For all I am

For all I need is
when you stare at me,
on one of those sleepless nights,
you feel the love
superseding the pain.

For all I want is
when you look at the stars,
with eyes that have seen wars,
you feel the light
illuminating the dark.

For all I seek is
when the world is full of chaos,
and the loved ones have left us alone,
you rescue me
from the chains of my own.

Nighttime

Nighttime is precious. The safest. The purest. You don’t have to speak to anyone. You are just left alone with your own thoughts. You get a new home apart from this dimension where you put everything on pause. You release, rest and recreate your soul. Not because you are hurting. Not because you are a loner. But because your inner being craves space, time, and isolation.

I hope I never get tired of my nighttime. 

I hope the same for you.

April, this year not otherwise

Through the mist a song is sung
A thrush chatters where the rose is hung
The beauty, an array of pulsing
Velvet petal, bringers of healing

The newness, the restoration
the promise of the Plumeria tree
The donning of the white rob
to venture back out the next spree

Tagetes, wooing and pleasing
and breezing in an unknown quest
Orchards, near and far away
where buds bloom coyly and rest

To the Sun, the Breeze, and the Blue Sky
The tides will ebb and flow infinite
April, this year not otherwise
pens it’s wild abandon into a prose so fine

(P.S. The pictures are from my backyard, clicked randomly during COVID-19 Lockdown.)

Quality Quarantine Covid-19 Lockdown

‘If I’m going to cocoon, I better come out a butterfly’

As we are locked down in our homes during this Covid-19 outbreak, many of us are finding comfort in our skincare routines. Skincare will be a clear winner during this isolation. 

A change in diet, activity and air can result in facial breakouts, dryness and other negative reactions. To combat these issues, there are simple tips you can use to practice good skin care. A lot of you aren’t wearing any makeup these days. You can also revise your daily routine using what you already have available in your houses. These are things that you can do today that don’t cost anything.

1. Reduce Stress

Social distancing poses a challenge to mental health, as it isolates people who may become lonely when separated from family, friends, and their usual lifestyle. Taking care of your mental health first is a good way to begin your skin care practices.

2. Read / Write / Stream

Take break from watching, reading, listening to news stories about the pandemic. The repeated information can really be upsetting. Read good books, blogs or maybe you can pen down something you have been wanting to. Stream good movies with family. Make time to unwind. There’s a reason they say, ‘Netflix and Chill’. Stay happy, Stay glowy.

3. Stay Hydrated

I cannot stress it enough but drinking water helps your skin, it’s been said to make your skin both softer and more supple. Drinking water also may reduce acne and will hydrate your skin. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, but not late at night. For men, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends a total of 13 cups (about 3 liters) of fluid each day. For women, they suggest 9 cups (a little over 2 liters).

4. Diet healthy

With restaurants closed and grocery stores picked over, it may feel hard to maintain a balanced diet but that’s one of the best ways to help your skin. Try eating healthy and balance your diet and you won’t regret it. Also, you can learn cooking. 

5. Improve sleep pattern

Even though your work schedule may change if you’re now working from home, you should make sure to get enough rest for the benefit of your skin. Proper sleep pattern reduces stress hormone cortisol and increases moisture levels in your skin.

6. DIY face masks

Recipes for home-made face masks are available all over the internet. You can combine a variety of commonly-used food ingredients like egg whites, oatmeal, honey, yogurt, oranges, lemons, sugar, coffee and more to make a variety of different all-natural masks.

Let’s just do the next 21 days WELL. #IndiaFightsCorona

LUMBINI, the birthplace of Lord Buddha- UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Want to see varied Asian architecture styles in a synopsis, visit the Monastic zones in Lumbini. Monasteries/Pagodas built by different countries highlighting their architectural beauty, paying homage to Lord Buddha are very aesthetic, very peaceful and worth a visit.

1. One of my favs, the Cambodian Monastery built by the Govt. of Cambodia in respect and tribute to Gautam Buddha has the most elaborate roof decorations of any of the sites. The multicolored murals and door panels, the detailed iconography, the architectural design matching the famous Angkor Wat are fascinating and visually-pleasing!

P.S. Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia and is the largest religious monument in the world.

2. The World Peace Pagoda, located outside and opposite the main compound and is constructed by Japanese Buddhist. the monument is coloured white with a golden buddha statue. The shining golden statue depicts the Buddha in the posture he assumed when he was born. Near the base of the stupa is the grave of a Japanese monk murdered by anti-Buddhist extremists during the construction of the monument.
3. The Great Lotus Stupa, this truly extravagant stupa constructed by the German Tara foundation consists of hollow crown partly covered in glass, revealing a small Buddha within. The ‘Great Lotus Stupa’ is one of the prominent monasteries in the area and rises to a height of forty meters, which is similar to the Shanti Stupa at the site. The stupa design goes back to the writings of Tibetan scholar Rigzin Choskyi Drakpa and is based on his ideas.
4. Myanmar Golden Temple is the oldest structure of the city. Built in Burmese style of architecture, the temple is dedicated to Lord Buddha. The impressive corncob-shaped shikhara, styled after the temples of Bagan gives a regal look to the whole structure. There are three prayer halls and a Lokamani Pula Pagoda inside the building.
5. The Maya Temple is the main temple at Lumbini, a site traditionally considered the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. The temple stands adjacent to a sacred pool (known as Puskarni) and a sacred garden. The archaeological remains at the site were previously dated to the third-century BCE brick buildings constructed by Ashoka. In 2013, an international team of archaeologists digging under the temple discovered the remains of an ancient tree shrine. The researchers speculated that the site is the earliest evidence of Buddhist structures and the first archaeological evidence of Gautama Buddha’s life. The entire place is very peaceful and beautiful. When you are done appreciating the beauty of the Maya Devi temple, take a moment to appreciate the serenity too. It is said that the Buddha achieved enlightenment meditating under a Peepal tree, people try their luck here by sitting underneath any of the beautifully decorated trees near the Puskarna Pond.
   

   The World Peace Pagoda

   

   The Cambodian Monastery

   

   The architectural design of Cambodian Monastery like the great Angkora Wat.

   

   Maya Devi temple

   

   The Great Lotus Stupa

   

   Visually pleasing detailings at The Great Lotus Stupa

   

   Make a wish at the German Lotus Stupa

   

   The golden statue of Lord Buddha at World Peace Pagoda

   

   The Myanmar Golden temple

   

That one encounter || That can never be repeated

One day
Hands slide
Across the waist
Up the spine

Shows her
The grey dream
Of full moon
That never shined

One night
Thoughts strike
Amidst chaos
The heart thrives

Reminds her
The dead soul
In graveyard
Once rhymed

Would we connect?

If my hair wrote mystery
instead of melancholy,
Would we connect?
If my eyes displayed romcom
instead of memories,
Would we connect?
If my lips painted ‘The Kiss’
instead of sadness,
Would we connect?
If my tongue emitted Wi-Fi
instead of poetry,
Would we connect?
If my neck projected drama
instead of Karma,
Would we connect?
If my footsteps inspired wanderers
instead of loners,
Would we connect?
Or If my body composed music
instead of cacophony,
Would we connect?

Safarnama//Travelogue

I feel
the waves love the beach
so very much,
that they refuse to stop kissing it.
And they cover it up snug,
you know, with a white foamy quilt;
and perhaps in that very moment,
they say, “Go to sleep, Darling, till we meet again.”

Coming Home.

All you really want is
for her to hold you
and sing to you
and tell you stories
because
she has so much art
in her soul
aching to come out.
And there’s so much
in her mind
that you want to
climb inside
and revel at her brilliance
and wander in those eyes
that feel like coming home
to a warm cup of ‘चाय’.

ALIENATION FROM SELF

Remember, no one is going to look at you, all broken, depressed, and shattered, and think- Damn, She’s got something! She is beautiful!
No one would appreciate that.
Even the phrase, “Broken is beautiful.” is a lie.
All those poets, writers, artists have lied in their poems, stories and songs that said embraced pain is beauty.
Pain isn’t something to be embraced. It is to be forgotten. It is to be overruled.
Pain is just a lame excuse of encouraging alienation from self.
It is a constant reminder of one’s lack of reconstruction, reinvention, and growth.
And Darling, do you really think all these sleepless nights for temporary loses is a sign of bravery?
Do you really think your self destruction is an answer of every wrong you’ve suffered?
Do you think they’re gonna realise and comeback with apologies?
No.
So stop it and wake up.
Wake up and brace up and design a new YOU.
A better and stronger version of the old YOU.
A motivated, inspired and independent YOU.
An indestructible YOU.
Because,
“PAIN IS TEMPORARY. PRIDE IS PERMANENT.”

Somedays

‘The popping sunset up on the hill’
And here I see the most beautiful sunset. So I think it’s okay for me to get all real and kind of philosophical with what i have to say/write…
Somedays
Yes somedays
You need to get up and make things happen. Gather up some warmth and inspiration. Realise that the best time is the very moment, it is right now.
Somedays
You need to be lost in lands where you have no identity. Where you are just alone by yourself, enjoying your solitude.
Somedays
You need to overcome every damn thing that has meant to destroy you.
You need to stop losing yourself inside someone else’s perspective of you.
Somedays
You need to learn how to close a door, forever. Cut and cauterize.
Let’s face it, everyone goes through a time in their life, where nothing seems right.
Because this is LIFE.
Here, every low leads to a high.