BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE! BEST OF THE BEST!!

   BEST OF THE BEST ! BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE !

        I love reading. I keep searching for new books. Few days ago I was just going through news and other stuff online. And one book caught my eyes. It was a book named 'GURKHA' and I immediately thought 'I want this book in my collection.'  I found it on online shopping site and luckily there was another interesting book I found with it, named 'PARAMVIR CHAKRA STORIES'. I couldn't be more happier. Immediately bought them both. These days my interest is more in Biographies or the books that tell tales of real people and not fictions. I have Biographies of Rafael Nadal, Malala Yusufzai, Sabriye Tenbarken,T. Lobsang Rampa, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and now these precious additions. After reading these two books, My respect for soldiers has doubled.

     Legendary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw famously quoted "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha". That is the legacy of the Gurkhas, and in all senses it's true.
    

This book 'Gurkha:Better to Die than Live a Coward:My Life with the Gurkhas' written by Colour Sergeant Kailash Khebang Limbu is the First ever Gurkha Autobiography. On the occasion of celebrating the 200th anniversary of Brigade of Gurkhas in the service of British Crown, Kailash Limbu has been selected to write the story of Gurkhas. In 1814-16, British forces faced Gurkha worriers for the first time when they invaded Nepal. Nepalese Gurkhas defended their land with great bravery. Impressed by their courage and fighting skills, Gurkhas were offered to be included in British army and the First Gurkha Regiment was raised. Post Indian Independence, out of 10 Gurkha Regiments, given Choice, 4 remained in service of Britain and 6 became part of Indian Army. In this book author writes about his unit's deployment in Afghanistan, the fierce battles with Taliban they faced there, the selection process of recruits for British Army, about his homeland.
    

Gurkhas are known as the most feared soldiers in the world. They are not just fierce but also they are well known for their Loyalty. At the same time they are sweet, caring, with great sense of humour as well. With their most dependable weapon 'Kukri', they are the deadliest. In Armed Forces, Every Regiment has its own Motto. I find the Motto of Gurkha Regiment most fitting and inspiring of all. "Kafar Hunnu Bhanda Marnu Ramro" means " Better to Die than Live A Coward". And all these Gurkha worriers live by this motto. There are many stories of their bravery in battlefield. British Gurkha Regiment has won 26 Victoria Crosses, Highest gallantry honour of England, out of which 13 were awarded to Gurkha soldiers. One of them was Lacchiman Gurung, Whose platoon was facing attack of over 200 Japanese. Even after his comrades getting severely injured, he fought alone. His one eye and one arm blown off in grenade explosion, still he kept firing his rifle with one hand and defended his position for hours. When the reinforcements found him in his trench, there were over 80 enemy dead bodies out of which almost 30 killed by himself.
     Another unbelievable story of Gurkha in 2010. In Afghanistan, Sergeant Dipprasad Pun of Royal Gurkha Rifles was on sentry  duty alone, when Taliban attacked his post. He single handedly fought over 20-30 Taliban fighters with machine gun and grenades and when one Talib reached on roof, rite in front of him and Dipprasad's gun misfired, he actually grabbed the heavy metal machine gun tripod and hit the enemy with it. He defended the post, saved his comrades, all by himself. Crazy that is. Dipprasad Pun has received bravery award from the Queen.
     And there is our own Gurkha Soldier from Indian Army, Bishnu Shreshtha. This retired soldier was on the train returning to his home when around 30-40 armed robbers attacked the train. Looting the valuables. But when they approached a teenage girl with bad intentions, Bishnu shreshtha couldn't just watch. He drew his trusted Kukri and attacked the robbers, leaving 3-4 dead bandits and others running to save themselves, so scared that they even left the loot behind. For his incredible act , he received Sena Medal for Bravery and Uttam Jeeva Raksha Medal. This is the Kind of Worriers the Gurkhas are. And that’s exactly why the Gurkha Soldiers are called,"THE BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE."

   

Indian Armed Forces are recognised as one of the best Armed Forces in the World. What makes our Army great is the Bravery, Courage and Determination of our Soldiers. The other book I am referring here is very Special. It is "The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories" written by Rachana Bisht Rawat. The book tells the battle stories of all the 21 Param Vir Chakra Recipients  of Indian Armed Forces. The author herself is wife of an Army Officer. For writing this book, she Travelled all over India to gather authentic information of these soldiers and the battles they fought. She interviewed those Paramvirs who are still alive. For others she met their families, Friends, fellow soldiers from their units. The book is very well written. PARAM VIR CHAKRA is the Highest Gallantry Award in India. Till date there are 21 Param Vir Chakras are awarded to brave soldiers for their incredible display of courage, leadership & sacrifice. Most of them were in their early 20s. While reading these stories of these real life heroes of our country, you actually get tears in eyes and your heart fills with more & more respect for each & every soldier serving to protect his country. We, civilians, live peacefully only because of these brave men, guarding our borders with their lives on line.

     21 PARAM VIRS OF INDIA 
     Immediatly after the partition, First war between Independent India and Pakistan took Place in 1947-48, which gave the Pakistanis the taste of capabilities and strength of Indian Army.                        
* Major Somnath Sharma- Indo Pak War 1947-48
* Lance Naik Karam Singh- Indo Pak War 1947-48
* Major Ram Raghoba Rane- Indo Pak War 1947-48
* Naik Judunath Singh- Indo Pak War 1947-48
* Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat- Indo Pak War 1947-48

     Not just in Indian wars but our soldiers showed utmost bravery in the wars abroad in the UN Operations.
* Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria- Katanga, Congo 1961      

     In 1962, the war with China, though the war was lost by India, every Indian soldier showed great courage and fought with everything they had got till the end.
* Major Dhan Singh Thapa- Indo-Chinese War 1962
* Subedar Joginder Singh- Indo-Chinese War 1962
* Major Shaitan Singh- Indo-Chinese War 1962
                                                                                                                                                       
     Thinking that the Indian defence is weak, Pakistan attacked Kashmir in 1965, which proved grave mistake for Pakistan. Pakistan faced Humiliating defeat. In the battle of Asal Uttar, more than 90 Pakistani Patton Tanks were destroyed or captured by Indian Army.
* Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid- Kashmir War 1965 
* Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Tarapore- Kashmir War 1965

    India went to War with Pakistan in 1971 to help Bangladesh get Independence. In yet another humiliating defeat Pakistan surrendered to India. Over 90000 Prisoners of War were taken in by Indian Army. 
* Lance Naik Albert Ekka- Indo-Pak War 1971
* Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon- The Only Air Force Officer awarded Param Vir Chakra till date- Indo-Pak War 1971
* 2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal- Indo-Pak War 1971
* Major Hoshiar Singh- Indo-Pak War 1971
 
    Siachin Glacier which is named after Sia flowers of that region, is the Highest and geographically most difficult battle field on  the Earth and is controlled by Indian Army. After Independence both India & Pakistan fought for the control over  Siachin Glacier. Ultimately India won.
* Subedar Major ( Honorary Captain) Bana Singh- The Quaid post which Bana singh and his two men captured is known as Bana Post- Saltoro Ridge-Siachin-1987       

    At the time of Militant crisis( LTTE) in Shri Lanka, Indian Troops were sent for helping Shri Lankan Army in Peace Keeping.
 * Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran- Operation Pawan 1987-90
               
     The Famous Kargil War. Pakistan sent the militants and soldiers to infiltrate Indian border in Kargil district. The war was won by Indian Army with Support of Indian Air Force. The day of Victory is Known as Vijaya Divas.
* Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey- The Kargil War 1999
* Grenadier Yogeneder Singh Yadav- With 15 bullets in his body, he survived- The Kargil War 1999
* Havildar Sanjay Kumar- The Kargil War 1999
* Captain Vikram Batra- also known as Shershah- The Kargil War 1999

    These are "THE BEST OF THE BEST" of Our Indian Armed Forces.

    Some of these Param Virs like Vikram Batra, Manoj Kumar Pandey are known to young generation because of the movie  LOC Kargil. Also in the celebration of bravery of Param Vir Chakra Heroes , An illustrated series in set of 5 books is Published recently named VEER GATHA. This series of books is in the format of Comic book which makes it suitable for children to understand. Young Indian Generation really needs to know about all these Heroes and their Courage. Not only these but all the Unsung Heroes of the Indian Armed Forces who put the Country before their own lives. 


             Each and Every Soldier is the Hero for us!!!

   


  

IFSC BOULDERING WORLD CUP 2016, NAVI MUMBAI

 

Photo by IFSC CLIMBING WORLD CUP 2016, NAVI MUMBAI

                 A DREAM COMES TRUE...!!

     13th May to 16th May 2016. These four days were the most important and memorable days in the life of every Indian climber as they witnessed an Epic event unfolding in front of their eyes. It was 1st ever IFSC Bouldering World Cup held in India. It was a Dream came true for all of us, for all the climbing community in India.

    It all started few years ago, when Abhijit Burman AKA Bong Da and Girivihar Family had thought of organising a world cup in India. Girivihar already had history of organising very successful International Open bouldering competitions in Navi Mumbai for many years in a row. A Thought became an Idea, An Idea became The Reality because of the passionate efforts of whole Girivihar Team.

    Once they put forth the proposal to IFSC for organising world cup in Navi  Mumbai, India, there was no looking back. Bong da knew it was humongous task, specially in country like India. But he and whole Girivihar team was ready to make it possible. He had many meetings with IFSC people, visited many Climbing gyms abroad to get the idea of foreign climbing conditions and climbers. Also Bong da, Franco Linhares, Vinita Chhatwani , Sandeep Bhagyawant and Anushka Kalbag attended World Cup event in Munich to get the practical idea about how to conduct the world cup. They collected every tiny detail of the event. After IFSC Got satisfied with all the aspects, it gave a nod for hosting the world cup in India for the 1st time.

    After receiving official permission from IFSC, the real task began. That was Preparation for the event. The 1st and the most hard task was the Fund raising. The budget was in crores. In cricket crazy country like India, it was very hard to reach to the  people for funds. They made appeal to all climbing and adventure community to donate anything possible. CIDCO, Navi Mumbai provided very good venue for event that is CIDCO Exhibition Centre in Vashi. Many good friends of Girivihar team Donated with both hands. But still much more was needed. Even though there are people who actually want to support climbing, there are also some who only talk about promoting climbing but when times like this come to financially support the cause they back out. I am saying this from my experience. My home town Nasik, which has considerable numbers of old and new generation of mountaineers and climbers but except for few of us, not a penny was donated from Whole Nasik. Its really sad and shameful thing. Anyway, good cause always finds a way to get through. When there was a month or so left for event and still finance was way too short, Tata Trust came forward and Sponsored Generously. And all the things started to look achievable. It was all possible because of Bong da, Franco and all the Girivihar team which was working relentlessly, sleeplessly. In the final stage of it, they all were working their hearts out. And they did it all by themselves. From arranging funds, reaching out to media, making the Wall (One wall was of Enterprises but 2nd wall was locally made by their trusted carpenter Raju.), arranging accommodation and food for all volunteers and IFSC Officials. 
 

Photo by Jitendra Gaikwad

     Participation of some big names in climbing made the atmosphere even more enthusiastic. Rustum Gelmanov from Russia, Sean MacColl from Canada, Shauna Coxsey from UK signed up for world cup. Also big teams from Japan, Iran, Nepal, Korea, Austria, Canada, UK, A climber from Singapore and a big team from our own India. So total 20 countries participated. IFSC sent their Route setters and our own, Vaibhav mehta (Who also did the live commentary on the IFSC Channel  live streaming with official commentator) and Praveen from Banglore joined them as route setters. They enjoyed setting routes on Indian wall more than imported wall. All the holds and equipments, one crash-mat were imported. One crash-mat was donated by Gipfel company. So eventually stage was set and Wait for this epic event was about to get over.

    Finally on 13th May, event started. Me and my husband Bhushan  got the opportunity to be a part of official team which was a huge thing for us.  On 1st day, all the registrations took place. Foreign climbers got the taste of Mumbai weather that day. It was horribly hot and humid, but thankfully the Isolation hall and Main hall was AC. Every volunteer was given a duty like registration, ticketing, technical team, brusher team, judging, food and accommodation, Isolation team etc etc. Whole event is supposed to be executed as per strict IFSC Rules and Regulations. I got the ticketing task which was  important but we had to sit outside the competition hall, in fact outside the entrance, in that hot humid condition for whole two days and had to skip all the action except the Finals. Poor our Ticketing team ..!! But It was worth the two things. 1st, The totally amazing, mind blowing finals and 2ndly Pride of being part of this historical event.

    On 14th, Qualification round took place. 20 men and 20 women climbers including all the big names got through to semi finals. But as expected all the Indian climbers could not perform well. They were short of proper training as there is lack of  proper facilities, inappropriate coaching. Also they looked nervous, playing on such a huge platform, competing with so many great climbers. We can't blame them as IMF is supposed to make available better facilities and training to them which is clearly not happening. But still it was good platform for Indian climbers to know the pressure of being in world cup and to train hard accordingly for future.

Photo by Jitendra Gaikwad

    Next day, 15th may, started with the Semis. In a surprising competition, favourites like Sean and Shuana dropped out of semis. Rustum made it to the finals. Japanese climbers were amazing. 6 out 20 made it to finals for both men and women. At 6 pm Grand finale started. All of us went inside to watch it. Arena was jam packed. Over thousand spectators were cheering for the climbers, shouting their names, moving from boulder to boulder for better view of each climber. all were very enthusiastic which made finalists to perform better. In the epic battle for podium Japan clearly triumphed. Kokoro Fujii from Japan flashed 3 boulder out of 4 with style and took only 2 attempts for final boulder, his fellow Japanese Tomoa Narasaki wasn't far behind in attempts. 3rd place went to Alexey from Russia. In women group as well Miho Nonaka from Japan did awesome climbing to capture 1st place followed by Monika from Germany for 2nd place and again Akiyo Noguchi from Japan took 3rd palce on podium. It was totally Japan's Day to celebrate. And specially when it was both Kokoro's and Miho's maiden world cup title. They put up a great show and they won the hearts of all Indian crowd. Other than the winners, all climbers from all countries gave all the spectators reason to love them. So the 1st ever world cup hosted in India by Girivihar was a huge huge success.

     On 16th may, there was Promotional Masters Climbing Competition. Many Indian climbers as well as Iranian team,Canadian team,Nepalese team took part in it. Canadian Brother & sister Eric & Elise Sethna won the masters competition. In men category 2nd and 3rd spot captured by Iranian climbers. In Women 2nd position went to Iranian climber followed by another Canadian girl for 3rd place. Finally the 4 days event came to an end on a high note. Girivihar got the great reviews from the foreign climbers and IFSC officials about organisation of event. Many tweeted that it was one of the top 3 well organised world cups of 2016. Route setters liked Indian wall for route setting. They all loved the Indian hospitality. Though the over heat was the negative point but every other aspect was nicely organised and there is hope to hold world cup next year as well, hopefully in winter season.

  

As for me I am proud beyond words to be a part of organising team, may be in a small way, but its huge pleasure for me. I have been attending Girivihar's competitions for many years now and world cup is cherry on the cake. Working with these amazing, passionate people is something I will cherish always.  Thanks a lot and Bravo Girivihar team, and All the volunteers who came from across India to help and All the great climbers who participated and made this event as Great and Spectacular as it was.

     This blog can't end without giving due credit by names to CORE Girivihar team whose tremendous efforts made this possible. Abhijit Burman, Franco Linhares, Vaibhav, Vinita, Sandeep Bhagyawant, Sandeep Varadkar, Sharad, Shyam, Mangesh, Gaurang, Vivek, Sandesh, Neerav, Rohan,Anushka,Kunal, Nishit, Dilip, Kaivan, Priya, Praveen, Sunny, Sunil, Akshay, Divyaka,Nina from Switzerland who worked tirelessly with constant smile for all days and those important members of Girivihar who I don't know personally, All the Sponsors, Donors, Media, each and every other volunteer who came from Mumbai and other states of India. Also those who came from other countries to help with the event. Huge Thanks to all the spectators who made this event a grand success by their presence.

    
HATS OFF TO THE PASSIONATE EFFORTS OF EVERYBODY!! 

    

Rising Talent

                              RISING TALENT!!!

 

      My talented friends make  very good subjects for my blogposts. I am very lucky to have such  friends. I love to introduce their talent and achievements to the world and I feel very proud when people appreciate & recognize their potential and capabilities to succeed.
 

Past few years have been very good for adventure sports in Nasik. Many young kids are  experiencing the thrill of it. Along with  Rock Climbing, some more adventure sports have become familiar to Nasikites that are Slack lining, Mountain Biking etc. & one of my good friends 'Bhupesh Patil' is making his name shine in climbing and Slack lining.

 Bhupesh AKA Raj is an engineering student. We became friends when in 2013, he, along with his friends, went to Himalayan trek with my husband Bhushan to Manali. Bhushan introduced them to Rock climbing. We have a small artificial climbing wall at our home . They started coming for climbing. It was just another temporary hobby for others but Raj really got involved in this sport. He loved it. He started to work out regularly. He was pretty good for a beginner. Bhushan guided him very well and this teenage kid became a fine climber in the period of less than 3 years.

 

Raj didn't stop at just climbing. Actually he is kind of Multi-talented Boy. Even in school , he was in Gymnastics and athletics. The flexibility and stamina he had developed being an athlete helped him to develop his climbing as well. He also Practises MMA (Mixed Marshal Arts) ,Participates in MMA competitions too.
     

After an year since  he started climbing ,we took him to participate in Girivihar International Bouldering Competition in Mumbai. He played in Amateurs category. Though it was his very first climbing competition , he secured 2nd position in amateurs. It was very good achievement for him. Everybody appreciated his efforts. After Girivihar , he played West zonal competitions and in that he was semi finalist in Bouldering  & Lead . He was on the right track.  
As a person , he is a great friend. His friendly nature makes people like him. He gels with all very well. Though young in age , he is quite matured, helpful and caring person. He is very enthusiastic boy who is eager to learn different things. And because of this nature he made some good friends from climbing community. Through these new friends , he stepped into world of yet another adventure sports that is Slack lining. A new acquaintance, SAMAR FAROOQUI became his mentor . Samar is one of the best Slack liners in India. He was featured in Reality Talent show named 'India's Got Talent'. It was a nice platform to promote Slacklining in India.

  Yet again Raj excelled in this new sport in no time. In few months , he was able to do the tricks on the Line.  Bhushan, Raj, Samar also organized slack lining work shop in city. Many kids enjoyed it. With their efforts ,slack lining made a news in Nasik news papers. Raj didn't stop at just trick lining, he also dared to go for High Lining under Samar's Guidance. The group went to Talwade Khind at Anjaneri fort for the very first High Lining attempt in Nasik. Starting with Bhushan's safe anchoring at the Height of 70-80fts, the line was fixed and Samar & Raj gave it a shot. In windy conditions, after many scary falls , they both completed the walk. It was a big confidence boosting achievement for them , specially for Raj as he was again just a new comer in slack lining field. They have visited  Badami 3-4 times in past few months to do the high line projects. First highline project was 'Master of Cookies' and another one was 'FOR RICHHIE' in the Memory of their good friend Richard Khair. At Dukes Nose, they did 50fts highline named 'Dreamline'.

Though Raj is much into slack lining these days , he follows climbing too. Now more on natural rocks. In Badami he has climbed some good grade routes. He is yet to discover the beauty of boulders of Hampi and Thrill of high altitude climbs, but it's just matter of time now with all the climber friends around.This Multi-Talented pupil has made his guides and 'as a friend' me,proud so far. As he is still very young, he has many years to refine his skills and techniques & to explore other adventure sports. 

          The Key to success is Focus & Practice but also  Humbleness & Being down to Earth. And with these things , may he reach the new heights. Hope that he will make good use of his talent in promoting these sports  in Nasik and to attract more  young crowd to adventure field.

            Nasik wants more of these kind of Talent to Rise 
       & Bring Nasik's name to Glory!!!

   

   

                                          SHINE BRIGHT , LIEUTENANT !!!

        Yet another reason to be proud given to us by our beloved friend Ankit Sharma. He has added another Feather in his cap ... Actually,The Shining Stars on his shoulders. He has fulfilled his most important dream. Achieved the goal for which he was working so hard ....!
        A boy has become a man. Climber Ankit Sharma is now Lieutenant Ankit Sharma. An Officer In The Indian Army. The Proudest thing for his family and for us, his friends who stood behind him and supported him on this important journey towards his goal.
        Along with his family, I got the opportunity to attend his Passing Out Parade. It was a lifetime experience. I still can't get over the feeling of pride and happiness. I am so grateful to him to consider us as family and giving opportunity to be there for him at the most precious moment of his life. The experience was one of a kind. Not everyone gets the chance to watch the POP Live in action. My heart is still overflowing with the emotions. So I have to share it,write it in words to make those emotions flow.
    

CHIEF GUEST!!

 The Passing Out Parade was scheduled on 12th Sep. 2015 in Chennai at Officers Training Academy

(OTA). We reached chennai on 10th and on the same day in the evening,there was a function at OTA.We all went to OTA by 5 pm. The moment we entered the main gates of OTA Campus,The feeling of Pride struck me. Hundreds of parents,friends of cadets had gathered there.It was so awesome to see all the Cadets in their Uniforms.

 Women Cadets were looking as strong and invincible as men in those uniforms and in soldier cuts.That evening,there was a Award ceremony. First the Award ceremony took place. Best performing cadets and Companies received the Medals and Trophies.

Ankit himself has been awarded with two medals as Best in Marching and Shooting and Best in Physical Training. It was nice to see him on stage receiving those medals.Then there were performances by cadets. Dances, Singing, Music, Acts. 

And I must say, they all are Multi-talented. It was great show. It was followed by Dinner at their Grand Cadet mess. Then Ankit took all of us to his Company Building. Naushera Company.That evening I met one other person who added to our pride as Nasikites. A girl cadet from Nasik. Its very great to see someone from my hometown,that also a girl who is gonna be an Officer.      


There are 7 companiess of cadets in OTA. Naushera, Jessami,Kohima,Meiktila,Basantar of Gentlemen Cadets and Zozila and Philora of Lady Cadets. These companies are named after the places where the battles were fought in past. OTA is the only military academy in India that trains lady

LADY OFFICERS!!

officers. In this batch there were also 14 Afgan GCs. Some of our friendly neighbouring countries send their cadets to India for military training to enhance their skills. Here,at OTA, all these cadets have to train too hard in humid climate of Chennai, go through rigorous,hectic and very tough training for 11 months to become respectable and responsible officers. Lady cadets go through same training, shoulder to shoulder, as men and excel in it. Hats of to them all.Not only to them but all the servicemen and women,The Brave-hearts,in Indian Defence sector.     

         On 12th Sep., we went to OTA at 5 in morning. It was a Big day for everybody. Final Passing Out Parade of Cadets for Becoming commissioned officers. Lieutenants!! At 6 am,all gathered in a parade ground.In front of us there was huge

PASSING OUT PARADE!!

'Parameshwaran Gate' from which the Cadets were going to enter the ground. In short time, they arrived. Marching on the rhythm of band.That scene gave all of us goosebumps. Then The chief guest arrived. Lt. Gen Bakshi. After his speech all the companies marched and circled whole ground. At the end,they slow marched out of the ground towards the 'Antim Pag'.They all were smiling with immense joy. All spectators were so proud of their achievement.The moment cadets crossed the last step,all their emotions broke out. Some broke into tears of joy and pride.Ran into their parents arms. It was hearth-touching scene.

        At the end, came the most important part. Revealing of shining stars and Taking the Oath as an Officers. The stars on the shoulders were revealed by the parents or those who were dear to them. Then all the newly commissioned officers gathered in the

OATH TAKING CEREMONY!!

middle of ground surrounded by proud people. They took an Oath to protect and serve the nation and to sacrifice their lives in the line of duty. Then they sang the Army Song" Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja", followed by our National Anthem. Finally they celebrated their achievement with such an intensity and excitement that gave all the spectators  overwhelming feeling of Pride and Patriotism. For parents it was a feeling of satisfaction that they have raised and nurtured these brave-hearts. Those 3 days are imprinted so deep on my mind which will never  fade away. Looking at these young officers, I wish I could be there where they are standing. If I could go back in time,I would do everything to be like them. 

         As for Ankit, he has always chosen the difficult path in his life,fought his way to success  every time. Without having any family background of Adventure or Army, he First excelled in Climbing ,winning Gold for India in climbing Internationally and Now taking totally different path, he has become an Army Officer. I am so proud of Ankit as much as his family is. I believe that he is destined for greatness and till now he has always proven that.

             

We all wish him and all his Fellow Officers All the very best for their future. May they make the nation proud!!!

Friendship: A Beautiful Bond

                   

                         Friendship : A Beautiful Bond

         My own blog is an ideal place to express my own thoughts and opinions about anything I wish. So today I would like to share my thoughts and feelings about a divine bond of friendship. I value Friendship very much in my life. Sometimes more than anything else. For me, It is the second most beautiful bond after the mother & child bond. The love and care these two relations share are absolutely unconditional. In my opinion, True friendship is very deep and sensitive feeling that touches your heart and soul. 
        
         We meet hundreds and thousands of people in life. Many of them get attached to us. Some of them get closer. We call them "FRIENDS". Though we have many good friends, among them there are always couple of very special friends whom we consider as Best Friends.. Rather I would like to call them 'Soul Friends'. They become our lifelong buddies. 

       Everybody must find his or her Soul Friends in life sooner or later. Best friends definitely changes ones life. One can't exactly define the word 'Best friend' but only can feel it by heart.The moment you realise that certain person has become inseparable part of your life, you wonder that till that moment you were lonely inside, even though you had many so called friends. True Friendship is beyond the boundaries of age, gender or different natures.

      It's really an awesome feeling knowing that you have these amazing best friends with you. Not necessarily they have to be nearby you all the time. Distance of miles doesn't affect the bond of True friendship. In fact distance strengthens this bond. Because more you miss them, more you value them and when you meet them after long gaps,you get closer.

      

        True friends play every possible role in your life just like family. They love and care and also scold like mother and father. They back you up in troubled times as well as they fight with you like brother or sister. They complete you like partners. Even when they are sad, they seek your shoulder to cry on just like a child. 'Family may not take place of friends but Best friends can always become a family.'  

       

         Best Friend is always a person with whom you can share any damn thing in world, even the things that  you can't tell to family. Very openly and without any hesitation. Best friends share their joys as well as problems and sadness with each other. They don't consult Watch & Wallet, when its about their most beloved friend. Best friends don't need words to understand your thoughts and feelings. Expressions, silence, tone of voice speak instead. They just know in their heart  what their friend exactly need at different times, in different moods.

 

        

         True friends always wish happiness for each other. They love and care for each other unconditionally and without expecting anything in return. You Fight for them, you protect them. You find happiness in their joys and achievements and their pain brings tears to your eyes. If they are sad or hurt, you yourself spend restless days and sleepless nights, though you are far away from them, Because you can feel their pain. You just wish to be with them and ease their pain by any means possibles.
        

       But still, when there is love and care, there come fights & misunderstandings. Close friends too fight, get mad at each other, swear of not talking until other one talks first. But then even if you are angry with your dearest friend, you can't stay mad at them more than few hours. You or them eventually end up in calling or texting each other and saying sorry and laughing like nothing has happened ever. Sometimes you envy their other best friend for being their buddy more than you and little later, you realise how silly and funny your feeling of jealousy is, which is coming out of your unknowing possessiveness about them.

        Friendship is  not just about hanging around with your friends all the time or partying and drinking hard with them. True Friendship is all about understanding feelings of your friends and holding their hand in every good or bad situation and being there for them no matter what. I dream of such a wonderful and loving bond of friendship and soul friends.
           
      True Friendship is an Amazing thing, worth living for...!!!

        

          

           
        

        
          

                              RAFA: THE LIVING LEGEND

       
               RAFA: MY STORY! An Autobiography of Tennis Player Rafael Nadal. This book was on my wishlist for long time and now finally I bought it and read it. At instant it has become one of my favourite books. Not just because it's about my most favourite sportsman but also it's been written very gracefully. I couldn't resist myself from writing something about the book and Rafael Nadal. I am not an expert but as an amateur I strongly recommend this autobiography to all, specially to people with interest in sports. 

                     

      This book is written by Rafael Nadal and Co-author John Carlin. Already this book has been appreciated by experts as one of the best Autobiographies written by athletes. Remarkable thing is Nadal has written the book at the age of 26, such a young age. As there are two authors, it is written from point of view of both of them , which makes it more interesting. The book starts with the 2008 Wimbledon final match Nadal vs Federer and this match continues in every chapter till the end. Game to Game , Set to Set. The continuation is so smooth that reader doesn't feel cut off from the flow of reading when it switches from match to Nadal's life memories.  It is beautifully written book indeed. The whole book keeps the excitement till the end. I actually couldn't stop smiling while reading it till the end.

             

            We people only watch these players on screen in action. We cheer for them , we appreciate them when they win but we criticise them and doubt their skills when they lose. We never know actual hard work behind their success or hard times , injuries behind  their failure. That's why I feel that people should read this and other books about athletes so that they will know the hardship any sportsman faces to become what he is. After reading this autobiography my respect for Rafael Nadal has increased tremendously. In this book he has revealed all the things that made him a better player ,a better human being, how hard he trained since his childhood, how his family played a vital role in his life, his fears, his achievements, everything..

           

         Rafael Nadal belongs to  Mallorca in Spain. He lives with his whole family (parents , sister, uncles , aunts and grandparents) This is how they like in Mallorca, living together as big family, doing everything as family. Family is his greatest strength. Family which provides sense of security , peace and love. Rafa values his family the most in whole world. Same he feels about his friends and his team. He respects, loves and values each and every member of this little world of his. He says that whatever he has achieved today is because of his family and his team which is inseparable part of his life.

       

          In Childhood Rafael wanted to become a football player. His uncle Miguel Angel was a pro football player. Rafa himself is a Big Real Madrid Fan. He also likes to play golf. He admires Tiger Woods very much among all sportsmen. Then he Started practising tennis with his uncle and coach Toni Nadal and his uncle saw great potential in him to become pro tennis player. Rafa chose tennis over football and that choice proved very right for him. While training with his uncle , he never got special treatment than other boys,  rather he had to train much harder than others. His parents and uncle always taught him to keep his feet on ground, to respect his opponents. Nadal is always admired by world not only for his tennis but also for his humbleness and fighting spirit. He tells that this lesson of humility is given by his parents , uncle and Mallorcan Culture. In his hometown , he is only Rafael Nadal and not a celebrity. That is the only place where he gets the peace of mind and be himself. It is also surprising to read that whenever he wins tournaments or grand slams, they never make fuss of it , never throw big parties and he likes it that way.

        Tony Nadal ,his uncle and coach constantly gave him lesson of Endurance and dedication. Physical and mental Endurance. Rafa is well known for his incredible mental strength. He has won many great matches which he was about to lose because of his  ability to endure. He tells in this book about his one Tournament when he was a teenager. It was Spanish Under-14 National  Championship. He broke his little finger in first round but didn't pull out of the tournament. With that broken finger he fought through all rounds and won the final. What an incredibly strong  person he is... ! It reminds me of his Australian open final of 2014 against Wawrinka. He Was suffering from severe back pain from first set  but he completed the match. He lost but won respect of people. He completed match just for Wawrinka's sake. So That he wouldn't  feel his victory incomplete. That sense of responsibility make him great player.  Talking about Injuries, Rafa is full of them. He had been diagnosed with a very rare disease of a bone in his left foot. He calls it his own version of "Achilles' heel". It could have been finished his career. He has to wear specially made shoes to provide comfort to that bone which can't be cured totally.  Later he  suffered from Knee Injury for which he had to take Painful injections in his knee to get rid of it completely. Despite of all these injuries, he reached to the Top Of Rankings at the age of 25. He is  absolute Superhuman!!!

 

    There is one more very important part of his nature which makes him great human being. Humility, Humbleness. Though he is one of the elite tennis players, he keeps his feet on ground. He respects his every opponent whether that opponent is top seeded or not. He never underestimates his opponent and never presumes his victory unless he actually wins. Whenever his opponent hits a good shot, he immediately appreciates it on court. In person he is good friend of fellow tennis players. In his after match speeches also he always congratulates and appreciates his opponents for their good play. That's why he doesn't only win titles but also million hearts of people.

      

     World sees Rafael Nadal as A Gladiator , Perfectionist, Fighter,  Extraordinary  Tennis Player But As a Person , he is very simple ordinary boy . John carlin describes him as "Superman and Clark Kent". In book Nadal has revealed many amusing things about himself. He Craves for Olives but doesn't like cheeze. They say he is a fussy eater. He is very protective of his mother, sister. His mother and sister tell that he is uneasy with darkness, and swimming in deep sea, Speedy driving, storms and lightnings. Accepting weaknesses is not something everyone can do. But Rafa does. He is not ashamed of who he is and that makes him greatest. He keeps his personal family life away from Glamour of his celebrated life. His family and his girlfriend also likes to keep it that way.

       

         Now talking about his achievements its  incredible to see what he has achieved at such young age.

         He won his very first tournament at the age of 8 which was Under -12 Championship of Balearic Islands.

        His First ATP Title at the age of 15. Davis Cup at 18.

        He won First Grand Slam that is French Open at the age of just 19.

      In 2008 , he won his First Wimbledon Title, Olympic Gold Medal and took the Number One place in the World Rankings.

          2009 , His first Australian Open Title.

      2010, he Won 3 Grand slams in one year , including first US Open Title which completed his Career Grand Slam making him, at the age of 24 , the Youngest Player to achieve this in open era which is unbreakable record.

     & Now after 3 years of publication of his Autobiography , There are some more records on his name. Record of Most French Open Titles which is 9 times till date , is almost unbreakable record. Also record of winning 5 French open title in row. These numbers clearly prove that why he is called "THE KING OF CLAY."

          In next few years he will be breaking record of Roger Federer of most Grand Slam Titles which is currently 17.

       Also he holds record of winning atleast one Grand slam title per year in 10 consecutive years .

    There are  many ATP Tournament records he holds as well and more will be there. All these statistics are simply unbelievable. These numbers speaks for his greatness.

          There is too much to write about this awesome athlete but words are less. He is determined and hungry for more. His humble attitude as human Off court and ferocious , determined attitude as player On court makes him Bestest of the Best. More importantly A Good Human Being.

  

I AM AND I ALWAYS WILL BE DIE-HARD RAFA FAN.....!!!

  
    

      

       

           

            

           

                 

                 मराठी विसरत चाललेली मराठी पिढी
            
           पालक बनलेल्या सगळ्यांना एक प्रश्न हमखास विचारला जातो तो म्हणजे 'मुलाला कुठल्या शाळेत घालणार?' आणि विचारणाऱ्या व्यक्तीला सर्वाधिक अपेक्षित असणारे उत्तर असते ते म्हणजे ' इंग्लिश मिडीयम.' हाच प्रश्न जेव्हा मला विचारला जातो तेव्हा माझे ' मराठी शाळेत घालणार' हे उत्तर ऐकून विचारणाऱ्या व्यक्तीच्या चेहऱ्यावर ' काय मूर्खपणा करतायेत' असाच भाव असतो. मग पुढची १५ मिनिटे मराठी शाळेत घालणे कसे वेडेपणाचे आहे आणि इंग्लिश मिडीयम मध्ये घालून कसा फायदा होतो यावर सल्ले देण्यात जातात. यात सर्वात गमतीची पण वाईट वाटायला लावणारी गोष्ट म्हणजे हे भाषण देणारे अर्ध्याहून अधिक लोक शुद्ध मराठी कुटुंबातील आणि स्वतः मराठी शाळेत शिकलेले असतात आणि यातील बहुतेकांची मुले इंग्रजी शाळेत शिकत असतात.
          आजकाल मुलांना इंग्रजी माध्यमात शिकवणे हा स्टेटस सिम्बॉल बनला आहे. सुखवस्तू वर्गापासून अगदी कामगार वर्गातील लोकांचा मुलांना इंग्लिश शालेत घालण्याचा अट्टाहास असतो मग भलेही गरज असो व नसो, भरमसाठ डोनेशन भरणे  परवडत असो वा  नसो. अर्थात प्रश्न लोकांच्या दृष्टिकोनाचा आहे , शाळांचा नाही. शाळा मराठी असो किंवा इंग्रजी वा  हिंदी असो तिथे मिळणारे ज्ञान उत्कृष्टच असते. इंग्रजी माध्यमात शिकून फायदा होतो  हे बरोबर असले तरी मराठी शाळेत शिकून नुकसान होते असे म्हणणे पूर्ण चुकीचे आहे. जे पालक मुलांना स्वेच्छेने मराठी मध्यमात  घालू इच्छितात त्यांना वेडे ठरवणे हाच एक मूर्खपणा आहे असे माझे स्पष्ट मत आहे. सध्या लोकांचा असा दृष्टीकोन झालेला आहे कि इंग्रजी ही युनिवर्सल लँग्वेज आहे म्हणून ती श्रेष्ठ , ह्या कारणाने मुले इंग्रजीत शिकली कि समाजात जास्त प्रगती करणार. आणि ह्या उलट मराठी ही  मातृभाषा वा बोली भाषा असल्याने ती केवळ घरी बोलण्यापुरतीच मर्यादित असली तरी पुरे. हे बघून खरच वाईट वाटते. महाराष्ट्राच्या बाहेर गेले की  बघायला मिळते की गुजराथी , बंगाली, दक्षिण भारतीय समाजाला आपल्या मातृभाषेचा किती गर्व आहे. मग आपले मराठी लोकच स्वतःच्या भाषेला कमी का लेखतात कळत नाही. अर्थात सगळेच महाराष्ट्रीयन सारखे नसतात. मराठीचा अभिमान बाळगणारे कट्टर मराठी आहेतच पण त्यांची टक्केवारी अर्ध्याहूनही कमीच.
            आपली मराठी कशी आपल्याच लोकांकडून कमी लेखली जाते याची उदाहरणे  रोजच्या व्यवहारात बरीच पाहायला मिळतात. बरयाचश्या मोठमोठ्या ऑफिसेस मध्ये, हॉटेल्स मध्ये लोक एकमेकांशी बोलताना, समोरचा माणूस मराठी आहे हे माहीत असून सुद्धा त्यांच्याशी हिंदी व इंग्लिश मध्ये बोलतात. केवळ आपण कसे हाय-क्लास आहोत हे दाखवण्यासाठी. दुसरे एक उत्तम उदाहरण म्हणजे सध्याची शाळकरी आणि कॉलेज मध्ये जाणारी मुले. माझ्या बघण्यातच अशी बरीच मराठी कुटुंबातील तरुण मुले आहेत ज्यांना मराठी भाषेतले साधे साधे शब्दही माहीत नाहीत. जिथे मराठी धड बोलणे जमत नाही तिथे मराठी लिहिणे आणि वाचणे तर लांबच राहते. सर्वात असह्य गोष्ट म्हणजे हि मराठी मुले आपल्या मराठी घरातील मित्रांशी हिंदी आणि इंग्रजी मध्ये गप्पा मारतात आणि मराठीत त्यांना चार वाक्ये बोलणे जमत नाही. जेव्हा कोणी त्यांना या विषयावर काही समजवायला जाते तेव्हा ते वाद घालायलाही तयार असतात. अजून एक फॅड ह्या तरुण वर्गामध्ये बघायला मिळते ते म्हणजे अमेरिकन ढंगात इंग्लिश बोलायला जाणे. विदेशी लोकांप्रमाणे उच्चार करत भरभर इंग्लिश बोलणे बऱ्याच वेळा ऐकणाऱ्याला फार हास्यास्पद वाटते. पण बोलणाऱ्याचा आपण अगदी भारी इंग्लिश बोलतोय असा गोड गैरसमज झालेला असतो. बऱ्याचदा  असेही बघण्यात येते की इंग्लिश मिडीयम मधली मुले मराठी शाळेतील मुलांना कमी समजतात. त्यांच्यावर हसतात. वास्तविक पाहता त्यांचे  स्वतःचे भाषांचे ज्ञान सुद्धा व्याकरण दृष्ट्या यथातथाच किंवा काही वेळा चुकीचेच असते.
           ह्या पार्श्वभूमीवर जी मुले इंग्लिश मिडीयम मध्ये शिकूनही उत्तम मराठी बोलतात त्यांचे खरच कौतुक वाटते.  तसेच मराठी शाळेत शिकलेले कित्येक विद्यार्थी सुद्धा इंग्रजी उत्तम बोलतात आणि एवढेच नाही तर भारतातच नाही तर परदेशातही उत्तम व्यवसाय व नोकऱ्या मिळवून यशस्वी होतात. या सर्व परीस्थित पालकांची भूमिका ही मुलांपेक्षाही महत्वाची ठरते. कारण शेवटी मुलांचे शिक्षण आणि त्यांची घडण ठरवणारे पालकच असतात. आपल्या मातृभाषेचा अभिमान बाळगायला शिकवणे आई-वडिलांच्याच हातात असते. मुले जशी घडवली जातात तशी घडतात. घरी मातृभाषेचे धडे देणे तसेच हिंदी व इंग्रजी बोलण्याची सवय मुलांना करणे ही शिक्षकांपेक्षाही जास्त पालकांची जबाबदारी असते आणि ती त्यांनी निभावणे गरजेचे आहे. आणि इंग्रजी भाषा महत्वाची आणि मराठी केवळ बोली भाषा म्हणून कमी महत्वाची हा दृष्टीकोन बदलणे गरजेचे आहे. प्रत्येक भाषेचे आपले महत्व आहे आणि प्रत्येक भाषेचा यथोचित आदर करणेही तितकेच महत्वाचे आहे.

        समस्त जनहो, आपल्या मायबोलीचा रास्त अभिमान बाळगा !!