Lutyen's Sunday!

These pictures are from my pilgrimages to the Mecca of cyclists. 

Pedallers coming from far and near pay a Quixotic obeisance to the monument with a hand on their heart and head held high. The Rajpath connecting to the South and North Blocks become the perfect complexes adorning the Tall Sanctum Santorum. 

Calm, Pride, Honour, Favored, Gratitude, Bedazzled are some of the feelings buzzing in the tunnel connecting the heart and the mind while trudging through the long road on the two wheels.

 Baby Eagle flies high, fends for prey, the early hours of day

Foreboding Foliage 

The Raj'path' to Freedom 

"O kaka.. Haule Haule", the Sardarji roared

Roxanne

Us at the 'Ministry of Magic' 

The spirit of India Gate never sleeps, passionate pilgrims like us thrive in its enigma and ecstasy.

Hyderabad to Harinagar; Himalayas Beckon

Golconda bids a farewell, Coco's Tara wishes me well and The Himalayas await

I fought against the urge to fit Hampi in the Headline. It does bring relief to those who know me well I am sure. (I reckon, apparently almost everyone knows me well.) Hampi had become another Home in Southern India in the four Humble yet Highly Haywire years in Hyderabad. The mysterious land has a major value contribution to my life's learning and is a cherished immeasurable asset which I carried to the North.   

The mighty Hampi (Vithalla Temple campus)

Hunooz Dilli Door Ast (Abhi Dilli Door Hai / Delhi is yet far away) was my state whenever it was the decision making time. While I knew Delhi is going to be as enterprising and enriching, I always shirked to leave Hyderabad. Of course it is the warmth of the city which never wanted me to withdraw the comforts and the contentment. Besides that, it was the humanity in the city which held me. Friendships sprung up to become Families pampering you and not just taking care. The others you met through the day ensured you to maintain a decent emotional quotient emanating through their honest talk (includes small, medium and large) and enchanting smiles. I wouldn't be a racist to say that the Telugus have the most candid and frank smiles, sincere as well. 

Ab Dilli Door Nahi (Delhi is Not Far Anymore) happened so immediately. I had to chose over nostalgia and the existing. There was so much of the present that I had to handle and do justice to. The destined gullible friends and family who's character and nature I share could never have enough of the time I could squeeze out. I owe them a bond forever.

My cycle has taught me to keep pedaling lest I'll fall, lose balance so to say. So is our duty in this world. To keep moving. In my case probably not like the gypsies. Unlike them solitary souls, I'll be held by those who have been generous and touched my life. For I have deep regard and gratitude for every one who has helped me learn or unlearn or teach me or just be there for me, or simply heard me mercilessly sing. 

Now nestled in Delhi's Harinagar, with all enthusiasm and the Wisdom of the South, I ready myself to another set of journeys. To newer meadows and pastures. Among these it excites me the most to scale the Himalayas where I hail from. Who knows where lies a Serendipity! (Chuckles)

PS : I have found myself responding in Telugu, "oka nimisham maa", or Hyderabadi, "Hou ji.. Aatun". I missed my daily quota of Telugu from various sources and saw a reality show on Zee Telugu and Maa TV. Of course I do listen to songs from the recent Rowdy Fellow and my favourite Happy Days. I with fanatic excitement watched Bahubali's first trailer. Super Mama!! And I have made an effort to open my mind and heart to Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift. 

Here's a song I dedicate to everyone at Hyderabad.

As natural as it gets

A 100% natural salad made today afternoon using -

Strawberry
Chayote
Palm sprouts (roasted)
Pomegranate
Mint leaves
Papaya

And that is it.

No salt or sugar was added.

Calories, I spent the same while making it.

Nutrition? A cocktail of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Sadly I was the only one who enjoyed it; wish I could share it.

Dailey

For Delhi
And Dehli
But Daily (not April, which is my favorite month)
And Dahlia

Dalai perhaps..

Ummmm... Affection.

A deep and strong affection is an energy waiting to disrupt positively. It is this energy that manifests in Art. 

Is it necessary?
Ummm we dooouoo (in my current accent)... But don't we live in a win win. Why then?

And do we mean it?
I think it's hardly intended. It's only because i need a cushion some time. Like hugging a stuff toy. Some people get pets.

So one feels the need for it. Hmm?
Ummmm...  Ok I do feel to be loved, to know if someone has thought about me. I feel great if I get a message from anyone except my Boss or colleagues around the world or a call from them. It's exhilarating. You feel good about yourself.
So it does hold meaning?
Ummmm... yes. But is that what is affection I wonder...

(Break. For no reason.)

How many times do you make similar calls, send messages?
Ummmm...  Mostly, if at all, well actually to my mom. And its not out of an obligation but that I want to, at times my sisters but I do forget my friends. I take them for granted. Less to my dad as well. Relations hardly.
Why would you have to talk to your relatives?

I should na. Again, its no obligation but they are nice people. They are of significance in my ecosystem and their being there is really important. But thennnn...

:-) Are there lesser topics to discuss with them?

Hmmm yes kind of. Earlier it was studies and now it's marriage. I knew them less as individuals. And they don't know me well as well. I m to them what my parents told.

Does it need a lot of guts to go the extra mile?
Avoidable guts, I'd say.

(Break. For no reason.)

So there's needs to be a motivation for affection?
Hmmm..  If you have to put it this way, so dry.

Hmmm...  But u like affection.
Oh yes... I have an addiction for affection.

To give or to receive it?

Both.

Is it selfless?

Not unless its pure.

So it's selective.
Hmmm I guess. I take everyone for granted that way. Most..  Well almost everyone.

(Break. For dramatic effects of revelation.)

Oh shite. I hate it when people do so to me.. Am I a bad human being?

"There There... Udit."

Juvenile Compositions

She thanked me a bunch
Of the daffodils and daisies,
Slightly quiver got my hunch
And I landed up at JCs

                *

what to do... what to do, 

Chirped a cute  li'l cuckoo,

'wat ooo tels s'so troo; whe'll alwysh nid oo' 

what to do, what to dooo :-(
                *
Helter Shkelter, 'ere and their
Ins'de-Outs'de everywhere
Toiled eyes seeking peaces
Strawberry fields forever at JCs
                *
Ray of 'Ope, a refreshing soap           
The Distance; a thin rough rope!!           
New music even naturally made, 
Alexander's taken Home his Jade
                *
Hung. the boys Sung
Boy Oh Boy bit his tongue
Whirl and Waltz, if I may could...
Miles away did Joys stood
                *
Super Senti, Duper Senti!!
A Senti Simpleton I am
From her broad smiles to cute Jives
She left having brightened our Lives
                *
Appeared an Angel with bejeweled wings,   
The Fairy wedded among the Kings        
Showering grace goes my Joan along,         
A powerful melody,Her sweetest song.
                *
A lot could be done if open and aware, 
A lot attained if Ji just look not stare
There are alternatives Ji could chose, 
Eliminate a fight, nurture truce
                *
And Finally a Chapter's closed.
Equanimity is reimposed.
With a Fresh slate, a New page,
I look back at myself, 
Oh Gosh there's so much to gauge!!
               ***

Hinduism vs Others known to me

I have two points here...

Well I say that Hinduism originally doesn't give me  any commandments to follow. It doesn't bother me with restrictions limitations and gives me the luxury of imagination. There is Geeta which primarily talks about Karma. As you sow so shall u reap. There are the Vedanta and the Upanishads but then they aren't necessarily to be read for a clean survival. They are pretty scientific I have heard and do not refer to a person, community, individual but are universal in application and approach. I shall now delve into them as part of my new project.

However and this being a big However, Hinduism created class. While other religions (again in my common knowledge, reached that state of division of work either by merit or suppression of other communities, Hinduism had a direct classification of individuals. Now, the genesis of this might have been pretty apt back in the time (the much discussed and referred Ram Rajya) but it lead to all kinds of problems in the recent centuries continuing with much disgust till today and years to come.

In understanding and accepting the statement that religion degenerates and limits self confidence and mind it took me lot of guts. 

I also think that I was born free, Russell said it already. But I guess the moment I started absorbing I started becoming insecure.

I shouldn't do this, I shouldn't have done this, I should only do this...

It was very much inside my mind till (because primarily of my Maa) I did not reside to the the fate's declaration that I have screwed up. My mom has been one of the most liberal and liberated woman who has told me its ok to ruin things. But keep walking. Of course it wasn't a lecture but her instinctive nature which I absorbed over the growing up years. It is because of her that I don't feel scared to be impulsive, instinctive and accept failure.

As my best friend she has never restricted my thought. In fact she made sure I m well exposed to have a mind of my own. She emphasized on being a vegetarian most importantly because she loves life in the animals. Wow... My various relationships. She is so brave and courageous to have accepted my big lies. Isn't that cool. While exposing me to ideologies of life through books, through movies, through discourses she has never ever restricted my mind. She trusts her creation.

I might not follow her ideas and she would be OK with it. Yet, I would certainly debate with her the right, the wrong and the desired.

Do we really need an idealized God who's existence is merely In the books (scriptures) and not in real life. I rather prefer the real life. Where I don't have to be waiting for a Miracle to happen based on the degree of my prayers but the faith that I have in the person.

Krishna, Rama, Jesus, Budha, Mahavira, Md PBUH are the legends I learn from (aptly put, second hand learning from others experiences). They are great personalities who have a lot of character to teach but I won't bend down and pray to them. For me they are apostles of characteristics as the courage of the Great Alexander the Great, the dedication of Gandhi and the passion of the Christ, the mind of Nelson Mandela...

I could create a list of My commandments but I'm too free to be held for long.

12-11-13

So much bad is happening in India that I feel guilty to be leading a life with no discomfort. My fight is limited to not being able to use the resources bestowed on me to the fullest. I realise the irony, I wish I hadn't.

On Sundays at the airport there is usually a crowd of couples, families, friends who come to see the planes fly. They haven't sat in one. Their contentment; their ambition; their surrender, do I realise? I wish I hadn't.

There are very less things which I wouldn't be able to do in this life. A large part of my demography wouldn't know what those are. They have basics to take care of.

India's Maslow's Pyramid : A stagnant bottom

In the current India, the bottom is stagnant, and the other's have a slower than gradual progress. Only some part of India is progressing and jumping stages, the other part being ignored, the population being humongous. A vivid co-relation lies in the fact that in India Infrastructural Development is limited to the vicinities of the capital region of every state. Opportunities force the millions of Indians, (including me) to come to the metropolitans. That is where Self-Actualisation is understood to be.

Our national channels do not have OB Vans, studios, journalists, in regions beyond the capitals, they rely on stringers. The rest of the nation then succumbs to the believably prejudiced watchdogs, the partner in crime spokespersons and the well fed influencers. We are given selective information to form selective perceptions. 

The bottom of the pyramid completely ignored lies stagnant merely crawling from A to B, while the nation having become the Animal Farm of George Orwell. 

I agree that such is happening to Egypt, Israel, Greece, Sri Lanka and many other nations and this does not pacify me. I focus and subscribe to the idea of Charity beginning at Home.

The beauty of life!

The beauty of life is retained in its uncertainty.
At one time its a sunkissed spring and then a benumbing winter,
Its an opportunity knocking on your door and then its a distant dream,
Its a hardearned bread of a beggar and a sumptuous breakfast of a king,
Its the skyscraper in the clouds and the leaking thatched roof of a hut,
Its the cry of the newborn and the wail of a dying patient,
It can be a treasure chest when you have lost your hopes,
And its a desert of hopelessness when you need it the most.

Despite all such intricacies,
Life is a classroom and time is the teacher.
Its a subject in itself which wouln't understand you but you have got to.
 
Grab it before it slips out of gaps of your fingers,
Hold it before an earthquake engulfs it,
Dig into its sweetness before it gives you diabetes,
Hit it hard before it paralyzes you in an accident,
Love it before it hates you,
Sleep over it before it alarms you,
Just do it all before it makes you run short of chances.
You might call that its beauty,
But it is the ugliness disguised and that is uncertainty.

A mere experience of survival,
Is the key to the life's gravity.

Do I love my job?

I love Adventure.

I love trekking and hiking, that is long physical hard work.

I love to climb rocks, that’s where I plan my every move in unison with my body weight.

I love bicycling, that’s where I fall if I lose my mind.

I love to cross the river in a pully, that is when my own force pulls my own weight.

I love rafting, each rapid gives me an adrenaline gush.

I love diving into the sea, that’s where I feel submerged and fight for the breath.

I love cliff jumping, that’s when my breath stops but I hear my heart beating loudly.

I love para-sailing, that is where I rise above and enjoy the nostalgia.

I love to explore different geographies, that’s where I shed my mind and imbibe others’.

I love to randomly backpack, and acknowledge what’s coming in.

I am an Image Manager for my company, a PR person for the media fraternity or a Communication Consultant to please myself. I feel all the above emotions in my job… and more.

I didn’t like my job until I saw it from the other side. I am in for an adventure every day.

While the week starts with a past week regression and future prophecies; any of the day could have deadline based tasks similar to the reality shows – Team or Solo coupled with an impromptu news of 2 hours of additional trekking. Once a week or maybe twice as surprise I’d have to go rafting or jump the cliff.  Well, eating a frog with the monthly reports is part of my job too and that’s when it gets sick.

I am usually a backpacker at work prepared for an upcoming malady. Despite my preparation God does wish to play a lot of treasure hunt with me. I fight crisis, as problems are bestowed upon but are not mere repercussions. I trudge different terrains more often in a day delivering equally to each, learning subtle nuances on the way. I do feel a Bear Grylls in me those moments. 

There is always a thrill and suspense in my daily work. I now see it in an optimistic spirit seeking a creative solution tangible or verbal unlike before when I used to crib to others.

It’s all in my day’s work and I love my job.

The Gym Diaries... (Today)

Monday Dec 10, 2012

Oh how delicate and elegant are her lips, 

And...how fullsome are her luscious hips.

Her pink rosy cheeks beckon a kiss,

You darn gym! I am now never gonna miss.

I said it to myself at the treadmill while she was on the stepper. This time at least she would be my motivation when nothing else worked out that made me stick to being regular. Going to the gym after a long time felt very warm and hospitable. I checked glances with the faces I remembered but haven't ever spoken to and hugged the trainer like an old caring friend, he clearly pacifying with me that I still can do it, its not late.

I weighed myself. The machines are not programmed to be emotional. That is the difference between them and the humans. MACHINES! They tell you the darn truth.. on your face!! Well, I weigh ...er.... never ask a guy his weight. Ha!

As my saviour I looked at the trainer who had by now built a very gregarious friendship with the lady with the cleft and he looked back at me with the mildly bowel-suppressed look telling me, 'Don't be sad, you are not alone! Look at all these bummers rolling about!'

This much was enough for the day; I despite all this burnt 250 calories; which I guess is good for the start. Specially when its your first day after a mighty looong gluttony vacation.