Unusual act of generosity by a stranger!

Two weeks ago I witnessed an unusual and interesting incident during my morning...err...evening walk!

btw...one advantage of going for an evening walk is that one can yield to the temptation from the Mirchi Bajji bandis, Pani puri bandis etc:)

And so it happened one evening couple of weeks ago  ....I was on the last leg of my evening walk and needless to say succumbed to the temptation of hot mirchi bajjis. As I was savoring my bajjis a gentleman, perhaps in his late 50's, ordered half a dozen each of mirchi bajjis & vadas packed. And after they were packed he asked for 2 more each of mirchi bajjis and vadas! Even the bandiwala too was surprised at this extra order and then that gentleman took the 4 bajjis to the waiting auto fellow (I didn't notice the auto till then) and offered them to him! The auto driver too was surprised but this guy insisted on him eating and told him "Khao! Khaane ke baad nikalenge" and once he finished eating they both sped off!

I was pleasantly surprised with his simple act of generosity.

And incidentally last week I too got an opportunity to do the same! I was going to a party at 7 PM and walked up to the main road where auto guys hang around. I found one auto there and incidentally at that junction my favorite mirchi bajji bandi will be there in the evenings. And I recalled the above incident and bought 4 mirchi bajjis and took one extra plate ...euphemism for paper:) and walked up to the auto guy and told him my destination. To my surprise he asked for a reasonable amount (For the uninitiated the auto guys in Hyderabad rarely come on meter!) and I said "Theek hai...pehle ye bajji khao...baad me chalenge". He too was surprised but accepted the bajjis and after he ate them off we went!!

Did you come across any such incidents like that unknown gentleman's generosity?

Sri Lakshmi Naraasimha Swamy Temple, Nacharam Gutta

This is my first travelogue!

I am fond of long drives and visit any place worth visiting within 150 KMs from Hyderabad. I've to go on these long drives at least once in 2 months.

So as part of this long drive (!!) on 12th January, 2014, Sunday decided to visit Sri Lakshmi Naraasimha Swamy Temple, Nacharam Gutta which is just 60 KMs from Hyderabad. We started at 9-30 AM from Karkhana after having breakfast at the very famous road side tiffin center opp Foodworld and reached Nacharam Gutta temple at 10-30.

Its on the Hyderabadl - Nagpur road and one has to take a right turn after the 1st toll gate just before Toopran. The highway up to the toll gate is 4 lane and very smooth without any pot holes. Don't take the 'U' turn within half a KM from the toll gate but after 1 KM there is a right turn and after traveling few KMs on this stretch suddenly we came across the Temple Arch (popularly called Kamaan) on the right side and we had to travel few more KMs on this road and suddenly found ourselves at the famous temple which is on the left side of the road.

This is a very famous temple in these parts and is also known as "Eluru Nacharam temple" Incidentally on Google maps you'll have to type "Nachram" to find route for this temple!!

We had a darshan of the deity within 5 minutes as there was no rush though it was a Sunday. Then we had a tour of the temple complex which is on a small 3 storey high hillock and there were few cave like structures to the side of the temple as can be seen from the following photos. The deity is one side of this huge boulder.

This temple is centuries old temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha Swamy. Through ages, the temple has been a source of solace and pilgrimage.  The temple got its name from a sincere devotee Nachar. It is believed that devotees who visit the temple after a dip in the River Haridra not only get rid of their sins, but also of skin diseases.

We walked through the cave like structure surrounding the temple and came out of the temple where if one wants they can pay Rs.100 for a "Sankalpa Godaan" wherein the Poojari will do small 5 minute pooja to the cow made available by the temple authorities and pilgrims have to buy Chana Dal and Gur to offer as prasadam to the cow. But we and the cow had to be satisfied with sugar as substitute for gur which wasn't available :(

Opposite to the temple on the other side of the temple one can see the reservoir which I believe is the river Haridra though we didn't venture there!

After feeding the cow by 11-30 AM we started back to the city and as our usual lunch time is 1 PM we decided have lunch in some restaurant in the city only and hence didn't stop en route though there were a couple of dhabas on the Highway and few restaurants too in Medchal town.

All in all this would be an ideal place for a half day trip/picnic.

Mission accomplished :)

Lesson taught by New Year!!

A lesson New Year of 1990 taught me!

In late 80's I was working in Marketing and every new year I too used to get few calendars as well as diaries. Don't know whether it was selfishness or perhaps unthinking, but I used to use only one big and good diary and used to stuff all the other diaries in the bottom draw of my desk. Calendars of course, I used to give it to colleagues as we can't normally store them because of their odd size/packings :(

In January, 1990 when I tried to push one such diary in to the draw it wasn't going inside and surprised I peeped in and found it full of unused diaries of previous 3/4 years!!

I pulled out ALL those diaries and sperad them on my desk. Then it stuck me... I felt like Emperor Ashoka after the Kalinga War staring at the dead bodies and wondering about the futility of it all :(

There starting at me were at least 20 diaries all useless now for any one! And you should've seen the looks of my colleagues when I spread them on the table!!

That very second I got enlightenment of sorts...immediately disposed all of them and ever since that day every year I just kept the first good diary and started giving off all the other diaries to all my colleagues. And every one was happy.

Nowadays thanks to being in business I don't get (m)any diaries :(

That small incident taught me a lesson...don't keep more than what you need whatever it may be.

While on the subject I wonder why corporates keep giving diaries/ calendars year after year? I mean every corporate gives the same and how many calendars/ diaries one can use? They either go waste or given to some one they might also not use it.

Do you know why?!

An interesting incident happened today morning. I went out on an errand and when I sat in my car a 90+ years old woman asked me for change for Rs.100. I gave it and she commented that she needed the change for the auto. Just on impulse I asked her where she is going and the place she mentioned is only a kilometre off my way so again on an impulse I offered to drop her there.

When she was about to get down at a church she asked my name. I told her and she said "I'll pray to God to help you". I casually remarked "Why trouble Him. If a man helps its enough!". She replied "He will give that helping idea to men". I said "But then why is God is giving bad ideas to men?!". She said she doesn't know! I said even I don't know!

Do you know/think God is responsible for our thinking?! If so I've to forgive almost everyone :) This question of course is only for those who believe in Him!

భాష్ప విలాపం - తెలుగోడు

భాష్ప విలాపం 

భయంకరంగా రెచ్చిపోతున్నారు. భావోద్రేకాలు రెచ్చకొడుతున్నారు

మనసులు విరిచేశారు. మనుషుల్ని విడదీసారు.  

ద్వేషాలు నాటారు. విద్వేషాలు పెంచారు.  

నాకు లేదని ఒకడి ఏడుపు. పక్కవాడికుందని ఇంకొకడి ఏడుపు.  

వేసుకున్న విస్తరి ఎగిరిపోయిందని ఒకడు. వడ్డించిన విస్తరి లాగేసుకున్నారని ఇంకొకడు.  

పక్కింటి వాడి మీద అనుమానం. పక్క వీధి వాడి మీద విద్వేషం.  

ఆరిపోతుందనుకుంటే రావణాసురుడి కాష్టం కాల్చేస్తోంది మొత్తం రాష్ట్రం. 

డెమోక్రసీనో, డెమన్ క్రసీనో అర్థం కాని గందరగోళం. 

గతంలో తప్పులు జరిగాయని కొంతమంది. వర్తమానంలో తప్పులు చేస్తున్నవాళ్లు ఇంకొంత మంది. 

మేము పట్టుకున్న కుందేలుకి మూడే కాళ్ళని కొంతమంది. మీరు పట్టుకున్నది కుందేలే కాదని ఇంకొంతమంది. 

 సామాన్యుడి నిస్తేజం. మేధావుల నిశ్శబ్దం. 

ఎప్పుడో వేసిన మూడుముళ్ళు. పీటముడి అయ్యిందని ఒక వర్గం. జారుముడి కాదని ఇంకొక వర్గం 

వర్తమానం అస్తవ్యస్తం. భవిష్యత్తు అయోమయం. 

జటిల ప్రశ్నలకి కుటిల పరిష్కారాలు. 

ఎవరు వింటారు మా గోడు. అని అలమటిస్తున్నాడు తెలుగోడు. 

దేశమంటే మట్టి కాదోయ్! ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశమంటే మనుషులోయ్!!

Walk/Workout for Gold!!

Walk/Workout for Gold: I started a new fun way to physical & fiscal fitness. When I go for morning (or evening) walk I keep track of the number of minutes I walked & convert them into equivalent rupees and give that amount of cash to my wife. And on the days I bunk I pay a penalty of Rs.50 (humble!) and my wife has to invest the total monthly accumulated amount in Gold ETFs. Sundays & festival days are exempted! IF you don't walk but work out in the gym you can convert those minutes you worked out. How do you like it?!

And if you want you can multiply those minutes of walking/workout with any digit like 2, 5 or 10 and save that amount depending on your earnings and comfort level. This way you are literally "working" for that Gold!! Do it for many years and perhaps in a few years who knows you may end up a with a KG of Gold:) btw...1 KG of Gold is my target!!               

So Walk/Workout for Gold!!

Un(der)appreciated Tribe:(

Today at 6-15 AM the newspaper boy as usual threw the paper into our balcony. As my day doesn't start if I don't read the paper along with first cup of coffee I was waiting for him. And as soon as the paper fell in our balcony went out to take it. And, boy, was it cold! You bet.. it was 12.4 C as recorded in the paper itself (of course, it was yesterday's minimum temp...but today was no different!). I started to shiver almost and immediately dashed off into the house, sat at the dining table, my favorite reading place in the morning! Then sipping hot coffee started reading the paper. Bliss:)

Then it suddenly hit me! If I felt it so cold just for a few seconds outside how the newspaper delivery boy must be feeling ...having started his day at least an hour before! And just think of it...these newspaper boys do their thankless job almost 360 days in a year come rain or shine! And without using any technology they deliver the paper almost on time every single day barring unforeseen circumstances. They have an enviable track record of "on time delivery":)

How many of us go to office so punctually for almost 360 days/year?! And these boys deliver the papers in severe cold or heavy rain! I am yet to see a "delayed delivery" due to inclement weather:)

In fact newspaper reading is almost an addiction for majority of us and we go mad if there is a holiday for them or if its delayed beyond reasonable time. And these boys rarely disappoint us.

And they do it for a pittance! There is no big amount in delivering newspapers! But how many of us have recognized/appreciated their "service" ...I didn't till today:(

This sudden realization made me to decide to include them in my "Deepawali Inaam" list from next year!