ninadubetiwari

[ninadubetiwari]

The fragrance of Delhi’s गुलाबी जाड़ा

One of the oldest childhood memories I have is of the winters coming in slowly and the heady smells of the winter blossoms around Pujo

While September has its Raat ki rani and Parijaat , come October and the air is lush with the intoxication of the Saptqparni .

Oh ! the fragrance is so divine that one is forced to just go mmmmm.

There is a trio of the Saptaparini near a small temple where I live. While the mornings are for admiring the greenish white blossoms/leaves which flower in pairs of seven (hence the name Saptaparni), come 4 pm and the whole area is awash with the unmissable smell that blows us off our feet .

The Saptaparni is of great cultural significance in the intellectual circle, as traditionally its leaves were awarded to scholars and teachers during convocation ceremonies by the Visva Bharati University. This charming tradition was started by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and is still followed with great fanfare . It is also called the scholar’s tree for this reason

If we must take a lesson from nature then it is to constantly provide happiness to others .

As humans it’s upto us to appreciate this bounty and revel in the joy .

Otherwise it’s just another tree in the corner that smells good

#flowers #nature #flower #photography #love #naturephotography #flowerstagram #garden #art #beautiful #photooftheday #flowersofinstagram #plants #flowerphotography #instagood #spring #macro #naturelovers #instagram #summer #flores #photo #like #wedding #green #flowerpower #roses #gardening #beauty #picoftheday

[ninadubetiwari]

मोरे पिया के लम्बे लम्बे केस

भाये जिया को पिया तोरा भेस

As I jaywalked past this old बरगद this morning , Ustad Sultan Khan & the talented Ms Chauhan played on my mind

Such a perfect match !

#trees #nature #tree #naturephotography #photography #forest #landscape #sky #green #naturelovers #clouds #photooftheday #love #sunset #landscapephotography #travel #autumn #beautiful #mountains #art #flowers #treesofinstagram #photo #naturelover #sun #outdoors #plants #instagood #summer #hiking

[ninadubetiwari]

खलबली है खलबली!

Love how the monsoon clouds cause a खलबली in the sky. It’s a constant hide and seek

Captured last night with the moon playing peek a boo with the clouds . Nature has its own moods I guess

#sky #nature #sunset #photography #clouds #landscape #photooftheday #love #naturephotography #travel #beautiful #instagood #sun #photo #picoftheday #summer #sea #ig #instagram #blue #sunrise #skyphotography #art #travelphotography #beach #naturelovers #landscapephotography #mountains #like #skylovers

[ninadubetiwari]

The dark monsoon clouds crept upon us and all I could say was

काली काली जुल्फों के फंदे ना डालो

हमें जिंदा रहने दो ऐ हुस्न वालो

ना छेड़ो हमें हम सताए हुए है

बहुत जख्म सीने पे खाए हुए है

सितमगर हो तुम खूब पहचानते है

तुम्हारी अदाओ को हम जानते है

दगा बाज़ हो तुम सितम ढाने वाले

फरेबे मोहब्बत में उलझाने वाले

ये रंगी कहानी तुम्ही को मुबारक

तुम्हारी जवानी तुम्ही को मुबारक

हमारी तरफ से निगाहें हटा लो

#urdupoetry #urdu #poetry #shayari #love #urdushayari #urduquotes #urduadab #pakistan #urdupoetrylovers #instagram #lovequotes #quotes #hindishayari #urduposts #poetrycommunity #follow #urdulovers #shayri #hindipoetry #hindi #shayar #hindiquotes #sad #shayarilover #lahore #ishq #writersofinstagram #mohabbat #bhfyp

[ninadubetiwari]

The sound of Rajasthan!

Heard this song at the desert festival many years ago and can’t get it off either my mind or my playlist .

It’s a bridal blessing which becomes another level beautiful in the voice of Gazi khan Barna , the famed folk singer from Rajasthan .

Paired up with memories from a recent trip and it becomes perfect !

[ninadubetiwari]

Notes from Istanbul

A beautiful sunset at a Sufi gathering watching the whirling derveish twirl in deep meditation .

Their tears won’t stop , while my mind plays a raga-based melody on a loop, to compensate for the Turkish ballad that I don’t understand .

मैं तेरा, मैं तेरा, मैं तेरा, मैं तेरा

मैं गहरा तमस् तू सुनहरा सवेरा

मुसाफिर मैं भटक तू मेरा बसेरा

तू जुगनू चमकता मैं जंगल घनेरा

ओ पिया मैं तेरा, मैं तेरा, मैं तेरा

Midway through the event , I realise what an exceptional artiste @arijitsingh is , to so simply render a song , as complex as this one .

In awe of him to simplify his craft to the level of the layman.

[ninadubetiwari]

ये दिल certainly माँगें more !

Never take freedom for granted

Someone paid his life for it !

A trip to the Kargil war memorial is heart breaking each time . Our finest slept here so that we may sleep in our beds.

Come see who stood between you and the enemy . You shall not sleep for days , I can promise you

दिल चाक हो जाता है

[ninadubetiwari]

जयश्री कृष्ण!

The most human -like God we know .

Playful always but has the Geeta to his credit .

Humble enough to drive a chariot yet omnipresent and full of love

Has a special place in my heart as I belong to the Agra-Mathura belt. Much gratitude to Him for this fortune

The world needs another Krishna now

जन्माष्टमी की शुभेच्छा 🙏🏻

[ninadubetiwari]

उस्ताद बिस्मिल्लाह ख़ाँ साहब की पुण्यतिथि पर🙏🏻

न आपके जैसा कोई था और न कभी होगा

शहनाई आपके बिना हमेशा अधूरी रहेगी

What a man !

Usually an artiste of this caliber is known for his art but Khan saheb was an unusually bright orator who said the most profound things in a simple language .

He preferred to speak in his native lilting खड़ी बोली of Benaras which made his words even sweeter. And the body language was always in sync.

He always told the truth!

[ninadubetiwari]

तू किसी रेल सी गुज़रती है

मैं किसी पुल सा थरथराता हूँ

तू भले रत्ती भर ना सुनती हो

मैं तेरा नाम बुदबुदाता हूँ

किसी लम्बे सफर की रातों में

तुझे अलाव सा जलाता हूँ

This number by @swanandkirkire is perhaps the only railways anthem that I can think of . Do share if you know any other

The railways have been such a big part of our lives as we were grew up in the 1900s . In fact I still take the train , whenever I can , just to catch the landscape and the vibe . The best travel memories are on trains, most definitely .

This post is dedicated to भारतीय रेल which connects the सुर लय and ताल of हिन्दोस्तान and every हिन्दोस्तानी .

सलाम! #indianrailways

#railway #train #railways #of #trains #rail #trainspotting #world #railroad #our #railwayphotography #photography #trainspotter #ssc #instagram #upsc #railfans #gk #currentaffairs #railwaystation #eisenbahn #railfan #travel #europe #locomotive #india #trainphotography #ssccgl #ias #trainstagram

[ninadubetiwari]

चदरिया झीनी रे झीनी!

I consumed lots of दोहे or simple 2 lined rhyming verses by Kabir as a kid, but the impact came only when I moved overseas .

Like they say

‘when youre happy you enjoy the music but when you are sad you pay attention to the lyrics’

Despite all the material possessions and the lifestyle , I missed my country , its sounds and flavours and Kabir knew exactly what I was going through.

So I decided to travel twice a year and not permanently settle there , despite common sense and the convenience-factor

Best decision I ever made !

His जयंती was 14th June-yesterday in India and today in the US. For me however, every day belongs to Kabir and his sharp wit laced with cutting-edge sense of sonder

He played with words like an artist who mixes paints and creates new colours. India was lucky to have a kabir and always have him through his body of work. Such a wordsmith !

This visual by Zanaab Mukhtiar Ali stood out for its simplicity , just as Kabir would prefer

कबीरा जब हम पैदा हुए,जग हँसे,हम रोये ।

ऐसी करनी कर चलो,

हम हँसे,जग रोये,

चदरिया झीनी रे झीनी

राम नाम रस भीनी

चदरिया झीनी रे झीनी

Kabir takes a dig at the seriousness that we take life with , while it’s all a mortal bubble . Never came across such a brilliant personification of life as a frayed cloth.. so apt.

urdupoetry #urdu #poetry #shayari #love #urdushayari #urduquotes #urduadab #pakistan #urdupoetrylovers #instagram #lovequotes #quotes #hindishayari #urduposts #poetrycommunity #follow #urdulovers #shayri #hindipoetry #hindi #shayar #hindiquotes #sad #shayarilover #lahore #ishq #writersofinstagram #mohabbat #bhfyp

[ninadubetiwari]

साड्डा चिड़ियों दा चम्बा

I have been up to some historical fiction lately and this book by @iramukhoty comes highly recommended.

We have heard enough about the Mughal padshahs(emperors) but have we heard about the mothers , sisters and daughters ?

This is exactly what this brilliant compilation touches . It introduces us to the Mogul शहज़ादी और बेग़म and gives us a sneak peek into the famed ज़नाना and हरम , which were shelters to cousins and widows besides wives and mothers ; not the den of debauchery as most believe.

The matriarchs, milk moms and daughters are collectively known as the Daughters of the Sun as the Moghuls boasted of a Timurid heritage from Iran and the Persians (Parsi In India) are famous for worshipping the Sun

Reading this reminded me of an old Punjabi song साड्डा चिड़ियों दा चम्बा ( our flock of birds) which home together and draw strength from each other .. such poignancy!

The recall is so real that I call this book chidiyon da chamba in my mind and also when I refer to it ( hence the post title)

Do read this up if you are interested in medieval Indian history or the cultural history of the subcontinent

Thanks to @abhinavbamhi @myhomeiskhan from @faqirchandbookstore for pushing me to read this after a long discussion on the dearth of good historical books in the market .. this was a super investment !

Take a bow @iramukhoty . You wrote a cult book which people will remember for a very long time

#books #bookstagram #book #booklover #reading #bookworm #bookstagrammer #read #bookish #booknerd #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #instabook #love #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookaholic #libros #reader #bookphotography #b #booklove #art #author #libri #literature #instabooks #booklovers

[ninadubetiwari]

रिमझिम गिरे सावन

If the Delhi rains have received so much love , let’s feel the Bombay downpour for now

There is no others song that reminds me of monsoon in Mumbai than this one by Kishore Kumar sahab.

Perfect!🌸

Just like सावन

[ninadubetiwari]

There is a word in the Danish language called hygge. It means the quality of cosiness or comfort that a thing (or person) is associated with.. Bhupinder Singh Sahab was that Hygge for my generation that grew up on his staples of tasteful music.

He was not the gazal king or सुर सम्राट but he was बेमिसाल in his own way. His deep baritone immortalised many cult songs be it the breezy हुज़ूर इस तरह से or the sensitive नाम गुम जाएगा ..and my favourite एक ही ख़्वाब कई बार देखा which is recited like a banter between lovers

Bhupinder ji passed away this morning at Bombay and left a gaping hole in the velvety gazal genre of music .

दुआ है कि आप हमेशा संगीतमय रहें

आप को अपने फ़ुरसत के दिन मुबारक

Rest In Music Bhupinder sahab !

urdupoetry #urdu #poetry #shayari #love #urdushayari #urduquotes #urduadab #pakistan #urdupoetrylovers #instagram #lovequotes #quotes #hindishayari #urduposts #poetrycommunity #follow #urdulovers #shayri #hindipoetry #hindi #shayar #hindiquotes #sad #shayarilover #lahore #ishq #writersofinstagram #mohabbat #bhfyp

[ninadubetiwari]

गंगा आरती💦

Have you witnessed anything like the divine गंगा आरती which is sublime, spiritual , awe inspiring and heart-stopping at the same time?

Most people have the Norwegian northern lights on their bucket list but this son-et-lumière (light and sound show) performed daily on the banks of the majestic Ganga river surpasses the former on many levels .

Trust me , I have witnessed both!

An आरती is a devotional ritual that uses fire as an offering. It's usually made in the form of a lit lamp, and in the case of the Ganges River, a small दिया and flowers floated down the river.

The gentle lapping sound of the river with the tinkling of a thousand bells , a sea of saffron and white , the heady fragrance of the ritual लोबान, the cosmic sound of the conch ‘शंख-नाद’ coupled the with powerful chants of ओम नमः शिवाय transport most to another realm .

Most people go into a trance and begin to sway to this cosmic dance of sound and light from a million lamps. Others get goose bumps when all senses explode into a harmony of devotion. Others simply weep until they can’t .

One feels rejuvenated and lighter after the ceremony ends. Some feel empty . Wonder if this is the cleansing that we associate the mighty Ganga with ?

Don’t believe me?

Try for yourselves at Varanasi/Rishikesh/Haridwar

हरी पद पदम प्रसूता विमल वारिधारा।

ब्रम्हदेव भागीरथी शुचि पुण्यगारा।।

शंकर जता विहारिणी हारिणी त्रय तापा।

सागर पुत्र गन तारिणी हारिणी सकल पापा।।

गंगा-गंगा जो जन उच्चारते मुखसों।

दूर देश में स्थित भी तुरंत तरन सुखसों।।

#indianculture #india #indian #hindu #hinduism #maharashtra #culture #love #photography #instagram #incredibleindia #river #ganga #art #saree #instagood #indianfashion #fashion #indiantradition #bappa #indianhistory #delhi #traditional #indianwear #indianfood #krishna #ganpati #wedding #shiva #morya

[ninadubetiwari]

मोहब्बत नहीं इश्क़!

The kind that takes your breath away .. the one that manifests itself

हंसते हुए गालों में

बेझर खयालों में

हुस्न के हवालों में

सोनी के बालों में,

मोरनी की चालों में

मट्टी के प्यालों में,

पीतल के थानों में

Heard Jhoom ,many moons ago in 2011 and was struck by its similarity with Pancham da’s एक लड़की को देखा तो ऐसा लगा

Super popular these days on social media but this original remains my favourite .

[ninadubetiwari]

The old mountains are like a poison in my blood.

They have me under their spell and when the बुलावा (calling ) comes, I just have to drop everything and go visit them.

My grand old Himalayas .. like a loving grandpa who needs nothing from you except time and attention . And I’m willing to lavish these on the old man who regales me with love and rich memories each time we meet.

We meet once, sometimes twice every year always at unexplored nooks and spots. I try to visit new valleys and peaks each time & always leave a note under a rock with some fresh flowers as an offering to say thanks .

This is now a family ritual which my kids shall hopefully carry forward…

The silent lessons and deep thoughts that the Himalayas have given me are as matchless as deep as the gentle giant himself . These are my wealth and treasures for a lifetime .

Meanwhile we just talk and listen..

ढूँढ लाएँगे तुझे उस सुकून की तरह

जो सिर्फ़ पहाड़ों में मिलता है और कहीं नहीं, कभी नहीं!

@safarnnamaa is my handle on Instagram, in case you were wondering