The 'Mahaa' - 'Maha' experience

Having spent six decades without participating in the Kumbha Mela of south, I was not in favour of waiting for another twelve years and so decided to take the plunge into the holy Mahamaham tank at Kumbakonam (KMU) , this year. Though the holy day of 'Maha Maham' , observed once in every 12 years occurs only on the 22nd of February this year, we decided to plunge into the sacred waters early before the place and the water are 'dealt with' by the expected 5 million devotees by the end of this week. My eagerness to participate stemmed from my queries to the Kumbakonam based relatives last year was put into action with some active follow up that culminated in a 20 member group setting out to KMU on the 13th Feb a little after noon.

By the time the entire team was collected and the van could move out of the city it was around 3 PM and  after weathering some initial traffic snarls on the outskirts, the team enjoying the cosy comforts of AC and the constant passing of the 'munchers' reached KMU by 9:30 PM.

It was hard to get up at 4 AM the next day after enjoying the pleasing comforts offered by the selfless hosts of Ravi Swaminthan and family but egged on by the enthusiasm the group was up and ready at the tank by 6:30 AM. The place wore a festive look with the accompanying crawling vehicles, the customary whistle sound of the traffic cop and the usual attitude of the jaywalkers making it clear that the town will be theirs for the whole of next week.

The maha sankalpam was performed with religious fervour, as per the belief of the 'kartha' and due to the ebb and flow of the belief and passion which was more than the flow at the native Cauvery, none cribbed.

Stepping into the tank, the group went into a state of delirium and after taking a couple of immersions in the knee deep waters of the tank facing east and Kasi Viswanathar , people started settling down with some order being restored with sanity.

Though it is said that a holy dip in the tank is sufficient, due to availability of time and non-existence  of a milling crowd, we decided to visit all the holy 'Theerthams' inside the tank, which were around twenty in number. At each of these theerthams, water was being taken in a vessel from an almost filled well and people took either a bath or just a sprinkle. Being a part of the group we agreed to a system that one or two of us will draw the water and pour on other members, and that helped the elderly lot and also avoid crowding at the well. It took almost 90 minutes to complete such sprinkler baths from all the twenty odd wells and by the time we got out of the tank, fully purified, we were swaying with a little wag commenting 'ரொம்ப நேரம் தண்ணீலயே இருந்தா கொஞ்சம் தள்ளாடத்தான் செய்யும் ' !!

After we changed our wet clothes at a house opposite to the tank, we quickly decided against our earlier plans of visiting Kasi Viswanthar and Kumbeswarar temples, as we heard that there were milling crowd there. The decision was made more easier when one of our group members went missing for sometime and after we searched and retrieved him from the swelling crowd, people were only more eager to head back home. But to keep up with the practice of having a darshan of the lord after the holy dip, the locals wisely chose KOTTIYUR KOTEESWARAR temple, which proved to be a wonderful choice with less crowd  and a serene darshan .

The trip concluded with the group heading back by 2 PM with some well deserved sleep and the van speakers belting some latest number, the group was a happier lot reaching home by late hours of the day.

Some observations and suggestions:

1. The authorities have taken great effort , which I am told is an improved version over the last mahamaham. Kudos to them

2. But, I am afraid, it may not be sufficient. With the expected millions thronging the 6.2 acre tank, I guess something more could be done. Right now people are lead to the tank in a line and after that it is a free-for-all, with each group running its own way around the 20 wells in the tank. What the authorities could do is to erect barricades inside the tank in such a way that anyone going with the barricade will be lead to the wells one by one and exit at the last well. This could in a great way avoid a potential stampede. I am not sure why this is not being done (atleast so far).
3. The town looks spruced up with newly laid roads, buildings looking fresh with a coat of paint and also the smell of bleaching powder wreaking your nose everywhere shows that the civic authorities are up and alive.
4. Free offers are there for everywhere from drinking water to coffee, food etc., and the stalls are expected to be more with the D day approaching.
5. I could see a lot of policemen, with some senior officials under the shades escaping the sun that was looking to get angrier by the day.

6. Many 108 ambulances and water tankers were in evidence.

Despite all the hiccups, I felt it was worth the travel of 650 KMs in 30  hours, more for the holiness of the event, the experiences of a dip in the tank and the 20 odd wells and the excellent culinary offerings of our hots, which made everyone of us looking forward to 2028 !

God willing if we are here, we will be there !

Cricket - Stooping and Rising to.....

The recent cornering of the Proteas in test matches by India , despite surrendering other shorter forms of the game, gives a much needed reprieve to the die hard Indian cricket fans. Only recently, we did a remarkable turnaround with the Lankan lions in their own den and before our fans could rejoice the team started slipping again. What does this roller coaster ride of our team do to the minds of some passionate fans. Here is my one rupee worth of thoughts based on personal experiences !

My earliest memories of Indian Cricket was the English team visiting India somewhere in the early 1970s, when the running commentary was used as the only means of communication to know the scores. Come Pongal, there will be a test match at Chennai and people used to be glued to the radio sets.

I still remember running to the then Madras Airport, when the Indian team landed after a victorious stint at West Indies and the birth of a new star 'Sunny' ! Since I was doing my Pre University in a college right opposite to the airport , couple of friends ran there during lunch time only to be told that the team had already left !

After many a struggle,  I could sneak into the Chepauk stadium, courtesy a kind Sardar security man, to see Alan Knott bending like a bow and the sight of Chris old and Arnold with their golden mane menacingly rising like a wave from the nearby Marina to disturb the timber behind the Indian batsmen. I could still recall Salim Durani's towering sixes to win the test for India when Derek Underwood was making our life miserable after rain soaked the pitch for hardly an hour.

Then the spin trio of Bedi, Pras and Chandra enthralled the audience by spinning a web around the Windies in Chepauk , which was seen by a local crowd of Mylapore at the then Raja Rajeswari school, opposite to my house, for a ticket of Re 1/- on a common Television set ! The memory of Bedi's vicious spinning ball drawing Clive Lloyd forward only to have the bails whipped out in a flash by Farookh Engineer is still green.

But then India winning a match was few and far in between, in those days ! Just to hear the exploits of  Sunny and the maiden century of Gundappa Viswanath at Kanpur on his debut- if memory still serves right Ananda vikatan released a special cover story of Vish on that occasion- I used to listen to the commentary. How I wish I preserved those photos of the giant Tony Grieg cradling Vish after his ton and the same Tony going down on his knees to appeal to the crowd to maintain calm, as he was finding it difficult to focus with such a roar around !Then the drubbing of 42 All Out in England and the torturous route Indians took to lay the windies low against the menacing pace of their quartet and the stubborn , Anshuman Gaekwad limping back to the pavilion with bruises all over, but ensuring a victory that turned Indian cricket around.

The real interest in the game peaked with Kapil's devils making history in 1983 and I can recall even now coming out of the house with my bro, in the dead of night to see neighbors letting out fire crackers ! As if to prove this was not a lucky streak of victory, India repeated the same with a win the Benson and Hedges cup, with our team almost dominating every match played with either the bat or ball, culminating in our team doing the lap of honour on the Audi car of our 'Champion of Champions' ! Then there were some rare instances of our shutting down the TV late in the night for a hopeless cause only to find the next morning that Kirti Azad created history with some meaty shots to win the game. As if to keep the spectator interest alive, Indian team always made it a point to rout Pakistan and that perhaps sowed the seed for the current passion and emotional rivalry on and off the field, whenever these two teams clashed.

The dreamy phase ended with that last ball six of Miandad and it was the turn of Pakistan to run through every match we played. With the advent of Sachin , came the rekindled phase when he made it a point to strike whenever he was out on the field. Who could forget the little master's repeated exploits on that sand stormed night in Sharjah to lay the mighty Aussies low and snatch the cup from the steely grip of Steve waugh! I sincerely feel the generation that watched Sachin play is the blessed one as history will keep talking about his exploits for decades to come.

Around Sachin was developing a strong team for India with the likes of Saurav, Dravid, Kumble and Indians started believing that they could win every match they play. Young turks like Shewag, Yuvi, Kaif and Ghambir provided the right foil and when the team struck gold again in 2011, there was rarely any talk about how the team deserved the same. To ride on the strong shoulders of MSD who stood out as a captain on par with with the likes of Tony Lewis and his icy demeanor under trying situations , endeared people to him, to grow along with the team.

As rightly pointed out by the great skipper himself, World Cup is not the personal property of any team and one has to fight through their skin to deserve its possession. With the increase in expectation and enhancement of technology, the competitive nature has risen to unimaginable proportions as billions of dollars are also involved as stake. The passion has risen to mercurial heights with the Asian fans even willing to offer their lives, rather foolishly,  for the victory of their favorite team !

Despite the presence of Greats like Sachin, the ride of India was not without the hiccups as happened in the Kolkatta semi final against the Lankans and also that dream spell of Akram that folded the Indian tail as soon as Sachin was held in that gripping Chennai test.

India and Australia have always been fighting to assert their supremacy , be it in any form , as happened in that historic tied test in Chennai !

So, the common Indian cricket fan has been taken carefully through brilliant performances, both from Individual and group, to such an extent that they find it difficult to digest any slip-ups. But the game has taught us to digest both - the victories and others - and just enjoy the game.

So, let us enjoy the game, applaud the performances, not question the pitches and umpires, as they are all part of the game. After all, this game is being played and watched with all such vagaries for many years and let us continue to enjoy the ride !

Cricket, as a game will also continue to stoop to deceive and win to warm the cockles of the fans' heart , at the most unexpected time, showing its color!

Search differently, Please !

It is always disheartening to hear about the loss of innocent lives , whatever be the reasons, whatever be the beliefs and whatever be the compulsions.

The result is only the same ..."loss of life which you and I cannot create, at will"

Be it at Paris or India or anywhere in world.. this act has no place ; this path has no meaning and this loss will never be condoned.

Taking potshots at people who are not equally equipped with knowledge and equipments , can only be described as acts of cowardice and not one of bravery or sacrifice.

Be it 9/11 or 26/11 or 14/11 ... every single piece of such act needs to be condemned.

There is no room , no justification in the name of caste, creed, religion or faith.

The world is yet to hear of one religion which preaches violence and so let us not misuse this revered path.

Neither can violence achieve tangible relief or permanent solution to any issue.

An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.

Let us pray that the powers that be work positively towards resolution of issues in a peaceful manner.

Let us pray that those who fight for their rights, beliefs and possessions through such means realize this folly early.

Peace and solutions cannot be searched through the path of guns and bombs.

Let us believe they search differently and leave the innocents alone.

It hurts, to hear about so much of violence, increased violence and increasing violence , from this land where lived the great apostle of non violence

Let us also pray for the departed souls by abstaining from and distancing from this bloodied path !

'Engineering' prosperity

During my college days in 1970s there were only a handful of institutions imparting education culminating in production of quality engineers , Guindy Engineering college (currently Anna University) being one amongst them. I am aware of the difficulties in getting admitted into them and it is no wonder that people graduated from such institutions are doing exceedingly well not only in life but also turning out to be qualitative professional engineers. Those were the days, when Engineers stuck to their profession with pride and will not budge even to the lure of the Administrative services, as is being done in the later years.

Later in the 1990s and around the turn of the century, this whole lot of professionals started assuming a different role in revolutionizing not only the profession but also the life style of the country. With the Y2K heralding the exodus, the mythical bubble soon burst only to stabilize and in my opinion, no other country would have used the computerization better than India.

While the customers and the users of the Airlines, Railways and the Banking sector were to derive the immediate benefit of computerization, the architects of this revolution viz., the Engineers were being delivered in herds from the mushrooming institutions  across the length and breadth of the country. There were colleges which lacked the basic infra, at some places sufficiently skilled teachers and in some colleges even connectivity, an essential entity for effective Engineering education. But, these impediments never deterred our youth and they withstood the onslaught of political and monetary muzzle in not only getting into such institutions but also came out successfully graduating out of them !

The folks that came from the non-metropolis and more specifically the 'undeveloped and under developed' areas of the state  were the hardest hit. Hampered by communication skills, awed by the challenges posed by the evolving industry and trampled by the dog-eating-dog competition but driven only by the burning desire to win and succeed, they held on. I have personally encountered many such candidates in interview boards and as part of my own team to realize that with a little push, encouragement and guidance, they turn out to be damn good professionals. Not sure how many outside realize their sweat and toil at the office but are viewed jealously more for the income they churn out. The jealous part has gone such a distance that of late, such unsung heroes are being portrayed as deserting the motherland and supporting the brain drain and the Engineers has become such a harassed lot even in the public eye !

Fortunately these are the guys who cling on with determination and the will to make it big, learn things the hard way, ignore undesirable elements and insults to climb their way through the professional ladder, with the only intention of uplifting their life. It is heartening to see many such guys occupying prestigious positions across the globe, earning a handful and more importantly pull their  family back home in the villages out of poverty. Only few days back at an international airport, when I saw a group our guys from India roaming around, I was proudly thinking that , computers are the sole reason for such guys to spread out and be on a foreign soil. These are the guys who have embarked on the vehicle of 'Engineering' to speed drive out of their shackles, poverty and impediments to conquer the improbable and come out successfully. It is such engineers , who have made it and brought not only themselves but their kith and kin, out of the poverty and herald a new culture in their home town , that I would like to salute proudly, on this 'Engineers Day' . 

Its only fair, that such 'unsung heroes' are recognized atleast once a year and what better way to wish them on the "Engineers Day'

Keep moving, folks.  You not only herald a new revolution but also Engineer a new positive culture for your near and dear ones. You are the future and hope of this Nation and your family!!  

- 15-Sep-2015

Five years of Blogging

With the 23rd of May this year, my attempts at blogging exploits complete a full five year term.

What started as a canvas of a scratch pad has grown over this period to not only hundreds of posts but also emboldened me to branch off to other blogs also exclusively to practice my penchant for the mother tongue and also to address specific issues related to banking.

 http://kapalicanvas.blogspot.in/ started on 23-May-2010, has in its fold now 140 published posts and 40+ in different stages of draft.

http://chinthikkiren.blogspot.in/   an avenue created to express through my mother tongue Tamil, started on 23-Jun-2012,  has clocked 67 posts and around 18 are in draft stage. I am truly delighted that blogs in different lingo have opened up  paths for me to walk through these spaces, wherever I was confident of expressing myself.

The Banking blog http://bankerkapali.blogspot.in/  , started on 26-Nov-2012, has under its deposit folder 17 posts with 6 in drafts

The photo blog , http://kapalipics.blogspot.in/  started more recently on 20-Jul-2014 is growing rapidly.

Under the suggestion of some of my learned friends I have also developed my website www.kapaleeswaran.com , a single platform through which these blogs could be traversed across , in addition to some other points of my interest. Though, this is still under testing stage, I am confident of making this operational soon.

There have been numerous feedback on the various posts I have been making through these blogs and I am truly blessed to receive them. While there have been many appreciations which I obviously revel at, I am equally thankful to the various suggestions and directives. Though I am happy at the positive feedback, I value the suggestions more , as they guide me towards better writing.

I am grateful to one and all for your responses and to those who could not respond too, but queried when my posts dried up. I truly believe that I am at the nascent stage of writing and am sure with such encouragement , I can bloom into a more tolerable level of writing , the credit of which will truly be to my friends like you. I urge you to continue to read and send in your responses towards my posts.

Thanks again and Good Day ! 

Pursuer and the pursued

It all started by the latter half of 1999 when the Airlines started worrying about the safe passage of their flight and the bankers world over were concerned about the smooth changeover of date on that feared night of Dec 31st , heralding the new millennium. As the heat and panic peaked, the training institutes started making money out of a new entity -'fear'. Anyone with some knowledge of Java and more importantly a certificate started getting their passports stamped. There were also pieces of program codes floating around as an instant fix for Y2K and what was until then a distant dream achievable only by the select few became a buzzword in many household - working in U.S!

When the year rolled over, with little glitch belying all fears, the west started shedding the 'no more' wanted Y2K 'specialists' and there were few benches that were not warmed by these as they hovered around, little realizing that you cannot even spend a day there when you and your skills are no longer required.

With the return of the valiant, the importance of computer knowledge continued to gain popularity and the mushrooming Engineering colleges made the best advantage of the craze and need. After a 15 year ride of high and low, the circle seems to have come full, with the reported laying off of thousands from some of the industry's heavyweights, once considered as safe havens!

Such were the opportunities in this sector that anyone serious of making an impact was given a chance and the focused ones made the grade. Those with better perseverance and attitude climbed further and hopped across to vantage positions making ultimate use of the desperation of the emerging sector.

With opportunities came the misuses by people jumping for meager increases without any ethical care and those skillfully placed on contract reversed their gun to demand their pound of flesh and threatened otherwise to look for the better and buttered side of the bread.

When the industry hit the feared low, some wily organizations used them to weed the chaff along with the cats on the wall and this cat and mouse game went on for quite some time, despite the industry picking up.

The industry was more at the receiving end of this 'unforced attrition' born more out of avariciousness than career progress measures but they were able to survive with the ever flowing resources from the uncontrolled emergence of engineering colleges. While the smaller ones were playing with the 'hire and fire' policies there were some industry majors who stood like a rock silently absorbing the mass and strategically waiting for the turnaround. When one such 'majordomo' of the industry, considered as safe and secure, started taking a different route from its traditional and expected path, the panic set in. Thus when the cats stopped and turned back to look at the pursuing mob, the rats got into a huddle, and the pursuers became the pursued.

In my opinion, both were using and misusing the rules of 'notice and performance' to their own ends and faulting either in this race is uncharitable. Being in a matured industry that calls for the highest skills requiring constant skill updates and making one's presence felt, one is also expected to be prepared for the axe while looking for greener pastures.

 To compare the IT industry and its working conditions to other organized and settled sectors like Banks and Insurance is immature and the debate could at best serve the purpose of hogging the headlines for few days with improved TRP for some prime time channels. One is security oriented and the other rests on skill, performance and need. Banking like industries are also burdened with looking for business to keep the 'securely placed workforce' occupied whereas the IT is more on the need based side.

I feel in course of time,  the trade unionism too will creep in, with the support of pressure groups, just to make their presence felt, . But to expect them to have the same stranglehold as in other industries, one must be dreaming, given the expectations and performance levels at the former!


The need of the hour is planning- preserve the grain for the rainy days and await the sun to peep out. The organizations normally plan better, factor-in some attrition and manage to keep their head above the tide. It is the individuals who are unprepared and caught unawares that are likely to cry louder and hoarse!

'You are not matured until you expect the unexpected' - the adage seem to fit this dream industry more than any other. It is for the potential and perceived 'victims' at the industry to be more prepared, expect the unexpected and rise above the mundane to ward off such periodical threats to their career and lifestyle.

The young ones could be faulted to go overboard with a dream pay packet right out of the college. But such rude but timely wake-up call will sure spur the colts to be better equipped.

The experienced lot will need to plan better mentally and keep reminding themselves that there are no comfort zones in this field. I am sure the lessons are already felt, taken and will be handled. I believe and feel that this too shall pass.

After some initial rhetoric and stage managed shows to suit the required ends, the industry and its actors will soon settle down better-prepared to handle mutual pressures. In my opinion, this mid-course correction is the need of the hour and will remind  the Malthusian theory of demography of - 'survival of the fittest' again to the fore, even into this unrelated area .

Knocking at the door

After a near decade, it was a different experience when I decided to do an early renewal of my visa. Last time, it was my official travel desk that did all the odd job of running around, filling forms and making payments. Since there is no office desk now, the onus came down on me helped admirably by the younger guns at home.

All the activities of filling up forms electronically, making payments and downloading of account statements without a bank visit etc., were done sitting from home, thanks to the Internet era. The websites galore offer tonnes of suggestions and sermons some of which could be grabbed for guidance and others trashed.

The whole process consisted of two parts of collecting your personal identification inputs and a tete-a-tete to round up. To be fair, the official website has done a reasonably good job in guiding the aspirants and that could be safely considered the single source of reference. In addition, any query raised through social networking site is also responded with appreciable speed.

It is to distressing to observe some applicants despite reading all the instructions act opposite and carry exactly those items that are prohibited- be it a mobile phone or a pen drive or a back pack. The security is professional in firmly showing the door to such educated morons.

The activities at the personal id collection center are professional in that there is good guidance, firm adherence to rules and expectations with least wastage of time. If the aspirant understands, complies and co-operates, he could finish this in a matter of ten minutes.

The personal appearance understandably starts with more security driven exercises and after a complete body and baggage search, your are led to the visa consultation room. The rotating support staff are seen everywhere guiding the visitors, expediting interviews for the old and people with infants and are a source of comfort to the tense visa seekers. The pace at which the interviews are conducted is praiseworthy in that the official is extremely polite, gives an impression that he is more inclined to facilitate your visit to their country and at the same time deftly extracts the information that is required.

It is the well oiled process machinery that runs the show with almost near perfection and a honest aspirant need not have any apprehension. People need to adhere to the basic rules of presenting only the truthful information, avoid hidden agenda and more importantly understand their line of questioning. If one could anticipate and briefly live in their shoes, the entire process will be a breeze. It is a question of anticipation and preparedness, which many lack, is turning to be their Achilles' heel. If one is clear about their intentions, aspirations and stay away from incorrect and suspicious statements with all the documents available to support the claim, one could consider the whole exercise as a valuable experience with such understanding and supporting official machinery of the country you are aspiring to visit.

As for me , more than the activities around I was tense about the pregnant cloud hovering over threatening to deliver at any time. While over the years there has been appreciable improvements in the process facilitating the visitors, the authorities could do well to protect them from rain and shine and perhaps borrow the Indian tradition of entertaining the guests of honor with some basic comforts. After all, it is only those who have asked for your appointment,  are at your doorsteps at the mutually agreed time to interact with you. As the visitors prepare to adapt themselves to the culture and practice of the country they plan to visit, the authorities could also play a better host in adhering to the culture of our country which accords highest importance to honor any visitor with such courtesies.

While a majority of the visitors ultimately emerge  happy with their visa obtained, they could be spared of the initial tension of being exposed to the vagaries of weather and a slight discomfort of waiting at the gates, by providing a cover over the head and more preferably a wait that is away from the public glare. With such wonderful improvements seen, one is confident that this minor but self impacting hurdle is removed so that the whole exercise is made more pleasurable and done with honor.