A Day with Blue Wings......

I visited, I saw, I captured. Truly! It was a prized colorful capture.
Never will the ‘Flying Flowers’ go unnoticed when you are in a garden or close to any vegetation. As kids every one of us has dreamed of having butterfly wings fluttering away hopping from flower to flower. We have created a dreamland of fairies with butterfly wings.

Born and brought up in the countryside I had good opportunity to watch and play with many kinds of butterflies. Many times these winged guests- small, big, red, blue, black, yellow, striped, double eyed, with spectacular geometrical patterns- used to adore our windows, doors and interiors. As a young girl I treasured butterflies that provided space for my imagination and field for my dreams. I always wondered how the patterns and designs on both the wings were symmetrical! Wonder turned to a craze, I even silently went close to find the similarities and differences! I still remember, when I was in middle school I used to spend most of my evenings roaming around the jasmine creepers and other plants searching for butterflies and running behind them and the immediate thought that I had to give a class test on the next day used to get ‘butterflies in my stomach’!  My little brother was more interested in lady birds and was more fascinated by the way lady bird opened and closed her wings.
Most of his evenings were spent in catching them.

We visited Iruppu Water Falls in Coorg recently. While walking through the forest enjoying the loud echoing sound of Cicadas, to our pleasant surprise we discovered a group of butterflies foraging on a rock close to the falls. The butterflies appeared undisturbed by the movement of the people. I braved mosquitoes and dared the slippery uneven rocky surface to take the photograph. I had to do all kinds of circus- kneeled down, squatted, placed camera to ground level- and clicked. The bright blue band on the wings was glittering in the sunshine. The symmetrical sitting of the butterflies one behind the other was feast to the eyes. Initially I thought it is Malabar Banded Peacock (Papilio Buddha) which is endemic to Western Ghats. But later came to know from my friend Ravi Hegde that it is Graphium sarpedon Linnaeus, 1758.

Graphium sarpedon Linnaeus, 1758 is seen in India and Sri Lanka is a swift-flying butterfly, with a bright blue band visible even in flight. The common bluebottle or blue triangle butterfly is found in Asia and Australia. Their habitat includes moist rain forests, and cinnamon tree plantations. They are known to aggregate together while feeding. They feed on flower nectar, animal droppings, dead insects, carcasses etc. They are very active butterflies which take quick flight. The common English name of this species is probably derived from Sarpedon, the king of Lycia in Ancient Greek mythology.

I admire butterflies for the sheer beauty of their colorful wings which have been used not only for flight but as a canvas for the most striking patterns. I get inspired by the entire metamorphosis process of how an unpromising pupa emerges with fully formed colorful wings, pumps all its energy into its wings in order to get them working and flapping, then get ready for the first flight of life. Everything that we are taking in is fuel and nourishment for our growth. I remember a joke, “the caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity.” It is so true! We hardly think of the struggles one goes through in life, but admire only the success.
Love is like a Butterfly; it goes where it pleases and it pleases wherever it goes.

Bad Science and Bad Economics of River Linking

The linking of the Godavari and the Krishna rivers in Andhra Pradesh, which was inaugurated last year, has started showing true colors. Fishermen of Tadepally village (Guntur district) on the banks of the Prakasam Barrage are complaining that a new species of fish, which was not seen in the river before, was damaging their nets and scaring away other fishes. Consequently, they say their catch, and earnings, have dropped. This fish has spike ridden body and is not edible. The Krishna fishermen who were expecting ‘pulasa’ fish, a delicacy of the people in Godavari district, to flow into the Krishna after the linking of two rivers, are disappointed.

'Rakashi', the Devil fish - Image source: scroll.in/ 

Last year I had posted an article in my blog ‘When Godavari Meets Krishna’ which drew criticisms from many.( http://lakshmividya.blogspot.in/2015/09/when-godavari-meets-krishna.html )They said people like me are against development. What is wrong in river linking if we can divert excess water which in any case flows into a sea? The very notion that rivers have ‘excess flood water which wastefully flows into sea’ is absolutely wrong. Interlinking of rivers will imbalance the pH levels of river which results in the destruction of aquatic flora and fauna. Not only the rivers, but the estuaries and the adjoining coastal zones too will get equally affected.

A year after the implementation of the much hyped Godavari- Krishna project, the fishermen, who hailed the government, are now complaining! They are catching a non-native carnivorous fish which is feeding on other fishes. They named it ‘Rakashi’ which in Telugu means ‘devil’. They also complain that the Rakashi’s fins get entangled in their nets, and it takes at least two hours to extricate it. If 10 such fish get entangled in one net, it can take the whole day to get them out. Fishermen say they are often forced to cut their nets to extricate these fish. This fish is neither a native of Krishna nor of Godavari. Fishermen claim that they are finding this fish only after the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Project started. Fishermen say they had to dump their catch of almost 3 tons because of this fish.Now they are worried about their nets which costs thousands of rupees. Who will compensate and what is the future of their traditional profession? 

Now the government is waking up from slumber. The Department of Fisheries, Andhra Pradesh, says it is ‘investigating’ the causes for the appearance of Rakashi fish and experts are ‘studying’ the fish!

River is not just a certain volume of water that Pattiseema pumps can lift and throw!! And calling it ‘river linking’ is absolutely misleading. We have not understood the meaning of development. For us development is, construction of more and more dams, drying of water bodies so that we get more land space, construction of cement structures, establishing more industries- all this without properly studying the ecological impact. The suggestions of the experts in the field are either not sought or ignored, as lobbies behind such projects know very well that these scientists will say ‘NO’ to them.  

Bad science and good economics has tuned into bad science and bad economics!

Miss Adventure

I was born and raised in a tension free era. No running after school bus or gobbling breakfast; my morning musings were chirpings of birds, sounds of fluttering leaves, chanting of ‘karaagre vasate Lakshmi…’, the faint singing of the lady milking the cow- all rustic rhythms. I grew up in the calm and cool sleepy village- fearless, dare to experiment with new ideas, sometimes rebellious with never to give up attitude.

 When I was in school I didn’t have restrictions or objections playing with boys. We were a gang of three girls and five boys. I was the oldest of girls (I was in class 6) and Murthy was the oldest of the boys (he was in class 9). Soon after the school we were playing in the fields running along the path between the sugarcane fields, playing hide and seek in palm groves. There was a huge tamarind tree at the far back of our house. We were scared to go near the tree- there was an unusual aroma around during the day, the monstrous shades of its branches at late evenings scared us. But, truly, the swaying tree branches inspired me; it aroused the burning desire of the swing- going up till the sky, then come down to touch the ground only to push it higher. I had seen the film heroine doing this and wanted the same experience.

 We lived in a ‘vathara’ (cluster of small independent houses with common front and backyard). We had a jasmine plant right in front of my house. The jasmine creeper was quite grown up, the branches tangled and twined with each other to form a strong knitted flat swing. Every evening I and another girl used to climb on to the jasmine swing, pluck jasmine buds, sing, and sway. Wow!! What a wonderful experience it was!! My desire to swing high was on fire!!

 I had a secret meeting with Murthy to plan a big swing. I explained the complete plan- a wooden swing tied to a branch of the tree!! I graphically described how we tie the swing to the branch, make others sit in the center of the swing and each of us stand on either side of the swing facing each other, hold the rope in both hands and push the swing with feet. He was little scared. ‘Nooo…’, he said. I told him to be brave as he was a boy! We needed a long and little wide wooden plank and a thick rope. Where to get? When I told him ‘where and how’, he screamed. Again I had to remind him that he was a boy, as brave as me!! He teased me, ‘Oho! You are Jhansi Rani!’

 Those days well water was the only source of fresh water for us. We had not seen taps at all. Women of our ‘vathara’ drew water from a nearby well off the backyard. Every house had a rope. The rope used to be on the pulley of the well from morning six to evening six. I knew this. There was a carpentry workshop a little away from my house. Murthy knew this. We decided to steal rope and wooden plank!! I was thrilled!!! Daytime theft!! I decided to take a trustworthy girl from our gang to assist me. We waited for the women to leave the place with their filled metal pots. “What are you doing here Lakshmi?” Nanjamma, Murthy’s mom, yelled at me. ‘Playing hide and seek, atthe’, I grinned. (‘Atthe’ in Kannada means aunt; we used to fondly call neighboring ladies ‘atthe’ and men ‘maava’.  No uncle-aunty business!).  She didn’t appear convinced by my reply. She was turning back and watching us with spying eyes. ‘What hiding and what seeking she doesn’t know’, the girl with me smiled with a wink in her eye.

 Finally the much awaited moment came. Quickly I ran towards the well, released the rope from the pulley, clumsily folded it and rushed to the tree without forgetting to take the one that I had taken from my home and hid near the bush. Murthy was waiting with the wooden plank. He had brought another boy of his class to help him. We tied the ropes on both the sides of the plank and the edges on to the tree branch. Swing was ready. Every evening we enjoyed the swing. My joy knew no bounds. This went on for a month or so. One fine day the already worn out rope gave in. Murthy fell down and was hurt badly, the plank tilted the children slid and fell; I held the edge of the plank for some time and fell down. Thank god!!!

 The dry paddy and sugarcane grass spread below saved us from injury. Nanjammatthe blamed me for everything; told that Murthy couldn’t do all that and advised my mom to have an eye on her daughter.

 Don’t know where Murthy is today. But I remember our adventure and laugh, miss those days. My sympathies with today’s children. Their childhood is lost somewhere, minds are conditioned, and their thinking is narrowed down only to their studies. If left free to think independently, children fantasize and imagine. Children these days are hooked by mass media at an early age. Their fantasies are ready-made fantasies of TV, sold fantasies and fake ones, not their own. There is a close connection between childhood imagination and adult passion. A happy child grows into a happy adult, sees beauty everywhere, and respects life as a gift of God.  

Valluvarkottam: A Monument for a Poet

Steaming weather, roaring traffic, infectiously enthusiastic people, and tradition layered with 
cosmopolitan glamour, diverse neighborhood, friendly people – this is Chennai. It is my passion and ever burning desire to visit places of historical interest. It is an indispensible part of all my tours.

During my recent short visit to Chennai for some personal work, I had an opportunity to visit a very interesting place. After finishing our work we were left with a few hours to spare. We thought of visiting Huddleston Gardens of Theosophical Society in Adyar, which houses an oriental library and a small museum. But we had to drop the idea due to the distance from our place of stay to Adyar and also the heavy traffic in that route. While exploring the nearby interesting places, we came to know about Valluvarkottam. Quickly we took a cab and reached in 15 minutes.

Valluvarkottam is a historical monument built in 1976 in the honour of the well-known Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar who composed Thirukkural more than 2000 years ago. Historians believe that Kural was composed by Valluvar during 3rd Sangam period and is anterior to the Tamil epics, Shilappadigaram and Manimekhalai as they have references to a few couplets from Kural in them.

Tirukkural consists of 1330 couplets arranged in 133 chapters, each chapter having 10 couplets. Each couplet (in Kannada Dwipadi- two line poetry) has four words in the 1st line and three words in the second line.133 chapters are divided into three cantos (sections into which a long poem is divided). Scholars are of the view that these divisions are based on four Purusharthas (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha).  Valluvar focuses on only the first three purusharthas in Kural- Virtue, Wealth and Passion. This reminded me of Bhatrhari’s trishatakas - Sringara, Neeti and, Vairagya shatakas which are related to personal life, social life and spirituality.

Valluvarkottam temple is dedicated to Tiruvalluvar and is built in the shape of a stone chariot (39 m high), the octagonal sanctum is located at the height of 30 ft and consists of the life size image of Valluvar. There is a huge auditorium in front of the chariot temple. One has to climb a few steps from the auditorium to reach the terrace that connects the sanctum of Tiruvalluvar. The stone chariot has four magnificently carved wheels- 2 big at the ends and 2 small in the middle. The auditorium is very unique. It is very spacious to accommodate 4000 people at a time and is constructed without any supporting pillars or columns. When we visited, the new interior work was going on.

The most interesting and unique feature of Valluvarkottam is 1330 verses of the epic

Thirukkural that are engraved on the granite columns in the facade hall corridors, enclosing the vast auditorium called Kural Balcony. Interestingly three different colored granite stones have been used to represent three cantos of Kural. The first section (Chapter 1-38, 380 couplets) dealing with dharma is engraved on black granite, the second section (Chapter 39-108, 700 couplets) dealing with Artha inscribed on grey granite and the third section (Chapter 109-133, 250 couplets) dealing with love and passion are inscribed on red granite. The design of granite slab is also unique- it appears like the leaf of an open book.

Here is a photo of Thirukkural couplet displayed in French in a train in France. It also mentions the name of Thiruvalluvar. 

 http://outshine-ga-ga.blogspot.in/2012/08/thirukural-displayed-in-french-in.html 

Gandhiji said that he had learnt Tamil only to enable him to study Thiruvalluvar’s Kural through his mother tongue itself. He also said, there is none who has given such a treasure of wisdom like him.  It is interesting to note that Gandhiji came to know of Thirukkural, through Leo Tolstoy, the Russian Philosopher and writer. In 1908 Tolstoy wrote a letter titled “A letter to a Hindu”. The letter was later translated and published by Mahatma Gandhiji with an introduction.

http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/2733/ 

This great monumental tribute to the poet will be more meaningful, if the auditorium is used for literary activities instead of using for exhibitions. While going around the granite columns, we were taken aback and were disappointed to see pan stains on them. It was horrifying to see people indiscriminately spitting on the inscribed holy Kural verses, which is nothing but a disrespect to the great sage. The corridors are very badly maintained and are public facilities stinking. The security arrangement is made only to look after the temple chariot and the sanctum. When asked the security and others, they told that people go there only to see the chariot and the statue, hardly anybody enquires the inscribed stones. We had to literally search for the entry point to reach the Kural Balcony.

Kural has been translated into almost all languages of the world. L.Gundappa who was a professor of Kannada in Mysore University has translated Kural into Kannada in 1960 (not the first person to translate though).

The most important features of Thirukkural are: it is secular in nature- Valluvar has not mentioned the name of any religion, it is universal and everlasting and its messages transcend time. Right from the first and till the end of Thirukkural, Thiruvalluvar has avoided a regional approach – he has never used the word Tamil or Tamilnadu. Thiruvalluvar belonged to a world two thousand years ago, which was divided into many kingdoms who were into many battles and conflicts. But Thiruvalluvar has dreamt of an ideal world and his suggestions and advices are a boon to our age to guide us to shape a wonderful new world.

At the end of the day we felt so blessed that our hearts filled with satisfaction of spending our time usefully.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple: THEN and NOW

The overwhelming experience of my recent visit to Madurai is one of the most memorable one. This was my third visit to Madurai, the first being purely a religious one, the second an unexpected quick visit and the third was a well-planned one with an intension to mainly study the architecture and to document photographically some unique sculptures. The Navaratri festivities, music, dance and drama performances at the temple made my visit more enchanting. Since ancient times temples have not been just religious centers but social and educational centers as well.  The huge corridors and long platforms alongside serve this purpose. Besides, they provide livelihood for small traders of flowers, coconuts and other pooja materials. The Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple is one of the most visited temples of India. The temple has a brilliant structure and is a wonderful masterpiece created by skilled craftsmen. We visited the temple twice, one in the late evening on our arrival and the second on the next day. Change is the law of life and I was curious to see the changes in the activities around the temple. It was stunning, the change is enormous!! 

The colossal Gopuram- one has to struggle to get the complete view.

I remember my previous visit, when we entered the temple complex the colossal tower, massive pillars, life size sculptures bowled us over. We could photograph complete gopuram from a distance. But this time it was an unsuccessful attempt to capture the complete view of the temple gopuram. Many walls and fences have come up inside the temple where there were open spaces. 

Look at the condition of the designer pillars and lintels! nailed and used for hanging bananas, wooden and plastic items. The wall behind is fitted with shelves to store.

Absolute abuse of the sculptures! The two orphaned sculptures appear praying with folded hands to free them from suffocation!

Commerce is found everywhere in India and Meenakshi Amman temple complex is not an exception. But the extent of impact is worrisome. We entered from the eastern gate and wondered whether we were at the temple or in the market! The huge pillars and tall sculptures were not seen. They were hidden behind the series of displays and hangings. The number of shops had multiplied ten times. Permanent shops have come up in large numbers inside the temple complex. 

These pillars are carved all around but completely blocked by shop keepers.  

The space between the pillars has been occupied by traders. Temporary sheet roofs have been fixed by nailing the stone pillars. The beautiful carvings on pillars are completely eclipsed. Not just this, more horrifying sight welcomed at the entrance! One of the sculpture’s hands, neck, waist were used to tie metal wires from one end to another which was used to hang beads necklaces, bags, souvenirs!! 

Majestic sculpture behind bars!! Look at the right hand wrist tied with threads to support the hangings!

The beauty of the temple architecture and artistic sculptures, pillar carvings have been marred by indiscreet use of nails, bags, hangings, wires on pillars, sculptures and ceiling by shop keepers within the temple complex. The Pudhu Mantapam gate was locked and tailors and dress makers have occupied the entire space at the entrance and prevent visitors from entering. 

Pudhu Mantapam entrance blocked by dress makers. Beyond that blue gate lies invaluable architectural treasure. 

Further, many rare sculptures were oiled, smeared with sandal paste, turmeric and kumkum. I went in search of one of the rarest of the rare sculptures Vyaghra Vinayaki (female form of Ganesha having the face of an elephant and body of a tiger) which I had seen in my previous visit and mentioned in one of my posts.  This time I could locate it after a long struggle, as it was completely smeared with sandal and turmeric paste and covered by a cloth from neck to the bottom. No doubt, temples have religious significance. But protecting architectural heritage is equally significant. I feel devotees should not be allowed to use all the sculptures for this kind of worship. 

Rarest of the rare sculpture  Vyaghra Vinayaki in pitiable condition.

 Beautiful sculptures completely covered with oil, turmeric, sandal paste and kumkum. The fourth from left is the rare sculpture ' Sharabheshwara' ( having face and body of a lion with an elephant trunk- also called Yali).

The center of attraction in the temple complex is the Thousand Pillared Hall. The main row of pillars is well maintained. As we go to the left and right sides of the hall it is poorly lit or fully dark and mostly used as storing space. The security stops you from going further by saying nothing is there to see! Private guides go unmonitored when they touch, beat, tap on the sculptures carved on pillars. There were a few small shops in Madurai temple complex which sold pooja items. But today commercial activities have grown manifold to such an extent that the tourists are deprived of enjoying the rich architecture. 

Metal wires are tied to the grills of beautifully carved high beams which damage the carvings.

Why and how can we be so indifferent towards our historical heritage? It is disheartening to notice ignorant people who are unmindful that they are doing an irreparable damage to invaluable archaeological masterpieces. We are the custodians of our heritage and have the responsibility to preserve it for our future generations. It is the responsibility of the civil society to transfer that heritage to the next generation. 

Helpless sculpture stands as a mute spectator right in front of the protectors.

We can never create such magnificent monuments in our lifetime. Created thousands of years ago, such great treasure has been carefully preserved for us by our earlier generations. The very basic idea of temple and sanctity is fast changing in modern days. It is our country; it is our rich heritage, since time immemorial. It is our moral, ethical, as well as legal responsibility to preserve this ancient heritage for the future. Aren't we that much capable? 

The Cultural Wealth

The epic Ramayana of Valmiki is the most popular and revered Magnum Opus of our country Bharat. The Ramayana is not just a piece of literature, but the heart and soul of Hindus. The Ramayana is beyond all ages, national boundaries and cultures. It is not just a religious text, but the mirror to the societies of all times, ethics of politics and morals of relationships- altogether a way of civilized life. 

Adikavi Valmiki

An individual can have either Sattvik or Rajasik or Tamasik components or energies of mind, or can have a mixed amount of all the three in varied proportions. The predominant one determines the quality of mind which in turn decides the quality of life. Adikavi Valmiki has drawn three scintillating pictures of three distinctly contrast societies and levels of civilizations- 1. Sattvik in Ayodhya reflecting a high level society  2. Sattvik and Rajasik in Kishkindha representing middle level 3. Tamasik in Lanka representing low level.

The Sattvika culture of  Ayodhya 

The Aryan society of Ayodhya was a Sattvik society with high values. It had a highly organized political institution managed by benevolent king assisted by counselors and spiritual guru like Vasistha. The king enjoyed the obedience and trust of the citizens of all varnas. Values like respect for parents, mutual devotion between husband and wife, love and concern among brothers were the strong foundation on which family tree grew stronger and lived longer. Donate, sacrifice, protect, do charity, penance, worshipthese were the guiding principles. Ayodhya represents a worthy society cherishing Sattvik values.

The Rajasik culture of Kishkindha - brothers against each other

On the other hand, Valmiki has portrayed the Vanara society of Kishkindha. Neither animals nor humans nor demons, they lead a kind of strange life. But for Hanuman who stands out as an exception by being wise, intelligent, pious, honest and dependable emissary, all other Vanaraslead an awkward life. Their culture had the characteristics of both Sattvik (good administration, devout friendship) and Rajasik (loose family bond, hatred between brothers). They had wealth but no morals. Womanizing, restless mind, destructive actions, intolerance, drinking and rejoicing these vices controlled their lives.  

The Tamasik culture of Lanka

In contrast with Ayodhya and Kishkindha cultures, Valmiki presents an altogether different society of Lanka- the Rakshasa society. Ten heads and twenty hands of Ravana, unusual sleeping pattern of Kumbhakarna, heavily built bodies of males and females, excessive eating - everything uncommon. The kingdom had huge palaces, powerful military, heavily built and guarded fort, enormous wealth and learned king. But learned Ravana lacked wisdom, lacked brotherly love and concern, was egoistic and stubborn. Vibhishana was a misfit in the society.

Valmiki’s message is very clear and loud. Any culture or civilization with only military power, political strength, immense wealth, splendid buildings and scholarship will not survive for long.  Many civilizations like Egyptian, Babylonian, Roman, Greek civilizations were born and later perished.  India suffered external invasions for more than 2000 years. Though India was exploited politically and economically by the outside forces, its culture remained intact. India successfully encountered all invasions. The core ideals of our culture cannot be broken or shaken. The civilization of Bharat continues to flourish with its deep rooted value systems which are universal in nature. A country becomes great not with its wealth but with its spiritual strength and high moral values which give a sound foundation for the country as stronger roots of a tree hold it longer. A strong culture is perennial; flows incessantly from generation to generation.

Valmiki has portrayed the three contrast societies to clearly establish the fact that only a distinctive culture with strong universal values will be able to survive. Kishkindha and Lanka had to bite the dust and perish while Ayodhya rose to the pinnacle of glory.

photos source- internet

The ‘Stick’y Story of Gandhi’s Dandi March

While preparing a video for the song ‘Inninisu nee Mahatma…..’ composed by renowned literary laureate, Shri Manjeshwara Govinda Pai, I was wondering if there is any special connection between Gandhi and Pai. After digging deep, I bumped into the blog of Dr. Jyotsna Kamat, the well-known historian. It was really amazing to find the connection!! On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi, I want to share this interesting episode from Mahatma Gandhi’s life.

Every one of us knows about Dandi March undertaken by Gandhi to begin Civil Disobedience Movement. Do you know there is a close connection between Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March and famous Kannada poet M. Govinda Pai?

Sri M. Govinda Pai

M. Govinda Pai was an illustrious prose and poetry writer as well as historian in Kannada. He was well versed with many languages and has written essays and poems on Freedom Movement and patriotism. It was during freedom movement that he was impressed by Gandhian ideals and principles. He went to Navasari, Gujarat, to study Gandhism and also to learn Marathi and Gujarati. He became close friend with Shri Dattatreya Balakrishna Kalelkar (known as Kaka Kalelkar). Kaka Kalelkar was a close associate of Gandhi in propagating Swadeshi and Hindi. However, after a brief stay Govinda Pai had to go back to Manjeshwara due to his wife’s ill health.

In 1920 Kaka Kalelkar visited Mangalore in connection with Hindi propagation and decided to meet his dear friend Govinda Pai at Manjeshwara. Though it was a day’s meeting, both friends had great time together discussing varied topics from literature to national movement. At the time of departing Govinda Pai gave him a walking stick as a gift. It was a light weight but strong and very rare cane stick which had beautiful natural black spots on it.

The same cane stick gifted by Govinda Pai used by Gandhi during Dandi March

Gandhi launched Civil Disobedience Movement with the historic Dandi March in 1930. Gandhi had to walk 240 kms to reach Dandi. Kaka Kalelkar gave Gandhi the cane stick gifted to him by Govinda Pai as it was light and strong. The same walking stick that we see in pictures of Gandhi on Dandi March!! Is it not amazing? As Jyotsna Kamat says we have heard guru giving the ‘taste’ of cane to a erring shishya, but how delighted this poet from Manjeshwara would be to see his stick in the hands of his spiritual guru!!