......On this Spl. day....!!!

....9th Nov.1962 Morn.....as the ClockTower ticked feverishly in a busy Baidyanathdham Devghar four square.....my Ma, was having tough time negotiating with the labour pain & complications for my deliverance : her fourth child, in the nearby Civil Hospital.My elder brother nd two elder sister were at home having been taken care of my Pishima(Aunt frm Calcutta).....Dr Mrs Konar was pressing & working hard for a difficult situation enough to trigger the panic button of my father who loved his wife immensely....there in the hospital corridor our local Panda(Priest frm the BabaDham temple) comforted him with mantras of well being nd commitment frm my father for one maund of Rice,one Gold nd Silver Trishul each of 10gms in the name of Lord Shankar,the presiding deity in the famous temple ,stones throw frm the Hospital....my father prayed hard with the commitment chants of our fmly priest....as the clock tower Hr hand reached 9 nd the minute hand at 32 ...Lord Shankar...Baba Baidyanath heard his prayers....nd I was born healthy with minimal damage to my Ma....instantaneously I was christened as Shankar.....much to the joy of the fmly....nd tumultuous times it was with Indo China war of 1962 in progress with Ladakh nd NEFA(NorthEastFrontier Agency),now Arunachal under severe attack....a fledgling newly gained freedom under strain.....amidst this constraint there was a ripple of happiness.....my elder brother 5 1/2 yrs of age marched in with a stylish cap nd a customized coat nd pant, shook hands with the 'Lal Bhai' as my sisters called me but was not too amused for the uninterrupted attention he used to get, got divided nd his child like brain could quickly sense tht....he hving born in native place in our haveli nd being a son born was celebrated immeasurably by my Grand parents nd community....nd here I was born in tumultuous times in a civil hospital.....yet the attention frm my sisters peeved him....it took a long time for him to realise tht he was not the only one for whom Bapi nd ma wud get things.....even til date my obeisance to him is highly guarded nd his suzerainty still I accept....my early nascent years in the temple town with the Clock Tower, the narrow alleys,the fragrance of the peda shops the bel patri(wood apple leaves :3 leaves in one stalk)nd marigold scent in the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord,the rituals  engraved in my soul....the sublime clime of the Santhal parganas, my parents unflinching devotion to the fmly ,grew me well ....I salute nd Re salute thm for whtever I recd. in this Birth.....!!!!!!

......festival of lite nd hope....!!!!

As the year in its terminal stage, there is definitely a thaw, .....moments of recollection & evaluation......the system crash at home gets resurrected.....nd purposefully delayed , to hv a taste of having have to lose something so vital & important.....now tht we r in the know of importance of things ,we intend to appreciate nd utilise further nd not take anything for granted.....the remote land has taught us this.....!!....even the half chilly got saluted this brkfast nd not disposed....for 7yrs ago we learnt in Laam Fonadhoo...... far south....near Equator......how imp. it was..... for want of it....!!.....our appreciation of Gurgaon & Bangalore gets augmented year after year on annual leaves..... nd our unflinching love towards Homeland 1 remains intact, though ,Male', the Capital has no dearth of any thing nd u don't miss anything.....including Fish frm Riverine Bangladesh....Jamir wud call me aft the arrival of fresh consignment & diligently will I fetch for the fmly....Doel is wary of the fish bones, but Arnav is a cat....!!....the year has been fabulous with rain God's still showering....driving back home in the rains aft a long long day....with Kishore da in ful cry of his rendition "......RimJhim Girey Sawaan...Sulagh Sulagh Jaye Mann....Bhige aj is mausam mey ....laage kaise yeh agann....!!!!...."....the inexplicable balm over the tired self....!!!!....Archana arranged a fabulous Diwali for us with her Hand made Diyas nd Rangoli nd typical Bihari Diwali fud made us feel at home......we take this opportunity to wish fmly nd frnds a very prosperous Happy Diwali...!!!!!

......The Festive Month is here....!!!!

.....finally the air is rife with impending festivities...with us unable to make it this time to Homeland 1...we r doubly alert to be in touch with fmly nd frnds far flung lest we miss the essence of these festivities....Panchami today here is witnessing quintessential sprucing up of our home for Devi Durga's arrival in the Palanquin tomorrow @ MahaSasthi....whn the "KolaBou"(Banana Tree draped in Ritualistic Saree" Pujan will be held in Evening in the numerous pandals thruout India especially Bengal ,Bihar,Assam,Odisha states of the Union...being an Expat. its time to narrate the stories related to the Puja to the children whose lives r a bit difft. as to wht were ours during these days....!!!....both Nanu & Panu r well versed with mythological characters of the Mainland thnks to Archana's efforts...nd hv lot of interest in Pujan too,mimicking our daily practices nd efforts...."BangaliNet.com" is our service provider with all details available nd possibly ..e-Pujan also available as Anjali, Arati nd usual timings....above all the recipe is thr for Archana which will be difft. frm the routine this week....its the purity of thougths nd efforts tht count to make the festivities a success....with time now to re establiosh old contacts,exchanging of Greetings ....we surely will go on the overdrive.....with Chhoti's arrival frm Abu Dhabi today(Niece) its a truly icing for the kids who r waiting patiently for her...we hope to be in Diwali nd Chhath festivities nxt mth @India nd make gud any loss tht will be incurred here if at all any....!!!.....its gud feeling again to be back in business of writing this update...!!!...Till then "Happy Durga Puja Festivities"....

.......Come September.....!!!!!

......Sept is the month to watch here in terms of its huge significance of the Run off to Presidential Polls in mth.end......the formations of 7th instant now narrowing to a contest between the clear cut winner MDP(Maldivian Democratic Party) & Runners up PPM(People's Party of Maldives). Internationally the first round had been eulogized in the exercise though few allegations & complaints r thr, as it is in any part of the world.....Freedom is an attribute which has cut across countries, language, economics, nd however & whtever its the most cherished parameter of modern existence :... exercising ur vote.....the jauggernaut  of Democracy is rolling thruout the world nd this tiny nation is no exception.....the patient long serpentine ques nd nearly 90% turnout in the first round is indicative of the popular mood of Freedom, independence nd self reliance....Long Live Democracy....!!!!

........Festoon & Placard time here.....!!!!!

......1st week of Sept will witness Presidential Elections here, a huge step for a fledgling democracy.....all preparations r on the way nd 50% in First round will see a candidate win....or else 2nd round in 2 weeks time will be called for....there r four formations here with Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), The Peoples Party of Maldives (PPM),JumhooryParty(JP)& its Coalition & a Coalition of Current President including Dhivehi Raiyetunga Party (DRP)......multiparty elections were held for the first time in 2008....Maldives Islands have all relevant Institutions in place nd people by nd large r oriented nd excited to participate in the elections.....the gud thing here is all activities related to meetings nd rallies r in Evening aft. the days wrk for most people....it doesn't disrupt normal life...but the evenings r long hrs...often late nite.....tru 2 the Idyllic Island atmosphere of sea breeze nd cool atmosphere......!!!!!

....Eid Mubarik....!!!!

.....with festivity in the air....I can already sniff the winds of change,  as to the year,  with Eid in August & Durga Puja in October....these festivities r imp.for the huge subcontinent populace....transgresses all barriers....for the Current Golden moment :its Eid Mubarik frnds!!!.....the mth long obeisance culminating in the Celestial Crescent of hope, joy nd magnanimity....with traffic off the streets the age old practices of meeting nd congratulating each other....the laid back nd thread bare interactions on the way thru the streets...!!!...thru out childhood, my Father being a public figure, people used to visit us on the day with gifts, blessings nd Food packages deliciously prepared....nd my Mother equally reciprocating....being staunch Hindus, never deterred us frm mingling into the festivity a hallmark of our tru ancient civilization.....as the Indian railways of this part ,had a sizeable Muslim employee strength especially in the Operating side with the Loco Running Staff with its Drivers, Firemans, Foremans, Fitters, Shunters.....so whn Azim Driver used to call on us with an entourage ....nd a big "...Salaam walaikum....!!! " .....we r witnessing a regular scene of bonhomie, brotherhood ,mutual trust nd respect...the Trade Union Leader in my father was worshipped like a deity...& Das Babu was a household name in tht community....on Dussehra on Bijaya Dashmi day we wr witnessing the same scene at home with Azim nd his entourage well ensconed.....!!!!.....the Christian community was not far behind, with the likes of Peter Saheb,O'Neil Saheb, Anthony nd Paul Hansda all sr employees intermingling with us on many a festivity....the Church at Carmel Convent nd St.Columbas truly imparted a cosmopolitan culture to the Santhal Pargana Town known for its gud weather,water nd tourism in as many as numerous Resort like Villas dotted the landscape of Madhupur....!!!!....my compulsory invitation @ Panama House on Eid Day to meet Shahid, Sarfraz nd their parents....the sumptuous lunch, the mild mannered warm reception had already beginning to open newer vistas of acceptability,comradeship nd cosmopolitan character, a tool, which has come in so handy,....even far far away....... whn I think introspectively....!!!!

...Close encounter ......with a date......a date to remember....!!!!

.......my mother appeared cheerful today as I rang her up in the wee hrs as Arnav had to seek her blessings on account of his 4th B'Day......the little fellow a gushing rivulet now in terms of his narrative & exploits ...his current aquisition of Toys....Dirghojeevi  hou, Nikhut,Nirogi theko( meaning Long Life,unblemished nd Healthy Life) was her standard wish frm times immemorial percolating on us...!!!....when I spoke of my Late Father's Death Anniversary :also today.....she told me how strongly she feels of His presence in Arnav....reconciling death with birth....loss with gain....!!!....today being a Somwari of Sawan nd a wrkin day the In house celebration & rituals r performed....with coming Friday slated for the party....which he has accepted gracefully....both Archana & Me r Happy ......the Maldives Sun & Breeze in gud stead.....the Children growing up alarmingly.......We thank the Lord for his bounty....& giving us a reason to live.....!!!!