CR PARK SPEAKS NEWSLETTER

 GOLPO... Sunday Lunch Robibarer Mangsher Jhol by Chandralekha ~ 24 May 2024 The cumin seeds spluttered and the garam masala released its signature aroma signaling for the meat to be added. Marinated in yogurt and ginger-garlic paste, the mutton pieces sizzled as they touched the smoking mustard oil. “Potatoes and carrots go in next and the papaya is added last for it cooks first.” I could hear my mother’s voice in my head instructing me from Kolkata. I covered the dekchi to let the meat cook. Mangsher jhol was on its way. It was ten-thirty. Guests would be arriving in two hours. I picked up the duster to tidy the living room. Vitamix’s powerful whirring stopped abruptly. “Here, have some of this,” offered Orko, my son. “It’s got beta-carotene, Vit C, E, and K.” He scraped the remnants of 12 large Bunny-Luv’s, bought from the organic section in Berkeley Bowl, into the composting bin. He placed the large jug of freshly squeezed carrot juice on the kitchen island. I filled ...

  " अपि स्वर्णमयी लङ्का न मे लक्ष्मण रोचते । जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी ॥" "Api svarṇamayī Laṅkā na me Lakṣmaṇa rocate; Jananī janmabhūmiśca svargādapi garīyasī." "O Lakshmana, even if Lanka is made of gold, it does not appeal to me. My mother and my motherland are greater even than heaven." Few verses from the Indian epics have echoed through centuries with as much emotional resonance as this declaration attributed to Lord Rama after the victory over Lanka. While the golden city represented prosperity, power, and abundance, Rama's choice reflected a deeper truth—that a homeland is not measured by its wealth but by the bonds of belonging, identity, duty, and love. As India celebrates another Independence Day, this ancient verse invites us to revisit the meaning of freedom in a world that is increasingly interconnected, digital, and global. Political independence was achieved in 1947 through extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and collective deter...

MOOD BOARD & CONCEPT BOARD Delhi Gen Zee Pujo Vibes https://www.instagram.com/crparkspeaksdelhi/  Pujo, the Probasi Remix — Indo-Western Moodboard A Probasi Moodboard Pujo, the Remix Indo-western dressing for the diaspora Gen Z kid — one unmistakably Bengali piece, everything else styled like your normal going-out clothes. Rani #C81B5E Alta Red #A31621 Kaasha #F6EFE2 Sondhe Gold #B8863B Bottle #1F4E3D Ink #241B16 Textile Story Six Looks, Three Weaves Wrap & Palazzo Katki Cotton · Day Fine handloom check wrap top tied at the waist, with wide-leg palazzo — cool, breathable, built for pandal-hopping. ...

Ṛta: The Cosmic Order That Holds the Universe Together By Dr Anindita Roy (Ph.D) crparkspeaks@gmail.com Long before the ideas of gravity, natural laws, or ecological balance were formally understood by science, the sages of the Rigveda envisioned a profound principle that governed everything in existence. They called it Ṛta ( ऋत) —the eternal cosmic order that sustains the universe. More than just a religious concept, Ṛta represents one of humanity's earliest philosophical attempts to explain why the universe functions in harmony. What is Ṛta  ( ऋत) ? The Sanskrit word Ṛta   ( ऋत)  is derived from the root ṛ , meaning to move properly, to rise, or to be in the right course . It signifies the universal order that regulates the movement of celestial bodies, the changing of seasons, the flow of rivers, the cycle of life and death, and even the moral conduct of human beings. In the Rigveda, Ṛta  ( ऋत)  is not merely a law of nature—it is the very princi...

The Mystic Nuances at Rishikesh   by Sanjoy Das Gupta   End March 2018, me and my wife with two very close and dear family friends, had planned out a very short stay at an ashram very near the Rishikesh Barrage with the serene Ganges flowing by ever so elegantly with all its mystic nuances that evolve and emerge as one starts to be in communion with her grace and blessings. Post our “anondo-sobhas” at the early morning hours and in the evenings at the exclusive open first floor verandah overlooking the flowing mystic Ganges, we read out Sri Ramakrishna’s “Kathamrita” by “Shri M” with appropriate opening and soulful “Rabindra-Sangeet”, followed by deliberations on the innumerable dimensions of the Ramakrishna Movement as one tries to initially fathom from Swami Vivekananda’s talks and his innumerable priceless deliberations. The holy dips in the Ganges early morning & in the evening at the adjoining private ghat of the ashram were heavenly and ushered in a total sta...