Setu

life

2010-09-23T23:05:00.003+05:30

its time for a new story

a chance for some morning glory

there was a boy called me

who was hoping for some glee

now someone tell this to me

that hope is like a honey bee

sweet like the honey

and nasty like the bee

when comes a fantasy

shows lots of spark and fancy key

promises of gold

but deposites only flee

someone please tell this boy called me

that its best for life to be

not like a honey bee

my friend krishna

2010-09-03T00:26:00.002+05:30

london dreams

2010-08-12T11:09:00.003+05:30

next time

2010-06-30T23:15:00.000+05:30

Spot yourself

2010-06-29T10:23:00.003+05:30

Idea of Setu

2010-06-24T17:55:00.003+05:30

...

2010-06-21T11:38:00.001+05:30

Flight of conscience

2010-06-10T18:38:00.004+05:30

Awesome Mausum

2010-06-07T16:17:00.001+05:30

and time for some hot n spicy fun

Hoping to sway

2010-06-07T14:43:00.000+05:30

It’s a beautiful day, and I’ve been searching
Searching for grey

It’s a lovely blue, on a rainy day hue
But I’ve been waiting
Waiting for dew

up above when the heavens fray, I ve been hoping
Hoping to sway

irony

2010-06-02T14:08:00.001+05:30

We live in a nation ,
· where Pizza reaches home faster than Ambulance, Police,
· Where you get car loan @ 5% and education loan @ 12%,
· Where rice is Rs 40/- per kg but sim card is free,
· Where a millionaire can buy a cricket team instead of donating the money to any charity,
· Where the footwear, we wear ,are sold in AC showrooms, but vegetables, that we eat, are sold on the footpath,
· Where everybody wants to be famous but nobody wants to follow the path to be famous,
· Where we make lemon juices with artificial flavours and dish wash liquids with real lemon.

2010-06-01T18:06:00.001+05:30

save my city

2010-05-24T13:18:00.002+05:30

setu

2010-05-22T22:09:00.003+05:30

funny lane

2010-05-20T15:22:00.002+05:30

Drip down a funny lane
A photograph from a broken frame
Dreamer’s view of the very mundane
The good old dusty funny lane

With grays and shadows
Some Umbrellas and rain
A violet wonder, a cloud full of thunder
A drizzly drip on the glass plane
Standing alone before the funny lane
The drip and the broken frame

waiting for...

2010-05-18T15:50:00.004+05:30

Come into the light

2010-05-17T14:18:00.002+05:30

And this light will take you home

Raindrops

2010-05-10T10:18:00.001+05:30

Raindrops raindrops for a summers dream
A summery dream from a hope filled night

for Twinkling drops on a shining screen
A fresh leaf with morning sheen
with changing skies of multiple hues

sprinkling luck for an arid ranger
spouting life on lifeless cracks

a summers dream
for changing skies of multiples hues.

My design team

2010-04-11T21:17:00.006+05:30

home

2010-03-31T00:48:00.000+05:30

Wonderland

2010-03-29T23:58:00.007+05:30

my office friends

2010-03-17T14:18:00.009+05:30

a logo in a hurry

2010-03-17T13:08:00.005+05:30

this pizaa hut delivery logo is in big hurry

building on the edge

2010-03-17T12:56:00.000+05:30

a fine building in trivandrum...cool proportions

love story

2010-03-11T10:24:00.003+05:30

In the silent woods of Ram Nagar,
Beneath its deep tree canopies
Within the wisdom of its greens
Runs a silent lover’s dream

A tender sapling clings and swings
Each daybreak in rays of sunshine hope.

The rays fill in all green with mellow
With hymns of growth and bountiful fellow

And when the glare heads back above
The sapling awaits the sunshine again.

Us

2010-03-08T15:50:00.003+05:30

There came four strangers
They seemed like lonely rangers....

Wonder what they saw here in our hills
In awe they held it all in their wings....

Our kin and swings and winds and ponds
Made them fill with countless songs

They went past framing glances
To take back stories and leave back lonely stances

moonlight

2009-11-24T10:36:00.000+05:30

Come again

2008-10-18T01:21:00.003+05:30

I failed yet again
Off colour in the rain...

Don’t know what then
Quite sure since when...

The little girl hasn’t smiled
And maybe the fault is mine

Counting treads up and down
I feel I look like a clown

Different caps and changing cases
Arrogant men in conquerous faces
Myself evaporating in the crowd within

Rain, rain come again
Wash me and make me, me again.

The joker waits to be the
Showstopper again...

office expansion celebration

2008-09-27T14:08:00.004+05:30

the rain mail

2008-09-27T13:49:00.003+05:30

old fascination with train tracks,
rainy memories of post vacation blues

little friends

2008-09-27T13:00:00.006+05:30

from left Ishan. Surabhi, Tushar, Appu, Purti and Ashi

Go goal

2008-06-23T11:39:00.001+05:30

TGIF

2008-01-07T13:03:00.000+05:30

thank god its friday
a fun day at the shoreline beach
with desert as its shore

Happy 2008

2008-01-01T00:39:00.001+05:30

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T20:25:00.001+05:30

setu wishes all

Merry Christmas

A New Leaf

2007-12-20T15:59:00.000+05:30

Setu flies across
To find some new meanings
Learning’s and countless unlearning

The flight over plateau, desert and the sea
A leap beyond borders, differences and unimagined shores

Off shored to a place away from known-
The great Arabic desert home

Floating past clouds, deserts and winds.
In the landscape of camels, caravanserais and dunes

You could smell a tree being deserted from its lushy meadow
With remains of hope and wait.

One new leaf to begin and one to end

Vocabulary for a cause

2007-11-14T23:25:00.000+05:30

find an addiction for a cause
highest level a person can get to is 50,
check out what ur level can be

SETU

2007-11-09T13:09:00.000+05:30

On Deepawali day
My blog gets a new name

Deepawali greetings

2007-11-09T12:38:00.000+05:30

http://junglestudio.org/gyan/diwali.html

this is fun work by Jungle studio

wishing al a happy and safe deepawali
courtesy Nitish Bhatia*( star)

Chandigarh revisited

2007-10-23T20:57:00.000+05:30

As an urban design student, criticism of Chandigarh is almost a constant in every lecture.
Quite often it is sited as a villainous example of city design.
These emotions soon crept into our classroom group discussions.
I remember when I visited chandigarh with my class mates we were preconditioned with immense disapproval.

It’s been two years and just like all good students I am forgetting some of the inheritance. Only last week shuttling in state roadways and babu offices I could not realize that I was in a city which shares a love hate relationship with architects.
After finishing all paperwork, I had few hours to spare and decided to take a stroll on foot.

As I walked I saw a range of interesting building typologies all around, which in all my previous trips had failed to notice.
Walking through the local markets, the two storey staff houses, the public facilities, the institutional buildings and the hostel blocks. I was very inspired by the boldness and the smart use of material.
The city might not be the best example of city design, but has some amazingly huge body of architectural work. The smart use of brick jallis, interesting sun shades and the vast vocabulary of forms is certainly something worth learning from.
If you see closely you will certainly find poetry and boldness in form in almost all the buildings.

Very sadly these areas of design never get due attention or discussion.
I realized how dangerous criticism can be, and how successful it can be in limiting our ways of seeing.
Our teachers never even realize their responsibility towards shaping opinion.
Before being a critic we must learn the art of being a constructive critic.

While returning I decided, that I would be returning very soon, but this time with an open mind and a sketch book.

objects of design

2007-10-23T19:19:00.001+05:30

Displayed at Lalit Kala Academy are 100 objects of classical Italian design, presented in chronology they put forward an interesting legacy of fine design.

Xito

Luisa

Lettera 22

Vespa

pallets in the sky

2007-10-06T19:51:00.000+05:30

Jnu Campus

2007-10-06T19:32:00.000+05:30

Incident

2007-10-06T19:06:00.000+05:30

I have not known aunt Michelle for very long, but she is not one of those personalities who will be easily forgotten. She is a very successful business lady and at her age has all the more keenness to work hard.
Last week as I returned home I met her in a very unpleasant situation, something I could never imagine. Her landlady would simply not let her inside her home, accusing her of being a very bad tenant. Michelle along with some of her friends was left outside completely helpless.

The landlords arranged a fake solicitor who tried to settle the issue by asking aunt Michelle a compensation of rupees 2 lakhs to be paid on the spot, failing to which she would not be allowed inside her own home.
The drama lasted on till four hours, we all tried hard to convince the landlords to give her a reasonable amount of time to settle the issue, but they were all on a high ego trip.The landlady with her dominating presence had perfected the art of insanity.

Aunty Michelle had to spend that night and days to follow in her friends place.
One main reason for such crazy behavior was jealousy, the landlady wanted to become friends with aunt Michelle and wanted her to get her gifts, declining to which she tried her best to trouble her in every possible way.

Being a spectator to the whole scene I felt very bad for such people, who quite unnecessarily love to make such public display of insanity.

But it’s quite sad there are more than many people who still find time to get in such stupid brawls.
The next few days were quite, the matter went to the local police station, the landlords were warned by the police to behave and a guard was deported out side Michelle house.
I think it was a criminal waste of time, money and energy.

fun in the city

2007-09-28T00:57:00.001+05:30

Traffic signage’s quite often have to live up to a reputation of being articulately straight and matter of fact.

But come to Bikaji Kama Place and you will see some fun signage
The best one is -Elephants not allowed.
And the newly added pedestrian crossing system at a no traffic road is he best display of popular art.

Maybe these are attempts to jump out of the grey scale design controls we give to our public buildings.

not knowing whether to call it evasion or irony...

John

2007-09-28T00:31:00.000+05:30

What strikes me most about foreign travelers is how they accessorize and adapt to local cultures, this is John a French voyager who is on mission to drive across the terrain of India, and finally go up till masaye (his village).

He wants to eventually write a book.
I really love his crazy trunk factory fitted for his bike.

He completely lives out of it and calls it peti.

Twilight zone

2007-09-27T23:51:00.000+05:30

The Lilliputian house

2007-09-16T23:48:00.000+05:30

Off to NITK

2007-09-16T23:06:00.000+05:30

This is my brother shshank having masala dosa in a restaurant, little did he know that very soon masal dosa will become his stable diet.
Shsahank got through the famous NIT Surathkal making us all extremely proud and delighted.
After gong through a really tough period, the Ant did climb the hill.

It took some time to realize that this pampered boy had flown two thousand km away from home.
For someone who has never seen the sea, and suddenly finding his campus on the shore of the beautiful western coast is definitely a high apart from everything he finds new in his new world..
My roommate has found two new roommates, leaving me and my room single.

He visits delhi on the 22nd for his much deserved and hugely awaited week long break.

Sacred geometry

2007-09-16T21:34:00.000+05:30

In he semi arid landscape of Delhi, where the monsoon acts quite like a stiff customer, nature finds beautiful ways to adorn itself,
In such a zone where water is supposed to be scarce, it’s a great marvel to see the most functional use of resource and yet achieve striking beauty.
Simple forms complexly repeating to display nature’s patterns of sorts
Triangulated vertices defying all rules of geometry to create a very sacred geometry

This plant flowers every year during the most grueling summer months and cant tell you how many smiles it brings.

I think like me it waits for the monsoon.

Mango Fair

2007-09-16T20:23:00.000+05:30

Note: this post is dedicated to all those who kept waiting for new post to arrive

Quite like the Book fair or the much hyped Auto expo Delhi celebrates each year a very low key Mango festival.
This event is only for the serious mangoers
In the air cooled environment of Talkatora stadium you can find under one roof an overwhelming count of mangoes in most unimaginable shapes, sizes and colours.
The smell of fresh sweet pulp and wet straw is something which hits you most stoutly as you enter
And then of course the fine display of dishes there can be.
For those on the weighty side there is also a very indulging mango eating competition
The place is filled with exporters, eager nursery owners and inquisitive buyers all in the name of the King

I loved the educating experience and was pleasantly surprised to know that among the ten thousand different species of mangoes, one very special kind is called “Sourav”.

lull across a stormy highway

2007-06-06T22:23:00.000+05:30

Some storms without
Some storms within…

A forgotten song
And a lonely cloud

Some ragged men in ragged homes
With myriad hopes
In clueless strokes

Weepy heavens
And a clueless stranger
Lost

in the long lost road

Arangetram

2007-06-06T22:12:00.000+05:30

Some really fine classical dance performances by little Sukrita and her friends.

Salaam Mumbai

2007-04-06T19:56:00.000+05:30

After having felt what it means to be in Mumbai, I realize your urban design studies are not complete till you have experienced the everyday madness in the Bombay locals and the view of skyscrapers in the middle of slums.

Our team reported Navi Mumbai where we were to make a presentation on the urban design for Naya Raipur.
The presentation went on for five long heated sessions.
Till now the constant references of Bombay and the view from the window were the only source of consolation for me.
The window provided a view of the watchman who fell asleep and the constant references of Mumbai by the cidco planners made Mumbai feel like a big animal.
Mumbai according to them had everything that they didn’t want in Naya Raipur.
I realized cities are planned not for people who will live there but for the people who will build them and maintain them. I guess that’s what planning is all about.

I kept wondering as we drove past through the sinosidal funny skyline of Navi Mumbai, do we need planners to design scale less cities on creeks and eco sensitive zones.

The thought faded away by the lights and sounds of the city.
Sonal was here all excited and funny like usual, her friends bindaas and their studio jhakaas…
The other day I was taken around by Rohan and Sonal for a nice joy ride along the city, I felt like familiar territory,
Because it was a Sunday, we could drive around some parts which are otherwise impossible to imagine…
I was realizing the great level of complexities that happen in this city and how appropriate the words maximum and spectacular are to its landscape…

I spent the evening with my friend Rajesh and his friends.
The spectacular view of the lake and the hills in the back drop was really something.
For Rajesh and his many software engineers friends Bombay is the most happening place to be, to party and to work.
It was nice to be with him on the high rise terrace, with all the lights and the beauty below, generally discussing about life plans and gossip.
Here was my friend who like me was a pucca dilli wala not very long ago, he hasn’t changed a bit. But has completely adapted to the ways of Bombay and is completely loving it.
You will wonder how many times I used the word realize. W4ell that’s what I did ..

Next day I realized how bad things aero planes are….
One day you are sitting in front of the computer and the next day you are in Juhu beach…with the sea breeze hitting you like anything…
One day you are amongst friends not wanting to say goodbye, the very next day you are back next to same computer screen.

Studio...

2007-04-06T13:50:00.000+05:30

D.N Nagar

Welcome

ranjit

mau 'oops'

the coolest one'kelvinator'

the team

For me the studio was the high point of my trip

I never expected ,neither planned

And that’s why I loved it ...

There was something in the air, I always felt like coming back to the place To match the space were three poets who were painted their lyrics with colour

Three branches coming together willing to become one leaf,
not knowing where the road goes...
or where the wind blows.

krivia

2007-04-06T13:42:00.000+05:30

back to school

graphics studio by sirs an maam

Graffitti

alvida doston

2007-04-06T13:32:00.000+05:30

My village Dansal

2007-02-24T00:18:00.000+05:30

village fields

wild rose

steps leading to our mango farm

the village pond..

the holy tree..
our village Dansal is about three hours away from Jammu, a remote part of the country with almost no sustaining capability.

our ancestral Deity is housed here and its worship time every two years.

one rare occasion which gets us to visit this piece of land.

i really miss the days i got to visit the place every summers with my grandpa,

there were countless stories wrapped around each corner of the village.

i have grown up with stories of the village pond, the temple tree,our mango farm and the many parrots found in our village narrated by my grandpa in the most poetic way,

this post is my attempt to capture some glimses i have grown up wondering .

Over the top

2007-02-24T00:14:00.000+05:30

skyline of Jammu city,

Serendipity

2007-02-22T23:57:00.000+05:30

Cr Park is place of monstrous houses and funny boxes, trying very hard to be noticed
It’s a place where the pompous Punjabi meets the pretentious bong

Today as I ventured out after the lunch break a small modest house caught my attention, and for a while I felt very delighted,
It seemed that the house had a story to tell
Surrounded by huge mansions on both ends, by it seemed like a one room set. Extremely unpretentious and out rightly pointblank.

A very close imitation of pure modernist ideology.

Anna's b day

2007-02-22T23:42:00.000+05:30

anna celebrated his b day at our usual hangout Dilli Haat,

funtime making us realise that nothing has changed for ud 2006

but every one missed the marathis at the marathi stall

though the food was a good reminder of gayu, sonal minal and anup

morning alarm

2007-02-15T00:26:00.000+05:30

its that time of the year again when Delhi is most beautiful

beautiful weather flowrers in full bloom and beautiful birds

they visit my room every Feb

my thesis

2007-02-15T00:14:00.000+05:30

my report which finally got printed (by me of course)

makes me feel extremely happy

Happy New Year

2007-01-02T00:10:00.000+05:30

cal trip

2007-01-01T23:25:00.000+05:30

wish to fly from the top
a bong wedding( R weds P)
the yellow ride
a book store where stories came alive
with love
next time
step well in salt lake

in the name of the Maestro

2006-08-22T00:52:00.000+05:30

Yesterday as I was skimming through the news channels, I chanced upon a glimpse of lt Bismillah Khan Sahab singing a piece for the channel,

he was not keeping well and as he sang was all jumbled up in medical apparatus
counting his last breath, he was still keen to sing with a glint in his eye

today, when the sad news of his death makes any music lover feel the loss

I am so deeply touched by this great soul and his passion for his art
His love for benaras
his simplicity and love for his music

I wonder
How many of us will have the courage or the strength
To pursue what we take up with such love and grit, till the last breath

In the name of the Maestro

new life

2006-08-22T00:33:00.000+05:30

My life has seen I big change these days
Its been tailored into an office going lifestyle,
And quite obviously its not easy for me to adjust

I have realized how sweet my home is
And how fun life was, just a few days back

My companions these days are my desktop and my boss
Though both are quite smart and cool
I miss my home pc most,

I have been getting in out of bed quite early
Its those starry late nights at my terrace I miss most

I miss all my friends who are slowly moving out,
I often feel like running away

I hate these formal trousers and ironed shirts
And I hate the over hyped tea and coffee sessions

Suddenly how beautiful is a Sunday
and divine is the night before

I feel like being uprooted and planted somewhere else
Gasping for some familiarity
Looking for some identity

I am sure there will be sunlight soon
As this tree is not used to be kept in rules of submission

click click

2006-08-05T11:18:00.000+05:30

my new Sony Cybershot DSC H2
so keep visiting for some neat ones

Trip to Valley

2006-07-27T09:16:00.000+05:30

the valley
the palace
aanganwadi
takhti syahi aur dawaat
innocence
mother nature
a river runs through it
enchanted
most beautiful place i have been to

Chalte chalte

Trip to the Sangla Valley

2006-07-23T14:03:00.000+05:30

Snow caps

The Sangla valley

over 4500

Karcham by road

Apple orchid

Two roads diverged

the type

welcome to my house

The bhog
bhandaar

the sangla
village temple

visit to Humayun's Tomb

2006-07-06T21:03:00.000+05:30

I believe i can fly...
refracted
thinking Sandeep
knock knock Mr Humayun
little Tushar and me
Possessed me
a story runs through it
Ishan

tired and out Shshank

Ishan Tushar

2006-07-06T20:55:00.000+05:30

Ishan and Tushar visit our place every year during their summer vacations...
Usually this time of the year its very hot outside and unbearably very naughty inside…
My cousins always come with a big wish list of places to see
McDonald’s always tops the list, then appu ghar, Delhi zoo, red fort and the metro mall…
And it’s always my responsibility to take them to these places which also happen to be my favorite places…

My school song

2006-07-06T19:31:00.000+05:30

Don't build your house
On the sandy land
Dont't build your house on the shore

It might look kind of nice
But you'll have to build it twice
So you'll have to build your house once more

You'd better build your house on a rock
Make a good foundation on a solid rock
And the storm may come and go
but nothing may happen to you

this was my favourite song,
and i would sing it forever
it inspired me most to become an architect

Paro

2006-07-04T18:21:00.000+05:30

This is parijat
My very old school time friend,
From class notes, Tiffin boxes, lunchtime time football, morning pt sessions and scolding from Shobha madam both of us share many stories, so many that I can never forget or forgive him

I don’t remember his birthdate or his phone number
We were never that type of friends
But there is something so comic and funny in our friendship that when ever we met, no one around us could stop laughing…

It’s those remarkable gestures that he patents that make him the most entertaining showman.
Those of us, who know him, will tell seeing this photograph that he is trying to pose very seriously.

after school, it’s been difficult to remain in touch
But I just love the way we bump into each other in the strangest of places. I will always cherish all those strange encounters I have had with him.

Once I met him in a park in shanti niketan, he treated me with a dominos pizza, it was evening time and there were just couples all around. Am sure parijat never dared to go to any park after that

Sometime later I met him in an automobile repair shop, I guess he was trying to convert his scooter into super bike. The mechanic tried hard to explain that it was just a puncture, but parijat had his plans.

Last time I met him, it was in a police station, he had lost his wallet and I had lost my mobile……. Same place same day
I can’t still believe it was coincidence.
That day even the cops didn’t believe in us
And never wrote our FIR reports.

In more than 12 years I have known him, he tells me he has a more serious dimension too, his poise his intellect

And then he tells me that these days he is studying MBA in mumbai, and is the most serious boy in his class,

To that I can’t stop laughing again.

A teacher called life, A student called me

2006-06-29T02:34:00.000+05:30

For all those who visited my blog to see no new post for almost a month
My sincere apology
My thesis got over and was very appreciated
The ant finally climbed the hill

I am no more a student now
and I hate it

It’s almost 24 hours, I still can’t get over it…
I just can’t sleep

All this time I was praying for it to get over, and now when its gone I wish it never got over…
That’s exactly me

A new leaf, a new life begins with tomorrow

I am excited
But scared of getting lost in this big world of countless people,

SPA was my only identity…
I think I m not leaving SPA,
I am leaving behind a part of me

Who knows what tomorrow holds,
or where the road goes
I hope this tiny little ant doesn’t flow
where the wind blows

These Days

2006-06-03T19:17:00.000+05:30

Keeping me engaged these days

Is me alone in my room...
Lots of tracing sheets here and there, everywhere...
My Drawing board.. With layers of backing
Some lucky pens ...
I treasure from my first year days

And the thought of only 24 days left for my final thesis jury
Goosebumps
Mixed feelings………

A beautiful window
Amazing weather outside

Pandit Channulal Mishra for his countless rounds of remarkable classical music....

Some old memories….
that keep coming back… always in the wrong time
Just like the weather outside...

Associations, distractions, inhibitions
Ideas, dreams,
Stary stary nights .....

And very scared me
Almost thesisised....................

Anonymity

2006-05-31T21:03:00.000+05:30

Form Ki Paathshaala

2006-05-23T13:49:00.001+05:30

Boys hostel Graffiti

2006-05-23T13:25:00.000+05:30

Farewell Gift

2006-05-18T15:08:00.000+05:30

From the farewell along with a heart full of memories, we were all suppose to take back ud –shirts as our gift from our juniors.
Well the party, I don’t wish to describe was a silent bye………. It was fun, and the best part was that no one made it to be a sad affair………
Well there is still a month left and its going to be very hard for me to get into my system that there can be life beyond SPA…

On my shirt there are some sweet comments and some real nasty ones too……..

But the best one, which I felt moved, was from Vinu
My anna from madurai……
M sure he has forgotten what he wrote, but I m glad,
what he wrote he remembers ………

Time flies….
And two years passed before I could realize
I would not have perused masters without two people motivating so much……..
I can’t thank them enough…
One of them is too far now, but my gratitude remains
How some people change lives………. And then just fly away

Perhaps
In the end when all of us picked our t-shirts, with unease
We knew
Soon
It’s going to be time
For the birds to fly away………

Words

2006-05-18T14:08:00.000+05:30

What goes wrong as we grow up?
Well to my understanding it’s just a matter of words
Some new words learnt
And some forgotten

That’s what I made out from the beautiful Shristi, who visited our place last week
and beautiful is just not the word to describe her

I‘ve met her only once before in Calcutta, one and a half year back………
And I remember how she showed me all her books, toys, and her beautiful house…………
She showed me the stain glass with so much of pride, well that’s something that must have fascinated her……
she is such a sweet quite child and with so less inhibitions.......
we became friends in no time....
and this time the friendship continued.....
I was too impressed by the kid then, and still am
And how she remembers Babuji, so well……….
God bless you child
U have defiantly taught me a lesson

So much of simplicity and sky high curiosity
Two words which get lost as we grow up

and made me to think
How many times we use the words…………..“ONLY IF”
And how few times we use the words……………“NEXT TIME”

Full moon night

2006-05-14T02:08:00.000+05:30

Its 2 am at night………
and I m trying very hard to do some work for my thesis
Wonderful awesome weather outside……..
Cool breeze and beautiful full moon
I m too mesmerized and equally distracted by the moonlight scattered all around
Why it happens every time before submission……
i dont know
because I want to freeze this moment
i am making this post
And the view of the moon and the clouds from my terrace
Is too great
Beyond words
for now I m already waiting
For the next full moon night

Wonder hw beautiful life would be on the coasts on full moon nights
I m sure will be too much for me

Eye of the tiger

2006-05-12T12:04:00.000+05:30

Rocky has been my hero more than batman or phantom.
His story has been the most inspiring story in my life……………
Most people associate rocky more with mindless machismo… but if u believe me its not at all like that……..

It’s the story of a down on his luck Philadelphia boxer and his determined rise to the top.
Of how, he accomplishes everything with nothing more than determination and heart.
Still retains his simplicity, his love, his mediocrity…
How he looses everything for his love, and cries so high in front of the church priest ……….his only friend
and rises every time with the eye of the tiger……….

Teaching how he never fights with muscle but with heart………..
Every line in the movie is so touching n very straight………….

In the end………….. The high point is of course his jog up to the Philadelphia square, with the whole city running behind
And he reaches the top of the court……….looks back to the city………..
And salutes triumphantly with both his hands up in mid air……….

You have come into the light

2006-05-06T13:51:00.000+05:30

While I was studying to be an architect…………..
one thing that always fascinated was the relation between form and light
Somedays back I found a beautiful concept which utilized light as the core principal to achieve spirituality………..
Immediately I wanted to freeze it on my blog

The concept for The Bahai Temple -South America

Set against the stirring background of the Andes,
the new Temple is to be a crystallizing of light-as-expression embodied in architecture.
This living Temple of Light, glowing with a dreamlike serenity and explores the entire range of the phenomena.
The surprise of an entirely new kind of space such as that embodied by the Temple is born, like an interweaving of cultures and languages, from the degree to which the building seems to dissolve and then to reappear………

Save my city

2006-05-03T15:01:00.000+05:30

After attending the seminar series ‘Imagining Delhi’…….
And having experienced what some big names imagine for its urbanism………….
I can’t find my optimism

Dirty mud splashing between the politician the architect and the planner………..
Sorry like everyone else I don’t believe in all three of you……

Amplification is not simplification
Your big names can’t save my city…….

Come Come Hanuman
Come Come Superman
Come Come save my city……….

Dishkyaaon

2006-05-01T10:23:00.000+05:30

Acknowledgement list

2006-04-29T07:23:00.000+05:30

Of late I have developed a fascination of reading acknowledgement lists of thesis and dissertation reports, even before I read the introduction of the report.
An acknowledgement says a lot about the author,
And knowing some of my seniors and myself having made gone through making them twice,
I feel the longer they get, the more diluted the effect.
Somewhat like the bollywood award ceremonies,
when Vivek Oberoi wins an award, he acknowledges even the daughter of the director……..

Some acknowledges are very interesting
I thank that special one for coming in my dreams to inspire me.....
I thank you honey for being so wonderful when it mattered.....
I thank my landlords for giving me sleepless nights.....
I thank my pet tommy to always wake me before class....
I thank Bill Gates for Microsoft word, without which this thesis would never have been possible....
I thank my faculty for being constant source of inspiration and direction…( the funniest one)

Well I can keep going on

In my thesis I will acknowledge
Google
Yahoo messenger
Blogger.com
Google earth
My Pentium P4, double board 945 chip, 512 ram 60 gb hard disk computer

Well I believe that acknowledgements are opportunities to thank those who helped in making the effort worthwhile.
And never as opportunity to gratify someone……..
Well this is purely my opinion and I apologize if it hurts anyone feelings.

Trucocophobia

2006-04-27T21:44:00.000+05:30

Traffic Jam

2006-04-27T01:01:00.000+05:30

How do you feel if you are struck in a traffic jam while you are on your way to discuss car free cities with faculty……
Well this is something that exactly happened to me today
After an approximate night out and standing almost all day manually drafting a huge 3 km stretch , I nearly missed a crit because of the traffic jam………
So by the time I made it to the studio, one and a half faculty had already left
Leaving me with Mr. Abhimanyu Dalal and Boston…
to face the music of one dimensional crits……..
It’s really hard to believe in the concept of car free cities when we all love to drive them………
And it takes me an exhaustive session to explain anyone what exactly I am doing in my research……

Well friends after getting stuck in a traffic jam so fresh n felt like a packaged vegetable for half an hour……….
I have reason more than belief why cars need to be taken out……..

failure

2006-04-26T01:05:00.000+05:30

The vast blue sky is the same
And same is the twinkling star

Twinkling Away from the rest

Tonight when I looked up with my heart filled
A tiny drop of rain fell into my eye

A drop had never been so heavy
For it got along
A whole rush of rain,
Not from the stars above
But from somewhere within

The fear of failure haunts
And its truth troubles

But also teaches
That with every failure
There comes another time
Another next time

And this is how
The twinkling star shining away from
The rest
Shines so bright

The Cha Bar

2006-04-25T00:32:00.000+05:30

Its that time of the year when I wish for ice creams for breakfast and lime juice for tea…

Somehow I have a great fascination for chilled things, the way they settle under the tongue and feeling that runs up to the head… mind blowing……… my way of getting high
So after today’s long pptish lecture it was time to get high………

Escorted by rwitee a group of like minded ppl headed for some fun
A 2 Rupee joyride to the closest bookshop from college and a session at cha bar was to follow…..

As we entered into the oxford book store all of us chased our ways towards different places and pages of interest……..
Such a fascinating store, I really liked the way every thing has been detailed out
Red coloured sea of books, so much knowledge lying all around…
n so ignorant me……
Such stores are always frequented by people of a characteristic orientation, in funny shapes and sizes……… always adorned in funky beard styles and branded clothes…… completely lost in the world of fine print……….. almost celebrity types…………
I always get scared in such intellectual places………..n I try a lot of pretensions……
Today while doing this, I found an inspiring book……….. ‘Successful men - short lives’ ………. But it was way too expensive………
I promised myself, that it will be the first thing I buy when with my first salary…..

some missed calls and some alarm bells caused us to assemble to the other half of the store…….. The cha bar………
with beautiful cutlery, soothing lighting, funky furniture, and cool graphics……… it was too unbelievable for a chai shop………

Every one orders different things……….. Was the brief………… n rwitee n nidhi made sure it was followed………….
Lots of click click and lots of lick lick….

Before leaving we decided
After graduating
The Cha Bar becomes the next melting pot for the consortium…………..

Landscape designers mind

2006-04-21T02:14:00.000+05:30

Urban Designers mind

2006-04-21T01:55:00.000+05:30

Architects mind

2006-04-20T21:33:00.000+05:30

Rain Rain, another day

2006-04-17T20:02:00.000+05:30

My state today quite resembled to the sparrow I have known for some weeks,
it lives on the Jamun tree in front of my house……

You can say I am trying to be friends with her…
I have also silently named her ‘bulbul’
I don’t quite know when she moved into my neighborhood, but I began to notice her only once her early morning chirping would wake me before my alarm clock…

Bulbul is a very busy customer, always upto something or the other…….

I actually don’t know whether she ever notices me, I try almost every thing to seek attention………..
I put breadcrumbs and a water chamber in my front lawn……..i must say all in vain

She visits our place everyday, not for the breadcrumbs, but to meet other birds who also flock here in the mornings………
the music they create gets too loud after a while……..

Strangely, this morning the flocking did not take place……
Apparently it was the clouds which was bothering them
Bulbul I think wasn’t prepared for the rain…….it was visible in the conduct……

I am sure the clouds must have brought cheers in the hearts of countless people………..
only bulbul and me had our strange reservations for it not to rain………

It never rains in Delhi in the month of April, so why this year
The only time it rained in April here………
It was two years back on a Good Friday……..
And was one of the most special days of my life……….a real good Friday…….
Strangely I remember it because of the rain,

So if it rained today, that day would no longer remain special…..
One of my strange beliefs…like the countless others than run in my head……

So all day I looked at the heavens above, silently praying for the clouds to come again another day……..
While returning home, the clouds after a lot of hide and seek gave way to the golden rays………

I was too delighted

Rwitee's B-Day party

2006-04-14T13:08:00.000+05:30

This is something about me I never understand,
before any special occasion something in me always wants to back out………
Don’t know why……..
And then I do all mad things just to make up with the fun I missed out …..
This is one thing I definitely want to change

So when Rwitee invited me for her BDay party, I confess, the same me was trying hard to think of excuses……….
But I was too scared of the aftereffects and the fireworks from her...
So with great inhibition, I reached the party ………. As usual late…….

Contrary to my feeling………. Before reaching her place…….
I must say …. I was expecting a great time ahead
Her cute house, small details and Partho’s witty ones……… I will never forget all my life….

From leg pulling sessions, to mimicking Sudeshna darling, and the classic videos by Kp……… the party had all the ingredients of SPA UD 2006 fun………

I will miss the gang too much
all happy ppl from different parts of the country……….

The sad part is that this was the last BDay party of our batch………
And very soon the birds will fly away…
But there is time at least a month and I shall leave that nostalgia for future posts………

For now I enjoyed every bit…….
And was too excited to meet Rohan… of whom I had heard countless stories from Sonal………
The wonderful icecream fizz, chocolate cake n the Chinese dinner
Waiting for next Bday Rwitee……
That will be on Friday the 13th
Hi hi ha ha

park side tradegy...

2006-04-13T09:53:00.000+05:30

To take a break from thesis
I went to the park next to my house…
I have spent a lot of time playing here as a kid, so I share a special bond with the space…

As an architect I even volunteered to give suggestions when some time back the Rwa decided to beautify the park…
But most obviously my suggestion did not figure high in their priority list…
They went ahead and made a uniquely ugly looking fountain with a fence all around, a concrete jogging track which I must say is dangerous, huge neon lights in the name of safety at night time and placed very funny benches, no one prefers to sit on them because of their straight formation.
They also divided the park into two halves, one was made into a lawn …
Kids are not allowed to play in the landscaped half, the only activity that takes place there is the early morning laughing club.

Now today to my surprise or shock
I heard, that the Rwa have decided to take the other half as well and convert it into a landscaped lawn.
And no more would the kids play there.
Here u have a case where the Rwa has encroached upon children’s play area.

This is a common scene in almost all the localities of Delhi,

This is how we are shaping our future generations, by closing down their environment to play we forced them indoors, in front of television sets and make them addicted to computer games…

Childhood memories- Ek aur Anek, Doordarshan video

2006-04-11T13:26:00.000+05:30

nostalgia.
:-)

to refresh childhood memories
http://www.ambimama.com/2006/03/30/childhood-memories-ek-aur-anek-doordarshan-videos/
thanks to Pragya

self obsession

2006-04-09T08:55:00.000+05:30

Benaras

2006-04-08T00:12:00.000+05:30

Benaras has to be a part of Sorabhism
Just now I got a message from my old friends who went and saw the latest movie Benaras
They were all excited and recommended me to definitely see the movie……….
Perhaps they all knew how animated I get about Benaras

My fascination dates back when I chose my architectural thesis site in benaras, and it was then when I actually got close and personal to the place…

The towering structures, the randomness of mass, the silhouette of chattris, the everyday life and the steps reaching on to the river……….
The musician’s colony, the akharas, the temples, the kite makers, the saree makers, the gurukuls, the black magicians and the countless stories and associations….
The smell of benarasi paan, the taste of benarasi sweets and the hussle bussle of religious activities…
The tight narrow streets suddenly dramatically opening on to the river…
What can I say of benaras
It simply takes my breath away
I always think that it’s the most passionate, inspiring place on earth
Often in my dreams in the twilight zone I fly over the city of light

And I want to take everyone there,
To the most exciting places I discovered there,
To the highest observatory I ever saw there
To the many stories I learnt there
And to the most moving experiences I felt there

top piucs are my design model, the last three pics are by Raghu Rai