Kannada Medium

1st November is the day of Kannada Rajyotsava and today (30th Nov) happens to be the last day of the Kannada month.  This blog of mine on this occasion is deliberately written in English.  There is need to spread the fragrance of Kannada and its culture to the millions of non-kannadigas who are living inside and outside Karnataka.

Quotation in Kannada in the above pic claims that Kannadigas, even without formal education are capable of writing epics!  The quotation is an extract from the first ever known book in Kannada, 'Kavirajamarga'  written by the Rashtrakuta King Amoghavarsha around 850 C.E. A number of live examples of great personalities around proves that there is no exaggeration in the statement. 

Dada Palke award winner, Padmabhushana Dr. Rajkumar (left in Pic) is a veteran Kannada film actor.  Each of his 200 films is no less than an epic.  He studied up to only 3rd standard in formal schools.

Padmasri winner Salumarada Thimmakka (middle in the pic) never went to Schools. She never had children.  But single handedly she has brought up 384 trees, along 4-kms stretch of a state highway! Probably her effort is the greatest message for preserving environment.

Padmasri winner Sulagitti Narasamma (right in the pic) too was from humble backgrounds.  She was a self-appointed midwife who has successfully performed over 15000 child deliveries in rural areas without charging any fees.  She had the expertise in identifying proper location of head and limbs of the child inside the woomb!

Karnataka is the home of 4 Bharat Ratnas.  C.V.Raman (extreme right), the Physicist was also a Nobel award winner.  Sir M.Visvesvaraiah (second from right) was a great Engineer.  Pandith Bhimsen Joshi (extreme left) is the uncrowned King of Hindustani vocal music.  Many are surprised that our great scientist C.N.R.Rao is not yet awarded a Nobel.

Karnataka undoubtedly, is the most musical state in India.  It is the only state where both the systems of Indian classical music, Hindustani and Carnatic are alive and thriving. 

Moreover Sugama Sangeeta, the system of composing and singing poems written by great poets has the deepest roots in Karnataka.  Sugama sangeeta singers like C.Aswath (right in pic above) are household names in Karnataka, although they are not film singers! Not many Indian States have such distinction.

Karnataka is also known for its rich literature.  Leaving Hindi, Kannada is the language which has produced highest number of Gnanapeeta award winners (see Pic above).

Karnataka is one of the great tourist destinations in India. Aihole temple in Bagalkot district (top row, extreme right) built around 500 C.E. is probably one of the earliest stone arts for the whole of India! 

Rev. Kittel (top left) was a German priest.  He was the first person to write a Kannada-English dictionary during 1894. Another German,  Krumbigal (inset right) was the Botanist who developed our Lalbagh under Mysuru Kings. Services of Dr. MccGann in interiors of Shivamogga District is honoured by naming the District Hospital after him.

Karnataka's contribution to the world of sports is also immense.  Karnataka cricketers are well known.  Prakash Padukone (right below) was the first Indian to win All England Open Badminton and was also rated world No. 1 during 1980. Pankaj Advani (top left) is 23 times Billiords world champion! 

Karnataka is the motherland of IT and BT giants. Bengaluru is now the home for millions of IT-BT professionals from all over the country!

While Karnataka is thriving, Kannada is languishing behind. Kannada has almost vanished from its capital, Bengaluru.  While outsiders are not interested in learning or speaking Kannada, natives too are equally disinterested.  For senior natives like me it is disgusting to see young children speaking, playing and even quarreling in English! It seems that after another 2-3 decades, Kannada is bound to become extinct in Karnataka.  This is also the sad story of all other regional languages of India.  But who is caring?

Parents can't be blamed for putting their children into English medium schools.  Their main concern is to make their children employable! Till last year in almost all rural Government Kannada Schools, students strength was poor and were facing closure.  This year Karnataka Government has introduced English Medium from 1st standard in about 1000 Government schools, at the rate of 1 school each in a hobli (sub-taluka)! This has proved a magical step.  There is huge rush for admissions in such Goverment Schools.  Parents are even taking away their children from Private English schools. 

Then how Kannada should thrive?  Fighting for Kannada medium in all Schools and Colleges is bound to be resisted by parents and administrators.  Courts too are inclined to reject such petitions. The best way is to make Kannada a compulsory subject in all classes till Graduation.  Parents and students are unlikely to oppose such a proposal.  Central Government can take initiative to implement such bold measure in all States, so that the cause of all regional languages gains strength. Of course, this is my view.  I welcome alternative views from my friends.

Before concluding I would like to place before you one question.  WHO IS THE SHRESHTA (greatest) KANNADIGA OF ALL TIMES? I am sure you people will flood me with right answers!

Long live Kannada!

Long Live All Indian Languages!!

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ಕಲಿ ಮಗಳೆ ನೀನು

ಕಲಿ ಮಗಳೆ ನೀನು 

ಕಲಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ ನಾನು, ಕಲಿ ಮಗಳೆ ನೀನು 

ಶೋಷಿತಳು ನಾನು, ಸುಶಿಕ್ಷತಳಾಗು ನೀನು 

ನಿರಾಶ್ರಿತಳು ನಾನು, ನನ್ನಾಶಾಕಿರಣ ನೀನು 

ಬೀದಿ ಬದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು, ಬಾನೆತ್ತರಕೇರು ನೀನು 

ಕೈಗೂಡಲಿ ತಾಯ ಹರಕೆ, ಈಡೇರಲಿ ನಿನ್ನ ಬಯಕೆ 

Travel lessons from US

America, the land of opportunities holds an unique attraction for people all over the world.  The dream of every travel loving person is to visit US, at least once. In this context, I take the pleasure of sharing with you a few lessons I learnt from our recent tour of US.

How to plan a cheaper tour?
The most preferred option for seniors for a comfortable tour is to choose one of the well known Indian tourist operators.  We travelled with one such operator, who provided us a total solution and our experience was good.  But the cost involved was quite high. The cost was about USD 600 per day (Rs.42,000) for 2 persons.  This was excluding onward and return journey fares, as we travelled on our own ahead of the tour party.

Moreover tourist operators are likely to postpone booked tours for want of enough number of bookings and this causes great inconvenience to working/business professionals.  This also may result in escalated cost.

There are a few well known local tourist operators in US who offer short and long trips covering entire US.  They will pick you only from local centers in US. We travelled with one such operator called 'TakeTours.com' on a 2-day trip to Boston. Know more by visiting their site. Also the cost quoted in their site is only the basic cost and other charges are collected separately while travelling. The experience was equally good, excepting that we had to do some compromise on food. The cost involved was about  USD 400 per day (Rs.28,000) for 2 persons. This option is very good for those who go and stay with their friends/relatives/children. Choosing this option is bound to please hosts by providing them the much needed relief! And your coverage of tour will become more detailed and comfortable.

One can also explore cheaper stays at US,  through a well known operator called 'airbnb.com'.

Obtaining US-Visa:
One can apply online on their own or apply through the chosen tourist operator/Visa-agent. Ensure that visa application is filled only as per facts and keep ready all supporting documents.  Confidently face the visa-interview and answers should be based only on facts and nothing else.  In all probability visa will be granted.

It is better to obtain US-visa at least 3 months ahead of your tour.  This will help exploring cheaper air-fare during travel.  Booking air-tickets with a few days left for travel will prove very very costly! Even tourist operators cleverly de-link themselves from such late booking costs.

Those who are likely to visit Niagara falls, should also obtain 

Canada-visa before leaving India.  Niagara visit is incomplete without viewing from Canada-side. Canada-side is only a few Kms away from US-side of Niagara.

Which period to chose?
May to September period is considered good for US-travel.  One should also try to avoid local school/college holiday period, to avoid rush at tourist locations. It is always better to check from US-friends.

How much money to take?

If you are travelling with a tourist-operator, about USD 50 per day for 2 persons is more than enough. If you are travelling on your own, you may have to carry about USD 500 per one travelling day for 2 persons. In both the cases it is assumed that you are clever enough not to make any costly purchases. Whatever money you may carry, take it in the form of multi-currency-travel-cards and cash in the ratio of 3:1. Card alone may not work always.

Ensure that you obtain adequate Travel Insurance before leaving India.  God forbid, if something happens, medical treatment is bound to cost heavily for tourists.  Fortunately cost of travel of insurance is not more than a few thousands.  Moreover if you are going through a tourist operator, ensure that they have covered your travel insurance.

If you are travelling on your own, taxi travel becomes inevitable.  Ensure that you have downloaded Uber app and the same is linked to one of your debit/credit cards. Many of the Uber-taxi operators in US will not accept cash! 

Every tourist, young or old must always carry with him/her enough cash, a live-mobile and a copy of his passport-visa.  Moreover it is very important to hand-hold elders and children! 

How much luggage?
Carry luggage within permitted limits of air travel (generally 23 kgs check-in and 7 kgs of cabin baggage per person).  Also check whether you are physically strong enough to carry your luggage because in US, coolies are not available.  Moreover in US-airports luggage-trolleys are not freely available!

Essentials like your daily tablets should be carried in two different packets stored in two different suit-cases. Better to carry  spare spectacles too. Fix a 'place for each item and keep every item in its place', in order to avoid irritation and anxiety while searching.

While all sharp items like scissors and razors should be kept in check-in luggage, power-bank must be carried in cabin-baggage only.

Is America different from India?
America is 3-times bigger than India by land.  But its population is just 32 crores when compared to India's 130 crores! Moreover it is a rich country with GDP, 6-times greater than India's. 

Most of the residential colonies are away from the cities.  Such colonies are the ideal locations of tranquility.  Roads are broad, long and well laid with green trees on either sides. An average plot with a single house measures about 1-2 acres.  

Americans concern for preserving nature too is exemplary.  We
visited one such location called 'Dukes Park' in New Jersey.  It's

a 3000-acre park developed and maintained by a philanthropist by name J.B.Duke.  It's a peaceful homeland for thousands of species of flora and fauna. Entry for visitors is free.

New York, America's biggest city with a composite-population of about 2 crores is a packed city almost like our Mumbai. Traffic-jams are as bad as any other Indian city here.  Moreover 

New York too is facing uphill task of managing its huge pile of garbage! 

Roads linking various cities of US are not great.  They too are 

congested with dense traffic.  Pot-holes and road-patches are not uncommon here. A passenger bus in US can cover about 70-80 Kms per hour.  We can proudly say that our Indian 6-lane highways are equally good, if not better than America's!

Dollar Vs Rupee!
No doubt, USD is much stronger than Indian Rupee!  The average per-capital income of an average American is about USD 60,000 and he spends about a third of his income on housing.

Compare this to an average Indian, whose per-capita income is about USD 2000.  But he spends only about a tenth of his income on housing.  May be the quality of housing may not be comparable.  But it proves a point that Indian Rupee is much stronger when measured in terms of Purchase-Power-Parity (PPP). A cup of coffee costs about USD 5 in US, whereas even for Rs.10 one can get a good cup of coffee in India!

Last but not the least America is a multi-ethnic and multi-racial country.  Over centuries it has gracefully accommodated

people migrating from all parts of the world including India.  It's a perfect example of people living in harmony.  Any tourist visiting US, while walking on a road,  is bound to be pleasantly surprised by the warmth of a 'nice hello' from a stranger-American! They are friendly and helpful people too. Moreover what makes USA great is its sense of discipline, law and order compliance among its people.

Long live America

Long live India

Long live Indo-American friendship!

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ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ- ಏಕತೆ - ಸಂವಾದ

ಅಮೇರಿಕದ ಲಿಬರ್ಟಿ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಯ ದೇವಿ

ಭಾರತದ ಯುನಿಟಿ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಯ ಪಟೇಲರನ್ನು ಭೇಟಿಯಾದಾಗ ಏನು ಹೇಳಿದಳು.............?

ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ದೇವಿಯು ನಾನು

ಏಕತೆಯ ಪ್ರತೀಕ ನೀನು

ಹಡ್ಸನ್ ನದಿಯ ವಿಹಾರಿ ನಾನು

ನರ್ಮದೆಯಲಿ ಮಿಂದೆದ್ದ ಧೀರ ನೀನು

ಮಿತ್ರರ ಬಳುವಳಿ ನಾನು

ಬೆವರ ಗಳಿಕೆಯು ನೀನು

ಮನುಕುಲ ಕಾಣದ ದೇವತೆ ನಾನು

ಮನುಕುಲ ಕಂಡ ಅಪ್ರತಿಮ ವೀರನು ನೀನು

ಗಳಿಸಿರುವೆ ನಾನೀಗ ಭಾರಿ ಹಣಬಲ

ತಿಳಿಸಿರುವೆ ನೀನೀಗ ಜನಬಲದ ಹಂಬಲ

ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಯಪ  ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ನಾನು

ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ಕಾವ ಏಕತೆಯು ನೀನು

ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯಕೆ ಸಾಕಂತೆ ಒಪ್ಪಟ್ಟು ಸಮರ 

ಏಕತೆಗೆ ಬೇಕಂತೆ ದುಪ್ಪಟ್ಟು ಎತ್ತರ

ದೊರಯಲಿ ಮನುಕುಲಕೆ ಶಾಂತಿಯು ಸರಸರ

(ರಚನೆ : ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀನಾರಾಯಣ ಕೆ. )

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                                                                                                                                                    ( ಪು. ತಿ .ನೋ.) 

ಗಮನಿಸಿ :

ಕಳೆದ ತಿಂಗಳು ನಾನು 'ಸ್ಟಾಟ್ಯೂ ಅಫ್ ಲಿಬರ್ಟಿ'ಯನ್ನು ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಮೇಲಿನ ಕವಿತೆಯನ್ನು ರಚಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. 

೧.  'ಸ್ಟಾಟ್ಯೂ ಅಫ್ ಲಿಬರ್ಟಿ' ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯದ ಪ್ರತೀಕ .  ಅದು ಅಮೆರಿಕಾದ ನ್ಯೂಯೋರ್ಕ್ ಸಮೀಪದ ಹಡ್ಸನ್ ನದಿಯ ದ್ವೀಪದಲ್ಲಿದೆ.   ಆ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ ರೋಮನ್ ದೇವತೆಯೊಬ್ಬಳದು ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಲಾಗಿದೆ. 

೨. ಪಟೇಲರ  'ಸ್ಟಾಟ್ಯೂ ಆಫ್ ಯುನಿಟಿ' ಏಕತೆಯ ಪ್ರತೀಕ.  ಅದು ಗುಜರಾತನ ನರ್ಮದಾ ನದಿಯ ಮೇಲಿದೆ. 

೩. ಸ್ಟಾಟ್ಯೂ ಅಫ್ ಲಿಬರ್ಟಿ ಫ್ರಾನ್ಸನ ಜನರು ಅಮೆರಿಕಾಗೆ ನೀಡಿದ ಬಳುವಳಿ. 

೪. ಸ್ಟಾಟ್ಯೂ ಆಫ್ ಯುನಿಟಿ (೧೮೨ ಮೀ.),  ಸ್ಟಾಟ್ಯೂ ಅಫ್ ಲಿಬರ್ಟಿ ( ೯೩ ಮೀ.)ಗಿಂತ ಎರಡು ಪಟ್ಟು ಎತ್ತರವಿದೆ. 

೫. 'ಒಂದು + ಪಟ್ಟು = ಒಪ್ಪಟ್ಟು' ಎಂದು ಬಳಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. 

೬. ಬರುವ ಅಕ್ಟೋಬರ್ ೩೧ರಂದು ಪಟೇಲರ ಜನುಮ ದಿನ.  ಪಟೇಲರ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ ಲೋಕಾರ್ಪಣೆಗೊಂಡ ಮೊದಲ ವಾರ್ಷಿಕೋತ್ಸವವು ಅಂದೇ. ನನ್ನ  ಕವಿತೆಯನ್ನು ಆ ದಿನ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿ ಎಂದು ಈ ಮೂಲಕ ಕೋರುತ್ತೇನೆ.  

From:
Lakshminarayana K
104, 2nd Main
Shreyas Colony
J.P. Nagar 7th Phase
Bengaluru - 560 078

Mobile & Whatsapp: 98455 62603
e mail: klakshminarayana1956@rediffmail.com

Blog Link: https://blogbuster-lakshminarayana-k.blogspot.com/2019/10/blog-post_28.html

जब आज़ादी मिले एकता से। .......

मैं आज़ादी की देवी,

तुम एकता के वीर |

मैं हडसन नदी की विहारी,

तुम नर्मदा से उभरे धीर |

मैं बानी मित्रों के तोहफ़े से 

तुम खून-पसीने का फल |

अब मैं पायी हूँ अपार धन-बल,

तुझमे है भरपूर जन-बल |

मैं हूँ देवी अगोचर,

तुम हो सच्चे वीर |

संधर्ष से मिले आज़ादी,

एकता से मजबूती |

हाथ उठा के छुई मैंने आज़ादी,

खड़े-खड़े तुझमे जमी एकता |

तेरी एकता से मिले मेरी आज़ादी,

लाये विश्व में अमन-शांति |

(कवी - लक्ष्मीनारायणा के.)

                                                                                            (PTO)




Notes:

1. I wrote this poem originally in Kannada (my mother tongue), 
    when I visited Statue of Liberty at USA during  last month.  
   Now I have translated the poem into Hindi.

   The poem is written as what the Goddess of Statue of Liberty
    said to Sardar Patelji of Statue of Unity, when the two met.

2.Statue of Liberty symbolizes 'liberty'. It is said to be statue of  

    a Roman Goddess. It is on Hudson river of New York, USA.

3. Statue of Unity symbolizes 'unity'.  It is the statue of Sardar 

    Patelji.  It is on Narmada river at Gujarat, India.

4. Statue of Unity (182 m) is two times taller than Statue of Liberty      (93 m).

5. Statue of Liberty was gifted by French people to USA.

6. America symbolized by Statue of Liberty, is now a rich 
    nation.  India's strength lies in its people.

7. I appeal to all concerned to give this poem a wide  
    publicity during 31st Oct 2019, which is the birth-
   anniversary of Sardar Patelji.  It's also the first 
   anniversary day of dedication of the statue to the 
   nation.

From:
Lakshminarayana K
104, 2nd Main
Shreyas Colony
J.P. Nagar 7th Phase
Bengaluru - 560 078

Mobile & Whatsapp: 98455 62603
e mail: klakshminarayana1956@rediffmail.com
Blog Link: https://blogbuster-lakshminarayana-k.blogspot.com/2019/10/blog-post.html

Our America Tour - Part II

From Washington D.C., we traveled by bus for about five hours to reach New York.

New York, better known as the 'city of skyscrapers', is the largest city in US, with a population of more than 8 million. This city is said to be the financial, cultural and media capital of the world.

Statue of Liberty which symbolizes the spirit of liberty of America is the greatest icon of New York.  The 302 feet statue made of copper and bronze was presented by the people of France to America during 1883. Our Patel's statue of unity on Narmada river stands 582 feet and is about two times taller, probably highlighting that it needs greater effort to attain 'unity' when compared to 'liberty'!

One World Trade Center (Pic above), another icon of New York was constructed as a substitute for twin towers of World Trade Center destroyed by the deadly terror attack of  9/11, 2001.  At the bottom of this 104-floor tower is the site of fallen twin towers, now left vacant as twin memorial for the 9/11 victims, designed in the form of special fountains (see pic below).

We were taken in special lifts of 'One World Trade Center' to the 102nd floor in just 50 seconds, from where we could enjoy the panoramic view of the New York City. Adjacent to the memorial is the 9/11 museum which displays objects, pictures and videos connected with the tragedy.

We also went round New York witnessing great land mark buildings like UNO-Head Quarters, Rockfeller Center and Times Square (Pic above) which is an important commercial intersection. 

All our tour-mates were now eagerly looking forward to witness the most famous water-falls of the world, the Niagara.

What makes Niagara unique is its huge volume of falling water which is perennial throughout the year.  Niagara is a group of three water falls which marks the boundary between USA and Canada. Moreover the length of all the three falls of Niagara which exceeds 1.2 kms, adds to its beauty. Surprisingly the source of water for Niagara falls is a huge lake called 'Erie'!  Americans are experts in branding their icons.  Multi-colored illumination (see left pic above) and exciting fire-works during nights are great tourist attractions.  Cruise ride took us closer to the water-falls which was a thrilling experience.

Our own Jog falls of Karnataka (middle pic above) is second to none in its glory, especially during its peak season (Aug-Sep). Niagara does not have the glory of 'flora and fauna' like our Jog falls. It has a great height of 830 feet (Niagara height is only 165 feet), but its length is less when compared to Niagara.  It may not be difficult to make this water-falls a perennial one by recycling water.  Further branding efforts like illumination, fire-works, water sports and cruise ride can certainly lift its glory.  It is an ideal location for arranging for 'sky-walk' by installing a glass-bridge across. But will our leaders bother to do all these?

Touring Washington, New York and Niagara ended our east-coast tour of US.  Now it was time to reach the west-coast.  From Buffalo-Niagara we had to travel 6-hours by flight to reach San Franscisco!

San Francisco is the highest rated American city on 'world liveability rankings'! Golden Gate Bridge across the Pacific ocean (1st pic to left above) is a great tourist attraction.

Why is Las Vegas called the Sin City?  This city is the center for numerous forms of adult entertainment! Las Vegas is famous for its luxurious casino-hotels.  Las Vegas by night attains its full bloom and we had the opportunity to witness it by walk, bus-travel and a helicopter-ride. This city which never sleeps is ideal for revelers and gamblers.

Grand Canyon (Pic above), one of the seven wonders of the natural world,  is about 3 hours bus-drive from Las Vegas.  Grand Canyon is a steep valley carved by Colorado river. Grand Canyon is 446 kms long, 29 kms wide and about 2 kms in depth! The highlight of our visit was the 'sky-walk' on a cantilever glass-bridge erected above a valley of about 5000 feet depth!

The last leg of our US tour was the city of Los Angeles. The home of Hollywood, Los Angeles is also known as the 'movie-capital of the world'. We visited the Hollywood Boulevard which hosts the Oscar presentation ceremony every year.  This iconic  

building also displays celebrities signature, hand and foot-prints (see pic above showing Marilyn Monroe's). 

A visit to Universal studios was the highlight of our Los Angeles tour.  A simulated show of our interaction with Harry Potter story events was a terrifying experience. 

Last but not the least (see pic above), we are thankful to our tour guides and captains (that is how bus-drivers are respected in US) who provided us an excellent support by coordinating the various events and requirements.

Thanks for reading both parts of 'Our Ameria Tour' blog.  Please send your comments and observations by uploading below or by sending whatsapp/e-mail messages.  (e-mail id: klakshminarayana1956@rediffmail.com
Whats App No. 98455 62603)

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My poem written on the occasion of my visit to STATUE OF LIBERTY on 14th Sep 2019.

ಅಮೇರಿಕದ ಲಿಬರ್ಟಿ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಯ ದೇವಿ

ಭಾರತದ ಯುನಿಟಿ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಯ ಪಟೇಲರನ್ನು ಭೇಟಿಯಾದಾಗ ಏನು ಹೇಳಿದಳು.............?

ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ದೇವಿಯು ನಾನು

ಏಕತೆಯ ಪ್ರತೀಕ ನೀನು

ಹಡ್ಸನ್ ನದಿಯ ವಿಹಾರಿ ನಾನು

ನರ್ಮದೆಯಲಿ ಮಿಂದೆದ್ದ ಧೀರ ನೀನು

ಮಿತ್ರರ ಬಳುವಳಿ ನಾನು

ಬೆವರ ಗಳಿಕೆಯು ನೀನು

ಮನುಕುಲ ಕಾಣದ ದೇವತೆ ನಾನು

ಮನುಕುಲ ಕಂಡ ಅಪ್ರತಿಮ ವೀರನು ನೀನು

ಗಳಿಸಿರುವೆ ನಾನೀಗ ಭಾರಿ ಹಣಬಲ

ತಿಳಿಸಿರುವೆ ನೀನೀಗ ಜನಬಲದ ಹಂಬಲ

ಎಲ್ಲರು ಬಯಸುವ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ನಾನು

ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ಕಾವ ಏಕತೆಯು ನೀನು

ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯಕೆ ಸಾಕಂತೆ ಒಪ್ಪಟ್ಟು ಸಮರ 

ಏಕತೆಗೆ ಬೇಕಂತೆ ದುಪ್ಪಟ್ಟು ಎತ್ತರ

ದೊರಯಲಿ ಮನುಕುಲಕೆ ಶಾಂತಿಯು ಸರಸರ

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NOTES:
1.Liberty Statue of America is the symbol of liberty.
Patel's statue is the symbol of unity.

2.Liberty statue is in an island of Hudson river in New York.
Statue of unity is erected on Narmada river of Gujarat.

3.Liberty statue was gifted by French people to US.
Liberty of unity was built by people of India.

4.Liberty statue is a Goddess of Rome.
Sardar Patel is a real human.

5.America symbolized by statue of liberty is now a very rich country.
India's strength lies in its people.

6.A single effort (ಒಪ್ಪಟ್ಟು = ಒಂದು ಪಟ್ಟು) of struggle may get a country freedom. But it needs twice ( ದುಪ್ಪಟ್ಟು) that effort to attain unity and unity alone can safeguard freedom.
Symbolically height of unity statue (182 mts) is twice that of liberty statue (93 mts).

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Poem written by me on the occasion of my recent visit to Niagara on 15th Sep 2019

ನಯಾಗರೆ

ಅಮೆರಿಕ ನಿನ್ನ ತವರೆ

ಕೆನಡದಿ ನಿನ್ನ ಧಾರೆ

ನಡುವೆ ನಿನ್ಕಾಣ ಬಂದಿರುವೆ

ಬಾರೆ, ಬಾರೆ

ಸುಂದರ ತರುಣಿಯ ಚಹರೆ

ವಯ್ಯಾರಿ ನೀನು ಉಟ್ಟು ಬಿಳಿ ಸೀರೆ

ನಯವಾಗಿ ದುಮುಕುವೆಯಲ್ಲೆ

ಚಿಮ್ಮತ ನೀರ ತುಂತುರೆ

ಕೈ ಬೀಸಿ ಕರೆಯುವೆಯಲ್ಲೆ

ಜೋಡಿ ಹಕ್ಕಿಗಳ

ಚಿಮ್ಮಿಸುವೆಯಲ್ಲೆ ಥರ ಥರದ ಭಾವಗಳ

ತಡೆಯಲಾದೀತೆ ಬಿಸಿ ನೆತ್ತರ ತುಂಟಾಟಗಳ?

ಸಾಹಸಿಗರ ಛಲ

ಸಿನಿಮಿಗರ ಸಿಂಗಾರ

ಕಲಾಕುಂಚಿಗರ ಚಿತ್ತಾರ

ಪ್ರೇಮಿಗಳ ಶೃಂಗಾರ, ವಿರಹಿಗಳ ಉದ್ಗಾರ

ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗು ನೀನೊಂದು ಆಗರ

ಚಿರಕಾಲ ಹರಿಯುತ್ತ ಹರೆಸು

ನಿನ್ನರಸಿ ಬರುವ ಚರಾಚರ

Notes:
1. ಸುಂದರ ತರುಣಿಯ ಚಹರೆ = 'Bride's veil' which is the name of one of the three falls of Niagara

2.ನೀರ ತುಂತುರೆ = 'Maid of the mist', which visitors experience during cruise travel to Niagara.

Our America Tour - Part 1

America, the land of opportunities holds an unique attraction for people all over the world. For many, visiting America at least once is a life-time dream.  We had the fortune of undertaking a tour of this great country for a period of 20 days from 2nd Sep 2019.

We are thankful to our good friends Ms. Ragini Darshan and Mr. Darshan, who have settled in US,  for instilling in us the desire to tour US by repeatedly sending us affectionate invitations. We chose to visit their home first at Princeton, New Jersey before joining the 12-day conducted tour of a well-known tourist operator. We felt highly honored to be received by the great couple at Newark Airport, New Jersey (pic 3, top row above).

Our host's residence built of wood, stood on a plot of 1.25 acres of a virgin forest. Entire colony is a forest. No street lights here to leave the environment unperturbed. Cutting trees is a big no. Tender animals like deer are frequent visitors! Living with them gave us an insight in to the way of life Americans prefer to live and their concern for environment.

We started exploring US under the guidance of our host, by visiting Dukes Park at Hillsborough, NJ.  J.B.Dukes (1856-1925), a leading industrialist has developed this 3000 acre park for the cause of environment. Compare this to 'big people' in India who encroach thousands of acres of forest land every year for selfish use!  The park open to public, is a green beauty to watch which is the home for many rare plants, trees and animals.

Next day our friend took us to Edison National Historic Park.  Edison is the greatest scientist of 20th century who is better known as the inventor of the 'electric bulb'.  His inventions in the fields of power generation, mass communication, motion pictures and sound recording have revolutionized the world.  He holds the unique record of over 1100 patents for his inventions.  Visiting his house of residence and laboratory of research was a special experience. Antique car (pic 2 in top row) seen above was gifted to Edison by his good friend and scientist Ford during early 1900s. The car is in running condition even today!

Mr. Darshan (with red shirt) induced me to go for a bit of adventure of climbing the nearby Sourland Mountain. Being a Sunday, I saw quite a good number of natives venturing to climb the hill.  Many of them were cycling to go up with their pet dogs.  Americans prefer to enjoy their week ends to the fullest extent.

Spending a few days with our friends gave us the confidence to take up an independent trip to Boston (through a local tour operator) for 2 days.  Boston is a very nice city with many parks and monuments.  In this tour we also had the opportunity to visit Harvard and Yale (2nd pic, top row) universities. Earlier we had visited the nearby Princeton University (3rd Pic, top row) wherein our dear son Dr. Subhash had done his post-doctoral research.

On 11th Sep, before joining our tour party, we visited the famous Museum of Natural History, one of the most visited museums of the world at Washington D.C.  How nature evolved is the theme of the museum.  Nature includes both living and non-living beings.

The museum collections include 126 millions of specimens of plants, animals, rocks and minerals.  The museum is also the research lab for about 185 natural scientists.

After joining the tour party, our first visit was Air & Space Museum. The museum is the research center for history of aviation and space travel.  The heroes of the museum include Wright brothers (inventors of aeroplane) and Neil Armstrong (first man to land on moon). The museum includes innumerable interactive models to highlight various scientific facts related to air and space travel. Playing with a few of them was an experience of 'fun and learn'.

Washington D.C. (D.C. stands for District of Colombia which contains the city of Washington) is known for its historic monuments.  Second World War memorial (pic with fountain) includes tributes to thousands of soldiers from different states of the US, who laid down their lives.  But I didn't observe any mention of the thousands of soldiers from other countries, who too have laid down their lives for the cause of US-led alliance.  India alone has lost about one lakh soldiers in this ugly war fighting for the US-alliance.

The capitol (lowest in pic above) which houses legislative assemblies of the US,  the official residence of the US President- White house and Lincoln memorial are interesting to watch.

We were fortunate to travel together with 47 enthusiastic and friendly passengers, mostly from Namma Bengaluru. They were all persons from different walks of life who had all fulfilled most of their life goals.  Moreover every one of them was creative in many fields of life and were good presenters too.  Long bus journeys were God sent opportunities for lively interactions and songs. I too was an active participant and I am thankful that our tour friends over a period of time gave me the role of compere for the journey performances.

Our US tour continued for ten more days.  I assure that I will provide you further details by next week.  In the meanwhile I wish you all 'a happy World Tourism Day' (27th Sep).  Your thoughts on this occasion are most welcome.

Why two beds in US hotel rooms which accommodates only one couple?

This question has certainly haunted the minds of US-travelers. I invite our friends to upload below/or whatsapp their views on this interesting puzzle! (My whatsapp No. +91 98455 62603, e-mail id-klakshminarayana1956@rediffmail.com).  I am sure this debate generates loads of fun!
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