Literary Digest-May- 2022

LITERARY DIGEST www.literarydigest.in | May 2022 | VOL # 3 - ISSUE 4

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW Krishan Kumar

FEATURE

POETRY Meenaxee Raj

How to make your room ....

May ISSUE INSIDE: WHAT INSPIRES ME TO ....

THE NUMBER GAME MY DEAR FOLKS CAN I EXERCISE WITH A COLD SALAD RECIPE ....

The FOUNDERS SAGUNA JAIN She started her career with the ‘Times of India’ way back in 1992, but soon moved to Chandigarh, where she started teaching journalism in the Deptt of Mass Communication, Panjab University. Went on to own and manage the first event management company in the ‘city beautiful’ called Event it Right! Then she turned a consultant for events, business development & media. Fundamentals Consultancy Group, her consultancy firm in association with her new venture Intyoutive, that she is a partner in, works on three verticals - design and publish inhouse magazines, offer consultancy to start ups and organise literary workshops and events. Daily Post, one of the newspapers that she was a consultant with carried her weekly column on parenting for over five years. A mother to two boys, aged 23 and 20, Saguna is an ardent golfer and believes in the simple mantra - we all live and learn!!!

HARDEEP S. CHANDPURI He is a media professional with a keen interest in the ‘written word’ and started writing weekly columns for ‘The Tribune’, called ‘Popthrob’ and ‘Jukebox’ while still in college, which were a huge hit with the youth. He completed his Masters in Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh. After studying in Australia, USA & Canada, he moved back to India in 2001 and launched ‘Radio Buzz’ in the year 2002. He is a renowned broadcaster and trainer having hosted more than 8000 radio shows in India and abroad. He is often credited for revolutionising the radio scene in North India. A proud Limca Record Holder, for his brand ‘Academy of Broadcasting’ he is also the Founder of Ferntree Publishing, the Gen Secy of Chandigarh Literary Society and coFounder of Inkspire. He is also the Co-Founder of BalleBolly which is India’s first print magazine for the Punjabi film and music industry.

SHONA SINGH She is a Masters in Journalism from the University of Westminster, London and also a holder of a Diploma in Freelance Journalism from UK. She did her schooling from Convent of Jesus and Mary, Simla. She has had an exceptional career in media, starting out with the ‘Indian Express’ and as a golf columnist for the ‘Financial Express’, New Delhi and is currently a special golf correspondent for ‘The Tribune’. An experienced golfer and a regular contributor to ‘Golf Digest’, she also extensively covered golf in Europe for the ‘Golfing Yours’. Her passion for writing and golf also led to regular contributions while travelling on the Asian Tour. A Press Officer at the IMG run Indian Open and BILT Open, India's biggest professional golf tournaments, she used her vast experience to set up the media office of the players’ initiated Professional Golf Tourof India.

CONTENTS 04 Author Interview Krishan Kumar

06 How to make your room look bigger?

08 The Twin Flames Magical chemistry

10 What Inspires me to Create Art?

11 Benefits of Drinking Honey lemon water

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17 Can I Exercise with a cold?

19 A home to writer

21 Punjabi@

22 ਸਮਝ ਪਰੇ

25 Salad Recipe From Salad Chemistry

29 When I met myself quarantine musings

The Number game

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31 Live your own life

My Dear Folks All the opinions and views expressed in the articles stories/features etc., belong to their respective authors and DO NOT reflect the views of the Literary Digest or Intyoutive Ventures. Any Brand/Movie/Publishing House names mentioned in the magazine are ONLY used for representational purposes and the copyright/trademark is the property of their respective owners. The brands, if and where mentioned/used are not associated with us in any manner. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts/Forums/Tribunals in Chandigarh (India) only.

The Literary Digest is an online publication of Intyoutive Ventures.

Any content of this publication may NOT be reproduced duplicated, republished or featured (in any form) without seeking prior consent and written permission of Intyoutive Ventures.

Intyoutive Ventures reserves the right to accept or reject submitted articles/features/poems etc.

Author Interview

Krishan Kumar Tell us something about yourself?

I turned 85 on 20th March 2022, the day my debut book Refugee Entrepreneur hit the stand on Amazon. I have had long innings and dabbled into diverse businesses. I was just ten, when my family was uprooted from our home in Pakistan. It was overnight in 1947, when the partition happened, we travelled in packed trains leaving behind all our assets and friends. Living in refugee camps was a challenge as we had to struggle for existence and though small, I ran errands and my father who was a doctor, looked after the injured people in the massacre of partition. And on the advice of family members I was sent out for training in Ludhiana at a pharmacy of my father's friend to learn the nuances of running a chemist shop.

What is your book, 'Refugee Entrepreneur' all about and how did you come up with this title?

The book is all about life. It's my life's journey but more than that I can compare myself with today's generation which has a large number of resources and gadgets around them and yet at times, I do not find them resourceful enough to face life's challenges. The title was a natural outcome since 'refugee' was the term which stuck into our society and conversations for decades when we migrated from Pakistan to India. Refugee meant being penniless with nothing in the new world. And yet the 'entrepreneurship' came naturally to us, as we struggled to survive and find means to earn money. Despite being a refugee, I tried my hands on different enterprises and at 84 hung up the boots as head of Asia's largest manufacturing company in the apple tray segment, to relax and enjoy the company of my children and grandchildren.

What kind of support did you get from family and friends?

Throughout my life I have been grateful to all, my parents, my wife, my family and host of friends, who supported me all along in my life's journey.

All of them are in my prayers every day and I'm

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indebted to them for all my successes. Though I had acquired the sobriquet of khotta sikka during my childhood, my parents had great faith in my abilities as I surprised them often with my resilience and successes.

Tell us something about your writing journey.

How did it all begin?

As I took retirement from my business as Managing Director of Mohan Fibre Products Limited, Covid struck and I had lots of time at hand. My US-based daughter Enma insisted on penning my memories so that the grand children could know about me, and hence this journey started in 2021. It took me nearly a year to put it down though there is much more to talk about which perhaps I would save for some other time.

What's your writing process like and what is your ideal work environment?

I have a separate study in my room where I spend time browsing through books and my daily newspapers. However, the writing process had been different. I kept a note book by my side and whenever I remembered any incident or my learnings, I immediately put it down at whatever time of the day it was.

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Where do you get your information or ideas for writing books?

This had been my first attempt at writing. And since this was an autobiographical work, my wife Savita was a storehouse of information that she continued to liven it up.

What kind of books do you like to read? What's your favorite genre?

There is not any specific genre though autobiographies always interested me. Humanity is the only genre that we realize at the end of the day. It is humans in our lives who make a difference. It is the people like you and me who unfold the realities of life and make you strong enough to accept any challenge happily.

Who is your favorite writer? Mention his/her book, which you liked the most.

There is no favourite writer as such. I have spent decades reading hard facts and happenings in the business and the social world through daily newspapers. The reporters from around the globe had been bringing significant information that made me and lakhs of other readers like me make appropriate decisions.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

My wife and I spend our time tending to garden, and playing with our grand children. Art collection is my other passion.

Tell our readers why they should buy your book?

Any book is like a guide who is available within your home. Sitting on a book shelf, a book guides you, educates you and inspires you. It is the whole experience of someone who is there to guide you around. I think when someone would read Refugee Entrepreneur, he or she may learn the lesson of accepting life's challenges as they come. There is nothing in this world that cannot be solved. The value of time, respect for elders, living life to the fullest and fearlessly, are some of the learnings that one may find worth emulating.

What are your future writing plans?

Right now, I am engaged in accepting requests from youngsters, startups, wannabe entrepreneurs to help them in their entrepreneurial journey.

May be after sometime I would think of writing out something that may be of benefit to the readers.

What do you hope to accomplish in your writing career?

If my book can touch even one person, my job is done. At 85, I do not know whether writing shall be my career. But there is a deep satisfaction in my heart that I could share my thoughts, my ups and downs, and my learnings, which might help someone somewhere.

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

Any message you would like to give to the upcoming writers?

Each one of us have a story within us. More so the people like me, who have reached the last threshold of their lives, must leave the legacy of their experiences for the younger generation.

That is the way we can help them in their lives by sharing our experiences, our successes and our failures, as also the values of our times. So go ahead, and write.

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HOW TO MAKE YOUR ROOM LOOK

BIGGER?

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ack of space can make a room feel cramped and crowded, which isn’t ideal in a space where you want to switch off and relax.

Working out how to make a small room look bigger has its challenges, but with clever use of colour, furniture placement and simple visual tricks, it isn’t too hard to pull off. Always start by taking a long, hard look at your room and working out what bits of it work well and what bits don’t work quite so well. Re-assessing the space, getting rid of items that aren’t earning their spot and then re-working the layout, can do wonders in a small room. And, of course, a good de-cluttter job is a brilliant way of freeing up space that could be put to better use.

HOW TO MAKE A SMALL LIVING ROOM LOOK BIGGER?

the space, drawing the eye and making the floor area feel bigger. If a rug is too small, it can appear as if it’s floating in the middle of the room and look out of sync with the proportions of larger items of furniture.

Go for a rug that is as large as (or even wider) than your sofa, if you can. A large rug will act as an anchor point in a living room that can help with arranging the living room furniture. Run it under the legs of your sofa which is ideal for small living rooms, as well as the coffee table, if possible and try to leave around 25-30 cm around the edge of the room, so you can still see the floor beneath.

Pull furniture away from the walls Try pulling sofas and armchairs away from walls to give them more breathing space. An easy solution for how to make a small living room look bigger, it will also make the room feel more inviting. No more dead space in the middle of the room. Group seating together to create a more relaxed, sociable feel.

Colour is a game changer when it comes to small living room ideas. Using muted colours and soothing shades throughout can help to calm a busy space and create a cohesive look that in turn feels more spacious and easier on the eye. Perhaps consider soothing, tranquil green tones or more natural neutrals to bring warmth and harmony to the room. Neutral paint colours set the scene for harmony and tranquillity, while muted tones reflect nature at its purest and these gentle tones can warm cooler spaces and breathe light into darker rooms.

Let more light in Natural light can help increase the sense of space in a small living room, making it feel brighter, breezier and much bigger. Avoid heavy curtains and solid blinds that block out sunlight and instead opt for lightweight linens, voils and sheers that will let maximum light flood in.

Invest in a large rug When it comes to living room rugs, big is better, especially in small living rooms. It might seem counterintuitive, but a large rug can help to stretch

Reduce bulky furniture pieces Too many large bulky pieces of furniture can crowd a small living room and make it feel cramped.

Opting for customised furniture is a great way of

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THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

making use of under-utilised alcoves and recesses and frees up floor space, rather than having lots of freestanding pieces. Paint built-in storage to match wall colour to create a more unified look that can also help increase the sense of space in a small room.

Add height with contrast ceiling colour In a small living room without much natural daylight, painting the ceiling a lighter colour is a good way of brightening up the space and making it feel more lofty. Extend the effect in a room that features a picture rail, by painting the wall area above the rail to match the ceiling colour.

It will make you less aware of where the walls end and the ceiling begins and will create the impression of extra height. You can also use small living room lighting ideas to accentuate the feeling of height.

Open up the view In a lounge or open-plan room avoid positioning furniture, where it might block the view into the next area or across the space. Positioning larger items and bulkier pieces of furniture away from walkways will help to open up the space more and make it feel bigger. Use round coffee tables and occasional seating between chairs and sofas.

Curves are much easier to navigate around in tight spaces, with no sharp corners to bump into.

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Create a flowery focal point Living rooms work best if there is a focal point, something that draws you in and the place where your eyes land when you enter a room. In a space without a small living room fireplace idea or any other stand out features, create your own focal point by wallpapering one wall in a lively print. A busy pattern will grab the attention and by choosing the widest wall, it will help to stretch the space and make the living room feel bigger.

Position furniture in a creative arrangement, so that the feature wallpaper takes centre stage.

While white is a tried-and-tested classic, when it comes to making a small room look bigger, however other options are also in vogue. And pale neutrals are the obvious choice to encourage the illusion of space, so use them liberally.

Contributed by:

HIMANI GALHOTRA Founder

Touchstone Interiors

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The

Twin Flames’ G

magical chemistry.....?

azing into each other's eyes is like heavenly bliss and a blaze of passionate fire all at the same damn time. They could melt your heart with just one look, and make even the worst of days all better with their smile.

Just being next to or near each other you can feel a strong magnetic pull and your heart races. Just a simple touch, or even thought of touching can send an orgasmic energetic shock through your entire body. Even their natural scent will be pleasant to you. You share the same passions, clothing choices, food preferences, ideals, core values and even sense of humour. When you communicate, no matter what is said you completely understand the context and intent of what is being said without even having to explain anything.

It will feel like you are on the “same page", so much so that when talking telepathically you will often find it hard to tell who felt/thought it first. Without even having kissed or knowing the details of the other's life, you will feel an immediate, undeniable and strong attraction. You will feel like you have known them forever and will instinctively trust them. The love that you feel for each other transcends everything - race, ethnicity, age, religion, time, and space. It is pure unconditional love - accepting, supportive, and uplifting. Just interacting with them is like getting the most beautiful butterflies over and over again.

They are your sweetest fantasy and you 08

just want to daydream about them all day. When you meet them and experience this connection, it almost renders everything else irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

No matter the circumstances or obstacles surrounding the connection, they always make you feel safe and sound. There aren't enough words to truly capture how crazy the chemistry feels. It's a match made in heaven, a union of two souls, from which you can never run from, no matter how hard you try.

Contributed by:

MA PREM DIVYA Divya is a famous spiritual counsellor based in Delhi who guides with Tarot Cards, Psychic Healing, NLP & various meditation techniques.

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

MEENAXEE RAJ

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Meenaxee Raj is an officer with the Haryana Administrative Services, presently posted as Joint Transport Commissioner and Chief Vigilance Officer, HAFED, Haryana. She has previously been a judge in Haryana and Rajasthan for about three years. She pursued her BA (Hons) Sociology from Govt College for Girls, Sector 11, Chandigarh and LLB from Delhi University. She has been the only woman SDM of Ferozepur Jhirka, a remote sub-division of Mewat. Besides, she has served the Education Department Haryana as Joint Director, Joint Secretary to the Governor and Joint Director Urban Local Bodies, Haryana. She is the youngest civil servant in the country to have been a member of a Covt of India Committee along with sitting High Court judges. The Committee gave its recommendations to Govt of India on international parental child abduction, an issue of imminent international relevance. She has an Urdu poetry book to her credit in the name of `Paighaam-eSukhan; which was released in 2017 by Hon'ble Justice Anil R Dave (Retd Judge-Supreme Court of India).

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What Inspires Me To Create Art? “What makes you different makes you beautiful?”

-Anastasia Dangereld

T

he above quote has resided in my mind ever since I read it years back. You'd think that one reads many quotes, so why did this particular one stick with me?

Truly speaking, it was this 'message' that inspired me to stand out as someone different, as an artist in a world of billions of us. To the world, the ‘Artist tribe’ is perceived as the most sensitive and different from the common beings. We, as an artist, imagine and visualise things differently. Even a small event, moment, or feeling can touch our hearts and make it a big inspiration to create. In my case, if my observation of things, people, events, and moments sparks interest in me to create, I can't hold back. I instantly try to put my thoughts on the canvas with my brush strokes.

I had an introduction to paints and brushes in my childhood. I have lived all my life with colours, brushes, colour strokes, and blank canvases waiting to be painted. As a child, I was a daydreamer. Imagining and visualizing things added fuel to the fire in me. I spent my free time (in fact, still do) as a keen observer and a daydreamer, sitting near the window of my firstfloor house which was situated near the market.

I would observe, for hours, the dance of the crowded roads. Everything inspired me- from all sorts of people to traffic jams, events happening, and festive moods, everything urged me.

Everything inspired me to make colourful posters out of things I used to observe.

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With the passing years, I also developed a nomadic mindset which helped me to create art more freely. It’s the nomadic mindset that, to this date, inspires me and nurtures my visualisation. So many times, it is the curiosity to explore that gives a boost to paint my poetic thoughts on the canvas.

Whenever I travel across different cultures, landscapes, flavours, languages, and wildlife, I find myself becoming more flexible to create what I perceive. I find parts of me in what I explore and what I create. I believe Henry Ward Beecher was right when he said, "Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures."

Contributed by: BALPREET KAUR MHA, Healthcare Administrator, Artist Founder, Strokes and Verses

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

Benefits of Drinking Honey Lemon Water

W

e have often heard that drinking honey lemon water in the morning is immensely beneficial for our health.

But, if are you unaware of it's benefits, you can read them below.

Aids Digestion An excellent health tonic, regular consumption of lemon honey water will help in keeping your digestive system healthy. Drinking lemon water with honey increases stomach acid secretion production and bile secretion. This aids in easy and systematic breakdown of food materials and seamless absorption of nutrients. Undigested food can lead to a feeling of bloating and flatulence in the stomach. Drinking Honey with lemon aids in improved bowel movement thus making excretion a smooth process.

Detoxifies Body Benefits of Honey and lemon also include keeping your body free of toxic and harmful free radicals that lead to constipation, acne / pimple or many other problems. Today's lifestyle has increased the chances of body's exposure to chemicals and fertilizers. Pollution, unhealthy eating habits and other external factors result in accumulation of toxins in the tissue of the skin, liver and respiratory tract. Therefore, drinking lemon & Honey with warm water helps in detoxification of the body. It makes for an effective liver tonic that aids in improving its function by neutralising the harmful free radicals in the body.

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Clears the Skin Tired of trying every remedy under the sun to make your skin acne and pimple free? Switch to drinking warm water with honey and lemon through the day and see the problem disappear over a period of time. Lemon has oil controlling qualities and also aids in removing excess oil from the surface of the skin. The citric acid present in it helps flush out free radicals and other toxic chemicals from the digestive system. While most people directly apply lemon on the face, it might not be suitable for all skin types. Therefore, drinking a concoction of lemon and honey with hot water poses no such threat.

Helps Increase Immunity Honey lemon drink is also excellent for increasing immunity. It helps you stay protected from common infections and diseases the season change causes. Drinking this mix on a regular basis will bring down in you the instances of cold and flu and other allergies. Honey has therapeutic qualities and being rich in antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties; it helps in keeping infections at bay and also helpful in recovery from illness.

Contributed by:

SEEMA SHARMA A Masters in Ecology & Environment and Diploma holder in Landscape & Horticulture from University of Canberra, Australia. Seema has designed and executed prestigious projects like Airtel Campus Gardens, IT Park Chandigarh, Infosys, DLF Valley (Kasauli, Amravati, Hyde Park) etc and she is the founder of Merry Mind Landscapes.

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THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

THE NUMBER GAME HOW THE UNIVERSE COMMUNICATES THROUGH ANGEL NUMBERS?

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ngel numbers usually appear in groups of three and might pop up on a license plate, in a phone number, on a note, or on a billboard.

They could also appear as "split" numbers, like 3303.

Angel numbers are a synchronicity, or a meaningful coincidence—divine guidance from angels and the universe. Keep in mind angel numbers are just one type of sign, and you can receive a sign or synchronicity in countless ways.

If you think something you overhear in line at a store, a book or movie recommendation from a friend, an animal who crosses your path, a helpful person showing up in your life, or a song that comes on the radio might be synchronistic divine guidance, pay attention to how you feel when it happens. Does time seem to slow down, as if the moment is charged with meaning? Do you experience physical cues from your intuition like getting chills? Does this potential sign keep popping into your mind hours or days later? Does this potential sign speak to a larger theme in your life?

Even if it's not what you wanted to hear, deep down inside does this information still register as a sign?

Any of these could indicate a synchronicity.

In the case of angel numbers, sometimes what you're doing or thinking the moment you see the number is most significant, like thinking you should expand your business and then looking up right as the clock in your office turns 1:11 or going to start your first day of a gym membership and being assigned locker number 222.

Here are some common angel numbers one sees along their life path:

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

SOUL

111

This angel number has a powerful energy signature. If you happen to look up at the clock at 1:11, or a number plate that shows 1111, the angels are telling you that now is a great moment for manifesting your dreams.

These are also taken as a sign that you in tune with your twin flame. Sometimes the energy around us is more conducive, and 111 is an indication that the energy around you right now is ripe for taking healthy risks, shifting patterns, or moving projects or love relationships forward. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities and take action steps that focus on your goals, especially regarding anything new you want to create in your life or initiate in the world.

222

When you are wondering whether you're on the right path in an area of your life, seeing 222 can be a welcome confirmation from the angels that you're headed in the right direction and should keep plugging along patiently. 222 is also a number of harmonious partnerships, so when the address of a potential business or romantic partner contains 222, this could be an auspicious sign for collaboration.

333

A Twin Flame number, this is a number of prayers answered, a reminder that the universe knows what you want and what you are working toward, and that you are being brought supportive opportunities and resources. 333 is encouraging you to go forward in 13

faith, taking action steps toward your dreams and knowing that the universe and your spiritual guidance squad will have your back. The support and guidance you need will show up in divine timing.

444

The angels do have a favourite number sequence: 444. The number 444 is simply a reminder that angels are near and supporting you, and seeing this number when you're feeling low can be very comforting and reassuring. You could see 444 after a big win at the office or while you're enjoying a dream vacation. But you might also see 444 when you're going through a tough breakup, dealing with a difficult diagnosis, or feeling lonely. This number is assurance that your angels are actually closer than ever now.

555

We all have seasons when it seems like everything is shifting in our life and we have a supercharged growth spurt. That's what 555 speaks to. Seeing 555 when things feel chaotic or unfamiliar is a comforting reminder from the angels that transitions can be intense, even when we are experiencing exciting changes we have longed for or worked very hard for.

Whatever transition you are going through, even if it's painful or heartbreaking—being without a job, no money, getting divorced, experiencing a health crisis, moving locations away from loved ones—555 reminds us that transitions are sometimes a restructuring and reconfiguring of your soul's path.

Ultimately you will come out the other side, and angels will be there to help you rebuild when you do.

666

The number six is one of beauty, balance, and grounding. 666 has a steady, nurturing energy, so you might see this number when you are wanting to bring stable, healing energy to your career, home, a relationship, or finances.

This number can be a call or need for balance in all our affairs, and you might see it if you have a health concern that would benefit from you living a more balanced lifestyle or eating a more balanced diet.

777

The sequence 777 is an angel number about spirituality, and you might encounter it during phases in life when you're focusing on or prioritizing your spirituality, learning about or incorporating new

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spiritual practices, or on the road of a seeker. The number 777 can be a reminder that your spirituality is expanding and you should continue to tap into that deep well of spiritual awareness that exists in all of us.

(Angels are non-denominational, working with people of all faiths and spiritual beliefs) 777 can also be a clue that looking at a situation or relationship in your life from a spiritual perspective could be enlightening.

888

This is the angel number of abundance, and you might see it on a check you receive for services performed to let you know that there is the possibility of good financial abundance with this particular client, company, or simply the type of work you are currently doing.

The number 888 can also be a hint from the angels that they can help us bring more abundance into an area of our life, like romance, career, or health.

Unfortunately angels cannot magically change all the circumstances affecting your life, but they always try to help.

999

Life is cyclical, and the number 9 emphasizes that all things end or come to a completion.

You might see 999 or a split angel number like 909 on a license plate as you drive away from your high school or college graduation ceremony, reminding you that a chapter in your life is ending. You might also see the number 9 when you are struggling to complete a goal, or when you are losing steam toward the end of a large project, reminding you that success or the finish line is right around the corner.

Angel numbers are for real and a very common form of divine guidance, so pay attention to them, always!

Contributed by:

MA PREM DIVYA Divya is a famous spiritual counsellor based in Delhi who guides with Tarot Cards, Psychic Healing, NLP & various meditation techniques.

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

MY DEAR

G

ood observation and a sharp mind invoke a wit, which can mostly, bulldoz the opponent to submission.

Sharp-witted people have unique presence of mind and perfect timing to give the knockout punch. May I jot down an interesting episode, to elucidate my point. Sardar Khushwant Singh, one of the legendary Sikh scholars and writers, had the opportunity to interview General Tikka Khan, the then Army Commander of Eastern Command, Pak Army, immediately after the humiliating defeat and surrender of Pak Army in Bangladesh to Indian Army. General greeted him courteously in his official Bungalow. General was infamously known as "Butcher of Bangladesh" because of Pak Army's atrocities in erstwhile East Pakistan. During the interview, General Tikka Khan, started to defend his Army's war strategy and with an accusing tone, added that Indians spoiled his scheme of things and seized victory from the jaws of Pak Army. Khushwant Singh replied"General Saab, If our Army was not protecting the surrendered Pak Army, blood

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

thirsty Bangladeshi mobs would have lynched them to take revenge over their atrocities." General fumed and retorted,"We would have easily crushed the Mukti Bahini rebels if your Army hadn't trained and led them. It was not fair on your part."

Khushwant Singh, quietly pointed at the Urdu quotation from the Quran on the mantel piece behind, feigning innocence, asked- "What's the meaning ?" General enthusiastically read it aloud-" Nasr min Allah Fateh-un qareeb", means "Allah grants victory to those, whose cause is just".

Khushwant Singh gave the knock-out punch "General Saab, Allah in his wisdom granted us victory because our cause was just". For the first time General smiled-" Sardar Saab, you had me; you knew Urdu."

Contributed by:

COL. ASOKAN Founder-Director Olive Greens Institute, Chandigarh 15

‘The Saviour: Brig Pritam Singh’ receives Best Documentary Award at Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2022

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docu-drama based on the life of the hero of the first war in Poonch area, Brig. Pritam Singh, received the Best Punjabi Documentary award at the 12th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2022 held at Noida.

'The Saviour: Brig Pritam Singh” has been produced by Chandigarh based Karanvir Singh Sibia and has been written and directed by Dr. Paramjeet Singh Kattu.

The 80-minute docu-drama captures the bravery of Indian army under the leadership of then Col. Pritam Singh who led the 1 PARA Kumaon regiment and fought the first battle with Pakistan Army battle of Shelatang on 7th November 1947 and they were able to recapture Baramullah, Uri, and later moved to Poonch with just 419 troops and liberated 600 miles of area, from invaders from across the border, and saved the lives of over 55,000 refugees. Brig Pritam Singh is an unsung, littleknown hero of the first Indian war the true savior of Poonch, whose story needed to be shared with our generation and the future one, says Karanvir Singh Sibia.

The film also briefly covers world's greatest escape when during World War II, as Captain in the British Army, was captured in Singapore, from where he escaped and treaded treacherous 3300 miles for six months on foot through Malaya, Thailand and Burma to reach Indian border and was adorned with Military Cross.

In recognition of his services to the nation the Sikh high priests at the Golden Temple unveiled 16

his portrait at the Sikh Museum on 12th April 2022.

The prestigious award as Best Documentary in Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival is perhaps the greatest tribute to this 'Sher Putar', added Dr. Paramjeet Singh Kattu.

The role of Brig Pritam Singh is enacted in the film by the very talented actor Dhanveer Singh.

The Festival was also attended by renowned painter Sidharth, Executive Producer Ms Shiwani Sokhey & Preetinder Kaur from the team of The Saviour.

The producer, Karanvir Singh Sibia who is closely associated with preserving the Punjabi heritage and culture and had been curating heritage festival in Sangrur, said that there is need for more support from the government authorities and private financers to fund such public-service documentation of such events and personalities of historical and cultural importance for our prosperity. Dr. Paramjeet Singh Kattu is an award winning writer and director and Professor of Punjabi at LPU Jalandhar. With his PhD in Punjabi literature, Dr Paramjeet has made four award winning films Projects namely, ADDA KHADDA, STRAY STAR & TEASEAILURE and docudrama THE SAVIOUR: BRIG PRITAM SINGH. Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival had been celebrating the birth anniversary of legendary film maker and father of Indian cinema on 30th April every year for the last 12 years, recognizing the new age cinema and experienced film makers, with representation from over 110 nations of the world.

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

Can I Exercise with a Cold?

For some, Common Cold is a come-and-go situation whereas, for others, it's such a misery.

As the season changes, there is the rise on the issue of the Common Cold. We all know it is contagious. Although in winters, it's normal for us to confine into closed spaces, which makes the situation even worse. You might come in direct contact with a person having a cold and voila! The next day “You'll have it too”. There are chances of not getting it. But, in most of the cases, you'll.

And when you have a common cold, it not only affects your physical wellbeing but also your mental health. Sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, watery eyes, poor concentration, bad mood, etc, are the most common symptoms of this disease which are hard to miss. Moreover, children, pregnant women, and people with medical problems like asthma and respiratory conditions are more prone to it, which makes it requisite to take care of them even more.

Even though mostly considered harmless, it is one of the major causes of morbidity worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults can have up to 2-3 colds per year and children have even more which affects their lives because they have to take a break from work or school.

For all those reasons, it's essential to tackle it in a way that won't bother you soon and if it does, you'll get minimally affected by it.

Here, I'll tell you how to achieve that, but first comes; What happens when we catch Cold?

The common cold is a virus infection that mainly affects our upper body like nose, lungs, etc. As our body defends itself against the virus, it is natural for us to lose appetite, reduce alertness, muscles pain, be grumpy, and so on. The most common things we are told to do in cold is to focus on

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

hydrating ourselves, eating healthily, gargles with warm salt water, taking steam, medicine, and taking a lot of rest. These are great but only shortterm remedies for curing the cold.

“How badly you're going to get hit by a cold, totally depends on your immunity.”

For those who don't know, “What immunity is?”

Immunity is our body's defense mechanism. When our body comes in contact with germs and infections, then our immune system fights against them to keep us healthy. Well now you know how important it is to build up a strong immunity system. Still, taking care of our health when we're completely fine, is often neglected. It is essential to understand that “If our defense system is strong enough then we might not even catch a cold in the first place”.

You might wonder, “How to improve your body's defense mechanism?”

The answer to that is “Exercise”.

How Exercise Helps Studies have shown that “moderate-intensity exercise reduces inflammation and improves the immune response to respiratory viral infections” Exercise helps to build up a strong protective barrier against infections i.e. immunity.

Regular exercise stimulates the oxygen levels in the body, resulting in a high ratio of blood flow to the cardiovascular system. It leads to flushing out harmful bacteria from the airways and lungs in terms of sweat and urine. This will reduce the chances of getting the cold or flu.

In cold, our nasal passage gets blocked which is so annoying. Exercise helps to relieve nasal congestion making it easier to breathe.

By moving our body, we also increase the production of WBCs (white blood cells) which

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fight back against the infection. Thus, you'll be able to recover from cold (if you have it) faster.

Researchers have found out that cold bacteria grow rapidly in low body temperature.

When we exercise regularly, it raises our body temperature. This warm environment makes it difficult for the bacteria to flourish in the body.

As a result, the odds of falling sick are less.

That isn't all, along with our precious body, regular exercising promotes mental stability. It slows down the production of stress hormones, giving us a sense of peace.

I know, working out while having a cold seems to be a pain. And if your body doesn't allow then don't even do it. The virus has already put your body under stress. It's better not to add fuel to the fire. Still, if your symptoms aren't severe i.e. they are above the neck level then you can go for some low-intensity exercises.

And here are the 3 best exercises to do when you have a cold: Brisk Walk: As Laughing is the best medicine so does Walking. It is the simplest form of exercise that anyone can do without making an effort. A study says walking for at least 20-minute a day can prevent you from flu and cold. It will also decrease your possibility of getting sick. So, going for a brisk walk when you're sick is just fine to make you feel better.

Yoga/ Meditation: Yoga asana boost our immune system by enhancing lymph circulation, which as a result, makes us free from infections. Plus, breathing and meditation techniques in yoga help in relieving nasal congestion and sinus pain.

Sickness can increase the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone in the body. Practice a quick session of yoga to control that specifically, Hatha Yoga. The slow and controlled movements in Hatha yoga are best to practice when you are short on energy.

Pilates: Just like the other two, Pilates works effectively in building up the defense mechanism and clearing the toxins out from

our body. Some of the postures focus on our torso which opens up the chest and increases the lung capacity. This increases oxygen intake and results in better blood flow.

Listen to your body; if your body doesn't allow exercising then don't strain yourself And most importantly, Preferring in doors is one the best thing you can do even if you're symptoms are minor. It will keep you from spreading the infection to others.

Takeaway Building up your immunity is the best way to fight against the bacterial infection that causes Cold and flu. And Exercise is the safest way to do that. It will make you healthier and happier.

It will also reduce your rate of getting sick. In case you still feel sick, the chances of getting better without medicine are more.

Most of the people get better after 7-10 days. After that, you can start to exercise. Do a minimum of 20-minute exercise session for a start. If you don't feel okay then stop immediately and take a rest for a few more days. This will make your defense system work on your infection rather than recovering you from a strenuous workout. But if you feel okay after doing it then you're good to go. Perform the workout session regularly and speed up your recovery.

I know you might not want to spend your energy on exercising when you're already lacking it. But once you engage yourself in a workout session, believe me; it will be worth the effort. Perform the mentioned exercises and soon you'll get back to your older routine.

Contributed by:

Atula Guleria Content writer

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THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

A Home to Writers

A

conspicuous phenomenon of the technologically driven twenty-first century appears to be an unrestricted consumption of urban living. This has compelled many city dwellers to move away from its noise and pace to distances of solitude. Since antiquity, mountains have lured men and minds seeking existential answers and much more. The undulating terrain provides the ambiance for enjoying an alternate lifestyle; one that provides indulgence and learning in the lap of Mother Nature.

Chetan Mahajan, a writing coach, an author, a blogger and an entrepreneur is amongst those who bravely decided to lead a more “meaningful life” in the quiet surroundings of the mountains. A “corporate slave” for two decades, and 'unhappy with city life and pined for a simpler life', in 2015, he left the comforts of urban living and moved with his family to a small rented house in Uttarakhand Himalayas. “My journey is interesting because of some extreme highs and lows, and a few unusual life choices”. And it is. From authoring his first book The Bad Boys of Bokaro Jail, as consequence of his 30 day detention at the age of 42, to co-founding a social enterprise, “Old Hill Cheese” of artisanal caliber, to establishing the Himalayan Writing Retreat; Chetan Mahajan's adventure merits a first-hand narration.

In an email interview to Suparna-Saraswati Puri , Mahajan talks about how the path to purposeful living continues to be a fulfilling experience; one that allows him all-the -time -in -the -world to willfully contribute towards community welfare, encouraging sustainable livelihoods, enjoying literary pursuits and amazing social interactions and much more.

Tell us about the move from Gurgaon to the Himalayas.

Moving to the mountains was exciting, but also difficult. I had moved without a plan. For 20 years I got a paycheck every month. Suddenly, it was gone, replaced by a vacuum.

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

I wasn't sure of what I would do. I wanted my livelihood to be something I enjoy. I certainly wasn't looking for another job! I know I function well, enjoy small workplaces which are creative and not bureaucratic, but fun. I also wanted to build something that fit my notion of a sensitive, humane enterprise which was a positive contributor to the community. Also, it was a great combination. I could live in the mountains, teach, write and do a small start-up. Everything I love.

What led you to create The Himalayan Writing Retreat?

I tried various things before the idea of the Himalayan Writing Retreat popped up. I love writing, entrepreneurship and the Himalayas. The Retreat seemed like a great mix of everything, but it was an untried and untested idea. After moving to the mountains I started blogging about life in a Himalayan village. That blog won the Indiblogger award for Humour in 2017. That gave the idea even more momentum. Also, my whole career was in education and training, so I knew a little about how that works. I had taught before – at Universities in the US, and also studied (an MBA from Northwestern) there. So we started our workshops. Initially we didn't even have a physical space. In 2018, we built out our own facility, with six rooms, hired our own staff and things began to fall in place, gradually. At present, we are a well-established leader in India, when it comes to teaching people how to write. Our blog gets some crazy traffic. I personally have since transformed into a writing coach. I also coach writers with the London based “the writing coach” company. The Himalayan Writing Retreat is a reality now.

How do you decide whom to host?

It's happened over time. Initially, the better known names were not that comfortable. But as we've built our brand, and more and more people have gone back saying great things about the experience that has led to trust. In fact, we now often get writers and teachers reaching out to us on their own and they pay for their stay. This year's Sahitya Akademi awardee, Arundhathi Subramaniam, 19

Kritika Pandey who won Commonwealth Short story overall prize last year, Geeta Ramanujam who is an Ashoka Fellow have associated with the Himalayan Writing Retreat as faculty. We even host an American retreat each year.

Tell us about the categories of activities conducted at the Retreat.

We have three broad categories of activity: Workshops and retreats: This is where people come to learn. This includes workshops and courses on creative writing, poetry, non-fiction writing, blogging, emotional well-being through writing and much more.

The best place to learn what people say about us is our reviews online. Our participants have published 29 books. Many have won awards. One just got long listed for the Commonwealth short story contest. It is this, more than anything else, that make us proud.

Custom Workshops: We work with some organizations like Ashoka Foundation, the American India Foundation, USISPF and many others to help them write better. Some of these are blogging, some writing articles for the press and so on. Custom programs are built to meet specific needs an organizations may have.

A writing Getaway: This is writers just looking to get away from the chaos and noise of their everyday lives to give themselves a break, and focus on their writing. The Retreat is built for writers. I have few rooms, and many open spaces, allowing everyone to find a quiet little nook for their own writing. There is little intrusion, but all the basics are well taken care of.

That is why we have a five star rating.

What happened after your first book ‘The Bad Boys’?

I was busy setting up a business. I was still writing, but on my blog, and for magazines, newspapers etc. I often write columns for the Readers Digest, Mint, Outlook Magazine, Hindu Business Line and the Hindustan Times (Brunch).

What can we anticipate next from Author Chetan Mahajan's desk?

Two books are in progress right now. One is a novel, and the other is a non-fiction book on writing where we have taken quotes and wisdom from our amazing faculty and participants.

and Manav Kaul – are inspirations in themselves. I don't think I've ever been happier.

In the day -to-day routine of the Retreat, what role does your wife, Dr. Vandita Dubey share?

Vandita is a Published author herself, and a clinical psychologist by profession. She earned her Doctoral Degree in Psychology from the US. She runs a workshop on “Emotional Well-being through writing.” We double up as manager and as faculty. When I have a workshop, she becomes the manager. When she has a workshop, I am the manager. And when a Master class or course is being run by external faculty, then either of us can manage the place. But we do what we're best at. Vandita has an amazing eye for detail, and she makes sure that the retreat is kept squeaky clean. She's awesome at many operational things like menu planning and many of our spaces are designed by her. I am more entrepreneurial, and run the business end of things in terms of new programs, business ideas, and community engagement.

You said above that you wanted to build a “sensitive, humane enterprise which was a positive contributor to the community.” Elaborate.

Oh that's the part we love. We engage with two communities: the writers' community, and our neighbours, the local Pahadi community. For the local community, our biggest effort is to help education the local kids. We do that by supporting the Chirag School, a wonderful and sensitive local school run by the Chirag NGO. It broadly follows a Krishnamurti philosophy, and delivers incredible learning. We've raised over ten lakh rupees for it till date. Both my kids also went there in the early years. For the writing community we have many free and charitable initiatives. Our book club offers free books to readers and gives authors a platform to get reviews. Our First Draft Club that meets every three months helps authors find a community that becomes a support group for their writing. It is online, and the next FDC month is July. In addition, our blog offers a lot of answers to questions about writing and publishing, and that is free as well. Similarly, we buy the Neilsen Bestseller list and publish it on our website to help both readers and writers.

How has the Retreat changed you?

I have a sense of balance in my life. I love what I do, but am also able to balance that with a great life. I live in a beautiful, gorgeous place, meet amazing people, and grow with each and every workshop and Master class.

The faculty we get – people like Manjula Padmanabhan Interview by:

SUPARNA-SARASWATI PURI 20

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

ਟਟ ੁ ਦੇ ਜੁੜਦੇ ਬੁੱਤ ਬੁੱਤ ਜਦ ਬਾਹਰ ਟਟ ੁ ਦੇ ਹਨ ਅੰਦਰ ਜੁੜ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ।।ਨ. ਭ।।

ਘਾਹ ਚਰਿਦਆਂ ਖਰਗੋਸ਼ ਨੰੂ ਕਲਡੀਸੈਕ ‘ਚ ਸਾਰੇ ਘਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਬਗੀਚੇ ਇੱਕੋ ਖੁੱਲੀ ਚਾਰਗਾਹ ਿਦਸਦੇ

ਮਨੱੁਖ ਤਾਂ ਗਲਤੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਪੁਤਲਾ ਹੈ ਮਨ ਗਲਤੀਆਂ ਤਲਾਂ ਰਹੇ ਹੈ ਪਰੱ ੁ ਖ ਹਣ ੁ ਤਾਂਬਹਤ ੁ ੇ ਮਨੱੁਖਦਾ ਵੀ ਪੁਨਹੀ ਂ ਹਣ ੁ ਬਹਤ ੁ ਲੇ ੇ ਮਨ ੱ ੁ ਖਰਿਹ ਵੀ ਨਹੀ ਕੁਪਰ ਝ ਿਸਰਫ਼ ਪੁਤ ਹੀ ਗਏ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ ਕੁ ਝ ਿਸਰਫ਼ ਪੁਸੂਤਹਲੇ​ੇ ਅੱਹੀ ਰਿਹ ਗਏ ਹਨ ਖਰ ਸੂ ਹੇ ਅੱਖਰ

Punjabi@ RUPINDER SINGH AULAKH is a Design Engineer based in Seattle (USA). He calls himself an ardent observer and art enthusiast. He firmly believes that art saves us from our own negativity and acts as a mode of absorption and contentment. His passions include writing, and promoting Punjabi culture through creative photography and Punjabi calligraphy.

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May october 20222021

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ਸਮਝ ਪਰੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਵਾਲਾ ਇਕ ਿਦਨ ਇਸ਼ਕ ਨਾ ਪੱ ੁਛੇ ਦੀਨ ਧਰਮ ਨੰੂ ਇਸ਼ਕ ਨਾ ਪੱ ੁਛੇ ਜਾਤ !

ਈ ਨਹ ਸੀ ਮ ਜੁਰਾਬ ਸਮੇਤ ਪਿਹਲੀ ਮੰ ਿਜ਼ਲ ਤੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ

ਦੋਸਤੀ ਜਾਤ, ਰੰ ਗ, ਧਰਮ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ ਕਦੀ ਨਹ ਹੰ ੁਦੀ, ਦੋਸਤੀ

ਕੋਿ

ਿਦਲ , ਿਵਚਾਰ ਦੇ ਿਮਲਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਹੰ ੁਦੀ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਸੋਚ ਹੀ

ਮੰ ੁਡੇ ਨ ਮੈਨੰੂ ਰੋਕ ਿਦੱ ਤਾ, ਮੇਰੀ ਬ ਹ ਫੜ ਕੇ ਕਿਹੰ ਦਾ ਬਾਜ਼ੀ ਕੀ

ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੀ ਪੰ ਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਨੰੂ ਿਦੱ ਤੀ ਸੋਗਾਤ ਹੈ, ਪੰ ਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਨ

ਹਾਲ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਨ ਜੁਰਾਬ ਵੀ ਨਹ ਉਤਾਰੀ, ਿਕਆ ਕੋਈ

ਇਕ ਵਾਰ ਫੇਰ ਤ ਸਾਿਬਤ ਕਰ ਿਦੱ ਤਾ ਹੈ, ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ਲ ਘੇ

ਮਸਲਾ ਹੋ ਿਗਆ ਹੈ, ਰੁਆਸ ਮ ਉਸ ਨੰੂ ਕੀ ਦੱ ਸਦੀ, ਿਕ

ਤੇ ਹੰ ੁਦੇ ਿਮਲਣ ਕਰਕੇ। ਇਹ ਵਾਿਕਆ ਮੇਰੀ ਸਮਝ ਪਰੇ ਹੈ, ਬੱ ਿਚਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਮੇਰਾ ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਜਾਣ ਦਾ ਪੋਗਰਾਮ ਬਿਣਆ, ਸਾਰੀਆਂ ਕਾਰਵਾਈਆਂ ਪੂਰੀਆਂ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਜਦ ਅਸ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਦੇ ਅੰ ਦਰ ਦਾਿਖਲ ਹੋਏ, ਉਧਰ ਬੜੀ ਇੱ ਜ਼ਤ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਸਾਰਾ ਕੁਝ ਸਮਝਾਇਆ ਿਗਆ, ਜਦ ਮ ਆਪਣੇ ਕਾਗਜ਼ ਿਦਖਾ ਰਹੀ ਸੀ ਤ ਮ ਰੋ ਰਹੀ ਸੀ ਕਾਗਜ਼ ਚੈਕ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਇਕ ਪਾਿਕਸਤਾਨੀ ਮੰ ੁਡਾ ਦੂਜੇ ਨੰੂ ਕਿਹੰ ਦਾ ਿਕ ਇਹ ਬਾਜ਼ੀ ਿਕ ਰੋ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ ਅੱ ਗ ਉਹ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਿਸਆਣਪ

ਆਪਣੇ ਬਜ਼ਰ ੁ ਗ ਦੀ ਜਨਮ ਭੂਮੀ ਤੇ ਪੈਰ ਧਰ ਰਹੇ ਹ ਭਾਵੁਕਤਾ ਤੇ ਕੋਈ ਵੱ ਸ ਨਹ , ਿਜੱ ਥੇ ਆਉਣ ਨੰੂ ਦੋ ਪੀੜੀਆਂ ਤਰਹਦੀਆਂ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਮੇਰੀ ਮ ਤੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਨਾਨੀ। ਮੇਰੇ ਬੇਟੇ ਨ ਉਸ ਨੰੂ ਿਕਹਾ ਜੀ ਕੋਈ ਗੱ ਲ ਨਹ ਅਸੀ ਦੇਖ ਲਵ ਗੇ। ਿਸੱ ਖ ਧਰਮ ਦੇ ਬਾਨੀ ਅਤੇ ਪਿਹਲੇ ਗੁਰ,ੂ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਵੱ ਲ 1521 ਈਸਵੀ ਦੇ ਕਰੀਬ ਬਣਾਇਆ ਿਗਆ ਰਾਵੀ ਦੇ ਕੰ ਢੇ ਪਿਹਲਾ ਗੁਰਦਵਾਰਾ ਸਾਿਹਬ, ਿਜਥੇ ਉਨ ਨ ਆਪਣੀ ਿਜ਼ੰ ਦਗੀ ਦੇ ਆਖਰੀ 18 ਵਰੇ ਖੇਤੀ ਕਰਿਦਆਂ ਗੁਜ਼ਾਰੇ, ਜਪਜੀ

ਭਿਰਆ ਜਵਾਬ ਸੀ ਿਕ ਜੋ ਇਸ ਭੋਇਂ ਨੰੂ ਛੱ ਡ ਕੇ ਗਏ ਹੰ ੁਦੇ

ਸਾਿਹਬ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਬਾਣੀ ਦੀ ਰਚਨਾ ਕੀਤੀ, ਜੋ ਿਕ ਹੁਣ ਗੁਰੂ

ਹਨ, ਜਦ ਉਹ ਵਾਪਸ ਆ ਦੇ ਹਨ ਤ ਇਸੇ ਤਰ ਭਰੇ ਹੋਏ

ਗੰ ਥ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਿਵੱ ਚ ਦਰਜ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇਸੇ ਥ ਤੇ 22 ਸਤੰ ਬਰ

ਹੰ ੁਦੇ ਹਨ। ਭਾਵੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਨਾ ਜੀ ਿਸਆਲਕੋਟ ਤ ਗਏ ਸਨ, ਪਰ ਮੈਨੰੂ ਇਹ ਅਿਹਸਾਸ ਹਮੇ ਾ ਹੰ ੁਦਾ ਰਿਹੰ ਦਾ ਹੈ ਿਕ ਕਾ ਵੰ ਡ ਨਾ ਹੰ ੁਦੀ। ਉਸ ਿਦਨ ਮਨ ਅਜੀਬ ਿਜਹਾ ਮਿਹਸੂਸ ਕਰ ਿਰਹਾ ਸੀ। ਮਨ ਇੰ ਨਾ ਭਿਰਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ ਿਕ ਕੁਝ ਬੋਲ ਨਹ ਪਾ ਰਹੇ ਸੀ ਬੱ ਸ ਮਿਹਸੂਸ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਤੁਰੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਸ , ਖੁ ੀ, ਗਮੀ ਿਜਵ ਿਕਸੇ ਚੀਜ਼ ਦਾ ਕੋਈ ਅਿਹਸਾਸ ਨਹੀ ਹੋ ਿਰਹਾ ਸੀ। ਇਕ ਉਤਸੁਕਤਾ ਸੀ ਮਨ ਅੰ ਦਰ ਜੋ ਉਤੇਜਨਾ ਦੇ ਰੂਪ ਿਵਚ ਪਗਟ ਹੋ ਰਹੀ ਸੀ, ਕਾਹਲੇ ਕਾਹਲੇ ਕਦਮ ਅਸ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਵੱ ਲ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਸ ਿਜਥੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੰ ਥ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਦਾ ਪਕਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ। ਮੇਰੇ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ ਅੱ ਥਰੂ ਵਗ ਰਹੇ ਸਨ, ਮੈਨੰੂ ਹੋ

22

ਕੀਤੀ, ਤ ਇਕ ਕੁੜਤਾ ਪਜਾਮਾ ਪਾਈ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ

1539 ਈਸਵੀ ਨੰੂ ਜੋਤੀ ਜੋਤ ਸਮਾਏ । 1925 ਮਹਾਰਾਜਾ ਪਿਟਆਲਾ ਭੁਿਪੰ ਦਰ ਿਸੰ ਘ ਵੱ ਲ ਦੁਬਾਰਾ ਬਣਵਾਏ ਗੁਰਦਵਾਰਾ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਨੰੂ ਿਨਹਾਰ ਿਦਆਂ, ਭਾਰੇ ਦਰਵਾਜ਼ੇ ਅਤੇ ਬਾਰੀਆਂ, ਬਹੁਤ ਚੋੜੀਆਂ ਕੰ ਧਾ, ਬਹੁਤ ਹੀ ਖੂਬਸੂਰਤ ਿਨਰਮਾਣਕਲਾ (ਿਸੱ ਖ ਆਰਕੀਟੈਕਚਰ) ਦਾ ਬਿਣਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਮਨਮੋਹਕ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਿਹਬ, ਿਜੱ ਥੇ ਿਕ ਪੁਰਾਤਨ ਿਨਰਮਾਣ ਕਲਾ ਸ ਭੀ ਹੋਈ ਹੈ ਿਖੱ ਚ ਦਾ ਕਦਰ ਿਬੰ ਦੂ ਹੈ। ਪੰ ਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਅਜੋਕੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਿਰਆਂ ਵ ਗੰ ੂ ਨਹ ਹਰ ਜਗਾ ਮਾਰਬਲ ਲਗਾ ਦੇਣਾ। ਕੀਰਤਨ ਅਤੇ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਤ ਬਾਅਦ, ਪਰ ਾਦ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਅਸ

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

ਿਵਹੜੇ ਿਵਚ ਆ ਕੇ ਬੈਠ ਗਏ। ਅਸ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਦੇ

ਿਕ ਜੇਕਰ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਕੋਲ ਇੱ ਕ ਪਾਿਕਸਤਾਨੀ ਬੰ ਦਾ ਖੜਾ ਹੈ ਮੈ

ਿਵ ਾਲ ਿਵਹੜੇ ਿਵਚ ਪੋੜੀਆਂ

ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਤੋ ਪੈਸੇ ਨਹ ਲਵਾਗਾ ਉਹ ਪੈਸੇ ਪਾਿਕਸਤਾਨੀ ਦੇਵੇਗਾ

ਤੇ ਬੈਠ ਸ ਿਜਥੈ

ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਿਨ ਾਨ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਅਤੇ ਲੰਗਰ ਹਾਲ ਸਾਫ ਿਦਖਾਈ ਦੇ ਰਹੇ ਸਨ। ਮ ਿਕੰ ਨਾ ਹੀ ਿਚਰ ਥੇ ਬੈਠੀ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਅਤੇ ਆ ਦੇ ਜ ਦੇ ਲੋ ਕ ਨੰੂ ਿਨਹਾਰਦੀ ਉਥੇ ਬੈਠੀ ਅੱ ਥਰੂ ਕਰਦੀ ਰਹੀ। ਸਾਨੰੂ ਦੂਰ ਪਾਿਕਸਤਾਨੀ ਲੋ ਕ ਆ ਦੇ ਿਦਖਾਈ ਦਦੇ ਰਹੇ, ਇਕ ਬਜ਼ਰ ੁ ਗ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਛੇ ਬੱ ਚੀਆਂ ਸਨ। ਮ ਦੈਿਖਆ ਿਕ ਪਾਿਕਸਤਾਨੀ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਮੰ ੁਿਡਆਂ ਨੰੂ ਭਾਰਤੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਫੋਟੋ ਿਖਚਵਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਕ ਸੀ। ਕਈ ਵੇਰ ਪਾਿਕਸਤਾਨੀ ਮੰ ੁਡੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਰਦਾਰ ਿਦੱ ਖ ਵਾਲੇ ਮੰ ੁਡੇ ਨੰੂ ਨਾਲ ਲੈ ਜ ਦੇ ਅਤੇ ਿਟਕ ਟਾਕ ਬਣਾ ਦੇ ਅਤੇ ਫੋਟੋਆਂ ਿਖੱ ਚਦੇ। ਮੇਰੇ ਬੇਟੇ ਨੰੂ ਉਹ ਕਿਹ ਰਹੇ ਸਨ ਿਕ ਤੁਸ ਤ ਐਨ ਆਰ ਆਈ ਲੱਗਦੇ ਹੋ, ਤੁਹਾਨੰੂ ਕੋਈ ਿਗਲਾ ਤ ਨਹ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ ਜੇ ਅਸ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਨਾਲ ਫੋਟੋ ਿਖੱ ਚ ਲਈਏ। ਇੱ ਕ ਬੜੀ ਹੀ ਿਪਆਰੀ ਮੋਟੀ ਿਜਹੀ ਤਕੜੀ ਔਰਤ ਮੈਨੰੂ ਆ ਕੇ ਕਿਹੰ ਦੀ ਤੁਸ ਇਥੇ ਕੀ ਕਰਨ ਆਏ ਜੇ ਮ ਅੱ ਗ ਵਾਪਸੀ ਇਹ ਨਹਰਾ ਘੱ ਲ ਿਦੱ ਤਾ ਿਕ ਤੁਸ ਕੀ ਕਰਨ ਆਏ ਜੇ, ਅੱ ਗ ਉਹ ਹੱ ੁਬ ਕੇ ਕਿਹੰ ਦੀ ਕੀ ਅਸ ਤ ਤੁਹਾਨੰੂ ਵੇਖਣ ਆਏ ਹ , ਮ ਵੀ ਠਕਵ ਜਵਾਬ ਿਦੱ ਤਾ ਿਕ ਅਸ ਵੀ ਤੁਹਾਨੰੂ ਵੇਖਣ ਆਏ ਹ , ਬੱ ਸ ਇਥ ਹੀ ਹਾਸਾ-ਠੱਠਾ ੁਰੂ ਹੋ ਿਗਆ ਤੇ ਉਹ ਿਕੰ ਨਾ ਿਚਰ ਮੇਰੇ ਕੋਲ ਬੈਠੀ ਹੱ ਸਦੀ ਰਹੀ ਅਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਦੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਬਾਤ ਸੁਣਾ ਦੀ ਰਹੀ। ਿਜੰ ਨਾ ਿਚਰ ਵੀ ਉਥੇ ਰਹੇ ਸਾਡੇ ਕੋਲ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਉਧਰਲੇ ਪੰ ਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਲੋ ਕ ਆ ਆ ਿਮਲਦੇ ਰਹੇ। ਇਕ ਵਾਿਕਆ ਨਾਲ ਤ ਮੇਰਾ ਿਦਲ ਹੀ ਭਰ ਆਇਆ, ਅਸ ਿਤੰ ਨ ਬੈਠ ਸ ਤ ਇਕ ਪਿਰਵਾਰ ਆਇਆ, ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨ ਦੇ ਦੋ ਨਜਵਾਨ ਬੱ ਚੇ , ਬੱ ਿਚਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਗੱ ਲ ਕਰਨ ਲੱਗ ਪਏ।

ਤੁਸ ਸਾਡੇ ਮਿਹਮਾਨ ਹੋ। ਗੱ ਲ -ਗੱ ਲ ਿਵੱ ਚ ਇਹ ਤੱ ਥ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਆਇਆ ਿਕ ਦੋਨ ਪਿਰਵਾਰ ਦੇ ਮੁਖੀ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਦੇ ਦੀ ਸੈਨ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰ ਚੱ ੁਕੇ ਹਨ, ਤੁਰਨ ਲੱਿਗਆਂ ਮੰ ੁਿਡਆਂ ਨ ਘੱ ੁਟ ਕੇ ਜੱ ਫੀ ਪਾਈ, ਮ ਹੱ ਥ ਦੀ ਕੱ ਢੀ ਹੋਈ ਨਵ ਫੱ ੁਲਕਾਰੀ ਦਾ ਦੁਪੱਟਾ ਿਲਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ, ਜੋ ਮ ਉਸ ਪਿਰਵਾਰ ਨੰੂ ਤੋਹਫੇ ਦੇ ਤੌਰ ਤੇ ਦੇ ਿਦੱ ਤਾ। ਦੂਜੇ ਪਿਰਵਾਰ ਦੇ ਮੁਖੀ ਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਬੱ ਚੇ ਨੰੂ ਗਲਵਕੜੀ ਿਵੱ ਚ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਿਕਹਾ ਿਕਸਮਤ ਦੇਖੋ ਾਇਦ ਮ ਤੇਰੇ ਿਪਤਾ ਜੀ ਨੰੂ ਿਕਸੇ ਹੋਰ ਰੂਪ ਿਵਚ ਿਮਲਦਾ, ਅਸ ਿਕਸ ਤਰ ਿਮਲਣਾ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਹੁਣ ਿਕਸ ਤਰ ਿਮਲੇ ਹ , ਇਹ ਵੀ ਕੋਈ ਕੁਦਰਤੀ ਰੂਹਾਨੀ ਕਤੀ ਦੀ ਕਰਾਮਾਤ ਹੈ। ਅਣਜਾਨ ਇਨਸਾਨ ਇਕ ਦੂਸਰੇ ਨਾਲ ਿਕਵ ਮੋਹ ਿਭੱ ਜੇ ਬਣ ਜ ਦੇ ਹਨ ਇਹ ਜਾਕੇ ਬਾਬੇ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇ ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ਚ ਹੀ ਪਤਾ ਚਲਦਾ ਹੈ। ਲਿਹੰ ਦੇ ਪੰ ਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਲੋ ਕ ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਚੜਦੇ ਪੰ ਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਵਾਸੀਆਂ ਨੰੂ ਵੇਖਣ ਆ ਦੇ ਹਨ, ਅਤੇ ਆਪਸ ਿਵਚ ਅਣਿਕਆਸੀਆਂ ਨਾ ਟੱ ੁਟਣ ਵਾਲੀਆ ਸ ਝਾ ਪਾ ਲਦੇ ਹਨ, ਪਾਿਕਸਤਾਨ ਪੰ ਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਲੋ ਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਪੰ ਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਲੋ ਕ ਨੰੂ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਨਹ ਿਪਆਰ ਿਨ ਘ ਅਤੇ ਇੱ ਜ਼ਤ ਬਖ ਦੇ ਹਨ। ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਪੰ ਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਲੋ ਕ ਵੀ ਉਨ ਦਾ ਓਨਾ ਹੀ ਆਦਰ ਮਾਣ ਸਿਤਕਾਰ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਮੇਰੀ ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ਫੇਰੀ ਇਕ ਅਭੱ ੁਲ ਯਾਦ ਬਣ ਗਈ ਏ, ਅਤੇ ਮੈਨੰੂ ਪੱ ਕਾ ਿਵ ਵਾਸ ਹੈ ਿਕ ਆਉਣ ਦੀਆਂ ਫੇਰੀਆਂ ਵੀ ਆਪਣੇ ਿਵੱ ਚ ਅਲੱਗ-ਅਲੱਗ ਯਾਦਾ ਸਮ ਲੈ ਣਗੀਆ।

ਪਤਾ ਨਹ ਉਸ ਪਰਵਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਬਹੁਤ ਿਨ ਘ ਦੀਆਂ ਗੱ ਲ ਹੋ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਸਨ, ਤੁਰਦੇ-ਤੁਰਦੇ ਅਸ ਚਾਹ ਕਾਫੀ ਵਾਲੇ ਸਟਾਲ ਵੱ ਲ ਚਲੇ ਗਏ, ਪਾਕਸਤਾਨੀ ਪੰ ਜਾਬੀ ਮੰ ੁਡਾ ਦੋ ਕੱ ਪ ਚਾਹ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਆਇਆ। ਇਕ ਆਪਣੀ ਮ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਤੇ ਇੱ ਕ ਮੇਰੇ ਵਾਸਤੇ, ਉਸ ਦੀ ਮ ਨ ਪੱ ੁਿਛਆ ਿਕ ਇਹ ਅਲੱਗ ਅਲੱਗ ਿਕ ਹਨ ਅਸਲ ਿਵੱ ਚ ਇੱ ਕ ਕੱ ਪ ਵੀਹ ਰੁਪਏ ਵਾਲਾ ਸੀ ਤੇ ਇੱ ਕ ਕੱ ਪ 120 ਰੁਪਏ ਕੀਮਤ ਵਾਲਾ ਸੀ, ਮੰ ੁਡਾ ਆਪਣੀ ਮ ਨੰੂ ਕਿਹੰ ਦਾ ਿਕ ਇਹ ਿਜ਼ਆਦਾ ਕੀਮਤ ਵਾਲਾ ਮ ਆਂਟੀ ਲਈ ਿਲਆਇਆ ਹ ।

Contributed by:

ਮੇਰਾ ਬੇਟਾ ਜਦ ਕੋਲਡਿਰੰ ਕ ਲੈ ਣ ਲੱਗਾ ਤ ਉਸ ਕੋਲ ਿਕਸੇ ਨ

ਿਰਪਨਜੋਤ ਕੌਰ ਸੋਨੀ ਬੱਗਾ

ਦੁਕਾਨਦਾਰ ਨ ਪੈਸੇ ਨਹੀ ਲਏ ਦੁਕਾਨਦਾਰ ਕਿਹ ਿਰਹਾ ਸੀ

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

23

Death Energy can neither be created nor destroyed Matter can neither be created nor destroyed We can gain energy We can loose energy In death, energy doesn't die Amidst the energy of the cosmos the energy is still around The matter has just changed form Journey of one body to another Soul is immortal This is how we console the bereaved But how do we explain When passion, tolerance, kindness dies When character, integrity, conscious dies

Contributed by:

ALKA KANSRA

The Untrained Soldier She staggered broken.....

Amidst the ruins around her, The shattered fragments Of life, whence life had departed.

The feeding vultures, The crows and dogs, The torn down establishments, That prosperity had erected....

Shocked to the foundations Was, the very essence of life...

For death had exploded the living The bomb dropped lately Had done a perfect job!

War had broken forth To scream for the rights Of some angry countries...

Laying bare and helpless The bleeding heart of humanity!

She saw, she knew that The future held bleak scope For her to smile, And to dance to the music Of happiness and love.

She went on lonely, Defenceless and distressed, For, her protectors To the forefront had marched...

And would they retrace their steps?

She knew not; but still, Bravely, fighting back the tears...

Sorrow in her heart For the ones, she loved most....

Searching for a camp, for food...

Was she not a soldier on her own?

Contributed by:

Dr. ASHITA SHARMA

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THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

Salad Recipe From Salad Chemistry

I

t was a bright and beautiful day when Alka Kansra bid adieu to MCM DAV College, Chandigarh after four decades of building everlasting bonds, inspiring numerous young students and in turn learning the little social nuances from them. Today she has come a long way from preparing Chemistry lectures to preparing some exotic dishes, from smelly labs to some aromatic recipes, from protons to happy food molecules, from organic chemistry to Salad Chemistry. She is stirring up some of the most exquisite, most colourful, amazingly healthy and not to forget - mouth watering heady salad concoctions.

Words from my daughter Ridhima, In case you want to introduce me to the column Here is one of the finger licking delicious recipe POHA SALAD Ingredients Rice Flakes (Also known as Beaten rice or Poha) Cucumber Tomatoe Onion Corn Roasted peanuts Red &yellow bell peppers Apple Grapes Lettuce Olives Jalapenos Coriander/ basil/ THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

100 gm

parsley leaves 1 cup Salt Black pepper powder Bhujia for garnish Dressing Tamarind chutney Lemon juice Olive oil (virgin)

to taste to taste

4 tb sp 2 tb sp 4 tb sp

Mix all ingredients in a bottle and shake vigorously PREPARATION Wash and drain the rice flakes in a strainer, Let the flakes rest for a few minutes In a salad bowl take the rest of the ingredients and toss well Add rice flakes and toss lightly Add very little salt and black pepper to taste and toss well Add dressing as per taste and adjust the salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Toss well and chill for a few minutes Garnish with Bhujia and serve. Bhujia can also be served on the side.

2 (finely choppez) 1 large (finely chopped) 1 medium (finely chopped) 1 cup 3/4 cup 1 cup (finely chopped) 1 medium (finely chopped) 10-12 (slit vertically) 1 cup (any variety) 8-10 (chopped) 6-8 (chopped roughly)

Contributed by:

ALKA KANSRA

25

DEEP SINGH SHAHEED THE MAN IN THE LEGEND

D

eputy High Commissioner in Chandigarh Caroline Rowlett released a book on legendary 18th century spiritual and military warrior, Baba Deep Singh whose tales of valour permeates through the Sikh culture and history.

Published by Speaking Tiger Books, “Deep Singh Shaheed: The Man in the Legend”, is the first detailed biography of one of the foremost cultural icons of all time in the Punjab – Baba Deep Singh Shaheed, one of the most revered heroes of Sikh history who transcends religious boundaries to resonate with Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike with totemic appeal.

The author Harisimran Singh retired in the rank of Colonel after a full career of thirty-one years in the Indian Army, is an alumnus of The Lawrence School, Sanawar, and did his Masters at King's College, London, while on a sabbatical from the Army.

He said that this biography is based on many years of research spent 26

examining a wide range of Persian, Punjabi and English sources alongside genealogical records, oral traditions and a thorough battlefield study, This work tends to eschew hagiography to ground all research on this spiritual-cummilitary leader whose life story interweaves through the turbulence of 18th-century Punjab, often referred to as the 'heroic century', he said.

After the release, author and former associate editor of The Tribune Roopinder Singh explored the nuances of Sikh history with the author along with Brigadier Sukhjit Singh, MVC (Retd), Dr Harjeet Singh Gill (Professor Emeritus, JNU, New Delhi), Dr Iqbal Judge, Professor of English (Retd). Several other experts joined online including Gordon Corrigan (MBE, Military Historian and author, UK), Tony Mc Clenaghan (Military Historian and author, UK), Peter Stanley (Military Historian and author, Australia), Sqn Ldr RTS Chhina, MBE (Retd.), Secretary and Editor, USI Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies, New Delhi.

In partial fulfillment of the Master's program, his dissertation focused on Frederic Manning and Henri Barbusse, two soldier writers of the Great War. Since retirement in 2011, he divides his time between Chandigarh, where he is settled, and Pahuwind, near Tarn Taran his native village. Besides military history, he enjoys music and poetry as well as trekking in the mountains.

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

BLUE EYED OCEAN :

I

t's not easy to evaluate a translation, especially when you are challenged with the task of doing this for an established original author Doctor Nirmal Jaswal.

The Blue Eyed Ocean is the English translation of Samandar Neeli Ankhon ka, is a very intricate expression of love and hate relationships and romance with the nature. The beautiful abstract poetry has vivid colours demonstrating romanticism and spritual love in all its forms interspersed.The translator had a mammoth task to understand the underlying unspoken poetic expression of the original poems. Alka kansra has successfully achieved her aim to bring in her own imaginative touch without compromising the original thought of the Hindi poem yet contributing to the literary naunces of English language, thus making it as good as the original work in English.

Sample following lines..

We laughed without abandon When drenched in rain You came as spring In my life You wait, I would be back Like new leaves Only the faithful promises The translation always expands the boundaries of literature through a link language. This is absolutely true to the translation done by Alka Kansra. She

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

has been able to create the requisite poetic forms.That is the reason The blue Eyed Ocean stands out.

The following lines say a lot ...

In the west Where I have come The sun sets gloomily Drenching me in my tears.

The sun rises in the east You enjoy its golden rays falling on you Thats your right.

Far away the fragrance of the chinars is eager to embrace my deodars If you refuse to enjoy them thats again your right.

This beautiful attempt represents confluence of sensibilities where Niirmal Jaswal and Alka kansra are at par. Alka has kept intact all literary qualities of the original poetry. The beautiful choice of words has made the difference.

The beauty in these lines has to be felt My beloved's smell!

Spreading in the universe like Shiva's orgy! that makes me look longingly at my beloved.

His scent all around Spreading from his body to my soul.

27

When translated poetry touches your heart, it is indicative of the translator having achieved her aim. The pathos in the following lines would touch any heart.

Let's give up those paths where we met without wanting to After a number of births.

Let's go back to our own burrows along with our longings and devotions so that We don't have to die again we don't have to entangle in stars to get the moon.

While reading the poetry of Doctor Nirmal Jaswal and the translation by Prof.

Alka Kansra, I strongly felt that it doesn't drag or stumble. Prof Alka Kansra has been faithful throughout for bringing in the original essence.

The crispness of Hindi poetry has been found intact in English language as well.

Yes, I am talkative!

I speak unimpeded In a high pitched musical note I create noise Huffing and puffing, Behind a mountain peak where the waves break on the shore Bubbling over my longings I create a chaos Yes, I am talkative !

understand the true female love.

Sample these lines..

I can't see your yearning Your suffering I want to come to pacify you to comfort you to be a soothing balm for your pining heart I want to come dancing with the wind and adorn you with my sensual love I absolutely adored the original poetry and now I am totally impressed with the translation that resonates with me.

Ah! Listen closer to the heart the voice beyond this body.

Someone crying demanding In this silk flesh to be with you In the next life.

I can say with confidence, that Blue Eyed Ocean is a poetry book to be treasured.

The English readers I am sure are going to enjoy reading this book.

The love poems drew me to a very fascinating experience making me

Contributed by:

Vijay Kapoor (Poet, Story writer, Playwright, Critic, Painter, Sculptor, Actor, Director)

28

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

When I Met Myself – Quarantine Musings How perception moulds our fears…?

A

piece written in the beginning of the covid 19 pandemic when you quarantined not just when you were symptomatic but also if you dared to travel…

Today is my last day of Quarantine. And I want to record the memoirs of the last thirteen days…

Some time back a mentor had told me – use the time to observe yourself, watch your emotions...

This was when the lockdown started and I was like holed up in my city of work for over two months, not able to make my weekly visits home that kept me going. My weekly visits home, over wonderfully busy weekends, rejuvenated me for my stressfully excited weekdays hyped and punctuated by interesting hair-raising incidents and witnessing's in the hospital that I work for.

After I was finally able to visit home for a few weeks and returned back to work – I faced the fearful boredom of the looming QUARANTINE!!! That is till the time I remembered my mentors' words and I started examining how do I observe myself and my emotions rather than feeling them... And then I MET MYSELF!!!

I watched myself transform from scripture of structure to someone I now more like –

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

'jovalicious' by nature – the discovery of someone that probably existed hidden under the garb of 'being professional', 'the look of control', 'the power dresser' et al…and I could go on about myself.

I saw people edge away and I saw people reach out and I read the motives and then I also saw myself how I read their motives….and that is where the flip came. Since I had more time to listen to the people who wanted to talk to me as compared to making them listen when I was physically there, a lot started changing. And as I finally learnt to observe myself, the change was in my own perceptions which led to how I deal with people which led to how they deal back with me…

I also made a new friend during this time Lizzy. I was, perhaps still am, very afraid of lizards.

And in my small balcony, there resides a lizard who has refused to go away despite my anti lizard sprays.

She perhaps knew my fear of it and took advantage of it, knowing fully well, rather super confident, that I will not open the balcony door. But persistent as she was, every evening she came out of hiding and sat in front of the balcony door doing whatever she wanted to. But she definitely forced me to look at her everyday, at first with fear, then disgust which finally changed to wonder about struggles of life, which I was forced to see, as I watched her try to get 29

her prey. Thereby also forced to face my own fears…in this case quite literally so.

Talking of fears, I realised another thing, closely related, that combined with this, ends up colouring all our thoughts and actions – our perceptions. So, sitting on the only sofa I had in this quarantine living room, and the only direction it could be placed, offering the only view it had, I was forced to look out of the only French window which looked onto the only balcony. Now the view out of the balcony was beautiful! It overlooked the lush green jungles with hills in the background and lovely blue skies that change colours and the hues and views of all that u looked upon across the days and across different weather types. But there was one problem. Lizzy always sat there.

Staring back at me, or so it seemed.

Now forced by fear to keep an eye on her, I also saw behind her another big black lizard, greyish in colour, with one big eye stare out at me. This big lizard was seemingly stuck in the air conditioners' compressor sitting in the balcony. As much as I felt bad about not being able to help however my fear of lizards was way bigger than this feeling so I could not prompt myself to any action. Finally, as I learnt to get

used to Lizzy's sight and her plight seeing her (horrid) friend stuck there, I decided to click a picture of them. And, that is when I realised that my perceived friend of Lizzywas a mere wire covered with dust n muck that stuck out of the compressor.

Post note - The reason I share this piece of writing is not just the opportunity to finally share it, it is also to urge the readers to delve in realm of the self and indulge yourselves with some observation, recognition of the feelings hidden therein and accept yourself and the person that you are. And then decide what you want to be and be it. My fear of lizards mortified me and my self-perception of a courageous being came crumbling down. Also a huge realisation how a mere perception doubled the original feeling of fear… Yes it is most important to Miind Our Miinds if we wish to live the reality that we want to be…

Contributed by:

Gurrit K. Sethi Author's Bio - Gurrit K Sethi is the Founder MIINDMYMIIND (www.miindmymiind.com), a mental health platform. She is passionate about healthcare, especially mental health andbringing to life new concepts to enhance accessibility to health services. She also helps providers re-engineer businesses & works on community initiatives with Global Challenges Forum (a Swiss Foundation) on sustainable health initiatives. Through 24+ years of working, her greatest achievements have been in bringing to life different SMEs and SBUs, under various corporate banners, signifying a change in the Indian healthcare scenarios along the healthcare growth curve. An avid traveller and voracious reader, attributes which she says, provide her with incisive insights about people and systems and what drives them.

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THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE

L

ife is one time gift blessed by God with the purpose to live and let others live. Remember, when the life begins in the womb of mother, soul also enters, in other words every human-being attains the qualities of divine power or spiritual power. As a matter of fact, this is the stage of life when the mind and physical body starts developing.

Your super-conscious mind or the divine power predominate the life by taking the responsibilities to look after the child completely till the age of six and then sub-conscious mind starts predominating the life till the child achieves the adulthood stage of life. Sub-conscious mind is very active till the child attains the age of twelve, at the same time superconscious mind starts taking the back seat but conscious mind becomes active and slowly begins to interfere into the life of a child. This is the reason at this stage a child starts behaving aggressive and prefer to become independent. The childhood stage as described above, is the best stage of life which one always keeps remembering but one can never reel it back. God has very intelligently created immensely love and affection to the parents for their children. Hence, the parents become natural custodian, and are given the responsibility to look after the child till he/she becomes adult. Till now, your life is controlled and directed by the parents or extended family members on behalf of Almighty God or Super Power. You have no or very little control over your life.

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After reaching adulthood, your conscious mind or monkey mind starts dominating your life. This monkey mind if not controlled or guided properly by you will create havoc in your life. Conscious mind manifests the thoughts and it has the capacity to think 70000 to 75000 times in a day( 24 hours). This mind is more prone towards the negativities of life, and keeps jumping into the past and future but very rarely stays in the present moment of time.

Remember one thing, it is only you who can control this mind but no body else has the power to do the same. God has blessed you the 'consciousness' to think and the 'free-will' to take decision which no other species has been blessed except human-being. So, you are independent to think and take decision. However, influence of others can affect your thoughts and decisions. Your soul or spirituality will always guides you to think positive and take right decision. For any negative decision/action, your consciousness or super-conscious mind will warn you through intuitions or body language/instincts. For your positive decision/action your super-conscious mind will help you creating the favourable opportunities and energy to get what all you desire as abundance is stocked in the Universe. Hence, it is very rightly said, " What you perceive and conceive, you will receive." You must be aware of that your repeated thoughts create your feelings and emotions, repeated feelings and emotions develop your habits, attitude, and finally reel into your beliefs. Your positive thoughts will knit 31

the positive beliefs and the negative thoughts will knit the negative ones. Positive beliefs will bless you 'heaven' in life, whereas negative beliefs will curse you 'hell'. Now, the choice is absolutely your own as you are directing your conscious mind to manifesting the thoughts whether positive or negative. Your conscious mind is always under your command and control. So, practice managing your positive thoughts engraving on your sub-conscious mind for empowering your inner life to subsequently building your outer life to live a happy, fulfilled and successful life.

In fact, challenges of life begin when one enters the adulthood stage and continue till the last day of life. Every individual intends to live a happy and fulfilled long journey of life. Every person is unique by nature and out look, even has different fingerprints. Hence, every one has the unique meaning to live a fulfilling life. Every human-being has a natural instinct of living an independent life or in other words '' Living one's own life". True meaning to live your own life is to think or believe independently, to be true to your own interests, beliefs, talents, purpose and goals of life, independent of the opinion or influence of others to live the way you want to, and be ready to accept the responsibility for your independent decisions and actions without other persons advice or interference.

In order to live your own life, it is very essential to look deep into your inner-self and ask yourself if you are truly living the life you desire to lead or you are living the lives of others based on their expectations or the qualities or prescriptions you acquired in the past life, particularly during your childhood or younger days. In the modern time our young generation is searching the happiness through the materialistic world by amassing huge amount of money, having big cash accounts in the banks with the modern house, number of latest models of vehicles, latest electronic gadgets and number of servants on their back and call. They desire to lead this life style by hook or crook, using even the underhand or corruptive methods. In the bargain

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one is likely to start disempowering one's inner life which subsequently imbalances the outer life, thus ruining one's own life and then, keep suffering throughout the life.

Let me make myself very clear that our youths are not to be blamed for all this happenings, but main fault lies with our society particularly with the parents, extended family members, care takers, teachers and so on, for not grooming and bringing up the children properly.

As mentioned in the above paragraphs, subconscious mind being very active during childhood, picks very quickly whatever the child sees, listens, reads, senses which is being recorded in the sub-conscious mind permanently, having a great influence throughout the journey of life. Some of the parents and society as a whole are misguiding the youths by thrusting on them the burden of various competitions to come in merit list to get a highly paid job. Even, the faulty system of our education/academic centres are training our youths to become the money earning machines rather than making them the excellent citizens. Day by day, they are being dragged away from the spiritual power accounting purity, love, truth, honesty, kindness, peace, joy, happiness and bliss. Also, they are losing the hold on moral values, and depleting the character attributes such as trust/faith, will-power, integrity, cooperation, self-discipline, self-confidence, selfcourage and so on. In fact, they are more inclined to spent most of the time and efforts to come up to the entire expectations of others. By doing so, they even neglect their own spiritual, mental and physical health too. Actually, they are not living their own individual life but they live the lives of others. Most of the time they spend imbalanced and troubled life.

To avoid the above situation and living a fulfilling and happy life, you must understand the true meaning and technique of living your own life without disturbing your spiritual, mental, physical, financial and social health. I reemphasise the importance of the role being played by the parents, caretakers, teachers,and others for grooming and guiding the children as

THE lITERARY DIGEST | May 2022

to how to live their own independent lives, and also letting others to live happy, peaceful and successful lives.

After childhood whatever stage of life you may be, you are solely responsible to live your own life the way you want to. In order to get selfawareness, you must introspect yourself and note down your strong and weak points, and also know the opportunities and threats coming in your way.

Yo u m u s t a s k y o u r s e l f f r o m y o u r i n n e r consciousness through your heart, firstly, are you truly living your own life based on your beliefs, wants, desires, values,and decisions? If not, are you living your life based on the acquired beliefs and value, and expectations of others during past ? This self-diagnosis of life will reveal that in reality you are living the life of others, and need to transfer or strengthen your inner life. Based on your personality, interests, traits, capabilities, talents, passion, adaptability and your strong urge to lead your life the way you want to, you are required to redesign your life's objectives and goals, and work out necessary changes into your coming life. Learn to control your conscious mind or monkey mind.

Once, you achieve self-mastery over this mind and reduce its capacity to think to bare minimum, then you are likely to start achieving your goals of life soon. Your regular daily practices of yoga, m e d i t a t i o n , p r a ye r, a f fi r m a t i o n s a n d visualisation techniques are the few tools which can help you in this connection. By practicing these technique, also you can eliminate your five ghosts such as lust, anger/hatred, greed, attachment (to money, material and persons), and ego who are likely to creat hurdles in your success. Your strong positive thoughts culminating into very powerful beliefs, can really creat miracles in your life.

Finding your this unique path can take a pretty long time and the process of becoming your true-self may last throughout the life. Life, really, is very short if you want to live to the fullest without the weight of others' expectations, influences and interferences. It is one of the most challenging and the longest path having very rough footprints on the barren land of childhood being engraved by parents and in particular by the society. This path is little known to the young teenaged child. Only the parents or the society can guide or train the child to jump into the unknown destination or

environment, where he/she can start flying high independently like the birds in the new unknown world. If the beginning of long journey on your desired path begins smoothly without any "but, if, a n d w h y ", yo u r j o u r n ey c a n b e co m e ve r y comfortable and joyful. Being Captain of the ship of your life, you can sail through the journey, facing the rough weather, high and low tides, and still you will be able to embark your ship to your desired destination. Only, you need to learn the selfmastery over your mind as the mind is the most powerful engine of your life to steer your ship and the control of steering wheel is in your hand.

There is no denying the fact that we cannot live alone, and we need the company of others to survive and prosper. We all are co-travellers on this M ot h e r E a r t h P l a n e t . F o r t h e p u r p o s e o f regeneration God has created the 'Eve' and 'Adam' ( wife and husband) and desired

that they must form the family for their survival and growth. With the passage of time, this concept got expanded to number of families constituting communities and world society. Presently, we all are interrelated, interdependent and interconnected with each other in the society for one or the other reasons, and cannot live in isolation. The concept of ' Live Your Own Life' looks to be very simple in writing or saying but to my thinking it is one of the most difficult subject to bring into reality. If one understands and practices in daily life with true spirit and zeal, can create miracles in one's life and live a happy and fulfilled life.

Remember, if you have built your inner life strong, no other person has the power to interfere or control your life until and unless you permit him/her to do so. Whatever career you have chosen, your relationship with the outer world including your near and dear ones or pertaining to any other aspect of life, are always very challenging to wake to the reality that you have been mostly living someone else's life. Because of some constraints of your day to day life which can occur at any stage of life that your life gets dominated or controlled by other persons who may be any one including your spouse or else one, making you dependent or helpless. This all is bound to happen when you start giving loose hand to the conscious mind which drags you towards the negativities of life and you start losing control over your life. Stop giving the auto pilot control to your mind. Accept the situation as it, build your inner life and make required changes to live your true life. Understand the true meaning of living your life as desired or dreamt but, make sure that you don't interfere or control others' lives. Learn to create positive environments around you by maintaining and building the relationship with other and creating collective positive consciousness wave. Learn enjoying the life together from the flock of cranes flying high at very fast speed together under the power of single collective positive consciousness state in a wonderful formation, turning to any different direction with the twinkle of an eye. Let us live peacefully together with cooperation and

coordination without interfering in the life of each other. If you want freedom or liberty to live your own life, you must know your responsibilities to grant the similar type of freedom to others including your s p o u s e a n d c h i l d r e n . L ove yo u r s e l f fi r s t , subsequently you will find others also begin loving you unconditionally. People will start getting attracted towards you, and they would love to interact and like working with you.

In the end I must say, Life is entirely what you perceive it to be, happy or unhappy, cherishing or boring. Whatever, you are today is the result of various decisions you have taken from the beginning till date. Remember, the thing which makes you something from nothing is your hard work and maintaining your positive state of mind throughput the journey of life. Squeeze the best out of each day. You are gifted one life only. Be true to who you are. Stop trying to please others. It is better to be an original version of yourself. Stop criticising, blaming and complaining. Don't let others start controlling your life. Living your own life is your birth right. You are the BOSS of your of life, and don't allow anyone else trying to direct or remotely control your life. Don't forget to appreciate yourself.

Celebrate your even the smallest success, and don't hesitate patting on your back in front of the mirror.

Here, I write a quote of 'Steve Jobs' : "Your time is limited, don't waste it living it someone else's life.

Don't be trapped by dogma which is living the result of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others opinion drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everyone else is secondary."

Contributed by:

Lt. Col. SURJAN S. RANDHAWA Author, Industrialist and Retd. Army Officer

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

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Books are a uniquely portable magic.....

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Atula Thakur Content writer

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Sonia Arora is a prolific writer with a passion to serve society. Through her philanthropic work, she has made a difference in many lives. She is passionate about issues that concern society, as a whole and the youth in par cular. Her wri ngs are a mirror to our society.

Rhea.