The second edition of Ebook carnivalby Blogchatter is here and my first Hindi poetry anthology has been published on their website. It is a one of its kind initiative by blogchatter team to put together an assortment of all kinds of Ebooks by bloggers and writers alike. These 33 books will be available for free download on their website for two months. You may download them for free for a soulful reading over the vacations.
“This book is a collection of Hindi couplets, poems, haiku, etc and each composition is a reflection of a virtuous moment from the author’s life. This is not merely an anthology but a journey through the rainbow of the author’s mind. If you love Hindi poetry, this one is for you.”
Follow the link for a peek and I am sure you will love it 🙂 Download here: मन मन्थन
I will be posting reviews of three selected books on my blog over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for some fun:-)
Looking forward to your comments, feedback, and reviews. Kindly share with your friends on all social media platforms, I’ll be waiting for you all there.
Music is the essence of our lives and it is all around us, adding that little extra spark to an otherwise mundane routine. Music is like the air around us; we may not always see it but can definitely feel it’s presence if we care to focus. Music sometimes confronts us like a tiger roaring in African wilderness while sometimes it teases us like a koel singing on a distant tree. Music need not always be created but it can be discovered in the most unexpected places. Even silence is music to some ears. I wish my life had background music so I could understand what the hell is going on but not everyone is as lucky as Mother Nature herself. Here’s a poem from my archives celebrating Mother Nature’s lullaby. Hope you will feel closer to the music next time when you are in the lap of Mother Nature.
बारिश की पहली फुहार, चिड़ियों का गीत मल्हार,
के दरख़्तों की इस हरियाली में, महकता कहीं मैं भी हूँ,
वन में होती हल-चल, और बहता पानी कल-कल,
के असीम सागर की इन लहरों में, छलकता कहीं मैं भी हूँ,
भीड़ में होता शोर, और पतंग की कटती डोर,
के घड़ी के काँटों की इस रफ़्तार में, थिरकता कहीं मैं भी हूँ,
बीते पल अनमोल, दो प्यार के मीठे बोल,
के इन लबों पे खिलती हँसी में, शामिल कहीं मैं भी हूँ,
गर सुन कोई सके, तो गाती ख़ामोशी भी है यहाँ,
के इस कायनात के हर ज़र्रे को, इस धुन में सजाता मैं ही हूँ,
संगीतमय बनाता मैं ही हूँ , संगीतमय बनाता मैं ही हूँ ||
Music is not only the physical sounds embedded in the life and objects around us but it is also deep seated in the emotions, gestures and feelings. A baby giggling, mother kissing, beloved calling and even looking into your beloved’s eyes without even muttering a word is music to the soul. We must never underestimate the healing power of music. It can heal anything, be it spoiled mood or a crooked soul. Any moment in our lives can be elevated to a different level if we just add music to it. You may try listening to your favorite music on full blast while dancing around like an idiot all around the house for starters and if it doesn’t help you may try singing yourself and Just because you can’t sing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. And if you are too concerned about looking like an idiot then listing to music in good old ways is always there. No matter what you are feeling, I am sure you can find a song for that particular situation with ease. I feel there is a song for any and every moment and my taste in music ranges from “you need to listen to this” to “I know please don’t judge me”. I personally like the musical quality and rhyme of poems more than any song and here is another one from my archives where a simple thank you from a recovering patient is being described as music to the treating doctor’s ears.
धड़कानों की धुन पर गुनगुनाती फिर से कोई ज़िंदगी,
जैसे ख़ुशियों में डूबे कोई दिल, जो था कभी ग़मज़दा ;
I am new here and I absolutely loved the Blogchatter’s prompt for this week- I wish I were. I write more often in Hindi but I didn’t know I could do that here or not. So I just tried my hand at both. Hope you like them.
होता अगर मैं
होता अगर मैं बेबाक परिन्दा , छूता उचईयाँ जैसे कोई बाज़;
काव्य सी होती उड़ानें मेरी, और बादल होते मेरे अल्फ़ाज़;
नदियों में ही खिलता बचपन, उन्मुक्त हवा मे लेता श्वास;
हर दिन रचता गीत नये, और समय ही होता मेरा साज़;
होता अगर मैं बेबाक परिंदा, नवजीवन लेता अगाज़;
उड़ता फिरता मस्त गगन में, अजब ही होता मेरा अंदाज़ ||
***
I wish I were
I wish I were a free bird,
never caged but often heard;
Scaling high and sinking low,
never shaken but often stirred;
I wish I were a free bird,
singing at will… lovely or absurd;
Quenching my fernweh*,
cruising alone and bewildered;
I wish I were a free bird,
I’ll be happy …mark my word;
‘Coz deep down inside,
this luftmensch# is a caged bird…
***
*Fernweh (German): Feeling homesick for a place you have never been to, wanderlust, a desire/craving to travel, a longing for far-off places.
#Luftmensch (German): Someone with his head in the clouds, one who is unconcerned with such practical matters as earning a living, a dreamer, social misfit.
This post is written for Blogchatter’s prompt for the week- I wish I were .
Ravan was the primary antagonist in the Epic Ramayana but he was not all about negativity. He was a great scholar and a worthy opponent of lord Ram himself. There is no denying that Ravan did some good things and Ram did bad things too making both of them grey rather than black and white. Of course, one grey-er than the other but the point is that we can choose to see good in both of them. So, wouldn’t it be better if we plant the seeds of Ram in our lives rather than burning wooden Ravans. Burning effigies of Ravan may have been a custom, a symbolism but it is hardly anything more than a blob of smoke in present times. People barely know more about Ramayana than what was shown in the famous TV series. Yes, because we don’t read anymore, don’t question and that’s why we don’t know why things are being done like the way they are. So, it is more like an obligation than a celebration.
Tumultuous milieu, Insouciant soul in saudade, Life lost its purpose…
-doc2poet
The world around us is changing, so should we. I hope we decide to plant a tree instead, in the name of lord Ram, to celebrate Dussehra. Because I feel creating something is much better than killing. It will be a more constructive approach; at least a positive one and the Ram born inside us will eventually kill the Ravans in our hearts and minds while making the city green and clean.
I hope we can come up with greener ways to celebrate our festivals so we can keep the spirit alive, celebrate our rich cultural heritage and pass on this legacy to our kids with a positive message.
We just went past #Dussehra and #Durga-Puja and the fireworks of Diwali are just around the corner, here is a post from my archives portraying the changing face of festivals and the need to fix them. Hope you had a wonderful extended weekend studded with festivities and wish you a Happy and prosperous Diwali in advance. 🙂
