An oil-powered boat...

was one of the cool toys father bought for us. This was the big highlight during Dasserah - when we would get a vessel filled with water and light the boat. Great entertainment all the way around!

Sweetness...

Yesterday our mother made gulab jamun, a perennial favorite of all of us including our father. With such a sweet sweet go some fabulous songs of Jaidev- including Zindagi Mein Jab Tumhare Gham Nahi the, a wonderful Anuradha Podwal- Bhupinder duet..

anuradha:

zindagi mein jab tumhare gam nahi the

itane tanhaa the ki ham bhi ham nahi the

anuradha:

waqt par jo log kaam aaye hain aksar
ajnabi the, vo mere hamdam nahi the

bhupindar:
besabab tha tera milna rehguzar mein
haadase har mod par kuch kam nahi the

anuradha:
hamne khwaabo mein Khudaa bankar bhi dekha
aap the, baahon mein do aalam nahi the

bhupindar:
saamane deewaar thi Khuddaariyon ki
warna raste pyaar ke purakam nahi the

Lucy Show

As my brother and sister watched the Lucy Show it reminded me of my IIT days, when I used to watch it regularly every weekend. At home our dad was a regular Lucy watcher too...

A great slapstick sitcom..

Dum Dum Diga Diga

Father was a fan of Raj Kapoor movies, and had quite a few records of RK movie songs. His favorite was Dum Dum Diga Diga from Chalia, a kalyanji Anadji classic. Of Ruk Ja O Jane Wali from Kanhaiya was another classic that father enjoyed listening to.

Dasserah...

As we celebrate Dasserah I cannot help but look back at our childhood days..going around and inviting everyone to our house, wearing new dresses, and just enjoying a very festive atmosphere.

Carroms

Played carroms after a long time...something all of us used to do together...

Family get-together, almost...

A very happy time, when all of our family members get together- it is almost like our childhood but for one missing central character - our father. I remember going home from IIT in 1979 and arriving home at 4:00AM and my mom and dad were both awake, waiting for me.