अर्ज किया है.....
दिलमे मुहोबतका होना जरुरी है दोस्त
वरना याद तो दुश्मन भी किया करते है
दिलमे मुहोबतका होना जरुरी है दोस्त
वरना याद तो दुश्मन भी किया करते है
Friday, August 15, 2014
I can't believe the show Mahabharat is drawing to a close. I didn't watch it from the beginning but I had grown fond of it. I had never thought I would say this but it surpasses B.R.Chopra's Mahabharat. Preaching is inevitable in any mythological show but somehow the dialogue writers of this show managed to make it sound practical, very relevant to this age. Chopra's Mahabharat would probably put me to sleep if I watch it now. :-)
Granted, the whole Brahmastra thing in yesterday's episode was a bit hilarous but I was so furious at Ashwathama that if I had x-ray vision I would have surely toasted him to a crisp through the TV screen :-) He is supposed to be one of the 7 immortal people on earth - the Chiranjivis. I had once read a book on Narmada Parikrama. It was mentioned in it that those travelling through the forest of Shoolpani come across Ashwathama who has been condemned to eternally roam the earth asking for oil as a remedy for the gaping wound on his forehead. I must say I never believed the story but if it is even remotely true, I hope no one gives it to him. That said, it was terrifying to watch Krishna get angry and tear the precious stone off his forehead using His Sudarshana Chakra. Imagine being cursed by God Himself!
What I liked most about yesterday's episode was the dialogue between Krishna and Draupadi as they stand sadly watching the funeral pyres of the dead being lit. When he asks her if she is sad that they had resorted to war. She says something like this - when it comes to physical pain, you imagine that it would be great but when you really experience it, its intensity is found to be less. But when it comes to emotional pain, your imagination cannot match the actual pain when it hits you. You stop believing in anything in this world. Hats off to the writer who wrote this. Bang on the target!
I will also always remember what Krishna says to Arjuna once - when going is good, humans gain a lot of confidence in their own abilities. But when they sense failure, they are quick to run to the Gods. Then things start looking up again and their self-confidence returns. What happens in the process is that they end up neither trusting God nor their own abilities 100%. This perfectly sums up our attitude towards God.
Sometime in future, I would really like to watch this series from the beginning.
Granted, the whole Brahmastra thing in yesterday's episode was a bit hilarous but I was so furious at Ashwathama that if I had x-ray vision I would have surely toasted him to a crisp through the TV screen :-) He is supposed to be one of the 7 immortal people on earth - the Chiranjivis. I had once read a book on Narmada Parikrama. It was mentioned in it that those travelling through the forest of Shoolpani come across Ashwathama who has been condemned to eternally roam the earth asking for oil as a remedy for the gaping wound on his forehead. I must say I never believed the story but if it is even remotely true, I hope no one gives it to him. That said, it was terrifying to watch Krishna get angry and tear the precious stone off his forehead using His Sudarshana Chakra. Imagine being cursed by God Himself!
What I liked most about yesterday's episode was the dialogue between Krishna and Draupadi as they stand sadly watching the funeral pyres of the dead being lit. When he asks her if she is sad that they had resorted to war. She says something like this - when it comes to physical pain, you imagine that it would be great but when you really experience it, its intensity is found to be less. But when it comes to emotional pain, your imagination cannot match the actual pain when it hits you. You stop believing in anything in this world. Hats off to the writer who wrote this. Bang on the target!
I will also always remember what Krishna says to Arjuna once - when going is good, humans gain a lot of confidence in their own abilities. But when they sense failure, they are quick to run to the Gods. Then things start looking up again and their self-confidence returns. What happens in the process is that they end up neither trusting God nor their own abilities 100%. This perfectly sums up our attitude towards God.
Sometime in future, I would really like to watch this series from the beginning.
Happy Independence Day!
I fully expected to wake up to the sound of 'जहा डाल डाल पर सोनेकी चिडिया करती है बसेरा' or 'मेरे देसकी धरती' today morning. But surprisingly all was quiet and has been so till now. Is it that everyone is headed out of town for the long weekend? Because it is useless to assume that people have suddenly realized the ill-effects of loud music. Things just don't work that way in India. Whatever the reason, I can happily say that I am celebrating freedom from blaring patriotic songs. Hello peace!
Must say that every year on this day I wonder if there is anything to celebrate about. Then I watch people from war-torn countries fleeing for their lives with whatever belongings they can carry with them. And I realize that we have come to take freedom for granted. :-( Recently I read in one of the Mint columns about the acute food shortage that was felt in India for the first few years after independence and how we had to depend on food aid from the US till the Green Revolution happened. That wasn't news. What shocked me was that the Prime Minister had told the nation to skip one meal a week so that food can be saved. We seem to have come a long way since then. Many of us don't think twice about piling on more food than we can consume on plates and then discarding it. :-( And that's just one uncivilized aspect of our sad lives these days. I could go on and on but the billion dollar question is how are we going to change all this? Do we even have the will? Do we even realize that we are going down the wrong path?
I would have been engulfed in these gloomy thoughts but an article in the Mint saved the day for me. Surprisingly enough, it was about the syndicate bank scam in general and loan brokers in particular. I read about how the bankers grant the loans in exchange of gifts. Such is the state of affairs in this country that I wasn't even a bit surprised. The fact that surprised me was a tiny paragraph towards the end of the article - one retired bank official mentioned how bank chairmen routinely order their staff to process loans that aren't clearly in the bank's best interest. Most of the times they get their way but there are instances when someone or other decides to put their foot down and saves the bank from the costly transaction, even if it means retiring from the same position without any promotion in sight.
On this Independence Day, I hope and pray that we have more of such people. May their tribe go by leaps and bounds. Perhaps all is not lost yet. Happy Independence Day India!
Must say that every year on this day I wonder if there is anything to celebrate about. Then I watch people from war-torn countries fleeing for their lives with whatever belongings they can carry with them. And I realize that we have come to take freedom for granted. :-( Recently I read in one of the Mint columns about the acute food shortage that was felt in India for the first few years after independence and how we had to depend on food aid from the US till the Green Revolution happened. That wasn't news. What shocked me was that the Prime Minister had told the nation to skip one meal a week so that food can be saved. We seem to have come a long way since then. Many of us don't think twice about piling on more food than we can consume on plates and then discarding it. :-( And that's just one uncivilized aspect of our sad lives these days. I could go on and on but the billion dollar question is how are we going to change all this? Do we even have the will? Do we even realize that we are going down the wrong path?
I would have been engulfed in these gloomy thoughts but an article in the Mint saved the day for me. Surprisingly enough, it was about the syndicate bank scam in general and loan brokers in particular. I read about how the bankers grant the loans in exchange of gifts. Such is the state of affairs in this country that I wasn't even a bit surprised. The fact that surprised me was a tiny paragraph towards the end of the article - one retired bank official mentioned how bank chairmen routinely order their staff to process loans that aren't clearly in the bank's best interest. Most of the times they get their way but there are instances when someone or other decides to put their foot down and saves the bank from the costly transaction, even if it means retiring from the same position without any promotion in sight.
On this Independence Day, I hope and pray that we have more of such people. May their tribe go by leaps and bounds. Perhaps all is not lost yet. Happy Independence Day India!
शेवग्याच्या शेंगाची भाजी
साहित्य:
तेल, शेवग्याच्या शेंगा, गूळ, हळद, तिखट, मीठ, पाणी, थालीपीठाची भाजाणी, तांदळाचं पीठ, मोहरी, हिंग, सुक्या लाल मिरच्या, ओलं खोबरं, कोथिंबीर
कृती:
१. शेंगाचे तुकडे करून उकळत्या पाण्यात घाला. त्यात गूळ, हळद, तिखट, मीठ घाला. झाकण लावून १० मिनिटं शेंगा शिजू दया.
२. त्यात २ मोठे चमचे थालीपीठाची भाजाणी आणि एक चमचा तांदळाचं पीठ घाला. ढवळत रहा म्हणजे गुठळ्या होणार नाहीत.
३. ५ मिनिटं झाकण लावून शिजवा.
४. ओलं खोबरं, कोथिंबीर घाला.
५. तेल तापवून मोहरी, हिंग, सुक्या लाल मिरच्या, हळद, तिखट घाला आणि ही फोडणी भाजीवर ओता.
(मेजवानी परिपूर्ण किचन, २८ एप्रिल २०१४)
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
The last leg of the war on Kurukshetra is supposed to be more cruel, more grueling, more hideous - with both sides trying their level best to win. But the makers of the show on Star Plus have reduced it to a farce. This isn't a Ramsay brothers' movie for Heavens' sake! We didn't need Shakuni's comic relief.
The lesser said about the fight between Bheem and Duryodhana the better. We could do with a lot less decibel level from both actors. Why can't they stay in one area and fight? Their running around trees reminded me of songs from the Golden Era where the leading pair used to frolic around in gardens and forests. And what's with the rain? This isn't a Lyril ad guys.
I wonder why the rest of the Pandavas can't find anyone to fight with. They have gathered around to watch the duo slug it out the way we see Indians crowding around TV sets or radios in shops, to watch the cricket match of the home team. It's not as if the makers of the show have had to write the script from scratch but they seem to have lost their heads and the plot altogether.
It's so sad to see such a fine show getting reduced to such utter nonsense towards the end. Here's hoping they redeem themselves in the final week.
The lesser said about the fight between Bheem and Duryodhana the better. We could do with a lot less decibel level from both actors. Why can't they stay in one area and fight? Their running around trees reminded me of songs from the Golden Era where the leading pair used to frolic around in gardens and forests. And what's with the rain? This isn't a Lyril ad guys.
I wonder why the rest of the Pandavas can't find anyone to fight with. They have gathered around to watch the duo slug it out the way we see Indians crowding around TV sets or radios in shops, to watch the cricket match of the home team. It's not as if the makers of the show have had to write the script from scratch but they seem to have lost their heads and the plot altogether.
It's so sad to see such a fine show getting reduced to such utter nonsense towards the end. Here's hoping they redeem themselves in the final week.
मोडी लिपीचा क्लास संपून जवळजवळ दीड महिना झाला. मी नेटाने हा ३ महिन्यांचा कोर्स पूर्ण केला त्याचं मलाच शेवटी आश्चर्य वाटत होतं. पण ही लिपी शिकायची माझी कधीपासूनची इच्छा होती. फार कमी लोकांना ही लिपी वाचता येते असं मी ऐकलं होतं तेव्हापासून. आमच्या क्लासच्या पहिल्या दिवशी आधीच्या बेचचा एक विद्यार्थी त्याची द्यायची राहिलेली परिक्षा देत होता ते पाहून आपल्याला लिहायचं तर सोडाच पण लिपी वाचायला तरी जमते की नाही असंच वाटत होतं. पहिल्या दिवशी अ ते ऐ पर्यंत (मोडी मध्ये अं आणि अ: नसतात) एव्हढी अक्षरं झाली. म्हटलं ठीक आहे, एव्हढा अभ्यास एक आठवड्यात जमेल. पुढल्या वेळी 'क ते घ' किंवा फार तर 'च ते झ' पर्यंत असं करत करत मुळाक्षरं शिकवतील. पण कसलं काय? पुढल्या क्लासला 'क' ते 'ज्ञ' एव्हढं सगळं शिकवल्यावर हे सगळं कसं जमायचं हा यक्षप्रश्न उभा राहिला. अक्षरश: ब्रेकफास्ट, लंच आणि डिनर सगळं सकाळी सकाळीच एकदम खाल्यासारखं झालं. मग त्यापुढे जोडाक्षरे, कालगणना, रेघी पध्दत हिशेब, पत्रातले मायने असं काय काय शिकायला मिळालं. आणि मग सगळं अंगवळणी पडत गेलं.
मग आलं कागदपत्र वाचन. मोडीतला पहिला कागद पाहिला तेव्हा 'अरे बापरे! काय लिहिलंय हे?' असं झालं. 'वालू वानर' वगैरे उतारे वाचताना आपण पहिलीच्या वर्गात बसलोय की काय असं वाटायला लागलं. तरी अक्षराला अक्षर लावून का होईना पण आपल्याला वाचता येतंय ह्याचंच अप्रूप होतं. मग सुवाच्य लिहिलेल्या पत्राकडून 'रनिंग' म्हणजे एका अक्षराच्या पायात दुसऱ्या अक्षराचा पाय अडकलेला असली पत्र आली. डोळ्यांच्या खाचा झाल्या आणि तोंडाला फेस आला :-) आमच्या बेचच्या नम्रताने तर बेचचं नाव ठेवायची वेळ आली तेव्हा चक्क 'थ्री डी' हे सुचवलं आणि ते सगळ्यांना पटलं. म्हणजे मोडीची अक्षरं अशी असतात की एका कोनातून बघितली तर एक अक्षर, पण दुसऱ्या कोनातून बघितलं तर काही वेगळंच दिसतं. :-) तरी हळूहळू आत्मविश्वास वाढायला लागला.
हे सगळं सुरु असताना रोज एक तरी उतारा, मग ती पेपरातली दोन ओळींची बातमी का असेना, मोडीत लिहा अशी सूचना सरांनी केली. आणि आत्मविश्वासाला सुरुंग लागला. 'य' च्या ऐवजी 'स', 'मु', 'लु' मधला गोंधळ, 'क' च्या ऐवजी 'ला', 'द', 'ह', 'ब' मधले घोळ अशी गंमत सुरु झाली. अक्षरश: एकेक ओळ लिहिताना जीव मेटाकुटीला यायला लागला. आणि पानंच्या पानं मोडी लिपी लिहिणाऱ्या जुन्या काळच्या लोकांबद्दल प्रचंड आदर वाटायला लागला. त्यातून परीक्षेत निबंध लिहायला लागणार आहे हे कळताच पाचावर धारण बसली. शेवटचा निबंध एमबीए च्या वेळी लिहिला होता. आयुष्यात पुन्हा कधी लिहावा लागेल असं तेव्हा स्वप्नातही वाटलं नव्हतं. "भगवान मालिक है" हे असंख्य टेक्सी-रिक्षांच्या मागचं वाक्य नजरेसमोर तरळून गेलं. मी 'ससुराल सिमरका' मधल्या भारद्वाज परिवारातली असते तर म्हणाले असते 'हे मातारानी, मेरी रक्षा करना' :-)
होता होता परिक्षेचा दिवस उजाडला. सरांनी माझ्यासाठी मुद्दाम कठिण पेपर घातल्याचं शुभ वर्तमान सांगितलं आणि सीतेच्या पायाखाली सरकली नसेल अशी जमीन माझ्या पायांखाली सरकली. वर्गात जास्त बोलल्याचा परिणाम! ३ तास बसून मान मोडून पेपर लिहिला. आणि मग सगळं देवावर सोडून दिलं.
रिझल्ट घ्यायला जायला मला जमलं नाही. पण वर्गातल्या मैत्रिणींनी सांगितलं की १०० त ९४ गुण मिळवून अस्मादिक १० जणांच्या वर्गात पहिले आलेत. सरांना माझ्याकडून आधीच्या बेचचा ९८ चा विक्रम मोडण्याची अपेक्षा होती. ती मला पूर्ण करता आली नाही ह्याचं दू:ख आहे पण तरी कोर्स यशस्वीपणे पूर्ण केल्याचं समाधान आहे. :-)
आता आजपासून स्पेनिश शिकण्याचा क्लास सुरु झालाय - पाच महिन्यांचा. हीसुध्दा अनेक वर्षांपासूनची इच्छा. 'फॉरेन लेन्ग्वेज शिकून काय होणार? त्याची practice नसेल तर विसरायला होणार' वगैरे सल्ले अनेक मिळाले. पण मी दुर्लक्ष केलं. विसरायला आधी शिकू तर दया. पुढचं पुढे बघू. थोडक्यात काय तर सध्या परत विद्यार्थीदशा चालू झालेय - लिव्हिंग ल विडा लोका :-)
मग आलं कागदपत्र वाचन. मोडीतला पहिला कागद पाहिला तेव्हा 'अरे बापरे! काय लिहिलंय हे?' असं झालं. 'वालू वानर' वगैरे उतारे वाचताना आपण पहिलीच्या वर्गात बसलोय की काय असं वाटायला लागलं. तरी अक्षराला अक्षर लावून का होईना पण आपल्याला वाचता येतंय ह्याचंच अप्रूप होतं. मग सुवाच्य लिहिलेल्या पत्राकडून 'रनिंग' म्हणजे एका अक्षराच्या पायात दुसऱ्या अक्षराचा पाय अडकलेला असली पत्र आली. डोळ्यांच्या खाचा झाल्या आणि तोंडाला फेस आला :-) आमच्या बेचच्या नम्रताने तर बेचचं नाव ठेवायची वेळ आली तेव्हा चक्क 'थ्री डी' हे सुचवलं आणि ते सगळ्यांना पटलं. म्हणजे मोडीची अक्षरं अशी असतात की एका कोनातून बघितली तर एक अक्षर, पण दुसऱ्या कोनातून बघितलं तर काही वेगळंच दिसतं. :-) तरी हळूहळू आत्मविश्वास वाढायला लागला.
हे सगळं सुरु असताना रोज एक तरी उतारा, मग ती पेपरातली दोन ओळींची बातमी का असेना, मोडीत लिहा अशी सूचना सरांनी केली. आणि आत्मविश्वासाला सुरुंग लागला. 'य' च्या ऐवजी 'स', 'मु', 'लु' मधला गोंधळ, 'क' च्या ऐवजी 'ला', 'द', 'ह', 'ब' मधले घोळ अशी गंमत सुरु झाली. अक्षरश: एकेक ओळ लिहिताना जीव मेटाकुटीला यायला लागला. आणि पानंच्या पानं मोडी लिपी लिहिणाऱ्या जुन्या काळच्या लोकांबद्दल प्रचंड आदर वाटायला लागला. त्यातून परीक्षेत निबंध लिहायला लागणार आहे हे कळताच पाचावर धारण बसली. शेवटचा निबंध एमबीए च्या वेळी लिहिला होता. आयुष्यात पुन्हा कधी लिहावा लागेल असं तेव्हा स्वप्नातही वाटलं नव्हतं. "भगवान मालिक है" हे असंख्य टेक्सी-रिक्षांच्या मागचं वाक्य नजरेसमोर तरळून गेलं. मी 'ससुराल सिमरका' मधल्या भारद्वाज परिवारातली असते तर म्हणाले असते 'हे मातारानी, मेरी रक्षा करना' :-)
होता होता परिक्षेचा दिवस उजाडला. सरांनी माझ्यासाठी मुद्दाम कठिण पेपर घातल्याचं शुभ वर्तमान सांगितलं आणि सीतेच्या पायाखाली सरकली नसेल अशी जमीन माझ्या पायांखाली सरकली. वर्गात जास्त बोलल्याचा परिणाम! ३ तास बसून मान मोडून पेपर लिहिला. आणि मग सगळं देवावर सोडून दिलं.
रिझल्ट घ्यायला जायला मला जमलं नाही. पण वर्गातल्या मैत्रिणींनी सांगितलं की १०० त ९४ गुण मिळवून अस्मादिक १० जणांच्या वर्गात पहिले आलेत. सरांना माझ्याकडून आधीच्या बेचचा ९८ चा विक्रम मोडण्याची अपेक्षा होती. ती मला पूर्ण करता आली नाही ह्याचं दू:ख आहे पण तरी कोर्स यशस्वीपणे पूर्ण केल्याचं समाधान आहे. :-)
आता आजपासून स्पेनिश शिकण्याचा क्लास सुरु झालाय - पाच महिन्यांचा. हीसुध्दा अनेक वर्षांपासूनची इच्छा. 'फॉरेन लेन्ग्वेज शिकून काय होणार? त्याची practice नसेल तर विसरायला होणार' वगैरे सल्ले अनेक मिळाले. पण मी दुर्लक्ष केलं. विसरायला आधी शिकू तर दया. पुढचं पुढे बघू. थोडक्यात काय तर सध्या परत विद्यार्थीदशा चालू झालेय - लिव्हिंग ल विडा लोका :-)
आजच्या लोकसत्तात उत्सुकतेने 'रमा माधव' चं परिक्षण वाचलं. चित्रपटात ऐतिहासिक घटनांवर अधिक भर दिलाय पण रमा-माधव ह्यांची प्रेमकहाणी म्हणावी तशी चित्रित झालेली नाही ह्याबद्दल लेखकर्त्याला दू:ख झालेलं दिसलं. पण मला मात्र हे वाचून बरं वाटलं. मराठीत फारसे ऐतिहासिक चित्रपट निघत नाहीत. प्रेमकथा काय जळी, स्थळी, काष्ठी, पाषाणी पैश्याला पासरी झाल्या आहेत. असो. तर हा चित्रपट पहावा असं पुन्हा वाटू लागलं आहे. येत्या १५ ऑगस्टला जमतं का ते पहायचं.
माळीण गावातल्या घटनेबद्दल वाचून आधी तर विश्वासच बसेना. एक अख्खं गाव कडा कोसळून नामशेष होतं. आणि तिथून एसटी जाईतो कोणाला त्याची खबरबात सुध्दा लागत नाही हे अनाकलनीय आहे. निसर्गाशी केलेली छेडछाड किती आणि कोणाकोणाला भोवणार आहे काय माहीत :-( 'गुमनाम' चित्रपटातल्या गाण्याचे शब्द आठवतात - 'जो पैदा हुआ वो फानी है' हे खरं असलं तरी आजच्या काळात 'चैन यहा पर महंगा है और मौत यहापर सस्ती है' हेच सत्य आहे.
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