The Court should not Stink

I remember a lesson we had in Hindi subject when we were in school. Don't remember the exact year or the exact story, but only its crux. It was a story of Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire. As the story goes, Krishnadevaraya was a just king who was trying to do good for his subjects. But no matter what policies he made, it all failed miserably.

One day, a sage came to visit his court. The king spoke about this issue to the sage and asked for a solution. But instead of answering him, the sage passed a weird comment. The sage said that the room of the court stinks. He said it has a damp smell and advised that the king should open up the windows and let the fresh air come in. He also told the king that good ventilation of air is beneficial for everyone's well-being. Then the sage left the court leaving the king puzzled. Puzzled because the windows were already open, fresh air was coming in and there was no damp smell.

Tenali Rama was also in the court when the sage made his comments. After the sage left, the king asked Tenali if he understood what the sage had to say. Tenali told the king that by fresh air the sage meant the people. He said the sage had advised the king to allow common people to come to the court and be part of the decision making. The people know their issues better than the king and it is only through their participation the king can find a solution to their problems. The king understood the point and decided to call the people's assembly to discuss matters.

Today we live in a democratic setup, but we only elect our governments to power. We are not part of the decision making the process. The important lesson to be learned from this story is that people's real issues should be addressed by having the participation of the people. Not only for the sake of democracy but also the overall well-being of the nation.

Comments

Speculative Hindu Temple Architecture: Modern style

India has a wonderful variety of Hindu temple architectures. Each style evolved from previous one during a particular era and under a particular cultural influence. But after colonial period, the style stopped evolving further and all later modern temples we see today have borrowed heavily from the styles that existed before. Although there are a few hipster styles today, but still it’s little bland if you compare it with the kind of architectures that existed before. So, how would’ve been Hindu temple architecture of today’s India if we follow its pattern? But first let’s check out all types of Hindu temple architecture styles in India and abroad. You definitely must be aware of the most common styles – the north Indian ‘Nagara’, the south Indian ‘Dravida’, and its blend known as ‘Vessara’. But there are many regional styles which often get unnoticed by the common folk. Let’s check them out. Types of Hindu Temple Architecture Early Nagara Shikhara with Gavaksha Dravida Vimana Vessar...

Indian Festival(s): Diwali

Diwali also known as Dipavali, which is festival of lights. Although the present scenario in cities of modern India (@least in Mumbai) contradicts the meaning of the festival. The festival of lights is celebrated as festival of noise. Fireworks were used as they gave lights, which were followed by bombs & other crackers which gives 2% light, 48% smoke and 50% noise. It seems like the main intention of celebrating a festival is to trouble people around. Many people have asthma problems; many people mostly due to old age have timid ears and can even get a heart attack after listening the kaboom noise of the crackers. Even during marriages and Ganpati visarjan , traffic jam and making loud noise with weird dances on the streets are common. They don't care if an ambulance have to pass by or if there is hospital in that area. Indian festivals have now became the best examples of mockery. Festivals are celebrated by troubling other people. Not ju...

Ethnic Nationalism

A lot is heard about ethnic based separatist movements, like people of a particular region in a country having issues with people of other regions within the country. Most of the reasons are ethnic or cultural and the demands range from territorial autonomy to complete independence. Why does it happen? Well for that we have to go back in history. During the age of empires, the political boundaries were not limited to the cultural boundaries but depended on the ruler's imperial capacities. For examples: Maratha Empire had conquered and ruled states like Gujarat and Central India which were culturally distinct. The French Empire ruled Italy and Spain. The Japanese Empire briefly ruled nations in South East Asia and Korea. The British, well their rule was in every continent of the world. When concept of Nation-State emerged, it started changing political boundaries. Most common factor was language; kingdoms like Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria etc. joined to form Germany, as they a...

My Perspective

Search This Blog