Bharata Natyam

Bharata Natyam is a very famous form of dance which has been practiced in Tamil Nadu for several centuries.  Natya Shastra was written by Bharata Muni and hence the name Bharata Natyam.  The dance has three crucial elements to it, viz., Bhaavam, Raagam and Thaalam.  The short form of these three crucial elements is coined together to get the first part of the name Bharata Natyam.  Over the years this dance form has gained lot of fame and is now practiced all over the world.

Most of the ancient sculptures in the Hindu Temples are based on the dance postures of Bharata Natyam.  Bharata Natyam as a dance form combined with Carnatic Music are together deeply grounded in Bakthi.  Dance and Music are inseparable and the Bharata Natyam Dance performance is always blended with Carnatic Music.  Bharata Natyam is an embodiment of Music in visual form.

During the Bharata Natyam performance the dancer depicts split characters and the expressions shown by the dancer and variations that is brought out gives this dance form a special dimension.  The synchronization of the dance movements with the beat of the music and simultaneous depiction of the expressions on the face is precisely what you will see in a Bharata Natyam performance.  It takes several years of learning and consistent practice for a dancer to learn this form of dance and perform on stage.

As a small boy I first saw the song in Vanjikottai vaaliban and was stunned by the performance of two great Bharata Natyam exponents, viz., Smt.Padmini and Smt.Vyjayanthimala.  Watch this dramatic, scintillating performance:



There are a large number of people who have dedicated their entire life to uphold the values and preserve the tradition of Tamil Nadu.  I am happy that these good Samaritans have kept up the tradition and in this present world of technology there are still several thousand performers of Bharata Natyam.

I congratulate and salute all the artistes who are associated with this great form of dance.  Long Live Bharata Natyam.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
12.12.13

SEVEN MOTHERS

As per the Hindu Shastras there are seven mothers for all of us.  The first mother is the Cow because Cow gives the Milk to the pregnant woman and in turn the Mother gives milk to the Child.  Our real mother who gave birth to us is the second mother as the first mother is the Cow.

The Third Mother is the Guru-Patni who is the wife of our Guru.  The Fourth Mother is King's Wife - Raja-Patnika.  The wife of a Brahmana is also a mother - Brahmani.  The Nurse who has helped in our birth is also a mother - Dhatri.  Earth is also a mother as we derive all the food for our living from mother Earth - Prthvi.

1. Kamadhenu - Cow
2. Matha - the Real Mother
3. Guru Patni - Guru's Wife
4. Raja-Patnika - King's Wife or Queen
5. Brahmani - Brahman's Wife
6. Prthvi - Earth
7. Dhatri - Nurse

I know Cow and I worship Cow for being the first mother.  I know my real mother and respect her a lot for whatever she has done to me, my father and my siblings.  She is the most intelligent woman I have ever met in my existence of the last 50 years.  My Guru lived 100 years as a Sanyasi and hence the Guru's Wife is not applicable in my case.  I was born in Independent India and hence there was no King and thus the Raja Patnika is not applicable in my case.  Having been born in a Brahmin Family I know a lot of Brahmani in my own family and amongst relatives.  Mother Earth is giving everything for us and I do respect her a lot.  I do not know my Dhatri who helped my mother during my delivery.  All I know is I was born in Gosha Hospital in Pycrofts Road, Triplicane, Chennai.

If you know the seven mothers then worship all of them.  This is a very nice song on Mother sung by Yesudos in a Tamil Film and I am sure you will enjoy this song:



Enjoy Life.  Respect your Mother.

Regards,
T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
6th November 2013

INTERNET OF THINGS

The advent of Internet in the 1980s was a great boon to the entire world.  The whole lifestyle across the entire world has changed substantially over the last three decades.

More than a third of the global population is connected into the Internet in some form or the other.  From the Internet we are now moving into the 4th Industrial Revolution which involves "Internet of Things".  Anyone can get connected Anytime and on Anything.

I attended a Networking Speech conducted by Etisalat Academy last week on the topic of "IT enabling the 4th Industrial Revolution".  The speaker for the day Mr.Nassir, General Manager of Intel for Gulf Countries made a wonderful speech.  He highlighted the five pillars of IT which will enable the 4th Industrial Revolution.  These are called the Tectonic Shifts which are:

1. Big Data
2. Cloud Computing
3. Client Continuum
4. Internet of Things
5. Security

Anyone, Anytime and Anything is the tag line most appropriate for "Internet of Things".  You are now connected to the Internet through a wide range of products including the PC, Laptop, Tablet, Mobile Phone, Digital Devices, TV, e-Book Readers, etc.  You can also get connected to the Internet at any time as you wish and from Anywhere in the world including when you are flying from one city to the other.

Our life now revolves around the Technology as it is so pervasive and decides on how we live, work and relax.  Technology is involved in every single product or service and hence is involved in every bit of our life.  The convergence of technology and the speed at which we are witnessing the developments particularly in the last 10 years is really mind boggling and stunning.

The first PC that I purchased when I worked in Sterling Resorts in 1988 had a Hard Disk capacity of 20 MB.  You get pen drive with 64 GB capacity for USD 30 now a days.  The computing has moved a long long way and now we are approached the "AAA" status - Anything, Anywhere and Anytime.

It is estimated that by 2020 there will be 30 billion devices wirelessly connected to the "Internet of Things".

We are approaching very exciting times and every one in this planet earth needs to adapt with the ever changing technology and get ready for different life style all together.

T.P.Anand
Mumbai, India
5th November 2013

SHAKUNTALA DEVI

Shakuntala Devi was born on 4th November in 1929 and lived her life as a "Human Computer".  She was a born genius who was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1982.  She was much faster than the computers of the 80s.  She had the unique ability to make complex mathematical calculations without the help of a calculator or a computer.  She could do all the complex calculations mentally and come up with answers in seconds.

She had a strong belief that "numbers have life" and thus spent her entire life with Numbers.

In 1970 she went to Germany and competed with a Computer and won a Mercedes Benz as a prize.  In 1976, she calculated the cube root of 2,373,927,704 as 1334 in 10 seconds.  It took her just 10 seconds to calculate the 8th root of a 14 digit number.  In 1977 she took a competition with the Computer to find the cube root of 188138517 and she won.  In the same year she took just 50 seconds to compute the 23rd root of a 201 digit number.  She gave the answer for the multiplication of two randomly picked 13 digit numbers, in just 28 seconds and thus got recognized by the whole world.  This was at the Imperial College, London on 18th June 1980.

At the Stanford University in 1988, she calculated the 95,443,993 as 457 in just 2 seconds.  On most of the occasions she came up with the answer in the same time that it took to ask her the question.  Such was her speed and mental ability, which was truly astounding and amazing.

The chip manufacturers had to work very hard to beat this great genius Shakuntala Devi and hence started making microprocessors with more and more transistors.  The computing skills of the Computer had to be enhanced several times to go ahead of Shakuntala Devi in the 1980s.  She had the ability to mentally ascertain the day if any date in the previous century was given to her.  That too within a fraction of a second.



Shakuntala Devi had a vision to make learning mathematics very easy for the children.  She wanted to promote extensive research on Vedic Mathematics but could not fulfill that wish.  During her life time, Shakuntala Devi has helped several thousand students to improve their mathematical ability.  She has taught the students Grouping and Rhyming Methods; Right - Left Brain Synergy; Alphabet Code; Number Sound Code; Power of Mnemonics and Mental Filing Methods.  What she taught her students in short was "Mathability".

In addition to teaching students "Mathability" she also practiced Astrology and has shaped the life of several people through her astrological predictions and guidance.

Shakuntala Devi left for the heavenly abode on 21st April 2013.  She must be working in the heaven to create the next generation computing device.  I salute this great mathematician and genius.  Long Live Shakuntala Devi's Fame and Name.

Google gave her a fitting tribute today:

T.P.Anand
Mumbai, India
4th November 2013

AIRTEL SUPER SINGER 4 - FINALISTS

The competition is now reaching very interesting level and we have only last eleven contestants.  They are all very good singers and have given some incredible performances in the past.  There are some hot favourites and everybody has high expectations on some of the contestants.

My prediction of the last five who will be seen in the Finals are as follows:

1. Soniya:

 She is a very versatile singer and has given some incredible performances in the past.  How can one forget the "Azhaghu malar Aada" which she performed so well that too in the presence of the great legend S.Janaki:


2. Parvathy:

She is a very good singer.  She has a great voice and does not move an inch while singing.  This is a great quality exhibited by P.Suseela, S.Janaki and Vani Jayaram.  She did very well when she sang "Paadu Nilave" in the presence of S.Janaki.
3. Sharath Santhosh:
  
Though his mother tongue is Telugu he has been doing a fantastic job.  He is the most consistent performer.  The way he sang "Enakkoru Kadhali" was really good.  I missed watching the episode and my relative Mrs.Chitra Aravind wrote to me to check whether I liked the rendition and immediately I looked up to Youtube and watched this performance.


4. Diwakar:
 
Diwakar has a unique voice and is a great performer on stage.  His presence on the stage and engagement with audience is extremely professional.  I watched the "Siva Sambo" performance on 31st October 2013 and was stunned.  Watch this extraordinary performance by Diwakar and I think mainly due to the orchestra with Stephen and Thomas:



5. Sai Vignesh:

He will the youngest contender among the finalists.  He sings very well as he has classical music knowledge which is a huge plus point for him.  I watched his performance of "Marudamalai Maamaniye" the great song which will live for ever and so very well sung by the great legend Madurai Somu:



The chances are very high for Sonia to ultimately get the winner's crown as "Super Singer 4" but you never know how things could change in the finals.

This is a very good entertainment and at the same time a huge inspiration to all youngsters.  We have the evergreen Algates Alagesan who comes every now and then to enthrall the auidence with his typical style of rendering all the old songs of the great singer T.M.Soundararajan.  Apart from the youngsters who are performing well we also have 62 year old Alagesan who is a great inspiration for one and all.

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY DIWALI.

T.P.Anand
Mumbai, India
2nd November 2013

FUTURE OF EDUCATION

Education is a fundamental right of every child in the society.  We all are today in a position to earn a decent living because of the Education.  My intention is not to write about the Education System but the way it is shaping up and how technology is playing a major role in the way education is going to be imparted.

Children today are extremely comfortable with hand held Digital Devices and Computers.  The Education System is slowly evolving and adapting itself into the New Age Technology.

Teachers have taught lessons in the class room with 30 or 40 or 50 students.  With the new age technology the teacher can actually teach millions of children at the same time.  This is exactly what is done by Khan Academy.  Very simple explanations on various complex subjects with a 10 minute video.  Salman Khan the creator of the Khan Academy decided to provide simple, elementary explanation to maths, physics and related concepts.  The mission is to provide "a free world-class education for anyone anywhere".

Please see this below report what Khan Academy has done to revolutionize and shape the future of education in this world:



Technology is playing a major role in our lives over the last couple of decades particularly after the advent of Internet.  Technology is embedded into almost everything that we do and the convergence of technology and its amazing results are already seen in the evolution of the Mobile Devices.  The future is not just Education but Technology oriented Education which is now termed as "EdTech".

Sal Khan himself explains the why, how and what of the Khan Academy videos in his speech in the Good Live Experience Conference:



This extraordinary man who has studied at world class institutions like MIT and Harvard is now helping millions around the wrold to get world class education at their fingertips.

The academy teaches subjects like Maths, Science, History and Finance and is a great resource for anyone and everyone.

Khan Academy is just the beginning of this revolutionary EdTech and we will see many more such initiatives over the next decade which will get into various other parts of the real life learning.  We may not be able to go back to school but we can certainly go back to a virtual class room and learn whatever we want to learn as there are no boundaries for the virtual class room and hence no entry barriers.  "Learning stops at the Grave" and EdTech is the future of education.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
28th October 2013

BEST RELAXATION

Relaxation is very essential in the day to day when we are in an ever-changing fast paced life.  Any method or process or procedure or activity that gives us the requisite calmness and reduces the anxiety or stress or anger is a good Relaxation.

There are several methods of relaxing and relieving ourselves from the daily stress.  Listening to Music, reading a nice book, going for a long walk, driving on an empty road, watching a good movie, watching comedy show, prayer, sleeping, meditation, and the list goes on and on and on...................

The objective is to improve health and the only way to improve health is to stay relaxed and calm atleast for some part of the day.  I feel it is important for every individual to relax atleast for 2 hours a day particularly after a eventful, stressful day.

The best relaxation to improve health and to remove stress and strain from the mind is watching Cartoon.  It is real fun, creative, hilarious, innovative and above all very very relaxing.  I have been watching cartoon for the last 30 years and I have never felt bored of watching a cartoon.  Of all the cartoon that I have watched I must say, Tom and Jerry is the most preferred for the amount of fun and relaxation it gives.  Watching Tom and Jerry Cartoon gives the mind the requisite calmness, relaxation and peace.  You will tend to forget everything including where you are when you watch this great creation - Tom and Jerry.

See the below video as a sample of Tom and Jerry:



While we have all learnt to do so many things in life and have mastered the chosen craft to make a living, it is equally important that we learn to relax.

Relax and Enjoy Life.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
17th October 2013

LIVE IN PRESENT

We have to cherish and live in the Present.  Is is important to remember some of the events from the Past and it is also equally important to plan for the Future.  However it is important to stay focused on the Present as this is what we have to live on.

Past experiences and thoughts will pull us into a hole and will make it difficult for us to think rationally on the Present.  Future thinking will take us into a dream world and the ideas and aspirations for future is always very pleasant.  That is a fantasy and will make us float into the dream world.

The Past teaches us a lot of lessons and hence it is important to learn from those lessons of the Past and Live in the Present so that the Future will be comfortable.

I have come across people who keep digging into the Past all the time and are always in a remorseful mood. Whilst they live in the Past they also have a tendency to pull others around them into a Depression.  This is completely avoidable as we will not gain anything by stirring the past events again and again.  By digging and stirring the past events we are actually wasting the Present moments.  The Present is where we Live and we cannot waste it or throw it away by allowing our thoughts to drift into the Past.

A Plan for the Future which is just on paper is worthless but Planning for Future is Priceless.  It is important to Plan for the Future but at the same time we should not end up wasting too much time dreaming about the Future.

Past is depressing, Future is a Dream and only Present will give us the required Peace and Happiness.

Watch this wonderful video on how to live in the present by following 5 simple steps:


There are 60,000 thoughts that occur to us in a day of 24 hours.  Out of these more than 70% are repetitive and useless thoughts.  It is important for us to condition the mind and ensure that we stay calm and composed and Live the Present by cherishing every moment of it.

Leave the Past and Let the Future be unknown, Love others and Live in the Present.

Regards,
T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
13th October 2013

108

In general, I am very fond of numbers.  I read a very interesting article on the significance of 108 recently and thought I should write about this unique number.

In mathematics the number 108 is an abundant number and a semi-perfect number.  108 is also known as Harshad Number as it is an integer which is divisible by the sum of its digits.  1 to the power 1 and 2 to the power 2 and 3 to the power 3 is equal to 108.  The pentagon is formed with interior angles of 108 degrees each.

In Religion, the number 108 is considered very sacred by the Eastern Religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.  The individual digits in the number 108 represents One thing (1); Nothing (0) and Infinity (8). 1 stands for God (higher truth); 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.

There are 54 letters in Sanskrit and each letter can be mentioned as Masculine and Feminine aspect, totalling to 108.  The powerful Sri Chakra Yantra intersects at 54 points each with a masculine and feminine quality, thus totalling to 108.

There are 108 Divya Desams which are considered very sacred in the Hindu Religion.  These are the 108 Divya Kshetrams of Lord Vishnu.

Japa Mala has 108 beads as Hindus believe that the mantra has to be repeated 108 times.  108 signifies the wholeness of the divinity and perfect totality.

As a human being we are said to have 108 Desires; 108 Delusions and we tell 108 lies.  There are 108 earthly temptations a person must overcome to achieve Nirvana.  We also get 108 different feelings during the day, 36 related to past, 36 related to present and 36 related to future.  Atman, the human soul, goes through 108 stages on the journey.  There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.

 In Astrology, there are 12 constellations and 9 arc segments and thus 9 times 12 is 108.  The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of Earth.  The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

The pre-historic monument "Stonehenge" is 108 feet in diameter.  At 108 degrees farenheit, the human body's vital organs begin to fail from overheating.  This could be reason why in India the Emergency number is 108 (toll free number to call Ambulance, Police, Fire Service).

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
4th October 2013

SERENDIPITY

Serendipity is a word which was found to be one of ten most difficult words to translate.  Serendipity means pleasant surprise.  It is something nice that you stumble upon by chance in an unexpected manner.  The word has come from Srilanka and I heard the word first time in 1994 in Bangalore when I attended a Corporate Training Programme.

Srilanka was known as "Serendip" in the olden days and thus the word "Serendipity" came into usage.  The South Indian Kings who stumbled upon this island near India called it as "Cheran Dheep".  Cheran is the name of the King in South India and Dheep means island.

In the modern business a strategy that leads to unexpected windfall due to certain unanticipated advantages or benefits is called Serendipitous Value.  The synergy in a Merger or Acquisition of a business can lead to some unexpected windfall and such pleasant surprise is called "Serendipity".

Instead of waiting for a pleasant surprise or accident leading to benefits, it is better to consciously work in the mind with a positive attitude so that you can come up with a new idea.  "Serendipity" can be practiced in stages to achieve the desired results.

If you are trying to find a solution to a problem then you need to first fill your mind with all the necessary inputs, knowledge and information.  These inputs are essential to start the ideation process.  During the ideation process your subconscious mind will try to work on different options.  Serendipity strikes in the form of a random external stimuli that you can use to solve the puzzle in your mind.  The Serendipitous Stimuli when added to the information and knowledge already fed into your mind helps you to come up with a new valuable Idea or a Solution.

Instead of finding something good without looking for it as an accidental benefit, it is better to consciously work towards finding a good solution to a problem.  It calls for very high degree of determination, positive attitude as by law of attraction you will always stumble upon good things as subconsciously you are looking for a pleasant outcome.

It is better to be at the right place at the right time with the right inputs so that you will find the right solution or Idea.  Thus it is possible to achieve desired positive results and new ideas through conscious efforts. Serendipity is actually a positive energy and thought process which is constantly working in the mind leading to the desired result.  The movie "Serendipity" which was a big box office hit in 2001 depicts this in a beautiful way.  Watch the trailer of the film:



 Serendipity is not an accident.  It is an art of making happy discoveries.

Let us all practice "Serendipity" in day to day life and achieve positive results on each and every endeavour.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
30th September 2013.

GOLD MINING

I was very fond of gold and used to wear lot of gold ornaments.  I gave up wearing these gold ornaments a few years ago.  Gold is a very precious metal and is always in the news as there are several millions who are interested in buying Gold both as jewellery for use by the men and women in the family as well as an investment.  I have been very fascinated by this yellow metal and thought I should explore a bit into the mining of Gold.

Gold Mining is a very long and hard process which is being practiced for over 7000 years in our planet earth.  In several parts of the world the gold ores is available deep inside the ground and people have to dig deep and bring the gold ores out.  It is basically a process of extracting the gold from the ground.  Gold Mining is always preceded by Gold Prospecting which is searching for the gold deposits.  Once the Gold Prospecting is done to look for the Gold Deposits and if the Gold Deposits in a particular place is confirmed by the Geologists and Experts then the Gold Mining will start at that site.

There are different methods like Panning, Sluicing, Dredging, etc. for the Mining Process.  The Gold Mining was done by people as part of their Treasure Hunt and slowly with the improvements in civilization the Gold Mining in various parts of the world was kept under the Government Control.  There are several Corporations which are involved in the Gold Mining business with the permission of the respective local Governments.

India is very famous for Gold as she is the largest consumer of Gold in the whole world.  In the 2nd Century AD people started digging small pits to extract gold in Kolar in India (Kolar is a very small town near Bangalore). According to some rough estimates more than 1000 tonnes of Gold has been extracted in Kolar Gold Fields.

When Gold is found in any region in the past there has been a Gold Rush.  As a small boy I have seen Meckenna's Gold and can never forget the two characters Gregory Peck and Omar Sheriff.

Gold is being extracted from the ground in several parts of the world including United States of America, Canada, Australia, Africa and China. Nevada in USA is said to be one of the primary gold producing regions in the world.

Being a finance professional I look through the annual reports of various companies around the world and one of the mining companies in Utah, USA has reported Gold Deposit in an area which is measured at 15.6 million tonnes of which 11.4 million tonnes is waste rock.  Mineralized material is indicated at 3.94 million tonees and the quantity inferred is only 0.26 million tonnes.   The Cost of Mining the Gold is going up steeply and at one stage some of the companies have faced operating loss as the Cost of Mining the Gold was higher than the price it fetched in the market.

According to an article published by the World Watch Institute, four southern states in India have together bought a whopping 70,000 kilograms of gold jewellery for Akshaya Thrithiya (a day which is believed to bring fortunes and well being to the family by purchase of the yellow metal).  In my opinion there will be atleast one kilogram of gold in every Middle Class family in South India.

Gold Mining has lot of negative effects on the environment and human life in general which is very important to note.  725 Million tonnes of waste is produced in order to get 2500 tonnes of Gold and the enormous amount of waste is contaminating the water and causing lot of environmental problems to our planet earth.  Mercury and Cyanide are some of the dangerous toxic chemicals that are being used in large quantities for Gold Mining.  Gold Mining has also led to the destruction and eradication of several species of birds and animals over the last several decades.

Gold Mining will continue as the craze of Gold Jewellery keeps increasing all over the world.  The yellow metal is also used in some industrial applications and hence that adds up to the requirement of Gold.  I sincerely hope they devise new and better methods of Mining the Gold without causing much damage to the Environment.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
4th September 2013

INDIAN IDOL JUNIOR ANJANA

Anjana Padmanabhan is the first "Indian Idol Junior" title winner.  What an achievement by this little wonder kid.  I am a big fan of Anjana as she has participated before in the Airtel Super Singer Junior 3 in 2012.

She is a very natural singer and sings with so much ease that I keep wondering if at that age someone can sing like that.  At this tender age she remembers the lyrics of so many songs and has grasped the nuances of each of those songs.  It is really an amazing talent and definitely God's Gift.

Anjana has achieved a great feat and is also blessed to get the coveted title "Indian Idol Junior" from none other than the great legendary Action Hero of all time "Amitabh Bachan".

Her singing in Airtel Super Singer Junior 3 was exceptionally good though she did not win the title.  But this achievement of becoming the first title winner of Indian Idol Junior by singing Hindi songs is really incredible as Hindi is not her mother-tongue.  She has learnt the language over the last few months after being selected for the Indian Idol Junior competition.

See the ease and comfort in her singing:


The realty shows in India is really bringing out the best of the talent from different parts of the country.  Thanks to all the realty shows, we are able to unearth and highlight talented youngsters.

Watch this song in tamil which Anjana sang last year in Airtel Super Singer Junior 3.  It is not an easy song to sing but she sings with so much ease in an effortless manner:



If you close your eyes you will think you are listening to a 20 year old but when you open your eyes you see a tiny little girl who is just 10 years old.  Anjana Padmanabhan will surely become a legendary singer over the next few decades.

Listen to the below video with your eyes closed and you will feel exactly what I have narrated above:




Anjana's parents will be very proud of her achievement and both the parents have always been very supporting to this little wonder of India.  Anjana will now become a role model for several thousands of children in India.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
2nd September 2013

WORLD'S END

World's End is a fantastic location in Sri Lanka on the Horton Plains near Nuwara Eliya.  It is at an altitude of 6000 ft above sea level.  The only way to see the World's End is by trekking and for me and my wife it was the toughest walk in our lives so far.  We walked 9 kms stretch along the tough terrain and it took us a good six hours to complete the trekking.

We started walking at 8 a.m. and completed the entire stretch of walking by 2 p.m. in the afternoon.  We first reached the Mini World's End which is a fantastic view point.  As we were there before mid day there was no mist and the view was very clear.  We were told that the view is clear only in the mornings as there is too much of mist after mid day.

From there we walked further 2 kms to reach the World's End which is at a different mountain and gives the same view of the longest river in Sri Lanka the River Mahaweli.  There are no roads, no pavements, no interlock blocks to comfortably walk.  The entire stretch is walk into the jungle through the rocks, sand, slopes and steep terrain.  It was quite an exercise for the mind and body.  We were very careful in placing every step as the ground was completely uneven and hence it was extremely uncomfortable.

We thought that we have covered a great distance and reached more than half of the way but our guide told us that we had another 2 kms to walk to reach the Baker's Falls.  Reaching the Water Falls was really very tough as the path was very steep, slippery and very tricky with lot of rocks and stones.

We were extremely happy and delighted that we have seen the Mini World's End, World's End and also the Baker Falls.  That happiness and delight was short lived as the Guide told us that we have a 3.5 km walk back to the starting point.

The final stretch of 3.5 kms was through the mountains and valley.  It was very picturesque.  There are 20 Leopards and 3000 Samba Deers in the Horton Plains.  While walking back to the starting point we saw the corpse of a Samba Deer which was killed by a Leopard the previous day.

The guide told us that the Leopard will stay in the close vicinity as he takes about 10 - 15 days to completely eat the Samba Deer.  I was very scared as I kept thinking what I will do if the leopard suddenly appeared.  The guide told me not to worry as the Samba meat is far superior and tastier compared to mine and hence he said the Leopard will not do any harm to me.  I then realised that there is hardly any meat in my body as compared to the healthy and huge Samba Deer.

Finally reaching the starting point was really difficult particularly the last one kilometer walk.  Very strenuous and tiring indeed as we have never ever walked for 6 hours in our life in one day, that too on very tough and rugged terrain.

On the whole it was a very satisfying, unique and pleasurable experience.

It was a lovely experience of a lifetime.  Anybody visiting Sri Lanka should not miss visiting the Horton Plains.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
29th August 2013.

CROP CIRCLES

Crop Circles are huge designs that are formed on large stretches of farm lands.  Are these man-made? or do they suddenly appear overnight due to some work of extraterrestrial bodies?  These are huge patterns that are formed in the agricultural fields and are of perfect shape and unimaginably accurate dimensions.

The Crop Circles are not necessarily circular in shape.  It is a pattern created by flattening of the crop such as Wheat or Barley or Maize.

More than 25 countries have reported nearly 10,000 Crop Cirlces in the last third of the 20th Century and nearly 90% of them were located in Southern England.

The mere dimensions and size of the Crop Circles make them truly amazing and magnificent.  The Crop Circles became popular after the media reported them in 1980s from Hampshire and Wiltshire in England.  Apart from England there are several Crop Cirlces which are found in USA, Japan and Canada.

The shapes are really mind boggling when you look at them "Far from the Farm" as the true shape and pattern emerges when you go to a higher altitude to look at them.

Watch this video on the Earth going through the warm hole:



Whether these are man-made or not, these patterns are truly amazing and wonderful to look at.

It is not easy to create these patterns and shapes.  It is a phenomenon which has made me think deeply on the nature and the need to preserve nature.



T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
26th August 2013

GIVE AND TAKE POLICY

Give and Take is a good policy which signifies that you first give before you take.  I believe in Givers Gain Philosophy which is being followed in Business Network International (BNI).  The more you give you gain the most through the experience of giving.

We live in a world in which instead of giving and then taking people believe that others should give and they would always take.

Givers may think that they are losing by giving but actually they gain in the long run.  The takers would feel they are gaining when they take but eventually they would lose everything if they are only taking and not giving anything at all.

Watch this interesting video by Prof.Grant who is also a very good magician:



My Experience of "Give and Take Policy" which I have seen in my interaction with various people over the last several years can be summarised as follows:

I GIVE money, you TAKE away my earnings
I GIVE my savings, you TAKE my peace of mind
I GIVE love, you TAKE your own time to reciprocate
I GIVE my time, you TAKE advantage of me
I GIVE kindness, you TAKE it as my weakness
I GIVE my efforts, you TAKE the benefits
I GIVE my brain power, you TAKE the value addition that flows
I GIVE in, you TAKE the lead
I GIVE my assets, you TAKE the income that flows
I GIVE because I believe in giving, you TAKE because you believe in only taking and not giving
I GIVE because I enjoy giving, you TAKE because you think I am stupid

Whatever be the experiences with people, I strongly believe in Givers Gain philosophy.  I will continue to GIVE and GIVE and GIVE.  What about you?

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
11th August 2013