What’s your all-time favorite album?
I like Kailash Kher’s Piya Ghar Aavenge very much. Actually I like all his songs. Kailash Kher is an Indian pop-rock singer whose style is influenced by Indian folk music. Kailash Kher has sung songs in 18 languages so far and has sung more than 300 songs in Bollywood.
Everything is not perfect in anyone’s life. Every person has his own qualities and shortcomings, which make him unique along with humanity. Life is a journey of struggle and learning. We have some things and some we don’t. Most people focus on what they don’t have, while winners always focus on what life has still given them. Those who think what can be done with what they have move ahead in life. You see where you are right now, the level you are at, the capabilities you have, the resources you have, how you can reach the next level by using all these properly. The one who knows how to do this does not waste time in making excuses. He does not weaken the power of his mind by complaining about life. If you don’t believe it, listen to this story.
This is the story of Mariyappan Thangavelu. This child was born on 28 June 1995 in Periyavadagampatti, a small village in Salem, Tamil Nadu. Born into a poor family, he was the youngest of six children of his parents. His father died when he was young and his mother used to support the family by working as a mason and selling vegetables. She used to get only Rs 100 per day. Despite this, she gave priority to the education of her children. When this child was five years old, one day he met with an accident that changed his entire life. A drunk bus driver ran over him, due to which his right leg was completely injured below the knee. After this accident, he became permanently disabled and had to use a wooden leg to walk. But despite the pain and difficulty, he did not let his disability dominate him. He continued his studies. While continuing his studies, the boy also continued playing sports as he was fond of sports since childhood. He used to play volleyball but one day his teacher noticed his talent and encouraged him to participate in high jump. After this he started participating in high jump. He won many medals and trophies and caught the attention of Shri Satyanarayana, a renowned coach of para athletes. In 2015, Shri Satyanarayana invited Mariyappan to join his training camp in Bengaluru. Under his guidance, Mariyappan became the first Indian to win a Paralympic gold medal in high jump. Today Mariyappan has become a triple Paralympic medalist, winning a gold medal in Rio 2016, a silver medal in Tokyo 2020 and a bronze medal in Paris 2024. He is the first para athlete from India to set such a record. He is also a double medalist in the World Championships with one gold and one bronze medal. Mariyappan, who has received major honors like Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Padmashree, is also a graduate in Business Administration.
Just think how many complaints Mariyappan might have had about his life. How many excuses he might have had. He could have given up studying. He could have gone into depression. He could have become a burden for his family but he did just the opposite. He brought glory to his family as well as the entire country. The question is what are we doing! Are we really working towards our goal with honesty? Are we putting in our hundred percent? Or are we wasting both our mind and time in useless things?
Which topics would you like to be more informed about?
I like to learn about nature because for man, the earth is the courtyard of his house, the sky is the roof, the sun, moon and stars are lamps, the sea and river are water pots and trees and plants are the sources of food. Not only this, there is no better teacher for man than nature. Whatever man has achieved till date, he has done it by learning from nature.
Actually, nature teaches us many important lessons. For example, autumn does not mean the end of the tree. The person who imbibed this lesson in his life never feared failure. Such a person tries to achieve success afresh without getting distracted after every failure. They keep doing this until they get success. Similarly, trees laden with fruits but bent downwards teach us to remain humble and modest despite getting success and fame or being rich.
The most important thing is that everything has its own importance in nature. Even a small insect is useful for nature, while in Matsyapurana a tree has been described as equal to hundred sons. This is the reason why we have an eternal tradition of worshipping trees. It is said in the Puranas that the man who plants new trees, flourishes in heaven for as many years as the trees planted by him flourish. The biggest specialty of nature is that it does not consume its things itself. Like- a river does not drink its own water, trees do not eat their own fruits, flowers spread their fragrance in the entire environment. This means that nature does not discriminate or show partiality towards anyone, but when man unnecessarily messes with nature then it gets angry. Which it warns man by expressing it from time to time in the form of drought, flood, deluge, storm. Nature teaches us to have patience. Patience opens the door to achieving goals in life. Those who keep on saying ‘hurry up, hurry up’ are actually living up to the ancient saying ‘an impatient mind slows down’. Only those who keep working patiently get success and respect.
What would your life be like without music?
This world is full of uncertainty and chaos. The contraction and expansion of moments of happiness and sadness depends on what we do to deal with it. At such times, songs and music are a refuge of sympathy. Music acts as a bridge between a person’s experience and worldly truth. Music weaves the threads of existence. It consoles in times of sadness. It acts as a companion in loneliness. That is why we embrace music in bitter and sweet moments. Music is that art in which we express our feelings through tone and rhythm. If we express our feelings through colors, pencils, paper etc. then a painting is created. Similarly, if we express our feelings through tone and rhythm then music is composed. The main purpose of music is to express the feelings of one’s mind. Music is that art through which a person can express the happiness and sorrow of his mind.
Without music, life would be filled with despair, sadness and stress because our feelings would remain buried within our hearts. Without music, even dance would have no value. There are so many kinds of dances performed in the world today. Every country, province, caste has its own culture and its own music. Without music in the world, the simple joy of dancing to a catchy tune or singing your own song would be lost. The background music of life, which is there for all your happy and sad moments, would be replaced by a boring silence. Without music, life would be nothing more than a blank canvas.
Listening to music can not only relieve body pain but it can also be very useful in relieving problems like stress, high blood pressure etc. Listening to music increases the level of happy hormones in the body such as endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine etc., which can make a person feel happy and good. The world can never be dull due to music, because music impacts a person’s personal development, which gives people a reason to live and love.
As a result, sorrows and worries are resolved. We enter such an environment where life appears as transparent and pure as the gurgling water. Another such song is- ‘Machalti Aarzoo Khadi Baahen Paisare’. This too fills life with enthusiasm and excitement. It brings us into such a joyful environment where the desire and will power to live increases. The heartbeats of life start to be heard. The pleasant experience of spring starts to be felt. It infuses juice and energy into the dull life. It pushes sorrows behind and fills the mind with new consciousness. What I mean to say is that the imagination of life without music is incomplete. The inclusion of sweet sounds in the web of words makes the mind ripple. This music sometimes appears like tears from the eyes and sometimes makes the mind happy. As if the light showers of the monsoon are wetting the body and mind. Music changes so many things in life. Similarly, songs and music again infuse hope in a dejected, broken, hopeless mind. This aspect of literature has the power to change the entire society. It frees us from the struggles of daily life and various kinds of worries and brings us to a garden where flowers are in full bloom. There is Champa, Jasmine and Rose. This creates fragrance everywhere. The mind becomes free from suffocation and worry. Like a mountain, if a traveller lives the small moments of happiness in the tune of music, then he does not feel tired in climbing this mountain. Happiness and sorrow are woven into life like threads in a carpet. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche has said that life without music is a mistake. And now this music is being accepted as a medicine for mental illness.
But people have their own perspectives on music. Some people consider the cooing of the cuckoo, the sound of a waterfall, the chirping of birds, the hum of the bumblebees, the sound of waves, temple bells, the laughter of children, etc. to be no less than music. But whatever it may be, in my opinion, any sound that calms the mind becomes music.
How do you celebrate holidays?
Holiday means only rest. The word holiday itself is such that there would hardly be anyone who would not be happy on hearing it. I also like to celebrate holidays. I like to go to some new place every time during vacation. Especially visiting some religious place gives me a lot of peace. Such places where one can visit and also have the darshan of God.
If I am not able to go out anywhere, I take complete rest at home. Waking up late, playing games with husband and children, strolling in the park in the evening, eating ice cream and having my favourite dinner at night makes me completely energetic. Sometimes chatting with friends, watching a movie and getting lost in old memories with a cup of coffee becomes a fun evening.
Sometimes I like going on long drives with family and meeting relatives. On holidays, I am able to do many of my tasks which I otherwise do not have time to do. Organizing my house, cleaning the clothes cupboard, cleaning the kitchen boxes, and there are so many other tasks which keep waiting for a holiday. There is so much of hectic life that we are not able to pay much attention to ourselves. Sometimes, it happens that we keep waiting for a holiday even for some minor medical treatment. Holiday is awaited to do shopping for the house, children, husband and even for oneself.
Sometimes I get a body massage done on holidays. Spending a few hours in the parlor is also very important. We say that there is no life without work. But sometimes it seems that if there were no holidays, I don’t know what would have happened to life.because Vacation is a pleasant feeling.
Write about your most epic baking or cooking fail.
Today the prompt forced me to remember a very old incident. It was when I was newly married. At my in-laws’ place, I was sometimes asked to cook something. I did not know the exact jar of the spice container there. One day I was asked to make mixed veg pakoras in the evening. I always liked cooking and I knew how to cook. I chopped all the vegetables and started making the batter for the pakoras. Then when I started frying the pakoras, the pakoras were puffing up in a strange way. I thought maybe the gram flour here is different. First of all I gave the pakoras to my father-in-law. He ate them and said there is no salt. I added a little more salt. I started frying the pakoras again, the pakoras were puffing up even more. This time I gave the pakoras to my eldest brother-in-law. He also ate them and said there is no salt. I was confused because I had added salt. Then I called my sister-in-law. When my sister-in-law came, I said that I am adding salt again and again but still the pakoras are not getting salty. When my sister-in-law saw that the salt bottle lying next to me, was it really salt? Then my sister-in-law took out the salt bottle from inside and said that this was baking soda which you were adding again and again. In my in-laws’ house, the bottles of salt and baking soda were the same. Both were white in color. But the salt was a little coarse and the soda was very fine. I had not paid attention to this thing. Now tears came to my eyes, so much batter for pakoras, what will I do with it. Seeing me crying, my sister-in-law started laughing and said, it doesn’t matter, let’s both quickly cut the vegetables together. We cut the vegetables again and then made the pakoras. From outside, my brother-in-law was calling out whether we will also get pakoras or not. But my sister-in-law silenced everyone. When I remember that day, I laugh a lot. But I am thankful to my joint family, which supported me at every step.
Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.
If someone asks you what have you achieved in life so far? Then you may have a long list, but you will also regret some things. Many of us might think that if only I had learned this earlier, then today I would have been in a better place. If only I had paid attention to my health, then I would have been healthy today. But all these things make us feel more when we suffer about all these things. There are some important things which we ignore in our life. We realize this only when it is too late. Then we regret this. So why not avoid this regret and from today itself focus on those things which are really important.
We try to find so many ways to make our life good and happy that we end up wasting our time on some things. I have mentioned spending time here because we are actually wasting our precious time on useless things. Running after money, getting angry with people over small things, wasting time, fighting with someone and what not. All these things have no meaning in life.
Now I too am worried about some health problems. That is why I am wondering why I did not pay attention to my health earlier. It is rightly said that health is the ultimate wealth because nothing is more valuable than your health. Only when you are healthy, you can do all the work properly. Only when you are healthy, you can live a full life, enjoy things, eat well, wear good clothes, travel somewhere. But if your health deteriorates even a little, then even your favourite things start to look colorless. A person understands this when it is too late.Good health is vital to success and productivity. It helps us achieve our goals, work effectively, and make a positive contribution to society. When we are unwell, we face obstacles that hinder our dreams and aspirations.
It is more important to have a healthy mental health than physical health, because If our mental health is not good then we are unable to fight physical diseases.
Cheating has always been a sensitive issue and there is no simple answer as to how one can or should forgive a cheater. It is as old as the concept of marriage and monogamy. Most people would agree that cheating involves having a sexual relationship with someone other than your partner. However, the boundaries of cheating are not as well-defined as we think. For some people, emotional intimacy outside of monogamy can also be considered cheating, but for others it may not. Cheating is considered a violation of the implied contract of exclusivity in a marriage or relationship, and therefore, it is very painful, especially for the person who is being cheated on.But why do people cheat? Is cheating the beginning of the end of a relationship? Should you forgive people who cheat in a relationship? Are you unable to forgive people who cheat? How can you forgive someone for cheating? Let’s discuss these questions in detail.
Every person in a relationship has certain mental, emotional and sexual needs. It is important to know that these needs vary from person to person and relationship to relationship. Also, each person is stimulated through different physical or interpersonal characteristics that may disappear or change over time, a partner may prefer work over sex or become distant after a child is born. Sometimes even when you are giving your 100%, your partner may feel distant or emotionally detached and it may not be your fault. But lack of attention, change in desires and lack of quality time spent together can be the primary motivators for a person to stray and indulge in a romantic relationship outside their current commitment.
Feelings of loneliness can occur at any point in a relationship and can be caused by a variety of factors, such as a lack of love between spouses or being overly attracted to the other. If this happens and one person is too scared or anxious to express these feelings, it may be easier for them to seek comfort and intimacy elsewhere rather than confront their relationship.
The rise of social dating platforms and communication has given us a window into the world and the opportunities that exist within it. New sexual partners are readily available and it is easy for anyone to seek out a new sexual experience at the mere click of a button. It is not uncommon to meet other people who want to experiment with the idea of sex. This is not just limited to sex, but can also lead to emotional cheating. Knowing that you can pursue someone else can seem attractive and even exciting, especially if you have been in a committed relationship for a long time. The thrill of the chase or doing something forbidden is unfortunately a very strong motivator for cheating in a relationship.
Everyone has different levels of sexual libido depending on their age and many other factors. Everyone has different sexual desires and the desire for intercourse can vary. While a relationship may start out with incredible sexual chemistry, it can change, evolve, or fade over time. If there is no communication on the subject, it becomes easy to ignore it and focus on other things or people. People often cheat because they want to have sex more often.
how to mend broken relationships?
Before anything else, try to understand your partner’s stance after cheating – is he apologetic? Is he indifferent? Is he blaming you? If he is not willing to make amends from the start, then sadly, it is not worth fighting over and it is something you have to accept and move on. However, if he is willing to work on the relationship, make sure that both of you are equally committed. Exchange of feelings and efforts is necessary to rebuild the foundation of the relationship and work towards a great relationship. There are a few other things you can do if you are trying to repair a broken relationship.The emotions that one might feel in such a situation can be hard to understand and it can be difficult to make any decisions. So, spending some time with yourself and reflecting can help gain some clarity, not just from the whole situation but also from yourself. It will also help you understand the situation in a more healthy way. Whether it is moving out or getting away for a few days/weeks, whatever you need, use this time to focus on your mental health and gain clarity.
Communication is the basis of any healthy relationship, whether it is a romantic relationship or any other relationship in your life. Talk openly about the root cause of the love-hate. Is your partner not giving you enough attention? Are your sexual needs not being met? What do you need to do to improve your relationship? Both partners should answer these questions independently and then focus on understanding the other’s point of view.Moving on can involve more than just working with your partner. Experiencing infidelity can take a toll on your self-esteem and make you question your self-worth. That’s why it’s important to take time to work on yourself and start focusing on your mental health to deal with any negative feelings. A healthy relationship with yourself can help rebuild trust not only with your partner but with yourself as well.
What are your favorite types of foods?
When it comes to food, I get really excited because I love both cooking and eating. Though I can cook many kinds of food but my favorite among all is Rajasthani food. Rajasthani food is a unique example in itself. Rajasthani food is mainly vegetarian and it has become famous all over the world for its taste. Due to its geographical conditions, gram flour, lentils, buttermilk, curd, dry spices, dry fruits, ghee and milk are used a lot in traditional Rajasthani food. From various kinds of sweets to namkeen and dahi bhalle, pickles, papad and sweet and salty buttermilk, everything is special.
I would like to tell you one thing that the name of almost all the popular dishes in Rajasthan is associated with the name of the local district there, another name in this series is Bikaneri Bhujia. This Bhujia started being made in Bikaner district of Rajasthan and today you will find stalls of Bikaneri Bhujia not only in Rajasthan but also at many big airports abroad. Mirchi Pakodas, Dal Kachoris are not available anywhere like in Rajasthan. Mirchi Bada is a variety of snacks. People here eat it with great gusto with tea. Potatoes are stuffed inside big green chillies, and then after this they are deep fried. You can enjoy eating Mirchi Vada with tea anytime in the morning or evening. In every district of Rajasthan, you will find many such restaurants whose name will be associated with Jodhpur, which mainly sell Jodhpur’s Pyaaz Kachori. This is a type of Kachori in which onion and potato are fried in oil by giving them a different shape. It tastes different when served with red and green chutney.
Rajasthan’s famous vegetable is Sangri Gatta and Turmeric vegetable. Ker Sangri is a kind of plum, which tastes sweet and sour and Sangri is a long bean found in Jaisalmer and Barmer. Sangri is very popular in Rajasthan. This dish made with oil and spices is eaten with millet bread and buttermilk. Gatte ki Sabzi is one of the famous dishes of Rajasthan, which can be easily digested. There are small balls of gram flour, called Gatte, they are fried and put in a spicy curry. You can eat it with roti or rice. Believe me, if you have eaten Rajasthan’s gram flour Gatte once, you will never forget its taste. Turmeric vegetable is a type of vegetable which is made in western Rajasthan during winter. It is mainly made from desi ghee and green turmeric. Apart from this, various types of green vegetables are added to it, green onion, garlic, tomato, coriander, ginger, green chilli etc. Turmeric vegetable is mainly eaten with millet rotis and its taste increases even more with curd. Turmeric vegetable generates heat in the body, so it is made during winters.
Dal-Baati-Churma is the most popular dish of Rajasthan. It includes three things. The first thing is dal which is made of moong or urad. The second thing is Baati, in which the flour is ground and made into round balls and then fried with the help of ghee. The third and most important thing is Churma, for making which big and thick rotis of wheat flour are made and then ground and served after adding ghee and sugar.You will find this dish in every region of Rajasthan but Jaipuri Daal Baati Churma is something different and special.
Rajasthan is famous all over the world for its spicy food. People come from far and wide to taste the various types of food here. You will find the famous dishes of this place to taste in every street or shop.
How often do you walk or run?
In our daily life, we all do something or the other for our body. I like walking more than running. And that too during winters. In summers, I don’t like walking or running at all. But I do 25 rounds of Surya Namaskar in my house with the AC on. Surya Namaskar helps in making my joints flexible. I think if someone doesn’t like walking or running, this is the best exercise for them.
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