Celebrating Easter Morning at The Church of The Epiphany, Gurgaon

Today's Easter Day celebration was a special one at the Church of the Epiphany, Gurgaon as it was the last service undertaken by the Presbyter in Charge, Revd. Daman Rodgers before his transfer to another church in Delhi.

It was both an emotional moment as we bid a warm farewell to our beloved Presbyter, and more so as it was a celebration of the risen Lord. We were treated by amazing praise and worship by our choir, the Sunday school children and an individual number by one of our younger members.

Without saying much, I am sharing some of the photographs that my brother Sanjay and I took on the day. A special thanks to Mr. Sunil Sannoo, the Secretary of the Pastorate committee and all those who worked behind the scenes to make the day memorable. We wish Revd. Daman all the best as he takes up new responsibilities in his new church! Greetings to all the Church members and their families on the occasion of Easter, prayers and best wishes for a Happy Easter, and celebrating the promise of the Risen Lord.

Sarus Cranes - Amazing Birds of India

In all the years I have been photographing wildlife, I have never been more enthralled than when photographing the rather majestic Sarus Cranes! These majestic birds move around in pairs or with their offspring. What would I not do to get a few good shots of these birds! They are amazing birds that follow amazing courtship rituals. They sing together, fly together, and groom their feathers together.

It is no doubt always a challenge to photograph these majestic birds, more often because the weather is mostly bad with all that smog and fog and haze, and of course, these are rather private birds who like their privacy more than posing for the shutterbugs. The lack of freshwater marshes and wetlands has driven these birds away from the more accessible spots on foot for many photographers. Also, the increased human activity in the outskirts of most urban areas has driven away these birds. Earlier it was possible to spot these birds at what used to be a vibrant wetland known as the Basai Wetland but is now a major construction site!

Sarus Cranes are also known to be the largest flying birds in the world. the same is true for their western cousins, the Sandhill Cranes. These elegant birds stand tall, they have regal scarlet crests on their heads and scarlet collars around their necks. They are a royal sight for those lucky enough to spot them, let alone photograph them!

The male Sarus Crane stands a couple of inches taller than the female partner and is more alert and aggressive, often deciding when to make an aggressive move, a warning trumpet, or a flight into a safer spot.

I photographed this pair of cranes at the Sultanpur National Park today, right at the end of the winter season. It was a clear and bright day with a little bit of haze. I photographed the same pair of Sarus Cranes during the winter season when it was foggy and dark. The photographs I have posted below were taken in December 2023.

Last, I would like to write about how these majestic birds are known for being faithful to each other. They are known to be symbols of faithfulness and integrity. A large number of Hindi poems have been written about these birds. Perhaps, we need to recognize them as National birds of the country. And, yes, Sarus Cranes do fly!

Prose Extract Based Questions for The Tiger King

From that day onwards it was celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram. The state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. A proclamation was issued to the effect that if anyone dared to fling so much as a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be confiscated.The Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing the hundred tigers. Initially, the king seemed well set to realise his ambition.

1. According to the extract, the tigers were celebrating because:

        a) The state had decided to relocate the tigers to a safer place.

        b) The state had decided to warn people not to hurt tigers.

        c) The state would punish anyone who attempted to hurt the tigers.

        d) Both a) and b) are correct.

        e) both b) and c) are correct.

2.  With reference to the statement, ‘It was celebration time for all the tigers’ which of the below 

     statements is correct?

         a) The statement is ironical because the tigers did not realise that their celebration was 

              unfounded.

         b) The statement is an example of dramatic irony because the tigers did not realise that they 

             would soon be killed.

        c) The statement is an example of situational irony because the celebration will lead to their 

             death.

        d) Both a) and b) are correct.

        e) Both c) and a) are correct.

 3. Which of the following is the correct interpretation of the  Tiger King’s character based on the 

      statement, ‘…He would attend to all other matters only after killing hundred tigers’.

        a) He was courageous

        b) He was determined

        c) He was selfish

        d) He was kind

  4. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE.

       The Tiger King’s ambition is to save the people from the tigers.

       _______________

At another time he was in danger of losing his throne. A high-ranking British officer visited    Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers. And fonder of being photographed with the    tigers he had shot. As usual, he wished to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. But the Maharaja was firm in his resolve. He refused permission.

1. State which of the following options describes the correct reason for the  Statement that ‘He 

    refused permission.’

    a) The Maharaja wanted to protect the tigers from rampant poaching.

    b) The Maharaja wanted to uphold the laws of the land.

    c) The Maharaja  wanted to show how just he was.

    d) The Maharaja wanted no competition; he wanted to kill tigers himself.

2. Complete the following sentence with reference to the extract.

     The Maharaja was in danger of losing his throne at one time because__________________

3. Explain one inference that can be drawn from the line, ‘He was very fond of hunting tigers.’

    a) The British officer was looking for an excuse to invade Pratibandapuram.

    b) The British officer wanted to kill a tiger and be photographed with it as was the custom in those 

         days.

    c) The British officer was as fond of publicity as the Tiger King was.

    d) The British officer was a true conservationist who wanted to photograph tigers.

4. The best possible meaning of the phrase, ‘firm in his resolve’ suggests that _______

     a) He was a stubborn person.

     b) He was a realistic person.

     c) He was a rational person.

     d) He was a just person.

But soon came the happy news which dispelled that gloom. In his own state sheep began to disappear frequently from a hillside village. It was first ascertained that this was not the work of Khader Mian Saheb or Virasami Naicker, both famed for their ability to swallow sheep whole. Surely a tiger was at work. The Maharaja announced a three-year tax exemption for that village and set out on the hunt at once.

1. State whether the following sentence is TRUE or False

     The Maharaja was in a state of gloom because he was afraid of being killed by a tiger.

2. The happy news dealt with:

     a) the news that sheep were disappearing overnight, probably because they were being smuggled 

          out.

     b) the news that Virasami and Khader Mian were swallowing the sheep whole.

     c) the news that there was a possibility of a tiger being responsible for the disappearance of the 

         sheep.

    d) the possibility that the villagers were behind the disappearance of the tigers and the sheep!

3. Fill in the blank.

     Both Khader Mian Saheb and Virasami Naicker were__________________________by profession.

4. The announcement of a three-year’s tax exemption appears to be

     a) an impulsive decision

     b) a premature decision

   c) a hasty decision

   d) All three, a), b), and c) are correct.

   e) only a) and c) are correct.

Vijay Benedict, Renowned Bollywood Singer Visits The Church of The Epiphany

Today, the 17th of March was an important day for the Church of The Epiphany members as the Lenten worship was led by Vijay Benedict, a well-known vocalist of Bollywood fame and Revd. Dr. Richard Howell, Director of the Caleb Institute, Farrukhnagar. The church pews were packed and the parishioners and guests were enthralled by spiritual numbers sung by Vijay Benedict. 

Revd. Richard Howell delivered a soul-stirring sermon that had everyone hanging on to their seats. He interacted with the gathering and the children, delivering his message with panache! His message was based on God's love for all humanity. He mixed his sermon with homilies that had the gathering switching between the more serious and lighter moments, tears of praise turning into tears of laughter.

A special thanks to all those stalwarts who worked behind the scenes. Revd. Daman, the Presbyter in Charge for his guidance, Mr. Sunil Sannoo, Hon'ble Secretary of the Pastorate Committee for the overall supervision, members of the Pastorate Committee for overall logistics, volunteers, Mr. Sundeep Mathur for liaisoning with the guests, Mr. Robin Moses and Mr. D.D.Lal for being there. The day ended with a fellowship lunch.