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Wednesday, November 5, 2008
On Hearing that USA elected Obama!
Colour blind we are not,For we search a ghori for our bride.
Caste blind we are not,
For we search for Yadavs,
Dalits and Brahmins ,
While we tender our votes.
Religion blind we are not,
For we search and burn ,
Temples , masjids and Church.
But it looks like Americans ,
Have become colour blind
Have become caste blind,And also religion blind .
How else would they vote,
For a black man and not white one
Whose forefather were of religion unknown,
And ancestors were slaves in USA?
Monday, October 13, 2008
Story telling in India
In spite of all that, these did not reach the common man and the next great development in Indian thought process started immediately after the Vedic period. These were the 18 mega epics which are essentially collection of intricately woven stories mainly of Gods, their incarnations, their devotees, the enemies of their devotees etc. Unless some body reads the mega tome called Maha Bharatha (loosely translated as "Great India") and read the thousands of stories contained there, people may not believe the story telling culture of India. All these epics were spread by a group of sages called "Sootha Puranikar" by word of mouth. Naturally they underwent many changes. Alterations, deletions and additions are very much expected in this story telling process. Each of the epics is told by a sage to another sage or a king or to a representative of the common man,
This tradition took deep roots in India. You may wonder whether they were fairy tales. Fairies did not exist in the Indian lore. There were Gods, demi gods, Ogres , Yakshas (minstrel divine singers) , ghosts, spirits etc. Many of the stories of that time had these characters. Even at that time , in spite of religious back ground, it was not always good winning over bad. There were stories to illustrate the path to succeed in life , either by fair or slightly unfair means. In the past two to three thousand years, these stories were spread to the breadth and length of the country by word of mouth or by musical discourses, dance dramas etc.
The next great collection of stories was the "Brihat Katha Manjari" (The giant bouquet of stories) written in a language called Paisachi (loosely translated devilish) which was the forerunner of Sanskrit (refined). Here intricate love stories, stories about Heroes etc are found in plenty. The story within another story (some times seven to eight tiers deep) were found in this book.
It was possibly at this time that the religion of Buddhism was born in India. This religion depended a lot on story telling to propagate its principles. The stories of Bodhi sathwas were an integral part of this religion. These characters were incarnations of Budha . Many times the Bodhi Sathwa was not necessarily human but animal or bird or even tree which did charitable and noble deeds. Apart from moral these tried to teach the common man the philosophy of Budhism. These were written in a language called Pali, which originated from the spoken language of the Vedic and Puranic period, which was called Prakrit(Meaning "Very natural"). This pali is believed to be the fore runner of the present day national language of India –Hindi.
Side by side with these developments was the Golden period of the Gupthas. Among them was a great king called Chandra Guptha II otherwise known as Vikramadithya(The valorous Sun). Many very interesting tales sprung round this great king. In the beginning due to some accidents in life, he decided to rule the country for six months and live in the forest for six months. Every trip to the forest gave rise to an adventure. These stories of Vikramadithya which included the stories of Vikramadithya and his Vampaire are hot favourites of many generations of Indians. This dynasty was later followed by the Mauryas. And one of the greatest common man scholar of that period was Kautiliya also known as Chanakya and also known as Vishnu Sharman. He is credited to have composes the Pancha Thantra (Five tricks) which is a compilation of five stories. Most of the characters in these were animals. Again the idea was not to propagate ethics but teach people the method of living.
These stories descended to the common man and story telling became the art of the common man. The same story was told to a toddler to the young boy/girl , to the lad /lass and to man/woman. But the style and content of the story was altered by the story teller depending on the age group of the audience he is addressing, Story telling became an integral part of the common man's lingua to drive home , the points that he was talking about.
Along with the religion of Islam came a moderate group who took to the Indian tradition of story telling. They were called Sufis. They illustrated their talks by peppery stories. Storied of Khalil Gibran and Naseruddin Hodja caught the imagination of the common man in India. When the British came , they came with Grimms fairy tales, Aespos fables, Andersons fairy tales and large number of stories frm the bible. Some how these were rarely Indianised.
Every village in India had a temple , a hero a great devotee of god and great women. The very imaginative Indians wove stories round them. Many of them illustrate why a temple is considered as particularly holy,hw a devotee got salvation, what a great hero did to the village and how by sacrificing her life along with her husband a woman became great etc.
The modern education spearheaded by the British laid emphasis on the fairy tales of Europe but the fairy tales of India did not vanish. They were preserved word of mouth. A great story teller during the modern period is Saint Ramakrishna. He illustrated his preaching with lots and lots of stories.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Kunjan Nambiar- some tales
Kunjan Nambiar was a great poet and story teller of Kerala. He was a disciple of one great story teller called Pothiyil Rama chakyar. Pothiyil used to be an expert in the art form called Chakyar Koothu in Kerala. In this the story teller would come to the stage and tell us a story illustrated by Sanskrit slokas. They were also licensed to tease the audience and even the king. Pothiyil Rama chakyar one day teased Kunjan Nambiar too much. This irritated Kunjan Nambiar. So at the same time when Pothiyil Rama chakyar was presenting a story, at a near by stage Kunjan Nambiar introduced a new art form called –Ottan thullal. Literally translated it means jumping while running. A new genre of poem in Malayalam was written by Kunjan and since he used simple Malayalam words, he could easily draw away the complete audience of the Chakyars. There are many stories of wit about Kunjan Nambiar (Kunjan for short) prevalent in Kerala. I am giving below a few of them:-
The packet of Khus khus.
It seems n the debut day; he brought a packet of Khus Khus and showed it to the audience. Packet is called pothi in Malayalam and Khus khus is called Ramacham. He opened the packet in front of the audience saying "Pothiyil Ramacha akki yar?"
Meaning "who put the kuhs khus in the packet as well as teasing his rival whose name was the same thing.
Deepa Sthambam
Once Kunjan was attending a function in which the lamp pillar (deepa Sthambam) was being inaugurated by the king. The king naturally wanted all the poets to sing about his Deepa Sthambam. He gave them lot of money for each poem. Kunjan Nambiar was reluctant and when he was forced to do it, he sang
Deepa Sthambam mahascharyam,
Namukkum kittanam panam,
The lamp pillar is greatly wonderful,
I also should get the money.
The king realized his mistake and carved the pardon of this great poet,
The king's boarding house
Kunjan Nambiar being poor was eating from the free boarding house (called Ootu puraii in Malayalam) maintained by the king. The managers and servants there were giving sub standard food after stealing the money granted by the king. One day Kunjan and the king were walking on the main road. Suddenly they saw a cow having watery motion. Kunjan rushed near the cow and enquired "Are you also eating in the king's Ootu puraii?"
The king who heard this made enquiries and dismissed the corrupt officials and set right the Oottu puraii.
Who is more pretty?
One day Kunjan Nambiar was taking a morning walk along with his friend. The queen and her maid were going for bathing in the temple tank.
The friend of Kunjan asked him, "Nalla Thali (good shampoo)"
And Kunjan replied "Kathilola (Studs in the ears."
Actually they were using their mastery in Sanskrit to enjoy themselves.
What the friend asked was "Ka athi lola?(who is more pretty) and what Kunjan replied was
Nallathu AAli(the maid is better.)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Which Man has a womb?
Translation attempted by
The food we eat,
The words that we talk,
All are meant to the baby,
When we are carrying him
I would deliver your child,
After floating in blood ,
For four to five hours,
So that he travels with you,
And puts your initials,
In front of his name.
If I request,
You would kiss me,
You would fondle and hug me,
And you would console me.
Do we give milk to the baby.
After he requests for it?
Which man has a womb,
To carry the girl,
Doing penance for a child,
To carry him in her womb.
Computers-mansions vs Mud huts
Ja Mariyammal
Translation attempted by
In the middle of all these human beings,
Who tell lot of falsehoods and lies,
She is the perennial God,
Who only tells the truth.
She who roams and roams,
In thousands of souls,
Is a dream girl,
Called computer,
Which never gets,
In to the hands of God of death.
She lies on several laps,
Of rich people in mansions,
And when will she come,
To the doors of these mud huts.
Your God !
(from www.koodal.com)
Translation attempted by
I am asking your God,
Why he created your heart,
Within you ,
For , only because of that,
I am not able to know,
Whether I am inside your heart.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Sagothra marriages
1.Caste among Hindus in Dharma Sasthras depend on the mother rather than the father.A Brahmin woman marrying a Brahmin , only begets a Brahmin child. If she marries outside the caste she gives birth to Chandala(with Shudhra), Sootha(With Kshatrya), and Vaidehaka(With Vysya). On the other hand the caste of the child born to a Brahmin father to the different caste mothers is same as the caste of the mother. What is the implication of this to the Gothra system?
2.Take Pravara for example. Angirasa occurs in the pravara of following Gothras viz Gargya, Angeerasa, Gowthama, Pourugutsya, Badharayana, Bharadwaja, Moudgalya, Vishnu vriddha, Shadamarshana Sankrithi and Haritha. As is known all these occupy a very large percentage of Brahmins.Apart from that Kasyapa another Rishi who is the brother of Angeerasa occurs in Many other pravaras. Realising this our forefathers have decided to perform Sapravara marriages. I really do not know when this happened and how the decision was imposed on the Brahmin community. Is it not time for us now to review the status of Sagothra marriages? Who has to do it? Who will give us the guidelines so that all of will follow?
3. I read recently in a stotra about Hanuman that he belongs to the Kaundinya Gothra. I understand that Padmavathi (A kshatriya) belongs to the Sree Vatsa Gothra. It is also common knowledge that each Gothra has followers from different Vedas. Does all this mean that the gothra consists of people from different castes and even animals? Does this mean that Gothra is not at all patrelineal lineage?
4.whatever may be the decision, if sagothra marriages are to be permitted, the Hindu law on marriages has to be amended, because it makes Sagothra marriages illegal.This is not as simple as it seems.If a sagothra marriage is performed and the boy later marries a girl belonging to a different gothra, the first wife will not be a legally wedded wife.
I am sure that very learned people are members of this group. I request them humbly to react. This is very major issue facing us now while performing marriage.
Brahmins of Tamil Nadu
Evidence as to whether all the present day Hindus were migrants , possibly from Asia minor and whether they were were Aryans is both confusing and conflicting. But the fact that they were a major part of the great religion called "Sanathana Dharma" or "eternal truth" is very strong. The invading hoards from outside of the later years starting from Hunas classified this group of people as Hindus. This religious group did not have any founder prophet. They followed the tenets of religion as enunciated by very many sages, kings, heroes in their four holy books called Vedas. When these books were evolved, there was no script to write and preserve them. So this group decided to entrust the job of learning all these Vedas by rote and teaching it to the next generation be left to a very specialized group of people called "Brahmanas". Initially it looks as if these were only the selected people of the community who had the intellectual capacity to do this very tedious job and also prepared to lead a simple life without any vocation to earn their livelihood.. Preservation of Vedas was of paramount importance and the Hindu community must have decided that to do this these scholars who were dedicating their life for such a noble venture must be taken care of by the other members of the society engaged in war, cattle rearing and commerce.
It is not clear when the process of selecting the intellectuals and putting them in one group stopped and when Brahmanas became Brahmanas because of their birth. But this has already happened in the late puranic period and definitely in the early historic period of India. As per the religious tenets that they were taught, all groups gave munificent support to all Brahmanas , who lead a scholarly life devoted entirely to learning and teaching. Most of these early developments must have happened in the Indo gangetic plain and the valleys of great rivers like Narmada, for by that time the pastoral nomadic Hindus have become a thriving agricultural community. .When population started exploding and when new religious teachers converted the kings to new way of thinking and when enemy hoards threatened the very survival of their religion , some of these Brahmanas must have decided to migrate to the south and settle down in the shores of the great river Cauvery. .
A.A peep in to ancient and medieval history
According to reputed historians , in the hoary past Tamil Nadu was occupied by a very cultured people whose religion was perhaps different from Hinduism. They did not have the Chaturvarnyam among them but had different caste groups. To this country the Brahmanas of North India migrated. This according to historians took place when the Maurya Kings were ruling India, the reason being the new religious revolutions in the north started by Gautama the Buddha and Mahavira Vardhamana which found favour with the kings. The Brahmana migration was in waves and many of them settled down in present telugu country and some of them reached Tamil Nadu.The first groups to migrate to Tamil Nadu were the pro-Shukra Brahmanas who were followers of Lord Shiva and the last few waves were the Pro-Brihaspati Brahmanas who were mainly followers of Lord Vishnu. Historians believe that at that time there were differences between Saivites and Vaishnavites but was very minimal.
Tamil Nadu (i.e the three great kingdoms of Chozha, Pandya and Chera) welcomed these new migrants with open hands. The stories of the migration of Agasthya(a Brahmin saint of North India) and his being the founder of the river Cauvery are chronicled in ancient Tamil myth. His disciple Tholkappiyar , who is definitely a historical figure wrote the first book in Tamil viz. Tholkappiyam.This book clearly mentions the existence of Brahmanas in Tamil Nadu. There is some evidence pointing out to Tholkappiyar himself being a Brahmin. They were initially called Anthanars or Parpaars or aravor or vediyars. Tholkappiyam also mentions the word Aiyar in one place.
The kings of Tamil Nadu were attracted by these learned pundits and made them their Asans or teachers. They also gave these teachers several powers. Apart from this several villages were given to them as grants free of cost and free of tax .These were called Brahmodayams or Chadurvedimangalams. Possibly in a much later period they were renamed Agraharams.Though new to the culture and language these new migrants learned the language of the country and the ancient books mention many great poets among them in the courts of some very famous kings. These early migrants also brought the concept of Gothras. Bharadwaja, Koundinya, Kasyapa, Kaushika and Atreya Gothras are mentioned in the early sangam literature. They initially did not name themselves as they do in modern times after the Gods they worship but tended to use their Gothra in their names. Some of the examples of the early names were Kauniyan Vinnantayan (Kaundinya), Palai Gautamanar (Gautama), Ilankausikanar (Kausika) ,Kallil Athreyanar(Atreya) , Bharadwaji Nachinarkiniyanar (Bharadwaja) and so on.
They were strict vegetarians, teetotalers and spoke a specialized dialect of Tamil among themselves. Their houses had a "well-washed-scrubbed-courtyard" and mostly a cow and a calf were tied to a post in front of their houses and dog and fowls were assiduously kept out. The Brahmin of those times had six fold duties viz. learning of Vedic texts, teaching of Vedas, performing yagnas(called velvi in Tamil) , helping others perform yagnas, giving of gifts and taking of gifts. Among the earliest schools of Vedas started by them were the Ghatika in Kanchi and the Vedic School in a village called Ennayiram near present day Pondycheri.. The sangam literature mentions about a famous Brahmana named Punjarurkavunian Vinnandayan who is supposed to have performed many Vedic sacrifices during those times.
They also took lot of interest in developing Tamil Literature. Among the well known Brahmana poets of that time were Nakkerar, Kapilar, Nachinarkiniyar, Tayam Kannanar and so on. Though representatives of the Vedic learning they also took very active part in the Bhakti movement of the ancient Tamil Nadu. Among the great saints were Nambi andar Nambi , Nadamuni, Sambandar, Sundarar, Kungilyakalayanar, and many others.
Divisions and Groups
It is very important to note here that they were both Shaivites and Vaishnavites among them since their known history but they preferred to live as one major group with several sub groups.The Bhakthi movement of spearheaded by Azhwars and Nayanmars was followed by the great philosophical awakening of India strangely from the Brahmanas of Tamil Nadu.The first was Sankara Bhagawat Pada who was born in a Namboodiri family and came out with the concept of Advaitha or non dualism. He interpreted the holy books of India and came to the conclusion that , essentially there is no difference between God and the beings he created.All of them were a single ultimate truth called Brahma. Then came Sage Ramanuja from a tamil brahmana family who did not agree with Adhi Sankara. He conclusively argued that , the beings and God are different but the beings can merge with God by realization. The royal path for realization was through Saranagathi or absoulute surrender.His philosophy was called Visishtadvaitham or "specialized non dualism". His disciples reinterpreted the concept of surrender according to the mode of saranagathi and there were two schools of his followers viz. Vadakalai and Thenkalai. The last great doyen of this great philosophers was sage Madhwa who was born in the coastal area of the present Karnataka who disagreed with both of them and gave rise to the philosophy of dualism.
The historians who have traced the migration of Brahmanas to Tamil Nadu believe that the first group to migrate were the BrihatCharanams and Ashtasaharam Brahmanas. The Brihatcharanams loosely translated as Big foot or Great migrations were the first wave of settlers who settled in places like Mangudi, Satyamangalam, Thiruvannamalai ,Palamaneri, Kandarmanikkam, Milagasur and so on. The next migrants were possibly were the Ashtasahasrams who settled down in a place called Ennayiram near Pondicherry. The next big wave of migrants were the Vadamas , so called by others who have already settled as Northerners. There were other smaller sub groups like Vathimas also. Many of these migrants whose main occupation was learning Vedas and performing Yagnas took to Temple worship in Tamil Nadu by gaining proficiency in agama Sastras. These were called Kurukkal in general and some of these prominent groups were again grouped in to Sholiyars. Since the initial migrants felt that these people have committed a big mistake by taking up Temple Worship , they were looked down by the other groups. Another prominent and well recognized group of learned Brahmanas were the Chidambaram Dikshitars. The Mukkani Brahmanas who assist in Pujas in the Tiruchendur Temples were a later addition to these groups The Vadamas themselves were again split in to Then desathu Vadamas and Vada desathu vadamas.
It is not clear when the Vaishnavites became a separate group and started calling themselves as Iyengars. They definitely did it after the advent of Sage Ramanujachariar who systematized Srivaishnavism After him his followers again split in to Vadakalai Iyengars and Thenkalai Iyengars. There is also some evidence to prove that most of the Vadakalai Iyengars were from Vadamas and most of the Thenkalai Iyengars were from the Sholiyars.
There were also minor sects like Kesis and Kaniyalars. There is another very small group called Prathamasakhis who are confined to few villages like Seddanipuram near Nannilam of Tanjore district who believe that they turn in to untouchables at mid day everyday. They go out of the house at mid day and reenter the house after a purificatory bath.
From those migrants who occupied the present Karnataka state rose another great sage called Madhwa.He preached a different cult of Vaishnavism with slightly different philosophy. His followers were called Madhwas.In later days reverse migration took place and many of them settled back in Tamil Nadu.Among them was the great Sage Raghavendra.
There also seems to be a big group of Telugu speaking brahmanas settled during the rule of Krishna Deva Raya and Marathi speaking brahmanas settled during the later Maratha rule in Tanjore.
The ancient Brahmanas of Tamil Nadu took up to professions such as Land Holders, musicians and domestic priests . Of these Silappadikaram mentions that those who took to music were frowned up on. They normally took to surnames like Sarma, Bhattar, Somayaji, Jadavallabhar, Dikshitar etcThey belonged to Gothras like Maudgalya, Srivatsa, Kaundinya, Kasyapa, Bharadwaja, Vadula, Atreya, Vasishta, Gautama, Haritha, Kaushika, Sandilya, Garga, Paurukutsa, Sankrityayana, Samkrithi, Viswamitra and so on. Most of the Rig Vedis followed the Aswalayana Sutra, the Shukla Yajurvedis followed either the Apasthambha or Bodhayana sutra , the Krishna Yajurvedis followed the Katyayana Sutra and Samavedis followed Drahyayana Sutra.
Ancient professions
As was necessary the Brahmanas could not stick on to the profession of Vedic learning and eke out a living. Initially they were supposed to perform Yagnas (Velvi in Tamil) but they convinced the kings of Tamil Nadu that they should take over the maintenance of temples according to the Agama Sasthras. Because of this except for the temples of Goddesses like Kali, Ayyanar etc they were appointed as the Archakas.Here again there were two major groups , the Kurukkal doing worship in Shaivaite temples and Azhwars doing worship in Vaishnavaite temples. Another profession in which they shined was administration. They were the only community in Tamil Nadu who established Sabhas for administration of their agraharams. The king gave a sort of autonomy to such Sabhas. Details of many Sabhas are available in several stone inscriptions. Possibly due to the simple life they lead, the Kings also started appointing them as ministers and chief administrators. One of the greats was Ulagalanda Chola Brahmarayan who surveyed the lands for the king Rajadiraja. Many of them took to Tamil writing like Kalamegha Pulavar, Arulnandi Sivacharya, Periyachan Pillai, , Nathamunigal and so on. They also produced Appayya Dikshidar who was possibly a great contributor to the philosophical writings on Advaita founded by Sankaracharya.Other great writers were Govinda Dikshitar the author of Sangita Sudha, Yagnanarayana Dikshitar the author of Sahitya Ratnakaram, Ramabhadra Dikshitar the author of Janaki Parinayam, Sridhra Venkatesa Aiyaval who wrote a biography of Shaji the brother of Shivaji, Sadashiva Brahmendrar who authored many religious tomes and so on. Another very important but patently unnatural profession for the Brahmanas of this period was that of the warrior. There were Brahmanas like Rajaraja Brahma Maharaja in the kingdom of Vengi, Kannan who was a general of Kulothunga I , Ramappiyan the famous general of Thirumalai Nayakkan of Madurai...
Music was another profession they shined. They systematized the musical rules , composed thousands of pieces and also became experts in singing.Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Deekshidar and Shyama Shastry were the all time greats.
Migration from Tamil Nadu
Another very important event that happened to Brahmanas , was their migration to neighboring states. The Palakkad Brahmanas of Kerala, the Dravida Brahmanas of Guntur, and The Sankethis of Karnataka all were Tamil Brahmin migrants. They might have migrated due to the rule of Maharatha and Vijayanagar dynasties when they lost their pre-eminent position in society. Also saint Ramanuja was forced by politics of those times to spend some part of life in Karnataka and he had several followers there.
Impression of ancient foreign visitors
Many foreign visitors during that period have left several comments on the life of a Tamil Brahmanas of those times .Marco Polo wrote that:" It is their practice of everyone, male and female, do wash the whole body thrice everyday …..you must know that in eating they use the right hand only and would on no account touch their food with left hand …..
So also they drink only from drinking vessels; and everyone hath his own;nor will anyone drink from another's vessel. And when they drink they do not put the vessel to their lips, but hold it aloft and let the drink sprout in to their mouth…" He also says that they never tell lies and they abhor robbery. He also mentions" They are distinguished by a certain badge consisting of a thick cotton thread which passes over the shoulder and tied under their breast. Domingo Paes , a Portuguese visitor wrote about the king using their services to ask questions to the idol in the temples.
It was during this period that the Brahmanas of Tamil Nadu started concentrating on education. They established several schools called Ghatikas where they could learn Sanskrit and Vedas. There were famous Ghatikas in Kanjeevaram, Nagapattinam and Ennayiram. The subjects taught in these schools were Kavya, Vyakarana, Sastra etc. The kings made sumptuous grants for running of these schools. With the coming of Vijayanagar kings and that of Maratha kings Brahmanas easily picked up the language of kings and got employment in their courts. But most of the Brahmanas were not having facilities to come and join these Ghatikas. They instead continued with the Guru Kula style of ancient in India by living in the houses of their teachers. The art of music was somehow taught only like this.
B: Modern Times
The Brahmanas evolved much further in the eighteenth and nineteenth centaury. This period also saw their rise and fall in Tamil Nadu.The groups' rise was due to their early interaction with the English. The English wanted to communicate with the locals. And they easily identified the Tamil Brahmin for this job. They first taught him English and employed him to help them talk with the locals. Identifying their administrative genius as well as devotion to their masters, they employed them in all sort of jobs. This was perhaps the main reason , why we find the Brahmanas of today a very educated lot. They made a mark in whichever field they got interested. If a list of all time greats in Tamil nadu were compiled about 50% of them would be brahmanas. Recently the Tamil Nadu Brahmin association has compiled to who is who among Tamil Brahmanas and this 1000 paged volume has not even covered 50% of those eminent people. A feeble attempt is made here to indicate some great people here and possibly represent .001% of the great Tamil Brahmanas.
Before independence most of great geniuses in administration who held posting under the British were Brahmanas. Some of the greatest were Sri Seshaia sasthri, Sri.T,.Muthuswami Iyer, Sri.P.S.Sivaswamy Iyer, Rt.Hon.Sreenivasa sastry, Sri.C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer,Sri.Bhashyam Ayyangar etc In the post independence period they mostly moved away from the spheres of administration but the notable among them was Sri.T.N.Seshan.
2.Freedom fighters
The Brahmanas though by nature not interested in politics fought side by side with others for making our nation free.Possibly the greatest among them was Sri.N.C.Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) who also became the first governor general of India, He was also a very great writer as well as social reformer. Some of the other notables were , Va.Ve.Su.Iyer, Mahakavi Bharathi, Vanchi who killed the collector of Tirnelveli, Sri.Santhanam who was our first railway minister ,SriSathya murthy and Sri.Bhashyam iyengar,Sri Ananthasayanam Ayyangar who was the first adorn the chair of speaker in the Indian parliament laid great foundations of parliamentary practice.
The Brahmanas simply dominated the writing scene of Tamil Nadu for a very long time. The first novelist , Vadavur Dorai Samy Iyengar, The great lady writer who wrote for creating social awakening Smt.Vai.Mu .Kothainayagei ammal, Sri.U.Ve .Swaminatha iyer who wandered all over Tamil nadu and collected folk and ancient Tamil literature(called Tamil Thatha), Kalki the greatest writer of historic fiction, Maha Kavi Subramanya Bharathi who is acknowledged as the greatest poet of modern times, Nadodi,Chavi, Gomathy Sunbramanyam, Ki.Va Jagannatham Chandilyan, are some of the few all time greats.
Among the savants who contributed to Sanskrit literature were Ganapathi shastri, Gopala shastri, Thethiyur Subramanya sastri, Prathivathi bhayangaram Annangaracharyar and so on.
In journalism also they made very significant contributions. The Hindu, Dhinamani, Swadesha mithran, Kalki, Ananda vikatan, were all started by brahmanas and managed by them.
This is an area that they took least interest. But the great mathematical genius Sri,Srinivasa Ramanhjam, The first Nobel prize winning scientist, Sir.C.V.Raman. the scientist responsible for feeding modern India.Dr.Rangachari possibly one of the greatest physicians Tamil nadu has produced,Dr.Ramamurthy the great neuro surgeon Dr.M.S.Swaminathan, Dr.Chandra Shekar , an authority on astrophysics who won Nobel Prize, Dr,Seshadri one of the greatest chemists that India has produced, Dr.Kasthuri Rangan of the ISRO were all brahmanas.
This was another field dominated by the Brahmanas. The music trinity who started it all,Pattanam Subramanya Iyer,Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer, Gopalakrishna Bharathi, Kothamangalam Subbu, Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyenger, Maharajhapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Maharajhapuram Santhanam,Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathatr, Sri.M.S.Gopalakrishnan, Tiger Varadhacharyar, Madurai Mani Flute Ramani, Kunnakudi Vaidyanatan,Veenai Balachander, Smt.Pattammal,Brinda –Muktha, Bombay sisters, Kavitha Krishnamurthy, Hariharan, Shankar Subramanyan the great music critic Subbudu are only the beginning of the list.
Another music related vocation in which they excelled was Pravachanas and Hari Katha.Two of the greats were Sengalipuram Anantha Rama Deekshidar and Thoopul Lakshmi Narasimhan,.Pudukootai Gopalakrishna Bhagavathar was an eminent musician who systematized the bhajana sampradayam.
This orthodox community also took interest in development of drama and Cinema in Tamil Nadu.Some of the all time greats were SriBalachander, the doyen among film directors and actors like , Gemini Ganesan, Kamala Hasan, Cho, Vishu, Vyjayanthi mala, Rekha, Jaya Laitha ,Hema malini, Saharanamam, Jayaraman, Priya Mani, Vidhya Balan and so on.
Quo Vadis?
The reservation system introduced after independence, the land reform bills and the Dravidian movement put this small vibrant community in to great strain. They were simply thrown out of their moorings and were forced to migrate all over the country as well as the world in search of jobs. Though earning a bread has become their priority, they still act as the repository of Hindu religious knowledge and are the corner stones on which future Hindu religion will stand..They also would essentially provide intellectual input in all walks of life for all the time to come.
Friday, October 3, 2008
There is no defeat
Translated from Hindi
(Here is a translation of a great Hindi Poem called "Haar Nahi Hothi." .I do not know who is the author of this work but I know that the message of the poem is universal.)
For those who try, there is no defeat ever,
Since a river can never be crossed.
Without an effort to cross it,
Even though one is afraid of the waves.
Small tiny ants that get hold of a grain,
Climb on the steep wall along with the grain,
They fall several times again, along with the grain,
But pick up the grain again and try again.
Falling never deters them from climbing,
For those who try , there is no defeat ever.
The small and tiny ants take the grain and move,
Up above the walls and drop the grain hundred times,
The belief in the mind fills our heart with hope and bravery,
Climbing and falling or falling and climbing does not deter them,
For his effort can never be wasted,
For those who try there is no defeat.
The divers, several times dive deep in to the sea,
Going and going deep they come back empty handed,
For the Pearl is not easily found in deep waters,
And the renewed vigorous effort is done due to the fact,
That every time you try ,you do not return empty handed,
For those who try there is no defeat.
Defeat is a challenge-accept it,
Examine what is the problem- improve it,
Till you get victory - forsake sleep and peace,
Do not run away - with problems in the arena,
For doing nothing- victory cannot be yours,
For those who try there is no defeat.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Maithreem Bhajatha
Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati
Translation by
(This prayer was written by Paramacharya of Kanchi to be sung in the U.N. Assembly by Smt.M.S.Subbalakshmi during its 50th anniversary and dealt about universal brotherhood and peace as enshrined by the Sanathana Dharma. An English translation was also attached. Fully realizing that my translation would be far inferior, I decided to do the translation on my own and present it here in the form of a verse. I am sure the admirers of the great savant would pardon me for such an attempt.)
Maithreem Bhajatha Akila Hrith Jeththreem
Atmavat Eva Paraan api pashyata
Yuddham thyajatha , Spardhaam Tyajata ,
thyajatha Pareshwa akrama aakramanam
Jananee Prthivee Kaamadughaastey JanakO Deva:
Sakala Dayaalu Daamyata Datta Dayathvam
Janathaa Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam
Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam
Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam.
With friendship please serve,
And conquer all the hearts,
Please think that others are like you,
Please forsake war for ever,
Please forsake competition for ever,
Please forsake force to get,
Some one else's property,
For mother earth is a wish giving animal,
And God our father is most merciful,
Restrain, donate and be kind,
To all the people of this world.
Let all the people, live with bliss,
Let all the people live with bliss,
Let all the people live with bliss.
Vaishnava Janatho
(The man of God)
Narasi Mehta
Translated by
One of the greatest Gujarati poet-saints, Narsi Mehta introduced philosophical poetry into the bhakti world of Gujarat. He composed about 740 songs. 'Vaishnava-janato', the prayer song popularized by Mahatma Gandhi, is a composition of Narsi Mehta's. This soul stirring poetry moves any theist. I have taken the liberty of translating this poem by substituting "Man of God" instead of "Vaishnava". I did this because I felt that, what the poet must have meant was that.Hear this great song in the golden voice of MS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCQwzf_s5vU
Who knows the pain and misery of others,
Who tries to help others in distress,
And who does not have pride in his mind.
Who respects and salutes all,
Who does not talk ill of others,
Who keeps his mind pure in words and action,
And whose mother is considered blessed by all.
Who views everybody as equal,
Who considers other women as his mother,
Who never tells lies all his life,
And who never yearns for other's wealth.
Who never has any attachments,
Who is strongly detached to worldly pleasures,
Who is addicted to remembering his God,
And in whose mind are all the holy places of the world.
He and he alone is the man of God,
Who has no greed and deceit in his mind,
Who has forsaken all pleasures and anger,
And whose sight is thirsted for by Narasi the poet,
For the entire family gets salvation on seeing him.
Parthasarathy and Natarajan
Shri K.R.Parthasarathy, an intellectual with craving for studies was one of them. He had been much poorer than me. He took free food in other's houses when he was studying. He scored very high marks and worked 4-5 years as a lecturer. He saw to it that his sisters were given in marriage and his parents were taken care of. He was at least 7-8 years older than me. More than a friend, he was an elder brother who took care of me in the hostel. He later completed his PhD and again became a teacher of Mathematics in Madras. He is retired and well settled. I happened to meet him once in the eighties and spoken over pone to him once or twice I do have e-mail contact with him.
Sri K.S.Natarajan (Nattu for me) was my very close friend. He came as a sun shine in my life. He came along with me to specialize in Agricultural Statistics. Some how he could not continue after one year and after a few jobs landed in the Census office. I saw him several times, whenever I used to go to Delhi. Nattu is in Madras now.
I had several other good friends, during this one year. Chidambaran who has settled in USA, DR.Subramaniam Swamy who is one of the leading politicians of India, Dr.Panchapakesan who has settled down in USA, Sri.G.Narayanamurthy etc are the notable ones.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Political Parties
(published in Kalki, 31st August 2008)
Translation attempt
Political parties,
Make fun of our country,
One parties name is written in blood,
Taken from the wounds of our religion.
Film posters are pasted,
On the back of the democracy,
Talked about by Russo.
Elections are not able,
To prevent a country,
From becoming land of terrorists,
Make the camaraderie evaporate into gas.
Empty the black money,
From some where else,
A miser,
Who did not get a post,
Paints a new party flag,
Using the colours of his desire.
Tearing the screen of a cinema house,
A hero comes out with anger,
For registering a name to his political party.
People who set fire to themselves,
Drag and bring their family members,
Near the sacrificial altar of a party.
Never have flags flown at half mast,
For the people dragged away by Tsunami,
Nor the people swept away by raising waters,
Nor the people who died of starvation,
Nor those who were buried by an earth quake.
I do not want to see,
My nation's flag,
Being defeated by any party's flag.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Origin of Sambhar
You would be all surprised to know that chillies entered India only 400 years back .So also tomato, potato and onion were introductions from our western settlers to India around the same time. Then the common sense question, which all of you should ask is how was Sambar prepared in South India before that and how were the North Indians preparing different Sabjis without Tomato and onion. I have been searching for an answer to this riddle for quite some time I was also intrigued by the name Sambar. No word in any of the south Indian language gave a meaning to that word. I was thinking it has to do something with Sambharam (Collection). But I was not able to connect this word to Sambar.
Before 400 years tamarind which is of south Indian origin was being used in all the south Indian states. The preparations were called by various names. It was Pulungari (dish with tamarind in Kerala), Huli in Karnataka, Pulusu in Andhra and Vattal Kuzhambu, poricha Kozhambu, Karai Kuzhambu, Pitlai etc in Tamil Nadu. Ofcourse, the traditional Kerala cuisine did not use chillies or tamarind but relied only on pepper for pungency and Buttermilk and mango for adding sour taste. In most of these cases the souring agent was tamarind and the thickening agent was cooked green gram dal, rice powder or ground coconut paste. Asafetida and Toor dhal which were not available in South India were not used in any of these dishes. The agent which added pungency to all these was still Chilies. Possibly before chillies came, they were using pepper powder .Then all of a sudden I realized that the preparations on the death anniversary days did not use chillies, asafetida as well as toor dhal. The main dish equivalent to Sambar, which was called Pitlai, was prepared using tamarind, pepper and green gram dhal. This must have been the precursor of the different Tamarind preparations mentioned above. When I was toying with this idea, I landed on the write up by Dr.Padmini Natarajan, which I quote Verbatim below: -
"South Indian food, people and culture are inexorably linked to a ubiquitous dish as in idli and sambhar, sambhar and rice and so on. Each state in the South prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.
The genesis of this dish has an interesting tale linked to it. The Marathas were ruling Tanjore. Sambhoji was a great cook (the male clan members to note) and very fond of his amti with a handful of the tart kokum thrown in. In a particular season the kokum that was imported from the Maratha homeland did not reach the bare larder of the king's kitchen. Sambhoji was cooking and the minions were shivering in their dhothis to tell him that his favourite dish could not be made that day. A smart Vidushak, who had been elected sous chef for the day, decided to solve the problem. He whispered in the king's ears that the locals used very little tamarind pulp to gain a better sourness to the curry and that Sambhoji should experiment with this variation. Voila, the dish with the tuvar dal, vegetables, spices and the tamarind pulp was cooked and served by the king to his coterie. The court declared the dish an outstanding preparation (they had no choice with the king as Chef) and thus was born sambhoji's amti that in time became sambhar"
Thus the modern Sambar which we use is named after a king of Tanjore called Sambhaji. Due to distance from his native place and difficulty in getting Kokum, he used Tamarind and possibly added Toor dhal, which is mainly grown in Maharashtra and Gujarat. He might have added Pure Asafoetida which was used as a spice in Maharashtra. From then on lot of research must have gone in, in getting to the modern version of several types of Sambar.
Still I am wondering how North Indian Sabji was prepared without onion and Tomato!
Mom of Dad /Appatha
Ramya Chendhi Shanmugam, Bangalore
(Tamil poem From Mangayar Malar , September 2008)
Translation attempt
I have never even murmured a word.
When I passed by you, even at times ordinary,
When I happened to see your sunken face,
I have not even thrown a soft smile at you.
In this world of hurry bury,
In which we are drowned in our thoughts,
I have never asked from you,
Those paths that you have passed with pain or pleasure,
Nor the burden that you carried always with a smile,
Nor listened to your stories that you wanted to share.
My mind which did not bother about you,
And my body which disregarded you ,
When you called me at rarest of the times,
Are making me sad with sorrow now.
You have gone leaving all of us sad,
To the place , where no one comes back.
Even if I shout, drenching it with copious tears,
Will you be able to hear my voice now?
Why did you go away, mom of my dad?
I would be waiting for you with anxiety,
With all the love that I had for you,
For your coming again to my house.
Would you come as my daughter, mom of my dad?
Quo Vadis Thathas and Pattis?
While Pattis who are healthy continue to be a part of the household management , by providing help in cooking and looking after the grand children, The thatha who was till then wedded to his work is left high and dry. Suddenly he finds that he has nothing to do.
The pleasant chit chat with children, the intermissions in the kitchen over planning of menu, discussions about future of their children etc are again not there. Since Thatha had spent most of his life in talking with friends in office, he does not know any of his neighbors. His friends have all become thathas and rarely move out. He finds that his children are earning much more money than him and are not bothered about the small wealth that he has. His grand children who prattle sweet nothings in English do not understand why their Thatha is so morose. The only friend in the house (his wife who is a Patti) is extremely busy looking after the needs of his grand children. Nobody seems to be interested in politics or newspaper. He, not being used to sit in front of the idiot box, finds it very boring. He broods and worries. This makes him imagine all the sickness that he has only heard.
Then comes the next stage. Patti who was needed as a service provider is not able to move out due to arthritis. Her grand children do not like the food prepared by her. .They would prefer north Indian food, pizzas and burgers. The brooding gang becomes richer by one more member. The sick tired people in the house are doubled. Suddenly the mami of the house realizes that, there are two useless people in the house, who have to be looked after. The home that was heaven becomes hell to thatha and Patti. If God gets angry and presents them with serious sickness, they crush themselves into dust. A nurse or a nurseman is appointed to look after them. Some mamas and mamis think that it is too much of a botheration and send them to old age homes.
These old age homes do not help them much. One hundred percent of the occupants of these homes are brooding thathas and Pattis who start cursing the world and the social order from morning to evening. Of course God has been kind enough nowadays. Many of them fall prey to Alzheimer's disease. This blessing disease makes them forget everything and possibly they are no more brooding. He has also been kind enough to recall them back after some time.
What can we do about this pathetic saga? We can definitely keep ourselves very busy by engaging ourselves in some hobbies or social activities. It would be preferable that as long as the physical dependence does not set in, we live alone in our house .We (Thathas and Pattis) are a very influential lot. We can surely build up Senior citizen homesteads like those existing in USA. In such societies we can build up a social culture of our own without disturbing, the youngsters. WE can organize day care centers with transport facility so that when the Mama and Mamis go to office and Akkas and Annas have gone to college, we can be safe and build up a social life in such centers.. We can contribute a lot with our knowledge. We can surely teach lot of poor children at our home. If we are of the talking type, we can do fund collection for several good deeds. We can visit old age homes (if we are not already in one) and bring cheer to those lonely souls. We can help our friends and their wives, if they are sick. What I am trying to say is that, we should make others feel that these Thathas and Pattis are also very useful members of the society.
Babu, Shivadas and Sundararaman
In the next year, I got admission in the hostel. Life became more difficult. The monetary position of father was becoming bleaker. He was not even in a position to buy me the white Dhothi in sufficient numbers. I had four tamilian room mates, whom I did not like .Some Malayali students near my block used to tease me for my unseemly looks. One day an angel decided to look after me. His real name was Nalinakshan and he was studying M.A, in Social sciences. His college name was C.K.Nalina Babu. He understood that I am suffering from deep inferiority complex and used to spend a lot of time in correcting me. In those two years, not only I got rid of my inferiority complex but became a normal human being. Another of Babu's protégé was P.Shivadas, . Babu made our life. We both were known as Babu's kids. Unlike me, Babu and Shivadas were dressed extremely well. Both of them drove car. They had many girl friends. In fact they were extremely popular people in the hostel. I do not have any qualms in saying That , I am like this because of Babu .Babu used to call Sundararaman my wife and he used to call me Sami.
After I left Annamalai University Sundara Raman became a teacher there. He chose teaching as his profession. He went to various places and has settled down in USA as a teacher. He continues to be a great follower of Kanchi Mutt. I had last met him when he was working in Madras some 7 years back, I spoke to him over phone when I was in USA.
Babu also became a teacher in Ernakulam.I met him twice or thrice. Once I did visit him in his house, took lunch with him. At that time I saw his very pretty wife and equally pretty daughter. Later after my marriage, when things seem to be breaking down, I interacted with Babu. He bolstered my life by very encouraging words. True to his advice things did take a turn for good. Two years back, I was informed that Babu is no more by our friend Shivadas. I cried a lot. He was the elder brother, hat I never had. A true angel of God, who appeared in my life and showed me the right path. Babu, my pranams to you.
Shivadas after a stint of service as a scientist is settled down in Ernakulam. I met him last year , when he visited Bangalore. I do exchange mails with him.
Pathan and Balakrishnan
I was staying in the newly constructed hostel there. I made two very close friends during the year 1955-57. They were Pathan and Balaksrishnan. They were a study in contract.
Pathan alias K.K.Padmanabhan was a Nair boy hailing from Cheruthuruthi. His father was an assay officer in the OOrgaum mines of KOlar. Pathan and me were classmates, room mates and close friends. He introduced me to Malayalam literature. During these two years, I read almost all the best novels published in Malayalam. These were borrowed from a village library (Trikumarakudam). Pathan completed Intermediate with me and came to Bangalore for a job of a steno in Kirloskar. I again met him briefly during a study tour at Bangalore in the year 1961. He was at that time working in the district court as a steno. We spent a very happy time for a day. After this Pathan disappeared from my world. I came back to Bangalore in 1984 and tried my best to locate Pathan. But God was not kind.
K.P.Balakrishnan was the son of the Principal of the Ayurvedic college at Kottakal. In the final exams in inter , he scored extremely high marks. He was a very great scholar and very studious. His acumen for understanding anything was really great. We spent several hours in scholarly discussions. I still remember a walk by us to a hill near by, on the top of which Ramakrishna Ashram of Trichur was situated. I missed him a lot after 1957. He studied Physics M.A., in Maharaja's College, Ernakulam and later appeared for IAS/IFS. He got a very high rank in both. He chose to join IFS.I searched him a lot but could locate him in Sweden as The ambassador to India. At that time, I did contact him once but then afterwards , I could not contact him.
My mind always thinks of these two friends,. If only I can meet them.
Friday, August 29, 2008
My Friend S.Shanthi Lal
I heard a story of a friend from the middle east , when I was but a child. It runs as follows:-
There was a young man who one day boasted to his father that he had millions of friends. Then his father told him, he had only a half friend. The son laughed at this. The father egged the son o test his friends. Then the father filled up a big Gunny bag with saw dust .He poured lot of red ink on the gunny bad. The son carried this bag to his closest friend's house. When the door opened , he told his friend, "Sam, I have killed a bad character. Now I do not know what to do. Can you help me?." The friend slammed the door on him and shouted from behind the door, "Go away from here. I am sure the police would come in search of you. I do not want to have anything with you from now onwards." The same thing happened in the houses of all the million friends of the son. He returned home and told his father, "Now , I have understood that they are not my friends." Then father told his son to go to Father's half friend's house and tell the same thing. When it was done , the scene was very much different. His father's friend, took him inside , gave a cup of coffee. Then he helped him clean himself. He then asked him to return to his home without the bag. After the sin left his house, the friend, surrendered to the police saying that he has killed somebody. Then the father told him , "this is but half my friend."
Somehow right from my childhood I was in search of such a friend. In these 68 years , I do have large number of acquaintances but very few friend. I have decided to write about these few friends, in these blogs.
The first of them is Sri .S.Shanthikumar , who was my friend in my high school days at Secunderabad , Andhra Pradesh.. A few words about myself at that time. In 1950 , I was studying 6th standard in a Malayalam school at Chelakkara, Kerala. My father was running a hotel in Secunderabad. He decided to put me in an English medium school there. I was taught slight English by a young lodger in our hotel called Omana . I appeared for an interview in a St.Mary's school. This was a very poor school those days with Father Fernandez as the principal. The medium was English and my second language was Tamil. I just knew how to read Tamil and did not know how to write it. I did not know how to speak English. I joined the seventh standard there in 1951. It was a real struggle to learn. All my class mated used to look at me with pity and wonder. But one of them had more pity on me. He was Sri. S.Shanthilal son of Sri Saranga Pani a railway employee. Unlike me he was not a Brahmin. But a real friendship flowered between us. This continued till 1955 , when I was forced to leave to Kerala for pursuing my college education. We both cried a lot at that time. We did manage to write letters to each other for another 5 years. Shanthi , my friend, had to discontinue his education. He worked in a tea factory , near Secunderabad . In 1961, I was a student in a statistical Institute in
My friend Shanthi, It is so painful that I lost you. You were the first friend I ever had and your memory is still green in my heart. . Ra
Friday, August 8, 2008
A call for my community
Awake , Brahmanas, Awake !!
Modern day Brahmanas whose role was to learn the Vedas and tenets of religion and explain it to those who are not capable of understanding them, are in the present day a very confused lot. The main reason is that they have left the vocation of their forefathers and have taken up all and sundry job just to eke out a living. Most of them only understand the label which is allotted to them as Smarthas, Vaishnavas and Madhwas. Some of them are a step higher and tell you that they worship only Shiva and their Guru is Sankaracharya; that they worship Vishnu and their Guru is Ramanujacharya and that they worship
.I am an ignoramus but would like to give a very small notes on the three thought processes and request all of you to further read , try to understand the glorious interpretations given by their respective Acharyas and explain to every one they know that their religion is a very glorious thought process and not a set of orthodox beliefs.
Advaitha of Adi Sankara
The seeker of truth of the sanathana dharma understands easily the difference between individual souls(Antharathma) and the great power that is every where(Paramathma).Sankara interpreted the the books of religion and concluded that these two are no different, whether you realize it or not. He told that they are same and your understanding or not is not going to change this fact.
Visishtadvaitha of Saint Ramanujacharya
Saint Ramanuja who was being taught Advaitha by a teacher could not digest this fact. He interpreted the same books as Sankara and concluded that unless you understand and realize that they are same, they are not the same .It is the inner light of realization within oneself, which could make you realize that they are not different. He also evolved the Saranagathi Thattwa (Principle of absolute surrender) through which the Antharathma can merge with the Paramathma. Two schools of thought differentiated later on the Saranagathi. One school believed that the Saranagathi does not need an effort on your part and is a passive surrender (Marjara Saranagathi-kitten like surrender) and the other school believed that your effort is very much needed even after the surrender and is an active surrender (Markata Saranagathi- the surrender of baby monkey)
Saint Madhwacharya interpreted the same books and found that there is no evidence of Paramathma and Antharathma being the same. They according to him are different. The Antharathma after many cycles of birth and deaths ultimately merges with the paramathma.
Unless we start doing introspection of these royal thought processes, here and now the future generation of Brahmanas who are extremely intelligent will break the ties imposed on them by a religion that they do not understand and which appears to them like a very orthodox cult rather than a magnificent thought process.
Let us all awake and let us all think so that this cherished magnificent heritage of ours burns for ever and illuminates all the world.
Some forgotten Kerala Iyer recipes


text:
One of the best investments you'll ever make for your kitchen is buying a decent frying pan. Frying pans are very versatile and you can cook anything in their from sausages, chilli con carne right down to a quick and easy stir fry.
When looking for a frying pan, buy one with a good non-stick surface and i'll guarantee you that you will never look back on the decision!
Available Frying Pans
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU quarterback Danny Etling and wide receiver DJ Chark rediscovered their timing Saturday afternoon.
In LSU's loss to Alabama, Etling and Chark seemed like magnets repelling one another. Any time Etling heaved deep, Chark couldn't bring the pass in. Some plays were Etling's fault. Others were Chark's. None ended up complete.
RELATED: Tigers offense explodes in second half of victory over Arkansas
But Saturday? This was a different story. In LSU's 33-10 win over Arkansas, Etling targeted Chark 5 times, completing 4 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both touchdowns came on deep passes, one going 45 yards and the other going 68. And if you ask Chark, the throws couldn't have been more perfect.
"Danny couldn't have thrown a better ball," Chark said. "I had to thank him both times. He made my job way easier than it's ever been. Probably two of the easiest touchdowns I've ever scored with Danny throwing the ball like that."
Using the NFL's passer rating statistic, Etling posted a perfect 158.3 grade when throwing at Chark on Saturday. That was a stark change from the Alabama game when Etling missed on four deep throws to Chark and another to sophomore Derrick Dillon. It was also a return to normalcy for Etling, who thrived throwing deep early in the year.
But for Chark, Saturday was a new experience of sorts. It's easy to forget because of his 2 punt return touchdowns and his rushing score, but Chark's 2 touchdowns Saturday were his first 2 receiving TDs of 2017. After Chark muffed a punt in the first quarter and almost cost LSU a possession, being the star of the game Saturday didn't look like it was in the cards. But to LSU coach Ed Orgeron, Chark's ability to recover from blunders like that define his character.
"He's mature," Orgeron said. "He sticks with it. He believes in himself and he has confidence."
Confidence was a running theme for Orgeron after the win. After the Alabama loss, Orgeron was under some fan pressure to ditch Etling as his starting quarterback and move on to freshman Myles Brennan to prepare for 2018. But Orgeron didn't feel like it was the right time to do that.
He wanted to reinforce Etling's belief that this is his team.
"We stayed with him, man," Orgeron said. "I wanted Danny to know we have confidence in him. It would've been easy to pull him, but I didn't want to do that. Danny has bled purple and gold. I was not going to do that to him. I wanted to give him the chance."
Of course, Orgeron went on to say that had Etling not played well in the third quarter, he would've yanked him. But Etling was close to perfect in the third, going 4 for 5 for 52 yards. He followed that up with an equally efficient fourth quarter, completing 2 of his 3 pass attempts for 89 yards and a touchdown. By NFL passer rating, Etling's second half grade was 156.3. Not quite perfect. But pretty darn near it.
And it doesn't hurt when you have Chark catching passes. He might be reluctant to admit it, but he's about as lethal in the open field as any receiver in the SEC.
"I just try to do my job, man," Chark said. "Whenever I'm able to get in the open field I try to make the most of it. Then I go back and look at it and I see I did a pretty good job. So apparently I'm pretty dangerous."
The post Danny Etling, DJ Chark connect on deep balls in LSU's win over Arkansas appeared first on SEC Country.
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26th July, 2005 – Lord Indra (The Rain God) unleashed his fury on the city which is still reeling under the after effects of that hellish night. That's another matter of fact that the very next day newspapers carried articles proclaiming that Mumbai has bounced back and is again on its feet. That's great, but I personally feel that this bouncing back phenomenon was restricted to the few areas of Mumbai and to the few sections of the society. Don't worry friends I am not going to mull over this phenomenon in this article. My area of concern is entirely different. The question I am going to address here is "Why Lord Indra was so angry and cruel that day?"
I chewed over this question for a long time and then all of a sudden I realized and identified the culprit. No, it's not the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Neither the criminal is any disaster management cell nor is Mumbai police. It's not the government. It's not the administration. So who is at fault? It's none other than Mr. R.R. Patil. His one mistake has made the entire city to suffer. Everyone knows that Lord Indra loves the dance performances of Manekas! How can be someone so stupid to estrange the Lord himself by banning all the Manekas of the city? How can he just enforce a blanket ban on the dance bars? I don't think the man is in his senses. A lots of pujas and yaganas need to be performed to pacify the Rain God, but it doesn't ensure 100% success. Why not revoke the ban? Why not let these girls earn their livelihood with self respect? Why this stupid self styled champion of the masses is encouraging prostitution?
These dance bars were highlight of the Mumbai night life. It was the mere source of entertainment of the middle class men and earning source for lakhs of people. I know people might argue that these dance bars are haven for crime and criminals. Prostitution, drug peddling and various notorious activities of the omnipresent BHAIS of Mumbhai are linked to these dance bars. But I believe not every dance bar is a Deepa Bar, not every bar girl a Tarannum, not every customer Aditya Panscholi or Muralitharan or a cricket bookie. There are bars where bouncers and owners ensure that girls stick to dancing and there are no nefarious activities. There are bar girls who have been dancing for years now to feed their big families and who have their self respect intact. There are customers and many of them who just go to dance bars for a drink or two and have their share of entertainment because they can't afford to go to costlier discos (which incidentally were not on the radar of Mr. Patil) where girls are semi clad or semi nude, where everyone is not high on drinks but is flushed with cocaine or whatever they call it, where there is no concept like prostitution but one night stands and sex with mutual consent (of course under the effect of drugs) is a norm. I fail to understand the double standards of Mr. Patil. Or may be he reflects the mindset of our society where dance bars have some infamy attached to it while these discos have a snobbish aspiration value.
Things have changed fast since this ban. There is news of exodus of these out of work bar girls to sexually starved and inhibited cities of Gujarat. In fact prostitution is on rise both in Mumbai and outside. But there are certain other ramifications. One of them is that the sound of "Sheeeeeee Sheeeeeee" which I talked about in my last article will get fiercer and will keep disturbing me. I think after dance bars the massage parlors are next big thing in town. Let Patil think! For us as usual, WAIT AND WATCH! Pity the Lord Indra!!!!!!!


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Open Culture has announced that the Getty Museum has published an additional 77,000 images to its Open Content Archive! The Getty Museum's Open Content Archive is a
repository of images that the museum has placed in the Public Domain.
More than 87,000 high resolution images are now available via the Getty's Open Content Archive. To learn more about this project and other resources available to the public, see the article by Open Content Archive:
Getty Museum Adds Another 77,000 Images to its Open Content Archive – Open Culture.


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Milk teeth are just as important as adult teeth
Despite the fact that your child's baby teeth will be replaced over time, preventing tooth decay in these 'milk' teeth is still important. Bad bacteria around baby teeth can often linger and spread to newly erupted permanent teeth. Your baby's first teeth will begin to appear usually at around six months of age, and will only be fully replaced by around the age of twelve. These baby teeth are essential for the development of speech, chewing and healthy adult teeth.
Brushing your child's teeth
You should gently wipe your baby's gums daily with a wet cloth. When their teeth do appear, you can brush them with specially designed baby-friendly brushes, which have small heads, rounded bristles, and will be kind on teeth and gums. Use plain water once a day, not toothpaste.
For children between eighteen months and two years of age you can begin to use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing low amounts of fluoride, and make sure they learn to spit it out after brushing.
For children between two and eight years, you can use smears of regular toothpaste or a milk teeth toothpaste, if they still have trouble spitting out the excess. Supervise while they brush their own teeth first. Up to the age of six, children do not usually have the dexterity required to brush their own teeth well, so help them with the task once they have had a chance to practice on their own. They should be brushing twice a day for at least two minutes each time, usually after morning/evening meals.
Don't forget to replace your child's toothbrush every three to four months, or when the bristles begin fraying, and do not share toothbrushes between children or yourself.
Preventing decay
Fluoride is important for developing strong teeth, however it is recommended that you do not use toothpaste containing fluoride for children younger than eighteen months. Overexposure to fluoride can damage developing teeth. Store all toothpaste out of reach of children.
Flossing is encouraged from the age of two and a half years. By laying your child's head in your lap, similar to being in a dentist chair, you can have a really good look at their teeth while you floss them. As they get older, it is good for them to get into the habit of flossing, so allow them to floss their own teeth around the age of six. Make flossing and brushing as fun as possible to encourage your child to do it!
A very important way to help prevent tooth decay in young children includes limiting consumption of sugary and acidic drinks, snacks or foods. Instead, encourage 'teeth-friendly' foods such as cheese, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and teach your child not to share drink bottles or cutlery as this can transfer harmful bacteria.
Your child's first dental visit
Take your child to the dentist for their first check-up before they are two years old, and then at least once a year every year after that. If your child damages their teeth in any way, contact your dentist immediately. Your dentist or therapist will be the best source of advice regarding your child's oral health care. They may advise more frequent visits or other preventative measures if they notice that your child is at higher risk of developing tooth decay. The good news is that early diagnosis of tooth decay means that treatment can be very conservative and least traumatic for your child.
How do I take care of my baby/toddler's teeth?
If your baby doesn't have any teeth yet, you can wipe her gums with a clean warm wet cloth after every feed. Once she gets her first teeth, make sure you clean them after feeds with a warm wet cloth and avoid letting your baby fall asleep with a bottle. Do not allow your baby to drink anything else but milk or water from a bottle. Your toddler can have their teeth brushed the same way as the rest of the family. Until they are three years old they may not be able to spit, so avoid putting too much toothpaste on the brush and use only a smear rather than a blob of paste to brush their teeth. You may choose to use a milk teeth toothpaste with less fluoride until the first permanent teeth start erupting, but using regular toothpaste is also fine, as long as you use it in small quantities.
How can I introduce my child to good oral health routine right from the start?
Each time you have an appointment with our hygienist, your teeth are professionally scaled and polished, and remineralising agent is applied. We screen your mouth for gum disease, malignancies and tooth decay. Preventing problems is vital to good health, so our hygiene team will discuss with you how to best look after your teeth and gums at home. A dental therapist is a vital part of our team, offering a wonderful service treating dental concerns in children. A dental therapist is a great alternative to seeing a dentist, especially for young children. Our therapist has a great way of making children's visits fun and enjoyable.


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In most cases, the difficulties one encounters as regards their dog's behavior and mannerisms have to do with their dog facing situations that they find to be negative, stressful and frightening. It follows, then, that if one could protect their dogs from all negative, stressful and frightening situations, they would have a more calm and well-mannered canine companion. However, the reality is that one simply cannot control their dog's environment at all times, and would go mad trying to do so.
A better solution to raising a happy, healthy, calm and well-mannered dog is to expose your dog to many different types of people, animals, situations and environments that they may encounter in their life. This can include taking your dog to obedience classes, the veterinarian for regular check-ups and even walks in the park. A dog that learns how to handle himself in a wide variety of situations is more likely to develop a strong confidence and ease in their life, which can help them work through even the most unsettling of situations.
Socializing Your Dog Beyond Puppyhood
Most dog owners are well informed about the importance of socializing puppies. From the ages of three to twelve weeks, puppies are sensitive to socialization and their positive socialization experiences during this time can have long-lasting effects on their overall demeanor and well-being. Dogs that were very well socialized as puppies are often far more friendly and less fearful as a result. However, socialization should not stop after puppyhood.
Even dogs that were well socialized as puppies and appeared to have generally friendly, calm demeanors have sometimes reacted with aggression in the future when they encountered some difficult experience or situation. Even if they had absolutely no traumatic or frightening experiences in their life, the lack of continued socialization kept them from maintaining their calm, friendly demeanor and certain situations pushed them into fearful or aggressive reactions. There was one specific case where a couple socialized their puppy and frequently exposed him to other people and dogs so that he seemed to be generally happy and friendly. Then, when the couple moved out into the country, their dog had no real social interaction at all and suddenly started growling and lunging at any stranger he saw from the car or the house, rather shocking behavior considering his previous friendly disposition.
It is quite possible that a dog's lack of continued socialization can cause their behavior to change so that they respond differently to environments and situations around them. Dr. Patricia McConnell discusses what she calls "juvenile-onset shyness" in her book "The Other End of the Leash". Juvenile-onset shyness is a period in dog adolescence where they appear to become more cautious of and aggressive toward people and animals they are unfamiliar with. This may be indicative of the fact that dogs need continued socialization, with verbal and physical cues and guidance from their owners, throughout puppyhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Dog socialization does not have to be complicated or extremely time consuming. One can simply walk their dog frequently, allowing him to meet other animals and people in a pleasant atmosphere. One can also arrange dog play dates with other friendly dogs, or even trips to the local dog park. Dogs should be allowed to meet with people who come into the home, and see that this too is a pleasant experience.
A dog owner's interaction with and training of their dog can definitely help improve and stabilize their dog's behavior, but regular socialization throughout your dog's life is critical to their well-being, health and happiness, and makes for a much happier relationship and home.


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Enjoy this guest post by Matt Robinson of Real Food by Dad: Strawberry season is in high gear and luck for all of us as it coincides with ice cream season. With that I'm sharing a mash-up of the two with these Strawberry Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches. The Strawberry Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches recipe comes together easily with a creamy, no-churn ice cream. You can eat it like that—scooped into a bowl, on a cone, between two cookies or make it into a brownie sandwich like the photo above and below. For what you see here, I went with a box brownie mix for a shortcut. If you go this route, use your preferred brownie mix and prepare it according to the instructions, then pour into a standard bake sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake it for about 15-18 minutes. Then all that is left to do is a quick assembly, chill, slice and serve. The hardest part comes when there's one left and a house full of grab-y hands. How does one decide between the 8-year-old or your wife—you don't. Hold your breath long enough and they'll work it out. True story. Lucky for me, I still had nearly a full flat of strawberries, so I made a second round. Yep, it's not everyday you are gifted with two flats of strawberries straight from a farmer. But that's what happens when you travel to a farm to see just how strawberries are harvested. Can you guess who the farmer is from the city boy? Yep, Hector is in the boots and he was kind of enough to take us around his farm in Oxnard, CA to talk all about strawberries. I knew it would be a great, but it turned out even better than I anticipated, so I was glad my 8-year-old came along for an educational field day. And it was way better than he thought. He learned the life cycle of a strawberry from flower to fruit is about 24 days. See the white flower below, at the center is the start of a strawberry that will push its way up and out by growing larger and larger and then turning green to white, pink and eventually red as its ripens on the stem. It seems so logical, right? But who knew unless someone showed you or told you, because in all honesty, I never really thought about it. After learning that, Hector showed Cole how to properly pick a strawberry—it's all in a flick of the wrist. Well, as you can imagine, Cole lost no time practicing his newly found strawberry picking skills. Which of course naturally led to him also doing a lot of eating—he ate, and he ate . . . and he ate. So while he was busy, Hector talked about his year long business that comes down to just a few months of harvesting. He is a second generation farmer who learned the business from his parents. His farm grows organic and non-organic strawberries that end up being shipped throughout California and the west coast. For more information about Hector and the other California strawberry farmers click here. You can find their personal stories, read about their families and hear about the challenges of farming, from unpredictable weather to some of their favorite ways to enjoy or prepare the crops they grow. Speaking of personal asides, check out Hector attempting a Kendama big cup to little cup after Cole gave him a two-second lesson on the latest 8-year-old rage. As you can see, he was so gracious and we had such a great time with him.
Strawberry Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches
Calories: 357kcalPrint Recipe
Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream
- 1 lb. strawberries sliced
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 large whole egg
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 oz freeze dried strawberries finely ground to powder
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Your favorite boxed brownie mix
To roast strawberries:
- Toss sliced strawberries with sugar, spread onto baking sheet in a single layer. Roast at 375°F for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a blender and puree. Transfer the puree to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
To make Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream:
- Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan (this will prevent the plastic wrap from shifting around in the pan) and the line pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 4-inch overhang on each side. Set aside.
- Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a standmixer bowl, whisk together egg yolks, whole egg, sugar and salt. Set the bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bottom does not touch the water. Whisk the mixture continuously until it reaches 175°F. Transfer the bowl to the standmixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until mixture doubles in volume and is cool to the touch. Add the freeze-dried strawberries and beat until well combined. Turn off mixer and fold in strawberry puree. Set aside.
- In a second bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add half of the whipped cream to the whipped egg mixture and fold until just streaky. Add in remaining whipped cream and fold until well combined and no streaks remain. Pour the mixture into prepared loaf pan. Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.
To assemble:
- Prepare boxed brownie mix according to directions, baking in a parchment-lined pan.
- Once brownies have cooled, cut into 24 squares (6 rows x 4 rows). Peel parchment paper from bottom of each square. For each sandwich, spoon 1/4 cup Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream on bottom of 1 brownie square. Top with a second brownie square, bottom side down; gently press together.
The freeze dried strawberries are highly concentrated and give this ice cream a bright burst of flavor and provide a nice shot of color. Freeze dried strawberries can be found in most supermarkets or can easily be ordered from Amazon. Nutrition facts provided for Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream only, as brownie mix nutrition will vary.
Serving: 1g | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 206mg | Sodium: 151mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g


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HASWELL, GEORGE TYLER (1838–1893). George Tyler Haswell, businessman and state representative, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 19, 1838, the son of George D. and Eliza (Tyler) Haswell. The Haswell family immigrated to Texas in 1855, settling in Fayette County. Here Haswell assisted his father in a cotton shipping business. On September 11, 1860, George T. Haswell married Susan (King) Ellis in Fayette County. This couple had at least one child, a son. By 1865 Haswell had relocated to Millican, Brazos County, where he continued his activity in the cotton business. In the late 1860s he assumed a prominent role in the public affairs of the county. He was a leader in the campaign to relocate the county seat to Bryan and bring a railroad to this community. In December 1867 he helped establish St. Andrew's Parish, the first Episcopal Church in Bryan. In 1870 he won election on the Republican ticket as representative for Brazos County to the Twelfth Texas Legislature. Following this turn at public service, Haswell resumed his business pursuits which compelled him to relocate to Robertson County where he lived in Calvert in 1872 and Bremond in 1873. Haswell engaged as a railroad agent in the late 1870s before retiring. In retirement Haswell lived in Austin and Galveston.
George Tyler Haswell died on January 16, 1893, while visiting Dallas and was buried in Bryan at Bryan City Cemetery.
Glenna Fourman Brundidge, Brazos County History: Rich Past—Bright Future (Bryan, Texas: Family History Foundation, 1986). IGI Individual Record: "George T. Haswell" (http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=ancestorsearchresults.asp), accessed June 20, 2007. W. Broadus Smith, Brazos County, Texas Cemetery Records (Houston: W. Broadus Smith, 1967). Clarence R. Wharton, ed., Texas Under Many Flags (5 vols., Chicago: American Historical Society, 1930).
Image Use Disclaimer
All copyrighted materials included within the Handbook of Texas Online are in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 related to Copyright and "Fair Use" for Non-Profit educational institutions, which permits the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), to utilize copyrighted materials to further scholarship, education, and inform the public. The TSHA makes every effort to conform to the principles of fair use and to comply with copyright law.
For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article.Handbook of Texas Online, Aragorn Storm Miller, "HASWELL, GEORGE TYLER," accessed June 01, 2020, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fhalc.
Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Modified on August 24, 2014. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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Call for Papers: Texas Center for Working-Class Studies
Events, Symposia, and Workshops
Hi all! You may be interested in this call for papers I received from the Texas Center for Working-Class Studies at Collin College...
Katy Jennings' Ride
Scholarly Research Request
I'm doing research on Catherine Jennings Lockwood, specifically the incident known as "Katy Jennings' Ride." Her father was Gordon C. Jennings, the oldest man to die at the Alamo...
Texas Constitution of 1836 Co-Author- Elisha Pease?
Ask a Historian
The TSHA profile of Elisha Marshall Pease states that he wrote part of the Texas Constitution although he was only a 24 year-old assistant secretary (not elected). I cannot find any other mention of this authorship work by Pease in other credible research about the credited Constution authors...


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Teodolinda and her family moved to the Zapotal highlands of Costa Rica to find a better life. But instead of getting better, life became drastically worse. Alcohol and anger gripped their hearts until life became a cycle of drudgery, moonshining, and fighting. Frightened and disgusted with herself, Teodolinda decided to change. She hung religious symbols on the wall, lit candles to the saints, chanted prayers, and vowed to do better, but her family only slid deeper into sin. Amid this darkness Teodolinda discovered God and His power, against whom the gates of Hell could not prevail. A true story.
Item: 264560
Pages: 451
Size: 6 x 9
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Christian Light Publications
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Logo or Logotypes and Branding
The word logo is rooted in the Greek word lógos meaning a word, saying, speech, discourse, thought, proportion, and ratio. In the world of graphic design a logo must represent all these concepts. Logo is associated with logotype which is defined as; a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, and trademark, which is uniquely designed for ready recognition. Any study of logos, need to look at it from the perspective of both historical evolution of graphic design and, of course, an overall marketing strategy in which a logotype would be presented as a symbol or a brand to distinguish a particular product among its many rivals in the marketplace. In economics jargon this is called Product Differentiation. Of course, many nonprofit humanitarian, cultural and political entities also use logos to convey a particular image of themselves.
Humanitarian, Cultural and Political Logo
The flag of the Olympic Games has been designed by Pierre de Coubertin. The circle is considered a symbol of unity, because all the regular polygons are embraced by the circle. It is also the symbol of timeless excellence, without beginning or end, perfect, the ultimate geometric symbol. Elegantly using the cultural symbolism of circle, the flag reminds us of the minimalism of Mondrian. According to Coubertin "This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colours are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time."
The logo of the Socialist Party of France depicts a rose as a symbol of community (the flower's petals), socialism (its red color), taking care of those who are less able to compete (the fragility), the struggle (the thorns), cultural life (beauty). Historically, the red rose became the party's emblem during the nineteen-seventies. At first the party used a vertical fist as a symbol of resistance. However, François Mitterrand's Socialists rebranded the party and turned the fist into a horizontal hand holding a rose.
Known worldwide by its panda logo, the Switzerland-based World Wildlife Fund (WWF) participates in international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats. The powerful image of an engendered specie like panda bring home the point both intellectually and emotionally. Gerald Watterson was the creator of the original panda.However, through the design has become more articulated and aesthetically pleasing.
Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders, is best known for its humanitarian projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic disease. Their logo using a minimalist approach modulates a nonjudgmental, apolitical, humanitarian visual impact.
Branding and Logo in the world of commerce
Product differentiation; in quality, packaging, design, color, and style – has an important impact on consumer choice. This is how branding strategies work, they create product differentiation in the minds of consumers. In fact, Every time that we fill up our cars, the petrol we purchase is relatively identical whether we go to a Shell, an Esso, or any other stations. But branding strategies have to sell, and they achieves this goal by positively influencing people's perceptions of the product or service.
Today there are thousands of branding gurus who are providing advice on branding strategies. However, it is important to remember that if a company does not have a real product that would satisfy a need of a consumer branding would be of no use, Of course, there are those who argue a powerful company, with deep pockets, can always create in the minds of consumers an artificial feeling of a need for a useless product, such as many of the health products, cosmetics, bottled water, and so on in today's markets. Nevertheless, these products still satisfy various needs – albeit the illusive ones, of making someone more healthy, more beautiful, more safe, and so on, and if they cannot deliver on those promises sooner or later the value of that brand will diminish.
Many argue that a great brand name is one of the most powerful forces in marketing and advertising. A brand name, however, is not created right of the bat. The fact that Google became such a great brand was because it's search engine was working much more efficiently than Altavista, Yahoo, and other competitors at the time. Once people recognized the merits of a product, then the story about what makes that company different from it's competitors and the emotional tug that connects the company with it's customers becomes a branding story.
Unfortunately, visual design terms are too often used inconsistently, leading to confusion for designers as well as clients. Contrary to common usage, the words "logo," "identity," and "brand" are not interchangeable. A tasteful, and potent graphic identity is a touchstone for any company, and logos are among the most tangible artifacts graphic designers produce. Today, anyone with a computer and Internet access can create a kind of graphic identity. Many entrepreneurs may feel satisfied by acquiring run of the mill logos, but when their products become popular and the time arrives to benefit from their many years of hard struggles, the competitors begin to enter the same markets with similar products to delve into their sources of profit. The new entrants compete with better logos on their magazine ads, delivery trucks, business cards, lobby signs, and so on, and because their logos can deliver the message more clearly, they can borrow from the credibility of the earlier products, and can connect with the target consumers more emotionally, motivate them and generate loyalty and good will.
Thus, too succeed in branding, entrepreneurs must anticipate the needs and wants of their customers, understand the aesthetic of their logos, and integrate their brand strategies through the activities of their companies at every point of public contact. A potent brand would etch on the hearts and minds of customers, clients, and prospects. The brand would simply become a promise that the company would provide the same quality of service for the same authentic product that customers that have valued through their experiences.
As it should be clear form our discussion, so far, a logo by itself cannot create a brand for a company. Other elements, such as it's commitments to quality controls, it's ethical values, it's community relationships, the design of it's products, the quality of it's advertisements, and even the style and color of it's stationery all are very important. Most of the logos we admire more often than not are part of a well-designed system, that includes as these other elements.
A recognized brand name is a great ambassador for a company. It can act as a guarantor of quality for other products of the company that are still new and unknown. It also helps differentiate a company's offerings from the competition's.
A great brand name must be both linguistically appealing and must strategically reminds the clients of all other elements that are part and parcel of it's identity. In other words, the brand would be a shorthand signal for the high quality of products, the company's trustworthiness, ethical integrity, and good corporate citizenship.
Today finding a right name and an appropriate logo has become a real challenge. It is interesting to note that in 2003, there were more than 260,000 trademark applications in the United States and over 98 percent of the dictionary is registered as a "dot com " company. This has created many jobs for some smart people to search a for a good brand name. I do not think, finding a name is that important as the Johnson & Johnson, P& G, and 3M brands as well as many others demonstrate.
In today's world a brand name needs to have strong presence in Web search engines such as Google and Yahoo. This is in a context that the globalization has released an enormous competitive force from a torrent of new products which makes it enormously challenging to develop a new brand. A business needs to build its products or services with a perceived or a real unique value or unique competitive advantage. However, in a globally competitive market the competitors, usually fairly quickly, copy, or even improve upon, those unique values or advantages. Over time, most highly valued features would become common, or in technical terms they become commoditized. Commoditization occurs as a goods or services market loses differentiation across its supply base, often by the diffusion of the intellectual capital necessary to acquire or produce it efficiently. As such, goods that formerly carried premium margins for market participants have become commodities.
A comprehensive visual communication strategy is the only viable solution within a branding strategy that would combat that loss of advantage or uniqueness. For instance; Apple Inc.'s branding strategy is to compete with a tasteful and elegant designs across several highly competitive consumer electronic markets, which includes the Mac brand in personal computers, the MP3 segment represented by the I Pod brand, digital music distribution through its iTunes Music Store, the phone segment led by iPhone and more recently in the critically important domain of convergence, between the smartphone, the notebook and the media player with the Apple iPad. What connects all these branding activity is apple's logo.