Remembering “Daddy” – “Last Post”

Remembrance – Brigadier Pratap Dattatraya Joshi (6.3.1932 - 22.9.2008)

Today is the 22nd of September 2017 – the 9^th death anniversary of my late father-in-law Brigadier Pratap Dattatraya Joshi who we affectionately called “Daddy“. 

How time flies...!!! 

He passed away in the early hours of 22 September 2008.

Nine years have passed since the inimitable Pratap Dattatraya Joshi left for his heavenly abode. 

Lest we forget him – on this day – his 9^th death anniversary – let me sound the “Last Post” once again.

As a token of my remembrance – here is the obituary “LAST POST” that I wrote for him when he left us for his heavenly abode on the 22nd of September 2008.

LAST POST

Obituary

Brigadier Pratap Dattatraya Joshi  (6.3.1932 - 22.9.2008)

In the early hours of the 22^nd of September 2008, Pratap Dattatraya Joshi, breathed his last, and departed for his heavenly abode, at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune.

Pratap Joshi was an epitome of simple living and high thinking. 

Born on the 6^th of March 1932, he imbibed sterling values from his father, DP Joshi, a Teacher and Scout, a legend in his lifetime.

Brigadier PD Joshi was a product of the prestigious First Course of the National Defence Academy (NDA – or 1^st JSW – as he liked to call it – then located in Dehradun).

Brigadier PD Joshi was certainly not the archetypal pompous hard-drinking handlebar-moustachioed high-falutin “Colonel Blimp” type of Army Officer.

He was not an elitist snob, but a simple honest patriotic professional who believed in grassroot soldiering. 

He was a simple, down-to-earth, Spartan, unassuming, dedicated, sincere, patriotic, scrupulously honest, erudite person possessing a golden heart filled with humility and compassion. 

Throughout his distinguished career spanning 37 years, and even thereafter, he spread happiness, benevolence and goodwill owing to his cheerful disposition, kind-hearted nature and inimitable sense of humour.

Forever young at heart – Pratap Joshi did not suffer from the Auld Lang Syne Complex. 

After retirement – unlike most retired “faujis” – he never lived in the past, languishing and brooding about the “good old days” – but he moved on with exceptional enthusiasm and childlike zeal to his new loves – music and social work.

Starting from the scratch – he studied classical music with sheer dedication, resolute grit and passionate zest for many years till he was bestowed with the prestigious post graduate degree of Sangeet Alankar. 

Then he taught music to one and all, free of cost – making special efforts to teach the needy and underprivileged.

Travelling extensively – and roughing it out in the heart of the mofussil – to rural and far flung regions – he made a significant social contribution to enhancing primary education in backward areas, as the Chief Trustee of the Natu Foundation Educational Trust. 

He eagerly contributed his expertise to Jnana Prabodhini and for improving the efficiency of Hospitals.

Pratap Joshi loved animals, especially dogs. 

He always had pet dogs, and showered his unconditional love on them and all the dogs that he came across in the neighbourhood, pet and stray. 

It was distressing to see Dolly desperately searching for him soon after he had gone away from us forever. 

We shall always remember the love with which he snuggled and cuddled Sherry, our pet dog – a “Doberman-X” girl – when she was a baby.

(Sadly – Sherry also passed away to her heavenly abode in December 2014)

Pratap Joshi had a genuine zest for living – and he enjoyed every moment of his life – indulging himself in his favourite foods, movies, travel, music etc

If he liked to do something – he did it – anything he liked – without caring for what others would think.

He laughed – and he made others laugh.

I first met Pratap Joshi in March 1982 – and he left such a lasting impression on me that I became his fan ever since. 

He was my father-in-law – more like a loving father who I could count on to stand by me, advise and inspire me, in happiness and in adversity – and I shall forever cherish every moment I shared with him. 

My son, a seafarer, was his favourite grandchild, the apple of his eye. 

It was a pity he could not be with his beloved grandfather during his last moments in September 2008 – as he was sailing on the high seas.  

Such are the tragedies and travesties of life, and death.

We will miss you dearly “Daddy”. 

You lived your life to its fullest and loved all of us from the bottom of your heart. 

We are sure you will shower us with your blessings from your heavenly abode. 

You were a noble and virtuous man who always did good to everyone you met and wherever you went. 

Pratap Dattatraya Joshi  (6.3.1932 - 22.9.2008) – RIP.

May His Soul Rest in Peace.

VIKRAM KARVE

Obituary First Posted on 22 September 2008 in this Blog at url link: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2008/09/pratap-joshi-rip-remembrance.html

How to be Happy

HOW TO BE HAPPY

“MILD” PLEASURES GIVE YOU MAXIMUM HAPPINESS

A few monents ago – I relaxed on my bed while hearing melodious old songs on Vividh Bharati Radio.

I felt happy.

And – I remembered an article I had written 17 years ago based on this philosophical quote by Taoist Philosopher Mingliaotse:

“The art of attaining happiness consists in keeping your pleasures mild...”

So – let me delve deep into my “SELF HELP” Archives and dig out this article for you to read:

IF YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY – KEEP YOUR PLEASURES MILD
Self Help Musings of a Veteran
By
VIKRAM KARVE 

HAPPINESS – a Philosophical Approach

The primary aim of philosophy and spirituality is to help ordinary people live a life of happiness, fulfillment, inner peace and tranquility.

Every day you ask yourself:

How do I live a happy life...? 

Is it simple to be happy...? 

What is the “Art of Happiness”...?


PLEASURE and HAPPINESS

Let us see what the Taoist philosopher Mingliaotse has to say:

“The art of attaining happiness consists in keeping your pleasures mild...”

You know that whenever pleasure is present you are happy – this is a fact that cannot be denied.

A pleasure is an enjoyable event or delightful emotion which is bound to make you happy – at least for that moment.

Highfalutin philosophers and spiritual gurus may prescribe various impracticable esoteric paths of renunciation, asceticism or sectarian precepts eschewing enjoyment and pleasure as the sine qua non of happiness.

Yes – many “Gurus” prescribe living a staid ascetic life which entails eschewing of all enjoyment and pleasure as a prerequisite for attaining happiness and enlightenment.

But the fact of the matter is – that to the ordinary person – Happiness and Pleasure are inextricably intertwined. 

Yes – Pleasures make you Happy – and you know it.

Discovering simple enduring pleasures – which you can easily and regularly achieve, realize and enjoy in your day-to-day life – will produce contentment, fulfillment and happiness.

Pleasure is certainly not a bad thing in itself.

But wanton pursuit of pleasures is counterproductive – as it leads to over-indulgence and excesses – which bring with them disturbances which are detrimental to our health, happiness and well-being.

In your search for happiness – you tend to indulge in lavish parties, unrestrained extravagance, conspicuous consumption, compulsive shopping, thoughtless profligacy, limitless spending, expensive entertainments etc.

You try to enjoy everything at once.

You want instant gratification by over-indulgence in drinking, eating, revelry and sensual pleasures – stretching yourself to the maximum limits possible.

At first – you enjoy yourself – and feel happy.

Then – you come to the point of satiety – and you begin to feel a sense of repulsion.

And – if you overdo yourself – next morning you wake up sick and feeling miserable with a sense of sadness and depression rather than happiness.

You may think that grandiose, ostentatious, lavish, unrestrained and intemperate indulgences will ostensibly make you happy.

But – in actual fact – these over-indulgences may render you stressed-out and unhappy – and cause you harm and misery in the long run.

There is no need to overdo things in order to be happy.

Just keep your pleasures mild.

Enjoying a simple, tasty and healthy meal with your loved ones and friends – or just sitting quietly in solitude and leisurely reading a good book or enjoying melodious music – or taking a walk observing nature – or enjoying your work, leisure, hobbies – are some mild pleasures which will make you happy and keep you healthy too.


HOW TO KEEP YOUR PLEASURES MILD


Step 1 

IDENTIFY ALL YOUR PLEASURES AND MAKE A “HAPPINESS LIST”

It is simple to be happy.

The first thing you must do is to introspect and list your most pleasurable activities.

Yes – make a HAPPINESS LIST including all the things, activities, places and people that give you true joy, happiness and satisfaction.

Your happiness list must cover all aspects of your life. 

Make your “happiness list” as exhaustive as possible.


Step 2 

IDENTIFY “MILD PLEASURES” FROM YOUR “HAPPINESS LIST”

From this comprehensive “HAPPINESS LIST” – you must select those “Mild Pleasures” that you can enjoy every day – or very frequently – or very often. 

Identify those “Mild Pleasures” that are Feasible and Viable for you to enjoy Frequently. 

Then – incorporate these pleasures in your routine – and fit them into your daily life.

See what happens.

Some “pleasures” that you thought would make you happy – they actually do the opposite – don’t they...? 

These are “pseudo pleasures” which you thought would make you happy – but your experience shows – that these “pseudo pleasures” actually cause you stress and unhappiness in the long run.


Step 3 

DELETE “PSEUDO PLEASURES” FROM YOUR “HAPPINESS LIST”

Delete those “pleasures” that you first thought would give you happiness – but actually made you feel stressed-out or depressed.

Yes – remove those things that you thought would be satisfying – but actually turned out to be unrewarding.

Experiment – make changes – be watchful – be dynamic. 

Do not hesitate to add new items to your list.

You can always remove them – if they fail to produce the desired results.

Fine tune your HAPPINESS LIST – and religiously put into daily practice your happiness list – and experience happiness every day.


BE HAPPY
 
This prescription of keeping your pleasures mild will enable you to structure your life in way where your happiness will be in your control – and you will find greater joy in your life.

It will be feasible and within your control to ensure that you enjoy these mild pleasures daily – or at least fairly regularly.

With only limited waking hours during the day – these enjoyable events will begin to crowd out the unpleasant activities in your daily life.

This will make you feel fulfilled and happy.

Dear Reader – start today – keep your pleasures mild so that you can enjoy these simple pleasures every day – and discover the true art of happiness – the art of living.

Discover your mild pleasures that make you truly happy and joyful. 

And do let me know your experience – did this simple philosophy of keeping your pleasures mild make you happier?

It is easy to be happy – isn’t it...?

Remember:

The art of attaining happiness consists in keeping your pleasures mild  

Dear Reader: 

Have you made your “Happiness List”...?

Take the first step towards becoming Happy.

Start making your HAPPINESS LIST right now... 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This is based on my personal experience. It may or may not work for you. So please do due diligence before trying out this technique.

2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

I wrote this 17 years ago, in the year 2000, and have posted it online in my blogs a number of times including in 2005 at url: http://creative.sulekha.com/the-art-of-happiness-by-vikram-karve_32504_blog  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/01/happiness-mantra-keep-your-pleasures.html andhttp://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/05/do-you-want-to-feel-happy-then-keep.html  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/02/you-can-be-happy-if-you-keep-your.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/12/how-to-be-happy-mild-pleasures-give-you.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/07/self-help-if-you-want-to-be-happy-keep.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2017/03/have-you-made-your-happiness-list.html

Movie Memories – Hatari – Evergreen Wildlife Classic

HATARI

The Evergreen Wildlife Classic

Movie Memories 

By 

VIKRAM KARVE 

When I was a small boy – in the early 1960s – I lived in Pune – on Tilak Road – near Madiwale Colony – in Sadashiv Peth. 

Pune was a lovely place – and – life was good. 

It was easy to be happy – because our threshold of happiness was low.

Yes – our threshold of happiness was so low – that simple things filled us with joy – like a morning run up Parvati Hill – a stroll in Talyatla Ganpati Saras Baug Garden – enjoying the frolics of animals in the Peshwe Park Zoo which was then located near today’s Saras Baug – a ride in the toy-train Phulrani – unrestrained playing with carefree abandon on the swings, see-saws and slides in adjoining park – eating a yummy bhel made by the hugely bearded Kalpana Bhelwala on Parvati Chowk on Tilak Road – a cream-roll or doughnut at Ashok Bakery – Patties, Nankatai and Khari at Hindustan Bakery – Ice Cream at Bua, Kaware and Ganu Shinde – so many things to do – and once in a while – we would bicycle all the way to Pune Camp via Laxmi Road to partake the inimitable non-veg samosas and tea at Naaz – Chinese at Kamling – Paan at George – and enjoy a Hollywood Movie and “Ice Cream Soda” at West End Cinema. 

Oh yes – West End Cinema – I vividly remember seeing my first ever movie sitting on those inimitable easy chairs – and sipping deliciously fizzy ice cream soda in the interval – at West End’s famous soda fountain. 

The name of the movie was HATARI – and till today – Hatari remains my all time favourite Wild-Life Adventure Film. 

A man’s first love always has an enduring place in his heart.

Likewise – a man’s first movie remains etched in his memories forever. 

So - a few years ago – when I chanced upon a DVD of Hatari – I immediately brought it home – and I relived fond memories of my first movie experience – albeit with an improvised home-made icecream soda. 

HATARI is sheer fun – a clean entertaining film – which can be enjoyed by people of all ages – from kids to grandparents. 

It is a spectacular adventure story – fast paced, exciting, thrilling – beautifully filmed on locations with real wildlife – amidst exceptionally picturesque scenery – featuring hunting scenes which are simply astonishing. 

Once you start watching Hatari – you are so engrossed – that you remain glued to the screen from start to finish.   

“Hatari” – in Swahili – means Danger – and true to its name – the movie keeps you enthralled with a sense of mesmerizing danger – as you watch the amazing hunting scenes featuring speeding jeeps, stampeding animals and the rugged African terrain. 

Everything looks real and authentic – real animals, giraffes, leopards, elephants – and many others – in their pristine glory and natural surroundings – like you have never seen them before. 

Hatari is a simple story of a group of hunters in Africa – led by the inimitable John Wayne – who capture wild animals for zoos. 

The movie begins with a fantastic scene showing John Wayne and his team driving speeding jeeps and trucks across the empty, dusty plains, herding dozens of rhinos, trying to lasso one of the most difficult wild animals to catch. 

It is sheer spine-tingling thrilling entertainment. 

Hatari has those rare, pleasant, naturally authentic settings – clear easy-on-the-eye photography – interesting happenings and gripping action – which we do not see nowadays – in modern adventure films – which often overtax the viewer’s senses – by having too many “special effects”.

 

Hatari’s simple plot – the camaraderie – the light romance – the subtle comedy – the delightful music (especially the foot tapping number "Baby Elephant Walk") – the visually enthralling scenery – and the fascinating animals – make this film a thoroughly enjoyable viewing experience. 

Hatari is a fun movie – pure entertainment – a visual treat with beautiful eye catching landscape – and plenty of thrilling action – the ideal feel-good movie for you to enjoy with your entire family. 

Have you watched Hatari...? 

If yes – do watch it again.

If no – what are you waiting for...? 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

This movie review written by me in the year 2009 and posted online earlier by me at urls: http://vikramwamankarve.blogspot.in/2009/03/nostalgic-pune-memories-hatari.html  and  http://creative.sulekha.com/hatari_401138_blog  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2010/11/hatari-evergreen-wild-life-classic.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/07/classic-movies-hatari-childhood.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/07/movie-memories-hatari.html