Daffodils

Jai MATA Di

2013-06-11T09:22:00.001+09:00

A beautiful Bhaint by SARDOOL SIKANDAR...........

SACCHIYAN JYOTAN wali MATA teri saddayi JAI!

I'll cross the stream, I have a Dream

2013-06-05T16:04:00.000+09:00

When the POP Musical Band ABBA became a rage, bordering on becoming a cult, i was a teenage living in Zambia.

ABBA to me is synonyms of my growing up years in Zambia. Nosalogia , BIG time.

This year my school, Holy Cross in Mongu, Zambia is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. I hope to make it there :)

In the meantime enjoy the lyrics and the song

I have a dream, a song to sing

To help me cope with anything

If you see the wonder of a fairy tale

You can take the future even if you fail

I believe in angels

Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels

When I know the time is right for me

I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

I have a dream, a fantasy

To help me through reality

And my destination makes it worth the while

Pushing through the darkness still another mile

I believe in angels

Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels

When I know the time is right for me

I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

I have a dream, a song to sing

To help me cope with anything

If you see the wonder of a fairy tale

You can take the future even if you fail

I believe in angels

Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels

When I know the time is right for me

I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

ONE TOUCH

2013-05-31T08:52:00.000+09:00

Courtesy WIKIPEDIA:

Kundalini pronunciation (help·info) (kuṇḍalinī, Telugu :కుండలిని, Tamil :குண்டலினி/வாலை, Sanskrit: कुण्डलिनी, Thai: กุณฺฑลิน) literally meanscoiled. In yoga, a "corporeal energy" - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, lies coiled at the base of the spine. It is envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as "serpent power".

It is reported that kundalini awakening results in deep meditation, enlightenment and bliss. In practical terms, one of the most commonly reported Kundalini experiences is the feeling of an electric current running along the spine. ^[5]^[6] ^[7]

Kundalini is described as a sleeping, dormant potential force in the human organism. It is one of the components of an esoteric description of the "subtle body", which consists of nadis (energy channels), chakras (psychic centres), prana (subtle energy), and bindu (drops of essence).Description
[edit]

Kundalini is described as being coiled up at the base of the spine. The description of the location can vary slightly, from the rectum to the navel. According to Sahaja Yoga, the kundalini resides in the triangular shaped sacrum bone in three and a half coils.

The kundalini has been described as "a residual power of pure desire" by Nirmala Srivastava.

The image given is that of a serpent coiled three and a half times around a smokey grey lingam. Each coil is said to represent one of the three gunas, with the half coil signifying transcendence.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology [edit]

According to well-known teacher and translator Eknath Easwaran, kundalini means "the coiled power," a force which ordinarily rests at the base of the spine, described as being coiled there like a serpent.^[11] The concept can be found under different names. For example the 8th century Tantrasadbhava Tantra uses the term kundali ("she who is ring-shaped").

Kundalini awakening [edit]

Through meditation, and various esoteric practices, such as Kundalini Yoga, Sahaja Yoga, and Kriya Yoga, the kundalini is awakened, and can rise up from the muladhara chakra through the central nadi, called sushumna, inside or alongside the spine and reaches the top of the head. The progress of kundalini through the different chakras leads to different levels of awakening and mystical experience, until the kundalini finally reaches the top of the head, Sahasrara or crown chakra, producing an extremely profound mystical experience.

When kundalini Shakti is conceived as a goddess, then, when it rises to the head, it unites itself with the Supreme Being (Lord Shiva). Then the aspirant becomes engrossed in deep meditation and infinite bliss.

One TOUCH that CHANGED my LIFE :)

The Abuse of Power

2013-05-29T18:26:00.001+09:00

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Lord Acton

The above quote rings true.

Very often people in power forget their beginnings. Forget fairness. Even forget GOD.

And then begins the cycle of abuse of power.

abuse of power need not be only in Politics and government

One can see its many shades in all arenas of life. ans the person who is most affected by it is the common man.

The common man who works hard to make ends meet. The one who tries to follow the path shown by our illustrious forefathers.

But is CHANGE around the corner?

We have a SANJAY DUTT preferring to surrender in face of the country's judgement instead of ngling for a way out.

We have a Rahul Gandhi openly questioning his mother's 'Soft' policy.

with the IT revolution can we hope to bring about a radical change in the minimum possible time?

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Perhaps ALL that is required to remember some of what we were taught in schools.

And TEACH all that wasn't taught but needs to be taught.

An Evening with Vir Sanghvi

2013-05-14T07:51:00.000+09:00

The PERKS of Blogging :)

An evening spent with Vir Sanghvi at The elite club of Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International airport with Vir Sanghvi, as part of a promotion of Delhi Duty Free shop.

INDIBLOGGER ROCKS

2013-05-12T18:27:00.000+09:00

The COLDNESS within

2013-05-12T09:56:00.001+09:00

My greatest blessing in life has been my parents. It is they who not just gave brought me to this world but gave their last breath to raise their four daughters. While they made sure that our every material need was taken care of within their budget, my father recited stories from scriptures, used proverbs to covey realities of life and above all taught us values.

I feel blessed to belong to the VATSA clan. I thank my ancestors.

Coupled with the values given to us by my parents, was the wonderful environment of Bamruli where i grew up. It was a colony way ahead of its time. Very open, very modern, very Cosmoplitan and thriving with life and postiivity.

It is the combination of my parents's upbringing, the happy growing up years in Bamrauli and an ever abiding deep faith in the almighty which has shaped my life.

I was a happy, innocent girl till the day i got married I was totally unprepared for the atrocities that life would throw my way. As i trudged along my unhappy married life, it was my upbringing that saw me through As the difficulties kept escalating i wondered where GOD was. Or how he could afford to be such a callous onlooker.

After a twenty year old journey God manifested himself in my life. In the form of a stranger when my own kith and kin had abandoned me.

And thus began a new phase in my life. but this too was extremely difficult, fraught with mental agony, stress, patches of darkness. The only difference as that every time my faith was temporarily shaken, i would pray to God and without fail get strength and go on ill the next hurdle came along. cos i had seen proof of God in my life.

slowly by slowly i figured out my destiny.

Having experienced God's presence in my life, i feel each day is a gift. Like today. It is mother's Day. I had overlooked this till i was reminded by my laptop.

I feel that Hinduism is one of the richest religions in the world. But it is also a paradox. The religion that worships Godesses and Devis has a history of ill treating its women.

Be it Sita

Or Draupadi

But all is not lost. There is hope. This morning i came to know about a unique temple in Uttar Pradesh. It is situated between Allahabad and Varanasi, in a place called Sitmarhi. This is the place where Sita went underground after her exile in Valmiki Ashram.

Here is a 108 feet long statue of Lord Hanuman , with folded hands asking Sita Mata to forgive everyone and not leave them behind.

Thank you Vishal Rathod for sharing this. Today. On Mother's Day.

Undoubtedly the most significant relation in this word is a MOTHER. She not only nurtures life inside her, gives birth to a miracle and showers unconditional love to her offspring.

Thanks to the Western culture, we can cerebrate such a day in India too. I feel a society should not be closed. while celebrating its own uniqueness it should be open to learning and adopt good aspects of other cultures. Moral policing and fanaticism should be banished form society. It is only then we shall grow and prosper and prosper as human beings.

Now coming to the title of this post.

I feel that all wrongdoings in this world arise froms COLDNESS of heart. The coldness that we let live in our hearts. Instead of love, compassion and empathy.

As a rule i avoid driving. But whenever i have to , i do drive in Faridabad.

i love going to temples early morning as i find the experience very uplifting. For a long time i have been going to Mata Vaishno Devi's temple is NIT Faridabad.

Yesterday i went their around 10 am when there was high traffic on Mathura road. As i made my way, i saw a little boy, barely five year old with an empty water bottle in his hand, begging the waiting cars for money. As i looked toward my right my attention was caught by another five year old boy sitting on the pavement. I was stunned by what he was doing. he had a broken piece of a marble mortar, a stone and a rope. This was his toy. and he was content wit that.

As i looked at these two little boys my heart stopped beating for a second . i wondered whether i would have reached where i am today if my childhood had been spent begging and playing with stones on the pavement.

yet we all turn a blind eye to such realities of life. All because of the COLDNESS WITHIN.

The day we admit he thee coldness in our heart, we shall TEAR DOWN OUR IVORY TOWERS and try to make some semblance of justice in this world.

This is my message on Mother's Day.

IT WILL HAPPEN!

2013-05-11T19:09:00.000+09:00

Yes, it WILL happen....... breathless, fingers crossed

Morning Thought

2013-05-11T10:59:00.002+09:00

Eyes are the WINDOWS of the SOUL

The Perils

2013-05-11T10:43:00.003+09:00

The PERILS OF INNOCENCE.........................

100 years of Indian Cienma :

2013-05-05T00:33:00.002+09:00

On May 3 , 100 years ago, Indian cinema's first full length feature, Raja Harishchandra was released. The silent film, directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, marked the beginning of the nation's longstanding affair with cinema. And a 100 years later, filmmaker Shivendra Singh Dungarpur decided to tell the world the story of a man who was never a filmmaker but made films his entire life. His documentary feature, Celluloid Man, celebrates PK Nair, the founder of National Film Archive of India — a man Indian cinema owes more than it has ever acknowledged.

Saans me teri saans mili to

mujhe saana aayi, mujhe saans aayi.....

Rooh ne choolli jism ki khushboo

tu jo paas aayi, tu jo paas aayi

What is in a movie? A slice of society. A slice of history. A slice of emotions. A timeless saga. A heart wrenching love story.

Indian Cinema is in complete without dance and music.

Personally for me . i have to thank Gulzar Saheb for the touching lyrics of the song

sans meain teri saans mili to......

Shreya Ghshal and Mohit Chauhan for the velvety voices............

And SRK and Katrina for the larger than life cinematic performance

and Yash Chopra for making this poignant, beautiful, haunting love story. Your last Yashji, and debatedly one of your career best.

Personally for me, on 3 May, the song Saans strangely revealed the TRUTH of my life, almost. Love Indian Cinema!

Wishing Indian Cinema a g lorious 1000 years!

Shivers of SHAME

2013-04-20T22:52:00.003+09:00

As i pack my bags for a much awaited holiday, my enthsiasm has vanished due to the rape of five year old Gudiya.

I feel defeated.

The vigor of nationwide protest of the Delhi Gang rape has become meaningless We thought we had woken up as a nation. As a civilized society. But even the nation wide protests have failed to safeguard women. It does not matter whether she is three months old or fifty. Indian or a foreign tourist. The brutal rape of body and mind of women and tender girls in our nation has not ceased.

The euphoria i felt at having attended a stimulating power packed International Women's day at British council where a cross section of celebrities International NGOs, youth , Bloggers , a Rock band had come together to raise awareness against violence towards women , now seems to ring hollow.

The brief relief i felt at the passing of the Anti Rape Law seems meaningless now. After all what can be expected when only a small section of politicians deemed it necessary to be present on the vital voting day.

Who is irresponsible for the cold blooded act of rape of a five year old girl? Locked for two days . Screaming for life. With a bottle of oil and broken pieces of candle inside her vagina.

In my post INDICHANGE : An EQUAL Life , i had written that rape is not about hormones. It is not about sex. It is not about erotica. Some sections of society had criticized Nirbhaya for venturing out at night. How then do you explain the abduction, rape, torture of five year old Gudiya?

It is about a patriarchal mindset. It is about Violence against women. It is about complacency. It is about weak laws. It is about immune politicians. It is about US. You and me. And above all it is about the prevailing society we live in.

As i write this post only two stains of relief soothe my anger. The first that Gudiya has been declared out of danger. Secondly that the joint efforts of Delhi Police and Bihar Police have caught Manoj the culprit.

But how many timed do we have to raise our voices for basic human dignity for women. How many times do we have to brave the Police lathis and bear slaps of Police officers for protesting against injustice?

Obviously all that that has been done is not enough.

NOT ENOUGH i repeat.

We need to keep crating pressure for strict laws.

We need to have laws to HANG every rapist in our country.

Perhaps, only then will the perverted, callous, unimaginably twisted psychology of a rapist mind will be held at bay.

But will mere Hanging as a punishment for rape stop rape? Absolutely not.

In the wake of Gudiya's brutal rape, every activist, lawmaker and politicians is realizing that the answer lies WITHIN us. We have to CHANGE as a society. change our thinking. Act RESPONSIBLE
.
What are we teaching our children today?

That Munni is badnaam

Shiela is jawaan

Babli is badmaash.

While you and i return from the movie hall and get on with our lives, there are men from low cadres of our society who carry this message with them. It pollutes their thinking. As long as there is disparity between the urban and rural, the literate and the illiterate, the poor and the rich, we can't afford item girls.

We have to stop objectification of women.

Teach gender equality at home and in our primary schools.

What we currently feel is SHIVERS of SHAME.

JAGOO, SAMAAJ JAAGO !

.This and only this will curb and eventually weed away rape from our country.

Indiblogger, you recently hosted Women Indiblogger meet in Bangalore and Mumbai.

I think it is time for a DELHI Indiblogger meet for WOMEN.

As Bloggers we will all come together, raise our voices, and share our pain. AND give out suggestions of rape free India.

Renie Ravin, i am waiting...........................

RUDRAKSHA

2013-04-15T14:04:00.003+09:00

We have all grown up knowing the Rudraksha mala for Jap. Did you know that the fruit is an intense deep blue? i did not know until today.

Rudraksha is believed to be the direct blessings of Lord Shiva.

Here are some facts on Rudraksha:

. Rudraksha is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the name Rudra ("Shiva") and akṣha ("eyes").

It is a large evergreen broad-leaved tree whose seed is traditionally used for prayer beads in Hinduism.

The seed is borne by several species of Elaeocarpus, with E. ganitrus being the principal species used in the making of a bead chain or mala.

The specific epithet ganitrus is possibly taken from ganitri, the name for this species in Sundanese and Malay.

Rudraksha grows in the area from the Gangetic Plain in foothills of the Himalayas to South-East Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea to Australia, Guam, and Hawaii.

Rudraksha seeds are covered by an outer shell of blue color when fully ripe, and for this reason are also known as blueberry beads.

The blue colour is derived not from pigment but is structural.

It is an evergreen tree that grows quickly. Rudraksha Tree starts bearing fruit in three to four years. As the tree matures, the roots buttress rising up narrowly near the trunk and radiating out along the surface of the ground.

The pinkish buds change into white blossoms

The seeds show variation in the number of grooves on their surface, and are classified on the basis of the number of divisions that they have.

Different qualities are attributed to the rudraksha based on the number of grooves, or 'faces' that it has.

A common type has five divisions, and these are considered to be symbolic of the five faces of Shiva. It can only be worn with red string or a gold chain.

Rudraksha Mala has been used by Hindus as rosary at least from the 10th century onwards for meditation purposes and to sanctify the mind, body and soul.

The mythology that surrounds the Rudraksha is that the Hindu god Shiva meditated on the welfare of all mankind and cried tears of compassion, peace and joy.

These tears upon hitting the earth crystallized to form these seeds

The divine qualities of this bead were first noted in ancient Hindu scriptures.

They bless one with peace of mind; protect against evil doers and spirits; and bless with peace and prosperity.

Rudraksha fruit is blue in color (hence the other name blueberry )

but turns black

when dried.

The central hard Rudraksha uni-seed may have 1 to 21 faces.

research conducted by a group of scientists of Banaras Hindu University in coordination with Department of Biochemistry, Electrical Engineering, Psychiatry, General Medicine and Psychology have proved the powers of Rudraksha scientifically with reproducible results which proved that Rudraksha have electromagnetic, para-magnetic, inductive dia-magnetic and dynamic polarity or the ability to change its polarity.

It has also been shown that Rudraksha have anti-ageing properties based on their electromagnetism.and also have ayurvedic properties.

It also offers a protective shield to the human body.

Rudraksha beads have many other powerful properties in transforming one's personality and outlook in a positive way.

The most appealing about the power of Rudraksha is that it is worn by the lord Shiva as an ornament in his zata (locks of hair),

as necklace, as wrist band and armband.

Happy Gudi Padwa 2013

2013-04-11T13:50:00.000+09:00

Today the Navratras start in North India. In Maharashtra today is celebrated as Gudi Padwa

Gudi Padwa, the first Holy festival which marks the beginning of the New Year, new month and new day for the Hindus falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. (11^th April 2013)

It is known as Gudhi Padwa (in Maharashtra),

Ugadi (in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh).

[In other parts of country it is celebrated during Nau Roz (Kashmir),

Baisakhi (Punjab),

Cheti Chand (Sindhi),

Naba Barsha (Bengal), Goru Bihu (Assam)

Puthandu (Tamil Nadu),

Vishu (Kerala)]

On this very day Lord Brahma created the Universe. Therefore for Hindus, this day carries special importance. The day is celebrated with an auspicious bath, followed by decorating the doorway with a 'toran', performing ritualistic worship and hoisting the Gudhi.

Gudhi Padwa is celebrated as Ugadi (or Yugadi) in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The day, begins with ritual showers (oil bath) followed by pooja to god and Panchanga Shravana.Houses are decorated with Mango Leaves and Rangoli and everyone in the family wear new clothes and celebrate the festival by wishing each other New year greetings.

The eating of a specific mixture called Bevu-Bella (Neem and Jaggery) in Kannada, symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of good and bad, Happiness and Sorrow. Eating Neem and Sweet Jaggery means one need to take both Good and Bad or Happiness and Sorrow should be accepted together and with equanimity through the New Year.

The special mixture consists of:

1. Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying Sadness

2. Jaggery which is sweet, signifying Happiness

In Karnataka a special dish called Obbattu or Holige (Puran Poli), is prepared on this occasion. It consists of a filling (gram and jaggery/sugar boiled and made in to a paste) stuffed in a flat roti like bread. It is usually eaten hot/cold with ghee or milk topping or coconut milk at some places of Karnataka.

'Gudi Padwa' is the day on which the universe was created. Since on this day Shri Brahma created the universe and the Satyayug began, it marks the commencement of the New Year.

The Divine consciousness emanating during sunrise, absorbed at that time lasts longer. Thus the Gudi should be worshipped within 5-10 minutes after sunrise !

On Gudi Padwa, the waves consisting of the fire principle (Tej tatva) and the creative Prajapati waves are activated on a large scale. The Divine consciousness emanating during sunrise, absorbed at that time lasts longer. This consciousness is stored in the body cells and is used as required. Hence the Gudi should be worshipped within 5-10 minutes after sunrise.

[courtesy http://www.hindujagruti.org]

Happy New Year to all ! Happy Navratras !!

DAFFODILS turns 3

2013-04-02T11:04:00.000+09:00

Sometimes as i reflect back on life, it seems to be a sum total of memories. and milestones. Two kinds of memories are deeply etched in our minds - the ones that gave us the deepest pain and the ones that they gave us the maximum joy. And thrown in between are the fun filled ,easy- times-laid back memories of days spent letting life pass by without much drama in life.

Some of the memories are part of important milestones in life. These milestones quite often are reasons to celebrate life. Pretty much like festivals.

Three years ago i ventured into the world of Blogging totally oblivious of the journey i was embarking upon. One post, and i had made my entry into Blogosphere.

Today, April 2, 2013 is the third Blogversary of DAFFODILS.

Blogging opened up a whole new world to me. It not only honed my writing skills but became a means to go down memory lane, freeze moments lived in the past and became an outlet for not just sharing my thoughts but a tool for sharpening my thought process.

The Blogging journey of the past three years was made possible due to many factors.

First and foremost thanks to the readers who kept the fire burning in my heart. Without an audience there would be no Blog. The comments and the page views indeed warmed my heart, and shall always contine to inspire a post.

Secondly, the toast goes to my fellow bloggers. The have enriched my life. Made blogging so interesting. Meeting Bloggers in real life is the ultimate reward of being a Blogger.

Thirdly, a special mention about Indiblogger. You deserve a special recognition for taking Blogging beyond being a writing platform. One after the other, your painstakingly theme/ based Indiblogger meets kept getting better and better each time. The last one on International women's Day at the British council was the most liberating and spectacular of all the meets i have attended so far. To have Priya Paul, Rahul Bose, Anoushka Shankar and the rock Band Swarathma all under one roof was a feat no doubt And that was not all. The meet offered so much more. Thank you Indiblogger!

Fourthly, Blogging has made it possible for me to become a published author. My Travelogue BARFANI BABA, To Amarnath Happily, besides being an immensely fulfilling personal experience, was a source of appreciation by the readers.

Thanks to Blogging, i look forward to more writing in the future.

Today, co incidentally also happens to be Sixth World Autism Awareness Day.

Last winter i had attended a winter Carnival organized by TAMANA, a well known NGO run by Dr Shyama Chona, and blogged about it.

You can read about TAMANA and the carnival HERE.

Keep coming back to DAFFODILS. Keep inspiring me! :) :)

Celebrating GIRLS, Celebrating WOMEN

2013-03-24T12:33:00.000+09:00

My childhood was idyllic. I spent the first 12 years of my life in the suburbs of Allahabad, called Bamrauli.

The colony i grew up in during the mid 60s to mid 70s was a sprawling self sufficient one, went running into acres.

It had everything from a Kindergarten school, a club, Residential and official buildings, a swimming pool and entertainment center, hundreds of fully grown trees, creepers, bushes, seasonal and hardy plants, nooks and corners and a hundred other things to explore as a child.

But more than the physical aspect of the environment it was the elite gathering of neighbors that went a long way in molding my personality and giving me valueless.

Since i was one of the four daughters, there was never a question of discrimination My father who was more instrumental in imparting values to us, since Mum was always busy looking after a family of six, never ever told us not to do certain things. What he did tell us always was to conduct ourselves with grace and dignity.

Thanks to the warm, spacious colony i grew up exploring the outdoors. And playing every other game like pithoo, court and so on.

So venturing out of the house in the grueling heat of June, we would head to pluck the first bounty of raw mangoes, steal guvavas from orchards, maraud the neighbor's tree of every imaginable fruit like jamun and bers.

Climbing trees, hunting for bird's nests, collecting little velvety insects in our match boxes floating paper boats, dancing in the rain, we did to all, within the sheltered confines of the colony.

Since it was a unique Civil Aviation Training Center, called CATC, people from all over the county lived there.

My immediate neighbors were a Bengali and Manglorean family. My closest childhood friend was a Muslim. My closest school friend was a Christian . My KG Principal was a South Indian. My grade 2 class teacher was a Sikh lady. Besides this we also had a couple of Nigerians doing their training from the colony .

During the evening, at the club, a few Anglo Indian ladies would join us to play Tambola.

So i grew up in a forward, ahead-of-its times environment which was not only enlightening but essentially secular.

Those twelve years were not just the foundation of my life, but became my life's ethos.

Did i feel CHERISHED?

Absolutely. We were given everything a budget could afford. Education. Games. Holidays. Excursions. Attractive clothes. Participation in cultural programmes. Dance classes.Gardening and more.

I never ever felt that i was different from boys. We mingled easily with our neighbors. The demarcation came when i shifted to Zambiaat he age of 12. A year later i became a teenager or a 'Young lady'. I studied in a all girls school and suddenly the happy, carefree childhood was replaced with a 'conscious' growing up years.

But the idyllic childhood of Bamrauli would warm the cockles of my heart and whenever there were moments when i could not do certain things on account of being a 'girl', i would reminisce about my happy childhood. Twelve years of blissful growing up was a treasure trove for me.

Toady, as a mum of two grown girls things are very different.

Do i feel today's girls are EMPOWERED?

Yes, certainly. Women have made their presence felt in every field. From Defence , to Judiciary. Politics to Scientific Research. NGOs to CEOs. Entrepreneurs and more.

The IT revolution has contributed largely to women's empowerment. Access to knowledge and world events have empowered women. They have made them realize about their rights and how to go about fighting for them. Rememeber the PINK CHADDI campaign, post the moral policing in Mangalore? Yeah, women are no longer a mute witness, but are not only speaking their minds but taking action too.

We have a brave Sabina Lal fighting for justice for her sister Jessica. We have late Kalpana Chawla and Sunita trailing a blaze in space. We have beauty queens vowing the world , putting India on the world map.

Yes, today's woman is empowered but there is still the looming shadow of patriarchy The Delhi gang rape is a rude reminder of that. The Rape Bill passed was a diluted version of the expected Bill. But it happened , due to national and International pressure.

How can we SUPPORT our girls?

By educating them.

By instilling confidence in them.

By giving them equal opportunities as compared to boys.

By making them pursue their career goals before getting them married.

By making them eloquent about their wants and needs.

By making then discover Incredible India or letting them go backpacking across Europe.

Do i have a SPECIAL girl in my life?

Yes! I have TWO!

My girls :)

My elder daughter not only completed her Masters, but is working with an organization and pursuing her passion at the same time. While she works during the weekend, many weekends, she does Ramp Walk, pursuing her passion for modelling.

But what is most heartening for me as a mother, is when she accompanied me on my spiritual journeys. When i expressed the desire to go to Amarnath, she happily joined me. And when i fell ill in Sheshnag, she became the mother and looked after me so that i could quickly recover and complete my journey and have darshan of the Ice Lingam at the Holy cave.

And she repeated this feat when she once again took leave form her job , and accompanied me to Mahakumbh in Allahabad. At Varanasi the priest was so happy to see her that he remarked:

" Maa ko teerath yatra pe le kar aayi ho!"

My younger daughter too has proved her mettle. She was a delicate baby but proved her tough side when she decided to opt for doing her Internship in Pune rather than in NCR.

Six months later, she is back, having successfully completed her training. And with an Appreciation letter form the Hotel, for going beyond her duties, like grooming the new joinees and guiding them.

My girls are indeed precious to me. It is my endeavor that they experiences life in totality and be empowered. And when the time comes, start a family and make loving and responsible mothers and wives. Yeah, this is my dream for them.

I pray that our country breaks the shackles of Patriarchy and truly treats women with respect, dignity and equality. The day that happen, we will make our ancestors and country proud.

[This Post is part of the following contest by Women's Web.

This International Women's Day, let's celebrate femininity! Participate in our 'Celebrating Girls, Celebrating Women' contest! ]

IndiChange : An Equal Life

2013-03-23T12:39:00.000+09:00

The menace of Violence against women in our country was shockingly brought into focus when 23 year old Physiotherapy intern was brutally gang raped in Delhi and succumbed to her injuries after battling for her life for 13 days.

I was so Moved by her Death that i not only blogged about it but chose to break my silence and share my two incidence of sexual harassment.

During the 13 days she lay in hospitals, her body indented with more than half a dozen tubes, alternating between breathing on her own and via the ventilator , the nation woke up to the extremely gruesome reality of violence against women.

For the manner in which the victim was raped and maltreated indicated that the case of rape had little to do with sex and erotica but everything to do with VIOLENCE against women. How else can you justify the perpetrators inserting metal rods in her body? Mutilating her digestive and reproductive tracks?

But her death, became a reason of outrage for the country . Protests took place all over the country. Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkotta, Hyderabad, Mumbai, VIshakapatnam, Tiruvananthapuram.

In Delhi, the angry public took the agitation to India Gate and Raisina Hill, the residence of the President of India and the parliament. Women bravely faced the unjust out lash of Delhi Police , uncaring of being targeted unfairly. All they cared for was to make the voice heard, Justice for the gang rape victim. The agitations was also represented by a large section of men.

The outrage became both a national as well as International issue. So much so that former Chief Justice of India, J S VERMA was asked to prepare a report of all that was needed to bring about reforms in the current Rape laws.

29 days later, and after having gone through 80,000 suggestions from public, he tabled the report. The report clearly stated that the failure on the part of the government and the Police was responsible for Violence and crimes against women .

As a result of the report a Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha. It was indeed disappointment that on the day of voting, a large number of members were absent. What was even more shocking was the apathy of those who were present and the totally unwarranted remarks they made on the issue.

If our elected leaders are so immune to the reality of the crimes against women how can we expect people with little education to respect women and treat them with DIGNITY and EQUALITY?

The law which was finally tabled did not meet all that was expected. Nevertheless it is a beginning in the right direction. According to the last there is death penalty for extreme case of rape and 20 years of imprisonment for other cases . Acid attacks, Stalking, Voyeurism and trafficking of women are punishable under Crime law.

Rape is notoriously under reported simply due to social stigma. But also because of the insensitivity of dealing with the reports. The victim is made out to be the perpetrator, which is adding insult to the injury.

It is shameful that the capital of the country is also the rape capital of the world. Is this the face of Delhi we want to project to our fellow countrymen and to the world at large?

Perhaps it is in view of this that a few men from Bangalore and the Capital sought out unique ways to express their anguish at the horrendous treatment of women in out country.

A few good men from Bangalore wore skirts and protested against the crime against women.

And possibly inspired by the Bangalore men. 50 men from India who are part of India for integrity and Delhi Bikers gathered in new Delhi, India, to offer "Public apology" from Delhi men to commit to changing men's attitudes towards women.

The rape stats are shocking. In the year 2012, till the third quarter the number of rape cases reported were as below:

Inida 18, 358

USA 93,934

South Africa 54, 926

We in India believe that it is illiteracy, backwardness and narrow mindedness of the people which is responsible for the ill treatment and violence against women in our country How then can one justify the chilling statistics of USA?

It is clear that the plight of women across the world is pretty much the same.

Another gang rape which became a world issue is the tragic case of the 16 year old girl who was gang raped by two emerging football stars in Steubenville.

The most unbelievable part of this rape case is that the American media is more concerned about he careers of the tho boys who raped the girl. The victim is believed to be receiving death threats. Not just that, a women Blogger Alexandria Goddard who took pains to fight for the rights of the victim was shunned and maligned by all, including her best friend and her mother. How can we even think of getting justice for women if women themselves became our sworn enemies ?

Many NGOS are doing praiseworthy work to bring about a sweeping CHANGE for women's rights.

Breakthrough’s Bell Bajao! launched in India in 2008,

is a cultural and media campaign that calls on men and boys to take a stand against domestic violence. The campaign seeks to reduce domestic violence and to highlight the role that men and boys can play in reducing violence.

Breakthrough believes that in order for women, families, communities and nations to realize their full potential, we must bring domestic violence to a halt – everywhere. Bell Bajao calls on men and boys worldwide to ‘ring the bell’ to interrupt domestic violence. We believe domestic violence is everyone’s issue and see men and boys as our partners rather than perpetrators.

V-Day is a global activist movement founded by Eve Ensler,

a Tony Award winning Playwright, performer, and activist, is the author of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, translated into over 48 languages and performed in over 140 countries. V Day's aim is 'to end violence against women and girls'.

This year on 14th February , which is Valentines Day V Day celebrated is 15th anniversary by a campaign called : ONE BILLION RISING.

. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sex slavery.

Outraged by the Delhi gang rape, EVe Ensler travelled to India to witness the ftermth of gang rape and remarked;

"Having worked everyday of my life for 15 years on Sexual violence, I have never seen anything like this, where sexaul violence broke throught he consciousmness and was on the front page , nine articles in evey paper, in the center of every discourse, in the center of colegfe students discussions, in the center of any restaurant you went in. And I that what has happenbd in India , is really leading the way for the world. It has really broken through. They are actually fast tracking laws. Theyt are looking at sexual education. They are looking at the bases of patriarchy and masculinity and how all that leds to Sexual violence".

Stop Rape Now.org is another a UN Body working in this field.

UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action) unites the work of 13 UN entities with the goal of ending sexual violence in conflict. It is a concerted effort by the UN system to improve coordination and accountability, amplify programming and advocacy, and support national efforts to prevent sexual violence and respond effectively to the needs of survivors.

A lot is being done, but MORE needs to be done. At the Law making and enforcing level.

What CAN we do?

The NGOs are doing their jobs. We need to COOPERATE with them and give them our time.

In every neighborhood there is a NGO doing a little job. JOIN hands and help bring a Change.

BLOG about Women's plight. I blogged about a wonderful International women's Day initiative , 'A Rocking International Women's Day' IndiChange is a wonderful platform provided by Indiblogger to focus attention on Women.

AS MOTHERS teach your DAUGHTERS that they are equal in all aspects to their brothers.

As mothers teach your SONS that their sisters are EQUAL is all aspects to them, and deserve the same professional education and opportunities as them.

As TEACHERS inculcate the GENDER EQUALITY in children.

Tell your maids and other women from lower strata of life to send their daughters to SCHOOL. In some states like Haryana, girls education is not only free but they are being gifted cycles to reach their schools.

Participate in any ACTIVITY meant to highlight the plight of women. During the aftermath of Delhi Gang rape case my daughter and I participated in a Candle light March from Sector 15 Faridabad.

A Change will not happen overnight. But we have to take the first step and put it into MOMEMTUM.

I end this post for I CHANGE with the hope that it will once again stir the minds of people, awaken in them the need to redress women's Violence issue and Women will have 'AN EQUAL LIFE' across the world.

[This entry is my effort to IndiBlogger's campaign - ISB iDiya for IndiChange - with http://www.isb.edu/idiya/ under the topic -

Blog about any social cause you are passionate about, and its potential solution. If there are any inspiring people or organizations working towards solving it, blog about them as well. INR 30000 goes towards an NGO of your choosing!]

Happy MAHASHIVRATRI : March 10, 2013

2013-03-10T12:01:00.001+09:00

A ROCKING International WOMEN's Day

2013-03-09T14:30:00.000+09:00

As Women's day approached, around 8th march, I was mighty pleased to see that Indiblogger had arranged for a meet. Only this time, the venue was not a commercial upmarket hotel, but the hallowed British Council in new Delhi, giving the meet a truly International flavor.

Add to this appearances by actor Rahul Bose, Entrepreneur Priya Paul, Sitarist Anoushka Shankar made me drop my other plans of celebrating women' Day. What i did not know was the surprise package in the form of Mahabanoo Modi Kotwal and the Musical band SWARATHMA.

Perhaps some sixth sense made me aware that his event would turn out to be a most spectacular event - celebrating womanhood. so I decided to wear a saree and adorn my favorite peal string with it.

The evening was supposed to take off at 5.30. Despite my best efforts to be on time, I was caught in the traffic jam but still managed to reach by 5.45 p.m.

As i walked towards the open courtyard of the British Council, i was fazed to see a vibrant jam packed gathering with a high tech stage erected for stellar performances.

INDIBLOGGER and BREAKTHROUGH , a unique Global Human Rights Organization which

" Believes that:

'Human rights begin in our own hearts, homes and action".
Who work to make human rights real and relevant to everyone no matter where or how they live.

Who Create innovative, relevant Multimedia and pop culture that bring human right issues and values to the mainstream.

Who Inspire people to take bold action for social change - among their own peers and in their own spheres.

Who Envision a world where all individuals and communities live with dignity, equality and justice.

had decided to launch 'RING THE BELL' campaign.

Breakthrough's BELL BAJAO , launched in India in 2008, is a cultural and media campaign that calls on men and boys to take a stand against domestic violence. The campaign seeks to reduce domestic violence and to highlight the role tha tmen and boys can play in reducing violence.

For the year 2013, Bell Bajao's slogan is :

"When Men Gather it is not always Trouble"

"Treat Women with Respect". " Make a Promise".

Ring the Bell calss on men and boys around the world to take a stand and make a promise to act to end violence against women.

From 8th march 2013 to 8th march 2014 , we are going to get a Million Men to make a MILLION promises to ACT to end Violence against women.

Anoushka Shankar performing

Priya Paul and Rahul Bose

Anukriti ringing the Bell

Electrifying performance by Swarathama band

Say NO to violence

The goodies we got

The symbolic bell

Panel discussion on Advertisement and Masculinity

After the introductions by Sonali Khan of breakthrough, the kicked off to a mind boggling start.

The British High Commisioner Sir James Bevan addressed the audience with a heart warming speech, spoken not forma written paper but from the heart.

he ended by saying two famous quotes on women:

"Well behaved women seldom make history"

"Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings".

The special guests Sir James Bevan, Rajan Anand CEO Google, actor Rahul Bose, Ms Indrani Jaisingh, Additional Solicitor Governor of India, Priya Paul then rang the symbolic bell.

Incidentally the roof of the stage was totally covered with Bells hanging. On both sides of the stage were two symbolic ceremonial bells.

The first Panel discussion wads about the social legal and leadership tasks by women. Priya paul acknowledged the support and encouragement of male members in her family who helped her carve her destiny as an entrepreneur.

Rajan Anandan took the pledge that he would only fund those start ups in IT which have women in their team.

Next it was time for a revelation for me. Forgive my ignorance, but i had not heard of Mahabanoo Modi Kotwal as my theater activities have been near zilch. I had planned to Google her before going for the event but couldn't.

So, as i saw a middle aged lady, dressed immaculately in white, walking with utmost dignity to the stage , there was a fervor of anticipation in me. The white attire seemed to have some secret message.

As she sat down, she talked about a chance meeting with Eve Ensler, the author of Vagina Monologues and how the meeting changed her life.,

She started reading from a bunch of flashcards about "Yoni" or the Vagina. Her diverse narration about the yoni held me spellbound. I had never heard anything like this before. It was almost like being set free, to have her talk about the yoni in such an eloquent manner.

a while later she read out a heart warming poem by Eve Ensler titled 'Burqa'.

I listened to this poem too in rapt attention The reason being , as a child living in Allahabad, i was fascinated by the Burqa. I would watch in awe Muslin women from nearby village stop by at our garden fence to pluck henna leaves. As a child i had wondered what life was like to be ensconced in a flowing black robe that covered you from head to toe.

Forty years later nothing as changed. time has stood still.

I watched women from Middle East, wearing Burqas, get their Comprehensive health Check up done at Appolo Hopsital, thanks to medical tourism.

It is indeed strange that it took a western women to explore the plight of a Burqa clad woman. Just proves that East or West, women are alike and so are their aspirations and sentiments.

Nest Mahabanoo recited a poem on 'Mini skirt'. She declared that the mini skirt was a symbol of Azaadi. her means to ' add masti in my chaal '. and NOT an invitation to RAPE.

Needless to say the Vagina Monologues rendition in Hindi by Mahabanoo was the spectacular surprise of the evening for me, and you can forgive me for patting myself to make it to the British council.

The evening was slated to rise to a crescendo with two scheduled Musical program mes.

SWARATHMA, a musical band from Bangalore rocked the audience.

The first song they performed was 'Door Kinara" which had been composed in collaboration with Shubha Mudgil. The song ws about the quest for a mystical land.

The seconf song had the members of the band sporting Nehru cap. The song was a satire about the failed promise of every political party in the country.

The third song was the most attention grabbing and poignant. For it was based on Child Sexual Abuse.

Titled 'Gum' meaning 'lost', it had powerful lyrics:

परदे मेरे गवा हैं

उनको ही मेरी परवाह है .......

The fourth song was in Kannada about Bhumi becoming swarag ( Paradise)

The fifth song was again in Kannada a high voltage youth targeted one, where the lead singer not only did break dance but had the entire audience standing and clapping and dancing in a frenzy.

The sixth and the last song was about LOVE....

जन्नत है प्यार के द्वार ........

As they took their bow, the band took a pledge to help Stop violence through their Music.

You can rightly imagine, the smile never left our faces!!!

This concert was followed by the launch of INDI CHANGE , an initiative by Indiblogger .
to bring in change in society via blogging.

Next to this was a Panel discussion about 'Portrayal of women in Film, TV and Advertisement followed by another talk on 'Masculinity - drawing the lines'.

Rahul Bose, Advaita Kala, Rajan Mendonca, Advertising professional from Ogilvy and Mather, Anoop Jhonson, Co founder Indiblogger, took to stage.

Rahul Bose came up with two interesting view points.

First he cited the example of a Cooking oil advertisement. A worried wife changes the cooking oil that is more friendly to her husband;s ailing heart. Rahul said that the advertisement was totally patriarchal emphasizing that the father was the important , irreplaceable head of the family. Rahul said that the family should have been equally concerned about he health of the mother as she was the care taker of the entire family. He ended by saying that in the 30 sec ad, 'You have taken the country backward by a 100 years".

The second point he made was about masculinity. He said that for every abused woman, there is a traumatized/ashamed father, a traumatized husband and a traumatized brother. He felt that it was important to counsel these men and then bring them in the fold of making a pledge for stopping domestic violence against women.

It was strange but this aspect of masculinity had never entered my thoughts before. Thank you Rahul :).

And with this we came to the grand finale.

Anoushka Shankar took to the stage with Tanmay Bose on the table and two more artists , one each on the flute and a tanpoora.

She played three pieces in all, each based on a raaga.

The first one had been composed by her late father Pandit Ravi Shankar and was based on the moods of a woman.

As the performance progressed, the entire audience listened in rapt attention to the LIVE musical jugalbandi and the soul stirring strains of the Sitar.

the only thing missing were the stars in the night sky. But the energy, vibration and hypnotic musical extravaganza more than made up for it.

It was worth waiting for four hours to hear Anoushka perform.

Indiblogger and all other organizers, thank you for such an amazing Women's Day.

AS i end the post, another happy snippet.

Each one of us was gifted a Bag containing a Mug and a jotting pad and a pen.

I have placed the mug on my newly created workstation at home. And among the little nick knacks i bought for my desk from the local Archies shop and Dilli Haat, the mug with its strong message 'RING THE BELL' is the most precious piece on my desk.

Happy Women's Day :)

[Pics courtesy Anukriti Sharma]

Little moments of HAPPINESS 3

2013-02-11T10:24:00.003+09:00

And here they are:

Finding a thirty year old photo of Ma Santoshi i used to pray to as a kid, in my parent's home.

Finding carefully preserved Rudraksh beads of a broken Rudraksh necklace, after a decade.

The smell of sandalwood dhoop in my room.

When my phoolwala packs in petals of roses along with the regular marigold flowers.

The first positive , much awaited review of your first ever book.

When people from the younger generation relate to your writing and extend warm wishes.

Hotel Gujjufonia (click here).

Mum sending Kaanji and gobi, shalgam and gajar pickle.

When your neighbor stops the bike just to congratulate you on your first book.

The first wedding of the next generation in your family.

Hailstorms in winter *excitement*

Eating Pinni in winters.

A surprise call from a friend.

A get together of ex univ mates.

A day at the book fair.

A day at the Surajkund Crafts mela.

Meeting Facebook friends for the first time.

Writing poetry.

A facial at Kaya Clinic and the exotic Kaya drink.

When the RJ hosts a show in Punjabi and uses the punch line, 'mar jaawaan gud khaa ke'

A Blogger invite at a classy Sports bar at an even classier Mall

Punjabi Tips :)

2013-02-10T21:04:00.002+09:00

[Courtesy Dipankar Roy on FB]

~~Punjabi Tip # 01:
If it isn’t a Patiala peg, it isn’t a drink!

~~Punjabi Tip # 02:
When we say Cloney, we don’t mean George Clooney. It might mean Defence Cloney!

~~Punjabi Tip # 03:
A Punjabi wedding without alcohol will always have a drinks-car parked outside!

~~Punjabi Tip # 04:
If you’re Punjabi, you definitely know at least one Sweety, Sunny, Tony, Jassi or Honey!

No party is ...complete, till people start dancing & singing to ‘Oh Ho Ho Ho, Ishq tera tadpave’!

~~Punjabi Tip # 06:
Butter Chicken, Butter Naan and Butter Milk – Three course meal for a Punjabi!

~~Punjabi Tip # 07:
Tandoori Chicken, the National Bird of Punjab!

~~Punjabi Tip # 08:
‘Oye, Koyi nahi yaar’ is our reply to ‘Shit Happens’!

~~Punjabi Tip # 09:
If we use MC / BC more than 5 times in one sentence with you, we probably love you!

~~Punjabi Tip # 10:
The only people who proudly call themselves ‘Amplifiers’ and their girlfriends ‘Woofers’

!!Punjabi Tip # 11:
5 things Punjabi would have – Bullet (bike), Jutti, Ray Bans, Jeep and Woofers

~~Punjabi Tip # 12:
It doesn’t matter if you are from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu or Bangalore; we think you’re a ‘Madarasi’

~~Punjabi Tip # 13:
You know you’re Punjabi when your nickname at home is ‘Ullu de Patthe’ or ‘Khote de Puttar’

~~Punjabi Tip # 14:
Canada & UK – Part of Punjab.

~~Punjabi Tip # 15:
P is for ‘Panj Mint’ and no matter how near or far a Punjabi is from you, he always says he’ll reach in ‘Panj Mint’!

Hotel Gujjufonia :) :) :)

2013-02-10T18:01:00.000+09:00

[Courtesy Mahesh Murthy on FB]

After Hotel Keralafonia, it's Hotel Gujjufonia:

Hotel California - Gujju Style

On Eastern Express highway

Navratan tel in my hair

Warm smell of theplas

Rising up thru the air

Up ahead in the distance

I saw a shimmering light

My had grew havvy, aney sight grew dim

It was Hetal ben I was right!

There she stood on the highway

I heard the ringtone bale

And I was thinking to myself

This could be Phalguni Pathak, not Adele

Then she lit up a metch stick and she showed me the way

There were voices down the corridor

I thote I heard them say...

Welcome to the nite of disco dandiya

Such a lovely place

Such a lovely face

Planty of food at disco dandiya

Nine nights of year, you can find it here

Her mind is gathiya-twisted, she got the healthy thighs

She got a lot of pratty pratty boys, that she calls bhais

How they do garba in cot yard, switt summer swate

Some go arararara, and some forgate

So I called Baku fui's husband, please bring my chaas

He said we havent had that glass since we have nirjal upwaas

End steel those voices are colin froam far hawey!

Wake you up in the middle of ratrau

Just to hear them say...

Welcome to night of disco dandiya

Such a lovely base

Underneath your drase

They shakin it up at disco dandiya

What a nice surprise, bring Rames, Sures bhais!

Mirrors on the ghagra choli

Pink odhni that is supakk nice

Aney she jau we are al just dancer here, wearing zari work on Levi's

And then at Ghatkopar Samaaj hole,

They gaythered for the pheest

They eat it all with gusto

And go back to buffet for repeat!

Last thing I remember, I was

Running for the loo

I had to wait back

Ror people to finish before

Relax said Bakul maasa

We are programmed to receive

You can eat as much as you want

But you cannot just sheet

You will love this

2013-02-09T17:18:00.001+09:00

[Thank you Mathangi Kumar. This made me smile so much that am sharing it as a post.]

Here are some humorous statements made by airline flight crews...

"As we prepare for takeoff, please make sure your tray tables and seat backs are fully upright in their most uncomfortable position."

"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane..."

"Your seat cushions can be used for floatation, and in the event of an emergency water landing, please take them with our compliments."

"We do feature a smoking section on this flight; if you must smoke, contact a member of the flight crew and we will escort you to the wing of the airplane."

"Smoking in the lavatories is prohibited. Any person caught smoking in the lavatories will be asked to leave the plane immediately."

"Good morning. As we leave Dallas, it's warm, the sun is shining, and the birds are singing. We are going to Charlotte, where it's dark, windy and raining. Why in the world y'all wanna go there I really don't know."

Pilot - "Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land... it's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it affects the flight pattern."

Pilot - "Folks, if you were with us last week, we never got around to mentioning that it was National Procrastination day. If you get a chance this week, please try to celebrate it. If you can't get to it, then maybe try to do it at the weekend, but no big rush. Have a nice day."

And, after landing: "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

As we waited just off the runway for another airliner to cross in front of us, some of the passengers were beginning to retrieve luggage from the overhead bins. The head steward announced on the intercom, "This aircraft is equipped with a video surveillance system that monitors the cabin during taxiing. Any passengers not remaining in their seats until the aircraft comes to a full and complete stop at the gate will be strip-searched asthey leave the aircraft.

As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Washington National, a lone voice comes over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella...WHOA..!"

"Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the overhead area. Please place the bag over your own mouth and nose before assisting children or adults acting like children."

"As you exit the plane, please make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."

And from the pilot during his welcome message: "We are pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry... Unfortunately none of them are on this flight!"

This Valentine Day, love LIFE

2013-02-09T15:24:00.000+09:00

[This post is dedicated to my daughters]

Dear Anjouri and Surbhi,

Having a Blogger Mum comes with side effects. Too many sermons :). But i promise to control my maternal instincts and not bore you. But this Valentine day i decided to dedicate a post to both of you.

This Valentine Day instead of talking about red hearts, cute teddies and deep red , long stemmed roses, i shall share with you a few life truths. These are by no means the ultimate. As each one of us experiences life in our own way. You owe it to yourself to make your own decisions and experience life your own way. But a little gyaan from your Mum would not hurt for sure.

Let today mark the ending of one episode of your life, with a BEGINNING of a new one. Embrace CHANGE . Be open, but be SMART too. I dont have to tell you to be kind and compassionate because that you already are. You just have to be TRUE to yourself.

Never live in DENIAL.

Never ignore that little voice inside you. Your INTUITION Your basic instinct Your first untossed reaction to an event or a person. Because it is 99.99% TRUE. TRUST your thought process before it gets diluted by DOUBT or your soft nature.

By doing so, you CUT short the HAPPINESS you are due. The happiness you deserve.   Life is too SHORT to drag bullshit. Bullshit deserves to be treated with exactly that : BULLSHIT, and a NO NONSENSE attitude.

Remember in Life, BALANCE is very important.

Balance between Joy and Sorrow. For every life will surely have a mix of the two.

Balance between careful planning and spontaneity. Sometimes it is all about going with the GUT feeling.

Balance between Expenditure and Saving.

There will be times when people will be unkind. They will hurt you. Your faith will be shaken. But only for a while. Life will bounce back. And you will surely SMILE again.

Believe in karma. Do good. Oscar Wilde said, " To love oneself is the beginning of a life long romance".

Further, Lucille Ball said, 'You really have to love YOURSELF to get anything done in this world". I might add, that you also need to BELIEVE in yourself.

Remember, the GREATEST gift we humans have been given is the promise of a NEW day, to start afresh, with new vigor, new strength and with LESSONS learnt along the way.

On a BAD day, it is important to hold on. Hang on there. When the problem has been gnawing at you whole day long, it is the easiest thing in the world to snap, retaliate against your better judgement. You just need to allow yourself to be hurt and angry. The trick is to sleep over the issue and see things in new perspective the NEXT MORNING. There is something SACRED about early MORNINGS. A brand new day with immense possibilities. You can choose to be positive or negative. Obviously  choose POSITIVE.

CHERISH you close ones who stand by you in thick and thin
.
Marcel Proust said, "Let us be grateful to people who make us HAPPY. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls BLOSSOM".

Now a little bit about dreams and expectations. We all have dreams . And many come true. Some don't. What happens when life does not serve you what you desire. It passes by your most intense dream? Shock. Disillusionment Sadness. And could be worse. It is here we need to have shockers to bear the agony out. FAITH in the Almighty. Just be kind to yourself and say, " It did not work out. Never mind. I am not going to make this disappointment the be all and the end all of my life. I will get past this. This too shall pass."

So, PRAYERS will get you from DISAPPOINTMENT  to ACCEPTANCE.

Lastly,

HUMOR is the spice of life. A great STRESS buster.

And some Gender Equality :)

For Anjouri and me this Valentine will be special For we will be celebrating Valentine Day mid air. A midst the clouds . God's domain. When i booked the air tickets two months ago , it did not register that it would be Valentine. But what the heck. Its gonna be fun. Will miss you Surbhi. But there will be many more happy occasions. So dont fret.

So this Valentine day love LIFE! Happy Valentine Day!

Passion

2013-02-08T14:56:00.003+09:00

Yesterday's promises

Todays reality

A Passionate tale

The tortuous wait

The restless search

A Passionate tale

Gliding past mazes

Tripping over obstacles

A Passionate tale

A moment in time

When the world paused

A Passionate tale

The unbearable hunger

The screeching cry

A passionate tale

The burning touch

The maniacal frenzy

A Passionate tale

The rhythmic heartbeat

The entwined limbs

A Passionate tale

The sealed fate

The timeless saga

A Passionate tale