Beat and say Happy Holi!

 

Would you believe me if I said beating men with a stick is a traditional way of celebration in India? I didn’t, when my friend told me about it. In Barsana, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, people celebrate the festival of colours – Holi, wherein women beat men with (Lathi) sticks. If you just said ‘what nonsense’, you need to read further.

My friend said that this practice had its roots in Hindu mythology. Lord Krishna used to visit Barsana to playfully tease Radha and her friends by throwing coloured water on them and in turn, they would beat him with sticks and chase him out of town. Thus till date, men from Lord Krishna’s town (Nandgaon) visit Barsana and the women beat them with sticks; not literally beat them blue of course!

The little town of Barsana welcomes thousands of tourists and visitors every year around this time as several people wish to witness the ‘Lathmar Holi’. And guess what? While the rest of the country celebrates only two days of rituals and colours, Barsana begins its celebrations at least fifteen days prior to the actual day.

Today and tomorrow are the main days of Holi and not only Barsana, but the entire country would be painted in the colours of VIBGYOR! Wouldn’t it be magnificent? I’d love to be a part of it someday! :)

 

A Tribute to Michelangelo Buonarroti

I was a little disappointed when I opened Google today. I had expected a 'masterpiece' doodle to celebrate the birthday of none other than the Master himself - Michelangelo Buonarroti. Do I need to say any more? His introduction can never be bound to words, his paintings and sculptures talk on his behalf. 

So what if Google didn't feel it important to pay him a tribute, I will! Take a look at this beautiful video that compiles some of his greatest works! I bow to the man who gave us the magnificent Sistine Chapel, David and much more; the man who gave art a new dimension!

Plant a tree, plant hope!

Almost all occasions commemorate the past, but do you know of any that is celebrated for the future? Yes, there is one such occasion that people celebrate around the world to ensure a wonderful and healthy future – the Arbor Day! Around spring, several countries celebrate this day by planting trees and take measures to conserve nature, ensuring a Green future. Arbor means a tree, and the day was originated in Nebraska on April 10, 1872 by J. Sterling Morton. It is rightly said, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children” and hence this day is an effort to make people sow some seeds of gratitude for letting us borrow the Earth from our future generations. Especially, after witnessing the wrath of Mother Nature that we have called upon ourselves, it is not only our duty, but an obligation to conserve it and leave back something for the coming generations to live upon.

Many countries were inspired by the idea and chose a date best suited to plant trees according to their climatic conditions. Iran is one of them, and it celebrates its National Tree Planting Day today! So I wish all my Iranian friends a very Happy Tree Planting Day and would suggest that irrespective of the days, all of us must plant as many trees as possible and refrain from separating the Mother from her children.

Around the World in 94 hours!

Our newly married neighbours happened stop by last night for a cup of coffee and they told us that they were planning for a world trip. WORLD TRIP! Yes, that was my exact reaction. In my defence, it has always been a top priority on my bucket list and I am desperately waiting for the day I can plan one too. Travelling across the vast, wide globe and unfolding innumerable secrets that lie below the layers of time, is not just my wish, but a passionate dream that I want to achieve some day!

If I am left to it, I can go on all day, but I don’t think anyone would really want to read all about my travelling fascination, besides, there’s something I wanted to share with you’ll! Something, that happened 63 years ago - the first NON-STOP around-the-world flight! ‘Lucky Lady II’ was the first flight to circle the globe in 94 hours and 1 minute, without stopping. From 26^th February to 2^nd March, 1949, the 43^rd Bomb Group flew continuously covering 23,452 miles, using the in-flight refuelling technique developed by the British.

 

Now isn’t that amazing?

St David's Day

It’s the first of March, 

A day celebrated at large

By the Welsh around the globe

With Leeks and Daffodils

On shoulders or sleeves,

They adorn their national dress

On this day of St David’s

All adults and kids

Rejoice, chant and dance alike!

Happy St David’s Day to all!

Here are some interesting facts that I would like to share:

• It is believed that two pilgrimages to the city of St David’s equals one to Rome, and three pilgrimages, to Jerusalem

• Dewi miraculously raised the ground underneath him while preaching at Brevi, in order to be seen and heard by all. On his success, a white dove settled upon his shoulder, and thus, he is usually represented standing on a hill with a dove on his shoulder

• Saint David abstained from drinking and advised others to do the same, but for St David’s day celebrations, a number of Welsh breweries make special St. David’s Day ales

Now That's What Women Want!

For all those men who went down on their knees yesterday, and dreamt of a lovely future together, here's a little heads up on what women really want. We ladies, are satisfied souls and don't ask for more than the BASIC necessities, so you don't really have to worry much; just take a quick peek.

A Decent Looking Husband

A Not-So-Expensive Wedding Ring

A Simple Wedding

A Sweet Honeymoon

A Nice Car (for shopping)

A Small House

A Hardworking Husband

Lovely Children

Some Make-up

A Few Bags

Some Shoes

Some Dresses

A Few Gifts Once In A While

A Small Trip (not more than 4 times a year)

And Finally, Some Basic Securities...

See what I meant? ;) Okay on a serious note, none of this is true... what women truly want is a loving and caring partner who is honest, listens (not just hear) to her, makes her feel special (not always by tangible things) and accepts & respects her family and friends along with her! So the guys can now release the breath they have been holding all along, and go tell their girls how special they are! 

Hope you'll had a lovely Valentine's Day!

A Novel romance this Valentine

Imagine waking up this Valentine’s Day and seeing your boyfriend holding a gift wrapped in gold. Wouldn't you engulf him in a crushing hug even before opening the present? But I don’t think it would be a wise idea this year, especially if you are someone who panics at the sight of anything crawly, with antennae and multiple legs. If you are scrunching your nose already, do not read the rest.

You wouldn’t believe it when I say that one of the gifts this year could be a hand painted chocolate cockroach, and it doesn’t stop there. The Bronx Zoo in New York is offering people to name one of their 58,000 hissing Madagascar Cockroaches after their beloved. While I personally am disgusted at the sight of roaches, I find the idea of a cockroach with my name roaming around the Zoo… umm well, macabre? (Putting it diplomatically) 

 

And now for those, whose partners would be disgusted at the mere mention of roaches, here are a few adorable Valentine’s Day ideas. (While not all, most of them are mine!) 

• Make 365 chits with small personal messages for her to read every night before sleeping, until the next Valentine’s Day

• Make little notes saying nothing except ‘SHMILY’ and keep passing it on to her every now and then. Let her get curious about its meaning and at night, after a romantic dinner, give her a card reading ‘See How Much I Love You’ (SHMILY)!

• If you are fortunate enough to have a private lawn or are near the beach, you can set a dinner table for two with scented candles on a sheet of rose petals and serve her favourite cuisine cooked by you. Some romantic music would obviously add to the ambience

• Make an interesting documentary with cuddly photos and videos, narrating your love story. If possible, write it on a CD along with her favourite movie that you could watch together. The documentary could be played in the middle or after the movie as a surprise

• Organise a Treasure or Scavenger hunt with clues and gifts across the house. The gifts must be something she had always longed for

Do make this Valentine’s Day special for that someone, be it with roaches, romantic ideas or by simply spending quality time together. In the end, it’s the feelings that count!

Hope you'll have a LOVE-ly day of love lovelies! :)