My journey with Flute

 #F For Flute

I would like to share some of my experiences with Flute, the soft and sweet music instrument. Is there any human being who doesn't like the soothing sound of Flute, I guess a big no. Ever since heard the flute music by Pandit Hari prasad Chourasia in some of concerts, an urge sprouted up to try my hand on Flute. Not only that, some film songs especially from the compositions of Ilaya Raja, AR Rehman and RD Burman instilled great love and passion in me. 

I don't have any plans to give classical music programs and so on, but to play my favorite songs in my leisure time. That's what my idea. Started going to classes. Everyday one hour. I enjoyed a lot, especially the soothing sound came from the hollow bamboo flute. I was using C Middle flute. There are many types of flutes according to scales. What I noticed is practice makes one perfect. That is cent per cent correct in the matter of flute blowing. The more you practice, the more you excel. Unless you practice everyday at least some time, no Guru however great he is, can't do anything.

Am following Hindusthani flute tradition. At present lingering on Janta swaraalu. With my other works, I was missing some practice sessions. Anyway, I keep practicing at my residence whenever there is some leisure time. Through this flute practice, came to know that how dedicatedly the real masters have practiced long hours everyday with all that unflinching perseverance. There are many intricacies in the flute that we can practice for a life time.  

----- Murthy Kvvs

Note : This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2023

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Oriya people write Expressive English

#E For English

English is an undisputed and time tested entity in our country. However some people occasionally raise their voice against using English are quite opposite in their practical life. English has taken the place of powerful lingua franca in our country. For good or bad, our colonial past presented the language and we are bound to use it for our needs. Be it technical, educational, professions at outer lands whatever the situation English is at our side to help. In our Telugu states, when English medium opened in the government schools, some people made ruckus that showing the reason, children would be anglicised and devoid of local language. I don't understand the logic. Already there are numerous English medium schools in the private sector, almost started like mushrooms for the last some decades. What evil they did to the children..? 

All high profile people wanted their children educated in English medium. They preach unnecessary ethics when it comes to the common people. Any language when it lost its utility, importance and usefulness, automatically which will die without getting anybody's permission. Do English get people distracted from their vernacular language, a big no. Take my example. I will still write and speak my mother tongue with no hesitation when it needed. English opened new windows and connected with wider range of people. For example, this blog writing makes me familier to many people and I could also understand the opinions of others through their blogposts. How simply life made with English language.

I can't say all Indians who know English are proficient, in fact, that's not necessary except teaching professionals. Yes. The teacher should be well equipped and then only English skills will be passed on to the generations. As I was roaming in India, understood the influence of local language on their expression in  English also. It's not a big crime. In fact, there was some beauty in it also. That's the spirit of Indian English. Already English is the official language in 7 states and 7 Union territories. Our software professionals have been reigning in the US and other counties. Is it possible without English..? Many people say south Indians speak and write more English than other states. But these days, many  north Indian state people too pursuing the suite.   

But in my view, as I have observed in my traveling, Oriya people write beautiful and expressive English comparing to many other states. I knew some bilingual writers from Orissa like Late Manoj Das, Jayanta Mahapatra and many others. They write in a natural flow without sacrificing linguistic beauty. Of course, it's my personal opinion. You are free to have your own opinion. Let me know about it. How English is doing in your surroundings , of course, leave big cities aside. They are all alike in this issue. 

----- Murthy Kvvs

Note : This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z challenge 2023

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Dummugudem : A Colonial Signature

 # D For Dummugudem

Dummugudem is a small village. A non descript place. And nobody could say hardly a word about it. I am  not saying about others or outsiders, even present generation people of this village don't know what significant features their village have had once. That's not their fault. Of course, I point out none. Things have been going on like that with our present education system and Am not saying about the teachers working in the schools. Our policy makers at the helm. We read lessons byheart, fulfill dreams of our parents by becoming software Professionals, Doctors, Engineers or well paid employees. That's it. Who cares about the past of our places and activities that have conceived of.

          

 ( Bose Babu statue amidst the village, they treat it as their trade mark for the place)

Well. Let me begin. The place now we are telling has the foot prints of Colonial British employees and their quarters, church, navigation center, and of course their tombs along with erstwhile zamindar's house. All are now in dilapidated condition. As the people are not so conscious of  historical events and older constructions, year by year, getting destroyed. Sometimes with the acts of hooligans and sometimes with the harsh weather conditions. I have gathered some information from very old people a couple of decades back. According to such account, Once upon a time, before independence, all this Dummugudem and nearby Lakshminagaram villages were hubs of British employees.

 

(An old building of British Era, Zamindar's residence)

River Godavari was used as traveling route right up to Rajamundry and boats and steamers were busy in serving travelers. They also have established a repair center and it's called by work shop. River Godavari was the biggest asset for Dummugudem as a transportation mode. They established a hostel for downtrodden children nearby a church. This hostel is also in ruining condition now. Their quarters were already vanished with passing time. Have seen some of the tombs when I visited the place. All tombs were read as high profile employees like an ICS officer named Angus Alstair Fernandez and well versed English teachers like Dorothy, Sara clare and other a girl named Charlotte Henrita etc..

                                                        (A Britisher's tomb)

At present, all this place looked like deserted and with nobody's attention. But if you have an eye for colonial history and nostalgic view, this place would speak volumes of things about the past. If you roam around the surrounding tribal villages, don't surprise, you will also randomly meet some people with blue eyes, long jaws, fair skin and European sort features. Maybe, signatures of  the history. Who knows, Anything could have happened. I leave the matter to you and remain here.  

----- Murthy Kvvs

Note : This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z challenge 2023

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Cattle Milk Okay..?

 #C For Cattle

We use mostly packaged milk. That's not uncommon these days. You will see milk pack at your doorsteps soon after the doors are opened in the early morning. Behind the huge service, there are number of cattle. Buffaloes , Cows and sheep etc. And of course, many say artificial milk creation racket is also there but I have never seen even one of such crooks ever arrested. That's how things go in our country. Dairy industry is a huge money spinner in any state. Do we really have such a large scale cattle to provide millions of our country. It seems definitely not. 

Where ever you go outside, I mean countryside , cattle folk is not to be seen in the fields as it was happened before. Why ? decreasing number of cows so evident in our Telugu states. But everywhere you can see buffaloes and village people believed that buffaloes milk is profitable comparing to cow's. Is it correct or blind belief..? Maybe profitable okay. They give more milk. But why most of the developed nations still consume cow's milk instead of buffaloes..?

No, don't misunderstand me. I don't have any religious leanings in the matter of cow. Just  give a thought of it for a while. If you go through our old scriptures of any kind mostly our people consumed cow's milk, even up to the generation of our grand fathers.  Even  our Ayurvedic medicines recommend cow's milk and never of buffaloes. One of my friends used to say, our today's generation became weak physically and lazy in attitude due to buffaloes milk. He also gives example like when his vehicle goes so  closer to some people on the road, they don't give a damn just to move aside. All these attitudes came into people's DNA  from buffalo milk consumption everyday. 

Note : This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z challenge 2023

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Bhadrachalam : Have you ever visited this place..?

 #B For Bhadrachalam

Bhadrachalam is a pilgrim town where Lord Rama's temple is renowned for some hundreds of years. After bifurcation, this temple town has become a part of Telangana state. But most of the people think that it's part and parcel of East Godavari district of Andhra pradesh. Very interesting thing is this town has close proximity with Chattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra pradesh ( Andhra's border is less than half a kilometer). Devotees used to come here from many south and north indian states. Every devotee should see Parnasala also, it's a sacred place with the anecdotes of Lord Rama and Ma Seetha lived here sometime.

( This is how temple town be decorated at the time of Sri Rama Navami, usually celebrated in the month of April every year) 

Temple at Bhadrachalam has a long history but let's have it brief. In 16th century, Lord Rama's devotee and then revenue officer Kancharla Gopanna spent a lot of government money to build the temple. On that reason, he imprisoned by Tahen sha, a muslim ruler of erstwhile Hyderabad state. Anyhow at last the money was refunded to the ruler by Lord Rama by coming in a guise of human being. From that day, Kancharla Gopanna turned calling as Bhakta Ramadasu. He composed many keertanas while he was in the jail. Those keertanas are regarded as most precious jewels in Carnatic classical music. Every year Sri Rama Navami festival is  celebrated with pomp and fervor and devotees be attended in thousands from other states also. 

(River Godavari in the monsoon season)

At present, all weekends are busy with incoming devotees. Godavari river is the big asset for this town. Devotees take dip in it. Floods in 1986 and 1993 were horrendous and with Polavaram project completion, there could be some more water added at the banks of Godavari, this is a swaying comment all over, nobody knows the reality. If you want to visit the place, number of buses available from Hyderabad or Rail route is there up to Kothagudem, 45 km away to Bhadrachalam. From there buses are available.

----- Murthy Kvvs

Note : This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z challenge 2023 

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Author who inspired me in our college days

#A For Author 

Whatever we read in our college days will have special place in our life. That books play a vital role in one's future and in fact the influence will spread all along our existence on this earth. I wish to recall my olden days on the occasion of this BlogchatterA2Z writing opportunity and it's my humble start to vent out my inner urge to write about a rare kind of Author Dr. S. Sanjiv Dev. He was a writer, poet, painter, Art critic and moreover a passionate traveler and of course he has many other great qualities.

(Dr. S. Sanjiv Dev's villa in Tummapudi village and his self portrayal )

He was the author from whom I got inspiration in the matter of Traveling and enjoying the nature in its own way. When I was studying in our town's library , one particular book attracted me from the almirah and it's title was "Thegina jnaapakaalu" (A Telugu book) and author's name was seen as Dr. S. Sanjiv Dev. You must remember, it all happened during 1984-87, my degree college days. Devoured that bulky book and excited a lot after having gone through it.

Content of the book was writer's traveling experiences. He portrayed his vagabond sort of travels into the Himalayan mountains, forests and most of the North Indian states. In fact, he didn't take any permission from his father or relatives. Already his mother was expired by the time, so care free life. In his journeys and with meeting varied people Dev learned many languages like Bengali, Urdu, English, French so on.

He met Russian painter Rorik Nikoloi and stayed in Himalayan countryside to try his hand in Painting. Also met Rabindranath Tagore and other prominent people. All his experiences had been written in a beautiful Telugu prose and it remained as a significant travelogue in Telugu literature. Of course he penned many other books like Rasarekhalu, Smrutibimbaalu, Deepthidhaara etc.,

After reading the book, I had written a letter to take permission to meet him. He invited me happily. I met him at Tummapudi , a village in Guntur district. We have had discussed many things and it was an unforgettable experience in my life. With his inspiration, I started my travel spree and it's in force as of now. Roamed across many states and I have not satisfied with it. More and more in future, till the last breath, this wanderlust continues. By the way, he prefaced my maiden work of poems. 

----- Murthy Kvvs

Note : This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z challenge 2023

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