you are what you think

  Its been a while since I have been trying to resolve the dilemma - which one can bring more good to our life - a mind with no assumptions or a mind with memories? A combination of both could have been the best choice. Unfortunately, such state of mind is very difficult to achieve. Human being learns from experience. Memories of good and bad experiences make us mature to navigate the paths of life. But the tendency to take all possible precautions often interfere with our ability to stay vulnerable to welcome new experience with open heart. It requires delicate balance. In younger days, I used to hear from elders that older days were better. Elder people used to describe their positive encounters with good natured people in their younger days. After spending couple of decades on this planet, I often keep thinking of my earlier days. And I also feel the same. Our next generation will feel the same when they will turn older. Does it mean the world is getting devoid of genuine peopl...

The famous freedom fighter and poet Nazrul Islam once wrote, he wished to see the world, coming out of his zone, to observe the human race evolving along with the time. I was feeling the same post COVID era. Some of us started looking at life in different light following the pandemic. I reignited my explorer spirit end of 2021 and unleashed the traveler inside me. In this post, I am going to pen down my travel experience to five iconic cities in India between December '21 and August '22. December 2021 will remain memorable to me forever. I visited Amritsar, Agra and Bangalore in the same month. The first glimpse of Guru Harminder Saheb Ji - Golden Temple in Amritsar was an indescribable moment for me. The celestial view of the place mixed with the devotion of the visitors offer an unforgettable experience. The visit to Jwalianwala Bagh and the famous Wagha border transports one back to the pre - independence era. The local food Amritsari kulcha, Chur chur naan , Makke di roti,...

  How are you? A common question we exchange with people around us without expecting a genuine answer. Life is short and uncertain. The problem is we think we still have time. After the corona period, we started living our life with double zeal. Rate of travel across the globe increased drastically. Many of us became oblivious of the fragile nature of our daily pursuit of self importance.  My recent visit to Varanasi, one of the oldest cities of India, stirred the question of 'being' inside me.  Majority of the people in Varanasi depend on tourism for earning a living. People keep visiting the place throughout the year. I took a boat ride on Ganges river on a moonlight night. The boat crossed several ghats on the river. Devotees gather on the ghats to witness the majestic Ganga Aarti in the evening. Harishchandra Ghat is considered pious place for cremation. The famous Kashi Viswanath temple is situated within a kilometer from Dasaswamedh Ghat. The road from Ghat to c...

  What is spirituality? We tend to consider spirituality synonymous with detachment. That is both right and wrong at the same time. We categorize spiritual practice as another way of life. But many of us agree that any creature is more than just body and mind - soul is at the core of living being.    Human being is the most superior species on the earth. The resources a human enjoys throughout life and the potential he can attain are limitless. A man can feel and observe his own patterns and can identify the elements that are most suitable for his well-being. A healthy body and happy mind can contribute to the world more effectively than an unsound body and unhappy mind. It is as simple as like a filled river is capable of quenching thirst of people, not a dry river. Long lasting health stems from fulfillment of the needs of the sensory organs and deep sense of satisfaction inside. Long term satisfaction comes when we achieve something which is not temporary or we attai...

 I am thankful to the universe for the numerous blessings I received in different forms in last few decades.  These blessings made me the person I am today by nurturing my soul amidst countless challenges and struggles life offered me. The greatest among these blessings is my mother who shaped my thought process in early days of my life. Every mother is special to her child. I am more fortunate because my mother is a special person who used to stand out from the crowd, even it meant standing alone all along. I was born in a lower middle class Bengali family. My birth was not a ceremonious event as I was the second girl child of the family. I was born with poor health and unpleasant looks. My mother was not sure how to make a healthy kid out of me. She put tremendous effort in nourishing me, specially because she used to sense the dislike of the world towards me. She did not have much physical, emotional and financial support to meet her goals and she already had a two year old...

Time flies so fast. Few moments occupy such special place in our heart that we replay those moments numerous times in our head. When any element from such adorable past crosses our path, we feel those moments happened only yesterday. I always cherish the time I spent in Bangalore in my late twenties. My recent visit to the city made me feel the same way I used to feel a decade ago. Bangalore is widely regarded as 'the Silicon Valley of India' because of its role as the nation's leading information technology exporter. The city has grown beyond leaps and bounds as immigrants from different states arrived and got settled here in last two decades. The pleasant weather, lush green gardens and multi cuisines restaurants of Bangalore allure people of all ages alike. While walking down the streets of Bangalore on sunny mornings during my recent visit, I was able to sense the optimism and energy of my younger self. Here I wish to recollect few of my favourite moments from 'the ...

India celebrated 75th Independence day this 15th August. Many of us were thinking that we failed to avail one public holiday as 15th August is Sunday this year. Independence day does not evoke gratitude and respect in many of us now-a-days, since widespread corruption and painstakingly slow judicial system of India have dampened positive attitude of the citizens towards India's democratic system. Of course, some of us observe this day with vigour and high emotion. I heard people questioning the validity of our democracy in view of the fact that regional sentiments often supersede national unity leading to ugly form of racism in many places, even seven decades after independence. Freedom fighters of India dreamt of a nation connected with the feeling of brotherhood and respect to each other. Does this dream sound unrealistic today? Once American business magnet Warren Buffet had a conversation with Barack Obama on wealth tax . Buffet was of the opinion that people who have achi...