......thru the corridors of Excellence : Prince of wales Medical College...

...Patna Medical College: erstwhile,the Prince of Wales Medical College,provided challenge at all spheres....having rubbed shoulders with the finest brains of Bihar: the land of Jainism,Buddhism,Islam,Hinduism,Christianity & Sikhism,one was exposed to the moisture of Humanity to be imbibed...a teeming populace & a civilisation in a trough....having surpassed the crest decades ago of wht was one of most well administered states just aft Independence...the initial Surgery posting was a real brush with the public....& their wooes....with doc pt ratio abysmal.....felt like a surgeon in demand while doing the rounds at night....the night was ours....the 1991 Death Certificate on the very First day of Duty as an Asstt.Casualty Officer is eked in my memory....two sisters in their teens had Head Injuries frm a RTA at the MG Setu over the Ganges admitted in IGCC of PMCH,....having got a call ...had to examine one: the fatally wounded Post op case....pronouncing death in front of a crowd...& the ensuing wail is vivid...& a momentary flashing thought asked me how technically sound I was to pronounce death...?...the thought passed with the urging duty of issuing a Death certificate....my First one,on the first day & very first call of Casualty duty...& the attendants had no inkling that I was a fresh intern...but the brickwork of this great institution had already exposed me to the History of the greats & current...my emotions,my posture & gait & service on tht certificate never faltered.......











definitely,with our seniors t with all  

.....the Essence of CHHATHH Festival.....!!!!

.....we derive our origins frm Aryans who settled in the alluvial plains.......initially they were nature Worshippers...the Peepul & Banyan Tree,SUN GOD, rivers were highly reverred....Nature provided both succour & inflicted wrath....!!...our ancestors thought it prudent to stay close to Nature.....Idol worship came at a much later age...CHHATH Festivity is documented frm times immemorial.....invoking SUN GOD the Omnipotent & Omnipresent Natural Energy......the river valley civilisation of the Eastern & Northern plains were a cradle to this Pujan...Having born & brought up in the crucible of Pataliputra(Patna) which is Magadh,Mauryan & Gupta ages with River Ganga,Son,Gandak,Mahananda,Bagmati,Burhi Gandak Ajay & Damodar ,crisscrossing this great cradle of civilisation....this River bank festivity assumed importance in terms of reverance & purity....being represented by free flowing water ,soil & Salute to " Jaba Kusum":meaning SUN GOD....people of this region are subjected to this tradition of culture for centuries & I am no exception....the genetic disposition is more inclined to acquiese or should I say our acquired characters....frm all strata rich & poor will celebrate & submit to the Omnipotent representing the SUN deriving energy for well being....its also a tribute to our Mother's & sisters who largely represent & participate embracing the Rigors of Traditional Rituals....it is not the Rituals but the essence of this festival that count.....the streets are cleaner ,spruced up...the River banks bedecked  & all streets lead to the River Banks....the Evening offerings to the setting SUN & Predawn movements the following ..with chill in the pre winter air & equally cool waters all in patient waiting for the Supreme Power to Rise to accept the thougths of reverance,prayers & submission.....!!!!...the atmosphere electric & thougths pure & Holy....the run up to this festivity is stringent & utmost importance is attached to Purity of things used...be it Prasadam...which is highly popular...or Puja items....Hinduism is a way of Life I believe & this festivity highlights this point....for the Eastern Indian People who inherited primarily the Aryan traditions this region were a melting pot for Hinduism,Buddhism & Jainism..in addition to its embracing Islam..however & whatever misplaced  opinion is there for the people here I personally feel them to be highly evolved with heart & brain.... blessed is this land of festivities & Religious Tolerance....!!! 
  

.......the Muezzin's call....!!!

........its now a fortnite of Rains & more rains :with local effects augmenting :"Hulanghu": the S W Monsoon.........Samad is sick &his 12 00Hrs prayer call was embedded in his husky voice which otherwise is robust & a part of Life now....he met me 2days back with constitutional symptoms & is under medication....but being indispensable he is devout in his work ....whatever be it....I wish him speedy recovery....Neil & Wendy in distant America are safe and sound after what happened to the eastern Seaboard ....which we all saw...they are in the Highlands in PA & I was worried about any Blizzard which would come in their way....I was equally worried about our First cousins in Pondicherry where "Nilam" was not very far having a landfall in Mahabalipuram near chennai....I could not connect Arindam though despite best efforts...Rock Cut Pallavan Shore Temple must have witnessed this umpteenth time ever since its commissioning by Narasimha Varman the great Pallava King of Southern India...the old port town of Pumpoohar where Kaveri river has its delta also must have witnessed such Cyclones.......in fact the Cyclone stories of Nellore,Ongole,Chirala ,bapatla,Nagapattinam,Tirupati ,Cuddalore are a regular feature and our Coromandel Express Trips to Madras Central Frm Howrah were often jeopardised .....so when New York was assaulted....it came as a shock.....as to what Nature can be up to....New york was never in doubt as a fullproof city to meet any thing.....but Sandy proved it otherwise....imagine Power outages in New york....it was so similar to  a Hollywood fiction.....But the Heart wrenching scenes especially the burnt out houses of Queen's reminded me of a war ravaged zone....!!!!........here the aftereffects & side effects of "Nilam" is evident & the drainage system of the City has been exposed.....my prediction 3 days of continuous rain will flood this city for sure.....there is already flooding in some Atolls....!!!....as the news frm Homeland 1 keep percolating....now assuming Tsunami like proportions after the latest Salvo of the IAC orienting us to go into a huddle & do a little bit of own research about the KG Basin...which cost the Petroleum Min .the job....!!!!....India was always the " Sonay ki Chidiya..."& the loot of her resources are unabated....at least this is the perception tht is being circulated....firstly it was the Foreign Marauders & now its our own ilk....!!!!...sitting here far far away I can feel the Winds of Changes blowing....a whisper now turning into a Roar......!!!!