Flower Show 2011 @ Lalbagh

If you are a Bangalorean then you ofcourse would be knowing about Lalbagh and for the one who don't know it's a lush green garden spread over an area of 240 acres at the heart of the city.It's one of the biggest gardens in India proudly having 1854 species of plant.

It was my second visit to Lalbagh on this month's 23rd and the occasion was the flower show which is organized biannualy on the occasion of Republic day and Independence day . Here are few pics:

Colors Of Republic

This year on 26th of January India celebrated it’s 62nd Republic Day. There are so many instances associated with this event that I remember it in one way or the other. Foremost being my brother’s birthday on the same day.

It was my brother’s fifth birthday and we didn’t celebrate it that year as I lost my grandfather a few months back. My brother was upset that this year he will be devoid of the entire frolic, gifts and of course the attention! He went to my dad and asked him that why are we not celebrating his birthday and my dad answered that his birthday is being celebrated by the entire nation and not just us. He showed him the parade on TV with our nation’s military prowess, tableaux from various states and of course the performance of school children. My brother of course was on cloud nine seeing this huge celebration on his birthday. It was only after few years that he realized that his birthday coincide with the formation of great republic of our country.

Another memory is of our participation in early morning “Prabhat Pheri” in school. All the children from different schools would participate in parade singing patriotic songs and slogans. The parade will end at a ground where the Mayor of the city will hoist the flag followed by some speeches and cultural .

One day, my brother came home all excited after school and told my mom that he is playing a role of freedom fighter in the play on republic Day and need to get a white “Salwar Kurta” for this. My mom was very happy imagining his son playing a freedom fighter, she bought the brightest of cloth material for stitching and the best tailor was searched to stitch it as per his fit. Every day she would tell my brother the stories of my great grandfather who was a freedom fighter and ask him what role is he playing? Whether it’s of Bhagat Singh, Raj guru or Chandrasekhar. My brother being a seven that time knew none of them that time and replied that he is with Gandhiji. My mother felt more proud thinking his son to be either of Nehru or Sardar Patel. My brother will come home late after “rehearsals” and my mother will shower her adulation upon him.

The day arrived and he was given a flag by my dad, special Prasad from my grandmother and “don’t be afraid, perform well” from my mother. We reached early to the venue and took the firsts of the seat. Finally the play began, the freedom fighters came and went and we couldn’t spot my brother. And finally there he was in “Daandi March” with Gandhiji as one of his follower among 100s of follower and shouting slogans! He came running to us once his part was finished and asked my mom if he performed well? And the answer was “yes, the best”. BTW, I still tease my brother for his role and as for my mother; she still has his photo in that white salwar kurta with the tricolor in his hand, safely in the family album.

Once we were visiting Delhi during Republic day and my grandfather took all of us kids to Raj path to show the republic day parade. It was an experience which we all kids can never forget. We all were sitting in the Raj path with our woolens on and enjoying every moment of the parade right from the tanks to the tableaux.

I remember this day because of my memoirs but with no cultural festivities in school and colleges on this day and we treating it as just another holiday, it’s difficult to say if our children will ever associate themselves with this occasion. I feel good that the Republic Day parade is there to remind them of this :)

There Is Something About Sheila

Yes, there is surely something about Sheila that has bewitched almost everybody right from 5 to 51 years old . " Have you watched Sheila ki Jawani" yet ?" was the question i was getting from all the corners , when the item number was aired for the first time.And from then to till date it's all about " Sheila and her jawani " so much so that :

1. My otherwise Akon loving and Eminem grooving gym have started playing it on popular demand from gym fanatics.

2. My 5 year old nephew ask his father to play " Sheila ji ki jawani" again and again in his car stereo and croons " m tu zexxy fore u " , much to the embarrassment of his dad and confusion for the rest that whom exactly did he mean by " Sheila ji" ;) .

3. The cliched " best" DJ in the city ,especially called from UK for the New Year bash ,end the party by playing the only bollywood number of the evening and that is none other then Saadi " Sheila".

4. My colleague who don't know much of Hindi come and ask me for " Sheila ki jawani " song ;)

5. It's the only song which acts as a pacifier in my office cab for the otherwise fighting co passengers for Hindi , Kannada , English radio channel .

6. Management graduate doing branding analysis of " Sheila ki jawani " Vs. " Munni badnaam hui" :D.

7. And lastly a surge of forward mails on Sheila :P as follows:

Reasons Why Prefer ‘Sheela’ Over ‘Munni’
1. Branding:
Munni is bad-nam But Sheela is jawaan

2. Place Of Performance:
Munni danced In some desi daru ka adda where as Sheela danced In some
metropolitan disco

3. Demand And Supply Concept:
Munni is offering herself easily (Refer Line – Darling Tere Liye) so huge supply
and demand will be limited.Where as Sheela isn’t available easily (Refer Line-
Tere Haath Kabhi Na Aani) So low supply ,huge demand

4. Dance Style:
Munni repeated age old ‘Latka Jhatka’. Where as Sheela dance with Drumbeats


Agar “Sheela” thodey din pehlay jawan hoti.
Toh aaj “Munni” Itni badnam na hoti ;)

And the best , outside a gym :D

Welcome 2011 !

Wish you all a very happy new year!

I was thinking of writing this post from past 10 days and somehow the laziness again crept on me. But no, not again as I have resolved to be more regular at this space this year (Oops! I hope it does not die as my other new resolutions already have ;)).

New Year festivity ends with the same fervor that it had started with. Like you dance and get sloshed on 31st just to get up with a bad hangover on the very first day of the year only to resolve that this year you will try to be more sober.Many other such resolutions are broken as soon as you have started implementing it.

Talking of facts and stats:

1. 8000 + people gathered and celebrated New Year at the famous M.G road of Bangalore and Bangalore got up on the New year finding 6500 + alcohol bottles and thousands of cigarette stubs there , which took 6.5 hrs to clean the stretch !

2. Most of the resolutions die their natural / psychological death within 7 days!

3. The most common top three resolutions are:

Quitting smoking


Reducing weight


Spending more time with family & friends


As for my resolutions I have already broken one and I should better not mention the rest as by the time you all will read it few of them would have already been broken ;)



Let this New Year be free of all the resolution we cannot keep ;) and full of luck, laughter, love and happiness!!! Wish you a very Happy 2011 once again!