Is it a deam?

No it is photography .. randomly found on google

Saraswati Puja

One of the many celebrations in Bengal of which every Bengali will feel nostalgic about, more so if one has to stay away from home. For a Bengali youth this puja brings with it the joy of school life. I hope I am not exaggerating..

Go back to your school days .. you were in 9th standard .. in charge of the school's organising committee .. bossing over the 'kids' and giving instructions to them .. how to decorate the classroom with papers and marbles .. how to decorate the room beside with all the drawings submitted in the last drawing competition .. starting from novish drawings of the first standard in one side of the room and gradually displaying more serious/sensible stuff by those coming from senior students. Then the 'alpana' for which the white material has to be made ready .. one of the 'didimonis' (madams) from the primary sections will draw it at the last moment. Then to decorate the gate with mango leaves and placing two 'ghats' with banana leaves (kolapata) in two corners of the door. Then to publish the wall-magazine. Organising the caterers for food and finally sending invitation cards to other schools.

This last topic used to be the most memorable one .. for a typical Boys' school particularly .. There would be some Girls' schools in the list of the schools to be invited. And class IX gives you the first chance to be senior enough to go to outside schools representing your schools.. and this would be one occasion (oportunity) when you would get a warm welcome to whichever school you go. And everytime the more seniors would make the list in such a way that they get to visit 'those' schools marked in the list. And you always repent that every time you are not selected among those who can go to 'special' schools and you always would have felt that it was conspiracy done to you deliberately. And then you would remain statisfied looking at the invitation cards that would come to your school from the others.

Looking back now .. those things / sentiments seem to be so silly .. but alas! Those days had the colours of their own and that's why they are still in my memory and that's why I could not help going down memory lane on the eve of the puja.

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Saraswati mahabhage bidye kamalolochone
Bishwarupe bishalakshi vidyang dehi namahstute!

Saraswatwai namahnityang bhadrakalwai namah namaha
Ved Vedanaga Vedanta Vidyasthanebhya ebacha!

Jaya jaya devi characharosare
Kuchojugo shobhita muktahare
Beena Pustaka ranjita haste
Bhagavati bharati devi namahstute!

sa me basatu jiwahayang beenapustakadharini
murariballave devi sarbashukla saraswati!

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His Memories

From his diary (dated 17 January, 2006):

He wakes up late in the morning.. rubs his eyes with his fingers .. sitting on the bed .. looks front .. the glass on his table .. some water still left in it. Even some hours back his parents were with him. His mom had drunk water from that glass .. minutes before they left to catch the early morning train. He went to see them off. Came back with emptiness all around. He slept after that. Slept to stop the emotions overcasting his eyes. Now he wakes up and that apparently harmless glass with some water left in it makes him feel lonely once more.

Still he stands on his feet .. takes the glass to the wash-basin, throws the water, cleans the glass and puts it on the table. His eyes are feeling heavy once again...

Short stories

Thieves at TIFR:

At around 3:35 today there was some noise outside the colony gate. According to witnesses some armed Navy personnel ran towards the TIFR main gate (leading to the auditorium) chasing some people. The TIFR colony guards came out being curious. No one seemed to have any idea what exactly happened. People (read gossip-mongers) smiling at each other joking saying that there must some one with AK 47 seen going inside .. On being asked the colony guards were heard saying what we could do if the navy people could not stop 'them' from entering this protected area .. as if a school children returning home after an exam, in order to defend himself, saying "What can I do papa, even the first boy of the class could not solve the problem!"

Inquisitive faces kept on gathering there .. in front the colony gate. After half an hour two armed navy guards were seen (with machine guns) coming back from the auditorim premises .. mercury raised its highest .. only to hear .. "Kuch nahi! kuch log nariyel churane aye the Navy temple se, aur bhag rahe the TIFR seashore se Gitanagar ke taraf..!" (Some people stole coconuts from the trees in that Navy Nagar temple and were using TIFR seashore to run away!)

What an anti-climax!!

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Heard from a friend - similar story

A similar took place at one of the primier institutes some four years back. There was a rumour at the institute that a leopard had been seen in the campus. Armed police were apponited and three jips full with security people went inside the jungle near by. After hours of extensive and exhaustive efforts they were able to find a buffalow !
Poor thing!

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Sex and the city!

This is also a story heard from a friend. This person by mistake goes to place in that nice city and some girl comes to him and asks him for something in french and our poor fellow does not understand and asks her to repeat the question. Being unable to make out even in the second attempt the poor fellow directs that girl to another aged lady and thinks that he has done the best he could have done. Then on second thought he turns back and sees that girl standing at the same place as if awaiting someone! He smells something wrong, enters a new lane to find some restaurant well decorated and sound of dance and music coming from inside. He looks up and sees it's written "Sex City" in above all the shops. The poor fellow feels very bad for realising that, though unknowingly, he has entered some place which he is not supposed to! At thesame time he feels surprised to find out how different the culture in abroad is. They take this business as lightly as any other profession. And they do not feel shy about it.

Our fellow learns a lesson and comes back home.

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Here is a tribute to the man who even after 250 years of his birthday is equally famous among music-lovers and so he will remain for the genrations to come .. Happy Birthday !