Nothing could stop him!

जिनके हौसले बुलंद होते हें उन्हें हर मंज़िल आसान प्रतीत होता है, कुछ ऐसा ही हमारे कौशेलन्द्र के साथ है!

Kaushlendra an IIM topper belongs to our Navodaya family set a great and green example infront of us. He has completed his schooling from Navodaya Vidyalaya, Nawada, Bihar. He cracked the CAT and moved to IIM, Ahemdabad. He was born to a vegetable farmer’s family in a village Ahmad Nagar of a distt. Nalanda in central Bihar.

A topper from one of India’s finest B-school has turned into a vegetable vendor, but of course there is more here than that meets the eye.

After being at the top of his management class at IIM – Ahmedabad, Kaushlendra should have been sitting in an air conditioned cabin pulling a hefty salary at a multi-national company. Instead, he stands in the sweltering heat of Patna – selling vegetables.

Kaushlendra reacts to his profession says, “Every one seems to be migrating from here, I wanted to do something for my people.”

Click on the link to read more about IIM-A topper turns vegetable vendor

Success never comes in a day it is continuous activity to grow ladder up and up. So we should not get nervous by some obstacle which comes on the way to success. Rather we should find a solution for the problem and continue our efforts.

We met in AINAA GT @ JNV katihar, Bihar in december, 2007. He is interested in social work. Also we had talked on phone and when I knew about his work I felt a real navodayan spirit who rose up from the roots and serving back to the same roots!

Kaushalendra, we are proud of you!

Laddoo from Maner!

Today while I was chatting with my friend Roushan, he was trying to pull my legs, but as usual he couldn’t make it. So sad! In between he said ‘हे भगवान तुम्हारा दिमाग़ कैसे बना है?’ I replied, ‘मोतीचूर की लड्डू से’! He again said ‘जल्दी खाली हो जाएगा’ and I replied ‘तुम चिंता मत करो क्यूँकि हमारे cute गणेशजी को भी यह बहुत पसन्द है, वो भर देंगे’! I don’t know ‘मेरे दोस्त सब मेरे दिमाग़ के पीछे क्यूँ पड़े रहते हें’!

Anyway, suddenly laddoo started floating in my mind and reminded me something related with laddoo. I asked him that do you know the place called ‘मनेर’ (Maner) or have you heared about ‘मनेर का लड्डू’ (laddoo from maner)? He said that he doesn’t know about it, and I explained about ‘मनेर का लड्डू’. Then he added that here in kanpur we have a ‘ठग्गू के लड्डू’ and I asked him what is that thaggu? He said, they say in ads “ऐसा कोई सागा नही जिसको हमने ठगा नही”…very funny!

Coming to the point, There are various kind of laddoos made in different style and having different taste. I am talking about Motichoor laddu is an Indian sweet delicacy, made from grilled gram flour flakes which are sweetened, mixed with almonds, pressed into balls and fried in ghee. As I know this is originally from ‘मनेर’ (Maner), a small town near Patna. It is now made and enjoyed throughout the India. ‘मनेर का लड्डू’ की बात ही कुछ और है, और जो इसे ना खाए वो तो पक्का पछताए.’ I can say that ‘मनेर का लड्डू’ is famous and delicious like ‘आगरा के पेठे’ (Agra’s peetha) or ‘बीकानेर का भुजिया’ (Bikaneri bhujia) is famous! It is often made to celebrate festivals or weddings. 

You know me and my brother both are very fond of sweets and especially motichur ka laddoo and gulab jamun are our favourite sweets! घर में रोज पूजा में प्रसाद चढ़ाया जाता है! मुझे याद है जब हम छोटे थे और माँ हमेशा पूजा के लिए भाई को प्रसाद लाने बोलती थी तो वो अपने मन पसन्द की मिठाई लेते आता था, और यह कहकर माँ को खुश करता था कि गणेश जी की प्यारी मिठाई लड्डू लाया हूँ. फिर सब उसे चिढ़ाते थे कि गणेश जी की प्यारी या तुम दोनो की प्यारी मिठाई. लेकिन हम चुप ही रहते थे क्यूँकि ये हम दोनों की मिली मिलाई प्लान होती थी.
  
कल मेरा सबसे प्यारा छोटा भाई मुझसे मिलने आ रहा है और मैं आज उसके लिए लड्डू ला रखी हूँ, इसलिए मेरे दिमाग़ में यही चल रहा था. Waise I am sure कि लड्डू के नाम से ही अभी सभी के मुँह में पानी आ रहा होगा! :P

Lajjedaar Majjedaar!

You know friends cooking is a kamal ki quality. Yeh aisa kamal dikhata hai ki log sochna chor khane per toot padte hein. It is one of my lovely hobbies even I had burnt myself many times while cooking.
 
Are you cooking now? If so then don’t forget lijjat papad! Hmmm…today I am pakka going to have it in lunch.

Yes got it…let me tell you about the success of India’s most popular crispy bread, my fav “Lijjat Papad”. The success of Lijjat Papad presents a great example to our rural women, that any dream can be true with strong will power and your complete devotion towards your goal. These seven women were not highly educated and they were not availed of much facilites to do it. Just a loan of 80Rs some 40 years ago and they bought all the basic things needed to make Papad. They started making papad at their terrace and today it’s a household name with annual sales exceeding Rs 301 crore.

It was started by seven women: Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popad, Parvatiben Ramdas Thodani, Ujamben Narandas Kundalia, Banuben, N. Tanna, Laguben Amritlar Gokani, Jayaben V. Vithalani, and I coudn’t find the name of one more lady.

It was not like that they did not face any problem, but from the beginning, the women had decided that they would not approach anyone for donations or help, even if the organization incurred losses. Also, in the first year only they had to stop making Papad for the four months as it was difficult to dry papad in rainy seasons, but they found a way for it also. They bought cot and stove so that they could continue their production in rainy season. Not only this, when the oraganization started having a good amount of profit, they tried to open their branches at several places, which was a failure, but this all couldn’t stop the organisation to grow. It is the sign of their dedication and confidence.

Hmmm….one more interesting fact about Lijjat Papad. Dhirajben Ruparel won prize of RS.5 to suggest this name (Lijjat), which means “ज़ायकेदार“ in gujrati.

Now for those women who don’t like cooking and hire maids, I suggest that it is the best thing ever, so do it!!!

And to the man who says, women are made for this so let them deal with it. I know one can’t be good in everything but if you have talent then you can learn it and try to be all rounder. You know, a pinch of everything makes the curry tasty!

Chalo ab bhukh lag gayi hai…..going to have lunch.

For more information click on लज्जेदार मज्ज़ेदार लिज्ज़त पापड़.

कैसे ये ज़ज्बात!

रुला कर कहते हो
तुम रुला दोगी मुझे!

कैसी विडंबना है
सोच सहम जाती हूँ
और, कैसे ये ज़ज्बात
बिन बारिश भींग रहे
कई घरोंदे आस पास
आँसुओं में बह रहा
एक स्वप्न भरा संसार!

क्या तुम कर पाओगे,
मेरी इन बातों का एतबार?

Bachche man ke sachche…?

Well, it was friday evening and I was listening old hindi songs. And then a very beautiful song was played. You all know that “बच्चे मन के सच्चे…” I enjoyed it but then the song made me think about the present children psychology. Are they still same ‘मन के सच्चे बच्चे’ or they are loosing their ‘innocence’?

Childhood is all about fun, entertainment and crazy things. Today if you ask children they will say that they want to be like Salman khan or better than Hirthik or like Kareena or Aishwarya etc bla bla and also they will say, they don’t want to be like their mom and dad! Perhaps that’s what first comes in their mind, when it comes to going to the school. Also they want to go to the gym because they want to play the role like ‘Shaktiman’ in real life!

I tell you a true story. When I was in gradutaion, one of my class friend used to teach a student. She was a student of class 4th in DPS. It was Feb and valentines day was about to come. When my friend was about to give her home work then she promptly said…”Teacher, day after tomorrow is valentine’s day and I will be busy with making cards or purchasing some gift for my boy friend, so I want leave tomorrow!” My friend was very curious of knowing about her boy friend so she asked the girl about her boy friend. Then my friend asked her to get permission from her mom. And after that she called her mom and said same thing. Her mom just smiled and told her that they would go for shopping in evening and asked my friend to grant leave on the next day!

My friend came back to hostel and shared that episode with us. For the first time I was shocked, but later I found now days it’s common in metro cities! If you see in metro cities, these school going girls and boys are having boy friend and girl friend from the first day of their life in the school.

It’s fine, but the worst part is where and on what way our children are going? Do they really study? If do not study, then what? In fact they are loosing their family values! Can’t we do something to change the situation? Of course we can do. We just need some patience, time, a friendly attitude towards them. Most important, we need to show “how much we care for them.” There are a lot among us who know how to turn a ‘no‘ into a ‘yes‘, because after all “बच्चे मन के सच्चे, उन्हें हम जिस साँचे में ढालेंगे वो ढल जाएँगे!”

बस एक सवाल!

क्यूँ करते हो मुझसे प्यार
जब भी पूछती हूँ यह सवाल,
उत्तर पाती इस तरह हर बार-
रेवा, ‘हर बात पूछी नही जाती’!

कैसे समझाऊं खुद को
तुम्हारे इस खामोशी का राज़,
छुपे हें इनमें खूबसूरत एहसास
जिनकी चाहत हो उबरने को आज!

जिस दिन पा लूँगी सारे जवाब,
उस दिन समझूंगी तुम्हारा प्यार
फिर लफ़्ज़ों की ना होगी कोई शिकायत,
क्योंकि, तेरे वश में ना होगा इंतज़ार
तुम दिल से ना कर पाओगे इनकार!

अंत में, पूछ ही लेती हूँ एक सवाल,
क्या कभी खुद से जाहिर कर पाओगे 
ख्वाबों में ही हुए मिलन का एहसास?

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Bihar’s Super 30!

“You can’t be brave if you have only had wonderful things happen to you.” – *Mary Tyler Moore*

Life does not have to be perfect or to be wonderful, and I know village people are not so lucky like city people. Luck can only take you so far…after that, the talent takes over. That is what makes us different from others. They have done so many things with the minimum resources.

Well I am not talking about history or geography of Bihar. This is all about “Bihar’s Super 30“- all 30 make it to the IITs! It is the first time that Super 30 achieved 100 % success. As the name of the institute denotes, it enrols every year only 30 aspirants from poor families through conducting tests and provides them with free coaching, lodging, and fooding. This is the first time when all of its 30 candidates passed the highly competitive IIT exam. The state again proved that it can be poor economically, but is rich in brain drains.

Patna: All the thirty students enrolled in Super 30, an innovative coaching institute in Bihar, have passed the highly competitive Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) this year, the institute announced it.

To read more about it please do click on the link ”Bihar scripts name in golden letters in IIT“ 

Bihar brains!

“Nothing is written on stone, and we are masters of our own destiny”!

Sometimes it’s necessary to trackback the history as these historical perceptions have a lot of things to tell! I have read that about 2500 years ago, the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment at Bodh Gaya under a tree, which is now known as the “Bodhi Tree“. Mahavir bhagwan was also born on this ancient kingdom of Vaishali where he achieved perfect enlightment. The author of the Hindu epic; The Ramayana, Maharishi Valmiki also lived in Ancient Bihar. The birthplace of Sita Mata is a village called “Punaura“, located at Sitamarhi in Bihar. Guru Goind Singh was born at Patna Sahib marked by a glorious Gurudwara called the  “Takht Sri Patna Sahib” built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh is in Bihar. Chankya was born in Bihar and in fact “Chanakya Niti“ is the backbone of Indian politics. In 1787 Queen ‘Ahilya Bai’ built the Vishnu temple (Vishnupad Temple, 12km, at Gaya) on the banks of river Falgu is also in Bihar.

Have you ever think why Bihar, the land of Lord Buddha is suffering? As we all must be knowing Bihar is very poor in infrastructure. That’s the reason people of bihar have to struggle a lot to make their career bright. Now as far as Biharies are concerned, I know they do hard work that’s why they are not behind and you may find them everywhere from A-Z places in India, and no doubt they always prove their capability by their deeds!

Many of the Biharies are educated but they often have to leave Bihar to look for better opportunities to other parts of India. Needless to say that it’s the poor fate of Bihar that forces biharies to live outside Bihar. People don’t require to talk about biharis with close eyes!
 
Anyway, let’s read about two IAS Biharis: “Keshavendra” bagged rank 45 and “Ravikant” bagged rank 77. Both of them have struggled a lot to achieve their ultimate goals. They have set an inspirational example in front of us and they have proved that Bihar is not behind and never be so! And also a Bihar boy “Shitikanth” tops IIT-JEE exam! Yes it’s Biharis; yes they are the people who are mushrooming everywhere!

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Voice of the heart!

This time I feel, I am making a write up, almost at the middle-age of my life. Yes, I am almost in the middle of this moment and as I know the average living age in India is about 52 to 56, this write-up becomes very important for me. Sometimes I feel, why world is not simpler, why things get so complicated?

I am about to cross the half of my age and most of life I have spent in hostel. So, I got opportunity to learn and experienced it first hand from various chapters in different the phases of life. Thinking there is no right and wrong thing, it’s just a choice, we can choose best or worse, it’s totally up to us. But again it is a very difficult job to choose a better way!

I have learned many lessons in my life till now, but I am thinking….”how it would be, if I could pass on one valuable message to my close and beloved ones before I could die?

I know, it’s not possible for me…because I am not mature enough to leave a beautiful message for anybody. I myself have to learn and get more and more lessons from others. Nevertheless, I am still in the learning process and wish to lead my life by learning from people. People learn doing mistakes and I too am a same kind of person, each mistake of my life gives a lesson. What’s life without mistakes!

At last, it’s always totally up to us and our choices, but I feel a lesson should be repeated until it is fully learned.

Regards.