Our traditional marriages continue to serve as points of excellent rendezvous. I attended a marriage in Chennai recently and I could meet many of my relatives and friends, some of whom I met after many decades. While familiarity breeds contempt, a long separation always strengthens and reinforces love and affection. You are able to see sea-changes in the mind-set, behaviour and attitude of your acquaintances. I could see such welcome change in the outlook of at least two of my relatives. Much water had flowed under the bridge since I met them last. They also had a tragedy at home. That has mellowed down the aggression that I have seen in them long back. That has given way to a kind of softness with which I wouldn't have been able to associate them thirty years ago. 'Kalayathi ithi Kaalam', they say. That which changes - that which brings about change - is time.

My love for my dear friend S Sridharan of the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram is matched only by the reverence I have for him. He had been to Delhi recently to attend a conference organized by the Dalai Lama. He spoke on 'Worshipping Sun.' He said he met a lady from Austria, clad in a Saree in typical South Indian style with a bindi on her forehead! She spoke on 'Siva cult of Kashmir', quoting profusely in Sanskrit. Her guides or Gurus are in the Himalayas. I have always felt that foreigners like her and Max Mueller have found treasures hidden in our ancient scriptures.



The Amarnath issue and the Kandhamal incidents have rattled all right-thinking Indians. All of us in this ancient land of ours have been living like brothers and sisters. Suddenly we feel we have been permanently divided. If this is the result of sixty years of freedom, I for one feel sad for those who fought for it! Perhaps we have had no leader who could protect the oneness of Indian thought. We have politicians and not statesmen. That is a tragedy.

I live in Thorapakkam, a suburb of Chennai in the 'new old Mahabalipuram Road.' We have 'official' power-cut for three hours daily. It is from 4pm to 6 pm and from 9pm to ten pm. Now I understand it is going to be from 12 noon to 2 pm and from 8 pm to 9 pm from tomorrow. These are only the timings for the 'official' power-cuts. On many nights we are woken up by the sudden, unannounced power-cuts lasting a couple of hours. When the power returns, it is difficult to resume your disturbed sleep. Well, what cannot be cured will have to be endured.