Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar , A Tribute

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           MAY 10 , 2013           11.55 P.M.

Zia Fariduddin Dagar

15 June 1932 – May 8, 2013

I must state in the beginning that I am not an expert on Indian Classical Music , whether Hindustani or Karnatak . I am just a connoisseur , an ardent fan . I was introduced to Classical music by my friend Shri Lakshmi Kant Tiwari . When we both were living in Deoria , my native place , we used to meet almost every evening and talk about classical music , its various aspects and about various singers . He introduced me to the world of Pandit Onkar Nath Thakur , Pandit Bheem Sen Joshi , Pandit Jasraj , Pandit Rajan Mishra and Pandit Sajan Mishra and of course Dagar Brothers . He gave me cassettes of Pandit Onkar Nath Thakur and Dagar brothers . And thus a life-long addiction to Dhrupad started .

Dhrupad  is the oldest existing form of north Indian classical music (Hindustani classical music) . Ustad Nasiruddin Khan Dagar was the man responsible for the resurrection of Dhrupad in modern India . After his early and untimely demise , his sons Ustad Nasir Moinuddin Dagar and Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar carried the flag forward and revived the Dhrupad tradition .

Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar was the one more torch-bearer of Dhrupad in the illustrious family of Dagars . He was the most influential Dhrupad vocalist in India after the senior Dagar Brothers ; Ustad Nasir Moinuddin Dagar & Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar.

He toured in India and abroad for the propagation of Dhrupad . He performed widely in India and abroad . By 1980, he had virtually settled down in Austria teaching Dhrupad in Austria and France. Once, during a visit to India, one of his disciples, the filmmaker, Mani Kaul came to him and pleaded with him to provide the background score for a film, The Cloud Door (1994) ^,  he was making on Madhya Pradesh. During the making of the film, they spent over two months in Madhya Pradesh . Later on he settled in Bhopal and taught at the Dhrupad Kendra, Bhopal, along with his elder brother, Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar for 25 years . There he trained students like the Gundecha Brothers.

He was awarded the 1994 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Hindustani music-Vocal by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama.

Padma Shri- India’s fourth highest civilian honor been conferred upon him in year 2012 – but he turned it down, saying the government did not care about his seniority as he was chosen for it after much younger Dhrupad singers were conferred the honour.

He also received the Tansen Samman from the Madhya Pradesh government and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. In 2005, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the North American Dhrupad Association.

He was a distinguished guest faculty at ‘Dhrupad Sansar’, IIT Bombay for a span of 5 years.

Later on towards the fag-end of his career,  he was staying and teaching at the Dhrupad Gurukul near Panvel, which was built by his elder brother Ustad Z. M. Dagar and continued to perform in India and abroad untill his brief illness and death on 8th May 2013.

On behalf of all the students and staff of VIDUR Acting Institute , which is known as Vidur’s Kreating Charakters  , I offer my heart-felt condolences on the sad demise of the titanic figure of Dhrupad tradition .

I am also grateful to my friend Shri Lakshmi Kant Tiwari for introducing me to the world of Dagar Brothers and Dhrupad .

[ Some facts about his life has been taken from Wikipedia . I am grateful . ]

VIDUR

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Related articles

• The force behind Dhrupad’s revival (thehindu.com)

Lok Sabha Election 2014 : [ 1 ]

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           APRIL 14 , 2013           10.40 P.M.

As the scene is becoming interesting , as the water is becoming muddy , as the temperature is rising menacingly , as the players are getting ready for a fight to finish , as leaders are being chosen to lead  , as the respective armies are getting ready to wager their lives , as the country is getting ready for a spectacular drama , as the world is watching with anxiety , let us start looking at the current scenario in our country.

Lok Sabh or parliamentary election is due in 2014 . But preparation has already started . Over the years I have watched that media ; print and electronic both – proffer some fascinating observations . Some of it becomes reality and some fail miserably . In recent times comments are being made on various social media sites also . Anonymous netizens are posting their views on micro -blogging sites and are making the scene murkier . Already precarious political scenario is becoming more unpredictable .

I will try to save all  the poll related writings till the election results are out in 2014 . It would be very interesting to read all these articles after the results are out .

 

Nitish Kumar : The Chief Minister of Bihar (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

The first in the series is not a blog in real sense of the term . These are tweets being re-produced here from the twitter-handle of Shri Raghunath AS . He brilliantly exposes claims being made by Shri Nitish Kumar , the Chief Minister of Bihar , about the growth of Bihar .

2. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 58m

   Phenomenal growth record of NiKu: In top 10 states with highest labor force participation rate, Bih not there.ChG[447], Guj[402] feature
3. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 1h

   Phenomenal growth record of NiKu: In top 10 states with Teachers Pupil ratio at Primary levels in India Bih Tops at 80!! Guj not in top10
4. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 1h

   Phenomenal growth record of NiKu: In top 10 states with highest enrolments in Medicine In India Bih not there. Kar, Guj, Odisha, MP feature
5. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 1h

   Phenomenal growth record of NiKu: In top 10 states with highest no. of Engineering Colleges in India, Bih not there. MP,Kar, CG feature.
6. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 1h

   Phenomenal growth record of NiKu: In top 10 states with highest Biz Schools in India, Bih not there. Kar, MP, Guj feature.
7. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 1h

   Phenomenal growth record of NiKu: In top 10 states with highest colleges in India, MP & Guj feature ahead of Bihar.
8. CA Srinivasan Anand ‏@sri709 1h

   @asraghunath Trust NDTV to say “Bihar 2nd Gujarat 10th”

    

9. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 2h

   Phenomenal growth record of NiKu: In top 10 states with highest Ayurveda hospitals in India,Bih not there. Kar, Guj, MP, HP feature.
10. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 2h

    Phenomenal growth record of NiKu: In top 10 states with highest rural Govt hospital Bih not there. Kar,MP,Guj there. Odisha tops!
11. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 2h

    Phenomenal growth record of NiKu: In top 10 states with highest LPG distributors Bih not there. MP, Guj, Kar feature.
12. Shubho ‏@Satday_Brunch 2h

    @asraghunath As rightly said by Laloo abt ShivanandTiwari’s defection to JD(U), that he’s his Hanuman, sent to Nitish’s camp with a mission.

13. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 3h

    Phenomenal growth record of Nitish Kumar: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh produce more Banana than Bihar!
14. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 3h

    Phenomenal growth record of Nitish Kumar: Guj, MP produce more Garlic than Bihar.
15. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 3h

    Phenomenal growth record of Nitish Kumar: Guj, MP, Kar produce more Bajra than Bihar.
16. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 4h

    Phenomenal growth record of Nitish Kumar: Bihar is not in the top 10 league of the states with largest cropped area. MP, Guj Kar are there.
17. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 4h

    Phenomenal growth record of Nitish Kumar: Bihar is second state with highest percentage of Rural population in India: 88.7%
18. RaghunathAS ‏@asraghunath 4h

    MP that pulled itself quietly out from Bimaru status, is on fastest pace. It’s CM is not making as much fuss as Bimaar Bihar CM is making

Till 2014 I will keep on writing blogs and sometimes will re-produce interesting stories from various social networking sites . And will keep on doing this till Election 2014 is over . I feel that VIDUR Acting Institute , which is known as ,  Vidur’s Kreating Charakters  , is not only an acting institute , it also has some social and national duties and obligations .

I may not be running the most famous acting school of Mumbai , or the most famous acting institute of India , or the most famous acting academy of bollywood , or the most famous acting institute of the world , I may be small and very insignificant , but I thought it proper to offer my views on this important matter .

[ This blog is not entirely written by me . I have re-produced relevant tweets from the twitter-handle of Shri Raghunath AS . I am indebted and express my gratitude .]

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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Longest Serving Chief Ministers of India

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           DECEMBER 30 , 2012           11.57 P.M.

After Narendra Modi‘s emphatic and 3rd consecutive electoral victory in 2012 Gujarat assembly elections , I came across a very startling fact through news papers . Times of India reported that including Narendra Modi , at present we have 6 serving Chief Ministers in various states of India , who have won 3 consecutive terms .

Map of India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is the list of 6 serving Chief Ministers , who have won 3 consecutive terms .

1 – Sheila Dikshit = Delhi – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 1998 - to date ]

2 – Manik Sarkar = Tripura – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 1998 - to date ]

3 – Naveen Patnaik = Odisha - 3 Consecutive Terms [ 2000 - to date ]

4 – Tarun Gogoi = Assam – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 2001 - to date ]

5 – Okram Ibobi Singh = Manipur – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 2002 - to date ]

&

6 – Narendra Modi = Gujarat – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 2002 - to date ]

It is very interesting to note that out of these 6 Chief Ministers ; 3 belong to Congress [ Indian National Congress ] , and 1 each to CPM [ Communist Party of India - Marxist ] , BJD [ Biju Janata Dal ] & BJP [ Bharatiya Janata Party ] .

Till date , there are only 13 Chief Ministers , who could win 3 or more than 3 terms consecutively . Here is the list :

1 – Jyoti Basu = West Bengal – 5 Consecutive Terms [ 1977 - 2000 ]

2 – Mohanlal Sukhadia = Rajasthan – 4 Consecutive Terms [ 1954 - 1971 ]

3 – Gegong Apang = Arunachal Pradesh – 4 Consecutive Terms [ 1980 - 1999 ]

4 – B. C. Roy = West Bengal – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 1948 - 1962 ]

5 – K. Kamaraj = Tamil Nadu – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 1954 - 1963 ]

6 – Vasantrao Naik = Maharashtra – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 1963 - 1975 ]

7 – M.G. Ramachandran = Tamil Nadu – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 1977 - 1987 ]

8 – Sheila Dikshit = Delhi – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 1998 - to date ]

9 – Manik Sarkar = Tripura – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 1998 - to date ]

10 – Naveen Patnaik = Odisha - 3 Consecutive Terms [ 2000 - to date ]

11 – Tarun Gogoi = Assam – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 2001 - to date ]

12 – Okram Ibobi Singh = Manipur – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 2002 - to date ]

&

13 – Narendra Modi = Gujarat – 3 Consecutive Terms [ 2002 - to date ]

If you dissect the list further , out of these 13 Chief Ministers ; 8 belong to Congress [ Indian National Congress ] , 2 belong to CPM [ Communist Party of India - Marxist ] and 1 each to AIADMK [ All India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam ] , BJD [ Biju Janata Dal ] and BJP [ Bharatiya Janata Party ] .

I think in next assembly elections due in 2013 , this scenario is definitely going to change . 2 more BJP Chief Ministers are poised to win their 3rd consecutive term . They are , Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Raman Singh , the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh respectively .

2013 assembly elections are going to unfold interesting chapter in the history of India .

It would be an interesting political story to share with my acting students of my acting institute  Vidur’s Kreating Charakters .

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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Related articles

• Modi sworn in as Gujarat leader (bbc.co.uk)
• At Modi’s swearing-in, some clues about his NDA (thehindu.com)
• On victory margins, Jyotibabu is ahead by far (thehindu.com)

Saffron Blitzkrieg in U. P. , M. P. & The Electronic Media

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           JULY 13 , 2012           01.40  A.M.

Election Symbol of Bharatiya Janata Party (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS – UTTAR  PRADESH

=========================================

The Bharatiya Janata Party [ BJP ] recently swept urban local body elections in Uttar Pradesh . It won 10 of 12 mayoral posts in municipal corporations . Ruling Samajwadi Party [ SP ] supported candidate won 1 municipal corporation and Bahujan Samaj Party [ BSP ] supported candidate won 1 . Indian National Congress failed to open its account .

Bharatiya Janata Party [ BJP ] candidates won mayoral elections in Agra , Aligarh , Ghaziabad , Gorakhpur , Jhansi , Kanpur , Lucknow , Meerut , Moradabad and Varanasi .

Bareilly seat went to ruling Samajwadi Party [ SP ]   backed nominee I. S . Tomar and a Bahujan Samaj Party [ BSP ] supported candidate won in Allahabad .

In Agra BJP candidate Indrajeet Arya defeated BSP backed Kartar Singh Bhartiya by a margin of 12,467 .

in Aligarh BJP candidate Shakuntala Bharati defeated independent Razia Khan by a margin of 41,834 votes .

In Ghaziabad , which witnessed late night protest by BJP supporters alleging gross irregularities in the counting of votes , party candidate Teluram defeated his nearest rival Sughan by a margin of 9583 votes .

In Gorakhpur BJP’s Satya Pandey defeated Surhita Kareem of Congress by a margin of 33,156 votes .

In Jhansi Kiran Raju Bookseller of  BJP defeated Nirmala Bilharia of Congress by a margin of 25,659 votes .

In Kanpur Jagatveer Singh Dron of BJP defeated his nearest rival Pawan Gupta of Congress by a margin of 53,323 votes and retained the seat .

In Lucknow  BJP party candidate Dinesh Sharma won the seat for the second consecutive term defeating Neeraj Bora of Congress by a margin of more than 1,71,824 votes.

In Meerut, Harikant Ahluwalia of BJP defeated SP-backed Rajeeq Ansari by a margin of 70,806 votes .

In Moradabad, BJP candidate Veena Agarwal defeated her nearest rival Humanu Kabir of Peace Party by a margin of 70,111 votes .

Ruling SP backed candidate I S Tomar defeated BJP’s Gulshan Anand by a margin of 47,128 votes in Bareilly.

Abhilasha Gupta of BSP defeated Kamla Singh of BJP by a margin of 59,555 votes in Allahabad.

By winning 10 seats, BJP upped its tally as compared to 2007 elections when the party won only 8 seats.

The Congress , which won 3 mayoral seats, including Jhansi, Allahabad and Bareilly in the last municipal poll , failed to open its account this time.

In U. P. , elections were held for 12 municipal corporations, 186 Nagar Palika Parishads and 388 Nagar Panchayats.

Congress and BJP contested elections on party symbol, while BSP and SP, though allowed their workers to contest polls, did not allot party symbols.

LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS – MADHYA  PRADESH

===========================================

Apart from Uttar Pradesh , blitzkrieg of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party [ BJP ] continued in Madhya Pradesh also . Out of 27  municipalities , BJP won 20 . Independents got 4 municipal boards and Indian National Congress got just 3 municipalities .

Before these elections in UP and MP , BJP captured all the 3 Municipal Corporations in New Delhi and even before that BJP along with Shiv Sena romped home in BMC , Mumbai .

ROLE OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA

==============================

It is a major political news of immense importance . In Uttar Pradesh BJP improved its tally by 2 and its minimum victory margin was 9,500 in Ghaziabad and the maximum was 1,71,000 in Lucknow , where it fared poorly in last Assembly elections . In remaining 2 corporations it was the nearest rivals to the winning candidates .

Congress drew blank in Uttar Pradesh and won just 3 out of 27 municipalities in Madhya Pradesh . Electronic media welcomed the news with deafening silence . Few reported it with a caveat . Read the following lines :

” However, the results are subject to the outcome of a writ petition filed in the Supreme Court challenging reservation in the local bodies. “

Had it been a Congress victory in UP and MP local body elections , electronic media would have written obituary of  BJP . On the day of BJP victory , they were busy discussing Karnataka crisis and were taking sadistic pleasure . V. S. Yeddyurappa and Sadananda Gowda both belong to BJP and even if they can’t see eye to eye and have some genuine differences , it is possible in democracy and it should be welcomed  . They never went to the extreme of tearing the party into two like Mrs. Indira Gandhi .

Jagadish Shettar , the new BJP Chief Minister of Karnataka is a RSS swayamsevak and rose to prominence during 1992 Hubballi Idgah movement . He was lathi charged for trying to hoist Tiranga at Hubballi Idgah Maidan . New Dy. Chief Minister R. Ashoka is also political savvy and this new BJP team of Karnataka is going to be the nemesis of the electronic pundits and nay – sayers .

Map of India Showing Provinces Ruled by Parties (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As shown it the above map BJP is ruling in Himachal Pradesh , Gujarat , Goa , Madhya Pradesh , Chhattisgarh and Karnataka on its own and is a dominant partner in ruling coalition in Punjab , Bihar , Jharkhand and Nagaland . It is ruling major civic bodies in Mumbai and New Delhi but still as per the electronic media pundits , it is on decline .

I think coming elections in Himachal Pradesh , Gujarat and Karnataka will open their eyes . Or may be they will never open their eyes and would never like to see the truth . Is it because they are p..d ?

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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Related articles

• Major gains for BJP in UP urban body polls (thehindu.com)
• BJP sweeps corporation polls in Uttar Pradesh (ibnlive.in.com)
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Vidur’s Travel Diary – 10 : Dabra

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           MAY 04 , 2012           01.55 A.M.

After Orchha visit on February 29 , 2012 , I returned to Dabra in the evening . Next day on March 01 , 2012 , it was party on the occasion of House – warming of Shri Ashok Tiwari .

As I had nothing to do any thing particular , I started roaming in the city and started thinking about my numerous Dabra visits . Dabra is a non – decrepit town in Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh . It is not a historical place of repute . It has no significance in history of even Madhya Pradesh either . Dabra is just the ancestral town of my wife . This town is situated in between Gwalior and Datia / Jhansi . My wife’s grand – father , in search of greener pastures , went there in his younger days , bought huge tracts of land there and became permanent resident of Dabra , leaving his native place Ghortap in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh .

 

Map showing location of Gwalior district in Madhya Pradesh

My wife spent most of her childhood there in the house , which her grand – father built . P

hotos of the house given below is the slightly altered version of the original house .

Ancestral House of My Wife at Dabra

Ancestral House of My Wife at Dabra

My Wife in Her Father’s Room

Gallery Leading to Aangan of old House

The facade and exterior of the house is changed . Photo , which I have posted above , shows the interiors of the old house . As I have stated in my earlier blog and if I am remembering correctly , I visited Dabra for the first time in 1977 / 78 . My wife’s grand – father was ill and I went to see him . Since then I had gone to Dabra many times .

As time passed and as family grew in numbers , every nuclear family of my in – laws started leaving old house and moved to the newly constructed mansions . Three swanky and huge mansions now stand in their farm land .

Road Leading to Tiwari Farm – Dabra

3 New Mansions As Seen from the Road

Bungalow of Shri Ram Sevak Tiwari

Bungalow of Shri Ram Sevak Tiwari – Side View

Bungalow of Shri Rang Nath Tiwari

Bungalow of Shri Rang Nath Tiwari – Side View

Bungalow of Shri Ashok Tiwari

Bungalow of Shri Ashok Tiwari – Side View

I don’t have photos of my wife’s grand – parents and her mother . But I do have few photos of some of her family members and I am posting them here .

With My Father – In – Law

My Wife With Her Father In front of Dabra House

With My Wife’s Brother Shri Deen Dayal Tiwari

With My Wife & Her Brother Shri Rang Nath Tiwari

With My Wife & Her Brother Shri Ashok Tiwari

With Shri Rang Nath Tiwari & My Wife’s Nephew Manoj

With My Wife’s Nephew Rakesh

With My Wife’s Nephew Brajesh

With My Wife’s Nephews : Rakesh & Santosh

With Shri Rang Nath Tiwari & My Wife’s Nephew Vivek

All these photos were clicked on various occasions . As I have stated earlier Dabra is a small , dusty and sleepy town . In a way , it resembles my own native place Deoria . I am posting few photographs of Dabra town here . I am starting with the Kanya Vidyalaya , where my wife studied .

Kanya Vidyalaya – Dabra

Main Road – Dabra

Main Road – Dabra

Another Road of Dabra

Another Road of Dabra

Main Road – Dabra in The Night

Main Street of Dabra During the Night

With the passage of time many things have changed in Dabra . The metamorphosis are striking . Town is now bigger . Roads are better . Swanky buildings and bungalows have sprung up in every nook and corner of Dabra .

There are changes in my wife’s family also . My wife’s grand – parents are long gone . My wife’s mother is also dead . Her eldest bhabhi too , died few years back on April 26 , 2010 . Whenever I visit Dabra and I see old Dabra house , I remember her . For me Dabra town and Dabra house came to be associated with her only . Due to huge age difference , I couldn’t talk much to my wife’s grand – parents . But her bhabhi was different . She was jovial , humane , very affectionate and was always there for us with smiling face . Whenever I used to visit Dabra , either alone or with my wife , she always stood at the main gate to welcome us . I can , even today , visualize her standing there with eyes wide open with joy and a pleasant smile on her face . After few day’s stay , when we prepared to leave Dabra for our journey back home , she always came to the Dabra railway station to say us goodbye . As our train started chugging out of the station , I can visualize and do remember her frail figure standing on the platform . I still remember her tear – filled eyes glued to our face , as if  saying us to come soon and expecting us to return again . For me ,  she was not only my sister – in – law but in every aspect , she was my mother – in – law . With her demise , and that too at quite young age , significance of Dabra , for me , changed completely . It will never be same again for me . I associate Dabra with her existence and for me this equation is not going to change ever . I have her picture and I am posting it here .

My Wife’s Bhabhi [ Seated at Left ]

Old house of my in – laws will soon be demolished . With its demolition several old memories will also be gone forever . Some old workers and family – helpers will also cease to exist or have already faded away . I specially remember an old maid , Mathuro . She has already faded away with time .

I don’t know whether I would be again visiting Dabra or not . Whether it will be too soon or it would be many years away . Times have changed . Dabra is changed . Younger generation has taken control and they are firmly in saddle . Older generation is slowly fading away .  A girl – child’s affection for her ancestral home does not ebb with time . So for my wife’s sake , I have to accompany her to Dabra , whenever there is some occasion / function . But this will happen only if I outlive her . But if I die before her , I don’t know whether my sons will take her there or not .

So now onwards , every visit of Dabra is perhaps , the last visit .

Remembering these lines of Agyeya , I ended my Dabra visit , took afternoon flight from Gwalior and reached Mumbai on March 02 , 2012 .

पार्श्व गिरि का नम्र चीड़ों में , डगर चढ़ती उमंगों सी ;

बिछी पैरों में नदी ज्यों दर्द की रेखा , विहग शिशु मौन नीड़ों में ; 

मैंने आँख भर देखा , दिया मन को दिलासा ; 

पुनः आऊँगा , भले ही बरस दिन , अनगिन युगों के बाद ;

क्षितिज ने पलक सी खोली , दमक कर दामिनी बोली ;

” अरे यायावर ! रहेगा याद ? “

………………………………………………..अज्ञेय 

[ Tenderness of mighty mountains reflected in pine trees ,

Upward moving pathways symbolizing my enthusiasm ,

River , flowing deep down like a line of pain ,

Tiny tots of birds sitting silently in their nest ,

I saw everything with contentment ,

Consoled myself , I would come again ,

After a year or may be after ages ..........

Horizon opened its eyes , lightning dazzled in the sky ,

As if saying ..................

O Wanderer ! Would you ever even remember ? ]

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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Vidur’s Travel Diary – 9 : Orchha

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           APRIL 29 , 2012           01.30 A.M.

After finishing sight – seeing of Datia on February 27th and Gwalior on February 28th , I still had one day left . So I decided to visit Orchha also . I had visited it once . Many years ago I went to Jhansi for the thread ceremony of my nephew Ashwary Chaturvedi and after the ceremony was over , I went to Orchha . But I reached there in the night , so I could visit only the temple . Orchha Fort complex was closed . I returned with a heavy heart .

So I was not willing to let this opportunity go again . This time I started from Dabra in the morning on February 29th . I passed through Jhansi and since Orchha is only 16 kilometres from Jhansi , I reached there before noon .

Orchha town was built in the 16th century by Bundela Rajput chieftain Rudra Pratap on the banks of rocky Betwa river . Situated on Jhansi – Khajuraho road , it comes under Tikamgarh district of Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh . Orchha is 170 km from Khajuraho and 16 km from Jhansi .

Rudra Pratap’s successor Bir Singh Ju Deo developed Orchha city in the 17th century . Orchha means hidden and in true sense of the term , Orchha is really hidden from the concrete jungles of modern-day .Even today it is a small town of few thousand people .

Starting from the 1531 AD , Bundela rajputs ruled Orchha for almost two centuries .

I first went to see Raghunath Ji temple . Idols of Bhagwan Ram , Sita and Lakshman are worshipped in a palace like structure . It is said that queen of Orchha brough the idols from Ayodhya . King of Orchha constructed a grand temple for the idols . This structure is known as Chaturbhuj Temple . It was ordained that the idol will remain where it will be kept first . When queen reached Orchha , it was night . Thinking that she will place idols in the main Chaturbhuj temple in the morning , queen kept the idols in her palace . In the morning , when queen tried to remove the idols from her palace to put it in the sanctum-sanatorium of Chaturbhuj temple , she failed . And since then her palace became the de – facto temple and grand Chaturbhuj temple , even today , remains vacant .

Raghunath Ji Temple Orchha

Original Chaturbhuj Temple in Orchha Which is Vacant

After darshan , I proceeded towards Fort complex . The complex has many palaces . Raja Mahal , Rai Praveen Mahal , Jahangir Mahal are magnificient example of Bundela art and architecture . I started from Deewan – E – Aam and Raja Mahal .

On The Betwa Bridge Connecting Orchha City to Orchha Fort Complex

Fort Gate Orchha

Entrance of King's Palace

Deewan - E - Aam Orchha Palace

Front View of Deewan - E - Aam

Deewan - E - Aam Balcony From Where Kings Used to Address Crowd

A View of Raja Mahal With Stage for Plays

A View of Raja Mahal

A View of Raja Mahal

Ceiling of King's Room in Raja Mahal

Walls of King's Room in Raja Mahal

Ceiling & Walls of King's Room in Raja Mahal

Ceiling & Walls of Queen's Room in Raja Mahal

Front View Raja Mahal Orchha

Once Royal Guest House - Now Heritage Hotel

After Raja Mahal , I proceeded for Jahangir Mahal with my wife . We entered in the palace from the back entrance . This palace was built by Bir Singh Ju Deo in the early part of 17 century to commemorate Jahangir’s Orchha visit .

Back Entrance of Jahangir Mahal

Back Entrance of Jahangir Mahal

Back Entrance of Jahangir Mahal

Jahangir Mahal Orchha - Interiors

Jahangir Mahal Orchha - Interior

Jahangir Mahal Orchha - Interior

Main Entrance of Jahangir Mahal Orchha

Main Entrance of Jahangir Mahal Orchha

Rest House for Camels in Outer Compound

Rai Praveen Mahal was built for Rai Praveen , the beautiful paramour of Raja Indramani [ 1672 - 1676 ] . She was a poetess , musician and dancer of her time .

Rai Praveen Mahal As Seen from the Courtyard of Jahangir Mahal

Orchha Fort Complex from the Back of Jahangir Mahal

It was time to leave Orchha . I left the small town with heavy heart . Pristine beauty of Orchha and its grand , beautiful palaces are source of joy for ever . I visited it years ago . I could again visit it after many years . I don’t know whether I would be able to visit it again or not .

heart longs for one more visit . Fate says nothing and gives only an enigmatic smile .

पार्श्व गिरि का नम्र चीड़ों में , डगर चढ़ती उमंगों सी ;

बिछी पैरों में नदी ज्यों दर्द की रेखा , विहग शिशु मौन नीड़ों में ; 

मैंने आँख भर देखा , दिया मन को दिलासा ; 

पुनः आऊँगा , भले ही बरस दिन , अनगिन युगों के बाद ;

क्षितिज ने पलक सी खोली , दमक कर दामिनी बोली ;

” अरे यायावर ! रहेगा याद ? “

………………………………………………..अज्ञेय 

[ Tenderness of mighty mountains reflected in pine trees ,

Upward moving pathways symbolizing my enthusiasm ,

River , flowing deep down like a line of pain ,

Tiny tots of birds sitting silently in their nest ,

I saw everything with contentment ,

Consoled myself , I would come again ,

After a year or may be after ages ..........

Horizon opened its eyes , lightning dazzled in the sky ,

As if saying ..................

O Wanderer ! Would you ever even remember ? ]

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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Vidur’s Travel Diary – 8 : Gwalior [ B ]

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           APRIL 26 , 2012           03.45 P.M.

After completing my visit of Jai Vilas Palace , I headed for Gwalior Fort . This fort can be seen from the palace ground itself .

One of the biggest forts of India , Gwalior fort was described by Mughal Emperor Babur as ” The pearl in the necklace of the forts of  Hind . ” It is spread over an area of 3 square kilometres . Its height is 35 feet .

Gwalior Fort As Seen from Jai Vilas Palace Ground

Gwalior is an ancient city . It is said to be stablished by Maharaja Suraj Sen in the 6th century . As per the tradition and folklore , Maharaja Suraj Sen of Kachhwaha clan was a leper . Once , while hunting , he got thirsty and saw this small hillock , known as Gopachal or Gopagiri . He climbed the hillock in search of water and saw a hermit , sitting in a hut and meditating . His name was Galava a.k.a. Gwalia . Sage Galava gave him water to drink . After drinking water , Suraj Sen got cured . Indebted , Suraj Sen constructed this fort and named it Gwalior after sage Galava . Sage Galava renamed Suraj Sen as Suhan Pal and ordained him to keep Pal as his last name . He also said that as long as his progeny and descendents will keep Pal as their last name they will be rulers of this kingdom . Suhan Pal’s 83 generations kept Pal as their last name and they ruled Gwalior . 84th ruler Tej Karna Sen removed Pal and lost the kingdom . Kachhwaha rulers ruled Gwalior for 989 years . Then Pratihars became rulers of Gwalior .

Pratihar kings became rulers of Gwalior after Kachhwaha rulers . 6 generations of Pratihars rules Gwalior and then Sultans of Delhi became the rules for a brief period .

Gwalior fort was later associated with the Tomar rulers , specially Raja Man Singh Tomar . This happened in the 15th century . Raja Man Singh Tomar was the 10th Tomar king and was the most famous . His eternal love story with Gujar princess Mriganayani is still famous . Two of the most magnificent structures in the fort known as Man Mandir and Gujari Mahal , tell the story of his greatness . He was a great musician and is known as the father of the Dhrupad Gharana . Before moving to Akbar”s court , Tansen was the royal musician of his court . Last Tomar king , the 12th king Salivahan Tomar fought at Haldighati for Maharana Pratap .

Then the Mughals became the rulers . During Mughal rule Gwalior fort was used as a prison for special and important prisoners . Akbar imprisoned his first cousin Kamran in this fort and subsequently got him killed there . Aurangzeb also imprisoned and later on killed his brother Murad and his brother Dara Shikoh’s two sons . 6th Sikh Guru Hargobind Singh Ji was also imprisoned here .

When Mughal empire declined , Jats became the rulers for a brief period and finally Gwalior came under Maratha empire . Scindias conquered Gwalior and in 1810 Daulat Rao Scindia made Gwalior his army cantonment and thus Gwalior came to be associated with Scindias and Gwalior fort finally came under Scindia’s control .

Map of Gwalior Fort

Gwalior fort has many famous , magnificent and important structures within its precincts . Each ruler added some structure or other . There is no uniformity , but that , in a way , is the beauty of the fort also . I entered the fort from the southern gate because that is the only gate which has a road . I visited all the structures one by one .

Gwalior Fort - Approach Road Southern Gate

Ramparts of Gwalior Fort - Southern Gate

From southern gate when you move to the top , you can see ” intricately carved rock-cut temples of 21 Jain Tirthankars . “ One statue of Parshvanath , the 23rd Tirthankar , is 40 feet in height .

Statues of Jain Tirthankars

When you reach the top of the fort , the first main structure of importance is Gurudwara Data Bandi Chhor , built-in the memory of 6th Sikh Guru Shri Hargobind Singh Ji . Mughal emperor Jahangir imprisoned Guru Hargobind Ji in Gwalior fort for one year and later released him along with 52 fellow prisoners Hindu kings .

Gurudwara Data Bandi Chhor

When you proceed to northwards after visiting Gurudwara , the most famous , the most magnificent structure , which comes to draw your attention , is Man Mandir , palace of legendary Man Singh Tomar . Built between 1486 and 1517 , this grand palace still have some traces of colourful tiles , which adorned the outer walls once.

Man Mandir

King's Canopy In front of Man Mandir

Outer Walls of Man Mandir

Ornate Interiors of Man Mandir - Northern Part

Ornate Interiors of Man Mandir

Ornate Interiors of Man Mandir

Ornate Interiors of Man Mandir

Ornate Interiors of Man Mandir

Ornate Interiors of Man Mandir

Ornate Interiors of Man Mandir - Southern Part

Hathi Pole - Main Gate of Gwalior Fort

After having a round of Man Mandir , when you come out and proceed further northwards , there are several old dilapidated structures and crumbling palaces , which attract your attention . Most famous among them are ; Jahangir Mahal , Shahjahan Mahal , Vikram Mahal , Karan Mahal and of course Gujari Mahal .

Entrance of Jahangir Mahal

Jahangir Mahal - Interiors

Shahjahan Mahal

Hawa Mahal - In Between Jahangir Mahal & Shahjahan Mahal

Gujari Mahal As Visible from Hawa Mahal

Gujari Mahal As Visible from Hawa Mahal

Vikram Mahal

Vikram Mahal

Karan Mahal

Karan Mahal

Gwalior City As Visible From the Fort

I completed visit of fort after this . Apart from above mentioned palaces , there are several others , which I missed . I could not visit Bhool – Bhulaiya , Teli Ka Mandir , Sas – Bahu Ka Mandir and Scindia Public School .

May be I would be able to visit these places next time . But will there be next time ? Would I be able to visit them again ? May be yes …… May be not …….

May be , I will be visiting the fort again in near future . May be , I will be visiting it after many years . May be never ……… may be never , ever ……….

Still I wish to visit Gwalior fort one more time . But ……………

Agyeya’s line come again to my mind .

पार्श्व गिरि का नम्र चीड़ों में , डगर चढ़ती उमंगों सी ;

बिछी पैरों में नदी ज्यों दर्द की रेखा , विहग शिशु मौन नीड़ों में ; 

मैंने आँख भर देखा , दिया मन को दिलासा ; 

पुनः आऊँगा , भले ही बरस दिन , अनगिन युगों के बाद ;

क्षितिज ने पलक सी खोली , दमक कर दामिनी बोली ;

” अरे यायावर ! रहेगा याद ? “

………………………………………………..अज्ञेय 

[ Tenderness of mighty mountains reflected in pine trees ,

Upward moving pathways symbolizing my enthusiasm ,

River , flowing deep down like a line of pain ,

Tiny tots of birds sitting silently in their nest ,

I saw everything with contentment ,

Consoled myself , I would come again ,

After a year or may be after ages ..........

Horizon opened its eyes , lightning dazzled in the sky ,

As if saying ..................

O Wanderer ! Would you ever even remember ? ]

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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Vidur’s Travel Diary – 8 : Gwalior [ A ]

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           APRIL 24 , 2012           06.30 P.M.

As I have stated in my travel diary of Datia , I landed at Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Airport , Gwalior on February 27 , 2012 evening . I immediately proceeded to Datia by car and after worshipping at Peetambara Peeth , returned to Dabra in the night.

Since the House – Warming party was on March 01 , 2012 , and I had two free days in between , I decided to visit Gwalior on February 28 , 2012 . I have been to Gwalior many times before . In fact I have lost count of my visits to Gwalior .

I reached Gwalior by car and went to see Jai Vilas Palace . Constructed in 1874 and designed by Lt. Col. Sir Michael , Jai Vilas Palace is located in the new city of Gwalior. It was house of the royal family of Scindias and now has been converted into museum .

[ I am re-producing some vital information about Jai Vilas Palace from the internet ]

” The Tuscan and Corinthian architectural modes are combined in Jai Vilas. The Darbar hall of the Palace is an imposing structure. Covered with heavy draperies and tapestries, fine Persian carpets and furniture from Italy and France occupy the spacious rooms.

The treasure of the palace includes a silver train which has cut glass wagons carrying wine and cigars after dinner, a glass cradle used for Lord Krishna on every Janamashtami, swords once worn by Aurangzeb and Shah Jehan.

35 of the rooms of the palace have been converted into the Scindia Museum and the rest of the rooms reflect the spender and glory that comes alive in the Italianate structures. Then there is a little room full of erotica, including a life-sized marble statue of Leda having her way with a swan. But the pièce de resistance is a model railway that carried brandy and cigars around the dining table after dinner. “

View of Jai Vilas Palace

View of Jai Vilas Palace Gate

Jai Vilas Palace Entrance

Current Residence of Scindias - A Part of Jai Vilas Palace

In The Courtyard of Jai Vilas Palace

Indoor Swimming Pool - Jai Vilas Palace

palanquins for Queens

Staircase Leading to !st Floor

Queen's Darbar Hall - Now Madhao Rao Scindia Memorial

Study Desk & Chair of Madhao Rao Scindia

Midget Queen's Bed Room

Queen's Bath Room

Queen's Dressing Room

Royal Armory

Royal Music Room

King's Bed Room

The Glass Cradle

Sitting Room

A Corridor

Coloured Glass Window

Ground Floor Courtyard - Near Darbar Hall

Ground Floor Verandah of Darbar Hall

Indian Style Dinning Hall

Western Style Dinning Hall

Railway Track of Cuisine Train on The Dinning Table

Cuisine Train Still in Running Condition

Staircase Leading to Darbar Hall on The 1st Floor

Golden Darbar Hall with 8 Ton Chandeliers

Another View of Darbar Hall

Gallery Leading to Outer Courtyard

Outer Gate of Jai Vilas Palace

Royal Railway Coach Parked in the Courtyard

After going through the palace and watching everything intently , I came out of palace . If I remember correctly , it was my third visit of the palace . And this time I watched everything with care and attention .

Video of Jai Vilas Palace

As usual , after my visit , I was wondering whether I would be able to come here again or not ?

Remembering these famous lines of Hindi poet Agyeya , I proceeded towards Gwalior fort .

पार्श्व गिरि का नम्र चीड़ों में , डगर चढ़ती उमंगों सी ;

बिछी पैरों में नदी ज्यों दर्द की रेखा , विहग शिशु मौन नीड़ों में ; 

मैंने आँख भर देखा , दिया मन को दिलासा ; 

पुनः आऊँगा , भले ही बरस दिन , अनगिन युगों के बाद ;

क्षितिज ने पलक सी खोली , दमक कर दामिनी बोली ;

” अरे यायावर ! रहेगा याद ? “

………………………………………………..अज्ञेय 

[ Tenderness of mighty mountains reflected in pine trees ,

Upward moving pathways symbolizing my enthusiasm ,

River , flowing deep down like a line of pain ,

Tiny tots of birds sitting silently in their nest ,

I saw everything with contentment ,

Consoled myself , I would come again ,

After a year or may be after ages ..........

Horizon opened its eyes , lightning dazzled in the sky ,

As if saying ..................

O Wanderer ! Would you ever even remember ? ]

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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Vidur’s Travel Diary – 7 : Datia

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           APRIL 18 , 2012           03.15 P.M.

I flew to Gwalior on February 27th , 2012 by afternoon Air India flight . I have lost count of my visits to Dabra and Gwalior . It is place of my in – laws  , so I have to visit it again and again for some function or the other .

This time I went for the house – warming party of my youngest brother – in – law Shri Ashok Tiwari . Party was on March 1st , 1012 . But I went 2 days earlier because this time I wanted to visit Datia , Orchha and several places in Gwalior city also .

I landed at Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia airport at Gwalior in the evening . It is new airport and is quite small compared to other known and older airports . But it is very convenient for me because it connects Mumbai and Gwalior directly . I landed and immediately proceeded to Datia by car .

Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Airport , Gwalior

Datia is a small district , sandwiched between Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh and Jhansi of Uttar Pradesh .

Map showing location of Datia district in Madhya Pradesh in India

Highway connecting Gwalior to Jhansi is being re-done. After completion it is going to be a boon for travellers . Few km. of the road which is complete , is testimony to this fact .

A Portion of Gwalior - Jhansi Highway

Datia has nothing much to offer . It is very old district but it is still a small town . It has only 445 villages and just 3 towns ; Datia , Seondha and Bhander . It comes under Gwalior Division and could be approached through rail and / or road . Datia railway station lies in between Jhansi and Gwalior .

Rugged Terrain of Datia

There is nothing much in Datia for a wanderer like me . But it has world-famous temple of Durga Mata . In popular parlance this temple is known as Peetambara Peeth .

My Wife at the Main Entrance of Peetambara Peeth , Datia

Near the Temple Gate

My Wife Near the Temple Gate

Coming Out of Peetambara Peeth

Apart from Peetambara Peeth , Datia has Hanuman Garhi and a palaces known as Purana Mahal . It was built for Mughal Emperor Jahangir, though he never visited Datia . This palace is visible from the train and road , when you travel from Jhansi to Gwalior .

I paid obeisance to Peetambara Peeth and immediately returned to Dabra in the night . I am not sure when I would be visiting Datia again . May be I will go there , when I visit Dabra again for some function .

As usual I remembered these famous lines of Agyeya , a renowned Hindi poet , while returning :

पार्श्व गिरि का नम्र चीड़ों में , डगर चढ़ती उमंगों सी ;

बिछी पैरों में नदी ज्यों दर्द की रेखा , विहग शिशु मौन नीड़ों में ; 

मैंने आँख भर देखा , दिया मन को दिलासा ; 

पुनः आऊँगा , भले ही बरस दिन , अनगिन युगों के बाद ;

क्षितिज ने पलक सी खोली , दमक कर दामिनी बोली ;

” अरे यायावर ! रहेगा याद ? “

………………………………………………..अज्ञेय 

[ Tenderness of mighty mountains reflected in pine trees ,

Upward moving pathways symbolizing my enthusiasm ,

River , flowing deep down like a line of pain ,

Tiny tots of birds sitting silently in their nest ,

I saw everything with contentment ,

Consoled myself , I would come again ,

After a year or may be after ages ..........

Horizon opened its eyes , lightning dazzled in the sky ,

As if saying ..................

O Wanderer ! Would you ever even remember ? ]

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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Assembly Election 2012 : Decline & Fall of Nehru – Gandhi Dynasty

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           MARCH 12, 2012           01.10 A.M.

Last month Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other Civic Elections were held in Maharashtra and they threw surprising results . BJP and Shiv Sena , along with their new ally RPI [ Republican Party of India ] have won Mumbai , Thane , Ulhasnagar , Nagpur and Akola municipal corporations . They , in fact , won 5 Municipal bodies out of 10 . In Mumbai BJP [ Bharatiya Janata Party ] and Shiv Sena combine is in power since 15 years . It is their 4th consecutive term . Before election results were declared , BJP was written off by Left – Liberal – Pseudo Secular intelligentsia , TV anchors and journalists . BJP , to their utter dismay , won 3 more seats in Mumbai that 2007.

Same pattern was repeated in just concluded 5 assembly elections by same Left – Liberal – Pseudo Secular intelligentsia , TV anchors and journalists . They wrote BJP off . But again they have bitten dust . They were baffled by the saffron surge .Latest assembly election in 5 states of India is going to be a game – changer in many sense of the term .

It heralds all – encompassing saffron surge .

It signifies decimation of Indian National Congress .

It signals decline and subsequent fall of Nehru – Gandhi dynasty .

It bares open Anti – Nationalist agenda of  Left – Liberal – Pseudo Secular intelligentsia , TV anchors and journalists .

5 Indian States , Where Elections Were Held

BJP Flag with Symbol

Before election results were declared , almost all the News anchors and psephologists were in unison that the Congress will come with flying colours in all the states . It will oust BJP from Uttarakhand and Punjab and will gain substantially in Uttar Pradesh and BJP in Uttar Pradesh will be put to the 4th position . That Congress will win in Manipur was a foregone conclusion . They gave BJP just a slender majority in Goa .

Psephologists repeated these lies 24×7 . Mr. Rahul Gandhi and his campaign trail was followed by Left – Liberal – Pseudo Secular intelligentsia , TV anchors and journalists . Even minutest details were dutifully reported and a false image was created about victory of Congress and defeat of BJP . Mr. Rahul Gandhi , Ms. Priyanka Gandhi and her kids descended on Uttar Pradesh and media portrayed them as the saviours of the people of Uttar Pradesh . All the BJP leaders were ignored as if they don’t exist . Mr. Mulayam Sigh Yadav was given larger number of seats compared to Congress but not the majority . According to Left – Liberal – Pseudo Secular intelligentsia , TV anchors and journalists , Congress was supposed to be the king – maker in Uttar Pradesh , king in Punjab , Uttarakhnd and Manipur and a minor looser in Goa .

Mr. Rahul Gandhi

Ms. Priyanka Gandhi

According to Left – Liberal – Pseudo Secular intelligentsia , TV anchors and journalists , BJP was going to be 4th in Uttar Pradesh , going to be ousted in Punjab and Uttarakhand and is going to be nowhere in Manipur . Goa was given to BJP but hesitatingly .

Shri Lal Krishna Advani , Shri Nitin Gadkari and all the big leaders campaigned tirelessly but were ignored . Uma Bharti Ji was not even mentioned in some channels .

Lal_Krishna_Advani_Website (Photo credit: Gauravonomics)

BJP believes in the theory of ” India First – Party Next – Self Last ” . BJP has no dynasty to safeguard . So they worked silently and tirelessly . From top leaders to ordinary workers all pitched in as per their capacity . Their sole aim was :

तेरा वैभव अमर रहे माँ , हम दिन चार रहें न रहें ……

Results came and all the Left – Liberal – Pseudo Secular intelligentsia , TV anchors and journalists got shock of their lives . I was watching various news channels and was amused to watch the faces of anchors .

Punjab :

===========

The state had history of not giving fresh mandate to the incumbent party . From 1966, when uni – lingual Punjab was created after its tri-furcation , no incumbent government came to power again . So it was pretty easy to predict that Congress would be forming the next government . So without any second thought Punjab was given to the Congress . All Pre – Poll and Post – Poll surveys were unanimous .

But the results were shocking for all . Out of 117 seats SAD [ Shiromani Akali Dal ] and BJP [ Bharatiya janata Party ] got 56 and 12 respectively . It is 9 more than the simple majority . Congress got only 46 seats , 2 up than the last time .

Parkash Singh Badal : 5 Time Chief Minister of Punjab

Uttarakhand :

===================

BJP was written off in Uttarakhand . But in the final tally it got 31 seats  and Congress got 32 . Just 1 more and still media ranted about BJP’s rout . It is unfortunate that BJP got just 5 short of majority .  Shri Bhuwan Chand khanduri came just few months back and managed a miracle . Uttarakhand is missed by the BJP narrowly .

Goa :

============

Media showed some leniency as for as Goa was concerned . But they were willing to give BJP just 18 seats . 3 short of a simple majority . In the final reckoning BJP got 21 , absolute majority in the house of 40 . Its ally MGP [ Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party ] got 3 seats . So the combine’s seat tally is 24 in the house of 40 .

Manohar Parrikar - 2 Time Chief Minister of Goa

Uttar Pradesh :

==================

World’s 6th biggest administrative unit Uttar Pradesh went through 7 phase elections . Mulayam Singh Yadav’s SP [ Samajwadi Party ] got absolute majority , though no one predicted it . According to Left – Liberal – Pseudo Secular intelligentsia , TV anchors and journalists , BJP was going to be 4th and Congress will be king – maker and SP will have to seek its support . Result is for all to see . With 224 seats SP got absolute majority in the assembly for the first time. So – called king – maker Congress got 28 seats , 4 more than 2007 elections .

Akhilesh Yadav

It is unfortunate that Uma Bharati ji’s efforts failed to give desired results . But consider some facts . BJP got 47 seats . 4 less than 51 , its 2007 tally . But BJP came second in 55 seats . One seat it lost by just 18 votes . Of these 55 seats many seats it lost by less than 200 votes . Had media not been so avers and instead portrayed true pictures , I feel results would have been different .

Uma Bharati Ji

Manipur :

================

I am happy for Manipur . Mr. Okram Ibobi Singh won 3rd consecutive term . His victory augurs well for this tiny North – Eastern state . He got 42 seats in the house of 60 . Mr. Okram Ibobi Singh has managed 12 more seats this time than the tally of 30 in 2007 .

Okram Ibobi Singh

But architect of Manipur’s Congress victory is the Chief Minister and not the Nehru – Gandhi dynasty . It should be clear to Left – Liberal – Pseudo Secular intelligentsia , TV anchors and journalists that despite all the hype , all the PR exercise and all the orchestrated clamour that only Nehru – Gandhi family can save the nation , is appearing wrong . Mr. Rahul Gandhi worked very hard in Bihar in the last election and got only 4 seats .

Members of Nehru - Gandhi Family

India belongs to nationalists . Whose credo is :

सज रहा है मात्रिमंदिर , मैं नहीं शोभा बनूँगा ,
और चित्रित भित्तिका है , मैं नहीं वह स्थान लूँगा ,
नीव का बस एक पत्थर , धूलि का बस एक कण हूँ ,
पूज्य माँ की अर्चना का , एक छोटा उपकरण हूँ ||

Map of Indian States As Per Ruling Party's Colour

The saffron in the map will keep on increasing . There are 7 BJP Chief Ministers in India . They are in ; Karnataka , Goa , Gujarat , Madhya Pradesh , Chhattisgarh , Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh . BJP is junior partner in 3 more states . They are ; Punjab , Bihar and Nagaland . BJP is main opposition party in 3 states , having its leaders as Leader of Opposition . They are ; Rajsthan , Delhi and Uttarakhand . It has got 114 seats in Lok Sabha and 51 in Rajya sabha .

Today Congress controls only 30.07% of total value of vote share for the President poll , which is coming in July . In spite of Dynasty being at the helm , they are in minority as for as presidential poll is concerned and media wont be helpful here. It is sheer arithmetic . 58 Rajya Sabha seats are falling vacant next month . Then Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections are due towards the end of the year .

Not winning in Bihar and now not so impressive show in Uttar Pradesh in particular and all the other states in general does not augur well for the dynasty . Sheen is gone . Shine will soon go away .

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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