Holi, the festival of festivities:

^{It (this picture) looks like that of a garbage but is in fact collection of wood from the felled trees with their rough mass collected by the local people to accumulate as a big heap to be used as an open air bonfire around which the devotees from hinduism are to assemble in a large number marking the advent of spring season celebrating it as the festival of festivities. This takes place a day before HOLI and, believe as they do, a new year starts with this. There are several stories connected with the festival one of which says that Hirnakashyap, a power full demon, wanted himself to be worshipped as God (Vishnu) but he was opposed by his own son Prahalad who in turn was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, the God. Hirnakashyap wanted to get rid of him entrusting the job to his sister Holika (Prahlad’s aunt) who had the boon not to get harmed by fire. As per plan so designed with a religious ritual in the back ground she entered into the bonfire taking Prahlad in to her lap obviously with a pre  determined mind to get him burnt and killed remaining her self safe and alive as the fire was not to harm her as per the boon she had. What happened was just the reverse. It was she herself and not Prahlad who was engulfed and devoured by fire flames. Prahlad, a devotee as he was of Lord Vishnu, remained safe and intact without any slightest possible harm to him. What further followed was the killing of Hirnakashyap himself by Lord Vishnu. Solemn devotion thus prevailed over the evil and it is with this message that the festival is observed as Holika Dahan.}

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Innocently fearless

Hunters visiting forest with full paraphernelia boasting of their shooting capabilities is a common scene, most of them being poachers. They are abundantly equipped with arms and other accessories for the purpose. This exercise is normally for commercial purpose but there are people resorting to hunting as a move of chivalary on their part. In earlier days there was nothing like poaching and hunting took place normally to do away with a menace on account of wild animals including tigers or even wild dogs making intrusions in the nearby villages killing goats and other cattle and also injuring and killing humans mainly children. My father being on a personal visit to Nishangara range of forest on Nepal border, he was approached by the locals there complaining against such untoward incidents occurring very often with mention of one particular tiger requesting him to remedy the menace by killing it. My father was a sharp shooter and he took the job to himself. Accompanied by a few others he entered the forest in a bullock cart. The villagers had already given him necessary clues as to where the tiger could be hiding himself. Near the spot he targetted the tiger and fired from his rifle. It missed as the tiger was hiding himself deep in the den behind thickly bushes and trees. There was a big roar cleaving the atmosphere making every body terror stricken. A local shepherd who accompanied my father asked for a permission to enter deep inside the bushes and recover the bullet that was fired ingnorant as he was that once bullet goes out of the barrel it was a consumed item no more of any worth. My father lambasted him telling that the tiger is just a few yards away and how come he was throwing himself into the jaws of death. His reply was '..don't worry sir, I have this axe with me' to face the beast. My father was amazed but admired so brave and courageous a gesture on the part of the shepherd. This was by all means an innocent act of a great bravery which feature is not uncommon for the villagers residing close to a forest.

Of men and dogs

They relate to common men or celebrities, nature of quarrels is the same. Tug of war going on amongst star stalwarts in film industry like Aamir Khan, Shahrukh khan including even Amitabh Bachhan is a routinely known episode exchanging their blogs for the purpose. At times it crosses the limits of descency. Aamir Khan naming his dog as Shahrukh Khan for the purpose of ridiculing his arch rival King Shahrukh Khan. The pet dog is obviously supposed to be around his master at times falling into his lap or click his toes. This situation, ofcourse a normal feature with pet animals, gives a chance to Aamir Khan to talk about his pet this way 'Shahrukh is licking my feet and I am feeding him biscuits every now and then....'. Literally and factually he talks alright but the hidden target behind this throws a slur on Kingh Khan. Recognized as international figure and celebrities of a high status as they are, utterances like this are unbecoming of them.

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Reason for soaring prices ?

The top ruling forum in the form of cabinet ministers at the apex in India are supposed to come out with cogent explanations on different matters but what they very often do is just quixotically funny to meet their anxiety to answer the public questions with a novelty. One of the ministers telling that soaring prices are there because of North Indians consuming too much of rice, the other one replying that it is because of Indians living standard abruptly growing too high and yet the next one supplementing that the reason for soaring prices lies in some of the countries facing similar situations and that the problem is global. The scenario reminds of a joke concerning the then cabinet minister Sardar Baldeo Singh in Pt. Nehru's Council of Ministers. He was out on a tour and after he left Delhi miles back, his car driver found that the car stopped. The reason being that there was no petrol left in the car and when the situation was brought to the notice of the minister, his reaction was 'ok, let us go back'. No petrol, no travelling further but the minister very well could maintain as if going back was the solution. Strange are the ways the senior functionaries at times act and react.

She was an angel incarnate !

A serious doubt started lurking in the minds of the people including brother of Lord Buddha himself about his credentials and bonafides as a saint Divine after he returned on attaining enlightenment –the reason being his soft corner for a woman –none else but Amrapalli, the one who had no parallel in beauty but was forced by the then elder men in the society to lead the life of a prostitute.Her request to Lord Buddha to visit her palatial house was affirmatively nodded by him and this caused all hue and cry.Buddha,the Enlightened, addressed them and storm of suspicion was visible no where after he,who was by then recognized by everyone as the one capable of seeing the past,the present,the future,narrated about what Amrapalli was in her earlier birth as a bird and that she was the serenemost a person with noblest soul on earth.This was the bird that got perished trying to save others.Her physical apparel could be any thing but in her actions and thoughts she is the one thoroughly chaste and pure concerned always for others.
A miniatured version of the story runs like this:
One of the creatures in a dense forest with a river flowing in the midst of it was a tiny bird.Drought occurred with famine of high magnitude.Fire brokeout engulfing all. Total inhabitation was at a collapsing point with dwellers running helter skelter to save their children against fire which nearly engulfed them leaving no time gap for them to escape.Nothing was there and the fire was assuming aggressively aggravating proportions set to devour the entire forest. The bird started dropping herself into water in the river flying back fully drenched to the top of the trees fluttering her wings and squeezing water therefrom to soften the flames. The God of rains Lord Indra laughted at her calling her action as ridiculous pointing out how silly it was on her part to show audacity against mighty flames. Reply of the bird was ‘you and the other Gods have the capacity to play any havoc or if it so pleases you you can equally remedy it by causing rains but since you care damn for others on earth you would’nt do it. I as one have to continue my efforts to do whatever little I can till the last breath of my life’. In the process the poor bird accepted being reduced to ashes.