"If you ask me to describe my career in a nutshell, this is how I will do it. The longer I work as a journalist and multi-media person, the more I am convinced that I was born for this unique, rewarding profession!"
- Vimla Patil

The media-world in India recognize Vimla as one of the country’s senior and respected journalists and media persons.
Vimla initiated the Miss India contest in the mid-sixties for the journal and brought it to its present international stature.

Breaking rules is Vimla's passion! After finishing her long stint with Femina,(She was the editor of the famous magazine who according to me played a major role in 'awakening women to their potential) Vimla built a brand new career for herself as a freelance multi-media person writing features, books and scripts; creating events, sound and light shows; holding workshops and training seminars; and many more activities in her busy portfolio...

And I, Shakun, am proud to state that she is my friend and mentor in activities that are close to my heart.

I do believe in the statement:
Life in itself has no meaning...Life is an opportunity to create a meaning...It is a poem to be composed, it is a song to be sung, It is a dance to be danced...
Osho

Vimla shared the following very interesting observations which I am sharing with you:

Emperor Ashoka and Emperor Akbar

The strange conincidences do not end with both these royal personalities being the greatest rulers in the history of the world and their names beginning with A. Here are some other facts which should amuse us.
1. Ashoka is called the 'tallest' emperor in world history by top Western historians. Akbar's is one of the four grand monarchies of the world.
2. the Bollywood film Ashoka was produced by Shah Rukh khan, a Muslim and he acted the main role of Ashoka, a Hindu and then a Buddhist. SRK is a Muslim married to a Hindu wife Gauri who has stuck to her religion
3. Akbar was played by Hrithik Roshan, a Hindu who has a Muslim wife who retains her religion.
4. SRK spoke chaste hindi for his role as Ashoka and Hrithik spoke chaste Urdu for his role as Akbar!
Does this sound strange or is it the real secular India?
Vimla Patil

Meet Ms Basanti Roy (divisional secretary Mumbai, Maharashtra , Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education).
When we started the Women's Movement for Peace and Prosperity, we figured that a woman should lead the movement because she has more compassion and less of an ego. But then a woman is present in every family as a mother, sister, wife...so then why is there so much violence...we concluded that the reason may be because a woman does not have a voice...(Actually she has a voice, but mostly hysterical due to the fact that that voice is not fine-tuned) so we proceeded to try and fine tune that voice by various means...Through education, health, spirituality, a lesson in 'Gems of Faiths' which leads to Communal Harmony...
Anyway coming back to Ms Basanti Roy who is the Vice Chairperson of the Movement (Yours Truly is the Chairperson)
A Call was put to Ms Basanti Roy who directed 17 year old Omkar Pimple an HSC examinee to the closest station Dahisar (Shailendra Education Centre to take his exam. You see young Omkar suffered a panic attack as he was sure that he would not make it for his 11 am Sanskrit paper at an HSC Centre in Churchgate.
Once again a woman has time...NO! finds time to use her heart...
Love you, Basanti!
Click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/women_movement/women_intro.htm

We have always been told that Life is our own Creation.

I Read an article by Jim Donovan and I thought that the following was rather interesting:
Let's supposing for a moment you're in a bad mood. You're feeling pretty negative. At that particular moment in time your personal vibration, the energy of your thoughts and words is in the lower frequencies. Let's call this particular mood "Frequency X" Now somewhere off in the distant Universe, there is another negative experience. Maybe it's a flat tyre whose frequency happens to be "X" as well. By virtue the law of attraction, you will begin attracting that or some other undesirable experience to you. There are no accidents. The Universe works on a specific set of principals that do not waiver. Like attracts like whether we believe it or not...

Alongside, close friends, and blood relatives...Shanti and Ramesh Ramchandani...We go a long way...had kids around the same time...were there for each other during ups and downs of life...was delighted to have them visit us and we look happy don't you think?



People who need people are the luckiest people in the world! I must say that I believe in people and specially in people who have found what they believe in and pursue their dream. Below Mr Dial Gidwani and his charming wife Lakshmi. They were visiting Bombay and we shared a meal.


Dial is the Founding President American Institute of Sindhulogy.
www.sindhulogy.org

While I am on the subject of Sindhis, I shall honour my web blog by mentioning names like Acharya Kirpalani, Mr Hiranand Karamchand and Ms Kamla Hiranand.

Alongside Swami Nirmal and myself. Swamiji patiently answered all my queries. He is now in his 80s and lives in Amritsar. He was visiting Bombay last week and I was so happy to go and visit him there!



Swami Nirmal Chetan was born in Amritsar. He was only one year old when his mother died.

His father married a second time and had more children.

The boy whenever lonely would turn to the soothing prayer hymns that would emanate from the Golden Temple.

At the age of 21 he met his Master Swami Nirmal from Punjab, who seemed to be the answer to all his longings and prayers. The Master refused to initiate him as he would not allow him to run away from his household duties.

Alone and dejected Swami Nirmal Chetan headed towards the Himalayas where he had a near - death experience. He experienced visions of an indescribable nature which filled his soul in such a manner that he experienced fear and loneliness no more.

On his return his Master had to admit that he was made for the spiritual path.

I met Swamiji at a time when the answer to my one question would give rise to a dozen more. Many other masters that I came across during that time would find my questions impertinent or maybe they thought that I was trying to test their knowledge.

As far as I can look into the recesses of my heart that was not true, I really wanted to know.

What endeared Swamiji to me, was his extreme patience and equilibrium of character.

Swamiji’s teachings are simple. He says that:

God has given us one room (heart). It is up to us whether we want to turn that room into a Hotel or Godown or a Temple. That is we could spend our lives being attached to different people in which case we would have turned our “room heart” into a hotel. We could fill our room heart” with material things (possessions) in which case we will have turned it into a Godown, or we could convert our heart into a Temple where we could place the Lord at its altar.

Do read more, Click:

http://www.dalsabzi.com/books/in_touch_with_masters/swami_nirmal_chetan.htm

Today is Women's Day.
I celebrated appropriately the "Eve" of Women's Day with a Lunch with longtime Girlfriends, Tea with an Introductory talk of Catharsis of the Soul and a Dinner with Aarogyaanjali where Dr Indu Shahani, Sheriff of Bombay was the Chief Guest.
Did you know that the present Women's Day Celebration is an apt reminder of when 15000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours better pay and voting rights in 1908?
According to a compilation by Ismat Tahseen, a few years later, the first Women's Day was launched in March 8, 1911 on Copenhagen, by Ciara Zetkin, leader of the Women's office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany.






Alonside, the multi faceted young intelligent charming Dr Indu Shahani, Sheriff of Bombay and Chief Guest at AarogyAnjali.
Within 2 months of her appointment she has kick-started various projects...The ones closest to my heart is how women in distress can email on: call1298@rediffmail.com and also sms 'HELP" to 573333

I cannot stop myself from adding that I have known Indu as a child and she was always an outstanding young girl who has blossomed not only into a beautiful woman but a great human being...One of the points that she put accross at Aarogyanjali was that women must pursue their passion...and become pro-active to lead a change...and she looked at me and stated like 'Mrs Kimatrai has' and I was touched, and I 'saw' that she is in touch with her roots...and I think that I am right in my perception that though she is soaring high, she has her feet firmly on the ground!

Atta girl, Keep going! We women are behind you!






Alongside Dr Indu Shahani, Sheriff of Bombay lighting a lamp at AarogyAnjali A Tribute to Women's Health an initiative of Times Foundation.
However busy you may be, cull out 30 mins for your very own self advised psychiatrist Anjali Chhabria...
Infertility Specialist Ms Anjali Malpani explained how women are always on a roller coaster ride because of hormonal ups and downs...it is time that a woman stops neglecting her health...
Nutritionist Ms Anjali Mukherjee explained how food is not only the foundation to health but also to beauty...





Alongside Ms Leena Prabhoo, one of the Founder Trustees of Women's Movement for Peace and Prosperity urging the 'Life' Group to get rid of the emotional garbage that we have accumulated over the years!

Melinda, the leader of the Brahmakumari, Jakarta branch, was seeking some old photographs from Hyderabad Sindh. Alongside is one of the photographs I shared with her, clicked during the 40s.
See me as a child and my goodlooking wonderful parents!

I shall be updating 1940s photographs that I own from time to time...
Do save the link and keep visiting:

http://s220.photobucket.com/albums/dd169/shacune/HyderabadSindh40s/



Melinda and myself at my residence during her visit.




I met Melinda whose name now is Mala, a short for Vijayantimala, through the Internet...She is a Brahmakumari, and belongs to a Spiritual Organization, which has spread world wide but whose founder was a Sindhi gentleman who belonged to the Sindhi Bhaibund community that I belong to. The Brahmakumari organization was initially called Om Mandli.

My family and I, all hail from Hyderabad Sindh which now is in Pakistan.
But at that time it was Undivided India.
The Spiritual Founder of the Brahmakumaris,is now known as Brahma Baba but I have always, since I was a child heard him being addressed as Dada Lekhraj.
Melinda was drawn into my life through the Origin of Sindhi Surnames which is up on my website: www.dalsabzi.com

Some interesting points that we discovered:

Dada Lekhraj had worked in Calcutta before he returned to Hyderabad Sindh and started his jewellery business...

Sadguru Sadan, right opposite the Babulnath Temple in Bombay was originally called Gangaram Building.
My Masi used to live there so I would visit often as a young girl...I was surprised to learn that Dada Lekhraj, Brahma Baba had a vision on the 5th floor of the building...

I am going to let Mala tell you what she is seeking through the note that she wrote to me:


Dear Shakun,

Om shanti and greetings from Jakarta.
I just wanted to thank you for all the time and attention you gave when I was there in Bombay. The discussions that I had with you and your husband gave me a good background. Thank you also for introducing or rather reintroducing Kamla Assoomull to me. She is a great story-teller and I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting. The whole visit was a series of coincidences that were all linked together. Meeting the family of the former owners of Tarachand Parsram and Sons of Calcutta was completely unexpected as was meeting someone that I met 26 years ago in Bombay in connection with the same purpose!
Thanks of course to you for your persistance and interest.


In the context of seeking further information regarding the origins of Om Mandli for the purposes of producing a film I would like to hear from anyone who can tell me more information about the founder Dada Lekhraj Khubchand Kripalani and his jewelry business in Calcutta which was called Lakhiraj Shewakram and Sons, in Hogg Market, otherwise known as New Market. This business was in operation during the 1920s and 30s. The building where the store was still exists and I have seen photographs of the store. I am less interested in what happened in Hyderabad Sindh and Karachi as I am well aware of that, but am more interested in his business and his clients. Prior to opening his own business he worked for Tarachand Parsram and Sons also in Calcutta. I am also interested in making contact with anyone who has old photographs (pre-partition) of Hyderabad Sindh in particular the buildings, streets and public places, modes of transportation and style of dress. I can be contacted at vijayantimala@gmail.com

Would you direct any Sindhi who could help on to this link?
Thanks,
Shakun

Sonal Sheth was diagnosed with a heart murmur 2 years ago.

But she ran the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon.
Even when her knees swelled up her spirit did not flag.

Sonal says:
Taking part in the Marathon was a challenge and I like to be challenged, I like to test and push my endurance levels. I do believe it is mind over matter.
When fatigue and pain overcome me and I feel I am just going to collapse, I can't take 1 more step, at that time something in me says dont give up, and I focus my attention on my breath(as I do when I meditate) and the continued focus on breath defocusses me from the body fatigue and I end up running fast.
So when I was doing my practice runs, I often felt that just like in life, there are problems but you have to rise above them, use them as an opportunity for growth, to push your levels of acceptance, forgiveness and coping skills higher, similarly marathon running makes you do that and once you have risen above the low moments, its just a harmonious, centered focus, with no thoughts, similar to what one experiences in meditatation.
...I feel there is'nt enough awareness about developmental problems in kids and how there are solutions and 'Ummeed' is trying to fill that gap...
...so many kids and families go through suffering, a life is wasted, not helped to reach full potential only because of lack of awareness, or lack of facilities.I find it fulfilling when such people are helped...

Sonal Sheth is a trustee of Women’s Movement for Peace and Prosperity.

I watched the movie Jodha Akbar and I loved it...I will tell you the reason. And you can laugh if you must.
I have always believed that I was a Moghul in one of my previous incarnations. Years back I would go to Delhi at least 2 or 3 times a year and I could not return to Bombay without stepping foot in the Red Fort. It would beckon me...and haunt me until I went...Delhi is full of old Monuments many of them in ruins...Once as I was driving past, I pointed to a ruin and said: "That is the Red Fort!" I don't really know my way around Delhi...Wonders! It was! The Red Fort I mean...But then I am a Hindu at heart so I had resigned myself to believe that I must have been one of the various maids...Maybe I was a Princess from neighbouring Rajput Kingdoms making an alliance! Who knows? But I loved the reproduction of the splendour of that bygone era in Jodha Akbar...I loved Jodhabai singing Man Mohana ...and the Sufis Khwaja O Khwaja and the way, Akbar stood and joined in the dance!...and nothing else matters...to me at least...So what if all is not authentic?
Rubi Maloni, head of the Department of History at Mumbai University states: ...Ashotosh has taken artistic freedom in telling a story about a king who faced criticism from his own community for his secular policies. We must admire him for this and watch the film."

...and it was Geeta Hundalani's 60th birthday...and it was fun to sing about the journey from Meena(her maiden name) to Geeta...She is an inspiration to many and conducts classes at ther home to inspire...
So it was Eena Meena Deeka, Dai dama Deeka...Rampamposh Rampamposh...
And I love to sing: Aane chaar anney bachey hain chaar aaney, ise waste na karna yaar...hope you got what this song is trying to say...for all of you who are still wet behind the ears...a Rupee had 16 annas, so now we golden girls have only 4 annas of our life left...We must not waste them right...Let us do good, but also have some fun now that most responsibilities are over! I believe it could be the best time of our lives!
Cheers to that!

On the 11th January 2008 I attended the Fifth Nani A. Palkhivala Memorial Lecture at the Tata Theatre NCPA.
The late Nani Palkhivala was a passionate democrat, patriot and above all a great human being.
Mr Shailesh Gandhi received the award for Civil Liberties.
Have you heard of the Right to Information Act?
I think that it is important that we are aware that such an Act exists...and that we exercise our Rights.
Knowledge is Power...and Right to Information is our Right to well...Information which is the Mother/Father of Knowledge!
Click:
http://righttoinformation.gov.in/

Chakde India was based on Mir Ranjan Negi's life



Mr and Mrs Mir Ranjan Negi of Chakde India fame with Mr Ram Maheshwary GM Times of India Bombay















The audience at Anjuman Islam listens enthralled to Sandra Furtado, the actor who played the role of Netra Reddy in Chakde India. Since I was sitting on the dais I was able to get this angle...



On the 12th January 2008 Times Foundation and Women's Movement for Peace and Prosperity opened a Women Center at Anjuman Islam CST. I spoke on Women and Peace...the guest of honour was Mr Mir Ranjan Negi. Former India Goalkeeper and Coach of India Hockey Team.
Yes! Chakde India starring Shah Rukh Khan was based on Mr Ranjan Negi's life story. He came accross as a very gentle human being and I am happy and honoured to have met him :)

WOMEN LOVE POWER
We have a Group called the 21. We are 21 members...We meet once a month. Have a lecture/demonstration, have lunch or tea and enjoy happy moments bonding without being encumbered by too many rules meted out by presidents, commitee members...A new decision is put to the vote.
This january I gave my turn. I spoke on Body Language follwed by lunch.
Gestures, expressions should match verbal statements...Look at the gestures, what does it tell you...and after 30 years, commendable don't you think?

Gangotri: Where ganga descends






CELEBRATING INDIA’S BEAUTIFUL RIVERS!
By Vimla Patil
vimla@vimlapatil.com

DATE TIME VENUE:
ON 8TH FEBRUARY AT THE KALA GHODA FESTIVAL IN THE AMPHITHEATRE AT 8.20 PM


I attended the above programme and I wished that it had been a longer session…
I learned that and/or was reminded:
Ganga: is a shimmering white-and-gold River and represents Purity or Salvation (Mukti)
Jamuna: Like Krishna is blue and like like Him represents Romance and Shringar
Saraswati: is white and elegant like a swan and is the River of Knowledge
Did you know that the River of Knowledge (Saraswati has become extinct ‘gupt’ meaning gone underground…disappeared…and are you surprised? I am not!
It is Kaliyug, remember?
Narmada: is the River of detachment…Vairagya
With few, if any, tributaries, the Narmada is often referred to as the Virgin River associated with the quality of detachment and surrender (Vairagya).
Godavari: is the River of Devotion
She is the saffron river of devotion (Bhakti), sanctified by the presence of Ram, Sita and Lakshman, who spent much of their exile years from Ayodhya in the forests along the river.
The Sindhu: Since the Sindhu now flows through Pakistan, the Krishna has been added to the list of the sacred rivers of India.
Krishna: is the River of Valour and Shourya
It is green and represents courage and valour (Shourya).
Kaveri: is the silvery River of Wisdom and Gyan
Indrayani is the River of Social Change or Samaj Jagran…
It is wonderful to add a lesser known, but equally important river which has been witness to the earliest ‘untouchability removal’ movement of India – the Indrayani, on the banks of which the Sant Parampara of Maharashtra lived and created a unique body of spiritual literature. The Dynaneshwari is the crowning glory of this movement and the temple of Vithoba in Pandharpur is the centre of the Bhakti movement, which brought all castes and communities together in a great revival of the spirit of unity among human beings.

Did you know that:
India is the only country, which assigns a sort of ‘divinity’ to rivers, which are immortalized in the scriptures and epics of India.
Stories and legends of river lore abound in our mythology, history and folk traditions of story telling, music and dance
Each one has a clear identity, appearance, value, style and spirit just like a beautiful woman…

Read Miracle of Kaveri
Click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/Song_of_life/miracle_of_kaveri.htm

Read about my trip to where Ganga descends, click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/Articles/ganga.htm

My youngest daughter's Anuja (extreme left) and team at Showdiff conceptualized and succesfully executed the world wide unveiling ceremony of Tata Nano...Mr Ratan Tata's 1 lac car...
'The Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car, was unveiled with great fanfare in the Indian capital amid bright lights and blaring music'.

...and I celebrate my daughter's success and am mighty proud of her...She kept calling me to pray the the launch goes without a hitch and the good Lord heard me!
'Though the green activists predict trouble ahead for countries that already have inadequate infrastructures and soaring CO2 emissions'...


I am hoping that this car makes the 'small car' fashionable'...it will reduce so many unwarranted accidents...
Most people see a family of four on a scooter without a helmet...but Ratan Tata did something about it! Yes he has the means and the power, but he followed his dream and found his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

Click to watch an interview with Chairman of Rediffusion, Mr Arun Nanda and President of Rediffusion, Mr Mahesh Chauhan:
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/video/newsvideo.php?autono=325485

Dear Friends,
Many people keep asking me why they are not getting their heart’s desire, despite their prayers, recitation of mantras, rituals …
I have read (Swami Viditatmananda) that for the successful accomplishment of any undertaking, one needs to put in:

Endeavour,Even though God is omniscient, and knows what we desire, unlike other creatures God has blessed human beings with the gift of free will. This enables us to perform deliberate action (effort and prayer) and seek help from the Almighty.

The right Time
and
God’s Grace
Is required for the successful accomplishment of any undertaking.
Prayer is a means to win His Grace…a way of recognizing our vulnerability and examining ourselves…but even after one puts in all our heart into prayer, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip.
Sometimes God’s answer maybe:
No! It is not good for you, you need to learn your lesson that life is teaching you before you achieve your heart’s desire!
or God's answer may be
Later! I have something better in store for you when the right time comes!

On Saturday, the 6th of January attended 'A Musical journey of Saint Poets' at the Tata Theatre! What a treat. The singers were: Ajoy Chakraborty, Shekhar Sen, Sadhana Sargam, Kaushiki Desikan, and a dance, Deepak Mazumsar, Concept Chhaya Gangoly...
We heard of Hindu Saints and Sufis.We heard of Raskhan (He came from Iran as Sayyad Ibrahim and was a great Krishna Devotee Saint (1586-1631)
Aalam and Shaikh, husband and wife poets from 17th Century.
Raheem, one of Akbars's Navratnas who was also a Krishna bhakt and died in Vrindavan (1556-1626)
We heard of Meera,Tukaram, Tulsidas, so many

Last week saw some short movies based on the life of Jallaludin Rumi, the Mystic Sufi...Heard a story:
A Master told a disciple some profound truths and told him that he must keep it a secret. The disciple could not contain himself, so he went to a deserted place, full of reeds and shouted his secret...That secret was soaked up by the reeds. The reeds go through so much pain to turn into a flute...One has to become empty, then maybe Krishna places you next to His lips and plays His wonderful tunes...

November 2007 I attended 'The first International Peace Conference' at Somaiya Grounds, Mumbai. It was a sleek affair to correct misconceptions of Islam. A speaker stated that he feels safer in Bombay than he does in UK.
Another speaker said: 'We are extremists: extremely honest and extremely loving.
I think that it was a wonderful effort...I only wish they would still stop addressing people of another faith as 'unbelievers!'

All those I heard spoke about love and Oneness...Everything is probably an illusion...so say the mystics...and they all proclaim in One Voice: 'We are One'and 'Only Love is Real!

Read about the saints that sculpted my personality, click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/books/in_touch_with_masters/preface_index.htm

Dear Children,
You all have heard of Christmas. Have you heard of Epiphany?

Epiphany is called the 'Festival of Lights' and it falls on the 12th day after Christmas. When I was a child and lived in Spain, we used to get gifts on the day of 'Reyes'.

Reyes literally means 'Kings' and it is on that day (5th of January) that the Wise men from the East visited baby Jesus and gave him the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Frankincense and myrrh were powerful medicines...frankincense burns with a whilte fragrant smoke and believed to carry prayers to heaven, gold is symbolic of royalty, Myrrh was used to anoint a body before burial (maybe foretelling things to come)

It is believed that the Wise Kings, were led to baby Jesus by a bright star in the sky. I like to believe that it was the position of stars. The kings were probably learned astrologers, and the stars predicted the birth of a divine child.

Read more, click:

http://www.dalsabzi.com/Books/kids_kahaani/Festivals/christ_and_krishna.htm

With love,

Dadi Ma Nani Ma

An open letter


Do have a very happy 2008!
What I think should be the New year resolution to combat depression

I find a lot of people suffering from depression...a void...You may be repressing deep pain or fear...That void you can fill by meditating...but before that confront your fears, pain...Take help...accept yourself with all your shortcomings...Keep busy...make 'you' into a friend...but for that you will have to understand how your mind works, and make peace with it...easier said than done...but one has to start taking baby steps towards it...serve others in need...and you will feel needed...stop whining...Dont believe the negative things people tell you about yourself...you do not have to buy the rotten vegetables in the market...an eye for an eye will make the world blind...If you have done wrong, ask for forgiveness from the person you have wronged...from God and then forgive yourself and move on...You feel lost?..who does not? at one point or another in their life? Life is never a chalked clear path...We have to take decisions as we move along...it is at times like that, that one requires prayers, intuition...a guide...but I have learned that if/when one is sincere the path lights up as one goes along...Don't worry...
Hinduism is a way of life and you do not have to convert or anything like that...You can embrace it and it will embrace you with no conditions...Read about the Karma Theory...
Meditation is not difficult...you have to persevere in its practice and then the benefits are a quietened mind...so it is so worth it...
Click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/enlight_info/law_of_karma.htm


http://www.dalsabzi.com/bhaagvad/law_of_karma_applies_to_all.htm



Much love,
Shakun

So it is my Birthday today...It has been heart-warming to receive so many good wishes...I do believe in Aashirvad (Blessings) and Aah (Curse that emanates from a heart when the person is deeply hurt...not necesarrily voodoo) I believe that both Aashirvaad and Aah have a part to play in changing ones destiny (To an extent)
You know my mother used to say, you may be able to get anything for the asking, but real blessings from a grateful heart can only come, when you deserve them...
So thanks for all your good wishes...

Would you like to know me better?
Click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/about_shakun.htm

and if you like to see my Life in pictures
Click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/personal/my_life_in_pictures.htm