Valmiki Ramayana

National Bird’s Day

January 5 was National Bird Day. A day to celebrate the beauty and song of

birds that have long been a source of inspiration to all of us. But did you know that today, nearly 12 per cent of the world's 9,800 bird species may face extinction within the next century, including nearly one-third of the world's 330 parrot species.

Birds are sentinel species whose plight serves as the barometer of ecosystem health and alert system for detecting global environmental ills.

Many of the world's parrots and songbirds are threatened with extinction due to pressures from the illegal pet trade, disease, and habitat loss.

Public awareness and education about the physical and behavioural needs of birds can go far in improving the welfare of the millions of birds kept in captivity.

The survival and wellbeing of the world's birds depends upon public education and support for conservation.

Budhaditya receives Sangeetnatak Akademi Awards

Eventually, Sangeet Natak Akademi recognized the talent of one of the illustrious Sitarists of the era Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee and conferred upon him the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2010. It is also a pleasant coincidence that one of his fans Dr. Ravi Sharma, who has been the disciple of his great father and has also got training from him, got the information of these Awards from the reliable sources and conveyed the same to Pt Mukherjee on 20/01/2011 in the evening. He became the first person to break the news. Pt. Mukherjee has never been hungry of recognitions but it is sad that Sangeet Natak Akademi recognized his skills so late. But better late than never.

Budhaditya Mukherjee (1955–) is a Hindustani classical sitar and surbahar player of the Imdadkhani Gharana (school).

He was taught by his father Bimalendu Mukherjee from the age of 5, and started making a name for himself at a young age. In 1970, he won two national-level music competitions, and soon after was famously endorsed in glowing terms first by film maker Satyajit Ray and then South Indian veena maestro Balachander, who proclaimed him to be the sitar artist of the century. In 1975, Budhaditya became a grade A artist with All India Radio (he was promoted to top grade in 1986). Since then, he has become an established sitarist, known for virtuosity, speed and precision.

He is the first artist ever in the history of the British Parliament to have performed in the House of Commons. It was on June 30, 1990 when the British Parliament was mesmerized by the finest tonal quality and the delicacy of his Sitar.

Mukherjee has toured the world extensively, giving concerts in over 25 countries, and from 1983 and 1995, respectively, taught from time to time at the Istituto Interculturale di Studi Musicali Comparati in Venice and the Rotterdam Conservatory. He has also recorded widely, and at the age of 47, his discography spanned exactly 47 CDs, LPs and cassettes. In 1995, he started recording on the surbahar (bass sitar), first as a two-part series (Brilliance of Sound) for Beethoven Records in Kolkata (ragas Yaman and Marwa), then raga Komal rishabh Asavari for RPG/HMV on Tribute to My Father, My Guru (STCS 850362). In 2003, he was the first Indian classical musician to have an enhanced CD published: Thumriyan (RCD-2224), on Bengali label Rhyme Records in Kansas, containing ragas Piloo and Bhairavi.

His son, Bijoyaditya, was born in 1984, and started training with grand father sri Bimalendu Mukherjee and father Budhaditya Mukherjee at the age of 5.

Budhaditya Mukherjee also holds a degree in metallurgical engineering.

The other recipients of the Award

Date:21/01/2011
URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2011/01/21/stories/2011012157192200.htm

Girija Devi, Nataraj Ramakrishna, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellows

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The general council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi elected two eminent personalities from the field of performing arts — Girija Devi and Nataraj Ramakrishna — Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna) at its meeting held here on Wednesday.

It is a rare honour, and there are only 34 fellows of the Akademi at present.

Thirty-eight people from the fields of music, dance, theatre and puppetry were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2010.

In music, nine artists — Channulal Mishra and Shri Yashpal (Hindustani vocal); Budhaditya Mukherjee (sitar) and Nityanand Haldipur (flute, Hindustani instrumental); Suguna Purushothaman and Mysore Nagamani Srinath (Carnatic vocal), Nagai R. Muralidharan (violin) and Srimushnam V. Raja Rao (mridangam) and M.V. Simhachala Sastry (Harikatha) have been selected.

Dance awards

In dance, Malabika Mitra (Kathak), Kalamandalam Kombil Govindan Nair (Kathakali), Phanjoubam Iboton Singh (Manipuri), Ratna Kumar (Kuchipudi), Aruna Mohanty (Odissi), Manik Borbayan (Sattriya), Uttara Asha Coorlawala (creative and experimental dance), Kalamandalam Painkulam Rama Chakyar (other major traditions of dance and dance theatre — Kutiyattam) and S. Rajeshwari (music for dance — Bharatanatyam) have been selected.

In theatre, eight eminent persons have been selected: D. Vizai Bhaskar (Telugu) and Atamjeet (Punjabi) for playwriting; Veenapani Chawla and Urmil Kumar Thapliyal for direction; and Dilip Prabhavalkar, Banwari Taneja, Maya Krishna Rao and Swatilekha Sengupta for acting.

Other forms

For their contribution to other forms of art, 10 artists have been selected. They are Harbhajan Singh Namdhari for Gurbani Kirtan (Punjab); Nazeer Ahmed Khan Warsi and Naseer Ahmed Khan Warsi (joint award) for qawwali (Andhra Pradesh); Dwijen Mukherjee for Rabindra Sangeet (West Bengal); T. Somasundaram for folk dance (Tamil Nadu); Krishna Kumari for folk music — Bhakha (Jammu and Kashmir); Chand Jagdish Tiwadi for folk theatre — Bharud (Maharashtra); K. Chinna Anjannamma for Tolu Bommalata or shadow puppetry (Andhra Pradesh); and K.V. Ramakrishnan and K.C. Ramakrishnan (joint award) for Pava Kathakali or glove puppetry (Kerala).

Ashok D. Ranade will receive the Akademi Award 2010 for a scholarship in performing arts (music). Jaidev Taneja will be presented an award for overall contribution to performing arts (theatre).

According to Akademi secretary Jayant Kastuar, the honour of Akademi Fellow has been conferred since 1954 and Akademi Award since 1952. "They not only symbolise the highest standard of excellence and achievements on a national basis but also recognise sustained individual work and contribution to the practice and appreciation of the arts through performance, teaching and scholarship."

The Akademi Fellow carries a prize money of Rs.3 lakh and the Akademi awards carry Rs.1 lakh, besides a tamrapatra and an angavastram.

CWG2010: Another Prospective

भारत खेले खेल

आधिक आनंद के लिए निम्नलिखित लिंक को देखें:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umvp8jXA3Xw

१९वें राष्ट्रमंडल खेलों का आयोजन मीडिया के लिये एक मसाला और गप्पबाजों के लिये एक रोचक व्यायाम बनकर रह गया है। पढें और सोचें

आज कल जिसे देखो दिल्ली में ३ अक्तूबर २०१० से अरंभ होने वाले राष्ट्रमंडल खेलों के विषय में ही सोच रहा है, उन्हीं के चिंता में खोया हुआ है – जैसे बाकी सभी समस्यायें, सभी चिंताएं, सभी विघ्न-बाधाएं मिट गयीं हैं, गौण हो गयी हैं। कुछ और सोचने को है ही नहीं। केवल यही चिंता हमें खाए जा रही है कि हम ये राष्ट्रमंडल खेल सफलतापूर्वक सम्पन्न करवा पाएंगे अथवा नहीं। ये हमारी राष्ट्रीय अस्मिता का प्रश्न बन गया है, अथवा बना दिया गया है। हमारी उन्नति, हमारी सम्पन्ता, हमारा विकास सब कुछ केवल इसी एक बिंदु पर आ कर टिक गये हैं – ये खेल सफलतापूर्वक संपन्न होंगे या नहीं। इसी एक प्रश्न ने सब को जकड़ रखा है, सबको परेशान कर रखा है; कहीं कोई दुर्घटना न घट जाए, कुछ अनिष्ट न हो जाए। इलेक्ट्रानिक एवं प्रिंट – दोनों संचार माध्यमों पर बस यही एक गर्म खबर परोसी जा रही है – खेल मंत्री एम। एस। गिल ने क्या कहा? दिल्ली की मुख्य मंत्री श्रीमती शीला दीक्षित ने खेल-गाँव के दौरे के बाद क्या निर्देश दिये? कौन से स्टेडियम में क्या हो रहा है? हमारी भूख-प्यास सब इन सवालों के आगे कुछ अर्थ नहीं रखतीं।


लगभग सात वर्ष पूर्व यह निर्णय लिया गया था कि १९वें राष्ट्रमंडल खेल भारत की राजधानी दिल्ली में आयोजित होंगे। तब से लगभग साढे़ छः वर्ष तक हम सब सोए रहे। संभवतः हम में से अधिकतर लोगों को तो यह बात मालूम ही नहीं थि, या फिर याद ही नहीं रही। इस व्रष जून-जुलाई में कुछ सिरफिरे खोजी पत्रकारों ने अपनी दूकान चलाने के लिए न जाने कहां से यह समाचार खोज निकाला कि १९वें राष्ट्रमंडल खेलों से संबंधित आयोजन-समिति अपना काम ठीक ढंग से नहीं कर रही है। फिर क्या था! पत्रकारिता के क्षेत्र में जैसे भूचाल सा आ गया। समाचारों से संबंधित सभी टी। वी। चैनलों पर चर्चाएं-गोष्ठियां आयोजित होने लगीं –यह देखने के लिए कि अभी तक कितना काम हो चुका है और कितना भाकी है। आयोजन-समिति के अध्यक्ष श्री सुरेश कलमाडी़ जब सवालों के चक्रव्यूह में फँसे तो बिफर कर कहने लगे कि मीडिया का तो काम ही है उल्टी सीधी खबरें फैला कर पैसे बनाना। लेकिन कहते हैं, “बात निकलेगी तो फिर दूर तलक जाएगी”। सो ये बात पहुंची हमारे संसद सदस्यों तक। वे ठहरे जन-प्रतिनिधि। चुप कैसे बैठ सकते थे! संसद में खेल मंत्री को घेरने के अनेक प्रयत्न किए गये लेकिन हमारे हँसोढ़ खेल मंत्री ने कहा कि ये हमारे काम करने का अनूठा ढंग है, हमारी कार्यशैलि है। भारतीय शादी में जिस प्रकार आकिरी समय तक तैयारियां चलती रहती हैं लेकिन अंत में दूल्हा-दुलहन मिल ही जाते हैं, वैसा ही कुछ इन खेलों में भी होने वाला है। चिंता की कोई आवश्यकता नहीं है।

लेकिन खोजी पत्रकारिता का क्या कीजिये। कुछ पत्रकारों के दिमाग में खोज की खुजली लग गयी थी, सो वे खोजते रहे। “जिन खोजा तिन पाइया, गहरे पानी पैठ।“

खोज की खुजली जब भ्रष्टाचार के दानों को खुजलाया तो वे फूट पडे़। उन दानों में से सत्य की जिस सरिता का उद्गम हुआ, उसके बहाव में आयोजन-समिति के अनेकों कर्णधार बहने लगे। कलमाडी़ ने अपने पाँव जमाने की बहुत कोशिश की। वे बच तो गये किंतु निश्क्रिय से हो कर रह गये।

मौसम ने भी भ्रषटाचार की इस सरिता में कुछ योगदान करने की सोची और झमाझम पानी बरसने लगा। इतना पानी बरसा कि यमुना में उफान आ गया। आयोजन-समिति को जैसे इस विभीषिका में तिनके का सहारा मिल गया। समिति कहने लगी, इसी बरसात की वजह से हमारी तैयारियों में कुछ देरी हो रही है वरना हमारी तैयारियों में कोई नुक्स नहीं। देश के वर्तमान कर्णधार श्री मनमोहन सिंघ ने आनन-फानन में मंत्रियों का एक समूह बना दिया जिसका काम खेल-तैयारियों की निगरानी करना था। लेकिन मंत्री-समूह तो भारतीय शादी में बाराती बनने के विचार से ही रोमांचित होता रहा और वह समय बिल्कुल निकट आ पहुँचा जब विदेशी बारातियों [खिलाडि़यों] को खेल-गाँव पहुंचना था। विदेशी खिलाडी़ पहले से ही सावधान थे। उन्होंने खुद आने से पहले अपने प्रतिनिधियों को इस बात की जाँच करने के लिए भेजा कि खेल-घाँव कैसा है। पता लगा कि जहां किलाडि़यों को ठहरना है वहां फिलहाल कुत्ते बिल्लियां आराम फरमा रहे हैं। क्यों न हो! हम भारतीय इतने पशु-प्रेमी जो हैं। लेकिन विदेशी खिलाडी़ इस अनावश्यक पशु-प्रेम से बिदक गये। उन्होंने सोचा हमारे हिस्से का सारा प्रेम यदि जानवरों को दे दिया गया तो हमारा क्या होगा? खूब बखेडा़ मचा। इसी बीच एक आध और दुर्घटनाएं घट गयीं। हम तो ऐसी दुर्घटनाओं के अभ्यस्त हैं मगर शायद विदेशियों को इस की आदत नहीं। बेचारे विदेशी खिलाडी़! घबरा गये ज़रा सी बात पर। हमारे गृहमंत्री ने बहुत समझाया कि ऐसी गोलियां तो यहां शादियों की शोभा बढा़ती हैं। सब कुछ ठीक-ठाक है। चिंता की कोई बात नहीं है। विदेशमंत्री ने भी यकीन दिलाया कि सुरक्षा से संबंधित यहां कोई समस्या नहीं है। यहां की पुलिस का चोरों से बहुत पुराना रिश्ता है। इस लिए वे दुर्घटना से बहुत पहले ही जान लेते हैं कि कौन कहां कब वारदात करने जा रहा है। उस वारदात को रोकना या न रोकना हमारे ही हाथ में है।

लेकिन खोजी पत्रकारों की खुजली से भ्रषटाचार के दाने फूटते रहे और भ्रष्टाचार की सरिता बहती रही। थोडी़-बहुत चीख-पुकार के उपरांत विदेशी खिलाडी़ भी जान गये कि इन तिलों में तेल नहीं है। उन्होंने भी परिस्थितियों से समझौता कर लिया और दिल्ली के खेल-घाँव में इकट्ठे होने लगे।

किसी तरह ये खेल हो ही जाआएंगे। और फिर हम सब कुछ भूल कर रोज़मर्रा के कामों में लग जाएंगे – जैसे कुछ हुआ ही न हो। खोजी पत्रकारों की खुजली भी किसी न किसी मरहम से रुक ही जाएगी। लेकिन हमारे देश की जो जगहँसाई हो रही है, क्या हम उसका प्रतिकार कभी कर पाएंगे?

Teaching people with dementia

New information by singing might

Enable them to live independently for a bit longer

by Nora Schultz

 

Singing to elderly people with dementia helps them form new memories, one of the first skills they tend to lose. Music is known to aid memory, especially recalling autobiographical information. For example, people with Alzheimer's disease are better at remembering events from their own past when music is playing in the background. It was less clear whether tunes could also help them learn.

Brandon Ally at Boston University and his team were inspired by the report of a man with Alzheimer's who could recall current events if his daughter sang the news to him to the tune of familiar pop songs. They decided to try it out for themselves.

They gave 13 people with Alzheimer's and 14 healthy seniors the lyrics from 40 unfamiliar children's songs to read, half accompanied by the actual song and half by the spoken words. All the participants saw the lyrics again without audio and mixed in with lyrics from a further 40 unknown songs. Those with Alzheimer's were able to recognise 40 per cent of the original lyrics that had been accompanied by song but only 28 per cent of those read to them. The healthy seniors recognised 80 per cent of lyrics, regardless of whether they had been sung or spoken (Neuropsychologia, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.04.033).

Very few things enhance new learning in people with dementia, says Ally. "It's really cool that hearing the lyrics sung did." He suggests that teaching patients new medication regimes via a song in the early stages of dementia might enable them to live independently for a bit longer.

We don't yet know why singing should help, but Ally says that music engages areas of the brain, including subcortical regions, that are typically spared until later on in dementia. Music may also improve attention, he adds.

For further information: Visit this page!

Teachers

Most of our classrooms are teacher-centred, with one-way communication from

the teacher to pupils. Here is what one needs to do to change it.

Teachers should ensure that their lessons and attitude make students

comfortable

Golden rule: Classes should be interesting

For effective teaching: The great charm of teaching that merges knowledge

and skill is relegated to the background, when examination scores become the

main priority. Some teachers readily recognise this and interact more with

students.

"He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches." This quote is a jibe from George

Bernard Shaw, given by him under the title Maxims for Revolutionists in his

renowned play Man and Superman (1903). At best, it is a censure on

ineffective teachers. It is not a universal truth. Teaching is a noble

profession that moulds the emerging generations.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher

demonstrates. The great teacher inspires", said William Arthur Ward,

scholar, author, and teacher.

Often conventional teaching in schools and colleges degenerates into

drudgery for the teacher, which in turn becomes drudgery and dull drill for

the pupil. The great charm of teaching that merges knowledge and skill is

relegated to the background, when examination scores become not only the

first priority, but the sole objective.

This is not a new phenomenon. Perhaps when Mark Twain said that he had never

let his schooling to interfere with his education, he had the boredom of

school routine in mind.

A good teacher can make the teaching-learning process an enjoyable

experience, provided he has commitment to the profession. Dedication,

perseverance, and empathy with children are some of the essential traits.

There is a view, "teaching is not a profession; it is a passion".

Even gifted sculptors express their creativity by shaping lifeless blocks of

stone, wood, or metal. But a teacher moulds growing human beings with a

mind, a heart, and a soul. The sacred nature of a teacher's work is obvious.

The central aspect of education is learning. We know that teaching and

learning are two sides of the same coin. There is an enormous volume of

scientific literature bringing out the diverse features of institutionalised

teaching-learning processes. Let us extract from this treasury of knowledge,

principles that are of relevance and immediate application in classroom

teaching. Awareness of the possibilities of fine teaching will enrich

pupils' classroom experience as well.

The ultimate objective of any teaching is effective learning by the pupil.

Strategies for teaching have, therefore, to be designed on the basis of

relevant phases of the internal processes of learning. The phases are:

Getting motivated

Apprehending (the pupil coming face to face with the key points)

Acquisition

Retention (transfer from short-term to long-term memory)

Recall

Generalisation (applying the knowledge gained to new situations)

Performance (the pupil demonstrates through performance)

Feedback

The mental processes are influenced by factors such as the pupil's

questioning ability, and the availability of learning resources including

teacher's guidance. A teacher is an instrument that facilitates, promotes,

hastens, and influences the activities in the internal processes in the

pupil during learning.

When we find that a pupil experiences difficulty in learning a lesson, we

should analyse the reasons behind the difficulty. This can be done

effectively, if we keep in mind the different factors that influence

assimilation.

We should not forget that learning is a complex mental process. Many parents

often accuse their children for their poor scores in the examination,

without caring to appreciate the children's difficulty in assimilating new

ideas. If the parent can show some patience to imagine what feeling he would

have if he is asked to learn quickly a strange language like Korean or

Chinese, he may realise the child's predicament.

Some of the important factors that influence assimilation are the following:

Meaning (Unless the lesson makes sense to the pupil, he may not be able to

learn it easily)

Interest (Pupils should be properly motivated. Suppose a chemistry teacher

intends to teach 'conservation of matter'. Instead of defining the

principle, the teacher may ignite some spirit in a watch glass kept on the

classroom table, show the empty watch glass after the spirit has burnt, and

then ask the pupils how the spirit has disappeared. Slowly, the principle of

'conservation of matter' can be developed by graded questions, and answers

from the pupils. Once curiosity is aroused, pupils will get interested in

the concept. Deeper the pupil's interest in the lesson, better the

retention.)

Depth of impression (This can be improved by vividness in teaching; describe

to generate clear pictures in the mind.)

Association of ideas (Link new knowledge to an old piece of knowledge. Use

good sequence and logical development of the lesson)

Repetition (Not dull repetition, but repetition that offers pleasure or

satisfaction)

Frequency of recall (Use tests or assignments)

Prioritising (forget the unimportant and retain the essentials)

The classroom situation

Most of our classrooms are teacher-centred, with one-way communication from

the teacher to pupils, as in a radio broadcast. One may label it as

authoritarian and directive. Though it may be effective in preparing for a

formal examination, it is desirable that the classroom is made

pupil-centred, at least occasionally.

In a lecture-discussion, the classroom is not totally dominated by the

teacher. Instead, the pupils get opportunities for participation; there is

co-operative striving for a common goal. This situation boosts the

self-confidence of the pupils in facing life's challenges.

The overall style of classroom management should neither be totally

authoritarian or totally permissive. The teacher should strive to strike a

happy balance for ensuring effective learning with pupils' participation.

After all, the larger picture of the college classroom aims at development

of the personality of the pupils.

Some guidelines for effective classroom management are indicated below.

Follow the same rules for all students

Enforce your declared rules consistently

Know the names of students

Be tough in the beginning; may loosen later if all goes well

See that the pupils come prepared (mind and materials)

See that they listen

Use occasional humour. It makes children comfortable

Never insult a pupil in the classroom or elsewhere, whether it is for poor

performance or for other reasons

Do not ignore good performance; do tell them they did well

Submission of assignments on time. Also, return them after correction on

time

Develop good habits like punctuality through your style (be a role model)

Don't allow the tail to wag the dog. But be pragmatic.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

B.S. WARRIER

______

Please feel free to pass your comments, feedbacks & new ideas to the below

menntioned contact details.

Email:

saravanan.ramadoss1@gmail.com

saravanan_2008@hotmail.com

*******

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

William Shakespeare

------

Character can not be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of

trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and

success achieved.

Helen Keller

Commonwealth Games Theme Song

19^th Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi, India from 3^rd October, 2010 onwards, have been in the news more for the wrong reasons than for the real objectives of sportsmanship. Investigative journalists dug out so much dirt and mud on one hand and on the other hand, Monsoon is making a mockery of highly exaggerated preparations as claimed by the Organizing Committee under the chairmanship of Suresh Kalmadi, who has now been popular for controversies and scandals rather than for appropriate execution of plans and projects in order to smoothly conducting the games. However, here we would focus upon the 'theme song' of these games composed by the only Oscar winner composer of Bollywood – A. R. Rahman, who, claimed that the song composed by him would be more appealing and beautiful than the one 'waka waka' sung by Shakira for the FIFA World cup 2010 even before he composed it.

This theme song was released by A. R. Rahman on 28 August, 2010 in Gurgaon, Haryana in the presence of eminent personalities from different walks of life and the esteemed members of the Organizing Committee. The initial lines of the song are like this:

Oh yaaron, yeh India bulaa liya / Diwaano yeh India bulaa liya… bulaa liya / Yeh toh khel hai / Bada mail hai / Milaa diya… milaa diya...

Please listen to the song

Most of Rahman's fans are not very pleased with the song. The comments on different social networking sites about the song are not encouraging. Some of viewers have commented that Rahman has got a bit overconfident. It is his callous approach which brought him down on the popularity charts especially, for this theme song of commonwealth games.

Firstly, Rahman composes music chiefly for Bollywood and Pop Albums. This segment of songs is different from that of composing songs for special occasions. Therefore, it is not Rahman's fault that he could not live up to the expectations of the music-lovers of the Indian Subcontinent. The organizing committee made a mistake in awarding him the contract to compose the song. Composing pop music is totally different from composing a song to suit a specific occasion. The song of Asiad 1982 was composed by Pt. Ravishankar, the well-known classical music maestro of the international repute. His composition Ath Swagatam, Shubha Swagatam echoed the letter and spirit of Indian cultural heritage. On the contrary, Rahman's training of music is based upon Western tradition of music and hence he should not be expected to represent the Indian tradition of melodic beauty. In essence, the fault lies with the organizing committee. Rahman did whatever he could and the song is before us. In the song, there is every element of the popular music. But the Indian ethos is missing. It would have been better had the organizing committee assigned the responsibility to somebody from the field of Indian classical music. Pt. Ravishankar, Pt. Shivakumar Sharma, Pt. Jasraj, many names can be counted. Let us hope that Indian Government would not be so indifferent to the classical musicians of Indian traditions in the future.

Music for the masses

Music has always been an integral part of the human civilization. Has it been the East or the West, music looks to have a universal appeal. Many archaeologists and anthropologists recognize it as a dimension for the cultural upgradation. Historians consider musical skills as one of the most important conditions for the intellectual growth. That is the reason as to why the developed societies, more often than not, evolve more delicacies and complexities in their musical genre than those of the less developed ones. In fact, music is the most powerful tool for the hypnotism. It not only spells its charm upon the human beings but the animals too fall prey to it. The scientists concluded after different experiments that cows are milked easily while the suitable music is played during the process of milking. Likewise, elephants respond to music too. Not only have the animals, the plants also responded to music. In the paddy fields the specified instrumental music was played as the crop was growing. There was a visible increase in the per acre produce. Thus, it looks that music has a very soothing effect on living bodies.

During the festive times, on joyous as well as the depressing occasions, in religious/cultural functions, in every sphere of life we see the use of music. Therefore, it is not without reason that one should try to look into the meaning of music. We have to be clear in our minds as to what really is the actual meaning of music. This article tries to find out as to what the masses think of the concept of music and also what the classical definition of the same is.

What is music?

Generally, singing a song, or playing its tune on some instrument, is considered as creating music. There is a saying, "singing and sobbing is known to all." Most of the common masses think that singing is music. They associate it with singing songs or playing the same on an instrument. In "WordWeb Dictionary", the word 'Music' is explained as under:

1. An artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
   

2. Any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds

3. (Singing) musical activity (singing or whistling etc.)

4. (Music) the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments (or reproductions of such sounds)

However, when it comes to the musicians, music is a well defined concept. The artists consider it as a fine art. In the list of the five fine arts, music and literature come on the top. The Indian philosopher and thinker Bhartrihari reveals the same as follows,

"साहित्य संगीत कला-विहीनः, साक्षात् पशुः पुच्छ-विषाण-हीनः।"

Meaning, those who live without music and literature, are like the animals without the horns and tails.

For more on the concept of music, please visit, http://www.musicalexpressions.myehome.in/thesis/ch1.mht/

As in this essay, our main focus is upon the understanding of the views of common people about the concept of music. Therefore, we would not go into the details of the definitions etc of the same. We would Endeavour to think of music in terms of the masses rather.

Dr Radhakrishnan, the great philosopher/teacher and the former President of India stated in his famous book that a poem expressed perfectly and charged with the sentiment, becomes a musical genre. ("Jeewan Ki Adhyatmik Drishti" published by rajkamal Prakashan, Delhi.)

There are many identical definitions of the term 'music', well-versed amongst the music community; hence, it hardly serves any purpose to make of the repetition of the same here. The conclusion of almost all of them is as under:

Music is a fine art which relates to singing, playing of a musical instrument and dancing. It is expressed through the medium of sound. The pleasing sounds or 'naada' is expressed through a variety of musical notes which have been evolved over the ages. These musical notes create music. We can use the vocal chords, which is gifted by the Nature or the man-made musical instruments available in different shapes and sizes to create music. Sometimes, the musical notes are created just by whistling; here one can adjust one's lips to create different musical notes. At present, the western world considers the art of dance unique and separate from music. However, here in India, the trinity of vocal music, instrumental music and dance is treated in the same art of music.

Now, let us reflect on what the masses think of music. Generally, the common men and women do not need a definition to appreciate, understand, adjudge any concepts, ideologies, arts, philosophies etc. the common people use the 'common sense' to understand even the most complicated situations. It is the job of the scholarly and the intelligent to play with language and more often than not, to prove nothing but their capacity of analyzing the concepts. One needs to be a connoisseur and not necessarily a scholar, to enjoy or appreciate music or any art for that matter. One needs commitment, rigorous practice [Swara Sadhana] and the love and appreciation to be a musician. Of course, after a certain level, a reverend teacher is also required. But in any case, we need no reasoning or logic for us to excel in the art. In fact logic is helpful in the branches of science and mathematics etc and the stream of arts has nothing to do with the logic. We can elaborate it by adding the following fact:

The artists try to communicate with his/her audience with ever new expressions. [Different arts have different media]. But the main condition of creating beauty through art remains the same. This condition is the newness of the expression presented to the audience. Bhasa the great classical poet of Sanskrita stated this very romantically. That image, which attains newness every second and hence remains ever new, is the real beauty. (क्षणे क्षणे यन्नवतामुपैति तदेव रूपम् रमणीयतायाः।)

Any new composition, expression, invention, discovery, poem, play etc cannot be created just through the logic. Dr Radhakrishnan supported the same in his book. ('Jeewan ki adhyatmik drishti' P34) He explained, "We can elaborate upon any given idea through the power of logic but logic does not help in leading our ideas to new inventions." He presented an example from the world of science. Many persons before Newton had seen the apple falling on the earth. However, it struck in nobody's mind [before Newton], that the fall was due to the reason of the earth's gravity. Sometimes, we try our level best to find the solution to a problem and get none. As we accept the defeat, sometimes it occurs that suddenly the solution strikes in our mind like a lightening. We get a smile and think that answer to the said problem was so simple and still so far away from us. It is through the genius and ignited minds that such newness takes place incessantly. The orthodox God-fearing persons believe that it is through the grace of the God.

It is for this reason that the masses consider music as one of many gifts of the Almighty. We, the logical men and woman, often ridicule the faith of the common people and condemn such thinking on the basis of not being logical. For instance, many rationalists question the thinking that the Swaras [the musical notes] originated through the 'Damru' of lord Shiva or through imitating the voices of different birds and animals. Some of such scholarly persons also question the association of gods and goddesses with music and other fine arts. They suggest that the gods have nothing to do with the evolution of arts. But the common men and women beyond cultural barriers and geographical boundaries are united and firm in the view that it is the grace of God which showers the hypnotizing drizzle of arts upon us. That is why; they say that the artists are born naturally. They cannot be evolved. Many artists too submit that one can polish an artist to the perfection but the artists cannot be created; they are born through the grace of the God.

Conclusion

For the masses, arts in general and music in particular, make the artists glamorous. Everybody is infected by a genuine and pleasant music. Subsequently, everybody wants to learn it have a mastery over the art. But in the opinion of Shri L. K. Pandit, (former lecturer in the Department of music, Delhi University and Programme Executive, All India Radio), in the music Institutes we do not create 'Tansens' but 'Kaansens'. Every learner of music cannot necessarily become an artist but he/she surely can become 'Kaansen' [the appreciator of music].

On the basis of above description, the art of music can be associated with two basic components: 1. the creater of music [the artist] and 2. The listener or the audience. The linking medium which connects these two is the art-form. There are numerous forms of music which have been categorized by musicologists in different classes. Some of them, for instance, are: popular music, folk music, film music, light music, devotional music and last but not the least, classical music. Classical music is further divided into classical and semiclassical music. There are different classes and types of musical forms. However, it is beyond the limits of this article to address the issue of the classification of musical forms. Our focus would be to understand as to what is the scope of music as for as a layman is concerned.

In music, the medium of expression is the sound. All sounds are not musical ones. Musical sounds are said to have certain characteristics like softness, pleasantness, clarity etc. the sounds used in music are thus called 'Naada'. Naada is expressed through the musical notes. These musical notes do not have any substantial relevance for the laymen. The masses do not ponder over the minute ideas like the accuracy of musical notes, the pitch, the composition etc. they just like or dislike the musical composition they listen to. Therefore, the concepts like the composition, 'Swara Sadhana', purity of Raga, perfection of certain techniques etc which are very important to a music critique, do not have much significance to the masses.

The musician and the audience are linked [as stated above], through the musical sound which is expressed by the musical notes. These notes do not have any substance for the common audience. Therefore, we stop talking of them. The main objective of the artist of music has to be to focus upon the melody. Melody is composed through the musical notes. However, those folk people, who are not aware of musical notes, also compose folk songs. Therefore, we should rather say that the melody is based upon the musical sounds. All the features of the musical sounds [pleasantness, softness, soothing effect etc] are hence transferred to the melody. Melody may or may not have poetry or words. In the purest form of music, only musical sounds are used to convey the feeling of the artist. But in the oral tradition and the folk traditions, the melody is composed of both the two: words as well as the musical notes. In Indian tradition, the former is called as 'dhatu' and the latter one is 'matu'. This fascinating mingling of two great fine arts [music and literature], leads to the composition of songs. These songs vary from region to region and from culture to culture. We can submit that "the song is poetry composed in musical notes and balanced with rhythmic patterns." Any literary work, when decorated with musical notes and the rhythm, transformed into a song. Such songs are also played upon various musical instruments. In that case, the listeners enjoy the same song as with words. In Indian tradition, it is believed that the musical instruments should follow the vocal music and the dance should follow the instruments. (SangeetRatnakar: Chapter 1, Pindotpatti Prakaran).

To conclude, music is the melody (or melodies played together - harmony), composed of musical notes and balanced with rhythmic patterns. The main property of any musical composition is that it is pleasant, fascinating, interest-provoking and above all full of freshness or newness. Such compositions are appreciated by the audience and hence easily gain popularity. The acceptance of the listeners is also very importand for a musical genre for making an imprint. Marketability, presentibility etc come afterwards.

For Further Reading

Music of the Indian Subcontinent

Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Watch this short documentary on Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam prepared in connection with a school competition. This movie was adjudged 2nd amongst around 40 entries. To watch the movie, click the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTNtsiwt1nc

Music, as an alternative therapy

I found this article on Hindu, the Online Edition. As I keep on finding new research on music therapy, I thought this article might prove to be one of many examples of the same. Maybe, the medical fraternity would pursue music therapy more vigorously. Hence, I thought to produce the article which is as under:

 

Music putting her back on feet

Dennis Marcus Mathew

6-year-old coming back to life from somatic brain injury

Radhika, who is recovering from coma with the help of music, with her mother Manju at hospital.

Music has much more than rhythm, beats and series of notes. Any doubt? Ask six-year-old Radhika, who is collecting and piecing together the missing notes of her life with music after being in coma for two months.

Radhika, born to Ambalapuzha fisherman Raju and Manju, was admitted in an unconscious state to the intensive care unit of the T.D. Medical College Hospital in Vandanam, 9 km south of the Alappuzha in Kerala, on May 30 after suffering from a somatic brain injury. The injury was caused by an accidental tightening of her neck by a shawl she was playing with.

Head of the hospital's pediatric department Girija Mohan says Radhika lost sensation and memory, suffered from respiratory problems and was in need of ventilator support.

"We had absolutely no hope of her recovery. Medicines and intravenous fluids kept her alive, but she was in coma. She also suffered from seizures. We tried every mode of treatment. When I began searching the Internet, I came upon music therapy for such cases," Dr. Mohan told The Hindu.

Coupled with inputs from Raju and Manju that Radhika enjoyed songs, especially those on Lord Krishna, Dr. Mohan got busier on Google, Yahoo and all other search engines. Low and soft music, instrumental music and Carnatic music, without rap or loud music, was the feedback she got. Listening to music over an earphone, Radhika began responding slowly - first by opening her eyes, then being attentive to music, smiling in between, and then responding to her name. Dr. Mohan added environmental simulation to the neuro-rehabilitation therapy. Radhika's parents took her out on the verandah and started talking to her and showing the people around. Physiotherapy became a daily routine.

After Radhika took her first steps on Saturday after two months, Dr. Mohan is happy.

For Further Reading:

Sensation of tones

Changing society through Music

Common Wealth Games and the prospects of India

Since the very commencement of our independence, our country has progressed in all spheres of life; be it science and technology, agricultural and the industrial development, arts and entertainment, or the games and sports – our advancement has been phenomenal. It is in this context of our all round achievements that we have got the pride moment of conducting the commonwealth games to be held in October, 2010. Not only that we have the challenge to accomplish the mission with perfect precision, but the much more important thing is that we emerge victorious in as many events as possible in the grand ceremony of the sportsmanship. The latter is the greater challenge. Therefore, it is mandatory to us that we look into the prospects of India, our country, in these games.

In the present scenario, most of our countrymen are obsessed with cricket when it comes to discourse about the games of any kind. But in the last Olympic Games, our shooters and boxers made us proud through their commendable performances. Very recently, Saina Nehwal electrified the Badminton Court by winning Singapore Open Badminton Championship. Our wrestlers have not only been able to sustain their consistency in skills and agility, but many of them have improved their performances. The weight lifters are also doing pretty well. All these achievements present a hopeful environment for us to think that in the upcoming commonwealth games too, our heads will be held high.

Games have been the integral part of our education system. The policy-makers have always tried to incorporate the sports in the curriculum. At the school as well as the college levels, the faculty of sports have been established. However, there is a lot which needs our attention.

A lack of proper infrastructure has been the matter of concern over the years. The players express their apprehensions in this matter at various levels. Questions have also been raised over the functioning of various sports Federations. Recently, a dispute between the Hockey Federation of India and the National Hockey team has been in the Electronic as well as the Print Media. The appointment of the foreign Coaches has also been the point of contention between the players and the administrative bodies of many sports. In short, there are a variety of problems which demand a timely and the satisfactory solution, not only from the government but from the players' side also.

In the nation of such great diversity as ours, we cannot expect that everything will come our way without any hassles. Sure, we have problems but we have the capacity to solve them too. Such obstacles have never deterred us; on the contrary, they have inspired us to work more vigorously to achieve the targets. Therefore, we need not afraid of these petty problems. Let us work together for the execution of the event with the perfect precision. We have the capacity to win numerous Golds if our players are given the proper environment and the infrastructure. Our players are second to nobody. They have proved this time and again. India has dominated the game of hockey from the Fifty's to Seventy's of the gone by Century. The magical Hockey-stick of the legendary Major Dhyan Singh is still in the memories of the hockey lovers all over the world. Sprinters like the great Milkha Singh, the shooting sensation Captain Rajvardhan Singh Rathore, the flying fairy P. T. Usha and many more exemplary personalities inspire millions of us. We have the courage and the commitment, capacity and the will power; we just need the ignition to blast our energetic performance. Therefore, it is the duty and the sacred responsibility of the Government and all concerned to create a barrier-free atmosphere in which our contingent for the occasion can perform to its level best. Let us give our players the required weaponry and the moral support. Let us encourage them. This is not the time of finding the faults but the occasion to show our talents under whatever circumstances our destiny has brought us in. There is no time left for the criticism or the leg-pulling. Let us forget everything else and concentrate upon the targets. We have the potentials to overcome any kind of odd situations that may arise. We have been victorious in the past and we can again overpower the sophisticated and technologically more advanced training of any sports-troop. I have the full faith in our players and I am sure that they would earn more medals than ever before. Let us join our hands to support and encourage them.

Here a chirp, there a chirp

Slow down, take a deep breath. Listen to the birds and let the melody relax you.

Just listen: Sweet sound of music.

Who wouldn't love to listen to bird song? Stop and listen to the liquid notes that come floating through the trees. A composition with bird songs or bird calls is nothing short of a beautiful creation.

A. J. Mithra, the music teacher, at the M.C.C. Campus Matriculation School, Tambaram has put together songs of birds to make a composition that would be the envy of any composer.

While downloading music, he says he came across bird calls that got him interested in the beauty of the sound. "It was like walking in a jungle," he smiles. Later while travelling on his bike, he heard a bird song and thought it was the ringtone of his mobile phone. From then, he took to bird watching and "bird hearing".

Sing a song

The MCC campus is a bird watchers' paradise and the school is situated inside the campus. Mithra got the school kids involved — they listened to the birds and this eventually led to bird watching. The kids often go on many bird walks and now are able to identify the bird by the call.

"When we go on a bird walk, we have to be very, very quiet. We can hear them but we can't see them most of the times. We first heard the sound "cu, cu cu" and then we saw the cuckoo," says R. Steffi Jones Evangeline of Std. V.

The students are also on the lookout for wounded birds and have tended a hurt crow back to "health". Bird feeders and water spots are soon to be installed.

The birds they see: Beulah Praise Kathryn, V; Alex, V; Sarah Jacob, IV - MCC Campus School Oriental magpies are a melodious species, says Mithra. They literally "sing" and are believed to sing around 15 to 20 tunes improvising on it all along.

The Black Drongo is aggressive, they fight and suddenly seem to make up — their call sounds like a hiss, with something of a mocking tone.

The common Iora carries on a kind of trilling conversation, which is also a territorial call. Mithra has composed a piece of music with 15 different bird songs titled "Walk through the woods".

There are more than 90 species on campus he said and when the lake is full, migratory birds and waders are frequent visitors.

Constant listening to the song of birds and watching them, learning about their habits and their "lifestyle" will help us understand our feathered friends.

Bird box:

The dawn chorus is important as it shows that they are alive. So they sing lustily.

Females imitate the males, to scare predators or to inform the male about the predator.

Birds are important as they are sowers, pollinators, scavengers and pest controllers.

Take care to keep water to drink not overfeed them. They get too heavy to fly and the next generation might have smaller wings.

Gift a bird friendly tree to your school.

Do not prune trees as birds do not come to pruned ones.

Links to listen:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/community/aj-mithra

http://www.youtube.com/user/ajmithra

http://www.bnhsenvis.nic.in/Kids%20corner%20-%20AJ%20Mithra%20videos.htm

http://www.welovebirds.org/profile/ajmithra

Kamashastra or Art of Love - Sex and Hinduism

By: Nithin Sridhar

Mar-27-2008

Ivarta

 

"Her lap is a sacrificial altar; her hairs, the sacrificial grass; her skin, the soma-press.

The two labia*(lips) of the vulva are the fire in the middle." [Brihad-Âranyaka Upanisad, 6.4.3]

"This man (ama) am I; that woman (sâ), thou!

That woman, thou; this man am I!

I am the Sâman; thou, the Rig!

I am the heaven; thou, the earth!

Come, let us two together clasp!

Together let us semen mix,

A male, a son for to procure!" [Brihad-Âranyaka Upanisad, 6.4.20]1

Whenever the issue of Love, Nudity, Sex and Hinduism comes into picture, we usually get any one of the following reactions-

1] The Westerners in general and Western scholars doing South Asian studies [for example RISA 2] in particular, and their Indian counterparts who consider Hinduism to be mix of voodoo and pornography.

2] The Hindu orthodox which thinks sex is a taboo.

 

Now I will examine, how valid is both of these perspective.

Hindu Purusharthas:

Purusharthas means objectives of a human being. They are the canonical four ends or aims of human life. They serve as pointers in the life. The four Purusharthas from lowest to highest-

Kama - pleasure or desire

Artha - wealth

Dharma - righteousness or morality

Moksha - liberation from the cycle of reincarnation

According to Kama Sutra, "IN the beginning, the Lord of Beings created men and women, and in the form of commandments in one hundred thousand chapters laid down rules for regulating their existence with regard to Dharma, Artha, and Kama." 4 Further it says- "MAN, the period of whose life is one hundred years, should practise Dharma, Artha and Kama at different times and in such a manner that they may harmonize together and not clash in any way. He should acquire learning in his childhood, in his youth and middle age he should attend to Artha and Kama, and in his old age he should perform Dharma, and thus seek to gain Moksha, i.e. release from further transmigration.."

So, according to Hindu scheme of thing, even though Enlightment is the ultimate goal of life, it encourages people to enjoy everything and fulfill all material desires. Moksha is a long process. It can be achieved only when all material desires are quenched. And hence, Hindu religion prescribes 2 methods, the path of renounciates, the path of householder. There is one more less popular but more maligned path of within "Tantras" which accept everything material, everything condemned as taboo and hence aims to rise above the animalistic desires.

Sex as Yajna:

Yajna or sacrifice is derived from root word "Yaj". It means Worship or offering an oblation.

Max Muller defines Yajna is an act by which we surrender something for the sake of gods".

Sex is worship. It is an act by which the couples surrender their ego, in order to gain pleasure, progeny, eventually even enlightment.

"Her lap is a sacrificial altar; her hairs, the sacrificial grass; her skin, the soma-press. The two labia of the vulva are the fire in the middle. Verily, indeed, as great as is the world of him who sacrifices with the Vâjapeya ("Strength-libation") sacrifice, so great is the world of him who practises sexual intercourse" (Brhad-Âranyaka Upanisad)

These verses clearly shows that, sex was treated as a form of worship, an act to not only fulfill one"s desires and gain pleasures, but also as an act of sacredness.

Sex as Meditation: In Vigyana Bhairava Tantra8, during a conversation between Shiva and Shakti, Devi Asks:

O Shiva, what is your reality?

What is this wonder-filled universe?

What consttutes seed?

Who centers the universal wheel?

What is this life beyond form pervading forms?

How may we enter it fully, above space and time, names and descriptions?

Let my doubts be cleared!

So, Shiva explains her 112 methods of meditation to attain enlightment. He says-

At the start of sexual union

Keep attentive on the fire in the beginning,

And so continuing, Avoid the embers in the end.

When in such embrace your senses are shaken as leaves, Enter this shaking.

Even remembering union, Without the embrace.

These verses clearly indicate how sexual act can be utilized for achieving enlightment.

Enlightment is a state, when all egos vanish. As in a sexual act, the couple leaves behind their ego and unites with each other and achieves sexual ecstasy. This very thing can be utilized to achieve spiritual ecstasy.

Kamashastra:

It is the study of "Sixty Four" arts like- Singing, Playing on musical instruments, Dancing, Union of dancing, singing, and playing instrumental music, Writing and drawing, Tattooing, etc. "Kamasutra" or the "art of lovemaking" only a part of this Shastra.

Is Hinduism pornography and Tantra a sex manual? The straight answer is a simple No. It is Victorian mentality which condemns any depiction of sex. Hinduism recognizes the role of sexual desires in human lives. The sexual depictions in some of the temples were mean to not only educate the people, but also to help those who were involved in sexual sadhanas for enlightment. There is a difference between Nudity and expression of beauty and pornography. What appears in Hindu puranas and Itihasas are the expressions of genuine beauty and not pornography.

"Tantra" is a much maligned word. "Tantra" actually refers to vast body of literatures called "Agamas" which are practical manuals for meditation. There are many Shaiva, Shaktha, Pancharatra Agamas. Using sex for meditation is prescribed in only few of the so many different paths described in Agamas. So, it is very wrong in equating Tantra with Sex.

Some Social Issues:

Sex Education: Sex education had always been present in Hindu history. Vatsayana says, both men and women should learn Kamashastra10.

Pre-Marital Sex and Love Marriages: In Hindu society sex was always considered to be individual choices. There are many instances in our history and scriptures depicting pre-marital sex and love marriages. So, crying out against them as being anti-Hindu is not quite proper. Manusmrithi recognizes 8 kinds of marriages of which "Gandharva Marriage11" is one of them. It is the voluntary union of a maiden and her lover, which arises from desire and sexual intercourse for its purpose.

The same can be said about extra marital affairs. As they are personal affairs, we should let individuals to decide about it. Hindu society has always given this much freedom to its people.

Conclusion: In Hindu society sex is neither a taboo nor pornography. Sex is sacred. Sex is recognized as human desire which should be satisfied and which can be used to attain the ultimate goal of enlightment.

Witness the Opening of Commonwealth Games

Dear Music Lovers,

If you play on Sitar as a hobby and wish to be a part of the Cultural Bonanza on the occasion of the upcoming Commonwealth Games, to be held in New Delhi, India, please contact the following persons:

Dr. Ravi Sharma

Mob: 09873107335

Dr. Vedprakash Sharma

Mob: 9013000251

Or send your queries to:

Vedprakash.sharma@gmail.com

Twenty-five Sitarists with other artists from different sections will be presenting a musical feast at the inauguration ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on 3^rd Oct, 2010.