Rain.... eternal bliss!

Rain:-

It' a soothing liquid,
It' the essence which washes away your sins,
Its the sheathe for your lonely soul,
Its rain, water showering from the heavens above.


Everywhere in the world rainfall is evident, even if it's in small amounts when it comes it brings about a milieu of serenity .
Harsh rainfall might sound thunderous and very devastating but in my opinion it' the unleashing of Heaven' power upon the earth.

We are not talking scientifically about rain nor is its definition...
Rain here is described as a persona of the human mind. Though people do not see; Rain reflects so many emotions from its actions.

A heavy rainfall is like life' fracas struggling in one's mind, slight drizzling suggests the balance between the heart and the body....
Rain mustn't be taken for granted for it is water after all; Water is one of earth' most valuable resources which in today' world is being consumed at a very fast rate.

Rainfall occurs in different amounts all over the world. Deserts will have less rain while the tropics more.
Dharamsala which lies in the south Asia; extreme north of India receives rainfall in abundance. In this holy land rainfall appears completely at unexpected times. True that rain makes the grounds muddy, dirty and the air is infested with bacteria and viruses but all that if put aside; Rain is the most beautiful sight a person gets to see...

Imagine you're trapped inside your boring old house, all alone but when looking outside the window, upon seeing those crystal droplets falling on your windowpane, the pitter-patter calms one's confused or worried mind...
Doesn't matter if you're alone, you don't feel alone... It's almost like the rain has formed an appearance of it's own and just by listening to it your mind is occupied even though if you're not aware of it.

This is the rain in Dharamsala, it consumes your mind and lifts your spirits. Such is the positive and healing effect of this place that such a thing as rain doesn't feel low aspiring.




You'll be walking down the lanes of Mcleodgunj, your umbrella in hand whilst little children can be seen running towards their homes coming back from school.
Suddenly your umbrella blows away while you're surprised and Yes! starting to get wet.
But it doesn't bother you because the rain is like a balm that seems to relieve your haggard body. You don't care if you get wet, all that you need is hot desi tea from the nearby stalls. The temp. is freezing and you're shivering with the chilled air but then one bite of those steaming hot delicious momo' and you've just had the best day.




Life' simplicities can bring about the most experiencing, cherished and magnificent times you can ever spend. Rain is just a constituent, a catalyst for this long lasting contentment in one' heart and soul!...



Naintara Gurung

A blooming light...

Mother's day- Naintara Gurung


I knew not the impulse which had me startled
For the first time as I opened my eyes,
I felt it, I felt my life alter.

Like a fire her warmth enveloped me,
As she embraced me within her heart
I knew then, I had the most loving start.

The time passed by as I grew up,
Never did she leave my side
I would call & she would come.
Through my darkest times and through the bright,
She put a smile upon my face like a sanguine sunrise!



I still remember my first book,
Her soothing voice was what I loved.
She would read me stories and make me laugh,
Even the most serious things seemed far apart.

My first song was one which she had composed,
I can feel my heart swell with pride and love
She was like an everlasting nightingale
So cheerful that I have no words other than praise...



There were times when I would sulk and cry,
She would scold me like an unsettled tide,
I would misunderstand like every teenager,
Then would slam the door and be a loner...

She's doing it for my own good; I realized,
I would calm down and then apologize
She's a rock, my strength
Without her I would be nothing nor have nothing to tell...

She'll always be the first to confide in,
She's my best friend,
No one can take her place
She a great mother I say!

Today is the day special for all mothers
I'll be frank here, My mom's best from all!
I make my mistake' and she would amend them..
She is the mother that I'll love forever....

So here I'm to say those words,
Those three words which hold a grace..
Only for her, Only for my mother..
"I'm saying it mom!, Happy Mother's Day!"

Building the ties....

Dharamsala is a trendy, cool little town..
What's different is the dressing style that has slowly come to develop in this radical area....
What with the traditional Himachali apparels to the Tibetan urban line, the Indian tang in the midst of the streets of Dharamsala and then there's your strikeouts westernites....



People here shop to rock!..
You will never know when u might come across people with the most unexpected of all dresses.. Hippies will be hanging around the streets of Mcleodgunj, Tibetans will be bargaining their prices, the richie rich people will be shopping madly away and then there'll be us who'll pick up other item s other than clothes like bracelets, Mala's , rings with beautiful stones embedded upon them...



Dharamsala is filled with people strolling along with the most updated and fashionable styles of clothings which can outwit the everyday designs...
Why u ask?... Well it's because the people themselves funk the styles to bring about outstanding results of modernized clothing...





Its comfortable, easily available, not too cheap neither is it too costly...
Looks great, brings out your personality and one more thing...
U are the one who fixes the whole style of the outfit....



Dharamsala has moved to an entire new level when it comes to fashion...
It's nothing that u will see in cat walk shows but let's say everyday lives..
This very fact delights and encourages not only the people here but the foreigners as well...

On most of the occasions you'll find the himachali's all dressed up and ready in their traditional dresses for a marriage ceremony to take place...







The manner in which all the fashion senses blend in together in Dharamsala is what makes it exciting...
Anywhere u go you won't find the same thing but a diverse environment all together..!
The great wall of difference between our cultures, our traditions, the environment in which we reside in can be termed as unique...



Imagine, if like we mix up our clothes, in the same way if we combine our differences then don't u think that would result in a much peaceful world..
I guess you can understand my meaning for writing everything so far...
Like everyone has a double, this very thing has a double meaning...

There's a lesson and a reason behind every article, ever statement, everything which I write... It's in your hands to see it through and understand the meaning.....

....................................................................
Naintara Gurung

Navratri

Navratri or the Festival of Nine Nights from Ashvin Sud 1 to 9 is devoted to the propitiation of Shakti or Divine Mother. She represents prakriti, counterpart of purusha jointly making possible the creation of the world according to the religious ideology of Goddess worship. Such worships were prevalent in India even before the advent of the Aryans, who adopted it as a religious practice. References in vedas and puranas confirm this opinion. The main temples of mother goddess that are visited by multitude of devotees during Navratri are the shaktipithas, of which there are three in Gujarat. It is believed that Lord Vishnu had to cut the body of Sati into pieces to stop the destruction by Shiva who was perturbed by her death. At fifty-two places these pieces fell, the three in Gujarat being; Ambaji in Banaskantha, Bahucharaji in Chunaval and Kalika on Pavagadh hill in Panchmahals.

This festival is essentially religious in nature. It is celebrated with true devotion in the various temples dedicated to the Mother, or Mataji, as she is familiarly called. In some homes, images of the Mother are worshipped in accordance with accepted practice. This is also true of the temples, which usually have a constant stream of visitors from morning to night.

The most common form of public celebration is the performance of garba or dandia-ras, Gujarat's popular folk-dance, late throughout the nights of these nine days in public squares, open grounds and streets. Females wear ethnic Chania Choli and Males wear Dhoti-Kurta and enjoy garba and dandiya ras (dance) the whole Night. The participants move round in a circle around a mandvi (garbo), a structure to hold earthen lamps filled with water and to house the image or idol of mother goddess.


The day after Navratri i.e. the 10th day after Ashwina, is Dussera which celebrates the victory of lord Rama over Ravana. Ravana is burnt in effigy, often giant dummies of Ravana stuffed with fireworks are shot with arrows until they blow up before a large, applauding audience.



The dance which is also a feature of Navaratri is the dandia-ras or ‘stick’ dance, in which men and women join the dance circle, holding small polished sticks or dandias. As they whirl to the intoxicating rhythm of the dance, men and women strike the dandias together, adding to the joyous atmosphere. So popular are the garba and the dandia-ras that competitions are held to assess the quality of the dancing. Prizes are given to those judged to be the best. The costumes worn for the dances are traditional and alive with colour. The dances usually commence late in the night and continue until early morning, testifying to their great popularity.

The Religious Day for millions...

Festivals... A day for all... A day on which brotherhood is meant the most..
So many festivals reside in this world today... All belonging to different countries and their particular religions..
Boy am I glad to say people are given the right to celebrate their own individual occasion.. You have to admit the world would be boring if it didn't have a large diversity..
Isn't it exciting and a whole new experience to be part of an occasion you haven't ever been to... Don't you think that it develops a feeling of admiration, greatly increases your crave for worldly experience and most all you have fun!
Well don't know about you but I love all the festivals in the world even if i don't know some of them!

Here I'm again with a whole new page.. Mind you better be a nice person for what you are going to read is very spiritual... Fine I won't scare you my readers...

21st March- A day normal like all others in the scientific sense but if you turn the tables this day holds a very special touch to it.... A day filled with good omens..

21st March is the day on which millions of people will be celebrating two different occasions...


Holi
Good Friday

Isn't this awesome??!!.. It's like all your wishes are coming true...
Let's start with the first festival-

Holi :-


Happy Holi
The trees smile with their sprout
of tender leaves and blooming flowers,
Eternal nature with its transient expression.
Hails spring with ecstasy and joy!
Bewildering shades with so many tinge.
The land of beauty and greatness,
India, witnessing color of happiness and peace.
Nation come alive to enjoy the spirit
A celebration of color- Holi!
An experience of content, harmony and delight.

What is Holi about- It's a festival of colors!
'Just like a rainbow colors the sky,
We the humans color ourselves in harmony'

In this festival main emphasis is laid on the burning of Holika or lighting of Holi. The origin of the traditional lighting of Holi is attributed by some to the burning of demoness es like Holika, Holaka and Putana who troubled little children or to the burning of Madan according to others....

Friends, Family and even strangers together rejoice in this beautiful festival marking each other with different colors... Not only do we have fun but also trust me on this one WE GET A LOT OF TASTY GOODIES!!!!

Good Friday:-


And they dressed Him in purple
And condemned Him to die
Mocked, spat upon, and whipped Him
As Pontius Pilate stood by

And with thorns as a crown
He was then led away
To carry His cross
And show us the way

Falling under the burden
Of its heavy weight
But rising up again
Knowing full-well His fate

And meeting His mother
With anguish untold
As God's plan of Great Love
Proceeds to unfold

Simon helps Jesus
Who seems broken and frail
And Veronica steps forward
To wipe His face with her veil

But He soon falls again
For a second time
Paying a price with His suffering
His love being the crime

Women and children
He meets on His way
Then falls for a third time
This most solemn Friday

Adding further humiliation
To any of His woes
Jesus is then
Stripped of His clothes

And while nailed to the cross
His earthly time here passes
His own life He gave
For the salvation of masses

Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday before Easter (Easter always falls on a Sunday). It commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary.
Jesus carries his cross to the site of execution, called the place of the Skull, or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and "Calvary" in Latin. There he is crucified along with two criminals...
Jesus agonizes on the cross for three hours while the sun is darkened. With a loud cry, Jesus gives up his spirit. There is an earthquake, tombs break open, and the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declares, "Truly this was God's Son!"...

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus. Pilate asks confirmation from the centurion whether Jesus is dead. A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out and the centurion informs Pilate that Jesus is dead.

Joseph of Arimathea takes the body of Jesus, wraps it in a clean linen shroud, and places it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock in a garden near the site of crucifixion. Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus also came bringing 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and places them in the linen with the body of Jesus, according to Jewish burial customs.They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb... Then they returned home and rested, because at sunset began the Sabbath......
.................................................................
Naintara Gurung