For My Son Kabir

12 September 2014

My Dearest Son Kabir

Congratulations on your birthday!!! You’re now 5 years old but it was like only yesterday that you came out to this world and now I have to answer all kinds of questions and we can discuss a lot of things together. You are a great company to your mother. I love it when you say I’m the best mother in the world and you always tell me that you love me and even shout out loud when you see me anytime during the day. I have to admit that sometimes I want to freeze the time that you will always be my little baby cuddling around but I know that now you are growing big and independent. In the morning when you wake up, you always smile and kiss me and your father and say “Good morning ” which makes our day complete. We sit down and talk while watching your favorite program in the TV, the Disney channel showcasing your favorite Cartoon Character Handy Manny and your favorite videos in Baby TV. We always want to stay together but then you have to be in your school and me at my work place and that’s when sometimes we have disagreement because you want to play more with me. On the way back to home from School, I kiss and wave my hand and I’m not sad because I know you are an independent understanding child since childhood who uses to stay back happy even when I was out for long tours.

I’ m very proud of you at very young age as you can do a lot of things like coloring, helping me in small household activities and a lot of things with your father in Garden. You are smart and active at a very young age but I’ always tell you and I pray that you stay humble and be patient if others can’t understand you. You use your Legos to construct elaborate vehicles and their parking areas.  You love it when we read together; I love it too. And you will always count on me to support and guide you along the way. Now you are likely to remember forever some of the memories you’re making. You like scoring a goal, even though you didn’t realize what you had done while playing cricket and Soccer. And you liked winning more than losing. Your enthusiasm for various thrills has been a lesson for me in knowing how boys grow up fast.

I thank God that you are a healthy and a happy boy who always makes me, your father and grandparents happy. One of the greatest gifts in my life is having the chance to be your mother and I cherish every moment we spent with you. We love you and wish you Happy 5th birthday .God bless you always.

Your Loving Mother

Shaheen

Emphazing Abilities not Disabilities

Disability is a physical, emotional, cognitive, or sensory impairment that affects an individual's function in everyday life. Thousands of people live with the effects of disabilities, whether they're affected themselves, or have a disabled family member, or friend, or are employed at an organization assisting those with disabilities. This small article has inspired writers to think about the disabled protagonists who inspire others to never give up.

Siddhi Mathur was born on April 18,1996. She was diagnosed with Celebral Palsy suffering from Diaplegic Spasticity i.e. tightness of muscles in lower limbs. Children suffering from Diaplegic Spasticity experience growth of the muscles not coordinating with the growth of the bones. Cerebral palsy is a permanent, non-progressive movement disorder that causes physical disability, mainly in the areas of body movement.  Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain and can occur during pregnancy, during childbirth, or after birth up to about age three. Her development was delayed after birth and at the age of 8 months, her parents came to know about the ailment when she was unable to sit .She could not sit and walk independently till the age of two. With growing age her knees started to bend which made her to walk on toes.

Siddhi was admitted in Delhi Public School, Jodhpur in Class Prep in year 2001 after she was denied admission in other schools of the city. These schools were unable to cater to the special needs of her disability. Siddhi used to reach school by walking on toes with bent knees and climbed stairs to attend the classes . This was not an easy task for her, but she never gave up. Her parents were also religiously regular in bringing and taking her back from school on a daily basis.  Starting from the age of six till this year, she went through various surgeries in Mumbai during summer breaks. Siddhi was put on plaster treatment for one to two months post the surgery. After surgery, during the school days, she had to undergo physiotherapy for four hours as a daily routine activity. She chartered her course of study independently. The whole phase was difficult and painful for her. During summer breaks every year, children of her age used to enjoy with their family and friends whereas Siddhi was confined to bed rest in hospital after surgery with Plaster on her legs preparing to take a bigger forward leap in her life. It is ironic, that the benefits of various physiotherapy treatments were lost with every surgery she went through. Every year, the Physiotherapy sessions were taken again from the beginning. Today, she stands physically fit and independent with little limp.

At the age of six, treatment of Dr. Ashok Johari, a well known Peadiatric Orthopaedician in Mumbai who is specialized in spasticity management was started. Siddhi was put on plaster treatment for one and half months. She had to undergo physiotherapy daily for four hours. Later on, at the age of 13, the Doctor operated her to lengthen tendons and muscles at various points of both legs and spine. The surgery went for six to seven hours. Post operation, Siddhi was kept in plaster for two and half months. She also had to undergo physiotherapy for four hours as a daily routine. Usually, during daytime she used to wear AFO shoes and during night she was advised to sleep wearing night splints in order to keep her knees straight. Next year, at the age of 14, Siddhi underwent for botox (an injection to loosen the muscles) treatment. Here again, post treatment, she was kept in plaster for two months and the physiotherapy continued for four hours everyday.

In 2012, Dr. Johari performed Knee surgery in both legs as her knees were deformed due to bending and  her femur bones were fractured. Siddhi again went through the surgery wherein plates were inserted in the bones with five screws. This painful surgery went for eight hours. Here again, post treatment, she was kept in plaster for three long months and the daily physiotherapy continued for long sessions. In 2014, Siddhi underwent through her last surgery to remove the plates. This was a minor surgery which lasted for two hours.

Today, she stands physically fit and independent with little limp. Seeing Siddhi today, it is difficult to imagine the situation she was in prior to 2009 when her first surgery was done. With an exemplary academic record, she successfully completed her schooling from Delhi Public School in 2014 with science stream. Siddhi went for a focused self study regime and never took tuitions for the reason that she didn’t have time and energy. She was determined to excel with self study only. Today, this child stands proud amidst the top Students of Delhi Public School, Jodhpur qualifying RPMT and getting admission in renowned S N Medical College, Jodhpur. Though there are other students who have secured rank in RPMT but her health problems make her stand apart. Siddhi is now a living example of motivation to those students who are physically and mentally challenged and also to those children who are blessed with healthy body. A child, who was not able to sit at all, is now qualified to study medicine and contribute her services in the field of medical to serve the society.

For an Earnest Soul

For an Earnest Soul

He wandered as a solitude cloud,

Rising high in the sky

Protecting the twinkling stars passing by

Fluttering wings to fly

Achieving the dreams of touching the sky.

For this earnest soul

 Bliss was in other's smile,

Love was in sharing and caring till eternity,

Serenity was loving the nature's beauty,

Knowledge was the ultimate ambition,

Prosperity was to bestow upon,

Leading was building an empire of trust and faith,

And Wisdom was life.

His earnest soul was always on an eternal path,

His heart was a seamless flow of emotional river bed,

His thoughts were in quest,

To finally slumber in nest.

For thou earnest soul to search love,

Thou never had to seek for it…..

Shaheen Hasan

Life is an empty dream

Life is an empty dream

And dreams are to be realized,

For what they tend to seem.

Life is an earnest desire,

Making one to kindle the fire,

Grave isn't its ultimate 

holy grail to aspire.

In the bivouac of life,

We are Peregrine ,

wandering the soul for nest,

For the right alignment of mind and heart

For taking deep slumber for rest.

But time is fleeting

Making the actions in life tremendously beating,

Leaving footprints on the sand of time.

Let us then, the earnest soul

Rise high to eternity,

Still achieving and pursuing

every moment bestowed on us.

Let the soul move,

aim, feel and express,

Making the thoughts sublimed,

To make the heart take a leap

Rising to the divine heights.

The Trio Restaurant in the Heart of Desert- An Essence of Antiquity and Exotic Cuisines

The Trio is Jaisalmer's finest unique dining restaurants since 1988. It has become one of the most famous and widely visited restaurants by national and international streams of tourists for over the last 28 years in the city surrounded by an ambience of golden sands and rocks. The restaurant exhibits a malady of historical landscapes, artefacts and exotic flavour of food.
In addition to world class delicious quality of food, including Marwar’s finest cuisines, the restaurant provides a magnificent view of the Jaisalmer’s Sonar (golden) Fort and Palace. Trio houses a large collection of fine antique artefacts decorating its walls and tent ceiling, making tourists magnetized by bewildering uniqueness of each item. While savouring their foods, tourists eyes wander and curiosity make them ask a host of questions which the smiling hosts gently and graciously answer. A visit to the restaurant is also a learning tour of history of Jaiselmer and nearby towns and the ethnic foods being served raises value of the time and money spent.

The antique pictures and artefacts displayed on the walls are a glimpse of an inexhaustible collection of royal artefacts demonstrating refined interests of the glorious era of the Marwar Dynasty and owner of the Trio.
The antique art of Trio has been acquired over the years by the founder and owner, Mr. Jitendra Singh Rathore, an avid antiquarian who has widely travelled over years in India and overseas, including Europe and the USA. Travelling to villages and small town to major cities across India, his quest to collect unique antiques from wherever he went for his arduous search for the best form of art. Over the last 20 years, Mr. Rathore has acquired a large collection of artifices, including important works by the 19th-century Indian and European masters for building a treasure in Jaiselmer, adding value to its historical site. That way Trio is the only restaurant across Jaiselmer district preserving and showcasing antique art to its visitors in an organized way.
The array of Trio's collection includes original and authentic antique maps of 18^th and 19^th century depicting various locations of Rajasthan, India, Asia, Europe, and the USA. Few maps displayed are detailed and give a very clear picture of a location. Maps displayed in Trio are also a visual representation of developments in geographical knowledge. Trio's collection of maps has many editions, issues and can be found in various colors.
The wide array of Trio's collection also include antique arms--swords, bowie knives, daggers, shields, Zirahh Bakhtar and  armor used during wars and depicting glory of the Marwar Dynasty in the late 18^th and early 19^th  century. Even the pictures of members of former royal families of Marwar and other dynasties of Rajasthan who had used these arms are displayed in the restaurant.

 The restaurant houses range of antique fine arts, each telling its own story of uniqueness. The walls display original paintings portraying kings and commoners with ethnic sartorial designs, fusion and tastes of as early as 18-19^th century. Old master drawings intricately link to the history of the region. Writing on the importance of drawing, Tintoretto once proclaimed: ‘Beautiful colors can be bought in the shops on the Rialto, but good drawing can only be bought from the casket of the artist’s talent with patient study and nights without sleep.’ The paintings preserved here showcase fine craftsmanship of the artists of that particular era. Trio also has original photographs of Rajasthan’s royal families from the early 19^th century. These are assiduous acquisitions made by Mr. Rathore from the royal houses of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Bundi states. 

Trio has a beautiful collection of Barahmasa series from 19^th century depicting activities of Lord Krishna in different seasons. It also has original Lithographs of renowned artist Raja Ravi Varma created in 18^th and 19^th   century which are rarely available. Opera played in 1998 in Lisbon, Portugal, based on the history of Jaiselmer are also the unique collection of the Trio. An interesting unique collection is also the original postcards acquired from the Royal families of Rajasthan.
Trio also have a private collection of old classical musical instruments of late 19^th  century, including Kamaycha, Sarangi, Sarod, Sitar, Bansuri and Tanpura, elements of symphony of Marwar music. The beauty of these musical instruments on the walls of the Trio along with tunes of live Rajasthani music played in the starry nights of Jaiselmer creates an authentic royal musical aura. The cloth material for canopy has its unique Rajasthani block print designs of Bagru and Sanganeri using original vegetable dyes. In addition, the restaurant has a unique collection of colorful antique fine glass hanging lamps of late 19^thcentury.

The wooden works engraved on windows and verandas have beauty of intricacies of their own, rarely found elsewhere. They demonstrate the skills and craftsmanship of Jaiselmer and Barmer Districts. Preservation and continuity of art and culture is the conscious mission of the Trio.
Despite the globalization, The Trio preserves it heritage spirit and soul along with the best ethnic cuisines, in addition to others, with authentic Indian ambience to the visiting guests from all over the world.

Shaheen Hasan

Jodhpur