Roshni

Interesting Quotes

2011-09-18T01:29:00.000-07:00

A lost battle is a battle one thinks one has lost.

Everything has been figured out, except how to live.

Hell is other people.

I do not believe in God; his existence has been disproved by Science. But in the concentration camp, I learned to believe in men.

If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.

Life has no meaning the moment you loose the illusion of being eternal.

Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.

No finite point has meaning without an infinite reference point.

We do not judge the people we love.

It is never too late to ask yourself, “ Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?” Even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before, it surely is a pity. At every moment and with each new breath, one should be renewed and renewed again. There is only one-way to be born into a new life: to die before death.
"If you could get rid of yourself just once, the secret of secrets would open to you.
The face of the unknown, hidden beyond the universe would appear on the mirror of your perception."

(Rumi)

An article by Payal Gidwani Tiwari

2011-06-26T01:06:00.000-07:00

Yoga is not slow and boring .You can use Asanas and Kriyas to achieve weight loss. People often think that Yoga is only meditation or only Spirituality. Yoga is definitely a path of spirituality but it works first on the physical body. It is a great tool for weight loss and finally when you are happy with your physical body, you un-fog your mind and get into the social & spiritual aspects of yoga.

Yoga teaches five aspects of fitness- endurance, strength, stamina, agility & body composition. You may not be fat but you may lack flexibility.

It is hard to be unhealthy once you start yoga –Saif Ali Khan

Yoga is the best kind of exercise.
Rani & Kareena were both hard core gym people .In fact Bebo went to gym for eight years before she joined Yoga and after that she hasn’t been back to a gym ever.
One thing I recommend very strongly is the Surya Namaskar.Its like a magic wand to keep you healthy. If you really want to work on yourself, start with five Surya Namaskar a day and then do as many as your body can take .It works on your weight, blood circulation, your entire system…so that your skin glows
-Payal Gidwani Tiwari.
(Adopted from an article published in a magazine by Payal Gidwani Tiwari)

24th June 2011

2011-06-23T20:21:00.001-07:00

I thoroughly enjoyed myself making this video ..hope you enjoy watching it too ....once again wishing you a very Happy Anniversary...and loads n loads of happiness in life.

Some Good Quotes!

2011-06-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

"All is well. You did not come here to fix a broken world. The world is not broken.You came here to live a wonderful life. And if you can learn to relax a little and let it all in, you will begin to see the universe present you with all that you have asked for." - Esther Abraham-Hicks

Take the challenge: Whenever someone is nasty towards you, do something so nice that it takes them by surprise. - Sri Sri

"Your soul doesn't care what you do for a living - and when your life is over, neither will you. Your soul cares only about WHAT YOU ARE BEING while you're doing whatever you're doing .... “~ Neale Donald Walsch

I am where I am meant to be, doing what I am meant to be doing.. If I would have been meant to be doing something else, I would have been doing that! Life is unfolding exactly in accordance with The Plan! Let me just go with the flow .

"Anything that helps you become unconditionally happy and loving is what is called spirituality." ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The destruction, the true battle is between those who want a change in the world and those who does not want any change in the world.

All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope....

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Be afraid of not learning from them.

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.
Life is AWESOME! Learn to Forgive, especially yourself.

" IF YOU ARE POSITIVE, THEN NOTHING IS NEGATIVE FOR YOU. If you are negative, then everything will be negative for you." Osho.~

Generally, we believe our memory is weak. But when we want to forget someone we care a lot about, we begin to realize how powerful our memory is....!

Everything comes to the one who thinks how she/he can contribute more to the society. - Sri Sri

Kabir Doha on Guru

Sab Dharti Kagaz Karu,
Lekhan Ban Raye.
Sath Samundra Ki syahi Karu
Guru Gun Likha Na Jaye

“Even if the whole earth is transformed into paper with all the big trees made into pens and if the entire water in the seven oceans are transformed into writing ink, even then the glories of the Guru cannot be written. So much is the greatness of the Guru.”

Dheere Dheere Re Mana, Dheere Sub Kutch Hoye
Mali Seenche So Ghara, Ritu Aaye Phal Hoye

धीरे धीरे रे मना, धीरे सब कुछ होए
माली सींचे सौ घङा ऋतु आऐ फल होए

Jab Tun Aaya Jagat Mein, Log Hanse Tu Roye
Aise Karni Na Kari, Pache Hanse Sab Koye
जब तुम आए जगत में लोग हंसे तुम रोए
ऐसी करनी ना करी पाछे हँसे सब कोए

Guru kumhar shish kumbh hai
Gadhi gadhi kadhe khot
Andar se de sahara
Bahar mare chot

गुरु कुcहार शीष कुंभ है गढ़ गढ़ काढ़े खोट
अंदर से दे सहारा बाहर मारे चोट

Yeh tan vish ki belri
Guru amrut ki khan
Sheesh diye bhi guru mile
To bhi sasta jaan

यह तन विष की बेलऱी ,गुरु अमृत की खान
शीष दिए भी गुरु मिले,तो भी सmता जान

Keeping Quiet

2011-05-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Came across this beautiful poem “KEEPING QUIET” by Pablo Neruda .It is about the necessity of quiet introspection and creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings in the hectic cycle of our life.I myself was in silence for 3 days last month and this poem aptly captures the essence of keeping quiet.

Keeping Quiet

Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.

This one time upon the earth,
let's not speak any language,
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be a delicious moment,
without hurry, without locomotives,
all of us would be together
in a sudden uneasiness.

The fishermen in the cold sea
would do no harm to the whales
and the peasant gathering salt
would look at his torn hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars of gas, wars of fire,
victories without survivors,
would put on clean clothing
and would walk alongside their brothers
in the shade, without doing a thing.

What I want shouldn't be confused
with final inactivity:
life alone is what matters,
I want nothing to do with death.

If we weren't unanimous
about keeping our lives so much in motion,

if we could do nothing for once,
perhaps a great silence would
interrupt this sadness,
this never understanding ourselves
and threatening ourselves with death,
perhaps the earth is teaching us
when everything seems to be dead
and then everything is alive.

Now I will count to twelve
and you keep quiet and I'll go.

Some Touching Love Stories!

2011-04-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sunshine and Memories

Debasis was my Sunshine. I called him that because he lit up my life for 32 years. We met in 1975 when I was just 21. He was six years older. I was an airhostess and he a marine engineer. Our backgrounds and attitudes were also as different as the sea and sky. I was a small-town girl from Darjeeling, short-tempered, with an anxious nature. He was from Calcutta, and calm and positive by temperament.
He pursued me in his quiet way, and I would get stacks of mail when he was away at sea. We got married in 1978, despite our parents’ apprehensions. I left my job to sail the world with him. Seated on deck, beneath the stars, we’d just listen to the waves. On full-moon nights it was sheer heaven. He gave up fishing from the ship
because of my Buddhist beliefs. Over the years, I learnt to speak Bengali while he picked up Nepali from me.
We wanted a daughter and even planned to name her after our first ship, but we remained childless. Yet, that drew us even closer. If he came across a pretty flower, he’d pick it for me—even from among weeds.
Debasis passed away in November 2007 after a brief illness. I have his old courtship letters. It still makes me laugh when I remember how I used to threaten to read them aloud, if he teased or irritated me! Those letters and memories are what I treasure the most.
Kala Gupta, Darjeeling

Taming of the Shrew

Our families had always been close and so, despite my initial hesitation, marrying Parikshet seemed the natural step to take. Little did I realize how things would turn out. All through the six months following our wedding in 1999, I didn’t get cards or chocolates, not even a candlelight dinner! My girlish dreams of romance were dashed to pieces. When I made him tea every morning, he would gulp it down with a fixed smile and the same words—“Thank you, it’s lovely”—until the day I vented my disillusionment to an old pal of his.
I was told that the one thing Parikshet loathed was tea!
Gradually, I realized what an understated but genuinely loving person he is. All these years I haven’t heard him raise his voice at anybody. And when I had a tumour and couldn’t conceive a child, it was Parikshet’s silent acceptance that gave me the strength to face the situation.
I’ve grown up. It is ironic how we always hear the loud and obvious and fail to notice the unassuming and quiet; how we love reading sensational stuff but find decent matters uninteresting. If it weren’t for my
husband I’d, too, miss the simpler, smaller joys of life. Thank you, Parikshet. You managed to tame your shrew without even trying!
Neha Srivastava, Gurgaon

Eye of the Beholder

What attracted me to Prasannakumar Wadiyar in college was his sensitive nature. His mother used to be ill then and I saw the pain in his eyes when he spoke about her. We got married in 1997. But soon afterwards, we were involved in a serious bus accident and I had fractures and bruises on an entire side of my face. Although Prasanna had a broken rib himself, he managed to get me to a hospital. I underwent a seven-hour operation—and all this even before our wedding photos arrived.
Relatives and friends, shocked at seeing the way I looked, began to worry about the future of our relationship. But not me, I knew Prasanna too well. I loved socializing, window-shopping and eating out, but now I didn’t want to show my scarred, discoloured face in public. But Prasanna held my hand firmly and took me to all the places I loved. When people stared, he only drew me closer. The years flew by and we became the parents of two lovely girls, who are now eleven and seven years old. I am a teacher at their school.
But things happen when you least expect it. Two days after our 12th wedding anniversary, in November 2009, Prasanna passed away following a fatal aneurysm. He was just 38.
After my accident, we did discuss cosmetic surgery but Prasanna insisted that I should do it only if I felt the need, and not to please him, because, he said, “I love you the way you are.” So I didn’t. My scars have faded with time. But, in all those years, not for a moment did my husband make me feel less beautiful, less attractive or less loved because of them.
Vasundhara Wadiyar, Mysore

(Adopted from Reader's Digest)

Lipatick on the Mirror!

2011-04-17T02:11:00.000-07:00

In a certain private girls school in Brisbane was recently faced with a unique problem.
A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.
Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back.
Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man.
She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses).
To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls just how much effort was required.
He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it!
No more lipstick ever happened on any of the mirrors.
This is the difference between teaching and educating!

Mental Burden

2011-04-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Two monks were travelling in the rain, the mud sloshing under their feet. As they passed a rivulet crossing they saw a beautiful Geisha girl, finely dressed, unable to cross because of the mud. Without a word, the older monk simply picked up the woman and carried her to the other side.
The younger monk was seemingly agitated for the rest of their journey, and could not contain himself once they reached their destination. The younger monk exploded at the older monk, “How could you, a monk, even consider holding a woman in your arms, much less a young and beautiful one. It is against our teachings. It is in very bad taste”.

“I put her down the roadside”, said the older monk. “Are you still carrying her?”

We all behave in the same fashion. We keep carrying the burdens for years and decades together, and become more stressful. Instead we should just throw thousands of “Mental burdens” into the dustbin.

A good story on Time management

2011-04-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Once ,a Professor displayed certain materials on his table.When the class began , wordlessly he picked up a very large glass jug and filled it with rocks,of about 2 inches in diameter.
He then asked the students whether the jug was full.They agreed that it was.The professor then picked up some pebbles and put them into the jug .He shook the jug lightly.The pebbles,of course,rolled into the open spaces between the bigger rocks.
He then asked the students again,whether the jug was full.They agreed it was.The professor picked up some sand and poured it into the jug.Of course,the sand filled up the jug.He then asked once more ,whether the jug was full.The students responded with a yes.
The professor then poured two cups of coffee into the jug,which were absorbed by the sand .The students laughed.As soon as the laughter subsided ,the professor continued “I want you to recognize that this jug represent your life.The rocks are important things –in your life –your family ,your partner,your health,your children-things that if everything else was lost and only they remained ,your life would still be almost full.The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job ,your house ,your car.The sand is everything else –the small stuff.If you put the sand first into the jug first,there is no room for the pebbles or rocks.The same goes for your life.If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,you will never have room for the things that are truly importan to you.”
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.Play with your children .Take time to get maedical checkups.Take your partner out.There will always be time to go to work,clean the house ,give a dinner party.Take care of the rocks first-the things that really matter .Set your priorities.The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquire what the coffee represented.The professor smiled .”I am glad you asked.It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem ,there’s always time for a cup of coffee with a friend!”

Miles to go before I sleep .....

2011-04-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite poems

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost

Yoga and Energy levels in the Body

2011-03-19T09:18:00.001-07:00

What is the main reason you would attribute to fluctuations in a person’s energy level?
The prime reason is obviously wrong food habits and lack of proper amount of oxygen in the body. Without proper oxygen there arises a disruption in the biochemical balance in the body which in turn hampers the functioning of the Red Blood Cells (RBC) which is unable to deliver the essential nutrients to the cells. The result is a drop in the energy levels.

In order to accomplish all the many millions of complex functions that occur over the course of the day, our body has to be able to communicate with itself… all the way down to the cellular level. And all this is done through pulses of electricity. That’s right, electricity. We are in fact Bio Electrical Engines
Our body operates on an electro magnetic current. Believe it or not, all of the organs in our body emit these fields of electrical current. In fact, nerve signals are nothing more than electrical charges. And all the systems in our body depend on this delicate, bio chemical balance.

Why is it important to breathe correctly?

Breathing is the inner source of life and by monitoring our breathing habits we become more aware of the connection between mind, body and spirit.
Breathing properly feeds the body with the right amount of oxygen to cleanse the mind and body of toxins. Oxygen is the provider of the vital nutrients which enables efficient functioning of the brain and without it we will die within minutes.
Blood in our bodies becomes purified by taking in extra oxygen, the solar plexus is recharged and ageing of the skin is slowed down.

How can Yoga help in increasing energy levels?

Many people turn to the magic of yoga for energy and find themselves refreshed and ready to tackle whatever life throws at them. Yoga works by tapping into the Chi, or the inner life force that gives us strength and balance. Energy yoga focuses on the art of reviving tired muscles and bringing them back to their energized state. This form of yoga can be practiced for a few short minutes a day, giving you just the jolt that you need to feel refreshed and revitalized. There are many poses to help you to gain more energy.

No coffee needed here. Just a few minutes and you're on your way to feeling the power of yoga. Tap into your inner force with energy-increasing yoga.

Stress Management

2011-03-16T09:34:00.001-07:00

Stress has become a universal word which is being used by just about any one, every where we go.

The medical science describes stress as a specific response of the body to all non specific demands – physical, psychological, threatened or actual – the response being the secretion of ACTH and CORTISOL (these are two stress induced hormones). Secretion of two other hormones stimulated by stress is adrenalin and non adrenalin.
A more practical definition of stress may be put as “when the problem presented by everyday life exceeds your resources for coping with them you feel stressed”.

Reasons or causes of Stress

Society problems.
Family problems.
Work overload.
Political Problems
Ecological and Envienronmental Factors.
Physical and psychological problems.
Problems created due to changes in moral values of the society.
Economic Factors.
Lack of Emotional Support from closed ones.
Information overload.
Time overload.
Financial Problems.
Self Ego.
Lack of Spirituality.

Modern science, till some years ago, did not attribute stress to the creation of diseases. In the last few decades, a series of epidemiological studies and observations have proved that some very common diseases are a direct result of excessive stress. They are now grouped as psychosomatic diseases. A list of these common diseases is as follows.

High Blood Pressure.
Angina or Chest Pain.
Heart Attacks.
Headache.
Migraine
Backache.
Shoulder ache.
Spondilitis.
Allergies.
Asthma.
Chronic fatigue and lethargy.
Anxiety
Insomnia
Depression
Irritable bowel syndrome.
Menstrual irregularities in female.

Do you suffer from any of them?
Be honest with yourself and try to find out the roof cause of the problems. This will help you to clearly define a solution.

Yoga and meditation are wonderful tools to combat from stress and stress related disorders.Yoga is the philosophical doctrine developed in India at 500 B.C. It brings about the right interaction, combination, co ordination of the mind and body.

According to Patanjali (the father of yoga) yoga is
· Union between Prana (Vital Force ) and MahaShakti (Universal energy)
· Stopping the fluctuation of consciousness (Chitta)
· Achievement of inner equilibrium
· It is the skill of work (Karmashu kaushalyam)

Eight steps of Yoga according to Rishi Patanjali

Yam –Restraint and Control
Niyam-observation and self discipline
Asana-Physical Postures
Pranayam-Breathing techniques
Pratyahar-Food habits
Dharna-Concentration
Dhyan-Flow of concentration, meditation
Samadhi-state of ultimate consciousness

Scientific proven benefits of Meditation

Controls Blood Pressure
Increases cardiovascular Capacity
Increases Breathing Speed
Controls the Temperature of the body
Controls the rate of Metabolism in body
Controls the levels of Cholesterol in blood
Controls Blood Sugar

During meditation the electromagnetic waves produced by the brain are measured by Electroencephalography (EEG) machine and it shows Alpha waves. If a person is in deep stress the EEG machine records Beta and Delta waves.

Why to Meditate?

2011-03-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Every human being in this world aspires for peace and happiness. Happiness is a state of mind. Meditation enables a person to attain such a state of mind, where external interference on the brain is almost reduced to nil, mind and body attain absolute peace and the person reaches a state of equilibrium. Meditation is a source of peace and happiness.

Meditation takes you from

Tension to Attention
Stressfulness to Gracefulness
Restlessness to Tranquility
Dullness to Sharpness
Ageing to Youthfulness
Illness to Health
Selfishness to Selflessness

Mind is like a wave in the ocean of Consciousness (Chetna).The balance between a focused mind and expanded Consciousness can bring perfection.
In the state of Ultimate consciousness (Maha Chetna) a person can even touch the unseen, unheard depths of the brain. All this is possible through Yoga and Meditation.

As soon as the brain goes to an extremely relaxing state, the adrenalin secretion in the hypothalamus region is greatly reduced, the heart beat gets regularized and as a result of this there is an immediate fall in the blood pressure and glucose levels. The muscles get relaxed and more of alpha waves are produced by brain which is responsible for peace & happiness.

There are two kinds of meditation techniques-Concentrative and Mindfulness.

During Concentrative Meditation attention is focused on a single sound, an object or one’s breath to bring about a calm, tranquil mind.

During Mindfulness Meditation, the mind becomes aware of but does not react to the wide variety of sensations.

Components of Meditation
• Quiet Atmosphere
• Comfortable Posture
• Passive Attitude
• Follow the Theme

Themes of Meditation
• Earth Elements : Black Dot, Statue of God
• Water Elements : River,Lake,Sea
• Sound Elements : Word,Mantra,Japa,Bhajan
• Fire Elements :Lamp, Candle
• Nature Element :Blue Sky, Dense Forest, Moon, Ice Peaks, Sea Waves
• Body Elements :Sharir (Organs),Limbs ,Breathing
• Psychic Centre :Kundalini
• Colours :Orange, Green, White
• Thoughts :Anupreksha

Even in ancient Chinese and Japanese culture, meditation has been practiced as “Zen”,”Sufi”,Reiki” & “Tai-Chi”.
Meditation has been laid stress upon by all religions. The meditative state of mind is declared by the Yogis to be the highest state in which the mind exists. Hindu religion’s prime God Shiva is always depicted sitting in a meditative state.

Types Of Meditation
• Vipassana Meditation
• Yoga Nidra Meditation
• Buddhist Meditation
• Transcendental Meditation
• Kundalini Meditation
• Zen Meditation
• Brahma Kumari Meditation
• Preksha Meditation
• Ananda Marga Meditation
• Meher Baba Meditation
• Tibetan Meditation
• Sangha Yoga Meditation
• Turiya Yoga Meditation
• Osho Meditation
• Now Faith Meditation
• Art Of Living Meditation

Brain scans show that putting negative emotions into words calms the brain’s emotional centre. That could explain meditation’s purported emotional benefits, because people who meditate, often label their negative emotions in an effort to ‘let them go’. These findings were put up by two scientists, Matthew Lieberman and David Creswell, in Psychological Science.

“These findings may help explain the beneficial healthful effects of mindfulness meditation & suggest for the first time, an underlying reason why mindfulness meditation program improve mood and health.” - David Creswell in Psychosomatic Medicines.

A Journey Inward!

2011-02-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

My eternal journey inward has begun
A journey which is infinite like the sky….
………….Endless and Arcane……….
But I ain’t afraid anymore as I have the blessings from the Divine
I haven’t seen God, but I have seen thee….
O “Guru” you are the Narayan to me …
Doubts, Frustration, Timidity and Fear were mine
Faith, Hope, Confidence and Courage are now making me shine
I thank thee “My Master” for making me meet the INNER ME!

Raghupathi Raghava, Sri Sri Ravishankar AOL, Naadha Vaibhavam.mpg

2011-02-05T04:54:00.000-08:00

The two aspects of human existence in this planet are Music and Unity ...while Music transcends all boundaries in this universe ...Unity binds Life ...both of this are amply exhibited in this video.

Technology of Spirituality (Hindu Ancient Wisdom Treasure)

2011-02-03T07:16:00.000-08:00

Incredible series of videos where Bawa brilliantly puts up the knowledge of ancient Indian saints and scientists before us.Its awesome …and a must must watch …a must share with all your friends….we need to revive this knowledge if we want India to become a “sone ki chiriya”again.Long live India …Jai Hind
And a big thanks to Dinesh and Bawa for exposing us to such mind blowing mystified knowledge of our great country.

Ek Omkar - Rang De Basanti

2011-02-03T03:36:00.000-08:00

This Sikh hymn sung in praise of the Divine evokes a lot of vibrations in me .... the kind of goosebumps I get ...its electrifying!!!enjoy n also understand the inner meaning...its beautiful!

Ek onkar satnam kartapurakh
nirmoh nirvair akaal murat
ajuni sabham
guru parsad jap
aad sach jugaad sach
hai bhi sach nanak hose bhi sach
soche soch na ho wai
je sochi lakh waar
chhupe chhup na howai
je laai raha lakhtaar

bukhiya bukh na utari
je banna puriya paar
sahasyanpa lakh woh hai

ta ek na chale naal
ke ve sach yaara hoi ae
ke ve kude tutte paal
hukum rajai chalna nanak likheya naal

There is but One all embracing and all powerful Divinity, Who manifests Himself first in the shape of the sacred word, and then through the whole created Universe

He is the One-in-all and the All-in-one. He is the Eternal Reality, and His name Satnam is also Eternal. He is the Creator, and has the power of independent self - creation. He permeates the whole creation. He is the only male element in the Universe and all else is male. He is above all fear, and is free from all thoughts of enmity. He is immortal, free from birth and rebirth, and can be realised in every created thing.

He is self - existent. The whole universe is dependent for its existence on Him but He is self - existent; the Generator of all, without any one to generate Him.

He can be realised through the grace of the Guru-The Teacher who is God conscious, and sees Him both within and without.

Note: All the ten Gurus blessed men and women with the gift of the Divine name. Those, who realised the Divine within, were called Gurmukhs and were given the right of showing the path of realization to seekers alter Truth through meditation on the Divine name.

Jai Gurudev!

2010-12-23T20:41:00.001-08:00

GURUJI ....UNDOUBTEDLY THE MOST HAPPENING MAN ON EARTH!

Review:Stay Hungry Stay Foolish

2010-10-08T10:03:00.001-07:00

“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish” is a book comprising of 25 IIM Ahmedabad graduates who chose to take the entrepreneurial path and became successful.
All the stories sounded more or less similar …. So much so that one tends to loose interest in it after a while….the author herself has summed up…. “……Each story may be different but at another level they are all the same .The entrepreneur took a leap of faith .Then struggled & strived for years. Before finally achieving the size and scale which made the effort what we call a success.”
The compilation work by the author Rashmi Bansal and her team is commendable and to a great extent inspiring too.
What I felt reading about the stories….well …I think all these stories of IIM graduates making it big is primarily due to two reasons….one they had something to fall back on if they failed…most of the middle class Indians do not have this cushion for comfort and secondly they could make it big only because of IIM degrees under their belt. Off course this does not takes away the credit from them…because all of them persevered ….and had a lion’s heart to take so much of risk but the fact remains that they were from an elite background and it really provided them the right kind of wings to give flight to their dreams.
The only heart rendering and truly inspiring story is of Venkat Krishnan ,the founder of Give India who dedicated himself to a social cause and has truly uplifted the unprivileged ones. He has truly convinced me of “the joy which one gets out of giving”.

Badshah Of Bollywood!

2010-09-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Following "Living with a Superstar-Shahrukh Khan"on TLC and thoroughly enjoying the whole experience.He is an enigma, a mystery undefined!

Vasudevam Kutumbakam

2010-09-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

The title of my blogpost means that whole world is a family.India is a country where family is the basic unit of a society .
The generation which was born just after Independence somehow lost its belief in the joint family system. I think this generation broke out of the system in the hope of immense freedom.
The one and only major gain that I see from the 'nuclear family' system is the opportunity it provides us to create an identity of our own - something we as human beings crave for and are born for.
On the loss side there are several –
• One is physically far removed from the family members and as a result can fall easy prey to various psycho somatic diseases such as depression, trauma etc.
• Stresses in bringing up one’s children only relying on child care centers.
• Coping with all problems - big and small on our own.
• Missing out on celebrations and festivities that binds us to our culture and gives us a sense of being at home. This is more relevant to those living out of the country.
• Having difficulty in passing on the cultural values to our children. Cultural values are learnt and taught by seeing them in action.
The Law in India, for tax purposes, has a more exacting name for 'joint families': the Hindu Undivided Family. The head of the family, called the karta, is whoever the eldest male member of the family is. All the brothers, their wives and their children live together. Sure, the sleeping quarters of the husband and the wife and their infants are usually separate but what distinguishes a "Hindu Undivided Family" is the common kitchen.
In a true joint family, the earnings of all members go into a common pool. And the Karta has sole authority over that earning. Sure, each family member can draw from the family's resources, but it is at the will of the "head of the family".
Living in a joint family should be fun as at least one third of the days in the year would be a "birthday feast" for someone or the other. Add to that the marriage anniversaries and the religious festivals and you've got a suitable occasion to celebrate life pretty much everyday!
Having said so much about the merits of a Joint family system it is wise to accept that it’s a bit difficult to sustain among such a motley crowd of people around you. To live life peacefully you have to sacrifice and compromise and adjust with people around you since “no man can live in an island journeying through life alone”. Besides I think sacrifice reaps rewards in much excess to what has been forgone. And adjustments are to be done even when you are living in a nuclear family setup .So here are some guidelines one can follow while living in a joint family setup.
Basic principles of living in a Joint family:
1. Every member sees that others get the best and most of resources. Each person himself asks for the least, and last.
2. All are willing to endure to relieve the others' burdens.
3. No one owns anything. Each is a trustee for the joint family, extended family, society and the nation.
4. Everyone's voice and opinion has value and importance.
5. Everyone's conduct is such that intentions can never be questioned. This includes honoring the traditions and fulfilling spoken and unspoken expectations of the extended family.

2010-09-02T07:40:00.001-07:00

Tonight is janmashtami …birth night of lord Krishna
If we look at the form of Krishna, we are enthralled by His beauty and Grace, but there are many secrets here as well!
First off, He is always pictured blue… this doesn’t mean that He was blue in colour … blue is the colour of the sky and signifies that like the the sky which has vastness and infinity, Krishna was also vastness and infinity personified.
Then He wears a peacock feather as his crown. Now a crown looks very beautiful, but with all that gold and diamonds and stuff can be very heavy, meaning that to anyone looking at a King or a Queen, they will look wonderful and everyone will want to be like them, but to the King wearing it, it is heavy with responsibility of managing the Kingdom. Though Krishna is the Master of the entire universe, He takes His immense responsibility with the lightness of a feather! And the beauty of the peacock feather can rival the beauty of any ruby and diamond studded crown
He is usually depicted standing on one foot, the other a little lifted, as if dancing… One foot on the ground shows complete groundedness, firmly in the material world and you can see that from His life, from extreme mischief as a small child, to flirtatious romances as a youth, marriage to 16000 women , helping with elopement, playing a major political role in one of the biggest wars, giving the ultimate Knowledge… the list goes on… He lived a very full life, yet the other foot off the ground showed His spiritual side, His mysticism, His depth… No one really knew Him or could even know Him…
You can go through life with both feet on the ground meaning you are only in the material world, and you go through life standing… and there are a few who lift both feet off and fall, try to be only “spiritual”… and a select few perfectly balance both the aspects, and they dance!
Looking at Him you realise you could stand, fall or dance! through life …
Radha is his most beloved among all the gopis, but even she is jealous of his flute, coz the flute always stays with him. The flute has seven holes. Enchanting, captivating, bliss inducing music can be played from a flute only if it is hollow and empty.
Our body also has seven chakras… When we become hollow and empty, then Krishna’s breath flows through us, and we become an instrument of the Divine… Our words are His words, our actions are His actions. We become pockets of tranquility and bliss. And then we are always with Him. Just like His flute!
(Adopted from Art of Living Foundation Teachings)

I love my India

2010-09-01T05:01:00.001-07:00

Growing up in English medium school coupled with the addiction to MTV and American sitcoms, has somehow made me a confused Indian. At this point of my life I now feel and understand the essence and the privilege of being born as an Indian.
Our Indianness is somehow getting lost in trying to ape the western culture. Our scriptures, our religious Gods n Goddesses are all so mystified and embedded with pearls of knowledge …but we don’t know and don’t even want to know the real secrets behind that.
I am a completely secular person by heart but I am attracted to philosophies of Hinduism a lot .I believe Hinduism is not just a religion; it is a great treasure house of knowledge and wisdom which aims to bring enlightment into the life of each and every human being on earth. One is not a Hindu by birth but by one’s actions and this is where the karmic theory of Bhagvat Geeta creeps in…it is an art of living taught by Lord Krishna himself.

No wonder that western countries are adopting the ancient ayurvedic medicines for healing and practicing yoga and meditation therapies. All these age old practices are very close to nature and hence free of any adverse side effects. India is so diverse and huge in terms of food, dance, music, literature yet we don’t take pride in being an Indian …we chose to focus on the negative aspects of our great country. Which country in whole world can boast of such diversity? Every Indian is not even fully aware of all the cultures of our country. Do the north Indians know all about the type of food South Indians eat? My point is just this that we should look within our country for our upliftment.Other countries can not boast of the resources which we are blessed with yet they become successful by marketing their products well in the international arena.

Sibling Relationship

2010-08-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

Sibling relationships--and 80 percent of Americans have at least one--outlast marriages, survive the death of parents, resurface after quarrels that would sink any friendship. They flourish in a thousand incarnations of closeness and distance, warmth, loyalty and distrust. Asked to describe them, more than a few people stammer and hesitate, tripped up by memory and sudden bursts of unexpected emotion.
By Erica E. Goode in "The Secret World of Siblings," U.S. News & World Report, 10 January 1994
As an old man, Leo Tolstoy also once opined that “the simplest relationships in life are those between brother and sister”.
Sibling relationship is often the sweetest of the relationships which we nurture in our lives. Siblings are the only ones who are there with us from the dawn of our lives till the inevitable dusk. We may grow old and prudent to the world but to our siblings we never grow beyond school. One who is without sibling does’nt even knows what he/she has missed in their lives.
Growing up with siblings is the most exciting part of childhood as you have a 24X 7 friend with you .Siblings are there to play with you, laugh with you, cry with you, to support you, to cover up for you, to protect you from parent’s anger, to teach you some important lessons of life .
At least I can tell from my experiences that I would have lived a very unfulfilling and boring childhood had my brothers been not there for me. My siblings have made my life worthwhile. And I can’t even imagine my life without them. They are my support system and my soul. Our mutual relationship has taught us how to resolve arguments, how to get on each other’s nerves and last but not the least how to make jokes .Off course there have been times when there have been some serious differences between us, a bit of rivalry too, but all this made a positive impact only on our minds. Rivalry between the siblings is common but to only focus on the hostility is missing the main show.
Sibling is not only someone, who has same genes and has lived in the same womb, as you but also someone with whom you have developed a deep unique bond over a period of time.

Saregamapa 2010

2010-08-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

Have fallen in love with this season’s SaReGaMaPa Singing Superstars.The judges,extraordinary participants….everything is just amazing…..Sajid Wajid,Daler paji ,Vishal Shekhar are all such friendly,encouraging great people…..looking forward to a roller coaster ride of four months filled with a lot of excitement!

Chetan Bhagat

2010-07-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Chetan Bhagat impresses me with his style of story telling which is intelligent, simple and expressive. At times I find him boring too. I guess his popularity is amongst the teenagers who are immatured and are yet to see the ups and downs of life. After a certain point I begin to loose interest in his narrative as it becomes clichéd and predictable.
His book “Two States” is about a love story between two IIM graduates who are from two very different states of India and get married ultimately overcoming a lot of difficulties. I was taken aback reading the last chapter when Bhagat mentions of the sudden delivery of the twin baby by the protagonist’s wife! In this era of IIMs are doctors so naïve and ignorant as to have not detected two babies developing inside the mother’s womb???? The book was way too filmy for me …Bhagat should seriously move over to some serious scripts to gain popularity with the classes.

Professional Responsibility

2010-01-07T04:02:00.000-08:00

Very recently I was struck with tuberculosis of abdomen .During the whole process of diagnosis and treatment I was constantly misguided by different doctors.
What I fail to understand is that don’t these professional people have a mind of their own and a sense of responsibility towards their patients? I was put on a number of tests and even then, it was not confirmed by the docs whether I had TB or not, Tuberculosis being a common kind of a disease in a country like ours. During the treatment also I was given a very high dosage of medicines which in turn caused many side effects on my body.
All these incidents makes, one realize that how poor people of our country are dying or being deprived of treatment because of these complex and expensive diagnostic procedures.
Very correctly Vidhu Vinod’s Chopra’s film “3 Idiots” points out the fallacies of our system. We approach the education system with a tendency to acquire, high marks rather than acquiring knowledge. Professionals should be taught to apply their knowledge.

Whats Your Rashee 2

2009-09-17T02:12:00.000-07:00

Librans are beautiful people both within and outside. They are blessed with warmth, kindness and charm. Librans are easy going, humorous and live life simply. They have a very balanced approach towards life. A Libran undergoes dramatic changes from their childhood to adolescence to man/woman hood. Though after attaining maturity they remain the same till the end. During their growing up years the environment around them plays a very important role in shaping their mind. But after they have grown up they themselves cross check the values they have imbibed and discard the ones they feel are not required. They don’t like to carry a mental baggage with them all the time. Professionally they are disciplined but they will never work more than their capacity as that soaks out of them their energy and all positivism and they just hate that. Sometimes they take immature decisions for which they have to pay a heavy price in monetary as well as emotional terms.
Scorpions are intelligent, stubborn and very romantic people. They live life on their own terms, no matter what. They are very dedicated towards their lovers. A Scorpion can be sophisticated, articulate whenever he/she wants to but can quickly change gear to behave like a common man….such is their versatility. They are very professional and achieve super great heights in their career. They are generous and charitable too.
A Sagittarian has a loud behavior and though they have certain traits which can make them winners yet they mostly undo their own success by their actions. They fail to capture the pulse of the moment. They think their strategy is he best strategy .They often realize their mistakes very late in life .They are flirtatious by mind. One very commendable thing about a Sagittarian is though that once they have made up their mind about something they do the work toiling day and night to achieve that. A motivated Sagittarian excels in his career. A Sagittarian can be rude and can even ridicule someone to the point of hurting him/her. They are very moody and religious.
Capricornians are the most practical set of people existing on this earth. They are not at all conscious about their looks which perhaps is their only negative trait. Besides a Capricornian can turn bitter towards life if pushed too hard. They are very intelligent and take quick decisions after assessing the situation. You can never win an argument with a Capricornian as they are always right. They have an aura of royalty about them and possess a charm of their own. They are emotionally very strong.
Aquarians have a sweet, romantic kind of a personality. They are harmless people. They like to do their own things in life. They are not very intelligent yet they achieve a decent respect for themselves from others by establishing themselves in their careers. They are lucky people. They mostly fall in love many times with many people before finally settling down to marriage and domesticity.
Pisceans soak all the negativity around them with amazing capacity. They are also very peace loving, harmless variety of people. They are intelligent. They trust others blindly and because of this they have to suffer heavily many a times. A Piscean can manage everything so well as he has a very cool mind and rarely looses his temper. Pisceans manage money also quite nicely and can make a fortune by their savings within a very short span of time.

Whats Your Rashee 1

2009-09-05T03:03:00.000-07:00

Soon to be released What’s your Rashee? is generating quite a curiosity amongst cine goers. Actually astrology is such a subject that it does evoke inquisitiveness even when you don’t believe in all such stuff. Many years ago when I was in High School, I came across a book by Linda Goodman where she had summarized the characteristics of different zodiac signs. Since then, subconsciously/unconsciously I have got into a habit of observing and classifying people’s behaviour. Well here I am describing my views on the traits of different zodiac signs.
To begin with, Aries people are very stubborn and like to do all of the work by themselves. They are highly competent. They can handle stress well and are very talented at whatever field of work they have chosen for themselves. They are not good in money matters though. Sometimes they handle tough situations like a child and don’t even think about the outcome. Appearance wise also they are baby faced. They remain healthy most part of their lives; they are not prone to many diseases.Beacause of their “stubborn “and “living life on their own terms” attitude they may get married a bit late in their lives.
Taurean is very stubborn too. When a Taurean has decided something no one can make them change their mind. They are not very ambitious people and prefer a homely environment. They have the ability to take good, matured decisions. They love their near and dear ones quite passionately. They are very, very disciplined set of people. They will rarely get into any sort of fights or confrontations as they are very peace loving. Their children might give them some trouble when they are growing up.Taurean is not quite obsessed with their looks. They are happy if they have made themselves presentable in front of others. In one sense we can say that Taurean is an introvert. They can manage money well .They spend their money only where it is worth it. They don’t like wastage of any kind. Downside of a Taurean is that they can be rude to people whom they don’t develop a bond with. They always think that whatever they think/say is only justified and right and fail to see the other point of view, which explains the fact that they have very less number of friends. However, as no human is perfect, if a person wishes to get into the good books of a Taurean a lifetime of loyalty from the Bull is rest assured. They are very religious and a bit superstitious too.
Geminians are very fidgety. They are restless souls. They always have one thing or the other in their mind. It’s very difficult to match up with the thought process of a Gemini. They think at a lightning fast speed and thousands of thoughts crosses their mind within seconds. They are extremely talented and very ,very intelligent. It’s very difficult to beat a Gemini at his own game. They are very good public speakers. They are also loners because very few people can capture the attention span of a Gemini for a prolonged time. As they themselves are very creative they get bored quite easily. They hate monotony and hence a Gemini will always find it difficult to adjust himself in a 9 to 5 job as he is not made for all this. They have been made to think creatively, to innovate, and to improvise. In other words Geminians represent life-they always move on no matter what.
Cancerians are emotional, sensitive, family oriented and a bit boring people. They can go on and on and on describing their feelings /pouring out their hearts to their friends or family which can intimidate and frustrate others, at times. A Cancerian is not much of a risk taker either. They play a very safe and calculated game. But if you have dared to hurt a Cancerian be prepared to face the consequences .As they are very sensitive they get hurt very easily and if offense is of really a bad type they surely will take revenge. All Cancerians are very caring, motherly type. I being a true Cancerian myself, my husband at times feels that I am motherly to him too!!!That shows exactly how caring they are! They need to have a good support system of well wishers to move ahead in life.
Leo people are very aggressive and they live life absolutely on their own terms. If a Leo is obsessed with something then you can be rest assured that he/she will take on that obsession till infinity. A Leo has a mind of his/her own and they don’t even like taking suggestions. They are beautiful, confident people. Their aggression lands them into many serious kind of troubles in life. They are very professional people, very alert, disciplined and dedicated to their work.
Virgos are very practical having a good analytical bent of mind. They have this knack of taking really quick and good decisions. They have certain principles in life which they will always follow. They are also very fussy and a cleanliness maniac. They can’t stand untidiness. They appreciate good work even if it is done by their opponent. Virgos too tend to get married a bit late in heir lives. Professionally too, they get settled a bit late but once settled sky is the only limit for them.

Happening Independence Week!

2009-08-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

The 62nd Independence week created quite a furore.First was the frisking episode of the Bollywood Baadshah in USA and thenVasundhara Raje’s rebellion and then Jaswant Singh’s expulsion from BJP.And off course the swine flu scare all over the country.
Well first on Jaswant Singh….his expulsion has exposed to the nation the shattered condition of BJP where there is no party democracy and discipline. We can expect some more confessions, from the “Loose Cannon Singh”, now, as his loyalty to BJP has been sidelined, punched, battered and bruised and mocked by his own people in the party. Well we never believed Advani Ji in the first place that he was unaware of the release of the three terrorists who were later escorted by Jaswant to Kandahar.But Jaswant’s confession just makes it more obvious. This Party is on its way downhill! Lord save the BJP and Advani too!

Much has been said and written about the SRK episode. I would just say that he was unnecessarily harassed, as we have come to know by the media reports that he was released only when the Indian Embassy vouched for him. This clearly should not have happened given the popularity of the guy.

Jodhaa Akbar

2009-08-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

Watched Jodhaa Akabar on Zee TV yesterday…and truly enjoyed the grand depiction of a royal and unique love story. Hats off to Ashutosh Gowariker for putting up such a significant historic event on celluloid with such intrinsic details.
I was amazed by the superb performances put up by Hrithik and Aishwarya.Sets, costumes, jewellery, music, camera work was all so excellent! That, Gowariker has done quite a bit of research before making the movie, was very much evident.
In the Epilogue, it was very well said that this love story of a Mughal Emperor and a Rajput princess never got its fair share of attention by the literary class.
I never knew about the existence of the character of Mahamanga and was even surprised to find out that Akbar was an illiterate. We have always read in History books that Akbar introduced a new religion ‘Din-i- Illahi”, and thus formed an opinion about him of being a very learned man.
I was surprised to hear Mahamnaga’s comments on Akbar’s non consummating marriage to Jodha.If that is the case, then these rituals associated with marriage are all meaningless!!!
The Royals too were victims of voyeurism! Because of those peeping Toms, who existed at that time, we are able to ponder on the private life of a King who lived centuries ago!

Reality TV hits India!

2009-08-02T04:47:00.000-07:00

Reality TV has truly arrived in India. What worries me is the impact it will or is already creating on young minds?
Shows such as Sach ka Saamna,Rakhi ka Swayamvaar,Is Jungle se koi mujhe bachao ,Dadagiri etc..have abusive formats and are hardly delivering any healthy entertainment.The children imitate these TV stars blindly and don’t know how to differentiate between the right and the wrong.
Moreover the credibility of the contestants participating is also at question.Rakhi Sawant is an attention craving, shameless lady. The contestants of Is Jungle…are either old horses (read:Aman Verma,Nigar….)of the entertainment industry trying to start afresh or are people who are suffering from “wannabe a star” syndrome.(read :Palak,Fiza..).Dadagiri ..imitates Roadies (but is nowhere near it) .
I would ask the producers of these shows to come out with fresh, original and Indian Shows …Please don’t ape the West….its pointless.

Karmic Theory

2009-07-23T09:47:00.001-07:00

I am deeply inspired by the Karmic theory put forward by Lord Krishna through the Bhagvad Gita.Karma is the essence of life.
As per this theory, results are not in our hands but actions are…I find this absolutely true in my everyday life. Moreover the effects of results are multiplied manifold in compared to the action done. Just like planting a tree gives many fruits similarly at times even a small mistake costs us dearly.
Is karma a means to attain Moksha? I don’t know that but sticking to my karma definitely gives me a high ….ultimate Nirvana. Good karma initiates positive thinking and a less stressful life. I am a complete believer of the Law of Karma. An individual reaps what he sows, is not it?

Memories of my school days!

2009-07-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

Memories…….as they say are timeless treasures which no one can destroy and they are the witness to the joys of years gone by……
How true! I joined JDS (Julien Day School, Ganganagar) in 1987 in Class 2 as an innocent, timid, and shy seven year old. The school saw me growing up to be a vivacious adolescent. Can I ever forget my Alma Mater, my second home? No this tie can never be severed. The love showered on us by our teachers, the overall camaraderie shared between us students, the support and care of our non teaching staff throughout my growing years has immensely helped in shaping up the person I am today. More than anything else JDS made us a very balanced individual. I have always noticed this in all students of JDS.We don’t have an ego or an air about us, we are extremely friendly and helpful by nature. Looking back I would say that my life would be incomplete without JDS and it always hold a special place in my heart.

Sach ka Saamna!

2009-07-16T01:37:00.000-07:00

Most hyped and nonsensical show I have come across....It was pathetic...and I pity the people who participate in such crap shows...they have no self respect or what? The format is also very clumsy ...the anchor has a boring,repulsive way of delivering his script...absolute crap!

Time Flies!

2009-07-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

Time flies so fast….just the other day I was watching a music channel and they were playing Retro Music….I was in for a surprise as the songs I had grown up on were played one after the another….I had expected RD Burman and Kishor da songs….then it struck me that a good decade and a half has passed on and what was my generation music is now retro to teenagers of today…..
I am really enjoying India’s Got Talent show .The three judges are just brilliant -Sonali is charming…..Shekhar is emotional and graceful…while Kiron is so vivacious and lively…..and not forgetting those two clowns …ha-ha Nikhil and Ayushman! …their comic timing is great .I just hope the show continues with the momentum of entertainment and does not fizzles out after a while.
I am sick and tired of watching Farah Khan and Anu Malik. Both of them have become so very predictable…even before they open their mouth the audiences know what they are going to blabber out of their tongues. I would request Anu Malik to go get a life for himself …he is too involved in finding faults with others.

My lovely parents

2009-07-12T05:18:00.000-07:00

Every year whenever Mother’s Day celebrations are round the corner I miss my Mom whom I lost exactly 8 years ago on 11th May 2001 .Mother is someone through whom the Almighty showers us his love and affection.
My mother was a very strong woman with excellent decision making abilities and had an immense amount of self discipline in her. We three siblings have imbibed these qualities from her. She was a visionary.
I still feel her presence in my life .She was the pillar of strength for all of us and after her death we as a family were shattered, broken and spineless as we didn’t know where to go and what to do…..we had lost the sheet anchor of our lives. But as the famous saying goes……LIFE goes on….no matter what!
We picked up the ruined pieces and attempted to walk with her in mind. We struggled…..failed, tumbled but again got up ……were faced with lots of hardships and difficulties but her excellent upbringing saw us through.
During all this years after my mother had gone away we have seen our Dad…… gradually taking on the role of my Mom….he was just like any other normal father before that tragedy struck …but due to circumstances he had to fulfill the role of both parents for us….and how proud I feel to say this that he has succeeded in providing us the affection of a mother and protection of a father simultaneously……in more ways than one, he has not let us feel my mom’s absence…….even now whenever I am terribly upset I know that my Dad is just a phone call away and once I have poured out my heart to him ….I feel relieved and the suggestions given by my Dad are always so useful and practical.
I feel very blessed and proud to be daughter of my parents.

Dekh Bhai Dekh!!!

2009-04-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about the authenticity of the news but some channels are claiming that Dekh Bhai Dekh will be remade as a feature film. The magic of the serial with its wonderful cast and hilarious script will be recreated on celluloid! Characters of Sanju,Kirti ,Somu,Suhasi,Chachi and the entire Diwan family are legendary.

Dekh Bhai Dekh and Zabaan Sambhal Ke were two absolutely outstanding serials of mid 90’s .Both these serials were family shows with no vulgarity, plotting and scheming characters and yet were runaway hits.
Another show which comes to my mind is Superhit Muqabla.It ws telecast on Sundays and the very next day we would go to school and discuss the songs which should have been no.1……..those were the good old days!!!!At that time satellite television was in a nascent stage and people watched the programs of Doordarshan only.Off course today’s generation is not eager about any TV shows .They have their reasons too. We were deprived of all the fun today’s kids have ….They have the privilege of exclusive music,cartoon,sports…… channels.
Do you feel that watching DBD on big screen will give the same pleasure as it did many, many years ago?

I am pasting a link to DBD you tube video.....enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tc9rnZx5T8

2009-04-19T23:09:00.001-07:00

The advertisements of yester years which we grew up watching have somehow etched on my mind permanently. At that time in 1980’s and 90’there was not much creativity in advertisements but they still remain fresh because they were rerun almost everyday and with less exposure to TV we used to wait for them unlike today when audiences are forced to take a break!
Here, I open the Pandora box of nostalgic moments. Enjoy!

The foremost ad which comes to mind is that of Bajaj tubes. Remember the jingle ‘Jab main chota baccha tha badi shararat karta tha……meri chori pakdi jati jab roshan hota Bajaj…..”

Another one is of Melody chocolates. Who will ever forget that teasing question? “Melody itni choclatee kaisi bani?”

And can anybody forget Lalita ji jinki Surf me hi khariddari samajhdari thi!

“I am a Complan girl /boy”.We almost identified with the Complan girl and boy.By the way do you know who that Complan kids were? They were Shahid Kapur of Jab We Met fame and Ayesha Takia of Dor fame!

Another funny ad which I recall was that of Dabur Lal Manjan where a teacher asks a student, “Arre Raju, tumhare daant to motiyon se chamak rahein hain ?”To which the student replies, “Kyun na chamkenge master jee,main Dabur Lal Dant Manjan jo istemal karta hun.

Then there was an ad of Vicco Vajradanti.

And then the classic ad of Maggi 2 minute instant noodles. “Badi gajab ki bhookh lagi,Maggi chahiye mujhe abhi”-hearing these lines made us feel hungry too!

Last but not the least how popular was the ad of Cherry Blossom was because of Charlie Chaplin in it.

Any more ads which you remember……

Power of Democracy

2009-04-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

With violent Phase 1 of elections being over, the nation is just a month away from getting a new government one can not help but wander whether the various political parties have already begun clandestine meetings for working out post poll alliances?

I know that I will get a fair share of criticism for saying this, but are not political parties displaying a practical approach to the whole scenario? It’s very easy to sit and comment from outside about the corruption, inaction and indifference of the government but what have we done to build the nation of our dreams? It’ we who pay the bribes, it’s we who want to jump the queues, it’s we who don’t care a bit about helping people who are less privileged than us. The politician has not descended from heavens, he/she is one amongst us.

Since mid 90’s no single party has been able to get a clear majority and if you look into the history of all developing economies the same pattern of voting emerged after them gaining independence. According to political pundits, it’s a phase in economy where the true value of independence gets lost as the people who struggled to get it are either too old or have already passed away. Therefore ,the power of democracy goes into the hands of those who got everything in life without putting in much effort until they discover that their laziness and ‘sab chalta hai’ attitude is back firing and they have to make an effort to put their ,and on a macro level ,the entire nation’s future back on track. In other words nation is now in a state of mind very similar to that of an adolescent, unsure of what to do!

With such a scenario again staring us, most of the political leaders have hence already declared their alliances or are working out the possibilities. They understand that it is absolutely mandatory to have a stable government at the centre. We don’t and can’t afford to have another election in six months.

When 26/11 happened we all were so charged up and excited but eventually it all ran out of steam. Is not it? I know about only 3-4 people who are fighting these elections independently with only the welfare of their constituencies in mind. Rest, all of us have again moved on with the daily rigmarole of our lives, hardly bothering about the consequences of the election process. Though I doubt the number of votes these independents would be able to gather, nevertheless their spirit and determination to stand against all odds deserves a salute.

Great leaders like Gandhi-Nehru existed only because the people of India loved and respected their beliefs. Do you think Gandhi would have been as effective if he were to be present in India of today? Today’s generation adores Shahrukhs and IPL’s and Ambanis and anything that spells MONEY captures their interest much more than a simple, honest man’s values. Materialism has replaced the feelings of patriotism.

The gist of the matter is that THE POLITICIANS ARE LIKE THIS because we have let them become like this. We have to understand that taking decisions is not limited to choosing between Adidas or Nike or Reebok .It’s about having a vision for this great nation we live in.

Marketing

2009-04-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

The exciting world of marketing has always fascinated me with all its vivacity, colours, creativity and survival strategies to wade through tough times. I am not going to elucidate on the various aspects of marketing, (they are too hypothetical, for me anyways) instead we will focus on its human element. Marketing is so dynamic an approach that if handled well can make a person carve a niche for himself in whatever field one is into .I am a firm believer that we all are sellers and we have to be a seller for our survival. A singer makes a living by selling his voice, an author sells his ideas, a teacher by selling his knowledge, a carpenter sells his skill of making furniture so on and so forth.

To be a successful marketer the first criterion is to serve your customer a quality product or service. By quality only we can ensure maximization of sales. Your product bouquet should offer a variety of choices to the consumer. It is human psychology to avoid monotony .If there is a variation without compromising with the quality, people will flock to your door in thousands. For example a singer who can sing almost all varieties of songs will be much more popular amongst the audiences than a singer who specializes in only one or two singing styles.Lata Mangeshkar, Kishor Kumar are legends because of their versatility, they sang all kind of songs –romantic, comedy, patriotic, classical etc.Here I am not saying that specialization is wrong but if you expand your horizons then only will it reap rich dividends.

Next step is Brand Building. In today’s era a good brand image works magic .If you are successful in building a good brand name for yourself, success is almost guranteed.Brand building involves many things-an ethical business policy, right mix of all the ingredients to enable you to reach out to the masses, right pricing of the product so on and so forth. Choosing a right person to endorse your product is also essential. The brand ambassador of NIIT, a computer institute, is grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand.It is a great move to rope in a person such as Anand because you got to hit the target segment of your clientele in a most effective way. Another example is Kiran Bedi endorsing ‘No Marks cream’. No matter to what strata of the society a woman belongs to, she will be deeply influenced by the advertisement of the cream as Kiran Bedi stands for integrity ,honesty and justice in India and her word is like a gospel truth.

Another thing which contributes a lot towards Brand Building is the visibility factor. If you are out of sight you are out of mind as well. The company logo, colours, caption of the advertisements should be such that it should immediately capture the attention of your client. For example, seeing the colours mauve and golden the first thing which comes to our minds is Cadbury Dairy Milk. Similarly the Thumbs Up logo is also very eye catching and justifies the brand name of the cold drink. Another example is of an advertisement shown by LIC of India for its Jeevan Anand scheme where he caption is Zindagi ke Saath bhi, Zindagi ke baad bhi.Now a deep impact and curiosity will be generated in the mind of a person who wants to get himself insured by reading this line.

The last thing which a marketer needs to do is to constantly innovate his products and move ahead with the changing times and technology. For example Maggi noodles was previously available only in simple flavors but now with changing taste pattern of the people and to survive the competition many new versions of Maggi such as Cup Maggi,Atta and Rice Noodle Maggi,Chota Maggi etc is available to consumers. Similarly a doctor constantly needs to upgrade himself with the advancements in the field of medicines and surgical procedures to alleviate the sufferings of his patients which in turn will make fetch him a large number of patients through word of mouth publicity.
The various concepts of marketing are very much applicable in real life and is utmost necessary on our part to be creative and to reach out to other people. Marketing to me is the art of living the 21st century life to the fullest in your own way.

Words of Love

2009-04-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

This one was scribbled by me for my hubby dear during my courtship period!
Words don’t come easily to me
To describe how much you mean to me
You are often there in my thoughts,
My stock of love for you can never exhaust
You’re the one I have always admired
The one to whom I have always confided
My life was going with it’s usual pace
But as soon as you walked in
The world changed its face
You made me feel better and I couldn’t have asked for more
Cause when you were with me I always felt secure
You are a special person in so many ways
Your thoughts are as warm as sun’s rays
In a world where every thing is mortal,
Our friendship will be immortal
And its depth is like the
……peaks of mountains
……The enormous waves of the sea
…….The endless journey……..
I wish to go on with you,
Forever, my friend

The Journey Of Life

2008-08-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

Why is the human mind so obsessed with expressing itself? Why do we need to let ourselves free? Why can’t we keep ourselves bottled up, why these emotions need to come out and if they don’t, what is the harm it can cause? Answers to these questions are very difficult indeed. But as the human nature is- one has to let out the emotions of joy, anger, frustrations, sorrow…….. Perhaps this is the way we have been programmed and sent to earth? Perhaps it is the hormonal requirement of our body?
Expression has manifold manifestations in the form of music, dance, art….. even talking is also a way of letting out the emotions from our body. Nothing can remain in human heart permanently. The only thing which permanently remains are the images or the memories. When we sit in tranquility, turning the leaves of the book of our life, these images begin to float before us –just like a slideshow. One slide …...……..after the another…… … childhood memories, relationships, school days,marriage,hardships,joys,sorrows………………………… and we remain a silent spectator of all these ………Images keep rolling by until we have reached the death-the end !
We don’t know when will we die, do we ever want to die? None of us want to die yet we are always frustrated with life .Then why this that we are afraid of this end? Is it the pain, the unknown suffering which we might have to suffer? But will we ever remember that, I mean do we remember how we were born and what troubles we had to undergo while coming into this earth. Then why is this unknown fear for death? I think these questions are best left on God. I don’t know whether God exists or not but keeping faith in that Almighty ,relieves me of my pains and sufferings and I am tempted to believe that he is up there somewhere- laughing with me ,crying with me ,blessing me supporting me. The Almighty is omnipresent and I think if you keep your faith in him you too want him to be with you just as you wish your best friend to be always with you. Almighty is different to different people –for some god is power, for others He is someone we should be afraid of but for me He is an awesome supreme force of this world who wants us lesser mortals to lead our lives in a fulfilling way.
I think that during our growing years, we are more or less taught all the necessary skills which are needed to lead a fruitful and a productive life but due to the changing situations of our lives everyday we are not able to implement them. A little bit of application of our minds can lead us to a more serene, balanced and satisfying life.

Sportsology!

2008-06-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

This one was written by my best friend and me for our school magazine ,my first attempt to become a poetess!

To stay healthy, steady and fit
Take up regularly the cricket kit
Try never to be like Prabhakar
Love your work as did Gavaskar
To be ready, steady and fast
Make your idols the footballers of the past
If you play like Romario, Badgio or Bhutia
You’ll have the medicines of all pains with sports mania
To make your brains, muscles and nerves at the highest degree acting
Take up every morning in the Ganges an exciting rafting
If you can play in the Wimbledon and win on the deco turf
You can be the apple of the eye like Hingis or Graf
You can have a physique with a style that’s artistic
If on the floor of Australia, you can perform a wonderful gymnastic
If you want to win against someone in rivalry
Opt to be a genius in the field of archery
Make Dravid, Paes or Bhupathi your hero
But do work hard, not to be in life a zero
Have in life a specific dedication
It’s preferable to have a proper education
If you cant succeed in sports
In life through education you can achieve other goals
To acquire in life all the joys
You should enjoy what you do
And do what you enjoy!!!

Indian Woman

2008-06-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

How is the Indian urban woman of today different from her counterparts all over the world? Is she the symbol of tomorrow’s bright world? May be yes, may be no! Read on to understand her.
Urban India herself has undergone many changes in the last decade or so. With the advent of latest technologies and other lavishing lifestyle related products the very face of the Indian family has changed and with these has come a change in temperament to life. With more and more families opting to stay nuclear the rules and values imbibed by the traditional joint family set up has almost been lost. The most affected part of the society by these changes has by far been women. Gone are the days when woman would confine herself to the four walls of her household and obey the rules set up by the elders and the males of the home and be satisfied with whatever her husband would give her.. Women have become more materialistic and tend to approach life with a motto of ‘I, me, and myself’. Somehow they seem to have finally taken the strings of their lives in their own hands. Be it exercising the choice of being a working woman or taking up the decision to marry or deciding when is the right time for them to be a mother - the choice now is entirely in her own hands. This reflects a very dynamic and fiery ,clear approach to life which was almost absent a couple of years ago.Althogh these changes are not prevailing everywhere yet we can generalize and conclude that majority of the Indian urban woman are on their road to self discovery. She is now equipped and well versed with knowledge and education and is daring enough to deal with the problems of the modern era. Her new found financial independence has given her a strong foothold in her family as well as social life. The very fact that the corporate and the MNC’s are marketing the products they like to use or even the media which airs programmes of their choice is enough testimony of the fact of her being powerful.
May be she has struck the right balance and mastered the art of living. She is willing to live life to the fullest, enjoying every moment of her existence in this planet!

Bollywood

2008-06-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

As rightly said by Shahrukh Khan, once, that the saleability of the Indian films ride high only on account of the fact of it being moved away from reality. Although to a great extent it’s true yet contemporary Indian cinema is now slowly moving towards depicting the real picture of urban India .Be it Anurag Basu’s “Life in a Metro” or Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Traffic signal”, the young lot of Indian directors are no more afraid of experimenting with new ideas and breaking free of the typical mould of Bollywood potboilers. Patriotism and period cinema has come of age and creativity amongst the artists is at its zenith. “Out of the Box” thinking is very much evident in films like ‘Lageraho Munnabhai’ & ‘Munnabhai MBBS’ where the social message has been conveyed without compromising with the entertainment value.
The boring yesteryear’s artistic or parallel cinema is passé. The young breeds of artists believe in narrating a real story, without letting the audience’s attention wander for even a moment. Human relationships & emotions are being put forward to the audiences without any pre judgmental approach thus accepting the maturity of the audiences. Young breed of directors such as Farhaan Akhtar, Karan Johar etc are going great guns and are all set to take the Indian cinema to a different level altogether.

LIFE

2008-06-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

What you are in life depends on your ability to accept things as they come to you,
Whether you accept every challenge or you simply refuse
If you can win someone’s heart with a warm and kind smile
You can make her come out of her turmoil
Down the ages the nature has only this lesson to give
Be cheerful, spontaneous, live and let live
Even if the road to your aim is difficult and there are barriers to be crossed
Nothing else, like a true archer, your aim is only to be focused
The world and her inhabitants will never be able to understand you and your feelings
Unless you assure them that they can also achieve their means
Therefore, lead a life, which you and perhaps, people who mean to you prefer
That way your joys will multiply and sorrows will disappear
It would be wonderful if life can continue like this forever,
But as per the world’s dictum, it’s not to stay here.