“And to be in that state of creation is bliss” says J. Krishnamurti. Probably this is why a true artist is so passionate about being innovative. Kumar Gandharva was such an artiste whose creative genius enthralled the music lovers for a period of more than six decades. His experiments and innovations not only enriched the Raga Sangeet but also revived Bhakti Sangeet and explored the fields of folk music.

CHILD PRODIGY:

Born on 8th April, 1924 in Sulebhavi near Belgaum in the state of Karnataka, Shivputra Siddramaiyya Komkali was gifted with an unusual talent at childhood. At the age of 7 he could reproduce the renderings of the masters of classical music like Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Pt. Vazebua with incredible perfection. He was affectionately nicknamed as Kumar Gandharva( the celestial singer), the name which was to shine with the brilliance of the full moon in the sky of Hindustani classical music.

Though Kumar’s debut album containing Ragas Durga(“Sakhi Mori Run Jhun“) and Bhairavi(“Shyam Sundar Man Mohan“) was released when he was only 9, yet the eleventh year of his life proved to be a great success. In 1935 first he performed in the All India Conference of Music at Allahabad in front of a large select audience of Pundits and musicologists including Aftab-e-Mausiqui Ustad Faiyaz Khan and the famous playback singer Kundan Lal Sehgal. Highly impressed Sehgal invited him to Kolkata to perform in a music conference. In Kolkata the young lad sang a thumri “Piya Bin Nahin Avat Chain” in raga Jhinjhoti and almost held the audience spell-bound with his remarkable perfection and control. Later in 1936 he preformed in Jinnah Hall of Mumbai and the concert was again successful. Next day The Times of India and other newspapers were filled with his praise and acknowledged him as “a future genius”.

GROOMING OF A GENIUS:

Kumar Gandharva found his guru and mentor in Prof. B. R. Deodhar, a doyen of the Gwalior Gharana and a disciple of Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. Under his tutelage Kumar not only learnt various intricacies of Khayal gayaki and other genres of Hindustani music, but also became an independent thinker on music. At Prof. Deodhar’s music school he enjoyed the privilege of meeting doyens of various Gharanas of classical music including Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Sinde Khan and Pt. Rajabhaiya Poonchhwale and listening to them.

On 24 April, 1947 he got married to a very beautiful girl Bhanumati Kans. A postgraduate from St. Xavier College of Mumbai, Bhanumati herself was a classical vocalist and remained the inspiration behind Kumar’s innovations. But she did not know that soon she would have to take the whole responsibility of the family on her young shoulders. Just after five months of their marriage her husband was diagnosed to have lung tuberculosis. The family shifted to Dewas in Madhya Pradesh for Kumar ji’s treatment. Bhanumati started working as Headmistress in a school.

It was appearing that the career of Kumar Gandharva had come to an end. He had to go through a very complicated lung surgery. But he returned to the world of music in 1952 with a very distinctive style of gayaki which was very much his own and a deep insight in music which he had developed from his study of folk music of Malwa during his forced confinement to bed due to illness. He joined classical music back to its roots of folk music and enriched both.

THE INNOVATIVE GENIUS:

Kumar Gandharva is regarded as a rebel of Hindustani classical music. But his rebellion spirit inspired him to experiment and explore the field of music. Instead of following the beaten path he preferred to discover new paths in the field of performing music. Though he always came on the stage with a new set of bandishes, yet his presentations of old bandishes were equally refreshing and enchanting. Also he created many new ragas including Malvati, Ahimohini, Gauri Basant, Lankeshree, Lagan Gandhar, Sanjari, Madhwa, Madhsurja, Saheli Todi, Chaiti Bhoop, Sohni Bhatiyar, Durga Kedar and Bhavmat Bhairav. In 1969 he paid his homage to Mahatma Gandhi with Gandhi Malhar when the Nation was celebrating the Birth Centenary of the latter.

In 1961 his beloved wife Bhanu passed away. It was a great shock to him. Later he married to Vasundhara Shrikhande. She was herself a classical vocalist and contributed selflessly in all innovations of her husband. In 1965 the first volume of the book ‘Anoop Raag Vilas’ containing 136 compositions in 107 old popular ragas, 17 his own and 12 complex ragas, was published. Kumar dedicated this to Bhanumati.

In 1966 he came out with a whole concert on the theme of the rainy season-Geet Varsha. It was an unprecedented event in the realm of classical music of the period. He presented this programme with as many as 18 compositions including khayals, thumris, tappas and bhajans. Then followed Triveni(1967), Mala Umajlele Bal Gandharva(1968), Geet Hemant (1968), Thumri Tappa Tarana(1969), Malwa ki Lok Dhunen(1970), Geet Basant (1971), Tambe Geet Rajani(1973), Tulsi Ek Darshan(1973), Rituraj Mehfil(1976), Gaudmalhar Darshan(1976), Tukaram Ek Darshan(1976), Surdas Ek Darshan and Hori Darshan.

He presented special concerts, each one devoted to his exposition of a particular raga like Malkauns, Bageshree or Hameer. Generally he showed different facets of a single raga with as many as five or six bandishes-traditional as well as his own. For him a raga is as dynamic as a living being and has different incarnations at different times.

Perhaps Kumar ji was at his best when singing devotional songs, especially Nirguni Bhajans. He presented bhajans of great saints like Kabir, Meera, Surdas, Tulsidas, Gorakhnath and Shivguru with unmatched skill in bringing out their meanings and creating an exalted devotional environment. Nirguni Bhajans whether it was “Sunta hai Guru Gyani” and “Ud jayega hans akela” of Kabir or “Bhola man jane amar meri kaya” of Gorakhnath will always remain all time favourite among his fans.

Kumar Gandhrva was conferred with many awards including Sangeet Natak Akdademi Award, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. Perhaps he was the only musician in whom people from other fields of arts such as writers, poets, sculptors, photographers, painters and actors took so much interest. This great musician died on 12 January, 1992 leaving behind his wife, one son and one daughter. His son Mukul Shivputra and his daughter Kalapini Komkali are well known classical singers and his grand-son Bhuvnesh Komkali has started performing in concerts and is a promising classical vocalist who can lead the light of this undying tradition of creativity and innovation in music.

Marathi songs depict the true nature of the culture and tradition followed in Maharashtra. This Indian state is known for its exquisitely crafted caves, forts, and palaces along with rich festivals and vibrant music.

Marathi music is recognized for its liveliness, versatility, and vibrancy that plays and influential role in the life of people living in the state. The distinct chord, astounding music, and the amazing lyrics strike every human heart and stir every soul. It is also known for spreading humanity, love, and spirituality.

In the early days, Marathi songs were restricted to certain musical instruments and few specific types but over the period of time, the genre has witnessed various advancements and improvements. New experiments are done using advanced instruments and technology whilst preserving the richness of traditional value that the songs deliver. In the present day, these songs also showcase the influence from western music and traces of music from the Bollywood that prevails in the state.

Marathi music industry is truly blessed with some of the most talented and outstanding music artists. The Indian nightingale Lata Mangeshkar has also sung various Marathi songs that have deeply touched the depth of every heart leaving a lasting impression. Some of the other outstanding singers who have contributed in the significant growth of this musical genre are Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Jatin Lalit, Ramlaxman, Ashok Patki, Milind Ingle, Dinnanath Mangeshkar, Rahul Deshpande, Sonu Nigam, Ram Marathe, Vaishali Samant, Kanhopatra Kinikar, and Pt. Jaggannath.

These singers and along with iconic lyricists and composers have shown remarkable contribution in the field. Some of the most popular Marathi songs that form a hot list are apsara aalo, jiv ranga, tu yena priye, ye ishq, pori tu kamal, jantar mantar ratila, vithala konata zendu, nusate nusate dole bharatana, aehuk padli thingi, sutalela ambada, de Dhaka, checkmate title song, sang ukase priya me, bakula namedo ghotale, and many more.

This long and unending list of soothing Marathi songs are continuously showing moderations and changes to suit the taste of present day youth. Nowadays, these songs are available in various formats like hip hop, rap, rock, and jazz styles. The charm of these songs is unique and the entire breed is deeply appreciated by many people in and around the state as well as the country.

It was a ‘Silent Night’ indeed when this beloved song was first composed. If not for a broken pipe organ, the world likely would have been without its most popular Christmas carol.

Perhaps it was that very silence that inspired the Reverend Joseph Mohr to pen those now-famous words in 1818. At the time, it was probably sheer desperation rather than inspiration that motivated him.

As Father Mohr prepared for Christmas Eve Mass in his church in the small Austrian village of Oberndorf, someone discovered that the church’s ancient organ was out of commission. With only a few days to go and the nearest repairman several days journey away, it appeared as though Mass would have to commence without musical accompaniment.

Feeling thwarted in his efforts to plan a memorable Christmas, Fr. Mohr set about to manufacture another plan. This was in the midst of all of his regular parish duties, including the blessing of a newborn infant. On this particular call, Fr. Mohr was suddenly struck by the words to what is now known as “Silent Night,” or “Stille Nacht” in his native tongue. Quickly, so as not to lose the lines that were rapidly filling his brain, he finished his call and raced home. Here he penned four stanzas, the first of which reads in English:

Silent Night, Holy night,

All is calm, all is bright,

Round yon’ virgin, Mother and child.

Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in Heavenly peace.

When he had set his words to parchment, he called upon his colleague, Franz Gruber, the musician who trained the parish choir. He managed to finagle from him the fact that, in addition to his organ prowess, Gruber was also a guitar player. Gruber emphatically informed him, however, that his guitar skills were less than proficient. Undeterred, Mohr presented the words to his new poem to Gruber. Rounding up a dusty, little-used guitar, the two men composed the song that would provide music for Oberndorf’s Christmas Mass.

It was unlikely at the time that either Mohr or Gruber had any inkling of the impact they would have on history. In fact, the song disappeared into near obscurity for a decade. It was then that “Silent Night” fell into the hands of the Strasser family of Zillertal Valley.

The four young, musically-trained Strasser children spent many an hour drumming up business for their parents’ glove-making business by singing in front of the shop. In a manner not unlike a modern talent agent discovering some secret talent in the unlikeliest of places, “Silent Night” was introduced to the Strassers. Rearranged from two-part to four-part harmony, the Strasser children were catapulted to instant renown with their rendition. Valley residents renamed it “The Song From Heaven,” since the Strasser children sounded so much like a choir of angels when they performed it. They sang so beautifully, in fact, the Strassers were invited to perform it before kings and queens.

It may have been a king who placed “Silent Night” indelibly on the lips of Christendom. King Frederick William IV of Prussia heard it sung some 22 years after the Strasser children began performing “The Song from Heaven.” Afterward, he declared that it should “be given first place in all future Christmas concerts” within the domain of his rule. Whether it really was or not isn’t certain. What is certain is that “Silent Night” breached King Frederick’s bounds to become loved the world over.

Last night in the open shippen

The infant Jesus lay,

While cows stood at the hay-crib

Twitching the sweet hay.

As I trudged through the snow-fields

That lay in their own light,

A thorn-bush with its shadow

Stood doubled on the night.

And I stayed on my journey

To listen to the cheep

Of a small bird in the thorn-bush

I woke from its puffed sleep.

The bright stars were my angels

And with the heavenly host

I sang praise to the Father,

The Son and Holy Ghost.

Young’s poem Christmas Day is very Christmassy poetry to say that the word ‘Christmas’ does not feature in it at all apart from in the title. It invokes in me a Christmas image of great peacefulness: a much more traditional and pleasant image of Xmas than the drunken consumption-fuelled frenzy that I’ve witnessed in the UK in my lifetime.

Reading the first verse conjures up an image of the newborn baby Jesus of Nazareth resting peacefully in the manger and the cows calmly standing there ‘twitching the sweet hay’. ‘Twitching’ describes a jerky movement, but I imagine the hay to be soft as a baby’s bed, and the cows to be gently twitching, otherwise they wouldn’t be tolerated so nearby!

I like to imagine that the poem is a first-hand account by one of the shepherds who visited the newborn Jesus in the stable and was wending his weary way home on the very first Christmas morning. But perhaps Young meant to depict Xmas Day many years later rather than the original Christmas Day! The Bible doesn’t mention that it was snowing on the original Christmas Day. It does snow in Bethlehem, but only rarely, and you never get thick snow that you have to ‘trudge’ through. Surely the shepherds wouldn’t have left their sheep outside, as in the Christmas nativity story, if it was snowing anyway! Nevertheless, the inclusion of snow contributes nicely to the Christmas feel of the poem, bringing Berlin’s song “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” and the dulcet tones of Bing Crosby to mind.

I myself remember trudging through crisp powdery snow on Christmas Day 1995 in Yorkshire, UK and I do recall it being very peaceful. The magical Christmas feeling was in the air even though there weren’t any people around. The streets were deserted: everyone at home with their families on such a special day.

The snow-fields in the poem are described, with lovely soft alliteration, as ‘laying in their own light’. It would probably have been quite dark if the birds were still sleeping, but one can imagine the magical light of the snow and bright stars. The softness of babies and whiteness of snow and stars is hereby contrasted with a prickly thorn-bush in the dark night. But this black/white dualism is instantly tossed to one side, the author, experiencing with wonder the interconnectedness of everything: himself, the bird, bush and night. Andrew Young is said to have been fond of walking and observing wildlife and nature (see http://www.templevillage.org.uk/temple/people_01.html ). It is not surprising that he wrote such a poem.

Young certainly identifies with animals, seeming sorry to have woken the bird from its ‘puffed sleep’. What a great and simple description for the bird! Through just one adjective we imagine the bird to have been fast asleep with all its feathers puffed up, and even perhaps having puffy eyes like humans do when they are rudely awakened.

The last verse rounds the poem off magnificently. I love the metaphor ‘The bright stars were my angels’. And the wonderful alliteration ‘heavenly host’ brings instantly to my mind’s ear a large army of angels singing along with Young. I imagine them to be singing praise for the baby Jesus, as well as the snow, the bird and the bush. The singing of praise in this poem may also perhaps be linked to the enormous relief of peace that will have still been felt at the time, the poem having been published in 1947, not very long after the end of WWII.

The structure of this Christmas poem is simple with the end of the 2nd and 4th lines of each verse rhyming. Taking into account the syllabic density of some words each line can be read as an iambic trimeter.

I look forward to reading other alternative and perhaps more thorough reviews of this poem.

Hope everyone has a peaceful Christmas!

Poetry clarifies life’s confusing blur with words and music. It is a surprising fact about human nature that we could perceive the existence of an imagined world alongside the real physical world. The real source of human creativity is poetry. Poetry reveals important truths about human life and the world. The poet meditates on our experience and the language of poetry allows dialogue as a free exchange of intimate thoughts.

Clearly Quintana’s poetry is rich with observational truths. As a great poet, he is the mentor who teaches a way of seeing and feeling. Think of Zorba, the Greek: “Zorba sees everything every day as if for the first time,” wrote Nikos Kazantzakis in his famous novel. The voluptuousness of living! The great poetry recalls us every time the importance of living. Quintana’s is hopeful, joyful, a great wit, gentle and a man of wide interests. The reflected irony is the hallmark of his style. He likes to express his sly view of things with epigrams like the following: “The soul is that thing which asks us if the soul exists.” As a romantic, his principal mode of expression is the lyric poem. He is able to write a classical sonnet and has the capacity to create a free rhythm.

Quintana was born in Alegrete in 1906, in Southern Brazil, a peaceful little town near the Argentinian border. His father owned a pharmacy and his mother taught French. During his youth years, he studied at the Military Academy in the capital of state, Porto Alegre. And after his parents died, he moved to that city. A journalist and translator by profession, he lived almost all his life in the capital, which he admittedly loved. Quintana wrote many books and translated hundreds of novels and short stories from English, French, Spanish and Italian into Portuguese language. His father was a conspirator in the Revolution of 1923. So, the family used to talk French in front of servants and household.

The sensitive and curious boy grew up at the time called Belle Époque. As a kid, he used to speak French and Spanish in the beautiful manor where he was born. His mother sang Castilian songs and recited poetry, while his father encouraged him to memorize and recite La Fontaine’s fables in French. The whole family enjoyed poetry. After the mother’s illness, the family was financially ruined.

At first glance, Quintana’s poetry reveals very little influence from his personal circumstances. A very reserved man, he used to say that all his life was in his poetry. Although, he wrote chronicles and artistic brief commentaries for the press, Quintana’ poems are his chief contribution to the Brazilian literature. Ranked beside Carlos Drummond, Manuel Bandeira, Vinicius de Moraes and Cecília Meireles, he is one of the best loved poets of his country.

Images are the visual aspects of the poetic message. The predominance of the family scene as a lyrical element is a striking feature of his work. In his compositions, the feeling of life and tenderness with which he animates the simplest things stands out: clock, portrait, mirror, pencil, little street, house, bedroom, shoes, boats, clouds, etc.

I believe that the great poets are like the multi-colored fishes in Ingeborg Bachmann’s poem: because they come into the world with a “mission of light”. Mario Quintana died in 1994.

Ever wonder what you’re doing in this business of writing? Wish you’d taken up something easier, like mountain climbing or bungee jumping or studying Russian? I know I do. Almost daily.

But, on the other hand, I wouldn’t change a minute of the years I’ve spent in this crazy writing life. Nor would I trade any one of the friends I’ve made who are just as crazy as I am for sticking to it all this time.

We all do precisely what we want to do. We find a way if we truly want to write.

Are you writing to make lots of money? Or, to be famous and appear on Oprah? Or do you simply want to write the best darn books and stories you can so other people will enjoy reading your words?

Accomplish the last first, and maybe the first two will follow, but even if they don’t, you’ve done something most people never do. Achieved self-satisfaction in a job well done.

Many talents go into creating a darn good book. Some are easier to learn than others. One thing’s for sure. We are either creative or we’re not. No one can teach us that. But we can learn to hone our craft. Probably one of the most difficult facets of writing is recognizing when we’ve found our voice.

Writers are like singers, they have distinct voices. The problem is finding and developing that voice. Like singers we have to practice, study our craft, find our passion, before we can begin to develop that voice.

Do you know why poets often make the best writers of prose? Because they, like singers, have developed a voice. Learn to sing to your readers, capture and awe them and don’t turn them loose until you’re finished with your “song.”

No one can teach you a writing voice, but you can learn how to search for it and recognize when you’ve found it, and having found it, you can strengthen it.

Your writer’s voice begins in your heart, your mind, your soul. It comes from your perceptions of the world around you, and those perceptions come from the lullabies your mother sang, the stories your father told, the way your family expressed love, joy, hate and anger. It comes from your own likes and dislikes, what you are passionate about. From all this you can develop a unique voice.

Let’s say you’ve created solid multi-dimensional and emotional characters, you’ve written the best book or story or article you can possibly write. It’s all there: fresh settings, crisp dialogue, a sense of place, conflict, a thematic focus, good pacing. The story is original and well plotted, with sub plots and interesting twists and turns. Surprises and foreshadowing that go hand in hand.

You’ve developed a rhythm, set a tone. Scenes and sequels present the reader with excitement and a time to relax and ponder what’s happened and what may happen. You’ve studied and practiced viewpoint until you have it down cold.

You’ve all read the master, Dwight Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer, of course, and so you know when and how to drop a corpse through the roof.

So why doesn’t someone buy your work? Why do you continue to get rejections? Or – even worse, you broke through the barriers, found a publisher and then your book just languished on the shelf. So why aren’t your creations selling the way they should?

More than likely it’s that you haven’t developed a voice of your own. A unique voice. You do not yet speak with an entrancing tongue. You have not yet learned what makes your story and the way you tell it absolutely breathtaking, unique to you alone.

Perhaps I can help you solve your dilemma. Before you begin to work on your own voice read and attempt to recognize voice in other writers’ works. Some are popular because they tell exciting stories. They aren’t even particularly good writers. But those with the greatest following are those with a distinct voice that involves the reader in great stories. Read until you can recognize the voice of those writers who move you.

To begin developing your own voice, first consider what you are writing about. Is it truly what you want to write, what you were meant to write? When you sit down to write, do you experience an unbridled passion?

If you can answer yes to those questions, then you probably are well on your way to developing your voice.

If the answer is no to these questions, if you dread making your way to that place where you write, have to force yourself to do so, or if you are confused and aren’t sure about your voice, here are some things you can do.

A. Rewrite passages from other books the way you would write them. Turn loose, don’t be afraid to be innovative, write down things you might never write ordinarily. As they say today, go to the edge. Be bold. Write the things you’ve always wanted to write, but never had the courage. Do this a lot for practice.

B. Read something you have written into a tape recorder, then go somewhere quiet away from your work space, sit in the dark and with your eyes closed and your mind open listen only to the sound of your voice. Oh, I know, isn’t it terrible? But get over your aversion and listen for the rhythm, the song your words sing.

Pay attention to inflections in your reading voice until you get a feel for the passage. Then listen again and try to think where you might change the pace, the tone, the rhythm, use a stronger verb or drop an adjective or adverb.

This is not editing, but rather adjusting the song, if you will. Exercising your writer’s diaphragm.

C. Now, rather than reading the passage, turn on your recorder again, and this time pretend you’re telling your story to an audience around a campfire. Let go and be inventive. Speak in your voice. Don’t look at what you’ve written. Include some dialogue where it might help, right off the top of your head. Create verbally. Now, listen to the tape and write down your story the way you told it, rather than the way you first wrote it. Do this a lot and you will develop a voice unique only to you. You will then write with an entrancing tongue.

I personally believe Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest gifts to American spirituality. He spoke passionately, he lived courageously, he challenged others to rise above their present circumstances, and to experience themselves and others in a greater and more loving way. His words sang out across our country like sweet notes of a deep and hidden truth. He walked with fullness and honesty, paving the way for others to do the same. He held up the light in the midst of great darkness. He dreamed a possibility that we are beginning to see blossom into a reality. Through one single man’s actions, an entire country has changed, and the inauguration of Barak Obama as the next President of the United States is the living proof that this is so.

So today, in honor of a great teacher, reflect on the following nine quotes of Dr. King’s, allowing his great wisdom to resonate in your own life in order to experience more fullness, richness and juiciness in the year to come!

1. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Positive situations can only spring from optimism. Peace will never be established through wars. And inner-peace will never be created through negative self-talk.

So many of us are kind to others, yet are cruel dictators internally. Practice speaking gently to yourself this week, like you would to a sweet, innocent child. Be compassionate and understanding. Be encouraging, excited, and joyful about all that you dream. It is only through a loving approach that the true enjoyment and richness of life can be embraced.

2. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Action is the missing step in so many peoples’ journey. Most of us know what we should be doing, yet do not live in alignment with those goals. Stepping into integrity, and moving forward energetically, by taking action – any action – is vital. Without movement, there is stagnancy. Nothing can change when standing still.

So take a leap. Make a decision about something small this week that you’ve been putting off. Once you take those first brave steps, life has a beautiful way of illuminating the road just ahead. With each step forward, the path will be revealed and your journey will unfold.

3. “Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.”

So often we get sidetracked in this country, and only hold the end-results of our endeavors in high-regard. But quite often I meet clients that are very outwardly successful and financially abundant…yet spiritually bankrupt. Many people are so focused on the prize that they’ll do anything to get there, forgetting to stop along the way to play, reflect, be grateful and smell the roses.

If we lived in a world where the only thing that was of any importance was in fact your intention, your awareness, your kindness or your faith, how would you stack up? What grade would you give you in the school of life?

The same principle applies in feng shui. It is not as important that your home look beautiful, but how it got to be that way. That you have reverence when cleaning. That you have joy when decorating. That you smile as you rearrange. Focus instead on how you’re BEING, rather than all you’re DOING… and you’ll be doing great!

4. “The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”

We tend to make choices about our lives in terms of physical well-being over spiritual well-being. We want to live long lives, and we have doctors and hospitals and drug companies to support those goals. But what if we were just as tenacious about our own joy and laughter? What if we fought to have meaning and love? What if we would do anything to feel passion, pleasure and playfulness each and every day?

The desire for longevity is based on fear. The other is based on love. In what ways can you begin to live a long and LOVING life? Bringing in even the smallest twinkling of lightness to your day will go a lot farther for your health and longevity than a trip to the doctor…

5. “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

When clients come to me frustrated or depressed, it’s usually because they have shifted their perspective inward, wallowing in the details of their own life. I’ve been there many times myself, as the human brain has a sneaky way of putting each of us as the center of our own little Universe. And while that seems like it would be a great thing, it also can wreak havoc.

When we shift our focus onto others, we not only get the experience of helping a fellow human being, but we also realize that we are not alone, others share the same struggles (or oftentimes, worse ones, and that the things we’re fixated on might really not be that important after all.

This outward focus also can bring a deep sense of satisfaction. When we live only for ourselves, there is a hollowness that develops. By holding to what we know to be true, and shining our lights for others to see, we not only enrich our own lives, but make a difference in the world – and this sort of experience always reaps far greater rewards than those done solely for our own gain. When you learn to light another’s lantern, you are also illuminating your path as well.

6. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

We tend to see ourselves as individuals, separate from the whole. We get concerned with our own needs, our own injustices, our own struggles, and our own desires. But if you look around, we are all completely interdependent. Every bite of food, piece of clothing, or car you drive has likely been touched by hundreds of other people. Unless we’re living off the grid, every move we make is linked to lots of other folks.

The same interconnectedness is found on an interpersonal level. Every time you meet another, you’re making an impact – either positive or negative. Every smile, grimace, compliment or hug ripples out into your home, your community…and eventually, the planet. Only when we begin to see each other as united, as cells of a greater being, as our very own selves, will we experience peace throughout the planet. Let it begin with you.

7. “We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war but the positive affirmation of peace.”

Dr. King expresses here a most important principle in the manifesting of any dream. Whatever we focus on, becomes bigger – and unfortunately we have a media that fixates on scandal, crime, violence and poverty. Take a look in your own life, your own struggles… Have the things you worry about most come to pass? Are the challenges you face those that you reflected on?

Take a look also at your triumphs. Were they things that you talked about, dreamed about or wrote about?

This week take a look at your wish list. How can you keep your eyes on THAT prize, and less on your worries? Where can you live “as if” your dreams already have come true, rather than grumbling about your displeasures? Where can you find room for improvement, and making loving steps to revel in all the good?

8. “Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

So… Are you a follower or a leader? Do you take what everyone tells you as truth… your parents, the papers, the priests and the politicians? Have you taken time to as YOU what you think? Have you put your hand on your own belly and sat in that silence, listening to the quiet wisdom within? Did someone once tell you that you weren’t pretty enough? Smart enough? Creative enough? Driven enough? Tall enough to have what you really want?

If so, where can you begin to take back your power and find your own voice and set your own path? Where can your spirit begin to whisper in your ear? Where can you find your own beautiful answers?

9. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

In a world full of flashy cars, high-profile celebrities, plastic surgery and get-rich-quick schemes, it’s easy to lose sight on the deeper aspects of the human spirit. When we judge – ourselves or others – on their appearance, status, age, ability or wealth, we lose sight of the truly beautiful parts of each one of our souls. Every person on this planet has a story, has hopes, has fears and has a heart if we open our eyes to see it.

If you’re only walking through the surface of life, I challenge you to go deeper. Take time out of your busy schedule to make eye-contact, flash a smile or offer a hand to your fellow man. Stop to ask your children what their lives are like, what they’re scared of, and what they long for. Ask your mate what they most want more of from you, and ask your neighbors how you can help.

Living solely on the surface makes for a very brittle life. So go deep, go deep… and go a bit deeper. There you’ll find the gold….

Travelers are going further afield in their quest to experience something new; Cambodia offers something new – and something ancient. From the mystic heights of Angkor Wat and splendor of the Royal Palace to the gorgeous Gulf of Thailand coast and Bamboo Island, you will find more than enough to explore. Cambodia manages to both satisfy your longing for something new and whet your appetite for more.

Cambodia’s most treasured, and most visited, attraction is Angkor Wat. The ancient Angkorian temple features five towers which stretch 65 meters in the sky, inspiring visitors with their grandeur and majesty. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is the ruins of what was once the largest pre-industrial city in the world, and their beauty is as haunting as it is striking. For millions of visitors, this is the highlight of their Cambodian adventure.

But Cambodia has much more to offer, and while a visit to Angkor Wat is a must for travelers, they will also find endless opportunities in the rest of this Southeast Asian nation. In Siem Reap, for instance, visitors can cap off a visit to the temples with a taste of Cambodian culture. Visit museums, theaters, the wonderful Angkor Silk Farm, Cambodia Cultural Village, Siem Reap Crocodile Farm, or Tonle Sap Lake, the world’s largest freshwater lake. Culture and history are intertwined with daily life, and you will be able to find many restaurants where you can not only taste the local cuisine but watch Apsara Dance Shows, which feature traditional Khmer dance.

Moving to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, the visitor will experience some of the country’s best restaurants. Sample dishes like Amok (curried catfish steamed in banana leaf cups), Num Chak (coconut and rice grilled in a Chak leaf), and Num Sang Khya Lpeou (pumpkin custard with egg yolks, palm sugar, and coconut milk). Fresh fish is a staple, and the capital offers some of the best catches. Here, you can partake in everything from golf and horseback riding to seeing local artisans in action.

Or you could simply lounge on one of Sihanoukville’s five beautiful beaches. More urban and modern than other parts of Cambodia, Sihanoukville offers swimming, sunning, boat tours, and trips to nearby islands, like Bamboo Island to help you beat the Cambodian heat. Enjoy the laidback atmosphere as you explore this wonderfully rich culture.

If you have been searching for a destination that will satisfy your need for adventure, beauty, and history, you have found it in Cambodia.

The River is indeed a complex poem teeming with visual images that are instrumental to create modernist poetic trappings including tensions, irony, obscurity, fragmentation, montage-like structure, ambivalence, etc. The poet A.K Ramanujan, with a modernist approach in his poetry, displays existential issues as he talks about the duality in relation to the past.

It is in fact a bit difficult to come to a definite conclusion as the poem is implicitly marked with the indeterminacy, making room for diverse interpretation from various quarters. The poem brings some quality binary structures like “new poets” and “old poets”; city of “temples and poets”; song of “cities and temples”; the flood in the poems and as people saw it; a “couple of cows”; pregnant woman with “identical twins” etc. into play in order to consolidate duality present in the poem.

The poem begins with a vivid description of the city Madurai, a city of temples and poets, simply spawning religious overtones along with creative impulses though the rest of the lines have something else to say. Ramanujan gives a stunning description of sweltering summer when the river Vaikai reduces to narrow trickle. The base of the river was then visible with straws and women’s hair blocking the rusted Watergates. The wet stones shone like sleepy crocodiles posing danger of slippery and the dry ones look like shaven water buffaloes lazing in the sun. The description of the scorching summer seems to create a wasteland devoid of activity and movement.

The poem is objective in mood as the poet employs an observer as poetic persona whose realization about human suffering in spate stands in sharp contrast to what the old poets and the new poets sang of the river Vaikai. The old poets refused to narrate the agony of human being in a rash. Rather they were at ease to romanticize the flood which in reality has carried away three village houses, a couple of cows – called Gopi and Brinda, one pregnant woman expecting identical twins with no distinction to tell them apart. The poets of bygone days would simply ignore such moving spectacle. On the other hand the new poets of today still quote their precursors contributing nothing new to the present generation. Apart from the grim realization of the rover, the poet hints at the creative barrenness of the new Tamil poets. The poet perhaps indicates a kind of laxity that grips the new poets and hammers on their lack of poetic sensibility to an extent or it might be that the old and the new poets simply took an escape route having fallen short of the mettle to write about the deplorable plight of common people.

The poem bears irony in every turn as the poetic persona observes how common people are interested to talk about the flood and the rising water level. People are scarcely concerned about what happened to the pregnant lady who was taken away by the devastating flood. Even they do not know who the lady was. However, they know the couple of cows called Gopi and Brinda. Ramanujan quite aptly nails such imagery in order to encapsulate the gradual disintegration of humanity. What he hammers on and on is how the modern world turns self centered assigning to indifference to mankind.

The poem concludes with the repetition of the 2nd and 3rd stanzas. The poet strives to knock several issues including lack of poetic sensibilities, dissolution of humanity, meaningless romanticism and most importantly callous commercialization. The poem is sarcastic in tone and a little bit clumsy in structure bearing by and large all salient features of modern poem.

MAKE IN INDIA

The concept has taken our nation by storm. Everyone wants a pie from it. Suddenly one and all want to be part of this great manufacturing revolution.

The assumption here being that we Indians are not using Indian manufactured goods and a la Gandhiji, we must revert back to our roots. Its yesterday once more and as Alisha sang in 1990s “… chahiye bus made in India”. Anyway, the good citizen that I am, I decided to accept this concept of patriotism in toto. Hence the project “home transformation” started.

The three basics, food, clothing shelter were the first to be given a relook. Food does not have any room for improvement. I challenge any nation of the world to provide more delicious “tandoori chicken” than our roadside dhabas. Wheat, rice, vegetables, all home grown (figuratively speaking) and oil, well Punjabis are addicted to desi ghee. Even western dishes like noodles (can anyone surpass our own maggi), pastas and breads are deliciously Indian. Chocolates, ice creams, sauces, jams, toppings, seasonings, cakes, cookies etc everything is being happily provided by Indian entrepreneurs. Indian products are also patronized by most of us as they are easier on the pocket than their foreign counterparts.

Our saris, Punjabi suits and best of cotton shirts; are grown, ginned, woven and stitched in one and only, India. Even Levi jeans are sourced from Indian producers. Indian hosiery products and Woolens are exported to western nations also. So there is no chance of any foreign influence on the attire also.

I decided to conduct a thorough audit of my kitchen equipment. Basic utensils made of steel are made from SAIL steel or Tata steel and nothing can be more Indian than that. There is a bone china crockery set from a reputed company of, as expected, India. Pressure cookers are again from a prestigious firm, lovingly bought be my husband, inspired by movie actors. And lo behold, there it is sneaking from the back shelf, an antique, china dinner set, made in London, gifted by my Mamu. I am unable to remove it and throw it away as, not to beat around the bush, it is expensive. I mull over the issue and then it strikes me that it is old and it was bought by my maternal grandfather on his visit to England in the year 1935. At that time India was governed by UK and hence there was no distinction as to India and UK. Logically that is also Indian. Now I can retain this with clear conscious

Traveling modes from the poor man’s cycle to space shuttle to Mars everything is Indian. Except when it comes to luxury vehicles, situation becomes grave. Considering the percentage of Indian population owning BMWs or Mercedes; this is not a cause for concern.

Our humble abode, made of bricks and mortar, produced and procured in India has no fancy state of the art objects, leaving us without any guilt feelings. The electronic products dotting the house have foreign sounding names but the research showed that these were also, surprise, made in India; except one. There is always a catch.

This word processing machine, calling itself to be computer was not manufactured in India and no prizes for guessing as to the country of its origin. If I discard this how will I keep the nation updated about such original made in India thoughts!