It was year 1975. The great maestro of music had then been left alone with his soul mate and junior moving to divine abode. Critics said Shankar music was not getting the means of Sailendra for a justifiable expression. The politics of music business had taken toll of his business viability and scope in the silver screen. There was no other popular medium to unleash his magic at that time. Disciples had distanced themselves with so called coterie establishing around Shankar. Orchestra man Sebastian was planning for a retirement and rhyme in-charge Dattaram was looking for new assignments outside to cope with his own financial needs.

The greatest music composer roared with his awe-inspiring score. The music album of Sanyasi was created. The history of film music was rewritten and direct rope between serene sexuality and whole-hearted devotion got re-established. A great confluence of glamour and spirituality took place.

The old disciple Lata returned to render SJ-magic with her pious voice. Hema Malini set to establish herself as the symbol of Indian sensuality for generations to come. Devotion had found a personalization in handsome Manoj Kumar. Maestro had chosen six lyricists to reduce the impact of Sailendra’s absence, oh, of course Hasrat was there though only for one. Shankar had chosen their favourite raga, Vairavi, to push the big orchestra to climax reaching divine altitude.

“Chal Sanyasi Mandir Mein” resolves the conundrum of many centuries if the musical effort of Menaka before Vishwamitra could be true. After all, the meditating sage can only listen to the seducing musical jhankar to shed brahmacharya. The quickly undulating musical octave helped Hema Malini to venture for the woman’s most sensuous arrogance in the song. The best in the chart! Please don’t refer to remix-version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or411l_j6tA however

“Sun Baal Brahmachari” will be remembered as two best songs in the album along with the first one above. The female expression in musical score is vibrant and reverbarates atmosphere with romantic and sensuous hue.

“Bali Umariya Bhajan Karoo Kaise” does not require any review as many songs in 90’s have earned big applause by copying its different portions. I like interludes - a true romantic satire expressed with musical notes.

“Jaisa Mera Roop Rangila” is the highly galvanizing song with a western effect. Very close to my ears — listen to this song once, it will be to yours too.
“Shaam E Furqat” is a good and usual Shankar treat but cast in the fresh musical domain of this album.

“Kya Maar Sakegi Maut Use” is a lovely song where Indeevar’s two-parts poem has got a high musical elevation. “Shankar” has been addressed in a different context in the song.

“Karm Kiye Ja” - Lyrics is very good and very well musically cast

“Choron Ka Maal” - Good song and context-driven. Nice to listen.

Shankar asserted his supremacy over music, melody, trend, and mass taste. This musical edifice will be a torchbearer for all music composers for times to come and a prize catch for all music lovers.

Recommendations:
1. Go to a hilltop on a mild sunny day early in the morning and play the record. You will surely feel the divine touch around your ears.
2. Keep Sanyasi music on your mobile: http://mobilesearch.rediff.com/ringtones/mobilesearch.php?query=Sanyasi+(1975)&searchtype=movie

I have grown listening to Shankar-Jaikishan music. I still remember when Shankar left this mundane world twenty-one years ago. I was studying in Class IX when I visited the homeopathic clinic of my uncle along with my father. I saw them going into a very engaged discussion immediately, and was curious to know what happened. When my father identified my curiosity, he called me and pointed to a small item on the front page of an Oriya newspaper. It read Famous Music Composer Shankar Is Dead.

Oh, then I understood the gloomy atmosphere there, and could understand most of the discussion. I was shocked as I had listened to my one of the most favourite song “Sunle Mere Payal…” from movie “Sasural” in the evening of the previous day. We, both father and son, had discussed the zing of music from Shankar-Jaikishan.

For us, an era had ended!

The Buddhist monasteries in this historic region of China have been tense in the recent days due to another phase of conflict between Tibetans and Han nationals. A fear psyche is prevalent on the roof of the world due to probable violent consequences of seeking larger autonomy from the benevolent dragon.

Theocratic head of Tibet in exile, Dalai Lama, is seeking greater level of autonomy, and is arguing in favour of cultural and religious freedom for the people who are believed to have been originated from a monkey and a female demon as per legend. Marxist government of China, though has been greatly liberal since two decades, is still being viewed with suspicion in spite of their many efforts in bringing modern education and contemporary social life to this highly superstitious Himalayan territory.

With China establishing itself as a formidable economic and military power, global powers are unusually silent over the current impasse. The situation, however critical, can never be considered to fall along the axis of evils in the eyes of western powers. Any circumstance leading to gulf like situation is certainly ruled out. However, everybody is observing at the hectic diplomatic process with keen interest due to the grand sports event, Olympics, this year.

I was having chat over tea with my friend. We were in relaxed mood, and were trying to beat hot summer outside hiding in a couch in the air-conditioned room of restaurant. We were waiting for Masala tea with honey! The gorgeous lady was smiling, and was indicating that we can have our turn at anytime soon.

My friend, who was working in a small company, brought an interesting character to discussion. He started describing a colleague from his company with an unmatched passion ignoring the impending warm drink that was our favourite in this way-side restaurant.

“She knows how to talk — a great report writer” - he quipped. The person, he was describing, probably had an uncanny skill of using words and to impress upon the little boss in that little company. He continued - “I must tell that she is the best salesman but sits in an armchair with a buraucratic responsibility in the company.”

I was getting impatient as the one-side briefing continued abated. “How does that affect you? It is the company and its boss, your boss, should ponder”, I remarked.

My friend looked at me mischivously and replied: - “I am in the same boat that has a titanic destination! The whole team is making an ignorant preparation for disaster.” He was not stopping and was expressing his frustration overtly. I was getting serious. I was imagining the situation and was trying to put myself in his shoes.

“It is unfortunate that this happens, but this is not surprising as we are part of a greater human dynamics. We believe, understand and carry prejudice in the way we perceive. So, it is not an exception where there is a selfish, williful individual uses behavourial manipulation with adequate emotional quotient to dominate workplace without doing any work at all.” — I was pouring my thoughts.

We are agreeing though our perception might be different over the whole situation. The agreement had been strengthened with the warmth of tea the smailing lady served a few minutes ago.

“Quit that company!” - I suggested as I was adding more sugar to sweeten my tea further. I was asserting my maturity, and was trying to help my friend out of this muddy situation. The smoke from cup was moisting my wide eyes as I was staring at him.

There has been many instances when a person thinks that the world moves around him or her. A city lad thinks that his street is his world with his residence at the centre, a hospital at one corner and his school at the other. He goes berserk if told about a beautiful village nearby. Well, a more mom-lapped boy may glue to TV at home to boast of his knowledge about the world – hmmm, it is about a place shown on Animal Planet channel or a test match played on a beach with cute girls clapping and going berserk? Mind it – I am not going the English dictionary way, rather following it literally!

I come across people in corporate showing a manipulated certificate to climb the career-ladder. They go berserk if reminded of their ghastly act, and then give a profuse lecture on numerous such prevailing occurrences around the globe. I come across people in various fields, infected by wilful lady-influence, going berserk to throw their whole achievement into waste-bin in a span of few days. They justify their perception filtered with a romantic coloured glass, and rush to live in a dream-land.

I go berserk knowing that somebody has been contaminated with this fatal disease, but cannot justify spending time in such infected environment. I don’t get the thrust of Mother Teresa to change the condition, but rather push myself outwards to get fresh air. I simply tell, “Why do you go berserk?”, and quip, “I shall now quit!”

As I am all set to release an information portal on Orissa in the next one month, one point forces me to think again and again: shall I consider the present state of Orissa as a revival from its feudatory past for several centuries or as a continuation of the act of crowd on this globe with short-memory? To put it in different way, I am sitting between two competing thoughts - our quest for an identity and our adaptation of a sense of equality.

As I delve deeper into this issue, I wonder if we can make a balance between the two - bringing a sense of identity while being aware of equality paradigm.

I feel this is practical. Orissa has come a long way from its golden period with full of stories of warring tribes and expression of art in quite a few world-class sculptures. It has come from a conglomerate of Kongoda, Utkal, Kalinga and several other small kingdoms with an unparalleled history of global trade and commerce to being a vibrating state of Indian Nation. The current sprout of industries and external investments have brought an enviable attention to this state.

As the jungles are getting wiped out to make way for new manufacturing and power plants, the real estate booms are widely visible in rather sleepy towns and administrative headquarters in the state. When people staying in proposed plant areas are struggling hard to seek their new homes, many flock into the capital town of Bhubaneswar for jobs and living - creating the rat race for space and material success. When a quarter feels to build a new Orissa with material and oriental wealth, other quarter feels threatened by the rapid changes occurring now.

In reality, these are two complementing opinions towards our effort for progress and prosperity. We are probably struggling to make a change in continuation, and I assume that this change is revival!

Shankar-Jaikishan (SJ) are music directors duo who have left a great impact on world music with their lively and forceful musical compositions. Though I do not have adequate knowledge about technical aspects of music, I have attempted to share my opinion about SJ music due to my long association with different music/songs around the world as a listener.

The zing of music from Shankar-Jaikishan always makes me happy. Even the sad Shankar-Jaikishan songs at unhappy moments of mine have made a positive impression on me. I have listened to songs/music by other music composers including those from other parts of the world. I am also aware of several inspirations of Shankar-Jaikishan music from pre-existing or existing phenomena. However, the variations of musical notes and smearing tunes between foreground and background have always forced me to call them as the KING music composers. They have created music that is impossible by human. It touches heart, mind, and soul – and reverberates the atmosphere with divine rhyme.

I cannot pay a tribute to Shankar-Jaikishan as their creation can never be reviewed within any human domain – except that it can only be felt; and we, as human being, can always take advantage to listen to their divine tunes. I always refer to them as two angels who visited world, and left their divine impression with mankind for ever.

Dark it was. Silent pervaded everywhere. The so-called proud creatures of this heavenly creation had gone into a strange land after exploiting her the whole day. What could she do except playing her harp throughout the night? After all, she was only a maiden!

She cried as usual. “Mad they are. They all have lost their path in the midway. What will she do otherwise? After all, they are her own people”.

She forgave them, took them into her lap, and embraced them. She was not partial towards people of any particular country, caste, or religion. Because she knew all were ever eager to see her affectionate gesture. She did not make them awake to see their foiled malicious strategies to bring disgrace to her (like a frustrated youngman might do to his beloved). She quietly touched .. , that was soft, cold, and divine.

When I get up in morning, though a bit late, I scan through my PDA for a sacred list while gulping down some pieces of bread and hot milk. The list is hotter than my milk — my to-do list!

I was reading a book by Denis Waitley — life is not just managing a set of to-dos. Yes, understandable! But the list goes on — appears with many more every next day. It proliferates quicker than multiple fission in asexual reproduction (life science hunks understand this better). Now the question that stalls the forward-looking perspective: Is it necessary at all?

I have particularly seen the young colleagues, coming from colleges and small peacetime programming teams, face a fatal dilemma while facing 360 degrees project load with various tasks to be done on a day. Many succumb while survivors get a thick-skin and get disassociated from normal life.

I have found an answer to this mind-boggling question. Let us accept to-dos as our guidelines for the day, and we concentrate on our work rather. These guidelines help us not forget any while being productive for these mundane items.

As I am looking at the broader happenings of today’s international socio-political arena, I am getting increasingly sure that things are happening for worse.

With the victory of USA led powers over Iraq, they have now celebrated their victory with hanging the scape-”goat” in their much precious oil-lobby. I would call it ceremonial justice of victory. All well and good by now — though most will disagree to the cause of Iraq invasion while all know what the motive behind this aggression. International democracy has been killed once again after similar invasion by Iraq into Kuwait — though puppy democracy has been established in and around Bagdad!

Yet another thing happened. A big division in the supranational Musilm community happened with a handful of Shia supporters hanged the imprisoned Sunni-man, as is shown by mischievous media world-wide. This will only create more violence on this already bloody battlefield of Mesopotamia. Is it not an act against humanity, at least for innocent people living in the middle-east?