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Headline India News" The Hindsight of Wisdom, 2011 ! "

Headline India

Headline India" Everlasting Flavors ! "

" Dairy Notes..Sangeeta ! ", 04th April, 2012

28-29th Narch, 2012..It is true that time waits for no one..but, moments even if they fly are the everlasting flavors of life. They are irreplacable like Granny's old recipe on the tongue !

In Dharamsala, the whole day was fruitfully spent in collecting some of the favorite fruits of the season..the next day we had a feast with the cheers of an old recipe..Fruit custard with strawberry, grapes n jelly..!

Headline India" The bigger flipside of life ! "

" The inner world !", 25th March,2012

In Bodhgaya, when Buddha under a Bodhi tree, meditating and deep in thought, saw a light, it was but the bigger flipside of Life ! Unmeasurable and as awe inspiring as a precious piece of Dalai Lama news, it opened the doorstep of the inner soul.

A small kiss could embrace the magic of the fairy world..an ugly small frog could set ablaze the trend of prince charming !

Even in her flight, the ugly duckling estranged from her flock, saw the beauty of the rising sun and came back to the pool, as a pure white swan !

What we see outside, is very small compared to the eternal beauty of the soul which is ageless in its walk of life and very often in its striking moments leads us to become Headline India!!"

Headline India" Why fit in..when you are born to be alone ! "

" Striking the right note !", 22th March,2012

A moment of delirious victory, many years ago brought back to me, the sky touching crescendo of a pure soprano note..

Years ago, while studying in Dehradun our school was competing in a choir singing competition. Being born with a soprano voice, had its difficulty..it was almost a nightmare for me or the others to blend with my vocal notes. Our old singing teacher was adamant in utilising my talent with a faith that was truly moving.

Seeing me struggle with the others,she smiled at me and said..." You need to walk alone,take a solo lead and the others can follow,....We began to practise and it was music to the ears as every note in its individual pitch was synchronised to perfection.

Years later,I remembered the winning notes and the lesson of choir singing....

When the network of surging ambition and humanity around you ,is not compatible to your aspiration the flight for the sky has to be flown alone!

Headline India" Nutmeg Story ! "

" All in a Nutshell !", 20th March,2012

A client once told me, a Dharma tour should have all the spice of spirituality, sprinkled with the devil's furore to enhance the flavor of divinity..

There once was, on the coast of Kerala, where the warm tides visited everyday, in a hidden rock plantation an ancient nutmeg grove..from the tides, to the faraway birds along with the humming bees, this grove held the secret of sharing its fruit and nectar with all..!

As the wind blew, it carried with it the essence of the nutmeg..in every gust of air laden with the fragnance of its ripening fruit, it would carry the story of the sacred grove to unknown shores of the universe..

The nutmeg in its original moment of birth, was this vivacious seed which with its attribute of blending, could surpass all barriers of communication. In its daily growth, the mother grove became the favorite haunt of many, seeking flavor, fragnance, fruit and healing. A dry grove nearby could not understand in its envy, as to why the divine had favoured it so much..it beseeched the Gods to give it, the twin sister of the nutmeg. Soon it was blessed and so the sacred betel nut was born..!

In everything the nutmeg did, for wooing the seasons, the betel nut copied her to a tee..soon, the nutmeg grove was deserted in its isolated presence. However, remembering it's moment of birth and vowing never to lose the lesson she had learnt, she too,moved on, like the many who had left her to seek fresh pastures.

Soon the green returned,the tides were warm again....the birds and the old seekers with many new hopes and desires were by her side...indeed there were many who saught her in their healing. There was more lyric in her smile than ever....more flavor to her toast....like her they too had realised,

There were many who could borrow her song,but none who could call it their own!

" Dairy notes, Sangeeta !", 18th March,2012

17th March, 2012..In Dharamsala..

Why and when ? A silent stream which has been running from ages, can in its dried silence ask more questions than any question paper..it is a day to be curious, how are we expected to attend an invite for an Annual Day when the news reaches us one day before the event !..However in devotion to my muse I will do what Travel agents are so good at..ie..move on to higher pastures of ponder and thought..!

Something of India which will always stay with us, should come from the pen of our forgotten roots..my days in Aligarh were marked not only by the mouth watering seekh kebabs in the famous 'numaish', but also of hilarious moments when, we would visit the fascinating lock factories for which, this town is well known. There would be a bundle of keys which, we had to sort out, once we reached home..!

Punjab, earthy in its rustic beats, can still bring to mind, the holy words of Guru Nanak..once as a child while drinking the sweet water being offered to us on the road, we were told by an old man with kindness, written on his face.." It is a good deed to quench the thirst of others ".

College day, and Goa...a beach,a run down shack with an old couple serving heavenly food ,and an old record of Leonard Cohen.... How many dreams must have been born from these states....An Election buzz can still bring them to surface. We wish all the newly elected Govts success in bringing Hope to the people..!!

Headline India" Moods to celebrate! "

" The Table n Me! ", 14th March,2012

The food collection in a home, must always be a celebration of our moods n moments. Even as the day goes by, the dining table in the house, reflects the sunset colors of the evening..every guest, every child in the family, must have in their mind their own personal window of recollection when, the flamboyance of color and care was the most important ingredient on the menu.

What a welcome..!...Click the graphic below..

Headline India" Happiness..A Share! "

" Buddha Quote! ", 12th March,2012

Living day by day with no music to play is pure torture to the soul Without music, the words slip from harmony and manuscript read between the lines You need music to survive, to keep the heart alive, to keep it pumping.. It smiles, hurts and cries, it sings down memory lane lullabies, it brings a mixture of emotions it cleanses, releases, inspires, composes, writes and admires and appreciates the different kinds of music

A world without music is a world without your soul

Happiness can only come if you look within yourself and share it with others..Peace

Headline India" Who will blink first ?! "

" Dharamsala..a shared universe! ", 09th March,2012

An OM India, has many thoughts to share, the energy of the mountain is, generous in its offering of solace and wisdom. From years the undisturbed sleep of Mankind, found its heritage in the quietude of the Himalayas.

For our children, it is an amazing nature encounter which can heal and still be their best teacher on the environmental balance between us and all that is natural around us. The common divinity in both, can often challenge us into, how we can lead our young to progress without spoiling the existing harmony of Mother nature and the great outdoors..!!

Headline India" Sundrops and Sunlight! "

" Talk with the Sun! ", 03rd March,2012

Early morning, the rays of the crimson sun and the rising peak of the Himalayas ! The Body warm with the caress of the sunlight, a sunflower yellow for the Mind which, in its awakening sees only the rising sun of Hope !!

Headline India" Show me your Power...?! "

" It remains to be seen..! ", 02nd March,2012

Although, the little girl was confused with what a Dharma tour could mean, she non the less, decided to see the face of God!

With eyes closed , she went in the open fields and while the sky rumbled with the start of monsoon..she looked up and asked God for the bounty of good life. God was in a dilemma, he could not show the girl his world, lest she found out that, even Gods could live an err like human beings. He told the Angels to deliver her all her favorite food, clothes and toys..the Angels while on their journey to Earth, each gave these to all they met..the girl received nothing..

..Once again, she asked God as to what went wrong..were her little prayers not enough, or was her faith short lived..?? God was in dilemma, he could not show her his face, as that would break the rule of his world.

Thus was born the creed of Godmothers and Godfathers, who on earth could deliver to each the laurel of their prayers !

It remains to be seen, when and whether, the little girl received, all what God had sent so kindly for her in keeping with the status of his Kingdom..whether the face of God on Earth could bring, a smile on the little girl and answer her Prayers..!

Headline India" So Subtle n Sweet ! "

" Malai Paan, Lucknow ", 29th Feb,2012

There were many things, I needed to visit on 20th Feb, 2012 in my hometown, Lucknow..the resonance of Maha Shiva Ratri, brought back the childhood challenges of keeping 'fasts', the many uncles and aunts, who came with this day ! It was my father's 'teervi' ( 13th day of the Soul's appeasement on Earth, as per Hindu tradition !)..and with it an almost unfanthomable, vacuum of thoughts n emotions.

What remained, however more clearly than ever, were those moments when his passion for life was so well defined. As the conversation was flowing with the clamour of guests n food, there was one window of the heart, which went back to a sweet shop in Hazratgunj, Lucknow, where the melting 'malai paans', tasted like dew drops n nostalgia all wrapped into one !

Headline India" Soul searching Dharma Tour! "

" Ladybird on a stalk ", 15th Feb,2012

The forest was a buzz with the colours of approaching spring...the birds were returning to their homing grounds,the squirrels were back to their task of gathering nuts,and there was much talk, about how the sleep of winter had fallen on each.

The Ladybirds were on their own,they had in their sleep seen another quietude.The soul a constant companion had awakened and how..It told them, " Where ever you go, whichever way you look, you will always find in me, a reflection of yourself..!"

Headline India" Tales from the Blossom..Dharamsala! "

" Dharamshala Dairy Notes..Sangeeta Gurung ", 10th Feb,2012

04th Feb, 2012..A quiet day in Dharamsala almost like a furore into my own Dharma tour with myself. The last five/six years have been rather telling..they have questioned and tested my faith in friends and kin alike. There has been much solace in the permanence of ever going change around me at Vidya Niwas, my home!

My old blossom tree, so beautiful in its sharing with my heart. We both hope for an early spring, where the little buds will, from their parental roots, bloom to tell their own tale. With them my world of sharing opinions and ideas, becomes rooted to my own piece of Paradise..I realise growth is best born with change within one's own self, rather than others around us !

Headline India" Thoughts on a note..Dairy Notes! "

" The Writing on the Wall ", 05th Feb ,2012

03rd Feb, 2012..An old parchment paper, with scribbles which could only hint of the content..we put an old cloth with a hot iron on it, lo n behold, the secrets of the dried orange ink, were legible..!

Life can, living in the mountains of Dharamsala, although not far from main city Delhi, can still sometimes be, a miss in the the mirror. Today, we were expecting a guest, a client who changed her travel plans many times..no apology, she finally gave her confirmation for 03rd Feb. The niceties of human nature and reservation on the net with credit, normally disappoints us..brings to mind that the old advise of 'sound business' and 'sound payment', should never be ignored..

While there is no denying the future of the net, for business, it is important to lay out the basics to your client before investing your time n money for giving your services ...!

Headline India" A Global Vision..Om India! "

" Buddha India ", 01st Feb ,2012

Even as the holy soul of the Meditating Buddha, saught its salvation in his last breath at Kushinagar..the birds of vision, haloed around him. The aura of the Globe was, within him.

At Lumbini, where he was born for his journey on Earth, at Bodhgaya, where the Bodhi tree nourished him with Enlightenment, it was only the birds, who in their sharing of their abode on a tree top, showed Buddha the vision of Eden.

The joy of a 'shared Universe', has no boundaries of you and me..it is simply the Song of the Lark, which soars in the heavenly Skies..!

Cooing Pigeon Trails...Click the graphic below !

India" Conversation of a Butterfly! "

" Butterfly India ", 29th Jan ,2012

A butterfly flying over Dharamsala India, in a journey to a faraway land. Should I or should I not learn, from the lessons of Buddha ?! There can be no bigger world than the one within us, which has, in it the generation of yesterday, today n tomorrow !..But, can we live a life which is purely our own ? Do not the vibrant color of the Globe, color our lives with the experience of Wisdom of the Himalayas..?!!

India" Learning from Animals, Dharamsala ! "

" Animal World ", 25th Jan ,2012

A Dharma tour should have compassion as one of its chapters. Practising kindness to all around us, starts at an early age. Children are often the mentors of progressive mankind and in their innocent play with jungle stories, show the inherent bond between Man and Animal !

India Miniguide..Animal World..Click here !

Headline India" Walking Down Memory Lane..Buddha India ! "

" News India Search ", 24th Jan ,2012

It was a fine day to record memories. Like the Dalai Lama teachings, old photo albums like favorite songs, never fade away from you. As startling as a news script of a Headline Dalai Lama, an outdoor encounter can trigger off so many forgotten shades of Incredible India..!

Walking Down Memory Lane..Old Album Tributes..Click here !

Headline India" Fragnance of Buddha India ! "

" Dharma Tour ", 22nd Jan ,2012

A 'Dharma' tour, whether it is a furore of the soul or a journey to another culture,should in its fragnance,have the resonance of 'Om India'!

The Call of the Divine..Goa..Click here !

India" Reflection of Love, India ! "

" Love of Taj ", 18th Jan ,2012

" Dance as though no one is watching you. Love as though you have never been hurt before. Sing as though no one can hear you. Live as though heaven is on earth..

Reflection is the ladder of the Soul..the more you love the more Your heart sings..the tune of yourself.. The further you move ahead to your goal of Life..!"

Peace

India" Dharamshala News Highs ! "

" Dharamsala !..A State of Mind ", 18th Jan ,2012

Back from the Mountains, a stray piece of Headline India news, startling in its content..the 'OM' India chants, the blessings of the rotating prayer wheels, so much which can bring back your 'holiday' on the coffee table conversation.

An everlasting companion, trendy and buzzing on my wrist..my spiritual guide to Nirwana..My prayer beads.. " Travel Pen Memoir"!!

"Dharma Tour! ", 17th Jan ,2012

On a Dharma tour, yoga and meditation as your companion, it is good to let the spiritual energy rebound inside you, by what you eat and by what you do..much after the trip is over..!

Headline India" Meditating Highs ! "

"OM..OM..! ", 14th Jan ,2012

What could be more eye striking than a Headline Dalai Lama, in Dharamshala news !..or, a Lokpal Bill India, which even while it is being born, gallops to its place in News India Headlines.

Years ago we had a twin surge of trying to be aquarium lovers, while learning to fish in strange waters..our first experience in the highs of meditating in the mountains. No one anticipated the kind of madness which gripped us, taking us all the way to Delhi for discovering new home fishes..in the end our Aquarium was left with two gold fishes, the leftover of survival amongst many territorial creatures in the fish pond.

Till today we are left with the memories of what these fishes could teach us, on living with fighting rivals. Like I said, the philosophy of 'Om India' is truely universal..!!

Headline India" Meditating Mandala..Dharma Tour! "

" The Peace of a Shrine! ", 12th Jan ,2012

It was the birth of enlightment in Lumbini,where Buddha was born, Bodhgaya saw the Holy Bodhi Tree blessing the Buddha India,while Sarnath blossomed in the harvest of his Holy Teachings.

..Any sacred journey,any holy encounter,like a meditating monk, deep in the Mandala of his thoughts, seeks for an awakening of the Soul.

Headline India" Snow Meltdown, Vidya Niwas, 08th Jan,2012 ! "

" Dharamsala! Dharamshala News! ", 11th Jan ,2012

In its 'change', Nature transforms itself to adapt to the needs of mankind ! Mother Earth in all her seasons gives to our children, the Spirit of a moving Calendar..which waits for no one.

07th January, 2012, Headline India..snowflakes on the window..first time visit of snow after many years in some of the regions of Dharamsala..

08th January, 2012..we wanted to capture the essence of melting snow on a clear road at Vidya Niwas, with the backdrop of the snow mountains.

Awesome ! the only word to describe what 'moving on' can mean in life...!!

Dalai Lama Dharamsala Miniguide.."The wine of all seasons"..Click here !

Headline India" The first Snow, Vidya Niwas, 07th Jan, 2012 ! "

" Dharamsala! Dharamshala News! ", 07th Jan ,2012

..In the mountains there are few instances, when the news buzz can be more striking than a headline Dalai Lama ! For something to happen in a hundred years in a jiffy of a moment, is indeed worth penning down. The snow which normally blesses only, the high reaches of Dharamsala and Mcleodganj, was suddenly knocking at our doorstep.

It was an occasion, a first for us at Vidya Niwas and brought with it, a sudden surge of spring madness..!

The snow enveloped the entire valley in a sheath of forgotten father frost and ice princess tales..like the Dalai Lama teachings which cannot be forgotten for along time, this too had its shades of Eternity.

Headline India" Dalai Lama Teachings.."I promise to be a better Listener, 2012 ! "

" Buddha 2000 AD Brochure program, 2012! ", 05th Jan ,2012

The Buddha as he looked up to the skies, for his enlightenment, it was here, on this humble earth that the sacred Bodhi tree with its nourishment, showed him the divine path !

In Bodhgaya (Bihar), this holy seat today,resounds with the drums of the 'Kalachakra Prayers'. Many years ago, at Sarnath near Varanasi (UP)..the Buddha born in Lumbini (Nepal) gave his first sermon. He took his last journey at Kushinagar (UP), but even as he breathed his last, this humble earth which once had nourished him,.. today is alive with his 'bodhisattva teachings, making waves on Headline India!!

For the Journey of the Bodhisatva Buddha, India..Click Here !

Headline India" Riding a Chestnut, 2012 ! "

" Water Flavors..Postcard India ! ", 03rd Jan ,2012

..Even as the waterbird shooting sprees ended in a lot of pandemonium in the house, there was still something to take back from our young days of boating in Narora in Aligarh(UP), where my father was posted.

For a long time I thought, they were small green space ships from a Flash Gordon comic..come down to Earth for some India news ! As stoic as the peace of Buddha India, were the flavors on our tonque which still linger in our memories.

Eurasian Water Chestnuts (Singara), green sheets of vegetation growing in water pools, along with the pure and enlightened Lotus at a distance..were an excellent accompaniment to roast duck ! Grilled on an old Kadai with a generous sprinkle of old Sherry wine and white pepper, it was a picture postcard of India which I still share with my kids at home although it was not the event of Headline India !

Headline India Miniguide Mystic Moments..Click here !

Headline India" Looking Ahead, 2012 ! "

" The God of Self ! ", 01st Jan ,2012

Even as the Lokpal Bill (India) in all its complexity touched Headline India, it straddled its struggle onwards, in the corridors of power, one cannot but see what defined it the most ! 2011, in its ending chapter, like a much awaited Dharma Tour, left us questioning the hindsight of wisdom, knocking..knocking..?! The 'self' even in the universality of the society surrounding it, must always come first.

Our Spiritually Energizing Holidays took their own turn wherein, our guests participated, in the actual making of a holiday program..Many suggested that we in our table chat, were offering pearls of wisdom which came only by years of experience on the plate!..Many wanted the secret recipe of living a life which even, while hovering on expectation, could still introduce a heaven on earth, in what we could offer in terms of personal bliss !

" We wish our valuable Surfers and Guests a "VERY HAPPY 2012 !" 'Dharma Cat say', " May Buddha show you the Power of a Smile " !!