So another year older! I think turning 25 is a lot more peaceful for a guy than a girl. The sirens don't start going off around you, no peer or parental pressure (yet, although at least 3 people have already said nows the time to find someone). This, in my opinion, is going to be the year of weddings, with a handful of friends tying the knot. Strangely I haven't attended a wedding in over three years and I sort of miss it. Hopefully I'll do something about that and a lot of other things I miss, during my India trip in less than three weeks.
Looking back, 24 has been quite routine and peaceful. My dad calling it shapely 24 turned out to be quite prophetic, as I'm fitter now than I have ever been. Running is now a habit I enjoy. Work itself has been quite steady over the last few months. Summer was quite hectic but it has eased off of late. The highpoint was probably having my parents visit me here for my commencement.
Strangely, Vancouver and DC were the only new cities I visited this year. In fact, I haven't traveled at all since Labor day. That of course will change over the coming weeks. After a point I think every city in the US feels the same. All the more reason to travel further out, like Europe!
Hopefully, this year will turn out to be more adventurous than the last!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Monday, November 05, 2007
The Santa Barbara Half!
Running is the most popular activity in Santa Barbara. On any given day of the year, if you walk along the beach you are bound to cross paths with atleast a handful of runners. That is mostly due to the fact that the weather here lends itself to outdoorsy things all year round. Biking is the next favored recreation. And whats more, its really neat running along the coast with the ocean breeze in your face. The whole stretch from the bird refuge to Shoreline through Stearns Wharf is ideal for a weekend run. That was the venue for the annual half marathon held last Saturday.
Over the last week, there has been a cloud of dense fog over the city in the mornings and given the fact that DST didnt switch back till this Sunday, the sun was rising pretty late. So we started in thick fog at around 8.30 in the morning. Although it cleared up as the race progressed, the cooler conditions made it all the more ideal for a run. Apparently, almost 2500 people took part. They had come from all over the country. Didnt seem like that many at the starting line though. Races here are organized really well. They take care of every detail. From timing chips on your shoes to measure time accurately, to providing refreshments at regular checkpoints during the race and after, to creating an encouraging atmosphere all around, you feel great about the whole thing. And whats more the registration fees goes to local charities.
The half marathon(13.1 miles) is in my opinion the perfect distance to run unless you're a running junkie. Its not as bad as the full 26.2 where you need a few months of preparation and at the end of it, you will be sore for about a week not being able to do much else. The half, on the other hand, is short enough that you can be back at work in a day's time and yet is challenging enough for you to take it seriously. And at the end of it, you feel like you've done something worthy. And ofcourse, its all the more fun running with thousands of others in your own backyard. The chap who won it was just far superior to everyone else. He finished nearly six minutes in front of the second placed man. I caught a glimpse of him around mile 8 when he was on mile 12 I think. He was being coached and guided throughout by another guy on a bike. He was completely focussed.
As for me, I placed, hold your breath....................., 333rd :). But who cares, what matters is that I had fun taking part.
Over the last week, there has been a cloud of dense fog over the city in the mornings and given the fact that DST didnt switch back till this Sunday, the sun was rising pretty late. So we started in thick fog at around 8.30 in the morning. Although it cleared up as the race progressed, the cooler conditions made it all the more ideal for a run. Apparently, almost 2500 people took part. They had come from all over the country. Didnt seem like that many at the starting line though. Races here are organized really well. They take care of every detail. From timing chips on your shoes to measure time accurately, to providing refreshments at regular checkpoints during the race and after, to creating an encouraging atmosphere all around, you feel great about the whole thing. And whats more the registration fees goes to local charities.
The half marathon(13.1 miles) is in my opinion the perfect distance to run unless you're a running junkie. Its not as bad as the full 26.2 where you need a few months of preparation and at the end of it, you will be sore for about a week not being able to do much else. The half, on the other hand, is short enough that you can be back at work in a day's time and yet is challenging enough for you to take it seriously. And at the end of it, you feel like you've done something worthy. And ofcourse, its all the more fun running with thousands of others in your own backyard. The chap who won it was just far superior to everyone else. He finished nearly six minutes in front of the second placed man. I caught a glimpse of him around mile 8 when he was on mile 12 I think. He was being coached and guided throughout by another guy on a bike. He was completely focussed.
As for me, I placed, hold your breath....................., 333rd :). But who cares, what matters is that I had fun taking part.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Friday, September 07, 2007
Juju - the greatest David of all time!
I"ve watched women's tennis since Gabriela Sabatini beat Steffi Graf to win the 1990 US Open, and Justine "juju" Henin is the best player I've ever seen. Here is why. Ever since the Williams sisters arrived on the scene, women's tennis has become a physical sport. For over 3 years no one had an answer for the power and physicality of these two women. Then came the brigade of Russians - tall (most of them are six footers), well-built and ready to match the Williams' power game. All through this, Henin, the petite Belgian all of 5 ft 5" and 125 lbs, has consistently been at the top of the game. Imagine a lightweight boxer competing in the heavyweight category and coming out on top. The classic David vs Goliath.
So how does she do it? Naturally, the first thing that she realized that she needed to do was build strength. She worked so hard on doing so that she ended up beating up her body pretty bad in the process. That resulted in a series of injuries after which she eased off. Secondly, she has constantly been perfecting her technique. It is safe to say that she has the best technique, footwork and timing of any player in the game currently. She is probably the only one with an all-court game to go along with the greatest backhand in the history of the game. And whats more, she has improved her serve tremendously. These are the traits that Martina Hingis failed to improve on and found herself being blown away time and again. With all due respect to Graf and Seles, women's tennis is played at a far higher level today than a decade ago. Graf would not have been able to bully her opponents with her forehand had she played in this decade. I would infact say that Juju is a better ball striker than either of those two greats.
Juj has always said that she loves facing up to challenges, part of the reason why she loves skydiving so much. And there is no greater challenge in her sport than to face the Williams sisters back to back on a fast hard court at Flushing Meadows! And she rose to the occasion quite beautifully. For the first time, someone outhit and overpowered Serena. The sore loser that she is irreverently blamed luck for her loss instead of giving Juju her due. Make no mistake about it, nobody has dominated Serena Williams and actually overpowered her before the second set of the quarter-final of this year's US open.
If that wasn't enough, she then came up against Venus playing the best tennis of her life in the semi. The standard of tennis by the end of the first set had reached dizzy heights. And it stayed there, despite the swirling winds out on court. Both players were trading winners like there was no tomorrow. Venus threw everything at her. But Juj had an answer for everything. It is one of the better tennis matches I've seen in a very long time. When it was over, Henin had come through in straight sets.
John McEnroe calls her the female Roger Federer. That's mighty high praise. But if you've watched her play at this year's US open you'll see why.
So how does she do it? Naturally, the first thing that she realized that she needed to do was build strength. She worked so hard on doing so that she ended up beating up her body pretty bad in the process. That resulted in a series of injuries after which she eased off. Secondly, she has constantly been perfecting her technique. It is safe to say that she has the best technique, footwork and timing of any player in the game currently. She is probably the only one with an all-court game to go along with the greatest backhand in the history of the game. And whats more, she has improved her serve tremendously. These are the traits that Martina Hingis failed to improve on and found herself being blown away time and again. With all due respect to Graf and Seles, women's tennis is played at a far higher level today than a decade ago. Graf would not have been able to bully her opponents with her forehand had she played in this decade. I would infact say that Juju is a better ball striker than either of those two greats.
Juj has always said that she loves facing up to challenges, part of the reason why she loves skydiving so much. And there is no greater challenge in her sport than to face the Williams sisters back to back on a fast hard court at Flushing Meadows! And she rose to the occasion quite beautifully. For the first time, someone outhit and overpowered Serena. The sore loser that she is irreverently blamed luck for her loss instead of giving Juju her due. Make no mistake about it, nobody has dominated Serena Williams and actually overpowered her before the second set of the quarter-final of this year's US open.
If that wasn't enough, she then came up against Venus playing the best tennis of her life in the semi. The standard of tennis by the end of the first set had reached dizzy heights. And it stayed there, despite the swirling winds out on court. Both players were trading winners like there was no tomorrow. Venus threw everything at her. But Juj had an answer for everything. It is one of the better tennis matches I've seen in a very long time. When it was over, Henin had come through in straight sets.
John McEnroe calls her the female Roger Federer. That's mighty high praise. But if you've watched her play at this year's US open you'll see why.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The world is round!
I've been looking at air tickets to India for the last couple of days. Led to a few interesting discoveries. General consensus is that from the West Coast of the US, it is best to travel westward for a couple of reasons
1. Its cheaper coz you travel via one of the many south east asian airlines like malaysian, singapore, korean, thai etc instead of the more reputed european carriers.
2. Its significantly shorter to fly over the pacific. This might partly be due to the way a world map is laid out.
Now while the former is true, the latter infact isn't. The shortest trip travelling west consists of an insanely long first leg - just over 17hrs (LA to anyone of KL, bangkok or singapore) followed by a relatively short flight of 3 1/2 hours, which adds up to just under 21 hrs of flying time. But interestingly through Europe, the trans-atlantic leg (LA to Frankfurt) takes around 11 hrs followed by an 8 1/2 journey to Madras. That amounts to under 20 hrs. Ofcourse you can dock another 4 and 6 hrs from that time if you're travelling from Chicago and New York respectively. And infact, there are now direct flights to India from these two cities.
This ofcourse leads to another question - which would you prefer? Long flights with minimal stops or a trip with shorter flights but more stops. Personally I think I may prefer the former. But I have my limits. Last winter, I had this 17 1/2 hr non-stop flight from DC to Addis Ababa. When you are in a flight for that long you start to get the feeling that you are never going to get out. Sleep, food, fellow passengers and in-flight entertainment can only take you so far!
To go east or west - that is the question!!
1. Its cheaper coz you travel via one of the many south east asian airlines like malaysian, singapore, korean, thai etc instead of the more reputed european carriers.
2. Its significantly shorter to fly over the pacific. This might partly be due to the way a world map is laid out.
Now while the former is true, the latter infact isn't. The shortest trip travelling west consists of an insanely long first leg - just over 17hrs (LA to anyone of KL, bangkok or singapore) followed by a relatively short flight of 3 1/2 hours, which adds up to just under 21 hrs of flying time. But interestingly through Europe, the trans-atlantic leg (LA to Frankfurt) takes around 11 hrs followed by an 8 1/2 journey to Madras. That amounts to under 20 hrs. Ofcourse you can dock another 4 and 6 hrs from that time if you're travelling from Chicago and New York respectively. And infact, there are now direct flights to India from these two cities.
This ofcourse leads to another question - which would you prefer? Long flights with minimal stops or a trip with shorter flights but more stops. Personally I think I may prefer the former. But I have my limits. Last winter, I had this 17 1/2 hr non-stop flight from DC to Addis Ababa. When you are in a flight for that long you start to get the feeling that you are never going to get out. Sleep, food, fellow passengers and in-flight entertainment can only take you so far!
To go east or west - that is the question!!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Good old news!
Over the last few days I've been following indian news quite intently thanks to this. Thats CNN-IBN's live stream of its news channel. Pretty neat I must say. It serves as a nice trip down memory lane, catching up with journalists that you've grown up watching. But what is most striking is how much of an influnce western, particularly american style television journalism has had on the channel. This might be in part to their tie up with CNN but shows like cyrus broacha's the week that wasn't are a direct copy of jon stewart's daily show. Although you get bored of the repetetive nature of the programming after a while, half an hour of viewing brings you up to date with most of the day's happenings. And its nice to see good old indian advertising for a change, which is far more sensible than its american counterpart.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Madness!
Bal Thackeray on the Sena's support for Pratibha Patil, "To have a Marathi President was to pay tribute to the 105 martyrs who shed their blood for the formation of Maharashtra, which was founded 47 years ago..........It is Maharashtra's fortune that a Marathi woman is for the first time becoming the President. Those opposing it should be termed as wretched."
Sectarian politics at its blatant best.
I wont say more about this instead let you read Rajdeep Sardesai's take on all this here.
Sectarian politics at its blatant best.
I wont say more about this instead let you read Rajdeep Sardesai's take on all this here.
Monday, June 25, 2007
The last of the grasscourters!
Its that time of the year when the lush green lawns of southwest London are the cynosure of the world's eyes for an entire fortnight. Grass court tennis when played at its best is a joyous spectacle. Since the days of McEnroe, it is the only surface to reward those who play the game with a bit of touch and finesse.
Boom boom Becker ushered in the era of power tennis. Those booming serves from the new graphite frame backed up by deft volleying really added a new dimension to the game. The likes of Edberg, Goran and Stitch flourished on this philosophy. None more so than arguably the greatest exponent of grass court tennis, Pete Sampras. Ofcourse, the Agassis and Couriers were the classic foil to these guys, but at the end of the day, its the serve and volley game that always came out on top.
Its a pity then that Tim Henman, the last of these rare breed of players and Britain's best player in the Open era, never won a Championship. Year after year he would make his way efficiently through the first week playing classic grass court tennis, bringing joy to many a soul on Henman hill and make the whole of Britain believe that he could go all the way. But then, almost always his tournament was ended by Sampras. Like many others in this generation, his best chance came in 2001. But that year in the semifinals, the weather Gods, Goran and his belief in destiny intervened and conspired against him. Its a shame that he was not good enough to beat Hewitt in 2002.
From then on he hasnt been a serious title contender. But watching him play today against Moya was wonderful. Even if he doesn't win, he gave a great exhibition of grass court tennis for one last time to the faithful British crowd. Over the years he has been forced to curb his natural instinct to follow his serve to the net. But today, he played like the Henman of old. Chip and charges, authoritative volleys, deft half volleys, it was all there. Wimbledon reached its low point during the 2002 final between Hewitt and Nalbandian when not a single service was backed up by a volley. Since then Roger Federer has taken over the game. Many would even argue that he is a great grass court player. Yes its true, but he is not a natural. His natural instinct is not to come in behind his serve. This is exemplified by the fact that he hardly ever does so on any other surface but grass. Ofcourse, he is so gifted that he doesn't need to except from time to time on Center court when he is bored of the monotony of baseline tennis.
The women's game has long been a slugfest from the back of the court, despite Mauresmo and Juju's efforts to come to the net in last year's final. And given that this is likely to be Henman's farewell Wimbledon, this may well be the last time we get to savour the lost art of serve and volley tennis that has become synonymous with this surface.
Boom boom Becker ushered in the era of power tennis. Those booming serves from the new graphite frame backed up by deft volleying really added a new dimension to the game. The likes of Edberg, Goran and Stitch flourished on this philosophy. None more so than arguably the greatest exponent of grass court tennis, Pete Sampras. Ofcourse, the Agassis and Couriers were the classic foil to these guys, but at the end of the day, its the serve and volley game that always came out on top.
Its a pity then that Tim Henman, the last of these rare breed of players and Britain's best player in the Open era, never won a Championship. Year after year he would make his way efficiently through the first week playing classic grass court tennis, bringing joy to many a soul on Henman hill and make the whole of Britain believe that he could go all the way. But then, almost always his tournament was ended by Sampras. Like many others in this generation, his best chance came in 2001. But that year in the semifinals, the weather Gods, Goran and his belief in destiny intervened and conspired against him. Its a shame that he was not good enough to beat Hewitt in 2002.
From then on he hasnt been a serious title contender. But watching him play today against Moya was wonderful. Even if he doesn't win, he gave a great exhibition of grass court tennis for one last time to the faithful British crowd. Over the years he has been forced to curb his natural instinct to follow his serve to the net. But today, he played like the Henman of old. Chip and charges, authoritative volleys, deft half volleys, it was all there. Wimbledon reached its low point during the 2002 final between Hewitt and Nalbandian when not a single service was backed up by a volley. Since then Roger Federer has taken over the game. Many would even argue that he is a great grass court player. Yes its true, but he is not a natural. His natural instinct is not to come in behind his serve. This is exemplified by the fact that he hardly ever does so on any other surface but grass. Ofcourse, he is so gifted that he doesn't need to except from time to time on Center court when he is bored of the monotony of baseline tennis.
The women's game has long been a slugfest from the back of the court, despite Mauresmo and Juju's efforts to come to the net in last year's final. And given that this is likely to be Henman's farewell Wimbledon, this may well be the last time we get to savour the lost art of serve and volley tennis that has become synonymous with this surface.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
PROFILE OF AN AVATAR
Dewan Bahadur Dr. Kilambi Ramanujachari, M.A., B.L., F.M.U. was born in 1852 in an orthodox Sri Vaishnavite family in Pentapadu Agraharam, Tadepallegudem, West Godavari District, now in the State of Andhra Pradesh. When Kilambi Ramanujachari was yet in his mother’s womb, she constantly and ardently prayed to God, as her first two sons Raghavachari and Srinivasachari died early in their infancy. Lord Rama appeared in the anxious mother’s dreams, and asked her why was she was praying to Him constantly. She asked for ‘ayush’ or longevity for the incubating child. Lord Rama assured her of the grant of her wish. Soon thereafter Kilambi Ramanujachari was born and was reverentially also called Ramavataram.
Kilambi Ramanujachari grew up in the family homestead in Pentapadu Agraharam where ancestral agrarian lands provided moderate subsistence. He performed austere penances including the daily recitation of Sri Hayagriva Mantras standing in chest high waters at about 4 a.m. The young boy was extremely precocious in learning and had mastered various texts in Sanskrit and studied the epics Ramayana and Mahabharatam and various literary works including those of Kalidasa. His mastery of the Sanskrit language and the emergence of enormous intellectual powers created an insatiable urge to learn more.
Young Kilambi Ramanujachari learned of the Vizianagaram Rajahs’ interest in and encouragement of education. Vizianagaram was a prosperous samasthanam (kingdom) and was known as ‘Vidyulunagaram’ or the ‘town of intellectuals’. The famous Maharajah’s College in Vizianagaram was one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in the areas now under the State of Andhra Pradesh. Kilambi Ramanujachari planned to go to Vizianagaram to seek audience of the Maharajahs, and solicit their assistance for further education. With great reluctance, the anxious parents gave their sixteen year old son permission for the long journeys ahead.
Kilambi Ramanujachari arrived in Vizianagaram and sought the audience of the Maharajah. H. R. H. Vijayanandagajapathi was on the throne, and his young and illustrious son, ‘Prince Charming’ H. R. H. Anandagajapathi was already well known for his enthusiasm and accomplishments in learning, sports and the martial arts taught to young princes of the time. The Maharajah learnt of the visit of Kilambi Ramanujachari and his desire to meet the Rajahs. Within a few days, the destined meeting of the young boy and the famous Rajahs took place and they were duly impressed with the brilliance of his personality, learning and intellectual powers.
Kilambi Ramanujachari agreed to perform an Ashtavadhanam and the delighted Rajahs ordered its organization at the earliest in the royal palace.
Ashtavadhanam is an intensive and exhausting test of intellectual capabilities and is organized on the following lines:
Eight learned persons or pundits sit circling the candidate Ashtavadhani. The first pundit asks difficult questions in grammar, the second requires elaboration on key passages in literary classics, the third requests poems on specified topics, the fourth asks questions on general knowledge and history, the fifth tests knowledge of music, the sixth demands answers to questions in sciences, the seventh keeps ringing a bell and suddenly asks the candidate to declare how many times he had rung the bell (!) and the eighth pokes the candidate somewhere on his body and asks him to keep count of the number of times he had poked the candidate! This kind of examination would last about 3 hours and the candidate has to successfully satisfy each of the eight pundits continuously during the period. The Ashtavadhani would be completely exhausted and sweating profusely by the end of the test.
Kilambi Ramanujachari came through the Ashtavadhanam with flying colours and the Rajahs were duly impressed with the young boy’s genius. The young Prince, H.R.H. Anandagajapathi asked Kilambi Ramanujachari whether he could perform a Shathavadhanam. Kilambi Ramanujachari readily agreed.
Shathavadhanam was a rarity even in those days, and the Maharajah’s office made elaborate arrangements for it, inviting distinguished guests from far and wide to witness the event:
In a Shathavadhanam, one hundred pundits of Sanskrit sit in lines. The candidate Shathavadhani has to go up to the first pundit who would request the candidate to compose the first line of a quatrain on a specified subject, on completion of which the candidate moves to the second pundit for a similar exercise, and the third, fourth, ...., finally the hundredth, and repeats the cycle for the second line of the respective quatrain for each pundit, and cycles back again for the third and fourth lines of the respective quatrains. Each of the hundred quatrains is examined by the respective pundit for relevance to specified subject, grammar, quality and finally the pundit has to pronounce his verdict that the quatrain has been accepted. When all the quatrains are accepted, the candidate becomes a Shathavadhani.
Kilambi Ramanujachari was declared Shathavadhani and the Rajahs were as well delighted. They decided to sponsor the further studies of Kilambi Ramanujachari at the Madras University.
Accordingy, young Kilambi Ramanujachari arrived in Madras taking the boat from Visakhapatnam, subsisting on coconut water for the many days of the journey to preserve the acharam or orthodox food and personal discipline. He took up residence in Triplicane and after a year’s study he passed the S.S.L.C. Examinations. He joined the Presidency College and passed both the B.A. and M.A. Examinations. He enrolled at the Law College of Madras and passed the B.L. Examinations. He commenced his legal practice under Sir Norton, a British legal luminary practicing at the Madras High Court. Sir Norton was impressed with Kilambi Ramanujachari’s intellectual prowess and was keen to sponsor his brilliant junior to qualify as Barrister-at-Law in England. When Kilambi Ramanujachari wrote to the Maharajah of Vizianagaram about Sir Norton’s proposal, the Maharajah requested Kilambi Ramanujachari to return to Vizianagaram as the Maharajah foresaw important responsibilities for the young double graduate there.
Kilambi Ramanujachari returned to Vizianagaram, and was appointed as Vice-Principal of the Maharajah’s College on a salary of Rs. 500/- p.m. Kilambi Ramanujachari also attended the Royal Court and provided extensive legal counsel to the Maharajah. H.R.H. Anandagajapathi had ascended the Royal Throne. Young in years, and deeply interested in learning, poetry and fine arts, the young Maharajah found the company of Kilambi Ramanujachari invigorating and enlightening.
Within the next two years, Kilambi Ramanujachari was promoted as Principal of the Maharajah’s College on a salary of Rs. 1,000/- p.m. – a princely sum in those days! Under his able guidance, the College became a famous and revered institution of learning and was sought after by students from far and wide. His contributions to the field of education became well known. He served as a member of the Senate of Madras University. He founded the Sanskrit and Music Colleges in Vizianagaram and guided the establishment of the Sanskrit College in Madras. He encouraged many indigent students by personally paying their college fees.
When Kilambi Ramanujachari was about 30 years of age, and had begun construction of his large 2 acre house [named “Parkside Villa”] with a first floor [‘medah’ – a rarity in that part of the country in those days], he decided to marry. He met Alivellama, a girl of 11 years and he tested her by offering her a banana and observing how she ate it. If she had licked the peel also before throwing it away, she might have been judged as not generous! Generosity indeed was the golden quality Alivellamma demonstrated amply throughout her married life with Kilambi Ramanujachari whom she bore nine children. Daily about 100 persons including family members, guests and poor visitors were fed sumptuously at Kilambi Ramanujachari’s house.
Among Kilambi Ramanujachari’s children, the eldest, Prof. Rangachari, a brilliant mathematician, taught at the Calcutta University along with Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee. Later he returned to Vizianagaram to teach at the Maharajah’s College. His salary never reached home, being always given away the very day he received it, to students who needed to pay college registration or examination fees! He was a scholar of the Pali language. He authored a text on South Indian temples. The second son of Kilambi Ramanujachari was a brilliant advocate practicing at Visakhapatnam, but died prematurely at the age of 40. The third son Srinivasachari who qualified as a doctor, died at a young age of 28. The last son, Raghavachari who was born to Kilambi Ramanujachari when he was 62 yeas old, was a business manager and the father of the author of this article. Kilambi Ramanujachari also had five daughters who were well accomplished and the fourth, Alaka Rajeshwari was a talented veena player. One of Kilambi Ramanujachari’s grandchildren, Dr. Kilambi Ramavatharam achieved international renown as a physicist.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of his service as the Principal of the Maharajah’s College was celebrated with great enthusiasm. A muslin scroll with the following citation was presented to him:
“ To
M.R.Ry.
RAO BAHADUR K. RAMANUJACHARI GARU
M.A., B.L., F.M.U.
Principal, Maharaja’s College,
VIZIANAGARAM.
Dear Sir,
On this happy occasion of the Celebration of the Silver Jubilee of your Principalship, we, the past and present Students and the Staff of the Maharajah’s College, rejoice to present to you this humble address congratulating you on this rare privilege you have enjoyed of presiding over this College for over a quarter of a century in a manner that has placed beyond doubt the capacity of Indians to hold such places of honour and responsibility.
The combination, in you, of eastern and western cultures, of a genuine love for the past and a keen sense of the large needs and the rich promise of the present, of character and culture, firmness and sympathy, has eminently fitted you to guide the education of successive generations of Indian youths.
Permit us to assure you, your example of severe simplicity, almost verging on austerity, has served as a lone star on a dark night to many a young man in steering clear of the shoals and sirens of life.
We believe that, at the present juncture in the evolution of progressive thought in our country, your learning of indigenous and foreign literatures and your experience as a Sanskrit Scholar who has received the broadening influences of western culture is bound to help the pupils of this College to form for themselves ideals that advance the best interests of our Country, and in so far as such training for our youths is worth more than book learning, we pray that Providence grant you life and energy to be a guide to us in the years to come.
We beg to remain,
Dear Sir,
Your loving students and sincere admirers,
The past and present students and the staff of the
MAHARAJA’S COLLEGE, VIZIANAGARAM.
Vizianagaram,
15th February, 1913. “
Kilambi Ramanujachari was awarded the title of Dewan Bahadur by the British Government on June 3rd, 1918. He was conferred with the Doctorate in Literature by the Madras University and on that occasion, the students of the Maharajah’s College removed the horses of his carriage and drew it themselves through the streets of Vizianagaram in a spontaneous display of reverence and affection.
The Maharajah of Mysore [the richest kingdom in South India] had requested Kilambi Ramanujachari to become the Dewan of his Kingdom, but Kilambi Ramanujachari could never think of such an eventuality and remained ever loyal to his patrons, the Maharajahs of Vizianagaram. When the title of Mahamahopadyaya was to be conferred on him for his accomplishments in the Sanskrit language, he recommended in all humility that this award be given to other contemporaries to encourage them.
The Maharajah of Vizianagaram bestowed on Kilambi Ramanujachari large tracts of land and villages in recognition of his invaluable services to the Royal Kingdom of Vizianagaram, as well as to the country as a whole. Kilambi Ramanujachari declined to accept many of these gifts.
The Vamsavriksham or family-tree of the Kilambis shows that they were living in regions now part of the present State of Andhra Pradesh, over the last five hundred years, migrating from a village near Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu. They trace their origin directly to one Kilambi Asan, a devout disciple and contemporary of Sri Ramanuja, the famous Hindu philosopher-saint of South India.
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This article was written by my father, V. Dilip Kumar.
The text of this page is available for modification and reuse under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License and the GNU Free Documentation License (unversioned, with no invariant sections, front-cover texts, or back-cover texts).
Kilambi Ramanujachari grew up in the family homestead in Pentapadu Agraharam where ancestral agrarian lands provided moderate subsistence. He performed austere penances including the daily recitation of Sri Hayagriva Mantras standing in chest high waters at about 4 a.m. The young boy was extremely precocious in learning and had mastered various texts in Sanskrit and studied the epics Ramayana and Mahabharatam and various literary works including those of Kalidasa. His mastery of the Sanskrit language and the emergence of enormous intellectual powers created an insatiable urge to learn more.
Young Kilambi Ramanujachari learned of the Vizianagaram Rajahs’ interest in and encouragement of education. Vizianagaram was a prosperous samasthanam (kingdom) and was known as ‘Vidyulunagaram’ or the ‘town of intellectuals’. The famous Maharajah’s College in Vizianagaram was one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in the areas now under the State of Andhra Pradesh. Kilambi Ramanujachari planned to go to Vizianagaram to seek audience of the Maharajahs, and solicit their assistance for further education. With great reluctance, the anxious parents gave their sixteen year old son permission for the long journeys ahead.
Kilambi Ramanujachari arrived in Vizianagaram and sought the audience of the Maharajah. H. R. H. Vijayanandagajapathi was on the throne, and his young and illustrious son, ‘Prince Charming’ H. R. H. Anandagajapathi was already well known for his enthusiasm and accomplishments in learning, sports and the martial arts taught to young princes of the time. The Maharajah learnt of the visit of Kilambi Ramanujachari and his desire to meet the Rajahs. Within a few days, the destined meeting of the young boy and the famous Rajahs took place and they were duly impressed with the brilliance of his personality, learning and intellectual powers.
Kilambi Ramanujachari agreed to perform an Ashtavadhanam and the delighted Rajahs ordered its organization at the earliest in the royal palace.
Ashtavadhanam is an intensive and exhausting test of intellectual capabilities and is organized on the following lines:
Eight learned persons or pundits sit circling the candidate Ashtavadhani. The first pundit asks difficult questions in grammar, the second requires elaboration on key passages in literary classics, the third requests poems on specified topics, the fourth asks questions on general knowledge and history, the fifth tests knowledge of music, the sixth demands answers to questions in sciences, the seventh keeps ringing a bell and suddenly asks the candidate to declare how many times he had rung the bell (!) and the eighth pokes the candidate somewhere on his body and asks him to keep count of the number of times he had poked the candidate! This kind of examination would last about 3 hours and the candidate has to successfully satisfy each of the eight pundits continuously during the period. The Ashtavadhani would be completely exhausted and sweating profusely by the end of the test.
Kilambi Ramanujachari came through the Ashtavadhanam with flying colours and the Rajahs were duly impressed with the young boy’s genius. The young Prince, H.R.H. Anandagajapathi asked Kilambi Ramanujachari whether he could perform a Shathavadhanam. Kilambi Ramanujachari readily agreed.
Shathavadhanam was a rarity even in those days, and the Maharajah’s office made elaborate arrangements for it, inviting distinguished guests from far and wide to witness the event:
In a Shathavadhanam, one hundred pundits of Sanskrit sit in lines. The candidate Shathavadhani has to go up to the first pundit who would request the candidate to compose the first line of a quatrain on a specified subject, on completion of which the candidate moves to the second pundit for a similar exercise, and the third, fourth, ...., finally the hundredth, and repeats the cycle for the second line of the respective quatrain for each pundit, and cycles back again for the third and fourth lines of the respective quatrains. Each of the hundred quatrains is examined by the respective pundit for relevance to specified subject, grammar, quality and finally the pundit has to pronounce his verdict that the quatrain has been accepted. When all the quatrains are accepted, the candidate becomes a Shathavadhani.
Kilambi Ramanujachari was declared Shathavadhani and the Rajahs were as well delighted. They decided to sponsor the further studies of Kilambi Ramanujachari at the Madras University.
Accordingy, young Kilambi Ramanujachari arrived in Madras taking the boat from Visakhapatnam, subsisting on coconut water for the many days of the journey to preserve the acharam or orthodox food and personal discipline. He took up residence in Triplicane and after a year’s study he passed the S.S.L.C. Examinations. He joined the Presidency College and passed both the B.A. and M.A. Examinations. He enrolled at the Law College of Madras and passed the B.L. Examinations. He commenced his legal practice under Sir Norton, a British legal luminary practicing at the Madras High Court. Sir Norton was impressed with Kilambi Ramanujachari’s intellectual prowess and was keen to sponsor his brilliant junior to qualify as Barrister-at-Law in England. When Kilambi Ramanujachari wrote to the Maharajah of Vizianagaram about Sir Norton’s proposal, the Maharajah requested Kilambi Ramanujachari to return to Vizianagaram as the Maharajah foresaw important responsibilities for the young double graduate there.
Kilambi Ramanujachari returned to Vizianagaram, and was appointed as Vice-Principal of the Maharajah’s College on a salary of Rs. 500/- p.m. Kilambi Ramanujachari also attended the Royal Court and provided extensive legal counsel to the Maharajah. H.R.H. Anandagajapathi had ascended the Royal Throne. Young in years, and deeply interested in learning, poetry and fine arts, the young Maharajah found the company of Kilambi Ramanujachari invigorating and enlightening.
Within the next two years, Kilambi Ramanujachari was promoted as Principal of the Maharajah’s College on a salary of Rs. 1,000/- p.m. – a princely sum in those days! Under his able guidance, the College became a famous and revered institution of learning and was sought after by students from far and wide. His contributions to the field of education became well known. He served as a member of the Senate of Madras University. He founded the Sanskrit and Music Colleges in Vizianagaram and guided the establishment of the Sanskrit College in Madras. He encouraged many indigent students by personally paying their college fees.
When Kilambi Ramanujachari was about 30 years of age, and had begun construction of his large 2 acre house [named “Parkside Villa”] with a first floor [‘medah’ – a rarity in that part of the country in those days], he decided to marry. He met Alivellama, a girl of 11 years and he tested her by offering her a banana and observing how she ate it. If she had licked the peel also before throwing it away, she might have been judged as not generous! Generosity indeed was the golden quality Alivellamma demonstrated amply throughout her married life with Kilambi Ramanujachari whom she bore nine children. Daily about 100 persons including family members, guests and poor visitors were fed sumptuously at Kilambi Ramanujachari’s house.
Among Kilambi Ramanujachari’s children, the eldest, Prof. Rangachari, a brilliant mathematician, taught at the Calcutta University along with Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee. Later he returned to Vizianagaram to teach at the Maharajah’s College. His salary never reached home, being always given away the very day he received it, to students who needed to pay college registration or examination fees! He was a scholar of the Pali language. He authored a text on South Indian temples. The second son of Kilambi Ramanujachari was a brilliant advocate practicing at Visakhapatnam, but died prematurely at the age of 40. The third son Srinivasachari who qualified as a doctor, died at a young age of 28. The last son, Raghavachari who was born to Kilambi Ramanujachari when he was 62 yeas old, was a business manager and the father of the author of this article. Kilambi Ramanujachari also had five daughters who were well accomplished and the fourth, Alaka Rajeshwari was a talented veena player. One of Kilambi Ramanujachari’s grandchildren, Dr. Kilambi Ramavatharam achieved international renown as a physicist.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of his service as the Principal of the Maharajah’s College was celebrated with great enthusiasm. A muslin scroll with the following citation was presented to him:
“ To
M.R.Ry.
RAO BAHADUR K. RAMANUJACHARI GARU
M.A., B.L., F.M.U.
Principal, Maharaja’s College,
VIZIANAGARAM.
Dear Sir,
On this happy occasion of the Celebration of the Silver Jubilee of your Principalship, we, the past and present Students and the Staff of the Maharajah’s College, rejoice to present to you this humble address congratulating you on this rare privilege you have enjoyed of presiding over this College for over a quarter of a century in a manner that has placed beyond doubt the capacity of Indians to hold such places of honour and responsibility.
The combination, in you, of eastern and western cultures, of a genuine love for the past and a keen sense of the large needs and the rich promise of the present, of character and culture, firmness and sympathy, has eminently fitted you to guide the education of successive generations of Indian youths.
Permit us to assure you, your example of severe simplicity, almost verging on austerity, has served as a lone star on a dark night to many a young man in steering clear of the shoals and sirens of life.
We believe that, at the present juncture in the evolution of progressive thought in our country, your learning of indigenous and foreign literatures and your experience as a Sanskrit Scholar who has received the broadening influences of western culture is bound to help the pupils of this College to form for themselves ideals that advance the best interests of our Country, and in so far as such training for our youths is worth more than book learning, we pray that Providence grant you life and energy to be a guide to us in the years to come.
We beg to remain,
Dear Sir,
Your loving students and sincere admirers,
The past and present students and the staff of the
MAHARAJA’S COLLEGE, VIZIANAGARAM.
Vizianagaram,
15th February, 1913. “
Kilambi Ramanujachari was awarded the title of Dewan Bahadur by the British Government on June 3rd, 1918. He was conferred with the Doctorate in Literature by the Madras University and on that occasion, the students of the Maharajah’s College removed the horses of his carriage and drew it themselves through the streets of Vizianagaram in a spontaneous display of reverence and affection.
The Maharajah of Mysore [the richest kingdom in South India] had requested Kilambi Ramanujachari to become the Dewan of his Kingdom, but Kilambi Ramanujachari could never think of such an eventuality and remained ever loyal to his patrons, the Maharajahs of Vizianagaram. When the title of Mahamahopadyaya was to be conferred on him for his accomplishments in the Sanskrit language, he recommended in all humility that this award be given to other contemporaries to encourage them.
The Maharajah of Vizianagaram bestowed on Kilambi Ramanujachari large tracts of land and villages in recognition of his invaluable services to the Royal Kingdom of Vizianagaram, as well as to the country as a whole. Kilambi Ramanujachari declined to accept many of these gifts.
The Vamsavriksham or family-tree of the Kilambis shows that they were living in regions now part of the present State of Andhra Pradesh, over the last five hundred years, migrating from a village near Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu. They trace their origin directly to one Kilambi Asan, a devout disciple and contemporary of Sri Ramanuja, the famous Hindu philosopher-saint of South India.
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This article was written by my father, V. Dilip Kumar.
The text of this page is available for modification and reuse under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License and the GNU Free Documentation License (unversioned, with no invariant sections, front-cover texts, or back-cover texts).
Friday, June 01, 2007
All hail the new king!
When Lebron James said earlier in the series "Just get me there (the 4th quarter). If its close I'll win the game", he wasn't kidding around. Sure he needed a couple of overtimes to prove his point. But he proved it alright and how!!! James' superhuman 48 point effort, last night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, is the most dominant performance i've seen this late in the playoffs since the days of a certain other No. 23!! I was just happy that i got to watch it.
Forget the athletic prowess, the vision on court, the ability to work the officials. The thing that stands out the most for me is his will to win. He goes out on court and says adamantly "We will not lose tonight, not on my watch". And it is this single-minded determination to win at all costs that made people like Schumi and Lance achieve what they did. And to think that Lebron is just 22. Unlike formula 1 and cycling, basketball is a team sport. But watching Lebron last night, you could be excused for thinking that it wasn't.
He was the only Cavalier to score in the last 18 minutes of the game. Up until then he had missed 13 of his 20 shots. He made 11 of next 13. Tough fadeaways, creating looks with behind-the-back dribbles, three pointers when double teamed, dunks and that poignant layup driving past 4 Detroit defenders to settle matters at the end, he did it all. He was also the only Cavalier who was visibly disappointed when they couldnt close it out at the end of the first overtime.
The Cleveland Cavaliers may not win the title this year but looking at Lebron's steady progress in the last 3 years, it cant be long now! In the career of Lebron James this will be looked back on as his defining game. Yes, he needs a few rings on his finger before we can start comparing him to the all time greats. But the NBA has been searching for the heir to the throne that was vacated nine long years ago. They can stop looking right now.
Forget the athletic prowess, the vision on court, the ability to work the officials. The thing that stands out the most for me is his will to win. He goes out on court and says adamantly "We will not lose tonight, not on my watch". And it is this single-minded determination to win at all costs that made people like Schumi and Lance achieve what they did. And to think that Lebron is just 22. Unlike formula 1 and cycling, basketball is a team sport. But watching Lebron last night, you could be excused for thinking that it wasn't.
He was the only Cavalier to score in the last 18 minutes of the game. Up until then he had missed 13 of his 20 shots. He made 11 of next 13. Tough fadeaways, creating looks with behind-the-back dribbles, three pointers when double teamed, dunks and that poignant layup driving past 4 Detroit defenders to settle matters at the end, he did it all. He was also the only Cavalier who was visibly disappointed when they couldnt close it out at the end of the first overtime.
The Cleveland Cavaliers may not win the title this year but looking at Lebron's steady progress in the last 3 years, it cant be long now! In the career of Lebron James this will be looked back on as his defining game. Yes, he needs a few rings on his finger before we can start comparing him to the all time greats. But the NBA has been searching for the heir to the throne that was vacated nine long years ago. They can stop looking right now.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The pursuit of perfection!
Its been a while since I've seen someone produce something so outrageous that you think its almost unfair for one human being to be so utterly dominant. Tiger when he won for the first time at Augusta, Tendulkar at Sharjah in 98, Sampras for a couple of sets in his 99 wimbledon final against Agassi, Lance when he won the tour in 2001, and Roger Federer everytime he steps on to a tennis court these days.Federer, when he burst onto the scene at Wimbledon 2001, was a promising youngster. His exquisite all round game quickly came to the fore especially in 2002 and 2003. Tennis these days, even the men's game, is purely a baseline affair. The serve and volley game is now long gone with the likes of Goran, Henman and Phillipoussis having retired. Hence, we may never get to see the volleying skills of Federer in full flow ever again. His game has long surpassed any of his peers and for quite sometime now he has been chasing history. Whatever false hopes of victory that an opponent might carry quickly disappear after a couple of games against him. Given all this, you'd think that he wouldn't need to add to his game.
Yet, Federer has been steadily improving all this while. When you think of Federer, things that come to mind are his casual style, the forehand, the effortless ease of his game, the audacity of some of his shots, but today when I saw him play, the thing that stood out the most was his backhand. Even when I saw him play against Blake in Shanghai at the end of last year it was not this good. I have always believed that Justine Henin's backhand is the most gifted shot in all of tennis. I now think Roger Federer's backhand is the most potent. There is only so much you can do to a tennis ball. The topspin backhand is hit with more wrist whip and flick than anyone else i've ever seen. That shot looks so dismissive now as if he is telling the ball to go to hell and stay there. But the thing that kills you is that viscious sidespin that he is imparting to his slice. Its quite amazing, even on rebound ace, that the ball just spins so much and dies. I can only wonder what will happen on clay and grass. Earlier the opponent always had a glimmer of hope, thinking they could somehow outrally him on the backhand side but its tough to say which side is stronger now.
Its only a matter of time before he wins at Roland Garros. Last year he was pipped at the line. But with that new and improved backhand, 2007 will probably be the year. After that there wont be much left for him to achieve. But that does not deter a man like Roger Federer from the never ending pursuit of perfection!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Rain drops keep falling on my head
Let me go ahead and state the obvious : In general, we tend to appreciate things only when we are starved of it. I usually walk or bike home for lunch everyday from work. Today I had, instead of sunshine, rain for company. It was one of those gentle rains after which the sun was trying to break out from under the clouds forming a lovely rainbow. It was such a refreshing change. I think the last time it rained in Santa Barbara was in august or september. I'm all for the sunshine and pleasant weather but once in a while when the rain comes along u suddenly feel light and carefree. The smell of fresh air and the ground just before it rains, the constant sound of the raindrops hitting u, the little puddles that begin to form, there is something innocent about it all. The only thing possibly more enjoyable is ofcourse snowflakes. I've had the chance to experience the seasons(all 4 of them) for a couple of years now and I absolutely love it. The fall colors, people overreacting on the first day of spring :), the long days of summer and ofcourse that special feeling when u goto bed one night only to wake up to see the city covered in white the next morning. I still havent seen snow this year ofcourse but i'm hoping to change all that in february and march with a couple of trips up north.Speaking of snow, whats with all the weird weather this year in North america? I know the standard retort is global warming or El nino or la nina but it cant possibly explain everything. I mean it snowed in seattle and austin even when new york hadnt seen a flake of snow all winter. We, here on the south and central coast of california, have seen freezing temperatures beating all our record lows comfortably (supposedly due to an arctic blast from nevada of all places). Heck, its been one of the warmest and driest winters in minneapolis and unusually pleasant in the northeast. I find it all very interesting. Who knows, maybe it is all these ocean currents which are having an effect. I'm interested in seeing what summer holds in store.
In the meanwhile, raindrops on roses ........................these are a few of my favorite things :).
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