Being an Indian itself a great blessing: AR Rahman

[P.J.]

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New Delhi: AR Rahman is a Living Legend at 47. In a resplendent blue sherwani with gold embroidery, he received his award from President Pranab Mukherjee and said, "I am deeply humbled...Being an Indian is itself a great blessing."

The composer thanked his state of Tamil Nadu for encouraging him, he thanked his mother and his teachers.

Mr Rahman has been named one of India's 25 global living legends, for his contribution to Indian music.

Being an Indian itself a great blessing: AR Rahman | NDTV.com

 

[sravna]

There are 3 TBs among the 25 honored . I think A.R is also a T.B. though he converted to Islam. That would make it 4 out of 25.

 

[renuka]

There are 3 TBs among the 25 honored . I think A.R is also a T.B. though he converted to Islam. That would make it 4 out of 25.

Dear Sravna,

Some say that AR Rahman was born into a TB family..but some also claim that he is Mudaliar.


But why do you want to see who are the TBs?

After all everyone is Indian first right?

Be happy that some many talented Indians got awards.

So dont see 4 out of 25..try to see only One.. after all you do believe in Advaita isnt it?

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Sir, Read somewhere that 'Greatness of great is humbleness'. I found that some of the great legends are really most humble. With regards.

 

[sravna]

Dear Sravna,

Some say that AR Rahman was born into a TB family..but some also claim that he is Mudaliar.


But why do you want to see who are the TBs?

After all everyone is Indian first right?

Be happy that some many talented Indians got award.

So dont see 4 out of 25..try to see only One.. after all you do believe in Advaita isnt it?

Dear Renuka,

I do believe in advaita. So it follows I believe in maya also.

 

[krish44]

New Delhi: AR Rahman is a Living Legend at 47. In a resplendent blue sherwani with gold embroidery, he received his award from President Pranab Mukherjee and said, "I am deeply humbled...Being an Indian is itself a great blessing."

The composer thanked his state of Tamil Nadu for encouraging him, he thanked his mother and his teachers.

Mr Rahman has been named one of India's 25 global living legends, for his contribution to Indian music.

Being an Indian itself a great blessing: AR Rahman | NDTV.com

after oscar recognition indians as usual are willing to accept him as a good music composer. Ilike his melodies and devotional songs both hindu [madhuban mey radha in lagaan] and muslim[moula in delhi 6] and his folk music

 

[Vaagmi]

Dear Renuka,

I do........ So it follows I believe in maya also.

Dear Sravna,

Be careful. Maya is not a good girl. She has already ditched many young boys in the neghbourhood. You are warned. LOL.

 

[sravna]

Dear Sravna,

Be careful. Maya is not a good girl. She has already ditched many young boys in the neghbourhood. You are warned. LOL.

Dear Shri Vaagmi,

Your information on maya is not correct. She doesn't leave anyone unless she is ditched.

 

[Vaagmi]

I have widely travelled. I have lived in different cities of India.


1.Being born in India is a blessing.

2.Being a Hindu is a blessing.

3.Being a Tamil is a blessing.

4.Being a brahmin is a blessing.

5.Being born to my parents is a blessing.

6.Having a grandma who insists on your reciting ஊரிலேன் காணியில்லை உறவுமற்றொருவரில்லை......paasuram every night before sleeping is a blessing.

6.Being born in my native decrepit, small, obscure village in the southern District of Tirunelveli is a blessing.

7.Life in a village agraharam house with its திண்ணை, நடை, ரேழி, தாழ்வாரம், மடப்பள்ளீ,முற்றம், கொட்டில், பரண், கொல்லைப்புறம், கிணறு (thinnai, nadai,rezhi, thaazhwaaram, madappalli,mutram,kottil, paran, kollaippuram, kinaru) is a blessing.

8.Getting educated in the village primary school by teachers like Easwaran Pillai is a blessing.

9.Going to a TDTA Christian missionery school for higher education is a blessing.

10.Attending mass every day in the church as a student and singing தேன் இனிமையிலும் யேசுவின் நாமம் திவ்விய மதுரமாமே in chorus is a blessing.

11.Getting a wife who is far more knowledgeable, bold and balanced is a blessing.

12.getting children who live their life fully and yet live your dreams too is a blessing.

13.To be in a position to say "I have nothing more to demand from this life" sincerely is a blessing.

I am blessed.

 

[krish44]

I have widely travelled. I have lived in different cities of India.


1.Being born in India is a blessing.

2.Being a Hindu is a blessing.

3.Being a Tamil is a blessing.

4.Being a brahmin is a blessing.

5.Being born to my parents is a blessing.

6.Having a grandma who insists on your reciting ஊரிலேன் காணியில்லை உறவுமற்றொருவரில்லை......paasuram every night before sleeping is a blessing.

6.Being born in my native decrepit, small, obscure village in the southern District of Tirunelveli is a blessing.

7.Life in a village agraharam house with its திண்ணை, நடை, ரேழி, தாழ்வாரம், மடப்பள்ளீ,முற்றம், கொட்டில், பரண், கொல்லைப்புறம், கிணறு (thinnai, nadai,rezhi, thaazhwaaram, madappalli,mutram,kottil, paran, kollaippuram, kinaru) is a blessing.

8.Getting educated in the village primary school by teachers like Easwaran Pillai is a blessing.

9.Going to a TDTA Christian missionery school for higher education is a blessing.

10.Attending mass every day in the church as a student and singing தேன் இனிமையிலும் யேசுவின் நாமம் திவ்விய மதுரமாமே in chorus is a blessing.

11.Getting a wife who is far more knowledgeable, bold and balanced is a blessing.

12.getting children who live their life fully and yet live your dreams too is a blessing.

13.To be in a position to say "I have nothing more to demand from this life" sincerely is a blessing.

I am blessed.

vaagmi sir keep it up . you are in a charitable mood. spread you charity to tambrahm memberSravna. let him chase his maya dreams

 

[vgane]

I have widely travelled. I have lived in different cities of India.


1.Being born in India is a blessing.

2.Being a Hindu is a blessing.

3.Being a Tamil is a blessing.

4.Being a brahmin is a blessing.

5.Being born to my parents is a blessing.

6.Having a grandma who insists on your reciting ஊரிலேன் காணியில்லை உறவுமற்றொருவரில்லை......paasuram every night before sleeping is a blessing.

6.Being born in my native decrepit, small, obscure village in the southern District of Tirunelveli is a blessing.

7.Life in a village agraharam house with its திண்ணை, நடை, ரேழி, தாழ்வாரம், மடப்பள்ளீ,முற்றம், கொட்டில், பரண், கொல்லைப்புறம், கிணறு (thinnai, nadai,rezhi, thaazhwaaram, madappalli,mutram,kottil, paran, kollaippuram, kinaru) is a blessing.

8.Getting educated in the village primary school by teachers like Easwaran Pillai is a blessing.

9.Going to a TDTA Christian missionery school for higher education is a blessing.

10.Attending mass every day in the church as a student and singing தேன் இனிமையிலும் யேசுவின் நாமம் திவ்விய மதுரமாமே in chorus is a blessing.

11.Getting a wife who is far more knowledgeable, bold and balanced is a blessing.

12.getting children who live their life fully and yet live your dreams too is a blessing.

13.To be in a position to say "I have nothing more to demand from this life" sincerely is a blessing.

I am blessed.

Dear Vaagmi,

Not many are blessed like you...You seem to be positive and contented by whatever that has come your way..That's a great attitude!

Living with challenges on a daily basis and coming out cheerful and happy is a wonderful trait!

My honest opinion about you!

I envy you!

 

[P.J.]

I would say being a Vegetarian is the greatest Blessing!!

 

[renuka]

Dear Renuka,

I do believe in advaita. So it follows I believe in maya also.

LOL!

Sravna..you are one smart guy...you really know how to escape from question.

 

[renuka]

I would say being a Vegetarian is the greatest Blessing!!

Dear PJ sir,

Actually everything we do is only a blessing for us..we all actually lead a very selfish existence.

Many a times even I have felt that me being a Vegetarian is a blessing cos I do not take the life of an animal..but then one day I stopped to ponder "who am I making happy??myself or the animal?"

The answer was 'I am making myself happy by not eating Non Veg..no doubt I am vegetarian out of compassion but the feel good feeling came to me for my own self satisfaction that I did not kill to eat"

So technically each one of us do things to make ourselves feel good and we call it a Blessing.

So if you ask me now "What is the Greatest Blessing" my answer would be "the Greatest Blessing is just trying to keep self satisfaction at bay"

 

[dhikshita]

I have widely travelled. I have lived in different cities of India.


1.Being born in India is a blessing.

2.Being a Hindu is a blessing.

3.Being a Tamil is a blessing.

4.Being a brahmin is a blessing.

5.Being born to my parents is a blessing.

6.Having a grandma who insists on your reciting ஊரிலேன் காணியில்லை உறவுமற்றொருவரில்லை......paasuram every night before sleeping is a blessing.

6.Being born in my native decrepit, small, obscure village in the southern District of Tirunelveli is a blessing.

7.Life in a village agraharam house with its திண்ணை, நடை, ரேழி, தாழ்வாரம், மடப்பள்ளீ,முற்றம், கொட்டில், பரண், கொல்லைப்புறம், கிணறு (thinnai, nadai,rezhi, thaazhwaaram, madappalli,mutram,kottil, paran, kollaippuram, kinaru) is a blessing.

8.Getting educated in the village primary school by teachers like Easwaran Pillai is a blessing.

9.Going to a TDTA Christian missionery school for higher education is a blessing.

10.Attending mass every day in the church as a student and singing தேன் இனிமையிலும் யேசுவின் நாமம் திவ்விய மதுரமாமே in chorus is a blessing.

11.Getting a wife who is far more knowledgeable, bold and balanced is a blessing.

12.getting children who live their life fully and yet live your dreams too is a blessing.

13.To be in a position to say "I have nothing more to demand from this life" sincerely is a blessing.

I am blessed.

Sir,
I too also Blessed to sail on the same boat in all respect.

 

[kunjuppu]

for rahman indian is a blessing. he cannot do what he (or his family did) in any of the islamic world.

he was born in majority hindu community, converted to islam, which has a long history of antagonism to hindus. and has a close to overwhelming hindu fans which made him world famous.

reverse: had he been born sunni in pakistan or malaysia or saudi, converted to shia, he would have been killed. period.

so yes, it is great to be born indian. also such announcements makes him a saint with our sycophantic culture.

to me he is a great musician. i love his music. but when he ventures into god and country, i wish he would keep shut.

fyi, he is also a tax evader with raids from IT dept. i was watching the movie anniyan yesterday. wondered what if...

 

[kunjuppu]

7.Life in a village agraharam house with its திண்ணை, நடை, ரேழி, தாழ்வாரம், மடப்பள்ளீ,முற்றம், கொட்டில், பரண், கொல்லைப்புறம், கிணறு (thinnai, nadai,rezhi, thaazhwaaram, madappalli,mutram,kottil, paran, kollaippuram, kinaru) is a blessing.

dearest vaagmi,

i have no issues with any of your blessings...but kollaipuram with it open toilet and manual scavenging that went along with it.

what you consider a blessing for yourself, communing with nature while passing on your solid wastes, resulted in another family, carrying it in a bucket and disposing it elsewhere. in no other culture this task was defined to one group generations for milleniums.

how can you?

 

[krish44]

Union minister Jairam Ramesh statement that there are more temples than toilets created a huge ruckus. though he was correct. He was admonished even by his mother.and told to layoff temples while espousing the cause of toilets They are iyengars.of the mysorean kind. The job of manual scavenging which the dalits are saddled with cannot make anyone proud and count it as a blessing .

 

[krish44]

for rahman indian is a blessing. he cannot do what he (or his family did) in any of the islamic world.

he was born in majority hindu community, converted to islam, which has a long history of antagonism to hindus. and has a close to overwhelming hindu fans which made him world famous.

reverse: had he been born sunni in pakistan or malaysia or saudi, converted to shia, he would have been killed. period.

so yes, it is great to be born indian. also such announcements makes him a saint with our sycophantic culture.

to me he is a great musician. i love his music. but when he ventures into god and country, i wish he would keep shut.

fyi, he is also a tax evader with raids from IT dept. i was watching the movie anniyan yesterday. wondered what if...

K saheb you are over reacting to an innocent comment on his music and he getting an award.His faith does not come into it nor IT raids. we are not commenting on his personality or his faith preferences which are private matters. Of course your comment that he might end up as a saint . it is a real fear. Mother Therasa is on the way to become one.Pope and christians fare no better as regards bestowing sainthood is concerned

 

[sarang]

There are two issues. Dry toilet and manual scavenging.

Dry toilet came with urbanisation and the british are resposible as they were the rulers and had a great part in town planning and control. Our forefathers did not have (or use) toilets in the house. All morning 'kadans' were done near the river or the fields and this happened till the days of my great grandfather and grandfather. Even if the need arose during any other time, a quick visit was made to the riverside.

The local municipal administration (in my town) too did not give permission to install a flushing toilet even in mid fifties, as the sewer system is not designed for this and loss of income to the municipal staff. Toilet was installed only after a decent sanmanam (baksheesh) was given to the ward officer and monthly dakshina to the cleaning staff was never stopped. Is it not the duty of the local administration to build facilities for better way of disposal of natural waste. What is the logic in blaming brahmins for the situation. This was the case in all households of all communities. Manual scavenging was done in all residences irrespective of the jatis. The british could have enforced practices followed in england (there too in victorian times many households emptied the chamber pots on the road and sometimes on the heads of walkers), but they did not. Who stopped them.

Anyway, today, manual scavenging is done in most of the railway stations and in many villages; the native government has not tackled this for sixty years. Even the worst bb will not say that brahmins are preventing building of toilets. Now a law has been passed terming manual scavenging as illegal without backup support for building sanitation facilities. Lalu promised to convert all toilets in trains to chemical type in one year when he became the railway minister ages ago; progress is zero till date.

The brahmins have nothing to do with manual scavenging or forcing any group to do this job. Even now I have seen videshvasis unloading on the street sides, when they can't find a usable toilet on the highways. Can one blame them when facilities are not available.

dearest vaagmi,

i have no issues with any of your blessings...but kollaipuram with it open toilet and manual scavenging that went along with it.

what you consider a blessing for yourself, communing with nature while passing on your solid wastes, resulted in another family, carrying it in a bucket and disposing it elsewhere. in no other culture this task was defined to one group generations for milleniums.

how can you?

 

[Vaagmi]

dearest vaagmi,

i have no issues with any of your blessings...but kollaipuram with it open toilet and manual scavenging that went along with it.

what you consider a blessing for yourself, communing with nature while passing on your solid wastes, resulted in another family, carrying it in a bucket and disposing it elsewhere. in no other culture this task was defined to one group generations for milleniums.

how can you?

Dear Kunjuppu,

1. My village home had a kollaipuram which was so vast that it covered a large area with many trees of the wild variety (it is a different story that I spent a lot of time observing the kappalchetty pakshi which used to beg of some imaginery kappalchetty to give it some thing. It used to cry out from a small body high decibel sounds which will sound like "kappalchetty, kudoo, kudoo". To this day I do not know what it was demanding/begging for. There are many such bits and pieces of ever green memories). So s*****ing was not a problem for us. There were no bhangis removing it either. It was the all pervading sun who used to take care of the waste in course of time. But I have observed manual scavenging in other agraharams where also I have lived for a short while. Moreover in our agraharam people used to go to the riverside in the evening and morning (some people) to attend to nature's call. They had trained their bowels to make a call only at the appointed time. So my agraharam house still carries only pleasant memories for me.

2. While my intention is not to enter into an argument on this , I would like to state just this: in rural tamilnadu the task of clearing the human waste is not assigned uniformly to one community though champions of human rights would like us to believe it that way. So generations of condemnation is just an invention by arm chair champions of underdogs. I do not subscribe to that as I know the villagers well.

3. Once that condemnation of a group is swept aside from our slate , it becomes clear that it was a feature of the history of a society. Like Europeans did not know how to take bath by getting into a river for long. At that very point of time Indian civilization was celebrating a bath in Ganga and Yamuna as holy experiences to be gone through. So dear friend, these are part of history. When I read the history I learn valuable lessons. I do not feel ashamed that my society has this as history. All societies , all civilizations in the world had such moments of condemnable practices-condemnable by today's standards, condemnable with all the developments that have happened in the interregnum. So I move on. I do not expect that kind of episodes to repeat themselves in today's world.


4. My village house did not have just a kollaipuram. It had a thinnai which was the refuge for itinerant families (food included), It had a nadai above which on the first floor a kudir existed which used to get filled up with paddy after every harvest. During the year whenever you want the paddy to be taken to the nearest ricemill for hulling, which was 2 miles way, you have to just open a small lid on the ceiling of this nadai and lo and behold, paddy will flow through the orifice due to gravity. So the nadai in the ground floor was always dark and there used to live my poochandi when I was a very young kid. Then Rezhy was the place where we used to have our unjal. It is lovely to have a unjal in your house. It is an experience for which there is no substitute. My mother used to sit on the unjal and used to sing கதி எனக்கு உன்னைத்தவிர வேறில்லை. பாலகோபாலா உன்னைத்தவிர வேறில்லை. பாற்கடல் சயனித்த பரமக்ருபாநிதியே, காக்க இது தருணம் கண்ணா நீ க்ருபை செய்வாய். உன்னை..... My grandma used to sit on it and recite the paasurams for me. Thaazhwaram was the place where cattle feed like punnaakku and paruththikottai used to get stored for the cows which were there in the kottil. Madappalli was the sAmrAjyam of my mother and her writ ran large inside that. She was an autocrat allowing no one any liberty to meddle with anything there. So friend, it was a wholesome experience. Please do not trivialize it by looking at the kollaipuram alone.

I can write more about this But I stop with this for the present as I have problems with my internet connection. Thank you.

 

[vgane]

dearest vaagmi,

i have no issues with any of your blessings...but kollaipuram with it open toilet and manual scavenging that went along with it.

what you consider a blessing for yourself, communing with nature while passing on your solid wastes, resulted in another family, carrying it in a bucket and disposing it elsewhere. in no other culture this task was defined to one group generations for milleniums.

how can you?

Dear Sir,

Whay are you harping on that..I visited my agraharam in June this year..No more manual scavenging..The modern latrine has been installed in the houses that I stayed and visited ..Not sure if it is 100%..But no more manual scavenging in Brahmin houses! Are you happy now..I am happy!

 

[kunjuppu]

K saheb you are over reacting to an innocent comment on his music and he getting an award.His faith does not come into it nor IT raids. we are not commenting on his personality or his faith preferences which are private matters. Of course your comment that he might end up as a saint . it is a real fear. Mother Therasa is on the way to become one.Pope and christians fare no better as regards bestowing sainthood is concerned

i like your comments. i already put a 'like' to it. i would also like the public to know, that a good feedback is worth a thousand praises.

 

[kunjuppu]

Dear Sir,

Whay are you harping on that..I visited my agraharam in June this year..No more manual scavenging..The modern latrine has been installed in the houses that I stayed and visited ..Not sure if it is 100%..But no more manual scavenging in Brahmin houses! Are you happy now..I am happy!

i am very very happy that you could do your business without human intervention of your solid wastes.

the issue is not that. the issue is honourable vaagmi felt proud of kollai of the old structure. atleast that is the way i understood it. those old little tin covered shed, with a jolly window, a hole in the ground and a bucket when you plop plop the enhanced structure and fragrance of your previous nights sambar and vendakkai kari and such. ok?

.... and sometime later, usually a thotti will come, maybe with his buddies or family, and wearing the most rudimentary 'gloves' take the bucket and pour it into a converted petrol tin barrel full of such slush, and replace it somewhat empty for the benefit of your family.

in all the other cultures i know of, though the jobbie was done previously in a bucket, it was usually the lady of the house who threw it out..usually into the street.

now, not sure, whether you will be proud of such things.

 

[kunjuppu]

Dear Kunjuppu,

1. My village home had a kollaipuram which was so vast that it covered a large area with many trees of the wild variety (it is a different story that I spent a lot of time observing the kappalchetty pakshi which used to beg of some imaginery kappalchetty to give it some thing. It used to cry out from a small body high decibel sounds which will sound like "kappalchetty, kudoo, kudoo". To this day I do not know what it was demanding/begging for. There are many such bits and pieces of ever green memories). So s*****ing was not a problem for us. There were no bhangis removing it either. It was the all pervading sun who used to take care of the waste in course of time. But I have observed manual scavenging in other agraharams where also I have lived for a short while. Moreover in our agraharam people used to go to the riverside in the evening and morning (some people) to attend to nature's call. They had trained their bowels to make a call only at the appointed time. So my agraharam house still carries only pleasant memories for me.

2. While my intention is not to enter into an argument on this , I would like to state just this: in rural tamilnadu the task of clearing the human waste is not assigned uniformly to one community though champions of human rights would like us to believe it that way. So generations of condemnation is just an invention by arm chair champions of underdogs. I do not subscribe to that as I know the villagers well.

3. Once that condemnation of a group is swept aside from our slate , it becomes clear that it was a feature of the history of a society. Like Europeans did not know how to take bath by getting into a river for long. At that very point of time Indian civilization was celebrating a bath in Ganga and Yamuna as holy experiences to be gone through. So dear friend, these are part of history. When I read the history I learn valuable lessons. I do not feel ashamed that my society has this as history. All societies , all civilizations in the world had such moments of condemnable practices-condemnable by today's standards, condemnable with all the developments that have happened in the interregnum. So I move on. I do not expect that kind of episodes to repeat themselves in today's world.


4. My village house did not have just a kollaipuram. It had a thinnai which was the refuge for itinerant families (food included), It had a nadai above which on the first floor a kudir existed which used to get filled up with paddy after every harvest. During the year whenever you want the paddy to be taken to the nearest ricemill for hulling, which was 2 miles way, you have to just open a small lid on the ceiling of this nadai and lo and behold, paddy will flow through the orifice due to gravity. So the nadai in the ground floor was always dark and there used to live my poochandi when I was a very young kid. Then Rezhy was the place where we used to have our unjal. It is lovely to have a unjal in your house. It is an experience for which there is no substitute. My mother used to sit on the unjal and used to sing கதி எனக்கு உன்னைத்தவிர வேறில்லை. பாலகோபாலா உன்னைத்தவிர வேறில்லை. பாற்கடல் சயனித்த பரமக்ருபாநிதியே, காக்க இது தருணம் கண்ணா நீ க்ருபை செய்வாய். உன்னை..... My grandma used to sit on it and recite the paasurams for me. Thaazhwaram was the place where cattle feed like punnaakku and paruththikottai used to get stored for the cows which were there in the kottil. Madappalli was the sAmrAjyam of my mother and her writ ran large inside that. She was an autocrat allowing no one any liberty to meddle with anything there. So friend, it was a wholesome experience. Please do not trivialize it by looking at the kollaipuram alone.

I can write more about this But I stop with this for the present as I have problems with my internet connection. Thank you.

thank you for your detailed explanation. looks like you come from a pretty rich family.

in my ancestral kalpathi kollai even though backing into bharatha pozhai, there was still this tin shed stuff. also in badagara where the madom had the same arrangment. twice a week cleaning if i remember right.

nowadays apparently everyone has flush toilets; but the septic tanks are so porous, that the ground water is ruined. also, the solid wastes from the septic tank is not processed, but dumped outside badagara, causing more problems for people. honestly i dont know what the thottis did with all the stuff they gathered.