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From Bacardi Breeze to Boiled beans
Bangalore's a place where the average rainbow gets edged out by the smog clouds while the nocturnal screech of car tyres has learnt to harmonize with sounds of Metallica. A place where the baskets of fruit are outbound and the caskets of wine are inbound. A place where the spiritual gurus share the dais with politicians because of a strange similarity. One believes in God while the other believes he IS God.
But who cares about this 'n that? For it's fun and more wild and whacky fun for the new kid on the Bangalore-block. Yep, that's the one- the jeans- clad man with gelled hair and an overnight stubble to catch, er, match. Ditto for the woman, minus the stubble.
Where History meets Hotspots: Left: Vidhana Soudha building. Right: a nightclub
That's Bangalore. Or 'Bengalooru' (and some say 'Bengaluru'), as per the recent dictates of the government.
Based on information from the Gazetteer of India (taken from the web), Karnataka State, Bangalore District section, the name "Bangalore" is an anglicised version of "Bengalooru," a word in the local Kannada language that was given to a town. Apparently this word was derived from the phrase "bende kaalu ooru," which translates into "the town of boiled beans." It is said that King Ballala of the Hoysala dynasty lost his way in the jungle while on a hunting expedition. Tired and hungry, he encountered a poor, old woman who offered him the only food she had - some boiled beans. Grateful to her, the king named the place "bende kaalu ooru." However, historical evidence shows that "Bengalooru" was recorded much before King Ballala's time in a 9th century temple inscription in the village of Begur.
Now that the whole city is officially renamed 'Bengalooru' should a visitor expect any change in the hospitality department?. Well, don't expect to be served boiled beans like ol' times.You'll likely get pasta. Don't expect to meet kings with head gear. You'll only meet lads with headbands.
Bengalooru may be a de-anglicised version of a name, but English is still the top-ranking language.
That is, next only to Java. ;-)
Posted at 09:51AM Aug 30, 2007 by Manju in Personal |
Once upon an emerald forest
If I were to ever define Timelessness, it was my recent trip to South Canara to attend an advanced Meditation course. Kamalasile, a tiny hamlet in South Canara, is a night's journey from Bangalore.
Although I had the company
of 150 enthusiastic course participants for five whole days, in
reality, I was quite caught up with understanding the elusive 'Self'.
The very surroundings were almost surreal, so to speak, and this
certainly helped me in my soul-searching journey.
First of all, our home for was a powerfully vibrant temple. To add
to this serenity was the lush and
soothing greenery. We had fallen into the comforting lap of Mother
Nature and the gentle hands of the Divine Mother. Who could ever ask
for more?
In this rare yet beautiful dialog between Nature and Spirit, the tall
areca trees swaying to the rustling wind accompanied our own
deep-throated 'Om' mantra. The crisp air cleansed and purified as we
breathed in accordance with the rhythm of Pranayams. The
pitter patter of raindrops seemed to beckon our very souls to come soak our feet in the inviting puddles.
Our mornings began with Yoga which were
followed by deep meditative phases. The fun started in the evenings, when a troop
of talented musicians led us through intensely soulful song and
dance. We would fall into a blissfully happy sleep state at nearly
eleven o clock every night, only to wake up enthusiastically in the
early morning hours.
For five whole days we forgot the sound of blaring horns and screeching
wheels. Instead, we grew accustomed to the cackle of birdsong and the
occasional chatter of a lonesome cricket. Our trip was dotted with a
few nerve-wracking moments as well, when we descended into a deep cave,
braving the slush and rain. The bats swarming the cave did their part
to add to the adventure.
Puneeth, Gurpreet and I await our turns (in the backdrop) to descend into the cave
We sat for a while by the Malpe beach to watch the fascinating sunset.
But our hearts cried out at the sight of a dead fish which looked like a shark. The beach water was blackish, and we reckoned that it was probably polluted from a nearby factory. Why can't people be more environment and ecology conscious and what can we do to make this happen, I wonder.
All in all, the trip was a great way to unwind from the daily bump and grind routine of the city life.
I haven't yet returned to ground state.
Instead, I simply move along the border of reality and the mystic world...
Note: Click here for more trip pictures.
Posted at 09:40AM Jul 28, 2007 by Manju in Personal | Comments[1]
Singin' in the rain
It's been rainin' out here in Bangalore, so I reckoned it's a good time to dust the ol' music records and cds. I played a Beatles album, gifted by a close friend of mine, and had a foot-tappin' good time.
Gawrsh, I can't seem to understand some of music these days. The lyrics are often hard to follow, if at all they exist. The music is overwhelmingly loud at times. But I do my bit o' head banging when the occasion demands it. Having a teenage daughter does help keep with the times. Although she often grumbles that I don't ever have any facts right o'er a Metallica, an Ozzy, or even a J Lo.
Just luv' em all...someone said..and stop judging. Ha ha. Easier said than done. It's like liking color pink. You just can't be indifferent to this color. You can either love it or hate it. Pink reminds me of cotton candy, pony rides and giant wheels. So the other day, when an aunt of mine presented me with a pink outfit, I had grand visions of a moving strawberry cone.
Come together... right now ...da di dum. (that's the song playin'...) Yeah, maybe that's a cool philosophy. Life is a bouquet of colors, tunes, seasons.
So Let it be.... yeah let it be...
Posted at 06:16AM May 05, 2007 by Manju in Personal | Comments[0]