Spooky Times

Huge ornate, un-oiled gates to the cemetry creak open with an ominious sound Cheeeeeen. It strikes terror in the hearts of the five boys who have chosen to creep into the abandoned old place post a few drinks. They walk in, looking here and there, trying to talk and laugh among themselves to keep the fear at bay. The shadows of the graves and crosses loom up to break the dark night. They spot a small slab in one corner, maybe the grave of a child. One of guys showing bravado , lies down on the slab. Another looks at the cross at the head of the stone and whispers; “I think the cross just leaned towards us.” That sobers them instantly and they flee back to their car parked outside.

This is a true story, it happened in an old cemetery in Dagshai. We are all fascinated by ghosts. If you believe in God, say some, you have to believe in ghosts. In the cities, the ghosts are probably run out by the heavy concentration of living people and the metallic maniacs who rule the road. But go off the road a bit, the villages with open spaces and trees that cast weird shadows in the night, and it’s a different ball game altogether. The hills are even more conducive to the health of ghosts. The air is rarer, the mists are sharp, you can probably see only till the next bend in the road. What lies ahead is unknown to you.

Fear can get adrenaline rushing through your body, and provide a thrill. Stories of the supernatural are eagerly exchanged when the topic comes up. Another friend described what happened on a recent visit to Shimla. A group of three friends were on their way to visit a fourth who lived a little way off the town. They were walking on this secluded road and saw an old man approaching them, hat on head. Just to check if they were on the right path, they asked the old man the direction. The old man turned and pointed out the place in a remote direction. They boys looked but could not see anything. They said so and the old man pointed again. They could still not see anything and turned to talk to the old man. But there was no one there.

Going on to Kasauli, you can expect to ‘hear’ the ghost of Khetarpal Marg. You won't be able to see anyone, but hear footsteps following you, at night of course. Then there is the tale of the ghost of the lady who took it upon herself to scale the Monkey Point on her horse. The lady tumbled down and there lies a grave where her remains fell. Some people say, it wasn’t the lady who died, but her horse. The famous ghostly grave was in fact the remains of the horse. The lady lived to a great age, and died of natural causes, despite being fond of her drink.

On to Shimla, the Charleville mansion ghost is the most popular. He is said to throw the belongings out of the house. He is said to have killed his young wife, suspecting her of infidelity. Then there was a ghost at Dukhani who was decidedly sighted, standing at the window, looking out. On making inquiries, it was found that an old man had shot himself years ago on the same spot. 

But these are sophisticated ghosts, who just sort of drift into your vision, scaring but not doing much harm.The legend of mummaaee wallas is more potent. Not only do you get scared, but also killed if you encounter one. The modus operandi of these evil spirits was to blow some hypnotic powder on the faces of their victims, after which they were taken to a secluded spot. Here they were hung upside down over a simmering fire and the oil dripping from the body collected. This was the ram tel (Ram Oil) which could be used to glue together limbs cut off from the body. 

You could, however, save yourself by glancing at the feet of the strangers who approached you. It was a dead giveaway. The feet were backwards. (An old legend of course) If you ever spotted that, you could run for your life.

There are multitudes of ghost stories associated with Shimla, dating the Raj. In recent times, the most creditable sighting occurred outside Ava House where disappearing pedestrians were spotted in a particular lane. The tenants of this house reported that they would see people walking by, a few steps later, they would vanish !!!

Coming down from the hills, in our own Chandigarh, the only scary spots are the cemeteries. There is a cemetery near Industrial Area as you go towards the railway station. There was a time when these roads were not frequently used. A colleague used to take this road to on the way home. After a graveyard shift, as he passed the cemetery, he spotted a man standing close to the road from far off, as he drove nearer, the man wasn’t there. 

It was enough to spook him into taking a longer route via Transport Chowk during late hours. But nights are not the only times when the spook strikes. Going past the same cemetery, over the newly constructed overbridge from railway to Panchkula road, another colleague felt a huge pressure on her skull that lasted for about a minute. She has taken the road many times consequently, but never had that feeling again.

Celebrity Remix

Celebrities are like instant cake mix, buy a pack, use and be sure it will work. Andy Warhol redefined art by bringing in the popular element through painting Campbell Soup Cans and Marilyn Monroe. It was different and interesting because people could recognize these icons immediately. The easy recall of the the subject turned the artist into a celebrity too.

Now comes this news “London, June 30 (ANI): Charles Saatchi has bought a painting depicting the scene where Hollywood star Hugh Grant was caught in a "lewd act" with prostitute Divine Brown. Saatchi plans to display the painting in his County Hall gallery, along with another of the spot where actress Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting in 2001. “

One celebrity’s discomfiture becomes the grist to the entertainment mill of the million others. Such has been the burden of fame. “Only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about” said Oscar Wilde. And the celebrities (at least some of them) are quite used to flaunting their private lives and living off the resultant publicity. 

The hot topic is the doings of Preity Zinta and whether or not she will marry Ness Wadia. It is not likely to make a difference to our lives, but we like the diversion of the thought. Similarly, a few days back there was a great storm the world over when rumours broke that Aishwarya Rai had perished in a car accident. A friend of mine in Singapore was besiged with calls and sms’s. She had to go online immediately and discover the ‘truth’ for herself.

Celebrity endorsements of products is recognised as extremely successful because it carries with it all the goodwill enjoyed by the star. Lux soap has traditionally been using the lastest top heroine for their advertisement. Recently they broke fresh ground by using Shahrukh Khan as the centre piece to the heroines. No wonder Lux is one of the most recognisable brands among the soaps. Ditto for soft drinks. They are most particular about the star they pick for their brand and use him to the hilt. A young girl vowed to drink only Coke after Hritik appeared in an Coke advertisement. This was, of course, right after the super success of “Kaho Na Pyaar Hai”

The dresses worn by celebrities are another feature of this mania. Bobby’s clips and pretty mini’s and halter necks were a rage. These days it's Tulsi’s sarees, bindi’s and jewellery. The seedha pallu in the sarees became a hot item after Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. Babita’s hair bands, Sadhana’s haircut, Saira Banu’s eye makeup, all took on a life of their own and were turned into icons in the fashion world. 

If I tell my hairdresser that I want a haircut like Hugh Grant’s, she knows exactly what I am talking about. Kareena’s dresses and tops are sought after, Malaika’s shoes, Preity Zinta’s hairdo.. everyone wants exactly that. The celebrities are like walking and talking fashion brigade. Easy to copy, easy to point out, easy to recall.

In a darker shade, the ill-doings of the celebrities are also a huge talking point. Sometimes heinous crimes like running a jeep over pavement sleepers is turned into a media tamasha just because a celebrity is involved. Deer hunting, poaching by celebrites become huge issues where the celebrity status often covers the crime in a veneer of glamour. People are ready to condone the misdeeds of their favorite hero because they are too star-struck to realize that any crime should be made to pay.

The most recent case in point is Rahul Mahajan. Just because he is the son of a late politician, he still has enough clout to be able to force the hospital to cover his drug related illness with a mild ‘food poisioning’ one. That is until his case was brought under a cloud because of an aide dying which brought about a flurry of investigations that compromised his position. Now he is facing serious charges, and so are all those who were his accomplices. 

As is actor Fardeen Khan who was arrested in a similar ‘possession of drug’ case. These people face imprisonment for their misdeeds. However, had the people involved not been celebrites, the media attention would soon have shifted to other things. But at the moment these people are grabbing headlines in the newspaper and TV world.

SUPERSTITIONS RULE OUR LIVES

“Superstition is the religion of the weak minds”

- Edmund Burke

In the ancient days, without science to depend upon, people had to find explanation for various acts of nature they could not explain. That is when the supernatural came into being. People wanted to know why natural phenomonen occurred, too much rain, too little rain, too hot, too cold. Some people purporting to be wise men blamed certain events for it. The people of the tribe were neglecting the gods who controlled nature, which angered them. So people would get together to play on their drums, offer up sacrifices and believe that it would better their situation. It was simply the beginning of man’s effort to find out what triggered off certain events.

As the world progressed, people with inquiring minds gave better answers to these questions. But in corner of people’s minds the old theories persisted and they continued with the old superstitions rather than risk courting bad luck If someone sneezes when you are about to set off, it is not a huge loss if you sit down for 5 minutes to rest your mother’s anxiety. Also if your work doesn’t get done, it is easy to blame the poor cat that crossed your path. It could even be some inauspicous person (anyone you don’t like) who stepped into your way, calling out your name just when you were about to leave.

Evil eye is another of the great superstitions with plenty to offer. As soon as a child is born, a black thread is tied to a baby’s arm to ward off the evil spirits. We all know that the child is vulnerable enough to the bacteria floating around in the air and needs extra help in surviving the adoring (jealous?) looks other women give him. In fact some people are so touchy about the babies being praised, that it is hard to say anything positive about the child at all. The safest comment seems to be – ‘looks like his papa or mummy’. You are not supposed to say anything about the baby’s colour, growth, smile and health. That covers almost everything. The kala tika (black mark) to ward off the bad luck could start from the cradle and persist to your pregnancy (if you are a woman). Some people will delibrately say nothing about the health of a pregnant lady to avoid accusations of the evil eye.

Thursday and Tuesday are auspicious days and you will find people avoiding eggs or non-vegetarian foods. You are supposed to wear yellow or red colours to augment your power. Which brings me to the auspicious days to wear new clothes. That should be done on Mondays or Wednesdays. Although it is easy to spot the logic behind Tuesday vegetarianism (the day is supposed to be dedicated to Lord Hanuman- who was a vegetarian), I can’t think of any reason that justifies wearing new clothes on certain days.

But these are ordinary people who would rather not take chances. One suspects that these little superstitions perhaps even adds spice to their lives. But what of the mighty kings? Even Julius Ceaser had a soothsayer in his court who regularly passed on advice about auspicious times. His death was ascribed to his refusal to listen to his wife and his soothsayer about avoiding activity on the “Ides of March”. Even now the Politicians, industrialists and even the movie stars all listen to some astrologer who advises them on the right time to do things. Whether it has the desired effect or not is debatable. But one supposes that dependancy on superstition is a kind of an addiction. People just can’t do without it.

ROCK GARDEN- PRIDE OR SHAME

For people in and around Chandigarh Rock Garden needs no introduction. It has grown out of a secret hobby of a man who was self driven to create sculpture out of waste materials. It is a pure example of Art for Art’s sake. Luckily the people in power at that time recognized the art and gave a platform to the rare creativity of Nek Chand. Now people of Chandigarh are proud to call this monument their own and show visitors around with pride. Often mentioning the recognization Nek Chand has received around the world and the Rock Gardens he has created in other countries.

However, as it is with other monuments in India, degeneration has crept in here also. The sculptures are chipped and need repairs badly. This is especially evident in the earliest phase of the Rock Garden. It presents a sad picture to see the sculptures made out of bangles so dull and broken. Even more than that, it is sad to see the whole of Rock Garden littered with wrappers and trash. In the early days, there were vigilant workers posted on the walls of the garden who would rebuke a person trying to touch the sculptures or litter the garden. These people are no longer there, and the garden has fallen into ruin.

There was graffiti on some of the walls, trash on the ground all around the garden. But the worst hit was the waterfall area with its beautiful theatre. The water had a manky smell, and where the water gathered, there was a thick green layer of moss. Even the wall underneath the waterfall was covered with a thick layer of moss. The visitors to the garden were oblivious to keeping the environment clean and were happily throwing wrapper of their chips packets and juice cartons here and there.

Even in the Phase III of the garden, with its beautiful mosaic seats and swings, there was trash all around. The air was a little cleaner than the stuffy atmosphere of the waterfall area, but no one seemed a least bit bothered about adding to the trash.

There are web-sites on the Rock Garden and Nek Chand, extolling his marvellous creativity, calling the garden a modern wonder, and next only to the Taj Mahal as a tourist attraction. Alas, though Nek Chand is still alive, his monument is dying and needs to be seriously resurrected if it is to retain its place as the pride of Chandigarh and India.