Festival of Lights!

Come diwali and markets are bright with Diyas of every kind. The shops selling these diyas were taking my breath away. See what I mean...

Ledias and Jents!

Karnapura festival offers many attractions. Could never muster courage to take a ride in giant wheel, but my son's enthusiasm prevailed, off we went, through this entrace!


On to this giant wheel, we went, first three rounds were horrible, but then I got the hang of it, and we enjoyed the ride.

Two festivals...

Lord of Drums!

Ganpati festival is time for everyone to brush up their skills on drums. Growing up in this part, I have always been fortunate to be part of this amazing 'josh'.
Check this year's procession

Iftar Party!

Never been to any such event, and it was such a pleasant thing, when I went there. Fruits, Falooda, and samosas were mouth watering.

My father achieves his freedom on 15th Aug

He was another common man with some uncommon qualities. He could be strict, he could be angry but he understood what a child feels. He was a best friend a child, and a young man can have. Surely, those who knew him will agree.

He had such a zeal for life. He always wished that we have great time.

When I was a child he made mathematics easy for me; as a young man, he encouraged me to read books & magazines . He helped me through the tough life of a medical student and saw me become a self sufficient doctor.

He was ill for couple of years. Like many of us it was tough for him to bear his illness; but his spirit outshone his health problems. When he got little better last year, he purchased a used Maruti 800, against my trepidation. And then onwards he used to travel 100 kms every day, visiting Devgadh, Nevasa, Ranjangaon, Paithan, Kankaleshwar number of times.

He just loved to travel, I was worried; but he always used to return, with my dear mother and driver by his side.
On 13th August, Monday morning, he had a freak accident; neither he nor we know how he fell from his bed where he was reading newspaper; and, I think that accident broke something more than his femur, it broke his spirit; and on Wednesday, he developed pulmonary embolism and passed away.
Now when I look at his bed... his TV remote control, eyes fill up with tears; and mind fills up with his fond memories.

To every child, father occupies a special place in his heart. Of course my feelings towards my father are no different; he was truly special.

He gave me more than my life; he gave me a way of life!

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi!

Nirastra Bhav!

That is Harry Potter doing his jaadu in desi. Well, I am as confused about what the movie was about, after coming back from the movie, as I was while watching it. I thought the confusion was because I missed the first 10 min, but, when I read that only thing that happens in those 10 minutes is the incident that prompts Harry to use his magic outside the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and leads to a threat of expulsion from the school.
Needles to say he is saved from expulsion by his Prof Dumbledore. Then there is a piece about ministry getting paranoid that Dumbledore is creating a magician's force, which could pose security risk to ministry. And they send Dolores Umbridge, as a teacher at Hogwarts, who makes life of students quite miserable. How she meets her nemesis, is one part of picture. And it is as non-noteworthy as rest of the movie.
Then there is a threat from (now returned) Lord Voldemort, and he is trying to take over control of Harry's brain. And that is climax of the movie, where Voldemort and his cronies have a confrontation with Harry, Ron, Hermione & colleagues.
Dumbledore appears from nowhere and fights a battle of his life to return the attack launched by evil Voldemort. Then Harry does a mental battle with Voldemort and prevents him from taking over his brain. And that was it.
Well, I was waiting that something worth attention to take place somewhere in the movie. But I kept waiting and movie ended without giving that something.
Must have made sense to die hard HP fans, but for the uninitiated in HP saga, it was a case of movie falling well short of expectation.
But who is complaining when it is a big hit at the box office!

Ellora in rainy season!

Wish I was a poet to describe this greenery!

Somewhat difficult route to Sita Ki nahani

The Waterfall on cave 29 - The Sita ki Nahani

View from Sita ki nahani
A cave with a view!
Hand in hand!

Cricket on the Mhaismal plains

Fascinated by the wild flowers! So cute!

First Rains at Aurangabad caves: A Pictorial Essay !

Chini Kum

Had heard that it is again a ‘young girl falls in love with old man’ film. Directors from bollywood and holiwood have been flirting with this idea since long time, and there are many films attesting to this for example ‘Jogger’s Park’ & ‘Six Nights & Seven Days’. Novelty was the way the inevitable love happens, this time the old man (Buddhadev Gupta) is none other than big B, and girl (Nina Verma) is charming and now mature Tabbu. Big B is chef and owner of a restaurant which according to his own words is ‘finest Indian restaurant in whole of England’. Tabbu drops into his restaurant and returns a Jafrani rice unsatisfied. Big B with his big ego as a best chef explains why his hotel is the best and insults her, and she leaves crying. Next day in comes a dish of Jafrani Rice, big B testing it, guesses & shoots out its exact recipe, from its taste, then he is informed by his waiter that, the honour of making that dish does not belong to his hotel, it has been sent by the customer, whom he had insulted.
Thus begins the odyssey of love, the fiery but intelligent exchanges between Tabbu and big B is the best thing in whole movie. At times though the dialogues go a little overboard and we are reduced to feeling ashamed. Director could have avoided that. Then there is little 6 year old neighbour ‘Sexy’ who is dying of cancer, who plays a big Mamma & agony Aunt to big B and his big ego. At times play is brilliant, but at others it just manages to become cheap.
Ultimately Tabbu and Big B decide that they should marry, speaking to big B’s mother is not a big problem & Tabbu manages that without much difficulty. Talking to Tabbu’s father, played by Paresh Rawal, is a real pain in the a** for big B, considering he is not only as old Tabbu’s father but couple of years older than him!
Inevitable refusal from him leads us to second part of this movie, and here it becomes just another plain Bollywood drama with Paresh Rawal taking a fast unto death and big B trying to win him over with food and some old fashioned reasoning, but nothing works as we move towards climax.
In the end the big Kutub Minar comes to rescue (believe me!), as Amitabh hugs the iron pillar in front of Kutub Minar, with his back towards the pillar, and tries to touch his two hands together, from behind the pillar, his mother comes in nick of time and helps him to pull his hands together. When someone manages to do this, his wishes are fulfilled.
I would not spoil your fun, by telling what happens next, suffice it to say that, there are flashes of brilliance as well as moments where the humour gets too under the waist and embarrasses us.
But it is worth it, if you can not get enough of Amitabh. Tabbu doesn’t speak, much, but God! That sly look from the corner of her eyes, it would be enough to turn your heart to jelly anytime. Of course love the title song.