To India, with Love

Full of love for local dogs, Felicity Maxwell-Schalck from Australia, who currently lives in Chennai, has a deep connection with India and believes that her journey is still evolving. Team Culturama caught up with Felicity for a quick tete-a-tete

Can you share your early experiences in India? We lived in India (New Delhi) when I was a child. My parents and extended family have always loved it here. Moving to the South was different though; all our experiences of Indian culture had been mostly in the North. We visited Chennai before we moved and talked with some friends already living here. I think of India as being incredibly rich and diverse in culture. However, prior to living here I did not truly realise just how diverse the country was from state to state. Each is really like its own country. What’s your take on Indian food? We have a large Indian population in Australia, especially in larger cities like Sydney and Melbourne. So you can get really fantastic authentic Indian food if you know where to go! Nothing compares to actually being here though.

Have you taken part in Indian festivals? We arrived here in June of 2019 and enjoyed a few festivals, including Pongal. Because we were relatively new, we just enjoyed it at home with our

local staff. I was also really lucky to attend the Puja for a factory, which was really fascinating and a lot of fun.

What, according to you, are the best sources of entertainment around Chennai? It’s really the same as anywhere if you like theatre, music, film, travel and adventure, as it is all available in great variety and quantity. I personally love to travel, but that’s been hard this year. Locally, I love to go to DakshinaChitra museum. On a monthly basis, they have exhibitions, dancing and music, and it’s a fabulous local spot to take visitors.

How is it travelling across India? We have travelled very little as we’ve been in lockdown since March. I have been to Yercaud, Wayanad in Kerala and the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand for safari. We’ve toured New Delhi to Jaipur via Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Bharatpur. I got to see some amazing old stepwells and stay in some beautiful old havelis. I am always taken aback by the beauty of the architecture in India.

Is there something you would want to change in India? The proliferation of the hungry, abused, sick and dying street dogs.

A special memory from your time in India so far Walking along the Kosi River in the national park up in Uttarakhand, not another soul in site, the freshest air, coldest mountain water, wildlife all around! It was heaven.

If there was one thing you would take back to your home from India, what would that be? All the dogs.

Quick 5:

Best Indian friend: Digvijay Favourite Indian food: Masala dosa Favourite hang-out spot in India: Anywhere in nature Intolerable India: You learn to tolerate most things living in India. Loveable India: The chaos

Believe It or Not

– Nakshatras of India

How often have you been asked, ‘What’s your star?’ Like it or not, but it is hard to ignore. Vedic astrology has been a part of Indian culture for centuries. Nakshatras are known as constellations in Vedic astrology. Team Culturama takes a look at the nakshatras that are central to Indian astrology

Whether it is for a wedding or to buy a property, Indians commonly refer to the Vedic astrology of nakshatras before making important decisions. The word ‘nakshatra’ is broken down to ‘naks’, which means sky, and ‘shatra’ means ‘region’. Together, they refer to ‘sky map’ or constellation. In ancient times, people used to turn to the Moon to calculate time by connecting the stars. The nakshatras find a mention in some of the oldest scriptures such as the Rig Veda (1500 BCE), Yajurveda (1200–800 BCE) and the Atharva Veda (1200 BC–1000 BC). The 27 signs of the Vedic lunar zodiac are known to be the oldest astrological system in the world.

Each nakshatra consists of 13 degrees and 20 minutes of the well-known 12 zodiac signs. The 27 constellations travel about 27.3 days around the Moon’s orbit. The birth of an individual is therefore calculated on the basis of the position of the Moon in one of these stars. Each nakshatra has its own ruling deity, power and characteristic, distinct to the star.

There is an early Hindu mythological story which says that the 27 nakshatras were the daughters of King Daksha Prajapati and that the Moon was married to them. The Moon then spent approximately one day in each constellation, making it approximately 27 days.

The 27 nakshatras are Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini, Mrighasira, Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyeshtha, Moola, Purv Ashadha, Uttara Ashadha, Shravana, Dhanishtha, Shatabhisha, Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada and Revati. According to their qualities, the constellations are further divided into seven categories: Sthira or fixed, Chara or movable, Ugra or fierce, Kshipra or swift, Mridu or tender, Tikshna or sharp and Misra or mixed.

2021 – The year of the Ox In the Chinese zodiac, this is the year of the humble ox. The Chinese New Year falls on February 12 and lasts for 15 days. The ox is a symbol of hard work and discipline. It is believed that people born in the Year of the Ox are reliable, fair and resilient, and will have the ability to inspire others around them. They can be opinionated, but at the same time be open to others’ point of view. This year is considered to bring in luck in terms of finance for many.

Blending borders with traditions

Whether it is food, clothes, languages or religion, India has an abundance of it, and some more. But even with such diversity, at heart India stands united. Team Culturama goes through some age-old traditional practices that Indians follow, before starting something new

Anew beginning is special and is considered auspicious in many communities across India. Each community has in place customary practices that have been followed for decades, if not centuries. From New Year’s Day to harvest festivals, people come together to celebrate in their diverse and distinct styles. Here are a few of the ways that Indians celebrate a new beginning.

Food No occasion, auspicious or otherwise, is complete without a delicious spread. For new beginnings, a ritualistic puja is performed in temples and prayers are offered to the Gods. Every household prepares special sweet dishes that are first offered to the God, and later distributed among family and friends. Sugar, milk and ghee are considered to be pure and thus used in making these sweets. In Gujarat, a teaspoon of yogurt mixed with sugar at the start of a ceremony is considered to bring good luck. Honey is also widely used for auspicious events. In Tamil Nadu, jaggery, rice and milk are used to make ‘Pongal’, to mark the start of their harvest festival.

Clothes Wearing brand new clothes to celebrate new beginnings is a common practice throughout the country. In fact, elders in the house will buy clothes for the youngsters and vice versa to observe the occasion. In North India, for most events, men will opt for a crisp, tailor-made kurta. This attire may be simple, but its elegance makes the moment worth it. And what’s more, it is perfect for all ages. Women, on the other hand, will opt for sari or salwar kameez with gold zari work. In South India, women lean towards the traditional pattu sari and men will mostly wear a silk shirt and white mundu.

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Jewellery For Indians, gold is more than a shiny metal. Historically, communities across India have been fascinated by gold for its beauty, charm and rarity. Today, India is one of the fastest growing consumers of gold. Gold in India is considered auspicious as well for ideal investment. It is an integral part of many ceremonies. In South India, for Akshaya Tritiya, people will make a beeline to buy new jewellery as it is considered auspicious to acquire gold on the day. In the North, for Dhanteras, people buy jewellery to bring good fortune. It is also the top gifting option for new beginnings such as weddings, birthdays, and so on.

Property Many believe that investing in a property brings in prosperity. Since it is an investment that involves their life’s savings, people use auspicious dates such as New Year, festivals and other personal milestones to seal the deal. In fact, builders in India make use of occasions such as Diwali, Akshaya Tritiya and New Year to announce special discounts, freebies and offers. For the housewarming ceremony, milk is boiled using new vessels and is presented to God in the hope of bringing in prosperity in their new house.

Lighting the lamp In India, a lamp is associated with positivity and the path to dispel darkness. The lamp, in itself, is considered next to God for the same. Most Hindu homes across India will light a lamp at dawn and dusk, to mark the beginning and end of the day. It is also a part of every new beginning, whether it is a festival, an inauguration or a family affair. The agni or flame represents the source of knowledge. The oil or ghee used in the lamp symbolises negative tendencies that vanish slowly when the lamp is lit. The light is supposed to bring peace and tranquillity to the surroundings.

These traditions have stood the test of time and continue to be part of the everyday life of Indians. While one will come across unique customs from one state to the other, the core remains the same – to bring in positivity and harmony to the communities. This is after all what makes India so extraordinary from the rest of the world.

#ChampionWoman marches on

Champion a woman. She will build a nation

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work – Thomas Edison.

ChampionWoman Movement, powered by Global Adjustments Foundation, has addressed over 1,50,000 women and girls in the 5 years of existence. In the pandemic year of 2020, we conducted no - cost webinars on life leadership topics for students and workforce, including, nurses, teachers, doctors, corporate workforce and entrepreneurs.

Championing the

She took her love for traditional Kanjivaram silk saris and made it into a thriving business. Team Culturama catches up with A. Shanthi Subbiah, Founder Partner, Utppalakshi, to know more about her successful brand and her incredible journey so far.

What is your success mantra? I enjoy what I do, and I don’t compromise on quality.

Why did you choose this line of business? My love for Kanjivaram silk. I personally feel that silk saris are perfect for a multitude of occasions – be it a business meeting, a wedding or a temple visit. The fabric itself is very versatile, and in the hands of a good designer, we could have Indian or Western outfits. Wearing a good quality Kanjivaram silk is both regal and sophisticated.

Can you share an inspiring anecdote from your life that has helped you in your business journey? No particular incident comes to my mind, but I would like to say that both my grandfathers were businessmen. My paternal grandfather ventured into gold jewellery with absolutely no background in the business. He made a name for his jewellery business at a time when the concept of brands was unheard of. I learnt brand managing from him. He was innovative and worked with focus, passion and consistency.

Photo: Venket Ram

Can you describe one challenge that you faced in business as a woman and how you overcame it? Right from my childhood, I have believed that men and women are equal. If men are physically strong, women are mentally strong. This I owe to my parents. They did not treat my sister and me any different from our brother. We were given equal opportunities and what we made of the opportunity was our own decision – good or bad. pandemic is that no matter what happens, we have to stay together and hold on; and everything will become positive if we have the will.

Many women struggle with the work–life balance. What is your secret? Being systematic, making sure that I spend enough time on everything of importance and planning well in advance.

Any hurdle that came my way, I overcame because I only thought of what to do next. I did not falter. Every problem has a solution; we only have to find it. Sincere effort, focus and determination helps.

I have not seen my gender as a hurdle. Anyway, I have chosen a line of business where being a woman is an advantage, as this is a business that deals with women‘s wear.

What is the biggest lesson you learnt during this pandemic? Ever since we started the store, we have faced many difficulties including natural calamities, but we were able to overcome them all. Like every other business, the pandemic has been difficult for us too. When people were struggling to buy basic essentials, luxuries were the last thing on their mind. We have been hit extremely hard economically. But we have been very resilient and held our own. It was our online sales which helped us stay afloat. Usually, when purchasing handloom silk fabrics, customers like to touch and feel the fabric before buying. During the pandemic, customers learnt to trust and purchase our fabrics through our website.

Post COVID, the job scenario is pretty bad. It has become exceedingly difficult to get jobs, more so for women. We ensured that our staff at the store kept their jobs. The lesson we learnt during the Can you share the best advice you ever got? While I respect other people’s opinion and take their advice into consideration, I believe that at the end of the day, I am the one in a particular situation and no one else is going to understand what I am going through, since everyone’s perceptions and experiences are different. Hence I follow my own instinct and make decisions based on my principles. If I were to live my life following conflicting advice, I doubt I would have achieved half of what I have, nor would I be a good role model for my daughters. In life I have understood that most of the time it is better to follow your path with a healthy dose of commonsense, rather than listen to advice.

What are your future plans? We want to expand our online business and have a showroom in other parts of the country also. We want to spread awareness that Kanjivaram silk fabric can be used to design contemporary and traditional dresses too.

Rapid Fire

Your Role Model : My mom You start your day with : Prayer and meditation Your favourite quote : “This too shall pass”, “Tomorrow is another day.” A meal you can’t live without : I like chapatis. Your biggest supporter : My brother

Spread SpreadSmiles

Ready to paint the town red

Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love - Mother Teresa

Team Culturama takes you on a vibrant visual journey to celebrate life.

Dressed up for fun

Smile of innocence

Photo: Vaishnavi Ramesh India

Celebrating India Bearded happiness

Laugh your heart out

Photo: Armando Bruck Brazil German

Photo: Kerstin Vieth German

The Mystery of the Mantram

Can’t see how just repeating a word over and over can do anything?

The practical answer is just to try it and see for yourself. So far as I know, we still don’t really understand how aspirin works, yet we have faith in aspirin. When you take the bottle off the bathroom shelf and pop a couple of pills into your mouth, you are saying in effect, “I believe. I have faith that this will work.” I would say, “Take plenty of mantrams too.” It is equally good advice: one for fever in the body, the other for the fever of self-will.

People sometimes retort, “We don’t think it will work.” I reply, “Don’t you think you can give the Buddha or Jesus the Christ as much credence as you give Mr. Bayer?” That is all I am asking for. Try it. If you only feel comforted by things that come in a bottle, which I can understand, take an empty bottle and write Rama or Jesus on the label. Then put it on your bathroom shelf. When you have a disquieting afternoon or evening or night, take it down, look at it, and start repeating your mantram. You have taken the medicine.

Ramdas advises, “Have the mantram constantly in your mind.” That is the first and last instruction where japam or repetition of the mantram is concerned.

Make use of every spare moment to repeat your mantram. A million opportunities can be discovered during the course of a single day, and of course when you are falling asleep at night.

There may come a time when you cannot sleep and find it almost impossible to go on repeating the holy name hour after hour. The mind gets tired. At such times, I used to ask Sri Krishna in my heart to make it a joy for me to recite his name. As a result, now it is not a discipline; I do it with all the joy of indiscipline. I have no limits now, no restraints. I do it all the time, which is what going beyond all disciplines means. But you have to struggle with disciplines for a long, long time before this kind of spiritual freedom comes.

In my own practice, for example, I found that gradually – over a long, long period, not immediately – the period of japam will go on increasing, particularly when deepening meditation means you don’t need so much sleep at night, so that you lie awake resting your body in bed and resting your mind through japam.

The dramatic moment comes when your meditation and japam together amount to over twelve hours. When it becomes about thirteen hours, you have a say in what you’re going to think; you have a say in what you’re going to feel. Gradually, fourteen, fifteen hours of conscious sovereignty over the mind brings increasing freedom in your thoughts and feelings, in your very life. That’s the motivation for repeating the mantram.

According to Swami Ramdas, when you go on repeating the mantram that your teacher has given you, you’ll feel the presence of the teacher always with you. That’s why the mantram is said to be the bond between the teacher and the student. When you become established in your mantram, the mantram is your real guru, because the mantram is God.

When you have unified your desires through the practice of meditation, the repetition of the mantram and the observance of all the other disciplines, when the mantram has become established in your consciousness, what may happen is that you go out for a walk, say, and all of a sudden there is a kind of fast tremor running up the spinal column until it almost explodes in your head. You hear aaaauuummm and then inside there is tremendous vibration. It can last for about a minute or two. When this happens, stop where you are and repeat the mantram. Don’t get excited, don’t gloat over it, but stop where you are – if necessary sit down, because it can upset your balance – and keep repeating the mantram until the vibration subsides, probably in a minute or two.

Which mantram you have been using doesn’t matter; when you hear this sound, it will be very much like Om. That is the nearest phonetic equivalent a human being can give.

These are the signs by which you can reasonably guess that you are on the way, doing very well in becoming established in japam. You cannot anticipate this at all. You can never prepare yourself for it. If you have been really meditating well and observing the allied disciplines, it comes and goes. For a long, long time it’s like that. Then it is finally that you become established in it after years of this repetition. The proof is when you have a compulsive attachment, you can free yourself from it simply by the repetition of the mantram embedded in your consciousness. I read that when the astronauts went to the moon, they established a base from which they were able, with their radio telescope, to hear signals from the depths of the universe because everything was still; there was no interference from earth at all. Similarly, when we reach the supreme state, we discover the truth of what the Bible tells us: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Everything is still. St. Augustine has a beautiful description of this stillness, which I have included in my collection of passages for meditation, God Makes the Rivers to Flow.

It is in this stillness that you may hear the pranava, the supreme cosmic sound, Aum or Om.

These are the signs by which you can reasonably guess that you are on the way, doing very well in becoming established in japam.

Reprinted with permission from ‘The Mystery of the Mantram’ by Eknath Easwaran from The Blue Mountain Journal. Copyright The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, P.O. Box 256, Tomales, CA 94971, www.easwaran.org. (Extract from https://www.bmcm.org/ inspiration/journals/)