The moving finger writes.............

Since ages immemorial, sages and common men have sought refuge in the Himalayas for spiritual journeys and renewal. The majestic isolation of the Himalayas provides the perfect setting for spiritual contemplation and realization of the true nature of life. Social scientists have defined spirituality as the search for "the sacred ," where "the sacred" is broadly defined as that which is set apart from the ordinary and worthy of veneration. In modern times spirituality has come to mean the internal experience of the individual . It still denotes a process of transformation, but in a context separate from organized religious institutions: " spiritual but not religious , in a way a blend of humanistic psychology, mystical and esoteric traditions and eastern religions. One thing that a person learns during a journey of spirituality is to let the past, along with its mistakes and stresses go, along with negative emotions and thoughts. One lear

A touch of France- in India There are cities which awe us, cities which inspire us, and cities which charm us with the flavor of   an unhurried, bygone era. Pondicherry is such a city, which I recently happened to visit. It is a former French colony, on the eastern coast of India, near Chennai, where the aura of the colonial era has not yet gone from the atmosphere, Pondicherry is affectionately known as Pondy , and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006. The recorded history of the city starts from the time when the French acquired it   in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of French India . ( Website of Puducherry Tourism: http://tourism.pondicherry.gov.in/ ) Pondicherry is about 135   km from Chennai ,via the scenic East Coast Road. Taxis, Cabs and Buses can be taken from Chennai, an

The mist always rises, The sun always shines; After every cloud, Out comes the light. Horizons clear and Darkness always yields to light, And in the end, Life shines bright.

The sublime sea- coast at Pondicherry is something to be enjoyed. Here with my father. Light drizzle. Cool breeze. Sitting in the Aurobindo Ashram guesthouse, located by the sea. The Aurobindo Ashram itself is an enigmatic place. Today wa s one of the days when Rishi Aurobindo' s room was opened to the public. Though opulent, it gives an insight into his lifestyle. The Ashram Samadhi is host to a group meditation activity in the evenings. People sit quietly, simply meditating and trying to find answers to life's issues in silence. Sitting by the sea beach, enjoying the drizzle, one feels the various stresses, strains and disappointments of daily life melting away . It will be back to reality tomorrow, but it is worthwhile to enjoy these rare moments of life when one can simply be oneself. Viva Pondicherry!

It is Ganesh Chaturthi once again, and in many states across the country, people have started paying obeisance to the delightful Elephant-headed God. It kind of brings back memories of Pune two years back, which is the cradle of   Ganeshotsav. The memories of colourful Pandals, huge colorful processions, prasadam, the ubiquitous dhol-tasha (drums and cymbals) ,Ganesha idols in hundreds waiting for Nimajjan ,. I was lucky to see some of the traditional Ganeshotsavs of Pune, such as the Kasba Ganapati, Dagdu Seth etc. Also the very first Ganeshotsav of Pune , which was started by Lokmanya Tilak as a symbol of national awakening and pride. And we had taken out an evening, with my daughter perched on my shoulders, roaming around the lanes of the old city of Pune, checking out the Ganeshotsav pandals. No wonder she was shouting yesterday, sitting in Kolkata, “ Ganapati Bappa Morya !” I still remember the strains of the hymn, “ Om Ganeshaya Namoh Namaha, Siddhi