Pick a winner!

There is a certain beauty to the streets of Kolkata that never grows old... =0)

Nakhoda Masjid

On the roof of Nakhoda Masjid, Kolkata. This young man's glaring grin tell's you how much he loves this place!

Come, come whoever you are,
An unbeliever, a fire-worshipper, come.
Our covenant is not of desperation.
Even if you have broken your vows a hundred times,
Come, come again.

Mevlana Jallalu'ddin Rumi

Kolkata Horticultural Garden

Went to the Kolkata Horticultural garden this last week. Viewed some of the more beautiful flowers I have seen in quite some time. Here are a few of my favorites!

One thing I ask of the LORD,

this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple. Psam 27:4

a couple of quotes...

I slept and dreamed that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted, and behold, service was joy.

(Rabindranath Tagore)


We must become the change we seek in the world.
(Gandhi)

To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would have been his finest hour.

(Winston Churchill)

Poem from the Mathnavi

Poem from Jalaluddin Rumi

'The house of 'Isa was the banquet of men of heart. O afflicted one, quit not this door. From all sides the people ever thronged, Many blind and lame, halt and afflicted, At the door of the house of 'Isa at dawn, That with his breath he might heal their ailments. As soon as he had finished his orisons. That holy one would come forth at the third hour. He pondered those impotent folk sitting, Troop by troop, at his door in hope and expectation. He spoke to them saying.- 'O stricken ones, The desires of you all have been granted by God, Arise, walk without pain or affliction, Acknowledge the mercy and beneficence of God. 'Then all, like camels whose feet are shackled, When you loose their feet on the road, Straightway rush in JOY and delight to the halting place, So did they run upon their feet at his command.'

-Jalaluddin Rumi (translated by E. H. Whinfield)

Mathnavi

"The hermitage of Jesus is the Sufi's table spread:

Take heed O sick one, Never forsake this doorway."

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Three great sources of Mathnavi Info:

#1

#2

#3

Dilbert for the people

Aizal, Mizoram

Last week I visited Aizal, Mizoram. It was an incredible experience to see the majestic beauty of this place. Extraordinary to think that more than 30% of Mizoram is covered in Bamboo and wooded jungle. It is also renowned in some circles as being the Switzerland of India with it's high mountain peaks and steep terrain.

The people were lovely, hospitality pervasive, and food; delectable. It was quite an extraordinary site to see come Sunday morning. Men in their finest suits, shirts and trousers. Women in an array of colorful Mizo skirts. With all shops closed everyone shuttled quickly to their places of worship. Mizoram being 87%+ Christian was quite the experience come holy-day. The shear numbers of kindred souls harmoniously walking their way to church was a sight to behold. Something special about the unity in this place Aizal. Our time was short, so I regret not having the opportunity to experience more of the Mizo culture, its traditional dancing and much more.

The people in general quite Western in their style and appearance, yet oriental and tribal compared to any other parts of India I've visited. As I walked thought the Bazaar part of me felt like I was in a dream some how recollecting what it *might be like* if I were to visit Northern China.

No beggars; this was something else that struck me as unique to this place. Anyone who's visited India will tell you...

During one excursion we set off from Aizal city for a drive to the foot of Mt Reiek. Curvy roads, wispy waterfalls, streaming rivers and blooming flowers were all part of the scenic view as we made our way up the mountain. Around some corners you could see an array of school children hiking their way to school, some dressed in uniform and others in western wear. I was a bit surprised to see two kids on this trip wearing MXPX t-shirts at various parts of the journey. Not that they knew anything about the band, but clearly somehow these western influences landing up in this heavenly mountain society.

Though I have searched around for the official story, I have found varying info on the height for Mt. Reiek. I have seen things ranging from 4800ft to 6000ft above sea level. Either way, our trip to the top was a thing of beauty. It has been some time since making such a steep hike up in the mountains. It was a rejuvenating experience to gasp in the fresh mountain air. Here are a few pics from the trip.

Travel Buddy pt 2

Found this site for TravelBuddy online today that was linked on a friends site. Perhaps this has been around some time, but this is the first I have seen of it.

Some of the places I have visited appear so small on this map that they are hard to see. One must scroll over the green area's slowly to see each place identified. Although, it does let you zoom in using the tool on the upper left.

If anyone else is using it, drop me a line. I would enjoy seeing and hearing about the places you have visited.

TravBuddy

Mizoram

Nestled in between the mountainous regions of Bangladesh and Myanmar is the land of Mizo's. I will be traveling to Mizoram early next month for a visit to this beautiful area. While Mizoram is known for its beautiful natural habitat of scenic terrain it is also renown for its hospitable people. I am eager and excited to experience this rich culture in the coming days. I am just awaiting the proper travel documents/permits in order to enter the area.

At http://mizoram.nic.in/about/people.htm I came across some good information about Mizoram, its people and history. This included:

World-renowned for their hospitality, Mizos are a close-knit society with no class distinction and no discrimination on grounds of sex. The entire society is knitted together by a peculiar code of ethics 'Tlawmngaihna' an untranslatable term meaning on the part of everyone to be hospitable kind, unselfish and helpful to others.

The distinction of 'no-class' (caste-related) and equality of women and men is a rare quality to be found in the Indian Sub-Continent.

During the trip we will visit some local friends and hope to visit some historical sites. I hope to post some info after our return.

Till next time...

All India Muslim Personal Law Board

Established on April 7-8 1973 the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) was created by the Indian Muslim Ulema as a response to the perceived threat being created by Indian Parliament and its Law-Makers. This, in fear that they might lose the applicability of Muslim Shariah Law within its community.

On March 2, 2008 the AIMPLB held a conference on the Park Circus Maidan, roughly a few hundred yards from my house.

While some conservative estimates put the meetings numbers at around 60,000 people, the organizers said there were over 100,000 present.

One thing I find very interesting is that no English paper/daily (nor most local vernacular newspapers) thought that this was newsworthy enough to cover. The Telegraph dropped the ball again with no coverage of the day. Perhaps they'll run something two weeks later as this seems to be their habit with 'News.'

Mobile Phone

Normally when you think of mobile phone's you think of the more modern cellular models available in the market. Perhaps even the beautiful i-phone.

Well, on a recent trip to Old Delhi we were walking towards the Jama Masjid when we came upon this bicycle drawn telephone booth.

Here's to mobile-phones in the Capital of India, 2008.

Moulana Nasiruddin

This is Moulana Nasiruddin of the Fatehpur Sikri Masjid about 35 km from the infamous city of Agra (Taj Mahal). He is the head Imam of the Masjid there that was built by King Akbar. He was a kind fellow and immediately came up to speak with me when I entered.

It is always a joy to meet a Salik along the journey.