Coastal cycle ride!

Hello. These days I happen to stay in a remote place near Devgad in Konkan region of Maharashtra. Konkan is a wonderful place with wonderful coastline. Here road always turns and goes up or down. Lush green nature and serene calmness is what we are enjoying. Staying in the nature calms so much! Being at such a place is nothing short of meditation. I am enjoying my running and cycling here. Today I cycled on a very beautiful coastal road. Wonderful close view of the sea and amazing landscape! Do enjoy my photos here-  These photos can be distracting, so view at your own risk! :) Here you can read my articles about cycling, fitness, meditation, trekking, sky watching etc.

Today is also world cycle day! So happy cycling and happy fitness to all. For finance as well as fitness this is very true- a little bit of discomfort is very comfortable in the long run! So do enjoy your favourite fitness exercises. Thank you.

(Niranjan Welankar 09422108376 Conducts fitness, meditation, sky watching sessions and fun- learn sessions for children.)

Gay-neck: The story of a pigeon!

Hello. When I was glancing fifth Standard Hindi textbook of my daughter, I came to know about one book. Out of curiousity, I purchased that book and then I read it. It is the only book of an Indian writer which has received the greatest award for children- literature in the U.S.A.! ‘Gay-neck: The story of a pigeon’ written by Dhan Gopal Mukerji! By gay-neck, the author meant a pigeon with a colourful neck. This book is the story of this pigeon. Published in 1925, this book is a glimpse of the golden childhood experienced by the author. Today we have traveled a great distance from those times. But in this book, we can read how were those times of roaming freely in the nature, staying in forests and mountains for days and nights!

This book narrates experiences of the author with his favourite pigeon. The author talks about his experiences during early 1910s. While reading this, I was reminded about my childhood. When I had seen the famous song “Kabutar Ja Ja Ja”, I too had longed for one pigeon for some time! In those days, pigeons were pets brought up in almost all households. They were trained and even their competitions would take place! Knowing about this is surprising. Mother pigeon knows the exact time to open up the egg by pressing her beak, how does she know this, how the pigeons build up their nest by bringing straws, how they can fly hundreds of kilometers- all this is very stunning! For assessing navigation skills of his pigeon, the author and his friends take his pigeon towards Darjeeling and Sikkim region. An eagle- assault, defense of the pigeon and the author’s search to get back his pigeon- all this is just wonderful.

नात्यांचं भावस्पर्शी इंद्रधनुष्य- काहे दिया परदेस

✪ दिग्गज व नवोदित कलाकारांची सुरेल मैफल
✪ गौरी अर्थात् सायली संजीव- कमालीच्या गुणी अभिनेत्रीचं पदार्पण
✪ वडील- मुलगी नात्यातले भावतरंग
✪ हँडसम शिवचं डोळ्यांनी फ्लर्ट करणं!
✪ छोटा "अहं" ते "सर्वसमावेशक हम" ही वाटचाल
✪ प्रेमळ आजीची‌ डॅशिंग बॅटींग- मी सांगतंय तुका
✪ सासू- जावयातलं जिव्हाळ्याचं शीतयुद्ध

सर्वांना नमस्कार. सध्याच्या तापलेल्या वातावरणामध्ये थोडा आल्हाददायक थंडावा मिळावा, म्हणून हा वेगळ्याच विषयावर लिहीण्याचा प्रयत्न. गेल्या काही महिन्यांमध्ये काही दिवस आजारी असल्यामुळे व फ्रॅक्चरमुळे आराम करत असताना सहज म्हणून ह्या व्यक्तीरेखा आठवल्या. आणि आठ वर्षांपूर्वी टीव्हीवर प्रचंड लोकप्रिय झालेल्या "काहे दिया परदेस" मालिकेचे काही भाग गंमत म्हणून बघितले. तेव्हाही सलग नाही पण अधून- मधून बघितले होते. त्यामुळे कलाकार ओळखीचे आणि आवडीचे झाले होते. ह्यावेळी बघताना वेगळी मजा आली आणि वेब सिरीज बघावी तसे अनेक भाग सलग बघितले गेले. त्यामध्ये असलेली मजा, खुमारी, त्यात दाखवलेल्या नात्यांच्या नानाविध रंगांविषयी लिहावसं वाटलं.

हिमालय से शुरू हुई मेरी यात्रा. . .

मेरा जन्म हुआ हिमालय के पहाड़ों में| उत्तराखण्ड के पिथौरागढ़ जिले में सद्गड़ नाम के रमणीय गाँव के पास| हिमालय के बीचोबीच! सब तरफ पहाड़, पेड़, पशु- पक्षी ऐसे माहौल में मेरा जन्म हुआ| बहुत ठण्डा मौसम था वह| मै और मेरे भाई- बहन पहाड़ में खेलते थे| बहुत आल्हादपूर्ण परिसर और घनी शान्ति थी वहाँ पर| सब तरफ हरियाली, मिट्टी, खेत और ठण्ड| हम जहाँ रहते थे, वहाँ भेड़- बकरियाँ साथ होती थी| मेरे दिन बड़े ख़ुशहाल थे| आस- पास के पर्वत और पेड़ मै पहचानने लग गया था| मेरी माँ और भाई- बहनों के साथ खुशी से रह रहा था| मुझे कोई भी चिन्ता नही थी| लेकीन एक दिन अचानक...

अचानक एक दादा मुझे मिला| मेरे साथ बहुत खेला| हमने बहुत मस्ती की| उसे मै इतना अच्छा लगा कि उसने मेरा फोटो भी खींचा| मै बहुत ख़ुश था| आगे क्या होनेवाला है, इसका मुझे अन्दाज़ा ही नही था| दो- तीन दिनों के बाद वह दादा फिर आया| उसके साथ और एक छोटा दादा भी था| और एक कुछ डरावने से लगनेवाले चाचा भी आए| उन्होने मुझे उठा लिया! क्या हो रहा है मै समझ ही नही सका| मेरी ताकत उनके सामने न के बराबर थी| वे मुझे कहाँ ले जा रहे थे पता ही नही चला| देखते देखते उन्होने मुझे मेरे माँ और भाई- बहनों से दूर किया| एक छोटी बास्केट में मुझे बिठाया और एक पूरा दिन जोर से आवाज करनेवाली गाड़ी में से ले गए| मै बहुत रोया| अक्सर चिल्लाता रहा| बड़ी यात्रा थी वह| मै एक अज़ीब सी जगह पर पहुँचा जहा अविरत बड़ा शोर और लोगों की भीड़ थी| फिर मुझे एक बड़ी ही लम्बी गाड़ी में वे ले गए| मुझे बहुत ज्यादा तकलीफ हो रही थी| अब तो मुझे गर्मी भी लग रही थी| यह पूरी यात्रा मैने रोते हुए और चीखते हुए की... मुझे मेरी माँ और भाई- बहन याद आ रहे थे|

अत्तराच्या कुपीतून दरवळणारा सुगंध. . .

रोजच्या जगण्याच्या धावपळीमध्ये आपण अनेकदा गोष्टी विसरून जातो. वर्तमानाच्या धामधुमीमध्ये जुन्या सुगंधी आठवणींचा दरवळ विसरून पुढे जातो. आणि मानवी स्वभावच असा आहे की, ज्या गोष्टी चांगल्या वाटतात त्या आपल्याला कमी लक्षात राहतात आणि जे खटकत असतं, जे त्रासदायक असतं तिकडेच जास्त लक्ष जातं. जे चांगलं आणि उत्तम होतं ते आपण लक्षात ठेवत नाही. आणि पुढे जाताना मागची वाटसुद्धा आपल्या नजरेसमोरून दिसेनाशी होती. आपली मुळं आणि आपला आरंभ आपल्या डोळ्यांसमोर नसतो. म्हणून अशाच नितांत सुंदर आठवणींच्या अत्तराच्या कुपीला उघडण्याचा हा प्रयत्न.

जेव्हा आपण जुन्या जगातल्या गोष्टी आठवतो तेव्हा आपल्याला जाणीव होते की जुनं जग किती समृद्ध होतं. आणि आपल्याला जे लाभलं होतं ते किती सुंदर होतं. तेव्हा त्याचं मोल जितकं जाणवलं नसेल त्याहून त्याचं मोल आज कळतं. काळ, परिस्थिती, जीवनशैली बदलली तरी छोट्या गोष्टी किती आनंददायी होत्या ही जाणीव होते. ताजेपणाचा शिडकावा होऊन एक नवीन दृष्टीही मिळते. त्यामुळे अधून मधून जुन्या जगामध्ये फेरफटका मारणं उपयोगाचं असावं.

ह्या आठवणी आहेत माझ्या नांदेडच्या आजीच्या म्हणजे कै. कालिंदी गजानन फाटक ह्यांच्या! मला लहानपणी दोन आजी- आजोबांचा भरपूर सहवास मिळाला. जे परभणीला सोबत राहायचे ते आजी- आजोबा हे नुसते आजी- आजोबा होते तर नांदेडला राहणारे आजी- आजोबा नांदेडचे आजी आजोबा होते! आणि त्या आजी- आजोबांची भेट काही नेहमी होत नसल्यामुळे तिथे होणारे लाड जास्त असायचे. आजोबांच्या आठवणी मागच्या वर्षी ते गेले तेव्हा लिहील्या होत्या. त्याच वेळी जाणवलं होतं की, नांदेडच्या आजीच्या म्हणजे कालिंदी आजीच्या तर त्याहूनही किती जास्त आठवणी आहेत! आजीला जाऊन आज ९ वर्षं होतील. म्हणून ह्या अत्तराच्या कुपीला उघडण्याचा हा प्रयत्न.

लहानपणीच्या सगळ्यांत जवळच्या व्यक्तींमध्ये- लाड आणि कौतुक करणार्‍यांमध्ये आजी अगदी पुढे होती. कोवळ्या वयात मिळालेला स्वीकार आणि प्रेम बहुमोल असतं. वामन मूर्ती, सौम्य आणि हळुवार स्वभाव आणि चेहर्‍यावर हसू. आठवणींचा पेटारा सांगतो की, आजीसोबत आम्ही नातू व नातींनी किती तरी मजा केली आहे. तिच्याकडून ऐकलेल्या गोष्टी, तिने सांगितलेले किस्से आणि विनोद, तिने आवडीने खाऊ घातलेले पदार्थ (ही बाब तर आता हळुहळु नामशेष होण्याइतकी दुर्मिळ होते आहे), तिच्या हातची चव, स्वयंपाकाचा तिचा उत्साह आणि अर्थातच दुपारच्या जेवणानंतरचे पत्त्यांचे असंख्य डाव! "निरू, काय सुरेख पत्ते आहेत तुझे! दोन एक्के, सगळे रथी महारथी तुझ्याकडेच! आणि मला तर अगदी रद्दी, एक हात मुश्किलीने होईल!" हा संवाद तर नेहमीचा होता! त्याशिवाय वेगवेगळ्या पुस्तकांबद्दल ती गोष्टी सांगायची. विनोबांची गीताई तिला विशेष आवडायची. समाजातले महापुरुष, समाज सुधारक, देशभक्त आणि क्रांतीकारक ह्यांच्याबद्दलही ती खूप काही सांगायची, (सांगत असे म्हणायला पाहिजे). हे लिहीताना तेव्हाची भाषाही वेगळी असल्याचं जाणवतंय. तेव्हा "निजायची वेळ झाली, गाडीत फार रेटारेटी होती का, दिवेलागणीची वेळ झाली, चांगलंच गरजतंय, बहुधा सर येणार" अशी वाक्यं ऐकल्याचं आठवतंय. आज हे शब्द आपण फार वापरत नाहीय, हेही जाणवतंय.

डॉ. ब्रायन वाईस ह्यांचं पुस्तक!

कोलंबिया युनिव्हर्सिटी आणि येल मेडिकल स्कूलचे पदवीधर आणि मियामीतील मानसशास्त्राच्या संस्थेचे अध्यक्ष असलेले डॉ. ब्रायन वाईस अतिशय तणावात असलेल्या व अस्थिर अशा कॅथरीन ह्या तरुणीवर मानसोपचार करतात. तिला होणार्‍या त्रासाचं मूळ तिच्या जीवनातल्याच काही अनुभवांमध्ये असावं असं मानून ते तिला बोलतं करतात. तिने अधिक बोलतं व्हावं आणि हलकं व्हावं म्हणून ते तिला ट्रान्समध्ये नेतात आणि तिच्या आठवणी सांगायला सांगतात. कॅथरीन तिचे अनुभव- आठवणी सांगत जाते. थेरपीचे काही सेशन्स होऊनही तिची अस्थिरता थांबत नाही. म्हणून डॉ. वाईस तिला आणखी लहानपणीचे अनुभव विचारतात. एका वेळी ती सांगते की, मी तीन वर्षाचे होते तेव्हा माझ्या वडिलांनी माझ्यावर अत्याचार केला. त्यामुळे मी अजूनही त्यांना घाबरते. त्यावेळी तिच्या निरागस मनामध्ये भावना असते की, बाबा माझ्याशी असं वागले म्हणजे मीच काही तरी चुकले असणार! आणि हळु हळु हे पुस्तक वाचताना आपल्याला एकामागोमाग एक धक्के बसण्याची फक्त सुरूवात होते.

डॉ. वाईसचा अनुभव असतो की, आपल्या आयुष्यातल्या अशा असंख्य भल्या- बुर्‍या अनुभवांचं इंप्रिंट आपल्या मनावर असतं आणि केवळ ते अवचेतन (अनकॉन्शस) मनामध्ये  असल्यामुळे आपल्याला जाणवत नाही. अनेक गंभीर तक्रारी असलेल्या मनोरुग्णांवर उपचार करणारे डॉ. वाईस कॅथरीनच्या बाबतीत काही करू शकत नाहीत. तिच्या सगळ्या आठवणी समोर येऊन आणि अनेक आठवडे थेरपी होऊनही तिची अस्थिरता काही संपत नाही. तिच्या वागण्यामध्ये अनियमित ताण असतो. अनेक गोष्टींची भिती तिला वाटत असते. तर कधी विमानाला प्रचंड घाबरणारी असूनही ती इजिप्तला जाते. आणि विलक्षण बाब म्हणजे पहिल्यांदाच इजिप्तला जात असूनही तिथे फिरताना तिथल्या गाईडच्या सांगण्यातल्या चुका ती दाखवून देते! कॅथरीन डॉ. वाईससाठी एक प्रश्नचिन्ह बनते. अखेर ते तिच्यावर हिप्नोसिस थेरपी वापरायचा निर्णय घेतात.

A banyan tree!

Today is 18th April. It is fourteen years since my grandfather Narayanrao Welnakar- Nana Aajoba had passed. This is a small attempt to recall his memories. Actually such a sharing from his grandson is somewhat like a rookie artist expressing his thoughts about legends of the calibre of Hariprasadji! Because what we grandsons and granddaughters saw was his last years. It was seeing a fast diminishing sun. Compared to this, the relation of a father to his son or daughter is much closer and it witnesses many things for long time. There they get opportunity to understand closely. But also sometimes too harsh blinding the eyes. As our eyes cannot see things which are too far, they also cannot see things which are too close. This is the nature of the relation between the father and his son/ daughter. Compared to this, the relation between the grandfather and his grandchildren is much pleasant. Thanks to the not so harshly burning flame and attachment sustained to the distance!

Despite of this difference in age and the lifetimes, even the grandchildren could experience caring shadow and comforts of this banyan tree. Childhood memories still pop up in the mind. I can clearly see- he is doing his sun- salutations (Surya Namaskar) on the terrace, he is doing his daily tasks with discipline- going to RSS Shakha, meeting people and writing constantly. For others he is a little harsh, but for the grandchildren, very gentle! He is readily available when our health is not good or when we wish to convince our parents!

During the childhood days, I never understood his work as the civil engineer, his social work and the people he had earned. Because, many times we need contrast to understand things. In those days, one would just think maybe this is the case everywhere. Therefore, who he really was, how he was and he was a banyan tree not just for us, but for many more people- all this we clearly understood only when he left us when we saw so many people talking about him. After his demise, prof. Sheshrao Mohite had shared his beautiful memories. Despite of distinct ideology and orientation in life and also huge age difference, my grandfather had became a close friend to him.
His year of birth was 1924 and in that sense, this is the 100th year. In those days, he became an engineer and for expanding RSS work, he left Nagpur and settled in Parbhani, a small town in central Maharashtra in 1960. Along with his profession, he continued working for RSS and other social work related activities. Later on he played a significant role in establishing many organizations. Yoga Mitra Mandal, Parbhani is one of them. Inspired by him, further generation- my father, my uncle and my aunt also contributed in social sector. But his impression is more than that. Today when we see so much of contrast in the society, we realize how deep and tall this tree was. Those days, the epoch- it was altogether different.

In those strange days, in 60s to 70s, many people would regularly come to our house for meals. It was a trend then. The house would welcome many faces every day. My grandparents have helped many needy persons. In those days, one thing was strikingly different than today's world. Everyone whom my grandfather would meet at home or outside- all of them were his friends. Shopkeepers, workers in house or other places, teachers, government officers- they could be anyone, but they were never strangers and rather his friends. In those days my grandparents and later on my father- they never would meet any stranger at all! And all of this was so effortless in that it was so deeply rooted with them. My grandfather would encourage my grandmother for her music penance and he would support his daughters for fulfilling their dreams. This was being much ahead of his times. We never realized how unique it was until we experienced the outside world.

As his grandson, I never even wondered how deep this was. His presence was gentle and not troublesome. He would speak lively. It was a great relief for me that all my school teachers are his friends! He was a passionate cricket fan. And he was also fond of telling stories with signatory phrases! I still remember the movie “Hum Aapke hain koun” which we enjoyed in a theater with our grandparents. In later stages of his life, he would sit for hours and keep writing. He had translated poems of Atalji and he would also write in detail about religious, spiritual and social subjects.

Before this bright sun was set, he was eclipsed by dementia. Maybe due to this, for many persons his memories are about his forgetfulness! Yes, the sun had lost much of its blaze. But its fire was revealed when people shared their loving memories with reverence. It revealed how bright this star was. Today it is fourteen years since he passed, but people who know olden days of Parbhani still recall him. Today sprouts out of this banyan tree have reached far away.

- Niranjan Welankar 09422108376
18 April 2024

When a baby fish learns swimming!

✪ Wonderful feeling to see my daughter Adu learn cycling!
✪ Oh, I thought you are holding from behind! Oh yess!
✪ Small milestones but plenty of joy
✪ Importance of peer cycling buddies
✪ Great feeling to see her enjoy cycling and trekking
✪ Joy in sharing knowledge and experience
✪ Witnessing a sapling becoming a tree

Hello. My nine year old daughter Advika- Adu has just learned cycling! She has started enjoying it! I am sharing this joy with you. Before this, I had trekked many times with her and also had done double- seat rides. I had tried hard to make her learn cycling, experience it and enjoy it. I had done everything- right from lowering seat of my cycle. I had also told her about my meeting with an eight year old girl- Ravi Kaur who was cycling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. But Adu could no more cycle when the supporting wheels were removed. Her legs would fall short to take support of the ground and she was not able to balance it! And cycling is so easy that I was finding it difficult to teach her!

Opportunity to observe and photograph comet 12/P Pons-Brooks!

✪ The comet is visible with binoculars just after Sunset
✪ Need a remote location with dark skies
✪ Can be photographed through a smartphone.
✪ Spotting a comet is a thrill!
✪ The comet will be close to Alpha Areties (Ashwini) on 30th March

Hello all. Some of you may be knowing that one comet- 12/P Pons-Brooks is visible these days. 12/P means it is the 12th comet whose period was calculated. It completes one rotation around Sun in 71 years. It has been known and observed since many centuries. Pons- Brooks is parts of names of two astronomers who had discovered it simultaneously. As of 15th March, its current magnitude is +5.5 and that means from a remote location with dark sky, it should be easily observed through a binocular or even maybe with naked eyes. Its position, though, is slightly tricky as it is approaching the Sun and therefore in our sky it is not far from Sun. It can be observed just when darkness is about to fall. As on 15th March, it is near a bright star Mirach- Beta Andromeda and slowly it is moving towards Aries constellation.

This photo was taken on 5 March. The comet, Andromeda galaxy and Mirach star are visible in the photo. Astronomy photo of the day: Image Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek / Institute of Physics in Opava

A starry night show! तारें ज़मीं पर!!

Treat of sky treasures with students of Kalpana Chawla Space Academy

✪ A night long camp near the base of Tung fort, Lonawala
✪ Bliss for the children and what a treat the sky is
✪ “रात है या सितारों की बारात है!”
✪ Orion constellation? No, it is a huuuuge cluster!
✪ Excellent sky without light pollution and treasure of clusters
✪ Joy ride of the children in severe cold night
✪ Trek near Tung fort and new exposure for the children
✪ Remarkable experience of staying in wonderful nature

Hello all. Last weekend, I had a great opportunity to accompany the students of Kalpana Chawla Space Academy, Lonawala for a sky watching camp. While teaching them astronomy as a subject, sky watching is a regular activity. But watching the sky from city and from a remote place almost free from any light pollution is vastly different. Here it was all shining stars! These days such dark skies without any light pollution is a rarity. Actually it was a great delight. In astronomical terms, you could just see stars as faint as 5th magnitude with just your eyes. Those clusters which are difficult to spot in cities in a telescope, were readily observable here! Even finderoscope was sufficient! The great Omega Centauri cluster- it was visible to the naked eyes! When the early morning Venus suddenly erupted from behind the mountain, it was just a search light! But let’s begin from the beginning!