Monday, April 6, 2026

TO SNEEZE OR NOT TO SNEEZE

तंग-दस्ती अगर न हो 'सालिक'

तंदुरुस्ती हज़ार नेमत है...

-  said the poet 'Salik', and how aptly so.

With seven decades plus  behind me, I realise, how important and necessary it is to stay healthy. For this  I am leading an abstemious life, eating just to live and not vice versa. I do not subscribe to the view that   'age is just a number '. Contrarily, age and ageing are hard facts  and there is no defying the natural process of growth and decay. 

In my case all is well till date  except that I have developed some allergy to winds that cause nothing more serious than sneezes.

I remember my late grand father calling sneezes and belching signs of health but am hard put to make my wife understand this. 

A bout of  periodic continuous sneezes from me and  verbal admonishes start from her as a reaction. This is a sign how caring she is. Periodically I take anti allergy tablet especially if I am to move out to visit public places for various purposes. A tablet keeps the sneezes away for 3- 4  days. This saves me some embarrassment also.

Sneezes remain my Waterloo, much though I attempt to wish them away.

For sure, to sneeze or not to sneeze is not in my hands.


Tuesday, March 31, 2026

My Canine Friend - Oscar

 Oscar, a pet mongrel with known pedigree  in the neighbourhood crosses the rainbow bridge !! Was into 11th year only but succumbed to illness.

Shall be missed by all those he endeared and showered unconditional love on ! 

His presence ensured no trespass by any unwanted person, much to our relief.

Picture shot long ago retrieved by me  after some effort !!



Saturday, March 28, 2026

Friday, February 6, 2026

Lata Mangeshkar

 Today is the fourth death anniversary of Lata Mangeshkar, the Melody Queen.

With little to add to what has already been written about the legendary singer, I feel tempted to share a real life incident reminisced about in a YouTube  post by Dr. Omer Adil, a  well qualified orthopedic surgeon from across the border who also happens to be a knowledgeable Media personality.He is an ardent Noor Jehan fan and  often carries discusssion  inter alia about her on Media.

In 1989, Dr Omer Adil appeared for the FRCS exam in London. Having passed thorugh the practical test and Viva which both went well, there was a gap of three hours time for the final result to be declared. He took a Tube to Oxford Circus Tube station and started roaming about the Oxford Street. Coming to Selfridge's, a high- end store in London, he chanced upon Lata Mangeshkar, accompanied by some other lady. He greeted her and in a way sought her blessings for his FRCS result. Lata Mangeshkar responded graciously.

Eventually he qualified and is an FRCS.

This is an acknowledgement of what a great personality Lata Mangeshkar was.

Our humble tributes 🙏


Sunday, August 17, 2025

Saroj Thakur

 It is sad and shocking to be informed of the untimely passing away of Ma'am Saroj Thakur   this morning. An academician by profession, she had been a faculty at the NIT Hamirpur for decades. She had had a stint as a Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advance Study, Shimla also.

On a personal note, I became acquainted with her  in and around 2009 through her Blog  'Straight From the Heart ' posted on Wordpress. A comment by me on her post brought us closer, the common strand being the Lady Irwin School where she studied and where I also studied from Class 1 to 4 as boys were allowed till that level only. It transpired that she was two years my junior.

Eventually we  came together on the memories of friends from Shimla  group where she reposted some older blogs and some new and fresh ones from time to time. It has always been a treat to go through her wonderful posts, deftly documenting the life in Shimla during '60s & 70s. The details given by her of her family have been fascinating throughout. 

I consider her my Guru as following her footsteps, I also started my humble attempts at writing blogs.

I regret having never met her personally !

 Her birthday falls on 25th August.

Adieu, Saroj Ma'am !

Rest in Peace 🙏


Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Brigadier Usman, MVC

 Today is the birth anniversary of Brigadier Mohammad  Usman , MVC of the Indian Army  who laid down his life during the  Indo- Pakistan war of 1947. Born this day in 1912  in  Azamgarh ,  United Provinces of British India, he was a Sandhurst trained  Officer of the British Indian Army , commissioned in1934. After serving for a year with the Cameronians, he was assigned to the 5th Battalion of 10 Baloch regiment . During this period he saw action in the NWFP. Despite allurment of being  made the Chief of Pakistan Army by the other side, Brig. Usman  chose to stay in India, and serve the Indian Army.After the partition, he was assigned to the Dogra regiment of the Indian Army. When Pakistan sent tribal irregulars to capture Kashmir, Brig. Usman was sent to command the Parachute battalion. As odds were against the Indian Army, Pakistan was able  to capture some area. However, after three months Brig . Usman was able to recapture the area but at the cost of his life . He was martyred in action on 3 july 1948, 12 days short of turning 36. He was the  highest ranking officer to get killed in action .He was  awarded Mahavir Chakra, the second highest gallantry Award posthumously. 


Our humble tributes to the bravest of the brave soldier 🙏

Monday, July 14, 2025

Composer Roshan

 Today is the  birth anniversary of Roshan Lal Nagrath or simply  Roshan, the highly talented  music composer of Hindi cinema  . Born this day in 1917 at Gujranwala in undivided Punjab, he remained active close to two decades in music composition and gave some unforgettable, wonderful melodies.Starting his career as an assistant to music director Khwaja Khurshid Anwar, his career took off when Kidar Sharma, the producer/director  gave him the opportunity to compose music for his film Neki aur Badi.Fame and name came to him with the film Baaware Nain, in which he composed lilting melodies.In the '50s  Roshan worked with top singers, Muhammad Rafi, Mukesh and  Talat Mehmood.

He is credited with launching the career of Anand Bakshi and Indeevar, who in due course made their mark as lyricists.He successfully blended folk music with Hindustani classical music.

The films he composed music for include Aarti, Mamta,Dewar,Naubahar,Taj Mahal,Barsat Ki Raat, Baware Nain,Chitralekha, Anokhi Raat,Dil Hi To Hai and many others.


He specialized in composing qawwalis and two of them Na to Caravan Ki Talash hai & Nigahen Milane ko jee chahta hai  , stand out.

He received the Filmfare Best Music Director Award for the film Taj Mahal in 1963.

He died on 16 November,1967 aged 50.

Our humble tributes to the great  music composer  🙏