Culturama August 2016 by Rohini Manian

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August 2016 Volume 7, Issue 06

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North-east India special A South Indian tribute to the beautiful and pristine north-east, this independence month

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Dear Readers,

Editor-in-Chief Ranjini Manian Senior Editor Lakshmi Krupa Business Head Archana Iyengar Creative Head Prem Kumar

Clockwise from top-left: At the Mother's Market in Imphal, with Bihu dancers, a grass installation of the four-headed lion, the Indian emblem and the future stars of north-east India

You dont know an earthquake till you have actually lived through one. I had just stepped foot into north-east India, driving from Guwahati in Assam to Shillong in Meghalaya, across wide, well laid-out roads, with the Brahmaputra flowing in. I was all ready and excited for my northeast and South India connections trip. As I got into bed to read about the history of the land, the windows, doors and my entire bed rattled unbelievably. The 6.8 on the Richter scale quake lasted just a few minutes, its ‘shake’ stayed with me for hours. Our north-east Indian brothers and sisters live through this often. I took it as a sign that my trial by fire into this land was an omen to shake up the reverie of apathy that we have fallen into, and the time was now to build our extended Indian brotherhood. On this expedition I was accompanied by a colleague who is originally from Nagaland but lives in Chennai now, Octoli Tuccu, and a Chennaiite travelpreneur, who now lives in the north-east, Rohan K. Abraham. Together, we visited Kaziranga when Prince William and Duchess Kate were there too, so the air was abuzz with royalty. In Kaziranga, watching the rhinos

up close from elephant-back safaris was the best ever experience, as elephants go right besides the rhinos in friendly camaraderie, while the jeep safaris go on the bumpiest ever dirt roads where you watch from afar. I took this as a metaphor for being able to see the north-east from up close with my companions who knew the local culture. At the living roots bridge, the engineering student I met had never heard of Tamil Nadu. In the Imphal Fort, a lady I spoke to had never heard of Chennai where I said I came from, although a little light of recognition passed her eyes when I mentioned Madras. So this bridge needs building both ways for our nation. The north-east needs to know the rest of India, too. But as that is too mammoth a task, we have decided to form the TNTcc (Tamil Nadu Nagaland Taskforce for commerce and community) as a first step in this journey of thousands of miles. As we drove away to head back home, we saw a grass installation of the four-headed lion, and I realised that any direction we choose, we will win, with oneness. I wish Indians everywhere a Happy Independence Day. Ranjini Manian, Editor-in-Chief globalindian@globaladjustments.com

VP Finance V Ramkumar Circulation S Raghu Advertising Chennai Archana Iyengar Bengaluru Syeda Zainab Anees Delhi/NCR Ruchika Srivastava Mumbai/Pune Arjun Bhat To subscribe to this magazine, e-mail info@globaladjustments.com or access it online at www.culturama.in Chennai (Headquarters) 5, 3rd Main Road, R A Puram, Chennai – 600028 Telefax +91-44-24617902 E-mail culturama@globaladjustments.com Bengaluru No.: A2, SPL Habitat, No.138, Gangadhar Chetty Road, Ulsoor, Bengaluru – 560043. Tel +91-80-41267152, E-mail culturamablr@globaladjustments.com Delhi-NCR Level 4, Augusta Point, Golf Course Road, Sector 53, Gurgaon 122002, Haryana Tel +91 124 435 4224 E-mail del@globaladjustments.com Mumbai #1102, 11th floor, Peninsula Business Park, Tower B, SB Road, Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400013 Tel +91-22-66879366 E-mail mum@globaladjustments.com Published and owned by Ranjini Manian at #5, 3rd Main Road, Raja Annamalai Puram, Chennai – 600028, and printed by K Srinivasan of Srikals Graphics Pvt Ltd at #5, Balaji Nagar, 1st Street, Ekkattuthangal, Chennai – 600032 Editor-in-Chief Ranjini Manian Disclaimer Views and opinions expressed by writers do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s or the magazine’s.

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Cover Image

The stunning image on the cover of this issue is of 90-yearold Wangloi from the Konyak tribe. He is one of the last remaining headhunters of Nagaland. Photo: David Angami

Advisory Board Members

N. Ram is an award-winning journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu. He is Director of Kasturi & Sons Limited, publishers of The Hindu. Suzanne McNeill lived in India for seven years before returning to Scotland. She is a freelance writer and graphic designer. Marina Marangos is a lawyer, and enjoys travel and writing. She lived in India for four years before moving to Australia. www.mezzemoments. blogspot.com G. Venket Ram is an acclaimed photographer and the creative mind behind many a Culturama issue. www.gvenketram.com Annelize Booysen is a business consultant and social entrepreneur. She lived in Asia for more than a decade, which included three years in India. She is currently based in the United States. Namita Jain, founder of Jaldi Fit, is a leading fitness guru and a businesswoman who helms Kishco, a world-class cutlery brand.

Contributors Susan Philip is a freelance writer based in Chennai, and the editorial coordinator of Culturama’s various coffee table books. Rohan K. Abraham is a chartered accountantturned-entrepreneur who can be found exploring the hills of Nagaland. He started India Trail — a travel company that designs customised experiences in north-east India. Devdutt Pattanaik is the Chief Belief Officer of the Future Group and a writer and illustrator of several books on Indian mythology. www.devdutt.com

Letters to the editor Dear Editor,

I enjoyed reading your cover story on Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s interview in Culturama. She is a national celebrity in our home country, USA. Imagine learning about being whole-brained from her, in the world class Culturama magazine of India. Jackie Hellersperk

Dear Editor,

It was enlightening to read your Dear Readers column in Culturama. It is one of the the best magazines I have read. Manav Shah, via email

Dear Editor,

I was one of the millions that watched Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED talk in 2008 and it was very elevating. It was nice to see that you interviewed her. Sw Chidananda

Dear Editor

The Picture Story in your last edition of Culturama was truly stunning and I thoroughly enjoyed the column. Vanessa Thomas, Mumbai

culturama – Subscribe Now! Get your copy of Culturama as a hard copy or as an e-magazine - visit www.culturama.in to subscribe For other enquiries, e-mail us at culturama@globaladjustments.com or call us on +91-44-2461 7902

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Contents 76

Myth and Mythology

The many avatars of Chitrangada, the Manipuri princess.

In Focus

28 Feature Get up close with the seven sisters and the one brother state from the north-east of India.

Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Culture 8

Short Message Service

Short, engaging snippets of Indian culture.

Festivals of the Month

This August Indians celebrate 69 years of independence, the birth of Lord Krishna and more...

Journeys Into India 48

Seeing India

Meet Arambam Angamba Singh, Co-Founder, 2nd World War Imphal Campaign Foundation.

Calendar of Events

See whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in the main cities and suburbs.

Picture Story

North-east India in all its glory.

Names to know

An expert picks his top five places to see in north-east India.

Regulars 58

India Impressions

Who's who of northeas India and why you should know them.

Relocations and Property 78 On the cultural diversity of Nagaland.

Thought Leader

Meet the inspiring Jarpum Gamlin of Arunachal Pradesh.

Space and the City

Property listings in Chennai.

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SMS 8

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by Suzanne McNeill Short cultural snippets for an easily digestible India with interesting topics that were chosen after a survey of 30 different cultural icons from across north-east India

Art/textile/craft Loin Loom

Photo: Goldentakin, via Flickr

The skill of weaving cotton and silk textiles on handlooms is highly valued in the hill states of Tripura and Manipur in India’s far north-east. For these peoples, weaving has both cultural and spiritual significance. Every girl is taught how to weave, and the loom forms part of her dowry, whilst each community has its own special patterns and motifs. Backstrap or loin looms are traditional to this region, so called because the warp is stretched out at tension in front of the weaver and fastened at the far end to a wall or bamboo stakes, while the other end is tied to the waist. Traditional Manipur weaves include the light-coloured Moirang Phee sari with a triangular or temple border, the leirum, a shawl and a quilted fabric called a Lasing Phee. The traditional textile of Tripura is the striped Riha, which is worn across the upper body.

Food and Drink Rice Beer

Words Tooo/Sooo/Veeery What do you do in the North-East of India, when you think the existing adverbs used for emphasis are not enough to express yourself? Elongate the vowel sounds in the adverbs – tooo, sooo, veeery. The longer the sound, the stronger the emphasis! For instance, you could compliment food by saying “The chicken stew was sooo tasty”.

Each of the tribes of India’s north-east states –at least 150 – has its own version of rice beer. Rice is cultivated across the region. It is a staple foodstuff, and almost all households brew rice beer, which is fermented from warm rice using yeast and various herbs and plants. The drink is nutritionally rich, and has a therapeutic and medicinal role. It is also used for preserving food. Drunk when freshly brewed, its alcoholic content can be low, but some brews are potent. It is believed that drinking rice beer was once the preserve of the gods, until the fearless Mising people rescued the secret of the ingredients.

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Photo: Vikramjit Kakati

Interpretations Hornbill Festival Greasy bamboo pole climbing, fire making, a pork-fat-eating contest, a carnival and a chilli-eating competition (including a special category for tourists) – these are some of the indigenous games and competitions showcased annually at Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival. Each December, the diverse tribes of Nagaland unite in Kohima for this extravaganza to display and celebrate their vibrant heritage, and also to learn more about their internal similarities and differences! The Festival is renowned as a showcase for the region’s culinary excellence – including the locally brewed rice beer – and showcases folk song, the re-enactment of heroic tales through dance and performance, colourful ceremonies and sporting challenges. The Nagas are descended from fierce warrior tribes, and dancers show off their traditional costumes: elaborate headgear of woven bamboo decorated with flowers, boars’ teeth and hornbill feathers, decorated spears and bead and ivory armlets. The festival is named after the Indian hornbill, a large, colourful forest bird that is revered in Naga culture for its beauty and its alert nature.

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At Global Adjustments Team Culturama

GA at Kohima Global Adjustments partnered with India Trail, a travel company that designs developmental adventures with a social twist (what they call Responsible Tourism), for an immersive expedition of the north-east of India. The goal was to Link the talented (opportunity deprived) north-easterners to the opportunities available here in South India, Learn about the culture first-hand and Leave a legacy. Ranjini Manian, CEO, Global Adjustments, and Octoli Tuccu, Head, Global Adjustments Academy, invited the change makers of Nagaland for a seminar, to understand the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Nagaland. In attendance were members of Youth Net (a non-profit organisation geared towards youth empowerment), writers, recruiting agents, media professionals and Indian Administrative Service officers. Some of the challenges brought to light were scaling, sustainability, infrastructure, domain expertise, lack of awareness and opportunities.

A seminar on change and challenges including the who’s who of Nagaland In the news Read about our visit to the north-east in these newspapers http://www.nagalandpost.com/ChannelNews/State/StateNews.aspx?news=TkVXU zEwMDA5NjA0OQ%3D%3D http://www.easternmirrornagaland.com/ entrepreneurs-told-take-change-risksuccess-opportunities/

Global Adjustments and India Trail have now formed the ‘TNTcc (Tamil Nadu Nagaland Taskforce for commerce and community)’ . If you are interested in being a part of the TNTcc (Tamil Nadu Nagaland Taskforce for commerce and community, contact us at globalindian@globaladjustments.com

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Thought Leader by Team Culturama

From

Publishing to Politics

In this têteà-tête with Culturama, Jarpum Gamlin, of Arunachal Pradesh, the Founding Editor of ‘Eastern Sentinel’ talks about his hometown, growing up years, politics and more

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Jarpum Gamlin is a man who wears many hats, his journey filled with twists and turns that take on an unpredictable direction. Armed with an Honours degree in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce and later an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur, he worked with motor companies such as Hero Honda and Maruti Suzuki, and later in E-funds International and Moser Baer. He then took on the role of a media entrepreneur when he started Sentinel Arunachal and Eastern Sentinel. He is also the Former President of Arunachal Press Club and was listed among the 37 Young Indians for Tomorrow by India Today magazine. His late brother Jarbom Gamlin was Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. Jarpum is now the media in-charge of the BJP state unit in Arunachal Pradesh.

Early life â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I was the eighth and last child of Mrs. Gamde Ete Gamlin, a homemaker and the late Sokjar Gamlin, who worked with the Britishers during pre-Independence years and with the Indian government as political interpreter. I grew up in a large

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My entire schooling, starting from kindergarten up to standard XII was at RamaKrishna Mission School, Aalo in West Siang family setup, with my immediate nephews and nieces and hordes of cousins as my friends and playmates. Before school hours, we had fun working with my mother in the paddy fields and huge kitchen garden where seasonal vegetables and fruits were grown. Each one of us had our task cut out for the day; if someone was feeding poultry and dairy, someone had to carry sacks of rice for hulling; a few had to fetch potable water from a nearby spring.’ Fondest of all memories: ‘After sun-down once the gameshours were done, my mother would make us sit around the fire-place where she used to cook food, these were pre-LPG years; she would make us debate on various subjects or make us sing in chorus. I learnt most of life’s best lessons as a child, from my mother, an ingenious teacher.’

Growing up ‘My entire schooling, starting from kindergarten up to standard XII was at Ramakrishna Mission School, Aalo in West Siang. School was at the very town in which I was born; but due to lack of better facilities at home, I was made to stay in the hostel. I have had varied interests ranging from academics to co-curricular activities including dramatics and debating; I was a keen football player, too.

The beginning of Eastern Sentinel ‘Eastern Sentinel is a child born out of an intent to expose red-tapism and corruption within the bureaucracy that

killed my pet project modelled around AMUL’s cooperative structure, which I had envisaged to launch while leaving a corporate career. As a victim of the file pushers, I wished to change the existing rot in the system in my own little way.’

Career Highlights ‘When I was home-bound from the corporate life, the intent was to become a successful entrepreneur; but publishing the newspaper happened. Thereafter, I realised that if ushering change in the system is the objective, only publishing was not enough. I pushed myself further, took up new frontiers – not to conquer but to change the landscape. In a way, along with the thoughts and ideas based on practical experience at the ground level, I kept flowing; but that flow was mostly against the popular current and I cherish each of my clashes, be it at the societal level or at the level of the judiciary. There is a vicious symbiotic nexus between bureaucracy and political establishment. Interacting with most of the politicians, mark my word – not all, made me realise that changes ought to be brought in here, too. I had a choice to remain as a critic or a cheerleader, but I chose to be a player. If we don’t move in, somebody else will occupy that place eventually’.

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Photos: Fourness Dhar

Musical north-east by Team Culturama

Shillong calling In this inspiring, fun and exclusive interview with Culturama, all the members of the talented Shillong Chamber Choir talk about life in the aftermath of fame, fortune, and more...

The Shillong Chamber Choir was founded in 2001 by its Director/Conductor and Mentor Neil Nongkynrih. This multi-genre choir shot to fame when it won the reality TV show Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Got Talent (IGT), back in 2010. That year the choir bagged three gold awards at the 6th World Choir Games for Musica Sacra, Gospel and Popular Music. Among their famous audience members are American President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, during their state visit to India! In this exclusive, extensive interview, get up close and personal with all of the members of the choir as they open up about their musical inspiration and more!

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Neil Nongkynrih Director/Conductor/Mentor Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: Difficult to say! Whenever I hear or see them blossom in their lives, I have joy. When I see a good attitude, a kind gesture, a selfless act, these are great moments. How it happened: The Shillong Chamber Choir was formed one casual evening where I invited a few singers to sing. There were no ‘great ambitions’ except to have some good experiences with music as the activity. From there, the journey took unexpected turns and heights through many ups and downs. I never thought this group would have so much impact in this region of India! Musical inspiration: I’m inspired by any sincere musician. The great classical composers from the first Viennese School played a vital role in my earlier years playing

the piano. I also owe much to my mentor, Katharina Wolpe, a pianist originally from Vienna. I learnt with her for many years in London. On success: The greatest impact is that it did not destroy them (the members) since I was apprehensive at first to go into television. I remember one choir member saying to me ‘what will happen to us now?' (on winning India’s Got Talent). I thought it was a healthy question. I would have been very troubled if they had reacted with any less sobriety; because with every new blessing come new dangers. The spirit behind that question has been the preservative through the years of various successes as well as the down periods.

Neil Nongkynrih Recipient of the Padma Shri award, 2015

Ibarisha Lyngdoh Soprano Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: On coming back from Mumbai (after winning IGT), we received the biggest reception in the history of Meghalaya. Tears of joy, dancing in the streets, and people from all walks of life united in jubilation. It seemed as though the scales tipped more towards their victory than ours. How it happened: The then President of India Abdul Kalam wanted children to sing at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for Christmas celebrations and Uncle Neil (my mentor) was asked to do the needful. I was sent by my school teacher for auditions) and was accepted immediately. Singing lessons started at 5:30 in the morning! It paid off though because a few months after the President’s gig, I sang solo in Switzerland. My teacher made me sing in German and Italian. Musical inspiration: Well, I love classical music. I have been inspired by an opera singer named Edita Gruberova, one of the greatest singers in the classical world. And of course, the band, ‘Queen’. They are of a different league altogether

– rock music with huge doses of operatic influences. On success: I’ve met people of all backgrounds. This has been an education. If I had gone to music college abroad, I would have been stuck singing within the campuses, doing small student lunch time concerts in a London church, and so on. Recently, I conducted members of the Israeli Philharmonic for maestro Zubin Mehta’s 80th birthday!

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Patricia Lyngdoh Soprano Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: Coming out of the airport and seeing the thousands upon thousands who came to welcome us after winning IGT. It was a historic moment for the state. People were weeping. It was more than a musical victory. It was a spiritual experience. Musical inspiration: 'Celtic Woman', an Irish girl band consisting of three singers and a violinist. There is a lot of tenderness in their singing with folk elements. On success: The impact is beyond my comprehension. I come from a middle class family and grew up with small ambitions. I could never imagine singing all over India and

abroad in front of thousands. I had to shut down my Facebook account because there were too many friend requests! Life has now become a mixture of the simple and the so-called 'high-end'. The glamour part of my life has in turn made me appreciate the simple things of life more. Every time we go on tour I can't wait to come back home and spend time with the children.

Jessica Shaw Lyngdoh Soprano

Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: When we compete amongst ourselves. We have our own small theatre (converted from a chicken shed) and there we have our own 'Shillong Voice'. This has pushed me from playing second fiddle. No one else, apart from choir members, is allowed to participate. Relatives and friends are both audience and voters. Surprisingly, it was not always Ibarisha (our main soloist) who would win. Each season springs up new surprises. Winning

IGT had its moment but it seems there are new moments waiting round every new corner. Musical inspiration? Children who sing well. On success: The greatest impact is that my colleagues are unaffected. This, in turn, makes me want to be more ordinary. There is something special about those who see themselves as ordinary. The girl or boy next door brings such a warm feeling.

Donna Volanty Marthong Alto Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: When, many years ago, I was lonely and felt so lost and by divine providence I was led to a group of people who were warm and compassionate. I was not very well then and I still remember the care and love I received. Being an only child I was suddenly surrounded by the ‘brothers and sisters’ I had secretly yearned for from

childhood. Winning IGT was just a cherry. The cake had already been baked. My musical inspiration can be the simplest songs – but the lyrics have to have meaning. On success: I have been taught its true meaning other than the usual superficial view that blares around everywhere. We also meet a lot of interesting people and get to travel.

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Keviseno Terhuja Alto Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: Cannot hone in on one moment as a favourite but it is the small but 'significant' times with those whom you share your life with that I build a collection of happy memories. My musical inspiration is the concept behind the music we do. Take a wellknown tune and mix and match it with another and then there are twists and turns that satisfy my classically trained

musical mind. On success: The organic success of the choir and gradual opening of doors has definitely taught me the virtue of perseverance, to stick to one's calling come rain or shine. It is not my inborn nature to be composed when I cannot see what lies beyond the horizon of today or a few days; and so to have faith in this journey has been a very big mountain I have climbed.

Rishila Merang Jamir Alto Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: I was not able to be with the choir when they won India's Got Talent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Khoj 2. (I was bound by college then) Watching it on TV brought tears and jubilation when they were announced as the winners. Their winning was as good as my winning. Musical inspiration: I used to have my 'musical idols' but now all that is a fading memory. Now I get inspired if I hear the other choir members improving and not least when I've overcome my own musical challenges. On success: Success is not just about 'nice experiences'.

Success brings along its own challenges, many of which a human being would not want. There have been tiring tours, exhausting dress rehearsals, heels that were too high, singing while having a high temperature, delays in airports but learning cooperation and not to grumble has added inner character.

Dorea Wasuk Rangad Alto Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: I would have to say that I have had too many memorable moments that I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t choose a particular one. How it happened: Well, I initially started with piano lessons with Mr. Neil (a.k.a. Uncle Neil), and then he later allowed me to join the choir on their trip to Sri Lanka. I am ever grateful for this

opportunity, as, being in the choir has truly been a life changing experience. Musical inspiration: Uncle Neil and the Choir. On success: The gradual growth of the choir has inspired me to grow as a person, and to overcome the challenges of life.

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William Basaiawmoit Tenor How it happened: I came to visit them through an invitation from our choir director who had heard me sing for the first time the previous night at a concert. He was not impressed with my singing but somehow I gelled with him and the group instantaneously. It started off as just friendship, which then developed into my joining them part time as I was studying in another city. Musical inspiration: I am known to be a

good copycat. I could sing more or less like the singer I'm trying to emulate. So for now I'm looking for inspiration from myself. To find my own sound. On success: I am not impressed with fame and glory in itself. The choir's impact on me is that despite the many accolades bestowed upon them they have remained grounded. This is so captivating and beautiful that it is like a magnet towards something pure and wholesome.

Sandon Lyndem Tenor Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: My favourite moment is whenever we get on the plane to come back home. I enjoy my work as a singer but nothing beats home. How it happened: The choir was given to me on a plate. That plate was my eldest brother Damon. He had been around with them for a few years. Through him I was led to our director. During rehearsals I used to

sing while hiding behind a pillar. I'm less shy now. I can sing solos at home but not in front of a crowd. In the big shows I still wish for a pillar. When you see me on stage I look confident and in a way I've become that, but being a rock star is never going to be the next step. It's just not in my veins. Musical inspiration: Mozart. Queen. Any voice that has its â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;own voiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Riewbankit Lyndem Tenor Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: When it was announced that we won IGT. It was like a dream. Musical inspiration: Mozart is the ultimate. He has sorted out a lot of my dull and predictable brain. One of my favourite instrumentalists who interprets his music through the piano is Mitsuko Uchida, a Japanese pianist who lived in Vienna but is

now London-based. If Mozart was alive today he would be pleased with her playing. On success: The impact has also been organic for us. We did not get too much too soon, otherwise it would have gone to my head. That would have been disastrous. Now travelling the world and staying in nice places has become the norm. We work hard and play hard.

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Banlam Hame Lyndem Bass How it happened: I was going to become a businessman (a shopkeeper rather) but my more glamorous elder brother who joined first inspired me to audition. My musical inspiration is Tchaikovsky. Bleak Russian music with a ton of angst. Similar in many ways to our music director's serious compositions! (Not the Bollywood fun stuff we do). He wrote an opera in our local dialect and it is called Soh Lyngngem. It's

very beautiful. On success: It has forced me to come out of my shell. It has given me more responsibility. It has sharpened my intellect. I have learned to communicate. Television interviews were shoved down my neck. At one point, I was the cause of media attention because we sang for the Obamas and some journalist pointed that I was a Barack Obama look alike!

Ryan Arky Lamin Bass Favourite Shillong Chamber Choir moment: One cannot favour a moment to another. Having said that, I cannot deny that the most memorable moment with the Shillong Chamber Choir was being part of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Got Talent, 2010. Musical inspiration: Before the choir, I was very much into rock and indie pop music. After joining the choir, I was introduced to Western classical music and took a keen interest in the music by

composers Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Handel. Some of the recent ones are contemporary composers such as John Rutter and popular soul music composer, John Mayer. On success: The success of the choir has no doubt brought in respect and appreciation. Success may have had its impact in ushering prosperity and welfare in the choir or even as individuals; however, I feel as a member of the choir that without humility and brotherhood, the choir would not exist.

Watch the Shillong Chamber Choir's music online at www.youtube.com/user/TheSccvideos

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Feature Team Culturama

North-east now... Get up close with the seven sisters and the ‘brother’ states – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland and Sikkim

India is a country of 29 states. This sentence just rolls off the tongue for 1.2 billion of us. Easy as pie! But what do we really know about each other? The need to extend our karma yoga which encourages unity in diversity and our bhakti yoga, which really means building an inclusive mindset – is greatly felt now! So we at Culturama, set off from Tamil Nadu where we are headquartered on an exploratory trip for an immersive experience of the diversity of the northeast of India. Eight states of the 29 lie in this region. We cast our spotlight on the north-east as we believe that now is the time to leverage the strength of this region. We have dedicated this entire issue of our magazine to the northeast of India as a tribute to the beauty of this land! We invite you, our readers, to join us on this journey to discover the amazing north-east of India. And then we hope it inspires you to journey over to it on your next holiday or to form trade partnerships!

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Photo: Arup Malakar, via Flickr

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Assam The name ‘Assam’ comes from the term ‘assom’ or ‘assama’, meaning ‘unequalled’ or ‘unrivalled’ – and this state is unmatched for its natural beauty, as well as its reserves of coal, petroleum and natural gas. For your next Valentine’s Day, you could plan a trip to the Madan Kamdev temple – dedicated to the God of Love, here! This and other shrines unearthed in the depths of dense jungle date back to between the 10th and 12th centuries BC, when the Pala Dynasty ruled Kamrup. The shrines are a treasure-trove of detailed sculptures and carvings of celestial beings, demons, animals and humans. World over, Assam is synonymous with one beverage – tea. Assam has been described as the world’s largest teagrowing region, and there is even a tea (made from a native tea plant) named after the state. Nature buffs and animal lovers should head to the Kaziranga and Manas National Parks – both World Heritage Sites. The Parks are known to spearhead efforts to save the threatened great Indian onehorned rhinoceros. Manas is also a tiger and elephant reserve.

nk Gupta, via

Photo: Shasha

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Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/hermesmarana Photo: Dan Markeye, via Flickr

Photo: Joshua Singh, via Flickr

Arunachal Pradesh The name Arunachal Pradesh means ‘the land of the rising sun’, and it is the largest of the group of states collectively known as ‘the seven sisters’. Itanagar is its capital city. The mighty river Brahmaputra (literally meaning ‘son of Brahma’; Brahma is the ‘Creator’ in Hindu mythology), which flows through the north-east, originates in a pool called the Brahmakund in Arunachal Pradesh and is considered sacred. This scenic region finds mention as ‘Vidarbha’ in ancient Indian texts such as the Puranas. The Tawang Buddhist Monastery here is an important landmark. The largest monastery in India and the second largest in Asia, it has a 28-foot-tall golden statue of Lord Buddha – a truly breathtaking sight! Its vast library houses, among thousands of books and manuscripts, the Kangyur and Tengyur scriptures inscribed in gold.

Mizoram The name of the state translates to ‘Land of the Hill People’ – and Mizoram is just that. Aizawl, perched at a super-high 4,000 ft above sea level, is its capital. Here is an interesting piece of information: A group of people from various tribes in Mizoram believe they are Bnei Menashe, the sons of Menasse, one of the 10 ‘lost’ tribes of Israel. (These tribes were believed to have been captured by the Assyrians and later dispersed.) A significant number have migrated to Israel and integrated with the Jewish culture. This scenic state abounds in breathtaking waterfalls, serene lakes, forested mountains, mysterious caves and memorial stones. Relax at the Champhai resort close to the Myanmar border, or make one of the many Government tourist lodges your base while you take in the natural beauty around. And if you plan your visit in March, you can catch the amazing Chapchar Kut Spring Festival. However, note that visitors, even domestic ones, to Mizoram need an ‘inner line permit’. (For more details, refer to http://www.mizoram.nic.in/more/entry.htm)

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August 2016

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Photo: Dan Markeye, via Flickr

Photo: Nick Irvine, via Flickr

Manipur Literally and figuratively a jewel of a state, Manipur, the land of mountains, valleys, forests, rivers and eye-catching flora and fauna is breathtakingly beautiful. Interestingly, it wasn’t always called Manipur – it has been known by a number of names down the ages, chiefly Kangleipak and Meeteipak. Imphal is the capital city. Manipur is the home of one of the classical dances of India – the graceful and stately Manipuri dance. The elegant costumes and stylised movements set it apart from other dance genres. Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, had learnt – and was greatly interested in – the art form while she was a student at Shantiniketan in West Bengal. Sanamahism is a local religion which goes back to ancient times. Many local deities are still ardently worshipped. At Moirang, close to Imphal, the temple to Lord Thangjing, an ancient deity, is very popular. The Moirang Lai Haraoba, the annual festival at the temple, is a crowd-puller.

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August 2016

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Meghalaya

Photo: flickr.com/photos/ footloosegypsydotin

Located in the eastern sub-Himalayas, this state is named Meghalaya – the abode of clouds. True to its name, it is almost always under cloud cover. At Cherrapunji, quite close to the capital Shillong, the average annual rainfall goes up to 12,000 mm, making it one of the wettest places on earth. Nearby Mawsynram holds the title currently for the wettest place on earth. There is archaeological evidence of human settlements in this region since the Neolithic era. In fact, the jhum (slash and burn/shifting type) form of agriculture associated with Neolithic times is still practised here. The region is also significant in the context of the history of the human race because of its possible role in the domestication of rice. Jadoh, Meghalaya’s answer to the biryani, is made with rice and pork – and is a delight for the taste buds. Another favourite pork-based dish is made using locally available mushrooms and black sesame seeds. The nakham bitchi, a sort of soup, cuts the heaviness of the food. And those who have the head for it can round off the meal with kyat, a local brew. The Mawjinbuim cave, about 55 km from Shillong, is famous for its stalagmite, which is shaped like a Shiva lingam, and is revered by Hindus. It is considered particularly holy by the Jantia tribe. Thousands of tribesmen gather here to celebrate Shivaratri, the festival associated with Lord Shiva – part of the main triumvirate in the Hindu pantheon of Gods.

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August 2016

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Photo: Sourav Das, via Flickr

Photo: Shayon Ghosh, via Flickr

Tripura Among India’s smallest states, Tripura is bordered by Bangladesh on three sides, and only one National Highway connects it by road to the rest of India. Yet, this north-eastern corner of India has contributed quite a bit to the country’s ethos. Agartala is the capital. There are references to Tripura in the great epic Mahabharata, in the Puranas and in ancient inscriptions. Sachin Dev Burman was born into the royal family of Tripura. His first lessons in music were from his father, but he later learnt it formally. He moved to Bengal, where he made a mark as singer and composer for radio. After a stint in Bengali cinema, Bollywood called, and he captured India’s heart. S.D. Burman wrote music for over a 100 films, both Hindi and Bengali. His eminently hummable compositions were greatly influenced by the folk songs of his native Tripura!

Sikkim In terms of population, Sikkim comes last among Indian states, but has 11 official languages! Gangtok is its capital. The world’s third tallest peak, the Kanchenjunga, lies on its border with Nepal. The area was called ‘Nye-mae-el,’ meaning ‘Paradise’ or ‘Heaven’. Culture-vultures should try and watch the masked dances of Sikkim – for they are spectacular! The dances are mostly performed by lamas in celebration of Buddhist festivals and to usher in prosperity. Go paragliding or mountain biking, take a cable car ride over Gangtok, go river rafting in the Teesta or ride a Yak on the banks of the Tsomgo Lake nestled amidst awe-inspiring mountain slopes 12,400 ft above sea level. Be sure to pack your binoculars if you are a bird lover. Nature lovers – everyone, actually – should try and visit the Varsey or Singba Rhododendron Sanctuaries to see the state flower of Sikkim in bloom.

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August 2016

Advertiser's Feature

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August 2016

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Photos: Praveen Emmanuel

Nagaland Nagaland is among the smallest states in the country and is sometimes called the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Switzerland of the Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; because of its salubrious climate. Kohima is its capital city. The Naga villages of the past are good examples of self-reliance and democracy. Each village, made up of two or more clans, was responsible for its own social and economic well-being. The Kisama Heritage Village, just 10 km from Kohima, is virtually an open-air museum. Visitors can view a variety of traditional Naga homes and morungs (bachelor dormitories), with typical furniture and accessories. It is also the venue of the famous Hornbill Festival â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an annual cultural and sports meet of the Naga tribes, held in the first week of December. Christianity is the dominant religion, and there are many churches here, particularly belonging to the Baptist denomination. Religion aside, the Church played a big role in brokering peace between militant Nagas and the Indian Government in the 1960s. It was at a Nagaland Baptist Church Convention that a decision cutting across political beliefs of individuals and spearheaded by local Christian leaders like Reverend Longri Ao, was taken, to establish a Peace Mission.

Photo: Retlaw Snellac, via Flickr

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August 2016

Advertiser's Feature

Bone Marrow Transplant Dr. Sachin Suresh Jadhav, Consultant Hematologist and BMT Physician, BGS Global Hospitals, Bengaluru on when you need a bone marrow transplant Bone marrow transplant is used to cure many diseases and types of cancer. When the doses of chemotherapy or radiation needed to cure a cancer are so high that a person's bone marrow stem cells will be permanently damaged or destroyed by the treatment, a bone marrow transplant may be needed. A bone marrow transplant can be used to: • Replace diseased, non-functioning bone marrow with healthy functioning bone marrow. • Regenerate a new immune system that will fight existing or residual leukemia. • Replace the bone marrow and restore its normal function after high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation are given to treat a malignancy. This process is often called rescue. • Replace bone marrow with genetically healthy functioning bone marrow.

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August 2016

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August 2016

In Focus by Team Culturama

A battle lost to history

Arambam Angamba Singh, Co-Founder, 2nd World War Imphal Campaign Foundation, is a treasure trove of information on the greatest battle Britain ever fought – the Battles of Imphal and Kohima and he wants to share everything he knows with the world... Forty-three-year-old Arambam Angamba Singh is the co-founder of what is now known as the ‘2nd World War Imphal Campaign Foundation’. This organisation’s mission is to keep the history of Imphal's connection with World War II alive. He is also among the first in Asia to become a member of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides headquartered in the United Kingdom. The twin battles between Britain and Japan–INA in Kohima and Imphal was among the bloodiest battles of World War II, and not many in India even know of this war even now.

August 2016

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Slim Cottage in the Kangla Fort Complex. General Slim, commander of the British 14th Army, stayed in this cottage towards the end of 1944. Photo: L. Himat

Japanese War Memorial Red Hill. Photo: www.battleofimphal.com

Everyone loses and that shunning violence to welcome peace is the only way to progress and development.’ Although Arambam’s early education started in Manipur, he has travelled across the country – to Mysore for high school, then the Army Public School, Delhi, where he completed senior school, a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Bihar College of Engineering (now RIT Patna). He is now involved full time in activities related to the Battle of Imphal WW II.

Arambam Angamba Singh

Talking about the events that unfolded back in the 1940s, Arambam says, ‘Imphal became a cosmopolitan place with the landing of around 1.5 lakh troops ranging from Britons, Americans, Africans, Gurkhas and Australians to the Commonwealth. The Japanese Army were in the tune of about 65,000s. The whole prospect and outlook of Manipur took a giant turn after this string of events that unfolded with the bitter struggle to capture Imphal.’ And what can we learn from this incident? ‘There is no real winner in a war.

So how did the idea for this foundation come about? ‘This idea took root about 15 years ago when I actually started collecting war relics,’ remembers Arambam. ‘We are today proud of being able to make a contribution, although in small measure, in helping the world understand the importance of the once “Forgotten Battle” and the unique proposition of Imphal as a centre for peace and reconciliation.’ ‘When the twin battles of Imphal and Kohima were declared as Britain's greatest battle of all time by the National Army Museum, we took the responsibility of organising the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Imphal in March 2014 for the first time in history,’ he says. It is the single largest event with the maximum congregation of Ambassadors, Diplomats, veteran families from the United Kingdom and other guests to have taken place to commemorate this great battle. It was a series of events stretched across three months at various battle locations.

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August 2016

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It was inaugurated by the Takeshi Yagi San, Ambassador of Japan to India. ‘We are also working with local stakeholders, who are the guardians of these important battlefield sites in sensitising them about the history and inculcating the feeling of ownership of these treasures,’ Arambam explains. ‘We also conduct regular expeditions to actually know these locales and conduct live excavations. The importance and the actual potential of the War Tourism or Remembrance Pilgrimage are also shared with the local stakeholders through various training sessions. With the undying support of the Government of Manipur, our dream project – Imphal War Museum – will also soon become a reality. A plot of land has already been earmarked for this project. Once commissioned, it will become the centre for peace and reconciliation of all the nations that was dragged into this horror of the South East Asian struggle in WW II. A data centre is also proposed in the complex to provide information regarding the battles to seekers.

Having grown up in a family with a military heritage, Arambam was exposed to an immense love for military rituals at an early age. His father was a retired IPS officer, having served in the Indian Army with the 6/11 Gurkha Rifles. His great grandfather was the first Inspector in the State Military Police of the erstwhile princely state of Manipur. He is the eldest of three siblings, professionally trained as an engineer with an MBA degree. ‘My late father's collection of books on WW II caught my interest from a very young age. The tales of heroics and sheer guts of the battles of WW II were bedtime stories for us. To go over and over again through those black and white photographs of the WW II books became an intense hobby.’ Passionate involvement of the public and the policy makers has helped keep this part of history alive. More programmes and roadshows are planned to spread awareness, thereby creating more interest from people from various parts of the world.

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August 2016

Inspiring north-east by Ranjini Manian

Weaving a success story

(top) Rupjyoti in front of her pooja room and (below) with a flyshuttle loom

Rupjyoti Saikia Gogoi is helping the women of Kaziranga achieve independence with the power of handloom

In Kaziranga, Rupjyoti Saikia Gogoi is quietly helming a movement of sorts that aims to give all of its womenfolk independence and confidence. The former teacher who left her job to help the women of her village, saw an opportunity with the regular influx of tourists to Kaziranga from across the globe. While most of these women knew to knit and weave, they only had access to a primitive loom made of bamboos, which is abundantly available in Assam. Rupjyoti stepped in and helped the women of the village set up a selfhelp group, and together they procured a flyshuttle loom. The modern flyshuttle loom is made out of wood and is expensive; they also needed to learn the techniques to work this loom. ‘I teach these women new patterns, new techniques and some colour combinations so that they can sell their handloom products themselves,’ she explains to me. ‘Over 200 women in Kaziranga have benefitted from Rupjyoti’s effors and now women from other parts of Assam too are joining this movement,’ she says, ‘My hope for India is for all of our women to become independent and receive education, so that they too can be powerful.’ After a tour of her home, I follow her as she attends the 13th day ceremony of a neighbour. We come away from the ceremony very aware of the fact that we are all actually the same. Later, I eat on a thali in her home, as Rupjyoti sings devotional songs, and her mother-in-law serves us, with a cloth tied around her mouth. ‘Food is worship and we attempt to never speak anything unpleasant when we eat,’ she explains. So the next time you eat, remember to pause and speak only that which is pleasant to hear. These life lessons from our north-eastern sisters will stay with me for a lifetime. Write to us at globalindian@globaladjustments.com

August 2016

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Seeing India by Rohan K. Abraham

The undiscovered north-east frontier

There’s so much to see in the northeastern part of India. Here’s a list of our writer’s favourite five haunts

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August 2016

(clockwise from top) The battleground, Table Top Hills of Meghalaya and the mighty Brahmaputra

Forty million years ago, when the Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate, it formed the great Himalayan range and some of the world’s highest mountains and coldest places. Everyone knows that. What most people do not know is what happened on the eastern extreme of this collision. In this corner, in addition to the mountains, the trough for what is now a 2,900-km-long river, commonly known as the mighty Brahmaputra, was formed. Sandwiched between the Deccan Plateau, which is the northern frontier of the Indian plate and the Himalayas, this river flows from east to west, finally reaching the Bay of Bengal from its starting elevation of 5,210 metres. Just south of this river are the rocky hills of Meghalaya, which is an extension of the Deccan Plateau. Interestingly, the Deccan Plateau is known to cover Central and South India and then disappear for 400–500 km before resurfacing in Meghalaya. Most of the hills in this region are flat-topped, clear proof that it was once a plateau that has since been ravaged by the erosional forces of the river and the strong winds from the south. Because of its unique geography and high cliffs, Meghalaya traps a lot of the moisture-laden clouds and is therefore the wettest place on Earth.

Moving eastwards towards Myanmar are the Naga Hills, home to 16 tribes representing a variety of unique culture and history. Once fierce head hunters, these tribes were undisturbed for centuries until the 1800s when the British ventured closer into the region. Not finding much economic interest in the region, they ended up being mediators for differences between tribes of the region. All that changed in the 1940s when these densely forested hills were the only barrier separating the Allied forces battling the united Japanese and Indian National Army during World War II. The Battle of Kohima in 1944 went down in history as the fiercest battle ever fought by the British Army. Kohima, Imphal and some surrounding areas were turned into battlefields with both sides losing considerable resources and men. India’s recent political history has been largely shaped by the outcome of this battle. One still finds unexploded shells, soldiers’ helmets and Japanese printed Indian currency in the region. A most recent find were the remains of a Japanese soldier, after which a team of experts from Japan flew to India, identified the soldier and brought his remains back for the proper burial he deserved.

August 2016

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August 2016

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India now by Susan Philip

be useful for cartographic applications, and various other things, including utility management like road network monitoring, and Geographical Information System (GIS) applications.

As we enter a new month, we quickly recap the events, people and places that made news in the past month

Did you know the PSLV has so far launched 113 satellites, of which 39 are Indian and the remaining from abroad?

The month that was

Tejas brightens the IAF

Business Matters Come, invest in India The Government of India has announced fresh changes to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy, aimed at wooing more FDI into the country and making it easier to do business in India. According to the latest amendments, 100% FDI can now be made in the aviation sector for (scheduled carriers) and defence sector. The pharmaceutical sector can receive FDI of up to 74%, which means that foreign investors will not need government approval to invest in existing domestic companies. Currently, 100% FDI is possible in new projects in the sector.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has received its first squadron of indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). The ‘Tejas’ planes are supersonic, single-seat, single-engine multirole aircraft and use fourth-generation technologies. They were jointly developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The idea of developing a home-grown LCA was first conceived in the 1970s, but actual work started only in the eighties. The Flying Daggers squadron is expected to achieve its full strength of 20 aircraft, including four trainers, within two years. Did you know Tejas is a Sanskrit word meaning brilliance or radiance, and is a derivative of the root word ‘tej’, meaning sharp. It is a fairly popular name for boys in India. The feminine version of the name is ‘Tejaswini’ or ‘Tejashree’.

Awards and Accolades Captain Courageous

For an overview of the FDI position, vis-à-vis various sectors within India, and from a global perspective, click http://currentaffairs. gktoday.in/current-affairs/fdi

Scientifically Speaking Soaring Success The Indian Space Research Organization’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle achieved its 35th consecutive success, with the deployment of 20 satellites, together weighing 1,288 kg. Apart from the 727.5 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite, there were two satellites produced by college students, and the rest were from customer satellites from other countries. The Cartosat 2 series satellite will provide remote sensing services which will

Capt. Radhika Menon has won the 2016 International Maritime Organization (IMO) award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. She is the Master of Sampurna Swarajya, an oil products tanker of the Indian Merchant Navy. The first woman to receive the prestigious award, Radhika is being

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recognised for her courageous rescue of seven fishermen from a boat which was sinking in the Bay of Bengal. The international award is given to those who display exemplary bravery in attempting to save lives at sea, or mitigate damage to the marine environment, risking their own lives.

August 2016

End of an Era The quiz master rests

The Violin Player by Bauddhayan Mukherji has won the Best Feature Film award at the 37th Durban International Film Festival. The Jury found the film “a seductive and mysterious tale of a violin player’s mundane life, and an interesting take on how chance encounters are almost predestined.” It is the story of a day in the life of a violinist and it deals with a range of profound subjects such as music, art and life itself.

An icon of the Anglo-Indian community, Neil O’Brien, who wore many caps during his lifetime – Member of Parliament, Member of the Legislative Assembly, chairman of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), managing director, Oxford University Press in India, and, perhaps his most popular face – quiz master extraordinaire – breathed his last in Kolkata. Having acquired a liking for the pub quiz culture in England, O’Brien popularized it first among the Anglo Indian community initially, and later, to a wider audience in the country.

To watch a trailer of the film, click http://violinplayerthefilm.com/ the-film/sneak-peek/

Q: One of Neil O’Brien’s sons hosts a very popular quiz show for school students – the Bournvita Quiz Contest. Can you name him?

Sports Spots

A: Derek O’Brien

Kicking off in style

This and That

Q. Capt. Radhika already has another ‘first’ to her name. Do you know what that is? A: She is the first woman to captain a ship in the Indian Merchant Navy.

Kudos for The Violin Player

Counting sheep

Premier futsal, the world’s first multi-national futsal tournament kicked off at Chennai. For the uninitiated, futsal is a form of indoor football tournament played with five players in a team. The franchises – Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Goa, Bengaluru and Kochi – have been divided into two groups. Luis Figo, the Portuguese football legend, is the President of the entity promoting Premier Futsal, and several players of international repute are marquee players. They are Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Hernan Crespo and Alessandro Rosa Viera, better known as Falcao. Check out http://www.firstpost.com/sports/premier-futsal-2016-allyou-need-to-know-about-the-league-teams-and-schedule-2892722. html

The Kendrapara sheep, an indigenous species, has been given ‘registered breed’ status by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR). Native to Odisha, these sheep carry a rare gene mutation responsible for multiple births such as twins and triplets. They are the second in India and sixth in the world found to carry this particular mutation gene.

Keeping the thread going Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi now boasts of having the world’s largest Charkha – spinning wheel. Installed in the departure forecourt of the terminal, it weighs a whopping 4 tonnes and is 9 ft wide, 17 ft tall and 30 ft long. “The charkha is a symbol of our glorious heritage, and an inspiring reminder of our freedom struggle, led by the father of the Nation – Mahatma Gandhi,” said Prime Minister Modi in a message.

August 2016

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Names to know

Who’s who of North-East India and why you need to know them

Dipa Karmakar Olympic Gymnast Dipa Karmakar recently made history by becoming the first woman gymnast from India to qualify for the Olympics. The young woman from the state of Tripura has won herself a berth in the Rio Games. Dipa was the only Indian woman gymnast to win a medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and had been placed fourth at the Asian Games the same year. In 2015, she reached the final round of the World Championships, and was placed fifth.

Even ahead of the Olympics, on June 8, Dipa received yet another prestigious accolade. She was awarded the ‘World Class Gymnast’ pin and title following an impressive performance at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championship, 2015, in Glasgow.

Kiren Rijiju Politician

Hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, Kiren Rijiju, the Minister of State for Home Affairs and Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, is in many ways the social media face of the party that is currently in power at the centre in India, BJP. With over 43.5K followers on Twitter, he is among the most vocal voices from the north-east in Indian social media. He was a Member of the Khadi and

Village Industries Commission from 2000 to 2005. Rijiju entered the Lok Sabha for the second time from the Arunachal (West) constituency.

August 2016

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Mary Kom Olympian boxer Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom or MC Mary Kom is a path-breaker in the truest sense of the word. Hailing from the tribe of Kom in Manipur, north-east India, Mary’s passion for boxing, a virtually non-existent option for women in sports, was fired by fellow Manipurian, Dingko Singh’s success as a boxer. In 2000, when Mary won her first state woman’s boxing championship, she knew she was on the right path, and her family, initially apprehensive with her choice, now rallied behind this worldchampion-in-the-making. Within a year, at the age of 18, Mary debuted on the

international stage at the 2001 Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships, held in the United States, and won a silver medal. She would win gold five times after this and five times again at the Asian Women’s Championships. She made India proud at the 2012 London Olympics, winning a bronze in the 51 kg category. In 2006, she established the Mary Kom Boxing Academy, with a vision to create quality boxers from under-privileged backgrounds. In 2014, a Bollywood movie based on her life, titled Mary Kom was released, with Priyanka Chopra playing the lead role.

Easterine Kire Writer Easterine Kire is the author of books such as, When the River Sleeps (winner of the The Hindu Lit for Life award), A Terrible Matriarchy and Bitter Wormwood. She is a Naga poet, novelist and children’s writer whose work has garnered wide acclaim and reach. Her poetry and books have been translated

to various languages (German, Croatian, etc.) and her books have been published in several countries across the globe. Easterine’s is an important Naga voice that tells the story of a people and place with clarity, depth and empathy.

Baiching Bhutia Football Baichung Bhutia is perhaps India’s best known footballer in the international scene. He is the former captain of the Indian football team, hailing from the north-eastern state of Sikkim. A striker, he became the first Indian footballer to sign a contract with a European club when he joined Bury in 1999. A recipient of the Government of India’s Padma Shri and Arjuna Awards, Baichung’s skill at shooting the ball earned him the nickname ‘Sikkimese Sniper’. He recently

became the first footballer from the country to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Asian Football Club (AFC). He was conferred the honour at Manila on the occasion of the AFC’s 60th anniversary. Receiving the award, Baichung said it was not only for him but for Indian football and “for all Indian footballers who have to struggle against all odds to prove themselves every single day.”

August 2016

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Advertiser's Feature

Courtallam

The Spa of South India The cold gushing waters of Courtallam falls of Tamil Nadu are known far and wide for their medicinal properties, but there is a lot more to this legendary town. Tamil nadu Tourism projects the best time to visit Kutralam between June and September

Located in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, Courtallam is synonymous with water, literally because of the many waterfalls that abound here. This part of the state is also where many rivers originate like the Tamarabarani and the Chittar. The South West monsoon sets the climate at Courtallam with abundant water and a cool breeze, making it a popular holiday spot. Part of the Western Ghats, this hilly town is home to nine waterfalls, out of which only three are accessible to the public. The main fall called Peraruvi or Big falls is about 60 m high and the public is allowed to bathe here. The other two falls called the ‘Old Falls’ and ‘Five Falls’ are also within public limits. But it isn’t just about the waterfalls or health resorts. Courtallam is also home to some famous temples, including the Kutralanathar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple’s main hall called ‘Chitrasabha’ is one of the five halls at this temple, where the Lord is said to have danced his cosmic dance. The others sabha’s are the Rathna Sabha at Thiruvalangadu, the Kanaka Sabha at Chidambaram, and the Velli Sabha at Madurai and the Thamira Sabha at Tirunelveli.

What to do at Kutralam Visit Tirunelveli that is just 40 km from Courtallam for its famous wheat halwa Take treks to the smaller falls like the ‘Honey Falls’ in the Western Ghats Visit the Snake Park and Aquarium near the main falls. Take a boat ride at the Boat House near the Five Falls and Old Courtallam Falls. How to get there By Road – Courtallam is 640 km far away from Chennai, 115 km from Trivandrum, 137 km from Kanyakumari. By Air – The nearest airport is Tuticorin By Rail – The nearest railway station is Tenkasi

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August 2016

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India Impressions by Viketuno Hiekha

Nagaland

, d n a l e my hom y t u a e b t n e l i s a

a writer from north-east reflects on the cultural diversity of her hometown and the struggle to help an outsider understand its unique heritage

The cliché sobriquet ‘unity in diversity’ is often associated with India. I believe that a huge contribution to the cultural mosaic of India comes from the north-eastern region. The seven states Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland are often referred to as the ‘Seven sisters’ and the eighth state, Sikkim of the Himalayan Mountains as ‘the brother’. The states are closely nestled together and connected to the subcontinent through a narrow corridor. Each north-eastern state shares an international border with neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, China and Bhutan, making it a unique feature of the region. The fact that this is a not-soeasily-accessible region does not deter enthusiastic travellers,

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August 2016

Photos: Praveen Emmanuel

August 2016

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as the virgin beauty of the north-eastern region has over the years allured nature lovers. I arrived early at the venue of the concert of the famed Shillong Chamber Choir. The concert was one of the musical events held as part of the annual ten-day Hornbill Festival, the festival of all festivals in this town! The festival that brought Nagaland onto the tourism map. It is an extensive cultural display of Nagaland held from December 1 to 10 at ‘The Heritage Village’, Kisama, Kohima. It is during this time of the year that Nagaland witnesses a large influx of tourists and visitors, both national and international. On my arrival, I was introduced to a man who works for one of the leading travel companies of India. We exchanged greetings and conversed as we waited for some of his clients to arrive. ‘I am in love with Nagaland. This is exactly what I and my clients are looking for,’ he said, suddenly. I smiled at him and said ‘My hometown is rustic!’ ‘This is a getaway from the hustle bustle of the city, from the constant pressure of city life,’ he continued.

Anticipating more problems rather than looking at the possibilities, I indeed had undermined the potential my homeland holds, until I started travelling. I witnessed the many struggles to revive, restore and conserve all that lies untouched in my homeland. However, I do not mean to undermine the rapid change in pace and the exposure to modernity and Westernisation in the urban areas of the state. Nagaland is home to the indigenous people of the mongoloid stock from diverse ethnic communities speaking different local dialects and having varied cultural beliefs and practices. With a population of over 2 million, the state is demarcated into 11 districts; each district offers a varied taste and insight. Visitors can enjoy different aspects of Nagaland; the scenic nature, the vibrant culture, an experience of a tribal rural life singing in a different tune, cuisine that ranges from the local to Pan Asian and if you have any inclination towards music, the Nagas are known for being lovers of music! I call Dimapur the music capital of Nagaland. Also known as the commercial hub of Nagaland, Dimapur continues to draw in

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musicians. Musical concerts and gigs by talented local artistes and bands are frequent occurrences. Most tourists entering Nagaland have Kohima on their itinerary and its adjoining areas marked with historical significance from World War II. To quote Lord Mountbatten, ‘The Battle of Kohima will probably go down as one of the greatest battles in history.’ Sixty-nine years after the battle, in 2013, the almost forgotten Asian battlefield was voted ‘Britain’s Greatest Battle’. The Commonwealth War Graves in Kohima is a testimony to the war. Khonoma village, 20 km from Kohima, is known not just for its historic tales from the resistance movement against the British, it also basks in the community initiative of conserving the bio-diversity. The emerald green terraced paddy fields that slowly turn into golden fields as autumn hues sets in, is a delight. Hike or trek via different routes to savour the lush green velvety valleys of Dzukou and Mt. Japfü, the second ighest peak in Nagaland.

August 2016

The journey into the eastern part of Nagaland can be an arduous one and in spite of this many travel into the ‘Land of the Anghs’; Mon district is home to the last generation of the fierce headhunters with facial tattoos (banned for decades, albeit). Every tattoo has a story to tell. Mount Saramati located in Kiphire district, at 3,826 m the highest peak in Nagaland, is a trekker’s dream destination. The motifs from the local artisans from the eastern region are much sought-after. Travelling and sharing these personal memories about my homeland is a joy to me. However, my struggle to understand how and when the cultural practices of my state were misinterpreted haunts me. I often think that such misinterpretations are a denial of truth and of the love and peace that prevail. What can be bizarre for an outsider is a belief for an insider. Nagaland suffers the brunt of such misinterpretations. With each day passing by, there is a slight shift in such attitude; however, the battle still continues.

August 2016

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Tripura State Museum dazzles in the evening sun. Photo: Sharada Prasad CS, via Flickr

Picture Story by Team Culturama

Beauty, Being, and Beasts

A Vaishnavite woman at the unique Mother’s Market in Imphal. Photo: oxaley.com

Join us on a pictorial journey across the north-eastern part of our country. From the famous ‘women only’ Mother’s Market in Manipur to the atmospheric Kamakhya Temple in Assam, from the famous Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh to the snow leopards of Sikkim and Rhinos of Kaziranga! Its varied flora, fauna, landscape, culture and the people accord it a unique place in India.

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August 2016

Cascading, velvety water at the Elephant Falls. Photo: Ashwin Kumar, via Flickr

A family attempts a selfie in front of the Kamakhya Temple in Assam

A colourful welcome at Tawang. Photo: OP John, via Flickr

The majestic rhinos of Kaziranga, ambling on a lazy afternoon. Photo: Rohan K. Abraham

A snow leopard resting in Sikkim

August 2016

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August Calendar of events

Presenting the best of India’s events in different categories across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and nearby suburbs

Art & Exhibitions

Exhibition Chennai

Art Show NCR

Amethyst presents an exhibition of Anavila's ‘Folk: Autumn Winter 16’ collection, that unfolds a story told and retold, different every time, every artist's muse and every storyteller's star moment. A line that was recently showcased at the Amazon India Fashion Week, in which exclusivity, innovation and minimalism through pure organic details, create a harmony with the environment. Prices Rs.10,000/- upwards

Art District XIII presents an exhibition titled 'Two Shadows One Image' by Jayanta Roy and Sumantra Mukherjee. Trained as a sculptor, Jayanta Roy’s canvas works are characterised by deceptively simple compositions, often hiding multiple small images within larger images, as a visual puzzle. Sumantra Mukherjee's works are a reflection of his surroundings.

Date: Until August 3 Time: 1100 hrs–1930 hrs Venue: Amethyst, Whites Road, Royapettah

Date: Until August 13 Time: 1000 hrs–2000 hrs Venue: Art District XIII Gallery, F-213-C, Ground Floor, Lado Sarai, New Delhi

Exhibition Chennai By Hand From The Heart presents Makers Market – 18th Edition, featuring 45 participants – design entrepreneurs, crafters, farmers and food artisans from all across the globe. Date: August 5–6 Time: 1000 hrs –2000 hrs Venue: Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park Address: 132, T.T.K Road, Alwarpet

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Heritage

Walk Bengaluru

Tour Chennai

Go on a heritage walk in the heart of Bengaluru. Start your walk at Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace and explore some of the lesser known monuments around like the Bangalore Fort and the Victoria Hospital. Take a break in between for some light South Indian snacks; the walk ends at the famous KR Market. For details, contact Seek Sherpa at +91-9643982934.

Go on a heritage tour from Chennai to the ancient micro-nation of Pudukkottai, organised by Embassy Tours & Travels with historian Pradeep Chakravarthy. The princely state of Pudukkottai is one of the world’s oldest and longest living micronations. It was called ‘Thondaiman country’ (after the Thondaiman rulers). The district’s historical importance is emphasised by the large number of burial sites found in the northern and western parts of the district, attesting to the presence of prehistoric man in this region. Pudukkottai Museum, Sittannavasal Caves and the Pudukkottai Palace are some of the places on the itinerary. Details at http://mysticalpalmyra.com/ Date: September 30 – October 1 Venue: Pudukottai

Visit NCR Go on a walking and rickshaw tour of Chandni Chowk in a heritage visit organised by Guava Trips. The tour starts with a visit to the largest mosque of India (Jama Masjid), then to Asia’s largest spice market (Khari Baoli) and jewellery market (Dariba Kalan). The tour ends with an exclusive tour of a recently restored 200-year-old heritage Haveli in Chandni Chowk – Haveli Dharampura. Eat lavishly in this royal, grand Haveli. Date: Until August 31 Time: 0900 hrs onwards Venue: 1424, Meena Bazaar, Jama Masjid, Patel Gali Road, Old Delhi

Date: Until August 31 Time: 0800 hrs onwards Venue: Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace, Ticket Counter, Allbert Victor Road, Chamrajpet

August 2016

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Events

Music Bengaluru

Theatre NCR

Listen to Nordic Raga, a group that experiments with bringing more improvisation in Nordic folk music, which traditionally does not use much improvisation. To find inspiration for this, they use models for how improvisation is used in classical Indian music, but use Nordic scales and rhythms. Featuring: Par Moberg – Saxophone, Flutes, Didgeridoo, Dan Svensson – Percussion and Vocals, Jyothsna Srikanth – Violin and Lena Jonsson – Fiddle.

Featuring Tom Alter, Niti Phool, Anju Chhabra, among others, Ghalib, written and directed by Dr M. Sayeed Alam (Pierrot's Troupe) is a lively, entertaining and an educative account of an intriguing man named Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib. A master yet a rundown poet, a privileged yet a pitiable elite, an extravagant yet a poor noble, a devout yet a self-effacing lover, an irreverent yet a pious husband and a selfseeking yet an altruistic person.

Date: August 12 – 13

Date: August 7 Time: 1600 hrs Venue: L.T.G Auditorium, Mandi House, Copernicus Marg, Connaught Place

Time: 2130 hrs Venue: Windmills Craftworks, 331, Road 5B, EPIP Zone, Whitefield

Dance Mumbai Inter_rupted is a high-octane creation, imaginatively infusing Kathak with 21stcentury sound, rhythm and light. With a cast of seven dancers and three musicians, Inter_rupted is a dynamic work that emerges from the depths of the body, exploring its fragility, disintegration and renewal. Aditi Mangaldas' choreography has consistently broken ground with her visionary approach. Date: August 6 Time: 1900 hrs Venue: Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, Nariman Point, NCPA Marg

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August 2016

Lea by N

india • srilanka • maldives • and beyond

August 2016

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Couture calling by Team Culturama

North-east fashion feast Introducing this young design-czarina-in-the-making to the readers of Culturama is indeed a charming prospect for this journalist. For not every day is your subject of interview as inspiring and has as many varied tastes and as diverse an upbringing as Zuboni Humstoe. She loves poetry, fashion, art, photography, nature, philosophy, entrepreneurship, marketing, animation movies, comics, music – especially jazz and blues – reading and writing. She grew up in Dimapur around a lot of birds and trees, open spaces where she would run against the wind, fly kites, chase frogs, steal vegetables and fruits from farmers near the river. ‘I was also an Internet addict when I was studying in school,’ she is quick to point out. Zuboni, who studied Political Science in Kalindi College, Delhi University, considers studying in Delhi as one of the best things that ever happened to her. ‘Although I was more active and interested in organising cultural and fashion shows,’ she says, ‘I grew my wings, and my eyes literally opened up to so many things.’

Looking for some fresh fashion? A new wardrobe? Some inspiration? A tale of grit? Meet 27-year-old Zuboni Humtsoe, Proprietor of 'PreciousMeLove' (PML) who is making waves with her brand of premium Nagaland designs for women

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to start PML on the December 14, 2011, with the support of my elder sister – Lozano Humtsoe. Tapping our creative minds, bootstrapping and making use of whatever resources were available we started and kept progressing,’ she says.

Supermodel Ketho Leno Kense in PML

The Making of a Fashion Brand ‘It was frustrating growing up because I did not know what I wanted to do, but I was sure I wanted to do something different. With time, everything started falling into place. PreciousMeLove (PML) was the result of an amalgamation of many factors and circumstances – I believe it was God trying to show me the right way,’ she says. Zubani loved photography, fashion, art, editorial photoshoots, empowerment and philanthropy. ‘To be able to bring a dream to life through photography and philanthropy has always inspired me. When my family was going through a tough time, I was compelled to start something right away after graduation. Saving Rs. 3,500 ($52) from my college scholarship money, I used Facebook

August 2016

Against all odds, when people choose to follow you even though success isn't guaranteed... It makes you want to sacrifice your whole life for them

Over the years, she has struggled – taught herself, asked people to let her work and learn under them, experimented, innovated, kept herself open to feedback and criticism, started reaching out and surrounded herself with genuine and good people. ‘In the process I learnt photography, marketing, strategy, content development, sales and the like. As an entrepreneur, one has to be a master of every aspect of the business. Now we have young girls, differently abled women and women from different communities working together to make the PML dream come true,’ says a proud Zuboni.

August 2016

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A turning point ‘The turning point in my life was when my father also fell ill after my mom,’ Zuboni recalls. ‘It was a very difficult time for my family and I hated the hapless situation we were in. It was at that lowest point that I promised to myself that I would work hard and make my own destiny. The immense faith that my girls at PML have placed in me inspires me every day to keep pushing even though the challenges we face are endless. Against all odds, when people choose to follow you even though success is not guaranteed... It makes you want to sacrifice your whole life for them. They are my happiness and strength. Together, we envision to work relentlessly and provide quality products and services, like the Tata group does,’ she adds.

Celebrating Fashion, Femininity and Freedom Zuboni was very clear from the beginning that she wanted PML to celebrate fashion, femininity and freedom. ‘Being north-east Indian, we understand that our taste, style and fashion are different,’ she says. She wants PML to stand against all the misconceptions and prejudices and celebrate the fashion and style of the north-east by creating more awareness and empowering women. ‘With easy connectivity and accessibility thanks to the Internet and social media, we saw an opportunity to make our unique designs and style more accessible to people all over the country. Through our blogs we endeavour to bridge the geographical barrier and share more beautiful stories inspired by the unique northeastern fashion and style.’

An Exciting Time for North-east Fashion ‘A Tamil gentleman once commented “North-east Indians have an amazing sense of style and fashion” and I could not agree with him more,’ Zuboni says. ‘Style for us comes naturally and effortlessly. We love fashion. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we are born with style and creativity in our blood. It is indeed a very exciting and proud moment. A client proudly exclaimed, “PML together with Ketho Leno, one of the best super-models from Northeast India has created history by launching one of the first fashion ecommerce websites from North-east India”. We are really lucky to have amazing clients and well-wishers from across the country and they are even more delighted that we have made it to the next level after five years of relentlessly working online using Facebook to empower ourselves.’

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August 2016

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Digital world by Team Culturama

Making the connection Meet Yanpvuo Kikon, who is spearheading two projects that are putting north-east India on India’s digital map – Indihut and Naga Blog

Yan Kikon (yan) grew up in Kohima, Nagaland where he studied in Mezhur Higher Secondary School, cleared a state JEE to pursue his electronics engineering from Lokmanya Tilak College of Engineering (Mumbai University). ‘Going outside the state to pursue our technical education is always a blessing, because we are exposed to the culture, lifestyle and learn so much from what is going on in other advanced States,’ says Yan. Today, he runs two of the most successful digital projects to come out of the north-east – Naga Blog, a meeting place for people from the community, and Indihut, a digital music portal promoting talent from the north-east. For inspiration, Yan didn’t have to look too far away though. ‘My dad is a geek and a science freak. He is crazy about electronics and astronomy. He inspired us to think out of the box. And my mum has always taught us to be generous and help our community and society.’ As a child, Yan remembers being nicknamed 'Jack of all trades but master of none' because

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he used to try everything. ‘I tried a lot of things but I was always mediocre in everything including studies, but the fact was that I was always determined to try everything and was always intrigued by new innovations, science and technology, nature, art, music, architecture.’ ‘I always wanted to do something different. Almost everyone from my generation aimed to become a successful government servant and the biggest or only achievement our society would accept as a success is if you cleared UPSC or NPSC (State exams),’ he says. While most of his friends left Mumbai to pursue their dreams of becoming a successful bureaucrat, he chose to stay back and hunt for a job. I wanted to learn something from the thriving, progressive people in the metros. ‘While working for Accenture I had the opportunity to work on the e-Governance domain of my State with the State Portal project where we managed to completely automate the manual NPSC exam process. This project became a benchmark in Government process re-engineering and has been mentioned by the Governor of Nagaland in the financial year report as a successful e-Governance project in the State. The case study video we made is also featured in the Digital India program!’ he adds.

About Naga Blog ‘We are one of the oldest States but one of the least developed. Our youth had little voice. Even if we wanted to express our opinions, all we had was newspapers and our frustration was confined to our kitchens. Even our society and culture have a peculiar nature wherein we normally avoid voicing out, being loud and aggressive in our dealings with authority because being a close-knit tribal society, we tend to

August 2016

be pretty courteous and conscious of how we deal with others. Thanks to social media, this was going to change. Today our voices can reach the masses and shake the corridors of power and authority. The concept of traditional media from being simply “Communication TO the masses” is now changing to “Communication FROM the masses”. When we started TNB in 2008, we literally thought we were huge and celebrated when we reached 200 members. Today we have over 70,000 members.’

Indihut ‘I got involved in the music business because I was deeply passionate about music. While in Pune, I also used to sing part-time in a restaurant called Out of the Blue, which was an amazing learning experience!’ he says, ‘We always talk about the huge pool of talented musicians in our State but we never had a proper platform where people from across the world could listen to our talented artists. My brother Liyo and I simply Googled how to build an e-commerce website and read a lot of eBooks, watched YouTube tutorials on how to build one, and started off with a simple wordpress-based website called “Indihut” to represent “Indigenous” and “Independent” artists!’ ‘After three years, this zero-budget platform, is organically growing and evolving into an artist promotional platform which can grow into a talent management company or a label. Our team of very capable young part-timers have been trained to generate leads, design the pages and promote artists through the website and page!’ The duo is driven not by the thought of profit but by the response of music lovers and, most importantly, the artists themselves ‘because Indihut has become a brand in itself where artists want to be associated with, which is pretty cool’. Indihut today has registered over 151 artists, released over 330 original songs and been visited by more 3.5 lakh visitors not only from India but also abroad. Yan hopes that he can work towards scaling it up. ‘Our aim is to become a label, artiste and event management company!’ he adds before signing off.

August 2016

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Festivals of India This August, Indians celebrate 69 years of Indian independence, the birth of Lord Krishna and more...

August 12

Varalakshmi Vrata

Varalakshmi Vrata is a fast that is usually observed by married Hindu women on the Friday that precedes the full moon day of the month of Shravan (August–September). This worship of Goddess Lakshmi is a means to seek her blessings for a good progeny and the long life of one’s husband.

August 15

Independence Day

On the 15th of August in the year 1947, to borrow the words of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, at the stroke of midnight as the world slept, India arose to life and freedom. The country clinched its independence from Britain on this date. August 15, every year, is celebrated as the Indian independence day with flag-hoisting as well as cultural programmes that reinforce India’s ‘unity in diversity’. To do: Watch this moving and spectacular rendition of the Indian national anthem Jana Gana Mana, brought out by Bharat Bala, a filmmaker, and Oscar award-winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9enZusi2fD8

August 25

Janmashtami Janmashtami or Krishna Jayanthi is the birthday of Lord Krishna. The festival is celebrated across India, in different ways. In Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), the birthplace of Krishna, stories from his life are enacted in public places. These plays are also known as Rasa Lila. In some states, such as Maharashtra, Dahi Handi, a game that imitates the act of Lord Krishna stealing butter, is played. Teams of young men climb on each other’s shoulders to form ‘human towers’ and try to break a pot of butter that is hung from a tall pole. In Tamil Nadu, people use a mixture of rice flour and water to draw little footprints – which are supposed to be that of Krishna (as a child) entering the house. Many devotees maintain a fast and recite the Bhagwad Gita on this day as well.

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August 2016

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Myth and Mythology by Devdutt Pattanaik

The transformations of

Chitrangada The many stories of the Manipuri princess, Chitrangada...

I saw the film Chitrangada by director Rituparno Ghosh. I loved the idea of the film, the outstanding introduction of Tagore’s play Chitrangada within the film, but was not quite happy about the excessive melodrama and trite dialogue. I felt this great urge to discuss my views with the writer/ director/actor, Rituparno, whose film Choker Bali (Grit in the Eye) I absolutely loved and whose other film Antar-mahal (Inner quarters). Then my friend, who was trying to connect us, told me he had died. A heart attack. He was barely 50. Even though I never met him, I felt I had lost someone very close and dear. I remember the joy I felt long ago when I read in a magazine he was reading my book, Jaya, on the Mahabharat

and that he was planning to do a film on Draupadi. But that film will never happen. Chitrangada, in the Mahabharat, is simply a princess of Manipur. Her father has no sons and so he allows her to marry Arjun provided Arjun does not claim the children born of the union. It suggests a kind of matriarchal society, where the daughter’s children become heirs. Later, Chitrangada’s son, Babruvahan, fails to recognise Arjun, and defeats him in battle. But Rabindranath Tagore gave this ancient tale an amazon twist, perhaps influenced by folk narratives based on the Mahabharat. In his opera, Chitrangada’s father wants a son but is given a daughter by the gods. He raises

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this daughter as a man, a warrior, and during a hunt she captures the handsome Arjun, who is on a twelve-year exile from his own land. She falls in love with him but fears Arjun will reject her because she is manly (in fact, he assumes she is a man because she is such a good warrior). So Chitrangada asks Madan, god of love, to make her more womanly. She approaches Arjun thus, and Arjun falls for her. When Manipur is attacked, people cry out for the warrior-princess and Arjun learns of her for the first time. He longs to meet this woman who he feels is extraordinary. A pleasantly surprised Chitrangada begs Madan to restore her to her original form, and Arjun loves her even more. Thus Arjun loves Chitrangada for who she is, not what she pretends to be.

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In Rituparnoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film, the man who claims to love Rudra, the character played by Rituparno himself, rejects Rudra when Rudra decides to change his gender through surgery, and become a woman. But his lover loves him as he is; he does not like the idea of gender transformation. But what of Rudraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desires? Are they less important than the loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or that of society? Answers are not simple. All a storyteller can do is make us think. And Rituparno provoked many such thoughts. I thank him for that. Published in Devlok, Sunday Midday, May 31, 2013. Reprinted with permission from www.devdutt.com

August 2016

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Learn from the Bhagavad Gita by Team Culturama

August 2016

Capturing the essence of the Bhagavad Gita in a single sentence, one chapter at a time; accompanied by an inspirational photograph from our Annual Photo Competition.

Chapter 4

Every act can be an act of prayer Photo: Melisa Enderle, USA

Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India RNI No.TNENG/2010/32752. Postal Reg.No.TN/CC(S)DN/396/2016-18. Licensed to post without prepayment under WPP No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-268/2016-18. Date of Publication:1st of every month.