It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.
— “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
If you are a fan of Charles Dickens like me, you will remember this iconic character Grumpy Old Scrooge. Scrooge gets a peek into his nephew’s Christmas celebration, where his laughter sets the mood and all the guests start feeling cheerful. Scrooge then wishes that he had also accepted his nephew’s invitation. The quote from the classic is so apt for our times. Where there may very little reason to be cheerful, a bit of good humour is a good dose of Vitamin too and it enhances our sense of wellbeing.
Hello and Welcome to the eighth issue of Journeys and Jottings. I hope that everyone is in good health as we emerge out of yet another lockdown. In this issue, we talk about the need for a good morning routine and a fascinating “Word Game” that I stumbled upon. For coffee lovers, we feature Araku Valley Coffee in 100 Stories of India and in People Make Places, we meet the multifaceted Dr. Srikumar Menon - architect, academician, author, traveller, teacher who is passionate about prehistoric monuments and archaeological sites and specialises in the ancient architecture of Indian subcontinent.
What’s the Good Word ?
The dictionary has always been one of my favourite books since childhood. My parents gifted me the Oxford pocket dictionary on my 10th birthday and I had a diary where I would jot down a new word every day. My passion for writing actually started with my love for words. Even today I flip through the Word of the Day on Merriam Webster and have subscribed to several newsletters. And that is how I stumbled upon this little time machine that takes me to the year of my birth.
Time Traveler by Merriam Webster
This new time machine takes you to the year of your birth and shows you the words that were added to the dictionary in that year. As an article in Time Magazine says, “Language often influences the way we perceive our world, after all; it’s worth paying attention to the ways our views were shaped by the verbal era we entered. “ The portal also takes you into the medieval era as you trace some of the oldest words in the English language. I tried the year of my birth and among the handful of words that are as old as me, I found agony aunt, chai, fly on the wall, life support, memory card, supermom, transgender, wake-up call among many others. Go ahead and play the game here if you like.
The Oxford English Dictionary has another fun game that generates a random word for you based on the year of your birth. Mine was “ banoffi.” Try yours.
I also recommend The Allusionist - A podcast on language and this episode features Word of the Day and Dictionary.com's Renae Hurlbutt and Jane Solomon
What are the other word games that you like to play?
Start your day with a morning ritual
What is the difference between a routine and a ritual? A routine is just a sequence of activities, a series of to-dos - wash your vessels, make your breakfast, have a fruit, do some stretches. A ritual on the contrary is when you add a bit of mindfulness into your activities. They go beyond a checklist and gives you a sense of purpose.
Having your cup of coffee or tea in the morning can be a ritual, a mindful experience, where you can slowly savour the essence, soak in the silence or listen to some chants and let the warmth linger in your throat for a while. Another ritual for me is to water the plants every morning as I let the breeze caress my cheeks while I talk to my plants. Some of my friends like to wake up every morning and just soak in the first rays of sun. I also journal, where I start with notes on gratitude, my affirmations, and set a few intentions for the day. And then I meditate for about ten minutes before getting started with the day. Every activity can be a ritual if you add a dash of attitude to it, a subjective experience that is only special to you - even washing vessels or cutting vegetables.
Some references for you to read
100 Stories of India
The weather slowly changed as we climbed uphill. It was nippy with the promise of a downpour anytime. The valley enclosed the Sunkarimetta Reserve Forest which came alive with bird calls. But as we drove through the winding mountain roads, carpeted with the dense forests, I was fascinated with the Araku Valley coffee plantations that lined the road. WIth pepper creepers snaking around the silver oak trees, the arabica plants were sheltered in shade. As we sauntered through the lush landscape, I heard some interesting snippets of history of the coffee plantations.
While the Western Ghats was known as the home of coffee in India, the Eastern Ghats had it’s share of coffee plantations as well. Besides the Shevaroy Hills around Yercaud in Tamil Nadu, coffee was also introduced in Pamaleru Valley in the East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh by the British. However, it was not until a century later when coffee found its roots in the Araku Valley.
Yet the story began only in the 1950s. As the forest department took over the initiative, a cooperative called Girijan Cooperative Corporation came up to the fore to engage the tribal farmers in the cultivation and production. The dormant plantations were slowly regenerated and eventually private NGOS like Naandi Foundation took over the tribal empowerment initiative besides promoting the branded Araku Coffee to a global audience.
I am however fascinated by the Coffee Museum in Araku Valley which is a sheer treasure-house of trivia for coffee connoisseurs.
People Make Places
I was referred to Dr. Srikumar Menon over a decade ago when I was looking for some information on a prehistoric cave painting site in Anegundi, near Hampi. And the site was called Onake Kindi in Maurya Mane. The article was published in my column Inside Story in The Hindu and on my blog and it had quotes from Dr. Menon and his colleague Dr. Ravi Korisettar.
Over the last ten years, I have been fascinated by the work created by Dr. Srikumar Menon, an architect with a passionate interest in the ancient archaeology and architecture of India. He was a Professor with the Manipal Institute of Technology and he now teaches at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS). His doctorate was on Megaliths and possible intentional astronomical alignments built into them.
He has studied extensively the sites of the Malaprabha Valley, Hampi-Hire Benakal region among others, and has authored books - Ancient Stone Riddles - Megaliths of the Indian Subcontinent and Comets - Nomads of the Solar System.
I did a short interview with him on his interests in travel, history, architecture, and writing. And here is a short excerpt.
1. Which are your favourite destinations for art and architecture enthusiasts ?
I have been traveling to numerous important cultural heritage sites all over India for over 15 years now, but I cannot think of any place which impressed me more than Hire Benakal, the extensive megalithic site north of Hampi. I think it is the sheer drama in the setting of the place – hundreds of prehistoric monuments scattered among the haphazard piles of rounded granite boulders which make up the surreal landscape there which hits one so obviously.
The very first time I saw this place I was hooked – I couldn’t help thinking that this is the Hampi of all megalithic sites! I mean, Hampi is a place where there is such a surfeit of monuments, any of which would be an attention grabber by itself, anywhere. Similarly, most of the large dolmens of Hire Benakal would stand out in any landscape, but there are so many of them in one place there that it looks like an embarrassment of riches!
Another place that has captured my imagination is the Malaprabha Valley, with places like Badami , Pattadakal, and Aihole. Here, too, the unique blend of landscape and monuments is what makes the place so uniquely appealing. The low sandstone cliffs that hem in the River Malaprabha are sculpturesque by themselves, with the action of wind and water over millennia. It is in this dramatic amphitheater of sandstone that the artisans of the Early Chalukyan dynasty, and their successors, erected so many picturesque monuments.
Apart from the well-known monuments, there are so many lesser-known marvels here. How many visitors to Badami would have had the privilege of seeing the little rock pool surrounded by carvings of Hindu divinities, called Arali Tirtha in the cliffs to the east of Badami?
2. People make places . Who is your inspiration ?
Many people have inspired me, but one name that comes to mind immediately is that of the renowned archaeologist Prof. A. Sundara. His contribution to the field of archaeology is immense, but more than that, just the sheer number of places he has visited and studied, is mind-boggling. His fame had preceded him and I was totally in awe of him, as I asked him advice pertaining to my study of megaliths. I was pleasantly surprised when he mentioned that scholars nowadays were too focused on getting results and did not believe in wandering for the sheer pleasure, and fun, and discovery that comes with it. I hastily assured him that all my academic pursuits were largely convenient excuses for spending as much time as possible in the field, and a warm and enduring friendship developed. He has been a mentor and guide to me for well over a decade now, and I am happy and proud to say that so far my “aimless wanderings” in the wildernesses of India have resulted in the chance discovery of three previously unreported megalithic sites and one prehistoric rock art site.
3. How do people start appreciating art and architecture when they visit a destination ?
One is much better equipped to experience a place if one does one’s homework before visiting any place. For instance, many visitors to Badami miss the beautiful face of a lovely lady painted on the inside of the eave of Cave 2, part of a painting still faintly visible after more than 12 centuries.
As one sees many different monuments, one learns to see how the designers have responded to the site and its characteristics. I love the way the Vijayanagara artisans have ingeniously incorporated the many boulders at the site into their architecture.
The architects of Badami have responded to the sandstone cliffs there, in their own ingenious way The best way to start appreciating sites and monuments is to just keep on visiting, and reading!
All monuments tell stories of the people who made them, and those who used them over the centuries. If one keeps one’s eyes open, it is possible to discern some of these stories from signs they left behind – the unfinished part of a monument, a wear mark created by some activity… It is these clues, rather like those a detective picks up at a crime site, which make ancient monuments come alive and tell us stories of those who passed on long ago.
4.And whats next on the agenda ?
I have just finished a volume of short fiction based on several of the experiences I have had in the field, which do not really fit between the covers of academic journals. I am currently looking for a publisher for this. I have plans for a novel based on the life of a medieval artisan, set in the eighth century. I have also been working on a non-fiction book on the monumental architecture of South India for a while now, so there is enough stuff to keep me busy these days!
On the research front, I have extended my studies of megaliths and temples, to the Himalaya, and northeast India, and I am hoping that travel becomes a possibility again, so that I get to visit these places as often as I want to.
Until we meet again
I do hope that you enjoyed reading this issue. Stay safe, stay at home, and get vaccinated at the earliest. Looking forward to your feedback as always. We are going to keep the flow of conversations going and I would really appreciate it if you will share my newsletter with your friends and family.
See you soon ! You can also read my travel stories on my blog and follow me on my social media
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