दिंडी चालली .......

" बोला पुंडलीक वरदे हारी विठ्ठल ..........."

"ज्ञानेश्वर माउली ज्ञानराज माउली तुकाराम ......"

"निवृत्ती, नामदेव, सोपान, मुक्ताई.... एकनाथ, ज्ञानदेव, तुकाराम .... "

Palkhi….. 1000-year old tradition, a festival that showcases the distinctive feature of Maharashtrian culture. It is religiously followed by वारकरी  – people / pilgrims who follow wari…

People collectively in a group called dindis go chanting, singing, dancing and lost n engrossed in their own world and travel to the holy land of Vitthal. 22 days …. N they are continuously walking only with one aim... to meet the Vitthala-Rakhumai at Pandharpur along with पादुका   of dnyaneshwar-Tukaram.

They are simple down-to earth people with least expectations….. One can feel that sense of spirituality just while watching them proceed…. They are continuously walking, with no complaints, just with one goal in their mind.

Really Hatz-off of these Lakhs of वारकरी…. Their attitude… the way they proceed … and try to meet their dreams….their calm & composed behavior….one can feel that positivity … proud to be a part of this land ……….

माझा प्रामाणिक सखा

सध्या झाला आहे तो माझा प्राणप्रिय सखा...
मनाशी प्रामाणिक ..... आणि माझा हृदयाचा ठोका....

शेवटी म्हणाले मी त्याला "का रे .... एवढ्या माझ्या जवळ आलास ?"
तर म्हणतो कसा " हृदयाला आराम देऊन मेंदूला चालना द्यावयास..."

वास्तववादी गाडीतून प्रवास हळूच सुरु झाला कधीतरी ...
मात्रं शेवटी गोल - गोल फिरून मध्य काही सापडत नाही .....

पण त्याची खरी ओळख पटली आता मला .....
त्याला सोडून सध्या मलाहि अगदी करमेना ….

मी एकटी असता तो सारखा माझ्या भेटीस आतुर ….
आणि दुसरा पर्यायाच नाही मला , त्याला भेटण्या पातुर ….

पण तो खूप आहे प्रामाणिक माझ्याशी …
मला सोडून जाताच नाही काहीही केल्याशी.....

मला म्हणाला काळजी मला फार आहे तुझी ....
भविष्यात माझाच उदो - उदो करशील बघ जशी ....
मग कळलं मलाही त्याचं महत्व ….
माझा सगळ्यात प्रामाणिक सखा सततच विचार चक्र …..

Why …. ??

Why do I have to be in office @ 9’o clk sharp???

Why is it raining badly n PMC as usual haven’t even started their work in spite of meteorological department doing their work on time, perfectly???

Why the roads in Pune are so wonderful that brakes are utilized more than accelerator...???

Why do people have to paint d roads n spread the white colored paints on road so that people on 2-wheeler’s, without option be able to hug the dirty concrete roads…… N no. of ppl keep on asking continuously ‘hw cm ur bag…. I mean d color is??? ‘, and really won’t allow you to forget d awesome experience you had some weeks ago……???

Why is it happening that no book seems to attract you… and you can’t even enjoy 3 pages also…???

Why does this happen, you go to enjoy some nice Live program, some really worth a watch movie… but your mind wanders ……???

Why do so many things go around in your brain which has really already exhausted …? Can’t even find the satisfactory answer for the 1st one…।and the second is already standing with open arms…???

Why one part of the brain when tries showing you a tinkling ray of hope… Other part brings it in reality within fraction of seconds…???

Why do such things happen when you had already warned your brain … But heart cares a damn…???

Why do you feel like shedding some salty water …? But are even not that lucky to do so… And can only somehow manage to wet your eye lashes….???

Why …. ????? It strucks mi every time….. But m left unanswered… with new fresh set of questions already replacing the old ones…. With same enthusiasm……

सरी वर सर ......

रिम - झिम कोसळणाऱ्या सरी, खाऊन पिऊन धष्ट-पुष्ट गुबगुबीत झालेली हिरवी झाडं, मधूनच पक्ष्यांचा किलबिलाट , रंग- बिरंगी छत्र्या ....आणि माझ्या हातात गरम-गरम चहाचा mug ...आणि मी घरात ...नुसत्या कल्पनेनच मन सुखावून जात...हळूच गालावर कोणीतरी मोरपीस फिरवावं तसं ...त्या पाऊसाला एक वेगळीच लय असते ...स्वतःच्या तालात तो पडत असतो...एक साज असते, मग त्याच्या तालावर सगळे डोलू लागतात , बहरू लागतात ...फुलं, पान , वेली...प्रत्येक जण त्याला दुलून पसंतीची पावती देतं..मग तो मातीचा सुगंध सारा आसमंत व्यापून टाकतो मन कसं प्रसन्न होत...मनावरची धूळ स्वछ करण्याचा काम हा ऋतू करतो... मनावरचा ताण, शीण, साठलेली धूळ, मलगट ....क्षणार्धात दूर होते... नुकताच चालू लागलेल्या मुलाच्या पायातील घुंघरान प्रमाणे एका विशिष्ट लयीत तो कोसळू लागतो ....

पण हे काही त्याचा स्थिर रूप असतं थोडीच ...प्रेमळ , निरागस, स्वत्चांदा वाटणारं त्याचं रूप अचानक भयानक भासू लागतं...इतक्या प्रार्थना , विवंचना, याचना करून तो ती मेघांची कुडी तोडून मुक्त व्हायला तयार झालेला असतो ....पण मग जणू तायला परतीची वात नकोच असते ...जणू तो गर्जून गर्जून सांगत असतो कि "खरं तर मुक्तता नकोच होती मला ...त्या मेघांचय बंदी वासातही खुश होतो मी...पण ते रडवेले चेहरे , आशेने बघणारे नयन ...मला चुकवता आले नाहीत तुमच्या चुकांची शिक्षा त्यांना का ?? म्हणून धर्तीच्या दिशेनं चाल केली मी...त्या पाण्याची किंमत कळावी तुम्हाला म्हणूनच तर मन अधीर होई पर्यंत वात बघवली तुम्हाला" असं म्हणत त्याने त्याचं भयानक , रौद्र रूप दाखवलं...जाणीव करून दिली त्याच्या विविध स्वभावांची ....

जसा तो शांत .....तसाच कमालीचा चिडका ....
जितका मोहक, सुंदर .....तितकाच भयानक......
जसा स्थिर, गोड ...तसाच रौद्र......
विलाम्बिता बरोबर धृत लयही मनात बिंबवून जाणारा.....
विविध रंगी, विविध ढंगी .........पाऊस........

match d pairs करायचे ठरवलं न तर.....ह्याच्या इतक्या जोड्या बहुदा कोणाच्याच होणार नाहीत.....
पाऊस म्हणजे चहा ....अर्थात त्या बरोबर गरम- गरम कांदा भजी हि आलीच....

पावसाळा म्हणजे हिरवागार, प्रसन्न ...
सर म्हणजे मनसोक्त स्वत्चंदपणे भिजण्याचा आनंद....

एक लय, एक ताल , निराळीच साज .....
रिपरीपणारा पाऊस म्हणजे चिखल, traffic , खड्डे आणि घरात पासून हातात चहाचा मुग आणि शांत जुनी गाणी ....
जलधारा ...पाऊस म्हणेज खाल्खाल्णारे प्रसन्न प्रफुल्लीत धबधबे .....
मस्त पांघरूणाच्या कुशीत, गुडूप व्हावं अशी नं बोचणारी पण सुखावह वाटणारी थंडी .....

क़ा कुणास ठाऊक पण तो कसाही असला तरी माझा अगदी आवडता.... प्राणप्रिया ... त्याच्या प्रत्येक थेंबात जणू काही गुपितं हळू हळू उघडी करतो तो ....पण हातचं राखून ...किती जणांना अधीर करतो, डोळ्यात पाणी यायला भाग पडतो ...काही पिसारा फुलवून तयार तर कोणी त्या एका थेंबासाठी कित्येक महिने अधीर ...आणि धरतीही त्याच्या पदस्पर्शा साठी आसुसलेली.... आणि मग त्याची तयारी सुरु होते ...वाजत, गाजत, गर्जत , मोठ्ठ्या ताठ मानेनं अभिमानानं कधी हळूच, कधी जोरात तो धर्तीच्या कुशीत शिरतो..... ती पृथा त्या बालकाच्या मिठीस आतुर जणू ....ते मिलन इतका सुखावह असतं ...इतका पवित्र असतं ..भावनांचा इतके महिने थांबवलेला बांध फुटलेला असतो ..त्या मातेच्या कुशीत तो शांतपणे झोपी जातो मग ....आणि स्वतःचा अस्तित्व मात्र त्या मृदगंधेच्या रुपात दरवळत ठेवतो ...............

Lost in Mowgli’s World…..

“Jungle Jungle Baat suni hain pata chala hain……”
Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’ created magic and is stil doing so…. But what made him think about d story of a jungle boy and tigers…… ??? D Jungle where der are 89 Tigers present, proving that the ecological life cycle is going on smoothly….. d clean , dense very well maintained spread over 950 sq. km “Kanha National Park”…. Yes dis jungle inspired him to write d Mowgli’s world….. n ders no wonder dat he wrote it…

Before going der I was a bit reluctant… how things would be… n it was my first ever Jungle Safari too… but d group of 30 including active & enthusiastic kids above 60 bought fun… Spotting tiger was like seeing God for them… n den I too realized why was it so…n d journey began… fixed in a very short duration, after my cancellation of another plan… bt gud dis shaped realy well.....

17th April - Left Pune by Azad Hind Express ......

18th April - Reached Gondia..... N den left for Khatia village (MP Beautiful village, n different style houses all over …. We wer so excited when we saw a spotted beautiful golden deer near some tree… but der was a perfect comment by someone “ kantala yeil itki distil… :P" n den we had to enter d Mowgli’s world....... We stayed at Mowgli resort which was truly beautiful n well managed. A small camp fire @ night… to make us understand dat we are in group of 30

19th April - Morning 4.30 we wer all set to go n enter a totally new world. We wer guests in der world. And the Gypsy ride began…… yes it was always on the wish list to have a gypsy ride…. But a open gypsy to spot animals was a surprise package altogether for me…. N den d journey began… flocks of Spotted deer’s everywhere...It was awesome… Peacocks, Sambar, Barasingha, Jackal, Byson, elephants N No. of birds including kingfisher, Indian roller, orange shark ( I cud only remember these many names :P …. N den @ 8 am in d morning… ppl in another gypsy told us ‘ we cud spot tiger … nw… it was awesome… she just passed away from here…’ but yes den it was our turn …. Wat an attitude !! d way she walks, care a damn approach …. N her style…. Truly awestruck…. I hd never imagined I cud c tiger in a such a manner except zoo….. awesome experience………..
Der was another ride in d eve… @ 330pm… same animals …. But everytime d pathways seemed different , mysterious, as if opening secrets slowly… d forest was very well managed n different types of trees mostly Sal, others were crocodile trees…. 2-3 feet long ant and termites hill everywhere adding beauty to the nature….

20th April - Again began @ 4.30 am…. But d surprise package was to see or rather watch d sleeping tiger by elephant ride… d experience was awesome………… d tiger was least bothered ..abt 10-15 ppl arnd him … he was njoying sun bath 2 d fullest…
@ 330 pm we decided to take all together different path from the regular ones… it was Digdola … It was complete roller coaster ride… n when returning back @ 6.30 we could again spot a healthy mast tiger…. As if he had decided…. “ jaate jaate bacchon ko khush kar dete hain ….”

And d jungle trip ended on a very satisfied note……… spotting so many animals..... As we had entered d jungle with zero expectations..... 100% satisfying n worth watching experience….. we wer so used to spot d animals in 4 rides… dat after leaving kanha n travelling.. even after seeing buffalo one shouted “ Byson…..luk at it “ :P…

Den it was Dhuaadhaar waterfall @ Bhedaghat in Jabalpur..... It is also known as ‘Indian Nigeria’ … scenic picturesque view… n den again d train travel was fun…. Playing cards in a group of 6-7 ppl was nice… n dat wid a couple of 60 + enjoying every moment 2 d fullest......

Our jungle trip was totally successful one.....When u go with least expectations n gain 100 % is always fun…. N so it is always an interesting experience…. An altogether different one…

PS: Photography skills by Bhushan………. (at 1 moment had thought of taking d credit….. :P )

Baanwara mann ....

Monday morning…Itz really difficult to convince ourselves… to come to office and probably work for allotted hours… So last Monday I somehow dragged myself convincing that ‘it’s ok…' u won’t have much work today’ and so entered d premises… already bored ....n I was welcomed with a big garbage bin...which stands right in front of our office entrance , people doing all morning necessary things and grand slum area.......I again convinced myself… n then shedding of my boredom thought of entering the office main building… But I was again given a grand welcome by looong queue for authorized laptop checking … it seemed a queue for Dagdusheth Ganpati on some auspicious day: P standing there with that heavy laptop bag slung on the shoulder for almost half an hour. Really not worth at all…. But still had too…

But den after all this… I suddenly realized why m I so bored??? We get bored so soon… den be it anything…right from Job, Office….. electronic devices.....We want everything in mere small short duration...... We can’t afford to spend more time… we want everything perfect in place on time… and if we get the 1st thing from our wish list in no time gap we want d 2nd , 3rd… n so on.....We aren’t satisfied … our mind wanders… then whatever d reason might be…

I tried to crack my brain..... N thought a lot on this… n den realized itz not my, ur or only someone else’s problem… itz d generation problem… we are very expert in fooling our minds and den d mind keeps on wandering like a bee… in search of a tinkling ray of hope… n starts dreaming …. can’t readily accept d defeat too… bcoz ….no answer yet ….

“ Baanwara mann dekhane chala ek sapna…”

Heard many a times…. Bt still shows n secretly opens d meaning each time I hear it… & every time I try to get d meaning… m left without d answer…. Still not able to figure out why??