Friday, September 29, 2023

Bengaluru regions and story

Bengaluru or Bangalore got its name from 'benda kaluru' or boiled beans. Similarly, the name of almost every locality in Bengaluru has a story behind it.


Marathahalli: The area received its name from a fighter aircraft named 'Marut', which was designed and assembled at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facility that's located close to this area. 'Halli' in Kannada means village.

Ulsoor: This area used to have a jackfruit orchard. Jackfruit is called 'halasu' in Kannada. 'Halasu-ooru' became Ulsoor.

Domlur: This area, which was dominated by people of Telugu origin, was notorious for its mosquito menace. Mosquitoes are called 'domalu' in Telugu. Hence, the place came to be known as Domlur.

Doddenekundi: Another Telugu-dominated area, it was originally called 'Dodda Nakka Vundi', which translates to 'there's a big jackal there'. Eventually, it became Doddanekundi.


Nagarabhavi: The name 'Nagarabhavi' literally translates to 'well of snakes'

Jayanagar: The name Jayanagar translates to 'victory city'. It is said to symbolise the first name of one of the rulers of the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore, Maharaja Jayachamaraja. Yelahanka: The region was called 'Ilakipakka Naadu' during the rule of the Cholas. During the Hoysala reign, the city was known as 'Elavanka'. It eventually evolved to Yelahanka

Madiwala: 'Madiwala' in Kannada means washerman. The locality was home to a community of washermen and washerwomen and the place was named for them

Malleshwaram: The locality derives its name from the famous Kaadu Malleshwara Temple.

 

 

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

'घालीन लोटांगण' या प्रार्थनेचे रहस्य तुम्हाला माहित आहे का ?

कोणत्याही देवाच्या आरती नंतर एका सुरात व धावत्या चालीत ही प्रार्थना म्हटली जाते. अतिशय श्रवणीय व नादमधुर असल्याने खूपच लोकप्रिय आहे. सर्वत्र म्हटली जाते व भक्त त्यात तल्लीन होऊन जातात.

आज आपण या प्रार्थने मधील वैशिष्टे पाहूया व त्याचा अर्थ 

समजावून घेऊ. ही प्रार्थना चार कडव्याची आहे व पाचवे कडवे हा एक मंत्र आहे.

वैशिष्ट्ये :

(१) प्रार्थनेतील चारही कडव्यांचे रचयिता वेगवेगळे आहेत.

(२) ही चारही कडवी वेगवेगळ्या कालखंडात लिहिली गेली आहेत.

(३) पहिले कडवे मराठीत असून उरलेली कडवी संस्कृत भाषेत आहेत.

(४) बऱ्याच जणांना असे वाटते की ही गणपतीची प्रार्थना आहे. पण ही सर्व देवांच्या आरती नंतर म्हणली जाते.

(५) वेगवेगळ्या कवींची व वेगवेगळ्या कालखंडातील कडवी एकत्र करून ही प्रार्थना बनवली गेली आहे.


आता आपण प्रत्येक कडवे अर्थासह पाहूया

१) घालीन लोटांगण वंदीन चरणl डोळ्यांनी पाहिन रूप तुझे | 

प्रेमे आलिंगन आनंदे पूजीन | 

भावे ओवाळीन म्हणे नामा |

वरील कडवे संत नामदेवांनी तेराव्या शतकात लिहिलेली एक सुंदर रचना आहे

अर्थ...

विठ्ठलाला उद्देशुन संत नामदेव म्हणतात, तुला मी लोटांगण घालीन व तुझ्या चरणांना वंदन करीन. माझ्या डोळ्यांनी तुझे रूप पाहिन एवढेच नाही तर तुला मी प्रेमाने आलिंगन देऊन अत्यंत मनोभावे तुला ओवाळीन.


२) त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव | 

त्वमेव बंधुश्च सखा त्वमेव | 

त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव | 

त्वमेव सर्व मम देव देव |

हे कडवे आद्य शंकराचार्यांनी गुरुस्तोत्रात लिहिलेले आहे. ते संस्कृत मध्ये आहे. हे इसवी सन पूर्व 2500 मध्ये लिहिले गेले आहे.

अर्थ.. 

तूच माझी माता व पिता आहेस. तूच माझा बंधू आणि मित्र आहेस. तूच माझे ज्ञान आणि धन आहेस. तूच माझे सर्वस्व आहेस.


(३) कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा | 

बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृती स्वभावात | करोमि यद्येत सकल परस्मै |

नारायणापि समर्पयामि ||

हे कडवे श्रीमद भागवत पुराणातील आहे. (अंदाजे 7000 वर्षा पूर्वी) ते व्यासांनी लिहिलेले आहे.

अर्थ… 

श्रीकृष्णाला उद्देशून हे नारायणा, माझी काया व माझे बोलणे माझे मन, माझी इंद्रिये, माझी बुद्धी माझा स्वभाव आणि माझी प्रकृती यांनी जे काही कर्म मी करीत आहे ते सर्व मी तुला समर्पित करीत आहे.


(४) अच्युतम केशवम रामनारायणं | 

कृष्ण दामोदरम वासुदेवं हरी | 

श्रीधर माधवं गोपिकावल्लभं | 

जानकी नायक रामचंद्र भजे ||


वरील कडवे आदि शंकराचार्यांच्या अच्युताकष्ठम् मधील आहे. म्हणजेच इसवी सन पूर्व 2500 चे आहे.

अर्थ… 

मी भजतो त्या अच्युताला, त्या केशवाला, त्या रामनारायणाला, त्या श्रीधराला, त्या माधवाला, त्या गोपिकावल्लभाला, त्या श्रीकृष्णाला आणि मी भजतो त्या जानकी नायक श्रीरामचंद्राला.


हरे राम हरे राम | 

राम राम हरे हरे | 

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण | 

कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हा सोळा अक्षरी मंत्र 'कलीसंतरणं' या उपनिषदातील आहे. 

कलियुगाचा धर्म हे हरिनाम संकीर्तन आहे. याशिवाय कलियुगात कोणताच उपाय नाही. हा मंत्र श्री रामकृष्णाला समर्पित आहे.


अशी ही वेगवेगळ्या कवींची, वेगवेगळ्या भाषेचे मिश्रण असलेली प्रार्थना अत्यंत श्रवणीय आहे. तिचे नादमाधुर्य व चाल अलौकिक आहे. रचना कोणाची असो हे गाताना भक्त तल्लीन होतात व त्यांचा भाव देवा पर्यंत पोचतो.

Saturday, September 23, 2023

What is a dishwasher salt?

You have used dishwasher salt, ever wondered what is it ?

Dishwasher salt is a particular grade of granulated, crystalline sodium chloride intended for regenerating the water softener circuit of household or industrial dishwashers. Analogous to water softener salt, dishwasher salt regenerates ion exchange resins, expelling the therein trapped calcium and magnesium ions that characterize hard water. Dishwater salt granules are larger than those of table salt. The granule size ensures that the salt dissolves slowly, and that fine particles do not block the softener unit.

Dishwasher salt is unsuitable for cooking as it is not considered food grade and therefore may contain toxic elements.

If a dishwasher has a built-in water softener there will be a special compartment inside the dishwasher where the salt is to be added when needed. This salt compartment is separate from the detergent compartment, and generally located at the bottom of the wash cabinet (this is below the bottom basket). On most dishwashers, an automatic sensing system will notify the user when more dishwasher salt is required.

If the dishwasher has run out of the salt that regenerates the ion exchange resin that softens the water, and the water supply is "hard", limescale deposits can appear on all items, but are especially visible on glassware.

In areas with soft water there is no need to use dishwasher salt for the machine to work. There is an option to adjust the water hardness making the machine to use no amount of salt brine for every dish cycle.


Sunday, September 3, 2023

Aditya L1 India's Mission to Sun

 India has launched it's indigenous mission Aditya L1 from Sriharikota on 2nd September 2023 to study the Sun.



The Satellite is expected to exit Earth's gravity on 16 days. While it may take around 100 days to reach the L1 orbit around the Sun. I wondered what's so special about L1 Lagrange orbit? Why can't it use any random orbit? I found some interesting information, this post summarizes it.

Illustration showing balance points between Earth and Sun.
Source: NASA/WMAP Science Team
Published: March 27, 2018
What are they?

Lagrange Points

Lagrange points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put. At Lagrange points, the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them. These points in space can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.

Above description highlights the importance of using the Lagrange point to deploy such observers. 

Lagrange Points are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two body system like the Sun and the Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion. These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.

Lagrange points are named in honor of Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange.

There are five special points where a small mass can orbit in a constant pattern with two larger masses. The Lagrange Points are positions where the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them. This mathematical problem, known as the "General Three-Body Problem" was considered by Lagrange in his prize winning paper (Essai sur le Problème des Trois Corps, 1772).

Of the five Lagrange points, three are unstable and two are stable. The unstable Lagrange points - labeled L1, L2 and L3 - lie along the line connecting the two large masses. The stable Lagrange points - labeled L4 and L5 - form the apex of two equilateral triangles that have the large masses at their vertices. L4 leads the orbit of earth and L5 follows.

The L1 point of the Earth-Sun system affords an uninterrupted view of the sun and is currently home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite SOHO.

The L2 point of the Earth-Sun system was the home to the WMAP spacecraft, current home of Planck, and future home of the James Webb Space Telescope. L2 is ideal for astronomy because a spacecraft is close enough to readily communicate with Earth, can keep Sun, Earth and Moon behind the spacecraft for solar power and (with appropriate shielding) provides a clear view of deep space for our telescopes. The L1 and L2 points are unstable on a time scale of approximately 23 days, which requires satellites orbiting these positions to undergo regular course and attitude corrections.

L3 is of less use as it lies behind Sun.

The L4 and L5 points are home to stable orbits so long as the mass ratio between the two large masses exceeds 24.96. This condition is satisfied for both the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon systems, and for many other pairs of bodies in the solar system. Objects found orbiting at the L4 and L5 points are often called Trojans after the three large asteroids Agamemnon, Achilles and Hector that orbit in the L4 and L5 points of the Jupiter-Sun system. (According to Homer, Hector was the Trojan champion slain by Achilles during King Agamemnon's siege of Troy). There are hundreds of Trojan Asteroids in the solar system. Most orbit with Jupiter, but others orbit with Mars. In addition, several of Saturn's moons have Trojan companions.

In 1956 the Polish astronomer Kordylewski discovered large concentrations of dust at the Trojan points of the Earth-Moon system. The DIRBE instrument on the COBE satellite confirmed earlier IRAS observations of a dust ring following the Earth's orbit around the Sun. The existence of this ring is closely related to the Trojan points, but the story is complicated by the effects of radiation pressure on the dust grains.

In 2010 NASA's WISE telescope finally confirmed the first Trojan asteroid (2010 TK7) around Earth's leading Lagrange point.

Finding the Lagrange Points

The easiest way to understand Lagrange points is to think of them in much the same way that wind speeds can be inferred from a weather map. The forces are strongest when the contours of the effective potential are closest together and weakest when the contours are far apart.


Ghats in Maharashtra - Mountain Passes

  A   ghat  is nothing but a mountain pass. The term “Ghat” describes the mountain pass in Maharashtra. They pave the way for passage from o...