Srishti Art Exhibition Trevor's Oval Abu

I had been invited by the chief organizer Dr.A.K.Sharma in Abu to view the ‘Srishti “ Art Exhibition held at Trevor’s Oval Mount Abu. I am no art buff, but when I see paintings related to nature and Rajasthani folklore, I kind of visualize them through my third eye, you know the eye stashed away between port and starboard, the mind’s eye, the gateway to personification. The exhibition, though small was a treasure trove of information on artists all around Rajasthan. The opening ceremony was flagged off by the Honorable Governor of Rajasthan Mr Sheelandra Kumar Singh and his troupe of ardent officials.
Being Environment Day, The Collector, his wife, the Div. Commisssioner Jodhpur, Kiran Soni Gupta and the collector Siddharth Mahajan did the honours of planting trees on the periphery of the polo-ground, before proceeding to the art exhibition sponsored by BSNL, RSNA, UIT and Amrit Sansthan.

The elite, the children from Sophia High School, St.Joseph’s High School and Rotary School along with civil and army personnel were there to lend their support to the artists and encourage the younger generation to partake in the exhibition by contributing their creative works of art. The exhibits on display at the Trevor’s Oval are of promising artists from the pristine desert state of Rajasthan. The paintings from this desert state are of matchless beauty and are the essence of artistry. I was hoping to see some miniature paintings for which this state is renowned, but regrettably, there were none to be seen.
Yesterday when I visited the art gallery for the second time I met Dr Narendra Lalas, one of the chief Organizers. He told me the paintings were for sale and the proceeds from the sales would be distributed in such a way that the artist would receive 70%, 20% would go to the C.M Relief fund, 5% to the Abu Municipal Corporation and the remaining 5% to the Organization. Sincere thanks to all the organizers and people who supported this art exhibition. Abu should go out of its way to hold an open art exhibition for the public at large and also to encourage foreign tourists to participate in an Annual art fair around October, where even the gods would smile down on seeing the creation of the human spirit embodied in canvas.

Rajasthan Governor S.K.Singh

Div. Commissioner,Jodhpur K.S.Gupta

Mrs.Manju Singh

The organizer on the podium Dr Narendra Lalas

Anyone wanting to buy paintings may contact the following address
AMRIT SANSTHAN, 97, Laxmi Nagar, Jodhpur-342010 India
Tel: 91-291-2549447 Mob: 91-9828295080
Email: amritsansthan@gmail.com

CONDOMIZE YOUR PECKER

I recall with nostalgia my college days when randy lyrics were sung on picnics and get-togethers. To get the ball rolling ‘one’ only had to mouth these words “Lay your pistol down mama, lay your pistol down” and the chorus would be taken up with innovative and creative lyrics. So here goes
Lay your pistol down mama lay your pistol down
The green condom box hanging on the tree,
It contains Nirodhs and its Free
Boys and girls who feel randy use me
Keep AIDS and unwanted pregnancies locked up in me.
I am the Nirodh, people look out for me
You’ll find me packed in green boxes fixed on some tree.
Don’t feel shy just reach out for me, no questions asked I’m FREE.
Lay your pistol down mama lay your pistol down
Mount Abu, in its drive to get its AIDS message across to all the locals and the lakhs of tourists who visit here, encourages the use of these free condoms which are placed at strategic and calculated places all around Abu. Even the most timid person who cannot muster the courage to pick up condoms from the chemists or the grocer's shop can safely reach into one of these green boxes and help himself to the free condoms placed in it.
Hats off to the authorities for having come up with this innovative idea. So folks whether you are a man, woman, or a gay use the friendly and free Nirodh to protect your life from AIDS and other STD related diseases. My appeal to users , please be responsible in disposing of used ones in a discreet manner and remember flushing them down a toilet could lead to clogging.
So my merry countrymen remember to cover your gilly to protect the billy.

BSNL Open House Session Mount Abu

Mount Abu, on the 30th May 2008 had its first ever “Open house session” in the history of this town. The venue itself was the ground in front of the exchange. A shamiyana was set up for the purpose. The meeting was to begin by 3.pm, I reached the ground along with my brother-in-law sharp at the appointed time, we were greeted by a few of the BSNL agents, the exchange staff and the officials who were going to conduct the open house session.

Indian standard time, or rather Indian Stretchable time, is the norm here. I can’t remember a single meeting run by any government or semi government office ever starting on time. The meeting did get underway finally around 4pm, several Abuites and some personnel from Abu Road were present for the meeting. From my point of view quite a few of the natives had come to the meeting out of a sense of curiosity.

I suppose they were there to see some action, like mud slugging, for after all it was an invitation to OPEN House session. Generally the public at large are not too happy with the services provided by this giant corporation. For some BSNL means “Do not go for this Connection even by mistake, in Hindi it means Bhool SE Na Lena” Why then do Lakhs of people opt for this service, if this service is not up to the mark, why don’t they go for more satisfactory services such as Tata Indicom, Vodaphone, Airtel etc. There is only one explanation for these customers, it’s better to go with a known devil than with an unknown one. For some others it’s their loyalty to the Giant Corporation for having served their fathers and fore-fathers.

The meeting was addressed by by the General Manager B.K.Kaarecha, his speech was to the point and he admitted that a lot more had to be done to better the service all over Rajasthan. The Chairman of the Municipality Jalam Giri along with quite a few senior citizens were the first to be handed the mike to air their grievances and to make suggestions for a more positive outlook. Some serious recommendations were made, one that the “linemen “should be increased as they are the crucial point of contact between BSNL and its end users. There were some hilarious remarks made by some of the audience, one complaint claimed he had made a thousand phone calls to the department for a refund of Rs 2000/- due to him, over a period of four years. I wish him luck and hope this open session discussion refunds this loyal customer his dues.

The mindset of the BSNL staff needs to be changed, via conferences, discussions and seminars, if the message is carried over and they adhere to the adage “The Customer is Right’ the reputation and integrity of the company would expand and Bsnl would rule the roost, otherwise with their present attitude they will go to the dogs in years to come. To be fair to them the quality of service provided has improved significantly over the past few years after the introduction of private operators. We in Abu did have our share of disappointments over the years but today with marked improvement and broadband facility we Abuites are quite contented with the BSNL services I do not vouch for the rest of the country.

Shanker-Math Mount Abu

Ecotourism is the focus of the tourism industry in Mount Abu 

Shankar Math Temple

Tourist buses lined up at the side of the road opp the Shankar Math Temple

Ecotourism is the focus of the tourism industry in Mount Abu at present. Its natural hills and dales are the chief attraction for a large section of tourists. Other than that, there are diverse temples situated East, West, North and South of Abu. Shanker Math situated on the Kumarwada road is a recent temple constructed in the honour of Lord Shiva. a recent addition to the tourist circuit of Mount Abu. Locals are unhappy with bus operators adding the temple to their routes. As seen in the photograph above, strings of tourist buses line the side of this narrow road causing a nuisance to the locals there. Every time I have to drive up this road I grit my teeth in sheer frustration as I have to manoeuvre around scuttling tourists making a bee-line for the temple. In peak season, the traffic authorities use this relatively quiet road as one way to ease the surge of inflow of vehicles. Imagine the chaotic scenes created here on this incline. It’s a potential breeding ground for accidents.
Tourist season brings out the best in the Police Department and Traffic section for managing traffic. Their management around the clock is greatly appreciated by the local Abuites and the tourists who visit here. It’s these wily tours and bus operators who flaunt the law for a fast and convenient buck. They literally take the tourist for a ride. Tourists who wish to worship at the Shanker Math should be encouraged to walk a short distance from the town; it would be an exhilarating experience for them. We should make the tour operators responsible for clearing up this area of the garbage created by the careless tourists who are brought here.

Weather update Mount Abu.

Water works with hills in the background

Today, May 24, 2008, after several days, it appears like we will encounter the summer heat that it accustomed us to. The weather has been deceiving us in Abuites for the entire month of April, and until yesterday, Abu enjoyed a climate unlike any we had ever seen. Summer seemed to have forgotten it had to visit this abode after a cold winter. Unseasonal winds have caused colder temperatures here, and heavy hail has pounded the hillside. The pre-monsoon morning mist has arrived early, suggesting that the monsoons are on their way. Abu's monsoon season typically begins in the second week of July, ten days after Mumbai. My dad said the villagers in Rajasthan could accurately forecast the monsoon by watching nature. They have a belief that the year in which they observed hordes of scorpions and lizards it’s a premonition to heavy and prolonged monsoon. I recall the strange behaviour of my dogs in the year 2001. On the 24th and 25th of January, the dogs were constantly restless and moving from one place to another, exhibiting unusual behaviour. For no apparent reason, they would wince and howl and go off with their food. I did find it unnerving, but could not put a finger on what they were trying to portray. On the morning of the 26th, I was in the lavatory when I suddenly felt my head swirling and a quaking in my legs. I believed I was about to have a B.P. attack until I felt the entire building wobble. I raced out of the bathroom and led the rest of the folks out of the flat; it was chaotic; people from all walks of life had congregated in the main plaza, perplexed by nature's fury. The horror and astonishment I saw on people's faces will live on in my memories for the rest of my life.