The Writer's Blog

‎ "The light of knowledge" Light symbolizes knowledge while darkness represents ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle," or Chaitanya, who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge.  Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself. Location: Parakkattu Shiva temple Ocassion: Ayyappan Paatu Festival K.Hari Kumar  Tweet me @KATHAHARIK ‎ ‎

Aloo ke Masaledaar Lachche (Indian Version of 'French' Fries) Punjabi Recipe MY RATING : 8.5/10   Ingredients: 1/2 tsp red chilli powder oil for frying salt to taste 8 big size potatoes 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1/4 tsp dry mango powder 1/2 tsp chaat masala Method : Take off the potatoes, wash and cut into fine matchsticks or grate. Soak in cold water for at least 1 hour, changing the water twice. Remove and pat dry on a towel. Heat up the oil in a kadhai over moderate heat. Mix in a handful of potato matchsticks at a time and fry, stirring constantly to keep them separate. Remove when they are pale golden and spread on an absorbent paper to take off excess oil. Mix everything salt, red chilli power, cumin powder, dry mango powder and chaat masala. Sprinkle this masala mixture over the fried potatoes while they are st

Makki Paneer Pakora (Maize Cottage Cheese Dumplings) North Indian Cuisine MY RATING : 9/10 Tasty treats from Jaipur.co Ingredients: 1/2 tsp cumin powder 2 tblsp coriander leaves chopped oil for deep frying 6 tblsp bengal gram flour besan salt to taste 2 tsp ginger chopped 2 tsp garlic chopped 2 green chilli chopped 1 cup milk 1 3/4 tsp dry mango powder amchur 1 onion chopped 100 gms cottage cheese (paneer) 200 gm corn fresh (makki) Recipe: Crush the corn in a blender. Grate the cottage cheese. Heat up oil in a pan, mix in cut ginger and garlic and stir fry till pink. Mix in crushed corn and stir fry. Mix in salt and mix. Mix in milk and stir fry to get a creamy texture. When the corn is cooked, transfer to a round dish and cool. Mix in grated paneer, cut onion, cut green chillies, cumin powder, amchur powder

Photographs of India #2   "Masala Wedding"   An amalgamation of Western culture with the masala of India...   Photograph by Katia Peshakova, New Delhi   Location : Hampi, Karnataka, India     Katia Peshakova Katia (27) is a Russian photographer. She spent her childhood in her father's dark room where he worked with his images. She worked as a journalist, and then she shifted her career to the path of her passion, i.e, Photography. Katia started her career as a wedding photographer in Moscow. After traveling across South Asia in pursuit of capturing beautiful images, she finally settled in New Delhi in 2010. You can visit Katia on facebook : http://www.facebook.com/katia.peshakova

As once opposed by vicious phenomenon courtesy the great cultural heritge of India (Casteist Hinduism to be precise), on this day of modern era we easily get to see, rather do, people blending together regardless of their creed or caste in holy places like Udupi. It was the first time I had been to the ancestral town of Madhwa Brahmins in almost two decades. I remember my grqndmother talkung about the ways in Udupi back during their era; how the upper caste folks would keep lower caste people below their belts, suppressing the growth of such people in every way possible. Altering the Vedabhyaasa system and reserving it for the privileged elite was one such step. Something similar to what Dan Brown highlighted in his genius of a work, The Da Vinci Code. If there is some kind of a theory affirming the deep rooted evil of casteism then such a tattva is a manipulated one. The original Caste system was simply a way of dividing people on the basis of the work they performed. As far as I know

What a game! What a tournament! Finally, India break all myths about Hosts not winning World Cups etc. Sreesanth's luck showing him way into the team twice (and not performing either times, I don’t blame him, he’s a good bowler, just wasn’t his days) and then Yuvraj's absolute splendor with the bat and ball. Sachin's final call came up with Dhoni's awesome leadership. Don't forget the presence of Rajini (Rajinikanth) and Ghajini (Aamir Khan) at the finals. When the two DEMIGODS of India (Sachin & Rajini) are in the same stadium who can dare take away the cup from us? Overall, spectacular effort by Team India. Besides, Our Pakistani brothers and Sri Lankan machans also did great! It was an Asian dominated tournament that was able put a brake on the great Australian express. Once again, Well done India, Sri Lanka and congratulating all the other sides for putting up a healthy competition and taking it till the end. This is our Winning Eleven ....

What a game, what a tournament and finally India break all myths about Hosts not winning World Cups etc. Sreesanth's luck giving him way into the team twice and then Yuvraj's absolute splendor with bat and ball. Sachin's final call came up with Dhoni's awesome leadership. Don't forget the presence of Rajinikanth, when the DEMIGODS (Sachin & Rajini) from India are in the same stadium who can take away the cup from us? Getty Images via cricketnext.com Cricket World Cup, 2011 - Sri Lanka vs India, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, Final Match Result: India beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets Man of the match: MS Dhoni (IND) Man of the Tournament : Yuvraj Singh (IND) Series Status: India win the 2011 Cricket World Cup Toss won by: Sri Lanka Status : Match Ended Batted First : Sri Lanka Batted Second : India Sri Lanka: 274 for 6 in 50.0 overs R/R: 5.48 Sri Lanka Batsman Status R B 4's 6's Upul Tharanga c Virender Sehwag b Zaheer Khan 2 20 0 0 Till

Bhaavayaami Gopalabalam  Artist - MS Subbalakshmi  Genre - Carnatic MY RATING - 9/10 Source of lyrics - www.lyricsvip.com Source of translation - www.annamacharya-lyrics.blogspot.com     LYRICS and ENGLISH TRANSLATION pallavi bhAvayAmi gOpAlabAlam manas-sEvitam tatpadam cintayEham sadA Meaning - I meditate upon the Baby Gopala, Who is served by my mind. I always meditate on those feet caraNam 1 ghaTi ghaTita mEkhalA kacitamaNi khaNDikA paTala nina dEna viprAjamAnam kuTila pada khaTita samkula simjitE natam caTula naTanA samujvala vilAsam Meaning - I meditate upon the Baby Gopala, Who is glittering forth due to immense rhyming sound coming from jewel and bell studded waist girdle, and Who is shining forth trembling dances adorned by the sound of feet running in curved trajectories   caraNam 2 niratakara kalita navanItam brahmAdi sura nikara bhAvanA shObhita padam tiruvEnkaTAcala stitam anupam harim parama puruSam gOpAlabAlam Meaning - I m

baarO krishNayya (बारो कृष्णएय्या - Come O Krishna ) raagam: maanD taaLam: aadi Composer: Kanaka Daasa Language: Kannada MY RATING - 9.6/10 Source - www.karnatik.com   LYRICS pallavi bArO krSnayya krSnayya bArO krSnayya ninna bhaktara manEgiga (bArO) anupallavi bArO ninna mukha tOrO ninna sari yArO jagadhara shIlanE (bArO) caraNam 1 andugE padagavu kAlandugE kiru gejjE dhim dhimi dhimi dhimi dhimi kenuta pongoLalanUduta barayya (bArO) caraNam 2 kaNkaNa karadalli ponnungura hoLeyuta kinkiNi kiNI kiNi kiNi enuta pongoLalanUdutta bArayya bArO krSnayya (bArO) CaraNam 3 vAsa uDupili nElayAdi kEshavanE dAsa ninna pada dAsa ninna pada dAsa ninna pada dAsa kanakanu bArayya (bArO) 

Aigiri Nandini Kannada Bhajana (Carnatic Hindu Devotional Music) Composer - Adi Shankaracharya MY RATING - 10/10 Source - http://forum.spiritualindia.org/ayigiri-nandiniwith-meaning-t24788.0.html AYIGIRI NANDINI LYRICS ayi girinandini nanditamEdini visvavinodini nandinutE | girivaravindhya shirodhinivasini vishnuvilAsini jisnunutE | bhagavati hE shitikaNthakutumbini bhoorikutumbini bhoorikrutE | jaya jaya hE mahishAsuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasutE || suravaravarshiNi durdharadharshiNi durmukhamarshiNi harsharatE | tribhuvanaposhiNi sha.nkaratoshiNi kilbishamoshiNi ghosharatE | danujaniroshiNi ditisutaroshiNi durmadashoshiNi sindhusutE | jaya jaya hE ... || ayi jagadamba madamba kadambavanapriyavAsini hAsaratE | shikharishiromaNi tungahimAlaya shringanijAlaya madhyagatE | madhumadhurE madhukaitabhaganjini kaitabhabhanjini rAsaratE | jaya jaya hE ...|| ayi shatakhaNda vikhaNditaruNda vituNditashuNda gajAdhipatE | ripugajagaNda vidAraNachaNda parAkramashuNda

Here are some interesting facts that were mailed to me by Mr.Pranesh of Delhi Madhvasangha. This is a forwarded message from Shri NarasimhAchar Chintana krama of Maharudra Devaru - ·        Rudra devaru has five faces – the colour of body look like spatika; ·        He has Chandra in his Jate ; ·        He is sarpabhooshana; ·        Always Parvati Devi will be there with him; ·        He has Ganga, the Vishnu paadodaka on his head (to prove Harisarvottamatva); ·        He has three eyes on all his five faces ·        He always has Urdwapundra, shanka Chakra symbol, ·        Has Padmakshi Tulasimaale; ·        In his four hands he has shoola, varamudre, abhayamudre, and deer. I.                   Different Shivanama with meanings – Ashutosha; Andhakasurahara; Chandrashekara; Damarugapani; Doorjati; Gangadhara; Kaamaari; Kruthivaasa; Kailasavaasa; Gajacharmambara dhara; Mano niyamaka; Maheshwara; Mrutyunjaya; Nandivaahana; Nataraja; Nagabharana; Nagabhushana; Neelakanta; Paarvateesha