What a great Achivement..

[venkatakailasam]

India creates history as ISRO's first Mars orbiter Mangalyaan successfully enters red planet's orbit...

"The Rs 450 crore mission is one of the cheapest one and costs even less than Hollywood sci-fi film 'Gravity'. " -Prime Minister

More details at ..

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indias-maide ... 04-11.html

Let us congratulate...ISRO...

We can have our Rasikas meet there also..

[venkatakailasam]

Muthuswamy Dikshidar Kriti- a.ngArakaM--surati--rUpakam MSS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW8R5MxAH8w

pallavi
angArakaM ASrayAmyahaM
vinatASrita jana mandAraM
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
mangaLa vAraM bhUmi kumAraM vAraM vAram

anupallavi
SRngAraka mEsha vRScika rASyadhipatiM
raktAngaM raktAmbarAdi dharaM Sakti SUla dharam
mangaLaM kambu gaLaM manjuLa-tara pada yugaLaM
mangaLa dAyaka mEsha turangaM makarOttungam

caraNam
dAnava sura sEvita manda smita vilasita vaktraM
dharaNI pradaM bhrAtR kArakaM rakta nEtram
dIna rakshakaM pUjita vaidya nAtha kshEtraM
divyaughAdi guru guha kaTAkshAnugraha pAtram
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
bhAnu candra guru mitraM bhAsamAna sukaLatraM
jAnustha hasta citraM caturbhujaM ati vicitram

I take refuge again in Angaraka[1], the divine Mandara tree[2] to the humble dependent devotees, the presiding deity of Tuesday, and the son of Earth.

Who is the Lord of the cherished houses of Mesa and Vrischika[3], with red limbs, who wears the red dress and is the bearer of the sword and trident. The auspicious one, with beautiful neck, with lovely feet, bestower of auspiciousness, riding on the Goat, and whose higher aspis[4] is in Makara rasi[5].

Who is worshipped by Gods and demons, one with the face beaming and smiling, bestower of landed wealth and brotherhood, with red eyes, protector of the afflicted, worshipped in the holy Vaidisvaran temple[6], and favored by the hosts of the Gods and Guruguha. Who is the friend of Surya, Chandra and Brhaspati, shining with his good wife, and his hands on his knees, having four arms, and who is quite extraordinary.

Lyrics and meaning -Shri Govindan


The Rs 450 crore mission is one of the cheapest one and costs even less than Hollywood sci-fi film 'Gravity'. Prime Minister....

I just thought how many missions we could have done with the scam money slashed away

[kvchellappa]

The achievement is indeed music to the years of all Indians.

[cacm]

MOST BUT NOT ALL! There are some of Indian ORIGIN like me & Gandhians who disagree as they might feel it is MISPLACED priorities & utilizations of the great abilities &talents of INDIANS.......VKV...... Of course in a technical sense it is a great acheivment!

[vasanthakokilam]

Well, if that is indeed the case, I have to say with full respect to Gandhiji for all the great work he did for which we are all eternally grateful for, I am glad Gandhi is not leading the nation now. This achievement can only be inspiring for millions of brilliant kids out there to achieve bigger and better things and can instill notions of dreaming big.

[venkatakailasam]

Gandhi's name need not have been brought in here..

I do not want to create a controversy ...Many of youngsters hold a different view..

[kvchellappa]

There was a book 'Small is beautiful or As If Human Beings mattered' which quotes and supports Gandhian view. If no replacement is found for energy source we may indeed crashland there. Opposite views make life what it is. So long as we respect others' views, controversies need not deter us. In all we say, we should have the underlying assumption that we may be wrong. Technology is unstoppable. That despite the odds of a corrupt government, creaky education, still not adequate scientific spirit, we did it and in the first attempt and at a less costly route, I feel, is a genuine matter for pride for all Indians.

[cacm]

Gandhi's name need not have been brought in here..

I do not want to create a controversy ...Many of youngsters hold a different view..

The whole idea is to DISCUSS different points of view so there can be enlightenment. What if different persons hold different views. I STRONGLY feel we should DISCUSS areas where differences exist. Who are you to decide whose name can be brought in or not?
Incidentally my entire professional life was spent on the U.S.Space Program starting from the days NASA was formed. I am not interested in boasting about my contributions here......VKV

[sureshvv]

Now that we have mars out of the way, may be we can focus on some toilets now.

[SrinathK]

I must add that while we need toilets, there is a huge difference between toilets and clean toilets.

The budget for the mars orbiter is so low it is around Rs. 6-7 per km of travel not including the mileage it will accumulate while in orbit. That's far cheaper than an auto

In India, at least ISRO is one place where talent gets appreciated

[sureshvv]

Yes. Clean toilets definitely. Sorry I was ambiguous. We don't need more dirty toilets.

And may be we should get ISRO to focus on the autos.

[venkatakailasam]

" Who are you.."

Who am I....This is exactly what I am trying to find out..

Shri Ramanar and Kabhir are helpful...

[kvjayan]

In the early 1970s, comrades used to routinely demonstrate in front of the Southern Railway HQ (Chennai) and the tall LIC building (on the Mount Road) against computerisation. The main argument was that it would lead to massive unemployment and hence, considered a MISPLACED priority in that age. Now, these sarkari organisations are saturated with computers and probably a good amount of money is also made on the side in the purchase of computers.

[kvchellappa]

Who am I? If we find the answer, it will be the same as 'who the other person is'. That would mean that we are uttering different views form different bodies. What can be discussed then becomes broadbased and inclusive, not strait-jacketed and restrictive. We have several episodes from the life of Kanchi Acharya how he respected others without any ego. In other words, the realisation of 'who I am' brings utter humility. I am far from it so long as I am debating it. A philosophical detour.

[cacm]

" Who are you.."

Who am I....This is exactly what I am trying to find out..

Shri Ramanar and Kabhir are helpful...

THATS TIME WELL SPENT...... BUT YOU SHD. SHOW MORE TOLERANCE TO OTHERS...VKV

[venkatakailasam]

Please be specific..

Where I have shown intolerance in any of the postings above?

I am very good at time management...

[RKrishnamurthy]

I would like to share some personal feelings about India putting up a satellite into Martian orbit at a cost less than what it took it to make the Hollywood film Gravity. US sent a satellite which is in orbit now but it cost them 700 million dollars. India spend 73 million dollars or 1/10 of it. Yes India did send a rocket to the moon. But Mars is a different story. The point is I was a graduate student at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, which is considered the "cradle" of Indian Space Research. When I was a student in the 1970's, they were designing some pay loads that will track Indian weather but will be launched by US rockets. India had just gotten into TV beaming and unfortunately the only programs available were what the US satellites provided. So my 85 year old grand mother(who could not read or write) was forced to watch the Lucy Show and Threes Company with no subtitles (remember India has 15 languages). Then of course things have changed and today India is the first country to put a satellite on Martian orbit at the first attempt at a price that is pocket change for Pepsi and Google.
Prof Rama Krishnamurthy
PS. I may be wrong, but I feel one of the instruments in the Indian satellites will measure the isotope ratios to check for biological activities. That is my field!

[mahavishnu]

Here is an interesting perspective: http://m.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/spa ... cebook.com