29 April 2024 - MGOL - Zubin Mehta - Birthday

A Very Happy Birthday to one of the most talented Indian, a perfect candidate for BharatRatna according to me, but apparently widely unknown in India itself. A Music Conductor whose career spanning 66 years is an epitome of what Indians can achieve in any field and any location on this Earth and beyond.

Born in Mumbai, left India at 18 to study Western Classical Music and Orchestra Conducting in Vienna (Austria). Became the youngest Music Conductor at the age of 24 of the world famous Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Has conducted the Philharmonic Orchestra in almost every part of the globe, including few visits to his motherland (Last one was in Mumbai in September 2023 conducting the Symphony Orchestra of India).  

Directing and conducting Philharmonic Orchestras at Montreal, Los Angeles, Bavarian State Opera, Florence, Israel, Vienna State Opera, Naples, New York (Longest serving Director and Conductor 1978 to 1991), Munich to name a few. Truly a World Citizen. Still presents his Indian Passport at every airport in the world, despite honorary citizenships from numerous cities and countries, while we live in a time, when many around us aspire to renounce his/her Indian citizenship in a blink of an eye.  "Still carries ‘Chillies  and Garam Masala’ and actually mixes it with all food, for that’s what he misses most from his Indian food back home in Bombay" as he says.

A Living Legend revered all over the world. Padma Bhushan 1966 and Padma Vibhushan from India in 2001. A person who has made India proud in the truest sense of the term. I am so happy to have been living in the same era as his; though still have not had the honour of meeting him in person. I salute you Sir. Thank You for creating a mark in the field of Western Classical Music. India is proud of you. Mhaaro Prannaam to Music Conductor – Maestro Zubin Mehta, who is 88 today – 29 April. What a life! Happy Birthday Sir!

The Maestro at 24, conducting one of the most prestigious orchestra - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra

Featured on the world famous Time Magazine front cover

The Maestro in action

The real BharatRatna

Watch a clip from the documentary - Portrait of Zubin Mehta by Terry Sanders -  that changed his world at 24 - conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic 1960.

Watch the Living Legend in action at Vienna in 1999 conducting the Tritsch Tratsch Polka, composed by Johann Strauss II played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Click the link here
Zubin Mehta Vienna 1999

And finally - The National Anthem of India - conducted by the Maestro - filmed during the rehearsal with Symphony Orchestra of India in September 2023.

- Dr. Salil Latay

Pune, India

29 April 2024, Monday

Images and Videos used from the Internet. All rights and credits belong to the respective owners and creators. I or this blog site do not claim any right, ownership or credit on the material used here in this post. I - Dr. Salil Latay sincerely appreciate and thank everyone associated with the material used here.

23 Apr 2024 - MGOL - World Book Day

Happy World Book 2024

An annual event worldwide to celebrate reading in the printed form of a book. The day was adopted at by UNESCO in 1995. This day is also used to promote reading, publishing and copyright.

Every year, UNESCO designates a city as the World Book Capital for that particular year. The World Book Capital of 2024 is Strasbourg in France.

I owe my love for reading to my paternal grandfather Mr. Govind Dattatreya Latay at Karad, Maharashtra and my parents Mrs. Amaraja Jagadishdatta Latay and Mr. Jagadishdatta Latay along with my very first friend in life – Mr. Makarand Shriram Joshi at Phonda Goa. Books have been my constant companion since the time I can remember.

Happy Reading and Happy Book Day 2024.

- Dr. Salil Latay

Pune, India

23 April 2024, Monday

Images and Videos used from the Internet. All rights and credits belong to the respective owners and creators. I or this blog site do not claim any right, ownership or credit on the material used here in this post. I - Dr. Salil Latay sincerely appreciate and thank everyone associated with the material used here.

23 April 2024 - MGOL - Ray Tomlinson - Birth Anniversary

Remembering to the man who created the electronic mail known as email on his Birth Anniversary today 23 April 2024. American Computer Programmer Mr. Raymond Samuel Tomlinson aka Ray Tomlinson. Mr. Tomlinson invented this digital transmission on messages in 1971 while working on a system called ARPANET. He also invented the system of using @ sign between the name and email service provider – the essential 2 part of an email address.

Ray Tomlinson USA (b. 23 April 1941 d. 05 March 2016)

Personally, I opened my first email account in 1999. It was with a website called usa.net and is nonexistent today.

Thank You Mr. Ray Tomlinson for this wonderful gift to mankind. A gift that connects communicates and even identifies a person using an email. 

- Dr. Salil Latay

Pune, India

23 April 2024, Monday

Images and Videos used from the Internet. All rights and credits belong to the respective owners and creators. I or this blog site do not claim any right, ownership or credit on the material used here in this post. I - Dr. Salil Latay sincerely appreciate and thank everyone associated with the material used here.

22 Apr 2024 - MGOL - Earth Day - Vasundhara Diwas

Happy World Earth Day 2024 or Vasundhara Diwas

An annual event worldwide to celebrate Environmental Protection. Proposed and started by an American Peace Activist John McConnell in San Francisco on 22 April 1970. The day was adopted at by UNESCO and has a special theme each year. The theme for 2024 is Planet v/s Plastics.

 

John McConnell (USA) (b. 22 March 1915 d. 20 Oct 2012)

John McConnell designed a Flag using the colour of water and the photograph of Earth titled – The Blue Marble, clicked from the NASA Moon Mission Spacecraft Apollo 17 in 1972.

John McConnell with his Earth Day Flag

 

 

On event of this Earth Day, I can think of only this song apt with the message for this day. The song is in English – written, composed, sung and performed on screen by Michael Jackson in 1995. The song is aptly titled – Earth Song. An impressive video needs to be carefully watched too....so here is the video of the song along with the lyrics.

Earth Song (1995) by Michael Jackson 

What about sunrise? What about rain?

What about all the things, That you said we were to gain?

What about killing fields? Is there a time

What about all the things, That you said was yours and mine?

Did you ever stop to notice, All the blood we’ve shed before

Did you ever stop to notice, This crying Earth is weeping shore?

 

What have we done to the world? Look what we’ve done

What about all the peace, That you pledge your only son?

What about flowering fields? Is there a time?

What about all the dreams, That you said was yours and mine

Did you ever stop to notice, All the children dead from war?

Did you ever stop to notice, This crying Earth is weeping shore?

I used to dream, I used to glance beyond the stars

Now I don’t know where we are, Although I know we’ve drifted far

Hey, Hey what about yesterday? (What about us)

What about the seas? (What about us)

Heavens are falling down (What about us)

I can’t even breathe (What about us)

What about apathy? (What about us)

I need it too (What about us)

What about nature’s worth?

It’s our planet’s womb (What about us)

What about animals? (What about it)

Turned kingdoms to dust (What about us)

What about elephants? (What about us)

Have we lost their trust (What about us)

What about crying whales? (What about us)

Ravaging the seas (What about us)

What about forest trails?

Burnt despite our pleas (What about us)

What about the holy land? (What about it)

Torn apart by creed (What about us)

What about the common man? (What about us)

Can’t we set him free? (What about us)

What about children dying? (What about us)

Can’t you hear them cry? (What about us)

Where did we go wrong?

Someone tell me why? (What about us)

What about baby boy? (What about it)

What about the days? (What about us)

What about all their joys? (What about us)

What about the man? (What about us)

What about the crying man? (What about us)

What about Abraham? (What about us)

What about death again? (What about us)

Do we give a damm?

 

Please watch with CC (Closed Caption) Selected ON and watch on Full Screen Mode.

LONG LIVE THE EARTH. LONG LIVE VASUNDHARA (tr. Earth in Hindi)

- Dr. Salil Latay

Pune, India

22 April 2024, Monday

Images and Videos used from the Internet. All rights and credits belong to the respective owners and creators. I or this blog site do not claim any right, ownership or credit on the material used here in this post. I - Dr. Salil Latay sincerely appreciate and thank everyone associated with the material used here.

16 April 2024 - MGOL - Birthday - Indian Railways.

16 April 2024 - Indian Railways - the lifeline of the nation completes 171 years of passenger train run today - 16 April 1853 from Victoria Terminus, Bombay (then called Bori Bundar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai of today) to Thane. 34 Km, 14 coaches, 400 passengers pulled by 3 Steam Engines – Sahib, Sindh and Sultan. Two of the 10 Investors in this venture were Indian. One - Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (The founder of the famous JJ Hospital and JJ School of Art in Mumbai) and the other - Jagannath Shankarsheth Murkute (Founder of Elphinstone College, Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai, Has a road named after him both in Mumbai and Pune). Proposed in 1832 in Chennai, First Cargo Train Run in Chennai in 1837 and formal company founded in 1849 as Great Indian Peninsular Railway GIP that later become Central Railway in 1951.. First passenger run – All India was today, Howrah to Hooghly on 15 Aug 1854 and Madras to Arcot on 01 July 1856. The present day Railway Line Length of Indian Railways is 68,426 km and a Track Length of 1, 28, 305 Km with 18 Zones with 12.2 Lakh personnel in service.

The Logo of Indian Railways. The Stars represent the Railway Zones and allied establishments.

Rail Zones of Indian Railways and their Foundation Dates and their Headquarters (In Hindi)

Rail Bhawan, New Delhi - The Headquarters of Indian Railways

Train on the Thane Viaduct. 1855. Early Days of Passenger Trains in India

Vande Bharat Express (Also called Train 18, launched in 2019) - The latest and fastest train in India at the moment, running on 51 routes with a top operational speed of 160 Kmph.

Meet the Mascot of Indian Railways - Bholu - The Guard (Now called The Train Manager), concept was by an Official of Indian Railways - Mr. Sandeep Silas, and designed by National Institute of Design, Bangalore. The smiling elephant represents the huge workforce and people friendly nature of Indian Railways.

Two Versions of it - released at 150 years of Rail operations in India - 2003

Bholu - Active in the day and also vigilant at night.

Incidentally, the date of my first solo travel in life also strangely coincides with this historic date. 15 April - on the eve of the Birthday of Indian Railways for its first passenger train run, I traveled alone a distance of 918 kms in 21 hours from Bhandara Road (63 kms east of Nagpur on SE Railway) to Vadodara (WR) by Howrah - Ahmadabad Express. I was 15 then, just completed my Class 10^th or SSC Exams. I have been travelling alone ever since, all over the country. So this Birthday is always very special for me too!

 

Train Photography is my most passionate subject, that too - clicking pictures from a moving train is my main interest. So on this day, sharing here some of my photographs clicked from a running train. Full Screen Zoom Please!

Bhubaneswar - Mumbai Konark Express entering Wadi (Karnataka). Zoom and count the coach I am in from the Engine or Locomotive.

Howrah - Pune Azad Hind Express on the border of Chhatisgarh - Maharashtra at Darekasa between Durg and Nagpur. (Maharashtra)

Pune - Nagpur AC Express leaving Daund towards Manmad (Maharashtra)

Howrah - Pune Azad Hind Express entering Badnera (Near. Amravati, Maharashtra)

Nagpur - Bilaspur Intercity Express at the famous Diamond Cross of tracks at Nagpur. (Maharashtra)

Some photos of nature from the moving train

Chilika Lake (Odisha). Second largest lagoon in the world. Situated between Khurda Road and Brahmapur Stations on the Howrah - Chennai East Coast Line, the train travels for about 20 kms from Balugaon to Rambha along its shores. Clicked aboard Bhubaneswar - Mumbai Konark Express at a speed of around 110kmph. A thrilling experience indeed!

Arabian Sea at Sankval in Goa. Clicked from Vasco Da Gama - Hazrat Nizamuddin Goa Express at an approximate speed of 50 kmph.

The Birthday of Indian Railways Passenger Travel and My Anniversary of First Solo Train Travel had an icing on the cake in 2018, when Central Railways Zone, Mumbai released a wonderful documentary - The Matheran Odyssey on the famous Matheran Light Railway on its YouTube Channel and also on twitter as a part of the 63^rd Railway Week Celebrations. The Main Function was scheduled at Bhopal, where this film was screened in front of the then Union Minister for Railways – Mr. Piyush Goyal. This documentary had my Voice Over.

I was honoured to be a part of this project. Thank You and Hats off to the zeal and passion of its creators Aniruddha Pimpalkhare and Radhika Mokashi of Whatever Creations, along with Santosh Verulkar and his entire team at the Central Railway PR Office at CSMT, Mumbai led by Mr. Sunil Udasi. Thank You everybody.  Please do see this and share it with all. 

Matheran Odyssey. Duration 9 min.

Happy Birthday to You Indian Railways and a Big Thank You for being an integral part of my life! For being my real friend, philosopher, teacher and guide! You have taught me so much in life! I owe so much to you Bharatiya Rail! Mhaaro Prannaam!

- Dr. Salil Latay

Pune, India

16 April 2024, Tuesday

Images and Videos used from the Internet. All rights and credits belong to the respective owners and creators. I or this blog site do not claim any right, ownership or credit on the material used here in this post. I - Dr. Salil Latay sincerely appreciate and thank everyone associated with the material used here.

14 April 2024 - MGOL - Abraham Ortelius - Birth Anniversary

Happy Birthday to the man who created the first Modern Day Atlas – A collection of Maps. Abraham Ortelius (Spanish Netherlands – Modern Day Belgium) – A Geographer, Cartographer and Cosmographer from Antwerp.

Abraham Ortelius (b. 14 April 1527 d. 28 June 1598)

 

He created the first modern day atlas called Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theatre of the World) in 1570. It was a collection of 70 maps on 53 copper sheets. Some parts of this original Atlas is housed today in the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. (USA)

Theatrum Orbis Terrarum 1570

The Atlas has played a very important role in my life since early childhood and has been my constant companion all my life.

Thank You Abraham Ortelius for this wonderful gift to mankind.

- Dr. Salil Latay

Pune, India

14 April 2024, Sunday

Images and Videos used from the Internet. All rights and credits belong to the respective owners and creators. I or this blog site do not claim any right, ownership or credit on the material used here in this post. I - Dr. Salil Latay sincerely appreciate and thank everyone associated with the material used here.