Pune.
Regional New Year.
Gudi Padwa for Maharashtrians.
Ugadi for Telugus and Kannadigas.

Durmukha Samvathsara/Varudam - Chaitra on 8th April, 2016 itself though Sun is still in Meena Rasi at 24 odd degs in star Revathi-3.  New Moon on 7th April, 2016 which is self-explainatory.

For Tamilians it still continues to be Manmatha Samvathsara/Varudam and Tamil New Year is on 14th April, 2016 with Sun entering Mesha Rasi marking Chithirai maasam for Tamilians.

This is a special day for me.  Gudi Padva is new to me and i am in Pune with my son.
We had taken up a flat here and have so far managed with bare necessities as i din't want to go in for new items.  As it is i have so many things at Chennai flat that i was planning to give away many of them to whoever could use.  In 3 tranches i had given away storage boxes, vessels, curtains, etc to bachelors who came from Kolkata or Kumbakonam.  They would gladly take and use them.

Today Flipkart delivered a Prestige Tulip Mixer-Blender and i was happy as a child.  It's the one thing i missed dearly for my cooking needs.  That was my son's gift for me.  Nothing makes me happier than cooking fresh and hot meals for the family.  Food was and is my passion till date.

He got a VR goggles from Google!  Yet to experiment with it.
Son has taught me so many things right from using my smart phone for everything.
It's been a roller coaster ride making me feel like a happy and carefree child again.

Mahalakshmi
Pune

     

When work get monotonous, i switch my mind off with a 10 minute break listening to some soothing music.  I have a wide choice to listen from: Begum Akhtak;s gazals and thumris, Ghulam Ali's, Jagjit Singh's, Some very young and talented singers in singing competitions like SaReGaMa like the excellent Amanat Ali from Pakistan, Azmat from Jaipur, Kamal Khan, Ranjeet Rajwada from Rajasthan, for his soulful rendering of gazals,  

I have grown on a staple diet of listening to old Hindi film songs especially Lata Mangeshkar's, a few select of Asha Bhonsle's, Rafi's, Mukesh, Manna De, Mahendra Kapoor, Hemant Kumar, and my most favourte composers Madan Mohan, Roshan, Khayyam, SD and RD Burman, Naushad, Ravi, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Shankar Jaikishen, and so many of them.

There are a lots of Tamil and Telugu film songs i listen to.  Jikki, P.Leela, Suseela's, Chitra, Sujata and Swarnalatha's are among my favorite singers. Among male singers, TMS, Seerkazhi, PB Srinivas, SPB-the legend are my favorites.

Today during the usual tea break i wanted to listen to Begum Akhtar's thumri, "Hamri attariya pey, aajaa sanwariyan, dekha dekhi...  There were many singers singing this ghazal.  Two films had used this thumri to good effect.  But i get distracted by the dancers and listen less to the lyrics and singer's rendition.  There was no doubt in mind that Begum Akhtar stole my heart hands down!  Even though it was not a live recording where they can show her singing on the stage.  What a romantic, melancholy this song conveys.

I remember my father so much whenever i listen to music.  From him i learnt to appreciate music.  His favorite matches so much with mine because both have common favorite songs.  Some of them are:
Bahaaron mera jivan bhi from Akhri Khat, Lata-Khayyam.  Set in raag pahadi.
Humse aaya na gaya tum se bhulaya na gaya - Dekh Kabira Roya, Talat Mehmood-Madan Mohan - Raag Ahir Bhairav.
Chupalo yun dil mein pyar mera.. Lata-Hemant- music by Roshan, film-Mamta, Raag Yaman.
Dil cheez kya hai aap meri jaan lijiye - Asha Bhonsle, Khayyam. Umrao Jaan.
Raina Beeti jaaye... Lata, RD Burman, Amar Prem
O Sajna barkha bahar ayi - Lata by Salil Chowdhry, film Parakh.
So many.  Can't list out the 1000s!

Time to resume work.
Chao until next!

Mahalakshmi

 

Someone suggested this as the 'Topic of the day' - " Whats is definition of "Good husband" Specially now in global environment ". smile emoticon expecting response from lovely ladies of some group on FaceBook.

There's no 'good' husband or wife. Desh-Kaal-Patra keeps changing according to culture-times-individual. 

Marriage is a beautiful dream until one gets married. 

It is like buying a mango thinking it will be sweet. Only after its bought, cut and eaten can we tell whether it's sweet. Or buying a coconut. Only after it's broken will it reveal whether it's kernal is tender or tough, has water or not, is edible or rotten. These do not come with a label of guarantee. We take it and make it suitable by adjusting a little here, a little there. These are modern times too when one can return it back instead of cursing fate and suffering it as one's destiny until it's The End for one. 

A couple who understand, accept that both will evolve and change over a period of time due to circumstances, preferences, interests and compulsions. Both have to allow the other space to pursue interests and not be judgemental all the time. 

With age, both should take up hobbies like an art, reading the scriptures, travelling if one is able to, volunteering work somewhere, so that both don't remain in each other's company all the time to start the game of nit-picking. Above all, that trust and faith in each other as well as upholding it at all times. 

These lines are written 'After' going through decades of marriage! 'Before' marriage it's different set of parameters altogether!  Should be handsome, tall, very understanding, be like a friend, treat his lady with respect, last but not least should earn well or be endowed with enough property to spend for at least till great grandson generation! 

Alas only after marriage, does one know the 'why me?' of it all. 

As the marriage progresses, if the husband falls sick, wife will think a husband should not be sick, if he is not earning well enough, a wife will think a husband should earn well to support her and the kids, what one does not have one yearns for. 
Wish is one thing, what life deals is another thing. 
This gnyanam comes after many decades if at all we are willing to learn life's lessons without prejudice.