Wailing Beauty behind Barricades

I recently got an opportunity to visit Agra Fort which is a UNESCO world heritage site located in Agra and is one of the most popular tourist places of the country thanks to the overlooking Taj Mahal. The fort dates back to 15th century and they say that it took about 97 years to complete.

I was amazed with the beauty that lies within the four walls of the fort. What sculpture, designing, proportion! To come up with such perfection without any technological assistance is a wonder in itself. Since I have not visited Taj Mahal yet, the beauty and symmetry of Agra Fort is mesmerizing. The beautiful blend of Iranian and Rajasthani culture in the drawings and carvings can easily leave the architects and designers of the modern age, in awe.

As I was ascending into the fort and was being exposed to more intricate parts of the palaces within, I secretly felt proud of belonging to the same soil that this heritage is a part of. But very soon, another set of sentiments sprinted towards me - Ignominy and Shame. At one instance where I was cherishing the beauty of the giant walls which was the outcome of hands of bygone artists, at the other, I was ashamed of belonging to the same kin as those whose destructive and insensitive fingers had the audacity to scratch this age-old splendor to engrave their condemned names upon it. I was shocked to learn from the guides there that most of the beings who lack hesitation while mercilessly scratching the priceless history, are none other than we, the INDIANS! Its !ncredible in true sense to see that Indian themselves are sending messages of their inconsiderate acts and utter shallowness all around the globe through foreign tourists who visit our country, a land that they consider has initiated world civilization and has been a workshop of scholars, mathematicians and artists of the long-gone times. We sure don't fail to make an ironic mockery of ourselves on the world-stage!

The most beautiful part of the entire fort is the prison where Aurangzeb had held Shahjahan captive. That area in the palace is made up of exquisite and ornate carving with semi-precious gems embedded in the walls and pillars. The grandeur of the place is an experience in itself... something which I was unreasonably denied! My parents who had visited the fort about seven years back were fortunate enough to be able to walk inside the prison and glance at the reflection of The Taj through a glass piece which was placed instead of the diamond of Shahjahan times. But soon after that, since the selfish visitors had been furtively digging the walls over time to remove those semi-precious gems and wear them in rings around their fingers to set their astrological planets right, the area now was blocked by the government for visitors altogether. And hence, the art-lovers of this generation are thoughtlessly deprived of this ostentatious treat of beauty and marvel.

This got me really upset as I was eagerly looking forward to visit and see that exact location which was always talked about whenever the fort was mentioned anywhere. While I was expressing my disbelief and was questioning as to why cant there be more guards planted in the area to prevent such mis-doings, I was told that a few guards are employed around the fort but they either start guiding the tourists for flimsy pocket money or simply laze around the area bothering least about their duties.

Well! So this is the honest truth. The fact that India was a golden bird which has been robbed of its riches has been brooded over since the time I remember but what I fail to understand is why cant that robbed bird be now saved from this slow poison that we ourselves are administering to it. And ironically, this time round, we wouldnt even have anyone else to blame it on. At one hand where we crib about unemployment being a big problem in the country, at the other, lack of employed guards is causing a bigger problem to this priceless ancient heritage.

Whether we like it or not, lets face the fact that Indians in general do lack civic sense. So its time to get it back into practice... Maybe by-force if not by-choice. How difficult is it to employ another dozen of well-trained guards at the fort and open all its doors of majestic grandeur to the world? Creating catchy video and print ads about !ncredible India is not all that is required of the Tourism Department. There is much more to it... Much more that needs to be done at the grass-root level. Only then, flaunting about it before the world would be justified and would make sense!

What Fun! A Short U-Turn!

Recently one of my friends, Sheetal, got married at hometown called Chikodi. Though the name is difficult to be found on the map but no kidding, it does exist! A few of us from college could make it to the wedding which was two complete days of fulltoo fun that infected us with recurring fits of laughter and aching stomachs. It was more of a reunion than being a wedding gathering.

As Chandrika and I reached Chikodi after about 12 hrs of journey from Bangalore, we were elated to find Annett and Minoy already there from Delhi and Mumbai respectively. Comedy personified Annett and sarcasm king Minoy were in the best of their wits and you anyways know what this severe combination results in... uninterrupted supply of illogical jokes! It got us busy immediately so much so that we forgot to even meet and greet the groom-to-be.

And in a while, once Joseph and Praveen had arrived, the entire place was bubbling with giggles as we got high on humour and ecstacy. Joseph's unstoppable rising weight, Chandrika's addiction to her cell phone and my recently changed relationship status attracted the maximum attention.

The functions started and we enjoyed a round of folk dance with the family members. It was fun to see both men and women of varied age, sizes and shapes enthusiastically participating. The high spirited dance with a jovial song ensured that everyone gets tempted to join and before we realised, we were all a part of it. The icing on the cake was to see even Sheetal dance his tapori style.

Once everyone settled, we set ourselves to clicking pictures. There was a battery of flashes from cameras of all possible kinds. Coloured, sepia, B&W, negative and what not were the picture formats that potential pro photographers were experimenting with! Who cared about the ceremonies happening on the stage? We were busier with ourselves pitying Sheetal missing all the fun as he sat with a pasted smile up on the stage.

And then, post dinner while we thought we were exhausted, little did we realise that the most-energy-consuming-action was yet to happen... It was the time for holi... Oops haldi! Actually more like holi, it was a ceremony where we were being chased to be colored with haldi by all known and unknown invitees of both the sides. After the initial hesitation, we went crazy with the game and chased everyone turn by turn making sure that they are smeared enough that taking bath at 2 in the night becomes inevitable ;D

The next day was the wedding by when Eric and Niteen had also reached which augmented the fun element! While Sheetal was saying his wedding vows, we were busy with the spread of lip-smacking dishes. The unstoppable array of jokes from everyone around attracted funny curses, loathing and moaning from our own gang of buds.

As the ceremony came to an end with priest announcing Sheetal and Priyanka as "man and wife" (Sheetal being the man! ;D) we wished them, exchanged hugs and farewells and set ourselves back to respective places taking with us merriment of the event which got us nostalgic and brought alive that golden period of college when the world around was so uncomplicated and the only thing to worry about were the final exams!

My Years in Bangalore...

Seven years back, after leaving Darbhanga for higher studies, the only place where I have parked my bags, is Bangalore. I hated this city like hell then, as my ignorant and illogical self held it responsible for me having to depart with my much loved family. I felt like a stranger in the unknown place and did not have even an atom bit of belonging towards it, leave alone gratitude for rendering invaluable education.

Whether it be the excellently moderate weather, rare load-shedding, an array of opportunities, fascinating Brigade / MG road, cosmopolitan lifestyle, etc. etc… just nothing about the city was nice then. I hated Bangalore even more specially for being so sickly connected to my place that it took me three whole days to get home even on a direct train… No exaggeration! Every single time, the thought of going to Bangalore again after holidays made me fall sick a few days prior to my travel dates and the final day used to be the most-gloomy of my then life. This episode repeated periodically for three long years.

Then gradually, my odium towards the city started to thaw out a little as my fate for next two years was again sealed in Bangalore thanks to my admission in Christ College. I was forced to surrender as  I accepted the fact that I was condemned to the place. I started to hang out a little and see places with friends. Although shallow pockets and limited accessibility forced us to confine ourselves to Dhaba, Lalbagh and at the most Forum, it surely couldn’t restrict the fun element in there. Being able to roam around without parental supervision, go watch movies of alien languages for the heck of bunking classes, wear funny clothes of weird colours and combinations, being able to make the loudest noise without caring about people looking, walking through the streets with friends even at nights was what I could have never dreamed of doing at Darbhanga.

Subconsciously, I began to develop a tinge of attachment with the city. And then, despite having made a deliberate attempt to relocate, I got my first job again in Bangalore and that too in the Real Estate sector. That was where roaming around about became more of a professional requirement than a fun activity. And strangely, instead of complaining, I loved it.

My fondness of this place developed exponentially mostly because of the people who I made friends with and who have been a family to me, to have stood by my side whenever needed. My stint in Bangalore was made smooth by these paladins  who were so picked-and-chosen to be around me. Though being geographically challenged has severe limitations but the fear of getting lost was out of question because of my friends who, being aware of this disorder, came to my rescue by being available on mobiles to guide whenever I was stuck trying to reach somewhere.

And today, when I am back to Darbhanga, I miss Bangalore like hell. A short while back, I had been there on a trip and the moment I stepped in the city, I felt as if I belong to the place. Darbhanga, no doubt was meant to be my home even before I came to life but I never realized when Bangalore became a haven, which taught me to “live life” :D

Turning Point

It has been this long since I last visited my blog that I seem to have almost been on a sabbatical... wow! almost three months and it appears as though my life has been on a roller coaster all this while. When I last posted, little did I know that my next post would be written after I had changed my relationship status on social networking sites. From reading single all this while it now says "Engaged to Nirdesh". Yes people! I am engaged and like many of you, its difficult even for me to believe. more responsibilities, more maturity, more sensibility, etc. etc. is what I need to possess and carry along. Phew!

But am not complaining. Infact am pleased with the way its turning out. Am glad about the shape life is taking. Am enthralled about the forthcoming events, rituals and ceremonies which would all have me as the subject. Am happy to see mumma happy, am overjoyed to see my friends excited and am busy making the most of the time between the engagement and wedding as they say "its the best time of life". Well! I still have so much more to experience I guess.

This certainly is the turning point where the road bends into a steep curve and gets unified with another path which joins from no where. The path which belongs to a stranger. Yes a stranger... but not for long. This in turn gets me a companion along, who prevents me from pot holes and helps me through the troughs and trenches.

Am embarking upon this journey with the 'blessings of my parents'... something, that can NEVER go wrong!

Phir Mile Sur?... Not at all!

The Times of India Group and Zoom have launched "Phir Mile Sur" on the 60th Republic Day of India. This new version of that famous song "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" which made you shudder every single time it was played on Doordarshan is supposed be an endeavor to rekindle patriotism and remind us of the "Unity in Diversity" mantra that India stands for. I remember how years back, while waiting for a movie to begin or during the 5 mins break in between a serial and the news, the magical tune would suddenly be heard on my 18 inches Weston TV and I would run from any corner of the house to lip sing along. My gramma, hailing from a musical background, would help me identify the stalwarts of the music world featuring there right from Pandit Bheemsen Joshi to Shivkumar Sharma. The names used to be so difficult to remember then but somehow they still managed to create a sense of pride whenever I thought about belonging to the same country as them.
Having grown up singing the song in all Indian languages although not having a word-to-word translation, seeing the places that seemed to exist in different world and looking at faces of people belonging to varied race and culture, I could easily accept them all as part of my extended and extensive kin and understand that I share my brotherhood and my National Anthem with people who look different, talk different yet share the mutual feeling of "Oneness".                                                            
The simplicity of technology, people and culture which was reflected in the original version was so true to the  then country. It was a bias-free video showcasing the myriad colours of the nation with shades of township along with the tinge of village-life. When children clad in different colours were shown marching from three different directions to form human-tricolor in sync with the enticing music in back-ground,  it surely sent a chill across the spines of millions of viewers every single time.
Has the new version been even close to getting us there? Has it been able to evoke in us the same sense of belonging for the nation? Has it been able to make us even a little proud of who we are? I certainly doubt. The video for me is nothing more than a visual delight that brings together the celebrities of tinsel town repeating their signature steps on screen, though for a much-heard-song this time. Ironically, even most of the musicians shown in the video are those who have strong media presence. And why  should it not be so when the video itself is an initiative by Zoom and the TOI group who are  the best known people for owning registered recepies of NEWS creation.

For God's sake, India is NOT prominently about Bollywood only. Where are those individuals who have contributed to the nation in other varied fields such as Business, Science, Politics, Armed Forces, etc.  Haven't they done enough to qualify featuring into the video sending message of National Unity and Accord? They have conveniently been left out only because their profiles weren't 'glamorous' enough to accelerate the TRP rating of channels the video would be played on. Isn't one of the responsibilities of such an initiative is  also to educated the masses and inform them about the facts they need to be proud of and NOT show them the same faces which are already there in every second TV commercial, in every game and chat show and even in the social campaigns these days across all channels? Ironically, this great song depicting country's Oneness has been reduced to a just-another-filler, thanks to Zoom and Times of India. Sadly but surely, it horribly failed to leave the impact even close to what the older one had.

The Original 'Mile Sur Mera Humhara'

Phir Mile Sur

A Beautiful Experience!

My friend Christy's wedding... An experience of lifetime that I lived on the 17th of January 2010... Almost a fortnight before the D-day when I had met her, she told me about having me as one of her Bride's Maids and my excitement knew no bounds. Since then, I had been eagerly waiting for her wedding to approach so I get a chance to play the ideal BRIDE’S MAID to this dearest friend of mine:) we watched movies such as Bride Wars, 27 Dresses, etc. to get into the appropriate mood. It was an absolute delight to be able to form an imperative part of the making of the much-awaited nuptials! 

Although being close to Christy right from the initial days of our MBA, I had never imagined that I held this important a place in her life that she would have me as one of the prominent persons on her most special day. Flashing into the memory lane, I see that right from the time when we sat on the first bench promptly taking down notes in first year of college till today when it appears to be a different life altogether, we have always been in close touch atleast during the vital times of each others lives. Strangely enough, we never had any sort of altercations primarily because more than being good friends that we anyways were, there was another special bond that we shared... the "Chechi-Chutki" connection! Yeah, I called her Chechi which is how one addresses elder sisters in Malyalam and she called me Chutki which means the 'younger-one'. It was strange how on most of the issues we seemed to reach an easy consensus even after hailing from completely different school of thoughts. 

To come to think of it, there is actually nothing common between the two of us... Talk about Background - She was born in Kerala and brought up in Dubai which is I-don’t-even-know how many miles away from a town called Darbhanga in Bihar where I grew up. Talk about taste and hobbies - She likes to watch movies, rather is CRAZY about them, can sit through every movie with absolute interest and has the capacity of watching two to three movies back to back and that too in a theater. On the contrary, I like only selected ones which either have absolutely wonderful reviews or stars my favorite actors.... Talk about Career - She is a marketing expert and my specialisation is finance. She worked for a radio and I do consultancy in the field of real estate.... But yeah, there is something that we share - the craze of going foot-loose on a dance-floor but even there the taste of music differs... :)

Well, so the point is even though we are in quite contrast with each-other, there remain some trivial similarities that have been able to strongly keep us together. In fact post college, it was after six months that we met up but we spoke right from where we had left. After spending 4-5 hours or maybe more (I lost a count of hours after a while), we could fill each-other with what was happening in our lives. Honestly, it was then I realised that I share a special relationship with this wonderful person who is as open to me as she gets me to her. There was nothing that kept me from sharing my problems and my shushhed secrets. 

I would have never known how special it feels to be a bride's maid, had she not provided me with the chance. I think I lived the responsibility of the role on the previous day of her wedding more competently than what I did on D-day.  Fortunately having an off from office, I was able to be a company to her for the entire day when she went around winding up her last bit of work before wedding. We roamed around about the city collecting her wedding gown, getting her reception saree ironed, doing some end moment shopping, having a dry-run of her wedding, getting the make-up guy try her hair-do, etc, etc, etc. and finally said a good night after her Rose-Day ceremony.... It was this day when all her bride's maids got to see each other and despite having never met before, made terrific buddies. The war of PJs, comical picture shoot, clumsy dancing, off-tune wedding songs, funny parody, etc. defined our act of fun that left some clapping for us and the rest joining the group.

Having super fun while getting ready together, while singing nuptial hymns and while setting right the make-ups and dresses of each other to exhibiting the efficiency of highest order in getting the bride dressed before the reception was how we proficiently lived up to the role of Bride’s Maids! Christy no doubt looked like a dream! Beauty to its peak and serenity to its superlative degree! Everything… just everything was so perfect about her and her wedding. 

The journey throughout the day was full of excitement and fun. The venue became a rendezvous of all old and new friends who were in the best of dresses and spirits cheering loudly for the prime reason behind them all being together. The entire ceremony was a brilliant combination of grandeur and sophistication. Beautiful people, beautiful place, delicious food and mesmerizing atmosphere got us all joyed and keyed-up. With the culmination of the function, as we headed home, while the others carried with themselves the fondness of this wonderful day, I had with me A Beautiful Experience which is very special and would remain a book-marked page of my diary!

Movie Review

After a long time, I got a chance to watch a movie... and this was one that I had been eagerly waiting for... 3 idiots. With its release, the movie went house-full across all shows in every single theater of the city. Obviously that gave me all the more reasons to let loose the reins on my patience. I had to watch it and watch it soon enough before I get to know any bit of the story from some loud-mouth who, having already watched it, would blurt out the most interesting parts during a casual conversation over a cup of coffee or a meal table.

Finally, I had the opportunity to go for it on the Saturday night in a local theater close to my residence. Caring little for the kind of crowd that would be present there, I was elated to be able to watch it the very first weekend of its release. Although being conscious about not getting late for the movie, I reached only after the show had begun :(

Some initial confusion was faced in finding the allotted seats but once seated, there was no hiatus in the entertainment for next three hours. From the humour to emotions to drama to the inherent message and the stupidity of the college students... it proved out to be pure pack of entertainment which kept me engrossed till the very end. The common college jargon that we all have been used to in student life, the pranks that we have either master-minded or have been a victims to, the weirdest of nick-names that we have called our best friends with... all these and more put together formed this laughter riot that left me with an aching stomach and teary eyes by the end of the fantastic three hours.

The 'Aal izz Well' mantra, the unconventional names of characters, the speech scene, the discussion on the staircase between the three friends, the examination paper-submission incident and scene where Rancho gives a task to the class are some of the best ever parts that tickled every single nerve in my body. I don't even remember when was it after Dil Chahta Hai, that i enjoyed a movie to this extent. The film-makers have ensured we return to our college days and jump with ecstasy upon identifying with characters or scenes atleast a couple of time during the show.

Despite having some unrealistic parts which tried hard to break the momentum, the movie remained a definite treat of 3 hours. Its an experience to live and relive. I would be willing to watch it all over again to have entertainment devoid of any filth and vulgarity, to enjoy the brilliance of cinema that is a rarity in India and most importantly to learn the mantra of "Aal izz Well" which has become an absolute necessity these days. They are right when they say that the movie has a repeat value... it would most certainly find its place in my archives atleast!