...The Half past yr ......!!!!

....The  trip  to  Dharavandhoo  Island  in Baa atoll  got  cancelled  , as envisaged  earlier ,  to  a   UNESCO site  here,   of  a  Biosphere unparalleled of  hosting  Manta Rays....Dharavandhoo  Thila  as  it  is  called  is  ancient   Northern Atoll group  of BAA.....dotted  in  this Atoll  r  High  end  Resorts  ....but  the  purpose  was  to  go  to  Dharavandhoo , a  habitated  island with an Airport ,   where  a Manta  Village  is  located  in  the  form  of  a  Diving  Centre  , a  Pvt  beach  with  lots  of  Hammocks......as  the  Eid  vacations  r  thr  a  3  day  sojourn  was  the  plan  .....as  the  Beautiful  unconventional Fuvamulahku : the  Gnaviyani atoll  Island , South  of  the  Equator  was  initially  on  the  list , which  later  got  displaced  by  Dharavandhoo  as  Island  Aviation  had  a  promotional  Fare for  Dharavandhoo  ....!!....but  alas, the  programme  got  scuttled  amidst  heart  burn  as  a  seasonal  Flu did  us  both  Archana &  Me  in  .....&  a  spurt  in  cases  post Eid was  an  ever  deterrence  which was  on  the  mind  .....its  a  piquant  situation  whnever  U  plan  for  the  Islands , thr  is  a  sprightliness  in  ur movements  .....unfortunately  though  , it  gets  deferred  , for better  sense  of  practicality  ....as  Half  the  yr  is  nearly  past  with  , lots  of  activity nd  positivity , the  second  innings  is  awaited , as 2nd  term  for  the  Children  is  imp , with  thm  growing  up, strongly ,   at  an  alarming  pace  .....!!!!!

.....a footstep , a fulfillment ......

.....a  foot step on unchartered territory.....an  event  of  sorts .....the soil & Gud  Earth still  holding  fort.....over  the millenium.....as we flourish, perish  nd  reunite with Gud Earth, every speck of it beholds the generations after  generations of the meek , the old  , the  mighty , the illustrious , the pious ...the loved  ones....Gud  Earth is  a  mute  spectator, to millions  of years of human endeavour all  finally  reduced  to  dust at  its  feet....hence  , a  footfall on  a  God forsaken territory  is  no  mean  effort either, the rich  legacy  underneath of  generations  of  stories  of  survival, effort  nd  celebrations  called  Life.....as I sift  thru  the  innumerable  pearls  of  the  Indian Ocean , a  2500  yr old fiercely Independent  history, isolated , protected  frm  extraneous  influences  thru  its   natural  barrier.....a  sense  of  thrill runs  down  the  system  as  my first foot etches  a  mark  on an unknown terrain of  the  white Island sand.....its  a  feeling of  accomplishment , a fulfillment  of  being  now   a  part  of  a  legacy  of  survival  amidst  adversity.....dotted  r  the  stories of civilization on  this archipelago, innately flourishing  in  isolation......as slowly  & steadily  I cover Island  after Island , both physically  & intellectually  the  joy knows  no  bounds .....the difft dialects , stories  nd  practices  of a many ,still,

 a virgin territory ......  

...21st June : Yoga Day Today

....Imp  Day ...!!!....as  Yoga  is  touching  our  Lives  as  never  before  recently  .....Yoga  is  not  abt  out  Exercises  nd  postures  ,  let  us  be  very  clear  abt  it  .....yes a  fraction  of  it  is  of  course   ......Yoga  is  the tool  for  the  Spiritual  Well being  .....nd  its  Practice  is  The  Spiritual  Connect .....  conditioned  as  we  r  by  a   5000  yr  Civilization with  Towering  Himalayas  to  the  North  &  the  Mighty  Sea  of  East  ,  West  &  south , a  cradle  of  Ancient  Civilization  nurtured  by  a  network  of  mighty  Rivers  &  its  ever  nurturing  tributaries  .....!!!!....a  perfect setting  for  the  development of  Mankind ....time
tested  theories  nd  Philosophy .....spreading  the  knowledge  all  across  the  nascent  world  both  East  &  west  .....the  Trails  really  suggesting  .......frm  China ,  South  east  Asia  , to Arabia on  to Eurasia .....Proud    to  hv  been  born  here  ......the  Conditioned  system  most  apt  to  receive  the  Knowledge of  Yogic  practices  nd  Philosophies  so  very  essential  for  the  Well being  of  a  Modern world  .....hence  its  an  Imp  Day  for  all  of  us  to  receive  nd  Propagate  the  age  old  wise  practices .....!!!.....We  r  a  rich  Nation  of  Yogic  Legacy rt frm  the Days  of  the  Epic  Mahabharatha , as  Krishna  spake  "Gita" &  Sri Aurobindo  writing  "Savitri"....not  to speak  of  the  Vedas  nd  Upanishads the  original thoughts of  our  forefathers .....as  Modernity  unfolds....truly  these ancient  practices r being  rediscovered , just ,  as  a huge archaeological  excavation  discovered  "Angkor Wat" nd so  many  temples  still  buried  underneath  .....the  extent  of  the  Indic  Civilization  .....!!!!!

...TriCentenary Edition ....'Rojnamcha': The Indian Ocean Diary ...

......Sitting  on  the Precipice of  299th Post &  onto  the 300th  surely  is  Overwhelming....its  time  for  Thanks  Giving  to  all  fmly  nd  frnds  for  joining  in  the  sail .....The Indian Ocean Diary......as little Nanu  was  born in 2009, had to  stay away  frm fmly  hvin  left  thm   in India  for  a  six  mnth   stint....the  six  mnth  sojourn forced  me  into renewing  a  long  laid  off  activity  of  Library  &  writing....giving  me  the  strength  to  continue  alone.....No Man  is  an Island :  the  adage pertinent....a  straw  is  also  imp  whn  ur  sinking  ......the  Lonely  challenge  props  me  up  nd  thus  rolled  the  Indian  Ocean Diary  ....!!!!....I am  proud  to  be associated  with  it  , as  Human  Memory  is  short.....the  Documentation  important  ......as we  grew  frm strength  to  strength , overcoming all  hurdles, seeing  the  kids  growing  up  here, learning  their ABC  of  survival , surely the Experience  has  been  fortifying ....the  occasional  use  of  unconventional  ,  modern  day  Txt  msg  spellings  is  an  Unique  endeavour  to  swim  with  the  tide  of  Modernity....as  short  is  sweet today  .....!!!!...Once again  thanking all  of  you  for  Lending Ur Ears  & precious  time......!!!!....Long Live The Indian Ocean Diary .....

......Many shades of a Day.....

......Mixed  feelings  are  doing  the  rounds   ,  as  hv  to  balance  wrk  with  dear  relations,  who  r  here, since,   as  my  dear  frnds  know  tht  my work  is  Essentially :  "Essential" : being  the  Principal  Primary  care  Physician  here.......!!!!.....lucky , my  wrk  environment  allows  me  to  spend  time  both  with  fmly  nd  Wrk ....but  the current   disposition  graph  is  a  Sine  curve .....at  one  point  Ur  freaking  out,  nd , enjoying  the  company  of  fmly  nd  as  soon  as  tht  ends  ,  donned  is  the  garb  of  the  Service  provider  ,  the  hit  man for  ailments  for  many  ....the  lingering  taste  of  sipping  coffee  with  brother  in  law  &  Sis  in law,  in  complete  abandon  overlooking  the  Laccadive  sea &  Harbor, in 'Salt Cafe' my  favorite hangout, is  soon surmounted  by  an  Urgent  service, to  relieve  the  Acute  LS  strain  of  a hard  worker  here......, though  must  admit , I  am enjoying  every  bit  of  it  .... the  many  colors  of  life...!!!.....the  many  situations  we  must  adapt  to  .....persistently  ,  though I  am  bombarded  by  the  kids  here,  as  to,  why  I  am  not taking  a  leave , for  more  fun ....hard  time ,  to  convince  thm , tht  people  r  waiting  for  my  footfall  at  the  Clinic  for  redressal of  their complaints......nd its  really  ,  really  imp  for  me  to  solve  thm  in   rt  earnest   .....thankfully , all  r  happy  here....The  Maldives  Sun  & Shine  in ample bounty.....!!!!!  

....The Arrival ......

.....The  Brite  & Sunny streak  welcomes  our  relatives  frm  Bombay  as  they step  onto  the  sunny  clime  , with the  Azure Green for  a change  sticking to  Original , tru  to  the  description  of  the  land....Archana is  Happy  to  welcome  her  brother  &  sis in law ....the  Children  their Mama &  Mami  &  me  my  younger  Brother in  law & sis  in  law ....the  expat fmly   is  a smart  entity  , hvin  brazed  it  all leaving  Homeland shores .....the  trauma ,  the  travails  ,  the  excitement  &  fulfillment  ......nd  whn  your  relatives  ,  ur  own  come  calling  it  is a shot  in  the  arm  , as  it  is  definitely  being  felt  in  distant  US  whr  Nephew  arrives  at  Neil's  place , his  Chhota  Mama .....the  two  way  traffic  thus  augurs  well  for  well  being  &  performance  ....the  Children's  holiday  just  begun  &  with  all  of  us  together  its  going  to  be  real  fun....the  morning  arrival  area  at  the  Airport  was dotted  with  arrivals  , a  great  many  Surfer  with  Boards painstakingly  brought  in  the  luggage....the Kiosks  of various  Island Resorts  &  getaways, buzzing  with  activity of  a Welcome, sounded  Gud as  the  positivity  of  energy  of  all  passengers  coming  to  Maldives Isles  is  felt  .....different  Nationalities  but  with   sole  aim  of  Exploration  of  the  Pearls  of Isles of  the  Archipelago....a  complete  unwind.....!!!! 

....The Four Elements of Nature.....

......Holidays  r  round  the  corner  with  the disease frnt  slowing  down , though  reportedly is  a Flu outbreak  in one  of  the Atolls , probably  an  Island  with  1700  people ....yes  ,  startling as  it  may  sound  this  Indian  Ocean  region  has  Islands  dotted  with  miniscule  populace  ,  quite  untouched  by  the  external  world  ,  yet  harnessed  with  all  modern  day  amenities....as  recently  Concluded  is  the  Island Council elections , a  tool  for  governance  of  the Islands,under  the  guidance  &  support  of  the Central Govt.at  Male'....gradually  all  Central  govt  agencies r  at  play  in  gradually  developing  these  Islands,  with  tarred  streets ,  Water  supply  ,  Harbors....&  in  some  cases  Airports....it  is  inexplicable  how  one  feels  whn  stepping  ur  foot  into  one  of  these  Islands  far  far  away , frm Urbane  Male', Addu City , Kulhudhufushi city & Fuvamulah  City ....hvin  lived  thr in  one  of  those  remote locations  in Laam  atoll, albeit  in  its  Capital  Island  of  Hadhdhunmathi  Fonadhoo,   in  the  early  part  of  our  Sojourn  thr  ,....I  can  only  say  its remote  quietude cud  be  easily  felt  in  the  ears  amidst  routine wrk  .....thr  wud  be  stretches  of  sand  &  incessant  breakers  without a  soul  in  sight....the  Occasional  thud  of  Coconut  falling  at  the  dead of  night  in  ur  campus  100mtrs   away from  the  sea ....a brief  late  evening  walk  frm  the  Health  Centre clinic  back  home  felt  , as  if  uR   on  a Soul searching  , sole mission of an  exploration of  the  unknown , the  footsteps  grinding  on the  coral  streets  into a  rhythmic  tango ,  until  the  aroma  of  Indian  Bread  freshly  being  cooked  by  Archana for  me, entering  my  nostrils  , a  brk  in  the  tango  as  home  neared.....as  the  four  elements  of  nature  so  very  much  felt  in  the  Island  ,  it  had  an  effect of  well being  &  fond  remembrance  ,  as  I  ruminate  those  days .....eleven long yrs ago.....   

...125th yr Celebration of "Kabuliwallah" by Robindronath Thakur

......as Robindronath Thakur's "Kabuliwallah" enter  125  th  yr  with the  Pathan Moneylender  immortalised  over  his  interactions  with  Mini  : the  Kid  girl ,  in  a  lane  of Calcutta......forcing  him  to  at  one  point  in  exasperation  , whn  the  thought  of  his  own  kid  girl , left in Afghanistan ,dawned.....a poignant  story  of  his  plight, much  in  contrast  to  his  popular  image  of  a   scary  ,  Tough  , Money  lender ....this  Immortal  story by  KobiGuru ushered  in a  sea change  into  the  peoples  behaviour  towards  these  Expat  Afghans  ......in  tht  people  became  more  frndly  &  open  to  the Community ......No wonder the  small  Community  still  persist into  various  trades  of Money  Lending  &  Garments  &  Realty.....Calcutta now  very  much  used  to  a  Pathan suit  clad frndly Pashtoon ......no wonder  the  Frndly  relationship  of  Afghanistan  & India is  natural  as  History  would  Vousche....still  persisting  between  the  two  countries...a  definite  old  Link  in  Kolkata  still flourishing  as  I  read  somewhr  a Pashtoon  wud  refer  Afganistan  as  " Watan "  &  India  " Mulk "  both  beloved  in  equal  terms  .....!!!!!

.....2000 Isles......a garland of Coral beads : Maladwip ....

......the  Sea highly treacherous  now  , incessantly  being  flogged  by  " Hulanghu" : the Monsoon .....thr  r  Collisions  of  boats  in  the  sea  , quite  unheard off before.....the  seafarer at  the  receiving  end  now  .....as  we  watch  frm our  vantage  point , loaded  vessels  bound  for  numerous  far  flung Isles  for  supply , especially,   during  this  Holy Mnth of Ramadaan, dipping  their  snout  &  miraculously bailing  out as they  negotiate  hard  to  inch  forward  in the  gail ......Weather  alerts  r  constantly  sounded  nd   flouted  equally  by  the  dare  devils  .....thr  r  huge  sea  locations whr  thr  is no  signal  ,  no  communication .....recently a huge  transport carrier  got  drifted  nd  lost until salvaged  by  INS  Krush , whn , pressed in   by  the  Indian Navy  upon Req  frm  Maldivian Coast Guards.....the  Costa  Cruises  frm Italy  a  regular  feature  is  nowhere  to  be  seen  now , as  the  Weather  turns  hostile  ......the  under  water  corals also not  visible by  routine  snorkeling as  Visibility  is  poor  du2  less  sunshine .....the  water , too famously Warm for  the  westerners ,  is   now , clammy  & cold .....not  a  v  gud  time  for  Tourism ....."Hulanghu"  or  Monsoon  in  local  parlance  is  famously  infamous as  life  depended  on  it  during  the  era  of  sail  boats .....as  Rice  laden  Boats  : 'buggalows' frm  Ceylon depended  on  it or had  tough  time  negotiating it  for  a  sail .....Rice wud  be  exchanged  here for  Salted  Fish  chunks , a  popularity  in  Ceylon....the  Bohra  traders  frm India  controlling   the trade  for  200  yrs.....the  Islands &  atolls  negotiation,  on  the  sea  route,  was  treacherous  for   the  reefs  a  natural  barrier  , came  in  the  way  , in  tht  the  Southern atolls  preferred  a  direct  route  to Ceylon , traded  directly , avoiding  the  treacherous  passage  to  Male'.....famous  Ship  wrecks &  thr  account  is  documented .....Francois  Pyrard  De  Laval  a  French  Ship  wreck & castaway , documenting  in  early   17th  Century  the  Isles  of Maladwip for  the  first  time  to the  Western world  .....Now  , in  this modern world  of Communication  ,  with  sea changes  & GPRS  all  pervading  the  remoteness  is  a  thing  of  the  past  .....as  most  of  the  Isles  r  well  connected  , Communication wise  with  strategic airports  nd Harbors .....as I  move  thru    the "Travellers  Mkt " agog  with Ramadaan brisk  business ..wht  a  sea  change  modern  day  gadgets  hv  imposed  on  people ,

as  all  vendors  r  armed  with  smart  phones  , Tabs  , calcs  , GPRS  devises  for  imminent  departure as tow  lines , nd , anchors  r  disengaged .......!!!!