Jai Jagannath !

Puri Jagannath 

An elaborate tour of the then Orissa (now Odisha) in 2016 appeared to be satisfying enough at that time (Details of my 2016 tour can be read at : https://kapalicanvas.blogspot.com/2016/11/eastword-ho.html ). But, a leisure analysis from the cool confines of home revealed that we hardly had a glimpse of Jagannathji at Puri as the jostling crowd pushing and pulling others was overwhelming and at that time we only wanted to get away from that human madness. From then on , another visit to this holy Kshetra was always on the card but then the following years were totally occupied by other unexplored territories of North and Western India including the Char Dham. Recent egging by the better half,  brought this longing to the top of the bucket list and when Tirtha Yatra ( https://www.tirthayatra.org/ ) announced this weekend yatra to Puri, it was grabbed by us with all four hands.

Travelling is not easy, as with every year the age counter keeps ticking and the difference between 2016 and 2023 was very much felt when we set out on the 16th Dec, before the break of dawn for the weekend yatra, pushed more by the fervor, as the flight soared into the early morning skies eastward. 

Bhubaneswar Airport decked up for the season

Popular Sand Art of Odisha

After a comfortable 90 minutes flight, we were more pleased to be welcomed by the smiling Yatra consultants M/s Anand Santhanamji and Panduranga Dasaji, than the Biju Patnaik International Airport of Bhubaneswar which was trying in vain to match the smiles of these consultants by decking up for the upcoming Christmas but fell by the way side when the not only good looking but also tasty breakfast was served to the group of 26 even at the airport . 

Soon, we were on the road to Puri with the delightful narration of interesting facts about the yatra and Puri in particular by Ananthji and it was a tough ask trying to assimilate what he delivers and simultaneously wondering his fund of knowledge on the subject.

Welcome in the moving bus

 No wonder the ninety minute drive in pleasant weather just passed at the blink of the eye; yes we could not resist having forty winks after the 2 AM wakeup  with the tasty kichadi breakfast and the lullaby by the comforts of the seats in the gleamingly new bus on the not so bad roads of Odisha. 

Maha Prasad of Jagannathji

Before the warm welcome at the clean and shining hotel was assimilated, Tirtha Yatra surprised the yatris by arranging the Maha Prasadam of Jagannathji to be served at our hotel. How fortunate we are to have this Mahaprasad at our own place ! Importance of Maha Prasadham can be realized from the popular belief that even if  Jagannathji's Maha prasad is at a dog's mouth, one should not hesitate to snatch and devour it !

Maha Prasadam with Mantra

 After the holy lunch the yatris were honoured by the pandit from the temple with valuable shawl and prasad, acknowledging our little contribution to the temple.

Blessed by the priest

With the belly and heart full we proceeded in auto rickshaws to the nearby temple and the the sight of the long winding que viewed even from a distance was slightly bewildering. But the well connected yatra consultants managed to whisk us ahead in minutes and even amidst the din and bustle of the devotees loudly calling Jai Jagannath, Ananthji was able to deliver the Tirtha Yatra specialty of pravachan explaining the significance of the steps into the temple and how to identify the Yama step and other shilas! Slowly we were moving , rather pushed by the milling crowd, towards THE PLACE, the sanctum sanctorum. As we neared, the crowd was unmanageable and we were virtually being tossed around but clung on to the pre yatra briefing of focusing only on the Lord and not to get distracted by any other mundane matters like stomping on the legs, tugging of the dress etc., Prudently, as advised we didn't wear any gold item and carried no cash or purse to be snatched. The frenzied crowd was carrying us through but we decelerated at every push and managed to stay at the Sannidhanam to have a wonderful dharshan, though at one time we were even about to fall. Having filled our hearts with the glorious sights of Jagannathji, Baldevji and Subadra Matha, we came out panting but heart full of bliss. Our happiness was compounded when Ananthji arranged for one more dharshan , this time when almost our group was the first to enter and absorb the full bliss of the holy Lords and that marked the completion of the desire being carried on our shoulders for over seven years.

Backed by Jagannathji

While we were catching the breath and still munching what had happened, Ananthji added his deep insight of the Sthala Puranam which enabled us to know about the tree from which Markandeya was hanging when the Maha Pralaya came and he identified the spot where His foot print could still be seen. He added that when one places the ears to the foot print one could still hear mildly the sound of the Pralaya. To our astonishment, we were standing bang opposite to this spot and but for such learned yatra consultants , one would have missed to see this puranically important place ; we were also led to identify and visit a hitherto unknown place such as ROHINI KUNDA, from where the pralaya is believed not only to start but also end. It was also interesting to hear the story about the significance of the posture of Jagannathji & others at this temple. It was believed that Rukini Devi was performing a dance asking Subadra devi to stand guard. But Subadra Devi was so immersed in the beauty of the dance that she failed to notice Jagannatha and Baldev walking in and they too were astonished at the beauty and were enjoying her dance by keeping their hands on their cheek, which explains their posture at the Puri temple.  We retired for the night at the cozy hotel room with our hearts still brimming with the Jagannath dharshan scenes followed by a sumptuous dinner, which not surprisingly made us sleep the moment we hit the soft mattress.

View from Balcony

The next day dawned to the blessed sight of the Gopuram of the temple even from the balcony of our room and along with this, the simple but tasty breakfast prepared the group for moving on. 

 After an hour's smooth drive, we reached the world famous Konark and the fresh energy helped us to overcome and walk through the milling crowd to the popular tourist spot. The septuagenarian ASI certified guide, engaged to walk us through the popular place claimed to have 40+ years of service in the industry, was not only fluent in his broken English but was also able to efficiently guide the group through some of the intricate carvings which one would have otherwise missed to notice. The old and wily guide did not only explain some of the erotic sculptures quoting Kama sutra positions but also managed to make the senior citizen couple to face each other and throw glances that would have made Vatsayana blush! The seniors filled group wriggled in embarrassment considering some young ones amongst us but found it hard to stifle the sheepish smile, perhaps recollecting some memories ! 

At the symbol of Konark

Guide's prank

                                       

Konark

The long and rickety drive then , on a not so good road,  could not not deter the group from dozing until we reached Bhubaneshwar where we were again treated to the Maha Prasadam at the Anant Baidyanath temple, where the prasadham cum lunch was being served to many groups, as per the prevalent practice in this part of the country.  

The next visit of importance is to the famous Lingaraj temple, where again the efficient connection of the yatra consultants worked well in enabling all the yatris to do Abhishekam to Lingaraj and also a special dharshan of Shiva by slightly lifting the silver cover exposing the Salagrama above Lingaraj. It was followed by a short but delightful recital of the Sthala purana and importance of the Kshetram by the young and smart pundit. 

Lingaraj Temple , Bhubaneshwar

As for the crowd that left our dharshan unsatisfied years before, is there any change and what made us more satisfied now ? Nothing, if not same, it was more , atleast multiple times than in 2016. But then, this time we were matured in thoughts that if we are focused, other pulls around are not felt and that maturity and timely advice brought us to the reality !!

The satisfied yatris were then dropped at the Bhubaneshwar airport from where we dispersed with sweet memories of Jagannathji and Lingarajji  lingering around us fresh even as we hit the bed by midnight despite the Konark memories, trying in vain to distract our thoughts ! 

                                         

 

Yatra consultants

                                                                 

Computer Security Day 2023

November 30th, every year, is observed as the 'National Computer security Day' , ostensibly to enhance the awareness of the netizens about computer security and to reduce the cyber victims. I have participated in such days for many years, mainly representing Cyber Society of India (www.cysi.in) and the response is always encouraging.

This year I wanted to try out something different. I have been getting periodical alerts about the cyber security related incidents across the country for over a year. I chose to identify some recent incidents reported and invite interested people to sensitize them over the happenings, on my own.

Accordingly, I sent a note across to my contacts inviting them for a free online discussion session on 'Cyber Traps around Us' on the 30th November, 2023 and the response was very encouraging.

Amongst the 30+ people registered for the occasion, majority were senior citizens and there was a liberal mix of General Managers from Banks, Senior Bankers, Chartered Accountant, Retd Addl Supdt of Police, General Manager from L&T, Teachers from Mylapore school, Home makers and students.

The two hour long session over Google meet was well received as we took some incidents as Case study and discussed as to how the trap was laid, how the victim could have avoided being trapped and more importantly on what are the preventive measures one could take to avoid getting victimized, going forward.

It was gratifying to receive wonderful feedback from the attendees and the words from the Secretary, Cyber Society of India and other senior professionals were icing on the cake for the evening efforts.

I wish more and more NGOs organize such sessions and sensitize people to the lurking dangers which could minimize cybercrime victims. 

Feedback from the participants of the event can be read at : www.kapaleeswaran.com

Be alert and stay safe !!

Learn to say NO

Corporate training schools drum into the ears of the trainees , right from the first day of inception not only the importance but also the art of saying NO. A mere nod without realizing the cascading effect in a project could lead to catastrophic consequences making red the faces of the executives facing the client.

People nod for various reasons: For the fear of bosses, not wanting to raise a red flag before others, not giving enough thoughts and it goes on . . . 

In reality, this reluctance to say NO, should not only be checked at the official circles but also amongst friends, family, strangers and public places.

One must be aware of the case of a person lending his mobile phone to a stranger at the airport who wanted to call his waiting cab driver only to realize later that the stranger has made an International call; In another case, the stranger has given this number for a fraudulent online transaction !!

Does this mean that one should not help a stranger, whose appeal could genuine. No, but before extending one's helping arm, one is advised to be prudent and exercise caution by asking for the number and dial it before handing the mobile to the stranger.

With friends too, many are reluctant to say NO though the request seems to be unreasonable, more for the fear of losing friendship, but only to repent later.

In family circles, the NO mostly said with good intention is more often likely to be misunderstood. But then one has to take a call as to which is likely to cause greater heartburn- whether saying NO or the consequences.

Recent case of a man finding his credential being misused to obtain huge loans is a direct aftermath of obliging all and sundry with your personal credentials. The dropping of a slip with your vital data such as email Id and mobile number are enough to trigger creating your profile and a greater search with some technical knowhow could lead the fraudster to create one's identity for further digging into the potential victim's pocket. Better not to drop your details in a box at places like Book fare and Exhibitions, in the fond hope of receiving a lottery promised at the end of the day ! By the by, has anyone won any lottery at such common places? Not to my knowledge.

It was also reported that one need to be cautious in taking photocopies of important documents such as passport, Aadhaar card, pan Card, Ration card etc., as it is believed that some rogue shops have configured their photo copying machines to take an automatic extra copy which will be collected on a daily basis by data scavengers at a nominal cost per piece, but could work to large sums when the numbers increase. This could be avoided by people willing to invest a small amount in a copier at home but then how many could afford and will have the knowledge to do this is a moot point. 

It is also common for many organizations to ask for copies of such important documents as proof of the identity. In such cases, one can write boldly across the face of the document the purpose of sharing along with the date. This could prevent the document being (mis)used at a later date for purposes which were not intended while sharing initially.

Another easy habit that many of the users of digital items have gotten into is to blindly click on 'I Accept' before downloading any App on the mobile or getting into any website without even realizing what are the data that are being requested for and for what purpose! This is akin to and not much different from signing blindly on many pages of a loan application in a bank without reading the various clauses and conditions therein, which could come to haunt them later when they default and deviate from the requested purpose. 

How vulnerable are we could be better understood if one could just type their name in any popular search engine on the web and understand how much their private life is already under public glare. While with the growing methodologies to dig deep into others' pockets, it is nearly impossible to stay completely clear of getting victimized, some basic precautionary measures could help people in preventing their data being misused. Not an expert but will be glad to share some of the precautions I take while welcoming more thoughts to strengthen the cyber Rekha around oneself:

1. Email id, Date of birth, parents' names, Aadhaar card, Passport details, Pan Number/card, voter id and Ration card are data that need to be guarded very well and not to be shared in public under any circumstance
2. Wherever possible, get an acknowledgment for the data shared along with the purpose.
3. Before sharing , smudge the data that are not relevant for the purpose. For instance, if Aadhaar card is given as proof of residence, explore covering the date of birth etc.,
4. Please note that the QR code on the Aadhaar card is also a vulnerable data pool that needs to be protected. 
5. While giving such documents , write / print boldly across the document the purpose for which it is shared along with  the date given. 
6. Think twice before sharing your personal details on social network which is open for all
7. Do not drop your private data in any public forum
8. While downloading an App on the mobile or system, make sure that permissions are not granted for accessing or securing your data which are not relevant for the purpose. For instance, if an app for formatting documents is downloaded there is no need to permit access for all the photos and videos in your gallery. 
9. Take time to check periodically your CIBIL score and ensure that no liability, not created by you, are shown there. 
10. Say NO not only to Drugs, Tobacco and Alcohol but also for sharing your digital profile.

Needless exposures

 It is a matter of grave concern that people are increasingly exposing their personal data , more dangerously the individual photos in public forums. Of late, there are many posts in social networks stating "today is my or my daughter's birthday" and post their latest photos. Just out of curiosity and with academic interest,  I pried further into the profile of the author of the post. Though the person is not in my friend list I was still able to have a good look at important features of their whole profile including their location, their previous photos, siblings, family  and I could say to a fair extent I had enough data to re-build the person's profile to my liking. With some more hunting with the latest sophisticated tools, I am very sure the complete profile of the person who is unknown to the intruder could be built. 

In another post, I saw a senior person posting his photograph at an international airport stating that he will be away from the heat and dust of India for the next six months. I am concerned that how much of efforts will be required to trace the person's house in his native place, which was visible in the social network, and what a field day the miscreants would have should they chose to pay a visit to the locked house !

Recently, I was fortunate to attend a lecture by a leading cyber law advocate who precisely but  elaborately dealt on how photos in unprotected social platforms could be misused and with what  consequences. He detailed that such photos in public forums are picked up methodically every few minutes and then analyzed for their utility (?) values, with the single photo of young women fetching the maximum for obvious reasons and how they could be used to milk further from the hapless victims. 

I sincerely wish such people who keep on sharing their profiles and programmes 'to all' learn more about the 'Dark net' and their activities !! People who frequent social network and boast that they could never live without it should better remember that whatever is posted in such public places are like matters dropped in the ocean and even if it is deleted within minutes, they are already into the hands of those whom you would not like to encounter. Present day technologies offer so much of tools that it is almost possible to recover and bring back anything except lost souls !

Already people in other countries are reported to be avoiding sharing pictures of the children with so many cases of paedophiles in the news. 

So dear friends, please refrain from sharing any travel updates or making such begging for blessings and also avoid posting the pictures of children. Cyber world is far more dangerous than the world we are used to and assume to be .

Shared in the public interest of being forewarned than repenting in leisure !!

Plight of Indian Workforce

I have heard that the personal space of an employee is protected vigorously in other countries whereas in my own backyard, it is not that much respected and I had occasion to witness both within a week.

One of my friend flew down from another state to visit me at my current location in the US and spent some good time extending his weekend. As he is a critical resource in the team, I casually asked as to how he could travel at such a short notice and he responded that he has enough leave and all he has to do is to update his calendar as PTO (Paid Time off) and that there is no practice of waiting for approval here, unless there are some exigencies. In fact, he went on to add that employees here claim leave as a matter of right, as and when it is available to them, and their leave requests are rarely turned down by their Managers.

In a closed group in social network I happened to see another post about the updates to the leave management policy of a leading nationalized bank in India. The circular on amended procedure explained as to how the Manager has to send the status of 'as on date employee's performance' against his targets while 'forwarding' the leave application and in the absence of the same the leave request will be summarily rejected.

I was aghast at the situation prevailing in India - atleast not yet changed since I left active service a decade ago ! Does this mean that if an employee's performance is not upto the expectations he cannot enjoy his promised privileges or exercise his rights which includes spending time with his family? Is this the work life balance that seems to be more breached as much it is preached ? Indian working conditions have a long way to go and it is time that such employees also raise their voice against the injustice.

This could also be considered as an abject failure of the representative bodies like unions and associations , supposed to safeguard the interest of the workforce, from which not a whimper is heard, at an order in writing impacting the personal life of employees. If a representative body is unable to resist such an interference into the personal life , is it not time to (re)think about its utility ?

Our turn to hold their hand !

Success even with repeated chewing remain sweet!

Memories of 2022 sessions is tempting for more.

(Details at : https://kapalicanvas.blogspot.com/2022/02/back-to-school-with-grand-parents.html )

As if to put the icing on the cake, requests were pouring for an encore of online sessions. 

Coupled with that, the increasing cyber crimes, exploiting the ignorance of people is becoming a matter of concern.

Acceding to the request when the call was given, for some hand holding sessions on 'Basic computer operations", the response was swift and fast from around 50 seniors, with some octogenarians leading from the front. 

How can one remain silent to the needs of an 86 year old young man and others from 13 locations across the globe and thus the sessions swung into action, brushing aside the time difference as the lectures started flowing from around 15000 KM away from India.

On the 3rd and 4th of June, 2023, two sessions were done virtually hand holding the seniors right from booting the system to reacting to unexpected hang ups, storing data safely, underlining the need to remain vigilant on downloads and few tips on staying safe over the net.

There were college professors, retired senior executives from banks and  Insurance sectors and it was gratifying to have some from the medicine too, a profession I rate high. Though for these seniors the computers were late to enter behind them, they were in no mood to let it go and their spirits were held aloft by the lone young man in his twenties joining the gang, wanting to know more of computers as he gears up to hold fort of corporate accounts by aspiring to be a chartered accountant.

Matters discussed were very basic and primitive as the participants themselves expressed at the beginning itself that they may be doyens in their respective field of occupations, but were kids with computers and so were treated at the kindergarten level, at an age when they could have decided to stroll peacefully in their own backyard garden.

The feedback was heart warming and there were many suggestions to handle some more topics, as they are considered too basic to be taught, by their current gen kids !

A small video on the sessions can be viewed at: Training on Basic Computer skills - a review

Whether it is primitive or fundamental, their enthusiasm to learn even at this stage cannot be ignored and by discussing few hours some basic Dos and Don'ts, if the numbers on cyber crime and victims come down, my aim of 'Share to Care' will be well served !