Editorial
With the 100th issue of the Chronicle, we usher in the New Year and hope 2010 has glad tidings for all of us. We have left a year of trials and tribulations in the aftermath of the global financial meltdown. This year should see exciting times for Delhi residents because of the hosting of the Commonwealth Games. A new airport, many new flyovers, new Metro routes, better streetscaping etc. that are in the pipeline, should be commissioned. We hope the area we live in also gets some attention. As far as providing toilets is concerned, the city has been niggardly. Therefore, boundary walls and public buildings become the repository of the bedevilled bladder. We Delhiites are sitting in the cradle of an ancient civilisation, yet I cannot think of a less civilised city than our metropolis. I hope the city fathers, besides sprucing up the city also carry out a public relations campaign to inculcate civic consciousness amongst the populace.
Sanidhya apparently stands for ‘closer to God’. The band which calls itself by this name regaled the audience on 6th December at the Badminton Court to some fusion music encompassing Hindustani classical, folk, Sufi and Qawwali influences. This genre of music has been seldom attempted and rarely mastered, as there are no yardsticks with which to measure them. Purists of classical music may scoff at such controversial interlopers, but there are an increasing number of adherents to fusion music as evidenced by its following. The use of guitars, keyboards and drums may seem anathema to folk, Hindustani classical and Qawwali music, but it certainly makes the music more eclectic. What was inspiring was that all the band members are highly qualified musicians and most of their compositions were written and composed by them. They brought freshness to the interpretation of songs like Vande Mataram, which conventional musicians would seldom attempt. All credit goes to Vatsala Zutshi for bringing this band to Yamuna.
A function to thank the participants in the variety entertainment programme of the Annual Day was held in the Community Hall on 13thDecember. Refreshments were served. We are indeed thankful to Nestle for having provided Munch bars to be distributed free of cost, courtesy Mr. Jamba of C-008. Avantika Shankar was given the award for the Best Child Artiste. The presence of these participants acted as a tonic to Ms. Chandrika Narayan, daughter of Mrs. Saroja of A-010, who regaled the audience with her repertoire of old and new Hindi film songs set to karaoke beats. Sore throat notwithstanding – which may have hampered her singing – she held forth to a rapt audience for over an hour.
The Yuletide spirit was alive and well on Christmas Eve at Yamuna. Prema, Seema and Purnima were very enthusiastic in decking up the stage and the end result was very pleasing. A tastefully made paper panel decorated with holly, angels and bells, made by Kavya and Poornima was used to cover the toilet entrance on the stage. As usual, Gita Rastogi had her hands full rounding up the kids to practice the Christmas carols. The kids did not disappoint her as they performed superbly to the strains of piano music played by Aditi Rastogi. The shepherds who were very authentically attired lined up the stage for the perfect backdrop. Story telling is an art and no one does it better than Vatsala Zutshi. She walked into the midst of a melee, with kids running around and others busy partaking of the eats and playing games. However, as she began, a hush descended on the audience and they listened in rapt attention. Kavya played Jingle Bells as background music on the keyboard while Vatsala was telling the tale of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. St. Nicholas would have been aghast knowing that a girl impersonated him as Santa Claus. Nandita was all bells and whistles as she waddled in with her entourage distributing sweets to children. A more charming Santa I have not seen. You are sure to see more of her in the future.
When there is an SOS, I turn to the ever-resourceful Sujata Sundaresan to bail me out. In order to bring something different to the X’mas Carnival, she arranged for a ‘sand art’ stall, which became an instant hit. I also had no clue that we had a tattoo artist in our midst. Through Sujata again, I came to know that Nitya Venkataraman of G-004, has what it takes to be one. She very enthusiastically obliged and went about decorating the limbs of the children who lined up before her. The DJ’s, Prashant Gopal and Balaji Srinivasan did a splendid job. They ensured that the music was apt for the Yamuna crowd to get on their feet and show their moves. All the women and girls were in the thick of it, dancing in gay abandon. It was difficult to pick out the outstanding dancers. I could not help noticing Anu Nair. Shorn of the agonising pain of spurs on the foot with a heavy dose of sedatives, she lit up the floor with some electric dance moves which I did not think she was capable of. She got my vote as the best dancer of the evening. Manoj did give us a brief glimpse of what he is capable of on the dance floor. I couldn’t place its genre. It seemed a cross between bhangra, African shuffle and jive. Let’s call it the Manoj special! One of course had to watch out for his flailing arms and legs, because if you were to stray into his orbit you could have been knocked to the ground.
The food was priced very reasonably and flew off the counters in a jiffy, especially the carrot cakes, plum cakes, banana bread, stuffed paranthas and pizzas. Contribution of Rs. 750 from the food stalls, donation of Rs.1,100 from Mrs. Abraham and Rs. 300 from the games stall helped to partially defray the expenses.
The onset of winter sees many drivers rev up the engines of cars and leave them idling for up to 20 minutes. Modern cars are all equipped with glow plugs which upon the starting of the car, glow to 2000°C within a few seconds, enabling the car to start instantly. By revving up and leaving the engines to idle, these drivers are not only polluting the environment but also burning expensive fuel. They are obviously used to an era when cars needed to be revved up in winter to prevent stalling. Residents are advised to inform their drivers to start their cars only when they need to drive away.
It is a pity that despite installing several waste bins in the colony, sundry packets of fast foods and sachets of pan masala etc are littered all over the colony. Ironically, some of them can be found very near the waste bins. Where has our civic consciousness gone? Residents are requested to advise their children and enlighten the domestic staff about the need to throw litter only in the waste bins.
Come winter, you are no more hot under the collar. People go about greeting each other and for a change, begin enjoying the sun. This sunny disposition doesn’t escape the foul-mouthed lout in Delhi. The string of abuses suddenly acquires the genial cadence of a benediction. Picnics, high street shopping, visits to the park in the sun and a cosy afternoon snooze under the quilt are luxuries unthinkable of in the Delhi summers. However, winters are not welcomed by everyone. Some feel it in their bones and in spite of covering themselves from head to toe with layers of clothing and resembling a ghost, they are still acutely uncomfortable. Many take a vacation to warmer climes. For those who are staying back, we will have a big bonfire for Lohri on 13th January. I hope it warms the cockles of your heart in more ways than one.
The year-ending chocolate cake was snapped up by all those who braved the cold winter night and fought off their sleep. Aditi Rastogi burst two cannons of confetti on the assembled throng. There were a lot of bear-hugs and greetings wishing each other for the morrow.
With these words let me wish you all an excellent and rewarding 2010 and may your health be as hearty as hale can be!
| OBITUARY Mr. L.V. Chalam, ex-resident of C-007 couldn’t handle the rigours of the polluted environment that envelops us and decided to depart from this world on 13 th December. His end came in Hyderabad where his wife and son live. Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolences to the family. |
SNIPPETS
Many of you would remember Priya of C-104, in pigtails playing badminton. That is history. Now, she is the mother of a bonny boy named Kunal. Priya, who is now based in Boston and Srinivas, the father, were pleased as punch, as their bundle of joy made his arrival into this world on 15th December. As expected Priya’s parents, Venkatesh and Saroja have winged their way to the US to do some baby sitting.
It was the day of reckoning for Bhanu Shanker of B-303 on 26th December. He bid goodbye to bachelorhood by getting hitched to Neha in a ceremony held at Karthiyayini Basement Hall in Mayur Vihar. He had to bide his time for a honeymoon till after the reception on the following day at The Country Club Eros Regency. We wish this good-looking couple a great time ahead.
Letter to the Editor
Through the columns of the Yamuna Chronicle, Krishnans express their deep gratitude to Yamuna-ites for their presence and valuable gifts on the occasion of their Sadhabhishekam on 29th November, 2009.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
January 2010
13.1.10 Lohri Celebrations with bonfire at the Badminton Court at 9 pm.
17.1.10 Heritage walk to Purana Quila with Dr. Ramji Narayanan. Please assemble with your cars at H-Block Gate at 10 am.
WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ!
(Passing requires only 3 correct answers out of 10 - only total thicko's will fail !! Answers are below, but try not to cheat! )
1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last ?
2) Which country makes Panama hats ?
3) From which animal do we get cat gut ?
4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution ?
5) What is a camel's hair brush made of ?
6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal ?
7) What was King George VI's first name ?
8) What color is a purple finch ?
9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from ?
10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane ?
Answers: (1)116 years (2) Ecuador (3) Sheep and Horses (4) November (5) Squirrel fur (6) Dogs (7) Albert (8) Crimson (9) New Zealand (10) Orange (of course!)
YAMUNA’S TREES
Tree of the Month – Kachnar
Botanical name: Bauhinia variegata (Hindi:Kachnar, Sanskrit : Kovidar Tamil: Nilattiruvatti • Bengali: Koiral • Marathi: Rakta chandan • Kannada: Devakanchan ).Popularly known as Orchid tree Mountain-ebony, Butterfly tree, Pink butterfly tree, etc.
Have you noticed a small tree which stands in slender, magenta glory at the corner of C Block, near the wicket gate? I urge you to look up a bit as you walk down that path and pause to enjoy the delicate, orchid like flowers of the Kachnar. (Remember the old Hindi film song which goes … Kacchi kali kachnar ki……)
Did you know…?
- Bauhinia variegata belongs to the Gulmohar family and is native to southeastern Asia.
- The flowers are conspicuous, bright pink or white with five petals. They appear in various shades of pink.
- There are several white flowered bauhinias on the Outer Ring Road along Soami Nagar, on the stretch between Chirag Dilli flyover and the Siri Fort flyover.
- The fruit is a flat pod, containing several seeds.
- The bark is astringent and a tonic useful in scrofula and skin diseases. It is also used for ulcers and leprosy.
- A decoction of the bark is taken for dysentery. The dried buds are used for diarrhea, dysentery and hemorrhoids.
(Shanthi Chandrashekaran H-107)
Christmas Eve at Yamuna !
You’d better watch out…Santa Claus is comin’ to town !
Yamuna’s Holy Family and little shepherds
All lit up !
Story-telling time with Vatsala
Sand Art !!
Santa hands out goodies !
Tanvi & Aradhya shake a leg
Christmas revellers at Yamuna!
