CULTURAL QA 02-2024-24

All the below   QAare from Quora DIGEST to me on   24-02-2024. 

Selected quora answersgenerally interesting are included .Still they  need not 
be 100% correct answers. I am only a compiler. 

Compiled andposted by R. Gopala Krishnan, 80,    on24-02-2024.

Q1      What is something someone who has neverbeen poor wouldn’t understand?

A1      VijayaLakshmi, Retired Finance manager at Coal India Limited (A 
Maharatna Company)4y

The power of barter system: Yes, people who neverhave been poor would not 
understand this.

Few days back I have read a story in a Telugumagazine. It was really impressive.

The story goes like this….

Ananya and Hitesh a newly married couple, earn togethera six figure salary per 
month. They have a domestic help Latha.

Ananya very graciously gives not so old good clothesof hers, like sarees, 
chudidars etc to Latha frequently. Hitesh also gives awaysome of his dresses to 
Latha’s husband.

But Ananya never sees Latha wearing those clothes.

On asking why she doesn’t wear those clothes Lathajust says “Why such costly 
clothes for this work madam”

One day Ananya finds out that Latha is actuallyselling those clothes in a 
second hand (used) cloth market.

She becomes angry and expresses her displeasure aboutselling those clothes. “I 
wish I have never given you those good clothes. Youpeople don’t understand the 
value of such things” Ananya says.

 “Madam pleaseunderstand me. We both love your clothes. In fact when you give 
those clothes Idrape the saree , enjoy my reflection in the mirror for few 
minutes, remove it,fold it carefully and keep it in a bag. Madam you know what! 
If I sell onesaree of yours, I will get four used cheap sarees which I can wear 
daily forfew months. With one dress of yours, we can buy two sets of old 
dresses for allour three kids. With sir’s one dress we can buy old bed sheets 
for whole of ourfamily to be used in the winter”

Hitesh listens the conversation between the two silently.

That night Hitesh tells Ananya his childhoodexperiences:

Do you know Annu, we were very poor when I was a kid.We had just enough money 
to have meals three times a day.

We considered that we were lucky to have three mealsa day. But there were many 
more aspirations for me.

In those days boys would play one game called‘Bachchalata’. It is a game played 
with covers of cigarette packets. Each coverhad some value. The rare covers had 
more value where as cheap cigarette packcovers like Charminar had very less 
value.

If Charminar pack cover’s value is one rupee then therare foreign brand 
cigarette cover would be 1000 rupees.

Like currency we could exchange those packs.

Daily in the evening after school I would go to myfather’s boss’es house. I 
would help him with tidying his room, arranging booksetc.

In return, he would give me two foreign brand (empty)cigarette packs.

>From there I would go to play ground where boys wouldplay this ‘Bachchalata’

For two of those foreign packs I would get 2000 cheapempty cigarette packs. In 
the night after finishing homework and helping fatherwith setting beds, I would 
cut those 2000 packs into thin strips.

On Sunday morning my brother and I would wake upearly and make toys with those 
strips. We would make cats, dogs, bicycles, carsand many more things with those 
strips.

Then I would take those toys in a big basket toweekly market and sell them 
there. With the money I get I would buy pencils,note books, text books etc.

So there was not much burden on our parents for ourstudies.

When I heard the story of Latha, I could understandher. I really felt happy 
because she could exchange them for more usefulthings.

Hearing the childhood story of her husband, Ananyasmiles with tears in her eyes.

So please never blame your domestic help if she never wears your goodclothes. 
Those good clothes might have been converted to more useful things forher.

Q2     What is the story of Saraswathi Mata?

A2       ManjunathDolagar,19h

Here is a story about Saraswati Mata:

Longago, during the time of creation, the universe was in a state of chaos. 
Darkness shroudedthe cosmos, and there was no order or harmony. To bring 
balance and enlightenment to the universe, theDivine Trinity—Brahma, Vishnu, 
and Shiva—decided to create a goddess who wouldembody knowledge, wisdom, arts, 
and culture. Thus, Saraswati Mata, the goddessof learning and the arts, came 
into being.

Legend has it that Saraswati emerged from the cosmicwaters riding on a 
beautiful white swan. She was adorned with divine ornaments,holding a veena (a 
musical instrument) in one hand and scriptures in the other.As she appeared, 
the universe was filled with light and melody, dispelling thedarkness that had 
prevailed.

Saraswati Mata symbolizes purity and knowledge. Sheis depicted as serene, 
graceful, and adorned in white, signifying purity andillumination. Her swan 
represents discernment, as it is believed that a swanhas the ability to 
separate milk from water, symbolizing the ability todistinguish between truth 
and falsehood.

Saraswati Mata's association with learning and thearts is celebrated with great 
reverence in Hindu culture. She is worshipped bystudents, scholars, artists, 
and musicians seeking her blessings for successand enlightenment in their 
endeavors.

One of the popular stories associated with Saraswati Matarevolves around her 
relationship with Lord Brahma, the creator. It is said that Lord Brahmafell in 
love with Saraswati Mata's divine beauty and wisdom. However, SaraswatiMata, 
embodying knowledge and wisdom, chose to maintain her purity and remaindevoted 
to her purpose of enlightening the world.

Saraswati Mata's presence is felt in every aspect oflife where knowledge, 
wisdom, and creativity thrive. Her blessings are soughtby those who embark on 
the path of learning and seek enlightenment.

In essence, Saraswati Mata's story inspires seekersto pursue knowledge with 
humility, dedication, and purity of heart, recognizingthe transformative power 
of wisdom and the arts in bringing light and harmonyto the world.

Q3      What is the funniest military-based jokeyou know?

A3      RichardBristowe,22h

Back in the 1970’s the Officers’ Mess wouldoccasionally hold a “LadiesNight” so 
that officers could bring their wives to a formal dinner atthe Mess.

For one newly-wed one such do was to be her firstattendance and, not 
surprisingly, she was anxious to make a good impressionwith a new hairdo, 
newlow-cut dress and so on.

 

On the night, toher dismay, she had a runny nose and, to make matters worse, 
her outfit had no obvious place for her to store handkerchiefs. Being a 
resourceful lassshe solved the problem by stuffing a clean hanky in each of the 
low bosom cupsof her dress.

By the time the pudding was due one hanky was prettysodden and she needed the 
second one. To her horror she could not locate it in the bosom cup. Shewas in 
the process of delving her hand deeper into her dress to locate it whenshe 
glanced up and was aghast to see almost the entire company curiouslywatching 
her frantic efforts in the bosom area. Terror-struck she blurted out “I’m sure 
I had two when I came out”.

Q4      What Happened When the Dutch Tried toSteal Thiruchendur Murugan Idol?

A4      VickeyPediya,9h

One of the Aarupadai Veedu (six most significantshrines dedicated to Lord 
Murugan in Tamil Nadu) is the Thiruchendur MuruganTemple, a magnificent temple 
that stands majestically on the shores of the Bayof Bengal.

Known asJayanthipuram during the puranic time, Thiruchendur Temple is believed 
to have been built byVisvakarma, the celestial architect. Like its ancient 
name, the temple denotesthe site of the battle and the victory of Lord Murugan 
over the Asuras,including notorious ones like Anamughan, Panumughan, 
Simhamughan, andSoorapadman.

Even today, every year during Skanda Shasti, thereenactment of Surasamharam is 
done at the spot the demon Soorapadman wasannihilated.

Like manyancient temples, Thiruchendur Temple has tales of legends and 
miracles. One such story took place in1648 AD, when an entourage of seafaring 
men, later identified as Dutchmercenaries, descended upon Tiruchendur.

The Dutchmercenaries looted everything they could lay their hands on, including 
the Panchaloha(five-metal alloy) idol of Murugan, which they foolishly believed 
was made ofgold.

 

They tried tomelt the idol, but failed, and so decided to carry it home by sea. 
Having travelled only afew nautical miles from the shore, they were besieged by 
a violent storm whichrocked the ship violently.

The frightened sailors believed it was the wrath of theGod from the temple they 
had looted and heaved the idol into the ocean.

Vadamalaiyappa Pillaiyyan, a local administrator whowas an ardent devotee of 
Lord Muruga, later had a dream about the location of the deity.

In the dream, Lord Murugan appeared and urged him to bring back thedeity from 
the depths of the ocean. The instructions were that the idolwould be at the 
spot where a lime would be floating and a kite, the bird ofVishnu, would be 
circling overhead.

Vadamalaiyappa Pillaiyyan, with the help of localfishermen, found the statue 
resting on the ocean bed at that very location, andbrought it home to the 
Thiruchendur Temple.

 

The miracles of the indestructible Thiruchendur Temple are truly astonishing.On 
December 26, 2004, when thecoast of Tamil Nadu was hit by the Indian Ocean 
Tsunami, it destroyedeverything around the temple, except this ancient site.

Generally, sea water comes very close to this shoretemple. But, while the 
tsunami waves were violently hitting shores across TamilNadu, the sea receded 
away from Thiruchendur temple by 0.75 miles, revealingrocks which are usually 
submerged.

People believe itwas divine intervention, as per ancient inscriptions on a 
stone tablet proclaiming thatLord Varuna promised Lord Murugan that the raging 
ocean would never harm thetemple.

Q5      What is the most humane gesture you haveever encountered?

Bharathi Kumar, iOS Developer Updated 7y

This happened in Bangalore. I was jobless and came toBangalore in search of a 
job. I used to take Rs. 100 everyday and go for interviews,as I could get the 
daily bus pass for Rs.70. One particular day, I reached thecompany for the job 
interview and realized that I don't have my resume with me.I went out in search 
of a xerox shop so that I can print my resume which was inmy mail. I had 20 
rupees in my pocket and without asking for the xerox copycharge, I asked the 
shopkeeper to print 2 copies of my resume assuming that itwould be 2 or 3 rs 
per sheet. Aftercollecting my resume, I asked for the charge. He asked for Rs. 
30. I wasnumb for a moment. I didn't know how to react. I start searching my 
bag forcoins. I could find a 5rupee coin, but I was still Rs. 5 short. 

An elderly person asking for directions at the sameshop noticing all this and 
that I'm panicking, called me. He gave me a Rs.10note and said "Things like 
these happen. Happened to us also .We too were your age once.Don't panic, go 
and attend the interview with a smiling face."

After a long time, tears started falling down from myeyes. I thanked him. I 
cleared the interview and went to the xerox shop and asked about theaged 
person. Unfortunately he didn't know him. I smiled and left the place.

The job pays me 3 lakhs per annum, but those 10 rupeesmade me attend the 
interview. I still thank and remember him.

 

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