Naari – The Woman

Happy New Year 2011

As the first day of this brand new year comes to an end, I am thanking Kanhaji for having brought some incredible people like you in my life and praying that He grants you health, wealth and lots & lots of happiness all through out this coming year…

Thanks for being my friend!

~Varada

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Amritsar – city with Golden Temple and people with golden hearts

Last three days were some of the best days of my life. I took a trip to the city of Amritsar, Punjab with my about-to-turn-five princess, Diya. Here I would like to share with you my trip details…

26th evening, me and my precious little one were at the Golden Temple guest house seeking a room for 2 nights. The gentleman out there gave us an address of the Angad Dev Sarai and off we went in search of it. Imagine the look on our faces when the last room had just been taken! :( Turned out, Babaji had better plans for us.

Across the street I asked one shopkeeper about some rooms where we two could put up and he gladly told us he himself had a couple rooms available and ready to rent. Warned by several folks that I should not trust strangers straight away, I managed to raise as many suspicions as I could. (If you know me you can imagine this was tough!) But then the kind old uncle passed my interrogations with flying colors. We made the payment, showed my ID proof and put up our stuff in the sparingly furnished (the best part? No TV!)but neat and clean room.

We freshened up a little and on Dipu bhaiya’s (our new shopkeeper friend’s) suggestion, went to the Jalianwala Bagh. That place, though made beautiful with fountains, lights & sculptures today, has a bloody history. I somehow managed to convey to my tiny-miny companion the importance of that place, the sacrifice of the innocent people, of all the unsung heroes who lost their lives to the brutality of Gen. Dyer. We prayed for all those who made it possible for us to roam the same place freely without fear of being shot down at the Amar Jyoti.

By the end of our stroll we both were nicely tired. When we went to our room (our “Amritsar-wala-ghar”, as per Diya), Dipu Bhaiya had another surprise for us. He told us that his mom had asked us to dine with them. It was dark already and she did not want me getting lost in the city looking for food. It was an offer I could not (and did not) refuse. When we went upstairs to their place, we met Honey-Money, Dipu Bhaiya’s 24yr old sisters – identical twins! Uncle, aunty, Dipu bhaiya, Honey-Money, all of them were so gracious, so good-natured that we soon became friendly and started exchanging gossips about tele serials. (Did you know that a real Maharaja was coming as a guest on Akshay Kumar’s cooking show? I did not.. until then!)

Saturday morning, aunty took us to Golden temple. Being weekend, several schools were  visiting this place and it was very crowded. But aunty requested the Darbaan-ji at the gates and we were allowed to enter from the wrong side (from where everyone exited ). That way we were able to get darshan and prasada without any hassle. Aunty and Money also accompanied me & Diya on our way to the Wagah border and Mata Mandir. We met some incredible people in our shared cab ride. One of the ladies we met in this cab, told us this saying,

Every person we met was a good Samaritan, going that extra mile for helping strangers like us. I was humbled by the whole experience. It was a trip of feeling great divine presence around you. All the while I was there, I felt deep inside me that my Kanhaji was looking after me, taking care of my every little need, making sure I and my baby was comfortable.

It is true that the great Golden Temple attracted the peace-seeker in me to Amritsar, but it was the golden heart of people out there who actually made me so attached to this place! Me votes 10/10!

Have you been to this place?

What were your experiences?

What other place made you feel like you were special?

p.s. Check out this desktop wallpaper I made with one of the snaps that I clicked of Golden Temple. Use it if you like….

Enjoy!

~Varada

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3 must-haves for getting what you want

In my post here I shared with you guys that I need a dose of motivation to get back into action. This is my way of helping myself. Presenting a series of posts written frequently (yeah, I did put in “daily” there first, but then took it off to make it more real) to share my learnings about “how to get a positive change in your life”.

I am hoping with all my heart that all of you’ll get helpful takeaways from these posts for your pursuit of happiness. Enjoy the first installment!

3 must-haves for getting what you want

1. Being clear about what you want:

Undoubtedly the first step to achieving something, is to *know* what you want to achieve. Just like you can’t go to a place you do not *know* you want to go to, you cannot achieve your dream unless you are clear about what exactly you want.
It is also possible that you have not thought about it consciously till now. If this is the case, find yourself a quite spot, reflect on your joys, moments of contentment, even sorrows and learn from your own little inner voice what you should pursue in life. More on this later, in a different post, but for now, remember that this is the beginning of our quest.
I also feel it is important for us to keep reminding ourselves of this basic ingredient every now and then. With life being as busy as it is these days, it’s so easy to get lost with mundane things which are no doubt necessary, but do not really take us forward on our path to success. A reminder about your goal in life helps get your focus back on track.

2. Believing:

Once you are clear about “what” you are set out to achieve, there should be no element of doubt. None. Believe in yourself. Have faith in Lord Krishna (or your favorite deity or the extraordinary force of nature which created a very special person – *you*) – who resides within you. Know from deep within that you are capable of and destined to reach your goal.

3. Being grateful for all that you have:

You cannot keep hoping for more in your life without being truly and sincerely grateful for everything that you already have. We cannot be successful or happy all by ourselves. All sorts of people – parents, siblings, family, friends, teachers, co-workers, spouses, kids, relatives have their share, their contribution to our achievements.
I feel the best way to start my day is to say a sweet “Thank You” to my Kanhaji and all that he has offered to me lovingly in this life. No matter who you bow your head to – Kanhaji or any other deity, nature or the universe, your teacher, some book or even the power within, saying “Thank You” to that magnificent energy source, invokes a felling of having achieved your dream already. It fills you with peace and sense of well-being.  Try it yourself to experience the magic.

I feel these three conditions are like the wheels of a tricycle. You cannot ride without having all three.

How about you? What do you think is the *essential* ingredient for success in your quests? Do share so I can have the priviledge of learning from your experiences.

Thanks!
~Varada

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