Setu 🌉 सेतु: संस्मरण: सखी

Setu 🌉 सेतु: संस्मरण: सखी: नमिता राय नमिता राय गोमतीनगर, लखनऊ कितना आसान है बनाना आजकल! पता चला कि ऑटोरिकशा की सवारी करते हुए आप एक चौराहे से दूसरे चौराहे तक पहुँचने म...

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नजरिया अपना अपना

किसी को तिल मे ताड दिखा,किसी को समुन्दर मे बून्द का सार दिखा ।  

किसी को धरा की आपाधापी ,किसीको अम्बर का सुकून।

किसी को दर्द दवा लगे ,  किसी को मुस्कान  वीषाक्त

किसी को सजावट  कृतिम लगे,

और सादिगी सत्य सी साकार।

किसी  को शोरगुल मे तनहाई दिखे ,  किसी को तनहाई मे शहनाई।

किसी को सावन मे विरह दिखे, किसी को विरह  मे ऋँगार की ललाइ।

किसी को मौन मे शब्दो की झंकार  लगे ,              किसी को वाचालता मे मूक सी मोनता।

किसी को दर्पण

मे सत्य दिखे,और सत्य मे असत्य सी कृतिमता।

किसी को आरम्भ मे अँत   दिखे,    किसी को अँत   मे आरम्भ।

किसी को जीवन सँघर्ष लगे,  किसी को सँघर्ष मे आनन्द।

यह तो नजरिया है अपना अपना ,

जो लहरो मे  हलचल  लाये या 

तरँगो   मे गँम्भीरता।

वाद विवाद टकराव ,मिलाप बदलाव सामन्यजस्य ,ठहराव ,

यही तो  है जीवन की लय ताल ,

जिसपर हम मयूर सा थिरके,                         पडे बरसात की फुआर.

आओ नजरिया थोडा बदल कर देखे,

जीवन की खीँच  तान मे सुकून के एक दो पल को खीचेँ।

आमोद प्रमोद आनन्द,उल्लास,

 यह.सभी    उपस्थित हैं सुकून के उन पलो मे,  

जो दिखे अपने अपने नजरिये के पार।

जहां न क्रोध ,न आवेश ,न द्वेश न ईष्या ,बस एक  शीतल बयार,जो सुनाए मल्हार।

नजरिया अपना अपना बदल कर देखिये ।

नमिता राय

LIFE’s Pillows

The day was not going as I wanted it to. The lockdown is over but optimism fails to brighten my horizon. The pandemic seems to have left an indelible impression on the psyche. I am still hesitant to venture out, even with precautions. Though shops were opened and shopkeepers with masks on their faces were waiting for the customers. Going out felt like I were shutting my eyes towards the pandemic, it was not over, it was very much there, lurking like a bad feeling in my heart. Nothing seemed to uplift my sagging spirits.

I languidly went through breakfast, lunch and dinner and prepared to sleep. But sleep evaded me. I tossed and turned in my bed feeling listless and worthless. I had wasted my whole day doing nothing. Finally I caught hold of my pillow and put it under my head and slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Next morning I opened my eye and looked at the pillow under my head and realised the source of my deep sleep was my pillow, which had so easily given me the rest, I sought at that time. I was surprised as to why I had never given a thought to these comfort pillows. How insignificant their role was in my eyes. I had just taken these utilitarian objects for granted. They were actually the most amazing things. They colour so many aspects of our lives

 

No  article of comfort comes in so many shapes and sizes, round, rectangular, square, heart shaped. Some small some long. Some are plain some are colourful and sometimes decorative and fancy. Some have frills and laces to adorn them. Fancy and decorative ones cater to our aesthetic sense. They brighten our otherwise sombre drawing rooms, elevating  the spirit and the mood of the occupants. These are Comfort cushions. We use them according to our need and Occasion.

                                                        

Thinking about them, going into the drawing room, I sat on the sofa, but somehow didn't feel relaxed. I plumped the cushion behind my back and still couldn't find comfort until I slid another one behind  me. I immediately found myself relaxing and thinking of people who act like cushions in our Life. At times you need one and at times two cushions in life to get the comfort we want.

Life’s comfort pillows help us in leading a happy and balanced life. Sometimes it is in the circle of love of our family, sometimes friends, at times relations, our teachers and sometimes our pets. We get support  in different situations by different people. Whether it is  the bright spring time or dull dry autumn, whether cold harsh winter  or warm sunny summer, in all the season’s of life  we need these people as dependable pillows to support us in braving the vagaries of our existence.

At times, when life throws a googli at us, we  turn toward our hobbies like theatre, dancing, music, painting etc  which are great stress busters and comfort pillows. We don't realize, but these supports,  give our life a purpose filling us with a feeling of worthiness and these hobbies need to be nurtured as a support system towards leading a positive life.

From the time we are born, we are initiated without our knowing, by our parents teachers to  seek support of these reliable pillows giving us psychological and emotional support. As we grow, unknowingly a pattern is formed. When in trouble in school we turn towards our class mates or teachers to help us fix the problem. At home the help comes, without seeking also,  from parents, grandparent or siblings. At playground it is our friends who are always there to support us. In job it is our colleagues, who give us the much needed cushion to soft step the issues which keep cropping up in a working environment.

We keep seeking support from various quarters by sharing our achievements and insecurities with people and thus enclose ourselves in a circle of support and solace in our life. It is not the story of one individual but of the whole Society. This strong and at same time fragile system is so interlinked, that unknowingly a mesh is formed and we all draw life supports from it. The World so formed, becomes the Society we live in. Interlinked, Interdependent and at times standing adversely to each other also. This is how the human race grows and runs, pillowed on these comfort human cushions.

With these thoughts playing in my mind, I ironed out the creases on my pillow and plumped it on the sofa with great care and smiled promising to shower all my life’s pillows with lots of loving care and respect always.

While reading the criss cross of my thoughts above, I hope, you also spare a thought to the pillow’s in your life with a smile in your heart.

NAMITA  RAI

12-June-2020

The Mileu of Mela

जय हनुमान ञान

गुण सागर ,जय

कपीश तिहुँ लोक उजागर।।

As covid19 is spreading it's fangs in lockdown period, it is natural to miss the things which we took for granted like visiting malls, cinema halls, restaurants and social gatherings. What I missed most in May 2020 was the celebrations of Bada Mangal. There are four to five Bada Mangals, and their celebrations are unique and special for the lucknowiets.

As the first Bada Mangal approaches we find "parikramis'' or the "mannatees'. doing parikrama on the roads . These young boys would wear only a piece of red cloth around their waist and lie prostrate on the ground and keep the stone as far as their arm could reach on the road. Then again they pick up the stone and lie prostrate on the ground repeating the parikrama again till they reach the temple of Bajrangbali Baba. It is believed that the devotees whose wishes are fulfilled undertake the parikrama. Even Lord Indra used to grace these devotees with light showers sometimes making the weather pleasant in the scorching heat.

Our School days were fun and the summer vacations more so. The only worry on our carefree horizon’s were the Final exam results. Which from our side we would ask Bajrangbali Baba to take care of every year. During vacations we used to go on morning walks with our friends. It was more of fun than a fitness exercise. Once we decided to change our regular morning walk route and found ourselves towards purana Aliganj area. The area was very isolated and far off. There we came across a rambling old temple structure and out of curiosity we went inside. It was an open campus and an idol of Bajrangbali was there. It's forehead was smeared with sindoor and few flowers were strewn at his feet. We rang the bells enthusiastically and bowed our head in obeisance. An old priest came out and gave us prasaad of ilayachi daana and ganga jal. From that day I became an ardent devotee of Bajrangbali Baba and used to attend the BADA MANGAL every year. We came out little knowing that it was the highly revered Puraana Aliganj Mandir that we had chanced upon.

History says that this temple originated during the mughal rule some 400 year’s ago. It was built by Nawaab Saadat Ali Khan in 1798 for Alia Begum when her prayers were answered by Bajrangbali Baba’s grace. Alia Begum insisted on building the temple and the Nawaab complied. This temple became famous far and wide as the PURANA ALIGANJ MANDIR where prayer’s of devotees are answered.

Later it  was the Naya Aliganj temple which became popular and the Bada Mangal Mela came to be associated with it. It is said that prasad during mughal rulers was in the form of "GUR DHANIA", which consisted of roasted gaihoon and gur . Later on "peda, bataasha and jal” was distributed as prasaad. Now besan ladoo and jal is offered as prasaad. For us as children "Darshan' was important but mela was an added attraction. During the Bada Mangal Mela for all five Tuesday’s the main aliganj road would be decorated with buntings. Announcements were made on mike. Hawkers could be seen displaying their attractive articles on a piece of cloth on ground. I still remember the clay choolah chakki, the clay idols of old man and woman whose head shook as they were fitted on spring, the small plastic lanterns, tiffin carrier and table fans. Then there would be a man selling colourful gas balloons. In one corner a man sat with a cage and parrot. People crowded around him to know their fate. The parrot would pick up a chit and predict the future. This whole kaleidoscope of the Mela used to fascinate us to no end.

On the other side of the road was a manually operated HINDOLA which swayed as it went up and down. I would love to have a ride in it and feel as if lot many butterflies were fluttering in my stomach as the hindola went up and down. At the entrance of the temple one could see shy village belle’s with their faces covered and twinkling eyes having their arms pierced with a needle to have a tattoo design mostly of their Husbands name.

Then there were small shops selling spiritual and religious books, lockets and key chains of BAJRANGBALI BABA. From the sweet shops we would buy 250 gms of besan ka laddoo and flowers. We would leave our slippers at the sweet shop and wash our feet from a hand pump in the temple campus. One could see women jostling each other to get a full "DARSHAN ' of baba. In one push from behind we would land inside the temple as if flying in the air. Here the tall people would get the full shringaar darshan . But the shorter ones would have to stand on their toe’s to get the darshan. We were "Tript' by that darshan as those bright, smiling and gentle eyes of Bajrangbali Baba knew all our inner feelings. We could feel his eyes blessing us. I would just look at him with full devotion and at times forgot to utter hanuman chalisa which I had learnt by heart. After receiving the prasad box and the sindoor teeka on it, one push from behind and we would land out in the corridor of the temple. After that we would take a parikrama and visit the other deities. Then we would ring the bell five times and come out of the temple.

Till date the mela is still going strong . People flock to have a DARSHAN of BAJRANGBALI BABA and attend the mela . It has evolved over the years. Now it is more organised and orderly for the DEVOTEES . The traditional mela is there with modern changes. Now it is decorated with electrical lights and there is a regular chanting of Sunder Kand and Hanumaan Chalisa. Barricading is done to avoid any type of chaos. Swings are electrically operated. And one can find the latest household items on sale. Stalls of all variety can be seen starting from chola batura, chaat, paani puri, sweet candies and even icecream.

From the past many years the culture of bhandaara has evolved where we can see people under a small canopy offering puri kachori sabji and boondi etc as prasaad. It's not only the poor who come and take food there but people from well off families would take the the food as prasaad with reverence. Most of all it is the smiling faces behind the  bhandaar stalls greeting everyone with the happy smile and serving food with whole hearted goodwill. These BHADAARAAS are organised throughout lucknow spreading the message of faith, love and harmony. Earlier these bhandaar’s as were organised by Organisations but now nearly every second household holds a bhandaar according to their capacity on one or the other Bada Mangal. These Bhandaara’s reflect the magnanimity of heart and generosity which makes the whole atmosphere so pure and pious.

Today when I see the deserted streets, worried faces of men and women in masks, and the locked temples, I just pray to Bajrangbali Baba that by next year when it is time for BADA MANGAL, all the worries and the pandemic would have been left far behind us and we would again be celebrating BADA MANGAL with renewed enthusiasm, gaiety and devotion.....

NAMITA RAI

A TASK FORCE PEOPLE LOOK UPTO.....

A TASK FORCE   PEOPLE. LOOKED UP TO..................With the declaration of lockdown   following the Carona crises  people indulged in panic buying fearing groceries and essential items would be off the shelves in the market . Though our priminister had assured, that there was enough food supplies for at least one year. But still people who had been wise and had seen enough life, advised to store at least the necessary grains . It was the time for the shopkeepers to  make gains .As my house was situated In The main market ,I didn't have much problem in getting the groceries .The old and wise could be seen buying face masks ,medicines, hand gloves ,sanitizers detail soaps etc to make themselves strong health wise . I knew the doctors were working relentlessly in the hospitals to save covid 19 patients ,the paramedics and the sanitation workers were also on duty round the clock at the risk of their own lives . But it was the police in blue beconed scorpio jeeps which drew my attention.As they got down I feared that they would be using their danda to clear the people on the road but surprisingly, they gently but firmly asked the shopkeepers to close their shops and instructed people to go back to their homes and practice social distancing . People adhered, but some stubborn vendors had to strictly dealt by people . This was understandable in the. given situation  .The streets bore a deserted look . Even the street dogs, could smell danger as they  howled and moaned at the lack of human company .This face of police was new to me .As I mostly associated this task force with intimidation and threats . People also eyed them with suspicion and fear . Suddenly the police siren sounded the Jeep sped away leaving a trail af dust behind . With blurred vision my thoughts went into the ch past ,when I was a small child .My house was situated.in an old mohalla which overlooked a police thaama . Near my house grew a old tall and heavy tamarind tree .It's long and thick branches would hang heavily over my terrace . blocking the road activities and view of thaana . With my mohullla friends I would often run up to my terrace to pluck tamarinds with the help of a pole . In doing so I would often got a view of the busy main raod and the activities within the low height boundary of the thaana.Now and then I would see men in khaaki Uniform spanking handcuffed men who were shabbily dressed.their shrill yells would make me run to my mother from the terrace . I would often   ask her, "Why do they beat these handcuffed men.'  My mother would say , They are thieves  and it is the duty of the police to catch and put them in jail .'' I would then tug at my mother's pallu a  tell her ," Take me to the thaana mother, I will request thanedar uncle no to beat them' . My mother would put finger on my lips and say " GIrls of respectable families don't go to law courts and police thaana ". Her answer would not satisfy me . 

As I grew older with education and awareness. The stature of police services grew in my eyes . In fact they became the most coveted Service in the aspiring youth . Women vied with men to get selected in this prestigious service . But it was not long that corruption seeped  into this service like termites . It no longer remained a task force people looked up to ,but a task force people feared and ran away! 

The common man didn't want anything to do with the police .Infact people distanced themselves with anyone who was entangled in a police case .The trust had gone .It seemed a lot of will was needed needed to stop the rot which had set in this service .People had also adjusted with the system and thought it difficult to revert things .

Suddenly India was affected by the Carina crises like China ,Italy U.S.A and Spain . But fortunately India  had enough time to pull up it's socks ,and adopt preventive measures .The doctors ,nurses ,sanitation workers ,paramedics , administration and the government all set into action at the risk of their own lives .

Subsequently a new face of police services surfaced.It was humanitarian ,approachable ,caring and kind .As directed by their chiefs the police went to each and every street cautioning people to take precautions.Not only this they supplied rations at peoples home ,took the sick and ailing to the hospital,supplied milk powder for the babies and medicines for the pregnant women ,and helped the handicapped at the risk of their own lives .

People felt pampered and elated in spirits .

I wish that this humanitarian face of police  continues in normal times also.Ofcourse I do not expect them to supply things at our  doorsteps. but adopt a sensitive and humanitarian attitude towards the people .The new face is an inspiration to the youth to cultivate and practice humility and sensitivity in the execution of their duties in whichever field .

And I wish each and every citizen cooperated in the duties and responsibility of these brave hearts .

So that we get rid of this deadly virus and welcome a enter the new world happily smiling .

Suddenly the cry of the cockoo  broke through the deadly silence and I was brought to the present.I saw some ladies in neighbourhood offering home made samosa and tea to the police officers who had come back to make sure that  everyone stayed at home and practised social distancing  .Their face softened at the sweet homely gesture .They smiled got in their vehicles and sped away . knew it was a force people looked up to ........................

NAMITA. RAI 

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मेरी जानी पहचानी गोरैय्या

फुर्र इधर फुर्र उधर उड़ कर वह इतराती ......पलक झपकते ही वह सरसराकर निकल जाती ...सूरज के उगने से पहले वह फुदक फुदक कर आती .......अपने मधुर कलरव से मुझे आहिस्ता से जगाती ....उसकी प्यारी चूँचूँ सुनकर में निद्रा से जग जाती .......मेरे आने की आहात पाकर वह तरुवर पर उड़ जाती ......फिर आँगन की मुंडेर पर बैठकर टुकुर टुकुर ताकती ...और रखी किनकी की ढेरी पर अपनी चोंच मारती ......नलके के नीचे गड्ढ़े में वह पंख फड़फड़ाकर नहाती .......और फुर्र से उड़कर अपने कपडों के तार पर सुखाती .......टुकुर टुकुर ताककर इधर उधर ......वह अपनी प्यास बुझाती .....पंछियों का टोला बनाकर वह सुदूर आकाश में उड़ जाती ......संध्या होने पर बच्चों के लिए किनके चोंचमें लाती .......नहीं सी जान बच बच कर नाज़ुक पंखों से अपने कर्तव्यनिभाति ......इस बदले हुए विशाल शहर में अपना वजूद बनाती .......अब कहाँवह मुंडेर कोने अत्रे , ताखे और झरोखे , रोशनदान .....जहाँ वह फुदक फुदक करबासाती अपना घरबार .......अब कहाँवह खोला किवाड़ .....जहाँ वह फुरफुराकर पधारे ...और कहाँ वह मुंडेर जिसपे रखी किनकों की ढ़ेरी पैर चोंच मारे ......अब तो सर्वत्र मोबाइल टावर और बिजली के तारों का है ताना बाना .....बन्द मकान और बंद मॉल का है ज़माना .......क्या खिलवाड़ किया मानव ने प्रकृति केसाथ ....की मेरा प्यारा पंछी उड़ गया दूर दाराज ...इंसान को इसने सिखाया मिल जुलकर रेहने का तरीका .....और वातवरण कोशुद्धरखने का है इसमें सलीका .....मूक है यह पंछी पर है प्रकृति की आवाज़ ....इसको दयानपूर्वकसे सूनने सेहोगा मानव का कल्याड़ ........आज कहाँ चली गयी वह फुरफुराती चिड़िआ ....मेरी जानी पहचानी गौरैय्या ...लेखिका नमिता राय ........