May
23
Interview with His Holiness, the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa
Filed Under Social Issues, Travel | 2 Comments
It is not very often that one gets an opportunity to meet someone of the stature of His Holiness, the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the 800 year old Drukpa lineage. I did for an exclusive one-on-one chat on the eve of his pad yatra from Manali to Leh starting on May 23, 2009. Click here to know more about it.
The Drukpa Lineage follows the Mahayana Buddhist tradition in philosophy, i.e. the philosophy of “getting enlightened for the benefit of others†and the methods are based on the Tantrayana teachings passed down from the great Indian saint Naropa, who was born in 1016 in a West Bengal royal family. The Drukpa Lineage is one of the main Buddhist schools throughout the Himalayas including Bhutan, Tibet, China, Nepal and India, with four to five million students. The most revered monastery in Ladakh, the Hemis Monastery, comes under the Drukpa school. Click here to read more about the lineage.
Click here to read the interview on my travel blog, Kunzum.
May
19
No excuses for the Congress this time
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
If the performance of the Congress (I) led UPA Government had been no more than average over the past five years, it had a bagful of excuses to blame it on. With not enough seats on its own, India’s Grand Old Party had to depend on other parties for support. The latter held decision making to ransom, no one more than the Communists or the Left parties.
Of course, things are very different this time around. The Congress has managed a majority (at least effectively) with friendlier allies. Its own clout has become stronger, having garnered over 200 seats in the 542 strong Lok Sabha on its own. It can very well do without the ‘blackmailers.’ Read more
May
19
LK Advani’s last supper
Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments
One wonders what a man like LK Advani is going through when having dinner the evening before what could be the most important day of his political career.
I was having coffee at Delhi’s Oberoi Hotel when Mr. Advani walked in with his family for dinner at around 11 pm. In less than 12 hours from then, the results to the country’s General Elections would have been out to determine who would form the next Government. For Mr. Advani, it was probably his last shot at achieving his ambitions of becoming Prime Minister. An unfavourable result could be a call for him to finally call it a day.
When he walked in, and even from his table, the way he was looking at our group seemed to convey he wanted to talk to us. Or maybe this is how publicly famous people tend to look at everyone. I would have loved to walk up to him and chat him up, but felt it inappropriate to disturb a family moment. But I could not help constantly looking towards him and wondering what was going on in his mind. Read more
