चारदीवारी

रेल यात्रा के दौरान सहयात्रियों में एक छोटे भाई-बहन भी थे। "पायल" नाम की बहन करीब ६ साल की थी और भाई १० का, जिसे वो बस "भाई" कह कर पुकारती। भाइयों के लिए सामान्यतः "भइया" शब्द ज्यादा प्रचलन में है, और "भाई" आजकल कहीं और की तुलना में बॉलीवुड के 'अंडर-वर्ल्ड' और सलमान खान की ज्यादा याद दिलाते हैं। तो भाई-बहन पूरी यात्रा में स्टोन-पेपर-सीज़र, और कौन ज्यादा देर तक साँस रोकता है - ऐसे बचपने के खेल खेलते रहे। पर इससे पहले कि मैं सोचता कि ये बच्चे "स्मार्टफोन" नामक बीमारी से अछूते हैं - वो अपनी माँ के स्मार्टफोन पर ऑडियो सॉंग्स सुनने लगे। और वो भी कैसे? ईयर-फोन के दोनों बड्स को अपने एक-एक कान में डाले और अपनी पतली-पतली आवाजों में गाते रहते। डब्बे में मौजूद बाकी यात्री उनके प्यार भरे बचपन से प्रभावित हुए बिना नहीं रह पाए। पर तब एक मजेदार बात हुई। 

ट्रेन एक ऐसे जगह से गुजर रही थी जहाँ खाली जमीन पर चारदीवारियां खिंची हुई थीं। भाई ने बहन से कहा "देखो" तो बहन ने देखा और बोल उठी - "उसे घेरा गया है ताकि बॉल उसके उधर न जा सके"। छह साल की पायल के लिए एक चारदीवारी का वही काम था - खेलते समय गेंद को उसके पार जाने से रोकना! कितना नादान पर अद्भुत वाक्य था वो! 

क्या हम सब उस बच्ची की तरह ही नादान नहीं हैं? चाहे जितना जान लो, जितना देख समझ लो - ज्ञान तो अनंत है। हमेशा काफी कुछ देखने, जानने और समझने के लिए शेष रहेगा ही! तो किसी भी चीज पर हमारी कोई भी समझदारी भरी बात "ताकि बॉल उसके उधर न जा सके" जैसी ही साबित हो सकती है! 

काश हमें हमेशा याद रहे कि हम कितना कम जानते हैं और कितने नादान हैं। मेरी रेल यात्रा के नन्हे सहयात्री मुझे यह सिखला गए।

- राहुल तिवारी

[#Social] A 7 Year Old Kid Writes to Google CEO

You might have come across this so called 'news' item which is going viral on the internet. It is a letter from a 7 year old kid to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Here is a URL: http://www.thatscoop.com/article/ashwiniarunkumar/7-year-old-application-to-google

Reading the kid's letter I can't stop from observing how important "age" is for a child. A child tells one's age with such a pride as if it is an achievement! Then in the mid years we start looking at age as a thing to hide, perhaps embarrassed at it while always associating material success along with age. Only in the later part of life, perhaps we again start quoting our age, as once again age becomes a matter of our pride since it shows our accomplishment in the form of having led a life which truly is an achievement in itself. Our attempts to measure its worth by counting accomplishments is unnecessary and counter productive. 

Btw, Sundar's reply was as follows:

Sundar's reply to the kid was nice, though I would have preferred a colorful greeting card saying "thanks"; the kid would have loved it...

- Rahul Tiwary

[#Travelogue] A Walk Around Pune

It all started afresh in the morning. The sun was rising on the horizon. The city was waking up. The first thing I felt after reaching Pune was its air. There was almost a smell of freshness in the air as I breathed in. Was it because I was coming from Delhi which was called one of the most polluted cities? Or was it that the smell was of a nostalgia which should be natural for me? I had a couple of hours which I wanted to splurge in an aimless walk. Thanks to smartphones we are never ill-equipped to capture a moment these days. Hence I walked.

This was the city which was my home for six fruitful years. How does it feel visiting your city as a tourist? It felt weird – as if there was something secretive about me walking in. Did people realize I was walking in there after so many months? I walked on the same roads and pavements; looked at the same buildings and sky; came across the same people and their eyes; I can’t sum up the feeling but some feeling that was!

The first place to go was naturally the Dagduseth Ganapati Temple. Before coming to Pune, I had lived in Mumbai for hour years where I had developed a special bond with Lord Siddhivinayak. In the form of this Ganesh temple, I had found a continuation of affection and faith which I so desired.

It was early in the morning when I walked in; and it felt having never gone away as I walked out.

This is the Dagduseth Ganapati Temple of Pune: 

From there as I walked towards Shaniwar Wada, I found Lal Mahal on my right hand side. The current Lal Mahal is the reconstruction of the original. The original Lal Mahal was built by Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhosale around 1630. Shivaji stayed there with his mother Jijabai for many years.

It was in this Lal Mahal where an encounter happened between Shivaji and Shaista Khan, a Mughal general and maternal uncle of Aurangzeb. Shaista Khan had arrived in Pune with a large army and had captured several palaces and forts around it. Shivaji made a surprise attack on him in the night which made Shaista Khan flee. While fleeing from Lal Mahal, he lost his three fingers in an attack from Shivaji’s sword. After this defeat, he was insulted and was shifted from Pune forever by Aurangzeb. Currently Lal Mahal houses a museum. 

In the same area we can see some heritage buildings like below:

Then I reached Shaniwar Wada. Built in 1732, this was the seat of the great Peshwa Rulers of the Maratha Empire from where they ruled over most part of India for a long period. Inside the fort they had their grand multi-storied palace made from teak wood which was gutted in a fire reportedly started by the British after the later had captured it.

If you have watched the recent movie Bajirao Mastani which is based on the life of Peshwa Bajirao I; the palace shown in the movie is based on the actual palace which was inside Shaniwar Wada - the palace-fort which was built by Peshwa Bajirao I. The river shown in the movie which Peshwa Bajirao sails in a boat in a famous scene, is the Mula-Mutha river in Kasba Peth which is very near to the fort. 

A splendid statue of Peshwa Bajirao I is installed outside the main gate called ‘Dilli Darwaja’ of the Shaniwar Wada.

Some other buildings and scenes which I came across are put below. Some of these are beautiful heritage buildings too. 

The last picture sums up my experience very well – pleasant!

Although I have presented it in images, my experience could best be called poetic. Nothing but poetic. 

Btw, you may also like to see my other blog post capturing images of the temples of Pune which I came across during my visit:

http://rahultiwaryuniverse.blogspot.in/2017/02/some-wonderful-temples-in-pune.html

All pictures (C) - Rahul Tiwary

Some Wonderful Temples in Pune

The original name of city of Pune was 'Punyanagri' meaning 'City of Virtue'. It is only natural that temples and places of worship can be found all across it. On a recent trip, I captured images of some of the Hindu Temples which I have often visited there and which adorn it so beautifully. While going through it you would notice the diversity of deities and forms which only prove the cultural richness of the city. 

Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple at Budhvar Peth, Pune

This is one of the most beautiful temples I have seen in life. Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the temple also has a Shiva temple. Dagadusheth Ganesh Mandir was built by Dagadusheth Halwai (Dagadusheth Gadve) in year 1893 and was important point when Balgangadhar Tilak started public celebrations of Ganapati Festival (Ganesh Puja).

On a fresh morning I captured this image in which also you can also see the Lord: 

Shrimant Peshawe Ganesh Mandir at Shaniwar Wada, Pune

This temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha was built before work on Shaniwar Wada began. Built in 1732, Shaniwar Wada was the seat of the Peshwa rulers from where they ruled most of India. 

Shaniwar Wada Maruti Mandir, Pune

This is a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman in front of 'Delhi Gate' or Dilli Darwaja of Shaniwar Wada. 

Premal Vitthal Mandir at Kasba Peth, Pune

Kasba Peth is the  oldest residential part of Pune and adjacent to Shaniwar Wada (fort). Lord Vitthala or Vithoba is considered manifestation of Lord Vishnu and his consort is Rukmini. Temples dedicated to him are found all across Pune and Maharashtra.

Sant Tukaram Maharaj Paduka Mandir at Fergusson College Road, Pune

It is dedicated to Saint Tukaram, a 17th century Marathi poet-saint of Bhakti movement. 

Vitthal Rukmini Mandir at Aundh, Pune

Lord Vitthala or Vithoba is considered manifestation of Lord Vishnu and his consort is Rukmini. Temples dedicated to him are found all across Pune and Maharashtra. This temple at Aundh is situated near a river. 

Chaturshringi Mandir at Senapati Bapat Road, Pune

This temple was built during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Chaturshringi means 'a mountain with four peaks'. The main deity of the temple is Goddess Durga. It may be noted that Shivaji was worshipper of Goddess Bhavani. Durgapuja or Navaratri is celebrated with much fanfare here.

Mayureshwar Ganesh Mandir at Thergaon, Pune

Across Pune you would find Ganesha temples at several places. One such temple is shown below, which is Mayureshwar Ganesh Mandir near Dange Chowk, Thergaon, Pune

Dutta Mandir at a Housing Society in Pune

Hindus have this practice of keeping a small temple or place of worship in their homes. When housing societies became the norm, even the societies created small temples within their premises. You can see one such temple dedicated to Lord Dutt or Lord Dattatreya. Lord Dattatreya is considered an avatar of the three Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Lord Dattatreya is shown with three heads, one coming from each of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. You will find Dutta Mandirs all across Pune and Maharashtra.

Shri Ram Temple in Chinchwad

This is one of the most beautiful temples you would ever see. The whole temple appears as if made of gold. It is a big temple, very near to Chapekar Chowk in Chinchwad

All Pictures above (C) Rahul Tiwary

There are other wonderful temples which I missed visiting this time. For example, there is Shinde Chhatri Mandir - a temple built by the Scindia royal family which finds no parallel anywhere else!

Shinde Chhatri Mandir at Wanawadi, Pune

Hope you liked a sneak peek into the beautiful temples of Pune.

In next in this series I shall capture some of the heritage buildings of Pune.

Watch out this space for more!

- Rahul Tiwary

A Public Park in Noida

Noida has fairly good infrastructure at several spots. Below pictures are from a public park in Noida which is free for all without any entry fee. Children from nearby areas go there to play all day long. Walls have encroach-able breakages at several places but surprisingly no one seems to live inside it, except perhaps the toilet inside it which is over-used and hence stinks. There is one security guard at one of the gates who of course is inadequate and hence appears to have accepted his face. He makes a few rounds whenever he feels like or if he needs something; otherwise he sits at a chair grandly. In old days some zamindars and nobles must be enjoying what he enjoys at his workplace. 

The park also has an open gym which you can spot in above pictures. Found it surprisingly nice.

The park is so big that children have no fears of getting overheard by their parents in the neighboring houses. Some kids ride bicycles in it while some play various games. Some kids just sit there and have a chat – in an old-world offline way.

Pretty amazing. 

And I have visited it only once. The pictures and memories are from the single visit. Sigh - time to visit again it seems. 

See you. 

- Rahul Tiwary

Happy New Year 2017!

Long Text Complaints on Facebook

At one point, I thought that people had lost the old art of writing long texts. It went on like that very well for too long. Then truth was revealed to me in the form of some really huge complains they started posting on some company's / online portal's / some shop's / or police's facebook pages.

It was shocking! People who until then posted only photos of their mountain trips 33 times a year on facebook wrote a complain to amazon.com which counted 95893953 letters till last count. Someone who only wrote in one-liners wrote a complain against his car service center which was so huge that I finished reading it in over 3 weekends. The girl with bad handwriting posted against Hyderabad police's apathy which was so impressive; think if she wrote some essay like that in her class 10th exam, where she would be by now? The super smart woman who visited facebook only 3 times in last 19 months used 2 of those visits to post stories of how she was cheated at her neighborhood jewelry shops!

This long text influenza is spreading like influential virus. And it is making life so unpredictable! Now whenever I see the face of a sensible yet funny friend, I fear what lies behind that clean windscreen of his spectacles? Some bad experience at the pizza shop; or some not so cold cold-drink served at McD? Since the days of lizards coming out of khichdi pots and cockroaches coming out of fruit salads are over; the remaining options to surprise us are only limited by imagination!

God please save the writers who write purposeless posts on their own walls. Because the growing tribe of complainers armed with long guerrilla texts will soon outnumber them!

- Rahul Tiwary

Puzzling Life

I realized quite some time back that wisdom comes with age. After every 4-5 years, we can feel that our thoughts and opinions of the past were impractical or not correct. After worrying about it for some time, I made peace with it. So it seemed we just had to wait till our hair started turning grey, and then everything will be okay. Finally, with age we shall attain wisdom. But now it seems that even wisdom has degrees. What appears wisdom to us now, may appear childish again after 5 years! So where does this end? May be never! 

And if we and our wisdom keep growing and changing, then it would also be true for others. What others tell today may be judged as incorrect by themselves after a few years! The realization is scary. Is everything fluid? 

If everything evolves then what we see today is true only for today and may not be so after some time. That makes life confusing for sure. What is the point of doing anything right, when the 'right' could turn 'wrong' just when our way of thinking changes, when we see some new worlds, or when we attain some new version of wisdom? 

Is this why they turn to scriptures; which hold truths which have survived centuries of evolutionary thinking? All rivers meet the ocean in the end. May be until we can see the end, we may mistake a 'river' for an 'ocean'. 

Sometimes it seems everything changes with time. Sometimes it seems nothing changes fundamentally. Sometimes what we can't understand is called confusing. Sometimes what we do understand is confusing. This life is a puzzle. 

- Rahul

From Feminism to Taking a Stand

For quite some time around my college days, I had thought of myself as a 'feminist'. It suited me because I had two sisters. From childhood, we all studied in the same school, were treated with same respect, and saw the same dreams. Why should not my sisters or all girls be able to make their career well and make their own decisions? I was so happy from inside about my thoughts which I found liberating at that time.

After marriage, my feminism evaporated in a phased manner. Having been proud of of my sisters' careers and education, I saw the downside of it as my wife worked and how it constrained personal life. And for the first time I started seeing a new world. Unless by some lucky charm two persons start thinking exactly alike, in the end either of them has to agree with what the other person says. Best would be to do things which both are fine with, but such an option is not always the case. Now feminism gave way to realism. I realized that women also liked things in the manner which suited them. It seemed that our inclination to do "what suits me" was a generic trait.

Looking from the ground of realism, everything appeared different. As they say, things are not always either black or white. Sometimes we are selfish, sometimes the other person is selfish. And a new popular line of thinking said that in the end we all were humans, prone to flaws. No matter how good you are, still you would have some flaws. I still can't say that it is okay to be at peace with one's flaws, but I think we should definitely be aware of them, acknowledge them and avoid them as much as we can. We are not so powerless.

In general I realized that in most of the things, whenever we are taking sides we are actually compromising somewhere and being unfair somewhere. Think of any decision govt takes - if we agree with it, it might be because it suits us and if we disagree it could be because it does not suit us personally. Coming in terms with the real world was like ice bucket challenge done to me. I miss the old days when I could say, "I support this", or "that is bad" and "this is good". Such youthful yet unwise stands which we could take. It made life interesting and purposeful. Having even some amount of wisdom is so boring.

- Rahul

Irony

Subsidized LPG is bad for our economy and has a stigma attached to it - but 'Free WiFi' is ultimate sign of good governance and we all celebrate it - while both are same.

Women keeping 'ghunghat' on the head is a sign of old-school society; but women wearing full body 'burkini' is about letting women make their own decisions - while both are meant for same.

Asking someone's caste is bad and can land you in jail - but when govt asks our castes to let or not let us have jobs and college admission, it is social justice - while both are same.

If you have 70% males in your company, it is a shameful situation and needs more female hiring - but a 70% women in areas like HRD or nursing is never a problem - while both trends are of same nature.

If a mother-in-law hurts her bahu, she will land up in jail; but if daughter-in-law hurts saasu ma, nothing will happen - while both acts are same.

If you earn 3 lakhs annual salary working in a company owner by someone else, you have to pay tax; but if you earn 13 lakhs doing farming on your own land, you don't - while both are money.

If a private company defaults on loan and goes bankrupt, its owner is arrested, his property sold off to pay back; but if a PSU/govt company makes billions of losses, govt just has to pay them to continue - while both events are similar.

So what is wrong in one situation becomes right for another situation; to a large extent just because of the way it is perceived by people in general. After next 50 years, our perception may reverse and hence things may also reverse. But until then, some of us have to suffer while some others will benefit unfairly.

But someone will ask - when was it that life was fair? It is just that the equation has reversed! That is also so simple to answer. You can't punish the ghosts of yesterday by hurting the humans of today. You can't reward the sufferers of 20th century by doling out red carpet for today's undeserving lot. So, in the end nothing can justify what is stupid.

- Rahul Tiwary

Way to Get Around Entry Restrictions

There have been a few places of worship where females are not allowed inside inner sanctum. So court says that this violates equality of genders which has been ensured by our constitution. 

But equality is not violated when there are job openings, college admissions or monetary help only for women, only for men, only for some particular castes, or only for some religions, right? So what is the catch? Have you ever thought about it?

I think the catch is that when govt offers a job to only a woman, it also offers some other job only to a man, and hence it succeeds in balancing (i.e. confusing) the equality clause. So when it offers some jobs only to some particular castes, it also offers some jobs only to general castes, and hence it is seen as doing fair deal. Similarly, it spends some money for building churches, but also spends some money on protecting old temples. Hence all is fair and does not violate equality ensured by constitution!

So what could the conservative and traditional religious organizations had to do to protect their traditions and yet not get beating from the court? Simple – hire me as consultant! Kidding :) I think what they had to do was this - inside the religious complex, they should have made another shrine and put a board saying “Only women allowed” before it, and then they should have put “Only men allowed” over the original shrine – then since something is on offer to both men and women, equality clause would not get violated! Think!

I am sure someone would challenge this scheme saying the ancient shrine was for men and new shrine is for women, which is unfair. So, confuse them further. Take something out of the ancient shrine, e.g. a stone, or a few bricks, and keep it in the new shrine, and say that since all places of worship have been renovated, rebuilt, restructured across their history, there is nothing wrong in creating another shrine in the same complex, and since it also has some portion of the ancient structure, it should also be treated with equal respect.

In this scheme, since there is something for women (new shrine) and something else for men (original shrine), no one will stop you from keeping the ancient traditions alive while still satisfying all the legal hassles :) How do you like it?

- Rahul

Cousin Vs Bhai

In a train journey I came across families of two brothers traveling together. Elder brother and his wife had two beautiful sons and younger brother had one son who was slightly behind in growth. Younger brother was apparently richer in wealth and elder brother was certainly simpler by nature, if I could guess by watching them. Younger brother’s wife was not so kind towards elder brother’s wife, and sent hidden taunts and veiled ridicules. Then at one point elder brother told them that he had booked a car. “Which car?” younger brother was obviously surprised and curious. When he heard, “Maruti Ciaz” which costs around 9 lakhs, he was confused. “Bhaiya log have booked Ciaz”, he informed his wife and then there was a silence…

There is no scene as ugly as two brothers not behaving warmly. But then they were adults! What happened between their children was even more interesting.

Younger (and richer) brother’s son who behaved freaky very often, was being avoided by elder brother’s two sons. So his mother who was street-smart, thought to proactively do something about it. She said to the older kid, “he is also your brother. You should take care of him”.

What the boy replied shocked me. He said, “he is only my cousin” (wo mera cousin hai).

“But cousin also means 'chachera bhai', so you are still brothers!”

The boy now got visibly irritated and said, “When did I say he is not my brother?”, and then he looked away, stopping that line of conversation.

I remembered our childhood. We had so many cousins and we always introduced them as "bhai" to our friends. It was so confusing to kids counting how many brothers one could have, so they used to ask back, "is he your ‘real’ brother?" (‘apna’ bhai?) And then we learnt to say "chachera bhai" or ‘mamera bhai’. But we were still "bhai". We picked up the term "cousin" very late, only when it was impossible to not pick it up...

- Rahul

India at Olympic Games Rio 2016

The way and extent to which media is guiding our perception and feelings surprises me. Let us take this year’s performance in Olympics. I bet you would say that this year has been worst – or at most one of the worst years; since we have won only 2 medals so far. We are reminded that last time in year 2012 India had won 6 medals – and hence we are expected to feel sorry and disappointed this time. What if I told you a fact that except last time in year 2012, India has never won more than 3 medals in our whole history? Then current tally of “2” can be seen as a much better performance. After knowing this, you would feel less sorry, less disappointed, but wait – media does not want you to be so. Media thrives on our outrage!

Now absolute number of medals is not that all matters. Overall Ranking matters more importantly. How about if I told you that in Olympics 2012 when India did an outlier performance by winning 6 medals, it stood at world ranking# 55, "down" 5 points from year 2008 Olympics when it won only 3 medals but still stood at overall rank# 50? Media bubble of "last time we were better" bursts off.

What if I told you that from year 1956 onward in our history – if we ignore outlier year 2012, there has been only one other Olympic Games when India won more than 2 medals? That was year 2008 when we won 3 medals. With 2 medals already won, if we win one more, we shall match second highest total medal count in our history! Not as bad as we felt, right?

Now Economic Times published an article saying “Dear Mr Modi, India can get you 10 medals in 2020 if you spend Rs 480 crore”. But I believe each rupee spent on sports is a rupee snatched from the poor, the hungry, or indebted farmers. We can live without Olympic medals and this sense of urgency with which we are expected to spend Crores on sports is illogical.

This time India spent Rs 122 Crores on training Olympics participants; which is a shame for a nation which is home to world’s largest poor population. Even with revised poverty line, India is home to 172 million people below poverty line (living on less than Rs 123.50 per day). We need schools, toilets, roads, new railway lines, hospitals, police and army, and sorry, these things won't come of we spend Rs 500 Crores in training our 100 sportspersons for next Olympics, or burning Rs 1000 Crores of electricity or lost productivity watching Olympic games on TV. I don’t mind not winning 10 Olympic medals, until Govt continues its rural push and industrial reforms, to pull people out of poverty.

- Rahul