Random acts of kindness- Diwali celebration with school kids

Children of Sagarpur New

October in India, is by far the month of festivals. Children hardly go to school for a week because of one festival or another but I guess they aren’t complaining and neither am I . I am going to spend my first ever Diwali in India and I am stoked! Diwali or the festival of lights, is one of the most celebrated festivals by Indians all over the world. According to Hindu tradition, it is the celebration of the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of living in exile. So, Indians all around the world consume more sugar on this day than they should- mind you I still think that one cup of tea is about 4 chocolate bars worth of sugar. Diwali is a beautiful festival where houses are decorated (similar to Christmas), gifts are exchanged, kilos of different sweets are consumed (it’s showing on me that’s for sure- Michelin Baby in the making)and best of all the fireworks! The Chinese may have invented the fireworks but by far, the Indians use them the most.


Yesterday, I got to experience a random act of kindness by an independent donor and his family. Knowing that there are tons of children who aren’t fortunate enough to celebrate Diwali, the way it should. He packed up his car with all kinds of goodies for children, stationery items and sweets and gave SARD a call indicating that he would like to distribute this to one of the schools.


So, Annu and I ended up taking him and his family to Sagarpur New, one of the schools that SARD works with in Delhi. I’ve never seen a more excited group of young third grade boys than they ones i met yesterday. They were all patiently waiting in the school hall for us to arrive and kept wishing every person who entered the hall- “Happy Diwali”.





I could see how happy they were to receive these gifts. They were so excited with the stationery, the food and the chocolates that they couldn’t keep it all in their hands and kept dropping it on the floor. It was an amazing feeling to see that even in this time of celebration, there are some people who are still willing to spend a little bit of their good fortune and foster some happiness within little children whose parent s may not be able to afford to give them the Diwali we celebrate.

The funny thing is that today when I went for my morning walk...one of the kids recongized me and chased after me calling me " Didi...you came to my school, thank you Didi"...Jello all over again!

I guess I’m just jello on the inside as well .

Walking through Darkness

A Mine free field????

I never thought there would ever come a day where I would actually fear walking through cotton or wheat field, not knowing that there might be a mine that could alter my life forever. For most people in the border regions of Rajasthan, Punjab and Kashmir, this is a reality. In 2001, following the bombing of the parliament buildings in New Delhi, the Indian Army laid close to 1 million landmines between its shared border with Pakistan. Most of these areas bordered villages and were mainly in farming communities where the families living are, as it is severely marginalized by society. Following a decrease in tensions between the two neighbouring countries, the Indian army claims to have completely demined the border regions. However, every year there are still reports of victims affected in this region.


SARD is probably the only NGO in India currently working to provide rehabilitative efforts as well as micro financing schemes to the victims and their families. Most of these victims are spaced across the border areas in different villages and are already severely marginalised as is. This week, I made my first visit to the Line of control with Pakistan. I had the opportunity to visit Abohar, one of the border towns approximately 7 km away from the line of control with Pakistan. Abohar is situated in Punjab and has some of the most fertile land in India. The area is so serene and beautiful and I have to say this about Punjabis- they are very the most hospitable of Indians. Even if they have close to nothing, they will share whatever they have with you, because you are their guests.


I was struck by the fact that I couldn’t tell where India’s border with Pakistan actually began. I was told that we were about 5 km away from the line of control but all I could see was towers from the Pakistani side tall enough to watch over the Indian border security forces movement. It’s so hard to imagine that in 1947, in a matter of a fortnight, 1 million people were internally displaced between two borders; families separated over night. Some remained Indian and others became Pakistani. I am told that some of the SARD workers face the same situation. They haven’t seen their families who live probably 20 minutes away from them in 50 plus years- The tragedy of the subcontinent. Even the housing isn’t permanent. Most of the houses near the borders are made of mud because of the ever present fear of war.



My initial visit to Abohar was short but it’s still left a lasting impression on me. I was able to meet two families who had been affected by landmines. SARD was able to procure interest free loans for these families, providing them with an additional source of income. One of the men I met, lost his foot when he stepped on a mine while working in the cotton fields. The other, a sweet kind old woman, lost both her legs when she got up early in the morning and went outside into the field to use the facilities. The ironic part of it all was that her husband had spent his entire life serving the country in the Border Security Forces- knowing very well that there were mines in the area. He just never realized that it would affect his family so drastically.


I was left with an overwhelming sense of grief because not a lot of Indians abroad are aware that there are in fact landmines in India and continue to affect the livelihoods of Indians on a daily basis. In Kashmir, the situation is even worse- avalanches and landslides move the landmines and there is no clear demarcation. Victims living in border areas are far and wide and that’s probably one of the main challenges facing organisations who want to provide rehabilitative support. Most of the victims and their families live in remote regions that often are not accessible by road. I do realize that border tensions between India and Pakistan make it an impossible political task to get both countries to sign the ban on landmines. But, I do believe that there is scope for promoting rehabilitative efforts in India and I left Abohar with this feeling of hope that maybe something can be done after all.
I hope that with SARD’s good relations with the border forces and the Indian government, we might be able to visit Kashmir and understand the current plight of the survivors. I truly hope that the Indian government will grant us support in conducting rehabilitative and mine risk education in the region. I know that on my return to Vancouver, I might not be the wide eyed optimist that I am right now but, I still know that there is hope that one day India can be mine free, and that is the message I hope to share on my return to Vancouver.

I know that there will be light in this darkness too.

Polio Eradication Campaign in Meerut

It’s back to the grind and I am not complaining at all. After a wonderful relaxing weekend, I found out that one of our donor agencies Project Concern International’s international Delegation from San Diego was arriving for a day long visit to one of the project areas in Meerut. We run a joint program with them on polio eradication. Sadly, to date, certain parts of India are still affected by polio due to a lack of proper hygienic conditions and poor awareness on the issue. SARD and PCI have been working since last year in Meerut, U.P to mobilize the local community to increase awareness on polio, provide vaccinations as well as pre-natal and antenatal support to women in rural villages. The campaign has received an amazing success over the past year. Last year there were approximately 55 cases of polio reported in Meerut. This year, that hasn’t even been one! It was amazing to see involvement of the self governing bodies within the community in mobilizing support. Religious leaders were also actively engaged in the promoting oral vaccinations for new born as well as in the education of proper health measures to avoid contracting polio.

At the ridiculously early time of 5 am, we set out to Meerut by car and well I basically passed out until we got to Meerut. The lodge that we were supposed to meet the delegation was shut down. So, we were invited to stay in a bed sheet emporium until the lodge opened. It was the strangest experience to stare at these piles of bed sheets neatly stacked up of various bright colors and prints. I kept thinking of the children’s story the princess and pea. For some reason, i wondered what would happen if there was a pea under all those sheets. (I know, it still doesn’t make sense to me either)

The international delegation was actually a group of women from San Diego who are so
full of life. They were excited about being in India and so full of passion for the cause they were working on. We managed to take them to three different villages all 20 km away from each other. Now, imagine a group of cars trying to by pass trucks, bullock carts and well poultry on a tiny one lane road in order to get to those villages. At one point, we waited for half hour for a cart carrying a load of sugar cane to get past us so that we could move on.


There is one thing I cant deny about the Indian culture- we know how to welcome guests. Even though these villages don’t have a lot of money and are in need of support, they still managed to provide our foreign guests with so much love and laughter that even they were blown away by it. Upon our arrival at the first village, the entire village came out with the dhol players (drums) and greeted our visitors with garlands and the traditional tilak ceremony where red vermillion is added to the forehead of the visitor to invite them into their homes. It was beautiful. The smell of fresh rose petals mixed with incense sticks filled the air as we made our way to the cluster office.



The turnout at the cluster office was amazing. Women from far and wide came to meet the international delegation. I was more than happy to act as a translator (I think my hindi is improving) and translate the questions from the audience. The coordinator explained the importance of pre and post care for babies and proper hygienic practices. The women were actually quite shy with their questions but by the end of the period, they opened up about their concerns. One being that the nutritional supplements they were given for their children often got lodged in their throats and was looking for an alternative. Hearing their concerns, it made me realize how small measures such as providing water soluble supplements can change a child’s life and make a true difference. It doesn’t take a world policy change to bring it about. It’s just a matter of listening to the concerns of the masses and actively participating to bring about change.


Realization of the day: it’s the simple acts of kindness that count. Confucius wrote- “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. All we need to do to bring about change in our lives is to take that simple step, that leap of faith...the rest will follow on its own.

My two munchkins- Valeena and Venya

This is probably one of the weekends I will remember for a long time to come. This weekend, I reconnected with my long lost family after 14 years. I got to see my oldest sister (cousin but I really don’t see the difference) and meet my nieces for the first time in my life. Well, it was a rush of emotions. My sister looks exactly the way I remember her when I was a kid running after her and getting her to pamper me. Something things haven’t changed. She still managed to pamper me and my nieces are the smartest, craziest and funniest 8 year old twins I’ve ever met. They are my munchkins...one is sweet, rational and very observant (venya) and my other niece is a little diva in the making- sweet, beautiful and articulate (Valeena). Together they have become a part of my heart. I never thought I was kid person until I met my nieces. I always imagined myself to be this tomboy who really didn’t know how to handle herself around kids. In a matter of a millisecond, these girls melted my heart. They actually reminded me a lot of my brother and me growing up. Constantly trying to annoy each other- best friends and times and the well the worst when it came to the important things. We spent a glorious weekend eating home cooked meals, watching TV, dancing in the living room and I managed to even take them swimming. It was the oddest thing to swim in a pool fully clothed! I mean I was in pants and t shirt because I didn’t have anything else! The girls fought over who would sleep next to me and well let’s just say my back is in a recovery period right now because off all the kicks I got during the night. Call it a Thai massage at its worst.
My sister and I would stay up late into the morning talking about growing up, her married life, the kids and my mom. She kept saying how much I reminded her of my mother- the same looks, style and personality. I am proud to say that I am my mother’s daughter and I think that was the biggest compliment I have received to date. Commiserating over the past and planning the future really helped to shape my feelings of how much I’ve missed growing up with my family. It’s always been us 5 (can’t forget about the dog- coco) and after moving to Canada, it seemed so easy to lose touch and get occupied with your own life. Rediscovering my family has also become part of this journey to India.

Probably the most emotional period of my entire weekend with my new family was visiting my aunt’s house. I have the fondest memories of her when I was child and she unfortunately passed away from cancer in 1994. Even though I was just a child, I remember running through the rooms and into her open arms, being force fed idli and sugar (to this date I hate it) and eating all the custard apples I could possibly find. Walking through those hallways, I felt all those memories return to me and I felt her presence. She truly was very beautiful inside and out and now I see that spirit live on in my sister and my nieces. Even though I was 9 when she passed away, there are some memories you never forget and I paid my respects to a love that I have lost. In return, I have found love in my sister, my nieces and a new family I thought I would never know.

Random fact of the day: internet in Bangalore is dirt cheap....15 rupees for an hour and a half! Oh the coconut water you can drink! I truly am a tropical princess

Back on the Road Again

My mum has this funny saying or call this a superstition. Apparently, a person who has a lot of circles (chakras) on their feet (feet print) will travel a lot and is a constant traveller. I guess I should agree with her on this one because that’s me
Well a sleepless Sunday night actually led into a sleepless Monday night as well. I hope this is not becoming a routine. The reason for my state- more travel! Well the funny thing is that I was heading back to the same place I was the day before- Jaipur: The Pink City. Well, I only had 15 minutes to pack before I made my way to an ICRC event on humanitarian issues in the media. It was quite enlightening to see the Indian perspective on humanitarian issues in print media. Like all around the world, print media too is becoming more of a money making business – call it the CNN effect in print.


Well this is where the real fun begins. Annu and I got picked up from the India Habitat Center to find out that Sudhir (my boss) also brought along his cute, sweet and cheeky kids with his wife on this trip. It was their vacation off and well we were going to work and they were going to have a bit of fun. After a long crazy journey with an insane driver trying to overtake three trucks at a time, we made to jaipur. Well apparently, it was kind of my day off as well and I got to shop like mad woman! I love the fact that there are so many emporiums that are super cheap. I also picked up a lengha for my friend’s wedding which has this beautiful Rajasthan look to it (only to find out that it exposes most of my back and also my entire mid riff- not too pleased) and tons of jewellery for my nieces. I love the colors and the variety in designs. The problem is when I get into the shopping spirit, I really go nuts and well this is exactly what happened.


After our shopping expedition, we made our way to our accommodation where are fields offices are: Jamwa Ramgarh, about an hour east of Jaipur in between the Arrawali mountains. Sudhir has a knack of picking to most inexpensive and beautiful spots to stay at which has the ethnic feel and experience to it. The area even in the dead night was breath taking. I could actually see the constellations all the way to the horizon and oh the fresh air! I finally had fresh air and it was a welcome change. We really didn’t sleep much that night. Sudhir, Annu and I ended up staying up and talking like I do with my own friends back home. I think this the main reason why I feel so comfortable. I am treated as family and it’s an amazing feeling.
I awoke to the sounds of peacocks and parrots singing. On opening my door, I could truly appreciate the beauty of Rajasthan. I always was under the impression that Rajasthan was a desert. Little did I know, in pockets, it’s just the opposite!



Sunrise over the Arrawali Range

Having our early morning 6 am cups of tea and staring off into the horizon, made me realize how much I enjoy just the simple things in life. It isn’t about the bling (for a lack of a better word); it’s about the people and experiencing the moment for what it is. I guess I am simple person at heart that has a crazy shoe collection back home


We spent most of the morning conducting our field office meetings in Jamwa Ramgarh before I was once again treated to an afternoon off. Sudhir dropped us off near the Pink city to go shopping and well let’s just say this girl loves outdoor markets- heaven! I found everything from wall paintings to shoes, to the most beautiful silver jewellery. But, my real excitement was Hawa Mahal- the Wind Palace. When you actually stand inside the palace you can feel this amazing wind that refreshes and cools you to the core



Hawa Mahal- Jaipur

The palace itself was built by one of the kings to allow his many wives to view the processions and public life through the windows of the palace while they remained in purdah. The palace itself is currently under restoration and the funny thing is that the exterior is ornate but the interiors are simple and consist of a labyrinth of rooms for his many wives. I would have hated to live in that environment. Could you imagine the constant fighting and squabbling...yikes!


Well, let’s just say a hot day in Jaipur can tire anyone. But no blog would come complete without a random story. Something silly that must happen to Harini while she travels. Well, this story is proudly presented by the local shop keepers of jaipur who insist on dragging you into their shops and forcing you to either buy something or try to marry you. Well this time, it had to do with a shoe shop. I was just browsing, minding my own business when I had the store keeper approach me with a variety of shoes. Even though I wasn’t interested, he insisted on making me sit down and try his patent leather designs. When that didn’t work, apparently flirtation is the next step. It went something like this:


“Miss, you have very beautiful eyes- like a deer”

I- Thank you but I should go

Shopkeeper: Miss, these shoes will bring out your eyes. You must buy. You remind me of Shilpa Shetty (Bollywood Star)

Me- At this point mad and frustrated “Thank you but I have many shoes”

Shopkeeper: But miss, I give you good price, don’t break my heart. If not shoes, would you like to go for coffee?

Me- No...Walking out of the shop...throwing my hands in the air asking why me

An Unexpected Journey

Last week, out of the blue, my aunt who currently lives in London, called me up indicating that she was coming to Delhi for a couple days. Well, I didn’t know exactly when she was to arrive. I haven’t seen my mum’s sister in about 15 years. Well that was just the starting of the surprise. This big surprise was yesterday when I found out that she arrived at the domestic airport in Delhi and we were to immediately board a bus to Ajmer, Rajasthan. Well, that wasn’t all. My mum’s youngest brother, my mama (uncle in Hindi and Telugu) also came with here and I was almost in tears when I greeted them at the airport. My aunt now looks so similar to my amamama (maternal grandma- Telugu) and it just brought back all the fond memories of visiting India and seeking her and my thatha (paternal grandpa)


Well off we went. I knew that Ajmer was about a 10 hour bus ride from New Delhi...so it meant that with all the stops and twists and turns on the road, it was going to be one interesting journey. Note to fellow travellers, air conditioning is advisable when travelling through hot and dry regions of Rajasthan where temperatures can reach to the mid 40’s during the day time. Or just travel in November or December when it’s much cooler.
The long bus ride with the frequent stops to get more chai, kachore (fried potato patties in flour...more potatoes!) and lassi (sweet buttermilk) actually got us to Ajmer closer to 5:30. We had made this journey with the intent to meet a baba ( a Muslim holy man). After the holy month of Ramadan, the streets of Ajmer are crowded with people from all different faiths asking for the blessings of this holy man to protect them from evil spirits or grant their dreams. Walking up to the mosque, I felt like I had entered an old forgotten town from the Mughal Empire. I could see the sun setting on the whitewashed buildings built into the mountain side as well as the entrance to the masjid, welcoming everyone for darshaan (prayer).


Most of you know that I am a believer of multi-faiths and for me this was a spiritual journey to restore happiness and health in both my family and friends. Walking up the stair case to my baba’s house, I felt at home at a peace. I kept thinking about the wonderful hospitality I was being offered by his children and the gifts I was showered with just because I was my aunts daughter and I was here to pray. After washing up and having a spectacular Muslim brunch (including sweet meats, tea, and samosass) and cleaning up, we ended up meeting Baba. Baba is of the Sufi faith and preaches tolerance and wards of any kind of evil that falls upon people. We sat there listening to his blessings before he asked us to enter the Mosque (something that women can’t do- unless with special permission) to perform our prayers and receive our blessings.

It was the most beautiful mosque I have ever been in. His son, our wonderful guide was able to enlighten us on the history of the mosque. Sections of the mosque were built by Akbar the Great, Shah Jahan as well as portions were donated by Queen Victoria funnily enough. Watching everyone get ready to make their offering, made me feel at peace and participating in the prayers with my aunt and uncle made it even more special. We made our donations in this huge well...literally where anything from money to rice and wheat can be placed. Following that, my uncle received baskets of rose petals which were to be taken into the mosque and we were to follow him to receive our blessings from baba. At this point, we were also told that it would be crowded, not to worry and also that Shah Jahan’s daughter was also buried in that particular.

Under the moon light and the rose petals showering down on me, I felt blessed. I asked the wishes of my friends and family to come true and I felt so lucky to be able to have embarked on the unexpected journey and the biggest gift of all was reuniting with my maternal family 

In spite of our short time together, after making the short journey back and arriving home at 5 am this morning, I feel blessed and happy. Words can’t explain the joy that I am feeling right now, knowing that this unexpected trip happed out of the blue and holds a special place in my heart. Ajmer is a city I must return. Photographs need to be taken to showcase the beauty of the city, the culture and the history

I want to stand up, I want to be heard, Dont put me on the backburner

A new month has just begun and I am still trying to figure out how time has passed by so quickly. I feel as though the last time I checked, I had just arrived in New Delhi and was unsure of what to expect. Now, I feel as though I won’t have enough time to completely learn and enjoy myself here. Maybe a year internship would have been a better idea. But, I am here and what can I say other than that I am slowly starting to fall in love. The city of a million sights, smells and sounds. Being woken up by devotional songs at dawn, to the smell of garbage everywhere, to the smile on a young child’s face when you show them a bit of love and attention. It’s as if there is no pause in Delhi. Time and change are intertwined into a single sentence and I am just here along for the ride.



Purana Qila


October also marks the beginning of the festival season. First up, Navratri where the women keep 9 days of “fasting” until the festival of Dusshera, in honour of one of the goddesses Durga. What I didn’t realize is that I would also be indirectly partaking in the fasting rituals whether I liked it or not. It basically means that my diet now consists of potatoes, more potatoes and some more. Talk about starch overload in different forms- from curries to dry fries. I hope my landlords don’t find out that I actually hate potatoes with a passion and I have been secretly living on a diet of cookies and chocolates to deal with my hunger pangs.
Eid also falls in around the same time and lastly, the best festival of the year (in my opinion) is diwali, the festival of lights. It’s going to be my first ever diwali in India and the festival honours the return of Lord Ram after 14 years in exile. For everyday folks it means...eating tons of good food and all the sweets you can possibly consume and the best part of all- fireworks!!!!

Well today being October 2nd is actually Eid as well as Gandhi Jayanti (the birth of Gandhi) and it means a holiday! I feel spoilt! I’m actually getting a holiday in the middle of the week. I haven’t had one in a month so this feels great. I wasn’t too sure what to do with myself. I have been warned multiple times not to venture out towards Kashmiri Gate or Old Delhi since there could be more bomb blasts so I did what every Indian would do on a holiday- Shop!

It was actually my first experience venturing into an Indian Shopping Mall. I seriously felt as though I was walking to Pacific center in Vancouver. The only difference was that there were tons of Indian clothing and Indian people! I’m not a big fan of malls but hey if you want to avoid being bored and get some exercise in as well, what’s a girl to do.

The not so fun part of all the festivities is the constant power outages that result from over consumption. So on a daily basis at random times, the power goes out for anywhere between an hour to an hour and a half. So, it means tons of cold showers to deal with the heat (will it ever end) and lots of walks to deal with my boredom. I am really getting to know myself well here in Delhi.

Today also being Gandhi jayanti has made me think a lot about the world today. Where our inspirational leaders that made youth believe and look up to someone? Does it mean that only in times of great struggle and world war, greatness emerges. Don’t get me wrong, I am not the biggest fan of Gandhi myself but I can’t help but wonder, what does it take to have an inspirational person move us, shake us and make us scream for our rights and our beliefs. Will I ever hear, meet or see such an individual or will it become once again about reading books to find out the meaning of inspiration.

In today’s world where death is treated as the norm and there is so much degradation and violence on different levels, where are our leaders who will fight for change, in the name of humanity and goodness.
Maybe I am being too idealistic again but we need people with souls, who aren’t soldiers and are willing to implement change in the name of love.
Rambling again 