Trip to Varanasi

I was very blessed to visit Varanasi in the month of Nov 2010 for campus recruitment at Benares Hindu University. The journey started with a obstacle. We were supposed to fly in SpiceJet till Delhi and catch another flight to Varanasi. As usual SpiceJet canceled their flight to Delhi and we were stranded.. After arguing with the SpiceJet staff we were put in the next flight and landed at Varanasi in the evening.

Varanasi is the sacred abode of Lord Shiva. This place is also one of the 12 Jyothir Lingas and oldest city in the world. On the day we landed there was no time and so I decided to go for a site seeing next day early morning.

I visited the Dashashwamedh Ghat and went for a boat drive on the Ganges.. As you go in the boat you get a feeling of going back in time.. You can feel the holiness in the air.. At the time of the year the ganges was overflowing and I visited various ghats and the most important of them is Manikarnika ghat.


Manikarnika Ghat is the main cremation Ghat of Varanasi. Manikarnika Ghat is one of the oldest and most sacred Ghats in Benaras. According to the Hindu mythology, being burned here provides an instant gateway to liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths. Lying at the center of the five tirthas, Manikarnika Ghat symbolizes both creation and destruction. At Manikarnika Ghat, the mortal remains are consigned to flames with the prayers that the souls rest in eternal peace. There is a sacred well at the Manikarnika Ghat, called the Manikarnika Kund. Manikarnika Kund is said to be dug by Lord Vishnu at the time of creation while the hot ashes of the burnt bodies makes one remember the inevitable destruction of everything in the world.

I took bath in the ganges at Varanasi.. I know people wonder how you could path in that water that is not very clean. The boatmen took me to a place where the water was cleaner compared to other places..

But about all when you have faith, faith prevails over other things.. There is so much dirt inside us and we ignore that.. I was re-born on that day..

Then I visited the famous Kashi Viswanath and Visalakshi temple. In the evening visited the famous Sankat Vimochan mandir where Tulsidas has darshan of Hanuman.. This temple had very strong vibrations and you are peace in the temple premise.. A very beautiful temple and must visit place for all those going to Varanasi.

Very close to Manikarnika Ghat, I saw a sadhu who had died and was being dropped into the changes. At Varanasi they do not burn the bodies of the following people : 1. Newly born children 2. Pregnant women 3. Anyone who died due to snake bite 4. Sadhu. Instead their bodies are wrapped and dropped into ganges at the deepest point... When you look at these we wonder how transient our existence and wonder what we are chasing in our lives..

Overall a wonderful trip to Varanasi.. I felt very blessed..

Trip to Parvathamalai

Parvathamalai is a sacred hill near Polur where there is a temple for Lord Mallikarjuna. It is around 30 KMs from Tiruvannamalai.

From Tiruvannamalai you go towards Kanchi and start your climb from Thenmadhimangalam village. There is another route but it is difficult path.

We started our climb around 1 PM and we reached the top at around 5 PM. It will take around 4 to 5 hrs depending on the speed of your climb. There is proper footsteps for the first 2 KM and the next 3 KMs you need to climb up the hill

The last part of the climb is bit terrifying where the climb is steep. It is perfectly safe to climb provided you do it slow and take support. Gadapaparaipadi is where you climb with support from steel rods and chains on the sides of the hill.

At the top there is a beautiful temple to Lord Mallikarjuna and there are no priests. We can do the pooja ourselves to Lord Shiva and Parvathi. We carried enough food for the night and slept within the temple premises. We returned back next day after seeing the beautiful sunrise.

There is no proper shelter available at the top. If you are planning to stay in the top carry enough clothes to protect against cold. Off late they have disallowed staying in the top.

Overall an wonderful trip .. Parvathamalai is a spiritual trip with bonus of trekking up a nice hill. There are lots of siddhas in this hill and also famous for many sacred herbs.

Trip to Chathuragiri or Sivamalai

Devotees are requested to climb the mountain only from Thaniparai Region. There are so many other ways from different directions to Top of the hill. But they are very dangerous. Atleast the devotee can find some other person within a gap of 5 minutes

In the month of December 09, I visited Chathuragiri also called Sivamalai. Chathuragiri is famous hill near Srivilliputhur (near Madurai). Chathuragiri is famous for the Siva temple of Sundara Mahalingam and Sandana Mahalingam. Sidhars are still living in this hill and the hill is very sacred.

The trek to the top of the hill is very tough. It takes around 5 hrs to reach the top. The hill is so sacred that its impossible to visit this place without divine grace.

We reached Madurai. From Madurai we took bus going towards Srivilliputhur. We got down at Krishna Koil stop (just before Srivilliputhur). From Krishankoil we took an auto and reached Thanniparai (base of the Chathuragiri Hill). (Auto charge is Rs.150 for one way).

We started around 11.30 AM. It was not very sunny that day. The trek up the hill was very beautiful. Beautiful hills on all side with streams crossing at many places. Some of the streams were dry.

As we started we rented a porter (Rs.300 for 2 way) for carrying our bags. On the way we worshiped various small temples on the way. The main landmarks on the way are Gorakkar Caves, Irattai Lingam (Two lingam), Temple of Pilavadi Karuppar. We reached the top at around 4 .30 PM.

On reaching the top we had darshan of the beautiful Sundara Mahalingam. Then we moved up to the temple of Sandana Mahalingam. The two temples are separated by 1.5 KM distance. We requested for accommodation at Sandana Mahalingam temple. They provided us a room close to the temple. After keeping the bags at the room we had the artha kala pooja at Sundara Mahalingam and Sandana Mahalingam temple at around 6 PM.

We had night dinner near the Sandana Mahalingam temple. We slept early and to be up for early 3 Am darshan and pooja's next day.

Following instructions would help in your visit to Chathuragiri.

1. Carry light luggage.
2. Carry dry fruits, biscuits and other eatables. You don't get much up.
3. Carry torch with batteries.
4. Carry bedsheets for sleeping in night. Rooms don't have any beddings etc.
5. Do not venture out in the night due to danger of animals.
6. Inform before hand for accommodation at the top. If its pournami or ammavasa you may not get place to stay at top.

Finally to all those who visit Chaturagiri, please do not DIRTY the place. Do not use plastic. If you use plastic, please get the plastic and other non-organic wastes down for disposal.

This is a very sacred place........Maintain its SANCTITY

Some photos from our trip....

Perfect vision of Dr.V - An inspiration for great leadership

The Perfect Vision of Dr. V.

At the Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, India, 82-year-old Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy has solved the mystery of leadership: He brings eyesight to the blind and light to the soul.

Read the full article at : http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/43/drv.html?page=0%2C6

You can set the same challenges for yourself as Dr. V. does.

Understand the deeper principles of work as well as your purpose in the game. Becoming a clear instrument of these aims is a declaration of power, and it draws resources - money and people -- to you.

Understand the poor, and market to them. This requires more imagination than does marketing to established markets. It requires expanding beyond the smallness of the self. It requires a shift in your view of economics and market forces. Everything you do for your personal well-being adds another layer to your ego -- and in thickening it, insulates you more from perfection, happiness, and fulfillment.

Appreciate that we are not different from the poor. We have spaces in us that are empty and ravaged. We are on the inside what the people of India are on the outside. They are materially poor; we are spiritually poor. Indians are on the outside what we are on the inside: starving for meaning, not homeless but the next worst thing -- directionless.

Learn how to sell water by the river. If you can become market-driving, not market-driven, you can create new arenas and go on to build a legacy. When we talk about new markets, we will have to call on new abilities within ourselves. We will have to acknowledge the least-developed parts of ourselves. That means going deeper than intellectual abilities to more-profound, more-basic human attributes.

Recognize that the great opportunity in world markets is to make a difference in the human sphere. Bring people things they can't imagine wanting. From this act, we too will be changed -- and maybe even enlightened. Dr. V. teaches that work can be a vehicle for self-transcendence.

Steve Jobs Message : Stay Hungry Stay Foolish

A Very Beautiful and Inspirational Speech....

What a fantastic motivational speech by Steve Jobs. In life we should have the guts to act by our own intuition.

Read the full story at : http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

The Gift of the Unknown

Powerful idea: the beautiful thing about being in the unknown is everything is possible.

You just received a giant gift: a fresh, virgin new year - utterly open to it being made into anything you choose it to become.

Forget the doomsayers. Block out the fear-mongers. Shout down those voices of mediocrity encouraging you to play small with your days amidst the dramatic changes in our world. This is a time to dream, to shine - to lead.

It's a great time to be alive - regardless of how bad your life might appear (things always get better don't they?).

You just got 12 fresh months (I needed to repeat that because it's such an inspiring thought to me). Some amongst us don't have that time. You do. You are blessed.

So what will you do with 2010? Will you spend it wisely - reaching for excellence and outright greatness, regardless of where you work and who you are?

Will this year be the year you leave behind all your victim stories about why you can't be in world-class health and lead in your field at work and love your family like there's no tomorrow?

Will this year be the year you have the courage to catch a glimpse of how extraordinary you are and then assume the personal responsibility to let that talent see the light of day?

And will this new year be the 12 months that you give back to the world, by lifting others up and by being honest, ethical and downright good?

Just wondering. Because the clock is ticking. And this very moment is a fine time to begin.

Happy New Year 2010

Trip to Dharamshala

I was on a visit to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.
Dharamshala is the home for the Tibetian governmnet in exile. His Holiness Dalai Lama lives there. There are many monastries and you see lots of Tibetian Monks.

When you see the state of Tibetian people we realize how lucky we indians are to enjoy this freedom. To be a refugee in a distant land from home is not a very pleasant experience. The Tibetian people are suffering profoundly due to chinese occupation. We indians take our freedom for granted.

Near to Dharamshala is the the Samadhi of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda at Sidhbari Village.

Staying in the Sandeepany Ashram at Sidhbari was a wonderful experience. The ashram is located in the foothills of the majestic Dhauladhar ranges of the Himalayas in the beautiful Kangra valley.

Photos of visit to Dharamshala : http://picasaweb.google.com/VenkateshN76/JimCorbettAndDharamshala#

A New Beginning

A new beggining after 10 long years with Philips. I am joining Microsoft at Hyderabad.

As I am moving out, I found the below passage inspiring and motivating towards achieving greater heights

Everything you've ever accomplished has been done using just a small fraction of your capabilities. What if you could make use of just a little bit more?

All that you've experienced has come from just a tiny corner in the universe of your possibilities. Imagine growing your awareness, your thinking and your actions beyond that corner.

If something seems impossible, that's because you're looking at it from a limited perspective.

Consider that there is so very much more to life than what you have thus far encountered.

What you have and what you know are extremely valuable.

Yet there also is infinitely more value to be found by exploring the possibilities that exist beyond where you already are. No matter how many sunrises you've experienced so far, the next one brings with it a whole new world.

No matter how far you've already come, this moment now is a new beginning.

Life is constantly reinventing itself while at the same time holding true to timeless values.

Allow the very best possibilities to take you ever higher.