October is the month of 'Dasara' all over our Country. Dasara symbolizes the spirit of conquest of 'Maa Shakthi' over the 'evil forces'.
Mysuru Dasara is world-famous and has a history of more than 400 years. It was a 10-day festival started by erstwhile Mysuru Kings to showcase their rich history, culture and achievements. After Independence it has become 'people's dasara' dedicated to 'Maa Chamundeswari', the presiding deity of Mysuru.
Mysuru Palace
Mysuru Dasara takes our memory to the glory of Mysuru Kings, especially to the regime of Nalvadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar (he ruled between 1902-40). He was hailed as the best ruler in the entire
sub-continent of India even by the British. Let us have a look at his far-sighted contributions.
1.Indian Institute of Science (1909), Bengaluru. Since opening it has remained our Country's best place of learning and always one among top 100 learning places in the world.
2.Krishna Raja Sagara Dam (1924)
3.State Bank of Mysore (1913)
4.Visveswaraiah Iron & Steel Plant, Bhadravathi (1923)
5.Bengaluru became the first city in India to get electric street lights (1905)
6.He was the first ruler in the entire country to introduce
reservations for the under-privileged (1918).
6.Under his patronage Mysuru became the centre of Carnatic music with great musicians like Violin Chowdiah, Veena Sheshana and composer Mysuru Vasudevachar.
This list is endless. Wodeyar's contributions to his State (Karnataka) are by far greater than the combined achievements of so-called elected Governments since 1947. If there can be great rulers like Wodeyar, isn't monarchy a better system when compared to democracy which has its own quota of follies?
-0-0-0-
Coming to the world of cricket, we are playing a series with the 'once mighty' West Indies. More than Indian team's dominance in the series, I am concerned about the decline of West Indies cricket.
West Indies ruled world cricket from 60s to 80s with high quality and fearsome players like Sobers, Hall, Lloyd, Richards, Marshall, Lara and Walsh. The saddest part of world cricket is perhaps the decline of West Indies. West Indians are natural athletes most suited for cricket. But I have heard that youth there now-a-days are attracted towards quick money making sports like basket ball and athletics.
West Indian Usain Bolt, the world's greatest sprinter of the present times was a childhood fan of Tendulkar and wanted to be a cricketer like him. But he chose to sprint 100, 200 metres to achieve short-cut to a more famous glory!
What ICC is doing to promote cricket? Compared to our younger days quality teams have just reduced in numbers to just four......... Australia, England, India and South Africa! Instead of taking cricket to the world we have witnessed the decline of teams like West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Test Cricket has become a one-sided contest between the dominating host teams and the hapless visitors. If neutral Umpires are okay, why not neutral pitches? Can't a cricket-rich country like India create a practice Stadium wherein Australian and English pitches and conditions are simulated? Will eliminating one-day cricket do good in reducing the load on cricketers and spectators? Will steps like including a couple of players from weaker test playing countries in our Ranji teams help? Will introducing day-night test cricket draw more spectators?
Indian team will be going next month to Australia for a full-fledged tour. This can be best chance to register our first-ever Test series
win in Australia as Smith and Warner are out undergoing punishment-ban.
But our team's woes witnessed in England are continuing to haunt us. Opening pair, middle order batting problems are a cause of worry. Both Jadeja and Ashwin must learn to play the role of supporting all-rounders. Let us hope Saha will join back as first keeper. While our pace-attack is dependable,
Prithivi Shaw seems to be the silver-lining.
Three T20 games to begin with may not help. Once again enough 3-day practice games are not planned. Let us hope they will plan not to lose the first test, to ensure a modest beginning.
Shashtri as coach is not enough. They should have enrolled a former Australian fast bowler as bowling coach. Remember Australian Bruce Reid was our Bowling Coach when India did its best in the drawn series during 2003-04. Somebody like Dravid should be taken as batting coach. But I don't think our think-tank has thought in these lines.
-0-0-0-
Is 'me too' movement creating more sound than light? Aren't both men and women fallible? Is there a point in digging the past?
Has our society moved towards taking a lenient view on issues related to consent and relationship? Should 'me too' be limited to 'physical-issues' alone? Can't men too raise 'me too' issues? Is there not a limitation period for raising such issues? Should not we put things behind and move on? I prefer to leave it to your judgment!
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
ವಿಶ್ವೇಶ್ವರಯ್ಯನವರು ಅಣೆಕಟ್ಟಿನ ನಕ್ಷೆಯನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸಿ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣದ ಹೊಣೆಯನ್ನು ಹೊತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಅಂದು ಮೈಸೂರೊಂದು ಪುಟ್ಟ ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ. ಹಣಕಾಸಿನ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಣೆ ಸುಲಭವಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಬ್ರಿಟಿಷರು ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಮೂಲಗಳಿಂದ ಸಾಲಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ವಿನಂತಿಸಿ ಮಹಾರಾಜರು ಕಂಗಾಲಾಗಿದ್ದರು. ಮಹಾರಾಜರ ದುಮ್ಮಾನವನ್ನರಿತ 
ಅವರ ಪತ್ನಿಯವರಾದ ಮಹಾರಾಣಿ ಪ್ರತಾಪ ಕುಮಾರಿ ಅಮ್ಮಣ್ಣಿಯವರು, ತಮ್ಮ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಅಮೂಲ್ಯ ಆಭರಣಗಳನ್ನು ಅಡವಿಟ್ಟು ಸಾಲಪಡೆಯುವ ಸಲಹೆ ನೀಡಿದರು. ಬೇರೆ ಮಾರ್ಗ ಕಾಣದ ಮಹಾರಾಜರು ಹಾಗೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಹಣ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸಿದರು. ಮಹಾರಾಣಿಯವರು ತ್ಯಾಗಕ್ಕೆ ಇಡೀ ಮೈಸೂರು ಮನಮಿಡಿಯಿತು. ಅಣೆಕಟ್ಟು ನಿರ್ಮಾಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ದುಡಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಮಹಿಳಾ ಕೂಲಿಗಳೂ ಸಹ ತಮ್ಮ ವೇತನ ಪಾವತಿಯ ಮುಂದೂಡಿಕೆಗೆ ಸಮ್ಮತಿಸಿದರು. ಪತ್ನಿಯರಿಂದ ಪ್ರೇರೇಪಿತರಾದ ಪುರುಷ ಕೂಲಿಕಾರರೂ ವೇತನವಿಲ್ಲದ ದುಡಿದರು. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ನಾರಿಶಕ್ತಿ ಹಾಗೂ 
