The grain market of Jagraon

It is said that the grain market of Jagraon is the second biggest
grain market in Asia.It is said that Khanna mandi is the biggest.Mandi
is the best place to learn motor driving as there is a vast open space
available.Nowdays there is hardly any activity going on there.It is a
good time to learn two wheeler riding or car diving.

Basant Marriage Palace

Most of the marriage palaces are located along the Ludhiana Moga GT
road.There are three Palaces which aren't at this road. Gulmohar
Palace is near the grain market.The Paradise marriage Palace is on the
Galib road.Basant marriage palace is situated at Sidhwan Bet Road
also called the Jallundher road.Sardar
Basant Singh Dhaliwal of village Bhamipura is its owner.For contacting
Sardar Basant Singh Dhaliwal dial
Ph-98554-77990
94171-91133
At USA
TIME REALTY
Off-(559)647-3814
Direct-(559)367-6638
Fax-(559)324-1926
Basantdhaliwal@yahoo.com

Christmas tree but no Christians

There isn't any Christian around.The spirit is there.Some may feel
that Jagraon is a remote area.It might be true to some extent. But
nevertheless we are celebrating the Christmas at our coaching
institute. We have a Christmas tree,candies,Santa Claus,a special
lunch.I think only Christmas Carols are missing.That also must have
been sung at the Church that is next to the Legends English Institute.

A trouble called Phatak

Jagraon is divided into two parts by the railway lining.The two parts
are so near yet far apart.It is because the phataks remain closed most
of the time.At present there are 3 phataks.Tehsil road Phataks cannot
be counted as they are permanently closed.The phataks on the Nanaksar
side of the grain market are called the Lande phatak as they were not
unmanned earlier.Earlier they were very risky.Once I narrowly escaped
the train.The train at that place did not make much noise as the
surroundings were open and
the sound could not echo.It is good that there are Phataks at that place now.

When the sun rises at 1 pm.

There are days in the winter season when the visibility is only a few
meters.It is due to fog.This year it was less fog in the month of
December.Today morning it was quite foggy.It is quite risky to drive
these days.People eat Pinnies(the energy balls) or a similar thing
called Panjiri.It may be good to fight the cold but is quite heavy for
the heart.

There is hardly a place where it does not ring in Punjab

At bhog it rings.People attend when it rings at a crematorium or in
the middle of the Ardas.During Hukamnama it rings and it rings during
a bath.It rings for the granthis,for the oldies and ladies ,girls and
the boys for me and for you.What maximum we can do is to put it in a
silent mode.Switch it off,perhaps,we can never do come what may.At The
Golden temple there are jammers for it.Where else it is so I know not
but on our own switch it off we cannot.Let us declare that the world
is addicted to the rings rings and rings.

The Punjabi complex

Whereas the Punjabis have a rare gift of Gurbani there is much
adultration in the language. Can we be proud of Punjabi?Probably 20%of
the language is made up of abuses.The chances of you being addressed
as Sardarji are very high outside Punjab.In Punjab it would almost be
a surprise if you are addressed with ji.Polite language seems
not to be a part of Punjabi culture.There are Gurudwaras all around
reciting Gurbani but the ears appear to have become deaf.I feel that
it is only an illusion that other places are better.They may actually
be worse.When we are away from Punjab we miss it.We miss the frankness
of Punjabi.However when we live here we do not value it.Good or bad it
is ours.The tongue speaks what is there in the mind.Are our minds
polluted?

A Senior Sec. CBSE school in Jagraon

GHG Academy Jagraon is,perhaps,doing a good job to promote Sikhi and
education at the same time.Earlier there was a senior secondary school
of cbse board at village Sidhwan Khurd at some distance from
Jagraon.Now it is good that we have that facility in Jagraon itself.

Wrist watches are facing extinction

Very few people in the town are wearing the wrist watches.I don't know
how are the watch makers are making a living these days.It seems that
Malhotra watch makers have very successfully switched over to the
business of mobile phones.

Carrot

In my town Carrot is Rs15per Kg whereas apples are more than Rs50
perkg.Nourishment wise they are,perhaps,almost equal.Therefore go for
the carrots and be healthy.

The alarm bell

The alarm bell of many in Jagraon and the adjoining villages is the
Public address system of the neighbouring Gurudwara.Sometimes the
Gurudwara speaker does not work and the people forget to get up.This
happens sometimes when I go to the villages to provide the early
morning tuition to the group of students.The early morning walk for
many is to go to the Gurudwara after taking a bath.

Season of golden sunshine and saag

Now that the smoke of the paddy straw has settled soothing and nectar
like sunny afternoons are being enjoyed by the people of
Jagraon.Moreover the people are enjoying the wonder dish called saag.A
lot of thanks to God for providing the priceless gifts of sunshine and
saag to the people of Jagraon.

Christian cemetery

Christian community is not much visible in Jagraon.However there is a
Sacred Heart School which is run by them.It is one of the leading
Schools of Jagraon.At a little distance from the Church is the
Christian cemetery.It is providing a green Patch to the busy Tehsil
road.

A visit to the Jain temple

The Jains are a strong community in Jagraon.Several institutions are
being run by this community.They include Swami Roopchand Jain
school,Sanmati Vimal Jain schoo,Anuvrat Jain school,Mahapragya
school.A hospital named Swami Roop Chand charitable hospital is about
to function.The construction work is near copletion.There is a very
well maintaine Jain temple near the Bus Stand which is dedicated to
the Jain saint Swami Roop Chand.When I visited the temple I asked a
turbuned security guard if I could take a photograph.He refused and on
being asked he told that I could visit the temple but without taking
much time.The temple is at the centre of a well maintained garden.

Bandhs a bit too frequent in Punjab

It is Punjab Bandh today.Bandh is quite frequent in Punjab these
day.Almost every month there is a bandh.It would be fine if the Bandh
days be fixed.In this way one can plan to enjoy it thoroughly.Like
weekly holidays,the Sundays,there should be one monthly Bandh day.In
that case I could have wished you a happy monthly bandh day.

Turbans not much in fashion nowadays

The youth of Punjab are fast giving up the turbans.Many do not even
use a comb.They often applly gel and straighten their hair and make
them appear like a broom.

Why not Akharae wali Nahaer near Jagraon

There was a time when peopll threw the mortal remains at Hardwar in
the Ganga.After that the Sikhs started immersing that at Kiratpur
Sahib.Since the flowing water at Kiratpur is quite less ,probably due
to the nearby canals,people immerse the mortal remains at one of the
several places that include canal near Katani Sahib,canal near
Patiala,Hari ke Pattan,Canal near Babbanpur.There is a fairly big
canal near Jagraon where I live with an adjoinin Gurudwara.I am not
sure if people are using it for immersing the mortal remains.I see no
harm as a lot of time is saved and perhaps the only purpose behind
these activities is merely to erase the memories of the deadones from
our minds.WJKKWJKF

No No Tata Nano

Even after a great publicity there is no Nano visible in Punjab.The
apt name of Tata Nano can be Tata NoNo.