Coorg Through Lens - 2

Coorg Through Lens - 2

From top left clockwise: Virajpet, Nisargadhama, En-route to Kakkabe, View from my coll

Coorg Through Lens!!

From top left clockwise: Nisargadhama, Chikalhole, En-route to college, Sunset in Virajpet to

Whenever You Fall........pick something up!!

Whenever You Fall........pick something up!!

Life is a parabola. Thus whenever we rise, our fall is destined. Whenever we enjoy a smooth speedy ride, bumpy roads are an inevitable package. So how is it that, apart from struggling our way back to the main highway, we can make the tough times worth experiencing & “fruitful”??? The answer lies in this one line – ‘Whenever you fall, pick something up’. 


Every bit of scrambling we go through in our lives often presents us with its revelations which we must consciously look to pick up. It is like the vigorous stirring of milk giving us cream or the ‘manthan’ of ocean awarding with ‘amrit’.


Identifying the silver lining of a situation helps us in many ways, especiallypsychologically. First it gives us the courage to keep the fight on against our circumstances. Second, it gives us the understanding of the purpose behind the state of affairs. Third, and most importantly, in the hindsight it gives us confidence & self belief of pulling out from troubled waters by actually gaining from it!!!Our fear against tough times sublimes. We acknowledge that our encounter with ‘not so good times’ will also enrich our lives & thus it should be seen as an opportunity. As they say – “Every problem is an opportunity turned upside down.”

So next time whenever you feel you are having a deep dive into a dark sea, remember to pick the pearls up…..! & live up the jubilation.

Luv & Luk

Pranjal.

Photo 2: ATHENS, GREECE - AUGUST 28 Kanu Olympische Spiele Athen 2004, Athen, Kanu Rennsport Kajak K1 500m Maenner, Adam van KOEVERDEN CAN - GOLD - 28.08.04, (photo by Martin Ross)

Photo 4: SINGAPORE Fans' reaction during Arsenal vs Man Utd game. Man-U fans in jubilation after scouring the first goal

What is Healthy Diet???

What is Healthy Diet???

Very often in my schedule a question similar to this one comes up- What food is good for my teeth?? Can I eat chocolates, Ice-creams, Cakes etc without damaging my teeth?? What makes a healthy food??

So let us discuss these questions one by one in the coming posts, starting from the question- “What is healthy food?”

We are what we eat. Thus having a healthy diet will render us healthy. Healthy food is one that includes the following major food groups in your every day meal:


• Fruits and Vegetables;
• Breads and Cereals;
• Milk and Dairy Products;
• Meat, Fish and Eggs. 

There should be adequate amount and proportion of all these food groups in our diet. Our diet should include nutrients adequately met for maintaining health, vitality & general well being & also makes provision for a short duration of leanness.

Food pyramid gives us a pictorial representation of food groups that should be included in Balanced Diet or Healthy Diet. This new food pyramid also includes exercises to emphasize its importance.

So now make sure you include all food groups in proper proportions and enjoy a new yourself from healthy food habits.

Luv n Luk,

Smile ConfiDentally, :)

Dr Pranjal Sharma

How the food I eat makes my teeth stronger??

How the food I eat makes my teeth stronger??

We must have healthy food for our teeth to develop properly. Minerals like calcium, phosphorous, fluoride and many other components included in a healthy diet are vital in the development of our teeth. We also need good food for healthy gums around the teeth. A vitamin deficiency (like Vitamin C deficiency) causes huge damage to the health of our gums.

Equally important is the fact that foods high in certain sugars (Sweets) may make our teeth more prone for decay. It is not only the amount of sugar but also the frequency, form, timing and foods that we have with the sweets are the factors that determine how much our teeth are at risk to decay. 


Essentially we should keep the following facts in mind:

• More the frequency of sugar (sweet) intake; higher the teeth are at risk. Thus to minimize the bad effects of sugar on teeth we must restrict ourselves from in between meal snacking with sugar products. We should substitute the sugar snacking with ‘tooth friendly snacks’ (eg cheese, nuts, raw vegetables, unsweetened yogurt, bananas) or with non-sugar sweetened foods(bulk sweeteners like sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol).
• The least threatening is the sweet in liquid form (eg a sugared milk shake, pudding, custard, sherbet) as it is readily cleared from our mouths. Then is the sugar in solid & sticky state (eg cakes, pastry, jelly, caramel) and most threatening form is slowly dissolving (breath mints, hard candies, cough drops, antacid tablets) sugar containing products.

• Having sugar with our meal makes it least risky for our teeth and thus should be encouraged over in between meal intake.

• Having cheese or milk (without sugar) with decay producing foods has been shown to reduce their ability to damage our teeth. 



• Exposure to mineral fluorideduring developmental and maturation stage of teeth has prominent tooth strengthening results against decay.

• Xylitol containing chewing gums too have proved their protective role against tooth decay.

So keep these basic facts in your mind and help your teeth fight against decay. Remember to visit your dentist at least once in six months. Ask his professional advice as to how can you improve your diet and enjoy benefits in both your general and dental health.

Luv n Luk,
Smile ConfiDentally,

Dr. Pranjal Sharma.

The Setting Sun.....

Its end of February and days are becoming hotter day by day. But Coorg being a hilly area cools down quickly after sunset and the change is so dramatic that watching over the setting sun becomes all the more pleasurable. Its sun set time and I was leaving from college when I saw a jeep crossing me riding towards the sunset point near our college and decided that after my hectic day this is how I am going to unwind. It will not be my first visit to this point but every time I come over here the joy has always remained the same.


So I took the road uphill enthusiastically and reached the spot.  First thing I noticed was that there was still sometime before sunset. There were few boys sitting around having a sort of picnic and a family taking snaps of them with the view. I parked my bike sat over and tuned in to my lucky ali’s playlist. The view has the whole of town with its varying shades on the showcase. There are children playing in a far off ground, workers returning from farms and street lights slowly getting illuminated…. And this ‘hulchul’ of life is surrounded by the silent lush green landscape till our view is limited by lofty mountains to which the sun is fast approaching….. as the cool breeze enveloped me, it consumed all my tiredness and the thoughts that were striking my soul slowly metamorphose towards being more philosophical…!!!! What’s the secret about witnessing a sunset that brings out the philosopher in us????

Is it the visual confirmation and experience of finding near ending of a day which has been lively, full of activity, testifying ‘life’ by slowly curling into silence and darkness with an uncertainty of what comes next??? Is there a similar logic at work in making us philosophical (or religious) as we grow old and near our end of this journey!!!!!??? Or is it just our biological clock…..!!!!


I guess it’s a mix of both…. Being humans, in every conclusion we look  back and contemplate as to how much we gained and what did we lose… a setting sun brings that conclusion to our biological clock… it makes us ponder on what choices we made and how well did we walk  our course… and I think it is a very vital natural process embedded in us…..

Each day we should be asking ourselves a question: Will I be still doing this today if it was the last day of my life??!!!

And if the answer is “NO” continuously for many days we should know that something in our lives needs to CHANGE. Such an exercise will make us follow our heart, will prevent us from living someone else’s life and will gift us a life which we would like to live again and again…. the same way :) :)

This setting sun has enriched me with a tool. Hopefully I will continue to follow my heart in my journey and I pray the same for you…………

Luv n Luk,
Pranjal.

Interpretation of the story - 3

Shiva had granted a boon to Ganesha that before anything auspicious is begun; Ganesha’s name would be invoked... So Ganesha also represents the beginnings of anything good.

When light passes through a prism and breaks into its constituent colors, Red is the first color visible to the human eye... The beginning! Lord Ganesha’s signature color is red. How astonishingly scientific!

Every year, especially in the city of Mumbai, around the beginning of September, the festival of Lord Ganesha is celebrated with great reverence, enthusiasm and joy. Lakhs of idols of Ganeshji are installed for 10 days with great pomp and ceremony. Small idols find their way in various people’s houses and really giant ones (3 floors high) are installed in various colonies all over the city. Poojas and Aartis are done, Prasad is given... And everyone has a great time.

The energy and feeling of the entire city completely changes as the atmosphere gets charged with the mantras and the devotion of millions of people... It is a magical time to be there...

On the last day however, all these idols are taken and submerged into the seas off the coast of Mumbai... To the cries of “Ganapati Bappa Moriya!! Pudhcha Varshi Laukar Yaa!!!” Meaning Victory to Lord Ganesha, Come back to us quickly next year...

(By the way, this does affect the seas and the environment, but more and more people are becoming environmentally conscious and having Ganeshji’s idols made out of quickly degradable materials... I am sure soon we will see very green Ganapati Festivals in Mumbai!)

There is a great significance to this: All the Gods are within us... In every cell of our Being. During the festivals, with great reverence we ask them to manifest themselves in the idols so we can worship them and play with them... Once we are done with the celebration, the final Pooja mantras actually invite the Gods back within us... So now it’s just a pretty statue... And so that we can learn non attachment, all the idols are put in the sea... This is done every year, to keep reminding ourselves about our own Divinity... And of course to celebrate and enjoy this great journey called Life!

Ganapati Bappa Moriya!!

Hope you enjoyed these posts on Ganeshji, do give in your feedbacks :)
Cheers :)