Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Wheat harvest season

This is the season
when ten thousand hours
of sweat and toil
meet a moment
of achievement.... and immediately
move on to the next task
of harvesting the fruit
of hardest labor on earth!!
Jai Kisaan!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Which way is He?

ज़ाहिद शराब पीने दे मस्जिद में बैठकर
या वो जगह बता दे जहाँ पर ख़ुदा होKiblat (or Qibla) is the direction to Qaaba (the sacred building at Mecca) to which Muslims turn at prayer. Above is a sign from Malaysia, where every hotel room has such a sticker.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

नमाज़ी

कुरान हाथों में लेके नाबीना एक नमाज़ी
लबों पे रखता था
दोनों आँखों से चूमता था
झुकाके पेशानी यूँ अक़ीदत से छू रहा था
जो आयतें पढ़ नहीं सका
उन के लम्स महसूस कर रहा हो
मैं हैराँ-हैराँ गुज़र गया था
मैं हैराँ हैराँ ठहर गया हूँ

तुम्हारे हाथों को चूम कर
छू के अपनी आँखों से आज मैं ने
जो आयतें पढ़ नहीं सका
उन के लम्स महसूस कर लिये हैं

Friday, April 8, 2011

डार्विन और लंगूर


डार्विन साहब हकीकत से निहायत दूर थे
हम ना मानेंगे कि पुरखे आपके लंगूर थे

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

White deers

From Kankaria Zoo, Ahmedabad.
I wonder if they are closely related to goats.

Friday, April 1, 2011

The most advanced one

Shilla Seoul Hotel of Seoul Korea
June 2009

The most advanced commode I have ever seen.
Don't believe me??
Take a closer look.
It has a right button for everything
that you may or may not need to do 'that' rightly!!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Migrant

मेरी बस्ती में रोज़गार नहीं
वर्ना तेरे शहर नहीं आते

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

सखि पिया को जो मैं ना देखूँ

Sifting through some old documents, look what I found!!
And as I remember, there are many more.
Wondering what to do with 'em !!
Clicked in Albert Hall Museum of Jaipur
September 2008

Monday, March 21, 2011

The Owls on Campus

Ahmedabad campus had more birds... of many kinds but somehow, Indore campus seems to have many owls... of many kinds.
I tried clicking them many a times but owls are more agile than we may imagine or want them to be. That is how this first pic got all bad. Therefore, I traced them back to their morning's resting place. The two later pics are those ones.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing

Friday, March 11, 2011

खा गए

ऊँची इमारतों से मकां मेरा घिर गया
कुछ लोग मेरे हिस्से का सूरज भी खा गए

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

और मैं भी भूल गया...

तुम्हें भी याद नहीं और मैं भी भूल गया
वो लम्हा कितना हसीं था मगर फ़ुज़ूल गया

Friday, March 4, 2011

आना

आना
जैसे बारिश के बाद
बबूल मे आ जाते हैं
नये-नये काँटे
दिनों को
चीरते-फाड़ते
और वादों की धज्जियाँ उड़ाते हुये
आना
आना
जैसे मंगल के बाद
चला आता है बुध

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

एक आशीर्वाद

जा तेरे स्वप्न बड़े हों।
भावना की गोद से उतर कर
जल्द पृथ्वी पर चलना सीखें।
चाँद तारों सी अप्राप्य ऊँचाइयों के लिये
रूठना मचलना सीखें।
हँसें
मुस्कुराऐं
गाऐं।
हर दीये की रोशनी देखकर ललचायें
उंगली जलायें।
अपने पाँव पर खड़े हों।
जा तेरे स्वप्न बड़े हों।

Monday, February 21, 2011

Monday, February 14, 2011

मह्वे यास

शाम ढले ये सोच के बैठे हम उनकी तस्वीर के पास
सारी गज़लें बैठी होंगी अपने अपने मीर के पास

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Wisdom

They say wisdom can strike you anywhere.
This time, it came from our 'guide' in Mauritius.
He was truly a 'guide'.
Alas!
Wisdom struck too late.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

कैद में ज़ीस्त

कैद में ज़ीस्त कैद हयात मेरी
गुलाम मेरी कलम कैद है बात मेरी

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Dear Chaos

Dear Chaos,
I missed you this year after five consecutive years of togetherness...
but future is open...
There are hopes still...
We will meet...
somewhere beyond time...
if not in this life...
for life is short, the longing isn't!!

Friday, January 21, 2011

not this year :(

I'm not with you this year...
but future is open...
There are hopes still...

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Somewhere in Aizawl

I met her in Mizoram University, Aizawl. She was there to sell her vegetables. She kept on saying something in Mizo language. When I asked if I could click her picture, half-understanding, she was confused but smiled profusely at camera. Seeing herself in the camera screen, she was so happy, she wanted to give some of her vegetables to me. She was one of the sweetest ladies I've ever met.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Monday, January 10, 2011

God, Men, and Birds

God loved the birds and invented trees.
Man loved the birds and invented cages.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Heaven!

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

May this year too leave you wanting!!

खोल दे कुफ़्ल उम्र के ये बरस
भुला दे बंदिशें ज़माने की
और फिर भी ना कर सके पूरी
तेरी तमाम हसरतें ऐ दोस्त!
कि अगर पूरा कर लिया तूने
तमाम उम्र का हिसाब
इक बरस में ही
तो तू भी मेरी तरह
खोखला रह जायेगा