The Balloon Seller

Do something about the title. The hero seems to be the man.

Becoming Buddha Budham sharnam gachchaami
Dhammam sharnam gachchaami
Sangham sharnam gachchaami


Siddhartha was an inquisitive person, much like a scientist. His quest was for philosophical meaning of existence. Quite contrast to other religion starters he wasn’t revealed truth. Eventually he realized that ‘being born is the root cause of our misery’ therefore to break free from cycle of birth and death was the purpose of our existence. In that sense reincarnation is implied in his thought. He neither rejected nor conformed existence of God, in fact he never talked about Him as in his scheme of things God was completely irrelevant. Reincarnation does not imply existence of God.

Theory and the Facts of Life Re: # 55

Perhaps he wanted to say ``Let us westernize Islam......``

Theory and the Facts of Life
Why do we discuss religion in a column ``Science & Sciencibility”?

Muslim Triumvirate Rules India’s Art Republic
I have never understood evaluation of art by value. It is irrational. A million dollar Rembrandt ensconced in a bullet proof glass, strung high in a living room is unlikely to be appreciated. If experts can’t tell the difference between a fake and real masterpiece then how does it matter if you own a real work of art or a good fake? After all a near fake will give same sense of exhilaration as an original! Art used to be in public domain for all to touch it, feel it and enjoy it until a price was attached to it. The destruction of monuments and temples was immediate. Art isn’t actual canvas and colours, it is the essential idea, the concept and inspiration that caused it therefore intangible.

Perhaps our desire for exclusivity drives this urge to possess originals but this economy is truly built around a bubble which once burst will leave a lot of people unhappy. Perhaps!

Muslim Triumvirate Rules India’s Art Republic
My favourite is Jahangir Sabavala (not Muslim, Parsi). Shear fluidity of his work is awe inspiring, very poetic. Something akin to Salvadore Dali in graphic smoothness but much more real and earthy unlike Dali whose forte was dream like fantasy.

Muslim Triumvirate Rules India’s Art Republic Re: # 7

Georges Seurat`s work has no connect with Raza`s. Seurat`s impressionistic work has basis on pure colour. Around his ( Seurat`s) time it was discovered that all colours are made up three basic colours viz. red, green and yellow, therefore his work is essentially made up of dots of these three colours otherwise his style is pure Impressionism. Raza on the other hand uses dots and circles as some kind of energy centres but claims it has nothing to do with neo-Tantrik art.

Why Do We Reject Our Past? Re: # 66

King Rajendra Chola of South India colonized Sumatra and Java.

No Ground Beneath Their Feet
When you follow thoughts, you produce great work and when thought follows an agenda you misjudge people in not knowing the truth. Your piece on Banares Blasts was good this one is a masterpiece but attack on Amartya Sen was frivolous.

The People\'s Poet Re: # 35

Talking of agnostic poetry, I like these ash`aar by Sahir

saza ka haal suanayen, jaza ki baat karen
khuda mila ho jinhe, woh khuda ki baat karen


har ek daur ka mazhab naya khuda laaya
karen to hum bhi magar kis khuda ki baat karen

The People\'s Poet

I also like Faraz`s poetry but I see that a grave error is being committed here by equating quality rendition of ghazals with quality of poetry. These are two different things. A master singer can weave magic out of completely ordinary poetry simply by passionate emoting of voice and lending intensity to it while some very classy poetry are very difficult to put to mausikii.



tuu paas bhii ho to dil beqaraar apanaa hai
ke ham ko teraa nahii.n intazaar apanaa hai

mile ko_ii bhii teraa zikr chhe.D dete hai.n
ke jaise saaraa jahaa.N raaz_daar apanaa hai

vo duur ho to bajaa tark-e-dostii kaa Khayaal
vo saamane ho to kab iKhtiyaar apanaa hai

zamaane bhar ke dukho.n ko lagaa liyaa dil se
is aasare pe ke ik Gam_gusaar apanaa hai

`Faraz` raahat-e-jaa.N bhii vahii hai kyaa kiije
vo jis ke haath se siinaa_fiGaar apanaa hai

Listening to the Cries of Baby Stars
I really wonder what kind of speed, particles falling into a black hole achieve. Very close to speed of light I suppose?

Listening to the Cries of Baby Stars

If the radius of an average size black hole is just 3-4 kilometers then wouldn`t it take a lot of time to swallow a star? It would seem like a gigantic tank full of water emptying into a small drain!

Listening to the Cries of Baby Stars Re: # 55

I think the answer is that circle is just a special case of ellipse. Therefore random state is ellipse and to get a perfect circular orbit would mean extraordinary circumstances. I hope I am correct.

Listening to the Cries of Baby Stars

Is there a limit to maximum temperature?

I mean what is temperature! It is the level of kinetic energy of particles ( this is what I was told in my physics class). Now speed of particles cannot exeed speed of light so the maximum temperture should also be limited........

Listening to the Cries of Baby Stars Re: # 51

You mean to say that first discovery was made that speed of light is constant and then consequential theories like theory of relativity etc came about. Not the other way round i.e. first assumption was made that speed of light should be constant and then it was verified through experiments?