A Drive Through Sun-set

A Drive Through Sun-set 

Sun-rise brings hope for the day and sun-set for another day 

By Mukesh Sharma

Sliding through the neat, clean, broad and smooth road free of any traffic snarl, this blogger enjoyed a thrilling drive through the soul-soothing sight of sun-set yesterday evening in Phoenix, Arizona in the land of America.

 

A Drive Through Sun-set

The sun is not only a source of light and life but also a manifestation of God. Almost all religions accept the divinity of the sun. Even scientists admit the indispensability of the sun for the existence of all the planets in our solar system including earth.

Sun-rise and Sun-set

Though the grand spectacle of sun-rise and sun-set occurs daily which is witnessed from the most of the parts of the earth, one always finds it novel and new where one loses one’s self in the fathomless abundance of sun’s grandeur and grandness, splendor and elegance, magnificence and majesty. There is nothing except oneness.

In the holy Bhagavadgita, chapter VII, Sloka 27, Lord Krishna illuminates Arjuna:

“ All beings are born to delusions O Bharata (Arjuna)  

overcome by the dualities which arise from wish and hate”

The slokasignifies that it is not easy for the man to come out of ‘dualities’  -  hope exists with despair, gain exists with loss, happiness exists with sorrow, love exists with hate, the beginning exists with the end, day exists with night, birth exists with death.  Nothing is absolute.

 However, the godly sun’s divinity is absolute – just light and luminescence -  no darkness. There is no duality even in sun-set and sun-rise. Unless one has the cognizance of following night or day, one can’t distinguish between sun-set and sun-rise. Sun-rise brings hope for the day and sun-set hope for another day – there is only hope no despondence.

 The  sun conveys the message that success in life comes when one works for success only; one breathes for success only; one lives for success only. Don’t let the fear of failure distract your mind from the well defined goal.

The Slowest Growing Tree

The Slowest Growing Tree

A unique tree that grows at a surprisingly  slow pace,  just 1 inch in 10 years and 6 inch by 70 years 

By Mukesh Sharma

 

It sounds funny that a ‘plant’ which belongs to the vast plant kingdom and is categorized as a tree, grows at an incredible slow pace  - just one inch above the ground in long 10 years. Further, by 70 years, it reaches a height of just 6 inch and produces attractive flowers. However, it can reach a height of 15-16 feet in 95-100 years. Surprisingly enough, it may go up to a towering height of 60 feet over a long period of time and its life-span is estimated by botanists as long as 300 -400 years.

Blogger with one of the slowest growing trees in the world

 

Of course, this blogger wishes to write about the most respected State tree of Arizona (one of the States of US) called by the name Saguaro. What is noteworthy, it is a criminal act to remove or plant a saguaro without a permit and tag from AZDA (Arizona Department of Agriculture). Removing, damaging or felling Saguaro attracts serious charges of FELONY in Arizona and is punishable with imprisonment and fine both.

 

Saguaro is member of Cactus family. With a thorny trunk, fully grown tree may have as many as 52 arms sticking out of trunk making a loop and opening up upwardly. In Peoria, Arizona which is also known as valley city -  surrounded by mountains or Salt River Valley, Saguaro is found in abundance - on the mountains, beside the serpentine roads through hills and even in front of houses of native residents. From distance, particularly, during dark, it looks like the ‘trident’ of Hindu God, Lord Shiva; it seems Saguaro is there to safeguard all the creature in the valley be it plants or animals. The oldest Saguaro which lived for 300 years and died in 1990s, was respectably known as “Old Grand Daddy”.

 

Peoria, Arizona is the natural habitat of Saguaro and it is found here only on the earth - so special and so significant.

 

This blogger has great pleasure to share this interesting information about this unique tree, Saguaro and also the pictures clicked by the blogger for his valued readers. It would be a great pleasure to have comments on the write-up and pictures, and the blogger would also love to answer the pertinent questions of the readers on the related topic, if any.  

The Sun Rising in West

The Sun Rising in West

So, the sun had gone to lighten up my India. What a great sacrifice! The sun burns itself to dispel darkness from earth. But when the man will come out of darkness of his ego. When the man will behave like a man

By Mukesh Sharma

As an early riser, I am used to watching the sun-rising almost daily. But the day, I landed in US, I was waiting for the most magnificent moment of sun-rising after a few days of reclusive rest, usually, needed to get over the jet-lag and for the adaptability of the body to the new geographical time-zone  –  India’s day time is the night, and the night is the day time in America. So I expected a different experience of watching sun-rising from the amazing land of America -  undoubtedly a country of intellectuals.

Sun-rising in West

Geographically speaking, the sun never rises from the West. It is always the East from where the sun rises –  the sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars all rise in the East, and set in the West because the earth spins towards the east. But here, I wish to share my self-spawned thoughts while watching the sun-rising from the western part of the earth.

Finally, the much awaited moment arrived. Since I am in Peoria, Arizona, I set my eyes towards East. Well before an hour, the sky began to lighten in East. At the scheduled time (sun-rise in the Peoria 6:47 and set in 17:36 during winter) the sun began to peep from the cleavage of hills – Peoria is surrounded by the hills. With all devotion and difference, I folded my hands in the attitude of prayer, and chanted: Ohm Surya Namah. But when I opened my eyes to have the glimpse of the mesmerizing sun-rising, I found it was not at all different -  shine and sheen was same. It was the same sun-rising, I used to watch from my motherland, India.

To believers, the sun is the only manifestation of God on earth; it nurtures life on earth. Existence of earth depends on the sun only. Though there is only one sun, one sky, one ocean, one earth, the wily man has divided the earth into 195 countries. We earthlings share the common sky, common sun, common ocean, common air to breath, same color of blood, and the same physical structure, but still we are Indian, American, Chinese, etc. We are everything but we are not the man. We are no better than animals that have strong territorial instinct, and fight for their ear-marked areas. Sovereignty and boundaries are the causes of war in many parts of the world. All the claims of advancement sound phony and flimsy, for, the so-called man has not evolved yet who can be differentiated from animals. When the man will learn to be man? When the man will behave like a man?

And with the sun sunk in the horizon, my thoughts floated to India. So, the sun had gone to lighten up my India. What a great sacrifice!  The sun burns itself to dispel darkness from earth. But when the man will come out of darkness of his ego? When the man will behave like a man.

Smell of the Soil

Smell of the Soil

When I look inside, I hear an undaunted voice: I love my India to the moon and back. I miss the smell of the soil

By Mukesh Sharma

Living in one’s own motherland, one seldom realises the importance of the soil; it gives a definite shape. It gives specific color; it gives distinctive mien; it gives discernible countenance; it gives formidable thoughts; it gives typical expression; it gives coercive desires; it gives wishful wishes. The soil is one’s natural identity. The soil delineates one’s life. The soil is one’s whole existence. What soul is to body, soil is to life. Being a son of soil -  motherland India, I too miss that intoxicating smell of my soil here in Peoria, Arizona (US), far away across the globe.

Peoria, Arizona, US

 It is the third consecutive day since I am here all the way from Delhi, India, but still my body is struggling with the jet-lag, and the mind with the geographically changed time-zone. I have been sleeping during the day, and have been spending wakeful nights. It is said that it takes couple of days to get used to US time zone.

Surrounded by picturesque hills which are usually the home of Xerophytes – plants and trees of cactus family. Peoria is the major suburb of Phoenix, and is one of the cities in the state of Arizona (AZ). People are unknown to any kind of pollution here. Well planned city is inhabited by well-disciplined people.  Here I miss the smothering pollution of Delhi, the traffic snarls, road hogs and road rages. Nestled in beauty of nature, the place has quietness of countryside. 

The estimated population of Peoria is around 168,185.  With good physique, people are very hard-working. They follow the laws of land religiously. With reddish skin, there is glow on their face that exudes confidence and contentment. However, I miss here my fellow Indians brethren ever struggling on day-to-day basis for their survival. India is a survival society. And that makes the Indian rather selfish. Those who manage to survive successfully become rather egoist. Though India is multi-lingual and multi-religious society, all are true sons and daughters of the soil.

With golden brown hair and white skin, women here are very well shaped. They are self-dependent. They are respected career women. They have their individuality. They too perform their duties towards their families religiously. They are second to none. They are not second fiddle to their menfolk. However, in my motherland, I find women of my soil surpassingly  beautiful  -  mentally and physically. They are epitome of love and devotion. They grow up as a pampered daughter of their parents. They live as a faithful wife of their hubbies. They are the best mothers  who can make any sacrifice for their kids. I do salute the women of my soil.

To be honest, here I also miss the wily netas of my soil who remain busy in politics of self-preservation and self-aggrandizement. They continue to betray the trust of unsuspecting masses. They continue to cheat the populace  year after year in the name of religion , caste and region.

Frankly speaking, despite all the anachronism and anomalies, prevailing in my motherland, India, I miss my soil here. When I look inside, I hear an undaunted voice: I love my India to the moon and back. I miss the smell of the soil!