Rangoil – the one serial on DD1 that my sister and I longed to see but could never manage!
I still remember, DD1 was the only channel on TV (we did not have cable connection) and Rangoli was a one hour song show on DD1 every Sunday morning!
My sister and I would find ways to sneak into the TV room to switch on the TV and see a glimpse of the show. But…in vain!! No one allowed us to start the day sitting in front of the TV and that too listening to movie songs! Still, we would not give up!
The time slot of Rangoli was such that there was a break for 10 minutes for the news bulletin. The last one or two songs of the show were shown after the bulletin. So, this is where we tried our tactics!
We used to sit in front of the TV to have breakfast, just in time to see the last songs.
My sister used to sit with her glass of milk, pretending to drink it (she rarely managed to drink even half the glass!) and I with mine. No one would ask us to leave the room till we finished the breakfast!
The moment the show was over, it was an achievement! We managed to see the last songs…the complete songs! (Rangoli was the only show that showed the complete songs. Chitrahaar used to mostly cut them short)
Similar efforts were made every Sunday but they rarely succeeded! In fact, if I sit down to think, I’m sure I will be able to count on my fingertips the number of times we actually managed to see the songs!
But still…real efforts to see the last bit of Rangoli!!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Sardhana Church
25th January, 2009 was an unexpectedly cold day. There was a lot of fog and cold wind. We were all ready to visit the Sardhana church near Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. All five of us - my parents, husband, sister and I were ready since 6:00 am in the morning, waiting for the taxi to arrive. We waited for about an hour and even after our repeated calls to the taxi wala, there was no sign of the taxi. We had almost cancelled our plans when the door bell rang. Finally! The taxi had arrived!! So off we went to see the church!
The Sardhana Church is located in Sardhana, about 85 kilometers from Delhi. In 1961, Pope John XXIII raised it to the dignity of Minor Basilica.
The church was built in by Begum Samru, the wife of Walter Reinhardt, a French adventurer. Walter Reinhardt came to India as a soldier in the French East India Company. Pleased by his excellent services, Najub Khan of Bengal awarded him the Jagir of Sardhana. After his death his wife, who was a Muslim, converted to Roman Catholic Faith and built the church. The beautiful church is dedicated to Mother Mary and costed 4 lakhs in 1822!
The life size marble figures and carved marble panels in the church are amazing. These are part of the marble monument that is made over Begum Samru’s tomb. On the top of the monument sits the Begum.
The Jagir of Sardhana was taken care of by the Begum after her husband’s death. She is regarded as the only Catholic ruler in India. The Sardhana church built by her is also known as Begum Samru’s church.
The Sardhana Church is located in Sardhana, about 85 kilometers from Delhi. In 1961, Pope John XXIII raised it to the dignity of Minor Basilica.
The church was built in by Begum Samru, the wife of Walter Reinhardt, a French adventurer. Walter Reinhardt came to India as a soldier in the French East India Company. Pleased by his excellent services, Najub Khan of Bengal awarded him the Jagir of Sardhana. After his death his wife, who was a Muslim, converted to Roman Catholic Faith and built the church. The beautiful church is dedicated to Mother Mary and costed 4 lakhs in 1822!
The life size marble figures and carved marble panels in the church are amazing. These are part of the marble monument that is made over Begum Samru’s tomb. On the top of the monument sits the Begum.
The Jagir of Sardhana was taken care of by the Begum after her husband’s death. She is regarded as the only Catholic ruler in India. The Sardhana church built by her is also known as Begum Samru’s church.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)