Holi 2015

First time, I was not in Benares in Holi.

Since I remember, I was always with the family on HOLI festival.

Traditional Holi collection in moden days (in Varanasi)

Last year, It was a well spect 5-6 days in Varanasi. We went to do some shopping....one of the most important aspect for quite some years is the famous Holi edition of Gandeev, a local newspaper published in evening. The publication is filled with hard core sattire and at times may be seen pretty rough.

It targets anyone and everyone from important part of political, entertainment or whoswho of every aspect of life.

It's well made fun of all such important characters and a pleasure to read around this time.

In Varanasi, Holi is all about "Masti" fun. Life doesn't have the dimension named TIME in Varanasi and around this time of the year, it's even more visible.

BUT in year 2015, I had to be in Greater Noida...my nephew's 12th examination has been held in March. The holi which is an affair of 3-4 days in Varanasi and even extend to more days is so limited...I came to know. It was half a day function and the weather in this time had made the HOLI challenge. As published recently in news, March 6th was suppsed to be coldest in last 100 years. The persistent viral (including H1N1 type) has been on spread and any fever and cold very much make people alert, worried of it.
Anyways, It all started with one of dear friend who came home and involved all of us...coloring me, Chitrakshi. Khushboo was spared as she was busy with home affairs.
In a way, we were forced to come out around 11:00 AM ( which is a bit late ). joined with all others around us, colored Dhapak and few other friends and reached the place named Mughal Garden of Eldeco Green Meadows. The place was very crowded with a DJ on with all the new songs and people around it were already gone mad. Completely colored, all were dancing like anything and less interested in meeting, playing HOLI. This was the significant difference as described from our kind of HOLI but anyway, everyone has it's own way of celebrating.

There's all around colors, music and all fun !

After we joined Krishna's place, the dirt HOLI also took place with the mud. It was something of the past when we were kid...the difference was that in childhood, we were not caring if the mud used to be clean :-) After getting colored, it was all fun !

All colored equally - except few had more layers on face !

Around 2:00 PM, we were back and the task was now to clean up. Chitrakshi was already shaking as she already had a lot water on herself. The weather so far had been sunny and hence it was just fine. Cleaning up and bathing....a good lunch (Kachoris with Palak Paneer....) and then a short nap !

HOLI of a day almost ends ! Watched the India winning WestIndies in half asleep.

Happy Holi !
I wish if I be in Beneres next HOLI onwards.

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Why do we celebrate HOLI ?

 

There was a king Hiranykashyap who had a boon of god and became so adamant that he started considering himself as GOD Vishnu.

As he became immortel, his arrogance grew day by day. To teach him a lesson, Vishnu got birth as his son who got named Prahlad or Hiranykashyap's son Prahlad became a devotee of Lord Vishnu and refused to consider his father as GOD. With his evil sister Holika, Hiranykashyap played a trick.

Holika sat with Prahlad on a pyre to prove with a cloak whish could save her and engross Prahlad as per plan...but with the blessings, cloak disappaeared and Holika burned into pyre and Prahlad was saved by Lord Vishnu.

Vishnu appeared and killed Hiranyakashipu. The bonfire is a reminder of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, of fire that burned Holika. The day after Holika bonfire is celebrated as Holi.

 

Cooking gyan.....Mix vegetable soup !!

On one fine evening, I returned back home with all the daily stress of office/work. The day had been slightly depressing as the unwanted clouds have made the sunny day look darker even in the mid day. At least today, somehow I couldn't welcome it :-(

Anyways, in the evening after reaching home...went for a walk around Eldeco Green Meadows society with my lovely daughter who is all the time crying to go out :-) While climbing stairs, it came to my mind to prepare soup...what and which soup ? finally, thought to create mixed vegetable soup and executed well...I think :-) there were a tons of information available on different sites...and I mixed up some, the recipe for mine soup as follows -

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tsp butter
• 1 tsp ginger (adrak) paste
• 2 tsp coriander (dhania patti) (Philips chopper helped a lot)
• 1/2 cup carrots (chopped)
• 1/4 cup french beans (flas beans) (chopped)
• 1/2 cup peas (matar) 
• 2-3 tomato puree (create puree with chopper)
• 1 tsp garlic (lasan) paste
• 3 glasses of water 

• salt (namak) and pepper to taste

          For the soup toppings, cheese (paneer) small pieces can be used. I used also a bit of honey.

Preparation:

• Set the butter pieces into presssure cooker, fry ginger and garlic paste till it turns a bit red.
• Add tomato puree, carrots, french beans, peas - Fry it for some time and better, if you stirr it for some time.
• Add water (3-4 cups), boil it for 1-2 mins
• Pressure cook for 5-6 minutes [4-5 whistles]
• Add coriander leaves (Dhania patti).
• Boil for 2-3 minutes.
• Garnishing with cheese granted fine, honey and more coriander leaves

It was great !!!

Have fun if you read this and prepare Mixed vegetable food ! Let me know if you find good or any feedback :-)

Sukoon in Banares

Inam ali on his shop was continuing hair cut of a customer, the shop just in front of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth gate (on Maldahiya to Englishia line road) remained in shattered state yet. There was nothing which could tell whether the shop was in great shape ever but the contentment on the face of Inam Ali was too pleasant to observe. He was lost in his own world while cutting hair, I remembered once a friend of mine said that the way he cuts the hair, he must have counted all his hairs. Who succeeded ever doing it ?

We have to wait because Inam Ali is busy with another customer and we watched into vicinity. Few old shops which has been successfully feeding around 150-200 Indian citizens, the citizens who have a government and the government pretend to think about poors....I was astonished suddenly to notice the rates for hair cuts which is @Rs 20/-, shaving @Rs 10/- This seemed too cheap when I compared it to the shops in Noida/Greater Noida who are minimum @Rs 40/- for hair cut and 20-25/- for shaving. The shop next to Inam Ali is a shop of bag repairing. He might have collected bags from the ragpickers as the bags which he had arranged in his shop looked dirty and torn from corners. Probably, some of them were good at some point of time but he couldn't sell it that time.

"Bhonsadi ke Chotu, chai ke bol ke aaw" Inam Ali had come out of his meditation and asked chotu who does all cleaning in the shop for tea. Then Inam Ali noticed us and shook his head "Sahab, mangavayen kya, aap bhi le lijiye". we noded in no politely and asked Inam Ali, how much time he would take for our turn. He gave us assurance of 5-10 minutes and then went into his meditation (cutting hair)....one side of hairs of customer were still to be cut and cleaned. There was a small TV hanging from the wall, Inam Alit asked the other worker to start it. There was a news channel showing propaganda of Congress govt. It was something to do with "Bharat Nirman". Then, there was a well dressed lady on the news channel who started reading news.

Inam Ali suddenly was vocal...."सब एक्के हैँ। कुछे दिन पाहिले एक मौगा कांग्रेसी था, ससुरा कहने को सांसद बन गया लेकिन कुच्छो नहीं किया और अब इ मुरली जोशी रहेँ। ।कुछ नहीं किया बनारस के लिए।  अब देखे के हौ , मोदी जी का करेँगे "

Modi ji got elected....he is now Prime minister and yet there is nothing on ground in Varanasi. My recent visits to Varanasi confirms this...whenever Modi ji comes Benares, there's hope building up. My next planned trip in December 2014, I'm hoping to see some changes.
 

Doctors in Greater Noida....

Doctors/Physician/Gynaecologist/Psychiatrist/Physiotherapy/Orthopaedics/Paediatrics in Greater Noida !!

Since almost 3 years, I have been staying in Greater Noida and at times I found a need of doctors with different speciality. Earlier, it use to be a travel to Noida, a 32 Kms run to get some good doctors....though over a period of time, I found few of them....GOOD and CONCERNED for patients. It could be helpful for some...so I am listing it...your personal experiences are most welcome in comments....or suggestions would enhance the list for sure.

Cricketing.....

Yuvraj SINGH - Cricketer

A cricketing genius and I give him all the credit for both of the world cup won by India in near future. When he plays, India win and he has been only the Winner for India. The T20 world cup was tough considering all playing first time T20 at such a high level. Yuvraj was fantastic in all the innings and created the diffrence.

The 2011 world cup [one day] too was majorly won by Yuvi's innings. The difference is in the attitude, the guy plays for team, for country and then he plays for himself.

Kudos to him for returning back to Indian team....I wish him all the good luck !!!

Sachin TENDULKAR - Cricketer

This genius hasn't been the greatest game winner [my personal views] for India although a great figure with great records. His play has amazed and entertained me most, I would say and I prefered to bunk classes till the moment he played (except Sahwag in his initial days).

There seems too many buzz on his retirement...Let him decide when he would go for retirement. He has shown tremendous code of conduct in game and most respected by all. I have all the faiths in him, He'll know when to resign.

Our secular and independent INDIA and state of affairs

Two incidents which really shook me up in last few days, the one related to the law and order condition in UP state after Mulayam lead SP came into majority. Akhilesh Yadav seems to be sitting in the power as CM but the govt. is run by the gundas of Yadav khandan and criminals seems to be again active and uncontrolled....this is what I can conclude with the accident which happened with one of my friend.

A friend's wife was going towards Noida from Greater Noida via Noida extension. She reached almost Noida and suddenly, an accent overtook and started running slow ahead of her car. All of a sudden, there were 3 more cars surrounding her car and started moving. A person from a car from behind picked out a gun (rifle). They started loudly saying words and indicated to fire or move along with their cars. The person offered the jwelleries etc. symbolically but they loudly ask her to drive or else they'll fire. She was too scared by now and couldn't understand what to do although kept driving (very courageous, indeed). At once, they noticed something or for whatever reason, the front car started taking a U-turn and the car running parallaly also tried to overtake....but the ladies presence of mind helped her to speed-up instantly. She kept crying and drove hail fast and reached near Yamaha. By this time, she couldn't notice them following and then she was completely exhausted. She was trembling and asked one of the person on road to call husband, the guy was helpful and the earth didn't fall. She was already anxious and faced issue in breathing. The guy reached in 20-30 mins and took her to Fortis, Noida. She was terribly scared and some treatment was done. She is afraid of coming out of her house afterwards. God bless her !!

I feel ashamed of the society which has developed post independence. Moreover, I notice that the incorrigible kind of people are very active during the regime of SP govt. Earlier, it has been raised many times that SP govt. encourages GUNDARAJ (Anarchy) and after this event, I think, there is some realty in it. It's shameful that in a day time, such incident happened.

Next one to be written......

Scams and CONGRESS Govt.

An interview of Ambika Soni where she states that the govt. feels media is irresponsible and raising issues our of proportion hence there should be restrictions on media !

Although all the country and people of this country have a feeling that till 2 months back, media played a responsible role and now, seems to be working already under pressure. There is already steps taken to restrict the media, Isn't it Mrs Ambika Soni ? Why otherwise all the channels would bark in unison on the first day of Anna's fast that there is no crowd and suddenly, the number would become important than the issue.

The coal gate issue seems to have raised again doubts on govt but the govt.'s approach again is to dilute the matter. Now, it's involving our PM who is unfortunataly Sonia's puppet and never anticipated probably, that the govt. will use him so badly. The person who were supposed to be honest once is under extreme doubts and mostly considered corrupt now in the political arena. Anyways, aiding the corrupts like Kalmandi, Raja and many more can not keep him away from stains of corruption all around him.

Our country is going through a phase of transition and thanx to Anna and Team, we are able to see a kind of change which is huge. For me, it was a great experience as I always believed in Bhagat Singh, ChandraShekhar Azad way of struggle....although I appreciated Gandhi for the Ahimsa way.

So Why do I become fan of Gandhi ji and Gandhiwadi Anna ?

Evident from the situation that even the Black English people (read govt.) were forced to bend before Anna and it was people's power. There had been situations when the arrogance of these leaders toll up so high that they didn't stop to scold a person like Anna in a very wrong way. They forgot the basics of Indian culture to respect eledrly, disappointing was to see that a person who had been living with "Simple living, High thinking !" way of life had been handled so badly. Then there were arrogance of few ministers of govt. who shamelessly smiled, laughed on the genuine issues raised, created mockery of such a genuine cause. Except few of them e.g. the dethroned Bihari leader, all of these leaders were respected few months back but the way they handled and behaved was shocking. It was shocking to see that the PM and Chidambaram joined the same league who were supposed to be spearhead of govt.

The allegations on Kejriwal, Prashant ji and Kiran bedi, no doubt are avengeful decisions and few in the govt. are trying to identify loopholes in these heroes's records which is disgusting. Will they exercise any wisdom to behave more sincerely and focus on what is promised to team Anna and will stop to running these spying activities on them. Team Anna have emerged hero of this country and I only wish they fly higher in their endeavour.

For the leaders of this country, These lines of a renowned poem is coming to my mind -

"जिसको न निज गौरव तथा निज देश का अभिमान है

वो नर नहीं है, पशु निरा है और मृतक सामान है !!"

कांग्रेस लीडर्स को यही कह सकते हैं -

भगवान इन्हें सदबुधि दें !!