I 've got a mansion just over the hill top

An  old  haveli  or  mansion I  pass  by  sometimes.

Prepare Ye The Way

Our  city  is busy  repairing  roads  in  preparation

the  the world 's  largest  religious  fair  called  the  Maha  Kumbh, a

month  long  Hindu  festival which  will  be  held on  the  banks  of

the  Ganges  River. Pilgrims  from  all  over  India and  the world

will  start arriving in  December  and  many  will  stay  on  till   February  2013.

During  the Advent  season let  us  prepare  the  road  for  Jesus

to be  present  in  all  our  celebration. I   am  sharing  an  article  I  liked.

from  www.leadlikejesus.com

Building Roads for Christmas

By Steve Cartin in on November 29, 2012

Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exaltedAnd every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straightAnd the rough places smooth (Isaiah 40:3b-4)

Twenty-six days until we celebrate the birth of our Savior. So much to be done. Shopping lists stare us in the face. Holiday gatherings quickly fill our calendars. Such a busy time of the year, busy with opportunities for sharing the joy of Christ in unique ways.

Isaiah prophesied the Messiah’s coming, hundreds of years before the humble birth in Bethlehem. His words told not only of a coming event – they urged personal preparation: The Messiah’s coming must be prepare for in order to receive in its fullness.

All around us are opportunities to prepare the way of the Lord, opportunities to carve out highways in a desert of souls for the coming King of Kings. In Lead Like Jesus we use the progressive framework of the Transformational Journey: (1) Personal Leadership, (2) One-on-One Leadership, (3) Team/Family Leadership, and (4)
Organizational/Community Leadership. Praying through the Transformational Journey model helps us identify opportunities for creating inroads for the gospel in this Christmas season.

On the Personal level, where are the deserts in your own soul, the dry spots in your spiritual experience?

In the One-on-One arena, with whom are you working to build trust through the patient, kind, humble, other-serving/other-seeking love of 1 Cor 13? How is that going?

As you work with Teams in ministry or other settings or with Family, how well are you honoring their diversity and the power of teamwork?

At the Organizational or Community level, are you pointing those you lead to the higher purpose for which you have gathered together?

The desert of our days requires new energy for building roads upon which feet who bring good news can travel. Like points on a compass, the four stops on the Transformation Journey can guide us to go into all of our world as we prayerfully seek where the Lord is leading us this Christmas season.

 

DIWALI LIGHTS

The  Hindu  festival  of  lights  called  Deepawali  or  Diwali  is  being   celebrated  all  over  India  this  week.  Shops ,  markets  and commercial  centres  are   all lighted  up  and  decorated  to  woo  customers  to  buy,  buy  and   buy  some  more. People  worship  Goddess  Lakshmi ,  the   goddess  of  wealth  on  this   night  and light  up   their  homes   with  diyas  -   earthen  oil  lamps  and  electric  lights to  welcome   the goddess  into  their   homes. Setting  off  firecrackers   both noisy   and colourful   and  eating  special  Diwali  sweets  is  everyone 's  favourite.  People  give  gifts   to  each  other and   have  Diwali  get  togethers  and  parties.
Read  more about  Diwali  HERE

 

Rainy Friday

The  long  awaited  rain  bearing  clouds  have finally  arrived giving  us  respite  from  the  searing  heat. Flora  and  fauna,  man  and beast  heave  a  great  big  sigh  of  relief.I  took  some  rain washed  photos  on  Friday.

The  rain  washed  the  dust  off  the  graves

in  this  cemetary  of  the Empire.

It  is  a  heritage  site.

This ancient  building  has   seen

a hundred  or  more  monsoons.

A modern highway in  the  far  back

River  Yamuna  drinking  in  the  rain

India 's  economy predominantly agriculture based  and  our  farmers depend  upon  rains. The  delay and   scarcity of  rains  becomes  a  great  cause  of  concern in agrarian, political   and  economic  circles. Over  the  years   farmers have   committed suicide when their  crops failed. Government  support  doesn 't reach  the  poorest  of  the poor. Ansd  the  compensation  is  not  enough. This  year  the  monsoon  is  delaying

causing unrest and  unease.

The North East  is under  floods  while  the rest  of our land  has  had   scanty  rainfall. Its raining hard  in  Mumbai on  the  West  coast too.

The  prices  of food  and other  essential  commodities  have  shot  up.

In    the face  of  this  our  government  has  pledged  million of dollars

to support   the  crisis  stricken  European  economy.

Please  feed  your  own people before  indulging  in  international

charity.

Politicians and  diplomats  can literaly  cross  any border  to  acomplish

their  purposes.

Anyway  God  Almighty  rules  and He will hear

the  cries  of  his  hungry and  waterless  creation.

I  am  having  trouble  commenting  on  some 

blogs  which  have  a  word  identification option.

I  try   so hard  but  bloggeer  doesn 't   accept  me.

So  please  don 't  think I  am ignoring you. I  am  simply 

unable  to  prove that  I am  not  a  robot.

And  another  funny  thing  ha s happened  to  my  blog.

My side bar has  vanished  from  my blog.

Can  you  see  it?

Dusshera Mela

The  annual  Dusshera  Mela (Fair)   took  place in    my  vicinity earlier  this   week. Sonia,  Abner  and  I   went   for  a  fun  evening.
Here   are   some  scenes   from  there.

Thank   you   for  your  prayers.

God  has  sent  help.

Sonia   and  her  family  left   this  morning  and   we  are  missing them.

Aunt  Maya  has  also  moved

into  her   new  apartment.

Tomorrow  (Oct 7th)  I  have

an  important  meeting.

Kindly  pray  that  things

may  be  settled amicably.

The  first  day  of  the  seminar

went   well  today.

The  topic  was how   to  share

God 's  love  with   the  poor.

 

The City of Princes (Nawabs)- Lucknow

Lucknow ( Hindi: लखनऊ, Urdu: لکھنؤ, Lakhnau ) is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India. Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division.

Located in what was historically known as the Awadh region, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian-loving Shia Nawabs of the city are well known amongst Indians and students of South Asian culture and history. Lucknow is popularly known as the The City of Nawabs. It is also known as the Golden City of the East, Shiraz-i-Hind and The Constantinople of India.

Today, Lucknow is a vibrant city that is witnessing an economic boom and is among the top ten fastest growing non-major-metropolitan cities of India. It is the second largest city in Uttar Pradesh state. The unique combination of its cultured grace and newly acquired pace is its most promising feature that augurs well for the future.

Located in what was originally known as the Awadh (Oudh) region, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city, and flourished as a cultural and artistic capital of North India in the 18th & 19th centuries. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian-loving Shia Nawabs of the city are well known amongst Indians and students of South Asian culture and history.Lucknow is popularly known as The City of Nawabs. It is also known as the Golden City of the East, Shiraz-i-Hind and The Constantinople of India.

Lucknow is placed among the fastest growing cities and now it is metropolitan city of India and is rapidly emerging as a manufacturing, commercial and retailing hub. This unique combination of rich cultural traditions and brisk economic growth provides Lucknow with an aura that refuses to fade away.

Lucknow has Asia's first human DNA bank. This is world's second bank having DNA identification system (DIS) and has been established in the Biotech park under the public private partnership with IQRA Biotech Services.

 Modern Lucknow is a bustling metropolis. Historically, it was a centre of Urdu literature.

Nawab Asaf-Ud-Dowlah (1775-1797)[11]After 1350 AD the Lucknow and parts of Awadh region have been under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, the Nawabs of Awadh, the East India Company and the British Raj. Lucknow has been one of the major centers of Indian rebellion of 1857, participated actively in India's Independence movement, and after Independence has emerged as an important city of North India.

Until 1719, subah of Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire administered by a Governor appointed by the Emperor. Saadat Khan also called Burhan-ul-Mulk a Persian adventurer was appointed the Nazim of Awadh in 1722 and he established his court in Faizabad[12] near Lucknow.

Awadh was known as the granary of India and was important strategically for the control of the Doab, the fertile plain between the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers. It was a wealthy kingdom, able to maintain its independence against threats from the Marathas, the British and the Afghans. The third Nawab, Shuja-ud-Daula fell out with the British after aiding Mir Qasim, the fugitive Nawab of Bengal. He was comprehensively defeated in the Battle of Buxar by the East India Company, after which he was forced to pay heavy penalties and cede parts of his territory. The British appointed a resident in 1773, and over time gained control of more territory and authority in the state. They were disinclined to capture Awadh outright, because that would bring them face to face with the Marathas and the remnants of the Mughal Empire.

Many independent kingdoms, such as Awadh, were established when the Mughal empire disintegrated. Awadh’s capital, Lucknow rose to prominence when Asaf-ud-Daula, the fourth nawab, shifted his court here from Faizabad in 1775. The city was also North India’s cultural capital, and its nawabs, best remembered for their refined and extravagnt lifestyles, were patrons of the arts. Under them music and dance flourished, and many monuments were erected.[13] Of the monuments standing today, the Bara Imambara, the Chhota Imambara, and the Rumi Darwaza are notable examples. One of the more lasting contributions by the Nawabs is the syncretic composite culture that has come to be known as the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.

Nawab Saadat Khan IIIn 1798, the fifth Nawab Wazir Ali Khan alienated both his people and the British, and was forced to abdicate. The British then helped Saadat Ali Khan to the throne. Saadat Ali Khan was a puppet king, who in the treaty of 1801 ceded half of Awadh to the British East India Company and also agreed to disband his troops in favor of a hugely expensive, British-run army. This treaty effectively made the state of Awadh a vassal to the British East India Company, though it notionally continued to be part of the Mughal Empire in name until 1819.

The treaty of 1801 formed an arrangement that was very beneficial to the Company. They were able to use Awadh's vast treasuries, repeatedly digging into them for loans at reduced rates. In addition, the revenues from running Awadh's armed forces brought them useful revenues while it acted as a buffer state. The Nawabs were ceremonial kings, busy with pomp and show but with little influence over matters of state. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the British had grown impatient with the arrangement and wanted direct control of Awadh.


Wajid Ali Shah (1847 - 1856)[11]In 1856 the East India Company first moved its troops to the border, then annexed the state, which was placed under a chief commissioner - Sir Henry Lawrence. Wajid Ali Shah, the then Nawab, was imprisoned, and then exiled by the Company to Calcutta. In the subsequent Revolt of 1857 his 14-year old son Birjis Qadra son of Begum Hazrat Mahal was crowned ruler, and Sir Henry Lawrence killed in the hostilities. Following the rebellion's defeat, Begum Hazrat Mahal and other rebel leaders obtained asylum in Nepal
Those company troops who were recruited from the state, along with some of the nobility of the state, were major players in the events of 1857. The rebels took control of Awadh, and it took the British 18 months to reconquer the region, months which included the famous Siege of Lucknow. Oudh was placed back under a chief commissioner, and was governed as a British province. In 1877 the offices of lieutenant-governor of the North-Western Provinces and chief commissioner of Oudh were combined in the same person; and in 1902, when the new name of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was introduced, the title of chief commissioner was dropped, though Oudh still retained some marks of its former independence.

The province of Awadh (anglicized to Oudh) was annexed by the East India Company in 1856 under the Doctrine of Lapse and placed under the control of a chief commissioner. In the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also known as the First War of Indian Independence and the Indian Mutiny), the garrison based at the Residency in Lucknow was besieged by rebel forces. The famous Siege of Lucknow was relieved first by forces under the command of Sir Henry Havelock and Sir James Outram, followed by a stronger force under Sir Colin Campbell. Today, the ruins of the Residency, and the picturesque Shaheed Smarak offer reminiscences of Lucknow's role in the stirring events of 1857.

Because of its historical importance, commercial activity, and cultural activity, Lucknow has frequently been a center of political activity, prominent in the independence movement. The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was negotiated there, between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League to support pressuring the Raj for greater autonomy, a marked shift for the Muslim League.

The Khilafat Movement had an active base of support in Lucknow, creating a united platform against the British rule. In the Khilafat Movement Maulana Abdul Bari of Firangi Mahal, Lucknow actively participated and cooperated with Mahatama Gandhi and Maulana Mohammad Ali.

In 1901, after remaining the capital of Oudh since 1775, Lucknow, with a population of 264,049, was merged in the newly formed United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.[14] However, it became the provincial capital in 1920 when the seat of government was moved from Allahabad. Upon Indian independence in 1947, Lucknow became the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the erstwhile United Provinces

_______________________

I  have  drawn  the   above  information  from Wikipedia  and  other  sources. Here  are  some  photos  I  took while  in   the  city

The  state  Legislative  Assembly

called   the  Vidhan  Sabha where

laws  are  made and  government  offices

are  situated.

Some  modern  buildings

Posh  shopping  area  called Hazratganj.

Statues  of  political  icons

Obstacles

I clicked  these  photos while  I  was

caught  in  a  traffic  jam sometime  ago.

(I liked  the  penguins   painted

on the  side  of  an  air conditioned  car

so I covertly took  a  photo

with my cell  phone)

It  was  the  cooler  season.

You  will  notice  people  wearing  pull overs.

The man   on  the  motorcycle  has a gun

slung  over  his  shoulder.

He  is  probably  a private  security guard.

Guards  who  own  a  licenced gun

are  better  paid   than  the unarmed ones.

Traffic   is  pretty  chaotic  around  town.

The  city  has  been  given  a  grant  by  the  World  Bank

to  lay   down  sewage  pipes and  underground

drainage system which  they have  to

finish before  the  monsoons  set in.

They  are  doing  it  in  a  haphazard

disorganized  manner.

Digging  up  roads, causing  traffic  disruptions,

dusty environment and  commuting  dangers.

The  dug  up  roads  are  not  repaired   properly,

Its dangerous to  move  over them.

Everybody  is   complaining   about  the  dust

all  this  is  kicking  up.

Throat and  lung infections

and   allergies  have  increased.

Many  people  have  complained  that  they  don 't  like

to step  out  of  their  homes

unless  they  have to  on 

important  business.

Morning  walkers  are  refraining

from  their  daily  exercise.

Everybody is  very  angry about  this.

I  too  avoid  passing  through  the  dug  up  areas.

Till  now  they  have  not  come

to  our  vicinity but

one  day  they will-

then  the  fun  will  begin LOL!

Well life is  full  of  its daily

obstacles, troubles  and  trials.

One  can 't  escape  from  them.

Last evening  we  were without  electricity  for 4  hours.

Between 7pm to  11 pm...

with  the darkness,  mosquitoes and heat

to  keep us company.

But  we  were better  off than  some  areas  which  did  not  have  power the  whole  day

and  water too.

You  just cannot  complain.

Complaining   will  make  you   sicker

than  you  probably  are.

Just  make  the  best   of  what you  have.

Since   the  past  few  days  I 've  been

having  dizzy  spells with  heaviness  in  my  head.

Could  be  a  spondylitus

or  middle  ear problem.

I  am  also  allergic  to

temperature  changes.

I  have  to  take  medication  and  lie  down

for  more  than  an  hour.

My  hands,arms  and  knees  also  get

inflamed and  I  have  to  take  painkillers.

Sonia 's  company  is  a   real

boost  and  help.

They are  leaving  on Sunday  morning

and  we  will  miss  them.

Anyway we have  much  to  be thankful  to  God  for.

Saint  Paul  in

Phillipians  3:1  says

"Finally  my  brothers

rejoice  in  the  Lord".

I  found this  quote  from Resurgence

really helpful.

I  will  reproduce  the  whole  article  later on.

By making the choice to rejoice in the Lord in the midst of unpleasant circumstances, we will guard ourselves against fear, doubt, double-mindedness, and the discouragement that comes from opposition.

Take a minute to listen to  John  Maxwell talking   about  obstacles

Mr Christmas

These are my pre -Christmas photos. Did not get an opportunity to publish them until now.

I was out shopping and saw a lady with this very seasonal shopping bag. (top photo)Yes in India people associate Christmas with snow and snowmen.

I took pictures of a wayside Christmas decorations stall.. Many of the buyers were from other faiths. My newspaper held a Christmas tree competition and everyone on the winners list were Hindus.

India is a very homogeneous country and people enjoy each other 's festivals. I just pray they may know the real message of Christmas.

China , a country not very favorable towards Christianity is flooding the world with Christmas decorations. In India they sell more than Indian made ones. China is exporting Hindu religious articles also.

Here is the story of one man who tries to celebrate Christmas all through the year.

Andy Park (Mr. Christmas)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andy Park, is an electrician from Melksham, Wiltshire, England, who styles himself "Mr. Christmas" after claiming to have celebrated Christmas day every day since July 1993.

In 2001, it was estimated that since he started celebrating, he had got through 30 artificial Christmas trees,

10,000m of tinsel

and 10,000 balloons,

at a (then) estimated cost of £100,000.

In 2005, he released a single entitled "It's Christmas Every Day", with a video featuring Mike Read and produced by Andy Whitmore. There were suggestions in the media that much of the information released by Mr Park was false, and simply to attract publicity for the single:

"His local newspaper, “The Wiltshire Times” tell us it has given up trying to do any stories on this man. Apparently, their photographer has shown up at his house several times, unannounced, in hopes of catching him celebrating. Yet, Mr. Christmas has not even let him in the door. So what exactly is going on here? This might shed some light. His latest video for his latest Christmas single. And it is just about as bad as his Christmas sweater. So there it is , media hustler. We‘re obviously outraged on behalf of ourselves and all other media giants who got even slightly taken in by this clown."— Keith Olbermann[1]

He claims that each day he eats breakfast (turkey sandwich and mince pies),

then goes to work, until returning around at lunchtime to eat a full roast turkey dinner before watching a recording of the Queen's Christmas speech, sherry in hand.

In 2006, it was reported that the Queen had politely declined an invitation to broadcast her speech from his house.

In an interview published in 2006, Mr. Park was quoted as saying that over the previous 13 years, he had consumed

4,380 turkeys (one a day),

87,600 mince pies (20 a day),

2,190 pints of gravy (half a pint a day),

26,280 roast potatoes (six a day),

30,660 stuffing balls,

219,000 mushy peas,

4,380 bottles of champagne,

4,380 bottles of sherry

and 5,000 bottles of wine.

However, in 2001, he was warned by his doctor that the diet was affecting his health after his weight increased to 19 stone (121 kg).

He claims that, on the 25th December each and every year, he does not celebrate Christmas.

This story is just too bizarre. This man might be a hoax.

You can celebrate Christmas everyday if you have Jesus in your heart.

It will not cost you your health or money.

Barbecued Kebabs and Tandoori Bread

Sometime back I stopped by a roadside kebab shop to take photos and buy some of Haji 's delectable food.

These are called seekh kebabs - barbecued over a charcoal fire. He had a table fan on to stoke the fire. Haji had just opened shop for the evening.

The kebabs are wrapped around iron skewers.

They used to be very spicy and hot but these days they have toned down the spices and chillies - customer request I suppose. I like that.
My late Aunt Marjorie used to make excellent seekh (skewer) kebabs at home . She used to also sell them at church, school and charity sales.

Next to Haji 's eatry is a shop selling freshly baked Tandoori bread (rotis - flat bread like nans). This is the earthen tandoori oven.

Whole wheat dough shaped into balls and rolled out like thin pizzas.

The rotis are stuck to sides of the hot oven where they take a few minutes to bake.

Tandoori bread goes well with all kinds of non-veg food and curry.

I took these photos with my cell phone - they are not very clear.

I like to read blog improvement posts to learn how I can better my blog . I found this entry by Michael Hyatt helpful - Anatomy of an Effrective Blog Post

Don 't know whether my posts are effective or not.