[nukkad] Jerusalem, Sati, Burma and Mahabalipuram and Ambassador taxi's

["Ravi Menon" <>]

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  "We struggle between 1% of what we know and 1% of what we don't know, 
but rarely come across the 98% of what we don't know that we don't know."
   - Buckminster Fuller
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Myjo - Jerusalem cannot belong to anybody it is a "cursed" city. All the 
three monotheistic religions that originated in teh region claim it for 
themselves just because Israel are the occupying power it cannot be theirs 
and thats a point that the world has acknowledged.

Sati - How controversial - we sing praises of the Rajput princesses who 
sacrificed themselves and have to pass laws preventing our own women today 
from doing the same. The widow who contemplates it more often than not has 
visions of how miserable her life can become - dont believe me? ask those 
women who get paid 2 rupees a day in Banaras to sing hymns of Lord Krishna. 
The older ones are fortunate the younger are aoften dragged into 
prostitution by those that run these establishments.

Burma - You forgot the malayalee Rohit. Many Kerlaites also sought their 
fortunes in Burma, some marrying local women. One of them my uncle escaped 
from Malaysia and walked back through Burma to India. Another cousin lost 
his life in Burma and his burmese widow along with 4 sons trekked back all 
the way to kerala to present their children to her mother in law! One of 
those sons retired from Pfizer and lives in Mumbai.

Mahabalipuram was the centre of a large empire that stretched into the East 
Indies. A large bas relief (the largest in the world) dated the 5-7 century 
AD can be seen in Mahabalipuram. It is entitled Arjuna's penance. What is 
curious is that a similar - near identical bas relief also exists in Angkor 
Wat where the kindgom of the Narasimha Varma dynasty extended so perhaps Sri 
Lanka was also part of that kingdom.

There are also examples of Egyptian, Greek and Roman designs on the walls as 
also roman and greek coins have been discovered here proving the existence 
of trade between teh east coast and Europe.

I have some pictures of this bas relief and other things at Mahabalipuram if 
anybody is interested please let me know if u are interested.

Ambassador Taxi's - Harshal - mea culpa - I saw rows of Black and Yellow 
cabs parked at the Chennai airport but did not have a camera digital or 
otherwise to take a picture for you. if he is still interested u could point 
somebody to the airport

Ravi






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