A new favourite Punjabi singer: B Praak

The first song I heard was Mann Bhareya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrUqw7uspKg

It remains a favourite song.

But then, I saw Qismat, the Punjabi movie, and one song, out of the blue, suddenly,  brought these words alive:

The Nightingale sings
with full-throated pain.

It is rare to find the voice that brings these words alive. Sukhwinder Singh is one. This is another.

The song is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xMgo3f5RT8


The voice was easy to identify. Unmistakable.

And that, is how I got another favourite Punjabi voice: B Praak

Here are some more by the same guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLkdm2pe8hA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS1IqGm4q5Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nji_HW56NNY

Jao Lao piya nadi se son machhri

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-51x6qMc_tc

Doesn't get better than this... EVER. 

Next time someone asks you about the importance of Paryayavachi, have them listen to this version above. It has the following lines: 

जो है कंचन का भरमाया 

उस ने किसका नेह निभाया 

In a later version, he replaces just a single word in the poem: 

जो है कंचन का भरमाया 

उस ने किसका प्रेम निभाया

And the difference that half a syllable makes! 

You have to hear it to believe it: 

With Neh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-51x6qMc_tc

With Pyaar: Amitabh Bachchan -Rare Song-Live in Concert- Son Machhari - सोन मछरी -Aman Ki Asha-2010-Mumbai-India - YouTube

 

Vikas Khanna and the Single Story - 2 favorite TED Talks

One usually shares TED talks on facebook. But these ones are here because they will be relevant for a long, long time.


This one:
https://www.ted.com/talks/vikas_khanna_how_my_challenges_made_me_who_i_am#t-534564


And This one, which has defined my thinking since the day I saw it.
https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story

Sanskrit Vibhakti

सम्बन्ध के बाद
अधिकरण आता है

और अधिकरण के बाद
सम्बन्ध नहीं आता.
रह जाता है
केवल सम्बोधन.


After the relationship
comes the ownership.

No relationship
after ownership.

Zero by Tazeen

This is a tiny story on another site - the name of the story is Zero and the author is "Tazeen"
*********************
"Don't worry. God will help
you. He loves you 70 times
more than your mother."


She stared blankly in return.
70 times zero was still zero.


*******************
I cannot love this story enough. Nothing reflects the state of the heart better than this right now

Deh Shiva Bar Mohe Ihe... one more excellent version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx_AIX9r4lc&feature=share


And a milder one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z56r6KnxvA&spfreload=5

On Dussera and the burning of Ravan

महसूस किया है कभी
उस जलते हुए रावण का दुःख
जो सामने खड़ी भीड़ से बारबार पूछ रहा था.....
*"तुम में से कोई राम है क्या*❓

Why i worship Gurdas Mann

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Kp8gsdne0&feature=youtu.be




47 ਵਿਚੋਂ ਲੰਗ ਕੇ ਆਈ ਸੀ, ਤੂੰ 84 ਦੇ ਦਿੱਤਾ..
ਹੁਣ ਖੌਰੇ ਕੇਦਾ ਵਰਯਾ ਦੇਣਾ ਈ




ਕੀ ਖਟਿਆ ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੀ ਹੀਰ ਬਣ ਕੇ...

Deh Shiva Bar Mohe Ihe in Sukhwinder Singh's voice

Every time I heard Deh Shiva Bar Mohe Ihe, I could only think of this being in Sukhwinder Singh's voice..
Here, then, finally, is Deh Shiva Bar Mohe in Sukhwinder Singh's voice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AN9-YDqwhU




And here are some other Deh Shiva Bar Mohe Ihe renditions that merit a mention:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McRE3IUFsF4


Diljit Dosaanjh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiiZa8erSs4


Manna De: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zso6s79rw7s


Jagjit Singh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fVLx20jG8Q

Lohri Traditions

Lohri is very special to me. Every year. This year, its time to document some of the lesser known traditions of Lohri.

ਬਈ ਖਿਚੜੀ / बई खिचड़ी
 At night, the family makes chana dal khichdi. Please make sure that you add jeera, heeng and saunf to the khichdi. The khichdi is kept overnight. In the morning, the family is supposed to sit together and have khichdi together at breakfast. This Bai Khichdi (stale khichdi) is the last reminder of the year gone by. With the Bai khichdi, we bid goodbye to all the anger, resentment and disappointments of the previous year. We let go of the attachments and the things that hold us back. The Bai khichdi is saying Bye, to the year gone by.

ਤਿਲ ਮੂਲੀ / तिल मूली
This tradition needs at least 2 members of the family. On Lohri morning, each member of the family gets a small slice of radish in the right hand and a few black sesame seeds in the left. They dip the radish into the sesame seeds, hold it up in their right hand, and ask "Til Mooli Chakhaan?" तिल मूली चखा? (Should I taste this Til Mooli?"
The other member of the family responds to this by saying "चखो जी!" (Please do!)
After this first, the person with the Til Mooli uses the next 4 bites to mention the things that they want to keep/ wish for in the new year. A typical sequence for an older person might go:
Til Mooli chakhan? (Should I taste the Til Mooli)

Maa pyo rakhaan? (Should I have my parents in the coming year?)

Dhan daulat izzat ikhlaq rakhaan? (Should I keep money, respect and love?)

Ghar di such shanti, deh arogyata rakhaan? (Wishing for peace at home and health)

Aye paraune da maan, guruvaan da naam rakhan? (Wishing for respect for all visitors who enter my door and prayer in the coming year)

A student might wish for Vidya da daan (gift of erudition)

A young married person might ask for harmonious relations in his/her married life.

And so on.. its a beautiful tradition - that allows you to be grateful for what you have, and also to make resolutions for the coming year.

I love the way these resolutions are worded. They are not "should I ask for". They are "should I keep" - placing the onus entirely on the efforts of the  individual making the resolution.

One by one, all the members of the family make their resolutions.

tu zinda hai to zindagi ki jeet par yakeen kar..

.. agar kahin hai swarg to utaar laa zameen par..

right now, am just posting the youtube link... will post lyrics later..

these lines - tu zinda hai to zindagi ki jaat par yakeen kar.. have pulled one out of many, many dark moments.. should u get up and get working ? if u r still breathing, you should... :-)

Each one is special...

Each one of these pieces is special. They have all hit me and stayed in the heart ever since. They are repeated often, and perhaps have appeared earlier on this blog.
IMHO, each of these pieces captures an important idea in 2 lines or less.
What do you think? Which one do you like? I like the last one best.
*************
Don’t dismiss a good idea simply because you don’t like the source.
You miss 100% of the shots you never take.

मुन्ह की बात सुने हर कोई,
दिल के दर्द को जाने कौन
आवाज़ो के बाज़ारों में
खामोशी पहचाने कौन

मेरे हाथों की चाहो तो तलाशी ले लो
मेरे हाथों में लकीरों के सिवा कुछ भी नही..

भूखे बच्चों की तस्सली के लिये
मा ने फिर पानी पकाया देर तक

कहने वालों का कुछ नही जाता
सहने वाले कमाल करते हैं
कौन ढूंढे जवाब दर्दों के
लोग तो बस सवाल करते हैं

पत्थर हमारे सेहन में आये खुशी हुई,
ग़म तो गया कोई हमें जानता नही.

अब मैं राशन की कतारों में नज़र आता हूँ
अपने खेतों से बिछडने की सज़ा पाता हूं

इतनी महंगाई कि बाज़ार से कुछ लाता हूं
अपने बच्चों में उसे बांटते शर्माता हूँ

देख कर मुल्कों की सरहदें
पंछी उडते रहते हैं
इधर भी इंसान रहते हैं
उधर भी इंसान रहते हैं

खुद को पढती हूं छोड देती हू
एक वर्क़ रोज़ मोड देती हूं

हमें अपने सभी बेसुध करें करते ही चले जायें
मगर सुधियां उमर भर साथ रहने को उतारू हैं

सभी सुख दूर से गुज़रें गुज़रते ही चले जायें
मग़र पीडा उमर भर साथ रहने को उतारू है

तुम्हे मिलें तो इत्तला करना,
सब सुख हुए फरार हमारे

एक अंगूठे ही के कारण
चुकते नही उधार हमारे

दुख की नगरी कौन सी नगरी,
आंसूं की क्या ज़ात
सारे तारे दूर के तारे,
सब के छोटे हाथ..

सब का खुशी से फासला बस एक कदम है
हर घर में बस एक ही कमरा कम है
कुछ तुम्हारे लिये पल्कों में छिपा रखा है
देख लो, और न देखो तो शिकायत भी नहीं

मां मां कह बुलाती आयी थी,
वह मिटटी हाथ में लायी थी,
कुछ मिट्टी खा कर आयी थी,
कुछ मुझे खिलाने लायी थी..
:-)

My Favorite Posts

Since I am more of a reader than writer on Blogoria, this post is a compilation of other posts that I especially enjoyed lately.

This one is the first that comes to mind. Man! I can read this post 100 times and still laugh the 101st time.
http://www.twisted-dna.com/2007/05/14/delicious-looking-wedding-buffet/

I love the second picture on this photo post. When one thinks of it, its a practical apparatus to learn and enjoy cycling without worrying about... well, some of the necessary worries of life!
http://workinprogress2.blogspot.com/2007/05/for-change.html

I always love Sayesha's blog, but this post really had me in splits. http://sayesha.blogspot.com/2007/03/koffee-addiction.html

And this picture of a dandelion. Simple, yet beautiful.
http://reallyirritating.blogspot.com/2007/04/more-plants.html


Remember Nandan? That children's magazine that used to have a 2 page News section that combined the most amazing news snippets ever? This one reminded me of that.
http://hindinewspaper.blogspot.com/

I am a Minority!

I demand full minority protection complete with the benefits!

I belong to a small group called the "WTF" group. We are like this:

1. We see Arjun Singh's "I-am-Krissh-but-why-does-everyone-else-think-I-am-Dr. Dang" histrionics and go "WTF!"

2. We see a lot of new headlines in the papers and find that the myopic vision of 50 years ago on whether 2 ppl can have an inter-religious marriage or not, whether girls are old enough to decide whom to marry at the age of 16 etc.. we see reams of paper and air time wasted on these notions and go "WTF! As if these things are even worth discussing"

3. We see the K series of serials(for abt 2 minutes) during which we see the same expression captured abt 5 times and go "WTF! DD's Hum Log anyday!"

4. We see Rahul Gandhi and Aishwarya Rai trying to appear intelligent and go "WTF!"

5. We see the Sachar Committee Report that is trying to get jobs for a highly entrepreneurial community and go "WTF! Why are the real needs of the community not being addressed?"

The WTFs are a community that is not suited to living in today's India.

We are also completely unfit to watch modern television.

Protests in Kashmir

There are widespread protests in Indian Kashmir over fake encounters. The valley has come to a total standstill.

I appreciate the cause and empathise with the parents who think their children may have been victims.

My question to Kashmiris is:

Why did you not protest when:
1. Your children left homes to join militancy? For decades??
2. Your neighbours were raped, killed and driven out of their homes just because of their religion?

Why did you not protest then? Why did you not bring the valley to a standstill when the militants were touring your villages and recruiting? Did you not know that your children were going out there to kill, rape and victimise?

How many of these photographs being brandished by the protestors, and being lapped up by the media, belong to fake encounters, and how many to young people who left to join the jehad?? Who knows that?

I had no idea that the valley could talk. Wish, really do, that the valley had spoken sooner. Much, much sooner.

25 Unusual Indians

The Week, India, in the January 7, 2007 issue has done something stupendous!!

They have a Cover Story on 25 unusual Indians.
Sample this:
1. A person who uses his nose and mouth to generate enough power(electricity) to run a bike for 10 kilometers.
2. A 70 year old person who greets foreign visitors to his city and makes sure that the tourism industry cheats do not get to them, feeds them at his house often, and takes care of them as a true host would, all in the belief that it is his duty to play host to people visiting his country.
3. An old man in Bihar who developed an amphibian cycle because of the floods. Its a hit! And he designed it in 3 days!
4. The man in a village in Punjab who creates the smallest working models of several things.. then uses these miniature models to generate an interest in the science among his students - Govt. school children.
5. A boy who can twist his entire body through a badminton racquet!

What impressed me even more was the places - Hatihalka in East Midnapore(Bengal), Vijinapura (Karnataka), Shardulgarh, Ansa (Punjab), Dimapur(Nagaland), Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu), Saurikh (UP), a village perhaps too small to be named, Motihari Distt. (Bihar) , Bangalore, Ziona, Baktwang(Mizoram), Rohtak(Haryana), Hailakandi(Assam), Mettur(Tamil Nadu), Gulmarg(Kashmir).

Go Week!! JUST THE KIND OF NEWS WE NEED! All brimming with positive energy, these stories about the grits of people who did not necessarily study, came from humble backgrounds, and had only themselves to believe in or doubt.

Much less column space to the elections and the threats please.. there is a lot of good news in the world!

Online Hindi Magazine.

अभी अभी एक नयी चीज़ देखी - अनुभूति . ये एक हिन्दी पत्रिका है जो पूर्णतया नेट पर उप्लब्ध है.

आज मेरे साथ एक वाक्या हुआ. किसी क्म्पनी में फोन करने पर जैसे एक आवाज़ सभी से पूछ्ती है, कि वे हिन्दी में बात करेंगे या अंग्रेज़ी में, तो मुझसे भी पूछा गया! मैने हिन्दी चुनी, क्युंकी हम अमूमन हिन्दी ही चुनते हैं. फोन उठा और उस व्यक्ति ने तपाक से कहा, “Good Afternoon, this is ________, how may I assist you?” तो हमने भी तपाक से कहा, “__________ One, I asked for the Hindi option, and Two, ________”

पर हैरत मुझे इस बात पर हुई कि उस व्यक्ति को हिन्दी बोलने में कितनी कठिनाई हो रही थी.. और ये दिल्ली का हाल है!

Just found an online Hindi Magazine - Anubhuti . Its a gap that one has felt for quite some time.

Another interesting thing happened today. I called a call center , and like all centers, a recorded sweet voice first asked me for the language preferance. I chose Hindi, bcs i always choose Hindi. The phone was transferred and a well trained voice went "Good Afternoon, this is ________, how may I assist you?” . And rightaway yours truly went “__________ One, I asked for the Hindi option, and Two, ________” . The person, obviously embarassed, asked if I would like him to continue in Hindi, to which i responded in the affirmative.

But what struck me was his obvious difficulty with the language, in the middle of the Hindi heartland - in Delhi!!

Looking for The Week..

The Week, in the December 3 Edition, has a story of Imroz's love for Amrita... and it has 2 superb pieces of poetry... methinks both by HER..

Can someone please please lay their hands on this copy and get me those two pieces of poetry?

In the meantime, read this and you will know why one is so desperate to get that stuff..

Amrita once wrote of her love for Imroz:

kisi ka jurm ho, karte hain tere naam rakm,
Gila hai jo bhi kisi se vo tere sabab se hai..

No matter who wrongs me, the blame rests with you,
All my anger, with anyone in the world, is because of you..
(Don't bother trying to make sense of this in a rational model of love)

And this, in her own words, is the sarmaya(gist) of her life:
kuchh dard tha, jo maine cigarette ki tarah kiya hai
kuchh nazmein hain, jo raakh ki tarah jhaadi hain..

nazm kaagaz ko dekhe, aur yun munh mode,
Jaise kaagaz paraya mard ho...

The Nerd Herd Club

Bebasi, bekasi, bekhudi de gaya,
Kuchh naye tajurbe, ajnabi de gaya..

Sochne ke liye pal ki mohalat na di
Aansuon ke liye, ik sadi de gaya..

Uski saudagari mein bhi kuchh baat thi
Zindagi le gaya, Zindagi de gaya..

Kheench kar le gaya jism se jaan ko
Haan magar rooh ki tazagi de gaya..

बेबसी, बेकसी, बेखुदी दे गया,
कुछ नये तजुर्बे अजनबी दे गया

सोचने के लिये पल की मोहलत न दी,
आंसुओं के लिये, इक सदी दे गया

उसकी सौदगरी में भी कुछ बात थी
ज़िन्दगी ले गया, ज़िन्दगी दे गया

खींच कर ले गया जिस्म से जान को
हां मगर रूह की ताज़गी दे गया

To the girl who taught me this song.. I know she probably does not read blogs.. but one can only hope..

To the one who knows who taught me this song.. please come back!

The Nerd Herd Club wants its founder members BACK!! Complete with the Code of Conduct!
*********************************

Was looking for all the words of this song, and bumped into this classic Javed Akhtar piece:
Enjoi!!!

jaate jaate vo mujhe achchhii nishaanii de gayaa
umr bhar doharaauu.Ngaa aisii kahanii de gayaa

us se mai.n kuchh paa sakuu.N aisii kahaa.N ummiid thii
Gam bhii vo shaayad baraa-e-meharabaanii de gayaa

sab havaaye.N le gayaa mere sama.ndar kii ko_ii
aur mujh ko ek karatii baadabaanii de gayaa

Khair mai.n pyaasaa rahaa par us ne itanaa to kiyaa
merii palako.n kii kataaro.n ko vo paanii de gayaa
- Javed Akhtar

जाते जाते वो मुझे अच्छी निशानी दे गया
उम्र भर दोहराऊंगा ऐसी कहानी दे गया

उस से मैं कुछ पा सकूं ऐसी कहां उमीद थी
ग़म भी वो शायद बराए मेहर्बानी दे गया

सब हवायें ले गया मेरे समन्दर की कोइ
और मुझसे को एक कश्ती बाद्बानी दे गया

खैर मैं प्यासा रहा पर उस ने इतना तो किया
मेरी पलकों कि कतारों को वो पानी दे गया!
- जावेद अख्तर

I am perhaps
not the most suitable recipient
Of your affection.

I have decided
that my picture
will do the job much better.

Am therefore
leaving the picture behind
For you to declare your love to
Once a day, or maybe, once in two days,
without giving a damn
about what she really feels.. thinks... does....
No time to talk
or ask her
if she is upset about something..

I have a feeling
that your lasting, beautful love,
Is not valued enough
by a thinking, feeling, complaining person..
A statue
will do the job much better...
And make you
A very happy man!

I have also fed her
the hmmms and the A-has
which are
the only pieces of conversation
that you have wanted out of me
in a long time.

She will do perfectly well.
And you will never know the difference!