living with illusions..

Strange is the world of illusions
The real dreams so unreal
The known facts so unknown
A private conversation with the surreal

To take you away from the reality
Is the promise of the delusion
As long as you swear to hold hands with it
And embrace your seclusion


You think the moon is yours
It looks only at you
You think you are being watched
By someone who’s loving you


As if you are the only one in the universe
To have been granted the wish
So what if it’s only an illusion
It redeems you from the anguish

my trip to US..

cuty catty

we shot this video a few months back when i saw a cat leave its lil kitten on the veranda of our house..we tried to feed the cutie kitten some milk...but i guess it was too small to even lick or even move..with its soft purr i was even scared to touch it....we tried to drop the milk in its mouth using an ink dropper..but the drop landed straight onto its cute lil head and it shrunk in fear...so we just left the plate and moved away...the camera was far away frm the 'bacchha' n i zoomed in from a distance..that's y the shakes n the jerks..but i feel the sight of the kitten itself is heartfelt..so u enjoy the video while i am off editing more stuff..do log onto my tv for more fun videos from my collection.

~S n E h A~

The morning mist

Sleepy eyed buds wake-up rubbing their eyes, tickled by the morning mist. Zillions of unseen particles are given a new existence by the sun. The light shines bright and clear on the faces of the streets and opulent structures. From the earth to the sky, everything seems fresh and young..it’s a beautiful morning once again bringing with it the joy of being alive. The darkness fades away into anonymity and the glow of the sun rules the world. The shine reminds us of the extreme darkness that loomed large a few moments ago but is now completely non-existent..the light fills every void, every space, every nook and corner, leaving no life untouched, unaffected.
what better way to describe the stark reality of life…

‘no matter how dark the night of the life is..the sun will definitely shine tomorrow.’

I heared the sound of the dark..it was very dark so I couldn’t see the shadows of pain but could see a very few twinkling stars..but the pain was there I knew..snickering like a monster...mocking me to death..parting me from my beautiful past..the sight of stars turned into blackness and the monsters laughed again..it was scary. i tried to run away and called God..i told Him that I can’t see this anymore and want to see the stars..the ones which someone laid on the path for me..i hate to see the dark..who are you trying to hide after all?..it’s your past he said..i had to kill it because it wasn’t meant for u..u have to part with it…face the monsters if you want to come to me..trust me, WE can deal with it..

Atithi devo bhava (??????)

But I guess there are different rules in the air. People tend to lose their nationality then I guess. Why, isn’t there a certain way to treat ‘guests’?

Air India hasn’t changed in the past 10 years. This was my second trip to USA after ten years, and things have just got worse. Then, there were a few air hostesses who would care you to your seats and treat you somewhere near to being ‘guests’. But this time, they were older and more uncouthly.

First, it is at the entrance. Hands joined, though misaligned, in a somewhat Indian ‘namaskar’ pose, face, either blank or turned toward another colleague as if greeting the guests is a routine which could be fitted into the schedule with another activity to save time. Hmmm… future Napoleon Bonaparte s, saving time. (Oops, do they have a future? They are already so old! But excellent multitasking anyway!)

Then, it’s their look. Aren’t they supposed to look good? I don’t know. But I think they should. There should be some eye-tonic for the tired passengers. But even if there isn’t any, at least they should be dressed pleasantly. They wear a sari fine, but what about the make-up and the hair-style? Most of the air hostesses were wearing flashy eye-liners, in the colors of green n yellow – eeks! And the hairstyle was like a big football tied in a black net! Maybe they need extra space to lay the coffee cups. Justified.

Then you politely ask for an air perfume because the cabin is stinky. Oh! Not a problem baby. That’s because you’re seated near the restrooms. But still, you ask. And pat comes the reply – “stinky? Is it? Ok, ya. Wait let me finish the work in hand.” The work finishes when the passenger’s nose becomes immune to the smelly restrooms. After all, you HAVE TO use the restrooms after the coffee or the wine. So why not become accustomed to the smell? Hmm.

Then, you politely ask for a newspaper because you can’t get up and have it yourself as you’re stuck in the middle of the row and the passenger next to you is deep into the slumber land. “It’s over there” says the lady (with eyes wide and big as if saying, “How dare you disturb me!”)

Oops, sorry again. My mistake. I better keep quiet and watch the silly video on tv for a thousandth time. Or listen to the same 10 kishore kumar songs I have been listening to since the last ten hours. It’s just a matter of sixteen-seventeen hours after all. LA is not much far away from Mumbai.

But I must say the stewards were far better than the stewardess. They were patient enough in listening to the problems. At least there’s some hope.

I don’t know what impression the people visiting the country carry when they travel in such airlines. I want Air India to serve better just because it has the name INDIA to it.

DUSK MAY CLOUD THE COLOR OF MY EYE, BUT MY HEART STILL FEELS THE BLOOM..

Through the curls of morning mist and the perfume of fresh air, morning walks take you to a different world. It’s a world of meditation, freshness and a new beginning. Add to this, our laughter champions. Not on ‘STAR ONE’ but in a nearby joggers’ park. They laugh their heart out, perform certain movements that might put you in a fit of giggles, but they hardly care. They are lost in their own world. With the sun’s glare adding a shine to the grey hair of our group’s laughter oldies, they create a galaxy of togetherness leaving all the youngsters in puzzling expressions of disbelief.

My morning walks allow me to peek-a-boo into the silence of the old age, spilled over a few moments of little laughter in the form of a small get-together by its proud owners; people above sixty, which seem truly inspired by the ‘second innings’ of Lage Raho Munnbhai.

All members of the group, without fail, attend that small session of laughing out loud, chanting out the Gayatri Mantra and then – share their grievances, happy moments (though quite a few), and the blues of the shades of grey.

Just watching their teeth-less laughter, their togetherness and above all, their spirit and enthusiasm towards life teach us many things…and the most important one says –

The desert wind may blow but the page of life has not turned over yet..

LONG LIVE THE FRIENDSHIP!


Friends will be friends; funny, mischievous and ever caring. I am proud to say that I have got very few friends but all of them are angels, blessings in disguise.

Let people flaunt when they say, “I am sociable”, or “I have many friends or I easily make friends.” Some thoughtful person had said once, if at the time of your death, you have at least five friends, you are the happiest person on earth. So true!

The person, who easily becomes your friend, is not a friend in the first place. He’s still a stranger. Bollywood might disagree and say, “tumse milkar dil ko aisa laga jaise mera tumse janmo ka naata ho”…


Aisa hota hoga, but in rarest of the rare cases. The truth is harsh. You CANNOT make friends easily. I have been very lucky to have found such good friends. Very protective and real gems. God bless them all.

Had my visa interview yesterday. A very hectic and tiring day, as was expected. The rest of the experience was the same as my dear sis Sonia described in her blog; tokens, rush, waiting and finally the interview etc.

Just to add a personal flavour to my entry, I will tell you about yesterday’s experience minus what you already know. I made two good friends. One was a Gujarati lady who was amicable and had a pretty smile. She was a godsend. Without her, the five-hour long and boring wait in the embassy would have been mayhem in hell. Thank God she was there. I pity the other uncles and aunties who were not as lucky as me and their faces were frozen to a steady expression of boredom. Some observed the volunteers roaming around involuntarily, some yawned consistently, ladies were busy hushing their noisy kids, and the guys (some of ‘em) were busy looking around for some eye-tonic.

Finally when I got out of the office, I saw my dad waiting outside. I smiled at him, signaling that I got the visa. He later described how other people came out of the office with either a ‘thumbs-up’ or a ‘thumbs-down’. I came with a smile. I am different you see..haha..there I go again!

In the evening I attended a garba function. There I met another would-be good friend. She was a stranger but didn’t look like one. Paradoxically, I felt I have met her many times. We watched people play garba in colorful costumes, enjoyed different food items from various stalls and then finally did try to hit the crowded dancing floor. And yeah, we managed to get into the groove with thousands of other people.

All in all, yesterday was a fun day. Dad is right, I am lucky.

peek-a-boo

YO

My Rapper Name Is...

MixMaster Alchemist

What's Your Rapper Name?

curtain raiser

My Inner Hero - Wizard!

narcissus column

I am a Light Pink Rose

You represent sweetness and grace. Your vibe: Kind and gentle Falling in love with you: is like falling in love with a best friend

What Color Rose Are You?

aahhaa!

ABOUT ME

a catalyst in the process of bringing about change..change, which is humble n good for everyone around..

mausam-e-indore

read this poem somewhere. whoever wrote this i would like to ask him,

"how did you know my state of mind?"

not a word here, not a word there. it's esactly what i am feeling right now. it's truely a mysterious roller-coaster of life..A WHIRLPOOL OF SORTS.

it goes like this -

"Try to be pure at heart, they arrest you for robbery,
Mistake your shyness for aloofness, your shyness for snobbery
Got the message this morning, the one that was sent to me
About the madness of becoming what one was never meant to be"

thanks mr "anonymous" for giving words to my feelings..i was trying hard to do that. n i feel light already.

BAA BAHU AUR HUM

There you are, JD and team, with another very different kettle of fish. I love this serial called ‘BAA BAHU AUR BABY’ like many other people for its unique approach and content. Here are some other reasons why I would give it the title of ‘the king of indian tellywood’ –

The content, which fabricates a fuzzy line between reality and fiction. Audience almost always carry twin emotions of the hope of getting into practice what they see and at the same time feel the itch of the fictional aspect of the story; the feeling that is left after the curtains fall on the episode.

In the days of dismantled families, where people prefer to stay in their cocoons and isolate themselves from their own blood relations, deliberately, it’s an eye candy to watch a family tied together with the thread of tradition, values and discipline.

The serial is rather a series of small incidents surrounding the ‘thakkar parivar’, a gujrati family, who face every endeavour in life hand-in-hand, be it supporting and encouraging a member to win a competition, no matter how big or small it is, or dealing with a life threatening disease paralyzing the other. They are together in every trying moment. It’s so good to see a family tied together in such a strong way. The producers know this. And hence almost every single episode ends with a lesson well learnt.

Salutes to the editor-in-chief who keeps the serial untouched from the ‘madras cuts’; the dizzying transitions, which squint the eyes.

Actors are fantabulous. All are experienced and fit extremely well in the characters.

After dishing out hits like ‘Instant Khichadi’ and Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai, Baba, Bahu aur Baby continues to rule the hearts of the audience.

Hats off to the HATS OFF PRODUCTIONS.

JD, Aatish and Devang rock!!

Whoopi!! My sis is on TV!!!

And no, it wasn’t some street interview or a ‘bheed-bhaddaka, dhakka-mukki’ gang dying to show their faces to the camera. And it also wasn’t a ‘blink and miss’ kind of blurry background of passers-by that she was a part of.

SHE WAS INTO THE LIMELIGHT.

‘24 FPS animation awards 2006-2007’evening was colorful and vibrant with the presence of who’s who of the animation world like internationally renowned producer-director Mr. Ketan Mehta & Chairman, Adlabs, Mr. Manmohan Shetty to name a few and sizzling performances of amazing dancers and the stand-up comedy of our heroes of laughter-championships followed by much more excitement and fun.

The grand evening of celebration of creativity and achievement presented by Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), was a showcase of the best and fresh animation talent in India.

There were several award categories, for which students had to prepare specific contents rather than submitting their existing ones.

Now, that’s no mean feat!

My sis and her team ‘SNAPSHOTS’, won the award for the category ‘Best Pre-Production’, for their film ‘Ban Ki Chidiya’.

The festival was broadcasted throughout the country on NDTV Profit.

Hey Gurl! You’ve made us all proud!!

CHEERS!!!!!!!

Anhoni ho gayi honi aur world cup jeet gaya dhoni!

The evening saw a large number of youngsters, shouting patriotic slogans like “Vande Mataram”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jay” etc. The roads were blocked, police vans blared sirens and the hooligans fully utilized this exciting situation by doing their usual stuff of ‘hanging around’ in their patent style.

But this isn’t a freedom struggle or the scene of some Doordarshan documentary film. This was ‘LIVE’ – just like a freshly-cooked meal of ‘LIVE’ news by 24 hour news channels. Only this was actually ‘LIVE’.

This was the scene of streets, crowded with overwhelmed cricket-buffs, when India saw its win in the T20 World Cup by beating Pakistan by 5 runs in Johannesburg. I came to know this only when I heard the neighbour’s children burn crackers and scream in sheer excitement.

I was happy too, for we won a World Cup. But more than that I was happy the tournament was over. Phew! I got a glimpse of my favorite serial only after convincing my cousin that Katrina Kaif will be playing a cameo in it. He wasn’t ready to believe that Katrina has taken to TV. But clever me! I said she does a special appearance in the program n will be there for only a minute or two. And I got him..:) But then I knew every time I will have to think of some new trick to get the remote control in my hands. So, good that this Twenty-Twenty is over. Now it should return only in the year 2020.

I am ready to field the tomatoes!

My Trip to Pachmarhi

The following video is a summary of my trip to Pachmarhi in January this year, which was part of a social service campaign organized by a philanthropist, fondly called ‘Bauji’ by everyone. I was very excited to volunteer and be a part of this social campaign, which saw a good amount of school girls of a remote village in Madhya Pradesh, as its beneficiaries. The school is free for all and only meant for girls of nearby villages.

Me along with some other volunteers had a great time for these five days, interacting with these village girls, who were not as ‘bholi-bhali’ as was shown in the old Sayara Bano films. Some were smart and some were naïve but far from being ‘dumb’.

But they all had a sad story to tell and were the real fighters. In spite of less or no support from the family, they looked forward to leading a beautiful and a happy life. Some were extremely poor, couldn’t even afford to have enough food, some were rich enough to afford education but were still were being sent to a free school. Why? Because ‘ladkiyo ko padhana zaroori nahi hai’ according to their parents. ‘per kyunki ye free ka school hai isiliye bhej rahe hai’.

Anyway, the experience was fabulous. Here’s what it looked like.
(kindly bear with the quality.)

PART ONE

PART TWO



In order to read a detailed version of the trip, check-out the following link..:)

http://sneharmonic.blogspot.com/2007/05/up-close-and-personal-with-nature.html

The school premises. The girls welcomed us with the colors of holi.

Jiska darr tha wahi hua…my fav contestant in Voice of India is out! Toshi was a contestant whose voice had a feel of the Indian soil. He was the best contender for the VOICE OF INDIA.

Being a true marwari I usually don’t vote for any such contestant, no matter what a powerhouse of talent he or she might be. But I broke my rule and did vote for him twice!! Now, for a marwari like me, to sms for someone for whom my vote might just be an atom of oxygen in his ocean of votes (genuine or sham, I do not know), was certainly a bad idea. But I became fond of this particular contestant and really wanted him to win. But as was expected, a true winner has to fight a bigger battle, and success doesn’t come easy for him. Toshi is no more in the race of VOI.

I was right. This voting system is all bakwas. I pray that all the good singers who were 'voted out' by aur junata judges continue to sing and entertain the world and don’t take this talent hunt seriously. After all it’s just a matter of time and luck! Remember Abhijeet Sawant??

Ab tera kya hoga Gabbar????

Now Pritish Nandy is making yet another remake of Sholay; as if Ram Gopal verma ki Aaag wasn’t enough to ‘jhulsa-o’ us fans of the original Sholay, down into ashes.

With due respect to Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, we really don’t feel that anybody can even think of replacing the original inspiration of villainy on the silver screen; Gabbar, played eloquently by Amzjad Khan.

Apart from getting frustrated by this series of remakes of legends, it also seems that there is suddenly a bankruptcy of ideas. Why to stick to the same plot when the creative minds of humans can apprehend millions of ideas and execute them with the help of sleek and smart technology??

Anyways, I don’t think that even basanti ki dhanno would like this idea of remakes. After all “ye uski basanti ki ijjat ka sawaal hai”.

yaha se pachas-pachas kos door gaanw me jab bachcha raat ko rota hai to maa kahti hai beta soja ..soja nahi to gabbar singh aa jaayega. Hmm…shayad aaj bhi maa yahi kahegi.


Sorry ramu ke babban uncle, humko aap se darr nahi lagta..:)

Z z z z z z zzzzzzz…..

Cheers to all the busy bees…this buzz is for u!

SHALL C YA SOON SIS...

I WAS ALL ALONE IN THE WORLD OF STRANGERS....

YOU CAME LIKE AN ANGEL AND CHANGED MY WORLD..

I WAS HAPPY TO HAVE A NEW REASON TO SMILE...

AND WAS PROUD OF MY POSSESSION..

U WERE THE MUSICIAN OF THE SONG OF MY LIFE..

TODAY I HAVE MORE REASONS TO SMILE..
AS YOU GO ONLY TO COME BACK AND CHANGE MY WORLD ONCE AGAIN...

LUV U SIS..THIS ONE IS FOR U..:)

Shared smiles, shared tears
All intensified though years
Your dreams, our hope
With you these elope

All wish you return
For the day we yearn
With the golden crown
And valor around

A momentary adieu
We bid to you
And to Him we pray
Victory fills your way…

Lots of blessings from all your loved ones..

I AM A FREE SOUL

Celebration is such an underrated phenomena the world over. Celebrating a birth anniversary for example is a mere assemblage of friends and relatives, giving away the birthday gifts, wearing the best costume among all the other friends and cutting the cake without dirtying the table cloth and disturbing the candles, which grow one by one every year. Has anybody ever thought why do we celebrate a birthday, which is in fact a day marking our proximity to death?

It’s only because we need an excuse for a party or for scotch swigs or for simply looking good. We don’t think beyond that.

Any celebration should be the celebration of growth and its periphery should not be squeezed to materialistic gratification.

15^th August has become so much synonymous with Indian Independence that our perception limits ourselves to a restricted definition of both - celebration of freedom and of freedom itself. We fail to see beyond it. It was 60 years back that India became independent and every year we just remember the work done by our great leaders and salute their efforts. Our salutations should grow in quality and not quantity. 60 years is a long time. Remembrance is not enough. Enough celebration has been done for all these years of the freedom of two countries. But now, it’s time to celebrate the spirit of freedom. Only then can we grow as a country and as human beings.

To me celebration of freedom is not limited to 15^th of August 1947. It’s a part of a bigger phenomenon; that of development of the entire mankind as one world and not just one country.

To me the true freedom lies in abandoning negativity, something that makes terrorists out of innocent people, something that evokes discrimination among men and women, among blacks and whites, among rich and poor or caste and creed.

If every day a terrorist turns into a virtuous individual or at least one girl child is saved from being exploited, every single day would call for a celebration of the spirit of freedom. And I salute that freedom. Each one of us can become a martyr in our own right if we step forward to contribute to this spirit. Adopt a child, feed a hungry, free a pigeon from a cage. If nothing else, educate your own children and make them good human beings, so that tomorrow they do not become a catalyst of violence but a harbinger of peace and unity. Charity begins at home!

Let this song by the artist become a global anthem on the eve of a special day and truly make this world a better place to live for the entire human race.

H2O = A2Z OF LIFE

For little Jane and Lucy, it was just another morning. They, quite ritually, did what any other bickering sisters would do – bicker.

“You greedy slush bucket! Get outta ma way!! Let me wash my face first..do ya understand??”

(water flowing from the tap..)

"Shut your damn mouth up! You ragamuffin! I told ya it’s my geography test today…I have to reach early…so u get off my way & I don’t want to see the likes of you muckin’ at the tap..”

Mom – “you two! Downstairs, Now!

“But ma….”

(water still flowing…)

For Christ’s sake stop fighting! I want to see both of you for the breakfast in 10 mins.

(water flow thins)

Jane - @$#%^^&^*E$%#%$

Lucy - $%$%$%&^$#@#$

Mom - $%$%$^^%^^%^$

(water stops flowing..)

Jane, Lucy & Mom (in chorus) – “NOT AGAIN!!!!!”

Nice dialoguing Sneha, but what’s new? All siblings bicker. It’s rather sweet.

Jeez! How can you neglect the tap, which is pouring out the elixir of life, like a God, since last two centuries?? We all seem to ignore the fact that if we go on like this, water will be seen nowhere except in our misty eyes.

Can’t you see the same misty eyed water, now?? Oh! How can you. It’s not your fault. How can anybody see watery eyes of water?? That would be paradoxical.

Do I need to say – “SAVE WATER”??

Milkman’s reply –

“yeah! SAVE WATER, DILUTE IT”..

JAI HIND.

SLIM chances of success

Was reading an article on weight loss and the ill-effects of dieting. And know what? I was glad someone has brought this fact into the notice of those obsessive ladies, crazily following our Bollywood bimbettes for God’s sake!I don’t understand why girls in their teens and even some older ones try to deliberately go on a weight losing spree? Even some feisty ones who are nowhere close to unhealthily big are obsessed by their shape. They pour discontent and hate onto their bodies as if it were only body shape and nothing else that really matters.

Dieting is so not hip! Don’t trust me? Picture this.

KHUL JA SIM SIM…

Amidst the crude smell of wet soil and smoke billowing lazily out of the roof-top chimney, amidst the familiar sound of cow-bells and the aroma of ripe mangoes lingering persistently, amidst the longing to be there once again and catch the glimpse of welcoming eyes, waiting anxiously, I arrived at my grandma’s place.

Every time the Sun God lashed out His excoriating heat, it was cooled down by the pleasant salutations of everyone at my grannie’s place and our stay confirmed the furtherance of this cooling down, making our sojourn a riot of laughter and merriment. Summer vacations were a refreshing beak from school-study-report card hassles and we (Me, Sonia and my cousins) painted the town…. red? Nopes…we painted it polka-dotted!

But the main attraction remained that locked room; the room, which invited a world of speculation and mystery. We requested and sometimes, even threw childish tantrums including foot-pounding and crying, but our granny wasn’t impressed. She remained reluctant to spell out the magical words..”khul ja sim sim…” to open the door . Well, the door had quite obviously become THE DOOR for the kids of the house.

But after many years, when the closed room almost became a casual presence of mystery unresolved, we stopped to query about it.

One summer holy holiday made our granny to grant us the maturity badge and she herself called us to see what we’ve waited for since years. The room opened its door to a sparkling past. Our hungry eyes locked with the shimmering treasure the room protected since so many years. The way our jaw dropped after seeing this khazana, could have put even Alibaba and the challis chor to shame. No there wasn’t any gold or silver, but something even more precious.

As nani opened a huge metal trunk, which seemed like one belonging to Mohenjo-Daro-Harappa culture, we held back our eyelashes from fluttering. The suspense ended and excitement took its toll. The trunk was filled with a swarm of colorful, handmade earthenware – flower pots, statues of different Gods, matkis with attractive paintings on them, diyas, different animal statues, there were ghagra-polka with beautiful embroidery & zari work, scarves, shawls along with paint brushes, colors wrapped in small polythene bags, salma-sitare, chimki of lustrous base metals…all made and collected by my grandma..

That day I remember, we forgot having our lunch, dinner and even hitting the sack..we were completely disoriented for the rest of the day and were awed by our granny’s khazana and her creativity..

Then we learned why nani was reluctant to open the door for us. She valued these belongings more than silver or gold. And back then, the treasure was vulnerable to the attacks of kid ninjas that we were. But now we understood and valued it. Now, for us, this treasure of nani was more than Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. We loved it.

I miss the room, the old trunk and more than anything else, my nanihaal. Things have changed and I wish I could go there once again with the same feelings.

F

A

I

T

H

WE - Aga tu ayaklas ka, mahimcha samudracha pani goad jhala hota! Chamatkarach aahe nahi!
(Hey did u hear the big news! The sea water behind Mahim Dargah has turned sweet! Isn’t that a miracle!)

THEY – “chamatkar vagaire kahe nahi, tyat musaladhar pausa mole nadila pur alyamule te pani samudrat misadala. Baki kahi nahi re…”
(“ah! NO, it’s not a miracle. It’s the rains, which caused the fresh water to mix with the seawater n blah blah” )

WE – “Let’s go to the temple..Lord Ganesha is accepting the offerings of milk! Isn’t that a miracle!”

THEY – “oh c’mmon! It is possible that a political party is behind this. A similar strategy was used to propagate religion in the past. People are swayed, but only for a while. This will not last n blah blah blah….”

WE – Our life is a miracle! God is great!


THEY – Hello! Our life is the result of bio-chemical reactions n blah blah blah…

Ok. Enough. Now it’s time, we answer and they listen. Why is it so important for them, “the rationalists”, to interfere with our FAITH? Yes our FAITH. It’s what they call a false claim, superstition or whatever! But for us it’s the moment of fun. It’s what twinkles our eyes and boosts our imagination. It is what strengthens our FAITH in God. We feel better.

The temple of Deshnoke dedicated to 15th century Mystic Karniji, who is worshiped as an incarnation of Goddess Durga, promises to fulfill the dreams of many of its devotees, who drink the same milk which is drunk by the swarm of rats in the temple. We say the white rats are the reincarnation of saints and the water and milk drunk by these rats are medicines. They say, it’s unhygienic and highly questionable. In spite of hundreds visiting the temple daily, their face still frowns.

They have a scientific, political or any other rational reason to it but that’s about it. Why kill the blind faith of others if it’s not harming nyone. They know it’s not a miracle? Cool. They know the reason behind it? Supercool. But why spoil the ecstasy the others get by this apparent miracle?

The moment we start relishing these miracles, these rationalists form a panel on the news channels to weed out the irrationality and sow the seeds of scientific reasoning. And the few moments that we get to enjoy the miracle, forgetting about the bullying in office or nagging of our partners, we are told that it wasn’t a miracle at all! How rude!

We know these are illusions. But we cherish these illusions. Then again, if these illusions are in no way causing any harm, on the contrary only giving wings to our faith, why then to puncture them? Why to become earnest killjoys in the way of these cherished illusions? If we want to love our Gods and have a blind faith in Him then such a faith should be appreciated and should remain blind.

I am in no way promoting superstition. All I want to say is that I know it is very important to seek knowledge coz that is how we'll progress and ignorance is not always a bliss. But sometimes it is. Sometimes it gives pleasure to move off the track of rationality. It's a blissful state when we see something as a miracle. When we come to know the reason behind it, it breaks our illusion and we start seeing the thing as just another complexity, which can be scrutinised by science.

Science has an answer to every question. Maybe. But then in spite of having all the answers known and experienced, don’t you still feel that life is a miracle and FAITH still works?

My conclusion is –

Just keep the faith and everything will work out fine.

BREAK-FREE

Long back, when I was still a school-going li’l girl, who was easily amazed by the sight of a rainbow, even if it was just a picture, peeping out of a 7th Grade text-book, I always wanted to see a rainbow in my real life.

And then the Almighty took my call and answered my desperation. One day, on my way back home from my granny’s place I saw this miraculous rainbow, all bright and vivid, shining through my car window. I couldn’t help but pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe at this wonderful sight of the Indra-dhanush. It didn’t just make my day, but my life! From then on, I always get caught in the reverie of that wonderment and voraciously wish to see that sight again, whenever it rains.

I wrote this poem in a naturally inebriated state; the one that only nature can put you into. No amount of liquor can equal it. I am happy to still be that little girl at heart.

Today I desire to break-free
And romance with the morning Sun
Dance to the chirruping of beautiful canary
And blow away the work undone..

I slide down the rainbow
And land to the dazzling clouds
Where the flowery swing awaits
Hanging from where the mystery shrouds

Pink flamingos gyrate around
As I fondly watch them gleam
I swing through the wind of freedom
And touch the sky of my dream…

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A MOUSTACHE...

Let me reintroduce myself to those who are caught in the metrosexuality syndrome. I am, literally, an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip. But that is such an apt definition of my predicament! Well, men have known me since they have wanted to take pride in the fact that they are men. I have crowned them by placing myself gracefully, in different designs (to suit their convenience and visual aspect) on their upper lip. I used to be the symbol of virility and male dominance in the society. But alas! Times have changed. And so have men. Just as I naturally try to spread my wings, exfoliate and look forward to live a prosperous life, I am damned.

I formed the basis of recognition in rank and regimen among the army men. And why not, they were the ones who were aware of my mighty impact on the fellow beings. And that is why they paralleled my style and variation with their hierarchy of ranks. The higher the rank the thicker and bushier I grew. At the highest ranks, I was even allowed to mate with my soul mate, the beard.

My ‘stached’ look stimulated a surge of adrenalin amongst the fairer sex and turned their cheeks to pink. My old buddies, the top hat and the monocle accompanied me in movies and melodramas and when women sighed mistily upon seeing us on the silver screen, we were all smiles.

I journeyed along the path of manhood and allowed myself to act guinea pig to my enemy, the scissors. But still I obliged those who still had faith in me. I merrily surrendered to the changing patterns of my being and adapted to the same destination.

Please! Oh please! Allow me to fall into a reverie of the years long past…………
I was made narrower; areas past the corner of the mouth were shaved. My long points curved steeply upward. Then I was called Dalí, after my master Salvador Dalí.

To give me a dramatic look, my masters fashioned me into a Fu Manchu moustache. I bungee jumped from my original comfortable destination and remained in this awkward position until it gave me severe dizzying headaches.

But I got used to it, as I got a minor concession of holding the edge of the chin. But I didn’t fail to serve my masters who got personality enhancement and got promoted from simple cowboys to reckless, impulsive and dangerous ones. They fondly called me ‘Horseshoe’.

I have been through many ups and downs, again, literally. In this roller-coaster of style and fashion I got sick and tired. I grew thinner and thinner. But to see my masters enjoying my dismal existence too, gave me a sigh of relief. They Mouthbrow-ed me.

And duh! How can I forget my mascot! The one who took me around the world. I became synonymous with aggression and dictatorship!

But in the same guise I entertained millions as I Charlie-Chaplin-ed my way into the world of silent comedy. This time I was tagged ‘Toothbrish’.

Hey! Thanks friend for listening to my past and lending a shoulder of sympathy too. But it’ll be better if I get back my throne, the upper lip. I want to live again before I die and become extinct. I am a nature's bounty after all!
Every Lover's

SAVAREN KI BANSI KO BAJNE SE KAAM…..

Yesterday while walking past a coffee shop I overheard some ‘teenage-blabber’. Everything was fine until I heard something that always gets on my nerves. It was that mocking one liner, which has the potential of hurting the sentiments of millions of Krishna devotees, across the world. One ‘dude’ holding up on scantily dressed ‘dudettes’ around, was greeted by another group of nonchalant freaks by – “lo aagaya kanahiyya apni gopiyo ke saath” and everyone guffawed in response. I thought to stop and give them a good dose of reproof, but I knew I would be banging my head against the wall. So I thought it best to leave these ignorant souls to their destiny and move on.

They think this is a really ‘cool’ thing to say. So they don’t mind saying it often. Or to some unenlightened mortals, Krishna was the biggest and the original Casanova on the earth! So untrue! But do they really know what it is to say that? Why do people (shamefully even the elderly) who find ‘yoga’ to be the next ‘in thing’, and even those who follow it earnestly, humiliate its preacher?

Having read some aspects of Bhagwat myself, I would like to clarify some myths about the mysterious (and not mischievous) Krishna.

Myth 1 – Why is Krishna always shown surrounded by gopis?

Gopis were spell-bound with his innocent mischief, charismatic personality, and the enchanting sound of his flute and not for some ulterior motives. Many gopis were much much elder to him and wanted to be with him, just like we want to be with a beautiful child when we are wonder-struck with his charm and talent. After all why do we forget he was a God in a human body! He couldn’t have gotten away unnoticed.

Unfortunately, many movies and television serials also rely on half knowledge and catalyze false beliefs.

It is just to signify that He is the God, the lord of all individual beings (or souls). Krishna is God and Gopis are individual souls. This beautiful representation has been dwindled down disgracefully to satisfy some filthy mindsets and has been shown in poor taste.

Myth 2 – When Krishna loved Radha then why didn’t he marry her? Many people also think that Radha was Krishna’s wife.

Krishna was never married to Radha. We mostly rely on Bhagwat Purana for the biographical facts about Krishna, the yadav prince. Bhagwat does not mention any Radha as the chief paramour of Krishna. Bhagwat describes all Gopis equally in love with Krishna and Krishna loving each one alike. Radha as an individual Gopi is the creation of later poets and she is the representative of all the Gopis together.

Moreover, the love between Krishna on one hand and all other Gopis on the other was quite devoid of any physical connotations. IT WAS PURELY SPIRITUAL. It was the craving of the individual soul (atman) to get united with the Supreme soul (the parmatman).



Myth 3 – Why did Krishna used to hide the clothes of Gopis while they bathed in the river? Wasn’t that an indecent prank?

Krishna was too small when he did that. And he played this prank intentionally to teach them a lesson so that they never bathe in the open without any clothes on. It was to save them from the desperate eyes of other men in the village. Their safety was Krishna’s only intention.

Myth 4 – why did Krishna had many wives?

According to Bhagwat Purana, Krishna had many wives. Eight of them were the chief queens. Most of such statements are again, symbolical or allegorical. The so-called innumerable wives (sixteen thousand, one hundered and eight) represent the devout souls aspiring to be united with the parmatman (the Supreme Soul)


What exactly is raas-leela?

RAAS-LEELA can briefly be described as follows :

Men and women of Brij-Bhoomi (the land surrounding Gokul and Brindavan) performed a folkdance on special occasions to express their joy. Krishna participated in such dances along with other boys of the land. But he could not partner with each one of the ladies of the land, while each gopi was eager to have him as a partener. He assured them that on a particular night (the night of Sharad Purnima) there will be a special dance festival and he will dance with each and every one of the Gopis then. It is said that when the Gopis assembled for the dance on that night, each one of them had Krishna as her partner.

Now this again is an allegorical statement. It simply emphasizes the fact that each individual Gopi was so deeply devoted to Krishna that she felt as if she alone had Krishna dancing with her.




Lord Krishna came in this world with a purpose. We all have a purpose in life. But unlike us, he knew the purpose even before he was born. He was sent on this earth for enlightenment and his every action carried a deep meaning, unfathomable by an ordinary mind. He knew even before his birth that he has to finish his task within a limited time. So why then would he waste his time on ordinarily human things, when he was here for the extraordinary!

Half knowledge can be very dangerous. And when it is spitted out with impunity and self-pride, it can be disastrous! It’s like questioning the mere existence of the multitude of people, who have dedicated their entire lives following and spreading the preachings of Krishna.


If you don’t know it, don’t say it. At least you’ll be saved from its repercussions, which could range from self-mockery to facing the fury of innumerable Krishna enthusiasts. And if you really want to follow what Krishna did then how about sporting his ever-forgiving and respectful attitude towards the other fellow-beings ESPECIALLY WOMEN.

Ignorance can be bliss. But not, when you don’t try to seek knowledge at all! And for all those brazen creatures, who even after reading all this, still want to get away with their lecherous immorality in the name of God, May Krishna forgive them!