In another forum a hot discussion is going on about compensation to writers and editors.
This has some relevance to ikOlam too. That is why I am offering some of my own thoughts
for wahtever they are worth. Many Indians settled abroad (and some in India too) have
started websites, blogs, discussion groups in order to give expression to their love for
That was fairly easy. I used a white linga and placed a lamp in the centre. I drew
an octagonal rangOli because Siva is also an ashTamUrti, i.e., has eightfold
aspects. For mInAkshi, I drew the fish for eyes and rotated one by 90 degrees and
clipped the edge so that it looks like a tilakam. The dark colour was deliberately
Before I leave lIlASuka, let me dwell upon this topic for one more day (bonus to you
latAjI:-). There are three recensions of SrIkRshNakarNAmRta (SKK). It is the second
volume that is more famous in the southern parts of India. Daily prayers such as
kastUrI tilakam, karAraviMdEna, etc. are from this. There is even an album on
This one is also from SrikRshNakarNAmRta. The innocence of kRshNa, for that matter any
child, is very well described here -
kAliMdIpulinOdarEshu - On the sandy banks of the river yamunA
musalI - balarAma
yAvad gata@h khElitum - has gone to play
tAvat karburikApaya@h piba - drink the milk from the spotted cow
harE - my dear krshNA
vardhishyatE tE SikhA - your topknot will grow!
In the thirteenth century or so, a poet by the name bilvamaMgaLa lIlASuka lived.
He was the author of SrIkRshNakarNAmRtam. Besides jayadEva's gitagOviMda and
nArAyaNatIrtha's SrIkRshNalIlAtaraMgiNi, this is one of the best works in Sanskrit on
kRshNa. It is not certain where he lived. Some say he is from the Andhra region and
Mrs Lakshmi Devi once said that rangOli had its origin from the words ranga and oli,
meaning ranga's favour or blessing. The following song originated from this.
I am reasonably good in writing Telugu poems and songs. Though Kannada is my mother
tongue, my proficiency in these aspects is very limited. Please keep this in mind.
Congratulations to Mrs Sumathi and Mrs Brindha.
I am enclosing a picture in this blog where my work (slightly modified from
the earlier - top and bottom interchanged, inside ones rotated by 20 degrees
and a central black circle added), the photograph (the same as given in the
url of Mrs Brindha), the satellite view from Google, and a front view of the
When I was writing about songs in the poem, I forgot to mention.
With paruchUri SrInivAs (stationed in Germany and a veritable walking
encyclopedia on the golden age of Telugu film music), I wrote an appreciation
in Telugu on yesteryear's playback singer, A M Raja, commemorating his 80th
birth anniversary and 20th death anniversary. There are fourteen songs (some
When heaven is here ...
A book of poems to read and ruminate
an album of songs to hear and enjoy
a vision of rangOlis to see and admire
and you beside me
and I beside you
touching and smiling
joking and laughing
teasing and pleasing
and the sky above with birds flying
and the wind murmuring in between
and the evening colours fading
