The lost symbol and noetics..

“Her field of choice – Noetic Science – had been virtually unknown when she first heard of it, but in recent years, it had started opening new doors of understanding into the power of the human mind.” (The Lost Symbol, p. 15)

As all my friends know how much i admire Dan Brown,i consider him as an enlightened new age prohet.Brown's novel features the fictional, mystery-solving Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and noetic scientist Dr. Katherine Solomon. The characters chase mysterious symbols during a 12-hour period in Washington, D.C., employing the noetic sciences to untangle the web of clues and resolve the conflict between good and evil.One million copies of The Lost Symbol sold in the first 24 hours of its release and the words “noetic sciences” crossed the lips of many readers for the first time. The book is an artful weaving together of fact and fiction, and Brown identifies the Institute of Noetic Sciences as one of the organizations in the novel that actually exist, making IONS’ website one of the most trusted sources for knowledge about noetic science and experienced phenomena that cannot be easily explained by traditional scientific models.
    

Kerala''s ritual dance Mudiyettu gets UNESCO recognition

UNESCO has recognised Mudiyeettu, an age-old ritual drama of Kerala, as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity". It is believed that various forms of arts worshipping goddess Bhadrakaali prevailed much before the origin of temples. Once the worship of gods and goddesses started at the temples, various types of arts used to be performed to please goddess Bhadrakaali at Bhadrakaali temples. By and large, many of them were ruined while others continued to be performed systematically and in a more dramatic manner. "Mudiyettu" is one among them, a mixture of entertainment and devotion. The period of origin of Mudiyettu is un-traceable. This art is more of a ritual than dramatic. "Theeyaattu" is another ritual performed in Bhadrakaali temples. Mudiyettu is the story of the war of Bhadrakaali with the two notorious Asuras Daarikan and Daanavendran, eventually Killing them, while in Theeyaattu, Bhadrakaali reports to Lord Paramasiva after the assassination and briefs the whole incident. Mudiyettu, compared to other forms of temple arts, is presented without much of `mudras', facemasks and facial expressions, but with facial make-ups and `chutti' (artwork done on face with rice paste) which makes the characters simple and more acceptable to the viewers. Originally these characters used to perform with speech and dance, but later on rhythmic steps were introduced which gives more life to the characters and makes the performance more interesting.Mudiyettu is a ritual art where viewers also participate in the performance. Once the artists get separated, ie, since they `come to the light', the scene becomes more dramatic. It can be inferred that the character `Kooli' in Mudiyettu is the first of its kind to amuse the viewers by comic speech and action.
The sequence of Mudiyettu is as follows:
1. Kotti Ariyippu (Drum beat announcement)
2. Kalamezhuthu
3. Kalam Paatu
4. Chutti Kuthal (Make-up)
5. Vilakku Vaipu (Lighting of the stage lamp - `arangu vilakku')
6. Keli Kottu

MOODS AND SEASONS

“I try to capture light based on my experienceswith the weather including rain, sun, snow and
clouds,” he says. “It is a great

challenge for cinematographers to
capture changes in season. Since the
film deals with transitions in a
person’s life, I tried to shoot it while
seasons were changing—capturing
the monsoons, mist and nature in its
changing form. For example, just as a
full moon affects the tide, a change in
the weather brings changes in
emotions in human beings.
“As the seasons change, the quality
of light changes, too,” says Sivan.
“Monsoon light has a nostalgic kind
of timeless quality. One doesn’t know
what time of the day it is, and the
light is soft and it portrays the face in
a tender way. This is in contrast with
the bright, hot sun, which is violent,
expressive and dramatic.
                                                                         SANTHOSH SIVAN