Of water through taps, livelihoods and the Hirkani Haat at Latur...

Of water through taps, livelihoods and the Hirkani Haat at Latur....

January is synonymous with Mahalakshmi Saras in Mumbai. I was blessed with the opportunity to organize it  the last four years during my tenure as CEO MSRLM. The efforts put in by the SHG women and our team had made it emerge as a brand with each passing year. I have been flooded with calls and messages over how everyone was missing Mahalakshmi Saras this year due to Covid. No doubts I have been missing it too.
There is a magic about it, a charm which can only be experienced and felt in our hearts, soul and the products made by SHG women. Paul Coelho has said that when you want something the whole universe conspires to make it happen.
To a large extent it became true when I could feel the pulse of Mahalakshmi Saras at The Hirkani Haat at Latur yesterday.
My visit to Latur to review the progress of Jal Jeevan Mission along with the Hon'ble Minister of State for Water Supply and Sanitation, Mr.Sanjay Bansode  coincided with the Hirkani Haat at Latur. On the one hand I could witness the progress of household tap connections,  interact with women and know about their joys due to household tap connections and on the other I could experience their marketing skills at Hirkani Haat,  the district Saras.
Organised meticulously by Abhinav Goel, the Chief Executive Officer of Latur Zilla Parishad, it has all the elements for an avid shopper.
Food products are always the biggest attraction and one could gorge on the popular groundnut laddoos and variety of chikkis.
Sandhyarani Datal's Khaakras would make many Gujarati chefs run for their money. The ten different flavours icluding jeera, paanipuri, masala, methi, khichadi are extremely tasty. Health snacks like Soya nuts, coffee, buttermilk are also available. 
While we all are familiar with lime and mango pickles many may not have heard of Drumstick pickles. Meera Maske of Budhoda Village made me taste this new variety of pickle which is not only healthy but extremely tasty. Her eyes shone with pride as she shared it's popularity reaching America and also the fact that Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Ms.Supriya Sule is among her patrons.
The variety of spices specially the different kinds of turmeric, chilly powder, masalas, spices made one drool.
Organic unpolished Tur Daal, cleaned on the traditional hand grinder, "Jaata" and other pulses are available at rates unthinkable in Mumbai. 
Sundried Dehydrated bengal gram ( Harbhara) leaves prepared by Bhimai SHG  of Bhada Village of Ausa Block is another unique health product. 
Garden lovers can purchase organic compost made by Krishi Sakhis. For lovers of art and textiles there is a variety of artefacts, Banjara dresses, Ikkat kurtis, bags and face masks in a multitude of colours.
If you want to cover yourself in the age old warmth of Godhadis, traditional cotton quilts, the designer line of Godhadis by Roma are extremely attractive and now easily available on Amazon.
And once  you are done with all the shopping gorge yourself on the yummy Dahi dhapate, Borsuri Varan , Bhajiyas , Ujani Basundi, Thalipeeth and other rustic food.
"Hirkani" symbolises the dynamic woman and her hardships, love, compassion and sacrifice. Time and again women from the self help groups of Umed MSRLM have proven that  they are ready to take on the  world. Hirkani Haat portrays that spirit.
Dashasutri, the ten cardinal principles of MSRLM leads to overall development of the woman, her family and the village. Health, Nutrition and Sanitation is the sixth sutra and Water is an inseparable part of nutrition. 
Almost fifty percent of the diseases among women and children are waterborne. It is also a known fact that women have to trudge miles to get drinking water. Jal Jeevan Mission has been launched to reduce this drudgery in the lives of women by providing good quality drinking water through taps in their homes.
As I sipped water after the tasty meal in the food stalls at the Hirkani Haat my heart overflowed with joy, that Jal Jeevan Mission had given me another opportunity to work for the cause of women.

P.S. The Hirkani Haat is open from 10 a.m to 10 pm till 31st January 2021 at Latur Krida Sankul, Latur. 

Koodaarai Vellum....Saint poet Andal's Tirupaavai 27th Verse.....and its uniqueness....

Koodaarai Vellum....Saint poet Andal's Tirupaavai 27th Verse.....and its uniqueness.... 

I haven't been in my elements off late. Blame it on my own mindset. So 'Marghazhi' or ' Margashish' has been kind of marred for me.  In reality this month is Shri Krishna's favourite as said by him in the Bhagavad Gita, " Maasanaam Margasheershoham" ( I am the month of Margashirsha). Maybe that is why he emanates in many ways to spread sweetness in everyone's life, more so today , as it is Koodaara Valli, the 27th day of the month.

I set out to seek his blessings with Andal's 27th Pasuram, 

" Koodaarai vellum seer Govindhaa Undhannai paadi parai Kondu yaam Perum sammaanam, Naadu pugazhum Parisinaal nanraaga, Choodagame Thol Valaiye Thode Sevip poove, Paadagame Enranaiya palagalanum yaam anivom

Aadai uduppom Adhan pinne paar choru

mooda Ney peydhu muzhangai vazhi vaara 

Koodi irundhu kulirndhelor empaavaay.." 

Andaal , is the saint poetess of Tamil Nadu, the only lady among the twelve Azhwaars, Sri Vaishnava saint poets of the south. She wrote the famous Tirupaavai to celebrate this month and her devotion to Krishna. She may not be known to many outside South India but her devotion to Krishna is akin to Radha or Meera as she was equally devout. Tamil sacred scriptures are abound with stories of this ardent devotee of Nandagopan Kumaran Krishna. 

For Sri Vaishnavites from Tamilnadu, the month Margazhi is synonymous with the Tirupaavai, 30 verses sung for each day of the month by the saint poetess Andaal. These verses known as Paasurams show how immersed she is in her devotion to Krishna. 

Compulsion has never been the forte of Hinduism. Therefore Andaal also does not force but exudes the young girls to wake up early during this auspicious month on all days, bathe in the holy river and seek blessings of the Lord Krishna.  Her love and devotion for Krishna are embedded in all the pasurams. 

She begins the month on a note of austerity with vows of abstinence from all  pleasure. Having attained the Lord , she is in totally different state on the 27th day  as her penance has borne fruit. Till now she and her friends had abstained from all luxury, avoiding sumptuos food, milk, not decorating their hair with flowers or applying Kaajal to their eyes. However now that they had attained oneness with Krishna they wished to adorn themselves beautifully. They ask bangles for their hands, ornaments for their shoulders, beautiful flowers for their hair, golden earrings and other ornaments including tinkling anklets for their feet. They want to wear flowing Silk garments along with the ornaments. Dressed up , they want to celebrate their Bhakti for the Lord by offering the prasadam cooked in milk, sugary sweet with jaggery and dripping with ghee down to the elbows. 

These thoughts are similar to the Pancha Samskaraas where all our senses are in total surrender to the Lord to receive his blessings. 

Krishna of course is the compassionate  one who ultimately wins over the hearts of even those who turn away from him and even his enemies. 

The very name Govinda is a favourite of his devotees and its utterance gives sheer joy. Their praise for him was unconditional and so will be his benevolence. 

 In some ways this is also similar to what her father, Periazhvar has composed in the Thiru Pallandu :

"Neyyidai Sorum, niyathamum atthanai chevagamaum, kaiadaikkAyum, kazutthukku poon, kaadhukku kundalamm, meiyida nalladhor sandham thanthu ennai velluyuriakka valla" 

It is the Lord who is the provider of abundance with rice and ghee, ornaments for the neck, earrings, and fragrant sandal paste to apply on the body along with the opportunity to do service to Him daily and yet purify us as white butter to ultimately recognise the Lord and be one with him. 

The deity never expects his devotees to lead a puritan existence but to enjoy the blessings of the Lord and His gifts with joy. 

Similarly Andal on receiving the blessings of the Lord adorns herself. 

In the beginning of the month they had vowed to abstinence but now it was time to rejoice. 

So she breaks her fast and offers 100 vessels of butter and Akkaarai Vadisal prasadam to the Lord.

Tadha Utsavam is celebrated in most Vaishnavite temples by offering 100 vessels to the Lord in a similar manner. 

Religion and spirituality are states of mind which should make us descend above our base feelings. Literature, ancient or modern  is replete with examples of saints, seers and thinkers who have written about the greatness of the Lord and experienced his benevolence. It is for us to understand the true spirit and follow it in best way we can. The beauty of Hinduism is that it offers us various paths to be human. Knowledge, that is Nyaana, Bhakti that is devotion, Karma that is duty and work or Vairagya that is total surrender. We can chose our path. This is beautifully highlighted in the 27th Paasuram, Kuddarai Vellum.

तुमसे ही हैं, तुम्हारे जीवन में प्रकाश....

तुमसे ही हैं, तुम्हारे जीवन में प्रकाश....

अक्सर अशांकाओं से घिरा मन
ज़रा कुछ हुआ की थम जाता मन
कभी शब्द कर जाते खिन्न
या बर्ताव किसी का भिन्न
कभी मन का कोई वहम
या दिल का कोई भरम
क्षण मात्र में कर देते तहस नहस
हो जाते स्वप्न उध्वस्त
मन गिर जाता गहरी खाई
तभी आवाज़ निकलकर आई 
सुनो बंधु, भाई
क्यों तज दी तुमने चतुराई
सुख दुख हैं निर्भर तुमपर
ना किसी के शब्द ना बर्ताव पर
असंभव हैं सब कुछ
बिन तुम्हारी अनुमति
सुख दुख पीड़ा अपमान
आधीन हैं तुम्हारी सहमति
चूक सुधारो अपनी
बात बनाओ अपनी
राह सवारों अपनी
ध्यान लगाओ अपनी
निंदा करो ना हो उदास
तुमसे ही हैं, तुम्हारे जीवन में प्रकाश....

मन विमल 

New Year....

New Year....

My heart is very heavy today, the second day of the new year which began yesterday.  There are no prizes for guessing why. Many of us who saw the last year go by with so many challenges and vicissitudes due to Covid 19 may be feeling similarly.  Ten months of trial and immeasurable losses to life,  business , education and what not.
There were several messages for the new year and  my mind kept ticking constantly even as I read those messages and responded to them. Last year when we celebrated new year or welcomed it we never thought we would be hit so severely by a virus. We never thought our lives would change so drastically.  We never imagined city streets  would be barren or buses, trains and aeroplanes will stop flying. We never thought that cities like Mumbai would come to a standstill.
We saw many of our dear ones getting sucked by the virus, leaving us behind to face the misery of not even being able to see them before their cremation or burials.
We saw the transformation in education from real classrooms to virtual ones. We saw our kids forced to get clossetted in our houses to avoid getting infected. We saw all our senior citizens getting affected the most.
Times were tough but we learnt to manage our lives and sail through.  We put up a great front and have emerged successful in containing the virus.
We have learnt to sanitise ourselves,  wash hands frequently, wear masks and maintain social distance. We have learnt a new way of life.
This is the greatest quality of human beings, the ability to adapt, adjust and change our lifestyle.  We have recognized and reshaped every single thing including face masks to match our costumes.
This is the essence and true spirit of  mankind, eternal faith and hope.
Our hearts maybe heavy but we never lose hope, we have constant faith and belief in the strength of our abilities and till that flame is alive nothing can stop us.
Children reflect this spirit so simply and a few lines written in this context by my son, Vishnuchittan say that so beautifully.
"Tough times for you, Tough times for me,
We could hardly meet and see.
This year has been filled with adversity,
And we have waited patiently.
Although good times may be out of sight,
After every storm, the morning is bright.
A New Year brings a New Beginning,
We'll be rid of these times which are sickening,
Tired of Skype, Zoom and Google Meet,
We'll finally get to meet and greet.
We'll transition from darkness to dawn,
And the rays of hope will fall upon!"

Yes indeed....let rays of hope fall upon each one of us...Let this year be truly happy...so here's wishing us all , A Happy new year...

Rail Kanya....

Rail Kanya.... 

It was five in the morning when I left home to catch my train to Bhusawal. A cold breeze accompanied the darkness as the sun was yet to rise in the little winter of Mumbai. I would be travelling by train after almost thirteen years . Covid has been a dampener with almost no travel in the last eight months. My mind was filled with fears of travel but my heart was pounding wildly over the thought of traveling by train after so long and I could barely contain my excitement. There was no traffic in the wee hours of the morning so we reached the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus very quickly. 

There is something different about railway stations, the entrance with porters to help carry luggage,  the hustle and bustle, the announcements, the platforms, the vendors, the trains and of course a peculiar smell around everything. The only thing which seemed to have changed were the electric golf carts which made acccess to the platforms breezy for just forty rupees. 

I chose to walk and the walk to the platform from which my train would depart was quite long. As I trotted along with my suitcase in a carefree manner my eyes absorbed the old world charm of the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus in all its stateliness. Yet I could not prevent my mind from wandering to the shoot out in 2008, the trauma it must have caused so many.

Soon my mind was diverted by the calls of the familiar, "Chai garam Chai" from the tea vendor. I started walking towards my compartment hurriedly. I could not resist  taking a few selfies just before entering it  with child-like glee.  

Once into the compartment,  I settled into the familiar Air-conditioned two tier coach. My mind was flooded with memories of countless travels in trains since childhood. 

Being born to an engineer in the railways, I always feel proud of being a rail kanya. Till I was a teenager, the railways and the  railway colony was the only world I knew. 

There are several perks of being in the railways. These included staying in well-maintained bungalows with manicured lawns and gardens, having excellent facilities with sports , orderlies to take care of your home. However what I liked most were the free passes we would get for travel which made travel so easy and such great fun. 

There was a romance in traveling by first class specially in a coupe. The typical smell in the compartment, the tea in white porcelain kettle and cups , the cutlet bread breakfast. 

When we traveled long distance the food carried in tiffin carriers along with a mattress in a holdall and a stainless steel kujaa for water made me feel important. Every journey was a new lesson in management. 

Train journeys are so cosmopolitan in nature as we create a small world during this journey with conversations with co-passengers, sharing of food. We are above caste, creed or colour for a short while.

  A friend of mind once mentioned that travelling in train is akin to maintaining "Drishtaa Bhaav" aligned yet aloof. While conversations got us close we yet maintained a distance ensuring of remaining untangled as if carrying joy and sadness together going about our own ways once our journey is over. 

We are also in proximity to nature and connected to earth as we watch different landscapes passing by. 

Among all my journeys I fondly remember those to Delhi when we could buy Kulhad ki chai and sip tea along with the earthy aroma. Our family trips to Chennai used to be eventful with changing trains at Wardha East Station where we often had to struggle for getting seats as we stayed in Bhusawal and getting inter state reservations was not possible those days.  

Railways have been the arteries,  veins and capillaries of travel as they connect different cities with their huge network. There is something unique about railways and an earthiness about a  train which binds you and holds you on. Perhaps ĺit is  the crisscross lines teaching us that all intersections ultimately become parallell leading us to our destination. 

There is so much behind this service , a number of departments,  a huge system working for its efficient functioning.

I was travelling by train almost after thirteen years and the nostalgia of every single thing made me emotional. There are so many little stories and memories of every travel. More about that some other day.....

Vaikuntha Ekadashi : Opening doors to positivity and good health....

Vaikuntha Ekadashi : Opening doors to positivity  and good health 

Ever since I was a child I have heard stories of heaven and hell. Heaven like a beautiful garden and hell with vessels of boiling oil on hot furnaces. However unpleasant death may sound the idea of going to heaven is always pleasing. Vaishnava Sampradayam literally opens the door of "Vaikuntham" for all Vaishnavas on "Vaikuntha Ekadashi".
Ekadashi is the eleventh day of the lunar month and so there are two Ekadashis in every solar month.
Vaikuntha Ekadashi is considered to be the mother of all Ekadashis and is also known as Mokshada Ekadashi. The fact that it comes in the Hindu month of Margashish makes it more special.  Lord Krishna also loved this month for he is believed to have said that among months I am Margashish. It is also believed to be the day on which Lord Krishna chanted the Bhagwat Gita to Arjun. So this day is also celebrated as Gita Jayanti.
In an age where each one of us is in search of inner peace , occassions like these offer us an opportunity to introspect and practice self control. 
Fasting is a practice which tests our capacity to resist temptations and our  strength of mind in enduring austerities. 
The core principle is not limited to avoiding food but controlling our senses.
Another important aspect to be remembered is that our ancestors have  always based practices on scientific principles. The atmospheric pressure on  Ekadashi, the eleventh day of the Lunar month is naturally low so fasting on those days helps in cleansing the digestive system. Modern eating habits tire our stomach and keeping a fast detoxifies our body and cleans it.
Legend says that demons exist in the rice particles eaten by human beings on Ekadashi day and turn into worms in their stomach. This actually must have had a scientific reason as mentioned earlier so eating light or fasting on Ekadashi days helps our digestive system. And eating early on the next day, Dwadashi helps us equally.
The fortnightly Ekadashi fasting accompanied with healthy eating improves our insulin responsiveness, lowers blood cholesterol and may therefore prolong our life span. Apart from cleansing our blood and improving the functioning of kidneys and liver it also helps us to become strong mentally.
Spiritually also Ekadashi is uplifting as we spend time in prayers and meditation. Reading the Bhagwat Gita is highly recommended since it contains the philosophy for our peaceful coexistence in society. 
And of course vsiting a temple of Lord Vishnu where normally a special entrance called Vaikunta Dwara is erected on this day. Passing through this Dwara, door.or  passage on this auspicious day leads us to Vaikuntam, heaven.
For Mumbaikars a visit to the Ahobila Mutt temple, Chembur and live telecast on Doordarshan Podhigai Channel with inspirational discourse by our revered Guru, Shri. U.Ve. AnanthaPadmanabhaChariar, fondly known as APN Swamy is a must. This is followed by the Darshan of the Lord with Teertham, Holy water, which contains Cardamom,' 'Karpura'' ( edible camphor), ''Tulsi'' (Holy Basil), Clove, etc as an energised purifier and Shadaari, the representation of Vishnu’s feet in gold placed on your head after praying to the Lord, so that you may attain Salvation.
This year however sanitizer replaced the divine Teertham and thermal tester took place of the Shadaari. The doors of the temple did not open at anointed time early morning though we were blessed to receive Darshan later in the day 
My heart felt a bit heavy as we took Darshan of the Gods and the Goddess. Yet the aura and the energies emanating from the temple filled me with a ray of hope to keep open doors of positive thoughts. As if God and Lord Krishna was saying that when troubles cloud your way, don't give up, light  like the golden dawn will soon your path adorn, so don't look forlorn and dont give up....

सूर्यास्त और सूर्योदय

सूर्यास्त और सूर्योदय

कभी यूँही अकेले सी शाम में
डूबता सूरज
डूबता दिल
सांझ की लालीमा में
रंजित  मन
रंजित मर्म
तूफ़ानी ह्रदय की लहरों में
व्यथित भाव
व्यथित मानस
अविचारी ख्यालों में
कुंठित बुद्धि
कुंठित कथन
अचानक दिल के कोने से
उठती चिंगारी
तेजस्वी प्रकाश
उज्वल मन
प्रफुल्लित सोच
विवेकपूर्ण समझ
फिर आएगा कल
फिर निकलेगा सूरज
बस रखो तुम धैर्य
रखो तुम धीरज

मन विमल