Book conversations: The Krishna Key

Take Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.  Replace the western characters with Indian ones.  Replace the Christian symbols and mythological anecdotes with Hindu ones.  Replace Robert Langdon with Ravi Mohan Saini, and Silas with Taarak Vakil.  And there you have it.  The Krishna Key.  

I haven't read The Da Vinic Code since historical fiction is not really my cup of tea, but I have seen the film based on the book.  And the similarities in the structure of the story and the plot of the Code and the Key are as startling as any of the revelations in either of the works.  I am of course, not suggesting that the plot of the Code (first published in 2004) was used to make up that of the Key (published in 2012), although it might have acted as a source of inspiration.  There is nothing wrong in this, and I am merely making an observation as to the similarity.  

Now for the plot itself.  A group of scientists spread out across India, are trying to piece together the secret of Krishna's key, a relic from the days of Lord Krishna and Mahabharata.  Each one is in peril, as a teacher-pupil duo seeks to get its hands on the parts of the key that they possess.  The pupil, who is led to believe that he is the Kalki Avatar (the 10th incarnation of Vishnu) by the teacher, goes about killing the scientists one by one in cold blood, until only Ravi Mohan Saini is left to outwit the duo and get to the secret that the key and the seal would reveal.  

The killings - all done by inserting a scalpel in the left foot of the victims to cause fatal bleeding - are inspired by the way Krishna Himself is said to have succumbed (he was killed by a hunter's arrow accidentally shot into his foot, in keeping with Gandhari's curse uttered after the war at Kurukshetra had ended). 

Sanghi combines painstaking historical research drawn from various sources, and cleverly intertwined fiction to create an exciting plot that is sure to keep one riveted till the end.  There are twists and turns galore, even as we discover that the surnames of the scientists - Saini, Varshney, Kurkude, Bhojaraj and Chhedi - are the names of the clans under the Yadava lineage that Krishna belonged to, that Taarak Vakil is an anagram of Kalki Avatar, and Sir Khan of Krishna, that the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre resembles a Shivling when viewed from above, that the Kailash mountain is pyramid shaped, and that there is a kalash and a lotus (both Hindu symbols) on the dome of the Taj Mahal.  

Even though the writing is a tad indifferent in the beginning, it gets engaging as the story progresses and hurtles towards the climax.  Sanghi helpfully lists the references from which the factual information is drawn; and it is a comprehensive list comprising books, papers and articles, blogs and websites, and video and audio sources.  These references provide legitimacy to the historical facts presented in the book, in addition to raising the tantalising possibility of the story actually being authentic. 

This work is a triumph of creative storytelling in the background of the rich and untapped classical Indian literature and mythology/history.  And Sanghi deserves full credit for proving that stories based on our scriptures can be as exciting, entertaining and informative as those drawn from other sources; and if this work is anything to go by, probably more so.


Image source: http://img5a.flixcart.com/image/book/6/8/9/the-krishna-key-700x700-imadayvmeqfbbwyg.jpeg

Article on visit to residential unit for homeless

I visited a mental health charity home for the destitute and homeless outside Mysuru.  

Here I share my experiences of working at this place:

http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/india/chittadhama-a-home-for-the-homeless

Yes, we did Suryanamaskar on International Day of Yoga

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name

Jo Bole So Nihaal Sat Sri Akaal

Buddham Sharanam Gachchami

Dhammam Sharanam Gachchami

Sangham Sharanam Gachchami

Jai Jinendra

It is with the sentiments expressed in the prayers above that I set out at 7:30 on the Sunday morning of 21st June 2015 - the first ever International Day of Yoga - to join my yoga group.  A fifty of the group’s members had already congregated and our instructor was putting them through the paces.  

There was another larger group that was assembling not far from our venue, but we had already decided not to join them.  The reason was simple.  They were following the program prescribed by the central government, which did not include the prayers and Suryanamaskar that we normally do along with our daily yoga practice.  

It is not that we wanted to be different from others, but it was a form of a gentle protest against the notion that Suryanamaskar, which is the essential component of daily yoga practice should be excluded just so that religious sentiments of certain bigoted sections of society are not offended.  

So we embarked on our own little civil disobedience movement, and it paid off!  It was heartening to note that there were several new entrants who had joined us to commemorate the day.

Let me put this plainly.  Yoga is a vedic/Hindu/Sanatana Dharmic construct, and there are no two ways about it.  We do invoke the sun god during Suryanamaskar, we do chant Om throughout the course of the practice, we do recite Sanskrit shlokas, and we do meditate at the end to concentrate on the inner self.  

As B K S Iyengar puts it, the principle aim of doing yoga is to progress through the body and mind to reach the realm of our spiritual being.  If this is an advaitic philosophy - that is recognising the inner self as being a part of the cosmic self and trying to merge with it - then yes, yoga is a Hindu practice.  

Having said that, the principles of yoga hold universal relevance.  After all, no matter which faith your adhere to, your body and mind are made of the same matter, and are afflicted by the same maladies.  Besides, even though the external manifestations and rituals of different religions appear to be radically different from each other, at their core, all religions profess the same tenets: humanity, truth, peace and union.  

In that case, nobody should have an objection to the Hindu contents of yoga practice.  It is only the bigoted; those with ulterior motives and closed minds who raise objections.  The needless controversies that broke out just prior to yoga day are reflective of our pseudosecular outlook.

Surely, a religion that advocates oneness of all souls regardless of caste, faith and nationality is secular in its outlook.  If it makes you happy, you are welcome to begin your yoga practice with any of the prayers listed above.    

But for those who continue to live with the notion that their's is the only true faith, the only way to emancipation, and deviating from their path would only beget hell and damnation, yoga will remain an abomination.  As one pastor in the US put it, "yoga is demonic".

However, there is always hope.  Leaving aside the bigoted for a minute, let us also celebrate those with an universal vision.  Somebody like Maryam Asif Siddiqui, the 12 year old girl who gave us one of the greatest examples of brotherhood by winning the Bhagawad Gita recitation contest organised by ISKCON, besides donating the prize money she had won to the prime minister's Swachcha Bharat Abhiyaan.  

The beauty of yoga and the prayers that go along with it is that it wishes everybody well.  Yes, not just Maryam, but also the pastor in US.  Not just those who are our friends, but also those who go against us.  Not just the rich, but also the poor and ostracised.  Not just men and women, but all plants, birds and animals.  

Except for the fact that we did Suryanamaskar, we followed all the other asanas and pranayamas prescribed in the national program.  So we finished the practice with the following sankalpa - a resolution that is again reflective of the principle of oneness:

"I commit, to make myself into a healthy, peaceful, joyful and loving human being.  Through every action of mine, I will strive to create a peaceful and loving atmosphere around me.  I strive to break the limitations of who I am right now and include the entire world as my own.  I recognise the kinship of my own life with every other life.  I recognise the unity of all there is."

Finally I leave you with the prayer that we recite everyday to conclude the day's yoga practice:

Om sarve bhavantu sukhinah

Sarve santu niraamaya

Sarve bhadrani pasyantu

Maa kaschit duhkha bhaagbhavet

Om shanti shanti shanti

May all be happy

May all be free from illness

May all see what is auspicious

May no one suffer

Let there be peace, peace, peace

Visit to Chittadhama - NGO for homeless mentally ill patients

They say everything happens for a reason.  So it seems with my visit to Chittadhama - the rustic haven in Heggadadevanakote (H D Kote, about 50 km from the centre of Mysore).  It is a residential unit set up by a few benevolent doctors for the rehabilitation of homeless people with mental illness.  

I had met one of the senior psychiatrists who visits the place while I was discussing another case with him.  He casually happened to mention about this place and the work that his organisation, Chittaprakasha Charitable Trust, was carrying out.  I was immediately interested in it.  I asked him if I could visit the place with the team.  He kindly agreed.

The visits are usually planned for the fourth Sunday of every month.  I had to wait on Mysore Road at about 6:30 am, as the hired Toyota Innova picked up visitors from various points in Bangalore.  I was the last to be picked up.  The senior doctor I had met earlier introduced me to the other members of the team; there was another senior psychiatrist and an ENT doctor - both worked in a prominent private hospital in Bangalore - and a software engineer who was the Trust's treasurer.  

We were in a hurry to reach the place in time, as it would take up to 4 hours or more to reach H D Kote.  Apart from seeing the residents, outpatients would also have to be assessed.  But we needn't have worried.  Because the driver seemed to be in a greater hurry than any of us.  He expertly tailgated several vehicles, overtook other vehicles by avoiding them by the skin of the teeth, and generally upset the already frayed equilibrium of other road users.  

To make matters worse, it was a very busy Bangalore-Mysore highway that Sunday, and it seemed as though the four lanes were woefully inadequate in accommodating all the buses, cars, two-wheelers, tractors, jaywalkers and animals plying the road.  The driver seemed to be immune to all requests and remonstrances from us to take it easy.  In the end we were just happy that we got to the place and back, all in one piece!

We stopped near Maddur along the way for breakfast.  After a quick bite of idli-vada, washed down with tea, we set off again, and reached the place at about 11 am.  The road in between Mysore and H D Kote was surprisingly well laid out.

A crowd had gathered near the entrance - outpatients who had arrived from nearby villages and tribal areas.  Two members of the ream generously offered to take me around the place before we got down to business.

Chittadhama - literally, Haven of Mind - is set in the rural part of H D Kote is a 4 acre plot of land full of greenery.  In the centre is the single-storey building which houses the inmates.  The keys to the building were handed over by Sudha Murthy of the Infosys Foundation. 

The staff have tended the land and managed to grow a host of useful plants and trees: coconuts, bananas, turmeric, guavas, mangoes and other fruits and vegetables.  The place also has sheds for donated cows and rabbits.  We were offered fresh tender coconut water while we went around.

H D Kote itself is a stone's throw away from Nagarahole National Park, and is known for its elephant training camps.  This is also the reason why I found electric fence all around the Chittadhama periphery - to keep out rogue elephants.

Later, while we were heading back to Bangalore, one of the doctors also said that a snake - most probably a krait - slid past barely a feet away from him.  That is when I realised that I had been lucky not to have run into a snake or an elephant when I had ventured out on my own to take a few pictures later!

I mostly assessed the outpatients.  The residents were seen by one of the senior psychiatrists, to ensure continuity of care.  I was surprised that even among the visiting patients, I got to diagnose a variety of conditions - dementia, anxiety, psychosomatic illnesses and depression - apart from the usual psychosis and schizophrenia that one gets to encounter in these settings.  It was also easy to prescribe medication, since the Trust has also provided for basic supply of essential drugs.  We had the same lunch prepared for the residents - ragi balls, rice, lentils and an egg side-dish - all cooked by the staff from local produce.

There are about 25 residents in the residential unit.  These are people who have been absconding from their homes due to various reasons, but mostly due to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.  One of the enthusiastic staff members, fetched a photo album for me to see.  In it were photographs of residents when they were initially found on the streets in a disheveled state, and later looking very presentable after being properly groomed by the staff.  There were also touching photos of residents reuniting with family members when they were sound enough to tell the staff where they came from, who could then arrange their reunion.
  

In a country where mental health services are underdeveloped and under-resourced, and stigma towards those with mental illness is rife, the pioneering activities of this Trust are truly awe inspiring.

Overall, it was an uplifting experience, and I felt as though I had contributed, however insignificantly, to a noble cause.  I am just grateful to the the founders of the Trust for allowing me to help the homeless mentally ill patients.  I hope I will be able to continue my visits to this ongoing health camp every month in the future.

(PS: I have not included pictures of residents and outpatients to preserve confidentiality) 

Details about the Trust and its activities can be found from their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ChittaprakashaCharitableTrust

Nobody raped Aruna

Finally the ordeal is over.  After 42 years.  Imagine being bed-bound for four decades, your every basic need looked after by others.  That's what Aruna Shanbaug had to go through in the KEM Hospital in Mumbai.   

The man who put her in that position, has led an anonymous existence until now.  It is only after her death that TV news journalists have ferreted out information about his whereabouts.  After this, if news reports are to be believed, he has been dismissed from work.  He is planning to change his place of residence.  

Why did this man - if he is indeed the rapist - see the light of the day?  Why was he not kept in prison forever?  Why was he able to live incognito, as though nothing has happened?  What does one have to do to get timely justice in this land?

TV interviews of people who lived with him, employed him, and were his neighbours all these years, suggest that they did nothing even though they knew who he was.  In fact, one of the women stated in the interview that he was a true 'bhala aadmi' - a good man.  Really?  Then you can keep him, lady.  Just make sure he never gets out.

Sorry Aruna, everybody is in denial.  Apparently he is a very good man.  Incapable of such crime.  We can only conclude that nobody raped you.  It was your fault that you ended up in a vegetative state for all these years.

Nevertheless, kudos, sisters of KEM Hospital for looking after Aruna so well for so long.

RIP Aruna.  You deserve the rest.


Image source: http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/1842560.jpg

Article on Indo-Dutch healthcare partnership

Medical educational article on Indo-Dutch healthcare partnership that was announced in 2015:

http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/india/the-indo-dutch-healthcare-partnership-whats-in-it-for-us