DesiReflections

I am regularly visiting Pilibhit, bordering area adjoining Nepal,    almost from last 45 years. But on this visit , I realised that I know very little about the rich tradition of bansuri making of this place. In fact , this area boasts to be the flute capital with a major chunk of 85 percent of total flute production in the country.  And flute maestro like Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Pt Ronu Majumdar procure the best of their best from the master craftsmen of the town.  Bansuri is a traditional bamboo based musical instrument played to please Lord Krishna . The craftsman engaged in the business are Muslims . I visited the crowded and narrow alleys close to Kotwali area, where these craftsman are engaged in bansuri making from many generations . One such craftsmen is Mohammad Usman , who sits in a makeshift, enclosed verandah outside a house, making flutes. Surrounded by stacks of cut bamboo stalks, Usman barely looks up as he whittles away patiently, holding each on...

कांच   के   बरतन   हैं   रिश्तों   से   कहीं   बेहतर काँच   से   बने   बरतन     हैं   रिश्तों   से   कहीं   बेहतर   जब   टूटते   हैं   दरकते   हैं   आवाज     तो   आ   जाती   है   तुम   आज   आए   हो   विरासत   के   फ़ैसले   के   लिए   क्या   ख़ूबसूरत   पल   या   याद   अलग   हो   पाती   है ये   बड़ा   सच   है   रिश्ते   बनाना   सहज   नहीं   होता   पर   अगर   बहक   जाएँ   कड़ी   झटके   से   टूट   जाती   है   दिल   के   रिश्तों   को   ख़िलोना   न   समझ   के   खेलो   इन्हें   संवरने   में   एक   जिंदगी   कम   पड़   जाती   है   तुम्हारी   ज़िद   है   रिश्तों   को   ...

Two Minutes Read by Pradeep Gupta  Incense Sticks May Pose Problem To Health .  Burning incense sticks, or Agarbatti has been an integral part of any Hindu ritual, without which, the puja seems incomplete. But, do you know  that these sticks, which fill the atmosphere with aromas, contain many chemicals - some of which may be harmful for your health. A number of studies suggests that burning incense sticks can put an individual's health at risks, including genetic mutations, cancer, asthma and other respiratory diseases, leukaemia, heart disease, and skin irritation.  Chinese also use incense stick as frequently as we Indians do. During my visit to Macau , I  saw in a old Buddhist Temple the campus was full of aroma as well as incense smokes . A 2015 Chinese study warned that burning incense at home may put your health at great risk, including cancer, as the pleasant smell contains certain particles that are more toxic than those found in cigarettes. This study ...

अगर   बोरियत   सताने   लगे   क्यों   न   अपने   आप   को   खोजना   शुरू   कर   दें  .  सुनने   में   बहुत   सरल   सा   लगता   है   लेकिन   यही   काम   सब   से   मुश्किल   है  .  आप   कठिन   से   कठिन   पते   को   भी किसी   न   किसी   तरह   खोज   ही   लेते   हैं   रोड   गाइड   मैप  ,  गूगल  ,  पड़ोस   के   पनवाड़ी   के   ज़रिए  . खुद   को   खोजने   का   काम   ज़रा   मुश्किल   सा   है   कई   बार   तो   पूरी   जवानी   ही   गुज़र   जाती   है  , मध्य   वय   का   पड़ाव   तय   करते   करते  ,  बुढ़ापा   भी   आ   जाता   है  ,  हम   फंसे   रह   जाते   हैं ...

Two Minutes Read  Are Fresheners Good For You ? The accepted practice at most of the offices as well as homes  for removing bad odor is very simple these days. Mask the bad odor with  good odor. Most of the people use aerosol based air fresheners . On the face of it, the product has a purpose to serve and owes its existence partly to aggressive marketing skills and partly to perceived benefits accruing from its frequent usage. The expression “air freshener” however, becomes a misnomer as most of these products on the market shelf not only emit as well as  generate potentially hazardous air pollutants. Some of the brands that get clubbed into the ‘green’ and ‘organic’ category are no less harmful when it comes to exposing the users to hazardous air pollutants.  The consumers do not know the truth behind the terms like organic or green keep using these products innocuously. It may be partly due to nondisclosure on the part of the brands about the nature of the ing...

मेरी   जान   है   मुंबई   मेरी   जान   है   मुंबई   कुछ   परेशान   है   मुंबई   पहले   शाम   होते   महफ़िलें   सज   जाती   थीं   संगीत   की   स्वर   लहरी   भी   जग   जाती   थीं   नशिस्तों   में   अदब   गुलज़ार   रहता   था   बहस   मुबाहसों   में   रातें   कट   जाती   थीं   ज़रा   सुनसान   है   मुंबई   कुछ   परेशान   है   मुंबई   जब   समंदर   के   किनारे   से   गुज़र   जाता   हूँ   एक   अजब   सा   मंजर   वहाँ   पे   पाता   हूँ   न   सैलानियों   की   भीड़   है   न   बच्चों   की   आवाज़ें आती   जाती   लहरों   को   उदासी   से   भरा   पाता   हूँ   ऐसा   नहीं   अनजान   है   मु...

Two Minutes Read             Pradeep Gupta  Is The Packaged Mineral (?) Water Safe For Drinking  …….. A few decades ago, once you go out of your home, it was very difficult to get pure drinking water. Compulsion of traveling due to business, job , mauj masti lead to big marketing space to bottled mineral water.  Over the period of time bottled water has become billion dollar business globally.  However, down the line, thoroughly conducted studies on the purity and safety of using bottled water under different brand names have come under the scanner owing to reports about increased occurrence of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure besides cancer among customers who patronize this product. In most of the cases, it is not mineral water at all it is plain packaged filtered water.  A recent study conducted nearly three years ago in the United States collected samples of bottled water from countries across ...

दीप   आशा   के   जलाए   रखिए   खुद   पे   भरोसा   बनाए   रखिए   ज़िंदगी   ख़ुशनुमा   हो   जाएगी   ख़्वाब     पलकों   पे   सजाए   रखिए   क्या   मिलेगा     हवा   में   उड़   के   पाँव   धरती   पे   जमाए   रखिए   अगर   बनना   हो   हर - दिल   अजीज़   राज़   दिल   ही   में   छुपाए   रखिए     काटना   है   अगर   समय   अच्छा   सादगी   को   खुद   में   बसाए   रखिए     सोचना   ज़्यादा   ज़रूरी   भी   नहीं     बेवजह   बोझा   न   उठाए   रखिए   दिल   तो   बड़ा   बावरा   सा   है   कहीं   तो     इसे   लगाए   रखिए   आप   को   लगती   है   नज़र   जल्दी   इक     दिठोना   लग...

Two Minutes Read : COVID Vaccines : How Long It Protect ? From our experience of vaccines of epidemic diseases, we have learnt that  1. Measles shots are good for life,   2. chickenpox immunisations protect for 10 to 20 years,   3. For Flu we have to take shot every year.         4. tetanus jabs last a decade or more.  But so far we know little that how long COVID-19 vaccines can protect us , and whether we really need Covid-19 boosters.  The goal of any  vaccine is to provide the protection afforded by natural infection, but without the risk of serious illness or death. A really good vaccine makes it so someone does not get infected even if they are exposed to the virus but not all vaccines are ideal. The three tiers of defence a vaccine include full protection against infection and transmission; protection against serious illness and transmission; or protection against serious illness only. The effectiveness depends on the ma...