Rain - A Beautiful Blessing !

It is a pleasant rainy evening and I am sitting by the window of my house.The view outside is just magnificent.

The most amazing gift of nature is being showered on the earth from the infinite sky- Drops as beautiful as Pearls!!! After a shower of rain everything around comes back to life,as the mother nature bestowes on everything a touch of 'Fresh Heavenly colour' ! The trees,the buildings,the roads,the cars and everything else look dazzling and bright new after a delightful day of drizzling.

The trees are looking more spanking and are dancing and swaying with joy.The birds also join in the happiness by singing their unique 'Rain Songs' .To add to the excitement is the natural music, which I call as 'Rain music', created by the falling rain drops.Kids are the most ecstatic beings and it is manifested in the way they are jumping and playing ,without their umbrellas ,in the puddles and making their paper boats float on them.Many are enjoying drives in this lovely weather.

I close my eyes for sometime to feel this divinity .How I feel can't be explained in words! A cooling breeze from the window made me feel,as if I am being carried and transported to an enticing destination . All the worries of this fast-paced life with its hustle and bustle is gone away now.The Rain Music has given my soul a tranquility I fail to achieve from modern age rock and techno music.

I open my eyes after the drizzling has stopped.Oh,what I see! An ambiance as glowing and bright as a 'new bride' !!!Rain is gone away but it was kind enough to leave behind something for all.Pearl drops on the trees ,making the flowers heavenly gorgeous and few of the rain drops on the window pane adding to the beauty of my home,as they sparkle now and then.

As the sky gets little cleared off the clouds, the sun rays peep in from between the clouds, making me feel,as if I have discovered a Stairway -to-Heaven! For me,the best gift left by the rain is a Refreshed Soul and Mind with a new zeal for life,free from all worries and tiredness.I have never ever come across a view more captivating than this one!!

Muslim wedding customs

           Marriage is a highly recommended act (Sunnah) which protects a person from evils and shields one’s morality. It makes a person’s faith stronger and firmer. Marriage brings comfort and solace in the couple’s lives. Marriage is equated as an act of worship. Hence, a lot of importance is given to religious practices and prayers.

Image courtesy:http://pinterest.com

          Usually, when talks about marriage proposal start, most Muslims take help of Istikhara {seeking goodness from Allah(S.W.T)} which helps them to know if the prospective proposal is good and will lead to a happy future or otherwise. But, it is not compulsory and in fact, many Muslims think that in matter of marriage proposals Istikhara should not be taken.
          If both the boy and the girl like each other , talks are taken further by their parents and they decide on the Meher or mehriah(dower), a gift willingly given by the groom to the bride, which can be either in cash or kind or both. It is regarded as a woman’s Haq   (right) to get the Mehr at the time of marriage or  whenever she demands or whenever the groom can give the amount. The amount of the gift and the time of fulfillment of the Mehr should be clearly written in the Nikah- Naama at the time of marriage. Islam strongly prohibits asking for dowry from the bride’s parents. But if they want to willingly gift their daughter ,they can do so.    

          Once all the terms and conditions are finalized, it’s time for the Engagement ceremony. It’s held in the presence of relatives and close friends, where the boy and the girl exchange rings and announce that they are committed to each other. It is to be noted that engagement is not recommended in Islam, but it has become a cultural ritual and a good time for the two families to spend good time and know each other better.    

           Usually, two or three days prior to the marriage, Haldi and Mehndi ceremonies are held only for the ladies of both the families. It takes place at the bride’s house, where the groom’s family members and relatives arrive with gifts and Mehndi (shagun).These days, many Muslims have mehendi ceremony in a hall or a common place and both ladies and gents are invited. It is just another reason for a bride to feel and look special! Green or red colour lehengas, shararas or salwar-kameez are mostly preferred by the bride, although she can wear dress of any other colour as per her choice. It is sunnah for females to apply mehndi  and this sunnah is respected and celebrated to bring good luck and auspiciousness to the bride for her new life . The bride’s hands when adorned with mehndi, have an altogether different charm.    
       
           Bridal mehendi is mostly Indian intricate designs, covering the hands and feet of the bride completely, making them look more delicate and elegant.     Arabic designs , ornamental designs, zardosi  mehendi, embroidery mehndi are recent hits with the modern generation brides and they look stylish and attractive.    
     

        Finally, comes the D-Day when the Nikah ceremony will be held either at the bride’s place or in a hall. Nikaah is read by a maulana ( priest) and a part of the Quran-e-Kareem is read by both the bride and the groom and they accept the sacred marriage contract (nikah) in the presence of the witnesses and all the guests.             

        The bride and groom have been waiting all their lives for this auspicious day and so they leave no stone unturned to look their best! In India, Muslim brides generally opt for red or green colour  lehengas or salwar-kameez. Accessories and jewellery add to the beauty of the bride. The groom is equally excited and wears sherwani or suit. After the nikah is read, the boy and the girl become man and wife and pledge to be partners in good and tough times lifelong.  

Image courtesy:http://pinterest.com

          
      
          The next function is Walima, which is the reception from the groom’s side, where the bride is introduced as a new member of the family to the relatives and friends.Worldwide, majority of the Muslims go in for ‘white wedding’, where the bride wears a white gown or dress, to symbolize purity of the occasion. However, in India, red or green colours are worn, though other colours are in demand, too.                        

                                                              

        Marriage is that blessing of God which brings in stability,morality, responsibility, love, peace, tranquility, contentment and happiness to the bride and the groom, which in turn makes their families, near and dear ones happy . It is a time when the long lost friends and relatives get in touch and put in their best efforts to make the wedding a grand success and a memorable one!


Published on: http://www.gloriouspercept.com/muslim-weddings/

SRK - A Living Legend

               SRK- a simple Delhi boy to the Uncrowned King of Bollywood! He is full of life,energy and zeal with a childlike  enthusiasm.

          He is an obstinate person and its difficult to distract him from his destination.His waywardness is an inspiration to many.Once he takes up a project,he puts his time,soul,heart and of course lots of money into it. Be it his movies or his thoughts expressed on talk shows,he always succeeds in charming the audiences. 

          Many have 
tried to put him down by commenting or writing things about him saying he is arrogant,self-centred,gay etc.But ask the people who really know him inside out and they will vouch for his genuineness,which comes across very easily even during his interviews.

         


      He is criticized for not talking on the economy and state of the country often,but without being apologetic,he has always cleared the fact that he is an entertainer and will give back to  society by entertaining them.He mostly doesn't comment on something  just for the sake of making public speeches and pleasing the media.But once he feels that he can act as a role model for younger generation by sharing his knowledge and views,he does it with full conviction.

         He has achieved success and doesn't mind talking about it openly and enjoying the fame.He has adrenaline flowing like electricity;whatever he determines he achieves it.No matter how injured or in pain,once in front of the camera or performing for his audiences, he is full of vitality...like a lighted candle!
                                 

        Many feel he is not doing much on the charity front,but the fact is he does charity in his own way.Although its good if celebrities do charity under media coverage as it will only inspire fans to follow suit,that need not be the case every time. SRK doesn't want to make it public as he thinks its something personal and as he himself says,he is shy by nature. 
    

                        
         Competitors criticize him for doing only specific genre of movies,but even then they are refreshing ;like rain at the end of a muggy day.He makes the audience fall in love with him all over again.For the detractors,he has done different varieties of roles;be it the obsessive lover in Darr, the sweet friend in Kuch kuch hota hai,the sacrificial lover in Veer-Zaara,the suave coach in Chak De,the determined one in my Name Is Khan or the cool Don;Srk has done it all with panache and has done full justice to them.

          Even at 45 he is like a volcano, which has pretty nearly used up its fire and brimstone, but is still boiling and bubbling and looking out for new and different openings to erupt the never ending energy.

Murphy-The Sweetest Barfi !

        What a refreshment for my soul ! I am still in the dreamy world and guess the hangover will last long!

photo:
http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/7484.html

        Barfi is a sweet story of care,friendship,love and hope with brilliant acting and directing. Anurag Basu has done a marvellous job and gets full credit for making such a wonderful movie. Ranbir's performance is no less than an Oscar winning one. A beautiful portrayal of true love wherein physical characteristics and features are not considered at all.

photo:
http://blog.seventymm.com/2012/07/barfi-movie-official-trailer/

         Although people feel such kinda love cannot be found these days, this movie tries to awaken our souls and dormant fantasies about love.Love has gone nowhere but we have made ourselves busy with material things and got carried away with the flashy attractions offered by the world.

photo:firstpost.com
       Distinguished from most of the typical Indian movies with predictable scripts, here expressions speak more than any well-written dialogues.This bollywood masala movie with an old world's charm has achieved outstanding excellence.The music is pleasant and the lyrics of the songs touch your heart.

            This season connect with your souls and touch up with your better sides.Listen to your heart as feelings will never let you take wrong decisions. 

photo:http://bollywood-updates.net/download-barfi-movie/

           Barfi is a masterpiece and Ranbir Kapoor is undoubtedly the next Raj Kapoor of the Indian cinema!

Right To Share!

         There is a beautiful old saying : ' Neki kar dariya mei daal',the modern version of which has become 'Kuch bhi kar Facebook mei daal'.

   

photo courtesy:
http://jokingcobra.blogspot.in/

      Photo albums shared on Facebook include everything and spare nothing, be it a family outing, a day out with friends or the display of affection between partners. People like to share it all, whether it is their daily routine or the menu for lunch.

                 

photo courtesy: http://funny-pictures.funmunch.com

       Pictures are mostly displayed without asking for permission from those in the photographs,thus breaching their privacy as some of them would probably not want their pictures to be uploaded in the first place.

    People don't mind posting even very personal matters like, 'in parlour now .. doing pedicure or 'on bed...going to sleep'. 

   I have always wondered how people can share every second of their lives and make it public news for no reason.

photo courtesy: http://www.wickedfunnypictures.com

            Is it a genuine desire to share everything with others or is it just an attention-grabbing act? Whatever it is, it's very difficult to do away with it !

Where is the Indian Media heading?

The quality of the television news channels is just degrading day-by- day. We are unaware of the happenings around the world,thanks to our weak media,which for the sake of cheap entertainment,is busy collecting useless information.

There are many defects in the presentation of the news by the channels and the reporters as mostly facts are blown out of proportion by them.

Most of the scoops just try to increase the communal and religious conflicts and deepen the superstitious beliefs.

The news channels should give a more transparent information about what's going on in our system rather than making a mountain out of a molehill and invading the privacy of the socialites.

Heart Over Mind !

          Most of the girls have an image of their perfect dream boy.But once fallen in love with someone, that very guy becomes the ideal man and the real life hero.That's the power of true love! 

     

       But when it comes to making friends, we have a long list of how we want them to be and if their qualities do not match our expectations and interests, we tend to distance ourselves from them.

        I personally feel even in friendship love is a prerequisite as it makes you ignore all the negatives of your friends. At times there are friends who keep on irritating or hurting you; still you get back to them as best buddies,as if nothing had ever happened.

          Love can create wonders in any relationship ; be it  passionate or platonic!

Living My Dreams!!!

          Right from the time I was a child, I knew I wanted to be a Teacher!!! 

         But as I grew young, the multiple job opportunities with lucrative offers surrounded me and the family and peer influence did matter! Somehow,I started ignoring my teaching aspirations and started hunting for jobs in corporate sector. I got selected for good posts in reputed companies , but I was not satisfied.

         I felt there is something lacking and the jobs didn't provide me satisfaction.So, I didn't go ahead with them .I took a break for months trying to probe within myself what exactly I was searching for ! One fine day, a friend told me about a vacancy for teacher's post in a school. I thought to myself  'something better than nothing' ! I joined there and on the first day itself, I became comfortable in that environment and started liking my job.

      I am at peace with myself now ! The kids make my day!!!  No matter how huge the amount of workload, it never really makes me tired. 

      I had my share of critics who didn't like me doing this job of teaching small kids, having done my masters, and that too for a meagre salary. But the worldly pressure couldn't budge me. I love the feeling I experience when they start writing words for the first time and then learn to read sentences on their own.  

      The most memorable moment for me was the Annual Day Preparations. From preparing the kids for the skit, to making them dance and preparing the props and the backdrop; everything was just such a bliss !

      The things which I held back from doing as a child ,due to my shy and introvert nature, I could do through my kids. I re-lived the fun and excitement through them. The appreciations and applause showered on them, made me feel proud and accomplished. I lived my dreams through my students ! 

Cocktail Review

 Cocktail is a typical bollywood masala movie with the elements of comedy, romance and emotions in it.

       The movie is about a spoilt brat-Deepaka Padukone(Veronica) ,a playboy- Saif Ali Khan (Gautham) and a typical indian cultured girl Diana Penty (Meera). Fate brings the threesome together, making them best of friends.Veronica being Gautham's girl,the three start living in the same house.But when Gautham's mom(Dimple) comes to see her son's love interest,she mistakes Meera as her would-be daughter-in-law. They have no option but to continue the drama till his mom is with them.Eventually,Gautham falls in love with Meera and even she develops feelings for him.Veronica,too, becomes serious for Gautham by now.This is where the story takes a turn and the relationships become complicated. 

 

The three friends separate from each other, but their friendship and love for each other is too strong and deep to bring them back together.Veronica realizes Gautham's true love for Meera and helps in bringing them back together.

                The director Homi Adajania has done a wonderful job and is very clear of what he wants to present to the audience.He handles the unpredictable human feelings and behaviour pretty well. 

                

           The dialogues are funny and fresh. The music is too good.Tumhi ho bandu and Daru desi are fun songs while the slow melodious yaarian and jugni touch your heart.

           Saif Ali Khan has shown his funny side with an excellent comic timing.He has done a good job in the emotional scenes,too. Diana is a typical girl next-door and is good with her work. Deepaka Padukone does a rocking Bindaas act and also beautifully brings out the deep hidden feelings of a lonely girl who feels betrayed. Boman Irani is at his comic best as always.Dimple does a decent job as well. Randeep hooda has very few scenes as Meera's estranged husband but he does justice to his role.

        Overall a good movie with great performances which will definitely appeal to the youth as they can relate to the characters and the situations. A sensible comedy indeed!

John is in high spirits!

    John Abraham is one actor who has achieved success the hard way! From his first movie to the latest houseful 2, he has shown tremendous improvement in his acting skills.                                                        

                                           

      Needless to say, he looks more stunning with each film. His comic timing and action stunts have worked in his favour. 

John and Akshay Kumar make a good combo and their on-screen chemistry is entertaining.

                

       John definitely has better movies coming up and we wish that he goes a long way in bollywood !

Weighty Issues!!!

             The public is obssessed with looks and living in discomfort just to please the world. Aishwarya Rai is the latest target of such people.  
             Reasons such as she is a public figure, she needs to look glamorous and so should maintain herself all the time,sound irrational and shallow.

            Her fans will like her for her work and whenever she is ready to take up a project she will get herself ready for it.
             Let's just leave her alone and stop peeping and commenting on others personal life just to pass time or make bucks!

Are we really ready for a change????

           What I first saw on tv was a young college- going boy with a big bag slung around his shoulder,wearing branded modern clothing .But I couldn't believe when,after few seconds, he was declared as terrorist ! I was taken aback and was forced to wonder why someone of my age would turn into a terrorist.

  


             
              26/11/2009....How fast time has gone by , as if it was happening now, 
as if we could still hear the explosions, people crying after being hit by bullets and the noise of the firings on all news channels. Above all, I still can't forget the face of that young terrorist whose eyes were filled with hatred, as if like a wild hurt lion, he was searching for prey. THE TERROR IS STILL FRESH FOR ME .

           Time has passed but what still bothers me is how we can prevent such youngsters from turning into stone-hearted terrorists? They can prove to be a country's most productive assets but they instead ruin their lives and that of many others.

            No religion teaches hatred and killing of other beings, We all are against terrorism, We are One, Mumbai  has a Never-Dying Spirit, We belong to Modern India and know to stand for our rights, etc etc..... These are the common statements we come across after every attack.But they have become standard slogans by now. Its high time we do something constructive .

            No offence meant,but I don't believe in lighting candles after such attacks, because like the candle flames,that spirit also goes off after sometime .What's the use of lighting candles after darkness has struck manys lives?Only demonstrations and agitations won't help. As soon  as people go home, they forget what they demanded and what actions they expect. Its  been over a year now and still we don't see any concrete measures taken.What's the use of CCTV cameras with no person to actually monitor them??? After serious damage is caused, we run to the CCTV  to see who the culprit is.The youngsters who were very furious and willing to bring about a change,have got back to normal lives.Still the security system at many places especially the coast side is questionable.

            All other matters get discussed, but the matter that bothers me till date is what the future of youth is and what step we can take to avoid any other fresh,productive mind from falling prey to the vested interests of selfish leaders who are just so-called human beings.