#what date is happy lohri

[jeevanjali]

Lohri 2024 Date: 13 या 14 जनवरी कब है लोहड़ी,जानिए सही तारीखLohri 2024 Date: हर साल मकर संक्रांति से एक दिन पहले मनाया जाने वाला लोहड़ी का त्योहार साल 2024 में 14 जनवरी को देशभर में हर्षोल्लास के साथ मनाया जा रहा है।

[coleconnerhq]

@valeriasfm

Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong.

This was awful, absolutely awful, and Cole’s sure that if he ever survives past this day, he’ll be seeing it in his nightmares every night to come. Had he not gone through enough? Suffered through the relentless, merciless years of his training, loss of relationships, family, and the turmoil of being caught in between two worlds. He thought he’d overcome, thought he’d finally started to find a piece of real, honest happiness to work for, to earn. And now this. Okay, he’s definitely being dramatic, but still.

Cole had totally ruined his first date ever.

Kass had told him not to overthink it, to simply show Val that he cared and that would be enough. And he’d listened, really he’d tried to follow her advice, because it was Kass, and who knew Val better than her? But the next time he’d seen Val, he couldn’t help but think that she deserved anything and everything, and what one thing would be the perfect date for her? He couldn’t settle on just one idea. Which is how Cole found himself on the day of juggling about five different tasks. That had really been his first mistake. When his alarm had gone off that day he was so sure things were going to be just fine.

He’s checked in with Mary ( @swiiftbladcs ), dropping off his room key when Val was still asleep so that the brunette could help in picking out just the right thing to wear while he started off on his million ideas. First was flower arrangement with Mags ( @magsrome ) in the greenhouse, who’d been kind enough to lend her affinity for flowers into helping Cole make the perfect bouquet for Val. The finished product was full of blue peonies, soft pink roses, and white lilies, beautifully composed thanks to Mags’ expertise in flower arrangement and meanings. After thanking Mags for her lovely work, he took the bouquet back to his room, spotting the outfit Mary had helped in choosing and meeting her in the kitchens.

He’d gotten the idea from Jas ( @jas-michaud ), and luckily Mary was free to help him today, because as he’d told the blonde before, Cole had no expertise in the kitchen. But with Jas’ recipe and Mary’s help, the two ended up making an incredible-smelling batch of double-chocolate brownies he was sure Val would love. He bid his friend goodbye, promising to give her all the details afterwards, carrying the tray back to his room and changing into the outfit she’d help prepare. He’d felt nervous sure, but Cole couldn’t deny that he was excited, confident. Every last detail had been meticulously planned, and he truly hoped that it would all be enough for her, who in his eyes, deserved the world. Maybe that wishful thinking had been what set the rest of the day off, the optimism that the universe had decided was unwarranted.

There wasn’t much time left now, so Cole sent a quick text to Val, letting her know he’d be there soon, and prepped the things he needed to bring with him. However, he was also in the midst of babysitting a certain cat. A smile lit his face as Onyx playfully batted at his leg, and Cole couldn’t resist picking the feline up. But Onyx saw the opportunity to start playing, and before Cole knew it, he was wrestling with a cat that had jumped into his arms. It was only a matter of time before Onyx, in a fit of playfulness, took a claw right through the front of the shirt he was wearing, tearing a gaping hole open.

In a panic, he left Onyx with a treat to subdue him, and stumbled into the common room asking anyone if they knew how to sew. Jerome ( @jrzimmerman ) happened to be near, and swore he could help the guy out, so Cole followed him to his room, thanking him profusely for his help. However, it was possible Jerome may have been lying, because when the guy was done sewing, his shirt looked even worse than it had before. But Cole only smiles politely and thanks him once more before darting back out and trying not to dwell on the awful stitching now adoring his clothing.

In his hurry, however, he’d left the brownies and flowers just hanging about in the common room, and when he returned he found only the bouquet, an empty plate of brownies, and Landon ( @specdracers ) covered in crumbs. Landon was, of course, super apologetic when he understood the situation, but Cole only bid him a quick, “It’s fine!” before running back to the kitchens. Only this time, he didn’t have Mary’s help. With the limited baking skills he had-- that is to say, none-- he ended up with a sorry-looking, burnt batch of brownies, but it would simply have to do at this point.

Cole was running behind, trying to gauge what Val’s reaction to all this might be, lost in his own head at just the wrong moment, when he bumped straight into Noah ( @noahwxrd ), who also wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings. He was apologizing to her and vice versa, not even noticing that he’d dropped the flowers in his hands until a group of rowdier underclassmen walk by, stampeding right over them. After making sure Noah was okay, Cole sullenly picked up the remaining intact flowers-- two peonies and a wilting lily.

There wasn’t any time, so he walked on ahead, determined to see this through. He messaged the five people he’d also been able to convince to also help him today, making sure they were ready and waiting at the location he’d prepped. Only after Scott ( @scottrileys ), Louis ( @redgrve ), Maia ( @maiacurfman ), Luce ( @lucefrs ), and Lohri ( @lohrisaelee ) responded, did they all realize he’d coordinated the wrong date, and they weren’t expecting to be ready today at all, some of them already in Roseville for the day. He really should have listened to Kass. It was a shame, because he knew they’d been rehearsing as a band for a bit, and he really would have liked to see what Lohri and Maia’s singing, Luce’s drum, and Louis on piano could do. Not to mention Scott’s rap skills. Perhaps the world was just not ready to see their masterpiece.

So Cole tries to tell himself now that everything is fine as he makes his way to Gilly’s Waterfall where he’s told her to meet him and where he has a picnic blanket already set up. He sets down the burnt brownies and the sad trio of withering flowers, and them seem to state up at him as if showcasing their failure. God. As long as he can look her in the eye, tell her how much she means to him, maybe it was all still salvageable. Can he pretend the things he has to offer now are still good enough? A weak maybe. But it doesn’t matter, he has to try.

Right on time, he sees her walking up, and for that moment, everything wrong melts away. Her hair glows like gold at the edges, just like it always does in the sunlight, and a smile lights his face just as easily. Cole waves her over, just so simply happy to see her again, feeling that same gentle draw to her as always.

Taking her hands in his, he leans down to leave a small kiss on her cheek. Alright, you can do this, just make the most out of it, he thinks, trying to keep his hopes up. He opens his mouth to speak, and then, like the universe is laughing at them, Cole starts to feel a couple drops of water fall onto their hands. Not sprinkles from the waterfall, but form the sky. In the two frozen, horrifying seconds he takes to fear the worst, the clouds seem to open up and downpour on them.

Rain is falling not particularly hard, but definitely in abundance. He’s scrambling to grab the picnic blanket and throw it over Val’s head and shoulders, but it’s practically useless, and he’s starting to get soaked already. At this point, after all the crap the world has already thrown at him today, Cole does the only thing he can, and starts laughing.

It’s a release of anxiety and pressure, really, and he’s sure he must look crazy, but he needs this, a surrender to all the mess and madness of the day. But he can’t deny beneath the fit of laughter, all he really feels is terrible as he looks in his girlfriend’s eyes. There was no hiding now.

“Valeria, I’m so sorry,” Cole starts, holding her shoulders as the rain continued to fall on him, all the events leading up to now unable to keep from spilling out of him. “I had this whole thing planned, with so many people’s help-- flowers and dessert, but both got ruined. And Mary had helped me bake and she’d helped me decide what to wear, but then Onyx tore a whole right through the shirt, and-- God, I’d even gotten people to come serenade you with some perfectly cheesy song, but I gave them the wrong date and they can’t make it, which sucks. I mean, Scott said he was going to rap! And even with all of that gone, I thought... I thought maybe just being out here with you might be enough, but of course-- of course-- it’s raining!” Cole’s laughter subsides as he puts his palms up to catch the water. “Out of everything, everything I tried to plan for you, all I have left to show for it is this,” he says, pulling out a small black box from his back pocket. A simple necklace hides inside of it, one he’d gotten Kass ( @kassamigos​ ) to help him pick out, safe from the disaster of the day. “You deserve... everything, Val. I’m so sorry I messed up,” he finishes, looking at her with disappointment written all over his face.

[lohrisaelee]

   Task 009 :  Lohri Saelee Summer break feat. @roxyes​ and @burnthesagc​

  It could be said that Lohri enjoyed the casino party, despite feeling at her core that something was missing. The next day, she left Roxy’s dorm with confirmed plans to meet again in the second week of the month.

  Interestingly, while checking her bags, Lohri found a note from her twin with the date of the beginning of May, unable to contain her curiosity, she opened the note and was extremely confused by the content of the message. He informed that their deceased uncle was a spy and that she shouldn’t trust their parents. Great. Her twin was nowhere to be found again, which was already becoming commonplace so she wasn’t worried as he still sent updates on his status, meaning, he was fine and safe.

  But what was written in the note, that was news, their parents were always discreet, since when they moved from Thailand to Washington and then to Portland. Neither commented on what happened in Korea involving their uncle. Her mother was always affectionate and her father, despite being somewhat absent, compensated in other aspects of fatherhood. He was an ambassador so Lohri understood his absence, but she never had any reason to be suspicious. Until that moment.

  Nevertheless, she took the first plane and went home to Portland. She didn’t comment to her parents about the events that had taken place at Gallagher during the semester as usual, but they seemed tense as if they knew what had happened, making her even more paranoid. In one of her conversations with Roxy, she decided to anticipate her trip to her friend’s house because she was feeling like she would end up confronting her parents.

  That being the third summer she spent with Roxy, Lohri had already given up on contesting her friend’s exaggeration in always picking her up personally with a helicopter and private jet. She was happy as long as she was around her friend.

  And Roxy knew better than anyone how to distract Lohri. For starters, the blonde’s family was very pleasant, at least when she was there. Even if she wasn’t hungry, someone was always offering a snack. She took Lobo with her and the cat felt at home. They went horseback riding, took yoga classes, had an actual pool party with some of Roxy’s modeling friends and did a lot of shopping. The short boat trip was postponed until the third week when Sage would join them.

  After Sage joined them, they tripled the fun. During a bucket list conversation months ago, Lohri told her roommate that she knew someone who could make Sage’s wish of driving a Maserati down a Italian shore come true, Roxanne wouldn’t mind offering some of her cars so that the other could drive. They had sleepovers with lots of movies and gossips. The short boat ride was so much fun that Lohri ran out of polaroids during the whole thing.

  In the last week she felt as if the month had lasted a semester and she would give anything to make it last an entire semester. Roxy’s parents had a business dinner one of the last few days and everyone was invited, Lohri could see some familiar faces from Gallagher there, which reminded her that Berlin was about to happen and she was also excited about it.

@gallaghertasks​​

[todocart]

Embellished and stylish jutti for every occasion

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Getting ready from head to toe, mouth-watering smell of sweets and melodious music is what makes any festival complete. Women and girls also get fashionable attire and they are not less than anyone in getting ready. That is why we take care of their fashionable and trendy sense and keep our collection of Punjabi jutti for Girls up to date.  

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[pooma-today]

Happy Lohri, Pongal, Bihu, Bhogi, Makar Sankranti, Uttarayan Paush Parva

Greetings to all Indians on Lohri, Bhogi, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bhogali Bihu, Uttarayan & Paush Parva.

We Indians take pride in our unity in diversity that defines our country, these festivals underline our organic relationship with nature. May the festivals bring prosperity and happiness to everyone.

Festival season is here with Lohri and Pongal falling around the same time January 13 and Makar Sankranti falling on the exceptionally following day-January 14.

Lohri, Pongal and Makar Sankranti, all the three celebrations are collect celebrations of the nation and are praised in various pieces of the nation with equivalent pageantry and show.

While Lohri is celebrated in North Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, Pongal is a celebration of the South and is particularly celebrated with loftiness in Tamil Nadu.

Makar Sankranti is commended in various states like Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Bengal, Assam and Karnataka. Peruse on to know the set of experiences and criticalness of these collect celebrations, alongside the famous food things eaten.

Lohri marks the start of the finishing of winter, happening to spring and the new year. The celebration is generally connected with the collect of the Rabi crops. The customary chance to collect sugarcane crops is January, consequently, Lohri is seen by some to be a gather celebration. What's more, along these lines, Punjabi ranchers see the day after Lohri (Maghi) as the monetary New Year.

There are some intriguing socio-social and society legends associated with Lohri. As per the social history of Punjab, Bhatti, a Rajput clan during the rule of Akbar, occupied pieces of Rajasthan, Punjab, and Gujarat (presently in Pakistan).

Dulla Bhatti, Raja of Pindi Bhattian, was executed by the Mughal lord for rebelling against him. The ancestral mirasis (road artists) follow the historical backdrop of the clan and strangely, guarantee Maharaja Ranjit Singh as one of its scions.

Dulla Bhatti, similar to Robin Hood, ransacked the rich and provided for poor people. The individuals of the zone cherished and regarded him. He once protected a young lady from ruffians and embraced her as his little girl. His kin would recollect their legend consistently on Lohri.

Gatherings of youngsters moved from house to house, singing the Dulla Bhatti society tune: "Dulla Bhatti ho! Dulle ne dhi viahi ho! Ser shakar pai ho!" (Dulla gave his little girl a kilo of sugar as a marriage blessing).

Lohri is basically a celebration committed to fire and the sun god. It is the point at which the sun travels the zodiac sign Makar (Capricorn), and moves towards the north.

Gur rewri, peanuts and popcorns are the three munchies related with this celebration. Other than these, in Punjab towns, it is a custom to eat gajak, sarson da saag and makki di roti upon the arrival of Lohri. It is likewise customary to eat until rice'- - sweet rice made with jaggery (gur) and sesame seeds.

Makar Sankranti also called Sankranti is commended in different parts of the Indian subcontinent to notice the day which denotes the move of the sun into steadily extending days.

The celebration is an occasional recognition just as a strict festival. In spite of the fact that amazingly famous as Makar Sankranti, the celebration is prevalently a gather celebration and is commended all through India, from north to south and east to west. While Makar Sankranti is generally mainstream in West India, down south, the celebration is known as Pongal and in the north, it is commended as Lohri. Uttarayan, Maghi, Khichdi are some different names of a similar celebration.

Makar Sankranti is the celebration of until gul where sesame and jaggery ladoos or chikkis are circulated among all. The celebration Makar Sankranti is a sun oriented occasion making it one of only a handful few Hindu celebrations which fall on similar date in neighborhood schedules each year: 14 January, for certain exemptions when the celebration is commended on 15 January. In Gujarat people from all walks of life fly kites from their terraces and roof tops and enjoy tasty snacks and drinks whole day keeping themselves warm in the festive spirit.

Makar Sankranti is accepted to be a period for harmony and success. The day is viewed as significant for otherworldly practices and in like manner individuals take a heavenly plunge in streams, particularly Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery. The washing is accepted to wash away sins. Makar or Makar Sankranti is praised in numerous pieces of South Asia for certain territorial varieties. It is known by various names and celebrated with various traditions in various pieces of the district.

The celebration is one of holding where each citizen is approached to let bygones be bygones with adversaries and enemies and live in harmony. Makar Sankranti by and large denotes the start of the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh while in South India, in Kerala, quite possibly the most stark and troublesome journeys of Sabarimala closes on this favorable day. Different pieces of the nation as well, celebrate by taking a dunk in the heavenly streams moving through states to purify themselves of sins. It is likewise accepted that of you pass on during Makar Sankranti, you are not reawakened but rather go straightforwardly to paradise.

Thai Pongal is the principal month of the Tamil Almanac, and Pongal is a dish of sweet mixture of rice, moong dal, jaggery and milk. This celebration is praised by every last one as it is non-pertinence to a specific strict confidence. The entire Tamil populace of the world praise it with no distinctions. Hence it is generally known as "Tamil Thai Pongal" or the "Celebration of the Tamils". It is praised on the primary day of the month Thai of the Tamil schedule.

The celebration is a thanks giving service in which the ranchers commend the occasion to thank the spirits of nature soul, the Sun and the livestock for their help with giving an effective gather. The remainder of the individuals praise the celebration to pay their gratitude to the ranchers for the creation of food. Generally speaking, it is a celebration to support social cohesiveness and join individuals by uniting them in a typical capacity. There are numerous melodies about Thai Pongal and there is a lot of Tamil writing about it.

Thai Pongal by and large incorporates customs and festivities that are the statement of celebration over life's reestablishment. On Thai Pongal, the family starts the day early. The conventional Pongal (rice pudding) is set up in the front nursery which is pre-arranged for this ceremonious cooking. A level square pitch is made and brightened with kolam drawings, and it is presented to the immediate daylight. A kindling hearth will be set up utilizing three blocks. The cooking starts by putting a mud pot with water on the hearth.

A senior individual from the family directs the cooking and the remainder of the family helps the person in question or watches the occasion. At the point when the water has heated up the rice is placed into the pot - after a part the family ceremoniously places three small bunch of rice in first. Different elements of this exceptional dish are chakkarai (earthy colored genuine sweetener) or katkandu (sugar treats), milk (dairy animals' milk or coconut milk), broiled green gram (payaru), raisins, cashew nuts and few units of cardamom. At the point when the dinner is prepared it is first put on a banana leaf and the family petition God for few moments to thank the nature sprit, the sun and ranchers. Enjoy the festivities, Cheers!

[tellywoodtrash]

Lol going through your blog after a long time as I myself have been on a hiatus, one last thing to address: this is my third refute "The most infuriating thing to me was when in day before/yesterday’s episode, Shivaay asks Anika why she didn’t stop him from breaking up the family. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, MAN????? HOW THE F IS SHE SUPP TO DO THAT WHEN SHE HAS NO CLUE WHY THE FUCK YOU’RE DOING THE SHIT THAT YOU ARE??????" Well in his view she does have the power to STOP him from doing 1/2

Hey anon, 

The inbox ate the second part of your ask, so imma just address that last one sentence: 

Well in his view she does have the power to STOP him from doing

Firstly, how is she supposed to stop him if she doesn’t know what the fuck is even going on? What advice is she supposed to give him when she has zero point zero information?

Secondly, Shivaay’s view that Anika has the power in their relationship to do anything, doesn’t ACTUALLY mean she does. It’s a logical fallacy, and often the mindset of the “oppressor” (using the term for the lack of any other that comes to mind) in situations with power imbalances. Eg. White people thinking black people have equal power and rights in society just because of some lines in some document that promises “liberty and equality to all”. Men thinking women have equal rights in society in current day just because we now have the right to vote and work and shit. The actual reality of the situation is very different, mired with a million other factors.

So Shivaay can THINK whatever the heck he wants, but as an objective third party, observing the relationship from the outside, I see that’s not really true. Forget her being able to stop him from doing what he wants, she can’t even get him to consider her agency in regards to their relationship where she is rightfully an equal. He’s always held the reins in the relationship, and pushes and pulls and decides the status of the relationship that day according to his whims and needs. He forces her into marrying him, and then forces her to sign divorce papers. He is unwilling to acknowledge her as his wife, but unwilling to let her go. He signs the divorce papers, but does not file them. He marries her a second time, to abandon her that night and reappear with another woman as his “wife”. He makes the decision to leave the house, without telling her WHY, and till date hasn’t told her the reason for tearing the damn family apart, even though there’s absolutely NO REASON she shouldn’t know by now. (If he can tell her re: his suspicions of The Shady 4 the first time around, why the fuck not tell her this time too???? Like… This isn’t a NEW issue. It’s an issue that Anika is fully aware of and was helping him out with a few weeks ago??????) I also love how his first “farmaan” is she should stay back, with the shitshow circus that is his godforsaken family. EVEN HERE, he doesn’t give her the freedom to make a decision; it doesn’t even occur to him to ASK her if she’d like to stay or come with him. It’s only when she throws a damn shitfit does it occur to him that oh, okay, I guess she has an opinion and a stake in this relationship too??????? (Yeah yeah yeah, I know, it’s a parallel of the Ramayana and that Ram did the same. I don’t agree with it THERE either. And the Ramayan is a product of a whole other time, literally millenia ago. What next, are we going to literally set Anika on fire for the whole “agni pariksha” thing????)

The only one time Anika has exhibited some agency in their relationship is when she decided to leave him due to Pinky’s coercion, and even then, she was thinking solely about his well being and sacrifices her happiness to protect his stupid ego which is shaped by garbage opinions. In contrast, look at all the situations that Shivaay has pulled crap in, and you’ll see Anika’s well-being was rarely, if never a factor there - btw, I don’t for a second believe that whole Tanya stunt was to ensure Anika’s safety. Anika was no more in any danger than the rest of the family in that situation. The priority was to protect the WHOLE FAMILY, but surprise surprise, it’s ONLY Anika that yet again suffers the brunt of this crappy decision he unilaterally makes for their relationship. The point is his single-mindedness when it comes to protecting THE FAMILY and their “image” always takes precedence over Anika and her happiness and emotional well-being. 

The reason I cling to Shivaay getting shot for Anika during Lohri ‘17 so much (aside from the fast that I am a masochist who loves angst) is that, it’s pretty much THE ONLY TIME (as far as I can recall) Shivaay has acted selflessly for Anika, without ghusaofying the whole family agenda into the situation as well. (Don’t come at me with “he gave up his NKK ideals FOR her!!!!!” as something he did for her, because NOT being a classist, elitist, blood purity-endorsing piece of shit is the bare minimum for not being a garbage person in civil human society.) 

TLDR: Let’s first work on Shivaay giving Anika the right to make decisions about HER OWN life as pertaining to her relationship with him, and then we can work on him taking her counsel in matters of the family and its daily drama.

[bigyack-com]

Happy Lohri 2020: 5 make-up hacks to make you shine this Lohri - fashion and trends

Lohri, a very popular harvest festival, is celebrated largely in Northern India. This spirited festival is celebrated in high spirits and tremendous enthusiasm by families and friends, annually on January 13. Lohri is all about spending time with loved ones, eating popcorns, rewari, gazak, peanuts, and dancing around the bonfire. Amidst all these flurry of activities and festive stress, it’s also important to look your best. If you’re someone who loves to own the picture-perfect look, here are 5 makeup hacks to keep that shine on during the festival.Skincare: The first and foremost tip to making sure you look your best to take care of your skin in every way. From proper cleansing, to regular facials, scrubs and masks, what you eat and how much water you drink also affects the skin’s elasticity, shine and glow. Use some of the readily available kitchen ingredients like honey, milk, egg, oats, curd etc to make your at-home packs which are also chemical-free. If time is a constraint, go for face masks with repair qualities to maintain your natural beauty. B07RJP91ZQ, B07HMYKKTLTry a deeper shade for your lips: Red is the perfect colour to go for when you need to keep it classy and alluring at the same time. Deep red-toned lips along with lighter shades of foundation pair perfectly with a strong brow and subtle contouring for a polished look.Glitter: Highlight your cheekbones, and add on some golden glitters for your eye shadow. A nude-coloured lipstick will help you carry a glamorous yet subtle look for the celebrations.ALSO READ: Blush, Neon and Pastels: 6 make-up trends to follow in 2020Dark eye shadow: As we get ready to bid adieu to bone-chilling winters, throw on some darker shades for your eye shadow. Be it brown, or blush-pink, adding some colours will accentuate the beauty of your eyes. Applying lots of kohl and eye-liner with a pinch of a black eye shadow will also add as a boon to enhance the shape to your eyes.B07B93HP59, B07HF9T3CKExperiment with smokey eyes: Smokey eyes are back and it’s time you tried it on too. All you need is a dark eye shadow and kohl. For this look, apply a mid-tone shadow all over the lid and then line the eyes with kohl and then smudge it on the corner lids. This look is high on drama and can be perfectly carried along with a nude or coral shade lipstick.Bold-winged eyeliner: The winged eyeliner look is famous because it can be adapted to flatter different eye shapes. If you have smaller eyes, accentuate them by drawing a thinner line. Ladies gifted with almond-shaped eyes can enhance the shape of their eyes by lining them thicker towards the outer corner. This look has been nailed by famous celebrities and divas and can intensify your festive look.-- With inputs from ANIFollow more stories on Facebook and TwitterAt Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. Read the full article

[srbachchan]

DAY 3212

Jalsa, Mumbai                 Jan 13,  2016               Fri  10:10 pm

Festivities galore in the firmament of our days .. ‘Lohri’ up in the North, ‘MakarSankranti’ in the astrological dates of the Calendar, and ‘Pongal’ in the Southern parts of the country ..

And my wishes go out to all for happiness and good cheer, for peace and loving .. and most of all fulfillment .. fulfillment justifies a completeness that any other does not .. and so respect its value and examination ..

When the body bodes well .. when the structure of nature given to us at birth with all its complicated insides .. when those that understand its delicate forms .. when willingness to accept and be constructive enough to sustain its presence despite shortcomings .. then .. then shall there be deliverance ..

Comparisons shall vary .. they should .. nature and the ‘Maker’ did not do favour .. He or a She did what they had on their pallet .. delivered the difference and watched with bated breath how it would be used abused accepted destroyed reconstructed - for many in today’s times do indulge in changing what has been given to what could have been given, inviting designs, that to me, invariably wish they hadn’t for the original is always the best !!

But to each his or her own .. more her .. for they seem to be challenging the most in the percentages that could be sourced of ‘the responsible, beautified change’ !!

Science and its progress, has drifted our attention away from the real, to the manufactured real .. attachments and gadgets harnessed onto the systems of not just humans but all methods of physical manufacturing, relies believes and calculates according to what the meter or computerised information shall emanate .. reliance on the human has diminished considerably .. in every walk of our lives and existence ..

Robots are replacing humans and that too with an attitude that defies normalcy .. they are constructed by man, run and programmed by man, yet there is uncertainty on their behaviour .. a report recently informed us that one such demagog beserked his way to assassinate the maker ..

So .. the Almighty made us .. and we have the right to assassinate the Almighty at given time or reason .. !!?? that is not right or doable .. is it ..? 

No one has seen the Almighty .. and those that have, and many do each hour, have never fed back to us the detail of the meeting .. however enlightening it could or would have been ..

Planes and cars fly and work on their own .. auto pilot the plane and you can start reading the newspaper or have a conversation with the passengers at the back, outside the cockpit, without much ado .. cars are getting into driverless conditions .. and even now, when put on ‘drive mode’, on long distance highway travel, helps us to rest our feet and merely keep that circular wooden or material operator in your hand, to turn or twist at your will .. pilotless aircraft are causing grievous injury during war operations .. this .. this very medium that you read now has replaced the pen and ink .. words appear, words correct themselves in spelling, and if faulted gives options for correction .. seeking information does not require miles of travel or educated years of study .. it is a click away ..

So in the rehab as I said .. the specialists are busy consulting their machines of information instead of watching the client struggle at the treadmill or bike of the weights or the medicine ball or the bench press er, leg extension er, or any other well designed instrument that competes with your muscular ability to win and put you in breathless shame  ...

But it is a comfort zone of bewildered anonymity .. anonymous to the scientific graphic contours that build intricate ups and owns on a scale of reference .. they are the gauge for us all .. they control our being and well being .. and reliance on them is considerably more attention seeking than any other ...

A strange world engages you at the bazaar of complicated weaponry inside that reconstructuring arena - the gymnasium .. !!

‘Gymnasium’ .. hehahaha .. a word that stands in its discovery form here :late 16th century: via Latin from Greek gumnasion, from gumnazein ‘exercise naked’, from gumnos ‘naked’.

AND NO .. that was not devised by me .. it is factual and real .. and if it was or is .. how many really go according to the 16th century observation of the ‘way God built us and brought us into the world’ .. err .. not me at least .. I cannot say about the others  ...!!!

Such mundane talk and conversation on this platform .. when there has been other interesting developments in the creative world .. a world that we all inhabit and enjoy to our fullest ..

There can never be any more intrinsic and loved in its alert mind than the course of forming ideas that then dramatically change into fact and fiction and reality and intense critical viewing .. art in its devious methodology has indeed become another tool in the world of the web or computerised excellence .. the most vivid and enchanting visuals get recreated on canvasses that defy and challenge the real .. and with suitable substance ..

Substance that aims for reward at every brush of its creativity .. and that is where competition emerges in its ogre like presence, drifting away in the breezes of commerciality, bringing joy when its attained, hurt and debilitation when not .. 

But .. 

the decision taken for reward is not your own, it belongs to the other .. the other shall decide for posterity, value worth and recognition .. the other shall document your good or your bad ..

That is a sacrilege ..

My art contains and envelopes my reading, thought and sweat .. from my inner bodily presence .. it needs my acceptance, my perseverance value, and my consent for reward .. I shall know the right from the wrong .. I .. no other .. the other may consider its worth and reward .. that shall be acceptable, but it cannot replace the creative personality of its creation .. or the moment and health of its making ..

NEVER ..

which is why, the best occasion for celebration is the one that resounds within us .. inside our insides .. not within the decision insides of another .. NEVER !

And that is why I ‘read the papers and laugh’ .. as I did earlier on the Twitterised 140 ..

Be in well behaved circuit .. in command and intensity of your own worth .. nothing can ever invade or make hostile, your own .. this special body of flesh and skin and veins and brain, shall remain unique in every respect and time ..

Honour and dignify it .. it does not take long to do so .. 

Just do it .. (with due apologies to Nike) ..

Amitabh Bachchan

[jivancreations]

Ideas about panjabi lifestyle

Attitudes to mental health (men)

Suicide: toxic masculinity 

Attitudes to mental health (women) 

Abuse of alcohol 

Abuse of drugs

Drug dealers 

Rani of the household?

Religion vs. Culture

Status quo: there’s a clear ladder you must climb

Singh by image but not Sikh by Nature 

Image: what do we look like? (Physique) 

Our fashion: fulkari to gucci “Are we wearing english or Indian?” 

Racism: towards us and within our own community 

Does caste still exist? J4tt lyf

Concepts of beauty: (women) “orda nain naksh”/”Borhth snakhi” simplicity or highlighter and contour? “Us Indian girls have the best hair and eyebrows” vs. Asian dent in our noses & facial hair

Grooming of Punjabi/sikh girls

Taboo of sexual abuse 

Slut shaming: “sharum haini”

Objectification of women: “Half of you are just going to end up like baby machines right?”

Attitudes to miscarriages / barren women

Is fostering ever an option? 

“No life without wife” pressures men face 

“Why can’t I wear my chumke?”: Jewellery is not only aesthetically pleasing. 

Why do BritPunjabi’s have so much gold? (Gold chains and gold karas on your 18th/21st birthday)

‘When you have a meal with someone that’s an eternal friendship’ Food & hospitality 

BAME in corporate world & positive discrimination 

Extinction of Punjabi Language 

Destruction of the gita and tearing pages of the SGGSJ 

Punjab as a marginalised state? Hindi & English only taught in schools 

Homosexuality: what’s all the fuss about?

Parenting styles

Biba poth: what makes a perfect child? 

Engagement with the arts 

“My son is a doctor” University degrees and auntie’s jealousy

Punjabi/Bhangra societies at university vs. Religious societies: Where are my people at? 

Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation 

BritPunjabi vs American/Canadian Punjabi/Desi 

Marriage/arranged/forced 

No sex before marriage 

0 to 100: “Oh one day she’s there doing seva acting naive next week she’s getting married and having a baby the following month”. Secrecy behind relationships and marriage

He’s just a friend mum: Relationships and expectations of boys and girls

Are his roti’s round too?: Inequality between sons and daughters

“When a son is married he has loyalty to his wife, so it’s actually the daughters who are with you all your life”: Role of sons and daughters after marriage, expectation vs. reality 

Mixed religious marriages: have we accepted them yet?

Impact of 9/11 

Our voice when there is a terrorist attack

Impact of Brexit and immigration hate 

Competition and comparison: “What will everyone say? Apa nai karna” Reputation>Happiness and honesty 

World Wars and our true Lions (Response to smethwick vandalism)

Punjabi christmas?

New year: “No alcohol after 12, I’m going Gudwara in the morning” 

Screw the lightbulb and pat the dog: the universal attitude towards Bhangra 

Integration issues: “I don’t understand my neighbour was my best friend and he was a Muslim”. 

“I’m African before I’m Punjabi mate” history of Kenyan Punjabis (Uganda etc…)

Lohri 

Rakhri 

Vaisakhi: Nishan Sahib or the Mela 

“Meat free mondays? These gore don’t know about no meat on Tuesdays and Thursdays”: Attitude to ethical eating, have the west only just woken up?

“Do I try out my Gyms’ Yoga class or watch Baba Ramdev with bibiji?”: fitness and health or even Raj Yoga

Vegan diet vs. Punjabi diet 

Lack of awareness in health issues and the importance to contribute to research (cancer/bone marrow/organs) 

Fitness for Punjabi Boys: “he’s gotta be taller than me and Thakra!” 

Boys and Girls: sport. (Kabbudi/football/cricket/hockey) 

Punjabi chivalry? “Don’t date without the intention of marrying her”. 

Not knowing what to do at religious occasions: Coconuts at Akhand Paths 

Putting £21 £31 £41 £51 in cards: Gift giving

Boliyaan and Ladies Sangeet a rare art form: bibiji’s are the masters of Cyphers and freestyles

Our connection to Hip hop and grime: voices of the forgotten or oppressed 

Mist - Karlas Back: hold tight all my apnas, karlas, gouras all of that yeah?: Hold tight Steel Banglez 

“Pooaji what’s partition?”: Never forget partition, it will always repeat 

Sheer and sheerni attitude: the stillness of our elders and ability to show no pain only optimism 

“Rangla Punjab mera Kala horgiya” The beauty of our land is destroyed by lack of interest and respect. Discuss 

Tensions of the Wagah border: why is this important to me? 

Jallianwala bagh so?

Long lost Peshawar and Lahore: “wake up, half of us were from there”

“You guys are always so generous and honest” The hidden motives of a punjabi businessman

Bhagat Singh: Thank you 

“Do we have a duty to preserve our culture? Or is it time to remove the borders and see everyone as one human race?”

Do the Diaspora have a duty to improve our motherland?

Importance of getting involved in politics?

[priyastandon]

KARWA-CHAUTH : MY TAKE

Any day that we celebrate or observe, has been marked on the calendar for a specific reason. Like every year people party on New Year’s Eve, to bring in the New Year. At midnight there is loud music, dancing, drinking, hugging and kissing in public places. Isn’t it just another day? But it’s an occasion to party none the less! 

Raksha Bandhan is the day when girls tie Rakhi to their brothers, and seek their protection. Does that mean that a sister is weaker than the brother? No? But the festival of Rakhi is still celebrated because it is an occasion to celebrate the brother-sister relationship. 

At Dussehra time, the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbkarn are burnt in thousands of places all over the country. Why? Isn't Ravana long since dead and gone? It is to remind us what the end of evil is like! 

On Diwali we celebrate the home coming of Lord Rama. Why do we do it every year? If He came home last year, then why did He go away? How come we invite Goddess Lakshmi every year to visit us on Diwali? Why doesn't she come and stay on forever? There is no end to the questions in a logical mind. But somewhere we have to stop. Why? Because all said and done, we do enjoy the festivity around Diwali. We enjoy the sweets and the Deepmala; dressing up and decorating our homes. It is just an excuse to get festive that we look forward to, no matter what! 

The popular folk songs sung at Punjabi weddings like Latthe di chaadar, kala doriya, jutti meri … are absolutely meaningless and irrelevant for the sophisticated, urbanite woman of today, but nevertheless they are still sung for the festivity and fun that comes with them! 

Our forefathers ascertained the dates for Holi, Ganesha Chaturthi, Rakhi, Navrathri, Dushehra, Diwali etc. according to the Lunar Calendar. A lot of thought has been put in to plan when, what and how to celebrate. 

Lohri comes in winter when it’s fun to have a bonfire and munch on peanuts and gachhak. Diwali comes at the beginning of the winter when one enjoys lighting lamps and the evening is pleasant to enjoy the Deepmala. 

As a little girl I was always enamoured by Karwa Chauth. Etched in my memory is Mama’s image dressed up in a maroon and gold silk saree, glass bangles, sindoor and jewellery. Of late I am hearing of a lot of hostility from young girls about why they should fast for their husbands. I just thought of sharing my thoughts. We are all entitled to our own views. We can even agree to disagree. 

Perhaps we would all have heard the story of Veerawati, who had five brothers and was tricked into thinking that the moon had risen, by her brothers. After she ate her food, her husband became unconscious. It is said that the body of the husband was full of pins and needles. Veerwati spent the year removing the needles from his body. Towards the end, she went out for a bit, to buy a Karwa (a mud pot) for the Karwa Chauth fast. Meanwhile the maid removed the last of the needles and the man became conscious. He thought that the maid was his wife. But Veerawati kept the Karwa Chauth fast and eventually her husband realized the truth and came back to her. Well, the story is a legend and I really have nothing to say about it. But let me tell you a beautiful interpretation of it. 

I remember one Karwa Chauth when my mother had a lot of her friends over for the Pooja in the evening and Panditji recited the story aforesaid. After the Pooja, all the aunties were chit-chatting. My father had been watching the Pooja and listening to the Katha too. He said, the pins and needles are the harsh words the couple say to each other. They are the ones that prick so hard that our mind becomes numb (becomes unconscious so to say). When we make up, those pins and needles lose their sting. The fast is a day to celebrate the relationship of loving and caring between married couples. 

Let’s look at it this way. Women, whether young or old, love to dress up. The Karwa Chauth fast starts with the morning Sargi wherein, it’s no less than a party at dawn. It is the day when every woman is pampered by her mother-in-law to eat all the nice things at Sargi. Paranthas, Feni, Fruit, mithai ... you name it and you can have it. 

The Katha story narrative says that the lady should not do things like spinning the loom, cleaning up, cutting and chopping, weaving ... Why? Because today she is a VIP! She is the pampered one. To top it all she can indulge in Henna. While the Mehndi is wet, a woman has to obviously abstain from work. So she can put her feet up and relax! In the days gone by the women folk would spend their day in doing household chores. So the narrative of the festive song absolved them from all of that for the day. Given that in modern times a large number of women work in offices just as men do, they find the song funny and even gross. But could the women then, have conceived of a song that could absolve women from modern day activities like computing, designing, driving, teaching etc.? Same as the wedding folk songs, right? Let’s just understand the thought behind the entire thing. 

The goodies that are available in the market a day before, like mathi and feni are all high calorie food. The idea is that the woman who is fasting should not have to cook for the family, so other options are made available. So think of it this way ... Karwa Chauth is a day when a woman is licensed to spend the day praying or dressing up, decking up, wearing her finest clothes and jewels ... she can put henna, wear flowers in her hair, sindoor, glass bangles, bindi, kajal, pyal, bichhuae etc. It's all about the mind-set.  It's all about doing what you are happy doing! So why crib? 

Every woman enjoys grooming herself. Do we even want the men to indulge in cosmetics and jewels? Some things are best left to the women alone! Also, God made women more resilient and capable of sacrifice and giving love. Sacrificing and loving never weakens a woman, it makes her stronger! 

The point I am trying to make is this. It doesn't matter what the story and the song say. What matters is that on this day a woman can express her love for her husband and celebrate and share the joy and partake of a celebration of sorts with married women. Don’t we go off food while dieting? How difficult is it anyways to fast after hogging on Sargi at dawn? And look at the fun and party that comes alongside? You give some; you get some … 

There is a trend whereby girls are demanding that the husband too should fast for them. Honestly why do we want to share the pampering and the girlie fun? Speaking for myself I wouldn't want my husband to fast for me. This is my day to be pampered as well as pamper my daughters-in-love. And as far as praying for his long life is concerned, we know for a fact that each one's time of passing on is determined by God alone. But, at the same time there is great power in prayer. If I can pray for my children's well-being; if I can pray for a friend in distress, why can I not pray for the long life of my husband? Yes! I want to exit the world before him because I treasure his presence by my side and I know that I cannot manage without him. When it is time to go, I want to go first. Don't we insist on ‘ladies first’ as an etiquette? So here too, I want my husband to hold my hand and see me off first! I shall fast for him not because of any societal pressure but because I want to and I find pleasure in so doing. 

Come to think of it, Valentine's Day is another day to express love between couples. Why do we not question it? Why is it cool to ape the West and denounce what belongs to us and is deeply ingrained in our culture and belief? 

Let’s not doubt our beliefs,

Let's not believe our doubts.

Let’s own what is ours and do so with aplomb!

Girls! Let me tell you that it won't matter if you don't observe Karwa-Chauth. Nothing will happen to your husbands. As I said before everything is pre-destined. But you shall surely miss out on the joy of celebrating love and marital bliss. You shall miss out on the fun of dressing up; the Sargi in the morning and the friends and family get-together in the evening; the fun and romance of the Pooja on a moonlit night and all the love and pampering alongside! 

Today the so called liberated and modern mind set is questioning Karwa-Chauth. Tomorrow it will be Diwali. Next in line will be Holi and Rakhi … all that we shall be left with would be Halloween, Valentine’s … And Diwali shall be celebrated only in the White House … What say?

A concise version of this article was published in the Chandigarh Tribune on 25th October, 2018 

[coinsandmaps-blog]

Punjabis are known for their warm hospitality, bhangra, and food besides many other things. It was on the occasion of Lohri that I was invited to sample the curated Lohri Brunch at Pavilion 75, WelcomHotel Dwarka.

Welcome to Pavilion 75

Being a Punjabi  (don’t go by my surname that is acquired – side effects of being a woman, more on this, some other time perhaps and I am not a feminist) who is inclined towards vegetarianism I had already pictured myself eating Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti – that’s my seasonal favourite.

As I entered Pavilion 75, I was greeted by the staff wearing traditional Punjabi dress in bright blue color and the place was decked with kites, parandas, and woolen yarns in bright colours (Ludhiana is one of the hubs in Punjab where woolens are manufactured) that gave it a very traditional and at home feel. By the way, there was also the Kite Festival that was taking place simultaneously at Dwarka Sector 10 as part of the celebrations for Makar Sankranti that was organized by Delhi Tourism.

Chef Yashpal was a happy man this Sunday

The spread at the brunch was huge (Punjabis don’t believe in small portions and are large hearted) and I, without much ado only concentrated on the theme-brunch i.e. only on the Punjabi dishes and while there was a large buffet of Continental, Oriental  dishes and desserts I preferred to stay in the Punjab of the Pavilion 75. To my surprise, even my daughters who are well known for their love of pastas and pizzas in the family, shunned the idea of taking an Italian detour that day and stuck to our own desi Punjabi food. Chef Yashpal who was at the helm of this brunch had put a lot of thought in putting across an array of Punjabi dishes that were different from the usual, for example, there was Sagle Ki Daal which is Urad Daal with Khajur (dates); now  we all know Daal Makhni as a staple and rich Punjbai daal that has become a regular attendee at all the party circuits/ restaurants which serve typical north Indian Punjabi dishes but Sagle Ki Daal was a surprise entrant for me at least, as I had never imagined that Punjabis share something in common with the Gujaratis (they also add sugar to their daals to make it sweet).

No talk of Punjabi food is complete without Chicken and to make the afternoon as Punjabi as it could get there was mouthwatering and utterly delicious, rich, and creamy Patiala Murg and the world famous Butter Chicken.

Now Butter Chicken has a special place in my heart as while I was staying in Ludhiana (for a short spell of six months) I had the chance of tasting the divine Butter Chicken at Chawla’s in Ludhiana and trust me that is the most delicious Butter Chicken you can ever imagine and hence it takes courage to try the red gravy Butter Chicken you get in Delhi. So without any expectations, I took a bite of Butter Chicken with a soft and butter kissed Naan and voila, it was very close to what I wanted and let me tell you I finished an entire Naan with the rich cashew gravy of Patiala Murg and the yummy Butter Chicken. Now, I know if I can’t travel to Ludhiana for that taste of Butter Chicken that is so deeply engraved in my taste buds, I can very well come to Pavilion 75 and request for a portion of Butter Chicken by Chef Yashpal only. I am not taking any chances with my Butter Chicken.

There were more Punajbi dishes like – Kadhi, Pindi Chole, Moongra Badiya, seasonal vegetables like Aloo Methi, Choliya, and other vegetarian dishes and the nonvegetarians too were delighted with Saag Wala Meat, Keema Kaleji and Gurda on Tawa, besides Patiala Murg and Butter Chicken. Like I mentioned, kids too gave the Italian food a miss and enjoyed their time with Butter Chicken, Patiala Murg and Naan; I felt like a proud mom when the chef asked if the kids enjoyed the Pasta and Noodles and they replied that they had a proper Punjabi meal for today. In fact, Cheryl (my elder daughter) tried a glass of Kanji of which I gulped at least two glasses.

Gajar Kanji

Meat Ka Achar

It was then, it struck me that theme brunches like these are actually a must go to for kids as it is a great way to introduce them to the traditional food and culture of a region. Like for example, both my daughters will now remember that Phulkari (the table runners had Phulkari embroidery on them) is a traditional embroidery from Punjab. I think it is a great way of keeping the culture alive and passing the legacy on to the next generation without burdening them with allegations that they don’t care about the heritage and then we in our bid to revive a lost form of art or craft just bombard the next generation with our ideas. I am saying, if we introduce these traditional arts and crafts and cuisines as a part of our lives the need of revival doesn’t arise (khadi and banarsi weaves, for example).

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You know Punjabis are about food and more food, and desserts are not food so you have to eat food and then desserts are mandatory.

My Sweet Cravings

We did ditto for desserts as well; we ditched the idea of fancy pastries and mousse and cheese cake and headed straight to fill our plates with Gajrela and hot and crispy Jalebis with Rabdi – the ultimate sweet dish from north India.  There was also Meetha Chawal made with Gur (jaggery) and Kesar which reminded me of my childhood days, this sweet rice was actually a must-make-dish with a lot of dry fruits, at least twice or thrice in winters back at home.

It was a lovely time I had with my daughters here and while we enjoyed the Punjabi spread Rohit Joshi, co-founder, Coins and Maps was enjoying the Sunday Brunch at ITC Kakatiya, Hyderabad. Stay tuned for details about brunching in Hyderabad.

Kidolicious:  WelcomHotel Dwarka thank you for having us over for this theme brunch, for besides filling our bellies with yummy food I had the chance to talk about geography, festivals, culture and food of Punjab with my daughters and that is learning by eating.

And by the way, I also had the honor of meeting the celebrated food critic Marryam H Reshii  (oh! should have clicked a selfie with her) at Pavilion 75. Perhaps, the next time we go brunching we can discuss food as a serious business with kids and I am sure they would appreciate and look at food with a changed perspective then.

What I liked: With a price like INR 1500+taxes for this wide spread buffet which also includes bottomless supply of Hoegaarden I think you should call even your extended family for a family reunion here (sure shot way to impress your relatives)

What I missed: While it was a Lohri Brunch I would have liked to have some Urad Dal Khicdi – a must on Makar Sankranti  (Don’t judge me, Khicdi is my favourite comfort food) and perhaps taken the conversation with my little ladies a little further.

Thanks for the lovely music In Sane Mode

While every week they change the live band that is playing while you are enjoying your food, this time In Sane Mode would have had us grooving to their tunes had they played one or two Punjabi numbers too. After all, Punjabi music is a great mood enhancer. What say?

P.S. I am not even mentioning about the plethora of starters which I gave a miss this time as I wanted to enjoy the pure Punjabi bliss without any distractions.

I only clicked starters

Punjabi food is as distinct as the Punjabis themselves and if it's a Lohri Brunch then... Punjabis are known for their warm hospitality, bhangra, and food besides many other things. It was on the occasion of Lohri that I was invited to sample the curated…