A Journo's Diary

Till now it had only been in Dan Brown novels or Hollywood movies that I had seen the St. Peter’s Basilica and the image of The Pope coming out of his famous balcony to address the crowd at St. Peter’s Square. And that’s why the moment I landed in Rome, a childhood fascination descended upon me. I had always wanted to visit Vatican and hear The Pope from his balcony. I was quite disappointed to know that the routinely public meetings that take place every week had been cancelled because of Christmas season.

I was scheduled to reach Rome at 10:30 on Christmas Eve and had made complete plans to attend the Midnight Mass at Vatican. But thanks to an absolutely nerve wrecking service from Al Italia, I reached Rome way past 12 ‘O’ clock. And thus I had to dump my plan to visit the Vatican that night. Next morning, I got up hearing the sounds of the bells from a nearby church. Well it was Christmas Day and Rome was flaunting all its colours. Before going to Rome, I had read on the Vatican Museum’s website that the Pope gives a Christmas message at noon from his balcony. It was at that moment itself that I had made my mind to reach Vatican and live my childhood dream.

As I stepped into St. Peter’s Square, I realised what a grand setting it was. More than a thousand people must have been present but it still seemed like it could accommodate many more. As I looked towards St. Peter’s Basilica, I saw the balcony I was waiting to see always. With red velvet curtains covering the window, the balcony looked distinct with a red chair and a red velvet carpet hung outside. The shots of scenes from Angels and Demons and 2012 which I had seen recently came to my mind immediately. It was exactly at 12 noon that The Pope came out and was welcomed by the enthusiastic crowd that had been waiting to hear his Christmas message. His message was of course in Italian but what mattered to me was living a childhood dream. Christmas in Vatican was one of the best I have ever witnessed in my life.

Last weekend I made a special visit into the hustling bustling streets of Southall, London’s mini India. It’s absolutely amazing how just a simple craving for paani puri can make you travel miles. But the moment you hold the plate in your hand with eyes fixated on each paani puri as it makes your way to the plate, you feel the bliss. Ahh, even the thought is simply amazing. Imagine how interesting my entire day at Southall turned out to be.

This was my third visit to Southall but the place looked as new and as fresh as ever. The time you step out of the station, you see a Gurudwara right in front of you. It makes you believe that you are in your own land, or maybe somewhere close by. As you keep walking small little things catch your attention. The atmosphere not only looks familiar but makes you feel at home instantly. One can easily spot the colourful drapes displayed in the shops apart from the accessories and jazzy sandals displayed almost in every nook and corner.

For me, Southall is all about food. Maybe because that is what I miss the most about India in UK or maybe because I still prefer to go back home in case I want to buy saris. But when we talk of food, Southall tops the list among other areas in London where Indian community is settled. I have had amazing Gujarati food in Wembley and delicious dosas in East Ham. But the variety that I see in Southall seems to be missing in all these places. Not only can you spot street food like paani puri, bhel puri, samosas, jalebis but also kebab houses and yummy South Indian food. You just need to know what you want to eat and it probably would be there. Add to this the bhangra music in the air, and the hustle and bustle of a vibrant local economy, all of which makes a visit to Southall unforgettable.

The high point of my trip to Southall was when I spot a small little stall right outside one of the biggest super markets there. The stall called as “Jagu’s Pani Puri and Bhel Puri” reminded me of the many stalls that we see in Delhi and Mumbai. Decorated in the very same fashion but just a bit modern with its accessories and the seller speaking in fluent English, Jagu’s stall seemed to attract many customers throughout the day. I also went inside one of the oldest Kebab houses in Southall. Known as “Kebabish,” the kebab house served different items of chicken and lamb along with sweet lassi. One step into Kebabish made you feel like going back into time. I remembered my visit to one of Delhi’s oldest Kebab corners called Karims that is located behind the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. The owner of the restaurant had put on play some of the classic old songs of Indian cinema. And for me that was one of the biggest reasons to sit there and have a glass of sweet lassi.

The other very interesting thing about Southall was the supermarket. As I stepped inside a particular supermarket called “Gulab” which to me seemed like one of the largest supermarkets, I got last at the first instance. I then decided to spend some time in just going through the kind of good that are displayed on the shelves. From jiggery to soan papdi, from different kinds of Poppadam to different kinds of pickle, it seemed like everything I have ever learnt throughout my childhood was present there. You could even get cold drinks like Limca, Fanta and Thumbs up. And in case you were not happy with the washing powder in UK, you can go and pick up your favourite 555 soap bar.

It is amazing how the present day globalised world has made it so easy for us to be connected with any part of the world in just any way we want to. There is definitely a good side to it. It keeps us so close to our homeland. Apart from increasing the export figures of India, it also brings India closer to the diasporic community living here for many years. But I also tend to look at the negative side of things sometimes. If everything is brought here so close to us then what would be the charm to go back to your own land?
Well I am sure that is a very heavy debate in itself. But for now and for all future good times, Southall will remain as one of my own favourite places to visit everytime I feel the craving to dig paani puris and some other terrific Indian food. It is absolutely commendable how much of an effort each and every businessman in Southall makes in order to bring our country closer to us. It’s totally worth each of those efforts. Hats off to them!!

Even as the world has fallen into the pit of what is called as the global financial crisis, it has definitely not affected the marriage market. In the past few weeks, I received almost two dozen marriage invitations and all of them have a glitzy flavour to it. From a theme wedding to a historical set up in one of the palaces in Jaipur, the marriage market seems to be always on a high. But what is even more interesting is the amount of creativity involved behind organising a wedding. It’s almost like shooting an entire film that has emotional drama, larger than life setting, songs and the most special of all is the entry of the prince charming making his way on a white horse to take his Cinderella in a world where they will live happily ever after.

Ahh, sounds like a dream, isn’t it? Well it surely is and it has been described with even more fancy details by author Kavita Ramdya in her book “Bollywood Weddings: Dating, Engagement and Marriage in Hindu America”. A banker by profession and a writer by choice, Kavita’s debut book looks into the mindset of the young generation of Hindu Americans who are trying to give their traditional Hindu wedding a western flavour. She tries to examine how the second generation of Hindu Americans adopt and reject the various elements of the Hindu and American mainstream marriage rituals.

Before writing the book, the author spent nearly two and a half years carrying out an anthropological study of Indian-American Hindus in the tri-state New York area. Her research included going out into the field and conducting interviews of couples and attending more than 20 weddings – Hindus and Jews, Christians and Atheists. It is here that she came across the question that “why do people fall in love and then plan extravagant weddings?” This question remains central to the entire book which takes a very close look at how the Bollywood film industry has inspired many couples when it comes to planning their wedding.

In her own words, the author says that it was by accident that she came across the theory of the influence of bollywood in Hindu American marriages.

“To be honest, Bollywood never entered my mind in the four months of research. Instead, I was solely thinking about two very antithetical cultures: that of mainstream, modern, American wedding culture as elucidated in magazines such as “Modern Bride” and movies like “Sex in the City” versus traditional Indian culture circa the 1960s and ‘70s when the first generation immigrated from India to the United States. The original dichotomy I was working with was America’s modern, love marriage versus India’s traditional arranged marriage. However, while conducting my interviews of approximately twenty couples and attending wedding after wedding, Bollywood kept popping up as a recurring theme. The second-generation Indian-American women I met couldn’t relate to the fitted, strapless white wedding dresses worn by models in mainstream wedding magazines since white is traditionally considered the colour of mourning in Hindu culture, and showing skin and putting one’s sensuality on display is frowned upon in Indian families. However, these same men and women I interviewed couldn’t relate to the way their parents married: none of the couples I met had arranged marriages; they were all in love and had a modern way of life.”

For those settled outside, it is always a mix of two worlds – be it British or American. In the case of Kavita’s book it is the American influence on the second generation Hindus. They are caught between the traditional arranged marriages or the American love marriages. One of the findings that caught my attention during the read was a hybrid model of “arranged meetings” between the boy and the girl. It is a true amalgamation of two cultures – both Indian and American. So in this case, as much as the parents have a say in who their son/daughter should marry, even the individual suitors have the freedom to look through thousands of portals like shaadi.com to find a person who suits their criteria. Thus in many ways it is a sort of a compromise between the older and the younger generations on the question of marriage.

The book gives a very clear insight not only into the minds of Hindu Americans but the present generation of Non Resident Indians who might have never been to India but still try and maintain a balance between the two cultures. And it is bollywood that brings the Indian culture and rituals to their door step. One of the interesting observations made by the author is that the biggest impact of bollywood is on the Wedding wardrobe. The new generation is seen to have styled their clothes in a way that is worn by film stars and struck poses in wedding photos that are quite similar to Hindi movies.

All I can say is that it is a very engaging book that hooks you on once you have started. As I said in the beginning, it takes you on this journey that everybody loves to make in their lives – from small introductions to dating then to courtship and then to a lavish dream wedding. And the tinge of bollywood in between all this spices up the entire book.

(The book is available on www.amazon.com)

It is absolutely amazing how UK manages to be such a great hub of multiculturalism. I have been here for more than year now and have attended a number of events by different communities in London and on the outskirts. What has impressed me is the patience and interest with which Brits take part in a variety of festivals of the different sections of population. What is even more interesting is the fact that people from different countries living together on one land have not forgotten their culture and diaspora. They have still kept it going despite being far away from their own homeland.

Looking at the Asian diaspora in the UK for instance, we have festivals almost every two weeks and they are celebrated sometimes on a large scale and sometimes in a rather quiet manner. But they still make their presence and significance known in the UK. I have attended Holi, Durga Puja, Diwali, Iftar Parties and now Chhath. I am quite sure that not many of you will be familiar with “Chhath” and before you start exercising your grey cells, let me tell you the significance of this festival. Chhath is one of the oldest festivals of the Hindus. The festival is dedicated to the Sun God and is celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh in India and the Terai regions of Nepal.

A devotee praying to the Sun God

The word chhath literally means number six in hindi and this festival starts on the sixth day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. The festival lasts for four days and is considered to be one of the holiest festivals among Hindus. This is also the only festival which is celebrated with no involvement of a Pandit (priest).

I have a special place for this festival in my life. Coming from Bihar, I have grown up seeing chhath celebrations. It is no less than a “tapasya.” When I say Tapasya, I mean to say the principle and practice of physical and spiritual austerity and discipline with which people hope to achieve a particular aim. The festival is not just about fasting for four days but it signifies fortitude, serenity and affliction from thousands of devotees all over the world. The festival is celebrated not only in India or Nepal but also in those parts of the world where inhabitants of Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and Terai regions of Nepal have settled.

And thus London was home to its first ever chhath celebrations. Organised by the Association of Nepali Madhesi in UK, also known as ANMUK, the celebration brought together devotees from both India and Nepal. This is the first ever chhath celebration in UK and the organisers worked hard to the best of the available resources to give everyone a feel of the festival. There was a good introductory presentation on the significance of the festival. This was very important, especially for the young generation who are not so familiar with the festival. And it is quite true for many who live in India too. Chhath is not as popular among everyone as diwali and holi but it has still made a niche for itself.

This celebration not only brought together people from different communities but it also established grounds for a new festival to be celebrated across the UK. Till now it was only about Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja and Eid but now at least Asians living in London will know that there is another festival called chhath which is considered to be one of the holiest in the Hindu religion. The Association of Nepali Madhesi in UK has started a new chapter in the Asian Diaspora and one must applaud them for their efforts. Even though this was a rather quiet celebration, I am sure that with more participation and cooperation, the festival could be celebrated at a much larger scale in the coming years.

The best part about the entire celebration was the food at the end. And that really gave the guests a true feel of the chhath festival. The traditional menu that was on spread included khajuri, banana, laddoos and potato curry. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the food very much. I could see many go back for extra helpings. For me, it reminded me of my grandmother who is back in Bihar and who would make these items days before the beginning of the festival and send it to us no matter wherever we were. It reminded me of thousands of devotees who stand in water early in the morning to pray to the Sun God. It brought images of conviction and determination of devotees praying for the well being of their families. And above all it revived the sense of belongingness to a community in my mind.

President of India has sent her new representative to Britain, Mr. Nalin Surie. A career diplomat, Mr. Surie has taken over as the Indian High Commissioner following the superannuation of his predecessor, Mr. Shiv Shankar Mukherjee.

Mr. Surie is one of the finest diplomats with a wide experience as Secretary (West) in Ministry of External Affairs. He has served as India’s ambassador to China and Poland and has also served in Indian Missions at Hong Kong, Brussels, Dar –es-Salaam, Thimpu and New York. While in New York, he was posted as the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN.

Mr. Nalin Surie with Queen Elizabeth II

Mr. Surie presented his Letters of Credence to Queen Elizabeth II on 8th October, 2009. For many of us who may not know the significance of this letter, it is a very formal letter sent by one head of state to the other. It formally grants a diplomatic accreditation to the individual to be the ambassador in the country of the head of state who receives the letter. So in this case, Mr. Surie presented the letter which was sent by our President Mrs. Pratibha Patil to The Queen of England.

While carrying out my usual Google search on Mr. Surie, I came across a number of speeches made by him at various occasions on areas of International concern. Well as the ambassador of a particular country, he is the spokesperson of the Government of India and thus any speech made by him is a light on the foreign policy of India. Infact I used to really enjoy speeches made by Shiv Shankar Mukherjee too. He was a very charismatic and eloquent orator and his speeches would keep you hooked on till the last moment. Well I am still to hear our new High Commissioner.

But going back to my Google searches on Mr. Surie, the speech that kept me hooked on was the one made by him on the occasion of India festival at Peking University in China in May 2006. He mentioned that India has had to quickly adapt its foreign policy to the fast changing aspects of international relations like terrorism, proliferation of WMD, disaster management and so on. He also mentioned that India and China have developed and diversified their relations in the past few years with a number of high level visits from both sides. And being the two most populous countries in the World, India and China can share experiences and cooperate in working towards many socio economic processes. It is very fascinating to read his views on China, especially because China is one of our most sensitive neighbours and also because they have a totally different form of government as compared to India.

Indeed, India-China is a very dynamic area to follow but what is even more interesting is the couple’s strong interest in this field. So it is not only Mr. Surie who has a strong intellect for International relations but it is also his wife, Mrs. Poonam Surie who is an expert writer on China. Recently she published a book named “China: A search for its soul.” The book was released by India’s Vice President Hamid Ansari in February 2009. Mrs. Surie is an Economist by training from Delhi School of Economics. In her book she has tried to bring out the cultural and historical commonalities and differences between the people of India and China. While looking through a number of videos on Indian media websites, I found it absolutely amazing how Mrs. Surie has made an independent name for herself. Normally the position of a diplomat husband sometimes overshadows the skills of his wife but in this case it definitely doesn’t look even close to that.

Mr. Nalin Surie, Mrs. Poonam Surie are being escorted to the Buckingham Palace by Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps Mr. Charles Gray

It is after a long time that I have come across a “power couple” in the Indian bureaucratic system. Pardon my saying this, but it is very rare that I have seen diplomat wives to be on the same intellectual equation with their husbands. It is indeed impressive to read the profiles of both Mr and Mrs. Surie. I hope their posting in United Kingdom helps in further strengthening relations between the two countries – India & UK. Relations between these two countries go back hundreds of years. And as for Mrs. Surie, maybe it gives her a chance to author another book with one of India’s strong partner.

It is finally that time of the year when we all look forward to buying new clothes, making rangolis and decorating our houses with lights, yes it’s time for Diwali. The ‘festival of lights,’ as it is called; Diwali is one of the most fascinating festivals of India which is celebrated worldwide. I have been in London for the past one year and simply love the way Britain celebrates Indian festivals like Holi, Dussera, Eid and Diwali. It feels amazing to see so many people from your country gather together at a place and be a part of the celebration.

Yesterday was one such celebration in Central London. The event was organised by the Greater London authorities and the Diwali in London Committee. More than a thousand people were gathered around Trafalgar to enjoy the day. There were food stalls of Indian food where you could get items from bhel puri to samosa and mango lassi. And the food was enjoyed by not only Indians but many young and old British, some of who were dressed in sarees.

When I reached the square at about 2:45, there was catchy music by Shama and Friends, one of the known Asian bands in UK. There were lot of people performing a garba dance in the centre of the square and it was very lively. The singers picked up fast numbers and with every song more people joined to dance. Little did they know that there wasn’t much on the other side of the programme. After this amazing live entertainment by the band was a big opening session full of speeches by the committee.

Somehow the committee failed to realise that the span of attention for our audience is not too high. And thus forty five minutes of opening ceremony with speeches and diwali messages is not what people had come looking for. The surprise of the show was Baba Ramdev who is in London at this moment. He was also one of the many who wished Diwali to the audience. Well I can still exempt Baba Ramdev from this because he is quite a well known figure and many people were interested in listening to him. But I could see the enthusiasm go down in the crowd as one by one each person came with a message and a rose in their hand. After the message they put the rose in front of an idol of Lord Ganesh.

Well this brings me to the next thing. There was a pretty big idol of Lord Ganesh right at the start of the square and there was one on the stage too. But wait; don’t we worship Lakshmi-Ganesh together on Diwali? Well I couldn’t see Goddess Lakshmi anywhere. Maybe the authorities aren’t too worried about wealth I believe. Anyway, after the long messages from the committee members got over, the crowd got a little more enthusiastic when a dance performance was announced. It was a bharatnatyam performance which was very entertaining to some but still a letdown for many who had hoped that the event will have more action in store.

There were quite a few performances through the evening. Some were quite boring while others were entertaining. It is indeed very difficult to hold the attention of a huge crowd, almost as huge as the square. Many had come from outside London to be a part of this celebration. At the end of it they were quite disappointed with the event. “It was definitely much better last year. This year its very boring. I don’t know why the comparers don’t understand that we don’t want to listen to their boring speeches but to some good music,” said Neeta, a doctor from Birmingham. Many people said they would have rather watched ‘Wake up Sid,’ the latest release from bollywood than coming all the way to this event.

By the end of it, even I was not too happy with the entire event. I had attended some Diwali celebration in London last year and it was definitely much better. This year I felt that the Indian community can do much better than this. On a Sunday when Indians all over UK make an effort to come to Trafalgar to be a part of a large celebration, I am sure it is not speeches and boring performances that they are looking for. A right mix of good Indian food with some proper latka jhatka bollywood music and some entertaining emcees on the stage can make things look absolutely amazing. It would have been nice to have some stand up comedian like Raju Shrivastav from India. That would have made things even better. Oh, and Baba Ramdev was a good surprise too!

Last week I managed to watch Chopra’s latest film on the first day itself at a Cineworld outlet. Trust me; I have never seen so many Indians in London together than I saw the other day at the theatre. Hands filled with packets of pop corn, Pepsi, nachos and hot dogs, people looked bright with enthusiasm as they entered the movie hall.

One of the best things about a Yash Chopra film is the amount of colour and drama involved in the script that spices up the entire story. Suddenly when you feel that all is going well in the movie, there is a twist and even if you know that there will be a happy ending, you still sit straight on your chairs, munching pop corn and concentrating hard on the story. Well that is truly the bollywood ishtyle.

Even though “Dil Bole Hadippa” couldn’t fetch for itself some great reviews, I still enjoyed the movie to my heart’s content. Not so much for the script as it was for Rani Mukherjee’s performance. While sitting in the movie hall and watching Rani in the movie, my mind raced back to her first ever performance in a film. Her first film “raja ki aayegi baraat” was a complete disaster at the box office. In fact critics had completely written her off saying her voice wasn’t up to the mark, her acting skills weren’t too great and so on. But her performance opposite Aamir Khan in “Ghulaam” proved that she is here to stay.

The bollywood industry in India is highly driven by the “hot” factor as compared to “performance” factor. So if we look at it critically, a lot of actresses are able to get a name for them because they are ready to flaunt their skin in the skimpiest of clothes possible. Taking Rakhi Swawnt for example, I don’t see any acting skill in her but still people like her, or should I say, find her “hot”. No matter how much anyone criticises, the entire “Rakhi ka Swyamwar” drama was a hit in India with TRP ratings soaring high. It is the same with many more top actresses who continue to get roles because of their overrated sex appeal.

And this is not only true in the case of actresses; it is true for actors as well. There is always a debate about who the better actor is – Shahrukh or Aamir? I mean the answer is quite clear; one is a superstar while the other is a serious and versatile actor. Why is Ajay Devgan so out of the league when he has delivered some of the best performances? In fact I was very impressed to see Shahid’s performance in Dil Bole Hadippa. He has fine tuned his acting skills and is definitely here to stay for a very long time.

But coming back to the focus of my article, Rani Mukherjee’s performance is beyond any praise. She was brilliant and brought life to the film, just like Kareena in Jab We Met? But I do hold a criticism against Rani in this movie. After a great performance in the entire movie and just minutes after proving that she doesn’t care about the “hot” tag of the bollywood industry, she came up with a dance number in the end that was nothing but some cheap skin show. Was it really required? Or was it a way to attract viewers? Maybe it was a way to push her career to a new platform. The pressure of being labelled as “hot” is what might have forced her to resort to the skin show. But trust me Rani, you don’t need this. Your acting skills speak for themselves. As for the hot tag, it is for the non-actors.

Is it just a mere coincidence or a reality that there is a tinge of Indian-ness in almost every part of Europe? Not just UK but in the past few months I visited various other countries, thanks to my Schengen visa, and realized how much of an influence we have on different cultures. From yoga to ayurveda, from fabric to jewellery, from spices to Darjeeling tea and in so many other areas we continue to attract attention.

I spent this long weekend in the beautiful city of Paris. From Louvre to Arc de Triomphe, and the gorgeous Eiffel tower, a walk beside the Seine and the famous Lido. It was all like a dream come true. But what fascinated me even more was this familiarity at many occasions. For instance, I felt absolutely elated and surprised when few of the shopkeepers started talking to me in Hindi. I could never even imagine in my wildest dreams that in a city where not everyone could even speak English, I would find someone to talk to in Hindi. Many a times when I went into the souvenir stores or flagged a cab, I was greeted with a Namaste. It feels quite amazing to hear those words of familiarity in a strange land. It gives you a sense of belongingness to your home country and makes you feel rooted. I guess no matter how far we stay from India, the Indian-ness in us comes out someway or the other.

A dancer in Lido

But my moment of happiness and surprise was not just that. I attended the famous Le Lido de Paris, a famous Parisian Cabaret where a group of girls perform various dances on an absolutely beautiful and dynamic stage. The theme of the stage keeps changing with every dancing group and it completely fills the evening with a lot of entertainment. In one of the themes, as the stage started moving, from nowhere a replica of Khajuraho Temple was seen on the stage. Slowly the dancers came out from the different doors of the temple, dressed in traditional Indian wear. They wore ghungroos in their feet and bangles in their hands which made sounds when they danced.

Some of them even wore masks of Hindu Gods and Goddesses like Lord Ganesh and Maa Durga. The music played was that of Indian musical instruments which kept them dancing till the end. A replica of an elephant signifying India was brought on to the stage. For those twenty minutes it felt like I was sitting not in Paris but in Delhi or Mumbai. The fashion in which the dancers were dressed made them in no way look any less than the way our dancers dress in India. They wore gajras (flowers) in their hair with a long plait that was decorated with golden ribbons. The colour of their costume was catchy. They wore green blouses, orange skirts and a green dupatta tied to their head. The lead character of the performance was dressed in a saree and even though it looked tough for her to handle it, she seemed to do quite well. It was in every way a breathtaking performance. It reminded me of all those Bollywood dance numbers that we see on television. Thanks to the Bollywood industry, Indian dance and music has reached every nook and corner of the world today.

Dancers performing to the tunes of musical instruments

But that also brings me to the aspect of clothing. Indian fabric and styles are famous all over the world. And I saw quite a lot in Europe. For instance I saw a general culture among women to carry Pashmina shawls that are made in Kashmir. I saw many young girls carrying jholas or colourful handbags, wearing jootis in their foot and some even flaunting short kurtis. It is this that makes you turn your head, smile and remember how beautiful a culture we possess.

Moving on from that, the biggest aspect through which we have influenced the world is through our cuisine. As the old saying goes, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” and so be it. Whenever we visit a country, we try to spend those few days understanding and relishing the culture and cuisine of that country, but deep down don’t we miss our chicken tandoori and dal makhani? Well I am sure we do, but then these days we find an Indian restaurant in almost every tourist destination. Can you believe that I had the best tandoori chicken in a restaurant in Nice? After two days of eating Pizza, my Indian taste buds were craving to get some spicy food. And there I found a small restaurant which supposedly serves the best tandoori I have ever had.

India surely has a strong influence, if not as strong in its foreign policy then surely through its culture and Diaspora. And this is one aspect that makes lives easier for many many Indians who live far away from their homeland. I guess you can take someone out of India but you cannot take the Indian-ness out of them.

Last week while I was still in India, I managed to make a visit to the holy shrine of Ma Vaishno Devi. Located in the hill of Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir, this is one of the holiest Hindu temples, dedicated to shakti (power). In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess.

Before I even started on my journey, I was told that nobody can visit the shrine on their own. There is a belief that unless the Goddess calls you, your visit won’t happen. My initial idea was to get away from the scorching heat of Delhi but my belief got stronger while I was on way to Jammu. I met a couple in the train who told me that that this was their fifth attempt to visit the shrine. In the last four attempts, in course of their journey something went wrong and they had to go back. This time they seemed quite excited and hopeful. But as they rightly say that you cannot visit till you are called by Mother Goddess. Just a few hours into the train they received a call from their home. Thieves had broken into their house and I could see the disappointment on their faces. Tears rolled down their cheeks as they got up to leave the train on the next station. Before leaving they said, “I don’t know when will she call us.”

Visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine is no less than a mission. It is a 12 km walk from the Katra city. Walking up the mountainous path, one will always hear religious slogans praising the Goddess. There is a spark of strength and commitment that can be seen on the faces of all the devotees present there. People as old as eighty year make a visit to the shrine. For them there are special arrangements like horses or ‘palkis’ (carriers) which help them reach their destination. I saw many devotees walking barefoot in this 12 km walk and admired their dedication.

On reaching the temple, I joined the line waiting to get a glimpse of the Goddesses inside the cave. That was the golden moment, the moment that makes you feel that all the effort made to climb up the 12 km trek is worth in the end. At the end of it, I felt really lucky to be one of those who were called by Mother Goddess to see her at her home.

Who would have thought that someday I would actually get to see what was behind those huge iron gates of Buckingham Palace! Ever since I came to London, Buckingham Palace has been one of my favourite touristy spots. No matter where I was, I would end up finding my way into the Palace. But today was different in a very special way. I felt a childhood fantasy descend upon me and I enjoyed every moment of it.

I was one of the many thousand people who had been invited to attend the Royal Tea Party at the Palace. Every year Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hosts three Royal Tea Parties in the sprawling lawns of Buckingham Palace. It is attended by people from different walks of life. The idea of the tea party is to get residents of Great Britain acquainted with the idea of Monarchy and for them to experience a royal treatment for a couple of hours. From Victorian crockery to Queens’s sandwiches, the party was a royal treat in every way. No person can attend this party twice and thus one needs to sink into the moment and remember every second of it.

I was completely awed by the whole atmosphere. I had decided to wear traditional Indian attire; and so chose to wear sari to the tea party. Starting with entering the palace, when many people mistook me for a bollywood celebrity to being brought into the main hall of the Buckingham Palace, it all seemed like a dream come true. The big halls inside the palace with the red carpeted stairs and cushioned sofas with rich upholstery looked grand. As I followed the trail, I found myself entering a huge sprawling garden which was supposedly in the backyard of the Palace. Upon entering the Garden I so wished I was allowed to come here sometime with a book. I would have loved to just lie down on the green grass and read a book.

The lush green garden with a small lake on the side seemed never ending. Two military bands played music alternately throughout the afternoon. There was a large tea tent where guests were treated to a spread of iced teas, cakes, sandwiches and pastries. I helped myself to a cup of tea and fixed my eyes on the main entrance waiting to see the Queen. At exactly, four o’ clock, the National Anthem announced the arrival of Her Majesty The Queen and Members of the Royal family. An army band paraded through the ground to announce the arrival of the Royal family.

The 83 year old monarch, who wore a fuchsia coloured coat and matching dress and hat and an umbrella in her right hand, walked coyly yet confidently through the crowd. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of Kent, she spent two hours mingling with the crowd. She walked past the main tea tent into the Royal tent where she had tea with her family. At this moment, the royal tent was surrounded by guests who were trying to get a glimpse of the Queen. Guests had almost forgotten that there were tea tents for them as well. Everybody stood by the side of the Royal tent with their eyes fixed at the Monarch.

At exactly ten minutes to Six, The Queen and Members of her family started to depart to the Palace. This was my moment. I stood there next to the Royal tent as she walked through the crowd, shaking hands and exchanging words. I was told not to speak anything on my own till she talks to me. It is quite difficult for a person who comes from democracy to follow monarchy. She came to me and I shook hands with her, a touch of soft, grandma like hands. In a very soft tone she said “It’s a lovely day today, isn’t it?” I looked at her, smiled and said “Yes, Indeed it is, a beautiful day today”.

I kept looking at her as she walked back to the Palace. Those few words made my day, words that I will remember all my life. For me, Buckingham Palace is no more a tourist spot because memories of what exists beyond those walls will remain fresh in my mind forever.