Monday, February 23, 2009

Something to make you smile.

This morning when I fired up my Gmail something caught my eye. An e-mail had arrived from one of my family members, one of those countless forwards as some may call it .... Carrying a Subject

"Some Thing to make you Smile."

My first thought was to delete it right away. I mean when you get about a hundred n fifty e-mails a day, who's got the time to go through each n every forward.

But just out of curiosity I went through it. what I found in there I have reproduced here. hope you like it too.....



Friday, February 13, 2009

The Gujarati Story of Valentine's Day.



In spite of what you have been told by everyone, the truth is that Valentine's Day originated hundreds of years ago, in India, and to top it all, in Gujarat!!


It is a well known fact that Gujarati men, specially the Patels, continually mistreat and disrespect their wives (Patelianis). One fine
day, it happened to be the 14th day of February, one brave Pateliani, having had enough "torture" by her husband, finally chose to rebel by beating him up with a Velan (rolling pin).


Yes....the same Velan which she used daily, to make chapattis for him....only this time, instead of the dough, it was the husband who was flattened.


This was a momentous occasion for all Gujarati women and a revolt soon spread, like wild fire, with thousands of housewives beating up their husbands with the Velan.


There was an outburst of moaning "chapatti-ed" husbands all over Anand and Amdavad. The Patel men-folk quickly learnt their lesson and started to behave more respectfully with their Patelianis.


Thereafter, on 14th February, every year, the womenfolk of Gujarat would beat up their husbands, to commemorate that eventful day. The wives having the satisfaction of beating up their husbands with the Velan and the men having the supreme joy of submitting to the will of the women they loved. Soon the Gujju men realised that in order to avoid this ordeal they need to present gifts to their wives....they brought flowers and sweetmeats. Hence the tradition began.


As Gujarat fell under the influence of Western culture, that day was called 'Velan time' day.


The ritual soon spread to Britain and many other Western countries, specifically, the catch words 'Velan time!'. Of course in their foreign tongues, it was first anglisised to 'Velantime' and then to 'Valentine'. And thereafter, 14th of February, came to be known as Valentine's Day!