Growing saplings #Flash Fiction

7 year old Pragya daily waters the seeds

Planted in beautiful pots three in a row

To capture different stages of growing saplings for a school project

Excited she is!  One day, when she zoomed in her camera lens

Alas, found the washed out saplings due to previous day’s rain.

Linking this to the Fiction Challenge ‘From 15 to 50′ hosted here.

Phrase prompt: Three in a row

Word count: 50

Until next time,

Image courtesy: http://shailajav.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/from-15-to-50-fiction-link-up-september-2014/

Book bucket challenge - My top 10 favourite books

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This book bucket challenge is doing rounds on Facebook for a long time and I can't be away from this challenge being a book worm. What say?

Here goes the challenge:
Write the list of top 10 favorite books you read.
Post on the internet with hashtag #BookBucketChallenge and ask/ tag/ challenge your friends.


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My top 10 favorite books:

1. Davinci Code by Dan Brown:

A fantastic read! I loved reading the puzzles, mysteries, myths, legends and a compelling storyline. My thirst for a thriller with a mix of history is satisfied. Became Dan Brown's fan from then and loved his other books like "Angels and demons" and "Digital Fortress". Read my review here and purchase from flipkart here. 





2. Angel of the dark by Sidney Sheldon

Another on the edge thriller which I couldn't keep away until I finished it. There are millions of fans to Sidney Sheldon and we all know each of his books is a gem. The writing style,  gripping narration, and character building are best in his novels. Read so many books later from the same author and it is really very difficult to choose the best one from his novels. Read my review here and purchase a book from Flipkart here. 




3. The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan

I love to read history, especially to know about the customs and traditions followed in those times. This book describes the Mughal period at a very detailed level and also about the role of women in those times. The narration is very good. Read other novels too which are part of the Taj trilogy and loved them all. Read my review here and purchase a book from Flipkart here.




4. Wise and Otherwise by Sudha Murthy

Real-life stories and experiences of people interest me a lot. This is one of the books which gives a message at the end of each story. Each story emphasizes on the importance of moral values and how people's behavior changes with circumstances. Other books of Sudha Murthy like Dollar Bahu and Mahaswetha are worthy to read. Read my review here and purchase a book from Flipkart here.





5. The Seventh Secret by Irving Wallace

I don't have any words to explain how much I loved this book. This is about the story of Hitler in his last days, his strategies to escape enemy, a secret about the bunker he stayed at the end of his life, etc.,I like Irving Wallace's other novels too like 'The Fan club', 'The Second Woman' etc., His novels show that he does a lot of research on each topic that he writes. Read my review here and purchase a book from Flipkart here.




6. The complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

I am a big fan of Sherlock Holmes from childhood. I liked the climax of each short story and the way deductions are explained which are very easy to understand and apply in our day to day lives. After reading these detective stories, you will feel like you can deduct something from every small observation that we overlook. Read my review here and purchase a book from Flipkart here. 




7. The Best Laid Plans by Sidney Sheldon

Another entry from Sidney Sheldon novels. There are many good novels from this author which are a pure delight to read. It is difficult to choose one or 2 best novels out of many on the edge thrillers with gripping storylines. This is a story of love and betrayal with the power of politics. A gripping narration with lots of twists and turns. Purchase book from Flipkart here. 




8. Doctors by Erich Segal

Erich Segal's characters are very realistic and after reading the novel you cannot easily forget them. This novel gives so much information on the doctor's day to day lives, their challenges with a fantastic story in the backdrop. I loved each and every character in this book. This is one of the high volume books that I read (600+ pages) and completed quick. Other novels from the author like 'The Love story' and 'Man Woman and Child' are also fantastic reads. Purchase book from Flipkart here. 






9. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Another book from my favorite author. I like mystery, mythology, and history. This is the perfect combination you get from this book. You can understand about religion, historic places, events, and more about Rome and the Pope. The story is engaging throughout and book is a page-turner for sure. The argument between religion and science is also dealt with well in this book. Purchase book from Flipkart here.





10. A calendar too crowded by Sagarika Chakraborthy

This is a collection of short stories, mostly woman-oriented. All are heart touching and realistic. Each story explains the plights of women from different perspectives. Stories cover the most common problems of women like dowry deaths, female foeticide, gender discrimination, etc., the Writing style is simple, yet interesting. Read my review here and purchase a book from Flipkart here. 




So, how did you like my list of books.. Please let me know if you too love them :)

Until next time,

Image courtesy: All book images from goodreads.com

Thank you Teacher

India celebrates Teacher's day on September 5th, which is the birth date of a great teacher and second president of our country 'Dr. Sarvepalli RadhaKrishnan'. As a student, we used to participate in different activities and perform before our teacher in schools on that day to entertain them and to let them relax and enjoy in a happy mood. Our Principal used to recognize best teachers by awards and prizes. It used to be a fun event organized by students.

Teachers play a very important role in our lives. They mould us to be a great human beings. As per Indian mythology, we give great respect to them only to be next to our parents. On this day, I remember many wonderful teachers who impacted my life and want to tell them a big thank you.

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. - Albert Einstein

My first teacher/ Guru is my dance teacher 'A Parvathi Ramachandran'. She is an excellent teacher guiding her students to be more creative on their own. Instead of giving traditional education, she encouraged us to experiment and set our own dancing style without imitating any one else's. What more can a student expect from a teacher?

Another teacher who i considered as inspiration was 'Mrs. Radhamani', she was my Telugu teacher in school. Her teaching style is excellent, whatever she teaches, it sticks to your heart and she knows how to impress us :) Being an introvert in school, I was hesitant in participating in debates/ elocution / any public facing performances. With her support, I gave a speech before whole school and earned accolades. She encouraged me to participate in Junior red cross camp to Shimla which made me self reliant and confident. 

There are many teachers from our college who encouraged students to think innovative or to think beyond our books. There are many teachers who made me realize that bookish knowledge alone is not enough in this world and learning is a continuous process. There are many mentors in my professional life who guided in my successful career. 

Even though I couldn't name each and everyone here, I am indebted for their guidance and suggestions and would like to say my heart-felt Thanks.

Thank you teacher. I wish you a very happy Teacher's day :)

Until next time,

Image courtesy: www.glavo.net

Private India - [Book review]

Book details:
Title: Private India
Author: Ashwin Sanghi and James Patterson
Publisher: Random house
No. of pages: 480
Genre: Crime thriller

My Expectation: I like murder mysteries, had been an ardent fan of Sherlock Holmes from childhood :) I also like Ashwin Sanghi's novels, which are thrillers with a mix of mythology. Haven't read any novels of James Petterson, but knew that he is an expert in thrillers. After reading the blurb at the backside of the book, i was expecting an on the edge thriller.

Story: A series of murders come into light in Mumbai and a private detective agency 'Private India' with intelligent staff takes up the case. All victims are women and murderer leaves clues by placing some objects near the victim. It is very clear that murderer enjoys the art of killing. He takes care by not leaving any prints/ clues to trace him back although he leaves a strand of hair at every victim. Can 'Private India' team tackle the problem and stop the murders at right time? This forms the remaining story.

My Take:
Guys.. what is new in this story? we have heard of many stories of pschyo killers with series of murders and detectives finding clues to atlast find him to stop in the last murder. Sometimes, eventhough story is not interesting, the way it is written might impress to read you the book. I see a lot of confusion in the book, with many characters being simply added as masala mix. A connection to the murders with ISI, Indian mujahuddin, Nimboo baba, match fixing and drug dealer Munna, an Attorney General etc. doesn't seem very relavant.

Yes, story becomes interesting in the middle, but i lost interest at the end and i was waiting for the story to end soon. There are many things which i felt were unnecessary and illogical.

1. How Indian government can give a case like this (series of murders) to a private agency even though the agency is very famous and capable. Since Private India cannot deduce much until 6th murder and cannot stop the massacre till 8th one, at least Government would have included CBI logically. What say?
2. I don't understand the importance of a few characters like Munna and Nimboo baba. Good to read about some realistic characters, but how good it is when they are not directly relevant to the story or doesn't contribute much.
3. Epilogue and last few pages are very boring.
4. Too many cooks spoiled the broth. You heard the saying right? It is a disappointment for Ashwin Sanghi's fans, as they expect some mythology touch and something new to learn. Readers of James Patterson might feel better as it is a thriller, but the plot might not impress them.

My Rating: 3/5
I wouldn't recommend this to die hard thriller fans. Good for a time pass read in a train / bus journey. Forgot to tell you! the big font is a savior for eyes. No stress in reading 450+ pages, hope other publishers also concentrate on font too along with story line.

In case, you want to purchase book from flipkart at Rs.193, here is the link.

Until next time,

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Vinayaka Chavithi Celebrations - in Andhra style

Vinayaka Chavithi is a unique festival for Telugu people because of the way it is celebrated with family members. 

It is fun time especially for kids, decorating clay idol, Palavelli (Wooden frame to tie fruits), marking all notebooks with Om or Swastik symbol with watery vermilion paste, praying Lord Ganesha with different types of leaves (patri), helping mother in preparation of special dishes for the day - Vundrallu and talukalu.

 I have many wonderful memories associated with this festival from childhood. As children, we used to wait for this day for whole year.




Importance of festival:

Before I touch upon our way of celebrating this festival, let me tell you the importance of the festival in our lives.

 This festival is celebrated as the birth date of Lord Ganesha, Son of Lord Parameswara and Goddess Parvathi. Ganesha is also known as Vighnadhipathi, which means first God to be prayed before starting any work to avoid obstacles and bring success.




Story behind Puja:

The legend is that Moon God laughed at Vinayaka on his birthday watching him walking slowly because of over eating his favorite dish Vundrallu, which made Vinayaka's belly burst. 

Goddess Parvathi is upset with this and cursed that no one should see moon from now on, or else, they will face many obstacles/problems. 

When all other devatas requested her for a remedy, she changed curse saying that whoever watches moon on Vinayaka Chavithi without performing puja to Lord Ganesha and without wearing akshinthalu (rice with turmeric powder kept in puja), will face problems. 

So, it has become a custom in Telugu household to perform puja on that day morning to Lord Ganesha, by taking head bath, wearing new dresses, preparing and offering dishes which please Ganesha, listening to the above story and wearing those puja akshinthalu at the end.


Puja process:

We buy Ganesh idol made of clay, different types of fruits available and different types of leaves(patri) to perform puja. 

We prepare and offer Vundrallu/ Kudumulu, Chalividi, Vadapappu, Panakam and a sweet called 'Talukalu' prepared either with jaggery or sugar and milk. 

Each fruit bought for Puja will be cleaned, applied with vermilion paste and kumkuma and tied to Palavelli (a wooden frame), which is tied above the Ganesha idol. 

All fruits are tied symmetrically as shown in images. Some also buy and place an umbrella above clay idol. 

We usually write Om/ swastik symbol on academic note books of children with vermilion paste and kumkum and keep before God during puja. 

After performing puja, we listen to the story about Vinayaka's birth and wear akshinthalu at the end. We end the puja with harathi and distribute prasadam. 

Usually, we keep God decorated in the household and pray for at least 3 days and leave the puja remains along with idol in a lake, which is known as 'Nimajjanam'. 

A Few people perform puja at home daily for 7 or 9 days before immersing idol in the lake on 10th day. 

Because of performing puja and wearing akkshinthalu on head on that day, it is believed that no problem arises even by seeing moon by mistake.

 That's how we celebrate this festival by making every family member participate actively.


Let me know how you celebrate this festival :)


Until next time,

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Recommended books for beginner readers

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In this digital world, Book reading is becoming a rare quality.  Isn't it? Here are my top books for Beginner readers.

The world is moving fast. We prefer twitter, MMS, SMS to Facebook, letters, and emails. 

We always want quick updates. We don't have time to dig into details. 

Still, some people are interested in books, some listen to audiobooks, some watch movie adaptations, some read e-books, use kindles, everyone has some shortcuts.  Agree?

Many colleagues and friends who are still interested in reading books ask me to suggest some easy books for beginners to catch up and make it a habit. They all know there are many advantages of reading books like enhancing our memory, improving our concentration, increasing knowledge, and sometimes, it can be simply to escape to that fantasy land :)

Here is the list of books that I read so far and remembered to document. From this list and beyond, I would like to suggest a few quick, easy reads with quality stuff to any beginner who wants to start the habit of book reading. 

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1. Wise and Otherwise by Sudha Murthy - My review

A short story collection which is based on real-life experiences. Each short story is simple and easy going  which can be completed in an hour. Everyone will definitely love Sudha Murthy's writing style and also understand the moral values behind each story.

Buy the book here:

Amazon

2. Five point someone by Chetan Bhagat

Chetan Bhagat's books are simple to read and connect well to the mindset of the youth. This book already was very famous among students and became more popular due to movie adaptation '3 idiots'. Can't believe it's just Rs.52/- in Flipkart now. Anyways, you can complete this easy read very quick for sure :) I would also recommend you to read '2 States' from the same author if you liked this.

Buy the book here:

Amazon

3. Urban Shots Cross roads by multiple authors - My review

A fresh breeze of modern short stories from multiple authors. Since there are different stories about different sets of people, we can easily relate to many characters in our day to day lives. As it is basically a collection of short stories, few might be too good, some bad, and some ok types. Overall, it's a good time pass to read this book.

4. Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Collection of short stories - My review

My Favorite of all. My habit of book reading started with this and I love these short stories so much. This complete collection is my prized possession so far. 

As you might have guessed from the name of the detective, these are collections of detective stories. You won't be disappointed by the storyline as each one is thrilling. But, the language used in this book might seem too old and classic, you might need some time to love the writing style. 

A good choice for people who love detective stories with mystery and thrill. 

Purchase the Complete Collection here:

Amazon

5. Lucifer's Lungi by Nitin Sawant - My review

Might not be the best read, but easy-going thriller having humor as an integral part of the story. The first few pages might be boring, but you won't regret picking up this book to read as the remaining part compensates for the same. 

A short story which suits our modern thinking.

Buy the Book Here:

Amazon

So, all beginners... do let me know if you agree with my list.

Note: Books picked above are easy to read and might improve your interest in book reading, but this doesn't mean that they are the only best literary works that I read so far. 

Until next time,

Image courtesy: All pics from flipkart.com and goodreads.com

Ramayana - The Game of life : Rise of the Sun Prince - [Book Review]

Book details:
Title: Ramayana :The Game of life 
         Rise of the Sun Prince
Author: Shubha Vilas
Publishers: JAICO
Genre: Mythology
No. of pages: 252
Source: A free copy for review from blogadda.com

Expectation: 
I have been listening to Ramayana tales from childhood from my father and also watched them in television. Even though iam reading Ramayana again after so many years, i remember each and every small story of it. Those stories and  characters settled in my mind permanently. So, i was not sure initially if this book would interest me to complete till the end, as i hate reading known stories again and again. 

My expectation was to get a different perspective on the tale that i know from long. A different thought process which would help me to correlate with the current scenarios and problems of our country. Iam expecting to learn something new out of old story, which is not very preachy . So, let me tell you if this book really met my expectation :)

My take on story:
This is first part of the 6 book series of complete Ramayana and covers the story from the birth of Lord Rama to his marriage. Basically, story is taken from Valmiki Ramayana and Kamba Ramayana, though few tales are collected from other sources. It is good that author touches upon other characters in detail along with main characters. Actually, Author mentions that Viswamithra is the hero of this story as Balya kanda emphasizes mainly on how he transformed from a jealous king to Brahmarshi and other lessons he learnt in his journey. 

As a reader, we would surely love the extra information from footnotes, but at the end, we feel that there is too much information to comprehend from foot notes. I felt, few foot notes are unnecessary and very preachy. Liked these tidbits which are very less known facts from Ramayana :):

• Dasaratha had 353 wives!
• Dasaratha's wives bore the divine children Rama, Laxmana, Bharatha and Sathrughna for 12 months!
• Lord Rama's childhood is covered in Ramayana only in 10 verses!
• The famous Suprabhataham song 'Kaushalya Supraja Rama' that we use now for Lord Venkateswara is first sung my sage Vishwamithra to wake up Rama from sleep in the forest!
• When Lord Vishnu killed Khyati, wife of sage Bhrigu, Brighu maharshi cursed Vishnu to appear on Earth for 10 times, which are famously known as Dasavathara (10 incarnations)!

Also, liked these lines about special attributes a man should have to marry in Sita's opinion

"He must be valiant or have the ability to protect
He should be prudent and have the ability and wisdom to say the right things
He must have self control or the ability to resist temptation and control emotions"

And these lines about marriage

"Marriage works best with happy cooperation. Hearts are broken when couples compete. To avoid heart break, a couple must cooperate and complement each other."

So, overall, other than the story, we have lot of things to take away from this book. The Ramayana is not a book; it is a way of life. The next book in the series is 'Shattered Dreams'.

I would recommend this to:

• Children who want to read Ramayana for the first time
• Elders, who know Ramayana and want to read it to get another perspective and learn about other characters
• Any book reader who is interested in mythology and want to learn something new

My rating:
4/5
To get this book from flipkart for just Rs.159/- follow this link.

Until next time,

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

A butterfly in the garden #Flash Fiction

Linking this to the Fiction Challenge ‘From 15 to 50′ hosted here

pic courtesy: The moving Quill

Surprised to see a beautiful butterfly in my balcony

On a bright red flower resting in the shade,

When I went to touch the butterfly excited like a child,

I woke up by the sound of whistling pressure cooker in the kitchen. 

Alas! My day dream ended :(

Until next time,

#Flash #Fiction

Baby in the womb

Some say, 

it's like a fluttering butterfly, soft bubble bursting, gentle tap on tummy or strong kick

Some experience,

gentle movement, soft somersaults,  hiccups or mini aerobics

It is wonderful to have a life inside you, a cute innocent human being,

with little palms, tiny toes, which can listen, see and breathe.

I bow to the God for his magical creation and

I feel proud to be a woman to experience motherhood.

Until next time,

Image courtesy: Flickr creative common license images https://www.flickr.com/photos/28795465@N03/