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them they built education; they made industrial training a special feature of the Phillipine education: the girls were taught to make straw hats: the women were taught lace-making and embroidery: young men were taught to make furniture: several agricultural schools were opened: today the agricultural product of the schools is worth several lakhs every year; and schools of crafts earn a large amount.
The education I plead for is the “four-fold Education”. It’s basis must be fellowship. The fruitage of fellowship is fourfold. The first fruit is named artha. The word indicates the economic aspect of education. Labour and culture joined hands in the ancient asramas. There the students learnt to do manual labour, learnt some arts, some handicrafts, learnt to till the soil, and look after the cow! We talk today of “vocational” education. The “vocational” side of education was not neglected in the asramas. The Americans built their work in the Phillipines on the rock of vocational education. American teachers found that the Phillipines Isles had plenty of wood and fibres: round
Education in India cannot become self-supporting and Indian poverty will not be removed unless crafts and cottage industries are introduced in our schools. A new respect for manual work will then be born and it will not be thought, as it is foolishly imagined in several quarters today, that the doing of manual work means a loss in social prestige. Another aspect of education is indicated by the ancient word: dharma. It is the Gita’s great word. “Dharma” is reverence for Law. This law is triple: (1) the Social Law; (2) the Law of the Nation; (3) the Law of Humanity. This Law is the Good. There can be no training of character without loyalty to the Good. A new atmosphere is the need of Indian education.
*June 4 is the 86th foundation day of the Mira Movement in Education.
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The third aspect of Education is indicated by the word: karma. This word has been misunderstood. This word I interpret to mean: selfexpression, Indian education has moved in an atmosphere of repression. Don’t suppress the child! Don’t imprison him in the examination-machine! Don’t scold him! Don’t snub him! See that the child is free from fear! Give him good thoughts, right thoughts! Give him sympathy and love! Let the child be free to grow and he will grow God-like. There is the fourth aspect indicated by the word moksha; and the word means liberation. Education is liberation! True culture, therefore, is far removed from narrow nationalism and sectarianism. The Gita sings of the vision Universal. The Hindu view of a “nation” is not an armed community for exploitation or domination but a communal life doing its dharma. A nation, it was recognised, was but one limb of humanity. Much of what is regarded as “nationalism” is, I am afraid, national egoism! It is communal ‘’intoxication”. This “intoxication” mood must be corrected by an international mood—if, indeed, a higher civilisation is to be built. Indian education in the asramas of old was inspired by a great vision, a vision of Unity, a vision of the One Spirit in all. Without such a “vision” there is no moksha. A civilisation nourished by this “vision’’, a vision of man’s essential dignity and freedom, a vision of the
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potential divinity of man, made India great in the long ago. India did not go upon external conquests of aggression; she wished to have fellowship with men of other lands through commerce and culture. We read this in the books of Sind’s trade with Syria, Arabia and Egypt. We read of an Indian king sending a letter to Antiochus of Greece asking that the Greek ambassador to the Indian court should bring “figs” and a “real Greek philosopher”! We read of vessels bound for Burma and China. We read of a ship taking Indian merchants to Javadvipa, now called Java. We read of a Chinese king rejoicing in the Indian title Dana-pati, the “Giver of Charity”. We read of scholars coming all the way from China, that country being called the “frontier land”; and one of these pilgrim-scholars was so fascinated with India that he exclaimed: “From this time forth till I attain to the Buddhahood, let me not be born in a frontier land”. A long story this, of what the Indian civilisation was and achieved. A painful story this— of how India fell in the perilous struggle of centuries. One thing will, I believe, become clear to those who study history: India’s civilisation was not meant to be mobilised for conquest: it was a civilisation essentially humanistic. A liberating vision of humanity is the world’s piteous need today. In Buddhist temples in Japan there are mirrors: and the question has been asked
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in the books: Why is there a mirror in a Temple? What does a mirror signify? The answer given in one book is the mirror symbolises maya, “Illusion”! That mirror symbolises, to my mind, that “nation-cults” which have been rampant in the West. An Education which encourages such “nation-cults” is like the “mirror” which symbolises, illusion. But there is another mirror of which we read that he who looks into it recovers lost memory. Education of the right sort should enable India’s sons and daughters to recover lost memory of India and the Indian Ideal. New India will be built less in the Assembly Hall than in the School. Indian ideals should be impressed on students in the formative years of their lives. India should profit by some of the new educational experiments in the West. In Russia, Lenin and his comrades established what are called “Street Universities” for diffusion of knowledge among the masses. There are educationists in Europe who believe, as believed the educationists of ancient India, that education begins even before birth and that, therefore, better care must be bestowed upon every pregnant mother: she must have cheerful surroundings: the atmosphere around her will influence the child. Educationists in the West advocate too, the Indian idea of classes in the open air. Physical training, open-air institutions, social service, and the training of emotions were in the asramas of ancient India
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regarded as important elements in the educational programme in addition to mind training and Brahma-vidya or “Science of the Spiritual.” If our souls are meagre today, it is because our Education has no touch with the great Soul of Nature and with great Teachers. There is organisation: there is an elaborate machinery of education today: but where is the soul? Our students are taught sciences and civics: but how many of them have the courage that would stand by Truth though the heavens fell? How many have the love for India that would serve Her without a thought of becoming the foremost among men? The Heart of India will, I believe, be sound as long as her boy and girls have in mind the old ideal of education as fellowship. For education understood thus, never ends: it goes on from life to life, drawing the soul in fellowship with diverse types of thought and life for the service of Humanity. If India stands true to her ancient Ideals in Education she will enrich once more the world’s life. The Universities of Europe may, then, do homage to India’s sages and India once again may go upon her mission as a guru of the great nations! Will She stand strong and true? Great has been Her agony through the ages: but She is not yet defeated! And She will not be, as long as She clings to the vision of Her Sages: “He is One, though the Seers call Him by many names!”
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GOD’S MOST AMAZING GIFT J. P. VASWANI
The mind is one of God’s most amazing gift to man. Scientists tell us that we use only one-fiftieth of the brain power that is actually available to us. If only we could train our minds and ourselves to use this fabulous power in the right way, what can we not achieve! If a computer were to be built to match the brain’s potential, so we are told, it would occupy space comparable to the size of one of the world’s tallest buildings — say, the Empire State Building. And it would
need one billion watts of electrical power to run! The cost ofcourse, would work out to an astronomical figure! Even the most powerful computer cannot match the capabilities of this fabulous mechanism. Mind and Soul: The mind is an instrument of cognition, of knowing things, knowing the material world. The soul is a ray of God, that which you essentially are. The mind is an instrument with which we know, with which we try to understand things. The mind is discursive, while the soul is synergic.
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While the soul integrates everything, the mind analyses everything. We need the help of the mind in doing our work on the physical plane. That is why we have brought with ourselves the instrument of the mind. In your mind you have a friend who is with you 24-hours a day! You may be alone, helpless or in distress, but your mind is ever ready to help you and to guide you to overcome any situation. But it is up to you to use it in the right way. I recommend ‘shampooing’ the mind everyday! We need to cleanse our minds, we need to unclutter our minds, which often become filled with wrong thinking and wrong ideas. And then, the minds of so many of us are negative. We must cleanse the mind of all the dirt and negativity that we have accumulated over the years. To do this, we must get right down into our consciousness and shampoo away all the rotten thoughts that hold us captive — thoughts of impurity, selfishness, greed, lust and hatred. Thoughts have power. Thoughts are forces. Thoughts are the building blocks of life. With our thoughts, we are building the edifice of our own life, building our own future. We are building our destiny, everyday, with
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the thoughts we think. A thought, if it is constantly held in the mind, will drive us to action. An action which is repeated creates a habit. The sum total of our habits forms our character. It is character that determines our destiny. Therefore, if we wish to change our destiny, we must begin with our thoughts. We must change our pattern of thinking! How may we enhance the power of our minds? Here are a few practical suggestions: * Always entertain positive thoughts. * Do not react emotionally to all that happens to you. * Do not make negative suggestions about yourself. * Never hate or resent people. Let love and forgiveness be the law of your life. * Read books that inspire and uplift you. Socrates prayed again and again, “God, make me beautiful within!” Inward beauty, is beauty of thought, aspirations and prayers. If our thoughts are pure, if our aspirations are high, we become beautiful within!
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THE FLOWER AND THE FRUIT* SADHU VASWANI
Kabir is a mystic but he does not spurn action. His mysticism is not quietism. He recognises the place of work in spiritual life. Every day, this weaver of Kashi sat in his little room, working at his loom to earn his bread, and he served the sadhus (holy men) and many others in need with faith in the truth that their service was worship. More important than his work for daily bread and his seva (service) to the sadhus and the poor was his profound faith that inner, spiritual activity was the most essential work, the work of purifying the heart and *June 9 is sacred as Kabir Jayanti.
its vision. This work, this inner activity, this unfolding of the interior life, he regarded as the work of God. And Kabir gave his love to all, to men of all creeds and castes. To Kabir, as to every saint of God, this truth was clear that to abide in God was to radiate love into the world. Kabir’s life was one of love. Therefore it manifested itself in works of love, in giving comfort to the sorrowful, to the sad and weary and heavyladen, in giving food and clothes to the hungry and needy. There was a beautiful blend of the active and the contemplative in the life of
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Kabir. The active life is one of action: the contemplative is one of communion in the immense silence of God. On these three things, doth Kabir put emphasis in his vision of life: (1) The active life, the life of virtues and self-control and service. This life prepares us, for contemplation. (2) The contemplative life. This is concerned with the love of man for God; Than this love I know of no act more noble, more perfect. (3) The life unitive. The active blended with the contemplative is the life unitive, which in silence and love learns, more and more, of the Secret hidden in the heart—the Spirit—and overflows with the love that singeth of the Secret and serveth God in His creation. This unitive life is a marriage of the soul with the Spirit. This unitive life it is which gives the saints tremendous energy to serve God and all creatures, blessing thousands and, may be, changing the course of communities. I believe that schools and asylums and orphanages and seva-centres cannot truly fulfil their vocation until there flows into them an inspiration of the interior life, the life of contemplation, the
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life of communion with God in silence and in love, Kabir sings : The moon doth shine within my body: Alas! mine eyes are blind and see not the light! Within me sounds the drum of eternity, The unstruck music of the Spirit. Alas! my ears are deaf and cannot hear! So long as a man doth clamour: “This is mine! This is mine!” His actions are all reduced to nought: His actions are but ashes and dust, But when “mine” and mamta are dead, Then the work of the Lord proceedeth straight! For work, action, hath no other aim Than the gaining of gnana, wisdom, self realisation. And when gnana, selfrealisation comes, Then, all work sinks into the secondary. Work is flower: realisation is fruit. The flower blooms in beauty for the fruit. When fruit comes, the flower withers, is of little importance. Through work we reach realisation: And realisation is within!
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saw a little child sitting on a stone, in a pensive mood.
“What ails thee, my child?” I asked him. And he answered: “I feel lonely. It seems as though there is no one to care for me in this spacious, starlit world.” “Where are your father and mother?” I asked him. And with tear-touched eyes, he answered: “Daddy is busy with his factory, and Mummy spends all her time in social work. I have all the comforts at home. A car comes to leave me in the School and fetch me back home. There are servants to
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look after me. All my needs are provided for. But my heart craves for love.” I met the parents of this boy. I said to them even as I have said many other parents: “Suppose you were given a diamond as big as the Kohinoor: how much care would you not take of it! And yet, diamonds bigger than the Kohinoor have been placed by God in your hands: they are your children. Alas! You do nothing to look after them. They need your love. The nature of the soul is love. Deprived of love, no child can grow in the right way. You must give them time. You must
ATTENTION, Parents! J. P. VASWANI
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try to sow in their plastic minds seeds of character, without which life can have no meaning or value. You must help them to grow in the love and fear of God!” I recall having read of a boy in France. He was sentenced to hard labour. He received the sentence calmly. Later, he shouted aloud, so that everyone in the court-room could hear: “I have nothing against the judges, for they have sentenced me justly. And I have nothing against the guards, because they have done their duty. However, I can never forgive two persons in this court-room, my father and my mother. For, they paid no attention to my upbringing. They did not object when I visited cinema-houses, where scenes of crime are shown so vividly that they easily impress themselves on the imagination of children. They did not take care of the company in which I moved. And so, here I have grown, full of vice and crime. The fault is theirs, but I have to pay for it, by going to prison.” A number of parents do not seem to realise their responsibilities towards children. It was William Penn who said: “Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children.” The question arises: “How should parents raise their children?” By proper guidance
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and patient, loving discipline. Without discipline no art can be learnt and, most of all, the art of living. Today, the cult of “self-expression” is abroad. I am told we have imported it from America. I hear the people say: “Don’t restrain your children. Don’t discipline them. Let them express themselves freely.” But what “self” is it that seeks expression and defies all rules of discipline? Surely, it is not the higher self of man. It is the lower self, the ego – the self of desires and unruly passions, of cravings and animal appetites. When man surrenders to the lower self, he behaves no better than does a brute beast. I read a headline which appeared in an American newspaper: “School Gang Violence Near Epidemic: Vandalism, Murder, Arson, Burglary.”And the paper quoted a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors as saying: “We are going to have to return to discipline. Without discipline in the home, we are not going to have it in the schools or in the streets. We must arouse public opinion for a change.” The paper also reported how three teenagers— aged fourteen, fifteen, and seventeen—had killed a woman and a man to steal from them three dollars and ten dollars respectively. India, beware!
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Discipline is necessary. But discipline must not be confounded with suppression. There was a little boy who, asked what his name was, answered:— “Haresh Don’t!” Everytime he wanted to do something, his parents said to him, “Haresh, Don’t!” That is not true discipline. We must prepare our children by explaining to them the purpose of life and teach them the rules and the discipline needed to reach life’s goals. Our mothers taught us through examples and precept and by telling us wonderful stories from the ancient scriptures how life might be lived in the right way, by devoting our energies to the service of certain high ideals. The scriptural stories, learnt in the years of childhood and boyhood, leave an indelible impression upon young minds. And discipline must be blended with love, so that the child has the assurance that he is not alone, that there is someone who cares for him, and to whom he can turn, at any time of the day or night. May I, in this connection, be permitted to offer a few practical suggestions to parents desirous of bringing up their children in the right way? The suggestions are as follows: (1) There is a difference between children and adults. Children live in the now: they are free from anxieties of the past
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and fear of the future. If a child is in need of something or wants an answer to a question, never say to him, “I shall fulfill your need or answer your question tomorrow or at my leisure.” There is a story about a young man, the son of a famous writer, who was sent to jail and whom the judge admonished, saying, “You should be ashamed of yourself: your father is such a great man!” Without hesitation, the young man retorted: “It is true, my father is a great man. He is always busy with his writing work. Each time I went to him with a question, he said to me, ‘Not now, my child. I haven’t the time to answer your question. Come tomorrow!” (2) Every child is a human being, with a heart and a soul. Never let him feel unwanted. And never forget that the child is an individual, with his own personality and innate talents. Understand him and encourage the creative principle within him to express itself freely. Guide him in a healthy, constructive way by bringing out the best that is in him. Do not impose your will on him and say: “I am a doctor, so my son should become a doctor!” (3) In your treatment towards children, do not discriminate. Do not let them feel that a particular child is your favourite. Children are very sensitive creatures. (4) Keep your child very close to yourself, until he is atleast
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three years of age. He needs your affectionate touch. It is a great blunder to hand over little children to ayahs or baby-sitters. (5) It becomes sometimes very necessary to scold children. Whenever you do so, avoid being emotional. Let your words on such occasions be like whips of love. Explain the fault clearly to the child, and allow him to speak out, if he has anything to say. (6) Even at a young age, children should be trained to attend to household chores. Let them cultivate reverence for manual work. (7) Let children grow in a spirit of unselfishness by training them to share food with the starving ones. Sri Krishna says in the Gita: He who cooks for himself alone, is a thief!” Before you eat your food, set apart a share for a hungry one — a man, a bird or an animal. Example is always a better teacher than precept. (8) The home is a door to the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of true Happiness. Let all the members of the family gather together, at an appointed time everyday, at a prayer meeting — even if it be for ten to fifteen minutes. This will give a new tone to the home. At a prominent place in your home, keep a big, beautiful picture of some great one — Krishna or Rama, Buddha or Jesus, Zoroaster or Guru Nanak,
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Baha’u’llah or a saint or Saviour of humanity,—to whom you feel drawn. Whenever you or the children leave the house or enter it, bow down to the picture and offer a small prayer. My beloved Master, Sadhu Vaswani often said: “New India will be build not in the Assembly or Parliament, but in the home and the school.” Therefore, give to your children the right type of training in the home and to your students the right type of education in the school and the college. An urgent need of India, as it seems to me, is a new type of education which may integrate the character of the pupils through proper development of the body and training of the will-power and the emotions, an education which may give a triple training of the head, the hand and the heart The heart must not be ignored. The problems that are before civilisation, today, will not be solved by the head alone. Illuminated hearts are needed. Current education has failed because it has, at best, taught us to be literate. Literacy is not education. The alphabet may be the “alpha” of “Education”: let us not mistake it for the “Omega”. For, a literate person can be uneducated, even as an illiterate person can be highly educated.
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Simple Rules Of Health TULSI The tulsi plant can be used to cure most of your common diseases. It may also offer antiaging benefits as well as be useful for diabetics and people with heart disorders. You can easily grow the Holy basil in a small pot. If it is not possible to grow the plant, keep a bottle of tulsi juice or oil or dried tulsi powder in your home for treating common illnesses such as cold and flu and insect bites. HEALTH BENEFITS OF TULSI Tulsi is widely used in Ayurveda for medicinal purposes. Eugenol, found in Ocimum sanctum, is believed to be the main constituent responsible for the medicinal properties of the Holy basil. The plant has also been found to have antimicrobial properties, thanks to the ursolic acid and carvacrol constituents found in it. Along with antimicrobial properties, the phytochemicals present in tulsi offer antioxidant as well as immunee n h a n c i n g qualities. It also
has adaptogenic properties, that is, it enhances the body's ability to adapt to stress. Let's take a look at some of the medicinal uses of the Holy basil leaves. Respiratory benefits of tulsi: For asthma and bronchitis The leaves of the Tulsi are effective expectorants and promote the release of mucus in bronchitis and asthma, thus, facilitating breathing. A decoction made of tulsi leaves, honey and ginger is effective for asthma, bronchitis and influenza. FOR COLD AND FLU Chewing the leaves of the Holy basil helps relieve symptoms of cold and flu. FOR SORE THROAT Boil a few leaves of Tulsi in about half a litre of water. Drink this tulsi tea or use it as a gargle at least three times a day. You can also add cloves to this decoction for more benefits. RELIEVES FEVER The antimicrobial properties of the tulsi leaves make it an excellent treatment for fever. As we
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know, fever is not a disease by itself. In fact, it is caused by infections caused due to viruses, bacteria, fungus, protozoa or due to allergens. Tulsi is quite effective in bringing down temperature and can safely be used with children too. It also protects an individual from malarial and dengue fever, which are caused due to mosquito bites. The leaves can be boiled in half a litre of water and mixed with honey and milk. Tulsi extract added to water can also be given every 2-3 hours for bringing down the fever. BENEFICIAL FOR THE KIDNEYS Tulsi juice and honey taken regularly for 6 months may help in expelling a kidney stone that is smaller than 5mm through the urinary tract. Regular intake of tulsi leaves may also reduce uric acid levels and promote proper cleansing of the kidneys through urination. EFFECTIVE FOR SKIN DISORDERS The juice of the tulsi plant may help in the treatment of skin diseases such as ringworm and leucoderma. Tulsi leaves can be applied as poultice on the infected area to cure skin diseases. You can also add a decoction of tulsi leaves to your bathwater to cure
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infections as well as prevent their occurrence. It is also effective for insect as well as snake and scorpion bites. It can be taken internally as well as applied on the infected area. Take a teaspoon of the tulsi extract every 3 hours. Apply the extract on the affected area as and when required. CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS It may reduce blood cholesterol levels and have benefits for the heart. Its antioxidant properties protect the heart from free radical damage. Regular intake of tulsi tea also reduces high blood pressure. ANTI-AGEING PROPERTIES Its antioxidant properties prevent the body from damages caused due to free radicals, thus, delaying the ageing process and the appearance of wrinkles and other signs of ageing. OTHER USES OF TULSI If you are in a country like India, you need to use something that keeps the mosquitoes away from you. Rub tulsi oil on the exposed areas of your body to keep mosquitoes and other insects away from you. Beads made of this plant are considered to have medicinal as well as divine properties. It is believed that tulsi protects one from negative influences.
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Children’s Corner MAHABHARATA QUIZ Q1. Q1.What Whatwas was the the name name of of Dronacharya’s Dronacharya’s son? son? Options Options: : 1.1.Ashwathama Ashwathama 2.2.Karan Karan 3.3.Shalya Shalya 4.4.Abhimanyu Abhimanyu Q2. Q2.After After escaping escaping from from the the burning burning shellac shellac palace, palace, in in which which village village did did the the Pandavas Pandavaslive liveinin disguise disguise as as Brahmins? Brahmins? Options Options: : 1.1.Panchala Panchala 2.2.Ekachakrapura Ekachakrapura 3.3.Hastinapur Hastinapur 4.4.Magadha Magadha Q3. Q3.Who Whoseized seizedDraupadi Draupadi by by her her hair hair and dragged dragged her her into into the the court? court? Options Options: : 1.1.Duryodhana Duryodhana 2.2.Duhshasana Duhshasana 3.3.Vidura Vidura 4.4.Drushtadyumna Drushtadyumna Q4. Q4.For For whom whom was was the theepithet epithetVasudeva Vasudeva used? used? Options Options: : 1.1.Krishna Krishna 2.2.Arjuna Arjuna 3.3.Nakula Nakula 4.4.Bheema Bheema Q5. Q5.What Whatwas was the the real real name nameof ofDraupadi? Draupadi? Options Options: : 1.1.Krishna Krishna 2.2.Madri Madri 3.3.Gandhari Gandhari 4.4.Uttara Uttara Q6. Q6.With Withwhat what instrument instrument does does Drona Drona take take out out the the ring ringin inthe the well? well? Options Options: : 1.1.Rope Rope 2.2.Sword Sword 3.3.Arrow Arrow 4.4.Spear Spear Q7. Q7.What Whatwas was the the name of of Ghatotkacha’s Ghatotkacha’s mother mother ? ? Options Options: : 1.1.Ganga Ganga 2.2.Radha Radha 3.3.Hidimbaa Hidimbaa 4.4.Gandhari Gandhari Q8. Q8.What Whatwas was the the real real name nameof ofBheeshma? Bheeshma? Options Options: : 1.1.Dritarashtra Dritarashtra 2.2.Pandu Pandu 3.3.Dronacharya Dronacharya 4.4.Devavrata Devavrata Q9. Q9.Who Whotaught taught Duryodhana Duryodhana how howtoto wield wield a mace? a mace? Options Options: : 1.1.Dronacharya Dronacharya 2.2.Balarama Balarama 3.3.Shalya Shalya 4.4.Karan Karan Q10. Q10.Who Whowas was the the mother mother of ofSage SageVedavyasa? Vedavyasa? Options Options: : 1.1.Ganga Ganga 2.2.Satyawati Satyawati 3.3.Gandhari Gandhari 4.4.Draupadi Draupadi
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Q11. Who wrote the Mahabharat? Options : 1. Vyas 2. Valmiki 3. Tulsi Dasji 4. Lord Brahma Q12. Who is the eldest among the Pandavas? Options : 1. Yudishthir 2. Arjun 3. Bheem 4. Karan Q13. Where was Krishna born? Options : 1. Mathura 2. Ayodhya 3. Hastinapur 4. Patliputra Q14. What was Krishna’s sister’s name, who married Arjuna? Options : 1. Devaki 2. Uttara 3. Subhadra 4. Satyabhama Q15. What was Nakula and Sahadeva’s mother’s name? Options : 1. Kunti 2. Madri 3. Gandhari 4. Draupadi
TEASER The picture shows a kiwi walking under a tree on which a snake is resting. Where could one observe such a scene in the wild in real life?
Answers: Mahabharata Quiz: 1. Ashwathama, 2. Ekachakrapura, 3. Duhshasana, 4. Krishna, 5. Krishna, 6. Arrow, 7. Hidimbaa, 8. Devavrata, 9. Balarama, 10. Satyawati, 11. Vyas, 12. Yudishthir, 13. Mathura, 14. Subhadra, 15. Madri. Teaser: Nowhere in the world. The kiwi is found in New Zealand but there are no snakes in that country.
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Laugh Your Way To Health Shopkeeper: Shall I cut this cake into six pieces or eight pieces? Lady: Cut it into four pieces. I’m dieting. *** Nurse: There’s a man outside with a wooden leg named D’Costa. Doctor: What’s the name of the other leg? *** A company manager was ringing up a customer’s house. His son picked up the phone. Manager: Can I talk to your dad? Boy: He’s busy outside. Manager: Can I talk to your mother? Boy: She too is very busy. Manager: Who else is there? Boy: My sister, she too is busy. Manager: What the hell are they doing outside?
Boy: They are playing hideand-seek trying to find me. *** Waiter: But this is not a credit card, sir! Customer: I too know that. Waiter: Then why did you give me your visiting card? Customer: Because your notice board says, ‘All kinds of cards accepted’. *** Customer: What a surprise! I’ve eaten so much but your bill is very much less. Waiter: Oh, that! We gave a 50% discount on yesterday’s leftovers. *** Little boy: Please give me a calendar. Shopkeeper: Sure! Which one? Little boy: The one with the maximum number of holidays. ***
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Waiter: Would you like your coffee black? Customer: What other colours do you have so that I can choose from them? *** Policeman: Why didn’t you stop when you saw the dog crossing the road? Scooterist: Sir, I have only heard of zebra crossings, not dog crossings. *** Akbar: Do you know why cows have bells around their necks? Anwar: No, why? Akbar: Because their horns don’t work. *** Customer: I like the material and design on this shirt. But the colour is too dark. Sales woman: Don’t worry about that, madam. After one wash you will like the colour. *** Boss(to the new office boy): The cashier told me that you lost the key to the cupboard. Office boy: Yes, sir! I lost one of the two keys. Boss: Then where is the other key? Office boy: I kept it inside the cupboard before locking it. *** Wife: What will I get if I cook for you a dinner like that everyday this year? Husband: My life insurance. *** Teacher: If there were ten cats in a boat and one jumped out, how many would be left? Kevin: None. Because they were all copycats. ***
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Pravin: Deepak, I’m inviting you to my birthday party. Deepak: Thank you, Pravin. I love parties. Pravin: My address is …(he gives the address). Just ring the doorbell with your elbow. Deepak: Why? Pravin: Because your hands won’t be free as you will be carrying a gift for me. *** During their silver jubilee, a wife reminded her husband: Do you remember when you had proposed to me, I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t talk for an hour? The husband replied: Yes, honey, that was the happiest hour in my life. *** Teacher: I wish you paid a little attention in class. Sachin: I am paying as little as I can, Miss. *** Wife(in a movie theatre): How ridiculous! The man in front of us is asleep. Husband: And you had to wake me up to tell me that? *** Son: Today the teacher asked me whether I had any brothers or sisters and I said, I did not have any. Mother: What did she say to that? Son: She said, Thank God! *** Customer (to the milkman): This milk is full of water. Why is it so? Milkman: That’s because I left the cow in the rain the whole night. ***
JUNE 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
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Recipes For The Month BOREE SAMOSAA Ingredients (Dough): Refined flour (maida)..........................225 gms Oil............................................................2 tbsp Salt.......................................................... ½ tsp Water Oil...................................................... for frying Method (Dough): Mix the flour, oil and salt. Knead into a soft dough using enough water. Ensure that it isn't too hard. Cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 portions. With a rolling pin, roll each portion into very thin sheets, dusting with flour intermittently. Heat a griddle and lightly roast the pancake, turning it over once or twice. Remove when slightly done, approximately 10 seconds on each side. Remove from the pan and immediately cover with a cloth. Continue the above steps with the rest of the dough. Stack the roasted sheets and cut them lengthwise into 4 strips. Keep it in a plastic bag, so that it remains soft. Ingredients (Stuffing): Oil..............................................................1 tsp Cumin seeds...............................................1 tsp Medium sized onions - finely chopped........... 2 Medium sized potatoes - boiled and finely chopped.......................................................... 4
Peas - boiled..........................................50 gms Garam masala powder [optional]........... ½ tsp Red chilli powder..................................... ½ tsp Coriander seed powder [dhania]............. ½ tsp Salt........................................................to taste Lemon juice......................................Few drops Coriander leaves (dhania) - chopped......1 tbsp Method (Stuffing): Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the cumin seeds and onions. Lightly saute the onions. Now, add the potatoes, boiled peas, garam masala powder [optional], red chilli powder, coriander seed powder and salt. Remove from the stove and leave it to cool. Add a few drops of lemon juice. Mix in the coriander leaves. Wrapping the samosa Remove one of the strips from the plastic cover. Mould it into the shape of a cone. Fill it with the potato filling. Then, wrap the rest of the strip around the cone. Make a paste by mixing refined flour and water together. Take a little bit of this paste and seal the open end of the cone. Now repeat the above steps for the remaining strips. Then, heat oil in a frying pan. Deep fry each cone [samosa], till it turns golden brown in colour. Serve hot with mint chutney.
JUNE 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
MIRCH JAA PAKORAA Ingredients: Thick green chillies - washed, Slit and deseeded........................................6-7 Raw mango powder [amchoor powder] Salt........................................................to taste Oil...................................................... for frying Gram flour [besan]............................... 225 gm Salt........................................................to taste Red chilli powder...................................to taste Baking soda...........................................a pinch Water....................................................... 50 ml Method: Stuff the chillies with a mixture of raw mango powder and salt. Keep aside for around an hour. [The longer you marinate the chillies, the tangier and less spicy will they be.] Mix the gram flour, salt, red chilli powder, soda and water to prepare the batter for the pakora. Ensure that the batter consistency is thick enough to coat the chillies. Now, dip each chilli into this batter. Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry each chilli over a medium flame, till it turns golden brown in colour. Serve with chutney or ketchup. Tip: For mirchi pakoras, the thick variety of chillies will be more preferable than the long green chillies, which is spicier. SOOJEE FINGERS Ingredients: Semolina [sooji]..................................225 gms Milk........................................................ 250 ml Water..................................................... 175 ml Green chillies - finely chopped....................... 3 Small onion - finely chopped.......................... 1 Coriander leaves - finely chopped...........1 tbsp Garlic - crushed.....................................3 flakes Oil (for greasing).....................................1 tbsp Salt........................................................to taste Fresh bread crumbs......................... for coating
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Method: Boil all the ingredients (except for the semolina) in a saucepan, for around 5 minutes. Then, add the semolina. Stir all ingredients into a thick paste. Continue to mix, till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Grease a big, flat plate and sprinkle a few bread crumbs on it. Pour the thickened semolina mixture onto the plate and mould it to the shape of the plate, to a thickness of 1". Allow the mixture to set for 30 minutes. Cut into desired shapes. Coat with fresh bread crumbs and deep fry each piece in hot oil. Serve with coriander chutney. AALOO TOUK Ingredients: Oil...................................................... for frying Potatoes, peeled – quartered and salted....... 8 Dry mango powder [amchoor]..................2 tsp Coriander powder [dhania].......................2 tsp Red chilli powder.......................................3 tsp Salt........................................................to taste Method: Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes over a low flame, till they become tender and a very pale yellow. Keep the fried potatoes aside to cool. Flatten out the potatoes by pressing them lightly between the palms of your hands. Deep fry the flattened potatoes once more before serving, till they turn golden brown and crisp from outside. Mix together the dry mango powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Sprinkle the masala mixture liberally over the potatoes before serving. Serve hot with Sindhi curry and rice.
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