Silverfish spill the Golden word!

By Dr. R Sudarshan T his past week has been one of the toughest we have had in all the 82 weeks of growing for and sustaining the weekly market. Intense heat, burn-out of our borewell motors, unresponsive administration that left the village power transformer unrepaired, water tanker owners hiking the price threefold but still not ensuring regular water supply, and a constant fear of fire that fortunately didn't happen. Finally, the week ended with two pleasant things - it rained on Friday night and an Amla plant bore tiny fruits. The 82nd market will assemble at 9 AM tomorrow, as always. All is well when a week concludes well. 82nd Organic Farmers' Market, Sunday, 1 May 2022 - 9 AM to 12 Noon For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, # 1A, 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.  

By Dr. R Sudarshan KIDS' BAZAAR - AN EXHIBITION OF YOUNG VISION (A Farmer's House and Green Dreamz collaborative initiative)  Saturday, 14 May 2022, 5 PM to 8 PM, Venue: Farmer's House I n about a year's interaction with this community at the store, the farm, the market, and in person, we have realized that the little ones of age are not so little in imagination, ingenuity, innovation, Intuition, and insight. Their heads are full of ideas and they are constantly inventing interesting initiatives. That energy, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurship need a platform. Rather, the adults need an opportunity to discover their young. Farmer's House in cooperation with Green Dreamz is hosting KIDS' BAZAAR on Saturday, 14 May, which exhibits the entrepreneurship of children. And their products and workmanship will be available at a deserving value. We would have about a dozen slots. In the next few days, you may approach us with an idea of what your kid wants to create,...

By Dr. R Sudarshan A n organic farmer's year is divided into three equal parts at the mercy of the prime elixir of the planet - water. For months it pours down from the sky, destroying everything it should otherwise sustain. For months it acts normal and that gives us a moment of ego. And when summer comes, it just disappears into the unreachable depths of soil or to the vast thin air and laughs with a  punishing fang.  April now. Water has disappeared. The overworking borewell motors have burnt out and cranes come every other day to hoist the pump to check and repair like you see in the picture. Twice a week we bring water tankers to feed the thirsty roots of vegetables and fruits. And when everything appears fine and the power arrives to pump up the water, it comes stealthily at midnight when the farmhands deep sleep and the world is dark. At times, it actually looks meaningless producing greens and running regular markets. But then, water has a fourth state too - the happy ...

By Dr. R Sudarshan Organic Farmers' MIDWEEK MINI MARKET - 8, Wednesday, 27 April 2022, 8 AM to 10 AM S tar fruits have started appearing in big bunches at the farm, keeping their date with the time twice a year. And all those fruits that hang in great numbers are so delicately attached to the stalk that they just need a mild tug for them to come off the tree in fruit rain. Wednesday midweek mini market is into the 8th week. Tomorrow. 8 AM. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, #  1A, 13th Cross,  Kalidasa Road,  VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan PUMPKIN TENDER SHOOT CURRY (ಕುಂಬಳ ಕುಡಿ ಪಲ್ಯ) 5 PM on Saturday, 30 April 2022, Venue: Farmer's House T he pumpkin plant is a phyto capitalist. It aggressively goes about collecting nutrition from the soil, produces large leaves to ingest sunlight, climbs whatever prop it finds, spreads out widely on the farm floor, gives out tender tendril shoots that race in all directions, and finally bears fruits that are as large as dinosaur eggs. The plant is a great nutrient grabber from the soil and an impressive nutrition investor in its leaves, shoots, and fruits. Neena Kaveriappa from Coorg (Kodagu) has spent 3 decades in Mysore. With a home science education and an embedded cultural diversity of Kodagu and Mysore in her, she combines the culinary skills of different lifestyles and makes delicacies out of what's very nutritious, but is not the mainstream food of many. This week, pumpkin plants are shooting out all over the Padma Farms. And Neena Kaveriappa is ab...

By Dr. R Sudarshan A beautiful couple. A fantastic vacation. A brilliant river. A leisurely cruise. Food, music, idyll, and a magically buoyant float. But then, a murder. And of course, an intelligent sleuth who can split the hair and find a needle in a haystack is on board. What's now left is a hair-raising murder mystery that grips you as unforgivingly as the jaws of a crocodile. Written in 1937, this Agatha Christie thriller was made into a major Hollywood movie, just 2 months ago. And in 60 days, it has grossed over 140 million US dollars. Mysterious minds are monstrous money makers. At first, let's imagine a young Agatha Christie on a cruise on the Nile. She kept watching one of the best sights on the planet - a deep and meandering life-giving river, jaw-dropping monuments of Abu Simbel, the spectacular necropolis, and all the while, instead of savoring the land's story like we all do, she was watching people and thinking of a murder of someone beautiful. If she didn...

By Dr. R Sudarshan W e have been involved in natural resources-based livelihood support missions and policy horizons in the country. In this process, we have advised the Khadi and Village Industries Commission of the Government of India to revive many defunct village industries, among which is Pashmina handcrafting in Leh, Kashmir, so that the Kashmiri artisans could bring out pure and fine pashmina shawls and stoles into the market once again. A number of Kashmiri artisans are now retrained and empowered in the process.  As a result, we have access to a few numbers of pre-launch orders on pure Ladakhi pashmina shawls (200cm x 100cm) and stoles (200cm x 70cm) at the introductory price of Rs. 16,590 for shawls and Ra. 13,272 for stoles. We will be happy to pass this on to this community and place pre-orders with the Commission before they exhaust their limited edition. The quality is guaranteed by the KVIC of Govt of India. Should you be interested, please message us on 8105112990 a...

By Dr. R Sudarshan T he star fruit plant has come to bloom again. Although it is supposed to yield twice a year, its benevolence is time neutral and we have harvested throughout the year in intervals of a few weeks. And this plant doesn't know its limit of weight lifting. There are hundreds of fruits and thousands of flowers that weigh down so much that we have been giving prop support to every branch to avoid them from collapsing with their own productivity. The market is now officially octogenarian in weeks. And at 8 AM tomorrow, it comes alive and young, maturing with time. 81st Organic Farmers' Market, Sunday, 24 April 2022 - 9 AM to 12 Noon For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, # 1A, 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.  

By Dr. R Sudarshan T he maiden book of the Silverfish Books curator ( https://www.amazon.in/Beauty-Queen-Pathway-Pageantry-Sudarshan/dp/9390924103 ) was published by Amaryllis in August 2021. To commemorate the day of publication, we planted Amaryllis at our farm. Some 8 months later, the Amaryllis has begun to bloom at the farm, coinciding with our curator's signing an agreement with Trinidad and Tobago in the wider Caribbean to provide them her mentorship in pageantry, based on her book. Coincidences are as impossible to explain as the spirit of symbolism is. Nonetheless, the book is now a milestone in the life avenue of Silverfish and the Amaryllis flower now is a milestone at the farm that's an integral part of our bookstore. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan E very meal in this part of the world is likely to have lentils and so in a way, lentils run a substantial part of our lives. But farmers use herbicide desiccants - Glyphosate and Reglone in plenty on lentils and you end up consuming them at least once a day, all 365 days, and all of your otherwise beautiful life. And just a quick Google search will tell you that these chemicals penetrate deep into plants and into lentil cotyledons that no amount of washing in the kitchen sink will remove Glyphosate from the delicious lentil soups and curries you relish. Yes, you are slowly poisoned for life, by your own delectable choice. Every year after the summer rains, we begin the lentil race by preparing the farmland for sowing seeds. It is an arduous work of 6 to 7 months of protecting the plants and growing lentils for the family and for friends who care. We have never been able to grow too much, but we grow enough for at least half a dozen families as of now. Pricing lentil...

By Dr. R Sudarshan T he water apple is an extraordinary organism.  The plant grows rapidly and begins fruiting in 3 years, each plant bears hundreds of kilos of yield, and attracts hordes of birds and squirrels, but the whole merriment gets over in about a month, once a year.  It is a rapid-fire existence. In doing that, the plant will have processed an enormous amount of soil nutrients, water, and sunlight all the time and the ton of fruits that hangs is nothing but a heap of color capsulated nutrition. And since it cannot be sold much, it is nature's way of fabricating a beautiful face for its own biogeochemical cycle.  In the first season of its enormous yield last year, we were perplexed about how to find a market for the bounty. Now in its second year of double bounty, we are very clear that the water apples have a roleplay in the farms, of hydrating the soil in summer and providing quickly assimilable nuggets of nutrition to the roots. Every produce in an organic fa...

By Dr. R Sudarshan W ithin the basket of harvest from the farm will soon be these crimson nuggets called Barbados cherry. For now, they are still a target of the feeding frenzy of birds. Soon when the birds move on to the mango diet, we will harvest the cherries for the market. Wednesday midweek mini market is into the 7th week. Organic Farmers' MIDWEEK MINI MARKET - 7, Wednesday, 20 April 2022, 8 AM to 10 AM For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, #  1A, 13th Cross,  Kalidasa Road,  VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan I n the 4 to 5 years of our journey into organic farming and the just about 2 years of holding markets, we know well that food habits are far too conventional in Mysore and people don't try new products easily unless it is part of the western society where they have been or their children have been. So, avocados or zucchini, or broccoli is acceptable to many but a water apple or peanut butter fruit is not. Lots of plants that originate from the East have a lesser preference for those that come from the West. The Malay red guava is one such poorer cousin, standing on the margins of recognition. An exquisite fruit that's now widely seen in the arid lands of India, it has a lesser presence in the South.  And we have some half a dozen plants of red Malay guava. Their leaves and fruits are enticingly attractive. Whatever our cautious food preference, the birds in Mysore are not closeted in any limited conditioning of the mind. They are widely and wildly adventurou...

By Dr. R Sudarshan He lived, wrote, and died in the pre-independence subcontinent. Regarded as one of the finest poets in Urdu, he is held in the poetry pantheon among Mirza Ghalib, Mir, and the like for his immeasurable creativity. His patriotic expression - ' saare jahan se accha ' is a simple emotion of legendary stature.  He was known for his delicate thoughts - " weep on the flowers like the dew " ( shabnam ki tarah, phoolon pe ro ), so that there is grace even in your pain. He was firm on his wit-laden philosophy - " who knows that even passion is insightful " ( kise khabar ke junoon bhi hai sahib-e-idraak ). Well, some are born ahead of their time. And that's why they create some invaluable thoughts that live on beyond them forever.  Here's the life and times of a luminary of the last century - Allama Muhammad Iqbal. On our shelf - among some 100 books of poetry of our world. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Silverfish Books,...

By Dr. R Sudarshan W e have challenged the future to grow at least a dozen different types of jackfruits at the farm. Gum-less, seedless, gluey, crisp, red, yellow, yes there's a whole lot of hope that the farm will bear jack fruits in diversity, going forward. And every season, a newer type is beginning to yield, just like the all-season jackfruit that has begun bearing fruits continuously for a few months. In one corner of our second farm, a young plant has now hung a cluster, that looks like ready to drop bombs from the sky. We know not the taste yet. Strangely, the fruiting season has shifted forward by a few weeks this year and the wait has been long.  But going by the oft-heard wisdom, fruits of patience must turn out to be sweet. So, maybe a few more weeks, before the treatment. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan I n the twilight of a windy desert on a summer evening, characters emerge from the edge of silhouetted dunes and become folktales. Such is the power of Arabic stories for the children. It is also said that fables and folktales are the best travelers and the most successful migrants that change a little bit at every step and etch stronger in the mind. Rodaan Al Galidi is a war refugee from Iraq who lived in a camp in the Netherlands for nearly a decade, without having a permit to work. So he sat down and wrote from his memory the stories he had heard in childhood of kings and paupers, horses and donkeys, roosters and sheiks, all seeped in a potion of love for storytelling. On the shelf now, among the most fascinating children's stories of peace from a troubled landscape. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan A family of young people gathers for their mother's funeral. Like every next generation that's eager to disengage from the past with the death of an old one, they detest all commitments and try to move on. That includes a promise made to a woman who served their mother all her life. The repercussions of a broken promise play out into the center stage of their presence in the decades that unfold. Conflicts of human nature unravel layer by layer. Resulting parade of life witnesses an erosion of values, long-term futility of short-term material gains, and the way the mind re-assesses itself with age. Delicately portrayed and masterfully crafted, Damon Galgut got BOOKER PRIZE for this novel in 2021.  Now on the shelf, 'The Promise' is more a mirror to the mind than a story of people. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan E xactly this day a year ago, Dr. Pratibha led some two dozen people from this community to a prime mango tree at our farm. They climbed, bent the branches, used barge poles, and did everything possible to pluck some 20 kilos of mangoes. They then sat down on the farm floor, cut the mangoes to size, used all organic ingredients, and made pickles. In the end, everyone carried home a bottle of organic mango pickles and retained a slice of spicy memory for life. This year, the season of mangoes has shifted a little. Probably, the mangoes will ripen to that stage in 2 to 3 weeks. And if Pratibha is free from her medical routine, we could request her yet again to demonstrate her surgical skills on sour mangoes. Just be ready.  Extreme delight rarely trickles, albeit in the form of pickles. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan T he highlight of the week that passed is the rains that poured. The summer scorched soil had so much wanted the cloud's cry that the farm laughed all the way to green glory, overnight.  Take our advice this one time. Just go out of town by a few miles to see how different an organic farm sounds and looks in contrast to the plowed-down barren wetness of chemical-loaded grounds.  Then relate the products you find on the shelf of this 80th week of organic Farmers' Market on Sunday, to the sight delight, and surround sound of a natural farm.  How you relish the farm produce is as important as knowing where it grew. ONLY TWO TYPES OF HUMANS ON THE PLANET This weekend, starting from this evening through the 80th farmers' market tomorrow morning, the color red will dominate our shelf. And there will also be plenty of water apple juice with honey to relish. You have all rights to buy or not buy. But you have no right to judge them in comparison to mangoes or a...

By Dr. R Sudarshan O ut of the five Litchi plants we brought from Dehradun and planted at the farm some four years ago, three have survived. And one of them flowered this year for the first time and bore 7 fruits. Systematically in the past one week, the birds have eaten away one fruit each day and 4 out of 7 have remained. In order to save them till they are fully ripe, the farmhands have covered them with a transparent bag.  But the birds were seen yesterday sitting on the bag and wondering how to break in. Soon, the savings might evaporate. And we may score a zero in this innings. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan O n one hand, we see people confronting the query 'is it possible to feed the world only with organic?' . On the other hand, we haven't known an organic farmer who can sell even a quarter of what their farms grow.  The Farmer's House grows tons of fruits and vegetables, but only a fraction is sold. Cabbages, cucumbers, gourds, water apple, mangoes, guava, greens, tamarind, well, sometimes our farms may grow as much as a tenth of what this city can consume but we are unable to engage the public in a consumption dialogue.  We did open a cafe to turn the excess produce into attractive products, but the chef hasn't been able to build a new line of imaginative products to capture people's attention. We hereby invite interested and passionate organic food enthusiasts to associate with the Farmer's House to experiment with the variety of excess we grow and develop creative ideas of consumption. We are not looking for a business line, but if it ev...

By Dr. R Sudarshan C hristopher Columbus was the father of wrong beliefs in civilization. On his second voyage across the Atlantic, he found PIMENTO in Jamaica, and since he still believed that he was on the other side of the globe, called it 'All Spice'. His greatest spicy lie built eventually a multi-billion dollar trade for PIMENTO in the world in the centuries of time that reached us from then.  Hailed for the combined aroma of nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon, the delicate odor of All Spice is now an integral part of American, European, and Middle Eastern cuisine. At the Padma Farms, the All Spice plants are now in full bloom for the first time. Many of you have already used the All Spice leaves in your kitchen. Soon, you may lay hands on its pepper-like seeds and crush them into dishes to rediscover the ignorance of Christopher Columbus. Believe him. New spices can be as aromatic and delicious as new lies are. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Padma Farms, Far...

By Dr. R Sudarshan A t the store, just at the entrance to the market area, we have been growing cabbages in pots to provoke people to grow their own vegetables at home on balconies. And from one side, systematically, the worms have begun to devour the succulent vegetable. We know that neem oil is only a half-hearted insect repellent in organic farming. So, a physical barrier now separates the worm battlefield from peaceful and prosperous cabbages. When you come to the market tomorrow at  8 AM, spare a moment. Watching organic farming wars is as important as buying organic produce. Organic Farmers' MIDWEEK MINI MARKET - 6, Wednesday, 13 April 2022, 8 AM to 10 AM For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, #  1A, 13th Cross,  Kalidasa Road,  VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan M irza Farhatullah Baig wrote this book with the great finesse of imagination, over a century ago. He imagined the year 1815. The Mughal empire was dying and in the moribund embers of an evening of that era, a grand mushaira is being held. In that symposium of poets are the immortal Mirza Ghalib and the unforgettable Bahadur Shah Zafar, Hakeem Momin Khan, Fakhru, Naisha, et al. They say the strangest truths, such as "There's greater fervor in old age than in youth, the flame burns brighter before it is put out". Baig also paints a picture of the private lives of the last emperor and his cohort of court poets. Their homes, their manners, the way they dressed, how they wrote, and the style they spoke in. It is often said that no poetry can paint pain the way the Urdu couplets can. And when you hear them in the twilight of an empire's demise on the floor of an amaranthine city like Delhi, you will have heard nothing like that before. A book that's ...

By Dr. R Sudarshan T he April lot of 400 new books have arrived at the Silverfish Bookstore. Fiction, non-fiction, children's books, mystery, fantasy, classics, biography, spirituality, cooking, sci-fi, history, business, and a dozen more categories of the world's bestsellers. At the heart of a dynamic database of the store is a curator who handpicks a few bestseller books from the thousands that publishers list and send out every week. It's a challenging task to ensure a trickle of elixir from the torrent of pulp. The trust of the community and the dynamism of readership demands a fine sense of curating skills in building a bookstore. That's Silverfish Books for you - a prime shelf of the world's most well-read books, curated with utmost care and commitment. And the new arrival of an additional 400 on our shelf, building now a collection exceeding 10,000 books, is what the best of minds in the world have thought. And wrote. For any relevant query, message 81051 129...

By Dr. R Sudarshan D ry summer, punishing heat, and long hours of evapotranspiration. But suddenly the leaves are at their healthiest green on the farm. Probably because most plants are bearing tons of fruits and they need a constant supply of starch, they are heavily investing in larger, greener, and more functional leaves that can capture more sun per leaf. Yes. Now the market is 79. Tomorrow, Sunday at 9 AM, fruits will begin bouncing on the shelf along with a variety of greens and vegetables. 79th Organic Farmers' Market, Sunday,  10 April 2022 - 9 AM to 12 Noon For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, #  1A, 13th Cross,  Kalidasa Road,  VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan S ome 3 to 4 years ago, we drove into the jungle near Sirsi to meet Anant at his village home, tucked in a thick canopy. A self-appointed Appe Midi (Here's the link to know what it's:  https://bit.ly/3jeI6bY ) mango conservator, he set out daily into the forest, found wild mango trees, and grafted them with the exclusive Appe Midi strain. He did that in thousands over the time because, in the past 25 years, some 5000 wild Appe Midi trees had not fruited in the entire Aghanashini river basin, the homeland of this aromatic species. And the Appe Midi lovers had slid into a deepening doubt if the species was on its way out of the planet. Anant grafted and gave us a few Appe Midi saplings. Just 3 survived on our farm over these years and have been growing quite well. We proudly break a leaf for every visitor to give a glimpse of its heavenly aroma.  We anxiously wait for the plants to flower every spring but haven't seen any signs as yet. We know not if they w...

By Dr. R Sudarshan E arly in the morning as the sun rose, two young women checked into the farm and walked all over the space as we watered the plants. One was very talkative while the other was remarkably silent. One is about to enter the University for a degree while the other will exit for her doctoral. They did exude excitement - one in so many words while the other in so much quietness.  In over a year, we have seen hundreds of people soaking in the morning dew at the farm in a million different ways. Old, young, men, women, from here, from elsewhere, but all excited equally, though differently. The women of the morning said one thing similar it was their best day ever. And for us, there is some inexplicable joy in showing the farm to whoever.  Two women and a farm - a synopsis of the duality of an organic system that is both overtly vibrant but potently silent. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Roa...

By Dr. R Sudarshan T here's at least one tree on the planet that has no idea how much weight its branches can bear. The water apple of Malayan origin goes blissful in summers, wearing an un-liftable pink armor of tons of fruits. The plant suddenly becomes an enormous exhibition of inexplicable oodles of beauty and bears a kind of floral innocence of not knowing its own capacity or limit. As it happens unfailingly every year, the branches bend down by the burden of their own charm. And even if a couple of birds jump over the branch to tease the fruits, the twigs fracture and bite the dust. This picture of a bending branch was taken yesterday. This morning the farmhands called to tell us that the branch has broken and a thousand fruits are on the floor.  Yes. Those who blush can't raise their heads. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore. * * * Addition dated April 11, 2022 WATER APPLE - A...

By Dr. R Sudarshan W e began organizing midweek mini markets to make available fresh greens, so you don't have to stack them all week from the Sunday market. But the season is a generous time of rapid fruiting. So, we will have fruits too with greens and some assorted vegetables  From 8 AM till 10 AM Tomorrow. Organic Farmers' MIDWEEK MINI MARKET - 5, Wednesday, 6 April 2022, 8 AM to 10 AM For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, #  1A, 13th Cross,  Kalidasa Road,  VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan S hekhar was a Chief Manager in SBI till recently and now audits the banks frequently. Between his whirlwind auditing tours, he tills his backyard to grow some half kilo of brinjal, out of which he brings a quarter to our Sunday Farmers' Market to sell. A professional banker by the day, but a passionate vegetable seller by the weekend. In all, an organic farmer to safely bank upon.  Shekhar has recently spent lots of time figuring out how to grow button and oyster mushrooms organically at home. He now wishes to share his knowledge with the Farmer's House community and add to the variety that we offer at the market. So on Friday, 8 April 2022 at 5 PM, we host a workshop for mushroom enthusiasts at the Farmer's House, with Shekhar leading the floor. Participation is free for a maximum of 15 persons. If interested, please send a message to Gagan at 97421 62956 to register. Mushroom Workshop,  Friday, 8 April 2022, 5 PM at Farmer's House * * * Farmer'...

By Dr. R Sudarshan F or 20 years, half the world searched for an elusive Afghan Emir called Mullah Omar, who headed the Taliban, terrorized the world, and turned Afghanistan into a bush of male-dominated jungle law. As a consequence, no woman ever dared to walk even the lane in her neighborhood. Then, an extraordinary Dutch woman called Bette Dam went in search of Mullah Omar, equipped with just a grainy and out-of-focus black and white picture of the one-eyed legend of our times. In five years of her obsessive search for the world's most misinformed and invisible warlord, she revealed the widely unknown inner workings of the Taliban and found out how the Mullah hid just 4.8 km away from a US Military base in such a manner that the world could not even know of his death till after two years had passed. An amazing testimony of what a woman writer can do in a woman-banned terrain - alone, unarmed but determined to unearth the truth. On the shelf. For any relevant query, message 8105...

By Dr. R Sudarshan F ive years have passed.  We had just then begun a journey into organic farming and were struggling with the idea of turning a piece of barren land into a productive green space. We were still a family of clueless wild experimenters and that year, even the sun too shamelessly beat the hopeless landscape that bore a dream that looked impossible. We had just planted a few saplings and had laid drip lines for their irrigation. Nightrider bandicoots had been frustrating us by puncturing the pipes every day to steal water. In a small depression, the leaked water had formed a tiny pool.  And a family of leopards crawled through the fence, drank water from the nano pool, and roiled in wet mud in the darkness of a dry night. We never ever saw them again. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan T hirteenth-century world - Mongols were marauding the Middle East, King Edward was asking Jews to leave England, Marco Polo was meeting Kublai Khan, Iltutmush was handing over Delhi to Razia, Cholas and Pandyas were marching their armies and while such mostly violent and warring human behavior was filling the pages of history, Jalaluddin Muhammad RUMI sat quietly in Persia and wrote some delicate poetry - " welcome every guest, no matter how grotesque ". Hailed often as history's greatest poet, RUMI laid a road map for living with ease and embracing love at every turn, despite our deeply divided and chaotic times.  RUMI scholar Melody Moezzi interprets his wisdom and simplifies the meanings in this book. A fantastic read to ruminate about our everyday life, no matter which era we live in. And believe us, the mind reflection suggesting the word 'ruminate' did not come from Rumi. Good things coincide, just like a prime shelf hosts a powerful boo...