The Joint Family *

After the beautiful and touching blog "Happines", I was not really sure what to write from my side.But, I have to continue blogging......
Hope you like this......

We were fourteen brothers and sisters all together.Well,we were actually cousins but lived in one big house !
And when my Aunts visited,we would be a whole bunch of twenty-seven cousins. Of course,the older would form their own group,but that did not stop us younger ones from having fun.We were like one big team sharing all the good and bad times together.The festivals and joyous moments were celebrated and shared with great alacrity and happiness. There were some sad and tragic moments which brought us all even more closer.With brothers and sisters of all ages to interact with,we learnt and experienced different aspects of life at an early age.

Living in a joint family has its own advantages and disadvantages.I did not see many disadvantages and happen to recall all the happy times especially during the summer vacations when we had lot of fun together.The heat never seemed to bother us children during those days.The entire house seemed to be echoing with fun and laughter.

The carrom-board championship used to be the most popular and boisterous event. There would be a big fuss, heated discussions,anger,frustration and one by one we would play and lose, leaving two finalists in the end.Another attraction in the hot summer months was the sound of the icecream man. Sometimes one of my uncles would treat us with all the icecream we could eat.We literally created a rampage with the icecream man struggling to keep track of the ones sold !
I cannot remember the number of times we tried to save the sparrow's eggs.Every time an egg would fall down the nest, it would become a project for us to place it back in its nest.I still stand baffled as to why the mother sparrow would renounce that egg and drop it again.This act made us sad ,but we never stopped helping and trying to save the fallen eggs.
Then,we would line up on the terrace all excited, ready to help the cousin flying a kite and battling in the sky with other neighbours.This was the most popular sport we had during those hot and humid summer evenings.We also played cricket,breaking glasss windows of other houses a few times.
Sometimes the heat outside forced us to stay indoors,but failed to lower our spirits.We played games with cards.We could sit for hours and chat,tell stories and jokes.We never missed watching cricket tournaments on television.Infact our parents,uncles and aunts joined us too making the house a stadium in itself.
And how can I forget to mention the times when some of us mischevious ones would creep into the 'prohibitted for kids' area and steal the goodies,choclates and pickles from jars and pantries? We would collect all relished snacks and have a picnic of our own.In all we remained busy having fun the entire summer.

Now that we are grown-ups, all that energy, curiosity, simplicity and innocence seemed to be lost somewhere back in time.I miss what I consider to be the golden era of our lives.But,we all still remain in touch with each other.Thanks to the internet ! Even though we live miles apart,we still remain as one big family, sharing our happy and sad stories regularly.

Happiness

Written by Dr. Anjani Kishore Prasad

To start with I am writing what I wrote on the 1st of January.

Jan.1st 2006
A couple of days ago Anjali suggested that I should write anything - thoughts, experiences, events, past and present. She said there is no dearth of subject. First start writing.

1st January is a day of resolution. What should I resolve? My health is failing, I am getting weak, my feet is edematous, I am anemic needing regular blood transfusion, and worst bowel upset.
...Still I have to resolve, one gets strength.

My first thought is positive thinking. Think positively for better life, with full faith and confidence in God. He will give strength, energy and confidence.
My second thought is love all, help all as far as possible.
Third and final thought avoid loneliness; keep engaged on something useful and fruitful. This includes exercise and reading religious books. With this aim I am going to meet this year.

16th March 2006
We have observed that elders give blessings to youngers by saying "Kush Raho"or 'be happy'.This tradition I followed yesterday during holi.Analysing, we get to the subject that happiness is essential for our life, and will keep us healthy,wealthy and wise.
The question is what is happiness and how we can keep ourselves happy.We look around and find that many of us feel happy in material gain, friendship, and luxury.We are really happy in amassing money,trying to keep without any thought of sharing with the needy.Life style and competion are other aspects we think is essential for happiness.But,there are persons who are happy in helping others, trying to bring some moments of life, food to the needy.During stress, illness and on difficult periods we take shelter of God to give back the life and his happiness.
There are ways, many ways,which we practice and crave to achieve happiness. Thus we find that anything and every thing we need for a happy life is within ourselves.

But basic question stands, are we really happy, do we have the inner satisfaction of peace and happy life.

If you are interested on this abstract thought, please write.

Colour filled Season

Holi, the colourful festival of India is not just about enjoyment,dance,music, food,fun,laughter and colours,but also of friendship,love and celebration.Holi is about enjoying with friends and families.It is about celebrating the season of spring (Fagun).The colourful flowers of spring exhibit to the world that life is beautiful.And it is the pretty colours that bring happiness to the people.Imagine a world without colours !

The popular colours we like to play with in Holi are Red,Yellow,Green,Blue,Orange and Pink !
Red is the colour of fire and energy.Idols of Hindu gods of strength such as Hanuman and Goddess Durga are always seen dressed in red.
Yellow is the colour of sunshine which depicts happiness.Yellow indicates the arrival of spring.Golden yellow is the colour of the grains .
Green is the colour of trees and leaves.Green in other words is the Earth god has created.
Blue is the sky and blue are the rivers and oceans.The creator himself (worshipped as Lord Vishnu by Hindus) is believed to be blue !
Orange in the true sense for India is saffron,the colour of sacrifice and truth.
Pink is considered to be the colour of beauty.

From our very childhood we have been reading about the story behind the festival of Holi.Almost all festivals are celebrated as defeat of evil over good.Prahlad,a true devotee of God was planned to be burned in flames.Holika ,who had the boon of remaining unharmed by fire sat with little Prahlad in her lap in the fire ! The flames had no effect on Prahlad,and instead burned Holika to ashes,thus ending evil and leaving the people joyous.

Holi is perhaps the most colourful celebration in the entire world ! The people of India celebrate by colouring each other in vibrant colours ! This festival is an example to all the people to colour their world with bright colours,the colours of love and happiness !

Indian dream

Did you read Mr.Abul Kalam's Speech in Hyderabad?
(Read)

I think he is absolutely right.Most of us Indians keep double standards.Living in America I find most Indians very law abiding and efficient(including me).
But,the point to discuss is that the people here actually respect the law.The rules and regulations are so strictly followed that if you try to break them you will be punished whatsoever.We don't even dare to bribe the officers here afraid of the consequences.The nature to go by law is embedded in the minds of the people here.This is what is missing in India.
The rich and famous usually escape after their wrong-doings,the laws end up getting enforced only against the average and poor people.I am not saying that this does not happen in the US, but maybe just a few cases.

Also,I often think why the bribery rate is high in India?Maybe the salaries of the average employees are less to cope up with the ever increasing expenses of their day to day lives.
Or,they know they can easily get away as nobody cares to confront or question them.

As for the spitting paan and littering part unless the man is caught on the spot and fined by law officers,people might continue doing this thinking it to be their right to freedom !Try littering on the roads here in US and I am sure the people around you will call the cops or at least show their displeasure.

And for using commodities made in the US or other foreign countries, it seems to have become a fashion.I think most Indians are fascinated by the Bollywood style.Looking at the style of actors and actresses of Indian cinema what do we want? We too start going for foreign brands!

So, in the end I think the whole system needs revival.Of course the citizens should do their duties, but in return should get positive results from the government.India is already in the eyes of the World and I hope a new golden era would arise again in the history of India.I sincerely hope that India becomes a country where, people from other parts of the world would like to settle, and not vice-versa.I am sure every Indian has this dream and would like to mould the people and themselves as they dreamt.

A Man Of Caliber

Amit Kishore Prasad,
Founder of SatNav Technologies
Pioneers in Navigation, Telematics
and Facilities Management related products
(Face to Face)

At a young age he has attained much ! He continues to make his family proud.I would like to wish him all the best for a very successful future!