Elegant Eternal

The online e-learning courses are gaining popularities these days. Sit anywhere, at home, at desk, at a coffee shop or even while on bus and learn your favourite courses on the go. I signed up a couple of courses and have been busy completing them one after the other which has kept me away from my other hobbies. The major platforms being Coursera, Udacity, Udemy, Open2Study and edX which offer courses from the top universities at no cost, though Udemy offers the courses at a fee. Here is an overview of each of the platform.

Coursera (http://www.ccoursera.org)

I signed up Coursera last year and browsed their website for a long time and it was amazing to see the courses from top US universities like Wharton School or UCI or Darden, that I signed up few courses. I was able to complete 2 wonderful courses and obtained Statement of Accomplishment. The courses usually last for 2-3 months. If you miss one term, then you can sign up the same course when they offer next time. What I liked the most about the Coursera is that, it had a wide range of offerings, be it Arts, Design, Science, Programming, Engineering or an MBA course. Most courses have weekly quizzes, assignments and a final project. There is also a Discussion Forum where students can discuss their concerns and a Community TA who promptly clarifies. However, the assignments and the projects are peer graded. Coursera also offers: Signature Track for USD 49, where the certificate bears the logo of the university and authenticity could be verified online. Though, I am not sure how far these verified certificates are valued and worth of, I wouldn't sign up at present. Overall, I liked the content and the materials of this platform. You have to study from Day 1 you sign up the course and there is no last minute study.

Udacity (http://www.udacity.com)

Udacity has a good range of offerings but not as wide range as Coursera offers. When you sign up a course, you do not have a definite completion date and you could go at your own pace. I signed up few courses and after finishing 2-3 modules, I couldn't complete. Most Beginner level courses are free while other courses like Hadoop/Big data are paid. I found the mainly technical courses than management related.

Udemy (https://www.udemy.com/)

Udemy has a good range of courses mainly the technical ones which comes at a cost. The courses has a start and an end time and is practical oriented.

edX (https://www.edx.org/)

edX is a joint venture from MIT and Harvard. Most courses from edX are very basic ones. Some courses are free where as others are paid. I found the courses are good for school students. Somehow, I wasn't happy with the range of courses and did not sign up.

Open2Study (https://www.open2study.com/)

This platform is an initiative from the Open Universities Australia. Some courses have start and end date while others could be signed up anytime and completed anytime. I did not find the content to be effective and un-signed them.

Here is my 2 cents about all the MOOC's. I would reckon signing up free course on Coursera anytime than others. The content and material on Coursera is better than the other MOOCs.

XOXO
~manasa~

My first travel trip this year started whilst visiting Hyderabad city and the much appraised Lord Balaji of Chilkur, which is more often popular "Visa Balaji Temple" or "Visala Devudu" (in Telugu, it means, Visa granting God). It was a Monday morning, 10th Feb 2014, I changed 3 buses to see the lord and Hyderabad being unfriendly in terms of weather, around 40 degrees centigrade. Having traveled handful places, sometimes alone, this too was on my wishlist for a long time and the time had come to visit alone.

Shops at Chilkur, on the way to temple

Entrance to the Balaji temple

Entrance to the temple

Balaji Temple Gopuram

I reached the temple around 12 noon and was taken by surprise to see the rush. The devotees have to leave behind their mobile phones and cameras, any other belongings if you wish, in the locker before entering the temple. You have to deposit a small fee, as less as Rs 5 or Rs 10 to obtain the locker. As I entered the temple, I made a struggle to enter the Garbha Gudi to see the idol. The boards display that the devotee should make a wish without closing the eyes. You would also notice that there is no Hundi here. Lakhs of people visit the temple everyday and make a single wish by making 11 rounds and once the wish is fulfilled, you have to visit the temple and make 108 rounds. The temple provides the printed sheets from 1 to 108. Remember to take a pen to strike off the number as you complete a round.

I was mesmerized seeing the Bhakti of the devotees, young and old, men and women, rich and poor, busy making rounds and chanting "Govinda Govinda" with the palms joined. The Lord does not demand anything except 108 rounds, not even a Hundi as you see in other temples.

Street side shop selling bangles

Shops on the way to the temple.

It is believed that, a decade ago, when the visas were being rejected by the US embassy, people would visit the temple and then there were no rejections at all. I would definitely visit this temple again for its ambiance and divinity, though its not for a Visa. :)

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