The pearly rays of the sun played on my eye lids and woke me up to a fine morning. It took only few steps towards the window pane to see and feel the difference. The air smelled earthy and the dry and drooping plants were now boasting of their new found youth. It was coming of the age; but yes in the reverse order.

Adjoining the plants were their new neighbors, slick, curly, twirling bougainvillea and spring weeds. They almost looked up to the tall trees, wishing to grow as tall someday. They gyrated with the smooth wind, letting their leafs dance to its tune;  like Cinderella with her prince charming.

The beetles with their polka dresses had come out too. The preying mantis had stopped praying as God had answered their adjuration. There was plenty around to have and see.

I could see from a far the Bee-Queen summoning her army of lecherous male bees, who were willing to die to have their chance. She was making the plans for their new hive. I could almost hear her say, ‘Sparta! Today we dine in our hive’. The eave dropping dropped only when I heard their spy swarming over me, keeping a watch on my gleaning eyes. I smiled anxiously and got the point. There was no need to fight with my stingy ‘la surveillante’. And while, the wind took the bee away, my eyes were booked by the over all verdure. It was green and beautiful all around.

Hammad

The sunshine doesn’t bother you on spring mornings. It pampers you. As flowers begin to blossom, so does your mood. As you walk on the lively grass, the surroundings become kaleidoscopic. Undoubtedly, mornings of this season breathe vibrancy.

Ankit

Can you hear the little sapling nudging its tiny head out of the ground to get the first glimpse of the season changing? The enchantment of spring inundates my senses with new life, with the new hope of new beginnings. The freshly minted sunshine thaws out the edges of despair and I am once again ensnared in the gossamer web of life.

Romila

Welcome Spring to my window sill,
To brighten my greens with colorful preens,
Don’t you know you are awaited?
For my greens long to smile, bloom and dance in the wind!
Early morning, I open my windows to beautiful vistas of open green meadows: fresh, dewy, gentle and soothing. Interspersed by colorful beds of tulips and roses, red, white, pink, yellow…, it is truly a sight to cherish! I venture out into this captivating beauty to touch the blooms, feel the breeze, watch the fluttering butterflies, listen to the humming birds, and treasure and capture this moment forever in my mind’s eye!

Raji

I step out of my house and take a deep breath. It is a fine spring morning, with flowers abloom, the sun bright and the fresh smell of jasmine. Rays of sunlight shimmer through the dew drops that slide down the blades of the lush green grass.

Priya

The colour is green and the English say it’s Autumn..
They say the king of seasons; I say it’s close to my heart.
They say harvest, I say, transition, change and freshness.
The birds are flitting and the flowers show off
The morning dew over the fresh new leaves has to give me a new found high.
Is it freezing there? No baby, it’s the Spring outside.

Palash

Spring Morning: Arise and Awaken Your Emotions
The advent of spring brings with it profuse colors and arouses a myriad of emotion.
Spring mornings, joyful and pleasant, are filled with hustle-bustle and commotion.
From the able-bodied young to the young-at-heart elderly, everyone wants to immerse themselves in the splendor of spring.
Be it meditating in the balcony or strolling in the park, spring is no wonder called the season of blooming.

Vidya

Spring Morning
A warm, yellow radiance gushes into the room and embraces every object within its reach as soon as the curtains are drawn. Twittering vibrance fills the ears and multi-colored blossoms greet the eyes. The earth has cast away its morose wintry blanket and welcomed the season of revival and happiness with open arms. The sense of luxury and plenitude in the air fills every heart….

Debolena

Spring Morning Greenery

President of the Federal Republic of Germany

Visit of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany to India

The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Horst Köhler arrives in India on 1st February for a six-day state visit and he covers three cities. The President will meet with top political leaders, hold discussions on the global financial crisis with the RBI Governor and meet also key industry representatives as well as Indian intellectuals.

The key objective of President Köhler’s visit is to open up new avenues for Germany and India to work together in developing a 21st-century world policy based on mutual cooperation. It is his first official visit to India that underlines the increasing importance of the strategic partnership between Germany and India. It is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties, including the forthcoming ‘Year of Germany in India 2011 – 2012’, which will showcase areas of mutual interest.

President Kohler will be in Delhi from 1st – 4th February.  President Köhler will then travel to India’s automobile hub Pune to tour the new Volkswagen plant in Chakan and the Indian environment and energy company Thermax. President Köhler concludes his India tour with a site visit to a watershed management project implemented under Indo-German development cooperation at Darewadi, Maharashtra.

‘India Visit

A brief about Mr. Horst Köhler who was elected as the ninth President of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2004. In 2008, he was re-elected for another four-year term. Earlier, from 2000 – 2004, he was Managing Director and Chairman of the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund.

I will carry out his visit and other info from this platform.

Glücklicher Aufenthalt – It means we wish you a happy stay.

Content source: German News, special thanks to Mr. Jens Urban

A minute ago a white coloured government van appeared and some officials reprimanded children who looked like beggars standing near the corner of the street, what they said was unknown to me.

Location: K.G Marg (opp British Council) near a Juice Stall

Beggar one: Ab kya hoga (what will happen now)

Beggar two: Jo hoga dekha jayega (Let time decide our fate)

The Minister for Social Welfare, Law and Justice Department has vowed to make Delhi free from beggars by 2010. Keeping the Commonwealth games in mind, Delhi has to be a world class city and that is only possible after the eradication of these blots of the society. Two mobile courts now have been pressed into action to catch person found begging and citizens are also encouraged to help courts catch and rehabilitate them. Under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, the mobile courts heralded by a judge can punish serial offenders’ and/or up to 10 years imprisonment in one of the three remand rooms. Punishment to young children can be relaxed (they will be sent to juvenile homes or rehab), quotes a senior government official.

Twelve Vans are already at work in Delhi - to catch the beggars. After the catch, the destitutes are sent to about a dozen odd beggar homes- its capacity- 2200. Roughly there are about 60,000 beggars inside Delhi and around a quarter of them are less than 18 years of age. For Ankit it is hard to believe a beggar free city, ” not possible.” It should be noted that the Delhi government had started a DIAL 1098 save a child beggar programme for the citizens, but the veracity of the helpline is yet to be ascertained. Apart from a traditional practice in India, begging today is an organized industry which prefers to remain underground. True that some of the poor souls are naturally disfigured but others have the ability to cash-in-sympathy. A beggar in Delhi makes about 100 -200 INR per day whereas, more than what an unskilled laborer earns. “Catching the beggars on the eve of Commenwealth games is not the solution, driving poverty is.” Piyush says.

India is home to more than 1.01 million. The Social Welfare department promises to make Delhi - a beggar free by 2010, it still lacks a comprehensive scheme of sorts for their betterment. Priya says, “It is an industry, an organized one. I would like to see them selling stuffs on the roads.” Most of the beggars in Delhi come from the lowest strata of the society. Here education, literacy and health becomes a non-essential requirement and surviving with a hungry stomach becomes a little more important than kitaabi baatein (bookish read non-practical stuffs). According to reliable statistics 90% of beggars in Delhi are from our own self proclaimed BIMARU states (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh).

Some NGO’s are working towards betterment of these poor souls but a cohesive plan need to be laid out. Rony believes that the beggars should start selling government made products. What about utilizing this huge manpower into a government sponsored self help employment schemes or even better turn them on to the list of unskilled laborers?

Arunesh gets sarcastic, “I have never thought about them.” True, all of us have never consciously thought about beggars we come across almost everyday. I get moved sometimes, when I see an aged man or a greying woman seeking alms. I wonder, where will the mobile vans take them away or for that matter put them?

Hi all,

Some of you know that my daughter, Zoe, gave birth to 8 beautiful babies a couple of months ago. I have been able to find wonderful homes for 7 of them so far. Although it saddens both Zoe and me, we also need to find a home for the littlest one, Poopsie. She is adorable and I would hate to see her go. Don’t take my word for it - see the pics for yourself. All I am asking is if you guys know anyone who would be able to give a good, loving home to Poopsie, please let me know.

Love thy all!

Nai Dilli
Hey my name is pug, the AD wala. I am undoubtedly a celebrity land mammal. I feel great when I come out of my master’s apartment in a place called New Delhi in India. I am a craze particularly in the urban area. I feel like a prince, especially when I am out for a morning or an evening walk with Bholu, my Gorkha keeper. Strangers, you know, complete strangers come upto me, cuddle, give me names and coo-chi-coo me. I am popular among children as well. Though my mum used to tell me that to her comparison my generations of doggies have become more popular and {psst expensive also}. I tried to find the reasons – I met a friend, a fellow pup you know, se lives just two blocks away. She is called Jane. She told me that a telephone company “Hutchison” ran a series of TV and print advertisements featuring US. The advertisements were aesthetic and cool. So cool hai hum.

My history
I am one of the most smartest dog around and Intelligent too, Stanley Coren says so, who is Stanley? I don’t know, but he has conducted some kind of a research on us, so funny. We are everywhere on the papers, TV and the internet. A site called Wikipedia says that we love company of human beings. True, we love men and women. If I go by my historical presence then it goes like this. Emperor, Ling (168-190 AD) of China used to take care of us and we were guarded by soldiers and given the best meat and rice. Then started our European journey, we were smuggled by the Dutch and introduced to the Kings and Queens of the then monarchy. My forefathers were in company of a King called Napolean Bonaparte and his wife. Then came HRH- her Royal Highness Queen Victoria, she loved us and expanded our popularity to a next level. My ancestors and fellow mates have acted in films like The Adventures of Milo and Otis, Men In Black,  The Clique Series, Massie Block, Disney’s Pocahontas, George Lopez. See, ain’t I special?  We like a man’s girl friend also have many names, international fame you know. Mops in Germany/Holland, Mopsi in Finland, Carline in France, the Spanish call me Doguillo and in India I am not sure but I have heard children shouting “phone wala kutta’- phone Wala? Yeah, that’s India.

Today and my future
Friends, are you guessing why I want to express? I want to say few things. As I told you about my origination before. We are used to cooler climatic condition. I know I am show piece doggie, but such extreme heat these days leave me panting. Another friend of mine died during the summers, you know. We are sophisticated and need care. One more thing, the street doggies or the mix breed envy me, though I don’t like them growling at me, but this is something which is not in my control. Right? I am attacked quite frequently and got hurt on my back. One last thing, I’me stolen for money, a friend was picked by unknown people and his master never saw him. One last thing, despite my race which is superior I want to make peace with the street and poor doggies. I have a good nature and good at heart, basically. I stand for equality and harmony – No violence against animals. The Dog - Man’s best friend.

Thank you VEranDA.

Like it or not, Our faces get smeared all over during this time. ‘And no one minds’

Last year, last day

Hi, I wanted to share some pictures shot last year. Extremely grateful to my bosses for giving me an opportunity to maintain this hobby. Thank you all for reading!

A temple at Gopeshwar

Alaknanda at Srinagar (Garhwal) The river near this sleepy town gave a surreal experience

An Ashram

Near Auli

Barrage near the National Park

Feels like god- Owner’s pride

Chowringhee- Vintage beau

Church - Delhi-6

Downtown Rishikesh - The city still has a relaxed feel

FRI- The Forest Research Institute, Dehra Doon - One of the best buildings, I’ve come across. An architectural delite

A Monkey

An evening by the river - Random shots

Outside a temple- There are more takers than givers

Red Fort - Will remain our forté Red Fort - Will remain our forté

Rishikesh - Always a home

The Vagabond

Smoke pillowing out of a factory - The factory chimney at the backdrop of a sunset

Sunrise - 1st Jan 09The set-ting

A place near Dehra Doon

The Girl

River Ganges -'pure'

Wait - Ain't long

Bullet yogi