Inspiration

I have put together my thoughts on a few  people, events and experiences which have been awe inspiring and close to my heart. I hope you will share yours.

The awe inspiring family
The Brangrila brigade :) there are many things about this family I feel are very inspiring. Two of the world's most renound and accomplished artists,  Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie decided to live their lives differently and found hapiness in that setting. They did not follow the pre decided social norms for a happy couple and yet had a successful relationship therefore highlighting that love and hapiness are above pre set notions. This family is the epitome of how love can exist irrespective of different race , colour, creed and social expectations. They are a family who believe in standing up for good causes, being good and doing good. This just proves that just by following societal norms,  hapiness cannot be guaranteed. A life full of purpose can only guarantee happiness.

Image by google

Congratulations to them for finally succumbing to family pressure and tying the knot.

Awe inspiring place

The Auroville township (city of dawn) near Pondicherry is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity. A 4-point charter setting forth the vision of Integral living was put forward for Auroville:

1. Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to live in Auroville, one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.
2. Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.
3. Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.
4. Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.

Today, people from 50 different nationalities live together in Auroville.

Matri Mandir in Auroville

Awe inspiring person

Recently, I had the privilege of meeting a great Indian scientist, Dr. Nityanand. He was involved in carrying out some pioneering work on pharmaceuticalsciences. In 2005 Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) appointed him chairman of its scientific committee and in 2012 he was awarded one of India's higest honours i.e., Padma Shri by the Indian Govt. But what I found most admirable about this 89 year old gentleman is his sipri of a researcher. Even at this age, when his health does not support him 100 percent,  he still is very passionate and up to date on his subject. That kind of dedication towards your subject is indeed very inspiring.

Professor Nityanand

Awe inspiring story of determination
That of India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He is a man with humble beginnings but with his determination and good work , he is wh ere he is today . and this is exactly what needed at this time. A man who believes that he should be in the position that he is in and has the ba..s to make tough decisions.

Image by google

Awe inspiring movie

12 years a slave

This award winning movie really stirred my soul. Based on the true story of a free black American, the movie captures the mans picture perfect life in the state of New York to the misery and despair that he goes through on being tricked into slavery in another state of USA. The movie is an epic as it captures the uncertainty that life brings with it; the depths to which humanity, insensitivity, morality can fall; the profound helplessness and despair a man can feel thereby shaking his faith in God and making him lose all hope; and the level to which a man can allow his self respect to fall in order to survive.
What really touches ones heart is that how in an instant the man is pushed from his happy and perfect life in to the hell on earth of slavery. On having his freedom taken away from him , after being brought up as a freeman, no stone is left unturned by his multiple masters to break his self respect and dignity. His boundaries are pushed to the limit and this turn  in his life hurts him more as he knew how it felt to be a free man. His attempts to regain his freedom are thwarted repeatedly and the miseries around him keep on ever increasing. After twelve years of living a life no better than that of an animal, he finally gets mercy from a stranger who helps him get his freedom back.

All characters play their roles to the T. It is cinema at it best. 

Do share what has inspired you lately :)

Nothings for sure, that's for sure!

Nothings for sure, that's for sure! There have never been more examples representing that than in the past 6 months. The series of air plane crashes in the recent past are just a confirmation of how unpredictable life is and how we don't even have control over the very next second.

On July 24th, an Air Algerie flight taking off from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Algeria lost contact with the base station after 50 minutes of take off due to bad weather. The wreckage was found in the Mali dessert and all 116 people aboard the flight died.

On July 23rd, an Air TransAsia flight from Taiwan, crashed into a residential building while trying to make an emergency landing. Near about 50 people died.


On July 17th, a Malaysian Airlines Boeing flying from  Amsterdam to Malaysia crashed in Ukraine after it was hit by a surface air missile. All 298 people on board died.

On 8th March, the strangest air accident took place wherein a Malaysian airline carrying 227 passengers disappeared after 2 hours after take off. After days of effort to locate the aircraft went in vain it was assumed that the plane crashed into a remote part of Indian Ocean.

These events may be attributed to technical glitches, human errors, wars etc..however examples of people being humbled by forces of nature are limitless too. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was among the deadliest natural disasters in human history with at least 290,000 people killed or missing in 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean.

Our natural instinct is to work our way through our life in order to make our future secure. In this contest , we sometimes forget to take enjoy the very moment or give too much importance to insignificant things in our life. 

So when our very next second is also unpredictable, isn't it best to make the most of every moment and not indulge in petty disputes and irrelevant emotions? It's important to love, to respect, to help and to accept the bigger force that drives us.

Random Thoughts

The tatoo that I have always wanted..never got around to getting it inked thought

1. This mind is a strange creature, it wanders off to scary places       

   

   An Intersting sign outside a shop to grab attention in Europe

2. Sometimes I wonder if God is over burdened with sorting out Karma for too many souls. Maybe things get mixed up at times. I wish there was a process by which you could approach God and  lodge a formal complaint if you felt that the destiny assigned to you was due to mix up with someone else's karma. After all there have been instances when people have started remembering their previous birth... The system isn't entirely flawless ;)                                                                                                     

   

   This photos is of Taj Mahal: one of the seven wonders of the world. I clicked this on my maiden trip to the place. It is divine. Interesting fact of the place: after Taj Mahal was built the emperor got the hands of all artisans who worked on the moment cut off so that nobody could ever replicate such a magnificent structure.

3. We build such perfect homes to live our imperfect lives..                

   

   Buddha statue in a park . An epitome of serenity and wisdom

4. People who love you will never believe an ill rumour about you and the rest will spread it,  non matt what. 

   

   That's my philosophy too

5. The dream breaks when life bites

Some of my random thoughts ... 

Ice bucket challenge: ingenious idea or wasteful extravagance

The Ice Bucket Challenge,  involves challenging a person to either dump a bucket of ice water on one's head to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or make a donation to research for the cause. 

Videos of people pouring a bucket of ice on top of themselves and nominating others to take the challenge have gone viral over the net.

Image by google

So why ALS?  ALS is a rare disorder which is categorised as an orphan disease  as not much research has been undertaken in this field. This is because drug companies do not invest much into research of drugs for orphan diseases as these medicines do not translate into profit making project for them. 

Therefore raising money for such a cause is difficult and as such  knowledge about these disorders among general public is poor.

Although, a lot of talk has been going on about the Ice bucket challenge especially as videos of celebrities taking the challenge are being posted on the Internet, little still is being said about ALS and much is being said about buckets full of Ice being poured as a fun task. So is awareness really being achieved by this gimmick?

What is ALS? It is a muscular disorder where in a person gradually loses control over his muscles and finally dies because of respiratory paralysis as the muscles of the respiratory system fail to function. There are currently only 2 medicines available to treat this condition and these are also not very effective.

Another aspect of this challenge is the wasteful use of precious water. Mostly the attemp is to avoid making a donation to ALS by taking the ice bucket challenge and therefore wastage of water. Anybody who is aware that in India a woman in a village may have to walk many miles each day to procure a bucket full of water for her family would agree that it is appalling that water is being misused like this.

Image by google

The statistics show that every second woman in rural India walked an average 173 kilometres – to fetch potable water in 2012, making her trek 25 kilometres longer than what it was in 2008-09.

 Also in 2012, about 54% of rural women had to travel between 200 metres and five kilometres daily to get drinking water. They walked 20 minutes a day, on an average, and spent another 15 minutes at the source. 

So although the intention behind the challenge is good, a little more thought needs to be put in the best possible way of spreading awareness wherein wasteful use of resources does not take place.

Are we today farther from God and closer to dust?

Where is the Life we have lost in living?

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries

Bring us farther from GOD and nearer to the Dust.

                                                                               T.S. Eliot

Image by google

We live in a world of 'instants' today.

Instant contact, instant food, instant fame, instant news, instant bookings , instant deliveries.. etc , etc ..thus making our lives very fast paced.

Where advances in technology give us instant solutions to most of our problems , are we missing out on simple pleasures of doing things leisurely?

Have we forgotten the joy of choosing the perfect pen, the prettiest ink, the secluded corner, the best paper to write down those precious words, taking care to carefully fold the paper, walking down leisurely to the mail box and waiting in anticipation till the letter was received?

Image by google

Are we losing our own creativity /individuality to the options being offered to us?

The borders between countries are being reduced to only geographic lines as in this age there are no limits to how and when people interact. But with all of these advances are we all slowly moving towards the desire of owning/wanting the same things ? Are we losing our individuality to what we are being fed as the best?

Are our cities world over losing their uniqueness and turning into replicas?  Are we today farther from God and closer to dust?

Image by google

Jockey or Nothing!

Ever since I remember watching TV , I remember having admired advertisements so much! Advertisements create an impactfull story in the shortest time possible and  an enormous amount of talent and innovativeness is required to make an advertisement a winner. A salute to all those Ad Gurus!

So coming to the topic of this post i.e., the recent Jockey advertisements to hit TV screens which come with a tag line         ' Jockey or nothing'! These set of new advertisement urge you to settle only for the best in everything! No compromise anywhere! To do whatever it takes,  work as hard as possible, give it all you got until until you achieve the peak of what you aim for!

I was hugely impressed with these one minute blockbusters because in a short time they send a very important message which is to strive for excellence. At times we give up too soon or we feel we don't have it in us when all the while it is only about keeping faith in your abilities and working through the difficult waters. Nothing is impossible...It just takes time, focus and an undying spirit!

So when they show a dancer in those adds who won't stop practicing till he has mastered all the moves or the drummer who won't stop beating the drums till she  has perfected all the beats, it just inspires me so much! Love them adds!

After all to achieve something exceptional you have to stretch your boundaries!

Image by google

Image by google

Image by google

Image by google

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So the bottom line is you deserve the best. Don't settle for less... Chose only Jockey! ;)

Weekend Getaways - In and around Delhi

Parwanoo- Timbertrail

Being in a beautiful place after a week of monotonous humdrum in the office can be just what one needs to rejuvinate.
Heading out to the hills for the weekend is an ideal way to unwind and relax. However, a weeked may be too short a time to experience all this if you are residing in the National Capital Region as getting to all hilly destinations in and around Delhi involve a journey of 7-8 hours minimum.

A good solution for this problem is the Timber Trail resort. One of the closest destinations to Delhi is Parwanoo in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. The small city of Parwanoo lies at the foothills of the Shivalik Range and is only a 25-30 minute ride away from chandigarh railway station. A beautiful and luxurious place to stay in Parwanoo is the Timbertrail resort. The best part of this resort is the cable car ride that it offers. In a short span of 5-10 minutes one can be transported from foothills to the top of a high hill by the cable car ride thereby cutting short the travel time by a very significant amount.

The resort runs excellent restraunts and offers luxurious rooms with all possible amenities on the hill top and the view from these rooms is just breathtaking.


Getting to Timber Trail

On a friday get on to a Shatabdi express train from Delhi to Chandigarh by 7 in the evening. The shatabdi takes approx 3 and a half hours to get to chandigarh from delhi. Alternatively you can drive to or take a volvo bus from delhi to chandigarh (approximately 5 hours by road ). From chandigarh railway station take cab to Parwanoo which will take approximately half an hour.


Things to see around Timber Trail resort

The Pinjor garden is a beautiful Mughal style garden built by Pati ala Dynasty rulers. It was created in the 17th century by architect Nawab Fidai Khan during the early reign of his foster brother  Aurangzeb. These gardens are just a few minutes away from the resort.

Another hill station which is at a short distance of 20 - 25 -kms from Parwanoo is Kasauli.

Sixty Eighth Indian Independence Day

Today , India celebrates its 68th independence day. This day is a national holiday in India and commemorates India gaining its freedom from over 100 years of  occupation by Kingdom of Great Britain.

On this very day in the year 1947 India's first Prime Minister , Jawaharlal Nehru, gave a soul stirring speech with inspiring words which have been repeated and remembered each year since then..excerpts from that speech..

'Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity'.

Independence in its true sense is personified by the Indian setup, where there is freedom of speech, religion, expression, justice for all , equal oppurtunity, freedom of choices including choosing of the government.

Many have questioned whether independence today is just a mere word and without the power of money or connections nothing much can be achieved. Yes, India today remains divided over issues like religions, castes, rich and poor . These are the deep rooted ills which can only be wiped out slowly and steadily but we cannot overlook the fact that significant improvements have taken place during these 68 years of independence.

This is a country which has given an opportunity to an ordinary Indian man from a poor family to carry the dream to lead the country merely based on his merit and hard work. Today , our Prime Minist has come a long way from being a worker at a tea stall to giving the Prime Minister's speech at the Red Fort! What better example can there be of Independence and the opportunities it offers ?

Indian Flag. Image by google.

Indian Prime Minister , Narendera Modi, delivering the Independence Day speech at Red Fort

Narendera Modi, looked impressive in his his bright red turban dotted with white spots and a green border which represented all colours of the Indian flag.

At a time,  when the countries morale is a bit low because of the incapacitating corruption ruling every field, Modi ' s speech identifying all areas where improvement was required and where his government was going to focus was truly inspiring.

Nothing better than listening to inspiring and partriotic words  from a leader you can  look up to! Hoping for better days for India.

Also, celebrating my own independence by gifting myself a lazyboy :)

A brown leather recliner I gifted myself as an independent day present

Pancakes- simple recepie

Quick and easy to make... and great taste... that's what pancakes are all about. They make for a great break fast... here's the recepie:

What you need is Pancake powder, I prefer the Betty crockery mix, eggs, sugar or salt

and milk.

Add milk and egg to he powder and mix to make a batter.
Fry on a non stick pan. .. done!

 That easy!

Indian Festivals- Rakhi

India , the land of God and Goddesses,  rituals and zillion of festivals. Another one of our unique festivals is just around the corner...It's the festival which celebrates the bond shared by the brother and sister popularly known as Rakhi. Rakhi or Rakhsha Bandhan is the festival during which a sister ties a holy thread on her brothers wrist and wishes for his safety and well being . The brother on the other hand pledges to protect her.

The ritual involves a Puja (offering of prayers), tying of thread around the brothers wrist, applying tilak (colour) on brothers forhead  and  feeding  sweets to the brother by the sister. The brother then bestows money or gifts to his sister.

This is a popular festival in India , especially in the northern states of the country and the sister and the brother, irrespective of the distance separating them make it a point to be together on this  festive day. If a sister is unable to be there with her brother then she makes sure that her rakhi is delivered to her brother timely.

So, the postal service is on an overdrive in India in this season and the markets are overflowing with a variety of threads to choose from.... from simple threads to designer ones... The latest to hit the stands is the angry bird themed Rakhi :)

It is indeed a special day of the year for the brother and sister ...and now I am off to buy one for my brother...can't wait to tie it on his wrist :)

Image by google: Rakhi threads

Image by google: rakhi threads being sold in the market

 In

Image by google: Rakhi threads

Image by google: angry bird themed rakhis