Horanadu trip

The serpentine roads lined by lush green trees on both sides,at times the trees forming canopies barring sunlight from reaching the ground below. The splendid view of mountains, thatched houses, the rivulets disappearing into nowhere, the cows grazing, the luxuriously grown paddy fields, the slopy coffee plantations, the intertwined pepper and beetel creepers, the chirping of birds, awesome sunrise and sunset, the laidback lifestyle… what more can a frustrated soul need to rejuvenate?

These were the lovely sights on which I could lay my eyes on over the weekend. I had been on a temple- tour to Horanadu and Sringeri which lie the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. In addition to these, there were a few spells of rain to soothe my tension ridden nerves. A special thanks to Manipal for giving me my much awaited break.

We (me, sis, uncle and aunt) started from bangalore on friday night . Due to extended weekend there was an hour’s delay to board the bus. On boarding the bus, the blissful journey started. Next day the early morning greeted me with a plesant sight of mist laden mountains which brought me memories of the Delhi-Amritsar trip. We reached Horanadu that lies amidst the western Ghats and on the banks of the sowparnika River at 7:30. We refreshed and had a cup of coffee and went to get a darshan of Goddess Annapoorna who is said to bestow her devotees with abundant food. After which we returned to our cottage and rested for a while post which the 3.5 hour journey to Sringeri- the abode of goddess Shardamba- the bestower of knowledge started.

The road connecting the Horanadu- Sringeri was ecstatic . Sometimes the sharp curves were sending cold jibes across my spine.
On reaching Sringeri, we checked into our room and went on an evening stroll in the vehicle free roads and later went to the temple. After getting the darshan of the goddess we went to the sit on the banks of the Tunga which was flowing as though there was no end.

The next day again we went to the temple and crossed the tunga on the overbridge to see the Swamiji’s enclave. The serene surroundings , the walk uphill on the kutcha road to the kalabhairaveshwara temple has left an imprint on me.

Later we went to Kalasa to get the blessings of Rushyashrungeshwara which is around 10 kms from Sringeri. We returned to Sringeri,  rested till evening and packed our bags to head back to the concrete jungle J

Am i a prisoner of my thoughts or its owner?

As I sit back and wonder if I am a master or a prisoner of my thoughts, I realize that sometimes I control what I think and at other times my thoughts over power me and are responsible for my life’s actions. The quality of our thoughts in turn depend on the people who surround us. These people may either elevate us or pull us down thus eventually impacting the progression of our lives.

For instance, at times of uncertainty if we surround ourselves with people who elevate us, we tend to achieve things beyond our capacity.. Yet a lot of people around us are mostly negative . be it due to their jealousies or fears they would not want you to do things just cos they will not be able to do it.

As written in the book ‘Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne, 'our thoughts become things'. There is an illustration of thoughts materializing into things wherein a person imagines having a feather with a particular pattern on it. One day as he is about to enter his office building, he stumbles upon exactly the same feather. Such is the power of thought.

When we want good things to happen to us, we must attract them by thinking that it is already a part of our lives.

Similarly if we brood over unwanted things, we are in turn  attracting them into our lives thus allowing bad things to happen to us.

Lastly let go of unwanted things and think of only positive things thus making our lives better.

‘It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive an entire army of negative thoughts’

Gonna miss you baby :(

                                            (picture courtesy Raj )

Having been a part of our lives for almost 20 years, you have embarked on a new journey of life today .It is said that humans these days are more attached to material comforts than other humans and I don’t mind being a part of the herd in your case. We have been through the life’s journey together and there is no one in the family who has not traveled in you 

When your new owner came looking for dad we dint know he had come for you. In a few minutes, dad came in and declared that ‘you were ready to go’ . He had held onto you like his dear friend. Though he had driven more luxurious ones, we could say he was too fond of you to let go. He said only one thing after his small ‘talk’ with the guy- “Today am letting go my Lakshmi”. Don’t know if he feels the same the day he marries off his daughters 

I couldn’t bear to see you being taken away so I went to the small-house (as we generally call it) on the pretext of ironing the clothes.  All I could hear was the guy trying to bring you to life and that you wouldn’t budge. After some time I came out only to see the empty space where you stood . I rushed inside and told mom that you were gone. She had a smile on her face as she told me that you were standing outside.  I rushed back to check if you were there and that was when dad asked the keys of access and bro’s Yamaha. By the time I returned with the keys, dad was not to be seen. I stood near the gate to get the last glimpse of you and saw the tow vehicle arrive to take you away, afar from our lives.

Tears started pouring in yet I kept staring at you till I couldn’t see you anymore. Then dad came and said ‘she’s gone forever’. Inside the house, mom was looking at you through the kitchen window and as I went in all she said was- ‘see her going away in pride’. I could just feel the pain she had. 

Now after returning from office, I don’t get to see a grey Premier Padmini standing near the gate eagerly waiting for the house-mates to return after their day’s work 

You still remain in our hearts today and will be forever. <3 you

P.S. This was written almost an year ago but posted now

Ekla Cholo re...

Love this song for the in depth meaning and beautiful rendition by Amitabh :)

Bengali Script

যদি তোর ডাক শুনে কেউ না আসে তবে একলা চলো রে।
একলা চলো, একলা চলো, একলা চলো, একলা চলো রে॥
যদি কেউ কথা না কয়, ওরে ওরে ও অভাগা,
যদি সবাই থাকে মুখ ফিরায়ে সবাই করে ভয়—
তবে পরান খুলে
ও তুই মুখ ফুটে তোর মনের কথা একলা বলো রে॥
যদি সবাই ফিরে যায়, ওরে ওরে ও অভাগা,
যদি গহন পথে যাবার কালে কেউ ফিরে না চায়—
তবে পথের কাঁটা
ও তুই রক্তমাখা চরণতলে একলা দলো রে॥
যদি আলো না ধরে ওরে ওরে ও অভাগা,
আলো না ধরে যদি ঝর বাদলে আঁধার রাতে দুয়ার ধেয়ে ঘরে-
তবে বজ্রানলে আপন বুকের পাঁজরা জ্বালিয়ে একলা জ্বলো রে।।

 English Translation

If they answer not to thy call walk alone.

If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,

O thou unlucky one,

open thy mind and speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness,

O thou unlucky one,

trample the thorns under thy tread,

and along the blood-lined track travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,

O thou unlucky one,

with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart

and let it burn alone.

 Sometimes in life when the people whom you trust let you down, its time for you to move on in life alone.
Stand for what you feel is right and go ahead, never lose hope for its the hope in yourself that keeps you going. Never be afraid to walk alone. If people realize your worth they will return else think that their part in your life's story is over..


Courtesy :Rabindranath Tagore

Sometimes.....

Sometimes things don’t work out,
This doesn’t mean nothing will.
One thing isn’t everything,
Now isn’t forever –
Even though it may feel like it.

Give yourself time
To see things clearly.
What we feel
Isn’t always true.
In time the disappointment will pass,
Your feelings will change,
Your life will be different,
You will have new dreams.

No matter how hard we try
We can’t hold onto today.
It will pass.
So we must hold its joys
And its disappointments
With open hands
Because they weren’t meant to stay,
But to fill today’s purpose.

Let go of today’s disappointments
So your hands will be free
To accept tomorrow’s blessings.
Life is not just one day of your life,
But all of your tomorrows.
Each day has its own happiness.
Enjoy today but then move on
To enjoy all of your tomorrows……



Source: unknown

Relationships

Most people enter into relationships with an eye toward what they can get out of them, rather than what they can put into them.  The purpose of a relationship is to decide what part of yourself you'd like to see "show up," not what part of another you can capture and hold.  The purpose of a relationship is not to have another who might complete you; but to have another with whom you might share your completeness.   ''     -Neale Donald Walsch When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant

Courtesy: http://positive-thoughts.typepad.com/inner_wisdom/.

Dear Life....

Sometimes you make me happy by giving me all that I ask from you and sometimes what you give is not even close to what I can think of. You encompass both good and bad, beauty and ugly and present it in your own form and make us wonder your capabilities of making things happen. When I look back and also regard the present, I realize that your richness lies is in bringing all these experiences together and weaving a beautiful tapestry of them.

You make me hasten my pace when am slow and apply a brake if am too fast by making me sick thus asking me to slow-down, allowing me to rest and emerge fitter and stronger. You have showed me that when I say “yes” to you, it means I should be ready to accept the good, bad and the ugly . You seem to be like an ever-flowing river that flows smoothly and turns around obstacles and difficulties. You have taught me to look beyond the difficulties that come my way thus making me more self-reliable and confident.

You squeeze me like a lemon to bring out the best in me by offering more stress and obstacles. You force me into accepting responsibilities, care for others and thus return to you what I have received from you.

 
In the course of time, many things have happened , but not every happening is significant. I have now learned to skip and not mull over or get bogged down by happenings that could have been accidental, coincidental or negative, and therefore they do not say much to me anymore..

 

You have taught me that one can lead life to the fullest by making use of our time effectively. Though there is ample time in our means, we should only undertake what we are capable of and also see to it that others benefit from our existence and not be the reason for the destruction

You have helped me understand the real me and have taught me that I have the best gift of self

Am a lot braver today than what I had been a couple of years ago. You have taught me to give more than to receive, love than to hate, forget than to remember , chill than be stressed..

Having said all these i expect you to treat me fairly and help me in moving ahead

Regards

Change of Heart.. A review

This is my first attempt in writing a review for one of the novels I recently read-Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult. This book is definitely a page turner and keeps one guessing to the end.

The book starts with a prologue- “In the beginning, I believed in second chances” and that captivated me as to what the book is all about. It is the story of a mother and to what extent she can go for the love of her daughter

June’s life turns topsy-turvy when she loses her husband and young daughter and is forced to live for the sake of her unborn child.

As years go by ,she comes face-to-face with death yet again when her second daughter- Claire is diagnosed with a serious heart defect that requires a transplant without which she may not survive

None of the hearts match with Claire’s and they lose hope. At this time a suitable ‘match' is found, yet June is at cross-roads when she finds out that the donor is the person who has taken away her family from her.

Though June accepts the ‘proposal’, she starts thinking if what she is doing will bring joy in the form of her daughter’s life or if it does more harm than good and then on Claire's insistence she decides not to go in with the transplant .

As the fight with the odd continues, the story dwells into the life of the murderer- his childhood and how he becomes the “messiah” as he performs the so called‘Miracles’. The story makes us feel the joy in simple things like- walking barefoot on the grass or caring for our close ones. It also highlights the ‘joy in giving’.

The Author says-“The hardest thing in the world lies in believing that someone can change. It is always easier to go along with the way things are than to admit that one had been wrong in the first place.”

Torn between the love of a mother and vengeance on the murderer, does June agree for the heart transplant?

What makes the man who murdered the first child decide to give away his heart to the second child?

To find out grab your copy of ‘Change of Heart’. Happy reading :)

Journey of life-II

No matter how many people you know or how many friends you have, most of the times you have to tread the journey of life alone as no one promises to be with you forever. So never expect anything from others not even to reciprocate your love.. They dint ask you to love or care for them.. you decided that they deserve your care and affection. So you should be prepared to take the pain when you start caring for someone.. 

Live your Passion :)

On reading a post Drift Mode from my favorite blogger cum writer-  Preeti  gave food for my thought.

All of us are apprehensive of the repercussions that come our way when we try doing something that we always wanted to do. Not everyone gets the required support or have the courage to go-ahead and listen to our heart. Once we set forth in the direction of doing what we actually intend to do, we are filling our lives with immense happiness and we will not live with regrets. ‘What if I had done this?’ can be the worst feeling one can have since our lives are so short-lived and we get to live our lives only once

  






 


Yet most of us succumb to the familial pressures or the societal fears or lack of courage that we restrain ourselves from going forward. If we succeed, people praise us to stardom else we become the topic to talk about. In either case we are going to be the topic of gossip. What we fail to realize is everything is ephemeral.

 

Once we try to venture out of the ‘comfort’ zone that we bind ourselves, there is no stopping. If we are not sure as to what is it that captivates us, then it is time that we sit-back and question ourselves as to what will be the one thing we would like to do if we thought that today is going to be our last day? Or as told by Preeti in her blog, we should silence our minds and listen to our hearts which we tend to ignore most of the times.

Live as if there is no tomorrow. Worry not of the failures as they will definitely help you grow. Lastly Mistakes do happen, just learn not to repeat them again and learn everything that life has to offer you.

And if things go wrong, just say –“Things are yet to happen. Life is yet to go. This is just a bend not an end”

Every journey starts with a single step so look forward to achieve your goals but be quick in stepping b’coz life is too short and dreams are too high

Proximity of Relationships

The closer the relationship, the more effort one needs to make to understand them. Somebody becomes closer and dearer to us only as we understand them better. If they understand us, they enjoy the closeness of the relationship.


If we understand them better, then we enjoy the closeness. Instead if we are expecting the other to comply with us all the time while not understanding the limitations, possibilities, needs and capabilities of that person, then conflict happens; it is a given. Unfortunately, the closest relationships have more conflict going on than between enemies.


If we are to decide what happens in our lives, we should include everything and everybody into our understanding. Enhancing our understanding to a point where we can look beyond people's madness also. There are wonderful people around us, but once in a while they like to go crazy for a few minutes just like we get volatile. If we don't understand that, we will end up losing them. If we do understand, then we will know how to handle them. Life is not always linear; we have to do many things to keep it going.Whether it is a question of personal relationships or professional management, one needs understanding; otherwise, we will not have fruitful relationships.


The way we are right now, the very quality of our life is decided by the type of relationships we hold. We should make an effort to understand people around us.

The capacity to behold life is beautiful

"I treasure my childhood for if i forget it, the child in me will die.."

At the source of a river, we have no idea of the path it will take to reach its confluence. Yet, I meet countless people like me anxious about picking the right job and the company, over-planning our careers. The usual refrain is: how will this job help me in my career?

I sometimes feel that in our anxiety to carve the perfect path, we overlook the importance of the smallest jobs and forget that in our early lives, job itself is immaterial. Whatsoever material is the work ethnic we build.

Have read somewhere that our first, second or perhaps even the third job doesn’t build or shape our careers; the respect, patience, affection and gratitude with which we treat our job and the people in it does.

While in 20’s, life allows us to rewind and reconsider our choices.. yet without the people around us, without their warmth and affection, we wont last even a single day

Our life is a wonderful gift,  unique to us. what matters the most is how the lessons we learn from it leads us to our own reflection and our own life lessons. Nothing is going to work better than that and more than just living our lives, the capacity to behold it is even more beautiful.. 

Avril Lavigne- innocence

Waking up I see that everything is OK
The first time in my life and now it's so great
Slowing down I look around and I am so amazed
I think about the little things that make life great

I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling

[Chorus]
This innocence is brilliant
I hope that it will stay
This moment is perfect
Please don't go away
I need you now
And I'll hold on to it
Don't you let it pass you by

I found a place so safe, not a single tear
The first time in my life and now it's so clear
Feel calm, I belong, I'm so happy here
It's so strong and now I let myself be sincere

I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling

[Chorus]

It's a state of bliss, you think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry
It's a state of bliss, you think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry

It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry
This innocence is brilliant
Makes you wanna cry
This innocence is brilliance
Please don't go away
Cause I need you now
And I'll hold on to it
Don't you let it pass you by

[Chorus]

Solitary reaper

Here goes the most beautiful poem by Wordsworth:

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?--
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;--
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

Over a cup of Tea

We all are like tea bags. The leaves in us are our character and strengths. They lie wrapped in the bag as long as they are kept aside. But the moment they are dipped in hot water, they create magic. They spread colours and flavors and make this plain boiling water into a soothing, healing beverage called Tea. Remember without having being dipped in hot water, a tea bag is nothing. It has no use.

Similarly unless you face the challenges in life, the magic in you will never unravel. You can be an excellent cook only when you try your hands in cooking, a very good teacher only when you try explaining a lesson to a child, and extraordinary marketing professional only when you endeavor to convince the interview panel that you have it in you.Dip the tea bags in–the world awaits to see your magic.

Source: internet

Journey of life ...

WHY THINGS ARE USUAL?????
when things are extreme and heart breaking for some one,
how can same thing become"usual" for someone

...
when things are heart pounding,
when things taking life of someone,
how can same thing become"usual" for someone

when things are beyond the limits,
when things are the beneath the earth,

when things are disgusting,
how can same thing become"usual" for someone

when things are converting some one's smile into tear
some one's life into fear,
how can same thing become"usual" for someone

life is too dramatic...
same thing can be a reason of some one's smile...

today i realized that the reason for the tear in my eyes has turned to be a smile on the other person's face. i cherish the time spent together but am unable to figure out what is it that is holding me back

Matter of Trust

Trust is a tricky thing; it takes ages to gain it and one split second to lose it. If today we are leading a life full of stress, one huge factor responsible for it is the lack of trust. Be it familial, social or professional bonds trust is increasingly missing, making life more challenging than ever before.

Work on the self

It all starts with the self. If we want to trust people, we first need to be trustworthy. “Each of us has three personalities. One that you think you are; one what people think you are and the third what you actually are”.It’s only when we have coordination between our thoughts, words and deeds that we are able to create an atmosphere of trust around us

Communication & confidence
Any bond requires some level of confidence to last. The very first rule of building trust is being communicative; second is keeping issues to oneself.Things go haywire only when the parties concerned move out of the precincts of bonds and talk about our trouble to others. “It works if you share the problem with the person concerned and not everyone else who are not a party,”. “Also, one needs to keep in mind that people evolve with time. If one is able to keep pace with the partner trust gets cemented, which makes the relationship stronger,”.
Cultivate the habit
Be ready to keep your word if you want to trust and be trusted. It’s difficult to build trust, but if one is determined it’s not impossible either. One needs to cultivate some habits. “Thinking good of others in daily actions builds trust; if you are caring towards your fellow colleagues, friends, family and do not indulge in actions that you know will upset them, you can build trust,”

Testing times

In a setting where we all are competing against each other, trust is difficult to find. “In a society where the whole value system is changing, the very family where the foundation of trust is laid is missing. Where are the grandparents, uncles, aunts and home full of cousins that taught us important values like sharing, caring and trusting? Unless we curb the urge to surge ahead of others in every walk of life, trust is a difficult to build,”

Source: Internet

"Tears roll down the cheeks but no one to stop them .. People say i care but as usual they are just words ..

The world is filled but , still it gives the feeling of Emptiness .. Life wants itself to be ended but it still continues to beat ..

People are all around saying we are there but still eyes are in search of some one who really cares .. That's life-undefined yet we desire to live..

Two States

There is a book by Chetan Bhagat with the same name where he says that in a love marriage,

A girl has to love the boy,

Boy has to love the girl,

The girl’s family has to love the boy,

The boy’s family has to love the girl,

The girl’s family has to love the boy’s family and

Finally the boy’s family has to love the girl’s family,

& yet in our relationship of 5 years, I feel we never got through the first two phases

I don’t know if what you did is good for both of us (probably you knew the pain of convincing parents). Did you move away from my life in order to save me/ us from the pain of convincing our parents (which they might / may not have accepted- the question remains unanswered!)

In one of the recent newspaper article, it had been written that ‘Love gives comfort and satisfaction, respects, encourages you to break comfort zones and reach for the best within you. Love has the power to make us feel helpless, put us in the hands of the one who loves us. Love, is not something we set to find, it happens. Finding love is left to destiny. We cannot demand love, though we can only command respect.

I feel that these words are pretty true as in any relationship, it’s the sense of belonging/ loving that keeps us alive. The success in any relationship lies in turning 1 alphabet upside down- ‘ME’ turned into ‘WE’ that takes us forward and helps strengthen the bond

However as the topic indicates, there can be only ‘2 states’ – ‘Being in love’ or ‘not loving’. There is no transition state as such and our relationship has taught that to me very brilliantly. Though you kept telling that you will eventually start liking me yet the assurance never came into existence. You have moved on and despite my efforts to let go of your memories and move ahead, am stuck up.

I am just hoping for strength and courage to move on knowing the fact that there has never been a ‘US’ at all. I know I have been temperamental, but my feelings for you are unabashed and sincere. I still remember that you had wanted to be my time-pass friend don’t know when/ why we became close (or atleast me) and hence it was easy for you to move on while having given my best to you, I am yet to come to terms.

Well I know that neither you, nor me can change what we shared between the two of us or the present.

Wish you luck,

bye