RANDOM THOUGHTS

 KAARTHIGAI DEEPAM AT RAVANASAMUDRAM                                         2023  Ravanasamudram is a tiny little village almost at the Southernmost tip of India . It is situated in the Tenkasi District of Tamilnadu and about 35 Kms on either side of Tenkasi and Tirunelveli . Being at the tip of the Western Ghats , the lush green Paddy Fields swaying almost to the  Conducted  Music of the winds of Mother Nature makes this place a very Scenic and picturesque locale comparable to the very best to anywhere else in the world . The Agraharam in this village is steeped in the old age Charm and Traditions .  The KAARTHIGAI DEEPAM Festival brought to light this to the fore and is sure to be an envy to anyone  outside of this village .

       BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION OF BHAGAVAN         SATHYA SAI BABA AT REGINA 25/11/2023 We have been an ardent and regular Devotees of Bhagavan Sri Satya Sai Baba . This has been so Right from our days at Madura Coats Colony in VK Puram . My Parents used to conduct Bhajans and Classes on a regular basis there . I have been to both PRASHANTI NILAYAM , ANANTAPUR as also WHITEFIELD , BANGALORE to seek his Blessings . This year , we are at Regina in Canada on this Auspicious Day . The celebrations was to be conducted at  The Hindu Temple in Regina . The temperature on the day was at   (-15 ) Degrees and Snowing while even as we were Driving to the Temple . The assembled Devotees was a surprise and more surprising was the large number of Very Young , Bala Vikas Students who presented short clips from the Epics of both Ramayana and Mahabharata.  ( The Hand Crafted Ganesha Face for Arya my Grandson by Kamesh caught everyone's eye ) This was immediately after the chanting of the Ashtotra of S

 ITEMS KNOWN MORE  BY THEIR  SUPPOSED PLACE                                      OF ORIGIN  We have all come across items which gain attention and popularity by virtue of belonging to a place they come to be associated with . More often than not , both the item and the place of origin come to be addressed in unison .   MAN has always been a Foodie and would not mind the trouble  to travel an extra Mile if required  to satisfy his taste buds .  Food item and its  supposed place of  origin , which may or may not  always be true  come to be associated with it in unison . Most of the present Generation or the Millennium kids are very much aware of the BOSTON PIZZAS , ITALIAN PASTA , FRENCH FRIES , SWISS CHOCOLATES and many other such items . Closer home , MYSORE PAK - MYSORE RASAM , LONAVALA CHIKKI , SHEGOAN KATCHORI , BANARASI CHAT , KOLKATA ROSOGOLLA , MUMBAI BHEL PURI , CHOWPATTY VADA PAAV , MATUNGA CONCERNS LUNCH OR DINNER ,  GOA FENI , MADRAS MASALA DOSAI , MADURAI MALLIGAI POO IDLI ,

 INDIA /NZ - WC SHAMI FINAL                      MATCH  The Lead up to the World Cup ODI Match between INDIA AND NEW ZEALAND had all the things going for a Spectacular Match .  India with Nine Staraight and Convincing wins at the League Stage were the downright favourites to win the Match . I am a  Keen Follower of Cricket in all its 3 Formats . Being in Canada  I was awake at 1.45 AM itself to watch the Match from the Toss-Up  stage itself . The near 12  Hour time difference was just a small matter which was not going to come in the way of me Watching the Match . Winning the Toss and opting to Bat first was almost half the Battle won with Our Batsmen in their current form . As has been the norm throughout the tournament so far,  Rohit and Gill provided the finest start with 81 for no loss at the end of the First Power Play .  Shubman Gills 80 Not Out was a masterclass despite his Cramps . The much anticipated 50 th ODI Century by Virat Kohli went on to anoint him as not only  KING KOH

   STRANGE  INTERNATIONAL                            BORDERS  The picture that comes to mind when we talk of International Borders between Two Countries is often that of GUN TOTTING Army Men in their Army Fatigues with their Canine colleagues for company maintaining a strict vigil on the Border with a pair of Binoculars glued to their eyes.  The oft repeated spectacle at the Wagha Border between India and Pakistan on our TV Screen is a case in point .  By and large this seems to be true for most unfriendly neighbors , but there also many where crossing of each others Borders is a normal way of life .   Above is the Border between Slovakia , Hungary and Austria. Your one foot could be in Slovakia and the other in Hungary and your Hand taking something to eat from Austria . A River is all that divides the three Countries of Argentina , Paraguay and Brazil . The inmates of a single building could be from two different Countries altogether.  Bosnia and Crotia as in the above picture . The

         NOMADIC EXISTENCE  All said and done , Mankind has always been a Nomadic Animal . His , has been a unique story of  adapting to the prevailing conditions in whichever part of the STATE - COUNTRY  OR WORLD that he or she has chosen to settle in . The change could be to better His Own or His Offsprings Future . Tropical Weather , Arid Desert , Freezing Cold and associated Winters , Equatorial Hot Seasons or any one of the hundred other reason  are no dampner to his quest for making a change for better living standards .  The above thought in mind ,  sent me on a Long Time Travel , exploring the various places where I have spent a couple of Nights/Days /Hours  in this long Life Journey of mine . INDIA  WEST BENGAL :  KHARAGPUR , KOLKATA ,DIGHA , CONTAI , SHALIMAR , SANTRAGATCHI , HIJLI , KALAIKONDA , MIDNAPORE ,  JHARKHAND:  RANCHI , CHAKRADHARPUR , JHARGRAM , ORISSA:  CUTTACK , KHURDA ROAD , BHUVANESHWAR , PURI , KONARAK , JHARSAGUDA , ADRA  CHATTISGARH  BHILAI , DURG , RAIPUR ,

     WHITE SHEET OF SNOW AT                            REGINA  Thought some might find the Falling of Snow , intriguing as barring a few places up in the North of India , Snowing is an unseen phenomenon in India . 

 Halloween Day Regina - Canada Not many from our part of the world might have come across this term HALLOWEEN DAY .  It is a contraction of All Hallows Eve , a Holiday observed on Oct 31st each year , the evening before ALL SAINTS  ( or ALL HALLOWS ) day .  The celebrations marks the day before the Western Christian feast of All Saints and lasts for Three Days and concludes with the All Souls’ Day . In much of Europe and most of North America , observance of Halloween is largely non religious. Along with Skeletons and black Cats , the holiday has incorporated scary beings such as Ghosts , Witches and Vampires into the celebrations. Another symbol is the  Jack- o - Lantern  A hollowed out pumpkin carved into a demonic face with a lit candle inside .  Temperatures during this part of the year is mostly in the Negative and the  snowfall add up to make this evening more special .  The houses get decorated or should one say haunted with all the eerie looking figures of Skeletons , Figures h