Returned from the Kala Ghoda Festival yesterday evening, exhausted and contented. Listened to Lata heavenly rendering of Ghalib followed by Asha, the queen bee, crooning ` Meraj-e- Ghazal’ in her usual seductive and honeyed voice on my return flight. I used to listen her bewitching ` Heraito ke silsile’ when I used to commute to Navasari by the Ahmedabad Passenger on my walkman for years. The song still spoke for me. Has the song changed? Has the listener changed? From thousands of feet above sea level, the megacities of Mumbai, Surat and Vadodara looked like jewels studded necklace on an empress.
I flew after a long time. My earlier experience of flying was in 2000 when I visited the UK for a conference. The trip, of course, was fun and the sight of mountains slouching like herd of dinosaurs was exciting. The hateful venonmous clouds of pollutions hanging over the star studded cities was not exactly a pleasant site.
KALA GHODA GORE LOG
M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara
Baroda School of Legal Studies: The Faculty of Law, M.S. University, Baroda has been
a premier law institute in Gujarat since the sixties. In 2005, it has started ‘Baroda School of Legal Studies’ (BSLS), which shall impart Five Years Integrated Law Course. This is a course after 12th standard; which shall open a new and a novel career option for the students.This course aims to chisel out bright and brilliant lawyers out of raw teenagers. The age of Globalization and liberalization has totally changed the face of legal profession creating a huge demand of corporate lawyers in India and abroad. And to answer this need of changing times, the law institutions are coming forward to cope-up with this changing scenario. And at such a time how can the globally recognized M.S.University lag behind? Starting of BSLS is a constructive step in this direction.
The Famous EME Temple of Lord Shiva at Vadodara in Gujarat State
This famous EME temple is situated in the Fatehgunj, army cantonment area in 
the city of Vadodara. It can be easily reached by hired auto rickshaws from any corner of the Vadodara city. The soldiers of the Indian army, stationed at the Vadodara city have built this unique temple in the year 1974. The top roof is circular in shape and is made up of the aluminium scrape sheets, which were collected at the army warehouse. The roof has a diameter of around 75 feet. The statue of Lord Dakshinamurti, which is said to be the reincarnation of Lord Shiva facing south, is put here at the temple. Normally, all Lord Shiva temples would have Lord Shiva Lingam positioned inside the temple, but it is not so here. The Lord Dakshinamurti statue placed here is made of black stone and really looks very impressive. The temple is situated in the vast area and the most beautiful garden all around this temple presents the most scenic view. There are also statues of Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman, and Amba Mata kept in the main temple. There are 24 other statues of various gods installed all around the main temple. The sweet Shiva Stotra is continuously played on a sophisticated music system, with the mikes put in all the corners of the temple. The effect of this holy music is simply great and inspires all the visitors to go in to deep meditation. The visitors need to take full round of the main temple to view all the 24 statues of the gods installed.
