God's Grace !!

My father always wanted me to sing...he had bought a harmonium for me when I was just 5 or 6 years old....but then the most unfortunate event happened in my life as he passed away when I was just 8 and his dream could not be fructified for a long time till my mother , when she finally managed to overcome her deep depression , initiated me into the realm of music as I stepped into college life .My revered Guru got me auditioned for AIR Lucknow where by the grace of God I was selected and started getting the opportunity to give programmes occasionally ...However that was shortlived as other important and life changing events happened in the course of time and music again took a back seat.. Fortunately my husband , keenly interested in my achievements tried to revive my singing in every way he could...my revered Gurus Late Kashinath Bodas and Late Ghulam Dastagir Khan were indeed wonderful teachers and I did learn alot from them .But that too did not sustain and I got totally immersed in the humdrum of other pressing commitments. Maa Saraswati has been very kind to me in this later phase of life ,as now in my post retirement years especially during the last one year I have revived my singing and realised that this is what my passion always was ! Again I owe this to my dear husband for revivifying my interest , allocating a wonderful Guru for me so that I could resume my passion, though late in life ,and sing to my heart's content ... Now that my songs , which are heightened and embellished by the artistic camera work of my husband and which I share on Facebook and You tube , which again is solely due to my spouse's encouragement .. get Likes , Comments , Appreciation and warm loving words of encouragement certainly boost my morale and motivate me to continue in such endeavours till by His grace I am able to 🙏🙏 This has happened definitely due to the blessings of my dear parents and also my in-laws who were very fond of my singing. They would have been so happy to witness whatever amateur attempts I am carrying on with...I firmly believe they are witnessing it ..and blessing me profusely from wherever they are now 🙏 🙏

The Face Off

Huge applause for our Hon. prime minister who has always manifested his astute vision in the declaration of radical and reformatory life- changing resolves for his countrymen. Right from Demonetisation to CAA to the 2020 immediate and complete Covid lockdown to the recent decision of vaccination of 18+(to name a few) ...his strategic planning is laudable as he is always and only thinking of the benefit and betterment of his dear junta.😚 Demonetisation was hailed as a bold step rendering his dear deshvasiyon almost destitute as withdrawing their own money from banks became an uphill task there being no ready cash flow but ofcourse our strong-willed PM with his zealous intention to rout out corruption overlooked the need to ensure liquidity of cash causing abysmal inconvenience to the distraught masses. The CAA and The Kisan bill uproar and agitation leading to loss of lives fell on deaf ears as again our headstrong Head of the country remained firm in his decision of not complying or intending to acquiese with his countrymen come what may, again for vested interests . Then suddenly erupted Covid 19 ,a problem not faced hitherto by any PM it was said in sympathy ,but he rose to the occasion once again and came up with the solution of an abrupt complete lockdown which was a jolt for all and sundry. But then it was his genuine interest in saving lives and preventing the spread of the devastating disease that overtook his consciousness making him oblivious to the plethora of problems that could arise and , did arise resulting in mass exodus of the fluid population from 29 states and 7 Union territories to their respective 669,369( statistics as of 2019 ) native villages. By God's grace the first wave abated and complacency set in although a second wave had been predicted. Elections , Rallies , religious congregations started with a never- before witnessed fervour and frenzy which continued even in the midst of the second surge of Covid . However , there was no ban imposed on rallies or elections ....courtesy the certainty of the ruling party winning !! And after all how could the PM's foresightedness of growing a flowing white Tagore- beard to woo the Bengalis go waste ! Then came the second wave of Covid with the double mutant virus more fierce and ruthless causing havoc and unprecedented disaster, affecting new born, children young and old. The frenetic pace of the apocalyptic pandemic was a sudden jolt and all resources were inadequate to meet the catastrophic consequences. Oxygen , the elixir of life ran out of supplies ...several died and still are dying due to unavailability of this precious commodity . However, once again our strong-willed PM despite his busy schedule of the upcoming elections ,which ofcourse he dared not postpone even in the wake of the calamity, started high level digital meetings with the CMs to take stock of the situation simultaneously appearing on Television addressing his' pyare bhaiya aur behno 'to maintain strict Covid protocol. Those involved in election work rallies or attending and participating in the most sacred religious gatherings were surprisingly spared as if Covid protocol could be avoided by them....the aftermath is yet to be witnessed. Then started the two -dose Vaccination drive ...First came the decision to vaccinate front line warriors then the 60+ masses then 45+ .. So far was so good ...all heaved a sigh of relief that this was an efficacious precautionary measure to ward off Covid and minimise its severity . The drive began successfully but before the so-called elderly and vulnerable could complete the two doses of the shots all of a sudden one fine day came this wonderful path-breaking news of vaccinating all above 18+ ... A great initiative no doubt...though with alarming repercussions! With the acute shortage of vaccines the second dose - vaccination aspirants are running from pillar to post now. Centres are closing down as there are no vaccines ....do we consider this as the Ruler's far sightedness or narrow vision 🤔 So with the raging surge in Covid cases, short supply of medicines, oxygen, hospital beds, vaccines and a total collapse of infrastructure Bharat is in doldrums .. Opinions of think tanks , planning and organising, strategy, availability of resources are essential for implementation of initiatives .Instead of driving his energy and resources in brainwashing the endangered defenceless 'junta' and putting on a shrewd garb of righteousness which unfortunately the ardent followers, the blind Modi bhakts are failing to realise even now , instead of lambasting the opposition ( whatever is left ...for either they are behind bars ...or whatever they say form news clippings that is visible to the discerning reader in the smallest of fonts on the 3rd / 4th page of newspapers! ) and envisioning an opposition - free democracy it would be better if he forsakes his apathetic attitude, thinks judiciously in the immediate and long term interest of his voters ,his 'pyare deshvasiyon '. We have to surrender and have faith in The Almighty for He alone is our saviour 🙏 🙏 I am a proud Indian national and I respect the PM for the measures he has taken or is taking . I do not wish to malign his image or the country's image . It is agonising to see our country being in the news for not being able to contain the second wave . What I do wish to highlight is that all right thinking citizens do expect some wise, well- thought of , properly planned ,effective and responsible actions from those at the helm of affairs . May normalcy be restored soon .

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever ..." John Keats ' simple yet profound opening line of his poem Endymion has been a widely popular and accepted notion . Witnessing, acknowledging , admiring and appreciating Nature's bounty , the manifestations of God's glory has been the driving force behind man's enthusiastic quest for travelling and exploring the remotest of destinations ! That spark thankfully is still not dormant ! However , what is painful to note is the indifference or apathy that sets in even when one is living in the best parts of the world , amidst the most naturally beautiful surroundings with the accessibility to every possible necessity and luxury that one's pocket allows . The slightest of inconvenience , or if things are not conducive to one's acceptance it triggers an irresolute discarding of all the favourable things that DO exist. It is this mundane familiarity which overpowers the sensibility to such an extent that the WOW factor ceases to exist. What sadly remains or rather sets in is a perpetual grudge or call it discontentment . In other words what depletes is the positive power of fine sensibilities .That's why this age - old , clichéd but fiercely veracious proverb 'Familiarity breeds contempt' feels so relevant and universal . This human tendency as it is arguably so, becomes acutely distressful when it enters relationships. Many relations crumble and continue to be quashed due to this underlying tendency which is unfortunately gaining momentum. As the same celebrated poet Keats voices in his Ode on a Greciun Urn expressing the sore predicament of human relations. "All breathing human passion far above That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloyed A burning forehead and a parching tongue ." This is what human passions lead to ...a grieving and unsatisfied yearning for possessing something more or something better in this context . Is it the travesty or distortion in human relationships that causes this familiarity to turn into contempt! Contempt is a vociferously aggressive word denoting the harsh state of the eroded human mind. What sadly ensues is ultimately a deep- seated unhappiness and seething discontent. Why can't we keep that spark alive in relationships always ? Why can't we go on marvelling at The Lord's creations though we are surrounded by it ? What is it that is hampering us to be our own real true Happy selves ? We have been donning layers and layers of complexities and complexes thereby hardening our pure consciousness rendering it impervious to the simple , unalloyed pleasures life has to offer. We have now become God-fearing instead of God-loving .Apprehensions and false complexes to satisfy the egos have clogged our minds .We are thus not able to live in that state of wonder that naturally gives rise to gratitude . Rather we have lost that innocence and purity tjat is our inherent nature. Wordsworth's poignant lines from his sonnet The World is Too Much With Us come to my mind : " Little we see in nature that is ours We have given our hearts away , a sordid boon ..." The question that the poet posits here is whether we can have regard for the beauty that exists in life ... Why should we be a pawn to allow this sordid ,begrimed mental deprivation to thrive ? We do need to reflect on this and act to redeem ourselves from this brooding familiarity breeding contempt. Definitely a Mental Renaissance is required to get rid of this and free our minds to be able to be ever thankful to Our Creator not only for the constant blossoming of natural bounties but more importantly for all that He is continuously providing for us. We need to be grateful for the endless blessings He is perpetually showering and inundating us with ....if only this realisation dawns on us ,can the maxim Familiarity breeds contempt be annihilated from our ethos for good ! And life and this mortal world will appear more habitable . It is only then that we can come near to God-realisation and Sat-chit-anand !!

AGE IS A NUMBER

Battling with advancing years , receeding hairlines, indelible wrinkles , drooping jawlines, innumerable crow's feet , sagging muscles -that- were -once taut , and ofcourse fast greying hair are just the tip of the iceberg of what is referred to as ageing .To add to the list besides these undisguised external attributes other limitations like diminishing physical strength , depletion of vitally important vitamins and minerals, debilitating immune system coupled with the enfeebling of mental agility and responses do facilitate the process of ageing . Together with that can be added disappointments , inconsolable grief of loosing loved ones , unhappiness and a sense of helplessness may be due to physical / mental incapacities or disabilities that accompanies and enmeshes ageing. Despite the blatant and brazen bellowing and bawling that age is just a number it is therefore rather wise to accept that ageing is an inevitable phenomenon which spares no mortal. However, there is no reason to despair and be despondent as it is a natural occurrence well planned and sagaciously devised as per The Almighty 's phenomenal and prudent master plan . YES , ...to be able to experience that Age is JUST a number is one of the countless mercies of The Creator ! To feel young at heart , to not be aware of the advancing years , to be able to exercise the mental faculties intelligently , to consciously endeavour to maintain physical fitness are some of the luxuries that the blessed can relish ! Moreover the priceless aspect ascribed with age is the experience of life that comes with it and the wisdom and insightfulness that follows . The spiritual awareness , the witnessing capability , in other words it can be aptly expressed in Hindi as " Shakshi Bhav" that characterise ageing are invaluable when weighed with the traits of young age. The capability to create a balance between the ever changing world and one's own beliefs , to see life dispassionately, to be in a happy state of mind always , to be able to let go of prejudices and cease nurturing grudges, to be able to revel in the sheer joy of living , to be able to get the time and good sense to introspect and to be able to "look inwards " are the several blessings bestowed by The Almighty ...it is just required of us to be conscious of this ....Ageing will then be truly rewarding despite naturally jeopardising other capacities . The best way to achieve this is mindfulness , to savour , enjoy and cherish every moment of life which will result in being connected to the present moment.... .For what is vitally important to realise , understand and firmly believe is that the Present moment is the most pleasant moment ! Reminiscing Robert Browning's universally acclaimed lines : "Grow old along with me! The Best is Yet to Be .." So Happy Ageing !!