WHY HINDU GODS ARE DEPICTED DIFFERENTLY am at loss to understand why Hindu Gods are depicted with special features. Is it becaise they are super humans and that’s why they have many heads and hands? Is it because they all in one or one in all? I have profond respect for my Gods more so because they are beyond my comprehension. In such situation you can either love or hate or just stay neutral and I prefer to respect and that is my personal choice. They are there to preserve, protect and destroy me. It is their will. Could not they do the same by remaining just comprehensible? Or is it the product of our imagination that we have depicted then like that? Contrary to that Christian God is just as human as we are. Muslims do not have any picture of their God and they are saved from this dilema. We have some 33 million God and Goddesses and each one of them is depicted differently.

WHY HINDU GODS ARE  DEPICTED DIFFERENTLY?

It may look rather whimsical but at time I am at loss to understand why Hindu Gods are depicted with special features. Is it becaise they are super humans and that’s why they have many heads and hands? Is it because they all in one or one in all?

I have profond respect for my Gods more so because they are beyond my comprehension. In such situation you can either love or hate or just stay neutral and I prefer to respect and that is my personal choice. They are there to preserve, protect and destroy me. It is their will.

Could not they do the same by remaining just comprehensible? Or is it the product of our imagination that we have depicted then like that?

Contrary to that Christian God is just as human as we are. Muslims do not have any picture of their God and they are saved from this dilema. We have some 33 million God and Goddesses and each one of them is depicted differently.

BEING MODERATELY MODERATE

BEING MODERATELY MODERATE

Lot has changed since we were in schools. The changes are evident in every walk of life from the clothes we wear to the living standards we follow. Even the way we think and act in a given situation. The changes are more dramatic in the way we observe our religious beliefs or dictates.

Let us first talk about dress because that is the most visible. Nothing much has changed as far as men’s dressing is concerned because the poor fellow has a few choices from wide flared to narrow drain piped trousers, from full sleeved to muscle shirts or from flat heeled-wide toed to high heeled narrow toed shoes. Nothing really matters what he wears at home which can be a lungi to a Bermuda. All the designers’ wear for the females, of the females but not necessarily by the females. In those olden days the girls would come to school/college in salwar suits/lahanga kurta /sarees. The salwar suits or lahanga kurta were accompanied by dupattas (scarves). The saree were worn in such a way that only the small angle of the neck was visible. The whole idea was to cover the cleavage. In a way it was regressive because managing the saree was a job by itself and during summer times these dresses were quite oppressive. Things started changing for some good when skirt tops in schools replaced salwar suits/lahanga kurta at least. Currently there is some sort of competition among females in out placing each other by dressing as scantly as possible. The tops are moving upwards and the jeans/skirts are going downwards. So is the case with blowze and saree. It appears what is good for the west is good for us too. The good thing is that there are people liberal enough to accept the change but there are people who would impose dress codes in schools colleges and offices.

The other area is about religion. There are fundamentalists and there are liberals and moderates. There are rebels who would eat meat and drink alcohol much against the dictates of the tradition and there are moderates who would not mind this happening in moderation. There are fundamentalists who would want their women to dress in a particular way and there are moderates who accept the changes in moderation. There are people dead against inter cast marriages and there are moderates who do not put any hurdles.

Another area is the value system. These days it is quite common for men and women frequenting bars and discotheques and enjoying the fare late into nights. Not only dress codes or food habits or religious beliefs have changed but also the entire gamut of our way of living has changed. It will not be very correct to say that this change is visible only among the educated and upwardly mobile strata of our society. Even the middle class and lower middle class is not untouched. We should not be surprised if we find a jean top clad teenaged girl in some remote village of our country.

Moderation in moderation is good but the point is how moderate the moderate should be. Simply put how to define moderation.     

CHAI PE CHARCHA (DISCUSSIONS OVER TEA)

CHAI PE CHARCHA (DISCUSSIONS OVER TEA)

It all started some 66 years back in 1947 and a seal of approval was stamped in 1950  by the makers of our sacred Constitution. The charcha (discussions) resumed centering around the subject of lifting of the life of the scheduled casts and Scheduled tribes who formed a major chunk of our population. The charcha continues.

Then came VP Singh and who  expanded the scope of the charcha to OBCs (other backward classes). Charcha continues.

Meantime, more and more tribes- Jats, Gujjars, Yadavas- vied for entering the ambit of the subject of charcha because unless you are ‘the subject’ of charcha you do not count. The latest entry is that of Jains, a community known for its expertise in trade and commerce.The charcha continues.

But it was not just enough. We had already ‘charchaed’- discussed SC, ST, OBC, Jats, Gujjars, Yadavs, Jains. Charcha is something in our control, changing their lot is not.

Not satisfied with their won performance, the subject was given religious and communal colors. Neither the lot of the targeted minority improved nor the Mandir was built. Charcha, however, continues.

Then one fine morning the PM to be realizes that he was once a chaiwala (tea vendor) who made it big by becoming the CM of the most developed State in India. If he can do it why not every chaiwala? His propaganda managers did a quick survey and found that there are as many chaiwalas in the country as many chaipeenewalas-tea drinkers. They thought it was time to have charcha on them and with them. Overnight sprung an army of chaiwalas dispensing masala tea to everyone who passed by. The special brew was named after the PM to be. The chaiwalas will be charchaed –discussed for a few months and then dispensed with like a fly from a milk cup as was done with SC< ST< OBC< JATS>GUJJARS>YADAVS >JAINS etc.

THE CHARCHA WILL BE NENEWED ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS.NEW AVENUES WILL BE EXPLORED IN THE MEANTIME. NEXT IN THE QUES ARE BRAHMINS.

  

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CM OF DELHI

Honorable Chief Minister Shri Arvind kejriwal Saheb,
I am an AAP supporter. In fact I became AAP supporter after reading its Election Manifesto. It fired the imagination of many people like me who supported you and on whose support you became the Chief Minister.
But I am disappointed not because 700 liter water per head per day has not reached every household, not because not a single contract worker has been made regular employee, not because the Janta Durbar was mismanaged, not because not a single election promise has been fulfilled, not because the Law Minister used abusive language but because you sat on Dharna. I have the following reasons:-
1.    You were well aware that Police is not under Delhi Government. You should have taken opposition into confidence and tried to reason out the issue in the Parliament rather than taking law into your own hands. This way there is no difference between you and a common criminal.
2.    You should have waited for the outcome of the investigation ordered into the Khirki episode before launching your agitation.
3.    Your Law Minister is equally responsible for the unfortunate happenings. No one has the right to brand someone, particularly a woman, as immoral. You asked for the suspension of police officers but did not take any action against the Minister.
4.     You started your Dharna with your demand of suspension of five police officials, then scaled it down to transfer and finally agreed forced leave for just two. It shows you are not sure what you want.
5.    You threatened to disrupt the Republic Day Celebrations. Sir, this is the only success story our country has over the last many centuries. No one has the right to abuse it. Talked of
6.    You put so many people into inconvenience as your Dharna disrupted the Metro Service.
7.    You could not handle the AAP supporters present there to keep order.
8.    You  talked of flooding Rajpath with people on 26th Jan. You should know that there are many like you who can also bring their supporters and create disorder.
9.    You used this Dharna to prepare for 2014 General Election and garner support in your favor.
10.    You neglected your work to run the Government.  Work at the Secretariat came to stand still for two days when all of you were at the Dharna Sthal.

Yours Truely,
Hari Prasad Lakhera
B-5/395, Sector 8, Rohini,
Delhi-110085.

NOMADS OR SEEKERS ?

NOMADS OR SEEKERS?

Some lucky Verdurians are planning to have a pleasure trip to the only ‘heaven’ on earth Kashmir. I understand VAS and Savi are planning to entertain the group with latest Bollywood dance steps. 

Another 65 Indians have been selected to ‘one way’ ticket to Mars. One Mr. Jain, an Indian, based in the USA is planning regular flights to Moon. I too have travelled a lot for office work and pleasure and pilgrimage after retirement and been to almost all airports, railway and bus stations in India and a few in foreign countries. I can claim to be an International Travelers.

There is a community in Rajasthan called ‘banjaras’ who never stay at one place for long. They move with their belongings and members of the family from one place to another. For livelihood they do various jobs like blacksmiths, potters, artisans and roadside circus performers called ‘nuts’. They are true nomads. We have heard and seen the ‘backpackers’ from the West called Hippies. Once I met a Londoner in the caves of Ajanta and Ellora who was on the move for almost four years then. He started from London and went to places and when money fell short did odd jobs, stayed in cheapest accommodations, ate frugal food and fell ill too but nothing stopped him.

 What takes us to visit unknown destinations?  Is it the boredom of staying at one place or the inquisitive nature of humans to explore new places, people and ideas? Are we seekers or simply nomads? And then we return to where he started from, to our place of origin or roots. Strange it may look but we have an unfulfilled desire to experience something new because we are not satisfied with we already have.

Another equally strong logic may be to explore the unknown. Our saints and sages have given their lifetime to bring to us the mystery of the unknown as they experienced it during their own nomadic ways.

And then there are people who have not moved anywhere from their place of birth. They lived and died there. They did not have resources but more than that they did not have the inclination and courage to take risks of travelling to unknown places, talk to unknown people and experience a different culture.

Verurians in Kashmir will figure it out, I think. But for this nomadic way of life Amarnath would have remained hidden from us. Thanks to the Muslim ‘gadria’ (goat grazer) who saw it on his nomadic trails and informed of the existence of ‘Shiva lingam’. Nehru used to get his quota of drinking water from Chasme- Sahi. May be because bottled French water was not available then. It surely was not for the love of his homeland.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY REWARDING JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF MAGICAL BEAUTY.

   

  

MANKIND, CHILDHOOD AND THE STORY TELLERS

MANKIND, CHILDHOOD AND STORY TELLERS

Blessed are those story- tellers, who, for generations have saved the childhood of mankind. Once mankind loses its story tellers, it also loses its childhood. In every country and in every community parents/grandparents tell bed time stories to their children. These stories have survived for centuries. All of these stories are moralistic in content. They tell about victory of truth over untruth, honesty over dishonesty, loyalty over disloyalty, kindness over cruelty. They tell about courage, adventure, love, faith. Two such story books which come to mind right now are Hitopadesaar and Panchtantra.  Blessed are the kids who have someone to tell them these bed time stories. Later on in their lives they come face to face with real life stories.

I guess in literary field there are many more story tellers than poets or essayists. Thousands of stories are told in form of short stories, long stories, and novels. Our own epics like Ramayana, Bhagwat and Mahabharat are also in story format. These story tellers keep us grounded by presenting to us what exists but our open eyes do not see. Thousands of stories are scattered around us but only the observant eye and mind with a very large heart can express them in words.

But for these story tellers, mankind would be very poor with neither a heart nor a soul.

  

MIDDLE AND NOT CHILDHOOD IS THE BEST PART OF LIFE

MIDDLE AND NOT CHILDHOOD IS THE BEST PART OF LIFE

It may seem a loud thinking in saying so but there is no harm in exploring the why. It may be because nothing much of childhood inspires me anymore, nothing much of this aged life promises me for future but everything of the middle age draws me towards it.

Our life span is a spread of childhood up to 13, teens from 14 to 25, adulthood from 26 to 40, elderly from 41 to 60 and old 61 onwards.  Our writers, poets and thinkers have said in volumes about the childhood-its glory, its innocence, its carefree span and so on but frankly speaking, it does not seem to be true. At best it is just poetic and literary hyperbole.  Besides what is so big about depending on someone else for most of your needs? The early stage, as a toddler, is pathetic enough when one cannot even eat, walk and clean oneself. Rest of the span up to 21 is nothing but a parasitic life, again depending on others, called parents, for your pocket money and overall upkeep. Worst still is the constant threat from parents and teachers for one thing or the other. You cannot do this; you cannot do that and all such dictatorial commands. Just because they give you food, clothing and shelter, you have to obey them and do their bidding. May be their intentions are good and all they do is for your good only but the price extracted is too high. They never ask you what you want. They want you to become what they want. Their self interest and false sense of pride override the dreams of their own child.

Look at the poor kid of six, standing outside early in the morning, shivering with cold at 8 degree C, yawning widely, bored to the hilt, waiting for his school van, a heavy bag on his back, water bottle hanging on his neck in the front and the Mom, Dad or servant standing close by to make sure that he boards the van. All this is for his/her future that is not in their hands anyway.

Look at this teen of 14. Same situation except that the bag is heavier, mind tense as home work is incomplete and pocket money is all spent. It never was enough anyway. There is lot of things that money only can buy like greeting cards for friends, flowers for valentine and so on. The parents do not understand. Parents of friends are more understanding. This is going to be like that for years to come.  The teachers are more interested in better results in the exams so that they can pat their back rather than telling what is beyond books. There is so much beyond these books to be learnt.  All what they can give is tension of coming exams, board exams, CAT, JET, GMAT and all such crap. The parents collaborate with them. They will never understand that the future is not all about running a rat race that makes a rat for rest of your life chasing the cheese along with many other rats.

What is there in life past 60? If childhood is the beginning of growing old, old age is the reverse of that. The older the worse it becomes. I have seen them depending on someone else for food, clothing and cleaning just like a child. All what they have is experience that nobody bothers to share, not even their own children.

We are the left with the middle, from 26 to 60. Here you are the king of your destiny. You can do what you want. You can find a life partner, enjoy life and raise a family. You can even stay single and mingle with other singles with no strings attached. You may even stay a virgin if you like. You can take up a job of your liking and kick it if you have other idea. The scope is so big and varied that no imagination can encompass. You can live in big Metros or small towns, or village or even on the Himalayas. You may just pick a bag, fill it with some essentials and hop on the first bus, train or plane to no destination in mind. The best part is you are answerable to no one but yourself. You have all the freedom on earth.  You are not dependable on anybody for anything.

I think the point is proved. You are welcome to drill holes in it or mend them wherever needed.