Burri Nazar(The evil glance)

If one enters a shop in Jagraon one can note green chilies and lemon
hung at the entrance.This is to ward of Burri Nazar(evil look).The
chillies and the lemon indicate that the owner wishes to put green
chillies and lemon juice into the eyes of a person who gives a jealous
look at his shop.People believe that a Burri Nazar(evil eye) can
pierce through even the rocks.For this reason they hang a black boot
at the front which may hang from the grill of the terrace.There is a
Nazar Pattu(the teasing devil)at the entrance to ward of the Burri
Nazar(evil eye). Generally it is painted on a small earthen port and
hung.People prefer to paint the front gates in black colour.On the
back of the trucks it is written Burri Nazar wale tera moonh kala(May
the face of a person casting evil looks be blackened).A black ribbon
or a black dori(thin rope) is tied to a new vehicle some hang an old
boot or draw the same on the rear of their truck.Some parents name
their sons Kala(The black)so that the son does not suffer due to any
Burri Nazar.However the Gurmukhs write Satnam Waheguru at their gates.

Police Police

A few days ago a policeman stopped me at the Sherpura Chowk Jagraon
while I was going to Sherpura at 7.30 pm.I told him that I lived near
the Chowk.He noted my name motorcycle registration No.,mobile phone
No.,address,father's name and let me go.Yesterday I was coming from
Sherpura at around 8.30 pm and again I was stopped by a policeman.I
told him that I lived near Sherpura Chowk itself and he let me go.Now
it is easy to guess why people never moved out after sunset during the
days of militancy.

Langar in the whole month of Maagh at Akhare wali Canal

It becomes easy for the poor in the month of Maagh as there is langar at several places.Akhare wali Naher is one such place where there is Langar for the whole of the month of Maagh.Akhand Path is done along side for the whole month.Langar is prepared at a very large level.Langar is delicious and mainly the poor people relish it.

Warm clothes being given to students in the month of Maagh

Some teachers of Dholan school pooled in money at personal level and gave warm clothes to the poor students.After all it is the month of Maagh.

Free meals at Government schools

One thing wonderful that the central government is doing is the free midday meals that they provide to the government school students.Would they grow up into good citizens or not is a different matter though.

Murga

This is a special type of punishment which is common in the government schools.The students are asked to hold their ears by bringing their hands from under their thighs.In this way they look like a cock and hence they are called a Murga.

College of delearning

Do the students go to the colleges to learn anything?Not
exactly.Infact, they unlearn whatever they learnt earlier if at all
anything at schools.In the colleges a bully pastes a notice claiming
that he is the president.There is a fight if some other bully tears
that notice.Recently there was a murder of two students in jagraon
allegedly due to similar reasons.These two students were shot dead
when they were riding on a motorcycle near the Jagraon round about.

Neck tie and the modern education

Earlier students were asked to wear a tie even in the summer season.I remember when I pointed this out to the principal of the DAV school Jagraon.It is good that nowadays children have to wear neck tie only in the winters.It is noteworthy that the government schools never make a tie compulsory.There was a time when Kurta Pajama and turban was the school uniform in the government schools.

Gurudwara Gurusar

There is a beautiful Gurudwara called Gurudwara Gurusar which is about
5 kilometers from Jagraon and about 1 km farther than Nanaksar.Today
we were served Dal,Parshada,butter milk and teaat langar.We also had
Karha Parshad at the Gurudwara.The oid hall has been replaced by a new
one.The present hall is indeed a big one.The road to Gurusar has also
been diverted near Nanaksar as the circumfrence of Nanaksar dera has
increased a bit.While returning we gave lift to an old lady. We went
an extra.Kilometer to drop her at the bus stop.She gave us a lot of
blessings.

Kite flying

Basant the spring season is the most lovely season in
Jagraon.Although kite flying is not very popular these days some
children enjoy flying kites while basking in the golden and crispy
sunshine.

The story of the cows

One needs to think twice if he wants to own a cow in Jagraon.It is a
holy animal in India.When it stops giving milk the farmers abandon
it.If they give it to the Gau Shala(charity based cowshed) they are
charged.So the farmers drive them away in the darkness of the
night.Since the cows damage the crops.The farmers often remain awake
at night to save thier wheat crop.They drive them away to another
persons farms or to another village.They do it stealithly lest others
should object.Sometimes they pool in funds to drop them in trucks at
far of villages at night.The villagers remain ever vigilant lest some
truck shouid drop the holy passengers(cows)near their fields.Some
farmers give bath to the cow,tie a thread accross its neck before
abandoning it.In this way a farmer may take it to his home thinking
that it is a milk giving cow who could have escaped from somebody's
house.He pulls the cow by the rope and takes it to its house little
knowing that it then becomes his liability to dispose of the
animal.About 10years ago we were getting our Kothi constructed when I
was misguided by the mason to domesticate a stray cow.the mason
misguided me to get it artificially insemenated.It had to be abandoned
with difficulty.

Murder at the Chowk

There has been a shooting incidence at the roundabout Jagraon.At least
one person is reportedly killed on the spot.The car from which the
firing took place sped away.The victims were said to be on a two
wheeler.

Good news or bad news

Punjab government has declaired a holiday today as a mark of respect
for the late Jyoti Basu the ex CM of west Bengal.This bad news would
be a good news for the students of the govt. schools as it is very
cold and nobody likes to come out of the quilt.

Village Sherpur Kalan

Sherpura is a village which is abov 5 kms from Jagraon.The bigger
Sherpura is called Sherpur Kalan where as smaller Sherpura which is
further 2 kms away from Jagraon is called Sherpura Khurd(I believe
that the bigger village is always kalan and the smaller one is always
khurd).Sherpur Kalan is known for Baba A(nand) Singhji.There is a 13
storey Gurudwara at the birthplace.It also has a village Gurudwara and
two more Gurudwaras.The farmers of the village are
Toor,Khela,Sohi,Gill,Dhillon,Grewal etc.Mistri,Chamar,Bauria,Jheaor
also live in this village.Landholdings are small.Farmers other than
Khela and Toor have settled here after partition.People milk their
baffalos and put the milk in dairies.The get payment after 15
days.Baurias cultivate vegetables and sell it in the vegetable market
Jagraon.Other farmers cultivate wheat and paddy.Some Jats also
cultivate vegitables.Financer Bindu Khela is the Sarpanch.He has
beautiful horses and dogs in his kothi.He keeps a revolver and his
finance company is at Mandi Road Sherpura Chowk Jagraon.

Wedding in a village

We were three on a motorcycle.I,my wife and my youngerson Sewapreet
who sat in the middle.It was a sunny day and we reached Sherpura at
12-45 noon.It took us 10 minutes to reach there.The road is in poor
condition.Baraat had also arrived at the same time. Generally the
marriages are arranged in the Palaces but the one we attended was in
a tent house. Knowing that the baraats are late these days we weren't
in hurry.Unlike a marriage palace there was stink of the drain water
coming out of the houses at the entrance.We were served dry fruit at
the enterance.We reached a huge tent hall.There was a plot that lay
vacant adjecent to the house of the bride.It was used for drying the
dung cakes.A tent was erected there.There was no stink of the drain
water here.First the groom's side had the breakfast of Pakoras,sweets
and a few other things.We pulled the chair from the last lane and sat
in the sun as sunlight came in one corner of the tent.Unlike
the marriage palace smell of the dungcakes was coming as the tent
could only block vision and not the adjoining smell. After that the
men of bride's side had the breakfast.After that the women from the
bride's side had the breakfast.For health concious people there is
hardly any suitable dish.Either the things are fried or extra
sweet.Fruit chat and orange juice were the exceptions.Even the juice
seemed to have some sugar base.After the breakfast the main members
from both sides went to the Gurudwara sahib for the Anand karaj.We sat
and the singers started singing.The singing party consisted of one not
so smart probably a majbhi and a slightly healthy but tall probably
Majbhi female,Half a dozen instrument players and two
announcers.Performence of the party was quite satisfactory.The waiters
kept serving liquor to the guests.They also kept serving vegetarian as
well as non vegeterian food.Some guys started doing Bhangra near the
stage. It was 3-45pm and snacks were being served one after the
other.We gave Rs 200 Shagun to the mother of the bride and left
Sherpura.Actual Shagun ceremony and actual lunch could have taken a
lot of time indeed.Imagine lunch at 4-30pm or 5-pm.

Guests are becoming a thing of the past

Now that everybody is having mobile phones there are hardly any guests
in the houses.People talk their heart out while sitting in their
homes.May be in future nobody would ever know what a guest is as video
calls would also be possible in an year or so.

Sugar and the Sugar Mill

Sugarmill of Jagraon is closed for several years now.The employees
adjusted their lives with alternative occupations.They get the salary
from the non functioning mill as well but irregularly.Now why should
the society repent when sugar is Rs 50 per Kg.

Only two wrestlers in the political scene of Jagraon.

Politics in Jagraon is Bipolar.Akali Dal and the congress are the main
parties.Earlier Bhag Singh Malha of Akali Dal was the MLA for two
terms and now there is Gurdeep Singh Bhaini from the congress.Those
who contest for other parties merely do so for dividing the
votes.There isn't any third party in Jagraon.Not even the Lok Bhalai
Party.

Daan(Charity)and the month of Maagh

I didn't know much about the importance of the month of Magh untill I
came and settled in Jagraon in 1999.Both Hindus and Sikh serve free
food as charity (daan).People go to the Gurudwaras where they get tea
and several other things after Path in the early morning.If one is in
the Bazaar one may often spot a shopkeeper distributing Pooris and
Channa or Halwa.Some people remain vegetarian and thus in a way do
daan(charity)by sparing the lives of hen and goat that could have
otherwise been eaten.At Gurudwara Nanaksar they offer in Charity the
free Darshan of the place where a revered saint called Baba (A)Nand Singh meditated.In
other months a person is asked to do a lot of Path in order to see that place(which is written at
that place).Offering Darshan in charity can well be understood as
Guruji says'Nanak mange dars daan kirpa karo Hare'(Nank begs the holy
glimpse-darshan). In Baramah Guruji says that holy bath of Magh can
well be the dust of the Saint's feet.In charity one could well do
simran and distribute it(spiritual knowledge)in charity.As a teacher I
may give some vidya(education)daan by waving off the fees of some poor
student.I am thinking of spending some money in improving the lane in
front of the kothi were my parents live(otherwise it is the
responsibility of the minucipal committee).Gurbani,however,promotes
positive things like daan(charity)irrespective of the month.

Why are we crazy about anything that is foreign?

Why do we like anything that is of foreign. It can be called
inferiority complex.I don't remember to how many people I might have
told that my brother is a very high official in IBM in USA or my niece
or nephew who live in US know swimming.Once I met an elderly couple at
their Kothi at Royal city of Jagraon.They are NRI and had come from
Barmigham UK.I boasted that I also have a friend in London little
knowing that he lives at some other place in UK.Long ago I was
probably unmarried and was sitting in a bus in NOIDA.A slightly plump
girl(NRI from UK) was on a front seat.She took out some toffee and
asked her father to give it to me on the seat behind them.I told to
several people that I had tasted an imported toffee.If a person would
own a broom made in UK,she might tell it to 20 people.It might be an
exageration but if you shake hand with some villager after coming from
UK he might not wash it for some time.Why do I forget the words of
Gurbani that say 'Naal iane dosti batahoo siuon neh Pani ander leek
jion tis da thao na theoh?'Silly me I take so much pride in telling my
students that I have a friend called such and such who has converted
to Sikhi or a person who is of Holland and ties a turban.Little do we
know about the difficulties that are faced by Punjabis'in London or
Australia.

Businessman Abhishek Sehgal

Shiva Datta Ram and Sons is one of the best shop were one can buy Sofa
Material and foam Mattress.Ladders,Bamboos,cots, cot Jute,mats,ropes
and brooms are also available.Contact Abhishek Sehgal, LajpatRai road
ph No (S)-01624-227240
M-94633-54120

Nitin Garg of India is killed in Australia.

Nitin Garg of Jagraon died in Australia.He went there to pursue his
studies(work and live).He was allegedly killed in a racial attack.This
can dampen the spirits of other students who wish to study
abroad.Banya families of Jagraon,as such,are not keen to send their
children abroad.It is unfortunate that such an incident took
place.Nevertheless the boys of Jat families would most likely keep
going abroad for foreign studies(read earn dollars).

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.

The sixth river

Guess which is the sixth river of Punjab?Perhaps you might be
knowing.Yes, it is wine.The marriage season has started and it flows
like the waters of river Satluj in the marriage palaces.College
students often mix up with the crowd and take bath in this river for
free.Sometimes a person may be over and while going home may lose his
life on the roads.Roads of Punjab are cruel.Be careful when you take
bath in the sixth river next time.

The most common bird of Punjab is vanishing.

The most common little bird of the countryside is vanishing fast.It is
a clear indication of the deteriorating condition of the
environment.In Punjab, one may see crows,pigeons or some other strange
looking birds but,perhaps,not a sparrow which was once such a common
bird.

Everyone has it

People of Jagraon are very fond of mobiles.Kids have them.So do the
labourers.A teenager might even be having two.Not surprising if he has
given one to his girlfriend.So, early exposure to pornography is not
uncommon.The whole of Punjab has become like a village.At the same
time the farmhouses and other isolated houses have become
safer.Nevertheless criminals too coordinate in a better way.

All is well without a Well

Most of the well to do or the average households of Punjab own the
submersible pumps.Even the handpumps are rarely seen.Since the water
supply and the severage is managed by the houses at their own
level,people do not mind owning a house a little away from the main
town or a village.All seems well without Wells.

Fast food Junction

Fast food is really bad for health. Guess which is the fast food
Junction in Jagraon.It is the Rani Jhansi Chowk.The boys who go to the
gym stop here for the Soya products.AlooTikki,Gol
guppas,Noodles,Burgers,Manchurian,Masala dosa,Paneer
Pakodas,Chicken,Chicken soup etc can be had here and that too at quite
reasonable rates.But never forget that fast food is fat food and is
very unreasonable for the health in general and heart in particular.

Work at a government office

I am standing in the queue for the last seven minutes to pay the
electricity bill.I am probably the fifteenth person in the
queue.Chances are that it may take one hour or so.I am standing in the
queue and punching the buttons to put this experience on the
blog.There are chances that the counter may close before my turn
comes.In spite of the computers it takes so much time in the
government offices.
*** *** ***
Twenty minutes later the queue has not even reached the half way.
*** *** ***
The process has caught speed as the lazy clerk has been replaced by
the two active ones.Two men and a computer are at work now. *** ***
*** At last it is over in 35 minutes.Thank God

A simple house verses a Kothi

Every third or fourth house in a village is a Kothi.Earlier the
Punjabi's lived in simple houses.Such houses could be easily divided
among the brothers.In case of a Kothi one finds two main
difficulties.First is that division of property becomes difficult.The
second main problem is that when the street is elevated it becomes
difficult to elevate the roofs of a Kothi.

Popularity of IELTS institutes

For some time the IELTS institutes were doing a brisk business.However
the popularity of these coaching centres has seen a downward trend
recently.The reason is that some countries like UK have started
issuing Visas to the Indian students without IELTS.The
feedback,however,is that the life of an Indian Student in UK is quite
tough indeed.Foreign land is by no means a bed of roses.

Whereas one onehand the land of Punjab is known for Gurbani that
delivers nectar in the music,these days there is music that contains
poison.It seems that a music cassette does not become a hit unless it
is engulfed in somecontroversy.Recently a Pop singer of Punjab
indulged in slandering a famous Keeratania objecting to his possessing
a car.His cassette is a hit.This indicates several things.The taste
for music in Punjab seems to have gone a few notch lower.It also
indicates how much the Punjabi Sikhs in Punjab rever the Gurmukhs
anymore.Yot might have,perhaps,guessed by now that the pop singer is
Babbu Mann and the keertania is Sant Dhanderian Wale.

The road that leads to the foreign lands.

One may say that the Tehsil road leads to nowhere as the railway
bridge is underconstruction.But this is the road that leads to the
foreign countries as there several IELETS coaching centres on this
road.Looking at the number of IELTS centres the apt name of this road
could be the IELTS road.