The most important aspects of a public service, public oriented, public contact department, like the Income Tax, are public relations, grievances and corruption. It is extremely important to handle these aspects in a meaningful and effective way.
Improving public relations
To start with, these departments have a bad, nasty, scary, public image. Senior officers are not easily accessible. When they are available, they are usually elusive and evasive. I was always prepared to meet visitors even without any appointment. I never left office without meeting the last visitor.
During my years as Chief Commissioner, I never avoided the press. I was frank and free. In turn, the press helped me convey the department’s message. The entire media gave me extremely wide coverage. In its issue of September 21, 2005, Hindu published my photo and message “Networking in IT Offices” with a rare front pager. Even in public meetings, I gave my personal mobile number.
Complaints about refunds
There were the usual complaints about late or non receipt of refunds. These complaints are monitored by an Income Tax Officer designated as Public Relations Officer. He maintains a register of complaints. In my meetings with my senior officers, I always requested them to personally see there were no undue delays in issuing refunds.
I was in over all charge of income tax grievances of Tamil Nadu. The usual practice on receiving a complaint is to call for a report. It’s an age old, time consuming process, involving too much unnecessary paper work. When I received, or came across a long standing complaint (I used to call for and flip through the complaint register quite often), I would ask an assistant to bring the file. I would go through it and if there was delay, simply ring up the officer, or scribble a two line note, asking him to issue the refund and send a compliance report.
A reply would go to the complainant under my signature. I have received several grateful letters. Taxpayers were pleasantly surprised to hear from the Chief Commissioner personally. Such letters have kept me more than happy.
Going a little out of the way
Sometimes, a purely legalistic approach can only complicate matters, fail to solve the issue and lead to prolonged harassment and misery. During an earlier posting in Chennai, an Assistant Manager of the State Bank of India came to me with a problem. One of the bank’s customers had deposited an income tax refund cheque in his account. But somehow, the bank lost it.
The customer was writing complaints to everyone asking for his money. And the particular branch was constantly plagued with reminders from the State Bank’s head office. The income tax department said that it was only the customer who could request for a duplicate refund order. The customer said that since he had not lost it, he would not make any request for a duplicate refund order.
I asked the Assistant Manager to give me a letter briefly narrating the facts. I scribbled an order on the letter, “Issue Duplicate Refund Order”. And the refund was issued. The Assistant Manager said he had been running round and round in circles for a whole year and I had solved the problem in a few minutes. During that time, I had a series of financial problems. The State Bank never forgot this small favour and remained my financial fairy god mother for the next six years.
The case of the beautiful lady
One day, over a nice dinner, a senior police officer in Chennai requested me to help a lady tax payer. He told me she was being harassed by her Income Tax Officer. He could not give me any further details. So I asked him to send the lady to me. Since the allegation involved a lady, I told him she should come with her auditor.
A few days later, the lady – a tall, slim, gori, really beautiful specimen in her late 30s, came to me with her auditor. She was a moneyed widow carrying on her husband’s business. She complained that she was being harassed by her income tax officer; and she broke down into tears. I asked her in what way she was being harassed. She told me that the officer was telephoning her again and again. I asked her whether the officer had called her to his residence or to some other place. In other words, was he asking for sexual or monetary favours? Her answer was a clear no.
I felt relieved. I phoned the officer and asked him to meet me the next day with the lady’s income tax file. (Any other Chief Commissioner would have called for a report. And a devastating report would have come which would have created all kinds of problems for the lady.) The officer came with the files. I asked him what the problem was. He explained that the lady’s accounts were in a complete mess. The copies of accounts filed with her returns were all wrong.
On cross checking, he had found that the figures of sales, etc. were wrong. She had several investments which were not shown in her accounts. We discussed the issue. I talked to the income tax officer’s seniors. Then we suggested to the lady that she engage a new auditor and get her accounts re-examined. The matter was resolved. This clearly shows how a humane approach can solve a serious problem and help someone in distress. I have always adopted such an approach. I have never met or seen the lady ever since.
Corruption has gone……
Corruption is another horrendous part of our everyday life. Unfortunately, the level of corruption has increased to such an extent that corruption is taken for granted – an inseparable part of life. No stigma is attached to corruption. The public is actually more happy giving money. They feel that if they have paid money, there will be no harassment. A parliamentary committee came to Chennai for a hearing. One of the items to be discussed was corruption.
A member asked me to give the figures of complaints received. I reeled out the figures. The member asked me, “Don’t you think, these numbers are far too small.” I said, “I agree. But these figures are correct. We have not done any fudging”. When the member persisted further, I explained that corruption had become so common, that in most cases, tax payers paid bribe happily. The payer and receiver were both happy. Then there would be no complaint. Complaints came only when someone asked for too much. And even when an officer did not take money, but only did his job, an aggrieved tax payer could send a big complaint saying that such and such an officer was most corrupt and owned properties all over the country.
But according to government rules, unless a complaint has the complainant’s verifiable name and address, or has some specific details to enable the department to carry out further investigations, it is not treated as a complaint. The members agreed that this indeed was the reality. My thinking about corruption has completely changed over the years. When I was a Commissioner in Mumbai, I once told my Chief Commissioner that there was no corruption now. He looked at me as if I had gone mad. I explained that there was no corruption because it had been replaced by extortion. Nowadays, officials ask for bribe for not creating problems.
Bribery and corruption have become far too rampant.
There is no country in the world where there is no bribery and corruption. But it has become so prevalent in countries like India, that it is accepted as a norm. What should be done Something serious has to be done about this epidemic: Government departments should become more user friendly; Senior officers should be more easily accessible; Grievances should be properly attended to and redressed in a more friendly way; and There should be a more effective way to identify the corrupt, detect the illegal gains earned by them and punish the corrupt swiftly. *(Author is Retired Chief Commissioner of Income Tax)
Read more at: https://taxguru.in/income-tax/reminiscences-ccit-public-relations-grievances-corruption.html
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Gender refers to the social and cultural roles, behaviors, expressions, and identities of men, women, or gender-diverse people. It is a complex interplay of psychology, society, and culture rather than just biological sex.
Sex – Male or Female
From a biological point, sex is categorized as either male or female based on reproductive anatomy, chromosomes and hormone levels.
Those with XX chromosomes are categorized as female and XY as male. However, variants like XXY or XO exist. Genetic testing alone does not always align with physical sex characteristics or gender identity. Some individuals with XY chromosomes have female external anatomy due to conditions like androgen insensitivity syndrome.
Sex determination can be quite complex in some cases of intersex conditions.
Medical Tests for determining Biological Sex
There are no definitive medical tests that can conclusively prove whether a person is male, female or transgender. Some of the medical tests and assessments commonly used are:
- Karyotyping: Analyzing chromosomes can show whether someone has XX (typically female) or XY (typically male) pairs. It can identify variations like XXY in Klinefelter syndrome.
- Hormone levels: Measuring testosterone, estrogen, LH, FSH levels provides clues about gonadal sex. Testosterone dominance suggests male sex, while estrogen dominance suggests female sex.
- Imaging studies: Ultrasounds, CT scans or MRIs of reproductive organs help identify the presence of ovaries, uterus, vagina (female sex) or testes, penis, prostate (male sex). However, as intersex conditions demonstrate, there is natural variation in genital development. Some individuals have ambiguous genitalia not clearly definable as male or female.
Genetic testing: Testing for SRY gene or other sex-related genes provides information about genetic sex.
Gender Identity
Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of being male, female, both or neither. It may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. Medical tests are not very useful for determining gender identity
Tests for determining Gender Identity:
- Clinical evaluation: A mental health professional can diagnose gender dysphoria based on psychiatric criteria like discomfort with anatomical sex, desire for opposite gender roles etc.
- Hormone levels: Measuring hormones may offer clues but can’t give definitive proof about gender identity. Hormone testing can measure levels of androgens like testosterone versus estrogens. But hormone levels vary greatly across individuals and populations, so there are no clear cut-off levels that would definitively categorize someone as male or female. For example, some women have higher testosterone while some men have lower levels.
- Brain scans: Studies show transgender individuals may have certain structural and functional brain patterns similar to their gender identity, but these are not conclusive.
Transgenders
The age old binary male-female sex classification fails to capture the intricate variation in human sexual development. Gender further complicates the picture, as a person’s identity may differ from biological attributes. Transgender individuals may have a gender identity different from the sex assigned at birth. Non-binary people identify outside of male-female categories.
Transgender has been legally recognized as the third Gender. Defining and differentiating between male, female and transgender individuals involves complex biological, social, and legal considerations. Medical testing alone cannot capture the full complexity of human sex and gender.
For transgender and gender diverse people, medical interventions like hormone therapy and surgeries help better align physical sex characteristics with gender identity. However, procedures are not universally accessible or desired. Individuals ultimately have to define their own gender based on a deeply felt, internal sense of self.
While the above tests may provide supporting evidence, they cannot offer 100% conclusive proof of whether someone is male, female or transgender. Comprehensive psychological, medical and social evaluation is needed for determining gender identity. Mental health professionals can help by making a diagnosis of gender dysphoria based on clinical assessment criteria.
Gender Change – Sex Reassignment Surgery (SES)
A few persons are not happy with their gender. They may have:
- A strong conviction of being or wish to become the opposite gender.
- A persistent dislike or discomfort with their sexual anatomy.
- A strong desire to obtain the physical features of the opposite gender.
- A strong preference for the clothing, activities and roles associated with the opposite gender.
Section 15 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, reproduced hereunder, has recognized this and permits such persons to under go sex reassignment surgery (SES) and hormonal therapy:
“15. Healthcare facilities.—The appropriate Government shall take the following measures in relation to transgender persons, namely:—
(a) to set up separate human immunodeficiency virus Sero-surveillance Centres to conduct sero- surveillance for such persons in accordance with the guidelines issued by the National AIDS Control Organization in this behalf;
(b) to provide for medical care facility including sex reassignment surgery and hormonal therapy;
(c) before and after sex reassignment surgery and hormonal therapy counselling; (d) bring out a Health Manual related to sex reassignment surgery in accordance with the World Profession Association for Transgender Health guidelines;
(e) review of medical curriculum and research for doctors to address their specific health issues;
(f) to facilitate access to transgender persons in hospitals and other healthcare institutions and centres;
(g) provision for coverage of medical expenses by a comprehensive insurance scheme for Sex Reassignment Surgery, hormonal therapy, laser therapy or any other health issues of transgender persons.
If a person undergoes sex reassignment surgery to align their anatomy with their gender identity, they are legally and clinically classified according to their post-surgical sex. However, gender diverse people who transition, but do not opt for surgery, can also change their identity. Self-identification is paramount.
Sex change – Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) – decisions on
Chinder Pal Singh a female gender wanted to undergo SRS to get her gender identity changed from female to male for certain gender identity disorder. In this case, the Rajasthan High Court granted her permission for the purpose of sex reassignment surgery taking into consideration the provisions contained in the Central Act.
Chinder Pal Singh v. The Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan and others (S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14044 of 2021 decided on 25.5.2023) Rajasthan High Court.
Myra Grace Bandikalla (formerly known as Mr. Swaroop Rajarao Bandikalla), a transgenders’ application for the purpose of facilitating her visit to Bangkok for getting SRS done was granted by the Bombay High Court. In this case, the petitioner was suffering from gender dysphoria and was accordingly desirous of SRS.
Mr. Swaroop Rajarao Bandikalla) v. Airport Authority of India and Others (Writ Petition (L) No. 1976 of 2018) order dated 4th July, 2018 of Bombay High Court.
Neha Singh, a woman constable in U.P. Police, an unmarried women found in herself all the traits of a male personality. She claimed she was suffering from Gender Dysphoria and wanted to undergo Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) to get herself identified and personalized as a male with true male physical character. She applied for necessary permission which was delayed. On 18.8.2023, the Allahabad High Court directed the Director General of Police to dispose off her application by 21.9. 2023.
Neha Singh Petitioner vs State Of U.P. And 2 Others WRIT – A No. – 7796 of 2023 – Allahabad High Court (matter pending)
I have written a book on the Law of Transgender Rights in India. It is available on Amazon and other sites.
Evolution of Tara
I saw this lovely image of Tara. I have seen them but never thought about them seriously. This is the result of my study.
The origins of Tara can be traced back to ancient Indian mythology. She first emerged as a Hindu goddess associated with fertility and protection. However, as Buddhism began to flourish in India, Tara underwent a transformation and became integrated into Buddhist belief systems.
According to Buddhist lore, Tara’s evolution is intertwined with a tale of compassion and selflessness. Legend has it that a bodhisattva named Avalokiteshvara, out of deep compassion for all sentient beings, vowed to achieve enlightenment. However, upon witnessing the suffering of beings, he felt overwhelmed and shattered into a thousand pieces.
In response, Tara emerged from one of these shards, offering solace and support to Avalokiteshvara. She vowed to assist him in his quest for enlightenment and aid all beings in their spiritual journey.
Evolution of Tara in Buddhism
Tārā or Ārya Tārā, also known as Jetsun Dolma in Tibetan, is a female Buddha linked with Buddhist tantra practices in Tibetan Buddhism. She is called the “mother of liberation”. She stands for success in work and achievements.
Tārā is a tantric deity whose practice is used by followers of the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana Buddhism to develop their inner qualities and understand outer, inner and secret teachings about compassion and emptiness. Tārā is not found in the Japanese branch of Vajrayana Buddhism, Shingon.
Different forms of Tara in Buddhism
There is more than one form of Tārā. They have to do with different forms of the same quality. Bodhisattvas are often considered metaphors for Buddhist virtues.
Tara, often referred to as the Mother of Liberation, holds a significant place in Buddhist cosmology and spiritual practice. Across various traditions within Buddhism, Tara is revered as a bodhisattva, a compassionate being who postpones her own enlightenment to assist others in their journey towards liberation.
This mythological narrative underscores Tara’s compassionate nature and her role as a guide and protector in the Buddhist tradition. Over time, Tara’s symbolism and attributes evolved to reflect the diverse needs and aspirations of practitioners across different Buddhist schools and regions.
Tara is depicted in various forms, each representing different aspects of her compassionate presence. The most common forms of Tara are:
- Green Tara (Sitatara): Green Tara is perhaps the most widely recognized and revered form of Tara. She is depicted as a youthful and radiant figure seated gracefully with one leg extended, ready to spring into action to aid those in need. Green Tara embodies qualities such as compassion, protection, and swift action. She is often invoked for protection from fear and obstacles on the spiritual path.
- White Tara (Sitatara): White Tara is associated with longevity, healing, and serenity. She is depicted with seven eyes, symbolizing her ability to see the suffering of sentient beings and her readiness to offer assistance. White Tara is often invoked for healing physical and emotional ailments, as well as for blessings that promote longevity and spiritual well-being.
- Red Tara (Kurukulla): Red Tara is associated with magnetizing energy and the fulfillment of desires. She is depicted in a red hue, symbolizing her fiery and passionate nature. Red Tara is often invoked for attracting love, wealth, and success, as well as for overcoming obstacles hindering one’s progress on the spiritual path.
- Black Tara (Ekajati): Black Tara is a fierce and protective deity associated with the removal of obstacles and the destruction of negativity. She is depicted with a wrathful expression, wielding weapons and trampling upon demons and obstacles. Black Tara is often invoked for dispelling fear, overcoming obstacles, and subduing malevolent forces.
- Blue Tara (Nila Saraswati): Blue Tara is associated with the transmutation of anger and the attainment of wisdom. She is depicted in a deep blue hue, symbolizing her transformative power. Blue Tara is often invoked for pacifying conflicts, calming turbulent emotions, and nurturing the growth of wisdom and insight.
These different forms of Tara cater to the diverse needs and aspirations of practitioners, offering guidance, protection, and support on the spiritual journey.
Importance of Tara in Buddhism
We have Tara associated with Shaktipeeths in Hinduism. But Tara occupies a central place in Buddhist devotion and practice, revered for her compassionate nature and her swift response to the suffering of sentient beings. The importance of Tara in Buddhism can be understood through various dimensions:
- Compassionate Guidance: Tara embodies the compassionate spirit of Mahayana Buddhism, offering solace, guidance, and protection to practitioners navigating the challenges of samsara (the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). Her presence serves as a reminder of the boundless compassion that underpins the Buddhist path.
- Swift Assistance: Tara is often depicted as a deity who responds swiftly to the calls of devotees. Whether invoked for protection, healing, or guidance, Tara is believed to intercede on behalf of practitioners with compassion and immediacy, offering support in times of need.
- Symbol of Feminine Wisdom: In a tradition where male deities often dominate the pantheon, Tara serves as a powerful symbol of feminine wisdom and compassion. Her presence challenges traditional gender norms and underscores the importance of embracing feminine qualities such as nurturing, empathy, and intuition on the spiritual path.
- Accessible Devotion: Tara’s popularity extends beyond monastic circles, attracting devotees from diverse backgrounds and walks of life. Her accessibility and approachability make her a beloved figure among lay practitioners, who turn to her for guidance and support in their daily lives.
- Emblem of Enlightenment: Tara’s vow to assist all sentient beings until they attain enlightenment symbolizes the bodhisattva ideal, wherein one aspires to achieve liberation not only for oneself but for all beings. By embodying this ideal, Tara inspires practitioners to cultivate compassion, altruism, and wisdom in their own lives.
In summary, Tara’s importance in Buddhism lies in her role as a compassionate guide, protector, and embodiment of enlightened qualities. Her presence resonates deeply with practitioners seeking solace, guidance, and inspiration on the spiritual path.
Some Top Temples Dedicated to Tara
- Tara Mandala Retreat Center (Pagosa Springs, Colorado, USA): Founded by Lama Tsultrim Allione, Tara Mandala is a renowned retreat center dedicated to the practice and teachings of Tara and other female deities. Nestled in the pristine mountains of Colorado, Tara Mandala offers retreats, workshops, and meditation programs focused on Tara’s wisdom and compassion.
- Yangleshö Cave Temple (Pharping, Nepal): Located near Kathmandu, Yangleshö Cave Temple is believed to be the sacred site where Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) attained enlightenment with the blessings of Tara. The cave, adorned with sacred images and prayer flags, attracts pilgrims and practitioners seeking blessings and spiritual inspiration.
- Sankhu Vajrayogini Temple (Kathmandu Valley, Nepal): Although primarily dedicated to Vajrayogini, the ancient temple complex at Sankhu also houses a shrine dedicated to Tara. The temple, adorned with intricate carvings and sacred imagery, attracts devotees and pilgrims from around the world seeking Tara’s blessings and guidance.
- Palden Lhamo Temple (Lhasa, Tibet): Situated within the sacred precincts of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, the Palden Lhamo Temple is dedicated to the fierce protectoress deity Palden Lhamo, who is often associated with Tara.
Why would any girl ask this silly question? But there are occasions when the answer becomes necessary. The answer is not easy.
For centuries, societies have enforced the notion that a person is either a man or woman based on his/her physical characteristics. This idea mixes up “sex” and “gender”. As a result, people often use the terms “sex” and “gender” inter-changeably. This is incorrect. “Sex” and “gender” are not the same. Sex refers to biological physical differences. Gender is how people identify themselves.
(My Book for Transgenders)
So what is the difference between “sex” and “gender”? What differentiates a male from a female? Sex refers to the physical differences between male, female, or intersex. A person has the sex assigned at birth based on his/her physiological characteristics, including genitalia and chromosome composition. This assigned sex is called a person’s “natal sex.” Gender encompasses a person’s identities, expressions, and societal roles. A person may identify with a gender that is different from his/her natal sex.
Intersex can mean different things. For example, a person might have genitals or internal sex organs that fall outside of typical binary categories. Or a person might have a different combination of chromosomes. Some people do not even know that they are intersex until they reach puberty.
Have you ever heard the words “My wife is not a female?”
A man and woman’s marriage was solemnized on 13 July 2016. After the marriage, the wife did not consummate for a few days on the pretext that she was undergoing a menstrual cycle. After that, she left her husband’s home and returned back after 6 days.
Later, when the husband again tried to consummate, he found that there was no vaginal opening and she had a small penis, like a child. The husband took his wife for a medical check-up. The doctor diagnosed that the wife had a medical problem called ‘Imperforate hymen’ (A medical condition in which the hymen covers the whole opening of the vagina).
The wife was advised to undergo surgical repair. But the doctor also told the couple that even if an artificial vagina was created through surgery, consummation may take place, but the chances of getting pregnant were almost nil. After this medical examination, the husband felt cheated and asked his wife’s father to take his daughter back.
Round of Litigation
A round of litigation started. On 17 January 2017, the husband filed a complaint before the local police against his wife for cheating (by not disclosing that she did not possess female characteristic) and a petition in court seeking divorce. His wife filed complaint against him alleging torture and dowry harassment.
The matter was referred to Parivar Paramarsh Kendra, where the husband alleged that his wife did not possess female characteristic. He asked for medical examination of his wife. The wife was medically examined. But nothing adverse was found on the basis of which it could be said that the she did not possess female characteristic. The wife’s medical report stated she was biologically female, with ovaries, and identified as a woman. It also mentioned that she had “external male genitalia” such as an “imperforate hymen and penis”.
The matter went up to the jurisdictional High Court. The High Court quashed the criminal proceedings in the husband’s case. The High Court held that copies of the annexed medical reports did not show that the wife was not having female characteristic.
The case is now before the Supreme Court. The husband has sought criminal action against his wife for cheating and fraud, alleging she has “external male genital structure”. The Supreme Court has issued notice to the wife to file a reply to the husband’s petition in the following words:
“Learned counsel for the petitioner has drawn our attention inter alia to page 39 to contend that the medical history of the respondent shows “Penis + Imperforate hymen” thus respondent is not a female. Issue notice returnable in four weeks,”
Conclusion
Society often sees maleness and femaleness as a biological binary.
However, there are several issues with this simplistic distinction. For instance, the chromosomal markers are not always clear-cut. Some male babies are born with two or three X chromosomes, just as some female babies are born with a Y chromosome.
Let us see what the Supreme Court finally decides.
Transgenders
Transgenders are a different gender – the 3rd Gender. There is a special law for them. I have written a book for them. About their rights and how they can get them.
If you are a transgender, this book is a must for you. You can obtain it from Amazon India.
Sex, Gender, Transgender, Surgical change of Gender are complex and nascent issues. Even lawyers are not conversant with these concepts.
This book will tell you:
1. About the history of transgenderism. How they were discriminated in the past.
2. That transgender has been recognized as a third gender in India.
3. How to obtain your Identity Certificate and Identity Card.
4. About your rights.
5. About the consequences of discrimination against transgenders.
6. About the various schemes to help transgenders – shelter homes, scholarships, reservations, etc.
7. That you can change your gender.
Should you require any further information and free assistance, you can contact me on my email:
eleena100@hotmail.com Binoy Gupta
The author retired as a top bureaucrat in the Government of India. He holds a Ph.D. in law as well as a large number of post graduate degrees and diplomas. He has authored several books and written hundreds of articles. He believes this book is a must for transgenders.
( 750 words ) Binoy Gupta
Baba Ramdev is in the news, for the wrong reasons…..
I had written about him in my blog. Memories are short. Just to refresh them, I am reproducing my observations.
May 21, 2011
Sanyasi or Politician …….
When I was Chief Commissioner of Income Tax I, Chennai in 2005, I was invited to Baba Ramdev’s discourses in Chennai and to receive his blessings.
Somehow, I could not or did not attend it.
The people who had invited me, and the people who were organising the discourses, were the big business men, including tax evaders, and even people who were facing prosecution for tax evasion.
Baba Ramdeo Pix (Click here to see picture)
If anyone sincerely believes that all Baba Ramdev’s followers are the honest exceptionalists – the pure Ganga Jumna of the society, he is obviously mistaken.
The fact is that most honest people are poor and can hardly afford the luxury of doling out huge donations with which the big religious and pseudo religious institutions are built.
Even in the good old days, robbers and dacoits used to offer a portion of their loot to Goddess Kali and other deities, when they returned back from their exploits.
The business people traditionally kept a small percentage of their income for God in a Dabba – the donation box as it used to be called.
Whether this was done to appease the Gods. or lessen their anger…. I do not know.
Background
An online internet search about the Baba gave me the following facts:
Baba Ramdev was born on Dec 25, 1965, as Ramkishan Alipur Yadav in the house of an ordinary family of Gulab Devi and Ram Nivas Yadav in Ali Saiyad Pur village of Mahendragarh district in Haryana state of India.
He attended school through the 8th grade in Shahjadpur.
Thereafter, he joined a Gurukul in Khanpur village (Hoshiarpur, Punjab) to study Sanskrit and Yoga.
In 1995. Ramkishan Alipur Yadav, renounced worldly life and became a Sanyasi – adopting the name Swami Ramdev.
Then he went to Jind district and joined the Kalva Gurukul and later imparted free Yoga training to villagers across Haryana.
He travelled the Himalayas for several years (for which no details are available) before settling down in Haridwar.
He discovered several medicinal plants in the Himalayas (for which no details are available) which he uses for treating his patients.
He starting teaching Pranayama – techniques of breath control and popularised the practice of Pranayama.
His discourses and talks are broadcast on Indian TV channels. Baba Ramdev claims that he was a paralytic prior to taking up yoga, but this claim has never been verified.
So far so good. No one can have any problem with Baba Ramdev and his teachings relating to Pranayama and other yogic exercises.
HIV & AIDS – claim of curing
On Dec. 22 and 23, 2006, on India TV and a couple of other TV Channels, Baba Ramdev said that Yoga Pranayama and the Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicines suggested by him can control and cure AIDS.
He added that the CD4 Cell count of the people affected by AIDS, which had fallen to 50; 100; 150 have gone up to 400; 500; and even 600, which is quite normal. He added that even the people with CD4 Cell count of 5 to 10 have benefitted. CD4 cells (T4 count, T-helper cells) are a class of immune cells that gradually get depleted in HIV infection.
On Dec. 22 and 23, 2006, India TV also showed a lady, declaring openly, in one of his Yoga Science camps to have been cured of AIDS. This lady had come to know that she had AIDS, after she lost her husband due to AIDS.
As a result of these press reports, the Indian Union Health Ministry sent a cease and desist order to Baba Ramdev; and medical NGOs threatened to take legal action against him.
Baba Ramdev responded by saying that he had been misquoted.
(The usual ploy of politicians).
His clarification was that Yoga and Ayurveda together can alleviate the suffering from AIDS, not cure it.
He also added that Yogic education was preferable over sex education in response to the AIDS crisis.
http://www.articlesbase.com/book-reviews-articles/swami-ramdev-biography-and-information-4517995.html –
Cancer – claim of curing
In some of his addresses, Baba Ramdev said that Yoga and Pranayama have been successful in curing 200 cancer patients and he is ready to give evidence. (But no evidence has ever been given.)
Quoting from page 55 of the monthly magazine “Yog Sandesh” (English) September 2006. issue.
This magazine is also available along with all the Back Issues of Yog Sandesh Monthly, online at
http://www.yogapranayama.com/yog%20Sandesh.htm
Sanyasi
Baba’s actions have left me in a daze. I am blundered and traumatised.
I have always believed that a Sanyasi is one who has renounced the world.
A Sanyasi is one who is free from all attachments – family, friends and enemies.
I am reproducing the definition of Sannyasa from Wikipedia. (Definitions in other treatises are similar)
“ Sannyasa (Devanagari, sannyāsa) is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly and materialistic pursuits and instead dedicate their entire life towards spiritual pursuits. In this phase of life, the person develops vairāgya, or a state of dispassion and detachment from material life. He renounces all worldly thoughts and desires, and spends the rest of his life in spiritual contemplation. One within the sannyasa order is known as a sannyasi (male) or sannyasin (female)……
During the sannyasa phase of life, a person abandons fire (Agnihotra, allowed to the householder stage of life, the Grihastha ashram). It means that during sannyasa ashram, one should not cook, perform fire rituals or take heat from fire. Sannyasa focuses only on the self and spirituality and not even the gods (as abandoning fire suggests). Symbolically, a sannyasi casts his physical body to fire by wearing saffron robes at the moment of taking up sannyasa itself, thus freeing his soul, while yet alive. Hence, sannyasis are not cremated after death (as most Hindus are) but may instead be buried.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sannyasa
Death Penalty for corruption
Baba Ramdev has recently taken up the issue of corruption.
He has demanded that corrupt people should be dealt with nothing less than death penalty.
I am shocked….a sanyasi asking for the death penalty…..and that too, for a crime like corruption, when nation after nation are abolishing the death penalty.
There is something wrong, somewhere. I would have expected a sanyasi to save life, not take life.
Ramdev and Politics
Baba Ramdev launched Bharat Swabhiman – a new political party.
Baba has clarified that his party has no intention of contesting Assembly elections, but only Lok Sabha elections.
(His aims are high and lofty ….Delhi and the Parliament itself).
“I do not have any ambition to be the Prime Minister or the President of India. I will never actively participate in politics”, he claimed.
(But none the less he will form a new political party)
http://www.goanews.com/news_disp.php?newsid=1077
Baba Ramdev would himself play the role of Chanakya and not be directly involved in politics. I shall not be a contender to power personally, said the Yoga Guru.
Well this is what Sonia is doing…..
Back to Sanyas
Baba Ramdev….
With all the humility I can muster, mingled with all the knowledge and experience I have gained over 65 years of life, I implore you to keep away from politics, corruption, black money and such mundane things of life.
We already have far too many politicians.
Please stick to what is your rightful duty…..as a sannyani…..meditation and yoga.
Otherwise, you will be like the misled donkey….na ghar ka na ghat ka.
The Finale
Sunday morning, the police moved in and cleared Ramleela Grounds.
The Baba had crossed all limits.
Flying on private jets, owning thousands of crores worth of land and other assets, making a mockery of all that a Sanyasi is supposed to do, he was literally blackmailing the Govt.
But for all this, the Govt. of India itself is to blame. Sending three ministers and the Cabinet Secretary to meet him was a very very wrong decision.
It was sending out all the wrong signals.
Anyway, better late than never.
Baba Ramdev – will someone convey this message to him
Rajbala lies paralyzed because she supported you.
The least you can do….call it ethics, sanyas, or good will,
give her a reasonable sum for her loyalty.
You should compensate her…..
Baba Ram Dev
Perhaps Baba Ram Dev is a good yoga teacher.
Most of his claims about treating cancer, etc. remain unsubstantiated, or to be more precise, dubious.
But remember, it is not easy to extract money, call it donations or whatever you like, from powerful politicians and the rich and mighty.
Baba Ram Dev is certainly a great salesman – a salesman par excellence.
Being a sannyasi, he should not have started the movement for such things as black money, demonetization of large currency notes, and even direct election to the post of prime minister.
But having started the wrong movement, he blotched up the movement, more so, by threatening to raise an armed army.
He should have retracted at the right moment and his public image would have remained untarnished.
Now there are more questions than he can answer.
And he has rightly chosen to keep mum.
I was shocked to see him jumping down the stage, running away like a pursued criminal, and then escaping in a sari.
I am yet to see a greater act of cowardice from a sannyasi.
Who could have hurt him in that public place ?
The media was his guarantee of safety, if any was needed.
You can see my comments on Baba Ram Dev on my blog.
The latest (March 2024)
Baba Ramdev has become very big.
He has openly violated the various laws relating to manufacture and sale of medicines. He does not bother about the orders of the ASCI
He has even flouted the Supreme Court’s orders.
Surprisingly, the Supreme Court has not issued defamation notice against Baba Ramdev……
10.3.24 Binoy Gupta
(1711 words)
Latest update 19 March 2024
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ( March 19) directed the personal appearance of Patanjali’s Managing Director Acharya Balakrishna and Baba Ramdev (Co-founder of Patanjali). The Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah was hearing a case wherein it previously issued a Contempt notice to Patanjali Ayurved and its MD for continuing to publish misleading advertisements regarding medicinal cures. The contempt notice was issued noting that Patanjali continued misleading advertisements
India is the land of Hindu Temples. There are numerous important and magnificent temples. Have you ever wondered when Hindus started constructing temples and which is the oldest Hindu Temple in India? Here are the answers.
We really do not know when and where the first Hindu Temples were built. There were no Hindu Temples during the early Vedic times (BCE 1500 – 500 BCE). The earliest Hindu Temples were constructed during the later Vedic period – around 2500 years ago.
But these early rudimentary structures were made of leaves, wood, mud and other perishable material and have since disappeared. The temple makers graduated to cave temples; and then to structures made of stones, rocks and bricks.
Though the exact dates differ, Maa Mundeshwari Temple located at Kaura in Kaimur District of Bihar is considered the ‘Oldest Functional’ temple of the world as rituals have been performed here without a break.
The district of Kaimur formed part of the mighty Magadh Empire from 6th century BCE to 5th century CE, under the Mauryan and Gupta rulers of Magadh. Chandra Gupta Maurya raised an army, with the assistance of Chanakya, his teacher and author of Arthashastra and overthrew the Nanda Empire in 322 BCE laying the foundation for the Maurya Empire. Chandragupta rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India. In the 7th century CE, this district came under the control of Harshawardhan, the ruler of Kannouj.
Narayana or Vishnu
According to the official version of the Temple authorities, the Maa Mundeshwari Temple was built during 3 – 4 BCE with Narayana, or Vishnu, as the presiding deity. During 348 CE, a new deity Viniteswara was set up as a minor deity in the temple, holding a position subsidiary to Narayana, the main deity. The statue of Narayana disappeared due to the ravages of time.
Chatur Mukha Lingam or Four Faced Shivalinga
Around the seventh century CE, Shaivaism (Religion based on Lord Shiva) became the prevalent religion; and Viniteswara, which was a minor deity, emerged as the presiding deity of the temple. The Chatur Mukha Lingam (Lingam with four faces) representing Lord Shiva was accorded the central place in the temple, which it holds even now.
After this period, the Cheros, a powerful aboriginal tribe and the original inhabitants of the Kaimur Hills, ascended to power. The Cheros were worshippers of Shakti, represented by Maa Mundeshwari, also known as Maheshamardini and Durga. They made Maa Mundeshwari the main deity of the temple. But in this temple, Maa Mundeshwari is depicted riding on a buffalo. This is unique because Durga is generally represented as killing the ‘asura’ (demon) in the form of a buffalo. However, Chatur Mukha Lingam (Lingam with four faces) still occupied the centre stage in the temple.
The image of Maa Mundeshwari or Durga was installed in a niche along one wall of the temple, where it resides to this day. It is worshipped as the main deity while the Chatur Mukha Lingam although in a central position remains the subsidiary deity.
Who constructed the Temple
It appears that Maharaja Dutthagamani (101-77 BC), a powerful independent king of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), had constructed a great stupa and a large assembly of priests attended its consecration ceremony in the Mundeshwari hills. The exact builder of the Maa Mundeshwari Temple is not known. It is believed to have been built during the Gupta dynasty, between the 4th to the 6th century CE. The temple’s architectural style and sculptures, which are influenced by the Gupta style, suggest that it was built during this period. The Gupta dynasty was known for its patronage of arts, literature, and architecture, and several notable temples and monuments were built during their reign. This unique temple is a remarkable example of ancient Indian architecture, combining elements of different styles to create a unique and harmonious structure. It is a testament to the architectural and cultural achievements of the Gupta dynasty.
Architecture
The Maa Mundeshwari Temple is the earliest specimen of the Nagara style of temple architecture in Bihar. It is a mix of different styles, including the Gupta and the Nagara styles and is an architectural marvel.
The Temple is built of stone on an octagonal plan which is rare. Since 1915, the temple is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. The temple shikhar or tower which had been destroyed has been covered with a roof.
The temple complex comprises a main shrine and several smaller shrines surrounded by a large courtyard. The main shrine is a square shaped building with a pyramid-like roof, which is a distinctive feature of the Nagara style. The walls of the temple are adorned with intricate carvings and sculptures, depicting various Hindu gods and goddesses.
The main deities in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple are the Maa Mundeshwari and Chaturmukh Mukhalingam (Lingam with four faces). Even though the Chaturmukh Mukhalingam is installed in the centre of the sanctum, the main presiding deity is Maa Mundeshwari deified inside a niche. She is depicted with ten hands holding symbols and riding a buffalo, attributed to Mahishasura-mardini.
There are four entrances to the temple, of which one has been closed and one is half open. There are doors or windows on four sides and small niches for the reception of statues in the remaining four walls. The niches on the four interior walls have bold mouldings which are carved with vase and foliage designs. At the entrance to the temple, the door jambs are seen with carved images of Dwarapalas, Ganga, Yamuna and many other deities.
There are also two stone vessels of unusual design. The temple also has statues of Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu and of other popular Gods. A substantial part of this stone structure has been damaged.
Chaturmukh Mukhalingam (Lingam with four faces) has been constructed with a special stone which changes its color with the position of the sun. There is a large statue of Nandi on the west side of the main entrance. The Maa Mundeshwari Temple is a remarkable example of ancient Indian architecture, combining elements of different styles to create a unique and harmonious structure.Location
Mythology
Maa Mundeshwari Temple is built on top of Pawanra (original Prawara) Hill, at a height of about 608 feet (185 metres). The inscription of an information plaque erected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the site indicates the dating of the temple to 635 CE. However, there are other versions for the dating stating the Saka era, prior to Gupta dynasty rule (320 CE) in India, and specifically to 105 CE according to the Administrator of the Bihar Religious Trust Board.
Worship
It is believed that rituals and worship have been performed in this temple continuously without a break. Hence Maa Mundeshwari Temple is considered the oldest functional Hindu Temple in the world.
The temple is visited by a large number of pilgrims each year, particularly during the Ramnavami and Shivaratri festivals. A big annual fair (mela) is held nearby during the Navaratra visited by thousands. The worship of Shakti in the form of Maa Mundeshwari in the temple is also indicative of tantric cult of worship, which is practiced in Eastern India.
Unique Goat Sacrifice
An amazing aspect of worship here is the bloodless goat sacrifice performed, something which would please the animal lovers. Worshippers come here and pray for fulfillment of their desires. After fulfillment of their desires, the worshippers bring goats for sacrifice. Amidst chanting of mantras and showering of flowers and sacred rice by the priest, the goats fall unconscious. But they regain consciousness as soon as the priest repeats the process and the sacrifice is completed thereby. According to the local residents, the tradition of sacrificing goat in this temple has been there since the beginning, but here the sacrifice is done in a very unique way in which not even a drop of blood flows. This unique sacrifice adds to the divinity surrounding the deity.
Legend says that the mother killed a demon named Chand. But the demon named Mund came and hid on the hill. Searching for him, the mother came to this hill and killed Mund. That is why this temple is also called ‘Mundeshwari Mata Mandir’.
Apart from this unique sacrifice of goat in Maa Mundeshwari Devi Temple, a unique sacrifice is made to Goddess Ganga at Pahleja Ghat near Hajipur. After the wishes of the devotees are fulfilled, they reach the ghat and buy goats from the boatmen. After worshiping them, they offer them to Ganga Maiya. They let the goats swim away. In this way, the sacrificed goats are not killed. Devotees offer this sacrifice after the fulfillment of their wish to have a child or on the fulfillment of any other special vow. This tradition of sacrifice conveys the message that the gods and goddesses are not pleased by the sacrifice of any living animal. Rather, they are happy by worshiping nature and filling their bags with wishes.
Museum
There is a small museum halfway up the hill on a small peak by itself. This new museum is a small island of learning. It has one big hall and an additional smaller room. The big hall has a collection of statues and rock carvings mostly dating to the 6th and 7th centuries CE. It contains figures of religious significance drawn through the ages. The sculptures are well labeled but need more exhaustive descriptions explaining the significance of the exhibits. The smaller room has a large number of photographs of the rock paintings of the stone age period found in and around Karar village in the Kaimur Hills.
Accomodation
There are plenty of accommodation close by catering to all kinds of tourists.
Reaching there
Maa Mundeshwari temple is located 22 kms from the small town of Bhabhua, 120 kms from Varanasi and 175 kms from Patna in Bihar. It is about 10 km south of Bhabua and about 25 km south of the railway station. If someone wants to visit the temple, he should come to Bhabua Road station first then he may take a direct bus to Mundeshwari Devi temple or may first take bus to Bhabua and then an auto/tempo to the temple.
By Air
The nearest airport is the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi, 102 kms from the temple.
By Train
Mohania is the only major railway junction of the district. This station is commonly known as Bhabua Road is on the Howrah-New Delhi route. The temple is 22 kms. from this station.
By Road
The temple is 220 kms from Patna and 110 kms from Varanasi.
Hitech – online Prasad
The temple authorities have developed an attractive, remarkable website. It contains a lot of information, pictures and videos, bhajans, etc. and you can even order Prasad online which will be delivered to your home.
https://maamundeshwaritrust.org/
10 March 2024
( 1820 Words ) Binoy Gupta
Photo of temple courtesy Iamritwikaryan
More photos are available at the following Govt. site.
https://kaimur.nic.in/gallery/maa-mundeshwari-temple-bhagwanpur/
Asiatic and the African Cheetahs
There are two sub species of the Cheetah – the Asian and the African.
Once upon a time, the Asiatic Cheetah was quite common and roamed all the way from Arabia to Iran, Afghanistan and India. More than 10,000 Asiatic Cheetahs roamed the wilds of India during the 16th century. The Asiatic Cheetah was also known as the hunting leopard and kept by kings and princes to hunt gazelle. The Moghul Emperor Akbar is believed to have kept 1000 Cheetahs.
Hunting of Blackbuck with Cheetah
Decimation of the Asiatic Cheetah in India
At the turn of the 20th century, there were thousands of Asiatic Cheetahs in India. But they were indiscriminately hunted. Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya, Surguja. Madhya Pradesh, Central India shot dead 3 cheetahs in 1947 finishing off the last wild Cheetah in India.
The above photograph shows Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya, Surguja. Madhya Pradesh, Central India with the 3 dead cheetahs shot by him in 1947 finishing off the wild Cheetahs in India.
Today an estimated 7,000 African Cheetahs remain in the wild – almost all of them in Africa.
After that, few Cheetahs remained in different zoos of India. But all of them died.
Since then, 35 cheetahs have been brought to India in 6 different zoos – Hyderabad, Delhi, Kanpur, Calcutta, Trivandrum and Mysore. All of them died due to lack of proper care and diseases. They did not breed in captivity.
The official announcement of the Asiatic Cheetah going extinct from India was made in 1952.
Today, only 75 to 100 Asiatic Cheetahs remain in the wild. They are confined to Iran’s Kavir desert – with a few being sighted in south-west Pakistan. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals has listed the Asiatic Cheetah as ‘critically endangered’.
In the 1970s, the Government of India approached Iran for a pair of Cheetahs. Iran agreed to give a pair in exchange of a pair of wild lions from the Gir Sanctuary. But Gujarat refused to give the two lions.
Numibian Cheetahs arrive from Singapore
The Sakkarbaug Zoo, Junagarh, Gujarat which was opened in 1863 extends over 200-hectares (490-acres). It provides captive breeding of purebred Asiatic lions. The last Asiatic Cheetah in India died in 1945 in this Zoo, during the time of the Nawab. In 2006, Singapore Zoo made a proposal to gift 4 African Cheetahs in exchange of 3 Asiatic lions from Sakkarbaug Zoo. This was approved by the Central Zoo Authority of India in August that year.
Two pairs of Cheetahs were brought from Singapore Zoo and accommodated at the Sakkarbaug Zoo on 24 March 2009, after a public function presided over by Sri Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat. The pairs failed to mate and all four Cheetahs died within two years.
The UPA Government headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh established the Project Cheetah in 2008-09 to revive its population in India by bringing in African Cheetahs. Site surveys were conducted by global experts and government experts. The Government of India then approached Namibia. Namibia agreed to give a pair of Cheetahs to India. The matter went up to the Supreme Court and the translocation was delayed.
In 2020, the National Tiger Conservation Authority approached the Supreme Court with a plea for the experimental introduction of African Cheetahs in India in a carefully chosen habitat. The Court relented, but appointed an expert committee to decide on the location, etc.
In January 2020, the Supreme Court approved the translocation of Cheetahs. The Government of India decided to relocate them in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
8 Numibian Cheetahs arrive in Kuno National Park
Eight Cheetahs – five female and three male – were flown in from Numibia to Gwalior by a chartered flight on 17 September 2022, on the 72nd birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He released the eight Cheetahs in the Kuno National Park.
The Kuno National Park which had waited over twenty years to provide to provide an alternate home to the endangered Asiatic Lion became the new home of the Numibian Cheetahs.
12 more Cheetahs arrive from South Africa
On 18 February 2023, an Indian Air Force plane flew in 12 African Cheetahs – seven males and five females – from South Africa. They were released into the quarantine enclosures at the Kuno National Park.
Future
Of the 20 Cheetahs in Kuno National Park, three have died and four have been born taking the total tally to 21.
We have not re-introduced the Asiatic Cheetah. Experts caution that the African Cheetah is a different sub- species from the Asiatic Cheetah.
According to researchers the introduction of African Cheetahs in India has been done without considering their spatial ecology. They warn that the released animals may come into conflict with people in the neighbouring villages.
Scientists of the Cheetah Research Project of Leibniz-IZW in Namibia argue that in southern Africa, Cheetahs live in a stable socio-spatial system with widely spread territories and densities of less than one individual per 100 square kilometers. This quantifies into a capacity of around 36 Cheetahs in Kuno National Park.
The Supreme Court has recently asked the Government of India to consider the introduction of newly-introduced Cheetahs in other locations and not be confined to a single place. It is never wise to put all the eggs in one basket.
( 930 words)
Reintroduction of the Cheetah in India
Manicured Tea Gardens
I had heard a lot about Munnar, the beautiful hill station in South India.
And although I had visited places very close to Munnar, such as Theni (Tamil Nadu) – only about an hour’s drive from Munnar – due to shortage of time, I could not visit the place.
So, in early 2011, I decided to visit Munnar,
Munnar is a wonderful getaway in Kerala, nestling at an altitude of 1,829 metres, amidst luscious tea and coffee plantations, hills, valleys, lakes, waterfalls, forests, exhilarating walks, birds and animals. It is nicknamed the Kashmir of South India.
I booked a small suite in one of the finest resorts there. My RCI membership comes in handy on such occasions. I had to pay only nominal charges. I also booked return flights from Mumbai to Kochi three months in advance. So those too were cheap.
A two hour drive (120 kms) from Kochi airport took me into the heart of tea country. I was passing through beautiful tea gardens on all sides.
Tea
I recently read an article that tea drinking originated in India. Much as I would love to believe this, this is not true.
Tea drinking originated in China almost 4750 years ago. It was known there as Ch’a. The word has been copied by India, Japan, Russia, Iran and the Middle East.
In A.D. 780, the Chinese tea expert Lu Yu published the first exclusive book on tea ‘Ch’a Ching’ meaning ‘Tea classic’. In this book, he has described various kinds of tea, their cultivation and manufacturing in China.
Though we had indigenous tea plants in India, commercial cultivation of tea entered India much later. In 1834, Lord William Bentinck, then Governor General of British India, appointed a Tea Committee to advise him on the feasibility of commercial tea cultivation in India. The first experimental samples of tea from indigenous tea plants were sent to Calcutta in 1836.
The rest is history.
Today, India is the world’s second largest producer (India was number one, but China overtook India to become the number one). And we have all kinds of tea….from the good old time tested orthodox “Britisher’s….cuppa tea” to all kinds of delicately flavoured exotic concoctions.
History of Munnar and its tea plantations
Munnar was discovered by John Daniel Manro, a British lawyer and planter, in the 1870s, when he visited the area on a hunting expedition. He immediately recognised the agricultural potential of the region.
In July 1877, Manro leased 581.12 sq kms (125,000 acres) of land from the Raja of Poonjar and formed a co-operative society called ‘North Travancore Land Planting and Agricultural Society’. The members of the society started farming coffee, sisal and cardamom.
Another European, A.H. Sharp, experimented with different crops such as coffee, cinchona, sisal and cardamom and concluded that the area was best suited for tea. He started tea plantations. Over the years, more and more tea plantations grew up.
In 1964, the Tata Group entered Munnar. By 1980s, Tata Tea Ltd. had acquired most of the tea plantations to become the second largest integrated tea manufacturing facility in the world.
On 1st April 2005, Tata Tea Ltd. exited most of its plantations in Munnar and were succeeded by Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Private Limited which now owns 7 extensive gardens covering 24,000 hectares, with an annual production of 21 million kgs of tea.
An interesting feature of this company is that its 12,000 plus employees are its shareholders.
What to see
There are a number of places in and around Munnar which you can visit. During the rains, the place becomes a fairyland enveloped in fog and mist andfull of cascading waterfalls.
But where ever you go, when ever you go, you will see beautifully manicured tea gardens. Left to nature, the tea plants grow quite tall. But for tea cultivation, they have to be continuously cut to 1 metre or so to encourage the growth of new shoots. The fresh tea shoots are pinched or clipped every three or four days from which tea is made.
The tangled leftovers of dead tea plants make wonderful show pieces. They are dried, sand papered and given a coat of varnish. You can put a sheet of glass on them and use them as beautiful ornamental tables.
Tea Museum (2 kms from Munnar)
The Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Private Limited maintains India’s first tea museum which is a must visit site for all visitors.
Here, you can learn about the growth of the tea industry – from the simple tea roller to the present fully automated tea factory of Madupatty.
You can learn about various aspects of tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. You can also do some tea tasting.
You can see old-time bungalow furniture, iron safe, magneto phone, wooden bathtub, iron oven that used firewood, etc., and antique office equipments such as antiquated typewriters and PBX.
The museum has an iron-age burial urn from the 2nd century B.C. exhumed in the 1970s.
Near the entrance of the museum is a granite sundial, made in 1913 by the Art Industrial School at Nazareth in Tamil Nadu.
Mattupetty (13 kms from Munnar)
The Mattupetty lake and dam are situated at a height of 1700 mts. You can do some boating here.
You can visit the Indo-swiss dairy farm, which is close by. It has over 100 varieties of high yielding cattle.
Eravikulam National Park (15 km from Munnar)
PEERMEDE
There are other national parks around Munnar, but the 97 sq. kms. Eravikulam National Park is the home of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr, a rare mountain goat. Originally established to protect the Nilgiri Tahr, the Park was declared a sanctuary in 1975. Its status was elevated to National Park in 1978.
The total number of Niligiri Tahrs here is estimated to be over 1300 – about half the world’s population.
The park is breathtakingly beautiful. The Anamudi peak (2695 mts), the highest peak in South India, is located in the Southern region of the park.
If you have the time and inclination, you can walk up to the top.
Marayoor (40 kms from Munnar)
Marayoor is the only place in Kerala that has a natural growth of sandalwood trees.
I visited the sandalwood factory of the forest department, the caves (muniyaras) with murals and relics from the New stone age civilization and the children’s park spread across a hectare of land under the canopy of a single banyan tree.
You can also visit the Thoovanam waterfalls and Rajiv Gandhi National Park nearby.
Dolmens
You can see muniyaras (caves) dating back to the New Stone Age near Kovilkadavu village. These caves contain rock paintings of great archaeological importance.
But what was more interesting for me were the dolmens, or old burial chambers, consisting of four erect stones covered by a horizontal capstone.
Neelakurunji flowers
You can also see the beautiful Neelakurunji flowers here, but there is only one hitch. The spectacular blue blooms cover the entire mountainside.
But they flower once in 12 years and the next flowering will take place in 2018.
So you will have to wait for another 7 years.
Reaching There
The nearest airport is Kochi.
Kochi also has a railway station and is well connected by road also.
You can see a map of the place and get other information from the
following site:
http://www.munnar.org/munnar-maps.php
Summer Resort
The word Munnar is derived from the Tamil words moon – aar meaning three rivers because Munnar is located at the confluence of three rivers – Mudrapuzha, Nallathani and Kundala.
The most appropriate description of Munnar would be tea country. But it is much more than that.
The Britishers of South India had made Munnar their summer resort.
And it really rains during the monsoons. The rains here are 2nd only to Cherrapunji in Assam.
You will surely fall in love with the place during the rains.
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Of late, I have appeared before the Consumer Forums in Mumbai on behalf of several consumers.
The procedure is simple, and the decision quite fast.
I have received a few requests to detail the procedure for filing a Complaint.
I am summarising the procedure: But you can file a complaint before a Consumer Forum, only if you are a consumer.
You cannot not file a Complaint, if the transaction is business related.
First, you must be a consumer.
If you have purchased goods or services for your business, for example for re-selling them, you are not a consumer.
But if you have purchased goods or services, like medicines, computers, mobiles, etc. for your own use, or mediclaim insurance policies, you are certainly a consumer.
Secondly, you must give a notice in writing to the supplier or service provider asking him to rectify the faults, defects, etc.
The notice should be simple, clearly pointing out your grievances, and requesting the supplier or service provider to rectify the faults, defects, etc. or replace the goods.
Normally, you should give a clear one month’s notice.
You should address the notice to the nearest address available, so that if you have to file a Complaint, it will be in the nearest consumer forum.
Thirdly, the Complaint must be filed within 2 years of the cause of action.
If there are reasonable causes for delay in filing the Complaint, you can always request the Consumer Forum to condone the delay.
The ComplaintThe following is the procedure for filing a Complaint before the District Forums.
(State Forums and National Forums have their own rules, but they are essentially the same)
Although it is not essential that the Complaint should be typed, it is always better to get it typed, double spaced, with at least 1½ inches of margin space on the left, top and bottom.
The Complaint has to be arranged in the following Order and you have to page number all documents.
1. Index giving the page number(s) of each document.
2. Application for condonation of delay (if there is delay), giving the reasons for the delay, duly affirmed before a notary public.
3. Complaint – containing details of the grievance, preferably arranged in chronological order;
briefly giving the ground on which relief is claimed, and
the relief (including legal costs, damages and interest) claimed.
The Complaint has to be signed by the Complainant.
4. You can appear before the Consumer Forums in person, or allow a close relative to appear for you.
But if you are engaging an advocate to appear on your behalf, you have to enclose a Vakalatnama, But then, your advocate will be doing all the paper work and attending the hearings.
If you are authorising, your close relative to appear for you, you have to enclose a letter of authority.
5. Affidavit that the contents of the Complaint are true.
6. Copies of all documents on which you rely upon in support of your Complaint.
You have to submit:
1 Original and 2 zerox copies.
In addition, if the Complaint is admitted, you will have to submit as many more copies as there are parties.
Where to file your Complaint
The jurisdiction, that is the Consumer Forum, where you should file your Complaint depends on the amount involved.
I am summarising the provisions below:
Amount Involved Jurisdiction
upto Rs. 20 lakhs District Consumer Forum
Rs. 20 lakhs to Rs. 1 crore State Consumer Forum
More than Rs. 1 crore National Consumer Forum
The Fee
The fee, which is nominal, depends upon the amount involved. It is as follows:
Before District Forum
For claims up to Rs. 1 lakh Rs. 100
For claims from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakhs Rs. 200
For claims from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakhs Rs. 400
For claims from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakhs Rs. 500
Before State Commission For claims from Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 50 lakhs Rs. 2000
For claims from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 1 crore Rs. 4000
Before National Commission
For claims exceeding Rs. 1 crore Rs. 5000
The fee has to be paid in the form of a demand draft on a nationalised bank in favour of the President of the concerned District Consumer Forum (Registrar of the State or National Commission if the Complaint is filed in these places).
There is no prescribed format for the affidavit. I am giving a simple format which you can modify and use.
Format of Affidavit
Specimen Draft Affidavit to be filed with the Complaint
I,………….. The, COMPLAINANT ABOVE NAMED DO HEREBY SOLEMNLY AFFIRM AND STATE THAT I HAVE FILED THE COMPLAINT HEREIN AND REPEAT, REITERATE, REAFFIRM AND CONFIRM EACH AND EVERY STATEMENT MADE THEREIN AS TRUE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF.
Affirmation
In practice, you can get the affirmation done (or affidavit affirmed) before any notary public, but he will usually charge anything between Rs. 100 to Rs. 200; or
you can affirm before the Registrar of the concerned Forum.
Actual Filing of the Complaint
You, or your advocate, will have to personally file the Complaint in the office of the concerned Consumer Forum.
The Consumer Forum’s office will go through the Complaint and point out any deficiencies.
You have to correct them and submit the Complaint again.
The Consumer Forum’s office will give you a short date for admission.
On this date, you or your representative has to appear and explain the Complaint
to show that there is a genuine consumer Complaint.
This is a simple process and usually the Forum members are very helpful.
Once the Complaint is admitted, The Consumer Forum will direct you to submit more copies of the complaint (as many as there are respondents). These will be sent to the Respondents along with notice prepared by the Commission’s office.
If you have problems, you can write to me at:
eleena100@hotmail.com
Jodhpur – Land of Sand and Sand Dunes
For a long time now, I had been planning to ride across the deserts and over the sand dunes in Rajasthan, atop our one humped camels.
I narrowed down my search to two places – Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.
I finally zeroed in on Jodhpur for the simple reason it has one of the finest forts in India, the most modern palace in the country and….. it is easier to travel to Jodhpur from Mumbai or Delhi.
The early capital of the Jodhpur area was not the present city of Jodhpur but Mandore (originally known as Mandavyapur) – 9 kms north of Jodhpur.
Mandore has a long history. During the Ramayana era, Princess Mandodri of Mandavyapur married King Ravana.
During the Gupta period 6th – 7th century AD, Mandore was the ancient capital of the Parihar kings and remained the capital under various kings till the 14th century.
When Kannauj was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1019, the Gahadvala dynasty gained control of Kannauj and ruled for almost a century. Their best known and last king was Raja Jaichand.
Raja Jaichand’s successors, who came to be known as Rathores, gradually spread across Marwar, forming a loose brotherhood of land owners and village chieftains, bound to each other by clan and caste.
In 1395 AD, Chundaji Rathore married a Parihar princess Mohil and began ruling Mandore.
Rao Jodha, a Rathore chief, conquered the surrounding areas and founded the Marwar state – the largest Rajasthan state during the pre independence days. A 10 km long wall with 8 Gates leading out of it encircled the old city.
Rao Jodha founded the present Jodhpur in 1459 A.D. and shifted his capital from Mandore to Jodhpur.
Mandore (9 Kms) – the Old City 
Today, Mandore has a beautiful garden on the slopes of a hill housing a unique collection of royal devals or cenotaphs (cenotaph means a monument erected in honor of a dead person whose remains lie elsewhere or could not be recovered).
Unlike the usual chhatri (umbrella) shaped cenotaphs typical of other places of Rajasthan, the cenotaphs in Mandore are in the shape of beautiful, ornate, Hindu temples.
All the cenotaphs were constructed out of dark red sandstone.
The most impressive one is the four-storey cenotaph of Maharaja Ajit Singh (reigned 1678-1724), with fine columns and an elegant spire.
The garden has a hall of heroes with 16 figures of popular Hindu and folk deities carved out of a single rock, dating back to the 17th – 18th century.
Adjacent to this is a larger hall called “The Shrine of the Three Hundred Million” deities filled with brightly coloured images of various Hindu Gods.
As you climb up the hill, you come to the ruins of old Mandore with its old palace. Set on a rocky outcrop, a ten-minute walk over the hills, are the beautiful cenotaphs of the beautiful Maharanis.
The Mandore museum has a good collection of memoralia.
Modern Jodhpur
Maharaja Rao Jodha founded Jodhpur in 1459 A.D. The same year, he started constructed of the Mehrangarh Fort.
Construction of the Fort was completed by Maharaja Jaswant Singh (1638-1680).
Jodhpur is known as the Sun City for its year round bright, sunny, weather.
It is also known as the Blue City (Jaipur is known as the Pink City), due to the excessive indigo used in white-washing the houses around the Mehrangarh Fort.
Initially, only Brahmins white washed their houses indigo blue. The non-Brahmins soon joined in, as the blue colour (probably it was the indigo) was believed to deflect the heat and keep mosquitoes away.
Today Jodhpur has two sectors – the old city and the new city.
The old city is surrounded by a thick stone wall with six huge gates – Nagauri Gate, Merati Gate, Sojati Gate, Jalori Gate, Siwanchi Gate and Chand Pol.
The Old market
After checking in at the hotel, I spent the first evening walking around the Clock Tower and the area around it.
This gave us a taste of the old markets in the old city.
Speaking of taste, you can purchase Jodhpur’s famous red chilli powder around here. Besides, there are lots of shops around selling local handicrafts, lac work and pretty bangles.
Mehrangarh Fort 
The most imposing structure in Jodhpur, and the finest fort in India, is the Mehrangarh Fort. Sprawling over 5 sq. Kms,, the Fort has seven gates.
Built of red sandstone, the Mehrangarh Fort rises sharply on an almost vertical cliff.
The main entrance to the fort is Jai Pol which was built in 1806 by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victory in a battle.
Even though seventeen generations of Rathore rulers have added a number of temples, palaces and courtyards, surprisingly, the overall look is one of symmetry.
Inside the fort are various ornate and decorative structures constructed by different kings – the Phool Mahal, Takhat Mahal, Moti Mahal and Jhanki Mahal.
The bastioned walls with a sprinkling of old cannons on top have been hewn out of rocks and at some places are 24 metres thick and 40 metres high.
The museum inside the Fort has a wonderful collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes and furniture.
Ziplining (Zipling)
And it was here in this Fort, we first met the Flying Fox. The Flying Fox is not an animal. It is an outfit offering India’s first zip line tours or Ziplining (though I prefer to use the shorter word Zipling which I have coined).
Zipling is the sport of soaring high above the ground with your body strapped to a harness which is attached to a zip line which is an aerial runway created by tying a cable between two fixed points usually passing over scenic areas such as jungles, ravines, forests, meadows, sea and lakes.
The zip line is sloped so as to allow the rider to gradually glide down the length of the cable.
The zip lines at Mehrangarh Fort have cables suspended 30 to 200 feet above the ground passing over 6 different stages over the hills, forts and lakes.
The tour does appear a little nightmarish. But its perfectly safe and exhilerating.
Vultures at the Fort
I saw a large number of Vultures flying over the Fort. The locals clarified that this was one of the rare places in India where vultures regularly nest and breed.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
In sharp contrast to the medieval Mehrangarh Fort is the Umaid Bhavan Palace, the latest palace of India.
Built of creamy-pink sandstone and marble, this palace is one of the largest private residences in the world.
It has 374 rooms including eight dining halls, two theatres, a ballroom, ornate reception halls and a huge underground swimming pool.
This palace was built by Maharaja Umaid Singh as a relief project to help his famine-stricken subjects. It took 15 years and 3,000 men to complete this architectural marvel.
The major portion of the palace has been converted into a 5-star heritage hotel. The present Mahrajah Gaj Singh (grandson of Umaid Singh) lives in a segregated portion of the palace. Another portion of the palace houses the museum which is open to tourists.
The museum has a rich collection of decorated weapons, paintings, porcelain, watches, antique clocks and French furniture.
Osian (65km from Jodhpur)
This unique temple town was located on a very important trade route between the 8th and the 12th centuries and contains 16 Hindu and Jain temples of exquisite quality built during that period.
But we went to Osian also to ride over the sand dunes on camel back.
Jaisalmer is more famous for its sand dunes (Sam Sand Dunes), but the sand dunes here are equally fascinating.
Other Places to see
Jaswant Thada is a white marble cenotaph with beautiful lattice carvings and pillars built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant II in 1899. It also contains cenotaphs of subsequent rulers and members of the royal family.
You should also visit Balsamand Lake and Gardens; Kailana Lake and Sardar Samand Lake.
Local delicacies
You can taste the local cuisine including shahi samosa, mirchi vada, makhan lassi and the famous Mawa Kachori dipped in sugar syrup.
Conclusion
Jodhpur is an important city.
The High Court of Rajasthan is located here.
And it is well connected to the major cities of India, by air, rail and road.
A number of Heritage hotels of all varieties are coming up.
Jodhpur is famous for its feisty festivals, folk songs, hospitality and great food.
You can watch a lot of festivities during the month of October.
You can take a safari tour which will give you a glimpse of the lifestyle and craft of the potters and weavers, and you can also have a meal with them.
Incidentally, this is the home of the famous Bishnoi community where the black buck and other wild animals are savagely protected and it was here Salman Khan was caught and charged for wild life poaching.