yes, there is a hope...

My Inventions : Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla, born  10th July 1856, Smiljan, Croatia. Recently, I've read his autobiography “My Inventions”. He was God gifted serial innovator and from very illustrios family. His mother belonged to one of the oldest families of the region having impeccable record as inventors and who invented several tools and implements. His father was military officer and later on turned to work as priest. Infact, his grandfather served in the army of Napoleon Bonaparte. From childhood he was suffering from light flashes and he could intuitively imagine the exact drawings without any assistance of pen or paper. He had clarity of vision but knowledge of principles of physics was a limiting factor in his earlier life. Firstly he proposed to transport letters and packages across seas through submarine tube in spherical containers. The pumping plant would force the water through the tube. In yet another project he proposed to construct a ring around equator to float f...

These days, I am reading books related to spirituality, philosophy, yogic practices and Hinduism.                  In the series, recently, I have completed Aadhyatmikta : Explorations into Hindu Spiritual Practices written by Rajarshi Ranjan Nandy. The book has been published by Bluprint in 2023.                   The book is divided into two parts. In part one, the author has discussed the general concepts relating to Sanatan dharma like reforms, sadhana, difference between experience and realisation, Purush and Prakrati. In the  part two, the author has developed into different aspects of this and Devi‘s which are in Sanatan Dharma, which includes some of very famous forms of Shakti like Chinnamasta, Kubjika, Bhairavi. Amongst Devta’s he has discussed Ganesh, Shiv, Hanuman, Garuda which introduces you to their puja padhatti. The glossary contains meaning of the words used in...

"How We Learn” by Stanislas Dehaene published by Penguin Books shakes the old held notions about how learning happens, the basis of our  civilisation. A must read for academicians, practitioners, policy makers in education sector, public policy, the book opens up new perspectives and present insights after considerable research. The book is divided into 3 parts. While the first part deals with what is learning per se, the later part delves into the process of learning which our brain adopts. The concept of hardwired and plasticity is discussed and makes a case for adaptability in learning process. The author states that the learning is a process which is unique to homo sapiens as they can adapt and learn. infact, Pedagogy is a priviledge for us as no other species teaches its offspring, takes time to monitor progress and point out errors. the invention of school has vastly added our capacity and capabilities.  In chapter 2, Why Our brains learns better than current machines:, ...

India : A Sacred Geography Do you remember review of Benaras: The City of Light written by Diana L. Eck? As I read more and more about her books, I am sort of liking her. The depth she had in exploring the Indic religious organisation which is very rare for someone looking from outsiders perspective. This book India : A Sacred Geography, published in 2012 by Random House is next in series for the author wherein she has delved into the vastness of religiosity of India as a country. The book is divided into 10 chapters starting with a detailed note on transliteration and pronunciation. In A Sacred Geography, an imagined landscape, the author identifies tirthas as “crossings”  where one’s prayers are amplified, one’s rites are more efficacious, one’s vows more readily fulfilled. The book indicted that in the ancient shastras not only geographical teerthas but also teerths of heart are referred as “manas teerthas”. These are enumerated as “truth, celibacy, charity, patience, self-contr...

 “आपका बंटी” मन्नू भंडारी के उन बेजोड़ उपन्यासों में है जिनके बिना न बीसवीं सदी के हिंदी उपन्यास की बात की जा सकती है ना स्त्री विमर्श को सही धरातल पर समझा जा सकता है। बच्चों की निगाहों और घायल होती सम्वेदना की निगाहों से देखी गई परिवार की यह कहानी बच्चों की दुनिया को एक भयावह दुस्वप्न बना जाती है। कहना मुश्किल है कि यह कहानी बालक की है या माँ की क्यूँकि सभी तो एक दूसरे में ऐसे उलझे हैं कि एक की त्रासदी सभी की ज़िंदगी में भागी बन जाती है। मन्नू भंडारी हिंदी की प्रसिद्ध लेखिका है जिनका जन्म मध्य प्रदेश में हुआ था। आपके कई उपन्यास प्रसिद्ध हैं जिनमें महाभोज और "आपका बंटी" (राधाकृष्ण प्रकाशन 1971) सबसे प्रमुख हैं। आपका बंटी मुख्यतः पति और पत्नी के बीच मंझधार में फँसे उस अबोध बालक की कहानी है जो माँ और पिता के प्यार को संपूर्ण रूप से ना पा सका। यह एक ऐसी कहानी है जो एक कार्यकारी महिला चुनौती का सामना करती है, कैसे वह समाज के लोगों को और अपने परिवार और बच्चों की देख रेख के बीच में सामंजस्य बैठाने की कोशिश करती है और उसमें अपने स्वयं के अस्तित्व को भूल जाने दिया। उसको ज़िंदा रखने क...

This is Manickarnika, where death is auspicious,  where life is fruitful, where one grazes the pastures of heaven.  There is no tirtha like Manikarnika, There is no city like Kashi, There is no linga like visheshwara,  not in the whole universe. Banaras: City of Light is written by Diana L. Eck. Before we proceed further to review the book, it is pertinent to discuss the credentials of the author. She is a professor of comparative religion and Indian studies in the Harvard University. She has written books on spirituality, religion, especially on India. The book was published in 1981.  The book is divided in eight chapters dealing with different aspects of the city. The chapters range from discussion on Shiva temples of Banaras to the events, on Ganges and the seasons. The book richly contains appendix and a detailed notes and glossary which gives it a complete treat for someone who is new to India or wants to explore the city in a holistic manner on its own. The aut...