Arise - Story

This is an old story by Dr Bharadwaja.

I have tried to translate it!

Arise

Vamana Rao opened the window. Rangaiah’s building was visible there.  Already Rangaiah was having tea standing in the balcony. Radio was telling the news. A car was waiting for him in the front yard. “Luck!” thought Vamana Rao. Immediately his house, poverty, the daily troubles he faces came to mind. “My fate” thought Vamana Rao.

It is a fact after all. The work he does is of a school teacher. This job is not allowing him to die. Leave that alone, he cannot even live comfortably. Vamana Rao many times thought of quitting this job. And then? About starting some small business, looking for another better job, taking to to ascetism and turn into a Bairagi, many such good thoughts came to him. But, Vamana Rao did not put any of them to practice. By the way, Vamana Rao is a married man. He even has two kids.

During the time of this our story, Vamana Rao was deep in troubles. Wife read out the list of requirements and went out. He simply made some sound. Not knowing what to do, he opened the window. There was Rangaiah’s building in front.

Rangaiah was not much educated. So what? He has a dirty lot of money. He continues to earn. He has a lot of popularity around. Any officer, who comes here, has to see Rangaiah as the first act. Many people are afraid of him. Vamana Rao is very agnostic to all such things. No one cares for him. None takes pity when he is struggling for food. It is all his fate.

“Money. Money is needed. It is enough if that is there. The monkey from the mountain top would come down. All the comforts could be enjoyed.  All the qualifications would come about all by themselves” thought Vamana Rao. Vamana Rao felt that there is nothing more that is needed to be achieved.

The enclosure was full with people. Elders were sitting in the front rows. Rangaiah was gaping at the person delivering the lecture. Vamana Rao asked the next man to know who he is. He was wonder struck. He is well aware of Prabhakar’s name. Vamana Rao  read a lot of his works. He could not understand them. But, it left a feeling that the writer is a great man. Prabhakar was quoting from Bharatam, Kalidas and sundry others and was talking eloquently. People were listening in silence. Vamana Rao looked at people around. An idea occurred to him.

“Money! Damned money! What if one has a lot of it? With how much money, this respect would come? What people like Rangaiah, the baron cannot achieve, this Prabhakar can! Rangaiah is respected in this place. But Prabhakar is respected all over the country. Money is just not important for a man. Education! Education is needed” thought Vamana Rao.

The lecture went on till 8’O clock. Then the president rose and announced that the meeting is over and the scientific session would begin at ten in the night.

***

Vamana Rao ate a little food in haste and came out. By then the enclosure was filled with people. Anxiety was writ on every face. Vamana Rao looked for the reason. None heeded him. He came near the dais slowly. People were sitting on mats. Rangaiah and Prabhakar were talking something. Vamana Rao could not understand self. He wanted to think of something. There was excitement in the crowd. He looked on to the stage. Kumari Vasanti was sitting there with all style.

Vasanti acted in 25 hit pictures. All her films made money. People fall for her dance. She is not married yet.

Vasanti got up. People went bonkers. After the president asked them to be calm, she spoke for half an hour about films and acting. There were demands that she should sing a few songs from her films. She tried to evade, but in vain. At last she sang two songs. People clapped and whistled. Some threw flowers and some others money on to her. One or two people even threw cigarette butts. There was confusion around.

A new truth dawned upon Vamana Rao.

“Even education is not important. One should act in films. The respect lacking for the great scholar Prabhakar is there with Vasanti. As many people who know her, even one tenth of it would not know who Prabhakar is. There are millions who adore her. What about Prabhakar? When he was speaking earlier there was not even one, who said, go, read one of his articles. If Vasanti is patient enough, people are ready to listen to her songs for even three days. That is life. All the rest is rust” thought Vamana Rao. 

Thus thinking he was coming home. Someone was following him. Vamana Rao noticed him after a while.

‘What?’ asked Vamana Rao. That man poured out his owes. Looks studied up to inter. Could not find a job anywhere. He has tried enough. But, no use. He had no food for the last two days. Not even coffee since morning. Vamana Rao took out an Anna coin from the pocket and gave him.

“I thought something. Looking by this count, what I am facing is no troubles at all. I am a mere school final fellow. It is great if I am earning a few chips per month. I looked at the people and thought something. But, there are people who look at me too---“

Vamana Rao could see that his life is full of joy. He started walking briskly towards home.

Kapu Rajaiah - A Tribute

My blog had more than a thousand page hits today!
The reason is the sad demise of Sri Rajaiah garu.

As I said in another posting on him, I met him only once.
Even before that I admired his works.
Some people do not know that they are great!
Rajaiah garu was one among them.

I feel sad that people searched for him on the net only after his end!

I had written about Sri Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao.
I also wrote about Sri Samala Sadasiva!

All these three great souls departed recently!
Pity is my blog was the source for information about them!

Rajaiah garu gave me his portfolio long back.
It is there with me even today!
There is a frame hanging in my little hall and is reserved for him.
I keep changing the paintings in it frequently!

I don't want to say anything more today!!

Enta Nerchina - Abdul Karim Khan

Shravanam of a rare piece!

Abdul Karim Khan sings Enta Nerchina Saphalamemi

Biography: Abdul Karim Khan

by Mohan Nadkarni

First Published in: The Economic Times, Bombay, October 24, 1982

Abdul Karim Khan strode the musical realm like a colossus for well over a generation in the early decades of this century. He not only gave a new elan to the history of Hindustani music, but also set a novel trend in classicism by making a fundamental departure from the several contemporary styles of traditional singing. In fact, the aesthetic virtues that marked his vocalism were all his own, not visualized or projected before. His music was sweet, soothing and serene. It was also sensuous and naturally avoided dramatic contrasts and tensions. Nor did it have a sense of massiveness and dignity. But such shortcomings, if they could be so-called, were more than overcome by an intensely emotional approach.

Two more and equally trend-setting departures from convention are the Ustad's innovation of a style of thumri which was again radically different from the orthodox, time-honored Purab ang; and his adaptation of Carnatic ragas to the Hindustani way. In the Ustad's voice, the Purab-ang thumri shed its erotic motivations and instead, acquired the character of a sad, pensive and devout supplication. The Carnatic adaptations, on the other hand, emerged with a new color and sparkle in the Hindustani garb. It was the kind of musical fusion, a genius like him alone could conceive, achieve and also popularize.

Predictably, the exuberance and freedom of Abdul Karim Khan's gayaki created an unprecedented stir among the orthodox milieu of the time. It brought him as many critics as votaries. To quote the late professor D.P.Mukherji, an eminent author, connoisseur and critic from = Bengal: ``Abdul Karim Khan would invite us to enter into the sanctum sanctorum of music where he was the high-priest. He was not an orthodox singer, He would not even sing a composition through. Hisasthayi was not always true to form. He would make unexpected permutations and combinations.... But who cared when Abdul Karim Khan was on the dais? This unorthodox man was a genius.... Some of the finest exponents of khayal today are either his pupils or his pupils' pupils''.

The validity of Dr.Mukherji's observations is resoundingly brought home by the brilliant array of his parampara. The list is rather too long to permit individual mention. Today, we have the fourth-generation exponents of his gayaki, who can be trusted, given certain conditions, to enrich and foster the parampara.

Born at Kirana, a village in the Kurukshetra region, now in Haryana, in 1872, Abdul Karim Khan migrated to south-west Maharashtra along with his brother, Abdul Huq, while he was still in his twenties. His new style grew in tremendous popularity despite the controversy that dogged him throughout his life. He received patronage from princely courts of Mysore and Baroda even while he moved from place to place in the course of his concert tours. It was during such concert tours that he attracted and groomed a large number of shagirds.

It is undeniable that the Kirana gharana, as we know it today, is the brain-child of Abdul Karim Khan. Precious little is, however, known about his forbears or their contribution. That is what makes him not only the pioneer but also the founder of the contemporary Kirana gayaki.

It is on record that the Ustad was not only a benevolent teacher but also a man of many parts a skilled shikari, a sensitive photographer and a top-notch exponent of the veena and the sarangi.

I was not lucky to hear the Ustad in flesh and blood. He has fortunately left behind numerous commercial discs which, according to old-timers who had heard him, do little justice. They remember him as a pilgrim of melody engaged in his eternal quest of swara one who did not create music but just flowered into it. As for me, I never tire of hearing his records even today.

(Thanks to the sources)

Enna Paliso - Bhimsen Joshi

Shravanam - Joshiji!!

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi sings Enna Paliso

For more songs follow the link.

Poppy - Photograph

That is some photography!!

Science and Not Science

Science is nothing but life.
For one who observes the self, things around, there are questions and more questions begging for an answer.
Right from the first man, everyone went on asking these questions and also found answers.
Else, the world would not have been like this.

On the way, we thought that there is something called science.
Then, we started thinking that we do not have anything to do with science at all!
We stopped asking questions.
Don't even talk about the answers clearly visible before the eyes.

If you analyse creative writing through the ages, it is easy to find the instances of scientific inquiry in it's myriad forms.

I was reading a story written by Sri Chinta Deekshitulu.
He raises and leaves an interesting question, without pursuing it!

I wish he took it further!

Read the beginning of the story.
Yes, the matter of moon appearing to be moving along with us has nothing to do with the story.
But, one has noticed it!

Thus starts the story!

The rainy season is coming to an end. Clouds are moving in the sky with the weight of water in them. On the earth children are playing. Moon is immersing the garlands of clouds and the children below in his light equally.

Sand dunes in one place are like the moonlight is poured in heaps. Suri, Siti and venki are sitting there. Right before, their house is seen. They have put Chamanti and damanam in their plaits. Meanwhile their brother came and joined.

“Brother, What is this, the moon comes wherever I go” said Suri

“He comes wherever I go too” said Siti.

“Really!” said brother.

“Yes! Really!”

“Then you stay here – I shall go that way. Does he come with me?’

“Then Go!”

“Brother, he is coming with me. Is the moon there with you also?”

‘Look, he is here without moving. See for yourself if you want”

“All lies, when he is coming with me, how he can be there with you!”

‘When he is with me without moving a bit, how is he coming with you!”

“Then you go that way and see if he comes with you”

“Here, he is coming with me too”

Leave it. We shall ask father how he is coming with you and me also”

“Brother, father tells the story of moon isn’t it” said Siti.

“What story?” said Venki.

“It looks sometime someone was going after eating bellyful and moon laughed at him. Then the belly broke just like that!” said Suri.

Oh, that. That is Vinayaka story. 

I wish he took it further!

If you’re riding in a car at night, it may look like the Moon is following you or chasing you, zooming behind the treetops to keep up with your car. The Moon isn’t actually following you, though. It’s just an optical illusion!    

There are a couple reasons for the illusion. The first is that the Moon is huge! It’s smaller than the Earth. About 50 Moons could fit inside the Earth, but it’s still really huge! If a person stood as far away as the Moon is, we wouldn’t be able to see him or her without a really powerful telescope!

The Moon’s distance also helps it seem like it’s following you. Things that are very far away stay in our fields of vision (what we can see) for longer! You can imagine your field of vision like a giant “V” coming out of your eyes. The pointed tip of the “V” is close to your eyes, and from there it expands outward. Nearby things that move across your field of vision, like a tree close to the road as your car drives past it, appear to move very quickly. They only have a short trip across your field of vision, through the thinnest part of the “V”. Things that are far away, in the very widest parts of the “V,” have farther to go across your field of vision. You see them for longer, and they appear to move more slowly. The Moon is so far away that it’s almost always in your field of vision. And it’s so very far away that it seems like it’s always in the same part of your field of vision. Even as you vroom along in a car, the Moon appears to stay with you!