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A Temple dedicated to Sri Sarada Ma..the Ideal Mother at Pune in India
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More than a Hundred years ago..Sri Sarada Devi of India once touched the ground of her village Jayarambati in West Bengal and then anointed her head with the dust..saying " One's Mother and Motherland are greater than heaven itself.."
Never before have I felt this truth more intensely than during my very recent trip to India this Autumn after more than 8 years...
From the moment Brian bade me Goodbye and the Air Canada Plane took off from Toronto in late September until I landed in Mumbai almost 24 hours later ( stop over at Zurich)....there was something so dreamlike and exciting to be going" Home again" that I found myself breaking into tears of joy at every sight and sound and when someone at Mumbai airport recognized me and came over to say Hi...it was a breakdown moment for me...For the uninitiated into this emotionalism ,we Bengali's are the most emotional of all Indians and that is why Bengal has produced the most Poets, Singers, Dramatists, Writers, Philosophers, Thinkers,Saints and Sinners.In fact one of the most world renowned Scientists Acharya Jagdish Chander Bose who discovered that not only Plants but Stones and Metals too have emotions was a Bengali..That should explain it all..!!!
So why so long in this day and age to travel back home..? Life in Canada..sometimes keeps us chained for a long long time and then suddenly you realize that the years have passed..and then no matter what you do and how busy you are someone and something is tugging at your heart and calling you from afar..That Call from Afar is the Call of your Mother and your Motherland...and your home..a Home that she and Dad created together with their Love and Sacrifices...
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| View from my Plane of Zurich below.. |
I have always been close to my Mother and my Father..though he passed away 24 years ago in November 1990..Coming home to Mother this time was as always very very precious..
She had waited for me for many years and stayed awake all of that night...to open the door in the early hours of 3.13 am in the morning....The next two days between jet lag and catching up I held her close and cried and told her how much I love her..I saw that though her beautiful hair had grown more silver and she a bit more frail..she was still my " Mamma" and I her child..While every Mother is wonderful and great, Swami Vivekananda who had traveled the world had once said that the Mothers of India ( In India) were the sweetest because their Love, Self Sacrifice and Motherliness towards all..and their unselfishness and kindness and softness surpassed that of all women in the world..Somethings never change and never will...like the Love and Bond between a Mother and her Child..but my Native Land India surely has.changed....
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| Gateway of Gardens at Home..Pune India |
After 8 years I almost felt I was in a new land.n the I.T ( Information Technology) corridors of Western India where I grew up..Pune, Mumbai..Bangalore..Hyderabad..and beyond the landscape has dramatically changed...the Four-way Highways and huge Office buildings suddenly connect cities and towns and villages within hours. No more Bullock carts and Water Buffaloes walking along the roads...Malls and shopping centers dot the cities and small towns .
The day I landed in India and very new and dynamic Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi was in the USA and his historic speech at the Madison square Garden had the nation spell bound.. Everyone seemed to be watching him on TV that night and though I am no fan of Politicians I could feel that this was a man with a difference..A man from the grass roots who understood the pulse of a Nation..a man who could stand up and say..we are No Longer a Nation of Snake Charmers but a Nation with a huge population of Technology `Smarts' so " Wake up to the new reality.
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| A Traditional Diwali Rangoli Art work at Sri Sarada Math Pune |
." Indians are educated, hard working and Coming your way..!...The key points he made about India being the Nation with the youngest population on Earth..with 65 % of the population being below 35 years of age..of " Brand India" becoming a reality rather than just a dream and creating opportunity and development and becoming a Superpower to be reckoned with resonated well with all. He dared religious Fundamentalists and enemies from across the North Western and Eastern borders of India to mess with India and face the consequences and even the US President looked overwhelmed as the " New Global leader of the generation " was ' visibly' born..All this may sound very boastful and the opposite of humility to many..but there are times when a Leader must stand up for his Nation and his people
PM Modi's High Power meeting with the top ten CEO's of America had India cheering and within hours the word in business circles was out..Non Resident Indians will pump back trillions of dollars into the Indian Sub continent to make the vision of a developed India come true under a Leader who means business.War, terrorism, Religious Fundamentalism are not the Goals of most Indians..rather Peace, development , a better life for all and over coming the huge challenges of the past is what most people seek.
As I noted In the I.T ( Information Technology) corridors of Western India where I grew up..Pune, Mumbai..Bangalore..Hyderabad..and beyond the landscape has dramatically changed...the Four-way Highways and huge Office buildings suddenly connect cities and towns and villages within hours. No more Bullock carts and Water Buffaloes walking along the roads...Malls and shopping centers dot the cities and small towns and suddenly everyone has buying power. The Diwali festival season blew me away...Never as much as now do Middle Class and Wealthy families have the ability to throw thousands of dollars
( Not rupees) worth..for the Holiday season and the Big Brands are wooing them in a bigger way than they woo Shoppers in North America.
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| Durga Puja at Shivajinagar Pune |
Munni the girl who comes in to cook, clean and help my Mother has a new Nokia cell phone and Baru our family House Keeper since 1982 who is more like a brother to us has a Samsung make one. When I left India 14 years ago as a `Hot shot' reporter there were only Two reporters in the Police Press room who owned cell phones and those were huge instruments with antennas sticking out of them.The phones had to be carried in special bags.and were a "Status symbol"...Now everyone in India is suddenly talking..buying and shopping..
There is a New Breed of " Global" Jet Setters and they are closer home that you can imagine.. These men and women who 15 + years ago or less worked very hard and sacrificed a lot to graduate from the I.I.Ts " Indian Institutes of Technology" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Institutes_of_Technology that are considered to be some of the highest Schools of Technology in India and also rank in the world...Students also graduate from the local Engineering and Technology Schools and Colleges in India where studies and " career" and hard work come first.... Many Indians love technology.
In India I saw the new breed of "Jet Setters" and they are closer home that you can imagine such as my Cousin Subhashish gradate from IIT Khadagpur India. He works as a senior executive for an I.T Dutch owned Global company in Pune India that flies him to Kansas in USA, Shangai in China and Tokyo in Japan..three or four times a month and then back to India... where he gets to spend the rest of his time with his wife and child between jet lag days.He trains American, Chinese and Japanese Engineers on a IT program he created. At home he is the simple, unpretentious, funny Bengali boy we grew up with..Success has not changed him at all...
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Durga Puja celebrations on India for Daserah and Diwali.
When the Goddess's visit Earth-..Humankind can...
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My own brother Partha spends two weeks of the month in California the HQ of his company, and then a week at home in India where he overseas the India operations and another with his family in the Middle east....and they are just the tip of the ice berg of regular Jet setters zipping across the globe.
In every family I know..boys and girls I grew up with are no longer " Awe struck" or" Impressed" by the NRI ( Non Resident Indian ) cousin , friend or Uncle or Aunt visiting home....everyone I knew is a World traveler, Everyone is on the move and getting very wealthy.They are also terribly Jet lagged and in any major International flight headed to Mumbai or Pune or Bangalore..75 % of the passengers are Tired Indian techies just waiting to get back home from their projects in USA and Europe...But as the Prime Minister Modi asked..What about those who did not have an Education in Computer technology.or Bussiness.where do they go?
And that is the Breed of Grass root Business men and women I salute and take my Hat off to..The spirit of Entrepreneurship is alive and growing and the New Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is the best example of this truth. He is proud of his very humble roots as a Tea Stall owner..yet his hard work, Integrity..search for perfection and being a living example of his spiritual beliefs ( He is a great follower of Swami Vivekananda the Monk who spoke of Patriotism, Courage, Faith in one's self and the Truth of the ancient Vedas.. and above all Service to mankind.) His principles have made him the leader of a Billion people .
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| 80 Year old Maushi bai sells cocunts and flowers |
I saw the spirit of entrepreneurship everywhere..Grass root Business men and women...the Salt of The Earth..hailing from the poorest back grounds but showing their True Grit..In the 80 year Maushi Bai Flower seller at the Kasbapeth Ganesh temple in Pune..She sells flowers and coconuts to support herself and knows what is the season and reason to raise and lower the price..
In th The 40 year old Corner Stall owner Bhaura of Rajasthan who operates a tiny grocery store near the Shanties of Wakedewadi in Pune. He is now the proud owner of a Sleek General Store, a Snack Bar and a Restaurant that caters to the Employees of the Multi National Companies that have come up in the vicinity of his store.
Bhaura and his family Holiday in Europe and the Far East (Courtesy the ' Package'Tour groups that woo Indians) They.own Prime Real Estate and three cars..They represent the new breed of Grass Root Business people of India..tapping wealth and opportunity when they can. Similarly Mrs Jadhav Bai worked her life as a domestic maid..to put her son and daughter into college. Her son and daughter now work in big offices and have set up a ' Cyber Cafe' for her in the ' Hutment colony' of Bhosalewadi in Pune..Mrs Jadhav is now looked upon with respect and admiration by all the men and women in the area..she earns money in her retirement years and provides a service to many people in the area who cannot afford computers.
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| Bahura Marwari.the New face of Enterprise India |
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| Mrs Jadhav Bai runs a Cyber Cafe..in Pune |
In the Western part of Toronto Canada..Stores are shutting down in Queen Street West..Dundas West..Weston Road and beyond..Malls are dying and business going Bankrupt..In The Western parts of India...every inch of land is Prime real Estate and business's pop up by the dozen.
Yet Many people and many parts of India remain poor and under developed and I have heard that the States of West Bengal, Bihar , UP and the Far East have a lot of catching up to do with the rest and the West of India..Superstitions, crime, corruption and inequality of women and the poorer classes is still a great evil..but the winds of Change are sweeping slowly , but surely across my Motherland...
However for me Diwali and Daserah in India is about celebrating the " Divine Mother "..with my own Mother and in My Motherland and I had my Heart fill of this Durga Puja with her ..after a long long time....(also read :When the Goddess's visit Earth-..Humankind can...)
Together My Mother and I revisited the India that I grew up in and the one I truly and deeply Love..
The Mango Groves and Hill Stations of the Western Sahayadri hills...the dusty lanes and Sugar Cane Fields and Guava Groves outside the busy city...and my Mother and I would reminisce about the years of growing up when my Father was there and of how the years have flown and how somethings will always remain the same within...
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| The ancient temple of Trimbakeshwar Shiva. |
The India I grew up in...and always loved..the India that has not changed and I hope never will.. The Temples and Ashrams of Sri Ramakrishna and Ma Sarada and the saints of Dehu and Alandi..the hamlets and villages where rivers still flow and birds still sing..
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The hills around Nashik
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After 14 years in the West I saw and appreciated again the great and noble work that the NGOs Like Ramakrishna Math, Sarada Math and many Individuals were conducting in Education, Medical aid and social upliftment of the under privileged and it was very inspiring and heartening...Lakhs of children and seniors of all religious backgrounds benefit from the missionary work of the Ramakrishna Mission and Sarada Math..Free High Quality Education, Medical aid, nutrition and guidance is provided by these organizations to the needy through the last many many years.The greatness of their service is that it is unconditional and given to people of all faiths .
In all our journeys and days together we remembered my Father. My Parents had a wonderful marriage. They were always considered to be the couple who had the deepest Love , respect and happiness as a couple and they were looked up to with great admiration and even a lot of envy because what they had was very deep and prescious. ..and I can say so much for sure..it was True.
That is why My Mother's greatest wish has been to see me settled and happy with a Man as Noble, Loving and incredible as my Father was and when I met Brian and introduced him to her in 2009 in Canada she was the happiest person. In fact she had said to me " He IS the one who will hold your hand and walk by your side as your Man till the last breath of your life ..In Between our precious time as Mother and daughter together once more.. I would suddenly miss Brian and Canada and then quickly grab my phone to Call him...
Brian's Pictures dotted my room and our ' Album of Pictures" held a special place on my Mother's reading table ..they reminded me that though I was in a far away dimension of my Homeland and Mother Land..he is a very important part of my Life and always will be ..He is the main reason I belong to Canada....and over the Phone we planned our trip together to India ..an India I am proud off and look forward to showing him...
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| The beautiful Hermitage of Ramdara near Pune , India |
Absence makes the Heart grow fonder and this has been the first time we have been apart for so may weeks in our 6 years.together....I missed the Vedanta Society of Toronto and our Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj who has been like a beloved Mother and Father to many of us who have left hearth and home to face our lives here...
This visit has also made me realize how blessed I am to be a true Global Citizen....in Canada the Indian community has kept Indian customs and heritage alive and well...
I see opportunity for all Indo- Canadians to tap into the Wealth of India and Canada with integrity..Indians have buying power and a new brand and Canada too has much to offer..
" Create wealth " said my Father years ago..don't wait for someone to give you opportunities and I strive for that..in fact we can all create jobs and opportunities for others......
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The Ramakrishna Mission in Pune India which educates,inspires and provides free medical aid to thousands of people.
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Canada is still one of the worlds most beautiful places to Live in..with a quality of life that far surpasses any in the world..In India I realized that I could no longer go for a walk...The traffic, the pollution and the gawks..it is not safe for any woman..or any man... ( My cousin Subhashish the Tech wiz kid..tried cycling for exercise one early morning in Pune and almost got hit by a car..the University road which was one of the prettiest and safest has now become a highway..so he stopped). The only way you get your exercise there is by enrolling in an expensive Gym.
Canadians are also some of the Most Honest and polite people you would meet anywhere and their integrity, hardwork, cleanliness and uprightness are marks of their true character.
India and Indians have warmth, friendliness, generosity..contentment and making everyone feel at home..Balu the fruit seller from our area who knew me since my childhood cried when he saw me after 8 Diwalis and sent his assistant to walk me home saying :
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| Balu the Fruit seller with a Golden Heart |
" Dont ever get lost again..you are our sister.." it did not matter to him that I had travelled across half the world alone..That is the warmth and the love of the East.."..No one is left alone to Live or Die un cared for..in any Train or bus ride..there will be a hundred people ready to smile at you and befriend you..though foreigners should watch out for some dangers....yet on the whole you will face talkative, friendly, outgoing and well meaning people , In the villages some of the poorest of the poor open their homes and invite strangers to dinner..that is the Heart and Soul of India that you will never see anywhere especially in the West...
In the West when I travel on the subway and see the coldness and silence with which people watch and judge each other..I miss the warmth and unpretentious-ness of the East..in the big cities of Toronto, New York etc..anyone who smiles and talks too much to strangers is probably looked upon as " Suffering from some Behavioral disorder"..in India there is a warmth in the air and in the hearts of the simplest of people..who have almost no possession but their ' Golden Hearts'..to call their own.. Every lane holds a memory..every flower a lingering scent..every sunset is too beautiful to let go and every dawn a new beginning..
Finally the time came to leave home..I cried like a child..I howled when I had to leave my Mother..she gently stroked my head and said.." Every girl leaves home to be with her husband...you have Brian..now you and he must come together often and every year to meet and be with me..this land is his and yours..this home and country is always your own..remember the words of the Vedas..Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam..the World is One Family...I am always your Mother and no one and nothing will ever come between that Love...( in life we have all met depraved people who may try to sow seeds of venom between parents and their children small or big..it is faith in God and our integrity which helps us recognize that people who do that are your worst enemies).I weep all the way on the flight to Canada..until I land in Toronto on Halloween day and Brian is waiting for me...We hug each other and cry and smile..He understands my pain and tears....He has cleaned and renovated our home to make it more beautiful and welcoming
than before...
For days and days I am homesick for my Mother..but he shares with and dilutes that pain with his love..
I realize too that visiting home is symbolic of our spiritual journey and one day going back to our " Real Home"..I remember a Nun at my boarding school long ago once saying that we feel so happy to be " Going home" because it represents our Soul's journey to God.
Traveling across continents also makes us realize that we are not slaves to any land or any Society..
We perhaps left our Home lands because we wanted a better way of life or there was something we could not attain there..but that does not mean we are slaves to the land or life we choose..
Canada is a great land...however it does not recognize the qualifications and skills of many highly qualified immigrants from other lands..This is both the loss of Canada andof the immigrants who come here. Many immigrants with University Degrees and High In demand skills are pushed into jobs that do not match their education. This is a huge Human Resource failure for Canada and that is why The American Dream and the Canadian Dream are not the `same story'..But things are changing now..
However. Look at it from another angle.....The world is shrinking...it is truly a Global Village..with hard work. wisdom and Intelligence...we can create enough wealth to travel between nations and Continents at will and bless others by giving them the same opportunities which we received...I am humbled to ralise how " Free and how Blessed we really are" if we think over it. We have the best of both the worlds...Most people who travel frequently and are not afraid to see and experience the new are open minded, positive and young in Body, Mind and spirit.. they embody the Spirit of the Eagles..Fly Far and Fly high and keep your eyes on the Noble and the beautiful.. and not below..
Back to Canada and Brian..I remember telling my friends and cousins in India that I felt very very Lucky and blessed that I had a Love and Life partner like him.In my life and that is what I had been seeking...I had waited for the right man and not the `first man' who came along..I have never believed in a marriage of convenience and hypocrisy which many in India are based on. ..I was never wealth or Money driven..My own Father was a self made man who created wealth and jobs for hundreds of people yet he was a simple and unpretentous man..who gave away more than he received..I have often enjoyed playing the role of "Unknown Alien from Far away Planet" because deep in my heart I know I am the daughter of a Man who was as Noble and great as a King in his heart and in his spirit..
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Aboriginal children receive free education and meals from the Privately run Ramakrishna Arogya mission in Trimbakeshwar. Nashik.
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Seeing the pampering and " Sultan Like" airs of many Indian men in India and even outside India today who expect to be served and pampered by Servants, wives, sisters and Mothers after their business trips..it was refreshing to be with "True He Man" Canadian Cowboy....who takes care of his partner and not the other way around..Canadian men treat not just their marriage partners and family with deep respect...but extend that to all
." Grouping together and harassing a woman alone whether verbally or otherwise" is NOT part of the Canadian Male Psyche..but something that Indian men from the days of Draupadi to " Nirbhaya" will have to answer for...
When I was away. Brian. Would between long hours of work spend every weekend in cleaning and sprucing up our place for my return..He never went Bar Hopping ,Night clubbing or " Playing" but spent his hours alone cherishing our memories...redecorating our home.....Now if that is not a Gift of Love and dedication..please tell me what is..!
Many people in India and of Indian origin in Canada have stereo type negative images of N American men.and women because that is what they would like to believe...but unless you have loved and been with one as Noble and beautiful as Mine..you will never know the real truth. My parents lived in Canada and loved the people of this land and my Mother blessed me very deeply for a Life of Everlasting Love with my Brian..I believe in counting every blessing we have in life and I count the Love of my Mother and Brian and the Spiritual Blessings of the Great ones we meet in life such as our Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj and other Life Teachers as some of my greatest blessings.
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| A Halloween Pumpkin at Souraren Park Toronto! |
I Love you Mamma. and I Love you Brian.and I Thank God for this wonderful Life.!!!
Welcome Back to Canada !
Welcome Back to Canada !
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