A NEW SALAD WHICH IS AN ANTI-OXIDANT

For well over a half a century, orthodox in India, prepare a salad which they offer to God Vinayaka . This is done almost in all Hindu Vinayaka Temples at the time of festivals and routine worship time. When you analyse the contents of this salad you are almost dumbfound at the energy rich contents which serves as a highly rich protein diet equally promoting digestion. With a few modifications, I am narrativing the contents of this salad and also the method of preparing the same. Since the frame is prepared in the language of Tamil (just for a change) I give below the contents of this salad. Cashew nut, Badam nut cut into pieces and fried in ghee, with 2 to 3elakkay ...25 grams each. Plantain fruits 5 cut into small pieces. Same way 2 apple cut into pieces. koyya fruits 2 nos. made as a semi paste . Madhulai fruits...only the seeds 50 nos. are added. Add two to three tablespoons of pure honey of rich quality. 50 grams of kalkandu powdered and added. A few dates (taking out the seeds) cut into small pieces. Add all the same. Wait for half an hour to get the mix settle down. I wish you prepare it once and taste it. This is a rich anti-oxidant. Mainly based on fruits, this promotes digestion, memory power. and equally a muscle relaxant. This is a supplementary to your morning Breakfast.

19th January 2005 corresponding to Bahula Panchami of Marghazhi Month of Thamizh Year Paarthiba. Music Lovers especially the Carnatic celebrate the birth anniversary of the Greatest Musician of the Carnatic Traditional Culture Saint Thyagaraja who was born on the Tamil Land and sang and sang in hundreds of hymns and songs praising God Rama and carved a niche in the hearts of all musicians for well over a century. All musicians of fame and name congregate at the village Town of Thiruvayaru - on the banks of Cauvery River - and sing the greatest kirthanas - Pancha rathna Kirthanas - to the delight of audience from near and far. Please click the link below to get a detailed life history of the greatest musician of Tamil Nadu. Most of his songs in praise of Lord Rama are composed in the language - Telegu - which was his mother tongue - which language traces its origin to the language Tamil. http://home.att.net/~s-prasad/tyagaraja.htm The festival is celebrated for full five days. All musicians are given an opportunity to sing his compositions individually and collectively with full accompaniments like Violin, Mridhangam, Ganjira, Ghatam, Morsing. Apart from vocalists, violinists, veena players, nadhaswaram players also recite lyrics of Saint Thyagaraja. The whole event is relayed directly by Doordharsan . It is a delight to watch hundreds of musicians sing in a chorus. This year, we saw some of the celebrities like Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, Sudha, Aruna Sairam, Unnikrishnan graced the occasion. Pancha rathna consists of Five Kritis: Most Important amongst the Krithis of Saint Thyagaraja. presently, in addition to the main festival at Thiruvaiyaru, musicians celebrate the festival in different places in Tamil Nadu. A group of enthusiasts hold the festival also in USA. For more details, please click on www.tamilmovieusa.com/links1.html http://tamilmovieusa.com/links1.html

Ride and Pride at Pongal Sport Festival Tamil Nadu.India

Alanganallur, normally a quiet village cum town in South India, bristles itself into full-throated activity during Pongal Festival. This is where, thousands of not only Tamils but people from far-off places including Foreigners, watch with awe the highly inspiring Sport Festival of Tamil People..THE JALLIKATTU.

In an earlier picture, you have seen how valiant youth struggle to tame a ferocious bullock.

The above picture shows the valiant hero sitting with all his pride.

Of course, nothing is won without a price. It is reported, that one man died and hundreds injured during the sport when tens and hundreds of wild bullocks were let loose and heroic youth fell hither and thither in their efforts to tame the rushing and running animals.

That one or two die during the sport has become a stale news in India. In Pongal Sport, it does happen. What is inspiring is that even the injured ones, on getting well, prepare themselves for the next meet that is the day when the next Pongal Meet Comes.

And that is the Pongal Spirit.

And that is the Tamil Spirit.

And, remember what the Tamil Sage Thiruvallar proclaimed two thousand years ago:

Whoever does in the way one has thought fit to do, no hurdle will appear.

Picture Courtesy: http://www.dinamalar.com

Jallikattu Sport in Pongal Festival-Tamil Nadu/South India

In my Last Article on Pongal Festival. I was searching for a suitable live picture on jalli Kattu Sport During Pongal Festival In Tamil Nadu. You see one such live photo here. Courtesy: http://www.dinamalar.com As reported by the Press, a few die and a good many get injured while taming the bullock which is ferocious. But as you know the adventurous among the young risk even their lives to demonstrate their physical stamina and will to achieve their goal.

 

Pongal Festival.

Celebrate Pongal Festival Pongal, also known as Magara Sankranti, is celebrated by Tamils all over the world on the first Day of the Tamil Month Thai (pronounce it as 'thy') mostly synchornising with 14th of January every year. Pongal is the day when the farmers agriculturists thank God Surya for his Mercy towards tillers and show their gratitude by worshipping Him. In the early hours they draw Rangoli . http://cuisine.com/FestivalMakarSankranti.htm

Pongal Festival draws its very name by the Sweet Pongal, which is a boiled mix of rice, dhal, jaggery, coconut milk, cashew nuts, ghee, dry grapes and fruits. One has to be cautious about preparing this, since it is essential when to mix the jaggery boiled paste with the boiled rice. The flavour of a good pongal draws even the ones seated some 500 yards away. Along with Sweet Pongal, a sort of salt pongal is also prepared as a CONTRAST. The side dishes are aviyal, thayir vadai,etc.

For better understanding of these dishes, you may visit

http://ghayu.kaaninilam.com

or

http://hyderabadcakes.com/pongal-recipes-02.htm to name only a few sites on the subject. In Southern Districts of Tamil Nadu, there is a Jallikattu Festival on the following day, when bullocks and cows are decorated. A few bullocks are let loose with money and gifts tied to their horns, and those young lads who succeed in taming these bullocks get hold of these gifts. A good many are injured in the process also, but ambitious and bold young men of Tamil Nadu hardly look at the risk factor. These festivals in southern Districts are good attractions of foreign tourists also. Simply said, Pongal is a day of mirth and merriment. A good many of ortodox men and women visit temples and pray to God, as the day marks the beginning of the period of prosperity in a Tamil Year. You may hear the hymns recited in the pujas by clicking the site: http://www.mypurohith.com/Festivals/Sankranti.asp In short, Pongal signifies Sweet dishes and Rangolis, high-flying kites, and new dresses and greetings for everyone. The Government of Tamil Nadu distributes new clothes to nearly 10 million people.

What is Good Music ?

What is Good Music? You and I have grown enjoying the lullabies that mom sang when we were infants. Over the years, we developed an ear for the music that came from the environment, I mean the TV, the operas, the cinema, and the big big orchestra. Now, we listen to all types of music, the classical, the eastern and the western music. Several musical instruments also enchant us. Violin, Sitar, guitar lure us . What is good amongst these? It is relative. None is bad, if it pleases and relaxes you. For the job of "music" is to pacify your physique and drive you into an oblivion where you forget your physical ills of the moment to elevate yourself into a seventh Heaven of JOY. For me it is Carnatic music. When someone sings Bairavi, even when I am on some other job, I stand there to listen. For you it must be classical western. Or something else. Then, what is important in a music ? Is the rhythm, the tune, or the lyric or all? In our days, the lyric was most important. Nowadays it does not appear to be so. Words hardly matter in today's environment. There are ragas which are of particular value to the time in which they are tuned. In Southern India, we normally say : Early Morning Ragas: Boopalam, Morning: Hamsadhwani, Hindolam Noon: Thodi, Kamboji, Evening: Kalyani, Naattai, Bandu Varali Night: Anandha Bairavi, Nilambari, Sahana We have in our midst musicians who have elevated themselves to versatile scholars in the grammar of music. Dr.Bala Murali Krishna is one such musician who has done a lot of research in the field of new ragas. Apart from musicians we have also critics, who are not musicians themselves, but could pass on their value-based constructive criticism of any performance. Dr.Yesudas is known throughout the world for his heart rendering performances. you may visit his website to know more about his contribution. I am equally a fan of Bombay Jayashree, Nithyashree, Aruna Sairam, Unnikrishnan, whose performances make any listener spell-bound. The beauty of Carnatic music is that once you get accustomed to it, or say develop an ear for the particular type, you become a die-hard addict. Other music is taboo for you. There are many websites which give a lot of information about Carnatic music in the area of curing many ailments. You might have heard of the famous Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, the violonist turned cine-music-director whose melodies lure the folk and the masses apart from the classes. If you visit Chennai, in Southern India in the months of December and January, please do not forget to attend performances by any of our great carnatic musicians, both vocal and instrumental. After listening to the performances, you will agree, that yours was a thrilling one-time life experience.