Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi…

This was one my unforgettable journeys that I and two of my office colleagues has undertaken from Dehradun to Simla. Due to budget constraints we had to board the last bus from Dehradun to Simla as we got to know that Simla had experienced snow the previous day. It was Friday night 11.30 pm and with Saturday and Sundays off we thought it would be a fascinating idea to touch snow. We packed our bags and waited at the main bus stand near Dehradun station. We were told that this was the last bus and if we missed it…we miss snow!! So, anyway we said to each other that whoever gets a seat shall reserve it for the other. One of my colleagues (Sanjay) was thin enough to get into the bus from any window; I was ready to throw my haversack onto one of the seats as the bus arrived. To our shock the bus was already full with people hanging outside the entrance. Before I could ask my colleagues ‘Chadhey Ki Nahin’, they ran to get a grip on some part of the bus. I had no option but to hang on as I had all the cash with me to buy the tickets only if I happened to meet the conductor. The bus started and caught speed in no time. I shouted “Ajay, Ajay… (1^st colleague) can you hear me?” Ajay replied “Yes, I am in the bus somewhere holding on to somebody’s…feels like a dirty jacket.” I asked “What about Sanjay?” Ajay replied “Pata nahin…shaayad chadhha nahin hoga?” We tried shouting requesting the bus driver to “Roko roko” but he replied “Ab bus sirf Paonta Sahib mein rukegi”. The cold outside was freezing as I shouted to Ajay again to get down wherever the bus stopped or else Sanjay may find it hard to reach Simla alone. Somehow Ajay slipped inside the bus as he started searching for Sanjay all over as one of the passenger shouted “Yeh saamaan kiska hai bhai?” Ajay looked below the passenger’s seat to find Sanjay sleeping there. Ajay shouted to me confirming “Utarne ki zaroorat nahin hai saamaan mil gaya…Simla mein hi utarkar bichdon ka milaap hoga”.

Somehow we faced the cold journey and reached Simla ‘lataktey-lataktey’ the next morning at 6 am in one piece but all we could say was ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ aur ‘Zindagi bhar nahin bhulegi woh Be-Busi ki raat’.

Easter brings Spring !

Spring is in the air as the change of season is evident in the burgeoning bright flowers and fruits with the Regal Tulip & the Royal Mango making an entrance this April.

Spring is associated with rebirth, renewal & regrowth.

And the words associated with Spring are resilience, fertility, rise and hope.

And the festival that put that bounce in spring is Easter.

The Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ on Easter bears testimony of the Risen Lord from the dead. It is based on this faith that the Spring festivities have gained momentum from the time of the Pagan (Greco-Roman Polytheism) festivities of Easter from 323 BC. Cultural Historians see Easter as a convergence of Pagan, Hebrew and Christian traditions and Spring has been associated with Christ’s Resurrection from then on.

Easter marks the end of the 40-day Lent Season which starts with Ash Wednesday. During the Lent, fasting, prayer, penance and abstinence is observed by Christians worldwide. The Lent Season being 6 weeks in all, the last week is called the ‘Holy Week’ comprising:

1 April 2012 – Palm Sunday – commemorates the triumphal entry of Lord Jesus into Jerusalem. Churches in current times distribute palm leaves which are tied up in the form of a Cross to the worshippers.

5 April 2012 – Maundy Thursday – commemorates the Last Supper that Lord Jesus had with his 12 Apostles.

6 April 2012 – Good Friday – commemorates the day when Lord Jesus was Crucified on the Cross on Mount Calvary outside Jerusalem.

8 April 2012 – Easter – celebrates the rising of Lord Jesus from the dead.

On these days special services are held in Church with special renditions by the Church Choir. Christians attend Church every day of this Holy Week.

During Lent, Christians commit to fasting and forfeiting luxuries as a form of penitence. Some give up drinking liquor, some give up smoking, some – eating meat or sweets – or whatever is the main indulgence …..because…..abstinence strengthens you. The 40 days of fasting is directly in commemoration of the 40 days that Lord Jesus spent before He was Crucified on the Cross.

These 40 days are of paramount importance to Christians as they help in reinventing & redefining themselves by renouncing sin. Sin is defined as an ‘objectionable practice’ and the Bible clearly defines ‘Sin’ which is popularly known as the Seven Deadly Sins:

1. Wrath – uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger.

2. Greed –.uncontrolled desire for excess of wealth, status, power and possessions.

3. Sloth – laziness & idleness

4. Pride – feeling superior over everybody else.

5. Lust – excessive thoughts of sexual nature.

6. Envy - feeling of discontentment over another person’s benefits or possessions.

7. Gluttony – excessive eating and drinking.

The Lent is the time of the year when Christians are reminded to take control over themselves, stop sinning and live life in moderation and follow this practice during the remainder of the year. So the Lent is a reminder of what one ought to be during the rest of the year.

Another thing practiced by Christians on Easter is charity known as ‘Tithe’ where Christians are urged to give 1/10^th of their total annual income to the needy. The needy need not be unknown people in a foreign country. They could be within your family or circuit of friends.

And as for the whole purpose of Lent – getting a grip on yourself and living well – how about you try 2 things this year – 1. You give up one sin that you are committing. 2. You give charity to the needy. Is this impossible for you?

4 AM on Easter Sunday (8 March) in any Church around you is where you should be if you want to feel the pulse & joy of Easter. And do not miss the special renditions of the Choir on Easter.

April springs 'Tulip Festival in Srinagar' !

When you think Tulips you think Holland. And for a good reason. Holland is the world’s largest producer of Tulips. But did you know that Tulips actually originated few notches southeast of there? From Persia – the modern-day Iran. It’s the same place Kashmir got its Tulips from during the 1600s. And all of April – Spring springs Tulips in Srinagar – Capital of Jammu & Kashmir State in India.

This April….head to the Tulip Terrain – Srinagar which is Asia’s largest Tulip Garden – the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden.

20 lakh Tulips of 70 varieties blossom on 20 acres of Srinagar landscape in Orange, Pink, Red, Purple, Yellow and White to dazzle you. Imagine walking endlessly through unending lanes with thousands of Tulips on either side of you. It will make you breathless. Guaranteed!

The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department is gearing up for an ultimate show of their exotic beauties from 1^st to the 30^th of April 2012 in an official Tulip Festival in Srinagar. The Tulip Festival is hosted in the Tulip Garden – the natural habitat of the 2 million Tulips – on the banks of Dal Lake at the foothills of the Zabarwan Mountain Range. This festival will not only showcase Tulips, it would also give visitors a smack of the Kashmiri culture and cuisine. Several stalls and kiosks would be set up which sell authentic Kashmiri food and handicrafts from all nooks and corners of Jammu & Kashmir State while Kashmiri professionals would perform to the tune of typical Kashmiri folk-music on all days of the festival to entertain and enlighten tourists of their rich culture. It would be a feast to the eyes to see some of the most beautiful Kashmiri women perform gracefully in the cultural programs organized by the Kashmir Tourism Department.

And ladies….shopping beckons you. Like nowhere else….you would find all sorts of Kashmiri handicrafts such as precious-stone studded silver jewelry such as sapphire, emerald, rubies, jade, coral, garnet studded necklaces, ear rings and finger rings; precious stone studded caskets, boxes pen stands, trays etc; Kashmiri clothing; wooden artifacts and furniture and woollen carpets. Awesome!!

The Tulip Festival would last for 10 days in April from 5^th to 15^th but the Tulip Garden would be open till the 30^th of April for all visitors. If you miss this spring, you would have to wait a whole 365 days for the next Spring of Tulips in Srinagar. So….dont!

Saal Mubarak to our Parsi Palz this Navroz !

The 21^st of March this year 2012 is a reason to celebrate for more than just one sect of people of India.

Being a day marking the spring equinox – the 21^st of March is Jamshed-e-Navroz – the first day of the Zoroastrian year and the beginning of the Iranian Calendar and this day is considered to be Holy even by the Sufis, the Ismailis, the Alawites, the Alevis, and the Bahaiians worldwide and is also the basis for the Jewish festival – ‘Purim’.

Also referred to as the ‘Persian New Year’ and the ‘Parsi New Year’, the ‘Navroz’ festival has been celebrated by the Parsis for about 3000 years. Parsis worship Fire in the Fire Temples and they offer sandalwood sticks to the fire during a special thanksgiving Prayer called the ‘Jashan’. When inside the Temple, Parsis cover their head with caps or sarees until they step out of the Temple which marks the end of the Temple ceremony when they greet each other – ‘Saal Mubarak’!

On Navroz, Parsis offer to their guests – the ‘Falooda’ – a sweet milky beverage with a dominant flavour of rose syrup and other ingredients such as the vermicelli, basil seeds, jelly pieces and topped with ice cream – an Indian version of the original Persian dessert – ‘Faloodeh’.

‘Spring Cleaning’ or the complete cleaning of the house is done by every Parsi household just before the Navroz festival and the house is adorned with auspicious symbols such as stars, birds, fish and butterflies.

And on the day of Navroz, Parsis wear new and best clothes and gold or silver kustis and caps set up a ‘Haft Sin’ Table comprising 7 items symbolizing the seven elements which are of great importance to the Parsis –

o Candles - symbolizing the Fire.

o Mirror – symbolizing the sky.

o Apple – symbolizing the earth.

o Rose Water - symbolizing water.

o Barley sprouts or sabzeh wheat - symbolizing the plants.

o Goldfish - symbolizing the animals.

o Painted eggs symbolizing the humans and fertility.

Parsis also keep dry fruits, honey, milk, sheerbeeranj (sweet) and sugar on the Haft Sin Table.

Besides these, it is customary to even keep on the ‘Haft Sin Table’ the sacred ‘Avesta’ Texts of Zoroastrianism and the ‘Gathas’ – a collection of 17 hymns which were composed by the Founder of Zoroastrianism – the great Prophet Zarathustra – before the 3^rd millennium BCE in Greater Iran.

When friends or family visit a Parsi family on Navroz, the Lady of the House plays a pivotal role and leads them to the Haft Sin Table and offers them the eats from the Table.

Navroz evenings are typically spent in fun and frolic and watching the traditional ‘Navroz Naatak’ which are Parsi Plays revolving around the themes of comedy and thrillers. Though not very conspicuous, the Parsi Theatre in India has a strong and ever-growing fanfare. Some of the popular Parsi Plays in India are ‘Keku is my King Kong’; ‘Zabaan Sambhalke’; and ‘Jhan Jhov Tanh Baira’. And Dorab Mehta, Pheroze Antia, Homi Tavadia and Adi Marzban are reckoned with as the greatest Parsi dramatists.

Check the local theatre guides for schedule on Parsi Plays in town and go for it! You would not only get to see some of the most hilarious Parsi Plays ever….you would also see the entire Parsi community converge in the theatre with their friends and family – all decked up and having fun.

But before that, ensure you greet your Parsi friends, neighbours and colleagues – ‘Saal Mubarak’ on the 21^st of March.