Of words and vibes

 Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple - Intricate Work on the Gopuram Hey! Check out my photograph in Wikipedia. My two cents to humanity and for promoting Tamil culture. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meenakshi_Amman.jpg

  Mesmerizing circles, intricate designs, exquisite patterns - Mandala art is mystical, meditative and healing. The geometric designs, the repetitive patterns and the myriad themes of the Mandala captivate the eye and soothe the soul. The traditional mandala circles hold many a world within and all you need is a curious eye and an open mind to experience them. The word Mandala means ‘circle’ in Sanskrit and the Mandala art form holds great significance in Buddhist and Hindu cultures. According to the World History Encyclopedia, the earliest mention of the Mandala appears in India in the Rig Veda (c. 1500 - c. 500 BCE).   Mandala is an integral part of Asian spirituality and has strong roots in Jainism and Shintoism, as well. Its traces can be seen in Persian artistic traditions, as in the Ishtar Star Symbol from Mesopotamia. In the Tibetan tradition, Mandala depicts the enlightened state of Buddha through sand art which is created over several weeks by Buddhist monks in a st...

  Let’s talk about   women’s reproductive rights in US and India Abortion law is once again in the news. This time, the US Supreme Court has agreed to consider a rollback of abortion rights with regard to whether states can ban abortions before a foetus can survive outside the womb. The landmark Roe v Wade decision that announced a women’s constitutional right to an abortion in 1973 and upheld it in 1992 is back in the spotlight once again. The pressing issue involves an examination by the US Supreme Court of a Mississippi law that prohibits abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy, except in a medical emergency or in the case of a severe foetal abnormality which is defined as a condition that is incompatible with life outside the womb. Meanwhile, a Texas Senate Bill, which takes effect in September 2021, bars abortion once signs of a heartbeat is detected, which can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy using vaginal ultrasound, sometimes, even before a woman may ...

I get into the Zoom meet and see my buddies screaming over a lousy network. They are all there. A bit older, a bit pixelated, but alive, thriving and giggling as ever. Yes, a bunch of 40-year-olds behaved like teenagers.  My Middle in the Deccan Herald. Published on May 25, 2021. Click here to read this piece on old friends, nostalgia and good times in the Deccan Herald. 

A few moons back, I broke my leg in a small accident and spent six weeks in a cast; confined to my bedroom and unhealed wounds from a broken relationship (from ages ago!) surfaced. And as my body healed, so did my soul, as well. And here it is. Broken and Mended. Of course,  it feels good to be featured in https://www.thealiporepost.com/ and @thealiporepost Click here to read Broken at TheAliporePost It was the day, My broken leg, Healed my broken heart. Yes. I fell off my bike, And my leg was placed in a cast. I yelled in pain, Tiny, damaged ligaments can be quite bothersome. But, not as much as the sharp, burning pain, That pierced my beating, hurting heart. Lost love had me undone. The humiliation of rejection scored through my arteries and veins, Like listless red poison, making me cringe, Washed over by a feeling of unworthiness. Wanting desperately to be wiped off; of the face of the earth. Turning into nothingness. But again, The broken l...

  A trip to the heart of my origins. To the seas and sands that my  ancestors traversed. Uvari, a quaint little seaside town is in the Southern most part of the Indian peninsula. The Tirunelveli, Nagarcoil,  Kanyakumari, belt is the home of my ancestors. As I travel across these eternal landscapes that have survived battles, conquests, natural forces including the tsunami of 2004, I travel across time and imagine my predecessors from generations of yore, walking these very beaches, laughing, talking, falling in love, raising children, earning a living and finally becoming a part of the wind, the waters and the sands. Have they disappeared in the sands of time, I wonder? No. They are alive, thriving in my genes. I am them. And they are me.  I am filled with awe at the eternity of nature and the beauteous nature of His creation.  Over here is the Kapaal Matha Koil, a church dedicated to Mother Mary which is steeped in religious lore and the fishing boats park...

Once again, I have tried to speak my truth. Take a look at a few simple lessons that the pandemic taught me. Published in December 2020 issue of the Together magazine. Click here to read my article in the Together magazine The Tiny Little Lessons that a Mighty Pandemic Taught Me     March 17, 2020. Just another regular, uneventful day. I get up, get dressed and trudge through work. I return home early because there are these uneasy murmurs of the distant Corona virus from China looming around the corridors of Bengaluru.   On my way home, the auto driver was talkative and prophetic. He said something about Modiji closing down the country which I hardly paid attention to. I was browsing through my phone. He even told me that the Corona virus was bio-war. He said this with a lot of conviction that I almost believed his conspiracy theory. For my part, I said that one has to wash one’s hands for fifteen minutes to get rid of the virus! Of course, that was incorrect but w...