I am alone, in spite of love,
In spite of all I take and give --
In spite of all your tenderness,
Sometimes I am not glad to live.
I am alone, as though I stood
On the highest peak of the tired gray world,
About me only swirling snow,
Above me, endless space unfurled;
With earth hidden and heaven hidden,
And only my own spirit's pride
To keep me from the peace of those
Who are not lonely, having died.
-------Sarah Teasdale
The Hindu solar calendar based on the Surya Siddhanta commences in mid-April of the Gregorian year. The first day of this calendar is celebrated as the traditional New Year in various parts of South Asia, including Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Manipur, Nepal, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Tripura.
Under the Mughals, agricultural taxes were collected according to the Hijri calendar. However, as the Hijri calendar is a purely lunar calendar, it does not coincide with the harvest. As a result, farmers were hard-pressed to pay taxes out of season. In order to streamline tax collection, the Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered a reform of the calendar. Accordingly, Fatehullah Shirazi, a renowned scholar and astronomer, formulated the Bengali year on the basis of the Hijri lunar and solar Hindu solar calendars. The new Fasli San (agricultural year) was introduced on 10/11 March 1584, but was dated from Akbar's ascension to the throne in 1556. The new year subsequently became known as Bônggabdo or Bengali year.
Celebrations of Pohela Boishakh started from Akbar's reign. It was customary to clear up all dues on the last day of Choitro. On the next day, or the first day of the new year, landlords would entertain their tenants with sweets. On this occasion there used to be fairs and other festivities. In due course the occasion became part of domestic and social life, and turned into a day of merriment. The main event of the day was to open a halkhata or new book of accounts. This was wholly a financial affair. In villages, towns and cities, traders and businessmen closed their old account books and opened new ones. They used to invite their customers to share sweets and renew their business relationship with them. This tradition is still practised, especially by jewellers.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pohela_Baishakh)
Nothing new at “poila boishakh”. First of all didn’t know about it till late in the evening. All thru the day work, work, work and uffff… work. By the time I knew abt it, I was enroute to home. So just to celebrate, went out with my mom and sis and had sandwiches at a local bakery. Then I was awake till about 2 O’ clock and then went to bed.
So that’s ma new year celebrations activities. These are a few greetings conveying the message in more colorful way, potraying the essence of kolkata.
This is a white trail left by an aeroplane. Don’t know where it’s heading; what’s it carrying; how many are traveling; where it is heading and what’s their fate. Surely a flight to (I don’t know where).
Took these snaps while I was busy taking a call and actually saying b-bye to ma friend Ramaa Iyer. Finished the call, looked up to find a white line dividing the “blue umbrella” above ma head into 2. Eyes narrowed with partly confusion and partly concentration, I belatedly realized that it was a streak in the sky. Looking through the palm trees I loved the site of it and couldn’t stop ma self from taking these pics. So here they are…
These snaps are taken enroute to bubz’s home. This piece of rotten wood is lying around the corner. It has got white fungi like formations all over. This is classic case how life shows its presence even when we think everything is lost. This piece of log is definitely of no use (for us) but for these tiny mushrooms it’s a boon. They seem to have spread their kingdom everywhere and are still not satisfied. They are growing strong as ever.
In fact if you observe them closely, you will find that it looks like a semicircular frock like thing in all shapes and sizes. Even in that large log of house, they have made their own small apartments in the crevices. It feels very strange. You see life everywhere in abundance and various forms (chicks, grass, ants, insects, birds etc) and in total contrast you see a dead rotting log of wood with life thriving on it.
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These are the lotus grown in our house. For more photos click the below mentioned webpages.
I wish I were a flower,
This is the decoration done by me
Dressed for the occasion
Company ke big shots
Mehnat ka fal mitha hi hota hai
