The beautiful and elegant Julie Andrews is an epitome of talent. She is an English film and stage actress, singer, author, theatre director and dancer. She made her debut in 1948 on the West End as child actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut in a 1954 production of ‘The Boy Friend’. But, she raised to eminence in musicals such as May Fair Lady and Camelot. In 1957, she appeared on television with the title role in the musical Cinderella, which was seen by over 100 million viewers. She personified Cinderella’s character.

Julie Andrews portrayed poise, power, dedication, sophistication, grit and modesty of women through her various screen roles. She played so many shades of women’s individuality in her numerous characters:  a free-spirited young Austrian woman studying as a postulant to become a nun in The Sound of Music, a young Cockney woman who sells flowers in My Fair Lady, a magical and loving woman who descends down from the clouds in response to the Banks children’s advertisement for a nanny. She is not only firm in her use of authority, but gentle and kind as well in Mary Poppins and many more subtle yet potent roles. In Americanization of Emily she played a noble British war widow who falls for a feckless US soldier. This was the first of the big American Julie Andrews films after leaving Camelot on Broadway. The film gave her an opportunity to demonstrate her talent as an actor.

With her mahagony hair, her glowing, porcelain-like skin, eyes framed by long lashes, a straight nose, full lips – she seemed the picture of perfection in her each movie. When she smiled, the world would sigh with gratification. When she laughed, her fans would laugh with her. And when she wept, the whole theater would want to comfort her.  She won an Academy Award for playing the title role in Mary Poppins and was nominated for her performance in The Sound of Music. She won numerous accolades and wards in her long career.

She mentions in her biography ‘Home’ that she had lived in a bad slum area of London; she recalls that as very black period in her life. She had to live with her stepfather who was violent and an alcoholic man. Her parents parted their ways during the World War II. Andrews lived briefly with Ted Wells – her step father and her brother John in Surrey.

In her later life, Julie Andrews experienced a huge personal setback in the late 1990s, when her vocal chords were damaged during an operation. While she never regained her powerful, sharp singing voice, she continued to act in films and television movies.  She is an inspiration to the womankind because she had to deal with some major challenges in her life. Instead of those experiences breaking her, they made her strong. She became a successful woman; she used her problems as stepping-stones. Julie Andrews has large fan following all over the. In my opinion, she is the most beautiful woman.

Numerous film songs and ghazals are set in ragas. We have heard stories such as – when Tansen sang raga Megh Malhaar it started raining immediately, when he sang raga Deepak lamps got lit automatically, and sometimes when Tansen sang, wild animals would come and sit at his feet.

Please recall the famous “Dukh Bhare Din Bite Re Bhaiya” from Mother India (1957) or “Kaare Kaare Badra, Suni Suni Ratiya” from Mera Naam Joker (1970) to enjoy the peacefulness and the passion of Megh Malhaar.  “Divane Tum, Divane Hum” from film Bezuban (1962) in Raag Bageshri,”Hamse Aya Na Gaya” from Film Dekh Kabira Roya (1957), “Madhuban Me Radhika Nache re” from film Kohinoor (1960) in raag Hamir, “Zir Zir Barase Sawani Akhiya” from film Ashirwad (1968) in raag Gaur Malhar are some excellent examples how the composers used ragas in their fullest power.

Music has a healing power; it stimulates the pituitary gland, which secretes hormones that affect the nervous system and the flow of blood. When you listen to hard rock with Drums/Congo/Bongo the rate of your heart beats increase in manifold while when you listen to slow and soft music it calms your nerves and takes you to pensive state. The ancient system of Nada Yoga, acknowledges the impact of music on body and mind. Vibrations are produced from sounds to uplift one’s level of consciousness. You should visit Osho Ashram, Pune to experience how vibrations in their resonance can synchronize with our moods. Ragas help fight aging and pain.

Words don’t express music. Music expresses itself. There is a famous quote by Aldous Huxley. And, Douglas Adams says “Beethoven tells you what it is like to be Beethoven and Mozart tells you what it’s like to be human. Bach tells you what it’s like to be the universe.”

There are some great physicians who treat their patients with musical therapy. Choosing the right kind of music is helpful in promoting health. Negative traits like anger, worries also can be overcome through listening to good music. Depression can be cured by music therapy. When you are feeling low, soft and soothing music is recommended. In order to study the depth nature of impact of Indian classical music on the physiology and disease status of working men and also to assess how far it helps in efficiency and work potential of workers, the well known ‘panchkarma’ practitioner and exponent of ‘Gandharva Music Therapy’, Dr. Gopalkrishna Waghralkar of the Waghralkar’s Hospital & Resarch Institute, Nagpur has launched a project which is sponsored by Bank of Maharashtra. The employees of Bank of Maharashtra in the city work in musical surroundings. Aggrieved customers can also feel better and perhaps they will get better services in its selected branches. Dr. Waghralkar is assisted by a team of other specialization doctors.

The ancient Hindus had relied on music for its curative role. The chants in Veda Mantras in praise of God have been used as a cure for several disharmonies in individuals as well as in environment. Several sects of ‘Bhakti’ such as Chaitanya, Sampradaya, Vallabha sampradaya have all accorded priority to music. Haridas Swami who was the guru of Tansen in Emperor Akbar’s empire was an astonishing musician. Though very little is known about him, it seems Harodas Swami has healed some individuals through his musical rendering. Legendary classical music maestro Thyagraja brought a dead person alive through his Bilahari composition Naa Jiva Dhaara. The music library at Thanjavur is reported to contain such a treasure on ragas that spells out the application and use of various ragas in fighting common ailments.

Ragas help activating the seven energy Chakras in body. They have the power to stimulate the chakras in right proportion. The activation of chakras allows the Kundalini energy to rise easily and energize and nourish the chakra. It is reported that Kundalini awakening results in deep meditation, enlightenment and bliss. This awakening involves the Kundalini physically moving up from the Muladhar chakra through the central channel to reside within the Sahasrara Chakra at the top of the head. This movement of Kundalini is felt by the presence of a cool or, in the case of imbalance, a warm breeze across the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet. Practitioners of Kundalini awakening have expressed mysterious experiences. A piece of advice – you need a mature and holistic Guru to practice Kundalini meditation.

The raga also helps to maintain the chakra in its optimum spin and balance, ensuring a balanced energy supply to different organs that are connected to the specific chakra. My musical Guru Dr. Pandit Parmanand Yadavji says that the raga Shyam Kalyan helps activate the Mooladhara chakra. This chakra enables physical identity, survival, stability, instinctual nature, ambition, and self-sufficiency. The sense governed by Muladhar is smell.

Raga Yaman has the power to stimulate the Swadishthan chakra that governs our attention. The sense associated with swadhisthana is taste, the sense organ is the tongue and the organs of activity are the sexual organs, kidneys and entire urinary system. Therefore swadhisthana is largely responsible for purification of all bodily fluids through the kidneys, bladder and lymph system, and for the continuation of life through the sex organs and glands of reproduction. It governs the gonads and production of sexual hormones and therefore has a very strong influence upon our moods and emotions. Swadhisthana is also linked to the mobility of our joints and especially the hip joints and pelvic area

Raga Abhogi helps activate the Solar Plexus (Manipura) chakra and stimulate the digestion process. When the Kundalini enters this Chakra, the Chakra is cleansed, bringing about a change of attitudes and inner transformation. This raga is also known to bring about de-addiction in human beings.  It helps one give up vices and impulsive or compulsive habits. This raga helps develop the quality of the water element. This chakra when not activated leads to poor digestion, weight problems, ulcers, diabetes, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, arthritis, pancreas, liver or kidney problems, anorexia, bulimia, hepatitis, intestinal tumors, colon disease.

The ragas Bhairav and Durga have a power of attaining divine bliss and protection. Both help activate the Anahat (Heart) chakra. When the Kundalini touches the heart chakra, the person experiences spiritual powers. Raga Durga boosts self-confidence and helps develop the quality of the air element. These ragas also enhance the Divinity and Immunity in children. The Heart Chakra is the home of emotional processing. In a sense, the Heart Chakra is all about self-less love and compassion. The heart processes our emotions for us. We grieve and mourn and equally celebrate and laugh raucously, from the heart.

The Raga Jayjaywanti helps to activate the Vishuddhi (Throat) chakra, the controller of the sensory organs. This raga also develops the quality of the air element and the expression of voice, and helps make one’s personality loving. This chakra makes us expressive. It is our communication center in body. It’s important to remember, however, that communication is not just about you talking but it’s also about listening. An imbalanced throat chakra can display itself in many ways. Some signs of imbalance are lying, arrogance, talking too much, being manipulative, fear and timidity.

The Raga Bhup helps purify and open the Third Eye (Ajana) chakra. It helps relieve tensions, anger and mental fatigue. The mood created by this Raga helps the Kundalini pass through the Agnya chakra and enter the Sahasrara in the limbic area of the brain. Third Eye Chakra is the 6th Chakra and is responsible to what we refer to as “the sixth sense”. The Chakra connects us to our internal intuitions and is responsible for the sharp senses, the ability to read the future and receive non-verbal messages. Through the Third Eye we communicate with the world and can even receive messages from the past and from the future. It grants us our sense of observation.

Ragas Darbari and Bhairavi are helpful in activating our Sahasrara (Crown) chakra. The notes of these ragas help relax and calm the emotionally-related limbic area. When the Kundalini energy reaches this chakra, soothes and nourishes the Sahasrara chakra and the brain. The result is that one feels, joyous, energetic, peaceful and relieved of tension and depression. The crown chakra is the center for trust, devotion, inspiration, happiness, and positivity. It’s also the center for deeper connection with you and deeper connection with a force of life that is greater than us.

Ragas in Hindustani classical music have relation to special time of a day and different seasons as well. Seasonal ragas can be performed any time (day or night) during that season. Raga Deepak is related to summer; Megh and Miyan ki Malhar are for the rainy season; Malkauns and Puriya Dhanashree are the ragas for autumn; the roughness of winter is conveyed best through Bhairav, another name for Siva – the god of destruction; and Raag Hindola expresses spring, the season of vitality and romance. These days, the commercial aspect has set in violation of singing particular rag at particular time. Artists and program managers have relaxed rules. But, if you want to enjoy a raga in holistic fashion do listen or practice it at the right time and right season to enjoy its essence.

Its 100 years today since the World War I broke on 28^th June 1914. I strongly believe all wars defies logic.  Sociologists and psychologists can tell us many of the reasons for war, but when we see the results of war its tragic effects only tell us that war is unreasonable and illogical. Yet it is still unavoidable. Why? What is it in mankind that causes us to war?

The 1^st World war began on a small note when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This seemingly small conflict between two countries spread rapidly: soon, Germany, Russia, Great Britain and France were all drawn into the war, largely because they were involved in treaties that obligated them to defend certain other nations. Western and eastern fronts quickly opened along the borders of Germany and Austria-Hungary. The war drew in all the world’s economic great powers which were assembled in two opposing alliances.

World War I killed more people – more than 9 million soldiers, sailors, and flyers and another 5 million civilians. It involved 28 countries, and cost $ 186 billion in direct costs and another $151 billion in indirect costs. It became a very costly afire. It was the first war to use airplanes, tanks, long range artillery, submarines, and poison gas. It left at least 7 million men permanently disabled. World War I probably had more far-reaching consequences than any other proceeding war. Politically, it resulted in the downfall of four monarchies; Russia in 1917, Austria-Hungary and Germany in 1918, and Turkey in 1922. It contributed to the Bolshevik rise to power in Russia in 1917 and the triumph of fascism in Italy in 1922. It ignited colonial revolts in the Middle East and in Southeast Asia.

The war severely disturbed the European economies and allowed the United States to become the world’s leading creditor and industrial power. The war also brought vast social consequences, including the mass murder of Armenians in Turkey and an influenza epidemic that killed over 25 million people worldwide.

Many socio-economic events reveal the utter unpredictability of the future. At the dawn of the 20th century, most Europeans looked forward to a future of peace and prosperity. Europe has not fought a major war for 100 years because their belief in human progress was shattered by World War I, a war few wanted and few unnecessarily got drawn into it. At any point during the five weeks leading up to the outbreak of fighting the conflict might have been averted. World War I was a product of miscalculation, misunderstanding, and miscommunication.

No one anticipated a war of unimagined magnitude or duration of World War I. At first the armies relied on outdated methods of communication, such as carrier pigeons. The great powers mobilized more than a million horses. But by the time the conflict was over, tanks, submarines, airplane-dropped bombs, machine guns, and poison gas had transformed the nature of modern warfare. In 1918, the Germans fired shells containing both tear gas and lethal chlorine. The tear gas forced the British to remove their gas masks; the chlorine then scarred their faces and killed them.

Conflicts between two nations is ought to take place on various issues; but is war the solution to it? There is little difference between human and animal reaction to war: animals have a strong instinct to fight and defend their territory, humans are no different. What really separates humans from animals is the scale of the fights. The human’s fights are terrifying and blood-spattered. World War I proved that if disputes are to be settled only by war, then human kind will not survive and the whole world will vanish.  – Let’s avoid a third world war.

War is not something that any sane person wants to be involved in. World War 2 is a great example: Hitler was trying to take over the world eventually by committing genocide. He needed to be stopped. Genocide means the systematic destruction of all or part of a racial, ethnic, religious or national group by Killing members of the group. You cannot have someone trying to take over the world, especially in such a gory manner.

Unfortunately war is necessary in some cases. In several cases, the only way to stop certain pretense is through war. Think, if certain rulers hadn’t been deposed through war efforts, where would the world be? Unfortunately there are people and governments that will not change through peaceful talks and beneficial agreements.

Wars often start from silly, petty arguments. It’s proved sometimes war is the outcome of national ego.

Some sociologists feel education is the answer to stop war. They say that if everyone had the best education possible then war, racism and all other social problems would give way to a worldwide peace. But if you look at people who opted for war were most educated, then what happened? Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Eichmann, Joseph Goebbels, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Mao Tse Tung, Sadam Hussein, Slobodan Milosevic and many others were educated people. Does knowledge breed ego in people? Today, knowledge is given priority in all nations but still the number of wars and their severity has not reduced.

Historically, men and nations attempt to secure peace through political alliances. But, even these have not been able to offer lasting peace. In an address to the United States Senate in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson said, “The League of Nations is the only hope of mankind.” World War I was supposed to have been “The war to end all wars“. But it proved wrong. World War II began only 20 years later.  Thousands of treaties have been made and disbanded.  Our intensions of peace are fanciful, short-lived and fragile; any number of treaties may be formed for peace, but wars are not prevented. It is futile to put all our hope in political alliances.  War cannot create peace and peace cannot create war. It is therefore left to us, to the people of this world whether we want war or peace.

Lastly, some social scientists have envisaged World War III (WWIII, WW3 or the Third World War) to describe a worldwide conflict following World War II. The anticipated dates for the war are from September 1, 2029 – November 11, 2036. The war will break everywhere except Antarctica and most of Africa. The elements for the war would hypothetically be such as Syrian – Turkish border clashes, China’s aggression due to various reasons, same with Russia, economic collapse in word, termination of United Nations, Korea will reunite under democratic government, NATO will occupy the Middle East, dissolution of SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization). SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and military organization which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Post war all SCO governments will reconstruct, Palestine will officially gain independence from Israel.

The World War III will result into reinstating of United Nations. China and Russia will have democracy. Both countries’ some province will enjoy democracy while some province will merge with neighborhood countries.

Can World War III be averted? Looking at the world scenario today, possibilities of it cannot be disputed.  But, let us hope that the hypothesis of World War III remains an illusion perpetually.

]]> https://drvidyahattangadi.com/world-war-i-centenary/feed/ 0 https://drvidyahattangadi.com/do-you-know-sound-of-music-is-important-in-our-life/ https://drvidyahattangadi.com/do-you-know-sound-of-music-is-important-in-our-life/#respond Fri, 23 May 2014 12:06:53 +0000 http://drvidyahattangadi.com/?p=242

How would life be without music? Dull, empty, drained…. Every day count the number of times we listen to music; music and society have always been strongly interrelated. Music reflects and creates social conditions. For example, think of national anthems; by and large they are created with musical compositions that evoke and praise the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized by a nation’s government as the official national song.

A mother sings lullaby because a child from birth is ‘wired for sound’ – or, more specifically wired for music. There are specific neural connections which are made when a child listens to music of any kind, instrumental or vocal. These connections are, it seems that, not made in any other way and can only be made in the early years. Once made, some researchers believe this neural ‘wiring’ may be used to support some other sense, such as visual or verbal. The more connections that are made, the more capacity in the brain is opened up for use. The conclusion has been drawn that the earlier music is introduced to child; it stands greater chances and the potential for learning.

Music affects us in a great magnitude.

Music affects us in a great magnitude. What is music used for?  We listen to music when we are happy, sad, dull, exited, romantic, and at times just to break the silence. Music, sometimes, is a reminder of some events in our life. It make us nostalgic reminding us about some moments which otherwise we have forgotten. Music inspires us; and hence it has become integral part of the movies.

The story warps around the music and it moves ahead through songs. Hit songs are one of the essential constituents of a box office hit film. They just don’t stay on silver screen, they travel with us everywhere. They are omnipresent. The radio, TV, bars, hotels, restaurants, canteens, doctor’s clinics, beauty parlors, vehicles all these live and breathe because of them. Music makes traffic jams bearable, long drives enjoyable, boring ring tones have given way to personalized songs making the callers wait patiently for the receiver to pick up the phone. School and college entertainment programs or family functions are unfinished without them. Music triggers your creativity no matter whichever field you may belong to.

Can you imagine Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid without “rains drops keep falling on my head” or a Sound of Music without “The hills are alive with the sound of music” in true sense this song is a tribute to the ageless and perpetual beauty of the mountains. If songs were not a part of movies I can’t imagine movies like “Hum Dono”, “Sangam” or latest “Zindagi na milegi dobara.” Evevn, action and Science Fiction films absorb music into their structure most effectively. On the other hand, imagine Star Wars or Batman without its incredible sounds as the music. What would it be like?

Considering the root reasons for needing music in these cases we can conclude that music perks us up, it develops us.  When we listen to music our brain releases dopamine which is a feel good chemical essential for the healthy functioning of the central nervous system; it has effects on emotion, perception and movement. Music is proven to physiologically affect heart rate, breathing and pulse rate resulting in physical chills of pleasure. A study was undertaken by Dr Mike Miller of Baltimore, who measured the effects of music on the cardiovascular system by measuring blood vessel size before, during and after music playing. When a patient liked the music playing, the blood vessels relaxed and opened up. Music can trigger associated memories transporting you back to special occasions. It is used as a therapy by many psychiatrists.

Guys, whatever the reason, let music make your heart sing!!