On 29 July, 1909, #VeerSavarkar went to Brighton, UK. He remained there for about 10-12 days. His associate Niranjan Pal would visit him and they used to roam on the shores of Brighton.

On one such occasion both of them were sitting on the seashore.

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Savarkar was immensely sad. Sitting in front of the vast ocean, his mind was grieving at the thought of his beloved motherland. Niranjan Pal described that occasion 29 years later in an article:

“Presently, he (Savarkar) commenced to hum a song. He sang as he composed.

It was a Marathi song, describing the
pitiable serfdom of India. Forgetful of all else, Savarkar went on singing. Presently, tears began to roll down his cheeks. His voice became choked. The song remained unfinished, Savarkar began to weep like a child.”

#VeerSavarkarJayanti

This song Sagaras (Ode to the Ocean) has become immortal in Marathi literature.

O Ocean, take me back to my motherland; My soul is tormented.

I had always seen you,
Washing the feet of my motherland.
You led me to a different country,
To experience the diversity of nature there.
Knowing that my mother’s heart was full of anguish,

Dakshinapatheshwara Pulakeshi

After the death of Kirtivarman, his son Pulakesin II was too young to rule, so his uncle Mangalesa, held sway as regent. But when Pulakesi came of age, Mangalesa did not hand over the kingdom to his nephew and wanted to grab it permanently.

Thereupon, Pulakesin II gathered the army, defeated & killed his uncle in the battle & proclaimed himself king in 609 CE.

He emerged as the greatest king of the Chalukyas. His accession to the throne in the year 609 CE, marks the beginning of an important epoch in the history.

The Chalukyas who remained until then as a local power, confined to Karnataka and Southern Maharashtra, spread over the whole of the Deccan and became paramount sovereigns of the entire peninsula to the South of Vindhyas.

His Aihole inscription narrates his victorious campaigns

and of his great qualities. These included victories against the Kadambas of Banavasi, Alupas and Gangas of Mysore. Dhurvinita the Ganga ruler accepted his overlord ship and even gave his daughter in marriage to Pulakesin II, and she became the mother of Vikramaditya I.

The Latas, Malwas and Gurjaras also offered their submission to him because of their fear of Harshavardhana of Kanauj. After this Pulakesin II defeated the rulers of Kosala, vishnukundins, Kalinga, Pistapura and the Banas of Rayalaseema too.

The earliest records of India’s maritime history are found in the Vedic literature, but the first instances of naval wars are only found during the Cholas reign over southern India.

When the two other Tamil dynasty - the Pandyas and Cheras allied with the SriLankan kingdom (1/3)

of Sinhalas against the Cholas, Rajaraja I defeated the Chera navy at Kandalur, perhaps to break the their monopoly in trade. Tamil inscriptions from his rule draw a record of his victory.

Certain details of raid are available in Tanjore inscription of his son Rajendra. (2/3)

While Raja Raja Chola was the first king with a naval fleet, his successor Rajendra continued the expansion of the empire in the far East. (3/3)

As 2020 is ending, I want to share a true story with you all. A story that has saved, changed and touched a soul. Little long but a MUST read for everyone.

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.

He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in restaurant, a man at another table came up and said: "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. "I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said:"I guess it worked!" "It sure did," Plumb assured him. "If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

That night, Plumb couldn't sleep, as he kept thinking about that man. Plumb says: "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said

Ayodhya means an unconquerable city, it is one of the 7 sacred cities of Bharata which leads to the gateway of Moksha. Situated on the bank of Sarayu, Ayodhya is the birthplace of Shri Ram.

Valmiki Ramayana gives a beautiful description of this great city as follows:

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कोसलो नाम मुदितस्स्फीतो जनपदो महान् ।
निविष्टस्सरयूतीरे प्रभूतधनधान्यवान् ।।1.5.5।।

On the banks of river Sarayu, a great and prosperous country named Kosala, abundant in food grains and wealth and inhabited by contended people, was situated.

अयोध्या नाम नगरी तत्रासील्लोकविश्रुता ।
मनुना मानवेन्द्रेण या पुरी निर्मिता स्वयम् ।।1.5.6।।
आयता दश च द्वे च योजनानि महापुरी ।
श्रीमती त्रीणि विस्तीर्णा सुविभक्तमहापथा ।।1.5.7।।

In the country called Kosala was the famous capital city of Ayodhya built by the lord of men, Manu.

With welllaid out thoroughfares, the beautiful and prosperous city of Ayodhya extended for twelve yojanas in length and three yojanas in breadth.

राजमार्गेण महता सुविभक्तेन शोभिता ।
मुक्तपुष्पावकीर्णेन जलसिक्तेन नित्यश: ।।1.5.8।।

तां तु राजा दशरथो महाराष्ट्रविवर्धन: ।
पुरीमावासयामास दिवं देवपतिर्यथा ।।1.5.9।।

It looked splendid with its welllaid out & broad highway strewn with flowers & regularly sprinkled with water. Dasartha, augmenting the prosperity of kingdom, lived in Ayodhya like Indra in heaven.