THE MARICHA TRAIL

First appeared in the May 2021 issue of the international e-magazine, Guwahatian. 

[This tale is an imaginative account of the author, based on the epic Ramayana.]

“One should not run in search for gold, Sita. You are my jewel, and all my life, I wish to protect you from the clutches of greed!” uttered Rama when Sita urged him to go in search for the golden deer which she had just seen from a distance.

“But I wish to have it in my arms. Its dazzle has beautified the skies of Panchavati. Will you not fulfill this desire of mine, Rama?”

“The journey towards achieving riches without values is the biggest trap of destiny, Sita. No wonder the deer may seem alluring to you, but deep within its quest must lie a sinister truth which is waiting to be unfolded in the screams of greed!”

“You overthink, Rama!” Sita looked upset, and Rama could sense the darkness that was about to follow. His human self filled his mind with the need to impress his woman, while his godly being understood the gamble. To resolve the conflicts of his mind, Rama closed his eyes, and tried to bring his avatar to power.

Just then…

Oh! Wait!

Just then, he saw white dots swimming in the darkness of his closed eyes, and moving towards forming a bright dot of energy in the middle as if it wished to guide him to the truth. Rama focused on the brightness which glowed amidst his meditated blindness. He followed the energy to the realms of Panchavati where he saw the golden deer. It looked like an incarnation of Lakshmi, his true better-half, and it persuaded him to be hypnotized. Its skin was softer than silk, and eyes innocent as himself. As Rama moved closer to hold it, it ran away towards the banyan. Rama made several attempts to befriend the beauty but to no avail. The trap was real as he had warned Sita! What an irony! Now he is trapped in its trail.

Rama did not wish to return from his meditating quest for the deer. He went further into the grove guarded by the banyan. After a while, he saw the deer transform into a demon. He could recognize it. It was Maricha. He hid behind one of the trees, and watched Maricha take out a potion of golden sparkles, and drink it. He re-transformed into the deer, and Rama understood the story. He prepared to shoot it when he saw Lakshman and Sita coming from the other end. Both encountered the deer, and were baffled at its beauty. Before Rama could warn them, the deer quickly transformed into Maricha and attacked Lakshmana. While both fought, Rama ran towards them but his pace was restrained by the magic of illusion. He saw another man appear from within the woods behind, forcefully hold Sita by her waist, and disappear back into the green veil of magical misfortune. Maricha killed Lakshmana, and disappeared too. Rama shouted in despair…

…

…

“Rama,” uttered a voice.

“Rama.”

Rama came back to his senses and found Sita worried at his screams in meditation. Rama realized that only he could slay the deer, and not allow the events which he had seen in his guided sleep to occur. To direct the fate of events towards a different future, he said to Sita, “I will bring the deer for you. You must stay here with Lakshmana.”

Surprised, Sita smiled in joy. But it was Rama who knew deep within his heart that if he did not move then, he would lose his brother as well as his beloved.

He moved into the forest in search for Maricha, and the Maricha Trail beyond the banyan changed the course of destiny in a similar but a very different way!

THE BANGLE MAKER

Rambabu was the only bangle maker in the village, and undoubtedly the best. Every home in Pidiri had at least one of Rambabu's bangles, right from the Pidiri headman's to the blacksmith's. Rambabu's bangles brought people from the city too. No festival was complete without Rambabu's stall on the village playground. No one could make the conch-shell studded bangles better than him. People say his apprentices have spread far in the world, some across the seas and rivers.

Rambabu kept a silent profile. He would start his work at 10 in the morning and close at 6 in the evening just before the prayers. He never missed the prayer at the temple beside his home. As of now, he had one apprentice, Shamlal, a boy of 19, who was getting well with the work. He was working hard for the annual Pidiri festival where he would sit at Rambabu's stall if he produced the best, as promised by his master. Rambabu had a unique style of bidding farewell to his subordinates. He had always wanted his boys to go out and make their names. "The knowledge must live", he would often say with a smile.

The village festival started, and Shamlal was happy. The week long event was refreshing for the folks who were mostly farmers and poultry men. The night's stage act was always entertaining and the village never slept during those days. Shamlal sold 200 bangles on the first day, and this made him feel elated. He could feel the freedom of creation which Rambabu would speak of during their lessons.

Shamlal went with twice the enthusiasm on the second day of the event. He started well and sold 50 bangles in the first two hours. But in this world of impure intentions and evil minds, happiness seldom lives long! Who knew that night would change Shamlal's destiny forever!

As Shamlal was selling his bangles, a visitor arrived. A man in his 40s perhaps, well-suited and accompanied by a younger friend, started looking at his bangles. The man smoked a lot, and Shamlal could sense the city-smell in him.

"How may I help you?" said Shamlal.

The man replied not, but kept on looking at the bangles. His friend touched them, and seemed to check and whispered in his ears.

"How much?" spoke the friend. He appeared to be the man's employee given the authority to represent.

"Sir, we have these of varying prices, right from..."

"How much for all of them?" the man spoke this time, and interrupted Shamlal rudely!

"Sir, I mean...did you say..I mean, all of these?" said a surprised Shamlal.

"Yes, everything in this shop, including you and your master. Rambabu, isn't it?" The visitor's questions sent a warning of threat to Shamlal, and he couldn't think of anything. Did he just offer to buy their services or the persons...like slaves...or... Shamlal was terribly confused and knew not the plan of action he must take. 

"Sir, I won't be able to answer that. I will have to speak to my master."

"Speak to that old man. We meet here tomorrow at the same time. Remember my question: how much for the shop and you men?"

The two persons left, and Shamlal gulped down nearly two bottles of water. He was never terrified in his life this way. He closed his stall early, and ran to meet his master.

Rambabu was sitting peacefully on the verandah in an armchair. He seemed to enjoy the breeze and the classics playing on his little radio. Shamlal did not know how to start.

"Shamlal, done with today's sales early? Must have been a quick wrap-up, won't you say? You are doing good", said the master.

"Babu, the sales are good but I had to close it for the day. There is a problem."

"What problem, Sham? You, alright? You look worried. Speak up. Pull that chair."

"Yes, Babu...today just a few minutes ago, I had a visitor at my stall. I have never seen that man before. He wore a suit and was offering to buy everything in the stall."

"This is good, Sham. He liked your works. What makes you worried then?"

"That's not all. He wants to buy the bangles and me and ...you too."

Rambabu did not speak for a while.

"What do you think, Shamlal? Should we?"

"Babu!!!" Shamlal did not expect a question as this.

"Yes, speak. Must we not expand our work and take it to the cities? Everyone needs better clothes and a scooter. The city has better roads and schools. I wish to listen from you, Shamlal."

Shamlal did not know what to speak.

"Speak up, Shamlal. There is nothing right and wrong here."

"Babu, I respect you a lot. I have learned immensely from you. You are a great master. Your skills are beyond any weight of gold. I have always slept peacefully after work, just because I have never done anything wrong. It is okay to have smaller dreams. These cities, the flamboyance and all the good stuff are good but they are not what we have worked for. We have worked for joy. If we need to settle in those skyscrapers, let our minds decide that, not anyone who barges into our pride and offers a coin. It is joy that has made you a hero in the eyes of everyone who have learned under you. I shall not take this deal if I were you!"

There was silence. Rambabu smiled, sipped some water from his old glass, and said, "Then you have become me, Shamlal. You are ready to take the world. That visitor was my apprentice ten years back. His name is Shaanchand. Today he is a big man in the city. Every year, he visits me during the festival and take the final tests on my behalf. Otherwise, why would you think I shall be absent from the biggest fest of the vllage?" Rambabu broke into a wind of laughter. 

Shamlal was still shocked. He felt the utmost pleasure in winning the smiles and pride of his master.

He spoke: "Thank you, Babu. I shall always remember this! You are my hero!"

SCRAMBLE-GAMBLE: the WhatsApp Game

I have seen and learnt that desperate times need desperate measures. However, desperate times also bring some good sidekick innovations with them. 

The world is utterly distressed, and a bit afraid of the curses of the CoVID-19 pandemic. Humankind was not prepared for this kind of unseen micro-scale enemy, we must agree. The world is fighting against this disaster together, while lockdown and curfew rules remain to be imposed subjected to various amendments as per the regions or countries.

People have lost physical contact but the virtual world has brought them together. Families are gathering on social media and conference calls. Reunions are happening, and I bet they are as memorable as ever. This post is a short one on one such re-union where 're' stands for 'repeated' because the individuals involved were never far and had met often before the pandemic struck.

I know that during this lockdown, all of us, you, me and others have become serious members of different social media groups, WhatsApp being one and the most common among them. Right from 'Class of 2012 (or ____)', 'Humans of Neighbourhood', 'The Musical Attorneys', 'Go For Grocery', 'Office Work-From-Home Association', 'CoVID Avengers', 'Lockdown Pros', 'Lockdown Foodies' to 'Cousins', 'Family', 'Family Except Egoistic Maria', 'Only Husbands', 'Only Wives', 'Kitty Party' and others, we are spending some useful/ useless time on these groups. The 'Good Morning' messages which we had hated earlier, are now our alarms. The insults and leg-pulls are now our pastimes. While people are doing wonderful comical videos, some are recording serious narrations with fewer views. Everyone is having a taste of their self-created karma (...not that right, I guess!).

One of my maternal cousins came up with the idea of creating a WhatsApp group to celebrate online birthdays of some of us, which, unfortunately fell during this lockdown. We call it the 'Goswami Service'. Now, we are a healthy group of of five, ranging from 30 down to 15/16. 

Sorry...I mean the ages. Smile!

So, we started with celebrating birthdays of one of us, and after throwing GIFs of cakes and thank you's, and sighing on the misfortune of staying indoors and having China as our neighbour, we realized that we had nothing much to do regularly. So, we started creating topics of discussion like favourite songs, five favourite films, favourite foods and stuffs like these. But, we felt these were non-recurring events: one message was enough to cover the topic. These helped us realize that honesty can be best practised during idleness. Choosing a favourite from a pile of endless favourites is the most difficult task: we realized this.

Then we invented one of the most interesting games, the SCRAMBLE-GAMBLE. The game is not new. You have all seen 10-13 jumbled words forwarded as a message on WhatsApp. What we did was polished the message, and turned it into an interactive game. The rules were pretty simple.

• One person shall post a jumbled word in English, and a valid hint. The others shall try to post the correct answer.
• No scientific names were allowed. Anyway, they would be in Latin.

We were a bit speculative of the implementation of the game. But, we decided to give it a try. We started, and it became a blockbuster exercise for the mind. We are learning new words now. Plus, the younger ones are somehow getting prepared for aptitude tests in a way or the other. We started the game to engage ourselves, but, now the game engages us, and relieves us of the stress.

A few snapshots of the game are shown here.

Example 1:

Example 2:

Example 3:

The 'Goswami Service' thank you for reading this post, and urge you to try this game with your friends. We know you may feel somewhat offbeat to introduce it at the beginning, but, we tell you, if it can bring together individuals from diverse age groups, it can do wonders for your schoolbatch or office time-pass groups.

I dedicate this post to the members of the 'Goswami Service' for whom I stand (just kidding): Man-I, Man-II, Mun, Sum and Tri.

Thank you, and stay safe!

WHAT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT!

Just to save you time, this post is going to be short as it reflects on what we have not done in the past few years, jeopardizing the preservation of our Indian-ness, some way or the other. This 'Indian' thing, we are beginning to lose now. 

We are so accustomed to those social media posts on religious clashes, judging one another through someone else's eyes, attacking religions and retaliating with equal abuse, that we have lost the urge to discuss positive aspects on what this country is built of.

No one talks of the herbs of India. I bet the new generations are unaware of the types of medicinal plants which our grandmothers loved to cook. This may seem boring and all the more, less-broccoli-ish to you, but, this country has hundreds of herbs and greens which are native to this soil. I am not asking you to boycott restaurants and bars...no, no, I do not have a nationalist propaganda here. I write this as a common Indian. Frankly speaking, I do not myself know most of the names of these plants, but, this lockdown has exposed me to this thought that amidst all the clamour for rights and politics, we didn't have time to preserve this. My mother cooks some of the finest dishes using the local herbs and plants. These are delicious, which make me wonder often if these can be promoted. Of course, they can be. Well, do not look at these from the perspectives of Ayurveda. I know most of you are more inclined towards the matchstick culture rather than the earthen lamp culture. You need faster results. Take these as way of your food habits. Logically speaking, this doesn't even need to be invested upon: these are foods which can help achieve a balanced diet than most of the things on the counter outside. It is nature's gift to this land, and we are too westernized to know of them.

In the fights and riots for temples and mosques, we forgot to discuss about the architectural beauty of these monuments. We must have done educational tours to some of these places, but, perhaps, there is more we can do. Yeah...it is archaeology, I know, but there are pretty interesting things to extract from the designs of these structures. Everyone is awestruck when they see the marbles and granites in/on these monuments, but how many of us really wish to learn more of these? Not much of allied research is done on these structures. How many mobile applications have people built, which can explain simulated working of the structures at Jantar Mantar? Have you ever thought of these?

Probably, there are other examples of such kind. But, I have found these to be the most relevant. We need to talk to our children of these things. We need to speak to them of the marvels. As parents and citizens, we need to embed these into the bedtime stories. This land is blessed with the capabilities to learn from many cultures. Do not throw away any of them. It is never too late. We can still motivate ourselves to know what has made this country strong and beautiful.

LOCKED DOWN, NOT PUNCHED DOWN!

This post is in reference to What are you doing in this lockout ? Housework ? Creative activities ? Praying ? hosted on IndiBlogger. I thank the blogger who has hosted this thread.

This question is one of the most popular questions now, and has been put up by many platforms including TV channels. But, I am glad that this has been taken up on the blogging platform, because it reaches out to more people and most importantly, the content stays on the web.

I love explaining things (you got to forgive a teacher), but here, I shall move in points, rather than continuous content.

#1: Teaching! The lockdown must have vacated the colleges but has not stopped teachers from teaching and students from continuing their studies. I have been preparing video lectures for two engineering undergraduate courses, and sharing them with my students since the lockdown has started. Now, teaching online is extremely different from classroom teaching, because, you are talking to the screen in front, and you need to keep track of time. I do not prepare long lectures because students may face problems while downloading them, keeping in mind that the students come from various places across the country! If you ask me the experience, well, it feels good when students ask doubts through e-mails. A student's doubts are the biggest gifts for me, because it means he/she has gone through the lecture(s) carefully!

#2: Research! Being in the profession of engineering education, research is an integral part of self-improvement, and professional contribution to the society and country. I have consistently attempted at continuing my research with limited resources. I do not wish to talk technical here, but, I hope this is something directly related to the society. I, along with my students and a colleague, am designing a system which can judge the overall protein content in chicken egg albumin (egg white) and cow's milk using instantaneous electronic properties. This shall help the beneficiaries of the healthcare sector (women, children, sportsperson and the elderly) or any domain where food proteins are important. We hope to design an affordable device so that it reaches the common men. Positive results indicate a big 'yes'! 

#3: Household Works! I have been helping around the house, cooking a meal (am not a bad cook) and cleaning stuffs, now and then. I have selected a prayer book from our temple, and am thinking of digitizing it, because the book was written long ago and has worn out. Currently, it is unavailable in the market, and was published locally. Unfortunately, the author expired years ago. Written in my mother tongue, I think it is essential not to lose a book as such, which can act as a helping hand to many. I urge you to take up such activities using your scanner, and recreate worn-out books of traditional value. This will be a tribute to the authors.

#4: Magazine! We, a group of guys, had started an online magazine way back in 2014. We had kept the objective of uplifting new and young writers. The magazine is ad-free and entirely non-profit. It has worked like magic since we started! All of us belong to different professions and are working at different locations, but this is one bond which brings us together. You may read the magazine at: http://guwahatian.guwahaticity.in/. So, I have been busy now and then in preparing the next issue of the magazine.

#5: Blogging! Since I have been maintaining this blog for long, I have got some time now for adding content which is not otherwise possible during full-time working days. IndiBlogger is a perfect platform to read and respond to new content. Free from negativity around, it feels good create a new post.

The post ends here, but, your responsibilities do not.

I request you to act sensibly, and not propagate hatred of any kind during this CoVID-19 outbreak. The whole world is watching, and as Indians, all you can do is to refrain from commenting on stupid posts, sharing videos which may spark communal imbalance, holding rallies, moving outside without good reasons and creating ruckus of any kind. Before you do something, just think of the doctors and nurses who had not had a proper meal for long. Imagine the plight of the policemen. Some may be corrupted or you must have seen improper behavior from them, but they are out on the streets ensuring that we are inside. 

Thank you for reading this.

Jai Hind!

ASSAM: YOU MUST HAVE HEARD IT ALL WRONG!

[This post is inspired by What is that one thing you would like to share about your village, city or state that many are not aware? Do you try to create awareness? hosted at Indiblogger. I thank the blogger who created the thread!]

Disclaimer: This post does not rant on the ignorant attitude of the people. It simply tries to make them aware that coming to straight negative conclusions, based on what their grandfathers told them about Assam, is nothing, but mild stupidity. I am not here to say that this state is the best of all because every place is beautiful and has admirable cultures. But, this place is still underrated and has enough reasons for you to fall in love with. With time, we are trying to establish ourselves in the world!

First of all, I would like to place a few misconceptions/ myths about Assam, which most people from other parts of India carry throughout their lifetimes until death, without visiting the place. There may be more (I have travelled less), but, these are some which I have encountered throughout my lifetime until this point of writing this post.

Misconceptions/Myths:

#1: Assam is all jungles and no civilization: At a time when the Mughals were imposing wild taxes on the Sultanate, Assam was enjoying the glorious rule of the Ahoms. So, the myth is all wrong in the first place. For people who have never visited the state (a visit does not mean that you spend a night or two inside a hotel room in the capital city), and relied on their grandpa's evening tales and political propaganda of Central India, and much more than that, have a hatred for the cultures of East India because they think that theirs are the best, you need to understand that we have more plants to contribute to Ayurveda than you can imagine.

#2: The Assamese and Bengali languages are the same! Just because the alphabets are similar, it does not mean that the languages are same. Yes, I agree and support the fact that we share linguistic similarity with the Bengali language, but, Assamese language has its own grammar forms. Both the languages have unique beauty! Since I can read, speak and write both the languages, I am the right person to address this myth! All Assamese pronunciations have soft 's', which, somehow indicate a pronunciation without the touch of the tongue to the palate (roof of the mouth). In brief, if you wish to speak Assamese, you need to know the use of the alphabets. Doing a crash course in Bengali will only help you in understanding fragments of the language, but not its beauty in entirety. You can simply imagine the difficulty when I say that I had to learn speaking the Bengali language (I love this language), and it took me 1 year to come to an amateur level. 

#3: It is not 'Asami'...call it Assamese or Asomiya or Asamiya: See. I understand your familiarity with words which you hear often! But, just like your English classes, where the words, 'herd' and 'heard' sound the same but mean different, similarly, 'Asami' and 'Asamiya' are different. It is 'Asamiya', not 'Asami'. Actually it is 'Axomiya' with a soft pronunciation of the 'x' but we do not mind at all even if you take the pain of saying 'Asomiya' or 'Asamiya' or the 'Assamese'. Do not eat away the 'tail of the word' just because you are lazy or ignorant!

#4: Assam's staple food is momos! Oh! My...my! If I start listing out the foods we, the Assamese, cook, probably, I shall have to bring my mother to write a blog on it. Yes, we love momos, and you will find some of the best momos here, but that is not our staple food. Our staple food is rice, and we produce some of the best qualities of rice with wide variants. We have GI tag for 'chokuwa' or 'komal saul' which is the name for a winter rice variety. The rice is special because you need not cook it. Just soak it in water, and consume it. Good, isn't it? Well, there are better things out here. We have varieties of vegetables and greens, and lot many ways to cook them. For non-vegetable food lovers, you will love the home-style meat varieties of chicken, mutton, duck and pork. You will love the fishes out here, particularly, the freshwater fishes. Have a taste of the 'masor tenga' which is prepared with fish and tomatoes/ tamarind/ 'thekera' (Garcinia pendunculata), and it will eliminate your 'wholesale' ignorance!

#5: Assam means 'terrorism'. I know most of you have in your minds, the old stories of terrorism about this state. My question to you is: Why did you never search for the positivity in the place? The state had incidents of terrorism in the past, but, currently, it is peaceful out here. You can get the feedback from your friends who visit the place, or those who are studying here. After coming out of the disastrous events in the past, the place has tried to catch on with development, and if the people of mainland India possess such mindsets, it will be difficult for the people of the state to progress.

I have finished my list of a few myths about the state. Let us now focus on a few more things which you must not have known earlier! I will not describe things which you usually find on the travelers' guide or the internet; rather, I will pinpoint some of the interesting bits! It will, obviously, not cover everything, but, let us keep the rest for you to discover!

The best Army Cadet at the National Defence Academy is conferred the Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal! Lachit Borphukan was a commander of the Ahom Army and led a handful of Ahoms in the epic battle of Saraighat against the thousands of Mughals, and gave the Mughals a taste of guerilla tactics, diversion intelligence and naval fights! And to add to that, he was sick during the war! While building the famous embankment at Saraighat to restrict the movement of the Mughals, he punished his uncle by killing him because the latter was too lazy to complete building the embankment. His most famous words were "The uncle is not greater than the country!" So, you have a hell lot to cover if you are to know one of the most interesting thriller wars of Indian history. The National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune, has a statue of the Borphukan ['Borphukan' is a title for an Army commander which was conferred by the Ahom king during their reigns.] 

Also, the Ahoms ruled for a period of around 600 years, one of the longest reigns at a time when India was invaded and looted. 

The Eternal Lamp, as I call it... We have the idea of monasteries (Vaishnavite) called 'Namghors'. One such namghor, the Dhekiakhowa Bor Namghor, located in the Jorhat District in Assam, was established in 1528 by Sri Sri Madhavdeva, a disciple of Srimanta Sankardeva, whose contributions to the Assamese literature and culture, are magnanimous. In this Namghor, there is a lamp which has been burning since its inception in 1528. 
Here, I do not like to emphasize on the period/ duration; what I wish to say is: imagine the generations of discipline being passed on, just to keep a lamp burning. That is a symbol of faith- forget religions and the gods- observe the practice; this is what defines a civilization. Discipline! And this teaches us of our ability to thrive on consistency!

A quarter of Makkah, and the Temple of Vishnu! Hajo is a place in the state which is home to a khanqah (a monument for prayers), known as the Poa Makkah (Mecca) and the Hayagriva Madhab Temple. 'Poa' means a quarter, and 'Poa Makkah' refers to a quarter of Makkah. So, it is believed that offering prayers here would gain quarter of the blessings for the prayers at Makkah (Mecca). An epigraph states that it was built during the reign of Shah Jahan in Central India. The Poa Makkah was looked after by the Ahom king even after the expulsion of the Mughals from Assam, and therefore, the preservation of this uniqueness of the place attracts people from all religions in the state. 

The Hayagriva Temple, on the other hand, is a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists. The location, Monikut Hills, finds reference in the Kalika Purana. Interestingly, the temple has a pond (Madhab Pukhuri) which is home to the black soft-shell turtles (declared 'extinct in the wild' by IUCN). People feed the turtles, and consider them as sacred. So, if you can link things to modernity, the temple here not just blesses people, but also, takes part in wildlife conservation! Must have been a news report in the media houses had it been mainland India, isn't it? 

Just a reference here: Jadhav Payeng, the man who built a forest: you must've heard of him. Well, he is one man we are simply proud of! 

Uddhab Bharali: the man of 'patents'! For those who do not know of this man named Uddhab Bharali, I would like to say that he is our 'Phungsuk Wangdu'. Having over 100 innovations for the masses, this man has been redefining traditional innovation since long. He helps the differently-abled people through his innovations. A simple and visionary Assamese, he deserves more attention than he has got, not for popularity, but to teach our kids what giving back to society means. And he does not hold high degrees and affiliations. He had to abandon engineering due to financial burden of his family, and later created some of the best machines India can be proud of! No doubt, he is a Padmashree!

Folks, did you have enough of Indian folk culture? The Assamese people do not represent a race or a caste or a religion. It comprises of tribes and the indigenous, people from different religions and communities, creating an amalgamation of some of the extraordinary cultural representations under the same umbrella. Bihu is the state festival of Assam, celebrated and observed three times in a year in accordance with the agrarian calendar. You will find much about 'Bihu' on the internet, but you must not be knowing the other folk forms. Assam hosts 'jikir', which are Sufi-like compositions citing the praises of the Almighty. The 'Borgeet' is a similar style of vocals and music customary to the Vaishnavite monasteries and institutions. The 'Sattriya' dance again refers to the dance form born out of these institutions. The 'Lokgeet' which means songs of the people or folk songs in strict translation, are mesmerizing, and will lead you through the beauty of the rural traditions. And believe me, these are performed by people from all sects and religion. You will find people conducting their researches in the universities here on these subjects.

The points I have placed here are only shadow of what the state is like. The common representative elements/ individuals of the state, like tea, gamocha (the traditional garment/ towel), bamboo, one-horned rhinoceros, National Parks, Kamakhya Temple, Majuli, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Pratima Pandey Baruah, Zubeen Garg, Papon, Anurag Saikia, Hima Das, and many more are what you will find on the web. 

I thank you for reading this post, and wish that you will teach your kids to locate this state on the Indian map, and tell them of the truths here despite the fact that they may not find these in their textbooks! 

Have a nice time!

জয় আই অসম | (Hail Mother Axom)

CoVID19: LESSONS AND LIFE

[This post is inspired by What lesson do you think the world should learn from the Corona virus disease (COVID-19)? hosted at Indiblogger.]

This blog post is nothing new: it is a reminder or a redial to the things we know subconsciously, but seldom think of them. Probably, we are too engrossed in our professions, or we do not wish to think much negative! However, time and again has proved that being practical is equal to being sensible, and amidst all human emotions that exist, service to others is the richest investment!

When the CoVID19 broke out, none did think that an illness so casual shall challenge the basis of human existence. In times of technological advancement and biological excellence, CoVID19 was expected to be contained by the superpowers of the planet. Alas! The illness grew into a pandemic, and the disease attacked the basic involuntary actions in the human body: touching one's face, nose and eyes. If thought closely, regular human habits are a prey to this viral attack. It's plan of attack is simple, isn't it? And who thinks of cleaning face and hands every 30 minutes. It does not even qualify the unhygienic thresholds! Despite all irreversible, there are a few things which we may keep for ourselves to be passed down to the generations to come. Reading the content below may seem like moral science classes, but do think of the situation we are in, and try to relate it to the thoughts below. CoVID19 has proven that anything is possible on this mysterious planet!

Hygiene must be re-spoken! Hygiene must be re-spoken, and not re-defined, because our cultures have already mentioned them. It is with time, and man's blind dependence on technology that has made him complacent! He was beginning to think that every allergy or stomach upset can be cured over the counter or phone! The Indian culture and many of the Asian cultures insisted on cleaning oneself after returning from outside! We were doing everything perfectly but then, our stupid divisions of castes brought about superstitions and interference from foreign forces tried to prove that our methods were wrong, and things could be done much easily! We agreed because we had never seen deaths due to not cleaning after returning from outside! Well, here it is! CoVID19 will teach you! What about the Namaskar! I know there are high possibilities of some of you thinking about me. To clarify, I am not a theo-political freak who blindly follows some groups going about preaching cow urine. I speak on behalf of myself only after seeing the disaster outside my door!

Harming others is like subtracting years from your lifespan! This is a short span of life we have got. Instead of utilizing it, we spend envying others, planning revenge, outsmarting, bullying and judging people, asking their religions, fighting for temples and mosques, attacking beliefs, eating up money,... The list goes on. Mustn't we think of creating sustainability in the society, educating the literates, patronizing poor talented humans, sensibly using resources and not breaking laws on roads?

These are simple tasks, yet, they seem so ideal that we have replaced them with easy going ways! If the average lifespan is 60, say, doing any act to harm others is like subtracting a few years from your lifespan of 60. That is your effective lifespan on earth, and instead of using it for good, if you throw away for the sake of living it, then you are worse than the corals which 'die' to serve the ecosystem!

Being practical does not mean being 'emotionally active'! Being 'emotionally active' may mean both in the positive and negative senses. Positively active directs to the action of being overwhelmed with positive emotions like love, gratitude and supervision. Negatively active directs to the action of possessing negative emotions like jealousy, arrogance and sense of harm. Often, we take sides without learning the risks involved! For example, when the Chinese arrived at Italy from their homes after the Chinese New Year, the Italians hugged them to show support for the Corona virus outbreak back in China. This has cost them more than anything: an outcome of being positively active in emotions! On the other hand, a few people in India went out even after the lockdown was declared, carrying the risks of getting infected: an outcome of being negatively active in emotions. Being practical means weighing all possibilities available, and learning the reasons behind the result. We have stopped being practical because we have been feeding the media houses with our thirst for 'breaking news'. Anyone including me gets attracted to any news flashing on our TV screens, which are sufficient to create opinions silently sponsored by them. The lesson which we must take home is to include these in our education: taking up case studies and explaining to the masses through classes!

I hereby conclude this blog post. I wish you all, safety and good health! Hope the old days shall revive soon!

We only understand that life is precious when we see deaths around, and are reminded of our evil doings.

5 THINGS TO DO DURING CoVID19 ISOLATION/LOCKDOWN

Mankind is in its difficult phase now. The pandemic CoVID19 has taken an unexpected avatar, affecting much more than expected. In these times, it is appreciable that all of us have stood together, keeping aside our differences. Also, kudos to the people providing essential services to the society. They are fighting the war for us on a bigger scale, but, we can help them by isolating ourselves and break the chain of the spread!

It is natural that most of us must be feeling irritated at times during this isolation tenure. However, this time shall pass, and this is the best of all that we can do to contribute to history. In my opinion, this time can/must be utilized to discover the best in ourselves, which, otherwise, cannot be done amidst professional obligations and work. 

There may be numerous ideas, but, I shall list out 5 of them. They may seem obvious, but, I have laid it down for you so that you can have a headstart!

1. Explore yourself! You must have that 9 to 5 job or be busy in carrying out your businesses. However, deep down, you must have a wonderful hobby. If, in case, you do not, then this is the time to pursue one. Learn new things. If you used to write bad poetry in your college days to impress your girl, then, write again. Compile 20 of them, and publish them once this phase gets over. It is easy to get published these days. 

If you love baking chicken, this is the time to share your recipe with the world. Create a YouTube channel and share your knowledge. Or you can share your mother's favorite food and its recipe with others. 

Students who have just appeared for their high school exams can draw, record recitations and stories on phones and write for online magazines. This is the right time to get yourself involved in creating a positive space for all. Also, students may watch wonderful documentaries and interviews of scientists and philosophers, which shall help them stay motivated throughout life!

[Note: However, do not misuse social media to create nonsensical videos which frustrate people around. Do something useful! Evolve! Create!]

 2. Read, Read, Read! No doubt, reading makes a person wise! Read your favorite book, manuscript of research or film scripts or anything which can enthrall you. Do a review of these books and share with your friends. Or you can make a collection of good quotes from these books/ stories and create a newer version of a wonderful resource to motivate people.

3. Watch Movies! Movies are not mere sources of entertainment. They can create a positive impact on the minds of the young and old alike. People have started appreciating ideas after they have watched a certain film. Also, films are good sources of learning new words, and expanding your vocabulary. Anyone can watch films with this motive to get double benefits out of it: entertainment + knowledge! With many online hubs getting popular, good films are just clicks away! Share good movies with your friends, and appreciate the work put behind these silver screen marvels! 

4. Write a Blog! Start blogging. Blog is a wonderful way to make progressive contributions to your society. Use blogger.com or wordpress.com to write blogs. These are simple websites designed to publish your words in the form of a web-link. You can publish your hobbies and stuff (Points 1, 2 and 3) and videos/ photographs too. Try to do beautiful things for your people around. Share funny incidents of your life on your blog and get going! Sometimes, putting a smile on someone else's lips is worth writing!

5. Help! Finally, do not forget to help those who are left alone in these times. There are many daily wage laborers and beggars who will have a difficult time surviving. We know that the government is trying to provide reliefs to these people, but, as citizens, we can support the government by lending some of our stuff, especially, food. We cannot fill all the gaps but our help can give them the hope of looking for a positive future, and satiate their hunger for a meal or a day! You need not come in direct contact with them as this is the period of precautions. You can keep a table/ tool outside your home. You can keep packed foods on the table so that they can pick them up without coming in contact with you.

"The biggest weapon of mankind is its spirit of overcoming fear, and intelligence of waiting for the right opportunity!"

Thank you for a read. You are most welcome to add more to this list! 
Believe that you are a wonderful individual and you can do positive deeds for your people!

Stay safe from the CoVID19. 

LUCKY ICE-CREAM, WARM BROWNIE

Seldom are there certain happenings which begin with uncertainty and end with bliss! There are, however, a few thumb rules to these seldom events of life! First, these are sudden plans. Second, they come with silent joys...I mean, joys with that high dose of maturity coupled with childlike jokes. Third, people won't believe if you narrate to them. But, I shall try to keep this note as true as possible lest people start doubting my narration!

After I had joined this institute in Pilani, I have, to my credit, made a number of friends who are good, both at heart and on plates. In fact, it is now something like a gourmet gang. At this moment, while I write this piece, I have a scheduled self-cooked dinner on Friday. So, this is evidence to prove that everything happening in this piece is real, perfect to a T.

I had never expected that the place has such beautiful eateries. Thanks to my gourmets, we reached at a place where the ambience was proper and it smelt good. After finishing a number of Indian dishes, we decided to go for a brownie blast with ice-cream. I had average expectations.

After ten minutes of the order, the plates arrived. The warmth was already filling the air, and the humidity arising out of the hot dripping chocolate was in classical romance with the air. The ice-cream toppings on them subdued the smoke, but, juggled between the burnt aroma of hot chocolate and cake crust now and then. The temperature outside was quivering at 18 degrees, and the plate added more to the conscience's impatience. It was soothing!

We had it. Oh! Believe me, it might not have been the best brownie ever, but it was worth the best moments, taking into account the place we live in, and the other variables that never could have supported such wonderful food! The chocolate drips kissed the coldness of the cream, and the result was one spoonful of bliss! I ate to my foodie conscience's content, and so did my companions of the 'night brigade'!

We just said, "Lucky we, we got the ice-cream atop warm brownies!"

THANK YOU, TASHI !

In this country, there is a saying which goes something like 'On each food grain is written the name of the man who shall consume it.' There may be variations to this statement from one region to another because this country changes dialect every few kilometers!

Anyway, after joining this institute in Pilani, Rajasthan for a teaching position, I was quite happy because the environment is peaceful like the place I hail from, and there are peacocks, parrots and squirrels on the campus streets. However, having belonged to the eastern corner of the country, I began missing a few foods. Two of them were thukpa (a preparation of noodles in steamed soup) and momos (yeah, the ones on which you recently read articles on health risks...but I say, momos are not foods...they are emotions!). Resisting not more than a month, I decided to calm down my conscience by having a plate of momos at the institute gate. Oh! You only know the importance of a food only when you don't have it! Deep down my heart and belly, I knew that these did not even match half of what I had eaten before, but the joys of getting my hands on one were bubbling!

Only one month later, someone informed that the Tibetan Market Association was here for selling their famous woolen garments. I was familiar with their clothes as I had been visitor to their temporary markets at Silchar and Guwahati. The most wonderful thing about them is that several groups of them travel across India during winters and for the rest of the year, they are on to other jobs. It feels great that they come together for a social cum business hangout for a period of the year and make journeys to warm the people of the country. And their woolens! Oh! They are warm enough to trade your wallets!

Now, here comes the bonus of their fairs. They put up food stalls at the site of the market where they cook for themselves and sell some of those to the visitors too. Once I entered the market area, my eyes rolled towards the food stalls and lo! there were momos. I was never so much delighted because I knew their momos were the best as they pour 'that' sense of original taste of the hills. We ordered one just to check the so-thought originality. After 20 minutes came the plate of steamed momos and the red chutney! I was right! The warmth was so familiar! The pieces were soft and almost melted in our mouths, and the stuffing spread across the tongues. And we were praising the food after every delightful piece!

Having enjoyed that plate of momos, we inquired if they made 'thukpa' too. They smiled and were surprised how we had known that food item of theirs. After exchanging notes of brotherhood, they invited us the next day! The man in charge of the cooking was named Tashi, and such a fine gentleman he is! We visited them twice after that, and as it was Diwali time, we thought of extending our destiny to the 'sweet tooth' level. They were happy to receive the 'kaju-katli' and we were more than contended.
Finally, we said, "Thank you, Tashi."
I am now a contended man and believe that once you miss a food from the bottom of your belly, the world shall conspire to get it to you! Isn't that a bit cinematic? Yes, it is, and so were the momos and thukpa!

No man is a stranger if you know how to befriend him in the truest of senses without hidden agenda! 

PLANS: unnecessary excess!

The kiss of globalization was never a plan of mankind! Man wished to be better, connected through wired and wireless channels, do business seamlessly, and be present everywhere. That's why he 'globalized' which unfortunately led to the birth of 'plans'. 

For us in school, a 'plan' meant our study plan which we could not follow. In a broader sense, a plan was just our assumed 'aim in life'- the commonest of all essays that a child faced in exams, and a conversation starter with a Sarma Uncle or a Kakoti Auntie. Truly speaking, a 'plan' was something which you would not take seiously, and something that would never pay off. It was synonymous to 'fictional pre-determined failed thought' (excuse me the nonsensical choice of words). 

Today, a 'plan' is like a diet chart. You either follow it or face the morning curse of constipation. Of couse, it has become necessary as life demands more donkey work than donkeys. But, the thin line- something that separates reality from fiction, dreams from actions, science from future, and so on...that thin line between plans becoming a necessity and an obsession has grown thicker than obesity. The obsession is such that many have started planning for the number of ice cream scoops that they would eat in a party. Doing multiple tasks at one go, eventually losing the appetite for dinner, is the result of our 'plan's. Plans are making us stress more on time and wallet rather than quality time and bliss.
Sometimes, it is necessary to go out with our friends without a planned time period. It is necessary to watch a TV serial with our kids rather than completing the last bit of code on a project that has a far deadline. 'Plan's are important but they need not be part of our newspaper reads, tea stall gossips, and random carrom games. Insurances can be planned, not poetry. A train journey may be planned but not its joys. Projects are planned, not knowledge.
Reason, and grow- plans are only our idea of doing our works to give us the confidence we need. They are important but they are not the only fuels of our life's journey.
Life is planned but as done by Time. 

REWANT PAUL - the greatest art thief!

[WARNING: Read the entire piece or you will miss the most important part of this post.]

"Deception is an art, and stealing art is a deception!"

                            

                                                                    -Rewant Paul

History is like a tempting piece of dark chocolate. All that seem true may not be so, and all you had imagined may be so true! Now, this depends on history, not historians for historians are no detectives or truth seekers; they write what they see but do they truly see what they see? Confusing, isn't it?

When Vincenzo Peruggia robbed the Louvre of the Mona Lisa in 1911, no one thought that the greatest art theft of history had been done until the next day. Many say that Peruggia believed the piece of art must be returned to Italy as it belonged there. But who was Peruggia? There are police evidence of the one Peruggia, and his biography. Doyle had written Sherlock back in the 1800s, but minds then could not develop a sense of observation. They could not find the real man, the sole mastermind behind the Mona Lisa case. 

There at the tailor's lived Rewant Paul. He was an artist at heart, and made his paintings by night. He believed that his arts were apologies to the Maker for man had turned so brutal on earth, fought amongst themselves leading to a War that saw no end. He kept his arts a secret; no one knew he could do anything except stitch some simple wears. His most beautiful pieces were 'The Cannon of Life', 'The Drunken Lady' and 'The Light of the Dark Street'. 

The theft of Mona Lisa was his masterplan. He had a blueprint, but he wished not risks for himself; so he hired Peruggia, a skilled thief, for the task. His motive was to study the Mona Lisa for a week, and return it to the Louvre. He was the one who directed Peruggia to sneak into the Louvre as a worker and steal the painting. 

Peruggia was a small time thief, but he was perfect in timing. Rewant observed him for weeks, and saw a passion in the man to clean stuff easily. In fact, before his death in 1924, Rewant drew an art of Peruggia stealing the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. The art was in black coal on a white cloth so that the fact remained concealed in a piece of item that could be easily ignored; he carried on with his art not to reach heights of fame, but to ensure that his ideas might just exist: such were his beliefs.

When Peruggia stole the Mona Lisa and hid it under his dress, he chuckled to himself:"The world's most sought after painting lies in my gown." On hearing this later, Rewant and Peruggia laughed out heartily, thus throwing a sense of success to the whole affair.

Rewant practised his art on pieces of cloth that were discarded at the tailor's. Perhaps had he been a demonstrator of his phenomenon, he would have been counted as one of the greatest painters of his time. But Time is a moody entity: it may turn fiction into reality, or design reality as bookish stories.

That's where this piece ends, and this is where it must end. Neither today men know who Rewant Paul was, nor do they know of his affair with the Mona Lisa. May be, he is just a fictional character of a tale created by the writer of this piece, or he stands out as someone in the mind of an imaginative idiot.

It doesn't matter if we had a Rewant Paul or not; what matters more is that this piece must have been an exciting read.

[NOTE: Do not believe in the author's character, Rewant Paul, because Mr. Paul may be just another literary prank!] 
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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.