1) The author recalls fond childhood memories of traveling with his father through the hills of Nainital and Mukteshwar, where they would stop at an ashram led by Swami Ji. 2) Swami Ji would offer the author's father a hot drink during the cold weather, which the curious young author also tried and enjoyed - a mixture of coffee and tea that Swami Ji called "cof-tea". 3) Years later, when enrolling his son in a science institute, the author remembered Swami Ji's message that mixing different things, like cultures and religions, can create something good, just as the "cof-tea" blended coffee and tea. The author accepted

1. Cof-Tea
In my childhood I studied in a school in Nainital. My father was also posted there. The
road from Nainital to Mukteshwar, a small picturesque hill station, was in charge of my
father. I always liked to travel along with my father, especially when he used to go for
special visits while clearing the roads from high amounts of snow. He also used to go to a
small ashram on a hilltop in Mukteshwar, where the grand old bearded Swami ji used to
offer a hot drink to my father. Those days, the weather at Mukteshwar used to be very
rough and shivering cold. Although I was too young to start tea or coffee, due to very
cold weather, I developed an instinct to try that hot drink. Observing the curiosity in my
eyes, Swami ji, happily gave a cup of that hot-drink to me. Somehow I liked the taste in
the first go itself. I asked its name. Swami Ji, said "cof-tea". My father asked swami ji,
“Everyone offers me tea in this weather, but whenever I come here I always have an urge
to get this special drink of yours. What is the magic behind this thought of yours”. Swami
Ji replied with a meaningful smile, “Garg Sahib! This is the power of mixing two good
things in a right ratio. In the same way art, culture and religions can be mixed. They will
also form a good recipe. It is just simple, that I tried this on coffee and tea and you can try
it in all spheres of life”. As the taste of that cof-tea is still imprinted on my mind, so is the
message that Swami Ji gave to me and my father.
Recently, I felt the same message running through my mind again. I went for admission
of my son in Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata. There, students
had been selected from all parts of the country. I, along with my son and his mother, went
one day ahead of the reporting date to enquire if my son will adjust properly amongst
students of different states and cultures, especially when we are totally vegetarians. We
visited the authorities to find if my son could be accommodated with other students from
our state Uttar Pradesh or at least some other Hindi speaking state. The authorities replied
that they allot rooms by a lottery system only. They said that they want students from all
states to actually mix together and grow together. This way they will turn out to be better
scientists in future. The word cof-tea immediately came to my mind. The message from
Swami Ji of Mukteshwar tingled again and I happily accepted the situation. And to my
surprise my son and his mother accepted this situation even more easily.
Try this Cof-tea recipe today in your kitchen as well as in life.
Dr. Sunil Ji Garg