Crocus (Saffron)

The common crocus is a genus in the Iridaceae (iris) family. They bloom in autumn some are early spring-blooming corms. Crocus is the middle English word for “saffron plant,” as saffron comes from the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus.

Crocus is native to the Mediterranean area, Asia Minor, and Iran. The saffron or crocus has long been cultivated in Iran and is supposed to have been introduced into Cathay by the Mongol invasion. In Kashmir, it was introduced by a Buddhist monk.

Crocus is mentioned in the Chinese book (Pun Tsaou, 1552-78). In early times, however, the chief seat of cultivation was in Cilicia, in Asia Minor. It was cultivated by the Arabs in Spain about 961 and is mentioned in an English leech book, or healing manual, of the 10th century but may have disappeared from western Europe until reintroduced by the Crusaders.

Saffron is named among the sweet-smelling herbs in Song of Solomon 4:14. As a perfume, saffron was strewn in Greek and Roman halls, courts, theatres, and baths with a professional class of Greek courtesans. The streets of Rome made his entry into the city.

Crocus (plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family). It comprises about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers, appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The flowers close at night and in overcast weather conditions.

Crocus needs full sun to partial shade and gritty, well-drained soils; sandy loam with composted organic matter is best. Avoid heavy clay. They tolerate drought but keep it moist during the growing season. Keep the foliage intact for about six weeks after the plants bloom, as the leaves are generating food for next year's floral production. Propagation is by division, which is recommended every four years.

The crocus has been known throughout recorded history, mainly as the source of saffron. Saffron is obtained from the dried stigma of Crocus sativus, an autumn-blooming species. It is valued as a spice and dyestuff and is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Iran is the centre of saffron production. Crocuses are native to woodland, scrub, and meadows from sea level to alpine tundra from the Mediterranean, through North Africa, central and southern Europe, the islands of the Aegean, the Middle East and across Central Asia to Xinjiang in western China. Crocuses may be propagated from seed or from daughter cormels formed on the corm, that eventually produce mature plants. They arrived in Europe from Turkey in the 16th century and became valued as an ornamental flowering plant.

Crocus remained an important crop in Italy, Spain, and France. The word saffron comes from the Arabic as far, meaning 'yellow'.

The flowers bloom in early spring, typically closing at night or on cloudy days and opening with the morning sun, with many hybrids available. To plant from corms, plant in the fall about 2.5 inches deep and 2 inches apart, 35 to 70 corms per square foot. 

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Crocus are damaged by rodents. Squirrels seem particularly adept at locating, digging up, and eating newly planted corms.

Saffron is cultivated chiefly in Iran but is also grown in Spain, France, and Italy on the lower ridges of the mountain range and in Kashmir, India.

Saffron cultivation is a labour-intensive crop. The three stigmas are handpicked from each flower, spread on trays, and dried.

A pound (0.45 kilogram) of saffron represents 75,000 blossoms. Saffron contains 0.5 to 3 per cent essential oil, the principal component of which is picrocrocin.

A rough estimation as to how many crocuses it takes to make a kilo of saffron is between 85,000 and 140,000. That is why, even today, top-grade Spanish saffron retails at £3,750 per pound.

During various periods, saffron has been worth much more than its weight in gold; it is still the most expensive spice in the world.

A golden-coloured, water-soluble fabric dye was distilled from saffron stigmas in India in ancient times. Shortly after Buddha died, his priests made saffron the official colour for their robes. The dye has been used for royal garments in several cultures.

There are old paintings in Greece Crete showing saffron being gathered. Alexander the Great washed his hair in saffron to keep it a lovely shiny colour. It was a seriously upmarket shampoo at that time. Saffron was as rare as diamonds, and more expensive than gold.

In fifteenth-century Nuremberg and during the reign of Henry VIII in England, adulterating saffron by mixing it with something else was a capital offence. Culprits were burned at the stake or buried alive with their illegal wares.

The town of Saffron Walden in Essex takes its name from the spice: it was the centre of the English saffron trade. Legend has it that this dates from the fourteenth century when a pilgrim from the Middle East arrived with a stolen bulb of a saffron crocus hidden in his stick. Until then, the town was called Walden.

Russian drag queens fear the looming ban of saffron, golden-coloured, pungent stigmas (pollen-bearing structures) of the autumn crocus (Crocus satinus), which are dried and used as a spice to flavour foods and as a dye to colour foods and other products. Saffron has a strong and bitter taste and is used to colour and flavour many Mediterranean and Asian dishes, particularly ri and fish, and English, Scandinavian, and Balkan pieces of bread. It is an important ingredient in bouillabaisse soup.

The stem of the crocus plant is short and conical. From it many leaf bases arise, one inside the other. These bases are seedless and constitute the bulk of the bulb. Bulblets arise from the stem, between the leaf bases, to propagate the plant.

The underground stem is without a hole. On the upper surface, a small cluster of leaves is located. Among the leaf bases, the corm lets rise to reproduce the plant.

In Crocus only one flower may develop from each corm, but in many other genera, as in iris and Gladiolas, an inflorescence (flower cluster), sometimes branched, arises from the underground stem. The flowers commonly possess three sepals and three petals. The Crocus plant has three broad pollen-receptive stigma branches, under which the pollen-producing anthers are hidden. These flower parts are located above the main inferior ovary. The ovary consists of three carpels unified into a single pistil. Ovules within the ovary portion become seeds, and the ovary matures into fruit.

Temperature alone controls the opening of the crocus flower. When the critical temperature is there, the perianth (sepals and petals) opens with an increase of less than 1 degree "F”.

Insects are the pollinators in the iris family, attracted by the showy flower parts. In some gladioli, coordination exists between certain moths and the shape of the flower. While hovering, the moth can reach the base of the floral tube with its long tongue. Pullen already adhering to the body.

Crocuses are native to the Alps, southern Europe, and the Mediterranean area and are widely grown for their cuplike blooms in early spring or fall. Spring-flowering plants have a long floral tube that allows the ovary to remain belowground, sheltered from climatic changes. The flowers close at night and in dull weather. Saffron, used for dye, seasoning, and medicine, is the dried feathery orange tip of the pistils of the lilac or white, autumn-flowering saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) of western Asia.

References

https://www.gardendesign.com/flowers/crocus.html

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/crocus/

Growing Crocuses: Planting & Caring for Crocus Flowers | Garden Design

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Crocus - Wikipedia

Encyclopaedia Britannica,

https://www.britannica.com/plant/Crocus/#ref172302

 

 

King Parikshit and Kali Yuga-a story for children

During the Mahabharata war, Kali Yuga began, but Lord Krishna's power prevented its full spread.

After Krishna's departure, Kali started influencing people negatively, except in the kingdom of Parikshit, a kind ruler. Kali asked permission to enter, and Parikshit allowed him with conditions, confining him to places associated with vices.

One day, Parikshit was searching for his belongings. Out of curiosity, he checked one box left by

his grandfather. It contained a gold crown. Without thinking about the consequences, he wore the crown.

This crown was of Jarasandha and was unjustifiably acquired. Money or gold acquired unjustifiably brings Kali. 

King Parikshit, unaware of a cursed gold crown’s consequence, wore it, allowing Kali Juga to enter his mind. Once, while hunting, King Parikshit, separated from his army, entered a sage's ashram. Mistaking the sage's meditation as disrespect, he (Parikshit) hung a dead snake around the sage's neck. The sage's son, Shringi, cursed Parikshit to die in seven days from a snake bite.

Accepting the curse, King Parikshit gave up the throne and gave the throne to his son Janamejaya.

 After this, Parikshit sought penance near the Ganges.

The sage’s son Sukhdev ji assured him of Moksha in seven days. Parikshit listened to Bhagwat Purana,

realizing life's ultimate truth and attained Moksha by surrendering his body.

 

The blotting paper as an answer to the problem

Once upon a time in the quaint town of Penwell, there lived a refined gentleman named Sir Reginald Fanciful. Sir Reginald was known far and wide for his impeccable manners and his meticulous attention to detail. Unfortunately, one fateful day, he found himself succumbing to a mysterious ailment that left him bedridden.

Desperate for a remedy, Sir Reginald's trusted servant, Jasper, scoured the town for a curative potion. After hours of searching, he stumbled upon a small apothecary shop nestled in a narrow alley. The eccentric old apothecary, known as Professor Quill, insisted that his special elixir, a potion with an inky black hue, was the panacea Sir Reginald needed.

Eager to aid his master, Jasper purchased the mysterious black elixir and returned to the Fanciful estate. With great care, he administered the potion to Sir Reginald, hoping the concoction would work its magic.

However, as fate would have it, Jasper's clumsiness got the better of him. One day, while Sir Reginald lay weak, Jasper, distracted by the commotion in the bustling kitchen, accidentally replaced the medicine bottle with a vial of rich, dark ink.

Unaware of the mix-up, Sir Reginald took a hearty gulp of the supposed medicine. Much to Jasper's horror, the mistake was only discovered when he overheard the master complaining about the bitter taste of the "medicine."

Panicking, Jasper rushed to Sir Reginald's bedside, stammering an apology. "I beg your pardon, sir, but I have given you ink instead of medicine!"

To his surprise, Sir Reginald, despite his weakened state, chuckled weakly. "Oh, that doesn't matter, Jasper. I'll eat a piece of blotting paper. It will absorb the ink, much like it does on paper."

Intrigued by his master's nonchalant attitude, Jasper quickly fetched a sheet of blotting paper. Sir Reginald tore a small piece and placed it on his tongue. Miraculously, the blotting paper absorbed the ink, leaving Sir Reginald with nothing more than a bemused smile.

News of Sir Reginald's peculiar remedy spread throughout Penwell like wildfire. The townsfolk marvelled at his inventive solution, and soon, the story became a local legend. To this day, the people of Penwell fondly recount the tale of Sir Reginald Fanciful, the gentleman who turned a simple mix-up into an amusing remedy and unintentionally made blotting paper a local sensation.

 

Madhumalathi ( A story for children)

In a town along the Yamuna River, the learned Brahmin Keshav sought an ideal husband for his stunning daughter, Madhumalathi. Three handsome and intelligent young men from Kanya Kunj became enamoured with her at a fair and approached Keshav for her hand in marriage. Unable to choose among them, Keshav left the decision to Madhumalathi.

On the day of the decision, a snake entered Madhumalathi's room, biting her and tragically causing her death. Devastated, the three suitors, deeply in love with her, decided to dedicate their lives to her memory. Each took a unique path – one scattered her ashes in the Ganges and settled nearby, another built a hut at the cremation site and lived there, and the third wandered holy places, cherishing Madhumalathi's memory.

The story takes an intriguing turn when the third suitor witnesses a Tantric reviving a baby from ashes using a magical spell. Driven by the desire to bring Madhumalathi back to life, he steals the Tantric's spell book. The three suitors reunite, and with the magical prayer, holy water from the Ganges, and the preserved ashes, they resurrect Madhumalathi, more beautiful than before.

However, a new conflict arises as each suitor claims responsibility for her revival. The dispute reaches a critical point when Betal asks King Vikram to decide the rightful suitor. Vikram cleverly observes that the one who recited the magical prayer acted as a father, the one who immersed her ashes behaved like a son, but the ascetic suitor, who preserved her ashes and led a life of renunciation, is the true match.

Impressed with Vikram's wisdom, Betal acknowledges the correct answer but also points out Vikram's violation of the rule not to speak. Betal then slips away and returns to the tamarind tree, leaving Vikram in anticipation of the next challenging story.

 

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

(A story for children)

About six hundred years ago the people of Hamelin, a town in Germany, were afraid of rats. The rats ate up everything like grains, flour, bread, cheese etc. Rats were found even in the shoes, hats, and pockets of the people. As night came, mothers found rats lying comfortably in the beds of children. Even dogs and cats lived in fear because their puppies and kittens were killed by the rats.

People were very worried. They did not know how to get rid of the rats. They went to see the Mayor in the Town Hall. They began shouting and crying outside the Hall. The Mayer came out and greeted them with respect. The people told him about the troublesome rats. The mayor requested them to give him one month. The people did not agree. At last, he promised them that they would get rid of the rats in a week. The people went away.

After making a promise to the people the mayor came back to the Town Hall and asked his councillors for a suggestion to get rid of rats. Some councillors thought hundreds of carpenters should be ordered to make thousands of traps to catch the rats. Others advised the mayor to bring armies of dogs and cats to drive away the rats. Some others suggested that the holes of rats should be plugged, or the rats should be poisoned. The last piece of advice was to build new Pacca stone houses to live in. But all these suggestions were of no use.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door of the Hall. When the door was opened, they saw the Pied Piper looking strange in his red and yellow clothes. He said he could help them in getting rid of the rats using a charm. He demanded one thousand guilders in cash for the job. The mayor was very glad. He agreed at once to pay the cash if the rats were driven away.

The Pied Piper soon started playing a tune on his pipe. A huge army of rats gathered there to listen to the Pipe. The Piper moved out of the town playing upon his pipe. The army of rats followed him. He led all the rats to the river Weser and drowned them all in the water.

After doing his job, Pied the Piper came back to the mayor and asked him to pay the money. The mayor did not like to pay the big sum of one thousand guilders for this simple job. He was willing to pay only fifty guilders for this job. At this, Piper grew angry. He warned the mayor that the breach of promise would bring them great suffering and trouble. But the Mayor did not care.

The Pied Piper again stood in the street and started playing another magic tune on his pipe. It had a strange effect on the children. They gathered around Piper and followed him wherever he went. He led them to the mountain near the town. A cave door opened and Piper along with the children went into the cave. The door closed after their entry.

The Mayor and the Councillors cried and wept but it was all in vain. It is said that Piper and the children reached another country safe and sound and lived happily there.

An Exercise

Now, my dear children do this exercise by answering the following questions:

What suggestions would have been offered by the mayor to get rid of the rats?

Ans. Some suggested that all the rats should be poisoned. Others suggested that hundreds of carpenters should be employed to prepare thousands of traps for catching and killing the rats.

Why did the people of Hamelin live in constant fear?

Ans. The people of Hamelin lived in constant fear of rats because the rats ate up every eatable and were found even in their shoes, pockets, hats, and beds.

How did rats make people uncomfortable?

Ans. There were thousands and thousands of rats in Hamelin. They destroyed and ate up everything like food grain, bread, cheese etc. kept in the stores. They found their way into the beds and cradles of babies. They also entered the shoes, hats, and pockets of the people. Thus, they had made life uneasy and uncomfortable for the people.

Where did the people go one day?

Ans. One day the people went to the Town Hall to see the mayor.

Where was the mayor?

Ans. The Mayor was in the Town Hall.

What were the councillors in constant fear of?

Ans. The councillors were in constant fear of losing their jobs.

What did the mayor promise the people?

Ans. The Mayor promised the people that they would get rid of the rats within a week.

Why did the mayor not get the rats poisoned?

Ans. The Mayor did not get the rates poisoned because he could not poison them without the risk of poisoning the people.

Imagine you have a cat. Write some more lines.

My neighbour has a beautiful white cat and a little dog. The dog has no puppies. The cat has four little kittens. My brother likes dogs and plays with the cat's little ones. He wants to bring them to my house. Our mother does not allow any cats or dogs into her house. But now we have rats in our house. They eat up the grain we store for the lean months and all the flour we get ready for making bread. Now our mother wants my brother to have a cat and a dog in the house.

One day a rat bit my sister's baby which was put to bed in a cradle. The baby which was lying in comfort in the cradle suddenly started crying. My sister was busy cooking. She ran out and looked at the child. She noticed blood on the child's fingers. Ever since she has been in constant fear of rats. She caught a good number of them in traps and my neighbor’s cat killed some more.

Now we have got rid of rats. But we often find our milk and cheese disappearing. Our neighbor’s cat is very fond of them.

Why did Piper look very strange? Imagine yourself.

Ans. The Pied Piper was wearing red and yellow clothes.

He was as thin as a starving rat. He had a crooked nose and sharp, blue eyes. He was without a beard. He had a smile.

going out and in on his lips. Thus, he looked very strange.

What did the Pied Piper promise the mayor?

Ans. The Pied Piper promised the mayor that he would get rid of the rats.

What did the mayor promise the Pied Piper?

Ans. The Mayor promised the Pied Piper to pay one thousand guilders.

What did the Pied Piper do with the rats?

Ans. The Pied Piper led the army of rats to the river Weser and drowned them all in the water.

Why was the Pied Piper disappointed?

Ans. The Pied Piper was disappointed because the Mayor refused to pay him one thousand guilders.

How did Piper punish the people of Hamelin?

Ans. The Piper punished the people of Hamelin by taking away their children to an unknown country far away.

Suppose you are married, and some rats are in your home. What would you do? Express in first person.

I want everything in my house to be kept tidy. But there are a lot of rats in my house, and they upset everything. One morning I stepped out of my room and found that I was about to step on a rat. I jumped up and upset a bottle which went tumbling down the stairs. I was very angry and made up my mind to get rid of all the rats in the house. My wife suggested that I should poison the rats. But I did not like the suggestion as I did not want the rats to be killed. I went to a carpenter and got an old trap mended. I caught a few rats in the trap. Then I plugged all the rat holes. I thought I would never again be bothered by rats, and I hoped to live in peace. But only a few days later I found a new army of rats upsetting everything in the house. Further, I want the concrete house to be built in a month. I don't like to be disturbed. I want everything to be kept in order. I want the house to be kept in order.

Imagine that you are one of the women in Hamelin at the time of the story. Tell your friend How you were troubled by the rats and what happened at the Town Hall.

Ans. I lived in Hamelin. One day a friend of mine visited my house. She saw rats running about in the house. She asked me if I was not afraid and troubled by the rats. I told her that I was in constant fear of the rats. I said, "My dear friend, there are thousands of rats in my house. They eat up everything kept in the store like grain, flour, cheese, bread, milk etc. We find rats in our shoes, pockets, and hats. They even enter the beds and cradles of babies and lie there in comfort. These rats are not afraid of even dogs and cats. They attack puppies and kittens and kill them.

One day the people of Hamelin went to the mayor and told him about their fear, trouble and misery. He received the people with respect and promised that they would get rid of the rats in a week. The people came back home.

Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram and Sundara Kanda.

 Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram.

Sundara Kanda.

22^nd. January 2024 is an auspicious day as Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram.

During the auspicious occasion of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, the idol undergoes a significant ritualistic process before finding its place in the temple. Before this event, the idol remains immersed in a mixture of water and grain, symbolizing a period of sanctification.

The Sanskrit word Pratishtha means "resting" or "position", used in connection with a murti. Prana means "life force, breath, spirit". The phrase Prana Pratishtha is a ritual that means "establishment of the image in its vital breath" or "bringing life to the temple". It is also referred to as Murti Sthapana (image placement inside the temple).

The ritual typically involves a Puja, chanting of Sanskrit mantras, as the deity is moved from outside into the centre place. It includes inviting the deity as a resident guest of the temple, and bathing and cleansing the deity, like welcoming a revered guest after a long journey. This is followed by dressing and seating the deity in a place of comfort. The image's face is tilting towards the east (signifying the sunrise), followed by the ceremony with hymns (the act of touching different parts of the murti, symbolizing the presence of various gods as sensory organs – Indra as the hand, Brahma as the heart, Surya as the eyes, etc.) The priest recites specific mantras and performs rituals to infuse the idol with prana. During this process, the deity descends into the idol, making it a living representation. After the infusion of prana, the deity is considered consecrated and blessed. Devotees often seek the deity's blessings at this point. The ritual also includes the spraying of scented water and flowers.

The image is then considered blessed. In large and ceremonial public temples, the murti may be retired at sunset, retiring to bed and then woken up at sunrise with pleasantries, washing, offering of fresh clothes, food and interaction with the devotees.

When the Supreme Being, known only to Vedas, has taken form as the son of Dasaratha, the Vedas also transformed themselves into Ramayana, through Valmeki, the son of the Sage Prachesta.

Valmiki too in naming his work 'Ramayana', literally meaning 'Rama's travels', had his intentions clear. He had vividly described the length and breadth of Bharatavarsha, in the form of travel narrations of Rama. Rama's travel route from Ayodhya to Lanka united the Northern India with the Southern India. Rama's brother Bharata's travels to the west and his brother Lakshmana's travels to the east united the East and West of India. Truly, Valmiki's Ramayana is the glue that unites Bharatavarsha into a single whole!

Vyasa together with Valmiki are the true forefathers of Bharatavarsha; emperor Bharata is its founder.

Well, supreme poet, and his immortal work of writing anything upon Rāmāyana, I know perfectly well that not an inch of space was left for explanation of any fresh thoughts. But out of devotional curiosity and enthusiasm, I did not pause to consider either the futility- or the superfluity of the venture. I am exactly in the position of the legendary squirrel, as regards the other colossal commentators. It brought so much and was stuck to its wet body each time, to cement the great bridge while the great monkey warriors were carrying huge mountains as so many pebbles. If all my ideas acquire any validity, it must be due to the grace of Rama and Rama alone, as the said Squirrel was fortunate enough to be blessed with His Grace. The squirrel played its part.

Bhagwan Valmiki created a powerful mantra, which is a garland of 27 (an auspicious number 1/4x108) names of the exploits and the high qualities of the head and heart of Hanuman, which is known as Sundara Hanuman mantra, and he flowered forth from this Kanda. Rāma also has a claim to this description Sundara, (beautiful). Thus, serving both ways this Kanda is called Sundara Kanda. In this Kānda only, all the great activities are Hanuman’s exclusively.

In the next Kānda (Yuddha Kānda) he shared the honour with the other mighty monkey chiefs, except in the two amazing deeds of bringing the mountain having the life-saving herbs for Lakshmana. It is proved true that by a devout reading of this Kānda, one gets all his reasonable desires fulfilled by the grace of Lord Hanuman.

Again, this Kānda contains many splendid descriptions of various objects the ocean, the sky, the city of Lanka, its gardens, and the superb description, of Moonlight, the pathos of Sita Davi’s form and situation in superb abstract similar and the most beautiful physical features of Rama, in their most ideal aspects. Thus, this Kānda fully deserves its title Sundarā Kānda, which is more appropriate than any other title. The Kānda, by its varied sentiments, in various situations created by this mighty poet in various meters is superb (as scholars say).

Again, there is mention of the marriage of Lord Hanuman with Suvarchala Devi, the daughter of the Sun God. It says that Hanuman can assume any form (Kamaroopi) and in whatever form he assumes he is Sundara (very beautiful). He is beautiful as a bachelor (at the first meeting with Rama), as a householder, as a Vanaprastha hermit (third order of life) as Yati (wandering monk), as a very old person (with Bheema in Mahabharata), as a young person, or as a boy, or as a simpleton (a dark horse by curse), or in a very small form (in Lanka, while searching for the Devi Sita) or in his cosmic form; and he is most beautiful in the three worlds, even though he is born as a monkey.

Again, standing on the Mahendra Mountain, the great Hanuman was like the Mandhara Mountain placed on the back of Maha Vishnu, in his incarnation of Tortoise for churning the milky ocean. When then mount Mahendra shook under the weight of Hanuman, the tigers, in the caves, out of fear, ran out of the caves, holding their cubs with their mouths.

Standing on the mount Mahendra, Hanuman, the mighty, intended to take to the skies of the celestial Charanas, to find the place of Sita, carried off by Ravana. For this most difficult task of flying over the ocean and against all odds, he erected his head and neck and was like a powerful full and he freely walked about the cool green pastures there, like a great lion and killing many wild beasts and uprooting the trees with dash of his chest. Gandharvas, Kinneras and Yakshas were adorned with jewels found there and celestial-like snakes resided on the sides of the mount. He was like a huge elephant among the elephants in the lakes there.

Describing the attempts of the great Hanuman to ready himself for his great flight. A great critic sees in it a brief exhibition of the most difficult sacred and mysterious Kundalini Yoga (activating the dormant primordial cosmic energy - "serpent power" located in the person, in the region where the legs commence. When Kundalini is activated by this Yoga (discipline), It is said to "wake up" and pass up through the Sushumna Nadi (an Astral nerve along the spine) through the higher "chakras" and finally reaches the thousand-petalled chakra or Padma in the brain. The holy union, results in samadhi, the superconscious state where mental modifications cease to exist. When this Kundalini is travelling up, the Sadhaka will be having mystic experiences and great celestials will be coming into his mental vision. That is what the great Yogi Hanuman had got. The great poet, in this Kānda, speaks of two mystical disciplines- Gayatri and Kundalini Yoga - an additional reason for this Kānda being named Sundara Kanda.

 

 

Robin Hood and Friar Tuck

One day Robin Hood saw Friar Tuck, a priest in the forest. The priest was sitting on the bank of a stream and did not see Robin. On seeing the priest Robin took out his sword and walked up to him silently. He held the sword at the priest's throat and said to him, "I want to go to the other side of the stream without wetting my feet. There is no bridge and there is not even a log of wood thrown across it. Carry me on your back to the other side."

The priest obeyed Robin Hood. But as soon as Robin got off his back, the priest threw Robin to the ground and commanded the criminal to carry him back across the stream once again.

Robin obeyed Friar Tuck, but as soon as he reached the bank, he threw Friar Tack to the ground and asked him to carry him across the stream once again.

Friar Tuck said that he would obey him. But when he was in the middle of the stream, he threw Robin into the water and walked off to the bank. Robin Hood was very angry. He took out his sword and ran to the bank. But Friar Tuck was not frightened; he was no coward. He took out his sword and started fighting in earnest. Robin Hood admired the priest's courage and his skill in using the sword for he could protect himself with ease.

They stopped fighting after some time. Then Robin Hood said, "I am Robin Hood. You are a very bold man and so I like you. You have proved your worth and you can join my merry band if you want to."

Friar Tuck agreed to join the band of outlaws. Then Robin Hood took out his horn and blew it three times. Twenty of his men came to him. Robin Hood said, "These are some of my men".

Friar Tuck whistled three times and twenty dogs came running to him. He said, "These are my dogs. They will also come and live with me".

 Exercise-developing comprehension.

A kite flying overhead spotted a dead snake. In its beak, the kite had a pearl necklace. It dropped the necklace and flew away with the dead snake. When the poor old woman saw a bright, shining object on her roof she pulled it down with a pole. Finding that it was a pearl necklace she danced with joy!                    

Parum develops an interesting story further!

Kite and a Pearl Necklace.

          The news of the pearl necklace spread quickly through the small village. As the old woman danced with joy, the entire community gathered around her house, curious about the mysterious events unfolding. The villagers were puzzled by the strange combination of a kite carrying a dead snake and a pearl necklace.

The old woman, whose name was Mrs. Somavati, was known for her kindness and humility. She had lived a simple life, and the idea of owning a valuable pearl necklace was beyond her wildest dreams. The villagers, fascinated by the unusual sequence of events, bombarded Mrs. Somavati with questions.

Amid the crowd, a young and curious journalist named Maya, who happened to be visiting the village, sensed a captivating story. She approached Mrs. Somavati and asked if she could share her incredible experience with the world. Mrs. Somavati, still in disbelief and overwhelmed with joy, agreed.

Maya interviewed Mrs. Somavati, capturing every detail of the unusual incident. As the story unfolded, it became apparent that the pearl necklace was not an ordinary one; it was rumoured to be part of a long-lost treasure that once belonged to a royal family.

The news spread beyond the village, attracting the attention of historians, treasure hunters, and even a few eccentric characters who believed in the mystical powers of kites and snakes. The village transformed into a bustling hub of activity, with people from various places arriving to catch a glimpse of the miraculous necklace.

Among the visitors was an eccentric archaeologist named Professor Parum, who specialized in ancient artefacts and treasures. He was convinced that the pearl necklace held a key to uncovering the lost history of the region. Professor Parum, along with his team, began investigating the area, searching for clues that might lead them to more treasures.

As the story continued to unfold, it became a tale of unexpected twists and turns. The kite, with its unusual cargo, became a symbol of fortune for the village, and people started to believe in the magic that surrounded the events. Mrs. Somavati, once a humble woman, found herself at the centre of attention, and her life took an unexpected turn.

The pearl necklace, the kite, and the dead snake became legendary in the village, passed down through generations as a story of miracles and hidden treasures. The once-quiet village became a tourist attraction, drawing people from far and wide who hoped to catch a glimpse of the famous rooftop where the pearl necklace had miraculously landed.

And so, the small village, once overshadowed by obscurity, found itself thrust into the limelight, all thanks to a kite, a dead snake, and a pearl necklace that brought unexpected joy to the life of Mrs. Somavati and changed the destiny of an entire community.

19-01-2024 To Sandeep and Rakesh-my love

 

19-01-2024

To Sandeep and Rakesh-my love

Ah! I recall Ralph Hodgson’s poem- "Time, You Old Gipsy Man" where ‘Time’ is personified as an old gipsy man who travels from place to place, never staying in one location for long. The two ‘Mamtur -Poftur’ travel from place to place never staying in one location for long, meeting at international airports. Both rush.  It shows the transient and fleeting nature of time, highlighting the impermanence of moments and civilisations.

Time, You Old Gipsy Man by Ralph Hodgson (1871–1962)

 

TIME, you old gipsy man, Will you not stay,

 

Put up your caravan, just for one day?

 

All things I’ll give you, Will you be my guest,

 

Bells for your jennet, Of silver the best,

 

Goldsmiths shall beat you, A great golden ring,

 

Peacocks shall bow to you, little boys sing,

 

Oh, and sweet girls will, Festoon you with may.

 

Time, you old gipsy, Why hasten away?

 

Last week in Babylon, Last night in Rome,

 

Morning, and in the crush; Under Paul’s dome.

 

Under Paul’s dial, you tighten your rein—

 

Only a moment, And off once again.

 

Off to some city, now blind in the womb.

 

Off to another, Ere that’s in the tomb.

 

Time, you old gipsy man, Will you not stay,

 

Put up your caravan! just for one day?

 

How beautifully Ralph Hodgson humanizes time. The poet characterizes time with an old gipsy man who travels from place to place. The poet invites him to stay, asking him to put up his caravan for just one day.

"Time, You Old Gipsy Man" by Ralph Hodgson is a poem that personifies time as an old gipsy man who travels from place to place, never staying in one location for long. The speaker of the poem addresses Time, inviting him to stay and be a guest for just one day. The poem explores the transient and fleeting nature of time, highlighting the impermanence of moments and civilizations.

The poet wants to make several deals with ‘Time’. He offers various things to Time, such as bells, a silver bridle for his horse (jennet), and a golden ring made by goldsmiths. The poet paints a vivid picture of luxury, with peacocks bowing and little boys singing. Sweet girls are mentioned, who will festoon and garland Time with May (flowers), suggesting a celebration.

Ralph Hodgson, the poet questions why Time is in such a hurry to move on, referencing historical cities like Babylon and Rome. The mention of being "in the crush under Paul’s dome" could refer to the crowds at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Time is portrayed as constantly moving, tightening his rein on the dial of a clock, and rushing off to the next destination.

Time is described as moving from one city to another, leaving one city (now blind in the womb) and moving on to another before the previous one is even in the tomb. This emphasizes the ceaseless progression of time and the transitory nature of civilizations.

In the end, the poet echoes, and the poet repeats the invitation for Time to stay, asking him to put up his caravan for just one day. The poem concludes with a plea for a brief respite from the relentless march of time.

Overall, the poem captures the theme of the fleeting nature of time, the inevitability of change, and the impermanence of human achievements. The metaphor of the gipsy man and his caravan serves as a powerful image for the constant journey of time, never settling in one place for long.

The Great Pyramid (A story for children)

 

The Great Pyramid

More than four thousand years ago, the Egyptians were highly civilized, and their country was the richest in the world. They had a long line of Kings, but Cheops was the most famous of them.

One day, the young prince, Cheops, called the royal priest and asked him what happened to man after his death. The priest told him that every dead person would come to life again after millions of years and his soul would enter his dead body if it were preserved. That is why Egyptian kings built strong pyramids to preserve their dead bodies in those pyramids for thousands of years. Only the dead bodies of kings were kept in the Pyramids because the safety and welfare of the people lay in the safety of their kings.

On becoming king, Cheops ordered the royal architect to build a strong pyramid which time would not be able to destroy. The architect required 100,000 slaves to work for 20 years. He

required 12 acres of land to build a 500-foot-high pyramid. He told the king that the pyramid would be very strong and with mouth faces and He also said that he would use two half million stone blocks each weighing two and a half tons. The ancient Egyptians took great care to preserve the bodies of their dead kings because they believed that the dead kings would come to life again after a long time. The Great Pyramid is very solid because it is made of huge, big blocks of stones. These huge stones are so joined together or cemented that not a drop of water or a pinch of dust can enter between them. Thus, the Great Pyramid was built. It is counted even now among the great wonders of the world.

Silk a Brief Description

 Silk a Brief Description

Thousands of years have passed since China first discovered silkworms. Nowadays, silk, in some sense, is still some kind of luxury. Some countries are trying some new ways to make silk without silkworms. Hopefully, they can be successful. But whatever the result, nobody should forget that silk was, still is, and will always be a priceless treasure.

It is well known that silk is discovered in China as one of the best materials for clothing - it has a look and feeling of richness that no other materials can match. However, very few people know when, where or how it is discovered. It could date back to the 30th Century BC when Huang Di (Yellow Emperor) came into power. There are many legends about the discovery of silk; some of them are both romantic and mysterious.

Silk is one of the oldest fibers known to man. Its discovery as a wearable fibre is credited to Lady Xi Ling Shi, the 14-year-old bride of Emperor Huang Ti, the so-called 'Yellow Emperor'. One day in 2640 BC, according to Confucius, she was sitting under a mulberry tree, drinking a cup of tea into which a silk cocoon fell from above. She noticed the delicate fibers start to unravel in the hot liquid and has been credited as the first person to 'reel' or unravel a silk cocoon and use the filament to create a yarn for weaving. Whether or not the legend holds, it is certain that the earliest surviving references to silk production place it in China and that for nearly 3 millennia, the Chinese had a global monopoly on silk production.

One legend has it that once there lived a father with his daughter, and they had a magic horse, which could not only fly in the sky but also understand human language. One day, the father went out on business and did not come back for quite some time. The daughter made him a promise: If the horse could find her father, she would marry him. Finally, her father came back with the horse, but he was shocked at his daughter's promise.

Unwilling to let his daughter marry a horse, he killed the innocent horse. And then a miracle happened! The horse's skin carried the girl flying away. They flew and flew, at last, they stopped on a tree, and the moment the girl touched the tree, she turned into a silkworm. Every day, she spit long and thin silks. The silks just represented her feeling of missing him.

Another less romantic but more convincing explanation is that some ancient Chinese women found this wonderful silk by chance. When they were picking fruits from the trees, they found a special kind of fruit, white but too hard to eat, so they boiled the fruit in hot water, but they still could hardly eat it. At last, they lost their patience and began to beat them with big sticks. In this way, silks and silkworms were discovered. And the white hard fruit is a cocoon!

The cultivation of the silkworm is known as 'sericulture.' The tiny eggs of the silkworm moth are incubated until they hatch into worms when they are placed under a fine layer of gauze covered with finely chopped mulberry leaves. For six weeks the caterpillars (silkworms) eat almost continually, reaching a length of roughly 75mm. Branches are placed in their rearing houses at the end of this period, which the silkworms will climb to build their cocoons in one continuous length of silk filament. Liquid secretions from two large glands in the insect emerge, which harden exposure to the air and form silk.

Silk is an animal fibre produced by silkworm insects to build their cocoons. Although many insects produce silk, only the filament produced by the mulberry silk moth, Bombyx mori, and a few others in the same genus, is used by the commercial silk industry. The silk produced by other insects, mainly spiders, is used in a small number of other commercial capacities, for example, weapons telescope crosshairs and other optical instruments. 

Silk filament comes from the cocoons built by 'silkworms,' which are not worms at all, but silk moth pupae. If allowed to hatch, the silkworm moth has a lifespan of up to three days. The moths do not eat. They rarely fly and reach a wingspan of 40 - 50mm with a thick hairy body. The female lays 300 - 500 eggs in that time.

The raising of silkworms and unwinding cocoons is now known as silk culture or sericulture. It takes an average of 25-28 days for a silkworm, which is no bigger than an ant, to grow old enough to spin a cocoon. Then the farmers pick them up one by one into piles of dry straws. Mostly, the silkworm will attach itself to the straw, with its legs to the outside and begin to spin.

Over three days, the silkworm spins its cocoon, producing up to 950 meters of silk filament. If the moth were allowed to hatch, the silk strands would be broken. They are preserved intact by killing the pupa before it hatches with hot air or steam. The silk is then unbound from the cocoon by softening the sericin and then delicately and carefully unwinding, or 'reeling' the filaments from 4 - 8 cocoons at once, sometimes with a slight twist, to create a single strand. The amount of usable silk in each cocoon is small, and about 5500 silkworms are required to produce 1 kg (2.2 lb.) of raw silk.

The next step is unwinding the cocoons; it is done by reeling girls. The cocoons are heated to kill the pupae. This must be done at the right time, otherwise, the pupas are bound to turn into moths, and moths will make a hole in the cocoons, which will be useless for reeling. To unwind the cocoons, first put them in a basin filled with hot water, find the loose end of the cocoon, and then twist them, and carry them to a small wheel, thus the cocoons will be unwound. At last, two workers measure them into a certain length and twist them, they are called raw silk, and then they are dyed and woven into cloth.

'Raw silk' is silk that still contains sericin. Once this is washed out (in soap and boiling water), the fabric is left soft, lustrous, and up to 30% lighter! The thickness of silk filament is expressed in terms of denier - the number of grams of weight per 9000 meters. Spun silk is given a numerical designation based on the number of hanks (840yd lengths) per pound. 

Silk filament is strong, as strong as steel of the same thickness, resisting breakage up to a weight of 4g per filament, and much stronger than cotton or wool. Silk is also lower in density than cotton, wool, or nylon and as such, is highly moisture absorbent, able to absorb as much as a third of its weight in moisture without feeling damp. Silk loses strength over time if kept in bad storage conditions and weakens eventually if constantly exposed to strong sunlight (eg curtains). 

An interesting fact is that we can unwind about 1,000 meters long silk from one cocoon, while 111 cocoons are needed for a man's tie, and 630 cocoons are needed for a woman's blouse.

Chinese people developed new ways of using silk to make clothes since the discovery of silk. This kind of cloth called silk became popular soon. At that time, China's technology was developing fast. 

The Chinese realized the value of the beautiful material they were producing and kept its secret safe from the rest of the world for more than 30 centuries. Travellers were searched thoroughly at border crossings, and anyone caught trying to smuggle eggs, cocoons, or silkworms out of the country was summarily executed. Demand for this exotic fabric eventually created the lucrative trade route now known as the 'Silk Road,' of which mention is made as early as 300BC in the days of the Han Dynasty, taking silk westward and bringing gold, silver, and wools to the East.  Soon, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty decided to develop trade with other countries.

Building a road becomes a priority to trade silk. After nearly 60 years of war, the world-famous ancient Silk Road was built at the cost of many losses of life and treasures. It started in Chang'an (now Xi'an), across Middle Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. Many countries in Asia and Europe were connected. The Silk Road began at Sian and was some 4,000 miles long. A caravan tract, it followed the Great Wall of China.

Few people travelled the entire route - goods were handled mostly by a series of middlemen. With the mulberry silk moth native to China, the Chinese had a monopoly on the world's silk production until about 200 BC when Korea saw the emergence of its silk industry thanks to a handful of Chinese immigrants who had settled there. The secret was out. Eventually, other countries began to produce silk too, India and Japan being the first to do so in about AD 300. Silk had become a valuable commodity in the Western world and in 550AD Emperor Justinian I sent two Nestorian monks to China to smuggle back some moth eggs and mulberry seeds, which they did at the risk of their lives, concealing the precious goods in bamboo walking staffs. With the arrival of the silk eggs in Byzantium, China's silk monopoly was at an end.

From then on, Chinese silk passed to Europe. Romans, especially women, were crazy about Chinese silk. Before that, Romans used to make clothes with linen cloth, animal skin and wool fabric. Now they all turned to silk. It was a symbol of wealth and high social status for them to wear silk clothes. One day, an Indian monk came to visit the emperor. This monk had been living in China for several years and knew the method of raising silkworms. The emperor promised a high profit for the monk, the monk hid several cocoons in his cane and took it to Rome. Then, the technology of raising silkworms spread out.

The ancient Persian courts did not know how to make their silk, would untie Chinese silks and reweave them into Persian designs which were so beautiful that when Darius III, King of Persia, eventually surrendered to Alexander the Great, he was clothed in such silken splendour that he completely outshone Alexander, who promptly demanded as spoils of war the equivalent of £11 million in silk.

Robin Hood Meets Little John

 Robin Hood Meets Little John

Class room lesson for children

Robin Hood was a brave man living in a forest. He helped the poor but hated the rich. He had a band of bold men who lived with him and loved and obeyed him. They were all good fighters with bows and arrows and swords and sticks.

One day Robin Hood was crossing a narrow wooden bridge across a stream. He saw a giant at the other end. Both men met face-to-face in the middle of the bridge. Robin Hood asked the giant to make way for him, but he refused to turn back. Each threatened to throw down the other into the stream. They started fighting. At last, both fell into the water.

They struggled hard and reached the bank. Robin Hood blew his horn and soon his men came there and fell upon the giant. But their master, Robin Hood asked them not to do any harm to the giant. Then Robin asked the giant who he was. The giant replied that his name was 'John the Little'. He had come to join Robin's band. Robin Hood was very glad and made him a member of his band.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why did Robin Hood live in a forest?

Ans. Robin Hood lived in a forest because he was an outlaw.

2. Why did the rich hate Robin Hood?

Ans. The rich hated Robin Hood because he robbed them.

3. Write four sentences about Robin Hood's followers.

1.    Robin Hood's followers were outlaws.

2.    They loved and obeyed Robin Hood.

3.    They were bold men and good fighters.

4.     They lived in the forest with their master, Robin.

4. What did Robin Hood ask John to do? Did John obey him?

Ans. Robin Hood asked John to make way for him on the bridge. John did not obey him.

5. What did Robin Hood do to call his followers?

Ans. Robin Hood took out his horn and blew it three times to call his followers.

6. What did Robin Hood's followers do when they saw John?

Ans. Robin Hood's followers fell upon John when they saw him.

7. Why did John ask Robin Hood to pardon him?

Ans. John asked Robin Hood to pardon him because he had come to join his band.

8. What was the stranger's name before he met Robin Hood? What did Robin Hood call him?

Ans. The stranger's name before he met Robin Hood was John the Little. Robin Hood called him "Little John."