i was on a bike with my husband yesterday when i caught this pic... check it out... i know the times up for voting but these guys caught my eye...
and the latest amul ad caught at the same time... enjoy...
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
then and now....
the only daughter of my family 31 years back... (thats me)...
welcome home girl... my 100th post dedicated to u... hugssssss and kisses....
the daughter of my family 31 years hence...
welcome home girl... my 100th post dedicated to u... hugssssss and kisses....
Friday, June 08, 2007
my oldest memory
it has been long since i was tagged... and this ones intriguing... when i sat about thinking what was my oldest memory so many other memories from the nook and corner of my mind came about playing catch with each other... but one of them just struck as my oldest memory... its really nothing much but i still remember what i felt at that time...
i was real small then... say 4 years old... i was a cute plump kid... with large eyes and uneven teeth... (today im not cute... im a lil fat... i still have large eyes and uneven teeth!)... it was evening and my granpa offered to take my bro and me to the gateway of india... both of us were very excited to go somewhere nice... i distinctly remember my mom dressing me up then... she had got me a new outfit and i so wanted to wear it... i remember it was red in color... shorts and a tee shirt... blood red... mom said i looked pretty while my bro looked at me disdainly saying i looked fat!... we reached gateway and were running about in the garden when my granpa called us to watch the monkeys there... they were performing tricks and the monkey man was playing some kind of music... we were so happy then... clapping our hands... jumping in sheer delight... holding each others hands and laughing loudly... !!!
thats all i remember... nostalgia :)))... now im missing my granpa...
Friday, May 25, 2007
.jpg)
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, April 02, 2007
the woods (mala - by invitation)
It was a balmy afternoon. They had walked into the woods, into the abode of silence. But for the occasional sounds of insects and birds that broke the sound of the breeze.
When in Rome, do as Romans do – and so they did too. In the house of silence, they were silent. The only sound that escaped them was the sound of dry leaves crushing beneath their feet. And the times when they breathed heavy owing to the uphill climb to reach the woods.
She loved the woods, and she suspected he did too. They had walked in together, hand in hand. With huge rocks on one side and a steep fall on the other, they walked. They walked on the loose, red soil that had started to dirty their shoes and the fold of their gray jeans. They walked on the path, not many had taken.
The grove ahead promised something they had not experienced before. She threw back her head and let the sunlight that filtered through the tall trees kiss her face. The woods got denser, and they found themselves admiring the wild flowers that looked colorful even in the dull surrounding, the fresh-as-dew, maroon baby leaf that waited to turn green and mature, and the faraway mountain that was engulfed in a film of mist.
She wanted to take a photo of him, walking. He obliged. As he strode ahead, he turned back to see if the distance between them was enough to make a good photo.
Standing a hundred yards away from each other, they did not take their eyes off each other for the next three seconds or so. Three seconds were enough for her to realize what he meant to her, and how special he was. And her heart skipped a beat. She secretly hoped they would somehow get lost in the woods. And that this moment would last forever.
His eyes said he hoped for the same.
No photo would look good with them so far apart.
And so he walked towards her. And went down on one knee. As he opened his mouth to speak the first words in a long time, she knew her life is about to change.
(thank you mala... a very beautiful post... i guess u knew it would remind me of matheran)
When in Rome, do as Romans do – and so they did too. In the house of silence, they were silent. The only sound that escaped them was the sound of dry leaves crushing beneath their feet. And the times when they breathed heavy owing to the uphill climb to reach the woods.
She loved the woods, and she suspected he did too. They had walked in together, hand in hand. With huge rocks on one side and a steep fall on the other, they walked. They walked on the loose, red soil that had started to dirty their shoes and the fold of their gray jeans. They walked on the path, not many had taken.
The grove ahead promised something they had not experienced before. She threw back her head and let the sunlight that filtered through the tall trees kiss her face. The woods got denser, and they found themselves admiring the wild flowers that looked colorful even in the dull surrounding, the fresh-as-dew, maroon baby leaf that waited to turn green and mature, and the faraway mountain that was engulfed in a film of mist.
She wanted to take a photo of him, walking. He obliged. As he strode ahead, he turned back to see if the distance between them was enough to make a good photo.
Standing a hundred yards away from each other, they did not take their eyes off each other for the next three seconds or so. Three seconds were enough for her to realize what he meant to her, and how special he was. And her heart skipped a beat. She secretly hoped they would somehow get lost in the woods. And that this moment would last forever.
His eyes said he hoped for the same.
No photo would look good with them so far apart.
And so he walked towards her. And went down on one knee. As he opened his mouth to speak the first words in a long time, she knew her life is about to change.
(thank you mala... a very beautiful post... i guess u knew it would remind me of matheran)
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
soul gatherings - senses of her soul
(part 2 of soul gatherings... matheran)
this time i don't move out... this time i am within her... just concentrating on her... her senses... her perceptions... but i realize thats not possible... i feel the vibes of people around her... i feel the aura of things around her... she isn't bothered... she is too busy riding... too busy loving the feeling of it to think about others... busy to such an extent that she doesn't realize the pain she is going through... (the swollen fingers and a deep wound on her ankle where the saddle kept hurting her)... that is the time i take over... i feel things for her that she doesn't comprehend... i take over her consciousness...
sound... i dont like loud sounds... i like soft music... i like the swishing of the flowers more than the howl of the wind... but today it is different... shes galloping... there is no sound in the woods other than that of the two horses cantering to nowhere... or maybe somewhere... i don't bother where... and then i hear the sound... a loud sound... which i generally don't like... but as i said... today is different... it is the sound of the wind in her ears... so loud... so deafening... so blatantly ear-splitting... but still musical... so very symphonic... in harmony with the galloping of her horse and her body... it feels like an orchestra playing... is it the philharmonic playing???
sight... all she sees is the riding track... the horse... the saddle... and nothing else... she doesn't see the animals scurrying away from the galloping beasts... i see them... she doesn't notice the look of awe on the face of other riders... i notice it... she doesn't survey the woods and the valleys around her... i survey them... she doesn't visualize herself on her horse... speeding to nowhere... i do it... i see her clearly... like the way you watch a ballet dancer performing... is she swaying to the music?? the philharmonic??
taste... what do i taste here?... the wind in her mouth... she has this inane habit of parting her lips when she is riding... ofcourse she doesnt realize it... its not made up... but i notice it... as i feel the taste of wind in her mouth... cool... refreshing... tempting... and then there is this other taste... mud... the red earth blowing freely... clean earth... delectable earth... tasty earth... the taste remains in her mouth forever...
smell... i smell the balmy wind... i smell the pure clean air... i smell the naturally aromatic mud... i smell the acidic odor of the horses... the sour whiff of her perspiration... i breathe in the aroma of freshly fallen leaves... she doesn't heed them... i take them with me to bring them back to her when she is not there anymore... it will stay with her forever...
touch... i feel her touching the wind... or rather the other way round... the wind blowing on her face... the enticing touch... the feel of the saddle where her thighs touch it... the feel of the stirrups under her feet... as she rides ahead unheeded... the caress of her hair blowing wildly... and the contractions and expansions of her horses muscles... the feeling that was long forgotten... the feeling that had come back... the feeling that will never be lost again... the touch to be savoured all her life... by me.. her substance... her essence... her soul...
this time i don't move out... this time i am within her... just concentrating on her... her senses... her perceptions... but i realize thats not possible... i feel the vibes of people around her... i feel the aura of things around her... she isn't bothered... she is too busy riding... too busy loving the feeling of it to think about others... busy to such an extent that she doesn't realize the pain she is going through... (the swollen fingers and a deep wound on her ankle where the saddle kept hurting her)... that is the time i take over... i feel things for her that she doesn't comprehend... i take over her consciousness...
sound... i dont like loud sounds... i like soft music... i like the swishing of the flowers more than the howl of the wind... but today it is different... shes galloping... there is no sound in the woods other than that of the two horses cantering to nowhere... or maybe somewhere... i don't bother where... and then i hear the sound... a loud sound... which i generally don't like... but as i said... today is different... it is the sound of the wind in her ears... so loud... so deafening... so blatantly ear-splitting... but still musical... so very symphonic... in harmony with the galloping of her horse and her body... it feels like an orchestra playing... is it the philharmonic playing???
sight... all she sees is the riding track... the horse... the saddle... and nothing else... she doesn't see the animals scurrying away from the galloping beasts... i see them... she doesn't notice the look of awe on the face of other riders... i notice it... she doesn't survey the woods and the valleys around her... i survey them... she doesn't visualize herself on her horse... speeding to nowhere... i do it... i see her clearly... like the way you watch a ballet dancer performing... is she swaying to the music?? the philharmonic??
taste... what do i taste here?... the wind in her mouth... she has this inane habit of parting her lips when she is riding... ofcourse she doesnt realize it... its not made up... but i notice it... as i feel the taste of wind in her mouth... cool... refreshing... tempting... and then there is this other taste... mud... the red earth blowing freely... clean earth... delectable earth... tasty earth... the taste remains in her mouth forever...
smell... i smell the balmy wind... i smell the pure clean air... i smell the naturally aromatic mud... i smell the acidic odor of the horses... the sour whiff of her perspiration... i breathe in the aroma of freshly fallen leaves... she doesn't heed them... i take them with me to bring them back to her when she is not there anymore... it will stay with her forever...
touch... i feel her touching the wind... or rather the other way round... the wind blowing on her face... the enticing touch... the feel of the saddle where her thighs touch it... the feel of the stirrups under her feet... as she rides ahead unheeded... the caress of her hair blowing wildly... and the contractions and expansions of her horses muscles... the feeling that was long forgotten... the feeling that had come back... the feeling that will never be lost again... the touch to be savoured all her life... by me.. her substance... her essence... her soul...
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
i am happy today
how do i feel when i have loved someone for years and he says he hates me?... i feel happy
how do i feel when i have loved someone for years and he doesn't trust me?... i feel happy
how do i feel when i have loved someone for years and he doesn't believe a word i say?... i feel happy
how do i feel when i have loved someone for years and he says i have hurt him?... i feel happy
how do i feel when i have loved someone for years and he says i am a liar?... i feel happy
i am so happy today that i want to die... die happily...
how do i feel when i have loved someone for years and he doesn't trust me?... i feel happy
how do i feel when i have loved someone for years and he doesn't believe a word i say?... i feel happy
how do i feel when i have loved someone for years and he says i have hurt him?... i feel happy
how do i feel when i have loved someone for years and he says i am a liar?... i feel happy
i am so happy today that i want to die... die happily...
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
matheran revisited
matheran is a place I know since I was a kid… my dad loved it and in turn I came to love it… every year during my school vacations we would take a trip to this beautiful hill station… we would enjoy the toy train ride from the base (neral) to the top of the hill station… the 2.5 hrs ride would be intermingled with games of cards and chess, listening to music and playing antakshari with other kids we didn’t know… our favourite place to stay was the Regal Hotel… one of the finest at that time… not really the 5 star category (thankfully till date there are no 5 star hotels there), but it was a nice place to have a relaxing weekend… we generally took the trip in the first week of june… the onset of monsoons in maharashtra… the red mud, the monsoon rains, no vehicles, the hordes of monkeys, the horse rides and the chikki… these are some of the things I can never forget…
(matheran is famous for its no vehicle law… vehicles are banned on this hill station… they are allowed only as far as dasturi which is 45 mins walking distance from main matheran… the only automobile allowed is the toy train… internally people just walk, ride or hire the hand drawn rickshaws to go to places… not even locals are allowed to use vehicles in there… and this is the charm of this place… the only hill station in India or maybe the world to have such a law)
when I was in college, I was part of the hiking club… and invariably, every year we all would end up hiking to matheran… end of june and about a hundred teenagers trudging up the road to matheran (it was more like a picnic… we would just walk up the road to dasturi in the name of hiking :p)… rain drenching us to the core… joking… laughing… dancing in the rains… fooling around… eyeing the hunks… looking longingly at the couples walking hand in hand, wondering if we will ever do the same thing with someone we loved!… our legs groaning for mercy… bags dripping with the rain water along with all its contents (sometimes it would rain so much!)… and in about 3 hours we would reach the main market… it was always a 1 day trip, so we never checked into a hotel… all of us would gather in the market place and play games (during july - august it rains heavily, the hotels are shut down and the place is practically empty)… as the day would pass the rowdier we would get… I bet matheran has not seen a more rowdy crowd till date! … in the evening we would hike back to dasturi (the train does not work during the monsoons) and hire a cab to take us back to the station… a day in matheran, well spent…
my best friend Tasneem loved matheran too… I know her since my school days when we were partners in the IV Grade… we got admitted in the same college to be together… we were always together for our hiking trips from college… her uncle owned a bungalow in matheran… one summer we decided to go there… her cousins were joining in too… I remember the weekend well… 2 of her cousins were expert riders… everyday we would go for long horse rides around matheran… to places not many visitors know… riding in the woods… wind in the hair… enjoying every second of the ride! … they taught me to ride that summer (I am not an expert rider… but I can ride relatively well)… I remember this weekend as my ‘riding weekend’… Saturday night we decided to start a bon fire… at noon we tried gathering some wood… but the only kind of wood we could get hold of was the thin bamboo kind which never caught fire… all night instead of enjoying ourselves we were busy trying to get the wood to burn… and it never did… Tasneem and myself got talking till late night… we talked of matheran, our life, our dreams, our past, our crushes and also about wine… I distinctly remember telling her that one day I wanted to taste red wine… and she laughed at me saying I never would, as we didn’t drink… one of her cousin’s friend had some wine and he offered us some of it… I told him to get lost and not to listen to our private talks… he ran away and we burst out laughing as he had a major crush on Tasneem…
tomorrow I am going to matheran after 8-9 years… I am going to relive all my remembrances as I take long walks there… or as I go riding there… I don’t think it must have changed much… at least I hope not… will get back with pictures and my experiences this time round… till then hugsss… and I will miss all of you there…
bye n laterzzz…
ps : the invitation posts will be put up in a few days time... after my next post.. till then keep writing... hugsss
(matheran is famous for its no vehicle law… vehicles are banned on this hill station… they are allowed only as far as dasturi which is 45 mins walking distance from main matheran… the only automobile allowed is the toy train… internally people just walk, ride or hire the hand drawn rickshaws to go to places… not even locals are allowed to use vehicles in there… and this is the charm of this place… the only hill station in India or maybe the world to have such a law)
when I was in college, I was part of the hiking club… and invariably, every year we all would end up hiking to matheran… end of june and about a hundred teenagers trudging up the road to matheran (it was more like a picnic… we would just walk up the road to dasturi in the name of hiking :p)… rain drenching us to the core… joking… laughing… dancing in the rains… fooling around… eyeing the hunks… looking longingly at the couples walking hand in hand, wondering if we will ever do the same thing with someone we loved!… our legs groaning for mercy… bags dripping with the rain water along with all its contents (sometimes it would rain so much!)… and in about 3 hours we would reach the main market… it was always a 1 day trip, so we never checked into a hotel… all of us would gather in the market place and play games (during july - august it rains heavily, the hotels are shut down and the place is practically empty)… as the day would pass the rowdier we would get… I bet matheran has not seen a more rowdy crowd till date! … in the evening we would hike back to dasturi (the train does not work during the monsoons) and hire a cab to take us back to the station… a day in matheran, well spent…
my best friend Tasneem loved matheran too… I know her since my school days when we were partners in the IV Grade… we got admitted in the same college to be together… we were always together for our hiking trips from college… her uncle owned a bungalow in matheran… one summer we decided to go there… her cousins were joining in too… I remember the weekend well… 2 of her cousins were expert riders… everyday we would go for long horse rides around matheran… to places not many visitors know… riding in the woods… wind in the hair… enjoying every second of the ride! … they taught me to ride that summer (I am not an expert rider… but I can ride relatively well)… I remember this weekend as my ‘riding weekend’… Saturday night we decided to start a bon fire… at noon we tried gathering some wood… but the only kind of wood we could get hold of was the thin bamboo kind which never caught fire… all night instead of enjoying ourselves we were busy trying to get the wood to burn… and it never did… Tasneem and myself got talking till late night… we talked of matheran, our life, our dreams, our past, our crushes and also about wine… I distinctly remember telling her that one day I wanted to taste red wine… and she laughed at me saying I never would, as we didn’t drink… one of her cousin’s friend had some wine and he offered us some of it… I told him to get lost and not to listen to our private talks… he ran away and we burst out laughing as he had a major crush on Tasneem…
tomorrow I am going to matheran after 8-9 years… I am going to relive all my remembrances as I take long walks there… or as I go riding there… I don’t think it must have changed much… at least I hope not… will get back with pictures and my experiences this time round… till then hugsss… and I will miss all of you there…
bye n laterzzz…
ps : the invitation posts will be put up in a few days time... after my next post.. till then keep writing... hugsss
Friday, March 09, 2007
invitation
ps : i will post everyones replies one after another... u can send me the link or mail it to me on mystic_muse_2000@yahoo.co.in ... will start posting in a few days so as to give everyone the time to read this post.
i have been missing from the blog scene since sometime now... dont get enough time these days... and i have been missing all of u since long now... then one day this idea struck me... so i thought 'why not?'
therefore i have made a list of my most favourite bloggers and would like to invite them to write something for my blog... anything they would like to say to me or my friends who visit this blog... not necessarily about me... it could be anything they want to say... and i promise i will post it without editing it... so here goes my list (and what i like about them)...
z000nie - coz hes the funniest blogger i have ever met
keshi - coz i love everything she writes.. n i specially love the way her mind operates.. (just dont try that drinking stunt again!)
uttara and mala - coz they r the ones who i laugh with and giggle with whenever we are painting mumbai red
wordy - coz i love his poems... the best being the one he wrote for me long back
vinci - coz i miss him being here... n he's stopped blogging :((
sebia - coz shes the one who inspired me to blog.. n shes lost now :(((
so start going guys... im waiting for it... hugss n laterzzzzzzz
i have been missing from the blog scene since sometime now... dont get enough time these days... and i have been missing all of u since long now... then one day this idea struck me... so i thought 'why not?'
therefore i have made a list of my most favourite bloggers and would like to invite them to write something for my blog... anything they would like to say to me or my friends who visit this blog... not necessarily about me... it could be anything they want to say... and i promise i will post it without editing it... so here goes my list (and what i like about them)...
z000nie - coz hes the funniest blogger i have ever met
keshi - coz i love everything she writes.. n i specially love the way her mind operates.. (just dont try that drinking stunt again!)
uttara and mala - coz they r the ones who i laugh with and giggle with whenever we are painting mumbai red
wordy - coz i love his poems... the best being the one he wrote for me long back
vinci - coz i miss him being here... n he's stopped blogging :((
sebia - coz shes the one who inspired me to blog.. n shes lost now :(((
so start going guys... im waiting for it... hugss n laterzzzzzzz
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
soul gatherings
I am her soul… her essence... I live within her... but sometimes I tend to wander around... looking for things that touch me... intensely... passionately... just to see the effect of the events happening around her... how they touch her mind... her body... I look closely at people... at the emotions people try to hide... or the emotions they try to show... trying to decipher them... she doesn't realize what I am upto... but ofcourse that doesn't deter me... I go from place to place with her... gathering things for myself... gathering special moments... special people... special thoughts...
Coming back to something that happened a few days back… she was at a restaurant… I moved out of her body to look around… not many people were around… too early for the normal crowds… there was nothing interesting to take in… so I decided to wait a while… I placed myself near a vase of white flowers and a few decorative bottles of preserved pepper… how enticingly beautiful!… and then I noticed them… a couple... sitting at a table right opposite me… he was handing her a book… a gift?… looked like one… she seemed happy… apologizing for something as she glanced through the book for a while… later she placed it next to her and started talking to him… on and on she went talking mundane things… leaving me with a feeling that he was putting up with her chatter the way we put up with a kid who talks incessantly… this made me smile… later she noticed a few books next to him and picked them up… he smiled as he watched her go through the gist at the back of those books… meanwhile he picked up the book he had gifted her and started going through it… I noticed that it was a book on poems… it must have been an interesting book because I saw him smile while reading it… so intensely was he reading it that he didn’t notice her trying to catch his attention… she started fidgeting… not noticing things that I was taking in… I watched him read the book… and he surprised me… I have never seen anyone read a book like that… holding the book open in one hand and caressing its pages with the other… it was as if he was making love to the book… totally engrossed… not noticing her… not noticing me… just he and the book… I saw his expressions change… one moment engrossed… the other moment smiling… one moment intense… the other moment calm… this went on for a while… I was spellbound… he read her a verse from one poem… his voice reverberating across the room… a high-pitched voice making love to every word he spoke… I heard his voice, not taking in one word that he was saying… I was too busy watching him make love… too busy watching the climaxing of the affair… too busy taking in the intensity of his voice... till the end of the poem… the zenith…
this is the moment I gathered for myself… my soul gathering…
Friday, January 26, 2007
of birthdays n flowers..
i was my birthday yesterday.. whoaaa i guess im growing old.. n it was a fun day..
the first person to wish me (as always) was darshik.. he called me on the 24th evening when i was at a wedding reception (i guess it was 12 am in sydney then).. he always wants to b the first person to wish me.. a typical scorpion.. lol
(darshik if ur reading this.. im going to hit u when i see u next.. thats because i was so busy talking to u.. i didnt realise that the person passing by me at the reception was rakesh roshan.. i have been a huge fan.. n u made me miss him... urghhh)
n then the next person to call was my hubby.. (i had to stay at moms place coz he didnt attend the reception).. n then the phones started pouring in.. till 1 am..
yesterday was busier.. planned to lunch out with manish.. n that idiot forgot that it was my birthday!.. mennnnn!!... he escaped murder by showing me his grey hair n saying he was getting older.. lol
then bak home.. i meet up with my husband.. n whoaaa gift started pouring in.. he got me a pair of jeans.. n a watch.. flowers n gifts n a box of ferreros sent by darshik (yummyyy... by the way if u see the pic u'll realise half of them r over.. n the other half waiting to b devoured)... n more flowers.. n chocolates from the kids i teach..
evening we plan to go for a drive.. (we only celebrate out anniversary lavishly.. birthdays we donate the money that we save).. one of my friend was in town after a long time.. so we decide to meet up for a while.. so off we went to marriot.. chatted a while n got back home.. but then hubby was so tired that we decided to postpone the drive for today... n this is how my day ended.. well actually im still in the celebrating mode... my drives pending.. im planning to skip this wedding party i have to attend tonight n spend sometime with my sweetheart.. :))).. keep ur fingers crossed for me... lol
thank u everyone for the lovely wishes n phone calls... it means a lot to me.. n i realise that i dont know the birthdays of many of u who called me!.. so if ur reading this.. do send me ur birth date.. so i can demand a big party.. (winks)
laterzz all.. huggg n kisses...
Monday, January 01, 2007
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
latest haircut
just got my hair chopped.. n for once i liked it.. thanx harsh.. for the lovely cut...
n eagerly waiting for fairys arrival to mumbai... come soonnnnn girl..
laterzz all
Saturday, December 16, 2006
more pics...
now look at my sweetheart hriday.. muahhh babyy...
n here hridays 'fia'.. thats me...
thats dhairya with his mom.. n garfield... :))
eweee... thats me after the diwali pooja.. tired!!!!
n look at hriday again!!!... throwing a kiss at me.. hehehe... muahhhhhhh again...
laterzz all
Friday, December 08, 2006
lip lock
i take back my words... that is after watching dhoom 2... i had always maintained that indian stars didnt know how to smooch (other than the karishma-aamir kiss in raja hindustani)... n (thank god) i was proved wrong this time...
if u havent watched the film i would suggest u go watch it for the kiss... its really well shot... n done in a superb manner... i had always felt that ash was real cold in most of her films... n this one shot has changed my opinion about her.. i think shes only acting cold most of the times... specially after what she went through with salman... its like she has built walls all around her and only very very few people can climb over... shes acting plastic most of the times now... thats sad.. really sad... look what stardom can do to u... she has changed her whole personality... acts dumb (which she isnt)... tones her body so much that u feel as if shes a sculptors creation... (too perfect for me... duhhh)... and the worse... giggles too much... (stop it girl u look real silly)...
as for hritik.. he saves a dud film... n is looking real hot... hotter than abhishek too.. (yeah a true abhishek fan saying this... so u better believe me)...
nothing much in the movie other than this... but go watch it anyways... the lip lock sizzles!!!
Friday, November 24, 2006
dhairyas birthday pictures
yummmyy.. isnt it??... we celebrated my nephew dhairyas birthday party and got some nice pics... so here they go...
we had the theme of 'krishna' n most of the kids were dressed as krishna... oh yeah n thats me in the blue sari :)))... n then heres dhairya dressed as chotu krishna... isnt he a sweetheart???... he didnt want to wear the whole dress.. n was crying... uffff he ever threw away his crown!!!... luckily we got a pic of him smiling...
we had games for everyone... i even won a game.. a couple game that too... (winks)... we had return gifts for the kids... a flute (Lord Krishna's favourite musical instrument) and a beautiful Krishna key chain...
ohhhh n how can i forget my other favourite nephews hriday (in blue) n raheil (in yellow)?... oh look at their faces!!! slurpppppp... when do we eat the cake haan???
this reminds me of a funny episode that happened when i got engaged.. my cousins had ordered a huge cake for the ceremony... n after the cake cutting ceremony they pushed the table to one side of the stage and finished the whole 3 kg cake in 5 mins... they didnt even offer it to anyone!!!.. my husband still screams that his friends didnt get to eat the cake that day... lolllll... thats my family... all cakeoholics!!!!
hope you enjoyed the pics... laterzzz then
Saturday, October 14, 2006
SANTHARA : CONFUSION GALORE!
'Santhara' is a practice (in jainism) of giving up the materialistic wants in life... from food to water to all ur possessions.. there has been a lot of misconception about this practice... unlike sati, where the woman is asked to burn herself on her husbands pyre (most of the time forcefully), santhara is a spiritual practice where a person gives up everything on his own free will and only after he has completed all his responsibilities in life or if he is critically ill... i came across an article by Shri Surendra Bothra a few days back n would like to share it with all of u...
Santhara is neither a cause nor an instrument of death. It is a name given to the last part of an elaborate Jain spiritual practice called Sallekhana or Samlekhana (ultimate vow). The meaning of the term Sallekhana is: to properly emaciate passions and body. Santhara literally means a bed of hay; the practice derives the name because when the time of death approaches the aspirant sits or lies down on a bed of hay renouncing all possessions, attachment and intake. The reflection of this practice can be seen in every household when a person is brought down from his cot to a mattress on the ground during presumed last moments of his life.
The oldest, authentic and first mention of Sallekhana is found in Acharanga Sutra, accepted by Shwetambar Jains as the first sermon of Bhagavan Mahavir. According to philologists the first Shrutskandh of Acharanga Sutra depicts the earliest phase of Jainism of about 3 rd century BC. It is the oldest available text in Jain tradition. All other discussions about Sallekhana belong to later periods. Here is whatAcharanga states --"If an ascetic realizes that now it is gradually becomingimpossible for him to sustain the body for his essential (ascetic) duties, he should gradually reduce his food intake through austerities. While reducing the food intake he should also reduce his passions. After reducing passions he should acquire mental serenity. Becoming thin by honing both sides, body and passion, like a plank of wood, that ascetic should make himself stable (free of agitations of body and mind) and rise (prepare to embrace meditational death or Samadhi Maran). If that ascetic has enough energy to walk, he should go to a village, city, … or capital (any populated place) and beg for hay or a stack of straw. When he gets a stack of straw he should retire into seclusion … … He should then thoroughlyclean that spot and make a bed of straw ( Santhara) there. Now he shouldoccupy the straw-bed and observe itvarik fast (fasting for a predeterminedperiod)." ( Acharanga Sutra 8/6/225)
There is a code defining conditions and circumstances when this spiritual practice can be accepted. " Sallekhana is done in circumstances like drought, old age, incurable fatal disease, and gradual depletion of the strength of the body." (Ratankarandak Shravakachar 122). Unlike suicide that is done in an agitated state of mind, Sallekhana is accepted in a peaceful state of mind and after much deliberation as well as seeking permission from family members and the guru. According the commentary on Acharanga Sutra there are two specialprovisions – 1. If an ascetic observing sallekhana practices gets sick, unconscious, or dizzy due to lack of food and nutrition, he should stoprigorous austerities, terminate the sallekhana process and accept food. 2. If he develops an aversion for food or has lack of appetite, he should give up food.
The practice loses its spiritual value if there is intent of death at any time during this practice. In fact desire for death is listed as one of the faults in practice of Sallekhana. "An ascetic, who is practicing sallekhana or anashan, should neither desire to live nor pray for death. He should remain detached both from life and death ( Acharanga Sutra 8/8/233)
Sallekhana is a spiritual practice dissociating one's mind from the body in order to attain a tranquil and equanimous state of mind; something like Samadhi. Death in such serene state of mind is classified as Samadhi maran (meditational death), which is common to almost all religions. In this practice there is no invitation to death. It is, in fact, detached and serene acceptance of the inevitable. The only connection Sallekhana has with death is that it is a practice, preparatory toembracing death, employed in terminal conditions.
In medical parlance it is nearest to the condition of a patient in painful terminal condition put on sedatives. Doctors say that nothing can be done to cure him. They just inform him about an estimated survival period, stop almost all treatment and leave the patient to his own fate.Heavy dosage of sedatives is given neither for cure nor for prolonging life but to reduce his suffering. In other words, they try to put the patient, awaiting death, in a tranquil state of mind. Sallekhana is similar to thiscondition. The difference is that the former is induced by a drug and is a state of stupor. The latter is self induced and fully conscious state; something like self-hypnosis.
It is also something like extended practices of chanting mantras or holy words to a dying person, feeding holy water to a dying person, taking the patient for a pilgrimage, and many other such practices of providing peaceful and pleasant atmosphere prior to death. These practices in one form or the other are common to all religious and social communities throughout the world. Opposing such time tested religious and social customs legally or socially could be termed as sentiment-driven acts mostly based on ignorance. They tend to end as damp squibs if not back-fire.
Death is inevitable and unpredictable. It may occur at any time and in any circumstance. Can we prohibit all activities that were being done just before death? Every act, condition or state preceding death cannot be branded as instrumental to death, killing or suicide. If this happens, all acts of tapasya, sadhana, and even medical and surgical interventions where rate of survival is less than 20 percent (some cases of neurosurgery) will have to be called attempt to suicide or kill.
Answers to some questions should be sought before interfering with this accepted religious custom:
When it is a voluntary and self administered act, how can it be called killing?Is it possible and practical to put every terminal patient in hospital on life support system? Does it happen?
Why not compare the rate of death of ailing patients and the life support systems available in hospitals throughout the country?
Fasting is a very common practice in Jains. Fasting even for a much longer period than reported in such cases of Santhara is very common. How fasting by Jains can be branded as a method of suicide? Moreover, why not find out how many cases of suicide attempts by fasting have been reported all around the world? When it is not killing and when it is difficult to call it suicide why oppose it? Why not undertake religious, social and legal studies before taking such impulsive steps?
laterzz all
Santhara is neither a cause nor an instrument of death. It is a name given to the last part of an elaborate Jain spiritual practice called Sallekhana or Samlekhana (ultimate vow). The meaning of the term Sallekhana is: to properly emaciate passions and body. Santhara literally means a bed of hay; the practice derives the name because when the time of death approaches the aspirant sits or lies down on a bed of hay renouncing all possessions, attachment and intake. The reflection of this practice can be seen in every household when a person is brought down from his cot to a mattress on the ground during presumed last moments of his life.
The oldest, authentic and first mention of Sallekhana is found in Acharanga Sutra, accepted by Shwetambar Jains as the first sermon of Bhagavan Mahavir. According to philologists the first Shrutskandh of Acharanga Sutra depicts the earliest phase of Jainism of about 3 rd century BC. It is the oldest available text in Jain tradition. All other discussions about Sallekhana belong to later periods. Here is whatAcharanga states --"If an ascetic realizes that now it is gradually becomingimpossible for him to sustain the body for his essential (ascetic) duties, he should gradually reduce his food intake through austerities. While reducing the food intake he should also reduce his passions. After reducing passions he should acquire mental serenity. Becoming thin by honing both sides, body and passion, like a plank of wood, that ascetic should make himself stable (free of agitations of body and mind) and rise (prepare to embrace meditational death or Samadhi Maran). If that ascetic has enough energy to walk, he should go to a village, city, … or capital (any populated place) and beg for hay or a stack of straw. When he gets a stack of straw he should retire into seclusion … … He should then thoroughlyclean that spot and make a bed of straw ( Santhara) there. Now he shouldoccupy the straw-bed and observe itvarik fast (fasting for a predeterminedperiod)." ( Acharanga Sutra 8/6/225)
There is a code defining conditions and circumstances when this spiritual practice can be accepted. " Sallekhana is done in circumstances like drought, old age, incurable fatal disease, and gradual depletion of the strength of the body." (Ratankarandak Shravakachar 122). Unlike suicide that is done in an agitated state of mind, Sallekhana is accepted in a peaceful state of mind and after much deliberation as well as seeking permission from family members and the guru. According the commentary on Acharanga Sutra there are two specialprovisions – 1. If an ascetic observing sallekhana practices gets sick, unconscious, or dizzy due to lack of food and nutrition, he should stoprigorous austerities, terminate the sallekhana process and accept food. 2. If he develops an aversion for food or has lack of appetite, he should give up food.
The practice loses its spiritual value if there is intent of death at any time during this practice. In fact desire for death is listed as one of the faults in practice of Sallekhana. "An ascetic, who is practicing sallekhana or anashan, should neither desire to live nor pray for death. He should remain detached both from life and death ( Acharanga Sutra 8/8/233)
Sallekhana is a spiritual practice dissociating one's mind from the body in order to attain a tranquil and equanimous state of mind; something like Samadhi. Death in such serene state of mind is classified as Samadhi maran (meditational death), which is common to almost all religions. In this practice there is no invitation to death. It is, in fact, detached and serene acceptance of the inevitable. The only connection Sallekhana has with death is that it is a practice, preparatory toembracing death, employed in terminal conditions.
In medical parlance it is nearest to the condition of a patient in painful terminal condition put on sedatives. Doctors say that nothing can be done to cure him. They just inform him about an estimated survival period, stop almost all treatment and leave the patient to his own fate.Heavy dosage of sedatives is given neither for cure nor for prolonging life but to reduce his suffering. In other words, they try to put the patient, awaiting death, in a tranquil state of mind. Sallekhana is similar to thiscondition. The difference is that the former is induced by a drug and is a state of stupor. The latter is self induced and fully conscious state; something like self-hypnosis.
It is also something like extended practices of chanting mantras or holy words to a dying person, feeding holy water to a dying person, taking the patient for a pilgrimage, and many other such practices of providing peaceful and pleasant atmosphere prior to death. These practices in one form or the other are common to all religious and social communities throughout the world. Opposing such time tested religious and social customs legally or socially could be termed as sentiment-driven acts mostly based on ignorance. They tend to end as damp squibs if not back-fire.
Death is inevitable and unpredictable. It may occur at any time and in any circumstance. Can we prohibit all activities that were being done just before death? Every act, condition or state preceding death cannot be branded as instrumental to death, killing or suicide. If this happens, all acts of tapasya, sadhana, and even medical and surgical interventions where rate of survival is less than 20 percent (some cases of neurosurgery) will have to be called attempt to suicide or kill.
Answers to some questions should be sought before interfering with this accepted religious custom:
When it is a voluntary and self administered act, how can it be called killing?Is it possible and practical to put every terminal patient in hospital on life support system? Does it happen?
Why not compare the rate of death of ailing patients and the life support systems available in hospitals throughout the country?
Fasting is a very common practice in Jains. Fasting even for a much longer period than reported in such cases of Santhara is very common. How fasting by Jains can be branded as a method of suicide? Moreover, why not find out how many cases of suicide attempts by fasting have been reported all around the world? When it is not killing and when it is difficult to call it suicide why oppose it? Why not undertake religious, social and legal studies before taking such impulsive steps?
laterzz all
Friday, September 22, 2006
my short lived acting career
sometimes we come across such people or episodes in our life which r simply funny... or maybe they leave us stunned... or with a 'dont know what to do' feeling...
im sure all of us have come across such times in our life.. some days back this episode just came to my mind.. it happened many years back when i was in college... its funny no doubt about it.. but i still dont know what to make out of it... so here it goes...
i was in degree college then... n had just completed some class... i was returning home n was waiting for a bus... now im such a kind of person that i dont really bother whos around me.. i dont really 'see' around.. always in my own world... so i didnt notice this man who was standing next to me...
when i entered the bus he sits next to me... i was going through my notes when he starts talking to me... first he says hi but then i didnt bother to respond...
after a while he says, "hey have u ever thought about acting as a career?"
i look at him n say, "no"
he says, "im a director of a movie n would like to have u take up auditions for my next film"
now obviously i thought he was fooling around... i gave him a dirty look n said i wasn't interested... he sat silent for a while... then he opened his bag n showed me some documents... they looked genuine to me.. about some movie he was making...
then he says, "y r u scared?"
i say, "im not "
he says, "look... if its about ur parents i can talk to them.. let me just speak to them"
now i get bugged... luckily my stops near.. so i get up.. say i have to leave.. but he follows me... he gets off too... i get darn pissed.. i ask him not to follow me... he again asks me if its about my parents... n then i stop him midway..
i tell him, "look mister whoever u r... i aint interested in acting... my parents decision comes later... i hope u get this in ur thick head that i do not want to act!... n now dare u follow me.. i'll go call the cops"
he was so stunned.. he didnt know what to say... (i can throw a lot of attitude when i want to)... i turn my back to him n just go home... by the time mom opens the door im laughing away to glory... she thinks i've lost it... n asks me what happened... i tell her the whole tale n she too bursts out laughing... but then we all know how moms r... after a min she says... y did u talk to him!!... y did u answer him!!.. what if he has followed u home!!!...
i had to pacify her for a long time after that... but this episode sure brings a smile on my face... alrite i know its nice to feel people think u look good... but the best part was the expression on his face when i left him... ohhhh give me one more chance n id say the same thing n see him stunned :p
laterzzz all... keep smiling :))))
im sure all of us have come across such times in our life.. some days back this episode just came to my mind.. it happened many years back when i was in college... its funny no doubt about it.. but i still dont know what to make out of it... so here it goes...
i was in degree college then... n had just completed some class... i was returning home n was waiting for a bus... now im such a kind of person that i dont really bother whos around me.. i dont really 'see' around.. always in my own world... so i didnt notice this man who was standing next to me...
when i entered the bus he sits next to me... i was going through my notes when he starts talking to me... first he says hi but then i didnt bother to respond...
after a while he says, "hey have u ever thought about acting as a career?"
i look at him n say, "no"
he says, "im a director of a movie n would like to have u take up auditions for my next film"
now obviously i thought he was fooling around... i gave him a dirty look n said i wasn't interested... he sat silent for a while... then he opened his bag n showed me some documents... they looked genuine to me.. about some movie he was making...
then he says, "y r u scared?"
i say, "im not "
he says, "look... if its about ur parents i can talk to them.. let me just speak to them"
now i get bugged... luckily my stops near.. so i get up.. say i have to leave.. but he follows me... he gets off too... i get darn pissed.. i ask him not to follow me... he again asks me if its about my parents... n then i stop him midway..
i tell him, "look mister whoever u r... i aint interested in acting... my parents decision comes later... i hope u get this in ur thick head that i do not want to act!... n now dare u follow me.. i'll go call the cops"
he was so stunned.. he didnt know what to say... (i can throw a lot of attitude when i want to)... i turn my back to him n just go home... by the time mom opens the door im laughing away to glory... she thinks i've lost it... n asks me what happened... i tell her the whole tale n she too bursts out laughing... but then we all know how moms r... after a min she says... y did u talk to him!!... y did u answer him!!.. what if he has followed u home!!!...
i had to pacify her for a long time after that... but this episode sure brings a smile on my face... alrite i know its nice to feel people think u look good... but the best part was the expression on his face when i left him... ohhhh give me one more chance n id say the same thing n see him stunned :p
laterzzz all... keep smiling :))))
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
math facts
* a googol is 10 raised to the power of 100 or 1 followed by 100 zeroes. another very large number is googolplex which is 10 raised to the power of 10 raised to the power of 100 or 10 raised to the power of a googol.
* Abacus is considered as the oldest tool used for mathematical calculations. it was discovered in china some 5000 years ago.
* Thomas Malthus quoted "the world population increases in geometrical ratio and food only in arithmatical ratio."
* Euclid is called the father of geometry. he was a greek mathematician who taught geometry at the Museum of Alexandria in egypt around 300 b.c.
* Archimedes used his inventions to help defend his country. When he was old his country was defeated in a war against romans. he was studying a circle drawn on the sand when an enemy soldier charged into his room.when he shouted "dont step upon my circles", the infuriated soldier slew him with his sword!
* Brahmagupta is considered as the founder of numerical analysis. he framed laws to solve simple and quadratic equations. his famous book is 'brahma sphuta sidhanta'.
* Bhaskara said that if a number is divided by 0 the result is infinity. he is known as the founder of calculus. his famous books are 'siddhanta siromani' and 'karanakutuhala'
interesting isnt this? if anyone knows some site which gives me details of 'bearings' please offline me... thanks
laterzz all
* Abacus is considered as the oldest tool used for mathematical calculations. it was discovered in china some 5000 years ago.
* Thomas Malthus quoted "the world population increases in geometrical ratio and food only in arithmatical ratio."
* Euclid is called the father of geometry. he was a greek mathematician who taught geometry at the Museum of Alexandria in egypt around 300 b.c.
* Archimedes used his inventions to help defend his country. When he was old his country was defeated in a war against romans. he was studying a circle drawn on the sand when an enemy soldier charged into his room.when he shouted "dont step upon my circles", the infuriated soldier slew him with his sword!
* Brahmagupta is considered as the founder of numerical analysis. he framed laws to solve simple and quadratic equations. his famous book is 'brahma sphuta sidhanta'.
* Bhaskara said that if a number is divided by 0 the result is infinity. he is known as the founder of calculus. his famous books are 'siddhanta siromani' and 'karanakutuhala'
interesting isnt this? if anyone knows some site which gives me details of 'bearings' please offline me... thanks
laterzz all
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)