O’ver hill and dale and mountain range,
In temple, church, and mosque,
In Vedas, Bible, Al KoranI had searched for
Thee in vain.
Like a child in the wildest forest lost
I have cried and cried alone,
“Where art Thou gone, my God, my love?
The echo answered, “gone.”
And days and nights and years then passed
A fire was in the brain,
I knew not when day changed in night
The heart seemed rent in twain.
I laid me down on Ganges’s shore,
Exposed to sun and rain;
With burning tears I laid the dust
And wailed with waters’ roar.
I called on all the holy names
Of every clime and creed.
“Show me the way, in mercy, ye
Great ones who have reached the goal.”
Years then passed in bitter cry,
Eacch moment seemed an age,
Till one day midst my cries and groans
Some one seemed calling me.
A gentle soft and soothing voice
That said ‘my son’ ‘my son’,
That seemed to thrill in unison
With all the chords of my soul.
I stood on my feet and tried to find
The place the voice came from;
I searched and searched and turned to see
Round me, before, behind,
Again, again it seemed to speak
The voice divine to me.
In rapture all my soul was hushed,
Entranced, enthralled in bliss.
A flash illumined all my soul;
The heart of my heart opened wide.
O joy, O bliss, what do I find!
My love, my love you are here
And you are here, my love, my all!
And I was searching thee -
From all eternity you were there
Enthroned in majesty!
From that day forth, wherever I roam,
I feel Him standing by
O’ver hill and dale, high mount and vale,
Far far away and high.
The moon’s soft light, the stars so bright,
The glorious orb of day,
He shines in them; His beauty - might -
Reflected lights are they.
The majestic morn, the melting eve,
Teh boundless billowing sea,
In nature’s beauty, songs of birds,
I see through them - it is He.
When dire calamity seizes me,
The heart seems weak and faint,
All natures seems to crush me down,
With laws that enver bend.
Meseems I hear Thee whispering sweet
My love, “I am near”, “I am near”.
My heart gets strong. With thee, my love,
A thousand deaths no fear.
Thou speakest in the mother’s lay
Thous shuts the babies eye,
When innocent children laugh and play,
I see Thee standing by.
When holy friendship shakes the hand,
He stands between them too;
He pours the nectar in mother’s kiss
And the baby’s sweet “mama”.
Thou wert my God with prophets old,
All creeds do come from Thee,
The Vedas, Bible, and Koran bold
Sing Thee in Harmony.
“Thou art,” Thou art” the Soul of souls
In the rushing stream of life.
“Om tat sat om.”
Thou art my God,
My love, I am thine, I am thine.
- Swami Vivekananda
Friday, October 31, 2008
Awake arise
Once more awake!
For sleep it was, not death, to bring thee life
Anew, and rest to lotus-eyes for visions
Daring yet. The world in need awaits, O Truth!
No death for thee!
Resume thy march,
With gentle feet that would not break the
Peaceful rest even of the roadside dust
That lies so low. Yet strong and steady,
Blissful, bold, and free. Awakener, ever
Forward! Speak thy stirring words.
Thy home is gone,
Where loving hearts had brought thee up and
Watched with joy thy growth. But Fate is strong--
This is the law--all things come back to the source
They sprung, their strength to renew.
Then start afresh
From the land of thy birth, where vast cloud-belted
Snows do bless and put their strength in thee,
For working wonders new. The heavenly
River tune thy voice to her own immortal song;
Deodar shades give thee eternal peace.
And all above,
Himala's daughter Uma, gentle, pure,
The Mother that resides in all as Power
And Life, who works all works and
Makes of One the world, whose mercy
Opensthe gate to Truth and shows
The One in All, give thee untiring
Strength, which is Infinite Love.
They bless thee all,
The seers great, whom age nor dime
Can claim their own, the fathers of the
Race, who felt the heart of Truth the same,
And bravely taught to man ill-voiced or
Well. Their servant, thou hast got
The secret--'tis but One.
Then speak, O Love!
Before thy gentle voice serene, behold how
Visions melt and fold on fold of dreams
Departs to void, till Truth and Truth alone
In all its glory shines--
And tell the world--
Awake, arise, and dream no more!
This is the land of dreams, where Karma
Weaves unthreaded garlands with our thoughts
Of flowers sweet or noxious, and none
Has root or stem, being born in naught, which
The softest breath of Truth drives back to
Primal nothingness. Be bold, and face
The Truth! Be one with it! Let visions cease,
Or, if you cannot, dream but truer dreams,
Which are Eternal Love and Service Free.
- Swami Vivekananda
Some English Phrases and their Meanings
Coutesy myuniversalfacts.com.
A
A bed of roses
Meaning:
A pleasant or easy situation.
A cock and bull story
Meaning:
A fanciful and unbelievable tale.
A diamond in the rough
Meaning:
Someone who are basically good hearted but lacking social graces and respect for the law.
A dish fit for the gods
Meaning:
An offering of high quality.
A leopard cannot change its spots
Meaning:
The notion that things cannot change their innate nature.
As keen as mustard
Meaning:
Very enthusiastic.
B
Back to square one
Meaning:
Back to the beginning, to start again.
Baker's dozen
Meaning:
Thirteen.
Below the belt
Meaning:
An unfair tactic.
C
Call a spade a spade
Meaning:
To speak plainly - to describe something as it really is.
Chip on his shoulder
Meaning:
To harbour a grudge.
Cold shouldered
Meaning:
Be treated in an offhand unfriendly way.
Come hell or high water
Meaning:
Persevere no matter what difficulties are encountered.
Crocodile tears
Meaning:
Fake tears.
Cut to the chase
Meaning:
Get to the point - leaving out unnecessary .
D
Daylight robbery
Meaning:
Blatant and unfair overcharging.
E
Excuse my French
Meaning:
Please forgive my swearing.
End of story
Meaning
The talking is over - there's no more to be said.
F
A face like a bulldog chewing a wasp
Meaning:
Ugly
Fall on your sword
Meaning:
Commit suicide or offer your resignation.
From sea to shining sea
Meaning:
From one coast to another.
G
Get off on the wrong foot
Meaning:
Make a bad start to a project or relationship.
Get used to it
Meaning:
Accept that what you want isn't going to be.
Get your feet wet
Meaning:
To get your first experience of something.
H
Have an axe to grind
Meaning:
Have an ulterior motive.
Head over heels
Meaning:
Excited, and/or turning cartwheels to demonstrate one's excitement.
Hit the hay
Meaning:
Go to bed.
Hold your horses
Meaning:
Hold on; be patient.
Hot off the press
Meaning:
Freshly printed.
Hanky-panky
Meaning:
Trickery - double dealing. Also, more recently, sexual shenanigans.
I
In a Nutshell
Meaning:
In very few words; briefly; clearly and to the point.
In the limelight
Meaning:
At the centre of attention.
It never rains but it pours
Meaning:
When troubles come they come together.
J
Just deserts
Meaning:
To get that which is deserved - A reward for what has been done wether it be good or bad.
Jet-black
Meaning:
To emphasize just how black something is.
K
Keep your nose to the grindstone
Meaning:
Apply yourself conscientiously to your work
Kick the bucket
Meaning:
Die.
knee jerk reaction
Meaning:
An automatic response to something.
Knock off
Meaning:
To finish work for the day.
Know the ropes
Meaning:
To understand how an organisation works.
Know which way the wind blows
Meaning:
To understand what is happening in changing circumstances.
L
labour of love
Meaning:
Work undertaken for the pleasure of it or for the benefit of a loved one.
Last but not least
Meaning:
An indication that something or someone are not necessarily in order of importance.
Laughing-stock
Meaning:
A figure or object of ridicule and laughter.
Learn the ropes
Meaning:
Learn something new.
Level playing field
Meaning:
Fair competition, where no advantage is shown to either side.
Lie low
Meaning:
Keep out of sight.
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning:
To reveal a big secret, often unintentionally.
Living on borrowed time
Meaning:
Living after the time you would have expected to have died.
M
Make hay
Meaning:
Be quick - To take advantage of a favorable opportunity as soon as it arises without wasting time.
Make a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning:
To assume something is much worse than it actually is.
Make waves
Meaning:
To cause a lot of trouble.
Mind one's Ps and Qs
Meaning:
To be very careful and/or to behave correctly.
Mumbo jumbo
Meaning:
Nonsense.
N
Never never land
Meaning:
A utopia promised in the place of a real benefit.
New kid on the block
Meaning:
A new arrival in an area and in a group of young friends.
Nip in the bud
Meaning:
Put a stop to something while it is still in its early development.
No man is an island
Meaning:
Human beings do not thrive when isolated from others.
Not worth the candle
Meaning:
Worthless.
No-brainer
Meaning:
A problem that is especially easy to solve, if not outright obvious.
O
Off the hook
Meaning:
Someone have avoided punishment or criticism for something they have done.
Off the mark
Meaning:
It is inaccurate or incorrect.
On cloud nine
Meaning:
To be extremely happy.
On the fiddle
Meaning:
Engaged in corruption.
On the same page
Meaning
Two or more persons understanding a given situation the same way and are operating accordingly.
P
Paddle your own canoe
Meaning:
Act independently and decide your own fate.
Paper tiger
Meaning:
A person who appears to have power but is in reality ineffectual.
Pass the buck
Meaning:
Pass responsibility on to someone else.
Play by ear
Meaning:
Handle a situation in an impromptu manner, without reference to a set of guidelines.
Put your best foot forward
Meaning:
Embark on a journey or task with purpose and gusto.
Q
Queer Street
Meaning:
In debt.
Queer the pitch
Meaning:
Ruin a plan.
Quick buck
Meaning:
To make some money easily
R
Rags to riches
Meaning:
Someone who starts life very poor and becomes rich.
Red tape
Meaning:
Bureaucratic rules and paperwork.
Rise and shine
Meaning:
Get out of bed.
Rule of thumb
Meaning:
A means of estimation made according to a rough and ready practical rule, not based on science or exact measurement.
Run out of steam
Meaning:
Run out of energy.
S
Sacred cow
Meaning:
Something too highly regarded to be open to criticism.
Scot free
Meaning:
To escape pursuers or avoid payment.
Shot in the arm
Meaning:
A stimulus.
Shot in the dark
Meaning:
A hopeful attempt at something.
Sleep tight
Meaning:
Sleep well.
Smoke and mirrors
Meaning:
Trickery or deception.
Sour grapes
Meaning:
Acting meanly after a disappointment.
Strike a deal (or bargain)
Meaning:
To agree terms on a transaction.
T
Take a back seat
Meaning:
Take no active part.
Take with a pinch of salt
Meaning:
Accept a truth but with reservations.
The Ball is in your court
Meaning:
The next move is up to you.
The bitter end
Meaning:
To the limit of one's efforts - to the last extremity.
The blind leading the blind
Meaning:
Uninformed and incompetent people leading others who are similarly incapable.
The Full Monty
Meaning:
Complete, the whole thing.
Thorn in the flesh
Meaning:
A persistent difficulty or annoyance.
Time and tide wait for no man
Meaning:
No one is so powerful that they can stop the march of time.
Tie the knot
Meaning:
Get married.
Top notch
Meaning:
Excellent.
Two cents worth
Meaning:
Offer an opinion.
Turn a blind eye
Meaning:
To refuse to take notice of a situation.
Turn the tables
Meaning:
Reverse the positions of adversaries. Usually used when the weaker position subsequently becomes dominant.
U
Up a blind alley
Meaning:
On the wrong track.
V
Veg out
Meaning:
Relax in a slothful and mindless manner.
W
Wake up on the wrong side of the bed
Meaning:
Be very grumpy.
Water under the bridge
Meaning:
A past event that is no longer worth agonizing over.
What goes around comes around
Meaning:
What ever a person do, it will eventually come back to him/her. If a person does something bad, for example, something bad will happen to him.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander
Meaning:
The sexes should be treated the same way and not be subjected to different standards.
When in Rome, do as the Romans
Meaning:
When you are visiting a different place or culture, you should try to follow their customs and practices.
Where there's smoke, there's fire
Meaning:
A suspicion or rumor usually has a basis in fact - There is always a basis for a rumor, no matter how untrue it appears.
White elephant
Meaning
Something that is more trouble than it is worth.
Willy-nilly
Meaning
Two slightly differing but related meanings.
X
X marks the spot
Meaning:
This is used to say where something is located or hidden.
Y
Yellow belly
Meaning:
Cowardly
You are what you eat
Meaning
The notion that to be fit and healthy you need to eat good food.
You can't get blood out of a stone
Meaning:
You cannot extract what isn't there to begin with.
Your name is mud
Meaning:
You are not popular
Z
Zero hour
Meaning:
The time when something important is to begin.
Zero tolerance
Meaning:
A form of policing that allows no crime to be overlooked.
A
A bed of roses
Meaning:
A pleasant or easy situation.
A cock and bull story
Meaning:
A fanciful and unbelievable tale.
A diamond in the rough
Meaning:
Someone who are basically good hearted but lacking social graces and respect for the law.
A dish fit for the gods
Meaning:
An offering of high quality.
A leopard cannot change its spots
Meaning:
The notion that things cannot change their innate nature.
As keen as mustard
Meaning:
Very enthusiastic.
B
Back to square one
Meaning:
Back to the beginning, to start again.
Baker's dozen
Meaning:
Thirteen.
Below the belt
Meaning:
An unfair tactic.
C
Call a spade a spade
Meaning:
To speak plainly - to describe something as it really is.
Chip on his shoulder
Meaning:
To harbour a grudge.
Cold shouldered
Meaning:
Be treated in an offhand unfriendly way.
Come hell or high water
Meaning:
Persevere no matter what difficulties are encountered.
Crocodile tears
Meaning:
Fake tears.
Cut to the chase
Meaning:
Get to the point - leaving out unnecessary .
D
Daylight robbery
Meaning:
Blatant and unfair overcharging.
E
Excuse my French
Meaning:
Please forgive my swearing.
End of story
Meaning
The talking is over - there's no more to be said.
F
A face like a bulldog chewing a wasp
Meaning:
Ugly
Fall on your sword
Meaning:
Commit suicide or offer your resignation.
From sea to shining sea
Meaning:
From one coast to another.
G
Get off on the wrong foot
Meaning:
Make a bad start to a project or relationship.
Get used to it
Meaning:
Accept that what you want isn't going to be.
Get your feet wet
Meaning:
To get your first experience of something.
H
Have an axe to grind
Meaning:
Have an ulterior motive.
Head over heels
Meaning:
Excited, and/or turning cartwheels to demonstrate one's excitement.
Hit the hay
Meaning:
Go to bed.
Hold your horses
Meaning:
Hold on; be patient.
Hot off the press
Meaning:
Freshly printed.
Hanky-panky
Meaning:
Trickery - double dealing. Also, more recently, sexual shenanigans.
I
In a Nutshell
Meaning:
In very few words; briefly; clearly and to the point.
In the limelight
Meaning:
At the centre of attention.
It never rains but it pours
Meaning:
When troubles come they come together.
J
Just deserts
Meaning:
To get that which is deserved - A reward for what has been done wether it be good or bad.
Jet-black
Meaning:
To emphasize just how black something is.
K
Keep your nose to the grindstone
Meaning:
Apply yourself conscientiously to your work
Kick the bucket
Meaning:
Die.
knee jerk reaction
Meaning:
An automatic response to something.
Knock off
Meaning:
To finish work for the day.
Know the ropes
Meaning:
To understand how an organisation works.
Know which way the wind blows
Meaning:
To understand what is happening in changing circumstances.
L
labour of love
Meaning:
Work undertaken for the pleasure of it or for the benefit of a loved one.
Last but not least
Meaning:
An indication that something or someone are not necessarily in order of importance.
Laughing-stock
Meaning:
A figure or object of ridicule and laughter.
Learn the ropes
Meaning:
Learn something new.
Level playing field
Meaning:
Fair competition, where no advantage is shown to either side.
Lie low
Meaning:
Keep out of sight.
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning:
To reveal a big secret, often unintentionally.
Living on borrowed time
Meaning:
Living after the time you would have expected to have died.
M
Make hay
Meaning:
Be quick - To take advantage of a favorable opportunity as soon as it arises without wasting time.
Make a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning:
To assume something is much worse than it actually is.
Make waves
Meaning:
To cause a lot of trouble.
Mind one's Ps and Qs
Meaning:
To be very careful and/or to behave correctly.
Mumbo jumbo
Meaning:
Nonsense.
N
Never never land
Meaning:
A utopia promised in the place of a real benefit.
New kid on the block
Meaning:
A new arrival in an area and in a group of young friends.
Nip in the bud
Meaning:
Put a stop to something while it is still in its early development.
No man is an island
Meaning:
Human beings do not thrive when isolated from others.
Not worth the candle
Meaning:
Worthless.
No-brainer
Meaning:
A problem that is especially easy to solve, if not outright obvious.
O
Off the hook
Meaning:
Someone have avoided punishment or criticism for something they have done.
Off the mark
Meaning:
It is inaccurate or incorrect.
On cloud nine
Meaning:
To be extremely happy.
On the fiddle
Meaning:
Engaged in corruption.
On the same page
Meaning
Two or more persons understanding a given situation the same way and are operating accordingly.
P
Paddle your own canoe
Meaning:
Act independently and decide your own fate.
Paper tiger
Meaning:
A person who appears to have power but is in reality ineffectual.
Pass the buck
Meaning:
Pass responsibility on to someone else.
Play by ear
Meaning:
Handle a situation in an impromptu manner, without reference to a set of guidelines.
Put your best foot forward
Meaning:
Embark on a journey or task with purpose and gusto.
Q
Queer Street
Meaning:
In debt.
Queer the pitch
Meaning:
Ruin a plan.
Quick buck
Meaning:
To make some money easily
R
Rags to riches
Meaning:
Someone who starts life very poor and becomes rich.
Red tape
Meaning:
Bureaucratic rules and paperwork.
Rise and shine
Meaning:
Get out of bed.
Rule of thumb
Meaning:
A means of estimation made according to a rough and ready practical rule, not based on science or exact measurement.
Run out of steam
Meaning:
Run out of energy.
S
Sacred cow
Meaning:
Something too highly regarded to be open to criticism.
Scot free
Meaning:
To escape pursuers or avoid payment.
Shot in the arm
Meaning:
A stimulus.
Shot in the dark
Meaning:
A hopeful attempt at something.
Sleep tight
Meaning:
Sleep well.
Smoke and mirrors
Meaning:
Trickery or deception.
Sour grapes
Meaning:
Acting meanly after a disappointment.
Strike a deal (or bargain)
Meaning:
To agree terms on a transaction.
T
Take a back seat
Meaning:
Take no active part.
Take with a pinch of salt
Meaning:
Accept a truth but with reservations.
The Ball is in your court
Meaning:
The next move is up to you.
The bitter end
Meaning:
To the limit of one's efforts - to the last extremity.
The blind leading the blind
Meaning:
Uninformed and incompetent people leading others who are similarly incapable.
The Full Monty
Meaning:
Complete, the whole thing.
Thorn in the flesh
Meaning:
A persistent difficulty or annoyance.
Time and tide wait for no man
Meaning:
No one is so powerful that they can stop the march of time.
Tie the knot
Meaning:
Get married.
Top notch
Meaning:
Excellent.
Two cents worth
Meaning:
Offer an opinion.
Turn a blind eye
Meaning:
To refuse to take notice of a situation.
Turn the tables
Meaning:
Reverse the positions of adversaries. Usually used when the weaker position subsequently becomes dominant.
U
Up a blind alley
Meaning:
On the wrong track.
V
Veg out
Meaning:
Relax in a slothful and mindless manner.
W
Wake up on the wrong side of the bed
Meaning:
Be very grumpy.
Water under the bridge
Meaning:
A past event that is no longer worth agonizing over.
What goes around comes around
Meaning:
What ever a person do, it will eventually come back to him/her. If a person does something bad, for example, something bad will happen to him.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander
Meaning:
The sexes should be treated the same way and not be subjected to different standards.
When in Rome, do as the Romans
Meaning:
When you are visiting a different place or culture, you should try to follow their customs and practices.
Where there's smoke, there's fire
Meaning:
A suspicion or rumor usually has a basis in fact - There is always a basis for a rumor, no matter how untrue it appears.
White elephant
Meaning
Something that is more trouble than it is worth.
Willy-nilly
Meaning
Two slightly differing but related meanings.
X
X marks the spot
Meaning:
This is used to say where something is located or hidden.
Y
Yellow belly
Meaning:
Cowardly
You are what you eat
Meaning
The notion that to be fit and healthy you need to eat good food.
You can't get blood out of a stone
Meaning:
You cannot extract what isn't there to begin with.
Your name is mud
Meaning:
You are not popular
Z
Zero hour
Meaning:
The time when something important is to begin.
Zero tolerance
Meaning:
A form of policing that allows no crime to be overlooked.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Viswanathan Anand remains "Viswanathan" Anand
Viswanathan means 'Lord of the Universe'.By defending his World Chess Champion title, in Bonn, on Wednesday night, Viwanathan Anand remained true to his name,literally..
It's a great moment of pride and celebration for all Indians and Anand fans all over the World.
He drew the 11th game with Russia's Vladimir Kramnik to clinch the 12-round final 6.5-4.5 and retained his title with a round to spare.
Anand thus became the first person in the history of the game to win the World Championship in all possible formats -- a feat even the now-retired Garry Kasparov cannot boast of, since he stayed away from the knock-out World Championships.
Anand also gave a fitting reply to Kramnik who had questioned the value of Anand's title earlier,before the start of this World Championship series.
Asked if he considered Anand to be the World Champion, he had uttered "It is not a question of simply yes or no. Anand won the tournament, which was called the World Championship Tournament, and I competed in that tournament as well...so I have no right not to consider him the World Champion. A question is however, what is the value of such a title?"
Hope Kramnik knows now that Anand deserves to be the World Champion and Anand is the world champion,whether he likes it or not.
But it seems likely that Kramnik was just trying to play mind games.
Now talking about today's game,Anand played with white pieces against Kramnik,and took an unbeatable 6.5-4.5 lead to retain his crown.
Anand was expected to go for a draw while Kramnik made an all out attempt,he could have even lost the match,to win this one and put pressure on Anand and possibly win the 12th as well to force a tie-breaker.
But the game ended in a draw.
Being the World Champion and by defeating challengers to his rein at the top,Anand has possibly proved that he is one of those rare breed of Indian sportsmen who not only can reach the pivot,but can continue to stay on as World Champion.
He is a real "GEM" and infact the Indian Govt had awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award way back in 1991-92, India's highest sporting honour(He was the first receipient),which he thoroughly deserved.
Let's, all Indians,hope that Viswanathan Anand continue to be the WORLD CHAMPION and becomes the greatest ever player to have played the game of chess for all time to come.
That's ofcourse if he has not reached there yet..!!!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Dhyan Chand The Hockey King
Dhyan Chand is undoubtedly one of the greatest sportsmen India ever had.He was a true world champion.Famous the world over as the 'Hockey Wizard', he dominated the game like no other player in the history of the game.
Today's sports fans know little about this genius who left an indelible mark on the game. Yet, decades back, Dhyan Chand was one of the world's top sportsmen - in league with the great Don Bradman, Jesse Owens and Babe Ruth.
Players of the calibre of Dhyan Chand transcend eras. Like Pele in soccer or Bradman in Cricket, they are the all-time greats. A genius like Dhyan Chand would have been a genius in every time and in every era.
He was part of the Gold winning Indian team in three Olympic Games (1928 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles, 1936 Berlin).He was awarded the Padma Bhushan,India's third highest civilian honour, in 1956. He got the title Chand or Moon from his first coach, Pankaj Gupta, who had predicted that he would one day shine like a Chand or Moon. Even today Dhyan Chand is the only Indian sports person who can lay claim to be the unchallenged master of a sport.
Some quotes and anecdotes about Dhyan Chand :
It was the final of the Punjab Indian Infantry tournament in Jhelum. His side was losing the match by two goals. With only four minutes to go, his commanding officer called out, 'Aage bado jawan, kuch toh karo Dhyan' [Go forward soldier! Do something about it Dhyan!]" Dhyan Chand did something about it. He scored three goals in four minutes to lead his team to victory.
-- Major General A A Rudra in the foreword of Dhyan Chand's biography Goals!
--------------------------------------------
The greatest tribute was paid by Adolf Hitler who watched as India decimated Germany 8-1 in the Berlin Olympics. When Dhyan Chand told the German dictator he was a sepoy in the Indian army, Hitler replied: 'If you were a German, I would have made you at least a major general.' In the event, Dhyan Chand retired as a major.
--------------------------------------------
During the 1936 Olympic hockey final, the Germans decided to play rough after six goals had been scored against them. Going for Dhyan, the German goalkeeper knocked out one of his teeth.
Returning after receiving first aid, Dhyan 'instructed us not to score any more goals. "We must teach them a lesson in ball control," he said.
So we repeatedly took the ball up to the German circle and then back-passed to dumbfound our opponents. We ended up beating Germany 8-1, with Dhyan scoring 6 times.'
-- Colonel Ali Iqtidar Shah Dara in World Hockey Magazine (March-May 1970)
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In 1932, India scored 338 goals in 37 matches, 133 being Dhyan Chand's contribution. In 1947, he accompanied a young team to East Africa. Then 42 and semi-retired, he ended up the second highest scorer with 61 goals in 22 games.
'Dhyan Chand treated everybody as pieces on a board meant for his use. He'd know from his own movement how the defense was forming, and where the gaps were. In other words, he was the only imponderable, everybody else (opposition included) fell in predictable patterns around him.'
-- Dhyan Chand's team-mate Keshav Dutt
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The UP team was leading by three goals to one, and there was only a minute left for play. Hopeless as the situation looked, Punjab never gave up trying, and scored a goal to reduce the arrears to one. The spectators applauded the goal, but only half-heartedly, as if paying tribute to a plucky side who they thought were fighting in vain. Indeed, there did not seem to be time for another goal. But Feroze Khan, the Punjab centre-forward, shot away for the UP goal straight from the bully-off, went through the opposing defence and had the ball in the net before anyone quite realized what was happening.
The outstanding forward on the field was Dhyan Chand, the UP centre-forward, who is likely to be chosen for the Indian team that is to visit England and play in the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Dhyan Chand, in addition to his brilliant stickwork, was the main spring of his side's attack. The opposing centre-half, Eric Pinniger, was unable to hold Dhyan Chand in check, though he was very efficient when tackling the other attackers.
The crowd had been waiting for Dhyan Chand to get going, and presently they were rewarded. There came the period when Dhyan Chand demonstrated that as a centre-forward he has few equals. His dribbling was of the irresistible variety. He seemed to be able to pass opponent after opponent at will.'
- The Statesman, before the 1928 Olympics
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After India played its first match in the 1936 Olympics, Dhyan Chand's magical stickwork drew crowds from other venues to the hockey field.
A German newspaper carried a banner headline: 'The Olympic complex now has a magic show too.' The next day, there were posters all over Berlin: 'Visit the hockey stadium to watch the Indian magician Dhyan Chand in action.'
After every India match, hundreds of spectators would troop down to the players enclosure and touch Dhyan Chand's hockey stick to see what trick it was that kept the ball from leaving his stick as he dribbled his way all over the field. One journalist reported: 'It looks like he has some invisible magnet stuck to his hockey stick so that the ball does not leave it at all.'
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Dhyan Chand was the unanimous choice to lead India on a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1935. India played 48 matches -- including three Tests against New Zealand -- and won all of them. Of the 584 goals the visitors scored, Dhyan Chand's personal tally was 200. Don Bradman was so surprised by the number of goals that he quipped: 'Were they made by a hockey player or a batsman?'
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On the 1947 East African tour, he put through a wondrous ball to future legend, K D Singh 'Babu,' then turned his back and walked away. When Babu later asked the reason for this odd behaviour, he was told: 'If you could not get a goal from that, you did not deserve to be on my team.'
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Life Period (August 29, 1905 – December 3, 1979).
Early life
Dhyan Singh was born on August 29, 1905 to a Bais Rajput, family in Prayag in Uttar Pradesh. His father Sameshwar Dutt Singh was an Indian Army subedar who had played hockey in the army. Singh had two brothers - Mool Singh, later a hawaldar in the army, and Roop Singh (September 8, 1910 – December 16, 1977), who himself was as legendary a hockey player as Dhyan. The family kept moving to different cities because of his father's tranfers in the army. Because of this, Singh could not study much and had to terminate his education after sixth class. The family finally settled in Jhansi. Being in the military, Singh's father got a small piece of land in Jhansi for a house.
Young Dhyan had no serious inclination towards sports, though he loved wrestling[citation needed]. His hockey career had humble beginnings. Singh and other youngsters used to cut a branch of a date palm tree and remove the leaves. With a curve at its end, this branch would become an improvised hockey stick. From old rags they would make a ball. He started playing hockey often and soon, people began noting his skill at the game. A famous, if somewhat apocryphal incident occurred when Singh was 14. He went with his father to an army hockey match. One of the teams was down by two goals. Singh repeatedly told his father that if given a chance, he could make the losing team win. Finally an army officer allowed him to play. He went and scored 4 goals[citation needed]. The impressed officer inducted him into the Children's Platoon.
Singh joined the Indian Army at the age of 16, in 1922 as a Sepoy of the 4/1st Punjab Regiment. Subedar-Major Bhole Tiwari of the Brahmin regiment noticed his dribbling skills. A keen enthusiast of the game and a good player himself, Tiwari recognised the talent in Singh. He became Singh's mentor and laid the foundations of his game. Tiwari made one thing clear to Singh - although he had amazing dribbling skills, hockey was a team game and he could not hang on to the ball for too long. He played hockey for hours at a stretch as that was the only outdoor game his regiment played.
The British officers also encouraged Singh. Singh assimilated all the suggestions and strategies that he received from others, and supplemented them with his own unique style. This led Pankaj Gupta, his first coach, to predict that he would one day shine like the Chand, the Moon. Dhyan Singh became known as Dhyan Chand.
The Making of the Legend
Dhyan Chand in Action against France in the 1936 Berlin Olympics Hockey Semi-Finals
Classic shot of Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand scoring a goal in the 1936 Olympic hockey final
It was the final of the Punjab Indian Infantry tournament in Jhelum. His side was losing the match by two goals. With only four minutes to go, his commanding officer called out, 'Aage bado jawan, kuch toh karo Dhyan' [Go forward soldier! Do something about it Dhyan!]" Dhyan Chand did something about it. He scored three goals in four minutes to lead his team to victory.
The UP team was leading by three goals to one, and there was only a minute left for play. Hopeless as the situation looked, Punjab never gave up trying, and scored a goal to reduce the arrears to one. The spectators applauded the goal, but only half-heartedly, as if paying tribute to a plucky side who they thought were fighting in vain. Indeed, there did not seem to be time for another goal. But Feroze Khan, the Punjab centre-forward, shot away for the UP goal straight from the bully-off, went through the opposing defence and had the ball in the net before anyone quite realized what was happening.
The outstanding forward on the field was Dhyan Chand, the UP centre-forward, who is likely to be chosen for the Indian team that is to visit England and play in the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Dhyan Chand, in addition to his brilliant stickwork, was the main spring of his side's attack. The opposing centre-half, Eric Pinniger, was unable to hold Dhyan Chand in check, though he was very efficient when tackling the other attackers.The crowd had been waiting for Dhyan Chand to get going, and presently they were rewarded. There came the period when Dhyan Chand demonstrated that as a centre-forward he has few equals. His dribbling was of the irresistible variety. He seemed to be able to pass opponent after opponent at will.' Dhyan Chand took the ball on his stick and dribbled through the entire defence to score a goal. He scored the second, and then the third in a four-minute span to snatch a dramatic last minute victory.
It was after this match that Dhyan Chand earned the nickname "Hockey Wizard". The legend of Dhyan Chand and his unbelievable feats on the hockey field had begun.
The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was formed in Gwalior in 1925. By then, the International Hockey Federation had also been formed. Both the federations were doing their best to gain Olympic recognition for their sport.
After successfully lobbying for hockey to be included in the Olympics, the IHF made preparations to field its best possible team. In 1925, an Inter-Provincial tournament was held. The selection of the Indian team was to be based on the performance of the players in this tournament.
Five teams participated in this inaugural nationals - United Provinces (UP), Punjab, Bengal, Rajputana and Central Provinces. Dhyan Chand got selected to play for the United Provinces team. Dhyan Chand was playing with civilians for the first time in his life. Today it seems odd that it took him so long to play against civilians, but that was the way hockey was organised and played in those days.
Dhyan Chand practised with his new team members and keyed himself up for the big matches. In the first game against Punjab, on February 14, Dhyan Chand's team drew its match 3-3. This was his first civilian match. Dhyan Chand shone in this match with his passes and dribbling.
After being down by two goals, Punjab drew in the last minute of the game. When the teams played again, Punjab's defenders kept an anxious eye on Dhyan Chand. It was as if Dhyan Chand was the only forward! His team won 3-1.
In the final against Rajputana, Dhyan Chand revealed his class. Dhyan Chand scored one goal with a powerful hit that went into the net after touching a defender's stick. He also scored the next goal. His stickwork, combination with other forwards, and ability to break into rival defenses was a prime factor in UP's victory in the inaugural nationals.
After the tournament ended, there was a meeting between the players and the IHF to discuss the event. Dhyan Chand felt that it was a good idea because it would reduce the communication gap between players and officials, like there exists one in Indian hockey today.
In 1932, India scored 338 goals in 37 matches, 133 being Dhyan Chand's contribution. In 1947, he accompanied a young team to East Africa. Then 42 and semi-retired, he ended up the second highest scorer with 61 goals in 22 games. 'Dhyan Chand treated everybody as pieces on a board meant for his use. He'd know from his own movement how the defense was forming, and where the gaps were. In other words, he was the only imponderable, everybody else (opposition included) fell in predictable patterns around him.'
After India played its first match in the 1936 Olympics, Dhyan Chand's magical stickwork drew crowds from other venues to the hockey field.
A German newspaper carried a banner headline: 'The Olympic complex now has a magic show too.' The next day, there were posters all over Berlin: 'Visit the hockey stadium to watch the Indian magician Dhyan Chand in action.'
After every India match, hundreds of spectators would troop down to the players enclosure and touch Dhyan Chand's hockey stick to see what trick it was that kept the ball from leaving his stick as he dribbled his way all over the field. One journalist reported: 'It looks like he has some invisible magnet stuck to his hockey stick so that the ball does not leave it at all.'
Dhyan Chand was the unanimous choice to lead India on a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1935. India played 48 matches -- including three Tests against New Zealand -- and won all of them. Of the 584 goals the visitors scored, Dhyan Chand's personal tally was 200. Don Bradman was so surprised by the number of goals that he quipped: 'Were they made by a hockey player or a batsman?'
Dhyan Chand returned to his barracks in the Punjab Regiment after the 1928 Olympic Games. There was no peace for him as his army colleagues used to come and listen to his Olympic tales.
Emblazoned in gold on Dhyan Chand's jersey was his name. He owned the centre-forward position from now on. Though India did have other outstanding centre-forwards, none could match Dhyan Chand's game.
For 5 years in a row from 1931, Dhyan Chand helped his 14th Punjab Regiment win the Punjab Native hockey tournament. Due to his fame, opposing players used to specially target him. In 1933, Dhyan Chand's Punjab regiment was playing a match in Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan). With Dhyan Chand giving yet another display of his mastery in hockey, the opposing team's centre-half lost his cool and hurt Dhyan Chand's nose.
The game was stopped. After receiving first aid, Dhyan Chand returned to the field with his nose wrapped in a bandage. He went to the centre-half who had injured him and said, "Play carefully so that no one gets hurt." Dhyan Chand then went on to score 6 straight goals.
There have been many stories on how Dhyan Chand's stick was changed to see if he would still score goals.
Player
In 1928 Chand was selected to represent the Indian hockey team in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Chand helped India win the gold medal winning the finals against the Netherlands by a score of 3-0. He played in the centre-forward position and scored two of India's three goals.
In the 1932 Summer Olympics held at Los Angeles, USA, the team under Lal Shah Bukhari defended their title winning the gold. The team routed the United States hockey team 23-1, a world record that stood until 2003. He contributed eight of those goals, and along with his brother Roop Singh formed a formidable core of the team. He scored 12 goals in India's two matches in that Olympics and he had scored 133 goals out of India's 338 in that year.
Dhyan Chand rated Beighton Cup final of 1933 as his most memorable match. The match was played between Jhansi Heroes and Calcutta Customs. Surprisingly, he did not score in that match. He only provided the vital pass for the lone goal scored by the Jhansi Heroes. On their return journey, the Jhansi Heroes were crammed in an unreserved third class compartment. However, the warm welcome received at the station made it the most memorable match for Dhyan Chand.
n 1926, there was talk of the Indian army sending a hockey team to tour New Zealand. It was not in Dhyan Chand's nature to plead for his inclusion in the team. He felt his merit as a player would decide his selection. Being in the 'Other Ranks', he could not approach his officers to discuss the matter.
Thus he was overjoyed when the commanding officer of his regiment told him one day, "Boy, you are going to New Zealand." Though dumbfounded, Dhyan Chand managed to salute the officer. Later, overwhelmed at this opportunity, he broke down in his barracks. Tears of joy also came to the eyes of Bhole Tiwari when he learnt that Dhyan Chand's perseverance had finally paid off.
Due to lack of money, Dhyan Chand could not obtain good clothes for the tour. His main personal outfit was his military kit.
In April 1926, the Indian army hockey team set off by ship from Colombo. After 20 - 25 days on water, the team reached New Zealand in early May.
This was the first team to represent India abroad in any sport. Thus the players were conscious of the fact that they had to project a good image. During a 1935 tour of New Zealand and Australia, he scored 201 goals out of the team's tally of 584 in 43 matches. Don Bradman and Dhyan Chand once came face to face at Adelaide in 1935, when the Indian hockey team was in Australia. After watching Dhyan Chand in action, Don Bradman remarked "He scores goals like runs in cricket".
Dhyan Chand was hugely successful on this tour. In one match at Dannkerke, India scored 20 goals out of which Dhyan Chand was responsible for 10 goals. Against the New Zealand national team, India won the first match 5-2, but lost the next 3-4.
Overall, India played 21 matches, won 18, drew 2, and lost 1. The Indians scored 192 goals while conceding only 24 goals. Dhyan Chand scored over 100 goals and became a popular player.
Indeed, such was his impact that two women followed the Indian team from New Plymouth to Auckland only to see Dhyan Chand in action. The told him that they could never forget his dribbling.
The Indian team was feted and honoured with feasts and lavish dinners. The treatment that Dhyan Chand and the rest of his army mates got was that of heroes.
News of Dhyan Chand's exploits reached India as the local newspapers carried reports of the Indian team's progress. Dhyan Chand got promoted to Lance Nayak on his return to India. The success in New Zealand gave Dhyan Chand tremendous inspiration, and he felt there should be no slackness on his part.
This 1926 Army tour started India's hockey story, and with it, Dhyan Chand's legendary prowess.
Nearly half a century later, when Dhyan Chand's son Ashok Kumar visited New Zealand, he was surprised to see pictures in many hockey clubs of his father's 1926 Army tour.
On one occasion, a Dhyan Chand fan showed Ashok the cuttings on the hockey wizard that he had collected and kept safely all these years.
Ashok had another touching experience. A man came up to him and showed some wooden splinters that he had kept from Dhyan Chand's hockey stick. During a match in the 1926 army tour, Dhyan Chand's stick had broken and the maestro threw it away. The fans had made a dash for it, and many people took away broken splinters.
In a match in 1927 he exhibited his skills against the English hockey team, netting 36 of India's 72 goals in 10 matches, at the London Folkstone Festival.
In 1928 Chand was selected to represent the Indian hockey team in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Chand helped India win the gold medal winning the finals against the Netherlands by a score of 3-0. He played in the centre-forward position and scored two of India's three goals.
On the field he was named the "Wizard of Hockey" for he exerted complete control on the ball. It appeared that the ball used to stick to his hockey stick while playing. Tokyo officials broke his hockey stick to search for a magnet inside, and tried to console themselves saying he had added some sort of glue. On one occasion, a lady from the audience asked Dhyan Chand to play with her walking stick instead. He scored goals even with them.
When everbody else thought he was going to shoot, he passed. On that 1947 tour, he put through a ball to KD Singh Babu, then turned his back and walked away. When Babu later asked the reason for this odd behaviour, he was told, "If you could not get a goal from that you did not deserve to be on my team".
The hockey wizard not only mesmerised millions within pre-partition India but became a household name in all hockey-playing nations. His deft stick-work and amazing ball control left fellow players and spectators awestruck. For two decades, until he bid goodbye to international hockey in 1948, Dhyan Chand became virtually synonymous with hockey, playing numerous matches and scoring hundreds of goals.
He was admired and feared by his opponents, who felt that the ball got stuck to his stick when he played. But his fame notwithstanding, Dhyan Chand, a centre-forward, was an innately selfless person. If he felt either of the two flanks was in a better position to score, he would flick the ball to the well-placed player instantly. To say he was an icon is correct, but only a context can provide a precise measure of such status. Gurbux Singh, 1964 Olympian, provides it when he says,"When I grew up, to achieve anything in sport was to do it in hockey." As the century turned into its last quarter, it held pre-eminence, lifted by India's first Olympic gold in 1928 and kept there till the `70s by a conveyor belt, so terribly rusted now, that rolled out champions like fast food.
In the 1932 Summer Olympics held at Los Angeles, USA, the team under Lal Shah Bukhari defended their title winning the gold. The team routed the United States hockey team 24-1, a record that exists till today. He contributed eight of those goals, and along with his brother Roop Singh formed a formidable core of the team. That particular year, he had scored 133 goals out of India's 338. He was supposidely so fast that TV analysis of his gameplay was rendered too slow!
Dhyan Chand rated Beighton Cup final of 1933 as his most memorable match. The match was played between Jhansi Heroes and Calcutta Customs. Surprisingly, he did not score in that match. He only provided the vital pass for the lone goal scored by the Jhansi Heroes. On their return journey, the Jhansi Heroes were crammed in an unreserved third class compartment. However, the warm welcome received at the station made it the most memorable match for Dhyan Chand.
1928 Amsterdam Olympics
In the first 3 modern Olympics (1896 - 1904), hockey was not one of the sports included. Hockey made its debut in the 1908 London Olympics, where England won the gold among 6 nations.
Excluded from the 1912 Olympics, hockey staged another comeback in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. Four nations participated in the event, with England yet again winning the gold. Hockey was not included in the 1924 Paris Olympics.
There was a strong possibility that hockey would be included in the 1928 Olympics. The International Hockey Federation, which was formed in this period, was lobbying the International Olympic Committee to include hockey in the Olympics.
The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), founded in 1925, was also lobbying for hockey as an Olympic sport. In preparation for that possibility, the IHF had already conducted its inaugural national championship in 1925. The successful Indian army tour of New Zealand in 1926 had convinced the IHF that an Indian team should participate in the Olympics.
However, one problem remained. As England had won both the Olympic hockey tournaments held thus far, Britain was not keen that India, then its colony, participate in the Olympics. After an appeal, the British agreed to India's participation as the British Indian hockey team.
It is a matter of record that from 1928 till India won independence in 1947, Britain never competed in the same Olympic hockey tournament as India. The first meeting between India and Britain would take place two decades later, in the 1948 Olympic hockey final at Wembley, London. India won this match 4-1 to assert its hockey supremacy in the world.
Anyway, the IHF got to send a team for the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Dhyan Chand got selected in this first ever Indian Olympic hockey team.
There was some alarm when the IHF said that they could send only the minimum 11 players. Eventually, the availability of funds made it possible for two more players to join the team.
Before leaving for Amsterdam, the Indian team played some trial matches. The Olympians surprisingly lost to Bombay 2-3, with Dhyan Chand scoring both his team's goals.
Could this first Indian Olympic team really win the Olympic gold?
Setting sail for Amsterdam on March 10, 1928, on the ship Kaiser-i-Hind, Dhyan Chand never forgot the send-off. Just three persons, the IHF president, the IHF vice-president, and a journalist wished them bon voyage. Dhyan Chand later recalled that just these 3 persons, out of around 400 million Indians, considered it important to see off the players.
Some of the players who had never experienced a sea voyage before fell sick. Since Dhyan Chand had travelled by ship earlier, he managed to keep himself healthy.
The 9 countries participating in the 1928 Olympic hockey tournament were India, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, France, Switzerland and Spain. Divided into two pools, the pool winners were to meet for the gold medal.
On May 17, after having travelled thousands of miles from home, India began their quest for Olympic gold and glory when it played against Austria. The weather was fine, and the Indian team was confident and determined. It was an easy game for India, and they won 6-0. Dhyan Chand scored 4 of those goals, showing that he was in top form.
Against Belgium the next day, the Indian team made some changes and won easily 9-0. India next played Denmark on the 20th, and the Danish goalkeeper created many problems for Dhyan Chand and stopped certain goals. India still won 5-0 and were through to the semi-finals.
On May 22, India beat Switzerland 6-0 in the semi-final. Thus India qualified for the Olympic hockey final, where it would clash against hosts Holland for the gold.
In the trial matches prior to the Olympics, India had beaten the Dutch Olympic XI 8-1. This helped them get familiar with their Dutch counterparts, and India was confident of beating them again. However, Holland had the advantage of their home crowd support.
Many years later, Dhyan Chand recalled the 1928 Olympic hockey final against Holland. "At this distant date, I still remember the circumstances in which India took the field on May 26 to win the highest honour in world hockey.
I was ill, and running a high temperature which persisted all throughout the game. That day, our manager A. B. Rosser coined a slogan for us - Do or Die. I was a soldier by profession, and when the country's honour was at stake, there was no alternative but to march boldly into the battlefield."
A huge crowd of 50,000 people had come to cheer their home team. In a memorable encounter, India played attractive hockey and outplayed Holland 3-0. Dhyan Chand had the distinction of scoring two of those goals. Holland put up a brave fight that impressed Dhyan Chand.
Indian goalkeeper Richard Allen had the unique record of not conceding a single goal throughout the tournament. Without doubt, India were the champions of world hockey.
A newspaper report about India's triumph said the following, "This is not a game of hockey, but magic. Dhyan Chand is in fact the magician of hockey." Another newspaper commented, "It is not only the number of goals that Dhyan Chand scores, but the way he scores them."
On May 29, the Indian team lined up to receive their Olympic gold medals. When they returned to Bombay, instead of a mere 3 persons who had given them a send-off, a heroes welcome awaited the Olympic champions.
There was also a unique first - the gold medal won by the Indian hockey team in 1928 was the first Olympic gold medal won by Asia in the modern Olympics.
1932 Los Angeles olympics
The Inter-Provincial Tournament, as the national hockey championship was called in those days, was held just before the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.
The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) wrote to the Army Sports Control Board for Dhyan Chand's leave for the nationals. Dhyan Chand was on duty at a place called Waziristan in the remote North West Frontier Province (now in Pakistan). His platoon did not give him leave for the nationals.
Later, Dhyan Chand read about his inclusion in the Indian team in the newspapers. This unexpected development pleased Dhyan Chand. Apart from Dhyan Chand, Broome Eric Pinnegar, Leslie Hammond and Richard Allen were the other 1928 Olympians retained in the team. Roop Singh was also included in the squad, and he was to play as a left-in.
Just like in 1928, the problem of expenses came up again. The IHF had to grapple with the task of raising funds to go as far as Los Angeles. The IHF thought that a public appeal in the name of Mahatma Gandhi would help them raise funds for the trip.
The IHF sent its representative, Mr. Charles Newman, to meet Gandhiji, who was then in Simla for the Gandhi-Irwin talks. After Newman told him the reason for his visit, Gandhiji simply asked, "What is hockey?"
The 1932 Olympic team played a couple of practice matches in India before heading for Colombo. In two matches in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the Olympic team beat All Ceylon XI 20-0 and 10-0.
Wrote one newspaper on the first match, "Perfection is perilous, for it tempts the gods. For once, this was proved wrong for even the god of weather paid tribute to the genius of the Indian players. Rain clouds, which had threatened to ruin the game, vanished into the blue, and thousands of spectators spent a happy hour marvelling at the incomparable artistry of the Indian team."
The second match was witnessed by the Governor of Ceylon, Sir Graeme Thompson, who remarked, "Is the match really over? I feel that I have been watching the Indians play for only five minutes."
On August 4, 1932, India played against Japan and won 11-1. Dhyan Chand scored 4 goals, and Roop Singh 3. By half-time, India was ahead by 4 goals, leaving Japan no option but to play a defensive game.
Japan beat America 9-2 on August 6. India played America on August 11 to decide the gold medal. Some 5000 spectators and the local Indian population came to watch the match.
Dhyan Chand recounted the match in these words, "On August 11, we met the United States in the final match of the tournament. It was a cakewalk for us, and we won by 24 goals to 1. A few American players even suggested that to make it a contest, the Indians ought to play left-handed or wear snow shoes.
At the interval, we were leading by 10 goals to nil. Incidentally, the 24 goals was a world record. I scored 8 goals, Roop Singh 10, Gurmeet Singh 5 and Pinnegar 1. The lone American goal was scored by Bodlington."
One Los Angeles newspaper wrote, "The All-India field hockey team which G. D. Sondhi brought to Los Angeles to defend their 1928 Olympic title, was like a typhoon out of the east. They trampled under their feet and all but shoved out of the Olympic stadium the eleven players representing the United States."
The Los Angeles Times wrote, "The Americans looked liked a junior team and were disjointed. The Indian forwards made lightening flashes, and both Dhyan and Roop were an inspiration to the side."
Dhyan Chand and Roop Singh scored 25 out of the 35 goals scored by India. This gives an indication of the havoc the two brothers caused among the defenders. They were called the 'hockey twins'. Roop Singh, with his LA Olympic Pass No. 3770, proved his credentials with this display. He was as illustrious as Dhyan Chand.
A cartoon published in the Evening News of India showed Dhyan Chand's stick in the form of a cobra, and Dhyan Chand whistling in front of it like a snake charmer. The hockey stick expresses its feeling with American expressions like 'Gee Wiz'.
The Viceroy of India sent a cable congratulating the Indian team. It read, "I am delighted to learn of the splendid victory of our hockey team. Please give all members of the side my warm congratulations upon retaining the world championship."
Los Angeles was the center of the American film industry. The victorious Indian Olympic team met the famous film comedian Charlie Chaplin in the Olympic village. The team also visited Metro Goldwyn Meyer (MGM) studios. They could not meet the famous actress of that time, Greta Garbo, who had died recently.
Since their out-of-pocket allowances were meagre, the Indian team decided to play a series of fund-raising matches. The Olympic champions toured major American cities, and in Europe, played international matches against Holland, England, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The Indians played in such far-flung cities such as Budapest, Vienna, Florence, Rome and Naples.
A tumultuous welcome awaited the Olympic champions on their arrival in India. The team played matches in Colombo, Lahore and Bombay in the Indian subcontinent.
At the end of this mega tour, India played 37 matches, winning 34, drawing 2, with one abandoned. In these matches, India showed its might in world hockey by scoring 338 goals and conceding just 34 goals. Dhyan Chand himself scored an amazing 133 goals, while Roop Singh scored 94 goals.
With regard to the original aim of raising money, the team still ended up short by Rs. 3000!
1936 Summer Olympics final
In 1936, as in 1932, the Inter-Provincial tournament was the basis for selection to the Olympic team. The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) had written to the Army Sports Control Board requesting that Dhyan Chand be granted leave for participation in the selection trials. Yet again, the Army authorities refused permission due to Dhyan Chand's frontier posting.
By missing the trials, no player could be selected for the team. Consequently, Dhyan Chand's name did not figure in the list of players for the 1936 Berlin Olympics squad.
A big outcry resulted. There was great dismay when people read in the newspapers that Dhyan Chand was excluded from the team. People felt that India was making a big mistake by not including Dhyan Chand.
The IHF again approached the Army, and this time they relented. Just a few days before the Indian team's departure, Dhyan Chand reached Delhi. Had Dhyan Chand not made it to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Indian hockey might have taken a different course!
The appointment of the Indian team captain was still pending. One nominee for the captaincy, Syed Mohammad Jafar, withdrew in Dhyan Chand's favour. The President of the IHF, Kunwar Jagdish Prasad, appointed Dhyan Chand as the captain.
Thus was fulfilled Dhyan Chand's lifelong ambition of leading India in the Olympics. Apart from Dhyan Chand, the only other player on his 3rd consecutive Olympic appearance was goalkeeper Richard James Allen.
For Dhyan Chand's brother Roop Singh, it was his second Olympics. Roop Singh told his brother that he did not have proper clothes for the tour. Dhyan Chand scolded Roop Singh for thinking in such terms and said he would give him his clothes. A few days before departing for Berlin, Dhyan Chand got married to Janaki Devi.
The Berlin-bound Indian team lost 1-4 in a practice match in Delhi. Dhyan Chand wondered if India would lose the Olympic title under his captaincy.
The team set sail on June 27 on the Kanpur. Two players who had never experienced a sea voyage before became seasick. At Aden, Dhyan Chand met his army colleagues from the Punjab Regiment, and the team practised on their ground. From Aden, they set sail for Marseilles.
After reaching Marseilles, the rest of their journey was by land. They went to Paris by train, and after taking in the sights of Paris, the Indian contingent finally reached Berlin on July 13. Many times there was no sleeping accommodation, or adequate money for food, but the team faced all hardships cheerfully.
Germany's dictator Adolf Hitler was using the Olympics as an instrument for his Nazi propaganda. Throughout Berlin, there were thousands of swastikas, the symbol of Nazism, and martial music was played continuously. The sounds of 'Heil Hitler', the way the Nazis greeted Hitler, resounded everywhere.
Dhyan Chand captained the Indian team in 1936 Summer Olympics final. His team had gone down to the Germans in a friendly match, shortly before the Olympics. But this time, India's forward line was reinforced by the inclusion of Ali Iqtidar Shah Dara, who managed to reach Berlin just in time for the final. he Berlin Olympics hockey stadium was the best that Dhyan Chand had seen so far. The opening ceremony of the Games took place on August 1, with the giant airship Hindenberg dominating the ceremony.
Hitler had used the opening of these Games to show the world the supposed might of the Nazi Army. Huge swastikas lined up the massive stadium filled with 100,000 cheering spectators. A controversy arose with some teams saluting Hitler and some not acknowledging the dictator during the march past. Rung during the opening ceremony was a massive bell weighing 14,000 kgs (tons).
Hitler received an olive branch from Spyridion Louis, the Greek winner of the marathon in the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896. An Olympic torch got lit for the first time with the help of the sun's rays. Overall, the arrangements were superb, and in use were the latest technology and communication systems.
In their first match on August 5, India played Hungary and won 4-0. The Hungarian defense and their goalkeper kept the score down. Handicapped in their movements because it had started to rain after the opening whistle, the Indian forwards found the ground soggy.
On August 7, in good weather and ground conditions, India played USA and beat them 7-0. India then played Japan on August 10, and beat them 9-0. Japan had picked up a lot from India since the last Olympics, and no goal was scored in the first twenty minutes of play.
The same evening, the much awaited A. I. S. Dara flew into Berlin, and there was jubilation in the Indian camp. Fielding Dara, India played France in the semi-finals on August 12, and won by 10 goals. Dara scored 2 goals, Dhyan Chand scored 4 goals, and Roop Singh hit in 2 goals.
Meanwhile, Germany had whipped Denmark 6-0, beat Afghanistan 4-1 and in the play-offs, beat Holland 3-0.
Thus India and Germany were to clash in the 1936 Berlin Olympics hockey final. The hockey world was about to see Dhyan Chand in one of his most memorable and mesmerising displays on the hockey field.
A crowd of 40,000 that included the Maharaja of Baroda and a large number of Indians who had travelled from all over the Continent and England had turned out to see the final battle. The audience included Adolf Hitler, and top Nazi officials like Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebells, Joachim Ribbentrop and others.
The vast crowd cheered both the teams as they entered the field. In contrast to our despondency, the Germans appeared to feel that they were playing against a very inferior Indian side. According to a newspaper, the nervousness of the Indian players increased because the burden of India's honour was on their shoulders.
In a patriotic note, they raised the Indian tricolour in the dressing room and sang Vande Mataram an Indian nationalist song, rather than the British national anthem, which they were obliged to sing.
The whistle blew for the start of the game. The crowd roared as Germany adopted India's game and took to short passing. The sun had come out and the ground soon dried out, though the turf was still very soft.
Packed with thrilling incidents, the final had the vast crowd at the edge of their seats. The Germans undercut and lifted the ball in a game played at a very fast pace. Twice India's Dara tried to score but was off-side on both occasions. Germany had been successful at stopping the Indian forwards and it was becoming very difficult for the Indians to score.
It was clear that the first goal scored would be important. In the 32nd minute, Roop Singh scored from a difficult angle after getting a pass from Jafar. This was the only goal India scored till half-time.
During the break, Dhyan Chand huddled his team together and congratulated them on their play so far. He cautioned them that the one goal lead was very small, and that Germany could equalise anytime.
The Indian team got into their rhythm in the second half. Dhyan Chand scored in the opening minutes of the half. India then scored a barrage of goals - four in five minutes to seal the fate of the match.
Roop Singh had an interesting observation on this stage of the match, "Dhyan Chand, a supremely unselfish artist who never held on to the ball for even a second more than necessary, was seen in a rare selfish mode. He shouted to us - direct all passes to me, I will take care from there on."
As the ground was still slippery due to the rain, Dhyan Chand discarded his spiked shoes and stockings and played with his bare feet and rubber soles. It was the incredible stickwork of Dhyan Chand that had the crowd gasping. The way he moved with the ball, as if it was stuck to his hockey stick, puzzled all those who were present.
After India had scored four goals, Germany finally opened its account off a rebound from goalkeeper Richard Allen. This was the first goal conceded by India in the Olympic tournament. It would be the only goal they would concede.
After the sixth goal scored by India, the Germans decided to go after the Indian captain. The German players started to play aggressively and go for rough tackles on Dhyan Chand. The German goalkeeper even broke one of Dhyan Chand's teeth in a clash.
After receiving first aid, Dhyan Chand came back to the field and instructed his team not to score any more goals. "We must teach them a lesson in ball control," he told his team.
The Indian team would take the ball to the German 'D', then back pass among themselves, then take it again to the goalmouth but not score. This strategy baffled the Germans. Dara and Dhyan Chand rounded off the tally in the last few minutes of the game to make the final score India 8 - Germany 1.
The goal scorers had been Roop Singh, Tapsell and Jafar with one each, Dara with two and skipper Dhyan Chand with three. Dara and Dhyan Chand had combined well, and proved to be the duo that undid the Germans.
After the final, as the Indian players were rejoicing at the victory, Dhyan Chand appeared a little sad. On being asked the reason, he said that if this victory had come under the Indian flag, he would have been all the more pleased. More than a decade later, he relished the fact that India became independent on the historic day of August 15, 1947.
India was leading 1-0 at the interval. It has been said that the wet pitch was to blame. Chand removed his shoes, playing barefoot whilst his teammates and opposition were wearing spiked shoes. In the second term, India scored seven goals. After trailing 0-6, the Germans are reported to have resorted to rough play. In a collision with the German goalkeeper, Dhyan Chand broke one of his teeth, but was soon back in action. India won the match 8-1, with Dhyan Chand scoring 6 goals. A reporter said about Dhyan Chand's performance - "With a flick of the wrist, a quick glance of his eyes, a sharp turn and then another turn, and Dhyan Chand was through." Images of this game can be found in the Leni Riefenstahl film, "Olympia."
Impressed by his performance, Adolf Hitler supposedly offered to make Dhyan Chand a Field Marshal in the German army, but the latter refused.Chand scored 59 of India's 175 goals in the pre-Olympic matches and 11 of 38 in the Olympics.
After World War II, he continued to play till the age 42. He hit a total of 61 goals in 22 matches against East Africa. In 1948 he retired from the sport.
Adolf Hitler left his special box in a huff, after Germany's rout. Next day, he invited him for a meeting the following day. Hitler asked Dhyan Chand what post did he hold in India. On learning that the hockey wizard was a mere Naik in the Indian army, Hitler offered to make Dhyan Chand a Field marshal should he decide to live in Germany. Dhyan Chand politely refused, saying that he had a large family to look after, in India. Another version is that Hitler called him up at the end of the match and asked him the question, "What will you take to play for Germany?" To this, Dhyan Chand replied "Nothing sir, India is my India". He had scored a total of 59 out of the team's tally of 175 that Olympics.
Fan incidents
Dhyan Chand was a very simple man. Once he played in an exhibition match with a women's team at Prague, after the Olympic Games. A female fan was highly impressed by his game and expressed her desire to kiss him. He stepped back, saying that he was a married person!
Once, some time after the Partition of India, Dhyan Chand was seen at the Lahore railway station, on way to Peshawar as a part of the Indian team that was scheduled to take part in Joshan celebrations in Afghanistan. Thousands of his Pakistani fans rushed to the station to catch a glimpse of the wizard. The surging crowds led to breakdown of all arrangements. One of the members of the Indian team, Krishan Kumar Kakar narrated "Such was the scene on all stations right up to Peshawar where the train reached more than four hours behind the schedule."
Don Bradman and Dhyan Chand
During a 1935 tour of New Zealand and Australia, he scored 201 goals out of the team's tally of 584 in 43 matches. Don Bradman and Dhyan Chand once came face to face at Adelaide in 1935, when the Indian hockey team was in Australia. After watching Dhyan Chand in action, pala remarked "He scores goals like runs in cricket".
Dhyan Chand's last days
He coached for a while, then settled in his beloved Jhansi, still the fisherman, the hunter of deer, who loved to cook - but short of money.
"Once he went to a tournament in Ahmedabad, and they turned him away not knowing who he was," says Ashok (son of Dhyan Chand). "And he never saw any comfort."
When Dhyan Chand fell ill, liver cancer as it turned out, and came to Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, they sent him to the general ward. A journalist's article eventually got him moved to a special room, but the fact that public memory had to be jogged tells its own story.
In Jhansi they had a funeral, not in the ghat, but on the ground that he played on. Players came, but it seemed a little too late. It made it hard to forget the first few words of his autobiography 'Goal': "You are doubtless aware that I am a common man."
Honours & Awards
August 29 is celebrated as National Sports Day when the national sporting awards are handed out by the President of India at Rashtrapathi Bhavan. Dhyan Chand's imposing statue at the entrance of the National Stadium (main venue of the inaugural Asian Games in 1951) is a reminder of the all-time legend of hockey who brought so much glory to both the game and the nation.
In 1956, at the age of 43, he retired from the army with the rank of Major. The Government of India honoured him that year by conferring him the Padma Bhushan (India's third highest civilian honour). However the Arjuna award for sports excellence was never awarded to him.
Government of Bharat released a postage stamp in his honour on December 3, 1980, exactly a year after he died in hospital.
Dhyan Chand won a number of awards and accolades during his illustrious career. One of the most touching gestures came from the residents of Vienna, who built a statue of the Indian with four hands and four sticks, signifying his unparallel control over the ball.
One of his statues is near the India Gate, New Delhi while another has been erected in 2005 at Medak in Andhra Pradesh.
In 2002, the union sports ministry of India introduced a Lifetime Achievement Award in sports in the name of Dhyan Chand.
Post retirement
After his retirement, Dhyan Chand earned a diploma in coaching from the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, in Punjab. However he found it difficult to coach something that was innate to him.
Residents of Vienna, Austria honoured him by setting up a statue of him with four hands and four sticks, depicting his control and mastery over the ball. One of his famous statues is at the National Stadium near India Gate, New Delhi while another was erected in 2005 at Medak in Andhra Pradesh.
In 1956, at the age of 51, he retired from the army with the rank of Major.
Death
Chand however died penniless and uncared for in a hospital, receiving a meagre pension. Dhyan Chand was very sad to see India finish seventh at the Montreal Olympics, 1976. The Indian team included his son, Ashok Kumar Singh. His grand daughter Neha Singh played for India in the 1998 World Cup.
When he was on his deathbed at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, he reportedly told a doctor that Indian hockey was dying.[citation needed]He then went into a coma and died in 1979.
A year after his death, the Indian Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in his honour. In addition, Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi is named in his honor.
National sports day
29 August, his birthday is celebrated as the National Sports Day in India. The President gives away sport-related awards such as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award on this day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
To commemorate his memory, the Government of India has instituted Dhyan Chand Award which is presented each year to those sportspersons who not only contribute through their performance but also contribute to the sport after their retirement.
Legends
There are many legends about Dhyan which are impossible to verify. Once, some time after the Partition of India, Dhyan Chand was seen at the Lahore railway station, on way to Peshawar as a part of the Indian team that was scheduled to take part in Joshan celebrations in Afghanistan. Thousands of his Pakistani fans rushed to the station to catch a glimpse of the wizard. The surging crowds led to breakdown of all arrangements. One of the members of the Indian team, Krishan Kumar Kakar narrated "Such was the scene on all stations right up to Peshawar where the train reached more than four hours behind the schedule."
On the field he was named the "Wizard of Hockey" for he exerted complete control on the ball. It appeared that the ball used to stick to his hockey stick while playing. So great was the magic of Dhyan Chand that the Tokyo officials broke his hockey stick to search for a magnet inside, and tried to console themselves saying he had added some sort of glue. On one occasion, a lady from the audience asked Dhyan Chand to play with her walking stick instead. He was supposidely so fast that TV analysis of his gameplay was rendered too slow! Once during a tour of Lyon in 1963, a female fan planted a kiss on Dhyan Chand despite him trying his best to avoid that.
Dhyan Chand's Hobbies
In those days, shikar, or hunting was not yet banned by the government. Dhyan Chand owned a licensed army gun which he would use for hunting. He also loved to fish, and like every fishing enthusiast, he would spend hours fishing.
Cooking was his other favourite hobby. He had labels stuck on different daals, or pulses, so that he could easily locate them. For him, cooking was a source of joy, especially when he prepared and served food to close friends. Dhyan Chand was a non-vegetarian. He enjoyed making mutton and fish dishes. He liked making halwa dripping with ghee. He had a habit of drinking milk while standing up. He believed that in this manner, the milk went straight into the body system.
His indoor pastime was billiards. He had an orthodox style of playing billiards, and he would handle the cue in a very odd way. However, once he started scoring, like in hockey, he never stopped. After retirement in Jhansi, he used to play billiards till late in the night.
Dhyan Chand also played cricket well, and was good at batting due to his strong wrists. He enjoyed hitting sixes and fours. Many times at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, he used to play cricket with small children. Later in life, he used to play carroms with his sons.
Dhyan Chand loved photography. He did not have the money to buy an expensive camera, so he carried a very old camera and took pictures with it whenever he could.
Dhyan Chand admitted that he was not a good social mixer. While at home or during play, he kept to himself. He thought that it would be better if he kept quiet and just did his duty or job.
Source Wikipedia & rediff.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Legend of ARRAHMAN
ARR –The Greatest Indian Musician of All-Time & a Great Patriot...
Over and above,a very very humble individual inspite of all the adulation that he is receiving...
Allah Rakkhha Rahman, born on January 6, 1966 as A. S. Dileep Kumar in Chennai, India, is a composer, record producer and musician. His work has garnered considerable acclaim and a large global fanbase since his career began in the early 1990s.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian film composers ever, and his career is considered a turning point in the history of Indian film music. Many credit him with having single-handedly revolutionized the standards of film music composition in India. He is also credited with re-energizing the popularity of Indian film music the world over.
Working in several of India's various state/language film industries, international cinema and theatre, Rahman, in a career spanning over a decade, has sold more than one hundred million records of his film scores and soundtracks world-wide, and sold over two hundred million cassettes making him one of the world's top 25 all-time top selling recording artists.
His acclaimed music compositions have led TIME to declare him the Mozart of Madras and several Tamil commentators have given him the title Isai Puyal (English: Musical Storm).
Biography
Early life and influences
A. R. Rahman was born to R. K. Shekhar, a Hindu Vanniar who was a composer, and conductor for Malayalam-language films. His father was a famous music director in Kerala. But he did not get enough opportunities there. His father died when Rahman was nine years old, and his family rented out musical equipment as a source of income. His family converted to Islam from Hinduism in the late 1970s.
During these early years, Rahman served as a keyboard player and an arranger in bands such as "Roots" and "Nemesis Avenue" with friends including Sivamani, embracing numerous music genres. He played the keyboard and piano, in addition to, among others, the synthesizer, the harmonium and the guitar. His curiosity in the synthesizer in particular increased because, he says, it was the “ideal combination of music and technology".He began early training in music under Master Dhanraj. At the age of 11, he joined, as a keyboardist, the troupe of Ilaiyaraaja,one of many composers to whom musical instruments belonging to Rahman's father were rented to. Rahman later played in the orchestra of M. S. Viswanathan and Ramesh Naidu, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L. Shankar on world tours and obtained a scholarship to Trinity College of Music in London, where he graduated with a degree in Western classical music.
Film scoring and soundtracks
In 1991, Rahman began his own music recording and mixing studio, attached to backyard of his house, called the Panchathan Record Inn. He initially composed music jingles for advertisements, Indian Television channels and music scores in documentaries, among other projects. In 1992, he was approached by film director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for Ratnam's Tamil film Roja. The debut led Rahman to receive the Rajat Kamal award for Best Music Director at the National Film Awards, the first time ever by a first-time film composer. Rahman has since then gone on to win the award three more times (for his scores for Minsaara Kanavu (Electric Dreams, Tamil) in 1997, Lagaan (Tax, Hindi) in 2002, Kannathil Muthamittal (A Kiss on the Cheek, Tamil) in 2003, the most ever by any composer.
Roja's score met with high sales and acclaim, in its original and dubbed versions, bringing about an effective transformation in film music at the time, and Rahman followed this with scores for Tamil-language films including, among others, Bombay, Kadhalan, Indira, Minsaara Kanavu, and Love Birds, which gained him notice. Muthu 's success in Japan further increased his fanbase in that country. His soundtracks gained him recognition in the Tamil film industry and across the world for his versatality in classical, Folk, jazz, reggae, soft rock and other styles in his pieces. Rangeela, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, marked Rahman's debut in Hindi-language films centered in Mumbai. Many popular and superhit scores for films including Dil Se and Taal followed. The sales of these albums prompted several film producers to take film music more seriously.
Rahman's work is also unique in the fact that his collaborations with some film directors have always resulted in successful soundtracks. In particular, he has worked with Mani Ratnam on ten films until 2006, all of which have been musical hits. Also notable is his collaboration with the director S. Shankar in the films Gentleman, Kadhalan, Indian, Jeans, Mudhalvan, Nayak, Boys and Sivaji.
His first movie album Roja was listed in TIME's "Top 10 Movie Soundtracks of All Time" in 2005.The magazine's noted film critic, Richard Corliss felt the "astonishing debut work parades Rahman's gift for alchemizing outside influences until they are totally Tamil, totally Rahman."
Rahman continued to record frequently in his studio, the Panchathan Record Inn. In 2005, a newly developed recording studio, attached to the Inn called A.M. Studios was opened. It is considered to be the most developed, equipped and high tech studio of Asia. In 2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Musiq. Its first release was his soundtrack to the film Sillunu Oru Kaadhal which it released worldwide, in August 2006. Rahman scored the Mandarin language picture Warriors of Heaven and Earth in 2005 and co-scored Elizabeth: The Golden Age in 2007. His compostions have been reused in scores not just within India, but in films abroad, making appearances in Inside Man, Lord of War and The Accidental Husband.
His latest work includes score and producing soudtracks for Ghajini,Yuvvraaj,Azhagiya Tamil Magan, Jodhaa Akbar, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na* Sakkarakatti, ADA: A Way of Life and Slumdog Millionaire. He is a recipient of the Padma Shri award from the Government of India.
Other works
Rahman has been involved in several projects aside from film. He made an album Vande Mataram (1997) on India's 50th anniversary of independence to immense success. He followed it up with an album called Jana gana mana, a conglomeration of performances by many leading exponents/artists of Indian classical music. In addition to writing jingles for ads, he has composed several orchestrations for athletic events and T.V. and internet media publications, documentaries and short films.
In 1999, Rahman, along with choreographers Shobhana and Prabhu Deva Sundaram and a dancing troupe from the Tamil film industry performed with Michael Jackson in Munich, Germany, for his "Michael Jackson and Friends Concert." In 2002, he composed his maiden stage production Bombay Dreams (2002) following a commission from famous musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Furthermore, Rahman, along with the Finnish folk music band Värttinä, composed the music for The Lord of the Rings theatre production. He composed the piece "Raga's Dance" for Vanessa-Mae's album Choreography (2004).
In the last six years, he has performed in three successful world tours of his concerts to audiences in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, UK, Canada, the US (Hollywood Bowl and 3d tour) and India.He has been collaborating with Karen David for her upcoming studio album. A two-disc soundtrack, Introducing A. R. Rahman, (2006) featuring 25 pieces he composed from his Tamil film scores was released in May 2006.
Music style
Rahman's instant success is owed to his clever usage of Western instruments to invoke Indian sounds while his peers tried to invoke Western sounds through Indian instruments. His interest in the works of Classical and Romantic period composers, Carnatic composers, early film composers and predecessors K. V. Mahadevan and Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy of the film industry of Tamil Nadu and others continued through his late teens. He further explored and trained in Carnatic music, Western classical, Hindustani music and the Qawwali style of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, in addition to numerous other styles.
His interest and outlook in music is said to stem from his love of experimentation and syncretic background.As a result, his scores have alternated from songs and themes composed covering a variety of genres, with unconventionally-grouped instruments, and different vocal styles being used and combined together in some of his film soundtracks, to more traditional orchestral themes with leitmotif techniques composed in others. Rahman's works often feature a mix of minimalist songs and evocative, thematic pieces, building on his differing chord progressions and rhythms, and is credited with evoking new and varied melodic and percussive sounds from instruments of different music systems.
Social work
Rahman is involved in various charitable causes.In 2004, he was appointed as the Global Ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a project by WHO.He has shown support to charities including Save the Children, India, and worked with Cat Stevens / Yusuf Islam for his song "Indian Ocean" . The song featured a-ha keyboard player Magne Furuholmen and Travis drummer, Neil Primrose. The proceeds of the song went towards helping orphans in Banda Aceh, one of the areas worst affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. He also supports charities such as Save the Children and has also produced the single "We Can Make It Better" by Don Asian alongside Mukhtar Sahota. [9] In 2008, Rahman opened his KM Music Conservatory and Audio Media Education facility for upcoming musicians. The facility - India's first Apple Inc. authorised training centre - is located near his studio in Kodambakkam, Chennai.
Article from wikipedia.
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF INDIA
About our National Anthem for those who love to know more...
Jana-Gana-Mana(Thou Art the Ruler of All Minds)
" Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He
Bharat Bhagya Vidhata
Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha
Dravida Utkala Banga
Vindhya Himachal Yamuna Ganga
Ucchala Jaladhi Taranga
Tubh Shubha Name Jage
Tubh Shubha Ashisha Mange
Gahe Tubh Jaya Gata
Jan Gan Mangaldayak Jay He
Bharat Bhagya Vidhata
Jaye He ! Jaye He ! Jaye He !
Jaye,Jaye,Jaye,Jaye He "
Translation of The national anthem In English
Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny.
The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujurat and Maratha. Of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal.
It Echoes in the hills of Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for your blessing and sing thy praise. The salvation of all peaople is thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, Victory, Victory to thee.
Jana Gana Mana was composed by Shri Rabindranath Tagore and first sung at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress on December 27th, 1911. It was adopted as the National Anthem of India on 24th January, 1950 by the Constituent Assembly. The first stanza( out of five stanzas) of the song forms the National Anthem.
The above is the full version of the Anthem and its playing time is approximately 52 seconds.
A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the National Anthem is also played on certain occasions. It reads as follows:
Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!
Playing time of the short version is about 20 seconds.
The occasions on which the full versions or the short version will be played have been indicated at the appropriate places in these instructions.
• Playing of the Anthem
1. The full version of the Anthem shall be played on the following occasions: -
i. Civil and Military investitures;
ii. When National Salute (which means the Command "Rashtriya Salute – Salami Shastr" to the accompaniment of the National Anthem) is given on ceremonial occasions to the President or to the Governor/Lieutenant Governor within their respective States/Union Territories;
iii. During parades – irrespective of whether any of the dignitaries referred to in (ii) above is present or not;
iv. On arrival of the President at formal State functions and other functions organized by the Government and mass functions and on his departure from such functions;
v. Immediately before and after the President addresses the Nation over All India Radio;
vi. On arrival of the Governor/Lieutenant Governor at formal State functions within his State/Union Territory and on his departure from such functions;
vii. When the National Flag is brought on parade;
viii. When the Regimental Colours are presented;
ix. For hoisting of colours in the Navy.
2. The short version of the Anthem shall be played when drinking toasts in Messes.
3. The Anthem shall be played on any other occasion for which special orders have been issued by the Government of India.
4. Normally the Anthem shall not be played for the Prime Minister, though there may be special occasions when it may be played.
5. When the National Anthem is played by a band, the Anthem will be preceded by a roll of drums to assist the audience to know that the National Anthem is going to be played, unless there is some other specific indication that the National Anthem is about to be played, as for example, when fanfares are sounded before the National Anthem is played, or when toasts are drunk to the accompaniment of the National Anthem or when the National Anthem constitutes the National Salute given by a Guard of Honour. The duration of the roll, in terms of marching drill, will be 7 paces in slow march. The roll will start slowly, ascend to as loud a volume as possible and then gradually decreases to original softness, but remaining audible until the seventh beat. One beat rest will then be observed before commencing the National Anthem.
• Mass Singing of the Anthem
1. The full version of the Anthem shall be played accompanied by mass singing on the following occasions: -
i. On the unfurling of the National Flag, on cultural occasions or ceremonial functions other than parades. (This could be arranged by having a choir or adequate size, suitably stationed, which would be trained to coordinate its singing with the band etc. There should be an adequate public audition system so that the gathering in various enclosures can sing in unison with the choir);
ii. On arrival of the President at any Government or Public function (but excluding formal State functions and mess functions) and also immediately before his departure from such functions.
2. On all occasions when the National Anthem is sung, the full version shall be recited accompanied by mass singing.
3. The Anthem may be sung on occasions which, although not strictly ceremonial, are nevertheless invested with significance because of the presence of Ministers etc. The singing of the Anthem on such occasions (with or without the accompaniment of an instruments) accompanied by mass singing is desirable.
4. It is not possible to give an exhaustive list of occasions on which the singing (as distinct from playing) of the Anthem can be permitted. But there is no objection to the singing of the Anthem accompanied by mass singing so long as it is done with due respect as a salutation to the motherland and proper decorum is maintained.
5. In all schools, the day's work may begin with community singing of the anthem. School authorities should make adequate provision in their programmes for popularising the singing of the Anthem and promoting respect for the National Flag among students.
• General
1. Whenever the Anthem is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary the Anthem is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the Anthem.
2. As in the case of the flying of the National Flag, it has been left to the good sense of the people not to indulge in indiscriminate singing or playing of the Anthem.
Reference india.gov.in.
Jana-Gana-Mana(Thou Art the Ruler of All Minds)
" Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He
Bharat Bhagya Vidhata
Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha
Dravida Utkala Banga
Vindhya Himachal Yamuna Ganga
Ucchala Jaladhi Taranga
Tubh Shubha Name Jage
Tubh Shubha Ashisha Mange
Gahe Tubh Jaya Gata
Jan Gan Mangaldayak Jay He
Bharat Bhagya Vidhata
Jaye He ! Jaye He ! Jaye He !
Jaye,Jaye,Jaye,Jaye He "
Translation of The national anthem In English
Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny.
The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujurat and Maratha. Of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal.
It Echoes in the hills of Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for your blessing and sing thy praise. The salvation of all peaople is thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, Victory, Victory to thee.
Jana Gana Mana was composed by Shri Rabindranath Tagore and first sung at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress on December 27th, 1911. It was adopted as the National Anthem of India on 24th January, 1950 by the Constituent Assembly. The first stanza( out of five stanzas) of the song forms the National Anthem.
The above is the full version of the Anthem and its playing time is approximately 52 seconds.
A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the National Anthem is also played on certain occasions. It reads as follows:
Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!
Playing time of the short version is about 20 seconds.
The occasions on which the full versions or the short version will be played have been indicated at the appropriate places in these instructions.
• Playing of the Anthem
1. The full version of the Anthem shall be played on the following occasions: -
i. Civil and Military investitures;
ii. When National Salute (which means the Command "Rashtriya Salute – Salami Shastr" to the accompaniment of the National Anthem) is given on ceremonial occasions to the President or to the Governor/Lieutenant Governor within their respective States/Union Territories;
iii. During parades – irrespective of whether any of the dignitaries referred to in (ii) above is present or not;
iv. On arrival of the President at formal State functions and other functions organized by the Government and mass functions and on his departure from such functions;
v. Immediately before and after the President addresses the Nation over All India Radio;
vi. On arrival of the Governor/Lieutenant Governor at formal State functions within his State/Union Territory and on his departure from such functions;
vii. When the National Flag is brought on parade;
viii. When the Regimental Colours are presented;
ix. For hoisting of colours in the Navy.
2. The short version of the Anthem shall be played when drinking toasts in Messes.
3. The Anthem shall be played on any other occasion for which special orders have been issued by the Government of India.
4. Normally the Anthem shall not be played for the Prime Minister, though there may be special occasions when it may be played.
5. When the National Anthem is played by a band, the Anthem will be preceded by a roll of drums to assist the audience to know that the National Anthem is going to be played, unless there is some other specific indication that the National Anthem is about to be played, as for example, when fanfares are sounded before the National Anthem is played, or when toasts are drunk to the accompaniment of the National Anthem or when the National Anthem constitutes the National Salute given by a Guard of Honour. The duration of the roll, in terms of marching drill, will be 7 paces in slow march. The roll will start slowly, ascend to as loud a volume as possible and then gradually decreases to original softness, but remaining audible until the seventh beat. One beat rest will then be observed before commencing the National Anthem.
• Mass Singing of the Anthem
1. The full version of the Anthem shall be played accompanied by mass singing on the following occasions: -
i. On the unfurling of the National Flag, on cultural occasions or ceremonial functions other than parades. (This could be arranged by having a choir or adequate size, suitably stationed, which would be trained to coordinate its singing with the band etc. There should be an adequate public audition system so that the gathering in various enclosures can sing in unison with the choir);
ii. On arrival of the President at any Government or Public function (but excluding formal State functions and mess functions) and also immediately before his departure from such functions.
2. On all occasions when the National Anthem is sung, the full version shall be recited accompanied by mass singing.
3. The Anthem may be sung on occasions which, although not strictly ceremonial, are nevertheless invested with significance because of the presence of Ministers etc. The singing of the Anthem on such occasions (with or without the accompaniment of an instruments) accompanied by mass singing is desirable.
4. It is not possible to give an exhaustive list of occasions on which the singing (as distinct from playing) of the Anthem can be permitted. But there is no objection to the singing of the Anthem accompanied by mass singing so long as it is done with due respect as a salutation to the motherland and proper decorum is maintained.
5. In all schools, the day's work may begin with community singing of the anthem. School authorities should make adequate provision in their programmes for popularising the singing of the Anthem and promoting respect for the National Flag among students.
• General
1. Whenever the Anthem is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary the Anthem is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the Anthem.
2. As in the case of the flying of the National Flag, it has been left to the good sense of the people not to indulge in indiscriminate singing or playing of the Anthem.
Reference india.gov.in.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Martin Luther King, Jr "I Have a Dream"
Delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.One of the most remembered speeches of all time.....??
"
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
"
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
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