Why this blog is called "Gallimaufry".

gal-uh-MAW-free\, noun.

Originally meaning "a hash of various kinds of meats," "gallimaufry" comes from French galimafrée; in Old French, from the word galer, "to rejoice, to make merry"; in old English: gala + mafrer: "to eat much," and from Medieval Dutch maffelen: "to open one's mouth wide."

It's also a dish made by hashing up odds and ends of food; a heterogeneous mixture; a hodge-podge; a ragout; a confused jumble; a ridiculous medley; a promiscuous (!) assemblage of persons.

Those of you who know me, will, I’m sure, understand how well some of these phrases (barring the "promiscuous" bit!) fit me.

More importantly, this blog is an ode to my love for Shimla. I hope to show you this little town through my eyes. If you don't see too many people in it, forgive me, because I'm a little chary of turning this into a human zoo.

Stop by for a spell, look at my pictures, ask me questions about Shimla, if you wish. I shall try and answer them as best as I can. Let's be friends for a while....

1 May 2008

Yaad. Remembrance. Memory. Recollection.


Yesterday, I went for a walk around dusk. It made me melancholic. And reminded me of this ghazal written by Nasir Kazmi:

Safar-e-manzil-e-shab yaad nahiin
Log rukhsat huye kab yaad nahiin

Dil mein har vaqt chubhan rahatii thii
Thii mujhe kis kii talab yaad nahiin

Vo sitaaraa thii ke shabanam thii ke phuul
Ik suurat thii ajab ab yaad nahiin

Aisaa ulajhaa huun gham-e-duniyaa mein
Ek bhii khwaab-e-tarab yaad nahiin

Bhuulte jaate hain maazii ke dayaar
Yaad aayen bhii to sab yaad nahiin

Ye haqiiqat hai ke ahabaab ko ham
Yaad hii kab the ke ab yaad nahii.n

Yaad hai sair-e-charaagaan, "Nasir"
Dii ke bujhane kaa sabab yaad nahiin
Moniker:

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