Mystery Behind The Images

Posted on January 15, 2016 by badri

“One of you walk outside the room, and you will find the image inside the room, but upside down” said a boy in local language, when we were on a visit to Hampi more than 50 years ago.

This was at Virupaksha Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, at the historical rich, Hampi in Bellary District, Karnataka state. In this complex, there is an isolated room which had two doors. One of the two doors had a hole of about 2 inches in diameter. The opening is clear and had no glass or any other material. I could pass my fingers through and through.

The room is small and can accommodate only 2 persons. I stood inside the room with one of my friends. The room doors were closed. Some light was passing into the room through the small hole.

The other people from our group walked outside the room, at a distance of about 3-4 feet from the door. Their moving images could be seen inside the room on the wall opposite the doors. But it looked like the people walking outside were doing so on their head.

Another observation. This temple, like any other Hindu temple has a gopur (tower) and kalash (pinacle) at the entrance. This is a round pinnacle on the tower built at the entrance or over the central sanctum of a temple. There is a large room at the back end of the temple. The eastern wall of this room has a opening of about 6×6 inches. The image of the temple’s Kalash passed through this opening and reflected on the west side wall of the room. However, here again, the image is upside down.

                    Image picked from Google

I could clearly see that there was no material, whether glass, plastic or any thing else between the kalash and its image. Yet, the image appears upside down.

This place was constructed at the time King Krishna Deva Raya ruled the Vijay Nagar empire around 1400 AD. I checked with the priests and other staff of the temple, they didn’t know the reason behind this phenomenon. For a few it was the miracle of God and for a few it was an engineering wonder of the architects who constructed the temple.

Rationalists, however, find the phenomenon quite normal and that it is just the pinhole camera effect.

For me it was something abnormal then, nothing less than a miracle, till I discovered the explanation at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinhole_camera

Do visit Hampi and discover this mystery! Rather the Pinhole Camera effect!

Written : Badri Baldawa

Edited : Meeta Kabra

Is Education Over-rated?

Posted on January 2, 2015 by badri

“Our performance efficiency is 99.9999% – six sigma ranking. We have 5,000 members working in coordination. Out of 400,000 transactions every day, the error factor is 1 in every 20,000,000” said the President of a service organisation.

This is the organization which collects lunch boxes (dabbas) in the morning from the homes spread over 60 by 30 km city called Mumbai. These lunch packs are then delivered to their owners working in various nooks and corners of Mumbai. Post lunch, they collect the empty boxes and get them back to the respective houses by the same evening

This organisation is not a giant corporate like IBM, Wal-mart or Coca cola. Almost all its members are illiterate and school drop-outs. It has functioned for over 125 years and gets only more efficient by the day.

The process is extremely complicated and needs perfect coordination. They don’t use technology nor do they use fuel-driven vehicles. They work on foot or use cycles and suburban trains to transfer the boxes over 65-70kms every day, making it a 100% eco-friendly system. It is a perfect example of the most complicated job done in the simplest way.

To provide better coordination and thus efficiency, the delivery people are divided in different groups. In the process, the dabbas change hands 6 times. But they have a system to ensure there is no mix-up in the process. Their lack of education has not held them back in following the best lessons taught in the world’s top ranked management schools like Harvard, Oxford and so on. On the contrary, this set-up is taken up as a case study by the said schools.

They believe in fixed prices. No favours or bias in price.

There’s no gossip at work. Even when Prince Charles wanted to talk to the members, they refused to have a discussion with him while they were on duty. Their working impressed him so much, that Prince Charles invited two of them to his marriage in 2005 at par with Queen of Gwalior.

Each member carries aprx 40 dabbas (boxes), weighing 60 to 65kgs on their head most of the day. For each building, one delivery person is assigned the responsibility of collecting the boxes. These boxes are then assembled at the local suburban train station, and are reallocated to groups based on the destination train station.

At the destination stations, the boxes again are regrouped to specific building (And floor of building in some cases). Freshly cooked meals are thus delivered from home to the customer within 3 hours commute over foot, cycles and train.

As one can imagine they had to develop a system to identify which box needs to be go where. They introduced the most practical coding system which is marked on each box. It identifies who would collect each box from which building in which suburb. The code also includes who would deliver information – right down to the floor of a particular building. This coding system can be understood by the most uneducated person and at the same time leaves an almost zero margin for error!

They have also created a cost free advertisement system for themselves. Every member has to wear the white cap which by itself has become a logo. This identification has proven to be a boon as they are blocked by no authority/security. Everyone respects their need for punctuality to ensure the boxes reach the office employees well in time for lunch.

All members have to strictly follow the rules and any deviation attracts a penalty. For example, if a delivery person is found on duty without a cap or any customer makes a complaint against them they are penalized the same day. Penalty has to be paid the same day to be able to continue with the delivery, the next day.

They do not have any employer-employee relationship. Each member is a shareholder and hence a stake holder in the operation. They have had no labour strike during 125 years of the association’s existence. The punctuality, complaint record and output all count towards their share of pooled funds and reward. They are all part of an association which collects a small fee every month, which in turn is fully donated for a social cause.

Minimum overheads and optimum output is the lesson I learn from these hard-working dabbawalas.

This example proves that literacy and technology is not essential to achieve perfection. It is whole-hearted devotion and the right attitude which matters most.

Written : Badri Baldawa

Edited : Meeta Kabra

In 1940s, Why Many Were Born Before 10 June !

Posted on September 25, 2014 by badri

“What is your son’s birth date?” the clerk at the primary school asked my uncle who took me there for admissions in 1950. My uncle was caught unaware. He never expected to face this question for getting me admitted to school!

I was born at home with the help of Akkamma, an experienced daima (mid-wife) who was devoted to our family for pre and post natal needs. There was no system of celebrating ‘Happy Birthdays’ during those days! So, parents never bothered to remember the actual birth date of their child!

If I had to check with my Mother for anyone’s birthday in the family, she would quote an incident which happened a few days prior or after the specific birth. I really appreciate their memories. The deliveries very rarely in hospitals. They were mostly at home with the help of daima. Hence there were no official records. Only a lucky few could afford to wear a wristwatch at that time. Therefore even the accuracy of the exact time was questionable.

Then how come we all have birth dates? Oh, and even the exact time of birth! In this entire loop, at least in my case, there was one individual who played an important role in determining my actual birth date.

In business communities, the 6 feet long red colour cloth bound bahi-khaatas (books of accounts) were maintained by the family muneems (accountants). Whenever there was a new arrival in the family, he made a note at the top of that day’s journal “wife of Mr. so-and-so delivered a baby boy/girl at such-and-such time.”

The time noted was as given by the family members. That became the basis for preparing janam and lagna kundalis (birth and marriage horoscopes) by the Pandits (priests). These were usually prepared years later, as and when the necessity arose. Else there was no need to remember the birth date.

Therefore, when most unexpectedly the guardian of a child is asked for a birth date, one does not expect to get an answer on the spot. Even if the guardian knew, there are some other internal and external limitations which needed to be considered.

There were no pre-KG or KG classes then. For admission to the 1^st standard in a primary school, the student had to complete 5 years of age as on 10^th June of the year of admission. If someone was born on 11^th June or later, he would lose one year in school as that year was not counted for admission age of 5 years.

And there were other factors too! An auspicious day was selected for getting admission to school. There was a belief that once you go for a good cause, it was inauspicious to return without having completed the job. Hence, once you were at the school for admission, there was reluctance to go back home to find the actual birth date.

Even if he wanted to, he would have to trace the books of accounts of five years back, look through each and every day’s notes around the approximate date of birth. A tedious task indeed.

Further, parents considered it an honour to have their child admitted to a school. It didn’t matter if the age was a couple of months short; the repercussions in the future were not considered seriously in those days.

The school authorities were interested in as many admissions as possible, so that they coult earn enough. A date which proves completion of 5 years would do. The parents were conveniently advised to give a date between 1^st and 9^th of June (of 5 years back) so that the child could be considered as having completed 5 years of age!

Not surprisingly, a good part of the population at that time was born just before 10^th June!

Written By: Badri Baldawa

Edited By : Meeta Kabra

For my other Blogs please click on www.smritiweb.com/badri/

What Next – A Dilemma

Posted on June 13, 2014 by badri

On certain occasions in life you are at a dilemma – do I satisfy my desires or take overall responsibilities. At such points, it is essential to curb our feelings for the larger good. To do what I really want to do would surely give me pleasure. But the pleasure I would get in fulfilling the desires of the entire family would be incomparable. If I have an opportunity to get ‘incomparable pleasure’, why should I get satisfied with just ‘pleasure’?

In 1965, I appeared for B.Com exams and was contemplating what was best for me to do thereafter. I had to decide whether to join business or go for a job or pursue further studies. The ground reality was that we were ten brothers and four sisters. Except one sister who was married, the others were younger to me. They needed to be educated, married and ultimately settle in their career. There was always a financial crunch at home – even for essential day to day needs. We desperately needed regular income in the family.

I always wanted to run my own business and I had the confidence that I had acumen for it. It could then be debated – why did I not join dad’s mining business? The mining business was not giving returns. To make it profitable, processes needed to be mechanised for which an investment of Rs.15-20 crores was needed. We did not have adequate sources nor securities to get the large funds to run the mining business.

The maximum financial help I was offered was enough to set up a grocery shop – a very common business occupation at that time. Though business could give better earnings, there was no guarantee of any fixed minimum returns. A single wrong decision in business could ruin the dreams of the entire family. It was too big a risk for me to take. I had to play a safer game. Therefore to ensure that all the family members are taken care of, I decided against setting up a business.

The other option was to study further which would result in a further financial burden. The family would continue to struggle for at least 3-4 additional years.

Employment gives regular assured income. It was better to go for assured income by doing a job. At any later time, as and when I saw the family settling down, I could take the risk of fulfilling my dream of experimenting with my own business. Under the circumstances, I was convinced that doing a job would be the thing to do. It was a compromise and of course, not a very happy situation to be in. I was still in dilemma

Just then, the results of my final B.Com were declared. I had secured the top rank in the University. After getting the results, I went home, took my mother’s blessings and headed to the office room. I missed my dad. He was away on one of his trips to the mines. By this time, a few of our family, friends and neighbours who had heard of my results had already collected in the office with a garland to honour me. One common question was, “Badri, what do you want to do next?” True, I now had to take a final decision.

I was blessed with a surprise. My dad had unexpectedly returned from his trip and entered the office, full of well-wishers. He was not aware of my results. He heard it from the people already collected there. I could read his face. He was a proud father. As if the garland was waiting for my dad. He picked it up and garlanded me. What an honour!

The same question was asked again, “what next?” I was still confused. Before I could answer, dad answered. “With such bright results, what other option would he prefer other than to take the family responsibility after me.” I was happy that dad had come to my rescue and took a decision for me.

Dad looked at me and continued “Beta, you study as much as you want. No limits. Leave it to me, I will handle the affairs at home. You don’t have to worry about the expenses. I have energy and strength to take care of all of that. If you study now, you can take care of the family tomorrow!” I was lucky to have such a dad!

A very sensitive occasion for me. My dilemma was no more. I got what I ultimately wanted. Study further. I thought for a while, I could continue study now and still earn later with higher status and earnings. But if I went for a steady income now, it would be very difficult to go for studies later on.

It therefore was decided that I would go for further studies as long as dad had energy.This was the opportunity to show my worth in studies and then take up the challenge of supporting the entire family. It also reminded me: in business I might earn, but it would be temporary because there can always be losses. But if I acquire knowledge, it would be my permanent asset and I would never lose it. That asset would help me later, whether I go for employment or business.

Vidya Dhanam Sarwa Dhana Pradhanam.

Author: Badri Baldawa

Editor: Meeta Kabra

My Philosophy of Studying

Posted on March 2, 2014 by badri

“If others can be University Gold Medalists, why can’t I?” was a question I challenged myself with in college. Initially, it sounded like a difficult dream. So what? If I am different, nothing is difficult.

Having decided to make my dream into a reality, I met a few examiners to find out what they looked for while assessing answers? The way I understood, they checked if –

all relevant points to the question are covered.
answers were written in own language, instead of rote answers from text books
new points/observations made were justified well

I figured, If properly worked out, it was not a difficult task to score well. I got excited and a burning desire to achieve this took root. Next, I had to challenge myself to get the best out of my abilities. My strategy was four fold –

Guru Samarpan: Take maximum guidelines from my teachers
Self-discipline: Be sincere to yourself and
Study Plans: Have a proper plan in place for studying
Approach at Examination Hall

To elaborate –

1. Guru samarpan: I surrendered to my professors and lecturers completely. Once the teachers realised that I am devoted to them, they started taking more interest in my queries and doubts. They were happy to share their books, their notes, their knowledge and even their home.
College library would lend only 2 books at a time. But my beloved lecturers gave me a free hand to borrow more books under their names.
For getting any doubts clarified, I had access to their office and home at any time, on any day even during holidays and long vacations

2. Self-discipline: I created self-interest and devised my own methods of studying. I was convinced that I didn’t study to just appear for exams, but I did it to understand the subject well. It was important for me to enjoy both studying and appearing for exams rather than considering them as a strain. That was my mental make-up.

3. Study Plans; To actually implement I devised the following Study Plans;

Studied each and every chapter in depth by referring to class notes and books written by various authors on the same subject. This brought new and complete insight in the topic.
Prepared my own notes from all the material read. This helped me retain and assimilate all the knowledge I accumulated. One cannot make own notes without understanding the subject well.
Made separate notes on the differences of opinion between various authors. A mention of these differences in the answers gave an edge over others’ answers and created a “different” impression to the examiner.
Created hints for answers. I summarised the notes in short hint format for each chapter and revised the short notes rather than going through the entire descriptive notes, every time I revised. Once you remember the hint, it is easy to write on the subject in detail because you know the subject well from your earlier hardwork. Also, it saves revision time and enables to cover all points on the subject, which is important to give complete answers.
Left no surprise element for the examinations. I did not believe in studying only the ‘selected’ or ‘expected’ questions just from exams point of view. I studied all the chapters so that I was ready to face any question. This does wonders for your confidence.
Studied round the year. I did not believe in studying just 30 or 60 or 90 days before examinations.
Made a proper timetable of subjects to be revised on each specific day for the last 4 weeks before exams.
Considered tackling examinations an excitement awaited and not a fear. Bindaas (Carefree) I would go for a movie the night before examinations, (certainly the day before the accountancy and statistics exams!)
Stayed cool and quiet just before exams and conserve energy.

4. Approach at Examination : At the Hall:

Avoided eleventh hour revision. I believe, a dominant part of what you retained whatever little studied at eleventh hour compared to what you have been studying throughout the year.
Allowed half-a-minute cool-down time before reading the question paper. That helps to balance mind, memory, and temperament.
Allowed about 10 minutes for unexpected long answers and last 10-15 minutes for rechecking the answers.
Allocated time to each question in proportion to the marks it carries. If 180 minutes are available to cover 100 marks, after allocating for rechecking and buffer-time, I devoted about 15-16 minutes for every 10 mark question.
Some times the answers to a question could be long, but considering the marks it carries, the examiner didn’t expect a lengthy answer. I kept the answers’ length as per the marks allocated. No point punishing and irritating the examiner by writing irrelevant and long answers.

I implemented the above strategy and got University First Rank in my B.Com. A similar approach helped me in getting all India level ranks in my professional exams – CA, ICWA and CS.

Dream your Best, Plan your Best and you will Achieve the Best

Written: Badri Baldawa Edited: Meeta Kabra

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