KRISHNA’s  RASLEELA  AT  BKC, MUMBAI  

         It was an honour to have been invited for an enchanting evening on 12 Mar, by Mr Mukesh and Mrs Neeta Ambani for the Reliance Dancing Fountain Show at BKC organised for about 3000 Armed Forces personnel. On the previous day Mr Harsh from Reliance rang up and invited me along with Meena and her Mom, Veer Nari Urmila Bakshi and arranged for a pickup and drop facility. The occasion was the continued celebrations of the Wedding of Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta on the 9^th of Mar at the same Venue. The spectacular colourful  Dancing Fountain had recently been inaugurated on 6^th Mar and the Ambanis had hosted about 2500 underprivileged school children for the show.

    Stepping into the Jio World Centre was an enriching colourful experience, thanks to Cmde RPS Ravi and Cdr Vijay Vadhera, who had extended the invitations to the Navy Foundation members Capts SS Sethi, Rakesh Agrawala, Cdrs Shailendra Sharma, Vineet Wason, SK Patnaik, Abhishek Kankan, GC Rai and self with our better halves and Veer Naris Janki Bhandoola and Mrs Urmila Bakshi. We met up at the entrance and circumvented the huge corridors, adorned with massive masterpieces of floral Animals, some of which were automated, to reach the Dhirubhai Ambani Square. There we met the Army inmates of the Paraplegic Rehab Centre, Pune. It was a chance encounter with one of the most talented and skilled Army orator Raghu Raman, with whom Cdr vadhera and self-had a short discussion on ways to build up Armed Forces brand in the Civil World.

     The gates to the Fountain Arena opened at 6.30 pm.  The Arena around the Fountain is huge with cushioned seating arrangement in a semi-circle around the fountains and a temple centred at the stage end. Mr Mukesh and Mrs Neeta Ambani escorted the Chief Guest LtGen SK Parashar, GOC M&G Area to the stage to light the Lamp and pray to Lord Ganesha. Mrs Neeta Ambani then addressed the gathering and welcomed the Armed Forces to the show and sought blessings for the newlyweds. Then began the spectacular extravaganza of showcasing the Brindavan and performance of Raasleela by Sri Krishna and over a hundred Gopis dancing, angels flying and performing aerobatics over the colourful fountains. The tricolour fountains rising in rhythms to the crescendoes of melodious music. One particular manoeuvre was breathtaking, as a performer executed stunts hanging on his single wrist. The enormous performance was so spacious that it was untenable to concentrate and absorb the grand happenings. But the sum total effect was heavenly euphoric as you’d ingest in the Videos below. The show was Choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant and accomplished by about 170 skilled artists in batches. The show rightfully deserved a unanimous standing ovation.

     We were then escorted to the Spring enclosure where Sonu Nigam regaled us with his popular numbers even as the Guests savoured the sumptuously laid out Buffet topped up with varied sweet Desserts

        It was indeed one of the most dazzling and astounding evenings of my Life, as would be evident from the snaps and videos below. Hats off to the Ambanis for dedicating a scintillating sundown in honour of personnel of the Armed Forces and their families. JAI HIND.  

        

RANN  UTSAV – 2019

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Dosto,

        Subah hoti hai Sham hoti hai, Zindagi yun hi tamam hoti hai…Kutch Haseen Palon ke intezar mein…Aur yadi yeh haseen pal ‘Kutch’ mein guzaare jaayein (between Nov-Feb), toh kya kehne…..The opportunity was offered by my Son Anuj who insisted on ushering us to RANN UTSAV- 2019. Do relish a preview by Gujarat Tourism as to what was in offing, to attract National and International tourists. The Brand Ambassador for the Fair is none other than the Millennium Man AB. 400 staff are deployed to look after 500 guests in the Tent city that encompasses 500K yards. Whether or not the below preview holds enough water in a Desert, one may decide glancing at the captured memories displayed below.

         A plethora of varied hues, profusion of design, a superfluity of culture, a cornucopia of music and dance, all together in the arid lands of Kutch creates a mosaic of exquisiteness which reflects the identity and spirit of the region. Kutch, one of the most ecologically and ethnically diverse district of the state is a celebratory land of art, crafts, music, dance, people and nature. During the full moon night of the winters amid the awe-inspiring and contrasting landscape each year a three-day festive extravaganza brimming with hospitality, vigour and traditional flavour of the area is hosted and known as the Kutch or Rann Utsav. This three to four-day carnival organized at the various locales within Kutch takes one around the natural grandiose while introducing the visitor to the indigenous cultural and ethnical flavour of the people. Semi parched Grasslands of the Banni hosts the most magnificent display of vernacular architecture as the exhibition platform for the varied range of arts and crafts of the region. While an array of folk music and dance performances organized in the shimmering moonlit landscape provides the most enchanting experience. The colourful fairs held near the beach or the banks of a lake swings one with the spirit of festivity, fervour and flamboyancy while the organized tour around Kutch is an ideal occasion to be part of the region and experience the zeal and uniqueness of the people through a celebration of life!

             We (Meena, her Mom, Anuj and I) set course from our Borivali abode at 1000 hr on 17th Feb by Tata Manza for Ahmedabad. It was dusk time as we checked into a Guest House, near Law Gardens for an overnight halt. Next morning we headed out early for Kutch to reach there by 5pm. The Rann Utsav Tent City, 83 Km due North of Bhuj, is literally a City made of beautiful tent clusters arranged in a Circle resembling a Cricket field. There are a number of such clusters from A to K, housing 30 - 45 tents each. Some clusters are privileged with Airconditioned tents, priced higher. We opted for the same while booking. Local Beautiful cheerful Gujarati girls applied Tilak and garlanded us as they guided us to the into the huge tented A/C Reception Lounge, for a refreshing drink and checking us in. We were escorted to two adjoining Tents in the D cluster and after a refreshing bath were guided to savour delicious delicacies of Kathiawad at the Dining Hall that was Huge Airconditioned Tentage with exquisite seating arrangement for families. Post dinner we were directed for a cultural Programme of traditional Kathiawadi/ Rajasthani songs and music specialising in a crescendo that builds up towards the end of the presentation. At about 10 pm the tourists were escorted in buses, while we opted to drive to the White Desert Area, an expanse of huge Desert Rann, that’s also famous for the Wild Ass Sanctuary in the World. India has a porous Border with its neighbour in the Rann of Kutch another 80 km to the North of the Tent City. 18th Feb was a Full Moon night and 100s of tourists had thronged the White Desert, ventured far clicking photographs, LOVE was in the Air. Anuj had planned this Beautiful setting of a Full Moon reflecting on White sand. Wonderful scenic memories have been captured for posterity. It was past midnight before we decided to call it a day (albeit Night )

                 Next morning Anuj drove us to a point 70 km NE to a place known as ‘Kala Dungar’. Dungar in local lingo means a Hill. This small Hill has astonishing Magnetic Field that pulls switched off cars upslope. Meena was amazed as the car was being pulled back in reverse upslope on releasing the brakes. Amazing, she had goosebumps on the wheel. (watch the video)

              In the evening we drove again to the White Desert much before Sunset to snap ourselves against the setting Sun. Half an hour later the orange rising Moon looked Heavenly and Anuj created a studio effect snapping Photos with his DSLR and GoPro against the lume of the rising Moon. The exceptional Moon backdrop photos appear to be of high professional standards.

            On 20 Feb after a sumptuous Breakfast of Aloo Paratha, Masala Dosa and Chana Bhatura we set course on our return Leg for Mumbai, but after refuelling no sooner we were out of Bhuj, I was over-ruled by the majority to divert to Jamnagar my Home town. We stayed there for a couple of days with my younger brother Surinder’s family, even as he was away at Ambala to look up our sister Anusuya.

          Our return leg via Baroda was uneventful, having stayed overnight at the Officers’ Mess of EME School. Baroda has a special corner in my Heart, having graduated from MS University in 1978, prior to the destiny taking a turn for good…Well, that’s another story...