Music

"If Music be the food of love play on"....said Shakespeare but for me Music is the food of life and I can not imagine how I will survive if it's playing is stopped .

Music is a spread of many kinds suitable for every occasion and mood .According to the dictionary it is " vocal or instrumental sounds ( or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form , harmony and expression of emotion".

 Though personally  addicted to Ghazals    I am a fan of instrumental music too , specially percussion . Love the jugalbandis and solo performances  of Ustad Zakir Hussain as much as I had adored the jugalbandis of his father Ustad Allarakha  with Pandit Ravishankar on the sitar . In fact my love for the tabla started only after I had attended one of their recitals. I was so enamoured by both of them playing their respective instruments that  the very next day I pestered my mother  to enroll me for Sitar lessons  I never thought that girls too could learn  the tabla . . In those days there were no selfies so we used to clamour for autographs  and I still remember Ustad Alla Rakha's autograph he used to write ALLARAKHA  all in capital letters .I lost his autograph in transit while  shifting house during a particular transfer from  Ranchi to Nagpur ( even other wise the paper would have become brittle by now because this recital I attended was in the 1960s ).

Coming to Ghazals I am a die hard fan of Talat Mahmood he may not have been a singer of ghazals in their pure form , what I mean to say is that his Ghazals may have been diluted and influenced by hindi film music but they were nectar to my ears . I loved the velvety softness of his voice So romantic were his renditions that they would transport you to a particular mood whenever you listened to them . Though I cannot deny the supremacy of  Mehdi Hasan  , Gulam Ali and Jagjit Singh as ghazal singers.

Music has a lot to do with religion and worship. Bhajans , Naats , Qawalis and  Sufi numbers do have that mesmerizing effect on your psyche once you resort to listening to them You do get carried over to another world The greats in this field are of course Anup Jalota and his father Padmashri Purshottamdas Jalota in bhajan singing , Sabri brothers are world famous Naat singers  and as far as Sufi music is concerned I am the fan of sufi songs by Gurdas Maan , Hans Raaj Hans and Kailash Kher and of course who can forget Reshma and her' Damaa Dum Mast Kalandar'

Music cannot be bounded by language and , nationality Every nation has its own unique style of music and it should be respected and appreciated . So while I am enamoured by listening to  Zakir Hussain performing together with George Harrison , Symphonies are such a treat to listen too . Jazz is not less welcome .Folk music is such a treat with their unique musical instruments .and rhythm .

Oh yes just one more favourite singer I forgot to mention Usha Uthup I have been her fan since she was Usha Iyer .

No writeup on music can be complete without a mention of Hindi film music which has played a great role in popularizing music in India it has acquainted us with all forms of music leaving it to our likes and dislikes leading to the acceptance of a particular form .  Hindi film music has had some truly great singers like the legendary Mod Rafi and Lata Mangeskar .

Incidentally I have seen the live performances of all these singers I have mentioned except Zakir Hussain , George Harrison and Reshma. '

#TataZicaMarathon

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can  apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Sudha Chandran ----the fantastico achiever

                                                          picture from internet --Tumblr

Known all over the world as India's Wonder girl , Dancing Peacock " Natya  Mayuri". Sudha Chandran is the living example of the words  "" Where there's a will there's a way ".

 Sudha lost her right leg at the age of sixteen in a road  accident this was a big blow to her as she was an aspiring  Bharat Natyam Dancer but she did not let this amputation deter her from her love for dance She   met Ramon Magsaysay award winner Padma Shri Dr P.K. Sethi and got a Jaipur foot fixed . 

After getting the Jaipur foot she practiced her art again and when she performed on the stage in front of an august audience of dance lovers and dance critics  they did not find any difference between her past and present performances . She became one of the most highly acclaimed dancers of the Indian subcontinent . The media all across the world gave her  due credit and wrote with praise and admiration about her blood oozing excruciating  practice  sessions with the artificial limb .  

She is listed among the "Top Ten Extraordinary People with Disabilities"along with great people like Hellen Keller , Ludwig  Van Beethoven , Vincent Van Gogh and Stephen Hawking by Listverse.com. Macmillan Ltd in their book " Knock Out Challenges "has included a chapter on her inspirational story.She had proved that no handicap however great , however formidable can kill the human spirit on its quest for achievement and  its desire to achieve . 
  
Her inspirational stories have been included in the text books of schools in India .

She is associated with several voluntary organizations working for the welfare of the disabled.  She is the vice-chairperson of National Association of Disabled Enterprises (NADE).  She is also a member of the Advisory Board of Witty Kids High School at Malad in Mumbai.   She is a much sought-after speaker and counselor in professional bodies.

Sudha  is also an accomplished and acclaimed film and television artist .

She has established  a Dance Academy "SUDHA CHANDRAN’S “NACHE MAYURI” DANCE ACADEMY" She won the 1985 National Award for her superb portrayal in her first film “MAYURI” which was based on her own life story and involved  her dancing  skills with the help of the artificial limb "Jaipur foot ".

Her first public performance with the help of the 'Jaipur Foot' after the accident was when she performed on the stage of the St Xaviers College on a Sunday and the Sunday morning Newspapers said " Looses a foot walks a MIle "  the show was a complete success, with her receiving a standing ovation . And there was no looking back after this . 

It has to be seen to believe  her performances in Jhalak Dikhla Ja where she performed jives and Salsa --her dances could also be seen on Dance India  and India Dance Week Grand Finale . She excels in all kinds of Dance both Indian and Western be they  classical  or contemporary .

                                                 picture from the internet Jhalak Dikhla ja 

She is looked upon as a ray of hope and as an inspiration for millions of physically challenged men and women all over the world.  She has become an eternal beacon of the indomitable human spirit.A living example of  human endurance , grit and determination and will-power very rarely to be found  in the history of the world .

She is my symbol of  a "Fantastico Achiever " a  woman who created her own destiny .

#TataZicaMarathon

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can  apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

A fresh mouth for a happy day ---. #Colgate360GoldMornings

Every day starts in the morning and we need a really clean mouth for that " feel good feeling" ... the whole day can be destroyed if we feel that a foul smell is emanating from our mouths , or if we feel that our teeth are stained. We become conscious and try to avoid giving  friendly smiles for fear of exposing dirty stained teeth  , roadblocks occur in our conversation and we become ---social wrecks all for want of a clean mouth and sparkling teeth --but now no more: lets buy a combo of Colgate Charcoal 360 gold tooth paste and tooth brush and see our teeth sparkle

.As kids and for me  that was more than fifty years ago; we were told by our grandparents that they used to clean their teeth with charcoal  which was an excellent mouth cleaner and also beneficial to gums . But then they had gradually stopped the practice of using charcoal mainly because of the abrasions that charcoal caused .. It destroyed the enamel.

But now with Colgate India coming up with this toothpaste and toothbrush  those worries of ours are gone we can still use that super cleaner charcoal without the fear of damaging the enamel . Because charcoal is an excellent remover of stains we now have no fear of staining teeth with coffee , tea wine etc and one is free to enjoy , eat drink and make merry knowing very well that  brushing  with charcoal Colgate will make our teeth sparkle again because activated charcoal 's natural adhesive qualities  bind  with stains of surface staining eatables and  get rid of them  as we spit out .


What is more this tooth paste even takes care of plaque . It is such a boon because it has used Charcoal after a lot of scientific research , ---i.e only the good points have been retained  and the risky ones have been done away with .

The real surprise or boon or blessing is the 360 Charcoal Gold Toothbrush    which has special bristles designed in such a way that they clean between teeth and along the gum line The  polishing cups remove stains. The raised cleaning tips clean the back side of the teeth. The backside and middle of the brush are  unique tongue and cheek cleaners made of very soft and firm rubber. The extra -fine bristles are further coated with charcoal to enhance further cleaning of plaque also removing odour causing bacteria because  Colgate  knows that 80 % of the bacteria are not on the teeth but on the tongue, gums and cheek.

This combination of Colgate Charcoal 360 toothpaste and toothbrush is undoubtedly .The Gold Standard of whole mouth Cleaning making our mornings #Colgate360GoldMornings.

                                                  both pictures are my own

 #Colgate360GoldMornings.

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Those compassionate hearts

  "I was just net surfing when I came across the following  news item on "indiatimes news"   Was it overwhelming ? It was heart wrenching and touching above all it gave me a feeling of pride a faith in humanity as did it make me fall in my own eyes .

http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/2000-sex-workers-from-maharashtra-skipped-2-meals-a-day-to-gift-one-lakh-rupees-to-chennai-flood-relief-248194.html

 Kunal Anand reports in the indiatimes news on 8th december 2015 

Sex workers from Maharashtra's Ahmednagar managed to donate a 1 lakh rupee cheque for Chennai flood relief within 2 weeks of the disaster "These women were restless since the last four days when they came to know about the deluge in Chennai They decided they should do something to help residents there "   Snehalaya founder Girish Kulkarni told PTI  Out of three thousand in the district two thousand of them contributed to the fund . " We are in touch with the Delhi-based NGO Goonj for ensuring further relief to the people of Chennai " Kulkarni added

 The sex workers in an event organised by NGO Snehalaya in Ahmednagar presented a cheque of 1 lakh rupees to District Collector Anil Kawade .

These poor women 90% of whom have been forced into this profession , who have been snatched away from their loved ones , who have been subjected to so much torture heartbreak and agony and who been coerced into  doing that which they never wanted to do willingly,  and  yet  have always been  looked down upon by society,  looked upon with disdain , contempt and disrespect they who have been drained of any emotions and feelings --They who have taken it upon themselves to smile and bear insults assuming this to be their lot . They who are subjected to inhuman treatment just for two morsels of food just to keep themselves alive 

These women skipped two meals a day just so they could save the money and donate it for the relief of the flood affected people of Chennai 

. In the beginning of this write up I had said that  this news item made me fall in my own eyes and rightly so because we are the ones who look down upon them make them stay in segregation,label them vile and social outcasts , no one wants to be associated with them they are always sneered at . 

No one would have been surprised if these women would have decided to pay us back in our own coin ,Why should they contribute for the relief of those who would never think about their  welfare or who would ever respect them . Would these people have ever allowed them even near their houses ? no never . So why should they bother to help them who never helped them  ,"they deserve this for treating us the way they did  more over may be they would not like to take help from us the untouchables may be they will not want to touch the money that we send them from our sinful earnings may be our gesture would face rebuff "Hundreds of this kind of justifications could have come to them and they could have remained aloof , and smug pretending to be helpless BUT no  their thought process was more mature and  full of compassion for their fellow humans They skipped their meals and sent the money saved to the relief fund .They must have had to skip meals to save money because I am sure their earnings must have been taken away by the pimps and brothel owners .

This just goes to show that no profession is noble or ignoble good or bad, no profession should be looked down upon , every person should be respected irrespective of his / her cast creed or work.

This was one section of society which had no obligations to donate no one expected them to do so but they were full of compassion , full of empathy for their fellow humans and did this out of their own feelings .

A very good effect this incident had on society was that the people learnt  to respect these women ---the stigma on their profession may still be there but there is a respect an admiration for them in the thoughts of the general public of that region and in the hearts of all those who came to know about the incident  . Similarly these women too had a sense of achievement their self esteem increased in their own eyes ,the praise showered on them helped  them  get over that feeling of self pity that feeling which had ingrained itself in their psyche that they were a stigma to society , an unproductive section whereas in reality they are  a very important segment of society-they are the members of the oldest profession   instrumental in bringing about an equilibrium a balance in the working of the social set up.

 In olden days they were  called " Nagarvadhoo"  and given due respect for the work they did , they were invited to functions and celebrations and treated with respect. Because it was considered that their profession was as important as any other 

.link to this post -----http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/

Nagpur ---the heart of the country

RIGHT  in the centre of the map of INDIA.

THE  heart of the country. yes the zero mile here is the 0 mile of India.

Nagpur is located at the exact centre of Indian Peninsula  The city has a Zero Mile  stone locating the geographical centre of India, which was used by the British to measure all distances within the Indian subcontinent.

When in school I would at times think why don't they make it the capital of the country !!!  centrally located ,sprawlling ,beautifull surroundings  everything that one needs to make a city a capital.

But the authorities knew better. or thought different.

They did make it the winter capital of Maharashtra  though.

It used to be the capital of the old province of C.P.and Berar later on when the state was divided into Madhya Pradesh and Maharshtra   [this included old Bombay state] Bombay became the capital of Maharashtra with  Bhopal becoming the capital of  Madhya Pradesh  But  nagpur could't be denied its value and importance and it was made the Winter Capital of Maharashtra 

Its got rich mineral resources and dense forests around it .

It was a bit sleepy and a typically middle class town but now it is fast on the tracks of becoming a mod city .

It has a good past to boast about .

Foundation laid by the GOND king of DEOGAD   BAKHT BULAND SHAH in 1702.It gets its name from the Nag river which flows through it.

It has received an award for being the cleanest and most perfectly planned city in India  and also the 2nd greenest city in the country  According to a survey by ABP News-Ipsos, Nagpur has been identified as the best city in India by topping the liveability, greenery,public transport, and health care indices. Nagpur has the best literacy rate, 93.13%, among cities with more than 20 lakhs population in India. It is famous for the Orange fruit  and is known as the "Orange City" for being a major trade centre of oranges cultivated in the region.

.Nagpur is also called the "Tiger Capital of India as it connects many tiger reserves in India to the world.

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra 

Pench National Park

Nagzira-Navegaon Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra

Melghat Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)

Bor Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra- 

 It is among the important cities for the information technology sector in Maharashtra. Nagpur is located in the centre of the country with the Zero Mile marker indicating the geographical centre of India.Nagpur is an important city for the Indian armed forces. Maintenance Command of Indian Air Force has its current headquarter at Vayusena Nagar in Nagpur. It houses Mi-8 helicopters and the IAF carriers IL-76 and handles the maintenance, repair, and operations of all aircraft, helicopters and other equipment.

The ordnance factory and staff college of ordnance factory Ambajhari and National Academy of Defence Production for Group A officer of ordnance factories are in the western part of the city. The 'raison d'être' for Kamptee, the military cantonment, is still operational. Kamptee Cantonment houses the Officers Training Academy for National Cadets Corps, which is the only one of its kind. It is also the home of one of the oldest and most respected regiments in the Indian Army, the Brigade of the Guards. Guards, located at Kampthee 

Though nothing to brag about it is also the 114th largest city in the world.

The Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) is a project for the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur. It is the biggest economical development project currently underway in India in terms of investments. The project aims to exploit the central location of Nagpur and convert the airport into a major cargo hub with integrated road and rail connectivity. This project consists of two parts:

In 2013, ABP News-Ipsos declared Nagpur the country's best city for health care services. The city is home to numerous hospitals, some run by the government and some private. Nagpur is a health hub for Central India & caters to a large geographical area arbitrarily bounded by Delhi in the North, Calcutta in the East, Mumbai-Pune in the West and Hyderabad in the South. People from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regularly come to Nagpur for their health needs.Nagpur boasts of super-specialty physicians & surgeons serving its population in both public sector government run hospitals and well equipped private hospitals catering to all strata of society.

The plan to bring   AIIMS  to Nagpur is the latest feather in the cap of Nagpur health care services.

And now about the connectivity of the city to the rest of the country Nagpur is a major junction for roadways as India's two major National Highways Kanyakumari Varanasi Highway ( Natinal highway No 7)  and Hajira --Kolkata  (National Highway No 6 )), pass through the city. One more highway ( highway No 69),  connects Nagpur to Obaidullaganj near Bhopal. Nagpur is at the junction of two Asian Highways namely AH 43  Agra toMatara, Sri Lanka and AH46 connecting Kharagpur, India to Dhule, India.

The new state highway, Nagpur–Aurangabad–Mumbai express highway, built on the national highway basis is also sanctioned by the state and central government. This highway connects the state capital Mumbai to Nagpur via Aurangabad and significantly reduces the distance travelled by NH 6 and NH 3 between two cities.

I would like to take all of you on a little bit of armchair tourism   and  .....here we go.........

HEY WELCOME  I am here to receive you.

 this is Nagpur Airport photo credit wikipedia 

and this is the railway station---whichever suits you .( photo credit wikipedia)

This is where battles are won and lost The Vidhrbha Cricket Association ground ( picture credit Indianholidays,co,uk

(these three pictures are taken from the internet and I have no right on them )

But no -the best way to know about a city is to use its roads, because this will acquaint you with the real city the day to day activities , the kind of people who stay here and once you travel on the roads and see for yourselves the truth about the city you will know why I am advocating its promotion . I will hand you the keys of my Tata Indica V2 and you can see for yourself you can judge and then form your opinion about my city NAGPUR.


The picture below is of the roads we tread on daily and its taken from my moving Tata Indica you can see partially the bonnet of my car its Ocean Blue in colour the second picture shows you the  Ganesh statue on the dashboard of my car . No the car parked ahead is  not  mine though it is also a Tata Indica same colour All these pictures are taken from my moving car and
they are all clicked from a cell phone.

                      the roads we tread on daily

                         parks for children and elderly dot the city

                                  Our Pavements

                                                                     

                           




our architecture 

RAMTEK TEMPLE
this is where Ram Sita and Lakshmana are supposed to have halted on their way to the woods for
VANVAAS



hope you enjoyed the tour folks and hope Nagpur has impressed you enough to spend  your next vacation here ---be my guest friends .

http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/--------is the link to this post 

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AMRIT for dessert

Ingredients


This post of mine finds a place inttp://www.evergreendishes.com/
 in their Diwali special page 



Curd -------------3 cups
Rose water or  gulabjal------2 tea spoonfulls
Chopped lotus seeds ( makhana) ---1 cup
chironji seed--- ( half cup )
Seeds of one pomegranate
Kishmish ( raisins) ------half cup
Some chhuhara ( dry dates ) and chopped almonds  about half cup each  .
Sugar  -----according to taste can be substituted with sugar free natura
Some milk
Some  water
Basil ( Tulsi) leaves chopped half cup
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Method 

Churn the curd to a very smooth paste of  thick liquid consistency mixing water to it .Add milk if the curd is  very sour .

Now add all the chopped dry fruits and mix well .and also add the rose water.

Add Sugar free Natura to sweeten according to taste . Mix the chopped Basil ( tulsi)  leaves for that unque flavour.

Let all this soak for  at least one hour before serving as the dry fruits take some time to soften and mix with each other thus enhancing the taste and flavours. Lotus seeds should be soaked about an hour before the rest as they  take more time to absorb.
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Pour in goblets or simple bowls ( katories) and serve  chilled . sprinkling a little pomegranate seeds and tulsi leaves  for added decor . ,

This desert is very healthy , can be made without any hassle and is suitable  in any weather ---specially after a particularly heavy and rich meal . In summers it is very very welcome as the curd has a cooling effect on the stomach .

Nutritional value --

Lotus seeds also known as fox seeds are a good source of protein , carbohydrates,  fibre , magnesium , potassium , phosphorus  , iron and  zinc they are also low in sodium .

The health benefits of raisins include relief from constipation , acidosis , anemia , and fever . and have  a positive impact on eye health , dental care and bone quality .

Chironji seeds help in cooling and gradually lowers the burning sensation in the body


Tulsi as we all know is a medicinal plant which has unlimited benefits it has anti fungal and anti biotic properties it is good for the heart , excellent in treating diabetese and also helpful in disolving kidney stones and of course good in cases of cough and cold

 Dates are an excellent source of sulphur, phosphorus , iron , potassium , calcium, manganese, copper and magnesium

.Almonds are rich in fiber , Protein ,fat, Vit E  Manganese and magnesium among other precious nutrients

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This dessert which is my  variation of the Panchamrit  used in pooja  as Prasad is a very healthy  dish and is actually Amrit or nectar ..

My guests agree with me when I serve them AMRIT  as dessert .

Kissanpur – Discovering Real Togetherness

The best thing that is the result of being born on this earth is that we are all social animals if there is life it thrives and relishes being in the company of alikes   . Animals , birds , reptiles ,and even trees love the company of their own species . Its so pleasing to see animals frisking about and playing with their own kind .

Given below are a few lines from an article by Elisa Novick It tell's us about the social life of trees 

They communicate with and heal each other and give to us of themselves unceasingly,They are social beings, forming communities, sending warnings to each other, coordinating actions. Trees decide how to grow, which branches are necessary and where to place them, what size the leaves should be in different parts of the plant. And the older they are, the more wisdom they accumulate and can pass on through their genetic coding. 

The moment we are born we become a part of a social unit " our family " which i s the first unit of society  to which we will belong all throughout our lives and even in death . However digital and technically advanced we may become we will need people to carry us to the grave or to the funeral pyre. Just as we needed people to pull us out of  our mother' s womb . '

Our social life takes shape as we proceed from family to , neighborhood , to play group to school to college to work place to bigger horizons of exploration and ambitions But at every step we interact with humans and thrive with their love  and support . The best thing about belonging to any or all of these social set ups is that we become to belong to the members of these groups , an affinity is developed which gives us a feeling of security .  

Though a great admirer of technological advancement and specially the cell phone , its various apps and the internet , an internet addict my self  I spend most of my time , blogging , and chatting and my shopping is mostly done on line , but still I personally feel that real togetherness is when we meet our friends and relatives in person .Seeing each other in person is so much more fulfilling . Why otherwise would we all be using  "Skype"  only because we consider it a boon to be able to  see each other while talking long distance . 

Communication is an important aspect of human life  lot of things can be achieved by talking --we have all heard the expression ---lets solve this matter  across the table---that means its easy to communicate and explain oneself when facing each other , its easier to convey when eye to eye contact is possible than over the telephone ---why else would political powers hold summits and meetings . Similarly the need to touch and be touched is equally important a child would respond more to a hug or to a cuddle than to a plain smile . . Irrespective of whether we know it or not we all have a need for touch which could be the desire either to touch or to be touched. 

Studies that have been done on the subject have clearly demonstrated that those who know the value of touch and constantly engage in it are happier and healthier. .

Thus we see that coming in close personal contact and experiencing each others presence physically is so much more important than keeping in touch digitally . 

In  recent days  we have  been  seeing a spurt of old age homes, and poor homes coming up where people come  and lodge their old parents and relatives saying they don't  have either the time or  the money to look after them . But then little do  they realize that these same  elders  would and could be such better substitutes as compared to servants and creches  to look after their kids  once  the parents left for work.   Grandparents have their  personal  interest in the well being of their grandchildren . We not only look after their physical needs like giving them healthy food , bath and sleep as do servants and creches but we tend to see about their growth as a whole we love reading to them and I personally love taking my granddaughter for "nature rambles",  as we call them ,we have a bird house at home and we also plant trees and  watch their growth daily. Nature is a very good source of bringing people together because it has the ability to keep us tied up together we love to see and discuss birds nesting  and if they have laid eggs or not , how many chicks have come out , has the seed sprouted is the plant coming up well , we talk about the various stages of growth and learn a lot through these interactions --in fact it was in  one of these nature ramble activities that my grand daughter learnt that we should never pour water over freshly sowed seeds as they get drowned ..

Its sheer bliss going for walks with her , telling her about the various things we come across  and trying to pacify her curiosity It does give me a feeling of achievement and satisfaction when she shares  her knowledge at school and  also with other members  of the family .who have started coming together to discuss and add their two bits to these nature discourses Nearly every member of the family contributes to these discussions and is as curious as the two of us about the developments.Everyone seems to be coming together automatically no one has any problem donating a few minutes to come and peep at the fledgelings or to see the mango plant grow.

We are all looking forward to receiving our sample of tomato seeds from KISSAN   and the pots have been made ready too with supporting sticks and all .

This is Real togetherness isn't it ?

Given below are some picture of a goat at the roadside and a snail in our joggers  park where we go for our walks , the bird house at home and a mango seed planted in a pot .a picture of our" together visits " to the vegetable market and of course the not to be lagging  behind  digitally alert and mobile savvy Ananya

 http://www.kissanpur.com/.



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