Ambimama - India

Satellite towns were the solution offered, like Maraimalai Nagar. It was an utter failure. Now it has picked up, thanks to Ford Motors, other Industries and ancillary ones coming.

But there is no enough fly-over and ROB’s (Rail Over Bridge). Recently the Local Administration Minister has announced more fly-over (he has a fascination for that, which is good). There is heavy traffic jams at many places due to bad planning by all the previous Governments.

Tall building poses a big problem of parking, drainage and pollution. No Authority or Public are aware and do not complain. They carry on shopping at ‘Brahmandamai’ with great concentration on shopping only. And forget the hardships of parking, pollution and non-availability of basic facilities.

More by Sambhar Mafia here

All the South Indian papers mention about the Birthday of Madras wee. MADRAS DAY CELEBRATIONS includes many cultural programs The New Indian Express has published many articles one of them being protection of Heritage Monuments like Central Railway station, Ripon buildings etc.

Heritage is of two kinds City and Monuments - like Taj Mahal and Chennai Central Station.
But Real Heritage is different It has a Human, Peaceful and some introspection and appeal to us like the Great Temples of South India.

Architect, Sculpture in our temples cannot be judged or created today by man or any modern machine. And one such area near Chennai is Mahabalipuram.Other temples are Kapaleeswarar in Mylapore and Parthasarathy in Triplicane.

More than all this between Pallavaram and Chrome pet there is a road leading to Thiruneer Malai. Exact replica of Lord Sri Ranganathar. It is one of the 108 Tirupati Divya Kshetrams, considered holiest and sacred. It is on top of a small hill. And it has appeared (the steps, surroundings etc) in Tamil films more than other temples.

But surprising no one seems to know that. Nor even my Iyengar classmate and a resident for more than 40 years do not know.

The road that leads to the temple is nearly opposite Pond’s factory.

So we friends have decided to visit this temple during Madras Birthday, pray, have food (readily prepared from home) and do some charity - like Anna, Vastra Daanam. By the way which is the best Daanam? Blood, Parts of body (eyes, kidney) or Cow? According to me none of these. Being kind to children, and giving good education id the best Daanam (not to my
children!!)

Migration, whatever the cause - lack of rains or poverty of Brahmins in villages a century ago is a reality. And migration is common from historic times in various countries and across oceans also.

Why many Agrharams are empty of Vedic Pundits and other brahmins? It all began a century ago. My grand father was a Ganpadigal, a very great title in the Vedic field.

No earnings for them and family burden were high with many sisters to be married. Our family was in a small village in Thanjavur. My father was a B.A. in 1922. He left the traditional Vaideeham and joined the DALDA factory in Trichy. He was transferred to Bombay and I was born and brought up in Mulund.

Again a transfer to Madras. My education was disturbed due to the timing factor. I joined a course in Loyola, (which wasn’t my first choice)

There are other migration stories in the world, which are worst.

And one such can be found in An Ordinary Life 8 - Azhagu, which is the other side like in Pudupettai. The complete article is about the daily life of the poor in Chennai (Ok Madras).

Ramya has the complete article at
http://ramyablogs.blogspot.com/

The New Indian Express Headlines on the front page this Sunday 13th August shocked me. Yes it’s true. Not a joke on Lalu.

Lalu Prasad Yadav, our very own (corrupt? stupid?) Railway Minister will lecture at IAS probation officers at Mussourie. And IIM at Ahmedabad, Harvard academicians, experts from France, HSBC, Goldman Sachs and Merryl Lynch are waiting to see Lalu at Railway Bhavan.

Why? All due to huge profits. Railways have a balance fund of Rs.13, 000 crores.

Actually The Indian Railway workforce at all levels is responsible. And these supposedly smart business geeks call Lalu to deliver lectures!!

Credit to Lalu? What about accidents? It is common and pathetic that Politicians take pride when good things happen in their Ministry and blame all others - people, opposition, ISI when some thing goes wrong. Did any one question Lalu about what efforts is he taking in serial Bombay blasts recently?

I am really surprised there is something really wrong or fishy - Let us wait and see what he speaks and delivers. Sure some IIM or Railway Officer will prepare for him the Presentation. And all Institutes is going to talk to the people who really responsible for this. For this they need to lure, appease Lalu.

Sure the entire Management world is at wrong. Or have I gone insane? We all know Lalu’s history in Politics and his Mafia style ruling thru’ his wife in Bihar.

May be Power does not always corrupt. It takes you to deliver lectures in IIM’s.