Five things which I love about diwali:

Meetha

I’m a self-confessed sweet-oholic. Undoubtedly best part about diwali is all the mouth watering sweets and delicacies; soft supple gulabjamuns, rich gujiya, my all time favorite kaju katli and the crispy moong dal halwa loaded with dryfruits. Lack of mom made delicacies this diwali was ofcourse disappointing but then it gave me a chance to do all that for her..things that shes been doing for me all these years. For you mom, A thousand times over J

Rangoli

I’ve been making rangolis on diwali since past 9-10 years now and the passion grows everytime I see a finished beautiful rangoli beaming in bright colors.

Diyas

Every nook and corner is illuminated on the eve of diwali, rightly referred to as the festival of lights. Adorning every corner of the house with beautifully carved earthern diyas is something that I looooooove.

The pooja together

I’m not someone whos piously religious but then I love the Pooja part because it brings us all together, and together we pray for all we aspire. A strange kind of tranquility dawns as it infuses a fresh tinge of optimism. Hope,indeed is a strange and powerful thing.

And last but not the least,

I love the proud look in papas eyes, on seeing my rangoli, the decorations, and all the hard work that goes for a sparkling diwali J

Chokhi Dhani- A mere deception?

It’s Thursday morning, 9 A.M. and thanks to shutdown, I have the luxury of lazing around right now, curling my feet on my cosy bed. Life’s good (mostly) these days with lots of time to do the lot that I usually want to. I went on a short trip to Jaipur with my friends last weekend. Though, I did manage to enjoy owing to the company I had, the trip offered few major disappointments. A big spoilsport being Jaipur’s scorching heat, there was another bigger let down. The main item on our Jaipur itinerary was Chokhi Dhani- a much heard about place in Jaipur. Almost every now and then, I hear Delhi’s much of the elite heading towards this place and I well, was quite tempted to check this out. All that I feel about it now is that it’s evidently more of a fad than anything else.

Chokhi Dhani is a resort in Jaipur which tries to capture the cultural heritage and charm of Rajasthan and its village life. The question here is, why do we even need this? Ain’t places like Chokhi Dhani a dime a dozen in a country like ours which inherently is the “land of villages”. Even today, the Gandhian belief that villages should remain the main building block of Indian society stands so true. When roughly 750 million of India’s 1.1 billion population still continues to live in it’s 680,000 villages, Do we actually need these village kind setups?

I guess the only people who get actually benefitted by these places are it’s owners. The place is way overpriced and considering the crazy hordes of people who rush there every weekend, I bet, the owners have their hands, all in black. But what does it actually offers to an average middle class Indian like me?

Imagine the plight, a place jam-packed with minimum 1000 people, scorching heat, dust all around, and after literally an hour of waiting in a queue, I get to have the so called traditional Rajasthani food, which again was just average considering the other places that I tried in Jaipur.(Here’s a tip: We tried a place called LMD in Johri Bazaar. It did assuage the disappointment that Chokhi Dhani offered. ) By the time our turn came, half of the dishes were simply not available. It was evident that they were just not able to manage the large number of people who have turned up but still we had to pay a whooping 350 bucks per plate for a disappointing meal.

India is a land of diversities. With more than 29 languages spoken by more than a million native speakers, and radical cultural shifts every thousands of kilometers, India sure has lots to offer. I would like to see and experience every bit of it in it’s actual manifestation rather than by paying thousands of bucks to some rich businessman. The owners of Chokhi Dhani have surely done a great job in bringing multiple facets of Rajasthani culture at a single place. Such places do nicely mimic the whole village set ups but they can never capture the essence of India’s ethnicity.

A tale of two days.....

A silhouette of mountains standing splendidly with all its grandiose, the majestic ganges flowing quietly amidst the rustic surroundings, a white sand beach next to the river, startling pebbles scattered meticulously all over the sand, and there I’m standing, a trifle entity, watching it all totally mesmerized. The serenity of the surroundings are seemingly bringing me closer to where I belong. It’s so quiet that I can actually hear the musical sound of ganges gushing through the rocks. I’m not dreaming!! This is nostalgia. It’s a consequence of my recent trip to Rishikesh for river rafting. The two days have perhaps been the most adventurous days of my life and I’m wondering where to start. Few excerpts from my unbelievingly intense encounter with nature.

We stayed on a beach camp in Byasi. There were small little tents lined up on a majestic sand beach. As I headed towards mine, a strange kind of serenity was settling somewhere inside me. The very thought of living in a tent was so enticing that I felt ecstatic, yet so much in control of myself. A little downside were the tent washrooms but as they say, “No pain No gain”. Living in a tent, by the river side was actually an amazing experience.

After having our breakfast, we embarked for rafting. Just to add few pieces of information here, Rafting is mainly done on WhiteWaters where the currently is bubbly, or aerated and unstable; and the frothy water thus appears white. Coming back to the buzz, 4-5 hours of Rafting were amazing thrill. As we maneuvered our way through the emerald green water and entered the rapids, the seemingly quiet river gradually manifested into brisk turbulent spurts. In a gist of moment, our raft was potently hit by the waves, leaving us all drenched and euphoric. I practically got my first glimpse of real thrill and was craving for more. Whenever, the flow was regular, all of us actually jumped into the cold river water and simply swam, floated. It was amazing. Floating in a vast river which has been flowing continuously for years as if I’m a part of this vastness. Made me feel kinda majestic. Anyhow, the most awe-inspiring part was cliff jumping towards the end of rafting. This was to jump from some 25-30 feet cliff straight into the water. Sounds remarkable ?Yeh! I did it :), though after minutes of mustering courage, but I actually did it…… !!

By the end of rafting I was so damn tired; I had my lunch and quietly dozed off to sleep. When I woke up, it was dark. I went outside and gosh!, I was completely spellbound by the starlit sky, silhouette of the mountains, moon gleaming on the river, rippling sound of water, lanterns shimmering in the dark and a camp fire right outside my tent. It was totally spectacular and romantic. I enjoyed the bonfire for some time and then along with some friends, went for a walk towards a rapid named ‘The wall’. Walking on the beach amidst the rocks in a starlit night had its own mystic charm.
Next day wasn’t as adventurous but was equally fun & enjoyable. I did rock climbing & rappelling. We did lots of water splashing, got ourselves drenched, clicked some amazing photographs, enjoyed a nice meal at Rishikesh , made a mess during the return train journey and reached Delhi around 12 o clock.
My two days filled with thrill and excitement were thus over leaving me with many wonderful memories to cherish….. all kudos to the unmatched thrill, serene and rustic surroundings, and most importantly, the spirits which each one of us had :)

A flash of epiphany………

Another dry spell and here I’m, back again. I have again been ignoring my blog for some time. That’s because there are literally many things that are keeping me busy…I’ve also been doing a lot of thinking lately, a little paranoid at times and few epiphanies have dawned upon me. You might have an apprehension that this post is going to get too philosophical but relax, we’ll be reflecting on the mundane only. By the way, talking about philosophy, here’s an FYI….

We already have an answer to the ‘Ultimate Question’ of life, universe & everything. The answer is “42”. Unfortunately, The Ultimate Question itself is unknown ;)

Coming back to the point, 2008 has been a chaotic year. A wave of turbulence has steered the course of my life from being ecstatic to heavily tumultuous over the past one year. Life changed too fast. I embraced it. There, I had barely started feeling like a woman, enjoying the sudden shower of responsibilities and looking forward to a bright future. Suddenly, all the ‘single’ things were getting lost in oblivion. I had matured from the ‘Do you mind if I have your no.’ type conversations (and the numerous speculations which came with them),the spicy gossips to a laidback, a little aloof and a little more content life. And suddenly, life took a blizzard turn leaving me almost shattered. Looking back over the last one year in retrospection, there are few things primarily that I would like to mention.

• Life is not fair(and I’m getting used to it)
• What you see is what you get. We should accept people in our life as they are.
• We all are used to living in our shells. We have our comfort zones comprising of family, friends, GFs, BFs etc. Relationships gradually become so crucial in our life that we start living for them. However, amidst everything, there’s one thing that we should never forget, to love ourselves, to live for ourselves.

Warning: Be careful to keep the ‘self’ away from the devil named ego.

• We all aspire big things in life. Dreams like a promotion, a big car, a house by the age of 30, a perfect relationship seem to become the very purpose of our existence. However, these big things can and usually do go wrong. It’s very important then to find joys in small little things in life. Your job and your loved ones undoubtedly remain your prime focus but it’s equally important to find out and do things that you love. Look for things that make you passionate and fill your heart with a child like contentment. For once, do things without being concerned about their outcomes. It could be reading a nice book, tuning in to your favorite rhythm, to probably getting a spa at your favorite parlor. But Do, Love and pamper yourself :)

I have been doing a lot of ‘pampering myself’ lately and plan to continue with it. 2009 has few exciting things in basket. I generally don’t keep resolutions, but there are certain things that I’ve always wanted to do. This is the time to embark. I gradually plan to take things, one by one.

• Dancing tops the list.  I had always wanted to learn it formally and I’m totally on it. My jazz classes are going in full swing & I’m loooooving it.
  
• Sketching is next. I hope to start soon
  
• There’s one new thing that I’ve included in my wish list-Travel. The plan is to visit a new place every year. Let’s hope, this year, I do it soon.
  

One more thing which is getting the most of me lately is a television series ‘How I met your mother’- a light, humorous and totally engrossing take on relationships. For anyone & everyone reading this, do watch it. You’ll find it LEGEN-wait for it-DARY;)

I have my fingers crossed and I’m really looking forward to 2009. I hope not many things go wrong this year. Anyhow, I’m quite optimistic that even if they do, I’ll have strength to handle….ahhhh…still…how I wish God would be a little more kind:)

A lot can happen over coffee :)

Here’s putting an end to a long dry spell of blog-rastination, I’m putting together few anecdotes on my little space, all sharing a common element, a facet which stands as a beaming witness to few intensely tender moments of my life, an entity which has been my companion in tough-trying times and a bystander to numerous fun-filled gatherings rumbling with giggles & laughter.
As you can very well judge from the title, it’s none other than Coffee-a widely-consumed stimulant beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. Before I commence, three cheers for the same. Those who have been part of my ‘Coffee moments’ of course understand that it truly deserves the weightage that I’m giving to it, for those of you who feel its too much of a cliché, skim through the end & hopefully you’ll be able to empathize.

I recently read somewhere-Nothing inspires music much like the beauty of…er…a coffee bean. This has filled me with a fresh anticipation & I hope coffee beans are able to inspire me and someday I’ll be singing melodious symphonies at the top of my voice. The beauty & aroma of coffee beans might not have been able to elicit my musical chords yet but it do triggers a nostalgia in me & takes me back to some wonderful days at Grape City.
Coffee time, back in Grape City used to mean so much. For one, it gave us an excuse to take a break from the routine office work…..It also meant a congregation where we laughed our hearts out at mostly silly (but interesting) & occasionally intelligent conversations. The topics ranged from the most senseless PJs to some truly pioneering dreams & ahem….some intelligent talks…. I share the credits..!!;-) and How can I forget, Neeti’s diving adventures, the tales of our PG & the cruelty inflicted on us.
A series of IP messages used to propagate around 4 o clock. All of us gathered at GC coffee bar and there began a succession of chats & giggles amidst the aroma of freshly brewed coffee beans. The conversations used to last for as long as an hour at times & we all looked so forward to it each day….to catch on latest GC gossip, discuss movies, music, put across PJs and enjoy some witty remarks by the cuddly san..I guess I’m blabbering too much now. I shouldn’t be divulging more of our coffee table secrets….So…I’ll move on from here, saying Adios to good old GC days… :)

Diving deep down in the pages of history, let me quote an interesting folklore. The use of Coffee can be traced to as early as the 9th century, when it appeared in the highlands of Ethiopia. According to a legend, Ethiopian shepherds were the first to observe the influence of the caffeine in coffee beans when the goats appeared to "dance" and to have an increased level of energy after consuming wild coffee berries. I can’t testify the truth in it but coffee can be a great companion for people falling in love. To ask someone out for coffee can be classified as the most convenient excuse to meet. The kind of ambience that coffee shops usually offer, especially when devoid of usual hustle bustle, do mange to cast a trance on me. The deep, crispy aroma of Coffee that fills the air inspires romance….and I feel, accentuates the adrenaline rush, making the reverie more effective.

This is not all…..Coffee also means late night (or evenings to be more accurate) visits to Barista and all of us plunging headlong into a single Dark Temptation. It also means sitting conveniently on snug & cozy couches in Costa & discussing everything from shopping to boyfriends, laughing uncontrollably, sharing memories, thoughts, all of this made so much easy by the free and inspiring ambience, the effect of caffeine and the assorted music playing in the background.

Sigh….I can go on & on with my coffee time memories. So, for now, I’ll savor my coffee. Photograph by NickelBack is playing and I’m once more thinking of the memories that once were and many more that will be…

I'm flattered :-)

It has been a long silent pause and I'm actually scared as hell to break it. So, while I gather the balls to hit 'Publish' for my next post...sometime soon....you can enjoy this nice piece of poetry that my friend Shelley wrote for me.....

It all begun long time back,
When growing with innocence, in us craftiness lack,
The day was special and so was my mood,
Obviously I was thrilled for first day of school.

Settled with the days formality chore,
Was silent observing life’ this new shore.
Among the crowd I found a warm heart,
Who came to me and become my pal,
A petite framed, shy and humble gal..

With passing time together we grew in life,
Together we took all good and bad strides.
May our friendship may not have been the best,
But for sure it was different from rest.
We met, we fought and separated with pain,
But destiny dont know y brought us together again.

May be God wanted us to hold together in life’ pace,
Today in my world she has a special place,
More than a friend today she means to me,
Facing life so strongly she is an inspiration for me,
A cheerful smile and strength to endure,
She is a tough girl for sure.

May god bless you Yachna dear,
Blessing our friendship year by year

Hey Shelley, thank you so much for this sweet & humble gesture. You rock :-)

The Razor’s edge- W. Somerset Maugham

This book cannot be characterized as a must read but surely accounts for a pleasant reading. The most alluring aspect of this novel is a truly simplistic yet sophisticated narration by Maugham. His ability to put thoughts into words is quite crude keeping the reader naturally involved right through the end. It’s not some intrigued plot that keeps you hooked but it’s a strange resemblance with ‘life’ that you want to go on reading. This book is primarily about a young man named ‘Larry’ & his quest for god. His spiritual odyssey takes him all over the world. His experience & encounters present the reader with poignant views on the very existence of being & soul, the aatma and it’s oneness with the Absolute. In the course of narrating Larry’s journey, Maugham gives a fascinating glimpse of love & passion via Isabel’s eternal longing for Larry and his love. I have picked up some phrases/quotations from the book that I’ve really liked. So, I’ll put an end to my blabbering here while you get a clear picture of the book as I quote Mr. Maugham…..

(Isabel’s last meeting with Larry before she got married & Larry started his quest)
“Larry had reserved a table at Maxim’s. We had lovely things to eat, and we had champagne. We talked our heads off, atleast I did, and I made Larry laugh. One of the things I’ve liked about him is that I can always amuse him. We danced. The heat & the music & the wine-I was getting a bit light headed. I felt absolutely reckless. I danced with my face against Larry’s and I knew he wanted me. God knows I wanted him. I had an idea.”

“World isn’t a creation, for out of nothing nothing comes; but a manifestation of the eternal nature”

“I think its all stuff and nonsense to say that there can be love without passion; when people say love can endure after passion is dead they’re talking of something else, affection, and kindliness, community of taste & interest, and habit. Especially habit. Two people can go on having sexual intercourse from habit in just the same way as they grow hungry at the hour they’re accustomed to have their meals. Ofcourse there can be desire without love. Desire isn’t passion. Desire is a natural consequence of sexual instinct & isn’t of any more importance than any other function of the human animal. Unless love is passion, it’s not love, but something else and passion thrives not on satisfaction, but on impediment.”

"Passion doesn’t count the cost. Pascal said that the heart has its reasons that reason takes no account of."

"I saw that he’d fallen into the trance which the Indians call Samadhi and in which they hold ,the duality of subject & object vanishes and you become knowledge absolute."

"It is not essential to salvation to retire from the world, but only to renounce the self”

"Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it."

“If in those moments of ecstasy I had indeed been one with the absolute, then, if what they sad was true, nothing could touch me and when I had worked out the karma of my present life I should return no more. The thought filled me with dismay. I wanted to live again & again. I was willing to accept every sort of life, no matter what its pain and sorrow; I felt that only life after life, life after life could satisfy my eagerness, my vigor, and my curiosity.”

This is something that I can so much relate to. I’m not a piously religious person. This doesn’t mean I don’t believe in god. I do believe in God with all that I have… I am just too naive to understand the philosophy that goes behind the religions.
Whenever I pray, it’s complete with all the rituals. I have a little temple at my place where I’ve neatly placed God’s idols. I’ll get fresh water in a lota, light an agarbatti, put roli on the idols, place prasad and pray in a completely self-righteous manner. However, the reason I do this is not a devout belief in the rituals, it’s primarily because this is how I’ve been brought up. My rational mind is utterly oblivious to the rituals that our religions preach but my heart tells me to avidly believe in ‘God’. However, I’m just an average person who’s too raw and incapable to go into the details, quite unlike Larry. My logical mind that questions the rituals can obviously not look out for the right answers. So, it chooses an easy way out & I follow what I’ve been taught, a standard way to pray.
Coming back to the point, I’m thankful to God for giving me all that I have & most vital of all-wisdom to retain what I have. I have no idea what’s gonna happen when I die. I might become a ghost;), or might be born again, or salvation…this one not possible I guess. This I can surely say because I’m still too attached to this materialistic world. Given a choice, mine would be to born again and face the joys & sorrows that the world is going to offer. I still have lots of dreams and aspirations….this life is just not going to be enough!!