Surat_ in all its glory!

The wait has been very long this time, almost two years! Our train enters the surat station at 15 minutes past midnight on 8th of march. We hire an auto rickshaw and start towards my husband's ancestral home in Bilal gali. As the rickshaw enters the area of Jhapa Bazaar, familiar sights, sounds and odours greet us! Even at this unearthly hour, this particular area in Surat is wide awake. The vendors selling heavenly smelling food, the areas around Jamea and Qasr mubarak illuminated with series of lights, and talabats roaming around in streets. Oh, its all so familiar! Been there , done that! "Oh, how much I have missed you! What took it so long this time?" My heart silently complains to Surat. "Welcome home! Don't worry, I will more than make up for the lost time", it whispers back.

Surat has always been very close to my heart with hundreds of pleasant memories of my Jamea days associated with it. This year when 101st Milad Mubarak of Aqa Moula (tus) was declared in Surat, my heart jumped with joy(and so did I!) :) I was going to Surat after two long years!

Stepping in Surat is like stepping back in time. It is a wonderful blend of old heritage and new amenities.Though old,dilapidated buildings are getting replaced by trendy new ones, but the essence of old Surat remains the same. It is a place like none other! Its an honour to walk in the streets that have been walked on by many Duat Kiram(ra) . To touch one's forehead to the threshold of Devri Mubarak. To pray in the majestic Masjid e Moazzam. To perform ziarat of seven Duat resting in those pristine Qubbas. And to feel the aura surrounding Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah!

This year the celebrations are double and the happiness twice as much! That of 101st Milad and of wedding in Qasre aali! Surat has been decorated like a bride. It looks bright, beautiful and inviting. The joy is palpable. The air is charged with excitement, joy and festivities. What a time to be alive!

On 16th of Rabi ul Akhar, the red cloth_mandvo_ symbolizing the beginning of marriage celebrations, was tied infront of Qasr Mubarak. Aqa Moula (tus) himself graced the occasion with his esteemed presence. The place was resonant with cries of 'Mubarak Moula'!

Every night after maghrib Moula would perform ziarat. Due to newly constructed bridge and glass elevator, it is possible to do deedar even from the end of Bilal Gali. The sight of his noorani face in the illuminated glass lift made the hearts leap with joy and love! And tears of gratitude automatically rolled down.

On 18th of Rabi ul akhar , mumineen across the world witnessed the grand procession of Milad Mubarak.
It was a treat to watch this procession, and a treat to watch and hear the band of Jamea playing different tunes, especially the tune of 'nahno ban ul jamea'. And after the procession was over, the traditional yemeni steps were performed in the street of devri, and it went on for almost an hour. The chants of 'marhaba ya noora aini' could be heard everywhere.

On the eve of Milad Mubarak, there was 'wadhawani majlis' exclusively for ladies. The decoration around Moula's bethk was in the shape of a beautiful purple khaima (tent). It is an occasion that I always look forward to with much anticipation and enthusiasm. To gaze at the dazzling stars of the royal family shining brightly in beautiful elegant clothes and ethnic jewellery! To observe them performing the 'wadhawani' rituals. The protocol they follow and the easy grace and charm with which they carry themselves! No words can do justice to the beauty of this captivating event.

The morning of 20th Rabi ul Akhar dawned with euphoria in every mumin's heart. What luck to be able to gaze at the sun and the moon on one platform! The moon sitting at sun's feet, taking light from it. May the glory and radiance of these celestial bodies continue to guide the generations and generations to come.

On 21st of rabi ul Akhar, the magnificent wedding procession was held. The young bridegrooms of the royal family adorned with flowers,  rode elegantly on horses. The young bhaisahebs (boys), dressed up in golden dresses and turbans sat royally on horses. And the pretty little bensahebas (girls), resembling fairies, were seated in beautifully decorated camel carts. Everything was so mesmerising. Now this is what we call a 'fairy tale wedding'! The ultimate royals!

I was in Surat for six days and I thoroughly enjoyed myself each second. Drenched myself in the barakaat being showered endlessly. It was like a dream come true. And along with that, I enjoyed all that Surat has to offer. Relished the famous Falooda of Taj. Savoured the mouth watering tikkas of 'chote mian' and egg sandwiches of 'ghulam nabi' . And enjoyed the paan of 'saleem'. Surat is the only place where you would find people from every walk of life eating at all the famous roadside stalls and joints without any inhibitions. So don't be surprised if while eating your 'chatpati' you realize that some well known figure of community is standing next to you. :)

I am back to my home in Rajasthan, but am missing Surat each second. The decorated streets of surat flash upon my inward eye. 'Music when soft voices die, vibrates in the memory'. From the folds of my memory I hear the echo of this tune:
                                     Ek so ekwi Milad ki ye baha
                                     Ho mubarak, mubarak , mubarak shaha......

A rhyme and a reason!

This is an article that I had written years back for a children's magazine as  part of my IBO english language assignment. The objective was to create awareness in children about global issues in a fun way.

Hi friends! Let's have some fun today. All of us are familiar with nursery rhymes. How much we enjoyed reciting the catchy rhymes on top of our voices when we were in kindergarten. And even today, we remember and enjoy some, if not all, of those rhymes. So today, let's open up the windows of our minds, let's broaden the horizons of our imaginations, and try to explore the hidden meaning in these rhymes. Let's find out what these rhymes are actually trying to tell us.

             

One of the all time favorite rhyme is:

                                              Twinkle twinkle little star

                                              How I wonder what you are

                                              Up above the world so high

                                              Like a diamond in the sky!

    

How I wonder what you are!

         

 

                                     



How I wonder where you are??

  All of us have experienced at some point in our lives, the awe and wonder at the sight of a sky full of twinkling stars. How delightful it is to lie  in an open space under the sky, and to gaze at the bright stars and marvel at the vastness of universe! But a sky full of stars is becoming a rare sight in cities these days and is getting confined only to villages and remote areas.Why is it so? Because the smoke from vehicles, industries and various other sources is polluting the air, and thus we are not able to see the stars. If the situation remains the same, in the future we may not find any child looking at the sky with awe and addressing the star that, 'How I wonder what you are'!

Another popular rhyme is :
                                     Jack and Jill went up the hill
                                     to fetch a pail of water
                                     Jack fell down and broke his crown
                                     and Jill came tumbling after.




And miles to go before I sip...

To fetch a pail of water!

Water and life are synonymously interchangeable. When we talk of water, life in all forms emerges as a vivid picture.You think of water and feel cool. You think of water and feel quenched. You think of water and feel life – transparent and flowing.It is a gift of nature and a renewable resource, but our demands on this resource have increased overwhelmingly high, causing limitations on its quality and quantity. In many Indian villages women have to walk miles carrying heavy pots on their heads to fetch water. So next time before wasting water, give a thought about those for whom each drop is precious. 

Now let's have a look at this:
                   
                                There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
                           She had so many children she didn't know what to do!
                           So she gave them some broth without any bread,
                           And she whipped them all soundly and sent them to bed! 


They lived in a shoe....

These children do not even have a shoe house.....

This rhyme draws our attention to the problem of population explosion. The world's population is increasing with each passing day and there are not enough resources to support the bursting billions.There is a huge economical gap between rich and poor. Millions of children  in the world have limited or no access to the most basic requirements like nutritious food, clean water, proper housing and clothing, and a good education. Let's join hands and do our bit for these children.

Now let's find out what message this popular rhyme is giving us:

                               Ladybird ladybird,

                               Fly away home

                               Your house is on fire  

                               And your children all gone.

Ladybird is a small insect that lives on plants. Trees are home for many species of animals. When a tree is cut, along with it countless other lives that survive on it, suffer. Deforestation is disturbing the delicate ecosystem.  The cutting of trees must stop to save the earth. Let's plant as many trees as we can! Because a green environment is a clean environment!

Now let's pay attention to this one:

         Bits of paper

         lying on the floor

         makes the place untidy

          pick them up!

                   

Proper disposal of garbage is very essential for a clean environment.The stench and ugly sight of garbage dumped on the roadside is not at all uncommon in India. Just as we keep our room and house clean, we should keep our surroundings clean by disposing of garbage in a proper way. Segregation of dry and wet garbage helps in recycling.As individuals, we need to realize that we do generate quite a lot of waste. We dump the containers that can be reused, and we throw away paper that can be recycled. It is important to reduce our wastage of resources, and to dispose our waste in a responsible manner. 

So my dear young friends, let us save our earth, which is round and full of good things, let's save our Humpty Dumpty! Let us be grateful for the gifts of mother earth and celebrate 'earth day' everyday! Link your young hands and feet together, and join the race to make the world a better place.Remember that each tiny step counts as the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! use.