Culturama June 2015

culturama your cultural gateway to india

June 2015 Volume 6, Issue 04

Rs 40

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Designed

by Nature A look at eco-friendly practices that are an integral part of Indians’ lives.

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June 2015

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June 2015

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Dear Readers,

At a dinner in France, one of my fellow diners asked a simple question: “Is white wine really better with fish? Or, is red okay?” That started off a cacophony of comments. One said that white wine aged to a certain perfection is better. Another said, “Absolutely not! The Chardonnay is better!” A third piped in: “Are you saying Chablis is not okay?” Yet another felt, “Oh no! None of these are good. You should pick Pinot Noir – it never fails to entice!”

The person who had asked the question sat back and smiled as the conversation stretched into the late hours of the evening.

As we left the dinner, I heard people talking about what a wonderful gentleman he was – and a good conversationalist!

Flip this around 180 degrees in India – especially in summer. At a dinner (with more than four people), casually ask, “Is the Alphonso mango superior to the Imam Pasand?” Within seconds, you will hear firmly held views of how the Alphonso is over-rated, and that the Banganapalli is far more regal a fruit. Someone will pipe up,

“Have you forgotten the Langra?” Someone will say, “No, the Rumani is the sweetest mango in the world!” And the conversation will go in a circular form – back to the king of mangoes, Alphonso. There we go again!

Quietly leave the dinner scene – and you will be surprised at how many friends you have made. And they all would think of you as an excellent dinner companion!

True to this spirit, In Focus talks about the many varieties of the fruit – and the stories associated with them (Pg 12). We also have an interview with Padma Shri Kalimullah Khan, a man whose life work is centred on mangoes (Pg 14).

Nature’s bounty pervades every part of our lives. One example is of the ways in which we use flowers in our lives – Picture Story (Pg 48) has some examples. Or read Feature (Pg 22) for a look at eco-friendly measures from across the country.

Here’s a toast to a ‘natural’ life!

Ranjini Manian Editor-in-Chief globalindian@globaladjustments.com

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Editor-in-Chief Ranjini Manian Associate Editor Yamini Vasudevan Sub-Editor Shefali Ganesh Senior Designer Prem Kumar Finance V Ramkumar Circulation S Raghu Advertising Bengaluru Meera Roy Chennai Sindhuri Rajkumar/ Sunil Krishnamurthy Delhi/NCR Neha Verma Mumbai/Pune Arjun Bhat To subscribe to this magazine, write to circulation@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 Email culturama@globaladjustments.com Bengaluru 17/16, Ali Asker Road, Off. Cunningham Road, Bengaluru – 560 052 Mobile +91 99869 60316 Email culturamablr@globaladjustments.com Delhi-NCR 1414, DLF Galleria Tower, DLF Phase IV, Gurgaon, Haryana – 122009 Mobile +91-124-4389488 Email del@globaladjustments.com Mumbai #1102, 11th floor, Peninsula Business Park, Tower B, SB Road, Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400013 Tel +91-22-66879366

When we heard about the earthquake in Nepal, the teams at the Global Adjustments offices across India said a joint prayer for our Nepali brothers and sisters.

The prayer may not be tangible, but it will carry through our love and positive energy to them.

This Nepali window, a part of the GA headquarters in Chennai is a symbol of how we are all one, beyond man-made borders.

Email 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.

Commemorating 20 years of learning, sharing and promoting Indian culture at Global Adjustments With 10 hand-picked snippets about each of the 29 Indian states, this book is a collector's item. Visit www.globaladjustments.com to read the book for free. For bulk orders, write to info@globaladjustments.com.

This animated video is a guide to the unique cultural markers of all 29 states, as well as a mnemonic tool to help you remember them in alphabetic order.

View the 29 States video at www.globaladjustments.com

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Cover Image

Advisory Board Members N. Ram is an award-winning journalist and former Editor-inChief 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, but 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

Contributors Susan Philip is a freelance writer based in Chennai, and the editorial coordinator of Culturama’s various coffee table books.

Preeti Verma Lal is a New Delhi-based freelance writer/photographer. www.deepblueink.com Jen Mullen is a language graduate, who has lived in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and India.

Eknath Easwaran (1910–1999) was a spiritual teacher, author, and interpreter of Indian literature.

In 1961, he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation and Nilgiri Press in California.

Pavithra Srinivasan is a writer, journalist, artist, translator and editor, who writes for adults and children. www.facebook.com/ pavithra.srinivasan Helen Taylor is a British freelance writer, photographer and English tutor, who lived in Chennai for three years. www.tayloredcomms.co.uk

Letters to the editor Dear Editor,

“I read the May 2015 issue of Culturama, from cover to cover. I always find interesting information, historical details or just some amusing stories in the magazine. I particularly enjoyed Suzanne Mc Neill’s article, ‘In the footsteps of Buddha’.”

Charles Gilks, Australia

Dear Editor,

“I received the May 2015 issue of Culturama.

Thank you for the enlightening stories on the Buddha; they were short and meaningful.”

This photo of a women making cane baskets was shot by Christophe Pellegrinelli (France) and captures one of the common eco-friendly practices in India. These baskets are used to store dry goods, fruit or vegetables, or as items of decor.

Gautam Patole, India

Dear Editor,

“Thank you for sharing the teachings of Eknath Easwaran in Culturama. If any of Easwaran’s teachings are beneficial to even a single reader of yours, we hope it will make the world a little better and kinder. I particularly enjoyed the April 2015 issue that was centered on cows.”

Debbie McMurray, USA

Dear Editor,

“I came across Culturama on Magster online. I value Indian traditions and was happy to see this reflected in your magazine. The April 2015 issue was a very good read.”

Rahul Verma, India

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 48

Picture Story

Flowers for all reasons and seasons.

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Holistic Living

Why do we rush around at a frenetic pace? Would it not be better to pause and move at a measured pace?

Regulars

22 Feature India has long lived in harmony with the natural world. Practices that would now be described as sustainable and eco-friendly have existed in the country for centuries.

India’s Culture 08

Short Message Service

Short, engaging snippets of Indian culture.

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Festival of the Month

The holy month of Ramadan reminds us of the need for selfrestraint and complete submission to the Almighty.

Journeys Into India 36

Seeing India

Udaipur has in store a plethora of delights for the India afficionado.

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Passage to India

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In Focus

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India Now

Behind every variety of mango, there is a unique story. And one man’s life work revolves around this much loved fruit.

A recap of events, people and places that made news in the past month.

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Ten for the Road

Trivia about an Indian state – featuring Manipur this month.

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India Writes

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Look Who’s In Town

A space for discussing the best from India’s world of literature.

Expats in India share their stories on a practical theme for everyday survival in this country.

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Calendar of Events

See what’s going on in the main cities and suburbs.

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India Diaries

The fun, the interesting and the out-of-the-ordinary – an expat shares her experience of day-to-day life in India.

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Give to India

Featuring worthy NGOs and charitable organisations across the country.

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At Global Adjustments

We look at ‘I CAN’ – a programme by the India Immersion Centre, and a special cookery session held for an expatriate in Chennai.

Relocations and Property An explorer in a strange land is helped by an unknown man – one who would make his name as one of the most revered saints to have walked on India soil.

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Space and the City

Property listings in Chennai.

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by Suzanne McNeill Short cultural snippets for an easily digestible India

Art/textile/craft Kandangi saris – Chettinad Kandangi saris are the hand-woven coarse cotton saris of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. Traditionally, the body of the sari is always designed with large, brightly coloured checks, often in earthy tones of orange, red, brown and green, and contrasted with stripes in bold pinks, blues and yellows. The borders are worked with gold. Kandangi saris are, unusually, worn with the pleats on the left hip rather than at the front, and are cool to wear, durable and easily washed.

Words Lassi (yoghurt drink) vs Rassi (rope) Popular across the subcontinent, particularly in India and Pakistan, yoghurt-based lassi is a refreshing alternative to milkshake. Traditional salt lassi is flavoured with cumin or herbs, whilst sweet lassi contains sugar or fruit. Mango lassi is the summer’s most popular flavour!

Rassi is an Urdu word that means ‘rope’ (or ‘line’, ‘string’ or ‘tether’). The phrase ‘Allah ki rassi’ means ‘the rope of Allah’ and is used as a metaphor for the unity of Islam in a beautiful verse in the Qur’an: ‘And hold fast all of you together to the rope of Allah and be not divided among yourselves’.

Food and Drink Bhutte ka Kees – Madhya Pradesh Milk-based dishes are a delicacy of the central state of Madhya Pradesh. Bhutte ka Kees (literally ‘grated corn’) is an unusual vegetable dish and a seasonal speciality. Fresh corn is grated directly off the corn cob, fried with ghee and spices including cumin, asafoetida and ginger, and then simmered in milk. Bhutte ka Kees is served at breakfast, and as a popular late-evening snack at the food stalls at Indore’s Sarafa Bazaar.

Home cook Nisha Madhulika gives clear instructions on making Bhutte ka Kees: http://tinyurl.com/m63yupn

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Photo: Gitte Andersson, Sweden

Photo: Christine Valade, France

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Urban Adventure Kumartuli – Kolkata Kumartuli is the traditional potters’ quarter of northern Kolkata. This narrow maze of lanes and alleyways contains over 450 workshops that buzz with activity. The families here have been making pottery for generations using the fine clay from the banks of the Hooghly River, and specialise in creating idols of the Hindu gods and goddesses for the countless private and communal puja ceremonies that take place in the city, and beyond. Activity in Kumartuli is at its most frenzied in the weeks leading up to Durga Puja in order to complete the idols of the goddess for Kolkata’s biggest annual celebration.

Interpretations Coconut and Camphor An offering of coconut is at the heart of many puja ceremonies. The coconut with its tufts of coir, hard shell and soft kernel symbolises the human head, and the ego that is within us all. Camphor leaves no residue when it burns, which is taken to represent our need to extinguish ego and self-will, and to offer all our actions to the Lord.

He/she lives on ‘Sivaji’ Ganesan (actor) – 1928 to 2001 Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan was one of India’s most respected film actors. He was born in 1928 in Tanjore, in the then Madras Presidency (present-day Tamil Nadu). When he was 10 years old, against his father’s wishes, he joined a touring theatre company, which gave him an excellent grounding in acting. Ganesan’s early career was marked by his expressive and poetic delivery of Tamil in an industry then dominated by Telugu speakers, and this enabled his breakthrough during the 1950s. The moniker ‘Sivaji’ was bestowed on him for his outstanding portrayal of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the play, Shivaji Kanda Hindu Rajyam. Ganesan played varied roles in over 300 films. His most famous film is Veerapandiya Kattabomman, in which he played the eponymous hero, an 18th century South Indian chieftain who rebelled against the British. Honoured with civilian awards, Ganesan was the first Indian actor to be made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

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In Focus

by Preeti Verma Lal

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Photos: All photos by Preeti Verma Lal

Fruit For A King

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Mango. Summer’s sweetest five-letter word. Isn’t it? Would you drop a jaw if I say that the luscious fruit is almost 4,000 years old? No, not the one in your hand. The mango specie, actually. The first mangoes were born somewhere in the IndoBurma region thousands of years ago. I know now what the caveman called the fruit but early Sanskrit texts refer to it as amra. Chinese traveller Hsuan-Tsang who visited India in 632 AD was the first one to tell the world about mangoes. Aine-Akbari (1590) details the qualities of mangoes. The kings, certainly, were enamoured by this ‘King of Fruits’. Mughal Emperor Akbar planted an orchard of 1,00,000 mango trees, while Bahadur Shah Zafar’s mango garden inside Red Fort (New Delhi) was called Hayat Bakhsh.

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The mango is often said to be the ‘king’ of fruits – and was coveted by kings too! We share little known stories about the fruit – especially one about a 300-year-old mango tree that was not planted, but sprang from the earth as a blessing

Emperors. Noblemen. Soldiers. Plebs. The mango was everyone’s summer obsession. But if there were to be a joust for the biggest mango lover, a bearded poet would have scampered home with the trophy. No one can ever beat poet Mirza Ghalib’s mango love. For him, as the story goes, mangoes came before poetry. He wrote panegyrics to the fruit and long letters to his friends requesting for baskets of mangoes (at a rough count, he mentions mangoes in 63 letters). In Dar-Shifat-e-Ambah, he writes: mujhse poochho, tumheñ khabar kya hai, aam ke aage neyshakar kya hai (‘Ask me, what do you know. A mango is sweeter than sugarcane’).

In India, mangoes are everywhere. Malihabad, a not-sostout village nearly 35 km from Lucknow, is touted as the country’s mango capital. Walk into the dusty village and there are mangoes everywhere. Even the air seems thick with the whiff of mangoes – lush, sweetened and blessed. Not too far from Malihabad is the village Dusseheri, whose claim to fame is the original 300-year-old Dusseheri mango tree. Ask a local and he’d tell you the tree was not planted by humans – it rose from the earth as a blessing! The tree is still the property of the Nawab of Lucknow. No ordinary mortal can savour its fruits – two stout men with oiled sticks in their hands guard the tree. Forget plebs, not even birds can peck at them.

As soon as the first mango pops its head, the tree is netted.

The fruits of this tree are never sold. They are hand-picked, arranged in a basket and sent to the Nawab’s family, which, interestingly, has a mansion called Dusseheri House.

Mangoes. And more mangoes. You eat them all. But ever wondered about their names? There are some quirky ones, such as Langra (‘lame’). The mother Langra tree still stands in Varanasi. The story goes that the owner was lame. Emperor Sher Shah Suri gave the name to the Chausa variety upon commemorating his victory over King Humayun at a place called Chausa. The Goan variety Malgesh literally translates into ‘difficult to digest’ in Portuguese. Bishop (also known as

A signboard indicates the route to the 300-year old 'Dusseheri' tree.

(Top) A 100-year-old 'Asroor Mukarar' mango tree on which 300 different varieties of mangoes have been grafted.

bispo) borrows its name from the large belly of a bishop, while Hilario, the hugely popular variety in North Goa, is named after Hilario Fernandes, in whose garden grew the original Hilario tree. Afonso de Albuquerque, a military expert who helped establish Portuguese colonies in India, lent his name to the pricey Alphonso.

Ghalib was right. Aur dauayiae kias kahan, jane sheerin mein mithas kahan (‘What else can we do with first the imagination?

Mango is sweeter than the best in life, nay, even life itself’).

Who better to talk about mangoes than a man who has spent his life cultivating the fruit? Turn to the next page for an interview with Padma Shri Kalimullah Khan, whose name is synonymous with mangoes not just in Lucknow, but across the world.

The Mango Man Padma shri Kalimullah Khan has the last word when it comes to mangoes. Here, he speaks of his life’s work and passion ‘Kalimullah Khan. Malihabad. India.’ A letter from the Middle East just had four words on the envelope. Days later, it reached the addressee. Padma Shri Kalimullah Khan, the old Pathan who is almost synonymous with mangoes in Malihabad. In the nation’s mango capital, you needn’t pull out Google maps to look for his four-acre Abdullah Nursery.

Just mention his name and someone will direct you right to the gate of sprawling nursery where on a century-old Asroor Mukarar tree, Khan has grafted nearly 300 varieties of mangoes. Not only is the tree a must-see, it also found mention in the Limca Book of Records. In a phone interview from his home in Malihabad, Kalimullah Khan talks of his work and passion.

What’s so special about Malihabad that is known as the mango capital of India?

Mitti ka masla hai (It is all about the soil). My great grandfather was the first to have an orchard during the reign of Wajid Ali Shah. Then Malihabad boasted of 1,300 varieties of mango. Now, I can hardly count 700 mango varieties in this tehsil. Here, nothing else grows. Malihabad is only about mangoes. Nothing else. Call it the Lord’s blessings.

How far do you trace your love for mangoes?

I was never formally trained to be an orchardist. Perhaps it runs in my blood. But I look at mangoes differently. I have to improvise. Create new varieties. Abdullah Nursery, which only has 40 to 50 mango trees, is more like a laboratory for me.

Tell us about the famous Asroor Mukarar mango tree.

In 1987, I started grafting on the Asroor Mukarar tree, which is now a hundred years old and has 300 varieties. Last year, I created a new variety called Namoh, in honour of Mr. Narendra Modi. Right now I am focusing on creating a mango tree that will bear fruit for at least eight months in a year.

What is your favourite mango variety?

I have too many favourites. If I name one mango variety as my favourite, the others will be offended! However, there is something very exquisite and dainty about Chausa. So are Roshanara and Shamsul Asmar. Glass and Kala Pahar are really ugly to look at, but they are packed with so much goodness that if an ill man eats them, he will get off the bed and start running!

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India now

by Susan Philip

The month that was

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

It’s Happening Now A friend in need

Recurrent powerful earthquakes that left Nepal devastated have taken a toll in northern India as well, particularly in the state of Bihar, although on a much lesser scale. India has joined countries and organisations around the world in rushing aid and rescue missions to the Himalayan nation.

Under ‘Operation Maitri’ (Friend), Indian Armed Forces mounted rescue and relief missions and also helped evacuate Indians and people of other nationalities stranded in Nepal.

Meanwhile, a lot more remains to be done. Only a fraction of the relief needs have been met.

If you feel the call to give to Nepal, check out these links: http:// tinyurl.com/mlqlwtn OR http://tinyurl.com/m8ecsbf

Business Matters Politics and Polity

Google in Hyderabad

The lion and the dragon Indian firms have signed deals worth over $22 billion with China during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to the neighbouring country. “Now India is ready for business,” Modi told executives of Chinese and Indian companies. “Let us work together in mutual interest and for progress and prosperity of our great countries.” Deals were signed in various sectors, including telecom, steel and solar energy. The Prime Minister also indicated that India was keen to draw on Chinese expertise in mass manufacturing.

“I strongly believe that this century belongs to Asia,” he said, underlining historical links between the two Asian giants.

During his visit, Modi also opened a centre for Indian and Gandhian studies at the Fudan University.

Q: It has been decided that China’s Central Television and India’s Doordarshan will co-produce a documentary on the earliest Chinese travellers to India. Can you name some of these travellers? And what was the purpose of their visits?

A: FaSien, Sung Yun and Hieun Tsang were some famous Chinese travellers who came to India between AD 400 and 700, looking for original Buddhist scriptures, after Buddhism, which spread from India to their country, was made the official religion there in AD 379.

The famous city of Hyderabad, capital of India’s youngest state, Telangana, will be the venue of Google’s largest campus outside the United States. The two-million-sqft campus will be the global search engine giant’s first in Asia, and will be set up at an investment of Rs. 1,000 crore. It will be one of the largest facilities globally and Google’s first own campus in India. Google’s vice president (Real Estate & Workplace), David Radcliffe, and Telangana IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan signed an MoU in this connection at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. Work on the campus is expected to start next year, and the facility should be ready by 2019.

Q: How many states does India have?

A: 29. Do check them out in this fun video: http://tinyurl.com/m734xsm

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Milking the Russian market

Sports Spots

Milk products from India may soon find a place on store shelves in Russia. Cheese will soon be exported there, and talks are on for sending skimmed and whole milk powder too.

Various companies, including the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which sells the popular Amul brand of milk and milk products, are in the running for approval from authorities in both countries, for the sale of milk products to Russia.

An Indian in Brazil

Scientifically Speaking A rare find in the Ghats Scientists in India have discovered a rare plant which could be highly significant for the treatment of cancer. Found in the Western Ghats region of southern India, Miquelia dentate Bedd is a small climbing shrub producing anti-cancer alkaloid camptothecin (CPT). India is home to several plant species producing CPT, but the high demand for the alkaloid has led to widespread and often irresponsible harvesting, endangering some of them to the extent of being on the verge of extinction.

Did you know? The mountain range known as the Western Ghats is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s eight ‛hottest hot spots’ of biodiversity. It is home to well over 300 globally threatened species, and possibly also to many as yet undiscovered types of plant and animal life.

Awards and Accolades An honour indeed!

Mithali Raj, who captained the Indian women’s cricket team to a four-wicket victory over England last August, has been recognised as one of the six Wisden India Cricketers for 2015. She is the first woman to win the honour.

Did you know? Wisden India provides the cricket lover a combination of reportage and analysis, in both the old and new media formats. For more information, check out www.wisdenindia.com. The prestigious Wisden Awards showcase the country’s cricket heritage.

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Romeo Fernandes made history by becoming the first Indian footballer to play for a Brazilian club. The Goan player joined Atletico Paranaense and the club defeated Nacional in the first league match in which Fernandes figured. The star winger joined Atletico as part of a training partnership accord the club signed with the All India Football Federation.

Q: Who is the first player of Indian parentage to play and score in the Premier League, England?

A: Michael Chopra. The English foot baller’s father is an Indian.

This and That Sound and light show

The largest and most spectacular temple festival in Kerala, the Thrissur Pooram, was held with customary pomp and splendour. The festival is a feast for eyes and ears. Processions of caparisoned elephants, reverberating, rhythmic percussion music and a heart-stopping fireworks display that lights up the night sky for about three hours are only some of the features of this much-looked-forward-to event. A perfectly synchronised display of the exchange of decorated parasols by mahouts sitting atop two facing rows of elephants, in time to the music of traditional instruments, is one of the highlights of the festival. The spirit of competitiveness among participating teams, be it in the music or the fireworks display, adds to the excitement. The Pooram is one of the tourism highpoints in Kerala, and attracts crowds of visitors from India and abroad.

For some insight into how this festival came acquired its characteristics, click on http://tinyurl.com/m8qb6ne

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29 Indias: One Nation, published

by Global Adjustments, has 10 hand-picked snippets about each of the Indian states.

Read the book for free at www.globaladjustments.com.

Global Adjustments has created an animated video that captures the cultural markers of all 29 states: http://tinyurl. com/m734xsm

Ten for the Road

by Susan Philip

Manipur

learn more about the 29 states of this fascinating subcontinent.

This segment will set out a collection of interesting, bite-size facts from each state – this month, we look at Manipur 1.

How the land lies: Literally and a figuratively a ‘jewel’ of a state, Manipur lies in the northeast region. Mountains, valleys, forests, rivers and eye-catching flora and fauna make it 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. The state borders Myanmar on the east.

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Political Pressures: The geographic location gave the region importance in World War II. It was the scene of many a hardfought battle between the Allied forces led by Britain and Axis forces spearheaded by Japan. In fact, the British check to the Japanese attempt to enter Imphal was one of the turning points of the War on the Eastern front.

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Past Glories: The Meetei Mayek, as the Manipuri script is known, has a hoary past. It is believed to have been in existence for around – hold your breath – four millennia! The script currently in use is a modification of the original one, incorporation of characters for some sounds not represented earlier being one of the main amendments.

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Ethnic Fingerprint: There are many tribes in Manipur. The Meitei, Naga and Kuki are some of them. They speak different languages or dialects, and have distinct customs; they practice different faiths – Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Sanamahism and folk religions; but they all live together in harmony.

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Culture Quotient: 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 had greatly interested in – the art form while she was a student at Shantiniketan in West Bengal.

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Personality Plus: Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khathing of Manipur was a young King’s Commission Officer of the Indian Army during World War II. His service earned him the coveted Military Cross and Member of the British Empire awards. Years later, he became India’s Ambassador to Myanmar (then Burma), the first person of tribal origin to be given such a post. In recognition of his contributions to the country, he was conferred the Padma Shree in 1957.

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Sights to See: Do make an effort to catch a glimpse of the Sangai, a rare species of deer found only here, and the Siroi Lily, which grows only on the slopes of the Siroi hills in the state. On a more sombre note, pay your respects at the War Cemetery maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, commemorating the brave soldiers of the British and Indian Armies who lost their lives in World War II.

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Tasty Treats: Manipuri cuisine makes use of many herbs and roots that are endemic to this region, making it distinct from the food in many other parts of India. Fish is a staple, in many forms – dried, fried and curried. Ngri, a fermented fish dish, is a particular favourite.

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Crafted with Care: Basket weaving is practised across the state, thanks to the abundant availability of cane and bamboo.

There are specific baskets for various purposes. Wedding ceremonies call for special types and last rites require a different kind, for example. Pottery is another wide-spread craft – the appealing products come in red, dark red and black.

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Worshipfully Yours: 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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India writes

iREAD

The Curse of Brahma – Krishna Trilogy. Volume 1

by Jagmohan Bhanver

Reviewed by Sakshi Krish

The Curse of Brahma, the first book in the Krishna Trilogy, focuses on the events leading up to the birth of Lord Krishna. For those who are familiar with Lord Krishna’s life, it might come across as a different, quirky take on the story behind his birth. However, for those who are not familiar with Indian mythology, the book might be difficult to follow. With hard-topronounce names, stanzas of mantras and terms in Sanskrit galore, the lack of a glossary section at the back is a disadvantage.

The book starts off with the story’s main antagonist, The Dark Lord, plotting his revenge against Lord Brahma for exiling him to Pataal Lok or the underworld. His three-step plan involves infiltrating the human world with his demon assassins, killing Princess Devaki, and overthrowing the Gods. However, the all-perceiving Gods have already planned on placing their secret weapon in Devaki’s womb – Lord Krishna – who would, hopefully, prove to be the salvation for mankind (that’s something to look out for in the sequel). The Dark Lord uses Prince Kansa – Devaki's half-demon cousin – as his pawn to infiltrate the royal family. However, Kansa’s kinder, human half is locked in a conflict with his demonic tendencies and duties, which lends a very refreshing perspective to the popular villain. The story contains many subsidiary plot tangents that are later woven into the main plot, and discusses themes such as good and evil, destiny and revenge.

The author’s modern take on the mannerisms, conversations and conceptual backing for the characters creates confusion over the period in which the plot is placed. The narration paints an elaborate picture of old-time royal palaces, Hindu ceremonies and treacherous demons, but the conversations between characters shift between loaded prose and contemporary lingo. The modern-day spoken exchanges between characters, such as kings, princes, royal messengers and Gods can either be seen as a challenge to the cultural construct of such characters, primarily using long-worded sentences and poetic language or his personal present-day representation of these legends. Concepts such as illegal immigration and DNA testing also add to the author’s attempt to add a contemporary twist to a mythical tale.

Despite all this – and its predictable ending – the book managed to keep me piqued till the last page. The story’s complexity, the long list of characters and certain unexplained Hindu concepts, does ask of its readers to find a quiet corner and possibly keep their Google search engines by their side.

About the Author: Jagmohan Bhanver is a leadership coach and speaker, who has previously authored three non-fiction books. The Curse of Brahma is his first work of fiction.

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Photo: Pellegrinelli Christophe

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Feature

by Suzanne McNeill

Designed by Nature

India has long lived in harmony with the natural world. Practices that would now be described as sustainable and eco-friendly have existed in the country for centuries, and many were practised within living memory

India makes up 2.4 percent of the world’s land, while supporting 16 percent of the world’s population. The modernisation of recent years has put enormous pressure on the country’s natural resources, and India is experiencing widespread environmental degradation. Yet, India has long lived in harmony with the natural world, and has a tradition of environmental conservation dating back to the ancient Vedic period. The scriptures of that time are dedicated to the supremacy of gods and goddesses identified with the sun, moon, rivers and forests. Groves of old trees were regarded as the abode of the gods, and left as holy spaces. Wild animals were revered as the vehicles of the gods, whilst the domesticated cow was worshipped as sacred.

Practices that would now be described as sustainable and eco-friendly have existed in India for centuries, and many were practiced within living memory. ‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’, the mantra of contemporary environmentalists, was a way of life, and one that was espoused by Mahatma Gandhi in the economic programme he envisaged for India. People saw no meaning in throwing things away and instinctively preferred to find new uses for old and used objects, an attitude that still persists amongst the country’s poorer communities. Here we highlight some of the environmentally ‘responsible’ practices that were, and, could again be, part of daily life in India.

Eco-Friendly Homes Vernacular architecture in India – the traditional dwellings of, usually, rural areas created using time-honoured building methods – has always utilised natural materials such as mud, grass, bamboo and thatch. Plasters made of cow dung are commonly found in rural homes, and cow dung is hailed for its anti-bacterial properties. Mixed with lime, it is also used to coat the walls and floors of simple houses. The materials are cheap and easily available, and relatively little labour is required. More sophisticated buildings, resistant to wear, use stone, brick or clay tiles.

In urban areas, houses were once designed to withstand the oppressive heat of Indian summers, a style that many now lament as passed because modern apartments are built to be cooled by air-conditioning. However, traditional-style designs still include a central courtyard for breeze, with light penetrating through an open roof. The Bamboo Symphony office building in Bengaluru is a modern open-air structure that uses locally sourced bamboo and mud in place of steel or wood. Natural ventilation keeps the space cool and a solar energy system supplies the electricity for the entire building.

Older Indians may remember with nostalgia khus ki tatti, summer curtains made of the roots of the native vetiver or

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Photo: Catherine Rose G. Torres

Photo: Sophie Fontant

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khus grass. Known to India since ancient times, vetiver oil was used in medicine and perfumes, and the tough roots were dried and used to make screens, which were hung at doors and windows and drenched with water to cool the air that came through them. They diffused rather than blocked light, and emitted a pleasant earthy fragrance. Blinds and curtains made of vetiver are still made and sold by roadside street traders.

Green Fuel The use of dried cakes of cow dung for heating is ubiquitous across India. This ‘green fuel’ is readily available; it alleviates pressure on woodland and is fairly efficient.

For many, its use is integral to their daily survival as lack of firewood or brush means everyday meals and heating depend on cow dung. Dung is mixed with straw or charcoal, formed into melon-sized balls and pressed firmly against a wall to be baked dry by the sun. Used just as wood or as gas to cook with, the smoke from the fuel is said to enhance the flavour of food. Populations living in high-altitude, arid areas such as the Indian Himalayas endure great shortages of energy resources for preparing food and heating houses, and depend almost entirely upon dung for fuel. Older members of the community collect the manure of yak, sheep and goats, which is dried on the roofs of houses and in winter moved to the upper storeys where it acts as an insulator too!

Interestingly, countries such as the United States and Denmark are investing in converting organic animal waste into renewable natural gas. In Kerala, discarded coconut shells have long been used for fuel. Briquettes made from coconut shell charcoal are used in both domestic and industrial settings.

Renewable Products India’s traditional craftsmen and women have long made use of plants and organic material to create items for everyday use in the home. Fired clay pots and tumblers, made of clay derived from the beds of lakes and rivers, have been used across India since the Neolithic period, and to this day pitchers made of terracotta are used to cool drinking water naturally. Vast expanses of bamboo are to be found across the forests of Assam in north-east India, where it has long been used as a versatile raw product. Everyday utensils are made from split bamboo, such as mats, baskets and trays, as is furniture that pairs bamboo and cane. Andhra Pradesh has a tradition of finely handcrafted wooden spoons, forks and knives carved from soft, pliable Nardi wood, whilst the coconut trees that grow abundantly across Kerala supply many different materials. Coconut shell is a hard wood that makes it durable and suitable for carving into bowls, spoons and jewellery, whilst the wood from trees that no longer bear fruit is used to create picture frames, candle stands and other lifestyle products. The dried stalks of tough, naturally growing grasses provide a flexible material for woven products. Around Allahabad, in eastern Uttar Pradesh, dried strips of sarpat grass are coiled and woven in lightweight but sturdy baskets that are used as containers, receptacles for food storage and as decoration.

Perhaps the most eco-friendly and bio-degradable kitchen ‘implement’, however, is the banana leaf, used across southern India for wrapping food to prevent it drying, for lining cooking pans to stop them sticking, and, of course, for serving food from instead of plates. Hygienic, aromatic,

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Photo: Alexandra Thompson

India. It has a long, thin but durable stem, which hardens as it dries, and is dotted with bunches of small, sharp needles that make them bushy and able to capture fine dust.

The stiff midribs of coconut leaves are used for making coarser brooms.

India’s traditional craftsmen and women have long made use of organic material to create items for use in the home. Everyday utensils are made from split bamboo, such as baskets and trays and immensely practical when serving large numbers of people at one time, the use of banana leaves is fundamental to India’s food culture. As well as using plant materials in sustainable ways, India’s housewives have long used eco-friendly tools. Stone grinders consisting of two stones shaped as a mortar and pestle, but much larger, were passed down through the generations, whilst millions of Indians still carry their lunch to work in steel tiffin boxes rather than plastic containers. The jute industry of West Bengal occupies an important place in India’s national economy, providing the raw material for packaging that is natural, renewable and biodegradable.

Cleaning Naturally The traditional Indian broom, used by men and women across the country, is made from a grass that grows as a weed across

The fruit of the native South Indian sapindus shrub or tree, commonly called soapnut, contains natural surfactants, or foaming agents, and has been used for washing for thousands of years by people across Asia. The shells of the fruit give off soapy suds and were used by Indian women to wash their hair, whilst the pulp was blended to create body soaps and household cleaners. Jewellers sometimes used soapnuts to shine their gold and silver jewellery. Coconut coir, the hard fibres from a coconut husk, is sturdy enough to be made into brush bristles and is used for scrubbing dishes and pots. Pads of coir for general cleaning are now commercially available and are 100 percent compostable and biodegradable.

The Wider Picture Conservation initiatives are on the rise across India, led by both government and NGOs. Rainwater harvesting has been made compulsory for every building in Tamil Nadu to avoid ground water depletion, and the state has been praised for this model, which has provided encouraging results.

Ancient water harvesting systems have been revived in communities around Rajasthan, and initiatives in Kerala have introduced ‘backwashing’ to replenish well water using run-off from roof tops.

Delhi famously introduced buses running on compressed natural gas (CNG) a decade ago to try and combat air pollution in the city, and biofuel development in India is centering on the cultivation and processing of Jatropha plant seeds, which are rich in oil. A blanket ban was imposed on the sale of plastic bags in Delhi three years ago in an attempt to reduce the 574 metric tonnes of plastic waste produced each day.

“The earth has enough to satisfy everyone’s needs but not everyone’s greed.”

– Mahatma Gandhi.

The economic programme promoted by Mahatma Gandhi continues to inspire green practices in India. Gandhi felt that modern economic systems, based on what he called the ‘multiplication of wants,’ are both unsustainable and devastating to the human spirit. His model, by contrast, aimed at the fulfillment of needs – including the need for meaning and community.

He insisted on moderation, preservation and gradualism.

Gandhi called for the selfsufficiency of villages and the promotion of cottage industries. He wanted to enable rural Indians to earn a living for themselves within their villages instead of moving to urban areas. He advocated the integrated development of agriculture and industry with an emphasis on handicrafts and home working, most notably by championing the production of homespun khadi (cotton) clothing. He also founded numerous ashrams around the country – communes whose inhabitants sought to produce their own food, clothing and means of living.

Gandhi articulated the concept of swadeshi, which he defined as ‘the spirit in us which requires us to serve our immediate neighbours before others, and to use things produced in our neighbourhood in preference to those more remote.’ He opposed the centralised process of mass production, preferring to emphasise ‘production by the masses’ that showed concern for the producer as well as the process. Thus, society and the environment as a whole benefitted.

An essay by Shreekrishna Jha on the website, http://www. mkgandhi.org/main.htm, notes Gandhi’s thinking about the environment: “Nature is a sine qua non of existence and if man interferes with it beyond a point, he will be doing it at the cost of his own existence. Perfect and meaningful existence is possible only in harmony and conformity with nature.”

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June 2015

Portrait of India

by Team Culturama

Uchistha Ganapathi holds a lotus (symbol for a detached life), a noose (reminder for sense control), beads (spirituality), a veena (symbolic of being an instrument in God’s hands), paddy (nature’s bounty) and a pomegranate (the right to enjoy material things that are legally earned). The greenish-blue of his skin stands for the infinity of the divine.

Picture: Courtesy ‘Art Heritage of India: A Collector’s Special’, published by L&T-ECC & ECC Recreation Club.

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Susanne discovered that the yellow metal has a whole new meaning in Chennai. “Akshaya tritiya is considered an auspicious day for buying gold. A salesperson told me that they opened at 4 a.m., because that was the most advantageous time to buy gold. On this day, the stores sells three times as much jewellery as on a regular day!”

Photo: Helen Taylor

German Style

Look Who’s In Town Chennai

All That Glitters

Austrian jewellery designer Susanne Matsché gets dazzled by the range of jewellery that Chennai has on offer For Susanne Matsché, an Austrian living in Chennai, the city is very different from Berlin, where she lived earlier.

The family has, over the past six months, developed its own routine. Susanne finds a lot in the city to interest her, “Apart from a few downsides – such as the crazy traffic and not understanding the local language – I love being here! There’s a lot that inspires – jewellery and colourful textiles; hundreds of turmeric-coloured ribbons around the trunk of a tree in the temple; women drawing a kolam in front of their houses every morning…”

In Germany, where I was part of the gallery/workshop collective Temur, jewellery was less significant than it is in India. Germans love understated styles – a thin wedding band is sometimes the only piece of jewellery men or women wear. Germans are interested in the shape, material, quality and beauty of the precious stone(s).

Customers want to be informed about whether the precious materials were sustainably mined. People also love designer artwork, and they’ll pay more if the piece was made by a certain designer/brand.

Boutique Bargains Speaking of South India, check out the traditional jewellery stores in town, such as Lalithaa, NAC and Nalli. It is an adventure to see the heavily packed trays of precious pieces (we’re talking prices between a few thousand and up to two or three lakh!). If you are looking for silver or different styles, check out places such as Amethyst boutique (on Whites Road). At the Aesthetics boutique in Mylapore, which is run by an Austrian who personally finds small-scale craftsmen to ensure fair trade production, you can find beautiful jewellery, textiles, ceramics and more.

Shopping Tips Among the myriad pieces offered in traditional jewellery stores, you might be able to find something that suits your style. Don’t make the mistake of falling for low prices – gold costs a lot less in India. If you want to wear your jewellery in other countries, the yellow high carat gold might seem too bright.

When in Germany For typical German style, find stores that carry Niessing jewellery. By searching for Schmuckkunst or Goldschmiede (jewellery art/goldsmiths) in local design guides you will find a lot of small businesses with beautiful handmade pieces. One of my favourite places in Berlin is Schmuckwerkstatt Fritz in Kreuzberg, that has German and international artists. Once a year, in spring, Munich becomes the centre of jewellery in Europe, with hundreds of jewellery events to choose from.

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Look Who’s In Town Bengaluru

Around the City American Sarah Moran, Director of a leading investment company, tells us about her family’s favourite day trip around Bengaluru American Sarah Moran likes many things about life in Bengaluru. A memory she would cherish is probably the look on her children’s faces when crocodiles crawled towards them at the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary! Sarah visited the city on earlier occasions, but living in the city for the past three months has given her a new perspective. “It excites me that there is more of Bengaluru that I have yet to explore,” she says. “We had a lot of fun at the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary on the way back from Mysore. The boat ride through the lake, with crocodiles swimming around, proved to be an adventure!

We shared a boat with another family of Indians, and their two girls had the same expression on their faces as my three

kids when the crocodiles slithered off a large rock and into the water near the boat!”

Places to Visit Downtown Bengaluru is a sight – thanks to the mix of so many Western high-end shops, people and auto rickshaws and scooters driving by. Bengaluru is the ‘Garden City’ and, even though some folks feel the ‘garden’ aspect is on the decline, there are some wonderful green canopied parks to walk around in. Do make a day trip out to Mysore and see the palace, as well as visit the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary and the Bannerghatta Zoo.

Explorer Tips

•

Drink plenty of water; the dry heat can get you down and dehydrated.

• Bring along a guide, but be flexible too. An impromptu trip to the Bangalore palace ended up being a highlight.

When in the United States A typical day trip around Rhode Island might include a visit to the aquarium in Connecticut, a trip to one of the wonderful beaches in the southern part or a hike around one of the State parks. In the United States, you can choose to spend the day at a mall in a bustling city or sit in a boat on a serene lake and bird watch. The three best places for a brief visit would be Disney World, the caverns and canyons of Utah and Arizona, and New York City for its skyscrapers and spectacular museums.

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June

Calendar of events

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

Art & Exhibitions

Group Art Exhibition Chennai Apparao Galleries presents a unique art exhibition titled ‘The Art of Chess’, in which 25 artists will display chessboards made of ceramic, wood, paper and stone. Highlights of the show include a chessboard made with ladoos as the game’s coins by Chennai-based George K. In contrast, Mumbai-based Bhavna Sonawane’s chessboard aims to move beyond the conventional – by using Braille embossed board and pieces.

Date: April 28 to June 26 Venue: Apparao Galleries, 7, Wallace Gardens, 3rd Street Nungambakkam Time: 1100h to 1800h

Exhibition of Photographs Mumbai Bengaluru will get a glimpse into the life of the former East Germany, as captured in photographs by the renowned artist Helga Paris. The show is part of a travelling exhibition that comes to India through the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations to promote international cultural exchange.

Robert Paris, the photographer’s son, inaugurated the event. Robert lives in India.

Date: May 8 to July 30 Venue: Max Mueller Bhavan, K. Dubash Marg, Kalaghoda Time: 1100h to 1900h

Art Exhibition Delhi Artist Surendran Nair will exhibit his works on ‘Spatial Arrangements of Colours, Lines, Forms and Desires’. The artist’s works are an intriguing blend of literature and mythology, presented in classical kathakali style.

Date: Till June 16 Venue: Kiran Nagar Museum of Art, DLF South Court Mall, Saket

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Events

The Dignity Literary Festival Chennai The Dignity Foundation, an NGO that works for the cause of senior citizens, is turning 20 this year. The NGO started with a magazine called Dignity Dialogue, a one-of-a-kind magazine for senior citizens. The foundation is celebrating the anniversary of the magazine with the Dignity Literary Festival, on the theme ‘Literature from different parts of the world’. The event will have members enacting a drama.

If you wish to be part of the play, please call +91 94446 28507. To register for the Literary Event, call +91 44 42316566/ +91 96262 19328.

Date: June 11 Venue: The Russian Cultural Center, Kasturi Rangan Road Time: 0930h to 1230h

Cycling Event Bengaluru Join a group of cyclists in an uphill trip to Nandi hills near Bengaluru. Starting from Bengaluru city, the trip will take the group to a height of 1,479 m up the Nandi hills. The trail will consist of an uphill trek of 8 kms with over 30 curves and five or six hairpin bends. Call +91 88611 02597 or email icycle@icycle.in for more details.

Date: June 13 Venue: Bengaluru to Nandi hills Time: 0630h

Workshop for Children Delhi Storyghar will present a radio jockey workshop for children in English. The workshop will help participants understand the process involved in hosting a radio show and work on techniques like voice modulation, role play and dramatisation.

Children would learn the fundamentals of sound; understand the nuances of radio presentation and writing for radio.

Date: June 22 to 26 Venue: Epicentre, Apparel House, Sector 44, Gurgaon Time: 1100h to 1230h

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Festival celebrating traditions Bengaluru

European Union Film Festival Across Cities

The annual ‘Bhoomi Habba’ festival is back, celebrating nature and environment. The festival, hosted by Visthar Eco-sanctuary, tries to highlight environmental issues through films, documentaries, workshops on music, dance and theatre. Traditional food stalls from across India, doll exhibitions, nature walks are also part of the event.

Visit www.visthar.org or call +91 99454 31840 for more details.

The 20th European Union Film festival is in India and will screen a collection of 21 award winning latest European films.

The films will showcase different genre of European cinema – drama, romance, comedy, and documentaries. The festival travels across cities in India and is organised by the Delegation of the European Union to India.

Visit http://eeas.europa.eu/ for details.

Date: June 21 Venue: Visthar Eco-sanctuary, KRC Road, Off Hennur Road Time: 1100h to 1830h

Charity Marathon Chennai The MADathon 2015 is a running event that aims to spread awareness about socially and economically backward children. ‘Making a Difference’ or MAD is an initiative that supports these children. MADathon also aims to raise awareness about healthy living and staying fit. Register at www.eventjini.com Date: June 14 Venue: Island Grounds

Date: Till August 2015 Venue: Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad and Jodhpur

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Seeing India

by Helen Taylor

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The White City Photos: All photos by Helen Taylor

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Historic splendour and a touch of nature make for an alluring combination in the Rajasthani city of Udaipur The floodlights dim and an excited hush falls over the crowd seated on rugs and benches and wrapped against the cool night air, filling every last nook and cranny of the 250-year-old stone courtyard. From the shadows, goatskin drums begin to pulse and the reedy call of a shehnai sounds. Suddenly, bejewelled dancers in rainbow-coloured costumes float into the spotlights, twirling with flaming bowls balanced effortlessly on their heads. The show has begun!

This was my first night in Udaipur, sitting cross-legged in the grounds of the historic Bagore-ki-Haveli, a former Rajputana palace in the heart of the southern Rajasthani city of Udaipur. The evening folk dance and puppet show was entrancing and culminated with a lady balancing six big clay pots on the top of her head while she swayed her arms and hips in time to the music.

The haveli itself, lovingly restored inside with vintage décor, stands at Gangaur Ghat, on the banks of the picturesque Pichola Lake, made famous world over by the 1983 James Bond film, Octopussy. From the balconies on the upper floors, you can look across to the majestic Lake Palace in the middle of the lake – Jag Niwas – now an exclusive hotel, but originally a royal summer palace dedicated to the Hindu sun god, Surya. The ‘royal butlers’ at the hotel are descendants of the palace’s original inhabitants.

It’s easy to see at a glance why Udaipur is often referred to as the ‘Venice of the East’.

The reflections of the city’s famously white buildings shimmer and shudder in the still

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The Lake Palace

The City Palace, illuminated at night

blue of the lake, against a backdrop of the distant Aravalli Mountains and, from any angle, the scene is undeniably romantic. Small boats skim quietly across the water in all directions and island palaces emerge from the morning mists, just as in fairytales.

As the light began to fade, I paid the bill for my cinnamon roll and filter coffee at the cozy Edelweiss CafĂŠ by Gangaur Ghat, strolled along the lakeside to cross the Daiji footbridge to Ambrai Ghat and watched the heavy golden sun sink peacefully behind the hills.

As night fell and the bright, crescent moon appeared overhead, I made my way back towards the Bagore-ki-Haveli, past the shops and guest houses. Like a silent spell being cast, the pale gold City Palace began to blaze in floodlit glory and

On Jag Mandir Island

a thousand coloured nights lit up the hotels, temples, ghats and havelis along the far shore, and bounced off the still, dark waters below.

By day, Udaipur is awash with bright sunlight and tourists visiting famous sites, such as the 350-year-old Jagdish Temple with its intricately carved stone friezes and decorated

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interiors. It is best seen soon after sunrise, when the flower sellers set up stalls outside the entrance and a handful of the faithful come to pray and give offerings in their woolly sweaters and shawls.

The must-see City Palace is truly magnificent but best avoided on national holidays when, despite its immense scale, the rabbit-warren of rooms and corridors inside are crammed from wall to wall with visitors. On a quieter day, it is well worth the relatively exorbitant ticket prices, with its tree-filled courtyards, mirrored chambers, beautiful murals and antique furnishings. It was built over a period of 400 years, by a succession of monarchs who ruled the historic kingdom of Mewar.

Just as I was tiring of trailing around temples and palaces, and inhaling the fumes of motorbikes, four-by-fours and auto-rickshaws in the city’s narrow lanes, Udaipur’s neighbouring lakes and pleasure gardens came to the rescue. I was longing for some fresh air and space to The Sajjan Garh palace, myself, so I headed for the was built in the late sprawling grounds of Gulab 19th century by Bagh, just south of the city Maharana Sajjan Singh as centre. The 100-acre park is the an astronomical centre, largest in Rajasthan and as to help predict the well as vast rose gardens it monsoon rains. However, houses a library, a museum over the decades, it came and a zoo. It is a great place to be used as a royal for a quiet stroll or for letting retreat and hunting lodge children run around.

On a more intimate scale, nestled on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake to the north, the Shahelion-ki-Bari pleasure gardens serve as another welcome retreat. They were built in the 18th century by Maharana Bhopal Singh. ‘Sahelion-ki-Bari’ means ‘Garden of the Maidens’ and it features ornate fountains that start up when you stamp your feet or clap your hands, marble statuettes and carved elephants, a lotus pool, and grassy lawns surrounded by palm trees. Be prepared to become the subject of other people’s holiday snaps if you’re visiting as a foreigner.

Several kilometres to the west of Fateh Sagar Lake, the fairytale Monsoon Palace perches high on Bansdara Peak, overlooking the city and the arable land that surrounds it. It is best visited in the dying hours of the day, when the light is more favourable for photography. I took a taxi from the old city to the steep, winding road that leads you there, through the dense forest of the Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Sajjan Garh palace, as it is otherwise known, was built in the late 19th century by Maharana Sajjan Singh as an astronomical centre, to help predict the monsoon rains. However, over the decades, it came to A dancer at Bagore-ki-Haveli

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be used as a royal retreat and hunting lodge.

Its glory days are now far behind, and much of it stands empty, but at night its grubby walls are lit up in pale gold and the sunset views from its gardens and terraces are spectacular.

To really get away from it all, though, take a taxi to the north-west of the city for 20 minutes, past dusty roadside settlements, where a more traditional form of urban life plays out, and on through forest and scrub to the tranquility of the Tiger Lake. This quiet waterhole is a historic reservoir, fringed by rocky hills and surrounded by the Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary, where hyenas, jackals, panthers, chital deer, sambar deer and blue bulls make their home. Couples come to the lake to picnic by the shore or to sit at the edge of the white stone ghats and dip their feet in the cool water. The vantage point of Babaji-ki Mandir, a little hilltop tree temple at Wadar village, high above the lake, is truly a photographer’s dream.

It’s easy to see why Udaipur is referred to as the ‘Venice of the East’, as The reflections of the city’s white buildings shimmer in the still blue of the lake Yet, back in the city itself, the 17th century Jag Mandir or ‘Garden of Heaven’ was, for me, the gem of Udaipur. It is best reached by boat from the jetty on the City Palace promenade in the late afternoon. Just like the Jag Niwas, it occupies an island and has been converted into a luxury resort and spa, but its ornamental gardens and beautiful courtyard caféand terrace are open to nonstaying guests. It is the perfect place to wind down after long hours of sight-seeing, with an expensive glass of chilled wine, watching the city bathe in its final golden glow as the sun goes down for another day.

Getting there Udaipur is well connected to major cities and to Delhi and Mumbai by National Highway 8.

The nearest airport in Udaipur is the Maharana Pratap Airport, (20 km away from the city).

Gastronomic Pleasures From ayad ka samosa to lala ki kachori, Udaipur is set to take your taste buds on a roller coaster ride! Start your day with poha, a speciality, and visit the Delhi Gate to have some amazing jalebi. Round off the meal with some tangy chaat.

Must Visit The Jag Mandir (Lake Garden Palace) is a summer resort with a blissful view of the sunset. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Jagdish Temple is made of white marble, and is highly appreciated for its carved images. Saheliyon-kiBari (Courtyard of the Maidens) is the most beautiful garden.

Bagore-ki-Haveli stages enjoyable performances of traditional dance and music of Rajasthan.

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Postcard from India a cafe ph was taken at This photogra . The lake in Ladakh near Pangong his kids; ging a song to n si as w er th fa ving portrait of a lo he was the very ht very the line-of-sig father. I found the the three, only interesting – of a. The g at the camer father is lookin father’s oking at their children are lo ds the pointing towar finger, which is d it very cute. camera. I foun mbe, Japan

– Yusuke Ka

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Illustrations: Lalithaa Thyagarajan

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Passage to India

by Pavithra Srinivasan

The Guide

When a young voyager is beset with misery over losing his fortune in the strange land called India, he meets a man who would become his guide and companion – a man who would make his name as one of the most revered saints to have walked on India soil

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Day 23, Month of Magh (January/February), AD 52, City of Ganges, India Taverns. Didymus wrinkled his nose. Noisy, filthy places filled with raucous laughter that shattered the nights. And this city had its fair share of them.

He’d have to cross this one swiftly; it was close to the river-ports and seemed to be in an even bigger uproar than usual…

The tavern door flew open. Someone burst through, stumbled and fell out on the cobbled street. His youthful face was unlined; blond curls tumbled over his forehead, and he was dressed in the simple clothes of a Roman tradesman.

Something fell out of his folded waist-cloth and burst open, scattering precious gems that glittered in the lamp-light, but it was the boy’s body that caught Didymus’s attention.

There was a knife, stuck in his back.

They had been in Didymus’s hut for three hours before the boy finally stirred. There were a series of groans and protracted attempts to get up.

“Stay still,” Didymus advised, as he rose to get water. “I’ve dressed your wound – thankfully, it was just a nick.”

“This…” the boy mumbled, still not fully aware of his surroundings, “…is what happens when you take stupid risks, traveling to unknown lands. And if you’re fool enough to get into the clutches of Arab merchant-princes like Abu Ibn Khaldoun…” He froze at the sight of Didymus. “Who are you?” He stared around the small hut, lit by an earthen lamp.

“Where am I?” “Far from the tavern.”

The boy surveyed him out of narrowed eyes. “Thank you,” he said, finally. “But why did…”

“You were in trouble; I couldn’t just walk away.” The older man paused. “I’m Didymus. What is your name?”

“Hippalus,” said the boy. “Didymus…that’s a nickname. It means ‘twin’, doesn’t it? Who are you a twin to?”

“No one.” Didymus rose. “I was named thus by my master, because there was another with my name, and no one wanted the confusion.”

“Oh. What’s your story?”

“Like you, I too came to India without the slightest idea of this land. Unlike you, I’ve spent my time learning what I can – while staying clear of random Arab merchants.”

“Obviously, I didn’t,” Hippalus sighed, and clutched his head. “You’ll think me remarkably stupid, but I’ve always wanted to be a navigator – and I was fascinated by India. The tales I’ve heard about its spices, people, music and culture…I was obsessed! I convinced myself that I would travel by sea…”

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“But most Roman ships do not ply these waters,” Didymus pointed out. “Arabs have a strangle-hold on Indian trade, and wouldn’t let a Roman even sniff at their precious trade routes.”

“True. Which is why I invested my wealth in a small pouch of precious gems,” Hippalus revealed. “And stowed away on Abu Ibn Khaldoun’s merchant ship in Aden. I wasn’t discovered on the journey here, but, once we landed, I couldn’t contain myself. I sneaked out to the markets.” He shook his head. “It took me a day to realise that my small pouch wouldn’t even get me a stick of cinnamon here; Arab monopoly has driven the prices sky-high. Abu Ibn Khaldoun invested in sacks of spices, of course. Pepper, cumin and perfumes that would be sold at ten times their value in Rome.

I wandered around the markets and, when night fell, I made my biggest mistake – took off my head-cover. One of his spies saw me. I slipped into a tavern but he managed to throw a knife at me…and you know the rest.”

“I suppose you wish to return to Rome?” Didymus asked.

Hippalus gave a crack of laughter and then winced. “Fat chance of that! I’ve no idea about the land route. Even if I could find my way to the port of Barbaricon in the west, I’m sure Abu Ibn Khaldoun’s men will be waiting for me at every known port. They’re probably furious that they’ve let me slip, and they’ll finish the job. I’ve no idea what to do.”

“Why not come with me, then?” Didymus rose.

Hippalus looked surprised. “Why?” “I’m leaving Ganges tomorrow, and you’d do worse than be my companion.”

“Why should I trust you?”

A smile appeared on Didymus’s face; a smile of such sweetness that transformed his entire expression. To the watching Hippalus, it seemed like he was a changed man.

“I once doubted my master as well,” Didymus said, slowly.

“Like a foolish child, unaware of my true purpose…I didn’t even realise how fortunate I was.”

“Are you?” Hippalus asked, surprised. “It’s just that you live in a hut, wandering…” he stopped, embarrassed.

“I am rich beyond any man’s imagination,” Didymus said, simply. “You see, I found what men seek all their lives – but few ever find.”

Hippalus simply stared at him, dumbstruck. “But…where would we go?”

“Where the path takes us. I have my mission to accomplish, and it lies among both kings and commoners,” Didymus explained. “As for you – you’re safer out of this place.”

Hippalus sighed. “I’ve lost my taste for India.”

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“Cease your doubts. Come with me, and let us discover this land anew. You might be surprised.”

Day 25, Coast of the Bay of Bengal “This is ridiculous,” Hippalus argued with Didymus, on the deck of a small ship, hugging the Indian coast. “The Indian coast goes from east to west…”

“And you know everything about India, do you?”

Hippalus paused. “No,” he admitted, finally. “It’s just that I’m…nervous.”

“The fear of the unknown,” Didymus explained calmly.

“I feared this land…once. My companions and I drew lots – and India fell to my fate. But that didn’t stop me from coming here.”

“So, I must hold on to hope?”

“Trust in your destiny. Let this land reveal itself to you.”

Months later, when they finally hugged the curve of the Indian coast, Hippalus’s mouth dropped in shock. “But…the Indian coast does go South!” he shouted.

“Does it?” Didymus looked surprised. “Who knew?”

Hippalus mock-glared at him.

They disembarked at a small port called Meliapore and here, Hippalus was able to see Didymus at work. The older man made his way among the citizens, tried to engage them in conversation. Sometimes, he was welcomed; at others, he was repulsed.

“Why do you keep doing this?” Hippalus asked one evening.

They had left the plains and now moved through rocky outcrops and beautiful rivers, until, one day, Hippalus caught sight of something, and stopped dead.

“Pepper,” he breathed “Because this is my work. Here I shall live, and someday… here I will die.”

The words chilled Hippalus.

The next day, they struck down south – this time, by land. Summer was upon them: the weather turned sweltering, humid. Past the unfettered beauty of the northern land of the Dramilas; across the huge rivers of Paalaar, Cheyyar, and into the bustling commercial city of Korevura, situated on the banks of the Kaveri and Aanporunai…and then, they turned west.

“Where to, now?” asked Hippalus.

“The Pandiyan ports.”

They had left the plains and now moved through rocky outcrops and beautiful rivers, until, one day, Hippalus caught sight of something, and stopped dead.

“Pepper,” he breathed, pointing at the beautiful clusters of green, hanging richly – everywhere!

“Black gold,” Didymus acknowledged. “Now, make your fortune.”

Hippalus did. A convoy of men carried baskets of pepper and they journeyed through a lush country he fell in love

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with – its coconut groves, tumbling rivers, beautiful mountains and dark-skinned, cultured people.

“This is the India I wanted to see,” he ventured, once.

“And hopefully, introduce to your countrymen,” Didymus added. “It is now the month of Epiphi – the time is exactly right.”

“Right for what?” Hippalus demanded.

“That.”

They were at the seashore, and in front of Hippalus’s amazed eyes, were row upon row of ships. All bobbed merrily on the choppy waves, as men bustled to and fro. Goods of all kinds – from silks to sandalwood; spices to wondrous perfumes, vegetables to horses and even elephants, were either being loaded or brought to shore.

“The port of Muziris. Abu Ibn Khaldoun has no monopoly here. Take a ship, and the south-west monsoon winds will carry you home in a matter of weeks…”

“I’ve done it,” Hippalus murmured.

“Come to India; explored it; bought spices and now…” he paused. “No – I didn’t do anything.

You did.” Hippalus clasped the other man’s hands warmly. “I have just a question: why?”

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“I’ve done it,” Hippalus murmured. “Come to India; explored it; bought spices and now…” He paused. “No – I didn’t do anything. You did.”

Hippalus clasped the other man’s hands warmly. “I have just a question: why?”

“In my travels, I’ve learnt that this is a land that welcomes many faiths, and nations,” Didymus said. “If Abu Ibn Khaldoun can have his opportunity – then so must you.”

Hippalus gazed at him for a long moment. “What’s your name, really?”

Didymus smiled, and turned away.

The last vision Hippalus had, was of him gathering a group of men and women together. “I am named Thomas, good people,” wafted his words in broken Thamizh, on the sea breeze. “And I come bearing the message of my Lord and my God, Jesus Christ…”

Facts from the Past

Hippalus, history says, established the sea-route from the Red Sea to India; so momentous was his discovery that the South-West Monsoon winds were named after him.

Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, is informally called ‘Doubting Thomas’ because he doubted Jesus’s resurrection when first told, but later made a confession of faith on seeing Jesus’s wounded body. He was martyred in Meliapore (present-day Mylapore in Chennai) – as he’d prophesied.

There is no historical evidence that St Thomas and Hippalus met – but both lived in roughly the same period.

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India Diaries

by Jennifer Mullen

Warming Up to India Trying to form an exercise routine in India can present a unique set of challenges – starting with the right attire for the humid clime

In April, I competed in the Chennai Pinkathon, which is a running event for women, promoting breast cancer awareness. Having participated in similar events in the United Kingdom and Australia, I was confident of my leg muscles getting me round the 10 km course. The conundrum, however, is drinking enough water to avoid heatstroke when it is 29 deg C, but then being left with a full bladder and nowhere to tinkle. Race day jitters only heighten this feeling of being caught short in public.

In Tamil Nadu, the men have it easy when they need to urgently spend a penny (or is that a rupee?). They simply pull up, dismount from their trusty Royal Enfield steed like John Wayne and go for the draw. It is not unusual to see a line of men standing by the roadside, legs astride, like a row of fire fighters, urgently engrossed in extinguishing the flames.

Indeed, there were no porta-loos at the start of my race, so, interestingly enough, the most discrete place I could find was crouching behind the main stage. With that little emergency over, I took my place at the start line, along with several thousand Indian women, and excitedly joined in the chorus of voices counting down to the gun. At this point, I’m very much in the zone of intense concentration, focusing for the first 500 metres only on the rhythm of my feet. Yet, I always feel a familiar prickling of emotional tears at the start

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of these races. It is a very powerful sensation to be in a sea of bobbing heads, all focused on the same physical goal, but no doubt also thinking of family and friends who have been affected by cancer.

Needless to say, I finished the race, striding home hot on the heels of a group of women, who I later found out were from a police training school. I smiled at the thought of these powerful, modern Indian women, like Charlie’s Angels, effortlessly sprinting through Chennai’s streets in pursuit of wheezing unfit criminals. I also admire anyone in Chennai who goes out for a jog, given the lack of open spaces suitable for running. I’m tempted to invent a video game based on this, named ‘Parry’s Corner Parkour’, where you get bonus points for avoiding street dogs, outrunning auto rickshaws and leaping over open sewers!

Another exercise dilemma in India is what to wear. In more traditional states, women tend to wear full length leggings and long sleeves. One lady in my Zumba group told me that her father-in-law would strongly disapprove of showing knees and shoulders, even at the gym. For my Pinkathon race, I cut the sleeves off my standard issue event T-shirt – which did make me look like a middle aged version of Madonna circa 1985, but it did keep me cool.

Training with boxing gloves also provokes an interesting reaction in India. In Australia, most gyms offer Boxercise classes, as it is one of the most intense forms of cardio training. When I bought my boxing equipment online, I wondered who I could persuade to hold the pads, which catch my punches. I considered momentarily asking my maid, given the force she uses to smash coconuts on the kitchen bench whilst making chutney, but guessed that would be stretching the employment terms a bit far. Luckily, my compound gym has a willing attendant, who will block the meanest right hook. People literally stop exercising and stare, as the thumping sound reverberates off all four gym walls.

Some people, after some enthusiastic encouragement, have been game enough to take my gloves and give it a try.

Looking at certain Bollywood music videos, some of the female dancers are also strong and powerful role models, given the speed they can move. With this in mind, here are my favourite Indian work-out tunes: Lungi Dance– YoYo Honey Singh Kalasala Kalasala – L.R. Easwari, Vijay T. Rajendar and

Sola Sai Beware - DJ Envy Jai Ho – A.R. Rahman and The Pussycat Dolls Tu Meri – Vishal-Shekhar and Vishal Dadlani.

June 2015

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Picture Story

by Team Culturama

Say it with flowers An occasion in India is not complete without flowers. We capture them on a hair braid, at temples and on Kashmir’s famous Dal Lake

In Varanasi, pilgrims offer flowers to the Ganges – popular varieties include marigolds, white pinwheels and roses. The baskets are made by stitching together large leaves, so that they can float on the water. Photo: Catherine Rose G. Torres

Temple festivals in South India are an occasion for the whole family. The little boys are walking on a path of tulsi leaves (holy basil), oleander and marigolds strewn on the path where the procession of Gods has just gone by. Photo: Tobias Schmidt

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Kashmir’s Dal Lake is where most locals do their shopping. Be it fresh vegetables or beautiful flowers, these floating markets are the lifeline of the city. Tulips are among the more exotic varieties that Kashmir is known for. Photo: Ben Bowling, USA

Her cheery smile is a match for the colourful hibiscus flowers on her hair.

Photo: Ninna Høgedal, The Netherlands

The Ayudha Puja is a day in South India when tools of the trade are given due respect – such as the autorickshaw, which has been decked up with Indian marigolds and orange roses. Photo: Diana Grieger, Germany

This is a scene at a temple, where the annual Navarathri (nine nights ) festival is being celebrated. The concentric circles have Indian marigolds alternated with pulses and grains. Photo: Laurence Pont, France

The lotus is especially significant in Hindu spiritual thought, as it reminds us of the need to remain untouched by the materialism of the world we live in. Photo: Olya Morvan

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5 Join Us Every Saturday

Holistic living

by Eknath Easwaran

India Immersion Centre in Chennai facilitates a weekly spiritual fellowship group following Easwaran’s Eight Point Programme of Meditation. E-mail us for more information at globalindian@globaladjustments.com.

If you are in other cities, visit www.easwaran.org for e-satsangs.

Slow Down No one can love another when they have a mind that is going fast, or is divided. No one can love with a mind that is apt to swerve wildly. The best way to address the situation is to address the source of the problem – the mind itself

Photo: J F. Vial, France

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A hurried pace originates in the mind. You might stop at someone’s desk to be sociable, but that doesn’t mean your thoughts have stopped. If you’re pretending to chat while your mind has sprinted ahead towards the conference room, you might as well take the rest of you there too. No one can love with a mind that is going fast – or one that is divided. No one can love with a mind that is apt to swerve wildly, whether to avoid the small exigencies of daily life or to pursue something bright across the room that attracts you.

Let me suggest a small experiment. With the uncritical eye of the motion picture camera, observe your thought processes when you are in different states of mind. When you are feeling irritable, take a peek. If you have occasion to be afraid or anxious, check again. If a strong desire overtakes you and you can manage to see what’s going on in the mind, take note. Check your vital signs at the same time – see how rapid your pulse is, and whether your breathing is shallow and quick, or deep and slow. If you can do this accurately – which is harder than it sounds – you will make a very interesting discovery. Fear, anger, selfish desire, envy – all these are associated with a speeded-up mind, and, when the mind speeds up, it takes basic physiological processes with it. The thinking process hurtles along, thoughts stumble over one another in an incoherent rush – and, on cue, the heart begins to race and breathing becomes quicker, shallow, and ragged.

Interestingly enough, the reverse is also true. Once the mind gets conditioned to speed, not only do speeding thoughts make the body go faster, speeded-up behaviour can induce negative emotions as well. Suppose you’ve slept through the alarm and are in a rush to get off to work. You rip through the kitchen like a whirlwind, grabbing whatever you need as you go, trying to button your shirt while you eat your toast on your way out the door. The next time you catch yourself like this, watch and see how prone your mind is to negative responses. Everything seems an obstruction or a threat. Your children look hostile – if you see them at

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all – and even the dog seems out to ruin your day, draping herself right across the threshold in the hope of tripping you up. “Watch out!” the kids say once you’re gone. “It’s going to be another of those mean-mood days.”

A speeding mind is a dangerous thing. When thoughts are going terribly fast, they are out of control, and there is no space between them. To press the analogy further, it’s like those dangerous moments on the freeway when cars are not only speeding but following bumper to bumper. Everyone is in danger. A thrilling realisation comes when you begin to understand this two-way relationship between speeded-up thinking and negative emotions. If you are chronically angry, fearful or greedy, you know well how much damage these tendencies have done to your relationships, making you ‘weak in love and imperfect in virtue’.

And you know, too, how dauntingly hard they are to change when you approach them head-on. Their roots go deep in your past conditioning. You can talk them out, analyse them in your dreams, reason with yourself, go to anger workshops and fear seminars; still, they wreak havoc, out of control. But suppose that, instead of going after chronic anger or fear directly, you were to tackle the thought process itself – the mind in its Indianapolis speedway mode. When a car is going a hundred miles per hour, you can’t safely slam on the brakes. But you can lift your foot off the accelerator.

From one hundred miles per hour, the speed drops to ninetyeight, then to ninety-five, then ninety, until finally you’re cruising along at a safe and sane fifty-five. You’ve decelerated gradually and safely. This is exactly what happens to the mind in meditation. You put your car into the slow lane – the inspirational passage – and you stay there, going through the words of the passage as slowly as you can. Distractions will try to crowd in, and you don’t want to leave big gaps for them to rush into. For the most part, though, you just increase your concentration. In this way, little by little, you can gain complete mastery over the thinking process.

Reprinted with permission from ‘The Juggler’, an article 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 http://www.easwaran.org/assets/nilgiri/bluemountain/Spring2014.pdf)

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Photo: Michelle Klakulak

Festival of the month Ramadan June 18 Ramadan, which falls on the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, is regarded as a holy month, as the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad at this time. It is a time for spiritual reflection and worship, and Muslims are asked to use this month to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance.

During Ramadan, Muslims undertake a fast from dawn to dusk. The period of fasting is for 29 or 30 days (the number of days is determined from the lunar calendar). Fasting is one of the five major pillars of Islam, and teaches self-restriction and patience. The fast is broken with an evening meal, a communal religious observance called iftar. First, dates and warm water are consumed, so as to give the body the right nourishment, followed by a healthy meal.

Through the practice of fasting, one experiences the hunger and thirst suffered by the poor.

Special prayers are held every night, after the fast is broken. The entire Qur’an is read over the 30 days for spiritual well being. The namaz or worship (by standing up and then going down on the knees and bending forward) gives the body the required exercise. The end of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, is marked by grand celebrations.

To Do: Ramadan is a time when devout Muslims perform charitable deeds – you could emulate this practice by contributing to a charity of your choice. Haleem, a dish made with mutton and wheat, is served in many restaurants during this month – if you can, sample some.

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June 2015

Postcard from India nghar taken at Mehra This photo was der of r – it is a remin Fort in Jodhpu our urite places from vo fa r ou of e on efully d man was peac travels. This ol om off a pboard like ro posing in his cu tent and seemed so con courtyard. He ng around e visitors milli th to s ou vi li ob g a ‘smoke as really havin him, like he w framed p was perfectly break’. The setu for a picture! ird, UK

– Johnny Ba

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Give to India

by Shefali Ganesh

Beacon of Hope

The Lighthouse Project, based in Mumbai, is a not-for-profit venture that connects underprivileged children with working professionals, who act as life-long mentors

Nine-year-old Suraj, who lives in Mumbai, is writing a letter to his bade bhaiya (elder brother), Harshil. The letter is a touching one – it tells Harshil about how the littler brother is missing him, and urges him to pay a visit soon. Suraj’s bhaiya is not his actual sibling – in fact, he is more than a brother. He is Suraj’s friend and mentor. In different parts of Mumbai, many such children have found mentors, who also act as big brothers and sisters – they are connected to each other by the Lighthouse Project. This one-of-a-kind project tries to give underprivileged children guidance from a set of educated, compassionate mentors – which the former lack in their homes and environment. Young working professionals like Harshil are happy to be engaged in such volunteering opportunities, as it would enable them to give back to society.

The result is that the children get sufficient guidance, which enables them to face the world in a confident manner.

across many NGOs working in these areas. It struck her that, while young people like herself wanted to volunteer their efforts in this direction, there were few avenues to do so.

Many NGOs had their own set patterns of working, which did not necessarily involve volunteers. The Lighthouse Project, which Trishya founded in 2013, relies solely on volunteers to bring about change. However, she is very clear that she is not working to ‘educate’ the children, “We work alongside NGOs such as Salaam Baalak and others to bring about the concept of mentorship to these children. While most of the children receive formal education, they are still under-exposed when they come out of their environment. They are most likely the first generation to go to school in their family, and have no one to look up to. Introducing a friendly bhaiya or didi (sister) gives them someone to ask their doubts to and look up to as role models.”

When documentary film maker Trishya Screwvala was working on a film on underprivileged children, she came

Within two years of being established, the Lighthouse Project garnered 100 mentors, who were assigned to a mentee

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each. Each mentor spends a minimum of four hours a month, over eight months, with their assigned mentees. The mentors are above 18 years of age, and are screened on application.

They are then paired with mentees who are between 9 and 14, based on common interests and location. Before they meet their mentees at a predesignated centre, mentors are trained and given a guidebook of activities they can do. A team of six, including a trained psychologist, designed the programme for mentors. While mentors do their set of assigned activities, bonding happens over a cricket match or a game on the mobile phone. Over the year, continuous assessment is done to measure impact the mentors have had on the mentees.

So, what has The Lighthouse Project achieved? “Most of our volunteers want to come back to do more. They feel this has opened out their perspectives to life and understand social inequities,” says Trishya. While Suraj learns his math in school, his bhaiya tells him stories about other countries – which he doesn’t learn about in school. The life lessons that Suraj and his bhaiya learn from each other will take them a long way in life – and The Lighthouse Project will surely light up the way.

If you would like more information or volunteer with ‘The Lighthouse Project’, visit their website: www.lighthouseproject.in

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At Global Adjustments

by Team Culturama

Can Do Spirit

Cultural Cook-off

The India Immersion Centre (IIC), the NGO arm of Global Adjustments, conducted an ‘I CAN’ session for young women between the ages of 12 and 19. The programme, which was a part of IIC's Jeevanshakti (translated to mean 'life force') initiative, was conducted for inmates of the Abhaya Nilayam Hostel in Mylapore, Chennai. Abhaya Nilayam, a home for destitute women and girls, has provided shelter to more than 9,000 residents since its formation in 1925.

The two-hour ‘I CAN’ interactive session, conducted

by Usha Ramakrishnan from Global Adjustments, focused on empowerment and confidence. The session redefined the alphabets as ‘A’ for academics, ‘B’ for boldness, and ‘C’ for character', and tied it into the participants’ aspirations, dreams and experience. The conductor also shared a real life story about a young, dark girl who doubted herself, then cast aside the doubts and went on to become a succssful actor.

To reinforce the lesson that skin colour, money or social background is no barriers to success, the participants released black balloons into the air at the end of the session.

If you would like more information about the programmes conducted by the India Immersion Centre, please write to contactiic@globaladjustments.com

When Marion Blavec moved to Chennai from France, the first thing on her mind was the question of how would she learn a new language and adjust to a different culture. Hence, she approached the Cross-Cultural Services team at Global Adjustments, and joined the Language Classes. She was introduced to Lalitha, a Tamil teacher. Marion undertook 20 language sessions (each class for about 1 hour and 15 minutes). “When I started off with the classes, I had a tough time coping up, because the words sounded so similar to each other and it was confusing. It was difficult, but fun!” she said.

She finds it easier to communicate with people now, but still has difficulties understanding what they say because they speak too fast!

Apart from learning Tamil, Marion also picked up some information about the culture and rituals of Tamil Nadu.

In what was a fun end to the sessions, Marion tried making a South Indian dish, thenga saadam (coconut rice). She chose this particular dish because she had had a lesson about it in her syllabus. “I am a terrible cook!” she said, but says she likes Indian food, and that one of the restaurants she likes is Cream Centre in Chennai.

If you would like more information about the language classes or the Spouse Support Programmes, please write to courses@globaladjustments.com

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Global Wellness Series

Pain Management

Managing chronic pain treating it can be a challenge. Dr.R Madhan Kumar of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine gives us the details.

Over the ages, immemorial efforts have been put into conquering pain.

Pain can be acute or chronic. While acute pain is a normal sensation that alerts us a possible injury, chronic pain is a persisting/shooting, burning or electrical pains/ feeling of discomfort, soreness, tightness or stiffness.

The most common sources of pain stem are from headaches, joint pain, pain from injury, and backaches. Other kinds of chronic pain include tendinitis, sinus pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and pain affecting specific parts of the body, such as the shoulders, pelvis, and neck.

Pain is not a symptom that exists alone. The emotional toll of chronic pain also can make pain worse. Other problems associated with pain can include: Fatigue, sleeplessness, withdrawal from activity and increased need to rest, weakened immune system, mood changes.

There is considerable evidence that unrelenting pain can suppress the immune system. Advanced technology such as Robotics in the field of Interventional pain Management or invasive techniques such as injections and implantable drug delivery systems have brought a lot of relief to patients.

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4 Chennai Property

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For more properties, call Global Adjustments at +91-44-24617902/+91-72999 12605, or e-mail: realty@globaladjustments.com Please note that any changes to the information above are done at the property owner’s sole discretion. Global Adjustments assumes no responsibility for such changes.

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• Extent of property is 3 grounds • Frontage 63 feet and depth 119 feet • Plot is a Sea Front Property • This layout is in a very exclusive neighbourhood in a gated community with 24 hours security • The layout has the sea on one side and backwaters on the other side.

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