The Oncoming GOLDEN AGE

Picture courtesy: http://www.vibrakeys.com

Third Dimension

The third dimension is where we are existing just now, that is, the earth as well as all the living things dwelling on her. This is called the Physical Dimension or Physical Plane, where every being has a well-defined physical body.

This is also the dimension of Duality. Good-bad; beautiful-ugly; day-night; light-dark; truth-lies; etc; etc; etc. exist on this plane. The positive aspects cannot be recognised without the negative aspects on this dimension. This is also the Karmic Plane.

Fourth Dimension

This is the Astral Plane. This is where the spirits go for rejuvenation after death. There is no physical body as that has already died and only the soul or light body is present on this plane. The soul undergoes a lot of experiences and teachings – all wonderful – as it continues on its journey towards the LIGHT.

Fifth Dimension

This is the Mental Plane. This is where the Earth and all of us are headed towards. This is the plane where we can create anything and everything with our Minds. There is only the state of ONENESS and we will live in absolute joy and harmony. ‘Lack’ will disappear forever.

December 21, 2012

• This is the last date of the Mayan Calendar
• This is also the culmination of the Kali Yuga, a cycle of 5000 odd years
• This is also the end of one large cycle of the four yugas (Sathyuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparayuga & Kaliyuga) consisting of 26,000 years

Beside all these, there is one more importance attached to this date. This is the exact mid-point in the age of the Universe. The Universe has reached its middle age since the Big Bang Effect.

Sri Bhagavan of Oneness University says, “The Neanderthal man could never have imagined life in the 21st century. In the same way, the 21st century man cannot visualise life after December 21, 2012.”

There are a number of angles to this and loads of information on the internet. I prefer to read and believe what resonates with me – gels with my instinct and feelings. I watch videos of Sri Bhagavan and listen to his teachings rather than read what his followers say as these are mostly their personal interpretation of what He says. Then there is www.the2012scenario.com that brings together original articles as well as a number of write-ups from around the internet. These are all positive and hence my favourite.

Sri Bhagavan of Oneness University is the tenth (Kalki) avatar of Lord Vishnu and He has come down to save Mankind from the clutches of Kali just as predicted in Hindu mythology. What proof do I have?

Well, when I first went for a class at the university in 1997, the first thing we were asked to do is ask God for proof that Bhagavan is what He claimed to be. Rameshji, the teacher who conducted the class, insisted that if God is as powerful as we believe He is, He can definitely give us proof that He is what He is. We did not have to believe blindly.

This definitely struck a chord within me as I have never believed in formal prayer. I have always been what one would call a rebel. I have always believed in God but refused to follow any ritual unless I could understand what it was all about. Asking for proof is what I did and I definitely received what I asked for.

Refer link: http://sundarivenkatraman.blogspot.in/search/label/Spirituality

Refer link: http://ascensionmiracles.blogspot.in/

Well, to get back to the subject at hand….

There are different schools of thought about whether the earth is going to the 4th or the 5th dimension on December 21, 2012.

Some claim that we had entered 4th dimension on October 28, 2011 and have faced an extremely turbulent period on our way to the 5th dimension that we enter on December 21, 2012.

There is The 2012 Scenario that goes with the idea that the earth will just move through 4th dimension in a flash before entering the 5th on December, 2012.

The ultimate destination is the 5th dimension, of course. Even if it is the 4th, it is a pure positive place of ONENESS, where Duality will not exist. This is a concept that is very difficult to grasp as we have never ever experienced this in our human state.

I believe this is the first time – an experiment – when beings move into the 5th dimension with their physical bodies. Of course, our bodies have been slowly converting from carbon base to crystal base over the past few years. Each individual’s conversion pace depends on their karmas, diet, spiritual nature, time spent with nature besides other things.

But everyone who is alive at that point in time will definitely transit into the GOLDEN AGE. Can’t wait for it!

Film Review: OMG OH MY GOD!

The film brings forth TRUTH!

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Prabhu Deva, Sonakshi Sinha, Mithun Chakraborty, Govind Namdeo, Mahesh Manjrekar, Om Puri
Director: Umesh Shukla

Well, I am back to the world of blogging after a very long time – a month and a half, actually – and this one is a review of a film that touched my heart. I simply loved OMG that sounds like a clarion call for the advent of THE GOLDEN AGE. Read on to find out more…

THE STORY

Kanjibhai (Paresh Rawal) owns a shop selling idols of Gods of various religions along with other items used in rituals. He is a typical business man who would not think twice about cheating people to make more money. More than that, Kanjibhai does not believe in anything without proof. This includes ‘God’. He opts to remain an atheist as no one is able to produce the proof of the existence of God.

During an earthquake, Kanjibhai’s shop crashes down, breaking all his stock to smithereens. He is set back by more than 40 lakh rupees while he has a loan on his house. The insurance company refuses to pay him any compensation insisting that the earthquake was an act of God and the policy does not cover such a circumstance. Finding himself and his family just one foot away from being left out on the streets, Kanjibhai decides to sue ‘God’.

That’s when Krishna Vasudev Yadav (Akshay Kumar) comes down to earth to help the atheist. Now why would God do such a thing? That’s for you to see the film and find out.

MY PERCEPTION

I simply adored the concept of the film. And it was quite well made. Paresh Rawal has sailed through his role as Kanjibhai. The character is so realistic and truthful and probably brings forth a number of questions that most of us want to ask but dare not do so. Kanjibhai takes a hit at blind faith, rituals that have ceased to be meaningful and the power of God-men. All these have been my personal pet peeves. Is it surprising that I just loved the film?

The film runs for just about 2 hours and has been made quite well. While it’s quite heavy on the dialogue side, there is no other way the director could have got forth what he wants to tell the public. I heard that the film has created a load of controversy in many places. If you see the film, you will not be surprised why that must be so.

Nikhil Ratnaparki deserves a special mention. While he does not have too many dialogues, his expressions say it all. I have seen this actor in many films, but somehow have never been able to find his name in the list of casts in imdb.com and Wikipedia. Surprising!

The film brings to light a number of instances where people have suffered losses without being compensated by their insurance companies. They have no help from any source. These are definitely based on real life situations and move one to tears. A hard-hitting truth!

We have seen Akshay Kumar as a Khiladi and also as a comedian – sometimes stretching into mindless comedy. But in this film, in the avatar of Lord Krishna, the actor is subtle with very little to talk. He is simply amazing and somehow managed to instill God’s faith in the person watching the film.

VERDICT: If you are open to seeing a different point of view that will awaken you to TRUTH, then you should not miss this one. I will go so far as to call this a futuristic film.

RATING: ****Snazzy

*Silly
**Shaky
***Smart
****Snazzy
*****Super

Travel: SARAS BAUG IN PUNE

Saras Baug Ganesha! Ganpati Bappa Morya!

After we got off at the last stop in Pune, Vini and I took a rickshaw to Saras Baug near Swargate. This is supposedly one km from Deccan. I am not quite sure what this means, but I am sure the information will help someone making a trip to Pune. If you check on Google for Pune sightseeing, Saras Baug is one of the places that come up a lot on the first page.

Various sections of the garden

We arrived at the gates to be greeted by a ‘mela’ atmosphere. I understand that it is a regular thing there. There were mobile merry-go-rounds; a guy making cotton candy; a number of food stalls and of course a couple of shops selling flowers and ‘thalis’ to offer Lord Ganpati who is the centre of attraction in this garden.

Lily Pond with lots of fish

The whole garden is quite big with a lot of trees and stretches of grass – simply beautiful! There is a pond in the form of a moat that surrounds the hillock where the temple is. The sad thing is that the pond is quite dirty while being full of lotuses and lilies. There were a lot of fish – all of them grey or black in colour. I could not help comparing it to the pond that I saw at the aquarium in Langkawi, Malaysia. That was so clean with a number of colourful fish in it. But they probably spent a lot of money to maintain that one while the local pond just managed to survive by itself, I am sure.

The black bird's antics in the water. Don't miss it taking off in the third picture

A small black bird – maybe a duck as it kept swimming inside the water – entertained us with its many antics. It moved stealthily underwater looking for fish. It kept bobbing its head up and looked pretty cute. Suddenly it flew out of the water with a small fish in its beak and managed to swallow it at one go. Awesome show!

The entrance to the temple

A set of staircase goes up to the temple. You are warned to hold your breath tight while climbing these. This is because of the stench caused by bird droppings. I know all about those who want to yell that one should not criticise temples. Well, I am not criticising the God, only the way the place has been maintained.

I believe the temple is very old and is open all seven days of the week – from 5 am to 12.30 pm & later from 4 to 9 pm. The place was quite crowded on the Sunday I visited. The temple looks prosperous, so why doesn’t someone maintain the surroundings? I am sure Lord Ganpati with his long nose must be quite disgusted with the smell.

Inside the temple

In the meanwhile, one of the devotees who was praying hard – I saw his lips moving continuously – and circumambulating the Lord made it a point to stop me – not once, but thrice – from taking pictures. He was very clear about this rule and kept pointing out a notice board to me. I could only see one which showed a picture of a red slash over a mobile phone, nothing about cameras. I waited for him to leave before taking my pictures. The Panditji and two workers near the sanctorum did not have any objections to my using the camera. Our country will make for a better democracy without these moral police, I am sure.

The outer Prakaar

Lord Ganesha in the main sanctorum was made of marble with a golden crown. His trunk is curled to the right same as at the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai. This is not the most common form, I believe. We had a wonderful darshan despite the crowd and I could go around the sanctorum for three rounds.

I could not get any literature on the temple as the office was closed being a Sunday. The Panditji was helpful enough to give me info on the timings as he told me that it was a very old temple. The outer praakar was quite big and neat and was in an oasis with so many tall trees surrounding the area. It was very peaceful just walking in that area.

Rangoli at the temple

Some people were making a beautiful Rangoli on one side with the forthcoming Independence Day as the central theme.

There is a small room that has been converted into a museum that held a few shelves full of Lord Ganesha’s statuettes. I just had a look from the outside as there did not appear much to see. One is allowed inside for a charge of Rs. 5.

After spending some time in the temple, Vinitha and I went down the staircase to reach the ground where we went in search of a toilet. There was one at the left corner of the garden. While the doors had no handles and there were no lights, the toilets were very clean and there was water. It was worth paying Rs. 3 per person for using it.

It had taken us a little more than an hour to see Saras Baug and visit the temple. We came out and decided to try out the food stalls right at the entrance. These were but shop space with tables and chairs placed on the platform in the front. A plastic awning covered the whole area as it was the rainy season, I presume. It kept drizzling intermittently and the weather was just perfect for a holiday.

As you can see, all the stalls are named Kalpana - serving chaat, pav-bhaji, juices, etc

We had a bhel puri and a cheese pav-bhaji between the two of us washed down by Musambi juice. I finished it off with an ice-cream while Vini had a mango milkshake. Not too bad for a road-side stall and the bill was quite reasonable at Rs. 275 with a few extra pavs thrown in.

We saw another customer with a Labrador pup and could not help petting the little one. I believe Bozo was just one month old and he was so sleepy. Not that it stopped us from cuddling him. He was so cute!

With Bozo

As it started to rain heavily, a rickshaw cruised along to where we were sitting and the driver agreed to take us to Koregaon Park, that too with the meter on. Not a bad deal, I thought!

Travel: A DAY TRIP TO PUNE

The Volvo that brought us home from Pune

Vinitha and I had been planning a day trip to Pune since three months and were just looking for the right time to go. I had done a bit of research on the net as to the places to see in Pune and both of us also consulted a couple of friends who are familiar with the city.

Last Sunday worked out for both of us and we left in the morning by Neeta Volvo. Luckily for us, we just had to cross the highway to the other side to catch the bus. I believe Neeta Travels has a bus leaving for Pune every hour. We missed the 7.15 am bus by five minutes and they let us take the next bus which arrived at 8 am. A one-way ticket to Pune by this limousine costed Rs. 300.

Entrance to Saras Baug, Pune

The journey lasted for about three and a half hours with one stop at Lonavla for breakfast. The route is pretty scenic and as the weather was simply gorgeous with mild rains, we had a beautiful onward journey. Of course, the two of us spent a large part of it sleeping was another matter altogether.

I was wide awake about an hour before we reached Pune and was quite thrilled to see the greenery and some waterfalls – there weren’t many as the rains have not been grea so far this year.

Temple of Lord Ganesha at Saras Baug, Pune

We reached Pune a little after 11 am and got off at the last stop. The bus driver told us it was the closest point to Swargate. We took a rickshaw from there to Saras Baug. The rickshawala refused to switch the meter on as it was Sunday – that’s what he claimed – and charged us Rs. 100 for the ride. All the rickshawalas in the area then – must have been half a dozen – appeared to be in cahoots. We did not want to hang around bargaining and left by one of them. Considering the distance travelled, I guess it must cost 40-50 rupees under normal circumstances.

Lane 1, Koregaon Park, Pune

We had a super day beginning with a darshan of Lord Ganpati at Saras Baug, a walk around the garden itself, lunch at the café outside, a ride through Pune Cantonment – an amazingly beautiful and peaceful area – by rickshaw and a visit to Koregaon Park.

At Koregaon Park, we spent some time shopping for shawls and costume jewellery. Then we went to the CCD there to escape the rains and spent some time there. Vinitha was quite upset that the German Bakery that had closed down after the bombings has never opened its doors again. We enquired about the meditation retreats at Osho Ashram, walked through the peaceful lane adjacent to it (Lane 1 of Koregaon Park) and checked out Hotel Sunderban for a future stay.

Hotel Sunderban, Koregaon Park, Pune

Vini remembered having stayed at a low key hotel around the corner and we went in search of it. We found South Court, a lovely old mansion tucked away in the left corner of the same lane. It was under renovation and had a lovely olde worlde feel about it. We could not check out the rooms as they were all occupied.

We returned to Hotel Sunderban and visited the spa there for a foot massage. Finally, we had a yummy dinner at Dario’s Restaurant and Bar – the Italian restaurant at the same hotel before leaving to catch the return bus from near Pune station.

South Court, Koregaon Park, Pune

A rickshaw dropped us at the Neeta Travels outlet and we had once again missed the 7.30 pm bus that we were booked on. Both of us were not too worried as the travel agent in Mumbai had told us very clearly that we could always catch the next one as there were many buses going to and from Pune. I believe the number of services on a Sunday were more than the other six days of the week.

Dinner at Dario's Restaurant & Bar, Hotel Sunderban, Pune

We had to wait for almost an hour while we were carted to another point at BC Coco RTO petrol pump to catch the bus. Our Volvo finally left at 8.55 pm and after a stop at Lonavla, we reached Sion at 12 midnight. We were lucky to be dropped right outside our lane and got home in barely three minutes.

What a super day!

Recipe: TOMATO ONION CHUTNEY

I have tried a couple of versions of this chutney before on hearing of it from many different sources. Finally, I have come up with my own quick and sure fire method and the result is simply delicious.

Ingredients:

Tomato – 4 (large; cut into big pieces)
Onions – 6 (large; cut into big pieces)
Tamarind – 2 small strips
Red Chillies – 8-10 (depending on how spicy you like your chutney)
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Roasted Methi Powder – ½ tsp
Til Oil – 4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Run the tomato and onion pieces in a mixer along with the tamarind strips, red chillies and salt.
2. Take a non-stick pan and heat the oil in it.
3. Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil and when they crackle, add the methi powder to it.
4. Then pour the ground mixture into it immediately after.
5. Add some salt, mix well and allow it to cook on a medium flame, covering the saucepan with a lid.
6. Keep the lid on while stirring from time to time as the simmering chutney tends to splatter.
7. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the chutney reaches a thick consistency.

The yummy chutney can be had with idli, dosa, roti, puri or paratha as you please. It lasts for about 24 hours when stored outside. It can be refrigerated for upto 4 days.

Food Review: ONLY PARATHAS @ KING’S CIRCLE

Only Parathas @ King's Circle

Despite not having had a great experience at the Khar outlet of Only Parathas, I went to their branch at Matunga along with Venkat and Vinitha as her friend had recommended it highly. Read on to find out what I thought about Only Parathas @ King’s Circle.

I have to mention here that the same premises used to house New Yorker @ Matunga a little more than a year ago.

Venkat looking kind of baffled at the paratha that had come highly recommended

The ambience was good and the restaurant was fairly crowded at 9.45 pm when we reached there. It was later that we realised that this was probably more because Matunga has very few restaurants open after 10 pm than because the food was great.

The menu has a humongous range of parathas besides other dishes such as snack items; rice items and more. We can choose the combinations of ingredients that go into the parathas in a style similar to that of choosing pizza toppings. So far, so good!

Paratha with gobi, cheese, etc filling

The waiter recommended a paratha with gobi filling along with cheese and one more item, I fail to recall. It was served hot along with a helping of raita, rajma and chole. It was the most horrible paratha that I have ever tasted in my life. To begin with, it was badly cooked. A paratha should be crisp, flaky and melt-in-the-mouth. This was like chewing on a piece of rubber. The filling was just ‘okay’.

The one with peas, onions & cheese filling

Before this paratha came to our table, I had already placed an order for another paratha with peas, onions and cheese filling. This paratha filling was slightly better than the first one while it was as badly cooked as the first one.

Vegetable Biryani

The raita that came along was very good while the chole and rajma were extremely mediocre.

Finally, we decided to have a vegetable biryani. This was not as bad as the parathas but I have tasted way better.

Part of the decor

All in all, a THUMBS DOWN for the eating experience at Only Parathas @ King’s Circle – a total disappointment.

Address: Shop No 471, Radha Bhavan, Adenwala Road, Kings Circle, Matunga, Mumbai
Phone: 65758118 / 65758228

I recovered from the trauma by making my own paneer-gobi parathas at home the very next evening.

Click here to read the food review of Only Parathas @ Khar (West).

Recipe: ARISI UPMA (அரிசி உப்பூமா)

I never used to like Arisi Upma much when my mother used to make it at home. I realise that as I get older, I enjoy the traditional recipes of my home town more and have learned to appreciate them over the years. I recently made Arisi Upma for my family and it was an instant hit.

Ingredients:

Rice (ஆரிசி) – 1 cup
Tur Dal (துவாரம் பருப்பு) – ½ cup
Water – 3 cups
Green Chillies (பச்சை மிளகாய்) – 2 (cut in twos)
Red Chillies (வெத்த மிளகாய்) – 2 (cut in twos)
Curry leaves (கருவேப்பிலை) – A few
Mustard Seeds (கடுகு) – 1 tsp
Channa Dal (கடலை பருப்பு) – 1 tbsp
Urad Dal (உளுத்தம் பருப்பு) – 1 tbsp
Asafoetida (பெருங்காயம்) – ¼ tsp
Grated Coconut (துருவிய தேங்காய்) – 3 tbsp
Oil – 3 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Coarse grind the tur dal and rice to the texture of rava. (Run the dal separately first before adding the rice to it as the former takes longer to grind).
2. Heat a saucepan and add the oil to it. When hot, crackle the mustard seeds in it. As they are crackling, add the channa dal and urad dal to the oil. Keep the gas on medium flame.
3. As the dals turn red, add both the chillies and curry leaves and stir well.
4. Add the asafoetida at this point and stir.
5. Now add the grated coconut and turn once before adding the water. Keep the flame high.
6. Add salt to the mixture.
7. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the flame and add the dry rice-dal powder.
8. Mix well and switch the gas off.
9. Pour the whole mixture in a vessel and add ghee to it and mix well.
10. Place it in a pressure cooker and cook it for three whistles. Alternately, if you have an electric cooker, you can cook it in that for about 15 minutes.

The yummy Arisi Upma is ready to eat now. Arisi Upma tastes great whether hot or cold. Katharikkaai Gothsu compliments this dish perfectly.