Makar Sankranti in Gujrat जानेवारी 24, 2008

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. Lakhs of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to Lord Sun. It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of the country as Pongal, and in Punjab is celebrated as Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati’s not only look reverentially up to the sun, but also offer thousands of their colorful oblations in the form of beautiful kites all over the skyline. They may be trying to reach upto their glorious God or bring about greater proximity with the one who represents the best. It is a day for which Bhishma Pitamah kept waiting to leave his mortal coil.
Also the great savior of his ancestors, Maharaj Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors.
In Maharashtra on the Sankranti day people exchange multi-colored tilguds made from til (sesame seeds) and sugar and til-laddus made from til and jaggery. Til-polis are offered for lunch. While exchanging tilguls as tokens of goodwill people greet each other saying – ‘til-gul ghya, god god bola’ meaning ‘accept these tilguls and speak sweet words’. The under-lying thought in the exchange of tilguls is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends.

This is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ and given gifts of any utensil, which the woman of the house purchases on that day.
In Gujarat Sankrant is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra but with a difference that in Gujarat there is a custom of giving gifts to relatives. The elders in the family give gifts to the younger members of the family. The Gujarati Pundits on this auspicious day grant scholarships to students for higher studies in astrology and philosophy. This festival thus helps the maintenance of social relationships within the family, caste and community.

Kite flying has been associated with this festival in a big way. It has become an internationally well-known event.

This year i got a chance to spend makar sankranti in Gujrat- Baroda.Nowhere in Gujrat is makar sankranti is celebrated with such pomp. Be it food, kite flying, dancing singing DJ its got to be Vaodara. I have even captured some snaps on the celebration mood of sankranti or rather utrayan as they call it in Gujrat.

May be i will add it some other time.

ग म भ न ….. जानेवारी 24, 2008

खरतर बरयाच दिवसानी मराठी मध्ये लिहयला घेतले आहे. खुप काही लिहायचे नेहमी मनात असते पण अजुन किबोड्रर् साथ देत नाही. त्याची तरी काय चुक म्हणा आम्हीच महिन्यातुन एकदा फिरकतो. असो.

मला तर त्या लोकाची कमाल वाटते जे पेज भरुन मराठी ब्लोग लिहितात… मला तर अजुन खुप मोठा पल्ला गाठायचा आहे.मागे जस्ट स्कोर्ल करताना खुप मराठी ब्लोग मिळाले वाचुन थक्क झाले. खुप अप्रतिम लिहिले होते.हया “ग म भ न” चा शोध पण चुकुनच झाला पण मला हे सोप्पे वाट्ते आहे.अजुन सराव केला तर मी पण छान लिहु शकेन हयाचा विश्वास मला आहे.

Dr. Neetu Mandke जानेवारी 8, 2008

Recently i have a good biographical book on Dr. (Nitu)Nityanand Mandke. Dr. Nitu Mandke was a well known cardiologist who performed a open heart surgery on Balasaheb Thakre- a prominent figure in Indian politics.This book is written by his wife a leading anesthesiiest dr. Alka Manke.

Dr.Nitu Mandke was born on 1st Jan 1948. Born and brought up in pune. after completing his high school studies he joined in B. J. Medical College. This was the place where he met his would be wife Dr. Alka Mandke. Dr. Nitu was a well known and brillant student throughout. He was very keen on sports, a boxing champion, a captain of soccer tem and long runner. He was very frank about his opinions since childhood.Dr. Neetu propsed Alka in a very innovative way during their second year. This proposal was accepted by both the families after little bit of tension and mis-communication.Both the families agreed to the marriage and it was decided that the engagement should be done now and after completing the studies both of them will be married. After completing his formal MBBS education from BJ Medical college he joined KEM Hospital in Mumbai to complete his post graduation in Cardio- thoraic surgery.
Once Dr. Neetu went to study in mumbai, Alka took admission for anesthesia in Pune But she made it a point that Neetu writes ever y small detail in letters and every weekend Alka visited Neetu in mumbai. Love flourished between them. Alkas family where reluctant that the marriage is not taking place as planned and Alka was caught between love and tradition.

After completing Post graduation and working for some period of time, He left for UK for studying further developments in surgery as well as working in general hospital in UK. It was then he got a good exposure in cardiac surgery. After working for some period he went to Bristol to work in hospital. By that time, Alka had completed her education, was married to him and had a beautiful daughter. Dr. Neetu was staying in utter poverty their but the relatives thought other wise. It happend once that Dr.Neetu had to pay 65 pounds as fee but he earned only 15 pounds per week. The last option was to ask somebody for help. One of his relatives friend was staying in UK. He borrowed the money from him. After his exams, Dr.Neetu returned the money and invited him for lunch. The gentleman was throughly pleaed with his genuineness.
Further he called his wife and daughter to UK. Dr. Alka joined a hospital to gather experience there.Life was full of questions ahead but Dr still found the light at the end of tunnel.
Further he wen to US for his further studies and sent Alka and daughter back to India. When Dr. Alka returned to India, they were homeless and jobless. Staying at one of the relatives place, Alka started applying for the job in various hospitals. But she could not get job in a government hospital due to lack of experience. Her experience in UK was not considered. Finally she got a part time job in a private hospital for a monthly salary of rs.1500 only.But this did not beat her spirits.
After working under Dr.Picasio- renowed doctor from US, Dr. Nitu returned to India for serving people. Here he did not get the job very easily and started workingas consulatant for JJ hospital. Other surgeons were impressed by his skill in cardiac surgery. He performed operation from a month old blue baby to a 70 year old person will same confidence and patience.He was a skilled surgeon, nicknamed ‘Super-fast’ because he operated with such speed and precision.Dr. Alka assisted in anstheology for his operations. Together they were a team.Dr. Mandke was an energetic and dynamic person with an inimitable sense of humor. He was frank with everybody who came in contact with him, to the extent of being sometimes appearing brusque, but this was only momentary, and then he was back to his jovial self. He made friends easily, and his patients loved him.

Dr>Neetu came in to lime light when he performed a surgery on Balashaeb Thakre. Pubilicity and money followed. He then performed many operation on celebrities and sport persons.He nutured a dream of building a super speciality cardiac hospital for people.

He was driving home after finishing his clinic at Kemps Corner – a daily routine, when he experienced some uneasiness and informed his wife that he would be going to the hospital, as he was getting some chest pain. He stopped at the Hinduja Hospital, told the doctors that he was having a heart attack and instructed them as to the treatment. He fought for life for two days in spite of multiple cardiac arrests treated with electric shocks, angiography, and angioplasty, but finally succumbed- as God had willed
He was a dreamer who nurtured the thought of building a state of the art heart hospital to benefit society, and almost made it a reality by building a large 18 story structure, designed to be Asia’s No. 1 heart hospital, but which is unfortunately incomplete at the time of his passing.
The new state of art hospital will now bear Ambani name and not Dr. Neetu Mandkes but Dr.Alka put forward her brave face. ‘‘The dream of one visionary is being completed as a tribute to another visionary,’’ says Dr Alka Mandke. The only thing is Dr. Neetu Manke will be cherished as agreat visionary, a great cardiac surgeon a good father.