Cricket Fever ??

My brother's marriage

Another family occasion, another time to celebrate. My younger brother is getting married on 8th March and am leaving to attend the ceremony. Hope to have a good family time :)

Don't Quit Poem by anonymous - A favorite poem

Today I came across one of my favorite poems Don't Quit by an anonymous poet. It has been one of the most inspiring poems since my school days:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! if you must; but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow;
You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit;
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

- by anonymous

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Photograph of 'Haveli' - in India Today travel PLUS in their SPECIAL 11TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE JAN 2007

After Diwali I had posted the pics of A 'Punjabi Dhaba' - Haveli on my blog and on flickr. From flickr, it was picked up for India Today travel PLUS in their SPECIAL 11TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE JAN 2007. It has been published under 'EAT' section of Punjab (pg. 94).

The Entrance of Haveli.

The haveli Courtyard with traditional Dhaba style open air eating.

I had taken this photo on our drive back from Ludhiana to Delhi, after the office Diwali Party, where we had stopped for Lunch. I had heard about it and thought of giving it a try and it was good. Here again are some photos of Haveli.

Today I got a complementary copy of this special issue of India Today travel PLUS. Seemed to be a gift.. specially on my marriage anniversary day :)

Ansal Plaza at South Delhi

This is Ansal Plaza, one of the earliest shopping malls in South Delhi.
There was a time when we used to visit Ansal Plaza mainly to go to Shopper's Stop or McDonald's or window shopping.
I went there after a long time in the first week of Dec'06 where I took these photos. It was working day and not much crowded. There are so many shopping malls now all around, but when you go somehwere after a long time, you have a different type of fascination .. and that is what made me take these photographs.

All photos by - Seema Kumar, 6th Dec.'06

Tejal Kriti's 2nd Birthday.. on Republic Day

26th January is India's Republic day, something we all Indians celebrate.

I now also have another reason to celebrate this day. It is also my daughter, Tejal Kriti's birthday. Yesterday was her 2nd birthday.

No, I am not going to write another post about Child Birth like last year. Nor just post her photo and wish her because she was away from me. This year, we celebrated her birthday and she was with us.

Tejal is now two years old. The pain of Child Birth has long been replaced by lots of good things and sweet memories of seeing her grow up, listening to her speaking, her effort to learn and talk about new things, etc.

Now the concerns are about things like how she is taken care of when I am away to work, what she eats, her health, what should she be learning, her games, her toys, etc. etc.

Time flies !! When I look back, it is really hard to believe that she is already two years old !

One year of blogging... one year of 'Seema's Corner'

Today marks one year of blogging and one year of ‘Seema’s Corner’.

Some random web-browsing, office and personal e-mails, or for some specific search, chat sometimes... that was what I mostly used the internet for. A year ago, I did not have the faintest idea what a whole new world would be opened for me through blogging. Exactly one year today when I had finally started a blog, although with no specific purpose, or topic in mind to write about. Probably just because I liked the concept of blogging. It was a place where you could publicly share your ideas, views, etc… although I was not even sure if anyone would be reading what I would write, but just for the pleasure of writing.

And why Blogger ? Just because the name seemed to be that for a Blog site!!

One year ago I Googled for Design schools in Gurgaon and I came across this post from Ashish Kumar of Tekriti Software. ‘Tekriti’ seemed to be the short form of my daughter’s name ‘Tejal Kriti’, and Ashish’s World caught my attention first of all because of that. The blog posts were interesting and inspiring and it became a major inspiration towards starting my own blog. Gaurav’s blog was another inspiring one.

When I wrote my first post, it was about my little daughter who was less than a year old at that time and away from me. Quite a few of my initial posts were inspired by motherhood.

And another thing that fascinated me was Hindi Blogging. I had been wondering for a long time about the ways of how to write in Hindi on computer. I not only got some answers, but also stated my Hindi Blog, initially with the idea of sharing some of my hindi poetry written over the years. I came across lots of interesting events and people through that.

Anoop Bhargava ji’s invitation (through my Hindi Blog) to join ekavita was simply a wonderful experience as it not only brought me closer to eminent Hindi poets and contemporary Hindi poetry, it brought me in touch with many people. Knowing Anoop Bhargava ji itself is a wonderful experience and when he came to India to receive this award, I got to meet him as well as some other poets and members of ekavita group. This meeting in Gurgaon brought many people together and although I could only attend for a short while, it is a memorable occasion for me.

Special thanks to Ravi Kamdar through whose blog I not only came to know about Hindi writing, about Hindini, but also about Narad. He was a great help in setting up my blogs and specially gave online guidance while creating my Hindi Blog. Anoop Bhargava ji’s online guidance was also a great help in learning about Baraha.

I came across many people through my blog. With some it was temporary interaction, comments and feedback, some became good friends and acquaintances. One year of blogging has given me more friends and meaningful contacts than I could have even imagined when I started this blog. I can go on and on and on about the last one year. But now I would only say that I look forward to another year of blogging, with more new things to learn and more people to know.

Photos of Nainital trip

I had mentioned in my post about Nainital trip that I will be posting some pictures of the trip soon. I have uploaded today finally the pictures of Nainital Trip on Flickr. Enjoy the natural beauty :-)

The lake view from the ropeway, originally uploaded by Seema Kumar.

Foggy 'New Year 2007' in Delhi and NCR

View through the tinted glass of my office on the afternoon on 1st Jan'07

Welcome 2007 !

The new year came with a foggy night and foggy morning on New year in Delhi and NCR. The fog was so thick that it felt as if it was still early morning or late evening. At such time one feels like staying indoors in the warmth of one's home. But we had to come to office, and we had the New Year snacks at office.

Is that the Sun or the Moon ? Photo of 1st Jan '07 afternoon at about 3:45 pm, Gurgaon.

The sun was not visible. When I went out in the afternoon, it was visible for a short duration and that, too, it looked like the moon and not the sun. Here are some more photos on Flickr, taken by me on 1st Jan.'07, of the fog.

Foggy afternoon at Gurgaon, 1st Jan'07

The buildings next of our office building, which are very clearly visible on normal days, were barely visible though the thick fog today. So the New Year started for me with work.. and fog. Should I interpret it that beyond the fog, there are bright and sunny day waiting to unfold in the days to come :) ?

So, another year has gone by and a new year has come - with new hope and expectations, and with the unknown. I have been greeting people on the new year with the following wish (adopted) which I liked and the same I do to all of you out there .. and for myself, too.

"All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do,
All that you hoped but did not will,
All the faith that you claimed but did not have,
May you have all these in the coming year. "

Christmas Weekend at Nainital

Lake at Nainital on the morning of 25th Dec.'06

It was Christmas weekend and still we did not have any holiday at office except on Sunday, which was a weekly off. Yet, decided to take leave and go for an outing. We drove to Nainital - including me there were five adults and two kids. It was a long long drive but as it was last minute planning, no train tickets were available.

First day was quite pleasant and sunny at Nainital. Second day was cold and chilling but we enjoyed the cold, too. The hotel where we stayed had a nice scenic view of the lake. Soon, I will be uploading some photos of the trip. Have been quite occupied with lots of things to blog, and I won't call this post a proper one !

In the meanwhile, I read a quotation and really liked it :

"Every time something good happens to you, make something good happen to someone else."

My Hindi Poems on 'Kritya' - A Journal of Poetry

This post is for Hindi readers and I have also written on my Hindi blog.

The December issue of Kritya - a journal of poetry, has published a collection of nine of my Hindi poems in their 'Samkaleen Kavita' (contemporary poetry) section. Rest of the poems are on this page.

Hindi Poems by Seema Kumar published in Kritya, a journal of poetry

These poems are from a collection of my poems written over the years... right from school and college days and not just all recent ones. The frequency of my poetry writing had reduced a lot with job and hectic city life. But this comes as a motivation to continue writing :-)

I am awaiting comments on the published poems.

Are metropolitan cities safe from corruption and bribery ?

This is a continuation from my last post. When I applied for my passport in mid 2001 at Mumbai, my only aim was to have an identity proof in Mumbai, as I had been studying and then working there. I had completed one year in a working women's hostel while working and they could provide me the necessary residence proof (the most important document !).

After applying for the passport at Mumbai, I waited for the police verification but none happened. I was told by my room-mate, who was working for a travel agency who organised package tours for international trade-fairs, etc., that I myself needed to go to the police station to get the verification done. She was well aware about these procedures regarding passport and Visa because of her job.

After some time passed, one evening, after office, I personally went to the police station with all my documents to get the verification done. I was told by the concerned police officer to fill a form and bring certain documents. I took everything the next time. The concerned police officer again asked me to bring some other documents and photograph. Again I took it the next time. My room-mate told me I should just pay him something and my work will get done. The police officer did not ask me anything openly and I was not willing to offer anything as I had all the relevant and correct documents. Why should I pay him for something that was his job and on top of that they had not even come for the verification. Now I don't remember exactly how many times I went to the police station, and that too, alone, after office, and how many phone calls I made to the police station get the police verification done. Finally, I was told that the police verification was complete and was forwarded.

Again some time passed and no passport came. A few months had passed since I had applied for the passport. In the meanwhile I got a job in Delhi and I moved to Delhi. Still no passort came.

One day, after hearing this story about my passport, an acquaintance gave me the pamphlet of Directorate of Public Grievances, (Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India). This is "an administrative mechanism which facilitates individual citizens in obtaining fair and objective dealing of certain types of their unresolved grievances with specified Central Government Departments/ Organizations, in certain situations."

He asked me to send a written complaint here, which I did. I got a reply from there which asked me to furnish certain documents, which I did. I got a phone number of this department and an e-mail ID of the concerned authority. He asked me to fill the passport application form again and submit at the Delhi passport office. The passport application fees when I had applied in Mumbai was Rs.300/- and now when I was in Delhi, it was Rs.1000/-. However, I did not need to re-deposit any fee and although I had not completed a year in Delhi, still I was told to apply. This time the police came for verification promptly and did not even hint about any money in the form of bribe. My passport finally got made with Delhi address ... after about a year of my initial application.. without paying any bribe!!!

Ultimately, I stood my ground and did not pay any bribe. But I could do that only because I was in no urgent need of the passport. I have seen police verification happeneing of so many other family members and friends and everyone has paid to the police during verification - not because there was something illegal, or something was missing, but only because it has become a norm to pay the police - they ask either directly or indirectly as if it is their right and the only thing that is up to you is how much you can negotiate about it and finally how much you pay them.

Another episode relates to the registration of property. When I bought my house and went to get it registered, I had to pay a certain percentage of the property's registered value at the registration office- again, not because there was anything illegal in the property that I was buying, but just because it is a norm. My peoperty dealer had already told me about it. The officials there openly asked for it and said it was a 'fees' for them and the money gets distributed throughout the hierarchy. I did speak out there, too, but there was nothing much that I could do in this case.

Property deals are generally quite infamous for the corruption, bribery and black money involved. But it was amazing to see how even an important international identity like a passport can be made just by paying some money to the police !! But slowly, I guess, we become immune to these kind of things ... we just take these things for granted and we don't even think of raising a voice againt it. We talk about corruption and bribery that is prevalent in remote areas, in states like Bihar and UP, but what about our capital city and metropolitans like Mumbai ? Are they any less ? Are we safe from this kind of corruption and bribery while living in these metropolitan cities ?

*NOTE : Just in case it is of any help to anyone in need, the website of Directorate of Public Grievances is http://dpg.bharatsarkar.nic.in/

Few words on 'Manjunath Shanmugam Trust'

I was reading this post of Ashish Kumar (founder- Tekriti Software) on his blog. This is about - Manjunath Shanmugam, an IIM Lucknow graduate and a Indian Oil employee, who was murdered by a dealer of an Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) for not accepting bribes and did not turn a blind eye to the adulteration of fuel being carried out by the dealer.

The aim is to spread the word on the activities taken by the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust. Ashish's blog has more information about the activities and the details are available on www.manjunathshanmugamtrust.org. The forms for the Integrity Award being offered by this trust are available here.

This murder of Manjunath was indeed sad and shocking. He paid a very high price for not accepting bribe.

In our daily lives, in our day-to-day dealings with many governmrnt offices, if not all, haven't we all come across officials to whom we have to pay bribe to get even small work done ? And how many times do we have the courage, resources, spirit, time or will to fight againt it, and not pay the bribe and get the work done? Even if we feel angry about it, even if we speak a lot among our friends and family about it, but do we really take any step towards stopping it ? When we are in need to get a certain work done, we go ahead and pay the bribe and get the work done. It is good to see the initiative being taken by trusts like 'Manjunath Shanmugam Trust'.

Talking about bribe, it was surprising to see that even enquiries for Passport are based on bribe and is commonly prevalent. I have personally faced it and the consequences of NOT willing to pay the bribe for the police verification even when I had all the correct and complete documents and certificates with me. But more about some of my experiences in my next post.

First show of 'Formula 69' movie at IIT, Delhi

The Seminar Hall of IIT, Delhi, was almost full with students and guests by the time we reached there on the evening of 4th Nov.

The show began with the Director-Producer Nitin Das giving a brief speech and while waiting for the actual movie to start we saw another brief comedy movie.

A scene from 'Formula 69'

'Formula 69' is about three friends at IIT-D in their final year, like I had mentioned in my previous post. The dialogues and scenes in the movie have been taken from the events of the daily student life. This not only amuses the viewers and brings about comedy, but students can also relate to the movie.

I will not go into describing the details of the movie. I will only say that it is a low budget debut movie, with no one in this movie or in the making of the movie being from Bollywood or experienced in the film-line. The movie comes with a freshness, simplicity and genuine comedy picked up from student life and if was an engrossing and enjoyable 90 minutes watching the movie. I cretainly enjoyed the movie and the weekend with the movie :-).

This article in The Times of India has more about 'Formula 69' movie.

Seminar Hall of IIT-D before the movie began

A scene from 'Formula 69'

This is a scene from 'Formula 69' and my brother Ashish (on the left) plays a brief role of one of the CBI guys who come to investigate a murder that takes place at IIT-D.

Ashish Lal (Left) with Director-Producer Nitin Das (Right) at IIT-Delhi after the movie 'Formula 69' was screened.

This movie is by 'FILMKAAR Productions' by Nitin Das and more about it on http://www.filmkaar.com/

After the movie was over my brother Ashish introduced us to the Director and Producer Nitin Das, who is also IIM-L passout (and was full of praise about how talented Ashish was :-). When I asked him what was his next plan, he said he would be making a movie with the children from the slums next.

I hope this movie gets the acknowledgement it deserves.

Formula 69 - Film by IIT-Delhi and IIM-Lucknow in which my brother Ashish plays a part

This post is about a film shot in IIT-Delhi, Formula69. It is a science-fiction Film that has been made in IIT-Delhi using a special technique (code named GIn technique). It is a light hearted adventure of three IITians who use their crazy inventions to save the world from a gang of Biochemical terroists. IIT-Delhi dramatics team guys are the star cast and my younger brother, Ashish Kumar Lal, ex-IIT, Delhi, has also played a role in this movie. Nitin Das - IIM Lucknow, is the Director and Producer.

Looking for fulfilling dreams, a pool of talented theatre guys of IIT-Delhi and IIM-Lucknow started making a movie 'Fomula 69' from January 2006. This movie is now ready and they are trying to premiere it on Telvision. Before that it will be premiered in IIT. They have got coverage from The Times of India, Asian Age, Mumbai newspapaers and magazines and 30minutes show on making of Formula 69 on Aaj Tak TV channel.

As told by Ashish, "This movie would be commercially released but not in cinema halls (the frames per second funda of the camera and the huge investment involved used doesn’t allow us to do that). The movie’s first shot was taken on 22nd Feb, 2006."

Here is an opportunity to watch this movie made by IIM-L and IIT-D guys at IIT Delhi on 4th Saturday at 5.30pm. Below is the formal invitation and details that I received from Ashish and is open for everyone.

*********************************
We are having a secret screening of our recently completed sci-fi film Formula 69.
This is a confidential invitation for you. The details of the exclusive premiere and the film are as follows:

Date : 4th November 2006 – Saturday
Time: 5:30 p.m
Venue: Convocation Hall, IIT Delhi , Hauz Khas, New Delhi
Dress : Compulsory
Entry Fee: A smile (only genuine ones will be accepted)

Hope to see you there.

Ashish Lal

(9811800120, ashishlal_iitd@yahoo.com)

Actor- 'Formula 69'

B.Tech., IIT-Delhi and a Business Consultant

On behalf of 'Formula 69' Group

(Please destroy this invitation after you have memorized it)
*********************************

More about the film (As told by Ashish):

Formula 69 is a sci-fi thriller about 3 IIT students who use their crazy inventions to save the world.

Chatur (Hemant Kathuria), Bhains (Himschwet Gaurav) and Magga (Tarun Singhal) are 3 final year students at IIT D who get involved in a bizarre adventure when their dean gets murdered and the secret formula he was working on disappears. Now the 3 geniuses have to solve the mystery, retrieve the formula and clear their final year exams, all in 10 days.

The film is a collaborative effort by the students, alumni and staff of IIT Delhi. The project is spearheaded by Nitin Das, a pass out of IIM Lucknow. And the film is dedicated to George Bush and Osama Bin Laden.

A short trailer of the film is available on: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1874121292114343258 (final trailer)

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The Times of India has article on 23rd Feb.'06 in Delhi and in Mumbai on 24th Feb.

Asian Age has the below article on 10th March '06 in its archives:-

*********************************

IITians on the roll make sci-fi film- By Rajesh Ahuja New Delhi

It took Delhi students 17 years to set the camera rolling on the campus again. The IIT Delhi and IIM Lucknow alumni have joined hands to follow the legacy of Pradip Kishen, (author Arundhati Roy’s husband), to attempt a full-fledged film on the campus. But this time, there’s a twist in the tale.

While Kishen’s flick, based on Roy’s novel In Which Annie Gives It To Those Ones, was shot at the School of Planning and Architecture in 1989 and had a splendid starcast, this sci-fi movie will be shot at IIT and will have IIT students donning the greasepaint.

Science-fiction plot

Talking about the movie titled Formula 69 (no pun intended), which boasts of many crazy inventions, Nitin Das, an IIM Lucknow graduate and the creative genius behind the project, says, "I had always been inclined towards filmmaking and decided to call my management career quits. Neither has anyone attempted a 90-minute feature film on the campus, nor has this genre been touched." But why this quirky name? "Coming from IITians, it had to be ahead of its times. It’s set in the year 2010, and the name plays a vital role," he adds.

Casting ouch!

Director and script writer Das affirms that zeroing on the cast was a big issue, but as IIT had a Dance and Dramatics society (D ‘n’ D), things became simpler. "I conducted a nine-day workshop on filmmaking at IIT Delhi in January and met a lot of talented people. Realising their passion for films, I decided to make the film. I auditioned students and finalised the cast."

Let’s talk money, honey

Though the cast and crew don’t want to divulge details about their monetary investment, the group in charge of the film’s marketing says "it is quite something". "What we are primarily investing is our time and talent," says Harshal, a third year IIT student handling the film’s marketing.

Overcoming obstacles

Why haven’t many films been attempted on the campus in the past? Is it primarily due to lack of funds and the right guidance? "Yes, that’s true. It took us a month to get approvals from different departments within the college. First, I had to get permission from the D ‘n’ D Society, then the Board of Recreational and Cultural Activities and finally the dean," says Das.

The students made effective use of technological expertise available at the college. "We’ve made gadgets out of scrap material, equipment available in the labs and some inventions that ex-students made over the years," informs Tarun Singhal, who plays Magga (the bookworm).

Rolling on the campus

"As we have our classes during the day, we rehearse at night. We are only allowed to shoot on weekends and till now, we have shot twice. We made ample use of the campus area and shot in classrooms, lecture theatre and terrace. We are also planning to shoot a scene at the Tughlaqabad Fort soon," reveals Nishant Kumar, who plays the baddie in the film.

Future of independent filmmaking

Das finds the future promising but the present bleak. "Independent filmmaking is in its infant stage in India. People don’t attempt such projects as they fear huge expenses. Films like these are story and talent-driven, equipments come later. But sadly, there are no groups or societies who could provide a sound platform to people with such vision," concludes Das.

*********************************

A short trailer of the film is available on Google here (final trailer) and on YouTube here.

Wish you all the best Ashish and the 'Formula 69' team. I plan to be there at the screening of 'Formula 69'. Good luck to you and your whole team :-)

Diwali and floor decorations like 'Rangoli' and 'Aripan'

Diya lit over the 'Aripan' and 'Rangoli' at the entrance of my house on 'Diwali' - Photo by me

Diwali - the festival of lights ... and sweets :-)

I also like another aspect of Diwali - the rituals of floor decorations. The most poplar and well-known form seems to be 'Rangoli'. In fact the word 'Rangoli' is also often used as a synonym for any kind of Indian traditional floor decoration.

These floor-decorations are a form of Indian folk art and is usually done by the women folk of the house. The motifs are uaually natural or geometric motifs. These floor decorations not only enhance the beauty of the surroundings, it also brings about warmth and hospitality.

This link aptly describes the following about 'Rangoli' and is also true for any other form of floor decoration commonly used in India:-
"Rangoli is a traditional Indian art created to decorate the ground in front of houses and places of worship to attract Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of wealth. Designs are created using decorative patterns marked out on the floor. The drawing of Rangoli patterns is often combined with rituals associated with auspicious occasions, such as major festivals and celebrations. The patterns are usually drawn by the women of the household in villages in parts of India; and in some places it is a daily ritual to mop and clean the entrance to the home and then make beautiful drawings in the doorways as a message of welcome."

It also tells about the different names for different types of floor decoration in India:
"There are different names for this craft depending on what part of India it comes from. There are Alpana from West Bengal, Aripan from Bihar and Orissa, Sathiya from Gujarat, Mandana from Raysatham, Kolam from Tamil Nadu and Rangoli from Maharastra."

Diya lit over the 'Aripan' and 'Rangoli' at the entrance of my house on 'Diwali' - Photo by me

'Diya' lit over an 'Aripan' at the entrance of my house on 'Diwali' - Photo by Rashmiman

I have seen my grandmother make beautiful 'Aripan' on the floor during different occasions, festivals, marriage ceremonies, etc. and I have always been fascinated by the free-hand flow while drawing. 'Aripan' is made using rice paste. Rice is soaked overnight, ground into a paste and then with the right amount of water added to it to make the right consistency, the 'Aripan' is drawn, prominently with the 'ring-finger'. My 'Aripan' is nowhere close to what my grandmother used to draw, or still draws. Nonetheless, I do try my hand at it off and on. I make sure to draw even a small motif on Diwali ... and honestly, I enjoy doing that. This time, I also tried a small motif with 'Rangoli' and the pictures here are of those at the entrance of my house.

A 'Punjabi Dhaba' - Haveli

These are photos of a restaurant, a 'Punjabi Dhaba' named 'Haveli' near Karnal, Punjab, where we went during our journey from Ludhiana to Delhi. Good place for a change.

Pictures of an Indian Village

Here are some more photos from a typical north-Indian village. I have been to quite a few villages and have seen that some things typically remain the same or similar, although the exact details might vary. These pictures are of some such things.

Durga Pooja

Durga Pooja, this festival is not merely another Indian festival for me. It evokes a lot of happy memories from my childhood. Durga Pooja used to be the most awaited and the festival with most fun, even more enjoyable than Holi or Diwali.

Having lived very close to the Bengali community and having many Bengali friends, Durga Pooja became an important festival for my family as well. The enthusiasm that went into the preparation of the festival, watching the clay idol of Goddess Durga being made, the Pooja ‘Pandals’ being constructed (every year with a new theme and the competition among the neighbouring areas as to whose was the best), the excitement when we used to go to visit all the other ‘Pandals’ and Poojas in the nearby areas (of course, in our new outfits), the fascination to participate in the ‘Pushpanjali’ (morning prayer offering flowers to the Goddess) and the overall festivity mood used to be amazing - specially on the three days- ‘Ashtami’, ‘Navami’ and ‘Dashmi’ (eighth, ninth and tenth day of the festival).

So far any other festival has not been as fascinating and enjoyable as Durga Pooja. Even when I went and stayed at different places for my higher studies and jobs, I have always missed this festival and the celebrations. Some things leave everlasting memories and memories of Durga Pooja celebrations from my childhood days is among them.

Only when I went for higher studies, stayed in hostels and met people from different communities, states and cultures did I come to know the different ways in which people celebrate during the same time as ‘Durga Pooja’ in the form of ‘Navratri’ and ‘Dussehra’.

This year I went with family and friends to visit the Durga Pooja at Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi. It was certainly not the same as compared to the memories that I have, yet, it was a reminder of those celebrations and it was good. The pictures here are of two separate celebrations at C.R. Park.

Pictures of Durga Pooja at Chittaranjan Park

'The Power of Your Subconscious Mind' - Book by Dr.Joseph Murphy

I have been reading a book that has been highly recommended by my cousin, brother and sister - 'The Power of Your Subconscious Mind' by Dr. Joseph Murphy.

I have just started reading it a few days back but the concept has engrossed me. While reading it, I have been recalling incidents from my life and trying to relate to it and find it to be very true. There are many things in it which we were taught in our childhood and I used to follow. But in our day to day hectic life, we forget about some of the basic and simple things or simply ignore many things. Reading this book is like relating back to the events in my life and also become the positive and optimistic me that I used to be. It is like being inspired again to stop worrying and thinking negative and start being positive and optimistic consciously. I would like to quote some lines here from this book:

"..there are two levels to your mind - the conscious or rational level and the subconscious or irrational level. You think with your conscious mind, and whatever you habitually think sinks down into your subconscious mind, which then creates according to the nature of your thoughts. Your subconscious mind is the seat of your emotions. It is the creative mind. If you think good, good will follow; if you think evil, evil will follow. This is the way your mind works.

The most important point to remember is this: Once the subconscious mind accepts an idea, it begins to execute it. It is an astonishing and subtle truth that the law of the subconscious mind works for good and bad ideas alike. This law, when applied in a negative way, is the cause of failure, frustation and unhappiness. When your habitual thinking is harmonious and constructive, however, you experience perfect health, success and prosperity."

So need to be careful about thoughts and wishes. As the book also says:

"Change your thoughts and you change your destiny."

Color Psychology

Ever since I was in collge, I have been very much interested in color-psychology. As an art student and later as a design student, I found it really fascinating to read about colors and color-psychology. The symbolosim and psychological effects of different colors are interesting fields of study. There might be different opinions and views about these fields, but I still find these subjects really interesting.

It is really amazing how much your colour preferences can tell about you. I had come across a color-quiz on http://colorquiz.com/ and find it quite intesting to evaluate and see the results which are pretty close as far as I have tried. Try it and see. It would be interesting to know what others feeel about this or how correct they find it to be.

Self Motivation

The quotation on my desk today reads:

"Don't let this day pass without doing something to make your dreams come true."

Very motivating ... so I must go back to work and do something that would bring me closer to my dreams. One needs to be self-motivated quite often and that is what I am trying to do :)

Rishikesh and Haridwar Trip

We left for Haridwar early morning on 12th in our car. We reached Haridwar but found it quite crowded and not fascinating enough to stay. So we continued our journey to Rishikesh. We found a place along the Ganges Bank, at Omkaranand Ghat, near Ram Jhoola, to stay. The view was quite nice and the steps just led to the Ghat and the Ganges which was the most fascinating aspect.

When we reached there and went to the Ghat in the evening, there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky. It was a half circle with the middle part seeming to be partly hidden by the clouds. It lasted for quite some time and I was so fascinated by the view that I took several pictures.

View of the Rainbow beyond Ram Jhoola, 12th Aug.'06

The Ganges water level was quite high and there was no river rafting possible. The water was quite cold, in fact chilling, but still a bath in the Ganges water was quite refreshing.

On 13th, we went to visit the Laxman Jhoola over the Ganges and the Neelkanth Temple, which was quite high on the hills. We took a rented car but the drive up the hills was very enjoyable and with nice view. However, the disappointing part was that the temple premises and inside the tepmple was quite dirty and was not maintained at all.

The clouds and the hills near Neelkanth Temple, Rishikesh 13th Aug.'06

In the evening, we went to the opposide side to see the Aarti (evening prayer) more closely at the temple there. There was a huge crowd that had gathered on the Ghat and people seemed to be immersed in the musical Aarti and prayer.

People Gathered for Aarti in the evening at Rishikesh, 13th Aug.'06

Early morning (before sunrise) view from the Omkaranand Ghat of Ram Jhoola, 15th Aug.'06

Next day, on 14th, we went to Haridwar again in the evening. Haridwar was really crowded at the time of Aarti, but we could not see. We returned back to Rishikesh the same evening. We left from Rishikesh early morning on 15th. I got up early to enjoy the early morning view on the banks and the view was really beautiful. I had seen the sunrise and sunset even a day before but this view before sunrise was simply fascinating.

More pictures of Rishikesh and Haridwar which I have been planning to post but have not done so far. Overall it was a nice change from and good sightseeing.

Leaving for Haridwar and Hrishikesh

Early morning on 12th, we are leaving for Haridwar and Hrishikesh. Small group and looking forward to the brief trip during the long weekend !

Flowers After Rain

The summer heat had made all the plants in the flower pots at my house wilt. On top of that, I had been away and many plants dried completely. But just after little bit of rain, it was so amazing to see some beautiful flowers and leaves coming out. I would say, there has hardly been any rain here, but then nature has its own way and cycle.

Some more photos taken are here

Rainbow

Today, after a long long time I saw a rainbow, and that too in Gurgaon where there is hardly any rain. I was sitting on the front seat of the car when I saw and tried to take some pictures from within the car. The results are not very good, but on a little close observation, the rainbow can be seen.