Janmashtami of Vrindavan

 Gokulashtami, which is prominently known as Janmashthami, is a celebration that is commended all around the nation to invite Lord Krishna into this world. As indicated by the Hindu schedule, this date denotes the introduction of Lord Krishna, who was the eighth reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. On this auspicious day, all the Krishna temples are enlivened with flowers, and vivid lights and enthusiasts crowd the temples at noon to offer their prayers to the Lord. 

Every year during Janmashtami, my family and I visit Vrindavan for Janmashtami celebration . It's a ritual of our household. We tend to decorate our home and mandir with flowers and lights for the arrival of Lord Krishna. I remember being a kid and visiting Banke Bihari temple during this time of year; the temple was so crowded during this time. The thought of getting lost in the crowd used to make me cry. But with the growing years, I learned the meaning and beauty of this festival and place. 
 
If one has to see the actual celebration of Janmashtami, one should visit Vrindavan during this time. The city looks all different; it is a whole new world there. Janamashtmi in Vrindavan is revelrous and blissful like no spot else. The day is complemented with a ton of energy and excitement.

Janmashtami is commended across the globe; but the appeal of Krishna Janmashtami of Vrindavan resembles no other. The whole place is decorated with lights and diyas. Vrindavan  has more than 5000 temples dedicated to Shri Krishna. You will see many different ceremonies being performed all through the urban communities. The environment of these urban communities is loaded up with the sound of songs and aarti, particularly during daybreak and sunset.

Credit: NBT

As indicated by the legends, Lord Krishna spent his youth and teen in these two urban communities. He had an extraordinarily cheerful and naughty childhood where he prodded his gopis by playing tricks and stealing butter from houses. When you visit these urban communities during the Janmashtami festivity, you will hear individuals singing stories and melodies of Lord Krishna. This is one of those ceremonies that are followed each day during sunrise and sunset. 

One of the vital features of Janmashtami festivity in Vrindavan is the fabulous Abhishek or blessed shower of Lord Krishna. As per the ceremonies followed by individuals, the icons of Shri Krishna are washed with milk and curd, after which they are spruced up in lovely gems and garments for the noon celebrations. 

Another custom that the lovers follow during this celebration is the contribution of Chappan Bhog. It is a plate that comprises 56 unique foods, including sweet dishes, to the master. Mantras are recited while broadening the gift, and whenever this is done, all the Bhogs are given to the people. 

Credit: prabhatkhabar.com

Overall, Janmashtami in Vrindavan is a lifetime experience. 

The unique cultural traditions related to Janmashtami

Janmashtami, celebrated on the eighth day of Ashtami of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the month of Shraavana or Bhadrapada is a major festival in India. 

Families sing bhajans, there is festive food and special prayers are held. Just like Lord Krishna himself, Janmashtami is full of real time fun and frolic. Giant human pyramids are made in various states, and one local kanhaiya breaks the matka at the top.  But here a few lesser known traditions and stories related to Janmashtami:

Janmashtami and rain

Birth of Lord Krishna (quora)

On Janmashtami, whether one expects it or not, Earth is blessed with a rain shower. The story behind this surprising rain is rather interesting. According to Hindu mythology, Krishna was born thousands of years ago in Dwapar yug to Devki and Vasudeva inside a jail. His uncle Kansa wanted to kill him as he was afraid of a prophecy that proclaimed Devki’s eight child would eliminate him. 

After Krishna was born, every single jail guard fell asleep and Vasudeva’s chains broke down miraculously. A heavenly intervention asked Vasudeva to take the baby to Nand gaon or village and exchange him with the daughter of Nand Baba and Yashoda. Vasudeva then put his newborn child in a basket and went ahead to cross the Yamuna river to reach the Nand gaon. As it rained heavily as Sheshnag, the snake with five heads appeared and spread his head to protect the little Krishna from the downpour.

Hindus celebrate Janmashtami by fasting, singing, praying together, preparing and sharing special food, night vigils, and visiting Krishna or Vishnu temples. Major Krishna temples organize recitation of  Bhagavad Gita. Dance and drama events of rasa lila are organized within communities to remember the life of Lord Krishna. . The tradition of Rasa Lila is particularly popular in the Mathura region, in northeastern states of India such as Manipur and Assam, and in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. 

Vrindavan and its greeting of Radhe-Radhe

Krishna in Vrindavan (Pinerest)

Vrindavan is the place where the early years of Lord Krishna were spent. In scriptures and illustrations, we see Lord Krishna playing the flute for his devotees, including Radha.  Later, he left Vrindavan and went to Mathura  to kill Kansa who was continuously trying to threaten him. As a matter of fact, in Vrindavan, people greet each other as radhe radhe, instead of Krishna as they believe that if you summon Radha, Krishna will definitely grace them with his blessings. Moreover, Krishna kept Radha ahead of him in all his decisions. 

On Janmashtami, the Vrindavan is decorated with lights, people sing and dance while praying to the god. It is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in Prem Mandir, ISKCON Temple, and 5000 other smaller temples that are present in the city. People here chant mantras, sing Krishna songs, dance to them, and rock cradles with baby Krishna inside. Devotees also play with buttermilk, curd, and turmeric, bathing Krishna with all these items. Though the preparations start a day before Gokulashtami, the city gets into the festival mood about a week before the actual day.

Kathamo Puja in  Bengal

Kathamo Puja at Bengal (spiritualguideforall.blogspot.com)

Many Bengali households celebrate Janmashtami by hosting Kathamo Puja in the morning to worship Narayan, where a clay idol is built on a wooden frame. This is followed by worshipping Radha Krishna in the evening. Food is a big part of Janmashtami celebration in Bengal. Given Lord Krishna’s love for makhan, buttermilk, and ghee. bhog is prepared and offered to the Lord. Makhan mishri is made from sugar and makhan, Lord Krishna’s favorite. Mishti Doi, Shinni  and Khoya Malpua are also prepared. Taler Bora or sweet fritters are made as bhog. Tal kheer or sweet palm pudding is another delicacy. 

Celebration through performing arts in Manipur

Manipur celebration through performing arts (www.siliconindia.com)

The well-known culture of celebrating Janmashtami in Eastern and Northeastern India is attributed to the teachings of 15th and 16th century Sankardeva and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The people of Manipur perform Manipuri dance, enacting Raslila – a love inspired dance drama act of Radha and Krishna. New forms of performance arts were created to celebrate the Hindu god Krishna such as lyrical songs or Borgeet, Ankia Naat or one act plays inspired from Lord Krishna’s worship, Sattriya nritya, and Bhakti yoga now popular in West Bengal and Assam. These dance drama arts are a part of Janmashtami tradition in these regions. Their contextual roots are in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text Natya Shastra, but with time, they have undergone cultural influences from fusions.

Sweet dishes prepared on Janmashtami from different states of India

Every year, on the eight day of Krishna Paksha, the birth of lord krishna is celebrated in India, who is believed to be an eighth avatar of lord Vishnu. People acknowledge Krishna on this day by singing prayers, fasting, decorating temples, washing the idols of baby Krishna and placing them in a cradle. 

Janmashtami is the day when you can not resist mouth watering sweets and they are an important part of celebrating Krishna's birth. It is believed that Krishna loves food and is also known as ‘Makhan Chor’ due his liking towards butter.even on today's date Indian households prepare special chappan bhog for lord krishna, which consists of delicious sweets. 

Here are some sweets from different parts of india that you enjoy on Janmashtami  : 

GOPALKALA

Credit: tatanutrikorner.com

This dish has a specific significance from the state of India ‘maharashtra’. Gopalkala is also a filling of dahi handi. Lord Krishna loved the hand churned butter and therefore this dish is prepared with butter, poha and some fresh fruits. Here is a perfect way of preparing gopalkala, which you can add in your bhog for krishna. 

• Firstly wash the poha properly under running water and let extra water get drained out of it. 
• Now roast the puffed rice ( sukhi fuladiya / murmura ) for 1 minute in a pan.
• Then wash, peel and chopped cucumber. Now mix it well with 1 cup curd, ½ cup milk and some white butter in a bowl and whisk it nicely till it turns into a smooth texture. 
• Next add all the spices like salt, green chilli, cumin powder in the mixture, with this also add some finely chopped ginger, add more butter for extra creamy results.
• Now you can also add soaked chana dal into it, with grated coconut. Add soaked poha and roasted puffed rice to the mixture and mix everything well softly.
• Lastly garnish the dish with fresh coriander, pomegranate and other desired fruit. 

NEI APPAM

Credit: archanaskitchen.com

You can enjoy this sweet dish with your family and friends during this festival season which is simply made up of raw rice. This traditional dish basically belongs to the southern state of India ‘Tamil Nadu’ and is enjoyed on janmashtami .

It is also recognised as unniyappam in Kerala. So here is the recipe of nei appam, which can be offered as a bhog to Krishna this year.

• Soak the rice in water for 2-3 hours.
• Now make a jaggery syrup by heating jaggery in water, after this strain the liquid and keep it aside.
• Now drain the rice water and grind the rice well with jaggery syrup to turn it into a fine paste.
• After this add mashed banana in rice and jaggery paste, and pour the mixture in a separate bowl.
• Keep checking the consistency of the batter. It should be a little thicker than the dosa batter. Now with this add grated coconut and cardamom powder in it.
• Now you can add baking soda to the mixture or a little amount of yeast in it. Later on keep it aside for 1 hour , for the fermentation process. 
• Now heat the appam pan and add ghee in it. Now pour the batter in every slot of appam and flip it once it is light brown from one side. 
• Cook until both the sides turn brownish and it is ready !

MATHURA PEDA

Credit: bansiwala.co.in

As you can guess from the name itself, this yummy dish belongs to north indian state ‘Mathura’. Mathura ke pede is the best feast of janmashtami that comes from the birthplace of krishna.

In India, janmashtami is incomplete without peda. People offer it to lord krishna and then break their fast. So here is how you can prepare the prashad of mathura ke pede.

• Take a pan and add water+sugar in it, now cook it over a slow flame and keep stirring the mixture, till it turns into a thick mixture and looks transparent.
• Now pour the milk in the sugar syrup and stir it well.
• After 5-6 minutes of stirring this mixture, you will see crystallizing sugar which is sticking to the pan and keep mixing it.
• Now after this add ghee, in the mixture and keep scraping it on medium flame.
• Finally sugar will reach the point when there will be no moisture in it, keep it aside and let it dry now.  This is how you will achieve powdr sugar.   
• Now add mawa in a pan on medium flame after a few minutes it will become dry add ghee in it and keep stirring it. 
• Keep stirring it till you achieve light brown colour for 15-20 minutes. 
• After this let the mixture cool down and then mix the sugar bura in it properly. 
• Gradually, add milk in the mawa mixture little by little and mix it well. Once done with it add cardamom powder in it and kneeled it properly. 
• Now use your hands and give it a shape of mawa and it is done! 

MAKHAN MISHRI 

Credit: pakwangali.in

This simple prashad is prepared in almost every state of India during Janmashtami. It is an offering for lord Krishna on this day specifically because the bal gopal was fond of makhan. Here is the recipe for makhan mishri .

• Add desi ghee in a large size bowl and drop some ice cubes in it.
• Now mix the ghee and ice cubes with a whisker and after a few minutes you will start noticing thickness in the consistency of ghee. 
• Whisk it till you achieve a nice white thick mixture, for 5 minutes.
• Now add mishri in it , you can also use sugar in place of mishri. Give it a nice mix.
• Transfer the mixture in some clean bowl and garnish it with fresh mint leaves. 
• Offer the favourite sweet of Krishna first to lord and then distribute it to all.

Try these amazing recipes and tell us your favorite recipes in the comments. 

Supertech Capetown- AOA holds meeting with MLA and MP

The Apartment Owners Association members of  Supertech Capetown,  a residential highrise society located at Sector 74, Noida, held a meeting on Sunday with Dr Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister and MP from Gautam Buddha Nagar constituency and Pankaj Singh, Member of Legislative Assembly of Noida. The AOA members raised the issue of the pending registry, the builder not giving handover to society, limited connections of water and electricity and many more. The AOA members suggested that the Noida Authority get their amount from the builder; they should mortgage the personal and other property of the builder and should start working on the pending registry of the flat buyers.

Credit: Supplied

Arun Sharma, AOA president said, " Around 1700 flat owners have already given the amount to the builder and the builder is not giving them their property. This is mental torture and this is also illegal. We discussed all these issues with the MLA Pankaj Singh, to which he assured us that it will be conveyed to the Noida Authority as the buyers are not at fault here".

Credit: Supplied

 

Janmashtami: Celebration galore at Iskcon Temple, Dwarka

 On the occasion of Janmashtami, the temple hall of Iskon Temple, Dwarka is adorned with beautiful flowers, and thronged by devotees who are eager to have darshan of the Lord and serve him. There are varieties of flowers used for the beautification of the temples, and the festivities started from the early morning. One of the main rituals on this day is the ceremonial bathing of the deities.

Iskcon Temple hall is decorated with beautiful flowers.

Both the deities of Radha, Krishna, and even Balaram get the ceremonial bathing, and then there is Mangal Aarti and more. Prasadam was distributed among devotees, and as mentioned earlier, the celebrations will go on for the entire day. Devotees are visiting the temple in abundance to be a part of the celebrations. Melodious Kirtan and chanting of the holy name goes on for practically the entire day.

Beautiful decoration of Shri Krishna and Radha ji.

At midnight, the deities are offered an Aarti yet again, with love and devotion for the Supreme Lord. The festivities go on until the next day as well, this is when Nandotsav is celebrated. The celebrations at Iskcon Temple, Dwarka are a sight to behold.

Celebrating Janamashtami in Iskcon temple, Dwarka sector 13

Mangal Aarti in Iskcon temple dwarka sector 13

Shri Krishna dancing with devotees

Iskcon temple, Dwarka is all set to celebrate, Shri Krishna Janmashtami Celebrations
with all the precautions

Devotees all set to celebrate Janamashtami

Residents of Ecovillage-1 protest to demand registry of flats

Residents of Supertech Ecovillage 1, a high rise residential society in Greater Noida West, protested against the builder for the pending registry of their flats.

Residents alleged that more than 3000 families have their registries pending due to which they are facing problems. They have to pay an extra rate of interest to the bank because they do not have their registry paper. Approximately 250 residents took part in the protest.

Residents of the society have protested against the builder earlier as well. Residents shared that this time, they had to come out on the road because no one was listening to their concerns. Residents are also demanding  the Occupancy Certificate (OC) and Completion Certificate (CC).

Credit: Supplied

Mihir Gautam, a resident of Ecovillage-1 said, "We are tired of pleading with the authorities. We also attended a meeting in which the builder was present but the builder flatly refused to give the money to the authority. The authority is avoiding action against the builder and looks completely helpless. So what option does a troubled home buyer have? That's why peaceful protests are being held."

Shailendra Gupta, resident C2, Ecovillage-1 said, "All the residents of Eco Village 1 have been campaigning on Twitter for the past month. We are appealing to the government and the Greater Noida Authority to get the registry started somehow. However, till now, nothing has been received except assurance."

Credit: Supplied

Vijay Singh, another resident of Ecovillage-1 said, "Pending registry is a big issue raised by the residents. Due to this, we are facing many problems like we don’t own our flats and we have to pay an extra rate of interest to the bank. If we want to sell our flat, no one will buy this."

CitySpidey also talked with facility head, Nitish Arora, who said, "We all are aware about the issue. Basically, the residents raised the issue of lift malfunctioning in their society and the work on that will be done by September 30. Residents have moulded this issue into the registry issue. We and  authority are on it and will solve the problems soon." 

Noida: “No helmet No entry” says 7x welfare team

 Volunteers of the 7X welfare team, a resident team along with the Noida Traffic Police Department, on Saturday came together to dissipate awareness among people about lane driving. They together launched a campaign which was initiated on August 23 and is to be run every Sunday. However, this week it was done on Saturday because of Janmashtami.

Police inspector educating rickshaw driver about lane driving

The focus of this week was "No helmet No entry”. The aim was to ensure a smooth flow of traffic in the city. The team covered the crossroads of North eye, Sector 74, Noida.

No helmet no entry

“Collective and continuous efforts of our team and Noida Traffic Police are only sustainable if people voluntarily decide to follow the rules even when not directly asked to.
We aim to conduct these drives so that accidents can be avoided with the joint effort",  said Brajesh Sharma, a member of 7x welfare team.

The 7x welfare team educating commuters about traffic rules

"To make people aware of traffic rules and to save their lives, we are creating awareness about vacating the left turns open and letting pedestrians utilize the zebra crossing. We also interacted  with the commuters to create awareness about lane driving", said A. Durga Subrahmanyam, a member of the 7x welfare team.

The drive was successful with the combined efforts of Noida traffic police and 7x welfare team

"This time, our motto was more inclined to ‘No helmet no entry’. We spread awareness because we want to ensure people's safety,", said Shreya Sharma, a member of the 7x welfare team.

"We continued this drive even during rain. We started this drive around 5 pm and continued till 7 pm.  Wrong side driving, not wearing helmets, helmets with ISI mark were the prominent focus. For the next two months, we will continue to do this campaign with the 7x welfare team on lane driving. Our motive is to achieve safe driving which will reduce accident cases in the city. Together, with the help of residents of the 7x welfare team, we will achieve this motive", said Vijay Kumar Singh, Sub Inspector, Traffic Police, Noida. 

The drive was continued even during the time of rain

 

Resident gets stuck as lift in Gaur City, 14th Avenue malfunctions

Mohit Darbari, a resident of 14th Avenue Society, Gaur City 2 in Greater Noida West got stuck in the lift of the M tower of the society.

Ekta Saxena, wife of Mohit Darbari said, "My husband Mohit, was going to his office and took the lift from M Tower from the 15th floor to the ground floor. The lift was stuck between the second and first floor with a heavy  jolt and my husband fell on the floor. It was completely dark in the elevator. Due to this, his right hand got cut because of something sharp there."

Mohit was rescued by the lift operator after he pressed the alarm button. He tried to contact several numbers given in the lift and was asked to jump from the lift to the first floor from the second floor. This resulted in injury in his left leg.

Credit: Supplied

Preeti Singh, resident of Gaur City 14th Avenue and co-secretary of NEFOMA, said, "I live in M ​​Tower, there are many complaints about the failure of the lift in the society. Residents keep complaining to the builder, but there has been no solution. Today, the facility manager Rahul Tyagi came to the society, and the residents raised their issues."

Rahul Tyagi, management head of Gaur City 2 said, "Our team was aware about the incident. He was rescued after pressing the alarm button in the lift. We don't know about the injury on his hand because there is no sharp item in the lift, maybe he had something in his hand."

Dwarka Forum elects new governing body

Dwarka Forum (DF) election for new governing body was held yesterday at Gokul Garden, Sector 7. A new governing body has been elected. The term of the newly elected governing body will be of two years.

The election was held in the general body meeting on Sunday. Sushil Kumar was re- elected as president for the next two years. Sanjiv Goyal was elected as vice president while Arvinder Singh Chhatwal was elected as general secretary for the second term. P Menon also was elected again as treasurer for the next two years. All the members were elected unanimously.

Credit: CitySpidey

The other executive members for governing body elected are Rejimon C K, Sunil Sareen, Sudha Iyer, Anil Nayal, Rajiv Solanki, Anil Balyan, Anoop Rohera, Anil Kundra, Indu Garg, Anil Parashar, Kamlesh Bajaj, Prem BIhari Mishra, Shashi Kant Kapoor, H M Singh, Ravi Jetley, Surjit Singh, Sunil Dutt, Mahesh Tak and Shri Kaushal Khanna.

Credit: CitySpidey

Credit: CitySpidey

Noida- Residents Celebrate Janmashtami with traditional fervour

The residents of Mahagun Mirabella, Sector 79, Noida celebrated the festival of Janmashtami with much religious fervour. The residential society was decked up with lights, streamers, balloons, flowers adding to the grandeur of the festivity. The society had cultural programmes lined up to celebrate the birth anniversary of Lord  Krishna.

Credit: Supplied

The celebrations went on for 3 hours with cultural programmes, which included performances by children, women and senior  citizens of the society. Raas Leela was the main attraction of the day  which was performed by the famous troupe of Delhi "Bobby Fakira and group”. Other famous instances from Shri Krishna's life were showcased by one and all in the form of musical Jhanki, solo songs, solo dances, group dances, shloka path etc. The event was organised by a group of  volunteers from the society. Covid guidelines were followed throughout the event.

Credit: Supplied

"The show was fantastic. We enjoyed it a lot and we wish everyone a Happy Janmashtami,” said Sameer Kalra, a  resident of the society.

"The performance by children shows the belief & love of the new generation for Krishna, '' said Ashok Vardhan, another resident of the society.

Credit: Supplied

Credit: Su

A walk through the woods

 Have you ever sensed a relaxing feeling  after spending time in your garden or after a walk in nature? It is proven that mother nature is magical, when it comes to boosting the healing process. After all, we all are universally connected to each other, so why can’t we rely on nature for our betterment? 

Greenery around us helps in alleviating both physical and mental stress. Ever heard about forest therapy? Nowadays people are adopting this simple therapy to enhance their physical and mental health. Idea of this therapy came from Japan and is inspired by one of the Japanese practices ‘Shinrin-Yoku’ also called forest bath.  

What is forest therapy ? 

Forest therapy is a process where you observe nature closely by activating all of your body senses. It is different from any type of mount climbing, hiking or forest stay. This therapy is more than a walk in nature. 

As an emerging trend, trained people in wellness advocate engaging in nature through sight, smell, touch and listening. Mindfulness is being taught, which is about staying in the present moment and experiencing the surroundings deeply .  

This therapy is more about involving yourself, feeling and sensing the woodland . It is an emerging aid in India and people are growing towards it slowly. There are particular events and places, which are dedicated to this therapy.  It is believed that once the leader of Japan came across an increasing number of cases of mental illnesses. Thereafter, he came up with the idea of forest therapy in the 1980's.

Credit: CitySpidey

Health benefits of forest therapy

Forest therapy is leading people to get back to old solutions given its wide benefits. Have you ever thought about why old people prefer to go in deep meditation around nature? Because nature is a miraculous gift, in experiencing the process of feeling the present moment.  

Here are some of the benefits you can acquire through this amazing therapy : 

• Stress is one of the most common issues people face today. Forest bath will help you in reducing the stress hormone ‘Cortisol’. If you will practice therapy regularly it can benefit your chronic stress too.
• It is believed that green color states the feeling of calmness and refreshment.  Meditation around nature helps elevate your mood and causes you to feel relaxed and happy. Some researchers also claim that the melodious sounds of nature eliminates the anxiety level.
• Another research also supports the statement that forest therapy is helpful in maintaining blood pressure and regulates the blood sugar level. 
• Forest bath will help you in boosting your immune system. You have to compromise with your immune system if you are suffering from chronic stress . Forest bathing is effective in decreasing stress.
• For many people, this can be a great start for spiritual well being. 
• If your job demands high creativity, having occasional blocks is normal. As forest bathing leads to mental peace you can enhance your creative power with it. 

If you want to experience an amazing result, be regular to this practice and it will show desired results. 

Credit: CitySpidey

Meditation leads to better focusing power and increases your capability. You can try it as well for 15 minutes everyday. Here are some of the tips on how you can meditate well in woodland : 

• Sit comfortably and try releasing all your tension. Now start focusing on your breathing gradually. 
• Eventually start focusing on sounds you can hear around ( like chirping of morning birds ) 
• Feel the wind flowing on your body
• If you are facing east you can also feel the light and warmth of a fresh sunrise. 
• You can also try some breathing exercises .
• If you are meditating early in the morning it will help you to create a positive vibe throughout the day as suggested by many of the spiritual teachers. 
• Tip : Wear loose cloth while meditating to feel fresh from head to toe. 

Take out time for forest therapy and feel wonderful!

“Bachpan ki car” kabhi bhul nahi jana re

 Remember the time, when we used to shout from our school buses, whenever we saw our favorite cars and  said, One day I will buy this car in future. Children are never bound to any limit and that's where their creativity takes place.

Our childhood imagination was always full of cars and we have seen them in cartoons and movies, pretending to feel like the luckiest kid in this whole world while driving it. Let's get some nostalgia back and remember our childhood favorite car memory : 

TOYOTA MR2

Credit: Pinterest

Remember Tarzan the wonder car? This purple-colored car was an amazing dream car for all of us. It was one of the favourite cars for all the children back in the years of 2000 Toyota MR2 gained much recognition after the movie of Ajay Devgn, ‘Tarzan the wonder car’.

One of the main reasons behind its popularity was the supernatural power it had. It could drive on its own, can escape from traffic and squeeze out at any time. 

NODDY’S CAR

Credit: Pinterest

“Agya noddy, noddy, chlakar apni car”. This sound of Noddy’s car has always pulled me in front of television. Watching Noddy coming in his cute red and yellow car and greeting everyone in his village made many of us have a desire for that car.

Every kid from early 2000 can feel the excitement they had in the past, even today also when listening about these cars. Cars from the cartoons like noddy taking inspiration from Fiat Gamine Vignale.  

MR. BEAN’S CAR

Caption

The Leyland Mini 1000 Mark IV, was mr. Bean's little green companion in which he roams around the streets of London doing some hilarious things. This car became popular in 1977 and was loved by every kid.

After some time, people reinvented its name with Mr. Bean’s Car and kids of early 2000 also recognised it with the same name. 

SUNROOF CAR

Credit: Pinterest

Sitting in a sunroof car and jumping out from its roof window was always our dream.  

First sun roof car was the Nash car, which came in 1937. This car is in trend and can be seen in most of the cars but earlier it was counted under luxurious cars. 

BEN 10, RUSTBUCKET

Credit: Pinterest

It was the perfect choice for a whole family to travel in one vehicle and also for fighting with aliens in the cartoon Ben 10. This car was so famous among all the kids that even a toy company launched those cars. 

OSWALD CAR

Credit: Pinterest

Blue octopus driving in the red car with his tiny dog was the most calming scene for the children of that generation.  Oswald’s red car was well known that time and even today its memory is fresh in our minds. 

Bachpan Ka Pyar Video Viral

Melodies that resonate peace

 Music can surpass boundaries of nations, regions and castes to convey the most profound feelings. One is reminded of the time when Prime Minister Nehru was taken to tears in 1963 at the first recital of ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’ by Lata Mangeshkar in 1963. Music can stir our soul in an unimaginable way. Here are a few powerful songs that give the message of peace :

Gurus of Peace, 1997

This song from the 1997 album Vande Mataram, addresses the human complacency to wars ,and gives the message of peace in a most innocent manner. It was the only song of the album that collaborated with Pakistani legend singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
What are u waiting for another day another talk,
Somewhere we have to find a new way to peace

Krishna Nee Begane Baro

The wonderful indo-western fusion by Colonial Brothers won millions of hearts. The song from the debut album of Colonial Cousins reflects on the absurd state of the Earth and implores Lord Krishna to come back in any form and save the world.
Dark is coming around, Everybody fighting with the brother
Everybody wants control won't, Hesitate to kill one another

Heal the World

Children are often the most affected from wars. Considered as the song that legendary singer Michael Jackson was most proud of creating, ‘Heal the World’ talks about how we can collectively save the world from suffering and make it a better place. Released in 1991, its melody is still fresh and the lyrics, still relevant to the day.
There are people dying,
If you care enough for the living,
Make a better place for you and for me

Mere Dushman Mere Dost(1999)

This beautiful song from Border, written by Javed Akhter and sung by Hari Haran signifies the reasons may be personal, but the widespread destruction of war is universal.

Mere Dushman Mere Bhai Mere Humsaaye
Mujhse Tujhse Hum Donon Se Ye Jalte Ghar Kuchh Kehte Hain
Barbaadi Ke Saari Manzar Kuchh Kehte Hain

The common underlying theme of these songs reflect that people themselves can create peace. Conclusively, I would like to quote the famous lines from Brecht's Poem,

"General, man is very useful,
 He can fly and he can kill.
But he has one defect:
He can think."