Rodevra Republic

What does it matter, क्या फर्क पड़ता है, Qu'importe, શું વાંધો છે, Que importa, এটার মানে কি, அது என்ன விஷயம், काय फरक पडतो. What does it matter to have money, fame, recognition. What matters is Creating. Creating for the sheer joy of creating and then sharing it. क्या फर्क पड़ता  है about the number of followers you have or the numbers of likes, comments, and shares your posts are getting. It is the number who will be there when you are sick, or who will wipe a tear when you lose a dear one, who will remember you on your special occasion, or who will make a special effort to be there with you. Qu'importe worrying about things that don't really matter. What matters is spending more time with people and activities that you truly love. શું વાંધો છે when the past is over. Belief in carpe diem matters. In the given circumstances, is there love in your heart, are you a good person? Que importa to be engaged in gross material pursuits. What matters is enjoying life by the littles...

In the current situation where  the individual as a component of the economy and the economy as a whole is under duress, only a spirit of cooperation and sacrifice can uplift us collectively. In our monetized worlds, every action or activity has an attached value which the individual will try to monetize, thus moving the wheels of the economy.  In the lockdown, most activities were suspended, causing sudden breaks on the economic engine. Money as the fuel for this engine needs trade or value to change hands. As this did not happen, economic parameters like GDP fell.  But what does a ‘falling economy’ really mean to us individually? As individuals our activities will not stop, only thing they will not be monetized to be taken into account as fuel for the economy. That is where the spirit of co-operation and sacrifice comes in, particularly in the field of care giving and civic activity. People marginalized by the conventional economy can find themselves gainfully contribut...

I was delighted when I was granted an appointment with Money. He personally did not have an official name as people addressed him differently.  So when I met him and introduced myself, he said, ‘ I don’t have a particular name as such, you may call me by whatever name you fancy’. I thought a bit and asked if I can call him ‘Daulat’. He at once agreed, ‘Great, I think it suits me’. He was tall, well built and carried himself with grace and poise. He was clean shaven with a soft and clear complexion. He was casually but smartly dressed with chinos, checked shirt and wearing a very pleasant fragrance and yes, a mask. By our definitions he fitted in with what we term as a meterosexual individual. Although his manner was very expressive and engaging there was a certain gentleness about it. But perhaps the most noticeable aspect was his eyes that were deep and penetrating and I felt he could see through everything. Getting Money straight into the conversation I asked the question on top...

Part 1 Our society has witnessed an unusual and unnatural preoccupation with money. Originally money was at best a means of exchange, as a substitute for exchanging goods for goods. Barter as we call it, was purely need based and there was no concept of having more than one required. As long as our basic needs were fulfilled, life went on. The concept of money is a human construct, a product of our civilization, where more money was sought to be earned for future, known and unknown needs. Since this could not be quantified, there was a tendency to acquire and hoard money. It soon became a symbol of social status and a claim for imagined superiority. The ostentatious aspect emerged as the superfluous money was flaunted making it desirable and a measure of success. The means to acquire more and more money led to compromising on the means to acquire it. Thus money brought along its associated evils of corruption, power, greed, degradation of values. In today’s consumerist  society, no...

  Always a pleasure listening to Engelbert Humperdinck and this one was his all time hits.   Those of you who have enjoyed this song, must listen to the French version sung by Mireille Mathieu. This Frenchwoman has an exceptional vocal range.  Petite and demure, she has natural beauty and an innate sense of style. When she sings in French,  she rolls the R’s in that inimitable Gallic manner,  reminding of Andre Bocelli.   Born in 1946, she was the eldest of 14 children. Her family lived in poverty. He  early days of poverty left a stamp on her that could never be shaken off. Her dress sense was dodgy, but what was wanting in urbaness and sophiststion she more than made up with her inimitable voice.

Here is one of the great inspirational songs from one of the most enduring popular films of our time, 'The Sound of Music'. What better way to imbibe the Christmas spirit than with this inspirational piece. It alludes to our spiritual compass when it uses metaphors of climbing mountains and fording streams on the path of finding one's dreams. The singing is a prime example of Contralto. The words and the singing together create an incredibly moving experience.    Found this accidentally when I was digitizing my old LP records. Revisiting this song after several years was a pleasant surprise. In comparison the other popular songs of the album seemed pretentious, but this one struck a chord instantly. Maybe the times we are going through. Here is the song. The lyrics (by  Oscar II Hammerstein / Richard Rodgers) follow the song: Climb every mountain Search high and low Follow every by way Every path you know   Climb every mountain Ford every stream Follow ever...

However much we may claim our proficiency in language, it always falls short of expressing the most important things in life. How many times have we said, 'Lack words to express' or 'Its beyond words'. The most profound or intense emotions, either of happiness or grief are inexpressible in words. The most beautiful relationships bloom in the language of silence and often it's depth is tested in it, where words become superfluous.  For example see this 20 second silent video below. Try putting the little girls action in words to evoke the same emotions. Impossible! Having said that, the video's presentation is so layered. While the father is with folded hands and the son plays along with the game, the daughter associates the folded hands at a subconscious level with devotion, love and pure emotion. She looks up at her father and holds the gaze for a couple of seconds, as if to confirm her feelings, and rightly so she can sense the same emotion in his eyes. With...

Here is a beautiful song in Bengali sung by Hemanta Mukherjee, better known as Hemant Kumar here. It  is one of my favourites. Enjoy the soulful singing and the rich tonal quality of his voice. Superbly picturised as well. For a full 34 seconds from 2:06 to 2:40 the camera is set on the actor's face, gradually zooming in and capturing every change in emotion, the breathing, the changing expression in the eyes. Wonderful treatment.   While the English translation is shown in the song, it has a deeper meaning connecting us to the flow of our lives. The river flows through its journey, finding resistance at times, peaceful and tranquil at other times, but with a one pointed purpose to merge with the ocean. She gives, she serves, she accepts everything that is cast her way. She knows her identity will be completely lost, but flows with a sense of urgency, a sense of purpose. While it meets its purpose, its journey is only to  selflessly serve while it flows.   From t...

The Magic of Vincent van Gogh   The link above is fantastic use of technology to show us some of Vincent van Gogh's most celebrated paintings. It starts from 'Night Café' and as you scroll right you have 'Portrait of Doctor Gachet',  'Café Terrace at Night', 'Starry Night', 'Starry Night over the Rhône' and  'At Eternity's Gate'. All paintings are seamlessly merged to appear as a single painting.   One can sense a certain melancholy in these paintings of his, signs of a conflicted soul who has gone through a tumultuous journey in life. He fought poverty,  depression and mental illness but created images that captivate you with their beauty, pain and sheer intensity. His best and most prolific work was in the asylum. He apparently shot himself dead at the age of 37. His paintings were carefully collected by his sister-in-law and got him recognition 11 years after his death.   One of the best homages to Vincent van Gogh was the song...

  The video struck an instant chord as it is an idea or vision that I have held dearly for several decades. I had in my early days, soon after college got a book, ‘The Dance of Shiva’ by Ananda Coomaraswamy. This was a collection of 14 essays which critically dealt with Indian art and aesthetics, ethos, philosophy, music, etc. He was a brilliant scholar and the greatest among Indian art historians. I give below an extracts from his essay, ‘The Dance of Shiva’ that beautifully illustrates the significance of Shiva’s dance: “Shiva is a destroyer and loves the burning ground. But what does he destroy? Not merely the heavens and earth at the close of a world-cycle, but the fetters that bind each separate soul. Where and what is the burning ground? It is not the place where are earthly bodies are cremated, but the hearts of his lovers, laid waste and desolate. The place where the ego is destroyed signifies the  state where illusion and deeds are burnt away: that is the crematorium,...