JYOTIRMAYA THAKUR

JYOTIRMAYA THAKUR

Festival Of Lights

Diwali the most awaited Hindu festival,

Celebrated with lights, family reunion treats,

Auspicious prosperity, Joyful activities,

Shopping clothes, eatables, gifts, sweets.

The one thing we forget is our own country,

Blindly purchase lamps, tea candles for divinity,

Led light strings, crackers, plastic facilities,

Forget all that money goes to other country's treasury.

Diwali was to be celebrated with clay lamps traditionally,

Handmade by Artisans with their birth soil,

Cheap, still choose to spend exorbitantly,

Affecting environment, neglect local toil.

This Diwali let us come together with a purpose,

Boycott all extra lights wasting precious resources,

Conserve energy by not plugging in electric sockets,

Celebrate traditionally bringing our culture a step closer.

Diwali means to be in present moments,

Dropping regrets of past, worries of future segments,

Forgive the bickering, negativity of bygone year,

Throw light on wisdom gained, overcome fears.

Jyotirmaya Thakur copyright reserved.

The Ganges

The holy ganges river is the soul of Indian existence,

The story of the Ganga from her source to the sea,

Primitive times to present day Indian civilization,

Spiritual growth and ritual in all it leads.

It represents India’s multicultural ethos and syncretism,

Several festivals and celebrations by her bedside

Ganga dussehra on third June is national jubilation,

Where in ten thousands of devotees dip in her bosom wide.

These affluent traditions have not saved her pollution,

From its source Gangotri, the river passes gracefully,

Through several cities on its way down stream

Allahabad, Varanasi and Kolkatta uplifted spiritually.

Farrukhabad, Kanauj, Kanpur cities uprising

Standards of living rapidly, population rising

Industrial growth and urbanisation increasing

Have exposed holy river to chemical degrading.

The faithful devotees firmly believe that their past sins,

Can be removed by holy waters self purifying capacity,

And if one is cremated on banks of river holy

Will be liberated from cycle of birth and death emerge in divinity.

The great emperor Akbar served gangajal to his guests,

A tradition continued till disintegration of Mughal empire,

The pristine Ganga is mentioned in Rigveda and DeviBhagvatham,

We have entered a time zone when river disappearing dire.

Divine for all devotes and a mystery for the world

When Ganga took a physical form and descended on earth,

Ten rare astrological parameters are associated manifold,

Dussehra is celebrated on this day due to sage Bhagirath.

As of today, the river water is unfit for drinking and bathing,

Besides infrastructure projects, global warming is also affecting,

Prayers alone will not save the river's health,

What the Ganga needs is comprehensive response of wealth.

Jyotirmaya Thakur copyright reserved.

Kite Flying

Makar Sankranti is the festival of kites,

The ‘patang in India into colour fighter riots,

Kites were invented in China in fabric silk,

Fine, high tensile strength sail material skill.

Resilient bamboo for strong lightweight framework,

The invention claimed by Chinese philosopher's artwork,

Paper kites were being flown carrying a message

For rescue mission and abandoned salvage.

Sources reveal kites being used to measure distances,

And communication for military operations.

The earliest known Chinese kites were flat not bowed,

Often rectangular, tailless stabilizing load,

Anthropomorphic kites made from cloth and wood,

In religious ceremonies to send prayers for good.

Stories of kites were first brought to Europe by Marco Polo,

Sailors from Japan and Malaysia later follow.

In 18th and 19th centuries kites were used for research,

Benjamin Franklin published a scientific research,

That lightning was caused by electricity by flying a kite in storm,

Thomas François Dalibard of France resumed by using iron rods.

Kites were also instrumental in developing the first aeroplane,

The Wright brothers used the designs of kites obtained,

Modern hand -gliders also followed next,

Tailless diamond kite,sled kite and parafoil kites were patented.

The golden age of kiting had dawned invariably,

For scientific purposes, especially in meteorology,

Aeronautics, wireless communications and photography,

Man-lifting kites were developed as power kites mechanically.

Now kites are mainly used for recreation,

Kite-fighting in pre- war Kabul popular function,

Kites cut and stuck in trees a metaphor for life's adversities,

Shooter kites swagger in types of wind assassination.

A kite consists of wings, tethers, pulleys and anchors,

A bridle to guide the face at the correct angle,

A sailplane uses kiting as launch for lifting,

Is symbolically a celebration of life in vicissitudes unflinching.

@Jyotirmaya Thakur copyright reserved.

JYOTIRMAYA THAKUR

JYOTIRMAYA THAKUR (retired vice Principal) is the author of twenty-one books, Multi - genre award winning poet, book reviewer, translator, columnist, editor, literary & social researcher and a healer. World Poet Laureate, Living legend of the 21st century, Great Personality of the year 2020 by World Parliament of Peace, India. Peace Icon and HPAW Ambassador of Humanity, Ghana. National Director of Public Relations and Communications of Union Hispano Mundial de Escritores, Peru, in India. ‘Universal Ambassador of Art & Culture’ for Writers and Artist union of Bolivia approved by UNESCO and featured in their book of Luminous Lives.  Vice President of the World Parliament of literature of both chambers of the Senate of the World Union of Poets & Writers, Italy. Her poems and articles have been published in more than 300 Anthologies in 35 countries; and translated in 30 languages.