Allô Chatrath

   

                                           Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune.  I am a self professed atheist and am not the religious or spiritual type. However last week when I came across  a free Youtube presentation on Upanishads in simple language from experts of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune, I was instinctively drawn towards these lectures. I have started watching those- for the sake of knowledge and not for seeking deliverance from the cycle of life and death. No, I am clear that I do not want Moksha. I would love to be born again and again and go through the darkest and the most pleasant experiences.  Anyway here is link to the first lecture that I watched:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmTYhLnVdQ8

  Canada has ministries and enactments that aim to reduce red tape, including the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction in Ontario and the Red Tape Reduction Act at the federal level. Going back in history I found that as way back as in 2012, Canadian Government had prepared a 'Red Tape Reduction Action Plan', so it seems to be 'work in progress'  Mr. Param Gill, a Canadian of Indian origin was the   Minister of Red Tape Reduction from June 24, 2022 – January 26, 2024  In 1994, the European Union introduced a rule stating that bananas must be “free of abnormal curvature.” This was widely mocked as an example of unnecessary bureaucracy, though the EU insisted it was about quality control.  In 2021, the UK’s Companies House (which registers businesses) still required some forms to be sent via fax . The catch? The UK government’s own offices no longer used fax machines. So, to comply, people had to buy outdated machines or find a business that still had one. And ...

Would you agree with me if I say that United Nations Organisation has failed miserably in achieving the objective for which it was created - to bring peace in the world.  It's failure to do anything substantial in Gaza and Ukraine shows that it is good only in declaring heritage sites and in declaring days to be celebrated And yes, we all are contributing financially to keep this mammoth organsiation and its bloated buraucracy afloat. India contributes to the United Nations (UN) through assessed contributions to the UN's regular budget and various UN agencies. For the year 2024, India paid USD 32.89 million towards the UN Regular Budget, making the payment on January 31, 2024. In addition to the regular budget, India also contributes to various UN agencies and international organizations. For the fiscal year 2024-25, India's total contributions to international bodies amounted to ₹2,620.9 crore (approximately USD 350 million), Come on, wake up UNO!

  I had got my name plate painted on a slate when I was dealing with "education' in my service career (in NCERT, Deptt of Education, MHRD, GOI and Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla).   I have now added a new name plate on my door which gives my name in Tamil also. My sincere thanks to my service colleague R. Balakrishnan who, on my request designed the board, got it prepared and sent to me by courier from Chennai.    Incidentally Balakrishnan is no ordinary bureaucrat, and I would be writing about him and his magnum opus "Journey of a Civilization: Indus to Vaigul" separately.   What is in a name had asked the Bard centuries ago.  And what is in a name plate, if I may ask?  Plenty.

  Indian cuisine- the best on planet earth                                 Typically Bengali vegetarian meal in Berhampore, West Bengal.

  How does one react to this unfortunate collapse of a mere 50 year old much tom-tommed ‘heritage’ building? Possibilities Were there some shortcoming in the structural drawings prepared by M. Le Cobusier and so ably assisted by his nephew M. Jeanneret? Were necessary checks and supervision done by M. Le Corbusier’s Team during the construction of the building Were appropriate steps taken for its regular maintenance? Conclusion No, nobody was at fault - at was an ‘Act of God’- the 7.1 degrees earthquake in Nepal made it collapse.

  Guess who are these personalities? First and third photos are comparatively easy. Let us see if you can spot the middle one😀

With best compliments from Dr. K J S Chatrath https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/by-the-book-6-9745018/ Book available on pothi.com

 I am trying my hands at some AI assisted soft-wares.  First I took a B&W photo of  Sophia Loren and sharpened and up scaled it. This is what it looked like then:  Then with the help of another AI assisted software, I colorised. And this is what it looks like now: P.S. I prefer the B&W one.

  Budapest courtyard from 1906 in Hungarian Art Nouveau style by artist Istvan Nagy.

  I visited the Amruteshwara Temple in Karnataka, India, a few weeks back.   This temple is located in the village of Amruthapura, 67 km north of Chikmagalur town in the Chikkamagaluru district of the Karnataka state , India . Constructed in 1196 AD under the patronage of Veera Ballala II, a king of the Hoysala dynasty, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is near the serene Bhadra River and amidst lush greenery . Temple is renowned for its intricate and detailed carvings, reflecting the artistic brilliance of the Hoysala era. The following architectural elements highlight the temple’s grandeur.     

 I have been trying to sort out my old papers that I have been collecting from year after year. Some of these papers are of no value or interest and are going straight to the wastepaper paper basket. But once in a while I do come across something that stirs up my old memories. Here is one such paper. I studied in this school for one year. It was a girls school and boys were enrolled in the lowest class for one year only I chuckle at seeing the report that informs that my arithmetic was not strong but my conduct and politeness were very impressive.

 "Nearly 3,000 doctors failed to renew registration in Himachal: CAG Report; Audit points our critical shortage of medical staff in HP's institutions" ( https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/cag-report-flags-acute-shortage-of-specialists-doctors-in-tribal-districts-2/) Is renewal of registration an accounting matter or an auditing matter?    Is insufficiency of medical staff an accounting or an auditing matter? Should you not confine yourself to the constitutional mandate of accounting & auditing, Mr. Comptroller & Auditor General, Sir  and let the administrative departments deal with such issues which come under their purviews?

Dumo di Milano Photo source: Wikipedia I had the privilege of visiting Milan Cathedral in Italy in 2018. Il Duomo di Milano, dedicated to Saint Mary Nascent and seat of the Archbishop of Milan. Begun in 1386, the cathedral—the largest in Italy—was formally completed only in 1965. Its primary style derives from the late French Gothic, with extensive use of statuary and flying buttresses. It is as beautiful from inside as it is stunning from outside. Condoglia marble mine in Italy (Photo & the write up below sourced from:  http://www.duomopatrons.org/en/infopage/building-the-cathedral/eec7717e-7322-4da7-9319-4d03ff13bcd1/) The marble used for the construction of the Duomo di Milano is quarried in Candoglia, and is exclusively dedicated to the construction of the Cathedral.  These quarries are located in Piedmont, in the North West of Italy, the quarries lie on the Western bank of the Toce river at the border of Val d'Ossola. Marble quarried in Can...