Endless Hopes in Myriad Ways

The people are united with hopes all the way,

All are together to create future possibilities everyday,

It shares equal feeling to suit everyone’s way.

Thou people come from myriad places from faraway,

But they share similar feelings towards
   everyone in a humanly way,

Everyone is equal as being part of it everyday,

It holds discussions and deliberations
   constantly on workdays,

Everyone comes beneath hut-circle
  to resolve problems in the simplest way,

With unbridled assistance present around the way,

Its environ is wrapped in greenery,

As it uses everything in natural way,

In short it is modernity with traditionality,

Hence it creates endless hopes in simplest way.

Dedicated to the Sambhavna Trust Clinic, Bhopal.
http://www.bhopal.org/the-clinics/

Way towards Divinity

            It will spellbind you after having a mind-boggling journey which should rather be called a way towards divinity. One of the biggest and richest temples in the world, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam is situated in the southern part of India. This temple is erected over a mountain where Lord Venkateshwara is said to be dwelling. The city Tirupati is situated between two states of southern India, sharing its stretch at one side with Tamil Nadu and another with Andhra Pradesh. But it welcomes people from all over the world. In the midst of the early dawn we have reached the Tirupati railway station. It was a pristine environment where we could feel a calm weather and pure air to breathe, which were accompanied by mesmerizing beautiful Tirumala Mountains. In between all beautiful environ, such a massive temple stood majestically at one peak. It takes more than less than an hour by walk to reach the peak, compared to other transportation it takes approximately one hour. But to reach this holy, divine place by walk is more blissful as it makes one feel wholeheartedly contented. After reaching the top of the world's richest temple it feels entirely like a whole city is existing over there on the top.

            We went through a line of 'special darshan' which had a huge rush and was roaring. And finally reached after crossing several security checks and holding backs. It was only for few seconds that we saw the idol from a long distance as everybody was pushing one another and fighting their way ahead. The moment we crossed the idol from a distance, I simply felt nothing. It would seem like a comment from an atheist. I couldn’t feel there is something in front of my eyes which led me to reach the top of the peak. And thought the whole way what had forced me to come all the way till here crossing several miles.

            I believe it is a way to divinity within ourselves which forces us to find ourselves. The divinity flows within every soul which holds everyone together and revolves around the entire world. It is our inner consciousness and moral conscience which is the way towards divinity. We can’t move without our own will. Such highest will to do something is true divinity inside us. I could see each and every class and caste of people reached there without any restrictions. We found a divine way to bind everyone in one huge gigantic place and constructed such a mammoth structure. This place has turned lives of so many people. As it is giving lives to several people. It has an elaborate networked security system which is efficient to prevent any gruesome stampedes where innumerable people hoard to get one glimpse or darshan.

            Such a path of divinity is immensely botched up by the dissemination of Brahmanical dogmas along with preaching of its self-purificatory practices by inculcating in minds of people. It also professes giving up our hair to Lord Balaji since it is said to have a mythological significance towards it. The legend goes that once Lord Balaji was hit on his head by a shepherd and a small portion of his scalp became bald. It was noticed by Gandharva princess Neela Devi#  who felt that "such an attractive face should not have a flaw". She instantly gives a portion of her hair and with her magical power she implanted it on his scalp. Lord Balaji noticed her sacrifice. As hair is a beautiful aspect of the female, he promised her that all his devotees who come to his abode should render their hair to him, and she would be the recipient of all the hair received. Hence, it is believed that hair offered by the devotees is accepted by Neela Devi. Here one of the Tirumala mountains is named after her as Neeladri mountain.

            It was a past mythological story. But now it needs to be understood in a political economy perspective as hair donation+  has become a trade, which is traded to China, Africa, Europe and America. Don’t know Lord Balaji have granted us to sell our hair to international markets? Temples in south India always revolved around the context of political economy. It was right from the ancient and medieval ages when it was a source of several things as it provided education, employment etc. If we look at the brighter side of such donations it is immeasurable. As everyday it collects several millions which are invested over educational, hospital, employment, temple infrastructure, free transportation & accommodation for devotees and many more. If such donation helps to raise hospitals and universities then it is better than paying tax to government.

                 With the end of darshan we are offered very delicious and savoring Tirupati Ladoos. Rumour has it that this secret recipe cannot be availed anywhere outside the temple. And after that people can move towards free Bhojanalaya for every one regardless of caste and class.

“It is our inner consciousness and moral conscience that was the way towards divinity.”

* Ramamurthy, K., Rao, D. M., & Pullaiah, T. (2002). Flora of Eastern Ghats: Hill Ranges of South East India, Volume 1. Delhi: Regency Publications.

#Sitapati, P. (1998). Sri Venkateswara Swamy Tirumala: Worship, Utsavams and Festivals . Delhi: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

+ RADHAKRISHNA, G. S. (2013, February 3). Crores from Tirupati hair. The Telegraph [Calcutta]. Retrieved from http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130203/jsp/nation/story_16516703.jsp#.VAtFcMWSyFE

Capital with a Capital “C”

 

Life is entangled with myriad forms of intricacies. Here in this position the contemporary globe is revolving conterminously around the economy. It would be a blunder and a sheer mismatch to say that the earth revolving rapidly or capital is around the globe. Obviously, without any mistake we can declare that the most visible revolution per second in the capital is rapid. Why capital is more rapid than earth? It is the endless desire and madness towards the material needs which make it rapid. Then there is a dilemma, how come capital with a small “c” revolves so rapidly? Isn’t it the prerequisite element of Revolution Per Second (RPS) to have capital with a capital “C”.

 

Capital contains many variables; a sum of money, a set of produced means of production, or human capital. Generally the notion of capital is regarded as an asset or a wealth which has a material or monetary value. Every human is in a vortex of accumulation of maximum capital in their individual pockets. Since humans are methodological individualists who want to hoard humongous capital neglecting the size of their pocket. Even forgetting the repercussions of such hoarding continuously in their life by any means. On the verge of neo-liberal policies when globalization is the most notable phenomenon. As the capital can lead to a rise of a few individuals and a linear-horizontal progression of others. In this scenario, humans’ hoarding tendency is being exemplified in manifold ways which create a stark contrast in ways of living in the same geographical territory. It all occurs due to the capital with a capital “C”.

 

The societal draft is based on a structural setup. From the moment of human evolution, they have evolved a system to establish a just and equitable society. The desire of humans and power of capital which subtly pulls out the desired outcome even from bureaucracy or administrative system. These institutions have become invisible working cadres for capital with a capital “C”. Every iota of systemic elements is revolving around the vortex of capital. It is the capital “C” which presupposes a sense of a world where people live in. Capital with capital “C” is nothing but quality and quantity of currency within the individuals. It makes everyone revolve rapidly in this rapidly revolving globe. The most vital attribute of capital is its constant fluctuating tendency, which always wobbles as it never remains constant. In such hefty revolutions can that capital “C” crumble down? In this world, everything falls down as per Newton’s Law of Motion. In a similar vein, how apple had fallen over Newton’s head, the capital “C” will also come down and show the reality of the non-capital state of life.

 

            Such progression is pernicious for the entire humanity as humans are stuck around the revolutions of capital and its insane fluctuations. It had negated the moral norms and communitarian ideologue. Morality has submerged under the pawns of methodological individualist. Normative values were surrendered at the cost of materialist needs. Here it is the time to wake up and reconceptualise the trajectory of our future. Equality and justice are the capital values of every society. The real currency of every society is equality of opportunity and welfare policies for each and every section of society. Life is not a capital with capital “C” where inhuman fluctuations guide the humans’ prosperity instead it should be capital for individual prosperity and well-being not for poverty and ill-being.

Voyage On A Heap Of Scrap

          We as humans have mastered our mother nature. In subtle words we have tamed it with breakthrough inventions. We need to ponder what we have invented through such breakthroughs. Is it favorable for mighty humans and humble Mother Nature? With my recent voyage on mother land, I had explored outcome of such breakthrough inventions. It starts from our capital Delhi Hazrat Nizamudin railway station till Bangalore City Junction having 2700kms long journey. It had been topsy-turvy situation for everyone with sudden rain in midnight which forced platform seekers to evacuate below the just half erected sheets. After rainy night we imagined it would be pleasant in early morning but plagued platform and littered tracks gave dismal state of nature. It just appeared that human natural and artificial wastes are ravaging their own existence but still they carry on doing same again and again.

Mahatma Gandhi approximately century ago said that “railways, have spread the bubonic plague” it appeared evidential when voyage started and peeped outside the train window. The humans had dropped their used things all over the way in every crossing path. It looked indecent and untidy as crossing even desert barren zone, where we threw away polythene bags and tea cups.

Passing mountains and changing color of terrain,
Over-changing winds and trees,
Volatility in the accent of words and language.
Existence of multiplicity and vividness,

          It had apparently shown my country’s humongous diversity. Still, it holds darker side of such diversity. The uneven and unequal development in different terrain is the also the chaining contours of our Indian terrain. Here one-sided economic development along with under-development of several regions with poverty, hunger, malnutrition, corruption, illiteracy had been common denominators which were quite visible. It purely appears that due to the capitalist encirclement it had led to creation of two countries - “Rich Country” and “Poor Country”.

          With this mighty journey I had explored that breakthrough inventions along with assisting the humans, it had ravaged their own existence. We as human beings are known as ‘Rational Beings’, it would be mere hope they would get enlightened. Maybe end of this epoch period would teach them the subservience towards ‘Mother Nature’. Since nature had been for everyone that’s why I had become for no one. Our breakthrough inventions should assist humans to emancipate not to eradicate their own existence through ravaging nature or through lopsided development.