This and That aka Daily Musings

28th August 2023 Redevelopment and Sherlock Holmes Mumbai is changing. Old buildings and chawls are rapidly making way for glossy high rises. All localities and suburbs of our city are witnessing this change. Today morning while entering Narali Baug I saw the ruins of Oceana. This edifice was a prominent landmark of Shivaji Park as it housed the cream of society. Now the structure has been torn down and a shining tower will be constructed in its place. A thought occured while I was passing by. Our bodies and minds are similar to such old buildings and chawls. They need regular tuneups and maintenance to prolong good health. Minds need constant stimulation (of the right kind) so that we remain alert and ‘young’ in thought and conduct. Structures start showing signs of deterioration after 25-30 years. Humans start falling prey to illnesses around the age of 30-35. Our glory days (youth) are long behind us by then. We enter the vicious cycle of self-doubt, medication, and misery. Any buil

25th August 2023 तोच चंद्रमा नभात  Of all the celestial bodies, humans have a strong affinity for the moon. Indian folklore and mythology are replete with references to our natural satellite.  A young prabhu Ram would not sleep until his mother showed him the reflection of the moon in a pot of water, placed next to his bed. Hence the melding of the two names gave us ‘Ramchandra’. There are many popular fables involving Lord Shiv, Lord Ganesh, and Hanuman and the moon.  On celluloid many men have serenaded fetching young women with songs which have the moon as their central theme.  Those with a fatalistic outlook towards life give tremendous importance to the position of the moon in their horoscope. Its placement determines character and personality. Or so it is believed! Indians have been following the lunar calendar for many centuries. This calendar depends on the waxing and waning of the moon and is deemed to be very accurate. Moon’s gravitational pull produces tidal effects on large