this.




:-)

But on a serious note, there is this SMS that is doing the rounds. Here goes:

Scientific prevention of swine flu using household products:

1. Inhale clove oil for a second

2. Chew 1 clove a day

3. Eat raw garlic, onion, ginger

4. Drink hot milk with 2 gm of turmeric

5. Consume plenty of Vitamin C fruits

6. Use Nilgiri oil on Handkerchiefs

பாட்டி சொல்லும்போது கேட்கலை... இப்ப ஒரு பன்னிக்கு பயந்து என்னவெல்லாம் பண்ணறாங்க!!

Friday- Oil Massage

Blame it on the stress, the heat, the roaming or anything else, the fact is - my hair is falling, and how! The thickness of my hair is only half of what it was, say, like a year back. When I asked my beauty parlor woman Nasreen(who is this super cool person), she said, do oil massage. (Goes to flashback...Nandhini: Oil massage ஒரு experience. எல்லாரும் அதை ஒரு தடவையாவது பண்ணனும். சுகமா இருக்கும் டி...) I realized the time had arrived to yield to the temptation. I wanted to do it last Saturday, but after dad yelled, "சனிக்கிழமை பெண்கள் எல்லாம் தலையில என்னை தேய்ச்சு குளிக்க koodaadhu. நாங்க எது சொன்னாலும் நீ கேட்கறது இல்ல...blah blah blee....", I decided against it. And, coincidence, I did it today and here is the post! என்ன ஒரு சுகம்!! அடடடா! செமையா தூக்கம் வந்துடுச்சு! But when I came and narrated, dad said, " அந்த பைசாவ எனக்கு குடுத்திருந்தா நானே பண்ணி விட்டிருப்பேன்" Typical of him.

By the way, when I googled, I found this:

One of the time-tested treatments for hair loss is oil massage. You can use any one of the following oils – almond oil, olive oil, lavender oil, coconut oil, and castor oil – for your hair massage. You can use any of these alone or as a combination. Another time-tested remedy to grow hair is applying freshly squeezed onion juice to the scalp. You can also combine the onion juice with an egg and a tablespoon of olive oil. This will work wonders towards re-growing your hair. You can also make a mixture of one egg, juice extracted from one lime, and one tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil. Whip this mixture and apply it to your scalp and hair. Leave it on for two hours before you wash it off. Apart from taking care of the hair growth this mixture will also take care of any dandruff that you might have. Apart with working towards growing your hair you also need to stop doing things that make you loss your hair. Hair dryers, curlers, hair irons, coloring, perming are some of the things that make you loss a lot of hair. Avoid all these things as much as possible. Also, avoid taking on any kind of stress and make sure your daily diet includes foods rich in vitamin B and folic acid, as these are know to promote hair growth.

(Courtesy: http://www.hair-n-skin-care.com ) அடுத்த வாரம் வெங்காய ஜூஸ் தான்!