Should a critical decision which impacts a country in the shorter or longer run be decided by a referendum?

MAYBE this will be the beginning of a new trend. Referendum on whether to have schools or not ? Whether to have grammar at schools? Whether to screen movies at colleges?  Whether to have a timetable for classes in a college? Whether to declare three day working week? and so on. Who knows? Referendum is the new fashion word!

A referendum is a form of direct democracy, whereas in a representative democracy, the government decides policy after Parliamentary debates etc. Referendums put the onus on the voter in what is essentially a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ choice. We cannot give the decision power of a referendum to the people on issues which need firm governance. I am not talking about governance at gun point. On several issues where personal discretion is involved and in issues which affect the people's life we need opinion polls to gauge the minds of the people. For example, do we make the minimum age of 18 or 21 for voting? This may be referred to public. The government cannot decide objectively on 18 or 19 or 20. These ages more or less represent same levels of maturity. 

A judicial system cannot go for public referendum about the quantum of punishment. Maybe, opinion polls on whether to implement capital punishment or not can be held, but a referendum? Certainly Not.

A referendum (in some countries is synonymous with plebiscite, or a vote on a ballot question) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal.

But on matters where they need to arrive at objective decision, they can give opinions via opinion polls, but it is up to the governing body to decide after an effective debate - after all they are elected by the people and they can make law by effective debates. For passing each law, the referendum is not held but elected representatives decide after effective debates. After all, elections are held to enable governing bodies to decide on people's behalf. When people at large cannot objectively decide since many factors are to be weighed before deciding, then referendum cannot be an option. 

Now, the Brexit issue. In theory, Cameron could ignore the public and disregard a Brexit vote.  But In practice he has repeatedly promised that the result will stick – and there may be no going back on that line now.  That is his view but now more than 3 million people have petitioned for second referendum. When more than 100,000 people ask for a second referendum and the online petition has crossed this, the British parliament is obligated to look into this. The website for the online petition for second referendum is crashing in Britain with each passing day witnessing increasing traffic. The result of uninformed voting in the first phase of voting is evident by the signatories for the petition and the top trending Google search in UK post Brexit, the very telling “What is the EU?”

This incident brings in the understanding of pros and cons of referendum.

Arguments put forward in favor of referendums are:

- It is a real form of direct democracy

- They increase political participation

- Referendum can serve as a brake on “elective dictatorships” during a government’s five years span

- Referendum may provide a clear answer to a question the government might be ‘asking’

- If the government listens to the people, it is likely to be gaining public approval and support

- Referendum can unite a divided lot

-Referendum can provide a mandate for controversial policies.

-Referendum legitimizes important constitutional issues such as devolution.

Arguments put forward against the use of referendums are

- Referendums are inconsistent with the belief in parliamentary sovereignty.

- Issues might be too complex for a mere yes/no vote or for the public to understand

-The regular use of referendum could lead to apathy among the public. They may get frustrated with frequent referrals 

-There are effective low cost alternatives: opinion polls and by-elections. A referendum is an expensive undertaking and not suitable for multiple uses.

- A low turnout can distort results. Even in Brexit referendums, there is a view that the climate also played spoil sport as many booth stations were empty 

-The results of a referendum might not be decisive may in fact lead to a sharply divided constituency. 

-Funding differences can affect results as government money can pour into a referendum and the group on the other side may well be handicapped on this front

-Referendum might result in “the tyranny of the majority”. If the majority votes for it, does the government go ahead with it? What about the wishes of the minority? How are these safeguarded?

- Opinion polls can gauge the mood, but legislations based on referendums will throw away the representative democracy environment under which we currently operate. 

To end, these words of Chanakya are relevant.

A nation is NOT governed on popular opinion alone. It is built on the knowledge, wisdom and expertise of its leaders. 

If popular opinions are not in the direction of the objective legislation as derived by the elected parliament, sufficient efforts have to be spent by legislators to shape the opinion in such a way as to reach an effective alignment. A referendum may not be the best answer, but for those who need to make the tough decision, it is an easy solution.

Greek Lady Commandos! Women Empowerment in Chandragupta Times?

For Illustrative Purpose Only

VERY recently we were treated to the news that the Indian Air Force has inducted woman fighter pilots. Women in the Air Force were only allowed to pilot helicopters and transport aircraft. This step was being touted as recognition of parity between men and women in the armed forces. There have been queens and warrior princesses in Indian history. Rani of Jhansi Lakshmibai springs to the mind, but one of the earliest examples would be that of the lady commandos of Chandragupta Maurya.

In one of my earlier blogs I have already spoken about Helen daughter of the Greek regional satrap Selukos. Helen became the second wife of Chandragupta after his first wife died while giving birth to Bindusara. But Helen did not come alone! She was accompanied by her own set of guards and to everyone’s surprise they were female commandos! The journey from being personal commandos of Helen to becoming the personal commandos guarding Emperor Chandragupta and being the Royal Guards is an interesting one.

Chandragupta had a lot of enemies. His life was always in danger. Chanakya was Chandragupta’s guide, mentor and the force behind his accession to the throne and he had taken certain steps to safeguard the emperor’s life. One of the steps was that Chandragupta’s palace would have many bedrooms and all of them would be reserved for the king. At the last moment a bedroom among those available will be chosen for the night for the King to sleep in. Thus his location would be irregular and any assassination attempt would be difficult. But this arrangement created another problem for Helen. She found it demeaning and insulting that every night she would have to ask the guards for which bedroom to go in and she could never do any special arrangements! This created the need for more subtle handling of the King security keeping in mind the Queen’s emotions.

All visitors to the King were thoroughly frisked for concealed weapons. Since the Kings security was handled by men and most visitors were men this did not create any issues. Also the threat of women carrying weapons was perceived to be very low. But two instances changed this perception.

A woman astrologer came to the Emperor and said that she would read out his fortune. Since she had come recommended by some of the Queen’s acquaintances the security was a bit lax. After studying the horoscope she said that she would like to read the palm of the King as well to get a more accurate fortune reading. The King obliged and went near the astrologer and extended his palm. The lady quickly drew a short poisoned blade from her clothes to strike the King. Chandragupta was quicker and blocked her hand while the security slit the woman’s throat.

The second instance was when a party of women horse traders from the Kashmir region came down to sell fine horses to Chandragupta who was known as a connoisseur of horses. The King and three of his security team along with Chanakya went down to the stables where the horses were kept. The woman traders suddenly drew weapons and blades hidden in the straw and under the horse’s saddle and started to attack the party. While the security and Chanakya fought the women, Chandragupta leapt onto horse and rode away.

Both the security breaches were due to insufficient frisking or relaxed threat perception as women were involved. To address the dual problem of frisking lady visitors and the perceived inconvenience and embarrassment to the Queen in communicating about sleeping arrangements and bedrooms with male guards, Chandragupta came up with a solution that his closest line of defense needs to be women guards. The guards of Helen fit the bill perfectly. Thus the prominence of Helen’s commandos increased and they were assigned to be the Royal guards.

Even in Chandragupta’s time the role of Helen and her item it intentions were suspected and palace whispers were that these attempts on the Emperor’s life were designed so that she and her guards could come into prominence.

But did Helen really love Chandragupta? What was the ultimate role of the lady commandos? Was she a spy or an assassinate to kill Chandragupta at the appointed hour? Or was she the latest pawn in search of the secrets of ancient India? Secrets, that had Alexander come down to India in the first place?

To find out this and much more, read the book “The Indus Challenge”. Hitting the bookshelves soon….

Censorship?

DOES a film reflect the society or society follows films? There is also the classic retort that films don’t spoil society nor sermons improve them. So can freedom of expression be absolute. Certainly not. But does this mean there needs to be a big brother censor? Absolutely no and any cuts if inspired by a bias will have to be fought against. I believe that the film fraternity itself needs to defend right and wrong by themselves. Change has to come from within. Finally, any external agency appointed as guardian of sensibilities will face the classic ‘Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?’ Who will guard the guards? ‪#‎udtapunjab‬

Bramhastra : Ancient Knowledge Lost?

For Illustrative Purpose Only

WHEN it comes to ancient India and war and weapons, two words are quite common, “astras” and “shastras”. Shastra literally referred to weapons in physical form which are to be wielded by a warrior. These include the usual suspects such as swords, mace, whips etc. “Astras” on the other hand are projected towards the enemy. They are the modern equivalent of missiles. You need to fire them towards your enemy.

Perhaps the most legendary, famous and feared astra would be the ‘Bramhastra’. The weapon was supposed to be created by ‘Bramha’ the creator himself. The weapon is supposed to be so powerful that the target would be utterly destroyed. Why would a creator create a weapon that is designed for total destruction? It was never intended to be a purely destructive weapon. Brahmastra was created for the purpose of upholding Dharma and Satya, to be used by anyone who wished to destroy an enemy who would also happen to be a part of Brahma's creation. It was not a weapon to be lightly used to settle petty enmity.

For a weapon of such legendary power, the acquisition of the knowledge to acquire and use it will naturally be very rare. One of the most accepted way of using the Bramhastra in ancient India was by invoking the Gayatri Mantra. It was said that the rhythm, the tone and specific stresses during the reciting would create such waves as could transform even a blade of grass into a feared weapon. The frequencies in the vibrations of the mantra itself would affect any material at the molecular level and free up the potential energy of each atom.

But then why would you or me today even after knowing the Gayatri Mantra are not able to invoke the Bramhastra? The answer lies in siddhi. One has to gain siddhi on a particular mantra before it works miracles for him. It may also involve the mantra being taught to him by a person who is already a ‘siddha’ in the mantra. Now what is siddhi and who is a siddha? Every mantra needs a particular no. of repetition after which it becomes 'Siddh'. Siddhi is nothing but when a sadhaka chants with full concentration a particular mantra for a particular number of times (the number varies and is either in thousands or lakhs or crores for each type), it gives him siddhi in that. Siddhi is nothing but that particular person himself becomes charged with that mighty energy.

But then how does siddhi work in actual practice? We all chant various mantras and shlokas and do pooja but never see the physically transformative effects materialize. The answer in this case lies in the nature of sound. There are two types of sound: un-struck/un-heard sound and struck/heard sound. Un-struck sound is a vibration of ether, the upper or purer air near the celestial realm. The enlightened yogis seek the unstruck sound called “Anaahata Nada”, and only they can hear it. The struck sound or “Aahata Nada”, is the vibration of air in the lower atmosphere closer to the earth. It is any sound that we hear in nature or man-made sounds, musical, and non-musical. So to release Brahmastra it's the Anahata sound which is used to chant Gayatri and not the normal Aahata sound which we use for puja. Along with siddhi, the invoker also needs to be a powerful person in his own right and a person who is in tune with the Anahata sound. The Bramhastra unleashed say by Arjun will never have the potency of the astra released by the Bramha the creator himself.

Modern science has been able to go close in terms of destructive power to the Bramhastra. We now have nuclear weapons that use the principles of physics and chemistry to unlock the potential energy locked within each and every atom. But the efficiency of this conversion is extremely low. Only 1/3000^th of matter is converted into destructive energy in a nuclear bomb. The Bramhastra as the legends say was very destructive even when a single blade of grass was used.

Leave the ancient history and the theory behind the Astra. Also disregard the modern nuclear weapons. What about modern times? Why don’t we have something as efficient as Bramhastra? The most probable answer to that would be that we have simply lost the skill and the siddhi required to use the Bramhastra? Perhaps all that knowledge has been lost to the ravages of history and there have been no great gurus who passed on the knowledge to a worthy disciple in the Kaliyuga. Perhaps the invocation only is not sufficient and something else is required? 

What could that ‘something else’ be? Where would the ancient knowledge have gone? How did great kings such as Alexander and Chandragupta, and great mystic scholars such as Chanakya fare in their hunt for the Bramhastra? Was anybody close to being successful? To know more about this you will need to grab a copy of the forthcoming historical fiction, the page turner “The Indus Challenge”. Soon to hit the bookstores…

Ashwamedh Yagna to Alexander: A Horse that connects the Ages

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THROUGHOUT history there have been many instances of exceptional animals playing the supporting or a significant role in shaping events of history. From an Indian perspective Ashwamedh Yagna is considered to be the pinnacle of the success of an Emperor and an animal plays a starring role in the entire proceedings.

The Ashwamedh Yagna was traditionally done by Kings who have supreme confidence in their military might. After religious rituals the horse was set free for a period of one year to roam around the extended kingdoms. Whenever the horse goes the Kings warriors follow and if any King or any other agent stops the horse it is considered to be a challenge to the authority of the King. The King then has to ensure that he is victorious in the battle over the challenger and thus he can establish his authority.

The Ashwamedh Yagna was done by the Pandavas after the great Mahabharata war was concluded. It is said that a more elaborate and a grander Ashwamedh Yagna had never been performed till that date. The arcane rituals included a symbolic night spent by the Queen in the company of the horse. This Yagna had a horse that had one defining characteristic. He had a white star-shaped mark on his forehead almost as if the horse was wearing a bindi.

Alexander was also known to be extremely fond of the horse his father brought for him. The details of Alexander and his horse are widely known and very heavily recorded. A renowned horse dealer named Philonicus of Thessalian had offered the horse to King Philip II. The King flatly refused as the massive beast was completely wild and did not suffer a rider on its back. Legend says that Alexander tamed the horse and thus a special bond existed between the two. The horse was named Bucephalus and he was a massive black beast.

Bucephalus and Alexander were inseparable; only Alexander could ride him, and indeed he did, into every battle from the conquest of the Greek city-states and Thebes through Gaugamela and into India. The horse and man had a strange connection almost as if they were friends. Alexander used to routinely whisper into the horse’s ear and direct him. Even the horse was more receptive to Alexanders words and his masters touch than to any whip or reins. Bucephalus was also very protective of Alexander. Once when the Alexander was injured in battle, the Bucephalus himself without any direction took Alexander back to the camp and his tent to get treatment. After the final defeat of Darius, Bucephalus was kidnapped while Alexander was away on excursion. Upon returning and learning of the theft, Alexander promised to fell every tree, lay the countryside to waste, and slaughter every inhabitant in the region. The horse was soon returned along with a plea for mercy. Such was the love between Bucephalus and Alexander.

It is said that the horse accompanied Alexander up to India and in the end he was wounded in the Battle of the Hydaspes. The horse died at the ripe age of 30, exceptionally long for a horse. Alexander was so hurt by the death that he conducted complete death rituals for Bucephalus and also founded a city in the name of the horse. The horse is supposed to be buried in what is now modern Pakistan, and is buried in Jalalpur Sharif outside of Jhelum, Pakistan. Another account states that Bucephalus is buried in Phalia, a town in Pakistan's Mandi Bahauddin District, which is named after him. The defining characteristic of the horse was a white star-shaped mark on his forehead almost as if the horse was wearing a bindi!!!

All descriptions of the horse used by the Pandavas in the  Ashwamedh Yagna and that of Bucephalus match. Was Bucephalus the reincarnation of the Yagna horse from the Pandava times? Was there any karmic connection between the two horses? What ancient secrets has the Ashwamedh horse seen and heard from the days past? Did Alexander, who was also behind Ambrosia and Brahmastra in India get any help from his own horse? To know more about this you will need to grab a copy of the forthcoming historical fiction, the page turner “The Indus Challenge”. Soon to hit the bookstores.

The First Caesarian Operation

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INDIAN history and mythology is replete with instances and incidences that have a strong resemblance to modern medical miracles. The strong proponents of ancient India being a lighthouse of scientific achievements, point out Lord Ganesh, with his elephant head fitted onto a body in human form as being an ancient example of organ transplant. Modern science has just now started to transplant hands and legs. Another oft quoted example is that of Gandhari with her hundred sons and one daughter being test tube babies rather than biological full term babies conceived naturally. We also have the Mahabharata war being live telecast as an ongoing commentary by Sanjay to Dhritarashtra. Whether these are true or just symbolic, one cannot say in today’s day and age. But no one can take away the seed of the idea that was in the minds of the recorders of these great epics. The ideas of live telecast, babies being grown outside the body and organ transplants by themselves are miraculous.

Post some ancient examples; there are no famous examples of medical medicals or operations or any such scientific achievement in the recorded history for quite some time. But one example from around 30 BC is that of the birth of Bindusara. It is an example that is well recorded in history and gives the origin of the name Bindusara itself.

Emperor Chandragupta had founded his vast empire by a systematic plan by which he took over kingdom by kingdom the entire land mass of India. As a conqueror he had a vast number of enemies who would always be on the lookout of ways to assassinate the Emperor. The usual tactics in those times was through hired assassins, ambush during travels, seduction through courtesans and the most popular poison.

Fortunately Chandragupta had an able security team and the master of strategy Chanakya himself. The Emperor had an elaborate security detail that used a combination of secrecy, decoys and thorough background checks for people coming to meet the Emperor. But all of these were not sufficient to protect the Emperor from that one drop of poison that may come through known or unknown hand through his food or through a small pinprick or a dart.

Chanakya had a solution for this. Right since the time that Chanakya took over as the mentor of the Emperor when he was a small boy, he was fed minute amounts all the most common poisons as part of his food. Chandragupta’s body was now so used to the small doses of poison that his body started to become immune to the poisons. A normal dose sufficient to kill a man would have very little effect on Chandragupta by the time he became Emperor. But this arrangement was always kept a secret between Chanakya, Chandragupta and the closest of his bodyguards.

Once when Chandragupta’s wife was heavily pregnant, she walked into the room of Chandragupta and saw some food lying on the side tables. Without knowing that the food was spiked with poison she tasted some of the food. The poison started to spread through the veins of the queen and she fell unconscious. Chandragupta came in and upon seeing his wife in unconscious state straightaway asked for Chanakya to be summoned.

Chanakya immediately understood the problem. He could give the antidote to the mother and save her but by that time it would have reached the babies delicate system and it would have died inside. Or else the other option was to immediately cut open the womb of the queen and get the baby out before the mother’s blood and the poison reached the baby. Faced with this alternative, Chanakya give importance to the baby’s life rather than the mothers. He cut open the belly and accessed the womb and thus Bindusara was born. The poison had just started to reach the baby and left a small blue mark on the baby’s forehead. This bindi mark was the origin of the name Bindusara. The first recorded cesarean operation had just been performed and the baby was safe though the mother died.

How did the death of the Queen affect Chandragupta? Who replaced the queen and took away the affections of Chandragupta? How did this affect his empire and his close friends? And how did the devils choice that Chanakya made, came back to haunt him. What effect did this entire episode have on Rudra our protagonist? To know more about this you will need to grab a copy of the forthcoming historical fiction, the page turner “The Indus Challenge”. Soon to hit the bookstores.

Voice Commands: The Gateway to the Secret Shastras

                                For Illustrative Purpose Only

SMARTPHONES are common these days. Most of the smartphone have the capability to take voice commands to do normal tasks or search for info. Google itself has a search feature where instead of typing we can just speak the words for the search to get activated.  Hollywood has always shown security systems that work on a combination of facial recognition and voice pattern analysis to open doors and access data in various movies. Voice commands are a reality in today’s world.

It is said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic! Perhaps the most underrated instance of a voice command in ancient days is the voice command “Open Sesame” used to open the treasure cave in the classic children’s tale of “Ali Baba and 40 thieves”. But ancient India has a rich history of understanding the nuances of voice and the power that its holds. We need to understand that voice is nothing but a series of vibration that are produced in matter that the sound waves pass through and when used in the right way, they can have tremendous effects.

One of the basic properties of sound is its frequency. In a landmark article titled “Frequencies that can kill, heal and transcend” the author Stephen Knapp observes that, “The science of vibrations and frequencies and how they affect people is something that has been around for thousands of years. We can still find evidence of this in the ancient Vedic texts of India. These explain not only the results of using the frequencies of words and mantras, but also supply instructions in some cases. The sages of ancient India used it to produce various results in the rituals they performed, and from the mantras they would recite. If the mantras were recited in particular ways, certain amazing results would take place, including changing the weather, producing certain types of living beings, or even palaces. Others used it to produce weapons, like the brahmashtra weapon, which was equal to the modern nuclear bombs. Specific mantras could be attached to arrows, with the sound causing powerful explosions when the arrow reached its target. Others used the science of vibrations to bring their consciousness to higher levels of perception, or to enter spiritual reality.”

Siddhis as defined most commonly, are supernatural powers that can be used to achieve various effects. These include ability to change one’s shape or size at will, to obtain riches and what one wills and also to control and influence the minds of other people. How to get the Siddhis? The ancient texts refer to 5 ways: by birth, by using drugs/medicines, by using incantations, by penance and by taking Samadhi. Incantations or series of words and sounds when uttered in the pitch perfect manner have the power to physically influence the ways the world works and how you interact with the world. Essentially, a voice command would give the chanter powers.

The legendary Bramhastra or the most powerful weapon ever used was supposed to be invoked by the chanting of the gayatri mantra in a very specific manner by people who were trained in it. It was said that in the hands of the skilled warrior, even a blade of grass would transform into the destructive Bramhastra. The sound waves that the warrior using the astra generates would create vibrations at a molecular level that transforms normal matter into a weapon. This can be one of the earliest examples recognizing the power of sound waves.

One of the contemporary debates centered on usage of voice commands is that of opening a vault of the famed Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple at Thiruvananthapuram. The temple got instant fame when a committee constituted by the Supreme Court of India opened one of the temple vaults and found billions worth of treasure in it. There is a second vault called as vault B in the court records that is yet to be opened. The vault has two large cobras engraved on its iron doors and is believed to have been closed by a “Naga Bandhanam”  a mantra used as a security measure by Siddha Purushas in the 16^th century. Only a “Garuda Mantra” chanted by an accomplished siddha can be used to unlock. Any use of force is expected to result in catastrophic consequences on the temple and the opener.

Another area of voice command influence is in the continued secrecy attached to the nine ancient sciences that are supposed to be written down and hidden across temples in India. It is believed that only the right voice command will cause the sciences to reveal themselves. Also, the voice commands are the key to opening and closing the knowledge of the sciences for an individual. 

How Chanakya, the master of occult sciences recognized the potential of voice commands and enabled ‘Rudra’, the key protagonist to decode the mysterious ancient sciences and much more…..Grab the crime thriller set in the historic era, “The Indus Challenge” soon to hit the stands!!

Chidambaram Rahasya: The Untold Story!

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THE main temple of Chidambaram is devoted to Lord Shiva.  Shiva along with Vishnu and Bramha form the main trio of Hindu gods. The most common form of Shiva worship is in the form of a Shivlinga. What makes Chidambaram different is that it has a variety of symbolism hidden in the whole temple.

Chidambaram temple has the Lord Shiva in form of a Nataraj. A dancing Shiva who performs the cosmic dance for eternity and in the process drives away ignorance and gives abhay or shelter and solace to the devotees. He performs the cosmic dance for destruction Tandava Nrutya so as to tear down a weary universe and make way for renewal and rebirth. The Shiva form is perfectly poised with his entire balance only on a single toe.  It is a belief that Chidambaram and specifically the spot where the toe of the main deity rests is the magnetic equator of the earth.

But, the temple has more secrets to offer and decode. Just to the right of the main deity is a space covered by a shimmering curtain with golden threads woven into the weave. The curtain has golden bilva leaves and inscriptions on it. It is dark black outside and a bright red on the inside. On special days and during special prayers the devotees are given a glimpse of what lies behind the curtain. Many go with hope of seeing some form of Shiva or Shakti his consort. All they see is just empty space and a garland of gold bilva leaves hanging in the air!

The philosophical meaning for many is that god represents the vast emptiness of space. The curtain is nothing but a symbol of illusion and when the illusion is taken away all we are left with the vast emptiness of space. When you remove the veil of illusion and desires, you experience the vast infinite inner space.  For a few moments your mind becomes free from thoughts. We realize that there is some secret of which we have had a small glimpse, like a flash, and this experience brings a transformation in life. The journey that each devotee must make is that from ignorance to bliss. From seeing manifestations of god towards the realization that god is formless and permeates each and every bit of matter and space.

But aside from philosophical meaning, many people subscribe that the position of the curtain, the signs and symbols on it and the arrangements of the bilva garland signify something physically secret in the temple. The premise is bolstered by the fact that in ancient times the temple had a vast library of palm manuscripts. These contained ancient knowledge and vast stores of the sayings and discoveries of the saints from thousands of years. Chola Kings are supposed to have donated a lot of gold and given vast amounts of endowments but that are also believed to have ensured that the library is closely guarded and the manuscripts in the temple records disappear.

The belief goes that it will take a flash of insight and a mind of clear conscience to decode the symbolism behind the curtain, its inscriptions and the position of the golden bilva leaves in the empty space. Perhaps it will lead to hidden secrets or buried manuscripts. The finder of such knowledge will wield enormous influence and power in the world. There have been calls to use ground penetrating radar to see if there are hidden chambers in the vast underground complex.

For now all one can do at the Chidambaram Rahasya is to contemplate the meaning of the symbols and wait for a flash divine intervention. Perhaps, they can discover the location of the ancient manuscripts which give clues to the secret shastras buried a thousand years before the first Chola king ever came to power.

What is the connection between Chidambaram Rahasya, Acharya Chanakya, Bramhastra and much more? You may grab a copy of the “The Indus Challenge” soon to hit the stands!! You will be surprised to know more about these unconnected dots!!

Helen: Greek Wife of Indian King: Love Story or Spy Ring?

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READERS of the blog will know the birth story of Bindusara. Bindusara was the father of Ashoka the Great and was the first born son of Emperor Chandragupta who founded the Maurya dynasty. Bindusara’s mother was accidentally poisoned when she was pregnant. When faced with a dilemma of whether to save the mother or the child, Chanakya ruled in favor of dynasty and saved the son and let the mother die. Emperor Chandragupta was widower at a very young age.

Chandragupta put all his energies into the expansion and administration of his empire. Those were turbulent times and after the death of Alexander under mysterious circumstances and without a clear heir, there was a mad rush among his generals for grabbing the vestiges of Alexander’s empire. These generals became regional heads called “satraps”. The biggest among them was Selukos.

The empire of Selukos started from central Africa and reached till the western borders of the Maurya Empire. The story goes that Chandragupta was on a mission in the border areas and was riding his horse along the banks of the Jhelum River when he caught sight of a bevy of ladies who were frolicking in the water. This was Helen, the daughter of Selukos, who along with her friends had come for a trip. It is said that there was mutual attraction from both sides. The emperor could not get the fair and beautiful Helen out of his head while Helen herself was smitten by the handsome Indian king.

Knowing the enmity between the two, both Chandragupta and Helen was not sure about how their love may come to fruition. It is said that Chanakya played a vital party in the love story by offering his carrier pigeons for taking messages back and forth between the two. Chanakya, ever the strategic thinker, wanted to cement the western borders of the empire with a relationship rather than the army. The western border of the kingdom was vast and with a wide variety of geographical challenges.

Selukos meanwhile was alarmed by the rise of this upstart Chandragupta and wanted to teach the young emperor a lesson. Selukos wanted to defeat Chandragupta and then make him as a vassal and order his army to fight for the expansion of the area under his influence. What happened was a historic confrontation between the two. Selukos was defeated and was presented in front of Chandragupta. It is at this time, that Chandragupta magnanimously let Selukos live and keep a major part of the kingdom also he gave Selukos 500 elephants for helping Selukos in the war in central Asia. What he asked in return was Helen as his wife. Selukos was stunned and happy. He also gave Chandragupta parts of current Afghanistan and also an assurance of no war on their border. Thus was sealed an incredible love story between a Greek princess and Indian king. A princess who believed in the Greek gods and a Hindu King. A bridge was created between two cultures. 

But rumors abound that it was not such a fairy tale romance. Helen was not happy at her father’s defeat and the submission of her father was festering sore in her mind. She was not fully happy with her marriage. Selukos is also believed to have told Helen to be his spy in the Maurya Empire. How much truth is there in this? No one knows.

But did Helen really love Chandragupta? Did she integrate into the Indian culture? Was she a spy or an assassin to kill Chandragupta at the appointed hour? Or was she the latest pawn in search of the secrets of ancient India?   Secrets, that had Alexander come down to India in the first place?

To find out this and much more, read the book “The Indus Challenge”. Hitting the bookshelves soon…

Ambrosia to Alchemy: Was Alexander Foxed by Poison disguised as Amrit?

Since the time man has faced the reality of death and eventual decay of the human body, the hunt for a solution started. Generations of men in recorded history have craved for a healthy, glowing and radiant body and a life that lasts forever. The stories are embedded in legends from Ancient Indian Vedic texts to Greek mythology. The solutions have been variously called Amrit, Ambrosia, Elixir of Life and many other names.

One of the foremost references is in the ancient Indian story of Samudramanthan.  An epic undertaking in which, gods and demons or the asuras collaborated. The objective was to churn the universe or the ocean of nothingness so that gifts that the universe holds could be obtained. The giant serpent Vasuki became the rope and Mount Mandar became the churn and gods and asuras started the churning. It went on for a 1000 years. At the end of it, a pot of Amrit came out. This was the prize everyone was waiting for. A liquid so potent, that it will give the drinker strength and immortality. Legend goes that the gods ran away with the Amrit and the asuras gave chase. The chase lasted for 12 earth years or 12 nights and days for the gods and asuras.

It is believed that Amrit drops fell at four places on the earth during this chase. These blessed places: Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain are now revered and a massive festival takes place every twelve years at these locations. This is the Kumbh Mela. It is believed that taking a bath in the rivers at these locations during the auspicious times ensures the body is released from the cycles of birth and death and attains oneness with the universal consciousness.

The legends of such a drink also abound in the Greek Mythology. The gods living on mount Olympus are given the Ambrosia by doves. Drinking the Ambrosia is supposed to give the gods immortality and exceptional strength. A drinker of Ambrosia converts his blood into Ichor a divine golden liquid. It was reserved for the gods and no mortal was given it. Tantalus son of Zeus tried to steal ambrosia and give it to mortals. He was stopped and cursed to forever stand in a pool of water from which whenever he tried to stoop down and drink the water would disappear and when hungry he would have branches of fruit laden trees overhead, but they would be blown just outside his grasp when he tried to eat them.

Another word for Ambrosia that appears in the Greek classics is Nectar.  The Greek word ambrosia shares a close relationship with the Sanskrit Amrit. Both denote “undying” as an attribute in their own forms.

Apart from the legends, the history of mankind is filled with quests of finding the elixir of life. The word elixir was not used until the 7th century A.D. and derives from the Arabic name for miracle substances, "al iksir".  The Elixir has had hundreds of names (one scholar of Chinese history reportedly found over 1,000 names for it.), including (among others) Amrit Ras or Amrita, Aab-i-Hayat, Maha Ras, Aab-Haiwan, Dancing Water, Chasma-i-Kausar, Mansarover or the Pool of Nectar, Philosopher's stone, and Soma Ras.  

The hunt for the elusive elixir that grants eternal life and eternal youth has been recorded in history. In ancient China, various emperors sought the fabled elixir with varying results. In the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang sent Taoist alchemist Xu Fu with 500 young men and 500 young women to the eastern seas to find the elixir, but he never came back (legend has it that he found Japan instead). The science of alchemy has been an ongoing quest to find not only a way to convert lead to gold but also to find or formulate the elixir of life. 13th Century polymath Albertus Magnus is rumored to have given the Stone to Thomas Aquinas shortly before his death. Magnus’s writings also claim that he witnessed the transmutation of lead into gold. The mysterious 18th century nobleman Comte de St. Germaine was believed by some to possess the Elixir of Life. According to legends that were probably spread St. Germaine himself, he was actually hundreds of years old.

Another historical figure reputed to have created the Philosopher’s Stone was Nicholas Flamel. The historical Flamel was a successful French bookseller who lived from 1330 to 1418. Almost two hundred years after his death, texts surfaced that were attributed to Flamel. According to these texts, Flamel learned alchemical secrets from Jewish alchemists while traveling in Spain, and that he had obtained an original copy of the Book of Abramelin the Mage. 

In the context of India, Alexander the great is rumored to have been motivated on his quest for India by the chance to learn the secrets of Amrit. Alexander had utmost respect for Aristotle, he used to say that “my father gave me life but Aristotle taught me how to live”. It is believed that Aristotle guided him in his quest.  Unfortunately, Alexander died young. The cause of his death is still a mystery. Was it natural or was it caused by poison – the Pundits are still debating.

Is there a connection between Amrit and Alexander? If so, why did he die so young? Was he trapped into believing that something he got from India as Amrit, was actually poison disguised as Amrit? You can know this and much more from “The Indus Challenge” soon to hit the stands!

Ramsethu: Ancient Bridge or Storehouse of Energy?

Ramsethu

One of the endearing stories of the epic Ramayana is that of how a bridge was built that spanned between India and Lanka and the whole army of Lord Ram is supposed to have crossed over to fight the war with Ravan.

Upon being confronted with a massive ocean to cross over. Lord Ram is supposed to have prayed to the ocean gods for direction. The ocean gods suggested that a bridge be built. It is believed that Naia, a brilliant architect and engineer in the army of Lord Ram came up with the design and using locally available materials, the bridge was built over a span 5 days. Ramsethu stands as a symbol proving Lord Ram is a history and not just a mythology.

Apart from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata also refers to the continued protection of Nala Setu following Sri Rama's command. Kalidasa's Raghuvamsham also refers to the Setu. So does the Skanda Purana, the Vishnu Purana, the Agni Purana, the Brahma Purana.

The bridge was supposed to be operational till the 15th century when temple records mention that a massive storm broke the bridge and made Lanka into a true island. Numerous stones found in and around the area have been found to float in water. The bridge is considered sacred by Hindus and is a site of pilgrimage of many.

The main secret behind the Ramsethu is not just the religious significance but also its actual composition and the important role it can play in the future of India.

The bridge has unusual concentrations of the mineral Monazite which is an ore of thorium. Thorium is being touted as a panacea to the energy problems for India. Current nuclear reactors run either on Uranium or Plutonium. Both these minerals are heavily controlled for international trade and India does not have sufficient nuclear fuel to move ahead with the conventional nuclear energy reactors.

Thorium on the other hand is safer options and India is a pioneer in making non-conventional fast breeder nuclear reactors that run on thorium instead of Uranium. The advantage being that a fast breeder reactor is not only safer and more efficient but also produces waste that is significantly less in quantity and toxicity. It is being touted world over as a much better solution to generate power. But the key roadblocks that remain are availability of thorium and technology to build the reactors.

Now a fact that most people are not aware of!! India has almost 30% of the world’s thorium reserves in a form that they can be easily extracted and we are also the pioneers in the technology for fast breeder reactors.

The Ramsethu is the biggest source of Thorium. It is not only made up with a high concentration of the mineral ore for thorium. The bridge itself creates a barrier such that the ocean currents are arrested in the region. The changed ocean currents have ensured that the minerals deposits are in plentiful supply on the coasts of Tamilnadu and Kerala. Not only is it a source of energy in itself, it is also physically contributing to making Indian coasts minerals rich in Thorium.

Believers think that so many things going right cannot be a natural phenomenon but divine intervention by Lord Ram himself that has given this blessing to India. Through the bridge Lord Ram has ensured that plentiful source energy is conserved for India for generations to come.

For more on the secrets of the energy in Ramsethu emerging as a source for invoking Brahmastra and much more……..
Grab the forthcoming mythology thriller “The Indus Challenge” soon to hit the stands.

Rameshwar: Where Mythology meets History!!

Situated on an island off the coast of Tamil Nadu in southern India, the approach bridge over a wide expanse of the sea is enough to set the tone of a visit to Rameshwar. The temple, architecturally, is a majestic monument. The main temple gopuram or roof soars 53 Meters above the hustle and bustle of the town, an intricately carved masterpiece. Like most temples, this one has a huge wall that encloses the temple premises. The real miracles are the long corridors, the longest in the world. They run the entire length of the premises form a tunnel with over pillars holding up the roof. A gaze down the corridor is guaranteed to be jaw dropping.

What makes Rameshwar so important is the various legends and myths associated with the temple and the town. 

The temple is supposed to be the site where Lord Rama after killing Ravana wanted to atone for his sins of killing Ravana by worshipping Lord Shiva. Killing a human being even in a war is a sin, even for God’s avatar. He asked Hanuman to bring him a Shivaling from Mount Kailash in the Himalayas to pray to. Legend is that Hanuman was delayed and since the auspicious time for the rituals was passing, Sita created sand Shivling and the rituals were done on it. Hanuman was angry at his lateness tried to uproot the sand Shivling but was unsuccessful. Rama placated him and decreed that the Shivling brought by Hanuman be installed besides the sand Shivling. Devotees should pray to the Shivling brought by Hanuman and then to the Shivling made by Sita. The tradition continues till date, the main deity is the Shivling created by Sita called as Ramaling while the prayers are offered first to the shivling brought by Hanuman, now called as Vishwaling.

The temple has 22 tanks or teerthas that make this temple unique. The Teerthas are supposed to symbolize both the 22 ancient rivers of India as well as the number of arrows in Lord Ramas quiver.  Lord Ram is believed to have used his bows to create these tanks for water during the construction phase of the bridge to Lanka. These tanks are believed to have medicinal properties that cleanse your body as well as spiritual properties that cleanse your destiny and soul. 

Ramseshwaram is also supposed to be location of Gandhamadhan Parvat, the mountain top from which Hanuman started his giant leap in search for Sita across the ocean to Lanka. This is also the place from where the bridge to Lanka was started to be constructed by Lord Ram. The sea is surprisingly mild and calm year round and the area is a rich fishing ground. The seas calmness is attributed to the sea god who made the sea calm as a mark of respect to Lord Ram’s bridge.

 

In recent times, the temple found a surprising mention in the hit Bollywood movie Chennai Express where Shah Rukh Khan is on a journey to the temple for immersion of his grandfather’s ashes. 

The temple town is also justly famous for giving India one of its most illustrious sons. The Missile Man of India and one the most beloved presidents Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Perhaps it was something in the sands of Rameshwaram itself that propelled him to greatness!!

This may be concise history of Rameshwar, but what is the connection of the place with Chanakya, Chandragupta and Alexander? For that you will have to wait for the upcoming mythological thriller “Indus Challenge”.