Sharadiya Bhopal 2014

It is Navratri time in Bhopal. Time for Dandias, time for Mata rani, time for devotion and fasting. The hidden motifs of that promotion, that land deal or business deal, that college admission or campus placement - everything can wait, let us get down to devotion of ten days first. Surely "Mata rani" will take note, she knows all desires of every heart, right ?

For the Bengali community of the city though, it’s "that" time of the year - Durga Pujo.

So what is different, apart from the spelling ? The Bengali community, most of whom are second generation Bengali whose father had migrated into the city of Bhopal, try to follow the traditions of Bengal as closely as possible.To start with, the Pujo starts from the sixth day - the Shashthi. The preparations for the Puja are made complete on this day. Preparations on Sasthi consists of three aspects Kalparambha, Bodhan, Adhivas and Amantran.

Ghantiwale baba

So, you wan't a story ?

Okay, so one and only one you will get. Then you go to sleep. Fine ?

In olden days,when the djinns and darvishes roamed freely in the world, there lived a farmer named Salim. Salim was a hard working man, who used to toil on his fields, did not gamble, did not even go to the village tari shop, saving all his money to bring true his only passion. He wanted his son - Ibrahim - to get employed with the Nawabs.

Ibrahim, the preteen handsome son of Salim, knew of this over whelming dream of his Abbujaan and prepared well to fulfill his dream.

           Looking at the growing young boy, Salim fondly recollected the times, when as a restless toddler, Ibrahim would run out of the house so often that Salim had to tie a cow bell on his torso. Ibrahim used to be traced by the sound of this bell, earning him the title "Ghantiwale baba". 

AIIMS BHOPAL

As per the official website

"AIIMS Bhopal is one of the SIX AIIMS like apex healthcare institutes being established by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna(PMSSY). With the aim of correcting regional imbalances in quality tertiary level healthcare in the country, and attaining self sufficiency in graduate and postgraduate medical education and training the PMSSY planned to set up 6 new AIIMS like institutions in under served areas of the country.

These institutions are being established by an Act of Parliament on the lines of the original All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi which imparts both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in all its branches and related fields, along with nursing and paramedical training. to bring together in one place educational facilities of the highest order for the training of personnel in all branches of health care activity."

Bringing true the worst fears of the above "sarkari" declaration, AIIMS Bhopal is the proverbial government "work in progress" since Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government announced on 15th August 2003 establishment of new hospitals on the lines of New Delhi's AIIMS. The foundation stone was laid on 20th January 2004. Soon after UPA-I government was formed, which luckily decided to go ahead with these institutes.

Dr Harshvardan - the Central Health Minister - visited AIIMS Bhopal on 16th June 2014. The work seems to have picked up after this visit.