The Blue Throated Hero

Here is someone, whose magnificence cannot be described in mere words. However this is my feeble attempt to do so. Mine is a character review on Amish Tripathi's Shiva Trilogy; of which 'The Immortals of Meluha' and 'The Secret of The Nagas' has been released and 'The Oath of The Vayuputras' will be in no time. For someone who hasn't read them yet, there are spoilers in my review. So do read the book before reading this post. 

The title is obvious to any Hindu grown up listening to various stories about an endless list of Gods and heroes. I grew up on Amar Chitra Kathas and stories by my grandmother. She would always tell me stories of Krishna, Murugan, Ganapati and many others, which intrigued me and born within me was a fascination for Indian mythology. Though I went from a God-worshipping childhood, to an agnostic adolescence and ended up starting my adulthood as an atheist, my interest in these heroes never faded. If anything, I became more curious about them.

I belong to a Vaishnavite family; I was particularly inspired by Lord Shiva. His character is one of immense passion, valour and beauty. He has a focus of a Hawk, strength of a Bull, courage of a Lion, glamour of a Peacock and the grace of a Swan. He can be calm as the sea; furious as the fire and excited as a butterfly. His name by itself means pure. He plays the role of the destroyer in the holy trinity. He destroys all things, evil and good to make place for new. While Brahma is white and Vishnu is shades of grey, Shiva is black. He observes all the evil hence cleansing the universe.

Amish Tripathi illustrates the Neelkanth in a more humane form in his Shiva Trilogy. His portrayal has added a touch of charm and elegance to our beloved Lord. He shows him as an ordinary human with an extraordinary journey of life. ‘Har Har Mahadev’ or ‘Har Ek Hai Mahadev’ is used often in the story, implying that in each one of us, there is a God. With the right amount of courage, enthusiasm and determination, we can accomplish great feats in life. The Shiva Trilogy is a story of the expedition of the Lord, passed on from generations, seen by a contemporary eye.

Shiva is shown as a tribal Lord, born in an environment so raw and innocent to civilized way of life. He has grown up on the mountains, which makes him closer to the skies as well as Mother Earth, and hence the universe. This is the reason he is always down to Earth and in one with the nature. The needs and rules were basic on the Himalayas and all people cared about was survival. As he takes his subjects to Meluha, he mixes his raw intelligence with their established system to further improve the picture perfect kingdom. We often forget the creative side of Shiva. He blends creativity and logic in a perfect way to make himself one of the most efficiently intelligent personalities. He stands for raw and untamed energy.

Shiva is someone who cares for all his loved ones. He will sacrifice his own life for the safety of theirs. Anyone who harms the one he loves shall face his wrath. He does not give up on Sati, even when she virtually lives under the shadows of death. On losing Brihaspati, he gets enraged on the Nagas. He also holds Nandi and Veerbadra as important people and trusts their advice. Shiva’s love for Sati is intense; he does not give up on the hope of marrying her. She is his strength and his weakness.

Another attribute to the Neelkanth is his passion. He is ardent about dancing. He prays before his dance, a tribute to Lord Nataraja and a way to absorb all the energy around. While he dances, he gets lost in the art. The steps come to him effortlessly. He doesn’t do dance, he feels it. His entire body is synchronized to the rhythm of the universe. His hands and legs find their own movements. His mudras are perfect and posture is balanced. Being a Bharatnatyam dancer, I have always visualized him doing the Anand Tandav and Rudra Tandav. Whenever we were taught a dance based on Shiva and Parvati, it’s a total class act, upbeat, energetic and graceful. This is the reason I started admiring Shiva before Amish Tripathi decided to reveal him in a different light.

He is a person of strong morals and principles and anyone with the same attracts him. He thinks high of Parvateshwar who shuns him at first, for his loyalty to Lord Ram. Sati’s strong character and headstrong virtue attracts him. He also loses admiration for Daksha, who is shown to be timid and of weak mind. He gets angry with Daksha and Nandi when they feed him and his folks the Som, without their consent. He is against lying and someone who will not entertain cowardice.

The trait that earned my absolute respect is something else though. It was the way he treated everyone, as an equal. His eyes were the most just. He is against the vikarma law. He touches the feet of a certain vikarma and takes his blessing, creating a bit of blasphemy in Meluha. However, he uses his power and influence over the king to remove the law. He believes in fair play and equality. He shows confidence in Sati, Ayurvati and other women; something which men often fail to do. Rather than discouraging Sati from fighting, he admires her for standing up to herself and her principles. As the first book ends, he comes in terms with the fact that the Chandravanshi way of living is as fair and right as the Suryavanshi way. He sees feminity as a force complementary to masculinity, neither inferior nor superior. He is open to a new perspective, and opens up the public’s mind to a new way of thinking. He is ready to listen to the other side of the story before passing a judgment on a person. Despite of all people said about Parshurama, he listened to his reasons of acting the way he did, and sympathized with him. His open mind is the reason he can communicate with the Vasudevs as well.

We all have fictional characters who have inspired and shaped our own thoughts and beliefs. Reading about the Neelkanth found me a role model. I aspire to be like him. If I can even be a percent like him, I will be have consider my life well lived and worth. Also a cue to all the boys, I would love to find a soul mate with qualities possessed by the Blue Throated Hero.

The Love Poem

I am not the 'Notebook' and 'P.S I love You' type of a person; love isn't really my area of expertise. But this is a poem which comes from an honest heart and a sincere soul. 

You are the diamond of my life,

Without you, how shall I survive!

You show me the light where darkness,

You show me the way out of my mess.

With you, I open up and laugh,

All my worries, switched off,

You stop all those tears as you come,

With you my day becomes awesome.

Describing me all about your day,

And listening to all I have to say,

I open all my heart to you,

As the leaves open up to the morning dew.

Your hands, they feel so warm,

When they hold mine, so firm,

You make me feel so safe inside,

In your arms I want to hide.

Yet you are so far away,

I wish to see you every day,

Why can’t you always be by my side?

Open my eyes, to joy, so wide.

All the distance between us creeps,

For your love this heart weeps,

As you go, disappears the smile,

Leaving me in a state of denial.

Why can’t I always have you in my sight?

Counting stars in the sky by the night,

For all those silly things we often fight,

Yet you protect me with all your might.

The Lost Bard

I walked amidst all the trees and bush,

All around me it was green and lush;

Going deeper and deeper in the green,

Whose end, these eyes have not yet seen.

Lost in the labyrinth since I entered;

From the path, how I wandered?

Can’t just tell a tree from another,

All alone, rotting in the weather.

Thinking to myself, where did I come?

Is this jungle only meant for some?

Am I in a place not of my taste?

Time and resource, all gone waste.

They told me it would be a challenge,

From which shall I successfully emerge;

Of challenge and success what is the meaning?

Often are these words deceiving.

What if I had chosen the ocean instead?

Gone along where my heart led;

Spread my wings and fly up high,

In the open free beautiful blue sky.

Does surviving in this forest spell success?

All the people I know it will surely impress;

Should I care of what others think?

Will they help me if I sink?

But I know not which road to walk,

Neither do I know the door to knock;

Lost my last penny, all my skill,

My heart and my head lost all the will.

I walk and walk and end nowhere,

To change the road, not all dare.

What if I want a brand new face?

Give up and run a different race?

Hey life, give me that chance.

Don't leave me in this unknown trance.

Don't be dark, turn on the light,

Rid all the fog, fix my sight.

Lead me to where is my own boulevard,

Listen someone to this lost bard.

I feel like an alien here,

Like in a desert, a lost deer.

Those Mental Handcuffs

This blog may contain some matter inappropriate for totally unaware kids to read. And yes if anyone takes offense to this, i am not sorry for it.

The Delhi rape case, which occurred in the bus, created a sensation across the country.  Someone asked a girl to meet him at the marketplace in Delhi. She was abducted from there and raped. A bharatnatyam dance teacher in Navi Mumbai raped his student. A 4 year old girl was molested by a bus conductor. In Pune, a vice-principal molests a girl. The school authorities denied it, claiming that the girl had a flawed character and followed unethical practices like friendship with boys.

Every time I pick up the newspaper, this is all I read. Rapes, domestic violence, murdering one’s own family, are all I can see everywhere. Eve-teasing has become a common issue. Even the reporter who was put on the Delhi rape case faced eve-teasing. Parents have started talking like – I don’t feel like sending my daughter out of the house anymore. We are talking about a country who worships Saraswathi as the Goddess of knowledge, Lakshmi as the Goddess of wealth and Durga as the Shakti or divine energy; a country once known for respecting the integrity of women; a country I always considered myself lucky to be born in. But now I loathe the same motherland, as it has betrayed me.

In spite of the economic advancement and educational reforms, our mindset remains the same. Men think they have power over women and show their authority by penetrating them. The husband is still the ‘pati-parameshwar’, to whom, his woman bows down. Failing to do so, she is subjected to belts and canes. The bahu of the house gets maltreated if she is unable to bear the heir of the family. Working or not, women end up doing all the household work too, while her husband puts his feet up and enjoy some television.

I have girlfriends, whose parents want them to complete some basic degree, do a ‘nine to five’ job for some years and then get married. Some of the parents think it’s unnecessary for a girl to study too much. Many of them already train their daughters to go into their ‘sasural’. Meanwhile the sons are enjoying some beer, playing Skyrim or having a debate on who should be Chelsea’s next manager. I myself have been asked this question – Why do you want to study so much? Just find someone rich to marry instead.

Another surprise was when I learnt that someone I knew pretty well was asked for dowry. I honestly thought that the educated lot stopped this practice. She was from a well to do family with good values and sense. The bigger shock was when I heard that they were ready to pay it. The girl’s side was ready to pay for a grand ceremony as well, as the boy’s side demanded.

If a girl is raped, molested or gets involved in any affair, boys reject her later on. She is termed as impure, no matter how good is she from the heart. They want someone white, so that they can colour her with their own filthy hands. The skeletons in a boy’s closet are just a sign of his carefree youth. Boys always get a fourth chance, but often the first chance is snatched away from a girl. Our society is truly hypocritical.

Small girls are subjected to the bad touch by their uncles. These uncles are often the most respected ones in the family and they are consulted for all major decisions. If the girl utters a word against the monster, she is called a liar and someone who cannot ‘respect’ her elders. Honestly does this particular elder deserve any ‘respect’? The girl too is forced to attend family functions which she dreads. In all the chaos and negligence, the disgusting uncle takes a chance and gets too close to his beautiful little niece. She knows it’s wrong, but is left helpless. She doesn’t even know why it’s wrong and how to put it in words. She wouldn’t know how to frame it in a sentence.

The Pune case isn’t quite different. The girl’s character is blamed as she does ‘unethical practice like friendship with boys’. Have you heard anything more ridiculous? Recently, while I was spending some time with a close friend of mine who lacks the y-chromosome, I received those prying eyes. While my own parents had no problems, good Lord knows what they were concerned about! Forget the middle aged gossip group; even my own friends have this sick mentality. Some girls in our college are more likely to be seen around boys. Such girls are termed as desperate for attention or only interested in boys. Girls thinking so about other girls, it’s pathetic.

After all this, do you still call India a free country? Our laws are liberal but our mind isn’t. We women are still looked down on, that too by other women. No matter who does what, it’s our character and integrity that goes under a microscope. Many politicians have yet again proved their smartness by commenting on how women should get married early or stay at home only. No one talks about teaching the other sex to show some respect to women. Even parents don’t care what their sons do because their sins will be forgiven. The truth is, women don’t respect women, how do we expect men to? It’s time we stop judging and start showing some dignity.

Different Kind of Love

The smell of coffee, Christmas bells, dim lights and a buzz of laughter… Here I was at Starbucks, with two of my closest friends from college. We were chatting as usual, about all things under and over the sun, poking fun at each other. Talking oodles of nonsense, cracking disgusting and dirty jokes, making whimsical situations out of nothing… Losing track of time and finally realizing how our parents are going to burn us alive.

There is something about hanging out with friends nothing can replace. When I say friends, I don’t mean the huge group of 15-20 people who can match your face with your name in their memory. I mean the 2-3 of them who can name all your allergies.

I was depressed in the morning, over thinking and questioning our very existence. We all have those days when we go so deep into the meaning of life, that we forget to make a meaning of it. Due to a long month of exams, I couldn’t hang out with my friends. All I did was sleep, tweet and eat(and a bit of studying). And yes catch up with some football. The more time I spent alone, the more I drove myself into an insane depression.

After ages, I went out with my best buddies to Starbucks. We spoke of philosophy, history and wonders of nature. We discussed of spirituality and science. We also discussed about the latest episode of Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. My friend went on about how she has fallen in love with BBC’s Sherlock Holmes. We took numerous pictures and freaked our innocent little angel for a friend with talks of the forbidden(shame that its still a forbidden topic).

Your friends are an anti-depressant pill. They are something your boyfriend (or girlfriend) and family can never be. Love isn’t limited to the boy-girl thing, its abundant for everyone, that’s what friends teach you. Friends always have your back, though they might joke about pushing you off a cliff with full joy. With them you can be your ugliest, meanest and silliest. No formality over the last piece of pizza, but a war instead! Want to feel extra awkward in front of your crush, count on your friends. They openly claim they pray every day for a bird to poop on your face.

Yet when you cry, they become your personally hired clowns. They always manage to put a smile on your face, even when you are suicidal. When you are serious, they bring your insane side out. They can make you laugh just by their mere presence. You can share your secrets, fantasies and dreams, which you won’t dare to reveal to anyone else. Not even your family or lover. You may say that a lover makes life worth it, but friends make life beautiful and lively.

While you still breathe, make space and time for your friends. Don’t lose them. While false friends are flowers, who shed away in autumn of your life, true ones are like roots, support you till death. While we always manage to keep in touch with family and be in relationships, somewhere in the journey of life, friends are left behind. 

Kerala: Last Quarter - Thiruvananthapuram

I have a humongous description of the entire trip, so i thought it would be a good idea to break it into parts. We had four stops at Kerala, so I shall dedicate one post per place. In this post I cover up Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.

December 30, 2012.

A noun bigger than my surname – Thiruvananthapuram. This place is located at an elevation, with cliffs and bordered by a beach. Indeed enjoys the best of both worlds. This city enjoys a good night sleep unlike Kochi. You won’t see too much public on the roads after nine. I wouldn’t really call it too safe, which I am used to in Mumbai during nights. Of course I had my family so I didn’t have to worry too much.

We had dinner at Hotel Thiruvananthapuram. The food there was home like and delicious. It had good amount of spices but not too much to murder the food. So the food felt light on the stomach as well. You must try the parathas here, the details being a surprise for you. This hotel also includes a Cocobar, for all you chocolate and milkshake lovers. It isn't too heavy on your pockets as well, I would give this place a thumbs up.

We stayed at Hotel Residency Tower. Our deluxe room was upgraded to a suite, large and spacious. We got two idiot boxes so that dad could catch up with some cricket and me, football. India lost badly to Pakistan, their current form doesn't look too good. Meanwhile I enjoyed seeing super Frankie’s two goals.

December 31, 2012.

We left for Kovalam beach at what I would call noon. We hadn’t any idea of going to some other place. Our driver turned out to be a blessing in disguise; if he hadn’t heard about it from another driver yesterday; we would have missed on the most incredible part of the tour. Besides I wouldn't have got, what I proudly claim as one of my best photos (ok it’s not the best, but my best).

We went on a boat ride in Poover. The boatman took us between a mangrove forest, which thrives in the backwater in Thiruvananthapuram. Coconut palms leaned into the water as if to welcome us. Kites made an abode of this locality. They glided over water to catch their meal and flew on to the top of the coconut leaves. They sat there to eat, giving me a nice pose for a nice click. These winged creatures have been a fascination for me ever since my childhood. They sore up to great heights, with ambition, pride, grace and beauty.

We stopped by the Golden beach, which happens to be a beach* even in Hindi. It lies between a lake and a sea. On one side, the Arabian sea roared furiously, causing huge waves. On the other side was the serene lake, calm and peaceful. Many villagers swam in it, performing their daily ablutions. Some of them waved at us, carefree and joyful. They knew the boatman, and wanted a picture of them. An old man in the middle of the fluidic lake sold coconuts on a boat. It had refreshing yet sweet water, and the tender malai*.

We had food from a dhaba and headed to the beach. This beach was populated with humans from different lands. It was so flat and shallow; you could go far into the water without wetting your abdomen. A light house on a cliff was on the left of the beach, while another cliff on the right had resorts meant for billionaires. Being new years eve, the beach felt more alive than usual.

We had our first experience with a speed boat. The sea felt like a series of speed breakers, really rough. Some water splashed on us along with its salinity, so I could taste salt. Mom felt a little uncomfortable, as the handles hit her legs with every bump. My advice, go for a speed boat on surface not so violent.

January 1, 2013.

I got up in the morning to have breakfast. This hotel has a wide range of meals for the morning – porridge, croissants, fruits, omelette, idli, upma, sausages. I loved the variety over here.

“….please fasten your seatbelts.” I looked outside the window, a last look at the green paradise. It was time to bid farewell to God’s own country and get on with the humdrums of our life. While I was sad because it’s over, I will always be glad that it happened.

Happy New Year folks!  

On the way to Poover

Coconut trees welcoming us

Poisonous fruits on Mangroves

Through the forest

Green roof

Brahminy Kite standing with pride

Looking beyond the horizon

Golden Beach

Mother Mary carrying a dead Jesus(before resurrection)

My picture perfect shot - perfect timing, angle, zoom and the placing

Violent waves

Friends on the leaf

Collecting coconut for a living

Yo baby, its me

Rock on Kovalam beach

Meal time(no they aren't kissing)

My crazy parents

Sun going down the sea

Timing!

Light house beach - Kovalam

Skies over water

I could be anything,
so i became a plane.