This site is as about the inspiration I get, as I am designed to get, where faith and conviction are my two flowers, which receive light when asked to God.
Hagia Sophia is ancient reminder and architecture of
history. From the reins of Constantine I, Constantius II to the present time,
it has stood the tests of mankind.
Hagia Sophia simply doesn’t represent history or the values
of Constantinople (Istanbul). It represents the heritage, value, and essence of
time and different dimensions of people’s feelings, thoughts and expressions.
It stands open to all as grand as anything which history has
ever seen or ever will.
Hope you all can visit the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
Lohri is an Indian festival which is celebrated by Punjabis all over India. It usually falls on 13th January every year. Lohri is a festival of harvest. At the end of winter crop harvesting, Lohri is celebrated by songs, by having jaggery and the main festivity in Lohri is the lighting of the bonfire and songs are sung and dancing takes place with a lot of fun and vigour.
There are many famous songs which are sung on Lohri while
Gidda (a dance form of Punjabi women) is done by the ladies and men dance in
the traditional steps of bhangra ( a very famous dance form of Punjab). People
offer rice, jaggery, sweets in the bonfire and they pray to the Sun God for
prosperity and munificence.
It is a festival of
happiness, peace and winter crop harvesting.
Makar Sankranti is an Indian festival. It normally falls on
14-15 January every year.
On this day, children and adults take part in kite flying and throughout the day they remain busy in bringing down someone else’s kites. Kite flying begins nearly at eight in the morning and continues till the night has fallen over. The most miraculous thing about kite flying is that when you are at it, you forget about the “larger” things in life such as breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and even dinner and most important thing of all “entertainment”. Even international cricket or football matches are forgotten. If possible, men would keep on flying their kites till the next Makar Sankranti or till it reaches the atmosphere and possibly even space remains lost forever in the multitude of the universe.
On this day prayers are offered to Lord Surya i.e. The Sun God.
Soft Sesame ladoos (Til ladoos) are had on this day.Today indeed we had many soft and beautiful sesame ladoos. The thirst for water after having many sesame ladoos is inexplicable.
Many small children were flying kites on the ground in front
of our house and the kites looked beautiful flying together.
Makar Sankranti is a festival which is celebrated according to the Solar Calendar and this festival is celebrated all across India in various names, ways and forms.
For Example:-
Poush Sankranti in West Bengal.
Maghi in Punjab.
Sankranti in Karnataka.
Wish you all a happy Makar Sankranti and happy kite flying.
N.B.- Officially kite flying is done on this day, but the fervour of kite flying remains for atleast two or three more days, as kids after coming back from school rush out to fly their kites. School exams are generally held in January, but to children, kite flying takes the predominance over everything, leading to low marks in the school examination papers and often such students have to study hard in their final exams to pass to the next class. When kite flying festival comes, young students find it very hard to concentrate, so they spend the whole day playing, often regretting it later on.
A train was stuck at a signal for more than forty minutes. It couldn’t go ahead as the overhead wiring was not working properly and it couldn’t go back to its previous station as there were three trains in line behind this train.
The driver of the train was a thirty year old man, whose
child, wife and mother were waiting for him at the station waiting room. The
station master had offered them tea and biscuits.
The driver contacted the train guard who had already
contacted the headquarters to ask for help.
He (the driver) was getting very worried as to when the
signal would turn green, when he saw that a man dressed as Santa Claus was
coming towards him waving his hands and in a flash Santa disappeared.
He was very puzzled as Santa did not come in mid-June.
Immediately, the signal turned green and in an instant the
driver forgot all about Santa and with a push on the speed gear, the train
started going ahead and very soon reached its destination. After having
completed his official work he met with his child, wife and mother. The rest of
the train which were stuck behind, reached their destinations safely and all
were happy.
For that whole day when all train drivers would get ready
leave their respective train engines, they would find a gift, neatly packed on
their seats. The gifts would appear out of nowhere and on it “With Love, From
Santa” would be written.
This had happened in Fairyland, where my friend the train
driver lives.
A small boy was born. He was named Mikhail. At the age of
four he had learnt horse riding and could take his grandfather for a walk. His
father was a carpenter and his mother was a milk maid.
On his fifth birthday, his uncle Petrov had bought him a cow
and a dog. The cow was named Linky and the dog was named Think.Linky and Think were very good friends.
Once, winter fell over there locality and they couldn’t
afford their bread and milk. Even Linky and Think were huddled inside their
home when the winter became more severe.
In their larder eight rations of bread, cheese and milk were stored beforehand. For their pets biscuits and hay was kept in storage.
Now Mikhail’s mother was pregnant at that time. She was nearing her delivery time but the snowfall was ceaseless and no one could cross the two feet deposit of snow. There was snow everywhere on the streets, in front of their home and even the lakes were completely frozen. Everyone in the household was tensed and as the supplies were getting shorter, firewood and faggots were burnt only to make coffee, warm water and food for Marinova (Mikhail’s mother). The only good thing was that Mikhail’s grandmother was a mid-wife, so she could take care of her daughter-in-law.
Now one day when Christmas was nearby, Marinova’s face started turning red. Then by the next day morning her face had turned light blue. The whole family was in panic and the grandmother had done everything she could, but Marinova’s condition simply worsened.Her husband began crying like a madman, when there was a barrage of knocks on their door.
All were shocked to hear the knocks on their door. The grandfather opened the door and a gust of chilly winter wind with particles of snow nearly swept him away. Before he could do anything, he saw Mikhail rush inside the house with his uncle Petrov and a few men and women. The grandfather was simply stunned. He kept staring at them.
Coming to his senses he closed the door and went inside. The people whom Mikhail and Petrov had brought were doctors and nurses. The doctors and nurses had begun their work immediately and now the whole family was waiting outside in the drawing room. If a person had looked at them at that moment then he could have felt what being a “lifeless” meant. They all seemed lifeless except Mikhail. He kept on praying to Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Mother Mary to save his mother and her new child.
After nearly twenty minutes, the nurse came out and called the grandmother inside the room. All became more tense. The grandmother came out after ten minutes, her face full of jubilation. She came and hugged her son and shouted-“It’s a boy”.
The whole family let out a shout of joy, but the winter
chill was so strong that they couldn’t continue their celebrations. The doctors
soon left, but a nurse was left behind to take care of Marinova.
Before the doctors had left, they had praised Mikhail and Petrov a lot. Especially Mikhail. If he hadn’t persuaded them to come as soon as possible, then they might had been late. Petrov’s tractor had become stuck in the snow near the hospital, so Mikhail without wasting any moment had run to the hospital and had got the doctors moving. They had brought a snowplough to clear the path and in two ambulances, the doctors, nurses and the surgical instruments were brought. It was an added boon that the hospital was nearly empty as no patient could come to the hospital during the hazardous snowfalls which had persisted throughout the winter season. The doctors and nurses were basically twiddling their thumbs when Mikhail had called upon them.
But a question was still there. When had Mikhail and Petrov gone to the hospital? Nobody had noticed them do so. When Mikhail’s father asked him this, Mikhail replied- “The night Ma had started turning red, the next morning at six am in the morning, uncle Petrov and me, we went to the hospital in uncle’s tractor. As there was a lot of snow, so the tractor took a lot of time to reach the hospital”.
His father hugged him very tightly and cried in his
shoulders.
Mikhail-“Pa, why are you crying? Ma and my little brother
are fine.”
Father-“Yes, they are and that’s only because of you. Only
you shall name your brother.”
Everyone cheered up at this proposal and clapped sonorously.
Mikhail, his father, uncle and grandparents went inside to
see his mother and brother when the nurse had allowed them.
Mikhail’s mother upon learning of Mikhail’s bravery gave a
kiss upon his forehead.
Mikhail hugging his mother-“Ma, I wouldn’t have allowed
anything to happen to you and my brother.”
Mikhail’s mother gave him another kiss and showed him his
little brother.
Mikhail-“Ma he is so pink. I shall name him Zusko.”
Everyone smiled at this name, but as promised the boy was
Zusko.
Thus Zusko, Mikhail’s little brother-a boy was born.
Before You Travel. 