madness n mayhem

monstrous minds abound
in young bodies
such wicked thoughts rebound
there's no end to this mayhem
till there will be this madness
to ignore all finer feelings
to destroy faith and any feeling of belonging
like the Taj lies solitary
and leaves us all deposed.
This atrocity in Mumbai is an eyeopener..perhaps the last chance we all have to really awaken. To the reality of today..of where ..small petty negligences, rivalries and maybe the thirst for a few more bucks can lead to.
The tragedy of some fanatical, illogical group to dare to lay hands on the pride of every true Indian and the sensibility of every upright citizen..be they of any nationality is a fearful indication of what we are generally resigning ourselves to get used to...this I'msure is what many hearts do think ..hearts which weep with the smoke from the burning Taj..the smouldering insecurity in our own vicinity and the searing insensitivity of 'our own' youth.

childrens day :)

Childrens day…!
14th November, the birthday of India’s first prime minister- Jawaharlal Nehru is earmarked as ‘children’s day’ in India. A day on which his love and affection for children is remembered and reiterated by one and all..be they children or adults.He was of the firm belief that an educated childhood lead to an educated, intelligent youth and further an upright and confident individual who is the building block of a society …and in a larger frame ,a nation. An ingenious thought! Though mostly this day is marked by joy and revelry on the children’s camp, there are a few adults who recall the true purpose and concept of this day …like people who help, volunteer and organize for the education of those children who are deprived or unaware of what is their right .’Akanksha’ is one such organization that is wholeheartedly involved in the task of identifying children ,areas where education has not seen the light of day! By physically collecting the young ones…some frisky, some timid, some traumatized, some happy , some curious and some downright…dubious! and taking them to informal classrooms where the basics of reading, writing , math and most importantly expressing ones thoughts i.e communicating skills are imparted to them, the teachers and volunteers play a major role in making ‘ Chacha(Uncle) Nehru’s’ vision come true! As a teeny weeeny part of this program , during a story telling session which I’d contributed to ,it came to my mind how these people work hard so that the valuable and golden years of these young kids are no longer wasted in ignorance of worthwhile knowledge /skills and acquisition of anti social tendencies or addictions but assimilating social and scientific temperaments and a peep into the world which beckons them with innumerable opportunities to make it better…to make it bigger.Hats off to all at ‘Akanksha’…and special fireworks for you too!...here’s to www.Akanksha.org!

Randomgames....

Randompics….

From the 13th to the 18th of October 2008, the city of pune in India witnessed a spectacular change, an invigorating and exhilarating experience of hosting the 3rd Commonwealth Youth Games at the spacious and world class Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports complex….more familiar as the ‘Balewadi Sports Complex’.Participating in the games were over 1200 youth sportspersons from 71 countries… each as diverse and different as they could ever be! With the CGA(Commonwealth games Association) persons putting their all in organizing this mammoth 9 games event- right from the pre games logistics to the post team departure clearances with a massive amount of sport, youth, cultural , residential as well as culinary gymnastics thrown in- in between,the contribution of the wee volunteer did not go unnoticed or unappreciated! With people from diverse backgrounds pitching in to aid in technical liason to some wonderful shopping , its been an experience to treasure and some friendships to cherish!
Look here’s the proof!
Young minds all agog to assimilate India in all her glory and bewildering idiosyncracies, the psychedelic and vibrant colours, the milling crowds,the constant voices all around and of course…the warm sun! thrilled to their core and asking for more..!

A Random Repose….

Serene Sajjangad----- the name speaks it all. With a four hour@66 Rs bus ride and another 30 min @12 Rs bus journey the route to the majestic and almost mystical fort of Sajjangad seems amusingly puny! Its tough to pull the wildly wandering ‘ six ‘senses to follow a common , orderly itinerary on arrival but wait…slowly and gently the ambience settles them all and before you know it ……mind and body reach that blissful state of harmony which pleasantly surprises one and all! The aura of the fort instills a strange sense of self discipline..the scenic delights dull the need for any artificial stimulants and you can happily just be …you!But wait…even rustic forts need to provide a source of income to its inhabitants so a confrontation with a wily and resourceful buttermilk vendor can be a reallllly enlightening experience(solid proof enclosed!) In a wisp of a land where there is no fear whatsoever of whatsoever..even a wee little squirrel will greedily hop onto your lap for a nibble at some savoury snack! And there’s more … for the religiously inclined folk, prayers begin at the crack of dawn to the popping up of the moon and for the trek lovers, there’s so much space to cover and so many little ,amazing details to uncover…

In case,

you are a person

who agrees with the old adage

here’s your chance…

to experience ….

lots of peace ,

communing with nature

and….. a little sundance !

randomsabbaticals

this really can be tiresome...
blogging ,logging and therafter .....just 'hibernating'!
well,its time to wake up and share all those amazing experiences...exciting ,ennervating,pulsating..
some quite vexing too.But mostly really gratifying.
from moving house to setting up a new place- from volunteering for an international set of sports events to taking a solitary step out on a quiet fort
from catching up with family and folks to settling back in the daily rigmarole of life...its been all about 'returning' ..to places and people..... who appeal and which can lovingly heal !
so you see, im simply back :)
look out!