NASHIK:

Nashikites were irritated by the high temperature even as the winter season had begun. The maximum temperature had reached 30.2 degree Celsius on an average in a day. Finally, on Saturday, the Nashikites got little comfort after the minimum temperature reached to 14.2 degree Celsius, which was between 18 to 20 degree Celsius last ten days straight.

Nashikites who were eagerly awaiting for the typical Nashik winter, got some sense of cold on Saturday. The winter wears which were still in the lockers came out on Saturday early morning.  The college students who like to flaunt their winter collections wore their newly purchased, jackets, sweaters, hoodies, and coats on their way to college. Those who forgot to wear a sweater or jacket were seen shimmiring in cold.

Even as the calander rushed into December citizens had not witnessed the chills of winter for which the city is known. The Indian Meteorology Department has predicted rise in temperature in the next five days, again by one or two degree Celsius. The weather will be dry and humidity will be around 40 to 60 per cent in air. The wind speed is expected to stay between 8 to 10 km per hour.

NEW DELHI:

A massive fire in a building in Anaj Mandi caused probably due to short circuit claimed at least 43 lives here on Sunday. Fire Services chief Atul Garg said the blaze was put out by 25 fire trucks and the rescue operation has been completed. He said that over 50 people had been moved out of the area.

Initially the casualty figures stood at around 30 but at later stage, it was feared that the mishap has claimed at least 43 lives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the fire as “extremely horrific” and wished the injured a “quick recovery”.

“My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. Wishing the injured a quick recovery. Authorities are providing all possible assistance at the site of the tragedy,” he tweeted. Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also visited the spot. “The exact cause of the mishap is not yet ascertained,” the Chief Minister told reporters.

According to fire department sources, the information about the fire incident was received around 0520 hrs and immediately after that more than 25 vehicles of fire brigade were sent to the spot. The evacuated people were sent to nearby Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital (LNJP) and Hindu Rao Hospital for treatment, the fire department said.

A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has reached the incident spot. According to the police, more than 30 people have died due to suffocation and a large number of people are being treated in both hospitals. According to Medical Superintendent of LNJP, Dr Kishore Kumar, 14 people brought to the hospital have died and a large number of injured are being treated.

One attending medico said the victims were brought to the hospital by rescuers. Some of the victims being treated for burns or smoke inhalation were in stable condition, he said. The cause of the fire is being investigated. “The reason of the fire is yet to be known,” an official said. Old-timers say in 1997, a fire in a movie theater in New Delhi had killed 59 people.

In February this year, at least 17 people were killed by a fire in a six-story hotel. Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed condolences for the mishap. “Tragic loss of precious lives in the fire accident in New Delhi. My deepest condolences with families of those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the early recovery of the injured. Have instructed concerned authorities to provide all possible assistance on urgent basis,” Mr Shah tweeted.

According to an R Rahman, an elderly whose two nephews were working in the factory, “At least 12-15 machines were installed in the unit. I have no idea about the factory owner. I was told they make bags”. “My nephews Mohd mran and Ikramuddin were inside the factory. I don’t know where they are,” he said. According to him, many units were operating from the premises which was located in a congested area.

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.

The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
Thomas A. Edison

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. Aristotle Running a marathon had been one of the many ‘to do’ activities on my wish list. It was pending for a long time, but always existed as a task to be accomplished. I had heard it to be a difficult race and that it required lot of physical and mental resilience to complete. In national Police Academy, during our basic training course, we had a tough training regime. Physical fitness was one of the most important contents of this training and I had completed this with flying colors but that was in year 1997. Now after a long gap, running a marathon seemed a perfect test for my physical and mental faculties.

There was a new beginning in August 2014, when I was posted at Mumbai. In Jan 2015, I ran my first marathon. But an important question that came to me immediately after I decided to run the marathon was, whether my physique would support? Some people discouraged me by saying that this is not the age to take up running as you might damage your knees. Few said, what is the idea of running a race where it takes a long time and some, jokingly though said, whom are you going to impress at this age?

Since I had already made my decision to give it a try, I decided to go ahead with self-training. Also, seeing so many people on the streets of Mumbai practicing regularly added to my resolve. As I began to Practice, I realized that running was more important than timing for amateur runners. One of my friends rightly pointed out that in marathon every one runs at his or her own pace. Forget about timing, if you complete the race, that is a reward enough. The joy of having finished the marathon is enough to make issues like ‘time taken’ irrelevant in the first instance. The amateur runners run for the joy of it and that is the meaningful part of this race. Only after running the first race successfully does one push the goalpost further away and decides on time frames to complete the race.

Having made my resolve to run the race, I decided to accept the challenge head on. Getting out of bed was the first hurdle I had to cross. One fine morning, I spent some time thinking about it and a name kept flashing in my mind. It was Fajua Singh, the legendary runner who is still running at the age of hundred plus. If he can have the resolve to run at this age and running regularly for so many years, then why can’t I? I accepted the challenge and started preparing for marathon at each day break. This was the last time I deliberated whether to run a marathon or not and to wake up at dawn to practice for it or not. Since then I have run many marathons and wish to run many more.

I did not take any formal training but started on my own. Initially a friend of mine practiced with me but he developed some heel problem so stopped running. For my second marathon at Mumbai, I practiced all alone. It is actually difficult to run alone and one has to be highly motivated to do so.

However, after completing the race you feel contended, satisfied and above all you have a sense of achievement that is beyond achieving any monetary goals or any materialistic target.

Actually, running the marathon was a means for me to push against the self-imposed barriers of age and mindset. It was a means to again taste the sweetness of a hard-won victory, won with courage and dignity. I feel, this is what a person should actually understand. The rat race of life actually imprisons us in our own chains of desires and we use all and any weapons of deceit and lies and falsehoods to reach our targets. But the real meaning of success lies in courage, true strength and living with honour. Only then, can we attain contentment. A person who wins through cheating, would never appreciate what he has but would always be unhappy about what he does not have. And while running the marathon you are only running against your own weaknesses both physical and mental like sloth. And no cheating can make you win. So run in the race of life like its your personal marathon and only way to winning is through hard work and above all not giving up at any stage.

In the end the important question is, what did I accomplished by running a marathon?
1. I proved the point that with practice you can achieve your goal.
2. I experienced the thrill of running with so many enthusiasts.
3. I wanted to understand whether there is any age limit to run a marathon. I learnt that there is none.
4. I got rid of my inhibitions.
5. Our body is amazing, the more you work on it, the more it responds.
6. I set an example before my children and people close to me including my friends.
7. You have to take out time from your, “SO-CALLED BUSY SCHEDULE,” as everyone has 24 hours in a day. So, no excuses.

To conclude, I realized that marathon is nothing but a mental game. If you have not trained your mind enough then you can’t run and complete the race. There is a continuous fight between mind and body. If you have a strong mindset you will win, otherwise, you will lose. While preparing for marathon you will have to continuously tell your mind that ‘YOU CAN DO IT’. Those who win are not extraordinary people but they plan and train themselves in an extraordinary way.

So, the mantra is, ‘‘those who practice, dedicate and work hard will always be the winner’’. Always aim high, that is not the prerogative of few and be the winner.

– Dr Ravinder Singal, IPS

The writer is presently posted as IG Aurangabad Range and is an adventure sports enthusiast

NASHIK:

Kalaeidoscope, the annual production of Kirti Kala Mandir, brought a spellinding presentation “Anugraha” to celebrate the ten-year-long journey of the creative institute in UK.

The programme began with the invocation to Lord Krishna who is revered as the God of Kathak. This was followed by beautiful pieces which enthralled the audience, Game of Numbers, Sargam, Aarambh, Kanha, Parampara, Seven, Shravan, and Trivat Bhairavi. These pieces were performed by the students of Kirti Kala Mandir ranging from beginners to students of ISTD Grade 1 to 5.

The highlight of the evening was the performance of the “Mother” of Kirti Kala Mandir, Guru Pandita Rekha Nadgauda. She mesmerized the audience with her soulful performance in Vanshileela and Hirakani. She brought to life Hirakani, a brave and dedicated mother leaving the audience emotional.

The fluid choreographic presentation “Boundary” conceptualised and choreographed by Guru Ashwini Kalsekar and performed by her and Jaina Modaisa was spell binding. The beautiful evening, most creatively showcased Kathak – “Katha kahe, so Kathak kehlave” and joyously celebrated ten-year-long journey of Kirti Kala Mandir UK.