tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:39:22 +0000indiabangaloreCricketIIMIndian flagrahul36000 LIC premiumADHDATMAdAds endorsed by Indian cricketersAghasuraAmbujamAmerican IdolAmerican Sanskrit InstituteAndaa TamatarAnthonyArticleAuctionAurovilleAyngaranBCB4Bangalore International AirportBaniBarCampBiharBittenBling JewelryBlogBollywoodBombing BombayBookwormsBritneyBugakuCarson DrewChinese character for happinessChoCircuitCoinsCrookshanks SiriusDavid OsbornDelhiDialoguesDietDisneyDistributionDr. Duncan MacDougallDriveDumbledore's "Gleam of TriumphDunu RayEmma RobertsEuropeonExtraFictionFilmFirst Wedding AnniversaryGigakuGolden Raspberry AwardsHairHaneefHannah GruenHarry OsbornHarry Potter and the Deathly HallowsHeaven of FreedomHilltopHinduism is still being misrepresentedHolidaysHonarary CitizenshipI Can Make You ThinIITISKCONIllustrated Bhagavad GitaIndia 2020...India Heritage Theme ParkIndibloggies; AwardInspire MediaInstant JusticeInstant NoodlesInsultIsrealJapaneseJaved AkhtarJerry FalwellJoshua BellKeanu ReevesKhaleej TimesKrishnaKyun kiLegislationLife after deathMJMTVMalakarMalayalamManjuManjunath SMedia Cover-upMoBlogMunnabhai chale amerikaNancy DrewNikeNirmala DeviNostalgicPalakkad maamiParents and Senior Citizens BillPatitop. Jammu. PatisaPaul MckennaPillar rockPondicherryPondyPrincePunjabiRabindranath TagoreRajniRajni can'tRamRamayanaRavanReleaseRoadiesRotten TomatoesSachinSadashivnagarSalma HayekSanasarSanjayaSanskritScientific Verification of Vedic KnowledgeSenior CitizenShyamaliSimonSitaSivajiSmriti IraniSnapeSpiderman 3Stray dogStraying Thoughts on Stray DogsSuicideT20 world cupTamilTamil channels bannedTeletubbies.Tinky WinkyTreesTripVacationVijay TimesVirgina TechWashington postWhat's wrong being a Hindu?Windsor ManorWorld CupZ plus securityaffirmative legislationbeggarsbusiness intelligencechapterschildrendistancedolphinsdrainsessjayfilmsfilter coffeeglobal warminginteresting linksissuesjapanjimmy walesjobsjusticekodailovemadisarmanholemassacremenaceminority quotamonsoon bangalorerav patrao ravreluctant ; accidentalreservationroad tripsales yogaserialsshort storysoul weight 21 gramsstray dogswater screensweddingwiki pollutes the webwikipedia Thoughts that echo like a melodic stanzahttp://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)Blogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-9114204007559724873Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:35:13 +00002026-10-08T18:39:22.981+04:00One evening, my sons and I were listening to *Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma* on YouTube when the lyrics appeared on the screen. “Majjige olagina benne anthe…”  One of them looked at me quizzically, “Amma, what does that mean?” Yes, you surely know butter comes from buttermilk. They looked at me like they knew that for a fact but felt it was such a misplaced reference in a devotional song.http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2026/10/things-children-chant-but-cannot-picture.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-4698837029823538999Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:09:20 +00002026-08-18T18:09:20.259+04:00Bhagalpur, 2045By 2045, nobody became a movie star by accident. That belonged to another century.There was a time when actors spent years auditioning, waiting tables, doing theatre, appearing in advertisements, and hoping that one director would notice them. There had been a time when people stood outside film studios for hours to catch a glimpse of their favorite star. They collected autographs.http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2026/08/short-story-star-is-born.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-4755081647558656709Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:16:00 +00002026-08-07T13:16:00.498+04:00Every home has one.It isn't the person who earns the most. Or the one who speaks the loudest. Or makes the family decisions.It's the invisible operating system. It runs quietly in the background, executing hundreds of tiny processes that no one notices because, well, they are not supposed to notice them. Like every good operating system, it is expected to boot up before everyone else, remember http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-invisible-operating-system.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6194756134699507698Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:09:08 +00002026-08-02T17:13:11.208+04:00From the archives: This post was written many years ago and somehow remained in my drafts. I've published it now with only minimal edits, so it reflects the thoughts and context of that time. Some ideas, I suppose, are worth revisiting.*******************************Sheila meets her college friend after a long time. During the conversation, she casually asks for her friend’s Twitter handle and, http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2010/02/cursed-with-knowledge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-9145267191451149904Sat, 01 Aug 2026 07:41:06 +00002026-08-01T11:41:06.250+04:00 Saturday mornings have a rhythm of their own.They are reserved for the weekly visit to the local market, buying vegetables and groceries, washing and sorting them, and prepping everything ready for the week ahead. Weekdays are a blur of lunch boxes, breakfast, school, and work. So, this weekly ritual makes life a little less hectic.Like most weekends, there was music playing in the http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2026/08/would-you-choose-to-live-in-simpler.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-130807026016204915Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:13:24 +00002026-07-30T17:16:51.954+04:00No one really prepares you for the quiet heartbreak of watching your parents grow old.As children, we believe they are invincible. They are the ones who always know what to do. They carry the family through every storm, make difficult decisions look effortless, and somehow find the strength to be everyone else's anchor.My Amma has always been that person for me.She stood by me through every phasehttp://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2026/07/when-life-comes-full-circle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-153697368764336493Wed, 29 Jul 2026 02:33:14 +00002026-07-29T06:33:14.857+04:00 My first blog post went up in 2003.That feels almost prehistoric in a world where content appears, trends for a few hours, and disappears before the day is done. Sometimes I joke that I'm a digital dinosaur. Maybe I am. Over the years, life has changed in every possible way. My children have grown up. I crossed well into my forties with a few more grey hairs, a little more patience, http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2026/07/back-to-long-road.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-8805032679580092299Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:05:52 +00002026-07-28T21:05:52.539+04:00Every Tuesday, Trina brought flowers to work.Not extravagant bouquets that announced themselves, but small bunches tucked into a clear glass vase. White lilies one week. Pink carnations the next. Once, cheerful yellow tulips that seemed determined to brighten an office lit by fluorescent panels and quarterly targets.By ten in the morning, someone would invariably wander over to her desk. "http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-illusion-of-love.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-5796877578249491273Sat, 02 Aug 2025 06:16:00 +00002026-07-28T18:29:32.906+04:00Museums, for many in the Hindu worldview, have long been viewed with unease, particularly when it comes to housing sacred sculptures and idols. There is a valid concern: should deities, once venerated in temples, be confined behind glass walls as objects of study or admiration? Is it not a form of quiet desacralisation?But perhaps there’s room for a parallel thought—one that is not in opposition http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2025/08/why-india-needs-dharmic-museums-now.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-1242996373450709726Fri, 20 Dec 2019 07:55:00 +00002026-07-28T19:34:47.293+04:00 My boys were invited to a friend's birthday party some time in June this year. The theme of the party was pets, and true to its theme, there was a petting zoo of rabbits, hamsters, cute pups, kittens, and colourful birds for the kids to enjoy. At the end of it, I was a little taken aback when I saw the boys had received two tiny little chickens as return gift. I politely refused to accept them, http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-chicken-challenge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-232220711827929188Wed, 16 Oct 2019 09:42:00 +00002019-10-18T12:19:15.680+04:00 The jubilant celebrations of Dussehra have come to an end. The celebration is an annual reminder of how an evil demon king was killed by the powerful Goddess Durga. An important subliminal message the Mahishasura story sends out is about how men often underestimate women only to have a rude awakening. Mahishasura had asked for a boon that his death (if at all) should only be at the http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2019/10/will-sister-lucy-kalapura-get-justice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6975988285662999504Thu, 03 Oct 2019 06:46:00 +00002019-10-03T10:46:43.287+04:00 Snapshot Papa Choodamani was called the ‘M S of Karnataka’. Such was the impact of her performance that Maharajah Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar invited her to sing on all the nine days of the Navaratri celebrations. It was an honour that had never before been bestowed on any other female artist. The year was 1965 and it was the start of the famed Mysuru Dasara annual celebrations. The http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2019/10/remembering-gaana-visharade-papa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-8503232037849705052Fri, 23 Aug 2019 12:14:00 +00002019-08-23T16:15:43.184+04:00 It is the joyous occasion of Janmashtami, where Hindus world over celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna in their own inimitable ways.  People in the North of India conduct Dahi Handi contests, kite flying and observe night long jagrans (night vigils). The south of India calls it Gokulashtami and celebrates it with colourful rangolis, bhajans and classical dance performances. The common threadhttp://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2019/08/janmashtami-special-curious-case-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-8706414888823649414Wed, 21 Aug 2019 04:20:00 +00002019-08-21T08:31:35.700+04:00  Nothing is more scrutinized, criticized, debated or written about as parenting today. The world appears to obsess around raising the perfect generation and that has given rise to an entire ecosystem of child welfare ministries to specialists, pediatric nutritionists, therapists, pedodontics, and psychiatrists. And yet 10-20% of children and adolescents worldwide are afflicted with mental http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2019/08/raising-modern-hindu-children-overseas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-8251050124739882078Tue, 23 Apr 2019 13:59:00 +00002019-04-25T12:25:54.525+04:00 It was that time of the year when the animals of a jungle had to choose their new king. After several rounds of discussions it came down to choosing between a wise old owl and a burly lion. The hyenas, foxes, coyotes and the vultures were highly in favor of a tawny lion being crowned the new king. This particular lion came from a dynasty of rulers, and lived in a pride with his mother and http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2019/04/choose-leader-wisely.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-7571346437478381727Tue, 11 Mar 2014 07:27:00 +00002019-04-17T20:58:19.502+04:00 "I am bored....I AM BORED...." - And that is a sentence most often used by children and one that terrorizes almost all parents. Come summer and every parent, working or non-working, draw a big face, sighing how hard their lives are going to turn. I am not judging anyone for I find myself on the very same boat. My son wakes by 7:00 a.m and by 9:30 he has done painting, played with his play-dohhttp://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2014/03/boredom-is-necessary-too.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-2850077307847641199Wed, 19 Feb 2014 11:56:00 +00002026-08-02T17:42:05.384+04:00reluctant ; accidentalFor some strange reason, accidental and reluctant seem to be among publishers' favorite adjectives. Once I noticed the pattern, I began spotting them everywhere: novels, biographies, romances, thrillers, business books, even movie titles. They cut across genres, trends, and media with surprising consistency.Perhaps there is something about these 2 words that instantly creates curiosity. An http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-reluctantly-accidental-research.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-4301017360027610420Fri, 10 May 2013 15:06:00 +00002014-02-20T11:13:32.878+04:00 Wayanad needs no fancy introduction. It is one of the popular holiday destinations of South India. A paradise of lush green tea plantations, old-styled cottages, winding roads, smiling locals, and a Malabar cuisine that shouldn't be missed. Also it makes for a great place to vacation around Bangalore for young parents with infants or toddlers in tow. Travelling with http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2013/05/wayanad-dreamy-paradise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6709435152121831364Thu, 21 Mar 2013 07:59:00 +00002026-08-03T10:48:46.208+04:00 I had been to a science fair recently at my son's preschool. Yes, they have science fairs for 4-5 year old's these days with exhibits/charts, and the tots also explain concepts like rainwater harvesting or the water movement in plants with elan. A group of parents got around discussing the dedication of teachers that was apparent and their commitment in educating our little ones. And&http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2013/03/male-teachers-for-preschool-not.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6176644763898822865Tue, 22 May 2012 10:21:00 +00002013-03-21T15:48:58.430+04:00 Ask a mother of six, and she will have a unique story related to the birth of each of her child. Guaranteed. The experience of pregnancy and motherhood is so dramatic and life-changing that simple moments could remain eteched in your memory. I have this two unique tangible memories, associated with my the birth of my children, that I cherish like no other. Am making an effort here to http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-miracle-moments.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-9191881748444099848Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:51:00 +00002012-04-04T13:01:24.047+04:00 With the arrival of the second baby life changes beyond recognition. Here are a few home truths that comes from experience: #1 You have already experienced pregnancy with your first born. So your growing frame is not going to make you wonder-struck again. That does not mean you would love your second child any less. And yes, every pregnancy is different. #2http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2012/04/second.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-1095549461629255490Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:19:00 +00002012-03-28T18:30:55.420+04:00 Everybody worth their salt are discussing what's in and what's not. Here is my personal list of  top social websites; tools  that are a must-know, must-visit for every marketing professional. Not in any order of preference. #1 Twitter: Much has been written and said about the power of a tweet. Everything still falls short of what it can do for a http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2012/03/top-10-sites-for-marketing-enthusiast.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-7639011556704433430Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:52:00 +00002014-03-24T10:26:01.121+04:00 My organization offers flexi-timings and work-from-home options. Huge benefits, if you ask me, especially for young mothers. Some days I end up eating lunch alone at the office cafeteria,  Being part of a globally dispersed team does not mean not having colleagues but there are days when none of whom you interact with are around. Its might be unthinkable for many but I enjoy these http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2012/03/cafetria-musings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-1592144755411914020Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:05:00 +00002012-03-27T12:25:08.961+04:00 Children in their own inexplicable way end up teaching some of life's biggest lessons to us. The other day my son wanted me to play with him, while I was busy on my laptop. His pleas started getting persistent and I tried to shoo him away with different errands. So he got me a cup of water, arranged the cushions on the sofa and piled the day's newspaper and was back to ask me to play with him. http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2012/03/later-is-now.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6522187240096896266Wed, 27 Jul 2011 05:38:00 +00002012-07-20T12:58:56.724+04:00 That my boy has settled down at his school and well-adjusted to his routine has knocked one worry off my list. On day 1, it was alarming to see my little boy with a dangling satchel in tow, trudge almost half-a-mile from the school gate, cross the tiny little bridge in his campus and climb a flight of stairs to reach his class on his own. For a mother who has him chaperoned even at the play http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-misadventures-in-parenting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Antara Echoes)0