DURGA PUJA AT ROURKELA 2009

(PANDALS OF SEC-2, SEC-16 AND SEC-8)

Everytime I visit the pandals and idols at Rourkela, I feel special and a feeling of pride overwhelms my heart. This time was no different. The pandals of Sector-16, Sector-2 and Sector-8 will remain in my memory forever. Beyond the pandals and idols the festival of Durga Puja at Rourkela means much more. Its about the spirit that forces the people of Rourkela to come out of their houses at 11 0' clock in the night on Astami and Navami and visit the pandals. Its the spirit that unites all the people of Rourkela and the people forget their religion, caste, sub-caste and come together. In the presence of Maa Durga all are same, all are humans.

The spirit of Durga Puja creates fantasies in the minds of children. Children dream of different types of pandals and idols, they dream of the food items they will be having in the melas, they dream of the rides they will be sitting on, they dream of the different things they will be buying, they dream of the wonderful dresses they will be buying, etc. The festival ends with the bhasani of the idols but it remains fresh in the minds of these little Gods till the arrival of the festival next year.

This time during the puja I not only visited the pandals but was also able to meet many of my schoolmates. Most of them are well-settled. The memories of the time we spent together flashed back and we shared the pranks and masti we did in our schooldays. Many of them are settled outside Rourkela. But they try to visit Rourkela once in a year, mainly during Durga Puja. I asked them why are they still attached to Rourkela, as nobody of their family stayed here anymore. They told me that something attracted them to Rourkela. They even told me that I was lucky to settle at Rourkela.

Thus with my memories filled with happy moments and beautiful sights I move on for another festival called LIFE.

Michael Jackson .. trully a musical legend

The year was 1996 and MJ was coming to India. MJ fever was all around India and I too, though only 13 at that time, was very much caught in the mass hysteria. I remember my birthday that year, I was so engrossed in MJ's magic that I decided not to have my lunch until my Dad gave me 200 bucks to purchase MJ's History. I didnt know what was it that drove me to such rigidity but there was certainly something in his music. New to his music, I had some of my friends guiding me. There was Bad, Dangerous, Earthsong, Black & white, etc which made all of us wander at his musical genius. Some of my friends were good dancers and they liked to dance only in his music. For some of us MJ was synonymous to English music.

In 1996 when MJ visited India all of India was caught in his fever. Even my Dad who disliked him because of my birthday act, started listening to his songs. I covered his visit through the TV. But sadly I could not watch his show as there was less coverage in those times. But when I read the newspapers I came to know what a show it was !! MJ not only satisfied his existing fans but made new fans through his spectacular show. I covered his work almost till I was in class 10. His works always contained something new. Though surrounded by controversies, his music and his dance were certainly legendary.

The day I got the news of his death I was shocked. I hoped him to visit India once more and this time I would not have missed his show. I was certainly looking forward to some more songs from him. That day I kept on thinking about the things I had done to listen to his music and how I and my friends enjoyed his music. With MJ are attached many memories of my childhood and teenage. His absence will certainly be felt. MJ is a legend and his songs are eternal.

hey !! wassup

Its been long, really long. (5 months approx) Life has changed and so does the condition of the world, country and society. We seem to come out of the financial crisis, slowly but steadily. India has faced another general elections and boy!! what a result it was. My state, Orissa also went for the assembly elections and we all voted the clean Naveen Pattnaik back to power. May God give the strength to Dr. Manmohan Singh and Naveen Pattnaik to serve the people well.

Recently my grandmother told me that the Kali-yuga(the era of hate, volience, etc according to Hindu mythology) was at its end. I asked her the reason and she told that the increasing appearances of worms, rodents, cockroaches, etc and the frequency of calamities were the indications. I dont know about my grandmother's idea but certainly Kalki avatar is not yet visible. But since recently I am seeing good (Mr. nice guy) people getting highlighted. They are becoming leaders and they are not afraid of the bad, they are confident, bold and intelligent. It seems that the Kalki avatar has appeared in several forms and it will certainly finish bad, not physically but symbolically.

Well we all can become one with God, only if we inherit the characters of 21st century's Kalki. We got to stand for whats true, whats right, whats humane. We will have to inherit all the features of a rightful person or else we will stand against Kalki. One day or the other the rightful characteristics will overcome us. If these characteristics will not overcome us then the symbolical triumph of Kalki will not materialise and may be then the physical triump of Kalki will be unaviodable. The symbolical triumph is much less painful and sweeter than the physical triumph.