तू बुद्धि दे तू तेज दे

A prayer I first heard at the experimental school that inspired the book I co authored has stayed with me ever since. Few prayers ask us to become better human beings instead of merely asking God to make our lives better. This is one of them.

Listen to the song here.

तू बुद्धि दे तू तेज दे नवचेतना विश्वास दे
जे सत्य सुंदर सर्वथा आजन्म त्याचा ध्यास दे

हरवले आभाळ ज्यांचे हो तयांचा सोबती
सापडेना वाट ज्यांना हो तयांचा सारथी
साधना करिती तुझी जे नित्य तव सहवास दे

जाणवाया दुर्बलांचे दुःख आणि वेदना
तेवत्या राहो सदा रंध्रातुनी संवेदना
धमन्यातल्या रुधिरास या खल भेदण्याची आस दे
सामर्थ्य या शब्दांस आणि अर्थ या जगण्यास दे

सन्मार्ग आणि सन्मती लाभो सदा सत्संगती
नीती ना ही भ्रष्ट हो जरी संकटे आली किती
पंखास या बळ दे नवे झेपावण्या आकाश दे

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

 

There are songs you enjoy, songs you remember, and then there are songs that become a part of who you are. Today, Mile Sur Mera Tumhara has been on loop.

For me, no other song has come even remotely close to capturing the diversity, heritage, cultures, languages, music, folk traditions, landscapes, and spirit of India the way this one does. It reminds me that our differences were never meant to divide us. They were meant to come together, just as countless rivers eventually find the same ocean.

I've also shared the lyrics below in case you'd like to follow along or even sing it yourself. Trust me, if you've never done it before, give it a try. I have been doing it since morning. Especially, the finale... the song gently flows into the tune of Jana Gana Mana, I still get goosebumps. Every! Single! Time!

My hope for the generations that will shape India's future is that they inherit not just our progress, but also the values that have held this country together for centuries. Respect for diversity, openness to different cultures, and the understanding that unity doesn't require uniformity.

Happy Republic Day! 🇮🇳

 

Hindi

Mile sur mera tumharaa, to sur bane hamaraa....

Sur kee nadhiyaan har disha se behke saagar mein milee...

Baadalon ka roop lekar barsen halke halke...

Mile sur mera tumharaa.. toh... sur bane hamaara..

Mile sur mera tumhara...

Kashmiri 

Chaain taraj tahin nyay taraj

Ek but baniye saayen taraj

Punjabi

Tera sur mile mere sur de naal

Milke bane ek nava surtaal

Hindi

Mile sur mera tumharaa....

To sur bane hamaara..

Sindhi

Mohnja sur tohi desa pyara mile jadein

Geet ashaanjo madhur tarano bane tadein

Urdu

Sur ka dariya behke saagar me mile

Punjabi 

Badlaan da roop leike barasan hole hole

Tamil

Isaindhal namm iruvarin suramum namadhakum..

Dhisai veru aanalum aariser aarugal

Mugilai mazaiyai pozivadu pol isai

...Namm isssaiiii....

Padhant

Thik thakida thathikakida....thaka thimi thaka junu

Kannada

Nanna danige ninna daniyu,

Seridante namma daniyu..

Telugu

Naa swaramu nee swaramu sangammamai,

Mana swaram ga avatarinchey

Malayalam

Ente swaravum ningalude swaravum

Otthu chernnu nammude swaramai....

Bengali

Tomaar shoor moder shoor srishti korook oikyashoor...

Tomaar shoor moder shoor srishti korook oikyashoor...

Assamese

Srishti hok oikyatan

Oriya

Toma mora swarer milan srishti kare chalbochatano

Gujarati

Male sur jo taro maro, bane aapno sur niralo

Marathi

Majhya tumchya julta tara madhur suranchya barasti dhara

Hindi

Sur ki nadiya har disha se behke saagar mein mile...Baadlo ka roop leke barse halke halke..

Oh...Mile sur mera tumhara tho....sur bane hamara...

Mile Sur mera tumhara

To sur bane hamara tho sur bane hamara

To sur bane hamara

.......

And then...

🎶 Jaya he, jaya he... jaya jaya jaya he...

An Excuse to Bake Brownies

I said I'd share this chocolate brownie recipe in an earlier post, and here I am, finally doing it after making yet another batch of these brownies on demand. Apparently, I needed another excuse to bake them. 😂

I love these little moments where science quietly becomes cooking. Chemistry, physics, temperature, timing, texture... all working together to create something that tastes nothing like a science experiment and everything like comfort. That is one of the things I love most about baking. There is so much art in it, but there is also so much science hiding underneath.

Anyway, here is the Ultimate Chocolate Brownie recipe I promised. I hope you try it and love it as much as my family and I do. And to everyone celebrating, Merry Christmas! 🎄

As for me, I just needed an excuse to bake brownies. 😄

Showing Up

 

 

I turned 40 this year, and something about this new decade has made me think more deeply about the causes I want to stand beside. Last weekend, I showed up at the Pride walk in Pune organised by Yutak.

There are causes far bigger than any one person. This one happened to sit at the intersection of my profession and something I care deeply about. Creating workplaces where people are seen for their competence and contribution, rather than judged by gender, caste, religion, or any other identity has always been a part of our family's hiring foundation.

I showed up with our company's banner, alone. But I wasn't really alone.

I was carrying an intention for the kind of workplace I want us to create. A workplace where diversity is not a statement on a wall, but something reflected in who gets opportunities, who gets heard, and who gets to grow.

While reading about the history of Pride Month, I came across this fascinating timeline of major moments in LGBTQA+ history. Looking through it reminded me that today's freedoms have a history behind them. They came through people who spoke up, organised, resisted, marched, created communities, and kept going.

I stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. And, at 40, this is one of the ways I want to show up by making the workplace I am part of a little more inclusive than the one I inherited. 

 

For anyone interested in exploring the history behind Pride, this timeline is a fascinating place to begin: Major Moments in LGBT History — Infographic Timeline

Pride is history. Pride is people. Pride is also the work we choose to do today.

The Cookie Recipe I Keep Coming Back To

 

I’ve been baking and cooking for as long as I can remember. And I have a serious sweet tooth. It seems to run in the family too, so perhaps I never really stood a chance! Then I came across this recipe for the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies, and somehow, I haven't felt the need to look for another one since.

They literally and figuratively nailed it.

There is something deeply satisfying about finding a recipe that gets everything right. The texture, the flavor, the little details that make you want to bake it again. And yes, I have tried another “ultimate” Brownie recipe since then by them. I loved that one too, and I might share it here sometime.

But this one remains a favourite.

Also, a little observation from an Indian kitchen. The recipe talks about brown butter as though it has discovered some magical ingredient and has the top 5 smells in the culinary world, (it's a joke but...) We call it ghee. 😄 It sits on Indian kitchen shelves, appears on our dining tables, and has been part of our cooking traditions for generations.

And I completely agree with the recipe on one thing: That smell of browned butter is one of the best smells in the world. 😍 Now excuse me while I go bake another batch.

The Goats of Poznań

 

I had the lovely opportunity to explore the town of Poznań during my visit to Poland last month. After the usual return-from-work routine, followed by a little extended travel and the inevitable task of downloading hundreds of photographs, I found myself looking through my pictures from Poznań and thought I would share one of my favourite little discoveries.

Two mechanical goats. Every day at noon, two metal billy goats emerge from the clock tower of Poznań's Renaissance Town Hall and butt heads twelve times, accompanied by a bugle call. The tradition dates back to the 16th century.

And, of course, there is a wonderfully entertaining story behind them.

According to the local legend, in 1551, a great feast was being prepared to celebrate the installation of a new clock at the Town Hall. The kitchen was preparing an important roast for the distinguished guests when the meat slipped from the spit and was ruined in the fire.

A young kitchen boy, desperate to find a replacement, supposedly brought two white billy goats into the kitchen. The goats, understandably unimpressed with this plan, escaped. They ran all the way up towards the Town Hall tower, where the guests eventually spotted them butting heads on the cornice.

Instead of being angry about the ruined feast, everyone apparently found the sight so hilarious that the boy was forgiven. The story goes that the mechanical goats were later created to commemorate the amusing incident.

Now, here is the part I find particularly fascinating.

The legend is folklore. We don't have historical evidence that two escaped goats actually caused this particular commotion. But the clockwork goats themselves are very real, and their connection to the 1551 clock is documented. A surviving contract with clock maker Bartłomiej Wolff describes a rather wonderfully named “foolish contraption” involving two goats that would butt heads.

And that distinction somehow makes me love the story even more. A city took a piece of folklore and turned it into something people could still experience centuries later. Today, visitors gather in the Old Market Square, wait for noon, look up at the Town Hall and watch two little goats appear and clash horns twelve times. I know this to be true because I was one of them! 😇

A tiny piece of history. A little bit of machinery. A centuries-old legend. And a moment that still makes people laugh.

I love discovering things like this while traveling. You can walk into a city looking at buildings and monuments, and suddenly find yourself learning about the stories people have carried with them for generations. 

Poznań's goats are a lovely reminder that history doesn't always survive in serious monuments and dusty archives. Sometimes it survives as two silly little goats, still butting heads at noon. And I am very glad I got to see them. 🐐🐐

The Poznań Billy Goats legend and history

भगवानदास माहौर (स्मृतिदिन १२ मार्च १९७९)

में विद्रोही हूँ उत्पीड़क सत्ता को ललकार रहा हूँ 

खूब समझता हूँ में खुद ही अपनी मौत पुकार रहा हूँ 

मेरे शोणितकी लालीसे कुछ तो लाल धरा होगी ही | 

मेरे वर्त्तनसे परिवर्तित कुछ तो परंपरा होगी ही || 

में जो उल्टे सीधे स्वरसे गाता रहता करुण कथाएँ | 

सुनकर अकुलाती ही होंगी, व्यथितोंकी चिरमूक व्यथाएँ || 

मेरे स्वरसे कुछ तो मुखरित जगती दुःखभरा होगी ही | 

मेरे शोणितकी लालीसे कुछ तो लाल धरा होगी ही || 

--x--

Game of Thrones

I can't help but quote my favourite dialogues from GoT! As a fan who's fallen in love with the books and TV series I am listing below my top 10 dialogues from this series! 

1. "Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armour, and it can never be used to hurt you." - Tyrion Lannister
2. "A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of the sheep." - Tywin Lannister
3. "It's easy to confuse 'what is' with 'what ought to be', especially when 'what is' has worked out in your favour." - Tyrion Lannister
4. "I think mothers and fathers made up the Gods because they wanted their children to sleep through the night." - Davos Seaworth
5. "A very small man can cast a very large shadow" - Tyrion Lannister
6. Bran thought about it, "can a man be brave if he is afraid?" "That is the only time a man can be brave!" - Ned Stark
7. "The more people you love, the weaker you are." - Cersei Lannister
8. "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who doesn't read lives only one." Jojen Reed
9. "Remember what father used to say? Everything before 'but' is horse shit." Jon Snow
10. "If we die, we die. But first we live." - Ygritte

संसार से भागे फिरते हो

A person who's known life beyond beliefs and faith is capable of  penning down such a brilliant song. Sahir Ludhianvi is without a doubt one of my favorite lyricist. My admiration and love for his writings grows with reading every thing he's ever written. Music director and Singer's combination of Roshan and Lata Mangeshkar was a hit for obvious reasons. This song is no exception to that golden pair. And last but not the least, Meena Kumari shows her caliber as an actress in a way that proves there's no one like her and there won't be anyone like her, in every sense of the term!

संसार से भागे फिरते हो 

भगवान को तुम क्या पाओगे 

इस लोग को भी अपना न सके 

उस लोग में भी पछताओगे 

संसार से भागे फिरते हो। 

ये पाप है क्या ये पून्य है क्या 

रीतों पर धरम की मोहरें हे 

हर युग में बदलते धरमों को  

कैसे आदर्श बनाओगे ?

संसार से भागे फिरते हो। 

ये भोग भी एक तपस्या है 

तुम त्याग के मारे क्या जानो 

अपमान रचेता का होगा 

रचना को अगर ठुकराओगे 

संसार से भागे फिरते हो। 

हम कहते है ये जग अपना है 

तुम कहते हो झूठा सपना है 

हम जनम बिता कर जायेंगे 

तुम जनम गवां कर जाओगे 

संसार से भागे फिरते हो 

भगवान को तुम क्या पाओगे

संसार से भागे फिरते हो। 

Beautiful lines I have read

These are selected few sentences I have loved in the context of their books as well as out of it. 

1. "After all, tomorrow is another day." - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
2. "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." - The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger 
3. "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
4. "In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart." - The diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
5. "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" - Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats
6. "I wondered if that was how forgiving budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night" - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
7. "It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that." - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
8. "I have never met a strong person with an easy past." - To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
9. "The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me." - The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
10. "Great men are not born great, they grow great". - The Godfather by Mario Puzo 

गुलजार

ऐ उम्र !

कुछ कहा मैँने,

पर शायद तूने सुना नहीं .. 

तू छीन सकती है बचपन मेरा,

पर बचपना नहीं!!

हर बात का कोई जवाब नही होता 

हर इश्क का नाम खराब नही होता। 

यु तो झूम लेते है नशेमें पीनेवाले 

मगर हर नशे का नाम शराब नही होता।

खामोश चहरे पर हजारों पहरे होते है 

हंसती आखों में भी जख्म गहरे होते है 

जिनसे अक्सर रूठ जाते है हम,

असल में उनसे ही रिश्ते गहरे होते है। 

किसी ने खुदासे दुआ मांगी 

दुआ में अपनी मौत मांगी,

खुदा ने कहा, मौत तो तुझे दे दू मगर,

उसे क्या कहु जिसने तेरी जिंदगी की दुआ मांगी .. 

हर इन्सान का दिल बुरा नहीं होता 

हर एक इन्सान बुरा नहीं होता 

बुझ जाते है दिये कभी तेल की कमी से ..  

हर बार कुसूर हवा का नहीं होता!!!