Konark - Salutation to The Immortals!

Got inspired by this beautiful  picture taken and shared by my friend Madhu Gupta on her way to Konark from Bhubaneswar in her Odisha trip around a couple of years  ago. The life of people of rural lndia always attracts her attention and so as mine... So I decided to give an expression to her awesome capture.
But I am really very sorry Madhu that I can't stop myself from expressing it in my mother tongue Odia as the deep inscribed memories of my knowledge on Konark since childhood compelled me to see the women in the picture in a different perspective as the women of  the sculptors who were detached from their men, who were away from home, got busy building Konark temple for twelve long years by the order of the king and the sacrifice of immortal Dharmapada (Dharama) never to be forgotten...

କୋଣାର୍କ ଅଭିମୁଖେ...

କ୍ଷୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ କୋଣାର୍କର
ଅକ୍ଷୁର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଐତିହ୍ୟେ
ଶତ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣାଳୀର ଆଭା,
କିନ୍ତୁ ଜୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ମୁଖଶାଳେ ତା'ର
ଅନ୍ତର୍ଦାହୀ ଶୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରଭାଗା।
ବେଳାଭୂମି ଯା'ର
ଅସ୍ଥିର, ଚଞ୍ଚଳ
ସାଜି ନିଜେ ପ୍ରଶ୍ନବାଚୀ
ଉତ୍ତାଳ ତରଙ୍ଗେ ତା'ର
ମତ୍ତପ୍ରାୟ ଖୋଜୁଥାଏ
ପ୍ରିୟ ଧରମାକୁ
ସତେକିବା ଲେଉଟିବ କାଳ
ଫେରିବ ସେ ବୀର
ଭରିଦେବ ତା'ର ଶୂନ୍ୟକୋଳ।

ସତେକି ଏ ସେଇ ପଥ
ଅନନ୍ତ, ଅକ୍ଷାନ୍ତ
ଧାଇଁଚାଲେ କୋଣାର୍କ ଅଭିମୁଖେ
କ୍ଷଣମାତ୍ରେ ଛୁଇଁବ ସେ
ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟଦେବଙ୍କର ସେଇ
ସୁଗଠିତ, ସୁସଜ୍ଜିତ
ମନୋରମ ପ୍ରସ୍ତରର ରଥ।
ମିଶିବ ସେ କୋଣାର୍କ ମାଟିରେ
କୋଣାର୍କର କାରୁକାର୍ଯ୍ୟେ
ଭେଟିବ ସେ ସୁନିପୁଣ
ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଶିଳ୍ପୀଙ୍କୁ
ହଜିବ ସେ କୋଣାର୍କର
କଳା ଢଙ୍ଗେ, କଳା ରସରଙ୍ଗେ।

ଏଇ ସେଇ ଗାଆଁ ର ସୁନ୍ଦରୀ
ଏ ପଥର ଚୀର ସହଚରୀ
କୋଣାର୍କର ନିଷ୍କରୁଣ
ହୃଦୟର ସାକ୍ଷୀ
ବିଷାଦ ମନରେ ଆଜିବି ସେ
ବାଟଚାହିଁ ଅଟକି ରହିଛି
ଯୁଗାନ୍ତରୁ ସାଜିଛି ପାଷାଣ
ଅପେକ୍ଷା କେବଳ ଏକ ସ୍ପର୍ଶ
ପ୍ରାଣପ୍ରିୟ ତା' ଶିଳ୍ପୀର ନିହାଣମୁନର
ଲଭିବ ଜୀବନ, ପୁଣି ଥରେ ହୋଇବ ଜୀବନ୍ତ।

Srikrishna: Ati sundar Barnana!

Bibhushri: Thanks and happy that you liked it 😊

Aurosmita: Bibhu didi.. bahut sundar heichi tuma kabita. Really praiseworthy... so beautifully described about konark....

Bibhushri: Thank you so much 😊

Indira: Beauty needs no language.

Bibhushri: You are absolutely right aunty. Every language does have its own divine beauty.  We need to inherit a particular language, its words, rhythms and culture to add our imagination to it... 😊

Jailatha: Translation please..

Bibhushri: Sure, whenever we two sit together in an absolutely recreational mood, i promise to translate it for you bit by bit... 😊

Jailatha: Shall have to make it soon !!😊

Bibhushri: Yup...😊

Jailatha: Wanna enjoy the strokes of your poem !!

Bibhushri: The preface says it all Jaya...
It's nothing but an expression of my empathy towards the sacrificing lives of the unrecognised real makers and their families of the great heritage Konark. Whenever I visit such sites, I think about the hardships of the immortal makers more than the monuments... who have never get their dues in return... And this thought hurts very badly...
It's a salutation to their greatness, who had given lives to the nonliving stones leaving their dear families behind
and never to be forgotten the threat of the king, who is known as the so-called maker to end their lives if they couldn't finish it on given time...
and Dharmapada, the 16 years old son of Bishu Maharana (the chief sculptor) how became the saviour and sacrificed his own life just to save the lives of the 1200 sculptors...
All these things make me emotional...
The thing disturbs most is when history recognises the kings etc as the great makers of such monuments. Sorry to say, they might be the owners but definitely not the makers for me at least...

Jailatha: Similar sentiments rise when you read about the atrocities of  ShahJahan while biulding the Taj. Perhaps that's the reason the beauty of Taj looks faded to my  eyes..

Bibhushri: Exactly...
That's why I too can't see beauty in Tajmahal...

Bignyashri: Just awesome!

Bibhushri: Thanks dear 😊

Madhu: My pleasure Bibhu that this picture of mine inspired you....nothing can be expressed better than in the language of your thoughts.... please try to translate it in Hindi or English for us whenever you feel like  😊

Bibhushri: Sure dear...
Thank you so much for your kind words😊

Fathers are awesome! 👌

A world class gift any father can give to his children by unconditionally loving their darling mother till eternity...
And you very well exemplify this BAPA (father)
I am the most blessed being along with my all three sisters, whom God has been kind enough to confer the most pious soul as the guardian angel, our loving and lovable BAPA,
Who is the endless source of learning, life making, thorough living,
Whom no thick or thin ever dare to touch or hit,
Who is the simplest and kindest person in every room he is in...
While I try to see the beginning and ending of any goodness in the world, it seems they are accumulated at one point, where your presence exists and I really mean it BAPA...
Whenever I think of myself deeply with all compassion, with all passion, I could consistently hear the soul saying, "I wish to be like my BAPA..."

My tribute cannot complete if I pay tribute only to the law of embracing nature. Because the law of the land also has been gracious enough to offer me another father too and that's you dear BAPA (father-in-law)
Who has accepted me not only in his home, but also in his heart with all amicable gestures,
Whose child like innocence always amazes me and attracts me more closer,
Who has never ever left behind helping me discover myself like my own father...

Here I confide, I need both my BAPA's bless filled hands on my head till the end...

Last but not the least, I cannot ignore the dotted father Srikrishna on this special day,
Whom I come across everyday and find his dedication at its top,
Who never leaves a single stone unturned on the way of his child's upbringing since the very first day of his new birth as a father,
Whom his son Shreyas considers as the best PAPA in the world...

I can do nothing much but saluting the ethereal presence of all the fathers, that's very much needed every moment for a substantial existence of any civilization, any race...

Thank you all for being YOU, the awesome FATHERS... 😊

VISTAGIRI - Let's Re-live Bachpan...

Let's search for the box
Allover once again
Where childhood is left
Where cornerstone of
smiles and joys,
fun and frolics -
Everything is kept...

No matter how large the key
No matter how hard it be
Let's get it anyhow -
We shall scatter the
smiles and joys to play,
Spread the fun and frolics anyway
For many many a day
On every nook and corner,
On every Vista door...

Let's do VISTAGIRI once more
With body, mind and soul
Then folding and holding
We fill the enchantment
And pack the trend
In our very core
And enhance the joy of living
Ever and Ever and Ever...

Does Perversion begin with Humanity?

http://www.speakingtree.in/article/it-s-wild-and-wonderful-without-humans

After reading this article some thoughts come to mind,
Is there ill-will in Nature or is it a gift from man?? 

I am not a pet lover, but being a nature lover, i do have love and compassion for all animals. They have all the reactions, emotions and feelings of which men are so proud. I believe, they even have more perfect senses than men. The only difference is that they can't speak, write or flood us with books on what they have felt... 

I do not know how perfect my observation is, but have seen animals like tigers, lions, elephants always so perfectly still if they are not in action. Whenever see a lion sitting, it seems telling me, ''Oh how fidgety you are!''
They look at anyone with such a peaceful air of wisdom...
And all their power, energy, physical strength are there, gathered, collected, concentrated and without a shadow of agitation, ready for action and that's too with a perfect calm.
Whereas, I have seen people who can not sit still for even half an hour and have to stir restlessly all the time, that implies integral weakness.

But between the two, there is a passage where man makes the most vulgar and low use of his intelligence, he makes it an instrument for calculation, domination, deception, and there it becomes very ugly...

Animals have an altogether rudimentary mind. They are not tormented by incessant thoughts like human beings. They feel a spontaneous gratitude for an act of kindness towards them, whilst men, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, begin to reason and ask themselves what interest one could have in being good. This is perhaps one of the the great miseries of mental activity...

The unselfish movement, uncalculating, is one of the most beautiful forms of psychic consciousness in the world, but the irony is that, the higher one rises in the scale of mental activity, the rarer it becomes...
 
It's the man who has to think to rise to a higher level and make good use of his intelligence with a desire to be  kinship with the animals by sharing his best, and only the best with them, then things can take on a much greater value...

is it NOSTALGIA???

After a lot of coming & going thoughts, finally decided to publish this, but still don't know what made me do so, is it NOSTALGIA???

Anyways, it's incredible sharing life with him...

Old images- @ 10 years old and 15 years

   

• 
  Seeing this old pictures of my husband, one of his old friends said:
  This boy hails from Titilagarh the remote part of Odisha. Most of his childhood was spent in the jungles as his father was a forest guard. He attended the Oriya medium government school free of cost. With much difficulty he was paying Rs.13/- every month as college fee in the 80's. He borrowed 1,500 /- and went to Delhi in search of a job. And the rest is HISTORY 
  
  The other friend said: Now every one borrowing from him.
• 
  I said: I guess, that HISTORY is his best treasure in the world, which has taught him the very meaning of life & made him the man he is - 

  A dutiful son & son like son-in-law,
  A caring brother & brother like brother-in-law,
  A trusted friend,
  A sincere worker,
  A thorough professional,
  A devoted father & 
  A committed life partner...
  And above all - A self made man with a pure heart, who believes in honest, simple & selfless living.
  I am indeed very lucky to have him in my life, with each new dawn who shows me ways to touch people's heart with care, compassion, sympathy, empathy & many such humane moves.......
  
  
• My sister said: Well said di...
  
  My husband said: Well! I don't know how good or bad I am. I feel, life is very beautiful; keep it simple and contented. As Bibhushri has rightly said, past is my best treasure, probably this helps me to have a very positive approach towards life irrespective of ups and downs. Thanks   
  
  Another friend concluded saying, You are truly blessed Sri. Having this approach is rare! Keep enjoying...
• ch  very positive approa 
• 
  

India - One & Indivisible -

The soil of India is our highest heaven, the good of India is our good…

When our son came from the district level patriotic song competition this afternoon and said, “Our team got the first position and is through to the state level”, instead of congratulating him, we wished him to sing that song for us at least once more that had been a regular practice since last three days and being a good boy, he began -

“Mann samarpit, tann samarpit aur yeh jeevan samarpit

Chahata hun Matri-Bhu, tujhko abhi kuchh aur bhi doon…”

This is it -
It is not sufficient to believe and think of my India as the mother land as a bare intellectual idea. It has to be adored and loved as passionately and deeply as a maternal power that can dominate the mind, seize the heart and create patriotism within as an almost mystic perception.

Mother India reveals herself as something more than a stretch of earth or a mass of individuals. Indeed, the awe and admiration of the people feel for the snow-swathed summits of the Himalayas, the menacing hills of the Frontiers, the laughing valleys of Kashmir, the rolling down of Deccan, the surge and thunder of the seas, the limpid flow of the great rivers of the country is the proof and measure of its inspiring and formative influence.

Like every past single year since 1947, this 15^th day of August is also celebrated as the independence day of India to commemorate the world’s biggest democracy. It marks as the day of freedom won back from the british rule after great struggle. All the patriotic hearts rejoiced. It was the birth of a new nation and a new beginning…

But a question always arises in the mind, “Is it the real freedom?”

The despair of partition always overshadows the happiness of heart and I could not help getting highly emotional. It felt, India is free but she has not achieved unity, it's nothing but a fissured and broken freedom, all because of the permanent political division. I do believe, such division cannot obliterate certain national and historical memories on both side of the division and hopeful for eternal brotherhood and union. The boundaries may change with political fluctuations. In spite of the present circumstances that seems tensed every now and then, we are one in our soul and spirit.

May these two democratic states respect, preserve and promote these deeper unities in the life of their people without emphasizing their differences which are comparatively superficial and confined only to politics, for politics does not exhaust the totality of the life’s interests. It's our responsibility to establish love, peace and harmony over hatred, war and skirmishes.

Democracy is the emergence of people’s power. It lets every man to be free in soul, bound to service by love, to be equal in spirit, apportioned his place in society by his capacity to serve society to be in harmonious relations with his fellow nationals, linked to them by mutual love and service.The mission is to point back humanity to the true source of human liberty, human equality, human brotherhood. When man is free in spirit, all other freedom is at his command.

Thus, the need is to develop a realistic perception at the conceptual level focusing on righteousness and judicious outlook on the part of political level. If this objective is achieved, then the realization of thinking, acting and seeing human unity in diversity in practical term too would become a distinct possibility.

Some may agree, many may disagree, but my heart speaks out this way that believes in oneness. Time has undergone a sea of change now. It asks us to see beyond the self and visualize what is not only good for the survival of the human race, but also for its welfare and establishment of a peace loving society.

We all are the sailors of this young energetic millennium full of expectation, hope and promise of a very prosperous future. Let us introspect and search for our souls honestly to ascertain to what extent our dreams are likely to be fulfilled. A mere glance and peep through in the past will convince us the futility of our expectations. The clashes, conflicts, violence, bloodshed and massacre continue abated in the name of caste, creed or religion and boundaries of the nation.The time tested human values are being trampled and the concept of morality, ethics and character are becoming mere play of words. The religion instead of being a binding force is leading to clashes among people. That is perhaps the most unfortunate paradox. Need of the hour is to usher happiness and prosperity, love and humility, peace and tranquility by a firm determination and courage of conviction on the part of individual to treat humanity as the only religion with purity of mind, thought and action for a peaceful living.

Mother India awaits for us to respond to her call to awaken to her mission. May we be her hero warriors and her worthy children keeping the hope alive and join hands to work incessantly and learn to devote all our resource, energy and strength for the welfare of all living beings and respect for life on this land to make it a better place to live in…

Let the soul of India live forever!!!

Male-Female Mindset Or.....???

Apart from the choice of food, where they both (my husband & son) are pure Veggies and I'm a Non-Veg eater...
Perhaps, we three share similar ideologies but ONE - Where they both believe they're very strong because they have the ability to deal with their sorrows and keep their lives in order without showing those to others and I believe that the ability to share feelings and emotions with others is a sign of strength which I have because I'm not afraid of letting others see those...
Is this just a contradiction of the Male-Female Mindset Or.....???

My son says - 
This surely is a contradiction of Male-Female Mindset Mom. It actually is our perception that makes a difference in the way we think... The major fault in our society's perception is that boys are taught to be hardcore and tough whereas girls from the beginning are taught to be sweet and moderate. This is what makes all the difference between Male & Female what you call 'Male-Female Mindset'. This fatal pre-concieved notion of our society should definitely be abolished and this clash of your and our mindsets is nothing but absolutely natural so we cannot help it until the society decides to help it... 
unsure emoticonOn a lighter note, I just remembered your scrumptious delicacies when u addressed me as a 'VEGGIE' !!

Myself in response-
You are absolutely right son, it's definitely a perception, but being the integral part of the society, we ourselves should be the change if we want to see it in the society. Isn't it???

My friend Gurukanya says - 
I do agree...... its true......

Myself in response -
Thank you Gurukanya.

My friend Deepti says -Absolutely. It's scientifically proven. We are wired to share and they're wired to not. That's why men are from mars and women ..well u know

Myself in response -
Yeah Deepti, I know it well, we are stronger with our sharing spirit ..., that's why nobody dares, not even NASA or ISRO to go to Venus. Only Mars Missions!!!

My friend Jailatha says - 
While agreeing to your concept I would like to add that what these men think as a strength to control their emotions it is actually a fear. A fear that their weakness will surface and show how vulnerable they are. This is again in line with our social norms. But the society needs to be reminded time and again that it is to the power of feminity they turn to in times of crisis. Our mythology has enough such instances.
And yes Venus is unconquerable until she wishes!!

Myself in response -
You are absolutely right Jailatha. There are many such examples of women's strength in different portrayals everywhere...

If we look into Hindu Mythology, Mahabharata says, when Yudhisthira came to know about his relation with Karna as his brother only after Karna's death, he was in deepest grief & blamed mother Kunti for the entire war of Mahabharata by concealing the whole truth & cursed all of womankind by saying they would never be able to keep in their heart a secret...
To my understanding, it's not a curse at all, rather a learning lesson for the whole mankind irrespective of different genders. So no one should keep such emotions of ordeal within, that harms one's own self or the others. Because if the truth had not been hidden, there wouldn't have been the war of devastation, The Mahabharata. Anyways, such discussions are endless...

On an ending note, I'm happy of the fact that I am capable of sharing my emotions that certainly strengthens me by enhancing my happiness & lessening my sorrows... smile emoticon