When a man in our community (Tambrams, or Tamizh Brahmins) attains the age of 60, he and his wife undergo a wedding ceremony again, this time with greater emphasis on the Vedic rituals, and the spirituality.

An email from my young friend Anvitha Satish, whom I often exchange emails with…

Everyone feels festive, and rather generous, on an auspicious day…and many people like to tap into this vein of generosity.

Am very sad…but also boiling with anger and helplessness. Someone from the family who’ve practically brought me up had come to visit Chennai from Kolkata, where she lives. Last night she was unwell…and was taken by ambulance to Malar Hospital, where she was refused admission because, they said, they had a doctors’ strike. After more confusion, during which critical time was lost, the ambulance had to take her to Royapettah Hospital…by that time, she passed away.

I’d been to the Gavi (Cave) Gangadeshwara Temple earlier, and watched the wonderful phenomenon of the sun’s rays lighting up the lingam in the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum)…but what I had not known was that there is (at least) one more temple in Bangalore, where the same phenomenon occurs…right now (UttarAyaN,the southern traverse of the sun) and between end of September and first week of October (DakshinAyaN…southern traverse of the sun.).