Before I set out introducing this friend, I want you to walk along with me in the memory lane of my childhood days.
Until the age of 6, I grew up in a small town called Dowaleswaram near Rajahmundry, in Government Quarters that housed the Irrigation department staff. The quarters offered single bedroomed houses with a spacious frontyard. My Mom and granny grew a nice kitchen and floral garden in the frontyard and amidst this, Dad had created a tree-swing with long ropes and wooden seat. I used to water and clean the garden regularly with few friends. When we got bored, we would start swinging on our tree-swing in doubles and talk out of bounds about everything under sun.
The friends I referred to just now included Harsha, Bulli, and Jyoti. We are of same age and used to hang out together. Another kid in the block of our age, but never ventured out of his house was Bharadwaj. He was a very different child who never went to school, never spoke to anyone, always parents-stricken and seemed so aloof to the rest of the world. Once or twice a week, we made regular trips to his place to pull him out for our silly hide n seek or catch-catch games. He was the 1st one to get caught or get out of the game for unknown reasons then. He seemed abnormal and we were very tender to sense this.
In the course of life, all of us were separated and headed to different places in the state. After few years, we found that Bharadwaj was blessed with a sibling and they have migrated to Hyderabad. So, my family paid a visit and I had the revelation of my life.
I was told that Bharadwaj is a mentally challenged child with moderate mental retardation. At that age of 10 something, I was not deeply disturbed to see him, but was surely moved to see my friend being disabled in every aspect and had to bank on his Mom for basic chores. He was to be instructed and assisted at every move; such was the level of retardation in him.
Years passed by and I forgot about him until recently, when their family visited us. I met him after ages and was so happy I did. Although, he still leads life as a mentally challenged person, he has been trained to take care of himself and socialize mildly. He remembers very few people and very fundamental information about his life. To my surprise, he remembers our gang. Not by each name, but by the memory of someone called a friend. The moment I met him, I couldn’t resist hugging him and he hasn’t once left my hand in the entire meeting. Though he spoke only 2 phrases (how are you visali, when are you coming to my house), I knew by heart that he just loves being with me. He was smiling constantly as if everything was so rosy in his life and was willing to gel with us.
His Mom has undergone this training of a counselor to deal with kids of special needs and has carved a niche for her own child by coaching him in vocational jobs. Going a little further, she has established an NGO for such kids coming from lower income families. She happens to be a telugu medium graduate, who went leaps beyond her capability to untangle the knots of not just her own life, but others too. I was only more than proud to see her spread the fragrance of humanity.
Today, Bharadwaj speaks whatever is required, knows how to eat, how to dress and behave in a group. He apparently handles book binding and paper-cover making with elan. Now, isn’t that something from a retarded person?
Meeting them left me brooding on the knots that we create and get trapped in, instead of feeling privileged with a life of fully functional brain and heart. On this note, I would like to share the details of this school for mentally challenged children, which is run by donations.
Pragati School for Reformation of Mentally Challenged, 1-6-39/100/1, Sri Venkata Sai Nagar Colony, West Venkatapuram, Secunderabad. Ph # 64635664, 9246278109.
Do pay a visit to meet the gifted children and I guarantee infinite satisfaction about life!
Recently, one of my good old friends bashed me badly about my ideas on life on her personal blog. Her criticism was so strong that the words shook me, as this same lady apparently was once well-appreciative of the same ideas. I was upset for a moment and approached another friend for a shoulder to cry. This sensible friend has just said one thing, “Forget that you have actually read something like that”. Well, though it sounded silly at that minute, it surely did work after few hours. I tuned myself to have forgotten about the blog I read that morning. I only treated it as an accident which is to be neglected as a speck. But, this fix was only temporary and I needed something stronger to be oblivious to this whole incident of criticism. I’ve introspected my feelings and wanted to ease them. I thought of several ways to clear this clutter in my mind. My options were –
Call that blogger and give it back
Comment harshly as anonymous
Blog in response and lash back
Get this sorted through a common friend
Bitch about this lady
I was happy with none, as I always believe Tit for Tat was not for friends and it was meant only to rotten the bond further. So what was I supposed to do with this unpleasantness that is draining and demoralizing me, without hurting the critic? Read on to know what I tried…
I have avoided her completely (even the passive friendship I ever thought of got scrapped). This option disconnected us physically or virtually. This has not only freed me from her updates or blogs, but has made it easy for me to forget her. But what about the unhealed hurt which I just masked? I tried this old-school medicine called Forgiveness. It pained when I applied, but over the days the wound got healed.
If you are reading this blog, you may think of it as another pep-blog boasting some self-help tips. But take it from me, there is nothing like forget and forgive. Its tried and tested!!!
Post your thoughts on what you would have done if you wore my shoes!!
This blog intends to explain the mystic spiritual experience on the Tirumala Hills.
Tirumala is one of my favorite tourist destinations, not for its religious fervor, but the spiritual bliss one gets to experience on the hills. Me, being a meditator look forward to feel the richness in the radiations and felt heavenly in my trips. We have opted to walk up the 7 hills in one of the recent trips, which is around 10km. Although, Satya (Hubby) was apprehensive about my physical abilities, looking at my enthusiasm and experience (I had already walked up twice in the last 10 years), he agreed for the 10k walk! I have treated the journey as a spiritual retreat where you pass through lush forests on either side. Enjoying the fresh forest air, which I claim as medicinal, we managed to trek in 4 hours. Tirumala Tirupati Devastaanam(TTD) offers free luggage transport for walkers and all we need to carry was some handy money. You have food joints, water points, bathrooms all the way and the path is maintained nearly clean given the huge inflow of pilgrims. Another good aspect about this whole walking thing was, TTD offers free and special Darshan (Watching the Deity) for walkers.
On Tirumala, which is over-loaded with lakhs of pilgrims flocking from all parts of India, you may find the commercial elements at every hook and corner. But, mind you ..thousands are making their living in the name of God. TTD builds its own cottages and has not entertained privatization of lodging. Perhaps, this is the reason why the hills have managed to survive. It is actually very difficult to get a room, but recommendations work real good and that’s how we got one.
Now, lets hit the darshan part. After walking for hours, the natural tendency to get tired vanishes and you are recharged for the next adventure .i.e the long, never-ending queue for darshan. Trust me; there is something magical in that place. As you enter the Vaikuntam Queue complex, you can see the eagerness in thousands around you and the place vibrates the names of Lord Venkateswara. You might be the staunchest atheist, but I can guarantee that you will chant the name at least once along with the crowd. It is so infectiously religious. You will be pushed and pulled ruthlessly if you do not resist. The trick is to hold on the wall or the railing. No matter what, you can experience the vibrations and the freshness in your mind constantly. Remember that you gotto be AWARE of yourself to experience it. So watch out! Your mind is un-deviated when you enter the Mahadwaram(Main Entrance) and the fervor in the crowd mounts up, the pace fastens and you can feel increased freshness and goodness at heart. After passing through the maze of queue complexes, you will enter the Garbha Gudi (The inner most part of a temple, where the deity is installed). The wildly excited crowd calms down and chants the name in a rhythmic fashion. This is the place, where you will be totally mesmerized, which you do not want to leave so soon and you will want to come back for another experience. The sight of this great God makes you forget every desire and despair that would have been bubbling up in you. All you want is to see the deity and enjoy the bliss or thrill you are facing. I have to admit, I have never enjoyed any temple as much as this one. Being a Semi-God fearing (as Satya calls me), I was surprised by the way my mind was traversing to this place time and again. I felt as if my spiritual quest got quenched and a positive vibe just wrapped around me.
I wanted to unravel this mystery of what is so good about this place that it is attracting infinite numbers every single day of year. As I was catching up with few knowledgeable oldies, I was told that the possible cause could be the powerful Sree chakram beneath the deity, which radiates positive energy and vibrations constantly. To add further, this tiny instrument was spelt with the powers of attracting people and money. So no wonder, if you observe the amount of funds the God receives. Also, it is believed that the God can heal almost any issue on this planet and has been proved umpteen times. I am not sure of these powers, but visiting the place makes you spell bound and an unknown bliss bubbles up revitalizing you to face the life.
All I can say is pray for a re-visit of this place and experience an unexplainable relaxation.
Here's a brief account of someone really special to me...
He loves us more than his own children.
He walks by a stick but he stands very firm when it means moral support!
Share a problem and you can see him think, analyse real deep and he gets to the bottom of it in no time! Experience speaks there!
Can you match up to his courtesy, manners and etiquette? We may be a different generation, but good manners with patience and not pretentious is surely possible with oldies.
He reads news paper, cover by cover and shares only the news that is relevant to each family member.
He makes friends instantly and laughs constantly forgetting numerous miseries fighting within him.
He wakes up much before all of us and welcomes everyday with increased enthusiasm.
He lived yesterday, experiencing today and started imagining tomorrow.
I am talking about my cool grandpa who is 81 years old and is absolutely 18 @ heart!!
Rann unveils the scandal of a news channel which is well-regarded for its values and integrity.
AB plays the owner of this overly honest newschannel which raves only the truth and is about to run into losses because of its poor TRP rates. His son(played by Sudeep) remedies the situation by introducing few spicy political tabloids by disguising them as true-to-their-origin types to his Dad. Despite being a seasoned journalist, who is known for his investigative skills and values to project only the truth, AB bows down to his son’s cajoling words! While we are lost analyzing this baseless logic of believing some godforsaken video…AB and son continue the story, rather weave interest around it and present it in the benefit of the curtained politician(Paresh Rawal). AB continues to be oblivious to the sudden increase in TRPs and basks away in the glory of his news channel’s success. A budding journalist (played by ritesh) probes into this, discovers the truth and discloses it to AB himself after realizing the bitterness in the news media. AB gets the shock of his life and then confronts the then-truth as lies! This ends the story in brief! Now don’t ask me what Rajatkapoor, Neetuchandra, Gulpanag, Suchitra Krishnamurthy are doing in this film.
Now talking about the technical aspects
Background – Harsh! The subtle contemporaries are still missing at many places
Music – forget it!
Direction – Characterization was senseless, I didn’t see any jaw-dropping performances or narration
Story – Worth it….but should have been presented in a thought-provoking way. It is a gripping subject which can bring in a lot of difference! Somehow, the vigor of the film got faded away by intermission and was lost in many characters
Performances –
AB – The character in the story reflected a lot of strength, but not his role! He remained serious mostly with very little to express. Perhaps, Varma could have elicited a better performance from him
Ritesh – Not convincing enough to be a journalist!
Sudeep – He acted well, but the looks sported were not catchy. The half-shaven, shabby-haired look didn’t go well with the role of New channel Head! His language carried a heavy tamil accent, the diction should have been taken care!
Others – other than drooling their eyes, I didn’t find any great expressions :P
Cinematography – Audience had high expectations, as this flick is from the prestigious Varma group which is known for its take of camera! Although, I personally found few interesting odd angles in few scenes, many didn’t appreciate this! The take is considered as amateurish!
On the whole, an average movie to watch for!
- Finish off the homework before 6 pm, only to play the OUTDOOR games with friends
- Every Saturday was so special, as it was the only non-school uniform day and the students were at their civilian best
- We waited long to wear that new dress on the religious festivals
- All the national festivals were celebrated in their true letter and spirit
- Heavy power-cuts never really mattered as we were totally occupied with innumerable board and oral games
- The regional movie telecasted on Sunday evenings was something I never wanted to miss
- Recalling TV shows like Surabhi, Jungle-book, Bharat ek khoj, Chitrahaar, Rangoli, Fauji, Dekh bhai Dekh, Malgudi Days generates fresh positive vibes till date
- Reader’s Digest and Youngworld were must-reads
- Religious festivals had sweetness in the air and the day was meant for meeting elders to seek their blessings
- The 10rupee notes that were given by the guests as a token of affection
- The Earthen Piggy banks used to store coins is of special mention
- The pride in our eyes when we stood first in school
Feel free to add to the list..
2012 is a futile effort from director Roland Emmerich, famous for his globe-dooming stories. Another attempt after Independence Day and Day After Tomorrow to slash this planet with a lot of pain in the name of nature. Apocalypse has been notion of this movie and although Mayans have predicted about the doomsday ages ago, this movie showcased the idea with stupendous CGI effects. The only enjoyable ray throughout the movie was the graphics that depict Earth’s crest falling apart in various facets. Famous historical places and monuments were on target to be ended is ashes.
Now talking about the story line, there is a geologist who researches and confirms about the collapse; then there is this family man who is only worried about saving his kin and kith and gets plain lucky to escape from any of the tremors, lava or floods!!
The geologist discloses to the top brass of the US political system that the world is coming to an end on 21-12-21. Following which, they make the necessary protective arrangement in the form of massive space ships, which can safeguard humans against any catastrophe. These ships were built in China as it is geographically located at a higher altitude. This was kept as a secret and any little space on these ships was meant for the rich and their connected.
A friend of mine has introduced me to this song titled Baby he loves you... from Arya2 and ever since then, I heard this song for an infinite times. I just love the lyrics. It is music-directed and sung by DSP. The tune is typical devi sripasad's and not very new to my ears. It sounded familiar and had some similar beats as Aarya1. I felt, the voice got nasal and would have been better if was sung by Sagar (Listen to Karige Loga from Aarya2 for his voice).
The song proves to be a real fresh one in the bandwagon only because of its lyrics. The words are outstandingly simple and are penned by CHANDRABOSE.
The song describes how much a guy loves a gal. The guy quantifies his feelings with sweet little
things happening all around us. Simply said, he compares his love with the satisfaction one gains
from these little things that he mentions. Few significant ones that I can quote are...
- Thele thelavare paleturilona allukunna veluganta - The early morning fog-filled light spread across a village
- Jallu pada vela pongi pose matti pula viluvantha - The nice earthen fragrance that arouses
during rain
- Lakshamandhinaina saval chese atagadi pogarantha - The confidence of an invincible sports
person
- Pandagavachina pabbamochina vantasala loni vasananta - The yummy smells coming from a kitchen on a festive day
- Yeti neeti lona jabilantha - The moon and its light seen in a pond
You can enjoy the entire song here!!
Hope you have noticed that the aforesaid incidents, sights, tastes, smells, experiences are part
and parcel of every Indian's life and in today's rolle-coaster life, we often tend to forget to
notice. This song serves as a good reminder as well as a refresher!
I have enjoyed fire crackers only till the age of 12 or so and later my Dad’s influential words about environment and pollution were deep rooted in me. This change in thought process didn’t let me buy any more poisoning explosive stuff.
Few things I religiously follow on Diwali are
- Pray for the elimination of darkness (corruption, hypocrisy and terrorism) from our lives
- Meet all the family members
- Lit Diyas
- Watch the heavy fireworks that turn the night to day with their grandeur composure
This year has been totally different, as I was travelling in a train on the night of Diwali! The distant glitters in the night sky brought some cheerfulness on the dark background. Let me narrate what I was seeing from the train.
Initially, I have observed only the silhouettes of houses, trees, and people. As the journey progressed, I started noticing the sets of million stars glowing on and off behind the shadows. I am talking about the shiny fireworks that break out as a flower in the middle of a dark background. Although the real stars in the sky can be hardly seen with our bare eyes, it was a feast to watch the glitters from a moving train.
After a while, I noticed fog from the corner of my eye only to realize later that it is the smoke resulting from the crackers. Simply put, the city was wrapped in the claws of pollution badly.
If we look at the scientific reason behind crackers and fireworks, these were burnt to guard against the mosquitoes and infectious diseases. In today’s mosquito-repellant days, the need is bare minimum; hence I feel we must get judicious before buying and burning the crackers.
