Christmas is joy...and Christmas is fun!

Christmas is surely a time for fun, frolic and gifts! Along with wishing that Santa would fill our stocking, we must not forget that we too have to do the same for someone! You guessed it right - our dear and most adorable pets! This year, I plan to get fur coats, quilts, chicken flavoured biscuits, some milk cartons, loaves of bread, and huge bundles full of love and joy for them! Also, it would be great to have all of you out there get at least one of these things for these silent and innocent souls. My indication is towards the stray animals and the act of loving and accepting them as pets by us.

In words of Yogiraj Mumtaz Ali, “When you serve a less fortunate person in any way — material or spiritual — you are not doing him or her a favour. In fact, the one who receives your help does you a favour by accepting what you give, and thereby helps you to evolve and move closer to the divine, blissful being, who in reality is within all.”

You can make the festive season special for yourself and for many others by simply adopting these little measures and loving those animals as your very own family members! What can be a better gift than this for those beings who don’t even have a place which they can call home? 

Let's be their Santa...let's spread love! Happy Christmas!

The Silent Warriors

My visit to the India International Trade Fair this year gave me some fascinating insights into the world of the fur kids I have been talking of all along! The right hand of the Armed Forces, these fur children displayed such valour, smartness and intelligence through their various acts that I was amazed to an extent which cannot be described in words. Here are some snapshots from the Dog Show which, I hope, will make you as well appreciate their strength of character and the role they play at the most crucial times...

It's magic..!It's magic!

..It is amazing how certain experiences in one's life can change one's perspective and attitude toward a lot of other things. I really don't mean to give some philosophical fundamental as I begin my blog with this statement. Rather, I'm hoping it will make some of you smile and give all those animal lovers out there a pleasant read!

So, we have a mouse in our house, who's causing heaps of trouble to all of us here for quite some time now. S/he is living up to everybody's expectations in being so troublesome by eating every single thing we try to hide from him/her. Despite my understanding of, interest in and love for animals, I am not very clear of this little creature's gender for which I would like to apologize from him/her. Nevertheless, at present my focus is not going to be on his (as one of god's creation in general) gender but his wishful thinking and his clever and efficient techniques which help him achieve all his 'goals.'

Thanks to him, I have HOLES in some of my very favourite clothes. However, the most unbelievable part of his adventures was the fact that he actually had the guts to climb and reach the dining table one day and eat the mangoes kept there. This is no ordinary mouse. We've been trying to hunt him down but haven't been successful. The other day, we finally got him when he tried to eat the chappati in the mouse trap. However, it was not long before we could celebrate; he ate the chappati and very skilfully escaped! :o

The time when he was inside the trap, Dad said, "When you leave him out, make sure you keep a mango on the side so that he can have it!"

I couldn't imagine anyone in my house, except me, could talk like this. I was so happy to hear this because it wasn't just a joke for me; it meant a lot more. It was symbolic of the compassion and care that Dad now has for animals. It clearly reflected the soft corner he has for these silent and innocent souls. And I'm also sure of the fact that Dad wouldn't have said anything like this had this incident happened 7 years ago. I have no option now but to believe that all of it has been Chip's doing. He has taken such a place in everybody's heart that whatever we thought was impossible earlier, is now, the reality of life. Again, I have very strong reasons to believe that Chip was magical and such transformation of my Dad's, or for that matter, each of my family member's heart is Chip's magic.

Reverting back to where I started, I want to say that Chip happened to all of us and he brought with him such beautiful moments and such positive energy that our experiences with him have made us learn a lot about life which couldn't have been possible otherwise. Moreover, these experiences have shaped our outlook toward this world and all of God's creations. We were touched by him and were blessed to have him.

The Other..SaReGa..ReGaMa..GaMaPa.....

MUSIC.

Another very integral part of my life.I love singing and I have been learning keyboard for over the last four years and want to continue learning for the rest of my life! A very interesting incident with my music teacher has inspired me to write this blog. It was a dialogue I had with him while I was waiting to go home after our practice session got over.

Whatever I have learnt of music is with the English/Western notation and that day I happened to practice with the teacher who taught Hindi notation at my music school. So, obviously, I knew it was going to be tough for me! After the practice got over, he began, "Ragini, I think you are doing it fine but you need more practice. We can practice now."

I couldn't understand him as I had packed my synthesizer and I couldn't imagine he could ask me to sing with him there..It was so funny because I really can't sing..at least till then I thought I couldn't.

So he started, "Come on..after me... 'Sa..Ni Dha Pa Ga Pa Sa Ni;;; Dha Pa Dha, Pa Ma Pa, Ma Ga Re Sa Ga'..Chalo,bolo!" I looked at him and told him again and again that I couldn't sing and would practice and get back to him on the keyboard the next day..but he insisted.. "Chalo,'Sa...Ni Dha Pa..'..yes, very good..."

"Sing! Sing! Come on..'Saa...'..Join me."

I tried my best to convince him but could not. So, I started humming. He still wasn't satisfied. With such a bad voice, I felt almost handicapped. He urged me to sing, and when I did, he said, "You are going wrong. Listen to me and start again." I was in a fix. On one hand, I was trying to tell him I was not a good singer, desperate to get out of the situation, and on the other, I couldn't stop laughing. How could I explain the fact to him that even if I got the composition right, I could not produce it correctly until I had my instrument with me. I tried and tried...couldn't stop laughing, but still tried until he was content.

I can never forget that time because it was a really new experience for me. Not to mention the huge amount of knowledge and confidence Sir helped me gain. Will ever be thankful to you for it, Sir.

..as if THIS one is lighting THE many....

To be, or not to be...

I'm missing Chip alot..really...I need ways to reach him..I tried Facebook.now trying blogger...also tried just talking to nobody..how does one reach where one wants to?...
Or maybe I have reached the place..perhaps he can read everything I'm writing or even my thoughts before I put them down here..but how do I get the assurance? ..Or maybe no assurance is needed...so then why is everything so incomplete?
..Seeing every second person with fur kids in NY is really wonderful...I wish I could also take Chip to places..be with him in his old age..do alot more for him!Noone can change what's written in destiny
...NY has dog parks,NY has separate menus for pets in some restaurants,NY allows you to go shopping with your fur kids,NY lets you share the best times of your lives with your pets,without any constraints...and I'm sure there's alot more that I must be unaware of...Hoping to see all of this someday in India..And I hope you guys would agree with me regarding this...
Maybe Chip would do some magic from up there and get all of this happening...!

Oh how..but how am I to fill this void?

Bringing About Change in Your Life and Theirs..

My inspiration for writing this goes to my visit to Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre today...and meeting the homeless, abandoned, helpless animals there. Such is their plight that they can’t walk properly, some of them can’t even see properly and some, who are not suffering from any major illness, suffer from plain hunger! In words of Martin Buber: “An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” ...It is up to us to respond to them..

Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre, located in West Delhi, is a charitable organization, which provides medical assistance and shelter to these animals and takes very good care of them. However, how is the organization to survive if we as a society don’t lend a helping hand toward its functioning?

The worst fact about many of the poor souls at the shelter (especially the dogs and cats) is that they have actually been abandoned due to various reasons by the heartless people that they loved and regarded as their family! How can these people forget that these silent fur kids also have a heart and that leaving them alone would further push them into depression, leading to a worse state of health! True, many families cannot adopt pets due to their own varying circumstances. However, the least we all can do is to spread awareness and stand up for animal rights to change their present condition and to work towards making their lives worthwhile in whatever manner possible, no matter how small it may be. For instance, the Sanjay Gandhi shelter provides facility for feeding the cows and cattle feed is available at the shelter itself for donation purposes. Feeding the cows once every month is not a very difficult task for anyone - it might only mean sacrificing one dish at a dinner at a good restaurant per month! It is as easy to help and provide for the dogs and cats and people can simply contribute packets of milk and loaves of bread as per their budget. 

While I was at the hospital today, waiting for the cows to finish their food, I couldn’t help clicking a picture of them, and then thought of sharing the pictures here with you all..Just have a look at this...:)

It was at this time that a very small puppy also came towards me and as I began to pet him, he started wagging his tail. Such was the joy I felt that I couldn’t stop playing with him despite my mom’s constant nagging! I know it was very silly of me but I even started imagining the wagging tails of cows as a sign of their happiness...I could see Chip had wings and was flying over the rainbow bridge over the hospital building! With a calm expression in his eyes and a smiling face, Mr.Chip tells me to remember him happily...Everytime I visit the shelter, I am transported to another world altogether - a world that I share with the most selfless living beings on earth, a world which is so happy and pure, a world which is so mighty and complete in itself, a world waiting out there for all of you to explore and experience too!

Fur Children..The Gods of Frolic!

One year of cajoling my parents into buying a puppy, I finally got one when I was in tenth standard. A black Labrador, he was the quietest, the most shy in the litter. However, it was only a few days’ time before I was to discover that the first impression is not always the last, as the timid little new family member gradually came to be known as the sher of the entire locality. The first time he walked two steps on his tiny paws, the first time he yawned or coughed, his first bark, the first time he jumped on top of me to greet me as I came back home from school – life became full of exciting landmarks! Chip was such a bundle of joy. That was the time when I actually began to realize that dogs actually are Gods of frolic! 

Chip became the most intrinsic part of our lives and will live on forever in our hearts. His place cannot be taken by anyone; however, after he left, the support we got from the stray dogs in our locality was immense. They have always greeted us like family. In fact, I have found in them my dearest friends! Two of them, Kaalu and Daisy, though stray dogs, actually behave like family members. They respond to names we have given them and come running to greet me affectionately at our gate from whatever corner of the locality they are roaming in. They are always around to play with me, to comfort me and cheer me up whenever I am low or upset. They have abundant love to offer to make one complete. Being the selfless creatures that they are, they expect nothing in return but a little love and care. Giving them milk and food everyday is something which has become a very essential part of my life.  Giving a little love and a little care to these helpless creatures will undoubtedly help towards making the world a better place to live in. Each of God’s creations is special and deserves love, care and a healthy environment. 

I, having had a pet of my own and having interacted with the community pets as well, have realized how important it is for each of us to lend a helping hand towards making our society a better place for the underprivileged. Small steps like feeding and petting the stray dogs, getting them vaccinated and spreading awareness about them can bring a huge difference in their lives. After all, their love is unconditional too, not to mention their loyalty and sincerity. I am amazed with the way Kaalu and Daisy dedicatedly follow me every day from home to the nearby dairy and grocery store, keep waiting all the while I am inside and then come back home with me!

There might be some of you who are not able to give home to pets due to various practical problems. Such people can try and help the community dogs to whatever extent possible. After all, there can never be a limit to doing well. And you don’t even have to search for them too far; you can find them anywhere- they could be found in your colony, at your college or office parking lots or maybe sleeping under your own car! All it requires is a nudge of our conscience, to understand their pain and needs and above all, their want of love; the infinite love we’ll get in return will be priceless!