Here the link to an article on the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival written by me.
http://matadornetwork.com/nights/mumbai-brings-art-to-everyone-at-the-kala-ghoda-arts-festival/
Would love your comments :)
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Using an 18th century watch to tell time in Jaipur
I use my hand to shield my eyes from the sun, as I look up at the 90 feet (27 m) long tower. I am at the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, which was inscribed into the UNESCO’s World Heritage List on 31st July 2010.
Jantar (also called Yantar/Yantra) means instrument and Mantar means formula or calculation. The Jantar Mantar is located opposite the City Palace in Jaipur. It is home to 14 devices which were commissioned by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (the founder of Jaipur) in 1728. These devices were used to study astronomy by the scholars and the King, who was an avid astronomer himself. All the instruments were made specifically for Jaipur’s location of Latitude 27° north, so even if they are exactly replicated at any other location, they would not work correctly. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is one of five built by the Maharaja in India (the others are in Mathura, New Delhi, Ujjain and Varanasi), but it is the only one that is still in working condition.
“The level of perfection that Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II wanted in these instruments can be seen in the fact that each instrument was first made in the form of a rough model, then a miniature scaled model and finally the actual instrument was constructed” points out Jeetendra Singh, our guide. He adds that all three models of each instrument are still present at the Jantar Mantar.
The 90 feet Sun Dial (World’s largest) (also called Samrat Yantra) tells you the time with an accuracy of 2 seconds. The Samrat Yantra is cordoned off, so we head to its miniature scaled model to test its accuracy. Jeetendra points out an important fact, “The Sun Dial can tell you the exact time at Jaipur. But since Indian Standard Time is derived from Allahabad, the time in Jaipur is 11 minutes behind IST.”
The shadow of the median shows that it is 4:20 pm in Jaipur. The digital display of my Casio says 16:31.
I move on to view the other instruments, like the Jaiprakash Yantra (tells you what Sun Sign the Sun currently is in) and the Narivalaya Yantra (lets you know whether the Sun is in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere) which give readings on the basis of which part of the instrument the Sun’s rays falls on.
Further ahead, are 13 constructions of stones (in the form of stairs, triangles, etc.) facing particular directions and set at specific angles. When a person looks along the plane of the top end of the construction, he/she can see the North Star or the star of the particular Sun Sign that the construction corresponds to. These contraptions can be only tested after sunset, but unfortunately the Jantar Mantar shuts its doors at 5 pm.
Getting there: Jaipur is well connected by air, having the only international airport in Rajasthan.
The Jantar Mantar is in the Old City and easily accessible by Bus, Rickshaw and Taxi.
Entry Fee: INR 10 per person, INR 200 for a guided tour (max. 10 people)
Timings: 9 am to 5 pm, but go between 11 am to 3 pm, so you can see the working of all the instruments.
Jantar (also called Yantar/Yantra) means instrument and Mantar means formula or calculation. The Jantar Mantar is located opposite the City Palace in Jaipur. It is home to 14 devices which were commissioned by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (the founder of Jaipur) in 1728. These devices were used to study astronomy by the scholars and the King, who was an avid astronomer himself. All the instruments were made specifically for Jaipur’s location of Latitude 27° north, so even if they are exactly replicated at any other location, they would not work correctly. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is one of five built by the Maharaja in India (the others are in Mathura, New Delhi, Ujjain and Varanasi), but it is the only one that is still in working condition.
“The level of perfection that Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II wanted in these instruments can be seen in the fact that each instrument was first made in the form of a rough model, then a miniature scaled model and finally the actual instrument was constructed” points out Jeetendra Singh, our guide. He adds that all three models of each instrument are still present at the Jantar Mantar.
The 90 feet Sun Dial (World’s largest) (also called Samrat Yantra) tells you the time with an accuracy of 2 seconds. The Samrat Yantra is cordoned off, so we head to its miniature scaled model to test its accuracy. Jeetendra points out an important fact, “The Sun Dial can tell you the exact time at Jaipur. But since Indian Standard Time is derived from Allahabad, the time in Jaipur is 11 minutes behind IST.”
The shadow of the median shows that it is 4:20 pm in Jaipur. The digital display of my Casio says 16:31.
I move on to view the other instruments, like the Jaiprakash Yantra (tells you what Sun Sign the Sun currently is in) and the Narivalaya Yantra (lets you know whether the Sun is in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere) which give readings on the basis of which part of the instrument the Sun’s rays falls on.
Further ahead, are 13 constructions of stones (in the form of stairs, triangles, etc.) facing particular directions and set at specific angles. When a person looks along the plane of the top end of the construction, he/she can see the North Star or the star of the particular Sun Sign that the construction corresponds to. These contraptions can be only tested after sunset, but unfortunately the Jantar Mantar shuts its doors at 5 pm.
Getting there: Jaipur is well connected by air, having the only international airport in Rajasthan.
The Jantar Mantar is in the Old City and easily accessible by Bus, Rickshaw and Taxi.
Entry Fee: INR 10 per person, INR 200 for a guided tour (max. 10 people)
Timings: 9 am to 5 pm, but go between 11 am to 3 pm, so you can see the working of all the instruments.
Being RadioActive
“Sumiit! Wake up! You’ll be late for your show!” I jump up with a start on hearing my mother. The digital display of my alarm reads 7:49. I curse, and jump out of bed. I must have slept through the alarm ringing at 7. I crane my head out of the window to see if the sky is overcast. Although it is mid-November and the monsoon has officially retreated, we have been troubled by sudden downpours during the last 2 days. But luckily, the clouds are sparse and the sun shines brightly.
I race to the University of Mumbai’s Community Radio Station, Radio M.U.S.T. (Mumbai University Student’s Transmission). I am a part time radio jockey with them, hosting a weekly radio show on Thursdays from 9 am to 1 pm.
Luckily, there’s an empty spot just in front of the Radio Station building and I proclaim my thanks to all known gods and goddesses as I park my Renault Logan. I race up the 3 floors to the studio, taking the steps 2 at a time. I burst into the studio as the hour hand on the wall clock comes to rests on 9. Clumsily placing the headphones on my ears, I switch the microphone on, and start my show.
“Namaste, Sat sri akaal, As salamu alaykum, kem chho, kassa kai, Hello Hi. My name is Sumiit and you’re listening to 107.8 FM Radio M.U.S.T., Mumbai University’s very own community radio. There’s no need to carry your umbrella today as the sun is shining brightly, and the weather department is forecasting a bright and sunny day with a maximum temperature of 33 degrees and a minimum of 26 degrees Celsius. I’ll be back with some stock updates, but till then you guys enjoy this song”
I flick the microphone switch to ‘off’, and let out a loud breath, as the first notes of the song start to play. As my heartbeats return to their normal pace, I wipe the beads of perspiration off my brow. Ironically, my first time in a recording studio had a similar kind of effect on me. A chuckle escapes from my mouth as my mind begins to wander.
“Are you ready?”, she asked. I looked up and nodded while trying to muster up a smile. This was RJ Malini, one of the city’s finest RJs, and she was going to take my audition. I had met Malini at a common friend’s party a week ago, and had expressed my interest in becoming a RJ. An opening had come up at her radio station for the 12 am to 2am slot, and so there I was, getting ready to audition.
I had never been in a studio before, and my only knowledge about radio jockeying was from what I heard on the 6 radio stations in Mumbai. Malini led me to the studio and introduced me to the sound engineer, Vijay, who was sitting in front of a machine, which at that point I could only identify as “the one with too many volume control sliders”.
I was directed to the recording studio. In the studio, I sat down in front of the microphone, having no idea what else to do – hoping that maybe the microphone would be kind enough to make sure that I sounded good during the audition. My prayer to the microphone God was interrupted by Vijay frantically waving at me through a window on my left. He gestured for me to put on the headphones lying on the table. I sheepishly obeyed. Over the headphones, he told me that the computer was recording and that I should start whenever I was ready.
The audition didn’t go well – I was too nervous and made too many mistakes. At the end of it, I walked out of the studio with my head down, mumbled a ‘thank you’ to Malini and Vijay and sought the quickest way out.
The dip in volume as the song fades out, stirs me out of my daydreaming. That dark cloud did have its silver lining. Shortly after the audition, I signed up for a Radio Jockey course which taught me all that I needed to know about the profession. It’s been 2 years hence and my patience, hard work and will to become a RJ have led me to where I currently am.
I recollect reading a saying by a famous personality; something on the lines of using your failures as stepping stones to success. My lips turn upwards in a slow grin as I switch the microphone on.
I race to the University of Mumbai’s Community Radio Station, Radio M.U.S.T. (Mumbai University Student’s Transmission). I am a part time radio jockey with them, hosting a weekly radio show on Thursdays from 9 am to 1 pm.
Luckily, there’s an empty spot just in front of the Radio Station building and I proclaim my thanks to all known gods and goddesses as I park my Renault Logan. I race up the 3 floors to the studio, taking the steps 2 at a time. I burst into the studio as the hour hand on the wall clock comes to rests on 9. Clumsily placing the headphones on my ears, I switch the microphone on, and start my show.
“Namaste, Sat sri akaal, As salamu alaykum, kem chho, kassa kai, Hello Hi. My name is Sumiit and you’re listening to 107.8 FM Radio M.U.S.T., Mumbai University’s very own community radio. There’s no need to carry your umbrella today as the sun is shining brightly, and the weather department is forecasting a bright and sunny day with a maximum temperature of 33 degrees and a minimum of 26 degrees Celsius. I’ll be back with some stock updates, but till then you guys enjoy this song”
I flick the microphone switch to ‘off’, and let out a loud breath, as the first notes of the song start to play. As my heartbeats return to their normal pace, I wipe the beads of perspiration off my brow. Ironically, my first time in a recording studio had a similar kind of effect on me. A chuckle escapes from my mouth as my mind begins to wander.
“Are you ready?”, she asked. I looked up and nodded while trying to muster up a smile. This was RJ Malini, one of the city’s finest RJs, and she was going to take my audition. I had met Malini at a common friend’s party a week ago, and had expressed my interest in becoming a RJ. An opening had come up at her radio station for the 12 am to 2am slot, and so there I was, getting ready to audition.
I had never been in a studio before, and my only knowledge about radio jockeying was from what I heard on the 6 radio stations in Mumbai. Malini led me to the studio and introduced me to the sound engineer, Vijay, who was sitting in front of a machine, which at that point I could only identify as “the one with too many volume control sliders”.
I was directed to the recording studio. In the studio, I sat down in front of the microphone, having no idea what else to do – hoping that maybe the microphone would be kind enough to make sure that I sounded good during the audition. My prayer to the microphone God was interrupted by Vijay frantically waving at me through a window on my left. He gestured for me to put on the headphones lying on the table. I sheepishly obeyed. Over the headphones, he told me that the computer was recording and that I should start whenever I was ready.
The audition didn’t go well – I was too nervous and made too many mistakes. At the end of it, I walked out of the studio with my head down, mumbled a ‘thank you’ to Malini and Vijay and sought the quickest way out.
The dip in volume as the song fades out, stirs me out of my daydreaming. That dark cloud did have its silver lining. Shortly after the audition, I signed up for a Radio Jockey course which taught me all that I needed to know about the profession. It’s been 2 years hence and my patience, hard work and will to become a RJ have led me to where I currently am.
I recollect reading a saying by a famous personality; something on the lines of using your failures as stepping stones to success. My lips turn upwards in a slow grin as I switch the microphone on.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Taxi Ride
“Prabhadevi, Siddhivinayak Mandir?”The only response I get is a trail of black smoke as the rickety taxi drives off.
This was a regular happening. People like me, who have to use public transport to travel short distances during peak hours, will empathise.
I’m one of the lucky few in Mumbai, who lives close to his work place. Usually, I can walk the 1 ½ km home, but there are days when I have to carry more than what can fit in my backpack. This was one of those days.
I shift the hefty bag of thick books from my left to right hand. The left hand should always be free to flag down an unoccupied taxi. Among the crowd of cars heading out of the island city, I see a taxi with its meter up. I don’t remember whether I started waving or praying first, but I seem to have struck the right combination as the taxi slowed down and stopped.
“Prabhadevi, Siddhivinayak Mandir?”, I repeat.
No reply, just a jerk of his head towards the back seat, green signaling my entry into this most coveted ride. I heave a sigh of relief and quickly get in. With a yank of the steering wheel, we join the moving parking lot.
In the 20 minutes that it takes us to reach my home, I thank the cabbie for getting me there. “Bahut kam taxiwale shyam ko chota bhada lete hai” (Very few taxi drivers agree to a short distance fare in the evening), I said.
“Main kabhi koi bhada mana nahi karta. Kya pata, aapko chodne ke baad mujhe lamba bhada mil jaye.” (I never say no to anyone. Who knows, maybe I’ll get a long distance fare after dropping you). I’m glad that he can see the silver lining on my dark cloud.
We reach my destination and I hand over the fare: a Rs.10 note and three Rs.2 coins. As I open my door to step out, a man peeps inside and asks, “Saki naka?” The cabbie gives me a knowing grin and I return a smile of amazement.
Note: Saki naka is in suburban Mumbai, in an area called Andheri. It is 15 kms from Prabhadevi, and would be a fare of approximately Rs. 250 during peak hours.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
How to travel in Mumbai’s local trains
If you’ve taken a train in any big city, you might think you’re a pro on this mode of transportation. It’s quite simple, buy a ticket, wait for the train, get on the train, get off at your designated station. Simple as pie. But add the 6.9 million people who use the local trains for daily commute in Mumbai and the pie just blew up in your face.
The commercial capital of India has an area of 437 sq. km., is surrounded by the sea on 3 sides and is slim at the bottom and widens as you head northwards. At the southern most tip lies the main business district, which effectively means that the majority of the population is headed north to south in the morning and the other way in the evening. The main mode of transportation for the working class is the network of local trains. Running over a total of 427 kms, the train Network in Mumbai is divided into Western, Central and Harbour Lines out of which the Western line handles the most number of travelers. The trains don’t have airconditioning, which means the doors are open at all times, making it quite dangerous to stand at the door when the train is in movement.
So with that background, here are the simple rules of traveling on the local trains (or locals) in Mumbai.
1) Buy a First Class ticket: There are two classes of travel, First Class and Second Class. Second Class compartments are always crowded, so finding a place to sit is difficult at times, and impossible in peak hours. First class compartments are comparatively less crowded, but come at a price, approximately 10 times the price of the second class compartment. But that’s not much. The minimum fare is INR 4 (US$ 0.09) for second class and INR 41 for first class (US$ 0.91). Buy your ticket before you board the train. Many a times there are serpentine queues of people waiting to buy tickets, but you can head to the front of the line if you’re buying a first class ticket.
2) Avoid peak hours: Unless you want your toes tread on, or get someone’s armpit shoved in your face (yes, it does happen), avoid peak hour travel on the train network. During peak hours each compartment holds at least 500 people, compared to the rated holding capacity of 200 people.
3) Know your destination station: Check whether the train is stopping at the station you want to get off at. There are 2 types of trains running, ‘Fast’ and ‘Slow’. These names are not related to the actual speed of the train, but depend on the number of stations that the trains stop on. The ‘Slow’ trains stop at all stations on the route, the ‘Fast’ trains stop at only the major ones.
4) Get on the train: During peak hours, getting on the train seems like one of the toughest things on Earth. People are packed tighter than peas in a pod. Getting in is next to impossible, and very often you will have to leave a train or two. Once you get to the door of the train, climb in and push with all your might to get into the train.
5) When in doubt, ask a fellow traveler: The indicators on the station platform mention the abbreviations of the last stop of the train, which can be very confusing for a new traveler. Also, once inside, there is no way of knowing at which side of the train the next station will come. Therefore, it’s always better to ask rather than scramble across the compartment at the last moment, earning yourself a lot of angry stares.
6) Don’t be in a hurry to get off: Trains with open doors mean that people get on and off the trains before they stop. So, never stand close to the door, thinking you’ll be the 1st one off, because then you’ll have to get off before the trains stops, which needless to say is very dangerous.
7) Look after your stuff: Take care of your belongings as pickpocketing does happen.
8) Enjoy the commute: Mumbaiites spend many hours in their daily commute by trains (Some commute 2 hours on the train, one – way). So the trains end up becoming a moving marketplace, with people selling a variety of fruits, newspapers, keychains, pens and other trinkets. You also have beggars singing, in the hope that you loosen your purse strings.
But like everything, practice makes perfect and after a couple of times you’ll be able to travel on Mumbai locals quite effortlessly.
The commercial capital of India has an area of 437 sq. km., is surrounded by the sea on 3 sides and is slim at the bottom and widens as you head northwards. At the southern most tip lies the main business district, which effectively means that the majority of the population is headed north to south in the morning and the other way in the evening. The main mode of transportation for the working class is the network of local trains. Running over a total of 427 kms, the train Network in Mumbai is divided into Western, Central and Harbour Lines out of which the Western line handles the most number of travelers. The trains don’t have airconditioning, which means the doors are open at all times, making it quite dangerous to stand at the door when the train is in movement.
So with that background, here are the simple rules of traveling on the local trains (or locals) in Mumbai.
1) Buy a First Class ticket: There are two classes of travel, First Class and Second Class. Second Class compartments are always crowded, so finding a place to sit is difficult at times, and impossible in peak hours. First class compartments are comparatively less crowded, but come at a price, approximately 10 times the price of the second class compartment. But that’s not much. The minimum fare is INR 4 (US$ 0.09) for second class and INR 41 for first class (US$ 0.91). Buy your ticket before you board the train. Many a times there are serpentine queues of people waiting to buy tickets, but you can head to the front of the line if you’re buying a first class ticket.
2) Avoid peak hours: Unless you want your toes tread on, or get someone’s armpit shoved in your face (yes, it does happen), avoid peak hour travel on the train network. During peak hours each compartment holds at least 500 people, compared to the rated holding capacity of 200 people.
3) Know your destination station: Check whether the train is stopping at the station you want to get off at. There are 2 types of trains running, ‘Fast’ and ‘Slow’. These names are not related to the actual speed of the train, but depend on the number of stations that the trains stop on. The ‘Slow’ trains stop at all stations on the route, the ‘Fast’ trains stop at only the major ones.
4) Get on the train: During peak hours, getting on the train seems like one of the toughest things on Earth. People are packed tighter than peas in a pod. Getting in is next to impossible, and very often you will have to leave a train or two. Once you get to the door of the train, climb in and push with all your might to get into the train.
5) When in doubt, ask a fellow traveler: The indicators on the station platform mention the abbreviations of the last stop of the train, which can be very confusing for a new traveler. Also, once inside, there is no way of knowing at which side of the train the next station will come. Therefore, it’s always better to ask rather than scramble across the compartment at the last moment, earning yourself a lot of angry stares.
6) Don’t be in a hurry to get off: Trains with open doors mean that people get on and off the trains before they stop. So, never stand close to the door, thinking you’ll be the 1st one off, because then you’ll have to get off before the trains stops, which needless to say is very dangerous.
7) Look after your stuff: Take care of your belongings as pickpocketing does happen.
8) Enjoy the commute: Mumbaiites spend many hours in their daily commute by trains (Some commute 2 hours on the train, one – way). So the trains end up becoming a moving marketplace, with people selling a variety of fruits, newspapers, keychains, pens and other trinkets. You also have beggars singing, in the hope that you loosen your purse strings.
But like everything, practice makes perfect and after a couple of times you’ll be able to travel on Mumbai locals quite effortlessly.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Using an 18th century watch to tell time in Jaipur
“Tu toh Hrithik Roshan dikhe hai” (You look like Hrithik Roshan). In
Here I was at the
I’m a marwari and my hometown is 240 kilometers from Jaipur. Even though I live in Mumbai, my family and I visit our hometown twice every year to pray to our Kuldevi (Family Goddess). During these trips we also visit other places of worship like Salasar Balaji temple, Khatu Shyamji temple and the Ajmer Sharif dargah.
It’s 8 in the morning and I stretch myself as we wait for our taxi to pick us up from Jaipur airport. I see a man dressed in traditional Rajasthani attire with a placard. I crane my neck to see if our name was written on it, but alas, no such luck there. We’ve just arrived on a 6 am flight from Mumbai, which basically ensured that you don’t have a good night’s sleep. I was lucky in a way, as the 2 seats next to me on the flight were empty so I lay down and had an hour’s nap.
A white coloured Toyota Innova rolls to a stop before us (after some frantic waving by dad) and we load our luggage, take a seat and head off to Salasar. We make an early stop for some diesel. 9 km from the airport (area called Sahakari Bhavan) is a petrol pump of BPCL, where 95% of the attendants are ladies. Quite a rare sight in
On the way to Salasar, we stop for a quick breakfast 62 km from Jaipur, at a restaurant called Jhalak (Immediately reminded me of Himesh Reshammiya, his cap and his nasal twang). The pattern breakfast in the north of
A few kilometers ahead is the town of
Rajasthan is one of the drier states of
Our talk gets cut short as we reach a Toll Booth and we need to pay 25 INR. A couple of young boys run up to the car offering fresh mullis (radish), 2 for 10 INR. The toll tax that is being collected is being put to a good use as the roads are in good condition and speeds of 80 kmph are achievable even though it is a two way road.
One thing you should know about Raju, is that he seems to be a big fan of Formula 1 racing. He might not know the names of the drivers or their teams, but he’s very good at imitating their on-track antics as he pushes the
On the way back to Jaipur we cross Navalgarh (140 km from Jaipur). This is a small town which hosts a camel fair for 10 to 15 days near the end of October. From here the fair moves to its more famous avatar at Pushkar, where the fair is held during from 12th to 21st November.
“You went to Jaipur and didn’t see any of the palaces?” is what my friends would have told me had I returned to Mumbai without taking in some of the sights of Jaipur. So the next day we head out to see some of the city’s heritage before we head home.
The City Palace of Jaipur is where the current King, Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh, still resides with his family. A part of the palace is open for the public to see and enjoy. Our guide, Digvijay, accompanies us through the palace and entertains us with trivia about the palace and the erstwhile kings. Our first stop is the Mubarak Mahal. Built by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II in 19th century to entertain his guests, today it has on display an array of robes, bedspreads, turbans and other textiles used by the kings and queens. A wedding robe, made of muslin from Dhaka and having 320 pleats, Maharaja Man Singh II’s winter as well as summer polo attire, Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II’s (who was 7 feet tall, had a chest measuring 4 feet and weighed 250 kgs) robe and pyjama and many other clothes are on display.
The Diwan – i – Khaas (Private meeting chamber of the King) has 2 large Silver Urns. These urns weigh 350 kgs each and can hold 900 galloons of water. Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II would drink and use only water from the River Ganga to bathe. When he went to
A little ahead was the Diwan – i – Aam (Public meeting chamber of the King). The grandeur of this room is a sight to be seen. Intricate leaf and flower patterns made using real gold, adorn the ceilings. A crystal chandelier hangs in the centre of the hall. This chandelier was brought from
An interesting fact that I learned here is that the modern game of Polo actually originated from
Even before that, polo has been popular in
Jantar Mantar
Yantar means instrument and Mantar means formula or calculation. But over time, the Y of yantar got converted to J, which is why it is now known as Jantar Mantar. The Jantar Mantar is located opposite the
The gem in the Jantar Mantar’s crown is the 90 foot (27 m) tall Sun Dial (World’s largest) (also called Samrat Yantra) which tells you the time with an accuracy of 2 seconds. Jeetendra Singh, our guide, pointed out one important fact, “The Sun Dial can tell you the exact time at Jaipur. But since Indian standard time is derived from
Other instruments like the Jaiprakash Yantra tell you what Sun Sign the Sun currently is in, while the Narivalaya Yantra lets you know whether the Sun is in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, all based on where the Sun’s rays fall. Further down, are 13 constructions of stones (some in the form of stairs, triangles, etc.) facing a particular direction and set at a specific angle. When you look along the plain of the top end of the construction you can see the North Star or the star of the particular Sun Sign that the construction corresponds to. These contraptions can be tested only at night, but unfortunately the Jantar Mantar shuts its doors at 5 pm.
“The level of perfection that Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II wanted in these instruments can be seen in the fact that each instrument was first made in the form of a rough model, then a miniature scaled model and finally the actual instrument was constructed” points out Jeetendra. He adds that all three models of each instrument are still present here.
All the instruments are made specifically for Jaipur’s location (Latitude of 27 degrees North), so if they were to be exactly replicated at any other place they would not work correctly.
I’m so glad I took some time out and visited the
Before we said our good byes, I had one last thing to ask Jeetendra. “Why is Jaipur called the Pink city? Is it because of a certain stone used in the buildings?” Laughing, he replied, “Nahi Sir, in 1853 the Prince of Wales was visiting India and the king at that time (Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II) got the city painted pink, since pink was considered the color of hospitality. From that time on, the main road inside the walled city, where the Hawa Mahal stands, is pink in colour and Jaipur is known as the pink city.”
This makes me curious, why is
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Best Mother in the World
Beep beep! I turn to pick up my mobile to see who had sent me a SMS. This is what flashed on the screen:
“Motherhood’s the toughest 24 hour lifetime job. No pay, no days off, no qualifications or training are given and most unappreciated and yet resignation is impossible! So send this to anyone who’s a terrific mum and let her know she’s absolutely wonderful”
A small message but it’s bang on target. It correctly defines every mother on this earth. I immediately forwarded it to my mom. If I could, I would have forwarded it to every mother on this planet because so many of us take our mothers for granted, that it’s our God given right to demand things to be done by her.
Many of you must have read the comic strip “The Family Circus” by Bill and Jeff Keane. I remember this particular comic strip that appeared in a newspaper in Mumbai, where the mother is sitting in a bank. She has filled a form, and in the field ‘Profession’ she’s written ‘Housewife’, but in her mind are running these thoughts ‘Baby sitter, driver, cook, cleaner, laundry in charge, doctor, teacher, counselor’ and so on. This is so true, every mother has to juggle so many roles but she always manages to conduct a fine balancing act.
Many forget to acknowledge and recognize the positive impact that their mother has had on them. After all it is usually the mother with whom the child shares the closest bond, for it is she who has carried the child in her womb for 9 months and nourished it from an embryo to an infant.
It is the same for me; I share a very strong bond with my mom. She’s more of a friend than a mother. What I am today is all thanks to her teachings, her sacrifices and her efforts.
How do I count the ways in which my mother has positively impacted my life? How, when I was ill, she wouldn’t sleep the whole night just to make sure that I slept well. How she patiently helped me read and write. How she taught me to pray, not just for myself but for others as well. How she rarely went out with her friends at night, just so that I would not have to sleep alone. How she would keep fasts in the names of different Gods and Goddesses, so that no obstacles would block my path. How she was stern and sweet, both in good measures.
Always leading by example, these huge efforts by my mom will always stay etched in my mind when I raise my children.
There were many instances when I would be upset with my mother and throw childish tantrums because some whim or fancy of mine had not been fulfilled. Quite often my grandma would give in to these tantrums of mine just to keep me happy, but it was in these instances that my mother would have to go through her tests of fire. She would quite often hold her stand and didn’t mind being labeled the ‘villain’ by me. She knew that she was providing the balance required to bring up a well mannered child. In the long run, it has paid off well and I am extremely thankful that she was strict with me at times, for otherwise I would have become a spoilt brat.
When I was fresh out of school, this chubby, insecure, shy teenager would tremble at the thought of making new friends. I remember how my mom forced me to join a public speaking class, and that was one of the biggest turning points of my life. I shed my inhibitions and became an active participant in all extra curricular activities in my college. The introvert had been transformed to an extrovert who went on to become the vice chairman of his extra curricular club.
I remember reading this line on the internet - “You can learn many things from a child, how much patience you have, for instance”
My mom always had a lot of patience with me. She would take as much time required in explaining things to me and work on my faults and mistakes without losing her cool. She has always taught me to stay away from comparisons, never to compare myself to another and to be happy with what I have. Everyone has their own destiny; their own place in this world. This is why I am content with my current place in the world and am not part of the rat race.
As a kid, I had some trouble with my ‘R’s but it’s all thanks to her that the kid who used to say “lound the lock the lugged loaver lan” instead of “round the rock the rugged rover ran” now lends his voice to radio spots, corporate videos and effortlessly anchors shows in front of a live audience.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have such a gem of a mother. I truly believe that I must have done a whole bunch of good deeds in my past life to have her as my mother in this life.
Many would say “All mothers do this; my mother also brought me up with great pains. She is the best mother in the world”.
You’ve told me, but have you told her?
“Motherhood’s the toughest 24 hour lifetime job. No pay, no days off, no qualifications or training are given and most unappreciated and yet resignation is impossible! So send this to anyone who’s a terrific mum and let her know she’s absolutely wonderful”
A small message but it’s bang on target. It correctly defines every mother on this earth. I immediately forwarded it to my mom. If I could, I would have forwarded it to every mother on this planet because so many of us take our mothers for granted, that it’s our God given right to demand things to be done by her.
Many of you must have read the comic strip “The Family Circus” by Bill and Jeff Keane. I remember this particular comic strip that appeared in a newspaper in Mumbai, where the mother is sitting in a bank. She has filled a form, and in the field ‘Profession’ she’s written ‘Housewife’, but in her mind are running these thoughts ‘Baby sitter, driver, cook, cleaner, laundry in charge, doctor, teacher, counselor’ and so on. This is so true, every mother has to juggle so many roles but she always manages to conduct a fine balancing act.
Many forget to acknowledge and recognize the positive impact that their mother has had on them. After all it is usually the mother with whom the child shares the closest bond, for it is she who has carried the child in her womb for 9 months and nourished it from an embryo to an infant.
It is the same for me; I share a very strong bond with my mom. She’s more of a friend than a mother. What I am today is all thanks to her teachings, her sacrifices and her efforts.
How do I count the ways in which my mother has positively impacted my life? How, when I was ill, she wouldn’t sleep the whole night just to make sure that I slept well. How she patiently helped me read and write. How she taught me to pray, not just for myself but for others as well. How she rarely went out with her friends at night, just so that I would not have to sleep alone. How she would keep fasts in the names of different Gods and Goddesses, so that no obstacles would block my path. How she was stern and sweet, both in good measures.
Always leading by example, these huge efforts by my mom will always stay etched in my mind when I raise my children.
There were many instances when I would be upset with my mother and throw childish tantrums because some whim or fancy of mine had not been fulfilled. Quite often my grandma would give in to these tantrums of mine just to keep me happy, but it was in these instances that my mother would have to go through her tests of fire. She would quite often hold her stand and didn’t mind being labeled the ‘villain’ by me. She knew that she was providing the balance required to bring up a well mannered child. In the long run, it has paid off well and I am extremely thankful that she was strict with me at times, for otherwise I would have become a spoilt brat.
When I was fresh out of school, this chubby, insecure, shy teenager would tremble at the thought of making new friends. I remember how my mom forced me to join a public speaking class, and that was one of the biggest turning points of my life. I shed my inhibitions and became an active participant in all extra curricular activities in my college. The introvert had been transformed to an extrovert who went on to become the vice chairman of his extra curricular club.
I remember reading this line on the internet - “You can learn many things from a child, how much patience you have, for instance”
My mom always had a lot of patience with me. She would take as much time required in explaining things to me and work on my faults and mistakes without losing her cool. She has always taught me to stay away from comparisons, never to compare myself to another and to be happy with what I have. Everyone has their own destiny; their own place in this world. This is why I am content with my current place in the world and am not part of the rat race.
As a kid, I had some trouble with my ‘R’s but it’s all thanks to her that the kid who used to say “lound the lock the lugged loaver lan” instead of “round the rock the rugged rover ran” now lends his voice to radio spots, corporate videos and effortlessly anchors shows in front of a live audience.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have such a gem of a mother. I truly believe that I must have done a whole bunch of good deeds in my past life to have her as my mother in this life.
Many would say “All mothers do this; my mother also brought me up with great pains. She is the best mother in the world”.
You’ve told me, but have you told her?
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