A Ghost Funeral: The Last Mughal King haunts Red Fort

story from Hindustan Times image from wikimedia

It is said that on many Thursday nights, a ghost procession led by the last Mughal king and his beautiful consort went around the Red Fort. The procession was possibly that of one of Zafar’s children who died at the hands of the British.

In the 19th century when hundreds of minor principalities had divided India, Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal king, was reduced to preside over the dwindling empire in Delhi. The last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty, he was the son of Akbar Shah II by his Hindu wife Lalbai.

A published account in media says: “The apparition of the King was of average height, with broad shoulders, long arms but unusually short legs. The queen was tall like the letter Alif, as graceful as a cypress tree, with long raven-coloured hair; she had a narrow waist and short feet fitted in sandals adorned with pearls, which glittered in the moonlight.”

The people witnessed to this ghost procession say, “The King always wore loose pyjamas and the queen invariably spotted a long, gold-laced gharara, with a golden cummerbund, which reached almost to the ground and rustled in the breeze.”

Both apparitions appeared to be grief-stricken, because of the sudden demise of their child. They walked along the procession in measured steps, almost regally. The King’s head always mournfully dropped on his shoulder.

While some part of Bahadur Shah’s opus was lost or destroyed during the unrest of 1857-1858, a large collection did survive, and was later compiled into the Kulliyyat-i Zafar. Zafar’s poetries were about love and mysticism, with Delhi as the backdrop. Some say since Zafar was in love with his writings and that he revisits his preserved writings in the moonlight.

Zafar’s gazal from bestghazals

Random Uncleji and Auntyji vampires

no idea where this came from!

The Great Khali

alright I know I only just discovered this guy and he’s been around for a while- but if you haven’t seen him- check out the size of this Punju! He makes Hulk Hogan look like a dwarf. And if you shaved his head and beard he’s Sabu in the flesh, complete with sexy bondage wrist cuffs:

image from link

Dalip Singh Rana[3] (born August 27, 1972) better known by his ring name “The Great Khali”, (and previously “Giant Singh” ) is an Indian professional wrestler, actor and former powerlifter who won Mr. India in 1995 and 1996. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestling on its SmackDown! brand. Before embarking on his professional wrestling career, he was an officer in the Punjab state police; he was also a labourer.

from wiki

Like many WWE stars – such as The Rock, aka Dwayne Douglas Johnson – Rana has done a few odd Hollywood roles, including a 2005 film called The Longest Yard.

On the set of another film, called Get Smart, the wrestler surprised Hollywood actor Steve Carell.

“Literally, you shake his hand and you are shaking the inner part of his palm. He could put his hand over your entire head and crush you,” Carell told a reporter later.

Now Rana says he will be “choosy” about doing roles in Bollywood.

Clearly, the wrestler has come a long way since he was breaking rocks on road building projects. In his spare time, he picked up two body building titles.

When he was not working, women in his village of Dhirana would often call him to do what they call heavy duty work: lifting cattle from one barn to another.

WWE scriptwriters racked their brains for an appropriate nickname: Rana first proposed Big Bhima, a character from the Indian epic Mahabharata, but the name did not find much appeal. “Giant Singh” also found no takers.

Someone recommended Lord Shiva but it was rejected on fears that it might offend Indian sentiments.

Rana then proposed the Indian Goddess, Kali, and spoke about her destructive powers.

It clicked instantly. The rest is history.

Rana says he is a vegetarian and abhors alcohol and tobacco. He says he lives a “simple life” with his homemaker wife Harminder Kaur .

from bbcnews

Adorable Desi Werewolf Boy

It takes a lot to bring out my own maternal instincts but this little wolverine kid slays me! Makes me want to howl at the moon and bear a litter of wolf cubs. Of course the poor kid’s going to grow up with doctors and other idiots calling him “diseased” instead of completely adorable… and his mother? She has to ask “God” why he did this to her? Someone should feed that woman cyanide and have her ovaries set aflame.

Hypertrichosis, also known as Werewolf Syndrome, is a rare genetic condition that has been plaguing Pruthviraj Patil since birth. Believed to be one of a mere 50 people in the world with the condition, Pruthviraj and his family have tried numerous treatments, but have had little luck. From homeopathy, to traditional Indian Ayurvedic remedies and even laser surgery, the Patil family has tried a lot, but the hair just keeps coming back. They are desperate to find a cure.

Pruthviraj says, “I would like to get the hair removed but even after laser treatment it grows back. The doctors don’t have any answers.” The hair is thick, matted and covers the boy’s face resulting in a lifetime of being stared at, bullied and harassed. “It is difficult when I venture outside of my hometown or where people don’t know me,” says the boy. “Why did God do this to us?” asks his mother. “He looks so odd and wherever we go people throng to see him.” When he was born some villagers regarded him as a God, while other saw him as a supernatural creature or a bad omen.

Despite his appearance, Pruthviraj is a popular student at his school. “When I first went to school I used to get bullied and other children would laugh at me,” he says, “but now they treat me like normal. We all play cricket together and the hair doesn’t stop me running or catching the ball, so it is not a big problem.”

Vinay Saoji, a plastic surgeon, says the boy suffers from one of the rarest genetic conditions. “Hair nevus, where a person has patches of excess hair growth or hirsutism, is not uncommon. But hair persisting all over the body is very rare,” he explains. “Though I have seen such cases documented I have never come across anyone suffering from the condition until now.”

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