Back in the Archipelago...!

....the transit in Bangalore,though short was invigorating as we saw our small abode under construction in the suburbs near completion....reminded me of my late father who opted for a small dwelling in Gurgaon in 1992 purely with the visionary thought of relocation ,education of children & grand children.Gurgaon was a small upcoming town and we cherised the small dwelling.My younger brother Neil had his fledgling career and I relocating bolstered by many a relatives following suit.The toil and tears and success we tasted there is history now and we owe this to my late father who showed us the way.So....when Bangalore with its ambient clime appealed to us always in transit to MALE',Maldives, I planned a similar coup for my children in having seen the fabulous educational instititions there....! and just 2 1/2 hrs flight to MLE.Today,Basant Panchami little Nanu's Hathey Khori was solemnised with tropical flowers an Saraswati Bandana.....! with little Doel and Ma Archana as witness.True,being expats away from home we miss the environs but the gaiety remains in our heart and Archana ensures that..Coincidentally ,a distant call to Madhupur with nanu calling my ageing Mother in gibberish ,garnering her blessings was just when she was at Puja there....yes,my sister has never failed to have a Saraswati Puja there as we had left in 1990 in the Railway Quarters....!

Return Journey.....!!!!!!

...the fabulous holidays are in its terminal stage.Laccadive sea is again beckoning us to guide us to MALDIVES yet again welcoming us as unassumingly as it did 5yrs back.The completion of a professional qualification,the trip to the Desert,trip to the land of our choice Bihar/Jharkhand & the chilly winter of the Northern Plains have offered more than we could ask for.....& above all the kids with cousins relatives had a gala time & my trips to Sadar Bzr in BD dose have made up whatever we missed there in the island...!Also,there are sombre moments in  one of our mother's passing away on the 29thDec.Late Gouri Das was our CHHOTO Ma my late Uncle's wife.I am in regular touch with my cousins in Pondicherry in their moment of grief.It was time for me to flip over old albums where we as cousins met in vacation in Madhupur literally every winter...!!May her soul rest in peace...!It is in this vacation I learnt where my true bearings lay.....my old school campus in facebook,my childhood railroad town of Madhupur.I felt extremely energised and embalmed so soothing and felt my roots strongly...!So,this Oct end when we come again for Pujas a major part will be spent in Madhupur and also wish to visit Dehri on sone my wife's native place her school her children must visit...!!!!

churning point....!!!!!!!

....as,the Lokpal debate assumes huge proportions,I,believe,we are all touched by this issue literally everyday.The Govt.format tabled & Shri Anna Hazare's objection are well articulated now.With the dimensions of India's geography & equally demography :the functioning anarchy called India is definitely  at churning point.....!!!!
In a country,the 4th estate & the intelligensia,not to speak of our political servants hold the sway to all panacea,it becomes a virtual reality to all problem solving mechanism.But,the gross truth is the Aam Admi is neither capable nor able to get a solution which is customized to its needs.The reason being,the general population is still powerless,speechless & toothless,for,it is still lagging in proper education & orientation.No,wonder,why,in the World's largest &thriving Democracy still people die of penury,poverty & a God sent Cold wave.India,needs to shrug off its casual & callous approach,as,is evident in the recent AMRI inferno,&,needs to be healed with missionary zeal.At least,a,handful of people are on the way....!!!shaking the bastion of our establishment.

....the 22mts call

...the 22mt call to Chhotu( Arindam Das) at Pondicherry this evening......with reports of Kakima's illness weighed heavily this evening. M.A in History from Cal.Univ.of yesteryears & Sangeet Bisharad she was as much a match for Kaku : late Prof.Arunendu Das.Whenever vacationing at Madhupur from Calcutta,we had the opportunity of meeting Tultul, chhotu,& Rantu their three children & had a great time.We used to share Pachak in used Benzylline penicillin vials,eat putush phol(gooseberry)from the Rly Qtrs hedges & share ghost & ghoulies stories.Also upon coaxing Kakima we were treated with her mellifluous rendition of ....ami je jolshaghoray...!!Close to his retirement from Bongobashi Evening,Kaku shifted his family to Pondicherry with close association with Sri Aurobindo Ashram.Kaku passed away :a Divine Death in prayer at Sri Aurobindo's room few yrs back. The fledgling family was steered by Kakima & now all well settled. So....when I learnt of her near terminal illness ,waves of  memory hit me.I alongwith Archana & Doel visited her in 2008 enroute home from Maldives.& I thank GOD for having done that when she was well.Between the two extreme posts of Life & Death the miniscule existence is a thing to be cheered ,amidst prayers on our lips here ,lets celebrate her Life......!!!however .....& whatever..!!!!!

Mystic Misty India

As the winter is well entrenched now ,the air is rife with freshness with a tinge of chill & ubiquitous aroma & flavors of fresh veggies,Til,Gudd,oranges & Burger points at various nook & corner....In Gurgaon,bullock carts are vending Gudd(jaggery) so much is the production.In fact,Winters in the Northern Plains are a riot of colors,aromas & flavors to savour.Winter is the time of fog,jackets,long coats which we long so much in Male',but can't,since,there is no winter.The tolerant nature of our mass is attributed to this change of season which,brings loads of sobriety & preparedness in our interactive faculties.The,Geography & Topography goes a long way in shaping the course of a civilisation & no wonder why India flourished & prospered since times immemorial.No wonder,why foreign marauders occupied our land after being attracted & addicted to it.India has so much to be seen,felt,touched & imbibed is incomprehensible.Despite ,the varied nature of our people spread along the length & breadth,I always felt that Indianess binds us together ......!!!!!

Holidaying in India....!!!!

23rd Oct was our day of crossing the Laccadive sea again for back home,with all of us in good spirits....only this time we took a train to Delhi with full family in tow.25th the day of our arrival was marked with a flurry of activity,in the form of Deepawali celebration preparation.Rahul & Rimmi joined us on Deepawali & after the Pujan & Prasadam we went on our respective social visits.Bhai Phhota followed a couple of days later & as in Rakhi earlier Doel anointed her Bhai :Nanu & I was again lucky to have Didi.These,festivities are for lifetime for all of us,but being expats it assumed greater Cognizance,since we miss these there as far as the festive atmosphere is concerned.
The reason for celebrating these festivities were in fact triggered by my further participation in the ongoing year long programme of  Ultrasonography ,having started on Nov8th 2010.This year the culmination were with the completion of the Color Doppler & ensuing certification exams.which started on 29th Oct & finished mid Nov.The entire course was mind boggling in it being exhaustive & nearly 700 scans done in the interim period in Maldives came as a solid applied support for ultimate coneptualisation & better understanding of the subject matter.I really offer my thanks to my teachers,peers, & my Hospital for making it come true.
The year 2010,saw us visiting Sri Lanka in June followed by our 31st Oct trip to India with the training commencing,just after Deepawali.4th Dec'10 we were reunited at Madhupur,on account of Rahul & Rimm's marriage,thinking what a way to complete the Year with so much done & achieved & seldom thinking that 2011 would also follow suit in a whirlwind fashion......!!!!! 2011  was an year which began from where we had left....! Jan Dep.for Maldives only made us arrive again end of Feb to attend yet another wedding of Shweta(niece) & Sumit. The flurry of activity in the marriage,managed wonderfully,& a mega reunion with kith & Kin was a notable highpoint. Then the dep for Tirupati & subsequently Male' with Ma & Didi in tow was also another highpoint...!!!!2011 also saw the highpoint of professional career & terribly busy were the days there.March toJune saw us tour few resort Island & August culminated in a new Car....!!!!!!ending a long search & wait .Driving Test Theory I flunked coolly in the 1st attempt but passed with good grades in the 2nd !!! Since,I,had a difft.zone license of one of the Southern Atolls, I,was spared the Driving test.But,the toughest part was to marshall the Nissan sedan in the insane traffic conditions of Male',a city of goalhis(narrow alleys)& reckless bikers!!!! Nevertheless,it brought lots of Cheers amongst family & friends alike.
The Rajasthan trip of Ajmer,Jodhpur & Jaisalmer was a long time promise to visit the land & Archana & Kids had taste of all classes of Indian railways,the toughest being the passenger train ,general compartment trip from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer,the dust & rugged terrain they experienced thru Ramdewra & Pokhran,enroute Jaisalmer is eked in their memories,This time Archana,&Doel could enter Kwaja Moinuddin Chisti's shrine along with Nanu,in having failed last time due to heavy rush in Urs & Doel just 10mths of age,at that time.Umed Bhavan Palace & Mehran garh fort of Jodhpur along with Sonar Kella(Golden Fort)of Satyajit Ray at Jaisalmer & a trip to the desert & camping were probably the best we could ask for to end....!!!!The nearly 1000yrs structures of Marwar(Rajasthan) in such audacious hostile condition as latest as of today,not to speak of what it was in those times bereft of all modern communicabilty & Connectivity ,only speaks volumes of the spirit of the people......!!!!!we, as , a family bowed,took adieu,promising to return again..!!
Ma, being a septagunerian,& Didi her shadow,I had the privelege of taking them back to Madhupur,so as to enable & facilitate her stay with Chhordi(Chhoti Didi),for a few mths to come,she having spent nearly 30yrs of her youth there & we our childhood,the place has a significant place in our hearts akin to a pilgrimage....!!!! With our flying back on 11th Jan2012 to Male' &2011 will be remembered as an year where we had a great time ,with friends,family ,kith & kin & a sense of Mission Accomplished personally........!!!!!!!!

Maldives is a tiny country of just over 3hundred thousand populace,scattered in nearly 250 plus habitated Island in a total of 1900approx island most of which are un inhabitated making it a huge country for administration.Since 1980 country has been making rapid stride towards modernity in a mixed populace of indigenous & Expats & tourism community.Rojnamcha is an humble attempt to reconnect to the world & being a part of the strong Communication network which we all have now despite geographical adversity.

Rojnamcha is happy to have  been linked to face book for happy perusal & viewers convenience.

Today is Eid here & people are solemnly celebrating. Being a Hindu & as vast expanse the Hindu mindset is as is the Ocean in front of us we imbibed everyday of Holy recital routinely in the just concluded Ramadan & feel the tranquility that has set in.

When the mind is supreme & ageless ,intellectual spiritual gains are therefore priceless.

This Oct & Nov & dec the kids will be exposed to their philosophy of being a Hindu when they reach India & partake in Temple visits & festivities. Hinduism is just not religion but being identified with centuries of Indian civilisation.I think as demonstrated lately Bharat mata & Vande mataram are within us deeply ingrained & stand for anything that is just & kind.I think our civilisation is omnipotent & indestructible.

And as infectious ,righteousness is, banners are here at important Red lights crossing. in Male'today which says Qoute Unqoute ..." we voted u for Change...& not for promoting Corruption  ".Yes truly Maldives is no exception and lots of cleansing is to be effected. Labour Laws are flouted & sporadic human rights abuse are there,with defalcation of funds routed from international channels.

Still ,I must say,with the ushering of democracy recently all valid norms are being suggested.