Kahi Katha - 11

काही कथा - 11

नेटवर वाचलेल्या काही प्रेरणा देणारया , नितिकथा तुमच्यासाठी !

अ‍ॅडॉल्फ हिटलरच्या नावाने एक गोष्ट सांगितली जाते. एकदा हिटलर आपल्या कार्यालयाच्या ग्रंथालयात काही पुस्तकं चाळत होता. एका उंच कपाटाच्या वरच्या कप्प्यातील एका पुस्तकानं त्याचं लक्ष वेधलं आणि ते काढण्यासाठी त्यानं टाचा वर केल्या, पण त्याचा हात पुस्तकापर्यंत पोहोचतच नव्हता. 

त्याचे प्रयत्न सुरूच होते. 

त्याच्यासोबतचा एक अधिकारी ते पाहून नम्रपणे म्हणाला, ‘‘थांबा सर, मी काढून देतो ते पुस्तक. मी तुमच्यापेक्षा मोठा आहे!’’ 

हिटलरने ते शब्द ऐकले. त्याच्या चेहऱ्यावर तुच्छतेची एक रेषा गडद झाली. डोळ्यांत काहीसा संताप उतरला आणि तो रागाने त्या अधिकाऱ्याला म्हणाला, 

‘‘उंच म्हण, मोठा नव्हे!’’

एकदा गांधीजिंना विचारले "बापू आपणास अस का वाटते कि आपण इंग्रजांशी यशस्वी लढा देवू शकाल ?" 

गांधीजी हसले आणि म्हणाले "आपण जिंकूच कारण आपण आपल्या चार टप्प्यांच्या लढाईच्या तिसऱ्या टप्प्यात आहोत." 

" चार टप्प्यांची लढाई ? " 

" हो, प्रथम ते तुमच्याकडे दुर्लक्ष करतात. 

मग ते तुम्हाला हसण्यावारी नेतात. 

तिसऱ्या टप्प्यात ते तुमच्याशी युद्ध पुकारतात. 

चौथा टप्पा - तुम्ही लढाई जिंकता. "

The European Union commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish (Euro for short).

In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c." Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard "c" will be replased with "k". Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replased by "f". This will make words like fotograf" 20 persent shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e"s in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go.

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" by "z" and "w" by " v".

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou", and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer.

Ze drem vil finali kum tru

Visit to Pitamahal Village

Visiting Pitamahal Village -PhotoEssay

To visit Pitamahal village, which is nearby the Pitamahal dam, follow the road from the other side of the newly developed Garden. The road passes by the water-spillover arrangement. One cannot cross the canal in between so to reach to Pitamahal village. Instead one has to take a big round to cross the canal at GadheiBalanda and come. 

An evening is a natural choice to visit this place. Herdsman takes back his cows and bulls back to the village after a day long grazing in the Bamra forest. The road is not yet listed on the google map. The condition is good for a bike to travel and only a strong car can cope with the terrain.

Fishing in the Pitamahal lake on every evening is a routine for most men here. After a day's work, about a quarter kilo of fish is enough for the dinner. Fishing is done either by multiple fishhooks or by taking a small craft to the interiors of the lake. Fishing is seldom done for earning. 

A worker, living in a nearby village, originally from Jharkhand, trying his luck on that day. Unfortunately, couldn't get any fish. Small water depth is the reason, he said!

Dr Liu, a renowned photographer and former panellist on the famous magazine "Better Photography", shooting the beauty of the lake.

I have in most of Odisha; people carry wood from the jungle in this typical fashion on the bicycle. No technology or modification in the bike. Just with the help of a big wood log and a rope from the bark, one carries wood sufficient for a week for a family of four.

Another day is over, time to go back home.

A cyclist is crossing the stream.

Colourful sky after sunset over the paddy field.

Check my earlier post on Pitamahal Dam here.

Glimpses of lifestyle of Tribals from Chitrakoot

Glimpses of lifestyle of Tribals from Chitrakoot

The road network decently connects the inner parts of the tribal region. However, there is a complete absence of the public transport. People mostly use a bicycle or shared four wheeler to travel to Jagdalpur. A small family of three going on bicycle even up to 5 kilometres or so is a common picture.

A typical house from the area. Slices of limestones used for the ceiling is the attraction. The limestone is also used to make fencing and due to patterns, it looks so beautiful. A cluster of up to 10 to 20 houses makes a small village which can sometimes at quite a distance from the other village.

Police also need protection. Due to constant fear of attack from Naxalites, police stations in the area becomes almost a fort. A station is protected by barbed wire fence, speed breakers, floodlights, armed gunmen, etc. Logic is to build confidence in the citizens and make them believe in the system

Tribal women selling goods. In most tribal communities, women are the head f the family. She works, earns and also takes the major decisions for the family. This is the main reason why one will notice more women on the road, in the market as compared to me.

Check some more portraits of tribal people here: Part I and Part II.

Portraits from Bastar - II

Portraits from Bastar - II

Do Check part I of the series.

Portraits from Bastar - I

Portraits from Bastar - I

Agriculture and people of Odisha

Agriculture and people of Odisha

                                                        - a photo essay

Odisha is a state where a large population, more than 60%, depends on the income from the agriculture although it contributes merely 15% to the state GDP. Odisha is fast growing state of India, and the modern industry is just entering in the state. The major industry in the state is Mining and metallurgy related. 

Farmers from some part of Odisha like Sambalpur, where the water is available throughout the year, takes two to three crops per year. But otherwise, the farming is done in the Monsoon season. The most preferred crop is paddy, which is also a primary staple food and rice is preferred with the fish. Favourite rice recipe is famous 'Pakhala' especially in the summer season. Tribals ferment the boiled rice mixed with herbs to make Handia.

Due to the various support schemes started by the state and central government, farmers are opting for modern practices and farming technologies. Tractors, seeders, irrigation equipment, are commonly used. However, poor one still use the classical method, a pair of bulls. A bicycle is a preferred mode of short distance, up to 5 kilometres, transportation for obvious reasons: cheap, affordable, easy maintenance. It is a typical picture where women use cycle, a family uses a cycle and obviously children too.

Water is available is in plenty in Monsoon season from June to September. An extensive network of rivers which pass through this region to meet the Sea of Bengal keeps the water level up to maintain the area green throughout the year. Villagers store the water in a small pond and is used for daily activities.

Adults, mainly women of the house, work tirelessly in the field to make most from the season. Working starts early in the morning and is finished before sunset, making the working hours somewhere from 10 to 12 hours daily. Availability of school for almost every village has raised the literacy level up indeed. However, the drop-out rate, is still higher in the rural area. Children prefer to either earn or work in the fields than to go to school. 

Mischievous Monkeys

Mischievous Monkeys

One of the common aspects of tourist places in India located in some isolation or up the hill is the presence of monkeys. Monkeys here are so acquainted with the human and their behavior. This knowledge turns the monkeys to be so mischievous and daring. Partly, visitors are also blamed too. Earlier everybody used to feed and enjoy. Now after generations have passed by and monkeys feel righteous to snatch bags from visitors and search them for food items. Here are some instances of how what and why it happens !

A group of monkeys attacked the vehicle to literally loot the passengers

It was indeed a hot afternoon, can't blame him !

And see these monkeys ! 

Some celebration

Some celebration

A dance display at Rourkela on Mahashivratri, Near Laxmi Narayan Temple (Rourkela). I tried to get some info, however, what I got is not enough and reliable. Will update in future. After visiting Laxmi Narayan temple, I was on the way to Vedvyaas, I saw this procession. An unplanned photoshoot, thanks to these unknown participants.