Know Your Goal

Dear Children,

We are surely blessed! We had gone through very difficult period. We can’t forget people who had helped us in those days. People who trusted us. The shopkeepers who never asked but always gave, letting us pay whenever we could. Being trustworthy is very important in your life. Mutual trust has to be there without which your life will be full of doubts.

For that you need to keep your word and mind what you speak. Don’t make false promises. Live with in your means. In fact save 30 percent of your income for future. You need to sacrifice certain things in order get something better out of life. I remember reading in the newspaper that a study was conducted in which it was found that children who waited for better goods turned out to be leaders in their later lives than those who grabbed whatever came their way.

It is necessary to know what you want and how to get. Planning, focusing and implementing are all important factors that will eventually lead you to achieve your goal. The goal naturally should not be what others have are what others expect of you but what you want to achieve.

Different Peaks

Up and down, up and down
Go the wheels, in twos and fours,
On country roads or on railway tracks
The great wheels of progress.

If you are up
And always up
All that you create
Is a big flat plateau.

If you are down
And always down
All that you have done
Is, fallen into a chasm.

It is the up and down
And up and down
That makes you reach
Different peaks in life.

Valuable space

‘Four!’ And we have won! Cried the winning eleven
Much to the chagrin of the losing eleven,
The game that raced the pulse upbeat,
The game that turned the nations on heat.

But it wasn’t that day a national game,
Nor was it of international fame,
It was the local boys that played that day
Against each other on the ground that day.

Oh! Where is the ground? It is very much there
With security, a fence you cannot go in there;
It is no more a field, nor a green ground
Very well protected, by the prowling hound.

That is the story of a ground in a city
So is the tale of a field near a city
The green patch in the middle that was a dream
Turned to a high-rise, fulfilling someone’s dream.

You, me or them can be that someone
Not wishing to live on lease of anyone
Uprooting the grass, felling the trees
With little or no effort to plant new trees.

How we cry about our cities so loud
Unattractive and hot to the passing cloud
What do we expect from the jungle of concrete
If we cannot formulate a solution concrete.

It is about time, the rules are made strict
It is about time they are told to restrict
The construction of high-rise, the destruction of greenery
To plant flowering trees and save the beautiful scenery.

The eyesore garbage has finally been removed
The contract that was signed, its value it proved
No more can there be, encroachment guilt
For now there it stands the stadium that is built.

It’s a four again! The match has just begun,
This time too there was no need to run,
But oh! What fun to have an open space,
To give to ourselves our valuable space!

Oceans and Channels

Oceans and seas, never bore me
Mountains and fields, never tire me
Tired I am of the double feet box
Bored I am of the idiot box.

I scale the mountain and reduce my weight
I scan the channel and increase my waist
Oh! For surfing the sea with water splashing
Nay! For soap surfing with tears rolling!

On the high seas in boat I rock to and fro
On the low easy chair I rock to and fro
The former keeps me in spirits so high
The latter gives me the stoop and I sigh!

Newer Heights

Dear Children,

Ups and downs are there in everyone’s life. Even the person born with the silver spoon in his mouth had to go the jail. It is how we view it that makes all the difference. How you handle the situation that makes all the difference. There will be many opportunities in your life, but taking the right decision at the crucial juncture is what will bring you success.

Success does not mean how much wealth you have amassed. It is how you lived… are living… Are you trustworthy? Can you look at people in their eyes? Can you walk on the road without trying to avoid anyone? Are you comfortable being in any place? Can you talk to people from all walks of life… without either of you feeling uncomfortable? Can you give a natural smile? Can you laugh at yourself? If you can do all these and much more then you surely are your own master!

If we don’t let money be the master we can certainly achieve harmony in our lives. We can be with our near and dear ones and share their joy. There was a point in our lives when you were all young, when we had to choose between going after money and staying together. I am happy to say we chose the latter and are so much the better for that.

It happened because we lived a simple life… a trustworthy life. People came forward to help us when we needed it. Can’t forget them. They trusted us. To be trusted, you need to keep your word and mind what you speak. Don’t make false promises. In fact you don’t have to promise anything… your words should be good enough that it alone can take you to newer heights.

The up and down and up!

It is the time of the year to fly and soar high!
It is the time of the year the sun moves up north,
It is the time of the year the wind direction changes,
It is the time of the year you fly your colourful kites!

You can smell the boiling jaggery this time around,
You can hear the scream ‘kapiyay’ this time around,
You can bite and chew the sugarcane this time around,
You can see the colours in multitude this time around.

Oh! To be on the terrace as the wind blows on your face
Oh! To be on the ground with your feet firmly planted
Oh! To be with your friends, with the music ringing in your ears
Oh! To be holding the ‘firki’ and letting your kite soar high!

The kite soars high as the wind blows
The kite soars high - as we release the string
The kite soars up, searching for weak links
The kite soars up, having found the link.

What can happen to the link that was weak?
What could happen but that it lost its roots?
What could happen, to the one that lost?
What could happen? Oh! What could happen?

It starts all over again, the one that fell
It starts all over again, the one that lost
It starts all over again, in a new place
It starts all over again with a new one!

It is so similar to our own lives
It is so similar to our aspirations
It is so similar to our achievements
It is so similar to our ups and downs!

It is the time of the year to make a new beginning
It is the time of the year to start your planning
It is the time of the year to change your desire to want
It is the time of the year your kiting skill you flaunt!

Cherished Moments

Dear Children,

Nursery interview reminds me of how much the world has moved on. Now-a-days admission to school is not based on readiness of the child or the proximity to school or any other factor but the bank balance.

When we took you all for admission you were allowed to play with the toys and were asked simple day to day questions. The principals asked what language we spoke at home. They were happy to hear that we spoke our mother tongue and had started teaching English words so as to make you comfortable in school. For a child to know the mother tongue was given great importance.

Do they ask such questions now? Do they see the readiness of the child, the interaction between the child and the parents, and guide the parents if they are lacking in any areas? None of those. "What is your yearly income?" The gateway to admission. If your income is close to a lakh for a month your child's admission is assured.

It is not surprising that the younger generation runs after money. If you can't make it in rupees look for dollars or rials or whatever else. Everyone wants the best for himself even more so for the off-springs. Money is a good servant but a bad master. So long as it follows you it is fine as you have it under your control. If you run after it you are lost for ever, you are a follower and not a leader. However much bank balance you may have it will always be less if you want to keep up with the latest trend. Stop a while and see your children grow up. Like the poet William Henry Davies says 'no time to stand and stare' in the poem 'Leisure'- it certainly would be a poor life if you cannot spend time with your children, sharing their ups and downs. They are the experiences to be cherished for ever.

Develop inner Strength

Dear Children,

Protection! Who can protect you but yourself? ‘ If you want peace, prepare for war’. Our own hand is our best support.’ well, there are hundreds of sayings, but, following them is very important.

The world that we are living in definitely calls for learning self defense. When you were kids, the country was not so bad. But now you need to teach your children to protect themselves from unwanted elements. It is just not physical alone. It is more of developing a strong will power.

You all grew up without any offer of any incentive from me or dad for anything. We never said, ’ we will give you this, if you do that’… such a statement actually sets the stage for accepting bribe. It is much better to train your children to do something because it has to be done (giving proper reasons of course) than the alternative of dangling a carrot in front of them. That is how you build up the inner strength. They won’t fall prey to unwanted elements.

Usha, I remember your nursery interview. The other parents present advised me to offer ice-cream to you if you answered the questions as you had refused to speak. When I told them you would decline the offer they didn’t believe me. Imagine their surprise when you actually said ‘ I don’t want ice-cream!’. Needless to say you did get your admission. Not falling for anything and everything is also a form of protection. Much later Mrs. Parmar, your nursery teacher said that she liked the way I handled you.. No scolding or forcing but reasoning all the time. That I consider a great compliment from the German lady! Anyway, I know you would not fall for anything ever, having built your inner strength and thus protecting yourself.

Animals bring colour

Dear Children,

High point takes me back to the Langkawi islands! What a wonderful experience that was! To go up in the cable car to the top of the mountain! We were looking forward to have a birds view of the island below. However, it was a cloudy day. Nothing was visible. But we were in cloud nine! We literally were in the midst of the rain cloud! It even started to drizzle as we stood there… getting wet…!Visibility was probably 2 or 3 meters! The experience was amazing!

Then as we came down we saw a deer and a few rabbits roaming about freely among people. What a thrill! They sold some food for the deer for a Rinket (the currency of Malaysia). The thrill of having the dear deer take the food from my hand was just out of this world experience! The island certainly beckons me, but I know those moments we spent out in the open are to be cherished for ever. They don’t come back, but they make your life worth living.

Love the animals. They actually are not animals in the beastly sense. If I may say so the beasts are probably traveling in the city bus… the less said the better. God has created them.. I mean the animals in the forests, and given them colours to merge with their surroundings to protect them. But they make your life colorful, if you make them a part of your life. They are just living beings who also look for the basic things in life -food and shelter, and most certainly protection.

A good Beginning lasts a life time

Dear children,

We talked about books gathering dust in the previous post. Books! They are like your mind. They can take you anywhere! They are not only a source of knowledge, but also the instigators of imagination. They make you think, visualize, form theories and of course help in action plans.
That is what is important - action plan. You need to plan and take action. Your brain is definitely by far better that any computer, provided you have learnt to store, file, recollect, delete (unwanted virus like thoughts), and retrieve- the good ones! All these take place over a period of time… years. A company I worked for - Lotus Learning Pvt. Ltd. had this catchy phrase, ’ A good beginning lasts a life time‘. It is very important to start early - as early as the child is growing in the womb - to start education. Listening to good music at that time is a wondrous way. My father-in-law used to read the ‘Gita’ aloud that you all could benefit by it. I am glad it has had its effect. Knowingly or unknowingly you all have learnt and developed qualities that cannot be taught in any business school of management or spiritual discourses. Don’t let books lie idle, nor let your mind become a devil’s workshop.
Act upon what you have read and assimilated. Each book has its’ own high points. My father used to guide me to read each book for either its story, the language, the plot, the character development or the gist. Read a book and find out what was its’ high point.

Heaven On Earth

The queue at port was quite so short,
Soon very soon it grew so endless.
As people joined in from villages near,
And vehicles drove down from cities far
We waited for boats to smoothly sail in
And the pilgrims returning to happily climb out
Oh! How the blue sea was calm and quiet
But the rushing men so rough and noisy!

A journey so very beautiful and perfect
How could it ever be hideous and faulty?
As the boat in the water from side to side rocked
While the wind that blew was ever so steady.
As wave after wave rose and fell
The boat we were in, dipped and rose
Overtaking others who were slowly sailing out
Greeting those who were quickly returning in.

Suddenly the sea turned extremely rough
Without a warning when it was sailing so smooth
The crowd of people who made so much noise
They prayed to god subdued in silence.
Against the boat crashed waves ever so high
The spirit of the passengers fell ever so low
The waters that splashed made everyone wet
With each heart longing for that land so dry.

It was the time when you thought of life
For you were sure of the approaching death
In a flash before your eyes you recalled the past
As you felt, in a flash, you’ll have no future.
In praise of Lord, with faith sang the women
While the waters they scooped and poured out, the men.
Urging everyone to sing and be brave
For fear is the armour of the hopeless coward.

Suddenly we had crossed the path that spelt danger
Soon we were in waters that was quite safe
The danger we were in so quickly forgotten
It took time for us to slowly remember.
Remember we did on our way back
As we sat in the boat way up front
But it wasn’t as scary as it was at first
Nor would it be even if it were the last!

How? You might ask the one simple question
For which I have but one and only answer
The ride that put us on such great peril
Could never have been anything but a journey quite safe.
The devotees’ call unto to him the Lord did hear
It cannot be, for sure, that it was unheard
Truly as you call Him, He does come
Until another call where he has to go.

It is a treat, to be out in the sea so open
To let the cool breeze sink in with your eyes shut
To hear the waves crash as they rise and fall
To look at the birds as they fly and rise
To smell the deep waters as the fish float up
To taste the water droplets as they fall down
To revel in the beauty that is God’s creation
If you cannot love, it will end in destruction.


Thus is how it is, the blue planet’s face
With all its senses intact, if man didn’t deface
It is a planet so beautiful, a planet that would live
With radiation and pollution, it would certainly die
It is a wakeup call - save the earth from destruction
It is a call to all to join hands in construction
Uncaring progress has made living on earth, hell
Care for the living to make earth, a heaven!

Share your knowledge and use your skill

Dear Children,

Much as I love the sea, I had experienced scary moments too. We had been to Bet Dwarka off Okha Port. An island in the Arabian Sea.. We were looking forward to a wonderful boat ride. I remembered the ride from Gateway of India and looked forward to such a wonderful experience again. I guess moments of truth come at various points in your life. This ride was one of them.

Six of us, thatha, paati, dad, me, usha and shubha got into the boat all happy and excited. Usha you were probably 3 years old and Shubha 1 ½ years. The boat started gently, rocking, and as we were half way to our destination, the sea became extremely rough. The waves came crashing , the boat rocked dangerously, we were all drenched head to toe. The look on grandpa’s (my dad) was devastating. I wandered why did I ever bring them, what would happen if the boat toppled? I didn’t know to swim… how would I ever save them… what would I tell my brothers… thought after thought flashed in my mind in between prayers. All the while the women in the boat sang ’ Bajans’ in praise of Lord Krishna. I got to see the total surrender, the devotion on their faces. I also realized it is not each for himself, but your skill can help others too. I thought at that moment, if I had learnt to swim, I could save at least two people if the boat sank

Let your skill help others, share your knowledge. Otherwise you would be a library of books gathering dust.

Our innermost thoughts

Dear Children,


Nature is beautiful. It has no boundaries. If you were to be shown the physical map of the world, all you can see is mountains, plateaus, plains, deserts, rivers, oceans, seas lakes… There are no man made boundaries. If only we could visit places at will!

If you truly ‘will’ something I guess you get it. Wanting to see the dolphins and Penguins had always been my childhood dream. As a child, I believed that penguins are found only in Antarctica. I used to wonder how I could go there!
Guess god hears our innermost, unvoiced thoughts! It happened when we had the fortune to visit \Malaysia and Singapore. I got to see the Penguins in Langkawi islands and the dolphins in Singapore. I was delirious with joy! My thanks to you shubha for making my dream come true! Of course, you were not aware of it at that time.

Oceans and seas never seem to bore me. I can sit for hours together and watch the waves crashing. There is a saying in Tamil for procrastinators… that they would take bath in the ocean once the waves stop crashing! I guess I would say I would probably stop watching the ocean after the waves stop! They fascinate me. Waves, poetically, are associated with restlessness, but for me they bring calm and peace. Pisces that I am, the cool waters of the Neptune beckon me!

Feel The Environment

Dear Children,

Our trip took us to Rameswaram twice - once to collect the mud from the Sea shore to mix it with the water at Triveni Allahabad. The Second time was to collect the water at sangam – where the Ganga, Yamuna and the Saraswati meet – and perform the abhishekam at the shiva temple in Rameswaram. The experience of crossing the sea was different – the first and the second time.
It was awesome, the first time, as the waves crashed, the wind blew on our face as the train slowly made its way across the sea. It takes almost a quarter hour to reach the other side. However, the second time because we were traveling in AC coach, we could not feel the wind. It was as if we were watching a movie with no personal connection. Mahatma Gandhi did not make any mistake in traveling 3rd class. He could not have got the experience or felt as one with his countrymen if had not done that.
Do not give all physical comforts to your children. Bring them up tough that they can endure and master any situation; so that they can connect with the outside world, reach out to people and feel the environment.
People in Rameswaram are loving and affectionate. We enjoyed our stay there. The place is surrounded by sea water. On the land every house has a well that gives sweet water! In the middle of the sea there is a well created by lord Rama as he sent his arrow down to bring out sweet water for Sita to drink. We too had the opportunity to taste it. But the tsunami had made its mark... the water had turned slightly salty though not to the extend of the surrounding sea!

Speak The Truth

Dear Children,

The Ramayana and the Mahabharata have many such stories to tell. On our visit to ‘Gaya’ we heard one. Sri Ram was performing the shradh for his father Dasaratha who used to come in the human form to receive his food. But Dasaratha felt very hungry before Ram could offer and so went to Sita and asked for food. As Sita could not refuse she therefore offered food. Dasarath felt full and left the place. He did not come when Ram called him. Sita stated that she had already served.
She called upon the river Falguni, the herb Tulsi, the cow, the Brahmin and the Akshya Vriksh as witnesses. Except for the tree the others refused to confirm her claim. She cursed them for not speaking the truth. The Falguni River was cursed to dry up; the cow that could speak and think lost both; the Tulsi was cursed to grow anywhere and the Brahmin was cursed to be dissatisfied for ever. Only the tree that stood by truth is even today worshipped. Hence speak the truth. What I deduce from this story is that even if you have committed an error, being in the proximity of good people has its value, as even today the above mentioned are respected inspite of the curse.
How nice it would have been if our parents had come in person to take the food from us! But that was not to be so. In the city of Gaya, as you perform the rites, they make us realize how important our mother is. What all she had endured for our sake. It is the moment of truth as we feel that no matter what we do for our mother it is never enough. But the mother does not ask you for anything. She can only give. We were silent on our way back from Gaya, each lost in our own thoughts.
It prompted me to write the poem 'When the time comes' dated 29th March 2010.

Revere Your Teacher

Dear Children,

We moved upstream from Varanasi, though of course, in a car to the city of Allahabad. The city, where the Ganga and the Yamuna meet. As you take a dip at the confluence of the three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati you absolve yourself of all your sins. It goes without saying you must have faith.

Allahabad is a city of historical importance. The information you can get in any book or net. But for your family history, your Bapuji athai and Vichu mama lived there with their families before moving to south. The foundation laid for education here is good as you can see with the progress made by your cousins.

You will find such cities of learning all over India. It is knowledge that can give you the power to achieve your goals. Never lose sight of your goals, the means for which is education. Always remember you learn till your death. Whatever you have learned comes to your aid when you need it the most. It is therefore necessary to respect your teacher – be it an ant or a saint! Remember, Karna was cursed to forget his learning at the most inopportune moment for deceiving his teacher. The epics teach you the way of life and how you should live. You need not bother about whether they actually took place. Read them for yourself and read it to your children.

Sweet Memories And Hard Facts

Dear Children,

We could never have undertaken our journey without your help. The journey that took us across the country, from south to north and north to south; journey that allowed us to do our bit for our forefathers.
If beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, then Banaras we found to be beautiful. As you sit on the banks of the Ganga, you feel calmness pervading even as you watch the burning bodies. You don’t see tears in anyone’s eyes. Life and death are taken on equal terms. It is what is worth of the river Ganga. Its water is pure. There are micro organisms in it that keep it pure. Scoop up a handful of water and you will find that it is fit for drinking. I am sure there will be many who will differ with that statement! I have to admit that I have drunk that water and nothing untoward happened. The quality of milk that I drank years back and now is the same over there. No wonder, the place is sacred and so are the cows!
It is a city where if you fall, you will have hands that come to help you up. Yet in the crowded ghats you can seek solitude and keep just to yourself. The city has multitudes of people coming from all over the world - each one carrying his impression of the place. We met a group of Malaysians who were very much impressed with the silk textiles there!
The city has not changed much from the time I visited to write the exam for my school certificate. It has been more than forty years. I still remember, I wrote my exam along with the Princess of Banaras! She needed no security! But kings and queens are long gone. Now, our democratic country has dictators! There are gun trotting bodyguards for the underworld or celluloid kings and none for the women...

PS.The love i have for nature cannot be expressed in words. A feeble attempt about the river Ganga that i had written earlier comes to my mind now... written on 4th April 2010.

Visit a Village

Dear Children,

We belong to the village ‘Ariyanayagipuram’. Your great grandfather has built a temple for lord ‘karthikeya’ there. Our ‘kuladaivam’ is ‘Ariyanayagipuram amman’. Whenever we go to the village we worship lord ‘ Ayyappa' also. It has been the family tradition to visit these temples and worship the god and goddess. Before visiting these temples in our village, it has been the practice to pray at ‘Thiruchendur’, a town on the shores of the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu. Visit as per your convenience.

You may say, like we always believed, God is everywhere. Very true. But like we said earlier, give back something. By going there you connect with people who are waiting for you, who depend on you for their income. Do you remember ‘Kadhai thatha?’ He used to say ‘Keep aside ten percent of your salary for temples and charity’. It would be nice if you keep even five percent for such purposes every month.

Get together. Make your plans. Visit a village. That is where the heart of our country is. Take your children when they are still young. We wish we could have done that. But time flew and before we realized you all had moved to root yourself elsewhere. Don’t let the same happen to you. Have dreams and follow them. Plan and succeed in your journey.

Remember Your Roots

Dear Children, This is the first of my letters to you.My experiences- the ups and downs, dreams and achievements. will begin with the city where you all grew up - Vadodara. The city where you grew up and the city that you see still growing derived its name from the tree ‘Vad’ (the banyan tree). Not only is it firmly rooted, it props itself up, never forgetting the soil in which it took birth. Wherever it rooted again it firmly established itself, thus expanding all the time. ‘Vad’ is a selfless tree that gives shelter to anyone who seeks the comfort it provides. We would like you to do the same. The earth is vast, as vast as you think it is. You cannot reach every place but you can make your presence felt wherever you go, whatever you touch. Be like the Vad – do not expect anything back. Remember the ladder that helped you climb. Give something back to the city that provided you the steps. Give back something to the city that gave you the platform. It shows your worth. It shows your character. Do not say it has nothing now.
 Rice is first grown where the field gets flooded. It is then replanted away from the banks for better yield. Relocating is an important factor in one’s life and growth. It does not mean the area left is of no use. It means it is ready for new life and growth, and, therefore is of utmost importance.Just today I read in the newspaper that an NRG had gifted Rs.2 crore to the institution from where he was adopted.
 We want you to remember, just as you left Vadodara the city of your childhood and made progress, your children will do the same. Teach them to give something back to their childhood city.