BLUE TEA

It was a perplexed day. My stubborn mind only craved for my own Chai. I felt like a drug addict usually denied his fix.

A cup of hot tea has always been an integral part of my life. It is my only companion during my long study hours and during those never ending sleepless nights. It makes me feel pampered and cozy. It gives me warmth and relaxation. To take time to make a cup of tea is another way to tell myself to slow down.

What I love most about Chai is the down time is gives me to sit, think and reflect, as the saying goes “there is always time for Chai.” With this much reflection time, I have thought so much about what has happened and what I hope for the next quarter of my life.

Life in force, is much more of an internal journey than I originally expected, I am coming to know myself a little better. It is here my ideas of normalcy get challenges everyday and my comfort zones expand. My daily reactions to the people so unlike myself are what it is all about in the end.

Engaged in my thoughts over my Chai, I just got remembered that today is International Tea Day. I decided to pen down the recipe of my signature drink “The Blue Tea”.

Blue tea is made from flowers of Clitoria ternatea; commonly called as Aparajitha, Shanka-Pushpi, Butterfly Pea or Asian Pigeon wings. It resembles a female clitoris, hence, the name.

It is called Shanka-pushpi because it resembles a Shanka- a conch shell and it is said to be a favorite of Lord Shankara. Linga, the phallus form, likes the pushpa that is in shape of clitoris. This signifies the natures union, the union of mother and the lord.

The climber- Clitoria ternatea

Blue color is because of a water soluble vacuolar pigment called Anthocyanin, whose shades vary based on the pH. 

Blue tea can be made both with fresh flowers and also dried ones. The aroma of the fresh flowers can never be compared with dried ones.

Boil a cup of water then add 6-8 full bloomed flowers preferably removing the green stalk. Let the flowers get cooked in the hot water. Close the lid of the dish so that the vapors don’t escape.

The blue color slowly disperses from the flowers to the water. Let the flowers boil for 10min. Strain the liquid and your tea is ready. You can add lemon or honey or sugar as per your choice. As an avid tea drinker I suggest blue tea with honey and few drops of lemon.

 

Adding a few drops of lemon will make the tea Purple/Pink due to Litmus reaction

As the name indicates, Clitoria is good for female pelvic health. It keeps us free from urinary tract infections and flushes out toxins from the body. East Asian countries do use these powdered dried flowers to get natural edible food color.

Ooo... why is the blue tea green? if you boil the flowers with the green stalk intact, the tea becomes green 

when lemon added to green colored blue tea...  it gives an another shade of blue

Next time do try this natural flower tea. I promise… you will love it!

RYTHU BANDHU: FARMERS’ INVESTMENT SUPPORT SCHEME

The Rythu Bandhu scheme, a first of its kind initiative providing investment support to farmers is launced by TRS government  in the state of Telangana.  This welfare programme provides 4000 rupees per acre per season to support farm investment twice a year.{for rabi and kharif  seasons}. New pattadhar passbooks with about 17 security features are given, which were printed after purifying the landrecords last year.

          This ambitious agrarian outreach of the Telangana Government is expected to provide the much needed breather to the marginal and small farmers who constitute the major chunk of land owners in the state.

My passbook

      I being a marginal farmer (yaa… I hold an half acre land which I bought an year ago with my earnings)  was called upon for collecting my passbook and cheque at my village, Yerugandapally, Marriguda (M), Nalgonda (D).

          The programme was launched by our MLA (Munugodu constituency) K. Prabhakar Reddy. The implementation of the scheme was no less than a poll day in general elections.

Our village ZPHS where the distribution was conducted

          Many people criticised this welfare scheme as a ploy to loot the vote bank. That made me to write this article critically analyzing the scheme.

          Many farmers in our state are marginal and small scale. They need investment for seeds and tilling the land.  With no collaterals in hand they borrow from the money lenders or other informal sources of credit. They get trapped in debt crisis if the farm fails. Next season, they again burrow money  or to pay back previous loan they will be forced to sell the crop to them only.  Thus this scheme, protects the farmers from the informal sources of credit.

          Usually the government supports the farmers by announcing MSP (Minimum Support Price). Ironically, its only for 25 crops out of the hundreds of types of crops we farm every year. The benefits of MSP are never reached to the marginal farmers as they farm for their own consumption. ( they barely have any surplus to sell , that is left after their consumption).

          Thus this investment support scheme helps to improve the livelihood of small scale and marginal farmers which the MSP failed to do so.

          The scheme is widely criticised for its applicability  only to the landowners but not the tenants. This is to motivate those landlords who don’t show any interest towards farming and turned their lands barren, fearing the investment losses because of  the frequent monsoon failures.

          And finally, those who don’t wish to take money under this scheme, can give up their money voluntarily to Rythu Samanvaya Samiti corpus. (which will be used for agrarian purposes).

My cheque.... only 2000 because I have marginal landholdings

Security features of the passbook

          Thus this is one of the best planned programme in the recent times for the welfarement of our agararian society. I do support it and hope programmes like this, gets implemented in all other states too.

         

         

PAHADI SHAREEF DARGAH, HYDERABAD : A SUFI SHRINE

          Finally,I could make some leisure time to visit Pahadi Sharif, the Dargah of Sufi saint Hazrath Syedna Baba Sharifuddin.  It’s about 7 km from Balapur towards Rajiv Gandhi International Airport road, Hyderabad. I got to know about this Dargah from a patient, who was a 76yr old Muslim man with a cataract allotted to me as along case during my Ophthalmology exam. It is the time of Urs (death anniversary) of the Baba.

       Sufi’s are liberal among muslims. They spread the message of love of God and love of all humanity. They practiced “Sulh-e-Kul”, or ‘peace to all,’ a formal policy of multiculturalism and inclusivity. The Sufi saints who died are called Pirs and their burial site is a Dargah.

      A Dargah is a place of a religious harmony. Both Hindus and Muslims visit here.

      Born in September 1190 in Baghdad, Baba Sharfuddin came to Deccan via Delhi and settled down at this hillock (Pahadi). He was among the first Sufi’s who came to this region. He prayed for everyone and got their wishes fulfilled. His fame spread in the region because he didn’t discriminate.

       It was Aruangzeb who built the structure over the simple grave of Baba into the present shape of the big hall. 

       The multiple columns, multi- cusped arches of Dargah were constructed under Mir Mahbub Ali Khan.

       The steps on the hillock were chiseled out and shaped during the time of Mir Osman Ali Khan.

     The forecourt of the Dargah was donated by Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad.

       At the foot hill of the shrine is the rundown deorhi (archway) built by Paigah nobleman Iqbal Ud Dowla. 

       Men and women walk in with rose petals and bottles of ittar. They touch the Mazaar of Baba, sit in the inside room, read and pray. Children play around. A large number will visit the shrine for the fulfillment of their desires and wishes for the sake of the Sheik’s name. 

 Language is never a barrier to the faith.

Do visit this shrine next time when you are on your way to Hyderabad airport. 

Kudavalli Sangameswara temple Alampur : JOGULAMBA GADWAL district

                                 29^th, October 2017

KUDAVALLI SANGAMESWARA TEMPLE, ALAMPUR

           Less than a km from the Navabrahma Temples of Alampur lies an ASI protected monument of Chalukyan Architecture called Sangameswara Temple. Eventhough, we visited Alampur Jogulamba temple many times, we never knew about such rich heritage situated in its vicinity.

          The temple never got any recognition compared to the Shaktipeet of Alampur. The maintaince is utterly poor. The temple priest whose family performed rituals in this temple for generations narrated me the history and significance of its architecture.

          It was built by  Chalukya ruler Pulakesin II in 740 AD. {ASI board suggests that it belongs to the period of Vikramaditya I (655-81 AD) son of Pulakesin II}. It was orignally stood at the point of confluence (sangamam) of Krishna, Thunga and Badra rivers at Kudavalli 16km from Alampur, similar to the Kudali Sangamam  of Karnataka where Krishna and Malaprabha meet which is a famous shivate shrine. 

         The Srisailam Hydroelectric Project built in 1970’s had a risk of submerging the temple under its backwaters. Hence ASI relocated the entire temple exactly, block by block to current location, without disturbing its architecture in 1979.

        Sangameshwara temple is a fine example of Chalukyan grandeur, resembles Pattadakal in many ways. 

        It is built in Nagara style, on an elevated platform with fortified wall around the temple. 

       The temple has got large hall with 12 pillars followed by the sanctum, which has rudraksha malas on them. 

           There is a circumambulatory path around the sanctum for pradakshinas. The ceiling has a large relief of Nagaraja, as seen in other Chalukya temples. The pillars in the hall have nicely engraved images of Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Kumaraswarmy and celestial couple. 

          Right opposite the temple entrance is a Nandi Mantapa and a Stambha. The Mantapa is built on a 4' platform, has four square pillars and a simple flat roof.

The sikhara is of dvianga class has karna amalaka sila (resembles an Amla)

          There was a Marakata Linga found beneath the main shivalinga while moving the temple from the original site.Hence,all the four corners of the temple have crocodile carvings. You can see a human figure inside crocodile mouth in one of the corners. The human figure appears differently from each side, as child, youth carrying a baby in her arms and an elder person. The other 3 corners have crocodiles eating a man, a goat and a horse.

           The side walls are adorned with alternating niches and lattice designed windows which are unique and doesn’t repeat.

           

            This is the Matsya Yantra, a fish window, what looks like a flower is actually a convergence of eight similar fish. Similar Matsya Yantra can be seen at, Lad Khan Shiva Temple of Chalukyas at Aihole. 

              There is a small sanctum to the right of main entrance in the pradakshinapatha. It has image of Lord Narayana carved out of a black granite. Images of Dashavatara of Narayana are carved around the head in a climbers fashion. The lord is accompained by Sridevi Bhudevi to his right and left and the celestial bird Garuda below his feet.

Lord Narayana

            The fortified wall around the temple has many beautiful carvings of various statues. 

This is the entrance of the temple, having Sanghanidi and Padmanidi as dwarapalakas.

         Next to the Sanghanidi, lies goddess Yamnua standing on her vehicle Kamatha, a turtle. Observe her dress; the wet clothes are beautifully depicted. 

        Next is the idol of Harihara. The right half is Hara i.e. Lord Shiva with Trishul and Damaruk in his hand, a crescent moon and goddess Ganga on his head. The left half is Hari i.e. Lord Vishnu with Shanka- Chakra and a Gadha.

          Next, is the idol of Yamadarma Raja sitting on his vehicle, a he buffalo holding a danda in his right hand. To his left is the standing image of Chitragupta, who takes in to account all our good and bad thoughts and deeds.

          Lord Vishnu, with Adishesha above his head. Jain Architectural influence is clearly seen.

Lord Shiva killing demons.

            Lord Varuna. Again Jain architectural influence is clearly seen.

            Above Lord Varuna lies a small image of Rathi and Manmadha. It’s in the south west corner. According to Vastu Sastra, bedrooms are generally towards southwest or Nairuthi. It depicts that Chalukyans followed Vastu Sastra. 

         This is the image of ShodashaBhuja, the one who has 16 shoulders.

           The image of a Jain Monk.

            This is the statue of Ardhanaareshwara - physically and symmetrically half man-half woman.The statue's right half has male features while the left half has female features - right from feet to head. This idol is the main attraction of the temple. 

          This is the image of Lord Hanuman which is quite different than the ones seen usually. Its tail's end has a Trishula.

 This is the back view of the temple. 

            This is my small attempt to explain the glorious architecture of this magnificient ASI monument. Do visit this Kudavalli Sangameswara temple for sure next time when you go to Alampur.