Wednesday 5 October 2011

#KashmereGateDurjaPuja: Oldest in Delhi and the best





Kashmere Gate Durja Puja: Oldest and the best


Apart from our freedom fighters and the elderly generation, guess who has seen the transition of power from the days of the British Raj to a free India in the National Capital? The Yamuna, the monolithic monuments lying for centuries and the over 100-year-old Durga Puja festivities at Kashmere Gate, the city’s oldest and the most popular.The Delhi Durga Puja Samiti (DDPS), also known as the Kashmere Gate Durga Puja – currently held in the lawns of Bengali Senior Secondary School, Alipur Road – started way back in the year 1910 at Roshanpura Kali Mandir near Nai Sarak as ‘Barowari Puja’ (public festival).The puja was an effort on the part of the probasi (expatriate) Bengalis living in the city, especially one railway doctor Hemchandra Sen (whose efforts saw it being started from a rented place at Roshanpura). Subsequently, Lala Lachminarayan and his son Lala Girdhari Lal helped the puja samiti grow by providing them space (from 1913 to 1946) in their Dharamshala located near Fathepuri Mosque. With Bengalis embracing English education, many had to leave home to serve in different parts of the country during British times. This brought a clutch of Bengalis to the city. In 1911, when Delhi was officially declared the Capital of British India, a good chunk of them came to work in various government offices. These educated Bengalis formed a close knit community, unhindered by petty professional jealousies. This gave a huge thrust to the annual Durga puja celebrations. At first (in 1910 and 1911), the puja in Delhi was performed by ritually consecrating the ‘mangal ghata’ – the earthenware pot, symbol of the ‘Devi’. Enthusiasm was unbounded when idol worship (pratima puja) started in 1912. With the help of late Parmananda Biswas, who happened to be a Christian gentleman, an idol was brought from Varanasi (Kashi) with help from railway employees. This arrangement continued till 1925. From 1926, the idol began to be made in the city itself. And since then, there was no looking back. Many eminent persons visited this puja venue, including stalwarts like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in 1935 and Smt Indira Gandhi, the then PM, in 1969.“We make it a point to spend a day at the Kashmere Gate Durga Puja. We are following this tradition since the days of our grandfather. There is something about this puja which we don’t get anywhere else,” says Shayamal Banerjee, a regular who comes all the way from CR Park, the hub of puja festivities in Delhi. About the Durga Puja
In all these years, the DDPS has surprisingly been able to maintain the traditional aura and atmosphere of Durga Puja celebrations akin to 'Rajbaris' of Bengal. At the Kashmere Gate puja, Goddess Durga is always in the traditional 'Daaker Saaj' (with one frame idol), her garments are stylish, crimped decoration in silver and gold, with an intricate glittering crown and huge earrings. On Dashmi evening, when the idols are immersed in the Yamuna, DDPS arrives with their magnificent but tranquil goddess on a bullock cart chanting 'Durga Mai Ki Jai' and drum beats by at least 10-12 dhakis (Bengali drummers) accompanied by the men and women in dhoti-kurta and red-bordered saree, respectively. Besides being the oldest, what’s so special about this puja? Samarendra Bose, private secretary of Delhi Durga Puja Samiti says, “In our pandal, we allow only Bengali songs. Over 100 of our committee members are in dhoti kurta and saris. When people visit our puja they get a homely feeling and do not feel like leaving the place.”One more speciality of the puja is the food stall put by the Bengali Club every year (the club is declared as Heritage building by the MCD). “Biryani and korma are the favourite of our stall,” says Bose. Bose is associated with the puja since the ’70s. Ask him about the difference between then and now, and Bose says, “Earlier we used to stage three Bengali plays every year. Now people want to see good plays but it’s difficult to get good play groups. The real art is missing somewhere.”Eco-friendly pujaThe capital's oldest puja is also eco-friendly. The idol is made of biodegradable material so that the Yamuna does not get polluted after immersion. In addition to this, the colours used to paint the idol are vegetable dye-based shades. Non-biodegradable accessories are removed before the final send-off. While the clothes adorned by idols are given away to the poor, flowers collected during the puja period are preserved and handed over to an NGO for making eco-friendly colours.What’s special this year?Barun Mukherjee, president of Delhi Durga Puja Samiti, said, “This year is the 102nd year of our puja celebrations. On Saptami day, a special programme on Rabindranath Tagore is being organised as it is the 150th birth anniversary of Kabi Guru. Out station and local artistes will perform on the occasion. Dance and songs will be the highlight as it is difficult to get good drama group nowadays.”So, if you want a taste of original Bengali culture and experience Durga Puja in the way it is celebrated in West Bengal, don’t miss the opportunity this year and make it a point to take part in the Kashmere Gate puja festivities.
Kakoli Thakur

When the Goddess comes home



When the Goddess comes home
 
 
Ask a Bengali what is Durga Puja for him or her and the answer will be – everything, the excitement of which cannot be compared with anything else. Such is the spirit when Puja happens in the neighbourhood, or even far away. Imagine the amount of enthusiasm and sense of joy if it is celebrated at home. We speak to two such fortunate families who Ma Durga blesses by visiting their homes every year. For Swati Hom Chowdhury, this will be the fourth puja at their home. Swati recalls August 1, 2008, when the idea first struck them. “It was my son and daughter’s birthday and we were sitting in our drawing room when suddenly my daughter said ‘let’s do Durga Puja this time’. Immediately, we called my mother’s place in Assam, where Basanti (another form of Ma Durga) puja takes place every year and took an idea of the budget and everything and that day itself we decided that we will welcome Ma Durga in our home.”At the Hom Chowdhury home, preparations start three months before for Durga Puja. First, they place order for the idol which is made in Sangam Vihar every year by the same person.One month before, they print invitation cards and post them to their relatives who come all the way from Assam, Kolkata and Allahabad. Two dhakis (drummers) come every year from Malda in Bengal. The two purohits (priests) come from Kolkata. On Panchami day, the Pratima (idol) arrives and adibash puja is performed followed by Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami. Dhunuchi nritya (arati) and bhog are important part of the puja. Swati says, “This year, as Dashami falls on a Thursday we will not immerse the idol on that day as we don’t send our daughters to their in-laws place on that day. So Ma will stay with us one more day and bisarjan will happen on Friday.”  They bid adieu to the idol with tears and after seven days they also perform Lakshmi puja. Is celebrating Durga Puja at home tough? Swati says, “I don’t think celebrating Durga Puja is tough. Like, when we do Saraswati and Lakshmi puja at home we need flowers, belpatta and other things in small amounts, since Durga Puja is a four-day puja, we need more of these.”   Keya Chowdhury started doing Durga Puja in her home in 2002. She recalls, “It was not planned. We went to Shiv mandir to see the idol and a spontaneous thought came to my mind to do Durga Puja. I told my husband about it and he readily agreed. We bought a ready-made idol that year which was not sold till then. I was little scared inside that will I be able to manage four-day puja. But things started falling in place automatically. ““There is a puja essentials shop in CR Park. When we contacted them, things became easy. They have a list of separate days and they send everything on their own. Neighbours helped in giving puja utensils and everything,” Keya said.  In the first year the pandal area was small and the amount of bhog prepared for guests was limited. But with the passing of each year, things started happening on a larger scale. Every year they see different designs of idols on the net and order accordingly. Once their idol was designed with the eyes like Lord Jagannath, another year in Madhubani style and once the crown of the idol had a flower design. So what’s special this year? “This year our idol will have two hands instead of 10. In one hand, she will hold a lotus and the second hand will be for blessing. She will wear a white sari with red border instead of Banarasi sari. She will be the symbol of peace with no instruments. There will be no Asura,” says Keya. They invite three dhakis who come from Midnapur. Last year, one of their purohits came from Midnapur and the second from Dehradun. In the evenings, the family members do arati and dance.    Talking about other specialities of her home puja, Keya says, “The puja bhog is made in the traditional way. In most of the places, khichdi bhog is prepared for people. So in our place we prepare polao all three days. We specially think of those senior citizens who move around from pandal to pandal and do not get bhog. We also prepare sukta, ichor (typical Bengali veg dishes) which is very uncommon.”   So folks, when you get tired visiting community pandals, do find some time to visit these home pujas and trust us, you will surely experience the divine feeling.
 Kakoli Thakur

Sunday 3 April 2011

No kidding: Children call the shots in fashion wear, Published in Dainik Jagran Cityplus, July 31, 2009



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http://previous.jagrancityplus.com/storydetail.aspx?articleid=15292&editionid=173&catgid=6&cityid=2



No kidding: Children call the shots in fashion wear

 
 
 
If someone says fashion is all about men and women's wear, they ought to be kidding, literally.
Children's fashion is no child's play. It is a big industry because kids are as fashion conscious as adults. In your childhood there must have been a few instances when you must have thrown tantrums over some frilly dress that caught your fancy. Nowadays, the story is different. As a parent you may burn your pocket on getting a dress that you think would suit your child but if she/he decides that it not 'wearable' it won't even be touched! 
But the blame does not go entirely to genxers because even yesteryear kids and today's parents want their children to dress smartly right from birth.
Responding to the huge demand there is a market full of a variety of dresses in formal, casual, Indian, Western, Indo-Western fusion, etc. Accessories like shoes and purses are also a big business.
In fact, kids' wear is many times more expensive than adult wear. You will get a shirt for as low as Rs 100 at a local garments shop, but a children's wear does not even come close in the 'lowly' amount.
Almost all major stores, be it low-cost ones like Big Bazaar and Vishal or high-end ones like Westside and Shopper's Stop have a dedicated corner for children and infant wear. Then, there are exclusive children's wear shops like Lilliput, Kids Kemp and the like.
A family arguing what dress to buy for dear daughter is just one instance of how the kids know their mind. While Shreya and her mother wanted to buy a mini-skirt, her father had selected one of medium-length. Shreya tried to convince papa saying, "Come on papa, I want the mini skirt. This trend is in now."
Media has a big role to play in the increasing popularity of children's fashion, be it television, films or kids' fashion shows. With child actors or celebrities getting so much media attention and designers designing exclusively for them, today's kids are becoming all the more fashion conscious.
Parents are all the more excited to make celebrities out of their children. "My son participated in a local fashion event and he won the 1st runner-up prize. I always search classified ads to look for such ads," says Renu Shah proudly.
Rajesh Chandola was stunned when one day his daughter said, "I need a backless dress like Kareena Kapoor. She looks sexy in that." 

VARIETY IS THE WORD: Cityplus looks at some fashion trends for children

Girl's wear: There is an enticing range of girls' apparel, including shirts, trousers, t-shirts, skirts, long skirts and others.  
In tops there are a variety of styles like sleeveless, knitted, fancy, V-neck, hooded, round neck, tank tops, short sleeve, striped. 

Jeans: If your daughter loves to dress up in stylish jeans there are lots of brands like True Religion, Diesel, Seven, Lucky Brand and more. You will get designs like straight-legged, boot cut, slim fit or capri girls' jeans. 

Pyjamas: For nightwear too, there are pyjama sets, nightgowns, robes, nightshirts and other jammies in pretty colours and prints.  

Special occasion dresses: Whether it's wedding day or school day, there is a dress for every occasion like empire waist dresses, jumpers, patchwork dresses, wraps, drawstring dresses, pleated dresses, adjustable spaghetti straps etc.  

Tunics: Aesthetically designed and intricately carved, there is a wide range of tunics available in numerous styles, colours and manufactured as per latest trends.  

Boys' dresses: Even the boys' section has a wide range of variety like capris, t-shirts, shirts, shorts, jeans, pants, jackets, Spiderman suit, formal and casual, tuxedos.

—Kakoli Thakur
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Vacations will not be fun due to homework





Vacations will not be fun due to homework



 
Summer holidays are in. Children are happy that at least they don't have to go to school in the scorching heat. But there is a spoiler–holiday homework. Not just kids, holiday homework has become a burden for the parents as well.
Schools assign difficult homework to children on topics not usually done in class. It becomes difficult for parents, specially working ones, as they have to help their children complete these tough projects or, sometimes, do it themselves. Apart from daily chores, running from bookstore to stationery shops to gather material for holiday homework becomes a routine task.
Palak, a first standard kid, has been asked to make a scenery with waste products or unused material at home as Environmental Science homework. In English, she is asked to make chain of 25-30 words with each alphabet. As part of Hindi homework, she has to write maximum number of words with each alphabet and draw pictures with each word.
Palak says sadly, "Our teacher asked us to enjoy our holidays but we have to write so much daily. When will we have fun?"
Palak's mom Anju Singh is not too happy: "It becomes the headache for parents like us to make our children finish their holiday homework. Half of the task I have to do for her. You can't expect a six-year-old to find waste material at home and make scenery out of it. This time, there is holiday homework for all subjects. And for each subject, I have to buy new copies, along with scrap books, pictures to paste, chart papers and what not."
Palak's mom detailed another difficult task her daughter has been assigned–make a hut with matchsticks and count how many sticks were pasted on each surface of the hut. "How many six-year-old kids will be able to do that perfectly? Obviously I had to do it for her."
Eight-year-old Mahasweta is a third standard student. Her mother Urmila Das is worried about her daughter's Environmental Studies homework.
"She has been asked to draw pictures of her activities from morning till she goes to bed. Mahasweta is not good in drawing, even I am the same. Now I am looking for someone who can do this homework for her. Rest of the subjects I can manage. I even brought reference books from the market."
Mahasweta is not happy because along with holiday homework, she has been asked to learn so many things during the holidays.
"For Hindi and Maths, we have been given tasks on a daily basis. So I have to do them daily otherwise I won't be able to finish them. I don't want to get scolding from teacher. I hardly get time to play. This time I won't be able to go to my grandma's place also," says Mahasweta, almost on the verge of breaking down.
For poor Mahasweta and Palak and hundreds of students like them, thanks to holiday homework, vacations will never be fun again.

—Kakoli Thakur
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Durga Puja: The lifeline of Bengalis




Durga Puja: The lifeline of Bengalis

 
 
Say Durga Puja and a Bengali can go on and on. In fact the wait for Durga Puja starts the moment idols are taken for immersion on Dashami day. "Durga Ma will come after one year," people start saying in a sad and yet optimistic tone. And the countdown begins.
Artisans start making idols months before puja. Another group of people starts building pandals with paper, wood, bamboos, clothes and variety of other decorative materials. They come up with beautiful structures - depicting various themes, palaces, places, etc. - and it is tough to believe that these are made for only a couple of days or a week.
When only one or two months are left for the Puja, the shopping craze starts. It's like the more clothes you buy the better it is, along with accessories, footwear and what not.
It is not just buying for yourselves, because give and take of gifts is an important feature of the festivities. Markets and traders make the most of it and flaunt the latest designs.
And when the first board or banner comes up announcing the heralding of puja, there is a smile in every face.
And when puja arrives, the frenzy gets deeper and intense. All the four days, starting with Mahashaptami, it is holiday time for schools, colleges and even offices. Some even plan a short holiday trip.
Girls and women make a beeline at beauty parlours and spend a fortune to don a fresh look.
While the festive fervour begins months before, the deep religious mood sets in with Mahalaya, around a week before the arrival of the idol.
The idols arrive on the evening of Shasti with chanting of Durga Mai Ki Joi and Ma Durga is greeted just like a daughter is welcomed in her parent's home, along with her children Kartik, Ganesh, Saraswati and Lakshmi.
The dhakis (drummers) build up the mood with the unique beats of Durga Puja and Bengalis go gaga with the rhythm.
Saptami, Asthami, Navami and Dashmi mornings are puja time and people flock to puja pandals. There is unique philharmonic of conch shells, the 'ulu dhani' (tongue sounds) of women, the burning of dhoop (incense), pushpanjalis (flower offerings) and of course, the chanting of hymns and prayers and later having prasad with a distinct and unique taste, of course flaunting new dresses all four days of the festival.
With sunset, hordes of people move from pandal to pandal all decked up to have a glimpse of different idols and beautifully decorated pandals. Cultural functions and arati competitions are an integral part of the celebrations. And forgetting all diet lessons, they all become great foodies. They have a tendency to taste everything and anything at all food stalls at different pandals.
In the last day, Dashami, a tearful farewell is offered to the Goddess. Women wear white saris with red border for sindoor khela (put vermillion on each other's faces). Women prepare a delicious elaborate lunch at home. The images are carried in processions around the locality and finally immersed in a nearby river or lake. After the immersion people greet Vijaya Dashami to each other and children touch elders' feet. The festivity ends with distribution of sweets to friends, neighbours and relatives with the hope of a prosperous year ahead with the Goddess' blessings. And a call to Mother Durga to come back again next year.
—Kakoli Thakur

Follow my blog: Mixed Bag

Alternative therapies: Ayurveda, alloveda are in



Alternative therapies: Ayurveda, alloveda are in


 
Suresh Tomar was constantly being troubled by cold, fever and body ache. He didn't want to go for allopathic treatment as he dreaded antibiotics. When a friend suggested going to a homeopath, he reluctantly agreed. The homeopathic medicine worked wonders and a week later, Suresh was a happy man. "My fever, cold and ache were gone. I had heard of homeopathy but never tried it. I never thought it would work," he says enthusiastically.
Liver problems had made Rajeev Gupta's life miserable. Like Suresh, he too was wary of antibiotics. He continued to suffer for many years till someone recommended Ayurvedic treatment. It took some months, but Rajeev is a relieved man now. Though not completely cured, he can take food like a normal person and feels a lot better.

Alternative Therapies
Welcome to the world of alternative therapy.
Owing to increasing awareness about the possible side-effects of allopathic treatment (read antibiotics) and the cost factor, people are increasingly turning to alternative therapies– homeopathy, ayurveda and alloveda.
Three years back, BBC reported about a survey conducted by a diagnostic clinic in  London, which combines orthodox and complementary medicine. The survey that randomly questioned 1,000 people threw up interesting facts.
Sixty-eight percent of 1,000 people questioned had faith in alternative therapies, such as herbal medicine. Twenty-five percent thought western medicine was the only way to treat health problems, the survey found. People aged between 35 to 44 were the most likely to have faith in complementary medicine.

Popularity Syndrome
The popularity of alternative therapies has prompted UK government to pledge £900,000 to fund the regulation of some complementary medicine, BBC reported.
In India, though there is no such recent survey to back the popularity of alternative medicines, a quick round of any neighbourhood in a city like Delhi or Mumbai reveals the rising number of homeopaths and ayurvedic doctors.
Homeopath Dr. Suresh Sachdev agrees, "Yes, on seeing good results, the number of people opting for homeopathy has definitely increased. The reason is that it can cure chronic diseases– whether it is an emotional problem, acidity or even stones in the kidney. Homeopathy has more or less treatment for all diseases if clinically diagnosed at the right time."  
Another fellow homeopath Dr. Suraj Singh Tanwar agrees with Dr Sachdev. He says the main reason why people are trying homeopathy is that awareness about the alternative therapy has increased. "Treatment is without any side-effects and pain. So people think why not try this out?"
Ayurveda is another alternative treatment that has been around for ages but has become popular due to television and the likes of Baba Ramdev. In emergency cases, ayurveda has its own limitations but it does wonders in gastro-enteritis, liver problems, constipation, ulcer, respiratory disease, allergy and such other chronic diseases.
Ayurvedic doctor Dr. Parul Gupta says ayurvedic medicines keep the natural balance, work internally and improve the whole metabolism process. "If a patient comes at the initial stage, the root cause of the disease can be treated. Even chronic diseases like diabetes can be controlled. If the metals used in the herbs are used in right percentage, it can do wonders. Herbs have the power of regeneration and rejuvenation of new cells."
Dr Gupta has a word of caution too– never go for self-medication in Ayurveda and be aware of quacks. "Knowing the name of a medicine is not enough. Also, quacks try to befool patients, especially in ayurveda. Before approaching any ayurvedic doctor, the patient should check if he/she is registered or not." 

ALLOVEDA
A new name alloveda that has cropped up is 'alloveda', a system that combines allopathy and ayurveda. Dr Shashibala, who practises this form of treatment says, she goes for this type of treatment when a patient cannot be treated only through allopathy or ayurveda. "Then we have to combine both. We see that it does not interact in a negative way. Like in rheumatic arthritis cases we can't go only with  ayurveda because ayurveda does not have analgesic (pain killers). Then we have to take the help of allopathy. When the patient is relieved of the pain, we continue with ayurveda," she adds.
Dr Shashibala said right now in Moolchand Hospital, nearly 20-30 per cent patients are going through this type of treatment.
Allopath Dr AK Bali agrees that lots of people are going for alternative treatment but still roots for his field. "Allopathy gives fast results because it has scientifically proved evidence-based medicines for every disease. We start treating the patient after clinical testing and can change medicines depending on how the patient
is reacting."   

—Kakoli Thakur


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Dream come true, Published in Times of India, edit page, Sept 6, 2008,



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DREAM COME TRUE: View From The Top

Kakoli Thakur,  Sept 6, 2008
Like any other couple, we were elated the day we were shifting from our cramped rented house to our own flat. It was just a one-bedroom apartment but nevertheless, it was our very own flat, no less than our dream home. It had been a long, tiring day and by the time we reached our flat, it was already dark. We tried to settle our stuff with the help of packers and movers. And when we'd settled the mess, we thought there could be nothing better than relaxing in the balcony with some coffee. Sitting in the balcony, we recalled the day we first came to see the flat on a casual visit. It was a corner flat and the biggest plus was the view from the balcony: a small river canal flowing by with lush green cover on both sides and crystal clean water. We felt lucky we didn't have to see those tall, boring, matchbox-like buildings all over.
The idea of relaxing in the balcony made us feel romantic. The night view of the stream with the reflection of lights from all around in the water was simply stunning. It felt like Paris. We started planning how to decorate our balcony. Arguments followed on whether to buy an easy chair or a swing. At last we came to the decision that an easy chair would occupy minimum space. We also thought of placing a two-sitter cane sofa with a small glass-top table so that we could sometimes have candlelight dinners. We planned to buy plants for positive energy.
Everything was exciting; at last our dream was coming true. After all the planning, we had dinner and went to sleep. I got up early the next morning. I thought the first thing to do should be to get a view of the sunrise from the balcony. What one saw was unbelievable. "Oh no!" I screamed. My husband came running to see what had happened and we started laughing. What we saw was rows of people blissfully attending to nature's call on both sides of the stream, unmindful of the curious onlookers, like us, from atop their balconies. We consoled each other by saying that at least ours was the top floor and the night view was very beautiful, no doubt about it. And, candlelight dinners take place at night, not in the morning!

Language lessons, Published in Times of India, edit page, Jan 23, 2007


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Language lessons

Kakoli Thakur,  Jan 23, 2007
I always felt pride when I mentioned that I was born and brought up in Assam. Whenever I heard people running down my home state, saying that there was lot of violence in Assam, I protested, asserting that my state was a peaceful place and the people there were very warm and friendly.
I always invited people to visit Assam to enjoy the beauty that nature has bestowed upon it. Till now, that is. After the recent killings of Bihari people in Assam by the ULFA, I feel speechless and defenceless. It is all because of a few mindless people.
In his song Maha Bahu Brahmaputra Moha Milonor Tirtha, the Assamese music legend Bhupen Hazarika described how, for ages, Assam has been a place of assimilation and communal harmony. But, today, by one shameless and gruesome act, some senseless people have left no stone unturned in proving Bhupenda wrong and changing the feeling this song gave rise to.
The ULFA seems to have forgotten that, just like the Biharis have settled in Assam, hundreds of people from Assam are spread all over the country. And why not? Our Constitution has given us that right. People from every state can move around all over the country and settle anywhere.
What will the ULFA do if thereareretaliatory attacks on Assamese people outside our state? In the ongoing army operations as well, many innocent young boys and their families will be either tortured or victimised. The real culprits will go scot-free.
The same thing happened a few years ago: trains from Assam and their Assamese passengers were attacked in and around Bihar. But these aimless people have not learnt their lesson. Living in Mumbai, I have come in contact with cosmopolitan culture, where people are hardly bothered about what language their neighbours speak. Here, language is just a means of communication.
Believe me, Assam will become Heaven on earth if language will no longer be a barrier. Maybe the ULFA should take a lesson or two from Mumbaikars on how to live and let live.

Kyunki, News is in, Pulished in Times of India, edit page, Feb 24, 2009




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PULP FICTION | Kyunki, News Is In

Kakoli Thakur, , Feb 24, 2009,
If you can't decide what to watch on TV, turn to news channels. News channels provide all the heightened melodrama of saas-bahu sagas and the raw excitement of reality shows. Much more interesting than anything else, try them once and believe me, you will get addicted. Drama, comedy, tragedy, music and sex you'll get everything here to stimulate your senses. Always game to give the twisters of daytime soaps a run for their money is 'breaking news'. Apart from actual 'breaking news', which you hardly get to see, these channels have 30-minute programmes with debates on which star is ageing fast and who is number one. There are master-blasters like, 'Amitabh ko thand lagi', 'police commissioner ka kutta kho gaya', 'kutta mil gaya' and so on. Titles like these are enough to draw the viewer's attention and most times the programmes are masaledar (spicy) enough to glue them to their seats.
Where else, after all, will you get to view a scientific experiment deep inside the earth complete with running commentary and background music? If you want some health tips, new recipes, a beauty treatment or just to learn about your future, all you need to do is keep surfing the news channels. Looking for the drama of family sagas and suspense of crime stories? The news channels will come to your rescue. Tales of A eloping with B, about neighbours baying for each other's blood, a daughter fighting with her father who disowned her because she married outside her caste you'll find all of this live, on air. Crime stories come in detailed and eye-catching packages that put even the best thrillers to shame. Then there are the dramatised reproductions of stories that look like any old serial. And if you're one of the late-night types, there's enough material to keep you hooked to the TV all night. From hot babes dancing at some politician's birthday party and sleazy MMS's blurred just enough to reveal everything, the channels go all out in their crusade to bring you the truth. So, saas-bahu is passe and news is in. And the next time you switch to a news channel, don't be surprised if you see Tulsi or Parvati reading out a news report and Ekta Kapoor starting a KKK news channel!

Sumptuous journey, Pubished in Times of India, edit page, Nov 21, 2008



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SUMPTUOUS JOURNEY | Mystic in Rajdhani

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It was a journey my husband and I will remember all our lives. We were travelling from Guwahati to Delhi on the Rajdhani Express. A key element in a peaceful journey is your co-passengers. We heaved a sigh of relief when an old couple and two other elderly men walked in. But we were hardly a few hours into the journey and the two elderly men occupying the lower berths got down. Again, our anxiety started. Dinner came but nobody arrived.
It seemed we had two more berths at our disposal. But our joy was short-lived. Just as we decided to hit the sack, the train stopped. A tough-looking man came in and said curtly, "Get up, these are our seats." What followed was a tempest. Dozens of men stormed in with bags and cartons. Chants of `swamiji ki jai' reverberated in the air. We strained our necks out. Lo and behold! In came a saffron-attired clean-shaven swamiji with impressive height. Equally impressive was his gigantic, sumo wrestler-like belly. Luckily for us, the disciples left and only one man remained to take care of swamiji.

As we watched, the disciple started making his guru's bed. As swamiji lay down, his disciple prepared his dinner plate. "So, that's the secret of his tummy" hubby whispered. My eyes popped out. "15 rotis," one counted. After having the lion's share, swamiji handed over the plate to the disciple, who finished it off. After dinner, swamiji took out a box of medicines. "Well, he has to digest all that," hubby grinned. Next morning, swamiji got up early, did his morning puja and it was time for breakfast, which was as elaborate as dinner.
Swamiji's itinerary basically consisted of food, food and more food. The rest of the time he lectured us on social evils, Indian economy and just about everything else! Hubby deliberately argued with him on everything. But not once did he frown. By the time the train reached swamiji's destination, he became friends with hubby and invited us to his ashram. "So", I looked at my husband as he bid adieu to swamiji. "Well, you can't judge a book by its cover." hubby said. One thing is for sure, despite his penchant for food, swamiji sure was something special. Otherwise, he wouldn't have a huge fan following.