I heard Sandeep perform in Delhi this evening, after almost a decade. It was a short 90-minute concert and hence, had a hurried feel overall. Bantureeti in Hamsanadam Thyagaraja Yoga Vaibhavam in Ananda Bhairavi Mahalakshmi in Shankarabharanam (Main piece) Chandrachooda Siva Sankara in Darbari Kaanada Ramanai Bhajittai in Mand Thillana in Purvi An Abhang in … Continue reading Sandeep Narayan’s concert at Chinmaya Mission, Delhi
Month: March 2024
Complex Adaptive Systems
While reading Brian Klaas’ Fluke, I came across the fascinating mental model of ‘Complex Adaptive Systems’. This post is going to be slightly jargon heavy. Please bear with me. A watch is a complicated system of engineering. However, if you remove one spring, the watch won't morph into an unpredictable entity. Its behavior can be … Continue reading Complex Adaptive Systems
Lucknow’s Shiite Influence
Last year, I spent a long weekend in Lucknow. While the cuisine was the main draw, the Shiite influence over the city is unmissable. Large and small Imambaras dot the city and remind us of the relatively short-lived dynasty of the Nawabs that ruled Oudh. (Imambaras, unlike mosques, are not merely prayer spaces but structures … Continue reading Lucknow’s Shiite Influence
Herron’s Slough House
When le Carré died in 2020, he was believed to have been the greatest spy novelist of all time. Writing in the heydays of the Cold War, realism was his forte and all his works were marked by a sense of pathos and tragedy. Over the past few years, the British writer Mick Herron has … Continue reading Herron’s Slough House
The Pacific Theatre in WWII
Kyoto was the first choice as the target for the atomic bomb during World War II. It was an industrial center, had production capabilities of close to four hundred aircraft engines a month, and was an intellectual center of Japan. Hitting it was calculated to deal a body blow to Japanese morale. However, at the … Continue reading The Pacific Theatre in WWII
Ashoka and the Mahabharata
Patrick Olivelle’s ‘Ashoka’ is the first volume of the ‘Indian Lives’ series of Harper Collins, edited and put together by Ramchandra Guha. The work adopts a scholarly approach towards the man and his ideas. Re-reading aspects of his life is a great way to be reminded of Ashoka’s greatness. The only Indian empire to match … Continue reading Ashoka and the Mahabharata
The Flip Side of Therapy
It’s fashionable to be in therapy these days. Unlike the previous generation, youngsters and adults alike have no qualms in reaching out for help and the stigma around mental health is also on the wane. All good news. But the flip side of this has been the increasing phenomenon of ‘therapy’ speak in the lives … Continue reading The Flip Side of Therapy
The First Convict-Voyage to Australia
Australia today has a population of 27 million and a GDP of $1.7 Trillion. Around 8 million people visit it annually and it’s also a highly sought after destination for skilled migrants. Australia started off as a penal colony and the first expedition of white settlers (convicts) set foot in Australia only on 26th January … Continue reading The First Convict-Voyage to Australia
Disease Eradication vs. Strengthening Health Systems
I’ve always been enamored of the power of modern medicine to stamp out diseases from the face of the earth. But when you think of it, we’ve only done that with one disease: smallpox. And therein lies a great puzzle: Why didn’t we succeed with the others. Can we? Should we? (ChatGPT informed me that … Continue reading Disease Eradication vs. Strengthening Health Systems
