The little things in road construction that makes a big difference

Roads are lifelines of a country. They connect people to everything they need—schools, offices, hospitals, markets, parks, railway stations, airports, and more. If a region doesn’t have a good road network—both in terms of quantity and quality—its development will be stunted. Across India, many small towns grown around major road junctions or near bus stands. I won’t go into the importance of roads here, as that’s something we all understand. 

Instead, I want to highlight how small, often ignored details in road construction can create big problems.

Let’s start with filling the potholes. Potholes are a big problem which we all understand well and suffer the consequences. Problem is the difficulties don't disappear even when contractors do the patchwork. Modern technology allows pot holes to be filled precisely and provide a smooth ride on top of it. But no, here people always leave leaves a bump at repaired spot; and every vehicle that drives over it ends up jumping slightly. Pot holes are numerous in road; came as a result of faulty fill up of channels dug for water and OFC networks, monsoon rains and inadequate sewage system and storm water drains etc. First these holes and then bump created by filling it up puts unnecessary stress on the spine, especially for daily commuters. Another issues is the cap of manholes placed in interior roads, this often ends up several inches higher compared to road surface. 

Flyovers are another area where issues crop up. In many cities, flyovers are being built at major junctions. A common problem is the gap between two spans—there’s usually a metal bar placed at the end of each span. While this design is necessary for structural reasons, the dip/angles at these joints causes vehicles to bounce when crossing. At higher speeds, these jumps can feel quite uncomfortable and even dangerous.

Then there speed bumps, especially the yellow-and-black colored ones found in apartment, office complexes, parking lots etc. These are often too sharp. Unless you slow down to a crawl, passengers—especially those sitting in the back—feel a sudden jolt when the vehicles goes over them.

These are just three of numerous other problems. All these show how small design decisions during construction can have a big impact on everyday travel. These may seem like minor issues, but they affect comfort, safety, and even health over time. It’s time we start paying attention to the little things. Because when it comes to road construction, the small details also matters. Road safety and comfort aren't just about highways and traffic rules; it's also about these tiny details that decides how smooth your ride will be.

Sajeev

Tourist safety concerns in India after Hampi incident

The primary function of a government is to protect its citizens, a duty in which it must not fail. This responsibility extends not only to citizens but also to foreigners visiting India as tourists, business travelers, or for other reasons. Ensuring their safety is not just the duty of the government or the police; civil society also plays a crucial role. If we fail to protect both citizens and visitors—allowing them to be robbed, assaulted, or even killed in well-known tourist areas—then society must engage in deep introspection. Where are we headed?  

In today's world, bad news spreads rapidly, and such incidents severely damage India's global reputation as a safe destination for tourism and business. Potential visitors may reconsider their plans, as no one wants to feel constantly afraid and cautious during their vacation. Unfortunately, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred, and it is unlikely to be the last.  

India aims to project an image of being the world's oldest civilization and a "Vishwaguru" (global teacher), but such crimes have no place in a truly civilized nation. Consider the recent shocking incident in Hampi. For those unfamiliar, Hampi was the capital of one of South India’s most successful empires—Vijayanagara—which ruled for over three centuries. It is also associated with Kishkinda, the legendary land of Bali, Hanuman, and Sugriva. Hanuman and Sugriva once fought against Ravana for the injustice he committed against Sita. And now, in the same place, horrific crimes are being committed against women.  

According to news reports, on the night of March 6th, around 11 PM, a homestay operator (a 29-year-old woman), an Israeli tourist (a 27-year-old woman), a man from the US, and two Indian men were sitting near the Tungabhadra canal close to Sanapur Lake. Reports state that the victims had met at the homestay itself. Initially, the attackers approached them asking for petrol money. The tourists gave them ₹20, but they demanded ₹100. When their request was denied, the situation escalated. Two of the accused allegedly gang-raped the homestay operator, while another allegedly assaulted the Israeli tourist. They also pushed the three male tourists into the canal—two managed to swim back, but the third drowned. The attackers stole the homestay operator’s bag, cash, and mobile phones. So far, the police have arrested two suspects, while a third remains at large. Shockingly, the arrested individuals are only 21 and 22 years old.  

Incidents like this will have a severe impact on India's international reputation. If women are not safe in a Kolkata medical college, on the streets of Delhi, or even in a famous tourist destination like Hampi, where can they feel secure? Women travelers, especially those planning to travel alone or in small groups, may hesitate before choosing India. Who would want their dream trip to turn into a nightmare?  

This issue cannot be blamed solely on the administration or the police. Society as a whole is responsible. The idea of 'Atithi Devo Bhava' (guest is God) should not just be a slogan used in advertisements—it must be ingrained in our mindset and actions. When someone visits our city or village, it is also our responsibility to ensure they have a safe and pleasant experience. Additionally, society must reflect on how individuals as young as 21 or 22 are committing such gruesome crimes. Addressing this issue requires collective effort, education, and a shift in societal attitudes.

Don't exploit tourists. Don't overcharge them, force them to buy something, or chase them to choose you as a guide. Don’t stare at them or make unwanted comments. Treat them with respect, and they will return and share positive experiences.

International tourists

Dubai welcomes around 16 million international visitors each year, and a similar number visited Singapore in 2024. According to reports, Turkey had 55.2 million visitors in 2023, Greece saw 32.7 million, and Egypt received 13 million. Where does India stand in terms of international tourists? Even within Asia, it lags behind Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

India has everything geography can offer—glaciers, deserts, rainforests, plains, oceans, islands, and rivers. It has a history spanning multiple millennia and monuments that are truly marvelous. Yet, we are far from realizing our true potential in attracting international tourists. Let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot.

Sajeev. 

References

1. 2 arreted for raping Israeli tourist, homestay operator in Karnataka - TOI

2. Hampi gangrape case: Missing male co-traveller found dead; two accused arrested - HT

3. Israeli tourist and homestay host gang-raped in India, police say - BBC

Though the land of Chola's - Chidambaram Nataraja Temple (Thillai Nataraja Temple)

After leaving Airavateshwara Temple, it was raining for a while. By the time we reached the Kollidam old river bridge, the rain had almost stopped. The atmosphere became calm again. We took a pit stop after crossing the barrage cum bridge to explore the area. Kollidam, a distributary of the Kaveri, forms a river island here. Chidambaram temple is just 45 km from this point. We resumed our journey and reached the temple city within an hour.

Kollidam River

Chidambaram Nataraja Temple (Thillai Nataraja Temple)

Spread over 40 acres, this temple is dedicated to Nataraja (lord of dance) form of Shiva. Shiva's consort Parvati as Shivakama/Shivagama Sundari is also here. It is believed that, this temple also has references in sangam literature; but in those days city name was not Chidambaram. Earliest mention of Chidambaram was probably in 7th and 8th century texts. The present temple was built in 10th century when Chidambaram was the capital of early Cholas. It is possible that, Cholas converted/rebuilt a earlier temple here with stone in 10th century. Even the present temple is more than a millennium old. This temple also has shrines for devi, Surya, Ganesha, Murugan, Vishnu etc. and represents Shaktism, Vaishnavism and other Hindu traditions. 

The word Chidambaram probably came from the combination chithu + ambaram. Chithu means manasu/mind, consciousness and ambaram means sky/atmosphere. 

Like other temples in the region - Srirangam, Madurai etc. -  Chidambaram was also raided by Delhi Sultanate. However, the structure was repaired and restored with the rise of Vijayanagar. City and temple also suffered during the fight between British and French colonial forces in India. 

By the way this temple also has a thousand pillared mandapa (Raja sabha). Interestingly the sanctum of the temple has a resemblance to Kerala temple styles. The Shiva sanctum here is very unusual as it don't have a linga; instead it has Chit Sabha with an image of Nataraja. After all Chidambaram represents Vayu tatva and formless representation of Shiva. Renowned for art and dance, temple wall also displays 108 karanas from Natya shastra of Bharata Muni. 

Chidambaram is one of the five temples where Shiva is in Nataraja form preformed Thandava dance. All five temples are in Tamil Nadu and they are,

1, Ratna Sabha

Located in Vada Aaranyeswarar Temple in Thiruvalangadu. It is believed that, Nataraja performed Kali Tandavam here.

2, Kanaka Sabha

This is located in Chidambaram temple and belief is that, Nataraja performed Ananda Tandavam here.

3, Rajata Sabha

This sabha is in the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple of Madurai. Here Shiva is worshipped as Sundareshvarara and Parvati as Meenakshi. Tandavam type is Sandhya Tandavam.

4, Tamra Sabha

Located in Chepparai Temple of Tirunelveli. Here the form of tandavam is Muni Tandava.

5, Chitra Sabha

This sabha/hall is located at temple Kutralanathar in Courtallam. Tandava form here is Tripura Tandava

If tandava is performed with joy, then it's called Ananda Tandava. If the mood is violent then dance is called Rudra Tandava. Some other types of tandava are - Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samhara Tandava, Kali Tandava, Uma Tandava, Shiva Tandava, Krishna Tandava and Gauri Tandava.

Chidambaram is also considered as one of the five Shiva temple which represents five primary elements. 

List of temples under that category are,

1, Ekambareshwar/Ekambaranathar temple, Kanchipuram 

This temple covers 25 acres represents the earth aspect. Here Shiva is represented in lingam known as Prithvi lingam. This temple also have thousand pillared hall built during Vijayanagar time. 

2, Jambukeshwarar temple, Thiruvanaikaval (near Tiruchirappalli)

Here the sanctum has an underground water stream. Belief is that Parvathi, in the form of Akilandeswari built shivalingam out of water. This temple represents the water aspect and the lingam is known as  Appu lingam.

3, Arunachaleshwara temple, Tiruvannamalai 

This temple represents fire aspect and the lingam is known as Agni lingam. This temple also have thousand pillared hall built during Vijayanagar time. 

4, Srikalahasti, Srikalahasti.

This temple is not in Tamil Nadu but in Andra Pradesh and represents Vayu aspect. 

5, Chidamabram

Represents the space.

Once you are in temple don't forget to see below halls,

Chitra Sabhai (the sanctum), 

Por Sabhai (hall preceding the sanctum), 

Nirutha Sabhai (the chariot shaped hall), 

Deva Sabhai (the hall where all the festival deities are housed) and

Raja Sabhai - the thousand pillared hall) 

Coming to Nataraja form, what Nataraja idol represents?

Demon under feet signifies that ignorance is under the feet.

Fire in hand- power of destruction- represents the destroyer of evil

Abhaya mudra represents savior of all life forms

The arc of fire called prabhavati signifies the cosmos and perpetual motion.

Drum in hand signifies the origin of life forms.

Lotus pedestal signifies Om believed to be the sound of universe.

Right, left and third eye signifies sun, moon and fire/knowledge respectively.

Right earring (makara kundalam) and left earring (sthri kundalam) signifies the union of man and woman (right is man, left is woman).

Crescent moon in hair means benevolence and beauty.

Flowing of river Ganges through hairrepresents eternity of life.

Dreading of hair and drape means the force of dance

This area of Tamil Nadu is different from other areas of the state. There are a lot of water bodies around. In fact, Pichavaram mangrove area is just 13km away from temple. This time mangroves were not in the plan, however next time it will definitely be. After roaming around the temple for some time, we finally came out and continued towards our next destination.

Sajeev

References

1, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancha_Bhuta_Sthalam

2, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nataraja_Temple,_Chidambaram

3, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancha_Sabhai

Though the land of Chola's - Thanjavur and Brihadeshwara temple

Thanjavur, called Tanjore during the Raj era, is a city located close to the distributaries of the Kaveri River. Once the capital of the Cholas, Thanjavur is famous for the majestic Chola temple—Brihadeshwara, Tanjavur art, and dolls. Located in the Kaveri delta—the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu—this city rose to prominence with the emergence of the medieval Cholas. Later, the city became the capital of the Chola empire and remained so until they moved the capital to Gangaikonda Cholapuram in 1025. After the decline of the Cholas, Thanjavur was conquered by the Pandyas and later by the Delhi Sultanate under Malik Kafur. The Delhi Sultanate ruled the city directly and later through the short-lived Madurai Sultanate. Sultanate rule vanished with the rise of Vijayanagar.

After the fall of Vijayanagar, sovereignty rested with the Tanjore Nayaks. Sovereignty went to the Madurai Nayaks when they defeated the Tanjavur Nayaks in war, and they ruled Thanjavur for some time. The Nayaks of Madurai, Tanjore, Gingee, and Kalahasthi were originally the provincial governors of the Vijayanagar empire. With the rise of the Maratha Confederacy, the city came under the Marathas. Under the infamous Doctrine of Lapse law, the Company swallowed the kingdom in 1855.

Thanjavur

We left Srirangam in the afternoon and reached Tanjavur in an hour.

Many Indian empires and kingdoms were mostly land-based. Often, this is evident from the way they conducted their affairs. Even now, we don’t understand the full power and potential of great oceans and shipping lanes while ruling from completely landlocked New Delhi. The Cholas were different. Under Rajendra I, the Chola empire reached its zenith and extended or had influence over the littoral states of the Bay of Bengal, the islands of Laccadives and Maldives, Nicobar, Sri Lanka, parts of modern-day Myanmar, the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, etc. The Cholas' trade links extended as far as Song China in the east and the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa in the west.

Since we reached the city in the afternoon, there wasn't much time left. Our first stop was Thanjavur Palace, Serfoji Sarasvati Mahal Library, and Art Gallery.

Thanjavur Palace

Well, let me start by saying that the palace is not from the Chola era. This was built by the Thanjavur Nayakas and later occupied by the Marathas when they captured the city. The palace consists of Sadar Mahal, the Queen's Courtyard, and the Durbar Hall. Gokul, Deepa, and Divya were very tired but still walked through the nooks and corners of the palace.

Sarasvati Mahal Library

Gokul and Deepa looking at the library

This building is located within the palace complex. You might be wondering why I mention a library as an important place to visit—well, there is a reason. Established by the Tanjavur Nayak kings in the 16th century, this library is one of the oldest working libraries in Asia. The library has more than 49,000 palm leaf manuscripts written in Tamil, Sanskrit, and other South Indian languages. The Marathas, who later captured the city, continued to support the library. Unfortunately, we reached here a little late and were able to see only the outside!

Note: When I say South India, I mean the part of India south of the Vindhya ranges, not just the six states.

If you are in Tanjavur and interested, you can spend around two hours exploring both the palace and library. From here, we went to TTDC Hotel, took some rest, and then went to Brihadeshwara Temple, which is just 1.5 km away by walk from TTDC's Hotel Tamil Nadu.

Brihadeshwara Temple (Thanjai Periya Kovil)

By the time we reached the temple, the sun was in its last leg. I was so sad that I had to wait until tomorrow to see the beautiful temple. However, there was a surprise waiting for us.

We went inside and joined the queue to reach the sanctum. This is a working temple and still has daily poojas in the morning and afternoon. Fortunately, the crowd was small, and we reached the sanctum very fast. After coming out, we went to the front. By then, the administration had turned on the lights, and the temple was flooded with illumination. At night, the reflection of the lights from the granite exterior and the carvings created a mesmerizing view. If you are planning to visit the temple, do visit both during the day and at night.

I found an ideal place to sit and enjoy the majestic view. Gokul and Deepa started walking through the stone pathways and explored the temple. Divya was trying to view the structure from different angles. I was so happy that I was there at night as well. The temple is indeed a poem set in stone.

Spread over an area close to 45 acres, this Shiva temple, with a height of 216 ft, was built using granite stones. The top of the tower/shikhara weighs 25 tons and rests on a single granite piece weighing around 80 tons. It must have been a struggle for workers to bring that piece all the way to the top. Remember, it wasn’t easy to make carvings in granite in those days.

The main temple and its gopurams are from the early 11th century. The temple witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties, wars, raids, repairs, and renovations over the next millennium. Interestingly, French colonial forces also contributed something to the temple. They added one defensive enclosure in 1777 with gun holes. The temple served as an arsenal!

The temple is dedicated to Shiva (the Cholas considered Shiva their family deity) and has a huge lingam—27m high.

There is a massive Nandi in front of the temple on a raised platform. This temple also has a lot of murals and inscriptions (from Rajaraja Chola I, Rajendra Chola I, Vikrama Chola, Kulottunga I, etc.) in Tamil and Grantha scripts.

After spending more time looking at different areas of the temple, we came outside and went back to the hotel.

The Next Morning

I am inside the temple

The next morning, I woke up early and walked towards the temple. The roads were wide and initially empty. The crowd was less, and we saw the temple once again, but this time in full sunlight. Outside the temple, a little away from the main gate, there was a person selling Tanjavur dolls. Divya went there and selected a pair.

Next to the TTDC hotel, there was a government-run shop called Poompuhar Handicrafts, which sells paintings, dolls, etc. We bought a couple of items from there and continued our trip to the next destination—Airavateshwara Temple.

Airavateshwara Temple

There was not much traffic on the road, and we reached this temple quickly. The sky was a bit darkened for a while. By the time we started walking towards the temple entrance, the rains had also started.

Built by King Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century, this Shiva temple is located close to Kumbakonam. The temple got its name from Indra's white elephant, Airavat. The temple has a huge number of stone carvings—wherever you look, you might see something very interesting. The front mandapa (Rajagambhiran tirumandapam) is very unique as it looks like a chariot with wheels.

According to many sources, this temple was much larger than what it is now. It had seven courts and seven streets; however, only one court with the main temple survives today.

In the Great Living Chola Temples list of UNESCO, there is one more temple called Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram. We skipped that temple and headed towards our next destination—Chidambaram. If you have time, try to go to Gangaikonda Cholapuram and see the third temple as well.

There was a brief lull in the rain. During that time, we went to the parking area and started our return journey. The rain started gaining strength, and there was hardly anything visible outside. As the sound of heavy raindrops hitting the car body reached my ears, I went one millennium back and imagined the glory days of these areas.

Sajeev

Inside Airavateshwar temple

Divya - inside the temple

Gokul and Deepa - thinking once again about the Chola temple during dinner!!!

Firefly’s blue ghost makes history: first commercial lunar landing & the future of space navigation

While everyone was deeply concerned about Russia-Ukraine war, M23 rebels in Congo, Israel-Hamas fight, trade wars and many other things, a revolution was going on. Texas based aerospace company - Firefly - which launched Blue Ghost on Jan 25 using SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was able to successfully land (and thus become the first commercial company to do so) their the module on moon on March 2. Lander is stable and in vertical condition. Equipment is expected to work for one lunar day (14 earth days). Blue ghost is among a number of private companies funded by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) as part of Artemis program. In last February, 'Intuitive Machines' landed their module in moon but unfortunately it fell on its side and became un-operational. 'Intuitive Machines' is going again with their Athena lunar module.

The entry of multiple private companies in to space will bring in competition and eventually reduce the overall cost. This will only meake the dream of humanity to start a colony first on moon and then on mars a step closer to reality. If not human colony, probably we may be able to bring in valuable minerals from space and build things here in earth in near future!!! May be moon and mars will end up as launch pads for human race's expansion further in to space. 

Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE)

There are multiple paylods carried by Blue Ghost. Out of that one seems to be very interesting - The Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE). This is a joint effort between NASA and Italian Space Agency to see the viability of using "existing GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals for positioning, navigation, and timing on the Moon. GNSS constellations support essential services like navigation, banking, power grid synchronization, cellular networks, and telecommunications. Near-Earth space missions use these signals in flight to determine critical operational information like location, velocity, and time. The LuGRE payload is one of the first demonstrations of GNSS signal reception and navigation on and around the lunar surface, an important milestone for how lunar missions will access navigation and positioning technology. If successful, LuGRE would demonstrate that spacecraft can use signals from existing GNSS satellites at lunar distances, reducing their reliance on ground-based stations on the Earth for lunar navigation".

Ok, long story short. What if future humans have a GPS/similar kinds of navigation system in moon or in mars. Imagine we are driving a shuttle through moon by looking at maps in our mobile!!! and this moble won't need to get signals directly from earth stations but intermediate and may be from moon itself!!! Also there is a 'Moonlight' initiative/LCNS (Moonlight Lunar Communications and Navigation Services) by ESA (European Space Agency); their goal is to create uninterrupted telecommunications satellite coverage between Earth and the Moon; as well as lunar satellite navigation.

There are many more provate companies engaged in lunar missions (see below). 

Blue Moon (Blue Origin)

SERIES-2 (Draper)

Peregrine (Astrobotic)

Starship HLS (SpaceX)

Hakuto-R Mission 1 (ispace)

IM-2 (Intuitive Machines)

In coming years, we will see more commercial launches and declining cost/launch. Moon and mars may no longer remain as final frontier for human race.

Sajeev

References

1, Blue Ghost by Firefly

2, Wired

3, NASA 

Through the land of Chola's - Srirangam Temple

Kaveri river forms multiple islands during its course from Talakaveri to Bay of Bengal- Nisargadhama, Srirangapatna, Shivanasamudra, Srirangam etc. This time our journey was to one such island called Srirangam. Located in Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu, this island was formed due to splitting of river to two channels - northern one is called Kollidam and southern one retained the original name - Kaveri. After the island, two channels joins at Kallanai. However, a dam there (originally built during the reign of Karikala of Chola dynasty around 150 CE) splits Kaveri to four distributaries - Kollidam Aru, Kaveri, Vennaru and Puthu Aru. 

Srirangam is considered as the most prominent place among divya desam as per Alvar Vaishnava tradition. Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple located in this island is considered as one of the largest working religious complex in the world. Spread over 63 hectares (155 acres) this temple complex has 81 shrines and 21 towers.

We travelled to Srirangam in the last days of 2022. I forgot a lot of incidents during the journey and this is written mostly from the notes and fading memory.  We, here means me, Divya, Gokul and his wife Deepa. We started our journey from Bangalore one hour later than expected. By sunrise we crossed Karnataka border at Zuzuvadi and entered Tamil nadu. Since it was early morning, there wasn't much vehicles on the road and we crossed Hosur, Shoolagiri, Krishnagiri, Kaveripatinam and Dharmapuri. By the time we reached Thoppur, all were very hungry. Especially me!!! So we took a quick break and had breakfast from a road side restaurant.

Then came Omalur, Salem and Namakkal.  After Thottiyam the road mostly goes parallel to Kaveri; post noon we crossed river bridge and reached Srirangam island and continued towards temple. We parked somewhere outside and walked towards the gates. As usual with temples, there were some people who sells tulsi, flowers etc. for devotees. Gokul bought one and we went inside, looking at the massive vimana/tower and walls. Like Rameshwaram, Madurai Meenakshi temple etc., here also there is a thousand pillar mandapa. This madapa was built during Vijayanagar er using granite. Unfortunately, mandapa was closed off for renovation when we reached there. 

Temple has seven concentric enclosures; each enclosure has walls and towers. Two outer enclosures are residential and market areas. Five inner ones have shrines for Vishnu, avatars of Vishnu, his consort Lakshmi and various saints of Vaishnavite tradition. Main shrine for Ranganatha is in the innermost enclosure. 

Other main mandapams are - Sesharaya mandapam (built during Nayaka rule), Garuda mandapam (built during Nayaka rule), Kili mandapam (built around 17th century) and Ranga vilasa mandapam for pilgrim families and groups to sit together and rest. 

Temple also has a thirteen storey rajagopuram, nine storey Vellai gopuram, eight storey gopuram built during Vijayanagara era, seven storied Ranga ranga gopuram and numerous other gopurams.

Srirangam temple also has more than 800 inscriptions starting from 9th century during the reign of Aditya Chola I. An interesting fact is, inscriptions are not just in Tamil but also in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi and Odia. Some of the inscriptions also contain Grantha characters.  

There are some 81 shrines in this complex. Ranganatha, Ranganayaki (Lakshmi), Chakkaratalvar, Narasimha, Rama, Hayagriva, Vasudeva, Varadharaja, Srinivasa, Gopala Krishna, Dhanvantari etc. There are also shrines for Vishnava saints -  Ramanuja, Nammalvar, Desikar, Thondaradipodialwar, Thiruppaanalwar etc.

An inscription

I planned only a couple of hours to view the temple, that now seems to be a mistake. To view and appreciate the massive temple complex and to see the famous Grant Anaicut canal built during the reign of Karikala Chola and Upper Anaicut dam designed by Sir Arthur Cotton will take time. Should have spent one day here. We were also not able to enter inside the inner shrine - Ranganatha- as the sanctum was closed for some time. 

This temple also has a door, which opens only during the ten days of Vaikunta ekadashi. 

After spending some more time around temple premises; we came outside and continued our journey towards the former capital of Chola- Tanjavur. 

Three Ranga temple

Apart from Srirangam island, other famous islands - Srirangapatna, Shivanasamudra - of Kaveri also have Vishnu temples.

Srirangapatna 

Located in Mandya district of Karnataka has a Vishnu temple. Sine this temple at upstream, it's also called Adi Ranga.

Shivanasamudra 

Located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. This comes in the middle and hence called 'Madhya Ranga'. Since the deity here believed to represent the youth and hence called 'Mohana Ranga' and 'Jaganmohana Ranga' as well.

Srirangam

This comes at the end, and hence called Anthya Rangam (the last temple). Deity here is also known as Kasthuri Rangam.

Sajeev

Deepa and Gokul

Divya

Did Draupadi really laugh at Duryodhana’s fall in Maya Sabha in the epic Mahabharata?

In the past, there were many statements blaming Draupadi's laughter and her subsequent comment, "The blind man's son is also blind," after Duryodhana's fall at Maya Sabha, as one of the causes of the Mahabharata war—a war that destroyed everything for both sides. This is considered an accepted fact, and subsequently, a lot of folklore was also built around it.

The problem is that this doesn't fit the character of Draupadi mentioned in the epic. However, the super-successful Mahabharata TV serial made it so popular that people actually believed it. So when I heard about Maya Sabha again on a podcast today, I wondered—did she really laugh and say those words? I did a quick search on the internet, and it seems like the serial added these scenes, which were not there in the original text. It looks like, in most interpretations of the epic, Draupadi and Krishna were not even present in the scene at all. Those who laughed were the Pandavas, excluding Yudhishthira.

So, it's probably time for people to stop blaming Draupadi for her laughter at an occasion that didn’t happen.

Sajeev.

Some road trip memories that are difficult to erase

Door can't be opened

Today, I was looking at Google map to see the roads I have covered so far and the roads I still need to. Suddenly, my eyes got stuck on a forest area west side of Ooty. I zoomed in and finally found the place — Mulli forest check-post. I was not searching for the place; but it’s one of those places I may not forget for a long time. Couple of years back, a trip that was so good turned out to be bad just because of two forest guards there.

It was the first trip my mother's elder sister had with us. We were on the way back from Mettupalayam after attending a marriage. While returning, we stayed in Ooty for two days and then headed to Mannarkkad via Mulli. There was not much traffic on the road, and by noon we reached Mulli check post on Tamil Nadu side. We could see the Kerala check post may be 200m away. But TN forest guard didn't let us pass. He mentioned that we probably didn’t sign at an earlier check post at the Canada power house project. It was true that we didn't sign, it was probably open and no one stopped us. so, we simply went in. He asked us to go back some 12 km through multiple hairpin bends to enter the car number (Karnataka registered) there. We talked with him for sometime thinking someway we could escape that. It was noon time and we were at the last leg of the journey. He didn't budge and threatened with filing a forest case; finally we had to travel back to the other check post.

After a while we reached the check post near Canada power house. This time, there was a guard. However, that guy didn’t let us make an entry there either. Instead, he forced us to go al the way back and take the Manjoor- Mettupalayam- Coimbatore road to reach Kerala. That was a long route with forty or more hairpins in total. Also it was lunch time and we were very hungry after two days of continuous travel. What to do. He insisted that we should go back all the way!!! Finally we went back and reached home after ten in the night instead of noon. On the way back, so many vehicles had passed us having Kerala and Tamilnadu registrations. He might have let all of them go (as we didn't see any coming back). Only one car infront of us had to go back. It was one of those moments when I felt so powerless in front of bureaucratic might. He could have fined us, or resolve it some other way. But no...

To this day, I don’t know why those two people—probably in the last decade of their service and having seen the ups and downs of life—behaved that way. It’s not like the road was closed off for traffic. Right in front of us, the guy at the Canada power plant let a car carrying politicians go. Now, I don't remember the name or face of the forest guard at the Canada power plant; can't recall the name of the guard at Tamil Nadu's Mulli border check post. However, I still can’t forget his face nor his words.

Sajeev

The Search Dilemma: When to stop looking and just choose

Which one to select?

Throughout history, we were often concerned about not having enough choices. Options were so limited that making a decision was easy. For example, during the License Raj era (pre-reform period) in Inida, there were only a couple of car models to choose from—just like with most other consumer goods. Essentially, we weren’t burdened by an overwhelming number of choices. But globalization and global supply chains changed everything. Now, if you want to buy something—say, a washing machine— we have a lot of options - wire rage of brands, types, models, and features. Sometimes, at the same price, there might be multiple options with nearly identical specifications. The dilemma is what to pick, in a reasonable time?  

Take watching a movie, for example. During late dinners, we often put on a movie on YouTube. I try to pick a good one, so I search — a lot!!! Every time I am about select one, there is another one to its right, then another one. Then probably another seach. This goes on for so long that, Divya often complains that by the time I finally pick something, dinner might be over. I tell her, 'in a minute' and keep scrolling — by which time she might have already finished eating. And in the end, the movie I settle on is usually no better than the first one I came across. The same thing happens on Prime Video and Netflix. Since I’ve already watched most of the best-rated (Oscar winning) movies, I keep searching for one with great IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes reviews—spending an absurd amount of time just picking something to watch.

It’s not just movies. During long drives, I often need to stop for lunch/dinner but keep on skipping restaurants, thinking a better one is just ahead—only to end up at a place similar to the ones I passed. A couple of times, I’ve even reached areas with no restaurants left and had to drive all the way to the next town to find one.  

Once, while driving from Gandikota to Bangalore, fuel level dropped well below a quarter tank. I skipped a couple of petrol pumps for no specific reason, thinking I’d fill up at the next one. But later there were less stations and then ones I found just had diesel. Some were even closed. I started getting worried, but there was still some fuel left—I could keep going a bit longer. Then we entered a forested area!!! Forget petrol pumps—there was barely anyone around!!! The road was empty, and fuel level dropped to a dangerously low point. Luckily, just as we exited the forest, I spotted a petrol pump at a Y-junction; never been so relieved to see a fuel station in my life. 

A few days ago, I faced the same struggle while picking an audiobook from Amazon’s collection. I browsed title after title, spending an unnecessary amount of time searching. That’s when I realized something had to change — I couldn’t keep wasting so much time just for looking. The real question is: when do you stop searching and just pick something?  

Yesterday, I decided to set a time limit—search for a while and then pick whatever seems good within that timeframe. So, I did just that, found an audiobook, and started listening. A lot of decisions in life is not a life-or-death questions; if the book, movie, or series turns out to be boring or bad, we can always stop and switch to another. That’s far better than endlessly searching and failing to decide.

Do you have any strategies for this? How do you decide when to stop searching and pick one?

Interestingly, mathematicians have an algorithm for this dilemma, famously known as the 'Optimal Stopping Problem' or 'The Secretary Problem'. If you’re curious, you can read more about it in "Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions" by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths.

Sajeev

A food lover’s thoughts: Enjoying good food and appreciating great cooks

I love food—not just one specific type, but pretty much everything. My favorites are salty and spicy dishes. As Gokul often says, "Hot Chips thrives wherever I stay." Though I don’t openly agree with him, there’s some truth to it. I’m a regular customer at snack stalls, sweet shops, and restaurants—though it’s mostly snacks rather than full meals. Even for team lunches or buffets, I prefer the starters and desserts!!!

When I moved from Madiwala/Koramangala to the inner roads of Sarjapur in Bangalore, I was quite disappointed at first. There were hardly any snack shops around, and I really missed them. It took a while, but my silent wish was eventually granted—now, there are plenty of options within walking (or rather, driving) distance. There’s Hot Chips, where I get salty and spicy potato chips, tapioca chips, and more. An Andhra restaurant nearby serves deliciously crispy mirchi bajji, vada, and a few other items, plus tea with a slightly different flavor. A little further away, there’s a pani puri stall (Divya loves pani puri, though sadly, the vendor near our home doesn’t come anymore), a momo stall, and a fresh sugarcane juice stand (no water or sugar added). Then there’s Rajasthani sweets and chaats - vadapav, pav bajjis, kachories, and small food counters inside a hypermarket making all sorts of dishes with bread, eggs, and paneer. Han, who can forget the nice kulfies coming out of kulfi shulfis. The list goes on. One new snack I started recently is chaaps (mainly made of soya).

Unfortunately, I love eating but not cooking. That said, I truly appreciate great cooks. In India, for some reason, chefs—whether professionals, mothers, or sisters—don’t always get the recognition they deserve for their amazing work in the kitchen. Divya is an excellent cook, and she picked it up quickly. My only role was to give feedback—good or bad. I wish I could cook like that too, but maybe I’m just too lazy or unwilling to put in the effort. My mom is also a fantastic cook—her masala curries have a distinct, aromatic flavor. Divya’s mother, too, makes incredible dishes, especially fried mathi (sardine). Her sharkara upperi (a Kerala sweet dish), banana chips, and red chili chutney are just as good.

Well, I guess I went on for a while! But if you’ve read this far, I have a small request: the next time you eat something, put away your distractions (Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.), focus on the flavors, and if it’s good, take a moment to appreciate it. Great food, like great art, deserves recognition. And to me, a chef is an artist.

Sajeev

Lost Words: The cost of not saving

I usually write in Notepad++ because it lets me type without autocorrections or an overload of suggestions. It also doesn’t highlight spelling mistakes, which helps me focus on writing without constantly feeling the need to correct things before finishing.  

However, I have a habit of working on new notes without saving them. Since Notepad++ reopens unsaved files, I never worried much about saving in between. But yesterday, that habit cost me dearly. I accidentally closed an unsaved page where I already completed the first draft for a new article, and when the system asked whether to save it, I chose "No" without thinking. Boom! The moment I clicked, I remembered I had been halfway through an article. Oops. Too late—it's gone, every word of it along with some other notes I created.

Now, rewriting it feels exhausting. Maybe it’s not the writing itself that’s tiring, but I am. Perhaps it’s time to restart my long walks on weekends and holidays.

Sajeev

An island of calmness amidst the hustle

I came out on the first floor and walked outside. It was lunchtime, and there were so many people wearing tags with logos of different companies. I looked at the gang of girls walking ahead of us—two people among them were talking to each other, and the rest were giving their ears and sometimes their voices to the conversation.  

On the right side, one guy was walking toward us alone, with a poker face. behind me there were so many mre groups, walking around the big courtyard post lunch. It's rare to see people walking alone here; most are either with others or engaged in conversation over the phone.  

I approached the railing at the end of the courtyard. People were standing there in groups, talking to each other. Some groups were formed based on people working in the same company and speaking the same language; other groups were based on people working on the same projects. Language-based groups seemed to be talking more, while project-based groups defaulted to English, and the pace of conversation was slower. It looks like it's easier to talk to another person in one's mother tongue rather than in any other language.  

I noticed this among friends and colleagues whose mother tongue is different from mine. When I am involved in the conversation, topics are a bit harder to come by and end faster. However, if I am doing something else, the same groups have a lot more to discuss. People seem to be happier and louder while speaking in their mother tongue.  

However, this is not the case with kids in our apartment complex. They talk to each other in fluent English, and there seems to be no shortage of topics. Probably, they are more comfortable with English since they started with it—unlike people like me, who switched to it because of work and moving to a new city.  

Coming back to walking, there was a long moment of disconnect from everyone around me. What am I doing here? Do I feel any connection with anyone nearby? Maybe not. It's like an island of calmness (or maybe nothingness) in the middle of a crowd. I'm not sure whether that is something to be enjoyed, but it is what I am feeling at the moment.  

Sajeev

Challenges with Hotel Stays: Check-In/Check-Out Timings and Booking Experiences

Check-In and Check-Outs 

Long ago, I used to see some hotels offering 24-hour check-in. Now, in the days of Goibibo, Booking.com, Agoda, MakeMyTrip, etc., many hotels list check-in at 12 noon and check-out at 10 in the morning. Some have gone further, with check-in at 2 in the afternoon and check-out at 12 noon. I am not sure how many travelers find these timings convenient, but they certainly don’t work for me. From the hotel’s point of view, they get two hours in a general shift to clean the room for the next guest.  

For me, the problem is that I always reach my destination early in the morning. This way, I can make the most of the day. If I reach the place at noon, more than half the day is wasted. For example, if I am visiting a place over the weekend, it doesn’t make much sense to reach there on Saturday afternoon. Half the day is already gone. Since I need to return home in the morning in time for work, I end up leaving the place by Sunday night. There are so many trains that make these types of journeys very easy.  

Now, let’s say I reach the destination at 7 in the morning, and the check-in is at 12 noon. Sometimes, early check-in is not available. Sometimes, it comes with an extra cost, as I found out on my recent Hyderabad trip. When I check out, I always leave the hotel in the evening. I don’t find it efficient to check out at 10 AM and waste precious daytime traveling. So, what I currently do is check out in the early morning around 9, leave the bags with the hotel, and then return at night to pick up the bags and leave.  

Last September in Udupi, we reached the hotel before 2 PM (their check-in time was 2:00 PM). The rooms were not ready! They later upgraded the room but not before wasting 30-40 minutes of precious daytime. I know this wish may/will not be granted—but if hotels could keep some of their rooms for 24-hour check-in or offer better timings for people like me, who arrive in the morning and leave at night, it would be ideal.  

Reserving Rooms and Payment at Hotels  

I also tried the below-mentioned options while reserving rooms at hotels:  

a. Payment on arrival.  

b. Partial payment a couple of days before the actual check-in and the rest at arrival.  

c. Full payment a couple of days before arrival.  

So far, in all three cases, when booked via third-party sites like Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, Agoda, Booking.com, etc., everything went well. Note, I can’t say the same for all, so check the last suggestion at the end of this article.  

Now, I tried the same on a hotel’s own website. I reserved a famous hotel in Jaipur without paying. You may wonder why I did this—mainly because that option was available. If it wasn’t, I would have paid during the booking itself. The hotel’s website sent me emails after booking and close to the travel dates. So far, so good. This hotel also provided one airport transfer included in the bill.  

To schedule the airport transfer, I called them. Things went south from here. To my surprise, the guy at the other end told me that my reservation was not confirmed because I hadn’t paid. Now, they didn’t have any rooms left due to the festival season, and I couldn’t stay there. The guy insisted on this and didn’t offer any other options. I told him I received an email from their website about my booking and welcome messages, and there were no notifications about payments. If the reservation was not valid or they wanted me to pay in advance, they could have simply added a line in the email. After the call ended, I received one more email from their site—my booking was canceled!  

For the same trip, but on another day in Delhi, I had already booked a hotel via Agoda with a payment-on-arrival option. I was worried they might also cancel it. Fortunately, they honored the contract.  

Another problem faced while booking on a hotel’s own website is cancellations. Many don’t offer an option to cancel without losing most or all of the booking amount. They insist on rescheduling the trip within the next 3–6 months. This happened to us last year. The problem is that you may not find a suitable slot during the given interval. Some hotels are straightforward and immediately cancel and refund the amount after deducting a cancellation fee.  

Some Suggestions to fellow travelers

1. It’s better to apply caution when booking rooms on a hotel’s own website. The price may be lower compared to third-party sites, but always read and confirm the options available for cancellations or rescheduling.  

2. Never reserve a room without paying on a hotel’s own website, even if the option is available (pay on arrival).  

3. If you are arriving early, check whether early check-in is possible and whether it has extra charges.  

4. If your room is below ground floor, think twice before taking it. You may not like it after some time. This happened to us in Satara. We changed the room to the 2nd floor.  

5. Always try to book hotels close to good eateries. A 5-10 minute Google search will easily show you the place. In mid to high-end hotels, restaurants will be very costly. Also, if you don’t like the hotel’s restaurant, you will always have an alternative. Of course, you can order via Swiggy or Zomato as well.  

6. In case your booking is in a well-established market in a big city (e.g., Paharganj in Delhi, KR Market in Bangalore, or Old Hyderabad), always avoid going out or returning to the hotel during peak hours. Many times, you’ll end up spending huge amounts of time in Indian traffic.  

7. Also, take note of the closest hospital and metro station (if there is one) near your stay.  

8. If your train reaches the destination early in the morning, check whether a retiring room is available at the station. These retiring rooms are located on the platform itself. One can book a retiring room either at the source station or the destination station using a PNR number on the IRCTC website. You can book it for a duration of 4–48 hours either immediately before departure or right after arrival. The rates are very economical. If early check-in is unavailable, it’s better to freshen up at the railway station itself.  

9. Never book rooms, flight tickets, etc., using any third party that doesn’t have customer care or a contact number that someone will answer, regardless of how good their offer is. If there is a possibility for something to go wrong, it will go wrong at some point. This happened to us, and we were left without any option to cancel the to-and-fro flight tickets.  

Sajeev

Midnight hospital visit and fast diagnosis

Babies have their own way of communicating, whether people around them understand that or not is altogether a different problem. Over a period of time, understanding becomes better. Still, it’s not always easy to figure out why they cry sometimes—is it because of stomach pain? Are they hungry? Or do they want to sleep? Is their clothing too tight, or is it too cold or hot? Do they have a gas problem? Or is it just for getting attention? It can be for any number of reasons. So we try one best possible option after another to see which one works.  

On that cold Christmas night, Niha woke up from sleep and started crying in a loud noise non-stop. Everyone tried different tricks to pacify her, but she was not calming down. She kept on crying for the next forty-five minutes. Finally, we decided to see a doctor. The hotel guys suggested either the railway hospital or Apollo. It was close to midnight; we booked Uber and went to Apollo. Unfortunately, that hospital was closed. The cab driver knew another one nearby; it was working, but they suggested JK Lone. So we went to JK Lone. By the time we reached, Niha stopped crying and slept. What to do now? Go or not to go? Since we came all the way there, I decided to go inside.  

This is not the first time this is happening with Niha. Last time it happened when we were in Idukki. Idukki Medical College was nearby, and we went there at that time. There too, she stopped crying the moment we crossed the hospital gate. Doctors checked her and kept her there for the next three hours. They also gave her medicine for gastric issues. She slept there comfortably while we simply sat there.  

There were no patients at that time, and the doctor was a young lady who was reading a book with most lines highlighted. When she saw us, she looked upwards. I mentioned the non-stop crying for close to an hour and that she had just now fallen asleep. She had only one question: Is this your first kid? I told her yes. She suddenly completed the diagnosis: Kids will cry; that is normal, there is no problem. If they are not crying, then there is a problem.  

It was such a revelation for us—kids will cry!!! I looked at Divya; she was confused, as if asking, “Really? Kids will cry?” After passing the diagnosis, she gave a prescription—paracetamol—and went back to her books. Probably for a PG entrance exam? I was kind of wondering, what next? Shall we go or say something? Finally, I repeated to the doctor that crying non-stop for an hour doesn’t seem to be normal. She just repeated what she said earlier, but in a louder voice. It looks like, like many people, she also thinks that making the sound louder makes everything convincing. Convinced or not, we went outside, gave the prescription in the pharmacy, and got the medicine, which still sits in the table drawer with an unbroken seal.  

While going back to the hotel, scenes from Idukki Medical College went through my head—how the same situation played out in different ways. It’s possible that whatever this doctor told us may be right; we were simply worried because Niha is our first child, which in turn indicates that we are inexperienced. But I still don’t trust a prescription from a doctor who doesn’t even check or look at the patient.  

When we crossed the reception at the hotel, they asked how it went. I told them what happened. They mentioned that JK Lone is the best hospital in all of Rajasthan for kids. Maybe because of the nighttime, it wasn’t functioning properly and advised us to go again in the morning. I looked at Niha; she was sleeping. I just wished that she should not have that problem again, and of course, we are not going to JK Lone again...  

Sajeev

Hospitals as profit hubs? Even parking isn't free anymore!!!

After a long travel during the year-end, most of the family got infections and fell ill. We went to nearby major private hospitals for treatment. All hospital visits except one were during the daytime. Note that these are fully for-profit hospitals, and in Bangalore, consulting charges for doctors at private hospitals start at ₹800 per visit (follow-up visits with the same doctor within three days have no charges). If it's a specialist doctor, then the charge will be ₹1,000 or more. Super-specialists are even costlier. Now, even in small clinics in Bangalore, a doctor’s charge starts from ₹600. If you get admitted, it’s a different ballgame. Sometimes, within a week, you may exhaust your yearly health insurance coverage, as one of my ex-colleagues discovered last year.  

Doctor’s charges are just a part of the overall expenditure. Other than restrooms and drinking water, everything is chargeable in these hospitals. The day may not be far when hospitals start charging for drinking water and restroom access as well! One hospital (there may be more; but so far I saw this trend with one hospital) even took a leaf from Uber's playbook and adopted surge pricing. The only difference here is that the surge happens at night. My wife had to undergo an ultrasound scan as her stomach pain wasn’t reducing even after an injection. When I saw the bill at discharge, I was astonished to see how much the ultrasound scan cost. It was exactly double the daytime rate. Note that the hospital has a scanning unit, but since it was nighttime, labor was costly! Fortunately, consultations for emergency doctors at night cost the same as during the daytime!  

However, what was even more interesting is the trend in hospitals to outsource their parking needs, with the outsourcing company collecting money from patients who need to park their vehicles. Some hospitals haven’t started this yet, but many have. Charges start hourly, with the first hour costing ₹50. But should hospitals charge parking fees from patients? Isn’t it a facility they should provide without additional charges to their patients? I can understand parking charges in a shopping mall, but does the same logic apply to hospitals?  

In Bangalore, space is costly, so when the hospital's parking slots are full, they may need to find additional parking space, which costs money. But shouldn’t that expense be part of the service they provide to their patients? Many hospitals has their own parking (which is quite big), shouldn’t that at least be free of cost? 

Sajeev