#Bookreview - मन मंथन (Man Manthan) by Dr. Amit Prakash - This One is for the Bookmarks! #BlogchatterEbook

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Poet - Dr. Amit Prakash

Pick up this book and bookmark it. This is not an instant dose of intelligent thoughts and poetry that are floating around on #socialmedia everywhere. It is a 8 course gourmet meal that needs savoring and revisiting from time to time.

About the author:

Dr. Amit Prakash is a doctor by profession but beyond the routine hours he is a poet and blogger. He blogs about poetry at doc2poet.wordpress.com and other nerdy issues at nerdyindian.blogspot.com (with little bit of overlapping). He is always keen to connect with like-minded folks and maintains active profiles on all social media platforms.

Book blurb:

This book is a collection of Hindi couplets, poems, haiku, etc (something for everyone) and each composition is a reflection of a virtuous moment from the author's life. This is not merely an anthology but a journey through the rainbow of the author's mind. If you love Hindi poetry, this one is for you

Review:

"Man Manthan" is one of the best collection of Hindi poetry that I have come across in recent years. It is a beautiful assortment of human emotions which seamlessly navigate through the poet's life and into the readers'. In that, it holds true to its title. In a very unique way, this is the Doctor's autobiography in poems. 

The book is divided into 8 subparts (आगाज़, अनुराग , वेदना , अंतर्दर्शन, तलाश, हाइकू, गूँज, ध्येय ), each of which touch upon a chapter in his life. The book starts with the beginning (आगाज़ ) whereupon the readers are introduced to a young and carefree student who has just uncovered his hidden talent of poetry and seems overjoyed by his self discovery. The poems in this section are bubbling with enthusiasm of adolescence. It then traverses to the section of eternal love (अनुराग) where we meet a young man falling in love. The section has some of the most beautiful Hindi couplets that I have read and it aptly concludes telling us that this is the start of a love story. First love, as it happens often in real life too, is followed by pain ( वेदना ). Even though the pain is real and relatable, there is hope which is evident in all of his poems. 

Not surprisingly, Amit then moves on my favorite section of the book, self-discovery ( अंतर्दर्शन). The emotional growth of the poet shows its first signs here. After being through the journey of falling in and losing out on love, the poet discovers the truths of life. These 4 lines summed the section for me:

गिर कर उठना तो याद रहता है, भूल जाते हैं जब लड़खड़ाकर कर संभल जाते हैं
दिल - ऐ - नादान मुस्कुरा ही लेता है, बस ख़ुशी के पैमाने बदल जाते हैं 

The following section, the search (तलाश), is the 'coming off age' for the poet. He has discovered a faithful ally in the journey of life and is ready to take on any challenges with maturity and a calm head. Who is the ally? The Pen. The poem "कौन हूँ मैं ?"(Who am I?) in this section is declaration of self confidence and acceptance of vulnerabilities at the same time. I considered this as the best piece in the entire book.

In the subsequent 3 sections of the book - haiku, echoes and goals ( हाइकू, गूँज, ध्येय ), the poet tries to push his own limits. He tries to take on subjects and genres which, in my opinion, do not fall into his comfort zone but he feels triumphant conquering them. The intentions here deserve applauding but the success would be subjective based on reader's choices. I believed these sections could have been separated from this book and either made into a separate book by themselves or included in another collection. They added 20-25 pages to the book which takes the focus away from the preceding sections.

The cover of this ebook deserves a special mention. It is beautifully designed and aligns perfectly with the underlying thought of the book. The complex emotions, genres and topics that are inside the book are perfectly depicted in the abstract design of the cover.

If I have not made it crystal clear by now, I will say it again, I highly recommend this book for those who appreciate the beauty of Hindi and the intelligence of the medium that is poetry.

Rating:

Content - 5/5

Layout and Formatting - 4/5

Cover - 4.5/ 5

Download this #ebook for #free on #blogchatter's website here - http://bit.ly/2qprlSq

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#HappyMothersDay

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I Want To Take My Blog To The Next Level - #Blogchatter

I was tagged by Navnish  to write this post.

If someone asked, whether you wanted to take your blog to the next level, how much would you ponder, before jumping in, and saying yes ?

Umm...

3 seconds !

Too much?

Yeah, may be!

For most of us, blogging is just passion more than anything else. The natural instinct and urge to , express and share our views trumps everything. 

What may or may not follow, be it, money or followers or fame, is all secondary. 

So a chance to enhance that experience, mutually for the creator and the observer, is one to jump on to !

When #blogchatter floated the idea of elevating the blog to the next level, my first thought was to do something different. In 7 years, I have experimented with language and genre of writing, and I would continue to do so. 

But this time, I decided to have my first #videoblog ! It was a spontaneous decision to record this video and I did that without a written script :). 

In the video, I talk about where I have reached and where I want to be. I recognize the areas where I need improvement and, also, my road map to my goals. I am confident that there would be many like me, with same issues and aspirations.

I hope my stress on evolution, definition of 'next level' and significance of collaboration, appeals to all.

Let's join hands! 

I wish all my fellow #bloggers, good luck and offer unconditional help to anyone who needs it :).

I now tag Neha to write his take on the topic.

I want to take my blog to the next level with Blogchatter. 

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#Photoblog: The Story of Our Wedding...

A Wedding is the celebration of a lifetime to commemorate the beginning of a lifelong journey called Marriage!

Whether marriages are made in heaven or not, is up to interpretation, but I can assure you, Weddings, especially, North-Indian weddings, are made in photo studios!

And I am not complaining :)

Thanks to the craze of sharing photos on social media, especially Instagram, wedding photography has taken a quantum leap in the last 5 years. The photographers of today are not only helping couples treasure their most cherished day but are also helping them create moments that are a reflection of their creative geniuses.

But the best memories are not created by the lens but by those who are covered by the lens.

My wife and I, are forever indebted to our families and friends who took the time to make it to our wedding and make it a memorable occasion. This post is dedicated to, and is my way to thank, all of them.

For my online family, let's relive those magical days which made us feel like the real Rajasthan Royals :).



Engagement !

Here I am! I got my swag on and so does my team! :D

Let's go !

Rang de tu mohe "gerua" !

Rings of Fortune !

Grandparents' Blessings !

And the most important question of all !

"Honey! Are you sure? You still have one more day to decide !"



Wedding Day

And so it begins :)

OK! Drying Mehandi, is not my most manliest of moments :D

But let's embrace it with smiles :)

My younger sister gets the joke, now !

निर्विघ्नं कुरु में देव 

Accessorizing :)

Wedding party all set to go!

I won't caption this :)

No wedding is fun till friends show up! But you know, har ek friend______hota hai! Dancing on "tujhe ghodi kinne chadaya___" :-/

My bachcha getting the swag on :)

Azeem-o-Shehanshah ;)

Once again, my friends were the life of this wedding :)

In the meantime, the bride was still posing.....

Until....

"More poses? Talk to the hand , Mr. Photographer!" 

 "Let's do this thing!"

It's a bird! It's a plane. It's a Groom !

Our Parents :)

That moment, which defines the essence of a Jaipur wedding!

Ever Mine. Ever Thine. Ever Ours.

And if you had any doubts about who would call shots in our home, I present to you....

Reception !

Bachcha Party ! :)

There's a story behind these 'two' boxes. Remember, har ek dost____hota hai ;) !

They wondered how did she say yes to me....

...........and I kind of agreed (not that I am ever going to ask the question ;) ) 

Sincerely Yours,

Mrs. and Mr. Prateek Mathur :)

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Writefully Yours

Like the Sunrise, some things are bound to happen!
Pic Courtesy - But.The.Words.Prevailed 

We are changing.

Nah...

We are transitioning !

After more than 6 years with 'Me and My Dark Side' , I have decided to move on.

The blog will now be called 'Writefully Yours'.  

You can connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Prose, Facebook and Instagram.

The links can be found at the end of this post also.

Why?

Quite simply, it is the time to evolve, or at least, try to! One's work shall be a reflection of the evolution of self, the society and its sensibilities. From a while now, I had been feeling, that the brand of Dark Side and the body of my previous works, were limiting the topics and genres I could cover. Joining Twitter was somewhat liberating, as I could express myself with more freedom (while getting into occasional squabbles), but the old school writer in me couldn't be satisfied in just 140 characters!

Why is re-branding important?

As I said, I am Old School. I strongly believe that a blog shall remain true to its soul. While that might limit the spectrum of content on it, it stays true to it's reader base. I have always felt that I am being dishonest to my reader if, just for the lure of "hits", I cater them sub-par content or cover genres that aren't my natural calling.

Natural Calling

The concept of what is one's natural calling, is the essence of  the evolution of a writer. It's time for me to be more inclusive. I might succeed or might turn into a spectacular failure, but after 7 years of dedicated writing, I owe myself this chance.

This sort of transition is not the first for me. I transitioned, rather successfully, from Politically Incorrect, in 2010. At that time, however, I started a new blog altogether. But this time, it's the re-branding of the same blog.

What to expect...

• Wider range of topics
• More collaboration
• At least for this year, some Politically Incorrect, posts again
• Call for Guest Bloggers
• Campaigns

What not to expect

• Sponsored posts
• Advertisements
• Posts on senseless prompts and contests

'Me and My Dark Side' gave me the recognition, reader base and a great network of  kind and superb bloggers. We support and encourage each other across the barriers of age, gender, outlook, genres and language, just for the sheer love of  Writing. In the past year or so, I have been lucky and proud to be associated with one such group on twitter,@blogchatter. The mercurial rise of the group and their tenacity to help fellow bloggers is unparalleled and I wish to continue my association with them. 

Connections like these, I would always owe that to my blog. It might sound funny to a non-blogger, how I talk to and about my blog, as if she is a real being, but I know, you, being a fellow blogger get that :) .

Let the love of writing prevail ! Amen!

Writefully Yours,

Prateek Mathur

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#GuestBlog - The Creaking Bus

It is my absolute pleasure to host two of my favorite artists on my blog, in a single post.

Nikhil R., the creator of this post is a writer par excellence and a published author. His blog, Constructive Interference, inspired me to start my own, 7 years ago ago.

Arvind, who graciously agreed to lend his photographs for this post, is a writer and a photographer whose ability to express isn't limited to any one medium. He likes to write micro-stories on his Facebook page, But The Words Prevailed and you can follow him on Instagram for his amazing photo stories too.

The most important thing, for me, about them, is that they are two of my closest friends who are kind, amazing, intellectual and free spirited.

I hope you enjoy your work as much as I have for all these years!

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Photo Courtesy -Arvind Ram Ashray 

The creaking bus takes me through the dusty city.
Sodium vapor lamps and yellow lights on street corners.
Poor, lonely men consumed by tobacco smoke and shadows.
The women of the night who cannot keep them company.

The creaking bus takes me through the dusty city.
The children trekking hills of garbage to reach the summit.
The smells of cheap cuts of meat on an open fire.
Artificial colors in place of real.

The creaking bus takes me through the dusty city.
A hundred different odors vying for my attention.
The scents of perfume and excreta mingled in one uneasy breath.
The concrete jungle--the masses taking what they can get.

The creaking bus takes me through the dusty city.
The noxious fumes and the smell of kerosene.
The home to a million dreams of decency and salvation.
Therein lie my own.

Pic Courtesy - Arvind Ram Ashray

Flowers

Mallik Ghat Flower Bazaar, Kolkata
Pic Courtesy : http://www.pikturenama.com 

Why are you here? What do you do, again?

I am a documentary film maker.

Docu.., what ?

Docu-men-tary. I make films.

Like Karan Johar?

A little different. But yes, kind of the same thing.

But we never see you on TV or theater? Why are you here?

I want to make a docu...umm..film..on the flower market.

Did you see Chennai Express? Shahrukh Bhai is amazing! Do you know him?

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

He looked back to get his answer but turned back midway. That was an abrupt end to the curiosity and questions of my rickshaw driver. I am sure he was convinced that a man dressed like me, who has never even been on TV, despite being a filmmaker, cannot possibly know the King of Bollywood. I am confident I saw a smirk on his face when he dropped me at Asia's largest wholesale flower market.

Mallik Ghat Flower Bazaar, Kolkata.

To call something chaotic in Kolkata would be redundant.  But it still has a strange serenity in it. I have struggled to find such harmonized disorder in the Mumbais and Delhis of the world.  "Order" is an incomplete and  mortal story. The entropy of the Universe would catch up with it eventually. "Disorder", on the other hand, is self sustaining and ever propagating. It is the closest "absolute" entity that Nature offers. It engulfs stillness of every moment on its way of becoming the sole force of the Universe. I hunt for stories in such pandemonium. People who become accustomed to finding peace in chaos present the most dogged and honest face of humanity.

It is in this quest that I travel and explore stories in the busiest, noisiest and, seemingly, unlikeliest of the places.

And so, instead of making a documentary about  the Howrah Bridge, I came here.

One understands the true difference between "reachable" and "approachable" in India, only while trying to create something. Thanks to the over advertised advancement that we have made as a nation, we can reach to almost every corner of the country. But try making a neighborhood within your approach to accomplish something, and it's a different story altogether. So, first order of business was to find my "handler".

But I was awestruck by Mallik Bazaar. The beauty in this dingy Bazaar was astounding. It was not the obvious kind of beauty that one notices instantly but the one that grows on you and stays forever. It was not the high school crush who tickles sensations for a bit, but the peace of a woman one desires to wake upto for life. The roads were laden with flowers of every kind. The canvas of Mallik Bazaar was painted in bright orange by tens of thousands of Marigolds . Roses, Jasmines and Lilies appeared sporadically like colorful birds in the morning sky. I began to immerse myself in the tranquility of colors amidst the haphazardness.

    

Suddenly, a  tempo whizzed past me, hurling abuses at me in chaste Bengali, while I stood frozen in the middle of the road. I realized that I was in the thick of the action and the director in me was switched on with that jolt. I started looking for Pushpak, a young Bollywood aspirant, and my handler, who was to meet me in the Bazaar Eventually, he found me and started to show me around while I managed my handheld and the stories started unfolding.

We met  Ikhlaq, who claimed to make sales of over ₹10000 in a day but complained about the lack of hygiene in the area. He seemed worried that he would catch Malaria and wanted to switch businesses. But another businessman, known by the moniker "Marwari",  seemed hopeful. He was happy with the way the Bazaar operated and wanted to have a retail shop in the main city as well. A few inquired about the new trend of people ordering flowers on "computer" and rued losing business to the fake educated types!

After about an hour of recording and interviews we proceeded towards the largest shop of the Bazaar, owned by a certain Seth. He had already been notified by Pushpak and was expecting us. He greeted us with refreshing sharbat with rose petals in it. Seth had been in the business for over 35 years and claimed to be one of the biggest business owners of the city.

He talked at length about Horticulture. "Not every bud blossoms into a flower. One must have the eye to spot which [one] would, and that simple trick differentiates me form the rest of them", he bragged. When I asked him how he managed the supply chain of a fresh product I saw his eyes sparkle. He must be proud of his business skills, I thought. He proudly told us how articulate he has to be supplying  to nearly all the temples and mosques in the city. Marigolds to the temples and Lilies to the mosque. No mix up there!

He shouted something in Bengali and before I could ask Pushpak to translate, 4 children came running out from the back of his shop. They were all 10-12 years old boys with flimsy clothes covering them. They were sweating profusely and one look at their hands made it clear that they must have been weaving garlands. I looked behind them and realized they had come up from a basement behind the shop. He proudly pointed at them and said this was his business model. The kids collected the flowers from the farms in the morning and brought them to the Bazaar. They sorted them, made piles of them according to the orders. If a special order for garlands or wreaths or weddings came along, they would make them. Then they carried the piles back to a middleman who distributed them further. Pushpak told me that would be around a 50 km trip for the kids per day. Since every corner of the city was in reach, it looked easy to the businessman. He paid them ₹30 per day.

I tried talking to the kids, via Pushpak, but they looked tired, scared and in a hurry. I turned to Seth and asked why doesn't he eliminate the middleman and maximizes his profits. Seth looked at me in astonishment and then looked at Pushpak as if telling him how could I even ask that question.

"These children aren't allowed to enter the temples". Seth  answered.

"What about mosques? They can deliver there and save you some money, right?"

"Saab, these kids are not allowed anywhere."

He said that with no remorse. I looked at the children who had been standing quietly all this while. Something in me told me that they understood the conversation between Seth and I. They smiled at me and went back down.

Harmonized Disorder.

On the way back, I had a last look at Mallik Bazaar. Seth  was right, not every bud blossoms into a flower. The corners of the flower laden roads were littered with unnoticed squashed buds.

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This post was written in response to #FotoFriday1 a photo-blogprompt, an initiative of  team #BlogbuddyWritehouse @Blogchatter
#FotoFriday prompt posts will be put up on the first Friday of every month by team members of #BlogbuddyWritehouse 

This week's #FotoFriday1 fabulous photo-prompt 

Image credit goes to my super-talented #blogbuddy Anindya Basu 

Team #Blogbuddy Writehouse: