Yes, it is that time of the year again! March, board exams, winters silently slithering out and Holi.
For those who want to know a little bit about Holi,there was a demon-king named Hiranyakashipu who was very cruel and ordered everybody to worship him and not the Lord. However, his little son Prahlad refused to do so and continued to worship the almighty Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God. He tried hard to kill him but every time Lord Vishnu saved him. One of the sisters of the king named Holika had a boon to remain unscathed by fire, so she followed her brother's wishes. However, with this sinful act against Lord Narayana's devotee, Holika's boon ended and she was burnt to ashes, while Prahlad came out safe. From that day onwards Holi is celebrated as the festival of the victory of good over evil. Even today, bonfires are lit on the night before Holi in memory of the event and burning of the evil Holika. It symbolizes the victory of Good over evil.
SO, this is the one time of the year when I see an explosion of colours all over the country! People singing and dancing and eating, families coming together, smearing all the colours of gulal playfully on each other! Girls screaming with glee when beaned with water balloons and kids running around, and the parents running after them!! The old timers giving their infinite blessings with sweets to the younger ones. Water flowing everywhere, loud dance numbers playing behind, the scent of flowers and the streaks of colours like magenta, lime, bright yellow, turquoise shot in the air! 
However I think I am generally afraid of getting beaned with water balloons plus the quality of colours and the very hard work that needs to be done to get ALL that off of me. Call me lazy if you want, that this is the bottom-line for me!
Still, there is something very bright and positive about this festival. It is the death of evil and the supreme reign of the power of the Lord. It is a reminder that no matter how much evil tries to take over the universe, it will always be defeated. Goodness will always remain. Love amongst people will always remain. Faith will always remain. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renew sweet relationships.
This Holi, let us enjoy the wonderful positive vibrations and pray for peace to reign, for goodness to reign, for all auspicious things to happen and for the world to be a more peaceful place to live in.
We all come together in colours.
Its Holi !
My English Vacation
So im here in England almost in the 'middle' of my vacations now :((. I have been very quietly observing the culture here as much as i can from my tourist eye. Of course it is different living in another country and observing and living right through it.. er.. still i can humbly make a brief attempt at trying to understand the facade in front of me, since im here.. why not then!
It is a very beauiful country, very beautiful. There is more white-ness to see than i ever saw
(really!? who am i kidding ;) ), lush green pastures, typical english pubs, the fish and chips, riverside picnics, babies everywhere.. i swere every second woman in this country is pregnant right now! I see typical milking cows ( you know with the black and white patterns and the pink nose.. MOO to that!!)
All this along with modern London, with big maddening stores like NEXT, Clairs, John Lewis, Debenhams, BHS etc etc, Starbucks coffee, Costa Coffee.etc etc.. with London Eye and Big Ben looking right at ya!! You cannot escape those. Then my favourite SOUTH BANK. I could spend a whole day there, and another, and another, and another.. and another whole day. A perfect place for people who appreciate music and art. Of all forms. Live human statues, musicians playing on the street, tourists, dancers, concerts.. simply amazing! London by night.. you have got to be CRAZY if you missed that!
People are very polite, soft spoken and helpful. No nonscence, crass behaviour on the streets and DARE you violate a rule.. you are in for a hefty and regrettable hole in your pocket!
I have not heard a single car honking ANYWHERE. Better believe it and you had better have a very rational explanation for honking at someone!!
Every second person owns a convertible or an Audi. People in general are very well dressed.
If ' y'all ' girls here think you know fashion and are well dressed..... you better re-EValuate your self perception. um-hm! (Just like the americans isnt it!! hehe)
Without doing anything the women look fabulously dressed, no extra make-up, just a liner and gloss and thts it!! i dont know how they do it!!
Anyway.. this is just a lil glimpse of what all i saw.. some vacation time still to go.. more blogging later :)
Whats your lunch??
It is a beautiful morning. The skys are clear and the sun is out. The breeze is very refreshing!
I see the people enjoying the pleasant sun, some sit on the pavement smoking up their traditional bidis, following the religion of mentally stimulating themselves with the addictive waves of tobacco..
Some lying on the grass soaking up all the vitamin D that they can because they know its healing properties and some just by default!
" peshab karna mana hai !!"
It comes very naturally for human nature the do the very thing they should not be. Heh heh heh
THEN I see the our friendly neighbourhood NOT spiderman but our stray dogs! All of us are so consumed by our existance that we fail so see the other LIVING, BREATHING creatures that have been co-existing with us outside our oblivious universes.. Infact, they ARE in our universes, we just refuse to acknowlwdge their presence. In a really REALLY strange way I sometimes envy the peace of mind these dogs have, you know when? When I see them just lying around in the sun.. Without a CARE in the world, as if they are dead.. And they do it anywhere..! What free will !
and a sandwhich of cOSS.
