My Favorite Motivational Video.

              The Hollywood movie Gladiator was a historical epic directed by Ridley Scott and had Russel Crowe in the lead. It mesmerized me then and continues to do even today. It is the story of a loyal general who wants to avenge the death of his family and emperor. An honest, upright and brave man, his struggle through the arenas to the Roman Colosseum to attain his goal is very motivating.

             This short video summarizes the entire film and helps one to relate to his own struggles. The playback is really amazing and blends very well with the visuals on the screen.

Alexander's Horse: Bucephalus

Bucephalus was Alexander's legendary horse who accompanied him like a shadow on his World conquest. Legend has it that he won it as a child by mounting and calming the large Freisian. Because of his huge size he named it Bucephalus i.e. Ox Face. 

Bucephalus died during the campaigns in India. It is widely believed that Alexander buried him in today's Jalalpur in Pakistan.

The above clip is from the movie Alexander played by Colin Farrel.

The Arabian: Darling of the Horse-lovers

A Bedouin legend states that Allah created the Arabian horse from the four winds; spirit from the North, strength from the South, speed from the East, and intelligence from the West. While doing so, he exclaimed, "I create thee, Oh Arabian. To thy forelock, I bind Victory in battle. On thy back, I set a rich spoil and a Treasure in thy loins. I establish thee as one of the Glories of the Earth... I give thee flight without wings."

For centuries the tribes of Arabia passionately bred the Arabian horse. For them it wasn’t just an animal but a member of the family. Selective breeding evolved it into an intelligent, courageous, spirited and yet gentle and willing to please breed.

Its large round eyes, small ears, dished face, silky mane and gracefully arching neck render its appearance unique and endearing. When in action the Arab holds its chin upright and silky tail high alluding a sense of pride and confidence. The graceful gallop makes one feel that it is floating on air.

The purest and oldest of all horses, there are concrete evidences of its domestication since 2500 BC. The harshness of the desert helped it build huge reservoirs of courage, stamina and endurance, making it an ideal warhorse.

Traders and warriors introduced this noble breed to the World and it soon became the object of desire of kings, princess and nobles. The great Napoleon famously maintained a stud of grey Arab Chargers. In fact he was mounted on his favourite Marengo at the historic ‘Battle of Waterloo’ in 1815.

In India, horses formed the second most important item of import after gold throughout Ancient and Medieval periods. Interestingly the Raja of Vijay Nagar had asked his allies Portuguese to stop Arab horse trade of his rival Bahamani kings. It is recorded that it decisively helped him in the power struggle.

World over Arabs were crossed with local horses to develop new breeds suitable to local conditions which would have the qualities of the former. The anglo-Arab, Andalucian, Thoroughbreds and even India’s Kathiawadi can be cited as examples. No wonder Arabian horse is referred to as the big daddy of Equine World.

Currently Arabs are bred with pride in stud farms across the World. While they have done well in all horse sports it is endurance racing where they enjoy a complete monopoly.

‘Sadakchaap’ in Tulshibaug

            Come Monday and the otherwise busy Tulshibaug comes to a grinding halt as shops remain closed for a weekly holiday. Abhijit Patil, a freelance photo journalist from the city, used his ingenuity to use the closed shutters as an open air art gallery.

            “I posted the idea by starting a community by the name Sadakchaap on Facebook. It received an overwhelming response from young photographers and artists.” said Abhijit.

            With a green signal from local authorities of the market more than 60 photographers and artists displayed their work on closed shutters. Many passersby were pleasantly surprised at the sight and stopped to take a closer look at the masterpieces put up.

Vivek Bhoi, a M.A. student from S.P. College present at the occasion, said that such events were necessary to provide a platform for young talent and at the same time widen the base of Art followers. Abhijit concurred with this sentiment and added that the event was his humble attempt to ‘democratize art’.

Many onlookers appreciated the novel idea and asked for making the event a regular feature. Overwhelmed by the response, Abhijit himself is upbeat about organizing ‘Sadakchaap’ every few months at different iconic locations of the city.

Chicken Barbecue: Chef Jawwad's recipe

Here is a recipe for steaming hot chicken barbecue.
The ingredients mentioned are for 1 kg of chicken. If you are planning a get together of friends over a barbecue you will need 750 grams chicken per person. (more if you people are hoggers like me) 

1. Take 250 gm of curd.
2. Add an entire packet of tandoori masala available in super markets or chicken shops.
3. Add tbspn of garlic-ginger paste to it.
4. Add 1/2 tbspn  of red chilli powder.
5. Add 1 tbspn of dhaniya powder.
6. Add 1/2 tea spoon of garam masala powder.
7. Place the chicken in the mixture and mix it well. Dont forget to make slits on the meat so that the mixture reaches deep inside and also the heat radiates till the core when we you place it on the grill.
8. Add salt for taste.
9.Squeeze one lemon in the mixture.
10. Allow the mixture to marinate for at least 3 hours.
At the end of marination your chicken must look like this

If it doesn't, then may God save your chicken!

Now the grilling part. Get some charcoal from the local market and place it in a large container. Keep some chips of wood on it. I use wood chips because the charcoal  takes some time to burn without it. Pour some kerosene and light it.

Once the charcoal catches fire transfer it into the grilling vessel and keep the chicken pieces on the grill. Then cover it up. Remember the basic principle of barbecue is low and slow.

Let the cover be on for 20-25 minutes. But every 5-7 minutes keep flipping the pieces.

At the end, hope and pray to the almighty  that your chicken looks like this. Coz if doesn't your friends won't spare you!

Delhi and Mumbai need Police Cavalry

            In this age of Web 2.0 and 24*7 electronic media large scale mobilization of people against grievances genuine or otherwise is increasing by the day. Recent experiences have shown how miscreants can hijack a protest and turn it into a riot.

            Police officers are often caught in a dilemma of tackling the situation effectively and keeping the casualty low and at the same time protecting their personnel and keeping their morale high. A game changer in such a scenario would be deploying police horsemen.

1.     Visibility: The sheer sight of a mounted Police officer strikes terror in the hearts of mischief makers. The height advantage a horseman has gives him prominent visibility and tremendous tactical advantage while tackling rioters.

2.     Cavalry Charge: The worst nightmare of any police force is to face united columns of protestors. As long as their lines are united, the protestors have a high morale. Breaking these lines becomes a pre-requisite to tackle the situation effectively.

A cavalry charge by only a few horsemen can attain this purpose easily. The ground force can then disperse the mob.

3.     Rescue: Riotous mobs often surround and assault a few policemen. The sheer number of people prevents others from rescuing them in time. In such circumstances a charge by even a single horseman can disperse the mob and save his colleague.

4.     Morale of the force: The life of policemen in India is particularly tough and to top it they are often deployed to confront mobs determined to lynch them. This naturally lowers their morale.

Even the great Napoleon swore by the significance of morale for a fighting force. The presence of cavalry force will give the much needed boost.

5.     Lesser casualties of protesters: Protests are cyclic in nature. When the mob goes out of control, police have to fire bullets leading to deaths and injuries. This further incites anger of not only those on the streets but also those hitherto untouched by the protest. Media fans this anger by hammering a partial coverage of the episode.

Using cavalry forces will minimize the need of firing and prevent casualties.

6.     Global Practice: Police forces of all major cities of UK, USA, Australia etc. use cavalry forces. Even Israel which has many internal security issues relies heavily on its mounted police force.

7.     Other ‘fringe’ benefits: Cavalry force can also be used for ceremonial purposes, improving the physical fitness and confidence of police personnel, crowd management at political rallies, religious congregations, tourist places, traffic snarls etc.

A handsome country horse today costs 70 to 80 grants and its conditioning requires around 7 to 8 grants per month. In such a small amount our Police can maintain a highly motivated and dedicated member in your team.

Whether Bucephalus of Alexander or Chetak of Maharana Pratap, history is replete with examples of how faithfully this noble animal has served its masters. It’s high time that our metropolitan police forces take cognizance of this fact.

Where the Fallen Are Still Revered

            With its neatly manicured lawns, well trimmed shrubs, rich floral display, trees and avenues; it defies the stereotypical image of a cemetery. The Khadki War Cemetery, located on the bank of Mula River near Holkar Bridge in Pune, ensures that the martyrs will never be forgotten.

            Created to receive Second World War graves from the western and central parts of India, it contains 1,668 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. The KIRKEE MEMORIAL stands within the cemetery and commemorates more than 1,800 servicemen who died in India during the First World War, who are buried in civil and cantonment cemeteries in India and Pakistan where their graves can no longer be properly maintained.

            Uniform headstones bearing the regimental badge, rank, name and age of each soldier and a religious symbol differentiate the graves. No distinction is made in graves irrespective of the rank, race, religion or nationality of the person. Arranged in neat rows and columns, they face towards the central stone of remembrance made of white limestone.  The cross in the middle, with a sword embedded in it, represents the self-sacrifice of the men now buried in the bosom of the earth.

The Commonwealth Graves Commission, the organization with the mandate to maintain war cemeteries spread across 153 countries, must be appreciated for maintaining the cemetery in such an immaculate condition. A dedicated staff works round the year to conserve the site. The Commission also maintains a huge online database that helps track a grave in any of the cemetery maintained by it.

“Many tourists frequent this cemetery and lay wreaths.” informs Mukesh who lives nearby. The recent rise in interest of ancestry and history of the Wars is responsible for the rise in interest. Also many tourists these days want to visit places off the usual itinerary.