My Random Essays

 The true joy of shopping is in Ahmedabad Most people believe that to shop, one must go abroad. But I feel that the real joy of shopping is in Ahmedabad. It may start this way. You might be passing by a saree shop. You may not even have a specific thought about buying a saree. As the shop comes into view, you take a glance. If you are unfamiliar, you might first wonder if the shop is even open because the shop looks a bit dark. There’s a dim light on, and the fan is off. But the moment you are noticed, someone from within calls out, “Come, sister, come,” as if inviting you into their home. Suddenly, a couple of tube lights turn on, and the fans start spinning. As you enter and take off your slippers (yes, it is customary to take your shoes off) and step inside, a thick mattress covered with a snow-white sheet and plump white pillows are ready to welcome you. As you think about sitting down or preparing to lie down, you gently touch the pillow and sit. Your host, um the shopkeeper, ...

O:  A true friendship is like a great underwear I: It provides support where you need it - without making it obvious to others Thank you for being my perfect friend.

 Congratulations Graduate Your History Your Heritage Makes your who you are today Your perseverance Your hardwork Your thrist for knowledge And your wisdom Will make you  What you will be tomorrow Dear Graduate Congratulations! Today, you shine as the brightest star in our family Today, you make us proud with all your accomplishments Today, you feel you are on the top of the world Today is your day. As you celebrate today, I want to remind you that although all your accomplishments are yours, the result of your hard work and your sharp intelligence. But don't forget that you are who you are because of so many seen and unseen factors that made you. Your ancestors, your environment, your history, and your heritage all shaped you into who you are today and who you will be tomorrow. Here is a brief look at those forces that shaped you 💗You have been blessed to be born into one of the most ancient and comprehensive religion that is Hinduism. ...a religion that has been nourished b...

Perfectly Blurred Thank you 2020 You taught us to live virtually Now Friends meet virtually Kids learn virtually Our yoga is virtual And meetings are virtual Our work is virtual, And shopping is virtual Graduation is virtual Dating is virtual Even last rites are virtual But Our fears are real  Anxiety is real Our solitude is real and our loneliness is real God may be virtual But our prayers are real Sharing may be virtual  But our caring is real The line between virtual and real is so blurred, it feels Our entire world Is out of focus Thanks 2020 Meenal Pandy a

When the warm sun of autumn Turns leaves yellow, red and orange And the shadow of the sun Brings cool breeze The festival of dancing, The festival of Navratri Comes to the earth As the evening sun goes down And the night sky glows Young boys and girls Moms, Dads and aunts Neighbors, and strangers Come out in the streets Their beautiful pallu of saris Flutter in the wind While their feet move To the rhythm of drums Clap, clap, clap Round and round they go Swirling in their ghaghra Dripping with vibrant colors Yellow and red, Orange and pink. Blue, and green Rainbow of colors Splashing the shining light In the dark night Dots of lights Spike from the clay pot Sat in the middle Flickering in the wind Dancing in steps Tap tap tap tap Hands clap in harmony Khanak khanak, khanak Glass bangles jingle Red, yellow, blue, purple Violet, pink, marigold Plop, plop, plop Feet move in steps Silver bells of Jhanjhar Rattle on their feet Flick, flick, flick, the lantern shines in t...

Published in Boston Globe. Here is the link. http://www.boston.co m/news/local/article s/2006/11/30/communi ty_disorientation/ SUBURBAN DIARY Community disorientation By Meenal Pandya  |   November 30, 2006 For the last four years, I had dreaded the day when my youngest would leave the nest. I knew how much it would hurt not to have any child at home in my children-centric life of the last 20 years. I knew that I would miss them immensely, but I also knew that it came with the territory of being a parent. So when my youngest finally left the nest, I was somewhat prepared. But what surprised me was how much I missed the connection with the community around me. I had no idea to what degree my suburban life had revolved around my children's school and activities. But in retrospect, I should have known and expected this all along. When we moved into this house on a semi quiet street in a nice, tree-lined Wellesley neighborhood about 20 years ago, we did not kn...

If owning a home is  an American dream, why do we live most of it outside? Life happens. Just not at home anymore. Home, once an integral part of all the family activities, celebrations, reunions, and even major milestones such as birth and death is now more or less reduced to a place to sleep at night and a place to keep all of our belongings. Significant events of our lives seems to have moved out of our homes and into commercial buildings. Ironically just as our homes, by any measure, are getting bigger and our families are getting smaller, we seem to be sucking life out of our homes. Last week, our neighbors had a small party outside which went on till mid-night. We heard a lot of happy voices and as much as I enjoyed that happiness being spread around the neighborhood, I was concerned that some neighbor might complain that the neighborhood peace was disturbed. That reminded me how much I miss not having all the celebrations around me right where I live. ...

"Narayan, Narayan," said Narad as he entered the heavenly palace of Vishnu, perched on a serene sea resort. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, and a fragrant breeze carried a divine calmness through the air. Vishnu reclined gracefully on the Sheshnaag, while Laxmiji sat near his feet, exuding her usual serenity. "Narayan, Narayan," Narad repeated, his voice tinged with urgency. Vishnu smiled warmly at the sight of Narad and gestured for him to sit. He could see from Narad’s expression that something was troubling him. Knowing Narad well, Vishnu guessed it must be a matter concerning humanity—a recurring theme in their discussions. Over the ages, Narad had often arrived bearing news of earthly struggles. Yet, this time, Narad appeared even more worried—perhaps even confused. Vishnu waited patiently. He exchanged a knowing glance with Laxmiji, who rose gracefully to fetch fruits and sweets for their guest. After partaking of the divine hospitality, ...

Sita 2023 " Enough is enough", Sita said to Ram. He had just come from spending the night listening to his subjects and had heard a comment made by a dhobi - a washerman - which made him visibly upset.  Sensing his state of mind, Sita asked what was wrong. But when she found out the source of his disturbed mood, she was furious. She lamented,  "Enough is enough. I have been your wife of many years, I have traveled with you to the forest, I have dealt with the wrath of Ravana, and I have slept in Ashok Vatika - a public park- for months. I even went through a burning fire to prove my purity and love for you. Tell me what have I not done for you?" "Even in our palace in Ayodhya, I have three mothers-in-law to keep happy. Life is challenging. And now when you just hear a random comment by a dhobi, a common man, you are willing to let all of my sacrifices go and are thinking of sending me to a forest -especially when I am pregnant with the future king of this ki...

It is the college admission time in Hastinapur! Everyone in Hastinapur is nervous. It is well known that the College of Archery, taught by Dronacharya, is the top in the country, and admission into that college guarantees success in warfare. But getting admitted there is no easy task. Among many other students - including Kuru princes, Dronacharya's own son Ashwathama, and a young boy Eklavya - Soot Putra Karna was desirous to learn archery from the celebrated and well-regarded Guru Dronacharya. Karna's adopted parents - Adhiratha and Radha - were keenly aware of their son's ambitions, but they also knew that there were many huge hurdles in his way. Not only was there a steep competition to get into the school, but they also feared that they could not afford the high fees even if he got in. (And they sure did not have money to pay for that "extra weight" to their application). Karna, the ambitious, highly virtuous, and talented young boy, wanted to hear none o...

Modern Krishna's Bad Day Today, Krishna was under a great amount of stress. He had just opened the registered letter that arrived in the mail. It was from Radha - his childhood friend. His joy to see the letter from Radha after such a long time was short lived when he found out that the letter was really from her lawyer who had filed a harassment case. He had not seen Radha for over twenty years by now, he realized. Between his demanding job as the head of Dwarka and other responsibilities of his family, he rarely thought of Radha or his Gokul days. But of course, whenever he did think of either, his heart was filled with warm, nostalgic thoughts. He knew that he missed those days. But now everything about Gokul was rushing back into his memory. Thanks to Radha and her letter - well, actually her lawyer friend who had helped her draft the letter. All the details of those days were brought back into his memory. The letter clearly mentioned that Krishna had harassed her by steal...

Modern Bhishma makes a decision King Shantnu was pacing the long hallway of his palace. His mind was somewhere else, actually far away onto the shores of Ganges. All he could see was that beautiful girl - Satyavati, emitting the most captivating fragrance that he has ever known. "What beautiful eyes! What captivating smile! What a special person she is!" He thought again and again. His heart was thumping. Only if he could marry her! But how? Not after all the conditions that her father has put forward for the marriage. And his mind once again heard the old fisherman's voice loud and clear. "Oh Respected King. It is truly an honor to have you as my son-in-law but I feel that as a father of Satyavati, it is my duty to insure my daughter's happiness for today and forever. I know that you have a young son from the previous marriage, who is a prince and he will become the future king. Of course, I am happy about that. But then what will happen to my daughter's ...

Bumping into a Stranger Hard as it may be to believe today, there was a time when the owner of the car in front used to be a stranger. Not anymore. Today, I can tell you everything about him or her in a few seconds - give or take a few. I would tell you what he does for a living and what he prefers to do in his free time. I know whether she is single (but looking) or married (but available, if I am rich). I know if he prefers blondes over redheads and smartphones over laptops. I know whom she voted for and why. I may even know her views on gun control, abortion, equal rights, and nuclear disarmament. Oh yes, last but not the least, I can tell you who is on board, who is at the wheel, and who is in the trunk. And to know all these, all I have to do is to read. That is read some half a dozen or so bumper stickers that crowd the rear end of his car. Even if the bumper of his car is not large enough to display all his opinions and love/hate lists, that is still not a problem. These me...

Arjun’s dilemma in the modern world Having learned the value of total focus all his life from teachers like Guru Dron and others, Arjun was pretty confident that he can always get desired results when he puts his minds to it-especially when it comes to archery. But what he did not realize was how those values were changed in the modern world filled with multi-taskers. His Guru Dronacharya had given a special test to his best students: to shoot the eye of a moving fish that was hung over the head while focusing on the mirror image of the fish. Though this was a very difficult task to perform - the task that would require his full attention - it was even harder given his cell phone nearby.  How can he keep his undivided attention on the eye of the fish moving in a circle while making sure that he is up to date with all of his text messages and tweets? Struggling to keep his smart phone in one hand, while trying to point his arrow on the fish can be a challenge he realized ...