Remove from Friends

It was a good, eventful day today. Had a great project orientation for my students and later had positive conversation in my past college where I did my graduation, regarding my association as visiting faculty there. During the day I finalized a deal for the furnishing of my office for my new venture. I was in a good mood. In the evening, some silly comments from one of my facebook connections did break my heart. Seriously, I was not expecting that the person I am referring to, will have so mean sense of perception and complete confidence on his tunnel vision.

I instantly removed the facebook connection. I don’t know if this was right or wrong to remove, with the option to hide that connection was available. But I could not tolerate the statements that were deviated and out of context. Justifying things to that connection was like banging your head on the wall. When logic fails, you can do nothing. I am feeling pity, not for what the connection has done to our relation, but for what he has done to tarnish his self respect. I tried a lot to maintain his self respect by reasoned commenting, to make that connection understand and perceive to the right context. But it was all in vain. “I am always right” attitude can’t be helped, is what I concluded.

I have won lot many friends, with whom I have argued. It was not always that I was the winner in the argument, but then I was justified with the discussion of my counterpart in the argument. Positive thoughts are always encouraged, but when someone is mistaken with “what I speak is always positive” is not entertaining. I know that the connection that I am referring to has never experienced what failure is, and everything that came on the way was taken as success. I do not doubt the connections capability for success, but without failure person lacks experience. These days I sensed some kind of dissatisfaction in that connection. I know that the normalcy of the connections life is disrupted for whole lot of other reasons, the connection is becoming so insensible, and so engrossed in evasive mumbling that the person is unaware of what issue is on the floor.

My disrespect is never respect for me, but someone loves to dislodge their self respect, in the process of defending their argument lacking insightfulness. Hence I removed the connection from my facebook thread. It’s about 4 hours now, and I think I did well by removing the connection to keep things intact within my conscience. I look forward to good of this connection, for prosperity, for gaining whole lot of insightfulness to his actions, good or bad. Happiness to him always.

Amen.

Tamanna

Tumhari muskurahato par fida hona,
Tumhari julfo me apni parchayee dhodna,
Tumhari nigaho ki gehrai me doobna,
Tumhari hoton ki khamosi ko sunna,
Tumhari dhadkano ko mehsoos karna,
Tumhari adaawo par jaanisaar hona,
Tumhari taarif apne dil ko sunana,
Tumhari yadon ko bhulane ka asafal prayaas karna,
Tumhari khubsurati ko alag hi andaaz me bayan karne ki tamanna,
Tumse har waqt na sahi tumhari tasveer se hi baate karne ki tamanna...

(Found out this, when I searched my archive for some stale post to my these days rarely updated blog. Dated Feb, 2006)

Dhadkan se Guftagu

Meri dhadkano se gujarish ki maine...
Apni raftaar ko kam kyo kar rahe ho mere yaar...?
Main jine ki kosis kar raha hoo...
Par tum khud ko mujhse door karne ki kosis kyo kar rahe ho mere yaar..?

Mere dil ne mujhe jawaab diya...
Dhadkan tumhari kisi aur ke dil me dhadak rahi hai mere yaar...|
Dhadakna chahata hoon tumhare hi dil me...
Par tum us dil me meri bhi dhadkan doondne ki kosis kyon nahi karte mere yaar..

(Found out this, when I searched my archive for some stale post to my these days rarely updated blog. Dated Feb, 2006)

Nice One: Iktara Male Version

I liked this song very much. I was unaware of this Male Version (courtesy: Karan Johar on Twitter) (Sung By: Tochi Raina) Torrent here (As on April 26, 2010 ). Hope u have heard the Female Version (Sung By: Kavita Seth). Only heard the male version today. I am posting the lyrics and the song links (See above). I am sure you will like this, and if you have heard it before you must have liked it.

Lyrics courtesy with a nicely attempted Urban Translation from: spinningawheel

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

Rooh ka banjara re parinda 

Chhad gaya dil ka re gharonda 

Chhad gaya dil ka re gharonda todke 

Re gharonda todke, gaya chhodke

(rooh = spirit, self or seat of intellect, banjara= nomad, parinda = pigeon, free rebel bird)

Its the free spirit (in me) that is soaring, flying out like a bird, escaping from my heart, which (once) used to be its abode…..breaking the shackles that held it within….(as we talk), the spirit is away on a wing and a prayer, having bolted from its own (constraining) home.

Je naina karun band band 

Beh jaye boond boond (2) 

Tadpaye re, kyun sunaye geet malhar de

Every time  I close my eyes, the river (of tears) begins to drizzle (down)…..Anguish and misery are my (constant) company, even as the song (and sounds) of rain(s) have started their slow dance.

Bemalang tera iktara (8)

Iktara is a single stringed instrument capable of a deep bass and a sharp treble…..and hence is metaphorical of music and the seven notes and life’s up and down in general. This line says…. My iktara continues to harp without any chord, melody or joy….

Itra tun basi basi, padi hai sirhane 

Band darwaja dekhe lauti hai subah 

Thandi hai angeethi seeli, seeli hain deewarein 

Goonje takrake inme dil ki sada 

Goonje hai re (2) dil ki sada (2)

(itra = colloquial word for perfume or an aromatic body paste)

My embellishments (like my scents and fragrances) are lying wasting around, breathing their (useless) aromas out and (in the process) dying….My (new) morning (and fresh beginnings) are about to return back after knocking endlessly on my closed doors….My oven and my walls are all damp and cold (due to neglect and disregard)…..In all of these atrophy(surrounding me), all I can hear is the wail of a dirge from my soul, this slow constant echoing lament of my heart.

Jo naina karun band band 

Beh jaye boond boond (2)

Tadpaye re, kyun sunaye geet malhar de 

Every time  I close my eyes, the river (of tears) begins to drizzle (down)…..Anguish and misery are my (constant) company, even as the song (and sounds) of rain(s) have started their slow dance.

Bemalang tera iktara (8)

My iktara continues to harp without any chord, melody or joy….

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

Enjoy,

Roshan

NahsoRism-14

(Coming) shortly is a relative term and it depends on the mood and rhythm of life. It deals with the temporal signal of living and also depends on the electricity schedule of the respective country from where the post (blog) / status (FB/Twitter/Orkut/e.t.c.) containing this word (or phrase) originated.

Typo Anecdotes

"This post warrant that you are 18 years of age or older"
You greet someone with a "Hello",
You miss an ‘O’,
And you are cursing them to hell.
@ The other end::MUTE: YOU GO TO HELL!!

Someone is sick, you say "Get Well Soon",
You miss an ‘O’,
And you become the father.
@ The other end::MUTE: AS IF YOU ARE, YOU MOTHERF***ER!!

You wanna wish someone "Good Luck",
And the left index replaces the key press of right ring finger,
And you end up being offensive.
@ The other end::MUTE: THAT WOULD BE NICE, BUT WITH WHOM?

You try to sneak peek to your HOTMAIL inbox at work,
In a hurry M and T switched and you are redirected to a parked URL,
And you realize currently wearing one with a bunch of holes.
@ Your end::MUTE: GOT TA BUY SOME NEW ONES!!

You go for your favorite search in Google,
A diagonal row mistake by your left index,
And wow, you land up to a page which is amazing.
@ Your end::MUTE: AHH!! MAN, THIS IS BETTER THAN GOOGLE!!

How Phewa Lake Originated? - A Legend

Once upon a time there was a village called 'Panchaase', where there lived two gods. They were Bhayer and Barah. Both of them were the most respected and well-preached gods of that place. One day both these gods were unable to control their instinct of explicit proud and started arguing, who is of more importance and of more value to the people? Then what they decided was really the turning point in the story of creation ofLake Phewa. Both had a solution to this argument, which said that the one who wins the fight of power would be declared as the winner and hence mightier of the two. After this they started to fight with all the might and power they had. The fight lasted for long years and after a tiresome struggle the godBhayer out powered the god Barah. After this shameful defeat the god Barah felt insulted to stay in that place and thought of emigrating to some another place. He shifted to a place called ‘Mathum’ which is the origination place of Lake Phewa. There was a small pond with some water with a small mound in the middle. In this small mound the temple of the god Barah was made and he started to live here. After some time because of the influence of the god Barah a saint came and started dwelling there. He along with his wife started to preach the god Barah and became an indispensable part of the god Barah's day to day life.

The saint had with him an extraordinary shell (Sankha) which had its opening on the right. This shell was extraordinary because normally shells are opened to the left. This extraordinary shell, which is called "Dahine Sankha" in Nepali (Dahine meaning right), produced sound every time the god Barah was worshipped. If some day there was delay or inconsistencies in performing the worship then the "Dahine Sankha" produced sound at awkward times, and the saint considered that something bad will happen. He thought that this sound at awkward times from the "Dahine Sankha" was a sign of bad omen. Because of this the saint was very punctual and sincere in worshipping the god Barah to make sure that nothing bad would happen. The time passed by with no hindrances and the saint and his wife lived happily.

Since the Dhaine Sankha was very special and valuable, two crooks were waiting for a chance to rob that extraordinary shell.  The villagers of that village had great respect for the saint and he was the person who concluded the religious rituals in the village. In every religious ceremony the villagers invited the sage. But in spite of the calls from the villagers, he was always punctual with the deeds to his deity every morning and he returned to the temple in the evening for worship.

Once in the village a grand "Yagya" was organized and as usual the saint was also invited. The saint after performing his daily offerings to the god Barah went to the village to solicit the invitation. Here the crooks got the long awaited chance to get the extraordinary shell. They came to the temple and said to the saint's wife, "The saint forgot to carry the "Dahine Sankha" with him and he has asked us to bring it for him." Hearing this, the wife started to ponder, because the saint never carried the "Dahine Sankha" along with him. But again she thought, as the "Yagya" is a grand one in the village, he may require this and without any doubt she gave the shell to the two crooks. So, the crooks after succeeding in their trick disappeared from the village.

Evening came and the saint returned and started preparing for worship. But he was unable to find the "Dahine Sankha". He inquired from his wife about the shell and asked if it had been misplaced. The wife told him the whole story. After this the saint had no doubt in his mind that his most valuable and indispensable possession was lost. From then onwards the saint remained upset. Now he was sure that something really bad would happen. Because of his sorrow he stopped eating and drinking, and as a result of this, after 21 days, the saint left for the heavenly abode. Because of the sad demise of her husband the wife also did the same thing as the saint and as a result of this she met with the same fate.

The god Barah was really upset with the way his dearest worshipper was made to commit suicide. Also the area around the pond started getting dirty because of the village waste. He thought of leaving this insane area and went roaming around in search of a better and cleaner place. In order not to reveal his identity he changed himself to a saint and came towards mainland “Pokhara”. He liked this place and thought to build his temple and the lake there itself.

One day he was roaming around in the village and it started getting dark. He went to a few houses in search of shelter but to his surprise no one offered him a place to lie down. He was very upset with the behavior of the villagers. But in that village there was a kind old lady who offered him the shelter. Though the lady was alone and poor she had in her the good qualities of helping others. That day also she thought that one must not turn back a saint who is at your doorsteps during the evening hours and she gave a Roti (chapatti) made of millet to the saint.  After having this generous meal he prepared to sleep outside in the "verandah" as the lady was alone. While preparing his bed the saint said to the old lady, “Old lady, in this village there is no respect for people and there is no importance of ethics and religion. Now this whole village will be destroyed.  Tomorrow when the 10th part of the day is over the stream of this village will change to a Lake.  The whole village will be under water by tomorrow evening. So, inform all the villagers about this and move to another place with peoples who respect and obey you." After this the saint went to sleep and the old lady went inside.

The next morning the old lady came out of the room and was surprised that the saint had already left. When she was sweeping, what she found was really amazing. There was aRoti of the same size, which the previous night she had given the saint to eat. But this was not of millet anymore. It was of pure gold and the lady was sure that this was a result of the spiritual touch by the saint to that millet Roti. She concluded that this saint was not a normal one and what he said was destined to happen. She moved here and there in the village informing of the calamity the saint had forecasted. Everyone in the village ignored the lady and some also mocked saying she had gone mad in her old age. But the lady had faith in what the saint had said. She packed her belongings and shifted to another place. And as said by the saint the water level started rising and in no time the whole village was under water. The majority of the villagers and the animals were drowned in the water. Only a few survived.

In this way the whole village was filled with water with a small mound in the middle, where the god Barah made the temple there for living.  After this many saints and sage sprinkled in around this mound the pure water and sands of many pilgrimage places. After this there is a religious belief that a dip in Phewa's water is equal to taking a bathe in all pilgrimage and a visit to this temple will lead your way to eternity with Mukti and Moksha.

Near the temple of the god Barah there lived a big fish with a horn in its nose. It used to move with the god Barah. One day a fisherman killed that fish. The god Barah, after the killing of the fish which was an incarnation of him, was unable to control his anger and cursed the fisherman. He cursed, "Just like I have been unable to live in a specific place for long, you will also face this same reality and so will your coming generations." Because of this curse it is believed that the dwelling place for fishermen is not fixed and it keep changing frequently. Because one of his incarnations had been killed, the god Barah didn’t want to live in this place. He asked his daughter, Barahi to look after the temple and accept all the offerings on his behalf, and started his journey all around the world. From then the god Barah does not live in that temple, instead his daughter goddess Barahi lives there and she is worshipped. Whenever there are some important festivals (especially in Baishakh Purnima) it is said that a fish with a horn in its nose appears around the temple, and it is thought of as incarnation of the god Barah. 

(Similar scripts can be found written in Nepali. This legend should not be taken as plagiarism. This is compiled after series of discussions with elderly people in and around Pokhara, and consulting experts in Nepali Folklore.)

 Author: Roshan Upadhyay


Also posted in  Tikijhya.com

Domestic Airport to Home – Via International Airport

This is an atypical incident that happened to my wife two weeks before. She landed at the domestic airport in Kathmandu, after attending the marriage ceremony of one of her closest dear friend at Pokhara. On the same plane was an Indian lady. After they landed, the lady asked my wife about where the International Airport is, when they were at the baggage reception area. To this my wife said, “It’s nearby, you can walk and I can help you reach there as I am also taking the same route”. The lady started walking with my wife. Both were not accompanied by heavy baggage, an exception when it comes to females.

After a while they were out to the taxi stand, and my wife thought of walking to the ring road, about 400 meters from the domestic airport. The reason for the walk is that you can take a cheaper exit (only Rs 10 in the city bus) after you reach the city traffic, which otherwise costs you not less than Rs 300 to reach home. Prior to walking on her own she thought of guiding the lady towards the International Airport as assured. The International Airport is only about 200 meters from the domestic taxi stand and is on the way to the main exit from the airport premises to the city traffic. Sticking on her commitment, she tried to point the direction to the lady but to her shock the lady without any hint went forward to the taxi drivers and asked “International Airport?” Not to any surprise lot many swarmed in for this easy catch with no trap. She asked for the fare, and the reply was “ONLY Rs 200 MADAM”. She some sort of bargained with an unusual English accent to the numeric’s, and it was Rs 150 at the end. The lady jumped into the cab, and my wife felt like being fooled. She later said that she was rather more amused (than fooled) by the way the lady didn’t bothered her presence and suggestion about the location of the International Airport only 5 minutes before. She felt pity for the over smart lady. The next moment she thought, “None of my business. It’s her money”. But her thoughts were becoming satiric for the lady. “Nice bargain!!” is what my wife thought: “Rs 75 for every 100 meters”.

It’s about 5 KM’s to our place from the airport. She walked to the main traffic, boarded the city bus, and paid Rs 10 for the fare. She didn't bother to saw her student identity card, which could have earned 45% concession to the fare. I should not haggle with the khalaasi for such a nominal fare, is what she thought.  She smiled. Not because she saved a silly but straightforward calculation of more than Rs 3500, but thinking why people are reluctant to believe, after they ask someone. Or it is just that they need to tighten and tune things up somewhere? Or it’s just a show off to a complete stranger? Deep down her the real reason for the smile was that she felt proud for not bargaining the fare.

It was raining outside, and the destination was about near. She searched for the umbrella in her hand bag. The bus once again verified the three "laws of motion", came to a halt and the khalaasi asked for “if anyone to clamber down at Balkumari”? She acknowledged the call and climbed down. She opened the umbrella and as always, like a kid who hardly obeys to the primary instructions of the parents, some metal spines flipped the other way. Raindrops hitting on her, she closed it, a bit annoyed. She reshapes the cone with cuddled fingers over the spine. She tried to open again. This time it came out in shape an umbrella is supposed to be. Just like kids who need to be kindled before they can be convinced. The city bus was still waiting more than normal, because of unsatisfactory passenger turnover, courtesy to the unanticipated winter rain. The khalaasi blaring with all his might: “Saatdobaato, Saatdobaato, Balkhu, Kalanki, Kalanki”. She paced her way towards home. Gravity and the resultant phenomenon of surface tension helped the raindrops beat her toes. The open sandals were never going to rescue, many a times the umbrella lacked the length of her strides and the breeze helped the raindrops dodge the rain shade to find the target.

The Tunnel, The Train, The Rucksack Full of Responsibilities, The TITAN and The Alarm

I saw a light at the end of a tunnel. A long one. I was hoping, just hoping it was not a train. But I was sure hopes will not keep me alive. It was on the rail tracks I was walking, and you do not find subways in the tunnel to dodge the speeding train. I don’t know what made me walk without alternatives in this narrow tunnel. I do not bother to bother. I thought to run for LIFE. But what is the point now? I had started to find LIFE, a long time before. But always in vain. What I always met was an interesting creature that portrayed itself as LIFE and was full of gossip. I always believed the falsity of this mocker. I was sure it was not the real LIFE. 

Then, a fight started. A duel between two parts of my inner self. One was advocating “Don’t die before you meet LIFE”. The other said “Bull shit – Bloody Philosophy… Just Run!!” I thought both are at each other's throats for the same cause, to live. The former seemed a bit more possessive about meeting LIFE. The echoes of my inner conscience, the two of them, were hitting my ear hard. I could not decide what to do. I could not find the right vocabulary within, to think of what state I was in. I submitted to the light. Death is inevitable now is what I thought. The best of any avoidance algorithm I learnt in my computing classes was Ostrich Algorithm. So, I closed my eyes. I thought of every possible dream I had nurtured since my childhood. The train will roll me out into the tracks with all my dreams bleeding. The pain and suffering will all go in a moment. Who cares the instant pain that will be caused by the speeding train?

I than realized that the sound of the engine was fading away. I only saw the light but never relied on the other sense of sound. The sound sounded deceiving to me, not to believe. I opened my eyes, the ones which I believed more despite the myopia. I saw the light and it was disappearing in the big open. The tiny speck merged into the bright daylight and vanished with the muffle of the engine. I checked myself. A slight pain was there on the back and the neck. My rucksack full of responsibility was still with me, safe. I realized now that when I was following the dark end of the tunnel the train had crashed on me from the back.  And the light which I saw was not the front light, but the tail light. But I had survived. Survival for the fittest?? Theory of natural selection?? Or sheer luck?? Don’t know exactly what made me survive this roll out. I tried pacing my way towards the bright end of the tunnel, ambling. The birds chirping, the sun so bright but warm, the air so fresh. I breathed in, I breathed out. I did this a couple of times voluntarily. My chest felt free. Free from a congestion which was bothering me for a while. I felt like I am into a new LIFE. I raised my left wrist to my chest. The palm facing the sky, I looked at the watch. It was the TITAN, with white base and rectangular silver colored dial with black leather strap. The second hand, the fastest of the three was not moving. Don’t know about the others. I felt sad. This was the one which my brother gifted me from his initial salary savings. Gave a jerk to the wrist. The second hand started running back to LIFE.

The high pitched sound of the alarm made me awake. I never believe setting songs in the alarm tone in my cell phone. You happen to enjoy them rather. I searched for the snooze button. I smiled. What an unusual dream it was. Thought of it for a while. What was it? A LIFE saver? The snooze timer went off in 5 minutes. The same irritating sound, this time more noisy. I clutched the cell phone in my fist. I heard nothing now. It was dawn but dark outside, as always is any winter day. A reason enough for me not to get up, I curled more comfortably into my quilt.

FB Super Heroes Status Updates

After about two weeks when females started an interesting campaign by stating their bra color in their FB status, which was thought of as a campaign for growing breast cancer awareness, now it’s been noticed that male FB users are up to something. Tracking the pattern, they are updating the status with the names of Comic Super Heroes. The real reason is not disclosed yet and the source of origin remains unknown as was the case with FB bra color status updates. Is it that, there is some kind of Super Hero Meet happening soon? Or is this a cause for supporting Haiti? Who is behind all this? What is the motif? Who earns or get popularity remains a question unanswered.

Whatever, it seems that boys are enjoying updating their status. Many seem confident updating their status, some “go with the crowd” kind, and some making it real funny. Some are adding a list of super heroes to their status, some adding a single name. Some status seems telling the secrets but when pondered, keep people guessing. One was something like this: French Ironman followed by Spanish Wolverine (The idea of adding French and Spanish prior to the names keep people guessing, as Ironman is American Hero and Wolverine is Canadian). Yet another was: For me, Superman and Spiderman goes well with Iron Man. But its the Wolverine which is winning the race. (Is there some sort of comic series coming where all these are playing a part?)

It’s still not clear about the origin and the objective. Time will explain the reason behind this Super Heroes status update in Facebook. A prank? A cause campaign? Popularity De Anonymity? Or maybe it will remain a mystery for ages to come. Whatever be the reason preliminary observations is that people are loving to update their status with these Ten(10) super heroes:

Batman, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Superman, Robin, Daredevil, Wolverine, Captain America, Spiderman.

I leave you with a brief detail collected from Wikipedia with their images, so that if you come up with some idea please comment. Let us find out the real reason. We can’t always breathe our day clueless for these silly status updates.

BATMAN

Batman, originally referred to as "the Bat-Man" and still referred to at times as "the Batman", is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger (although only Kane receives official credit), appearing in publications by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939.

INCREDIBLE HULK

The Hulk is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Herb Trimpe then sold to Stan Lee, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962). In 2008, the hobbyist magazine Wizard named the Hulk the seventh-greatest Marvel Comics character.Empire Magazine named him the fourteenth greatest comic book character overall, and the fifth highest ranked in the Marvel stable.

IRON MAN

Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963), and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby.

SUPERMAN

Superman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon.Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc. in 1938, the character first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book.The character's appearance is distinctive and iconic: a blue, red and yellow costume, complete with cape, with a stylized "S" shield on his chest.This shield is now typically used across media to symbolize the character.

ROBIN 

Robin (also referred to as The Boy Wonder) is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman. The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the Dynamic Duo or the Caped Crusaders.

DAREDEVIL

Daredevil (Matthew Michael "Matt" Murdock) is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby and first appeared in Daredevil #1 (April 1964).

WOLVERINE

Wolverine is a fictional Canadian character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett in 1825, and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, retracting bone claws, and a healing factor that allows him to quickly recover from virtually any wound, disease or toxin. The healing factor also slows down his aging process, enabling him to live beyond a normal human lifespan. This healing ability enabled the supersoldier program Weapon X to bond the near indestructible metal alloy adamantium to his skeleton and claws without killing him. He is most often depicted as a member of the X-Men.

CAPTAIN AMERICA

Captain America is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941), from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Over the years, an estimated 210 million copies of "Captain America" comic books have been sold in a total of 75 countries.For nearly all of the character's publication history Captain America was the alter ego of Steve Rogers, a sickly young man who was enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum in order to aid the United States war effort. Captain America wears a costume that bears an American flag motif, and is armed with an indestructible shield that can be thrown as a weapon.

SPIDERMAN

Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer and editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962). Lee and Ditko conceived of the character as an orphan being raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben as an ordinary teenager, having to deal with the normal struggles of youth in addition to those of a costumed crime fighter. Spider-Man's creators gave him super strength and agility, the ability to cling to most surfaces, shoot spider-webs using devices of his own invention which he called "web-shooters," and react to danger quickly with his "spider-sense", enabling him to combat his foes.

The sky is full of doubts, come Super Heroes come and sweep this suspense. 

Author: Roshan Upadhyay

My Birthday Gift

I bought this as a birthday gift for myself, this year. :-)

I am sure this homepage is not gonna change soon. For any updates, i will surely notify. :-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME...

3 idiots – Part II

Saari umr hum

Coding may mar gaye

Ek pal to ab humein jeene do, jeene do

Saari umr hum

Coding may mar gaye

Ek pal to ab humein jeene do, jeene do

Na na na….Na na na….Na na na….Na na nana na….

Give me some flight

Give me some train

Give me another chance

I wanna go home once again

Give me some flight

Give me some train

Give me another chance

I wanna go home once again

Kandhon ko laptop

Ke bojh ne jhukaya

Client se jhoot bolna tho khud

Manager ne sikhaya

5 ki rating laaoge to chhutti, varna kismat futi

Code kar kar ke pada Ungaliyon pe

REVIEW, SCREEN aur REWORK ka chaala

Is Project ne to sala poora..

Poora bheja pakaa daala

Career to gaya

GF bhi gayi

Ek pal to ab humein jeene do, jeene do

Career to gaya

GF bhi gayi

Ek pal to ab humein jeene do jeene do

Saari umr hum

Coding may jee liye

Ek pal to ab humein jeene do, jeene do

Na na na….Na na na….Na na na….Na na nana na….

Give me some flight

Give me some train

Give me another chance

I wanna go home once again

Give me some flight

Give me some train

Give me another chance

I wanna go home once again

Na na na….Na na na….Na na na….Na na nana na….

Na na na….Na na na….Na na na….Na na nana na…. 

Original Source Here

Basanta Panchami - Knowledge for All and Always

Hinduism is one of the many religions which have immense impact on how people practice their existence.  Faith in gods and goddesses is the key to believing in one’s self. It is a matter of fact that the count of deities in Hinduism is numerous, and hence the numbers of worship rituals are also in abundance. One of the many is Basanta Panchami (or Shree Panchami ), which falls on 20 January 2010 this year. This is the special day when people worship goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning and wisdom. It is the special fifth day in the waxing moon period (Shukla Paksha Panchami), the fortnight of the lunar month of Maagh. This day is marked as the beginning of the spring season as the name implies, Basanta meaning spring. Goddess Saraswati, the consort of LordBrahma (Lord of Creation), is the one who gives the essence (sara) of our own self (swa) as her name implies. In entirety, she is considered as the personification of all knowledge - arts, sciences, crafts and other skills.

On this occasion goddess Saraswati is prayed and devoted in various names and precision. She bears in her the mark of the symbol of supreme vedantic knowledge. On this day everyone who has faith in deity and is involved in experiencing the learning curve, worship their belongings - pens, notebooks, books, even computers and the likes, that aids to collate knowledge. Artists worship their valued instruments so that the goddess favors them to become wise and knowledgeable with their art and skills. The most important aspect besides worshipping is that children are given their first alphabet lessons. It is believed that making the kids start reading and writing on this spiritual day will help associate virtue of the wisdom throughout their lifetime.

Special celebrations take place at different shrines of goddess Saraswati. Nil Saraswati Temple atGairidhara, Kathmandu and Saraswati Kunda in Patan are some of the important places for the devotees to visit on this day. During the reign of the king in Nepal in the recent past, this occasion was marked with special gaiety at Basantapur Darbur Square.  The then king and other special dignitaries would welcome the season of spring as the band plays the traditional song of spring. These days this tradition of celebration is done on a lesser scale and the excitement seems to be on the low note. On this day, yellow color is given special preference in clothing and assorted tint for sweets as it is taken as the representation of spring indicated by the yellow of the mustard crop. This day is also regarded as a very favorable day for marriages, and any time of the day is considered auspicious for the main ritual to proceed, which otherwise needs coherence with the astrological charts.

There are many symbolic illustration of the goddess in shrines as they are carved in stones. But the portraits which are sold in plenty in the market for this special day depicts one of the two postures. One is the standing stance and the other is sitting in a special position, Padmashana. On both instances she has a beautiful and elegant presence. Her expression is serene, calm, and her eyes are full of compassion. In the portrayal she is clad in white saari, seated (or standing) on a white lotus representing purity and brilliance. She has four hands, of which one is used for holding sacred scriptures and the other a lotus (representing true knowledge, as lotus is clean amidst muddy water). The other two hands are depicted playing the musical instrument Veena, representing music of love and life. The four hands signifies four key aspects of human behavior in learning; mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She is accompanied by a swan and a peacock selectively depending on different portraits. The swan is known for its peculiar characteristic of being capable of separating water from milk, indicating the idea of separating worst from the superior. When represented seating on a peacock she reminds us that wisdom suppresses ego.

The Saraswati Vandana, is an important recitation on this day:Saraswoti Maya Drista Veena Pustaka Dhaarini, Hamsabaahana Samyukta Bidhya Daanam Karo Tume. - Seeking knowledge and wisdom from the goddess who holds Veena, Sacred scriptures (Pustaka) and travel on a Swan (Hamsabaahana).

Celebrating Basanta Panchami is a message in totality. Irrespective of what religion we believe or practice, it is a fact that knowledge is the basis of all religion. Also, in this fast paced world Knowledge Management is the need of the hour. Manage information, share it and help people become more knowledgeable. By doing this you will be helping to integrate the world and spread the message “Knowledge for All and Always”.

 Author: Roshan Upadhyay

Also posted in Tikijhya.com

Maaghe Sankranti - A Nepali Festival

Maaghe Sankranti (or Sakrati) is a Nepali festival, similar to solstice festivals in many other traditions is observed every year on the first day of the month of Maagh. The month of Maagh usually starts during mid January and ends in mid February. This festival takes place around 21 days after the tropical winter solstice (between December 20 and 23) that marks the starting of Uttarayana, which means northward journey of Sun and this year it falls on 15 January 2010. This day is also considered as the coldest of the season (may not be in reality though), signifying longer and warmer days ahead. It also brings end the month of Poush, the month prior to Maagh, where most of the holy ceremonies are forbidden for many trivial and unreasoned religious grounds. This festival is also called Maaghi Parva and Makar Sankranti amongst many other. Maaghi Parva implies a festival in the month of Maagh, where Parva relates to festival, is the other name generally used by Tharu community in Nepal. Sankranti means transmigration of Sun from one Raashi (zodiac in Hindu Astrology) to the other. Hence there are 12 such Sankranti’s and 12 such zodiac in all. However, the Sankranti festival usually refers to Makar Sankranti which relates to the transition of the Sun from Dhanu Raashi (Sagittarius) to Makar Raashi(Capricorn).

On this day pilgrims swarm in at river confluence for a holy dip in the water, despite freezing temperature. Some resort to only sprinkling water above their head because of the cold. In addition to the customary sacred plunge by the brave at heart, this year it is a solar eclipse on this day, which supports the holy practice of taking dip in the river after the eclipse. Devotees, many of them are elderly, take holy dips at the convergence points at Devghat, Barah Kshetra, Triveni, Dolalghat, Sankhamool and other sites all across Nepal. Big religious fair are held on this day at Devghat (near Narayanghat) and Kankai (in Jhapa district) where many people gather for the spiritual feel by worshipping the shrines. Many travel around for fun from different parts of Nepal and India.

In addition to holy bathing and worship of shrines, this festival carries along with it different items to eat so that it will lead to a healthier life ahead. Specially, Ghyu (clarified butter) is used to cook many items as it is religiously accepted notion that the use of ghyu wipes all the impurity. Teel Laddus(sesame seeds ball mixed with jaggery and rounded), Ghya-Chaaku (assemblage of ghee and chaaku – a popular condiment of Newar community), Shakkharkhand (sweet potato), Tarool (Yam), Khichadi (mixture of rice and lentils with clarified butter as the thickener) are the special menu items for this day. It is a normal customary in Nepal to invite married daughters and close relatives during festivities, and Maaghe Sankranti is not an exception. Families come together and share these delights. There is yet another tradition of massaging the body with mustard oil and then basking in the sun with the idea of keeping the body warm and relaxed in this cold day.

Any religious activity is marked with legend of some kinds. One of the many, this day is taken as the commemoration of the death of Bhishma Pita:maha, the elderly grandfather ofPadavas and Kauravas. Bhishma Pita:maha, who had the power to control his own death, happened to choose to die on the day of Maaghe Sankranti. Therefore it is believed that one who die on this day achieve Moksha, a release from rebirth cycle.

The Puranas say that on this day Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. These father and son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but in spite of many difference between each other Lord Sun makes it a point to meet his son. He visits his son on this day and stays there for a month. Hence this day also symbolizes the importance of special relationship of father and son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his father’s dream and the continuity of the family.

The other legend is related to sesame seeds and its wide usage during this day. It is understood that a merchant from the village of Bhadgaon (Bhaktapur), had never ending supply of sesame seeds in his store. The more he took out the sesame seeds the supply never depleted. Later, he found out an idol ofLord Vishnu hidden deep beneath the seeds on this day. Since this day Teel Madhav – a special representation of Lord Vishnu is worshipped with the belief that lord will continue to be generous in the supply of food and wealth. Yet another legend is that it was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terror of the Asuras (Devil) by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandara Parvata. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.

This solstice festival is celebrated all over South Asia with some regional variations. In India it is celebrated by different names in different states, like Makar Sankranti in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orrissa and West Bengal, Bihu in Assam, Uttarayan in Gujarat and Rajasthan, Lohri in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and Pongal in Tamilnadu. In other countries too, the day is celebrated under different names and in different ways likeSongkran in Thailand, Pi Ma Lao in Laos and Thingyan in Myanmar.

This festival identifies a period of enlightenment, peace, prosperity and happiness.

 Author: Roshan Upadhyay

Also posted in  Tikijhya.com

Facebook Color Status – Fun or a Real Campaign

One of the popular social networking website, Facebook (FB) has gone colorful. Syllables speaking single word or phrases are representing color. Since the afternoon of 8th January 2010, a trend is seen where females are updating their FB status with the color of their bra like Pink or Black and White Polka dotsor Beige and so on. Many were in fact puzzled status updates. And the majority does not have any idea about the Pink Ribbon as well. Is the bra color FB status a conspiracy to make Facebook hotter?  Facebook status colors have already become a hot search on the net. Or is there something absurd and specious going on?

A rumor is on air that it is a way to raise awareness for breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today. Interestingly, breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women than in men, but survival rates are equal in both sexes. It is the month of October which is celebrated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During October, people raise money by organizing activities such as theme parties or a Pink Day (when employees wear pink clothing or accessories) at work. The money raised is donated to the organizers choice of breast cancer care or research programs. But amusingly, no reason for the timing as such is yet seen for this so called awareness campaign in FB, when it is January now. By the way, it’s a general notion that men can't take to the bra color FB status. However, if you are a male and your mood is colorful, who says you can’t write colors in your status? Interpretation does not matter much.

One of the most interesting things about this effort that went viral is that no one seems to know who started it, or the motivation behind it. So, it will be interesting to see what information comes to light in the coming days and who might capitalize on it.

Some folks aren't so high on this campaign. There is aFacebookBraFAIL tag on Twitter now where some are criticizing it as a lost opportunity for advocacy, given the lack of clarity or clear call to action in the status updates.  But regardless of what you think - brilliant viral marketing or a missed opportunity, the fact of the matter is that people are talking.

Facebook Inc. said it hasn't been able to find out who came up with the idea, circuitously stating we are clean in this matter. Andrea Rader, a spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, said the group was not behind the campaign but said, "It is a terrific tool for raising awareness. We just hope people act on it - get educated and get a mammogram”.  Komen group is one of the pioneer foundations which have taken the breast cancer movement globally. The other speculation for this clarification from Andrea Rader was also because of Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure Camp, incidentally seems like a 3 day campaign in FB, which in fact is anytime register kind of 3-day camp program and the proceeds goes for the cause.

Whatever be the actual reason for this FB hit, updating your bra color will not help much but only end up in fun. Someone updated this FB status, “Black texts spelling colors, revealing your privacy (if u r true :-)) is GOOD for fun rather than a campaign. But getting a "MAMMOGRAM" done is even BETTER...”

The message communicated by the above quoted status seems loud and clear. There's no word yet on the origin or the ultimate goal of the campaign. But if you really want to support this cause which is yet to be concluded, the foremost step to be a part of this campaign is to better consult a doctor for yourMammogram first. If you are in addition much interested to support this cause you can volunteer for breast cancer awareness. But only updating your bra colors will get yourself exposed. And just in case this campaign gets going, and reach new dimensions will you be willing to see your profile stating30 or 31 or 32 or 33… A/B/C/D… and so on? Give it a thought.

Author: Roshan Upadhyay

Also posted in Tikijhya.com

Sir Isaac Newton’s Google Doodle

The Google Doodle for Sir Isaac Newton is the first animated doodle I have seen.

When you load the Google home page you will see an Apple tree over Google ’s logo, after a second or so, one of the Apple’s drop from the tree. The logo is also missing an “o” from it.

This is to remember Sir Issac Newton and his famous gravitational theory on his birthday. Sir Isaac Newton born on 4 January 1643 was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian.