Mind Rocks youth summit, Delhi 2013 – a rocking experience that made my day

There are some moments in our life that give us immense joy…moments that are remembered forever. For me, Mind Rocks 2013 summit Delhi was one day full of pleasant experiences that I will never forget.

Waking up early in the morning on a lazy Saturday and reaching the venue at 8.30am seemed a task to me. But when I reached Siri Fort auditorium, I was amazed to see the swarm of youngsters at the registration desk, eagerly waiting to be let in. Once in, counters distributing the goody bag and food coupons welcomed us. Munching my donut, sandwich and sipping the flavoured milk, me and my blogger friends quickly surveyed the goodies inside the yellow sling bags…tummy full and bags full, we were all smiles as we entered the auditorium. And inside, the best surprise awaited us…bloggers had been allotted special seats in the front! “Wow! That means we can watch Farhan Akhtar & Virat Kohli that close!”, the three of us echoed in excitement!

Rocking Start

The auditorium was full of young power, students, professionals; all awaited the event to begin. India Today surely knew how to energize the crowd on a boring morning. So when the winner of Mind Rocks Be a rockstar contest, rock band Antriksh began their performance, the thump of the drums and resonance of the guitar strings had the crowd swaying.

The performance was followed by welcome address by Kaveree Bamzai, Editor, India Today. We were eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of our favourite youth icons…

Sportsmanship at its best with Leander Paes

When Kunal Pradhan, Deputy Editor, India Today, introduced the first youth icon for the day, Leander Paes, our eyes went wide with excitement. For not only was Leander looking super fit and dashing but the humbleness in his tone and the simplicity with which he spoke bowled us over! He shared the story of his childhood, his passion for the game, his struggle in the journey to success and his zest for life that keeps him going. He had mentioned he goes for any event only when he believes in it and his quotes did prove that. “If you can handle triumph and disaster at the same time, then let’s play the game and play it hard”...good words flowed until the buzz of the siren signaled it was time for the next session.

Bhangra with the rap queen

We were wondering who next and suddenly RJ Aparshakti Khurana from Oye 104.8 FM announced Hard Kaur! Hard Kaur, with her bindaas attitude and witty answers was an instant hit with the crowd. The story of a simple girl of Indian origin, Taran Kaur Dhillon making it big in the male dominated UK rap industry had us all impressed, while her impromptu bhangra and rap with the crowd had us all pleased. “Nobody is a superstar, skills come first”, was her mantra before the siren went buzz for the next session.

The fruit of risk taking

Dhruv Shringi, co-founder and CEO, yatra.com spoke about the importance of failures in ones life and how the disappointments are just a catalyst to propel you to work harder towards your goal. He called the story of his life, his meandering ways – from his stint with entrepreneurship to his MBA from Insead, from the aftermath of 9/11 on his career to the life changing decision he took after being fired….he shared it all as budding entrepreneurs in the crowd heard with attention. “Don’t be afraid to take risk. You don’t know what will happen until you try it out. Seize the opportunity with conviction, focus and self belief” was his mantra.

Crime not age

If you thought Mind Rocks was just about fun, well, MindRocks also creates awareness in the youth about their rights and duties. The next session, crime and age spoke about the need for amendment in the juvenile justice act, in the wake of the Nirbhaya Gang Rape case. Dr. Kiran Bedi began the session explaining some eye opening facts about the juvenile justice act to create awareness amongst the youth. Despite being the icon that she is, she hit an instant connection with the youth when she said “Dil ki baat hoti hai to Hindi mein hi nikalti hai!” Gul Panag shared her concerns about women safety and earned a housefull of applauds when she questioned people naming their shops “Gulab Chand and sons” and not “Gulab Chand and daughters”while Nishta Gautam got us all emotional with her heart touching poem on the Nirbhaya Gangrape case. 

A panel discussion on juvenile justice act followed with focus on the need to amend the act so that crime, not age becomes the topmost priority in the eyes of law.

The appearance of Nirbhaya’s parents at the summit was a real emotional moment and many tears flowed as the parents spoke about how the act should be amended to punish true offenders who get unfair protection by the tag of being a juvenile. They also unveiled India Today’s campaign on juvenile justice act amendment “Crime not age”

How I wrote my first book

Author of the famous “Shiva Trilogy”, Amish Tripathi was next youth icon on stage. Taking us through his journey towards his first book, Amish spoke about how self belief, focus and being pragmatic helped him achieve success in his field. “Be open to questioning and stay focussed” was his mantra.

First Time Voters, critical elections

The next session was a real stormy one. For the panel included representative each from the major contending parties for the assembly elections – Deepender Singh Hooda from Congress, Mr. Sanjeev Kaul from BJP and Arvind Kejriwal from AAP. It was a real treat to hear the three of them talking about their commitment to improve the state of affairs and at the same time, telling their party to be better than the other two. Rahul Kanwal as the moderator was at his best, sometimes throwing the perfect question to get the Netas talking and also to cease fire whenever someone went overboard. The icing of the cake was when Arvind Kejriwal stepped to give his speech…for the crowd went bursting with enthusiasm as Slogans like “Bharat Mata ki Jai” echoed the venue.

Pet Pooja

Rain started by the time we were out for lunch and between the hide and seek that the raindrops played, we gorged on the spread laid especially for the young delegates. It was also time to tag our facebook profiles with the Mind Rocks hashtag and some picture posing with the mind rocks placards.

The real youth icon

Lunch was followed by an award ceremony to felicitate a young icon who worked to educate herself and others in her village and also took initiatives to create awareness about various social issues in her village. To our horror, our reserved seats had been grabbed by some college kids and negotiation skills were tested big time as we convinced them to get our seats back.

Chance pe dance with Lauren and Salman

The girls went ooh and the guys went aah as Salman and Lauren entered the stage and had the crowd rocking with their “perfect” lift and dance moves. They even obliged some enthusiasts from the crowd to join them for the dance moves while others danced in their seats. It was fun to see Lauren try Bhangra moves with much enthusiasm. She came across as someone very cute and friendly yet focussed. “Never give up, always push towards your goal” was her mantra.

Virat Kohli!!!

When Virat Kohli entered the stage, it was as if the whole auditorium was on wild fire. Jumps, shouts, shrieks, the crowd when ballistic with excitement. But that didn’t deter Virat, who shared how he learnt the right way from his mistakes. It was really inspiring to hear him talk about the rough patch when he was expelled from the Indian team. However, instead of sulking about it, Virat was positive enough to keep practicing and got back to his form, earning much appreciation and fame. “Stay determined, stay focussed, stay yourself” was his mantra.

Love, life and Relationships

After success tips by Virat Kohli, it was time to discuss love and relationships with Aditi Rao Hydari. However, more than the session on relationships, it turned out to be a session on Aditi herself. While RJ Aparshakti kept throwing requests for song, dance and her personal life, Aditi too was very sweet as she interacted with the crowd. Though it seemed her outfit was making a bit uncomfortable for her to dance so she tried her best to perfect the repetitive moves. A small contest followed where 3 guys from the crowd were asked to write a post card expressing their feelings to Aditi and the best one chosen by Aditi won a prize.

Stay Hungry, stay smart

Ajay Bijli of PVR cinemas shared his story from a boy who loved to watch movies in Priya cinema to the entrepreneur who revolutionized the entire experience of cinema theatres. From his favourite PVR theatre to getting the latest technology to viewers, his session was a real interesting one.

Icing on the cake

The last session was the session I had been awaiting all day long. And perhaps the whole lot of others too. For when Farhan Akhtar came on stage, the crowd went uncontrollable. The moderator Kallie Puri had to try hard to get the crowd calm so that Farhan could speak. Me and my blogger friends were just speechless, capturing every moment in our eyes, with a wide smiles on our faces. Farhan spoke about his passion for cinema that pushes him to try something new every time. His passion was evident from the fact that in childhood he watched a film everyday before going to school (and wake up early morning to watch the movie). With a great sense of humor, Farhan took on the house. The crowd couldn’t help but ask for more of Farhan and he too gladly performed a song and dance with the crowd.

After a day full of sessions, it was time to unwind. Hard Kaur took on to the stage and the crowd grooved to her performance on popular numbers.

Meeting so many youth icons on a single day was like a real dream come true, a magic box of celebs. Thanks India Today for making the day so special and the opportunity to be among the official bloggers for the event! 

You can catch highlights of the event at

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/youthsummit/delhi/2013/

Get rocking with MindRocks!

A successful nation is the one that unleashes the power of its youth and channelizes it for development. Youth has the power to make the impossible possible, the spirit to strive for a better tomorrow, the courage to stand up for what is right and the brains to think and innovate.

Recognizing the potential of the Indian youth and giving them a platform to express their opinion, India Today Group organizes Mind Rocks youth summitevery year. Since its inception in 2010, Mind Rocks celebrates the spirit of youth through ideas, music and art. The forum brings together youth and their icons, and when so many great brains get together under one roof, the flow of ideas is simply inspiring! While the icons share their success stories and tips, the youth share ideas bubbling in their mind. There are contests, performances, forums, lots of like minded people – all the ingredients for a perfect youth event!

Last year, Mind Rocks Summit in Delhi saw youth icons like Priyanka Chopra, Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Kanwal, Mary Kom, Imtiaz Ali and many others who shared the stories of their struggle to success. There were views, Q&A, contests and a rocking performance by Indian Ocean. You can read a snapshot of last year’s event here.

This year too, India Today is all set for a spectacular summit. The recent summit at Kolkata was a huge success with the likes of Chetan Bhagat, Brett Lee, Irrfan Khan and many others share their success tips. You can read the details of the event here.

The summit promises to recreate the same magic in Delhi on September 21, 2013 at Sri Fort Auditorium.

The speakers include icons who have made their mark early in their respective fields –

Virat kohli – Vice Captain, Indian Cricket team

Hard Kaur – British Indian Rapper & Hip Hop singer

Farhan Akhtar – Actor, Producer & Director

Mahi Vij – TV Actor & Model

Jay Bhanushali – TV Actor, Dancer & Anchor

Dr Kiran Bedi – Former IPS Officer & Social Activist

Amish Tripathi – Author

Ajay Bijli – Chairman & MD, PVR Ltd

Gul Panag – Actor, Model

Shraddha Kapoor – Actor

Leander Paes – Tennis Player

Chris Gayle* - Cricketer – West Indies

*Invited

Other Highlights of the event –

·   Interaction with the speakers

·   Live Rock Band Session

·   Digital RFID;

·   Photo Booth;

·    Like-man;

·   Gesture Music Game Kiosk etc. 

·   The ‘Real Youth Icon’ an initiative to recognize and reward the ‘Unsung Heroes’ in our society in association with UNICEF India

·   ‘SingAlong’ - Online KARAOKE Contest and their winners singing Live at the event in association with Singchana 

And that’s not all, the icing on the cake is a live performance by none other than Hard Kaur! Yipppeee! I just love her Hip Hop & it will be a treat to watch her perform live! Read more about the program at the Mind Rocks Summit official webpage at

Food, fun, contests, views, reviews, tips, performances and a lot of engagement – Mind Rocks promises to give youth the best of all! So, what are you waiting for? Registrations are open!

So calling all you future icons of tomorrow, come, hop in, Mind Rocks is sure to get you rocking!

This is a sponsored post for India Today Mind Rocks summit. I am proud to be among the official bloggers for the summit. Keep hopping in to my blog & twitter (@shaivisharma) for more details and live coverage of the event.

*Information courtesy India Today. Programme subject to change at the discretion of India Today Group and other event partners.

For the Love of Art

It’s good to be a supportive spouse most of the times. Just that sometimes your overenthusiastic efforts bounce back, leaving you with no option. Well, something of this sort happened to me recently.

From Salsa to French lessons to MBA and what not, Mr. Hubby has been at his encouraging best. This time I thought of a role reversal. I had often seen him appreciate good art and the hunger to paint and draw in his eyes. Often, I asked him to resume what he left behind in school, but hubbies, you know, have a mind of their own. An year ago, I got him Canvass, paints and other tools to get going. Many art exhibitions added fuel to the fire. We even did some paintings together on our Lansdowne holiday (sorry haven’t mentioned it on my Lansdowne post). All my efforts finally paid off when few days ago, Mr. Hubby walked up to me and said “We are joining painting classes. I have enrolled and the classes begin this weekend!”

Wow! Mission successful! But hey, wait…rewind…what did he say, “WE are joining”…when did I become a part of this?

Me, from the moment I can remember, had been terrible with anything and everything remotely related to art. Drawing was the most dreaded period in school. While all kids were busy fine tuning the anatomy of the human structures, I was still struggling with getting the left eye symmetrical to the right eye on the sheet that often turned black or even tore by frequent use of eraser!

My moment did come once though in the 4^th standard, when the teacher was surprised to see my perfect drawing. The drawing is still afresh in my memory – a birthday party, huge table, ballons, birthday cake and excited kids eager to get their piece of cake. Somehow I had even got the eyes symmetrical this time. So when the teacher appreciated, I was elated! The teacher asked me to fill up the colors. I attempted my creative best, and loved every bit of the painting when it was done. Wish there were Camera phones back then. But then, a child is the apple of his mother’s eyes, irrespective of how s/he looks.

The elated feeling came down with a thud when the teacher gave a look and shouted her lungs, “What have you done? The whole painting is spoiled. Since when did tables become purple in colour?” Her shout was loud enough for the whole class to hear and I could feel the heat behind my ears in the silent room. Sheepishly, I took my drawing and went back to my seat, ignoring the giggles on the back bench.

And now, when I look at modern art and houses with red walls and so many odd combinations done at the pretext of creativity, I wonder, if a wall can be blue, why couldn't a table be Purple back then?

That was it. I called it a day and parted ways with drawing; never ever told about that class incident to anyone. My parents tried a lot to revive the interest – taking me to art competitions, getting colors, books etc. But nothing much happened apart from a few participation certificates. I did manage the drawing part very well later in project work and zoology practical files. But as far as drawing and painting was concerned, it was over for me.

So, when Mr. Hubby gave me the shock of my life that day, I just kept gazing at him. No amount of pleading helped. Mr. Hubby of course knows about the school incident and felt the only way to resume what I had left then was to give it one more shot. Oh God, what goes around, comes around! I was cornered.

Like a dutiful wife, I did surrender, well more because he had already paid the money for me without informing me. By now, he has learnt enough emotional drama from me so insisted he would only go if I accompanied him. In short, I was left with no other option!

We did go for the art class.  But to know whether I rocked or shocked, you will have to wait, coz it deserves a separate post. Right now, am almost late for work and I obviously can’t tell boss I got late coz I was finishing my blog post!

So, part –II in the evening. Stay tuned!

Janmashtmi – then and now

Beautifully decked up Gopis (aka galz of the city), gleaming lights spread across temples, the aroma of delicacies being prepared in the kitchen, the festivity in the air, and enjoying it all from his jhoola, our cuties pie Laddoo Gopala, with a flute in his hand and a cherubic smile on his face…

Happy Janmashtmi!

Being born and brought up in Delhi, Janmashtmi has always been a big affair for me. I have lost track of the time since when have I been fasting every Janmashtmi. As a kid, my house was near the famous Birla Mandir of Delhi. Every Janmashtmi, I used to be up and ready in my new clothes, pestering papa to take me to temple. At that age, more than the bhajans and puja, I used to look forward to the lovely Jhoolas right outside the temple. Birla Mandir used to have some amazing moving Jhankis, one of their kind at that time. Many TV channels and thousands of devotees used to flock the temple garden to catch a glimpse.

 Post examining each Jhanki & enjoying the yummy Prasad came the best part – the Jhoolas and the fair outside the temple! With a twinkle in my eyes I would rush to each jhoola. I was super greedy about the Giant wheel and loved the butterfly in the stomach feel whenever the jhoola came down at a great speed. Every circle meant waiving to Papa, who would patiently wait downstairs, lovingly watching his bundle of joy enjoying the ride! I had to be forced to return home where mom would be busy preparing delicious food!

We shifted to the new house & the joy of jhoolas and temple jhankis was replaced by our very own jhanki! Me and my friends would spend the whole day creating jhanki out of household stuff. Blue surf detergent used to create river, toys to create villagers…the jhanki would be complete with a small boy & girl dressed as Radha and Krishna. As neighbourhood aunties flocked to our jhankis & appreciated our creativity, we would swell up with pride at our labour of love! Some generous aunty would sponsor the Prasad which was distributed after the midnight pooja.

Those were the days…

And now…amidst the hustle bustle of the city swelling with new inhabitants everyday, the charm of Janmashtmi has reduced to watching live coverage from temples on TV. Grandmother’s bhajans have been replaced by “Radha on the dance floor”. But I’m glad the charm of the festival remains, albeit with a modern twist (oops remix) to it!

Once or twice, we tried going to the good old Birla Mandir & Iskcon temple, but the swarm of people overcrowding the temple premises left me feeling claustrophobic. The delicious preparations are still made, just that they are now prepared by me and my mom in law. With frequent security threats, the common man now fears to venture out in crowded places on such days. Even the local Gopis feel unsafe with many a Kansas hovering around the city!

As I look at Lord Krishna enjoying his maakhan mishri , I wonder and say “Is this your Gokul?” where the Kansas have outnumbered the Krishnas

The Gopi inside sings a silent song –

Kansa bharey chaaron or (Kansas hovering around everywhere),

Kare humein pareshan, machayein shor (Troubling us),

Chalao Sudarshan bachao humein, lao chain chaaron or (Use ur Sudarshan wheel and save us),

Coz this Gopi wants a safe city once more!

Prayer or just a mobile ringtone?

On a lovely morning, when one boards the overtly crowded Delhi metro, some breathing space and no nonsense neighbors is what one hopes for. Some days are lucky, and some, well, lucky for others.

As I boarded the usual morning metro from Rajiv Chowk this morning, I was greeted by a bright gentleman with an “X-Ray vision” (The way his eyes were checking out each every girl entering the coach would put any metro security guard to shame). But being from Delhi, this is a usual affair for me, so I quickly made way towards the opposite pillar and immersed myself into the book in hand. Suddenly, the sound of Hariharan enthralled the entire coach. He was singing the Hanuman Chalisa, and on a busy morning, this sounded like a treat to my ears and I closed my eyes enjoying the Chalisa (prayer). 

But, he had merely sung half the beginning shloka when he was interrupted by a loud “Hullow” and some stuff like “Hum 15 minute mein office pahunch jayenge (will reach office in 15 minutes)”. Knowing for sure that Hariharan wouldn’t have sounded like this, I opened my eyes & discovered that this was the voice of the same Mr. X-Ray vision.  The not so gentle man had chosen Hanuman Chalisa as his mobile ringtone and the prayer had been interrupted as he had received a call.

This isn't the first time that I have witnessed something like this. Often I see people choosing religious prayers as their ringtones and the calls are almost always answered before the prayer or shloka is complete. In Hindu religion, it isn't considered a good practice to leave prayer incomplete as it is believed to annoy the concerned God/Goddess. Sounds logical as well. Prayers, I believe were created out of man’s respect and affection for God. If you decipher the lyrics of any prayer, it praises the lord for the way they have cared for the world and request them to continue to do the same.  Like love, devotion can either be expressed or implied, but if one chooses to express it, one should ensure it isn't done halfheartedly  Imagine how would you feel if you are waiting to hear some magical words from your beloved and all s/he says is something incomplete and leaves in between. Instead of invoking feelings of love, it would be considered rude and would annoy you. God, too, has a heart, even though much bigger than us. And if we truly love God, we ought to care about his emotions as well.

As the great Karl Marx said, “Religion is the opium of masses.” True. Religion drives so much around. For some, religion is felt from the heart, and for some, it’s a way of expression, and they openly flaunt it, as if to prove their kindness and piousness. But by keeping prayers as mobile ringtones and not showing due respect, what message are some people trying to convey? That they are too busy to thank God in the proper manner, or they are great enough to remember God in a half baked fashion, despite their busy schedules?

God has created this beautiful world, and all he wants is to be remembered wholeheartedly, even if silently in heart for few minutes a day. In this big bad world in the peak of Kalyug, when everyone is mesmerized by materialism and selfishness, the least we can do is to do something only if we can show true respect. Else not go for it. God wouldn't mind if you remember him once a day. But he would for sure feel disappointed if we make his prayer our mobile ringtone when we can’t give due respect to the prayer. 

So, for people like Mr. X Ray eyes I met this morning, please make prayers as your ringtone only when you know your karma ledger is clean and you can give respect to God, his prayers and his creations.

As I write this blog, I also want to clarify that I am not writing this as a representative of God, because he exists within us all. But, yes, I love God and I know the first rule to love someone truly is to show true respect and make a commitment only when it can be fulfilled.

To be or not to be – Ashamed

Though we aren’t typical fitness buffs, Mr. Hubby & I do have frequent bouts of fitness consciousness. That’s when we head to the various magnificent parks of saadi Dilli for a good walk. The one that’s my favorite is Lodi Garden. With a boasting variety of lush green trees, white ducks lazying around in a beautiful manmade lake, kids playing around, fitness freaks sweating it out, Lodi Garden surely is a prized possession of Delhi.

A recent visit to the Garden though, inspired me to reveal another quality of Lodi Garden – a regular hangout for youngsters who are unaware of their shame quotient. Sometimes shooting hormones overtake the shame quotient and the couples run on the highway of lust, hoping to be embraced by Cupid himself! Sounds funny? Well, last evening, as I went for the usual walk, the scenarios I witnessed gave me the perfect masala, and being the crazy greedy blogger, anything and everything the brown eyes see, the hands quickly blog it down.

Well, before telling you about what exactly happened, it’s important to give some more insights about these couples. Normally, a sultry summer day would keep us within the confines of our homes. But for these hormone driven souls, the wrong is right. Bad weather is the perfect weather; coz it ensures no one’s watching their coochy cooing. So you will spot more action behind the bushes on a bad weather day than on a pleasant one. Is it shame quotient or fear of being caught – only they can answer & I have honestly never bothered to ask.

So, last evening, 100m down the jogging track inside the garden, I spotted something in bright maroon behind the bushes. Having read recently in the tabloids about an eve teasing case in Lodi Garden, I decided to find out. To my surprise, the lady in maroon was comfortably seated on the lap of her beau, enjoying perhaps the smelly bushes and the boundary wall view. (Can’t really explain it all here, please feel free to estimate what I actually saw). Here I was thinking someone needed help whereas that someone herself was lending a helping hand. Seeing the angry me heading towards them, Mr. Hubby immediately took charge and told me not to interfere in someone’s private matter. “A private matter in a public property! Filthy!” was all I could utter in the loudest possible tone before Mr. Hubby took me away from them.

Seems the show had just begun. Few meters ahead, again in the bushes, I spotted a scene, more interesting than the previous one – one beauty serenaded by two guys. Usually, there is only one hero but hats off to this girl for smartly managing two of them. I wasn't ready to believe, so standing on the jogging track, my eyes searched for the 2^nd gal. But soon I realized standing there would have meant making a fool out of myself. People passed by and nobody bothered to look that side, then why do I waste my time? Let it be, I thought and ran to catch up with Mr. Hubby who had by now jogged way ahead of me.

The picture was far from over. For behind almost every thick tree, I could easily spot action, even from a distance. And we even got to witness the typical climax ala Bolly wood style. Just as we crossed the jogging track near Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, my eyes saw the impossible. A couple was rolling away in the park. The shame quotient had gone so low that they didn’t even bother to hide behind a tree. The scene reminded me of the Sridevi starring “Nagina” movie I had seen as a kid, where two snakes rolled away non-stop when fighting. This one of course was far from fighting. Two fat aunties walking in the park too stopped and began looking at them in horror. A couple playing nearby with their kid quickly took the child away. This time I decided neither to give up nor to wait for a guard to come and shoo them away. Moving a bit close to them, I gave them a continuous stern sixty year old auntie look, till the snakes quickly went out of sight.

As I walked, I wondered was it the sense of shame that makes such couples find cozy corners in public parks or the lack of it that makes them give in to their hormones in the first place!

Feeling a sense of pride in my silent moral policing, I quickly jogged to catch up with Mr. Hubby, and just as I was telling him my hero moment, my eyes went wide to see the girl in maroon still in action behind the bushes. Several thoughts came to mind –

     1.     Click their pic & threaten to tweet to police if they don’t move out

     2.    Throw pebbles at them and disturb them

     3.    Charge at them, claiming to be from a moral policing organization.

     4.    Just ask them to leave and go to a park where there weren't any kids.

Wondering what I eventually did? Well, nothing, for I saw a bunch of drivers enjoying the matinee show by peeping from the boundary wall. The couple of course was oblivious to the uninvited guests.

“Serves them right” I said with a smile and resumed my jog...

Maybe the authorities can consider something like this for the annoying lot

Ladoo Gopaal!

What do I say about my favorite laddoos….the soft, yellow balls of sheer pleasure that just melt in mouth! Any foodie would vouch for it! Even our Ganpati Bappa….it’s his favorite sweet after all…he loves it when devotees offer modaks (ladoos) during Ganpathi to please him & returns their prayers with blessings & happiness! Even Lord Krishna couldn’t resist himself the temptation of this sweet…his baby form is popularly known as laddoo gopaal among devotees!

Laddoo or laaadoo as we call it is a sweet of good times…a sweet that when shared spreads  happiness and foster brotherhood  irrespective of caste or class.  No matter who voted for whom, when election results are out, no one minds popping up laddoos distributed by the winners.  No Independence day function goes complete without laddoos. As kids we used to get up early & rush to sing patriotic songs in our colony’s Independence Day function…just to get an extra laddoo or two distributed after flag hosting. The greed was carried even to the temples where I used to demand the bigger laddoo from panditjee, as if it is the birthright of every child…and with a humble smile, he used to oblige me while my mother used to have this “ye kab sudhreygee”look!

Our relation with laddoos begins the day we come into this world! Laddoos are distributed among family and friends upon the arrival of a laddoo gopaal (little one…since children are an incarnation of God) in the family. I have lost count now of the number of times I have stuffed 2-3 laddoos at a go in my brother’s mouth during Rakhi. It’s a usual sight to see parents distributing laddoos among neighbours when their little champ passes with flying colors (pappu pass ho gayaaa!)…It’s a treat to the eyes when fans of all castes & creeds for once come together to share their pride with laddoos, dhol beats & firecrackers when India wins that cricket series!

Since our auspicious Lord Ganesha is roped in whenever a new chapter of our life begins, how can laddoos be left behind? Whether it’s buying of a car, a new house or beginning of new business, laddoos are everywhere!  In the big fat Indian weddings, ladoos are as important as priest … ladoos are a must in the bhaji (or assortment of sweets distributed to relatives and friends during weddings). Bride and groom to be are treated with laddoos when the match is fixed (ooops…finalized) is to bring sweetness in their relationship. A young bride bringing with her laddoos to the family is considered a sign of her bringing happiness, prosperity and sweetness in the family.  Laddoos are given to a new mother to recuperate with the physical strain of bearing a child. Any puja, any havan goes incomplete without laddoos. No matter how strict a mother is, her little one stealing laddoos from the home temple is overlooked as it’ s the family’s laddoo gopaal satiating his taste buds!

Who can forget the aroma from box of laddoos our loving mothers send to our hostels! The til (sesame) laddoos prepared by my mother in law during winters is one of the hardest things  to resist & I fulfill my duty as a loving bhabhi by secretly doling out special servings to my brother in law, much more than his budgeted per day limit. Whatever be the occasion…a laddoo stuffed in mouth is sure shot mantra to bring a smile on your face…try eating a laddoo without smiling!

Though in India, laddoos come in many varieties, (gramflour, coconut, sesame, edible gum, moong daal), all are progenies of the traditional motichoor laddoos, also known as boondi ladoos. Made of Bengal gram, sugar, nuts and desi ghee (clarified butter), perfecting the art of ladoos is not everyone’s cup of tea. You will find that the flavor of laddoos will change at every shop; each giving its signature flavor to the age old recipe.  Laddoos prepared in villages are extra big and extra sweet (just like the people there!)… You and I might not be able to manage more than one laddoo. But it’s a treat for villagers who, used to strenuous physical activity gobble up anywhere between 20-50 ladoos in a single session! As warriors sing their tales of triumph, women at village feasts are often seen sharing counts of ladoos they had…competing with their friends…a’ la Hot dog eating contests!

I’ve been fortunate to savour some of the best ladoos in town. During my sister’s wedding, special Halwai was arranged from the walled city to prepare ladoos to be sent to the groom’s family. My wedding bhaji had a generous quantity of boondi and besan ladoos which I even carried to my honeymoon, much to the amusement of my husband! Such is a Dilliwalla’s love for ladoos.

In Delhi, it’s not hard to find ladoos to suit your palate. Evergreen Sweet House at Green Park market serve awesome motichoor  ladoos. Found by a skilled halwai, Late Shri Radha Krishan Chopra  in 1961, Evergreen Sweet House export to USA, UK, Italy, Germany, Kuwait, Australia & The Kiwiland! Once on a visit to Goa, our host asked us specially to bring laddoos from Evergreen and the staff at counter swelled with pride when I told him their soaring popularity.

Evergreen Sweet House,

S-29 & 30, Green Park Main Market, New Delhi – 110016.

Phone: + 91-11-26521615/ 26514642

The Haldiram’s & Bikanervala’s too do a decent job at dishing out ladoos. However, the taste may vary from outlet to outlet. After all, every second sweet shop in Delhi is christened Bikanervala !

Any visit to Bengali market goes incomplete without a visit to Nathu’s sweets there. After gorging on their very famous chhole bhature, my taste buds just want their laddoos. They serve really and sumptuous ladoos and it requires a lot of effort to control your temptation beyond 1 laddoo.

Nathu's sweets
23,24,25 Bengali market
New Delhi-110001 

Almost every Army person coming back from Jalandhar is seen carrying laddoos from lovely sweets (popularly known as “lovely ke laddoos”) for his family and friends back home. I recently checked their website & u can order ladoos online for 230.00 (a little less than $5.00). I am yet to savour them but have heard so much and really look forward to.

www.lovelysweets.com

On an official trip to Kanpur, my husband once called me and said he is getting Thaggu ke ladoos….i found the name quite unreal and initially dismissed as a joke but found that “Thaggu ke laddu” really do exist! The name Thaggu, or the hindi word for thief, really steals hearts of those who savour them. The shop is so confident about their ladoos that the packaging mentions “Aisa koi saga nahi jisko humney thaga  nahi”….Made from cashews, semolina, nuts, almond etc the ladoos really will steal your hearts away. I loved their special ladoos & doodh peda…a must try. The shopkeeper tells with immense pride about Abhishek Bacchhan having shot the move “Bunty aur babli” there. The owner Mr. During the Ash-Abhishek wedding, the owner of thaggu ke laddu Mr Prakash Pandey even carried a hamper of laddoos prepared specially for the wedding.

Thaggu ke laddu

Outlets at Bada Chauraha, Kakadeo, Swaroop Nagar, Canal Express Road & Govind Nagar in Kanpur

Tewari Bros. at Connaught Place are famous for their desi ghee motichoor ladoos….it’s a small sleepy shop with neat stacks of sweets. The smell of pure ghee surrounds the air the moment you enter the shop.  Though heavier on the calorie side, the laddoos are so soft and juicy that they break if not handled with care. Their ladoos just melt in your mouth and the aroma of pure ghee leaves you with a royal feeling.

Tewari Bros

73, Municipal Market, Connaught Place, Delhi, 110001

Phone: (+91) 11 23411765, (+91) 11 23413313

With so many options to choose from, Delhi is truly a delight for the sweet buds…and the amazing variety of laddoos here will have you asking for more! So, go, take your pic!!!

P.S. A big thanks to Tewari bros. whose laddoos inspired me to share my laddoo thoughts with you. A little heavy inspiration though, as I have almost finished the 250g box and will have to sweat it out in the gym for days to burn it out! But the calories are worth it…a must try whenever you visit Delhi! 

A home is a home is a home

Whenever I read reports in newspapers about disturbance in a country, I wonder why cant the people there shift their base rather than living in fear of death and uncertainty. The world is a much open place now and anyone can go and settle in the place of his choice & live a better life. And my opinion applies to people living in extreme sub zero climates, places with forever political problems, high militancy areas etc etc. However, I am told nobody likes to leave his house…coz home is where the heart is.

Even the pigeons on my hostel window reflect the same attitude. To be honest, I hate being away from home, away from the happening city, in a place everything, right from food to climate to infrastructure is in a state of despair. Yet, everyday I see a bunch of pigeons living happily on my room window. Its no easy situation for them either. The place is not an ideal destination for enough water, or food for them. Still, no matter how much I try to shoo them away, they always come back to the window. They have a free mode of transport, would need no passport/visas to shift to greener pastures & are not even bound by a residential program (like me!)…so what is it that motivates them?

And then I look at migratory birds in Lodi Garden in winter mornings. Like tourists, they come every year, to survive extreme weather conditions. Yet the comfort is unable to make them stay here forever. Come the right season in their home country & they happily take the long flight back home.

They say the solution to life’s puzzles lies in looking inside, so I introspect. No matter how much I love Delhi, there are people who strongly share the opposite opinion – people from other cultures finding tough to adjust here, tourists harassed  by the locals, people finding the city unsafe…they have their own reasons that nobody can counter. Yet, what is it that binds me to the place? Like a migratory bird, I look forward to taking that first flight home whenever I can…because home is where u feel comfortable and secure… home is where the heart is!

Exams are over tomorrow & I head home! 

Pic Courtesy:Google Search