I love

I was thinking the other day what all do I love and how would I love to live? We loosely say I love this or that or I would love to have this or that but when you decide to write it down its tough to answer. So started to write it and here it goes-
Just putting down random thoughts on what I love in life-

- I love to live by the mountains
- Where there is a lovely brook running alongside the mountains..( yes I have to been to this picture perfect place in Himachal Pradesh and I had my two friend with me as witnesseses
I like the gurgling sound that a small brook makes
- I love to be surrounded by trees
- I love flowers and vibrant colors
- I love to have a cosy cottage over any stupid sky rises and gated cities
- Would love to play with mud and have a garden to dig.
- Throw seeds around and watch them grow
- Lie on the grass and read new books
- Teach street children
- Have more dogs than one
- Walk miles everyday
- Meditate to rising sun everyday
- Stitch or make quilts out of old clothes
- Take EkTaara sing like Parvati Baul. I think I was a Baul in my last life
- Feed hungry people every day
- Take my cycle and go wandering.

Try doing this you will find it funny and also realise may be you are living a very different life.

आत्ममिलन-अमृता प्रीतम

आत्ममिलन

पर जूते और कमीज की तरह
तू अपना बदन भी उतार दे
उधर मूढ़े पर रख दे
कोई खास बात नहीं
बस अपने अपने देश का रिवाज है……

याद- अमृता प्रीतम

याद
आज सूरज ने कुछ घबरा कर
रोशनी की एक खिड़की खोली
बादल की एक खिड़की बंद की
और अंधेरे की सीढियां उतर गया….
आसमान की भवों पर
जाने क्यों पसीना आ गया
सितारों के बटन खोल कर
उसने चांद का कुर्ता उतार दिया….
मैं दिल के एक कोने में बैठी हूं
तुम्हारी याद इस तरह आयी
जैसे गीली लकड़ी में से
गहरा और काला धूंआ उठता है….
साथ हजारों ख्याल आये
जैसे कोई सूखी लकड़ी
सुर्ख आग की आहें भरे,
दोनों लकड़ियां अभी बुझाई हैं
वर्ष कोयले की तरह बिखरे हुए
कुछ बुझ गये, कुछ बुझने से रह गये
वक्त का हाथ जब समेटने लगा
पोरों पर छाले पड़ गये….
तेरे इश्क के हाथ से छूट गयी
और जिन्दगी की हन्डिया टूट गयी
इतिहास का मेहमान
मेरे चौके से भूखा उठ गया…
भारतीय़ ज्ञानपीठ द्वारा प्रकाशित अमृता प्रीतम चुनी हुई कवितायें 

Saraswati Puja with Basant Panchami

I have vague memories in childhood celebrating Saraswati Puja in my aunt's school. I remember I went to her school, we worshiped the slate and put haldi on it, offered flowers and got some sweets to eat. This obviously must be way before I started formal school as we visited nani’s place only in school holidays.
There was zero association with it in growing years as I grew up in convent school. I have no memories of any celebration of it.
Post my marriage however, I started celebrating Saraswati Puja with all Bengali fervour. So it was a festive time of eating luchis and labra tarkari and all the bong sweets. As years passed by I made efforts to know about Saraswati Puja. So trying to put some information here It is the second important festival that come right after Makar Sankanti and also marks the arrival of spring and is celebrated largely in India. In Eastern side  and some parts of Maharashtra it is more significantly celebrated as Saraswati Puja. I am not aware how it is celebrated in other parts of India. Maa Saraswati is associated with learning, wisdom, knowledge and people worship Maa Saraswati to attain enlightenment through knowledge.

for all novices like me - Saraswati Puja is celebrated on Vasant Panchami. It
The color yellow plays an important role in Vasant Panchami as it is related to the bloom of mustard flowers in the Northern India and is also considered auspicious. People wear yellow colored garments, decorate doors with yellow marigold flowers. Make rangoli’s outside their doors and also make sweets like saffron rice. Another ritual that is  followed also about flying kites especially in Northern India. The whole sky is full of kites on that day.
However in modern times most of these celebrations are getting lost and also the significance of it too is losing his relevance.