Childhood memories of severe winter

 I cherish my childhood memories. My father was posted as Head master in a small town in Gurdaspur Distt which did not have electricity nor piped water facility . Winter used to be extremely cold and summer extremely hot but we never bothered about heat and cold as we had no better experience to compare with . We enjoyed sitting around the traditional Chullah fire in which wood was burned to cook the meals and heat water by my mother . Warmth of mother’s love would have an aura of heavenly bliss in that kitchen in which family chat sharing day’s experiences would make us oblivious about cold . These used to be our happy hours . After we would finish the meals another treat followed when our mother would ask us , the youngest children , to go and get into her bed so that it gets heated by the time she joined after finishing the remaining chores . How we loved that loving touch of being with mother even for a little while ! Sweetness and comfort of those winters still gives more warmth to my heart despite all the comforts available now . ❤️🌺❤️

है सत्य क्या?

 चल मन आज आसमान से बातें करते हैं , 

पूछा ,”तुम इतने ऊँचे और विस्तृत कैसे हो ?”

तो बोला , “ख़ाली हो जाओ तो हल्के होकर 

अपने आप ऊपर उठ जाओगे और मेरी तरह 

फैल जाओगे, फिर कभी सूरज के प्रकाश से

रौशनी फैलाते नज़र आओगे तो कभी चाँद - 

सितारों से जड़ित चादर जैसे झिलमिलाओगे,

कभी हिमकणो से भरे सफ़ेद बादल से और 

कभी पानी की बूँदों से भरपूर

काले बादल से ढक जाओगे , 

बरस जाने के बाद नज़र आओगे -

सुंदर पावन नीला अम्बर , 

जो असल में है बस ख़ालीपन, 

मेरा मन हो या तेरा मन  ,

हम सब में है कोई बहरुपिया 

 जो अजब तमाशा दिखा रहा है , 

  अलग-अलग से रूप रंग में 

सृष्टि की लीला  चला रहा है …

सूरज का है प्रकाश वही , 

आकाश का है विस्तार वही,

सागर की वह गहराई है , 

जीवन की वही सच्चाई है , 

लुका -छिपी के खेल खेल में 

सत्य के भेद बताता है ,

 और सत्य की ही राह से वह 

 सत्य तक पहुँचाता है ….!”

- @Sudesh Prakash

 Once upon a time .....simple life , rich joys ❤️

Tibri ,just three Kms away from our hometown Gurdaspur ,the banks of Upper Bari Doab canal , was our breathing space,our life line where we would go every now and then to have heavenly family picnic . Upper Bari Canal taking off from Ravi River at Madhopur Barrage is an irrigation canal , would carry icy cold waters in summers that served as  freezer to cool the mango packs we used to  carry . Tonga ride to Tibri was another source of amusement . 

This was the place where all the fairs like Baisakhi n Teej used be held ; we watched real Bhangra n Gidhha teams from various villages performing in authentic spirit.

Similar picnic spots nearby were Madhopur and Aliwal where network of canals served to sooth , body , mind and soul in summers . 

 I had my schooling and college education in Gurdaspur. Indebted to my family , teachers and friends for their precious presence in my life . 

Those were the days ....simple joys

We had a big jamun Tree in our rented house in Gurdaspur which used to be full of Jamuns in summer rainy season and children from neighborhood would go upstairs all noon , not letting us rest , to have their fill and carry home too . Those were the times people planted fruit trees in their homes and in neighborhood for the birds and delighted to share with all people . 

We had a poem in our Panjabi text book in class 6 th about  games children play with elderly house  lady sneaking into her house to pluck Berries n how she reacts with anger outwardly but inwardly loving their play with her -

Oh kiddar gaye digarhe, jad chhato de pichhwarhe San ber chhato de khande, has has ke galan khande .... 

We loved that poem n used to sing in group with friends . Happy childhood memories ❤️ 

 Our experience - Pondicherry Visit 

-------------------

Visit to Pondicherry was a part of our month long tour of south India with family in the year 1982. The moment we entered the city ,there was a feeling of having reached a heavenly place . The city had the vibrations of the peaceful presence of Sri Aurbindo Ghosh and The Mother . The sea side location and influence of French architecture lend a special charm  to the city . 

At night we visited the Ashram where The saintly Sri Aurbindo Ghosh and The Mother had once lived and which houses their samadhis too . An air of divine peace enveloped the whole area .It is so true  that peace prevails eternally where a noble soul has travelled or stayed. It was ,indeed ,a memorable experience to breathe in that pious air.

We stayed in the Mothers' International Hostel  ,which was very impressive,comfortable and peaceful . At night our three year old younger son developed very severe diarrhea and we got scared in that strange place where we knew no doctors . 

On consultation we were advised to go to the nearby residence of a Bengali Doctor , a child specialist . It was 10 p.m. when we approached him ,he was very kind to open the gate,check the child and give medicine . He told us that it was the water of the city which caused  that particular problem and advised us all to take boiled water only. The medicine worked well .The old doctor left an indelible mark of his noble presence on us.

The most heart touching part was that he did not accept any fee saying that he would not charge anything from guests in the city . These are the angelic characters  who strengthen our faith in humanity .Ever since this noble gesture of the doctor lives in our heart .

 Next day we were to travel to Auroville -an International village based on Sri Aurbindo Ghosh's  dream of achieving world peace through  community living , where according to his idea thinkers  from various nations would live ,interact to find ways and means to achieve World peace . It was our cherished dream to visit this village but that was not to be  because of my sick child . My husband along with my elder son did visit it and shared their views with us . The concept is ,indeed ,excellent but lot more needed to be done to realize the wonderful dream at that time . 

We had another interesting experience .We met a young doctor in a restruarant  who very keenly listened to our tour experience ;  and finally asked us what was our gain in spending so much money on the tour which could have fetched us a plot of land .

Well ,that is a matter of individual perspective we told . Everything can not be evaluated in material terms . For us the joy we experience ,our exposure to people,places and cultures and memories we make are invaluable . And we have never regretted our decisions .There is so much to see in India and the world that one life is not enough .

REFLECTIONS

The river of our love

 has been flowing silently,

moving onwards without

 any demands or expectations; 

Enabling us to meet all the 

challenges with dignity;

I am sure, it will continue 

to sustain and nourish us

with its sublime serenity, 

till the river of life 

flows into the ocean of eternity.

- @ Sudesh Prakash