RANDOM THOUGHTS

TRAIN JOURNEY WHEN YOU             WERE  STILL A KID  One of the most fascinating experiences as one grew up , will undoubtedly be the Train Journey that you as a kid made in the company of your parents  .  As for myself , with my father being in the Railways and working for a large part of his career at Kharagpur in W Bengal ,  meant  frequent and long travels to be with our relatives during my school vacations . Being pretty late born to my parents ,  my sister and brother were more like  a guardian to me during  my growing up years  . Save for the odd occasions when my Niece or Nephew came in to the picture , i had a free run with the prized seat by the window in a train or the lions share of anything edible that made their way during the long Journey .  Most of my maternal side uncles were at Bombay and the Paternal side down South in and around Ravanasamudram near Tirunelveli . With 6 First Cl...

          BIRD WATCHING IN COVID TIMES  COVID 19 has opened up numerous new ways of spending the time , confined as we are inside the compound walls of our houses . One such passtime is the search for the beauties that chance across the neighborhood from time to time . Now , most of you would have got me all  wrong .  You would  most probably be saying  something like  , " This man of nearly 70 years  must be surely out of his mind to even engage in such lowly thoughts ". Sorry , you seem to have got me all  wrong . I refer to the BIRD WATCHING of the feathered kind .  If nothing else ,  these PANDEMIC times have  left  us  with enough time and space to see  to look around and   admire the innumerable things which the ALMIGHTY has laid before us . During normal times  , I doubt  , if their very existance would have ever been noticed . I can spot atleast 5 colours , Can You ...

LAYING OF CONCRETE ON THE CEILING OF           A HOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION  This half a minute Video is a microcosm of the CONCRETE LAYING OF A NEW HOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.  This is one of the most important operation during a house under construction . Near 6 months  of work precedes this operation.  The house owner , contractor and the workmen together await this important fixture . House owner  : For  the lasting safety of the HOUSE and the family who intend to make it their Home.  Contractor : His cery reputation and acumen is dependent on this one important Facet . Workmen : This day is always special as the daily wage on this day is double the normal with free lunch and a round of drinks that the owner provides on this day . This is a labor intensive and strenuous job .Please watch the video and appreciate the efforts that go in to the construction of a house .

  NICE TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF A GLOBAL COMPANY OF NEARLY 140 YEARS STANDING My son Haarish and Family were on a Weekend Visit to Muskoka Lake from Ajax where they stay in Canada . Enroute in a small Village Convenience store he noticed a picture from the 1890 s J & P COATS SIX - CORD COTTON SPOOL  As can be rightly expected he forwarded the picture which I am now sharing in My Blog  It really feels nice when you realize that you have Worked in a Global Company for almost 30 Years and more so because the PAPANASAM Unit is almost 135 years old now . Worldover  there can be hardly any  home without  a COATS SEWING THREAD OR ITS ALLIED PRODUCTS in their homes in some form or the other  at any given point of time   . If nothing else ,  the dresses that we all wear will surely  have the Coats Sewing Thread -  Ametto  - Anchor or Spade  as a component for stitching the same . An interesting and somewhat sentimental incid...

       SUSHRUSA , CURRY LEAF TREE  The other day , during my , by now mandatory morning walk around the house, my neighbor Kadayam Mani showed me  what a good SUSHRUSA he was albeit to the CURRY LEAF  Tree inside the compound . In Agasthiarpatty as with almost the entire South India , it is almost a must in every house to grow and nurture a CURRY Plant/Tree . The addition of CURRY LEAVES  in almost all Types of  Sambhar, Rasam or Chutney is a must . The Months of July and August during the Courtallam Season see heavy breeze or wind together with the light drizzle . ( AADI KAATHU AND SEASON SAARAL MAZHAI ). Two years back during one such heavy breeze , the branch of a CURRY LEAF  tree got broken in my neighbour's house .  He , much like the Sushrusa of our Olden times tied and bandaged it together . Today there are many other off shoots and the tree stands tall and firm . How this came about is explained in the Video .  

   AMBASAMUDRAM , A MUST VISIT PLACE  One place endowed with multiple choices of places and interests is Ambasamudram . The fact that all these places are within a radius of 15 kms from the center of this Taluq Headquarters Town some 40 kms from Tirunelveli is an added attraction . A SPLASH AT CHINNA SANKARANKOVIL    ON THE WAY TO MANIMUTHAR FALLS  Morning Mist Near Papanasam Upper Dam. Agastiar Falls pool  Papanasam Temple River Front  Erichudayar Kovil. Tambarabarani in full flow at Kailasanathar Templen inside Eruchudayar kovil Brahmadesam Temple  A PLACE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF TOURIST ATTRACTIONS 

          AZHWARKURICHY SIVASAILANATHAR                                       TEMPLE  This Siva Temple is some 40 Kms from Tirunelveli and on the Banks of the Gadana River . Surrounded by lush green paddy and coconut groves and being on the foothills of the Western Ghats this Temple has several Unique features . One among a few Siva Temples that face towards the West . The Swayamboo Lingam has plaited hair like feel at the back . The Diety also goes by the name of Sadayar   The Consort Paramakalyani is everyone's Diety,  Paramakalyani College being one of the post Independence Colleges around this area . Simpson Group's Anantharamakrishnan hailed from this place which has many Institutions named after him in  around this area . The Temple is famous for the Tiruodu trees around this area . One particular tree attracts special attention as i...