Maangalya dhaaraNam – part 2

 Similarity in marriage practices!

One of the popular notions is that Mangalya dharanam or tying of the thaali

was a practice prevalent in Tamil culture only.

This practice spread to the north from Tamilnadu and its adjoining states.

But this notion is not supported by the practices as revealed in Tamil texts.

Nor can it be said that Vedic marriage of the type of Sita kalyanam

was not part of Tamil culture.

Vedic marriage as described in Valmiki Ramayana was also practiced in Tamilnadu.

Thol kappiyam talks about the same 8 types of marriages.

It also talks bout the PuL nimittham –

the sakuna indications as done in Vedic marriages.

 

From Choodamani nigandu,

we come to know that though marriage types were eight,

the choice of groom was done only by two methods  (1)

They were 'ara nilai inbham' and 'mara nilai inbham'

 

The former is about the marriage of the two

having similar characteristics in terms of age and kulam

and conducted in the presence of relatives and friends in front of Agni.

This is Vedic marriage and the marriage of Kovalan and Kannagi.

was strictly done by this Vedic method only.

The details of this can be read in Silappadhikaram

 

The second type is the marriage in which

the groom wins the hand of the bride

by winning some game such as a bull-fight or a shooting game.

 

The bull fight was popular in Mullai lands of Tamil nadu

where the Aayar girl married the winner of her bull.

 The shooting game was popular among the soldier clan - maravar clan

who had a stake in getting the most valiant person as the son-in-law.

 

This is similar to Rama's and Arjuna's marriage.

The scene was that of a Swayamvaram –

the girl choosing her groom – but from among the persons of similar traits

who proves himself to be supreme among others.

 

These two types on choice of groom, as mentioned in the Nigandu

were very much prevalent throughout  India in those days –

with no regional difference.

This is because, as is told in several places in the Tamil texts,

this entire country was known as "Naavalam theevu" or Jhambhoo dweepa

All the people moved around this Jhambhoo dweepa

and followed the same culture.(2)

 

In not less than 3 places in Silappadhikaram,

there is mention of Naavalam theevu referring to the whole land mass

of which Tamilnadu was also a part.

The marriage practices were the same.

The religious practices were the same.

For all the people of this Jhambhoo dweepa,

Ganges was the holy river. Vedas were the authority.

 

The Cheran king, Senkutuvan who went to the Himalayas

to get the rock for constructing a temple for Kannagi

had made a trip to the North even before that.

That was a pilgrimage trip he undertook with his mother

to take a holy dip in the Ganges (3)

The similarities extend to war practices

and social practices too.

Needless to say the marriage practices were also the same –

without Mangalya dharanam!!

 

Sita kalyanam was a 'Prajapathi' marriage whereby

the duo belonged to the same kulam, gunas, status (in every sense of the term)

and were united in marriage by Vedic rituals facilitated by

the "Prajapathi" or 'Brahma'

who guides and directs the marriage ceremonies.

In any Vedic ritual there will be a senior officiating priest

who is designated as Brahma to authorize the proceedings.

It is because of this, such a marriage is known as Prajapathi.

 

We find that the Kovalan – Kanangi marriage also was a Prajapathi marriage –

similar in description to Rama's marriage.

Writing his commentary on such a marriage as told in Thol kappiyam,

Nacchinaarkkiniyar justifies the name Prajapthi in Prajapthi marriage as told above.

Such a  marriage is praised by all as 'Nonbu' or  a tapas that has come true,

because it is very pleasing and joyous to see such a marriage.

The spectators, while blessing the couple with sacred rice

used to think what kind of nonbu or tapas

they must have done to see such a marriage. (4)

 

Another commentator, Adiyaarkku nallar coins the Tamil term 'voppu'

for this Prajapathi marriage.

This means the marriage is between the persons of the same clan having similar traits.

Since it is 'voppu', it also includes marriage within the already related ones.

 

Such a marriage described in Silappadhikaram was done in Vedic way.

There was PAnigrahanam but no Mangalya dharanam.

There is mention of 'ashta mangala' things such as

auspicious things that include water pots (kumba) carried by auspicious women.

There is mention of the vedic practice of growing nava dhanya

(9 types of grains – called paaligai)

 There is mention of comparing Kannagi to Arundhathi,

the sacred bath to the bride, the sacred music and so on.

 

Ilangovadigal used the word "mangalam" in a couple of places

while describing the marriage ceremony (5)

But that was about auspicious ornaments and auspicious decoration.

But mangalya dharanam was conspicuously absent in the description.

 

Not only in Silappadhikaram, we find mention of simple weddings

with or without Agni-saakshi  in Aga nanuru also.

But whatever description is given, it tallies with Vedic marriage rituals only

For instance we find in Rama's marriage, the thread ceremony done before the marriage.

A sacred thread was tied to the wrist of both the bride and the groom.

This ceremony is mentioned in Agananuru also, wherein it is stated

that a white thread specially prepared from some plants

(the process of preparing is mentioned )

is tied to the bride's wrist by her relatives. (6).

After the 'thread' ceremony only,

the bride is brought to the decorated marriage platform

and given in marriage to the groom.

The description after this is indicative of 'dattam' that Janaka did (7)

 

Seeing Nimitta and muhurtha formed an important part in Vedic weddings.

The same customs prevailed in Tamil lands too.

The auspicious day of the moon joining Rohini as a suitable day for marriage,

seeing Sakuna or Nimittha and

holding of the hands as  a mark of the bride being given to the groom in marriage

are found in other Tamil texts such as Kali-th-thogai.

 

But in all these descriptions,

the tying of the thaali or  the sacred thread around the neck is missing.

 

There is mention of wearing jewels – auspicious jewels -

but no mention of this specific ornament as Mangalyam.

 

It will be interesting to know about the love marriages in those days.

The popular opinion in Tamilnadu is that love marriages were common in those days.

They quote the 2 states of marriage, namely 'kaLavu' and 'karpu' –

This is told in Thol kappiyam.

Thiruvalluvar also divided the 3^rd part of Thirukkural on Kaama into these two.

 

But they were not like the love marriages of today.

The KaLavozukkam is not about "kaLLam"

It is defined by Parimelazhagar (in his commentary to Thirukkural)

as the relationship between a healthy (no disease and no old age) boy and a girl 

who match each other in physical looks, in tendencies,

in financial status, in age, in kulam, in characteristics and in love.

The coming together of these two without the presence of relatives 

and friends is known as 'kaLavu'. (8)

 

Inter-caste marriages are not suggested by this.

The marriage is between the people of same clan

but consummated  without the presence of parents.

By this it is known,

that an Aayar boy married an Aayar girl and not someone from another clan.

The mobility was not approved – a trait continuing till today

but the mobility of a girl to an upper strata was approved.

It is because marriage is about the 4 purusharthas, of which

Moksha or emancipation is the Final goal!

Every act in human life is expected to train and divert one

to spiritual growth - towards Realization of the need to get released

from  the cycle of birth.

Movement to a clan that was better evolved in such practices was acceptable

But movement to a clan that is yet to incorporate such practices

for Final emancipation  was discouraged.

 

These practices were the same throughout the Jambhoo dweepa

and not confined to one area as to claim that it was Tamil culture or so.

 

In fact the kaLavu and karpu of Tamil lands

have their Sanskrit counter parts in

King Bhoja raja's 'Shrunghara prakasham' as

'sambhogam for kaLavu and

'vipra yogam for Karpu.

 

We can locate a verse of kaLavu nature in Agananuru (9)

which is about a girl eloping with her lover.

The mother expresses in that verse her wish

that the lover bedeck her in all jewellery.

There is again no mention of thaali

but the girl missing the joy of getting beautified with jewels is indicated.

From this and from other verses on marriage,

it is known that bridal jewellery was part of marriage.

Such decoration is done before the marriage ceremony begins.

But there is no indication of a specific ornament to be compulsorily worn

or gifted at the time of marriage.

If the tying of the thaali is a major event of the marriage as it is nowadays,

then it would have been certainly mentioned somewhere.

But that it is not so, makes us wonder

whether this event was a later addition.

Till Silappadhikaram times,

Mangalya dharanam was not in vogue –

this is something we can say with certainty.

 

According to Silappadhikaram, Madurai was burnt on a Friday

with moon in  Kaarthgai star,

in the Krishna paksha, in the month of Aadi. (10)

If this date can be identified,

we can know for sure until what times,

the purely Vedic way of marriage –sans Mangalya dharanam

was in practice in Tamil lands.

  

(to be continued)

 

 ***********************

Reference:-

 

(1)"koorumOr paruvam nlla kulam otthadaaga thee-vEttaar

iyalil  irutthal ara nilai inbhamaagum

yEru thaan thazhuval villai ilakkam aithiduthal ellam

maarudau neriyil kootta mara nilai inbhamaamE"

Choodamani nigandu 12- 63

 

(2) Silappadhikaram -25-174, 29-9, &17

Manimegalai – 2-1

Paripaadal – 5-8

 

(3) Silappadhikaram – 25 -160-62

 

(4) Chapter 1 of Silappadhikaram

 

(5) "mangala aNi" – silappadhikram – 1-47

"mangala nal aMaLi"  1-59 (amaLi- cot)

 

(6) "VeN nool katti" Aga nanuruy -136

 

(7) "thamar namakku 'eendha' thalai naaL" Aga nanuru - 136

 

(8) "kaLavaavathu piNi, mooppu, irappugaL indri, engyaandrum voru thanmaiyaraai, vuruvum, thiruvum, paruvamum, kulanum, gunanum, anbhum mudaliyavattraal thammuL voppumai vudaiyaraai, thalai maganum, thalai magaLum, pirar koduppavum, aduppavum indri, paal vagaiyaal thaamE yethir pattu, puNarNthu varuvadhu" –

ParimElazhagar in Thirukkural vurai for KaLaviyal of Inbhatthu-p-paal

 

(9) Aga nanuru – 35

 

(10) Silappadhikaram 25 – 133-35

 

Maangalya dhaaraNam – part-1

( A revised 8-part series on how the custom of tying the Mangal sutra could have come into practice)


The i-paper in down-loadable form, containing the entire series can be read here:-

http://www.scribd.com/doc/12856007/Maangalya-DharaNam-Origin-and-meaning

Mangal sutra - not a part of Vedic marriage.

Human life revolves around four concepts namely, Dharma, Artha , Kama and Moksha.

The very first step "Dharma" can be followed only in Grihastha ashrama.

"Dharma praja sampatyartham StrIyamudvahe" is the sankalapa made at the time of marriage. Only with the wife by his side, a person gets the authority to do any act of dharma or a lead a life of dharma. Only with the wife, a person can achieve perfection in life by begetting children - "Prajayaahi manushyah poornaah" is the sruti vachan.

After the completion of education in Brahmacharya, one pays the dakshinai to the Guru, and seeks permission from the Guru to enter married life to dispose off the third rNa, namely Pithru rNa (the other two are deva rNa and rishi rNa. A person is born with these 3 debts) - " Achaarya priyam dhana mahrutya tantum mavyavatsetsi" is the Taittriya vachan.

The entry into grishatha ashrama is beset with vows and wishes so that dharma, Artha and Kaama can be attained or performed in complementary roles by the man and the woman in a life long commitment. This commitment done as marriage rite, is based on the premise that every act of life encompassing the above four, collectively known as Purusharthas, can not be done without the woman as the force of Thought. This force of Thought is shaped by the three gunas (sattwa, rajasa and tamasa) impelling the man to convert that Thought into Action. (1) The woman and man thus personify Mind and Action and are united in a marriage through a series of rituals of which the tying of the Thaali or Mangal sutra is an important part.

Today the Mangalya dharanam is considered to be the core or the most important ritual of Hindu marriage. The wearing of it is considered as indicative of the married status of the woman. But looking back into history – which can be deciphered from the texts that we have both in Sanskrit and Tamil, we get a picture that this important ceremony of the marriage celebration was not in vogue in olden days.

One of the oldest narration on marriage is the marriage of Rama and Sita.

The Valmiki Ramayana which narrates every detail of Rama's life and his marriage, does not make a mention about the tying of the mangal sutra. There is however a mention of mangal sutra – but that was to be worn around the wrist ceremoniously with the chanting of mantras. Both the bride groom and the bride undergo that ceremony before entering the marriage hall. (2)

The 'daanam' (kanya daanam) is done by Janaka by giving Sita as 'dattam' to Rama by pouring the sacred water on his hand that was holding Sita's hand. But there was no 'Mangalyam tantunanena' sloka as we hear in to-days' marriages. King Janaka gave Sita's hand to Rama and poured water on their hands, with a mantra in the form of a declaration that from thenceforth Sita would become his "Saha dharma chariNi" - who would follow his dharma for ever. (3)

The reproduced versions of Ramayana by Kalidasa in Raghuvamsa and by Kamban in Tamil also do not make any mention of the tying of the thaali. But there were some ornaments exchanged between the families at the time of marriage and given to the bride for wearing. The "Choodamani" (to be worn on the head) was one which was kept as a treasure by Sita. But there is no mention of the Mangalya sutra – nor any chain like ornament to be compulsorily worn around the neck as a mark of married status.

Until around 1000 years ago, there has not been any mention of Mangalya dharanam in marriage ceremony. The strong evidence is Andal's "Varanamayiram' verses. In 'Varanamayiram' pasuram, Andal speaks about 'kaiththalam pattral' (pANi grahaNam)and not about Mangalya dharanam. Every important act of marriage as per Vedic customs is mentioned by her. The 'Pori iduthal' (offering the puffed rice into the agni. The puffed rice is given by the brother of the bride) too is mentioned by her, but not the tying of the mangal sutra.

The Hindu marriage custom that is followed today and that was followed in Rama's marriage was called Prajapathi (one among the 8 marriage types). (4) The original customs did not contain this ritual of Mangalya-dharanam. The marriage customs and mantras can be traced to Vedas and Vedic mantras are used in these customs – barring Kanya daanam and Mangalya dharanam. The Sruti (Vedas) -dictated practices of marriage had 5 angas (parts only) , namely varakanyAnvEShaNa (seeking the bride), pANigrahaNa(taking the hand), pradhAna hOma, saptapadi(taking 7 steps) and lAjA hOma (pouring of puffed rice into the hands of the bride). The left-out parts are Kanya daanam and Mangalya dharanam. The mantras for these are as told in the Vaayu purana. (5)

Based on this there is also an opinion among the Tamils that the tying of the thaali is Dravidian ritual and not an Aryan ritual – harping on the so-called Aryan- Dravidian divide. But then there is absence of mention of Thaali in ancient Tamil customs too. Ancient Tamils did not have this as part of the marriage ceremony! Among the ornaments, only bangles were considered as auspicious and indispensable – but there is no mention of thaali. (6)

If Mangalya dharanam is important as it is today, why it was not found mentioned in olden texts is a question. To put it the other way, if this practice was not sruti- authorized, why and how did it come into practice? When did it come into practice?

This series on Mangalya dharanam looks into all these from all angles and seeks to present the available information with me, thereby putting into perspective what this custom was about and how this could have come up in practice.

I have dwelt to some extent into Sanskrit and Tamil sources and some other works on customs of marriage besides my pet subject of astrology. Needless to say my perspective on this issue got shaped only from astrology and from the life of famous astrologer-mathematician Bhaskara's daughter Leelavathy!

(to be continued)

************************************

Reference:-

(1) http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2008/05/pati-patni-aur-vivaha.html

(2) From Valmiki Ramayana, Bala khanda 73 :-

"Rama arrived at his father together with all of his brothers, keeping sage Vashishta and other eminent-saint ahead of them, on an opportune and appropriate hour called 'Victory...' and all the bridegrooms are adorned with all kinds of jewellery appropriate for the wedding time, and all have performed the auspicious ceremony for marriage-thread, conducted prior to the marriage and, all have thread-bands tied around their wrists, as they all have performed an auspicious ceremony antecedent to marriage ceremony. [1-73-9, 10a]

"Oh, eminent-saint Vashishta, on absolutely performing the auspicious ceremony for the marriage-thread, and thereby tying thread-band at wrists my daughters have already arrived, and they are at the base of the Altar of Fire, like the irradiant jets of flames of radiant fire... [1-73-15]"

(3) iyam siitaa mama sutaa saha dharma carii tava || 1-73-26
pratiicCha ca enaam bhadram te paaNim gR^ihNiiSva paaNinaa |

Meaning :- iyam= this; siitaa= Seetha; mama= my; sutaa= daughter; saha= along with / in unison with; dharma= duty; carii= acquits herself of; tava= your; prati icCha enaam= in turn, you wish for [back, take, wishfully take her back] her; ca= also bhadram te= safe betides you; paaNim= palm; gR^ihNiiSva= take into; paaNinaa= [your] palm.

"This is Seetha, my daughter, she acquits herself in whatever duty you undertake. Take her wishfully, let safeness betide you, take her palm into your palm..." [1-73-26b, 27a]

http://www.valmikiramayan.net/bala/sarga73/bala_73_frame.htm

(4) http://hinduism.about.com/od/matrimonial1/a/typesofmarriage.htm

(5) "VivAha mantra sUtras" by Sri. M.Keshaviah in 1936

(6) PuranaanUru -253 by poet KuLambaadaayanaar.

PuranaanUru -254 by poet Kayamanaar.

PuranaanUru -255 by poet VaN baraNar.

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2008/03/tamil-women-and-death-related-issues.html

Silk - an Indian legacy?

http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/silk

Rethinking silk's origins

Published online 17 February 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/457945a

Did the Indian subcontinent start spinning without Chinese know-how?

Philip Ball

http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090217/images/news.2009.92.jpg

New findings suggest that silk making was not an exclusively Chinese technological innovation, but instead arose independently on the Indian subcontinent.

Ornaments from the Indus valley in east Pakistan, where the Harappan culture flourished more than 4,000 years ago, seem to contain silk spun by silk moths native to the region. What's more, the silk seems to have been processed in a way previously thought to have been a closely guarded secret within China.

There is hard and fast evidence for silk production in China back to around 2570 BC; the newly discovered objects are believed to date from between 2450 BC and 2000 BC, making them similarly ancient. There have been no previous finds of manufactured silk at sites outside China before about 1500 BC.

"This is the first evidence for silk anywhere out of China at such an early date," says Irene Good of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of the authors of the study. "It was a complete surprise."

The objects come from two sites in the Indus valley: the city of Harappa itself, the hub of the Indus civilization, and Chanhu-daro in Sindh province, about 500 kilometres to the south. They were collected from archaeological excavations in 1999 and 2000 conducted by the Harappa Archaeological Research Project (HARP), a US–Pakistan collaboration. Because of the sheer volume of artefacts amassed so far, they have only recently been studied in detail.

Good, working with HARP directors Richard Meadow of Harvard University and Jonathan Kenoyer of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, used an electron microscope to look at the fine structure of silk strands found in necklaces and bangles.

The precise shape of the individual silk threads — determined by the shape of the orifice through which they are extruded — is characteristic of the species of silk moth that produced the strands.

In a paper in the journal Archaeometry, the researchers show that the Harappa samples — two metal ornaments — contain silk from species of Antheraea moths indigenous to south Asia (I. L. Good, J. M. Kenoyer and R. H. Meadow Archaeometry doi:10.1111/j.1475-4754.2008.00454.x; 2009). The origin of the Chanhu-daro silk, threaded through soapstone beads, is less clear, but it may be from one of the same species. Chinese silk comes from the domesticated silk moth Bombyx mori.

The Harappan silks seem to have been made by a process called reeling, in which the strands are collected on a bobbin rather than being twisted in short segments into a thread. The researchers say that reeling was thought to have been part of a silk technology known only to China until the early centuries AD. Now it seems that knowledge was not so exclusive.

"Archaeology in early China is showing increasingly there were connections outside China," says Shelagh Vainker, a silk expert at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK. "It doesn't seem unreasonable." But she sees evidence for silk production in China "significantly earlier" than 2500–2000 BC, which would suggest China could still claim priority.

"I believe that the people of the Indus civilization either harvested silkworm cocoons or traded with people who did, and that they knew a considerable amount about silk," says Good. She does, however, acknowledge that some might find this challenging: "National pride is at stake with such a discovery as this.

http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090217/full/457945a.html

*****************

Previous posts on this topic:-

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2009/02/silk-in-indian-tradition_03.html

 

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2009/02/non-violent-silk-in-vedic-times.html

 

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2009/02/silk-in-tamil-tradition.html

 

The mysteries of Sindhu –Saraswathi civilization!

In continuation of the information on the International conference on The Sindhu- Sarasvati Valley Civilization to be held on 21 and 22 February, 2009 in Los Angeles  at Loyola Marymount University, California as already written in http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2009/02/international-conference-on-sindhu.html, here are some additional information:-

 

Prominent scholars particularly archaeologists, linguists, anthropologists, historians, religious specialists and geneticists would be participating in this conference in order to debate and  understand the nature of the interrelation between the Indus or Sindhu and the Sarasvati or Vedic culture(s) from  about 3000 B.C. to 1000 B.C. They would also be attempting to bridge the chronological, linguistic and racial gap between the material and literary cultures of the Indus civilization and Vedic civilization. It is understood that the main focus of this International conference will be on the issues raised by the following questions:

• Who were the people of Ancient India Civilizations?
• Were they Vedic Aryan or  Indo- Aryan, Indo- Iranian or Dravidians? 
• Has archaeological evidence confirmed the existence of common features of Vedic and Indus culture(s)? 
• Is there an indigenous continuity of the culture in India and Pakistan or did the people come from outside the subcontinent?
• How does the scientific evidence of the drying of the River Sarasvati play a role in the interpretation of the history and chronology of the civilization?
• How is the genetic evidence corroborated with archaeological evidences especially regarding the antiquity of the Indian gene?

 

The discussion themes would include the following:

 

1 .Time: Chronology of Indus Valley and Vedic Cultures.  

2. People: Linguistic Relationship 

3. Place: Geographical location: The Saraswati and the Indus cultural habitats

4. Patterns of Cultural Interactions: Trade, Religion, Polity.

5. Origins: Homeland, Migration. Etc.

6. Continuities: Biological, Ethnological 

 

 

According to Dr Nalini Rao, one of the organizers of the conference,  the interpretations by scholars in the conference will be rooted in Scientific scholarship and presented with clarity and brevity for the sake of the educated public.  They will touch upon areas of consensus and contentions with a tentatively conclusive interdisciplinary understanding upon the topics like Indus and Sarasvati, Ecology and culture, Indus and Aryan: Race and Language, The Indus Script/Language, Population: Migration and Settlement, Socio-political Organizations and DNA and Astronomical evidences.

 

 

The following are the areas of research as suggested by Dr Kalyanaraman:-

 

1. The emphatic continuity of the Sarasvati Civilization evidenced by cultural markers all over India and the neighbouring regions; 

2. The formation and evolution of languages in a linguistic area of the Sarasvati civilization proved by the decoding of the Indus script (Sarasvati hieroglyphs)

3. Language and culture have to be viewed as intertwined, continuing legacies.  In this context the following aspects have to be further explored:

 

• Legacy of architectural forms
• Legacy of puskarini in front of mandirams; as in front of Mohenjodaro stupa 
• Legacy of metallurgy and the writing system on punch-marked coins
• Legacy of continued use of cire perdue technique for making utsava bera (bronze murti)
• Legacy of the writing system on Sohgaura copper plate
• Legacy of glyphs continuing on astamangalahara
• Legacy of the writing system on Bharhut ligatures
• Legacy: srivatsa glyph metaphor; srivatsa and srisuktam
• Legacy: Engraved celt tool of Sembiyan-kandiyur with Sarasvati hieroglyphs: calling-card of an artisan
• Legacy of acharya wearing uttariyam leaving right-shoulder bare
• Form of addressing a person respectfully as: arya, ayya (Ravana is also referred to as arya in the Great Epic Ramayana)
• Gautama the Buddha refers to esa dhammo sanantano; Mahavira refers to 'ariya' dhamma (arya meaning 'right conduct, respectful')

 

 

 

 

 

Tamilnadu – Home for Negroids, Australoids Caucasoids, Mongoloids..

 

The dental study done on the Adicchanallur human remains has come up with a conclusion that the people on this part of Tamilnadu (South-east) belonged to 4 races of mankind, that include Negroids and Australoids. The time period is at around 2500 BC. Similar findings can be expected from Tamilnadu and in the sub merged parts in Indian Ocean. The findings go well with the theory on Lemuria that the present day Tamilnadu was part of a bigger landmass connecting Australia and Africa. It is hoped no newer theory on Dravidian migration is conceived on the basis of this finding. The genesis of this mix-up must be traced to the undivided or non-submerged landmass that existed 50,000 years ago.

 

Related articles from this blog:-

 

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2008/11/genetic-study-supports-india-centric.html

 

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2009/01/mankinds-date-with-indian-land-mass.html

 

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2008/04/from-adicchanallur-to-sembiyankandiyur.html

 

 

 

 

 

'TN inhabited by people dissimilar to Tamils in pre-historic times'

 

http://www.thehindu.com/holnus/008200902151611.htm

 

Chandigarh (PTI):

 The south east coast of Tamil Nadu was inhabited in pre-historic times mainly by Caucasoids, Mongoloids, Negroids and Australoids rather than people similar to contemporary Tamils, a dental anthropological study has found.

 

A team of anthropologists came to the finding after studying more than 1,000 teeth from Adichanallur's pre-historic harbour site on the south-east coast of Tamil Nadu that dates back to 2,500 BC.

 

"Most of the teeth belonged to people of the four races and very few represented contemporary Tamil populations," a member of the study team Dr. P. Raghavan of the School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University at Canberra told PTI here on Sunday.

 

Optical microscope techniques were employed to study the teeth, which have shown the various growth stages, ageing and wearing processes, racial and ethnic and geographical affinities, dietary patterns, jaw mechanism, constitutional abnormalities of the jaws, pathological problems including the infections and inherited diseases, Dr. Raghavan said.

 

The other members of the study team were Dr. Gayatri Pathmanathan from the Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh and Dr T. Satyamurthy, Director, Academy of Archaeological Sciences of Ancient India, Chennai.

 

"Our study will be presented at an International Ancient Tamil Archaeological Research Conference to be held at Chennai from March 4-6," Dr. Raghavan told PTI.

 

Throwing more light on their study, Dr. Raghavan said that considerable number of cheek teeth or molars were found in different stages of tooth wear.

 

"In many cases, unequal tooth wear was observed on the left and right sides. Consuming hard food grains like pulses and nuts were the probable reasons for quick and heavy wearing along with the age factor," he said.

 

Many pathological conditions were observed on the jaws and teeth. "Some were genetically controlled while others resulted from malnutrition including lack of vitamins and essential minerals. No deficiency cases were reported due to lack of iron or calcium," Dr. Raghavan said.

 

Many cases, particularly relating to Negroid and Australoid skulls showed the mechanical removal of the upper central incisors by application of high force.

 

"Even today, such cultural practice can be seen among certain tribes of Africa and Australian Aborigines," he said.

 

According to Raghavan, the recovered skeletons showed many striking pathological and structural abnormalities, which were caused by a number of genetic variations, nutritional factors and bio-cultural alterations.

 

"A large number of tumorous growths, sexually transmitted diseases and epidemic diseases including infectious diseases, age and work-related sicknesses particularly on bones were also identified," he said.

 

Raghavan also said that observations on cranial fractures and crushing injuries on the recovered crania were caused by a number of lethal weapons used at that time.

 

"On the basis of the nature of injuries, they were divided into sharp-edged incisions caused by metal/flint axes, penetrating wounds created by pointed weapons, linear fractures on the skulls which reflect the application of blunt and small weapons and gross crushing injuries caused by use of large stones and clubs," he said.

 

Human touch to Elephants' problems!

Way back in 2003, Ms Jayalalithaa started a scheme to restore the physical and mental well being of elephants by starting an elephant camp in the Mudumalai forests for 45 days in a year for the sake of elephants in captivity. By captivity, it refers generally to the temple elephants! All those times we visit a temple we look at the temple elephant as an object of fun and treat it as a show piece for our kids. Though we respect it for leading a life of service to God in a temple, we generally don't realize how it can cope with a life that is not natural for its nature. While Ms Jayalalithaa's scheme helped in creating some awareness about temple elephants which we usually think are well-cared for and are lucky to serve Gods directly, it is doubtful whether any special attention is given to the temple elephants during other times in a year.

The following account by ISKCON devotee, Hrimati dasi on her thoughtful ways of approach to provide a natural environment to the temple elephant at Mayapur throws light on better care of temple elephants. It is a delight reading her account presented as a paper on Elephant Management Practices in Mayapur at the "National Symposium for Elephant Health care and Management Practices" that was held at the College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara, Guwahati on 19th-21st January, 2009.

It is reproduced here to spread awareness on how to take better care of the temple elephants or the elephants in captivity.

Sanatana dharma stands for care of all life. We must not forget in our anxiety to make available all that is part of temple, the humane touch to this wonderful creation of Nature, to answer whose call for "Adhi moolam", Bhagawan came swiftly and granted 'Gajendra mOksham'!

My sincere thanks to Sri Manoram Chaitanya das for permitting me to reproduce this in this blog.

- jayasree

*******************************

Hare Krishna!
Dear Maharaj and Prabhu's,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I am happy to announce that I had been invited to represent ISKCON Mayapur
and MAP (Mayapur Animal protection team) to attend and present a paper on
our Elephant Management Practices in Mayapur at the
"National Symposium for Elephant Health care and Management Practices"
That was held at the College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural
University, Khanapara, Guwahati. on 19th-21st January, 2009. It was
organized and sponsored by the Directorate of Project Elephant, Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Government of India, New Delhi.

Many Delegates were there from different parts of India and abroad. I was
one of the delegates that presented a paper. At the end of the Symposium the
Participants received a Compendium, Souvenir and Certificate.
The paper (see below) that I presented was extremely well received.
Every one was clapping and congratulated me, especially Mr. A. N. Prasad,
IGF and Director of "Project Elephant of India". He said that I have
presented a new approach to Elephant care, by quoting the Bhagavad Gita and
Pointing out that that we are all Spiritual Souls inside different bodies.
and thus Elephants need to be treated with Respect and cared for with Love.
He said that that is their Indian Culture and they have forgotten it and now
a German Lady goes up on the Stage and reminding them about their forgotten
culture.

Please bless me that I might continue in this service by assisting me to
better care for our Temple Elephants.

Hare Krishna!

Your humble servant,

Hrimati dasi

THE LOVING APPROACH TO TEMPLE ELEPHANT CARE

While I am caressing her trunk, Laksmipriya makes soft growling sounds. She
makes me reflect back to the time which made me want to care for Elephants
the way they deserve.

On April 1st, 2006 was a day when I promised myself I wanted to make a
difference in the life of an elephant. It was the day when our temple
elephant Gulab Kali died. It was a day that I will never forget. Our
devotees were all standing around her dead body crying, including myself.
Gulab Kali had been with us for 24 years. She joined our temple at the age
of 4 and had been serving the Lord by being His carrier for many years on
procession during the winter months. Gulab Kali was very gentle. Even small
children could get close to her. I never really thought that some day this
beautiful Elephant would not be with us anymore. She had been a part of our
lives. My sons used to visit her often and pet her and give her treats.
Gulab Kali was a member of our community and was loved by everyone.

My inspiration comes from the Bhagavad-Gita where Lord Krishna tells Arjuna:
The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a
Learned and gentle Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater
[Outcaste]. BG 5.18

According to our beliefs, everyone is the same spiritual soul inside of
their outer shell, or material bodies. We do not make any distinction
between species or castes. A dog, a cow, and an elephant may be different
from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are
meaningless from our viewpoint. The different bodies may be of different
natures, however the Soul within the different bodies are of Spiritual
nature. We also believe that the Supreme Lord resides in each and everyone's
body. With this in mind Gulab Kali was cared for.
So, I was asking myself, if we really loved Gulab Kali so much, then why did
she die such an untimely death? I wanted to know, because it was decided
right away that we need to bring another elephant to our temple. Otherwise,
who will carry the Lord during the winter processions? This is where my
research began.

After the death of Gulab Kali, several concerned devotees, including myself
formed a team called the MAP

MAP, Mayapur Animal Protection (Team), operates under the simple
principle that animals are not ours to use for entertainment, while
educating Mayapur Residence about animal abuse and promoting an
understanding of the right of all animals to be treated with respect.

I was not involved in the care of Gulab Kali, but after forming the MAP I
was asked to bring and care for the new elephant. Before bringing another
elephant to our temple, I wanted to make sure not to do the same mistakes
but to learn from them and bring about a change.

Our Temple is located at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Jalangi
Rivers, 130 km north of Kolkata, in the holy city of Mayapur, district
Nadia, West Bengal. Mayapur is basically a small town surrounded by rice
fields and forests. The subtropical climate and lush vegetation make an
ideal environment for elephants; however chances of flooding during the
monsoon month are very high each year.

The previous elephant had been kept on the temple grounds in a shed. She
would remain unchained inside her shed on the cemented floor during the
night and for several hours during the day. A bathing pool was provided
outside, where the mahouts would bathe her. The method of control was with
ankus (iron hook) and full contact. Over the years the elephant developed
severe foot problems, which worsened during floods, because the elephant
often refused to move to higher grounds and as a result had to remain
standing in flood waters for several days. Out of "affection" the devotees
used to give Gulab Kali sweets like laddus (Indian traditional sweet),
sometimes even buckets full of leftovers from lunch, like rice, and
vegetables etc. But are all those things the natural foods for an elephant?
I was asking myself. The many pilgrims that come to Mayapur would beg for
"blessings" from the elephant and put coins in her trunk. In return, she
would put her trunk on the Pilgrims head, however it worried me whether it
is healthy for an elephant to touch coins, that went through, who knows how
many hands?

In its natural environment, will an elephant prefer to sleep on
a cemented floor? In the wild, do female elephants stay alone?

If I was to get another elephant for our temple, I wanted to make a
difference. I wanted to create an environment where she is loved and feels
at home and most of all, where she still gets to be an elephant and gets to
do the things that elephants like to do in the company of other elephants.
When I first found Laksmipriya I was saddened by the condition in which
I found her. It was upsetting for me to see this little elephant in such a
pitiful condition. She was very thin and malnourished, and had three of her
feet chained.

Even her Mahout was skinny with his rib bones showing. The elephant's owner
had no means to feed her. That might have explained why she was not looked
after very well. The keeper had not supplied her with much food, so she
tried to reach for any grass that was near her. The mahout that was with her
handed me some small cut pieces of banana stock sprinkled with some salt,
which the elephant accepted gladly from me. But I was not getting a show
animal. Remembering that I had promised myself to make a difference in the
life of an Elephant, I accepted to bring this little female Elephant to be
engaged in Religious services in Mayapur.

After arriving in Mayapur, Laksmipriya adjusted very quickly to her new
home.

We are keeping Laksmipriya in a natural forest habitat. She gets tethered to
a different tree each night, but during the day she is mostly free roaming
or takes walks with her mahout riding her.
She likes to graze on the nearby grasses in the field. Her favorite foods
are banana leaves and banana tree trunks. She can consume several of them
per day.

We generally supply her with already cut trees; however, the mahouts also
trained her to fell her own banana trees. Early in the morning she enjoys
the leaves of the bamboo and a variety of other forest vegetation. Once a
day she gets a ration of soaked raw chickpeas and either uncooked rice or
whole wheat combined with mineral mixture and natural rock salt. The mahout
makes a small sandwich-type packet by wrapping this mixture in cut banana
leaves or grass. From time to time she also gets some black salt with this.
Black salt keeps away intestinal parasites.

Besides the natural grazing and browsing she does, we also supply
Laksmipriya with freshly cut grass according to the season. Daily at 5 PM
she makes her rounds to the Temple Campus, where people get to see her and
feed her treats like grass, fruits, small pieces of sugarcane and carrots.
We do not allow people to give any coins to the elephant and no more
"blessings".

Every Sunday we walk with the elephant for 6 km to another temple, where she
gets to go to the nearby Lake to play in the water. On the way, villagers
happily feed her with banana leaves, sugar cane and seasonal fruits. As we
walk on the unpaved village road, many little children follow behind us.
Each week they eagerly wait in front of their humble homes for Laksmipriya,
who is slowly becoming everyone's favorite.

In case of flooding during the monsoon months, the elephant will be taken
this same route to higher grounds. Getting her familiar with the route
during the dry season will help us manage her in case of an emergency.
Elephants need to walk every day to keep healthy. In the winter season, we
allow Laksmipriya to walk on the paved main road. This will help her foot
pads and nails to wear off. In the summer we try to keep her of the hot tar
roads. During the hot time of the day, she remains in her forest under the
shade of tall trees which shelter her from the scorching summer sun.
In the beginning it was difficult for us to care for her feet. The Elephant
was not that well trained and did not know to follow the command that makes
her lie down. As our mahouts only use a bamboo stick and not the ankus for
training her, it took a little longer to teach her the command. I prefer to
use the humane way of training rather than using the ankus, which can cause
severe injuries if used excessively. After finally learning the command,
while lying down on her side, the elephant is letting us now do her manicure
without problems. We use a knife and a file to trim the nails and footpad.
To prevent fungal infections, we constructed a small foot bathing pool,
where we let the elephant soak her feet in a solution of warm water mixed
with potassium permanganate. We had some problems with minor cracks in her
nails. Applying mustard oil to her nails along with feeding her a well
balanced diet and walking a lot seams to help the crack problem.

Elephants need to drink lots of water, in the summer more than in the
winter. Laksmipriya has access to a specially constructed water tank;
however she has quickly learned the art of drinking from the tap as well as
from the hand pump. For her daily bath, the elephant has a small bathing
tank. She also likes to swim in natural ponds which she especially enjoys.
Had I known how much this elephant enjoys playing in the water, I would have
certainly made the pool a bit bigger.

During the rainy season, the elephant stays at night under a roof which is
open on all four sides. The raised, tightly packed, natural dirt floor lets
her urine run off, so her sleeping place stays clean. However, we never keep
her tethered at the same place for any long period of time. When weather
allows, she will always stay under the shade of tall trees.

Keeping the elephant on dirt has one setback. We need to keep a close watch
on her behavior and eating habits. I have learned that if our elephant
starts eating the soil, something is wrong. When there is an imbalance in
her mineral intake she tries to replace the minerals by eating soil. This
behavior usually means that the elephant probably has some kind of
intestinal parasites. Her feces will have a darker color than usual and a
stronger odor to it. Regular de-worming is very important. We routinely
examine her stool every 3 to 4 months.

As there are many cattle in Mayapur, we inoculate our elephant for most of
the common cattle diseases. I keep a medical register to keep records of her
health, growth and vaccine schedules. I also note down any unusual behavior
or problems.

Lately I have noticed a different behavior in Laksmipriya, which she has
never shown before. She is showing unusual affection towards me. Although
she has a special liking for me this particular behavior may be something
different. I usually visit her twice or three times in a day. Calling out to
her as I get near her place, she usually responds by turning towards me. I
caress her under her trunk on a special place where I always do. For the
last few days, as soon as I call out to her from a distance, she responds
with a loud roar and trumpeting, as if she is trying to say, "Where have you
been?! I've been waiting for you!" Besides the roaring and trumpeting she
also makes whistling sounds to get my attention. When I finally reach her,
she growls so loud, that it almost worries me that I have not spent more
time with her. If I meet her walking on the road, she will come running
towards me. She just wants to be with me. Nothing else seams to satisfy her.
The mahouts are joking with me that I should just take her home with me to
make her happy. As for me, it just means that it is time for bringing the
second elephant to Mayapur quickly.

The relationship between the mahout and the elephant is very important for
the emotional wellbeing of the Elephant. Anyone who is involved in caring or
managing our Elephant remembers this. It is a personal affair. Elephants are
very intelligent people inside monstrous bodies, who have feelings. They
have their own will too. The love that an elephant feels from her caretaker
will never be forgotten for the rest of her life.

However, Elephants are not pets. They are not ours to keep for
Entertainment. For their Social health they need the company of their own
species.

For Laksmipriya not to be lonely, we have already made arrangements for
another female elephant, whom we have named Vishnupriya, to come and give
company to our young Laksmipriya.

Elephants are not loner animals. They always stay in herds. So in the
meantime, while we are waiting for Vishnupriya's paperwork to clear, I just
have to take her place.

I will always care for my little temple elephants with love and affection.
The love that an elephant feels from her caretaker will never be forgotten
for the rest of her life.

Remember, Elephants never forget!

Hare Krishna

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. K. K. Sarma and Mr.
Dwipen Kalita for their patience and help in training me to better care for
our temple Elephants.

http://mayapur.com/node/1007

Tips from Vedic numerology on Valentine’s day!

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With Valentine’s day just a few hours away, I thought of writing about one of the tenets of Vedic astrology that helps in identifying whether a person whom you like will be actually compatible with you.

There is something called the “Maitri charka” that describes 8 types of people by way of 8 animals based on which one can know whether a person will really live up to be a 'mithra', a friend or a bitter enemy or a neutral one with whom you may not have problems.

This charka has application in friendship matters, in business partnership and of course in love and marriage relationship.

The 8 animals are paired as representing the opposite arms of the Maitri charka, indicating bitter enmity.

For example

Garuda x snake

Cat x rat

Lion x elephant

Dog x Rabbit

The 8 animals are placed from east through 8 directions as shown in the picture below.

To know if one will be friendly with you, you have to first know which animal represents your name. Then know the animal represented by your friend’s name.

If the two animals are in opposites, you can expect troubles in relationship.

If they are same, there will be good matching of minds.

If they are natural friends, there will be friendship.

This is how the calculation is done:-

Count the number of letters and multiply it by 7. Then divide the outcome by 8. The resultant number is counted from east (garuda) in the Maitri charka.

If the remainder is 1 – garuda (E)

If it is 2, cat (SE)

If it is 3, lion (S)

If it is 4, dog (SW)

If it is 5, snake (W)

If it is 6, rat (NW)

If it is 7, elephant (N)

If it is 0, rabbit (NE)

Originally the name letters in Sanskrit were used in this charka.

Suppose the name is Deepa, it has 2 letters in Sanskrit.

2 x 7 = 14 / 8 = 1 (Remainder -6)

6 means rat. Rat has enmity with cat.

Persons with name numbers coming as 2 will not go well with them.

Nowadays, the practice is to count the letters in English and other languages too.

Here the method is to count the number of letters, multiply it with 10 and divide the outcome by 8.

Eg:-

If Deepa and Nithya want to be business partners, count their name numbers.

Deepa =5 x 10 = 50 / 8 = 6 (R- 2) - cat

Nithya = 6 x10 = 60 /8 = 7 (R-4) -dog

Cat and dog are not opposites in the Maitri charka but they hate each other.

This means there will be enmity between them. They will try to outwit each other and go well.

In this way the compatibility and friendship can be known from the relationship between the 8 animals.

Same number persons will have good understanding.

Opposite numbers do not make them see eye to eye.

Other numbers are acceptable, but the way they relate to each other is determined by the nature of relationship between the animals representing their names.

Vedic astrology uses the 8 animal – characteristics at other places too – in identifying the city where one can flourish and in identifying the part of the city where one can settle down and lead a peaceful life.

We will see them in future posts.

How Gandhi would have reacted to pub-culture??

From

http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=277&page=4

 

Mahatma Gandhi would have resorted to satyagraha against pubs

By Justice (Retd) Dr M Rama Jois

 

If Ram Sainiks honestly believed that going of boys and girls to pubs resulted in their moral and material abandonment, which is injurious to national interest, the method of opposing it should have been in conformity with the approved moral and civilised behaviour. Their indulging in indecent and violent attack against pub-goers including women is condemnable and constitutes an offence punishable.

 

The recent physical and spoken assault on women going to pubs in Mangalore by those calling themselves Sri Ram Sainiks has been highly unjust and indecent and has very rightly come in for severe condemnations far and wide in the country. This is the evidence of sanctity attached to womanhood and the highest esteem in which the women are held in Bharatiya culture. As defined in Times of India (31-1-09), pub culture decoded the term stands for women drinking and socialising with men in public places, the desire behind this is obviously carnal between males and females who are not husband and wife. If Ram Sainiks honestly believed that going of boys and girls to pubs resulted in their moral and material abandonment, which is injurious to national interest, the method of opposing it should have been in conformity with the approved moral and civilised behaviour. Their indulging in indecent and violent attack against pub-goers including women is condemnable and constitutes an offence punishable. The Government of Karnataka has rightly arrested them and initiated criminal proceedings against them.

It is for this reason, Mahatma Gandhi declared that the means through which an end is to be achieved should be just and fair. It is on this principle, Mahatma Gandhi adopted the path of non-violence in the freedom struggle against unjust foreign rule. It is because he succeeded in this unique method adopted in human history, he became Mahatma and came to be respected by the whole world in view of the great faith Mahatma Gandhi had in non-violent methods. The firm belief of Mahatma Gandhi in morality and good character is evidenced by the firm stand he had taken against consumption of intoxicated liquors. In his book entitled My Picture of Free India written on the eve of achieving political independence, he unequivocally declared as follows:-

"I hold drinking spirituous liquors in India to be more criminal than the petty thefts which I see starving men and women committing and for which they are prosecuted and punished… I advocate the summary punishment of those who manufacture the fiery liquid and those even who persist in drinking it notwithstanding repeated warnings. I do not hesitate forcibly to prevent my children from rushing into fire or deep waters. Rushing to red water is far more dangerous than rushing to a raging furnace or flooded stream. The latter destroys only the body, the former destroys both body and soul."

This view of Mahatma Gandhi indicates that he was very firm on preventing youths falling into the injurious habit of consumption of intoxicating liquors or drugs. By and large youths go to pubs to satisfy their sensual desires without realising that it is sure to result in moral and material abandonment and they will become unfit to bear the family or social responsibilities. Therefore, it is not correct to call it pub culture, as it is a vice and not a virtue. It is therefore clear that if Mahatma Gandhi were to be alive, he would have resorted to satyagraha in protest against youths going to pubs but in a peaceful and civilised manner as it is well known that as part of struggle for freedom, Mahatma Gandhi had directed Congressmen to boycott liquor shops and even resort to picketing liquor shops. In view of this forceful idea of Mahatma Gandhi, Article 47 was incorporated in the Constitution directing the Union and the States to make law prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors.

 

 

Moreover, Article 39(c) mandates the Union and the States to take necessary steps to protect children and youth against their moral and material abandonment. In accordance with the views of Mahatma Gandhi and the directive of Article 47, law prohibiting manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor was enacted in Karnataka after independence. It was in force till 1957.

The Congress Party which claims to be the followers of Mahatma Gandhi repealed the law prohibiting manufacture and sale of liquors in 1957 in Karnataka. Smt. Yashodharamma Dasappa, a true Gandhian and brave woman, resigned her ministership protesting against such a step. In spite of this, loyalty to liquor proved to be more powerful than to Mahatma Gandhi and the Constitution. Liquor shops are permitted to be opened in all commercial as well as residential localities like hotels and restaurants. It is significant and surprising that large number of liquor shops are allowed on Mahatma Gandhi Road and its vicinity. Pubs belong to the same category. Developing the habit of going to pubs by youth is sure to result in their moral and material abandonment. Under the Constitution, the State has been under a duty to ensure protection against such moral and material abandonment.

 

I am certain that if Mahatma Gandhi were to be alive, he would have launched a powerful satyagraha and picketing against pubs. If Sri Ram Sainiks honestly felt so and wanted to protest it to protect youths in national interest, they should have resorted to non-violent satyagraha and picketing. But instead of doing so, the indecent attack made on women is most condemnable and onslaught on the most cherished value of womanhood in our culture. Such a situation is the direct result of failure to implement Articles 47 and 39 of the Constitution. The wide and expanding pub activities and the importance attached to sensual desires by large number of youths indicate what Swami Vivekananda stated a century ago, which has become true. He had said:

"Shall India die? Then from the world all spirituality will be extinct, all moral perfection will be extinct, all sweet-souled sympathy for religion will be extinct, all ideality will be extinct, and in its place will reign the duality of lust and luxury as the male and female deities, with money as its priest fraud, force and competition as its ceremonies, and the human soul as its sacrifice."

The situation is alarming. Substantial number of youths are falling to bad and immoral carnal desires resulting in their moral and material abandonment, which is highly injurious to the future of our nation, because youths are inflammable material like petrol, if enlightened and regulated they constitute enormous source of energy for the nation, but if ignited, they would be disastrous like forest fire. This is a matter for serious consideration by all right-thinking persons.

(The writer is a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court and former Governor of Jharkhand and Bihar. He can be contacted at "Sri. Shaila", No. 870/C, 5th Block, Rajajinagar, Bangalore–560 010.)