The Root & the Big Family Tree

 The Root & the Big Family Tree🌳

If a tree has to be nourished the root has to be taken care. The fertilizers & the water are fed through the root.

Our Sanathana Dharma indirectly was teaching us that and the family system of ancient India before any foreign rule, realized that and practiced it by nurturing the girl child and women in the family.

Education was nothing but art of living then. Ladies were educated, humble and brave. Ladies taught their children & girls their younger siblings, the epics , puranas in the story form which taught us art of living (the dos & dont's). Chatrapati Shivaji Raje learnt a lot from those stories listening to jijabai and followed the same when imprisoned by Aurangazeb. (Hiding in thevfruit basket).  This is just a sample! There were many heroes and heroins in our land had who were nutured by their roots in the name of mothers & grandmothers. Our history instead of being made, if was dug properly, it would have been a great Treasure Hunt.

Ladies were respected thus they were kept under protection of the family, like a root.

If a man had to observe a good life the woman he married became his support system. Together they carried forward their journey by man being the bread earner and the woman an able administrator  of internal & sometimes external affairs too & as a supervisor as well.  

Woman was worshipped as a roopam of Shakti. When the girl was married, she was considered to be the Mahalakshmi of the house hence the practise of giving gold and other things to the bride's family by the bridegroom was practiced in the ancient India. Bhagavan Srinivasa marrying Padmavati is the proof from our ancient History. This changed when our Focus was disturbed by foreign invasions.

Because woman had to undergo a threat during invasion by some ruthless foreign rulers, who and their men abducted girls & women whether they were married or unmarried, women were kept inside home for their own safety. Safe keeping of roots.

At a later stage this took a bad shape. The very purpose of that act was forgotten and misunderstood, resulting in some men folk following things blindly by making woman uneducated, never allowed them to go out of house, etc.... they changed their focus from the dharma and considered woman inferior and weak. All these because of a generation or two had forgotten to pass on the correct knowledge to the next generation of boys & girls that a woman is a 'root of the family tree'.  

If we ladies know how to carry ourselves physically and mentally like our ancestors we can build a better nation. Rani Laxmi Bai, Rani Mangamma are few known examples from our History.

A root is always under the earth, but it is important for the survival of the tree throughout its life. It keeps the tree up and tall. The importance is not felt until the root is affected. The leaves may prepare food, the trunk and branches may help transporting various things, but all these cannot happen smoothly without the proper function of a root.

It is important that every boy and girl is taught the art of living (right from this toddler phase) which is part of the life cycle of a human being. Girls should be humble but brave. We need to shift our focus from the west to the roots of sanathana dharma. If the girl child is brought up in the right way, she can become a good root to nurture a big tree - 🌳 A Big Family Tree! 

Hare Krishna 🌸🙏🏻🌸

🟠May our dharma flourish and nurture every mind and thus our land. 

🟠May our History be digged instead of made.

- Mira Murli

Pigeon Gyan

While crossing the road in the morning, saw a pigeon which came under the wheels of a vehicle n breathed it's last. As usual I said Om Shanthi and moved ahead in thoughts.....

The provision shop keepers throw grains on the platform n few grains do end up in the road. The pigeons ignore the humans, vehicles n the predators passing by. They are fully engrossed in eating to their tummy full. They don't move n least bothered about what will happen to them. They just live the present.

Morning being less traffic hours, the vehicles speed through the empty roads... The person driving the vehicle may ignore the pigoens feeding on the road or he might have got fed up of this daily sight and show the anger by running over them or it must be too late to apply a break for him or just an anticipation that they will fly as the vehicle approach them. Whatever it is, the loss is to the pigeons.

The pigeons are so greedy that their greed prevent their mind from alerting them to fly away.

The crow which was feeding on the dead pigeon was clever as it was flying away as and when a vehicle approached and it also was careful about the humans passing by and it's Predators as well.

#Nature'sLesson

The greed clouds up the mind ; thus a person becomes blind to look at good things and thus leading to self destruction.

Living the present is good. But one shouldn't so engrossed in the present to fail to see what's coming in future.

The pigeon couldn't take even the single grain that it had gobbled. It left them along with it's body.

Greed only leads to destruction.

There are people who has the character of a pigeon as well as the crow.

Life moves on in this planet irrespective of these facts....few learns n few ignores ... we can make a difference by being a good learner n practice it ; thanking god for this wonderful lesson!

May this Sunday be a peaceful and happy one to you all.

Om Shanthi!

A Foggy Morning

It was a foggy  and a very good morning. Yes, winter has arrived!

At 5.00 am, the scene outside made me feel that I was ported to heaven during sleep.... With that fog surrounding densely with very poor visibility.

Because of peak hour busy schedule I could only peep at the beauty. (Sorry, no pics of that beautiful sight).

The fog completely blocked the visibility. You will see the difference in the other pictures, that I have shared below...

I was enjoying my coffee, standing by the window, looking at the beauty outside..... Then this thought came in that there is always danger behind the beauty!

Those who drive that early foggy morning may be facing the same visibility issue....so prayed for positivity... That drive should be safe for everyone... ( I am not that much an angel... My hubby drives carefully but not everyone else on the road 😉)

Pictures taken subsequently at various times while sun was still rising....

I felt as if I was ported to heaven for sometime because of dense fog and poor visibility that even my neighbouring buildings became invisible.

In the picture below, it looked to me as if the skyscraper rose up from earth all of a sudden piercing the clouds beneath (As I was already on cloud 9 with the arrival of the winter ;-P) and made me remember the Jack's Magic Beans story.

Even the otherwise fighting Pigeons finds Unity at that hour as their morning feeding area was nearby!

The different sounds of the bird n this fog scene made me feel that I was on the floating clouds.... The  honking of the vehicles from the nearby road, brought me back to the reality! 😁

I was trying to take another sip of the hot Filter Coffee,then realised that the cup is empty! 😁

[# coffee gyan???] 😉]

When too many things accumulated from past and present with a worried future, our mind tends to have this foggy condition. We may not be able to see the solution or the task / goal that we need to do... We just get carried away by illusion thus making our mind numb.

If we organise our mind by editing unwanted stuffs, we can get clear thoughts.

As sun rise, it's ray clears away the fog. Same way an experienced elder's advice and wisdom or a Guru's bhodana clears the obstacles in the path of life and lead us in the righteous path.

Music has no language barrier.... The lyrics are in Tamizh but you will definitely enjoy the song and the soft music in the video below :-

Matru Devo Bhava ; Pitru Devo Bhava ; Acharya Devo Bhava!!

_/\_

Wish you a wonderful weekend!

Om Shanti!

mango Mango Mangoes........

Mango mango mangoes....mad I go behind mangoes!

Mango is not only the king of fruits but also the National Fruit of our country. It's an oldest fruit which has its place in hindu mythological story about Lord ganesha and Lord karthik (murugan) contesting with each other for winning the fruit and fixed a race to go around the world. It stands first among the trio (mukkani in Tamil) viz. Mango, Jack fruit and Banana.
  
Everyone eagerly awaits for the Mango season to arrive. Whatever be the variety of mango you get in your region, mango has a special place in people's heart.

Start of the season brings in the tender mango which is used in pickles. Nothing is comparable to its taste. It has a special aroma and the crunchy texture makes it even more interesting. I love my simple meal of Curd rice and Tender Mango Pickle.

Then arrives the fully grown raw mango. They can be pickled as well as eaten raw or mixed in chats and salads, we make a curry using a combo of mango + cucumber (manga kootan) and mango pachadi (a sweet accompaniment).

Many love to eat raw mango with little salt and chilli powder. mouthwatering isn't it? ;-)

Various types of pickles can be prepared and accordingly the shape changes.

• Normal pickle - with just salt & red chilli powder
• Instant pickle - we also call it manga curry served in feasts.
• Pickled in salt - which can also be used to make raita (arachakalaki)
• Avakkai - the famous pickle from Andhra Pradesh
• Thokku - the mango pieces looks mushy 
• Chunda pickle - sweet version from Gujarat
• Sweet & spicy Pickle - pickles using salt, red chilli powder and jaggery
• Tender Mango Pickle - plain salt as well as spicy version
• Lot more to go in this list as per the region and tradition.............

We can prepare "Raw Mango Rice" - a variety rice using the less sour variety known as 'thothapuri' which is little elongated with a curve at one end.

A traditional simple curry using raw mangaoes called "Manga Kootan" - specially made in the month of April (during the Malayalam New Year Vishu).

Then comes the season of ripen mangoes.....

wow! what a variety of them available in our country!! Let me try to list atleast those what I know (good memory game!) ......

1. Alphonso (ratnagiri / devgad etc)
2. Badami / Banganapalli
3. Thothapuri / kili mooku
4. Neelam
5. Chakkarakutti (TN special) - sweetest of all!
6. Salem Malgoa
7. Kesar

Mampazha pulissery (curry / khadi) using ripened mangoes never miss my menu during the season.


In Gujarat & Maharashtra you get the famous "aamras" during the season. Aamras and puri is a very good combination that goes in every gujarathi house during the season. The pulp of the sweet ripened mango is extracted and preserved to be used for this purpose. Hotels too serve aamras during the mango season as a sweet accompaniment to a thali.

I recently had tepla with aamras. wow! what a combo it was!!!!

waiting to taste this season's alphonso.................

wish you all a happy time munching into sweet mangoes.

Second Anniversary today! :-)

Mira's Talent Gallery @ My Hobby Lounge is entering the 3rd year of blogging today.

 




Time flies! few days back My Hobby Lounge touched a milestone of more than a lac views and today  I am entering 3rd year of blogging.... a double dhamaka!

In the last two years, I have made many warm friendship here, Learnt new things and now eagerly looking forward to a more funfilled journey.


I thank you all for your support, encouragement and giving me a wonderful blogging experience.

From Mira with love

 Tweet

Twilight Hours - Part III

Good Evening!

Hope you enjoyed Part-I and Part-II of my twilight hours.

.......

Evening hours if you get a light cool breeze there is nothing like it to lift your spirits after a tiring day.

The evening walks in the park is full of pleasure as I see different coloured flower beds, the green grass, new plants, a small pond and active pigeons, kids playing and lot more happenings. 

 

Who will not love to walk through this winding path surrounded by greenery & filled with chirping of birds!

In each and every tree lot of birds comes to rest in the evenings at their reserved branches. Large number of sparrows occupy single small trees and make continuous chirps till it gets dark. Once the sun sets, you will never know that there are so many little things residing in that tree.....they maintain such a pin drop silence! .....

Twilight is the time for bats.....yes, small & big they emerge suddenly from somewhere. They fly in the air catching insects.....you can see them flying everywhere swiftly busy eating & successfully navigating in the air without hitting any hurdle on their path.

Slowly nocturnal life comes alive with the cricket's stridulation. The shrill voice they make fills the air giving the night its unique music of different notes.

Sorry folks, i couldn't catch the photo of the flying bats, owls etc though I see them. Will try capture the shots soon :-)

The evening in the beach is truely lovable. I enjoyed every minute watching the light, fading slowly ,with the sun setting near the horizon.  The breeze becomes so cool, height of waves, rising....... sharing with you a sunset shot I had taken by beach side.....the silhouette of the landscape next to the beach...

Imagine you are standing in the beach, letting the small waves wet your feet and this beautiful scene in front of you......

While you admire the beauty, here is another beautiful song scored by Maestro Illayaraja that plays in my mind .....language?! no problem. Just enjoy the music 

Thanks for being with me through the beautiful twilight hours wish you all a pleasant evening.

Twilight Hours Part - II

Hope you enjoyed my Twilight Hours Part - I and shots taken on a cloudy evening.

A cool morning hours when the nature set chirp tone alarm wakes me up, nothing like it for a good start of a day. After taking my cup of coffee I come and stand near the window looking at the greenery beneath and hearing the happy greetings of folks from bushes and trees.

To see the sun rise in the east is a feast to eyes like a sunset. But the later  gives a cool night hence the pleasure stays long.

here are some sunrise photos 

a foggy morning......the chikoo fruit hanging from the trees seen clearly through the passing fog. It caught my attention so here it is for you.

continued....

Twilight hours Part - I

The dawn and dusk are the two most beautiful hours that god has gifted us with every day. The sky changes its look & shade every minute. I always enjoyed an evening drive or sitting in the terrace & watching sky throwing hues of colours while the sun rise or set.

The trees or buildings get into a shadow painting with a orange or light pink background which keeps changing.

Yesterday evening it was cloudy. The monsoon clouds have started passing by our land. Yesterday I happened to see a landing plane with the rain clouds background and it captured my heart so had it stored in my mobile to share with you.

Here are those clicks.

 

A melodious song scored by mastero ilayaraja from a tamil picture 'Nizhalgal' (shadows) of '80s runs in my mind.  Here sharing the link to that song.

If you can understand tamizh it will add more life into the song while you hear.  If you don't still you will be able to enjoy it as music is an universal language. Listen to the back ground music, the chirpings of the birds, the pictresque evening sky, etc...

.........continued ... :-) please click the links given below to read them

Twilight Hours Part - II

Twilight Hours Part-III 

Bovine Times @ Yeoor Hills

Today a family friend visited us. We invited him to join us for a breakfast and it turned out to be a good start for the day for him as well as for us. Yes, made spicy red chutney, onion sambar and steaming idlis. All of us had our fill followed by gulping a mug of piping hot filter coffee made with freshly brewed decoction and freshly boiled milk.

While the taste was still lingering in our mouth and we enjoying its after effects, the friend initiated some sweet talks about a goshala run by a charitable trust where he had adopted four cows. He offered to take us there which is a too good offer to avoid. The bonus info is that he had rescued a pregnant cow from a slaughter house couple of years back and that cow has given birth to her second calf few days back. So off we went to see those humble creature and ofcourse the new arrival......

After the drive through the busy crowded city roads & lanes, finally we touched a  lake area near which stood a check point at the foothills of the Yeoor hills which formed a part of Kanheri Hills (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) leading us to a place called Yeoor. I have heard about this place many a times hitting the news about leopards & leopard attacks (due to encroachment into forest land) . After the formality at the entrance, we proceeded through the winding tar roads of the yeor forest area watching the natives (tribals), partly demolished structures here and there on the way. Came to know that many people under fame list have built & owned farm houses which was later demolished by the government to protect the forest and the dwellers inside.

When our vehicle entered the gates, we smelt the typical dairy fragrance (Tabela) in the air. yes I call it a fragrance because I loved the smell of fresh dung & green grass filling the air. Soon we heard "here moo, there moo, everywhere moo mooo - a welcome mooing of the cows on the arrival of this man who adopted them. They have very good sense of identify their man amidst a group. The care taker of the farm welcomed us with a broad smile. Before we proceeded with our journey from home, we expressed our desire to take care of the food expense of that day. So the friend arranged for a mini truck loaded with fresh green grass and vegetable scraps & wastes. The vehicle loaded with the goodies for the residents arrived just behind us.

When we got down from the vehicle, we were greeted by the humble cows & adolescent calves in an open fenced area. I picked a small bundle of grass and went near the fence. Soon all the scattered cows started towards the fence where I am standing taking the green grass from my hand  competing with one another. There was this cow which acted smart   by eating greedily and also taking the grass offered to other cows.


After spending some time there, we went to the enclosed area where milking mothers with their calves happily munched on the grass safely . 3 calves welcomed us at the entrance. This one smells & licks the hand showing its affection.

As the place is a forest, to prevent any attack by leopards on the new borns they have kept them in that area. Along with the rescued cows stood the jersey cows who earns revenue to the charitable farm by giving milk.

On a corner stood a strong bull the father of the fit calves, busy eating and few feet away from it stood the new mother with her calf. The care taker said that the cow is very protective warning us not to go near it to touch the calf. We could understand the trauma that the mother would have undergone which makes her over protective towards her little one unlike the other mothers in the farm.

wow! what a bond! see how close he is staying to his mother.

 

The little one is dark brown in colour and has a very shiny coat of fur. the little nose smelling the air, its cute looks tempted us to touch & hug it but the protective mother made us to keep the distance and we enjoyed watching it for some time.

He was very inquisitive to find out what his mother is busy eating, sniffing the grass.

We came out and  went inside the open fence to feed them with the  fully loaded sacks of vegetable scraps, cut stem & leaves of cauliflower & cabbage. found ourselves surrounded by happy cows.

 Suddenly I noticed a Big Bull marching towards inside the crowd and I retreated towards the gate of the fence (as my past experience has left a fear inside me) touching the adolescent calves and very soft natured cows. This bull I was told that is left out inside the fence along with other small bulls to protect the cows from leopards as this man looked well built to keep the enemy at a safe distance. just with his look.

next to the fenced ground lies the filed where cauliflower were planted. I could not get a good shot of the blooms.  Behind the dairy lies the farm land where cabbage, spinach, coriander and Fenugreek were planted. When I heard about it from the care taker my eyes opened wide and I followed him into the field followed by a caution from him that the place is infested with poisonous snakes & no medical facility in the vicinity of the hills. When he is bravely venturing why should I stay behind and miss the lovely sight, so prayed to all Gods for their blessings, followed him with quick steps amidst the field & quickly captured few shots.

Coriander

Spinach

They were not ready for harvest, I could feel my hubby saying "thank God. otherwise my dear wife would have made me a santa  carrying a big sack of freshly harvested veggies" - a great relieved expression in his face.

After we had a gala time with them, we started our journey back home.  While going all of us were excited about the visit to the farm and thinking about the new born calf so didn't notice much of the camouflaged creatures.  But on our way back, the friend noticed a macaque sitting in the corner of a bend, slowed the vehicle and stopped for a while. He made sounds similar to that of a monkey (he had reared a monkey brought up by a truck owner during his childhood at home against his fathers desire!)  but that guy didn't care for it much. Soon we saw him running into the woods. The reason we came to know only after we saw another 'he' a dominating male moving towards him. Wondering why only two monkeys?! Both the sides had thick trees with dried leaves covering the ground.

when we were about to start...noticed a small branch moving...yes another small monkey, while I managed to take a video of that moving one, soon noticed that many leaves & branches sorrounding it started moving viloently... monkeys!!! yes, lot of them are there. So perfectly camouflaged, we found it difficult to spot all of them again as they again stood still in their place.

Managed to get a shot ofcourse very cautiously because I don't want to part with my dear camera to those forest dwellers as my good old camera has to offer me many more good shots in future. We drove back and melted into the busy traffic of the city towards home rewinding the cherishable moments  we had at the yeoor hills.

Tweet

Like it in fb