Dr. Bharat Desai's Blog

After two days of hospital treatment for high Pneumonia (or Corona?), my brother Bhupat could not be cured and he passed away at the age of 73. In our family, we are two brothers and four sisters. Of them, we have a sister three years older than us - Sudhaben, me, and then Bhupat. Then two years younger Mina and ten years younger Alka and Aruna (twins). We are twin brothers – I was born two hours earlier than Bhupat. So I was called to be the elder of the two, but he was not in agreement with this. He used to quote religious base making him the elder. Well, he proved it tragically true by making an early exit.  News anchors like formal persons may ask me, 'How do you feel?' The straightforward and true answer is “sad and sorry for the loss” - because he was my companion nine months before our birth, being a twin from the womb of our mother.  We do weep and tears roll down. It is a natural reaction to a departed brother – but being elderly and even otherwise, we can accept the ...

My daughter Vaishali invited us to join her on the Nashik tour for three days. We happily accepted her invitation and three of us – Vaishali, my wife Dr. Bhavna and myself began for the Nashik Tour. Vaishali and I had prepared the timetable after studying Google – Wikipedia and whatnot. We had already visited Nashik four times. So our expectations were clear.  Nashik is known as one of the most religious cities in India related to Ramayana time around 5000 years back Treta yug. Nowadays, it can boast of being the big Industrial Estate and Indian Capital of wine manufacturers. Shirdi - home of the revered Saint Sai Baba, Trimbakeshwar temple at Trimbak, and Saptashringi are important tourist attractions nearby. From Bilimora one can go to Nashik via Saputara or Dharampur. We choose Dharampur – Kaparada route. During the rainy season, the forests were in a great mood with greenery all around with hills and valleys making a great scenery worth enjoying. The road was shown by google-ma...

At the age of 71, I am looking back and see my thoughts recorded in the article Life at 60  years back and find out whether all I said then continues to be true even today. I am happy to say my conclusions proved to be true. In one of them, I wrote 'I can proudly tell myself I can rely on my offspring for whatever I need - a great satisfaction any parent can have.' In the other sentence, I wrote 'my pillars of living are my wife Dr Bhavna, daughter Vaishali and son Rahul .' Yes, the same truth prevails. I concluded the article stating 'I am happy. I have no regrets. I am ready to face whatever situation arises and do what I think right at that moment.' Well, certainly 'all is well!'  I said at 60 and continue to believe the same at 70+ that, 'I am sure I have no expectation whatsoever before, during and after my death.' Once this mental attitude is reached, I think all the spirituality one needs is at the maximum. One needs not be a 'Sanyaas...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fond of touring all around India and the world. Now, when a VVIP of his stature visits a place, security personnel don't allow others to be around. The place would become deserted and reserved for him only. So was the case when we - Dr Vijaybhai Desai, his wife Minaben, my wife Dr Bhavana, and I - visited Saputara last weekend on 19-21 March 2021. The whole place appeared reserved for us - because almost all the hotels, restaurants, and tourist sightseeing places were empty, without many people around, making us experience a VIP status - something rare to find.

My daughter-in-law Shivani has seen many family get-togethers during the last decade at her paternal home town - Dungri. So she wanted a similar gathering with the family in Bilimora. We four i.e. Bhavana, Vaishali , Rahul , and I were reluctant to hold one without any cause. Ultimately, we thought of trying this at least once, and so we decided to hold our Sharada Mohan family 's first " Family Reunion " on 24-25 January 2021, Sunday-Monday. A family is a unit of people formed naturally by brothers and sisters of the same parents. A family can be extended by adding uncles and aunts (Kaka, Fui, Mama, Masi) with their offspring. Thus, a family comprises the people who love and support the members in good and bad times. We tried to meet for two days and one night thinking it would be enough time - neither too short nor dragged. Yes,  we were happy and enjoyed ourselves all the while. To finalise the venue, we initially Anaval Shukleshwar Dham and Saidham, Majigam. The cle...

This is a novel depicting the story of an IAS officer’s life. Author Vipul Mitra is himself an IAS officer serving in Gujarat and living with his family in Ahmedabad. This book could take birth after ten years of thinking, writing and rewriting!  The title pyramid was derived from an Egyptian pyramid with a gigantic structure, a symbol of power stretching higher and higher into the sky. The author compares the pyramid with bureaucrats. He says the only difference was that one housed deceased Egyptian pharaohs while other housed living, conniving, tattling officers. There is a long (300 pages!) story of dreams those are virgin like unconsummated physical relation! You will read this novel to know what happens to Kartikeya Kukereja who meets his first failed love Revati Kapoor after both married and long gap of time passes. Revati desires to re-unite but does Kartikeya have the courage to hold on Revati? Honest? Mediocre? Coward? Does he ultimately succeed in fitting her in his life?...

With modernisation and the advancement of civilization, some bad manners have been added to our society. Wedding invitation style is one of them. In the past, wedding invitation was extended to all the members of the family and for all the events of that wedding function. Unfortunately, these days the same is not followed.

My mother passed away on 6 Oct 2010. I can say I was with my mother till 60 years of my life. Prof. Sandhyaben Bhatt (Bardoli) sent me her article on her mother and asked me to tell her about my mother. But I was reluctant to spell a few words here and there about my mother because I was considering her beyond words. Anytime, I was remembering her and praising mother is always inadequate and much less compared to the mother’s dedication for her offsprings.

Last year I wrote an article describing my year-round activities . It covered gross points of major activities and events in the year 2018. Then I thought why not write something about my day-to-day activities once in a while and the result is this article! I am a practising ophthalmologist for 40+ years. Activities other than eye disease treatment is at the cost of professional practice. But I do not mind losing practice nowadays because that is my concept of stepwise, gradual retirement.

છૂટાછેડા (Divorce) : છૂટાછેડા એટલે કાનુની રીતે થયેલ લગ્નનો અંત (Divorce is the termination of a legal marriage) Without marriage, there is no divorce Marriage can be easily done but not divorce Marriage is not decided in heaven; marriage is a result of one’s hurriedly made mistake Life is more important than marriage. So, if you are convinced about the failure of a marriage, end the marriage, but not the life. કારણો Financial Crisis: નાણાં કમાવાની અશક્તિ ને કારણે નાણાનો અભાવ Domestic Violence: ઘરેલુ ઝગડાઓ અને મારામારી. પતિ કે પત્ની દ્વારા અપમાનજનક વર્તન Denied (refusal) of a Sexual Relationship: શરીર સંબંધ ની મનાઈ અથવા વિરોધ Lack of Mutual Respect: પરસ્પર માન-સન્માનનો અભાવ Lack of Love: પરસ્પર પ્રેમ Extramarital Relationship: લગ્ન બહારનો શરીર સંબંધ આ પરંપરાગત કારણો સિવાયના હાલનાં કારણો ભણેલી, કમાતી અને આર્થિક રીતે સ્વાવલંબી સ્ત્રી (Feminism and Women Empowerment): લગ્ન જીવનનાં પાયામાં રહેલાં Adjustment and Compromise ભુલીને સાધારણ નાની-નાની તકલીફો પણ અસહ્ય બતાવીને લગ...

Over time, I have learnt and practised being accountable and better-organised in day to day life. That makes me disciplined and presentable with honour – any time and every time. I maintain day to day diary for the last seven years recording all the events and emotions. Reading the contents of the 2018 year diary inspired me to write the statement of account presenting activities of 365 days of the year. Daily Routine I consider my day starting at night, 9.30 PM, when I go to bed. I get up around 2:00 to 3:00 AM. That’s when I do my reading and writing work until I fall asleep again. That gives me more than 2 to 3 hours of study every night. I do clinical practice as an ophthalmologist between 9.30 AM to 1:00 PM in the morning and 4.30 to 7:00 PM in the evening. Yes, after lunch, between 1.30 to 4:00 PM there is a compulsory sleep, the classic after siesta, for about two hours. Morning hours, between 7:00 to 9.30 AM are “no work” time, spent in getting ready, reading newspapers...

We planned a week’s visit to an old-age home in Lonavala, in a group of ten from Bilimora between 7 and 14-Mar-2019. Dr. Pravin Gilitwala led the team and organised because he had been there numerous times. Dr. Bhavana Desai (my wife) and I were little uncertain about the venue and timetable there but agreed just to have a new experience altogether. To our surprise, everything turned out to be better than all we thought. We had a great time all in all! Kapol Sanatorium, Lonavala Just by the old Mumbai-Pune highway is situated this old-age home for fixed one week stay. Only old-age people above 60 years are invited to stay for a week starting every Thursday and ending the next Thursday, in a total number of hundred. There are AC and non-AC rooms available for fixed one week, at different rates. These are twin-sharing rooms charged at is Rs. 6,000 and Rs. 12,000 per week, based on individual preferences. The rooms are like single bedroom apartments with four beds, dining table ...

During a candid chat with Prof. Dr Ashwin Desai in Surat one fine day, he asked me about the list of books I possess and I had no answer! I thought why not prepare an inventory, along with an article containing a brief description and their photographs. I also happened to read an article in Reader’s Digest around the same time about the set of books the lady author owned. She advised to keep books around - within reach and there were chances of your reading the book. She advocated to keep on purchasing the books, so that one day you may come out reading the precious collection you have already purchased at a sky-high expense. Let me describe them and I wish photos speak more.

While attending my niece Khushbu’s wedding (Dr Hirak Desai’s daughter) at a party plot in Valsad, my other niece Guddi (Mrunmayi Janak Desai) suddenly coined the phrase 'destination wedding'. My vocabulary evolved with a new phrase, with a special meaning. It is a special type of wedding hosted at a location, usually far away from home. Here, the guests reach the venue and stay for a couple of days with all the people involved in the wedding celebration. The hosts plan the wedding and send the invitation with the details of stay, events, dress code and explaining the rituals planned to be followed. Yes, this is the same conventional wedding we’ve always seen, but with creative ideas of enjoying, dancing, playing games and simultaneously conducting the wedding in an authentic manner. It is a bit costly affair for the hosts, but I’m sure they are prepared for it.

સાધારણ રીતે, દીકરીના જન્મના વધરામણા સાથે જ તેના લગ્નના મંગળમય દિવસનું આયોજન મા બાપ શરૂ કરતાં હોય છે. પૈસા બચાવતા થઈને ભાવિ જમાઈ વિષેના દીવાસ્વ્પ્નોમાં રાચવા માંડે છે. પણ આ બધાં વચ્ચે મા બાપ પોતાની મરજી, પોતાની સંમતિ અને પોતાનો નિર્ણય દિકરીના લગ્ન માટે ફરજીયાત સમજતાં હોય છે. તેથી જયારે આવું નથી થતું અને પુત્રી પોતાની મરજીથી મા બાપની પરવાનગી, ઈચ્છા વિરુદ્ધ જયારે લગ્ન કરે છે ત્યારે, મા બાપ ઉપર આભ તૂટી પડે એટલું દુ:ખ આવી પડતું હોય છે. આવું કેમ થાય છે? તે વિષયની અહીં ચર્ચા કરીએ.

Should I at all visit 'the Taj ' the Taj Mahal? Yes, it is a must, because we have the world’s best wonder (The best of seven wonders of the world) and nothing should stop you from visiting it. Let me tell what others say about Taj. What do visitors say? French traveller Bernier said, “Of all the seven wonders of the world (1) Great Wall of China 7Th BC. China, (2) Petra 100 BC. Jordan, (3) Machu Picchu 1450AD. Peru, (4) Chinchan Itza 600 AD. Mexico, (5) Colossian 80AD. Italy, (6) Taj Mahal 1648AD. India, (7) Great Pyramid of Geisha 2560 BC. Egypt., Taj is the best. How can I praise unshaped pyramids of Gaza or irregular long wall of China and any of the other fort after seeing Taj Mahal- a poem in marble?”

25-Dec-2017 onwards, I had talked with my friend Anilbhai Desai on phone two-three times. Every time, he mentioned the worthiness of seeing Kankaria Carnival and invited us. But I was resistant to go. On 30-Dec-2017, while talking with Jayshreeben Desai, she also invited and insisted to visit Ahmedabad. So, my wife Bhavana and I accepted the invitation. In fact, when we need to face young generation people, we avoid out of fear of difference and generation gap. Even visiting close relatives and friends is not that pleasing nowadays, and so we avoid as far as possible. I had sufficiently interacted with Anilbhai's son – Darshan and his wife Shalu, so I could be little courageous to decide for the visit.

Many of us pass years before final decision to visit this nature's feast adored by a human ( 2400 years ago) Kanheri Caves just near Borivali, Mumbai. It took me 50 years to reach this point, since my first visit to this city in 1965. Mumbai and caves! Mumbai was built on seven islands. As old sediments around coastal areas of Kandivali shows us, Mumbai was inhabitable since the stone age. It was mainly occupied by Koli fishing community.

I recently conducted a social study of the status and condition of old-aged people and the old-age homes in Gujarat. This is a combination of the outcome of the study and the book review of a Gujarati book “ Vrudhdhata Ni Samasya ” by Dr Hiteshkumar N. Patel.

We are social animals. We have friends and relatives. Being socially attached, we need and desire to meet them. So the question is: Where do you meet them nowadays? Well, honest and multiple answers to this simple question are quite simple. Let me enumerate the list of present-day meeting places.