Recommended reading-Raag Darbari

Raag Darbari is the first satirical novel of its kind in Hindi spanning post-Independence rural Awadh. It is authored by Shrilal Shukla and it needs to be read to really enjoy wit and sarcasm flowing through it, author got the Sahitya Academy Award, the highest Indian literary award, in 1970 for this novel.This was made in TV serial as well.




Novel is commentary on deteriorating values in the cities and villages of post-Independence Indian society. It exposes the helplessness of intellectuals in the face of a strong and corrupt nexus between criminals, businessmen, police and politicians. Though a lot has changed since the book was first written, but almost everything can be seen even today.



I found it interesting just by amount of humour and language skills which brings forth that humour, it’s a class apart in its genre and brought me back to Hindi reading after a long-2 time, I recommend it fully, I assure it would not disappoint and you would like to finish it in one go.

Teaser as prepared by me for our annual offsite(This time i did it fully)- Go Goa

Go...Go...Ahhhhhhhhh!! { Annual dog and the pony Charitable* show }

*Charitable as this is a lean season and we do help by filling up empty rooms of hotels

Dear Colleagues,

The time of the year when we pack the bag..to show six pack ab..in the pool! the time of the year when we groove showing our best move…very very cool!

We welcome you all…the beach capital of world( well Russian Mafia, Isreali cartels, American flower children and Bangaldeshi Maids does qualify it)

(I)
We promise no Poor Jokes :
What do you call a witch who lives on the beach? A sandwitch!
Why do fish swim in salt water? Because pepper makes them sneeze!


But for sure dip for jokers like me who cannot swim
We will bathe you certainly even if not the Indian personal hygiene kind but for sure of below type

(II)

A singing we will do like Goans dude but within confines of hotel rooms:
(III)
We promise no off repeated Pirate themes..sorry Jack sparrow

But for sure the treasure hunt on roads of Panjim which are bit narrow









(IV)We will have certain International visitors(Below in not exact replica of visitors) …..so be at best of your behavior**! Bring out your Guccis, Versace also taste Champagne with caviar!

**Best of behavior defined
- If you play ‘Ghost-2’ at 3 am in morning and ring the guests bell……please do say ‘Sorry’ later on
- If Room door gets locked automatically and you are left outside..breaking door not acceptable, please bring a saw along and carefully cut out a portion and open the latch.
- While in corridor be silent..to learn more about it read ‘My experiments with silence ‘ by Piyush Mehrotra, the author’s ‘Silence of lambs: an operations journey’ is recently made into Hollywood blocbuster.
- If you to drown after drinking binge..do not do it in sea, we can be sued by environmentalist for intoxicating fishes.

(V)
We promise no Came Ride! a scooter we will drive along the beach which are wide!

(No animal was hurt during this photoshoot)
(V)
We promise no policing
But Mind you..big brother is watching!!!!!

( An attractive gift by Punjab police for identifying above imposter)



Come enjoy with us !!!!!!...20th -22nd September TAJ GOA

For Team Goa

Dinesh

Momos' in Gangtok...visiting the Shangri La

Room with the view..the Mayfair is abt 10 kms before the Gangtok city, The view was perfect and this side of view is called 'Rumtek monastery view' as it faces seat of Karmapa in India..sad that holy seat is emroiled in controversy.

Sikkim is home to many a monsatery which is part of Tibetan infuence and 'Einchey' is one of the most revered one and is the basis of buddhism in Sikkim



Hotel lobby, This property is awesome mix of Pagoda/Palace and  Japened garden arcitecture perefectly exotic and oriental.



Colorful flags..remind me of Belonwala with its Tibetan colony

Having the most authentic MOMOs ever had on MG road

Something to wash down MOMOs with!!!

Yours truly at Famous natural falls of Sikkim

Buddham...Shranam..Gacchami!!!

Chance encounters

Saw the beautiful lady @ Vizag airport..went upto her..commented " Ma'am honoured to meet great leader like you..can i have a photograph with you", she smiled said Yes..why not!! and than after photograph i said " Ma'am this is for my daughter who is in Welhams" she said "You know i was house captain there" i continued " she is in woodpeckers" ..lady replied" i was in Bulbuls".Courtesy over i thanked her.

I could not have seen more humbler leader than Brinda Karat

World Book Fair 2012- Pargati Maidan

I have considered myself avid reader always quite true also, Kabari Bazar in Dehardun mute spectator to my plunderings..repeatedly like Nadir shah each time I went to back home after an outing I was full of booty, it was this place which introduced me to most unlikely books( in normal times never would have spent money on) ..it was true bargain to buy ‘Lolita’ or ‘The Good Earth’ or’Catcher in the rye’ all classics.
Now I buy books from shelf and still make it a point to spend atleast one Saturday in a month browsing through rows of books in upmarket ‘Om Book shop, Gurgaon’ or book container importers-marketers on Mehrauli Gurgaon road or roadside market in Sector-14, 31 of Gurgaon.
In NCR since 2005 its been first time I ventured out for this pilgrimage, alongwith Seema and Bijal(Joshita is still two months away from summer vacations)..i drove down to Pargati Maidan, parking near Old fort..i entered with set agenda
- No Fiction of English Indian or Foreign authors( This is my stock reading but is easy to browse on portals like Flipkart.com with heavy discounts, this was deliberate on my part or else I would have spent everything on Amitav Ghosh)
- Maximum buys for almost teen and kids with Bijal and Joshita in mind.
- Best buys on Hindi literature, never owned but always cherished literary gems by top authors.
- Visit specialized stalls on Spiritual & religious books( It ultimately turned out to be heaviest investment for me)

When I got out after 5 hrs of soul satisfying, knee crushing stall hopping I had just about covered 25% of the space earmarked for books but contented to the heart my shoulders ached from all the baggage I carried, the teasure trove contained
- Ramayana(Hindi) by Amritlal Nagar for children, Mahabharata(English) a special Rupa edition got with 20% discount.
- Special Sketch book –Harper Collins edition with a pretty friendship band thrown in for Bijal.
- A super Vedic Mathematics book by a old Delhi Publisher only into publishing of Indian culture and Philosphy.
- Two Philosphy books by Ace Philospher and Guru J Krishnamurthi on meaning of life and parents interaction with kids( English + Hindi)
- Set of three small books for teenagers again by J Krishnamurthi (English)
- ‘Raag Darbari’ the hindi classical by Srilal Shukl( Rajkamal publishers are like Rupa and Harper Collins of English) and my heart really gladdened by seeing so much crowd thronging to read in mother tongue.
- Selected works of Mohan Rakesh(Ace Hindi writer- author of classic like ‘Aashad ka ek din’)
- ‘Sathyrath Prakash’ the Arya Samaj Philosphy by Swami Dayannad Saraswati(Glossy thick edition was given for INR 10/-)
- Five glossy multicoloured religious comics(English) for reading to Bijal(She is still iiliterate) by Geeta press, these people are doing faboulous job of spreading Hindu Dharma.
- Sansrit(Valmiki) version of Sunder kaand…I carry tulsi version already.
- A small version of Geeta, I have elaborate thick volume already at home(Yet to go through same)

Seems like a days work done honestly…isn’t it!

Mumbai washed up

Awesome pics of Mumbai. Couldn't resist posting them here -

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-must-see-uddhav-thackerays-pixss-of-maximum-city/20120224.htm

RayBan classics

RayBan aviators (sun glasses) have been a choice of classes (like yours truly) for decades. I first eyed them in 1986 blockbuster Top gun.

Tom Cruise as Maverick in Top Gun

Bollywood machos like Vinod Khanna, Suniel Shetty and Salman Khan popularized them in India.

Sallu dazzles in Aviators

While Tom Cruise's character Maverick wore Ray-Ban's classic aviators in the movie, his low-key sidekick Goose, played by Anthony Edwards, opted for Caravans, a similar style but with squared-off lenses [couldn't find a picture]. This has been the star of my eyes.

Julia Roberts wearing RayBan Caravan

Here is a slightly modified version of the caravan -

Ray-Ban Caravan 3415q Silver

Last but not least, author, himself, shines in the caravan like Raybans:



Planning to own Caravans soon. Will keep you posted.

Highway on my plate AKA Vaathu Kari AKA Duck curry

(Bill board announcing the duck curry on this roadside eatery on NH 47 and where have had the duck)

This thursday as we raced down the NH47(Highway connecting Salem to Kanyakumari) i was bit sleepy in southern indian late afternoon heat although AC of car was on ;when we had started around dawn from my historically famous temporary abode of CCC(Coimbatore cosmoplitan club founded in 1891....it was my 3rd stay at this place and i find it better than much rated city hotels) it was still pretty cool and after an early morning meeting with big poultry group at Erode we rode towards Nammakal(Largest belt of egg laying poultry in India) in between we have had those tasty clean south indian breakfasts served at homely tiffin centres tucking in 2 idlis and 2 plane dosas served on banana leaf washed down with piping hot kapi in steel glass. refreshed we reached Nammakal by noon and finished off the meeting than we paid a visit to famous Hanuman temple, finally making a move for our next stop of Mulnoor we were again hurtling down the NH 47 , of sudden our driver Shanmugam(This guy is from influential community of Thevars and almost behaves like Rajnikanth in his best elements more so when driving the car) started slowing and than i saw pictures of duck on a board from a distance but when we reached live flock was roaming around and by the threshold of this eatery perfect aroma of well cooked meat was coming in, ordering Vaathu Kari on side we ordered dry livers as well, generally localites eat it with Idlis( i could never get the logic of all they way making the pasteries and than again dissolving them in sambhar or curry for consuimng it why not eat rice better), dosas or parottas, i have had mine with Kerla Parotta... a highly tasty bread made with totally unhealthy Maida and mind you this Duck is also nutritious in a way because the fat of a duck is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids called "good cholesterol".

Contented to our heart we made our way to Mulnoor and back to Coimbatore via textile hub of Tiruupur.

Faith over the years

Sankrit sholka goes :

OM shanno mitraH sha.n varuNaH sha.n bhavatyaryamaa sha.nna indro bRRihaspatiH viShNururukramaH nomo brahmaNe namaste vaayo tvameva pratyaksha.n brahmaasi tvaameva pratyaksha.n brahmavadiShyaami RRita.n vadiShyaami satya.nvadiShyaami tanmaamavatu tadvaktaaramavatu avatumaam avatuvaktaara.n
OM shaantiH shaantiH shaantiH
The meaning :
May Sun be blissful to us, may Varuna be blissful to us, may Aryaman be blissful to us. May Indra and Bruhaspati be blissful to us, may Vishnu be blissful to us. Salutation to Brahman, salutation to O Vayu. You only are the direct Brahman, I shall call you rightousness, I shall call you the truth. May he protect me, may he protect the teacher. Protect me, protect the teacher. OM !! Peace Peace Peace

Tomars of Belonwala(My maternal sir name) have been god fearing lot always and regular pujas to Kuldevta, gram devta and other deities were regular culminating in builiding up of family temple.Built by my nana in 1991 it stood grand(Picture as above with both my nana nani sitting proudly)

Labour of love gone to seed by 2000, puja was regular but structure was dangerously ruined, it cut a sorry picture truly:




Rebuilt by my mom and my Mausi(Alok's mom) in 2012, its a spanking new avatar last week my ma had 'Chandi path' there and you can see pandits all huddled together in doon chill :




Futuristic image of this temple in 2032 when god if orders me and Alok singh(My Cousin) for jirnodwar:


Amen!!!!!

It was there.....Than gone !!!

Alok may be you should have planned your new trip to India a bit earlier or for that matter maybe i should have gone to doon few days earlier maybe i could have still savored the Faluda Kulfi or Rasmalai of Kumar sweet shop, it was there and than was gone.As i entered the Chakrata road in evening driving down from Gurgaon( It was trip i was making last week to drop Joshita at Welhams after winter vacation and also to attend the reconstruction and aftermath Puja of our family temple in Belonwala) i thought for a moment maybe i had taking a wrong turn and reached Iraq and than i realised the bottleneck or chicken neck as Mayank is fond of saying the ever bane of doon traffic, the narrow lane near Kumar sweet shop and entire Chakrata road is wide again.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111219/dplus.htm#1

Although this sweet shop is shifted still old nostalgia will hit doonies for time to come ,still its good for doon traffic henceforth.