Diwali Lights are up!

People say India is the land of festivals. Despite that fact that all the Indian festivals have its own importance; Diwali (Deepavali) stands out as unique and most awaited. Diwali is celebrated for five continuous days at the end of the Hindu month of Ashwayuja and it usually occurs in October/ November. It is one of the most popular festivals in India. It comes exactly twenty days after Dussehra. In South India Diwali is a two day festival of Naraka Chaturdashi and Balipadyami. And in North India, Diwali celebrations last five days i.e. Dhanteras, Chhoti Diwali, Laxmi Puja, Gowardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj.

1st day of Diwali: Dhanteras – Folklore has it, Dhanwantari came out of the ocean with Ayurvedic medicine (promotes healthy long life) for mankind. This day marks the beginning of Diwali celebrations. On this day at sunset, Hindus bathe in the evening again and offer lit lamps (diyas) with prasad (sweets) to Yama Raj and pray for protection from untimely death. This offering is made near a Tulsi plant or a sacred tree that one might have close to home.

This is a big festival in Bombay. Actually, for that matter in all large Cosmo cities of India. The folklore of Ayurveda makes everybody dash to buy Gold as an equivalent of Ayurveda- i.e. Gold symbolizes purity & wealth as security for future.

2nd day of Diwali - is called Narak Chaturdasi or small Diwali. It is the eve of Diwali. On this day Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasur and made the world free from fear. On this day, people bathe with oil to relieve themselves of tiredness, so that they feel rested in order to celebrate Diwali with enthusiasm and devotion the next day. On this night, diyas are not lit:) While ofcourse I have yet to see a home where chotti Diwali is not festive and full of flowers, diyas, crackers:) This day is also referred to as Bali Pratiprada. The word "Pratiprada" literally means "below the opponent's foot". According to the myth Bali was an immensely powerful king. When God felt that King Bali was becoming too powerful, Vishnu, disguised as a sage of diminutive proportions, appeared in his court. Bali offered to fulfill any of the sage's wishes. The sage asked for all the land he could cover in 3 paces. King Bali agreed immediately. Vishnu then assumed a gigantic form and claimed the world (Mrityuloka), and the heavens (Swargloka) in two paces. To keep his foot down the 3rd time, he asked for King Bali's head. Bali agreed. Thus, the reign of Bali was overthrown. Religion has its roots in Politics you’d agree? :)


The third day of Diwali: The Actual day of Diwali. Is celebrated when the moon completely wanes and total darkness sets in the night sky. Families and their priests worship the divine Goddess Lakshmi to achieve the blessings of wealth and prosperity, the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. It also is the day when Lord Ram wins back his wife Sita from the clutches of Ravan, and comes back to his kingdom with his wife and brother Laxman after 14long years in Vanvaas. Wow, how did they survive for 14years in the jungle beats me! This is the reason, why this festival is celebrated a day earlier in South India since Lord Ram traveled from the south to his kingdom in the north

Deepavali is a beautiful festival - you can feel the joy and happiness and smiles all around you. It is a night of sparklers, lights, rangoli. Much like rich
India :) Homes wear this lovely warm look of togetherness and purity and colour and gaiety. People celebrate this with noisy crackers, social gatherings and exchange greetings and boxes of sweets and gifts

The day of Deepavali has special significance for the business community, we consider this day to be the day to thank God for all that she has given us in this life to keep us comfortable. Some people also gamble with money on this night because it is a believed that the wife of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati played dice with Him on this day and therefore those, who gamble on this auspicious day, are blessed with prosperity :)

The 4th day of Diwali - On this day, Govardhan Pooja is performed. It is also called Annakut, celebrated as the day Krishna defeated Indra. Men present gifts to their wives on this day. It is also called Naya Saal for the business community of India where the financial books are opened to do business and this is the first day of the new financial year for them. A day of optimism and forward gazing indeed.

Gowardhan Puja folklore has it , that it was originally celebrated by the people of Gokul - a small town in Uttar Pradesh, used to celebrate a festival at the end of monsoon to worship Lord Indra and express their gratitude for the rains. However, one particular year, young Krishna stopped the people of Gokul from worshiping Lord Indra and persuaded them to worship the fields and the cattle instead as they help in creating wealth. Following the incident there was a heavy downpour in Gokul. People got frightened as they felt that Lord Indra was angry with them and has sent a deluge to submerge the town. To save the scared people of Gokul, mighty Krishna lifted Mount Govardhan (a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura) on his little finger and sheltered men and beasts from the heavy rain. Lord Indra accepted the supremacy of Krishna and from then on Lord Krishna also came to be known as Govardhandhari. South India celebrates the fourth day of Diwali as Balipratipada. It is believed that on this day King Bali come to visit the people on earth from Patalaloka (netherworld) as per boon given by Lord Vishnu.

The fifth day of Diwali is Bhai Dooj. This is the day dedicated to sisters. We all know about Raksha Bandhan (brothers day). Well this is sisters’ day. This is also known as Bhai fota among Bengalis. And Bhai Dooj amongst North Indians - a day when the sister prays for her brother's safety, success and well being. And in turn is rewarded with gifts and lots of good blessings.

Who wouldn’t love this country for the richness of its traditions and the good values this sanskriti has woven into the inherent fabric of daily life? :)

All that Jazz

Why do I love jazz so much? It’s soulful, and fits human moods brilliantly. It can swing from happy to a deep connection with in seconds and can even cry soulfully when pleading for help. Jazz rejoices like never has there been a moment of such a high and also can be fun and childish and impish and full of camaraderie when it chooses to be that.

Jazz came to America three hundred years ago in chains. From west Africa through the slaves. And New Orleans became the jazz capital. Jazz was a thriving form of popular music in the 1920’s after it caught on among the musicians who were paid to entertain clients in the brothels of New Orleans. And then the worlds greatest happened - up coming stars like Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke perfected the ‘hot’ style and made Jazz popular. Ella Fitzgerald pushed it notches onwards. And jazz music started thriving. So many genres came to existence - bebop, hard bop, Dixieland, cool jazz, free jazz, jazz-fusion, modal jazz, soul jazz, smooth jazz and boogie woogie. Fitzgerald, along with Louis Armstrong in particular, introduced jazz to a more mainstream audience with her vast repertoire, and her version ‘Mack the knife’ became a pure classic.

Am I a puritanical jazz lover? I don’t know what that means. I love music of all kinds and all genres. I love jazz and I love Madonna too. These days I love Bollywood and can tap to anything that sounds good to the ear. Am not selective about my music but am very appreciative of any music. Music to me, is food, for my soul.

Closer home, when I see Jazz and its introduction to my life, I relate all that Jazz to the now defunct Jazz Yatras. Interestingly, jazz pockets exist all over India like Capital Jazz (Jazz Yatra gave way to this) Pune Jazz Club, Bangalore Jazz Habba, Chennai Jazz Club, Jazz Goa, the West Coast Jazz Utsav in Mumbai.

Some jazz clubs are far more active than the others (pretty much like the Hashers) - for instance The Pune Jazz Club meets every month at the Max Mueller and share details on their fave jazz artistes. They also organize the occasional live jazz event at Shisha Cafe, Koregaon Park. The club members have a blast at every meeting that invariably turns into a party. Bangalore Habba features a four day jazz festival within the ten day festival. Some of India's most accomplished jazz artistes, including visiting international artistes come to perform here. Goan jazz musicians have always been at the forefront of the jazz scene in India. And Jazz Goa makes sure they stay in the limelight. Calcutta and Delhi too have a decent fan following for this niche music arena in the country. So its not surprising at all why they say All that Jazz for nothing.

Ramble on

It has been decided that I am going to use this post for planning aloud. Ramble on Mee. I think it gets forlorn and dark and uncheery (?) when it rains in Bombay (end of monsoons soon!), the green definitely starts to show in the city, though you could be forgiven to believe this city has none otherwise. The beautiful French windows allow natures green to sparkle in lush peridot and that makes up for the grey of the season.

I definitely feel near and dear to Bombay than I do to another city in the country barring a Bangalore of course. (it’s a tight race for the number 1 spot between them 2) -so I don't believe I will be totally converting anytime soon to either, like to have both cities alive in my horizon.

Anyway 2 weeks in a row no spring cleaning, so coming weekend will be devoted to cleaning. And making the house look beautiful again. Fresh flowers and lovely aroma thereafter will make my home beautiful and serene again. Pretty mundane tasks, but after it's all happened, I will feel so complete. I'll probably celebrate by doing something completely nerdy, like World of warcraft or something. Or maybe I will try to at least achieve some sort of high score on Backgammon. Either way, something along these lines will occur.

After that, I'm probably going to head over to Mommy’s and print out my tickets, and then go for dinner to Dakshin or Peshawar with family. It is a ritual - one meal over the weekend- with family and it has to be either our special places or new eateries we have discovered over the course of the week. After eating we will head back to my rez or mum’s and watch a film. Stake out a lounge and just zone out. My zone out knows no bounds. The week has taken its toll.

Small Act, Big Impact

That was an atom molecule bang resulting in a poof and no endangerment to the Earth. But look at all the crap that was drummed around by media for publicity? Predicting doomsday and whatnot!

And now take a look at what is going on in our surround. Delhi bombing, why did it happen? Jaipur, Bangalore and before that Bombay. What are we as people doing to protect our cities? Our Earth? What happened in Bihar? Did we as Indians do something to galvanize and mobilize help or support? Hurricane Ike caused destruction of a mammoth nature and the city of Houston, is still reeling with robbery, theft, no water to drink, no power, no much food. At another stratospheric level the markets are reeling with Lehman Brothers going belly upwards, and Merrill Lynch selling out, AIG calling the SOS and who knows how many more are lurking in the shadows waiting to summon the courage to declare bankruptcy!

Did you know that we as a country are second to only Iran in terms of deaths and loss of life due to terrorism? What is the impression we spread of our country in the world outside? CA is suspect of coming to India. Obama does not want to give any more jobs to Indians. Even without Obama, Indians will lose many jobs in the USA. Orissa & Mangalore reek of intolerance and hatred. Have we spent ourselves out? Have we plundered and looted and bludgeoned to such an extent that we have only a hollow shell left in the aftermath? Do we care? Do we stand to lose anything? Are we so busy running our daily lives that we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to all that is happening around us?

There seems to be crisis after crisis brewing up in some part of the world. I don’t believe in Nostradamus nor do I believe in soothsayers. All I know is we are abdicating our responsibilities as individuals and as nationalities and as citizens and as inheritors of this magnificent planet called Earth and are not moving an inch to help or support in any ways!

I am asking each of us here, when will we wake up and when will we stir out of this apathy and when will we do something meaningful to be able to make a difference in society? More than anything else when will we become more sensitive to our surroundings? We need to become the Harmony Bear. Harmony Bear helps others get along. This peace loving bear knows our differences are something to be celebrated, not something to keep us apart. When differences are brought together in harmony they create something beautiful.

Harmony Bears caring mission is to help others overcome differences and get along. Her Character Quirk is that she's got a beautiful singing voice that seems to magically help calm others when they're upset. Her Best Friend is Friend Bear. Her Relationship Challenge is with Champ Bear. He can be so competitive sometimes. Motto is – “good times get better when we get along together”.

We do not live in fabulous conditions so we shouldn’t kid ourselves. I think, we don’t need the Big Bang of evolution, to my mind, we need, the evolution of Ideas to stop the rot and ruin around us. We need to think. We need to act! Let’s take small steps and make concrete things happen. If each of us can become a Harmony Bear and do ambassadorial work around harmony and development, that will make a small difference to society. And it is such small steps, which will lead to the big impact.

Pimp my ride

Guess if my car were broke and in poor condition I would have customized it to feel like a Rolls Royce:), the interiors definitely and the music system most definitely! But am not sure about the exterior though, I prefer my car exteriors!

The drive in Singapore in this stunningly macho beauteous large premium Rolls Royce Phantom was a delight. These are the bespoke. Customized for the high end market. Inside was soft ivory leather upholstery edged with seashell piping. Brown veneers throughout still allowing the natural grain to show through. Silver adorning for each door capping. The dashboard was finished in special black metal foil with a finely embossed diamond pattern. A slightly thicker rimmed steering wheel adds to the dynamic spirit of the Phantom. And omg those wheels, were fantastical! The flying lady at the bonnet is a symbol unmistakably for the finest in excellence. Overall a magnificent car for high end luxury, you arrive and depart in style when driving this car, and I felt like a princess being driven around with Bach playing ‘live’ for me, the acoustics are to die for in this car! Mind-blowing indeed was the experience. The car purrs and not a sound hums out from it, it is so big on the road you wonder how it will take the curbs and tight traffic, it glides effortlessly.

I was excited, nervous, and felt gauche and childish sitting in such a super luxurious car! I will cherish this experience; it was special being inside a Rolls Royce. I am not even sure I am doing justice to the car and its excellence through basic words here, all I know is this was an ‘experience’ worth the many late nights at work, worth the heart aches at not being appreciated and being hauled up for something foolish, but when you see the car and you see the people behind this brand called the Rolls Royce you understand why they are so finicky and why they are so wanting to be perfect, cause everything they do – is well, perfect:), the car you bet is perfect. I wish it looked more zanier though, else it’s a car which exudes luxury and upper class! Definitely a must have for the rich and famous I guess:)

Pump up the funk

Weekends are always special. And when weekends get musical then they become extra special. Zenzi was ready to rumble as the LJ Collective, which features some of India’s finest musicians, prepared to set the night alight. On display as the night progressed was jazz, funk, rock and blues with Louiz Banks performing with his son Gino Banks. They were accompanied by Sheldon on bass, Floyd on guitar and Joe Alvarez on vocals. This band played Stevie Wonder, Sting, Joe Bonamassa and also many original tracks. They improvised hugely and made some old songs sound different. I mean nice different: ), it was fun, it was a full house, it was mad, it was a happy evening.

Zenzi’s resident DJ took the console later into the night and kept the acoustic vibe all night with soul and funk classics. The beauty of Zenzi has been the crowd it attracts - selection of hoi polloi, genuine music lovers, the young who simply want to let their hair down and enjoy. On different days one has seen different talent on display here. From instrumentalists, poets, freestyle vocalists with and without accompaniment, to guitar soloists, turn tablists /scratch masters you find all kinds of talent here.

Zenzi is one of the places we hangout on Fridays, love the music, the DJ dishes out some super high voltage and we feel comfy here. Zenzi is our 'pump up the fun' zone.

Salute

Who works tirelessly, selflessly, above their own needs? Never looks for praise and recognition. Never seeks attention from us or others for their hard work? They get their rewards when we pass our examinations in academia, when we become tall, taller, when we perform brilliantly in sports. These are our lives unsung hero’s -our parents. They work most selflessly till their last breath for us children. And we take from them effortlessly, naturally without questioning.

Many memories flitted through my head today. I decided to dedicate today’s post to life’s unsung hero’s.

The parent of a child with severe health problems or learning difficulties, who has to find the resources, every day, to cope with the crushing demands of caring for someone with special needs. It's not just the physical demands, of course, it's also the emotional challenge of watching so-called normal kids — and their parents — get on with lives that seem like a breeze by comparison.

The lady whose husband suffers dementia and has finally, against her will, seen him admitted to a nursing home. Every day she visits him, usually to find him in a state of blissful ignorance of who she is or why she's there. Like thousands of such sad spouses, she is only occasionally rewarded by a flicker of recognition. She still loves him, and she has known for years that love's work is hard work.

The man who once had aspirations to be a leader in his profession but who finally realizes that in the eyes of his peers, he is an also-ran. Having a wife and children to support, he sticks gamely to his job, year after year, sees his children through university and hears his wife lavishly praised for going back to working in her 50s. He finds contentment in having helped make all that possible.

The couples, countless in number, who learn to swallow their disappointments in each other, and discover the rich meaning of "for better, for worse".

A mother who works in anganwadi , selling idli’s to feed her son and his other siblings so that they can get a decent education and eventually become bright successful adults. Her labour of love - unflinching, uncompromising.

"I will drink the Ocean'' says the persevering soul, ''at my will mountains will crumble up''. Have that sort of energy, that sort of will, work hard, and you will reach the goal." Swami Vivekananda

My salute to you – great hero’s!

Citius, Altius, Fortius.

These are the Latin words for the Olympic motto, which means "Swifter, Higher, and Stronger." The best athletes from around the world exemplify that creed as they compete in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

On one hand I receive mails from unknown people urging us to boycott the Beijing Games, and on the other hand the news channels are full of stories of the American murder at the Games.

On one hand we hear of a lesser known state called Georgia who is under severe attack by Russia and despite those troubles at home bravely competing at the Olympics, while, on the other hand we see a sportswoman parading in the nude against animal fur at the grounds of a stadium in Beijing.

The biggest show of sports competition some would argue - The Olympics. Spectacular grandeur. Power. Politics. A show of strength and supremacy surely.

Today, in India, people from all walks of life, have felt very proud of the Gold won by Bindra. He was terrific. Despite we faring miserably against Sri Lanka in cricket and losing the match and the series, the Gold at the Olympics did the nation proud. Almost made the bitter end of the cricket test series swalloable, if I may add!

A first ever in shooting, this Gold. A difficult feat, but Abhinav broke through the cobwebs and brought home priceless joy to the country that goes far beyond the value of any reward. No amount of incentive could substitute the pride, the gold-winning sportsman would get for himself and for the Indian people. The Indian tricolor that went up and the national anthem that reverberated through the award ceremony are moments etched in history books forever.

Time to allow the champagne to pop. What a stellar journey this has been for Abhinav. Was this an individual feat and a personal achievement for him and his family? Or will the sports association of India quickly claim this to be their legal win and their contribution to India?

Am sure we will soon see the business tycoons pledge money to him, and also to air rifle shooting, heralding the golden era for the Olympic sport in India, as many enthusiasts of the country are quick to rush in and claim. The nations Olympic track record has not been too bright. But the Indian spirit has seen a recharge. A fairytale unfolding.

Finally learning to love to read

I lost the habit of reading since the internet became so powerful and imposing in my life. And didn’t realize what I was missing out. My brother noticed me slacking off on books so he gifted me a book a month ago. One of those days when the Tv was on the blink due to heavy rains, I picked up this book and didn’t put it down till I read it from cover to cover. Why did I give up reading I wonder now, in hindsight? This was a habit that was pleasurable and imparted immense satisfaction.

I believe reading should be sweet, pleasurable, and thought provoking in a flying ninja-like way. And in turn must inspire life-long reading habits.

In the hurry-up world we live in, there always seem to be too much to do. People to meet. Travel. Work. Business. Emails to write. Socialize. And yet when you stop to think about it, we also like to think that knowledge is cumulative and selective, forever building on the best of what came before. The resulting paradox pops to the surface as fast as a cork. How can we achieve selectivity and accumulation unless we also read, and read a lot? The time has come to bring back the good old habit of daily reading. The time has come to rebel against the tyranny of overload to make space daily to read each others works and discuss them. What a radical thought! When I started blogging I had no idea how that would also compel me to read more before I put my finger to the type pad. Am glad this habit has resurfaced for me.

The Times, says the government will introduce its Green Paper outlining plans to officially adopt an anti-piracy stance to the one used in France - get caught downloading copyrighted material ( read paperbacks) three times and your internet connection will be terminated. Which means Governments are trying to impose reading back into peoples lives from books rather than the internet. Am not sure we need such strictures because of not reading anymore. It’s a free choice we exercise and must be an individual’s prerogative to figure.

Technology,faking it or making it?

There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that Technology has evolved and changed the way we think, share, communicate, work and live! We have yet not fully absorbed the significance of it. We are all connected like never before. We are always an internet connection away, no matter where in the world we are.

Look at life, from an 8 year olds perspective - she is born into a world where everyone invariably owns a cell phone. Everyone knows about the internet. There are 2 TV’s at home. Cable TV gives over 200 channels and pay per view movies are abundantly available. Email, chatting and video conferencing are just normal things everyone does. Sms is a way of life. Digital cameras make looking good easy. Money spewing machines are part of daily fixture.

From an adult’s perspective, downloading banking information, knowing credit balance is a click away, paying bills is so easy today. We buy online, mail online send pictures online. With broadband, people work from homes. Because of cell phones, business happens 24 hours round the clock .Laptop computers help make jobs mobile when necessary. Online chatting has given many a life to live. These people would have never met any of these friends if it was not for the Internet

On the other hand I could argue that Technology is the artificial enhancement of human power. It should make us stronger and smarter; however our lazy world is discovering that it now has the opposite effect.

Technology controls the truth. The growing inability of people to know their financial status, land ownership, radar cameras, red light cameras, breath analyzers – dna testing. The words of scientists and sages are no longer certain. Since books are rapidly being replaced by computer display, technology has made obtaining information easy in principle, but in practice there is no one charged with ensuring the information online is genuine.

Is Technology increasing the Social confusion? There is no financial security, no one can be sure they will not lose their job. Skills and qualifications no longer guarantee employment, which undermines the purpose of schools, colleges and universities. Rise In Crime; poverty, idleness and despair can only increase criminal activity.

I'd believe Technology is a great enabler. Helps mend, helps bring together, helps create, helps with ingenuous ideas. Technology, indeed, has the power to shape the future. But technology is not created by itself. People create it. The more we are empowered the better the world can get, unified and integrated.