I just came over from Mad Momma and saw something there that took me back to my childhood. 'Gullak' is where we used to save and thrift away coins and just coins with an odd 'note' once in a while. Now those who have not collected in a gullak would not know the joy and fun of picking it up and jiggling it and feeling how heavy it is..its all about being patient, thinking and rethinking of new ways to spend the money while the pile inside it slowly rises till one can see the silver glint from above.

We had one going at all times during my childhood and even now during my recent vacation I spied one in the shape of a gas cylinder where my mom pops in the occasional 'change'. There was another bigger and prettier one in the shape of a golden yellow mango which was unused for who would like to break such a beautiful piece of artistry.But a piggy bank can never compare to 'gullak' and the fun there is in choosing who would break it; the place where it should be smashed lest the coins go scurrying away into hiding and then wait with anticipation as it gets smashed and grab all the coins as it rolls around.

The ritual continues with sorting the denomination and building towers, finally the total amount and the gullak ends up in our garden smashed into pieces. I remember sometimes we would pick up a piece and pour water over it and take in the aroma !

The OH got a lesson in family history this vacation as my father brought out our trusted old red winding clock and showed him with pride, and my mother told in all emotions how proudly we had bought it from our first 'gullak' money..those were the times when salaries used to be in hundreds. That clock has seen us through a lot of time and still keeps going faithfully.

Of late I have given up on collecting in a gullak but I shall start anew and keep the tradition going of the charm and ingenious of our good old gullak.

I feel so proud of India..

I was watching the recap of all the major events that the 62 years old India has witnessed on a Tv channel..its not always that we look at the ugly side, the scarred face of our India..or in some ways we do see it ever so often that there is a certain apathy towards it..but to see it all in a brief one hour through the eyes that had witnessed those events unfolding..the narrative that does not need to search for words to express the feeling that they felt, the memory and the echo being so strong that it almost takes us to those times when we were not even aware of the events unfolding..

It was so good to see the DD newsreaders recall how they would use the simplest and the mildest way of describing the events that had shook the psyche of India. The operation Blue Star, the assassination of Indira Gandhi..how Salma Sultana (one with rose in her hair) recalled that even though she was required to present the news without getting emotional yet she knew her face expressed more than what she was saying. How the then (and even now) favorites of 'ek anek' and 'mile sur' were all based on national integration,of 'ekta mein shakti'.How the Door Darshan director general recalled that the 'mile sur mera tumhara' was the idea of a genius who wanted to show pan views of India from each of the region and found the common thread of 'Raag Bhairavi' which is omnipresent in all styles of music (Hindustani and Karnatic)and made it an evergreen childhood memory for millions of us.

I am sure most of us would remember exactly where we were when the news of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination came with the dawn,I remember how coins with Rajiv Gandhi's image were so treasured by many.

I saw the footage of Indira Gandhi asking Rakesh Sharma how did India look like from there and the immortal reply 'Sara Jahan se accha Hindustan hamara'. Saw the green revolution, the white revolution..saw India becoming the power it is today..

Man how proud I am!! I am so proud of being Indian.

But why past..Chhodo kal ki baatein kal ki baat purani..we shall do our part for the new India !



Have you seen Spain rocking to our dhun ?!?! Dont miss this..



Salute to you !!