Heaven - Its here.....

There is a famous dialogue “If there's heaven/paradise on earth, its here, its here, its here.” I found one such heaven a few days back. Why found? I have been going there for ages. But it took me a long time to realise its real worth. If you are wondering what I am talking about, then don’t worry. I will reveal the address shortly.

About 12 kms from Panaji, the capital city of Goa, there is a small town called Mapusa; a place known more for its market of cloths, silver, etc. Once you go around a few narrow lanes, so narrow, that even a slight mistake could lend ur car into the ditch (I have screwed up my car when a friend mis-judged the road completely), you reach an old and rickety theatre. Around it, there are various eateries (Taparies would be a better word). There are more stalls than the flies in the area. But in this mess, once place proudly stands out – BAPPA’s Juice Centre. No signboards, No neon signs. All you can smell is chicken, omlette and fruits. Bappa doesn’t serve you all of this, but his shakes and fruit plate has the magic to heal many wounds. You may be tired, depressed, frustrated; one fruit plate coupled with “Adsar Shake” (Tender Coconut Milk Shake) makes your mind refreshed. If you feel I am overdoing it, then “Pehle Istamal Kare, Phir Vishwas Kare”.

 

WARNING: If you are fussy about ambience. then u better stay away. U will find that fruits are flocked by flies. However, if ur priority is good taste over everything else, this is the place to be at.

 

If there is heaven for food lovers, then its here, its here, its here!!!!!

 

Life..

Life, like love, the word has always invited various reactions. Some say, life is beautiful (whether they believe it or not). Some say they are working hard so that they can be happy towards the end of their life. Some just can’t wait for it all to end. You may wonder, I often did, how one word attracts views that at times are poles apart. But then not too long ago I found the answer. Or did I? It could be that I have learnt to compromise, learnt to bury my likes and wants, or it may just be that I have become more practical. The last thing I should do with life is to crib about something I don’t have.

While growing up, I learnt quite a bit from my father. Not that I implemented all that in my day-to-day life. Sometimes I even thought that some things he said were irrelevant in today’s world. I counter-advised him to change with the times. All he did was smile. May be he could foresee that one day, I will return to him and say, “Dad, you were right!!!” Today, I do that, more often than not. His pet advice for me was – “I complained having no shoes, till I saw a man without feet”. While I was in school and dreaming to be a very rich man someday, I used to feel that my father never had any aspirations in life and that’s the reason he is so negative. I used to tell him “to achieve something in life, you must have a goal”. He would candidly reply saying, “That’s not the end of life. If you fail, rise up again. But you can do that, only when you give yourself a chance of loosing. You might have a distant goal, but while attaining it, you must not forget to enjoy life.” I would never allow him to speak further for the simple reason that it made no sense to me. Dad too, never forced his views on me as he was sure that he would have the last laugh. He wanted his son to be confident but not over-confident and would often end up saying, “When you think everything is lost, the future still remains.”

The biggest turning point in my life came when I decided to quit my first job. I just could not work with that firm any longer. And then, I started worrying about my options. It was then, when I got an advice from a very senior person in our family that he said to me, “The moment you stop running after money, money starts following you.” He asked me to do what my heart prompted. Today, I don’t regret the decision I made.

Time is the best medicine for all our wounds. May it be our studies, job or family life; we need to give our self some time and have faith. Together, they contain the power to make everything happen. Lots of self-belief and a tinge of carelessness can be the real mantra to success. What I said might sound a bit weird to you but then, that’s what I feel. And instead of basing my thoughts on somebody else’s views, I speak my mind out. Trust me. IT HELPS.

Life often leaves us at crossroads; I have “been there, done that”. You may feel that I relate everything to my own past. But then I believe that a person can understand life only with his own experiences. After I did my schooling there were plenty of guides for me. My professor thought I should go for Arts because I had a flair for history and literature. My friends always wanted me to be an Engineer because of my inquisitiveness towards mechanical devices. But to the surprise of all, I opted for Commerce. Some thought I would regret it some day. Till date, I feel that it was the best decision I made. I went by my instincts. I used to often worry about what would be the future action plan. Years went on. Worries never left my mind. From school to higher secondary, then to college and then post graduation. After all this was done, I was set to work. Today, I realize that in the process of worrying about the future, I ruined my present. I want the time to come back. I want to spend time at the Sinhgad fort in Pune. I want to stroll down the college street, one last time. But I know I can’t. The schedule, which is packed forever, doesn’t allow me to even plan a holiday in the subsequent month.

Live your life in the present. Realise the worth of everything around you, before it is TOO LATE!!!!

- Giriraj

Nano in Gujarat - Time to look at Mr. Modi differently....

Finally, the Tatas said Ta-Ta to Singur. Bengal's loss could have been anybody's gain. States were fighting against each other to grab the plant. But in the end, it was swift moment of Modi Government which turned the tables in Gujarat's favour. Within days of initiating the process, the Government was ready to hand over the land for the factory.

Now, Mr. Modi should get the credit for the same. The immense benefits that the project will bring along cannot be neglected. Mr. Modi should now be perceived as a man who has been able to deliver. A person who had seen the dream of a "Vibrant Gujarat" and has turned it into a reality.

Please. There is more to the man. Don't snub him by calling him a dictator, communal and what not. If at all he has done anything wrong, he can be forgiven for the kind of progress he has brought to the state. We need an administrator like him who is honest. A top official of the RSS had once said "you may call Modiji communal, but don't call him corrupt".

The aura around the man is certainly inspirational. I hope, someday, a leader like him will head this country. Every human being has his plus and minuses. But instead of having an inefficient PM (coupled with a more useless Home Minister), we would be rather served better, if we have a more assertive person at the helm of affairs.

The pseudo-secularists will hate me for what I have written. But then. Who cares???

- Giriraj

Another Poem.. (For my mom's 50th Birthday)

This poem was written in the year 1999, when I was barely 15 years old on the occassion of my Mom's 50th Birthday.

मी इयत्ता बारावित होतो। लोक म्हणायचे हा मुलगा साहित्याच्या क्षेत्रात नाव कमवेल। झालं मात्र वेगळंच। अत्यंत मोक्याच्या क्षणी मी कविता सोडली। कारणं अनेक होती, पण असो। आज त्याच्याबद्दल न बोललेलच बरं। कही व्यक्तिगत गोष्टी स्वतापर्यंतच बाळगाव्या।

१९९९ साली, म्हाज्या आईला ५० वर्षे पूर्ण झाली। त्या निमित्ताने लिहिलेली ही कविता। तेव्हा मी केवळ १५ वर्षांचा होतो। त्यामुळे कही चुका अपेक्षित आहेत। कृपया त्यावर दुर्लक्ष करावे

स्थल: म्हाजे निवासस्थान, नेवरा।

आज आईला पूर्ण झाली आहेत वर्षे पन्नास

प्रत्येकाच्या जीवनात असतं आईच महत्व खास

जीवनात आईंशिवाय कुणाचेच हालत नही पान

म्हणुनच मिलतो आईला जगभरात मान॥

आज सांगणार आहे मी तुम्हाला म्हाज्या आइबद्दल दोन शब्द

ते वाचून तुम्ही नक्कीच व्हाल स्तब्ध

किती करू मी म्हाज्या आईचे गुणगान

तिला आम्ही तिघे आहोत अजुन एकदम लहान॥

सर्वत्र लागतो आम्हाला आईच्या मदतीचा हात

तिच्यामुळेँच करू शकतो आम्ही जिवनातील संकटावर मात

ती झटत असते दिवसभर आमच्या पोटापायी

देविचेच दुसरे रूप आहे आमची आवडती आई॥

- गिरिराज पै वेर्णेकर

A poem...

॥राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ॥

काही वर्षांपूर्वी एका ७ दिवसांच्या वर्गाला लिहिलेली ही कविता...

स्थळ: सानपाडा, मुंबई
प्रसंग: प्राथमिक वर्गाच्या रंजन बैठकीसाठि केलेली कविता

निवेदन: ह्या कवितेमद्द्ये काही जड़ शब्द आहेत। परन्तु मी सर्व शिक्षकांना विनंती करतो की त्यांनी ते जेवणासोबत पचवून घ्यावे!

त्रासच त्रास आमच्या वाटी आले
परन्तु त्याच दुःख नाही कारण
मित्रच मित्र आमच्या ताटी आले॥

सकाळी मुशी आनी जोशी, दर्शन देत होते,
दक्ष-आरम, पदविन्यांसाचे धडे घेत होते।।

घरी मटन मछीच खात होतो,
इथे पाला पाचोलाही पचवत होतो॥

एक मागुन एक दिवस, आम्ही मोजत होतो,
दिवस कसे सरतील ह्याचा, विचार करत होतो॥

सात दिवस फ़क्त शाळेच्या भिंती,
बाहेर जायचं म्हटलं की मुशिंची भीती।।

पण आज उमगलं, आम्ही किती चुकत होतो,
खुप चांगल्या गोष्टी, आम्ही इथे शिकत होतो॥

उद्या आपण आपल्या घरी असूं ,
एकमेकांची आठवण करून, गालातल्या गालात हसू।।

- गिरिराज पै वेर्णेकर