My travel diary entry - Israel (5 days)

Once upon a time about 2000+ years ago, in an ancient village called Ein-Karem (translated in Hebrew means ‘Spring of the Vineyard’) in the city of Judah southwest of Jerusalem, there live an old couple – Zechariah who was a priest and his wife Elizabeth. Angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and promised him a son John who would be the one to come before the Lord. Zechariah did not believe since he was too old and was stuck dumb for his disbelief. As promised, Elizabeth conceived and she thanked God for his mercy on her; Zechariah regained his voice after John was born. The Church of John the Baptist is built on the remnants of Byzantine church, a mosaic floor and the cave where John the Baptist is believed to have been born and additionally, there is evidence of Mikveh or Jewish ritual bath dating back to the Second Temple Period.

Six months into John’ conception, Angel Gabriel also appeared to Mary who lived in a little town of Galilee called Nazareth in northern Israel and was promised to Joseph. Mary was afraid when Angel Gabriel gave her the news that she was to bear a son but Angel Gabriel assured her of God’ power and might by citing the example of her cousin Elizabeth now pregnant with a child in her old age. The Basilica of the Annunciation is a two-storied building constructed over the Byzantine and Crusader era churches and houses the Grotto of the Annunciation and the remnants of Mary’s childhood home.

Now Mary was ecstatic over her cousin Elizabeth’s good fortune and decided to visit her. She drank water from a spring which is now called Mary’s Spring or the Fountain of the Virgin. She then proceeded to Zechariah’ house and when she greeted Elizabeth, the baby within her womb moved and Elizabeth is believed to have said the following words to Mary “O Blessed among all women, blessed is the fruit of your womb”. These words now form part of the Hail Mary to our Blessed Mother. The Church of the Visitation is built on this site which has the rock venerated as “pietra del nascondimento” (rock of concealment).

The Church of Nativity

Joseph who had reservations to his marriage to Mary after knowing about her conception, still took Mary to be his wife after an angel appeared to him to say that it was all God’ work among men and the boy was to be name ‘Immanuel’ which means ‘God is with us’. When it came closer for Mary to give birth, Emperor Augustus ordered a census be taken of the Roman Empire where each person had to register from his own hometown. Hence, Joseph took his pregnant wife Mary and traveled to Bethlehem in Judaea (now Palestine) which is where David was born and Joseph was a direct descendant from David. Since the town was packed with people who had come in to register, Mary and Joseph could not find any inn to stay and in the end they took refuge in a stable or a cave where Jesus was born. In 327 AD, Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena commissioned a church to be built on this site but when that was destroyed in the 6^th century, the Byzantine Emperor Justinan built the now standing Church of the Nativity in 565 AD now maintained by the Greek Orthodox Church. There is a narrow entrance called the Door of Humility where every visitor had to disembark and traverse the church on foot. The Baptismal Font from the Justinian Church is to the south; the original one was near the high altar. Many of the columns in the wide nave are from the Constantine church and have paintings of the Virgin and child and various saints. The floor mosaics with its vivid geometric patterns are also from the original Constantine church. The main high altar is to the east and has a smattering of gilded angels, chandeliers and icons. The Grotto of the Nativity is a cave beneath the church entered via steps beside the altar; this is where Christ is believed to have been born. There is a Silver Star (Star of David) on the floor depicting the very spot of the birth with an inscription “Here of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ was born”. There are several lamps above the Silver Star belonging the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic churches. Just few steps and you will find the Chapel of the Manger managed by Roman Catholic Church where Jesus was laid in swaddling clothes after his birth. In the upper church to the south is the Altar of the Circumcision managed by the Greek Orthodox Church. A week after the Lord was born, as per the Jewish tradition he was circumcised and given the name of Jesus. The Silver Star appeared to 3 wise men or magi from Far East and guided them to the place where Jesus was born and these magi gifted him gold, frankincense and myrrh. On the north side is the Altar of the Three Kings managed by Armenian Church along with the Altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary. There is an exit from where you can go to the Church of St. Catherine managed by the Roman Catholic Church and where the midnight mass is celebrated by the Latin patriarch on Christmas Eve. The Manger Square is a paved courtyard in front where crowds gather to sing Christmas carols before the midnight mass. The Angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the hills around and they sang songs in celebration.

Herod, the King of Judea at that time had been asked by the Three Wise Men / Magi / Kings whether a boy was born at the palace. Herod had been disturbed by this and had asked the Magi to report back to him when they had found Jesus. However, the Magi having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod went back to their homes in a different way. This angered Herod so much that he ordered all young children to be killed and the whole of Judea wept. Joseph having been forewarned by an Angel of God to leave for Egypt, escaped with baby Jesus and Mary. They returned back only after Herod died but they were afraid to go to Judea for fear of Jesus’ life and hence, they settled in Nazareth. Here, we can see the home of Mary and Joseph believed to be the site where Jesus spent his life with his parents before he started with his ministry. The Church of St. Joseph or St. Joseph’ Workshop has an underground chamber which is believed to be the workshop of Joseph. The paintings of the Holy Family, Joseph dream and Joseph’ death lend character to this otherwise simple monument. There is also Mary’s well and an adjoining church dedicated to Angel Gabriel which is believed to be site of the Annunciation by the Greek Orthodox Church.

When Jesus was 12 years old, he was presented in the Holy Temple on Temple Mount as was customary among the Jews. The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. The Western Wall refers to the 488m long part of the west wall of the Temple Mount facing the Jewish Quarter; the rest of it faces the Muslim Quarter and is the pilgrimage site for the Jews since it is the sole remnant of the Holy Temple. The Dome of the Rock is a shrine which is the oldest works of Islamic architecture rests at the site of the Holy Temple. The Rock or the Foundation Stone is believed to be the spiritual junction of heaven and earth and has other significance like being the stone where sacrifices were made to Jehovah by Adam, Cain, Abel, Abraham. Beneath the Foundation Stone is supposed to be the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant carried from Egypt. The neighboring Al-Aqsa Mosque is the site of the ascension; Prophet Muhammad is believed to have been carried here from the sacred mosque in Mecca.

After the presentation when Mary and Joseph had traveled for 3 days, they realized that Jesus was missing and that their assumption that Jesus was with the other was inaccurate. They rushed back to the Holy Temple to find Jesus in discussion with the priests.

There is not much written in the Bible about Jesus’ life between then up to the age of thirty. 

The next thing about Jesus’ life is his baptism in the river Jordan. To rewind a bit, John the Baptist had already started preaching the good news of God coming to save the people of Israel and baptizing people in the River Jordan. Many thought that John the Baptist was the one from the Lord but John the Baptist said that the one who was coming was greater than he was and he was even unfit to untie the sandals from the feet of the One. Not long afterwards, Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized. As Jesus came out of the river Jordan, the heavens opened and a voice rang out “Behold my son, with who I am well-pleased”. The Yardenit Baptismal site is located in the Galilee region of the River Jordan and is now the site that Christian pilgrims come to pay homage and even get baptized again.

Immediately after his baptism, Jesus went to the Mount of Temptation / Quarantul about 5 km northwest from the city of Jericho in the West Bank, for 40 days and 40 nights of fasting and prayer after which he was tempted by the Devil unsuccessfully. There is a monastery (which seems to defy gravity) which you would pass if you were doing the 40-minute trek up to the summit. Or you could take the 5-minute cable car ride from Tel Jericho like we did. The summit offers spectacular views of the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea.

Jesus performed his first miracle at the behest / request of his mother Mary. This was at a wedding in Cana where he had gone with his mother and the marriage party ran out of wine. When Mary came to Jesus and told him about it, he had told her simply that his time had not yet come. But his ever knowing mother and his first disciple just told the steward and his helpers to do as Jesus asked. There were stone jars used for cleaning and Jesus asked them to fill it up and serve the people. When the people were served, the water had turned into wine. The Church at Cana is a small two-storied building with chapels on both floors. The lower chapel has an old jar believed to be one of the 6 jars in which the water turned into wine. A couple can renew their wedding vows here and they give you a certificate of marriage.

After John the Baptist had been jailed by King Herod, Jesus started preaching in Galilee. He called four fisherman who became his first apostles – Simon (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew, James and John - the sons of Zebedee. He also called the following people to join him - Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus or Jude, Simon the Zealot, Judas Iscariot and they left everything behind and joined him.

Jesus was at the pools of Beithazda which was known to have curing prowess when he saw a man who had been ill for many years and had no one to put him into those healing waters. Jesus ordered him to get up and walk and when he did, he was healed.

Jesus performed many miracles and taught in parables some of which we recounted during our drive through Galilee and our ride in a replica of a Galilean fishing boat of that time. Jesus would sit in a boat and teach and once he fell asleep in the middle of a terrible storm. The apostles were terrified and called out to Jesus to help. Jesus is said to have ordered the storm to calm down and pass them by and when the apostles saw this, they were awed by him.

Jesus was not accepted at Nazareth since people saw him only as a carpenter’ son. So he set up his ministry in Capernaum which was the home of two of his apostles Peter and Andrew. Once he was to dine at Peter’s house where his mother-in-law was to prepare food. However she could not because a fever had gripped her. Jesus took her hand and the fever left her and she started waiting on Jesus and his apostles. Whenever Jesus was at home, huge crowds would gather and ask him to cure them of their many illnesses. A man who had been paralyzed for many years asked to be taken to Jesus but his friends could not get him near Jesus so they dug a hole in the roof and lowered the man through the roof. Jesus was amazed at the man’s faith and cured him after which he took up his bed and went out walking. Jesus is said to have gone upon the hill during another huge gathering and gave us the Sermon on the Mount which is the site of the Church of Beatitudes – a Roman Catholic Church overlooking the Sea of Galilee. It is octagonal in shape with each side representing one beatitude. Another time when he had been teaching for quite a while, he noticed that the people were tiring and he asked his disciples to give them food. But they had only five loaves and two fish. Jesus is said to have multiplied the loaves and fish to feed more than 5000 men and still have over 12 baskets of food left over. The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish is a Roman Catholic church which rests on the site of two earlier churches - the original church from the 4^th century and the Byzantine church in the 5^th century. Jesus sent his disciples and the people away so that he could pray by himself. After his prayer, he came in search of his disciples and seeing them in a boat in the Sea of Galilee, he walked towards them on the water.

Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God was close at hand and he spoke about his suffering and death but the apostles did not understand what he was saying. The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter is a Franciscan church in Tabgha, Capernaum that commemorates Jesus appointing Simon Peter as the chief of his apostles by saying that “Upon this rock, I will build my kingdom”.

Some days later, he took with him Simon Peter, James and John, and went on Mount Tabor. The apostles saw a change in him, his face and clothes were shining like the sun and found him talking to Moses and Elijah. The Church of the Transfiguration is a Franciscan church located at a site on Mount Tabor where the Transfiguration of Jesus is believed to have taken place.

When the day of the Passover festival drew near Jesus set off from Jericho reputed to be the oldest town in the world towards Jerusalem. On the way a blind man called out to Jesus loudly because he was afraid of not being heard among the crowd. Jesus stopped and asked him what he wanted and when the blind man said that he wanted to see again, Jesus cured him. Now there was a tax-collector named Zachaeus who was short in stature and having heard so much about Jesus, he wanted to see him. So, he climbed a huge Sycamore tree and waited for Jesus to pass. Jesus stopped in front of the Sycamore tree and said “Get down Zachaeus, I will dine at your house today”.  

As Jesus reached Jerusalem, huge crowds followed him with branches of Palm trees chanting praises to God and they found a donkey for him to sit on as the Scriptures say “Do not be afraid O City of Zion, here comes your King on a donkey”. We can walk through the Palm Sunday road down to the chapel of Dominus Flevit built in the shape of a tear which makes us recall how Jesus wept over the fate of Jerusalem after his entry into Jerusalem. Jesus also taught the Lord’s Prayer i.e. the Our Father to his disciples in a grotto which is now below the Pater Noster Church so named by the Crusaders who built this church in the 12^th century (Pater Noster translates to Our Father in Latin). The translations of the Lord’s Prayer is inscribed in around 140 languages on the walls and the cloister of this church.

On the day before the Passover, Jesus gathered with his disciples in the Large Upper Room or Cenacle where he tied a towel around his waist and washed the feet of his disciples. Judas Iscariot had already decided to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. When they were at supper, Jesus took the bread and wine to mean his body and blood thus instituting the Eucharist. He also predicted Judas’ betrayal and Denial of Jesus by Peter. Then he took his disciples to the Mount of Olives and asked them to pray that they would not fall into temptation. The Mount of Olives gives a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Jesus prayed to God in the Garden of Gethsemane near the foot of the Mount of Olives about the agony that he was to undergo. The Church of All Nations built on the rock beside the garden is believed to be the site of the Agony of Jesus before he was arrested. When Jesus came back from prayer the first time, he saw his disciples asleep and he woke them up and asked them to pray. This Grotto of Gethsemane is where the disciples slept while Jesus prayed. When Jesus came back after completing his prayers knowing that his end was near, he found the disciples sleeping again and admonished them for not staying awake to protect him when he would be seized.

Judas came there with the soldiers and kissed Jesus on his cheek and the soldiers seized him and took him to Annas - the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Annas questioned Jesus about his teaching and his soldiers beat him after which he was handed over the Caiaphas. We can see the traditional house of the High Priest where Jesus was imprisoned before being handed over to Pilate who was the governor. Pilate did not want to harm Jesus so he decided to let him go after scourging him. The Chapel of the Flagellation is believed to be the site where the soldiers scourged Jesus and made a crown of thorns for him and mocked him before taking him back to Pilate who showed him to the crowd saying “Ecce Homo” meaning “Behold the man”. The Ecce Homo Arch is built and named after this phrase of Pilate. The crowd incited by the priests took no pity on Jesus and shouted “Crucify him and Release Barabbas”. Then Pilate sat on his Judgement Seat and washed his hands signifying that he had nothing to do with an innocent man’ death and sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion. Jesus took the Via Dolorosa (meaning Way of Grief / Sorrows) all the way to Golgotha. We can also follow the 14 Stations of the Cross on Via Dolorosa which is the last route that Jesus took before his death on the cross. The last five Stations of the Cross are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Chapel of the Franks is the Tenth Station where Jesus is said to have been stripped of his garments and the soldiers cast lots to see who could have it. This is also the entrance to the chapels built on the rock of Calvary. The Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross is the Eleventh Station where Jesus was nailed to the cross. The Chapel of the Crucifixion is the Twelfth Station and it has a disc depicting the site of the cross of Christ. The altar of the Lady of Sorrows depicts Mother Mary holding the body of Christ after being taken from the cross and this is the Thirteenth Station. The stone monument encloses the sepulcher that is believed to be the tomb where Jesus was laid and this is the last Station of the Cross. You can touch some of the original stone that formed part of the sepulcher of Jesus.

As prophesied by Jesus, while on Via Dolorosa, the cock crowed to signal Peter’s denial of Jesus three times. This is symbolized in the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (meaning cock crow in Latin) along with his immediate repentance and subsequent forgiveness from Jesus. The Monastery of the Cross is so named because the wood from the cross is said to have come from this site. Judas repented that he had betrayed Jesus and he even tried to return the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests but they would not take it back. So he threw the coins and hanged himself. The chief priests decided that the money could not be put back in the treasury since it was blood money so they bought Potter’s Field” which is used to bury foreigners. It is still called the “Field of Blood”.

After three days, Jesus rose from the tomb. Mary Magdalene was the first to witness Jesus after his resurrection. The Church of St. Mary Magdalene is on the western side of the Mount of Olives above Garden of Gethsemane and Church of All Nations and has seven gilded domes which makes it a beautiful church to behold. It was built in 1888 by Czar Alexander III of Russia, in memory of his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna, whose patron saint was Mary Magdalene.

Jesus appeared multiple times to his scared disciples then gathered in the Cenacle. Here, he showed doubting Thomas his hands and his feet so that he believe in the Resurrection. He also appeared in Capernaum and dined with his apostles. The Mensa Christi or Table of Christ is present in the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter where Jesus is said to have broken bread after his resurrection.

Jesus is believed to have then ascended into heaven 40 days after his resurrection. The Chapel of the Ascension is a shrine on the Mount of Olives which houses a slab that is believed to contain his footprints.

Mary had come to live with John after Jesus asked him to take her to his home. In the Church of St. Mark you can find the entrance to Mary’s home inscribed in ancient Syriac “This is the house of Mary, mother of John, called Mark. Proclaimed a church by the holy apostles under the name of the Virgin Mary, mother of God, after the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven. Renewed after the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in the year A.D. 73”

The disciples were scared now that Jesus had finally left them so they gathered together in the Cenacle where the Holy Spirit descended on them on Pentecost and made them powerful ministers of Christ. The site below the Cenacle is also believed to house the tomb of David and is a place of pilgrimage for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.

Mother Mary is believed to have fallen asleep / died at the site of The Church of Dormition on Mount Zion. During the Byzantine period the Church of Hagia Sion (Holy Zion) built by Emperor Constantine, one of the earliest churches in Jerusalem stood at this site till it was destroyed by Persians.

The tomb of Mary lies inside the Church of Assumption at the foot of Mount of Olives near Gethsemane. A wide stairway leads to the crypt and there are niches dedicated to Mary’s parents St. Joaquim and St. Anne as well as to St. Joseph, her spouse. Mother Mary is believed to have been assumed into heaven in her bodily form and crowned Queen Mother of heaven.

Other places of significance in Israel that we visited and I recommend these –

Bahá'í World Centre 

• Jaffa (Joppa): A city on the Mediterranean Sea south of Tel Aviv. What makes it special is that it is mentioned in the Old Testament and in the Acts of the Apostles. Timber for the temple was imported from Lebanon as mentioned in 2 Chronicles 2:16, Jonah sailed from Joppa on a ship to Spain in the opposite direction to get away from God (Jonah 1: 3). Peter was staying at Simon the Tanner’s house and he had gone to the roof to pray when he got the vision of allowing Gentiles into the Church. The Church of St. Peter commemorates Peter raising Tabitha from the dead.
• Haifa: This is Israel’s largest port city on the slope of Mt. Carmel. It is home to the Bahá'í World Centre consisting of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, the Shrine of the Báb and the famous Persian Hanging gardens. 
• Muharaqa or The Scorching is the site where Elijah challenged the false prophets of Baal and won. A statue depicting Prophet Elijah with a sword raised to heaven while slaughtering a false prophet of Baal.
• Cave of Elijah: Opposite the Stella Maris Monastery dedicated to the Carmelite nuns, there is a grotto where Elijah meditated before his duel with the false prophets of Baal.
• Grotto of St. Jerome: This is a cave beneath the Church of the Nativity where St. Jerome who was a Dalmatian priest, spent 30 years translating the Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin.
• Tomb of Rachel: Rachel was the favorite wife of Jacob and mother of his two sons - Joseph and Benjamin. This is a holy site for the Jews (the third holiest site), Christians and Muslims (also called Bilal bin Rabah mosque) alike. Getting here is difficult because it is very close to the border between Israel and Palestine and it is better to ask a local for advice like we did.

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Tips:

1.       While entering Israel through the Taba border from Egypt, expect to encounter heavy frisking of our person and our baggage. Ditto while crossing the Israeli and Palestinian territories. A soldier may come inside the bus to check on the passengers. Maintain eye-contact and do not do anything that arouses suspicion unnecessarily; they are carrying guns.

2.       If you are travelling with people who are scared of guns, tanks and men / women in uniform, please explain to them beforehand and maintain calm.

3.       At Mary’ Spring, many collect water from the spring and even drink it but the water is known to be polluted.

4.       At the Church of the Nativity, there is normally a huge queue to see the Grotto of the Nativity and you can use that time to admire the mosaic columns and floor most of which are from the original Constantine church. Also, the different altars are just amazing to behold. Ditto at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

5.       Please wear flat footwear that you can take on and off and protect yourself from the sun; you would not want a headache to ruin the day for you.

6.       Carry lot of water and some little biscuits especially if you have diabetic patients travelling with you.

7.       The Palm Sunday walk and the Via Dolorosa are through narrow pavements some of which may be uneven. Be careful while taking photographs and even while praying on this route; we saw many near accidents of falls and spills while on these walks.

My foray into personalization

A gadget that has held my fascination for the last 15 days is the Singer Talent 3321 sewing machine. Why?

Because it helped me renew one of my pet passions since I was a child - to create and customize.

Not just my dresses, my accessories and anything that I am proud to own. That opens up a huge amount of things to customize and I for one am up for this challenge.

My mother and her sisters and I have one more thing in common – a sewing machine; all thanks to my Mom who put up her hard-saved money to buy me this precious gift.

In the last 15 days, I have practised for hours on end trying to understand the various features of my machine and how it can help me create my designs which I have started saving since the last 25 years.

 

The experience have been varying in parts – from moments of hilarity at the output looking a comical version of my original imagination to sheer frustration of not getting the stitches in the line that I have drawn after practising for the n^th time to acute despair at not being able to achieve exactly what I wanted after hours of practice to sheer joy and satisfaction when I successfully stitched a personalized kurti for my Mom as thanks for gifting me this spectacular machine. When she wears this kurti, it will be as if she is wearing her very own brand.... Hmmm!

I had another chance to show off the numerous ‘talents’ of my Singer Talent 3321 sewing machine. My nephew was cooking Chicken curry for us after being inspired by Masterchef Junior. I wanted to give him something to mark this occasion - a personalized apron with a child-like writing. He wore it before he started cooking and looked super cute and his chicken curry was mind-blowing. There’s a Masterchef in the making.

What does 'Freedom' mean?

It is 15^th August again. Whenever I am in Mumbai on this day, I make it a point to go and attend the Flag hoisting in my school. Today was no different; I heard our national anthem, saluted our tricolor and heard the children sing poems, songs and talk about our freedom fighters and their struggle for India’ independence. As I walked home, I deliberated what to do for the rest of this holiday; after all I had done my bit for commemorating Indian independence.

Immediately as I reached home, I started reading the newspapers which were filled with what ‘freedom’ meant to people. I asked myself the very same question and these were my thoughts -

Freedom means the state of not being enslaved or imprisoned and the power to act, speak and live as you want.

But is this the ‘free India’ that many of our freedom fighters gave up their life for?

ü  What about freedom of speech and expression?

Many voices raised against injustice are silenced. There are protests, signature campaigns, and social media going viral. Then those voices are forgotten. Lala Lajpat Rai, on knowing that his end was near, had said “My spirit after me will go on exhorting you to make more sacrifices for freedom”.

How many more sacrifices will it take for me to not stop and continue raising my voice against any injustice till justice has been served? I have to get rid of my non-belief and mostly apathy towards real justice in my beloved country

ü  What about freedom to live a peaceful life irrespective of gender, religion, caste, or creed?

Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sarojini Naidu, Dr. Annie Besant, Subhash Chandra Bose, Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Veer Savarkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rani Laxmibai, Ashfaqulla Khan etc. had one dream in common – A unified and free motherland.

The blood and sweat that they spilled for the sake of achieving that dream had no gender, no religion, no caste and no creed…. It was for their mother India. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee penned our national song as a hymn of praise to our motherland. Funny how we never say Father India.

Yet I see and take in the news of women being mistreated on our motherland with some protests and then I dismiss it out of mind till I hear the next case on the news. This cycle goes on and on.

I also see that the ‘Divide and Rule’ policy still works very well in India despite us being free for 69 years. Day after day, we Indian brothers and sisters are fighting against each other in the name of religion, caste and creed.

ü  What about equal opportunities for all and the freedom of choice?

The news is filled with instances of corruption, misuse of power and the like; where we steal an opportunity from another or deny another an opportunity to rise up. Forced marriages, child marriages, honor killings, dowry deaths are still a reality in our motherland. I see and dismiss it instantly thinking I am not doing it and what can I do for the victims anyway?

Again I asked myself this question - “Is this the ‘free India’ that many of our freedom fighters gave up their life for?”

Definitely Not!

Now, I can crib, complain and have lengthy discussions on everything that is wrong with my beloved country. OR I can be the change of a ‘free’ India that I want to see.

Maybe my progress will be slow, maybe my voice will be silenced but if I have not tried at all, I will be disrespecting not only my motherland but also the blood and sweat of our valiant freedom fighters with one common dream – A Unified and Free India.

I for one, make a promise to try starting today. With that food for thought, I wish all my fellow Indian brothers and sisters a very happy Independence Day!

My travel diary entry - Mt. Sinai, Egypt

We set off from Cairo to one of most sacred sites for all Abrahamic religions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam – Mt. Sinai or Mt. Horeb or Jabal Musa.

We were reminiscing about the route taken by the Israelites as they were fleeing Egypt to the ‘Promised Land’. Neither our guide nor any one of us knew that route of the Exodus. We heard the story for the ‘n^th’ time anyway with the visuals from the movie ‘The Ten Commandments’ guiding us -

“The Israelites fleeing Egypt after about 400 years of slavery starting at Rameses, meeting at Sukkoth and then Etham at the edge of the Desert and then instead of taking the shorter coastal route, camping at Pi Hahiroth near Baal Zephon between Migdol and the Red Sea as directed by God who was with them every day in the form of a pillar of cloud and every night in the form of a pillar of fire. The Pharaoh and his men were close on the heels when Moses held his staff and lo behold the Red Sea parted and the Israelites almost six hundred thousand people crossed over. When the mighty Egyptians tried to capture them, the Red Sea started closing in on them trapping them with their chariots under the water. The Israelites meanwhile went through the desert of Shur into Marah and Elim and then to Sin where the people were fed ‘manna’ from heaven and clear water from a rock at Rephidim even when they complained and even contemplated going back to Egypt. They had to even fight with the Amalekites here; they won only because Moses kept his hand raised all the time. When they reached Mt. Horeb or Mt. Sinai, they set camp at the base of the mountain. Moses went up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments from God and declared the mountain holy”.

I would have loved to take the above route but considering our ignorance, we crossed the Suez Canal – the artificial sea waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea through the Ahmed Hamdi tunnel over to the Sinai Peninsula. The Suez Canal opened in 1869 to reduce the journey time from Europe to India by almost 7000 km. and as per the Convention of Constantinople, it can be used by any type of ship without distinction of flag during war or peace.

As we came nearer to the base of Mt. Sinai, I felt strongly that if God wills, the most insignificant can become a cornerstone. Mt. Sinai is testimony to that because had it not been for the belief that God gave Moses the 10 commandments here, probably it would been a very ordinary mountain. Of course, there is no conclusive proof that this is indeed the true Mt. Sinai but until some conclusive proof turns up, I wanted to relive the biblical history of this mountain.

First we went to Saint Catherine’ monastery which is one of the oldest working Christian monasteries of the world. Obviously, my question was how it survived and the answer was that it received protection of Prophet Mohammad and his followers. Saint Catherine was a martyr who was ordered to be put to death on a spiked wheel by the pagan Emperor Maxentius. Following which, he had her beheaded and legend has it that she was carried by the angels to Mt. Sinai. The Monastery was built by King Justinian I enclosing the Chapel of the Burning Bush which had been built by Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine. as described in the Bible burns but the bush is not consumed by its flames and this is how God appeared to Moses to ask him to get the Israelites out of Egypt. Now this monastery also houses amazing Byzantine art and its library is known to contain the sacred texts in languages – Greek, Roman, Latin, Aramaic.
There are two ways to go up the mountain – 1. A shallower route (Siket El Bashait) which can be travelled atop a camel or by foot and 2. A climb of 3750 steps (‘Steps of Penance’ or Siket Sayidna Musa) through the ravines behind the monastery.

We took the first route; my father and I travelled on foot but my mother decided to take a camel ride.

First you reach Elijah’ Basin where Elijah communed with God for 40 days and nights. Also, there is a rock where Aaron, the brother of Moses and the elders stood while Moses went up to receive the Ten Commandments.

Tips: Many people start early and walk to Elijah’s Basin to watch the sunrise before climbing the last 750 steps to the summit and descend through the 3750 steps down to the monastery. I would want to try this because it gives you some magnificent views. Wear very comfortable walking shoes, carry water and if you have allergic to sun like me then wear a good pair of shades, cover your head with a cotton scarf and don’t be stingy with the sunscreen.

The top of the summit has a mosque that is still used by Muslims and a chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity which is not open to the public but it is said to house the stone from which the tablets containing the Ten Commandments were made.

On our way back we recalled how Moses got the tablets of the Ten Commandments and the dimensions of the Ark of the Covenant back to the Israelites were camped at what is called the Plain of Ar Raaha. The Book of Exodus says that Moses created an altar at the foot of the mountain and erected 12 stones one for each of the tribes of Israel.

Again, none of us including our guide knew the exact location of the Ark of the Covenant. The description as per the book of Exodus 25:10-22, 37:1-9 and the miracles surrounding it – Jordan river stopped flowing when the Ark bearers stepped into the water and the win of Jericho etc., makes it such a great mystery yet undiscovered.

The 'Photos' Effect

I have lived in US, UK and Australia for long periods of time and I travel a lot too. Easy to miss your family and friends when you are living this kind of life. 

You miss them one time, then another, then you sit up and do something about it. I did too. 

Being an avid photographer, I love to capture special moments in photos. I choose the latest photos of those people that I am bound to miss and carry those with me in digital and even in print form when I travel. If I am staying in a place for a long period of time, I get photo frames locally or request permission to put it on a board. 

Wait for the aura of your room to transform. Mine did, in a big way. When I am happy, I look at those pictures and feel that my family and friends are there around to share it with me. When I am blue, I feel the support beaming out of those photos. 

My specially selected photos never fail to bring a smile to my face and joy and cheer to my heart. 

I was so happy with this strategy that I have a 'Photo Wall' in each of the rooms at home. I am gazing at those while I am writing this and I can feel my friends and family egging me on to fill this blog with my 2 cents... 

Do you have a good health cover?

I took Health Insurance for granted because in the 15 years that I was covered by my previous employer, I don’t recall many instances of claiming benefits. So, I was really skeptical when one of my friends suggested that I should have a good Health Insurance plan even after I quit working.

I mean I was in good health, I had no particular vices to affect my health (surprisingly, the lack of shopping like a crazy lunatic did not really stress me out at all). So, I thought why I should waste money; especially when I was trying to live the frugal life. That was a corner I cut for keeping my expenditure within my set limits.

Until, I started spending more and more time visiting friends and family in hospitals. From dengue to malaria to TB of bones, brain, and worse, not conclusively any particular disease, my ears heard it all. Every time, you go in to the hospital, the diagnostic tests make your head spin and I almost fainted on hearing the astronomical medical bills. Even those with a decent sometimes comprehensive health cover had to shell out for all those exclusions which itself ran into a pretty good sum.

The shocker, many of these were my supposedly healthy buddies and relatives.

The same friend who had suggested to get a good Health Insurance cover told me a few home-truths

1.       We have started hearing incidences of stroke, heart attack, blood sugar, BP, cholesterol in people who are in their 30s if not the late 20s. Our lifestyle, work stress takes a toll earlier than the previous generations.

2.       The cost of medical expenditure is rising at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 15%; meaning that expenses will double almost every 5 years.

3.       The medical facilities and the technological advancements on a day to day basis ensures that the average life of every individual has increased significantly. Hence if you do not have a good medical cover, your medical expenses would put a severe dent on your savings / retirement kitty.

I may seem healthy and without much stress to me but who knows what is in store tomorrow? I don’t want to be one of those people who is penny-wise but pound foolish. I am on board and got myself a comprehensive health insurance cover… I am prepared.

Prawns Chilli in Green Coconut sauce

My parents were flying into Mumbai for the week. I was in a tizzy as to what to cook for the sea-food lovers. My Dad was recovering from a tooth infection so that was one fussy eater right there. He had a simple request – Food should not be too spicy, not too hard to chew or better still just melts in my mouth. He normally loves his fish deep fried, crisp and spicy since that was out, and because I read up on what is good to sooth an afflicted tooth - Boiled potatoes, cloves, yogurt, anything that is neither too hot nor too cold.  

Based on these inputs, I decided on my version of Prawns Chilli in Green Coconut sauce

Ingredients (serves two):

1 small cup of prawns (12-15 deskinned pieces)

1 medium sized potato 

1 medium sized capsicum (bell pepper)

1 large Onion

1 tomato

6 shallots (pearl onions)

2 tbsp of Green Chutney (recipe below)

3 tbsp of shredded coconut

2 small Bay leaves

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp garam masala

3 tsp oil

2 cups of water

Salt to taste

Method:

Peel the potato and cut them in small cubes. Dice the capsicum in approx. the same size.

Peel and dice the onions. Peel the shallots and cut them in thin slices. Cut the tomato into half; one half should be chopped fine and the other half may be diced.

Fry the onions in 1 tsp oil with a pinch of salt till it turns golden and then add the turmeric powder, garam masala (tastes better if it is made fresh) and green chutney and let it coat the onions and then add the tomatoes. Allow to cool.

Fry the coconut till it is brown (ensure that it is not burnt just roasted). Allow to cool.

Once cool, mix the fried items and grind to a fine paste.

Take a pressure cooker and add 2 tsp oil. Add the bay leaves, sliced shallots. Add the cubed potatoes and let it fry for under a minute and add the capsicum and fry again for just under a minute. Add the prawns and fry for a minute. Then add the paste and mix it very well. Now add the remaining finely chopped tomatoes and then the water and salt to taste. If at this time, you want to adjust the spice levels, you can do so with Kashmiri Chilli powder or garam masala.

Now put the lid of the pressure cooker and turn off the heat after you hear two whistles. Let it cool and serve it with a garnish of coriander leaves and a tsp of butter (If you feel it is a little watery, add cornflour and let it cook for a minute. Wait till gravy thickens to serve).

Green chutney: Take a cup of coriander leaves, ¾ cup of mint leaves, 5 green chillies, 6 pieces of garlic, 6 similarly sized ginger pieces, 1 tsp of tamarind paste, 1 tbsp of freshly grated jaggery and grind these to a paste. Add salt to taste.

You can refrigerate this and use for other dishes or even for that yummy sandwich.

Happy Birthday Mom!

My mother is one of the most influential person in my life.

But it was not always like that. As a young child, I only saw her demanding the best from me, nagging till she got me to live up to the best she saw in me. I did not see her sacrifice in becoming a dependent housewife so that her three children would have all of her time and effort.

When I told her about all those parents who were not even half as educated as her but had risen to high positions, she would smile and say “Do you think our maid will provide you with your favorite food, set up your clothes, wipe your tears, and clap her hands at your success at the appropriate time?” I don’t remember whether I was convinced.

Every time, the food was not as sumptuous as I thought it should be, or when I had misplaced my things even when she had handed it over, I was harsh in criticizing her. She never said anything and I never saw her tears.

I was of the opinion that since she was home, the least she could do was do everything perfectly.

She was unobtrusive about how I wanted to do things, what I wanted to wear, where I should go and who with up to the point where she was sure of my safety. This was very big for her since she grew up in a very conservative household under the eagle eye of her parents, grandmother and brothers. But, I did not see her effort in letting me be; all I saw and heard was ‘naggetty nag’.

Then I had to go and stay in Bangalore. I had to manage everything on my own.

I could not complain if the food was bad because that meant I stayed hungry. Because, I came late in the night and other food alternatives were limited almost amounting to zilch. I remembered all those times I had screamed at my mother for making something a little less perfect.

I had to wait for my time to take a bath and remember not to forget neither my towel nor my clothes. Far cry from when I was staying with my parents since when I went for a bath there, everything was already arranged in the bathroom.

I had to wash my clothes at a pre-appointed time when the water was available then dry them and iron them. How I missed my clothes being set up every morning by my efficient mother. I never thought until then what tasks went behind that perfect setting.

When I hurt myself, much as I wished, my mother could not be there to wipe my tears.

I realized the true magnitude of her sacrifice. I decided to make it up to her. I acknowledged her feats – her system and her obsession to cleanliness, showered her with compliments at every dish well-made and took her tips and ideas for easing up my life.

Even though I had realized her worth, I still cried while I apologized to her again over the phone after I saw “English Vinglish”; I was more like Sridevi’ daughter in this film.

I once asked her whether she had any regrets giving up the chance to be woman of independent means. She shrugged and said “Not really, all I ever wanted was a great family. If I had aspired for more money, more power, then yes, working hard to achieve that would have been the thing to do. But that would take a toll on my children and my husband and what I wanted. We had enough to live a comfortable life; indulge in luxuries once in a while so why should I not enjoy with my family?”

What she said next endeared her to me permanently “You on the other hand, must always be a woman of independent means whether you are single or married. Because you love your clothes, your gadgets, your travels, your accessories. Imagine asking someone else to fund it, I think instead you will probably stop doing all the things you love. I have always pushed you to your best so that you can do whatever you love doing without circumstances dictating it”.

I am glad that I had not procrastinated and decided to make it up to her immediately as I realized my folly. Because, I always used to feel “Come on, there is time to do it, why should I do it today?”

There may be people who have felt the extent of their loved ones’ worth but never got a chance to acknowledge it much less thank them for it. I am glad I am not one of them.

Dear Mom, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me live my dream, listening to me and giving me guidance without the high expectation that I would take your counsel.

My toast to friendship!

Friendship Day is now drawing to a close.

I remember celebrating it for the first time in college. Since I did not know what to expect, I had tentatively picked up 10 colored bands from our college stationery shop… my thoughts were on the 7 friends that I had and 3 extra for friends I would like to make. That shop made a killer sale that day, I expect… on ribbons and pens… and yes scissors for first timers like me. By the time college ended that day, I had spent a lot of money on ribbons but it was well worth it because my hands were covered with these ribbons in pinks, blues, and reds - total of 87 in all. Then, we resorted to signing our name with our pens on our hands and I could not believe it… face and legs. 

Quite a comical sight! Or so I thought till... Mom screeched when she saw me… I guess I looked like a graffiti wall.

Over the next 5 years, I thought she would get used to it… naaahhhh!!! I tried telling her that it just meant I had so many friends… many of them new.

She had given me words for pause and ponder. She reminded me of my childhood friends from my building, the ones I had grown up with since I was 9 years old. She did not remember us signing our names on each other or tying ribbons each year… did that mean that they were not friends? Did I not want to remember them then? Hmmmmm...

Of course! They will always remain my friends this lifetime. In retrospect, I can safely say that the first 3-5 years are the testing years… if after that, you continue to remain friends, then unless something drastic happens, you will continue to remain friends throughout your life. It does not matter whether they stay nearby or far off in different parts of the world, or that you do not speak to them as frequently as you did when you were growing up. Of course, Whatsapp and Facebook and Skype has changed that too now…

Going back to the past… along the way, I pandered to egreetings revolution set off by Hallmark I heard, and sent many to my friends all over the world on Friendship Day which by this time started getting celebrated on the first Sunday of August. I have saved all the bands and memorabilia I got from my best friends each year on this special Sunday in August.

Today, besides my childhood friends… some of who are my besties, I remember

• all my friends who at first sight had seemed to me as ‘That’s my friend’. Of course, I lost some of these to misunderstandings or in some cases god-alone-knows reasons…
• all my friends who just grew on me as the time spent with them…
• all my friends who I got introduced to via technology – Facebook, Google, because of some common traits that we share
• all my friends who I disliked on first sight, which then that turned to hate and then blame it on destiny or whatever… an incident happened that changed my perspective and now they are ‘keepers’. Don’t ask me, I am as perplexed as you are…

Har ek dosth zaroori hai! 

Friendship like any other relationship needs nurturing and perseverance on your part and of course your friend should be receptive too. If you have more friends than what you can count on your fingers, I think that says a lot about you and that you have had a great life.

Thank you dear friends for sharing some part of your life with me; here is to friendship!!!