Tamia...wow !

Tamia's steep hills, dense forests, and the valley make it a beauty spot and 'must visit' place in Madhya Pradesh. Tamia is located in Chhindwara district of MP, located on the South-West region of 'Satpura Range'. Chhindwara district has an area of 11,815 sq. km occuping 3.85% of the area of the state and is one of the largest district of the State. First picture is of sunset view is taken from forest rest house and shows a hill peak, in the Satpura range.

Betul's Ghost fair !

A village in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, holds an annual fair of Ghosts. This is month long fair nromally around january -Feburary. People gather here in numbers for being exorcised at a shrine of Guru Maharaj Deoji, a Hindu holy man who lived in the 18th century and, devotees believe, had the power to exorcise ghosts and evil spirits. No one knows how all this began but they say “Deoji passed on the ‘art of exorcism’ to his successors (the priests here). It peaks as the night of Paush Purnima (full moon preceding Magh month) falls, the ‘possessed’ are taken to the shrine for being exorcised. The people who bring their relatives here feel that their bodies have been “taken over by the ghosts of the dead” and that exorcism is the only release for them.

During the fair one can hear sound of temple gong, ghost busters chant mantras and priest here say that  they have been able to expell thousands of ghosts and evil spirits from human bodies. Though people who advocate on scientific reasoning do not agree with it and reason that this propogates myths and supersitions.

गरीबी का चेहरा

कोई साठ- बासठ बरस
पहले लगा था

कि दूर होगी गरीबी !

चेहरों पर होगी रौनक
आएगी खुशहाली

लेकिन इन साठ-बासठ बरसों में
सिर्फ चंद बोर्ड ही पहुंच पाए
हम तक

दूर तलक  बस उदासी है
देखो ऐसा ही होता है

गरीबी का चेहरा।

- राकेश मालवीय, सतना से लोटकर

(छाया ओर कविता)