Rohit Tripathi's Blog

Hare Krishna Sad tune

2012-04-19T16:08:00.000+05:30

I have always hated commercial bhajans made for earning money, this one is different. Her soft voice melts my heart like an ice-cream in the sun so much love for my Krishna. She is calling Krishna from her heart and you can feel it in her voice, enjoy a Sad Hare Krishna tune today sung by a Krishna Bhakt

Hare Krishna

List of Sad Hindi Songs... let your heart CRY

2012-03-31T16:43:00.001+05:30

Music is your best friend. It is a companion who can never show a back. It is something which is relieving and breathtaking at the same time, satin-like and rocking as well, heart-breaking yet holding on to it. It is something you hear with the first streak of sunlight when the birds fly above covering the whole sky and uttering small beautiful notes of smile, love, laughter and cheer!

It also flows down with those playful waves of water which fall down the high mountains and spread across the plains – quenching the dryness and slowly falling into a soft humming synchrony.

Music come with the rustling of leaves in the green forests as a soul steps its feet on the ground. Why – doesn’t it also appear when it rains heavily and later, a soft breeze blows the tears off someone’s face as she peeps outside her window…she feels her pain revive and her tears trickle in the form of melodies of love – of parting – of sadness and reclusion.

Music helps you to let your emotions CRY. So for all the bad times or the good times, today I present you my favorite Hindi sad songs list.

Din Dhal Jaaye Haaye Raat Na Jaye
Movie - Guide
Singer – Mohammad Rafi

One of my all-time favorite song, from the simple yet heart touching lyrics by Shailendra, Makhmali singing by Rafi Saheb and extraordinary onscreen performance by Dev Anand ji everything is so memorable about it. Every time when I hear “Pyar mein jinke sab jag choda aur hue badnaam…. Unke hi hanthon haal hua hai baithe hai dil ko thaam” my heart stops and get lost in the pain of the GUIDE Raju.

Download - Din Dhal Jaye haaye Raat na Jaye

Tere Khusboo Mein Base Khat
Movie – Arth
Singer – Jagjit Singh

I was introduced to this fantastic song by one my colleague in my last company. It’s a Ghazal (some people say Nazm?) from the movie full of other musical jewels Arth and sung by the Ghazal maestro JagJit Singh ji, he is no more with us now but his voice will be always around. It takes us back to world where writing letters was the only way to reach to our loved ones. Bas Ab kaha Kalmo se pyar ki barsaat hoti hai.. Ab payar SMS se Kiya jata hai” one beautiful line from this masterpiece “Jinka Har Labz Mujhe Yaad Hai Paani Ki tarah.. Yaad Hai Mujhko Paigam E Nishani ki taram”

Download – Tere Khusboo Mein Base Khat

Woh Jab Yaad Aaye
Movie – Parasmani
Singer – Lata – Rafi

Always a pleasure to hear, such wonderful lyrics and nothing can beat the Jodi of Lata – Rafi. No matter how many times I play it, it never gets old. “ Kai baar Aisa Bhi Dhoka Hua Hai, Chale Aa Rahe Hai Wo Nazre Jhukaye”

Download – Woh Jab Yaad Aaye

Ja Rahe Ho Sanam Door Mujhse Agar
Album - Unknown
Singer – Ganesh Hegde

this song is basically is a prayer from the lovers to their loved ones not to knock on the door again when they decided to move on. The lyrics are touching and can easily make you cry if you have ever felt the pain of separation. “tumne maangi dua humko miley har khushi, tum hi meri khushi phir kyun miley na hamein?”
Download – Ja Rahe Ho Agar

Koi Ye Kaise Bataye Movie – Arth
Singer Jagjit Singh

Another masterpiece from Jagjit sing and Arth, you should watch this movie once just for brilliant songs in it. I wonder how Jagjit could sing so amazingly. The lyrics are soulful and go deep inside. “Kehte Hai Pyar Ka Rishta hai janam ka rishta.. Hai Janam Ka ye Rishta to Phir Badalta Kyu hai?”

Download – Koi Ye Kaise Bataye

some other favorite sad Hindi songs

Tere Bina Zindagi – Aandhi
Mera Jeevan Kora Kagaz
Jhuki_Jhuki_Si_Nazar
Tune Mujhe Pehchaana Nahin – Rachu Chacha

What are your favorite sad Hindi songs?

Republic Day Parade - My heart beats for you INDIA

2012-01-27T09:40:00.003+05:30

Did not have the phone to record what all I saw today, but this video comes close to the experience it was! Everybody must watch the republic day parade at India Gate atleast once! the strength of our army, the navy, the air force...just fills your heart with ssoooo much pride! that 21 gun salute in the beginning shook me from inside...then the air force show!!! Spectacular! Feel so proud today. Watching all these soldiers do so much for the country, it made me a better person somewhere. There was a march by retired army soldiers, in their 60s or 70s..felt so awesome to see the pride on their faces! Then the children winning the bravery awards...they were being waved back even by the police controlling the crowds!! Having an eye contact with a person performing on a tableau (jhaanki :)) and then getting a smile back felt great. Clapping for the dancing kids, waving at every single person waving at u, hooting for them, just so beautiful. and and and THE moment of the day: rose petals falling on your head from the helicopters!!! This was one beautiful day! I am proud of all that we have to thank for. The fire to serve the country just became fiercer.

Ps - Thanks to one of our office colleague and dear friend for arranging the republic day parade passes

Trip to Czech Republic: Delhi to Prague – Part I

2011-12-21T17:23:00.001+05:30

Prague

~~First Girlfriend~~, First Passport application, First time to an International Airport, First time in a plane, First time to a Foreign Land, so many things…and all happened for the very FIRST time! Is that what you call ‘love just happens’?

Life started to change when I met some foreigner friends in Shimla and then in Amritsar at the time of Diwali last year. Since then, life has been busy and interesting with travel to new destinations and meeting new people. The best trip came last month when I got an invitation to visit my dear friend Alenka who belongs to Czech Republic in Europe.

From old red roof buildings to castles of amazing people, the very idea was so exciting! I didn’t have much time to plan things meticulously. Not that I wanted to…. I wanted to just rush and not miss the opportunity in any way! There was loads to arrange which started from money, office leaves (I had already taken more than 72 leaves in last 1.2 years for bad health and of course, my travel adventures), invitation letter to passport and much more. I am unable to describe the happiness in words when after lots of struggle and shayanpanthi (sorry I cannot say it cheating) and of course, some good luck, I got my Passport. Believe me, this shitty small piece of paper is damn difficult to get here in India and I will rate it as one of my achievements in last 22 years. The decision day was close and Alenka also managed to send me an “invitation letter” which was supposed to help with the visa process (I thank her for that). With the dream of my maiden foreign trip and billions of thoughts in my heart, I went to the Czech embassy in Chanakya Puri for my visa application the very next day. It took me two hours to submit the form and I waited for another two hours for the interview. I learnt the word “Ahoi” from Alenka and decided to use it and impress the Czech woman interviewing. It was a short interview for 10 minutes I guess that I almost messed it up. Here is an excerpt:

“Interviewer: So is it your first Europe trip?

Me: Yes, it is.

Interviewer: Okay. How do you know Mr. David?

Me: David? Oh yeah! He is father of my friend, Alenka.

Interviewer: hmm, how do you know Alenka?

Me: Ahh! We were studying Hindi in Kendriya Hindi Sansthan from last one year.

Interviewer: Who is sponsoring your trip?

Me: Myself.

Interviewer: Do you work?

Me: Yeah. I work for TERI (The energy and Resources institute).”

Now here comes the tricky question with a suspicious look on her face.

“Interviewer: so in last year you were working with TERI and studying Hindi also?”

Nervasia gaye Hum aur bole…

“Me: nah I wasn’t studying with her, I was just helping her in her Hindi classes. “

After that she checked my documents for the trip which included the invitation letter, my air tickets and more. Now, here comes the twist - I forgot to take a print (I was so dam nervous you see) of my return ticket from Prague to Delhi. She asked me “Are you not coming back to India?” It occurred to me that all my hard work was about to go down the drain but my ever-so-expensive hobby of having luxurious mobiles gave me some instant relief. I offered her to show the tickets right now on my mobile. The lady was kind enough and told me to submit the hard copy later to the embassy. I breathed a sigh of relief. With huge expectations and new dreams, I came back to the office and started to await an amazing journey. A journey full of surprises was in front of me. I did not know how things would be when I got there. I only knew that I was just going to do something which I may not even have dreamt of doing so and that too so early in my life. With no connections abroad and no specific thoughts of making career abroad, I became among those select people who travel for adventure. In my case, it was a little more than that. This journey would also include my meeting with someone – someone special who came into my life all of a sudden and life changed. In fact, I did not even know how to put this relation under a category. I may look tough by face but I am quite emotional at heart. I never knew that this trip would give a definition to whatever I felt and would change my future vision. Finally, I got my visa too, surprisingly left from office easily and started to prepare for the first trip to a foreign wonderland.

My flight was at 4.30am in the morning and I decided to reach the airport around 1:00 A.M. I took my parents blessings and thanked them in my heart for being so understanding (none of them asked me why, where, when). I was surprised to see our own Indira Gandhi International Airport (though we spent 2.1 Billion $ on it) which seemed out of the usual India in simple words. I went inside the airport and my feelings fell somewhere between nervousness and excitement. Everything looked like a dream and Rohit Tripathi was moments away from his dream trip to Europe or say to ~~see ‘Alenka in wonderland’. Fantasizing the future and decorating them with Alenka’s stars, I was looking forward to the ‘unknown’.~~ To be Continue....

Rudrabhishek

2011-12-06T13:48:00.000+05:30

To see god from so close is always an amazing experience, I did Rudrabhishek (it is a part of a Hindu Pooja (prayer) that involved pouring milk and a special concoction of milk, buttermilk, and spices over Shiv Linga (statue of Lord Shiva) to cleanse it.) the environment, melodic sound of priest chanting vaidik mantras in Sanskrit and the peace it brings to the heart… I am Blessed. Thank you lord

Mera Gam Hi Aakhir Mere Kaam Aaya

2011-12-04T15:42:00.002+05:30

Found this beautiful heart touching song sung by Babbu Mann from his album Mera Gam, i have Mp3 verson of this song in case you need that, write meat rohittripathi60@gmail.com

Mera Gam Hi Aakhir Lyrics

Mera Gam hi aakhir mere kaam aaya..- 2
Aaj bahut roya ki aaram aayaa..
Mera Gam hi aakhir Mere Kaam Aaya

Lakh Chupaya is zamane se - 2
Meri Ghazal mein Aakhir Tera naam aaya
Aaj bahut roya ki aaram aaya
Mera Gum hi aakhir mere kaam aaya

Chod di kab ki zindagi humne - 2
Chod ke jab se shahar tera apne gaon aaya
Aaj bahut Roya ki aaram aaya
Mera Gum hi aakhir mere kaam aaya

So rahe the chain se kabr mein - 2
Uth gaye sar pe achanak jo tera paon aaya
Aaj bahut Roya ki aaram aaya
Mera gam hi aakhir Mere kaam aaya

Hasra ka din hai aaj Jashn mana,
Bandh ke sar pe Kafan aaj Maan aaya
Aaj bahut roya ki aaram aaya
Mera gam hi aakhir Mere Kaam Aaya

Mohyal Ashram Haridwar Review: Close to the GOD

2011-11-28T17:24:00.002+05:30

Mohyal Ashram Haridwar

Laziness kept me away from my blog for long. The last 2-3 months were quite happening and I got a chance to visit Europe…aahh we will speak about that later. Couple of weeks back, I came back from a trip to Haridwar. It was my second trip to the gate of heavens and the highlight was simply sacred - our own Ganga. It was a short trip of two days and the emphasis was more on the religious significance of such places because high on our agenda was bathing in the holy river Ganga, visiting 'Mansha Devi' and 'Chandi Devi' temples, and attending the famous Aarti on Har ki Pauri in the evening at Haridwar. I have been to this place earlier and as if my last experience needed just another visit to make its imprint stronger that my eyes got to witness another beautiful evening at Haridwar. Evenings at haridwar are not like the usual ones. There are small deepaks (tiny oil lamps) which glow with their yellowish orange light in the water on floating green leaves with a handful of flower petals slowly slide down the leaf into the sacred river of Ganga. The aura, the atmosphere and the air seem to fill ones heart with devotion and the soul seems to reach out to god himself. The soothing warmth of the deepaks is felt on the hands of the devotees who try their best to save the Deepak from blowing off with the cool breeze flowing during winters. If you plan to go there sometime then sit by the river and let the water take away all your worries, tensions and pains to give only give you lots of satisfaction.

Ashram Room

About Mohyal Asram – last time, we stayed at hotel Teerth next to the Ganga Ghat but we wanted to give a try to the long list of endless Aasrams in Haridwar. We got a reference of Mohyal Ashram from one of our friend and decided to give it a try. I called them and inquired about the availability and booked one non A.C room in advance. We reached Aashram early in the morning and were surprised a bit with the cleanliness and well managed rooms.Rooms had an attached bathroom with hot water and shower, lovely balcony with temple view, it was quite luxurious for the price we paid. Spread in a huge sprawling area, it is a very humble and a serene place located a bit away but very well connected from the town. It was calm and laid back retreat from the maddening tourist rush. The rooms were large and clean with spacious balconies (they have A.C rooms also), a huge and lovely temple in center and lots of greenery around. Ahh…we really enjoyed our stay. More than the place, it was about the good people we met at the Aashram From the lady who handed us the room keys to the people who were serving FREE food (yes, it is true that they serve Free morning Breakfast, Lunch, Evening snacks and dinner – all very hygienic and homely) They all were very nice to us (or may be because I was there with a beautiful Girl?) I will definitely recommend Mohyal Ashram to anyone planning for a trip to Haridwar. It’s cheap. It is clean and worth your money :)

Ashram Contact
MOHYAL ASHRAM
Mohyal Asram Marg,
Haridwar-Rishikesh Road,
Bhoopatwala (Opp. Shanti Kunj), Haridwar
Ph: 01334-261336, 261337
Telefax: 01334-262472
TATA Indicom: 09219441127
Email: \n mohyalashram@netone.in

Rockstar Movie Review - "Mohit Chauhan is Bigger Rockstar"

2011-11-20T23:16:00.027+05:30

The rockstar of the movie, if any, was Mohit Chauhan!

In one line- Average movie with good music. A. R. Rehman has never let us down, has he? Ok now, to the movie. Really not upto the mark. Let me criticize first, and then probably neutralize it! A dumb actress who missed her dialogue delivery classes before shoot. Infact in the initial first half, I wanted to hide myself for such pathetic dialogue delivery. In the second half, probably I got used to it. The woman looked like Angeline Jolie, with the pout and all that, she had beautiful hair, but that’s it. Kingfisher calendar shoot is much difficult than a full-fledged movie, after all.

About the so called humor: It sucked, big time. The first half was supposed to be funny, I read! But who gets amused by lame samosa-chutney jokes these days! And really there was NO humor in the canteen guy’s overzealous advices of an-artist’s-life-is-full-of-pain shit. Besides, Ranbir Kapoor (aka Janardan- alias Jordan) just went to talk to the girl because his college canteen guy told him that he needed to have a love life/a broken one to be a soulful artist.

Anyways, the ‘story’ (if there was any) was badly done. There was just a meager 10% content, which they wanted to convey as 100% - failed miserably. The guy wants to be a rockstar--needs a girl--gets her almost--she has a fatal disease--she dies--the guy is a rockstar. That IS it.

Sure there is experimentation -- in cinematography, music, camerawork. But when you do all that, you have an added responsibility to make it work. Not everyone can be a Farhan Akhtar. Rock On was a class apart. Wish Imtiaz had shared his pre-filming woes with Farhan. Now if I actually come to think of it, Rockstar wasn’t 10% of Rock On!

Some people feel being experimental is cool; indeed it is, given you can bring it out effectively. Ranbir did his best, but it seemed purposeless after a certain point. Good try, but something in him, in his actions was purposeless.

In a strangely honest way, I feel the movie was for Mohit Chauhan. He nailed it. The songs in his voice have been a pleasure. The rockstar of the movie, if any, would be Mohit Chauhan. Two or three songs were just amazingly arranged and composed. His songs just linger cack home with you. This is how a pro is differentiated in the herd. Rehman has turned the music upside down, but what a way to do it! It sounds fabulous. I want to give a special mention to the song, ‘hawa hawa’, beautifully put together. When you experiment, you got to be extra careful of not making it just appeal to yourself!

How could I miss the cameo by Shammi Kapoor! His presence brought warmth to the film. That he is no more, made his appearance special. The bits of shehnai here & there was like icing on the cake of music. Also, at certain places the chemistry between the lead pair did work. The scenes, apparently Kashmir, were just wonderful. ‘Katiya karoon’ in the background kept things moving. The Kashmiri touch in clothes, the wedding style, everything very pleasant.

I just wish these fragments of good show fitted each other well to make it into something bigger and grander.

Surprisingly I hear news of Ranbir having hiked his fee to 15 crore after this movie. Not worth it. I mean he is decent, but really not THERE yet. He tried too hard. I can’t see much improvement/experimentation in his acting since ‘wake up sid’. He looks silly! But may be because of dearth of new faces, Ranbir has become popular. Acting skills need improvement, still. He looks unnatural. But if anyone in the movie tried hardest to keep it alive, it was him. Others failed flat.

How much ever hard work you put in, it has to be backed by a good, interesting storyline. It was just another love story with too much loud (and good) music.

Now let me quote one of my friend, about the movie “An 'artist' is an 'artist' because he is passionate about "ART"; not because he is passionate about a woman, and is ready to leave his audience waiting and live show canceled for no reason. The movie was incorrectly named "Rockstar". It should have been named "Another love story".

I give 10/10 to the music, 7/10 to Ranbir, 2/10 to Nargis, 10/10 to Rehman, and 5/10 to Imtiaz. With that, I sign off!

Komal

Romantic Hindi songs List

2011-10-18T13:56:00.002+05:30

Top 10 Soft romantic songs

"I am happy to announce that we have a guest writer for our blog; she is a colleague of mine and will share her favorite Hindi songs"

Hello everyone, I am Komal Sharma, and just like all of you, I am also a music lover who likes to share her thoughts on what she likes. I present to you a selection of songs which I really admire. These songs have touched many hearts. I hope you all enjoy these and share your thoughts with me too.

1) Tu Bin Bataye Mujhe le Chal Kahin (Rang de Basanti)

This is a beautiful calm song, picturized on Soha Ali Khan and R. Madhvan from the famous movie Rang De Basanti. The song takes you in a world where there is so much joy…and the true happiness which lies in love. It says…that all my happiness lies in you…it lies where you are. A true dedication to your loved one.
“jise tu gungunaye meri dhun hai wahin, jahan tu muskuraye meri manzil wahin”…..these words can hardly leave any heart untouched.

2) Chal chalein apne ghar…(Who Lamhe)

I don’t know what to say about this song…the moment it starts…the music sets the tone. It is as romantic as it could get…the song is from the movie Who Lamhe, where Shiny Ahuja takes care of a mentally sick Kangna Ranaut…the songs takes you through the stages of love between a couple…how much he/she can do for the other one…the extent to which he can care for her..the depth of his love is shown in his care for her …like a baby he makes her eat, get ready, combs her hair, reads her books, takes her for a walk, in every small way, bringing a smile on her lips..

3) Dil hoom hoom kare… (Rudali)

This masterpiece is from the movie Rudali…sung by the maestro, Bhupendra Hazarika. It takes you to the sand dunes of Rajasthan…a lonely woman…crying for the loss of her partner…it just makes you feel like crying. The husky voice of Bhupendra Hazarika…touches you at a level, rarely any other song manages to reach. An eternal song of love…pain…separation…and the fact that love never dies…as it’s a feeling …an immortal feeling which can never cease to exist.

4) Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi…(Ghajini)

Aamir Khan is madly in love with Asin…he cherishes the pure love she has for him…the real person he is and not the business tycoon. He has fallen for her simplicity and genuineness. This song is a heartfelt note . This song has some really beautiful and deep lyrics…
main toh yeh sochata tha, ke aaj kal uparwale ko fursat nahi…phir bhi tumhe banaake woh, meri nazar mein chadh gaya…rutbe main woh aur badh gaya…. Simply outstanding, deep, and thoughtful lyrics.

5)Nahin saamnein ye alag baat hai… (Taal)

Akshay Khanna and Aishwarya Rai…Manav and Manasi…are in love…Manav is separated from his Manasi due to the circumstances, and has realized that it was his fault for the misunderstanding. He madly wants her back…he can do anything to get her back…he has faith in the power of true love. This song takes us through the emotions he feels when he is separated from his lover…

6) Mere sang to’ chal zara (New York)

Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Jhon Abraham are three friends, studying in New York. They become victims of the anti-Indian/Muslim sentiments post 9/11 in America. In the song…Katrina is trying to make her lover Jhon Abraham feel secured…She is helping him to come out of his depression due to the forced conviction he faced…even though he was innocent. A lovely song that touches your soul and emphasizes on the thought – ‘being there for your loved one, no matter what’.

7) Na hai ye…paana..tum se hi.. (Jab we met)

Tum se hee din hota hai…surmayi sham aati hai…tum se hee.. tum se hee… na hai ye…paana…a superb song… Shahid and Kareena share a great chemistry in this movie. Geet (Karrena) shows Shahid the way to live life…it’s a bubbly film of their romance and what all it takes to realize that you have found your true love. Mohit Chauhan has made this an immortal song..you can listen to it so many time in a go, that you will lose count.

8) Aankhon mein teri…ajab si ajab si..(Oom Shanti Oom)

Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone have a soft…naïve love beginning between them…one is a celebrity actress, the other one is just a side actor…This song in singer Abhijeet’s voice has so much eaze around it…it gives so much time to feel each and every work deeply…An all time favourite song!! ‘Teri nazroon ne dil ka kiya jo hasher…asar ye hua…..ub in mein hee doob ke mar jaaon main..yahi hai dua…’

9)Oo Sathi Ree.. (Omkara)

The movie..based on the play ‘Othello’ was a classic, as the book. This song here clearly underlines the turmoil of emotions in the leading lady (Kareena) and hero (Ajay Devgan’s) hearts…”Jealousy” is the word…The husband starts to believe that his wife is cheating on him, even when she is not. It is the master mind of the villain (Saif Ali Khan) who ends up being successful in his mission of separating the two.

10) Tu hee meri shab hai…(Gangster)

This story of a Gangster is a real tough movie, which underpins subtle emotions…Shiney Ahuja (the gangster) falls in love with Kangna Ranaut…He wants to leave his negative ways to be with her…but destiny has different plans for him. This beautiful song here expresses how the lady in his life has changed his world forever…

Many more songs to come….Keep reading….and be with me in this musical journey… Komal Sharma

Best Ghazals of Jagjit Singh.. Top 10 my Favorite

2011-10-11T12:49:00.001+05:30

"Akhri hichki teray zanon pay aye. Maut bhi mayn shairana chahta hon ...

Thak gaya mai karte karte yaad tumko Ab tujhay mayn yaad ana chahta hon....."

It is not just his overwhelmingly heart-tugging voice and serene rendition of ghazals that will stay with his admirers. For there are far too many accomplishments that grace the legend of Jagjit Singh.

Yeah it’s still difficult to believe that he left us but before leaving he gave us something which will always remind us of his great work, He was not the first Ghazal singer. But he was the first one to sing the ones which college guys like me could understand, something which travelled heart to hearts. He brought Ghazals to common man.

Here's looking back at the legendary singer's best-loved numbers or say my favorite Jagjit Singh Ghazals

1. Pyar ka Pehla Khat Likhne mein

“Naye parindo ko udne mein Waqt to lagta hai”…

This is the song which brought me close to Jagjit Singh’s magic world, so deep lyrics and his magical singing makes it my most favorite Ghazal sung by this maestro. I am and I am sure I will be in love with this song forever

2. Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar

“Teri Ummeed pe thukra raha hu Duniya ko.. Tujhe bhi apne pe wo aitbaar hai ki nahi.. Daba Daba Sa sahi”…..

I saw the Movie Arth because of this song and found some other beautiful songs compose and sung by Jagjit singh ji. This is on no.3 in my mobile’s most played songs list.

3. Kabhi yu bhi to ho…

“ye baadal aisaa Tuut ke barase, mere dil ki tarah milane ko, tumhaaraa dil bhii tarase, tum nikalo ghar se’’….. Resham si aawaz aur virah ka raag.. aameen

4. Teri Khushboo Mein Base Khat..

“Tere Khat aaj mai Ganga Mein Baha aaya hu… Aag bathe hue paani mein laga aayaa hu”….

I can listen it to thousands of times.. This is connected to almost every young boy… In those emotionally turbulent and messed up times; Jagjit's ghazals were an anchor for guys like me.

5. Yeh daulat bhi le lo, Jazbah

'...Magar mujhko lautado bachpan ka sawaan.Woh kaagaz ki kasti, woh baarish ka paani...'

Switch it on and get lost in the beautiful and carefree childhood days.. EverGreen you will be missed….. a lot

6. Hothon se choo lo tum, Prem Geet

“Jag ne Cheena Mujhse.. mujhe job hi laga pyara”….

One of his most famous Filmi hits, he was nominated for filmfare award for the same

7. Koi Ye Kaise Bataye… Arth

“Another masterpiece from Arth”…

8. Tumko Dekha to Ye Khyal Aaaya

“Aaj Phir Dil ne ek tamanna ki… aaj Phir Dil ne Humko samjhaya”

Javed Akhtar's enchanting imagery, Kuldip Singh's mellifluous tune, Jagjit Singh's expressive recital. There's much to enjoy in this timeless melody from Saath Saath, a marital drama starring Farookh Shaikh and Deepti Naval.

9. Hazaron khwaishen aisi, Mirza Ghalib

It takes me to a different world… sach hazaro Khwaishe aisi ki har Khwaish pe dum nikle

10. Chithi na Koi Sandesh

"Ek Aah bhari hogi.. humne na suni hogi.. Jaate Jaate tumne aawaz to di hogi”…

The first song I played after the sad news

There are many more gems to be listed and I know I have missed many but I said before these are my favorite ones…

In last I would just say that there can only be one Jagjit Singh, he brought so much joy through his music. May his soul rest in peace am sure he will live forever in the human hearts through his soothing music

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult: Not everybody has an option

2011-08-24T14:21:00.000+05:30

My Sister's Keeper

WARNING: This book will probably make you cry.

With every passing book, they seem to becoming my best friend and close to my heart. I have just finished reading “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult and yet again another book touched my heart and made me cry again, I saw the trailer first on HBO and was curious since then to the idea of a child going to court against her own family. At first I found the writing sort of... typical. Nothing particularly surprising in the style and word choice, but as I got into it the moral questions raised by the story definitely had me deep in thought.

This book deals with sensitive topics very gracefully. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view, which I loved. It gave the story so many different perspectives. There was a depth of character that you don't normally get in books that are told by one narrator. This is a story of a normal family, dealing with a life-threatening sickness, and I liked the fact that it didn't seem like a corny ER episode, where everything is way too dramatic. In my opinion, it was a very accurate portrayal of the struggle and grief a family goes through as they fight cancer.

Basically the book revolves around the Fitzgerald family. The middle daughter, Kate, has been battling cancer since she was diagnosed at the age of two. When various treatments fail, the parents are advised by the oncologist to look into trying to have another baby in the hopes that he/she will be a match for Kate. Anna is genetically engineered to be Kate's perfect match and so begins her saga to be the "spare parts" for her sister, Kate. Until the day that she decides that she has had enough.

The strong response was my anger toward the girls' mother, Sara. Throughout the course of the book, she is so wrapped up in her daughter's illness that she fails to see the damage that she is doing to her other children.

Since I don't want to give away the ending, I will say that the most important lesson I took away from the book is learning when it's time to let go.

Thank you for reading

Rohit Raghvendra Tripathi

Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya - Mahabharata and ME

2011-08-10T10:28:00.003+05:30

Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya - Arjuna & Krishna

Mahabharata the greatest epic ever, something connected from my childhood, Arjuna, bheem, Duryodhan, Pitamaah.. Aaaaaah

Someday we will discuss Mahabharat and my childhood here, for today Lets recall one of the most well-known verses from the Bhagawad-Geeta

यदा यदा ही धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत, अभ्युथानम् अधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् |

परित्राणाय साधुनाम विनाशाय च: दुष्कृताम, धर्मं संस्थापनार्थाय सम्भावामी युगे युगे ||

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

Paritranaay Sadhunaam

Vinashay cha dushkritam

Dharma Sansthapanarthay

sambhawami yuge yuge

Approximate translation:

Whenever there is decline of Dharma (righteousness)..and rise of Adharma (unrighteousness);
To protect the virtuous..to destroy the wicked and to re-establish Dharma,

I manifest myself, through the ages.

ये बरिशे और वो तेरा साथ....

2011-07-08T09:39:00.004+05:30

ऐसी ही रिमझिम सी बरसात में.... कुछ पल साथ चले थे हम...
Frame करा लिया है उन लम्हों को..

की अब वैसी बरसात नहीं होती.........

My new Samsung Galaxy SII - The Brightest star

2011-07-06T12:53:00.003+05:30

Samsung Galaxy SII

Wow with looking in to one of the brightest screen in front of my eyes I announce - Rohit Tripathi has the new Samsung Galaxy S II in his hands, one hell of amazing phone, the 4. 3 inch amazing display, Amazingly fast dual core processor, instant GPS lock, slim design, weight only 116 grams, smooth browsing experience, 1080p video recording, 8 mega pixel camera, and as usual a bad battery backup (Android is the one to blame) is how you can summarize this monster by Samsung. It all started with my HTC Desire decided to take a dip in bucket full of water and I was forced to think of a new mobile (I still love my HTC desire like an Ex-girlfriend) and as usual went for the best one available in the market. Here is the list of features of my new love

Key features

Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support
21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support
4.3" 16M-color Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen of WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution
Android OS v2.3.3 with TouchWiz 4 launcher
1.2 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU, Mali-400MP GPU, Exynos chipset, 1GB of RAM
8 MP wide-angle lens autofocus camera with LED flash, face, smile and blink detection
1080p HD video recording at 30fps
Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g and n support
GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
16/32GB internal storage, microSD slot
Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Charging MHL microUSB port with USB host and TV-out (1080p) support
Stereo Bluetooth v3.0
FM radio with RDS
Great audio quality
Extremely slim waistline at only 8.5mm and low weight (116g)
2MP secondary video-call camera
Full Flash support and GPU-acceleration for the web browser permit 1080p flash video playback
NFC support (optional, not without a software update)
Document editor
File manager comes preinstalled
The richest video format support we have seen

Main disadvantages

All-plastic body
No dedicated camera key
Heat sometimes
Super slim body has poor grip when taking pictures
Non-hot-swappable microSD card

Chanakya Quotes... The Master of Nitishashtra

2011-06-22T14:51:00.000+05:30

For centuries to come and the centuries that went by, which recorded in history talking of the great men and legendary characters who shaped time through their vision and exemplary actions. Chanakya, perhaps is the only personality who has been accepted and revered as a genius both by Indian and Western scholars. He is a historical milestone in the making of India amidst tremendous upheavals and myriad’s of reversals. Celebrated as a shrewd statesman and a ruthless administrator, he comes across as the greatest of diplomats of the world. He had the guts to speak his heart out even in front of the rulers, which shows his strong inclination to democratic values and the audacity to put his views through. Although, he lived around the third century BC, his ideas and principles show concurrence and validity in the present day world.His principles are worth reading even today. It was his principles only that created a world class ruler from a simple boy... Here are some famous quotes from him

“A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first.”

“Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.”

“The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody! It will destroy you.”

“There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no Friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.”

"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind.
But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."

“Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions – Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”

“As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.”

"An enemy’s trouble is pleasant to hear."

"In an assembly , an enemy should not be angered(or criticized)."

"There is no wealth equal to food."

"There is nothing uneatable for a hungry one."

“Once you start working on something, don’t be afraid of failure and don’t abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”

“Whores don’t live in company of poor men, citizens never support a weak company and birds don’t build nests on a tree that doesn’t bear fruits.”

“God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.”

“A man is great by deeds, not by birth.”

“Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.”

“Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.”

“Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.”

“Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.”

Top 10 Hindi Movies: Bollywood at its Best

2011-06-06T16:02:00.000+05:30

Cinema and cricket are the two religions in India and I am an all time follower of both the religions. Sitting on my relaxing chair, I thought to list and share my top 10 all time hits from Bollywood with you all, the list includes some of the best Comedy, Romance, Love, Action and Drama, Here is the list of my Favorite Top 10 Best Hindi Movies

1) 3 Idiots (2009)

Starting with my super duper hit 3 Idiots. Directed by Raj Kumar Hirani, starring Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor and Boman Irani, is a perfect portrayal of the life of any youngster in this world. The movie displays everything from a serious remark on the current examination system to the unbreakable bond of friendship, love, all in a wonderful genre called Comedy. Truly, there can be no other delight than to watch this movie any number of time.

2) Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995)

Directed by Aditya Chopra, I do not even need to mention the cast as this movie has broken records of all times and is the longest running film in the history of Indian Cinema. A sweet romantic comedy, every girl wished to have a boyfriend like Raj and all the boys wished a girlfriend like Simran after watching this ultimate romantic movie.

3) Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994)

An absolute no-violence movie, it presents the innocent love of Prem and Nisha. A complete family entertainer with both Madhuri and Salman at their best. A movie that can be watched a number of times with more and more excitement and interest. At one time, the Prem and Nisha love story can make you laugh and the other time it can make you cry. Watching Renuka Sahani was a bonus to the movie.

4) Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)

After the two all time romantic movies, my next favourite is Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, one of the most hilarious movie of Bollywood with a dark satire on the corruption in politics, media, business etc. Directed by Kundan Shah, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Satish Kaushik. The Mahabharata scene is on the bestest in the movie.

5) Rand De Basanti (2006)

Very few bollywood movies have a story to tell and that too in a manner that was so terrific. Two plots are merged in the film, one of the group of friends, their life, fun etc and the other of the days when freedom fighters sacrificed their life for their country. The movie in a very smart manner presents a blend in the then British rule and the corrupt political scenario in our country today.

6) Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

Dil Chahta Hai, Kabhi Na Beete Chamkeele Din, Dil Chahta Hai, Hum Na Rahein Kabhi Yaaron Ke Bin..yes yes I know all you out there must be thinking about your best friends when you hear these lines. Dil Chahta Hai is about three friends Akash, Sameer and Siddharth with three distinct characters but always tied together in the bond of friendship. There friendship does see ups and downs with their moving apart and then coming together all over again. The presentation of the movie is phenomenal with 3 sweet love stories.

7) Jab We Met (2007)

What should I say about this movie, one of the craziest love stories I have ever seen with one of the craziest character, Geet (Kareena Kapoor). Living each moment of your life to its fullest is what Geet stands for in the movie and how to love someone truly is what the character of Aditya (Shahid Kapoor) conveys. Tits and bits of funny scenes is all over the movie. One can only say that the movie is as refreshing as a glass of fresh lime water in the heat.

8) Golmaal (1979)

I can bet this movie can make anyone laugh with its extraordinary comedy. After watching this movie no one can ever forget the character of Ramprasad. The movie is a classic comedy with the blend of artistic charisma especially by Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt. It will keep you laughing from the beginning till the end. Just imagine if your boss does not like you without moustaches, what would you do?

9) Chupke Chupke (1975)

When I think about comedy, Chupke Chupke is sure to come to my mind. Chupke Chupke is just beyond ordinary in terms of acting, script, music everything. Just stick to your chair, watch the movie and keep laughing out loud was I think the goal of the movie. With actors like Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya, Om Prakash, this was definitely expected.

10) Sholay (1975)

Finally, its time for the Thakur, Gabbar, Jai, Veeru and Basanti. An Indian action adventure film and what did the film not have to make it what it is today. If you say you have not watched the movie, the only response you will get is, you must see it. Sholay has so many WOW moments that you will never want to leave your seat until the movie ends and I am sure most of you will agree with my statement.

Will Continue......................

Trip to Mukteshwar: TERI Himalaya Centre - Rejuvenate Yourself

2011-03-23T17:10:00.005+05:30

Mukteshwar

Hills have always enticed me. Their beauty and majesty has pulled the strings of my guitar. That ancient song "The hills are alive…" comes to mind. Indeed, they are alive! A chance to visit TERI's 'heaven in the hills' Himalaya Retreat Center in Mukteshwar, came after a rigorous nine-month office schedule on the hallowed fourth floor.

Set amid the green, the Himalaya Retreat Centre is a perfect image of what TERI stands for-innovative sustainable solutions for the future. There can't a better place
to de-stress and rejuvenate. I was looking forward to this trip for a long time and finally the day came. Together with a very dear Czech friend, I planned the trip to Mukteshwar.

We took the Ranikhet Express from Old Delhi Railway station which reached Kathgodam around 1.00 pm. The train, which usually reaches early morning, was eight hours late-- protestors had blocked the track around Moradabad but of course, that didn’t dampen our enthusiasm. We followed the map while driving through the beautiful greens of Mukteshwar. The drive was very refreshing and the moments were memorable. Hanging out amongst the tall trees laden with green leaves and fruits is unthinkable in the a city. As we drove ahead, my eyes wished to capture the scenic beauty for I feared I would not be able to witness such splendor ever again. It was all so rare and unique!

By the time the taxi pulled up at the retreat centre, we realized we had been traveling for almost 15 hours. The awesome ambience—the calm of the misty mountains--took away our fatigue in the blink of an eye. It was as if we were home. The staff at the retreat led us to our respective rooms where we were ushered through long corridors with momentary views of the green patches beckoning us outside. It was very tempting to look at them and we wanted to freshen up and rush out. We planned to get ready and meet at the dining hall in an hour.

We grabbed a bite or two, hurrying so that we could utilize the precious moments before dusk set in. I think life is beautiful in the evenings—the setting sun spread its colours across the sky and touched the trees with its magic wand. In between the leaves, we could catch the rays playing hide and seek. The air was cooler and it made our exploration all the more comfortable. The fresh mountain air relaxed us. I found myself shooting the scenes on my camera, as many as I could. And here I am flipping through the pictures, reliving those cherished moments as I write this blog.

View from TERI Mukteshwar Cottage

The reason I was always excited about TERI was the close link with nature, but I still had to see it for myself to believe. And yes! I found that TERI practices what it preaches --solutions in environment, energy, agriculture, biotechnology, climate change and enhancing forest conservation among local communities! There were many new techniques we learnt on the trip.

I somehow caught a little rest before I could venture into the deep greens within the TERI campus – they were welcoming me to nature’s abode. In the evening We went to a famous tea stall called Madhuban which is around 2 kilometers from TERI mukteshwar and enjoyed splendid sunset with Herbal Tea and Pakodas.

Sunset at Madhuban ( Mukteshwar)

Later during the trip, we wandered aimlessly staring across the file of trees and within no time we realized it was time for us to leave – pack – bags – oh, all of this sounded unreal now –back to the metro life – back to the hustle bustle of the city.

Overall, it was a very informative and GREEN trip but most of all, I would like to relate a beautiful compliment which TERI’s natural abode brought me. This trip was the result of the promise I had made to take my friend to scenic and calm places in India. TERI’s Himalayan Centre seemed the right place to start with! She said “You brought me to paradise. This is so beautiful and peaceful. These guys serve such amazing food! You indeed work for a very good company!” This made me realize how important it is to be belonging to someone – a country like India, a place like Mukteshwar and work for an organization like TERI! I felt really proud especially since it came from a person of a different nationality.

I would just say – thank you India and thank you TERI for preserving the Mother Nature in such a memorable way!

I Love you...grrrrr, yes I really DO

2011-02-11T12:30:00.002+05:30

With these passing days and people giving some of them special names for celebration, I used to wonder if they really served any purpose?! A mob of confused feelings within the throat but never making it ahead.. entangling amongst each other ..thinking which one to voice first and how… and lots of thoughts conflicting whether to express or not to and how..lots of questions about when.. today I have a self realization..these special days were people like me..so that people like me can at least think today as an appropriate day to express to someone like you..express that I like your ways.. I like how you think and wonder how we might gel..so do you think we click..errr…n do you think we click more than just good friends?. I was wondering how you had feel about us being together…. my heart says I like you, We retain what we are uptil today if you think some other way..but just in case you think it was worth a go....then I will be waiting…

I don't Promise you the moon...
...I don't Promise you the stars...
...but if you Promise to remember me...
...I Promise to Always be there thinking of You.

4 Books that Make You Cry – Close to my Heart

2010-12-09T16:00:00.007+05:30

I’ll always be thankful to Indian railways for introducing me to the awesome world called Books. Yes, it may seem funny to you but I was introduced to this book world by Indian railways. Actually, my train was 3-4 hours late and during my trip to Shimla, I decided to buy a book to kill time. To my surprise, I really liked the book and was reading through its picturesque language until the coach attended in the train came and switched off the lights. Actually, it was 1’o clock in the night. After this incident, something within me took me to books every time I visited a mall in Gurgaon. Being a Piscean, I am quite emotional as a person and books related to love stories or sad emotional non-fictions became my favorite. Till date, I have read 2 States, Five Point Someone, One Night in a Call Center, The Kite Runner, P.s. I Love you (My favorite, it made me cry like a child), A Walk to Remember and Message in a Bottle. This post is about some books which will make you cry or make you sad and as I stated before, I haven’t read so many books yet and so some of the entries below have been suggested by my good friends. I strongly recommend you to reach each one of these if you are an emotional person.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – "There is only one sin. and that is theft... when you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth." This was my first book after 2 states and I bought it on the recommendation of my friend ‘Babita’. It is about a man's battle between his morality, righteousness, and his cowardice, sins and guilt. The book follows the life of Amir, a boy in Kabul, and talks about the relationship he has with his father and his servant who is also his best friend. While reading of the persecution the servant, Hassan, I was at a loss for words as for how to respond. Once the final act of persecution had taken place, I was completely devastated. I desperately wanted to hate Amir, but as the book progressed I found myself sympathizing with him. Khaled Hosseini is able to paint a picture of Afghanistan that is both beautiful and horrifying and made me completely incapable of putting the book down. it didn't make me cry but made me sad.... Very sad

PS I love you by Cecelia Ahern – "what a luxury it was for people to hold their loved ones whenever they wanted." It is my favorite book till date. It is a story of Holly Kennedy (I love you Holly). When Gerry's life is taken by an illness, Holly falls to pieces. She lost the man she loved and the meaning in her life. Before he died he wrote her 10 letters. Each month involves a task or a treat to help her through her grief. She comes to use them as her bible to get through the year; she takes a holiday, enters a karaoke competition and opens up to new things. I love the way the story goes, and from here, I know, we will always remember the one we love, cherish them. The feeling of losing someone, by death or by break ups, leave you drawing in you own emotion. But after a period of time, the sun will shine again. Even the love ones (or ex) are still at the back of our head (or heart), there will always be a room, for the new one. I cannot count n my fingers how many times this book made me cry. I find it funny that whenever I read this book again, I cannot help but to cry. Maybe, I am too emotional and so touched with the story.

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks – "Without you in my arms, I feel emptiness in my soul” This book was recommended to me by one of my new & good friend and I am glad I bought it, a real tearjerker. This wonderful story is about Theresa who finds a love letter washed up on the shore during vacation. It is from a man to his dead wife and it really touches her. After some convincing from her friend, she publishes the letter in a newspaper, soon she hears from others who have found letters from the same man. After she finds three letters, she goes and finds the man, never expecting to fall in love but that is exactly what happens but when Garret finds out that Teresa found his very personal letters, everything will change. The ending is so sad that it took me 3 days to read the last letters, it made me cry every time I read the letter Garret left for Theresa and it teaches us that if you love someone, shower him/ her with your love as today is your last day. There's no right time. Every time you have is the right time. Don't waste it for something that will make you regret.

Love Story by Erich Segal - One of the finest love stories till date is what the now famous and then a classics professor, Erich Segal wrote. The line which became a popular phrase among lovers was “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.’’ I think it indeed means something true. It was originally a screenplay in which love between a working-class Italian girl from Radcliff and a Harvard boy from an old family has been shown to fathom all depths of love – the most sacred feeling. When it was released as a novel after some refinements, it had the largest print order in publishing history at the time, with 4,325,000 copies.

Story was the usual – rich boy – poor girl, wanted to marry, boy’s father wasn’t happy. Still they married and initially had financial problems as well but later were fine. Oliver – the lover was extremely happy with Radcliff and they planned a child together but could not have one. They finally visited a doctor who told them that they could not have a child since Jennifer Radcliff was sterile but the worst part was that she was dying of leukemia. Oliver hid her disease from her but she came to know later. They could do nothing but share their grief together. Jennifer died and what she left for Oliver was the reconciliation between him and his father; LOVE means never have you to say SORRY! Jenny said it once to Oliver and now Oliver said it again to his father. It makes you cry as many times you read it.

Oh! There so are many books and such little time but I’ll look forward to reading ‘Before I Die by Jenny Downham, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, The Book Thief Markus Zusak, The notebook my Nicolas Spark’. I know that there are many books worth reading but as I said, I am pretty new to this amazing world I would love to know what books made you sad or emotional and worth a read?

HTC Desire – My Desire came true

2010-11-12T12:21:00.002+05:30

Continuing my love for gadgets and mobiles, I bought HTC desire last month, my most expensive phone till date. I always wanted to buy an iPhone but Apple makes me sick, the pricing for their technology is pathetic here in India. An Apple iPhone 3gs would cost you around 28 to 30k here in India which too much for a 2-year old phone so I granted my wish and saw this amazing piece of HTC’s brilliance and bought the HTC desire. It’s amazing if I get a chance to describe this device in one world. The only problem is that I have to charge it daily.

Some features of HTC Desire
•3.7″ AMOLED capacitive touch screen
•1GHz processor
•1400mAh battery
•5MP camera with face detection, auto focus, flash, and geotagging
•3.5mm audio jack
•micro-USB
•Android 2.1 Eclair OS
•512MB ROM, 572MB RAM, microSD card slot
•3G, GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1
•G-sensor
•digital compass
•proximity sensor
•ambient light sensor
•and of course A-GPS

Shimla - A Memorable Journey to Friendship..

2010-09-22T12:16:00.012+05:30

Well, I am back in Gurgaon and the first thing which came in my mind after coming home was to write a post on my blog about one of my best trips so far. I must say that I was extremely skeptical about traveling for the first time to the Himalayas. It was an unplanned trip and in my wildest dreams I never thought it will turn out so special that I’ll cherish it for rest of my life. All this started with the announcement of 3 days weekend in the office on 1st week of September and I did not want to waste my 3 days sitting at home as I did every weekend. I wanted to travel in a new world of nature and at the last moment and after seeing so many options, I opted for a trip to Shimla and before I proceed, I would like to thank my new colleagues and FRIENDS Raman and Shivali for all the planning they did for my trip and again a special thanks to Shivali for writing my travel plan for Chail, Kofri, and Shimla in details.

I had booked my tickets in Kalka mail which was around 9.40 Pm from Old Delhi railway station. I reached the station around 8 pm and had a lot of time to kill so I decided to go to McDonald’s for a Meal. After that, I did something which I never done before. I went to a book stall and bought a book of Chetan Bhagat’s 2 States. It was a shocking decision because I never used to spend anything on books. As usual, Indian railway kept their promise and the train was late by 3 hours so I started reading the book to kill time and believe me I liked the book a lot. I reached Kalka station around 5.30 in the morning and boarded my toy train to Shimla. The journey of toy train was amazing. By toy train, one can experience the grandeur of the picturesque Himalayas through some important spots up to Shimla. Route towards Shimla is gradually ascending, train was moving in zigzag way like sneaking through the valleys. Sitting by the side of the window, whole of the turning and bent train was clearly visible amidst the beautiful landscape of nature. It was very incredible journey for me.

According to the travel plan written by Shivali, I got down at Kandaghat to catch a bus for Chail. The bus lost in clouds and the views were extra ordinary. We reached a place called Sadhu Pal on our way to Chail and then there came a big surprise for everyone in the bus. Four foreigners girls climbed into the bus from ( they are Russians which I came to know later) sadhu ghat (I know I know foreigners girls aren’t surprise here) and the bus was full as usual and no seats were left for new passengers but due to Amir Khan’s appeal about Athithi Devo Bhava.
. I stood up from my seat and offered it to one of them and here comes the surprise she said “ Aap Kripaya Baithiye, Dhanyawaad”. I didn’t believe on my ears, her Hindi was as good that the Rang De Basanti foreigner may have asked her for some Hindi training.

We reached Chail by 11.30 in the morning or so and I guess only me and those four girls were there with the intention of a trip. I decided to give my self a try and ask her to travel together. As I would suggest everyone else not to believe on strangers, she did the right thing and called someone who was from Shimla itself to verify my identity. I gave him my introduction and they agreed to travel together. We decided to eat something before proceeding and went to a small shop in Chail market. They were not used to spicy food so they ordered paratha without butter, oil and Masala. (I am afraid I still say it Paratha: D) and boiled cauliflower. I ordered a normal paratha for my self and to be honest didn’t enjoy it much. We decided to go and see the highest cricket ground on the earth and Sidh Baba temple first and as it happens in most of the Indian cities, people’s eyes were glued on Hindi speaking foreigners or say on one Indian boy with 4 foreigner girls.

We came down and decided to hire a Cab and paid him 400 rupees for a trip to Kali Tibba which is a famous temple on hill. This temple is placed on the top of the mountain which is named after the Rajmata’s cottage, Blossom. Beautiful scenes of the renowned Shivalik range and the Choor Chandni peak are breathtaking from this top and felt like we are swimming in clouds. Anna, Walia, Yana and Violette decided for a photo session and it went really well.

We went to the Maharaja palace after that and Violette help us to get 60% discount by showing her student ID card. One thing I would like to mention about CHAIL is that there is no ATM in Chail so plan accordingly so that you don’t fall short of cash like me in your trip to Chail. We came back to the main market by 7.30 or so and it was dark by then. We started looking for some cheap options to stay there because I was left with only 400 rupees and there were no ATM’s. They offered me to pay the room amount but I politely declined and we then moved towards the gurudwara which was a little above the market. It was quite dark there so we just knocked a door of a nearby home. An auntyji opened the door and she was kind enough to send her son uptil the gurudwara. Rooms were not available up there and auntiji’s son called a few of his local friends to check on the availability of rooms. Then he took us in his car towards an old palace which was now under the army control. He had a friend working there who were a chef and caretaker for the palace. His friend agreed to give us with 2 rooms in just Rs.500! There a funny scene happened when the guy who had helped us in getting a room came out to me a good friend of one of my close friend. It was great fun with him then and we played a few good songs on the king's piano. Walia sung some beautiful Russian songs for us. She has a lovely melodious voice.

We woke up in the morning and moved for Tatta Pani after breakfast. We had great fun there and we had an exhaustive photo shoot once again. Also, I won 3 bets as well! For example, I drank 1/2 soda bottle in one breath, throwing a stone across the river and lots more.

There we had to answer a typical Indian question again again when people asked about the country we belonged to. People were pretty shocked rather delighted to see foreigners speak Hindi with such fluency! We moved ahead for Simla and reached there around 10pm at night. It was raining heavily there and with one local kuli, we left for our everlasting room hunt and finally got 2 clean rooms in a hotel near Mall road for about 1000 - 1100 rupees. We went for a walk on the mall road early in the morning and took great pleasure in seeing the actual natural beauty of Simla. Yet another photo session was accomplished. Around 12 in the noon, we decided to leave for Chandigarh as I had booked my tickets through Shatabdi from Chandigarh. They also decided to go by my train because all of us were tired of the continuous bus journeys. We faced a problem for this. My tickets were confirmed but they did not have tickets and they had to reach their Hindi Sansthan by next morning. The ticket collector was kind enough and after our request he let them in after charging Rs.500 each. All of us sat on some boxes near the Shatabdi gate and reached Delhi by around 10. They had to leave for Agra from Delhi and we decided to take Metro for saving time. They took Rajiv Chowk metro from New Delhi station and I took the one to Gurgaon..Waving byes to my unforgettable trip, trip that I’ll cherish rest of my life.

In last a special thanks to Shivali, Raman from planning the Trip, Abhishek Tiwari and Shushant for making arrangement of stay in Chail and Violette, Yana, Walia and Anna for making it unforgettable

Trip Pictures

check my flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/20814950@N00/

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A LETTER FROM A GIRL TO JRD TATA IN 1974 (Worth a read..)

2010-09-15T09:39:00.002+05:30

THE GIRL WRITING AS HERSELF....

This is the stuff legends are made of..Worth a read..

It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science. I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US... I had not thought of taking up a job in India.

One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors)... It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic background, etc.

At the bottom was a small line: 'Lady Candidates need not apply.' I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination.

Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers... Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful?

After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco

I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then) I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote. 'The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives they have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender.'

I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I collected Rs30 each from everyone who wanted a sari when I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip.

It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city.

To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways. As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office for the interview.

There were six people on the panel and I realized then that this was serious business.

'This is the girl who wrote to JRD,' I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realization abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted.

Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I told them, rather impolitely, 'I hope this is only a technical interview.'

They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them.

Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, 'Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories.

I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place.

I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, 'But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories.'

Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married.

It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw 'appro JRD'. Appro means 'our' in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him. I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced me nicely, 'Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate.

She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor.' JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the postcard that preceded it).

Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. 'It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?'

'When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir,' I replied. 'Now I am Sudha Murthy.' He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room.

After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him.

One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I realize JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me.

'Young lady, why are you here?' he asked. 'Office time is over.' I said, 'Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up.' JRD said, 'It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor.

I'll wait with you till your husband comes.'

I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable.

I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, 'Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee.'

Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, 'Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again.' In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused.

Gently, he said, 'So what are you doing, Mrs. Kulkarni?' (That was the way he always addressed me.) 'Sir, I am leaving Telco.'

'Where are you going?' he asked. 'Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune.'

'Oh! And what will you do when you are successful.'

'Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful.' 'Never start with diffidence,' he advised me 'Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. Wish you all the best.'

Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive.

Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, 'It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is that he's not alive to see you today.'

I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.

Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly.

My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and magnificence. (Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)

Article sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative Issue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004 .

Truth of Commonwealth Games 2010 – Cartoon

2010-08-31T10:37:00.001+05:30

अंतिम सत्य ---- The Last Truth...

2010-08-04T13:57:00.003+05:30

2010 Football World Cup – Football Shootball Hai Rabba

2010-06-13T14:58:00.001+05:30

In a world of cricket crazy country I have recently bitten by Football virus,, this game is damm awesome, before this FIFA 2010 world cup I never liked football much or say never got a chance to like it, my knowledge about Football was only limited to Pele, maradona, Brazil and Ronaldo etc. I am glad I am introduced to the world of Soccer and at the same time very sad that we can not see team India in this biggest sports event, Its a shame for India 1 billion people and only one active team in cricket, that too losses against Zimbabwe.??? And due to my limited knowledge about Football I asked a friend of mine that why India didn’t qualified in this world cup? He gave me a strange hard look and told me to wait for another 100 years  so I am supporting Argentina this time because of Messi and Maradona, good luck Argentina

Who is your favorite player in this world cup? And which team are you supporting? Predict your 2010 winner