A Rendezvous with the Queen and the Brother

                                     

On the wall of my living room hangs a painting with a scenic view – snowclad mountains, dense trees, a placid blue river, and the clear blue sky above. Every time I look at the painting, I am vicariously transported to this landscape which has an abundance of white, blue, and green – the vibrant colours of Nature. Indeed, Nature, with her immense beauty, is a muse for so many artists! It was time for me to personally experience this beauty. It was time to meet the mighty mountains. It was time to meet the brother of North-eastern Indian states, Sikkim and the Queen of Hills, Darjeeling.

Our sojourn in Sikkim started with Gangtok, the capital city. Before we could meet the mountains, we first decided to seek blessings of the deities here, at Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok. Hanuman Tok is a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman and is believed that He rested for some time during His return trip to Lanka while carrying sanjeevani herb to cure a wounded Lakshman, where this temple now lies. It is also believed to be a wish fulfilling temple. On the way to the temple, there were pictorial representations from Lord Hanuman’s life since childhood. If pictures speak a thousand words, then Ramayana could be understood from those pictures. The temple is located at 7,200 feet from the sea level and the green mountains surrounding it simply add to the divine presence. We were in the arms of the lush-green mountains, and they stretched their arms further at Ganesh Tok. Ganesh Tok is a temple of Lord Ganesha, situated on top of a hill providing beautiful view of Gangtok. Next to the Ganesh temple is a small temple of Lord Shiva as well. It is amazing to realise how these places of worship provide tranquility. The sanctity is not only restricted to the temples where these deities reside, but their presence is also felt in the consecrated mountains around! Mountains, valleys and views of the city from a height is something that that is abundantly found in Gangtok. We could not get enough of mountainous views and visited Tashi View Point next. This point offers view of the Kanchenjunga. However, the clouds were in readiness to descend in form of rains and obstructed our view of the great mountain. We felt cross at the clouds for literally raining on our parade. However, can anyone gauge or challenge the moods of Nature? Certainly not. Happy to have met the green mountains, it was time to meet the mountains in white blankets, the main attraction of our trip.

We headed to Nathu La Pass the next morning. While Nathu La is a sight to behold, the roads leading to it are like red carpets welcoming its visitors. On our way, we were first greeted by tall green mountains. The views became mesmerising on our way up. The colourful small houses nestled in the mountains looked picturesque from above. As we went higher, the green mountains gave way to show the regal snow-white mountains. We were seeing snow for the first time and the childlike excitement in us knew no bounds. I held a ball of snow in my hands for the first time and it felt special. The air became cooler. The sun shone brightly on the snow-covered mountains, but its presence could not be felt against the cool breeze that freely wafted. On our way we also saw army camps at various places named after the bravehearts who were awarded Param Vir Chakra and other honours. Equipped with clothing and shoes suitable for snow, we took our first baby steps in snow to reach the Indo-China border. No pains, no gains - this was very true while walking up to the border. The snow was acting like a slippery ground, and we took each step slowly and carefully. The soldiers of the Indian army were helping people reach safely all along the way. After a strenuous walk of about 30-45 minutes, we reached on top to see the border that divides India and China. On Indian side of the border where we stood, our tricolour swayed proudly amidst the strong cold winds and mounds of snow, as though symbolising the courage of our soldiers who defend our nation even in the harshest of weather conditions. On the other side, we saw the Chinese Flag and the Chinese Post. The vast snow and gargantuan mountains were spread beyond our sight, but they did not know the national boundaries laid by humans. They were only bound by the cycles and miracles of Nature. No matter how many years pass, this unique experience of watching two nations up close will always stay with me.

We visited Baba Mandir next, a temple dedicated to Baba Harbhajan Singh, a sentry in the Indian army who lost his life after drowning in a stream while escorting mules with provisions. It is believed that he appeared in the dreams of one of his colleagues and asked him to build a memorial in his name. Although he is no more, his colleagues believe that his spirit is still alive, continues to do his duty and protects them in the difficult terrain. Inside the temple is an idol of Baba Harbhajan Singh and vessel of holy water outside the temple. A few steps away from the temple, stood a statue of Major General Sagat Singh, who during the Indo-Chinese tensions in 1965 did not relent to the Chinese pressure to withdraw from Nathu La and it remained defended under India. It was also written below his statue that today if visitors can come to Nathu La, it is only because of Major General Sagat Singh. India is indeed fortunate to have courageous sons like him and Baba Harbhajan Singh, who dedicated their lives in service of the nation. The aura around this place felt mystical. There was an idol of a meditating Shiva at a distance atop another temple, with a milky waterfall originating from one of the mountains behind the tall idol. We experienced natural beauty, bravery, and spirituality, all in one place. A few kilometers away was the Changu or Tsongmo Lake with its calm ink-blue water, surrounded by snowy mountains. The painting on my wall at home had started coming to life. This beautiful sight captivated my heart, and I could have basked in its serenity for hours! There were yaks around the lake who seemed carefree and enjoyed the peace around. These huge cattle with hairy bodies, long thorns and bushy tails are fit to thrive in the extreme cold of the Himalayas. These three wonderful spots – Nathu La pass, Baba Mandir and Changu Lake had already become the favourite part of my trip, and it was time to bid them goodbye, treasuring all the wonderful views in our hearts and eyes.

Sikkim is a haven as well as a heaven for natural beauty and we set out the next day from Gangtok to explore another photogenic town in North Sikkim, Lachung. In the road journey to Lachung, we again went up higher and higher in the mountains, which we by now had learnt was the characteristic of the region. The sylvan forests, numerous green mountains with waterfalls emanating from them soon became a common sight, yet we could not stop absorbing all the natural grandeur around. While protection of Nature is considered of utmost importance by the people here, she can also act unforgiving at times, by causing destruction during landslides. We passed many such mutilated roads during the journey. Similar to human nature, Mother Nature can be unpredictable too! On our way, we visited three milky-white waterfalls – Butterfly or Seven Sisters waterfall, Naga Falls and Bhim Nala or Amitabh Bachchan falls. While the mountains had not failed to astonish us, these waterfalls took up the challenge of astonishing us further with their cascading beauty. The tumultuous roar of the waters lingered with us for long. Surrounded by the panorama of the lofty mountains, these waterfalls with their copiousness taught how priceless these water resources are.

We reached Lachung, with a mesmerising view of Kanchenjunga to welcome us. We relished the view of these icy mountains from the hotel where we stayed. Their icy presence was felt in form of freezing temperature of almost 3-4 degrees. For Mumbaikars like us who survive in the sweltering heat of c.35 degrees, this was the coldest that we had felt. However, the cold weather could not dampen our excitement. Next morning, we visited Yumthang Valley or the valley of flowers, known for the various species of rhododendron, the state flower. The road to Yumthang, though bumpy at times, too had many scenic views of mountains and rivers to offer. There were times when we drove through the river. The sound of the splashing running water seemed like natural music, almost therapeutic. Unfortunately, we could not see the flowers in the valley due to the unseasonal and thus unreasonable rain which had caused the flowers to fall off. While that disappointed us a little, there was still no dearth of beauty to see around. We had hoped to see the colourful flowers, but the tranquil river, yaks busy grazing pasture on meadows surrounded by the Himalayan mountains were not less captivating. If I were an artist, I would have loved to paint this picture too! The rains were planning to make a comeback, which gave way to chilly winds, almost freezing us. We took our leave from Yumthang and thus from Sikkim, clicking as many pictures as we could and soon bade goodbye to the snowy mountains we had grown to love so much. We were glad to meet this brother of the seven sisters of North-east India, who does not share his borders with his sisters, but has countries like Nepal and Bhutan bordering him.

The last leg of our trip was Darjeeling. India’s landscape, her people, their languages change every few kilometres and we experienced this on our road trip from Gangtok to Darjeeling. We saw the serene Teesta river that flows through Gangtok and West Bengal on our way to Darjeeling. We were soon welcomed by the vivacious-looking mountains of Darjeeling. Though they did not have blankets of snow, their verdant beauty was as beautiful. Darjeeling, the Queen of Hills, welcomed us with her emerald elegance. We saw the toy trains for which Darjeeling is known for. The next day, it was time to see the Himalayan fauna at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, the largest high-altitude zoo in India. As we entered the zoo, we were first greeted by black bears and various species of deer found in Himalayan ranges. The species of deer such as barking deer, Himalayan Tahr etc. grazed contentedly. Next, we saw my favourite - the stars of the cat family – snow leopard, the jungle leopard, Royal Bengal tiger and Bagheera the black panther from The Jungle Book. The tiger prowled around his enclosure, gracing everyone with his majestic presence. He seemed to have liked his visitors. I spent some more time standing near his enclosure, feeling amazed by his proud walk every minute. We also saw Tibetan wolves who looked sly in their cream-white coats and sat in a picture-perfect pose. The main attraction of the zoo were the red pandas. These small, innocent-looking, honey-and-white creatures looked like the ones from children’s storybooks. The two red pandas that we saw jumped skillfully from one tree to another. I found them endearing and happy-go-lucky animals!

Inside the zoo lies the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which I believe is not only an institute that trains mountaineers, but also is a source of inspiration for non-mountaineers like many of us. The institute’s motto, “May you climb from peak to peak” motivates any individual to reach from one summit of success to another. This trip has all been about enormous mountains and getting awestruck by their glory. This institute provided us with an insight about the great Himalayas and its peaks that are spread across India, Nepal and China. The might of the mountains is beyond the human imagination. Yet some brave climbers took up the challenge to reach the summits of these seemingly impossible peaks. Some succeeded, while some lost their lives. Their stories were nothing short of courage and inspiration. The institute which had a museum as well, displayed the provisions that are required for mountaineering and to battle the harsh weather. The pictures of the mountaineers on the snowclad mountains were epitomes of bravery. Tenzing Norgay was the first Indian to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the world’s highest mountain on 29^th May, 1953. His successful climb along with Edmund Hillary gave an impetus to pursue mountaineering, because of which this institute was established. Tenzing Norgay was born on 29^th May 1914 and he reached the summit on the same day, 39 years later. It was as though he was born to reach the Everest! His memorial outside the institute is an ode to this distinguished man, who made the impossible possible with his sheer grit and determination. We also visited the Bengal Natural History Museum existing since British times and has taxidermized species of a variety of animals and birds. They looked lifelike and I felt gazed at us in wonder.

Darjeeling is famous for tea and visiting tea estate was a must-do. The widely spread and organised green carpets of tea plantations were a treat to the eyes. The women plucking the tea leaves reminded me of the pictures that we see promoting Darjeeling tourism. We also enjoyed a cup of special Darjeeling tea while we enjoyed the view. I have grown to believe that mountains are synonymous with peace and divinity. Our next spot, Japanese temple and Peace Pagoda, justified that. This wonderful Japanese Buddhist temple was founded by Fuji Guruji, a Japanese monk to establish the Buddhist order for world peace. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and believed that the concept of non-violence would help Buddhism to proliferate in India. The Peace Pagoda has four avatars of Lord Buddha. From the top of the Pagoda, we could see panoramic views of the Darjeeling landscape. The white Peace Pagoda and the golden Buddha truly emanated optimism and peace. Our last spot in Darjeeling was the Batasia Loop which had a lovely flowering garden, around which the toy train track is laid. It is a delightful sight of resplendent flowers and fresh green plants. At its centre is the Batasia Loop War Memorial, paying homage to Gorkha soldiers who lost their lives in various wars after India’s independence. Next to the memorial stands a statue of a soldier who bows in respect for his fellow soldiers, thus resonating our sentiments for the bravehearts. It is written at the entrance of Batasia Loop, “When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow… we gave our today.” This solemn message reminds us of the countless sacrifices that our soldiers make to defend the honour of India. Carrying this message in our hearts, we curtsied to this Queen of Hills and took her leave.

I always carry some teachings from my trip back home. So, what did the mountains teach me? We might never actually climb difficult mountains, but there might be instances in life where problems and disappointments might look like huge mountains. Yet, one needs to stand tall and strong to overcome these mountains, to reach from one peak of happiness and success to another. We might not defend the geographical borders of a nation or a state, but we surely can defend the borders and lay boundaries when it comes to our physical and mental wellbeing. Thus, this much-needed proximity in the lap of Mother Nature left me rejuvenated as well as left me longing for the mountains who were there, are there and will always be there to welcome me whenever I want to have a rendezvous with them!

In God’s Own Country

I have always believed that Indian regional cinema shows the authentic picture of a particular state – the nature and attire of the people, their language and dialect, eating habits, body language and most importantly, its distinct geographical beauty. We see the diversity of our country through regional cinema. I have always been a fan of Marathi cinema and the great content that it offers in most of the movies. With the advent of OTT, movies in other Indian languages have become easily available. Using subtitles as my trusted acolyte, I have also taken an interest in watching cinemas from the South, which are getting popular these days among pan Indian viewers as well. Among the South Indian content, I love Malayalam movies the most, as the concepts are always unique and keep the viewer entertained throughout their duration. I have now become a fan of Malayalam actors like Prithviraj, Dulquer Salmaan, Fahadh Faasil and Tovino Thomas and look forward to watching their movies! What I love about Malayalam movies is not only the actors and interesting content but also the scenic beauty of Kerala. In 2022, having watched around 30+ Malayalam movies while touring through the greenery of Kerala virtually, I decided to pay an actual visit to what is called God’s own country.

While there are many picturesque places in Kerala as shown in the movies, we decided to explore Munnar and Kumarakom during this trip. Our journey thus began from Kochi airport to Munnar, a roughly 3.5 hours road trip spent while enjoying the views outside. As we were reaching Munnar, abundant greenery welcomed us with open arms. The tall green mountains, the vast expanse of tea estates and the coolness in the air were exactly something we were looking forward to in Munnar and these were the just the welcome glimpses of the amazing views that lay ahead during our stay. The next day, we set off to explore the sightseeing areas in Munnar. The weather was pleasant just how we had expected. It was foggy all around and everything, including the mountains and roads, seemed hidden behind the cotton-like white fog. All around Munnar, the only colours we could see were green and white. Our first stop was Periyakanal Waterfalls. They looked straight out of a painting in their milky white colour. The sound of the gushing water felt music to the ears and the view was a treat to the eyes. After seeing the little white part of Munnar’s beauty, next we explored the green beauty, in form of verdant expanses of tea estates. These tea estates go far beyond the reach of the eyes, and they look like symmetrically groomed mountains. When in Munnar, a picture among the tea estates is a must! To fulfil this wish of tourists like us, there was a photo point in the tea estate. We grabbed this perfect and rare opportunity to be seen among the greenery and clicked many pictures of ourselves and the views that were worthy of any desktop or mobile wallpaper.

Next, we visited the Lockhart tea factory and museum to understand how tea, our daily morning beverage, is made from the tea leaves that we saw on the colossal mountains. Just outside the factory, we read about the history and origin of tea and how it made its way in India. Through a well-guided tour, we came to know the types of tea and the stages of tea manufacturing. At the end of the factory/museum visit, we tasted different types of tea – green, black, and white. Throughout the visit in the factory, we could get refreshing aroma of tea as it was being processed and could tempt any non-tea drinker as well to have a cup full of tea. After experiencing the green and white beauty, we went next to see a palette of beautiful colours in form of a flower garden. Commonly known as the KFDC garden, the floriculture centre in Munnar is a place full of beautiful flowers, herbs, medicinal and bonsai plants. This botanical garden has a wide collection of Kerala’s well known as well as rare blooms. We could not resist clicking umpteen pictures there as it was truly a delight to see so many colours at one place!

Next on our list was Echo point. Echo Point provides a panoramic view of the surrounding hills and evergreen forest cover. It is a place where you can reconnect with your inner child by screaming at your heart’s content and hear back your own voice coming from the thick greenery around. Towards the sound of gushing water was where we went next, at Madupetty dam. It is a huge dam built in the mountains of Kerala, to produce hydroelectricity. Next to the dam is Mattupetty Lake which is perennial and never dries up even during summers.

It was now time to go high up in the mountains. Our last destination for the day was Eravikulam National Park. Situated in the high ranges of Kerala, Eravikulam National Park provides magnificent view of hills with tea plantations. At the base of the National Park, there are buses which take the tourists at the top from where one can see only and only huge green mountains with clouds descending on them. After getting down from the bus, we enjoyed a trek in Rajamala, the region lying beyond the road entry into Eravikulam. Eravikulam is also famous for the natural habitat of Nilgiri Tahr, the endangered mountain goat and this park is built with the aim of conserving them. The park also had information about how Nilgiri Tahr eventually found their way to Indian mountains starting originally from Alps in Europe. I envied these animals momentarily for their ability to travel across continents without any passport or visa! We walked while enjoying the cool breeze that pleasantly brushed our skin. The clouds had touched the road and with child-like excitement, we wanted to catch hold of a little piece of cloud in our hands! It was truly a breath-taking view which gave a feeling that you’re probably on top of the world. The park is also known for Neelakurinji flowers, which bloom once in twelve years and the entire place is carpeted with blue. The wonders of Nature are never-ending and limitless!

The next morning, we headed out to get another view from the mountain. The fog seemed to have settled on the mountains, making the view below white. We went ahead to take a jeep tour which covered a couple of sightseeing areas. The jeep took us to a dense forest area with patchy roads which we enjoyed while listening to some Malayalam songs. After this bumpy ride, we visited the Ripple Waterfalls next, another white wonder. We could listen to the flow of water from a distance and did a small trek till the waterfalls showed themselves. The milky white water flowed with full vigour. The never-ending flow of water made me think that life also flows like this water – it moves on despite difficulties and challenges, we learn from this flow of different situations in life. The next stop on this jeep tour was the Hanging Bridge. Built by the British, this bridge is nestled amidst the greenery. Standing on this bridge, we enjoyed the calmness and silence in nature’s vicinity. Close to this bridge is Ponmudi dam, another source for power generation. We saw film shooting point next, where some scenes of Chennai Express were shot. Like Echo Point, a serene lake is surrounded by beautiful mountains which reflect in the limpid water, worthy of enticing any shutterbug.

Kerala is known for its spices and Ayurveda. Our next destination was a spice garden. Kerala is home to a variety of spices: cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, among the few. Known as the Queen of Spices, cardamom is highly prized among all spices found. Through a guided tour in the plantations, we learned about the characteristics of some spices, their nutritive value, and the flavour that they add to the food. There were also some Ayurvedic herbs which are widely used in the medicines. These traditional Ayurvedic treatments and plants have been bequeathed till present times as we understood that some households still used these Ayurvedic ingredients in their daily course of life, thus being the torchbearers of rich ancient tradition. Such Ayurvedic oils form an important constituent of the famous Kerala massages. Thus, if you think that you are missing some aromatic spice in your life, Kerala is the place for you. We believe that variety is the spice of life, hence we carried this variety of aromatic spices back home as a fond memory of Kerala.

Kerala is also home to many elephants – most intelligent and emotional animals in the animal kingdom. We went to an elephant camp next. When we reached there, we saw the two elephants languidly chewing on the heap of grass that was served to them. Despite their mammoth size, elephants look calm and content, without a worry in the world. These magnificent creatures teach the mankind that unwarranted abuse of power can be avoided, and peace be maintained despite the physical might that one may possess. We clicked a picture with one of the elephants and it gave its approval by raising its trunk, while also cleverly posing for the picture. Indeed, they are intelligent animals! We bade goodbye to them as they returned to their job of entertaining other tourists.

Having experienced the natural beauty of Kerala, it was time to get a glimpse of Kerala’s culture in form of its dance and martial arts forms. We watched spellbinding performances of Kathakali and Mohiniyattam. In school, we had only read like a general knowledge fact that Kathakali and Mohiniyattam are classical dance forms of Kerala. But to watch these graceful dances was a different experience altogether. The movements of the dancers were in tandem with the music played and exuded elegance in every minute of the performance. Heavily focused on facial and eye expressions, mastering these dance forms is not an easy feat. The Kathakali performances depict episodes from Lord Krishna’s life, which also gives a storytelling experience to its viewers. The colourful masked faces and the exquisite attires make the dances an absolute treat to the eyes. These dance forms symbolize the rich Indian culture, one that highlights the diversity we are proud about. After the dance performances, we went to witness the martial arts wonder that was Kalaripayattu, one of the oldest surviving martial arts in India. These performances using different forms of weapons such as swords, daggers, sticks and even fire, were nothing but jaw-dropping performances. The physical reflexes that the practitioners had and the ease with which they handled the weapons showed the intense training that goes into mastering this unique form of martial art. There were moments where we watched the performances with bated breath, unsure what to expect next in this adrenaline rush inducing martial art form. Thus, our stay in Munnar ended on this energetic note, an energy that had been passed on to today’s generation as well, to keep the flame of traditional dance forms and martial arts burning.

We headed to Kumarakom the next morning, thus descending from the mountains to the backwaters. As we drove from Munnar, I bade one final goodbye to the huge green mountains that I had grown to love. Quite serendipitously, the sun shone brightly on the day we left from Munnar and we could see the mountains clearly in the absence of fog, standing proudly in their emerald green. On reaching Kumarakom, we were welcomed by tall coconut trees and banana leaves. Next morning, we headed out to visit a Shiva temple, where we also sought blessings of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati. Lord Ganesha wore a garland of bananas, something which was seen in abundance in Kumarakom, which makes banana chips another must-buy in Kerala. Kumarakom is known for its backwaters and a houseboat ride in these backwaters was a must-have experience. In the evening, we set out on the boat sailing in these calm waters while the sun was setting and casting its shining reflection in the water, like a ball of gold. We enjoyed this sense of sangfroid which is possible only in Nature’s propinquity. Soon, the sun took its leave for the day, and we headed back to our hotel. With this, our beautiful stay in Kerala came to an end.

The enthralling natural beauty of Kerala, the aromas of its spices and the treasure of ancient Indian traditions in form of Ayurveda, Kathakali and Kalaripayattu will forever remained imprinted in our minds as another chapter in India’s diversity in one of her most beautiful states in South!

The Golden City of Bravehearts

 

It goes without saying that India’s diversity is like no other - in terms of landscape, languages, history, people and culture. Every state in India boasts of something unique which distinguishes itself from the others and thus is a marvel in its own way. With Covid curbing mobility in terms of tourism for almost two years, tourists all around the world yearned to get back to exploring and visiting new places. Steadily and thankfully, now the doors of tourism have opened and is seen regaining normalcy. When it comes to exploring diversity, there’s no better place on earth than our very own India. Not having explored North India enough before and with an objective to make good use of my holidays, we decided to visit Amritsar – a city of great spiritual and historical significance.

From the ever-bustling Mumbai airport we landed in Amritsar, at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport. The airport derives its name from Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru and founder of Amritsar – the holiest city of Sikhism. At the airport, I saw pictures of attractions in Amritsar and I could not contain my excitement to explore the city. The itinerary was already chalked out, it was only few hours before we absorbed in the beauty of the city. The next morning, we headed out to visit the holy Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple. Before visiting the Golden Temple, we were greeted by the tall standing and proud-looking statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Lion of Punjab. Saddled on his horse and with a sword in his hand, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s glory could still be felt in the air. It seemed as though he still had his protective hand over Amritsar. Paying our respects to the great king, we headed towards the temple.

Though Golden Temple is a Sikh place of worship, it is open for all people, from all walks of life and faith. The sight of the temple is one to behold and we felt the sangfroid and sanctity emanating from the temple, even standing from a distance. As expected, the temple was buzzing with numerous devotees – some taking a bath in the sacred pool near the temple, while some waiting in the queue to enter the holy shrine. The temple looks picturesque from all angles. This golden beauty shines and will continue to shine and shower its blessings on all those who go to seek its blessings. We enjoyed the kada prasad prepared in pure ghee which not only was a treat to the taste buds but also seemed like a pure blessing from the divine presence. The temple also houses a Sikh Museum which is an interesting insight into the Sikh history. The museum exhibits paintings of Sikh Gurus, saints, warriors and other prominent leaders who protected and fought for the honour of Sikhism. I had not known much about Sikhism before but reading about those great personalities made my heart swell with pride as well as wince in pain for the hardships and torment that they had to go through to protect the good.

Having basked in the divinity of the temple, it was time to revisit a sombre chapter in the Indian freedom struggle at Jallianwala Bagh. We had read about Jalianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 in our history textbooks but visiting the place where the carnage happened gave jitters. We entered the Bagh through its narrow passage and imagined how difficult it must have been for the innocent people to escape from death. Once we entered, we saw the point, from where it was written, the bullets were endlessly fired at a peaceful crowd protesting against the Rowlatt Act. Today Jallianwala Bagh is a historic garden and a memorial is built for the wounded and the dead. The Bagh also has a Martyrs’ Well in which people had jumped to save themselves from the ongoing onslaught. It is said that around 120 bodies were recovered from this well. There is also a wall which bears the bullet marks. There are galleries inside the Bagh which unfold the events of that fateful day, recounts the nightmarish experiences of those who survived and aftermath of this grisly incident. The facts send chill down the spine and it was hard to fight tears at this place where injustice and diabolism were beyond human imagination.

We further went to the Partition Museum to learn about the significant years in Indian freedom struggle and partition. This well-structured museum has a repository of materials and documents from various periods of Indian freedom struggle to partition and post partition. It was literally a walk down the historical lane as we navigated the events that led to partition in the sequence that they took place. The pictures of overcrowded trains as people rushed to go to the country of their choice, the refugee crisis, the squalid conditions that they lived in and countless number of people who lost their loved ones amidst this turmoil, certainly expressed more than a thousand words of unimaginable pain and suffering that the people then endured. The museum reverberated the proverb that there is light at the end of the tunnel. As we reached the last section of the museum, we saw stories of people who rose up from the wounds of partition like phoenix and led a respectful life, the prominent examples of which were Milkha Singh i.e., the flying Sikh and Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, MDH spices fame. We left the museum on an optimistic note that though life can throw unexpected challenges and tragedies, it is up to us to rise up again with sheer determination, patience and courage to lead a better life ahead. Our history and our great forefathers have passed on this grit and perseverance to us.

Amritsar is not only a cradle of Sikhism but it also has Hindu temples. We visited Durgiana temple next, the architecture of which is similar to Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple, with a sacred lake surrounding the temple. The temple derives its name from Goddess Durga who is worshipped here. The temple also has idols of Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Krishna and Radha, Hanuman, Parshurama and Ganesh. It was Janmashtami on the day we visited, hence we saw some matkis to celebrate the playful childhood of Lord Krishna. We paid our obeisance to these deities and again got an opportunity to immerse in the serenity of divine presence. Since we were in Punjab, we had to buy something authentic Punjabi as a fond memory of the place. We went shopping for the traditional phulkari, the folk embroidery of the Punjab. The exquisite and intricate designs were indicative of excellent craftsmanship, the colours so fresh that it was difficult to choose one or two dresses among a heap of dresses. We finally decided on some phulkaris which captured our hearts and attention. To further complete the Punjabi look, we could not miss out on buying juttis. We visited a jutti shop which had a cornucopia of shoes of various designs and colours, again difficult to choose one or two pairs from. Thus, we ended our first day in Amritsar having sought blessings of the Sikh and Hindu deities, visited some chapters of Indian history and of course, shopped to our heart’s content.

Next morning, it was time to visit another era in history. We started our day with Gobindgarh fort. The fort was opened to the public from 2017 and was occupied by the army before. Maharaja Ranjit Singh renamed the fort to Gobindgarh fort in 19^th century after the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The fort is a well-maintained sprawling space with number of attractions and cannons inside it. We made our way to the first attraction, a 7D show based on the life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh or Sher-e-Punjab. The show takes us back to 19^th century and shows glimpses of the great king’s bravery since his childhood. Having learnt something new in history, we headed towards our next stop – the warfare museum. This museum has replicas of weapons and attires of warfare. We saw some life-like statues donned in these attires, carrying the weapons. From ancient Indian warfare to guns and rifles, we saw how weapons and hence concept of defence evolved. There were some distinct weapons from various Indian states, which also included weapons used by Shivaji Maharaj and Marathas to slay their enemies. Thus, the stories of bravery reach far and wide. The sheer intelligence with which these weapons were built makes us proud of the excellent vision that our forefathers had, in absence of any modern technology. We went to Toshakhana or coin museum next, which houses many old and rare coins. It was also the place where the coveted Kohinoor diamond was stored. Today we see a replica of Kohinoor there. We also visited a Pagdi museum which has life-like statues again, sporting the various types of pagdi, another interesting fact that I did not know of before. We often tap our feet, sing along and dance on Punjabi songs. The origin of this dancing spirit comes undisputedly from Bhangra, the traditional Punjabi folk dance. We also enjoyed an energetic Bhangra performance by men and women clad in traditional Punjabi costumes. Bhangra beats made a non-dancer like me tap her feet and revel in with the enthusiastic spirit.

It was then time to go back to the times of Ramayana by visiting the Ram Tirath temple next, sage Valmiki’s ashram. It is believed that Sita took shelter in his ashram after she was abandoned by her husband Lord Rama. Inside the temple complex, we see Sage Valmiki’s idol writing Ramayana. The temple is guarded by a tall idol of Lord Hanuman, who had dug a water tank in Ram Tirath. The Hanuman statue at Ram Tirath is one of the tallest statues in the country. It was a refreshing experience to see some episodes of Ramayana in this beautiful structure.

It was time to visit the last and the most talked about attraction of Amritsar – the Attari border. My excitement peaked as we reached closer to our last stop. We reached the border well before in advance to catch the best seats possible to get the best possible view. The lowering of the flags’ ceremony at the India-Pakistan border was the most spectacular event that I ever witnessed. The atmosphere was filled with patriotism with Indians and Pakistanis cheering for their respective countries on both sides of the border. It was an experience like no other, where we saw the fathers and flags of both the nations opposite each other, held up high in their glorious form, divided by a border. A daily military practice followed by the Border Security Force of India and Pakistan Rangers, the ceremony symbolises the rivalry, brotherhood and co-operation between the two countries. Before the ceremony could start at 6 pm, the gathering crowd was already filled with a spirit of patriotism and we all chanted ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ for countless number of rounds. We sang along the patriotic songs that were being played. People danced to the songs, holding Indian tricolour proudly in their hands. I had never witnessed so much energy and action before. We also saw some international tourists who had come to witness this remarkable ceremony. In the half an hour ceremony that lasted, with dance-like manoeuvers and legs raised high by forces of both the nations, the crowd cheered endlessly in support of our beloved nation. The ceremony ended with both the flags lowered and respectfully folded, followed by closing of the gate that separates the two countries. We felt great about the fact that we got an opportunity to see this highly exuberant ceremony in India’s 75^th year of independence.

Before we could officially say goodbye to this city which made us fall in its love in only one day, we decided to catch one last glimpse of the Golden Temple as the day proceeded into darkness. The longing to see the temple once again was unchanged. We reached the premises of the temple and there it was, the glittering holy golden structure that had captured our hearts the day before. The temple reflected its golden light into the water around it, thus creating a stunning view which still remains imprinted on my mind. It made me say, “All that glitters is Golden Temple!”. We also considered ourselves fortunate for when we reached the temple in the evening, it was time for their daily prayer, which I assumed to be similar to maha aartis in Hindu temples. Though I could not understand the exact words of the prayers, it sounded very soothing and sacred to my ears. I could only chant “Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji ki Fateh”, having heard of it before. The prayers brought aplomb and calmness to the mind. We finally took leave from this charming temple, carrying our admiration and new found respect for Sikhism and its teachings. When in Punjab, eat like Punjabis do. We wanted to explore the delicacies of Punjab as it was our last night in Amritsar. We went to the famous Brothers’ Dhaba where we enjoyed lip-smacking butter naan and paneer. Generously cooked in desi ghee, every bite was a heavenly treat to the taste buds. The memory of that dinner still makes my mouth water! Thus, our short but eventful two-day trip in Amritsar came to an end. Having explored this magnificent city in North India, Amritsar now holds special place in my heart which walked me through various time periods of history and mythology. The memories of this trip will be cherished in many more years to come.

Past, Present and Future of Independence

 Today as I sat sipping my morning coffee, I was elated to see the view at my window. As the usual pleasant morning monsoon breeze brushed my face, I saw that our beautiful Indian tricolour flag hoisted at my home with its head held high, swayed proudly in the soothing breeze. It seemed to be breathing in the air of liberation which our country got 75 years ago, thanks to the many sung and unsung heroes who dreamt of an independent India for future generations to come.

When we refer to 75 years to a person, we call him or her a senior citizen, as someone who is retired and finally needs a well-deserved rest after many years of hard work. However, I believe that India is not 75 years ‘old’ but 75 years ‘young’, considering how far we have come in the last 75 years. India is young at heart, with its heart beating with immense energy to work towards improvements, to bring about development in every aspect that is possible. We still have a lot to achieve and lot to progress, but the strides in the last 75 years cannot certainly be overlooked.

As someone who is born in the 1990s, I believe that we have seen some rapid developments in the last 30 years itself. We have seen advancements in almost every walk of life – education, business, infrastructure, entertainment, communication (of which social media is the top ranker), and our overall outlook as a society. I think that internet is this dominant factor that transformed everything – not only providing one-click solutions to make our lives easier but also influencing the way we think, the decisions that we make. Somewhere between the wavering dial-up internet connection to 5G today, we have transformed as individuals and as a nation with internet as our window, connecting us to the rest of the world. We have adopted and adapted to keep up with the pace of the world. We have started to think of India not only as our own country but as a country who has the potential to make a significant mark in the world in any field that you name.

When I hear stories of my parents’ childhood, the simple life that they had, devoid of any comforts, luxury brands or anything ‘modern’ as we define today, I realise that it took them almost 50 years to see the developments that we see today in a span of 30 years. The development was by leaps and bounds. We started as a nation where we first focused on working for our basic needs and once these basic needs were fulfilled, we could walk towards and think of comforts and luxuries. India started prospering as the individual families residing in her started dreaming bigger. It does not come as a surprise when Indians make beeline for any new car, iPhone or any international brands or collections that are launched. India is a booming market vibrating with young energy, good purchasing power and every brand wants to tap this huge market. From an agrarian to a service-oriented economy, India has proven that she is the jack as well as master of any skill that you can think of. This immense potential, multitude of talents and skills explain how and what we have achieved till today.

In another 25 years, India will celebrate its centenary. 25 years from now, how will India look like? How would have things progressed? As someone who thinks that our past has sowed the seeds of our present and future, I often think how we would be celebrating the 100 years of our independence. I watched the Netflix movie The Adam Project a few months back. I am not usually a fan of sci-fi, yet I found this concept fascinating wherein the 12-year-old Adam meets his future self from 2050, played by Ryan Reynolds. What if I get to meet my future self some day? What story from the future will I tell myself today? It got me thinking and I started imagining a 100-year-old independent India, in the year 2047.

First, I would hope that our environment – the mountains, forests, oceans, seas, rivers would exist in a form as pure as possible, despite their desecration done by humans. Today climate change is a grim reality, and we see this harsh reality raise its ugly head in form of nature calamities that happen not only in India but also in other parts of the world. A few months back, I watched the Korean series The Silent Sea which revolved around the bunch of scientists who go on an expedition to the moon in search of water after the sources of water on Earth dry up and cease to exist in future. It is shown how people queue up outside ‘Water ATMs’ to fill a bottle of potable water and how often scuffles take place over limited water. The environment around is shown to be arid and lifeless, though technological advancement is at its peak. Those pathbreaking scientific discoveries are of no avail when water, the basic need of any human, becomes a rarity. In such a dystopian world, we would not be able to compare frivolous spending of money with water, as water would be scarcer and dearer than money. For me it was an eye opener of a series emphasizing on the fact that the actions we take today, our attitude, habits, and behaviour towards the elements of Nature will determine the future we would like to live in. This should start from actions as simple as not littering the surroundings or polluting air and water, the very basis of our life. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when there was dearth of oxygen supply, we realised that we have been wantonly cutting down trees over so many years, the lungs of nature and our source of oxygen without any regard for unforeseen circumstances like the pandemic.

Secondly, I would hope that no pandemic should ever arise in future again. Covid-19 brought the world to its knees and taught the world many lessons. The aftermath of Covid-19 was palpable in every small factor around us. People lost their loved ones, sources of livelihood and life took an unexpected turn. India battled this grave situation too and emerged victorious, which showed the medical advancement that she possesses. However, in future, I would hope that these healthcare facilities would be affordable and available to anyone who needs it, and no life is lost in the quest of getting the best treatment.

Thirdly, I would hope that no one goes hungry in our nation. The solution to this would be to have smaller families. It is said that by 2050, India will be the most populous country, surpassing China. The increasing population will put additional pressure on resources which are already under lot of pressure. It would be a challenge to educate the burgeoning the population, to translate the educated population to labour force, who will contribute to the GDP. If India does not create enough jobs for the growing population and if the workers are not adequately skilled for the jobs, then the demographic advantage of young working population would turn into a liability, thus resulting into a vicious cycle of population explosion, unemployment and poverty. Additionally, we would also need to have more female labour force participation in order to have better prospects for the economy. I would hope that every girl in remotest of villages gets the right to education and job opportunities that any equally qualified man would get. Thus, the picture of women emancipation and empowerment should not only be restricted to metro cities but should percolate to every city, every village in India. This empowerment and enlightening of women will help in controlling the population growth as well. As women become more educationally aware and take control of their own bodies, the fertility rates can be seen going down already, which could be seen as a sign of lesser strain on future resources. I would also hope that India’s development should not only be restricted to a few cities. India will be a superpower only if every village and city has equal opportunities in terms of education, job opportunities and infrastructure, and the overcrowding and overdependence on cities will reduce. India will not only be known by Mumbai or Delhi, but other cities as well, who will contribute to India’s growth and development in their own unique way.

Lastly, I would love to see that in 2047 the world would be more peace loving and India rises to become one of those happy countries where people learn to live with contentment without any inhibitions, and fair opportunities and facilities are given to all to grow and prosper, where the Government does not need to spend heavily on armed forces to defend its borders but more on education of its citizens. I would also like to see corruption weeded out from the system and the truly deserving ones are given opportunities according to their merits and talents. If the hard-earned taxpayers’ money is channelized ethically towards the welfare of the nation than filling the pockets of the few, no one would dare call our country ‘poor’ or ‘under-developed’.  

In 2047 we will see the quality of roads and railways at par with developed countries (i.e. if the funds really go in the direction that they are invested for), we might see flying cars like they show in movies, we would scale greater heights and our gadgets will become smarter beyond human understanding. In 25 years, India will be globally competent in all aspects. Technologies will get updated and then become outdated, Governments will change, but what will not change are the values, Indian traditions and millions of years of wisdom that are passed on to generations as treasures of not only our rich lineage but also are the very crux of being an Indian and defines who we are.

I always believe that India is standing firmly on her feet today because of her rich ancient cultural heritage and the great personalities who were its torchbearers. This past of ours paved way for where we are today, it has influenced where we stand today and will continue to shine upon future India beyond centuries. My dream of India in 2047 would seem very utopian, but the world lives on hope and there is no risk in dreaming big and being sanguine. Centuries ago, Indian independence also would have also seemed utopian – yet here we are today, enjoying the 75 years of independence thanking all those who dared to dream and fought for their dream to see an India they had envisaged.

A Dose of Hope

 

These days the human society is divided into two, or let’s say three groups. Forget the times when the society used to distinguish people based on race, colour, caste, language, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and multitudes of factors that make us human. These diverse traits of ours exist even today but they seem now to exist only in the background. Why? In pandemic times like these, when human survival itself is a pre-requisite for all of these factors to exist, there is a powerful force than these which will ensure that humans survive to call themselves most intelligent of God’s creations. This powerful force or potion of hope is the Covid vaccine which is safeguarding the world against the extant pandemic.

When I was reading the Meluha series by Amish Tripathi, I was fascinated by the concept of magical Somras drink of immortality. In today’s times, the Covid vaccine which is circulating across the nations of the world as a result of a year’s perseverance, thorough research and trials, is nothing less than the Somras. The scientists, doctors and even the nurses who administer these doses to common people like us are like the Maharishis of modern times. Thanks to their efforts, today almost each one of us is either fully or partially vaccinated.

I remember how 2021 started as a year of hope when Covid vaccines were launched amid plummeting cases and a bit of optimism. Taking baby steps, it was first launched for health workers and senior citizens, steadily propagating to other age groups as well. India also exported vaccines to countries that needed them. Initially there was a lukewarm response to vaccines as Covid cases were on the decline at the start of the year and people almost deemed that the pandemic was gone for good. We were like that hare in the hare and tortoise story, celebrating the victory over pandemic prematurely. Masks and safety precautions became blurred visions. However, we got a major blow when the second wave turned its ugly head in April 2021, infecting and taking toll on many lives. Thus, the panic situation arose and as a result, we faced scarcity of vaccine. Life which had regained of specks of normalcy was pushed back to a standstill.

Surviving is a race in a preponderantly huge India and we experienced that in our former normal lives as well, more metaphorically though. CoWin portal, which was created to book vaccine slots, gave up on people too, crashing while also crashing people’s hopes to get a slot. People found themselves caught in the loop of OTPs and captcha, while losing the slots in the blink of an eye. Thus, demand surged and supply fell short. CoWin’s failure to show a slot during tense times used to be another day of disappointment spent in waiting. If luck worked in your favour, you were grateful enough to find a slot for yourself or for your family member, again reminding me of local trains where you could manage to find a seat despite the heavy crowd.

This dark cloud too had a silver lining. It is not possible for the government or government hospitals alone to try and cover every single individual, given our population. Hence, corporates too extended a hand of co-operation to the government. Corporates started administering vaccines to its employees and their families and also bore the vaccine costs by having a tie-up with several private hospitals. I was fortunate enough to get my first shot from the organization I work for, which was a perfect example of efficient crowd management, maintaining discipline and following rules of social distancing. With more and more people getting vaccinated now, we have learned to battle Covid with cases now slowly receding. Vaccinations are like our armours which will eventually make this deadly virus surrender in defeat.

Hats off to the spirit of our hospitals and health workers who make vaccines available to us within the vicinity of our homes, we read about crores of jabs given in our country on a single day, which is truly praiseworthy. India is at par with several other developed nations in providing vaccines to its citizens. Comparing today’s nearly bearable situation with the panic situation that we faced in the months of April and May, we are in a better place with people finding not much of a trouble now to book a slot. I was too, taken by surprise when CoWin let me book a slot near my home in a span of minute or so for my second dose. It felt like living in a make-believe world!

Today having a certificate of being fully vaccinated feels like an achievement because we waited for the vaccines with hopeful eyes since last year. There was struggle and competition involved at various levels – right from the common public to national and global levels. This need for vaccine showed the human side of competitive countries and economies. It did not matter whether you were rich or poor. The vaccine continues to reach the richest of the rich to the poorest of the poor. With government hospitals providing vaccines free of cost, we as taxpayers can feel ensured that some part of our money is surely being spent on a good cause ensuring healthy citizens.

Being fully vaccinated gives us a satisfaction that we are protected against the virus. Having said that, we should not let our guard down as the pandemic still continues to hover above us like a hungry predator. With an attempt to direct life back to normalcy, we see trains, malls, restaurants opening their doors to fully vaccinated people, thus fueling the mobility and giving a boost to spending economy. Some companies are also offering attractive discounts to their fully vaccinated customers. Shops are seen open for longer hours too, giving us a ray of hope that economy will revive again, benefiting even the smallest of small businesses.  Social media too, plays a role in spreading the need and awareness about vaccinations. Through them, several hospitals and municipal corporations inform citizens of available vaccine doses. Thus, this long human chain or a circle is helping fellow humans to overcome this challenge. 2021 is surely a year of hope, amid the setback of second wave that hit us really hard. The world and nationwide vaccination efforts are not only making us physically but also mentally strong. With a united and strong mental spirit of vaccinated people all over the world, we will continue to battle this pandemic till each of its wave and variant retracts and leaves the world. It is up to us though whether we want to be Covid-cautious by following the norms of social distancing and wearing masks or Covid-idiots by flouting all the norms. Our present actions foretell the eradication of this malice.

A year of Home-cum-Office

 

It’s another Monday. Start of another week. Start the day by checking mails while still in bed or while having tea or coffee and plan the day ahead. Start your laptop by 9 am and then proceed to take a shower and then breakfast. Then starts the busy day sitting in a comfortable place of your home, which sometimes does not end at 6 pm. When it does, the evening ahead looks like a well-deserved time to relax, sans the tiring commute back to home. This is how life has been in the past one year since the pandemic and therefore, Work from Home started.

I remember the day before my work from home had started. We planned how we were going to manage and co-ordinate work going forward and how things were going to be communicated. While packing things that day and making sure that my desk was spic and span, I felt that I would not be gone for long, not realizing that the situation was going to aggravate further. The seriousness had not seeped in my mind even while going home by in a jampacked train, where only few women in my compartment had covered their faces with masks. ‘Such hypochondriacs!’ I felt back then. After getting down the train that day, daily struggle that it was to be able to get down at my station after wading through the wild crowd of the train, I felt that work from home would be a nice break from these daily commute battles. But I had not anticipated such a long break of one year.

Among so many new surprises that we got last year, work from home was one of them. It seemed like a foreign concept for many organisations. Thankfully, the pandemic also changed the definition of work from home for many who thought that work from home was equivalent to a holiday and therefore discouraged it. Thus, the pandemic caused a shift in mindset, though we would have loved that to see that happen under normal circumstances. I think the biggest victory of working from home is an improvement in productivity. Especially in cities like Mumbai where the daily commute drains a person of his or her energy, that saved time and energy levels could be well invested in completing the tasks at hand. I remember a year back when Work from Home was seen as something exciting and novel. People saw the extra time worth investing in their hobbies. Thus, we saw a surge in social media posts of Dalgona coffee, Mandala art and lots of cakes made in pressure cookers. With gyms shut, people transformed their homes not only to offices but also to gyms. As a proof of that, we saw numerous workout posts of not only celebrities but also of our fellow colleagues who paid serious attention to physical and mental well-being. I too seized this opportunity to gorge upon many new shows, exercise at home and read a lot of books. I remember that there was an influx of many new OTT series that time, probably targeting the relatively free class of working people and students.

Meetings too got a different face and we see the funny angle of it through various memes on social media. Team meetings on Zoom, Microsoft Teams gained an impetus like never before. While some enthusiastic people like to leave their cameras on during meetings, wanting to have a feel of face-to-face meetings, majority choose to be behind the camera and be silent spectators or listeners and speak when necessary. Conversations which began with typical small talk topics like “How was your weekend?” or “How is the weather?” now begin with “Can you hear me?”, “I’m not able to hear you” or “I can’t see your screen” etc. thus consuming the time for small talk. Dressing up for virtual meetings was another topic of humorous discussions where there were memes and videos about people wearing formal shirts or tops over pyjamas. ‘Face value’ is thus important for some meetings!

While work from home ensures and proves that we give our best from any corner of the world, it is also seen to have blurred the lines between personal and professional life, especially for those who mistake work from home as work for indefinite number of hours because come on, you are sitting at home and don’t have a train to catch. So might as well sit and put some extra hours to finish that mountain of work as if there is no tomorrow. Such way of thinking disrupts the work life balance, which almost compensates for the commute stress that you want to avoid.  However, it is necessary to lay these boundaries yourself and switch your mind off post work hours. A sense of discipline needs to be instilled in our own selves to finish work on time and catch the train which drops us to the station of enjoying personal life. This mental commute from home office to home is very important to devote time for your loved ones and most importantly to yourself. When we were in office, we used to take tea breaks or go on walks after lunch as a means to spend time with our colleagues and share our experiences of the day. Now that has stopped and we are working remotely, chats on platforms like Skype or other IMs don’t seem like real conversations and we instead focus solely on work, sitting in our chairs for long hours. Breaks at regular intervals or even a power nap has a lot to contribute towards better productivity. I also read articles about how office romances are suffering and have declined because of work from home scenario, which I found funny and made me think how a workplace can have myriad motivational factors for various people.

For me and countless others, work from home which was earlier new normal is now normal, like any other day with that same longing as before for weekends and checking for weekends clubbed with public holidays. Initially I remember how so many of us hesitated to utilise our leave because we were working from home. Soon after realizing that work from home, after exploring and exhausting its novelty, is like a normal work day, people considered leave as not only a reason of getaway to exotic locations but also a reason to de-stress, switch off and relax. The time spent away from laptop also seems like a vacation.

In few articles that I read, employees in some developed countries too would prefer working from home even after the pandemic given how flexibly they can work within the home office setup. Work from home, though is a phase, will be a memorable one. The office days and office fun will be back someday. We have office fun virtually too, by having virtual lunches or events, but we all know that laughter and banter can’t be enjoyed virtually as much as in person. Looking at my wardrobe, I remember how much I used to plan to dress up for the next day to office, one of my motivations to go to office. I imagine the clothes in my wardrobe expressing envy to my pyjamas now that their roles have reversed. The pandemic changed our lives in many ways and even after getting back to office, we will still be cautious enough to be socially distanced, divided by bottles of sanitizers and masks, until we get the vaccine of enthusiasm back to enjoy the previous old, former normal life. Till that happens, we must continue reaping the fruits of work from home in the best way that we can and show this virus that nothing can beat us down!

Battling the stereotypes

 

“Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra Devata”

Meaning: Gods rejoice wherever women are given their due respect

Now that work from home and limited outings have become the new normal, we all have learnt to embrace it. During this period, OTT platforms have ensured that there is no dearth of content to watch. Even my weekend plans necessarily include the list of movies or a new series that I’d like to watch. Recently, I watched a Malayalam film ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’, at the end of which I couldn’t stop myself applauding for the female protagonist’s courage. As per society’s expectations, this woman gets married in a typical household, where the only role of a woman is to cook, clean and satisfy male egos. Her dreams, her aspirations have no value and are easily overlooked and lost among the drudgery of her daily routine. This was an inspiring film about a common yet special woman who defies the society’s beliefs that a woman’s place is only in the kitchen. How she breaks these shackles and becomes independent is something that would resonate with every woman.

I developed a newfound respect for all women or rather superwomen, who look after their family, cook, clean and are excellent home managers. I would not call them ‘housewives’ but ‘home managers’ who are at par with the managers in a business organization. At the same time, the movie also made me think how we as society have this line of distinction between jobs for men and women. Though today we do have some great male chefs in the world, it is generally expected, even today, that kitchen should ideally be only a woman’s lookout. Same goes with raising of children. Surely, today there are husbands who equally take up responsibilities and help their wives in all the household work, yet there would be some who would see this ‘advancement’ like an eighth wonder of the world.

We believe that times have changed and society is adapting to the reversal of roles as well. Yet, there are some families who remain firm with their traditional and primitive thinking. Women are experts at doing the balancing act between career and family. While some may think that women can’t have both and they must make a choice between the two, there are women who are successful managers at home and in office as well. They are actively involved in the decisions taken at home, children’s school activities and give their best at work as well. Why go very far, we have seen especially during last year, how our fellow women colleagues have balanced work, kids, their online school and household work in absence of maids. Of course, we must also appreciate the support that they receive from their husbands and families. While women can achieve anything they set their mind to, it’s also the support of a strong pillar called family that helps them reach where they want to. In other words, women are multitalented and multitask, as though they are really bestowed with ten hands like Goddess Durga.

Sometimes it is easier to overcome the challenges arising at work, but some women have another difficult test to pass – the test of marriage. I would call it a test, because most of the times the criteria to pass this test are ‘slim and fair’ along with ‘educated’, but slim and fair are given more preference, even in some ‘forward thinking’ families, who think that their sons are absolutely perfect. While ‘Fair & Lovely’ too thought of revamping to ‘Glow & Lovely’, we still have some time to go till the society learns to see the inner glow of a woman for her talents and inner beauty, which is hidden behind her scars, chubby physique and dark skin. All women might not be ‘marriage material’ however the society defines this concept, but they are material to bring about a change in the thought process of this same society by breaking the stereotypes. The movie also shows how the society considers menstruation as something impure and expects a woman to refrain from all household work and even participating in religious functions. In the olden days, this was means for a woman to get some rest while on her periods. In this fast-paced life of today’s women, periods are something does not stop them to take up new challenges, like the sanitary pads’ advertisements show. Therefore, when a menstruation leave policy was proposed in some organizations, it was seen as a discrimination against women to offer equal opportunities, using biology like a weapon.  Women undergo the difficult process of labour to give birth to new life and menstruation just prepares their body for this natural process. Therefore, considering this ‘period of periods’ as a sign that a woman won’t be her normal self is hardly fair because menstruation and childbirth are phenomena that show women are way stronger to endure everything.

A woman does not need only marriage and children to complete her. In fact she has control over her own body and may choose to not have children, which does not make her any less of a woman. Her own company can bring her joy too; ‘self-partnered’ as Emma Watson calls it. The start of any revolution or change begins from an individual household and it requires daily effort, like a sapling requiring water to blossom. It could be something as simple as appreciating and expressing gratitude to your mother, wife, sister, friend or colleague or supporting in every little way. The smile that your smallest of support or encouraging words would bring to her face, amidst a tiring day, would mark a beginning of that revolutionary change.