Pittsburgh Patrika October 2021
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Vol. 27, No 1 October 2021
www.pittsburghpatrika.com
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
The
Since
1995
ittsburgh
atrika
PRSRT STD
AUTO
US POSTAGE PAID
Indiana, PA
Permit No: 12
1
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
“We Deliver More Than We Promise”
Multi-disciplinary, full-service engineering company
Long history of successfully completing design projects
• Civil Engineering
• Site Development
• Foundations
• Structural Engineering
• Architectural
• Piping
• HVAC
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
Career Opportunities
Senior Designers — Civil/Structural, Piping and Electrical
Designers — Civil/Structural, Piping and Electrical
Engineers — Electrical and Mechanical
Visit our website for details
www.cvengineering.com
2
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora
Vol. 27 No. 1, October 2021
www.pittsburghpatrika.com
4006 Holiday Park Drive, Murrysville, PA 15668
Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com
“Like” us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/pittsburgh.patrika
Highlights in this issue... ... ...
Page
The War Many Almost Forgot Finally Ends!
By Kollengode S. Venkataraman ......................................2
Help FBI Stop Hate Crimes Inflicting Fear Among People
By Mike Nordwall, FBI Officve, Pittsburgh.........................9
Monroeville’s Peace Pole Installation Ceremony
By Praveen and Pratheema Kumar..................................`10
Obituary: Vijay Kapoor (1937 to August 21, 2021)
A Well-Liked Long-Time Resident & Music Lover
By Shambhavi Desai.................................................... 14
Human Instincts to Display One’s Prowess
By Kollengode S Venkataraman...................................... 17
कन्यादानं in Vedic Weddings — Receving the Bride
As Important
By Kollengode S Venkataraman...................................... 16
Did You Know We Have A Second Functioning Civil Airport .
in Pittsburgh?
By Kollengode S Venkataraman ..................................... 20
On the cover: Allegheny County Airport (code ACG), a fully functional
24x7x365 civilian airport, is in West Mifflin, an eastern suburb in
the Mon Valley. After refurbishing, the airport had its 90th anniversary
celebrations in September. A brief story is on Page 20. How many of us
even know we have a second civilian airport in Pittsburgh? •
3
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora
Vol. 27 No. 1 October 2021
Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com
The War Many Almost Forgot, Finally Ends!
By Kollengode S Venkataraman
I was in the Bay Area for a wedding in mid-August when President
Biden announced that on August 31, the last American soldier would be
leaving from what he aptly called the “Forever War” in Afghanistan costing
$2.2 trillion and lasting 20 years. Most of the money was spent on the
military, with $85 billion for training Afghanistan’s military. Here are the
war’s mortality numbers (www.tinyurl.com/AfghanWar-HumanCost):
US service members through April 2021: 2,400.
Contractors employed by the US: 3,800.
Afghan national military and police: 66,000.
From NATO and other allied service member states: 1,150.
Afghan civilians: 47,200.
Taliban and other opposition fighters: 51,200.
Aid workers: 440.
Journalists: 70.
The Afghan War is the longest in US history. See the adjacent table.
The way the war ended was bizarre. The US handed the country back
Vietnam War (1955-75): 19.4 years
Iraq War (2003-2011): 8.9 years
World War II (1941-45): 3.7 years
Korean War (1950-53) 3.1 years
World War I (1917-18): 1.6 years
Persian Gulf War (1990-91): 0.6 years
to the Taliban, which it had overthrown
twenty years ago. Many in
the Taliban team with which the US
negotiated in Doha — and in the new
Taliban government — were incarcerated
in the Guantanamo prison for
the ghastly 9-11 attack on the Twin Towers in New York. The US image as
the Sole Superpower and its credibility among allies has been eroded.
The US-trained Afghan army vanished at astonishing speed and its
weak president Ashraf Ghani fled the country. There is irony in Ghani’s
pedigree: bachelor’s degree from the American University, Beirut; PhD
from Columbia; taught at Berkeley & Johns Hopkins; worked at the World
Bank and coauthored a book, ironically titled, “Fixing Failed States.”
It was my nostalgia trip to the Bay Area, where I lived for four years in
the 1980s. We revisited the touristy Redwood Forest and the Berkeley
campus. In the 60s and 70s, the Berkeley campus of the University of
4
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
5
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Nearly 800 people (mostly Afghans) jammed into a US
military plane leaving Kabul during the chaoric days of
American withdrawal in Aughst 2021.
6
California was notorious
for student protests
on issues considered
taboos in the US mainstream.
So, with the US announcing
our withdrawal
from Afghanistan after
the longest, costliest
war, I expected some
public demonstration
of relief, if not celebrations,
on the war ending.
But all I saw was total nonchalance — even on Berkeley’s notorious
Telegraph Avenue, where, decades ago, the most radical social outcasts
gathered for all radical causes. People were going about their business in
coffee shops, campuses, and public squares as if it was somebody else’s
war somewhere faraway. In the campus where “Question Authority”
was emblazoned on many T-shirts decades ago, a teenager was wearing
a jacket with “OBEY” printed on it. While I was wondering how much
the place has changed, my daughters told me OBEY is a brand name for
a line of fashion apparel.
While editorial and opinion writers are telling
us in bits and pieces how the Afghan war
ended in defeat and retreat, here are my peripheral
observations, as a tax-paying citizen:
• The Vietnam war (costing ~$170 billion
in the 1970s, or ~$1 trillion in today’s dollars)
was funded by increases in personal and corporate
taxes and through bonds. That is, the citizens of
that era bore the cost of the war. But the $2.2 trillion
Afghanistan war was funded entirely through
long-term public debt. It is estimated (www.tinyurl.
com/AfghanWar-Interest-on-Debt) that by 2050, the interest on the debt
will be over $6 trillion. For the next 30 years, people who had no say on
the war — our children and grandchildren — will be paying for the war
as deferred payment. For the Sole Superpower republic to go to war on
borrowed money, expecting our children and grandchildren to redeem the
debt is irresponsible, to say the least.
• Only 1% of the nation’s young and able-bodied went to the war
in Afghanistan. This is because of the all-volunteer forces that the US
boasts of. As the war dragged on for twenty long years, these voluntarily
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Fresh whole fish from all over the world
delivered everyday to
Wholey's Market
Please visit us in the Strip
where we will be happy
to assist you.
Or order online at your convenience.
We will hand-select your order with the greatest care.
Open seven days a week
1711 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
1-888-946-5397
www.wholey.com
7
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
● Specialty Skilled Workers ● Outstanding Ability Temporary Status
● Intra-Company Transferees ● Employment-Based Permanent
Residence ● Permanent Residence based on Investment
● Healthcare Workers ● Labor Certification ● Compliance with all US Laws -- Labor,
Home Land Security, Citizenship and State Department Regulations… …
1006A McKnight Park Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15237
412 281 6005 www.sethlegal.com
enlisted men and women ended up going to Afghanistan on multiple tours
of combat duty. The psychological toll this took on these men and woman
— not to speak of their spouses, parents, and children -- is incalculable.
• With most of the 900,000-stong US forces serving multiple times
in the war, over 21,000 were wounded. Taking care of these war veterans
(many in their 20s and 30s now) for the next several decades will cost the
federal government another $5 trillion, by one estimate. So, our children
who are already harsh towards us,
their baby-boomer parents, for
bankrupting Social Security and
Medicare, are burdened with an
additional $11 trillion ($6 trillion
as interest on debt and $5 trillion
for the Afghan war veterans).
• The all-volunteer army
was the result of the Vietnam
war, which the US fought — and
lost — with compulsory military
service (called the draft) from
all able-bodied youngsters from
The Taliban soldiers in the victory mood on a
US helicopter left behind.
8
all socioeconomic backgrounds.
There was widespread opposition
to the war from middle class families
and above in campus protests across the nation in the 1960s and 70s,
as part of the Counterculture Movement. Many from rich or influential,
or powerful families dodged the draft using a variety of legal maneuvers
that many middle- and working-class youngsters were not even aware of.
Among those who dodged going to fight the communists in Vietnam are
Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump.
Many draftees did not know what they were fighting for, and some
were even opposed to the war. The one-year tour of duty for the draftees
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Friends of Aseema
A model for change through
educational justice
Friends of Aseema is a Pittsburgh-based
non-profit dedicated to supporting
the Aseema Charitable Trust of Mumbai.
For more than 20 years, Aseema has
been providing high-quality, secular,
values-based education and medical
care to street and slum children in
Mumbai and a remote tribal region.
Learn more and donate at
friendsofaseema.org
Vallam Kali
by Seeta and Geeta
Jaiswal (age 15)
Friends of Aseema
is offering stunning
limited-edition prints
of original artwork by
students and alumni.
All net proceeds go
to Aseema to serve
its humanitarian
mission.
The official registration and financial information of Friends of Aseema, Inc., may be obtained from
the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999.
Registration does not imply endorsement.
Follow Friends of Aseema on social media
9
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Acknowledgments: Mr. Andy Singer for permission to
use his original graphic. This is how all empires look at
their foreign policy
10
in far-off tropical jungles
twelve time zones away
sapped the morale of the
army, so critical for invading
militaries.
In the mid-1980s, in
PBS’s 13-part-series Vietnam:
A Television History,
Gen. Nguyen Giap, the
mastermind of the North
Vietnam army, said this
about the US fighting with
unwilling draftees: While
we waged one 20-year
war, you waged 20 oneyear
wars.
The draft was one military
factor among other
non-military ones for the
loss in Vietnam. So, the
US military ended the draft
and opted for an all-volunteer
military. Forty-five
years later, even with the
all-volunteer army, the US still lost in this 20-year long Afghan war.
Both GOP and Democratic presidents, the US Congress, the US Defense
Department and intelligence agencies all have contributed by omissions
and commissions to the way this war dragged on. Since every government
institution is culpable, nobody will be accountable in the end.
Retreating from a war in defeat for an invading army is always messy,
even for the Sole Superpower, no mater how well you plan for it. With
noncooperative countries all around, the retreating U.S. military walked
away leaving behind tens of thousands of assault guns, thousands of vehicles
and military hardware. Now, this military hardware worth billions
of dollars is in the hands of the Taliban victors, the Pakistan military (their
advisors and mentors), and other non-state terrorist organizations.
President Biden was unapologetic for ending this long war, though it
was painful to see the way it ended — chaos in Kabul airport, disarray
in Afghanistan, and the Taliban forcing the Afghan women back to the
18th century. The majority of Silent Americans of all persuasions are with
him. For the last twenty long years, did we even know we were going
through the costliest war? •
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Hate Crimes Inflict Fear Among Citizens —
Help FBI to Stop Them
By Mike Nordwall, Special Agent in Charge
FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Pittsburgh, PA
The number of people reporting they’ve been a victim of a hate crime in
Pennsylvania nearly doubled between 2019 and 2020 according to the
FBI’s annual hate crime statistics report. That’s
why the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is engaged
in a multifaceted statewide effort to build public
awareness of hate crimes and encourage reporting
to law enforcement.
The FBI is the lead investigative agency for
criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes.
Hate crimes, defined as a traditional offense
with an added element of bias, are the highest
priority of the FBI’s civil rights program because
of the devastating impact they have on families
and communities. The Bureau investigates hundreds of these cases every
year, but hate crimes are often underreported to both federal and local
law enforcement.
At the FBI, we are very concerned about the lack of reporting when it
comes to hate crimes. We want the community to know we are here for
them. This campaign is a way to enhance collaboration between the FBI
and our local and state partners, not just in law enforcement, but with
the many community groups who work and see victims on a daily basis
that are too scared to report the crime. The more information we can get
from the community, the more trust each side will earn, and we’ll all be
better able to attack the problem head on.
Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim, they threaten and
intimidate an entire community. The FBI works closely with state,
local, and tribal authorities on investigations, even when federal charges
are not brought. FBI resources, forensic expertise and experience in identification
and proof of hate-based motivations often provide an invaluable
complement to local law enforcement hate crime cases.
If you believe you have been the target or victim of a hate crime or
other civil rights violation, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-
5324) or the FBI Pittsburgh at (412) 432-4000 or submit a tip online at
https://tips.fbi.gov. Tips can remain anonymous and can be made in an
individual’s native language.•
11
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Monroeville’s Peace Pole Installation Ceremony
By Praveen and Pratheema Kumar, Monroeville, PA
Buddhist monks offfering
peace invocation at the start.
Note: Praveen, with his background in computer
science, is pursuing his PhD program in machine
learning while working in the same field. His passion
are sports car and coffee. Pratheema, an electrical
engineer, works for a semiconductor company. She
loves cooking, baking and dancing. She has learned
Bharatanatyam. They live in Monroeville.
If anyone wanted to have an outdoor
event in our area, July 31st, 2021 was the day -- azure sky with patches
of white clouds slowly drifting, temperatures in the 70s and gentle breeze.
The Rotary Club of Monroeville could not have chosen a better day for
dedicating their Peace Pole, reminding us of the importance of peace in
this world! Around 150 people from diverse backgrounds joined in the
celebrations.
Peace Poles, fabricated with different materials, are internationally
recognized symbols of the hopes and dreams of humanity, standing vigil
in silent prayer for peace on earth.
In the wake of the Second World War,
Masahisa Goi of Japan 1955 in Japan, came up
with the idea of installing Peace Poles. The first
few Peace Poles outside Japan came in 1983.
Since then, more than 250,000 Peace Poles are
in over 190 countries. The central theme in the
monument is the message “May Peace Prevail
on Earth.”
Fitzgerald, County Executive of Allegh-
Rich eny County, was the special guest for the
event. Mr. Fitzgerald said Pittsburgh is a city that
is very diverse and has been welcoming people
of all backgrounds and nationalities for several
decades and will continue to do so in the future.
Moments like these give us time to pause, he
said, to reflect and respect the journey we have
come through as a country, and events like these
make us think forward on ways to strengthen our cultural diversities even
more by respecting everyone and treating everyone equally.
Earlier, Brandon Markosek, the Democratic State Representative in
Harrisburg (from District 25 covering Monroeville) stressed that it is
paramount that we all come together as one, we treat everyone fairly and
12
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Mr. Rich Fitzgerald, Chief
Executive, Allegheny County,
addressing the gathering.
equally and for all to feel part of the community.
The Peace Pole, Markosek declared,
“conveys the fact that we are one country, and
we are one people.”
Setting the stage for the event, earlier,
the president of Monroeville’s Rotary Club,
Gerry Maynard, welcomed the invited guests
and the gathering. He highlighted the significance
of installing a Peace Pole as a symbol
for welcoming and nurturing diverse cultures
among people of different national origins,
ethnicity, and religions. He exhorted everyone
in the audience to extend diversity, equality,
and inclusion in simple everyday tasks by
making them a priority.
SOm Sharma, the previous president of the club,
detailed the tremendous efforts that went into the
Peace Pole project. Peace, he said, is at the very
top of Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus, and that
Rotary’s motto, namely, “Service above Self”
continues to motivate fellow Rotarians all over the
globe. Hundreds of thousands of Rotarians in more
than 35,000 clubs worldwide continue to spread
peace around the world.
There are plans to add “Hiroshima Trees,” to
send a strong message of human resilience.
The Hiroshima trees survived the US dropping of
the nuclear bomb in Hiroshima in Japan in August in 1945. The Peace
Pole will only be a beginning inspiration for all to
create programs nurturing peace and harmony in
the community.
The Monroeville Rotary Club, a year ago, decided
to have a Peace Pole in the community. A
team of enthusiastic Rotarians did their research
and engaged the services of a reputed sculptor, Joel
Selmeier, of Cincinnati, Ohio. The Rotarians also
identified the different languages spoken in and
Mr. SOm Sharma, the
previous President of the
Rotary Club addressing
the gathering.
around Monroeville, an astounding number of forty
languages to be cast on the pole. Stainless steel
was the choice of the material – we are after all,
the Steel City — based on our location, weather
patterns and durability (expected life span of 400
13
Mr. Brandon Markosek,
State House (D) in
Harrisburg repressenting
Monroeville, at the
podium.
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Several people in the audience with Mr. Fizgerald and Mr. Markoserk
years). The $15,000 project, funded mostly by the club’s own funds, took
ten months to complete.
Through the program, Mr. Maynard randomly picked one of the 40
languages and invited people from the audience
who could speak that language. He asked them to
translate the phrase “May Peace Prevail on Earth,”
and the phrase was translated into Hindi, Punjabi,
Japanese, Hebrew, Urdu, Thai, French and Bahasa
(Indonesia).
The event ended with a closing song “Let There
be Peace on Earth” by Diane Milowicki while the
audience stood up and joined Diane in the singing,
followed by the release of seven doves symbolizing
the seven continents.
A Sikh member in the
I
audience reading the
t was a great event, where people of different peace message in Punjabi
cultures, color and ethnic backgrounds were
present unitedly to show their support to the “Peace Pole Inauguration
Ceremony”.
The gathering of over 150 people were spreadout following the Covid-19 prococol.
Suzan DeLaney, member of the Murrysville Rotary Club emceed
the program, with Diane Milowicki giving the national anthem in the
ceremony. •
14
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
*Full Service Wedding Planning*
*Custom Event Design*
One Stop Shop for all your wedding needs
*Custom Stage Décor *Photographer *DJs
* Videographer * Floral *Horse *Dhol *Linens
*Rentals *Lighng *Henna Arsts and MORE!
Accredited Wedding Planner
412-436-0337
www.DivineCelebraons-Events.com
erin@DivineCelebraons-Events.com
Special Mul-day
Pricing! Call today
15
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Obituary: Vijay Kapoor (1937 to August 21, 2021)
A Well-Liked Long-Time Resident & Music Lover
By Shambhavi Desai, Bridgeville, PA
Vijay Kapoor in a recent
family celebration
Zambia, and Ottawa where he worked for the
Indian High Commission. He was with Allstate
Insurance since 1977, till he retired in 2009.
Many in Pittsburgh knew Vijay Kapoor as a
soft-spoken gentleman with a polite disposition.
His passion was music, a trait he got from his
mother and brother. He told me in an interview
years back, “I listened to Bengali and Hindi
songs on the radio growing up.” An ardent fan
of legendary singers like Pankaj Mullick and
Hemant Kumar, he sang Hindi and Bengali
songs at community gatherings in his melodious
voice. He was facile in Telugu and Urdu
Vijay Kapoor of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania,
a long-time resident in our area, well-known
and well-liked by all who interacted with him,
passed away in his sleep at St. Clair Hospital
on August 21, 2021. He was 84.
He was born on April 28, 1937, in Hyderabad,
India, to Shadi Ram and Krishen Kaur Kapur,
as the youngest of nine siblings. He got his
bachelor’s degree in arts. In 1975, Mr. Kapoor
came to the U.S. with his two children and lived
with his older sister, Shakuntala Prabhu, with
whom he was very close. His wife, Sulochana,
joined him later. Before coming to the United
States, he was in the Indian military, lived in
as well. Mr. Kapoor was with the Bengali Association of Pittsburgh. He
chuckled and told me once, “I am a Bengali soul in a Punjabi body!”
He had a large personal collection of Indian gramophone records from
the 1930s, 40s and 50s, well-kept and cataloged in his basement where he
spent his time in retirement, lost in his world of music. Some of his music
collections are on this link: www.tinyurl.com/Kapoor-Music-Albums
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sulochana; his children, two
sons, Hemanth Kapoor and Vikram Kapoor; and daughter Krishna Kapoor
Johnston and their spouses; and his grandchildren.
16
Vijay Kapoor holding a
Hemanth Kumar Album (2008)
Kapoor... ... Continued on Page 21
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
HOW WE
Throughout Middle School,
students venture into the world
of coding, programming and
robotics, using resources like
our 1:1 iPad program, LEGO ®
robotics kits and Tinkercad ®
software to better understand
the languages and designs that
support the latest technology.
INNOVATE
How will you encourage
your child to become
an innovator?
BECAUSE “HOW” MATTERS
PK-12 • Four Campuses
VISIT OPPORTUNITIES
SHADYSIDEACADEMY.ORG/VISIT
17
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Thank You, Contributors ! — Alphabetical listing by last names, status as of September 25, 2021
Note: At the request of donors who wanted to remain anonymous, we truncated their names with ellipsis (... ...)
Contributions By Checks On-Line Contributions
Manjari Kulkarni $
100.00
Man… Low… 25.00
$
Balchandra Mehta 50.00
$
Mi… Sc… 100.00
$
Ratikant Vaidya $
20.00
Subtotal $
295.00
18
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Human Instincts to Display One’s Prowess
By Kollengode S Venkataraman thepatrika@aol.com
From Olympics to college and school sports, we see the natural instincts
of youth to compete with each other and display their prowess to an admiring
audience. It is an absolute delight to see six- and seven-year-olds
running on soccer fields screaming and chasing after each other to snatch
the ball and move it towards their opponents’ goal post. This instinct to
display physical skills is not only in competitive sports, but also in simple
family gatherings as I found out recently.
We were in California in August for a family wedding, when our
daughters also added a few vacation days for us and our grandkids
to stay in a rented place. The place had an indoor pool with an 8’ deep
diving end. Our nine-year-old grandson, barely 4’ tall, knows swimming
and was trying to learn diving from his dad. After a few trials and some
serious struggle, he did get the hang of how to dive deep into the pool.
No sooner had he got the hang of it than he wanted to show his prowess
to his grandfather, who, growing up in India in the 1960s, was a stereotypical
urban kid, not even SEEING a swimming pool. My grandson told me,
“Thatha, toss a coin at the deep end. I will dive and get it for you.”
I was nervous, not knowing whether he had the lung capacity to dive
deep in the pool, search for the coin, reach the bottom, pick it up and come
out. He pestered me. I looked at his father, and he said, “Go ahead.”
With hesitation, I tossed a quarter into the deep end of the pool. The
kid dived confidently into the deep end, looking for the coin. Then, picking
up the coin, and with a great sense of accomplishment, he soared out
of the pool like a dolphin with a beaming smile, showing me the coin in
his hand. He asked me to do this again and again.
my grandson trying to impress me with his aquatic skills, I
Seeing recalled an old Tamil poem I had read decades ago. This poem is in
the 2000-plus year-old Tamil classic Puranaanooru.
Puranaanooru is an anthology in the Tamil literature, written by both
men and women poets 1800 to 2200
years before our time. The 398 verses
are in classical Tamil with very few
Sanskrit words interwoven, indicating
that Tamil’s history is parallel to Sanskrit’s.
The Puranaanooru verses describe
the valor, pride, pettiness, generosity,
A kid diving into the pool
and even philandering of kings; admonish
them to be loyal to their wives;
19
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
advise kings not to let bureaucrats harass citizens; describe the grinding
poverty of citizens during wars, thus trying to dissuade kings from going
to adventurous wars… …
But the poem I recalled is quite different. In this, the poet, Todittalai
Vizhuttandinaar, in his very old age, recalls with vivid imagery the innocent
days of his youth long gone, very much like my own. He describes the
prowess he and his buddies showed in their swimming skills to the admiring
onlookers on the banks of a large, deep village pond after the rains.
The sentiment the poet expresses is universal transcending time, place,
and culture that separate humanity into distinct linguistic, religious, and
cultural groups. Here is a free style English translation of the verse:
It feels sad to think about it now.
On the sandy edges of the pond with cool water,
we played with girls who made dolls with the clayey soil,
decorating them with flowers plucked from trees nearby.
Holding hands in the innocence of youth,
we hugged each other, swaying this way and that.
Climbing the Marutha (Arjuna) tree on the bank
with its branches sagging towards the pond,
we dived into the deep pond with a thud and a splash.
Reaching the bottom, we returned showing to the
amazed onlookers on the shore the fistful of sand
we grabbed from the pond’s floor.
Where did that innocent youth go?
Isn’t it pitiful that having become old now, tremblingly
I walk holding a metal-capped stick while coughing,
barely uttering a few words in between?
Sitting on the poolside
in balmy California,
I was amused to see similarities
between my nineyear-old
grandson trying to
impress me with his aquatic
skills and what Todittalai
Vizhuttandinaar, the senile
Tamil poet, recalled in a
2000-year-old poem on his
youth long gone. The Tamil
poem in Puranaanooru in
its original is available here: www.tinyurl.com/Puranaanooru-Swimming
•
20
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
कन्यादानं in Vedic Weddings
Receiving the Bride is As Important
By Kollengode S Venkataraman
In Vedic and Christian weddings all over the world, the giving away
of the bride is an poignant, emotional part of the ceremony. While the
details vary widely, the tradition of the father handing
over his daughter to the groom is common in
both. I am sure, some anthropologist somewhere
has studied how this ritual is common in both cultures
even though separated by thousands of miles,
and irreconcilably differing in theology — salvation
(Christians) vs. liberation (Hindus); obedience & sin
(Christians) vs. karma & avidya (Hindus).
In August, I attended a cross-cultural Hindu Vedic
wedding on the West Coast. Shri Sashidhara Somayaji (contact number
408 800 5444), one of the pandits conducting the wedding, said this in
facile English before kanyaadaanam, widely understood as the parents
of the bride giving away their daughter: “We understand कन्यादानं (kanyaadaanam)
by splitting the phrase using Sanskrit Sandhi rules into कन्या
+ दानं, with कन्या (kanya) meaning bride; and दानं (daanam) contextually
meaning “gift.” Incidentally, Pandit Somayaji, who is from Udupi in
Karnataka, is facile in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Tulu, Hindi,
Sanskrit and English.
He continued: “Understanding कन्यादानं exclusively as parents giving
away their daughter is incomplete. Following Sanskrit’s sandhi rules,
कन्यादानं also splits into कन्या + आदानं (aadaanam). आदानं (aadaanam)
means receipt or receiving. So, कन्यादानं should be correctly understood
with emphasis on both parents giving their daughter away and the groom
accepting her in the ceremony.” After all, when someone gives, someone
else receives.
The आदानं part gives an entirely different flavor to the ceremony with
the obligation on the groom to live compatibly with his new bride, with
the implied responsibility on the bride also in their journey together. •
Kapoor... ... Continued from Page 16
Vijay Kapoor’s Hindu cremation was at the Beinhauer Funeral Home
with Pandit Sureshchandra Joshi from the Hindu-Jain Temple helping the
Kapoor family with the last rites.
A note from the editor: Vijay Kapoor (and his son Hemanth Kapoor) supported the
magazine with ads that they perhaps did not need, just to help the magazine survive in its
early crucial days. The editor is grateful for their support. •
21
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
Did You Know We Have A Second
Fully Functioning Civil Airport in Pittsburgh?
Did you know that we have a fully
functioning airport on 24x7x365 basis
— it even has its own airport code AGC
— in West Mifflin, an eastern suburb?
Did you know that till 1954 when PIT
came into being, AGC, built in 1931,
was the commercial airport for our
region’s burgeoning travel needs with
the growth of the steel industry? Did
you know that ACG was one of the
Traci Clark, vice president of AGC at the first three airports in the nation, and
podium. Rich Fitzgerald is on the right. On
also the first airport with hard-surface
the left is State Rep. Nick Pisciottano (D).
runways?
I too didn’t know these facts till I attended the 90th anniversary of the
airport in September. This is one reason why we all should take an interest
in our region’s rich history and what is happening around us right here.
completing a $2.5 million project refurbishing the airport’s
After passenger facilities, on Saturday, September 25, organizers celebrated
the 90th year of the airport. Elected officials and the people who
run the airport addressed a gathering on the highlights of the airport.
County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald in his brief address informed
the audience that the airport brings over $2 billion in business to the region
with over 60,000 arrivals and departures annually — mostly charter flights
and privately owned planes. The airport also serves other functions, such as
medical emergencies,
disaster emergencies,
and also for training for
new pilots.
The Civil Air Patrol
(CAP) also operates
from this facility.
CAP, the official US
Air Force auxiliary, is a
nonprofit organization
tasked by the USAF to
A medivac helicopter was exhibited in the function.
help in inland search-and-rescue operations and assist in other securityrelated
activities.
A more detailed story on these will be in the next issue.
— By Kollengode S Venkataraman •
22
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
23
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 1, October 2021
• 4½-hour Open Bar with 2 Specialty Non-alcoholic
Drinks
• Champagne or Sparkling Cider Toast
• Fresh Floral Centerpiece
• Chiavari Chair, Floor-length Linens and Napkins
in Your Choice of Color
• Custom Wedding Cake
• Fresh Fruit Display & Coffee Station
• Complimentary Parking for All Guests on the
Night of the event
• Complimentary Bridal Suites on the Night of the
Event
• Kitchen Use, China, Silver, Glassware, & Servers
For more information or setting up an appointment, contact
us at 724.889.6035 or 24 email kaela.krise@hyatt.com