DesiReflections

During my childhood days, I saw small square copper sheet inscribed with interlocked interwoven,triangles in Puja (Prayer Room) of my grandparents. When asked what it is, the answer was a sacred Yantra, which brings money and luck. When I grown up, I come to know that it was Shri Yantra. But it has some thing to do with people with higher intelligence and mightier capabilities somewhere in the other part of universe, this I came to know after coming to Seattle, not very far away from nearby Oregon State, where a huge Shri Yantra was found overnight on a dried lake bed, not possible for any human being to create such a mammoth piece of work in such a short span. May be these higher intelligent people leave their foot prints as a sort of their signature.     In ancient India Yantras,the  two dimensional geometrical structures  were used for sidhas, sadhaks as a part of their religious rituals. Yantras are found engraved or inscribed  in all the old t...

Recently on my British Airways flight from Heathrow to Seattle, I was trying to see a movie or two  on their inflight entertainment channel. I could not find  a Bollywood segment on the menu. I just wanted to see some   Bollywood stuff  which I had missed due to any reason in the past.  I could find this Humpty Sharma Kee Dulhnia in Comedy Section with English subtitle. I watched this movie in a single go while sipping Spanish wine. Though I could be able to see it almost eight month after the release but I am including it in my blog due to certain reasons. Frankly speaking I liked this movie not merely as a fullto entertainment package but also mirroring the changed  North Indian society, mindset of newly liberated youth especially the girls there. It some how assures that despite new liberated atmosphere in North where a girl can compete with boys in beer guzzling, dare to stay overnight after boozing with three boys in a room, the core values rema...

I am pained to bring this case before my enlightened readers that how some Banks in India have gone to  an extant tearing  reputation of their genuine  customers.  Yesterday, I was traveling from India to USA, while in transit at Heathrow Airport I saw a message from one of my close friend who wanted to talk some thing urgent, I noticed few of his missed calls also. When I finally landed at Seattle Airport,I saw similar message from another friend of mine with urgency in his tone and few of his missed calls.  Both of them were  called from the same mobile number , the caller was from Delhi and claimed that he was from HDFC and called to inform them that my newly married daughter in law's brother and his wife  are in a cartel to misappropriate funds  from his Bank.They were wondering that if a relative of mine has conned the Bank than why at the first place HDFC Bank has called them.They are educated and enlightened people, sensed some kin...

Have you ever wondered why Darjeeling Tea, Moradabad Metal Craft, Cashewnut Fenny, Nashik Grapes,    Mysore Silk, Madhubani Paintings, Kanchipuram Silk Saree, Alphonso Mango, Nagpur Orange, Kolhapuri Chappal and Agra Petha are called so?   Every region boosts of something unique and the products are their claim to fame. Even in the olden days explorers went in search of such things exclusive certain places. The products are combination of the best of man and nature and it has been carefully preserved and handed over for generations. In order to celebrate and recognise the unique identity connecting the products and places, the famous GI tag was developed. These tags provide local producers, manufacturers to charge premium on their product for their unique quality which distinguishes from the similar stuff produced / grown/ manufactured in the other region. So the sprinkling Wine produced outside the Champagne District of France can not be called Champagne...

भारत और पाकिस्तान को अलग हुए ६८ वर्ष हो चुके हैं. सरहदें बीच में हैं, यही नहीं तीन बड़े युद्ध और इसके अलावा निरंतर चलता एक छद्म युद्ध भी है। राजनैतिक विभाजन, मीडिया में एक दुसरे के प्रति उगलता जहर और अविश्वास और इस सबके साथ दिनों दिन बढ़ता धार्मिक उन्माद , अब तो ऐसा लगता है कि कभी यह साथ में रहे ही नहीं और नफरत कभी भी दोनों देशों के विनाश का कारण बन जायेगी . और यदि इन दोनों देशों के बीच नफरत को आवाम के चेहरे पर पढ़ना हो तो भारत और पाकिस्तान का क्रिकेट मुकाबला देख लीजिये, दोनों तरफ के लहराते हुए झंडे, उन्मादी जुमले और विपक्षी खिलाडी के अच्छे खेल को निरुत्साहित करने के जतन पे एक निगाह डाल लीजिए. आखिर जब दो जर्मनी एक हो सकते हैं उनके बीच खड़ी दीवार गिर सकती है तो भारत पाकिस्तान एक क्यों नहीं हो सकते हैं ? आखिर इनके बीच की अदृश्य दीवार क्यों नहीं गिर सकती है ? जबाब पाने के लिए इतिहास के पन्ने पलटने होंगे . इतिहास का एक ऐसा भी दौर था जब देशों के बीच भौगोलिक नक़्शे की लकीरें नहीं होती थीं, नागरिक व्यवसाय के लिए, अध्येता अध्ययन के लिए और साधू संत आस्था और विश्वास के प्रसार और प्रचार के लिए द...

Forbes magazine  is famous for its annual listing of Billionaires, world over their annual update is eagerly awaited. This year there were lot of questions and doubts, as due to falling petrol prices, weak Euro and gloom in trade and business world wide , people were expecting reduction in the net worth of Billionaires  as well as less no of Billionaires . But the year  has proved that real business leaders know their way around even in difficult times. In fact, this year  there are total 1,826 billionaires in numbers and their aggregating wealth $7.1 trillion, up from last year's figure $6.4 trillions. No surprise Chinese Internet Wizard Jack Ma of Alibaba jumped so high, placed 33 in the Top 50  with his US$22.7 billions. The youngest in the Top 50 is Mark Zuckerberg, the 30 year old's fortune currently stands at $33 billion. Another online sale Moughal Jeff Bezos of Amazon  is placed 15 with his $34.8 billion kitty , probably he will be mentioned in t...

It is heartening to see that mail box of TRAI, the telecom regulatory authority in India, flooded with 2 lac mails opposing any move to control internet and still the mails are pouring in. It is the time when Government of India should respond by heeding netizens call to guarantee rather than dilute net neutrality. The disturbing signals started emerging when in a consultation paper TRAI had asked for feedback on questions such as What forms of discrimination or traffic management are reasonable and should be permitted ? Citizens answered : Do Not Discriminate. Yes, there are few countries cross the globe ruled by Military Juntha, Dictators, Religious Zealots and Autocrats, where the population is deprived of Facebook, YouTube or so many web site  giving information or a feeling of liberation. Now the government should act fast to show that in Democracy discrimination is not permitted. The government should also realize that Internet has revolutionized the c...