Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration in neighbourhood

Lord Ganesh in my neighborhood

Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday of Lord Ganesh. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated at a huge scale in my city for 10 days. Lord Ganesh is also known as Lord Ganapati or Lord Vinayaka. He is the god of beginnings, remover of obstacles and bringer of good luck. There are big pandals where the decorations are done on different themes. Then we have the ones celebrated in our neighbourhood where all the families come together. There are ceremonies (Aarti) performed in the morning and evening. The evening ceremony is beautiful when the place is decorated with beautiful lights and flowers. All the residents come together and greet each other. The children are found chirping and playing. People bring offerings from their homes. Once the ceremony(Aarti) begins, everyone comes together to sing the Bhajans (devotional songs). After that the offerings are served where the young people of the society actively participate in distribution.

There are many things about this neighbourhood celebration which touches my heart. People participate in the management and kids readily help out in setting up chairs. The young preparing the serving plates for the old and giving them shows their respect and concern. We leave aside all the work stress and align towards our devotion to Lord Ganesh. It just reminds me that no matter how much we digitize our lives, we should always remain humble. These are the occasions where we teach the next generation about our culture. This continues for all 10 days. Those 10 days it almost feels as if the neighbourhood is a huge family where people come together after an entire day. On the eleventh day when the festival ends, it seems so sad that we are not meeting each other. My mother would say, Lord Ganesh is always with us. We should work hard and look forward to the festival next year. Best wishes for Ganesh Chaturthi. May Lord Ganesh bless everyone.

Prasad

The Dream Creator

My father, who was in shipping, always returned unique toys for us. What made them unique was the thought process behind it. Whenever we think of gifting a toy to little girls, the first thing that comes to mind is a doll. But Baba (father in Bengali) brought fighter planes, toys playing musical instruments, etc. For example the plane in this pic. Every time it was picked we used to be told about the heroic pilots and how they take the planes across skies. With musical instruments he would show how musicians enthrall the crowds. From a very early stage in our lives, through toys, he taught us to dream big. His own life was no short of an inspiration. He always said, you dream and keep working hard, you will achieve it.

When I got into a Computer Applications course in a prestigious university after clearing a nationwide open test, it came as a surprise to many. It was absolutely unexpected. Someone even questioned my mom, that it was an expensive course to choose, little did they know I had secured a seat in a Government University. Today, as I look at these toys, it just shows he meticulously my father taught us to dream. He became my Dream Creator, this is my tribute to him on this Father’s Day.

A Potato Story

My favorite vegetable

I came upon a note saying today, the 30th of may’2025 is International Day of Potato. This just reminded me of a story where potato came to my rescue. There are some people who do not like a particular vegetable. This happens to be okra for me. Irony is I always ended up with room mates who simply loved this vegetable. Once a team mate even asked me “How can you not like okra?”.

When you go out of your house to a new city or country for work, you stay with room mates. One of the major areas of adjustment is food habit. Whenever okra is planned for cooking all of them would be looking forward to it. In this situation admitting my dislike seems like a mood spoiler. But there are always people who know how to solve such problems. One room mate came up with the idea of cooking okra with potato. I readily agreed and we all got together to cook. The dinner comprising of okra-potato curry and paratha(Indian bread) was cooked quickly amidst cheerful conversations and jokes. It turned out to be really tasty.

Potato plays a crucial role in our lives from potato chips while watching a movie or match to potato fritters(pakoda) during the monsoon to mashed potato(aloo shiddo) with rice and lentils at home. There are always special moments around it. It truly makes sense that there is a day dedicated to this amazing vegetable. Happy International Day of Potato.

Celebrating International Sherlock Holmes day

The book for this year

International Sherlock Holmes Day is celebrated on 22nd May every year. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of sherlock holmes was born on 22nd may 1859. The day is celebrated to honor both Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his creation Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is a detective. His keen observation, quick wit and smart conclusion have been a source of inspiration for generations and will continue to do so. It is amazing to see that inspite of all these abilities he is not a super hero. He has characteristics of normal people like he gets irritated when he is unable to solve a case. At those times his behavior is strange, he smokes his pipe, does not speak to anyone and keeps to himself. The series also has his beautiful friendship with Dr. Watson.

I was drawn into reading mystery books after reading Sherlock Holmes series. It is still my favorite genre. Even today whenever I see any detective series, I always compare with Sherlock Holmes. When I was 9 years old, I used to imagine myself dressed in black with black coat and a long hat, solving mysteries. This series motivates us to observe simple things around us which we generally tend to ignore. He has not only inspired literature but also television and detective techniques. Numerous actors have played this character but I always like to read the book and imagine him. Since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes have inspired my reading journey so deeply, I cannot help but celebrate this day by reading “The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes” and blogging about it. I wish there are more activities to celebrate this day. Wishing everyone a Happy International Sherlock Holmes Day.

Much awaited evening snacks

During my school days there was one activity which increased my digestion. Whether I do it for half an hour or 2 hours, I would start feeling hungry. Neither it was sports nor watching television. It was studying. Even while doing homework, I would feel like munching within half an hour.

Every evening we used to study from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. During that time my mother, who was a teacher, would plan her next day’s classes. The table used to be full of books and other stationary. Mom, sister and myself would take one side each. There used be pin drop silence with all of us focusing on our work. Regardless of the food i had had till 7:00 pm, I would start feeling hungry by 7:30 pm. This used to happen only during studying. Every time I stood up mother would say “Have a fruit”. Overtime this used to get monotonous. My father used to go for walking at that time. He would return around 7:45 pm. He would always bring some or the other snacks. One of the things we used to enjoy was roasted peanuts. He would peel them, chop onions, prepare a nice mix and then serve us. Kitchen was next to the room where we used to study. If there was no sound of onion chopping we would start asking “Baba, what are you doing, there is so much silence in the kitchen”. But lo and behold he would bring something interesting.

Last week while returning from office, I saw a stall seeing roasted peanuts. It just reminded me of my school days and my father’s smiling face while bringing these snacks. Simple gestures like these make so much difference. They convince us that our dear ones are always with us. Here is another golden memory where my Baba(father) made things beautiful. Happy Father’s Day.

Embrace change for Growth

I was passing by a nursery when I saw a majenta hibiscus plant. This was new. I had seen Hibiscus in red, white and yellow. My mother remarked “You have grown up seeing hibiscus used in all the festivals, why is this so facinating to you”. But I was too captivated and could not help buying the plant.

We planted it near a large tree. The plant started dying within a week. So we started brainstorming on how to save it. We did a lot of research and applied different methods to save it but nothing seemed to be working. Then my mother came up with the idea of putting it in a separate pot. But the big question was it had been more than two weeks since we brought it, will the plant survive the relocation. Since it was already dying, this seemed to be the only option. The plant was relocated to a pot placed away from the tree. This part of the house received highest sunlight so we had to water the plant more frequently. To my surprise the plant started reviving and a month later a flower bloomed. This event taught me an important lesson. Sometimes our surroundings may seem too comfortable to others but that comfort itself maybe blocking our growth. We should start thinking about how to grow. Growth means taking challenges and moving out of our comfort zones. This means working hard and even facing failures which may be painful at start but if we stick to it, we will create a better version of ourselves. Just as the plant started growing when it faced the harsh sun.

Summer vacations are almost at their end. Every year on the first day of school the principal used to give a pep talk in the assembly which was around starting fresh and embracing the change. This plant managed to revise all those lessons. Next time when you feel you are too comfortable in your current situation, just do a rain check on your growth.

Railway learnings

Summer always brings a smile on our faces regardless of the scorching heat. It reminds us of the summer vacations which are a storehouse of golden memories of our school days. For many of us it meant travel to meet our relatives. We would plan for days in advance, connect with our cousins and list out the things we would do. On the day of travel, we would reach the railway station well in advance. Railway station is an amazing place to be with excited kids all over the place. The sweet siren of the approaching train would lift our spirits.

Recently while I was travelling, I learnt a lesson. My train was at 22:00 pm that is late night. Most of the passengers were in track suit or other comfort wear since the plan was to doze off after boarding the train. There came one group of men dressed in formal wear of black pants, black coat, white shirt and a black tie. Even in corporate that level of impeccable dressing is followed on special occasions. It was extremely hot yet they did not seem to complain about the tie and the coat. They were the Ticket Checkers. I realized the lockdowns had made most people so lazy that getting dressed was the biggest challenge when return to office started but the Ticket Checkers, they still continue to follow their uniform regardless of the time of duty.

The Ticket Checkers taught me to prepare for work with perfection regardless of the time of duty. When we prepare ourselves for work, we feel energetic and are able to take on any challenge and do well. On this Labour Day, this is my tribute to the dedicated Ticket checkers of Indian railways.

Mango care

The arrival of summer is indicated by the sounds of kids playing around and the sweet mention of mangoes by the fruit vendor. As a kid, we used to look forward to summers, regardless of the soaring temperatures. Vacations, no classes, no homework just playing around. One of the common problems was sun stroke, which would leave us weak. Still we would go out and play the moment we felt a little better leaving all the worries on our parents.

My mother used to make a juice from raw mangoes and ensure we had it everyday. It is called Aam-Panna. It had a nice sweet and sour taste. The recipe was passed on from my grandmother. It was ensured that we have it before we leave the house. After interaction with people of different regions, I feel Aam-Panna is also an emotion. Some have it sweet while others have it sour. It is offered when people visit each other’s house. We are reminded to have it right from the start of summers. A beautiful way to show care for each other. These simple gestures remind us one does not need big things to be happy just the care of near and dear ones can make your day.

My mother reminds me every morning that I should have Aam-Panna before leaving the house. I had a sun stroke a few days ago and after that I make sure I follow her instructions. The pandemic era reminded us of the practices followed by our forefathers. Recently some juice manufacturing companies also introduced packed Aam-Panna. I feel every season brings its own problems but with the support of our dear ones and simple lifestyle changes we can make the best of the situation.

Ironing out creases

The world is returning to normalcy. Work from home is going to be replaced with work from office. For me it means reviving one old habit, that is ironing the office wear. I had a habit of ironing the clothes for work on sunday. It started right from school days. It had taken a backseat with work from home. Seems like life itself had developed creases with the pandemic, its time to iron out the creases.

My father was very particular about dressing up for work. He used to iron his clothes every sunday. I learnt to iron my school uniform by following him. Initially I used to wait till he would finish his ironing and then request him to supervise me while I do mine. He was able to do it while watching a soccer match. At the age of fifteen, I tried to imitate his multitasking. So I put on a movie and went to iron. Unfortunately I burnt my uniform. I realized it was way too early to learn multitasking. Thanks to my mother’s expertise with needles, I was able to use the uniform for the rest of the year. I had received appreciation from a lot of friends for this habit. When I stayed with roommates, there would always be someone who would iron her clothes right before getting dressed for office. This room mate would often compliment my habit and end with an “I too should have ironed my clothes on sunday like you”. I would give the credit to my Baba(father).

The importance of neatly ironed clothes is always emphasized in all content associated with grooming and presentation. As a fresher, I used to feel an additional sense of confidence while giving presentation wearing clothes ironed by myself. They say certain habits should be developed without being told. This habit is one which Baba taught me without specifically mentioning it. I still don’t multitask while ironing since burning an outfit is almost equal to burning my hard-earned money now. This Father’s Day let us take an opportunity to thank our father who taught us so many things without saying anything. Happy Father’s Day.

Wrapping up 2022

The year 2022 has come to an end. The year started on a good note where most of the people were vaccinated and the covid counts had also come down. Students started going to schools and colleges. It was great to meet people in person. Tourist places opened up and festivals were celebrated with full enthusiasm.

The pandemic years taught me nothing should be taken for granted. One should not leave anything for tomorrow. So I documented my bucket list for the first time. One of the wishes was to write a book. I started writing. It is very easy to start on something but maintaining consistency is a challenge. There were days when I was looking for an excuse to skip writing. Thanks to my mother who always motivated me to keep going. She would say “This is the best opportunity to write since you are at home”. It requires efforts to fulfill a wish. Finally I was able to accomplish that. I was able to find a very good guide through my publisher. The book “Genie without the Lamp” was completed and published in October. It was a great moment for me and my family.

We should not ignore the wishes that come to our hearts. It is a good practice to write them down. Sometimes they give direction to our lives. Writing this book helped me avoid all the negativity around because it kept me occupied. I thank my mother and sister for being with me throughout this journey. This is my best memory of 2022. I pray 2023 turns out to be even better.