chaotic moments

I had a mast weekend at agra … we were 5 of us … 2 old friends and their spouse …

Considering the couples around me … I tried to ensure not to disturb them too much by keeping myself occupied with my Nikon … :)

We didn’t roam around too much as we wanted more to have a relaxed vacation than a hush-hush site seeing trip …

Started by 8:30 in morning, our first stop was Sikandra (Akbar’s makbara). We spent little more than an hour – busy shooting the dears there in the garden :) …

Then we went to hotel to freshen up and have lunch … we booked a serviced apartment (Signature Crest) rather than a hotel. It is slightly off the track and is in the residential area of the town. It’s a flat is a residential complex – fully furnished and is supported by a care taker – 24x7. Nice homely atmosphere ...

We got little delayed starting from the apartment and got further delayed by the traffic in between to reach the Taj Mahal. By the time we could enter the monument, it was already dark. Though the idea with us was to see the full moon Taj, but the moon delayed it’s presence … and we decided to return to Taj in the morning again … considering the traffic pains … we decided to call it a day …

The next day morning … we checked out and instead of going to Fatehpur Sikri (as planned earlier), we decided to spend some more time at Taj and return to base …

No doubt, Taj is magnanimous and is very beautiful … from one shot you might not understand the beauty of the monument, but when you see closely, the carvings and the stonework that has gone behind, added with the scale and scope of the work … it hits you hard with the facts … one of the things which impressed me most was that though the marble slabs were put together individually, the writings or the design didn’t break anywhere in between … you feel that it’s just one piece of stone that has been carved … then there were carvings which were consistent across the place … every wall/ door … had precisely same design and beauty.

However, there was a darker side to it too … the back side of the Taj – the Yamuna River – it was really painful to see the dirtiness / unkemptness of the river and its surroundings … I wish the administration would have given little more attention to it … further the approach road to the Taj (some 2~3 Km stretch) is really painful … may be the municipality does something to it…

While returning, we stopped over Panchhi Petha to grab some famous sweets (Pethas) of Agra. Then, at Mathura, just before the city, on the highway there is an outlet of McD (near refinery) and the Brijwasi sweet shop … which was supposed to keep the famous Mathura pedas … to our disappointment didn’t had any!!!

... a nice trip to cherish …

# posted by chaos @ 12:49 PM 0 Comments

Caution:

1. if you are hard core religious … pls don’t read further …

2. these thoughts are random and need not be linked with each other, might be confusing …

I am a Hindu by religion (though I prefer to believe in spirituality than religion), and I am sure that there is no other religion in this world to have so many festivals than us … from the start of the year … baisakhi/sankranti, holi, rakhi, ram-navmi, janmashtmi, ganesh chaturthi (ganpati), durga puja, dusshehra, diwali, ... I am sure this list is incomplete by all means … most of these I remember because in most cases I either get a paid holiday or I am asked to do something of it …

In recent year, though, the festivity part of any such festivals have been diminishing at a much faster rate than ever before … why go beyond … most often I use these as another holiday (paid vacation) … and try to catch up with so called life … if I think of getting involved into the festivity – it will mean a lot of responsibilities, a lot of hard work (literally) … and tiring day at the end of it …

Today, people (media, politicians, and corporate – product companies) have started using these event points for playing with people’s emotions and faiths … and trying make a kill (make money) … by it … for instance – starting a revolution or a habit which is not existing (some the ads) … some are constructive and some are really destructive …

Speaking of destructive side (esp. ecological), people have started creating idols/ pandals / other related stuff (magnanimous and glamorous) … irresponsibly in competition to each other (who started the competition for God’s sake! … or will God pay a visit / be happy (if at all) only to the best of the lot!!!, further, they do claim to be sensitive to the environment and ask others to reduce the size/expense, but when it came to themselves – it was a ‘not done’ thing … they need to differentiate from others … their popularity/fame is at stake!!! – and this I saw on TV on some media/news coverage … ) … it really doesn’t matter, if post-festivity the surrounding / environment is in the worst possible scenario … or during the celebration, there is a limit to which loud speakers should be blasted (with all the filmy rhyming bhajans – a disgust in the name of bhajans) … daily waste generated … electricity wasted (and we crib of electricity shortage)… and nuisance to the traffic (we also crib about the traffic) and well being … and the story doesn’t end here … the idols are then immersed into the near by water body (possibly that might be the source to the drinking water too – and then we crib about the water shortage too) … but then who cares even if the water is getting polluted with the poisonous paints and polythene / plastics used … (assuming that at least the idols are generally made of mud – which is not so harmful to the over all environment) … and this is for ganpati, durga puja (at least, if not more) … further take dusshehra / diwali … the amount of air pollution due to the explosives (fire crackers) used … I remember we used to burn crackers too … but the amount and type of the crackers used today were seemingly more reasonable (may the next coming generation would say the same thing years later for today’s generation) …

This is just a sample of what we do to the environment in the name of God … (poor God) … we (unfortunately), as Hindu, create a hue and cry over smallest matter that hurts the so called sentiments of religions (baseless – should I say!) … but we fail to realize and accept the teachings rendered … ignoring to the self comfort zone … intending to do what I feel like … caring a damn over other’s (may be God’s) feeling …

I think what we need is not declaration of war with each other … as to whose ram/raven is bigger, but to kill the raven within us to bring the ram out … there was a dialog (within the song) in the movie Swadesh … man ka raven maar do … har man me hai ram … meaning … just kill the evil (devil) within and you’ll find the God (peace) within you …

I hope someday … some form of God again comes to earth (may be mythologically) … and hope that things might look for brighter day …

# posted by chaos @ 12:14 PM 0 Comments

The new generation is pacing fast to the innovative growth and making the technology shift the paradigm – the way it has been perceived and used … Yesterday, technology was used as a tool to enhance productivity and efficiency … today, it is the cutting edge differentiator … it’s not just the tool … it’s becoming the life … and soul perhaps …

Critics were not sure of Web 2.0, when it came, they said – there is nothing new … whatever there is – its’ all there ... on the net (the erstwhile web 1.0) … gone are the static pages who used to load page by page … extract information every time from the source and expected you to do a smart job … today … all the info is smartly customized to every user, presented on the click of the mouse … and is there already … updated … every new day there is new set of customization available … from user to enterprise … (enterprise 2.0) … from tech savvy user (e-shopping) to age old customer … from news reader/browser to new age blogger (bloozle.com) … everyone has there specific needs and this new customer needs it all … in no time … with all the features … and above all … free of cost …

Imagine … what’s for tomorrow …

# posted by chaos @ 10:57 AM 1 Comments

Caution – opinionated and controversial

Last few weeks there has been Lead India campaign running across India courtesy TOI (http://lead.timesofindia.com/default.asp) … very innovative way of bringing new ideas, but I have my concerns over the executability of the same and loss of so many good ideas.

There is no doubt about the potential leaders and their thoughts for bringing in change to define the lead India campaign. Some of the thoughts put forward are really thought provoking and executable to the extent of taking that first step. Though, some of us might say, we need that first step to bring in change – I differ to a certain degree. My opinion in this matter is very conservative (unlike me, though), for simple reason that we don’t have even a single thought for the second step forward. What I mean is, assuming we give the final 8 (or even 24) a chance to implement (with a small token amount of 50 lakhs) what they think will be the dawn of change, where are we heading to … will these changes lead to better governance (of the govt in center and state) or our process of electing these idiots (most of them are real idiots and apologies to those who get hurt – but the fact is that few of the politicians might be educated, but they are not just party leaders), governing us … a lot of people ask – ‘do you vote’ … I don’t … why then crib – because the way electoral system in the present form, seems irrelevant – simply because though I am from a small town, I am out of that town last 13 years and there is no way my vote / electoral right will help me or my current location benefit) … and I am sure that my name is not there in the voter list in the first place (assuming I go to vote)! …

Talking about leaders – I think we need to first define what kind of leaders are we looking for – thought leaders or mass leaders … in that respect – current CM of UP – Mayawati is true leader – (I think she got some recognition recently too) … I have not imagined any party (forget Mayawati’s) to achieve single party majority… she actually lead the people to vote!!! and with strict security and very less unfair means of ballot casting, Maya won the battle (if not war) for the power … another leader that comes to my mind is Bala sahib in Mumbai … I am not too sure if he still commands the same leadership as he used to earlier, but then he was (and to a good extent, is) a leader … these guys can move the masses … just like MK Gandhi (who has been the best mass leader I can think of) … Further imagine Rahul Bose as mass leader (he's known because he's actor) ... what about the other participants - for instance Ujjwal Banerjee (a fellow NITIEian, who among those who rcvd lowest votes in sms/internet polls) - can we think of them becoming the 'mass leader' - I don't think so!

Coming back to topic - the Lead India campaign, I think, is just looking for thought leaders… again why … because, these are youth, without muscle/ political power … when people with huge political power (and being in active politics) – like Rahul Gandhi, Jyotir Aditya, Pilot, Paritranam, … (there are many more) – are just pushed to lower decks, when they actually could contribute … I don’t say that they are not doing anything, but they could have done much more, had a proper opportunity been given to them … so back again – these folks will result in mere thought leaders as their actions will be very localized and will go into stalemate situation as the 50L sum empties to zero.

I don’t have any specific solutions to it … but what we can do is try to extract some ideas and thoughts which are executable across India and has immediate impact to the grass root levels, to form as common portfolio of Agenda India (or India Agenda task force) – governed by a body of people not directly from the ugly politics (as these guys are only loyal to the chair) … but from people who are retiring from the business (as mentors), guys from NGOs, and people volunteers who are ready to devote some time of theirs … a body which should exist even when there is a change in govt, … get into action with full transparency … and with penalty clauses in case of non-actions … in cases of failures, revisit these ideas and make changes accordingly … however, the bigger Qs is still hanging – who’ll fund … where is the fund come from to execute the broad agendas!

# posted by chaos @ 4:08 PM 4 Comments

Since my new work profile required me to look around for new and ‘hi-tech’ technology and gadgets/ software … I realized how out of date I had been past so long … it really seemed as if the world has moved to a different zone, while I am still in the ancient era. I don’t claim myself as tech-buff, but new avenues to improve (innovations in general) do attract my attention often… and lately there has been quite a lot happened, especially in web based technology …

well… that means lots of reading and catching up to do … (the engg in me has just got a jolt!!!) …

# posted by chaos @ 3:39 PM 0 Comments