lunar eclipse ........ various stages !!

 

Super Blue Blooded Moon ~ lunar eclipse at various stages . shot in 2018 

Thiruther bommaigal - Kandhakottam

 

திருக்கோவில் விழாக்களில் சிறப்பானது தேர் திருவிழா.  தேர்கள் அழகான பொம்மைகள் கட்டப்பட்டு மிளிரும்.  கோவில் தேர்களில் காட்டப்படும்  பொம்மைகள் அல்லது சிற்பங்கள் ஆழ்ந்த ஆன்மீக மற்றும் தத்துவ தாத்பர்யங்களைக் கொண்டுள்ளன.  

சிம்ஹம் கம்பீரத்தின் அடையாளம். திருத்தேர் என்பது இறைவனின் அரச ஊர்வலமாக கருதப்படுவதால், அதன் பீடத்தில் சிம்மங்கள் செதுக்கப்பட்டு கம்பீரம் சேர்க்கப்படுகிறது. தேர்களில்  சாதாரண சிங்கத்திற்குப் பதிலாக 'யாளி' (சிங்கமுகத்தில் யானையின் துதிக்கையை நினைவூட்டும் உறுப்புடன் காணப்படும்) யாளி,   யானையை விட வலிமை வாய்ந்ததாகவும், பிரபஞ்ச சக்தியின் அடையாளமாகவும் கருதப்படுகிறது.

 

சென்னை அருள்மிகு  கந்தகோட்டம் முத்துக்குமாரசுவாமி திருக்கோயில்   திருத்தேரின் பொம்மைகள்.

 

31.1.2026

தளரா வளர்தெங்கு !!!! Gratitude is not a straight line !!

 

 

நன்றி என்பது நேர் நேர் கடன் அல்ல !

 

இலங்கையின் தெங்கு ஏற்றுமதித் துறையை விரைவுபடுத்துவதற்காக, உலக வங்கி குழுமத்தின் அங்கமான சர்வதேச நிதி நிறுவனம் (IFC) மற்றும் ஆஸ்திரேலிய அரசாங்கத்துடன் பெருந்தோட்ட மற்றும் சமூக உட்கட்டமைப்பு அமைச்சு மூலோபாயக் கூட்டாண்மையை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

 

தெங்கு  -  what is that !?-   "தனிக்குறில் முன் ஒற்று"-  என்றால் என்ன !! 

தெங்கு (Thengu) என்பது பழந்தமிழில் தென்னை மரத்தைக் குறிக்கும் சொல்; "தெங்கு + காய்" புணர்ந்து "தேங்காய்" ஆனது போல, "தென்னை" என்பதன் பழைய வடிவம், இது இலக்கணத்திலும், இலக்கியத்திலும் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. ‘தெங்கு’ என்பது தேங்கு என நீண்டு, ஈற்றிலுள்ள ‘கு’ என்னும் உயிர்மெய்யெழுத்துக் கெட்டு, தேங்காய் என ஆனது.இதற்குரிய விதி, தெங்கு நீண்டு ஈற்று உயிர்மெய் கெடும் காய்வரின் என்பதாகும்.

 

நன்றி ஒருவற்குச் செய்தக்காலந்நன்றி

என்று தருங்கொலென வேண்டா-நின்று

தளரா வளர்தெங்கு தாளுண்ட நீரைத்

தலையாலே தான் தருத லால்.

 

ஒளவையார் அருளிய மூதுரை

 

ஒருவருக்கு உதவி செய்த உடன் பதிலுக்கு அவர் எப்பொழுது நமக்கு உதவி செய்வார் என்று நினைக்க வேண்டாம்  !!   பல வருடங்கள் நின்று நிதானமாக வளரும் உயரமான தென்னைமரமானது தன் கால் அடியில் இருக்கும் நிலத்தில் இருந்து நீரைப்பருகுகிறது. ஆனால் அது இன்சுவைக்கொண்ட இளநீராக பல வருடங்கள் கழித்தே மற்றவர்களுக்கு பயனதருகிறது.  ஆதலால், நாம் ஒருவருக்கு உதவி செய்தால் அவர் நமக்கு எப்போது உதவி செய்வார் என்று எதிர்ப்பார்க்க கூடாது. வளர்தென்னைமரம் போன்று அவரும் வேறு ஒருவர்க்கு சில ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து உதவி புரிவார்.

 

Just as a tree doesn't fruit the day it is watered, help rendered to a worthy person might not be repaid immediately. Avvaiyar advises us not to ask, "When will this person return the favor?". The coconut has cultural and religious significance in India offered to Gods and used in rituals. ‘ilaneer’ is sold and consumed in large quantities – one would be interested or frightened by the way, the top of tender coconut is cut with a sickle (aruval) wielded deftly by the seller !   

In a different context :   தெங்கு என்பது சிந்தோ நம்பிக்கையில் காணப்படும் ஒரு வகை பழம்பெரும் உயிரினமாகும்.   Tengu [ Japanese: lit. 'Heavenly Dog') are a type of legendary creature found in Shinto belief. They are considered a type of yōkai (supernatural beings) or Shinto kami (gods or spirits Buddhism long held that the Tengu were disruptive demons and harbingers of war.   

"தனிக்குறில் முன் ஒற்று" (தனிக்குறில் முன் ஒற்று உயிர்வரின் இரட்டும் - நன்னூல்) என்பது ஒரு தமிழ் புணர்ச்சி விதியாகும். ஒரு சொல்லின் இறுதியில் தனிக்குறில் எழுத்தை அடுத்து மெய்யெழுத்து (ஒற்று) இருந்து, நிலைமொழி வருமொழியோடு சேரும்போது உயிர் எழுத்து முதலில் வந்தால், அந்த மெய்யெழுத்து இரட்டிக்கும். 

நமது வாழ்க்கை பாதையில், நாம் சிறுசிறு உதவிகள் செய்யலாம்.  நமக்கும் பலர் இவ்வுலகில் உதவிகளை செய்து இருப்பர். அவர்கள் எல்லோருக்கும் நாம் உதவிசெய்து விட முடியாது. அப்படியெல்லாம் கணக்கை நேர் செய்வதுவிடவும் முடியாது.   நன்றியுடனும் பிறருக்கு உதவி செய்வது நமது கடமை என்று நினைந்து எதிர்ப்பார்ப்பில்லாமல் பிறருக்கு உதவி செய்தல் வேண்டும்.  தென்னை மரம் தனது வேர் வழியாக உறிஞ்சிய நீரை, இளநீராகத் தன் தலையாலே (உச்சியிலே) தருகிறது. அதுபோல, ஒருவருக்குச் செய்த உதவியானது என்றாவது ஒருநாள் பயன் தரும்; எனவே பிரதிபலன் பாராமல் உதவி செய்ய வேண்டும்.  

ஏதோ சினிமாவில் கேட்ட வசனம் . ”விதை விதைச்ச உடனே பழம் சாப்பிடனும்னு நினைக்காதே !! இன்னிக்கி நான் விதைக்குறேன், நாளைக்கு நீ பழம் சாப்பிடுவ!!  அப்புறம் உன் பையன் சாப்புடுவான்.  அதெல்லாம் இருந்து பாக்க நான் இருக்க மாட்டேன். ஆனா விதை நான் போட்டது. இதெல்லாம் என்ன பெருமையா? கடமை. ஒவ்வொருத்தவனோட கடமை”

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
31.1.2026

திருவிடைமருதூர் தெருவழகு ~ Thiruvidaimaruthur palace

 

During a recent trip to Kumbakonam, we had breakfast in a small hotel and as we stopped a casual click at a building .. .. checking back, it appears that it was not simply a place but in fact once a PALACE.

 

It is said  :  திருவிடைமருதூர் தெருவழகு  ~  mentioning the beauty of the streets of Thiruvidaimaruthur !!  

Located about 9 km (5.6 mi) north-east of the temple city of Kumbakonam and serves as one of the Taluk headquarters in the Tanjore District, Thiruvidaimaruthur  region is known for its fertile soil, allowing farmers to harvest crops three times a year.   

Tiruvidaimarudur (also known as madhyārjunam) is located on the banks of the Virasolanar River. It is home to the Mahalingeswarar Temple, where the deity Shiva is worshipped as Mahalingeswara Swami   represented by a lingam known as jothimayalingam (in Tamil, ஜோதிமயலிங்கம், jōthimaya liṅgam, meaning "lingam of radiant light").   

திருவிடைமருதூர் (Thiruvidaimaruthur) தஞ்சாவூர் மாவட்டத்தில், கும்பகோணத்தில் இருந்து சுமார் 8-10 கி.மீ தொலைவில் உள்ள ஒரு வரலாற்று சிறப்புமிக்க பேரூராட்சி ஆகும். காசிக்கு நிகராகக் கருதப்படும் காவிரி கரைத்தலங்களில் ஒன்றான இது, தேவாரப் பாடல் பெற்ற தலம். இங்குள்ள பிரசித்தி பெற்ற மகாலிங்கேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில் (சிவன் கோவில்) 1200 ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேல் பழமையானது 

வேதாரண்யம் விளக்கழகு, திருவாரூர் தேரழகு, நீடாமங்கலம் நீரழகு, திருவிடைமருதூர் தெருவழகு, மன்னார்குடி மதிலழகு என்ற முதுமொழி மூலமாக இவ்வூரின் பெருமையை உணரமுடியும்.  

 

The image shows the exterior of the Thiruvidaimaruthur Maratha Palace, also known as Amarasimha's Palace, located in Thiruvidaimarudur.   The palace is a historical building with distinctive architecture, including prominent jarokha windows. It is situated on the main road opposite the Mahalingaswami Temple.     The building is currently in a state of disrepair, with significant vegetation growing on its facade.   

Centuries ago royalty would have witnessed  Temple processions from its windows.  The ground floor was completely obscured by shops.  Searches state that in 1787, a dying  King Tulaja II of Thanjavur   adopted son Sarabhoji was still a minor and the king’s brother Amarasimha was appointed regent till the boy comes of age.  In the war of succession, the regent tried  to get the adoption declared null and void. But Frederick Schwartz, the German missionary, Sarabhoji’s guardian, foiled his moves and succeeded in getting the East India Company to recognise the boy as the lawful heir.  Amarasimha was exiled to   Thiruvidaimarudur, where he lived,  funded by a pension.  Amarasimha was a  great rasika and patron of Carnatic music.  In 1785 or thereabouts, he discovered the talents of Ramaswami Dikshitar, father of Muttuswami Dikshitar, during a visit to Tiruvarur. Dikshitar Sr composed Samajagamana, a song in twenty ragas and Adi Tala in his praise and received rich gifts.

 

Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
29.1.2026

the real beauty !!

 

 

Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder – which one is most good looking here !! 

– my damsel !!!

Friendship ! ~ நட்பு - பசு மாடும் கொக்கும் !!

Friendship !  ~ there are fables and there are true life stories – you know where you are, judging not by the number of friends more by the intent of your friendship !! 

Before you read further, are you still in touch with your schoolmates, college-mates, ex-colleagues … .. and your childhood street friends !! 

Friendship is a voluntary, mutual relationship characterized by affection, trust, and shared experience. Unlike family or professional ties, it is typically an egalitarian bond where individuals choose to support and value one another for their own sake. Modern psychological and philosophical perspectives identify several pillars of a healthy friendship – most important among them being - Trust and Reliability & mutual caring.   

In the misty hills of the Western Ghats, where ancient banyans whispered secrets to the wind, lived a humble spider named Silkara. She spun her webs not for glory, but survival—delicate traps glistening like dewdrop jewels, catching flies and dreams alike. High above, soared Stormbird, a fierce eagle with wings like thunderclouds, who ruled the skies and scorned the earthbound.

               One monsoon eve, a raging flood swept through the valley, uprooting trees and swallowing villages. Silkara's web-home dangled by a thread over the churning river. Stormbird, battered by gales, plummeted toward the same doom. "Foolish speck!" he squawked at the spider. "Your flimsy threads can't save us!" 

Silkara didn't flinch. "Wings fail in floods, bird. But threads endure." With nimble legs, she shot a silken lifeline from her web to Stormbird's talons. He grasped it, laughing bitterly—yet it held. Together, they swung across the torrent: her web a bridge, his strength a pulley. They washed ashore on a jagged rock, alive but entangled.  

Days turned to weeks. Stormbird, wing-mended, mocked Silkara's slow crawl. "You're earth-tied; I'm sky-free. Why linger?" But when hunters crept near, nets poised, Silkara wove an invisible snare across their path. The men tumbled, trapped. Stormbird swooped in, snatching their weapons. "Your trap was genius," he admitted. Silkara smiled. "Your dive was daring. Alone, we'd perish. Together, we thrive." 

Word spread. The Weaver and the Stormbird became legends—guardian of the hills. They never became the same; spider stayed grounded, eagle soared. But in crises, their bond wove victory from weakness. 

Moral: True friends bridge worlds, turning differences into unbreakable strength. [AI assisted story]

 

நட்பு - பசு மாடும் கொக்கும் !! 

Then in the lush paddy fields of Tamil Nadu, where the Kaveri River winds like a silver thread, lived a gentle cow named Kamala. Her days were spent grazing and plodding through the mud, unaware of the tiny passengers on her back.  One morning, a sleek cattle egret named Antasia perched on Kamala's shoulder. With her bright white feathers and sharp beak, she was no ordinary bird—she was a vigilant sentinel. "Friend cow," she trilled, "let me ride and dine. Ticks and insects plague your hide; I'll pluck them clean."  .. .. and another friendship between a Cow and an Egret flourished.

 

Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
28.1.2026 

Garuda Gamana Tava ~ Brahminy-kites

 

गरुडगमन तव चरणकमलमिह मनसि लसतु मम नित्यम् ।

मम तापमपाकुरु देव मम पापमपाकुरु देव ॥

 
                   Oh Lord Sriman Narayana,  who travels on Garuda -   Your lotus-like feet, may they  shine in my mind  always.  O God, remove my sins and alleviate my  sufferings  
 
Garuda Gamana Tava is a popular Sanskrit stotram (hymn) composed by Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji, dedicated to Emperuman  Sriman Narayana, praying for the removal of sufferings and sins. It requests that the Lord's lotus feet always reside in the devotee's mind.
 

Group of Garuda pakshi (Brahminy-kites) taken near Nachiyar kovil
 
S Sampathkumar
27.1.2026

Big horned Cow at Triplicane ! scary ?!? கோகுலத்தில் பசுக்கள் எல்லாம்

 

 

Big horned Cow at Triplicane ! scary ?!?

கோகுலத்தில் பசுக்கள் எல்லாம் கோபாலன் தன் பெயரை கேட்டு !!

 

Celebrating 77th Republic Day - thanking our Jawans at the Border

 

 Today 26^th Jan is a great day – a day when after getting freedom on 15.8.1947, India transformed from a dominion to fully self-governed REPUBLIC giving ourselves a Constitution of our OWN.

The NATION is celebrating the 77^th REPUBLIC DAY with fervour and it is the perfect time to reflect on our status as a Country realizing how we were enslaved for centuries and was a colony to the British.  Since that day in 1950 – we have propelled our Republic towards Constitutional ideals.   

If we are celebrating the things that we enjoy – it purely because of our martyrs who fought for the freedom and the valiant soldiers who stand guard at Borders protecting us against invaders and enemies.  On this day, let us say from our heart, with passion and strength –

“Jai Hind – Jai Jawan” – I love my Country,

 I  respect and love our Army Jawans –

our protectors – Ellaichamy !!

An event that will make every Indian Nationalistic and proud is the beating retreat  ceremony at Border impeccably exhibited by our  Border Security Force [BSF] - No visit to Amritsar is complete without witnessing the 'lowering of the flags' ceremony in the evening. 

:  https://youtu.be/QZGUTeNLD2k

 

Attari,   is a village of Amritsar   in the Punjab state of India, 3 km from the Indo-Pakistani border at Wagah. It is situated 25 km west of the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, and is the last Indian station on the rail route connecting Lahore, Pakistan with the Indian capital Delhi. The ceremony at the Attari–Wagah border is a daily ceremony that the security forces of India (Border Security Force) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers) have jointly followed since 1959.  The drill is characterized by elaborate and rapid dance-like manoeuvres and raising legs as high as possible.  

The flag lowering ceremony at the border  is held each evening immediately before sunset.  The ceremony begins with battle calls from both sides in the form of loud screaming by the border guards. This is followed by a series of organized high kicks, stomps, and dance moves during which the opposing forces stare each other down.    

            The city of Lahore is about 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the Wagah border crossing, which is located 3 kilometers from Attari village. The total road distance is around 29.5 km (18 miles). The shortest rail distance between Attari Shyam Singh railway station and Lahore Junction railway station is approximately 26.61 kilometers.  

The Beating Retreat ceremony is a symbol of both national pride and disciplined coordination of Border Security Force.  Here is a video taken by me on 25.09.2025 – and when we witnessed this event – there were more than 15000 Indians on our side, while it was a couple of hundred people on the Wagah side. 

Jai Hind – Salute our soldiers who safeguard the Nation.

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
26.1.2026

focus shift !!!

 

 

                            

pictures taken at the same place - same subject - couple of seconds difference - tried shifting the focus slightly ! - request expert comments and suggestions ..

Clarinet music at Triplicane

 

 

 

music is divine ... three generations rendering divine music at Thiruvallikkeni – Clarinet Ganapathi family !   [2021 photo]- the boys have not grown up !

Glass, handle with care !

 

Glass, handle with care !

Sensational win at Raipur - some history of freedom struggle too !!

 

Absolutely sensational bating display – India chased down 209 – won by 7 wickets in hand  with 28 balls to spare!

 

             Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl in the second T20I in Raipur, with dew having already begun setting in. For the same reason, New Zealand too wanted to bowl first.  India made two changes to their XI. Axar Patel, who hurt his finger during the first T20I in Nagpur, was a forced absentee, while Jasprit Bumrah was rested. In came Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana.   New Zealand made three changes. Tim Seifert came in for Tim Robinson, Zak Foulkes for Kristian Clarke, and Matt Henry for Kyle Jamieson.  

This is India's 100th T20I at home but only the second ever in Raipur.  For someone who grew up seeing India losing matches badly and a time when a score of 220+ in 50 overs Cricket was considered winnable !! – those were the days when asking rate of 6 – say 20 in last 3 overs were considered near improbable.  

Today at Raipur, India needed 209 and lost their openers with just 6 runs on the board – rest is history, forgettable for some as Zak Foulkes who ended up giving 67 runs in his 3 overs !!  

India won with ridiculous ease, mainly because of that great innings of 21 ball 50 (786 off 32 with 4 sixers) by comeback man Ishan Kishan and 37 ball 82 by Suryakumar Yadav – some mighty hits by Shivam Dube hastened the finish.  First there was partnership of 122 in 8 overs between Ishan and Surya and another unbeaten partnership of 81 sealed the victory.  

Today’s match was played in the city of Raipur, the capital of State of Chattisgarh.  It was formerly a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Chhattisgarh was formed on November 1, 2000. Raipur is located near the centre of a large plain, sometimes referred as the "rice bowl of India", where hundreds of varieties of rice are grown. The Mahanadi River flows to the east of the city of Raipur, and the southern side has dense forests.  The district was once part of southern Kosal and considered to be under Mourya Kingdom. Raipur city had been the capital of the Haihaya Dynasty Kalchuri kings, controlling the traditional forts of the Chhattisgarh for a long time. Satawahana kings ruled this part till the 2nd–3rd century. In the 4th century AD the king Samudragupta conquered this region.   

More than Cricket, this place has its connection to Indian freedom struggle ~ the rising of 1857 marked  the beginning of the country's struggle for freedom after a century of uninterrupted foreign domination.   The country witnessed a popular upsurge of deep-seated and widespread bitterness against the alien rulers. The East India Company's Government was swept from large parts of North India and the very foundations of British rule were shaken. It appeared for some time that the Company's Raj had disappeared from the land. 

Narayan Singh Binjhwar, the scion of the Zamindar family of Sonakhan in Chhattisgarh, was born in 1795. During a severe famine, in 1856, he helped the people to save them from starvation. He was falsely implicated and arrested in October, 1856. When the flames of 1857 war reached Chhatisgarh, the masses elected the imprisoned Narayan Singh as their leader and liberated him from the jail. After organising the local people, Narayan Singh had an encounter with the British army near Sonakhan. Moved by the atrocities of the British and the resultant devastation and destruction, Narayan Singh surrendered to the British to protect the lives of his people. His public execution on 10 December 1857 provoked the public and the army contingent at Ranipur, which rose in yet another revolt. Veer Narayan Singh's martyrdom was a memorable event in the history of Chhattisgarh and lent momentum to the freedom struggle ~ and the stadium is named after that martyr as ‘Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium’. 

Regards – S Sampathkumar
23.1.2026 

Sa - ri ........ Saree !!! - what a display !!!

 

In Carnatic music  ..  it is – ‘Sa – Pa’ -    the musical initiation starts with - "sa", "ri", "ga", "ma", "pa", "dha", "ni" – but  many learn only the first two  “SA – Ree”

 

What a display !!  Some get distracted ! – some get attracted !!

செலவு மாத்திரம் நிச்சயம் !!!

 

The name "saree" (or sari) originates from Sanskrit roots meaning a strip of cloth. It evolved linguistically from terms like śāṭī or śāṭikā in ancient texts.  The linguistic rhythm of "sa ri" or "sare" reflects the natural syllable cadence in the evolution from Sanskrit śāṭī (pronounced roughly "shaa-tee") to Prakrit sadi ("suh-dee") and Pali śāḍī or sāḍī ("saa-dee"), culminating in Hindi sāṛī ("saa-ree"). 

Early Sanskrit śāṭī referred to a simple cloth strip, transitioning through Prakrit sadi and Pali forms like sāḍī into modern Indian languages as sāṛī. Jain and Buddhist scriptures from the 6th century BCE describe sattika as women's attire, often a three-piece ensemble including a lower wrap (antarīya), veil (uttarīya), and chest band (stanapatta). 

This draped garment traces back to the Indus Valley Civilization (2800–1800 BCE), where cotton cultivation around 5000 BCE enabled early weaving with natural dyes like indigo and turmeric. Over centuries, influences from Dravidian, Aryan, and later Mughal eras refined its styles, but the core name retained its "strip of cloth" essence. 

From Vedic Sanskrit śāṭī, regular sound changes in MIA (ca. 600 BCE–1000 CE) included loss of intervocalic consonants, vowel simplifications, and shifts like Sanskrit ṭ to Prakrit/Pali ḍ or ṭ, yielding forms such as Pali śāḍī or sāḍī.  Ancient texts like Jatakas (Buddhist Pali literature, 6th century BCE) and Hindu Sanskrit works reference śāṭikā or śāṭī as women's draped attire, a three-piece ensemble (antarīya, uttarīya, stanapatta). By the 7th century CE, as in Bāṇabhaṭṭa's Kādambarī, the term solidified in descriptions of exquisite drapery, bridging to contemporary usage.

 
Interesting ! on a Friday !!
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
23.1.2o26

Forster's tern : பறவைகள் பல விதம் .. .. ஆலா !!

 

பறவைகள் பல விதம் ஒவ்வொன்றும்  ஒருவிதம்!

பாடல்கள் பலவிதம்,   ஒவ்வொன்றும் ஒருவிதம்!!

 

ஆலா என்ற பறவையை பார்த்துள்ளீர்களா ?!? 

 

Terns are seabirds in the subfamily Sterninae of the wider gull and tern family Laridae. They have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands.   They are slender, lightly built birds with long, forked tails, narrow wings, long bills, and relatively short legs. Most species are pale grey above and white below with a contrasting black cap to the head.

 

Terns are long-lived birds and are relatively free from natural predators and parasites; most species are declining in numbers due directly or indirectly to human activities, including habitat loss, pollution, disturbance, and predation by introduced mammals.   

In Tamil, "tern" is generally called ஆலா (Aalaa), referring to these graceful seabirds known for their long migrations, with specific types like Arctic Tern being வடமுனை ஆலா (Vadamunai Aalaa) and River Tern as ஆற்று ஆலா (Aatru Aalaa).  

 

The one pictured here, taken at the Marsh lands of Pallikaranai is -  Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri),  a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name Sterna is derived from Old English "stearn", "tern", and forsteri commemorates the naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster. 

It breeds inland in North America in the northern United States and southern Canada, and migrates south to winter in the southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern Central America. It is also a rare but annual vagrant in western Europe, and has wintered in Ireland and Great Britain on a number of occasions. This species breeds in colonies in marshes. It nests in a ground scrape and lays two or more eggs. Like all white terns, it is fiercely defensive of its nest and young.  The Forster's tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, but will also hawk for insects in its breeding marshes.   

 

The Arctic tern is famous for its migration; it flies from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back again each year. The shortest distance between these areas is 19,000 km (12,000 mi). The long journey ensures that this bird sees two summers per year and more daylight than any other creature on the planet 

The song at the start is from the movie -  Iruvar Ullam, directed by L. V. Prasad, based on Lakshmi's novel Pen Manam,  starring  Sivaji Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi, that hit the screens in 1963.  The song was sung by TM Soundararajan, written by Kaviyarasu Kannadhasan to the music of legendary KV Mahadevan.   

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
23.1.2026

 

பார்வையின் ஜாடையில் தோன்றிடும் ஆசை ! ~ perceptions at 6 and 60 !!!

 

Neerajakshi Reddy, may not exactly ring a bell !  .. .. and can you instantly recognize the hit song by reading this line !!

 

பார்வையின் ஜாடையில் தோன்றிடும் ஆசையில் பாடிடும் எண்ணங்களே

 

நம் பள்ளி நாட்களில்  ரஜினிகாந்த் - சிகரெட்டை தூக்கி போட்டு பிடித்து, ஸ்டைல்ஸ் காட்டி கதாநாயகனாக வலம் வந்த தருணத்தில் - வித்தியாசமான கதையில் நடித்த படம் ' ஆறிலிருந்து அறுபது வரை' - எஸ். பி. முத்துராமன் இயக்கத்தில்,  பஞ்சு அருணாசலம் கதை, வசனம் எழுத, இளையராஜா இசையமைத்த இந்தப் படம், அந்நாளைய சராசரி மனிதனின் குடும்ப கஷ்டங்களை பிழிய பிழியிற் உணர்வாக காட்டும் -  உறவுகளின் முக்கியத்துவத்தையும், எதிர்பார்ப்புகளையும் உணர்த்தும் ஒரு உணர்வுபூர்வமான கதை 

Neerajakshi Reddy, on screen was known  as Fatafat Jayalakshmi  - lived a very short life of just 22 years !!  acted  in Tamil and Telugu films. In Malayalam movies she was known as Supriya. She acted about 66 movies   

She made her debut in 1972 in Telugu movie Iddaru Ammayilu which had Akkineni Nageswara Rao in lead role. Same year she appeared in A. Vincent's Malayalam movie Theerthayathra with screen name Supriya, followed by Ithu Manushyano? in 1973. In 1974 she made her Tamil debut in K Balachander's film Aval Oru Thodar Kathai credited as Jayalakshmi. She became a household name with her popular dialogue ‘Fatafat’ (meaning quickly) in Anthulena kadha,  which became her prefix – she peaked, got married and …….  ended her life  - bitter suicide !!   

In case you are about to ask the link between the photo and the post – it is more about a different angle and the perception. .. .. the things that we liked and the people we loved in our young age, may not be same when we are in our 50s / 60s or more, if we are luck enough !!   The song at the start :

 

கண்மணியே காதல் என்பது கற்பனையோ

காவியமோ கண் வரைந்த ஓவியமோ

எத்தனை எத்தனை இன்பங்கள் நெஞ்சினில்

பொங்குதம்மா பல்சுவையும் சொல்லுதம்மா

 

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
22.1.2026

Perceptions - capturing mind and market !!

 

Most times our thoughts / behavior are influenced … by advertisements,  social media and more !!!

 

Perceptions of hygiene, clean, better ….   there always exists choices !!