The Holy Triangle ( Part- 4 ) Somnath

After a journey of 3 hours from Dwarka we reached Somnath. Checked in to the hotel. This city has descent 3-star hotels, where one can have a pleasant stay. After having luscious lunch we started towards Shree Somnath Jyotirling darshan. The temple is beautifully carved with honey-colored stone. Somnath is one among the 12 Shiva Jyotirling that our country has. There is a legend saying this temple was destroyed serval times by Muslim invaders and thus was attacked and destroyed 6 times until the present 7th version emerged. 

This temple has a few fascinating tales - Chandra or the moon god had undertaken rigorous penance here to free himself from the curse given by his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati. Out of 27 wives, Chandra favored only Rohini and neglected the rest. Daksha Prajapati was exasperated by the neglect of his other daughters thus cursed the moon that he would soon lose his entire luster. The anxious moon came down to Prabhas Patna to pray to Lord Shiva to get rid of the curse. Lord Shiva was ultimately got impressed by his devotion and freed him from the curse. Out of gratitude Moon god set up a jyotirling at this place which later became famous as Somnath temple. 

The temple of Somnath is well maintained upon having hundreds of devotees visiting in a day. We too got a very nice darshan of the lord. One can offer Ganga jal to the lord which is kept in small shops inside Somnath temple. We offered Ganga Jal to the lord. The magnificent Shiv ling, looked heavenly, decorated with bhasma/vibhuti. With our hearts full of gratitude, we took the darshan of Mahadev. We registered our name for Rudra Abhishek the next day morning. After having darshan and prasad we headed towards the beach which is located adjacent to the Somnath temple, a 10 min walk. On that cool breeze evening, walking on the chilled sandstones of the huge temple of Somnath we felt alive. It was our 4th Jyotirling darshan.

We had a great time on the beach after Somnath ji darshan. I love sunsets on the seashore. R was busy and enthusiastic building Shivling from the sand on the seashore, Those happiness and sparkle in the eyes of R was so refreshing, I just wished him - may your joys be as deep and huge as an ocean. After spending a nice cool breeze evening near the sea, we started towards a place called " Baan Ganga". One should not miss visiting this place who comes to Somnath. It is a shrine in the Arabian Sea near Somnath temple. It's a place of serenity and faith. There are three Shivaling submerged in water, quite visible as it is near the seashore. Two Shiv ling is easily visible and the third is submerged in water due to high tides. These shivlings are said to be Swambhu (appeared by themselves) This is the place where hunter Jara bathed and worshiped lord Shiva before going on hunting, and later Jara shot an arrow to the toe of lord Krishna. We entered the ocean and walked near the Shivling and did Abhishek to the lord. The waves splash these shivlings for ages but they are unharmed. The level of salt is so high in this ocean that all the rocks have turned sharp and slippery. But the Shivling is intact. It was a mesmerizing view. 

Later we started towards - "Balka Tirth". This temple is dedicated to lord - Sri Krishna. It is believed that this was the place where - "Jara- The hunter mistakenly shot an arrow to the toe of lord Krishna who was resting in meditation pose under a Pipal tree, where Jara misunderstood the foot of  Krishna as a deer and he hit the arrow by a distance from Baan Ganga. As per Ramayana, during Ram Avtar, lord Shree Ram killed the Vanar king Vali indirectly hiding behind a tree. Thus lord Shree Ram blessed with a boon to Vali that during Davpar yug, I will take birth as Krishna and you take birth as hunter Jara, and I will be shot by your arrow at Balka Tirth in Prabhas Patna area. After Lord Krishna was shot by Jara's arrow then walked a small distance and arrived at the holy banks of river Hiran from there the lord left his earthy existence for his heavenly abode. 

This Leela of Krishna is immortalized by a beautiful temple and an ancient pipal tree at Balka Tirth. By the time we reached Balka Tirth, it was 7 pm, and we attend the evening arti of the lord. Inside the same premises, there is also a Sun temple, which is 5000 years old. As per the legend this temple was constructed by Pandavas in one night. We were fortunate to visit this holy place and have the blessings of Surya Dev. 

It was half past 8 as we reached our hotel. The area in and around was decorated with bells and X-mas trees, as it was Christmas time. There was a nice delicious spread of Gujarati cuisine. We had a hearty meal and went back to our room. They say the night is the mother of thoughts. R had slept and I was just recollecting our experience while watching the pictures which we had captured during the day.  It was the 7th day of our 10 days trip which was a fulfilling one. Travel leaves one speechless. It is good for the soul. And experience is necessary for one's growth. These are an education in themselves.

Concluding holy triangle - Somnathji - Har Har Mahadev!

To be continued.....

The Holy Triangle (Part -3)

Our 2nd day in Dwarka was one of the most fulfilling and blissful day of our lives. After having a soulful darshan in the morning, now comes shopping time. Bought a few goodies and prasad from this holy place. A few days back one of our family friend gifted an idol of Goddess Mahalakshmi to R during Navaratri. Lakshmi is incomplete without her Narayana. Having R with us, how can we miss buying Dwarkadhish Idol Yes, I bought a beautiful Idol of the lord to be placed in our house pooja mandir next to mother divine Lakshmi. Our house pooja room has a collection of all the gods and goddesses from the major temples of India. Shivlings - from Kashi, Srisailam. Goddess Meenakshi from Madhurai, lord Vishnu - Hanumanji from Rishikesh. Now Dwarkadhish made our pooja mandir complete.

The pandit who took us to Dwarkadhish darshan told us he will accompany us to other two places which cannot be missed by one who visits Dwarka. We planned to meet them post-lunch for our second expedition. Upon reaching the resort we had a hearty meal in one of the famous restaurants in Dwarka, relishing the Gujarati cuisine like - Undhiyu, Dhokla, Rotla shaak, and Thepla. 

Around 4 pm Pandit Mohitji reached our resort, and we all started together in our car towards - "Dwarkeshwari - Rukmini Maharani" temple. It is believed that yatra or travel to Dwarka is complete only after one takes the darshan of Rukmini Maharani. This temple is 2km far from Dwarkadhish temple. The temple is believed to be 2,500 years old. But in its present form, it is inferred to belong to the 12th century. A legend is narrated to justify the separate dwelling temples, far away from each other, for Rukmini and her husband Krishna. It is said that at the request of sage Durvasa ( Who was renowned for his short temper and bestowing curses) Upon sage Durvasa saying - Krishna and Rukmini pulled a chariot taking sage Durvasa to their house for dinner after their marriage. On the way, when Rukmini asked for water to quench her thirst, Krishna drew Ganges water by prodding the ground with his toe for her to drink. Rukmini quenched her thirst with the Ganges water. But sage Durvasa felt insulted as Rukmini did not offer him water to drink first. He, therefore, cursed her that she would live separately from her husband. Durvasa also cursed the land of Dwarka to be completely deserted without water. 

Hence even to this day, Rukmini Devi temple is known for its Jal daan ( water offering ) custom. Where devotees are asked to donate water to the temple. We too offered Jal daan, that entire day the water will be offered in our name to devotees who visit this temple. The sanctum of the temple has a beautiful marble idol of Devi Rukmini, with four hands holding Shanka, Chakra, Gada, and Padma. Some believe that Radha and Rukmini are the same, the incarnations of goddess Lakshmi because there are similarities in age and devotion they have towards the lord. When Krishna is with Rukmini, Radha does not appear and when he is with Radha, Rukmini is absent. Rukmini is Lakshmi reincarnate, a symbol of love and devotion to Krishna, a symbol of purity and humility as well. Visiting this temple and praying to her is a must if you visit Dwarka. 

After Devi Rukmini darshan, we started towards "Bet Dwarka". It is believed to be an extremely sacred pilgrimage destination which is believed to have been the original home of lord Krishna, during his years spent in Dwarka as a king. The land is located off the coast of Dwarka on the Gulf of Kutch. We reached a point called Okha Jetty 30km away from the main Dwarka city. From Okha jetty we ferried by boat to Bet Dwarka island. This journey on the boat took us 30 min, which charges rs.20/- per person. It was an airy boat ride carrying more than 200 people, swinging along the high tides of water, witnessing a beautiful sunset around 5 pm we reached " Bet Dwarka". The place derived its name from the "bet" or "gift" that lord Krishna received at this place from his friend Sudama. The island is also called "Shankhodhar". The reason is that it is dotted with a huge variety of conch shells. 

Bet Dwarka is believed to have been the actual residence of lord Krishna during his ruling years at Dwarka. It is said that the lord resided with his family at Bet Dwarka. The main temple of worship here is - the "Sri Keshavrai ji" temple. The temple is believed to be built by Vallabhacharya and dates back nearly 500 years back. The temple is said to stand as the exact residence of lord Krishna at Bet Dwarka and the original idol of the lord in this temple is said to have been established by lord Krishna's wife Devi Rukmini. The idol has a striking resemblance to that of the Dwarkadhish temple. Along with pandit Mohitji, we had a blissful darshan of the lord. We were lucky to attend the evening arti. The idol of the lord in Bet Dwarka is 5000 years old. It is said Meerabai spent her last years in Dwarka and there she wrote the immortal poems of love on lord Krishna. Some legends state Meerabai miraculously disappeared by merging into this idol of Krishna, she disappeared by living a piece of cloth of her saree behind lord Krishna's idol. That idol is the same idol that is placed in Bet Dwarka- Lord "Sri Keshavraiji". 

Offering rice is auspicious in Bet Dwarka temple. As per the legend, Sudama gave Krishna some quantity of beaten rice because that was the only thing he could offer. In remembrance of that incident, we got a handful of rice, which has to be taken back home and mix it in our Bhandar ghar ( store room) where we store our groceries and rice, etc. We attended the evening arti with dhol, nagada, and bells. Bet Dwarka also has a conglomeration of Jain temples, where one could pay tribute to the 24 famed Jain Tirthankaras. Upon taking darshan we started back towards Dwarka. Since the ferry boat service end at 5.30 pm. We all rushed towards the port and sat in the boat starting towards Dwarka. The boat started its ride, we sat with heart full of memories and stories of Krishna. We thank the lord for giving us this opportunity to visit him in this lifetime. On a misty winter evening under the dark open sky, and deep blue water we had an unfeigned day, as the boat took its dimensions high and up through those rough tides we reached the port and started back to Dwarka in our car. 

One cannot miss having the darshan of "Shri Nageshwar Jyotirling" which is situated in Dwarka. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. It is located on the route between Gomati Dwarka and Bet Dwarka island coast. Also sometimes known as Nagnath temple, the main deity here is lord Shiva, known as Nageshwar Mahadev. According to the Shiva Purana, those who pray at the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga become free from all poisons, snake bites, and worldly attractions. The Nageshwar Shiva Ling is made up of stone, known as Dwarka Shila, having small chakras on it. It is in the shape of 3 mukhi Rudraksha. We had a heavenly darshan of lord Shiva. Our second day in Dwarka concluded with dev darshan.

Upon reaching our resort, time to thank Pandit Mohitji who was part of this journey. At the end of the day, it was a happy landing. Without pandit ji, our darshan with lord would have not been possible in such a smooth way. After having a hearty meal R and N went to sleep. I was somehow not able to sleep, being my energies so high after living this amazing day. Some places and happenings in life are unforgettable and remain ever-vivid and heartwarming. I had captured the best memories of my life through less pictures, and more through the heart. It was half past 11 in the night, I told myself no sunrise is worth waking me up to see it. Time to say good night ..... 

Concluding the first holy triangle - Dwarka 

"Jai Dwarkadhish ".

To be continued.....

The Holy Triangle ( Part -2)

On a misty winter morning, we three (myself, hubby, and sonny) got ready and set for Dwarkadhish darshan. It was a bright cool sunny day, around 8 am we finished our breakfast and were waiting in the parking, looking forward to the person who will escort us to the temple for darshan. After a wait of 10 minutes - Two tall healthy well built men wearing a traditional silk dhoti, half kurta, and shalya (a cloth covering the upper body) with a long tilak of sandalwood paste applied on their forehead, with a small Shikha (choti) a tuft of hair at the back of the head, specifically kept by Vaishnavas and Brahmanas, arrived in a bike. As soon as they got down from their bike, they greeted us saying - "Jai Dwarkadhish". Those pandits had that divine sparkle on their faces, which was clearly shown they were near to the lord. After giving our introduction and a small hearty chat, we started towards the temple. We followed them in our car. Upon reaching one point we need to walk and no vehicles are allowed. Our car was parked near the temple. We walked 100 steps toward the main entrance of the temple.

Walking on those small thin narrow lanes, where I could see a lot of cows and calves around. Upon nearing the temple we could smell those camphor and incense sticks, which was giving a sense of positive and holy feeling. The moment we entered the temple we witnessed thousands of people singing and dancing in Krishna bhakti. I got goosebumps seeing that beyond-belief site. Dwarka is believed to be one of the Sapta Puri, the seven holy cities of India. It is one of the char (4) dham. Firstly, Puri, Rameshwaram, Dwarka, and Badrinath. The journey across these four cardinal points of India is considered by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime. Dwarkadhish temple is also known as "Jagat Mandir" completely dedicated to lord Krishna. According to Puranas, it is believed that originally the temple was built by Vajranabh, the great-grandson of Krishna, more than 5000 years ago. Krishna dwelled in Dwarka for 100 years. His first 25 years, Krishna lived in Mathura and Vrindavan. Later this temple was destroyed by Sultan Mahmud Begada. The current temple was reconstructed in the Chalukya style in the 15-16 century. There are two entrances to the temple. The main entrance is called "Moksha Dwara" ( Door to salvation). This entrance takes one to the main market. The second entrance is called "Swarga Dwara" ( Gate to heaven). Outside second entrance, there are 56 steps which leads to the Gomati river. The flag top of this temple shows the sun and moon, which is believed to indicate that Krishna would be there till the sun and Moon exist on Earth. The flag of this temple is changed up to 5 times a day. Lord is offered a bhog 11 times a day. In which 7 bhog in the morning and 4 bhog in the evening. 

Later we were taken inside the main temple which is called Garbha Griha - where the lord was majestically stationed. Just like a Raja - King of the universe. There were no boundaries to my happiness when I saw lord - Dwarkadhish from a close view. Those chanting hymes, dhol, and bells sound which took my heartbeat to a race. Devotees chatting - "Hathi ghoda palki jai kanhaiya lala ki". It was a union of the lord with his devotees or bhakt. Tears just rolled down from my eyes. That was a pivotal moment for us, especially for me. In that 2 minutes darshan of the lord I tried to capture that image of Jagath Dev - Krishna  (Dwarkadhish) In this sanctum sanctorum or the Garbha Griha sits the murti of Krishna as four armed Vishnu. It is called "Trivikram" avatar. 2.25 feet in height, and is carved in black stone. I was mesmerized seeing the grandeur of lord Dwarkadhish. It was a moment of Bhakt with Bhagwan. Later we all took darshan at Devaki maa temple. This temple is exactly opposite the altar of Lord Dwarkadhish. She is placed in a way that she can always behold the beauty of her son and overlook all the sevas which are offered throughout the day. It is believed that Lord Krishna wanted to see his mother all day, hence placing his mother just opposite. 

                                                                     

In this temple, the first bhog is offered to Radha Rani who is placed on the left side of Dwarkadhish grabha griha. The lord is offered the same bhog later. As per Hindu scriptures, Radha is considered the complete incarnation of Goddess Mahalakshmi. It is believed that Krishna enchants the world, but Radha enchants even him. Therefore, she is the supreme goddess of all and together they are called "Radha - Krishna". Radha is considered Krishna's eternal consort. Kirshna said he is incomplete without Radha. Radha Rani is, in one sense, one with Krishna, as the sunshine is one with the sun. The most supreme and unconditional love. We took the blessings of Radha Rani and moved forward along with the pandit who was accompanied by us, narrating the story of Dwarkadhish. 

One who visits Dwarka can, witness people in large numbers performing "Tula Daan". Tula Daan is a ritual performed in the Tula mandir in the main temple complex of Dwarka. Tula Daan also called Maha Daan, is one of the prominent ancient rituals of Sanatan Dharma. In this Daan, the devotee offers sugar, ghee, grains, fruits, or other items equivalent to the weight of the person for whom Tula Daan is to be performed. Lord Balaram's idol is placed inside this temple, he witnesses and blesses the people who offer Tula Daan. When we witness people performing this holy ritual in large numbers, we too performed Tula Daan for our 9 year-old-son and took blessings for his overall well-being, education, and bright future. We as parents were thankful to the lord, as we were able to perform this holy ritual. It was an overwhelming moment for me as a mother. R was having a gala time sitting on that Tula - weighing seat, swinging around. After having a wholesome blessed darshan, we took prasad inside the main temple, made from the ghee or butter which was offered to the lord. 

To be continued...

 

The Holy Triangle (Part -1)

Winter is the time for comfort, good food, the warmth of family and friends, and vacations. My family has a ritual of traveling in winter and exploring new places, good food, and new culture. We plan to travel to a place that we have never visited before. I feel the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. And a mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. For me travel is therapy. It's an investment in yourself. So last winter we ( myself - hubby and our 9-year-old son) traveled to one of my dream destinations Gujarat. It was the most memorable, rejuvenating vacation of 10 days to 7 places. To the land of Krishna, White Rann, Jyotirling, Ocean, Mountains, Caves, Forest, and Temples. Dwarka, Somnath, and Junagadh are said to be holy triangles. If you visit Gujarat, make sure you complete this sacred journey. Without this one's trip is incomplete. We made sure we include this in our itinerary.

As per our itinerary, we reached Dwaraka on the 3rd day of our journey after reaching Mandavi from Rann of Kutch. it's a 10-hour journey by road. Which is the only nearest connecting route to Dwaraka from Mandavi. We hired a car for our 10-day trip to make our travel more pleasant, peaceful, and memorable. Witnessing the beauty of the land, fields, windmill, desert, broad huge, and clean highways. Akram bhai - our driver, who turned in to guide for those 10 days. Who never increased car speed above 80 km on those empty highways.When asked he said in Hindi - Sahab, jo 120 speed pe jayega woh bhi same time pe he pahunchega. Kyun fast chala ke risk lene ka. I was like, really how is that possible? But he was true - we saw a few of the cars that overtook our car reached along with us. He was a Muslim by religion but a Hindu at heart. Originally from Junagadh, but settled in Rajkot with his wife and 4 kids for the past 20 years. He looked youthful and not like a family man. He eats 2 meals a day. Drink a lot of fluids. We were quite impressed and happy to have a good sensible person, who will be part of our journey for the next 10 days. He made sure we visit all the temples on time and get darshan. He had great knowledge of windmill and how it works etc. We were happy to know the facts about it. One who visits Gujarat can witness these long huge fans rotating on the fields next to highways. We were surprised when Akram bhai said he had visited "Ashapura Mata" madd thrice. Which is 100 km from Rann of Kutch. We somehow couldn't make it this time. He was a real example of - There is only one religion that is mankind, though there are a hundred versions to it. 

After 10 hours of road journey, we reached Dwarka at 7 pm and got settled in our resort. It was a decent, calm, clean place that was half a km from Dwarkadish temple. I was super excited overwhelmed and eager to visit the temple. Being a spiritual person, I celebrate all the festivals with much ease and enthusiasm. Janmashtami is one such festival that is very near and dear to my heart. At my parents home we never celebrated this festival particularly, though my mother is one of the most religious lady. We worship Goddess Durga and Mahadev as our family deities. After my son was born I started celebrating Janmashtami. I feel this god is somewhere connected with my son. Over the past few years, Janmashtami has become one of my most celebrated festivals in our house. I celebrate on a grand scale. I somewhere feel a great connection with Lord Krishna. And Dwarka is one such place which was in my bucket list for quite some time now. When we reached Dwarka, I was living my dream. I felt - Yes, I am with the lord. 

Since it was vacation time getting a hassle-free darshan in such a holy place was out of the scene. I was much worried. But lord had his plans. Bhaiya ( my brother-in-law) had a few contacts from his friends who knew the head priest of Dwarakadish temple. When I got to know this, I was overjoyed and extremely grateful. Bhaiya said, the next day morning we will be escorted by the temple priest family to have a morning darshan. My mom was on calls asking about our whereabouts. I gave the news of our darshan. She was overjoyed as I was. On that cool misty winter night, outside our resort which was hardly 500 meters from the main temple, I could hear the sound of the bells. After a long expedition of 10 hours journey to Dwarka which was a pleasant one, I went to sleep with much excitement, as the night seemed to be long. 

To be continued...

Cup Of Tea

 

YOU CAN'T BE EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA

There will always be something that you say or do which causes offence or division

Whether you meant to or not

There will always, be someone who finds fault in you, your life or your words

There will always be someone in this life who just doesn't like you, no matter how hard you try to please them

You may never find out why, please dont waste your precious time trying to impress them

YOU CAN'T BE EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA

Don't try to convince people who are not meant for you to walk along with you

You are not for them and they are not for you

Politely wave them along and move back as well

Just stop pouring yourself out

Not everyone has a taste for flair. Don't expect everyone to appreciate it

Just be you, because 

YOU CAN'T BE EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA

Then there will be a little fizz of energy that passes between you

Silently, unseen, bonding. Those people will not only like you, but they will like you fiercely

The people who are good for your emotional health

They are your people. Whatever space-time you have, spend it on them

YOU CAN'T BE EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA

But you can be someone's first sip of cold coffee on a sunny day

Seek to share your path with those who love you

Appreciate you, who do not judge you

And also criticise you to help you improve and grow as a better human being

Be who you are

YOU CAN'T BE EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA

And that is OK

Primeval Art - Madhubani

A few of you all know, my second most hobby apart from writing is Art. Today I am going to tell you a few facts about the very oldest, most famous and most widely appreciated art form of India - Madhubani Art. I started doing Madhubani painting during the pandemic time. Once I started, I couldn't stop for one or two. Now there are quite a few paintings I have done. Of late I started gaining interest in this eye-catching art and studied a few facts and was thrilled to know more and more about this. This art form replicates ancient India and its culture.

This art form is practised in the Mithila region of the Indian Subcontinent.  It originated from the Madhubani district of the Mithila region of Bihar. Maithili is a language, so enriched with culture and values that it exudes the sweetness of honey. Madhubani derives its name from the abundance of honey collected in the nearby forest. It is the land which is fabled as the kingdom of Janaki and the adobe of mother Sita. The origin of Madhubani paintings is quite unknown. However, it is believed that king Janak, ruler of the Mithila kingdom during the 7th or 8th century BCE, asked to develop this kind of painting to capture the moments of his daughter Sita's wedding to prince Ram. 

Each village here has a history which is centuries old, a culture which reflects the Vedic era and mostly agricultural as their economy. It was traditionally created by the women folks of various communities of the Mithila region. Madhubani is also a major export centre of these paintings. Artists create these paintings using a wide variety of mediums, including fingers, twigs, nib-pens and matchsticks. In the olden days, these paintings were done traditionally on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of huts. But now it is done on cloth, handmade paper and canvas. Traditionally these paintings are done with a paste of powdered rice. The paint is created using natural dyes and pigments. 

As far as I have seen Madhubani paintings mostly depict people and their association with nature, rituals, and deities from the ancient epics. They include natural objects in this art form like - the sun, and the moon, religious plants like tulsi which are widely used along with scenes from the royal court, and social events like weddings. In these paintings generally, no space is left empty and the gaps are filled by pictures of trees, flowers, animals, birds etc, using vibrant colours. As this art has its roots in the Mithila region, hence it is also called Mithila art or Mithila painting. I get amazed to see such beautiful and oldest artwork is still kept alive and practised in institutions spread across the Mithila region. 

Madhubani art is later classified into 5 different types. As I read more about the below-mentioned types of art and compared my paintings which are done in the last 3 years of my association with this art, was amazed to see and relate my paintings with these different styles. Below are the classification of these different types of art, as well as a few of my Madhubani paintings - 

1. Bhrani Style:- Bharani is a Hindi word that means "filling" This art form was traditionally used for portraying Hindu deities and their historical contribution to Indian mythology.

2. Katchni Style:- It has a unique Individual style, mainly made using monochrome or only two colours. These paintings primarily depict animals, flowers and gods.

3. Godan Style:- The discovery of Godan Madhubani painting is believed to be done with the use of bamboo pen and Kajal to make designs. The straightforward method in the Mithila art style.

4. Tantrik style:- This style represents the traditional and religious texts in a very precise manner. People in India generally involve these paintings in their homes or on any special occasion for prayers with firm faith.

5. Kobar style:- These paintings mainly depict Hindu wedding ceremonies, and they are primarily made on the walls of the bride and groom's home.

Few of my Madhubani paintings - 

For me, the face of art is somewhat like that of the sun. It does not communicate but it gives.  There are so many other ancient art forms in India, which are widely practised and preserved till date. For example -  

• Pattachitra Painting
• Kalam Painting 
• Madhubani Painting
• Mandana Painting
• Kalamkari Painting
• Pithora Painting

Apart from the above-mentioned art forms, the oldest Indian paintings are Rock Art in caves which are 30,000 years old, such as the Bhimbetka cave paintings. It is so amazing to see such wide dimensions  our culture and tradition holds. For me, India is a country in which every religion, tradition, custom, and value finds its home. India is a place where colour is doubly bright. Pink that scalds your eyes, blues you could drown in. That is why it is called Incredible India. Proud to be an Indian. 

Her Dual Hues

They say Mother's love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. Today I am going to talk about my Icon whom I always look up to, my Mom. My mother is the only daughter of my grandparents with three brothers. She grew up in a most protective atmosphere, with lots of love, care, and affection yet very strict family values. Her early childhood and teens were spent in Mysore. My maternal grandmom was the daughter of Marathi Chaudhari and settled in Mysore for 3 generations. My grandmom was the most beautiful lady I have ever seen. She left us to the heavenly adobe 18 years back and I miss her very much. Being the first granddaughter in the family, I was pampered with lots of love, attention, and care from my maternal grandparents and my uncles. My mom was the first child who was a graduate in her family. And pursued her masters in Hindi literature after marriage, which was a very great thing in those days. Mom was married and shifted to Hyderabad. After I and my younger sister were born my parents shifted to Bengaluru. So that's how we settled in Bengaluru for more than 30 years now.  

My mom is a multi-talented lady and a learner. At an early age, she was an entrepreneur before she took up teaching as her profession. Mom's first love was teaching from which she couldn't stay far for a longer time. It is her greatest passion and she always stood up to it. She used to teach higher secondary students and also as a professor in the college, where I and my sister used to study. She loved her job to the core. She worked for 22 years and is now retired. During her teaching profession, she was very gentle, loving, and caring yet strict and disciplined with her students. She never used a stick in her entire 22 years of the teaching profession. Mom was widely loved and honored by her students. Many students used to share their secrets and had great trust in mom. She has guided and mentored many students who are now doing excellent work. Mom was a great mentor, adviser, and above all their best friend. She was honored with the "Best Teacher Award" for her contribution to teaching. 

I and my younger sister got to grow up with a mother and teacher. I feel without a teacher - no profession can exist. According to Mom, teaching is one of the most respected professions. Mom's day used to start at @4.30 am. Finish the household chores, make us ready for school, pack our lunch box, and start towards school. After returning from school, Mom used to take tuition. She loves languages. She teaches Hindi, Sanskrit, and Kannada. Being born and bought up in Mysore Mom knows Kannada very well. She is a great learner. Even now at the age of 60 plus her routine is the same irrespective of weekdays and weekends.

I always look back to our childhood days and think about how Mom used to handle everything with so much zeal and enthusiasm. I have never seen her telling tired. I have always seen her with a beautiful smile on her face. The choice to work instead of staying at home with her daughters was not an easy one. But she did it all with great interest and dedication to her family. I and my sister had the privilege of being with her at school where mom used to work.  In that way, we used to always be in front of her eyes. She never left us alone. I have seen her work to be the best mom while having a career. Now I understand how difficult it was, to have a family with two daughters and pursue her dream job. She always tells me we should enjoy and love whatever work we do. Whether being a homemaker taking care of family and kids or pursuing your job along with family. Just do it wholeheartedly and enjoy doing it. 

Our childhood was always busy with more studying and playing in the evening with limited time given by mom and with only a few known friends who mom also knows. She is a very protective and disciplined person and this follows even now. Her daughters are her life. Our lifestyle was very simple yet with more values and morals. Our summer vacation used to go with the wait for when mom will finish her exam paper valuation and make progress cards ready and hand it over to the school. Only after that, we were allowed to think about a vacation to my Aaji's house in Mysore. Easily one month of our summer holidays used to go in this wait. In that one month, we were helping Mom with her household chores. Morning and evening prayers are a must in our house. Mom is a very religious lady and Devi bhakt. Our mornings used to start after bath with chantings and prayers. Perform Tulasi maa pooja. Only after that, we were allowed to drink our milk and have breakfast. Mom engraved spirituality like no one. My maternal grandmom was the most religious lady of her time. The same quality has come up in my mom and us too. I and my younger sister used to enjoy helping mom during festivals. I used to be always keen on helping Mom in the kitchen and experimenting with new dishes. My love for cooking started at an early age. And more creative and artistic since childhood. This quality came from my mom. She is a great artesian.

We used to have a gala time at my maternal grandparent's house during our Dussehra and Summer vacations. I and my younger sister were pampered the most by our grandmom, uncles, aunts, and cousins. My aunt used to prepare yummy dishes. I and my sister had very long hair. My aunts used to sit for hours together to braid my and my sister's hair, experimenting with new hairstyles, and the rest of the ladies sipping evening chai and talking rather say gossiping(hehe) and laughing to the rooftop. I still remember during our vacations in Mysore, I used to accompany my Aaji to "Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Ashram" for evening Satsang. I used to walk holding my Aaji hand, asking questions about the importance of Satsang and spirituality. She had answers to all my questions. She had a group of ladies of her age who used to wait for Aaji to start the Satsang. I used to enjoy being with Aaji's friends. My Aaji never went to school and got married at the age of 11. I used to wonder about seeing her knowledge in all spheres like- Spirituality, family, customs, and traditions. She used to have household remedies for most common illnesses. And most importantly she was wonderful to cook. In those days at Aaji's house, they had Sigdi, an earthen pot stove, which used to light up with charcoal. The taste of food cooked on this stove is unbeatable. My Aaji loved cleanliness. And she used to make sure all the people in the house follow it. She used to be well dressed always, with her moonlight-shining long white hair, braided well in a beautiful bun with a pure cotton saree and black bindi. I was very dear to my Aaji. I used to love her company the most. We lost our grandfather when I was a 1-year-old kid. I don't have much memory of our Ajoba. 

Later in the evening we all cousins together used to visit Mysore palace, to see the grandeur of palace lighting. Have yummy chats and icecreams, In those small stalls and then return home late in the evening. Have dinner at night watching our favorite show on Doordarshan "Byomkesh Bakshi". I used to always sit with eyes wide open waiting to see what next. It was an Indian-Bengali fictional detective show. This was one of the favorite shows of 80's kids. There are quite a few, like - Chanakya, Vikram Betal, etc... I feel childhood is practically the most beautiful part of a person's life, the most innocent too. It is a timeless treasure of our life.

My parents did their best to give me and my sister the best secure life. They did everything for us. My mom always stood as a rock for her family and see to it that her daughters always get the best. Now after I became a mother, I feel parenting is the toughest job on earth. As you are responsible for the physical, emotional, and mental development of another human being. when I get some challenges in life I sit and look back at how mom used to handle them. Mom always tells read books and gain knowledge. It is the greatest treasure and it can't be taken away from one. I always try to do my best and achieve at least half or one-third of what Mom achieved in her life. Mom's love has always been sustaining force in our family. Now I and my sister are grown-ups into successful individuals and well-settled with our life, Mom says it is her greatest joy in seeing her compassion, integrity, and intelligence reflected in her daughters. 

I still remember how you brushed our hair, kissed our cheeks, and told us fairy tales. I miss those innocent days to the core. Before marriage girls, 1st priority is their goals and dreams. After marriage girls, 1st priority is family and responsibility. Successful mothers are not the ones that never struggled. They are the ones that never gave up despite their struggles. You are emotional, yet the rock. Tired, but keeps going. At times worried, but full of hope. Overwhelmed, but never quits. Wonderful, even in the chaos. Life changer, every single day. Above all, you are the most charismatic lady playing your dual hues. We are blessed to be your daughters. We love you, Mumma. 

A Concept - Eidetic Memory

Hello friends, hope you all are doing good. I was quite busy with my son's school and other activities, as we all are getting adjusted to the new normal i.e, starting of schools and offices. At last, the wait is over for our kids, as they are happy to be back to school. And I am back in my favourite zone (writing). So, here I have come up with a beautiful concept which I have come across for a while now when I met a person in one of the video shots in "Art of Living International Centre". A mastermind and genius who holds a "Genius Book Of World Record" in memorizing the longest word sequence in one minute. When we had a brief chat with this super human, one of the key aspects he referred to me was "Eidetic Memory". He explained to me further how to use it and put it into one day-to-day routine, which can play a great role in training one's memory. A topic especially useful for kids. All we need is just 10-15 minutes of our time in our day-to-day schedule to spend with our kids and discover their hidden genius minds present in them.

Have you ever come across how a 5 or 10-month-old baby can identify picture cards including flags, images, fruits, vegetables and even people for that matter. And thousands of other kids like yours.  Have you ever wondered how kids can remember objects/recall people when they were just a baby? because most babies have a strong "Photogenic Memory" and the ability to remember images or objects in great detail after seeing them for only a short time. If you are a parent who is serious about making your child a creative genius and not just a left-brain person this one is for you. 

So, what happens when that's left untapped, they are forced to memorize information eventually making them less creative. Schools mostly involve left-brain learning where everything they teach is either logical, analytical or factual. But, right brain learning is unique. Skills like photogenic memory, art and creativity can be inculcated only when kids get one-on-one attention. That is one of the reasons why art/music schools always charge high and take fewer admissions. 

Eidetic Memory which can also be called a "Photogenic Memory" is typically found only in young children, as it is virtually nonexistent in adults. But few adults have phenomenal memories (not necessarily of images). But children possess far more capacity for eidetic imagery than adults. Survey says Eidetic Memory has been found in 2 to 10 per cent of children aged 6 to 12. It has been hypothesized that language acquisition and verbal skills allow older children to think more abstractly and thus rely less on visual memory systems. 

This amazing ability can inculcate and practised in our kids on a day-to-day basis to enhance Eidetic Memory in them. Ever since I have come across this beautiful concept, I have been implementing it on my 8-year-old son, which has played a great role in his memorising technique. He is an extensively creative person and a wonderful artist at this young age, which helped me to experiment with this beautiful concept on him, as I have mentioned above this concept requires more right brain activation. 

One can spend quality time of at least 10-15 minutes with your child before going to bed. Once you have done with your bedtime storytelling, ask your child about the entire day's happenings. Mentioned a few bullet points as examples. It can be anything other than this which can be asked of your child.

• What time your child got up in the morning.
• The first thing/people saw after getting up from bed.
• What was the colour of the saree/dress of his teacher in school?
• To recall the page number in the textbook of any subject which was taught in school.
• what was his friend's school bag colour?
• Also to recall what colour of dress his friend was wearing, say one/two days back.

I enjoy doing this with my son before going to bed. And he doesn't stop for 2/3 he goes on and on. It has become our bedtime game after storytelling. By doing this one can develop a great bond with our kids. Also, there is a scientific reason that before going to bed it's good to develop a few habits like:- read a few lines from some good books. Write your daily journal for the next day and empty your mind to have a good night's sleep. Chant a mantra or do a few rounds of breathing exercises. It is a great routine to follow along with our kids so that they develop these good habits from a very young age. It is also a good practice for ending our day on a positive note. I have always heard parents telling, us that our kids don't listen to us. But we forget to notice that they are watching us. So we as a parent should develop good habits so that our kids just follow them. 

So what to linger for, hit your bed with some good sheets, dim light with some refreshing scented candles, ( yes! of course, candle lights are not made only for candlelight dinners with friends and partners) our cute little munchkins are the purest souls and deserve the most. Tuck your kid in your arms and give them this magic for a lifetime which never leaves them to start this new journey with your kid and give them loads of good memories to cherish. 

Do share your ideas and views through your comments. Thank you!

निशकामिनी

 मौन हूँ, निःशब्द नहीं।

आवाज़ हूँ

बस बोलती नहीं।।

जज़्बात है 

मुंह खोलती नहीं।

चाहत है

किसी से उम्मीद नहीं।।

आते जाते कई लोग मिले,

कूछ याद रहे, कुछ याद बने।।

कुछ साथ चले, चलते ही रहे।

जो चल न सके, किरदार बने।।

पहल न करूं

किसी से डरती नहीं।

जीत की चाह नहीं

हार मानती नहीं।।

दुनिया में अपना किरदार कुछ

इस तरह से निभाना।

की अगर कोई आपके बारे में

गलत भी कहे, तो लोग उस पर

विश्वास न करे।।

मोहताज नहीं किसी ग़ालिब की

वो बागबान है, इस कायनात की

में हूँ निशकामिनी।।

Her Hues

To her glory, to the movers, the makers, the

hustlers, the shakers

Your worth is not in the things you do,

your worth lies in your care and through.

To those who shout loud, who stand strong,

and when needed those who quietly move on.

You go beyond your limit in life,

you are so strong from the inside.

To those who build empires, move mountains

push boundaries, raise babies,

make memories and refuse to take no 

for an answer. You the ladies paving the way

for a new generation, who are ready to play.

You are there for people you love 

all the while, stand tall and stand proud for all

 that you are.

You are a true woman of substance, being so 

pure and true.

She is a storm a magnificent force

writing her story in the lighting.

They tried to burn her, not knowing 

she was a flame.

But she is the force of supreme standing 

now and amazing.

Not to be judged, not to be toyed, not to be 

belittled, but to be cherished, 

to be admired and to be loved.

For she is a phenomenal woman with her hues.