Anupama’s musings 😇 😛

Mere Mehboob Tujhe Meri Mohabbat  -   मेरे मेहबूब तुझे मेरी मोहब्बत की कसम      The 14th of February, celebrated each year across the world as a day for lovers – to reaffirm the known feeling or lay bare the undisclosed feelings of love and yearnings. Love, especially, romantic love, is a key emotion that invokes extremes of reactions in all cultures and societies – especially when it is expressed outside the rigid behavioral norms that have been laid down in a society.      And needless to say, since times immemorial, every civilization, culture and nation has creations in every form invoking this emotion – from simple verses to monuments. In whatever form, these symbols and utterances stir something deep within.      The art of Indian cinema with all its tools has made music and lyrics the lynchpin to express the emotion of love and sure enough, is easy in its reach and understanding to the commoner as well as the sc...

  The Hanuman Chalisa – Translated by Vikram Seth        It was in August 2024 that I came across YouTube links related to interviews with the well known writer Vikram Seth on most of my favorite YouTube news channel haunts.      I have read two of his works (ages ago literally ) – An Equal Music and Beastly tales from here and there – I quite like his writings – especially his poetry. So I was really excited to discover his latest release – a translation of Saint Tulsidas’ Hanuman Chalisa – in my context, like every quintessential South Indian having been fed MS Amma’s rendition of the same during childhood. Also, having possessed a rudimentary translation of the great work by Gita Press Gorakhpur all these years, it piqued my curiosity further.      Since this was a book of poetry, I was keen on a physical copy rather than the Kindle version.   Thanks to Ecom, a simple screen swipe and the book lands in my hands in...

  The Bullet Train departs sharp at 6:33 am                Myself & Suman were up and ready at the crack of dawn the next day – double checked for the following - respective phones for the soft copy of the tickets, basic food, a few extra empty covers (to carry our trash – When in Rome, do as Romans do !!!)   and other travel essentials and of course the weather forecast at Hiroshima for the day.   Oh boy, I almost forgot to mention  about the Danish bread that had been so eulogized by Arun even before we had started the trip !!! So it was dutifully packed when we had been to the supermarket the day before and was savored at every available meal break with loads of creamy butter and pickle !!!  RVS and Raju accompanied us to the Shinkansen drop at the station  – since it was a new 'station' and we had to discover the right platform etc. So four heads better than two is what we ...