The Avadhite E E. Coral AnniversaRy Edition. 20-A, Vikramaditya Marg, Lucknow agdc.ac.in

Transcription

1 The Avadhite IR ' DEGR S L E E LLEGE AVADH CO G Coral AnniversaRy Edition AV ADH GIR LS ' DEGREE GE LLE CO 20-A, Vikramaditya Marg, Lucknow agdc.ac.in

2 Coral Edition Advisor Dr R. Krishna Co-Advisor Dr. M. Shukla Editorial Board Nida Fatima, Richa Khare, Amrita Bhattacharya Cover Design Dr R Krishna Pre-Production Soft Copy Army Pringing Press, Lucknow Publisher The Literary Club Avadh Girls' Degree College 20-A Vikramaditya Marg, Lucknow , India

3 The Avadhite Printed At Army Printing Press 33, Nehru Road, Sadar Cantt, Lucknow Tel :

4 Coral Edition The Light Brigade Sitting L-R : Dr. R. Gupta, Dr. S. Rai, Dr. M. Pande Pervaz, Dr.U. Chaturvedi, Mrs. K. Agarwal, Mrs. U. Srivastava (Principal), Dr. P. Bhatia, Dr. M.Deb, Dr. S. Varshney and Dr. S.S. Katiyar Standing L-R : Mrs. G. Mishra, Dr.S. Sahai, Dr. M. Shukla, Dr. A. Shukla, Mrs. P. Choudhari, Dr. R. Krishna, Ms. S. Bose, Dr. N. Sinha and Ms. A. Pant

5 Contents Messages (i) Follow the Music! 133 Editorial 1 Faculty Members and Staff 3 Student Council 4 College Report 5 Club Reports 7 Accolades and more Current Crop 27 Noble Thoughts of Noble Mind 55 Chronicles of Legends 59 Years of Cheers 79 From the Overseas 93 Back to Roots 98 Alumnae Profile 109 Alumnae News 110 At the Epicentre 111 Those walks can talk 113 Of milestones and Momentum 114 Treasure Trove 116 Student Spotlight 120 Girls' Rock! 121 Avadh Beat 134 Awards Day 137 Well Done!!! 139 A Rainbow Fare 143 Swayam Saje Vasundhare Beyond Books 147 Different Strokes 150 An EpicTale of Classics in the 153 New Millenium An Affair to Remember - Encore 165 Power of Mind 166 History Revisited 168 Club Photos 170 From Podium and Beyond 175 In the Avadh Space 202 My Avadh - Let us hear them 207 In the Sanctuary of the Soul 216 Perceptions 217 Search Light 224 Voices from the Past 230 College Day 122 Be inspired 127 Art in Stop Motion! 131

6 ch,y tks'kh jkt;iky] mrrj izns'k jkt Òou y[kuå & fnukad% 27 flrecj] 2012 Lakns'k eq>s ;g tkudj vrho izluurk gqbz fd vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst] y[kuå }kjk dkyst if=dk ßdksjy,fM'kuÞ dk izdk'ku fd;k tk jgk gsa egkfo ky;h; if=dk ifjlj dh 'ksf{kd,oa lkfgfr;d xfrfof/k;ksa dk niz.k gs] ftlds }kjk lelr cksf)d fø;kdykiksa dh >yd feyrh gsa blds lkfk gh ;s if=dk, egkfo ky; dh uokadqfjr izfrhkkvksa,oa uohu ladyiukvksa ds izlqqvu dk ekxz Hkh iz'klr djrh gsaa eq>s [kq'kh gs fd vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst ckfydkvksa dks f'kf{kr djus esa vge~ Hkwfedk fuhkk jgk gsa dkyst if=dk ßdksjy,fM'kuÞ ds lqy izdk'ku gsrq esa viuh gkfnzd 'kqhkdkeuk, izsf"kr djrk gw A ¼ch,y tks'kh½ i

7 Coral Edition Message It gives me great pleasure to see that Avadh Girls' Degree College which began its journey 35 years ago with the sole purpose of imparting quality education to young women has withstood the test of time and has instilled in its students the virtues of integrity, discipline, confidence and dynamism thus helping them to emerge as successful individuals in the modern competitive world. I congratulate the visionary Management Committee, the dedicated Principal, capable Faculty members and the entire staff of our prestigious College for making this College a milestone in the history of this city and wish all the students many more years of brilliant performance. Begum H. Habibullah President - Managing Committee Avadh Girls' Degree College ii

8 Jherh Lo:i dqekjh cd'kh iwoz ea=h x`g] f'k{k lekt dy;k.k,oa lald`fr fohkkx iwoz ea=h x`g] f'k{kk lekt dy;k.k,oa lald`fr fohkkx mrrj izns'k ljdkj jkt Hkou VsyhQksu,Dlpsat jsm dsljckx] y[kuå nwjhkk"k % fnukad% 23 flrecj] 2012 Lakns'k eq>s ;g tkudj vr;ur izluurk gqbz fd vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst ls lecfu/kr okf"kzd if=dk ^vo/kkbv* izdkf'kr gksus tk jgh gsa eq>s iw.kz vk'kk gs fd bl egkfo ky; esa tks Nk=kvksa dks mrre f'k{kk nh tk jgh gs] rfkk mugsa Js"Bre ukxfjd cukus esa tks vfkd iz;kl fd;k tk jgk gs] mldh,d f>yfeykrh gqbz >yd,oa >k dh bl if=dk esa ns[kdj ikbdksa dks vo'; xoz rfkk izluurk gksxha Nk=kvksa dk Hkh ys[k i<+dj mrlkgo)zu,oa Kkuo)Zu gksxka esjk vk'khokzn,oa 'kqhkdkeuk;sa vkids lkfk gs ¼Lo:i dqekjh cd'kh½ iii

9 Coral Edition Message It gives me great pleasure to learn that the Literary club of AGDC is bringing out yet another issue of the Avadhite and this time it is a special Coral Edition. Avadh Degree College has grown from strength to strength over the past many years under the able guidance of our Committee, Principal and Staff and holds a place of pride among the educational institutions of the city. I wish the College and the Literary Club all the best in their endeavors, and look forward to yet another interesting issue. Zarine Viccajee Manager iv

10 Message I am proud to be a part of Avadh Girls' Degree College which has been successfully imparting education to Young Girls for the last 35 years and motivating them towards academic excellence. The institution stands for the overall development of its students preparing them for challenges ahead, encouraging them to showcase their talents & skills and guiding them to achieve greater heights in future. I congratulate the Principal and the faculty members for preparing the girls for a better tomorrow as in keeping with the words of John Dewey, "Education is not preparation of life; education is life itself.". I wish all the students the very best in their future endeavors. Dr. Khushwant Singh Treasurer v

11 Coral Edition Message "Men may come and men may go, But I go on forever" Are the all too well known lines of "The Brook" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. The Avadhite too, like the Brook has been coming into print year after year and will continue to showcase the talents of the students who pass through the portals of this splendid institution. It is indeed a moment of pride, more so, since I have been fortunate to have graduated from this very institutions, to send a message for the Coral edition of the College magazine. My congratulations to Dr. Ranjana Krishna the Advisor of the Literary Club and her team who has put in incessant effort in its compilation. The Magazine of a College is considered to be its mirror and we are happy and proud to be bringing forth the Avadhite successfully and maintaining the College so as to be a leading College of the city. For this I feel Avadh is fortunate to have at every level of its edifice a team of excellent persons, at every level of its edifice from the very base to the top. I am grateful to all the Management members who have been a great source of encouragement in all spheres, my colleagues who have guided and helped in maintaining the standards of this College, the office and all the support staff for their contribution in the smooth functioning of the College, and last but not the least, the students who make this College what it is. My best wishes to the Literary Club Advisor and members once again for their accomplishments and I hope to see the Avadh banner flying higher in the years to come for as it is said "Success is a journey, not a destination". Mrs U Srivastava Principal vi

12 Editorial Nida Fatima Literary Club President "There is a difference between a book of two hundred pages from the very beginning, and a book of two hundred pages which is the result of an original eight hundred pages. The six hundred are there. Only you don't see them." This, perhaps, aptly sums up essence of editing. The freedom to express one's thought, emotions and experience is indeed a privilege and must be guarded well. And what better way to express one's thought than by words, the power of which though sometimes not acknowledged, remain a force to be reckoned with. After all, isn't the pen mightier than the sword. As the girls poured out their hearts on paper, and churned out one rendition after the other, my job as editor began, contrary to what some might believe, editing is not merely ensuring that literary creations conform to established rules of grammer and syntax. Understanding the thought behind the article and preserving its essence is intrinsic to editing. This was my Endeavour as we worked our way through the piles of seemingly insurmountable article placed before us. Here, perhaps, I should mention the hoard of knowledge we gained along the way, not to mention the spirit of co-operation that prevented us from being overcome by the gargantuan task before us. Of course, the teachers Dr. R. Krishna and Dr. M. Shukla were instrumental in putting together this magazine, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to them. It has been the constant endeavour of the literary club to keep on improving the college magazine. Each year has seen something new added to it. Every new issue is sought to be an improved version. Walking through the sands of time, I came across many footprints apart from mine. Some footprints were ahead of my footprints - those were of almighty God, my parents, mentors, teachers; some were besides mine - yes my friends, but at times I had to walk alone. I completely agree with the fact that life is full of ups and downs. In school we were just infants, in college we learned to crawl but now after becoming graduates, we will have to walk steadily and be prepared not to trip and fall down but to run as 1

13 Coral Edition per the need of the hour. For preparing me to face the outside world, I am thankful to AGDC. Being elected as the Literary club president was a remarkable achievement of my life. I got the precious opportunity to work under the guidance of Dr R Krishna and Dr M Shukla. From the core of my heart, I am thankful to both the teachers for making me realize my potentials and helping me to overcome all odds. The amount of exposure that I got while working with them can't be explained in words. We all get the opportunity to do something different in life but our positive approach towards it makes a lot of difference, this I learned from them. I also wish to mention the remarkable efforts and co-operation put in by the Literary club secretary, Richa Khare and joint secretary, Amrita Bhattacharya. Thanks are due to our Principal Mrs U Srivastava for her guidance and help in correctly performing my duties. I am grateful to all my teachers for making us aware of things happening at the global level; making the learning process more practical, and reminding us of the moral values that we tend to forget after stepping out of school. Working for the Literary club not only opened my eyes to my potential but also to the potential of so many of my fellow students whose talents not only blossomed but were nourished by the nurturing atmosphere prevailing in the college - we had awesome actors, melodious singers, graceful dancers, prolific writers, creative artists, great sports persons - YOU NAME IT AND WE HAD THEM AMONGST US. Finally, with all the fond memories embedded, in my heart, of AGDC, I wish that my prestigious college experiences an unbeatable growth in coming years. I also hope that you will feel good and learn something new while reading this college magazine, THE AVADHITE. "The Avadhite" is not just a magazine, it is an embodiment of our personality, skill and imagination an essential part of the life of every Avadhite. So go ahead and delve deep into its pages and immerse yourselves in the treasure trove. 2

14 The A.G.D.C. Staff Arts Ms Usha Srivastava Dr (Ms) Pratima Bhatia Ms Ratna Watal Dr (Ms) Mili Deb Ms Kavita Agarwal Dr (Ms) Upma Chaturvedi Dr (Ms) Manjul Pande Parvez Dr (Ms) Sumna Varshney Dr (Ms) Ranjana Krishna Dr (Ms) Aparna Shukla Dr (Ms) Shanti Rai Dr (Ms) Seema Singh Katiyar Dr (Ms) Rekha Gupta Dr (Ms) Preeti Awasthi Ms Preeti Chaudhari Principal (History) Anthropology Deptt Economics Deptt Anthropology Deptt Psychology Deptt Geography Deptt Psychology Deptt History Deptt English Deptt Education Deptt Economics Deptt English Deptt Hindi Deptt Political Science Deptt Political Science Deptt Dean of Studies Dean : Dr (Ms) S Varshney Dean of Students Dean : Ms K Agarwal Co-Deans : Dr (Ms) U. Chaturvedi Dr (Ms) N. Sinha Commerce (self-financing) Dr (Ms) Mansi Shukla Dr (Ms) Neerja Sinha Ms Aparna Pant Ms Surpreet Sahai The Library Staff Ms Veena Singh Ms Rajkumari R Akhtar Jafri Ms Geeta Misra 3

15 Coral Edition Student Council President Ayushi Dixit Vice President Shaesta Kamal Debating Club President - Shamama Abidi Secretary - Monika Gupta Joint Secretary - Devika Mathur Dramatics Club President - Hareem Farooqui Secretary - Urvi Singh Joint Secretary - Niharika Viz Eco-Restoration Club President Secretary - Pranjali Sinha Joint Secretry - Pallavi Entertainment Club President - Syeda Umama Maqsood Secretary - Ayushi Sanyal Joint Secretary - Ayushi Bhargava Fine Arts Club President - Deevika Khare Secretary - Isha Verma Joint Secretary - Niharika Singh Literary Club President - Nida Fatima Secretary - Richa Khare Joint Secretary-Amrita Bhattacharya Music Club President - Tulika Bhattacharya Secretary - Deepti Nair Joint Secretary - Himani Singh NSS Club President - Deepti Mehrotra Secretary - Meetu Nanda Joint Secretary - Saman Irfan Social Service Club President - Garima Pant Secretary - Sharmishtha Singh Joint Secretary - Pranjali Rastogi Sports Club President - Neha Nair Secretary - Shanza Beg Joint Secretary - Vanika Sharma Class Representative BA I - Ruchika Singh BA II -Trishika Srivastava B.Com I (Section A&B) - Sarah Kamal (Section C) - Soniya Chainani B. Com II (Section A&B)-Preetika Chopra (Section C) - Zaara Ali B. Com III (Section A&B) - Richa Kapoor (Section C) - Priyanka Tiwari Class Secretary B.A. I- Zeba Mirza B.A. II- Divya Pandey B.Com I (Section A&B) - Tanya Vaish (Section C) - Snigdha Mishra B. Com II (Section A&B) - Chandni Viz (Section C) - Raktima Chawla B. Com III (Section A&B) - Pankhuri Singhal (Section C) - Sandhya Singh 4

16 College Report ( ) President - Student Council Ayushi Dixit Long, Long be my heart with such memories filled like a vase in which roses have once been distilled, you may break, you may shalter the vase if you will, but the scent of the roses will hang round it still. The words hold true within I reflect on how closely our lives revolve around our Alma Mater. Circumstances & environment mould a person's character & influence his thought proceses to such an extent that he finds himself an inseparable part of the same. We not only learn from the surroundings that we live in but we also hope to contribute to the world as we move through life. Firstly, I would like to thank our principal Mr. U. Srivastava, our dean Mrs Agarwal, and our Co-deans, Dr. U. Chaturvedi and Dr. N. Sinha for their great faith in the council & in me. The new academic session began on 18th July 2011 & saw everyone geared up for a busy year ahead. The exuberant office bearers conducted the assembly on 10th July 2011 to mark the start of the year on an insightful note, with prayers & blessings. We celebrated the Independence Day, like proud Indian. The girls sang songs, recited poems & bowed their heads to Tri-colour. Independence Day was followed by the Freshers' Talent hunt, in which activities were held by the different clubs to bring out the hidden talent in the freshers. In turn the freshers participated very enthusiastically & came out ahead in most activities. On 5th of September, 2011 we celebrated Teachers' Day to express our gratitude towards our teachers. We arranged games like - guess the 'Ads', & identify the nursery rhymes and everyone tapped their feet to the tunes of various songs. The most awaited welcome social was organised on 27th September, The theme for the social was 'carnival' & everyone had a gala time. In the very same month various activities were organized by Literary Club, Social Service Club, Music Club & Dramatics Club. On 2nd of October, 2011 we paid our tributes to Mahatma Gandhi by garlanding his statue & dedicating to him his favourite song "Vaishnav Jan". On the very next day the third years were invited to the Dandiya party. The college closed down for the Dusshera break on 6th of October, While all the girls were busy celebrating the festival, some of our talented students got an opportunity to participate in the Inter-Collegiate Festival which was organised by IIT Kanpur. The college performed very well & also won many prizes. 5

17 Coral Edition We reopened on 15th October, Once again we were back in motion with full zeal to carry on with the events. Our students showcased their talent in events like T-shirt painting, Best out of waste, Book mark making, Ad-Mad, Singing & dancing. As the month of November approached we pulled up our socks. Events like Inter year Debate, Elocution, Rangoli, Poster making were held. 26th November, 2011 was the Founder's day of our college. It is celebrated as the Annual Day. There were a number of programmes that included a play, songs & dances. These performances were applauded by all. The Taruna Puri Memorial Debate was organized on 16th of December, 2011 to pay tribute to Taruna Puri who had passed away so untimely. The annual NSS camp was held in December. All seven days were full of constructive activities like campus cleaning & so on. Girls also voluntered to read & teach the childrens living in slum areas. The Inter-collegiate Festival, Nazrana-e-Avadh was held on 17th & 18th January. Everyone was going haywire to organize it in the best manner possible. Different activities were allotted to various clubs. Both the days many literary, dramatic, debating & musical activities kept our students & the invited participants busy & enthralled. In fact, such was the hectic tempo that some of us just lost it... so nervous were we of making sure that everything went just right. My heartful thanks to our Management for granting us the permission to hold this festival.i would also like to thank all the teachers for their support & guidance. With this the calendar year ended, a year which taught us so many things. It helped us to grow into better individuals. This report would not be at all complete without mentioning the Awards Day and the Valedictory Ceremony held on 6th February, The Chief Guest for this occasion was Prof. M.K. Misra, Vice Chancellor, Lucknow University. This day was also a sad one for us as we bid adieu to our offices and handed over our badges. On 20th March, 2012 the 2nd years gave us a wonderful farewell in which titles were given and everyone had an enjoyable day. The time for fun and game was almost over as the annual examination loomed ahead. I would like to congratulate my council for such a great year full of hardwork coupled with fun. A person without whose support I could have done nothing was Student Council Vice-President, Shaesta Kamal. She was my vertiable backbone throughout the year. I can never adequately explain how important this college is to me. I can only say that I will be extremely proud to be known as an Avadhite for the rest of my life. 6

18 Debating Club Report Time passes and the experiences we have got are cherished, but the thing that remains with us are the moments - moment that will never be experienced again. So, the thing that we as a club did was - "We lived the moment and experienced the best." With this spirit of enthusiasm and conviction, we started our journey as the Debating Club Council in the month of August. Elected by our own peers, I had the great responsibility on my shoulders to take my club to a different height as well as, encourage my friends in the college to overcome their stage fright and enhance their speaking skills - to become better communicators in this competitive world. The activity year had commenced with Inter-year Debate. The competition was organised on 21st Sep This event was a great success and got a good response from the entire student body. Then we moved ahead to our most important event Taruna Puri Memorial Debate which was organised on 16th Dec. 2011, which also became a grand success as many outside teams participated in the event. Our activities session did not come to an end here but in fact we got another chance to hold our prestigious fest Nazrana-E-Avadh on 17th & 18th Jan 2012 and to organise competitions at the Inter-Collegiate level. Our College team made us proud by winning the competitions of JAM & TURN COAT organised by Debating Club during Nazrana-E-Avadh. The biggest hand behind the club's success was that of our advisor Dr. P. Awasthi who was with me through thick and thin. I would also like to thank the College Principal Mrs. U. Srivastava, the Dean, Mrs. K. Agarwal & the Co-Deans Dr. U. Chaturvedi & Dr. N. Sinha who fulfilled the club's every need. Last, but not least, a warm thanks to my Secretary "Monika Gupta" & Joint Secretary Devika Mathur who supported me in all possible ways. These few months as the Debating Club President, was like a journey full of numerous lessons of leadership, team work, co-ordination etc. It was altogether a great level of expierence that I am taking along with me & really wishing the upcoming council all the very best. Club President : Shamama Abidi 7

19 Coral Edition Dramatic Club Report jaxep ges'kk ls euq"; ds thou dh fomecukvksa]?kkr izfr?kkr] thou ds lp dh cgqlrjh;rk o tfvyrk dks vfhko;dr djus dk,d l'kdr ek/;e jgk gsa ekuoh; {kerkvksa ds dykred izlqqvu dk lkfkzd vksj lefkz ek/;e jaxeap] fdlh u fdlh :i esa lh;rk dh 'kq:vkr ls gh lkekftd thou esa ekstwn jgk gsa vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst tks efgyk f'k{kk ds {ks= esa y[kuå gh ugh vfirq iwjs izns'k esa,d fof'k"v LFkku j[krk gsa 'ks{kf.kd fodkl ds lkfk lkfk Nk=kvksa ds O;fDrRo dk lok±xh.k fodkl egkfo ky; dk y{; jgk gsa xq: johunzukfk VSxksj dh dko; iafdr tks euq"; dh Lora= ¼When the mind is Free...½ psruk dsk yf{kr djrk gs] vo/k xylz fmxzh dkwyst dk lw= okd; gsa gesa ;g crkrs gq, vr;ar xoz o larks"k gks jgk gs fd dkwyst us viuh LFkkiuk ds lkfk gh Nk=kvksa dks ukvd eapu gsrq flqz izsfjr gh ugha fd;k vfirq fof/kor ukv~; Dyc cuk mls i;kzir LFkku iznku fd;ka dkwyst esa ;wa rks lkjh gh f'k{k.ksrrj xfrfof/k;ka i;kzir egroiw.kz gsa fdarq ukv~; Dyc bl lanhkz esa fof'k"v blfy, gks tkrk gs fd bldk lh/kk laca/k egkfo ky; ds okf"kzd LFkkiuk fnol lekjksg ls gsa ukv~; Dyc izfro"kz 26 uoecj dks dfbu ifjje vksj yxu ls rs;kj,d yach ukv~; izlrqfr nsrk gsa egkfo ky; esa ukv~; Dyc dk Lof.kZe bfrgkl jgk gsa fganh o vaxzsth ds egroiw.kz ukvddkjksa dh izlr`fr;ksa dk lk{kh dkyst izs{kkx`g curk jgk gsa o"kz esa Hkh ukv~; Dyc us orzeku jktuhfrd fonzqirkvksa vksj dm+oh lppkbz;ksa dks lanhkz esa j[k] 'kjn tks'kh d`r O;aX; ukvd ß,d Fkk x/kk mqz vyknknþ dks eafpr fd;ka yxhkx 75 feuv dk ;s ukvd yksd 'ksys] LFkkuh;rk vksj Hkk"kk ds fnypli vankt is'k djrk gsa vius dbz vk;keksa eas ;g ukvd rkrdkyhdrk o izkalfxdek esa lh/ks lh/ks tqm+rk gsa jktuhfrd usr`ro vksj mlds bnz fxnz pkiywl@njckjh lald`fr vksj tufgr ls csbzekuh bl ukvd dk izk.k gsa vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst dh Nk=kvksa us nks eghus ds dm+s vh;kl ds ckn tc bl ukvd dks izlrqr fd;k rks ;g ukvd izlrqfrdj.k ds lkjs vk;keksa esa O;lkf;drk ds lehi FkkA Nk=kvksa us 'kkunkj vfhku; dj bl izlrqfr dks vn~hkqr o vfolej.kh; cuk fn;ka Ikk=ksa dh cm+h la[;k ds ckotwn izr;sd ik= us eap ij viuh miflfkfr ntz djk;h vksj n'kzdksa dh rkfy;ka cvksjha uokch vfhktkr; ds e/; ns'kt 'kcnksa vksj Hknsl vankt us ukv~; izlrqfr dks vfrfjdr jkspdrk iznku dha mijksdr okf"kzd eap ds vfrfjdr ukv~; Dyc us iwjs o"kz viuh fofhkuu xfrfof/k;ksa ds ek/;e ls Dyc dks lfø; cuk;s j[kka uokaxrqdksa ds ^izfrhkk vuos"k.k* ds lkfk lkfk Dyc }kjk vurzo"khz; ukv~; izfr;ksfxrk dk Hkh vk;kstu fd;k x;ka,dy vfhku;] fokkiu cukvksa izfr;ksfxrk] Me 'ksjkmz vkfn dk vk;kstu ukv~; Dyc dh vu; izeq[k xfrfof/k;ka jgha yacs varjky ds ckn egkfo ky; }kjk iquthzfor fd;s tk jgs vk;kstu ßutjkuk&,&vo/kÞ esa Hkh ukv~; Dyc us c<+ p<+dj lghkkfxrk dh vksj vusd dk;zøeksa ds lqy vk;kstuksa ds 8

20 lkfk lkfk mlesa izfrhkkfxrk ds iqjldkj Hkh thrsa ;g vr;ar g"kz dk fo"k; gs fd ukv~; Dyc dh deku izk;%,slh Nk=kvksa ds gkfk jgh tks viuh vlk/kkj.k izfrhkk] dk;z ds izfr leiz.k vksj usr`ro ds uslfxzd xq.kksa ds dkj.k Dyc dks u;h ÅpkbZ;ksa ij igq pkrh jgh gsaa Vhe Hkkouk vksj vuq'kklu ukv~; izlrqfr;ks dh lqyrk ds izeq[k lzksr jgs gsaa l= esa ukv~; Dyc dh v/;{k gjhe Qk:[kh us u flqz o"kz i;zur v/;{k ds :i esa viuh vksipkfjd Hkwfedk vksj nkf;roksa dk fuokzg fd;k cfyd ukvd esa Lo;a eq[; Hkwfedk fuhkk lcdh iza'klk cvksjha uokc ds O;fDRo dks vkrelkr dj Dyc izsflmsuv gjhe Qk:[kh us vius vfhku; dks'ky dks c[kwch fu:fir fd;ka Dyc dh vu; inkf/kdkfj;ksa lfpo mfoz o la;qdr lfpo fugkfjdk fot us Hkh vius nkf;roksa dk leqfpr fuokzg fd;ka Dyc dh lykgdkj izhfr pks/kjh ds fparu vksj lkekftd ljksdkjksa dh Nki Hkh Dyc dh ukv~; izlrqfr;ksa ij jgh gsa ukvd izseh vksj xahkhj n'kzd ds vius yacs vuqhkoksa ds iz;ksx os ukv~; izlrqfr;ksa esa djrh jgh gsa gchc ruohj dks yksd'ksyh dks ialn djus okyh lqjh izhfr pks/kjh Hkkjrh; jaxep dh reke iajijkvksa vksj 'ksfy;ksa esa xgjh :fp j[krh gsa &ukv~; Dyc Education is not a filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. -William Butler Yeats 9

21 Coral Edition Eco-Restoration Club-report Environment is the natural condition which exists around us. It includes conditions that influence the character of the natural setting, the climate, water, soil, roots, minerals, landforms, flora and fauna and operates as an interacting system of physical, biological and cultural elements. The nature of interaction between humans and environment has not remaind balanced, which ultimately destroys the ecological system. What is required is a policy of sustainable interrelated development and which could be achieved through proper awareness and responses. The youth can play an indispensable role in protecting the environment and restoring the ecological balance. An awareness regarding the seriousness of the situation has to be created. Workshops, seminars waste-reduction campaigns, reuse of various material etc. have to the organized. The Eco-Restoration club of Avadh Girls' Degree College was established in the year when the Government decided to focus on environmental and for the purpose of educating the masses about the environment degradation and enrolling the students for the restoration of ecological balance and inculcating the needed habits and behaviour in them. Towards this end the club conducted several activities in the college for the year The club had about 200 students from B.A. and B. Com faculty as its members. Unfortunately due to certain circumstances the club had no club president and had to work only with the secretary and joint secretary. On 24th August, the club organised a Poster Making Competition, the topic being 'Global Warming' for which there were 6 'participants', the winners by order of merit were Chandini Motiani, Devika Khare and Meetu Nanda. Another event held by the club was 'Best out of Waste' on 14th September, 2011 for which there were seven participants and the use of only waste material was allowed and the winners were in order of merit : Ayushi Dixit, Deepti Mehrotra and Shaista Kamal. 'Dry and Foliage Arrangement' competition was organized on 26th September, The winners were Soumya Bansal, Shweta Yadav and Bhawna. Attempts were also made to organize groups to maintain and minize water wastage, electricity consumption and littering on the premises. This effort was enthusiastically received but the zeal soon wore off. The club in its endeavour to insulate values regarding environment protection and eco-restoration worked hard under the able guidance of staff Advisor Dr. M. Pande Parvez and tried to make a difference in the day to day life of the college and its students. Pranjali Sinha (Secretary) Pallavi Mehrotra (Joint-Secretary) 10

22 Entertainment Club Report As I sit down to pen the events and activities of the past year, my heart is filled with deep nostalgia and lovely memories. My feelings at this point of time are quite inexpressible. How rapidly the past year has flown by really astonishes me. To be elected the President of the Entertainment Club was a pleasant surprise. The year started with the Investiture Ceremony which was held on 5th August, The Entertainment Club was given the task of arranging snacks for the faculty, the office staff and the newly elected council. The next task was the 'Instant Recipe' competition organized on 7th September 2011 where Ayushi Dixit, Shamama Abidi and Tuhina Chaturvedi were declared first, second and third respectively. On 27th September 2011, Entertainment was given the huge task arranging the food for the 'Welcome Social'. The council helped in making the arrangements as smooth as possible. On the 3rd of October 2011, 'Dandiya Party' was organized for the third year. Again the combined effort of the Entertainment Club and the Council made the Dandiya Party a success. th On the 26 November 2011, the council geared up for the 'College Day'. The Entertainment Club was gladly helped by the whole council. The calendar year came to an end with the 'Awards Day and the Veledictory Ceremony' where we surrendered our badges. For the past wonderful year I would like to thank the Principal Mrs. U. Srivastava, the Dean Mrs. K. Agarwal, the Co-Deans Dr. U. Chaturvedi and Dr. N. Sinha without whose support I would not have been able to succed. I would also like to thank the whole council and last but not the least my secretary, Ayushi Sanyal and joint secretary, Ayushi Bhargava who were there to help whenever I was in need. Club President : Syeda Umama Maqsood 11

23 Coral Edition Fine Arts Club Report As the academic year comes to a close I cannot help but reminiscence the beautiful memories which I shall take away with myself as the President of the Fine Arts Club. The time when I was entrusted with the responsibilities of the club is still vivid in my mind. Since then, I have come a long way. The club started with the organising of welcome social, followed by the Dandiya Party, which was a highlight of the festive season. Then was the founder's day celebration. However, the most memorable of all events was Nazrana-e-Avadh, the annual Inter-Collegiate fest of the college; not only did the club ensure the decoration of the entire college campus but, we also participated in the festival activity. Apart from these the club organised the following activities. Origamy, Poster Making, Rangoli-Making, and Ednafied (Paper Costume Designing) Devika Khare President 12

24 Literary Club Report A new session heralds the arrival of hope,aspirations,ideas,excitement and a will to do something notable.we sailed into the new academic session filled with enthusiasm. It filled me with great pride to see myself as Literary Club President of AGDC, but it also meant a lot of responsibility. It was a big responsibility to take out a special CORAL EDITION of THE AVADHITE and it was interesting to go through the articles of our esteemed alumnae giving vent to their sensitive feelings and wonderful experiences they had during their college days.moreover we motivated our young friends to articulate their thoughts into writing. Keeping this in mind the club commenced its activities on 7th Sep2011 by organizing the much awaited event 'QUIZ COMPETITION '.After Preliminary Rounds six teams qualified for the Final Round and participated in it. Team A performed extraordinarily well and bagged the First prize. The next activity was Elocution which was held on 26th Sep2011.The students showed great interest in it and thus it attracted huge participation.the participants displayed great confidence and fluency. Shammama Abidi (B.A. 3),Hareem Farooqui (B.Com.3) and Ayushi Dixit (B.A.3) were declared 1st,2nd and 3rd respectively. It was followed by another major event of the club 'srijanatmak pratibha puraskar '.In keeping with the motto of the College the topic was 'SHIKSHA AUR JEEVAN MULYA'.The first and second year students made their presence felt tremendously. Poonam Mourya of B.A. 3rd year was adjudged the best writer. The Literary Club also participated in many Inter-Collegiate activities held in other degree colleges and institutes. We took part in many quiz competitions,story writing and creative writing etc. It has been an exciting journey with the support of our club advisor Dr R Krishna and co-advisor Dr M.Shukla.I shall take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the Principal Mrs U.Srivastava, the Dean of Students Mrs K. Agrawal, Co- Deans Dr U.Chaturvedi and Dr N.Sinha. I am happy to say that the successful activities of the club has been the result of the co-operation of the secretary Richa Khare and joint secretary Amrita Bhattacharya. A special thanks to Entertainment Club for providing refreshments for the invites. There is no doubt that I owe an everlasting debt of gratitude to the College for instilling in me a desire to pursue excellence in all my endeavours. May the future Literary Team take the club from strength to strength. Club President: Nida Fatima 13

25 Coral Edition Music Club Report When we assumed office at the beginning of the year 2011, we were ushered with an aura of renewed vigour, vitality and the resolution to strive harder for the MUSIC CLUB. The students showed great interest in music club activities and participated in various activities. At the very beginning of the session was the "Freshers' Talent Hunt Solo singing" and "Freshers' Talent Hunt Solo dancing" on 10th August The audience got the opportunity. The second event organised was "Solo Singing competition and "Group Singing competition" on 24th August The third event organised by the club was SOLO DANCHING and GROUP DANCING competition on 14th September Our club also participated is dance competitions organised by the Rotary club on 17th September 2011 and secured the first position. In the month of October various teams from the college had participated in the various inter-collegiate competitive events. On Ist October 2011, the college team had participated is Varchasva at IIM Lucknow. One team participated in choreography and one team in Fashion Show. The team for fashion show secured third position. The participants also got opportunities to show their talent in other colleges and got a good exposure. From 13th October to 16th October 2011 a team of 19 members went to IIT Kanpur to participate in Antaragni. A team of 12 members participated is Folk dance and stood third all over. The girls performed LAVNI dance, the native dance of Maharashtra. Garima Malhotra of BA. Ist yr. participated in SOLO DANCE. There were other competitions like Indian solo classical singing, Indian vocal-solo and duet on stage. On 18th October 2011, a group from Avadh Girls' Degree College participated in FANTASIES at Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium. They performed and bagged the Ist prize. On 21st October 2011, our students participated at 'Ojas' at Jaipuria Institute of Management. Another Solo participant Namrata Dixit of B.A. IInd yr performed a solo dance at Ojas and stood second. The team performed a group dance and secured Ist position. In the month of November, the most awaited event of the college year i.e. - THE ANNUAL DAY programme on 26th Nov. The contribution of the "MUSIC CLUB" comprised of a 'Guru Vandana' sung by Tajinder Kaur of B.Com Ist yr. and Shireen Rizvi of B.A. IInd yr. The Rajasthani Dance was on the song "Rangilo Maro Dholna." 14

26 The leader of the group was Prachi Sahu and the total number of the participants were 11. Another group performed Lavni Dance. Total number of the participants were 6. It was a flamboyant performance, portrayed by the girls. On 30th October 2011, Harshita Upadhyaya of B.Com I took part in Tarangini at Mahila PG College and secured the second position. She took part in Solo singing competition. In the month of January, Avadh Girls' Degree College organised 'Nazrana-e- Avadh'. Music club organized two events namely "Indian classical Solo singing competition and Semi classical duet dance competition. On 18th January 2012, the club had organised, a choreography as a filler before the prize distribution ceremony. The college which bagged the first position in this fest was Babu Banarsi Das National Institute of Technology and Management. The second position was bagged by our college A.G.D.C. In the month of February BBD college had organised an event called Utkarsh from 23rd to 25th February Various dance events were held like, Folk Dance, Group dance, duet dance, Solo dance and solo singing. The participants from the college had participated enthusiastically in these events. On the whole, the year was a hectic and memorable one but at the same time it was full of enthusiasm, happiness, joy and achievements. The experience as the President of the Music Club has given me confidence to interact with people. The post has given me so many memorable moments, as the days are nearing for us to part from the post. We are left with nothing except a heartfelt gratitude for this great and wonderful post and many memories. It has been an exciting journey with the support of the staff, and the Music Club Advisor Dr. R. Gupta. I would like to thank our Principal Mrs. U. Srivastava the Dean of students Mrs K. Agarwal, Co-Deans Dr. U. Chaturvedi, Dr. N. Sinha for their whole hearted co-operation, guidance and help. My special thanks to my club secretary Deepti Nair and Joint Secretary Himani Singh for helping me and sharing the burden of my work. I would also like to thank the helpers for volunteering to help our club, my friends and all the students who have earnestly helped me with their support and hard work. I conclude my report with the cherished hope that the upcoming session will set up new milestones for the overall success of the college. I hope that the new council will maintain the Glory of the Music club and the College and will take it to the new heights. Club President : Tulika Bhattacharya 15

27 Coral Edition NSS Annual Report They might not need me, but they might. I'll let my head be just in sight. A smile as small as mine might be precisely their necessity". Emily Dickinson The year began with the enrollment of NSS volunteers in the three designated units. National Service Scheme makes a sincere endeavour to provide a platform for NSS volunteers to expand and explore the ever widening horizons in an activity based learning environment. The students participated in every activity with immense enthusiasm and eagerness. The orientation program was held on 20th September 2011 for the volunteers. The three programme officers, Dr. Shanti Rai, Dr. Seema Singh Katiyar and Mrs. Aparna Pant enlightened the students about NSS objectives, motto, logo and badge. The students were taught the NSS song. Suggestions were sought from the students for drafting a calendar of activities for the whole year both in campus and outside. The students' responses were heartening and overwhelming. NSS Foundation Day was celebrated on 24th September It began with the NSS song. The objectives of NSS were enlightened; NSS volunteers pledge to work for the welfare and well being of the society and upholding the virtues of benevolence that is extending help to all the needy and the deprived. The first one day camp was held on 2nd October, It began on a note of Solemn celebration. Celebration of Gandhi Jayanti started with the lighting of the lamp and speech highlighting Gandhiji and Shastriji's dedication of work to the nation. The day was celebrated as non-violence day. Students actively participated in campus cleaning through which the dignity of labour was instilled among the participants. Students were sensitized on the issue of child labour through a Nukkad-Natak. The second one day camp that is 'Voting Awareness' was held on 28th October, 2011, which created an awarness regarding the right to vote among the youngsters. Various competitions were held like slogan writing, poster making and nukkad natak to motivate the students to come forward to vote. The forms for the voter Id cards have also been filled up in the college. The third one day camp was organised on 1st December, This day, was celebrated as 'World Aids Day', Aids awareness programme was carried out by the NSS volunteers.various competitions were held in the college like slogan writing and poster making. The Red-Ribbon club distributed the red ribbons. The highlight 16

28 of the day was the 'campus quiz' on AIDS. Some students of our college also participated in the Rally organized by the Lucknow University for spreading AIDS awareness. The fourth one day camp was organized on 2nd December, This day was celebrated as World Literacy Day'. NSS volunteers celebrated it with immense enthusiasm. "Literacy opens the gate for a better and happy life..." So NSS volunteers expressed their views on importance of education through a debate. The enthusiasm and desire of the NSS members to help the under privileged in the field of education became a source of encouragement for many more to join hands with us in the service of our society. Apart from one day camps, the NSS volunteers from time to time contributed immensely and participated eagerly in various activities. They undertook campus cleaning, beautification of campus and also ensuring discipline, from time to time in their small way, thereby enriching college life. Students had also participated in Nukkad-Natak competition organized by Lucknow University to create voter awareness. Our students stood first and this nukkad natak was performed before the Governor of UP at Indira Gandhi Partishthan, Gomti Nagar. The annual seven day camp was held from to The entire seven day NSS camp was truly motivating and NSS volunteers took part in every activity very enthusiastically. Many organizations and NGOs came to our college and made us aware regarding certain aspects of life. In the morning our schedule was to visit the village and make them aware regarding their education, health and hygiene. After interacting with them we realized that they were lacking in their basic needs so we distributed them old clothes and rations. In the afternoon time our schedule was set for personality development and acquiring skills, which we further disseminated in the village. The entire seven day NSS camp was truly a great learning experience. We would like to thank our Program Officers Dr. S. Rai, Dr. S.S. Katiyar and Mrs. A. Pant for the guidance and support. Club President : Deepti Mehrotra Secretary : Meetu Nanda Jt Secretary : Saman Irfan 17

29 Coral Edition Social Service Club Report The social service club had an epoch making events during the session backed up by its advisor Dr. M. Shukla. The events are enumerated below : Club organised a T-shirt painting competition on 24th August' 11 based upon "Go Green". Deepti Mehrotra secured 1st place followed by 2nd and 3rd position by Chandni Mohani and Ishita Singh respectively out of nine participants. On September 21, Book mark making competition was held, in which nineteen participants participated, had to 1st 2nd and 3rd position by Deviko Khare, Shaesta Kamal and Shurbhi Singhal in that order. A donation camp on 21st December, 11 was organised, the proceeds went to the orphanage 'Gomo Math". 'Nazarana-d-Avadh' on 17th and 18th January, 2011, the annual inter college Fest, was marked by usual gaiety and fervour, consisting of the club event "T-shirt painting". The honour went to I.T. College. Last, the not the least by thanks are due to my club Secretary Ms. Sharmistha Singh and Joint Secretary Pranjat Rastogi. Thanks to revered Principal, Mrs. U. Srivastava, Dean of students, Mrs. K. Agarwal, Co-Deans, Dr. N. Sinha and Dr. U. Chaturvedi and special thanks to Dr. M. Shukla, the club advisor for her kind co-operation and guidance. Club President: Garima Pant Instruction ends in the school room, but education ends only with life. -Fredrick W. Robertson 18

30 Sports Club All good things come to an end, so my joyful journey as the Sports Club President is also about to end, but it has been a great learning experience for me. The Sports Club started its journey on 15th August with the celebration of Independence Day. The session was followed by a series of events like Inter Year Chess in September and the Inter Year Carom in December. The Students also brought laurel to the college by participating in Athletics, Basket Ball, and Swimming at I.I.M Lucknow and securing good positions. The Sports Club organized Chess competition at Nazrane-Avadh where students of various colleges participated and enjoyed the game. In the end I would like to thanks to the Principal, Dean, Co-Dean, Teachers and every one for their support and cooperation at every step. At last I would say the year went by, with sweet and long lasting memories.

31 Accolades and more... (Awards List ) Academic Awards I. Certificates and Medals for highest Marks B.A.-I Harshita Singh 74% B.A.-II Kavita 68% B.A.-III Indelaha Khan 75% Highest aggregate of B.A.-I, II and III Indelaha Khan 70% B.Com-I Manshi Mishra 67% B.Com-II Sonia Mishra 76% B.Com-III Sonakshi Dwivedi 70% Highest Aggregate of B.Com - I, II & III Ritu Parna Parmanik 69% Highest marks in each subject B.A.-I 1. Anthropology Anamika Chaubey 79% Shivangi Srivastava 79% 2. Economics Harshita Singh 78% 3. Education Mahira Mojiz 65% 4. English Harshita Singh 79% 5. Geography Preetin Kumari 77% Sudha Dwivedi 77% 6. Hindi Neelam Chand 69% 7. History Atika Shamim 76% 8. Pol. Science Monika Gupta 72% 9. Psychology Monika Gupta 72% Shivanshi Mishra 72% B.A.-II 1. Anthropology Deepti Mehrotra 72% Richa Anand 72% 2. Education Rani Kashyap 69% 3. Economics Kavita 67% 4. English Vandita Srivastava 67% 5. Geography Kavita 86% 6. Hindi Priyanka 68% 19

32 Coral Edition 7. History Shiksha Pandey 74% 8. Pol. Science Akshpreet Narula 68% 9. Psychology Ayushi Dixit 66% B.A.-III 1. Anthropology Indelaha Khan 79% 2. Education Babita Kumari 64% 3. Economics Vishakha Karmakar 73% 4. English Nikita Singh 72% 5. Geography Komal Singh 77% 6. Hindi Pammi Kannaujia 61% 7. History Shweta Arora 72% 8. Pol. Science Shabina 59% 9. Psychology Jyoti Singh 74% B.Com-I 1. Micro Economics Milee Khatri 82% 2. Currency, Banking and Exchange Tanushree Srivastava 80% 3. Essentials of Management Shruti Pandey 74% Bhavna Singh 74% 4. Office Management Anam Riaz 72% Vini srivastava 72% 5. Accounting Shruti Pandey 79% 6. Business Organization Smriti Tanvani 76% B. Com-II 1. Statistical Methods Sonia Mishra 86% Tapasya Bajpai 86% 2. Public Finance Srishti 77% 3. Company Law and Secretarial Practice Aishwarya Khatri 72% Sneha Bajpai 72% Priyanka Arora 72% Shubhi Srivastava 72% 4. Business Law Rekha Devi 77% 5. Cost Accounting Harsita Kant 78% 6. Salesmanship and Advertising Arshia Ahmad 85% 7. Business Mathematics Kakul Khan 94% B.Com-III 1. Macro Economics Anu Agarwal 80% 2. Indian Economic Structure Sonakshi Dwivedi 81% 3. Trade of India Rahila Khan 75% 20

33 4. Applied and Business Statistics Chandani Raitani 89% 5. Marketing Practice and Finance Isha Batra 77% 6. Income Tax Laws and Accounts Naureen Fatima 84% 7. Contemporary Audit Insiya Rizvi 78% 8. Insurance Principles and Practice Neha Chak 76% II Certificates of Distinction - Encl I B.A.-I B.A.-II B.A.-III B.Com-I B.Com-II B.Com-III CERTIFICATE OF DISTINCTION 75% and above B.A. I Geography Anshu Shekhawat 76% Ekta Ahuja 75% Neelam Chand 75 % Preeti Kumari 77% Shruti Tandon 75% Sudha Dwivedi 77% History Atika Shamim 76% Isha Verma 75% Economics Harshita Singh 78% English Harshita Singh 79% Anthropology Shivangi Srivastava 79% Anamika Chaubey 79% B.A.II Geography Kavita 86% Kiran Uprari 75% B.A.III Geography Komal Singh 77% Anthropology Indelaha Khan 79% CERTIFICATE OF DISTINCTION - 75% and above B.Com-I Micro Economics Milee Khatri 82% Manya Sinha 80% Saumya Malik 79% Manshi Mishra 78% Meetu Nanda 78% 21

34 Coral Edition Preeti Mishra 78% Manisha Gupta 77% Maninder Kaur Dang 77% Saima Javed 76% Manpreet Kaur 75% Monika Gupta 75% Business Organisation Smriti Tanvani 76% Currency Banking & Exchange Tanushree Srivastava 80% Mini Sharma 78% Milee Khatri 77% Manshi Mishra 76% Jyoti Batra 76% Manya Sinha 75% Khushboo Jagtiani 75% Aayushi Gupta 75% Accounting Shruti Pandey 79% Shrey Shukla 78% Smriti Tanvani 77% Saima Kidwai 75% B.Com-II Cost Accounting Harshita Kant 78% Aishwarya Khatri 75% Ruchika Baluja 75% Salesmenship and Advertising Arshia Ahmad 85% Ruhi Sharma 77% Arockia Powlin 77% Statistical Methods Sonia Mishra 86% Tapasya Bajpai 86% Tanushri M. 82% Toshima Keswani 82% Somia Sharma 80% Khushboo Agarwal 80% Ritika Jaitly 78% Tanu Agarwal 78% Anjali Manvani 78% Vandita Vijayvergiya 78% Saumya Sharma 77% Shiny Kiran Das 77% 22

35 Neha Yadav 76% Urmika Chandra 76% Manpreet Kaur 76% Aastha Srivastava 75% Anchal Srivastava 75% Shiwangi Pradhan 75% Mahima Srivastava 75% Kinjal Singh 75% Business Maths Kakul Khan 94% Neha Yadav 91% Saumya Sharma 86% Shivi Ruhela 86% Chandni Motiani 84% Trisha Chandra 79% Mohita Shukla 78% Nupur Jaiswal 76% Public Finance Srishti 77% Pooja Nigam 76% Ritika Jaitly 76% Business Law Rekha Devi 77% B. Com-II Marketing Practice and Finance Isha Batra 77% Sonu Rai 76% Insurance, Principle & Practice Neha Chak 76% Contemporary Audit Insiya Rizvi 78% Garima Singh 77% Geetika Bakshi 77% Isha Batra 76% Arpita Ghosh 76% Income Tax Naureen Fatima 84% Nikita Srivastava 78% Mohini Sharma 78% Shivangi Verma 78% Neha Chak 77% Devina Dixit 76% Padmini Singh 76% Somya Sinha 76% Anamika Singh 75% 23

36 Coral Edition Nazreen 75% Chandani Sethi 75% Shivangi Jain 75% Mitali Agarwal 75% Shruti Sahai 75% Shreya Singh 75% Trade of India Rahila Khan 75% Applied Business Statistics Chandni Raitani 89% Arminder Kaur 84% Rida Fatima 84% Bharti Gupta 83% Bhavya Bajpai 82% Avanshi Arora 82% Bubbles Thadani 82% Devina Dixit 80% Chandani Sethi 80% Bhavna Varyani 80% Deepali Khaneda 80% Ankita Agarwal 79% Arpita Sharma 79% Shruti Sahai 78% Renuka Ailani 78% Bhawana Verma 77% Ankita Pathak 76% Purva Arora 76% Anu Agarwal 76% Parul Hemkar 76% Jayati Joshi 76% Prachi Singh 75% Indian Economic Structure Sonakshi Dwivedi 81% Akansha Saxena 80% Shazeen Alam 80% Rituparna Pramanik 78% Shefali Arora 77% Samiksha Singh 76% Arpita Sah 76% Devina Dixit 75% Sanyukta Srivastava 75% 24

37 Macro Economics Anu Agarwal 80% Kamakshi Joshi 75% III. Home Examination - Highest aggregate in Home Examinations (Certificates only) B.A.-I Amrita Bhattacharya 59% B.A.-II Reema Singh 64% B.A.-III Vandita Srivastava 46% B.Com-I Harmeet Kaur 71% B.Com-II Khushboo Jagtiani 84% B.Com-III Tapasya Bajpai 73% IV. Awards for High Attendance Highest percentage of attendance (90% or above for each subject) (Silver Medal) B.A.-I No One Qualifies B.A.-II Reema Singh 94% B.A.-III Sudha Yadav 100% B.Com-I Divyansha Srivastava 95% B.Com-II Prachi Shukla 100% B.Com-III No One Qualifies Above 90% - Certificates only for students having a percentage of 90% or above for each subject B.Com-I - Arnima Singh 90% B.Com-II - Mini Sharma 95% 2. Medal for Social Service Most outstanding social worker Deepti Mehrotra B.A.-III 3. Best Joint Secretary Amrita Bhattacharya Literary Club 4. Best Secretary Monika Gupta Debating Club 5. Best Club President Deepti Mehrotra NSS Club Hareem Farooqui Dramatics Club 5. Best Team (Silver) No One Qualifies 7. Certificate of Merit B.A.-I No One Qualifies B.A.-II Monika Gupta Academics, Debating, dramatics, Literary & NSS B.A.-III Ayushi Dixit Academics, Entertainment, Eco 25

38 Coral Edition B.Com-I Deepti Mehrotra Niharika Vij Sarah Kamal Tanya Vaish Restoration, Fine Arts, Literary, Debating and Social Service Academics, Eco Restoration, NSS, Social Service Academics, Dramatics, Sports Academics, Dramatics, Sports Academics, Dramatics, Music, Sports Roll of the Honour Ayushi Dixit B.A.-III 9. Student of the year (Gold) Ayushi Dixit B.A.-III Instituted Awards (Extra Academic) XVII. Mr. C.P. Mittal Memorial Award Gold Medal for the best Social worker Deepti Mehrotra B.A.-III XVIII Srijanatmaka Pratibha Puraskar Student excelling in Hindi Creative writing Poonam Maurya B.A.-III XIX. Shri Prakash Chandra Bhatia Memorial Medal (Gold) Best NSS worker Deepti Mehrotra B.A.-III The very spring and root of honesty and vitue lie in good education -Plutauch 26

39 Current Crop Way to see our Life Arnima Singh B. Com I 'A' v v v v v v v v Audience see joker as a comedian, but the joker sees himself as a performer... Life is also the same, the way we see ourselves may not be the way others see us. A winning horse never knows, what it is to WIN. It only runs in PAIN given by his rider. So whenever you are in pain, think that God wants you to win. Smooth roads never make good drivers. Clear sky never make good pilot. Problem free life never makes strong person. So don't ask life "Why Me?" say "Try Me". If egg is broken by outside world/force, its life ends? If broken by inside force, life begins! Great things always begin from Inside. "Trust yourself"... Making a million friends is not a miracle. The miracle is to make a friend who will stand by you when millions are against you. Don't keep your dream in your eyes, they may fall as tears. Keep them in your heart, so that every heartbeat may remind you about your dream... The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen. Working towards success will make you a master, But working towards satisfaction will make you a legend. If Life was a song Rashmeet Kaur B. Com I 'A' I wish life was like a song where everyone would sing along without hating the rhythm, or cared how it sounds. I wish my life was like a song. The lyrics would tell the story, of my journey, my loss & glory. The tune would be sweet for Generations to repeat. About the great & the ordinary. I wish my life was like a song, that gave me strength & made me strong. Beats that can move a soul, Beats that makes you lose control & the chorus would be sung by all, If only my life was a song. 27

40 Coral Edition Weird World Rashmeet Kaur B. Com I 'A' I have seen what the world is like, Its too big to understand. where people have glossy smiles But all they do is pretend. Where you will see two faces, one behind the another Where blood relations don't last which are meant to last forever. Where friends stay with you till the weather is fair. Where your problems are laughed at because no one cares. Where your reason to be happy is other's reason to be sad. Where good doesn't stay good for long, but bad stays bad. Where you can't judge people, in a day or few. But they're gonna hurl their judgements back at you. Where emotions ain't counted, It's just a number game. Where the definition of love, doesn't mean the same. Where your prince charming is disguised in tatters, but fame, name & money is all that really matters. Where words said & what they mean, don't ever match. Where you lose the race of life, If you miss the catch. Where it is thought that it is better to be feared, I know it now, I realise! This world is so weird!! The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. -Plutauch 28

41 Current Crop Ingredients: An extra-large helping of confidence A relaxed attitude A smile Things to do and talk about A huge helping of curiosity and interest Method 1. Combine all the above ingredients and mix well. Bring slowly to a boil and leave to simmer. 2. Garnish with a sprinkling of humour and laughter and mix well. And serve with smile! Remember This is a very simple recipe to follow, but don't despair if your friendship boils over occasionally, burns or even goes a little stale. This is perfectly normal. Just mix up all of the ingredients again and start from the beginning. When you feel you are left alone and secluded, when things do not work according to you wishes; And you feel dejected, When times are testing you and you feel deluded, Then look at the world around you, You will come across me, I am the sun, I am the rain, I am the optimistic smile, the enlightened brain when competitors pull you down and you feel low; when the need of the hour is, To sort out some problems, And you do not know how; Recipe for Friendship Optimism Tripti Dixit B. Com. II Anam Khan B.Com I 'A' When the crisis surrounds you, And the question is never or now. Then do not be disheartened, Because I am there in you! I am your soul, I am your heart, I am a thousand things that set you apart. When your position is not meek, When you fail to achieve what you wish to seek. When you are pulled back to square one, when there are no helping hands. And well-wishes are none, Then with a new hope start again. I am your energy I am your power, I am a new beginning, Who will make you sing. 29

42 Coral Edition My Quotes A mirror itself is not responsible for the truth it reflects, but its's our position from where we observe. The changing phase of a girl's life Long ago, there was a time, when girls were not to shine. The pardah system kept them below, their potentialities, they couldn't show. There was such a hue and cry, for any new thing they wanted to try. Oh! what a bad time was it, when girls couldn't do a bit. After sometimes the time changed, few positions for them were arranged. And then they came into time light, acquired places of their dreaming height. It seems when I blinked my eyes, the world appeared really nice. The girls status is not the same, when they were next to slave. Now she is on her legs, In front of her, there are men who beg. She is beautiful and bold. There is no difficulty that she couldn't mould. She occupies the high posts, and has spread in all the coasts. Sometimes a mother sometimes a wife. I'm sure the victorious girls of today will make us forget our yesterday. Time is precious Wasting your time, will only give you sorrow If you save your time, You will see a bright tomorrow. Today you are young, Tomorrow you will be old. So why waste you time, Which is more precious than gold Be active and work all the time, And invest all your hopes till you shine. Farheen Khan B. Com I 'A' 30

43 Current Crop The Circle of Life 'Life is a dome of many coloured glasses. This is not only a famous saying but is also the reality of experiences. Joy, happiness, fun and frolic depict the spring aspect of life while pain, sorrow and disasters reflect the deserted side. No one can deny the fact that joy and sorrow are the two wheels of cart called 'Life'. They are natural alternatives of each other and we have to accept them as they come. But despite all the irony, people always run away from the second aspect of life and dream of happiness and fun only. But did you know sorrow is the real master of life which teaches us how to live and tackle difficulties. It develops an ability to differentiate between true friends and fair-weather friends. Every stitch, every stumble and every failure teach us a separate lesson. A man who has felt fire will never touch it again while a child who is unaware about the nature of flame makes several efforts to touch it. This is because the child hasn't felt the pain of burns. Remember the old saying in Hindi "Agyani ko dar nahin dar gyani ke saath, Aag samne dekh kar balak maare haath". This means that the ignorant has no fear as he doesn't know about the result of danger and knowledge comes only during the darker phase of life when we grapple with difficulties. If we go through the biographies of legends, we will find that they all had many sad & depressing experiences. But despite of all the problems, they never knelt down before circumstances. Difficulties, failures, pain & sorrow are the pillars on which our success rests. Don't be perturbed when you are in trouble as the grave darkness of night is the first indication that the ray of light is not far away. Every child comes with a message that God is not yet discouraged of man. 31

44 Coral Edition I'm Funny I am funny that's who am I I am funny make you laugh n cry I am funny Do funny things I am funny I like to play with strings It's funny that I am funny That's what I like to be so let's be funny together Be funny like me Amrita Bhattacharya BA-I My Childhood My childhood was the time when I was innocent When the world seemed to be fair when my universe was around my toys. My childhood was the time when I lived in dreams when everyone was selfless when everyone appeared to be a friend. My childhood was the time when my life was full of colours Amrita Bhattacharya BA-I when sorrows never knocked my door when smile was gift presented to everyone. My childhood was the time when love was pure when there was no obligation when tenderness prevailed. My childhood was the time which is long gone tears flow from my eyes when I go back in my childhood my childhood will never come back but the child in me will never go. 32

45 Current Crop Friendship Friendship is like a lovely bridge between our hearts a bridge we have built through the years just to our own design. It's based on happy memories of the pleasant times we've known. The hopes and dreams we two have shared. The thoughtfulness you've shown has made our friendship stronger Growing with every smile And every act of kindness That makes life seem worthwhile. Shaesta Kamal BA III thing. A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing According to Pope, knowledge is great but a little knowledge is a dangerous A person with little knowledge is like an empty vessel which makes a lot of noise usually, in order to conceal its weakness, people pose themselves as an authority on the subject they know little about. A little knowledge of anything is always accompanied by false pride. It is necessary that one should be fully qualified and trained before entering a particular field because an unqualified and untrained person can never achieve a goal in life. Although it is true that life is short and knowledge is vast but it does not mean that one should be content with half and imperfect knowledge. Ummay Aiman B. Com. I 'C' 33

46 Coral Edition Strike the Iron while it is hot The blacksmith's proverb "Strike the Iron while It is Hot" means that once the iron becomes cold, a lot of labour would be required to heat it again. Meaning, the opportunity once lost is lost forever if not tackled in the required span of time. People who put off their tasks till tomorrow would never succeed as they keep on delaying their work. Similarly, in Europe there is a proverb, "Make hay while the sun shines". It means the farmers must act in time to dry the grass when the sun shines, otherwise the opportunity would be lost forever as the sun shines rarely in Europe. A person should avail the opportunity to the fullest in time or they can never succeed in life if the time is lost from the hand. Ummay Aiman B. Com I 'C' What do the following have in Common Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Rabindranath Tagore, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Tom Cruise, Walt Disney and Abhishek Bachchan Apart from being famous and great at which they did, all of them suffered from Dyslexia in their younger days. It is a learning disorder in which the person has difficulty with reading and spelling. Remember young Ishaan in Taare Zameen Paar? Saumya Tripathi B. Com I 'A' Depth of friendship does not depend on the length of acquaintance. 34

47 Current Crop Girls, then and now There was a time, not so long ago, when girls weren't accorded an equal status in society. They did not get the same opportunities as boys. This was true in all fields, whether it was education or professional life, their lives were generally confined within the four walls of the house'. Shraddha Singh B. Com I 'A' Girls were married off at an early age, they had to stay at home and concern themselves with household chores. They rarely went out anywhere. Working women were a rarity. However, things are changing gradually in the big cities, at least. Girls are finally beginning to get their due. They are working shoulder to shoulder with men in challenging fields like government and politics, business, communication and entertainment, finance and literature. They have the same freedom as boys. Many of them have done India proud on the international scene. Of course, things have not improved as much as they should have. But it is obvious that what the girls have lacked is not talent but opportunity. The modern Indian girl has proved to be equal to men in every respect and sometimes, even better. My Teacher Shraddha Singh B. Com I 'A' Above the sky so blue, I saw my teacher that is you. You are not only a teacher But a good little preacher. You taught me love and affection, The manners and dedication You are the one who'll make my fate, You are really very great. The burden of the self is lightened when I laugh at myself. 35

48 Coral Edition Amazing - But True Facts Saumya Tripathi B.Com-I 'A' v v v v v v v v v v v v v v The first McDonald's restaurant opened for business in 1952 in Edinburgh, Scotland and featured the Mc Maggis Sandwich. Human saliva has a boiling point three times of regular water. Among items behind at Osama bin-laden's headquarters in Afghanistan were 27 issues of Mad Magazines. Al-Qaeda members have admitted that bin Laden was reportedly an avid reader. Never hold your nose & cover your mouth when sneezing as it can blow out your eyes. When immersed in liquid a dead sparrow will make a sound like a crying baby. The world's smartest pig, owned by a Maths teacher is Madison, West Indies, memorised the multiplication table upto 12. In ancient Greece children of wealthy families were dipped in olive oil at birth to keep then hairless throughout their lives. In the world "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed. Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Months that begin on a Sunday will always have "Friday the 13th". Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren't added to it. It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland. Earth is the only planet not named after a god. You're born with 300 bones, but by the age of 18 or by the time you become an adult, you only have 206 bones. v The average person laughs 10 times a day! v v v Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails. Women blink nearly twice as much as men. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different. 36

49 Current Crop "Ma'am, please may we come in?" Its 8:20 by Ma'am Sahai's watch and we have already missed twenty minutes of the lecture, yet she is kind enough to let us in (though we miss on the attendance... sad!) Hence, begins our day at AGDC and for the rest of the day we are hopping from 'C-3' to 'Eco-room' to 'Edu-room' to 'Old-Geog room'. The stairs heading to oldgeography (from the back-field)remind us of Edmund Hillary trying to reach the peak of Mt. Everest. We usually avoid the other way (via the portico) for reasons need not be mentioned... ahem... ahem. We, 'front-benchers', are an example of Unity in Diversity. To begin with (in alphabetical order)- Anchal is the most soft spoken... (you would hardly hear her voice)... lols! Chandni - the 'Rhythmqueen', mostly found dancing on stage her second home, is our Principal's Anna Hazare for all her anti-corruption movements and talks on Justice! Hareem, the 'drama queen' is the Dramatics Club President of the College with a sweet and friendly word for everyone. Her 'alternate' personality emerges infront of a chosen few! Kakul (Ka'cool') is indeed our cool dude! Nicknamed 'Kake Paji', she sees to it that we do not miss our male counterparts on the campus! Neha, or rather 'Nair', (Yes, we call her by her surname to avoid any confusion, there being too many Nehas in the college), is the lazy Sports Club President who will be found anywhere but the Sports Room! If we need any elderly advice or good suggestions or for all the talks of discipline and mannerism and also for all the motherly love, we all look upto Nikita... our 'Niki Momma'. Nistha, the 'most beautiful peacock', as commented by our Principal, is our most valuable asset (After all, we get to eat the yummiest food... thanks to her lunchbox). Sneak-Peek -B. Com (A) With Love, Frontbenchers! Hareem Farooqui B.Com III-'B' Our Sugary, sweet Shivi (CV) is 'politeness personified'. Yet another dancer of 37

50 Coral Edition our group, she has recently vowed us by the signature step of the song 'Bipasha'... wink wink! As we call our 'Singham!', the one face that will definitely turn is Shweta Singh's. Our Singham is way smarter than any Bollywood flicks's hero. Her intentionally put on 'Bihari' accent gets a smile on our face quite often. The other Shweta (our 'Yadav') proves that-good things come in small packages'. She is an awesome dancer and is always ready to have us in splits with her unintentionally funny acts! AGDC. We 'Deadly 10' enjoyed the best days of our lives during the three years at Some of us being from La Martiniere enjoyed Ma'am Sinha's classes for our common love for the school and long conversations on the same (giving precious minutes to the rest of the class to snooze off). Being Ma'am Shukla's 'regular ones', (Yes, we did consider ourselves in that category), we often felt ashamed of not meeting up to her expectations. Ma'am Pant's never ending notes and graphs would often leave us glued to our registers, waiting for the lesson to end! Ma'am Kaul's warning to throw us out of the class in case we forgot to get our calculators we defended by the funniest excuses like 'we were CAT aspirants practising to calculate without calculators!'. Ma'am Tandon's "Understood? Any doubt, please ask." made us feel proud because we never seemed to have any doubt (May be we would have had doubts if we had solved the questions). Ma'am Bose's classes were sweet and simple (just like her) and hence we always looked forward to them! All these years made us conclude that we may have a deficit of discipline and incur a lot of bad-debts during exams, yet we manage to show a healthy profit of learning and laughter so that our balance-sheets always tally in the end! In the end, we all just want to say that we love all our wonderful lectures and all those people in the college who have given us reasons to smile and come back to college all the time we wish to. Indeed, college life rocks! (on behalf of Anchal Srivastava, Chandni Motiani, Kakul Khan, Neha Nair, Nikita Nigam, Shivi Ruhela, Shweta Singh and Shweta Yadav) 38

51 Current Crop Every Woman is Beautiful Monika Vaishali B.Com. I A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman", she told him. "I don't understand', he said. His mum just hugged him and said, "And you never will." Later the little boy asked his dad, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?" "All women cry for no reason", was all his dad could say. The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry. Finally he put in a call to God; when God got on the phone, the man asked, "God! Why do women cry so easily?" God said, "When I made woman, she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world; yet, gentle enough to give comfort. I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times come from her children. This same sensitivity helps her make a child's boo hoo feel better and share in their teenagers anxieties and fears. I gare her strength to carry her husband through his fault and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wilfe, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly." "And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed. The beauty of a woman isn't in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that's the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides." Life Accountancy Farya Gupta What comes I debit What goes I credit My birth is my opening stock, My ideas are my assets, My views are my liabilities, Happiness is my profit, Sorrow is my loss Soul is my Goodwill. Heart is my fixed assets, Duties are my outstanding expenses Working is my prepaid expenses Friendship is my investment Character is my capital Bad things to always depreciate Good things of always appreciate. Knowledge is my interest My mind is my bank balance Thinking is my current account Behaviour is my journal entry. Aim is to tally my life balance sheet. 39

52 Coral Edition Female Foeticide : The Worst Crime Guru Nanak Dev once said, "Why discriminate against those who give birth to emperors". Is it not shameful that in the land of Guru Nanak the killing of female foetuses is the highest? Politics has become the father of science. These days even when the killing of female fortunes is strictly prohibited, they are mercilessly killed. The male centric mindset is the main culprit. People are still driven by age-old traditions, preferring sons over daughters. They consider girls as liabilities and boys as assets. Dowry demands, fear regarding property rights, insecure environment for women, parents dependence on sons, old-age are all important factors. The problem of female feticide can be solved not just by passing laws but by changing our mind- set; by spreading social awareness about it and by educating the girl child. Times have changed. The role of women in life is very important. They have enen proved to be better than men in many fields. A well educated and well settled daughter needs no dowry. The most important is that she can even look after her aged parents better than a son can. So, we should stop killing the famale foetuses in wombs as they are said to be the goddess in all religous books. The mother should not agree to kill her child in the womb as it is said that : "Heaven lies at the mother's feet." Hasin Bano B.A. Ist Year Some Facts 1. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos. 2. The most reset letter in the English alphabet is 'E' and 'Q' is the least used! 3. McDonald is the world's largest distributor of toys. 4. Giraffes have no vocal cords. 5. Europe is the only continent without a desert. 6. Chewing gum while peeling onion will keep you from crying. 7. Camel's milk does not curdle. 8. The only word which contain A, B, C, D, E, F is FEEDBACK. 40

53 Current Crop Children's Eyes Poojya Tripathi B.Com.-III-A What kind of world is it my friend that little children see? I wonder if they see God first before they just believe? Do they see the acts of kindness done for people who are poor? Is the very best in everyone What they are looking for? Do they see strength in caring eyes who watch them as they play or may be love through gentle hands that guide them on their way? Do you think they dream of future times when they would be a king or just enjoy their present life while with their friends they sing? And when the day is over, as they close their eyes to sleep, do they look forward to tomorrow with its promises to keep? If this is what the children see, then it should be no surprise the world would be a better place, if we all had children's eyes. My All in All Arnima Singh B.Com. I 'A' What if I don't have the diamond mines? What if I don't have the lavish dines? What if I don't have the golden lines? I am absolutely happy and fine. Beause what I have, is with none, And can never be with any one. I behold the shining twelve pole stars, That made me bloom from bud to a flower. They kept me as their prized possession, Regardless of inflation or recession. At each step of life they give advice; To succeed and proceed in life, All time giving free special and key device. They are the one who give me love, Just as pure as the white dove. For me they are my HEARTBEAT, Which reminds and brings me life And without whom I am just DEAD. I love them the most, Because for parasite like me only they Can afford to be the host. And hence this silent love from all, is to me "ALL IN ALL". 41

54 Coral Edition Failures are not a blot but they lead us to success. They often prove the stepping stones to success. After failures one tries to find out the reasons and then he tries to remove the defects in his efforts. This self-understanding makes him better equipped to make better efforts. Failures make a man wiser. He comes to know about the difficulties and so he adopts a cautious approach and tries to overcome those difficulties. He learns something from his failures. The story of Robert Bruce is a good example to prove this truth. He failed many times but he did not give up his efforts. He again mobilised his resources and ultimately he succeeded. Failures make a man rich in experience. He can guide others. The same case was with Napoleon. His early failures encouraged him to become an emperor of France. We can say that only the failed ones get success. The pleasure of success after experiencing failures is far better and richer than getting success after success. "Failures are the Pillars of Success" With continuous success man becomes proud and over-confident. Therefore, failures should not unnerve a person. He should take them as pillars of success. The Final Bow For all those who have suffered the pain of Heartbreak, Because Love is not always forever... Asks the wind blowing through my ears, I answer through my eyes with my tears. Where was The Love Last between The Two? When Did it happen and why, I Had no clue! The Life that seemed short for all that Love, Now Feels so long and the road so Tough! Why were The promises broken, why? With a broken heart, Left to cry. No hope of my Love coming Back Good bye my love won't call for you now, only if you can, Accept my final Bow. Anuja Saxena B.A. Ist year Garima Pant B.A. IIIrd year 42

55 Current Crop Be Grateful Swati Sharma B.A.-Ist yr Sometimes despite dedication and commitment things go wrong. It's important to remember that God has something good for us. There is a beautiful story that comes to mind : One day a kid on earth came to know that God was distributing apples to humans in Heaven. He was so excited that he went to Heaven to get an apple from God. There was a big queue and the kid joined it. When his turn came, the kid held out both his hands to receive the much-coveted present. God gave him a big apple but his tiny hands couldn't hold it. It fell down and rolled down in the muck. The kid was disappointed. God's ministers informed him that he would have to join the queue again if he wanted another apple. The kid didn't want to return empty handed so he joined the queue again. This time the queue was even longer than the previous one. While waiting, the kid watched people returning with apples looking extremely satisfied. The kid thought, "why did't I only not get an apple when everyone else got it?" When his turn came, God gave the apple to the kid and said, "My dear child, last time after giving you the apple, I noticed that the apple I gave you was a rotten one and that's why I made it fall from your hands. Having given you a rotten apple, I felt bad and wanted to give you a the best apple in the farm. At that time the best apple in the farm was growing and that's why I made you wait for so long. Now the apple which I have given you, is the best apple grown in the farm till date." Fun with words Maneet Kaur Narula B.A. II The six hardest words to say : "I admit I made a MISTAKE' The most five encouraging words 'you did a good job' The four wisest words 'What is your opinion' The three most winning, words 'If you please...' The two most soothing words 'Thank you' The one most important word 'We' The least important word 'I' 43

56 Coral Edition Teenagers are Amazing Teenagers are amazing, I wish the world would see, just how beautiful we are, how compassionate we can be. I wish they could take back, all the cynical things they have said, and see how much we shine, be positive instead. Remark on our radiant smiles, and the differences we make, all of the poeple our lives touch, all of the chances that we take. Notice how we change, each and every day, wanting to leave childhood, yet desperately wanting to stay. Poojya Tripathi B.Com. III I wish they could remember, how tough our lives can be, the promises that are broken, the violence that we see. yet still we venture onward, unsure of where the road may lead, hoping they'll take notice, hoping they'll take heed, of the changes that we'hv made, of the power that we hold of the wisdom we have hidden, of the stories yet untold. I hope they would will notice, what some have already seen, teenagers are amazing people, straining to follow their dreams. Symphony Our life is like a symphony Composition of music for many Music expresses many expressions Concealing in it our many parts of sessions Through music we know We are happy if shows It celebrates our every celebration Stopping with us at every station A station has a huge crowd But music makes every body feel proud Music can be a good friend With it you will smile 100 percent When you are angry Music makes you react calmly With SYMPHONY Everything is possible Because it is symphony which knows how the problems are tacked' 44

57 Current Crop The 365 days of a year are divided into 12 months. These months have been named as - January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. Do you know how they got these names? January It is the first month of the year; Its name originated from the Roman God 'Janus'. February It is named after the Roman festival 'Februa'. March Mars was the warrior God of the Romans. March is named after him. April April is probably derived from the latin work expire, which means to open since the spring season falls in this month and trees and plants blosom then. May The word 'may' is derived from the Roman Goddess 'My Mas'. June The origin of June is not definitely known but probably this name has been derived from the name of June the 'Goddess of Heaven'. emperor. July The month of July gets its name after Julius Caesar, the famous Roman August August is named after king Augustus of Rome, who had done many activities in this month. How The months Got their Names September September finds its name in the latin word 'Septem' meaning 'Seventh'. This was the seventh month in the old Roman Calendar. October October comes out of the Roman word 'Octe', meaning eight in the old Roman calendar. This was the eighth month. November It originates from the latin word 'Norm' meaning 'Nine'. This was the ninth month in the old Roman Calender. December December is derived from the Latin word 'Decem' meaning 'tenth' this was the tenth month in the old Roman calendar. Sonali Singh B.Com. I yr 45

58 Coral Edition Path of Glory Leads but to the Grave Bhawna Pant B.A. Ist Yr. This may appear ludicrous, but ironically, it is true. There has been an unnoticed tradition of martyrs from Socrates, Jesus to Lincoln and Gandhi, who brought glory to mankind, but had to sacrifice their lives at the alter of principles. They were great souls and propounded ideas that were much ahead of their times. As a consequence, they had to bear the brunt from their opponents. This was done by their opponents who wanted to cling on to the power and authority, by persuading outdated and worn out ideas and practices. It was indeed ironical that the will of such tyrants prevailed, for the day belonged to him, but the future did reverence to the great martyrs, who lived and died for a just cause. Thus, we know Socrates, who preferred to drink the cup of poison given to him by his prosecutors, that kept the spirit of intellectual freedom alive and led many philosophers down the ages, to draw inspiration from his ideas and life. Similarly we also know of Jesus Christ, who preached tolerance, love and compassion, even towards our enemies, in an era of hate and violence. He was crucified by the Jews, for being a traitor. It was however another matter, that after his death, they became dedicated disciples of his faith, and spread Christianity with his message of love and brotherhood, throughout the world. Nearer home, in India, we had Mahatma Gandhi, who led the dumb millions of Indians to freedom. He strived for the unity between the Hindus and Muslims. Finally, he had to pay for his lofty ideals with his life, when on the 30th January 1950, a Hindu zealot gunned Gandhiji down while he was conducting the morning prayers. The single pre-dominant factor in each of the above, was their strong courage of conviction that made them fight for their cause, despite heavy odds. Thus, they lived and died for a cause which was dear to them. History is full of many such examples of great revolutionaries, who espoused noble ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity, sacrificing their lives for it. These great souls became martyrs for their noble ideals, that eventually led to the Renaissance in the society, to transform it into modern civilization that we see today. This does not however in any way construe, that we must not follow the path of glory. For, who would not like to be immortalized, and in the words of HW Longfellow "And departing leave behind us footprints in the sands of time." 46

59 Current Crop The Path of Success Amra Saleem B.A. Ist Yr. "Nothing succeeds like success", for one who has tasted success, this comes to him naturally. Thus, we find some people achieving great heights in whatever they do, while on the other hand, there are quite a few unfortunate ones, who have to bear the ignominy of failure. There is however no mistaking the external facade of success, for behind it are qualities, that are imperative for achieving it. Success is ninety nine per cent perspiration and one per cent inspiration, signifying that there are no shortcuts to success. We have illustrious examples of Abraham Lincoln, Lal Bahadur Shastri, who rose from a very humble beginning, to become the President and the Prime Minister of their respective countries. Just as a rolling stone gathers no moss, we should also be patient, to wait for the outcome of the events, before rushing in without a thought of implications. We must also be a good listener, and listen to the views of subordinates or superiors before taking a decision. There is also a need for a keen and sharp mind, with a clear vision of what one wants to achieve in life. This ambition acts like a bacon of light, which impels us to strive relentlessly in the pursuit of one's goal. Thus, it does not suffice, to have an ambition, but we should also be ambitious. We should have the courage of conviction, to move away from the beaten track, in the pursuit of our goals. Colours Garima Malhotra There are so many colours we know But do we know what they show Red yellow blue green purple Enjoy every moment because it is colourful And we are the judge Powerful enough to make our own choices Overpowering the voices Lets paint ourselves with the colour of zeal & zest Being colourful & happy is essential and it shows how much we've got the potential So always remembers & say "Happy Days are here again And enjoy life without pain 47

60 Coral Edition Impossible Dreams Have you ever dreamt of flying in the starry sky? Or crossing the formidable mountains towering high, Ever been told that it's just a dream, that cannot be realized, possible though it may seem? Maneet Kaur Narula B.A. IInd Year Do you ever forget your childhood wishes, because others say they are improbable, or slash away those wayward desires, under your coffee table? Have you learnt to say 'die' before you have even started, so that the feeling of victory that you have sensed is lost before you know it? If you have received your yesterday, You are still lucky to have TODAY. Clear away the cobwebs of past, Tomorrow is here to stay. Do not let your dreams fizzle out, like gas from a soda bottle, because it is rightly said that : 'DREAMS MAKETH A MAN' Life Garima Rai We think there is enough Time to like our lives but we don't know which time is our last. So live care, share, every moment of your life'. Live life like a pair of walking legs the foot foot forward has no pride and the foot behind has no shame Because both know their situation can change. 48

61 Current Crop A Winner Stands Alone Anvi Grover, B.A. - II Life as we know it, is full of desires, achievements and failures. It shapes as well as tests our personality as a winner. One who stands the test of trials and tribulations, both trivial and gigantic in nature, is a true winner. A winner has to be courageous and determined enough to stay firm and rooted even when the gusty winds of trouble blow. He should be firm yet open to new ideas. Each one of us has something unique and striking in us which makes us a winner in our own way, different from the others. A tiny ant is always busy with its work; it does not let the rain dampen its spirit. It remains determined - the trait of a "Winner'. In respect of the recent happenings in the world, we have a winner that has proved its mettle yet again. It stands tall, proud and distant from the rest. It is the United States of America which succeeded in bringing down the chief of the terror outfit, Al-Qaida, Osama-bin-Laden. The U.S.A. did everything on its own and achieved its target. India is not far behind. With the highest GDP, it is what many other developing countries dream of being. The winner definitely has a support system, but in the end, it is the solitary, individual effort which brings glory. Being a winner separates you from the crowd with a distinction in intellect and respect. William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon is one of the best examples of a winner. He is incomparable. Winners are born and do not need any honing. They perform wonders. Each of us desires to be a winner but let us also wish to be the one who stands dignified, tall and not afraid of being alone at the top. What do the following have in Common Saumya Tripathi B. Com. I (A) Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Rabindranath Tagore, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Tom Cruise, Walt Disney and Abhishek Bachchan Apart from being famous and great at which they did, all of them suffered from Dyslexia in their younger days. It is a learning disorder in which the person has difficulty with reading and spelling. Remember young Ishaan in Taare Zameen Paar? 49

62 Coral Edition Mirror A mirror reflects our clear, real image, and displays life's damage! What I pretend it shows, But what is true it knows. We may be very good or bad for others But he knows it all like the mothers. A mirror is omnipresent Spread wide like the scent Like a good friend he waits and watches Knowing that you'll tell the truth accepting everything as it is He can be your enemy as well for your'll not be willing to leave your shell Life is good when you are yourself Pretending shows that you are jealous. You hate the mirror as it reflects the truth But if you agree with me you'll see life is so smooth "Mirror! Mirror! Mirror! why are you so true?" If says "Dear friend be yourself and you'll see now you bear the fruit." Tanya Vaish Yearning Monsoon Monsoon, grates the fiery cloud, Yearning peeps be seen every mound, Tortured, cried the desperate farmer, Taciturn He, made it still warmer. Adding up the heat, the stronger gets the sun, Your children are we, our hoes may not burn, We can bear your wrath, if not ripe then raw, Chauvinists youths are stub icons than you can draw, You're the creator, you're the destruction, Open up your pile, do some construction. Back up the happy days, restore it soon, Omniscient! nothing but we want monsoon. Kriti Duggal, B.A. IInd Year 50

63 Current Crop The College Dress Code Shikha Pandey, BA-I In the recent past there has been talk about enforcing a dress code for college girls. In fact, some colleges have already done so. Personally though, I feel that both supporters and opponents have extreme views. I will, therefore, attempt to put forth the middle path. At the very outset, let us all accept the fact that, what women were does matter. If a woman wears a daring outfit, she will drive attention even in the most liberal surroundings, forget the traditional ones. It is true that women alone must have the right to decide what to wear, but will it not be better if they take the social milieu into consideration while exercising that very right? It isn't that women should only wear traditional outfits. The only thing is to avoid revealing clothes. Fashion is good, but please remember that certain dresses are for parties and some are for college wear Dress for the occasion. If a college does want to implement a dress code, the following step may be considered - i.e. the management could not enforce the decision unilaterally. Rather the student body representatives (C.R. G.S. U.R. etc) must be taken into confidence, besides the parents. Secondly, the code should be limited not only to girls, but boys also should be barred from wearing shorts, sleeveless shirts and t-shirts. If possible, a referendum on the issue should be held and the students should be allowed to decide for themselves. This democratic method will be the best answer to critics on both sides. The management and students must however, ensure that outsiders do not vitiate the atmosphere for personal and political gains. The student body must be given time to accept and adjust to the new rules. The rules should be properly highlighted in the admission foum, so that students are aware of them before they join. Since the most girls do not wear such outfits, they will not be adversely affected, they may support the ban. For those who argue that some regulation in the social sphere now will lead to more later, they could have a vote. We have advanced, no doubt, but we still need to maintain our values. Would any of us like our daughter, wife or sister wearing such clothes? Let us be aware of what we wear! 51

64 Coral Edition Will You?? Ruchika Singh Will you be there when I need you? When I ask, I find very few! Will you be there when I cry? When I look for shoulders I have to sigh! Will you be standing next to me when I'm in trouble? When I look beside, I fumble! Will you be the one to share my thoughts with? But when I'm ready to express I find - alone I sit! My desire is pulled out like a pest Removing in me all the zeal & zest At last I saw very few Asking - "Who Are You??" Memories Saran Kamal Memories make us cry, memories make us laugh, Memories are such they reflect our past. There are memories that you want to remember, There are memories you don't want to pamper Memories that are enjoyable fade very soon Memories that are detachable remain like a moon! But, remember what happens, happens for good, do not curse yourself and spoil your mood. What happened is your past, life moves on so carry on fast Translate the events into a positive one And you'll see life is so much fun so carry on dear coz life is one, you have a chance to be "THE ONE" 52

65 Current Crop ounsekrje~ es/kk fejk ch-dke&i 'A' esa xhr ugha ea= gw thus&ejus dka cuk jgs gffk;kj eq>s D;ksa viuksa ls gh ym+us dka ftlus viuk;k eq>dks os lcdqn viuk Hkwy x, ekr`&hkwfe ij ft,&ejs gal&gal Qkalh ij >wy x,a ohj f'kok] jk.kk] gehn] y{ehckbz ls vfhkekuh] Hkxrflag] vkt+kn] jkt] lq[k vks* fcfley ls cfynkuha volj pwd u tkuk muds in&fpugksa ij pyus dk ounsekrje~ xhr ugha] esa ea= gw thus ejus dka djus okyk dke cgqr gs O;FkZ my>uksa dks NksM+ks] eqyyk&iafmr rksm+ jgs gsa] rqe [kqn viuksa dks tksm+ksa Hkw[k] chekjh] csdkjh] ng'krxnhz dks fevkuk gs] Xykscy okfe±x pquksrh ls viuk fo'o cpkuk gsa ge cnysa rks ;qx cnys cl ea= ;gh lq/kjus dka ounsekrje~ xhr ugha esa ea= gw thus ejus dka pank&rkjs lq[k nsrs ij iks"k.k dhkh ugha nsrs] dsoy /kjrh ek ls gh ;s o`{k thou jl ysrs tuuh vksj tuehkwfe dks tuur ls c<+dj ekusa] iwozt lkjs,d gekjs blh rf; dks igpkusaa tkxks tkxks ;gh le; gs viuh tm+sa idm+us dka ounsekrje~ xhr ugha esa ea= gw thus ejus dka Unusual Deaths v v v v v v v King Alexander of Greece - He died after being bitten by his pet monkey in Francis Bacon - The Elizabethan philosopher caught a chill while trying to deep freeze a chicken by stuffing it with snow. Jerome Cardon - He was an Italian physician, mathematician & astrologer. He starved himself to death in 1576 to make sure that his own predictions came true. Fredrick, Prince of Wales - He was the son of George II & heir of the British throne, he died in 1751 after being hit by a cricket ball. Harry Houdini - Houdini was an escapologist. He claimed he could withstand a punch in the stomach. He died in 1926 after being punched. Prince Phillipe - An heir to French throne was killed when his horse tripped over a pig on the street of Paris, in Sir Thomas Urquhart - Urquhart was a Scottish author of Books with extraordinary title such as 'Wgopand ecteision'. He died laughing when told of the Restoration of Charles II in

66 Coral Edition + dqn yegs Qqjlr ds,d [+kwclwjr ckr gs gekjk nhokukiu Hkkxrh nksm+rh ft+unxh ds chpa ;g,d eaft+y gs] lkfk fey ds dqn nsj Bgj tkus dk ^dqn yegs Qqjlr ds* ryk'k ds chp] /kheh vkokt+ ds lkfk ehbh ehbh ;knksa dh Nk o esa [kks tkus dk gj [kwclwjr 'kke dks ge ;knxkj cuk ysaxs dqn yegs Qqjlr dsaa vk;q"kh jlrksxh ch-dke Ist Year Section C v o"kkz ds cjlrs ikuh essa fovkfeu ch&12 gksrh gsa ekuks ;k u ekuks v fnekx dk ot+u 'kjhj ds ot+u dk 2 izfr'kr gksrk gsa v Ogsy enyh dk fny dkj ftruk cm+k gksrk gsa v MkfW YQu dh luq u s dh {kerk bruh lvhd gkrs h g S fd og ikuh d s Hkhrj 15 ehy njw h dh vkokt + Hkh luq yrs h gas v lkeku; rksj ls vk [kksa ls dsoy 5776 rkjs fn[kk;h nsrs gsaa 54

67 Noble Thoughts of Noble Mind Special Section on Nobel Prize Winner Poet Laureate Rabindranath Tagore This year the world is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of one of the greatest legendary figures of India - Poet Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore - a philosopher and educator, a poet and painter, a musician and singer, a novelist and playwright, an essayist and biographer - an artist of the first order - a genius in one word. On this occasion, literary club dedicates this section to the most notable thinker and writer of India - the grandmaster of Indian culture and a towering figure of Indian Literature - our own GURUDEV who was not only the first Indian but also t h e f i r s t n o n - european to win the Nobel prize in literature. Here, we not only celebrate his brilliant mind but also his spirit of freedom, the zeal to serve all cultures and devotion to the ideal of a casteless world and "his faith in the fruitfulness of cultural intercourse and friendship" Pt. J. L. Nehru on Tagore's Death in August

68 Coral Edition Reading from Tagore "The small wisdom is like water in a glass clear, transparent, pure. "Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." "The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence." "Power said to the world "You are mine." The world kept it prisoner on her throne. Love said to the world "I am thine". The world gave it the freedom of her house" "Let my thoughts come to you, When I am gave, Like the afterglow of sunset At the margin of starry silence." Discovering Tagore "He (Tagore) has helped to bring into harmony the ideals of the East and West, and broadened the bases of Indian Nationalism. He has been India's internationalist co-operation, taking India's message to other countries and bringing their messages to its own people" - Nehru 56

69 Noble Thoughts of Noble Mind My Song This song of mine will wind its music around you my child, like the fond arms of love The song of mine will touch your forehead like a kiss of blessing When you are alone it will sit by your side and whisper in your ear, when you are in the crowd it will fence you about with aloofness. My song will be like a pair of wings to your dreams, it will transport your heart to the verge of the unknown. It will be like the faithful star overhead When dark night is over your road My song will sit in the pupils of your eyes, and will carry your sight into the heart of things. And when my voice is silenced in death, my song will speak in your living heart Lost Star When the creation was new and all the stars shone in their first splendor, the gods held their assembly in the sky and sang 'Oh, the picture of perfection! the joy unalloyed!' But one cried of a sudden... 'It seems that somewhere there is a break in the chain of light and one of the stars has been lost.' The golden string of their harp snapped, their song stopped, and they cried in dismay --'Yes, that lost star was the best, she was the glory of all heavens!' From that day the search is unceasing for her, and the cry goes on from one to the other that in her the world has lost its one joy! Only in the deepest silence of night the stars smile and whisper among themselves ---'Vain is this seeking! unbroken perfection is over all!' Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore 57

70 Coral Edition Lost Time On many an idle day have I grieved over lost time. But it is never lost, my lord. Thou hast taken every moment of my life in thine own hands. Hidden in the heart of things thou art nourishing seeds into sprouts, buds into blossoms, and ripening flowers into fruitfulness. I was tired and sleeping on my idle bed and imagined all work had ceased. In the morning I woke up and found my garden full with wonders of flowers. Rabindranath Tagore Little of Me Rabindranath Tagore Let only that little be left of me whereby I may name thee my all Let only that little be left of my will whereby I may feel thee on every side, and come to thee in everything, and offer to thee my love every moment. Let only that little be left of me whereby I may never hide thee. Let only that little of my fetters be left whereby I am bound with thy will, and thy purpose is carried out in my life - and that is the fetter of thy love 58

71 Chronicles of Legends eq>s lc gs ;kn t+jk t+jk rqegsa ;kn gks fd u ;kn gksa Mk- dksey dqekjh iwoz izkpk;kz vk;z du;k fmxzh dkyst] bykgkckn ftl lalfkk esa viuh mez dk csgrjhu fgllk xqt+jk gks vksj ml nksj dh ;knsa fny [kq'kdqu Hkh gksa rks,slh ;knsa ft+unxh dk,d fgllk cudj ges'kk lkfk jgrh gsaa rd+jhcu 75 lky dh ftunxh esa 20 lky ls 31 lky rd dh liuksa ls Hkjh csfqø ft+unxh dks tc Hkh ;kn fd;k t+sgu esa ;gh ckr vkbz fd dk'k ft+unxh dk og nksj oslk gh pyrk jgrk] ysfdu odr fdlh dk dhkh,d lk jgk gs vksj mldh j +rkj fdlh ds jksds #dh gs dhkha viuh ;kn~nk'r dks 53 lky ihns ys tkrh gw rks eq>s ebz 1959 dh og 'kke ;kn vkrh gs tc esa igyh ckj bdksuksfedl fo"k; ds ysdpjj ds in ij fu;qfdr ds ckjs esa yksjsvks dkwyst dh fizafliy enj Msfe;u ls feyus xbz FkhA njvly Mk- cythr flag th tks ml le; y[kuå fo'ofo ky; esa vfkz'kkl= ds fohkkxk/;{k Fks vksj dqb'kjr t+qj gqlsu] tks yksjsvks dkwyst esa 1958 ls vfkz'kkl= dk v/;kiu dj jgh Fkha] vksj ftudh fu;qfdr 1959 esa fo'ofo ky; esa gks xbz Fkh] us eq>s lq>ko fn;k Fkk fd bdksuksfedl ds ysdpjj in ij viuh fu;qfdr ds lecu/k esa eq>s yksjsvks dkyst ds vf/kdkfj;ksa ls leidz dj ysuk pkfg;sa yksjsvks dkwyst esa xfjeke; O;fDrRo dh /kuh enj Msfe;u ls gqbz igyh eqykd+kr us tsls esjs thou dh fn'kk gh r; dj nha mugksaus eq>ls dqn lkeku; iz'u iwns vksj fqj eq>s enj lqihfj;j enj Ýkafll ekbdsy ls feyus dks dgka enj lqihfj;j us eq>ls ;gh iwnk fd thou esa esjk mn~ns'; D;k gs vksj esa v/;kiu dks viuk dk;z{ks= D;ksa cukuk pkgrh gw A lahkor% os esjs mrrj ls larq"v gqbz gkasxh D;ksafd 'kh?kz gh eq>s dkwyst esa 1 tqykbz 1959 ls izodrk vfkz'kkl= ds in ij fu;qfdr ls lecfu/kr i= izkir gks x;ka osruøe Fkk pksafd;sxk er] D;ksafd ;g ml le; dh ckr gs tc,d rksys lksus dh d+her flqz 160 :- FkhA dkwyst esa ml le; Jherh ch-ih- 'kekz ¼f'k{kk'kkL= fohkkx½ Jherh rwfydk lsu ¼,UFkzksiksyksth fohkkx½ Jherh lq'khyk vxzoky ¼lkbdksyksth fohkkx½ Jherh eatqyrk lsukuh ¼fgUnh fohkkx½] dq0,yffk;k ekbdsy ¼vaxzsth fohkkx½ vius& vius fohkkxksa esa izodrk in dk dk;zhkkj lahkky jgh FkhaA dqn ckn esa dq0 rkfgjk vt+er ¼bfrgkl fohkkx½ lqjh ljyk lqunje] dq0 t+jhuk equooj] dq0 ehjk eqyyk ¼vaxzsth fohkkx½] Jherh okgh ¼fgUnh fohkkx½] dq0 iqjlokuh] dq0 vatyh ijekj] dq0 izsek tksgjh ¼,aFkzksiksyksth fohkkx½ dh Hkh dkwyst esa izodrk in ij fu;qfdr gqbz ¼ftuds ukeksa dk Lej.k bl le; ugha gs muls {kek izkfkhz gw ½A dezb izkpk;kz enj Msfe;u ds dq'ky ekxzn'kzu esa dkwyst fujurj izxfr ds ifk ij vxzlj gksrk jgka muds eq[k dk rst] mudh ok.kh dk vkst] mudh vne; ÅtkZ vksj vlk/kkj.k dk;z{kerk ds vfrfjdr izodrkvksa vksj 59

72 Coral Edition Nk=kvksa ls mudk ekr`or~ O;ogkj lhkh esa mrlkg vksj LQwfrZ dk lapkj dj nsrk Fkk vksj lcdks vius dk;z ds izfr fu"bkoku jgus dh izsj.kk nsrk jgrk FkkA LVkQ+ :e esa iwjh rjg,d ifjokj tslk okrkoj.k jgrk FkkA yap czsd esa ge lhkh vius&vius?kj ls yk;s x;s [kkus dk Lokn fey dj ysrs FksA ysfdu felst+ 'kekz dh nfj;kfnyh rks 'kk;n gh dksbz Hkwy ldk gksa yap dk le; 'kq: gksrs gh mudk jlksb;k cm+s ls fvfq+u dsfj;j esa,d ls,d yt+ht+ O;atu ysdj miflfkr gks tkrk Fkk vksj felst+ 'kekz brus bljkj ls lcdks f[kykrha tsls ge lc muds?kj esgeku gksaa vksj ;g flyflyk cjlksa pyrk jgka ml le; LVkQ+ :e dk myykliw.kz okrkoj.k vdlj ;kn vk tkrk gsa ge lc vius lkfk?kvh fdlh et+snkj?kvuk dk ft+ø djrs] tksdl lqukrs] leo;ldksa ij jlfldr fvii.kh djrs ;k fqj dkwyst esa vk;ksftr fd;s tkus okys fdlh lg'ksf{kd dk;zøe dh ;kstuk cukrsa 'kfuokj dks D;ksafd 12 cts nksigj d{kk, lekir gks tkrh Fkha] geesa ls dbz izodrk,,d lkfk flusek Hkh ns[kus tkrs FksA dqn pyfp= tks dbz izodrkvksa us,d lkfk ns[ks muesa lkbdks] I;klk] xaxk tequk] rktegy dh ;knsa vhkh Hkh rkt+k gsaa ge yksxksa esa ls dbz,d lkfk 'kkwfiax Hkh djus tkrs Fks vksj dbz vu; dk;zøeksa esa Hkh,d nwljs dk lkfk nsrs FksA eq>s ;kn gs tc jsfm;ks LVs'ku ij fdlh okrkz ;k ifjppkz dh fjdkfmzax ds fy;s eq>s cqyk;k tkrk rks rkfgjk vt+er esjs lkfk gksrha vksj mudh okrkz dh fjdkfmzax ds fy;s esa muds lkfk gksrha lu~ 1964 esa mnwz ds ukeh 'kk;j ^mq+++qd+ y[kuoh* dh tue 'krkcnh ij vk;ksftr lsfeukj esa ge nksuksa us gh mnwz lkfgr; esa ^mqq+d+* ds ;ksxnku ij isilz i<+s FksA lekjksg dh v/;{krk csx+e g;krmyyk valkjh us dh FkhA yksjsvks dkwyst ds t+ekus dh dqn vksj u HkqykbZ tk ldus okyh ;knsa mu ;k=kvksa dh gsa ftuesa ge dbz izk/;kfidk, Nk=kvksa dks ysdj dbz i;zvu LFkyksa ij x;s FksA igyk ;k=k dk;zøe gsnjkckn] vksjaxkckn] fldunjkckn] vturk vksj,yksjk dk Fkk ftldk vk;kstu lqjh ljyk lqunje us fd;k Fkk vksj bldk usr`ro felst+ 'kekz us fd;k FkkA gsnjkckn esa lkykjtax E;wft+;e] eddk efltn] ;wfuoflzvh] pkjehukj vkfn n'kzuh; LFkyksa dks ns[kus vksj fut+ke lkxj rfkk mleku lkxj ds fdukjs [kkus&ihus dk vkuun mbkus ds vfrfjdr lcus gsnjkckn dh csfelky glrf'kyi dh olrqvksa vksj eueksgd lkfm+;ksa dh [k+jhnkjh Hkh dha vksjaxkckn esa vksjaxts+c dh efydk fnyjl ckuks dk ed+cjk] tks rktegy dh vuqd`fr Fkh] ns[kk vksjaxtsc dh etkj dks Hkh ns[kk tgk flqz+ dpph fev~vh Fkh vksj fdukjs dh rjq,d ism+ yxk FkkA,d eqtkfoj Hkh csbk Fkk tks 'kk;n eksjia[k ds paoj ls et+kj ij fxjh ifrr;k lkq djrk jgrk FkkA eqx+y 'kga'kkgksa }kjk cuok, x, vu; HkO; edcjksa dh rqyuk esa bl lk/kkj.k lh et+kj dks ns[kdj 'kkgtgk dh cm+h csvh vksj vksjaxts+c dh cgu tgk vkjk dk ;g 'ksj cjcl ;kn vk;k Fkk & cj et+kjs ek x+jhck us pjkx+s us xqys us ijs ijokuk lkst+n us lnk, cqycqysa ¼HkkokFkZ ;g fd eq> x+jhc dh et+kj ij u rks fpjkx+ tyk, tk;sa vksj u Qwy p<+k;s tk, rkfd ;gk u rks dhkh iraxksa ds ij tysa vksj u dhkh cqycqyksa dh gh vkokt+ lqukbz ns½a vturk dh xqq+kvksa esa Hkkjr esa 5oha 'krkcnh bz- ls lkroha 'krkcnh ds e/; fhkfrr fp=dyk ds pje fodkl ds mnkgj.k ns[kus dks feysa,yksjk esa iksjkf.kd dfkkvksa lecu/kh HkO; f'kyi ns[kdj lhkh vk'p;zpfdr Fks vksj 60

73 Chronicles of Legends mu dykdkjksa vksj f'kyidkjksa dks lhkh eu gh eu ueu dj jgs Fks ftugksaus lfn;ksa ds vuojr Je vksj yxu ls,slk nqlk/; vksj foy{k.k dk;z leiuu fd;ka nwljk 'ksf{kd Hkze.k Nk=kvksa ds lkfk eqecbz] xksvk vksj iwuk dk FkkA eqecbz esa lhkh n'kzuh; LFkyksa dks ns[kus ds lkfk Nk=kvksa dks jktdqekj vksj oghnk jgeku vfhkuhr ^uhydey* fqye dh 'kwfvax Hkh ns[kus dk volj feyka xksvk esa lsav ts+fo;j ppz tkdj lcus ml egku lar ds izfr leeku iznf'kzr fd;ka xksvk ds lkq+ 'k +Q+kQ+ f'ko efunjksa esa fujurj izokfgr gksrh 'kgukb;ksa dh e/kqj Loj ygfj;k vhkh rd dkuksa esa xw trh gsaa bl izdkj nks o"kksza 1964 rfkk 1967 esa n'kgjs ds vodk'k dk geus Hkjiwj lnqi;ksx fd;ka Nk=kvksa us ns'k ds bfrgkl ls lecfu/kr tkudkjh rks izkir dh gh] ;gk dh dyk] lald`fr vksj Hkk"kk dh fofo/krk esa,drk dk Hkh vuqhko fd;ka dkwyst dh ml nksj dh Nk=kvksa esa eq>s dqeqn FkksjsV ¼fQ+Ye vfhkusrk jkgqy cksl dh ekrk Jh½] t+hur vgen] ufyuh vksts+] ufunuh ukjk;u] t;arh uvjktu] eatqyk eksgu] ijohu rygk] t+jhu fodkth] ufyuh v:umsy] lfq+;k fu;kt+] fohkw 'kkg ¼f=iqjk dh jktekrk½] vfr;k,gfr'kke] MkWyh ldlsuk] gh: vmokuh ¼fQYeh glrh dju tksgj dh ekrkjh½] eatqy lefkj ¼ea=h m0iz0 ljdkj j?kqjkt izrki flag dh ekrkjh½] ije ijekj] vatyh izlkn] ehuk{kh flag br;kfn ds uke ts+g~u esa vk jgs gsaa vusd Nk=kvksa ds psgjs,d ds ckn,d vk [kksa ds lkeus vk jgs gsa ysfdu cgqr iz;ru djus ij Hkh muds uke t+cku ij ugha vk jgs gsaa fdlh 'kk;j us D;k [kwc dgk %& gkst+ esa fxj im+k xqykc dk Qwy ikl ykus ls nwj tkrk gs tsls eqír is feyus okys dk uke eqf'dy ls ;kn vkrk gs Nk=kvksa }kjk vfhkuhr nks ukvdksa dk ft+ø Hkh djuk ykft+eh gsa vaxzst+h ukvd ^ismh n usdlv cslv ffkax* esa eq[; Hkwfedk fuhkkus okyh Nk=k us x+t+c dk vfhku; fd;k Fkk vksj ukvd ls n'kzdksa dk [kwc euksjatu gqvk FkkA igyh ckj dkwyst esa lqizfl) ukvddkj misunz ukfk ^v'd* ds fgunh ukvd ^vatw nhnh* dk Hkh eapu gqvk ftldh eq[; fdjnkj vatw dk vfhku; djus okyh Nk=k ds vfhku; dh cgqr ljkguk gqbza nksuksa ukvdksa dks vpnh ehfm;k dojst Hkh feyh FkhA Nk=kvksa }kjk dqn le; rd ^uv ØSdlZ* if=dk dk izdk ku Hkh mudh ys[ku {kerk dh vfhko;dr djus dk ljkguh; iz;kl FkkA dkwyst esa dqn o"kksza rd fu;fer :i ls,lsecyh Hkh gksrh Fkh ftlesa Nk=k, fofhkuu /keksza ds /kez xq:vksa ds mins'kksa vksj ns'k ds egku nk'kzfudksa] fpurdksa vksj lekt lq/kkjdksa ds jk"vª fuekz.k lecu/kh fopkjksa ls voxr gksrh FkhaA,d volj ij vlsecyh esa rqylhnkl th ds izfl) Hktu ^Jh jkepunz d`ikyq Hkt eu gj.k Hko Hk; nk:.ke* dk Hkh leosr Lojksa esa xk;u gqvka loz/kez lehkko dk chtkjksi.k Nk=&Nk=kvksa esa v/;;u ds nksjku gh rks gksrk gs vksj egku fpurdksa ds fopkj gh rks mugsa thou esa vkus okyh fdlh Hkh dfbu ifjflfkfr dk lkeuk djus ds fy;s rs ;kj djrs gsaa ;ksa rks gj fohkkx esa izodrk, fo}ttuksa dks vkeaf=r dj muds O;k[;kuksa dk vk;kstu djrh Fkha ij izfl) 61

74 Coral Edition bfrgkldkj Mk0 bz'ojh izlkn dk ^buost+ul bu bf.m;k* vksj lqfo[;kr lkfgr;dkj Jh ve`ryky ukxj ds Hkk"kk fokku vksj 'kcnksa dh ;k=k laca/kh lkjxfhkzr O;k[;kuksa dh ;knsa vc Hkh rkt+k gsaa dkwyst fizafliy enj cuzmhu ds lkfk Hkh dke djus dk volj feyk vksj muds dk;zdky esa gh esa 1970 esa viuk 'kks/k dk;z iwjk djus ds fy;s bykgkckn pyh xbz] tgk esa vxys 30 o"kksza rd jgha bykgkckn fo'ofo ky; ls eq>s o"kz 1973 esa Mh0fQy fmxzh izkir gqbza dqn fnuks bykgkckn fo'ofo ky; ds vfkz'kkl= fohkkx esa v/;kiu dk;z fd;k ij 'kh?kz gh esjh fu;qfdr dkuiqj fo'o fo ky; ls lec) iz;kx efgyk fo kihb fmxzh dkwyst esa izkpk;kz in ij gks xbza iz;kx efgyk fo kihb dkwyst esa eq>s pkj o"kksza rd fgunh dh lqfo[;kr dfo;=h vksj ysf[kdk Jherh egknsoh oekz ds lkfk dk;z djus dk lqvolj feyk D;ksafd egknsoh th gh fmxzh dkwyst dh dk;zdkjh v/;{kk FkhaA 1978 esa essjh fu;qfdr bykgkckn fo'o fo ky; ls lec) vk;z du;k fmxzh dkwyst esa gqbz tgk esaus izkpk;kz in ls 1999 esa vodk'k izkir fd;ka 23 o"kksza rd izkpk;kz in ds nkf;ro dk fuozgu djus esa eq>s iwoz esa enj Msfe;u vksj enj cuzmhu dh dk;z i)fr dks fudv ls ns[kus vksj le>us dk volj feyus ls vo'; gh ykhk izkir gqvka izkpk;kz in ls vodk'k izkir djus ds ckn iqu% y[kuå okil vkus ij esaus lhkh iqjkus lkffk;ksa ls leidz djus dk iz;kl fd;ka felst+ 'kekz rfkk felst+ vxzoky ls eqykd+kr gqbza lkfk dh dqn izodrk, fons'k pyh xbza vksj dqn vodk'k izkfir ds ckn vius iq= iqf=;ksa ds lkfk jgus ds fy;s nwljs 'kgjksa esa pyh xbza dqn,slh gh dsfq+;r jgh fd ftl nj is iqdkjks vk, lnk bl?kj esa rqegkjk dksbz ugha iwoz Nk=k dq0 ijohu rygk ls vc Hkh vdlj eqykd+kr gksrh gs vksj muls dbz vksj iwoz Nk=kvksa ds ckjs esa tkudkjh feyrh gsa os vk;jysam esa enj Msfe;u vksj enj lqihfj;j ls Hkh feyus xbz Fkha rc enj Msfe;u LoLFk Fkha fdurq enj lqihfj;j vyt+kbej jksx ls xzlr gks tkus ds dkj.k viuh ;knnk'r [kks pqdh FkhaA ckn esa lwpuk feyh fd enj Msfe;u vc bl lalkj esa ugha gsaa felst+ 'kekz] felst+ vxzoky] fel iqlzokuh Hkh bl u'oj lalkj dks NksM+ pqdh gsaa dqn izfrhkk'kkyh Nk=kvksa dqeqn FkksjsV] ufunuh ukjk;.k] vatyh izlkn dh ;kn Hkh vdlj O;fFkr dj nsrh gs ftugsa dky ds Øwj gkfkksa us gels vle; gh Nhu fy;k&lksprh jgrh gw & lc dgk dqn yky&vks&xqy esa uqek;k 1 gks xbza ¼1izxV gks xbz½ [k+kd esa Fkha lwjrsa D;k D;k tks fiu~gka 2 gks xbzaa ¼2Nqi xbza½ 1970 esa yksjsvks NksM+us ds ckn ;g lwpuk Hkh izkir gqbz fd dkwyst vc u;s esustesuv ds laj{k.k esa ^vo/k xylz fmxzh dkwyst ds uke ls lq;ksx; izkpk;kasz ds ekxzn'kzu esa fujurj muufr ds ifk ij vxzlj gsa vo/k xylz fmxzh dkwyst mùkjksùkj lq+yrk ds u, dhfrzekuksa dks Li'kZ djs vksj izxfr gsrq mldk ekxz iz'klr gks blds fy, esjh gkfnzd 'kqhkdkeuk, A yksjsvks dkwyst ls vius lecu/k ds ckjs esa bl le; bruk gh dg ldrh gw & jgh u dksbz fu'kkuh ij mldk nkx+s fq+jkd+ 3 ¼3fo;ksx dh osnuk½ gekjs ikl jgh ;knxkj cjlksa rda 62

75 Chronicles of Legends The Days Gone By : Zara umre rafta ko awaz dena! Serendipity or should I say qismat ka khel has had a key role in my life. Indeed, my eight-year long physical connection with Loreto started as nothing but sheer serendipity. How would I know that my visit to Loreto Convent in June '62 to explore the possibilities of admission for a cousin's daughter in the school section would result in a teaching career for me? How a simple teaching job, which I accepted for fun, soon, changed into a profession and then into a passion, overtaking my whole being is one of the major mysteries of my life. Former Prof Tahera (neé Azmat) Aftab Deptt of History, Karachi University In the school parlour (visiting room in the old building) where I was waiting for some one to give details about the admission procedure, a smiling nun in her habits entered. Looking at me intensely, she asked who was I and what has brought me there. I said I was freshly out of Lucknow University with a First Division and a Gold Medal in Modern Indian History. Mother Damien inquired whether I would be interested in teaching History at her institution. She was the head of the College section. I told her about my recent tragic experience when within fifteen days of my appointment as District Gazetteer Officer I was coaxed and then forced by my late beloved Mother to write my letter of resignation. Mother could not compromise with the sacrilegious thought of her first-born to sit in an office and work under the malegaze. Returning home, I told Mother about my encounter with Mother Damien. This time, my Mother was less rigid: I sent my application. Within a week, precisely on May 2nd, '62 (don't get shocked at this pre-history tale) I got a green coloured in-land letter (is it still there?) in Mother Damien's hard to decipher script. It read 'We are considering applications for the post of History Lecture in our Intermediate section just now. Could you please come for an interview within this week, if possible?' Well, I took a riksha from my house situated in the dear old vanishing part of Lucknow to Loreto (this riksha - puller (Jamal was his name, by the way meaning 'handsome') became my permanent driver from that fateful day. His riksha remained parked all through the day I was there, under a tree, right at the gate of Loreto (which he always called 'Bhaktania school' the school of nuns) and earned the honorific designation of 'Tahera's chartered plain'). When I reached Loreto, I could see I was the only one to be interviewed that day. There might have been others, but really, that doesn't matter. 63

76 Coral Edition Mother Damien herself was teaching Indian history to the students, she told me. She also informed me how fascinated she was by the story of 'Baboor' (Emperor Babur). She had one friendly advice for me - consider wrapping saris instead of my shalwarkamiz (remember those hip-hugging shirts and ankle-fitted shalwars of the 60s!) and twisting my short - curly, two plaits into a bun. The interview was soon over with a few more chitchats. Transformed into a new self and infused with a new purpose, there I was at Loreto in July 1962 till December 1970, the year I bid adieu to Loreto to my near and dear ones, and set on a new voyage. Each day of those wonderful years, spent in the joyous coterie of my friends and students, would end up in be wildering tales if I had the skill to hold the pen (now the buttons of our keyboards!) of a dexterous scribe. Within one year, to be exact on May 3rd 63 Mother Bernardine, who had replaced Mother Damien, wrote : 'Dear Miss Azmat, I have much pleasure in informing you that the Selection Committee which met in accordance with the University Statute No. 187 in this College on May 2nd, 1963, has selected you as one of our History lecturers. The Managing Committee of the same College completed the appointment on the same day, which makes you Head of the History Dept. in B.A. Section of the College. You salary will be Rs EB from July, 1963'. (Please do not get shocked at my pay scale as I treasure this letter and am proud of the salary I earned). Mother Bernardine's association with Loreto in terms of years runs parallel to my association with Loreto. She came to Lucknow in 1962, the year I began my teaching career at Loreto. She returned to Calcutta in 1971, a few months following my departure from India. From Calcutta, she wrote me at least two letters. The last one that arrived at my Karachi address was written on August 20, '71. Loreto days were dreamy days. Most of us, the faculty, were young in age, weaving heart-throbbing patterns of our lives to be. At teatime and lunchtime, sitting around a small round-table in the staff-room, we would talk, tell jokes and stories, and gossip. The ones already nestled in life would try to add sanity to our crazy plans about our future. Among these women of wisdom, I recall visibly the faces of Mrs B. C. Sharma, Mrs Aggarwal, Mrs Saran, and Mrs. Wahi. I knew Mrs. Sharma from my I. T. days. Among us, the younger ones, some whose names I can recall were, Komal Kumari, Rohini Bajpai, Althea Michael, Rekha Nigam, Prema Juahri, Zarina Munawar, and Punam Revis. 64

77 Chronicles of Legends Buying new saris and matching chappals was our favourite activity. I remember Mrs Saran, who always had a beaming smile, would come each morning draped in a shimmering new silk of the brightest shades - rich purple, glowing magenta, golden yellow -- the list would be never ending as she had all kinds and colours of kanjeevaram silk saris. Some of the group left earlier. Zarina left to study in the USA and Althea migrated along with her family to US. Rekha and Rohini left after getting married. Prema was working on her Ph.D. by the time I left. I was also half-way through my dissertation in 1970 and later completed it at the University of Karachi. There was that charming Sister Cyril who was raising all kinds of lizards in a small little room on the Campus as she was doing research on them. I was surprised to learn later how from taking care of lizards she moved on to take care of little children in Calcultta and was so rightfully decorated with Padmshree. I also remember Sheila Joseph, who taught Geography, left Loreto after getting married, and became Sheila Seymore. Sheila passed away in 1993 in IOWA, USA. I try to locate my friends on the internet and sadly have met with little success. Punam and Komal are the only two finds. I hope to connect with the others too. To revisit these memories, I rummaged through my old photo collections to refresh memory, and lo and behold, there I found a whole bunch of black and white photos, some turned sepia, but all surging waves after waves of unbounded serenith within me. Of these, one particularly mesmerized, so much so that I could hear the sounds of the background music, the radiant faces of our students watching us perform on the stage and clapping with gusto at each move of ours that evening. The occasion was the farewell party for the Final Year students by the faculty. The play that we enacted was probably Sleeping Beauty with our impromptu dialogues and adaptations. Each actor was self-directed. Another hilarious one shows Zarina jumping onto the lap of Sister Cyril during one celebration; the other shows Mrs. Agarwal and Mother Bernardine (were they on the dance floor!) My post-loreto life has been too hectic for me. Multiple responsibilities as wife, mother, and now as grandmother, along with my teaching and research hardly gave me time to sit quietly and recall the Lucknow days. Lucknow, though, is not a city to be forgotten. Once I began writing this note, I realized how painful it is to stop. Memories after memories are emerging. I must take leave now. 65

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80 Coral Edition Sublime Sojourn Dear Ranjana, Ms Parveen Talha, Former member-upsc (Ist muslim woman IAS) You want me to reproduce in writing memories of the two years I spent in Loreto doing my B.A. If you knew that I spent almost 16 years of my life in Loreto from nursery to B.A., you would not have limited your demand to just 2 years of a specific period. Not a day passed in Loreto which did not add something precious to that treasure called Memory, which still lies safe and secure and undisturbed within me. While a face I saw yesterday or a voice I heard last week, gets erased, from my mind, nothing escapes from the unfathomable well within me which had stored moments spent at Loreto, though half a century lies between me and those events. My spectacles have changed the power of their glasses, many a times, since then but my vision becomes as clear as before when, suddenly, Chedi Chowkidar emerges from my memory with his wrinkled face, his hands carrying a parlour chit on a silver salvor or Mother Damien's tall and stately figure sails through the corridors, causing pin drop silence all around. I can hear my own giggles and those of my friends coming to a sudden stop on hearing the tinkling sound of a rosary of a Nun on her way to class. I can clearly hear Mother Therese's husky voice bringing alive Shah Jehan's imprisonment and then the War of Succession between his sons. I can also hear Mother Monica's voice, causing goose flesh on my arms, while describing the dreadful execution of Mary Queen of Scots for plotting against Queen Elizabeth Ist. The dusky Miss Althia Michael is as clear before me characterising Lady Macbeth as the 4th witch. So also is the petite, shy, large eyed Miss Komal Kumari explaining the Laws of Diminishing Returns. And can I forget even one dialogue of the great play "Barrets of Wimpole Street", performed by us in the B.A.Ist year, although I did a very short role in it. What is Perfection and what one pays to reach it, is what I learnt while rehearsing for plays and Drill Displays. I did my B.A. in 1963 and ours was just the 4th batch of B.A. to pass out from 68

81 Chronicles of Legends Loreto. And yet Loreto Degree College had become known not only in Lucknow but all over U.P. Mother Damien had set up the Inter and Degree classes. She had come to Loreto Lucknow in January 1956, as mistress of schools. But she immediately went about setting up the College along with Mother Francis Michael who was the then Superior. There are many incidents concerning Mother Damien and Mother Francis Michael which come to my mind, now with greater frequency, since times have moved on and changed colour. But I'll mention just one. I was in B.A. Part 2. Preparation leave had started, I was on my way back home, when I met my father at the Loreto Gate, entering the building. I was indeed taken aback. My father never ever came to my school except at Christmas to wish the nuns. "What happened Daddy?" "I haven't given your fees for 3 months. Your mother reminded me that today is the last day before the Prep Leave". "So what?" I said. "You won't get your admit Card'. "Mother Damien has already given it to me"! When my father went to mother's room to apologize for the delay, she said "Mr Talha your child is here for the last 16 years but you have never run away with the school fees. I am sure these 3 months fees is also safe. My supreme concern is that no child should suffer from trauma and tension on the eve of such an important exam. The admit card is of prime importance for an examinee on the eve of an examination. The College can easily survive without 3 months fees." The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence. 69

82 Coral Edition Memories Ms Zarine Viccajee, Manager I was privileged to be a third generation student of Loreto Convent, Lucknow since my Grandmother Jerbano Baltiwala and my Mother Zenobia Nowrojee both attended the school before me. Needless to say Loreto felt like a second home and my years there are filled with happy memories from Prep to BA!! This long journey however, did not end with my student life, as after break of four years, in which I completed my MA in English from Lucknow University-travelled in Europe for 6 months and then taught at the prestigious Christ Church College Kanpur for one year, fate brought me back to serve my alma mater. Having resigned my job in Kanpur I was driving my well known Buick car past the famous 'Rovers' when a nun jumped out of the traffic at me and I wondered if she wanted to commit hara-kiri?!! I screeched to a halt and she approached my window and asked if I was indeed Zarine Viccajee? Upon being assured that I was the same, she introduced herself as Mother Joseph Michael, Principal of Loreto Degree College. She had obviously taken charge after I left, and so it transpired that since the post of lecturer in English was just vacated, I received my appointment on the roadside to what was going to be a most rewarding and fruitful career, spanning 22 years, at Loreto Degree College and thereafter Avadh Girls' Degree College when the administration changed hands, status quo. To continue to teach at Avadh, however, all teachers were subjected to interviews, mark sheet examinations, extra curricular activity examinations et al as per UGC rules. Some of the best teachers did not make the grade and this made those of us who did very sad, as we lost some good colleagues and friends. But I was lucky and my tryst with AGDC began. Teaching, which was not the profession I had envisioned for myself, turned out to be a most enjoyable experience. The students had a tremendous interaction with the staff at all levels, and since the college was small students and faculty, it was more like a happy family, with of course the inevitable hiccups. Since I was appointed Dean of Students and Advisor to the Debating & Drama Clubs in the 70

83 Chronicles of Legends first year of joining Loreto, I found myself in the hub of throbbing activities. Nazran-e-Avadh an intercollegiate festival was introduced. In those days it was a prestigious festival attended by outstation teams which were invited, housed and fed for 3-4 days. Teams from the IITs Kanpur Delhi & Bombay, Miranda, St. Stephens, Hindu and Lady Shriram Delhi, BITS Pilani etc were regular visitors. The competition was fierce, the standards enlightening the activity hectic. It was invigorating. We were invited back to their festivals and the enriching experience I enjoyed with students and their faculty members lasts to this day. My students did well in their studies, I was blessed with excellent attendance and life was good. However I resigned 20 years ago because other interests and activities beckoned, but I am proud to say that my students from those days still brighten my world when I meet them, to date. Amazingly, I meet them in all corners of the world! They have grown, changed, become mothers, some grandmothers!! But when I hear a call addressing me as Ma'am I know this is a life I touched in some way and when they remember lectures, incidents, the pains and the fun and frolic of shared memories I feel blessed that I could contribute in some small way to society. Many of them hold important jobs, have done brilliantly in life and are successful housewifes and I cannot resist a tinge of pride and feel happy at my years spent as a teacher in Loreto and Avadh Degree College, Lucknow. The memories are multitudinous. The article could span a volume!! Some more some other time. We live in the world when we love it. 71

84 Coral Edition Those were wonderful days. I was so thrilled when as a young girl of 21, I was asked to substitute for a friend of mine in St. Agnes Loreto. I had done Senior Cambridge from Loreto and had just completed Intermediate Science thereafter. There was nothing unusual about this except the fact that I had been married just after passing the Senior Cambridge and now had a daughter who was nearly four years old and a son who was four months old. Probably, the dedication to my teaching job despite my personal problems, and I being an ex-student of Loreto Convent impressed the nuns of the Loreto Institution. They asked me if I would like to work as the Secretary of Loreto Degree College. I was in need of an employment and I readily agreed to the gracious offer. Reminiscence of Avadh Girls' Degree College It was raining heavily when I reached Loreto Degree College premises the next morning to meet the Principal Mother Joseph Michael. She welcomed me and then followed a session of queries about my competency for the job. I still remember her questions and the replies I gave. "Darling, do you know typing?" "No mother". "Do you know shorthand?". "No mother". "Have you any experience of working?". "No mother". "Join from tomorrow". Dr. Fauzia Zareen Abbas Asso. Prof., Deptt. of History Lucknow Christian Degree College, Lucknow Next day I was greeted by Ms. Angel D'Souza, the present Secretary of the College who was to leave the job in a couple of months time. Her stay during this period was a boon for me as a learning experience. Under her guidance I made a note of all that I was required to do and when I took independent charge of the College Office as the Secretary in May There was an old Remington typewriter on which 72

85 Chronicles of Legends I practised typing. I picked up soon and was typing comfortably and correctly with sufficient speed within a short time. However there were certain things I had never done earlier. I had to send money to the Leprosy Home at Faizabad and I took my husband's help to fill the Money Order form. Issuing a cheque was also something I had not done earlier. However, the patience and guidance of Mother Joseph Michael was always there as a reassuring factor in making me perform my duties properly. I remember an incident when I sent a letter to a parent without the signature of the Principal. He met Mother Joseph Michael with it. I was shivering with fear that Mother will scold me for it, but she just called me to her office and asked me to attend to the gentleman's work by ignoring the mistake. Loreto Degree College had some administrative and management problems. They did not have nuns with academic qualifications who could head the institution. Also running the institution under the government norms and financial implications would mean losing their hold on the institution. The Loreto nuns decided to quit the management of the degree section, which meant that the Degree College would wind up and close. Some other way was required to be devised to keep it functioning. The building in which the College was functioning was actually rented and belonged to the Avadh Ladies Club which decided to save the Degree College by forming an Avadh Educational Society to manage the institution and renaming it as Avadh Girls' Degree College. They decided to keep the staff intact. In the meanwhile they approached the Higher Education department of the State Government for arranging the takeover of the institution and provision of financial grants for salaries of the staff and other requirements of the College. The long ordeal of transition from Loreto institution to a new management resulted in difficulties and hardship for the staff comprising a Principal, 11 teachers, one Librarian, a Secretary and 4 peons for an enrolment of 130 students of B.A. Mrs. B.C. Sharma who was earlier the Vice Principal headed the Institution as the Principal under the guidance of Mrs. Hamida Habibullah, the Chairperson of the Managing Committee of the Avadh Girls' Degree College. However, despite problems such as prolonged delay in payment of salaries, lack of stationery, office equipment, furniture, new books, magazines and funds for day to day business, it was the continued dedication and un-interrupted support of staff and cooperation of the wonderful set of students of the B.A. II year of that session that made the College function as best as it could, by maintaining the earlier reputation that it had built. The strength of the students in the College increased gradually and so did the 73

86 Coral Edition activities. The College Calendar was full of extra curricular activities- Debates, Dramatics, Quiz, and Fashion Show. The College organised its first annual festival named 'Nazrana-e-Avadh' which became quite famous as an All India Cultural Festival for Colleges. At one time four IITs (Kharagpur, Kanpur, Bombay and Delhi) participated in this festival. The Staff supervised these festivals and it was a tough job for them. There were boys and girls on the campus and they had to keep an eye and stand guard on all the activities watching over them till all the girls and boys had left the College Campus. The Camp fire on the last day of the festival was eagerly awaited and an event to which the participants look forward to. We would let the boys and girls mix and enjoy but with an eager watchful eye. The Western and Indian music competitions and singing was eagerly awaited and new talents were seen emerging. The melodious voices of talented students like Hema, Sadhana Choornamani, Shirin Abbas and many more often ring in my ears. I can still visualise debaters like Deepa Singh, Sharon D'Silva, Seema Mustafa, Kulsum Mustafa, Cheryl Godin, Madhu Singh, Vineeta Shankar etc. putting their point with fervour. Those were really wonderful days. I reminiscent my earlier days in the College where the students were young girls of nearly the same age as mine or a couple of years younger and were more like friends to me. Many of them had been my junior in Loreto and interacting with them was fun. My children more or less grew up in that congenial atmosphere. My little son started going to nearby Municipal Nursery School and was later admitted to the La Martiniere Boys. My daughter who was older was already there studying in Loreto School situated just opposite the Avadh College. My working hours were not over when my children returned from school and there was no option for them except to come to my college. The Principal Mrs Sharma and teachers like Mrs. Wahi, Miss Purswani and even the Librarian Ms. Mira Sethi took good care of my children and cheerfully attended to their needs and childish demands. My children were readily accepted by the staff, without a grudge as part of the College and being there with me, they were able to learn a lot from the activities in the College. Practice sessions for Drama, Fashion shows and organisation of Fetes, where they happened to be present have actually helped them to be competent for their later activities. No wonder, they both turned out to be excellent participants and prize winners in debates, elocution, essay, quiz, music and drama competitions in which they participated later in School, College and University level and also utilised the talents imbibed by them in shaping their future career. Ages have passed. I am lost in nostalgia. I recall faces of some very talented 74

87 Chronicles of Legends Student Presidents like Aruna Mahajan, Madhu Kumar, Amita Mehrotra, and Club Presidents Madhu Mehrotra, Meenakshi Mahajan, Veena Singh, Carolyn Shaw, Poonam Man Singh, Aradhna Trivedi, Deepa Singh etc. etc. (there is a long list). The Spic Macay functions, a regular feature, used to be a real treat. Notable artists and personalities came to the College for these functions. I remember Birju Maharaj and Zakir Hussain being the guest performers. All the staff members of the College were a family and no one felt as if they were just employees. We were all so concerned about each other. We went together to films and picnics and often met at each others homes and visited the family members. I often hum 'Koi lauta de mere beete hue din' when I recall those good old days. Last but not the least, I feel indebted to the Avadh College specially to some of its Staff members Mrs. Sharma, Mrs. Wahi and Miss Purswani who have been my initial footboard for attaining the position that I hold today. They were the ones who actually suggested and thereafter insisted that I begin to study further during my spare time, while I am working. With their blessings, encouragement and help and cooperation of my family and with my own confidence and hard labour I have been able to do my graduation and Post-Graduation with flying colours from Lucknow University and finally complete my research in History and obtain Ph.D. from the same University in My research work was published through a grant by ICHR (Indian Council of Historical Research). I am now working as Associate Professor in History in Lucknow Christian Degree College. Age considers; youth ventures. Beauty is truth's smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror. By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower. Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sunset sky. 75

88 Coral Edition Aaina mujshe se meri pehli si soorat maange... Mrs. Darshna Sethi Head, Deptt of Professional Communication Invertis University the institution. Easily, the best and most enjoyable years of my life. Great college... Great friends and a whole lot of fun, I could have spent my two years on the basketball court if there was no emphasis on academic performance. Days at Loreto Degree College were days we still yearn for. It gave me the best exposure and a chance to play Nationals in Basketball... all because Mother Josepth Micheal believed that I had it in me. Now known as Avadh Degree College.. and I can proudly add, with my close friend and classmate heading Passed out in 1973 to take admission in Lucknow Canning College, Lucknow University and enrolled for a post graduation in English Literature. Don't remember much of those days because I was flitting from home and college... and Kailash Hostel was not a patch on what we spoilt brats were used to. I came back to Bareilly in and felt like a fish out of water... with no friends, not so well mom and nothing to do. Soon Hartmann College found me worthy enough to be absorbed in as an assistant teacher. Worked with the college for a tenure of 5 years under the principalship of Rev. Fr. Arnold till 1983 April. Settled down in marriage with Anantbir Singh a friend of 10 years... came to be known as Darshna Sethi. In natural course of events bore and brought up two delightful kids, a son and a daughter, Angad and Sukhmani. As they grew up and went to school I had time on hand and in 1992, started teaching at Bishop Conrad Senior Secondary School. This was a long stint of 19 years. In 2007 I took on the Principalship of Madhav Rao Scindhia School at Bareilly and continued for a year and a half. I joined Invertis Group of Institutions in 2008 in the Department of Professional Communication. Invertis is a University today and I work as the Head of Department of Professional Communication. Hope to carry on as long I am worthy of it! 76

89 Chronicles of Legends My trips to the Hills Ms Mira Sethi Retd. Librarian Avadh Girls' Degree College My earliest concept of the hills was the little hillocks drawn in my drawing books, with the sun emerging from behind them and the little stream flowing beneath. But my earliest encounter with the real hills was as a seven year old, when I went to Nainital with my brother, where my father had gone earlier for a few days. As the hills came into view I was totally wonder struck. Ever since then Nainital has been my favourite hill station, though I have been to various hill stations. The view of the lake at the end of the drive is really breath taking. Various places in the Kumaon hills frequently visited have their own attraction. Ranikhet with the fruit orchards, Bhimtal lake with the little island in the middle of it where people go in boats for picnics etc. and enjoy themselves. Kausani, from where the Nanda Devi peak can be clearly seen provided the sky is clear. It is a beautiful and a quiet place. Himachal has its own beautiful hill stations, the best being Aaravali where we had stayed in a guest house surrounded by apple orchards. The apples could be plucked from the bedroom window. The Beas flows alongside. Perhaps the most important hill station there is Shimla but it has lost its charm due to overcrowding but Chail, Kufri etc. which are other tourist destinations near Shimla are very nice. Kufri, with its slope that are snow covered in winters is famous for winter sports, especially skiing. Chail, has a beautiful palace of the Maharaja turned into a hotel, and the world's highest cricket ground. A walk among the forest there is most enjoyable. Dharmshala, the abode of the Dalai Lama, Auclandganj, Kangra and Palampur have their own charm. The snow clad Dhauladhar range looks like gold stream in the area when it gets the sunlight on it. Heaven on earth Kashmir is incomparable. Srinagar, with the Dal lake as the centre of attraction. The houseboats, which are approachable by the Shikaras compel you to want to stay in one of them. A little distance away is the Nagin lake with its sylvan surroundings. Chinar trees all the way present a beautiful sight. One can't miss going to the gardens Nishat, Shalimar and Chandanbari. 77

90 Coral Edition Gulmarg and Tangmarg were one day trips. But staying in a cottage at Pahalgaon on the banks of the river Lidder for four days was sheer bliss. The sound of the river flowing was like music to the ears. Chandanwari is the first stop from Pahalgaon for pilgrims going to Amarnath. Though it does not snow there in the summers but the frozen snow in the from of ice makes small tunnels and is slippery and it is quite an experience walking on it with sticks in hands without which it is not possible to walk. The river Jhelum flows in the middle of Srinagar like our very own Gomti here. There are innumerable lakes, the biggest of them being the walar, which is a fresh water lake. An interesting place is Arattan Pandas there have family trees of every one, and it is amazing how they tell you all the details of your ancestors. In the eastern part of the country are hill stations like Darjeeling and Shillong. The Kanchanjunga presents a beautiful view, especially at the break of dawn. As the sun begins to rise the peak gets a reddish hue, then golden and ultimately turns silver when it gets the full light of the sun. Tourists throng to Tiger Hill which is at a distance from the main town to see the sun rise. Different colours keep emerging on the horizon as the sun keeps coming up. Witnessed a phenomenon that seems unbelievable. The rainbow which is always seen up above in the sky was there right under the valley below the Tiger Hill. It was a full circle. One could never imagine that one would have to look downwards to see a rainbow. It was only seen to be believed and is unforgettable. The journey from Siliguri to Darjeeling is very interesting if one takes the toy train. There are so many loops on the railway line, the biggest being the Batasia loop. There are small shops on the sides of the railway track which sell snacks, tea and candies and they can be bought even sitting in the train. There are beautiful Buddhist Monasteries. Ghoom is the highest Rail Road Station. From Darjeeling we went to Kalingpong, the main attraction of which was the Dr. Grahams Homes. Right from small children to professional level people are trained there. The next destination of ours was Sikkim-Gangtok. The flora and fauna of this place is just seen to be believed. Shillong, a part of erstwhile Assam and now in Meghalaya has its own charm, with cascading water falls, valleys and hills. The biggest of these water falls the Elephant falls is beautiful. Ward lake is another place of attraction. On the whole it is a beautiful hill station. The only hill station I visited in the south was Ooty and enjoyed being there along with a group of chirpy students from our college and some staff members. 78

91 Years of Cheers Cherished Memories Mrs. Veena Singh Librarian Growing up in Loreto convent in the year 50s and 60s and working in "Avadh" in 2000 has been an interesting, and memorable journey. Since all the girls from our large family were studying in Loreto it was like our second home and family. In fact one of my neices had lost her mother at the age of 4. The nuns took her in the hostel and looked after her. The girls used to say mother has a little lamp who follows her always (nuns were addressed as 'Mother'). These Irish nuns had great influence in our lives. They were more strict than our parents but had a human loving heart also. How to conduct ourselves as a lady was a constant reminder-the length of our tunics, the hair style, the minimum jewellery, how to talk, sit, stand was monitered. Teaching moral values and equality was their 'mantra'. It was like a finishing school those days. With all this plenty of fun and frolic was added too. We had four houses and the whole school from class six upwards belonged to one of the houses. Each house had a vice captain and captain chosen from the senior classes for each house. A house board was made for every class and for indiscipline or bad performance we had a black cross in front of our name and for good deed and work we earned a gold star. Every month these boards were taken and we had house meetings by the captain to assess our performance and we were pulled up. We all aimed for a reward by the end of the session. It was great team spirit and competition among the houses. Every house organised a social with a live band playing with lots of dancing, games and eatables once a month it was, letting your hair down. The high light used to be 'welcome' and 'farewell social' where all the houses came together to help. There was plenty of opportunity for sports and sports day was important. At times military personal was called to teach us marching, march past had to be perfect for our house scores, as special mention was made publicly. Constantly house matches, inter college, state and national matches were played. We had once a week class for Singing, elocution, dancing and needlework. Special piano classes were conducted. Interested student received a recognition from Trinity college of music, London. So visitors sitting in the parlour could always hear piano playing somewhere softly and the nuns always walked in the room very silently except tinkling of their rosary. (We had got in trouble umpteen times as they were so cat footed!!) College plays were another milestone, to create interest and awareness. Artists like kenddels (actor Shashi Kapoor's wife and Parents) who ran the Shakespear Theater were called to stage in school. A musical play in Suparno singing H.M.S. 79

92 Coral Edition Pinnafore was staged with the music director coming from abroad. The importance of exposure was bookish till saw H.M.S. Pinnafore ship in my visit to Disney Land in U.S.A. Life was not all prim and proper. We had our fun and punishment too. We were not allowed to buy food from outside school premises except canteen and a 'dosawali' who used to bring limited but best dosa and sold it under a tree. Across the street was a vendor who sold spicy tasty 'khastas'. We taught him a sign language and ordered at great risk since zero figure concept was not there we lived to eat and hardly anyone drove scooty we exercised by games and walked a lot and saved money to eat again!! At times we used to give sob stories to newly appointed teachers how hungry we get in school so at times we got a treat of home made 'parathas' It was a treat walking down to mayfair theater in a long line as whole school went to see a movie or a Russian puppet show. In fact my cousins used to narrate to us in the early 50s when they went for a movie the nuns used to carry a roll of cloth and incase an intimate scene came on the screen they quickly had to cover their eyes with the roll. School over in 70s we crossed over the famous Back Hockey field through a small gate known as AGDC. An Irish nun Mother Joseph Michael was our principal who was a great enthusiasm and a driving force. Our common room was still in Inter section and later shifted to open veranda which is the present extension of the library. We had the main building and the hall. College was big enough to house 200 students and we had 2 years B.A. course. It was like a big family and almost everyone knew everyone. Loreto plays were much awaited affair in town. Once Diary of Anne Frank was staged at Ravindralya and a famous director from abroad was invited to give finishing touches. Loreto plays were much awaited affair in town. Fete was another highlight of the college which used to cause a stir in the town. The entry was through passes and heavily screened by the nuns. We had no mobiles, television, no coaching classes, not many competitions so life had no undue study pressure except to pass B.A. and getting above 60% was a challenge as University was not benevolent with marks. Student Council was on its toes organising school events and had great coordination. The welcome social was much looked forward for because of beauty queen and farewell social used to be nostaligic, weepy affair with the head girl giving highly emotional speech. We had a boarding house so BA students also stayed in the Loreto Convent. Girls seeked admission from all over U.P. and abroad. Saturdays was great outing. Every boarder went to Gunj in their best clothes for movies and shopping or to meet their local guardians. Last day in college was sad parting but everyone enjoyed with a promise to write to each other. Today the circle is complete in working here with new look and nostaligic memories feel like an 'old wine in a new bottle'. 80

93 Years of Cheers My Days at Avadh Girls' Degree College, a recap... Dr. Manjari Johri Assistant Professor Amity School of Languages Amity University (1994 batch) Travelling into the unknown elicits a mixed bag of feelings, ranging from exhilaration and excitement to an unnerving fear of what lies ahead. Well, it was the year 1991, when an eighteen year old, just out of school entered the precincts of Avadh Girls' Degree College. Having studied at Loreto Convent, AGDC, as the college was then called, was the first choice. We saw the college girls from the school playground and couldn't wait to enter the gates of the college, which seemed to promise freedom from the school regimentation, and offered the road ahead to a rainbow of experiences. Entering the college on the first day, wasn't difficult, as one of my seniors escorted me to become her subject for her psychology practical. I distinctly remember entering the gate, an inquisitive little girl, wondering at the girls sitting along the driveway, and I climbed the steps to the classroom, in which I was to study for the following three years. The only subjects that I knew I wanted to study were English and Economics. I opted for Psychology as the third subject, which I dropped in the third year, because, by then I was sure and confident that it was in the study of English Literature, where my future lay. My first experience of attending the English class was with Dr. Meenakshi Sharma in the auditorium. It was filled with girls, who had opted for the subject. Ma'am asked us to reconsider our choice, because of the inherent challenge in studying Literature. I was completely taken up by her soft, mellow, kind voice and her demeanour. Attending Dr. Meenakshi Sharma's classes was an experience. She fired our imagination with the possibilities that lay ahead. Romantic poetry in her hands indeed became a "thing of beauty" and it still continues to be a "joy forever". Shakespeare's sonnets, Keats' Odes, Gray's Elegy and Wordsworth's Lucy poems are still etched in my mind. I could rattle off the lines of Wordsworth's 'She was a 81

94 Coral Edition Phantom of delight', much to the amazement of my friends, as we walked down up to GPO, to get the transport, the "Vikram tempos". She was one reason why my love for the subject was further cemented. We were not lucky enough to be taught by her for all the three years, she left us in the second year. But, the ground work had been done, she helped me know, how to read and enjoy the study of Literature. I remember, and thank her to this day. Economics was my second subject. Ma'am Watal, posed a challenge for the students in each of her classes. Most of the girls were too scared to attend her classes, but by the time I reached the third year I realized her approach was to make the students go through the girt, and learn to demystify the subject. The classes that I enjoyed the most were those of Macro Economics. She would discuss a topic in the class, explain a diagram in the class, and that would inspire me to go through more books in the library, until I knew what she expected of us. Being able to answer her questions in the class gave me such a feeling of high. I wonder, why the girls feared her so. Later, when I did a brief stint as a part time faculty at the college, I saw a very different streak of her personality, she is a very fun loving person, so full of life. I loved the classes of Social Psychology, taught to us by Ma'am Agarwal, and I remember to this day the Abnormal Psychology that was taught to us by Ma'am Pandey Parvez. The character of Lady Macbeth looked more real when we read it in Psychology. I remembered her recommendation of the novel, "I never promised you a rose garden", and I read it many years later, empathising with the travails of the schizophrenic patient, and her struggle with the disorder. Three years passed, as we attended the classes, basked in the sun in the winter season, sat in the sunken garden, and walked up and down the college on the beautifully shaded road along the Governor's house. At that age, we did not mind the heat, or the cold, or the rain, everything was so beautiful and complete. Having a great set of friends made the college life even more vibrant. I was also an NSS Cadet it was a two year enrolment at that time. We used to have camps for 10 days. It was a great learning experience, we did community service, I remember being taken to the Martin Purva village. We dug up flower beds there and taught little children. Within the college we used to paint the sunken garden, plant saplings in the garden, girls even cooked lunch during these days, it was a wonderful team building exercise. Mrs. U. Srivastava, our Programme officer, planned everything meticulously. Those were indeed memorable days. 82

95 Years of Cheers Doing a Masters in English was an obvious choice for me. I was fortunate to be exposed to the doyens of the Lucknow University in the Department of English, it was such a reinforcement for me when I topped the batch of I later did my Diploma in teaching of English from the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, now called English and Foreign Languages University. Ph.D. and NET followed. Having taught at the school level for seven years, I realized that I needed to spread my wings. I appeared in the NET exam and qualified. Rama Degree College gave me the much needed break, to make a transition from school to college level teaching. I joined Amity University in the year 2007, and am now serving in the capacity of an Assistant Professor, in the Amity School of Languages. Going through the journey, of more than twenty years, I realize that no experience in life goes wasted. It appears that things are planned out, and each step you take, takes you to the next turn, which seems pre ordained, and your experiences of the past are but stepping stones, and the people you meet are like guides that lead you to your destiny. I take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Ranjana Krishna for her tireless work in making "Coral" a success, and also extend my deep and heart felt gratitude to all my former teachers. I thank you all for being the guides of my life and destiny. Teachers have a definite role to play in shaping a person, I humbly thank all my former teachers for being a guiding light. Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark. Depth of friendship does not depend on lengths of acquaintance. Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it. From the solemn gloom of the temple children run out to sit in the dust, God watches them play and forgets the priest. 83

96 Coral Edition Drenched in memories... Dr. Mallika Tripathi Asso. Professor & Head, Deptt. of Humanities, FGIET, Raebareli (1998 P.G. Batch) I feel myself blessed to be associated with one of the most prestigious girls' college in Lucknow. Those two charismatic years spent at AGDC have been the best time of my life: brainstorming, fulfilling and perfect. Every time I think of those two years, it is with a wondrous smile. I am proud to be a part of such a college where every achievement motivated the students to set the bar even higher as we were always told that nothing is impossible to a willing heart. The college reflects an aura of global diligence flowered with an aroma of local realities which is always ready to nurture a passion. I was fortunate enough to complete my post graduation from the college in When I first entered the college I found a whole spectrum of experiences waiting for me. I got blessed with a beefy and deep rooted culture, a place where we competed with fervour, studied hard, enjoyed and imbibed a lot to be a phenomenon. Dr. Indu Nayar, a towering figure, treated us like her own children. She was so competent and cordial that we flourished as admirable creatures under her able guidance. The institute was like a heavenly abode where we wandered freely to learn and to grow intellectually and spiritually. Even the faculty and staff had been so amicable that we never felt demented rather it appeared like a clan where everyone worked in a symbiotic relationship. Other than this, the opportunity to be taught by some of the sharpest and intellectual brains contributed a lot to our learning experience. Our mentors encouraged, supported and cosseted us blessing us with a treasure of intelligence and virtue to pass on to the future generation. We often had interactive sessions coupled with a variety of workshops, seminars and symposium to complement and supplement our academic vigour and to make us more sensitive, responsive and high-flyers blessed with a global vision and thoughtful action. The academic richness of the college gave us the skills and knowledge needed for a howling success. Being the Head Girl during the academic session I not only led and managed college affairs but also got an opportunity to learn about strategizing and to cope with extreme amount of stress as I was exposed to a gamut of 84

97 Years of Cheers epoch-making experiences that turned me into a reformed character. Presently when I see my students blooming around, I often recall the memories of the past and treat them with same dignity as we've always been treated. It was during my college days when I learnt that nothing should rob the spirit of freedom, love and fraternity. It's very essential to set the human mind free for the intellectual and spiritual growth. One should never let the spirit of learning die. AGDC meant for those seeking to open their mind, learn about life - to grow in an environment that broadens personal horizons while equipping them to successfully thrive in a challenging era. It stands for the freedom to extensively explore and develop oneself. So long as there are college students to be stimulated and prepared for the higher and nobler duties of life, Avadh Girls' Degree College ought to have a perpetual and vigorous existence. I feel proud to avow that the college has greatly influenced my life and helped me to progress in all walks of life. It not only nurtured me but also paved the way to my success, shaped my character and made me what I am today; a successful professional, devoted wife and proud mother. He who is too busy doing good finds no time to be good. Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affection, free without indecency, learned without Conceitedness, novel without falsehood. 85

98 Coral Edition Role of Women in Society Miss Deep Bunch Teacher, St. Francis' College, Lucknow The society is changing a lot in terms of acceptance of the many roles of women as professionals, as bread earners in families and as independent thinking individuals. Women have proved themselves as equals in many professions as well as proved themselves even better suited than men in others. The situation for the changing role of women is improving fast. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. On the other hand, female foeticide, dowry deaths and domestic abuse provide a macabre background of primitive barbarism. In the typical Indian Society, you find that there are still expectations and assumptions about women that are not so much relevant to their current status, but a clear hangover from our suppressive past. This may be more obvious with traditional women or women in rural societies, but it is extremely prevalent in urban ones as well. Regardless of how hard the worker woman is in the household work, when it comes to women in society, there are certain areas of the home that are the woman's province in happy times and her nemesis in not so happy times. "As the woman of the house, you should..." is a familiar refrain for most women in India. Indian Women's clothing is another externally imposed recommendation backed by vicious judgements. A pregnant woman is a public drop box for intrusive recommendations. I think, it is high time that we as citizens of modern India took a good hard look at our automatic assumptions and investigated which among these are still applicable today, and which ones we simply need to let go. Typical situations we see include the woman bringing a cup of hot tea for her man returning from work, or the woman returning home after her husband and heading straight to the kitchen to cook dinner, and so on. On an average, in any home where women are working, their income is also important to the well-being of the home and the living standards. Where it is not a question of money, it is generally possible to employ someone for the work in the house. So when we speak of a traditional role of a woman being responsible for the 86

99 Years of Cheers efficient running of her home, it is something we need to be aware of as an additional expectation made from her. The traditional role of a man has been the one of earning the money for the running of the home. This has changed to a great extent. Working women contribute to the expenses of running their homes as well. However, there has been little contribution from men in terms of shouldering some of the responsibilities of women. One interesting insight I received into this was from a friend. He said, "See, women find the outside world challenging and attractive. They like the freedom it brings to them. So they enter the world. There is no reason for a man to find the women's traditional role appealing, so he doesn't. No one has forced the women to step into the man's role, and no one should force the men to step into a woman's role". On the surface, this seems to strike sense. However, the flaw lies in an assumption of current roles that are the same as traditional roles and that the women are entering "a man's territory". This simply doesn't hold true in most cases today. Women are educated and often have their careers well before they get married and it is as much their right as the man's work is his. However, the other part, where men don't find the house work appealing enough to invest effort in still stands true. This is something that needs to be taken an honest assessment of. If we abandon the traditional perspective of division of responsibilities inside and outside the home (since it has already been broken in the outside the home area), we come to a situation where the couple are both inhabiting a home and earning and contributing towards its running. What we need to find is a sharing of responsibilities inside the home as well, that allows both some dignity. This would also help resolve many situations where a man feels threatened by a working woman. Why wouldn't he. She earns, she spends, she invests, and on top of that, she is independent in terms of being able to manage her own existence completely, including running of her own home. There is no point pushing the women down. What needs to happen is the removal of the "un-machoness" associated with responsibilities at home and recognise it as the actions of a responsible and independent individual, whether male or female. This would actually add some power to the increasingly "lazy" image of men among women and empower them with self-respect, while empowering the women with acceptance and support from the one source that matters the most. 87

100 Coral Edition Lucknow: An Epicurean's Delight Dr. Sanobar Haider Assistant Professor (History) GDC, Palia Kalan, Kheri (2000 batch) Lucknow, our city in popular imagination and in literary contexts has been identified as a city of languorous grace, of Adab, Tameez and Tehzeeb.The Nawabs of Avadh chose Lucknow to be their capital, and in a very short span of time it gained fame as the Venice of the Orient. The rulers of Avadh engaged in peaceful pursuits since the battle of Buxar, and laid the foundation of a culture which dazzled the world. Under their patronage developed a cuisine which did not remain the prerogative of royalty alone. Recipes travelled from the royal kitchen to the kitchens of the nobility and from there, to the kitchens of ordinary people. Soon the Lucknowi learnt not only to eat well but to spend more than he should on his bawarchi khana. All the while, research and innovation proceeded unabated in the bawarchi khanas of the royalty and aristocracy where money was no constraint, neither was time. In the mid-l8th century, in the personal Bawarchi Khana of Nawab Shuja-uddaula, Rs. 60,000 was spent per month on the preparation of various cuisines. The dishes which adorned his Dastarkhwan did not come from that kitchen alone but from five other Bawarchikhanas, including that of his mother Nawab Begum and his wife Bahu Begum. These ladies separately spent Rs every month on the preparation of food. The staggering salaries of the hierarchy of cooks and other kitchen staff came from a separate budget. However, high salaries were not the only reason for the excellent performance of the cooks. They were given total freedom to pursue their work their own way. Examples of cooks laying down conditions of employment before crowned heads, and the latter meekly accepting them, would only be found in Lucknow. And in Lucknow alone would you find cooks strutting off in a huff if the king did not sit down for a meal when told to do so by the cook because the food was hot. A tale is told of a cook employed only to prepare mash ki dal (arhar ki dal) on a monthly salary of Rs The dal was not cooked daily but once in a while, and the king was condition-bound to sit down at the dastarkhwan when the cook announced that the dal was ready. The king once delayed, so the cook left. 88

101 Years of Cheers Before leaving, he emptied the contents of the dish at a place where stood a stalk of a dead tree. In a few days, leaves started sprouting from the stalk and before long; the tree turned a healthy green colour. The story may appear like an exaggeration but the fact remains that the ingredients that went into the preparation of the royal dishes were very nutritious. The city with its plethora of buildings, palaces, arts, crafts cuisine and courtly manners sets it apart and inspires others for admiration and emulation. Besides being famous for its Ganga Jamuni culture,the city is notable for its unparalled cuisine. Infact Lucknow is the city of the Nawabs and the Kebabs. The Bawarchis and Rakabdars of Awadh gave birth to the Dum style of cooking or the art of cooking over a slow fire, which has become synonymous with Lucknow today. The cuisine of Lucknow has its own distinct individuality and identity. The most famous dishes of Lucknow are Qormas, Qaliya, Nahari-Kulchas, Zarda, Sheermal, Roomali Rotis and Warqi Parathas. It is not just the ingredients that are special but also the way they are prepared by expert hands and the way they are presented. During the Nawabi era, the collective name for food items selected for a formal function or a feast at home was the Tora. It consisted of the Pulao, Muzafar - a sweet rich rice dish with saffron, mutanjan, meat,sugar and rice with spices, shirmal, safaida-a simple sweet rice dish, fried Aubergine, Shir Baranj-a richsweet rice dish boiled in milk, qorma, arvi:- a fried vegetable with meat, Shaami Kebabs, croquettes of meat and lentils, along with murabba, achar, pickles and chutney. This arrangement was served on the dastarkhwan in front of the guests or sent out with great care and presentation. Dastarkhwan is a Persian term, which literally means a meticulously laid-out ceremonial dining spread. It is customary in Avadh to sit around and share the Dastarkhwan. Laden with the finest and the most varied repertoire of the khansamas (chefs), the Dastarkhwan of the raeis (the rich) were called Khasa (special). The Kababs of Lucknow: Lucknow is also proud of its Kebabs. The Kakori Kebabs, Galawat ke Kebabs, Shami Kebabs, Boti Kebabs, Patili-ke-Kebabs, Ghutwa Kebabs and Seekh Kebabs are among the known varieties. The 100-year old 'Tunde ke Kebab' in Chowk is the most famous outlet for choicest Kebabs even today. The Shami Kebab was the most important of them all. Made from mince meat, the kebabs are round patties filled with spicy surprises and the tangy raw green mango. The best time to have them is May when the fruit of the mango tree is in its infancy. In other seasons the Kairi can be substituted with Kamrakh or Karonda both having a tart 89

102 Coral Edition flavour reminiscent of the raw mango. Lime juice is rarely used. The Seekh has long been considered a piece de resistance in the Awadhi dastarkhwan. Introduced by the Mughals it was originally prepared from beef mince on skewers and cooked on charcoal fire. Now lamb mince is preferred for its soft texture. Coming to the course of desserts or more popularly the confectionary. As a general rule jalebis, sweets formed in spirals glazed with syrup,imertis thick sweets with syrup,and balushais,moist,round syrupy sweets are all very luscious Jalebis are called zalabia in Arabic and it is clear that jalebi is a corrupted version of zalabia. There is plenty that the city has on offer for vegetarians too. From the simple kofta to the thali that has Naan, Dultani Daal, Raita and Shahi Paneer. Evenings see people of Lucknow gather around sweet shops to sample Samosas and Lassi. The sheer variety of dishes on offer makes Lucknow a gourmet's paradise. In Lucknow, cooking is not just about eating. It is an act of reverence. Lakhnawi Cuisine adds to the diverse experience that enchants dwellers and visitors alike. Glory is like a circle in the water, which never cease to enlarge itself, till by broad spreading it disperses to naught. I did never know so full a voice issue from so empty a heart : but the saying is true' the empty vessel makes the greatest sound. 90

103 Years of Cheers Life in a Metro Eram Agha Journalist and travel writer Even if I have articles bearing my name in the newspapers there's something about writing for the college magazine -- Getting in touch with my true self, dusting off the burdens of protocols and indulging in the light side of life. And what with penning it down for the college where I found the confidence to speak my mind! Awadh Girl's Degree College was not my first choice. I wanted to be in colleges of DU but things didn't work out (yes, my marks were not sufficient). I thought I will not know anything about the fad and fab. But I was wrong and with each passing day I discovered that it's not where you go to study but what you do with the place you go to study. Awadh became the stage for me, my sister Ambreen Agha and my two other friends Shriya Dua and Priyanka Seth with whom I spent hours in college. We were the first ones to come to the college and last ones to leave. We always had a lot of work on hand, like what play to enact? Which poem to recite? Should we take part in NSS camp? So who would look for the script of the skit? Studies and classes apart, college was a lot about extracurricular activities. The more we spent time in college the more we realised the burden of undone! Celebrations for servant's Day. When is the Founder's Day? How are the practises for Teacher's Day going on? We had not come out of the enthusiasm characteristic of school days. And that's what made AGDC our extended home. Maggi for breakfast and desi chowmein for lunch, patties and cold drink for the in-between breaks! Life was good. Our seniors trusted us; they rubbed off their super creative streak on us and left us highly active. We carried their legacy of dance and drama till the last year of college and hope inspired some juniors who joined later. Thanks to Neha Thapliyal, Shiza Rajgharia, Iram Mirza, Shima Ahmed, Ruchika Chitravanshi, Arshia Qazi and many more who were always around to put us to some good use... Wait back till five for practises, they usually said. For the three years we stayed, not even once we witnessed a dull day. College then was buzz with eclectic sounds of music- folk, rock and retro. The dramatic intonations reverberated in the auditorium. A winter afternoon saw literary enthusiasts resting on the grassy patches of the stadium, with a classic tomb for company. Every day was a fresh start. Since we designed a way of how not to study by indulging in activities- our teachers made sure we didn't slip on that. Attendance mattered and we didn't want to spoil the fun by missing our classes. Till date we carry the lessons of work and play. With time we have just improvised it- When there's no time to play, make work your most coveted game. 91

104 Coral Edition My association with my college Mrs Nishat Akhtar, Lecturer, Deptt. of Humanities Azad College I sincerely want to thank Dr. Ranjana Krishna for giving me an opportunity to express my gratitude and love for my college as an unexpressed love is most painful and it never fades away..! It's my everlasting longing to keep in association with the college that ended upon making an online group of the college alumnae on Facebook and in no time there were more than 700 active members in the group loving and enjoying their encore enliven association with the campus and the people of AGDC. Beautiful pictures posted by those who have passed out decades ago give us the glimpse of AGDC's glory. Whereas the fresh updates give us a peep into the ongoing fun and progress in our college. This is no less than a sheer bliss after leaving the college. I have lived three most wonderful years of my life doing graduation in AGDC. I Love AGDC. The campus of the college has a democratic space for everyone. AGDC has always been a place for intense debates and discussions. The dandiyan, the fresher's and the farewell parties were so much fun. I got my best friends from AGDC. My years in the AGDC gave me strength and have guided me throughout my career so far. "I can never forget the contributions made by my teachers in my life". I was fresh from school straight to college and absorbed everything I could.. amiability, civility, progressiveness, politeness, and much more from my teachers there at AGDC. The experience in the college had shaped my character and has given me confidence to face the battles of life. "AGDC is not just a college, but a training ground for young girls of all cohorts" The teachers had not just given knowledge but helped in shaping my personality too. Their teachings provide us with valuable guidance throughout our personal and professional career. I can never forget the contributions made by my teachers at AGDC in my life. 92

105 From the Overseas A Trip Down Memory Lane Anamika Deva Baksi MA II 1998 batch In moments when mind is free, it makes impromptu choices & as it drifts from thought to thought it summons certain voices, when time permits my thoughts to drift, through tides of fond recall, I recreate the times spent, those moments large & small and when I am aroused from reverie, an inner feeling yearns, for many more such moments when those cherished memories return. 'Avadh' the place where I saw dreams, lived it & worked towards achieving it 'Avadh' the word itself is synonymous with the most beautiful & carefree period of my life, moments which would live with me as long as I breathe as they are so much a part of me part of my journey in this life When I think of those times of gay abandon, they all tumble out of my mind's treasure chest just like those tucked away precious toys which a child takes out of her toy box & relishes them every now & then each one colourful & bright which fills her up with wonder & excitement, my association with the college has been nothing less. Every time I pass the lanes which lead to the gates of Avadh, I can feel myself transform into that carefree girl all those years back, a place where I first tasted freedom. School life in Loreto had always been strict & full of discipline no complains about that though 'cause whatever I am today both as a woman & a human being is all due to that wonderful grounding I will be eternally in debt for that. But that made us look forward to college as something exotic a totally different world of freedom & bliss bordering on slight apprehensions of course as anything unknown evokes..and Avadh didn't disappoint us, right from the early days of ragging where our seniors bade us to wear 'shalwar-kurta' for the whole month I remember buying my first suit then J I wore only skirts & jeans till that time gosh how lost we were those first few months of college getting to know the hang of things, getting used to a life so different from the structured one we were used to & gradually 93

106 Coral Edition settling down & feeling so 'grown-up' & enjoying it too. Those lectures with Dr. Deb, Dr. U. Srivastava, Dr. Vashney in Graduation & with Ranjana Ma'am in Post Graduation were simply great. It's difficult to sift through memories as they rub shoulders against each other & choose just a few, but I'll try & do just that & share some of our fun moments which make us laugh when we think of them even today. I saw maximum movies when I was in the first year of college which gradually decreased in the 2nd & 3rd yrs respectively. At that time Mayfair was our favorite haunt for movies & Rovers our favourite fast food joint. This incident occurred sometime during the 2nd year (I think) when one afternoon some 6 or 7 of us decided to bunk our last lecture & catch a 12:00-3:00pm show of Julia Roberts' 'Sleeping with the enemy' in the Mayfair. The movie had some tense & scary moments & one of my friends who was sitting next me was crushing my hand in her nervousness & letting out screams every now & then no amount of 'Sshhhh's & admonitions could quieten her down. Then the 'INTERVAL' flashed on the screen & the lights came on & we got a little respite from her screams.when all of a sudden each & every person sitting in the row before us ( we were occupying the last row in the balcony) turned round to see who was making so much noise.& can you imagine our shock & astonishment when we saw faces of our lecturers looking back at us!!!! I'll never forget that moment ever in my life when my mouth suddenly went dry & panic gripped my heart & for the rest of the movie my friend forgot to scream, she was as quiet as a door mouse lol We were the first ones to get out of the theatre, scrambling out of the darkness into safe territory. Thankfully out little truant didn't have any serious repercussions as our lecturers graciously forgave us. Another fond memory is of having hot samosas with piping hot 'chai' during the rains under the shed in the newly made veranda. I've not visited the college in a very long time so I'm not too sure of it's geography now. There must've been so many new additions & maybe a few subtractions too after all 14 years is quite a long time. Open Fetes, competitions, musical events, sports day, fashion shows, organising Farewell parties then being part of one, College life was one big potpourri of amazing experiences. So many of them that I can almost write a book on it maybe I will someday J After college life has been quite a roller coaster ride. Have had to juggle with so many different roles of mom, wife, daughter & a daughter-in-law, sister & sister-in- 94

107 From the Overseas law, cook, maid, event manager, teacher, nanny, nurse, comforter, counsellor, alarm clock, photographer, chauffer & the list is endless. Am proud to say that I've mastered most of them & learning to juggle new things everyday. There are certain things that college teaches us & there are others you have to lean hands on.over the years I've grown as a person & each new experience has made me a bit stronger. God has been extremely kind & has given me the opportunity to see the world. I have lived in Germany then in England & enjoyed every moment of it. England was a dream come true for an English Literature student like me. All the authors, poets, novelists I grew up reading & idolising all popped out from the world of books into the real world. I was able to witness their birthplaces, their homes, their lives where they wrote their most famous pieces it's quite an indescribable feeling something beyond words, can only be felt & cherished. My final year's dissertation ( that's MA II) was on the metaphysical & supernatural aspects of Henry Coleridge's poetry & his relationship with William Wordsworth. On one of my trips to the Lake district I had the good fortune of actually visiting Dover cottage (that's where W.Wordsworth lived) & the church where he got married & now lies buried with Dorothy Wordsworth. Down the same street is the Hotel where Coleridge stayed when he was working with Wordsworth, it was actually an inn which they've converted into a hotel now. Just witnessing these sites made my life feel so complete. Then watching Shakespearean plays in the Globe, visiting Charles Dickens & Tennyson's homes & not to forget Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & 221b Baker street ( I wrote an entire article on that which was published in the art & leisure section of the Economic World, will share that with you all some other time). We've now moved to Dubai in U.A.E., it's been 8 months now it's a whole new world here, new culture, new people, new cuisine, new things to learn & discover. I think every place we leave, we leave a little bit of ourselves behind but at the same time each new venture brings forth new promises, new goals to reach & in all this we do learn a little about ourselves too. To have faith in whatever we do & to dream big coz dreams do come true. My journey in life continues & I'm ever open to new experiences, new opportunities, new flavours.life truly is beautiful so live it up to the full. CHEERS TO THAT! 95

108 Coral Edition Long Way Home Ms Subuhi Khan Washington State University, USA (2007 batch) Five years after graduating from Avadh, I am still a student. More than thirteen thousand kilometers and three time zones away from Avadh Girls' Degree college, I am hit by nostalgia of my student days at Avadh while I sit in a classroom here at Washington State University. My journey as a college student began at Avadh Girls' Degree college in Three years of graduate studies at Avadh, an year at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, two years of working as a broadcast journalist in India, and back to being a student and loving every bit of it. Perhaps my affair with college life began in July 2004 when I joined Avadh as a student in Bachelor of Arts. And that's why when I got the opportunity to go back to college an year ago, I did not flinch. It's not for nothing that they say, 'first impression is the last impression', had my first impression of college life not been as pleasant as it was at Avadh, I would have baulked at the idea of pursuing higher studies once again in life. Trust me friends, it needs something to lure you out of the comfort of your home and married life in California and into a paying guest existence in an altogether remote city nestled in the prairies where blizzards and sun stroke greet you biannually. But because I had been blessed with studying my favourite subjects from excellent teachers at Avadh, and not had to graon through student life at the peak of my youth, I am a happy student even now. Having held a leadership position with the student council then, I am gladly at the helm of student council affairs at the Graduate School of Communication at Edward R. Murrow College. Before I confuse you with my rambling, let me get a few points straightened. Edward R. Murrow College is the college of communication at Washington State University. The department is named after Edward R. Murrow, the renowned American journalist who was an alumnus of this University. As a Master's student at the college of communication here, I am preparing to join the journalism Industry in USA on completing the degree. More than that, I am exploring student life on another continent and often find myself recounting Avadh days with Chinese friends here. 96

109 From the Overseas In 2007 when me and my batchmates at Avadh received our graduation certificate, we felt we had conquered the world, blissfully unaware that the uphill climb had just started. From school and city, some of us moved to national and international level competition in academia. As far as the success story goes, all of my Avadh friends and batch mates are successful professional women. After carving a niche for myself as a broadcast journalist at CNN IBN and then making it to the Ivy league journalism schools in USA, I, with the fear of sounding proud, can count myself among my successful friends. Let me hurry to add, that success is a relative term and an opinion contrary to mine is as acceptable to me as my own. After all, lessons in humility are well taught at AGDC. Talking about lessons, there were countless ones I learned at Avadh. Teamwork, discipline, accountability and perseverance, to name a few. Lessons, that time and again, make me feel grateful to those who taught them. Any Indian who is studying or has studied outside India in a different culture knows that the values that our education system in India instills in us, sometimes in a rather tough way, cut above the rest in the world. Perhaps, it's for this reason that I was invited to join the University with complete tuition waiver and stipends added. It's not unusual to see Indian students across US Universities enjoying the same. Universities in United States proudly claim to be the breeding ground for creativity and innovation. We Indians are the ubiquitous creative brains in most of these Universities. It's not plain IQ, it's the values ingrained in us that thrive when encouraged. As a student, here, I get to interact with people from across the world. More than the textbooks, I learn from these people, their outlook of the world, the knowledge they bring with them, their experience, all enable me to see life from a broader perspective a perspective, that instills in me, more humility and respect towards others. With my Masters drawing towards completion, who knows I might be unable to resist the temptation of a Ph.D. And even if I don't, I'll remain a student forever, a student of life's perhaps best described in Lord Tennyson's poem I learnt once long ago sitting in an English Literature class in the auditorium at Avadh. "Yet all experience is an arch wherethro' Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades For ever and forever when I move." 97

110 Coral Edition ij fuunk dk jl ¼vkdk'kok.kh ds lkstu; ls½ Mk- f'kok HkkxZo fgunh fohkkx Hkjr eqfu ds ukv~;'kkl= esa uks jlksa dk myys[k feyrk gsa os gsa J`axkj] gkl;] d:.kk] Hk;kud] jksnz] vn~hkqr] ohj] 'kkar] okrly;] ij cm+s vk'p;z dh ckr gs fd brus cm+s ukv~;'kkl=h us irk ugha dsls ijfuunk tsls jl dks izeq[k jlksa ds lkfk LFkku ugha fn;ka pksalb O;atuksa dk ytht Lokn,d vdsys ijfuunk jl ds Lokn esa gksrk gsa bl jl ds lkeus vu; lhkh jl Qhds im+ tkrs gsaa jl rks ijekuun lgksnj gs & fqj Hkyk ijfuunk ls c<+dj ijekuun vksj dgk feysxk \ Hkkjrh; dko;'kkl= dk bfrgkl cm+k iqjkruk gsa l`f"v ds tue ls vkt rd fuunk jl dk izokg xaxk dh /kkjk dh rjg fgeky; ls mrj dj i`foh ij cg jgk gsa fqj D;k dkj.kgks x;k fd Hkjr eqfu tsls ukv~;'kkl=h us uks jlksa dk lfolrkj o.kzu djrs gq,,sls euhkkou] ijekuun lgksnj fuunk jl dk uke rd u fy;ka muds Kku p{kqvksa ls NwVk dsls \ yxrk gs fd fuunk muds dkuksa esa lqjhyh rku lh ctrh ftàk rd igq ph gksxh] rc xw xs ds xq.k dh Hkk fr febkl ân; rd igq p dj Fke xbz vksj cspkjs vkpk;ztu mlesa,sls yhu gq, fd uks jlksa dh lhkk esa ls] uks jruksa esa ls],d u cukdj fcydqy [kkle[kkl cuk fn;ka cl ckj&ckj ;gh nksgjkr jgs& D;k Lokn gs] D;k jlhykiu gs] D;k lyksukiu gsa fuunkjl ds Lokn esa rks xqykctkequ dh febkl] jlxqyyksa dh utkdj vksj cqhz dh ltkov rd dks ekr ns nha vc D;k dgsa & ;g jl rks O;fDrxr cu x;ka tks lcds fy,,d lk gks& mlesa fof'k"vrk gh D;k \ Hkjr eqfu ds ikl rks fuunk ds fofhkuu :i crkus ds fy, ukjn eqfu tslk lvhd mnkgj.k ekstwn FkkA fqj os xppk dsls [kk x,a [ksj tks gqvk lks gqvka izdkam iafmrksa ds vkku dks utjvunkt djrs gq, pfy, ge gh fuunk jl dh izlo osnuk lgrs gq,] ugha & uofuekz.k dh [kq'kh trkrs gq,] tue ns nsrs gsaa fuunk dk tue igys ls pys vk jgs ifjp; ls gksrk gsa ifjp; ls vkreh;rk c<+rh gsa mlh vk/kkj ij mbuk csbuk 'kq: gksrk gsa tc ifjfpr yksx,d nwljs ds vuqdwy ugha gks ikrs],d nwljs dh muufr] islk :rck vkfn lg ugha ikrs rks& dqabk] csj] bz";kz&rks cl m[km+ fy,! xgu ifjp; ;gha lekir gks tkrk gs vksj cl 'kq: gqbz fuunka Lokn rh[kk] [kv~vk] ehbk&dslk Hkh gks&qqnd&qqnd dj fuunk djrs gsa g l&g l dj nksgjkrs gsa vksj ckr&ckr eas fudyh tjk&lh fuunk iwjh dfkk cu tkrh gsa yksxksa ds ikl tulsok vkfn ds fy, le; ugha gksrk ij okg! fuunk ds fy, pkgs Vsªu NqM+ok nksa HkbZ ge rks ;gk rd dgsaxs] Ldwy] dkyst esa lk;dksykwth ds isij esa,d fo"k; fuunk dk Hkh tqm+ tkuk pkfg,a ftlesa fuunk jl dk Lokn pkgs pkbzuhl gks] pkgs dkuvhusuvy pkgs [kkfyl?kjsywa u;s&u;s rjhds] lq>ko vksj miyfc/k;k crkuh pkfg,a ekq djsa&fuunk jl dk Lokn p[kus ls rks cm+s&cm+s lur Hkh ugha NwVsA cms+&cm+s dfo;ksa us Hkh vius&vius xzafkksa esa bldk [kqydj iz;ksx fd;k gsa mugsa Hkh Kkr Fkk fd yksxksa ds fnyksa ds rkys [kksyus ds fy, fuunk jl dh 98

111 Back to Roots pkch pkfg,a okg! okg! eufkjk us D;k leka ck/kk Fkk \ /kksch us lhrk dks D;k ets esa ou fhktok;k Fkk& Qk;nk \ fdldk gqvk & okyehd dk & nks cunjksa dh ym+kbz esa rks ykhk rks rhljk gh mbk;sxk uka Hkk"kk] /kez vksj erksa dh fpafn;ksa esas fyivk ns'k] fuunk jl dh pk'uh esa iwjs ns'k dks lku jgk gsa lekpkj i= fuunk jl dk Lokn jksekap ds :i esa ns jgs gsaa gynh dqadqe ls NhaVdj fuunk jl dks ekaxfyd cuk;k gsa fuunk jl meax ls Hkj vius yko&y'dj ds lkfk cl ds eu&ekul ij vk /kedk gsa ge rks pkgrs gsa& Lokn fuunk jl dk lc ik,sa] dksbz finm+ u tk,a ân; esa fgyksjsa mbsa & vksj eqjnk okrkoj.k f[ky&f[ky tk,a Bgfj;s dgha vkius 'kq:vkr gels gh rks ugha dj nha vo/k xhr Mk- vuuiw.kkz ferry f'k{kk'kkl= fohkkx vo/k gekjk gedks I;kjk] gj iy yxrk U;kjk gsa Kku gekjk muur djrk] ftkklk mitkrk gsa vo/k gekjk gedks I;kjk] gj iy yxrk U;kjk gsa u;h vfhk#fp;k fodflr djrk] u;s vk;ke lq>kkrk gsa vo/k gekjk gedks I;kjk] gj iy yxrk U;kjk gsa J)k vksj fo'okl txkrk] u;h izsj.kk Hkjrk gsa u;h iqjkuh lald`fr;ksa dh] f'k{kk nh{kk nsrk gsa vo/k gekjk gedks I;kjk] gj iy yxrk U;kjk gsa Lora=rk vksj leurk dka lrr izf'k{k.k nsrk gsa gels vo/k vo/k ls viuk] I;kj Hkjk ;g ukrk gsa vo/k gekjk gedks I;kjk] gj iy yxrk U;kjk gsa 99

112 Coral Edition The Valley of Flowers - Himalaya's Youngest National Park Dr. J. Kaur Deptt. of Geography Garhwal's higher Himalayan zones are bio-climatically rich in presenting some of the most fascinating flowerful pastures, meadows and valleys. A few like Auli, Gorson, Panwali or Harkidun have come to limelight and attract tourists. The Valley of Flowers, in Eastern Garhwal, has caught up imagination, and tourists from places far and wide come to enjoy this floristic bonanza. This nature-phenomenon is associated with mountain herbs, annuals and colourful wild flowers that grow all by themselves in the nature's rock garden. They excel other Himalayan floral attractions in their intense restricted distribution, mosaic of colour, flowering rhythm and unique ecological cycle. Endowed with rare quality of environment, these flowers have amazing growth cycle ranging from a few days to a fortnight and a month. In fact, very little is knowon about Valley's ecology and it needs a taxonomic survey of the plants, their families, species and genera. Brought limelight by F.S. Smythe (1931), the Valley was known to Hindu sages and saints who found an ideal environment for solitude and meditation. It is also associated with pandava-legend. To local people, it is a fairy land. In Hindu mythology, it is named Nandan Kanan (Garden of Indra in Paradise). The Valley The Valley of Flowers is approachable from Govind Ghat (1,828 m) almost 22 km beyond Joshimath en-route Badrinath. About 1.5 km down the motor road one reaches the small settlement, Govind Ghat, offering Sikh hospitality at the Gurudwara. Closeby roars the Alaknanda. Having crossed the suspension bridge over the noisy stream, the ascent to the Valley of Flowers begins. The trek, about 12.5 km to Ghangaria (Govind dham) is for the most part along the Lakshman Ganga, also known as Bhyundar Ganga. The entire passage is punctuated with fascinating Himalayan sights and sounds, viz., waterfalls roaring rapids, orchards, wild flowers and primitive human settlements having organic simplicity. The first settlement is Phulna, straw roofed and housed in the beautiful surroundings of greens and glades. The next, almost half way, is Bhyundar (2,593 m) named after the river, where one 100

113 Back to Roots finds highlanders living in harmony with natural environment. The ascent beyond this village goes hardy, though rewarding, as the scenery dramatically improves. Forested mountain walls, often bare and black, rise up to converse with the blue sky. The way begins to show the wild beauty in tiny flowers of many colours of which yellow and pink are the most common. As Ghangaria, the last settlement, comes closer, charming Kharshu and rhododendrons give way to planted stands of deodar, majestic and beautiful. Ghangaria (3,200 m) bowl shaped, provides destination facilities of accommodation and food, besides a Gurudwara that caters to the needs of Sikh pilgrims to nearby Hemkund. The Sikhs have named it Govindham (the abode of Guru Govind Singh). The Valley of Flowers is about 3.5 km u north east at an average height of 3,650 m while Hemkund falls eastward up 4, 329 m, by the side of a serene Himalayan lake. The Valley of Flowers has not been properly delimited. To tourists it is an area which comes to their view as they finish up the last cluster of silver birch trees; to botanists it is a vast stretch that commences from Bamini Dhar, closing at the base of Ratban peak. To a geographer it should constitute the segment of the biosphere that falls into the catchment area of the Bhyundar Ganga, and should include the entire land-mass leading to Hemkund, the Pushpavati valley and the valley of Pushpavati's tributary. Lately (1981), it has been declared as one of the Himalayan National Parks. However, the prescribed limits for preservation of this region are yet to be known. It requires a further study into the basal facts of this natural habitat. Considering aspects of nature preservation and the biosphere reserve principles, the entire Bhyundar catchment can be tentatively divided as under : 1. Cultural Zone : The area beginning from the confluence of Bhyundar and Alknanda upto Bhyundar Village. 2. Buffer Zone : From Bhyundar Village to Ghangaria and vicinity. 3. Core Zone : Should comprise the entire area from Ghangaria to Bhyundar Kanta Pass and the Bhyundar Glacier. The floral aspects of the Valley become perceptible as one leaves Ghangaria. The 3.5 km trek from Ghangaria to the actual Valley is most idyllic and inspiring. It is a passage into Glysian beauty having enchanting groves of birth, resounding with whistling linets and twitter of birds. It gives one the moments of solitude broken only by the roar of the Pushpavati rapids. One stops at the small wooden bridge over the Pushpavati to look at the mighty Himalayan truncated walls, and beyond lies the 101

114 Coral Edition fantasy of the flowers. After a strenuous, though sensuous, climb of a kilometre, the timber line closes with array of silver birches that herald the green expanse of the Valley. The beauty of the Valley lies exposed before the visitor and he has yet to explore the mystery of this 'Eden of flowers'. The Valley Core The Valley core spreads into a winding corridor of about eight kilometre long and two kilometre across. It slopes up gently to the edge of Lari Bank Glacier. On the north of it stand awesome cliffs, rising over 2,000 m from the base, a rich nesting ground for Himalayan pheasant and other birds. The north facing slopes are decked with silver birch stands, punctuated with Alpine meadows; the south facing ones are characterised by greenery, snow covered tops and black silhouettes. The most spectacular sight is of Ratban peak to the mortheast which at once catches the attention of the visitor. As one enters the Valley, crossing the first white rivulet of meltwater, the vast vista opens up, dominantly green with rainbow tapestry of blossom on the Valley floor. To the right is unseen Pushpavati flowing majestically; to the left are cool runnels, draining the snow water. One has to wade through or cross over them for the Valley sojourn. The Valley's floral aspect should be studied in two parts : 1. Along the undulating floor 2. Over the slopes The floral aspect of the floor is densely rich, often muddy and rock strewn, having flowers quite different from the slopes for reasons of climatic and edaphic controls. The first half of the floor ranges from 3,525 m to 3,952 m which is normally the visiting spectrum of the tourists. The second half being sparse and rock filled, is an area for field scientists or adventurists as it ends up at the base of Bhyundar Kanta Pass (5,450 m). The Valley slopes, particularly the south facing ones, have flowers of rare quality along the runnels, crannie and towards the glacier side, where flowers like Himalayan poppy (blue and yellow) and Brahm Kamal (Saussure Obvallata) can be seen. This is scene of Valley's early flowering of primulas and anemones which gradually descent to the floor with the coming of rains. The northfacing aspects could be reached after crossing the snow bridged Pushpavati (in July). This is a safe habitat of many wild animals such as black bear, musk deer and Bhara not to be commonly seen. Few daring visitors go there. Enjoying insular micro-climate and being 102

115 Back to Roots protected from the cold dry northern winds from Tibet, it has developed its own weather cycle. The spring mornings are brilliantly sparkling with fleecy clouds floating against a background of enamelled blue. The visitor to the Valley thus gets four to five hours (late morning till noon) daily to roam and ramble. Clouds begin to gather up more often from the southwest entrance by noon, and the tourist must either leave the Valley or go to his tents. But for the giant sized boulders, there is no refuge against the showers that sometimes threaten with heavy downpour. The Valley begins to bloom by mid-may and fades out round mid September. The Valley floor grows richer by July and it is not easy to pass through without crushing the tender plants. While they may thrive well in peaty mould, there are many that love to grow under rock-shades or peeping from behind the rocks. They also compete with ferns and weeds that surround them. Multi-coloured flowers of varying size, shape and shades appear before the vision. Smythe, with the help of Holdsworth identified 250 garden genera and provided a list of flowers in his book 'Kamet Conquered'. Later he improved upon it in Miss Joan Margaret Legge, another British botanist, did some collection work for Kew Botanic Garden of London. Alas! she died a premature death in From amongst the Indian A.S. Rau, J.E. Duthie and B.N. Ghildiyal and Virendra Kumar have also made some valuable collections. Only scattered information is available regarding the inventory of plant species and their families. Some of the most conspicuous flowering plants that the visitor enjoys during July-August are : purple ipomoea (Ipomoea purpurea), Stuarts primrose (primula stuarti), musk thistle (Carduus nutans), stalked gentians (Gentiana stipitata), Himalaayan poppies, blue and yellow (Meconopsis aculeata and robusta). Himalayan Lily (Lilium oxypetalum), knotweed (Polygonum affine), Wallich's poppy (meconopsis wallichii), Shoy Lindeloria (Lindeloria spectabilis), Himalayan Rose (Rosa macrophylla), jacob's ladder (Polemonium caeruleum). There are vistas of pink balsam, purple monkshood, aster, daisies, forget-me-nots, blue delphiniums, geraniums, morina, pearly star,fritillaries, rosy cypripedium, pansies, androscas, saxifrages and sedums. As one descends the Valley floor, the flora becomes more and more luscious until one is wading kneedeep through an ocean of flowers ranging in colour from sky blue of the poppies to the deep wine-red potentillas. Smythe provides wonderful pen portraits of the Valley visions. He was overtaken by the beauty and abundance of primula. He writes : 103

116 Coral Edition In all my mountain wanderings I had not seen a more beautiful flower than this primula; the fine raindrops elung to its soft petals like galaxies of seed pearls and frosted its leaves with silver;... at the most it stood six inches high, but its flowers were enormous for its stature, and ample in number-sometimes as many as thirty to the beautifully proportioned umbel, and in colour of the most heavenly French blue, sweetly scented. Synecology of these flowering plants, mostly medicinal herbs, shall explain how they live in association with each other and one another and how they maintain their symbiosis after interacting with soil and microclimate is as much as, one dies enlivening the other. The Valley spectrum changes dramatically over weeks and fortnights. The June scene would be quite different from July or August, and September is an autumnal glory and a swan song. The trek to Hemkund (Sikh resort) is a corollary to the Valley of Flowers. It takes the hiker to wonderous sights which he fails to enjoy along the Valley. He may not be wading through the ocean of flowers; he goes wild with the abundance of blue poppies that peep from the rocks, and Brahm Kamal, with their intoxicating fragrance, are myriad. As one climbs up the steep slope, Ghangaria looks another tiny world, beneath. All the tiresomeness and fatigue is easily beguiled by the splendour of the Himalaya. Here one comes across different kinds of flowers that love sequestered elevation. Even the potentillas are orange and yellow, presenting an unusual sight. The Hemkund lake is not easily reached. It is an arduous trek. The last climb of a kilometre demands more of patience and will-power than sheer stamina. Sikh pilgrims brave it with Spartan endurance. Beside the lake is a new structure, starshaped, that they are trying to blend with engineering skill but it needs more organic simplicity than grand modernisation. Every Sikh devotee takes a dip into the cold waters of the lake and presents the offering of a Brahm Kamal. This high altitude lake is a beautiful environment laden with the fragrance of the flowers. Destination Facilities The Skihs are responsible for opening this area, more than tourism promoters. They offer cost-free hospitality to all, irrespective of caste and creed, both at Govin Ghat and Ghangaria (Govind Dham). There is a Forest Rest House, with two suites at Govin Ghat and P.W.D. inspection bungalow (with two ncared for suites) at nearby Pandukeshwar. They have lodging facilities only on pre-reservation. 104

117 Back to Roots At Ghangaria there are two suites in the Forest Rest House and a bed capacity of 12 in Tourist Rest House. During peaks, a few tents are pitched nearby. The high demand during the peak has tempted some local people to arrange floor space in their poor apartments. The doors of Gurudwara are open to all, but one has to sleep on floor with other fellow travellers/pilgrims. Privacy would be as luxury in a place where roofed space is a most desired comfort. Visitor Aspects The Valley attracts visitors from home and overseas. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Garhwal Development Coorporation) in association with U.P. Tourism, Air India and India Tourism has made quite good efforts to popularise the Valley. The sikh pilgrim influx to Hemkund, with all their cost-free hospitality, is perhaps the major factor of motivation. Most of the visitors were from Bengal or Maharashtra, who having performed their sacrament at Badrinath wanted to enjoy the floral beauty. Quite a few foreigners from Holland, France and Germany also camp in the Valley. The Valley visitation was recorded highest in the month of August (687). Hemkund attracted the best in September (15,467), while Badrinath attained peak in June (64,460). Efforts were directed through questionnaries and self administered interviews to find out if there was any link motivation in the traffic flows to the three destination. Of the 200 respondents Hindu/Sikh pilgrims and tourist, only 10 per cent of Badrinath-bound pilgrims expressed their desire to visit the 'Valley'; they may not do so either because of lack of right kind of information (stay and food) or they had to trek on foot all the way (16 km) to the Valley in the rains. About three per cent (youth group) and many Bengalis and a few Maharashtrians conformed that the 'Valley' was on their itinerary and they would brave 'rainwash', 'land slides' and 'hard trek' to enjoy Nature's rock-garden. From amongst the Sikhs bound for Hemkund, statistically 'none cared for Valley'. Of these respondents, a few were checked up in the second phase, both at Govind Ghat and Ghangaria, who reported high level of satisfaction received from their 'Valley visit. A few Valley-bound visitors, particulary field scientists and trekkers also packed up to Himkund. While Hemkund has a Hindu pilgrim site lokpal, where legendary Lakshman, Rama's younger brother, performed penanees beside the serene lake, a few knew it and only few cared for the same. There was marked change on Govind Ghat-Ghangaria route where better eatables and snacks were provided in thatched chattis, punctuated after every two kilometers. Apples, cofee, chocolate, biscuits and canned juices could be had, which 105

118 Coral Edition provided relief to tired scamblers.these gay, homely wayside shops could be seen right upto Hemkund. Eco-degradation The Valley suffered the most. Not one, but two improvised helipads were seen in the core area. A five feet stone pathway was laid, rather haphazardly, that meandered through the heart region, irrespective of the landscape aesthetics or eco-disaster. It may not continue to exist but such traditions are not in agreement with National parks or protected areas. While sheep grazing is banned, the ponies and buffaloes graze and loiter. Plant ecologists also report loss of some rare species. Because of human visitations and cattle grazing, the eco-cycle of some of the sensitive plants has been damaged irreparably and firns and weeds have overtaken the biomass, overpowering flowering plants. Of the 105 Valley visitors interviewed, over 68 per cent were either dissatisfied or disillusioned. Almost all of them found Hemkund flowering better than the 'Valley'. Those who did not go to Hemkund had regrets for they missed the spectrum of abundant blue Himalayan poppy, orange and yellow potentillas and Brahm Kamal - "So fragnant and so beautiful". A few who had read Smythe or Smythe based description blamed the Valley care-takers for it did not show either the primulas, yellow potentillas or blue poppy. Not that they have ceased to grow or gone extinct but the fact is that the Valley has not been properly interpreted by the 'guides' who have scant knowledge about the Valley environment and plant families. Time has now come when planners, developers, conservationists must complete an inventory and decide for a policy. In any case the valley has to be protected from spoilation. Planned and organised tourism can do this. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, a Regional Development Agency, is making its best efforts to sell the Valley to the tourists; the Department of Environment is attempting to create a biosphere reserve and the Department of Forests and hills has it declared a National Park. How beautiful is life, and the beaurty that is all around, if man could onl visualise and appreciate it seeing in it the greatness of the Creator! But the greatest beauty is that which proceeds from one's inner self, the self that is full of truth, love, kindness and benevolence-the beauty that emanatees from the good soul. That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful. 106

119 Back to Roots Stop, Look, Listen Ms Mira Yog Department of English William Wordworth, the famous Nature poet says in one of his poems : "The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending we lay waste our powers, Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!" Much the same thought is expressed in the very simple lines of another poet, WH Davies who says : "What is this life if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare" This life with its sick hurry, divided aims" often leaves us rushing and gasping for breath, we have so many "agenda" to fulfill and so many "deadlines" to meet that we we have become like mechanical robots who have forgotten to "stop---look and listen". The wonder of God's creaton often remains unnoticed and so we fail to draw succour from it. How many of us have not seen a sunrise in a long time or seen a clear night sky with twinkling stars and glow-worms in the bushes, feeling a surge of quiet delight? How many notice that after winter the spring does, indeed, come, bringing with it the magic of a sheen of soft silky green as trees that stood stark in their nakedness get clothes with new leaves on branches that looked quite dead! How many can remember and savour the smell of the first rain on the scorched and thirsty summer earth, or tht other scent of flowers that bloom and spread their fragrance on hot summer nights? Do our hearts leap up when we behold a rainbow in the sky, and do we feel a rush of excitment making us want to dance with hair flying in the wind at the coming of black clouds, thunder and lightening announcing the approach of a monsoon storm? And do we turn our heads at the shrill sounds of the cuckoo's song breaking the still silence of a summer afternoon, and are we ever awakened by the early twittering of birds? This is what the poet mourns, this deadening of our sensibilities, and reading poetry can, I feel, help us to awaken us to the "wonder of our being", by lifting the curtain of familiarity and dead habit from our eyes. It increases our sensitivity to the great, big,wonderful world around us, and to that which is within us. 107

120 Coral Edition It can make us see with the poet, "hosts of golden daffodils", it can make us listen to "music that softer falls than petals from blown roses on the grass", it can make us feel one with the almighty as we experience the serenity of a sunset, intensified by the poet's, who finds the "Holy time as quiet as a nun / breathless with adoration".it can make us feel the urge of determination and want to move forward "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield". It can help us to love, to mourn, to cherish, to feel ecstasy and sorrow.. to hone our senses, so that we can listen more closely, see more sharply, and feel more intensely. So that we can hear the sound of laughter over the ring of cell phones; so that we can feel the moist flow of tears over the touch of buttons on a keyboard; so that we can smile at friends and strangers instead of forever being lost in the ticking off of "to do" lists; so that we can stop awhile to turn at "Beauty's glance/and watch her feet how they can dance",... for, indeed, as the poet concludes," A poor life this if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare". I feel within me a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience. "If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars". "Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky". 108

121 Alumnae Profile President Mrs U Srivastava Vice President Ms Nidhi Prakash Secretary Dr Sanobar Haider Treasurer Ms Shilpi Bose Legal Advisor Ms Shahpar Kidwai 109

122 Coral Edition Alumnae News Avadh Girls' Degree College Alumnae Association,the much waited organisation finally came into being with the concerted efforts of some of our Alumnae. The first event organised under the aegis of the AGDCAA was the" Aadhar Card Camp" held in the College campus. The camp welcomed all the students,staff, alumnae and their parents and lasted for almost a week.this was followed by the hugely successful Rock n Roll Dance Party held on 30th of October 2011 and was well attended by students and staff. Various competitions were conducted and prizes were won by the enthusiastic participants. The next popular event was the PYAU,held at the college gate for the passers by in the hot and relentless weather of the month of june2012.ruhafza and biscuits were a great relief in the sultry conditions.the class IV employees of the college were a great help in the organisation of all the above events. Now we are planning a Clothes Donation Camp in the next few months for which contribution by one and all is welcome. Looking forward to your help and support. Dr. Sanobar Haider Secretary, AGDCAA "I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times, in life after life, in age after age forever". "I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy." "Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it". 110

123 At the Epicenter Principal 1. Dr. B.C. Sharma Dr. I. Nagar Dr. S. Agarwal (Officiating) Dr. P. Srivastava (Leave Vacancy) Dr. J. Kaur (Officiating) Mrs. U. Srivastava Till date "You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water". "The small wisdom is like water in a glass : clear, transparent, pure. The great wisdom is like the water in the sea : dark, mysterious, impenetrable". "Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your souls, Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. 111

124 Coral Edition Milestones and Momentum MENTORS Signature of Mother Francis Michael Signature of Mother Damien Signature of Mother Bernardine Signature of Michael Barber 112

125 Photo Booth THESE WALLS CAN TALK Ms B P Sharma (Behind Sofa) (L-R) Ms Manjulata Senani, Ms Komal Kumari, Mr Bannerjee, Two Faculty members, Ms Sardana, Ms Sadan, Ms Agarwal (on sofa) (L-R) Ms Althea Michael, Ms Meera Mulla, Ms Tulika Sen (on the floor) 113

126 Coral Edition OF MILESTONES AND MOMENTUM Mr Bannerjee, Mother Damien, Ms Bonila Paul Sharma, Ms Manjulata Senani, Ms Sushila Agarwal, 2 faculty members, Ms Komal Kumari, a faculty member, Mother, Ms Meera Mulla, Ms Tulika Sen, Ms Althea Michael Ms Manjulata Senani, Ms Tahera Azmat, Ms Althea Michael, Ms Sharma, Ms Revis, a faculty members, Ms Komal Kumari, Ms Anjali Parmar 114

127 Photo Booth OF MILESTONES AND MOMENTUM Ms Revis, Ms Anjali Parmar, Ms Chandra, a faculty member, Ms Althea Michael, Ms Tahera Azmat, Ms Komal Kumari, Ms Manjulata Senani Mr Zutshi, Mr Flin, Ms Tahera Azmat, a faculty member, Ms Althea Michael, a faculty member, Ms Rini Singh, Ms Komal Kumari 115

128 Coral Edition TREASURE TROVE 116

129 Photo Booth TREASURE TROVE 117

130 Coral Edition TREASURE TROVE 118

131 Photo Booth TREASURE TROVE 119

132 Coral Edition STUDENT SPOTLIGHT! 120

133 Photo Booth GIRLS ROCK! 121

134 Coral Edition COLLEGE DAY 122

135 Photo Booth COLLEGE DAY 123

136 Coral Edition COLLEGE DAY 124

137 Photo Booth COLLEGE DAY 125

138 Coral Edition COLLEGE DAY 126

139 Photo Booth BE INSPIRED!!! 127

140 Coral Edition BE INSPIRED!!! 128

141 Photo Booth BE INSPIRED!!! 129

142 Coral Edition BE INSPIRED!!! 130

143 Photo Booth ART IN STOP MOTION! 131

144 Coral Edition ART IN STOP MOTION! 132

145 Photo Booth FOLLOW THE MUSIC! 133

146 Coral Edition AVADH BEAT-----NAZRANA-E-AVADH 134

147 Photo Booth AVADH BEAT-----NAZRANA-E-AVADH 135

148 Coral Edition AVADH BEAT-----NAZRANA-E-AVADH 136

149 Photo Booth AWARDS DAY! 137

150 Coral Edition AWARDS DAY! 138

151 Photo Booth WELL DONE!!! 139

152 Coral Edition WELL DONE!!! 140

153 Photo Booth WELL DONE!!! 141

154 Coral Edition WELL DONE!!! 142

155 Photo Booth A RAINBOW FARE 143

156 Coral Edition A RAINBOW FARE 144

157 Photo Booth SWAYAM SAJE VASUNDHARA SANWAAR DE...(NSS) 145

158 Coral Edition SWAYAM SAJE VASUNDHARA SANWAAR DE...(NSS) 146

159 Photo Booth BEYOND BOOKS 147

160 Coral Edition BEYOND BOOKS Faculty on the playground Faculty Members with students at AIDS Awareness Rally on December 1st,

161 Photo Booth BEYOND BOOKS 149

162 Coral Edition DIFFERENT STROKES!!! 150

163 Photo Booth DIFFERENT STROKES!!! 151

164 Coral Edition DIFFERENT STROKES!!! 152

165 Photo Booth An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium HAYAVADAN by GIRISH KARNAD 153

166 Coral Edition An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium HAYAVADAN by GIRISH KARNAD 154

167 Photo Booth An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium DANCE LIKE A MAN The famale cast of Dattani's Dance like a Man with Club Advisor Dance like a Man by Mahesh Dattani (Acters, Dancers and Singers) 155

168 Coral Edition An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium ALL ABOUT WOMEN by MIRO GAVRAN 156

169 Photo Booth An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium ALL ABOUT WOMEN by MIRO GAVRAN 157

170 Coral Edition An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium RUN FOR YOUR WIFE by RAY COONEY 158

171 Photo Booth An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium RUN FOR YOUR WIFE by RAY COONEY LYSISTRATA BY ARISTOPHANES A powerful score from the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes 159

172 Coral Edition An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium WEDDING ALBUM by GIRISH KARNAD 160

173 Photo Booth An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium WEDDING ALBUM by GIRISH KARNAD 161

174 Coral Edition An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium WEDDING ALBUM by GIRISH KARNAD 162

175 Photo Booth An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium KHILJI KA DAANT by K P SAXENA 163

176 Coral Edition An EPIC TALE of CLASSICS in the New Millenium KHILJI KA DAANT by K P SAXENA 164

177 Photo Booth AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER - ENCORE 165

178 Coral Edition POWER OF MIND SEMINAR ON LITERATURE AND CULTURE : AN OVERVIEW Lighting of the Lamp at the Inaugural Session Welcoming the Keynote Speaker (Late) Prof. B.N. Singh, Head, Deptt of English, Lucknow University Welcoming with Flowers the Chief Guest, Ms M. Manglik 166

179 Photo Booth SEMINAR:EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS OF SERVICE QUALITY IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS 167

180 Coral Edition HISTORY REVISITED Principal, Dr I Nayar and PG Faculty Members, Deptt of English with some of the students of the Ist Batch 168 Backyard Frontiers

181 Photo Booth HISTORY REVISITED PG Faculty Members, Deptt of English with II Batch of Students Fun & the Picnic 169

182 Coral Edition DEBATING CLUB DRAMA CLUB L-R (Sitting) Dr. P. Awasthi, Mrs. U. Srivastava (Standing) Monika Gupta L-R (Sitting) Ms. P. Chaudhary, Mrs. U. Srivastava (L-R) (Standing) Niharika Viz, Hareem Farooqui, Urvi Singh 170

183 Photo Booth ECO RESTORATION CLUB ENTERTAINMENT CLUB L-R (Sitting) Dr. M. Pande Pervez, Mrs U. Srivastava L-R (Standing) Pranjali Sinha, Pallavi L-R (Sitting) Dr. N. Sinha, Mrs. U. Srivastava L-R (Standing) Arushi Sanyal, Syeda Umama Maqsood, Ayushi Bhargava 171

184 Coral Edition FINE ARTS CLUB LITERARY CLUB L-R (Sitting) Dr. U. Chaturvedi, Mrs. U. Srivastava L-R (Standing) Devika Khare, Isha Verma, Niharika Singh L-R (Sitting) Dr. M. Shukla, Mrs. U. Srivastava, Dr. R. Krishna L-R (Standing) Nida Fatima, Richa Khare, Amrita Bhattacharya 172

185 Photo Booth MUSIC CLUB L-R (Sitting) Dr. R. Gupta, Mrs. U. Srivastava (Standing) L-R Tulika Bhattacharya, Deepti Nair, Himani Singh NSS L-R (Sitting) Dr. S. Rai, Mrs. U. Srivastava, Dr. S. Singh Katiyar, Ms. A. Pant L-R (Standing) Meetu Nanda, Deepti Mehrotra, Saman Irfan 173

186 Coral Edition SOCIAL SERVICE CLUB L-R (Sitting) Dr. M. Shukla, Mrs. U. Srivastava L-R ( Standing) Ms. Garima Pant, Sharmishtha Singh, Pranjali Rastogi SPORTS CLUB L-R (Sitting) Dr. A. Shukla, Mrs. U. Srivastava L-R (Standing) Neha Nair, Vanika Sharma 174

187 From Podium and Beyond relks ek T;ksfrxZe; d`fr dk lkbt & 22 x 28 rduhd &,Øsfyd 'kh"kzd & ßrelks ek T;ksfrZxe;Þ vk'k; & vu/kdkj ls izdk'k dh vksj Mk- js[kk xqirk jhmj fganh fohkkx 175

188 Coral Edition vge~ czãkfle d`fr dk lkbt & 22 x 14 rduhd & rsy fp= 'kh"kzd & tho vksj czã dk lekxe vk'k; & o`{k tho dk ¼izrhd½] ljksoj ¼czã½ dk izrhd ¼o`{k dk ljksoj esa fxjuk tho dk czã ds lkfk lekxe n'kkzrk gs½ Mk- js[kk xqirk jhmj fganh fohkkx 176

189 From Podium and Beyond Atonment Ms Usha Srivastava Principal Why do we weep and cry For moments and memories gone by For not having done what we could do Instead of brawling ore me an you What there other one said But we did not hear What the other one did But we could not bear What could have been But was not by us seen Alas! When the time and the person Have now gone forever We wonder over the moments, Now lost forever But nothing we do now Can bring, back 'the me and you' No calling can be heard No watching the early bird No sun-rise, no sun-set But life must go on albeit But lessons we have learnt To live each moment earned To do the very best And to leave no scope, lest There is cause to repent For opportunity lost And moments we spent. Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come. Do not say, "It is morning" and dismiss it with a name of yesterday. See it for the first time as a newborn child that has no name. Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it. He who wants to do good knocks at the gate; he who loves finds the gate open. 177

190 Coral Edition Hail The Home-maker Dr. Pratima Bhatia Deptt of Anthropology Almost universally men would describe themselves as doctors, engineers, scientists, CAs, agriculturists, masons or even as laborers -and the list is endless - but when it comes to describing the profession of a woman who is working almost the whole day (albeit without any monetary benefits) - she is scornfully (?) labelled as 'merely a housewife', 'simply a housewife', 'just a housewife' or 'only a housewife'. Although it may be true that she is not doing anything worthy of bringing a pay packet home - it is also significant that her contribution may be at times more than the total earnings of all the members put together. The net savings of a family, due to the fact that a women is over-all in-charge of the house, may also for exceed the economic contribution of the earners. So, what is economic worth of a housewife? Why has it not been valued as yet? These are questions that bother not only Sociologists and Anthropologists but also Economists. All the ideas floated in the recent past to pay the housewife for her contribution to the household in terms of her time, energy and expertise, including the concept of giving her a weekly day-off - have been shelved. It is believed that all the drudgery is part of her responsibility and duty. After all, she is doing all this out of LOVE for the family! And surely she expects no reward for everything she lovingly, dotingly and dutifully does for her loved ones. Let us therefore, at least ponder over the much glorified and deified performance of a housewife. It is still not very clear whether it is necessary for her to be married to be a housewife. Whereas, the Chamber's Dictionary describes her as 'the mistress of a house; a female domestic manager'; the Collins English Language Dictionary describes a housewife as 'a married woman who does the cooking, cleaning and shopping and who does not normally have a full-time paid job outside the home'. The latter part may, however, not be very palatable to the employed woman who boasts of playing the 'double-game', since it is well known that irrespective of whether she is employed or not she probably feels, and rightly so, that she is a housewife. Let us now ask: is the work of a housewife recognized as a profession/job/occupation? Again if we look up the meaning in the Chamber's dictionary, we find the word profession described as 'an employment not mechanical and requiring some degree of learning'; but the Collins Dictionary places the word 178

191 From Podium and Beyond profession of a higher pedestal wherein it is taken to mean a type of job that requires special training and that means a fairly high status. However, one thing is definite: being a housewife entitles the members of only one sex (unless we introduce the concept of house-husband) to indulge in it and subsequently bars the other from having anything to do with it. Here, I am all out to prove that the profession of a housewife entails a high status and also that it requires special training. Although the eligibility criterion is a long one, most woman take the plunge without some or all the basic skills. The housewife's (I prefer to call her the HOME MAKER) is an all-in-one job. She begins by being a caretaker of the physical structure known as the 'house'. Her multiple roles in the family set-up may see her to be a daughter, sister, wife, mother, apart from the myriad other statuses she may occupy. Her forte ought to be the kitchen. And she is expected to be an extremely efficient COOK and she'd better be a proficient NUTRITIONIST and a DIETICIAN. With guests around she must be the ever-smiling HOSTESS-cum-WAITRESS. It is anticipated that being a 'she', she will be adept in household chores - viz., LAUNDERING, CLEANING-SWEEPING and DISH WASHING. She has to be a perfect ECONOMIST to manage her time - a scarce resource, or else she is bound to face a 'time-famine'. And when she is trying to manage her physical energy and funds she should have some knowledge of budgeting and accountancy too. A good TUTOR-TEACHER and PREACHER, she has to further the educational pursuits of the younger members of the family. It is only through socialization, formal and informal training that a helpless biological mass (a child) is transformed by her into a responsible, adult, cultured member of the society. She is the sole incharge of the physical well-being of the unit and so she has to be a patient and loving NURSING-DOCTOR in health and in disease (knowing, accepting and practicing - from first -aid to contraception). Nurturing the family with her politicoadministrative abilities, she inculcates in them the faith that life has to go on-there are promises to keep and miles to go. Indeed, she has to be a good PUBLIC RELATIONS and a good CRISIS-MANAGER so that she may be able to related with social issues like environment etc. and also steer the family through unforeseen circumstances. Who said that she may not be a PLUMBER and an ELECTRICIAN? In fact it will do her good if she also master the arts of MASONRY, CARPENTRY and GARDENING as well. And to keep her spirits high she may be groomed into a bit of BEAUTY and HEALTH tips to enhance her own personality and self-worth. Oh/Yes, she has to be a PSYCHOLOGIST - well versed in relationship skills and a PSYCHIATRIST, if need be. 179

192 Coral Edition Gender specialists in the United States emphasize the need for formal education about relationship skills, conflict resolution, parenting skills and even divorce skills. There is relationship skills, conflict resolution, parenting skills and even divorce skills. There is an earnest appeal for family life training which could include communication/negotiation skills founded on a respect for an valuing of individual differences; understanding and regard for gender differences; domestic economics and budgeting ; parenting skills and child development classes. In India too, the situation is not very different because neither schools nor families have been successful in teaching the meaning and responsibilities of family life and marriage. Contemporary Indian woman is walking on high tension wire all the time, juggling between varied professions which combined into one constitutes the unpaid, undeclared profession - that of a HOME MAKER. Today, tomorrow and every day - we should salute the SUPER WOMAN, the wonderful housewife for her exemplary all-in-one career which hitherto had given her an unfulfilled existence. tc xxu LoPN gks] gks ygj 'kkur lh] ik fy;k rc fdukjk] rks D;k ik fy;k! thr gs cl ogh] vksj thrk ogh] tc Hkaoj ls fudy] ikj iv ik fy;ka tc feys ia[k gksa] rc mm+s D;k mm+s] gs ;'kloh ogh] ogh dhfrzdj] tks dvs ia[k ij Hkh] mm+kusa Hkjs] gs ogh lkglh] ogh ohjoja tc fn;k /ku foiqy D;k fn;k ;fn fn;k] vksj ns dj ds dqn] nsj ;'k pkgrsa nku nsuk ogha] d.kz us tks fn;k] ge rks,sls gh nkuh dk xq.k ekursa th lds gsa rhkh fnyksa esa cm+h 'kku ls Mk- miek prqosznh jhmj] Hkwxksy fohkkx thr og gs tks ugha gkj dj] tks uk lj dks >qdk dj ft;k gks dhkh mldk ikuk Hkh D;k] tks lhkh ik pqds] djuk og gs fdlh us fd;k tks ughaa ft+unxh esa cgqr dqn feyk fey lds] cl c<+s gh pyks] leeku vku ls] ohjksa us lh[kk Fkk thuk blh Kku ls] th lds gsa fnyksa esa cm+h 'kku lsa 180

193 From Podium and Beyond Where there is a will... There is a way... Undaunted by his physical disability, Nagarana 35 yrs of age and the hero of this story has by his sheer grit and 'never say die' attitude scaled unprecedented height and is today carving a career with Civil Services. He is now in the last lap of his training at the Academy in Mussori. Nagarajan is truly an example of spirit and strength of mind. He has scaled difficult fir rain and vade despite having lost his vision in early childhood. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have met this brave young man in 2009, when he was a lecturer in the story in a college at Villipuran, Tamil Nadu. In the first instance he appears like any other natural person we meet everyday. But I was rather taken aback to know that he was differently abled - being visually challenged. But never once did he come across as being a "Leasermortal". As I interacted with him the Nagarajan persona gradually unfolded before me, and I discovered with unabated wonderment his inextensible exuberance and zeal for life that few possess. Every cell of his body served to exude vivacity and positivity. It is said that the faculty of sight is one of the most precious gifts nature has bestowed us with and to be derived by it some quirk of fate would naturally plunge anybody into a world of darkness saus colour and sunshine. But Nagarajan was simply not the one who would curse his fate. He stands apart and compels one to feel that ultimately the power of the mind holds supreme and any battle can be won despite ordinous circumstances. Nagarajan's childhood was a very difficult period of his life. No "normal" school was willing to admit him but finally despite tremendous resistance, one institution admitted him in the boarding where he had to become a vegetarian. On one occasion when told that it must be a disadvantage to depend on others like readers and transcribes (provided by the Government) for his studies and preparation for exams his striking reply was "oh/no not at all. There is no disadvantage its the way one takes it. This brilliant performance in school and college propelled the way for topping in history at the Masters. Subsequently he has completed M Phil and became a lecturer. Nagarajan is a voracious reader. His love for books is topmost in his mind as he remarked regarding his plan for the house he was proposing to construct. "I will have a big study for myself so that I can keep my books and others requirement like computer and so on. I wish to be comfortable. Dr. M. Deb Reader, Deptt of Anthropology 181

194 Coral Edition That the sixth sense of the visually challenged is very well developed is revealed when once he told my niece (his instructor for spoken Sanskrit classes) "Oh what a beautiful dress you are wearing. It suits you very well" Much to the amazement of my niece. He is endowed with an amazing memory. Only, once he was escorted to my niece's flat in the second floor, on a subsequent visit he reached there unescorted. Incredible when asked about his plans to marry and settle down he was not to be taken for granted. Very candidly he said she can be a working lady and will be given all the freedom to do what she likes with her salary, dresses the way she likes without any imposition of any kind. His sense of colour, choice of clothes, fabric etc. is also amazing. When the selection panel for the civil services questions his choice he promptly said he believed in keeping all his things meticulously and chooses his clothes and colours with great care and thoughts. Amazing!. Nagarajan is desperate to do away with the solo system in our education. This was revealed when asked what Deptt. he would like to join. He quickly replied The Deptt. of Education. I have to do away with wingpolism (a term coined by him for rote learning) and introduce systems which would enhance the Child's analytical and innovative skills... Learning should be enjoyable rather than burden and should be a prerogative of every individual irrespective of caste, class and economic constraints. Multifaceted Nagaran is also a navigator. He has participated in several car rallies successfully. He is extremely passionate about his projects. He plans to write the crista in Braille in collaboration with other sanskrit scholars. He has also been tasked to evolve Braille Software for the visually impaired. His hands are full with work. So, that Nagarajan, holding his head high and living each day to its tallest potential. There is no time to think about his personal hardships. He is aware that the journey ahead is an uphill task and bringing about change is fraught with problems. That also shall be overcome he says. It was by divine design that he suffered a major physical disability but deep self doubt was converted to deep self confidence. His jobs as a civil servant will empower him to bring hope to millions of the less fortunate. His principles, ethics and values will always govern his desire with child like glee he says "there is no place to fall into potholes of stagnancy". 182

195 From Podium and Beyond This life sends a quiet but sublime message to all of us...however daunting the circumstances you can stretch yourself to infinity and reach the stars!! I salute to heroes like Nagarajan whose life is a source of deep inspiration for many and despite their own mammoth problems who are working quietly and relentlessly to meet the challenges of our times. He believes in what Dalai Lama said "Humanity must develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each one of us must learn to work not just for our own in divided self, family or nation but for the benefit of all making". What a profound thought. He concludes with these lines. "Beautiful lives are those that bless silent rivers of happiness. Whose hidden fountains but few away guess. From Podium and Beyond Bhd mlh fnu izhfr pks/kjh izodrk] jktuhfr'kkl= fohkkx mlh fnu Bhd mlh fnu iwue dh jkr tc nsorkvksa dks dj jgh Fkh [kq'k viljk;sa fdlh iz{ksikl= ds vpwd fu'kkus ls [kq'k Vhoh psuy euk jgs Fks t'u mlh fnu vkkr tslhch us [kksn Mkyh Fkh ianzg QhV tehu vksj finyh ljdkj ds lkjs nyky u;s njckj eas ik izos'k jp jgs Fks Hkk"; gk mlh fnu tc iruh dks O;Lrrk dk pqacu ns vkyk vf/kdkjh izsfedk dks NksM+us x;k Fkk,;jiksVZ oks ym+dh xqgkj yxkrh fqj jgh Fkh balkuksa] iqfyl vksj vlirkyksa ls ugha lquk mls fdlh us lcds dkuksa esa b;jqksu ialnhnk laxhr ds var esa Fkd gkj ym+dh igqaph 'kgj ds egkiq:"kksa dh ewfrz;ksa ds ikl xka/kh] vecsmdj] yksfg;k ;gka rd fd oks >ydkjh ckbz vksj fctyh iklh ds ikl x;h blh 'kgj esa fnis gsa esjs nqjkpkjh esjs dkfry >ydkjh ckbz dguk lcls igus Fks dim+s iwjs esaus ugha Fkh esa nqjkpfj.kh,d gh gqz esa QSlys nsus okys ttksa dks crkuk viuh dye dks Vksads ßgSfcpqvyÞ ugha Fkh esa cl tjk 'kksp ds fy, Bhd mlh fnu vdsys fudy x;h FkhA 183

196 dsdsbz js,d jktk ls nks opu ysdj mldks foo'k dj lrrk dksiyv fn;k vksj,d jktk dks fhk{kqd cuk fn;k vksj tks fhk{kqd Fkk og jktk cu x;ka fqj Hkh yksx dgrs gsa fd ukjh vcyk gsa dksbz eq>s crk;s fd vcyk dh ifjhkk"kk D;k gs \ cyh dks foo'k dj nsuk ;k Coral Edition ßvcyk dksuþ fuczy gks dj thuk ik p ekys dh bekjr esa ipkl lhf<+;ksa dks ipkl feuv esa pydj ipkl ckj iunzg bzvksa ds lkfk izfrfnu tks igq pkrh gsa og vcyk dsls gks ldrh gs \ Mk- js[kk xqirk izodrk fgunh fohkkx xt+y Mk- js[kk xqirk izodrk] fganh fohkkx vkt tyoksa esa dgk jokuh ns[kh gj ubz pht+ dh rklhj iqjkuh ns[kha gj ubz jkg esa etcwj ut+j ns[kh gs vksj et+ywe ds yqvus dh dgkuh ns[kha fnu xqtjrk gs ljsvke ;w rugk&rugka jkr Hkh geus] csdjkj csekuh ns[kha yksx feyrs gsa] exj fny dks u feyrs ns[kk vkt :gksa esa Hkh] geus ;s uknkuh ns[kha fny rks VwVs gas] niz.k dks Hkh VwVs ns[kk vkt tt+ckr ds fevus dh fu'kkuh ns[kha vkt jkrsa gsa jaxhu] xqykch 'kkesa vksj cksry ds u'ks esa gh tokuh ns[kha vkt eksgu dks Hkh] etcwj cgqr ns[kk gs] vksj ehjk Hkh ugha] oslh nhokuh ns[kha 184

197 From Podium and Beyond "I know not what to do" - Sappho Dr. R. Krishna Reader, Deptt of English "There is no hope", they say I am lost - lost in turmoil crushed and defeated my thoughts tear me - cut apart - I choke gasping for breath As the sun sets The light passes Flame passes through Sparks unknot body - Split across - Splitting bone from bone My heart bleeds The sun shines through melting into light each one departs like a light out of my heart - scattering light - where heat melts all the senses The light beats upon me The wind beats out broken and shaken by stress and beat - torn to tatters - I am slashed and shattered Totally scattered From Earth to Heaven Far beyond 'Silver Dust' Higher than my reach - patterned across - out of range Life is strange. You are gone, but my heart Still holds your footprint How shall I bring the old days back? O Mother Earth! - or - Let the stars shine forever Immortal life! 185

198 Coral Edition Shri Aurbindo's Vision of Integral Education Dr. Aparna Shukla Reader, Dept. of Education Shri Aurbindo was a poet philosopher and yogi of reputation : His philosophy is based on Integration which means the synthesis of Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism and Spiritualism. According to him yoga transforms the human mind life and body to superman. Usually transformation takes place on a super mental stage, where diverse element get transformed and then Integrated. It changes the nature of man and lead to realize the divine power and divine perfection. Aurbindo believes that there is Brahman in everybody. There is innate power inside the man and education would enable man to discover the same. He believed on the principle of self realisation which says that if an individual is able to know about himself, his true nature and innate capacity, he will be able to know the whole world. Understanding of the Self or Soul (Atma) is the basic key to all kinds of knowledge. Aims of Education : The primary objective of education is to develop Integrated Personality of the child. Education is meant to bring out best in man, to develop his potentialities to the maximum, to integrate him with himself, his surroundings, his society, his country and humanity to make the complete man, 'The Integrated Man'. The four qualities like Love, Knowledge, Power & Dusty should be cultivated in the child. It is objective of education to raise the level of consciousness to help him to be human. Education does not merely aims at bringing about change in the society or surroundings only, but primarily in the human behaviour or nature itself. According to Aurbindo there are five aspects of education system and these aspects are related to the important activities of the human beings. They are Physical, Vital, Mental, Psychic and Spiritual. So education helps to realize Self Perfection in all these five aspects. Curriculum of Education : According to him, the pattern of education should be liberal enough and student should have full freedom to choose whatever she likes or dislikes. The interest, capabilities and aptitude of the child should be given priority. Therefore the emphasis is on flexible, interest related and environment based curriculum. The curriculum should be child centered. The Curriculum should include subject related to the development of all the aspects like Physical, Vital, Mental, Psychic and Spiritual. The Physical Education can be 186

199 From Podium and Beyond provided through physical training, games sports, gymnastics and so on. The Vital Education aims at improving the vital powers through music, art, dance, craft etc. The Mental education is developed through academic studies like languages, mathematics, social sciences and pure sciences. The Psychic Education is promoted by developing moral values like love, honesty, integrity etc. The spiritualism aims at developing qualities like faith in God, in the transformation of soul, love in every living and non living bodies and also other divine values. Methods of teaching : According to Aurbindo any restrained and imposed environment stunts the growth and natural development. So the role of the teacher is to show the child the right path and encourage him to follow it, by observing, suggesting, helping, but not imposing anything forcefully. The teacher should show the child path of knowledge and guide him to get the knowledge. He should help the child to unfold his potentials. Some of the Aurbindo's principles of teaching are - (a) Self pace learning which helps the child to learn at his own speed, and according to his capacity. (b) (c) Education through mother tongue help to grasp even the most difficult subject easily. Love and sympathy for the child promotes normal and natural development to the maximum. (d) Education through learning by doing, or self experience leads to permanent learning. (e) (f) Education through cooperative activities between the teacher and the taught develops the idea of sharing or collaboration. Education according to the nature and individual need of the hour. Place of the child : Every child has got some innate powers. True education develops the hidden power of the individual. It gives the real meaning of life and soul. Education should satisfy the needs and interest of a child and develop his personality accordingly. The child should not be hammered to learn something which his parents or teacher desires, but his own desires, capabilities and needs should be considered. Integral Education Centre: Integral Education unites ancient educational goal of Self Knowledge with the modern goal of World Knowledge. Both of these are admirable and two of them must go hand in hand in any education system. The main aim of Integral Education is that, a student will be guided to his/her psychic being. A teacher's duty is to inculcate this quality in the student's mind. These thoughts were brought to action when the Mother of Sri Aurbindo Ashram, Pondicherry stepped forward to start such Institute in the name of "Sri Aurbindo Integral Education Centre" Till date the institute is running under the special 187

200 Coral Edition guidance of Shri Aurbindo Ashram Trust. The institute has been developed taking into account the following aspects. A learning society: The learning and its experiences should not be confined only to schools but it should be extended to home or community also. The entire social setup and every aspect of social life and every experience of child becomes a means and an opportunity for learning and progressing. Life Long Education Centre : The learning should not be limited only to limited span of time but it should continue throughout life. The student must develop the constant desire for knowledge and perfection and the society should create lifelong education centers. Love for mother land : True education should be able to develop love for our Mother land and understanding of our cultural values. Feeling of Being United: Education should inculcate in the children the feeling of human unity, of the brotherhood of the common destiny of mankind, enriched by the diversity and uniqueness of each individual and nation. In order to fulfil the Objectives of development of Harmonious Personality, that is Physically, Intellectually, Socially, Emotionally, Spiritually the Society has incorporate many activities relating to children, Books for children, Educational Games and toys, Teacher Training Programmes, Distance/Digital Education (to spread its essence far and wide) Many Educational Institutions in India and abroad have been opened on the philosophy of Integrated Education. Aurbindo's views on Globalisation : Globalisation undermines our individuals and collective existence. According to Shri Aurbindo, true exchange and assimilation of ideas and energies involve exchange of cultural influences rather than blind imitation. All knowledge is within oneself and is revealed through a process of Swadharma and Swabhava. Sir Aurbindo believes in the principle of self determination which says that within every living being there is a self which has right to grow in its own way in a satisfied manner and form an image of its being. This is the first principle which is essential for existence. Everything else is a question of conditions, means, opportunities, accommodation, capacities, limitation etc. In simplified words we can say that only after understanding ourselves within our own self, we should try to understand or follow others, mere imitation of others without understanding what, and why of it is not of much use. 188

201 From Podium and Beyond GOD Ms. Aparna Pant Lecturer, Faculty of Commerce God, they say, May not be an undebtable truth But it is a necessary faith... It gives you hope when you are down And reasons to smile when all is gone And worst of worse if the scenes may be Heavens are there at the end of each song You feel someone is always there with you His hands you see at every turn new Suddenly you're sweet to everyone around To make that someone feel proud of you True, I thought, I should believe in Thee From the market, I bought a deepak n some ghee Some idols, an aasan, I sat down to pray When I realized by God was already with me... You give me strength when all is gone Your smile makes me the richest person here down And worst of worse if the scenes may be A thought of your hug makes things turn around I feel you're near me, each smile; each tear I am your pride, I am your cheer... So sweet I am to everyone around To make you proud of your soul so dear... I never go to a temple; I know no prayers... When I think of a God, all that smiles is you If love is worship; yes, I am your priest Or be it a sin, this is all I can do

202 Coral Edition Some Latent Truth about credit cards : Myth & Reality Dr. S. Sahai Lecturer, Faculty of Commerce The willingness to delay pleasure to achieve better long term results is a sign of maturity. However, it is the human nature to "want it" and "want it now". We can get it now, if we are willing to go into debt. Credit card is a means to obtain the "I want it" before the "I can afford it." That is why we also refer to it as the "Pay Later Product". Credit cards are for long being here. Lots of people use them. However, still a doubt for them exists. The credit cards may be good or bad for individual users, but many people think they are purely good for the economy as a whole. Think Again! You probably recognize yourself in one of these two scenarios : First, that your credit card use is out of control. You spend more than you can afford, so you always carry a balance and may be your balance is increasing steadily and you pay high interest rates. Second, that you use your credit card as a convenient way to pay for products and services instead of carrying cash or writing cheques and you pay off the balance every month in order to avoid interest. If you are in the first category, you already know that credit cards can be a major source of financial pain. On the other hand, if you're in the second category, you probably feel virtuous. The reality is that regardless of the benefits of credit cards, they are far from a perfect method of payment, and they actually are a net drain on both the merchants and consumers. Here are some of the myths and realities associated with the credit cards. MYTH : Making regular monthly payments on time leads to a good credit score. Reality : Actually, even if you are making your minimum monthly payments, if your debt-to-income ratio is greater than 30%, it will reflect negatively on your credit score and lower your credit rating. If you want to improve your credit score, you must get rid of some of your debt so that it occupies a smaller percentage of your income. MYTH : The more available credit a cardholder has, the better will be his rating Reality : Credit card companies want the cardholder to be in debt because it maximizes their profits. It is beneficial to the credit card companies, and not 190

203 From Podium and Beyond necessarily to the cardholder, to have lots of credit available to him. They make the most money when they can get the cardholder to open lots of accounts and pay only the minimums on each one. This, however, will keep the cardholder in debt for years. MYTH : Use of Credit helps make life better Reality : Actually, credit is incredibly expensive. The cardholder pays for things many times over because of the interest charged and loses all the money he could have earned by investing the money that instead went to pay off his credit card debt. So, it is cheaper and more efficient to pay with cash than by credit. MYTH : The credit card companies wouldn't offer credit card to a person if he couldn't afford it. Reality : Credit card companies want the people to be in debt. In most cases, they don't care whether a person can afford it or not. They don't offer only because they really think it would be good for the person but for their own interest of adding a new customer, so the person needs to decide what credit he can afford. MYTH : Credit is bad Reality : Credit is not always bad. Credit can be used for many good and worthwhile purposes. Credit cards are very convenient when making purchases as long as the cardholder has money to pay off the credit card bill. Credit is one such thing which when used incorrectly, can hurt deeply. MYTH : If a person doesn't use credit, he will never be able to buy anything. Reality : If the cardholder doesn't use credit, he won't have debt. When a person wants something badly he should save for it as it is significantly more rewarding to purchase something and own it outright than to create another liability. This way the cardholder saves his money that he would pay as interest and stays out of debt. The above ideas would help the Cardholders to know about the latent truths behind the Credit Card myths. I hope that these ideas may keep people from getting out of trouble or may continuously cause them to keep getting into trouble. "A Total Money Makeover Will Begin With a Permanently Changed View of Credit Card Myths!" 191

204 Coral Edition Relations Miss S. Rai Reader, Dept. of Economics Years and years ago... I prayed for Only your success and longed to see U on those heights which you had always desired. Years and years through... I toiled and sweated and, burnt wooes and worries to ashes to make you stand as iron pillar as pessimism killer Years and years passed... Dreams turned real at last What is height? You are on the peak You and only you, now my eyes always seek. Not the years, the time has changed With eyelids, eyes are naked in their range These naked eyes have buried past ties and are unable to see me a tiny pebble lying on the shore of the world's sea. Only then and then I realized. After life's turmoils Everything returns to normal And that all relations in this world are just FORMAL rqe ukjh gks Mk- izhfr volfkh izodrk] jktuhfr'kkl= fohkkx ft+nxh dh jokuh,slh gks] cj[kk dh tokuh tslh gksa,d iy esa eqj>k;s] nwtk iy gfj;k, rirh /kwi esa] BaMh Qqgkj lh g lh gksa vk xu esa] rqylh lh iwtuh; gks] vkleku esa] mm+us dh yyd gks] fxjrs dks ft+nxh nsus dh pgd gksa rqe gks bz'ojhd`r gfj;kyh rqeesa gs BaMh Qgkj] vkuun dh cgkj 'kcn dh febkl] dkyh dh iqdkj izhfr dk fyckl & rqe ukjh gks! 192

205 From Podium and Beyond The novelty of Cricket lies in test matches as a Testimony of its spirit and true measure of one's technique, temperament, class and ability to perform in adverse. Circumstances and not to the instant on like one dyers and the same has departed to T20 and above all IPL's etc. in which one plays against anyone what other than money lacking competitiveness the hallmark of any game. A test player can adapt to these flip flop but not other. One is construed to say that present day this sort of cricket many be referred to as "Business Cricket" and future generation may get attracted towards it like an anecdote 'M.B.C.'. Masters of Business Cricket to the present day boom of M.B.A.'s for the sake of monetary benefits rather than tireless endeavour to play for a team with ultimate aim to play for the country otherwise it will fade in oblivion. Cricket is a game to be played like a professional. The crowd in test cricket in England is an ample evidence that it from connoisseurs of the game. I am not against instant cricket but novelty of the game disc down as number of overs and competitiveness reduces play it in formal manner and enjoyment but remain embedded in test cricket. tc ls vk;h gwa dksbh uwjc['k bartkj gs vkidk uokc uwjc['k lquk gs vdlj jkrksa dks vki 'ksjokuh iktkessa vksj NM+h ds lkfk fn[k tkrs gsa Vgyrs cspsu fn[kuk vkidk bl dnj gs fd ljdkj us Hkh ntz dj fn;k ßnks :e gkwuvsmþ gsa tukc vanj tkuk euk gs uokc lkgc iwnuk gs vkils The Novelty of Cricket dksbh uwjc['k Dr. M.Shukla Lecturer, Deptt. of Commerce lqjh izhfr pks/kjh izodrk] jktuhfr'kkl= vkidh cspsuh dk lcc D;k ftank balkuksa ls T;knk cspsu gsa vki vc eq>s gh yhft, vkf[kj eq>s D;k ijs'kkuh gs \ ;s tks vkidh dksbh gs u ftls ftykf/kdkjh vkokl dgrs gsa mlds Bhd lkeus tks ewfrz gs eq>s djrh cspsu ftykf/kdkjh vkokl ds lkeus johunz ukfk VSxksj \ tux.k ds eq[kkfyq cuke tux.k eu vf/kuk;d uokc uwj c['k! vc vki crkb;s dksu T;knk cspsu esa ;k vki \ 193

206 Coral Edition ßvKs; lksun;z vksj izse ds Hkkod,oa ltzd eguh; dykdkj gsa mudk eu izse esa jerk gs] lksun;z esa mudh n`f"v vkfc) gksrh gs fd lc izfrekuksa] izr;;ksa] cks/kks] ewy;ksa,oa vocks/kksa dk lzksr ekuo dk foosd gsa ogh mls ln~ln~ dk Kku nsrk gsaþ dko; esa izd`fr % Lo:i vksj ijeijk vks; dk izd`fr lksun;k±du Mk- js[kk xqirk izodrk fgunh fohkkx izd`fr vuur Lo:ik gsa tm+&taxe] pj&vpj] ltho&futhzo ukuk:iksa esa og folrh.kz gsa izd`fr ds ukuk:iksa esa ekuo Hkh,d :i gs & lokzf/kd lizk.k] lcls pvd] dez&mnxz] laosnu'khy] Hkkouk&fopkj& dyiuk&izou] vfhko;fdr % lefkza og bl vuur&folrh.kz izd`fr ds e/; vksj lkfk jgrk gs] mls vius vuqdwy mi;ksxh cukrk gqvk vksj lgt vkuun&fu"iund ekurk gqvka vks; ds er esa ßizd`frÞ ekuo dk izfri{k gs] vfkkzr~ ekuosrj gh izd`fr gs& og leiw.kz ifjos'k ftlesa ekuo jgrk gs] thrk gs] Hkksxrk gs vksj laldkj xzg.k djrk gs vksj Hkh LFkwy n`f"v ls ns[kus ij izd`fr ekuosrj dk og va'k gks tkrh gs tks fd bfunz;xkspj gs & ftls ge ns[k] lqu vksj Nw ldrs gsa] ftldh xa/k ik ldrs gsa vksj ftldk vkloknu dj ldrs gsa blh fy, os dgrs gsa & ß{k.k Hkj y; gksa & esa Hkh] rqe Hkh] {k.k&hkj vuk;kl ge ;kn djsa % frjrh uko unh esa] /kwy&hkjs ifk ij v"kk<+ dh HkHkd] >hy esa lkfk rsjuk] g lh vdkj.k [km+s egk&ov dh Nk;k esa] onu /kke ls yky] Losn ls teha vyx&yv phm+ksa dk ou] lkfk&lkfk nqydh pyrs nks]?kksms+] xhyh gok unh dh] Qwys ufkqus] HkjkZ;h lhvh] LVhed dh] eflt+n ds xqacn ds ihns lw;z Mwcrk /khjs&/khjs >jus ds pedhys irfkj] eksj&eksjuh?kq?k:] þ lnkuhjk] Hkkx 1 iz 236 izd`fr&vuur :iksa esa gekjs lkeus izlrh.kz gs& dgha e/kqj lqlfttr ;k lqunj :i esa] dgha :[ks] csmksy ;k ddz'k :i esa] dgha] HkO;] fo'kky ;k fofp= :i esa] dgha mxz djky ;k Hka;dj&:i esa@lpps dfo dk g`n; izd`fr ds bu lc :iksa esa yhu gksrk gsa izd`fr&o.kzu ds leink osfo/; dh n`f"v ls ns[ksa rks ge vks; dks Hkkjr o"kz ds fdlh Hkh Js"B dfo dh Js.kh esa fulladksp izfrf"br dj ldrs gsaa 194

207 From Podium and Beyond vks; dfo ds laosnu ij mldh nk'kzfud vfkok /kkfezd] vklfkk] ds izhkko dh vfuok;zrk dks Lohdkj djrs gsaa ;g mfpr Hkh gs bls Lohdkj djds vks; ds fopkj vuqøe esa ge izd`fr&o.kzu dh ijeijk dk lkadsfrd v/;;u dj ldrs gsaa ßoSfnd dko;& Hkkjr dk gh ugha] fo'o dk izkphure dko; gsa osfnd dfo izdfr dh lrrkk dk leeku djrk Fkk vksj ekurk Fkk fd mldh vuqdwyrk gh lq[k vksj le`f) dk vk/kkj gsa og izd`fr dks u ln~ ekurk gs] u vln~ blhfy, izd`fr ds izfr mldk Hkko u izse dk gs] u fojks/k dka izd`fr ds vn~hkqr :i] vkdkj] o.kz] 'kkshkk] 'kfdr vkfn ds vfkkg&vikj&lalkj dk lk{kkrdkj djds og fole; dh HkO; vuqhkwfr djrk gsaþ ßoSfnd dfo dk thou izd`fr ds fojkv,oa vuur mrøksm esa O;rhr gksrk Fkk( bl dkj.k osfnd _pkvksa esa izdfr dh fojkv HkO;,oa yfyr&'kfdr;ksa dk lehkko ls ifjfp=u izkir gksrk gs mifu"knksa dh e/kq fo k fuf'pr :i ls izd`fr ls jl xzg.k dh pje ifj.kfr gsa vkjfkd ea=nz"vk ds thou esa izd`fr izse va'k :i esa ugha va'kh :i esa fo eku gsa muds thou ds lelr miknku izd`fr iznrr gsa _f"k ifru;ksa vksj _f"k&dqekfjdkvksa ds lelr Jaxkj ou ds iq"iksa,oa iyyoksa ls vkjksfpr gsa izd`fr muds thou ds vkuunkyksd dh mrl gsaþ yksfdd dko; dk izkjehk & jkek;.k ls ekuk tkrk gsa mldk jpuk dkj Hkh vkjo;d gsa ckyehfd ds o.kzu esa izd`fr ds lkeku;r% nks mi;ksx gs &,d fcecfo/kku dh izsj.kk ds :i esa vksj nwljs 'kq) okrkoj.k dh jpuk ds :i esaa ckyehfd dk okrkoj.k fp=.k vfr'k; ltho,oa fo'kn gsa dko; ;qx rd vkrs vkrs dkfynkl] ck.khkv~v] HkoHkwfr tsls izdk.m dfo vius vius <ax ls euq"; dh laosnuk esa izdfr dks lk>hnkj cukrs gsaa dkfynkl ckyehfd ls bl ek;us esa fof'k"v gs fd os izd`fr ds mpny vksj ØhM+k'khy :i ds dfo gs] ckyehfd dh rjg flfkj lksun;z ds ughaa HkoHkwfr dh lhrk vksj ck.khkv~v dh egk'osrk Hkh pfj= dh mttoyrk ds lelr miknku izd`fr ls ikrh gsa HkoHkwfr dh lhrk dk fp= vksj muds }kjk ikys x;s e`x] e;wj] xt'kkod] dnec ds o`{k] ekrk ljh[kh] xaxk] xksnkojh] relk vksj eqjyk tslh ufn;ksa ds fcuk v/kwjk gsaa egk'osrk&vpnksn ljksoj ds fcuk Qhdh yxsxhaa dkfynkl ds fy, izd`fr u;h cgw dh rjg lth gqbz dqrwgye;h] eqx/k vksj myykflr gsa HkoHkwfr ds fy, izd`fr fpj&ifjfpr lgpjh gsa ck.khkv~v ds fy, izd`fr,d fonx/k dykeezk ijdh;k dh rjg gko&hkko dq'ky gksus ds dkj.k mn~nhid gs] ij rhuksa ds fy, izd`fr vifjgk;z gsa e/;;qxhu fgunh dfo;ksa ds izd`fr o.kzu ;k rks lald`r dfo;ksa ds vuqokn gs ;k brus v;fkkfkz vksj vuqi;qdr fd mugsa ns[k dj,slk yxrk gs fd ukuk:fiuh izd`fr dh vksj bu yksxksa dh n`f"v misf{kr gh jgha jklks&dko;dkjksa dks rks izd`fr dks fugkjus dh QqlZr gh ugha gsa HkDr dfo fojkxh gs vksj yksfdd,oa HkkSfrd txr dks fef;k vksj vlkj ekurs gsaa izd`fr dko; ds foospu esa lewps] jhfr&;qx dks NksM+ gh nsuk pkfg, jhfrdkyhu&dfo;ksa esa ls dqn dfo;ksa us vo'; izd`fr ds lw{e i;zos{k.k dk izek.k fn;k gs fdurq muds fudv izd`fr dko; perdkj ds fy, mi;ksx;,d lk/ku Hkkx gsa bl th.kz ijeijk ls foeq[k gksdj izd`fr dks dko; esa u;s izk.k nsus dh izo`frr fgunh esa if'peh lkfgr; ds vfkok mlls izhkkfor caxyk lkfgr; ds leidz ls tkxh vksj fgunh ds dbz Js"B Nk;koknh vksj ijorhz izeq[k dfo;ksa us iwjs vkrepsru Hkko ls lald`r ds dko;ksa ls vksj osfnd lkfgr; ls us dsoy izk.kn izsj.kk ik;h] oju~ vusd mieku vksj fcec ogk ls T;ksa ds R;ksa xzg.k dj fy,a bl izdkj fgunh dfork us if'peh lkfgr; ls vuqizkf.kr gksdj Lo;a dks vksj vius jk"vª] lekt] izd`fr] ifjos'k] ijeijk vkfn dks uo;rj psru; ds 195

208 Coral Edition lkfk&igpkus dh dksf'k'k dh vksj ifj.kke esa mugksaus tks izd`fr dfork gesa iznku dh og Hkkjro"kZ dh eguh; lkjlor ijeijk esa lgt gh izfr"bkfir djus ;ksx; gsa mugksaus izd`fr ds fp=ksa dks,d u;h jkxkred izkekf.kdrk nh tks rf; Fkk vksj lcdk ^tkuk gqvk* Fkk mls mugksaus,d O;fDr dk ^igpkuk gqvk* cuk dj lr; esa ifj.kr dj fn;ka vks; ds vuqlkj & ß;g O;fDrxr&n'kZu ;k futh vuqhkwfr dh rhozrk gh gs tks olrqvksa ds :i dks ^Li"V ;k LQqV* djrh gsa izd`fr ds tks fp= jhfrdky ds dfo izlrqr djrs Fks os Hkh ;FkkrF; gksrs FksA ml dh leofrzuh fp=dyk esa f'kdkj br;kfn ds tks fp= vk ds tkrs Fks os Hkh mruh gh jhfr leer vksj ;FkkrF; gksrs Fks fdurq O;fDrxr vuqhkwfr dk LiUnu muesa ugha gksrk Fkk vksj blhfy, mudk izhkko oslk eezli'khz ugha gksrk FkkAÞ Nk;kokn us izd`fr dks,d u;k lunhkz vksj vfkz fn;k tks mls u dsoy mlls rrdky igys ds [km+h cksyh ds ;qx ls vyx djrk gs] cfyd [km+h cksyh ds mrfkku ls igys ds lhkh ;qxksa ls Hkh vyx djrk gsa lqfe=kuun iur vksj lw;zdkur f=ikbh ^fujkyk* bl u;s ifk ds 'ykdk&iq:"k gs] fdurq blds iwoz ladsr Jh/kj ikbd vksj jkepunz 'kqdy ds izd`fr dko; esa feyus yxrs gsaaþ Nk;kokn ds fy, ^izd`fr* ekuosrj ;FkkZFk dk i;kz; ugha Fkh] ekuo ds lkfk ekuo fufezr dks NksM+dj 'ks"k txr Hkh mldh izd`fr ugha Fkk cfyd bl 'ks"k esa tks lqunj Fkk] lks"bo leiuu Fkk] :i leiuu Fkk] ogh mldk y{; FkkA dkfynkl ^izd`fr ds pks[kvs esa ekuoh; Hkkoukvksa dk fp=.k djrs Fks( u;k dfo ledkyhu ekuoh; laosnuk ds pks[kvs esa izd`fr dks csbkrk gsa vkt ds vfr vk/kqfud izd`fr fp=ksa vksj izd`fr dko; esa blh dkj.k u;s :ikdkjksa] flfkfr;ksa,oa ;kstukvksa dk fo/kku feyrk gsa vks; dk izd`fr :ikadu ¼:i&Lo:i½ vks; vuwbs izd`fr&izseh gsaa mugksaus bl Hkwe.My dh ukuknsf'kd /kjrh dks mldh mnxz Å pkb;ksa vksj vfkkg xgjkb;ksa ds lkfk Nwus dk iz;kl fd;k gsa os dgrs gsa fd ßizkd`frd n`'; dks ns[krs gq, eq>s lglk psruk dh,d ygj vkiykfor dj ysrh gs & fd esa thfor gw ] fd thou lqunj gs fd thfor gksus dh vuqhkwfr lksun;z dh pje vuqhkwfr gsa laosnuhkko fopkj _)&n`f"v ls ns[kh x;h izd`fr gekjs mj&vurj esa vuks[ks Hkko dk izokg djrh gsaþ vks; us izd`fr fp=.k ds fy, ftu ukuk:iksa dks fp=.k dk fo"k; cuk;k gs mldh lwph cm+h yech gs,d vksj tgk muds dko; esa ou] iozr] unh] lkxj] [ksr] [kfygku] nygu] rv] vk xu] }kj] ljksoj] >hy] Mxj ixmamh vkfn LFkku viuh fof'k"v Nfo esa vafdr gs rks nwljh vksj izd`fr ds vusd miknu&vkdk'k] f{kfrt] lw;z] punz] rkjs] ckny] bunz/kuq"k vkfn izd`fr ds vusd fø;k&o;kikj&lw;kszn;] lw;kzlr] o"kkz] vk /kh vkfn( vusd csyk,a & Hkksj] lk >] nksigj] jkr vkfn vusd _rq, & 'kjn] olur] f'kf'kj] gseur] ikol vkfn vusd ekl&qkxqu] psr] os'kk[k] v"kk<+] lkou vkfn ds laf'y"v fp= muds dko; esa mrjs gsaa vks; dh Le`fr&nh?kkZ esa dgha /kwi] nhid] fdj.k] 'ksoky] uko] batu] eksrh] ey;&ek:r] Hkknksa dh mel] v"kk<+ dh lksa/kh xa/k vkfn ds fp=&fcec Vaxs gs rks dgha /kwy /kqvk ] vkx]?kkl] Tokyk] vkfn dh Nfo;k mv~vafdr gsaa mugksaus izd`fr ds brus :iksa] flfkfr;k ] fø;k O;kikjksa vkfn ds fp= vius lkfgr; esa mrkjs gs fd lglk fo'okl gh ugha gksrk fd ;s lc ds lc fdlh,d gh jpukdkj ds l`f"v&tkr gsaa xzke;] ou;] ikozr;] ukxj&lhkh izdkj dh izd`fr;ksa dks mugksaus viuh lkfgr; lal`fr esa LFkku fn;k gsa 196

209 From Podium and Beyond vks; us izd`fr dks 'kkl=h; fo/kku ls fudky dj LorU= {ks= esa [km+k dj fn;k vksj mls vkj; :i nsdj jgl;oknh dksfv rd igq pk;ka izd`fr ds ukuk :i mugsa vkdf"kzr djus yxs vksj mldh Hkkoqdrk rfkk xq.korrk ds lkeus vks; ;kpd cu x;sa os izd`fr ds :iksa esa m/kkj O;ogkj] cgqr dqn ekaxus yxsa izd`fr ds lkfk :i vksj izse dk lppk lkgp;z vks; esa?kfvr gqvka blfy, muds fp=.k esa iozr vk;k rks fev~vh NwVh ugha] Nykax Hkjrk gfj.k vksj Qyk xrs 'k'kksa dh tksm+h fn[kkbz nh rks Vkaxksa esa iw N nck;s fjfj;krk dqrrk vksj urxzho /ks;z/ku xngk Hkh fn[kk] lkxj viuh vusd eqnzkvksa esa n`f"vxr gqvk vksj uunk nsoh viuh vuwbh :i/ofu esa fn[kh rks fuf"dapu fvfvgjh vksj vyiizk.kk ohj cgwvh Hkh ux.; ugha gqbza y?kq vksj o`grr ds vusd fp= mhkjs vksj bu fp=ksa dks Hkkouk ds txr esa ys tkdj osfnd] cks) vksj ts+u ¼tkikuh½ n'kzu ds eqdqv esa budk lk{kkrdkj djrs gq, vks; us izd`fr ds lkjs ivy iyv dj ns[k MkysA u;h dfork ds {ks= esa izd`fr ds brus fofhkuu :iksa vksj ekufld O;kikjksa dk lxqaqau djus okyk nwljk dfo ugha gqvka bldk izek.k gsa fd muds djhc&djhc lhkh dko; laxzgksa gjh?kkl ij {k.k Hkj] bunz /kuq jksans gq, ;s] ckojk vgsjh] vjhvks d:.kk izhkke;] vkaxu ds ikj }kj] fdruh ukoksa esa fdruh ckj] igys esa luukvk cqurk gw ] lkxj eqnzk] egko`{k ds uhps] unh dh ck d ij Nk;k],slk dksbz?kj vkius ns[kk gs vkfn& ds uke izd`fr ijd gsa ;gk rd fd mudk dfkk lkfgr; Hkh iwjh rjg izd`fr ls izrhfdr fn[krk gsa & unh ds }hi] yksvrh ixm+f.m+;k ] NksM+k gqvk jklrk vkfna vks; dk izd`fr cks/k igkm+ksa dks ns[kdj eqx/k gksrk gsa rks uhps taxyksa esa ism+ksa ds dvus dk vkrzukn Hkh lqurk gs] cfyd ;ksa dgsa] ;g dvus dk cks/k muds eu esa xgjh njkj vafdr dj tkrk gsa vr% ßvKs;&lkSUn;Z ds vizfre fprsjs gsa mudh izluu izfrhkk] fonx/k] O;qRifRr vksj vfkd vh;kl blh jkx lksun;z ds lu/kku esa fujurj v/;oflr jgs gs os thou i;zur lksun;kzuos"k.k ¼;gh ugha] lr;kuos"k.k] vkrekuos"k.k] 'kcnkuos"k.k] vfkkzuos"k.k½ djrs jgsa iz;ksxokn ds tud] u;h dfork ds 'ykdk fu:ie izd`fr izseh] pkyhlksrrj Hkkjro"kZ ds fdjhvh dfo] rfkk lpps vfkksz esa lksun;kzorkj FksAÞ Let the dead have the immortality of fame, but the living the immortality of love. The tendency in modern civilization is to make the world uniform... Let the mind be universal. The individual should not be sacrificed. Objects of knowledge maintain an infinite distance from us who are the knowers. For knowledge is not union. Therefore the further world of freedom awaits us there where we reach truth, not through feeling it by senses or knowing it by seasons, but through union of perfect sympathy. The water in a vessel is sparkling, the water in the sea is dark. The small truth has words which are clear, the great truth has great silence. 197

210 Coral Edition Disney World: - Where Dreams Come True Disney World has always been a dream come true for every child, but it is also true that it casts a magical spell over every other visitor as well. My two sons and myself, as the American's say, "took a road trip" from Georgia state driving through the awesome Interstate to Florida situated on the East coast in the southern part of North America. A 25 minute short drive from Florida we entered Orlando and into the sprawling land of Disney World. This was the creation of Walt Disney, a pioneer innovator and possessor of one of the most fertile imaginations the world has known, as well as the originator of famous cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse. In Disney World there are various theme parks each one more fascinating that the other, the most popular being the Magic Kingdom. The high upkeep of this place is commendable with lush green lawns & beautiful flowers. Since Christmas was approaching, the plants were being grown keeping the theme and sprit of Christmas in mind... red, white and green. Our first stop was the beautiful Cinderella Castle where every three hours live performances take place with the Prince and Princess, dressed in beautiful ballroom gowns, joined in dancing by cartoon characters with Mickey and Minnie Mouse taking the lead. As the night draws in, the castle is lit up and suddenly a high up window is thrown open and out flies petite Tinker Bell sprinkling her magic gold dust to spread good will. There were numerous 3D movies being shown in most of the halls and the chairs were fitted with devices keeping in mind the theme of the story. All of a sudden you might get a spray of water on your face or somebody touching or whispering in your ears, or even get the smell of the food which is being shown in the movie. All this takes you completely by surprise and makes the experience very delightful. There are live shows in different arenas round the clock, which are amazing, educative, thrilling and fascinating all at the same time. Ms Veena Singh Librarian Adventure in the woods with Alice in Wonderland was a treat. We climbed 198

211 From Podium and Beyond aboard a boat for a high seas adventure of Spanish Main with Captain Sparrow and encountered the Pirates of the Caribbean, a band of roguish buccaneers busy in pillaging a plundering. There are various similar adventures with different themes like Haunted House, the President's Hall of Fame, all a wonderful mixture of technology and fairyland. Evening dawns and Disney World is transformed with colourful lights and a grand parade on the main route. A bigger surprise awaits you - a most dazzling, biggest and brightest fireworks with spectacular laser shows. This extravaganza starts in the Magic Kingdom known as 'Fantasimia'. All the Walt Disney tales are enacted with great aplomb and in the grand finale all the characters of the Disney World participate while thousands of spectators sit around the moat hoarse with cheering. Another theme park was the Epcot. The global possibilities awe you, inspiring faith in the future and endless wonder when you are transported into a meeting with the sweet aliens. The third theme park, Animal Kingdom has various exciting safaris. If you are an animal lover and enjoy the woods, this is just the place to watch with wide open eyes. Last on our itinerary was the Water Kingdom, which provides you with the most exhilarating water sports and live performances by water animals complete with ribtickling interaction with the audience. It was simply hilarious. The most popular was the live show by 'Shamu' the whale who performed mischievous pranks with a team of expert swimmers of girls and boys. Not to talk of the trained birds and the seals all of which were so human. No words or photographs can describe this place. One has to experience it personally keeping in mind to have a minimum of a week to take part in all the on going activities in this world. What is Art? It is the response of man's creative soul to the call of the real. The significance which is in unity is an eternal wonder. We gain freedom when we have paid the full price for our right to live. 199

212 Coral Edition Career Development : A Dynamic Approach Introduction Dr. Amrita Dass Director Institue for Career Studies Lucknow The term 'career' is taken from the Latin word "carro" which means to "roll along wheels". The dictionary defines career as the 'course of a person's life'.thus defined, a distinction must be made between "career" and "job". Jobs are the building blocks from which a career is shaped. Career development involves the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values to make meaningful choices in the field of education, training and work. Whenever a significant contribution is made in medicine or sports or science or art or business or government or any other endeavour, a recurring theme is observed.the contribution was made possible because the person involved was gifted at the skills required and the efforts to produce the result was propelled by the determination to make use of those gifts in a meaningful way. The lesson is clear that young people on the threshhold of a career should identify their skills and select a career which engages both their skills and their interest. One of the myths most students seem to nurture is that somehow after graduation they will become something. Finding a job does not happen. One has to make it happen and ideally the process of making relevant choices must start at the high school stage. Most people make poor career decisions. They exercise judgement with limited information and are strongly influenced by circumstances beyond their control, by economic, familial and societal pressures and by the apparent availability of certain jobs. While these factors are important they should not control a person's career direction. Young people have a number of unanswered questions such as : "I feel confused, I don't know what I want to do or how to begin" 'I don't know what subjects I should opt for" "Where next? I am interested in so many different things" 200

213 From Podium and Beyond "Where do I find the information regarding educational/proesssional courses and job opportunities?" Deciding sucessfully what to do next depends on knowing about oneself. One must become aware of one's interests, achievements, abilities and skills, strengths and weaknesses, personal qualities and values. Greater self knowledge puts one in a stronger position to find vocation that one will enjoy and do well. An effective career counselling and guidance facility can act as a catalyst in this complex process of decision making for a career. This process is facilitiated by collecting appropriate information about : Careers and employment prospects Nature of work in an occupation the work environment preparation needed entrance requirement advancement possibilities emoluments. After graduation there are a number of career prospects in the fields of government service, banking and finance, business management, hotel management, education, social work, psychology, law, environment, travel and tourism, journalism and mass communication, advertising and public relations, fashion technology, textile designing, interior decoration, computer application and so on. At a time when the country is revamping its economy by introducing reforms, there are challenging openings for the aspiring entrepreneur. Changing technologies, the introduction of new products and processes and and the expanding services sector have facilitated successful business venturing. This is the stage to seek information regarding your career goals and make a satisfying and rational choice! 201

214 Coral Edition Shehr-E-Nigaran - Lucknow the city of beautiful people Saria Bushra Zaman Secretary to the Principal, Avadh Girls' Degree College Lucknow, a historical and beautiful city of India, known for its "Adab" and "Tahzeeb", is getting lost in this blinding light of materialism and technical modernism. The younger generations of my beloved hometown are no more interested in the concept of "Hum" everything is for "Maian". Our ancestors had created a niche' for city through their conduct, politeness and humility. It is the moral responsibility of each Lucknowite to value its rich traditions and carry forward the core values of the city, not just the Awadhi cuisine, which by far is the best in the country. Higher residential complexes, Malls, Overbridges, Traffic jams are all symbols denoting that the city is growing at a very fast pace. All this is important for the progress of the city but we should not let the true spirit of the place die. Lucknow, by nature is peaceful, cultured, broadminded and tolerant. It gives its people the wonderful "Lehja" (accent) which makes them visible even in bigger cities like Mumbai and Delhi. We can express our thoughts in the most easy flowing language. The Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb of Lucknow, which has space for all communities, traditions and festivals, is creating a special bond between its people. Even bitter arguments between people were always following the "tameez ka dayara" with no vulgar personal remarks, but now-a-days we are losing all this day by day. The younger Lucknow is judging people by their material wealth and are not willing to pay any attention to what their parents and elders are saying but with this attitude they themselves are facing a major identity crisis, appearing to be bold and confident yet in reality unsure of what they really want. It's high time we must think that overriding ambition should not take away the true Lucknow Character which appreciates good manners, good conversation and good taste... "Muskuraiye ke aap Lucknow mein hain". 202

215 In the Avadh Space ^^fopkjksa dk egro** Jh,-ds- ikams; dk;kzy; v/kh{kd euq"; ds thou ij fopkjksa dk ifj.kke D;k gksrk gs ;g gekjs euhf"k;ksa,oa xq#tuksa us,oa gekjs ikb~;iqlrdksa esa bldk o.kzu feyrk gs ijurq ekuo LoHkko gksrk gs tks vius vunj ldjkred lksp ds vis{kk udkjkred Hkko igys izdv djrk gs,oa mlh dks vius fopkjksa esa lekfgr djrk gs ftldk ifj.kke izk;% xyr gh gksrk gs tsls fd vxj ekrk&firk,oa xq:tu }kjk fdlh cpps dks ckjecj ^^ew[kz,oa cq)hghu] ;k rqe ls dksbz dk;z vpnk gks gh ugha ldrka** bl rjg mrlkg dks ekjus okyk Hkko eu esa Hkj fn;k tk,xk rks og O;fDr lpeqp fucqz)h gh cusxk vksj vur esa tkdj fudeek gh fl) gksxka ekul 'kkl= dk ;g fl)kur vkids }kjk gh dk;z djkrk gs eu ds vunj tslh lwpuk,,oa fopkj ckjeckj vkrh tk;sxh euq"; mlh rjg curk,oa fcxm+rk tk,xk] ;fn egroiw.kz volfkk izkir djuh gs,oa dqn cuuk gs rks gesa vius vunj ds fopkjksa dks vius izfr rfkk nwljks ds izfr ldkjkred Hkko j[kus gksxsa,oa mrlkgo/kzd opu j[kus,oa cksyus gksaxsa lkfk&lkfk gesa vius dk;ziz.kkyh dks Hkh mlh vuq:i <kyuk gksxk D;ksafd dez gh iz/kku gsa dez ds lkfk fopkjksa dk lkeatl; Hkh egroiw.kz gsa,d y?kq dfkk vkre fo'okl Jh vkj-ts- ;kno fyfid unh fdukjs,d xkao esa,d xjhc O;fDr vksj,d HkxokuHkDr jgrs FksA xjhc ds csvs dk fu/ku gks x;k og Hkxoku ls cgqr ukjkt gqvka unh ds ml ikj cus eafnj esa unh rsj dj tkrk vksj Hkxoku dks myvh&lh/kh [kjh&[kksvh lqukrk rfkk nwljk Hkxoku HkDr Hkh unh rsj dj tkrk rfkk izkfkzuk djrk fur; izfr ;g fø;k nksuksa }kjk dh tkrha,d fnu unh esa ck<+ vkus ls unh mqukbz vksj Hkxoku HkDr us mqukrh unh ns[k blh ikj ls Hkxoku dh izkfkzuk dj yh ysfdu og xjhc vkneh jkstkuk dh rjg mqukrh unh esa dwn x;ka unh us dbz ckj vius vkxks'k esa ysdj Mqcksuk pkgk ysfdu ml O;fDr us vkrefo'okl ls unh dks ikj dj eafnj esa Hkxoku dks jkstkuk dh rjg [kjh [kksvh lquk;ha Hkxoku izluu gksdj cksys fd esa n`<+ izfrk,oa vkre&fo'oklh dh gj bpnk dks iwjh djrk gw A blhfy, dgk x;k gs fd /ks;z vksj fo'okl ls euq"; rks D;k Hkxoku Hkh o'k esa gks tkrs gsa iw.kz yxu ls fd;s x;s dk;z esa lqyrk t:j feyrh gsa 203

216 firk ls&dez ls] /kez ls] LoLFk eu] vksj vkpj.k ls vxj viukvksxsa rks esa tue yw & ek ls& vxj vki eq>s lhus ls yxkdj viuk nw/k fiykvksxha rks esa tue yw & xq# ls&f'k{kk dk lkj crkvksxs V~;w'ku&O;kikj esa u my>kvksxs jktuhfr esa u vkvksxsa rks esa tue yw ljdkj ls&vkj{k.k nsr; dks gvkvksxs Hkz"Vkpkj fevkvksxs] tkr&ikr Hkxkvksxs viuh lksbz vkrek dks txkvksxsa rks esa tue yw ty ls&fuezy /kkjk cgkvksxs LoPN ty fiykvksxsa rks esa tue yw Coral Edition vtues f'k'kq ds lekt ls dqn iz'u ¼^^rks esa tue yw **½ vkdk'k ls&/kwi&nk o] ty] vfxu] ok;q cukvksxs ik p rroksa esa feykvksxsa rks esa tue yw i`foh ls&viuh xksn esa lqykvksxh esjk Hkkj mbkvksxh /kkjk dks c<+kvksxh rks esa tue yw vksj vur esa bz'oj ls & lr;qx dk ojnku nksxs tu&tu dk dy;k.k nksxs jko.k dks Hkh vhk;nku nksxs dfy&;qx dk o`rk r nksxs ge vtues ckyd! dks thounku nksxsa rks esa tue yw! d`".k dqekj 'kqdy lgk;d ys[kkdkj Success will be yours Helen Long Paramedical Staff if you blame less and praise more, if you hate less and love more, if you order less and obey more, if you quarrel less and agree more, if you eat less and chew more, if you ride less and walk more, if you weep less and laugh more, if you sleep less and wake more, if you argue less and discuss more, if you talk less and think more, if you play less and study more, if you shirk less and work more, success will be yours, be sure 204

217 orzeku le; esa gj O;fDr LoLFk vksj lqunj thou thuk pkgrk gs] ysfdu blds lkfk gh mls ;g Hkh djuk t:jh gs fd og vius [kku&iku esa 'kq) vksj iksf"vd vkgkj ys jgk gs ;k ugha] D;ksafd vkt dh bl Hkkxe&Hkkx thou 'ksyh esa gekjs ikl lurqfyr o iksf"vd vkgkj ysus dk le; gh ugha gsa,slh flfkfr esa ge cktkj ls feyus okys jlk;u ;qdr Hkkstu [kkdj viuh vpnh lsgr pkgrs gsa] tks lahko ugha gsa ns[kus esa vkd"kzd vksj pvdkjs Lokn okys QkLV QwM o tsd QwM ;qdr Hkkstu djds ge vius isv dks [kjkc dj ysrs gsaa,sls esa eksvkik] 'kkjhfjd Hkkjhiu] isv dh vusd chekfj;k o vkyl vk?ksjrk gs] ftlls gekjk fnekx dke djuk /khjs /khjs cun djus yxrk gs] vksj gekjh 'kkjhfjd 'kfdr 'kwu; gksus yxrh gsa blds vfrfjdr okrkoj.k vksj ikuh esa ekstwn vkxszfud dsfedyl vksj iznw"k.k gekjs 'kjhj esa vksj T;knk gkfudkjd rro (Toxin) isnk djrs gsa] ftlds dkj.k gekjs LokLF; dh flfkfr vksj T;knk fpurk tud gks tkrh gsa ;g lc u dsoy gekjs 'kjhj dh ckgjh [kwclwjrh dks uqdlku igq pkrs gs] cfyd 'kjhj dks vunj ls [kks[kyk dj,d cgqr gh [krjukd chekjh ^dsalj** rd Hkh isnk dj nsrs gsaa gkfudkjd dksyslvªkwy yksxksa ds [kwu esa izos'k dj muds fy, [krjs dh?kavh ctk jgk gsa vki bl lekt dk gj ik pok O;fDr bl lel;k ls ijs'kku gsa lsuvj QkWj fmtht duvªksy,.m fizosa'ku us o"kz 1999 bz- esa,d v/;;u fd;k rks irk yxk fd vk;q oxz ds L=h vksj iq#"k esa 37 izfr'kr yksxksa dks mpp dkyslvªky Fkk] blds ckn o"kz 1999 esa tgk eksvs yksxks dk izfr'kr Fkk] ogha ;g o"kz 2001 esa c<+dj 25.6 izfr'kr gks x;k gsa ekuo 'kjhj 60 fefy;u lsyl ¼dksf'kdk;ksa½ ls cuk gs blesa rhu rjg dh dksf'kdk,sa gksrh gsa tsls & 1. Hard Cells 2. Soft cells 3. Liquid cell In the Avadh Space LokLF; Jh efkqjk izlkn ofj"b fyfid LoLFk 'kjhj vpns lsyl dk fuekz.k djrk gs ftlls 'kjhj esa chekfj;ksa ls ym+us dh {kerk c<+ tkrh gsa vesfjdk esa izfro"kz 2 ;k 3 yksxksa dh eksr vlarqfyr Hkkstu,oa vi;kzir iks"k.k rroksa dh deh ds dkj.k gksrh gs] tcfd Hkkjr esa bldh la[;k 85% ls Åij gsa nqfu;k ds tkusekus U;wVªhf'k;Ul fe- jsxekj oxz us dgk gs fd LoLFk jgus ds fy, ekuo dk Ph Level laurqyu cuk jguk vko';d gsa bls lurqfyr j[kus ds fy, 20%,flfMd,oa 80%,sydsykbu Hkkstu ysuk vfr&vko';d gsa vkt ge Hkys gh vius vkidks lqunj cuk, j[kus ds fy, vpnk ls vpnk cudj jguk pkgrs gsa] ijurq gekjk 'kjhj vanj ls [kks[kyk gksrk tkrk gsa vr,o vpns LokLFk; ds fy, gesa 'kq)] LoPN vksj rktk Hkkstu] 'kq) ty] LoPN ok;q] 'kkur,oa lkq lqfkjs ifjos'k dks viukdj,d gsynh ¼LoLFk½ thou thrs gq, thou dk vpnk vkuun izkir fd;k tk ldrk gsa 205

218 Coral Edition lqyrk dk vfhkizk; vkj-ds- JhokLro vk/kqfud ;qx esa lqyrk dk rkri;z dsoy 'kkunkj caxyk] xkm+h],s'k vkjke dh phtksa dh izkir dj ysus ls gksrk gs ijurq ekuo thou esa lgh eryc dsoy ^thruk* gksrk gs] tks mlds thou esa lqyrk,oa miyfc/k ls gh gsa bulku viuh ftunxh esa lkjh lq[k lqfo/kk,a izkir dj ysuk pkgrk gs dksbz Hkh vkslr ftunxh ugha thuk pkgrk gs vksj u gh fdlh ls de fn[kuk pkgrk gsa lqy thou dk O;ogkfjd jklrk gesa ckbcy dh ml iafdr esa fn[kk;k x;k gs ftlds vuqlkj vklfkk ls rks igkm+ Hkh fgyk;s tk ldrs gsa] ijurq ;g rks dsoy ;dhu djus okys ds fy, gksrk gsa tks ;dhu djrs gsa muesa ;g {kerk fo eku jgrh gs vksj oks gh,slk dj xqtjus dh fgeer j[krs gsaa gekjs ekuo thouesa dsoy nks vkre fuos'k rduhd ij gh tksj fn;k tkrk gs tks thou esa Hkfo"; lq/kkjus esa dke vkrh gsa 1- f'k{kk esa fuos'k 2- fopkj nkrkvksa esa fuos'k izfke Lo;a esa fuos'k djrs le; lppk fuos'k f'k{kk esa ekuk x;k gs ijurq lcls igys ;g r; djuk t:jh gs fd vkf[kj oklro esa f'k{kk ls gekjk vk'k; gs D;k \ dbz yksxksa dks f'k{kk dk eryc Ldwy dkwyst esa O;rhr fd;s x;s o"kz,oa mlls gkfly dh x;h fmxzh,oa izek.k i=ksa ls gksrk gsa izek.k&i=ksa,oa fmxzh ls uksdjh gkfly djus esa rks enn fey ldrh gs ijurq og izxfr,oa O;ogkfjdrk dk ek/;e ugha cu ldrh gsa blfy, lpph f'k{kk dk fuos'k rc ekuk tk ldrk gs tc euq"; Lo;a r; dj ysrk gs fd og fdruk lqf'kf{kr gs vksj mldk eu eflr"d fdruk fodflr gsa la{ksi esa og fdruk vpnk lksp ldrk gs vksj ml 'kfdr dks lq/kkjus dk dk;z dsoy f'k{kk gh dj ldrh gsa fopkjnkrkvksa esa fuos'k&f'k{kk gekjs fnekx dks lq/kkjus fodflr djus,oa ifjflfkfr;ksa ls lkeuk djus dk dk;z rks dj ldrh gs ijurq fopkjksa,oa mlds euu djus dk dk;z gjfxt ugha blfy, fopkjnkrkvksa dh enn t:jh gksrh gsa fopkjnkrk og dgykrk gs tks gesa fopkj nsrk gs mldk dk;z Hkh f'k{kk ls feyrk tqyrk gksrk gs tks gekjs eflr"d dk iks"k.k djrk gs lkspus ds fy, jpukred lkexzh iznku djrk gsa lozjs"b fopkj nkrk dksu gsa ;g tkuuk cgqr t:jh gs osls rks fopkjnkrk dbz gks ldrs gsa ijurq vpnh xq.korrk dh lkexzh gsrq izr;sd ekg,d izsj.kknk;d iqlrd ds xzkgd cusa vksj fopkj 'kks/kd iqlrd dks i<+us dk ladyi ysa,slk djus ls de ls de le;,oa de O;; esa gh vpns fpurdksa,oa fopkjdksa ds leidz esa vk;saxsa ßbl rjg vpns fuos'k ls gh lqyrk dk }kjk [kksysaaþ lq[k ds izdkj igyk lq[k tc fujksxh dk;ka nwljk lq[k tc?kj esa ek;ka rhljk lq[k xq.kourh ukjha pksfkk lq[k lqr vkkkdkjha Jh lr;izdk'k fyfid 206

219 My Avadh - Let us hear them... vo/k vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst dk esjs thou esa egroiw.kz LFkku gsa ;gk eq>s jkstxkj gh ugha feyk cfyd thou esa dke vkus okys vewy; vkn'kz Hkh lh[kus dks feys tsls fd le; dk egro vksj mldk lgh mi;ksx djuk] lppkkbz vksj bzekunkjh ds jklrs ij pyuka ;gk dh izkpk;kz th cgqr vpnh gsaa mugksaus ges'kk ge lc ds nq[k lq[k esa lkfk fn;k gsa mugksaus ges'kk gekjk lg;ksx fd;k esa ges'kk mugha ds crk,a vkn'kksz ij pywaxka gekjk Vhfpax o ckcw LVkQ cgqr vpnk gsa gekjs dkyst ds lhkh dezpkjh,d nwljs ds lq[k nq[k esa ges'kk lkfk nsus dks rs;kj jgrs gsa esa vt; dqekj viuh izpk;kz th] Vhfpax LVkQ] ckcw LVkQ o vius lg;ksxh dezpkjh HkkbZ;ksa dks /ku;okn nsuk pkgw xk dh lhkh us esjk lg;ksx fd;k o esjs lq[k&nq[k esa 'kkfey jgsa eq>s iwjh vk'kk,oa fo'okl gs fd eq>s vius lg;ksfx;ksa ds lkfk gekjs dkyst dks vksj lqunj cukus dk volj feysxka vkvks ge Hkh ns'k cuk,a vkvks ge Hkh ns'k cuk,a fey&tqydj bls ltk;saa >xms+s vius vki fevk, vksj pkjks vksj izse cjlk;saaa vkvks cppksa dks le>k;s] usfrdrk dk ikb i<+k,aa bu cppksa dh vk'kkvksa ls Hkkjr dk HkkX; pedk,aaa vt; le; nqxkz izlkn thou esa le; dk pø cjkcj pyrk jgrk gs D;ksafd gj bulku dks le; ds vuqlkj dk;z djuk pkfg,a le; ls cppkksa dks Ldwy Hkstuk pkfg,a lhtu esa le; ij ism+&iks/ks ugha yxrs gsa rks cgqr gh detksj gks tkrs gsaa le; ij gh dezpkjh dks Dykl :e [kksyuk pkfg,a le; ij?kavh ctkuh pkfg,a le; ij gh f'k{kd dks Dykl esa tkuk pkfg,a blfy,] le; dk ikyu djuk t:jh gsa le; gh jktk dks jad rfkk xjhc dks /kuoku cuk nsrk gs] blfy, dgk x;k gs fd le; gh lcls cm+k cyoku gksrk gsa 207

220 Coral Edition f'k{kk dh lkfkzdrk f'k{kk euq"; ds thou esa egroiw.kz ;ksxnku j[krh gsa mldh lkfkzdrk dk vuqhko fdlh foijhr ifjflfkfr ds mriuu gksus ij gksrk gs fd dk'k! esaus f'k{kk xzg.k dh gksrha f'k{kk dk mn~ns'; ek= fdrkch Kku gh ugha cfyd ml Kku dks ge vius vkpj.k esa fdl izdkj lfeefyr djrs gsa bl ij fuhkzj gsa,d i<+k&fy[kk bulku,d vui<+ ls x;k xqtjk gsa ftlds vunj ekuork ugha gsa f'k{kk dh lkfkzdrk rhkh gs tc ge,d vpns bulku dh rjg fdlh ds eqlhcr esa dke vk;sa vksj fu%lokfkz Hkko ls enn djsaa euq"; dks f'kf{kr gksuk pkfg, vksj mldk ykhk nwljksa dks Hkh nsuk pkfg,a ßf'k{kk dk vfure mn~ns'; pfj= dk fuekz.kþ ¼egkRek xk /kh½ vo/k dh 'kku vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst dh igpku vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst dh fu;fer f'k{kk&iz.kkyh,oa vo/kh lkald`frd dk;zøe cgqr izsj.kknk;d gksrk gs vksj ;gk vuq'kklu dk Hkh egroiw.kz ;ksxnku fn[krk gs,oa izkphudky ds xq:dqy tslk vuwbk okrkoj.k lq'kksfhkr djrk jgrk gsa Kku jktsunz dqekj /kuhjke 'kqdy jkew duksft;k Kku dk u dksbz :i u dksbz vkdkja fqj Hkh bruk fo'kky lek;k blesa iwjk lalkjaa Kku izkir djus ls ikrs ge laldkj ;g gs lkxj ftruk fo'kky vgadkj ds en ls ikjaa fqj Hkh gj dksbz u ik ldk bldh xgjkbz] Hkhrj rd tks Mwc x;ka Fkkg mlus Hkh u ikbzaa Kku dk u dksbz :i u dksbz vkdkjaa 208

221 My Avadh - Let us hear them... ek js'ke dk rkj jkew duksft;k gekjk dkyst gjh izlkn ;kno ek panu dh xa/k gs] ek js'ke dk rkja ca/kk gqvk ftl rkj ls] lkjk gh?kj&}kja ek Fkh?kj esa tc ryd] tqms jgs lc rkja ek ds tkrs gh mbh] vkaxu esa nhokjaa ;gka&ogka] lkjk tgka] ukisa vius ikao ek ds vkapy&lh ugha vksj dgh Hkh NkaoAA fj'rksa dk bfrgkl gs] fj'rksa dk HkwxksyA laca/kksa ds tksm+ dk] ek gs QsohdskyAA esa jks;k ijns'k esa] Hkhxk ek dk I;kj fny us fny ls ckr dh] fcu fpv~bh fcu rkjaa funk Qkt+yh vo/k gekjh dezhkwfe gs vo/k ls gekjh jksth&jksvh vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst gs gedks I;kjk tgk f'k{kk dh cgrh gs ikou /kkjk tgk lhkh Nk=kvksa dks f'k{kk feys,d leku,sls vo/k&xylz fmxzh dkyst dks iz.kke,slh lalfkk dh iz/kkukpk;kz th dks gekjk dksfv dksfv iz.kkea tsls nhid esa T;ksfr] leunj esa fdukjk] lhi esa eksrh I;kjk gks tsls lqcg dk lwjt vkleku esa rkjk,sls vo/k dkyst gekjk] gedks gs I;kjk! gekjs dkyst dh iz/kkukpk;kz th esustesuv desvh cgqr vpnh gsa iz/kkukpk;kz th gedks dez djus o la?k"kz djus dh izsj.kk nsrh gsa bl fo k ds efunj dh oks gs U;k; dh nsoh d`i;k er nhft,xk gedks fujk'kk Hkfo"; esa vkxs gedks vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst ls gs vk'kka le; dugs;k izlkn le; vueksy gsa bldk iz;ksx gesa le; ls djuk pkfg, rfkk bldk iz;ksx le; ij u djus ls ge ihns jg tkrs gsaa gj O;fDr dks le; ds lkfk c<+uk pkfg, tks O;fDr le; ds lkfk ugha c<+rk mls le; ihns NksM+ nsrk gsa le; dhkh okil ugha vkrk gs] rfkk tks blds lkfk ugha pyrk gs] og ftunxh Hkj inrkrk gsa tks le; dks vueksy ugha le>rk og ftunxh Hkj jksrk gs le; vueksy gsa 209

222 Coral Edition f'k{kk dh <+ky vks ukstokuksa! vkvks xez tks'kh ls Hkkjr dks izxfr'khy cuk,aa fokku vksj fodkl dk gj rjg ykhk mbk,aaa vius cm+s vksj cw<s+s yksxksa dks gj rjg dk eku fnyk,aa bu lc ds vuqhko ls ge lc vkxs c<+rs tk,aa vkvks eu ls eu dk ukrk tksm+sa] u fdlh dk eu nq[kk,aa lân;rk] ijksidkj] fu"bk dk lppk ekxz viuk,aaa tkfr&/kez] Hksn&Hkko] oseul; dk Hkko Hkqyk,aA laiw.kz fo'o esa viuh lald`fr dk ijpe ygjk,aa vt; dqekj ;kno vc dksbz f'k{kk ls ugha jgsxk oafpra i<+sxs&fy[ksaxs vc gksaxs lc f'kf{kra dksbz Hkh ugha djsxk vc vui<+ksa dk 'kks"k.ka v{kj&v{kj ls 'kcnksa dk gksxk jksi.ka f'k{kk dh xaxk lkjs ns'k esa cgk,xsaa cpps cw<s+ vksj uj&ukjh ftl esa xksrk yxk,axsa vc f'k{kk gh gksxh gj gkfk dh <+ky ftlds cy ij nqfu;k ds v[kkm+s esa Bksdsaxs rkya iz/kkukpk;kz th vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst y[kuå egksn;k th] dkyst ds lhkh dezpkjh vksj LVkQ cgqr gh vpns LoHkko ds gsaa lhkh LVkQ cgqr gh vpns gsa buds fy, tks Hkh dgk tk;s de gh gksxka esa D;k dgw esjs dgus ds fy, rks dksbz 'kcn gh ugha gsa ek xs eqdfj u dks x;ks dksfg u R;kfx;ks lkfk ek xr vkxs lq[k yg;ks rs jghe izkpk;kz tha ek xus ij fdlus budkj ugha fd;k fdlus lkfk ugha NksM+kA vfkkzr lcus budkj fd;k vksj lkfk NksM+ fn;ka ysfdu,d ek= izkpk;kz th gs tks ;kpd dks ns[kdj izluu gksrh gs vksj mudh lhkh euksdkeuk;sa iwjh dj nsrh gsa /ku;okna psrjke 210

223 My Avadh - Let us hear them... y{ehiky vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst esa esaus lu~ 2008 esa dk;z 'kq: gh fd;k Fkk fd dqn le; i'pkr~ esjs csvs dh lm+d nq?kzvuk gqbz ftlesa og cqjh rjg?kk;y gks x;k esjh vkffkzd flfkfr vpnh ugha Fkh rc esjh iz/kkukpk;kz] esustesav vksj Vhpj LVkQ us esjh cgqr lgk;rk dh vksj dkyst QaM ls /kujkf'k miyc/k djkbza izpk;kz th dk jos;k cgqr vpnk vksj lgkuqhkwfriw.kz jgk ftlls esjs csvs dks nwljh ftunxh feyha os esjs bz'oj dh Hkkafr gsa bl midkj dks esa thoui;zur ;kn j[kwaxh] esa ;gk ds LVkQ vksj iz/kkukpk;kz th ds izfr viuk vkhkkj O;Dr djrs gq, dkyst ds mttoy Hkfo"; dh dkeuk djrh gw A tks eq>s ;gk feyk og eq>s dgh ugh feyka gekjs dkyst ds fy, dqn iafdr;k gsa % fo k dsunz gekjk] fdruk lqunj] fdruk I;kjk] vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst uke gs bldk] cunfj;kckx /kke gs bldk] ;s izk.kksa ls Hkh I;kjk] ;g gs fo k dsunz gekjk] f'k{kd gsa blds lhkh izoh.k] bldk gs] vflrro fujkyk] dksbz u lkeuk bldk djus okyk] bldk d.k&d.k gs gedks I;kjk ;g gs fo k dsunz gekjk] lcls I;kjk lcls U;kjk] vo/k xylz dkyst gekjk!! vo/k dh 'kku! gekjk vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst!! lqjsunz izlkn esa 20@, foøekfnr; ekxz] vo/k fmxzh dkyst ds ihns dk fuoklh gw A esjs firk vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst esa dezpkjh in ij Fks bl dkj.k esaus cpiu ls ;g dkyst ns[kk gsa ;gk dk okrkoj.k cgqr vpnk gsa izd`fr dh lqunjrk ;gk ij lcsjs ds le; fny yqhkkus okyh vpnh o eu eksgd gksrh gsa ;gk dk lcsjs dk okrkoj.k LoPN o ism+ksa ls gok pyus okyh rkth feyrh gsa cpiu esa esaus ;g ugha lkspk Fkk fd,d fnu ftlds [ksy esnkuksa esa esus fødsv o iarxsa mm+kuk lh[kk ogh esa dk;zjr gw xka Åij okys dh d`ik ls eq>s ;gk lsok dk eksdk feyk ml ekfyd dk /ku;okn gsa lqcg dk okrkoj.k jktdqekj izkr%dky tc esa izfrfnu lqcg vius dk;z ds fy, dkyst vkrk gw rc ;gk dk ekgksy cm+k vpnk yxrk gs rjg&rjg jax fcjaxh vusd izdkj dh fpfm+;ksa dh pg&pkgv vksj dks;y dh dqgw dqgw dh vkokt ls eu izluu gks tkrk gs vksj vusd izdkj ds ism+&iks/ks] Qwyksa dh [kq'kcw ls okrkoj.k vpnk yxrk gs gj fnu brus euksje okrkoj.k esa jgus dk lkshkkx; vius vki esa,d euksje vuqhko gs egkfo ky; dk viuk okrkoj.k Hkh yqhkkouk gsa 211

224 Coral Edition f'k{kk dh lkfkzdrk f'k{kk euq"; ds thou esa egroiw.kz ;ksxnku j[krh gsa mldh lkfkzdrk dk vkhkkl fdlh foijhr ifjflfkfr ds mriuu gksus ij gksrk gsa ml le;] ;g Hkkouk vkrh gs fd dk'k! esa Hkh f'kf{kr gksrk] ;g lr; gs fd f'kf{kr O;fDr gh Js"B ugha gksrka vusd ckj ;g Hkh ns[kus esa vk;k gs fd,d i<+k fy[kk bulku LoHkko esa,d vui<+ O;fDr ls Hkh x;k xqtjk gksrk gsa f'kf{kr gksuk vko';d rks gs gh ijurq blls vf'kf{kr O;fDr dks fujk'k ugha gksuk pkfg,a f'k{kk dh lkfkzdrk rhkh gs tc ge,d vpns bulku cu lds o vko';drk im+us ij fdlh dh eqlhcr ds dke vk, o fulokfkz Hkko ls enn djsaa ;gha oklrfod f'k{kk gsa f'kf{kr euq"; dks viuh f'k{kk dk ykhk nwljksa dks Hkh nsuk pkfg, rfkk lkekftd pfj= fuekz.k esa viuk ;ksxnku djuk pkfg,a tslk gekjs jk"vªfirk egkrek xk /kh us dgk gs & ßf'k{kk dk vfure mn~ns'; pfj= dk fuekz.k gsaþ jktsunz frokjh dksu cm+k /kjrh cksyh esa cm+h rks 'ks"kukx ij D;ksa [km+ha rks dksu cm+k \ 'ks"kukx 'ks"kukx cksyk esa cm+k rks f'ko ds xys esa D;ksa im+ka rks dksu cm+k \ & f'ko f'ko cksys esa cm+k rks dsyk'k ij D;ksa [km+k rks dksu cm+k \ & dsyk'k dsyk'k cksyk esa cm+k rks jko.k ds gkfkksa D;ksa im+ka rks dksu cm+k \ jko.k jko.k cksyk esa cm+k rks jke ds gkfkksa D;ksa ejka rks dksu cm+k \ jke jke cksys esa cm+k rks lhrk ds fy, D;ksa ym+ka rks dksu cm+k \ lhrk lhrk cksyh esa cm+h rks /kjrh esa D;ksa xm+ha rks dksu cm+k \ /kjrh esjk cpiu ckj&ckj vkrh gs eq>dks e/kqj ;kn cpiu rsjha ;kn] ys x;k thoudha lcls elr [kq'kh esjha fpurk&jfgr [skyuk [kkuk] og fqjuk fuhkz; LoPNanA dsls Hkwyk tk ldrk gsa cpiu dk vrqfyr vkuana Å p&uhp dk Kku ugha Fkk] Nqvk&Nwr fdlus tkuha cuh gqbz Fkh vkg] >ksim+ha vksj fpfkm+ksa esa jkuha fiz;k frokjh 212

225 My Avadh - Let us hear them

226 Coral Edition Åij okys dh O;oLFkk esa gt+jrxat esa diwj gksvy ds lkeus okyh ikfd±x esa xkfm+;k yxokus dk dke fd;k djrk FkkA ikfd±x esa esjh eqykdkr Hkkafr&Hkkafr ds yksxksa ls gqvk djrh FkhA muesa dqn vpns yksx] dqn lk/kkj.k o dqn vfr vkøks'k okys gqvk djrs FksA esjk iz;kl lhkh ls ln~o;ogkj djus dk gksrk FkkA fqj,d fnu ljdkjh vkns'k vk;k fd gt+jrxat esa ikfd±x ugha gksxha ikfd±x esa dke djus okys lhkh yksx ijs'kku Fks fd vc dgk dke djsaa,d 'kke,slh gh m/ksm+cqu esa csbk lksp jgk Fkk fd vpkud eq>s ;kn vk;kfd fdlh us vius dkj ikdz djrs le; eq>ls dgk fd fd dhkh dke dh vko';drk gks rks bl irs ij vktkb,xka esa vxys fnu ogk igq pk] ns[kk fd ;g rks vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst gsa eu esa lkspk ;gk D;k feysxk \ fqj Hkh xsv ij dezpkjh ls dkmz fn[kk dj iwnk fd gesa buls feyuk gsa og cksyk fd fizflaiy esme ds vkfql esa pys tkb,a vunj x;k rks irk pyk fd dkyst esa ikfd±x fllve 'kq: fd;k x;k gs] vxj esa ;gk dke djuk pkgw rks dke fey ldrk gsa gt+jrxat ikfd±x ea mugksaus esjk LoHkko ns[k j[kk FkkA bl izdkj esa bl fo ky; esa igq pka vo/k xylz fmxzh dkyst dh fu;fer f'k{kk&iz.kkyh,oa vo/kh lkald`frd dk;zøe cgqr izsj.kknk;d gksrs gsaa ;gk vuq'kklu dk Hkh egroiw.kz ;ksxnku fn[krk gs,oa izkphudky ds xq:dqy tslk vuwbk okrkoj.k lq'kksfhkr djrk jgrk gsa ;g bz'oj dh gh d`ik Fkh fd eq>s ;gk dke feyka lgh gh dgk x;k gs fd Hkxoku ;fn,d njoktk cun djrk gs rks,d f[km+dh vo'; [kksy nsrk gsa /kuhjke 'kqdyk 214

227 My Avadh - Let us hear them... ßdeZ gh bz'oj gsþ,d fnu esjh M~;wVh dqn fnuksa ds fy, izkpk;z th ds d{k ds ckgj yx xbza vkus tkus okyksa dh eqykdkr djokus ds ckn [kkyh le; dkqh jgrk FkkA izkpk;kz d{k ds fudv gh egkfo ky; dh ykbczsjh gsa cl le; gksus ds dkj.k esaus,d fnu,d iqlrd ogk ls i<+us ds fy, yha mlesa ;g fueu dgkuh Fkh ftlls esa dkqh izhkkfor gqvk vksj ftlus esjk ut+fj;k Hkh cnyka dgkuh bl izdkj Fkh & ßdeZ gh bz'oj gsþ,d ckj ikyugkj Hkxoku Jh gfj ds njckj esa Jh ukjn eqfu us Hkxoku Jh gfj ls iz'u fd;k fd gs izhkq bl lalkj esa vkidk lcls cm+k HkDr dksu gs\ Jh gfj us ukjn eqfu dks dgk fd bl lalkj es esjk lcls cm+k HDr i`foh ij,d fdlku gsa ukjn eqfu dks ;g ckr vpnh ugha yxh D;ksafd eqfu us ;g lkspk Fkk fd Jh gfj muds uke dh?kks"k.kk djsaxsa vc! ukjn eqfu vius rfkk ml fdlku dh HkfDr esa vurj tkuus ds fy, i`foh yksd vk, vksj ml fdlku fd fu;fer fnup;kz dks rhu] pkj fnuksa rd v/;;u fd;k vksj ns[kk fd og fdlku izkr% mbdj fur; fø;k djus ds ckn lcls igys vius ikyrw i'kqvksa dh ns[k js[k djrk Fkk mlds mijkur og vius [ksrksa esa tkdj fnu Hkj dfbu ifjje djrk vksj 'kke dks vius?kj yksvus ds mijkur vius ifjokj rfkk vius xk o esa tkdj yksxksa ds nq%[k] lq[k esa 'kkfey gksrk vksj vur% esa jkf= esa lksus ls igys,d ckj dgrk FkkA ;gh ml fdlku fd fu;fer fnup;kz FkhA ;g ns[kdj ukjn eqfu okil Jh gfj dfs njckj esa vk;s vksj dgk fd gs bz'oj tks O;fDr fnu Hkj flqz viuk dk;z djrk gs vksj 24?kUVs esa flqz,d ckj vki ds uke dk Lej.k djrk gs vki mldks viuk lcls cm+k HkDr dg jgs gsaa tcfd esa gj iy vkids uke dk gh Lej.k djrk jgrk gw A Hkxoku Jh gfj us ukjn dks rsy ls Hkjh,d dvksjh dks ysdj i`foh dh rhj ifjøek djds vkus dk dgk rfkk ;g Hkh dgk fd rsy Nyduk ugha pkfg,] ;g esjk vkns'k gsa ukjn tc rhu ifjøek iwjh djds vk;s rks Jh gfj us iwnk fd gs ukjn ftl le; rqe ifjøek dj jgs Fks rks D;k rqeus esjk Lej.k fd;ka ukjn us mrrj fn;k ugha izhkq pw fd vkids vkns'k ds ikyu gsrq esjk lkjk /;ku dvksjh esa j[ks rsy ij gh Fkk fd dgha Nyd u tk;sa Jh gfj us ukjn dks le>krs gq, dgk fd gs ukjn rqe nsork gksus ds ckn Hkh esaus rqegsa flqz,d NksVk lk dk;z fn;k vksj rqe esjk Lej.k djuk Hkwy x;sa tcfd og fldku,d ekuo 'kjhj gs] ftldk thou nq%[ksa ls Hkjk gqvkgs] fqj Hkh og esjs }kjk fu/kkzfjr lhkh nsfud deks± dks iw.kz djus ds ckn Hkh esjs uke dk Lej.k djrk gsa vr% izr;sd tho tks esjs }kjk fu/kkzfjr dez vfkok drzo;ikyu djrk gs ogh esjk lcls cm+k HkDr gsa vrr% ukjn th dks viuh Hkwy dk vglkl gqvk vksj mugksausjh gfj ls {kek ek xha gjh d`".kk 215

228 Coral Edition In Sanctuary of the soul Ref : Myth = Milthyo - Dr. Devdutt God as creator looks like a priest, chanting vedic hyms and holding in his few hands instruments of interval. Every ritual is concluded with the Chart "Shanti, Shanti, Shanti' which means "Peace, Peace, Peace' Peace is the aim of every ritual. Peace comes when one comes to terms with the three worlds : the personal world, the cultural world and the natural world. For that one seeds to appreciate the world in its totality, from every point of view. That is what Brahma does with his four heads facing the form directions. Narayana is the name of Vishnu as he sleeps a dreamless slumber. When he wakes up, a lotus emerges from his navel in which resides Brahma. This makes him creator of the creator. However the lotus is connected to Vishnu's navel just like a mother's placento, suggesting that the ineractions of Brahmo with the world, that is the Goddess. There is thus symbiotic relationship between creator and creation God and Goddess. Hence the line from Rig Samhita 'He created her and she created him. They are form of each other'. Shiva is God usualized as an ascetic. Hair matted, body smeared with ash, he atop a snow-clad mountain, totally internalised, unmindful of the universe around. His phallus is erect but his eyes are shut, indicating that Shiva is aroused not by the delights of the world outside but by the serenity of the soul inside. 216

229 Perception The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. MARCEL PROUST, "The Captive," Remembrance of Things Past What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what sort of person you are. C.S. LEWIS, The Magician's Nephew The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. ROBERTSON DAVIES, quoted in The Wordsworth Dictionary of Quotes All civilization in a sense exists only in the mind. Gunpowder, textile arts, machinery, laws, telephones are not themselves transmitted from man to man or from generation to generation, at least not permanently. It is the perception, the knowledge and understanding of them, their ideas in the Platonic sense, that are passed along. Everything social can have existence only through mentality. ALFRED L. KROEBER, The Superorganic Our vulgar perception is not concerned with other than vulgar phenomena. SAMUEL BECKETT, Proust There is, perhaps, one universal truth about all forms of human cognition: the ability to deal with knowledge is hugely exceeded by the potential knowledge contained in man's environment. To cope with this diversity, man's perception, his memory, and his thought processes early become governed by strategies for protecting his limited capacities from the confusion of overloading. We tend to perceive things schematically, for example, rather than in detail, or we represent a class of diverse things by some sort of averaged "typical instance." JEROME S. BRUNER, Art as a Mode of Knowing If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. WILLIAM BLAKE, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Where perception is, there also are pain and pleasure, and where these are, there, of necessity, is desire. ARISTOTLE, Physica Perception is naturally surpassed toward action; better yet, it can be revealed only in and through projects of action. The world is revealed as an "always future hollow", for we are always future to ourselves. JEAN-PAUL SARTRE, Being and Nothingness 217

230 Coral Edition It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it. ANAIS NIN, quoted in The Wordsworth Dictionary of Quotations In all perception of the truth there is a divine ecstasy, an inexpressible delirium of joy, as when a youth embraces his betrothed virgin. HENRY DAVID THOREAU, Familiar Letters Better see rightly on a pound a week than squint on a million. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW, preface, Plays Unpleasant There are children playing in the street who could solve some of my top problems in physics, because they have modes of sensory perception that I lost long ago. J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER, quoted in Pearls of Wisdom Generally, about all perception, we can say that a sense is what has the power of receiving into itself the sensible forms of things without the matter, in the way in which a piece of wax takes on the impress of a signet ring without the iron or gold. ARISTOTLE, "On the Soul" Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world. HANS MARGOLIUS, quoted in A Toolbox for Humanity To perceive means to immobilize... we seize, in the act of perception, something which outruns perception itself. HENRI BERGSON, Matter and Memory One has not only an ability to perceive the world but an ability to alter one's perception of it; more simply, one can change things by the manner in which one looks at them. TOM ROBBINS, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues Your opinion is your opinion, your perception is your perception--do not confuse them with "facts" or "truth". Wars have been fought and millions have been killed because of the inability of men to understand the idea that EVERYBODY has a different viewpoint. JOHN MOORE, Quotations for Martial Artists Every man feels that perception gives him an invincible belief of the existence of that which he perceives; and that this belief is not the effect of reasoning, but the 218

231 Perception immediate consequence of perception. When philosophers have wearied themselves and their readers with their speculations upon this subject, they can neither strengthen this belief, nor weaken it; nor can they shew how it is produced. It puts the philosopher and the peasant upon a level; and neither of them can give any other reason for believing his senses, than that he finds it impossible for him to do otherwise. THOMAS REID, Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man No two people see the external world in exactly the same way. To every separate person a thing is what he thinks it is -- in other words, not a thing, but a think. PENELOPE FITZGERALD, The Gate of Angels Our life is not so much threatened as our perception. Ghostlike we glide through nature, and should not know our place again. RALPH WALDO EMERSON, "Experience," Essays It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive. C.W. LEADBEATER, quoted in Robert Lefavi's Reasons to Believe All our knowledge is the offspring of our perceptions. LEONARDO DA VINCI, Thoughts on Art and Life People see what they want to see and what people want to see never has anything to do with the truth. ROBERTO BOLAÑO, 2666 All we have to believe with is our senses, the tools we use to perceive the world: our sight, our touch, our memory. If they lie to us, then nothing can be trusted. And even if we do not believe, then still we cannot travel in any other way than the road our senses show us; and we must walk that road to the end. NEIL GAIMAN, American Gods The highest exercise of imagination is not to devise what has no existence, but rather to perceive what really exists, though unseen by the outward eye--not creation, but insight. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW, Table-Talk The dice cannot read their own spots. FRANK HERBERT, Dune Messiah Truth is universal. Perception of truth is not. 219

232 Coral Edition ANONYMOUS Wisdom Quotes about Beliefs & Perception A collection of inspirational wisdom, sayings and quotes on the subject of beliefs and perception. The way we view things is really only a reflection of our self beliefs, and not necessarily 'how it really is'. Dr. Phil puts it this way, "There is no reality - only perception". We all create the world around us by our thoughts and beliefs, and our perceptions of events (and of ourselves) determine how we experience life. If we believe that life is gloomy, then we will perceive gloom in events and by that perception we have drawn gloom into our lives and gloom is what we then 'experience. "A hostile person lives in a hostile world, A loving person lives in a loving world." We only need to look at a situation from a different angle, or from another's point of view, (or see the 'bigger' picture), and that can totallychange our experience of life and its myriad of events. The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes. ~ Marcel Proust ~ Reality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends upon what we look for. What we look for depends upon what we think. What we think depends upon what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality. ~ Gary Zukav ~ 220

233 Perception Life is the movie you see through your own unique eyes. It makes little difference what's happening out there. It's how you take it that counts. ~ Dr Dennis Waitley, motivational author and lecturer (from 'The Winner's Edge') ~ We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and to know the place for the first time. ~ T.S. Eliot ( ) Poet, Dramatist and Literary Critic ~ Truth is that which does not contaminate you, but empowers you. Therefore, there are degrees of truth, but, generically, truth is that which can do no harm. It cannot harm. ~ Gary Zukav from "Seat Of The Soul" ~ We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are. ~ The Talmud ~ What we think, or what we know, or what we believe, is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do. ~ John Ruskin ~ Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly. ~ Richard Bach (from 'Johnathan Livingstone Seagull') ~ 221

234 Coral Edition The man who views the world at fifty, the same as he did at twenty, has wasted thirty years of his life. ~ Muhammed Ali ~ The difference between a flower and a weed is a judgement. ~ Author Unknown ~ 'One new perception, one fresh thought, one act of surrender, one change of heart, one leap of faith, can change your life forever.' ~ Robert Holden - Author & Psychologist from the book, 'Shift Happens!' ~ What you love, you empower And what you fear, you empower And what you empower, you attract. ~ Author Unknown ~ I am not my memories. I am my dreams. ~ Terry Hostetler, American Entrepreneur ~ Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, But by their opinion of the things that happen. ~ Epictetus ~ At any moment I could start being a better person... But, which moment should I choose? ~ Ashleigh Brilliant - author, artist ~ The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched but are felt in the heart. ~ Helen Keller ~ 222

235 Perception It's not them, it's you. It's not there, it's here. It's not then, it's now. ~ Author Unknown ~ Perception is a mirror not a fact. And what I look on is my state of mind, reflected outward. -- A Course In Miracles Course on Forgiveness Based on Christianity, Eastern Philosophy To perceive means to immobilize... we seize, in the act of perception, something which outruns perception itself. -- Henri L. Bergson , French Philosopher If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thru chinks of his cavern. -- William Blake , British Poet, Painter Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it. And his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it ''creative observation.'' Creative viewing. -- William S. Burroughs , American Writer You are only as wise as others perceive you to be. -- M. Shawn Cole To see what is right, and not do it, is want of courage, or of principle. -- Confucius BC , Chinese Ethical Teacher, Philosopher However, no two people see the external world in exactly the same way. To every separate person a thing is what he thinks it is --in other words, not a thing, but a think. -- Penelope Fitzgerald 1916-, British Author Simple people... are very quick to see the live facts which are going on about them. -- Oliver Wendell Holmes , American Author, Wit, Poet 223

236 Coral Edition Bhagwat Geeta As per Bhagwat Gita, we should think ourselves to be that Soul which is beyond this body, which is unthinkable, imperishable, ineffable, eternal, all pervading, immobile, un-manifest & immutable. Our nature is also that only which is also called Brahmn. In fact we are the Omnipresent Soul inside our body & this Soul can never die though body may die. Bhagwat Gita explains this: acchedyo-ayam adahyo-ayam akledyo-asoshya ev ch nity sarv-gatah sthanur achalo-ayam sanatanah (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 24) "Sri Krishna said: For this individual soul is incapable of being cut; and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. This soul is eternal, constant, omnipresent, unchangeable, immovable and everlasting." dehi nityam avadhyo-ayam dehe sarvasy bharat tasmat sarvani bhutani na tvam shochitum-arhasi (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 30) "Sri Krishna said: O descendant of Bharata, this soul residing in the bodies of all can never be slain. Therefore you should not grieve for any living being." "athakasa-sthito nityam vayuh sarvatra-go mahan tatha sarvani bhutani mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6) "Sri Krishna said: Understand that just as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, so do all created beings rest in Me (Universal Soul)." The above verses explain the omnipresent & everlasting nature of God or the Universal Soul (one who is present everywhere). So we should not think our self limited to this body only. We are that omnipresent soul which is appearing to be this perishable body, due to our self relating it with the body; just like we think water is of the shape of the Pot, while in reality, water is having no shape & appears to be taking the shape of the Pot. 224

237 Search Light 1. Part of a man's good observance of Islam is that he leaves alone what does not concern him! 2. Lies, darken the mouth and slander infuses the torments of the grave! 3. It is not permissible for a man to keep apart from his brother for more than 3 days! 4. Wherever you are fear Allah; if you follow an evil deed with a one, you will obliterate it, and deal with people with a good diposition! 5. Let the food cool before eating for there is no Barkat otherwise. 6. The believers whose faith is most perfect are those who have the best character! 7. Modesty and faith are both companions: when one is taken away the other is taken! 8. A man slips more by his tongue than by his foot! 9. There are two favours of which many people are unmindful: health of body and calmness of mind! Quran 15 BEAUTIFUL SAYINGS OF THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD 10. Do not consider any kindness insignificant, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face (every act of kindness is sadqa)! 11. A good word is better than silence and silence is better than evil talks! 12. A father gives his son nothing better than a good education! 13. Pleasing your parents is to attain Allah's pleasure and disobedience to your parents is expressing disobedience to Allah! 14. Paradise lies under the feet of thy mother! 15. No dutiful son gives his parents a kind look without Allah recording to his credit an approved pilgrimage for every look! (Hajj Sawaab) 225

238 Coral Edition The Shree Guru Granth Sahib The Sikh philosophy as embodied in the Guru Granth Sahib is chiefly a philosophy of action, deed and consequence. Though in its essentials, it is completely in tune with the ancient Indian thought regarding the genesis of the world and the ultimate nature of reality, it moves away from queitism, passivity and abstractions. The emphasis is on shared communal experience, and on purposive and idealistic involvement. The extinction of the ego or self is the corner-stone of Sikhism. A person, we learn, finds fulfillment only by immersion in the sea of life. Thus, the path of renunciation, abdication, aloofness, flagellation etc., so typical of Hindu thought, is abjured. It's enjoined on a Sikh to be an insider, viewing with disturst all forms of alienation. Of course, the ideal Sikh is supposed to cultivate the qualities of contemplation, stillness and inwardness in the midst of labor business and engagement. He too regards the world as ultimately Maya or illusion, and the life of man as a tableau of light and shade, but the Nirvana may not be achieved except through an acceptance of the reality of this unreality, and a proper disposition of the allotted role in the phantasmagoria of life. To that extent, the relative concreteness or solidity of the world is to be endorsed as a measure of understanding. So long as man has a role to play, the artifact of the stage or the theater has to be taken for granted. For, it has thus pleased the Creator to bring about the world and people it with multiples of His self. And the whole creation moves according to a predestined plan. Many a time has the grand show on earth been mounted and dismantled. It is not given to creature man to fully comprehend the essence of reality. As for the concept of the Godhead in the Guru Granth Sahib, it sets upon the trinity of sat chit and anand. God is omnipotent and omniscient. He is the Initiator and the End. He is Self-Creator and Self-Propeller. The soul too in its essence symbolizes this trinity or the God within, though quite often it loses the state of bliss as a result of the ego and the Id. Caught in the meshes of power and pelf, it loses its true moorings, and is tossed about by the whirligig of time. A soul thus abandoned by the Lord, or alienated from Him, keeps spinning through aeons and aeons of 226

239 Search Light suffering. The road to heaven is paved with pity and piety. The idea of the soul as the Lord's consort is repeated in the Guru Granth Sahib with amazing variations. The mystique of the marriage is invoked time and again to emphasize the indissoluble and ineluctable nature of the union. Man is ordained wife, and commanded to live in the Will of the Lord. Any infidelity or transgression is inconveivable. The nuptial and spousal imagery of the hymns is sensuously rich, apposite and striking. It will thus be seen that the Guru Granth Sahib presents a comprehensive Weltans-Chauung or world-view. It offers a perfect set of values and a practical code of conduct. It is, indeed, the complete teacher. 227

240 Coral Edition Inspirational Bible Quotes on the Condition of Man But a worldly-minded man does not recognize his need for the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolish and unnecessary to him; neither can he know the fruit of the Spirit, because it is spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14) Bible Quotes Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh, who puts his hope in Him. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, extending its roots to a river: it will not fear the scorching heat, its foliage will be green and lively; neither will it worry in a drought or cease to yield fruit. Indeed, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who could know it? 'I, Yahweh, search the heart; I try the intentions of the mind, and give to every man according to his ways according to the fruit of his deeds.' (Jeremiah 17:7-10) Inspirational Bible Quotes on Belief and Faith For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17) But to those who received Him, He gave authority to become children of God, that is, to those who believed in His name who were not born of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13) Verily, verily, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. (John 6:47) Without faith, it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe He exists, and rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) You have been saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift from God not the result of works, so that no one can boast. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in righteousness. (Ephesians 2:8-10) 228

241 Search Light Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away; look, new things have come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Inspirational Bible Verses on Love I am giving you a new commandment: Love one another! Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this, everyone will know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35) In this way, we know that we love God's children, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For God's love is manifested in us when we keep His commandments. Therefore, we should not regard it as a burden to keep His commandments. (1 John 5:2-3) If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15) Inspirational Bible Quotes from the Bible on Scripture For whatever was written in the past, was given to us for our learning, so that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, we would have hope. (Romans 15:4) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped to perform every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105) Inspirational Bible Verses on Prayer Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8) And this is our confidence, that if we pray according to His will, He will hear us, and give us what we ask for, because our desires are in agreement with His thoughts for us. (1 John 5:14-15) Inspirational Bible Quotes on Patience My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, for the trying of your faith works patience. And if you will let patience to do its perfect work, you will be made perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4) Let us not lose our zeal in doing good, for in due season we will reap a reward, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9) 229

242 Coral Edition Silent, sprawling stillness envelopes the place. Deep in coma she lies, deathly pale. The red hospital blanket fails to add colour, to her wilting face. All around we stand, tense, expectant and sad. Ten endless days of watching, nine restless nights of wait. The woeful silence, rudely the wall clock shakes. Weary, worried faces wordlessly ask, 'how long, How long till the end?' The sickening, antiseptic air, ugh! Chokes, suffocates my breath I pull myself out to smell air again Far away echoes thunder my audio sense. Once I was a bird Soaring high above the clouds How Long? Gliding wantonly over every cliff and tide Now the tide has captured me in its strongest current I am caught by darkened Clouds and the chastising grip of a vulture I have nowhere to go now. Please rainbow shine in the sky, And give my helpless slate a colour as deep and exuburant as a rainbow. Kulsum Mustafa She my darling mate, lies inside dying Alka Malaviya was a student of Avadh Girls' Degree College, Her life was cut short by her untimely demise on 19th of November, Bird Outside I wait her end. Fresh air strangles me, I rush in to breathe the antiseptic air. As if in welcome, she opens her eyes for a sec. Eyes with candour wild and death already there. I reach closer, closer, till I feel her hot breath, on my face. A smile, a tear, just a pressure of my hand. She knows I am with her, with her, in my hand. Slowly warmth drains off her hand. Moments later it is just limp flesh. I stand up silently, I do not weep. Reaching for the clock I quietly put it away Time for me has stopped now I need not bother to know "How Long" again. Alka Malaviya

243 From the Archives Voices From The Past vflrro oanuk oekz ( ) lqcg ds lk<+s lkr cts FksA vhkh rd fdlh dks csm&vh rd ugha feyh FkhA jkses'k ckcw rhu ckj pksds esa >kad vk;s FksA u NksVh cgw :ik vius dejs ls fudyh Fkh u cm+h cgw Å"kkA mudh [kh> c<+rh gh tk jgh FkhA mugksaus iwtk djrh viuh iruh 'kkshkk ls iqdkj dj dgk& ^^eukst dh ek vc vius Hkxoku th ls ekqh ek x yks vksj mbdj pk; cukvksa dc dks lwjt Åij p<+ vk;k gs vksj bl?kj esa vhkh rd fdlh ds eq g esa ikuh rd ugha im+k gs**a ^^gs jke tha dslk vu/ksj gsa?kj esa nks&nks cgq,a gksrs gq, Hkh cq<+kis esa eq>s gh [kvuk im+rk gsa nks?km+h psu ls rqegkjk uke Hkh ugha ys ldrha {kek djuk izhkq** & dgrh gqbz 'kkshkk iwtk?kj ls ckgj fudyha ckgj vkrs gh mugksaus vkokt nh & ^^cgwa vks NksVh cgwa D;k dku esa rsy Mkydj lksbz gks] ckal Hkj lwjt Åij p<+ vk;k gs vksj jkuhth vkjke ls lksbz im+h gsaa** vhkh vkbz veek& dgrh gqbz :ik dejs ls ckgj fudyha mls ns[krs gh 'kkshkk dk ikjk vksj p<+ x;ka xqlls ls cksyh& jkuhth! dqn [kcj gs fd D;k ctk gs \ llqj?kavksa ls,d I;kyk pk; ds fy, b/kj ls m/kj Vgy jgs gsaa vksj,d rqe gks fd rqegsa nhu&nqfu;k dh [kcj ugha jgrha** D;k d:a veeka lq/kk rst cq[kkj esa ri jgh gsa mbus gh ugha ns jgh FkhA vhkh ikap feuv esa pk; cuh tkrh gs& dgdj :ik pksds esa pyh xbza pk; ysdj tc og llqj ds dejs esa igqaph rks mlls jgk ugha x;ka pk; dk I;kyk gkfk esa Fkekrs gq, og cksyh & ckcwth! lq/kk dks rst cq[kkj gsa jkr,d feuv dks lksbz ughaa fdlh MkDVj dks fn[kk nhft;s*a cgw rqe yksxksa esa /khjt uke dh pht rks jg ugha x;h gsa lnhz dk eksle gsa ekewyh cq[kkj p<+ vk;k gksxka,d nks fnu esa mrj tk;sxka tkdj mls vnjd vksj rqylh dh irrh dh pk; cukdj ns nksa** :ik tc vnjd dh pk; cukdj dejs esa ysdj igq ph rks lq/kk cslq/k im+h FkhA cpph dh ;s n'kk ns[kdj og QwV&QwVdj jks im+ha vkt eqds'k gksrs rks D;k mldh csvh fcuk nok&bykt ;ksa gh im+h jgrha :ik dks jksrh ns[k cccw lge x;k fqj :ddj cksyk& ^nknh us nk rk gs yksvks er eeeh*a eklwe csvs dh lkarouk ds :ik ds ekr`ro dks Hkh rd >a>ksj fn;ka ^ugha csvs! vc ugha jksåaxha rw pk; ih ys** & dgdj :ik us pk; dk I;kyk mlds eq g ls yxk fn;k vksj vius vkalw iksan fy,a 231

244 Coral Edition The Best Moment Babita Srivastava ( ) Do you know the Best moment? The moment "to act - or not to act? The moment to speak - or to keep silent"? Most of us never give a second thought to this question. this is because we have become highly eccentric in our attitudes and outlook. The art of sensing other people's feelings is lost and the humane aspect is missing everywhere. We seldom accomplish much by ourselves. The consistence of others is very essential and its realization is strikingly absent today. There is only one world, the world pressing against us at this moment. There is only one minute in which we are alive, this minute-here and now. The only way to live is by accepting each moment as an unrepeatable miracle; which is exactly what it is a miracle and unrepeatable. "What I do doesn't make a difference". We fall into a similar error, using the wrong yardstick with which to measure goodness.. Good actions are rewarding in times of cirsis but this time is a small part of the opportunity given to each one of us to contribute to other people's lives. "I never met a man I didn't like", said Will Rogers. A remarkable statement from a remarkable individual. there is a matching statement that might go well with it No one ever met a man who didn't like Will Rogers. The ability to get along well with people is the secret of success. To be aware of the best moment, I think one should be constantly aware of the fact of how decisive timing can be in human affairs. We should make a pact with ourselves, never to act or speak when driven by the whirl-winds of anger, fear, hurt, jealousy or resentment. These emotions are strong to banish the happiness from our lives. When this happens our most carefully developed timing mechanism proves to be fatal. The art of good timing is rare these days. It involves knowing the best moment when present action will eliminate future troubles or gains future advantages. The essential key-word is patience. We should learn to be patient because, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven". The company of people who overlook trifles and keep their minds instinctively fixed on whatever is good and positive in the world about them, is simply delightful. 232

245 From the Archives Voices From The Past thou dk y{; vfe f=ikbh ¼ ½ thou dh bl {k.khkaxqjrk esa nks iy bz'oj dk uke rks yksa tks Nqik gqvk gs fdlh :i esa ;g rqe Hkh vc igpku rks yksaa ;g 'kkfur Nqih gs rqeesa ;g ugha dgha vxkspj rqe iz;ru djks vur% esa ;g Lo;a feysxh rqedksaa fdl {k.k rqe fev tkvksxs ;g Kkr ugha bl vkkuh dksa HkVd jgs gks] HkVd jgs gks 'kkfur&'kkfur dh ok.kh esaa bz'oj dh ;g ok.kh gs rqe ck /k yks vius eu esaa ;gh rqegkjh fut pksvh gs ;gh rqegkjk fut y{; gsaa gs lhrs! v'kksd okfvdk esa dy eq>s rqe fn[kh FkhaA Mjh gq;h] fojg osnuk R;kx dj] vfkz Hkjh [kkyh dwi lh] McMck;h vk [kksa ls >k drha fopfyr Bgjh gq;h 'okl dh ygj ls] [ksy jgh Fkha rqe vkxks'k esa va/ksjh flevh gq;h ijnkb;ksa ds] vksj ygjk jgh Fkh ds'kksa dks izfrfø;k nzksinh ls izfr}u}rk dja,dkar esa Lo;a rst ls 'kafdr FkhaA fqj D;ksa Nqi x;h esjs vkxeu ij fdlh fujhg NkSus dh Hkkafr esa lsod i=okgd] vuqhkoghu rqegsa <wa< jgk gwa tkuus ds fy, jke ds iqufozokg ij rqegkjh izfrfø;ka e/kqfydk fej ¼ ½ 233

246 [kkyh esnku Fkk] nwj rd folr`r dqn cht ykdj cks fn;sa le; O;rhr gqvk] iks/ks ism+ cus] cpps tcku gq;s] 'kus% 'kus%a iks/kksa ds lkfk&lkfk] [ksyrs&[kkrs B.Mh gok dk vkuun ysrs 'khry Nk;k dh vks<+ esa leol;d lca,d leku iks/ks ism+ cu mlh Hkkouk esa jes vfopy [ksm+s jgsa Coral Edition ubz nqfu;k vksj cpps] ubz nqfu;ka esa je x;s vk/kqfudh&dj.k gqvk] iyk;uokn vk;k m ksxksa dh cgkj vkbz vksj yks dy ds cpps toku gks rrij gks x;s mu gksm+ esa Hkwy cpiu dks] ml vueksy lax dks] lkq dj fn;s oks o`{k] cpiu ds lkfkh] m ksx fuekz.k ds fy,a vksj fqj ogh xqelqe [kkyh esnku] nwj rd folr`ra e/kqfydk fej ¼ ½ We come nearest to the Great when we are great in humility. A dewdrop is a perfect integrity that has no filial memory of its parentage. Beauty is in the ideal of perfect harmony which is in the universal sing; truth the perfect comprehension of the universal mind. 234

247 From the Archives Voices From The Past ym+dh vfufunrk cksl ¼ ½ esa ym+dh esa fuhkzj ym+dh esa Hk;Hkhr esa fuczy ym+dha esa >km+h dk Qwy gw ym+dh esa /kjrh dh /kwy gw ym+dha esa ym+dh esa fuhkzj ym+dh esa dksey esa futzu ym+dha esa ou dk ouqwy gw ym+dh esa uko esa irokj gw ym+dha esa ym+dh esa fuhkzj ym+dh esa nqxkz dk :i gw ym+dha esa ân; esa izk.k gw ym+dh esa izse esa lksun;z gw ym+dha thou esa vkrs gsa ;kn yksx D;ksa tkus ds ckn \ muds jgrs D;ksa ugha le> ikrs gsa egùo mudk \ f'k'kq ds eq[k ls fudyrk 'kcn igyk&og gs ek fqj Hkh ihm+k ls ek dh eerk dk D;ksa pqdkrs eksy \ ;g ugha le> ikrs gsa D;ksa ftruk I;kj ek ls gs feyrk ek esa ym+dh esa fuhkzj ym+dh bl lekt ij fuhkzj ym+dha esa ifjokj ij fuhkzj ym+dh bl fuhkzjrk bl fuczyrk ls mc: dsls lkspw ym+dha esa ym+dh esa fuhkzj ym+dha nsrs gsa tks tue mls os le>sa ijk;s?kj dha tks ys tkrs cgw cukdj vfxu dks dj nsrs gsa lefizr esa ym+dh esa fuhkzj ym+dha #fp vlfkkuk ¼ ½ mruk I;kj firk Hkh ugha ns ikrs! ftunxh jgrs ek dk eksy u le>k muds tkus ds ckn jksus ls D;k ykhk!! tc thrs th dqn lq[k u ns ik, bl NksVs ls thou esa lcls cm+k lq[k ek dks [kq'kh nsus ls gh fey ik,xk bl dk;z dks blh thou esa dj ysa nwljk thou u fey ik,xka 235

248 viuh Hkkoukvksa ds eafku ls] esaus ik;h],d v/kwjh jpuk NksVs&NksVs NUnksa esa c Vh gq;h,d&nks js[kkvksa] is dvh gq;h mlds 'kcnksa dk esy vo;flfkr Fkk] mugha vo;oflfkr 'kcnksa esa ls dqn 'kcn] <w < dj esaus gh cuk;h,d v/kwjh jpuka fcydqy v/kwjh ewfrz dks rjg,d ckj mls ns[kk Fkk nwj] cgqr nwj,dkur],dne 'kkur] esjh vk [kksa ls vks>y gks] nwj f{kfrt ds ikl og /khjs&/khjs c<+rka jsr ij cus mlds in fpugksa dks lkxj viuh ygjksa ls ckjeckj Nwus dk iz;ru djrk] vurr og lqy gks tkrka mldh mbrh fxjrh ygjsa,slh izrhr gksrha ekuks os] mu fpugksa dks Coral Edition v/kwjh jpuk in fpug fcydqy v/kwjs liuksa dh rjg esaus gh cuk;h],d v/kwjh ekyk vius 'kcnksa dh v/kwjh ekyk mlds dvs&fivs 'kcn gh vkxs dk iafdr;ksa dks O;ofLFkr dj jgs FksA dgha esjs fny esa 'kcn xw t jgs Fks tc eq>ls ugha cu ik;h iwjh jpuk] rc vius v/kwjs Hkkoksa ds eafku ls cuk Mkyh v/kwjh jpuka Nw dj] viuh izluurk n'kkzrha ijurq og fulrst lk pyrk jgk] pyrk jgk vurr% og foyhu gks x;k ml vlrkpy esa vksj esa] [km+h jgh mlh rjg 'kkur] LrC/k blh /kjkry ij <aw<rh mu in fpugksa dks ftu ij esa] py ldw viuh jkgaa fcunw jkuh oekz ¼ ½ lhek flag ¼ ½ 236

249 From the Archives Voices From The Past The Culture of Avadh was a Coquettish Culture? (Won the second prize in the essay competition at the Lucknow Festival '97) Sanobar Kidwai ( ) Lucknow, better known as the city of the Nawabs of Avadh, even today retains much of its unhurried old world charm. The glorious past of the city enchants the visitor. The rich Avadh culture has been talked about far and wide and is famous for its courtesy or 'Tehzeeb'. Hence, it is certainly wrong to believe that the culture of Avadh was a coquettish culture. The Nawabs of Avadh were famous for their expensive life styles and luxurious living. They engaged themselves in merry-making and revelry but never did their kingly style affect the culture of the city adversely. The 'Eunuchs' who were the discarded members of the society were employed in the courts of the Nawabs and they rendered valuable services. This certainly cannot be regarded as being uncultured or revelish. On the contrary it helped the miserable section of the society to work and to earn a decent living rather that being mocked upon. These Eunchs or 'Khoja-Saran' as they were called served as body-guards in the royal harems where no male entrance was permitted. Moreover, they even provided espionage services to the ruler for efficiency in administration. In a similar fashion the city was famous for its 'Tawayafs' or the professional dancers who entertained the Nawabs and the nobles alike. This certainly was not the degenerating factor of the Avadh Culture as this was a means of livelihood to one and many. It moreover, propagated the 'tehzeeb' and courteous manners. The Nawabi Culture is often accused of having spent lavishly on the construction of monuments but this again was done to relieve the people and even to provide them a livelihood. For example the imposing Bara Imambara was built in 1784 as a famine relief project. The Nawab is said to have got it reconstructed repeatedly to provide income to the people. The entire country of ours is known to have been influenced by the prestigious culture of Avadh, its 'Nazakat', 'Nafasat' and 'Tehzeeb'. The custom of 'Pehle Aap' is now where to be found in the world. The city's past is interwoven with the present with splended mounments adding to its lusture and grandeur. The most famous of its buildings are the 'Bara Imambara' & the 'Chhota Imambara' the 'Bhulbhllaiya', 237

250 Coral Edition the'rumi Gate' and the 'Clock Tower' which is the tallest tower in India. Further, along the Gomti one can see the hauntingly beautiful but ruined Residency which is the standing memoir of the brave exploits of the Lucknowites during the first war of independence. Besides, Lucknow also enjoys a reputation for arts and crafts due to its patrons, the Nawabs. The Kathak Dance, the kite flying, the gane of Chess and cock fights are all the symbols of Avadh Culture. And to get into the heart of the city, are the delights of Lucknow dishes awaiting the gourmet. Thus, as one steps into Lucknow the past of the city enchants him. From the fragrance of 'itr' to the delicate floral patterns of 'chickan embrodiery', Lucknow still holds its charm of a lovely culture. Lucknow, as the city of Avadh Culture shows a courteous exterior in the face of fast changing attitudes and ambitions. Centuries of 'Tehzeeb' linger on in this city where thre is always time for another cup of tea, another discussion on cricket or politics and another 'Aadab' as a friend passes by. Can you regard a city with such a splendid courteous culture to be a city of coquettish culture? larks"k eatq"kk flag ¼ ½ R;kx dh tks bpnk gs] larks"k mldh nh{kk gs tks ik u ldk oks ikuk gs] frfej esa fpjkx tykuk gsa euq"; HkVdk gs nj&nj tc rd 'kjhj u gks tjtja e`r;q ij mldk tksj ugha] bpnkvksa dk dksbz Nksj ughaa tue&tuekarj dh,d gh dgkuh gs,d gh [kkst&laiw.kzrk ikuh gsa ek;k&eksg,d HkzkfUr gs larks"k esa vfkkg 'kkafr gsa 238

251 From the Archives Voices From The Past esjk eu ;ksou ds meax ls gqvk jl&iku] thus dh vfhkyk"kk ls Hkjh meax dh eqldku! esjk eu Å ps r# dh jaxhyh Qquxh ij dqn nsj csbka mrjk&uhps ljlksa ds [ksr esa?kwek] ukpk] g lk& fqj Hkj meax,oa g"kz gok ds lax& xk;k ;ksou&xku esjk eu&?kwek gj vksj QM+QM+k;s vkdka{kk ds ij mm+k xxu dh vksj Nwus dks vacj! ft+unxh dh uko ij gksdj lokj],d [+okc ;w epys gs& tsls Ny&Ny djds o"kkz _rq esa] cwan cwan ve`r Nyds gsa lw[kh gq;h,d Vguh dk],d v/kwjk [+okc gs] vufxur vpns deks± dk] ;g tsls lckc gsa vfmx jgs] vfojy cus] pyuk bls csfglkc gsa thou ifk is py fudyk gs] [+okc esjk fny'kkn gsa esjk eu,d gh [+okc esjk eu& cknyksa ds ;ku ij csb dj lsj djrk xxu dh eqldkrk] epyrk xkrk thou&xku!! esjk eu& igkm+ dh <ky ls vkrk&ljdrs gq, lqeu ds chp ysv dj xquxqukrk ;ksou&xkua esjk eu& epyrk] bbykrk vygm+ ;ksou ds lax izd`fr dh lq"kek dks ns[k& g"kz&myykl ls xkrk xkrk thou ds lax& ;ksou&xku& esjk eu!! vk/kkj gsa ftlds thou ewy;] lnk f[kys tsls cuqwy] Qwys Qys vksj ism+ cus] lr;rk vksj fouksn gs blds mlwy] Nk;k ik, vksj lq[k ls lts] blds rys jkgksa dh /kwya Lo.kZ ds tslk] ekuork ls flafpr] esjk [+okc ;w epys gsa& os tsls Ny Ny dj o"kkz _rq esa] cwan cwan ve`r Nyds gsa flerk flugk ¼ ½ 'ksyoh 'kkjnk ¼ ½ 239

252 Coral Edition Man is a Victim of his Circumstances Subuhi Khan ( ) The free wind blows and is stopped on its way by the majestic mountains but it doesn't stop, and blows over the summit caressing the mighty heights. The waterfalls change into brooks in the laps of valleys where mammoth boulders lie in their way hindering the free flow, but the rivers and brooks change their direction, the water parts and unites but continues its journey ahead. The sprouting seed tears through the barriers of the earth and sees, the light of the world. The tiny spider falls repeatedly when weaving its web but it climbs up again weaving a new thread. Nature in its every expression teachers victory as the ultimate goal of survival. There are no victims created by that omnipotent power which has created life. It then becomes obvious that 'Man', the most supreme creation of nature could never have been meant to be a 'victim'. The rationality, logic, emotions, feelings and perception that have been endowed upon mankind make it a born winner. The circumstances in which man exists are mostly of his own making or of the collective making of other members of this same species. How could man then become a victim of his own creation? If man's actions evoke a chain reaction of events and incidents that are not in his favour then he cannot be called a 'victim', to them he is then the 'maker' and the 'taker' but not a victim. However, if certain events and incidents that are not of his own making, begin to influence his life negatively then his prime duty is to stand upright and fight and not to give up and become a victim. James Walsh, the script writer of the Oscar winning movie 'American Beauty' said, "you can never be a victim until you choose to be", and the movie received worldwide acclaim for this particular message reflecting that it is this particular message which points towards the fact that it is not only the great men but also the common man who realizes the strength of his will against the worst of circumstances. Helen Keller, despite her physical handicap rose to be a great writer whose name inspires people worldwide even today, and so did the great John Milton. They, in the desperation of their blindness, could have given up on life and declared themselves as sorry victims of God's wrath, but instead they chose to move on and used their talent to overshadow their handicap. 240

253 From the Archives Voices From The Past Stephen Hawkins, at the young age of 28 years was declared a patient of a disease which, he knew with passing time, would consume his physical strength rendering him physically useless. That man did not lament over his misfortune but made more rapid attempts to complete the tasks he had planned. Consequently, by the time he became completely handicapped he had already achieved his fame as a world renowned physicist, who has to his credit a breakthrough in the theory of relativity. No one could ever call him a victim even as he lives his life totally dependent on a nurse. Napoleon Hill says in his inspirational lectures that: "In every adversity lies the seed of a great achievement, " and this holds true for every human being because almost every human being faces adversity in his or her life, whether he chooses to cash on the adverse circumstances to look for the seed of accomplishment or whether he chooses to declare himself a sad victim is his own choice. Circumstances have since time immemorial served great blows to man whether in the face of natural disasters or through man's own folly but that has never stopped man from moving on. The tsunami that destroyed lakhs of lives in December 2004 left behind it, so to say, many victims, but a little girl in one of the calamity-struck towns came back alive not only herself but with her friend whom she managed to save from the grasp of the roaring waves despite having suffered the trauma of seeing her own family washed away in the high tides. That little girls will never be called a 'victim', because she did not choose to be a victim. 'Victim' is a relative term used to describe those who bow down to the negative incidents, influences and accidents of their life. This world is applied to those too who lose their life under unfortunate circumstances. But then a man can not be declared a victim until he lives and fights on. Nature poses difficulties and impediments in the path of every man's and woman's life to test the strength of its supreme creation and not to victimize them. If man understands this he will never label himself and his fellow human beings as 'victims'. "Nature is the best teacher" and nature teaches that just like the wind, water, seed and striving, Spider Man has to strive and subdue his circumstances and not become a victim. (the 1st prize winning entry in the Creative Writing Competition) 241

254 Coral Edition ek Hkkouk tks'kh ¼ ½ l`f"v tuenkf;uh O;fDrRo ls] vflrro ls vf}rh; :i /kkfj.kh mn; ls vlr rd xhkz ls vur rda Hkkoqdrk ls vksr&izksr lkfk ns ogh,d ogh fgrdkfj.kh lglk gh nq%[k gjs] vdkj.k gh izse djs :i gj Lohdkj djs cht dks l okjk djsa laldkjksa vksj ijeijkvksa dh ftyn p<+kdj] egkurk dk ud+kc vks<+k fn;ka flldrs jgs x+eksa ds oks cksf>y iuus] tc L;kgh [k+re gqbz rks mugsa tyk fn;ka dhkh mugsa csrjrhch ls iyvk] rks dhkh jkgksa esa fcnk fn;ka mu ij dqn eksgccr ds vyq+kt+ fy[ks] dhkh uq+jr dh HksaV p<+k fn;ka f'kn~nrs nnz tc c<+rk x;k rks] [kkeks'kh us y t+ksa dh 'kdy ys yha tc [kkekf'k;k cksyus yxh rks] ukjh fj'rk ;s,slk gqvk] tks u dgk] og Hkh lqus] fujk'kk gks ykirka tks xksn esa diky /kjs] fu'ny] fuferr lh lgu'khy] eerke;h],slk Lo:i fy,] tx dks O;ofLFkr fd;sa ^ek * gh rks,d gqbz ns'k] dky ls ijsaa odr us Hkh djov ys yha lgkjk esa cjlkr gqbz vksj] eqn~nrksa ls cq>h 'kek jks'ku gqbza [+kkeks'k cqrksa us cksyuk D;k lh[kk] mugksaus Å pkb;ksa dh eaft+y ik yha ;gk 'kek vhkh vksj tysxh] ;g dyh vhkh vksj f[kysxha 'kekankuh dh D;k glrh tks] jks'kuh dks d+sn dj ldsa [+kqn ij jgk ;adh rks mugsa] d+ke;kch dh eaft+y vksj feysxha :fp flag ¼ ½ 242

255 From the Archives Voices From The Past ukjh :fp flag ¼ ½ lw;z dk lk rst] punzek dh lh 'khryrk] /kjrh dh lh lgu'khyrk ;s lkjs xq.k,d lkfk ukjh esa gh ns[ks tk ldrs gsaa t;'kadj izlkn th us dgk gsa ukjh rqe dsoy J)k gks fo'okl jtr ux ix ru esa ih;w"k Jksr lh cgk djks thou ds laqnj lery esa!! ijurq le; ds lkfk&lkfk ukjh dk Lrj uhps vkrk x;ka mugsa f'k{kk ls oafpr j[kk x;ka?kj dh pkj nhokjh esa dsn dj fn;k x;ka vcyk thou gk; rqegkjh ;gha dgkuha vk py esa gs nw/k vksj vk [kks esa ikuh!! vkt ds ;qx esa ukjh gj {ks= esa vkxs c<+ jgh gsa og gj {ks= esa viuh Nki NksM+ jgh gsaa ijurq ;g i;kzir ugha gsa vxj efgyk dks l'kdr gksuk gs tks lekt dh ekufldrk dks cnyuk gksxka ukjh dks iq#"k ds leku ekuuk gksxka efgykvksa dks Hkh mruh gh vktknh nsuh gksxh ftruh iq#"kksa dks feyrh gsa tc rd efgyk lekt esa lqjf{kr ugha gsa mldk l'kdr gksuk dfbu gsa lekt esa ngst] cykrdkj]?kjsyw fgalk tslh cqjkb;ksa dks lekir djuk gksxka fuf'pr gh ukjh lekt esa vkxs c<+ jgh gs ijurq iw.kz :i ls l'kdrhdj.k gksus esa vhkh le; gsa tc rd izr;sd ukjh viuh {kerkvksa o vkurfjd 'kfdr ugha igpkusxh rc rd gekjk mrfku ugha gksxka eq>s vk'kk gs fd og fnu tyn gh vk,xka vur esa egknsoh oekz th dh bu iafdr;ksa ls ge izsj.kk ysdj vkxs c<+us dk iz.k ysrs gsa & fpj ltx vk [ksa muhanh vkt dslk O;Lr ckuka tkx rq>dks nwj tkuk tkx rq>dks nwj tkuka 243

256 Coral Edition The first real libraries we know of existed about 8000 years ago. The Mesopotamians were a race who wrote on wet clay tablet with a wedge-shaped stick called "a cuneus". Hence their writing is known as "cuneiform" The tablets were baked and the rarest of them placed in clay envelopes for safekeeping. Thousands of these tablets, stored in palaces and temples and arranged in subject order, have been found. Such place collections were the first libraries. The libraries in early Egypt were in the temples and were under the care of priests. The Egyptians wrote on sheets of papyrus, which were then would in a long roll around a knobbed stick and placed in the chests or on shelves. The most famous library of ancient times was the library in Alexandria, established about 300 B.C. It has as many as 700,000 papyrus rolls and was completely catalogued and classified under 120 classes. It was the Romans who first had the idea of establishing public libraries. Julius Caesar had a plan for a system of public libraries, and after him the public library was a Roman institution. Wealthy citizens in Rome took an interest in founding libraries for the people and in making large collections for themselves. Twenty-eight public libraries existed in Rome in the fourth century'. When the Christian Era began, libraries became part of churches and monasteries. The monks read and copied books, and most of the libraries that existed were due to their efforts. When the great cathedrals were built towards the end of the Dark Ages, small libraries were established in the Cathedrals. Universities, too, began to collect books. The Universities of Paris, France, Heidelberg, and Florence had collections of "Chained" books. Books were so difficult to make that to protect them they were chained. How did Libraries begin? By 1400 A.D., the University of Oxford began to organize its library. This library, which is called the Bodlleian, is today the biggest University library in the world. Public libraries as they are known today are not more than 100 years old. English leaders urged public support of libraries early in the 19th century. Finally, in 1850 the English Parliament passed on act permitting the establishment of public libraries and they have grown and developed everywhere since that time. Shadan Jafri M.A. II (1996 Batch) 244

257 From the Archives Voices From The Past Have you ever stopped and wondered what is this life, which we lead from day to day, all about? Many people have really pondered upon it, its many facets and even tried to describe it by means of words and phrases-life is a stage and we are all actors in it; life is a mystery for us to unravel, life is a journey, one has to complete it; life is a song; life is a nightmare... So many of us have tried in our own ways to bind life into a definition. But the kaleidoscopic experiences called life is very elusive; slipping out of our fingers like grains of sand first when we think we have grasped it and can give it a meaning. The everturning wheels of sorrow and happiness in turn cloud and brighten our horizons. Life is a struggle which prolongs over many stages. The fruits of fulfilment and despair all depends on how we tackle each hurdle which comes our way - whether we take it as a stumbling black or as a stepping stone. From the time a child enters this unknown world, his struggle for existence begins. It starts from something as simple as craving for love and affection, a place among people he loves. Life's complications increase with the increasing years but peculiarly at different stages of our lives we all crave for the same thing that is love, affection, care, understanding and a place of respect for ourselves. All our actions revolve around this innate desire, which is so strong that it overshadows everything else. Life indeed could be very pleasant if certain basic principles could be understood and adhered to. Love adds beauty and meaning to life - it has a celestial touch which makes many a dark shadow to vanish forever. It's a basic necessity of our existence. Love, which is just a four letter word, encompasses such enormous capacities of emotion that it is termed as 'the strongest magnetic force in the universe'. It envelopes the beauty and power of truth, sincerity, faith, compassion, forgiveness and above all the sentiment of giving, which gives immense pleasure and satiates the soul. As a natural process all our cravings become minimised and the pain generated from hopelessness and frustration dims into nothingness. A peace of mind and a sense of fulfilment dims into nothingness. A peace of mind and a sense of fulfilment saturates the entire being and man reaches a pedestal from where he can view things with an open mind and an open heart. Life is...? Anamika Deva M.A. II (1997 Batch) 245

258 gal tc&tc mm+ rc vdsyk mm+k u oks jktk jgk u oks jkuh jgh dgus lquus dks dsoy dgkuh jgh gal tc&tc mm+k rc vdsyk mm+k dqy uxhus tm+s ds tm+s jg x;s dqy [ktkus xm+s ds xm+s jg x;s dksbh caxysa [km+s ds [km+s jg x;s var esa y[kifr dk u /ksyk tqm+k gal tc&tc mm+k rc vdsyk mm+k Coral Edition ftunxh u cq<+kik jgk u tokuh jgh dgus lquus dks dsoy dgkuh jgh cl Mxj,d vkuh o tkuh jgh gal tc&tc mm+k rc vdsyk mm+k csdlksa dks lrkus ls D;k Qk;nk fny fdlh dk nq[kkus ls D;k Qk;nk usdh dj cn dgkus ls D;k Qk;nk usdh dj cn dgkus ls D;k Qk;nk var esa ftunxh dk u /ksyk jgk gal tc&tc mm+k rc vdsyk mm+ka xkxhz flag ¼ ½ 'Dream-Land' Do you want to know The secrets of a splendid life? Life is like a barren land, You have to cultivate it With your own hands. It will only be then possible to convert it into a Dream-Land. And then have a life. That would really be grand Mallika Tripathi M.A.II 246

259 Freedom Rabindranath Tagore Freedom from fear is the Freedom I claim for you my motherland! Freedom from the burden of the ages, bending your head, breaking your back, blinding your eyes to the beckoning call of the future : Freedom from the shackles of slumber wherewith you fasten yourself in night's stillness, mistrusting the stars that speaks of truth's adventurous paths : freedom from the anarchy of destiny whole sails are weakly yielded to the blind uncertain winds, and the helm to a hand ever rigid and cold as death. Freedom from the insult of dwelling in a puppet's world, Where movements are started through trainless wires repeated through mindless habits, where figures wait with patience and obedience for the master of show, to be stirred into a mimicry of life.

260 mfrr"br tkxzr izki;ojkfuucks/kr A Literary Club Production army printing press Lucknow (0522)