The Doomed Dorms

Speaking with Deepa is like digging up a treasure cove. Enticing stories, vivid perceptions and killer ideas come twittering out of the conversation like a swarm of butterflies throwing a riot of colours around.
The colours that came out and about this time, were, however, DARK as Deeps shared with me an account of her first visit (for work) to a women's jail.
Here's what she scribbled:

A deathly silence greets at the heavy concrete high walled prison in Meerut. Inside, the wind ruffles the quiet tree, the cold walls stare with bleak eyes, the peeled plaster bares grim realities, even as a lone squirrel strives to climb up the tender branches of a new plant. A stony, eerie claustrophobia grips in the dark, icy room. The chirping of the birds in the afternoon sun is a dull monotony that rises to a crescendo in a deafening, bone chilling rhythm. And yet, pink flowers blossom on a peach tree. Hope springs amidst gloom and fear...

And then, a small question (to someone else) from the restless question princess that resides in Reety Skeety led to the reaffirmation in her belief against taking up Law as a profession after spending three years studying the subject: Wrongly denying justice to someone brings in doom to that party and those around them. And to you, it brings upon the burden of having done a wrong which is even grave and unpardonable, if not in human eyes, then in the eyes of the greater force that rules the cosmos.
Anyway, these were the questions asked by Skeety and the answers that followed -
Q: A day (wrapped up) in jail is like:
A: A normal day where people get up ...use the dirty smelly washrooms cum kitchens, read newspapers ...play cards..excercise...make small talk...think...cook....have lunch n dinner ...joke around etc.. and finally sleep off.
Q: Is it the same as shown in flicks?
A: Flicks have it dramatised. Its more real. But yes...societies do exist there.

May justice deliver the innocent.

Engaging walks...

Went for a walk to Connaught Place.
I am now at least half-a-kilo lighter after the long walk ;)
Clicked like there's no tomorrow.
Went on to Sitaram Bazaar in Old Delhi.
Glided past some beautiful old houses.
In them, lies the real heritage of Delhi.

They can give the so-called posh houses of South Delhi, a beauty complex.
Saw a netaji ki rally. Pooh Pooh at that!
Ate some real good street food. Kuremal's Kulfi and Baburam's golgappe for the records.
Long Lovely Day.
Ended it with a warm water foot-soak, followed by a generous splash of refreshing peppermint spray on the tootsies.
So, this is how I celebrated Pea-NUT's birthday.
Notes to the self: Pliss walk more often. Pliss wear sneakers daily. Pliss Pliss Pliss.

Mela calling!

Hola!
Skeety's just arrived from the Surajkund Mela (Haryana). 'twas her maiden visit there. Have little to share in words, except that:

* It was FUN.


* Had buddhi ke baal aka candy floss after eons!

* Spent one day exclusively with mommy.

* Apart from the Mela, saw the Surajkund as well.


Notes: The Surajkund, as the name suggests is a water tank (now there's no water there), believed to have been constructed by Raja Suraj Pal of the Tomar dynasty. It dates back to the 10th Cnetury A.D. when sun worship was popular in India. The shape of the kund resembles that of the rising sun curving eastwards. This is due to the semicircular stepped stone. The bed of the kund is 130 metres in diameter.

* The Punjabis rock and will always do. Loved the folk songs.
It is on till tomorrow only. So, if any of you can manage. Runnnnnnn!
P.S.: This mela is held from February 1-15 every year :)

The little one...

She came, she saw, she conquered: me, us.
And then, she moved on, to conquer the world.

Starry eyes
dreaming skies.
Little hands
holding on tight
Oh, the way they fight (me).
Unruly hair
I used to tie them in a pony (fountain-style)
my little noneee :D
She sits somewhere there,
gazing out of her window, forlorn,
wishing we all were there (together).
Her chuckles,
they still reverberate through the walls of the house...
The naughty tricks,
How, together, we watched them, flicks.
I sit here (thinking her),
Only wishing she was near.

Happy Birthday to Nearly Headless Nick!
Love You!

Why...

...does this blog get more hits and comments than my other (and favourite) blog Delhi Foodies' Zone ?

Dilli Ki Sardi: An Ode

I

Hit the sack

With a hot water bag

Like a lazy hag :D

No fireplace to keep me warm on the no-sunshine day

My five-finger socks help keep the cold away.

Behold the legend!

The most enticing stories that I have heard, read and seen as a child come from The Mahabharata (one of the two great Indian epics).

One such story is about the Pandavas (read about them here) and their escape from the Lakshagrah (Lac Palace). And it only got better when I got to visit a place that bears testimony to the story of Lakshagrah.

A small town called Sardhana (near Meerut) is home to Mahadev temple, where the Pandavas are believed to have stayed and prayed enroute Lakshagrah.

The story goes like this (This version I tell you, from what I can recollect having read, written and seen):
Mahabharata ensued (sort of), when among the two heirs to the throne of Hastinapur, Dhritrashtra and Pandu, Pandu was installed to the throne; Dhritrashtra being blind. Later, after the death of Pandu, Dhritrashtra succeeded the throne.

Mahabharata was the war fought between the two sets of Chandravanshi (decendants of the Lunar Dynasty) brothers: The Pandavas (Five sons of Pandu) and Kauravas (100 sons of Dhritrashtra). The war, to install Yudhishthir (the eldest Pandav) on the throne of Hastinapur.

The story of Lakshagrah is of an abortive bid by the Kauravas to kill their Pandava brothers. And it goes thus:
Duryodhana (the eldest Kaurava prince) invited the Pandavas to Varnavrata (now called Barnawa) to join some festivities. Duryodhana alongwith his scheming maternal uncle Shakuni got built, a Lac Palace or Lakshagrah, for the Pandavas. This Palace was built of Shellac (highly combustible) and other combustible materials like wax, jute, fat etc.

Great meals were laid and other arrangements par-excellence were made to make the stay of the Pandavas luxurious and memorable.

The ghastly plan was to set the Lac Palace afire while the Pandavas were asleep.Kunti (mother of the first three sons of Pandu) was accompanying the Pandavas to the Lac Palace. They stopped at Sardhana enroute Varnavrata for a night's stay. There, Kunti had a dream that Duryondhana plotted to kill them at the palace they were headed to and that they should be weary of fire. In the dream, Kunti was told to establish a Shivlinga at Sardhana and pray there, so that the tragedy-to-be is averted.

The Pandavas accordingly prayed and established the Shivling at Sardhana before proceeding to Varnavrata. This Shivling can be seen at the Mahadeva temple. There exist great believers of the mystical powers of this Shivling. Efforts have been made in the past to lift this Shivling up, but everytime such an attempt was made, this Shivling slid beaneath the ground. Finally it was decided to let the Shivling be.

Below is the picture of the same Shivling. I chanced to visit the temple, thanks to my benevolent and charming hosts Deepa (who forced me to visit Meerut and then Sardhana), Shuchi Bhabi (who in turn forced Deepa to bring me there) and her family.I got to witness the place that bears testimony to the one of the most captivating stories from ancient India. Thank You soooo much!Story continued: When the Pandavas reached the Lakshagrah, they could see that the palace was made of combustible materials. While pretending to enjoy their stay at the Lakshagrah, the Pandavas secretly dug a tunnel which could lead them out of the Lakshagrah. They also figured out (with the help of Vidura, an uncle) that Purochana (a servant of the Kauravas) had been assigned the task of setting the palace afire.
One night, when the Pandavas were done digging the tunnel, they fled the Palace using it. Bhima, who was the last to come out of the tunnel, set the palace afire and Purochana was burnt alive while he was asleep. The Pandavas then travelled in disguise for some time, till they reached Hastinapur. But then, THAT is another story.
The remains of the Lac Palace can still be seen at Barnawa and I wish to visit the place sometime soon.
Deepa, are you listening?

Whoa, this is the longest post I've ever written, but, it could not be any shorter.