Ayubowan Sri Lanka

So there I was, in an Airbus A320, flying over the emerald Indian ocean on a relatively less time consuming journey to a historic land from a different time - I was going to Lanka..

Lanka, where palaces were made of pure gold; where Kuber, the Lord-of-wealth himself established a kingdom of unimaginable riches; wealth whose lust drove his half-brother Ravan into planning a coup and usurp the throne..

The witnes to one of the fiercest battles in history resulting in annihilation of the entire nexus of evil by Lord Rama in a previous age.. while flying over the Indian Ocean, I could almost imagine the terror that Sitaji must have felt, flying for the first time in the Pushpak Vimaan!!

When I was first asked to visit Lanka, I knew it would be a great adventure.. of course there was a lot of work to be done but the amateur historian in me would not have missed  the chance to visit one of the most important places in the history of our culture at any cost..

The short two and a half hour flight dropped me at the Bandarnaike Airport in the early hours of the morning where I was picked up by one of our partners in SL. The hour's drive to Colombo was quite re-ensuring and the city seemed to be a decent place to spend a week in.. There has been a lot of damage to the country in the fight for the Tamil Elam but it was heartening to see signs of progress and opening up of economy everywhere..

The city landscape is changing and is set for yet another makeover pretty soon; the population is manageable and does not put a drain on the resources; the air is clean and the beaches quite inviting. Indeed I saw droves of tourists from Middle-East and Europe lining the shores. Indians and Chinese form a major chunk of visitors to the islnd nation and you get a mixed crowd at most good hotels.

Workwise the visit was quite fruitful as our partners have done a great job of establishing our brands in the country. It was actually a pleasure working with most people from the team which comprises of a dedicated and diligent bunch of guys..

I could enjoy Colombo more this time thanks to my German friend Gustavo meeting whom was quite literally a blessing for me! Thanks a lot buddy for taking me around the city and introducing me to the delightful eateries spread all over the city :o)

Sri Lanka offers so many possibilities for the tourists.. there are mountains and hill-stations as well as beaches and temples to entice all sections of the traveling populace.. There are 8 world-heritage sites in this tiny little island (!) and a rich dose of history and culture to capture your imagination. 

The country has an abundance of forests and caves and ancient ruins with some impressive cave-paintings and Buddhist relics thrown in to complete the picture. This time I visited the southern provinces of the country, and it was a completely different feel from the cool mountains of the central regions.

The beaches in the South are especially pretty with clean sand and clear blue water. with the waves of the Indian Ocean lapping up the Lankan shores, it just creates a supremely relaxing environment around.. From the hill-stations of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya to the beaches of Mirissa and Unawatuna, there's a lot to keep you occupied. There are plenty of National Parks and abundant opportunity to spot animals in the wild especially the Asian Elephant and my favorite place was the Elephant Orphanage on the way to Kandy..

 

I also discovered a place almost on the southern edge of the island which is supposed to have formed from a fallen piece of the mountain that the legendary monkey-god Hanuman had carried from the Himalayas to Lanka when he couldn't locate the herb to revive Lakshman on it!!!

The hillock of Rumassala figures prominently in this legend. The Prince’s life could be saved only if certain herbs could be fetched from the Himalayas. Speed was of high essence and hence Hanuman insted of wasting time looking for the herbs, decided to uproot the entire mountain and take it along with him to Lanka!!

Shri Rama. Lakshman and Sita with Hanuman at their feet

Hanuman lifting the mountain

The rock Hanuman left behind

When it was time for him to return Mount Gandhmadan back to its original location, he heaved and picked it up dislodging a huge chunk in the process which fell at the place known as Rumassala.. even today, the beach next to it is called Unawatuna which derives from ‘Onna-wetuna’ (There, it fell).

There are fruit groves in Rumassala which, only those travellers who genuinely lose their way, would come upon. Among precious herbs, in the Rumassala region, recording to folk-lore, is Kalu-nika, a medical plant with life-giving properties.Today, there exists a Buddhist Peace Pagoda at the place at the entrance to which is the statue of Hanuman caarrying the mountain in his hand :o)

 Peace Pagoda at Rumassala

It is interesting to note in this context, that, when Arthur C. Clarke, one of my favorite authors, had first come to Sri Lanka, he had made Unawatuna his first home.

The mystery associated with the Rumassala area, may, in all probability, have intrigued him. Apparently, he has also stated that, this region does not come within the magnetic field that envelops the whole earth and that the exhausted geo-stationary satellites end up high above this place around Unawatuna, and keep on milling above it.

Myth or fact, Sri Lanka offers you a host of opportunities to unwind and immerse yourself in the aromas of history and culture and rejuvenates you to help you cope up with the usual grind back home..

Add to it the fascination we Indians have to unearth the linkages with the legend of Ramayana, it offers a fascinating journey down memory lane reminding you of stories narrated by Grandma over sleepy afternoons. I personally always wanted to see the 'Bridge-over-the-Sea' built by Lord Rama's Vanar entourage!! 

 Rama's Bridge/Sri Rama Setu

The Rama-Setu still links this 'Pearl of the Indian Ocean' to the Indian mainland like an umbilical cord.. Even the spread of Buddhism, which is the dominant religion in Sri Lanka, is the result of Emperor Ashoka's emmissaries being sent out to spread the faith outside Indian peninsula..

We should never sever this bond despite the politically motivated divisive rhetoric we tend to hear from time to time especially from certain sections of the Tamil polity. Now that terrorism has been effectively wiped out from the island, let's hope our relationship only gets better with the coming years..

Bohoma Istuti Sri Lanka for this refreshing trip :o)
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Let There Be Light :)

There's something in the air :)

The festival of lights is almost here and the excitement is almost palpable! Everyone's busy with the Autumn cleaning of homes and the smell of whitewash and varnish mingles with the mild chill in the air..

Hectic last mintue shopping is on with gifts being purchased for family and friends. Fire-crackers line the bazaar streets and Sweet-shops are taking advance orders for Tons of Mithai..  Woollens have arrived in the market and the Utility shops have extended their wares way into the corridors to cater to the increased demand.. even the wind seems to carry a promise of happiness and good times to come :)

This my favorite part of the Year! Diwali is here my friends and let me take this opportunity to share with all of you the good cheer and feeling of belonging it fills me with.. 

This isn't just a festival celebrating the arrival of a prince.. It is the time for soft Autumn Sun brightening the dark corners for the last time before winters take over; time for people to bid farewell to pleasant day-nights and prepare for the onslaught of harsh Himalayan winds; the time to strengthen the bonds of Family and Friendship celebrating the Home-coming of the Blue-Lord :)

This year, the home-coming is literal for me as I was lucky enough to be gifted the statue of Lord Rama by a Buddhist monk in Malaysia!!! I was spell-bound when the monk presented me with the gift and I thanked him from my heart for inadvertently, he had helped me bring the Lord to my own home at Diwali :)

Like every year I'm in Chandigarh again for Diwali and like every year, the feeling of joy has overtaken my entire being. It's the time to revive old memories - cleaning up my cupboards I come across so many past remembrances that it fills me with nostalgia.. Its the time to renovate and refurbish - even in the absence of us kids, Mom-Dad have handled the mammoth task of getting the house re-painted quite well and now I have to arrange the furniture in the entire house..

But I love the experience coz it helps me get in touch with my own home again.. plus I'm eager to display the curios and souvenirs collected from my visits to Africa and South-East Asia and to line them up on my shelves!! Will soon get busy buying and distributing gifts to loved ones and recieving people at home right upto Diwali day.. However, the child-like glee I derive from opening up presents and gifts more than makes up for the exhaustion and fatigue :o)

The idiot-box is belting out Diwali commercials by Paint/Sweet/Gift/Cards/Auto companies and it helps add flavor to the atmosphere. Bollywood is all set to release the latest extravaganza starring SRK and Kareena and the songs at least seem to reflect the festive mood right now :) I wish good-sense prevails with all and this year at least we are spared attacks by rabid fanatics!!

May our lives be colored with bright hues of the Rangoli; May the warm glow of Diyas and the fragrance of Pooja flowers mingle well with the delectable aroma of Sweets help sustain the exuberance throughout the coming winter :)

May Goddess Lakshmi favor us with fame and good fortune; May the gleam of the Kandils show us the path to contentment and spirituality; May the bursting fire-crackers light up all the dark nights of our lives ridding them of all melancholy moments.

Wishing all my loved ones a very Happy Deepawali :)

Hazaron Hazare - Main Bhi Anna!

Wow!!! Democracy Rocks!!! That was the only feeling in my mind 10 pm last night after I finished with the Anna rally on Juhu Beach!! The Anna Tsunami has literally submerged the nation and I for one am glad to have been swept away in its growing tides!

Anna Hazare, 74, a veteran Gandhian, an ex-army man, a social activist and the Face of the Entire Nation since almost a month now! I did not know who he was till the whole issue of Lokpal Bill came under media scrutiny. To give credit where it is deserved, for once I'm proud of the role our media is playing in spreading the movement and bringing more and more people closer to Anna's protest against Corruption..

As I became more aware of the issue, I felt good there was someone who was taking the initiative to stop the autocratic behavior of the current Government which is steeped in corruption and controversies since a couple of years now. And it felt doubly good to see someone taking the route of Gandhigiri and making it work in the present time!!

I did my bit of armchair evangelism through facebook status messages, shared links, videos; twitter updates; forwarding texts and e-mails to all my friends.. and I'm sure quite a lot of them must be still pissed with me for this continuous bombardment :o)

Those who still do not know abt the issue... get out of your respective comfort zones and get a taste of REAL LIFE guys! You can go through this link if you wanna know about the Jan Lokpal Bill:

http://fateinurhands.blogspot.com/

However, even after providing my bit of online support for Anna's movement, I was not really satisfied. Luckily, I got to know from one of my friends that he was working part-time with India Against Corruption after office and even on holidays!!

This galvanized me into action and I decided to plunge into the movement physically as well with the rally yesterday! With Mashals (Fire-Torches) and the Tiranga (Indian Tricolor) in our hands we marched from Andheri Station to Juhu Beach; twisting and turning through main-roads and by-lanes, spreading the magic of Anna amongst the population and urging more and more people to join us. Needless to say, the atmosphere was absolutely electrifying!
 

I felt as if I was a part of the Freedom Struggle once again!! Cries of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bhaarat Mata ki Jai' gave the air a particularly patriotic flavor! We wore Gandhi Topis and sang 'Sare Jahan se Achha' and 'Hum Honge Kamyaab' with gathering gusto.

As the dusk settled on the marchers, the flames of our Mashals, the glow of the Candles and the sound of our chants created a surreal atmosphere all around and we saw more and more people joining the rally!We literally urged others to accompany us shouting in Marathi - 'Baghtos Kaye, Shaamil Ho!!' (What are you looking at? Join Us!).

I saw housewives managing the entire show along with volunteers of IAC; men getting out of their air-conditioned cars, leave their jackets behind and join us in slogan shouting; college kids with banners and bundles of energy and loads of people from all walks of life transform this simple rally into a mass movement by more than 50,000 citizens of Mumbai!

The chants kept getting more innovative and I'm sharing some of the gems with you! You can use them or devise your own to spearhead the rallies in your own city -

Ek Jalebi Tel Mein, Saare Neta Jail Mein!

Paisa Paisa Karti Hai, Janlokpal Se Darti Hai!
Pehli ladai Goron Se, Dusri Desh Ke Choron Se!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Anna is a Superstar!
Baki sab chewing-gum hain, Anna hi Singham hain!

Anna Hazare Aage Badho, Hum Tumhare Saath Hain!

Main bhi Anna, Tu Bhi Anna; Ab To Sara Desh Hai Anna!

Anna Nahin Hai, Aandhi Hai; Desh Ka Dusra Gandhi Hai!

Even the police were roped in albeit unwillingly when we chanted -

Ye Andar Ki Baat Hai, Police Hamare Saath Hai!

It was a very mature and sensible strategy to keep them on our side unlike what we have seen earlier in protests in different parts of the country. The same strategy was followed in Delhi earlier and I believe that is the reason our protests have been successful till now. Police is content with just a show of presence in these rallies without interfering much in its conduction.

In contrast, the protests in Kashmir specially come to my mind where the Tricolor was burnt, stones thrown on forces and the situation rapidly escalated from bad to worse. Hats off to the organizers to have the presence of mind NOT to repeat the same mistake here.

If anything, protests all over the country are rather more about Saving India from the rot of Corruption than being Anti-establishment! More and more people have come forward to show the Govt. that even if they locked Anna away, they will not be able to control the situation as each and every one of the protesters yesterday was ready to become another Anna! It is indeed the time of Hazaron Hazare...

And as I came home last night, physically exhausted with the three hour march; voice hoarse; throat parched; hands burnt with the oil dripping from the Mashal; mind spinning with excitement; I confess, I have never felt MORE ALIVE in my Life! Looking forward to more meaningful contribution to this fight against Corruption in the days to come..

May the Force be with All of Us!

Vande Mataram!

A Boy and his Dog..

We give Dogs the Time, Love and Space we can spare..

In return, a Dog gives us Everything.

It is undoubtedly the Best deal God has given Man!!

Have been ruminating about dogs since a couple of days maybe coz I was witness to an intense emotional upheaval in the life of one of my good friends.. The dog my friend had for 15 years, succumbed to cancer two days back. The emotional trauma that a pet's death brings can only be understood by those who have had pets themselves.

People say its like losing a relative/friend. I disagree.. The pain you feel in your heart is much worse, its like losing a child you have raised and one who has provided you with lots of happy moments to cherish.

My first memories of having a dog are very hazy.. It was a huge black Doberman we used to call Bobby.. I remember brushing his teeth with my toothbrush n putting it in my mouth again!! Gross right?? I know but then we were both just one year old :o)

Me and Bobby

We were perhaps like these guys :)

OR maybe these!!

I have some sketchy memories of Dad giving him to a farmhouse as Mom was scared having such a large dog in the house with two small kids around. I remember Bobby coming back to our house and me finding him at our gate waiting for someone to let him in.. thrice! Ultimately I was convinced by Dad that he would be more happy on the farm and I remember praying to God everyday to keep my Bobby happy.

The most concrete memories for me however are of the second dog we brought home who was for all practical purposes the FIRST one for us kids. My sister named him Candy and we all thought it was totally apt as he was cuddly, round, adorable and had baby pink feet and nose!!

We were in school, both of us, and were as scared of him as he was of us! My mom refused to have anything to do with the dog and told dad it was totally his responsibility coz he was the one who wanted the dog anyways. The initial days were of course tough for all of us, getting used to this teeny-tiny thing we didn't know what to do with. Candy would follow us wherever we went, would try and catch our ankles when we ran, had chewed off half of Dad's shoes, left muddy paw-prints all over the carpet and would just not know how to mind his own damn business!!

But gradually, things started settling down..

We started enjoying his company and the attention he gave all of us. It was interesting to watch the attitude he would sometimes throw and the tiny little footprints acting as the tell-tale signs of his mischief. I absolutely loved the process of introducing him to the wonders of this world and took delight in every little accomplishment he would make - the first time he played with his ball, the first time Dad gave him a wash, the first time he tasted Rasgullas, the first time we taught him to stay out of Grandpa's way unless he stepped inadvertently on the little thing!

 

I still remember vividly the first time I taught him to climb stairs.. I was ecstatic and urged Mom to come and see Candy climbing the steps.. The hilarious bit came when I realized he did not know how to get down! It was one of the funniest incidents to happen to me in those days and I realize now how much it had meant then..

It was a difficult time for us.. We had some financial problems; grandma was paralyzed and completely bed-ridden for 12 years; grandpa had lost his eyesight so needed help with simplest of activities; Me and my sister were going thru the confusing phases of adolescence; Dad n Mom were not around coz every weekend they would rush off to Delhi to take care of my aunts who were seriously ill..

Among all this tumult, Candy was like the proverbial breath of fresh air. Gradually, we started forming his habits and reforming our own.. Dad would take him out for his morning walks for which he himself started getting up early, I took charge of evening strolls and giving him bath while sis would pamper him and absolutely refuse to let anyone tie him with a leash (she is the Menaka Gandhi of our house). Mom would make Rotis for him at all odd hours of the day coz d brat would never eat his meals when WE were having ours!!

We were glad he did not show any interest in non-veg when we introduced him to it because that would have been difficult to manage in a pure-veg home. Yet we ensured he got a lot of proteins in his diet. And then he had his own weird food fads too - sometimes he would have Chapati only if its loaded with Ghee, at others only if they are dry.. then he would suddenly develop a taste for curd or tea or milk and would as hurriedly get over it too.

Surprisingly, Tomato (Tam-Tam in his lingo) would make him eat his food most of the times. He wud happily lick the Kulfi from the stick if u held it for him, have peanuts off d table if u crack the shells, eat Cashew but NOT almonds, nibble on lettuce/cabbage when he was on crash diets, hungrily gulp down Maggie, gorge on home-made cake and dance on two feet for Ice cubes in summer!!

Candy was officially a part of our family now with Dad calling him son n Mum referring to us as Didi n Bhaiya whenever she would talk to him (which happened a lot BTW)!! His B'day (5th Nov) was shifted to 5th Dec to coincide with Choti's B'day.. He was a part of all Puja ceremonies performed in the house patiently waiting for his share of Prasad at the end of it! He was shit scared of crackers and would object to loud noises including arguments.

He also developed his own equations with everyone - kept his distance from grandpa, was respectful towards Dad, demanding with Mom, friendly with Sis and adoringly followed me everywhere. Undoubtedly, your Dog is the only person in the world who loves you more than himself and makes you feel like a star! Even when I was with someone he would have to grab my attention with one hand patting his head even as I spoke to my friends.

We called him Candy, Candoo, Candice, Candle, Kindle, Kindli, Motu, Kaddu, Gappu, MoiBaby, OyeGadhe, Khote n Doggie (depending on who was addressing him n in what context :D) We actually distorted his name so much that he finally stopped responding to his original name! He would pick up our emotions from the tone of our voice. That came in handy when he had done something naughty and he understood that just by the way someone was talking to him, immediately lowering his head to suddenly turn all docile.. those bloody Bambi eyes cud melt anybody's heart!!

In winters I would dress up in my best woollens, put on his winter-coat (mom had knit one for him with her own hands) and take him out for a stroll where he would invariably chase some other dog n I would end up meeting some females from around my area (which was always appreciated)!

Not surprisingly, 'Ghoomi' was his favorite word coz he cud strut his stuff when out.. and 'Nhai' invariably the most scary one as he absolutely HATED taking a bath!! With so much attention being showered on him, problem came when we had to leave him alone in the house even for a couple of hours. Candy would totally refuse to eat anything we had left for him, would make a mess of assorted toys n clothes, would not start barking till we came back and would sulk for hours when we did!!! He totally felt entitled to our complete attention and resented the times when he did not get it, as if he was the Head of the family.

One thing that he and I shared was the love of rain... He was the only other person in my house who would enjoy getting drenched to the bones in each n every shower during monsoon!! We would block the outer drains, let water fill in the verandah, and keep playing in it for hours. Candy would urge me to splash more n more water on him n I wondered if he was the same bloody dog who did not like getting into the bath tub!

Certain things of his amused me so much that I would deliberately provoke him to have fun.

For some reason, he was absolutely scared of the gardening hose!! Maybe it was an atavistic instinct which made mammals instinctively afraid of their older cousins, the reptiles which the water pipe may have reminded him of.. then when he was having a gala time in the grass rolling around, I would sneak up from behind and sprinkle water on him!! His reaction would be instantaneous and he would promptly run away with the tail tucked between his legs.

There were times when he was sick and we had to take special care for him.. Mom, who had absolutely refused to have anything to do with him initially, ended up doing the most at these times! Once when he was chased n attacked by stray dogs, me n sis cried our hearts out while cleaning all the blood from his body (which thankfully was all from a single wound)!

The most painful time for us however came when Candy stopped eating food.. He was already 12 years old by then and we were hoping that he would live to at least 14 yrs of age. But I guess he had a different plan for himself and one fine day, just like that, he completely stopped eating.. We would urge him, cajole him, scold him but nothing seemed to work. It was as if he had just lost the will to live more.

We took him to the regular vet and then some more who tried their level best to find out what the problem was but Candy just refused to eat after that.. the saline and glucose infusions vets gave helped for a bit but then he started getting thrombo-phlebitic complications.. Much as my friend had to take the difficult step to Euthanize his dog suffering from cancer pain, we too very painfully decided not to prolong Candy's misery and let him lead his normal course of life without any intervention from our side.

Finally one dark winter night, Candy just couldn't get up from his bed. Dad had still not returned from clinic by then and mom with her maternal instinct knew that it was the end of time for Candy.. Mom rung Dad up told him to hurry back home, sis put Hare Krishna chants in the CD player and I put drops of Gangajal on his lips while he breathed his last breath in my arms..

At that precise moment I realized how much Candy had meant to me all this while.. As I dug his grave in my backyard in that cold chilly night, as Dad covered him in white muslin and lay him in the ground, as Mom n sis cried their eyes out calling his name, that's when I realized how important he had been in the lives of all of us.

Our pets may not be our whole lives, but they sure make our lives whole!! A dog is not just your pet.. a toy for your amusement or a security guard for the safety of your home.. He is your partner, healer, defender, friend.. You are his master, his love, his leader, his life! He will be true to you till his last breath and you owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion!!

To all the people who mistreat animals I would urge them to start being more human.. Its not enough to earn well, carry the latest BB, wear trendiest denims, watch latest movies, attend craziest of parties.. its equally important for us to learn to be helpful to the needy and gentle to those weaker than us. Teach your kids to be kind to animals so that they may become better human beings when they grow up!

Those who have not yet had the absolute delight a pet brings to your heart, I would say please give it a shot but only if you are ready to take the responsibility. If u can't keep one at home, help the strays outside in your locality.. keep the numbers of Animal helplines handy in case u see an injured one. STOP cruelty to animals if you see it happening in front of your eyes.

Paw-prints of my departed friend on my heart

There is so much satisfaction in raising a pet that you would start feeling incomplete once you have had one in your own home.  To put across my final sentiment, I would paraphrase what Will Rogers had to say-

If there are no Dogs in Heaven, I don't wanna go there!

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