LORI (LULLABY) SONGS THAT I LOVE

Life is the biggest gift of God to us; the next biggest is sleep. It relaxes us and refreshes us and prepares us to face a new day. But, what about those who can’t sleep? If they are small children, then God has given them the gift of their parents, especially their mother, who sings for them lori or lullabies to them to make them sleep. And if they are older people? Well, they still need lullabies from their beloved to make them sleep.

Lori or lullabies send the child or beloved to a different world, a world of dreams. This one from the 1955 movie Vachan, penned by my namesake, and composed by him and sung by Asha Bhosle is the ultimate into this dream world. We are all familiar with it:

Chandamama door ke, puye pakaayen boor ke
Aap khaaen thaalii men, munne ko den pyaali men

PyaalI gai toot munna gaya rooth
Laaenge nayi pyaaliyaan bajaa bajaa ke taaliyaan
Munne ko manaaenge ham dudh malayi khaaenge

Chandamama …

Udan – khatole baith ke munna chanda ke ghar jaayega
Taaron ke sang aankh michauli khel ke dil behlaayega
Khel kood se jab mere munne ka dil bhar jaayega
Thumak thumak mera munna vaapas ghar ko aayega,
Chandamama …

(Boor = white cane sugar powder, puye = plural of ‘puaa’ or ‘malpuaa’, a sweet bread made from thick fluor (sooji / rava); thaali = a dinner plate pyaali = a small bowl to serve side dishes munna = a traditional name for a small child.

There are dozens of Lori songs in the Hindi movies. I was requested to do a post on Lori songs, when, a few months back, I did one on Neend (Sleep) songs (Please read: Neend Hamari Khwaab Tumhaare – Best Of (Lost) Neend Songs – A ‘Lyrical’ Special). I didn’t know it would be such a difficult task since I landed up with almost a hundred Lori songs. I wanted to select just ten for this post; but, finally I have ended up selecting a dozen. These are not in any particular order.

Lets begin with the first one. It is from the 1953 Bimal Roy classic ‘Do Bigha Zameen’ starring Balraj Sahni and Nirupa Roy in lead roles. The movie’s songs lyrics were by Shailendra Singh and the music director was Salil Choudhury who also wrote the story. A young Lata Mangeshkar has sung this so well that it must rank amongst her top 50.

Please enjoy: Aa ja re aa nindiya tu aa…

Aa jaa re aa ni.ndiyaa tuu aa
jhilamil sitaaro.n se utar aa.Nkho.n me.n aa sapane sajaa

SoI kalI soyaa chaman pIpal tale soI havaa
sab ra.ngaa ik ra.ng me.n tuune ye kyaa jaaduu kiyaa
aa jaa …

Sa.nsaar kii raanI hai tuu raa jaa hai meraa laaDalaa
duniyaa hai merii god me.n soyaa huaa sapanaa meraa,
aa jaa …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oIh_6efSU1E%3F

The second is by my favourite singer: Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. It is penned by my favourite lyricist Shakeel Badayuni (Please read: Shakeel Badayuni – the King Amongst Lyricists And Poets – Part I and Shakeel Badayuni – The King Amongst Lyricists and Poets – Part II) It has Naushad’s music.

Please enjoy: Chandan ka palana, resham ki dori….

ho~~
Chandan kaa palanaa resham kii Dorii
jhuulaa jhulaa_uu.N ni.ndiyaa ko torii
chandan kaa palanaa …

So jaa tuu aise morii sajaniyaa
so jaa tuu aise morii sajaniyaa
sajiyaa pe soye jaise dulhaniyaa
chandaa kaa Tiikaa maathe lagaa_uu.N
taaro.n kii maalaa tujhako pahanaa_uu.N
taaro.n kii maalaa tujhako pahanaa_uu.N
tohe sulaa_uu.N gaa gaa ke lorii
jhuulaa jhuulaa_uu.N ni.ndiyaa ko torii
chandan kaa palanaa …

In the duet version, Hemantda and Lata sing the following stanza together:

Uu.Nche gagan se koii bulaaye
laayii.n hai.n pariyaa.n Dolaa sajaaye
sajan se milane duur chalii jaa
u.Dake tuu ni.ndiyaa phur.r chalii jaa
u.Dake tuu ni.ndiyaa phur.r chalii jaa
chandaa pukaare aajaa chakorii
jhuulaa jhuulaa_uu.N ni.ndiyaa ko tori

https://youtube.com/watch?v=H0l1qQVTfHA%3F

Have you realised that the movies that we saw in our childhood and boyhood/girlhood have much more lasting effects on us than the latter day movies? One such movie for me was the 1963 movie Mujhe Jeene Do starring Sunil Dutt and Waheeda Rehman. The movie was about the rehabilitation of dacoits who want to live the lives of ordinary people with families and children. This song is sung by a mother (Waheeda) to her child as a Lori. The dacoit father Sunil Dutt is on run from the police. Hence, the entire family is constantly in hiding, moving from place to place and hoping to remain undetected. This song is a very touching song showing the anxiety of a young mother for her new-born child and the kind of life that he faces. Lata’s voice has made it a most touching lullaby. Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics are superb and Jaidev’s music is perfect for the emotions.

Please enjoy: Tere bachpan ko jawani ki dua deti hoon, aur dua deke preshaan si ho jaati hoon…

tere bachapan ko javaanii kii duaa detii huu.N
aur duaa deke pareshaan sii ho jaatii huu.N

mere munne mere gulazaar ke nanhe paudhe
tujhako haalat kii aa.ndhii se bachaane ke liye
aaj mai.n pyaar ke aa.nchal me.n chhupaa letii huu.N
kal ye kamazor sahaaraa bhii na haasil hogaa
kal tujhe kaa.nTo.n bharii raaho.n pe chalanaa hogaa
zi.ndagaanii kii ka.Dii dhuup me.n jalanaa hogaa
tere bachapan ko javaanii …

tere maathe pe sharaafat kii koI mohar nahii.n
cha.nd hote hai.n muhabbat ke sukuun hii kyaa hai.n
jaise maao.n kii muhabbat kaa koI mol nahii.n
mere maasuum farishte tuu abhii kyaa jaane
tujhako kis-kisakii gunaaho.n kii sazaa milanii hai
diin aur dharm ke maare hue i.nsaano.n kii
jo nazar milanii hai tujhako vo khafaa milanii hai
tere bachapan ko javaanii …

be.Diyaa.N leke lapakataa huaa kaanuun kaa haath
tere maa.N-baap se jab tujhako milii ye saugaat
kaun laaegaa tere vaaste khushiyo.n kii baaraat
mere bachche tere a.njaam se jii Darataa hai
terii dushman hii na saabit ho javaanii terii
khaak jaatii hai jise sochake mamataa merii
usii a.njaam ko pahu.nche na kahaanii terii
tere bachapan ko javaanii …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=P2D-Z7XM7aU%3F

The 1968 movie Brahmachari starring Shammi Kapoor, Rajshree, Pran and Mumtaz. Shammi Kapoor, the brahmachari, was an orphan who had taken upon himself to take care of orphan children in his home. The movie had many best awards: Best Movie, Best Actor: Shammi Kapoor, Best Singer: Mohammad Rafi, Best Lyricist: Shailendra, and Best Music Director: Shankar Jaikishan.

This Lori sung by Mohammad Rafi for Shammi Kapoor is touching indeed when Shammi Kapoor is forced to make the children sleep hungry.

Please enjoy: Main gaaun tum so jaao…

mai.n gaauu.N tum so jaao
sukh sapano.n me.n kho jaao
maanaa aaj kii raat hai lambii
maanaa din thaa bhaarii
par jag badalaa badalegii
ek din taqadiir hamaarii
us din ke khvaab sajaao

kal tum jab aa.Nkhe.n khologe
jab hogaa ujiyaaraa
khushiyo.n kaa sandeshaa lekar
aaegaa saveraa pyaaraa
mat aas ke diip bujhaao,
mai.n gaaU.N …

jii karataa hai jiite jii
mai.n yU.N hii gaataa jaaU.n
gardish me.n thake haatho.n kaa
maathaa sahalaataa jaauu.n
phir ik din tum doharaao,
sukh sapano.n …

At this stage let me take you to the era of the first super-star of the Hindi movies: KL Saigal; a singer par excellence. This Lori is for the old timers who like the lyrics of Kedar Sharma, the music of Pankaj Mullick and KL Saigal singing and acting. The movie is the 1940 movie Zindagi.

Please enjoy: So jaa raajkumari, so jaa….

so jA ##(slow)##
so jA rAjakumArI so jA
so jA mai.n balihArI so jA
so jA rAjakumArI so jA

so jA mIThe sapane Ae.N
sapano.n me.n pI daras dikhAe.N – 2
u.D kar rUpanagar me.n jAe.N – 2
rUpanagar kI sakhiyA.n Ae.N – 2
rAjAjI mAlA pahanAe.N – 2
chUme mA.ng tihArI so jA
so jA rAjakumArI so jA

https://youtube.com/watch?v=aNfuW2i4tLw%3F

This one is an extraordinary Lori sung by Lata Mangeshkar and C Ramachandra for the 1951 movie Albela starring Geeta Bali and Bhagwan. These absolutely enchanting lyrics are by Rajendra Krishan and the music is by C Ramachandra. The Lori is in two parts. The duet version is a sadder one. Chitalkar just sings the mukhada
and Lata sings the two antaraas. The tune is the same for both versions.

Please enjoy: Dheere se aaja ri ankhiyan mein, nindiya aaja ri aaja…

dhiire se aajaa rii a.Nkhiyan me.n
ni.ndiyaa aajaa rii aajaa, dhiire se aajaa
chhoTe se nainan kii bagiyan me.n
nindiyaa aajaa rii aajaa, dhiire se aajaa

o …
lekar suhaane sapano.n kii kaliyaa.N, sapano.n kii kaliyaa.N
aake basaa de palako.n kii galiyaa.N, palako.n kii galiyaa.N
palako.n kii chhoTii sii galiyan me.n
nindiyaa aajaa rii aajaa, dhiire se aajaa
dhiire se …

o …
taaro.n se chhup kar taaro.n se chorii, taaro.n se chorii
detii hai rajanii cha.Ndaa ko lorii, cha.Ndaa ko lorii
ha.Nsataa hai cha.Ndaa bhii nindiyan me.n
nindiyaa aajaa rii aajaa, dhiire se aajaa
dhiire se …

Sad / Duet version
dhiire se aajaa rii a.Nkhiyan me.n
ni.ndiyaa aajaa rii aajaa, dhiire se aajaa
chhoTe se nainan kii bagiyan me.n
nindiyaa aajaa rii aajaa, dhiire se aajaa

o …
aa.Nkhe.n to sab kii hai.n ik jaisii
jaisii amiiro.n kii, gariibo.n kii vaisii
palako.n kii suunii sii galiyan me.n
nindiyaa aajaa rii aajaa, dhiire se aajaa
dhiire se …

o …
jagatii hai a.Nkhiyaa.N sotii hai qismat, sotii hai qismat
dushman gariibo.n kii hotii hai qismat, hotii hai qismat
dam bhar gariibo.n kii kuTiyan me.n
nindiyaa aajaa rii aajaa, dhiire se aajaa
dhiire se …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TEN1DkOiFuY%3F

Have you ever imagined cinematography that enhances the effect of a Lori? If you haven’t, you have to see this Lori sung by Sunil Dutt for Nutan in the 1967 movie Milan. The lyrics are by Anand Bakshi and music by Laxmikant Pyarelal and the singer is Mukesh.

Please enjoy: Raam kare aisa ho jaaye, meri nindiya tohe mil jaaye…

raam kare aisaa ho jaae
merii ni.ndiyaa tohe mil jaae
mai.n jaaguu.N, tuu so jaae
mai.n jaaguu.N, tuu so jaae …

(svapna chalaa aae koii chorii-chorii
mast pavan gaae lorii
cha.ndra kiraN banake Dorii) -2
tere man ko jhuulaa jhulaae
merii ni.ndiyaa tohe mil jaae
mai.n jaaguu.N, tuu so jaae
mai.n jaaguu.N, tuu so jaae …

guzar jaae.n sukh se terii dukh bharii ratiyaa.N
badal luu.N mai.n tose a.Nkhiyaa.N
bas me.n agar ho.n ye batiyaa.N
maa.Nguu.N duaae.n haath uThaae
merii ni.ndiyaa tohe mil jaae
mai.n jaaguu.N, tuu so jaae
mai.n jaaguu.N, tuu so jaae …

mai.n hii nahii.n tuu hii nahii.n
saaraa zamaanaa dard kaa hai ek fasaanaa
aadamii ho jaae diivaanaa
yaad kare gar bhuul na jaae
merii ni.ndiyaa tohe mil jaae
mai.n jaaguu.N, tuu so jaae
mai.n jaaguu.N, tuu so jaae …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=P9qhPcwndP0%3F

Okay, time for a happy Lori now. This is from the 1977 movie Mukti starring Vidya Sinha and Shashi Kapoor. Once again, the lyrics are by Anand Bakshi but, this time, the music is by RD Burman. The Lori is a duet between Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh.

Please enjoy: Lalla lalla lori, dudh ki katori…

lallaa lallaa lorii duudh kii kaTorii
duudh me.n bataashaa munnii kare tamaashaa

chhoTii-chhoTii pyaarii sundar pariyo.n jaisii hai
kisii kii nazar naa lage merii munnii aisii hai
shahad se bhii miiThii duudh se bhii gorii
chupake-chupake chorii-chorii chorii
lallaa lallaa lorii …

kaarii rainaa ke maathe pe chamake chaa.Nd sii bi.ndiyaa
munnii ke chhoTe-chhoTe naino.n me.n khele ni.ndiyaa
sapano.n kaa palanaa aashaa_o.n kii Dorii
chupake-chupake chorii-chorii chorii
lallaa lallaa lorii …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=s3iOMHOg7DI%3F

This one is another heart rending Lori from the 1964 movie Beti Bete starring Sunil Dutt with Saroja Devi and Jamuna. Shalendra as lyricist, Shankar Jaikishan as composers and Lata Mangeshkar as singer have put this together.

Please enjoy: Aaj kal mein dhal gaya din hua tamaam…

aaj kal me.n Dhal gayaa, din huaa tamaam
tuu bhii so jaa, so ga_ii, ra.ng bharii shaam

so gayaa chaman chaman, so ga_ii kalii-kalii
so gae hai.n sab nagar, so ga_ii galii-galii
nii.nd kah rahii hai chal, merii baa.Nh thaam, tuu bhii …

hai bujhaa-bujhaa saa dil, bojh saa.Ns-saa.Ns pe
jii rahe hai.n phir bhii ham, sirf kal kii aas pe
kah rahii hai chaa.Ndanii, leke teraa naam, tuu bhii …

kaun aaegaa idhar, kisakii raah dekhe.n ham
jinakii aahaTe.n sunii, jaane kisake ye kadam
apanaa koI bhii nahii.n, apane to hai.n raam, tuu bhii …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=eTh9WUbvkwE%3F

I don’t know about you but I am very fond of this Lori from the 1959 movie Chiraag Kahan Roshni Kahan starring Rajendra Kumar and Meena Kumari. Ravi is the lyricist as well as the music director. Singer is Lata Mangeshkar.

Please enjoy: Tim tim karte tare, kehate hain saare…

Tim-Tim karate taare ye kahate hai.n saare
so jaa tohe ni.ndiyaa pukaare
Tim-Tim karate …

sapano.n ke desh chandaa maamaa raajaa
bulaa rahaa hai bajaakar suro.n kaa baajaa
chorii-chorii khi.Dakii se karataa hai ishaare
Tim-Tim karate …

ra.ng-bira.ngii pariyaa.N tujhe jhuulaa jhulaa_e.Ngii
billii-totaa-mainaa kii kahaanii bhii sunaa_e.Ngii
achchhe-achchhe tujhe khilaune de.ngii pyaare-pyaare
Tim-Tim karate …

baadalo.n kii paalakii pe tujhako biThaa ke
chandaa maamaa saaraa jag laa_egaa ghumaa ke
lauT ke aa_e shaan se raajaa dvaare
Tim-Tim karate …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vpLmlPLJkO8%3F

I hope you enjoyed all these Loris. We come to the last two now. The first one of these is from an outstanding movie of Kamal Hassan and Sridevi: the 1983 movie Sadma. This is the story of a girl: Sridevi who meets with an accident, loses her memory and is led into prostitution. Kamal Hassan rescues her and painstakingly works on her with love and understanding to make her recall her past. It takes him months of hard labour and many unpleasant situations. But, ironically, when she regains her memory, she can’t recognise Kamal Hassan.

This Lori is sung by Yesudas for Kamal Hassan trying to make Sridevi sleep. It has really outstanding lyrics by Gulzar and music by Illayaraaja.

Please enjoy: Surmayi akhiyon mein nanna munna ik sapna de jaa re…

suramaI akhiyo.n me.n nanhaa munnaa ek sapanaa de jaa re
nindiyaa ke udate paakhii re, a.Nkhiyo.n me.n aajaa sAthI re

raa rii raa ram o raarii ram

sachchaa koI sapanaa dejaa
mujhako koI apanA dejaa
anajaanaa saa magar kuchh pahachaanaa saa
halkaa phulkaa shabanamii
resham se bhI reshamii
suramaI …

raat ke rath par jaane vaale
nI.nd kA ras barasaane vaale
itanA kar de kI merI aa.Nkhe.n bhar de
aa.Nkho.n me.n basataa rahe, sapanA ye ha.Nsataa rahe
sapanaa yuu.N chalataa rahe
a.Nkhiyo.n me.n basataa rahe
suramaI …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=V5qMS-K8eYY%3F

Sadly, that brings us to the last one of the dozen best Lori songs that I selected for you. This is from the 1959 movie Sujata about the rehabilitation of untouchables. The movie starred Nutan as an untouchable and Sunil Dutt who falls in love with her. This outstanding Lori has been sung by Geeta Dutt on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri and music of Sachin Dev Burman.

Please enjoy: Nanhi kali sone chali hawa dheere aana…

havaa dhiire aanaa
nI.nd bhare pa.nkh liye jhuulaa jhuulaa jaanaa
nanhii kalii sone chalI havaa dhIre aanaa
nI.nd bhare pa.nkh liye jhuulaa jhuulaa jaanaa
nanhii kalii sone chalii

chaa.Nd kiran sii gu.Diyaa naajo.n kii hai palI – 2
aaj agar chaa.Ndaniyaa aanaa merii galii
gun gun gun gIt koI haule haule gaanaa
nI.nd bhare pa.nkh liye jhuulaa jhuulaa jaanaa

resham kii Dor agar pairo.n ko ulajhaae – 2
ghu.ngharuu kaa daanaa koI shor machaa jAe
daane mere jaage to phir ni.ndiyaa tU bahalaanaa
nI.nd bhare pa.nkh liye jhuulaa jhuulaa jaanaa
nanhii kalii sone chalI havaa dhIre aanaa

https://youtube.com/watch?v=l1rjhKLsi88%3F

In the end, anyone who has read Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’ and/or has seen the movie, will be aware of the dream world of the lullaby. Here is Seal Lullaby for you from the children’s loved book and movie: The Jungle Book:

Seal Lullaby

[lineate][/lineate]Oh! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us[lineate][/lineate]And black are the waters that sparkled so green.[lineate][/lineate]The moon, O’er the combers, looks downward to find us[lineate][/lineate]At rest in the hollows that rustle between.[lineate][/lineate]Where billow meets billow, there soft by the pillow.[lineate][/lineate]Oh, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease![lineate][/lineate]The storm shall not wake thee, no shark shall overtake thee[lineate][/lineate]Asleep in the storm of slow-swinging seas.[lineate][/lineate]

THE BEST PHOOL (FLOWER) SONGS

Phool or flowers are amongst the best of God’s creations, so much so, that we often compare our dear ones to flowers; we send flowers to people we like and we are convinced that there are as many colours of flowers as the colours that God made.

There are many poems on Flowers. One of the best is Pushp Ki Abhilasha by Makhanlal Chaturvedi. This is even more apt after the heartless remark of Bihar Rural Works and Panchayat Raj Minister Bhim Singh that soldiers are meant to die. He was responding to five Indian soldiers having been killed in cold blood by the Pakis.

पुष्प की अभिलाषा- माखनलाल चतुर्वेदी (Makhanlal Chaturvedi)

[lineate][/lineate]चाह नहीं मैं सुरबाला के गहनों में गूँथा जाऊँ[lineate][/lineate]चाह नहीं, प्रेमी-माला में बिंध प्यारी को ललचाऊँ[lineate][/lineate]चाह नहीं, सम्राटों के शवपर हे हरि, डाला जाऊँ[lineate][/lineate]चाह नहीं, देवों के सिर पर चढ़ूँ भाग्य पर इठलाऊँ[lineate][/lineate]मुझे तोड़ लेना वनमाली उस पथ पर देना तुम फेंक[lineate][/lineate]मातृभूमि पर शीश चढ़ाने जिस पर जावें वीर अनेक II[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]It is not my desire to be weaved in the ornaments of a beautiful girl.[lineate][/lineate]It is not my desire to be weaved into a Lover’s garland and tempt a beloved.[lineate][/lineate]It is not my desire, O Hari, to adorn the funeral of a monarch.[lineate][/lineate]It is not my desire to be presented as offering to a goddess and rejoice at my good luck.[lineate][/lineate]O, Gardner, all I desire is[lineate][/lineate]That you will pluck me and throw me on that path[lineate][/lineate]On which our brave soldiers tread to sacrifice their lives for the motherland.[lineate][/lineate]

P.S. Any guesses how many Flowers would like to adorn the funeral of the Bihar Minister Bhim Singh?

The first Phool song, the best Phool song ever in Hindi movies, therefore, I have taken from the 1965 movie Shaheed starring Manoj Kumar and Kamini Kaushal. Lyrics are by Prem Dhawan as also the music. Mohammad Rafi has sung it with his usual passion. ‘Phool’ occurs once in the mukhada and once in the antara. In the mukhada it signifies that Flowers are nothing; at your feet, O’ Nation, we are prepared to offer our heads too. In the antara it signifies that We are from different parts of this great nation. We thus are like flowers of different colours and plants in your pooja thali. Really, I cannot think of a better Phool song for an Indian.

Ai vatan ai vatan hamako terii qasam
terii rAho.n mai.n jaa.n tak luTaa jaaye.nge
phuul kyaa chiiz hai tere kadamo.n pe ham
bhe.nT apane saro.n kii cha.Dhaa jaaye.nge
ai vatan ai vatan

Koii Pa.njaab se, koii MahaarAshhTr se
koii yuu pii se hai, koii ba.ngaal se
terii puujaa kii thaalii me.n laaye hai.n ham
phuul har ra.ng ke, aaj har Daal se
naam kuchh bhii sahii par lagan ek hai
jot se jot dil kii jagaa jaaye.nge
ai vatan ai vatan …

Terii jaanib uThii jo kahar kii nazar
us nazar ko jhukaa ke hii dam le.nge ham
terii dharatii pe hai jo kadam Gair kaa
us kadam kaa nishaa.N tak miTaa de.nge ham
jo bhii diivaar aayegii ab saamane
Thokaro.n se use ham giraa jaaye.nge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_I2sU8k7Hk

The second song is from the 1968 movie Saraswati Chandra starring Nutan and Manish. The movie won the National Awards in the Best Cinematography and Best Music Director (Kalyanji Anandji) categories.

The lyrics are by Indeevar and singers are Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh.

Please enjoy: Phool tumhen bheja hai khat mein, Phool nahin mera dil hai, Pritam mere tum bhi likhana Kya yeh tumhaaare kaabil hai?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vlLL2YlcGUI%3F

Phool or flower is often compared to blossoming of Love. The last thing that the lovers want is that it should be called infatuation. This is exactly the theme of this Manna De song. Manna De left us on the 25th of Oct 13 and this ranks amongst his best. The song is from the 1971 movie Anubhav directed by Basu Bhattacharya and starring Sanjeev Kumar and Tanuja. Lyrics are by Kapil Kumar and music by Kanu Roy.

Please enjoy: Phir kahin koi phool khila, chahat naa kaho isako…

Phir kahii.n koI phuul khilaa, chaahat naa kaho usako – 2
phir kahii.n koI diip jalaa, ma.nzil naa kaho usako
phir kahii.n …

Man kaa samu.ndar pyaasaa huaa, kyuu.N kisii se maa.Nge duaa – 2
laharo.n kaa lagaa jo melaa, tuufaa.n naa kaho usako
phir kahii.n …

Dekhe.n sab vo sapane, khud hii sajaae jo hamane – 2
dil unase bahal jaae to, raahat naa kaho usako
phir kahii.n …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=i40o6DEdIy0%3F

What about a Phool song describing the beauty of the heroine? There are dozens of them. I plan to give you just three of them. The first one is from the 1964 movie Aarzoo starring Rajendra Kumar, Feroze Khan, and Sadhna. Hasrat-SJ-Rafi have put this together. It has phool all the way, in the mukhada and antaras.

Please enjoy: Ai phoolon ki rani, baharon ki malika…

[lineate][/lineate]Ai phoolon ki raani, baharon ki malika,[lineate][/lineate]Tera muskaraana ghazab ho gaya…[lineate][/lineate] ai phuulo.n kii raanii bahaaro.n kii malikaa[lineate][/lineate]teraa muskuraanaa gazab ho gayaa[lineate][/lineate]na dil hosh me.n hai na ham hosh me.n hai.n[lineate][/lineate]nazar kaa milaanaa gazab ho gayaa[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Tere ho.nTh kyaa hai.n gulaabii ka.nval hai.n[lineate][/lineate]ye do pattiyaa.n pyaar kii ik gazal hai.n[lineate][/lineate]vo naazuk labo.n se muhabbat kii baate.n[lineate][/lineate] hamii.n ko sunaanaa gazab ho gayaa[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Kabhii khul ke milanaa kabhii khud jhijhakanaa[lineate][/lineate]kabhii raasto.n pe bahakanaa machalanaa[lineate][/lineate]ye palako.n kii chilaman uThaakar giraanaa[lineate][/lineate]giraakar uThaanaa gazab ho gayaa[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Fizaao.n me.n Tha.nDak ghaTaa bhar javaanii[lineate][/lineate]tere gesuo.n kii ba.Dii meharabaanii[lineate][/lineate]har ik pe.nch me.n saika.Do.n maikade hai.n[lineate][/lineate]teraa la.Dakha.Daanaa gazab ho gayaa[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zJd0ZZ-pezk%3F

We are on the sub-theme of phool songs describing the beauty of the heroine. This is from the 1962 movie Professor starring Shammi Kapoor and Kalpana. Hasrat Jaipuri, Shankar Jaikishan and Rafi have put this together.

Please enjoy: Aye gulbadan, aye gulbadan…

[lineate][/lineate]Aye gulbadan, aye gulbadan,[lineate][/lineate]Phoolon ki mehak, kaanton ki chubhan…[lineate][/lineate]ai gulabadan, ai gulabadan, phuulo.n kii mahak kaa.NTo.n kii chubhan[lineate][/lineate]tujhe dekh ke kahataa hai meraa man[lineate][/lineate]kahii.n aaj kisii se muhabbat naa ho jaae[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Kyaa hasiin mo.D par aa ga_ii zi.ndagaanii[lineate][/lineate]kii haqiiqat na ban jaae merii kahaanii[lineate][/lineate]jab aahe.n bhare ye Tha.nDii pavan[lineate][/lineate]siine me.n sulag uThatii hai agan[lineate][/lineate]tujhe dekh ke …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Kyaa ajiib ra.ng me.n saj rahii hai Kudaaii[lineate][/lineate]kii har ik chiiz maalik ne su.ndar banaaii[lineate][/lineate]nadiyaa kaa chamakataa hai darapan[lineate][/lineate]muKa.Daa dekhe.n sapano.n kii dulhan[lineate][/lineate]tujhe dekh ke …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Mai.n tumhii.n se yuu.N aa.Nkhe.n milaataa chalaa huu.N[lineate][/lineate]ki tumhii.n ko mai.n tumase churaataa chalaa huu.N[lineate][/lineate]mat puuchho meraa diivaanaapan[lineate][/lineate]aakaash se uu.Nchii dil kii u.Dan[lineate][/lineate]tujhe dekh ke …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo3-uUPSAnc

We are on the sub-theme of Phool songs describing the beauty of the heroine. The third best song in this category (there are dozens of these) is from the 1963 movie Shikari. Lyrics by Farooq Qaisar and music by GS Kohli. It is a duet between Rafi and Lata.

Please enjoy: Chaman ke phool bhi tumako ghulab kehte hain…

[lineate][/lineate]Chaman ke phuul bhii tujh ko gulaab kahate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]hamii.n nahii.n, hai.n sabhii laajavaab kahate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Nazar milaa ke mere dil kii baat pahachaano[lineate][/lineate]sunaa hai chehare ko dil kii kitaab kahate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Saaz-e-dil chhe.D diyaa hai to ye naGamaa sun lo[lineate][/lineate]bikharii bikharii huii ye pyaar kii kiraNe.n chun lo[lineate][/lineate]isii kiraN ko sanam aafataab kahate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]hamii.n nahii.n, hamii.n nahii.n[lineate][/lineate]hamii.n nahii.n hai.n sabhii laajavaab kahate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]chaman ke phuul bhii tujhako[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]aaj tak dekhii nahii.n aisii dahakatii aa.Nkhe.n[lineate][/lineate]Daal do aa ke in aaNkho.n me.n chhalakatii aa.Nkhe.n[lineate][/lineate]sambhal ke piinaa ise sab sharaab kahate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]hamii.n nahii.n, hamii.n nahii.n[lineate][/lineate]hamii.n nahii.n hai.n sabhii laajavaab kahate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Chaman ke phuul bhii tujhako …[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4ZW0SXRZDr4%3F

Lets now look at the comical and satirical songs with phool.

The first song in this category is also by Mukesh for the 1975 movie Prem Kahani starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz. Lyrics have a kind of indirect satire perfected by Anand Bakshi and the music is by Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Please enjoy: Phool ahista phenko phool bade naazuk hote hain…

[lineate][/lineate]Phuul aahistaa phe.nko, phuul ba.De naazuk hote hai.n[lineate][/lineate]vaise bhii to ye bad.h-qisamat nok pe kaa.nTo.n kii sote hai.n[lineate][/lineate]phuul aahistaa …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]ba.Dii khuubsuurat shiqaayat hai ye[lineate][/lineate]magar sochiye kyaa sharaafat hai ye[lineate][/lineate]jo auro.n kaa dil to.Date rahate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]lagii choT unako to ye kahate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]ki phuul aahistaa phe.nko, phuul ba.De naazuk hote hai.n[lineate][/lineate]jo rulaate hai.n logo.n ko ek din khud bhii rote hai.n[lineate][/lineate]phuul aahistaa …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]kisii shoK ko baaG kii sair me.n[lineate][/lineate]jo lag jaaye kaa.nTaa koii pair me.n[lineate][/lineate]Kafaa husn vaalo.n se ho kis liye[lineate][/lineate]ye maasuum hai bahakataa is liye[lineate][/lineate]ki phuul aahistaa phe.nko, phuul ba.De naazuk hote hai.n[lineate][/lineate]ye kare.nge kaise ghaayal ye to khud ghaayal hote hai.n[lineate][/lineate]phuul aahistaa …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]gulo.n ke ba.De aap hamadard hai.n[lineate][/lineate]bhalaa kyo.n na ho aap bhii mard hai.n[lineate][/lineate]hazaaro.n savaal.o.n kaa hai ik javaab[lineate][/lineate]fareb-e-nazar ye na ho ai janaab[lineate][/lineate]ki phuul aahistaa phe.nko phuul ba.De naazuk hote hai.n[lineate][/lineate]sab jise kahate hai.n shabanam, phuul ke aa.Nsuu hote hai.n[lineate][/lineate] phuul aahistaa …[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=J_RLTi5ufCI%3F

The second one in this category is from the 1964 Raj Kapoor movie Sangam and everyone knows why it is a phool song: Sab jo laaye phool buddha gobhi le ke aa gaya….

Hasrat Jaipuri, Shankar Jaikishan and Lata Mangeshkar have put this together.

Please enjoy: Main kaa Karun Raam mujhe buddha mil gaya…

[lineate][/lineate]Mai.n kaa karuu.N raam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa -2[lineate][/lineate]hoy hoy buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]haay, haay buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]mai.n kaa karuu.N raam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]sab jo gaye baaG meraa buDDhaa bhii chalaa gayaa -2[lineate][/lineate]sab to laaye phuul buDDhaa gobhii le ke aa gayaa -2[lineate][/lineate]mai.n ho ga_ii badanaam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]haay kaa karuu.N raam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]hoy hoy buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]haay buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]mai.n kaa karuu.N raam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]mai.n gu.Diyaa hasiin merii moranii sii chaal hai -2[lineate][/lineate]sar pe.n safed[lineate][/lineate]sar me.n safed usake daadaa jii kaa baal hai -2[lineate][/lineate]ab kyaa hogaa a.njaam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]haay kaa karuu.N raam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]hoy hoy buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]haay buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]mai.n kaa karuu.N raam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]pariyo.n ke des mujhe buDDhaa le ke aa gayaa -2[lineate][/lineate]mai.nne jo uThaayaa ghuu.NghaT buDDhaa Gussaa khaa gayaa -2[lineate][/lineate]biga.De saare kaam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]haay kaa karuu.N raam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate][lineate][/lineate]hoy hoy buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]haay buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]haay mai.n kaa karuu.N raam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]mai.n kaa karuu.N raam mujhe buDDhaa mil gayaa[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=m0k2wzIeNjo%3F

And the third one in this variety is an old favourite of mine sung by Manna Dey.

The song is from the 1964 movie Door Ka Chand starring Bharat Bhushan and B Saroja Devi. Sahir Ludhianvi was the lyricist and Roshan the music director. This song has typical Manna De classical singing.

Please enjoy: Phul gendwa naa maaro,…

[lineate][/lineate]haay[lineate][/lineate]ajii phul gendawaa na maaro, na maaro[lineate][/lineate]lagat karejawaa me.n choT[lineate][/lineate]phul gendawaa na maaro, na maaro (2)[lineate][/lineate]lagat karejawaa me.n choT[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]duu.Ngii mai.n duhaa_ii[lineate][/lineate]kaahe chatur banat chhichhorii karat harajaa_ii[lineate][/lineate]phul gendawaa na maaro, na maaro[lineate][/lineate]lagat karej[lineate][/lineate]t karej (3)[lineate][/lineate]gat karejawaa me.n choT[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]he dahakaa hu_aa ye a.ngaaraa, a.ngaaraa haa.N[lineate][/lineate]dahakaa hu_aa ye a.ngaaraa[lineate][/lineate]jo gendawaa kahalaaye hai[lineate][/lineate] ajii tan par jahaa.N gire paapii[lineate][/lineate]wahii.n daaG pa.D jaaye hai[lineate][/lineate]a.ng-a.ng moraa piir kare aur kar ke kahe[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]phul gendawaa na maaro[lineate][/lineate]phul gendawaa na maaro, na maaro[lineate][/lineate]lagat karejawaa me.n choT[lineate][/lineate]he phul gendawaa na maaro[lineate][/lineate]ajii phul gendawaa na maaro[lineate][/lineate]phul gendawaa na maaro -2[lineate][/lineate]ma_ika[lineate][/lineate]na maaro -3[lineate][/lineate]phul gendawaa na maaro, na maaro[lineate][/lineate]lagat karejawaa me.n choT[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]ruk jaa_o -5[lineate][/lineate]na sataa_o mohe julamii balam, o balam -2[lineate][/lineate]maan jaa_o, binatii abalaa kii[lineate][/lineate]dekho-dekho ab duu.Ngii mai.n duhaa_ii[lineate][/lineate]kaahe chatur banat chhichhorii karat harjaa_ii[lineate][/lineate]phul gendawaa na maaro[lineate][/lineate]na maaro na maaro na[lineate][/lineate]pa pa dha[lineate][/lineate]dha dha dha ni dha[lineate][/lineate]pa ma dha pa ma[lineate][/lineate]ga ma ga re sa[lineate][/lineate]sa sa sa sa sa sa[lineate][/lineate]phul gendawaa na maaro[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]na maaro (6)[lineate][/lineate]lagat karejawaa me.n choT[lineate][/lineate]karejawaa me.n choT (2)[lineate][/lineate]sa ga ga re re sa[lineate][/lineate]sa ma pa ma ga ga re sa sa ni[lineate][/lineate]sa dha dha dha sa pa pa pa sa pa sa pa sa[lineate][/lineate]pa ni ma[lineate][/lineate]phul gendawaa na -3[lineate][/lineate]na maaro -3[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]arre phul gendawaa na maaro, na maaro[lineate][/lineate]lagat karejawaa me.n choT[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]duu.Ngii mai.n duhaa_ii[lineate][/lineate]kaahe chatur banat chhichhorii karat harjaa_ii[lineate][/lineate]phul gend[lineate][/lineate]dawaa dawaa dawaa dawaa[lineate][/lineate]dawaa dawaa dawaa dawaa[lineate][/lineate]dawaa na maaro, na maaro[lineate][/lineate]lagat karejawaa me.n choT[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2rMz8fuVjhI%3F

Can a phool or flower be used for sad feelings or feelings of revenge? See it for yourself.

The name of this 1966 movie is ‘Aye Din Bahar Ke’ and hence one would expect that it would have happy phool songs. Well, it had: the title song and the song: Phoolon se mukhade waali. But, you have to give in to the lyrics of this revenge song too wherein the hero Dharmendra feels that he has been deceived by his beloved Asha Parekh. Amongst other things he curses her in the song that she should become a phool of patjhad (an autumn flower). The song has been put together by Anand Bakshi, Laxmant Pyarelal and Mohammad Rafi.

Please enjoy: Mere dushman tu meri dosti ko tarase…

mere dushman tuu merii dostii ko tarase
mujhe Gam dene vaale tuu khushii ko tarase

tuu phuul bane patajha.D kaa, tujh pe bahaar na aae kabhii
merii hii tarah tuu ta.Dape tujhako qaraar na aae kabhii
jiye tuu is tarah kii zi.ndagii ko tarase

itanaa to asar kar jaae.n merii vafaae.n o bevafaa
jab tujhe yaad aae.n apanii jafaae.n o bevafaa
pashemaan hoke roe, tuu ha.nsii ko tarase

tere gulashan se zyaadaa viiraan koI viiraanaa na ho
is duniyaa me.n teraa jo apanaa to kyaa, begaanaa na ho
kisii kaa pyaar kyaa tuu beruKii ko tarase

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9X0eenyBvvU%3F

This is not a filmy song but is dear to me. It has the same sentiments as in the Lyrical page picture of Rajesh Khanna holding a dried flower in his hand whilst singing: Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye.

This ghazal is from a favourite ghazal singer of mine: Mehdi Hasan. The ghazal was penned by Ahmed Faraz.

[lineate][/lineate]Please enjoy: Ab ke ham bichhade to shayad kabhi khwaabon mein milen,[lineate][/lineate]Jis tarah sookhe hue phool kitabon mein mile….

[lineate][/lineate]Ab ke ham bichha.De to shaayad kabhii Kaabo.n me.n mile.n[lineate][/lineate]jis tarah suukhe huye phuul kitaabo.n me.n mile.n[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Dhuu.NDh uja.De huye logo.n me.n wafaa ke motii[lineate][/lineate]ye Kazaane tujhe mumkin hai Karaabo.n me.n mile.n[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Tuu Kudaa hai na meraa ishq farishto.n jaisaa[lineate][/lineate]dono.n insaa.N hai.n to kyuu.N itane hijaabo.n me.n mile.n[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Gam-e-duniyaa bhii Gam-e-yaar me.n shaamil kar lo[lineate][/lineate]nashaa ba.Dhataa hai sharaabe.n jo sharaabo.n me.n mile.n[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]ab na wo mai.n huu.N na wo tuu hai na wo maazii hai ‘faraaz'[lineate][/lineate]jaise do saaye tamannaa ke saraabo.n me.n mile.n[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hGUrNF9cdzU%3F

Another melancholic song in this category is depicting that if I don’t get phool (flowers) I shall live with the friendship of the thorns. It is from the 968 movie Anokhi Raat starring Parikshat Sahni and Zaheeda. Kaifi Azmi, Roshan and Rafi have put this together.

Please enjoy: Mile naa phool to kaanto se dosti kar li…

[lineate][/lineate]Mile na phuul to kaa.NTo.n se dostii kar lii[lineate][/lineate]isii tarah se basar hamane zi.ndagii kar lii[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Ab aage jo bhii ho a.njaam, dekhaa jaaegaa[lineate][/lineate]Kudaa talaash liyaa aur ba.ndagii kar lii[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Nazar milii bhii na thii aur unako dekh liyaa[lineate][/lineate]zabaa.n khulii bhii na thii aur baat bhii kar lii[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Vo jinako pyaar hai chaa.ndii se, ishq sone se[lineate][/lineate]vahii kahe.nge kabhii hamane Kudakashii kar lii[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=EdePhHHjHO0%3F

Okay, just one last sad phool song before I end with happy ones.

This one is from the 1964 movie Chandi Ki Deewar. The singer is Talat Mehmood on Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics and N Dutta’s music.

[lineate]Please enjoy: Ashqon mein jo paaya hai, vo geeton mein diya hai,[/lineate]Is par bhi sunaa hai ke zamaane ko gila hai…[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]PHOOL is in the second stanza…[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Ashko.n ne jo paayaa hai vo giito.n me.n diyaa hai[lineate][/lineate]is par bhii sunaa hai ki zamaane ko gilaa hai[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Jo taar se nikalii hai vo dhun sab ne sunii hai[lineate][/lineate]jo saaz pe guzarii hai vo kis dil ko pataa hai[lineate][/lineate]ashko.n ne jo paayaa hai …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Ham phuul hai.n auro.n ke liye laaye hai.n khushabuu[lineate][/lineate]apane liye le de ke bas ik daaG milaa hai[lineate][/lineate]ashko.n ne jo paayaa hai …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=flBfcMCgVe0%3F

Lets now take up some happy phool songs.

No ‘Special’ on Phool songs can be complete without this Prem Pujari song penned by Neeraj with music by Sachin Dev Burman (since Prem Pujari was a Dev Anand movie). Kishore Kumar sang it.

Please enjoy: Phoolon ke rang se, dil ki kalam se….

[lineate][/lineate]Phuulo.n ke ra.ng se, dil kii kalam se[lineate][/lineate]tujhako likhii roz paatii[lineate][/lineate]kaise bataauu.N, kis kis tarah se[lineate][/lineate]pal pal mujhe tuu sataatii[lineate][/lineate]tere hii sapane, lekar ke soyaa[lineate][/lineate]terii hii yaado.n me.n jaagaa[lineate][/lineate]tere khayaalo.n me.n ulajhaa rahaa yuu.N[lineate][/lineate]jaise ke maalaa me.n dhaagaa[lineate][/lineate]haa.N, baadal bijalii cha.ndan paanii jaisaa apanaa pyaar[lineate][/lineate]lenaa hogaa janam hame.n, ka_ii ka_ii baar[lineate][/lineate]haa.N, itanaa madir, itanaa madhur teraa meraa pyaar[lineate][/lineate]lenaa hogaa janam hame.n, ka_ii ka_ii baar[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]saa.Nso.n kii saragam, dha.Dakan kii viinaa,[lineate][/lineate]sapano.n kii giitaa.Njalii tuu[lineate][/lineate]man kii galii me.n, mahake jo haradam,[lineate][/lineate]aisii juhii kii kalii tuu[lineate][/lineate]chhoTaa safar ho, lambaa safar ho,[lineate][/lineate]suunii Dagar ho yaa melaa[lineate][/lineate]yaad tuu aae, man ho jaae, bhii.D ke biich akelaa[lineate][/lineate]haa.N, baadal bijalii, cha.ndan paanii jaisaa apanaa pyaar[lineate][/lineate]lenaa hogaa janam hame.n, ka_ii ka_ii baar[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]puurab ho pachchhim, uttar ho dakkhin[lineate][/lineate]tuu har jagah muskuraae[lineate][/lineate]jitanaa bhii jaauu.N, mai.n duur tujhase,[lineate][/lineate]utanii hii tuu paas aae[lineate][/lineate][lineate][/lineate]aa.Ndhii ne rokaa, paanii ne Tokaa,[lineate][/lineate]duniyaa ne ha.Ns kar pukaaraa[lineate][/lineate]tasaviir terii, lekin liye mai.n, kar aayaa sabase kinaaraa[lineate][/lineate]haa.N, baadal bijalii, cha.ndan paanii jaisaa apanaa pyaar[lineate][/lineate]lenaa hogaa janam hame.n, ka_ii ka_ii baar[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]haa.N, itanaa madir, itanaa madhur teraa meraa pyaar[lineate][/lineate]lenaa hogaa janam hame.n, ka_ii ka_ii baar[lineate][/lineate]ka_ii, ka_ii baar… ka_ii, ka_ii baar …[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TiLLMg3Q5AQ%3F

The 1966 movie Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya starred Dharmendra, Nutan and Rehman and some very nice numbers put together by GS Rawal and Sonik Omi. This one is particularly refreshing; sung by Mohammad Rafi.

[lineate][/lineate]Please enjoy: Kaliyon ne ghoonghat khole,[lineate][/lineate]Har phool pe banvara dole….[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Kaliyo.n ne ghuu.NghaT khole har phuul pe bha.Nvaraa Dole[lineate][/lineate]lo aayaa pyaar kaa mausam gul-o-gulazaar kaa mausam[lineate][/lineate]kaliyo.n ne ghuu.NghaT …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]O hoy jab tuu chaman me.n aa_e har gu.nchaa muskaraa_e -2[lineate][/lineate]hai behijaab teraa shabaab ham ho ga_e diivaane[lineate][/lineate]lo aayaa pyaar kaa mausam tere diidaar kaa mausam[lineate][/lineate]kaliyo.n ne ghuu.NghaT …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]O hoy har-suu teraa nashaa hai har zarraa pii rahaa hai -2[lineate][/lineate]tuu aafataab jaam-e-shabaab roshan hu_e maiKaane[lineate][/lineate]lo aayaa pyaar kaa mausam visaal-e-yaar kaa mausam[lineate][/lineate]kaliyo.n ne ghuu.NghaT …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]O haay jaan-e-bahaar aa jaa dil ke qaraar aa jaa -2[lineate][/lineate]ye shab ye Kvaab ye maahataaab ab to lage ta.Dapaane[lineate][/lineate]lo aayaa pyaar kaa mausam mere diladaar kaa mausam[lineate][/lineate]kaliyo.n ne ghuu.NghaT …[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TwLfCH6CL7A%3F

Since we are on the sub theme of happy phool songs, how can we forget this really enchanting duet from 1975 movie Chupke Chupke starring Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bahaduri? Anand Bakshi, SD Burman, Mukesh and Lata have put this together.

Please enjoy: Baagon meinm kaise ye phool khilate hain?

[lineate][/lineate]BaaGo.n me.n kaise ye phuul khilate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]khilate hai.n bha.Nvaro.n se jab phuul milate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]o~ baaGo.n me.n …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]o~ a Haa~[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Mausam bahaaro.n ke lagate hai.n kyo.n pyaare[lineate][/lineate]ha.Nsate hai.n rote hai.n kaliyo.n ke sa.ng saare[lineate][/lineate]kaliyo.n ke khilane se dil bhii khilate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]baaGo.n me.n …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Achchhaa ab tum bolo aisaa kab hotaa hai[lineate][/lineate]ba.De vo ho mat chhe.Do aisaa tab hotaa hai[lineate][/lineate]jab tere nayano.n se mere nain milate hai.n[lineate][/lineate]baaGo.n me.n …[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=v2lxsXa_Nkk%3F

We haven’t exhausted all the sub-themes of phool songs. But I end up with the Yaad theme. Phool or flowers are beautiful creations of God. When you look at them, if you are away from your love, you think of him or her. There are many songs on this sub theme, eg, Rang rang ke phool khile mujhe bhaaye koi rang na..ab aan milo sajana; and Rajnigandha phool tumhaare mehake younhi jeevan mein. But my favourite is this from the 1967 movie Taqdeer. It is an Anand Bakshi – Laxmikant Pyarelal song sung by various singers.

Please enjoy: Jab jab bahar aayi aur phool muskaraye…

[lineate][/lineate]Jab jab bahaar aa_ii[lineate][/lineate]Aur phool muskuraaye[lineate][/lineate](mujhe tum yaad aaye) -2[lineate][/lineate]jab jab bhii chaa.Nd nikalaa[lineate][/lineate]aur taare jagamagaaye[lineate][/lineate](mujhe tum yaad aaye) -2[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate](ik pyaar aur wafaa kii tasaviir maanataa huu.N) -2[lineate][/lineate]tasaviir kyaa, tumhe.n mai.n taqadiir jaanataa huu.N ho~~[lineate][/lineate]dekhii nazar ne Kushiyaa.N, yaa dekhe Gam ke saaye[lineate][/lineate](mujhe tum yaad aaye) -2[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate](apanaa ko_ii taraanaa mai.n ne nahii.n banaayaa) -2[lineate][/lineate]tum ne mere labo.n pe har ek sur sajaayaa… o…[lineate][/lineate]jab jab mere taraane duniyaa ne gun_gunaaye[lineate][/lineate](mujhe tum yaad aaye) -2[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate](mum_kin hai zi.ndagaanii kar jaaye bewafaa_ii) -2[lineate][/lineate]lekin ye pyaar vo hai jis me.n nahii.n judaa_ii… o…[lineate][/lineate]is pyaar ke fasaane jab jab zubaa.N pe aaye[lineate][/lineate](mujhe tum yaad aaye) -2[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mrY6FIQcbYY%3F

On second thoughts the best way to end with the best phool songs is with a bhajan – my favourite form of music.

This is a very beautiful bhajan from the 1954 movie Nastik starring Nalini Jaywant and Ajit. Lyrics are those of Pradeep and music is by C Ramachandra.

This is the only way to love God!

[lineate][/lineate]Tere phoolon se bhi pyaar,[lineate][/lineate]Tere kaanton se bhi pyaar…[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]AmR^it aur zahar dono.n hai.n saagar me.n ek saath[lineate][/lineate]manthan kaa adhikaar hai sab ko phal prabhu tere haath[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Tere phuulo.n se bhii pyaar[lineate][/lineate]tere kaa.nTo.n se bhii pyaar[lineate][/lineate]jo bhii denaa chaahe de de karataar[lineate][/lineate]duniyaa ke taaraNahaar[lineate][/lineate]tere phuulo.n se bhii pyaar …[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Chaahe sukh de yaa dukh, chaahe khushii de yaa Gam -2[lineate][/lineate]maalik jaise bhii rakhegaa vaise rah le.nge ham[lineate][/lineate]maalik rah le.nge ham[lineate][/lineate]chaahe ha.Nsii bharaa sa.nsaar de yaa aa.Nsuo.n kii dhaar[lineate][/lineate]jo bhii denaa chaahe de de karataar[lineate][/lineate]duniyaa ke taaraNahaar[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Ham ko dono.n hai.n pasa.nd terii dhuup aur chhaa.Nv -2[lineate][/lineate]daataa kisii bhii dishaa me.n le chal zi.ndagii kii naav[lineate][/lineate]le chal zi.ndagii kii naav[lineate][/lineate]chaahe hame.n lagaa de paar Dubaa de chaahe hame.n ma.njhadhaar[lineate][/lineate]jo bhii denaa chaahe de de karataar[lineate][/lineate]duniyaa ke taaraNahaar …[lineate][/lineate]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=18CI719CKmQ%3F

I hope you liked my choice of phool songs under various sub-themes.

My next theme is the best of lori (lullaby) songs in Hindi movies. Please keep accessing this blog.

CROSSING FRONTIERS IN THE FRONTIER MAIL

When you join the armed forces, you are perpetually on the move: you are transferred every now and then so that like rolling stones you’d not gather moss as also to learn all the ropes at all the stations; you are also sent on temporary duties. Hence, you become as much familiar with railways as railways are with you.

Three years back I wrote a piece on The Great Indian Train Journey. Although I didn’t describe the armed forces part of it, the armed forces personnel are at home with the railways.

If one were to travel from Bombay to New Delhi and beyond, the one train that was ‘fauji‘ friendly was the Frontier Mail; you could find many armed forces personnel taking the plunge into the train at the last minute and the TTEs generally obliged the ‘faujis‘, not because of their love for the armed forces but because of the promise of unadulterated armed forces quota rum that accompanied the ‘faujis’ like faithful dogs.

The Frontier Mail, started in September 1928 derived its name from its run of more than 2000 kms from Bombay (Churchgate) to Peshawar, the city at India’s border or frontier with Afghanistan. It was the nation’s first high-speed train and did the journey of 2335 kms in 72 hours.

Frontier Mail (Pic courtesy: www.iaslic1955.org)

In 1930 the London Times had rated Frontier MaIl as the world’s best train. In 1996, its name was changed to Golden Temple Mail. However, it was still the Frontier Mail when I was to board it at Mumbai. And, this time I had a proper reservation and hence no need to exchange good rum for a berth.

When I was at Mumbai Central Railway station waiting for the train, I spotted at least two other fauji officers also waiting. How did I make out that they were fauji? Well, one had Ray Ban goggles in their cover on his belt. The second was a Sikh and his demeanour exuded army. One look at the reservation chart confirmed my inference.

One of them, the one with Ray Ban introduced himself as Major Mehta. I wanted to avoid conversation as I had come to the last part of a James Hedley Chase book that I was reading after my boyhood days, just for fun, and the suspense was killing me.

But it was not to be. Mehta said, “So Ravi Sir, up to where are you going?”

“Delhi” I retorted sharply so that he’d get the hint and shut up.

Army ensures its officers are made of sterner stuff. Undeterred Mehta asked, “Proper Delhi or beyond that?”

How would Major Mehta know anything about my home station Kandaghat in Shimla Hills near Solan? (Read: ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is – Kandaghat In Shimla Hills’)

“Beyond that” I answered whilst turning the page.

“Up to where, Ravi Sir” he asked.

I suspected Mehta’s family were lawyers of repute and adept at cross-examining hardened criminals.

“I might take a bus from outside Ambala Cantt”, I told him irritably.

“Bus to where, Ravi Sir” he asked me ignoring my irritability.

“Bus to hell” I nearly blurted out but at the last minute replaced it with, “Bus to North.”

I had decided that even though Mark Woodward in the Chase novel was certain to face the music because of the dead body having been found behind the roses; but, I would kill Major Mehta if he were to ask me, “North? Where in North, Sir?” and then dispose of the body when the train would cross over a river.

He looked straight into my eyes and asked calmly, “North? Where in North, Sir?”

‘Should I be a Gandhian or should I become Bhagat Singh?’ was for me the equivalent of the Shakespearian ‘To be or not to be’. I had clenched my fists.

Major Mehta suddenly through chuckles asked me, “Ain’t you going to Kandaghat, Ravi bhaiyya?”

“What the hell. …..”, I started; but he continued, “I am going to Solan. I am a class mate of your younger brother JP. I have been to your house Whispering Winds several times.”

To hell with Mark Woodward and JH Chase. In any case I was trying to reread it after many many years.

We had a marvellous time together in the train and later bus. And we didn’t know how time flew. And yes, the rum bottle was opened not for the TTE but for two of us who had crossed several frontiers in the Frontier Mail.

SHE WASN’T MAID FOR US

Unlike our army counterparts who get ‘sahayaks‘ or flunkies to do their chores, the navy officers and ladies have to do everything at home on their own.

When I was undergoing my staff duties course the DSSC (Defence Services Staff College) in Wellington (Nilgiris) I was already of the rank of Commander (equivalent to Lt Col in the army and Wg Cdr in the air force). My wife and I unpacked and set up our house whereas our neighbouring army officers had men doing such jobs. On being posted out, we started packing two weeks in advance, whereas the army officers did the entire thing in two days with a battery of men attending to it. This contrast was also there when we invited people at home; we served on our own whereas they had their flunkies to do it.

I am tempted to relate this incident to you so as to further clear the air. Even our army counterparts are surprised that we don’t have “free” servants. And since we live in metropolitan cities, even the hired help in the form of maid servants is hard to obtain.

As a Cdr in the Navy I stayed opposite a Brigadier in SP Marg flats in New Delhi. One day, we were getting ready to go to an official party when there was a ring at the door. It was the lady next door, the Brigadier’s wife. Unfortunately my wife had opened the door whilst polishing my evening rig’s black shoes. The lady told my wife, “Look at the way the naval officers treat their wives; I mean, it is inhuman to make you polish his shoes. Call him, I will teach him some sense.”

All this was in mock anger because they had become good friends with us and knew our reality.

My wife’s reply, however, took the wind out of her mock anger, “Sorry, he can’t come now since he is ironing my saree.”

When our elder son was born in 1984, our need for a maid servant became the name of famous pictures in Hollywood: paramount. We had to get one since it was now becoming difficult for Lyn to manage especially when I went out sailing.

Our efforts to find one appeared to us more than our combined efforts in producing a son. We appeared to have everything: ‘A’ type accommodation in Meena building in NOFRA (Naval Officers Flats Residential Area) after 22 months of station seniority; a servant quarter and large hearts.

Finally, after weeks of waiting, one maid servant came to interview us on a sunday. Our interview, in which we eventually failed, went like this:

Maid: Kitne log hain? (Possibly she had learnt this from Gabbar Singh in the movie ‘Sholay’) (How many of you are here?)
We: Do aur ek chhota bachcha. (Only two and an infant)
Maid: Theek hai. Guest kitana aata hai? (Good, how many guests you get?)
We assured her that we hardly get guests.
Maid: Annual leave poora lenge ke nahin? (Will you go on your full annual leave (60 days) or not?)

I told her that earlier we weren’t so particular but now, since my father died recently, I would be taking full leave to go to my home place to look after my widowed mother.
This was very satisfactory to our potential maid and I winked to my wife that so far we had done good.

We didn’t know what was to come. Somewhat similar of those who sleep in their homes oblivious of the fact that Tsunami is just around the corner from them.

Maid: TV hai naa? Mujhe Chitrahaar aur Sunday movie ka shauk hai. (I hope you have a television since I like watching the popular show Chitrahaar)

We had recently acquired a Dyanora Black and White portable TV, the only one I could afford. I proudly pointed towards our possession. The potential maid had one look at it and said, “Ye to chhota hai aur Black and White hai.” (This is small and black and white)

I have seen many of these court cases in the movies wherein the prosecution, through relentless cross-examination, makes the accused accept his guilt. At this juncture, the accused just hangs his head in shame. A similar thing happened to my wife and I. We hung our heads in shame with the evidence of our poverty.

In the night, my wife whispered to me just before saying good night: “At least buy me a new Jhadoo”. (Broom)

“Don’t take this to heart”, I told her, “Marriages…..and maids are made in heaven and eventually we would get the maid God had made for us.”

And we did.

REMOVING CURLS AND KINKS

My father and mother and many people from my dad’s office had come to Shimla (that time still spelt the British way: Simla) railway station to see me off on my way to Naval Academy at Cochin (later Kochi). What a coincidence that my starting and destination stations changed the spellings of their names later. However, it was nothing in comparison to the transformation that had to take place with and within me. As the train chugged along on the now world heritage track, I looked back and waved at them. Little did I know that the next time I would see them, I would have grown more than I ever did before.

The way I looked two years before I joined the Navy

Beyond Delhi, I was fascinated with everything that I was seeing out of the window of the First Class compartment. It was the first time I had ventured this far from home and I soaked in all land, people, villages, rivers and rivulets and different languages that I heard during my over two days of journey. I wrote a 48 pages letter to my parents describing all this. Later, in NAVAC, when the letter was given to my Div O (Divisional Officer), Lieutenant SD Sharma, he read the entire thing (I quickly learnt that there was nothing like ‘private’ thoughts and mails in our formative years) and called me and chastised me to avoid going into such lengthy harangues “without any substance”. “All that you have actually wanted to write and was worth describing” he admonished me, “Can be written on the back of a five paisa stamp.” Many years later, my CO on Ganga too told me, “If what you want to say cannot be said in a single page, no one is interested in it.”

I too, therefore, quickly learnt the naval lingo, short and crisp replies to short and crisp questions. Eg,

[lineate][/lineate]Q: How is life?[lineate][/lineate]Ans: Shit.[lineate][/lineate]Q: What you doing now?[lineate][/lineate]Ans: Coolex.[lineate][/lineate]

I also learnt that in order to keep pace with this ‘bikini – speech’, most navy officers read such ‘literature’ as comic books and cartoons. Major General Arjan Ray in his ‘Kashmir Diary’ bemoaned that the average vocabulary of an army officer was 300 words. Navy was no different. In my Cadet’s Journal on Delhi, I titled our first sailing to Port Blair as ‘Breakfast at Port Blair’. The Div O’s comments read, “What has this article got to do with breakfast?” I still have that journal with me. So, whilst the army-man describes features as, “See twelve O’ Clock, you will find a flat top hill; call it Flat Top Hill”, you quickly learn in the navy too to call a spade a spade. Imagination is for the non-professionals.

On my blog, therefore, the very first article, on retirement (On 28th Feb 10, before that I couldn’t have indulged in a blog) is titled: ‘I Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Did I?’ Was it a great job dome having removed these ‘kinks’ of language? Yes and no? Yes, because an uniformed service must have a uniform way of talking and writing that everybody understands. When a missile is coming towards you, you want to hear ‘Alarm missile starboard’ and get on with the automatic and mechanical responses of mind, body and equipment and not hear stories about the fire-ball looking like something straight out of Armageddon. No, because the missile is not coming at you all the time and your total cloning ensures that later in your career, when the bug bites you regarding ‘out of box thinking’, you find that the navy never gave you a chance to think out of the box. One of the senior officers, for example, tried to make Letters of Proceedings (LOPs) (a monthly report of happenings in and around the ship) “interesting”. It wreaked hell. Everyone was confused.

A navy officer, I learnt gradually, when he looks at the sunset, almost mechanically reports “Gyro error nil or such and such” and never describes its changing colours and hues and shapes.

At the lunch table, in NAVAC, we were initiated into uniformed way of describing things as follows:

Question by the Senior Cadet: What is on the menu Kay Dutt?

Answer: Sir, Mulligatawny Soup….and, garlic bread…and Sir, Chicken Braised for non vegetarians and Sir Cheese Cutlets for vegetarians, ….and cabbage fougard, mint potatoes, and then topped by Diplomat pudding….Sir.

Senior Cadet: Bull shit, Kay Dutt, there are too many pauses in your description and ‘ands’ and too many ‘Sirs’. It has to be like this (His demo was like the disclaimer in a television ad about a public issue of a company: at break neck speed without a pause; much like Mahadevan’s ‘Breathless’): Mulligatawny Soup, Garlic Bread, Braised Chicken within brackets NV, Cheese Cutlets within brackets V, cabbage fougard, mint potatoes and Diplomat pudding.

I was a turbaned Sikh a few years before I joined NAVAC. After I cut my hair, my hair were still like that of Beatles’ (the current fad at that time) and curly. I wore a snake-skin belt with a large brass oval-shaped buckle, bell-bottomed trousers and a shirt with elephant eared collar. First the POGI (It took me some time to find out what a Pogi (the way I pronounced it)) meant) took me to a barber. There were no mirrors there. So after a mere ten minutes of this ‘artist’s’ handiwork, when I came to my assigned room and looked at myself in the mirror, I wondered whether it was a mirror that I was looking into or a large poster of another man…a POW perhaps or a survivor of a holocaust.

Throughout my naval career I tried to find that curly-haired boy with snake-skin belt but I couldn’t. I had lost him for good.

Did I miss him? Well, even after I retired from the Navy, when my hair start touching my ear lobes and shoulder, I have a haircut without being told by anyone to do so. The requirement or the need for it has gone into my blood like good scotch that I had after I became a commissioned officer.

During my first leave from NAVAC, I met my civilian friend in Simla. He was trying to tell me about the breakup with his GF Asha. He was going round and round in circles. I told him to come straight to the point and summed up for him in crisp sentences: “Asha and you friends for long; Both enjoyed and promised. Now, Asha ditched you and left you high n’ dry. You want to know the reason. Well, it is because of your idiotically long hair, snake-skin belt, bell bots and funny shirt. Move with times Deepak; have a proper haircut and decent clothes and you will be back in reckoning.”

CAN GOD BE REBORN AMONGST US?

In the history of mankind, a period of about a thousand years is required to visualise a civilizational historical trend. In the case of God being born amongst us; whether it was Mohammad or Jesus or Krishna or Ram or Buddha; the unanswered question that often lurks at the back of my mind is why did God favour particular periods in history of mankind to come to us as man; all within a thousand years or so? Could it be that since mankind was taking its first steps to be civilized, our idolatry for those who gave us direction as a civilized society raised human beings to the level of God? (Read: ‘Whose God Is It Anyway?‘) After that, when such idolatry continued in history, it fortified the concept of God and those who didn’t agree with these visible manifestations of God, were regarded as heretics? How is it that God didn’t appear in His human manifestations again? Those who keep God as someone they have rightful claim on, explain that God chooses particular periods in history when human tyranny and immorality become so overwhelming that God then is born as a human being to eradicate such evil and holocaust. If that is the case, how is it that God wasn’t born amongst us even during the World Wars? Could it be that with civilization came rationalisation and now we look at all such manifestations such as Guru Nanak and Swamy Vivekananda as great but human only? Even though the Catholic church, for example, still wants proof of miracles performed by a man or woman before being ordained as a saint; the fact is that it is now becoming increasingly more difficult to convince people that miracles do occur.

Jesus Miracle — Jesus’ first public ministry, where at the request of his mother, He turned water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana (Pic courtesy: www.hudsonfla.com)

Now, why should I write an article like this? Am I a heretic or an atheist? No, I believe in God and I believe in goodness. God has been with me always and I do believe that God will never forsake me. But, I do believe that time is now ripe when we should move away from human or iconic manifestation of God and see God in a different manner. What do we have to lose? Conversely, what are we losing in iconic representation of God. Well, this is what this article is all about.

First of all, lets acknowledge the fact that God gifted us Logic and Reasoning and the Power or Ability to Rationalise. He hasn’t gifted these powers to others in His Creation. It should have been inconceivable, therefore, that God would have placed himself/herself/itself beyond reasoning and logic. Therefore, unlike what guardians of God and Religion tell us, let us use reasoning and logic to understand God.

Logic and Reasoning tell us that human manifestation of God was required and was helpful in a certain period of history. Indeed, logically, one proof of the concept of God being dynamic is that when God was born as a human being in the shape of Jesus, Mohammad, Krishna, Ram or Buddha, He shattered the popularly held beliefs of those times. This, amongst other miracles He performed, proved that majority held prevalent view of that era might not have been right even though, later, majority might have started believing in the new belief that the human manifestation of God gave us.

We are now in a different period of history of mankind. We are no longer at the advent of civilized society; but, an era whence civilized society are not an exception. People may not follow these completely, but, there are no widespread differences of opinion about Good and Evil. Indeed, we have moved to a stage when learned people openly say like Reverend Emerson, “God, don’t let me try to prove by logic and reasoning that I know to be wrong.”

What are we losing in iconic representation of God? Lets take the example of the greatest religion on earth: Hinduism. More than three years back, I wrote an article titled ‘A Quieter Mumbai – Is It A Pipe-Dream?‘ I had brought out that when the Chinese pilgrims Fa-Hein and Huien-Tsang visited India in the 5^th and 7^th centuries AD (during the Gupta dynasty), they extensively visited India and found that idol worship was not prevalent in any part of the country except in Buddhist regions. I had also brought out that Shashi Tharoor, writing about Amartya Sen’s book ‘The Argumentative Indian’ in Newsweek of 24 Oct 05, brought out an interesting observation. “Sen”, he wrote, “is particularly critical of the Western overemphasis on India’s religiosity at the expense of any recognition of the country’s equally impressive rationalist, scientific, mathematical and secular heritage. According to Sen, “That scientific spirit of inquiry can also be seen in ancient India.” His book cites 3,500-year-old verses from the Vedas that speculate sceptically about creation, and details India’s contribution to the world of science, rationality and plural discourse – fields generally treated by Orientalists as ‘western spheres of success’.

Sri Bhagwad Gita, for example, is the world’s finest document on religious intellectualism. However, gradually, Hindus moved away from intellectualism and the Brahmins sought power for themselves by idol worshipping. Take the case of large-scale idol worshipping of Lord Ganesha in Maharashtra. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia:

“In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak transformed the annual domestic festival into a large, well-organized public event.[ Tilak recognized the wide appeal of the deity Ganesha as “the god for everybody”, and popularized Ganesh Chaturthi as a national festival in order “to bridge the gap between Brahmins and ‘non-Brahmins’ and find a context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them”, and generate nationalistic fervour among people in Maharashtra against the British colonial rule. Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesh in pavilions, and also established the practice of submerging in rivers, sea, or other pools of water all public images of the deity on the tenth day after Ganesh Chaturthi.”

“Under Tilak’s encouragement, the festival facilitated community participation and involvement in the form of intellectual discourses, poetry recitals, performances of plays, musical concerts, and folk dances. It served as a meeting ground for people of all castes and communities in times when, in order to exercise control over the population, the British discouraged social and political gatherings.”

What have we done to this idea 120 years later? A programme (spoof called ‘The Week That Wasn’t) by Cyrus Broacha on CNN IBN, just before Ganesh Chaturthi this year, brought out that it is merely a means of commercialism these days. It has enormous scope for inconveniencing and even hassling people through traffic snarls due to processions and pandals on roads, cacophonic noise (Read ‘State Sponsored Noise’ and ‘Who Are The People Whose Sentiments Need To Be Respected?’) and even extracting money from people by coercion.

A time has reached in our religion, now when our belief in iconic or human manifestation of God is actually keeping us away from goodness, godliness, humanity and other desirable virtues. We are using God as an excuse to do what we want to do. Our modern-day politicians, unlike Bal Gangadhar Tilak, use God and religion to divide people. We, therefore, need to have a more private and personal concept of God rather than moving Him/Her/It to the streets and even to political arena. If we don’t learn this, in another few years (say a few centuries later) it would be forced on us. God is in everything and every being. It no longer has to demonstrate its presence by being born as human being. We learnt that lesson centuries ago and now we must move on to an idea being God rather than a human being; eg: God is goodness.

If idolatry of God comes in the way of Goodness, we should be prepared to shun it. Lets not make or elevate Asarams into Gods. Don’t let past be our only guide. I believe that God gave us reasoning and rationality to make use of. If we go beyond the idolatry of God, we would then realise that God cannot be limited to mandir, masjid or gurudwara. This would also help us to stop fighting in the “name” of God. What happens when God becomes an excuse to do wrong and evil things? For example, the exponents of Jehad feel that killing people in the name of God is alright.

As we move away from the human manifestation of God; or God as an idol or icon, we not only get over the prevalent myths and evils that are now concomitant with this, but, move towards the following individual and societal benefits:

God and religion would be in ideals and virtues not in iconic or idolatry history.
God and religion cannot be used to exploit, manipulate or divide people.
God and religion cannot become excuses to do evil things including to kill in the name of God or religion.
The amount of effort and money that we put in idol worshipping and in ensuring that our numbers grow can be used for poverty alleviation and towards ensuring that humanity prospers.

As Abba Eban (the late Foreign Affairs and Deputy PM of Israel) once said, “Men and nations behave wisely only after they have exhausted all other options.”

I think we have exhausted most other options in our Concept of God and Religion. Perhaps, it is time to start behaving wisely.

ARE INDIAN ELECTIONS FAIRY-TALES?

No, I haven’t gone crazy; I am seriously asking this question even though I am well aware of the fact that the world over, Indian parliamentary elections are seen as the greatest exercise in democracy. But, for heaven’s sake, India or Indian democracy is not just about periodic elections even though the Indian political parties and independents have raised their ambition of fighting and winning elections as an end in itself. It is precisely this shortcoming in our system that has landed us in this morass (Read: ‘How Proud Should We Be Of Indian Republic At 62?’ that I wrote on 26 Jan 2011).

This article is, therefore, focussed on three things:

Our unrealistic expectations from elections.
How we are manipulated by the political parties?
Don’t we have to demand things from our polity and from ourselves rather than to just periodically vote?

Take the euphoria regarding the two Prime Ministerial candidates: Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. In social media, in addition to electronic and print media, we have divided ourselves into two camps: the NaMo camp and Rahul baba camp. In public debates, the supporters of one or the other endlessly tell us that they admit that their party has made mistakes and done evil things; but, it is still not as bad as when the other party was in ‘power‘.

Lets take Narendra Modi camp first. As soon as NaMo becomes the next PM, following will happen:

1. Our netas, babus and people at large will shun corruption. All of us are waiting for a strong PM to be there so that we can all mend our ways.

2. Good governance will return to our country. It was last seen in 6th century AD during the period of the Guptas.

3. People will start being more efficient and punctual in offices. Right now we have a ‘chalta hai’ attitude only because we don’t have a strong PM.

4. Our trains and flights will be on time. With a weak PM, they have no choice but to be perpetually running late.

5. Industrial output and hence GDP would show a sudden spurt. Our industrialists are totally nationalist people. The industrial output, therefore, suffers only because of the indecision of the government.

6. Education and employment for all would remarkably improve. Even with the excellent(!) commitment of our teachers and employers, these have suffered only because the government didn’t have clear sense of purpose.

7. Long pending police reforms would be straightway implemented as they have been in Gujarat.

8. Our foreign relations would straightway improve especially with our neighbouring countries. After years of lack of vision by successive governments, suddenly, we shall have a visionary with commendable and proven clarity of thought in these matters.

9. Pakistan wouldn’t dare to send terrorists to our country because of zero tolerance of NaMo towards such people. Indeed, even though an earlier immature PM had declared with bravado, “Ham unaki naani yaad dila denge“; NaMo wouldn’t give such childish threats but actually make them remember their ancestors.

10. Modernity would reach our villages in addition to some basics such as food, water, roads, electricity and schools.

11. We would have a foolproof security and defence umbrella. It couldn’t have been there with a weak PM.

12. People of all communities will start living in harmony as they do in Gujarat!

13. Scientists and technocrats would start doing original research rather than reverse engineering of western inventions.

14. In short, India will once again take its rightful position as the Golden Peacock.

Are elections fairy tales? This is why we believe in gods and goddesses; irrespective of the mess we are in, gods will be reborn in our midst and suddenly set right decades of neglect, corruption, inefficiency and immortality.

Lets take another god-in-the-making Rahul Gandhi. Recently, in order to have a squeaky-clean image – the kind his antennae told him the Indian public wanted – he, whilst holding post as the Vice President of Congress, denigrated his own Prime Minister and the party for having moved in the parliament an ordinance that would allow even convicted members to continue in office.

Surprisingly, the Congress supporters hailed the ‘bold step’ of the ‘future-hope-of-the-country’ Rahul Gandhi who had shown as much sagacity as the retired Army Chief General VK Singh in publicly finding faults with the army he was commanding. People’s hopes – mixed as they are – rest on the following pillars:

If voted to ‘power‘ as the Prime Minister, Rahul would stand between the corrupt ministers and the nation’s interests.
He may be party to corrupt and dubious decisions, but he still carries a conscience; the one commodity that is lacking in others.
He has his fingers on the pulse of the people. Hence, if voted to ‘power‘, unlike others, he would listen to the people and do course corrections when required.
Eight years of Congress misrule now and decades of it earlier would be wiped out simply by electing him to ‘power‘.
The volte-face by Rahul Gandhi is a resounding victory for people’s power especially power of the social media.

Ain’t our fairy-tale expectations from our ‘angels’ far higher than what we are supposed to do ourselves in democracy? What is the difference between us and a certain minister Bhim Singh from Bihar who said, “Soldiers are meant to die”? Ain’t we expecting too much that any government or PM can set right the rot that has set in our society since they are being paid or voted to set them right?

I don’t like the way people on social media take sides with either Congress or the BJP for any issue of import concerning our country and its people. For example, on the issue of pogrom of thousands of Sikhs in the national capital, the pro Congress group blames the pro BJP group of being non-secular and vice-versa. On the issue of corruption, each group pretends to be holier-than-thou.

Every issue of significance, therefore, gets mired in vituperative politics and we never get to pragmatic solutions. What is true of Facebook is also true of debate, both public and in the media.

If we collectively or individually not lock our senses behind the façade of my-party-greater, we’d know that despite each fan club assuming posture of superiority and morality, there is nothing to choose between the two major parties; both have been there and done that!

Let me share some facts:

1.BJP had a major issue of Bofors when they were in opposition but didn’t do anything about it when they came to power.

2. BJP didn’t push for a white paper on irrigation scam in Maharashtra after Congress leaked it out to the media that some part of the loot went to BJP too.

3. Congress’s own record of secularism is even more pathetic than that of BJP. However, BJP never pushes debate on this issue since it is sure Ram Mandir will get it assured votes.

4. Both see advantage in postponing Lok Dal Bill and Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament.

5. Both didn’t want to do anything about Wikileaks revelations about Swiss Bank accounts of Indian politicians and industrialists.

I can go on and on but isn’t it time sane and aware people in the country stop taking sides on the assumption of a false sense of loyalty? Lets start discussing what the country and its people need without getting into the internecine blame-game. There is nothing like a half-virgin or more or less virgin! Integrity has to be measured in absolute and ethical terms and not in the terms we are discussing now; eg, “Congress is bad but it is better than BJP or vice-versa.”

We are really playing into the muddy hands of these ruffians by adopting this attitude.

Let India win and not Congress or BJP.

Some of my good friends also debate and believe that we the common voters would be directly electing the Prime Minister. The fact is that none of us will be electing a PM; we have to only vote for the right candidate for our constituency. Everything else is just plain wishful thinking. Yes, our votes are important but we can’t directly elect a PM or even government. Whereas, from the public debates, and debates on social media it appears as if they would all be voting directly for NaMo or Rahul G and hence, whilst voting for the right candidate in our constituencies, we should constantly worry about the above fairy-tale wish list for these two worthies

And I am ashamed of the so-called intellectuals who take sides on every issue of significance concerning us. We believe in miracles and miracles sell like hot-cakes in our country. Why, it was only the other day when Lord Krishna produced endless rice from a bowl!

(Pic courtesy - www.hilltop.in — (Pic courtesy – www.hilltop.in

Here is the actual reality of majority of the people that we elect:

Neta1: So wrestling is back in Olympics.

Neta2: Yes, we now stand a chance to win medals.

Neta1: You don’t say that, do you? Medals for what we have been doing in the well of the house?

Neta2: Hmm…

Neta1: Do you think we can also win medals for thumping the tables every time Soniaji speaks?

How quickly we wash our hands off our responsibility and complicity in the ills of society; be these corruption or rapes or immoral acts by god men? The fact is that We the People are corrupt, and immoral. From where do Ponty Chaddhas and Asarams amass their stupendous wealth and power? We are so steeped in commercialisation of religion that we have lost the ability to listen to sane voices that such jamborees as those we witness in the name of religion periodically are actually trivialising the religion. We create Ponty Chaddhas and Asarams. We participate in mere rituals and tamasha in the name of religion. We fan the fires of an increasingly divided society in terms of religion, caste, creed and region. Some of us are trying to make every issue of morality into victimisation of the religion that we belong to.

Lets stop all this before we ask of the government, politicians, religious leaders and babus to set right the Indian society.

As Guru Nanak and Swami Vivekanand said, “Conquer yourself to conquer the world”.

How Naive Can We Get?

Whilst we prepare for forthcoming elections, we have conveniently convinced ourselves that Corruption and Immorality lies at some high level and that people at large seek to be rid of these evils. This is as naïve as ostrich burying its head in sand.

We, as people, fight for our ‘right’ to be corrupt and immoral. These are at all levels of society. You don’t become a Ponty Chaddha and Asaram overnight. People collude to make them so.

Tell the thekedaars of religion, for example, to stop extracting money in the name of religion.
Tell the railway conductors to stop charging underhand money.
Tell the office babu to stop asking for bribes to do the work he is supposed to do.
Tell the traffic cops to deposit all money that they receive for traffic violations.
Tell the patwaris, tehsildaars and kanungos to stop accepting underhand money for revenue records.
Tell the PWD people to stop charging 300 per cent more than the actual value of contracts.
Tell the doctors to declare every income that they receive.
Tell the oil and petrol lobby to sell pure oil and petrol in the market and not adulterated by about 30 to 40 per cent.
Tell the real estate people and constructors that all deals will be above-board.
Tell the industrialists that projects will be run only on declared costs.
Tell the teachers to stop taking private tuitions.
Have F.I.R.’s being lodged in police stations without charging underhand money.
Have a clean judiciary.
Have media who debate issues of concern to us and not the commercial interests of the owners.

I can go on and on. The fact is that whilst thinking of quick-fix solutions to our endemic problems, we tend to forget that we are involved. We have to put our own house in order. Elections are periodic phenomenon but the shortcuts that we take are everyday phenomena.

India cannot change with elections. We need to change first.

Suddenly, elections are not fairy-tale contests between parties and candidates anymore. Suddenly, these are about us.

NIGHTMARISH MEMORIES OF BEING A NAVIGATOR

I had always wanted to be a communicator; I like the nice ring to the word and imagined myself as an enlightened human being communicating with fellow netizens on this earth, with nature and God. Therefore, in the Navy, when the time came for me to do my specialisation, I decided to specialise in Communications and Electronic Warfare. However, I soon realised that one can’t help becoming a navigator when the call of duty demands. The first time I donned the role of a navigator was when I became the ‘other officer’ (other than the XO, (Executive Officer or second-in-command, that is) on the minesweeper Karwar. I totalled more miles there than in my watch-keeping tenure on Himgiri, even though we sailed like crazy on Himgiri and even went to a three nation foreign cruise too. There is hardly a port on the West coast of India (big, small or minor) that I didn’t navigate my way through as the other officer on Karwar.

However, after my specialisation in Communications, I wasn’t prepared to become the navigator of Himgiri. But, such is fate; you don’t chase it as much as fate chases you. And it was all because of our CO: Captain Jerry Patel. He was the world’s most avid Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer. When he was Director of ASW School, and we, undergoing Long Communications course, visited him in his school, he made us feel like worms that we had chosen to waste our time in the Indian Navy doing anything other than ASW. So, when he became CO of Himgiri, naturally, he considered that the only role Himgiri had to perform was to complete its trials of indigenous SONAR developed by a team under the famous Captain Paul Raj.

INS Himgiri (Pic courtesy: www.bharat-rakshak.com)

After long trials at sea when we returned to Bombay, it came out that Paul Raj and his team won’t be ready for trials in a hurry after setting right the anomalies and defects observed. The debrief done on board brought out that it would take minimum of six weeks. So, my course-mate Billoo, who was the Navigator of the ship, asked Jerry if he could proceed on a month’s leave and, since we were expected to be in harbour, I could carry out NO’s duties in addition to my own.

Billoo’s leave was duly sanctioned and he hadn’t yet left station when news came from Cochin that Paul Raj felt that we should progress trials in other areas whilst defectation was in progress. Billoo wanted to be recalled from leave; but, Jerry told him that like Lord Rama honouring the mere word of his father Dasharath, he, Jerry, had never gone back on his word. We merrily sailed and the plus point was that I collected a lot of Pilotage Fee that kept me in good ‘spirits’ for months after that.

However, the bad news was that Jerry, though excellent in ASW, wasn’t a great ship-handler. Billoo told me later, after the hair-raising experience that I was subjected to, that in the interests of the safety of the ship, many a times, he had quietly passed orders to the MCR (Machinery Control Room) and Wheel House, different from the orders concocted by the CO. However, I was not well versed in such stratagems.

We were to enter Cochin on a certain morning after several incident-free entering and leaving harbour sorties in Goa. In the night before, they signaled us a berth on the trots in Mattancherry Channel. We hadn’t been there earlier. So, I worked out a plan totally by myself without going through Billoo’s earlier N.O.’s notes. After that, before CO made his Night Orders, I discussed the plan with CO on the chart and he approved it without any alterations. We were to enter with a slight flood; but, I assured CO that it would be alright. According to the plan, after passing the head rope to the closest mooring buoy, the ship would swing on its own with the current, and would thus be facing towards the entrance of the channel. This would also enable us quick getaway whilst leaving harbour.

In the morning at about 6:30 AM Special Sea Dutymen for entering harbour closed up. Everything went according to the plan made by me. However, when we came to the entrance of the Mattancherry Channel, near Malabar Hotel, suddenly, without any warning, Jerry said we should try a stern-board approach to the trots so as to head the tide all the while! I was aghast. And that’s where, later day wisdom imparted too late by Billoo, would have come in handy!

So, here was Himgiri entering harbour and somewhere near the Starboard hand buoy near Malabar Hotel, CO suddenly decided to go stern-board. Following sequence followed:

1. We tried to turn around with engines and wheel. The Foxle Officer, Vincent Dhanraj was giving us distances from the buoy and in agitated voice he kept telling us that we were coming rather close to the buoy since the tide and the current were pushing us to the buoy.

View of the Buoy as seen from Malabar Hotel

2. At one time, when we were too close to the buoy for comfort, CO had no choice but to give Full astern both engines. The Engine Room took some time in responding but when it did, it took our breath away. The navigable width of the channel at this point is only about a cable (200 yards) and suddenly we started going full speed towards the vessels at the trots on the other side of the vessel.

3. Many of these vessels started warning us by ‘all available means’ (and you thought George Bush is the only one who ever used this expression!) These included beating drums, doing curious Zulu dances and the like and emergency pressing of ship’s siren as if it was midnight on the night of 31^st Dec and 1^st of Jan.

The type of boats that we were heading straight towards

4. By this time, we had already started giving orders to reverse the trend of our going astern towards these hapless vessels and fishing boats. First, “stop both engines” order was given. Nothing happened; and the people on these vessels started doing much more vigorous version of Zulu dance and even bhangra to ward off the evil of our hitting them with full force. So, in quick succession, orders such as “slow ahead both engines” and “half ahead both engines were given. We felt that we would have hit the vessels astern and hence finally “full ahead both engines” was given.

5. By this time, the current had made us abreast of Malabar Hotel. Some of the foreigners there had heard a lot about Indian Navy coming of age and initially they were cheering our “bold Manoeuvres” through loud clapping. But soon, they saw us approaching them in full speed like a rogue missile. So they started running helter-skelter. The fishermen on that side of the channel had hurriedly started casting off their boats to evade a Tsunami called Himgiri hitting them.

6. Fortunately, after a series of orders and me visibly praying to all sorts of gods post my quick transformation into a believer, we found ourselves the first of the mooring buoys. Every piece of hair on my head was pointing towards the sky. We lowered the whaler with the buoy jumpers. They themselves were finding it difficult to approach the buoy because by this time the flood had really built up into a strong current.

7. In the midst of all this, the CO spotted Captain Paul Raj standing at the jetty, a little distance from the trots. He smilingly waved at him as if nothing had happened and told me, “Send a boat for him immediately. We can’t have him waiting there.”

8. I just looked at him wondrously; here we were with just one boat with buoy jumpers trying valiantly to approach the buoy and hence secure the ship lying in precarious position and there he was telling me to send the boat to receive Captain Paul Raj!

Finally, to cut a long story short, we secured at the trots and CO stopped trotting. After, we returned to Bombay, he came down to the wardroom to attend a wining-out of an officer and he good-naturedly told everyone: “Never go against the advice of your navigator, even if he is only a stand-by navigator”!

A SONG FOR THE THICK-SKINNED INDIAN POLITICIAN

This song is based on a popular song of our era: Chhod de saari duniya kisi ke liye, yeh munaasib nahin aadmi ke liye. The original had lyrics by Indeevar and music by Kalyanji Anandji and was sung by Lata Mangeshkar for the 1968 movie Saraswati Chandra.

Now for the parody: first in Hindi and then in English script:

[lineate][/lineate]छोड़ दे इंडिया देश हित के लिए[lineate][/lineate]ये मुनासिब नहीं politician के लिए[lineate][/lineate]भारत निर्माण से ज़रूरी बहुत काम हैं[lineate][/lineate]भारत सब कुछ नहीं politician के लिए[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]देश का भला हो न पाया तो क्या[lineate][/lineate]Family का भला कोई कम तो नहीं[lineate][/lineate]Economy down हो at all times low[lineate][/lineate]Swiss Bank full हो कोई कम तो नहीं[lineate][/lineate]बिजली मिलती नहीं सबको संसार में[lineate][/lineate]एक दिया ही बहुत है रोशनी के लिए[lineate][/lineate]छोड़ दे इंडिया देश हित के लिए[lineate][/lineate]ये मुनासिब नहीं politician के लिए[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]कितनी हसरत से तकते हैं देशवासी तुम्हें[lineate][/lineate] इनको गरीबी से ऊपर क्यूँ उठाते नहीं[lineate][/lineate]रोज़ मरते हैं भूखे बिलकते यह लोग[lineate][/lineate]इनको vote banks politics से क्यूँ हटाते नहीं[lineate][/lineate]चले जाओ वहां तुम्हारा धन है जहाँ[lineate][/lineate]रहने दो देश को देशवासियों के लिए[lineate][/lineate]छोड़ दे इंडिया देश हित के लिए[lineate][/lineate]ये मुनासिब नहीं politician के लिए[lineate][/lineate]भारत निर्माण से ज़रूरी बहुत काम हैं[lineate][/lineate]भारत सब कुछ नहीं politician के लिए[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Chhod de India desh hit ke liye,[lineate][/lineate]Ye munaasib nahin politician ke liye[lineate][/lineate]Bharat Nirmaan se zaroori bahut kaam hain,[lineate][/lineate]Bharat sab kuchh nahin politician ke liye.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Desh ka bhala ho naa payaa to kyaa,[lineate][/lineate]Family ka bhala koi kam to nahin[lineate][/lineate]Economy down ho at all time low[lineate][/lineate]Swiss bank full ho koi kam to nahin[lineate][/lineate]Bijali milati nahin sabako sansaar mein[lineate][/lineate]Hai diya hi bahut roshani ke liye[lineate][/lineate]Chhod de India desh hit ke liye[lineate][/lineate]Ye munaasib nahin politician ke liye.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Kitani hasrat se takate hain desh waasi tumhen[lineate][/lineate]Inako gareebi se ooper kyun uthaate nahin?[lineate][/lineate]Roz marate hain bhookhe bilakate ye log,[lineate][/lineate]Inako vote banks politics se kyun hatate nahin?[lineate][/lineate]Chale jaayo wahan tumhaara dhan hai jahan[lineate][/lineate]Reheno do desh ko deshwaasiyon ke liye.[lineate][/lineate]Chhod de India desh hit ke liye[lineate][/lineate]Yeh munaasib nahin politician ke liye[lineate][/lineate]Bharat Nirmaan se zaroori bahut kaam hain[lineate][/lineate]Bharat sab kuchh nahin politician ke liye.[lineate][/lineate]

SPY VERSUS SPY

I was posted on Ganga We returned from our cruise to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia (Read about an anecdote in Jeddah harbour in ‘Gunners Too Are Human – Part III – Gun Salutes’). Frankly, we had gone a wee-bit overboard in our purchases. We did well in our custom-clearance. The custom guys were ‘managed’ very well. Now all that stood between us having these items on board and us having them at home was the Security at the Lion Gate, Naval Dockyard, Bombay.

Once again, the lesser beings there were ‘managed’ very well but there was this Commander-at-Arms who was renowned to be the toughest egg in the entire Navy. It was rumoured that he used to have junior officers for breakfast after – as PGW would say – jumping over their remains with hobnailed shoes. To get past Cdr A was as tough as getting past Satan.

I had a friend on Ganga who was renowned for his resourcefulness. This friend on whilst going out of the Lion Gate smartly parked his vehicle on the side and went to meet Cdr A in his office. He paid his regards; Cdr A wasn’t amused. He talked about this and that: Cdr A wasn’t amused. Finally, my friend came straight to the point. He said he was a law-abiding citizen and would like to take out a few items with Cdr A’s permission.

Established in 1735 (Pic courtesy: indiannavy.nic.in)

Cdr A (brightening; as he had already seen in this an opportunity to chew my friend): When?

My Friend (fearfully): Er…if you permit…tomorrow, Sir.

Cdr A (eyes gleaming now): What kind of items?

My friend (alarmed now but he had reached point of no return): (Rattled out list of items) Cdr A (Visibly on top of the world now since rather than his catching the fish, the fish had come to him!): Don’t worry. Bring the items tomorrow and we shall see.

My friend saluted, dejectedly went to his vehicle and drove off.

Next day, at the appointed hour, he came to the Lion Gate and the entire Lion Gate Security Staff descended on his vehicle and ransacked it. All supervised by Cdr A smiling from ear to ear. To Cdr A’s utter horror and dejection, they found nothing.

At this stage, thoroughly frustrated at having missed a chance to get a Nao Sena Medal, Cdr A bellowed: But, you told me yesterday that you’d be taking out those items today.

My friend: I did Sir; but, knowing how you normally are, I didn’t take chances and took them out yesterday itself!

I could have given highest Gallantry Reward to my friend!

PRAYER TO YOU, O KRISHNA, ON THE DAY OF YOUR BIRTH

Can anyone live without water?
Or live without breathing at all?
Then how is this you can’t hear
Our pining-for-you call?

Yes, you lived with us long ago
And taught us Love, Peace, and Right from Wrong
But, we need you now, O Krishna
We need your flute and song.

You may say that when you came
It was the worst time in Indian past
But, we can prove to you, our Lord God
We are close to Bharat’s last.

It is the last chance before our rot
Make us worse than any Kaurava
And the polity fragments our once great nation
Whilst they dance on the ruins like Bhairava.

All that Love that you left with us
Where can it be found now?
Not on banks of Jamuna or anywhere
We love only money, and how!

Our chariot wheels are stuck in the slime
Of dishonesty, immorality and corruption
We don’t have urge or will to fight
The Evil Forces’ sudden eruption.

Krishna, if you fail us now
We won’t know where to go
We have seen enough of the predicted Kalyug
Please put an end to our woe.

Lets hear your divine flute again
As also your battle conch
Guide us to live in Love and Justice
But, against the rot, a war to launch.

Come to us again Lord Krishna
We need you more than ever before
We want you to live amongst us again
And not just in folk-lore.

UNDYING RIPPLES (The Making of a Novel) – CHAPTER ONE

Many of my friends and fans have asked me to write and publish a novel. I am doing the first part: to write. So, chapter by chapter, this novel, without any editing from my part, shall appear here on this blog. Please let me know in the comments if you like it. I shall also be looking at your comments if you don’t like it or any part of it; so that, if considered necessary, I can make amends. Alright, fasten your seat belts and prepare for this long flight.

One

The Jet Airways Flight from Mumbai to Goa was full. All flights to Goa are generally full at the end of the year; it being the favourite destination for Christmas and New Year Eve parties.

This was the last flight before Twinkle would have her holidays. She had joined Jet Airways three years back and, as in everything else in life, she didn’t entertain any regrets. She was an agreeable young lady with a radiant smile that all people close to her found infectious. Indeed, as far as passengers were concerned, it was the firm opinion of others in cabin crew that Twinkle had a kind of sobering effect on the passengers as if they were being served by one of their own. When Twinkle was selected for the Executive Class, none of the other crew objected; it was considered the most natural progression.

At the door, as the passengers came in, a lean and tall man, Twinkle gathered in his eighties, nearly tripped over an obstruction and she instantly bent to help him. He immediately righted himself, picked up his fallen walking stick and beamed a smile at her, “I think I can manage.” Just five words before the next passengers came in; but, Twinkle was sure those words conveyed far more than just the present tripping. It instantly occurred to her that perhaps he was making a statement about his entire life: ‘I think I can manage without any help from anyone. I am used to it’. However, the smile was not of derision or complaint, but, of acceptance, of being content with what life had dished out for him.

He was on seat 2F of the Executive Class space that had become her duty to serve. She offered to hang his jacket but he declined that. Later in the flight she realised why; he took out from one pocket his pouch of medicines. Later, when she offered him a newspaper he took out his reading glasses from another pocket and a pen to solve the crossword with. This man, she decided, didn’t depend upon people for anything. He was self-sufficient.

For the take-off, as she strapped herself to the folding chair, she could see him. He held both his hands together as if in prayer and closed his eyes. Many passengers did that and pretended that they were merely dosing off. However, he did that with great dignity as if he knew God would be instantly there when he’d close his eyes. Another glance and she found that a curious smile had formed on the edges of his lips as if in remembrance of something delightful. Perhaps, she thought a little mischievously, he was already in conversation with God. And then, it suddenly occurred to her that she was paying him far too much attention. It also surprised her to know that she couldn’t help it. There was something magnetic about this man in his eighties; she found herself being drawn to him, as if…as if…she forced herself not to drift into those thoughts and as soon as she announced about the seat belt sign having been switched off she jumped to her duties as a hostess.

There were eleven other passengers to be served but it occurred to her that she wanted to serve only him. “I don’t feel like eating anything”, he told her, “But, I have to since I shall be taking my medicine after that.” He didn’t indicate a choice and she didn’t want to be seen as fussing over; so, she decided that Continental Breakfast was what he’d prefer. He appeared to relish it but declined second helpings, even of bread. She noticed that the beverage was just black-tea. After the breakfast, she wanted to help him with his black leather bag in the overhead locker so as to take out the medicines, but, he took them out of a small plastic pouch in the right inner pocket of his coat.

After breakfast and medicines, he read the newspaper for a while and then started solving the crossword. He dozed off whilst holding the pen and the folded newspaper. She went to take the newspaper from his hands and she should have returned it to the pouch in front of his seat. But, curiosity got the better of her and she took the paper to her working space behind the curtain. She took the pen from his hand, capped it, and gently put it on the flat space between the two seats.

In her working pantry space, she found that the only word that he hadn’t solved was 16 Across and from the letters that were already inserted by him and the clue ‘Sometimes, even a small pebble thrown in a pond can cause_____, _____(7,7)’ she could guess the solution: UNDYING RIPPLES. She started guessing as to why had he left inserting the other letters; the solution was so obvious. Why? Didn’t he know? Was it too difficult? It then occurred to her that she was fascinated by the clue he had left for her to solve! Perhaps he wanted her to! She took out her pen and inserted the missing letters that didn’t make any difference in the other solutions either across or down.

His head had tilted to the right whilst dozing and she went back to insert a pillow between the head and the back-rest next to the window. She also reclined his seat to make him comfortable. Fortunately, he had kept the seat-belt on. She put the window shutter down.

Just before the landing, she went back to upright his seat, open the window shutter and perhaps to wake him up but, she noticed, there was no movement from him whatsoever. She touched him and found him rather cold. She hurried back to make an announcement requesting if there was any doctor on the flight. A kindly gentleman from the economy class approached seat 2F, made the motions of checking his pulse, eyes etc and shook his head, “I am afraid the passenger has died in his sleep.”

Despite her training, she almost screamed. She went and reported to the Captain and the Co-pilot and they made arrangements on the ground to receive the dead body. Since he was at the window seat, he won’t be in the way of disembarking passengers.

Whilst preparing him to be taken away, she wanted to know who he was. She felt for his boarding pass in the outside left pocket of his coat. As she felt for and took out his boarding pass, a picture fell out.

She glanced at the picture and nearly fainted.

It was the picture of her mother.

MUMBAI RAINS MEIN TRAFFIC KE SIDE EFFECTS

Three years back I wrote ‘Mumbai Rains’ in this blog and it continues to be very popular. Now, I bring you some of the side-effects of Mumbai Rains and traffic during the rains. One of my friends had put up this:

[lineate][/lineate]Foreigner: In Mumbai, do you drive to the left or the right?[lineate][/lineate]Mumbaiite: In Mumbai, we drive on what’s left of the roads.[lineate][/lineate]

Mumbai is a melting pot of cultures and languages. I came to know recently that ‘highway‘ is a Punjabi word, after all. When your vehicle goes over an unseen ditch or pothole (which happens in Mumbai quite often), you nurse injuries to yourselves and your vehicle and with every jump say in Punjabi: “Hai ve”! (O, my God)

Lets look at some peculiar scenes and situations caused by the havoc on roads as a result of Mumbai Rains.

Swayamvar

Deshpandes are looking for a husband for their elder daughter. She has finished her engineering in computer sciences and has landed a well deserved job at TCS. After her family gave the advertisement in the Matrimonial columns of several dailies, a few eligible boys have pressed their suits. The family has short-listed three of them: Ashok, Ganesh and Sunil. All three boys are also engineers and earning good salaries and from good families. Finally, it has to be Jyoti’s choice. She asks her brother to help. It comes out that since she has to spend the rest of her life with her husband, she wants to be sure (as any girl would) of the essential nature of her man. What if he curses and swears? What if he doesn’t have patience with her? What if he is utterly selfish? Her brother has the most pragmatic plan to find this out, “I shall drive with each one of them from Colaba to Borivali by car. At the end of the journeys, I shall have the answers for you.”

Modern day ‘swayamvar’, tougher than Arjuna shooting with arrow the eye of the fish and most effective way to separate men from boys.

Army Headquarters

During a presentation to the Chief, his Principal Staff Officers are in attendance. The subject is the purchase of the Tatra trucks, the controversy-ridden Tatra trucks.

[lineate][/lineate]Lieutenant General I: Finally, the government has cleared the purchase of these ****ing trucks. It took some coaxing.[lineate][/lineate]The Chief: It always does. But, I guess your team needs to be congratulated for all the hard work put in.[lineate][/lineate]Lieutenant General I: Thank you, Sir[lineate][/lineate]Lieutenant General II: But, Sir, there is a problem. Now that General VK’s assertions have called in question the quality of these vehicles, we need to carry out a rigorous acceptance test-inspection.[lineate][/lineate]Lieutenant General III: We have already prepared for this, Sir. Our engineers have designed an indigenous (stressing on the word so as to invite praise) testing terrain track for the inspections. It would cost only Rupees 5 Crores as compared to the imported track worth 20 Crores.[lineate][/lineate]The Chief: I think we can avoid the wasteful expenditure. Let the vehicles be received in Mumbai and test-drive on Mumbai roads during rains. If they can survive that, they can survive any terrain and conditions.[lineate][/lineate]Lieutenant General I to II (aside): Now why couldn’t we think of that?[lineate][/lineate]Lieutenant General II to I (aside): That’s why he is the Chief and not us.[lineate][/lineate]

III

Times Now’s Evening Top-Story

[lineate][/lineate]Arnab Boswami: This is the third case in the month when a woman in Mumbai has filed for divorce proceedings. She had been suspecting her husband of having an affair. She has been, therefore, timing her husband during his return journey from the office. The duration has been inexplicably (to her) on the increase and that confirmed her deep rooted suspicion that he has been spending time with the other woman, on the side. On the evening before filing the divorce proceedings, her husband spent all of five hours reaching back home. I have on the panel tonight Mister All-is-well Pigvijay Singh from Congress, Mrs. All-men-are-the-same Mamta Besharma, Chairperson of Women’s Commission in India, BJP spokesperson Arun Ketley and finally representative of Aam Aadmi Gharib Das. Let me first put this question to Pigvijay Singh; What is your government doing about this?[lineate][/lineate]PVS: The track record of our government on women’s issues is excellent. You may recall when Nirbhay died in Delhi, Manmohan Singh ji personally went to receive the dead body…[lineate][/lineate]Arnab (Cutting him short, as he always does): No, all this is only a façade. On an everyday basis women are still getting raped. Let me ask Mamta ji: Do you think this is the normal state or an exception that husbands reach back late from work?[lineate][/lineate]MB: This is on the increase, the traditional image of the Indian woman of being a housewife and being at the beck-and-call of her husband hasn’t changed much. We need to make strict laws to force men to return home on time and not to spend time with other women.[lineate][/lineate]Arun Ketley (on alert after MB uttered the word “law”: I don’t think making new laws will change the situation. For every known law, there are at least a dozen loopholes.[lineate][/lineate](Meanwhile the Aam Aadmi representative had been frantically raising his hand to be able to speak but no one pays him attention. Finally, Arnab Goswami, notices him and asks him: I think Gharib Das has something to say on this; are you on the side of the husband or the lady?[lineate][/lineate]Gharib Das (helplessly): I think you have caught the bull by the tail. The issue here is not a women’s issue at all. The issue is why did it take the husband all of five hours to reach home from office. And I will tell you why: it is because of the poor state of the roads in Mumbai during the rains. Anywhere to anywhere takes this much time.[lineate][/lineate]Arnab: I think Gharib Das here is digressing from the issue at hand; let me get back to Mamta now: do you really think making new laws will help?[lineate][/lineate](Poor Gharib Das hold his head in both hands and would have pulled out his hair if there were any left.[lineate][/lineate]

Scene at the Airlines Office

[lineate][/lineate]Harried Manager: For an hour’s flight, we have started calling people two hours in advance “due to traffic congestion in Mumbai” and yet people have been coming late. What should we do?[lineate][/lineate]Efficiency Expert (with solutions to all problems): I think we should start calling them three to four hours in advance. Indeed, for early morning flights, we must suggest to them to spend the night at the airport itself.[lineate][/lineate]Manager (with doubts): But, won’t it be a punishment for travellers?[lineate][/lineate]EE (Confidently): Since when has travel been anything but punishment in and out of Mumbai?[lineate][/lineate]

Scene at Watch Repair Shop

[lineate][/lineate]Irate Customer: This is my third visit to you to collect my repaired watch; every time you tell me you didn’t get time. What do you do with your time?[lineate][/lineate]Watch Repairer: Sir, the same thing what you do with your time; I spend most of my time commuting.[lineate][/lineate]Customer: Well, next time will be my last visit; what should I do if next time the watch is not ready?[lineate][/lineate]Watch Repairer: Sir, I suggest next time you buy a calendar. In Mumbai’s traffic, there is no point in looking at the watch for the time; one requires to keep track of the day and date one embarked on the journey.[lineate][/lineate]

Somewhere in Headquarters of LeT

[lineate][/lineate]Terrorist Chief: We need to plan another attack on Mumbai to avenge the hanging of Shaheed Ajmal Kasab[lineate][/lineate]Loyal Terrorist I: Inshallah, we need to do that; they cannot hang our young, innocent lads like Ajmal bhai.[lineate][/lineate]Loyal Terrorist II: But, we need to wait until the rains are over. During the rains we just can’t even reach our targets.[lineate][/lineate]Terrorist Chief: Trust the Indians for having come up with the ultimate defence against our brave Jehaadis.”

I can go on and on. But, the fact is that we shall soon come to a situation when Mumbaiites will stop going from anywhere to anywhere for fear of ageing on the roads during the rains.

COLD EMBERS

[lineate][/lineate]Over there, in that dark corner[lineate][/lineate]Is the old relic of a radio set[lineate][/lineate]It screeches and whines, if you turn it on[lineate][/lineate]No music comes out of it now[lineate][/lineate]At one time, not long ago[lineate][/lineate]I used to hear my favourite Hindi songs on it[lineate][/lineate]And then, it broke.[lineate][/lineate]But, still, I had music[lineate][/lineate]On my cell and lips[lineate][/lineate]And I miss the radio[lineate][/lineate]Only in nostalgia[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Here on the wall[lineate][/lineate]Is my favourite clock[lineate][/lineate]Whereat I used to see the time[lineate][/lineate]To see you and be with you[lineate][/lineate]At one time, not long ago[lineate][/lineate]I used to love its tick-tock[lineate][/lineate]Counting minutes for the tryst[lineate][/lineate]And then it broke[lineate][/lineate]But, still, I have time[lineate][/lineate]On my cell and mind[lineate][/lineate]Though I scarcely need to know it now[lineate][/lineate]And I miss the clock[lineate][/lineate]Only in nostalgia[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Over there, on the table[lineate][/lineate]Is the old wine-glass[lineate][/lineate]We used to drink from it together[lineate][/lineate]Sipping from the same stemmed glass[lineate][/lineate]As if it was a magic bowl[lineate][/lineate]That held us together[lineate][/lineate]In love, in warmth, in joys[lineate][/lineate]And then it broke[lineate][/lineate]But, still, I have another[lineate][/lineate]To drink and sip from[lineate][/lineate]And I miss the old glass[lineate][/lineate]Only in nostalgia[lineate][/lineate]

(Pic courtesy: thestrategyexchange.co.uk)

[lineate][/lineate]Deep inside my body[lineate][/lineate]Is my old bleeding heart[lineate][/lineate]It is dead and useless now[lineate][/lineate]It doesn’t feel anymore[lineate][/lineate]At one time, not long ago[lineate][/lineate]It was on a high[lineate][/lineate]Singing and flying[lineate][/lineate]But then, it broke[lineate][/lineate]And I don’t have another[lineate][/lineate]To beat, to feel, to live[lineate][/lineate]I miss my heart[lineate][/lineate]I wish it’d come alive again.[lineate][/lineate]

I SHOULD NEVER HAVE LOVED

[lineate][/lineate]I shouldn’t have ever loved even though,[lineate][/lineate]I saw you in everything beautiful and so,[lineate][/lineate]I saw you in the flowers, birds and brooks,[lineate][/lineate]In nests, crannies, niches and nooks[lineate][/lineate]I saw you in the changing shades of twilight[lineate][/lineate]And in the whispering silence of moonlit night[lineate][/lineate]I should never have loved.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]I am a man and it is more than well known,[lineate][/lineate]A man can never cry, sob or bemoan[lineate][/lineate]A woman has express right to feign heartbreak[lineate][/lineate]Even though he often suffers for hers sake[lineate][/lineate]So, you could deceive, cheat and spend your hours[lineate][/lineate]in drenching me in your abusive showers[lineate][/lineate]I should never have loved.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]I wish, in my next life, I will be a woman born,[lineate][/lineate]And subject men around me to equal scorn[lineate][/lineate]And tell the story of what you did and do,[lineate][/lineate]And jeer, “No man, to a woman, can be true”[lineate][/lineate]Whilst giving him a life of perpetual agony[lineate][/lineate]And rejoice in this sweet irony[lineate][/lineate]I should never have loved.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Else, I would hope to get to that elusive verge[lineate][/lineate]Where heavens and earth finally merge[lineate][/lineate]And tell my story to the angels above[lineate][/lineate]Those poor men who once were abused in love[lineate][/lineate]By heartless women who accused and abused[lineate][/lineate]The trust that were held in often misused[lineate][/lineate]I should never have loved[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]I shouldn’t ever have loved being a man[lineate][/lineate]In a world where he can’t do what a woman can[lineate][/lineate]Through tears to tell all those around[lineate][/lineate]That a man is a wolf, a bull, a hound[lineate][/lineate]For every wrong he is often blamed[lineate][/lineate]Whilst it might just be opposite of what she claimed[lineate][/lineate]I should never have loved.[lineate][/lineate]

Sunbyanyname