Pittsburgh Patrika October 2018 issue

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Vol. 24, No: 1 October
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora
Vol. 24 No. 1 www.pittsburghpatrika.com October 2018
4006 Holiday Park Drive, Murrysville, PA 15668
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Highlights in this issue... ... ...
Page
The Fall Midterm Elections Are Important
By Kollengode S Venkataraman .................................................... 2
Dr. Swami Nathan’s Life-Time Achievement Award
By Paul G Manoharan .................................................................... 4
On Mental Illness, A Worldwide Epidemic
By Raashmi Krishnasamy............................................................... 7
Reaching New Milestones
By the the Editor........................................................................... 10
Time to Reform Cremation/Death Rites for Hindus in the US
By K S Venkataraman ..................................................................11
Why Is Coronary Heart Disease Such A Big Problem Among
Indians?
By Dr. Padma Garvey................................................................... 14
One Upset Trump Supporter Angrily Responds
By K. S. Venkataraman................................................................. 18
Kailash-Manasarovar Pilgrimage
By Vish and Akila Iyer.................................................................. 22
Bhamini and Vaishnavee’s Delighful Karnatic Arangetram
P Sundararaman............................................................................ 26
Nilakantha Dikshita: A Great Lesser-Known Sanskrit Poet
By V. Krishnaswamy.................................................................... 28
On the Cover: Early Fall. On a clear sunny relatively cold day, Moutn
Washington seen from a boat ride on the Three Rivers.
— Photo taken in a compact digital camera by K S Venkataraman •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora
Vol. 24 No 1 www.pittsburghpatrika.com October 2018
Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953
e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com
The Fall Midterm Elections Are Important
By Kollengode S Venkataraman
In every election, as a matter of routine, we need to show our faces at
the polls to tell everyone that we take our civic duties seriously. Besides,
being a relatively new group of immigrants into this these great United
States, showing our faces at the polls is one sure way to slowly get acceptance
into the American mainstream.
In addition to the above Boiler Plate need for us to go to the polls,
the coming midterm polls this November is important for one additional
reason as well.
The Pennsylvania state supreme court has redrawn the maps of the
Congressional districts in Pennsylvania this year to reflect the voting patterns
for offices elected by state-wide voters such as the offices for the
governor, US senators, and attorney and auditor generals. We discussed
this in a lengthy article two issues ago. In the past, the GOP-controlled
Pennsylvania state legislative bodies in Harrisburg, using its majority in
the state legislature and with help from the GOP governors, managed to
gerrymander the Congressional district maps and gave undue advantage
in sending a large contingent Republican member to the US House of
Representatives in Washington, DC. Thus, in a moderately center-right
state that is Pennsylvania, Republicans garnered 13-5 advantage by the
blatantly skewing the congressional district maps in their favor. The
redrawing of these maps is mandated to be adjusted based on population
changes revealed in the decennial census.
With the redrawn maps for the congressional districts, now GOP has
only a 10-8 advantage in the congressional delegation. The delegates elected
in the upcoming November election is more likely to be representative of
the broad electorate of the state.
So, this is one very good reason why you should go to the polls in
November. Now you have a good chance to change the GOP’s skewed
majority in the US House of Representatives. And may be also in the
US Senate as well. So, please go to the polls this November. •
4

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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Dr. Swami Nathan Receives
Life-Time Achievement Award in Psychiatry
(Paul) G. Manoharan, Upper St Claire, PA
e-mail: gopalsamy.manoharan@stifel.com
On September 24, 2018, the Pittsburgh Psychiatric Society presented
the “Lifetime Achievement Award for Academic Psychiatry” to Dr.
Swami Nathan, MD, DLFAPA, to honor “outstanding contributions and
devotion to academic psychiatry and to the Pittsburgh Psychiatric Organization.”
All of his friends in the Pittsburgh area who have known Dr.
Nathan’s accomplishments for many years
were gratified to see this richly deserved
honor bestowed on him by his professional
peers. True to his characteristic humility,
Dr. Nathan credits his several mentors he
was fortunate to have had in his life.
For the Pittsburgh Indian community for
Dr Swami Nathan with his wife
Girija.
a long time, Dr. Nathan has been the “Go
To” psychiatrist during times of distress and
misfortune. He was always there to guide
through difficult transitions with his expertise and appreciation of the
difficulties with our unique cultural differences. For several years, Dr.
Nathan worked with children in the Temple youth camps and was very
popular with children for his understanding of their concerns.
Dr. Nathan came to the US in 1973, armed with a medical degree from
the Stanley Medical College of the University of Madras and accompanied
by his new bride, Dr. Girija, his heart throb in college, to start his residency
in psychiatry in New York, followed by his fellowship at New York
State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University. He was an Assistant
Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia until 1980.
Dr. Nathan came to Pittsburgh in 1980 to be an Assistant Professor of
Psychiatry at the University School of Medicine and Western Psychiatric
Institute and Clinic and served as a Medical Director at Western Psych.
He then moved to Allegheny General Hospital to become Vice Chairman,
Department of Psychiatry and Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical College
of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University. Currently, Dr. Nathan
is retired and enjoying a life of leisure with his wife Girija and nurturing
their two lovely grandchildren.
For his many friends in Pittsburgh, Dr. Nathan is a warm friend with a
helping hand, a good sense of humor and an ever-present positive outlook.
May God Bless the Nathans. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Mental Illness, A Worldwide Epidemic:
A Hindu Millennial’s Call to Action
Raashmi Krishnasamy e-mail: raashmik@andrew.cmu.edu
Editor: Raashmi Krishnasamy, currently a senior in Cognitive Neuroscience
major at Carnegie Mellon University, is a passionate advocate
for mental health, particularly within the South Asian community. She
aspires to combine her knowledge of neuroscience with public health
to provide more equitable access to healthcare for individuals with
mental health problems. She is dedicated to preserving her Indian
cultural roots through activities on and off campus. Currently, she
is the Co-Director for Bhangra in the Burgh 12, a nonprofit Bhangra
competition hosted by Carnegie Mellon and Pitt students to raise
money for the Creative and Expressive Arts Therapy program at the
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
The World Health Organization’s recent report says that by 2020,
depression will be the 2nd leading cause of disease; by 2030, it
is set to outpace heart disease as the #1 cause of disease worldwide. An
estimated 97.5 million people are suffering from mental illnesses in India
alone. The incidence of depression is about one in every twenty Indians
-- roughly 5% of the country’s population. And it’s only getting worse.
Chidren of our Bharat Maata is suffering from a serious mental health
crisis.
Why is the birthplace of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness also home
to about half of the global mental illness disease burden? And why hasn’t
it shown signs of stopping?
The answer is simple – our attitude. We fear sharing our feelings with
others. We judge and fear judgement towards individuals with mental
illness. But most importantly, we fear ourselves, and fear admitting that
we may actually need some help, after all. All of this fear contributes to
strengthening the stigma, forcing us further and farther away from what
we really need—direct confrontation. However, we’re a long way from
tackling this issue face-to-face.
According to the Live Love Laugh Foundation, in a survey of 3,556
respondents from eight cities across India, 47% could be categorized
as being highly judgmental of people perceived as having a mental
illness. Of the 47%, respondents were more likely to say that one should
keep a safe distance from those who are depressed, or that interacting with
a mentally ill person could affect the mental health of others. And the worst
part – 26% were categorized as being afraid of the mentally ill.
But are we afraid of people with diabetes? Or hypertension? Why
should we view mental illness any differently?
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Like any other chronic illness, mental illnesses have both a behavioral
and a physiological component. The only difference here is that instead
of focusing on the heart or pancreas as in the case of heart problems and
diabetes, the area of interest in mental illness is the brain.
In the mental health issues among Indians, when does it all stop? When
does the fear stop and the courage begin? When do we stop being afraid
and start being brave enough to confront our inner demons? How do we
stop taking step backwards and start to move forward in our fight against
this disease?
I offer somewhat of a trivial solution: let’s change the way we view
mental illness and begin to treat it as a worldwide epidemic. The formal
definition of an epidemic is the widespread occurrence of an infectious
disease in a community at a given time. That is precisely what mental
illness is – it’s a widespread, infectious disease, plaguing not just one
community, but hundreds of thousands across the globe, right now!
The WHO suggests that reversing epidemics, is a 3 step process:
1. Interrupt transmission
2. Prevent future spread
3. Change group norms
Thankfully, when it comes to mental health, we don’t have to do all
these 3 things – we only have to do one; we must change group norms.
But just how do we go about changing group norms?
They say that the hardest thing to do when it comes to treating a mental
illness is acceptance – by the individual. But it’s bigger than that; it has
to do with group [or socia]) acceptance acceptance.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna declaress, “The man who sees me in
everything and everything in me will not be lost to me, nor will I
ever be lost to him. When he sees all beings as equal in suffering or in joy
because they are like himself, that man has grown perfect in yoga.”
We must look not only look beyond ourselves, but also within ourselves.
Group norms aren’t something that just change overnight. They
begin with the individual. Changing the way we view ourselves will allow
us to see what Krishna preaches in the Gita — we will begin to see others
as being equal in suffering.
So next time you’re feeling a little down, or you hear about or see
someone struggling with symptoms of mental illness, take a minute and
set all the judgements aside. Rather than being afraid of yourself or that
person, be brave enough to give your love and compassion. Rather than
offering pity, offer support. Rather than shying away from the conversation,
become an advocate. Together, we can change group norms and beat
the worldwide epidemic that’s shamelessly claiming the minds of many.
All we have to do is speak up and inspire others to do the same. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Reaching New Milestones
We periodically bring news about those who live among us and/or
have grown up in Pittsburgh in our Indian community, who have reached
important milestones in their careers. The motivation to do this is to
inspire particularly youngsters, to strive and give their very best in their
high school and college years. Here are two achievements:
Dr. Sekar Kathiresan is promoted as professor
of medicine, full time, of indefinite duration in June
2018 at the Harvard Medical School in acknowledgement
of his contributions at Harvard and at the
Massachusetts General Hospital. This fall, Kathiresan
received the American Society of Human Genetics
(ASHG)’s Curt Stern Physician-Scientist award for
his significant contributions during the past decade
in Genetics. Last year he received Distinguished
Scientist Award from American Heart Association.
Born in India in Karaikkudi, Tamil Nadu, 1971, Kathiresan came to the
US in the 1970s. He graduated from North Allegheny. After his bachelors
degree from the Univ. of Pennsylvania in economics, he went to Harvard
Medical School. After his residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital,
he joined the teaching faculty at Harvard.Sekar’s parents are Ray and
Meena Kathiresan, long-time residents in the Pittsburgh Metro area.
Nitya Chambers this Fall received Emmy award, an award that recognizes
excellence in the television industry. The Emmy award is the equivalent
of an Oscar Award (for film), the Tony Award (for theater), and the
Grammy Award (for music). Nitya was nominated
and won the award as the executive producer for the
Anthony Bourdain show Explore Parts Unknown.
The show explored the various ethnic cultures of the
people who live in and around Los Angeles who have
enhanced the culinary and cultural aspects.
Nitya V. Chambers, grew up in Murrysville PA,
and graduated from Franklin Regional. At the Carnegie
Mellon University she was the student speaker
at the commencement. With her master’s degree in
journalism from Boston University, Nitya joined
ABC News on the Nightline show anchored by Ted
Koppel. Nitya works for CNN at New York, where
she is Vice President of Premium Content. She lives with her husband
Mark Chambers and two children Tarun and Rana. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Time to Reform Cremation/Death Rites for
Hindus in the US
By Kollengode S Venkataraman
Editor’s Note: A slightly modified version of this article appeared in the April
Issue of Hinduism Today.
Death rituals — burials and cremations or other practices — are perhaps
more for the living left behind to come to terms with grief and get
a cathartic relief at the irrevocability of the Final Exit. For people who
pass on in their 80s and 90s, the death rites are also occasions for great
celebrations for reminiscing the lives of the departed. After all, the departed
would have seen so much of life’s ups and downs, very personal
griefs, frustrations, disappointments, excitements, successes, failures…
… And touched the lives of many people in very many ways.
A large proportion of Hindus use cremation for taking care of the dead.
A relatively small fraction of Hindus also use burials. Traditionally, if
people die in the forenoon or early afternoon, the cremation was expected
to be done before sun down. For Jews and Muslims too, traditionally, the
burials must be done before sun set, not always possible today.
For the Hindus today in many places outside India, cremation or
burial on the same day of the death is simply not feasible because
of medicolegal requirements of hospitals, autopsy, death certificates,
funeral homes’ requirements, etc. Typically, it takes two to three days
to organize cremation in North America after the Final Exit. If long
weekends intervene, cremation takes place only after four or five days
after the death. This is the reality today.
Further complication with Hindu cremation is that we need a pandit
or a purohit to do the death-related rites for several days after cremation.
In olden days when our ancestors lived in villages, on the day after
cremation, the ashes were gathered and were sprinkled into the river or
ocean, or lakes. Afterwards, there were daily rites for the departed for
the next several days, at the end of which the departed Jiva was ritually
merged with the departed ancestors. All these are called Antyeshthi karmas
(NOT pujas).
Then, on the 13th day in many cases, there is a formal puja invoking
the blessings of Nature for people to come to terms with the death of the
departed so that people can get on with their lives. This puja goes with
various names in different parts of India. In cases where people in the
prime of their lives suddenly die in accidents or under complicated medical
conditions, “getting on with their lives” is not easy. It takes years to come
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
to terms with cruel games Life/Fate/Bad Luck plays with people.
A great many variations are there in the details of the rites from region
to region and even within the region in different families with customs
evolving over several centuries, compounded by geographic isolation.
Even fifty years ago, for people who die after a long life, siblings and
cousins, nephews and nieces, and grand-kids and also close friends assemble
for the 13th day Pujas to joyfully reminisce the life of the departed.
There is a great fellowship and camaraderie in these celebrations.
13-day death rites and celebrations, which was OK during our
The countryside leisurely life, are simply not sustainable in today even
in India, not to speak of Hindus living outside. There are several practical
reasons: For starters, today, the members of the family are scattered
globally. Further, people have only two weeks of paid vacations, and
they have very busy work routines. Children need to go to schools and
colleges. And people running shops or small businesses cannot afford to
be away from their shops for long duration.
Today, relatives — sometimes even siblings — rarely participate in
all the key events such as the cremation itself, immersion of the ash, and
the 10th and 13th day events. It simply is not possible in contemporary
lifestyle.
The saddest part of the system as it exists today is that often the husband
and wife do the 9th and 10th day rites, and the 13th day puja all by
themselves, or with very few people to give them emotional support.
A great opportunity is thus lost for the extended family members and
friends to commiserate among themselves during such a somber and evocative
occasion. We need to remember that after the death of aged parents,
the siblings slowly and naturally drift apart in any case.
So, the 13-day death rites even for observant Hindus, for all intents
and purposes, are already modified to varying degrees to to accommodate
the present day constraints and lifestyles.
Need for Reform on Death Rites
Given our changed lifestyle today, it is time that we are honest to discuss
in the open the need for reform on death rites. We need to come up with
a set of shortened and reformed death rites that will be the standard for
all Hindus who cremate the mortal remains of the departed Jiva.
In stating this, I am NOT suggesting any radical change Those who
want to do in the traditional 13-day event may continue to do it that
way. However, for others who have other constraints as listed earlier,
we can come up with death rites that can be done, say, within three days
after the cremation, while still retaining the key elements of the 13-day
events. Thus, the whole sequence will be completed within 3 days after
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
the cremation, which is a more manageable time-wise for all extended
family members to participate.
A shortened death rites will greatly help all relatives to gather for all
the death rites and observances and celebrate the life of the departed.
is not fair to place the onus for shortening the rites on the individual
It Pandits/Purohits. They are already caught between a rock (their
traditional training in pathashalas) and a hard place (their clients asking
for all kinds of compromises). They have their own ethical codes that
they do not want to drift too far away unless they get social approval for
the shortened version of death rites. We need to ask for it.
That is why we, the Hindu faithfuls, need to make an acceptable compromise
on the core steps involved in death rites. Again, those who want to
follow the 13-day practice, can continue to do so. We need to meld these
rites into our contemporary lifestyle and fit them into 3 or 4 days after the
day of cremation. Are we ready for discussing this in the open?
Remember, the 3- or 4-day marriage events of the olden years has been
seamlessly shortened to 1-day or even 1/2 day event today.
Also, I heard in one lecture that even Manu in his smrti, has wisely
stated that the codes he has given us need to be revised to adapt to the
evolving lifestyles, much like constitutional amendments and changes in
the laws we see today. •
The Cynical Sense of Humor in D.C.
John Kelly, the chief of Staff in the Trump White House, was the secretary
of Homeland Security in the Trump administration. He has an impressive
career in the US military, retiring as
a general in the Marine Corps.
Six months into the tumultuous
Trump White House, in July 2017, President
Trump fired Reince Priebus, his
chief of staff for barely six months. The
replacement was John Kelly, known for
no-nonsense management style. He was
brought to enforce discipline among the
White House staff. With difficulty, he is reigning in people in the White
House, including Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
On Mardch 1, 2018, while talking to reporters, Kelly made a joke
about his job as the chief of staff in the Trump White House.
“The last thing I wanted to do was walk away from one of the great
honors of my life, being the secretary of Homeland Security, but I did
something wrong and God punished me, I guess,” Kelly said. •
15

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Why Is Coronary Heart Disease Such
A Big Problem Among Indians?
By Dr Padma Garvey, MD Hudson Valley, NY
Editor: Padma was born in Nellore India and grew up in
Pittsburgh. She earned her medical degree from the University
of Pittsburgh in 1992. She is a full-time gynecologist in the
Hudson Valley area, married to her physician-husband for 25
years. She has two kids in college. She practices yoga and is
dedicated to teaching people about the benefits of a plant-based
diet. She has a website (www.drpadmagarvey.com).
Asian Indians have some of the highest rates
of coronary artery disease and diabetes in
the world. I know from personal experience that
many Indians are lulled into a false sense of security
because they tend to be vegetarians. My own father, the late Dr.
K N Rao, had diabetes. Eventually, he needed bypass surgery, but this
extended his life by only two years. In addition, those two extra years of
life were spent confined to a bed. Though my father had always been a
strict vegetarian, he ate a high fat diet. Dinners included chutneys, ghee
on lentils, fried papadam, fried pooris, tamarind rice with lots of oil and
white rice, fried samosas, sugary laddoos, sugary jilebis, and yogurt. In
addition, the typical Western snacks crept into his life. He ate potato chips,
ice cream, candy, and cakes.
There is lot of misinformation about what a healthy diet includes. We
hear fat is bad, fat is good. We hear that carbs are the enemy. We hear
that protein-centered diets like the keto diet or paleo diet are bad for us.
In actuality, the evidence regarding a healthy diet has been known since
the 1930s when Dr. Ancel Keys conducted the famous Seven Country
Study. Keys found that countries that consumed low fat diets had better
health than countries that consumed high fat diets. In particular, Keys
found that the Okinawan and Mediterranean diets in 1930 were extremely
healthy having 10-18% total fat.
I came across an interesting study published in the prestigious medical
journal The Lancet in 1959, entitled “Serum Cholesterol, Diet, And Coronary
Heart Disease in Africans and Asians in Uganda” by Shaper et al.
At the time of the publication of this study, coronary heart disease (CAD)
was nonexistent among African Ugandans. This alone is a shocking statement
since CAD is the Number One killer of African Americans today.
While CAD was nonexistent in the African community, it accounted for
43% of all deaths over the age of 30 among Asian Indians in Uganda at
that time.
Heart Disease... ... Continued on Page 18
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
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A Different Kind of Vat Purnima in Aurangabad
Married women observe Vat Purnima in Western India on the full moon
day in May-June praying for their husbands. They tie a thread on a banyan tree
and go around the tree clockwise as part of the prayer. This year, a few men
in Aurangabad, Maharashtra observed Vat Purnima by going around the tree
counterclockwise
(see the
picture).
These men
were seeking
heavenly intervention
for
amicable divorces
from
their wives.
That is how
far India has
changed with women getting economic independence with education and job
opportunities. This is the face of the Nuevo Nava Bharat today.
— KSV •
17

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
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Heart Disease... ... continued from Page 18
The authors examined the diets of the two communities. The African
Ugandans ate a diet which included green leafy vegetables, maize, millet,
yams, and beans. They ate very little meat and absolutely no dairy. They
did not utilize much cooking oil in their cooking and consumed whole
grains. In contrast, the Asian Indians in Uganda in 1959 were consuming
white rice, lentils, butter/ghee, yogurt, milk, and lots of cooking oil.
The total fat calories in the African Ugandan diet was about 18%. The
fat calories in the Asian Indian diet in Uganda was 35-40%.
The typical middle-class, vegetarian Indian diet is even worse today.
In general, vegetarian Indians are consuming more refined
grains, added sugars, oils, animal dairy, and even cheese. A low-fat,
whole grain, plant-based diet has been the only diet ever shown to reverse
heart disease. This study conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish was published
in the Lancet in 1990. When it first appeared in The Lancet, the results
were so startling that many in the medical community felt that it would
revolutionize the way CAD was approached and treated. Dr. Dean Ornish
even made it on the cover of Time Magazine with the subtitle asking if
this was the end of heart disease.
Unfortunately, the fact that Ornish published his ground-breaking
18

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
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research in the British journal, The Lancet, suggests that the American
journals passed on it. Around the 1960s, most American medical journals,
American medical societies, and even American medical school education
were supported by the pharmaceutical industry.
President Bill Clinton suffered a heart attack shortly after he left office.
He had bypass surgery. After his surgery, he was on the standard
regimen of medications including cholesterol-lowering drugs and told to
follow the American Heart Association (AHA) diet. Interestingly, though
the Ornish diet was the only diet ever shown to reverse plaques, the AHA
recommends the less effective DASH diet. Clinton was quite frightened
after his heart attack and followed his cardiologist’s recommendations.
About 18 months later, President Clinton had a re-occlusion or buildup
of plaque in his heart. He underwent angioplasty. I remember watching
reporters questioning Clinton’s cardiologist at the time. The reporters
wanted to know why Clinton had a recurrence of his heart disease despite
following the AHA guidelines. The cardiologist said, there was nothing
more that could be done about it and that Clinton had bad genes.
Clinton was not satisfied with this response and talks openly about
seeking other treatment options. Clinton came across the Ornish study
and went to Dean Ornish for guidance. Clinton became a strict low-fat
vegan. His daughter, Chelsea, is also one. Since following the Ornish diet,
Clinton has been heart disease-free. The past president of the American
College of Cardiologists, Dr. Kim Williams from Rush Medical Center
says that there are only two kinds of cardiologists, vegans and ones who
are unaware of the data.
Indian physicians must be made aware of the proven benefits of a
low-fat, whole grain, plant-based diet. We need to educate the Indian
community as well as all our patients to avoid needlessly painful, early,
and costly deaths. Excellent resources for more information are on the
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) website. •
19

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
One Upset Trump Supporter
Angrily Responds
In the wake of articles in the April and July issues of the magazine on
President Trump’s presidency, one reader was quite upset and penned
this e-mail:
Editor:
Shame on Patrika becoming anti-Trump mouth piece for
Indian Diaspora in the Allegheny County. U.S. economy return
4.1% growth and now average 3.1% growth for the last six
months. U.S. economy couldn’t rise above the 2.2% doldrums
of the Obama years. Tax reform broke the bottleneck on capital
mobility and investment from the highest corporate tax rate in
the developed world. Tax reform and deregulations have lifted
U.S. Economy from Obama/Clinton doldrums.
Stop playing identity politics or caste politics like Democratic
Party.
Jay Goonetilleke
Former GOP Candidate in West Mifflin
I
n all democracies, when the stock market, the GDP growth rates and
unemployment numbers do well, the presidents/prime ministers and
the ruling parties take credit, whether they deserve it or not, or whether
they had anything to do with these numbers are not. Similarly, when these
numbers go southward, opposition parties leave no opportunity to berate
the ruling establishments for their gross negligence in not paying attention
to “the pain and suffering of the ordinary, hard-working citizens.”
As we all know, changes in these numbers (upward or downward) have
multiple contributing factors, some domestic, and others, on account of
events and trends occurring in overseas. Very often, the ruling establishment
have no influence over these events, not to speak of any control.
Discerning readers and those in the know of the rules of engagement
in politics know that this strategy is how the game of politics is played.
When Trump and his supporters take credit for economy doing good
(as the writer above does) under his watch (whether he has anything to
do with it or not), they should extend the same courtesy to Obama, again
whether Obama is directly responsible for these numbers or not.
So, we feel compelled to share with readers some of the general
observations we have already published earlier on the eight years of the
Obama Administration and the two years under Trump.
20

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
21

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Since most of the readers of the magazine are college-educated, I present
these observations as charts in the hope and expectations that readers
can read these charts and make their own judgments:
On the Dow-Jones Average:
Dow Jones Industrials, (in Thousands)
25
20
15
10
On Unemployment Rates:
11
5
Jan-08
Obama Elected
Nov 2008
Jan-09
Jan-10
Jan-11
Jan-12
Obama Re-Elected
Nov 20, 2012
10
9
Seasonally adjusted
Unemployment
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
8
7
6
5
4
3
Jan-08
Jan-09
Jan-10
Jan-11
Jan-12
Jan-13
Jan-14
Jan-15
Jan-16
Jan-17
Jan-18
Jan-13
Jan-14
Jan-15
Trump Elected
Nov 20, 2016
Jan-16
Jan-17
Jan-18
% Unemployement
Obama
Elected
Nov 2008
Obama Re-
Elected
Nov 2012
Trump
Elected
Nov 2016
— By K S Venkataraman •
22

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
23

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Kailash-Manasarovar Pilgrimage
By Vish and Akila Iyer
e-mails: vishviyer@yahoo.com and iyer1957@gmail.com
Editor’s Note: Vish Iyer, a physician, and Akila Iyer, a financial manager, live in Fox
Chapel. Spirituality transcending religion, they say, is the goal they seek in life.
The authors at Yamadwar, the
start of the Parikrama.
Mount Kailash is revered by millions of
Hindus as the abode of Shiva. Pilgrimage to
visit to this sacred mountain and lake Manasarovar
is the life-long ambition, not only for
the Hindus, but also Buddhists, Jains and the
followers of the Kom religion.
vedas, the sacred texts for the Hin-
The dus, do not start from the first word
and end with the last one. Of the four. Rig,
Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Vedas, Yajur
Veda is widely practiced. Yajur Veda has 7
chapters and the middle of the fourth chapter
is Sri Rudram. And the center of Sri Rudram
are the syllables Si-Va. Thus around Si-Va
is constructed Sri Rudram and around Sri
Rudram is constructed the Veda. For the first
time ever, Atirudra Mahayagna -- that is chanting Sri Rudram 16,461
times -- and performing Havan was organized at Mount Kailash, for
world peace. Chanting Sri Rudram invokes Siva Himself and performing
A main thoroughfare in Lhasa, Tibet.
24

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
An imposing view of the Mount Kailash, the very purpose of the trip.
Yagnam (Homa) simultaneously ensures His presence.
Getting to Tibet is either via Nepal or China. We chose the Chinese
route, which requires that we had to go as a group, since individual permits
are not allowed in Tibet. Lhasa, the beautiful capital of Tibet, is filled
with lovely people who are culturally conscious. Chinese presence is felt
in every aspect of day to day living. The Potala Palace, the headquarters
of the Dalai Lama is occupied by the Chinese.
acclimatizing for a day in Lhasa, we proceeded by road to
After Xigatse. The mighty river Brahmaputra gave us company during
the long drive. After a night of acclimating in Xigatse, the next night
was spent in Saga. Electricity is available only from 8 PM to midnight at
Saga and other towns above
this altitude.
First stop was the sacred
Lake Manasarovar where we
were blessed with the sight of
the third moon representing
Siva Himself. There are two
lakes, Lake Manasarovar and
lake Rakshastal that are sideby-side.
Lake Manasarovar is
filled with life and there are
birds and other forms of life.
While Lake Rakshastal is de-
A Buddhist devotee, flanked by her two daughters,
does Parikrama by prostrating for every 4 steps.
25

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
void of any form of life. The legend goes that the
waters of lake Rakshastal is unfit for consumption
as this was the place where the demon king
Ravana did his penance and lifted Mount Kailash.
And, the legend goes, Ravana got punished by
Lord Siva who squeezed Ravana under the holy
mountain.
Our base camp at Darchen is situated at an
altitude of 16,500 feet. The partial pressure of
oxygen gets low at these altitudes and any form of
physical activity takes lot of effort. Many moons
ago, as a young Captain in the Indian Army,
I’ve experienced it along the Chinese border in
Sikkim.
of various delays in delivery of
Because Yagnam materials and other logistical hurdles, the Yagnam was
delayed. We embarked on a 3-day Parikrama of Mount Kailash with basic
supplies including plenty of high calorie food for the arduous trek. Each
pilgrim had a porter who would carry a small backpack. In addition, there
was also a horse and the horseman as a back-up, if one is unable to walk.
The starting point was Yamadwar near Darchen.
Buddhists believe in Parikrama, but they do full prostration after every
four steps. It takes them 25 to 30 days to complete the entire length of 52
km. Bon religion has two categories, white Bon that is quite compassionate
and the other is Black Bon. Interestingly, those who practice Black Bon do
the Parikrama in an anti-clockwise
direction. Their practices are
somewhat similar to Islam.
At the end of the first day, we
spent the night as close to Mount
Kailash as possible near the north
face with a divine darshan of
Mount Kailash.
The second day was the most
difficult portion of the trek. It
involved climbing to an altitude
of 19,500 feet to Dolma La pass.
The terrain was steep and uneven.
Breathing was certainly challenging!
Soon after we could see
Gauri Kund, and also had darshan
26
A Tibetan bride all dressed
up for her Big Day.
A Buddhist Shrine along the way.

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
The Hayagriva Mountain Peak, a work of art by Nature done over
thousands of years in bone-chilling cold and blistering winds.
of Hayagriva.
According to
the Buddhists,
this is one
of the three
holy sites of
H a y a g r i v a
who they recognize
as an
incarnation of
Lord Vishnu.
C limbi
n g
d o w n w a s
tricky where
the surface
was wet and
uneven, but
the breathing was definitely easier. The second night was spent in rather
basic conditions in a
guesthouse. Appetite
was literally nonexistent.
Plenty of fluids
and prophylactic
medicines to prevent
high-altitude sickness
are vital.
The third day of
the Parikrama was a
The authors in front of a
Buddhist temple en route.
Yaks, the Beasts of the Burden critical for the hikers.
lot easier on an even surface and it involved another
20 km of trekking. At the end, it was a welcome
sight to see the waiting buses to take us back to
Darchen. We thanked our porters and horsemen
and reached Darchen.
Our last day was partially spent in taking part
on the Ati Rudra Maha Yagnam. The ambiance
was divine. We thanked everyone and started our
return journey. Our descent was along river Brahmaputra,
back to Lhasa. One more quick appreciation
of beautiful Tibet before flying back home, to
Pittsburgh. •
27

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Bhamini and Vaishnavee’s
Delighful Karnatic Arangetram
By P Sundararaman, Allison Park, PA
All children are natural musicians. Obsession to music is what makes
them talented. Right training and rigorous practice can make them performers,
if they so desire. Bhamini and Vaishnavee, teenage daughters of
Hema and V Sundararaman, gave an impressive debut vocal Karnatic duo
recital at the SV Temple auditorium on Sunday, July 8, 2018. Rasikas,
discerning and common alike, enjoyed the concert, encouraging them with
well-deserved applause.
Their Guru — Tirumala Penugonda Chakrapani and Seethalakshmi
Madhavan — have given them a firm foundation in fundamentals of Karnatic
music, further kindling their desire for creative music. “Creative”
music, by implication, cannot be “taught.” Guru can only illustrate how
to approach it. The student should assimilate these guidelines and practice
creative singing with raga embellishment, neraval, kalpanasvaram, with
the Guru and then by themselves, till they become confident that the rules
and restrictions are not violated. Creative music cannot be memorized and
reproduced, it is improvised on the spot.
Bhamini and Vaishnavi began their concert with an invocatory sloka
followed by a well rendered rare varnam in Kharaharapriya composed by
musicologist Pinakapani. The fifteen krtis of various composers presented
by the sisters, were all set to different talas and ragas. The kritis were
sung with chittai (proper diction and precision); a proof of their rigorous
practice. They delineated raga and svaraprastara for several kritis.
Parvati Ninnu in the raga Kalgada, Muruga in Saveri, Ekkadi Narakamu
in Nitimati (a rarely heard raga) were noteworthy. The well-presented
center piece Kaddanu Variki in raga Todi with detailed alapana and neraval
and the sisters singing complimentary one-avartana svaram were
Karnatic Arangetram... ... Continued on Page 33
26

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Nilakantha Dikshita: A Lesser-Known,
but A Great Sanskrit Poet of the 16th Century
By V Krishnaswami, Upper St Claire, PA
e-mail: vkrishnaswami@comcast.net)
Editor: V. Krishnaswami, a longtime resident in our Metro area, grew up in Tamil Nadu.
Sanskrit was his second language in high school, and also at the Loyola College, Chennai.
He was taught Sanskrit at home by both his grandfather, an erudite scholar in the language,
and his father, who was well versed in both Sanskrit and Classic Tamil. Both were lawyers.
Krishnaswami’s interest included Kavyas (poetry), scriptures, stotras (hymns)... He has
read Sanskrit dramas in the original — the works of Bhasa, Kalidasa, Dandi and Bhabhuti.
His interest in Appayya and Nilakantha Dikshita started when his grandfather taught him
Nilakantha Dikshita’s Shanti-vilasam. He feels that Sankara’s Brahmasutra Bhashya is a
masterpiece in literature, logic and hermeneutics (the subject dealing with the theory and
methodology of interpretation wisdom literature, and philosophical texts).
Krishnaswami came to Pittsburgh in 1973 as a fellow in cardiology at the then Presbyterian
University Hospital. He practiced cardiology in Pittsburgh at Mercy and UPMC
between 1988 and 2017. He was a clinical professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of
Medicine. Now retired, he was involved in teaching and research all through his career.
Sanskrit is the mother of Indic subbranch Indo-European languages.
‘Samskritam’ literally means a language of perfection. The beauty of this
“language of the Gods” was elucidated by William Jones(Chief Justice
of Supreme Court in Bengal at the time of Warren Hastings) in his address
to Asiatic society on February 2, 1786: “Sanskrit language ...is of
a wonderful nature, more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the
Latin more exquisitely refined than either.”
If you poll the people in India where Sanskrit as a language is well
known even if not spoken or understood, about Sanskrit poets, I will be
surprised if they can name anybody beyond Kalidasa. Some may have
heard of Dandi, Magha, may be even Bavabhooti. Sanskrit poesy appears
dead after the time of these masters. But hat is not true.
It was prevalent in religious works of Sankara and his disciples in 8th
century, Ramanuja (9th/10th century) and later, Madhva in 11th century.
Many people wrongly think there was no Sanskrit poetry after 12th century.
even though it was not flourishing. Tulasidas Goswami (16th century).
Muthuswami Deekshitar (18th century) are great Sanskrit Bhakti poets.
Nuilakantha Dikshita was a Sanskrit poet, born in South India in
16th century. He was born in the illustrious family of Appayya Dikshita.
We know that he was born at the end of 15th century and lived to about
middle of 16th century. Neelakanta was a genius, great poet, philosopher
and a distinguished statesman. He was the chief administrator during the
rule of Thirumala Nayaka, ruler of Madurai, a splintered state after the
29

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
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collapse of the Vijayanagar empire.
Impressed by the young Nilakantha’s exposition of the text Devimahatmyam,
the King Tirumalai Nayak was so impressed that he offered him a
position as an administrator in his kingdom. His exquisite poetical works
go beyond Bhakti, and are known for their humor, suggestion, sarcasm,
Slesha (double entendre) -- all in measured quantity.
His works include plays (his magnum opus being Nalacharitra Nataka)
epic poems like Siva-leela-arnavam and Gangavataranam. His minor
works include Kalividambanam, Sabaranjana Satakam, Santivilasam reflecting
the hypocrisy in the society in Kaliyuga among various professions.
Some of his works are not extant and some only partially available.
Neelakanta Dikshta’s poetry is like honey in a bottle. The pleasure
starts right with the look, easy to obtain and sweet, unlike the works of
some great poets. For example, Bhavabhuti whose works are heavenly, are
like cool coconut water in summer, but you have to get the fibers out and
break the shell before you enjoy it. Dikshita’s style is simple, his words
are fluent and spontaneous coming from the heart (Sahrudaya), with not
much of grammar problems. His descriptions of nature in Gangavataranam
is splendid. He also wrote heart-melting Bakthi poetry in which in spite
of all his scholarly understanding of the Upanishads, he makes a case that
one can attain liberation only by totally surrendering to God and through
His Grace — Her in his case, since he was a bakta of Goddess Meenakshi,
the presiding deity of Madurai temple) — and not by Gnana (knowledge)
30

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
alone, somewhat akin to Martin Luther’s idea of Grace.
Here is a sloka from Anandasagaratavam a beautiful work in prayer
to Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai:
Translation:
How many different recensions (Shakha) there are in the Vedas!
How many different Upanishads in each of these recensions!
How many births will be needed for mere rote learning of these texts
— Not to speak of the study to understand their meaning!
In this profound verse the poet rhetorically says, any amount of
knowledge acquired by the study of Vedic or other religious texts alone
without God realization (for which you need God’s Grace) will not bring
hope for liberation in this life.
Editor: We will share with readers other examples of Neelakanta
Dikshita’s poetry in the ongoing issues. •
31

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
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Rashi Venkataraman, daughter of Kollengode S and Prema
Venkataraman of Murrysville and Thomas Romanoff, son of Steven
Romanoff and Leslie Brownrigg of
Maryland were married on September
1, 2018. The venue was the Fred
Rogers Studio WQED in Oakland.
While the Hindu wedding was led
by Shri Suresh Chandra Joshi of
the Hindu-Jain Temple, the Jewish
part of the wedding was led by Mr
Steven Romanoff, the father of
the groom. On August 31, Friday,
at the Rodef Shalom Synagogue
there was a Jewish ceremony and
dinner.
Rashi and Thomas went to the
graduate school at the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public
Policy at the Carnegie Mellon University. Thomas works in cyber
security field and Rashi is in the health-care management field. Both
live in Washington D.C. •

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Shruthi, daughter of Narmada
and Shiva Anumalachetty
of McMurray, PA, gave
her Bharatanatyam Arangetram
recital on Saturday, July 21st,
2018 at the SV Temple auditorium,
Pittsburgh, PA in the
presence of family, friends and
well wishers. Shruthi is the
121st student of her Guru Jaya Mani to have the Arangetram. Shruthi’s
performance included a Krishna Varnam in Atana raagam, a Nadarmudi,
a popular snake dance, and a Tillana in Kuntalavarali.
Shruthi is a freshman at University of Pittsburgh and is pursuing an
undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and Writing. •
Ashwini, a student of Nandini Mandal’s
Nandanik Dance Academy and daughter
of Mukta and Sameer Walavalkar had
her Bharatanatyam Arangetram on June 23,
2018 at the Peters Township High School
Auditorium in front of a large group of
invited guests.
Ashwini, a junior at Upper St. Clair
High School, has been learning Bharatanatyam
since 2005. She has participated in various dance programs
like the Pittsburgh Folk festival, Dragon Boat Festival and various Indian
Community Programs in Pittsburgh. Ashwini has attended workshops from
reputed dancers in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Manipuri, Navanritya, and
Chhau, and has also learned Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop and Tap dance. •
Karnatic Arangetram... ... Continued from Page 28
enjoyable. Their 3-hour concert with no break remarkably maintained a
steady tempo throughout.
The young, talented accompanying artists — Sarang Mulukutla on
the violin and Ganesh Sankaranarayanan on the Mrdangam — supported
the young singers very well. Anjali Bandi on the tanpura provided the
critical shruti accompaniment. These five young artists jointly made the
Arangetram to a near-professional performance.
I have listened to Bhamini and Vaishnavee from their childhood. Their
passion for Karnatic music — instilled by their grandmothe— should help
them widen their horizon by learning and listening. •
33

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
Last page
Un-Presidentially speaking: Here is what President Trump said on
September 29, 2018 in Wheeling West Virginia: “I was really tough and
so was he [Kim Jong-un], and we went back and forth. And then we fell
in love, OK? No, really, he wrote me beautiful letters and they’re great
letters. We fell in love.”
The audience roared with laughter. He preemptively mocked anyone
who would criticize him for his words: “Now they’ll say: ‘Donald Trump
said they fell in love. How horrible is that So unpresidential!’”
Yes, Mr Presidnet. It is indeed unpresidential to use such lurid language
like teenagers talking to their buddies on their first date.
This is perhaps a cruel joke he played on West Virginians.
From the Panchatantra (Arthur Ryder’s translation):
For what she feels, she does not say.;
She speaks and looks a different way;
Far from her looks her actions veer;
O, woman, woman! You are queer!
From Subhashitaavali (A.N.D. Huskar’s translation):
Many thorns, the rose bud surround;
Lilies bloom in muddy ground;
Each charmer has a go between;
Fault-free gens are seldom seen.
Of planets, he is the tenth, located
in the daughter’s sign for good;
Always difficult and demanding,
a drain upon your livelihood.
In the horoscope they draw —
he is the proverbial son in law.
With a pen tucked behind his ears,
the clerk you must not trust;
Better do so with black serpents,
or wild tigers, if you must
•
34

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Happy Diwali!
May the Festival of Lights Bring Joy to All!