Finding Nemo

We recently completed the fundraiser for Nepal earthquake victims. Thank you all for all your support to us for this great event. It was a well attended program and very well organized. My wife has done a great job for a noble cause and has collected amazing amount of funds to be given to the Red Cross. I am so proud of having a partner who is passionate and keeps me on my toes in the quest for good deeds. While we were working our way with the fund raiser, we met with a person who is to go to Nepal and help rebuild homes. We hope that our small contribution makes an impact in someone’s life. At the time when left out grey cells in the right hemisphere of the thing called brain were working on the event, the whitish grey cells in the left hemisphere were busy thinking of another story. Let me retell it for you. When the armies of Kauravas and Pandavas met each other face to face, ready to fight, there was a moment of stillness. A surprising quietness filled the atmospher...

I have had been unsure of what I wanted to write. Don't get me wrong - this has been a common thing with me - being unsure or being confused. If I think deeply, I believe this is the same situation for almost all of us. We are highly unsure at the moment of taking a decision or committing towards something. Committing is like entering a contract - you shall not back out of a contract! Isn't that management? Guess what? breaking a contract was the topmost crime that must be dealt with iron fist as taught to Yudhishthira by Bheeshma Pitamah on his death bed. Recently, there was a earthquake in Nepal claiming many lives and livelihood of many others. Followed by the earthquake, the nature showed little pity through a snowfall and series of quakes that have left the people shaky. Being in the Himalayas, the worst affected places have been cut off from the rest of the world as the roads and the bridges have been affected too. This has jeopardized the rescue and relief efforts ...

A few years ago when Ramanand Sagar directed “Ramayana” and then “Uttar Ramayana”, all of us suddenly became aware of the stories and the knowledge imbibed in the great epic. While Ramayana focused on the life and character of Sri Ramchandra as growing into a great king or ruler, the Uttara Ramayana focuses on the life of Sri Ramchandra as a ruler of Ayodhya. Along with the faces of Arun Govil as Ram and Deepika Chikhliya as Sita, Ramanand Sagar also became a face in every family. Ramanand ji touched upon the topic of Sita and Ram’s end very carefully and delicately so as not to hurt the public sentiments. While reading through the Valmiki Ramayan, when Ram finds out about Luv and Kush, he offers them to come to their kingdom as princes. When asked about Sita, Ram responds that he had never exiled or left his wife but the queen of Ayodhya. Ram had always upheld his principles. Knowing it all, Sita chose to return back to Mother Earth. Later Ram requested for solitary time in his cha...

आओ खेलें रंग, गुलाल और अबीर संग, भर भर मारें पिचकारी क्यों की आज फिर होली है। खेलो रंग, पियो भंग, मचाओ हुड़दंग, नाचो एक संग, क्यों की आज फिर होली है। जाली थी जा होलिका, हार बुराई की हो ली थी। मन में भर उमंग , खेली सबने होली थी। बापू ने जो दिखाई राह अहिंसा की हो ली थी। भगत सिंह ने हो लाचार, खेली खून से होली थी। दंगों में जो जली वह सभ्यता की होली थी, पाश्विक  कृत्यों में उलझ मानवता की धज्जियाँ भी तो हो लीं थीं। होलिका संग गन्ने जलाओ घर का पुराना कूड़ा जलाओ। साथ ही जलाओ मन का अंतर्मन जो दुर्भावना में ग्रसित हो चुका है। क्यों की आज फिर होली है रंग संग खेलें हम आज फिर होली है मन में फिर क्यों है मुटाव जबकि आज फिर होली है। खेलो जी भर कर क्यों की आज फिर होली है। करो नाश पाश्विकता का, अमानवीयता का लगाओ रंग मेल का, हमदर्दी का, क्यों की आज फिर होली है।

It’s been a long time since my last post. One can say that I was running out of ideas or possibly thinking less. Well, looks like all the assumptions are going true at this time. But once again, thanks to an old mate who reminded me of the “Beating Retreat” ceremony performed by the Indian Armed Forces at Raisina Hills, better known as the front of the Rashtrapati Bhawan (President’s house). “Beating Retreat” ceremony was initially instituted by the King James II of England (James VII of Scotland) ordering the patrolling troops to return to their base castle with drum rolls, parading through the streets. This order was later improvised over the years to suit the need of the times. Yet, the central idea of the ceremony remained – return of the patrolling troops to base camp and deployment of new unit in its place. Though an English ceremony, this is now practiced by most of the commonwealth countries today. The ceremonial celebrations may have changed due to the place, people or time. I...

Today - January 15th, Indian Army is celebrating the Army Day. Its a great day and a proud moment for India. For many, who just like me who do not know the importance of this day - you are in luck! A refresher course is here. Today is the day when, in 1949, the outgoing British commander-in-chief General Sir Francis Butcher passed on the strings of the Indian Army to Lt General Kodandera Madappa Kariappa. Today, this day is marked by parades and other military shows in Army headquarters. Similar to the Army Day, the Navy celebrates Navy Day on December 4th and the Air force celebrates Air Force Day on October 8th. A friend of mine jolted me to read and think about this day and urged me to write about the significance. However, knowing the slight bent in my thinking, I acknowledge this day to be of great significance in understanding the most important event of our life - planning for our successor. We have all understood that nature changes itself continuously. And so are we. Many lear...

Now that we understand Kali in terms of her looks and her companions, lets try to know the different forms of Kali. As we have seen in our scriptures, Kali has been celebrated as a goddess but she has secured the highest pedestal not in the Puranic scriptures but the Tantric scriptures. The tantra knowledge and the followers of the Tantric school of thought consider Kali as source of immeasurable, never-ending power that goes beyond any imagination. Hence the Tantric school celebrates Kali in similar way as the Puranic school celebrated Gauri. Just like Gauri or Lalita is worshipped on the nights of waxing moon, Kali is worshipped on the nights of waning moon. In other words, Kali puja starts after purnima and culminates on amavasya. A mention of Kali puja is seen in Ramayana when Meghnaad or Indrajit goes into a hidden cave. Later when Indrajit was killed, Ravana invoked Mahiravana - this king of subterranean world and a devotee of Kali to offer Ram and Lakshmana as sacrific...