DD18 @ SP !!

A significant portion of this post is contributed by Freeda, Antara and Manoj. Thank You all!

DD18 @ SP = Dandiya and Diwali Nite, 2018 at Sobha Palladian.

Dandiya Raas, one of the traditional folk dance of Gujarat and Rajasthan ( Garba ) is performed during the Navaratri nights ( last 2 weeks )

Diwali is on 8^th Nov – two weeks from now!

So, we celebrated both these festivals last Saturday, 27 Oct’18 – Dandiya and Diwali nite at Sobha Palladian!!

DD18 action started at 7.30PM and went on with the housie game nearing midnight.

Actually, the day’s action started much earlier.

A fire alarm and a fire drill set the pace for a hectic day ahead.  Lecture by the Sobha Fire Sargent. Do’s and Don’t’s

Operating the fire extinguisher

Operating the Fire Hydrant.  It was very reassuring to see the thick water jet soar high above the 6^th floor. Residents of the ground and fourth floor please note:  You cannot get a better sprinkler system for your banana plantation!!

Rangoli Competition!!

BY 3 PM we saw brisk activity at the entrance and foyer of all the Blocks. People gathered around drawing basic templates for the Rangoli.

In one group I notice two were actually drawing, 4 were giving expert advice & directions and many more giving tons of moral support. Animated discussions on designs, where to put what, choice of colors and how to fill kept everyone busy.

The competitive spirit was intense. The designs were closely guarded, suspicious looking folks from other blocks were prevented from coming anywhere near the rangoli area.  Spies were sent out to keep tabs on other group’s progress and their plans. Loud claims were posted on WhatsApp group to boost up the morale of one block and erode the confidence level of the other four. And much more…

And I even came to know of an audacious plan - trying to motivate some young kids to drive their bikes right across their competitor’s Rangolis !!

Fortunately, no such incident happened and when the judges arrived, all the rangolis were at their best-looking shapes.

Breath-taking designs with bright colors that brought the floor alive. Rangolis sparkling with diyas and the traditional tall, elegant Kuttuvillakku (brass lamp).

And Ganesha and Goddess Devi smiling upon all of us and showering their blessings.

For the panel of Judges, it was a very tough assignment. And the task became even more challenging when pretty ladies weaved interesting & wonderful stories to explain their creation! No kidding, I was one of the judges!

Block 1 : A lucid narration of the Goddess waking in & bringing wealth and prosperity.

Beautifully adorned with rose petals

Block 2: Simple elegant and neat and no-nonsense Rangoli.

Very Eco-friendly and utilising minimal resources as the President pointed it out to all of us.

Block 3:  A wonderful 3D design that seemed to literally rise up from the cobble stones.  Unlike  other teams that were all-women affair Bock 3 boasted of a male champion who composed the Rangoli!

Block 4: Theme Palladian executed in style! Starting with an intricate and colourful Rangoli, we were led to a Navadaniyam Ganesha and then to vibrant spirit  of Sobha Palladian!!

Block 5: Graceful and elegant.  With Devis footsrteps as she walks into the corridor and a  beautiful depiction of Durga.

We celebrated Diwali!

So, crackers there must be!!

Light, sound and all action at the exit gate.

Flaming flower pots, sparklers, magic wand pencils, rockets and missiles, and the ten-foot Ladi (long chain of red fire crackers).

And the parents & the big boys and girls seemed to have much more fun than the youngsters (possible their teachers asked them not to burst crackers).

Do not get upset kids. We promise that on the actual Diwali day we will celebrate a green pollution free Diwali!

Contest: Sparklers vs sparkling teeth

Result: It’s no brainer who won hands down!!

Rocket man with a handful of payloads!!

Did you know that we have four space scientists in our midst? They all work for Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO.

Kannaa nee thoongada: Bahubali 2 (Tamil)

Krishna soja zara: Bahubali 2 (Hindi)

Krishna, go to sleep my young one….

You must be so exhausted teasing gopikas and hiding their clothes…

Haven’t you got tired stealing so much butter every day??

The sky has become dark, so close your eyes and go to sleep my dear one.

Anybody who has watched Bahubali 2 can never forget  this beautifully picturised song.  Once more this wonderful song came back to life in a brilliant dance recital by Freeda and Ahana (standing in for the white marble Krishna).  A beautiful

picturization of the lullaby coaxing young Krishna to go to sleep – re-enacted with smooth flowing elagance and with so much poise and grace by our very own ‘superstar’ Freeda!

And for those unlucky folks who missed this dance, we will have a few clips on the YouTube very soon.

Young Bakers & Smart Entrepreneurs!!

Aongst the hectic activity a small bunch of boys and girls were happily selling cakes – lemon cake, Banana Cake, Walnut Cake and cup cakes @ Rs 30/- apiece! I (the lemon and walnut cakes were yummy!!!)

Literally sold out like hot cakes in no time!!

And they netted Rs 2600/- . That was brisk business.

This money they will use for charity.

Learning the joy of giving at such young age.  Very happy to see such kind young hearts in our SP family.

The Children Go dancing Dandiya!

Our SP young dance troupe performed three dances.

Aarna, Adrish, Akaisha, Divit, Gauri,  Ved and Zaynah all danced to the rhythm of Hey Shubharahbh, welcoming a new beginning.

Hey, its Good! Good times are here! Enjoy the good moments!

And they danced ushering the coming Hindu new year after Diwali.

And for the famous traditional gujarati song Udi Udi Jaye we had Ahaan, Ahana, Elisha and Mihika. One Shah Rukh Khan amongst 3 Mahira Khans!!  (Ahaan, am I jealous?? )

And they were Fabulous!!

And for the Chogada Tara, all of then danced to the lively beats of LoveYatri song sung by Darshan Rawal and Asees!

I am sure a few of them are going to make it big time @ Bollywood and beyond!!

The Grand Finale - -Dandiya Raas!!!

Folks,

You do not have to die and go to heaven,

If you wish to see Angels and Apsaras dancing!

You just buy a flat in Sobha Palladian, and,

You can watch them all, right here on terra firma!!!

20 in all

Gorgeously dressed

In bright colourful ghagharas and matching tops and contrasting odhinis.

And a few pairs of tinkling silver anklets, a chunky chaandi ka challa tucked at the waist, a parandhi whistling thru the air. A few nethi chutti (maang tikka) and an elaborate lakhnavi style maang tikka!

Yes, they all came fully adorned,

And with their entire arsenal in a grand display!!

And they danced,

 In perfect coordination to the beats of Salman Khan’s Chogada Tara!

And they rocked!!

Food, Food & Food!!

I start with paani puri, move to dahi puri & papri chat

    and then a dig at hot tikki and chhole – hot both ways, temperature and spice wise.

Then stand in a Q for the main course. A simple sumptuous meal – salads / paneer masala / veg jal frezzi / hot puris / pulao and papad.

And some rasam and plain rice for my southern palate.

I loosen my belt by two notches, switch off my mental calorie meter and the glycemic index chart and go for generous refills. And I end my feast with hot Jelebis and an extra scoop of Vanilla ice-cream.

Enough calorie intake for me to go without food for a couple of days. !

 

Food = Happiness !!

Mom, are’nt you going overboaed on your calories??

And with tired legs and aching feet supporting an overstuffed belly, I just did not have enough energy to play Housie.

So, it was a straight 25metre dash to home, change, brush my teeth and crash on my bed!

Good Night Folks,

See you all on actual Diwali day – Ganga Snanam & Green Diwali !!

Krish..

Shopping ! Him vs Her !!

Festival Season!

Sale and discount offer on almost all pages of every Newspaper!!

So, thoda shopping par likhna mangta hai na ??

Shopping, to Him, by definition, is a task. 

A task to be performed efficiently. 

Utilising minimum resources. Minimise the time and the spend within the allocated budget!

Shopping, to Her, is an outing. An activity to relax, destress, and to binge (of course!). 

Time limit? (ridiculous!).  Budget?? (You must be joking!!)

To go shopping, He makes a list of things to purchase. 

Identifies where to buy. Head straight for the destination. Asks the attendant where to find what (no point wasting time running around aisles and straining the neck to search the lower most and topmost shelves . Add to the cart (the rolling & physical one), join the shortest Q , pay and leave !   

And at times, get irritated and grumble and bitch about the overloaded shopping carts of the folks ahead and the inefficient checkout attendants while the Q moves along slowly .

Her Shopping: 

As she enters the mall, the fragrance of perfume at the lobby attracts her to the Christian Dior counter. A few tests, and the smallest bottle with a 4 digit price tag (after a 35% discount offer) gets the first card swipe! and as she moves to the escalator the hand bag shop screams at her with an end of season sale ( or closing shop, fire sale ) banner. A new shade of blue (apparently much different for the other 4 blue ones she has at home) gets her pick !

Then, into the hyper market, the recce starts .With the leftmost aisle and browse thru all the products- new products/brands, buy one get one free offers, the big bins piled with assortment of packs,  the brightly colored bottles & boxes, the shining steel pots and pans , bright ceramic cookware and the Fancy gift items. Things get added in the process & her shopping cart is almost full by now.

 Standing in the Q is a wonderful shopping experience for Her! 

‘Hey, what is that bottle you have in your cart?

‘Coffee powder – buy one jar and get 50 gm sachet free!’

A quick dash to the aisle and she returns with a big coffee jar and a bigger smile!

And a few more quick dashes, as the Q is moving, and many more satisfied smiles later her cart is overflowing !

Come home, She proudly displays her shopping conquests to Him. 

‘I can see you have smoked our credit card, honey’ ,  He observes ..’ but I thought you went out to buy some fresh linen and some gift wrappers ?? ‘

‘OMG, I totally forgot those !!’   a serious frown engulfs her face. “How could I miss them ??”

And then her face lights up over-shadowing the 40watt LED nearby.

No worry Darling, I will go shopping again tomorrow !!!

And he muttered to himself – “Now why the   %#!!   did I say that! “

Happy Festivities & Happier Shopping!!

Krish..

Kaustubh: When Rama’s Arrows Misfired !

IT WAS A WILD, RAGING BATTLE SCENE, SPEARS WERE FLINGING FROM ONE END TO ANOTHER AND CHARRIOTS WERE FLYING THE SKY ENGULFING THE FIELDS INTO A STORM OF DUST. 

SOLDIERS BLEEDING WITH THEIR WAILING SHRIEKS IS ALL THAT YOU HEARD.

THERE WAS THIS ONE MAN WHO WAS DOMINATIING THE ENTIRE BATTLE FIELD . HE LEAPED, RAN AND SHOT ARROWS. OF COURSE IT WAS THE ALL POWERFUL RAMA, THE GREAT!

N THE MELLE OF THE BATTELFIELD AND IN THE HOUR OF THE EARLY DUSK WITH THE DARK CLOUDS ALL OVER THE SAD GREY SKY,  AN ARROW SWIFTLY MADE ITS MARK AND PIERCED THROUGH THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF RAMA. 

HE WAS IN PAIN, DEEP PAIN. HE SWUNG HIS SHOULDER IN DEEP GREIVANCE. 

HE KNEELED DOWN AS IF A HUNGRY LION HAD BEENCORNERED. SEETHING WITH ANGER OF RETALIATION AN EMOTION VERY UNFAMILIAR TO RAMA, HE DREW AN ARROW FROM HIS QUIVER, THE MOST POWERFUL ASTRA THAT HIS GURU HAD HANDED HIM AS A FINAL PARTING LESSON, AND CAUTIONED TO NEVER EVER USE. HE PULLED THE STRING OF HIS BOW WITH FORCE SO LARGE AND FIRED. THE SKYS THUNDERD, THE BIRDS, ANIMALS MOANED AND ONE AND ALL ON THE FIELD DROPPED ALL THEIR ARMS TERRIFIED AND DISMAYED WITH WHAT THEY WERE TO WITNESS.

RAMA THE HERO OF SATYUGA WAS THE EMBODIMENT OF ALL NOBLE QUALITIES; KINDNESS, GOODNESS AND PURITY, HAD IN THAT MOMENT UNRAVELLED THE AGE THAT WAS TO COME; ANGER, MALICE, GREED – THE AGE OF KALIYUGA.

RAMA KNEW THAT THE ARROW THAT HE HAD FIRED HAD MISSED ITS MARK. THE ARROW SOARED AND DID NOT TAKE THE NAME OF STOPPING. THE ARROW RIPPED ACROSS ALL THE LAYERS OF THE UNIVERSE AND TOOK SIGHT OF THE BLACK HOLE. IT CRACKED IT OPEN AS IF IT WERE AN EGG. THE BIG BANG THAT ENSUED GAVE BIRTH TO A NEW ERA. THE ERA OF COMPETITION, POSSESSION, MATERIALISM. THE KALIYUGA THE DARK AGES SUCKED INTO IT THE ERA OF TRUTH, SATYUGA .

THE ARROW WAS LIKE A PARENT OF THE KALIYUGA .

RAMA HAD A GLANCE OF THE SKY FOR A SECOND AND KNEW SOMETHING WAS HORRIBLY WRONG . THE AIR HAD A PUNGENT AND SUFFOCATING SMELL TO IT AND THE PITCH BLACK SKY WHIRLED OVER THEIR HEADS. 

HE KNEW HE SET THE DICE. HE HAD GIVEN WAY TO THE NEW AGE. HE HAD TO FINISH THIS WAR AND WRAP THE SATYUGA TO LET THE NEW ERA SETTLE IN . 

RAMA BLEW THE CONCH AND SIGNALLED TO ACCEPT DEFEAT.

A MORAL DEFEAT.

HE HAD NOT ONLY LOST A WAR, HE HAD LOST AN ENTIRE ERA !

GOD SAID “WHAT WILL YOU DO IF I GAVE YOU ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD”

                 Shashank 1063

                

One night I was deep in sleep when I had a dream. In my dream, God asked me “What will you do if I give you all the money in the world?” and he then vanished into thin air. In this story I will tell you the happenings of the next day.

                 T

he next day I woke up eager to tell everyone about my peculiar dream. The first people I ran into were my parents. I told them about my dream and they told me not to use the money in haste. They also told me to donate it for some charitable cause. I told them that it was a great idea and I would think about it.

                

  

That afternoon I went out with my parents and to my surprise I realized that there were children of all ages coming back from school barefooted with a torn schoolbag and a uniform in a very bad condition. That is when I realized that everyone is not as lucky as us and decided that my parents’ idea was very good.

Next I bumped into my friend Raj who is addicted to a video game called Fortnite: Battle Royale. I also told him about my dream and he told me to give him all the money so he could buy V-Bucks (a Fortnite currency). I told him that is not happening even if God did give me the money. He told me that he is going to punch me. I am sure it’s never going to happen.

The next person I asked was my best friend Tarun. He said that he would love it if God gave him the money because he could buy 25 Lamborghinis, 5 Ferraris and a beach side mansion in Dubai.

After listening to everybody’s suggestions I decided to buy 25 Lamborghinis, 5 Ferraris and a beach side mansion in Dubai and donate a total of 10 rupees for charitable causes. 

Just kidding, I will donate lots of money for charitable causes.  Now I am going back to sleep to tell God about my decision.

Aadit: Superman and Hanuman save the day !!

One beautiful sunny morning Hanuman was flying super-fast across Bangalore to visit his friend Aadit. Aadit had packed a picnic basket with French fries, chocolate cake and triple banana milk shake which was Hanuman’s favourite. They had planned a playdate at Funky Monkeys followed by a picnic at Cubbon Park.