Let the Freedom Sing The Choirs Of Illuminated Destiny!!

MY PHOTO STORY ON TODAY"S MUMBAI MIRROR, STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO 

Let the Freedom Sing The Choirs Of Illuminated Destiny!!

As I passed by unmindful,

Lost In my Own Thought World

This toddler broke into it

With is adorable laughter

Shaken to the reality from my trance

I paused and watched its impeccable innocence

Half naked, as it offered the passersby

With its little hand, Independence Day badges

With a mixed bags of feelings, hurt a bit and delighted too

As a part of me moved by its charm, twinkling eyes & heavenly mirth

One side of my heart sang a melancholy song of grim reality

While the other side rippled, with the show of its 
tiny pearly whites

Dear Freedom, if you are not just a Myth

If You Really Bring Light

If You Really Illuminate Destinies

My hearty urge is...

Sing the Choirs of Brightened Lives, This Time

Keeping intact the innocence smiles

On The Faces of Those who are yet to overcome darkness

But Dare to face them, head on with  nerve!

This Toddler trace-passed my heart  with its impeccable innocence...No words to describe The Feel. Yah!! Lets Ponder over the grim reality which must be having a sweet reality lost somewhere.....

Happy Independence Day To All!!  

Chita Lagi Amavashya – An Auspicious Day Adorning Lord Jagannath with A Golden Mark On His Forehead!!

Chita Lagi Amavashya – An Auspicious Day Adorning Lord Jagannath with A Golden Mark On His Forehead!!

Odisha is state of profound traditional cultures and rich heritages. In Odia we have a saying “Bara masare tera parab” which literally means in 12 months of a Calendar there are at least 13 major festivals. It actually means that Odias observe many festivals apart from major festivals like Holi, Dasserah, Diwali etc. Another thing is in Odisha many festivals are associated with Lord Jagannath whose divine abode is Neelachal Dham i’e. Puri Jagannath Temple. Chitalagi Amavasya or Chitou Amavasya  which falls on the new-moon day of the shravana is one of such festivals dedicated to the Lord Jagannath.

Actually Lord Jagannath is not only the presiding deity of Odisha but also the LIVING GOD of it. His every activity, small or large, is celebrated as a festival in Odisha.  

Today is Chitalagi (Chitau)  Amavasya observed in the Shraban or Shravan month in Orissa. It is associated with the Jagannath worship in this eastern state of India. On the Chitalagi Amavasya day, a special ritual is performed at Puri Jagannath Temple. The forehead of the Lord  Jagannath along with his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Goddess Subhadra is adorned with a Golden Mark known as Chitta.

As I have already stated that every activity of lords celebrated as a festival, this is also an activity of the lords.  During Rath Yatra,  when the Lords travel on the Raths (Chariot) on public roads  for nine days of visit to Gundicha temple (Their AUNT’S place) the golden semblance on the forehead of Lords are taken out. Then again the Golden Mark is decked to the forehead of the Lords on this auspicious day of Chita Lagi Amavashya.

No Odia festival goes by without a dish or delicacy exclusively associated with it.  How come this Chitta Lagi Amavashya be an exception!! A special delicacy known as Chitau Pitha is offered as prasada/bhoga for the Deities at SriMandir this day. 

It is also prepared on the day at almost all households and homes. It’s a simple delicacy made out of a batter of soaked rice and coconut and served with toppings of caramelized grated coconut, jaggery or just grated coconut. But it symbolizes a great culture of Odisha. And trust me it tastes great too. 

In rural areas this is more or less observed as an agricultural festival. On this occasion the farmers worship the paddy-fields. After a purifying bath in the morning they go to their respective paddy-fields with Chittau Pitha (Pan Cakes made out of the batter of Soaked rice and grated coconut), flowers, milk etc and pray the fields to yield a good crop.

However it is an important festival in Puri Jagannath Temple.  ‘Chita’ or decorating Lord Jagannath’s forehead with a golden mark is the main ritual of this Amabasya in Puri Jagannath Temple. Chitou Pitha’, a special rice recipe, is offered to Lord Jagannath on this day.

On the other hand Chitalagi Amavasya is observed as Hariyali Amavasya in North India, Chukkala Amavasya in Andhra Pradesh, Gatari Amavas in Maharashtra, Bhimana Amavasyaor Diwasi Gauri Puja in Karnataka.

The Unspoken pain!!

If you can hear the whimper  

Of these suddenly amputated trees

Or the sobs of the cut and separated

Branches that are lying under it

I’m sure you can never cut any relationship, abruptly

That might tear and split the hearts

That remains clueless in the other end

Hurt, broken and ruined, unfortunately!!

ONLY HUMANS CAN HAVE INHUMAN ATTRIBUTES...AT TIMES!!

I know, its a compulsion to cut the wild branches of trees that are grown in and around the human dwelling places given to the risk that the branches can be life threatening at times especially in rainy season when sudden wind and storm is rather expected, but from the point of a TREE,  its one of the most unfair things that's done to it. 

Moreover they are cut suddenly. Isn't in life when we are cut of from some relationships, no matter they are needed or not, we get hurt terribly especially when we are clueless about it?? 

Just Wondered !!! 

LIFE HAS ITS OWN NATURAL WARMTH

LIFE HAS ITS OWN NATURAL WARMTH

I thought Life is about chasing your dreams

And having mine, I took the trip and tread ahead

On my way I met up wonderful people

But Alas!! I left them at the back instead                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The sky was filled with melodies of laughter

And the path was adorned with beautiful things

But I choose to ignore and focus on journey instead

In search for SUCCESS – My cherished dream

The journey was long & with companions few

I stepped at the top, thinking of a splendour sight

Alas! It wasn’t at all the land I had in my view

As it seemed to be the land of torn wind chimes

Bewildered, I stood amidst the barren land

Surrounded by leafless trees and flowerless meadows

Suddenly heard I a mysterious voice from back

 “Why Stupid Girl, Why are you Here?”

For SUCCESS – I knew the answer

But I couldn’t utter it…why I wonder

It seemed as if I Chased an illusion

And lost my natural innocence and laughter

The journey had happiness and sorrow

But I chose not to live them in right measure

I felt, reaching destination would be the first

Then I can live and treasure

I was wrong

Since Life is about living the moments

As success or achievement are not the ends

We must walk together and run slow

To Live, Love and Laugh

As Life has its Natural Charm & warmth.

BLACK IS A COLOUR AND NOT A SIN

BLACK IS A COLOUR AND NOT A SIN

The Bewildered Little Being

Was amused, by the slurs from its surrounding

What makes people Love its little friend?

Who looks like as if half baked in a microwave oven?

And what goes wrong when they spot him

They frowned As if he has committed a grave sin?

It didn’t take a galore of time  

For the tiny wondering soul to learn

That its only felony was, to be born

With a melanoid-ebony skin tone

It wondered, hadn’t their mothers taught them

That black is just a colour and not a sin?

We all are humans under the sun

With flawless souls and beautiful hearts within?

And then the tiny lips uttered heavy words

“I’ll crack open a book to record this as fact

That some might are born farther from sun

While some are closure to its warmth

The outer layer is white or tanned

That nothing but the amount of melanin

That separates you from me

That something the world must see

That under the derma, there no dividing line is

To discriminate between, we human beings”

I wish we had high definitions lenses

In Our Eyes

To look beyond the human skin tone

That there exists a beautiful heart

Whether the outer layer is

White Or Black

#StopRacism