Never amiss love sublime
It's like the sunny days again.
Or was it like that moonlit night–
like I was in love!
I see butterflies there and my bygone Lily-
a flower that reflects my past love,
get softer overtime.
I see some snow on rooftops;
my lover still in radiance;
a soft prayer is in cadence.
My breath no longer holding,
I wish for the rain to drip on the blade,
down the strings of her heart–
let sting even stronger.
My feelings reflect our old bliss;
pray, peace of mind never is amiss!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
No snoring please!!!
Snoring comes in various sounds, sawing wood or cutting ‘Zees’ in the air, the sounds doors and windows make in a storm, sometimes mewing cats or growling of dogs and some percussion instruments that blare music.
Heavy snoring is no joke and it is a genuine medical disorder that needs to be checked by ENT and/or sleep specialists first thing. Sleep partners of the snorers lose almost as much sleep as snorers (remember passive smokers) affecting performance at work or home, also reason why they tend to sleep during the day. It is said 30 to 50 % snore, age increasing the susceptibility. Sleep disorders unsettle having behavioral and psychological aspects involved affect productivity and fertility of society. It is shocking about the likely connection between heavy snoring with and heart attacks/ strokes.
Causes: Snoring is the result of the movement of air breathed in and out during sleep, either from nose or mouth when it gets obstructed and produce vibrations that eventually end in sounds over tissues in the airway. One snores due to narrowing of airway in the throat caused by any one or more or all of the following:
1. Bad sleeping postures
2. Obstruction by enlarged uvula and soft palate?
2. Sleep induced weakness in the throat muscle
4. Fat tissue in the surrounding areas of throat
5. Ill positioning of lower jaw due to tension in the muscles;
6. Tongue rolled into the throat when sleeping on the back;
7...Congenitally having a narrow airway due to size & shape of head & neck.
9. Hypothyroid and other disorder and syndromes
10. Hyperacidity (cause as well as symptom)
11. Smoking (including passive smoking) and so on.
Relief: It is always safe to sleep on the side to prevent tongue going into throat due to gravity. Pillows help create more problem than comfort. A folded towel under the neck will serve better. It is better if the headboard is raised a bit for head and shoulders to rest for easy breathing. Sleeping on a full stomach should be avoided and also avoided drinks and pills before bed. Streamlining sleeping patterns and hours help.
What should worry? We know most babies and pets snore lightly. Light or primary snoring without ‘sleep apnea’ is very common. Even then consulting experts is better since these days even light snoring is viewed seriously by some doctors especially in children. Snoring also occurs when one is afflicted with cold or other allergies. And it will soon pass once the virus or allergy is behind. What should worry in my opinion is the heavy snoring accompanied by sleep apnea ( gasping for breath and waking up in the middle of the night on frequent basis. accompanied or preceded by severe sweating or being not awake and yet undergoing the symptoms as revealed by the sleep partner or observer or the tap)
Of course heavy drinkers get extra relaxation in their tongues and throat muscles, uvula and soft palate. The latter produce sounds as suffering from snoring and later a hangover. Same is with sedatives. However children should never be neglected when suffering from sleep related problems. Lest they tend to under perform in the classes maybe due to lack of sufficient oxygen in the brain, and in the long run may end up with more problems. So we need to get them checked up by specialists who see if tonsils or adenoids cause the problem and need to be removed by surgery. Those obese tend to snore more; and the culprit is the fat around the neck and throat. Even fat in stomach will act on diaphragm that leads to snoring. Snoring is a serious cause for reduced libido or sex drive.
Dangers of Sleep apnea: Some heavy snorers may have a disorder called Sleep Apnea. The sufferers wake up next morning hardly realizing they woke up off and on last night for at least hundred times each time for a brief pause lasting a few seconds to a minute. This was due to lack of free airflow in the passageway in the throat thanks to obstructions. In the case air had to be breathed with force in a jerk, snort or choke when lungs used extra pressure prompted by the brain sensing imbalances in Carbon dioxide and Oxygen levels in the blood. At the same time brain wakes up the patient briefly to make him or her take air deliberately into lungs. In 90% of cases sleep apnea patients hardly realize the whole thing happening. BP might also increase and in the long run it may lead to arteriosclerosis (in heart) and/or stroke in brain.
Surgery and devices: Apnea patients may need surgery in some cases according to the doctors when some tissue is removed from throat region. Some doctors advise recording a night’s sleep to diagnose the disorder easily and accurately. Some devices make continuous air flow possible, whereas some other appliance is used in the lower jaw to keep it intact and prevent snoring.
PS: I don’t mean to scare readers but only want to make them aware and alert those suffering and yet not knowing as I myself was a patient once who underwent some symptoms unwittingly and suffered. I advise readers to get the correct and complete advice on any specific case of sleep disorder from the physicians.
Snoring comes in various sounds, sawing wood or cutting ‘Zees’ in the air, the sounds doors and windows make in a storm, sometimes mewing cats or growling of dogs and some percussion instruments that blare music.
Heavy snoring is no joke and it is a genuine medical disorder that needs to be checked by ENT and/or sleep specialists first thing. Sleep partners of the snorers lose almost as much sleep as snorers (remember passive smokers) affecting performance at work or home, also reason why they tend to sleep during the day. It is said 30 to 50 % snore, age increasing the susceptibility. Sleep disorders unsettle having behavioral and psychological aspects involved affect productivity and fertility of society. It is shocking about the likely connection between heavy snoring with and heart attacks/ strokes.
Causes: Snoring is the result of the movement of air breathed in and out during sleep, either from nose or mouth when it gets obstructed and produce vibrations that eventually end in sounds over tissues in the airway. One snores due to narrowing of airway in the throat caused by any one or more or all of the following:
1. Bad sleeping postures
2. Obstruction by enlarged uvula and soft palate?
2. Sleep induced weakness in the throat muscle
4. Fat tissue in the surrounding areas of throat
5. Ill positioning of lower jaw due to tension in the muscles;
6. Tongue rolled into the throat when sleeping on the back;
7...Congenitally having a narrow airway due to size & shape of head & neck.
9. Hypothyroid and other disorder and syndromes
10. Hyperacidity (cause as well as symptom)
11. Smoking (including passive smoking) and so on.
Relief: It is always safe to sleep on the side to prevent tongue going into throat due to gravity. Pillows help create more problem than comfort. A folded towel under the neck will serve better. It is better if the headboard is raised a bit for head and shoulders to rest for easy breathing. Sleeping on a full stomach should be avoided and also avoided drinks and pills before bed. Streamlining sleeping patterns and hours help.
What should worry? We know most babies and pets snore lightly. Light or primary snoring without ‘sleep apnea’ is very common. Even then consulting experts is better since these days even light snoring is viewed seriously by some doctors especially in children. Snoring also occurs when one is afflicted with cold or other allergies. And it will soon pass once the virus or allergy is behind. What should worry in my opinion is the heavy snoring accompanied by sleep apnea ( gasping for breath and waking up in the middle of the night on frequent basis. accompanied or preceded by severe sweating or being not awake and yet undergoing the symptoms as revealed by the sleep partner or observer or the tap)
Of course heavy drinkers get extra relaxation in their tongues and throat muscles, uvula and soft palate. The latter produce sounds as suffering from snoring and later a hangover. Same is with sedatives. However children should never be neglected when suffering from sleep related problems. Lest they tend to under perform in the classes maybe due to lack of sufficient oxygen in the brain, and in the long run may end up with more problems. So we need to get them checked up by specialists who see if tonsils or adenoids cause the problem and need to be removed by surgery. Those obese tend to snore more; and the culprit is the fat around the neck and throat. Even fat in stomach will act on diaphragm that leads to snoring. Snoring is a serious cause for reduced libido or sex drive.
Dangers of Sleep apnea: Some heavy snorers may have a disorder called Sleep Apnea. The sufferers wake up next morning hardly realizing they woke up off and on last night for at least hundred times each time for a brief pause lasting a few seconds to a minute. This was due to lack of free airflow in the passageway in the throat thanks to obstructions. In the case air had to be breathed with force in a jerk, snort or choke when lungs used extra pressure prompted by the brain sensing imbalances in Carbon dioxide and Oxygen levels in the blood. At the same time brain wakes up the patient briefly to make him or her take air deliberately into lungs. In 90% of cases sleep apnea patients hardly realize the whole thing happening. BP might also increase and in the long run it may lead to arteriosclerosis (in heart) and/or stroke in brain.
Surgery and devices: Apnea patients may need surgery in some cases according to the doctors when some tissue is removed from throat region. Some doctors advise recording a night’s sleep to diagnose the disorder easily and accurately. Some devices make continuous air flow possible, whereas some other appliance is used in the lower jaw to keep it intact and prevent snoring.
PS: I don’t mean to scare readers but only want to make them aware and alert those suffering and yet not knowing as I myself was a patient once who underwent some symptoms unwittingly and suffered. I advise readers to get the correct and complete advice on any specific case of sleep disorder from the physicians.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
What is in the liquor?
It has nothing to look for
but the exact opposite
for which is gone for;
it leaves some kick no doubt
but not even yummy
gives a kicking inside the tummy,
and of course some of that
in the offing from the wify
that too on the hind
sounding yappy.
Come morning she is happy
to give the scolding
that leave you more craggy.
It has nothing to look for
but the exact opposite
for which is gone for;
it leaves some kick no doubt
but not even yummy
gives a kicking inside the tummy,
and of course some of that
in the offing from the wify
that too on the hind
sounding yappy.
Come morning she is happy
to give the scolding
that leave you more craggy.
Should have been to the movies!!!
Monday, June 16, 2008
On snooozzzing ------by Seshu BSR Chamarty
I am not a sleep expert. In fact, I run a current account in overdraft at my ‘sleep bank’, technically called sleep backlog. I plan always to square off my negative balances in the sleep account or wished I could. I understand how loss of sleep accumulates over the time mostly over overtime work. In addition I had to go to the airport or railway station very early in the mornings or very late in the nights to see off or receive our family guests. Desperate to get some tips on sleep, I bought sufficient literature coincidentally at the Railway stations. There is a complaint from my wife I am losing sleep over telling about to sleep to others. Despite her I give my sleep talk as under to wake up or put to sleep a keen eye.
How much sleep one requires to stay healthy? Some experts say it is between 6 and 8 hours a night or day (also keeping in mind those on night calls). I wondered, is it not more than half of our lifetime; I included travel to my work and back. I envy a particular guy whose wife often complained to my wife, ‘My husband sleeps like a log/ baby’. Poor man, he was compared to the log or baby depending on his movements in bed or her current vibes towards him. Talking of babies, a baby sleeps for 12 to 14 hours by its 12th month, and like our adults babies too pass through up to 5 REM cycles in sleep. Besides they sleep through the day and that concerns most working mothers for reasons that they are likely to be disturbed by the wide awake baby in the dead of the night. Again, talking of sound sleep, I saw one Kumbhakarna sleeping right through a wedding function with the band in high octave (thank god --not his wedding). Many elderly people are hard to hit the sack for full stint of sleep despite they need it medically -- perhaps need to visit toilets becomes more frequent and imminent.
All said and done it is an enigma why we have to sleep in the first place. The answer given in my literature says: sleep is a must for the human body for it has to carry out its internal repairs like cleaning, getting rid of the dead cells, rejuvenating systems etc. I find some sleep with pillows stacked high under their heads or backs while some do without. My literature advised I should roll a thin towel into a convenient lump and place the same under my neck. For that matter, while asleep, I roll on my bed making different postures like in Dasavatarams. I got a helpful hint that doing so helps one not get bed sores (not bad). These days I lie on to my left side while sleeping that would do a world of good to my gas as my literature says as my stomach empties contents faster into my duodenum in small intestines in line with the gravitational pull (Must be a genius who wrote this tip, next to Newton).
In my experience, the daily siesta (the afternoon nap) works wonders to keep our mind refreshed. A catnap in the office won’t hurt and it is the answer. I see some high tech offices allowed their sleep-hungry staff to officially snooze to increase the general health of company. In other ‘normal’ offices, no wonder certain folks improvise sleeping with eyes wide open and staring blankly at the monitors or notebooks as if reading from them without registering the details. Same thing goes in meetings where except the speaker the rest are sleep arrested. On a sad note we note accidents involving motor vehicles, trains and even flights when drivers concerned (unconcerned) suffered mainly from sleep problems. In that state they are prone to get momentary lapsed into unconsciousness loosing controls at the dashboard. (I pity the average engine driver in railway trains tagged by many sleepers coaches containing sleeper passengers and himself running on stony or wooden hard sleepers misses his sleep).
Humor apart, the last chapter in sleep literature says we dream during a cycle called Rapid Eye Moment stage. As a child I used to wonder do we really dream in colors or just in the old Black and White movie version. Now it seems to be a settled matter that we see events in our dreams in multicolor (maybe that is after color TV came into the picture). Another interesting tidbit is that we get dreams mostly in early morning (most are sweet in my case). It was also mentioned we dream only during REM stage of sleep in each of 5 rounds but only could remember (vividly or vaguely) the dreams occurred during last REM, that happens when we were about to wake up. Those who had a peg or two too many, may wake up to some confusion as their gaunt and ghastly faces stare back from the bathroom mirrors. It is thanks to the lack of normal sleep cycles in their drunken dozing. What one needs therefore is some quality sleep on a light stomach maybe after some warm drink that has no caffeine or other stimulant, and optionally with moving lips that say just a prayer.
I am not a sleep expert. In fact, I run a current account in overdraft at my ‘sleep bank’, technically called sleep backlog. I plan always to square off my negative balances in the sleep account or wished I could. I understand how loss of sleep accumulates over the time mostly over overtime work. In addition I had to go to the airport or railway station very early in the mornings or very late in the nights to see off or receive our family guests. Desperate to get some tips on sleep, I bought sufficient literature coincidentally at the Railway stations. There is a complaint from my wife I am losing sleep over telling about to sleep to others. Despite her I give my sleep talk as under to wake up or put to sleep a keen eye.
How much sleep one requires to stay healthy? Some experts say it is between 6 and 8 hours a night or day (also keeping in mind those on night calls). I wondered, is it not more than half of our lifetime; I included travel to my work and back. I envy a particular guy whose wife often complained to my wife, ‘My husband sleeps like a log/ baby’. Poor man, he was compared to the log or baby depending on his movements in bed or her current vibes towards him. Talking of babies, a baby sleeps for 12 to 14 hours by its 12th month, and like our adults babies too pass through up to 5 REM cycles in sleep. Besides they sleep through the day and that concerns most working mothers for reasons that they are likely to be disturbed by the wide awake baby in the dead of the night. Again, talking of sound sleep, I saw one Kumbhakarna sleeping right through a wedding function with the band in high octave (thank god --not his wedding). Many elderly people are hard to hit the sack for full stint of sleep despite they need it medically -- perhaps need to visit toilets becomes more frequent and imminent.
All said and done it is an enigma why we have to sleep in the first place. The answer given in my literature says: sleep is a must for the human body for it has to carry out its internal repairs like cleaning, getting rid of the dead cells, rejuvenating systems etc. I find some sleep with pillows stacked high under their heads or backs while some do without. My literature advised I should roll a thin towel into a convenient lump and place the same under my neck. For that matter, while asleep, I roll on my bed making different postures like in Dasavatarams. I got a helpful hint that doing so helps one not get bed sores (not bad). These days I lie on to my left side while sleeping that would do a world of good to my gas as my literature says as my stomach empties contents faster into my duodenum in small intestines in line with the gravitational pull (Must be a genius who wrote this tip, next to Newton).
In my experience, the daily siesta (the afternoon nap) works wonders to keep our mind refreshed. A catnap in the office won’t hurt and it is the answer. I see some high tech offices allowed their sleep-hungry staff to officially snooze to increase the general health of company. In other ‘normal’ offices, no wonder certain folks improvise sleeping with eyes wide open and staring blankly at the monitors or notebooks as if reading from them without registering the details. Same thing goes in meetings where except the speaker the rest are sleep arrested. On a sad note we note accidents involving motor vehicles, trains and even flights when drivers concerned (unconcerned) suffered mainly from sleep problems. In that state they are prone to get momentary lapsed into unconsciousness loosing controls at the dashboard. (I pity the average engine driver in railway trains tagged by many sleepers coaches containing sleeper passengers and himself running on stony or wooden hard sleepers misses his sleep).
Humor apart, the last chapter in sleep literature says we dream during a cycle called Rapid Eye Moment stage. As a child I used to wonder do we really dream in colors or just in the old Black and White movie version. Now it seems to be a settled matter that we see events in our dreams in multicolor (maybe that is after color TV came into the picture). Another interesting tidbit is that we get dreams mostly in early morning (most are sweet in my case). It was also mentioned we dream only during REM stage of sleep in each of 5 rounds but only could remember (vividly or vaguely) the dreams occurred during last REM, that happens when we were about to wake up. Those who had a peg or two too many, may wake up to some confusion as their gaunt and ghastly faces stare back from the bathroom mirrors. It is thanks to the lack of normal sleep cycles in their drunken dozing. What one needs therefore is some quality sleep on a light stomach maybe after some warm drink that has no caffeine or other stimulant, and optionally with moving lips that say just a prayer.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Ouch...
I did not know where I was. I opened my left eye. An array of bandages crisscrossed from head to toe like a shattered old radio hastily taped up. I could not see an inch of my skin. An exotic bulb was casting a red light at my right leg from the lamp perched on the foot of my bed. My right foot toes were peeping out from a grey mould of plastic wedges and cotton wool.
Judging by the looks, it must be a multi-specialty hospital. A bunch of suave guys sporting white coats were bending all over me with prying eyes, in exaggerated movements. They looked agitated, debating in low, partly intelligible voices in mixed metro accents. All I could hear and see were their curt verbal pronouncements and ceaseless gesticulations. Some of them were hectically scribbling prescriptions and diagnostics. I could not hear clearly get how many bones were involved but by the expressions on their staid faces it must be very high.
Oh, what a pain! How I wished I went into coma. The pain was creeping. It was present hideously in every sinew. I just lay there helplessly seething in pain wondering why they didn’t give painkillers yet. Wouldn’t they understand what pain could be to a human? I wished they stopped circling me as if I were a strange one-eyed monster washed ashore by a Tsunami. Did they have no stock of anesthesia or good old chloroform? Or did they mistake me for a willing human guinea pig, as they were casually taking notes. Was I being used in a new research?
I wished I could scream till the whole world erupted. But all I did was shake my torso a bit, the only untied portion. I just watched the medical team pass on to my neighbors bed, might be having another chap like me, providing a possible scoop for a medical journal in their next article.
That was when I thought of God as proverbial last straw. Quickly I tried to recite words from my well versed prayers. To my surprise, the once familiar prayers were not coming to me. Did I lose my memory or what? Pity I could not recollect a simple prayer. It was frustrating. After all I trusted the Almighty in totality all my life.
I started crying loudly to the shock of my fellow patients, in great elaboration like I was doing my prayers every night to the extent of a refined art, without any external prompt. Yes. It was always comforting to cry ones heart out, lustily. Tears rolled down over the bandages turning them into near yellow pads what with my ocular saline diluting the multicolored ointments beneath.
That was when I saw my dear friend George walking towards me from the open door. The florescence of a neon bulb threw a halo around him. What a relief! His presence made a world of difference. Now I had no need to worry as I was sure he would take over all my burdens and pains.
George was a nice chap. He had all the answers up his sleeve. He was always there to give succor to the needy. His very presence is a harbinger of comfort.
I signaled to George to sit by my side. My voice got back its strength miraculously. I begged him not to leave my side for a second. My next question was how I got there and what happened to my vehicle. Yes. The details were coming. I hit a stationary ambulance while I was returning from the late night show. What a shame! George provided the clue to the present status. In fact, he met the chief doctor who told him I would be discharged positively in the morning. I challenged him, "Why, George? It couldn’t be so. How is that I would be discharged so soon when so many of my bones were involved? I heard them talking about them. Better ask them to put me on a treatment plan and fix my bones right now!”
George smiled reassuringly, “Dear friend! What made you think you broke your bones?”
“Look at my condition. I was feeling awfully miserable till you have come. Every part of my body was in great pain. I could not move a single digit even. Tell me! Is it not high time they gave me some medicines soonest? I heard them already talking of some drugs.”George sighed, “You know, the chief doctor was all apologies for the mistake happened in your case. An intern who admitted you had mixed up your X-rays with those of another guy. In fact, that poor guy was involved in a building collapse and sadly succumbed to his injuries a little while ago. It was a different matter he was luckily survived during a crash when the ambulance ferrying him here. ”
Impulsively, I started checking on my each of the pain source. I was pleasantly surprised to find nothing that caused so much pain. Oh! No pain. My mighty dear George! Where did it go? Why? For no reason, I had dumbly suffered thinking there was pain.
Then all of a sudden those words from my prayers were rushing back. I did not know when I slipped into sleep.
I opened my eyes some 24 hours later. I saw my wife at the foot of the very bed. Tears were rolling from her eyes. She told me to thank the surgeons for having miraculously executed a great job in putting together about a dozen bones and three joints with steel rods and wires, not to mention sewing up some strayed ligaments.
Soon, the old phantom pain took over me and I could not find my George around either. Again all those prayers became elusive to my mind. I called out for George. But there was nobody by name George among my friends, my wife clarified.
I did not know where I was. I opened my left eye. An array of bandages crisscrossed from head to toe like a shattered old radio hastily taped up. I could not see an inch of my skin. An exotic bulb was casting a red light at my right leg from the lamp perched on the foot of my bed. My right foot toes were peeping out from a grey mould of plastic wedges and cotton wool.
Judging by the looks, it must be a multi-specialty hospital. A bunch of suave guys sporting white coats were bending all over me with prying eyes, in exaggerated movements. They looked agitated, debating in low, partly intelligible voices in mixed metro accents. All I could hear and see were their curt verbal pronouncements and ceaseless gesticulations. Some of them were hectically scribbling prescriptions and diagnostics. I could not hear clearly get how many bones were involved but by the expressions on their staid faces it must be very high.
Oh, what a pain! How I wished I went into coma. The pain was creeping. It was present hideously in every sinew. I just lay there helplessly seething in pain wondering why they didn’t give painkillers yet. Wouldn’t they understand what pain could be to a human? I wished they stopped circling me as if I were a strange one-eyed monster washed ashore by a Tsunami. Did they have no stock of anesthesia or good old chloroform? Or did they mistake me for a willing human guinea pig, as they were casually taking notes. Was I being used in a new research?
I wished I could scream till the whole world erupted. But all I did was shake my torso a bit, the only untied portion. I just watched the medical team pass on to my neighbors bed, might be having another chap like me, providing a possible scoop for a medical journal in their next article.
That was when I thought of God as proverbial last straw. Quickly I tried to recite words from my well versed prayers. To my surprise, the once familiar prayers were not coming to me. Did I lose my memory or what? Pity I could not recollect a simple prayer. It was frustrating. After all I trusted the Almighty in totality all my life.
I started crying loudly to the shock of my fellow patients, in great elaboration like I was doing my prayers every night to the extent of a refined art, without any external prompt. Yes. It was always comforting to cry ones heart out, lustily. Tears rolled down over the bandages turning them into near yellow pads what with my ocular saline diluting the multicolored ointments beneath.
That was when I saw my dear friend George walking towards me from the open door. The florescence of a neon bulb threw a halo around him. What a relief! His presence made a world of difference. Now I had no need to worry as I was sure he would take over all my burdens and pains.
George was a nice chap. He had all the answers up his sleeve. He was always there to give succor to the needy. His very presence is a harbinger of comfort.
I signaled to George to sit by my side. My voice got back its strength miraculously. I begged him not to leave my side for a second. My next question was how I got there and what happened to my vehicle. Yes. The details were coming. I hit a stationary ambulance while I was returning from the late night show. What a shame! George provided the clue to the present status. In fact, he met the chief doctor who told him I would be discharged positively in the morning. I challenged him, "Why, George? It couldn’t be so. How is that I would be discharged so soon when so many of my bones were involved? I heard them talking about them. Better ask them to put me on a treatment plan and fix my bones right now!”
George smiled reassuringly, “Dear friend! What made you think you broke your bones?”
“Look at my condition. I was feeling awfully miserable till you have come. Every part of my body was in great pain. I could not move a single digit even. Tell me! Is it not high time they gave me some medicines soonest? I heard them already talking of some drugs.”George sighed, “You know, the chief doctor was all apologies for the mistake happened in your case. An intern who admitted you had mixed up your X-rays with those of another guy. In fact, that poor guy was involved in a building collapse and sadly succumbed to his injuries a little while ago. It was a different matter he was luckily survived during a crash when the ambulance ferrying him here. ”
Impulsively, I started checking on my each of the pain source. I was pleasantly surprised to find nothing that caused so much pain. Oh! No pain. My mighty dear George! Where did it go? Why? For no reason, I had dumbly suffered thinking there was pain.
Then all of a sudden those words from my prayers were rushing back. I did not know when I slipped into sleep.
I opened my eyes some 24 hours later. I saw my wife at the foot of the very bed. Tears were rolling from her eyes. She told me to thank the surgeons for having miraculously executed a great job in putting together about a dozen bones and three joints with steel rods and wires, not to mention sewing up some strayed ligaments.
Soon, the old phantom pain took over me and I could not find my George around either. Again all those prayers became elusive to my mind. I called out for George. But there was nobody by name George among my friends, my wife clarified.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
A travelogue
A travelogue
The Sun temple at Konark is very magnificent edifice highlighting temple architecture in the East of India on the shores of Bay of Bengal in the State of Orissa. The place lies north to the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The nearby town, Puri, is famous for the temple of Jagannadh (whose name crept into the English Dictionary as ‘juggernaut’ that conveys a feature of unstoppable thing as the chariot of the Deity there).
The stone temple is an amazing monument built in the 13th Century, comparable to the best of sculptures that humanity ever created. The entire temple is in the form a colossal chariot with seven horses and twelve wheels, carrying the sun god. The place is also famous for exquisite handicrafts, stone carvings, bamboo articles, hand-woven textiles, terracotta, paintings, lacquer ware, paddy corn and coconut fiber toys, appliqué work etc. The temple lies some 30 KMs away from the famous beach and temple of Puri. Bhubaneswar, the state capital and Puri in Orissa are called a Temple triangle in the East of India. I was in a great hurry and rounded up the three places on a Sunday by road. This triangle can be likened to that of Golden triangle for tourists in the north of India that consists of Agra, Jaipur and Delhi.
Well. What impressed me most were the mute stones transformed into living expressions of human form oozing Eros on the walls of Konark Sun temple. Though in ruins and preserved by the Government the Godless temple is still magnificent and speaks volumes about the temple architecture prevailing 8 centuries ago before the central stone of the temple fell for reasons not established. The word Konark means angle of sun. The design of arches and corridors of the temple including its exteriors and interiors lay in such a way to welcome sun in the morning, afternoon and evening and the moods of figurines on the walls match different phases of the day. I found quite a bit of erotica sprinkled in the multitude of carvings of human beings and animals. It is an erotic poem on stones that is complete thought the temple itself is incomplete.
I contained the pictures I took in my following blog, those of the figures carved on the stone wheels of chariot and on the outer walls.
कोप्य्रिघ्त
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