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I have been accused "uncle Tom", sinner because of
my lack of doing Sandhayvandan and to get out because
I am not in the same wavelength as many of you.
Still, here I go, for the simple reason, I feel I should
inject my opinions.
The CD project is great, but I still find a printed
book more easy to absorb. One can find a relaxed
posture, and refer back and forth. I do find books
published in India lack quality, and several 
magazines in glossy paper are printed in Singapore
or Hongkong. I think it is worth considering
that we do this and stressing the architectural
beauty will make them appealing. More of us should
then buy them for our personal library.
Resolution of details is far better in print!
A good example is giant cocktail table book,
Himalayas
Similarly a side collection willbe eqaully good,
except for the lrthargy to set up the screen.
Have any of you seen, Louise Malle's India,
a seven hour travelogue wth Rathostavma in 
Madras?

I do want to comment that a considerable amount
of our knowledge of our heritage comes thru
English. A number of American Universities
( also Europe, Israel etc. ) have excellent
material in their libraries (Mani seems to have
been one such to find them) and do research in
them. A new translation of Valmiki's Ramayana
is in the works. Van Buitene's translation of
Mahabharata is continuing at Chicago. Prof. J.
Cambell has left behind several research scholars
who are publsihing matters related to the
epics, Vaishanvism etc.(Many Ramayanas). To
some extent I prefer the American style of
writing. And I use Sir Monier Williams' dictionary.
A new translation of Nalayiram is from unvi. Fl,
For some of you with chldren, I reccommend the
pancha Tantra, Rider's is fun and there is a
new one by Chuda Rajan?, Penguin Books. And
if we want to make our heritage appealing 
and absorbing, should we not romanize the
script of the Indian languages. Imagine 
how united India would have become, if the
congres bigwigs had adopted this policy
instead of lingusitid statehood.

Coming back to Stotras, I think the moving
aspect is the sound and the rhythem The praise
of the Lord is pleasing to the ears. How many
times can one read the same material? one can
listen without getting bored. I thinl Sanskrit
literature has more poetry than prose which
also is bombastic. Was it becuse the transfer
was oral than written?
 Cannot one think of all the greatness of Vishnu, 
listening to Beethovan or Sibelius? 
Are n't all the epics and 
praises come to your mind walking thru a
museum specializing in Indian bronze?
I have visited many a shetra in India as a child
and as anadult. All the time, my mind
has been uneasy about he squalor around them
all the way to and in the garbagriha. I have
found the best time to visit them is in non
festival days with more peace and quiet. The
prakaras are oustanding revealing the
best of sculptor's creativity. These were monumental
projects lasting decades, no different from
modern billion dollar efforts. The attitude of
keeping them just with aradhanas and abishekas
I cannot accept. I wrote in my story of
Rama protesting a bath in honey or ghee. One
can tolerate milk. What is wrong if our temples
in the US switch to wrapped chocolates?
Even Pittsburgh finds it difficult to handle
Laddus and coconuts. The Lord meant Patram,
Pushpam, Palam, Thoyam and bhakthya can be
interpreted as what you like best. The best
gift is one you want for yourself.
I want to know more about Ramanuja and his
Bhashya, just as I want to know more about
PB Anna's debate. The latter, I have still to
find despite a number of books I have come
across.
Krishna Praba