.
Michael Phelps, 23 year-old American swimmer won unprecedented eight gold medals in
Beijing Olympics 2008. He, thus bettered compatriot Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at Munich Olympics 1972 in Germany thirty six years ago - August '08. 
I searched about "aartis", specially the Gulshan kumar era sweetest sound in peanuts cassets songs :)and voila! i stumbled upon this link on google video (yup! true the ubiquitous you tube has the same video uploaded long back, in fact many more to choose from. But somewhere i like video google.Its quick requires less time to buffer and virtually spam free :)).
So what is special about this video. The very fact that its aarti of most worshipped God of India Sri Vishnu (commercialism and competition would not even left Gods :), make it special . But apart from this it has something more important. If you see the video, you would find it sarts with pic of AUMMMMM! and show us every bhagwan in between. So one in all darshan is available in this video.
Courtesy: Google Video
I was a typical example of one of those poor souls who had never realised the true meaning of freedom and what exactly we can do in free India which we could not have done before 1947. It was 1994 and i was mugging up a speech on independence day in english (that was a herculian task for me as i was from hindi mwedium school). I was reciting the speech like a parrot do and that too on 'n'th time and suddenly a thought came to my mind. Why do we celebrate our independence day? what's big deal if we are independent. We were eating and sleeping even before independence in any case so why so much celebration in school/college/org.? I asked to my dumb childhood friend "Abey Nanka tu dance perform kar raha hai na?" haan, pat came reply. Par kyun be? matlab aakhir aisa kya hai ki hum celebrate karein? Nanka said "abey paka mat. Apna speech rat le aur chalta ban". I gave him a how-dumb-my-friend-is look and moved on. Next morning i supposed to show my recitation to my english teacher (who have worked hard to prepare the speech) I asked to him the same absurd question. He was wellknown to me and i used to be a loving shisya of him. So he replied in detail. You know the way you eat , the way you sleep, the way you study the way you dream. It wud never have been the same without freedom. Ofcourse life runs even if you are slave but freedom is beyond what me and you can think of. Its just a feeling which can be realised when we are not independent. I didnt pay a heed and just recited my speech on 15th august, incidently i got a momento which which still peep into my drawing room from one of the cupboard.
Today when i can see a downpour in Delhi and can njoy the rain relishing "Slice Of Italy" Pizza and Garlic bread even at this point of time (2;00am). I realize it wudnt have been the case if we were independent.I really can say with proud and ecstasy in my heart that I am Indpendent and I Love India. I am citizen of independent India and the air im inhaling is of my India, Free India...
Happy Independence Day.
Jai Hind !!!!!!!!
