The Perfect Resting Place

Heaven on Earth!- The Taj in all its glory

The first glimpse of the Taj Mahal makes one's heart melt. Truly a great Wonder of the World, I finally got a chance to visit Agra this May and see it with my own eyes. And boy, did I fall in love with it! Just the first view from the entrance took my breath away. One sees it in pictures, hears about its beauty, but the Taj truly has to be seen in person, for one to 'feel the love' within it.

Walking around the Taj Complex, taking in all the sights of beautiful Mughal designs and architecture, one really wishes that one was alive during the 16th century to experience the grandeur of the Mughal Era!  

View of the main gateway from a window of the Taj Mahal

The guide that took my cousin and me around was very knowledgeable- he told us probably each and every detail one would like to know about the Taj- how and why it was built, the significance of all the designs, the site of the Black Taj (if only Aurangzeb had allowed it to be made, we'd have one more beauty in Agra!) and the most fascinating of all-that the Taj is not a perfectly made monument. In Islam, the belief is that only God is perfect, so artists make a deliberate error in whatever they create. The Taj Mahal has one pillar that is squarish, as opposed to the rest that are rounded-proof that not even one of the most beautiful monuments made by man is totally perfect.  

Each and every place in the Taj complex is a treat to the eyes-there wasn't a single moment when I took my eyes off the Taj or its surrounding monuments. The beautiful pietra dura work on every wall-whether just the decorative designs or the Quranic Aayats- were done upto the tiniest detail, making one's jaw drop in awe. 

Pietra Dura work at the entrance to the tomb hallway

Mumtaz was a very lucky woman even in death-to have a husband who left his worldly duties to make a tomb that millions over the world would love and admire even centuries after its foundation. As my 18 year old cousin exclaimed as soon as we climbed the staircase leading to the main mausoleum-"I think I'm in love!"  I'm sure people from far and wide have similar sentiments towards this mammoth beauty-this Perfect Resting Place. 

The magnificent Taj Mahal Complex

"You knew Shah Jahan,

 life and youth, wealth and glory,

 they all drift away in the current of time.

 You strove, therefore,

 to perpetuate only the sorrows of your heart.

Let the splendour of diamond, pearl and ruby vanish

 like the magic shimmer of the rainbow. 

Only let this one teardrop,

 this Taj Mahal, 

 glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time,

 forever and ever". 

-Rabindranath Tagore

We'll Go Down In History....

-To the crazy bunch of historians of the Sem Room, 2011-2012! Historia Vitae Magistra-

As I wore the black robe and hat and got ready for my graduation photos, the memories of the past 10 months came rushing back. 'Twas the end of my final year in college, the best year of my life.

All the moments spent in my classroom on the ground floor (and stupid LR13 once a week!), whether spent laughing or in silence, in boredom or excitement, were truly 'historical'.

Watching stupid movies in Marathi and making fun of them, pretending to listen during a presentation but actually doodling in your notebook, studying for exams just a day before attempting them-the few moments that one can experience and be a part of, only during college years.

The best days of Third Year were those that were spent outside the classroom-Heritage Walks all over South Mumbai, museum trips, boat rides, bus rides, deciding the slogan for our sweatshirts, two AWESOME days in Khandala, hours in the miniscule room that was the Department of History, conversations on Facebook and for some people, making Anna Hazare posters and maps of Maharashtra and forts of Shivaji in the arches!!!

There were many people who made this year extremely memorable for me- my 'eveteaser' (yeah, I do have one), my "wanna-share-a-cab-home person", my all-of-us-always-sit-in-the-third-row friends, the girl-who-always-asks-questions friend, the quiet ones, the crazy ones, the can't-stop-making-jokes-about-everyone-and-everything friend and most of all, the one who sang to me during lectures-passed hilarious comments-hit me and pushed me-always made me laugh,-needed my scanner more than I did-and gave the squishiest hugs ever friend, my Brucelee!! (Yeah, she probably can deliver a mean Karate chop too...)

Ofcourse, it was all 24 of us 'Historians' that made these moments what they were. All those lectures, movie sessions, class presentations, parties, games and stupid conversations  will go down in history, as ten months truly well spent...!!

My Bucket List!




Image Credit: southernwritersmagazine.blogspot.com

So what do people usually want to do before they kick the bucket? Some want to climb a mountain, some want to go bungee jumping or pierce their tongue....but mine isn't that wild!(I'm a big scaredy cat....I can't even ride a rollercoaster without getting death visions!) Here are most of the things that I would love to accomplish before this world has to bade me goodbye! :)

•  See my name on the cover of a book - Now who wouldn't want to be the next J.K.Rowling?
  
• Go backpacking across Europe all by myself! :)
  
• See myself on TV (Obviously if I'm going to be a famous author the interviews should follow! :P )
• Act in a cheesy Hindi Rom-Com Film!!
  
• Start my own travel and lifestyle magazine :)
  
• Get my portfolio made!
  
• Give an award winning speech on stage in front of hundreds of people thanking my dog and everything else! :P
  
• Meet Prince William. and Daniel Radcliffe. (Aah...a girl can dream, can't she?)
  
• Visit the Taj Mahal. (Yeah, I haven't done that yet!!!)
  
• Host a show on TV.
  
• Win an inter-country Scrabble competition.
  
• See what it feels like to be insanely drunk. Do crazy stuff and not have to pay for it later!!
  
• Buy a duplex apartment and furnish it myself.
• Write a movie script and see the final product on the big screen! :)
  
• Run across a sarson ka khet to my lover... a la DDLJ!! :P
  
• Learn atleast 3 foreign languages!
  
• Learn how to play atleast 2 musical instruments. (And a little more than just "Happy Birthday"!)
  
• Be a cartoonist. or a professional photographer.
  
• Drive a red Ferrari.
  
• Go see a music concert live.
  
• Take a road trip with my friends.
  
• Wear a white wedding dress....just for fun!! :)
  
• Visit the North Pole.
  
  This surely won't be the end...but I'd love to see things getting crossed off my list soon! (For those who think I'm crazy......I'll send you a picture from the North Pole!! :P)

Eleven years of a Childhood...

There would be very few children born in the 90s, whose childhood memories would be complete without mentions of 'Harry Potter'. I'm definitely not one of them. Harry Potter is the reason many children started reading...the reason many started believing in magic....Harry Potter is not just a book, it is a part of people's lives. The magical world of Hogwarts has, for the past 11 years, enthralled millions of people the world over. Including me.

It was on a lonely evening somewhere in the second week of April 2000 that I first started reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.(No, I'm not that bad a fan..I know thats not the first book!) My brother and I were both stuck at home for three weeks, due a bout of chickenpox. (I inflicted my brother with it..HAHA.) With nothing to do and nowhere to go, my mum thought the only way to keep us from scratching our scabs was to dump books into our hands. And so she borrowed the first three books from my neighbour's kids.
"I've heard these are really nice children's books. You should try reading these." She said, and gave the books to us.  And thus started for me, over a decade of magical insanity.
As my brother started with the first book, I picked up Prisoner of Azkaban and gave it a read. A little boy waiting for the clock to strike 12 for his birthday. Owls delivering letters. Blowing up an aunt. Running away from home. Boarding the Knight bus. Even without reading the first two books, I was hooked. (Only till page 49, for by then my brother was done with the 1st book and I got my turn)

Through the past eleven years, I've done all that one has to do to be called a true Harry Potter fan. Stood in lines from 5:30am to get a copy of a new book; bought any book that had the words "Harry Potter" or "J.K. Rowling" in the title; bought merchandise including t shirts, keychains, posters, pencil boxes, bags, mugs and a lot more. Seen all the movies on the first day. Collected articles and pictures about the books and movies. Joined 'Harry Potter' fansites. Forced a parent to read the books. Fought with people who dislike Harry Potter for no reason. Yes, I'm totally a part of the Harry Potter generation.

Although there will be no more books or movies to look forward to, I'm going to cherish all the years I spent watching, talking about and reading Harry Potter. As one of my friends correctly pointed out, 'Magic Never Ends'... nor will the madness that surrounds Harry Potter.

Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for the characters of your imagination, that made up an imporant part of my life. Thank you, Rowling, for these eleven magical years...

A Royal Wish...

"I, William Arthur Phillip Louis, take thee, Catherine Elizabeth to my wedded wife to have and to hold from this day forward. For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. To love and to cherish. Till death us do part. According to God's holy law. And thereto I give thee my troth."

Almost everyone loves to watch a Royal Wedding, moreso when it involves the future King of England. Marriages, they say, are made in heaven, and one would hope that this one too, has God's blessing to last forever.

But as I watched the grand ceremony unfold, as I saw Katherine in her gorgeous wedding dress, and the royal couple have their first kiss, my mind was filled with thoughts of how my own special day would be...


That I may not have a queen for a grandmother, but I'm sure my relatives will make it a day for me to remember.


People from the world over may not be invited to my wedding, but those would be there, who mean the world to me.

I may not wear an $83000 dress, but I'm definitely going to try to look like a million bucks.

My father may not escort me in a grand car, but he's definitely going to have a huge smile on his face while walking me down the aisle.


I may not have an 8 tier wedding cake, but mine's still going to be as delicious.


My wedding ring may not be made from welsh gold, but its still going to bind me to my partner for eternity..


And as I sat through all the repeat telecasts of that wonderful ceremony, I thought, that its certain that I won't be marrying a prince, but I'm still going to have my own Royal Wedding...  


                                   "...Till death do us part.."

Golden...

It's a wonderful creation of God. Ofcourse, we've all cursed it during summer months, but the Sun is so much more than just a big ball of heat. I've always loved watching sunsets,and sometimes sunrises too, and have always been enamoured by its beauty. I love it when the sun sets, and my living room is enveloped by the sun's rays and turns into a beautiful orange colour. The most wonderful sights of nature are those, when the clouds turn pink,orange and dark blue as the sun goes down...truly a beautiful image.


More than just watching gorgeous sunsets, I love capturing them on camera. For what can be more amazing a scene to capture than nature in all its glory? Here are some of my favourite snaps of the wonderful Golden Star....

This picture was taken from a friend's balcony just before the sun was to set. The sunlight falling on the water, with the Sea Link looking oh so tiny as compared to the wonderful sun. This picture always makes me smile to myself.....what is a man-made structure in comparison to the glory of God?

Another one of my favourites, is a picture I took on a trip to Rajasthan.

Taken from inside a palace, you can see the sun's golden rays through the beautiful floral carvings of the window. Try as you might, but the sun's rays will find you no matter how dark a room you try to hide in. :) I love how the sunlight makes the floral design "come alive" and shine.

Such a simple scene, but possessing so much depth, this picture was taken from the sands of Goa. I love how the golden light of the sun covers everything, making even the majestic blue sea shine with a tinge of gold.

No, this is not a painting, but another picture taken along the beaches of Goa. I love the beautiful colours of this photo...grey clouds turning orange, with a little bit of pink, the white waves lashing to and fro from the dark blue sea, along the brown sands of the beach. A beautiful image, created by none other than Mother Nature.
Really, there are very few things as awe inspiring as the ways and colours of nature, especially that of the sun.