Kiske paas kaunsi Raj ma Hai ?

I bet you never knew about Saatvic and  Taamasi Rajmas. 

Actually, neither did I.

Till I actually saw the amazing click of Rajma Curry by my friend Magiceye, which he posted here.

Brushing aside the deep urge to gorge on the delicious goodies, I actually did some research on the Life and Times of Raj Ma.  And this is what I found.   Decide who is your own Rajma.

Some,
dedicated ascetic
purple robed Ma's
after
a nightlong immersion
bath,
patted a bit dry
and left to themselves,
sprout in
sheer happiness,
and become one with the earth,
then to rise
and become the next generation,
green,
and ambitiously climbing,
curling around
stiff folks
standing upright in the soil,
only to one day,
get tired of it all,
dry up,
and emerge as little Ma's.

And then are
the Tamasi
purple robed Ma's
that perform Jalakrida
the whole night,
only to be caught
and pressured
and cooked
the next morning.

Angry but excited
at the hot prospect
of socilaizing
with the
Onion Khan,
Tomato Singh,
Ginger Kapoor
 and Garlic Kumar,
while a chorus
of chillies
and popping mustards
performs in the oil,
they bubble over,
pushing aside
the jealous green coriander
trying to see
if the long awaited
Basmati Rao Chawal
has arrived.

At one time,
the ascetic
would have been honored
and called Raj Ma,
for being the eternal mother.

It is a sign
of the
Kalyugi times,
that the Tamasi
Vamp version
gets the title
of Raj ma today,
simply because
she knows the right people
in right places,
like
Basmati Rao.....

Lonesome on the plateau....

The Kaas Plateau,  which is found near Satara , Maharashtra , in the Sahyadri Mountains, is famous for its myriads of wildflowers that grow  naturally, and is often referred to as the "Plateau  of Flowers" in Maharashtra. It is also sometimes called the Valley of Flowers, as it is surrounded on two sides by Valleys, and millions of these flowers grow on the sides of these valleys.  The monsoon and post monsoon season is the best time to enjoy the beauty of these flowers and the landscape.

While it is now being invaded by hordes of tourists , traffic-jams and all,  trudging carelessly around the flowers trying to photograph them,  blogger friend Magiceye on his trip to Kaas, chanced upon this majestic lone tree, standing in solitary brave splendour on the plateau, surrounded  by the blooming flowers all across.

Just wondered how the tree got there . And how it must feel.  And what the flowers must be saying ....

(photograph by Deepak Amembal Magiceye)

Aeons ago,
the Sahyadris,
in an overflow
of angry tearful Lava
allowed a willful plateau
its sudden rising
and its day
in the Sun.

Earlier
a valley
amidst the green,
a lone seed
sprouted ahead
through Rocky gaps
and emerged
in
stubborn solitary majesty,
a doubtful winner.

Surrounded
by waves and waves
of blue and purple
and pink
little ones,
sneaking through the rocks,
to nod in the wind,
applauding
the big guy
saying,
"You made it !
But guess what,
these bipeds
only want to photograph us !"