Wednesday, May 25, 2011

When The Death Catches Up


LIFE AND DEATH MOVE COLLATERALLY BUT, AT TIMES LIFE SEEMS TOO CLOSE TO BE IN THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH THAT ITS DIFFICULT TO REALISE DEATH OR BELIEVE THAT WE ARE STILL ALIVE…..SOMETIMES ITS ALL ABOUT LIVING THE ENTIRE LIFE AT ONE MOMENT OR ON THE CONTRARY THE NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE WITH IT GIVES ALL TOGETHER A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE TO LIFE….!!!!!!

Once while surfing the T.V. channels I by chance saw Nat geo channel featuring “WHALE FILE” It really catched my attention and I started viewing it where in it was shown how 6  killer whales attacked  a grey mother whale as well its baby , who were migrating from Alaska to Californian belt…This was a long stretch they had to cover but in between they took a short cut  n it turned out to be the most dangerous decision of their life as that part is mostly surrounded by these killer whales…..

It was really heart throbbing to view the whole scenario when all of a sudden a dang of 6 whales attacked in 2 groups, 3 each. They banged them, chased them, and battered them hard. All together those killer whale pounded them so that they may not breathe and succumb to death but the mother did not succumbs. She fought, she fought with determination and will in order to save herself and her baby… .. she couldn’t even breathe n rest to reply back that all of a sudden another set of three whales came and attacked the baby whale, they bit him at its tail and the blood oozed out all over that vicinity .The spectators gasped and growled with pain and horror looking at the mother and baby struggling hard to survive ……..pathetic was the scene and miserable was their condition. One mistake could have taken baby’s life as he was the hot pie and who was already bleeding.. if the mother would have wished she   would have swam away ,far far away from the clutches of blue killer whales, but she stayed, she stayed close to her baby in order to save his life. Such love, empathy and determination brought tears in eyes…

Mother whale tried hard to thud with its tail to shoo off those whales but off no use. It was 3-4 hr struggle. The mother also got wounded as she squealed and panged with pain…….still despite off all odds she kept swimming along with her baby..finally rather luckily they survived. It was a near brush with death…Marine geologist present over there shot the whole cumbersome and miraculous struggle The passengers on ship who came for safari thwarted a lifetime experience though traumatic  but finally relieving one both for them and me..

THE DETERMINATION AND THE WILL OF OVERCOMING ALL THE ODDS DESPITE OF BEING STUCK IN THE CLAWS OF DEATH IS WHAT REALLY TOUCHED THE HEART. TO NOT LET GO, TO SURVIVE COME WHAT MAY, AND TO BE WITH THE LOVED ONES THROUGH THICK AND THIN IS THE REALL ESSENCE OF THE WHOLE STORY……..LOVE IS ABOVE ALL ,LOVE IS EVERYHWERE BE IT HUMANS , MAMMALS OR ANY OTHER CREATURE ON THIS EARTH………..

-Sushree Pallavi Karnwal
Passionate Writer

Friday, May 20, 2011

The 7 PM Show


The 7:30 PM Show

Purnima was her usual cheerful self, completely engrossed in the preparation for the 7:30 PM show. She was not to be disturbed and you could do that at your own peril. She wanted to leave no stone unturned so that at least that evening she could enjoy the show at Rangashankara, the famous theater. Her joy very neatly concealed her enigma.

The clock showed 6’o clock and the darkness of the evening was fast setting in. The typical summer evening was breezing lightly and the heat was not unbearable due to that partial cooling effect. Her house was on the ground floor in a 2-storey building. Two tall and huge coconut trees adorned either sides of the main gate. They were able to cushion the house from most of the dust thrown by the fast moving traffic just outside the house. So, she was OK with not cleaning the house as she used to do every evening despite there being nothing much to sweep. Point 1 ticked off the list.

Preparing the evening tea and snacks for her in-laws was the next item on her itinerary. The in-laws were quite cooperative to say the least and didn’t require exotic items to be served. Yet, giving something filling was necessary because they would not take food alone. She had Dosa batter ready. She was fast and produced light, sumptuous Paper Dosas for everybody at home. Little Krishna enjoyed them the most. She too had a couple of them. The food festival consumed 20 minutes.

Dinner was the next arduous task. She had planned for Chapatees and Brinjal curry. No slogging in the kitchen. She planned to heat them in the microwave on her return. So, this item got ticked off pretty quickly as well. Time recorded: - 6:35 PM.

The 6-year old Krishna was hyperactive as always. Managing his demands was the toughest assignment for Purnima. She had to explain him a cartoon serial, play cricket and then help him to solve some Magic Book puzzle. Coaxing him to stay back with the grandparents was the toughest task. But, she got the job done in flat 10 minutes. Her acumen was never this bright before. :)

She rushed to have a superfast shower. Here dress was ready. She geared up in that lovely green Salwaara-Kameeza in a flash. Her beauty and appearance were too loud too be ignored by anybody. Her glowing complexion, her perfect figure, her neat hairdo, her eye-catching footwear were all very attractive. Alas! Getting into the top gear ate into the time. She left the dressing table at 7:05 PM. 25 minutes to go to the start of the show.

The theater was at a 10 minutes walk from her house. This gave her the added confidence that she would definitely reach the theater in time that day. The gates used to close 5 minutes in advance. So, she had another 10 minutes to spare. She had all the necessary supplies in her purse and everything else was done according to her long-drawn list. She called Dinkar, her husband, and told him that she would leave in another 10 minutes. Somewhere at the back of her mind she had a flashback of all the failures of the past attempts to reach the theater in time. She was extra happy to have done things well. Fingers crossed.

Krishna was playing with a Frisbee and she scolded him for not doing so. But he continued without giving her an ear. The object nearly missed the grandmother, upturned the jar on the dining table and by the time she could snatch it mid air, it had hit her on the stomach. Poor Purnima. She writhed in pain and deposited herself into the sofa. She was in dilemma – whether to cry out in pain or to ignore it and rush for the show. Her son innocently hugged her and told her to pacify. She eventually did cry. But I cannot say for sure whether it was because of the pain or the love of her son. :) Poor Her.

By the time she decided to make last ditch effort to reach for the theater, it was 7:20. She hired an auto-rickshaw and it literally flew. But getting out of it, making the payment and then crossing the busy road to get into the theater pushed the clock to 7:26 PM. She pleaded vehemently with the gatekeepers and even ringed the Director, but rules were rules. She had a crestfallen face when she returned home some 15 minutes later and collapsed into the sofa.

All her previous failures zoomed past her eyes and her mind attained a state of semi-coma if I can dare say that. Her husband arrived shortly and straightaway realized what had happened. He was habitual of these situations and calmly put an arm around her shoulders and pacified her. He told her to try the next day’s show and gave her a small pep talk. Unfortunately, none of it was something that Purnima didn’t already know. It was like mourning in the family. Everybody sat still and waited for her to regain composure.

Seven months ago, Pankaj, her colleague, had informed Purnima about the Rangashankara and its theater activities. Her interest in plays and performing arts was rekindled instantly and she discussed at length about several things associated to the theater. Her keen desire to watch performances at Rangashakara was fuelled by the absorbing narrative that Pankaj gave. Plus, the theater was at a distance of stone’s throw away from her house compared to the huge city of Bangalore. She had huge expectations of herself to make it to the theater very soon.

Her planning actually began from that fateful day. She knew that she could manage it with the support of her colleagues and family. The only real impediment was that kids below the age of 10 were not allowed inside the theater which forced her to find a caretaker for her son before she could embark on that journey of hers. Working couples who have moved from outstation rarely find a helping hand from family members on a daily basis. Most of the family stays elsewhere in the country and can only visit sparingly. Luckily, in her case, Mysore, where her parents resided, was not far away. She managed to coax them to stay with her for some time.

Prioritization had become the single biggest hurdle for her. With only 24 hours in a day, that is something that we all rue at some point or the other. The fact that she was a working woman didn’t help either. She constantly had to put items concerning the office and home at the top of her priority list. Ageing parents, a young child, a hard-working husband and a demanding office always meant the she was never in a position to decide anything randomly and of her own accord. She would not take a decision without consulting her husband. And many a times, the results were disappointing for a theater visit.

Her health was also taking a beating following such a hectic schedule. In India, a woman is programmed to take the least notice of her own well-being. Social and emotional traditions have ensured this stranglehold for long. She had developed a very preliminary Asthma which forced her to take a break every 30 minutes from whatever she did. Such compulsion doesn’t help when you are running against time to catch a show. Moreover, Dinkar wasn’t having a soft corner for theater and drama. This lack of interest often left her with no choice but to abandon the plans on some occasions.

The highly attractive wall clock announced 8:30 PM. Purnima was slowly getting back to normalcy. The family decided to have an early dinner. Now that she had time, she volunteered to cook some Sambhar and rice as well. Dinakar gleefully joined her into the kitchen. Krishna was reciting lovely kindergarten rhymes to appease her mother in his own sweet style of saying sorry for being the party spoiler. And when Purnima finally emitted a radiant smile, everything was forgotten and drums rolled for another attempt to scale the Everest. :)

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Shree Raama Aaratee


मित्रों, श्री राम आरती का पूरा व शुद्ध विवरण प्रस्तुत कर रहा हूँ. पढ़ें और आनंद लें!


Jh jke vkjrh

Jh jke pUnz Ñikyq Hkteu gj.k HkoHk; nkjq.keA
uo dat ykspu dateq[k dj dat in datk#.keAA

daniZ vxf.kr vfer Nfo uo uhy uhjn lqanjeA
iV ihr ekugq rf³r #fp 'kqfp ukSfe tud lqrkojeAA

Hktq nhucU/kq fnus'k nkuo nSR; oa’k fudUnueA
j?kquUn vkuUndUn dkS’kypUn n’kjFk uUnueAA

flj eqdqV dqaMy fryd pk# mnk# vax foHkw"k.keA
vktkuqHkqt ’kj pki/kj laxzkeftr [kjnww"k.keAA

bfr onfr rqylhnkl ’kadj ’ks"k eqfu eu jatueA
ee g`n; dqat fuokl dqjq dkekfn [kyny xatueAA

eu tkfg jkpsm feygh lks oj lgt lqanj lkaojksA
d#.kkfu/kku lqtku ’khyq lusg tkur jkojksAA

,fg Hkkafr xkSjh v’khs"k lqfu fl; lfgr fga; gf"Zkr vyhA
rqylh Hkokuh iwft iqfu&iqfu eqfnr eu eafnj pyhAA

tkfu xkSjh vuqdwy fl; fg; g"ksZm u tkb dghA
eatqy eaxy ewy cke vax QM+du yxsAA

Obama vs Osama


May Osama Bin Laden quickly complete his ordeal in the Hell and attain Salvation. He might have been a terrorist and could have spent most of his adult life in doing things which are to be abhored but he still deserves all the prayers to help him rest in peace. After all he was the brother of Barack Obama.

I am not joking. "All humans are brethren of each other". That is what US wanted to prove by killing Osama and announcing that his death will make the world a much better place to live in, a place full of love and harmony. The brotherhood existed before and exists now. Hence, Osama and Obama were brothers before and brothers now.

Let us try to answer the following questions.
  1. Should Obama regale in the death of Osama? 
  2. Should US consider itself safer and believe that Osama won't take an incarnation? 
  3. Will the strife in Afghanistan, Iraq and rest of the Islamic world lessen a bit? 
  4. Will there be no more Jihadis? 
  5. Will the US greed and bad motives come to an end?
  6. Will the Islam vs Christianity crusades end?
One thoughtfully written blog post describes why it is a pity that Obama was killed. Why killing of Osama is a pity? Obama may garner hopes of a second term based upon the immediate popularity soar that he has got among the US voters. In the long term though he has chosen to tread on a dangerous path that his predecessors starting George Bush senior had opted for. He leads the world in general and US in particular to another cycle of hate begetting hate. Without pronouncing a verdict, I would also predict a backlash from the Al-Qaeda and other similar terror-driven outfits to continue to target US directly and innocent people indirectly. It would be foolhardy for Obama to rejoice at this moment.
Osama was a commoner but acquired a larger than life image through his resolve and atrociousness. He got invaded by the virus of mental whitewash preached by those who are now at the receiving end of the US Foreign Policy. Many others are also affected by the same insanity but Osama went a step ahead and got himself a leadership role. As there is in any other sphere of life, the leadership doesn't stay in vaccum for long and Al-Qaeda will also be able to pick somebody equally menacing if not more as its head. So, US cannot assume the end of Osama's philosophy because it was never his in the first place and will find another flag-bearer.

The countries that have borne the brunt of US the most are Iraq and Afghanistan. The landscape of these countries has changed for ever. They were culturally and resourcefully rich. Now, they are left at the whims and fantasies of the US to survive and progress. No matter how bad was the position inside these countries, it should have been left at the citizens themselves to figure it out. A civil war of some length and intensity may have helped overcome the negativity of Saddam Hussein and Taliban. International community should have helped in negotiations as it may choose to do in case of any other sovereign state. But because of the ulterior motives of US, NATO invades them and seizes the control on the polity and the economy of these countries. Nobody else can do business in these countries without US permission and involved interests. This means control of worlds significant share of oil which influences the world economy like anything. US also gained an irremovable military foothold into the heart of oil-rich West Asia. It will flex its muscle and keep everything under the control as it it likes.

Off late the same tenet is being propagated to other Islamic countries as well. Alas, there seems to be no end to the misfortune of these nations which are struggling from enemies within and outside their territories.

Radical and unrelenting face of Islam converts young men and women into Jihadis, people who are ready to die and kill for the so-called upkeep and progress of Islam. The root cause of this ideology lies in the poverty, illiteracy and exploitation of people and misinterpretation of Islam. The Muslim world has to step up their efforts and resolve to cater to these problems. Until then, the whole of Muslim community will be branded incorrectly as Terrorists and remain secluded from the World Order. Indonesia, Malaysia and India are home to the largest population of the Muslims in the world but they have been successful in making the Muslims feel and think progressively and respectfully towards their brethren practicing other religions.


What conspires on the strategy drawing boards of White House and Pentagon may be kept as a top notch secret. But the damage those strategies do around the world is for anybody to see and contemplate. Taliban, Al-Qaeda, Saddam are all pieces of policies which have been nurtured and bred to espouse a particular US cause at different times. When these folks grew out of their shoes, they started thinking big and out-thought US at some stage. They wanted their own share under the sun and US said NO. Things started getting out of hands and it promoted events like Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan invasion. Egypt, Syria, Iran, North Korea and many others are on the card. All US business, political and military agencies work directly or indirectly towards these plans. The biggest threat that we have is not from the Jihadis but their godfather, US.


The struggle between Muslims and Christians has been very old. Crusades had happened regularly in the past. Followers of both the religions have continued to tweak the scriptures to suit their thinking and action. And unfortunately the evangelism efforts from these two religions' followers have resulted in  loss of peace and life instead of the love and peace they wanted to achieve through conversions. US and NATO countries can be seen as Christian evangelists and the Islamic nations are the Islamic evangelists. Both don't see eye to eye on almost every matter of day-to-day business. Yet, they befriend each other to work against a common hostile state. So, we can see UAE helping NATO in Syria, US in Iraq and Afghanistan, France in Tipoli and so on. But in the far run both want each other to be unstabilized, fall into mires of poverty and scarcity and finally leave space for the other to move in and capture.

In a nutshell, the killing of Osama may portray a temporary lull in the activities of the terrorists but he will very soon become a martyr in the eyes of those who want motivation to keep supporting the unjustified violence and hatred. US must correct its intentions and foreign policy to make sure it doesn't meddle with other nations and help them at one point and bomb them at others.

    Train to Tibet

    Watch the pictures from the most amazing railway system in the world - one which is most advanced and secured.

    Kudos to China! :)