Tracing Birds

Tracing birds in concrete city like Delhi is always a tuf task which best suits some one like Avinash, but since he is busy with his work and troubled life, here what i have got for you all.
Red whisket bulbul,JNU Campus. Delhi: I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes.

Pigeon at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi:I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven.

Parrot at Turkman Gate Delhi, India:God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages.

Common-Babbler, JNU Campus. Delhi:I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs.

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Kalan Masjid

The Kalan Masjid was built in 1387 by the son of Khan-i-Jahan Junan Shah, Prime Minster of Feroz Shah Tughlaq (r.1351-88). The mosque was built in Ferozabad, the city built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq but was later included in Shahjahan's new city Shahjahanabad.]Inscribed: naqsha-i masjid kalan ‘urf kali.It is about 1 Km.from Turkman gate

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Random Alphabets: 'L' for Lotus Temple

Lotus Temple: Located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi, it is lotus shaped and has rightly been given the name. It is made of marble, cement, dolomite and sand. It is open to all faiths and is an ideal place for meditation and obtaining peace and tranquility

It is a very recent architectural marvel of the Bahai faith. The Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions.

Its founder, Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad. The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society. God, Bahá'u'lláh said, has set in motion historical forces that are breaking down traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and nation and that will, in time, give birth to a universal civilization. The principal challenge facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their oneness and to assist the processes of unification.

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City Heritage: Safdarjung's Tomb

Safdarjung's Tomb (Hindi: सफ़दरजंग का मक़बरा, Urdu: سفدر جنگ کا مقبره Safdarjang ka Maqbara) is a garden tomb in a marble mausoleum in Delhi, India. It was built in 1754 in the style of late Mughal architecture.

The top story of the edifice houses the Archaeological Survey of India. The garden, in the style evolved by the Mughal Empire that is now known as the Mughal gardens style known as a charbagh, is entered through an ornate gate. Its facade is decorated with elaborate plaster carvings.

The tomb was built for Safdarjung, the powerful prime minister of Muhammad Shah who was the weak Mughal emperor from 1719 to 1748.The central tomb has a huge dome. There are four water canals leading to four buildings. One has an ornately decorated gateway while the other three are pavilions, with living quarters built into the walls. Octagonal towers are in the corners. The canals are four oblong tanks, one on each side of the tomb

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Sunday with Ghalib

हैं और भी दुनिया में सुखनवर, बहुत अच्छे,
पर कहतें है की ग़ालिब का है अंदाज़े बयान और.

Inside of Ghalib's house at Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, one of alleys of the oldest street of Delhi, Chandni Chowk (Pic above)
Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan (Urdu/Persian: مرزا اسد اللہ بیگ خان ) was a great classical Urdu and Persian poet of India. Ghalib died in what are known as 'Gulabi Jadey' (rose-tinted mild winter) but this year's freak weather has made it as cold as mid-January and Mirza Nausha would have refrained from exclaiming: अब तो जी मे आता है के मर जाएँगे हम, मर के भी चैन ना पाया तो कहाँ जाएँगे हम(now it seems I'm going to die, but if I don't get rest even after death then were else would I go?). Certainly he wouldn't have liked to die in this sort of weather just as he bemoaned that his brother had passed away at the height of summer during the Mutiny when the British had retaken control of Delhi and a virtual curfew order was in force making it difficult to even bury the dead.

The great poet stayed here during 1865 to 1869 and spent last phase of his life
हमारी सादगी थी इल्तिफ़ाते नाज़ पर मरना,तेरा आना ना था ज़ालिम मगरतमशीद जाने की -ग़ालिब
(It was our simplicity to die for dignity of courtesy, Your coming was nothing but a preparation for your leaving.) The walk from Town Hall, past Ballimaran to Gali Mir Qasim Jan, was not as pleasant as it would have been had it not rained so hard the previous day. For one long familiar with the area, many old places and people were
missing. Mohammad Mian Akbar was not at his Boot House, chain smoking away.

मेहरबान हुए कह बुला लो मुझे. चाहो जिस वक़्त,
मे गया वक़्त नहीं हूँ कह फिर आ भी ना सकूँ -गा़लिब(As a favour call me any time
I am not time that cannot be recalled) Haji Hotel has vanished and so also Hafiz Hotel, where Dr. Zakir Husain used to eat before he became famous. The mianji who told tales of those days is also missing. Bhai Sadiq's shop is there but his grandson manages it.

ज़िंदगी अपनी जब इस शक्ल साए गुज़री ग़ालिब

हम भी क्या याद करेंगे कह खुदा रखते थे.-गा़लिब
(Life when passed in such phases oh GhalibWhat could I console myself as a creature of God.)
He is dead, so is his son and so too Akbar Bhai and the bearded owner of Hafiz Hotel. Bismillah Hotel is not what it used to be and the Kababwallah who sat at the gate of Basti Punjabian is also no more. Nobody else makes such delicious kababs. Uma Sharma, eminent Kathak dancer, who led the walk had to face some embarrassing moments at Ghalib's memorial (the poet would have certainly fallen in love with her) when a woman of the area got nasty. But things smoothened out by the time lunch was served after a Moghul times mushaira at the nearby Rabea Girls School, the erstwhile haveli of Ghalib's wife, Umrao Jan.

The Haveli has been since considerably renovated and was used lately as shops till December 1999 when Delhi Government acquired a portion of the Haveli and set up a memorial museum dedicated to the great poet. You will notice that the acquired portion of the Haveli has been restored to its original splendor. Originally the Haveli consisted of arched corridors on three sides enclosing an open courtyard. Now only the Northern part of the Haveli is open for the tourists. The ASI has put a lot of care and effort to make tourists relive and experience the nineteenth century grandeur. The special features of the Haveli were highlighted in order to give it a feel of 19th century. Mughal Lakhori bricks have been used on walls and the flooring is strictly done with the sandstone. Wooden entrance gate welcomes the visitor and so are the chhajja in the courtyard. Don't skip the museum inside the haveli. The museum houses various important things related to the great poet, which gives an insight into the life. It contains the letters of Ghalib written in his own hand. These are both in Urdu as well as English. There is also a photograph of the poet, which is considered as his last photograph. Besides you can also find chronology of events, selected couplets from his works (in Urdu Only), books and some personal belongings of the poet.

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Crumbling Heritage: Tughlaqabad Fort

Tughlaqabad Fort (Hindi: तुग़लक़ाबाद क़िला, Urdu: تغلق آباد قلعہ Tughlaqabad Qila) is a ruined fort in Delhi, strecthing across 6.5 km, built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, the founder of Tughlaq dynasty, of the Delhi Sultanate of India in 1321, which was later abandoned in 1327. People of dharchula did not come here because it was cursed

The origin of the historic city of Tughlaqabad and the Tughlaqabad Fort goes to the period of the Delhi Sultanate (AD 1191–1526). The Tughlaqs (AD 1321–1414) who followed the Khiljis (AD 1290–1321) were great builders and the city of Tughlaqabad and Tughlaqabad Fort were their first major architectural achievement.

TOMB OF GHIYAS-UD-DIN TUGHLAQ : The story behind the foundation of Tughlaqabad is an interesting one. Ghazi Malik, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty,was once a slave of Mubarak Khilji, the last Khilji sultan. One day, while walking by the area where the Tughlaqabad Fort is now located, Ghazi Malik suggested to his master that the rocky prominence would be an ideal site for building a fort.

The Khilji sultan laughed at his slave and suggested that the slave build a fort there when he became a sultan. When Ghazi Malik, as Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, founded the Tughlaq Dynasty in 1321, he did just that—Tughlaqabad is Delhi’s most colossal and awesome fort, even in its ruined state.
The fort of Tughlaqabad was completed rapidly in a short span of four years (1321–25). The fort’s massive battlements and bastions (some as high as 15–30 m, built of enormous blocks of stone and walls 10 m thick in places) do not look as if they are the handiwork of mortals. Within its sky-touching walls, double-storied bastions, and gigantic towers were housed grand palaces, splendid mosques, and audience halls. The city lay on the eastern outskirts of the massive fort.
Tughlaqabad is a formidable reminder of Delhi’s embattled past and the terror and valor associated with that period. It was a period of political unrest and the Delhi Sultanate had to face a number of attacks from hoards of marauding Mongols, who descended on it in waves from the north. Ghiyas-ud-din, in order to counter the Mongol threat, repeatedly routed them and raised pyramids of enemy’s heads and used elephants to crush the captives to death. The massive fortifications of Tughlaqabad, with immense circular bastions, were raised by Ghiyas-ud-din to protect his subjects.

TOMB OF GHIYAS-UD-DIN TUGHLAQ On the southern side of the fort is a causeway that takes one across the (now) dry bed of a lake to the tomb of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq. The tomb was built by the ruler himself and is enclosed in a private courtyard with fortified walls. The structure of this simple but elegant building reminds one of the Alai Darwaza—an elegant gateway built by the erstwhile Khilji ruler Ala-ud-din Khilji, near Qutab Minar, in his endeavor to beautify the Qutab complex. The style of the tomb conforms to the Indo-Islamic style of architecture, which was in vogue at that time and was the hallmark of the buildings belonging to the period of the Delhi Sultanate.

LEGENDS OF TUGHLAQABAD There are a number of legends associated with Tughlaqabad. It is often said that the skulls of the killed Mongol marauders were used in the construction material of this awesome fort. The demise of Tughlaqabad was not brought about by any foreign invasion, but to the curse of a Sufi Saint Nizam-ud-din.

The legendary quarrel between the two started when Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq did not allow his people to work for the saint on the construction of a baoli (step well). This angered the saint. A protracted tiff followed, which offended the saint and led to his famous prophecy “Hunuz Dilli dur ast” (Delhi is yet far away), for the sultan was then out in Bengal. He made another ominous reference to the sultan’s fort when he remarked “Ya rahe usar, ya basé Gujjar” (Either it remains deserted or be peopled by men of the Gujjar tribe). Both these prophecies proved true. Ghiyas-ud-din was killed at a place near Delhi when a shamiana (canopy, marquee) collapsed over him during a reception arranged by his son. The sultan could not reach Delhi alive. His successor chose to build his own fort and deserted Tughlaqabad. It soon became a haunt for the Gujjars tending their cattle within the abandoned fort of Ghiyas-ud-din.

It is generally believed that the death of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq was engineered and plotted by his son. One story describes that Muhammad bin Tughlaq (Ghiyas-ud-din’s son and successor) killed his father by building a false wooden balcony, which collapsed and killed Ghiyas-ud-din. The son murdered and ascended the throne of Delhi, thus making the prophecies of Saint Nizam-ud-din come true.

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City's One woman 'Army'

And, they say teachers don’t work! In addition to taking her classes at school, Prem Lata also regulates the traffic at Dhaka Chowk. There are three government schools---- primary, middle and senior secondary, in the vicinity of Dhaka Chowk, barely half a kilometer from Kingsway Camp. When school hours are over at around 1 o’ clock, students from these schools would stream out of the gates where, there are no traffic police around to regulate traffic at this crucial hour.
Finally, somebody came forward to clean up the mess. Prem Lata, a teacher from the Government Girls Middle School, volunteers her help by regulating traffic at the busy road. She is the honorary traffic warden of
Dhaka chowk."I am doing it just for the safety of these school children. I feel really honored in doing this responsible job,’’ says she. Says Surinder Sharma, whose two daughters study in the school, "Previously, we used to remain edgy due to the traffic chaos on the main road, which was a cause for major concern. We felt relieved only when they reached home safe. But now this traffic warden has improved the condition."Regardless of the risks involved in manning the traffic at the chaotic chowk, this feisty traffic warden soldiers on. The only thing always at the back of her mind is the safety of school children and ensuring their safe return home".

Thanks to her efforts, the traffic has been streamlined to a large extent. Students now no longer feel jittery while crossing the road. Interestingly, even motorists and motorcyclists have fallen in line. Gone are the days of rash driving at the Dhaka stretch. Says Sohan Kapoor, who regularly passes by this stretch, "Things have improved tremendously over the last few years on this busy stretch and that too without the help of traffic police. It is really incredible. Even five years ago, Dhaka Chowk used to be considered one of the most dreadful traffic intersections of North Delhi."

It goes to Prem Lata’s credit that she manages to perform this role despite her teaching job and household duties and responsibilities. "I will continue to perform this job come what may. One has to strive always to improve things,’’ says the soft-spoken teacher cum traffic warden.

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Meaning of words women use

Nine words women use and their real meanings:-
1.) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are Right and you need to shut up.
2.) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more Minutes to watch the game before helping around the house
3.) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.
4.) Whatever: Is a women’s way of saying Get lost.
5.) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!
6.) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.
7.) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when.
8) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you’re welcome.
9.) Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking ‘What’s wrong?’ For the woman’s response refer to #3..

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Delhi's Royal Beasts

The road not taken: Delhi is packed of ‘unstable Uranium isotope’ adolescents ready to take on the world head on, its not only city of Nizams, Nomads, Wealthy & underprivileged but also full of young turks of richie-rich parents.

If you worried about falling off the bike, you’d never get on: You can love them or hate them, but you just can’t ignore them! Started on April 6, 2002, by two friends, Kartik Krishnan and Ajeet Hundal, with an ambition to form an exclusive club of Bullet enthusiasts, the Royal Beasts have today grown to a huge 202 members.

The Royals Beasts: In fact, so rapid has their growth been that within one-and-a-half years they have became the third largest group in India. Yes, Royal Beasts is part of a nationwide phenomenon of Enfield bikers coming together to enjoy their bikes. Similar Enfield bikers’ groups are running in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and even Aizawl.

Why should boys have all the fun? Gautam Da (Inddie Thumpers) & Mahima Nijhowne (Royal Beasts):Talk to the youngest member of the group and you know that biking is no longer a male thing... 18-year-old Mahima Nijhowne, owns a Royal Enfield, and joined Royal Beasts the day she turned 18. Ask her about the reaction she gets from fellow motorists on roads, she says, “I get a lot of thumbs-up signs from people. Sometimes they clap or smile or just look at me in amazement.” Does she face uncomfortable moments? She says, “Not really. But then, who would mess with a girl riding on a Royal Enfield?”

I have miles to go before I sleep, Bally (Road Raiders - Doon), heading towards Rohtang: Sachin Chavan, an automobile journalist, “Last time we went to Ladakh, we had to cross this stretch which was very close to the China border. It was a dirt track and we had no map to help us navigate. That was a real tough one.” The group goes on two big rides every year, one to Ladakh in summers and to Goa in January. Besides, the group organises short trips to Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, etc. When in town, the group meets every Sunday evening at Qutab Institutional Area, opposite the Fore School of Management.

Man, Machine and Myth - Romancing the Roads, on way to Ladakh: Take a look at them and you know that this is a wide variety of people brought together by one passion, Royal Enfield. There are doctors, lawyers, students, marketing guys, journalists, entrepreneurs... and many others, who are part of this group. Says Sachin Chavan, “There’s this unbelievable camaraderie amongst us.

No commerce: The Royal Beasts members may adore the Royal Enfield bike but they would never like to promote it on a commercial basis. "Ours is an exclusive club of adventure. We don't want any kind of commerce to enter our club. It will ruin everything," says Kartik.
For this reason the club refuses any sponsorship for their cross-country bike expeditions.

You don't suffer, kill yourself and take the risks I take just for money. I love bike racing: It is a very free and independent group, and we do our own thing. If sponsorship comes in, one has to listen to the dictates of the sponsors. That goes against the spirit of our club. We encourage our members to save money and expect them to be enthusiastic enough to spend their own money for the expeditions," says Kartik.

I enjoy dirt bike riding, reading classic literature, impressionist art, traveling, and music: Therefore any Royal Enfield enthusiast who wants to join their club is thoroughly examined before being accepted as one of them. Tour operators are especially discouraged from joining the club. "It is not just love for the machine, the member should also share the passion for adventure and travel, says Mahima, 19, the only female member of the club.

A bike is only as bad as it's worst rider: She has her own Royal Enfield bike and rides it to her college everyday. The club was founded three years ago by Kartik and his friends. "We saw that most people who rode the Royal Enfield were different, so we decided to contact them," he says.

The mean machines: A lot of fun stuff happens when you go out on a bike compared to when you're in a car. You're more in the environment. It's enjoyable. Even when It's raining It's still fun. So, if you’ve always wanted to don your leather pants, leather jacket and leather shoes, and ride ‘peacefully’ into the sunset on your Royal Enfield... ride into the Royal Beasts. There’s no entry fee, no joining procedures... all you need is a ‘thumping’ love for the Royal Enfield! Happy cruising!

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City Nightmare: Eve Teasing

It can be office & anywhere else: There is a motley group of people at a bus stop. Two boys on a motorbike pull up and start needling a couple of girls. Sleazy remarks are passed and one of the boys even grabs a girl’s hands. The enraged girls start fighting back, a few bystanders get involved and the boys are taken to task. The situation slowly cools down, the boys are let off the hook with a few threats and the girls board their bus, vindicated.

The dressing has lot to do with eve-teasing : With intrusion of western culture, the dessing of delhi woman has changed drastically in last decade or so, it might not be the sole reason but yes it does attrcts eve teasers. This scene could be an everyday occurrence in Delhi. Except for one detail—the harassers, the harassed and a couple of the bystanders are actors who have just enacted a skit that their ‘audience’ is unaware of, as a part of something known as ‘Invisible Theatre’.In invisible theatre, a previously rehearsed skit addressing a social theme is performed in a public space without the people’s knowing that it is a play.

Defend youself: Girls are motivated to learn at leats basic defensing tactics, and knowing few martial arts kicks and punches can help them. Often, the actors will not just consist of the oppressors and the oppressed, but also those pretending to be passers-by who voice strong opinions, as a means of encouraging the ‘real’ passers-by to do the same. The concept is part of the Theatre of the Oppressed, developed by Brazilian director Augusto Boal in the 1970s. “This was during the time of the military junta, when there was heavy censorship.

Kick them down: In Delhi, invisible theatre is being used as a means to provoke discussion. Like the series of skits done in March 2007 by Jamghat, a Delhibased NGO that rehabilitates street children. The group has done 40 performances in buses on the theme of sexual harassment.

Beware of strangers: “The idea is that the impact will be more. If people see something unfolding in front of them they will react and take action,” says Amit Sinha, director of Jamghat. Iyer clarifies: “Invisible theatre is not about making someone a ‘bakra’, it’s not condescending. It’s about responsibility, humility and learning.”For most actors, this is a new genre and there are some things to keep in mind. “The group needs to come together and understand why they are doing this. They have to trust each other and know when to stop,” says Iyer. “The actors have to follow certain guidelines. They have to know how to involve people and control the situation, making sure it doesn’t get violent,” adds Sinha.The theme and response depends on the location. In rural areas, Iyer has had teams cover issues of panchayat voting and women’s reservation. In Delhi, the issues have been smoking and harassment.“People were far more responsive in outer Delhi compared to those in the city. Apathy is an urban phenomenon. It’s different in rural areas, there’s more involvement,” she says. But it’s not easy to get a reaction. Sinha talks with frustration of the indifference his team encountered on the buses. “People in Delhi are not bothered. Sometimes, other women in the bus even told our girls to not make a big deal,” he says. Iyer is more charitable: “A few of the boys who were part of the bus performances understood by the end of the project how harassment affects girls.That was the high point. There is so much possible. The ultimate aim is to get people to change.”

Offenses against Women in India
Acid Attacks on women
Molestation in empty train compartments
Outraging of Modesty in Offices
Sexual Harassment
Eve Teasing in Buses, etc
Sexual Assaults in Discotheques, Pubs, Public places
Humiliation of Women
Jayabala Asher was pushed out of the running train by Drug addicts in Mumbai.
Stalking & Following
Alcoholic Offenses

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Republic Day India

India's Honourable President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil with armed forces before guard of honour, New Delhi, India

A Rajasthan Tabloid at Republic Day Function, New Delhi, India. Although India obtained its independence on August 15, 1947, the Constitution of India came into effect only on January 26, 1950. During the transition period from 1947 to 1950, King George VI was the head of country. C. Rajagopalachari served as the Governor-General of India during this period. Following January 26, 1950, Rajendra Prasad was elected as the president of India.

Marking the 60th Republic Day: To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, New Delhi, from the Raisina Hill near the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's Palace), along the Rajpath, past India Gate and on to the historic Red Fort. The different regiments of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force march past in all their finery and official decorations.

The President of India who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. Parades demonstrating the cultures of the various states and regions of India are also held and broadcast nationwide on television. The parade also includes vibrant displays and floats and traditionally ends with a flypast by Indian Air Force jets.

The power called India: Celebrations are also held in state capitals, where the governor of the state unfurls the national flag. If the Governor of the state is unwell, or is unavailable for some reason, the Chief Minister of the state assumes the honor of unfurling the National Flag of India.

Making India Proud: The Republic day of India commenced from 26 January, 1950 signifies the transition of India from a British dominion to a Republic and in the present days is considered as a national holiday. The day also signifies the adoption of the Constitution of India. It is regarded in the present days as one of the three national holidays in India.

Disciplined :It is also the day when the entire country realized the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the numerous freedom fighters who, fought for and sacrificed their lives for the Independence of their country. To mark the importance of the occasion the Republic Day is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm all over the country and especially in the capital New Delhi, where the celebrations are initiated with the Presidential to the nation.

The National Flag at India Gate: But this is also followed by the solemn reminder of the role and sacrifice of the martyrs who died for the sake of the country in the freedom movement and also in the succeeding wars for the defense of sovereignty of their country.

Make no mistake about it: In addition, a grand parade is held in all the state capitals along with the capital to commemorate the incident. The different regiments of the Army, the Navy and the Air force participate in the march past in all their finery and official decorations at best. There are also displays representing the different states of the country. The poignant exhibits are found becoming emblem of the activities of the people of the very state along with the efficient presentation of music and songs. It is found that each display brings out with it the multiplicity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion. At the same time the patriotic fervor of the people on this day is specially felt and brings the whole country together even in her indispensable miscellany. From the Kashmir in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south, Maharashtra to Manipur, each and every part of the country is represented in occasion. It makes the people proud of their country and also reminds them of the conviction of the slained martyrs in the battlefields of the freedom struggle and wars.

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City's working woman: SILENT REVOLUTION

Tuff but Independent life:They don't look glamorous. They don't have the best paying jobs. Their employers are not listed in stock exchanges. There is nothing enviable about them. They are the working women of Delhi.

Together we can : A silent revolution is in process in this conservative capital of a conservative country. The women have started coming out from their homes. They commute in tightly packed buses, with shoulders touching the arms of men who are not their relatives. At work they spend a major part of the day with men who have never met their husbands or fathers. With these men, strangers to their families, they distribute their workload, crack jokes, and share midday meals.

Law & order: The women of Delhi have started coming into their own. They earn their own salaries and operate their own bank accounts. They do not have to ask for shopping money from their husbands. If something tragic happens--the death of a husband or a father, for instance--they don't have to look to others for support. They now stand on their own feet.

Come what may: But concerns remain. Although in urban India, a growing number of households have started discovering the advantages of working women and appreciate the consequent increase in monthly income, life for them is tough. The husbands do not yet share work in the household management, a domain still considered a woman's job. These women essentially are obliged to do straight double shifts(!)

Whatever it takes: For their bosses at work though, these women are treated simply as employees, not as mothers, wives, and daughters-in-law. Once back home after an exhausting day, there is no time to rest. Dinner needs to be cooked, children to be assisted with homework, and husband to be given time.

No matter what:Making inroads into a sector long established by statistics as a men's bastion, Paromita and Nivedita are but two ends of a wide spectrum in the Indian IT arena. If one is at the entry level of an IT-enabled company, the other has already climbed a few steps in an international IT firm. To paint the full picture, take a look at these figures: In the Indian IT industry, women now account for close to 30 per cent of the total workforce and this is expected to go up to 45 per cent by 2010. What is noteworthy is the steady rise of the figures. The figure, according to the Registrar General of India, as in 1981 was 19.7 per cent, which rose to 22.7 per cent in 1991, further rising to 25.7 per cent in 2001.

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