I have a small doubt lingering in my mind. Right from my childhood i have been enticed by history. But due to fate or whatever it may be, i had to study computers and seek an IT job. Now im working for a software firm in B'lore. But if you people ask if this job has given me satisfaction, i wud say no. But money , yes. But nowadays, i feel that maybe i have taken the wrong decision in my life. Now, i think i want to study history, research on it, involve in excavations and fulfill my life's desire and ambition.I dont want money, for heaven's sake. If at all i get. i shd be able to use it for something related to temples and history. All i want to know is, is it possible for me to puruse history, maybe studies on Archaelogy, do research, get into ASI and do something close to my heart. Members like P.S.Sriraman can help me out in this.
I am not a scholar but I wish to share my opinion. I fully appreciate your interest and understand your agony. All I would say is that you can do your job and still do full justice to your deep interest in history - wherever you are, whatever you may do for the sake of living.
More over, being a software professional with deep rooted interest in history, you can contribute in unique ways where traditional historians may not be able to contribute (using IT). This is badly required in the present condition. You can become the vital bridge between history/culture and technology.
Dear Mouli Gokul is being modest the missing link is Gokul as a software pro he helped digitalise and recreate the bigtemple murals with ASI Gokul Kamalkannan and SB(not sure if Lavanya) all have a MPhil in histrory He has authored Rajakesari a historic novel but doesnt call himself a scholar
mouli, u can directly go for M.A in history and all universities offer corres courses.Be it an open uni or distance education,the choice is yours.Instant admission,i mean , spot admission is done.
Thanks to all kudos. Nothing would have been possible without constant encouragement and participation of ps group members. This is the most interesting facet of net groups: you will find members who share your interests & fancies with equal enthusiasm.
A very busy, successful and well known builder who knows chola lands by street names, An ASI expert who almost instantly answers all relevant questions, a senior surgon from UK who finds time to answer your mails, a software professional who meets and writes about a indo-japanese scholars, a vaasthu consultant who shares your fancies about history, a project manager from major IT firm who talks about vedas, a PHd student who finds time and spirits to do a PS theme calander, travellogue writers, fiction writers, industrialists (just to name a few).... wow, what a diverse set ! Such people might be hard to find in our other circles.
So, back to Mouli: You are in the right family ambience. I'm sure you will make the most out of it
First we need people like you to take us around and explain and open our eyes to the things around us. When I visited dhalavanoor and lakshidhanaya(sorry for the spelling mistake), I sorely felt the need for an expert and people who have taken pains to understand our history and culture on their own interest. The Least I was expecting an board, with information explaining the architecture details, detailed information on the temple and what could have happened to it.
I hope to join you for other trips, when I am back in India. Strangely I have always felt an urge to pursue a long distance learning program on history.