Culturama November 2014 by Rohini Manian

culturama your cultural gateway to india

November 2014 Volume 5, Issue 9

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A Fable A Day A closer look at the types of stories that form the bedrock of Indian culture

No Sugarcoating

Renowned diabetologist Dr. V. Mohan sheds light on global health trends and the link between lifestyle and health

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Dear Readers, Seventeen years ago, when we thought about what would be an indelible impression of India to share with a wider audience, the idea of an expatriate photo competition was born. I still remember how, with the limited number of expatriates living here, we had to run helter-skelter to find enough entries for the competition. One family that helped out tremendously was that of John Parker’s, the President and Managing Director of Ford India. He had moved to Chennai (then Madras), and had set up Ford Motor Company’s first Indian plant at Maramalai Nagar. He contributed four entries in the first year – one each from himself and his wife Sandra, daughter Amanda and son Warren (his global children). This made up 25% of the participants, as we had a mere 12 entries in total that year. Today, our competition gets entries from expatriates living in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangaluru and, of course, Chennai. We get an overwhelming 500 entries now and an amazing array of insightful images to interpret and

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use in Culturama to leave a lasting impression on readers. Time and again, people come back to tell us about how these images have touched them, impressed them, and conveyed a sense of what India is all about. However, the competition is not just about images – it is also about the ability to see beauty in a new land, amidst strangers, and to embrace them. And children are the ones who best embody this ability to grab new worlds and people with both (open) hands. Thus, we dedicate this issue and this photo competition to global children all over the world. The 17th Annual Beautiful India Photo Competition instituted ‘Global Children’ as its special category for this year. It is a beautiful coincidence that India marks Children’s Day on November 14, and our Awards Ceremony falls a mere two days later – and both events celebrate the innocence and forthrightness of children. We also dedicate this year’s competition to the memory of kind, smart and beautiful Amanda Parker. Seventeen years ago, she was a teen in India. Just recently, she passed away after a very sudden and brief illness, leaving behind two wonderful boys who will no doubt be global children too. We reacted with shock and sadness to the news, which her dear father shared with us. Slowly, grief gave way to what we could do – so, we instituted an ‘Amanda Parker’ award to honour and celebrate her life, to commemorate the open-mindedness that Amanda brought with her due to her global experience. (Page 42 carries more about the award and quotes from some global children who have been impacted by India.) As you go through this issue dedicated to children who bloom wherever they are planted, do save the date to be with us at the awards ceremony on November 16. We look forward to seeing you there. Have a great month ahead. Ranjini Manian Editor-in-Chief globalindian@globaladjustments.com

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Credits This man is holding a kaavad - a portable storytelling device. Nina Sabnani explores this art in her book. More details in ‘India Writes’ (page 24). Photo: Kaavad Traditions of Rajasthan by Nina Sabnani (Niyogi Books). Editor-in-Chief Ranjini Manian

Letters to the editor Dear Editor,

“I love Culturama magazine! I live in Kodaikanal for half the year and a hard copy is welcome, even if it is late. Your October issue on the International Girl Child Day is of particular interest to me, since I also work with young children in need.” - Ann Peck, USA

Associate Editor Yamini Vasudevan Business Head Sheeba Radhamohan Sub-Editor Shefali Ganesh Senior Designer Prem Kumar Finance Controller V Ramkumar Circulation S Raghu Advertising Bengaluru Meera Roy Chennai Amritha Suresh Delhi/NCR Neha Verma Mumbai/Pune Deepa Navani 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 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.

Dear Editor,

“I read magazines for current affairs updates or professional interests. I make time for Culturama for the sheer pleasure of reading it. Kudos to you and your team for putting up such a nice magazine month after month.” - Akila Satheesh, India

Dear Editor,

“I am a regular reader of Culturama. You have taken the magazine to a different level – it is a very interesting read.” - Prema Srinivasan, India

Dear Editor,

“Culturama magazine gives me my regular dose of cultural, spiritual and travel information. I look forward to it every month.” - Sujith I., India

Look out for icons On our website and in our magazine we are now using the five icons below to help guide you through the contents. They are based on the five areas where Culturama can really help — giving you an insight into India, its life and culture; finding you great places to shop and fun things to do to enrich your Indian experience; helping you find a home; and connecting you to new friends.

1 Read 4 Locate

2 Shop 5 Connect

3 Do

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Culturama’s contributors 01 Susan Philip is a freelance writer based in Chennai, and the editorial coordinator of Culturama’s various coffee table books. 02 Akhila Ravikumar is an architect and interior designer par excellence who builds huge projects and has also built Global Adjustments’ headquarters in Chennai. She is an avid traveller and India afficianado.

03 Devdutt Pattanaik is the Chief Belief Officer of the Future Group, and a writer and illustrator of several books on Indian mythology. Visit www.devdutt.com 04 Helen Taylor is a freelance writer and photographer. She is British and has been living in Chennai for a year and a half.

06 Anita Krishnaswamy is President of Global Adjustments and a relocation expert. She has several years of experience working with expat clients across the country.

05 Harini Sankaranarayanan is an ardent foodie and a professional chocolatier. She has a degree in Hotel Management, English Literature and Theatre.

Advisory Board members 07 N. Ram is an award-winning journalist and former Editorin-Chief of The Hindu. He is Director of Kasturi & Sons Limited, publishers of The Hindu. 08 Suzanne McNeill lived in India for seven years, first in Chennai and then in Delhi. She has now returned to Scotland, where she works as a freelance writer and graphic designer.

09 Babette Verbeek is a correspondent for BNR Nieuwsradio who previously worked in Amsterdam and Milan. Now she joyfully explores the beauty of South Indian culture. 10 Marina Marangos is a lawyer by profession but enjoys travel and writing. She lived in India for four years before moving to Australia. She blogs at www.mezzemoments.blogspot.com

11 G. Venket Ram is an acclaimed photographer and the creative mind behind many a Culturama issue. To know more about his work, log on to www.gvenketram.com 12 Kathelijne van Eldik, from Holland, has been in Mumbai since 2004. Her employment with an airline is not a surprise, considering she has been raised in different countries and has it in her DNA to travel.

13 Marcel Van Mourik is a Dutch photographer living in New Delhi for the past three years. Together with his cameras, he is passionate about discovering Indian culture.

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Contents Regulars 14

Thought Leaders

Renowned diabetologist Dr. V. Mohan addresses the growing issue of obesity and diabetes that is threatening the world today.

30 Feature India is known for its rich storytelling tradition – but what are the types of stories that form the backbone of this artform?

India’s Culture 10

Short Message Service

Short, engaging snippets of Indian culture.

In your Kitchen

Experience the flavours of Bengal with a special fish head curry.

Festival of the Month

Visit a gurudwara to join in the prayers for Guru Nanak Jayanti.

Myth & Mythology

Stories from India’s mythology, reinterpreted for practical living.

India Now

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

India Writes

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

Ten for the Road

Trivia about an Indian state – featuring Himachal Pradesh this month.

Look Who’s In Town

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

Picture Story

The Mylapore Festival in Chennai is an annual celebration of the neighbourhood’s longstanding traditions and heritage.

Calendar of Events

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

Journeys Into India

The Lighter Side

Arm yourself with rags and brooms - the war on dust has begun.

At Global Adjustments

The India Immersion Centre celebrates navaratri in style.

Relocations and Property 68

Realty Bytes

Property listings across the metros

Space and the City

Property listings across the metros.

Seeing India

A retreat to the Himalayas will nourish your body and soul, while a trip to Gwalior will leave you replete with historic adventures.

Holistic Living

There comes a point when we must shake off the comfort of material things, and embrace the path to spiritual advancement.

42 Tiny Footprints, Lasting Memories Children who grew up in India share their memories and biggest takeaways. Global Adjustments also pays tribute to memory of Amanda Parker and her India connection.

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SMS 10

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by Suzanne McNeill Short cultural snippets for an easily digestible India

Art, Textile and Craft: Arani Silk Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu

The small town of Arani in northern Tamil Nadu is one of the country’s important silk centres, whose weavers specialise in making silk saris on simple frame looms. The saris are known for their softness and durability of colour, as well as their intricate designs. Arani silks are woven to an extremely high thread count – that is, the number of threads woven length- and breadth-wise in a square inch (the warp and weft). An innovation unique to arani silks is the half-saree, in which each half of the fabric is woven in different colours and designs. The border and pallu are on opposite sides so that the sari can be worn quite differently on separate occasions. The skill of the weavers can be applied so that the reverse side is woven in yet another colour and design, creating a sari that can be worn in three different ways.

Words

Food and Drink

The Urdu word bagh means garden or orchard (bageecha is the longer Hindi version). It was borrowed into the Indian languages from Persian and is particularly associated with the Mughals, who created many gardens with Persian influences such as running water, a pool and a pavilion. Bhaag is the imperative ‘run’ and a good example of this is the title of the movie, Bhaag, Milkha, Bhaag – a biopic about Milkha Singh, India’s legendary 400-metre runner. Both spellings are used to mean ‘tiger’, and Rudyard Kipling adopted the word in naming the panther Bagheera in The Jungle Book.

Fish, caught in the rivers and estuaries of the Ganges Delta, is a distinctive and traditional feature of Bengali cuisine, and at least one meal a day will have a fish course. Hilsa, also called ilish, is a particular favourite. It is an oily fish, rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which can be pan-fried or roasted, served with a tomato or ginger gravy (called a jhol) or cooked with curd, sour or sweet sauces. Mustard is a dominant spice in the region’s cuisine, used in oil or seed form, and a Bengali favourite is hilsa pieces fried in spices, then covered in freshly ground mustard paste, called shorshe. See Bengali chef Kalyan making a hilsa mustard curry: http://tinyurl.com/hilsacurry

Bagh vs. Baagh

Hilsa Fish Curry

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She Lives On Sarojini Naidu

Photo: Diana Grieger, Germany

Sarojini Naidu was born in Hyderabad in 1879. A child prodigy, she entered the University of Madras when she was just 12, and later studied at Cambridge University. On her return to India, she joined the Congress (the body that became one of independent India’s main political parties) and was an activist for independence and women’s empowerment, eventually becoming its first Indian female president. She toured eastern and South Africa, America, and in 1931 accompanied Mahatma Gandhi to London. Naidu’s anti-British activity led to several prison sentences during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1947, she was the first woman to become governor of an Indian state, Uttar Pradesh. Naidu also had an active and successful literary life. She published several volumes of poetry and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Known as ‘the Nightingale of India’, she combined great intellectual power with charm and humour. Sarojini Naidu died in 1949.

Urban Adventure

Anjuna Flea Market, Goa A couple of hours of browsing the arts and crafts, souvenirs and leather goods on display at Goa’s Wednesday ‘Hippy Market’ offers an intense experience. The stalls, sited at the southern end of Anjuna’s beach, are loaded with a myriad of different items. Prices suggest the market is aimed at tourists, and visitors have noted the stallholders are well versed in French, German and Russian. If you enjoy a good barter and a lively atmosphere, this is an experience you cannot miss – you’ll find yourself mingling with Western hippies, Indian tourists and European backpackers. Do check for the days when the market may be closed before paying a visit.

Interpretations These stucco figures adorn the roof one of the sub-shrines within the seventh century Kapaleeshwarar temple in Mylapore, Chennai. Although on a smaller scale than the famous gopuram – the monumental tower at the entrance – the multiple tiers of the shrines are likewise extravagantly decorated with sculpture and carvings derived from Hindu mythology, and relate particularly to the presiding deity. Hindu temples are primarily palaces for the god, whose embodiment is worshipped at the heart of the complex. Kapaleeshwarar is a Shiva temple, represented here by figures of Nandi the bull, Shiva’s vehicle, flanking a guardian deity.

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Thought Leaders by Yamini Vasudevan

No Sugarcoating 1 Dr. V. Mohan, popularly known as the ‘Sweet Doctor’ touches on the global trend of the rise in diabetes, the importance of a holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle and on the age-old question of traditional versus modern medicine Dr. V. Mohan is a household name – and he is fondly referred to by many as the ‘Sweet Doctor’. While this could also allude to his pleasant personality, it refers to his longstanding work in the field of diabetes. Chairman and Chief of Diabetology at Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, Dr. Mohan started working on diabetes as an undergraduate medical student when he joined his father, the late Prof. M. Viswanathan, a pioneer in diabetes in India. The duo set up the first private diabetes centre in India in 1971, and continued to work at the centre till 1991. Dr. Mohan and his (late) wife Dr. Rema Mohan subsequently set up his present centre.

Currently, Dr. Mohan’s work has expanded to 17 diabetes centres and clinics in India and one centre in Oman, with over 3,00,000 diabetic patients registered at these centres. He is also President and Director of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, which he established in 1996. Over the years, apart from clinical activity, research on the disease and the means to combat it, Dr. Mohan has been involved in training and education, rural diabetes services and charity, research and public education. In recognition of his work, Dr. Mohan has received numerous awards and Fellowships. These include the

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prestigious Padma Shri from the Government of India for his accomplishments in the field of diabetology, and the Wockhardt Award for Medical Excellence from the Harvard Medical International (HMI) in the United States. His centre was nominated by the World Health Organization as a ‘WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention and Control of NonCommunicable Diseases’ and by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) as an ‘IDF Centre of Education’ – achieving the accreditation of both bodies is considered a rare honour. Culturama had the opportunity to catch up with Dr. Mohan for a quick chat; excerpts from the interview are given below. A lot of people are talking about diabetes, obesity and heart health – causes, symptoms and treatment. What are some worldwide trends you are seeing in terms of diabetes and obesity? Worldwide, there is an epidemic of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, obesity and heart problems. But there are more – hypertension, and even mental health problems. Also cancers – and, today, there is a huge link between diabetes and cancer, and obesity and cancer. A recent paper showed that cancers, particularly women-related cancers (ovarian, breast, uterus), are more common in people who are obese. The link between diabetes and breast cancer is very well established, as is also the case with cancers of the colon, pancreas or liver. So, we don’t really know if all these are independent diseases or if they are part of one manifestation in which sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure will go up, which in turn

will create blocks or lead to heart attacks. So, we are probably talking about one disease. Problems such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes are making themselves felt at much younger ages. Today, we are seeing children as young as 10 or 12 who are massively obese – and with it, all the diseases that come in adults are seen in childhood. By 25 or 30, people are getting heart attacks – considered as disease of old age – and undergoing bypass. When I was in school, we used to have, say, 10 fat children in the whole school. Today, one-third of the school is obese. Five years ago, this number was much lower, and it looks like it’s going to rise very fast. The good thing is that it is preventable. It’s not something you are destined to get. When we talk to children today, we tell them to eat more fruits and vegetables, and to not give up on sports or athletics for fear of losing out on academics. In fact, some sports or exercise help you perform better – your body is healthy and your mind is more alert. Is there a link between economic progress and the rise in non-communicable diseases? There is, unfortunately, but it is a cycle. This is called a ‘nutritional transition’. Initially, the rich people will have all the diseases. The poor can hardly eat, they are working hard all the time, so there is hardly any room for these problems. Then the change starts to occur – the rich people will buy the best wheat, quinoa or rice; they will join gyms; they become health conscious. So, the diseases will start declining among the rich. It will now move to the middle-class, who are suffering from lack of time due to busy lives, but the poor are still untouched. Slowly, education sets in for the

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middle-class as well, and they begin to become more active. Then it hits the poor. By then, junk food and all other bad things will become the cheapest options in the market. The poor cannot buy apples or vegetables from a grocery store, but they can buy a burger from a fast food outlet. By that time, mechanisation has also reached the poor – where they used to plough the field, they now sit on a tractor; where they had to walk, there are now vehicles to ferry them. In the United States, diabetes and heart problems are seen mostly among the poor. And the change is now being seen in India – the rise in such problems in the slums of Chennai is equaling the middle-class and upper middle-class. The rich people have begun to look after themselves – in another five years, you will see the complete trend. It is commonly said that India is the ‘diabetes capital’ of the world – is this true? First of all, I have to make a correction to that. The term ‘diabetes capital’ is one I jocularly used somewhere – and it caught on like wildfire! It came from me, but no one would believe that because I didn’t document it anywhere. I used it in one of my speeches, but never imagined it would catch the fancy of the world! But it is not true anymore. About five years ago, we had the largest number of people with diabetes, according to the WHO and the IDF. Then, China came up with a study that overturned that conclusion. Having said that, despite not having as large numbers of obese people as in the West, India does have a huge number of people who are affected by diabetes. Genetic factors may play a part – and we are trying to understand that better. In South India at least, a lot of studies have shown that white rice intake is directly linked to the diabetes epidemic. When you have white, polished rice, there is very little fibre or nutrition in it. It is just starch, just like sugar. People tend to put a lot of rice on their plates, maybe a little vegetable on the side. And when you eat that much rice, it gives your blood glucose levels a big surge – and every time it does that, it pulls out a lot of insulin from your pancreas. After some time, the pancreas will give up and you will become diabetic. You came up with Dr. Mohan’s brand of rice. Tell us more about it. When we found out about the direct link between white rice consumption and diabetes, we wanted to find a solution. So, we created Dr. Mohan’s Brown Rice – it was nothing very big, we just brought brown rice back. It is the polishing – 12 percent polish – that makes it white. The more you polish it, the more harmful it is. We tried two percent polish, which gave us brown rice, packaged it and sold it. Then, the

Stress Busters Walking: If you can’t find time to go on a proper walk, just walk around your room while you talk on the phone or while using your iPad. Of course, ensure you are not walking up or down steps or in some place with dangerous objects around. Pranayama: This breathing exercise is an excellent way to bring

down blood pressure and heart rate. After your walk, sit down quietly and do your pranayama – it results in what is known as ‘cellular silence’, when each cell settles down and the hormones drop. This, in turn, helps you to remain calm and focus better.

Harvard School of Public Health came forward and asked to collaborate with us. So we got an NIH grant from the United States and started our research. When we fed people brown rice instead of white rice, we found that the sugar levels came down considerably. We asked people if they would eat this rice, but they said ‘no’. Most of them said it didn’t look or taste good enough. Also, many said it takes too long to cook the rice and that chewing it was too difficult. So we decided to experiment with white rice. We looked at strains of white rice from across the world but they all had high glycemic index (the rise in blood glucose after a meal). We collaborated with some agricultural scientists from Coimbatore, who brought a lot of varieties in the form of seeds. We tested about 200 varieties, then found one with a low glycemic index. We conducted several tests before we were convinced. It also had a high fibre content of

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At the time this magazine went to print, Dr. V. Mohan was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Diabetes Care in the South Asian Community by the South Asian Health Foundation (SAHF). The event was held on October 16, at the annual conference of the SAHF held at Birmingham, UK. His research and treatment truly enhances life quality and expectancy for one-sixth of humanity. Congratulations and warm regards to our Thought Leader of this month.

8 gm, but didn’t taste different from regular white rice. This variety of rice was made by a regular hybridisation technique, and did not involve genetic modifications – and we have applied for a patent with those who helped us develop it. Now, this is being sold under the Dr. Mohan’s brand.

my husband came back to me.’ From then on, I would ask all those who came to see me if they were under stress – and many of them would say ‘yes’. Apart from stress in itself, a difficult situation can cause you to overeat, give up on exercise, sleep less – it’s a vicious cycle.

Stress is said to be a cause of type 2 diabetes. Is stress the reason why people are falling prey to diabetes at younger ages? I have no doubt that stress is one of the factors that causes diabetes. It is hard to determine how much of the diabetes is caused by stress, and it is very hard to quantify stress itself. However, I have seen clear-cut cases of stress-induced diabetes. There was a lady who came to see me once, and she brought along two big bottles of water. When I asked her why she was carrying so much water, she said, ‘That’s the amount of water I drink. I am so thirsty.’ When I checked her blood sugar, it was 660 (normal levels are 100 to 120). I asked her to get admitted, and tried insulin, tablets, everything possible, but the sugar wouldn’t come down. Yet, she was looking well. So I told her to go home, to give it some time – something was going wrong and I couldn’t understand it. After a bit, the sugar came down, and she stopped taking the tablets. After a month or so, she came back to see me. She told me, ‘I eat eight bars of chocolate a day.’ I checked her sugar, and it was 80 or so! Then she says, ‘Doc, I didn’t tell you something. My husband was having an affair with someone. I couldn’t tell anyone about it so I was internalising all that stress.’ I was surprised to hear that, and asked, ‘And what changed now?’ She replied, ‘The lady got transferred to Kolkata, and

Where do you stand on the traditional versus modern medicines? Medicines are medicines – and they serve a similar purpose. Many traditional and modern medicines come from herbs or roots, but Western medicines do go through a more rigorous screening process before they can be sold in the market. However, no matter what the medicine, a person’s lifestyle plays a big part in overall health. And this is where the Western system of medicine fails – there is too much stress on the medicine itself, and less on the person’s way of living. We are taught to treat diseases independently. For example, 40 percent of all cancers is due to use of some form of tobacco; 50 percent of all heart attacks is due to smoking. During my entire course of study, there was not a single class that dealt with cessation of smoking – how to tell people not to smoke. Some of the other systems focus a lot on these other factors – they talk about your body in a holistic manner, and each individual is treated according to his/her body composition. Dr. Mashelkar, former head of CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research), used to say it’s like a ‘golden triangle’ – there’s science, modern medicine and traditional medicine. They shouldn’t compete with each other, but instead supplement and support each other. 1

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India now by Susan Philip

The month that was

Up close and personal – with Mars! Mangalyaan, India’s spacecraft to Mars, was successfully inserted into the Red Planet’s orbit on September 24, making the country’s maiden interplanetary mission a resounding

1 The month that went by held much that made Indians everywhere hold up their heads with pride, but The country had its share of tragedy too

Nature’s Fury Hudhud and after Powerful cyclone Hudhud slammed into the Andhra Pradesh coast, claiming over 25 lives and leaving a trail of massive destruction in its wake. The port city of Vishakapatnam bore the brunt of the heavy rain and high-velocity winds, which had NASA categorising the storm as ‘extreme’. Authorities are giving priority to restoring essential facilities and ensuring availability of food and water. The scale of damage is such that rehabilitation and restoration of normality is bound to take a while. The Prime Minister has announced an interim assistance of Rs. 1,000 crore, and various other agencies are offering help as well. To see how you can help, check out http://tinyurl.com/ke4y63a and https://pmnrf.gov.in/

success. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has become only the fourth agency in the world to achieve this milestone – and, what is more, the first to succeed in the first attempt! The world is suitably impressed. Jubilant ISRO scientists followed up with the launch of a navigation satellite, IRNSS 1C, the third in a series and a step forward to the goal of setting up its own navigation system like USA’s GPS. ISRO isn’t just reaching for the moon now with its plans to launch Chandrayaan II – it has the sun in its sights too. The Aditya Mission scheduled for 2017 intends to study the sun’s corona.

Awards and Accolades This one is for the children Kailash Satyarthi, a comparatively lesser known activist for child rights, was chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee to share this year’s Nobel Prize for Peace with Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan. Even as the traditional rivalry between the two countries keeps bubbling up, the shared award came as an expression of the wider world view that together, we can! Satyarthi’s ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’ – loosely translated as ‘Save Childhood Movement’ – seeks to get children out of fields and factories, and free them for education, so they can work for a better tomorrow. It has so far liberated and rehabilitated over 80,000 child labourers. Prior to the Nobel catapulting him into the limelight, Satyarthi captured a degree of world attention by creating an international social tag, ‘Rugmark’, which endorsed that a rug or carpet was not made in a factory that employs child labour. So, next time you shop for such a product, do make sure it carries the Rugmark.

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Business Matters

Sports Spots

Come, Make in India!

On the victory stand

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a major new national programme to boost industrial growth. Aptly titled ‘Make in India’, the programme is designed to facilitate investment and also build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure. It will nurture innovation and promote skill development besides protecting intellectual property. Senior bureaucrats are upbeat about the initiative, seeing it as a reflection of a new mindset of growth. They are enthused by the fact that it spans a whole range of sectors. Addressing the nearly 20,000-strong crowd packed into New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden during his maiden visit to the United States as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi invited all Indian-Americans to participate in the Make in India initiative, and promised ample human resources and low-cost production facilities. For details, see: http://www.makeinindia.com/

The 17th edition of the Asian Games, held in South Korea, brought encouraging results for India – the country won 57 medals, including 11 golds. Of these, two were particularly special – the hockey team bagged the yellow metal after a gap of 16 years, and Mary Kom, by bringing home the country’s first gold in women’s boxing, proved that motherhood, even three times over, doesn’t necessarily put a full stop to a woman’s achievements in sports. Mary Kom was voted the Most Valuable Person (MVP) of India’s Asian Games Campaign. To have an idea of this amazing woman’s life and achievements, watch the Bollywood biopic, ‘Mary Kom’, starring Priyanka Chopra.

This and That Station Spectacular

Let’s get Squeaky Clean Narendra Modi has also promised both Indian Americans and fellow citizens of this country a clean India, living up to Gandhiji’s dream of sanitation for all. The Government’s ‘Swachch Bharat Abhiyan’ or ‘Clean India Campaign’ was launched on Oct 2, Gandhiji’s birth anniversary. One major facet of the project is the provision of universal toilet facilities. A recent conclave convened jointly by the UNICEF and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) debated on how companies in India could best use the obligatory two percent of net profits for corporate social responsibility (CSR) to further this goal in Tamil Nadu. Speakers stressed that the process doesn’t end with the provision of toilets, but should be extended to include maintenance.

Mumbai’s 126-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) has been ranked with the likes of Gare de Liege-Guillemins of Belgium, London’s King’s Cross and France’s Gare de Strasbourg as one of the world’s most stunning train stations. German real estate data mining company Emporis, in its report, has said that the CST is one of the most “impressive stations…that have retained the flair of times past”. Meticulously designed by architect Frederick William Stevens and executed by engineer Sitaram Khanderao Vaidya and his team, the CST was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2004. Sculptural depictions of flora and fauna decorating the CST’s facade were done under the guidance of Lockwood Kipling, father of Rudyard Kipling of Jungle Book fame. Q: What was the original name of CST? Victoria Terminus.

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India writes

iREAD

Kaavad Tradition of Rajasthan by Nina Sabnani

Reviewed by Yamini Vasudevan

“Stories are memories and they mediate between reality and aspirations, reflecting a society’s wishes and self-image.” So writes Nina Sabnani in her book on the kaavad tradition, which refers to a form of storytelling that involves the use of a box with folded, painted panels hidden behind small doors. When the storyteller begins his recitation, the doors are opened and the panels unraveled one by one, in line with the story being told and the scene in that particular story. In fact, the word ‘kaavad’ comes from the word ‘kivad’, which means ‘door’. Given the rich tradition of mythology and literature in India, there is no dearth of the number and variety of tales that can be incorporated into this tradition – from the Ramayana and Mahabharata to tales of saints and even of the storyteller’s patrons, big and small stories find their way into the kaavad. However, the kaavad tradition is not only one of storytelling – the activity is regarded as a religious ritual, and the kaavad itself is said to be a ‘travelling shrine’. The

storyteller will brush the kaavad with a peacock feather to ‘purify’ it before he begins his recitation. This tradition of attaching religious significance to the activity, and the propagation of the kaavad tradition is said to have been encouraged by the Bhakti movement of the 12th and 17th centuries. The kaavads are made by the Suthars or the carpenter caste of Marwar district, and the stories are told by the Kaavadiya Bhats of the same district. Interestingly, the wood used to make the kaavads, which comes from the Adusa tree, is only cut on days when the moon is waxing. There are some aspects that Nina Sabnani covers in this fascinating work, which began as a PhD thesis. She befriended the Suthars and travelled with the Kaavadiya Bhats for months, observing their lives and how deeply this tradition was woven into their, and the extended community’s, lives. She talks about the legends behind the origin of this tradition, how this community survives on the benevolence of its patrons, and how the art form is carried forth from generation to generation. Although based on an academic work, the narrative flows beautifully, and the language is easy to read and free of jargon. Even for an outsider unfamiliar with this tradition, it forms a very interesting, eye-opening read – one that reiterates how there are always rich facets of culture to be discovered in this ancient land. Who Is It By? Nina Sabnani is an artist, animation director and illustrator, based in Mumbai. Currently, she is Associate Professor at the Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay, where she completed her Doctoral Research. Her area of research concerned storytelling models in India, with a particular focus on the Kaavad tradition of Rajasthan. Nina graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University, Vadodara, Gujarat and received a Master’s Degree in film from Syracuse University, New York, USA. 1

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November 2014

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Himachal Pradesh

1 Explore 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 Himachal Pradesh

How the Land Lies: Him means ‘snow’ in Sanskrit, and Himachal Pradesh, roughly translated, means the ‘Land of Snow’. The region was also once known as deva bhumi or Land of Gods. Replete with scenic beauty, this northern Indian State is a favourite holiday and honeymoon destination.

Political Pressures: The capital, Shimla, was also the summer capital of the

Past Glories: Historical evidence says the region was once divided into

British during colonial rule. It was here that the decision to partition the country was finally taken. Today, Dharamshala city is the headquarters of the Tibetan Government in exile, led by the Dalai Lama.

several small republics, known as janapada, in the Vedic Period. Even earlier, it was part of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Ethnic Fingerprint: The region is a receptacle of a medley of influences.

Culture Quotient: Each area of the State has its own distinctive style. The mellifluous Samskara songs are sung mainly by women, while the open air Burah Dance is performed solely by men brandishing arms.

Personality Plus: One man, of British descent, called this region home,

Sights to See: Examples of Tibetan influence, breathtaking scenery, the only

Tasty Treats: Among dishes unique to this region are madra, a slow-cooked

Crafted with Care: Souvenir hunters will find many distinctive Himachal Pradesh produce – the flat-topped ‘Kullu’ cap with its characteristic embroidered band, footwear made of dried grass and scraps of wool, and flamboyantly coloured hand-knitted socks, to name a few. Exquisitely embroidered rumals or large head-scarves are part of the traditional attire of women from the mountains, but go well with other clothes too. Namda rugs made of beaten wool make excellent conversation pieces.

The Mongols, Sikhs, Gorkhas and the British all left their marks on the state. Varied religious imprints can also be found, not least of them architectural – Christian missionaries built churches, while Buddhists set up monasteries.

and left an indelible mark on the country. Allan Octavian Hume, former Civil Servant and noted ornithologist, spearheaded the founding of the Indian National Congress (INC) while living in Shimla. The INC in turn successfully spearheaded India’s struggle for freedom from British rule.

natural ice-skating rink in Asia (in Shimla), street bazaars in towns and cities, churches, temples, museums – there’s so much to see in Himachal Pradesh.

dish made of rice, kidney beans, a gamut of spices and yoghurt, and patande, a type of pancake. The Tibetan touch can be tasted in chhang, a wine made of fermented rice. And to round off your meal, bite into rosy red apples for which Himachal Pradesh is famous.

10 Worshipfully Yours: The ancient Jakhu temple in Shimla is dedicated to Hanuman, the Monkey God. A 108-foot statue of the God, built at an altitude of over 8,100 feet, is believed to be the world’s tallest at such a height. A major pilgrimage centre, the area is filled, aptly enough, with monkeys who petition pilgrims for ‘offerings’. 1

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November 2014

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In Your Kitchen by Harini Sankaranarayanan

Feast from the East

1 Amongst the many sweet and spicy elements that feature in Bengali food, fish is a particular favourite â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and a curry made with fish head is a much loved delicacy

Photo: www.expatliving.sg

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November 2014

Ingredients 1 Large fish head 2 tbsp Basmati rice (traditionally, a locally grown fragrant rice is used) 1 Onion, grated 1 Onion, chopped 1 tbsp Grated ginger 3 Green chillies, slit 1 Tomato, chopped 1 Bay leaf 2 Cinnamon sticks 2 Cardamoms 2 Cloves 2 tsp Turmeric powder ½ tsp Coriander powder ½ tsp Cumin powder 1 tsp Chilli powder 1 tsp Garam masala Salt to taste Mustard oil to fry Ghee as needed Directions: Cut the fish into two halves and smear the pieces with turmeric powder and salt. Fry the fish head in oil until crisp and drain on a kitchen paper. Heat a little oil in a pan and sauté the washed grains of rice for a couple of minutes and set aside. In the same pan (add more oil if necessary), add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Fry for a minute and then add the chopped onions and sauté till soft. Add the green chillies, grated onions, cumin and coriander powder and chilli powder. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add chopped tomato and salt to taste and cook till the raw smell of tomatoes goes. Now add the fried rice and 2 cups of water, cover with a lid and cook well. Finally, add the fish head and garam masala and stir gently. When the gravy becomes thick, remove from the heat and add a spoonful of ghee. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Shreysi Bose remembers stories that her grandparents told her. “They moved to India from Bangladesh,” she explains. “One of my grandfathers was a doctor, and he and his family had to flee Bangladesh in the middle of the night – with eight children.” In West Bengal, they found safe haven. “My other set of grandparents also moved to West Bengal from Bangladesh. The irony is that my grandmother, who quit school when she was 13, eventually became a teacher.” As refugees they built their lives from nothing – the fact that both East and West Bengal shared a lot of cultural similarities helped them make an easy transition. Initially considered ‘outsiders’, the families soon integrated into the mainstream – food and community meals helped bring them closer. Traditionally, breakfast is perfectly round luchis, a deep-fried bread, served with potatoes. Lunch is always rice accompanied with a vegetable, dhal, a fried vegetable (eggplant was a particular favourite) and fish. Rarely, the fish was replaced with chicken or mutton. “The Bangladeshi influence makes our food spicier than the Bengali counterpart,” says Shreysi. “People from the Chittagong region particularly, relish really spicy food.” The love for fish and mustard is obvious – it is the mustard oil that provides the distinct aroma and flavour. Despite the fact that the food is spicy, there are not too many spices used while cooking. Some of the commonly used spices

include cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, fenugreek, bay leaf and dried chilli. The cooking process is slow and elaborate, requiring long periods of sautéing to provide the rich flavour. Dinner follows the same pattern as lunch. Tea time means a whole load of crunchy goodies: Puffed rice mixed with grated carrots, tangy chutney and fried pumpkin flowers grace the table. Festivities bring with it certain specialities. “In my family, for every birthday, we have a tradition of serving five fried items on the plate. It could be a snack, a fried vegetable or fish.” The baked sweetened yogurt, the famous rosogulla (steamed cottage cheese balls in sugar syrup) and sandesh (rich creamy milk cooked down with molasses) all feature on the menu. The pitha (a type of cake) is another Bangladeshi pan-fried speciality. “A wedding feast is something worth waiting for,” says Shreysi. “No celebration is complete without some form of fish. In fact, the groom’s first meal at his in-laws’ place will traditionally include cooked fish head.” Given here is one such recipe. Traditionally, a fresh water fish is preferred. If one cannot get hold of it, any fish head that is large enough can be used. 1

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Feature by Suzanne McNeill

A Fable a Day 1 Storytelling is integral to Indian culture, and the stories passed down through the generations have played a major role in shaping Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich cultural heritage

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Across India, traditional stories have entertained and instructed people for thousands of years. Storytelling is integral to Indian culture, and the stories passed down through the generations have been received and retold through dance, theatre, song and narration, shaping India’s immense cultural heritage. Here we look at examples of the different types of stories that form this rich tradition, and that have inspired the country’s vast repertoire of folk tales.

Epic Struggles of Good and Evil India’s literary tradition is rooted in the great epic poems and narratives written in Sanskrit, which record the country’s myths and legends, and form the canon of Hindu scripture. These works are multi-layered and didactic, and contain many stories within the core narrative. The Ramayana, ‘the Adventures of Rama’, is one of India’s most beloved and enduring legends. It is ascribed to Valmiki, the ‘first’ poet, and written during the third century BCE. The Ramayana relates the physical and spiritual journey of Rama, crown prince of Ayodhya, whose wife Sita is kidnapped by the demon Ravana. It is the story of a war between good and evil, and Rama is pictured as the ideal man and the perfect

November 2014

human. He is compassionate, courageous and devoted to religious values and his sense of duty. Here, Rama, assisted by god Hanuman’s army of monkeys, prepares for battle: Rama gazed into Lanka and the horde of demons within, who clashed their gleaming swords and shields together in the midday sun. He paused for only a moment after Angada returned to him with Ravana’s answer to his offer of peace. Then, Sita’s face, her eyes brimming tears, rose like a vision in his mind. Rama raised the jewelled Kodanda above his head. Silence fell on both armies. Gracefully, the prince of Ayodhya brought his arm down. The roar of the vanaras was deafening as they surged forward, each monkey anxious to be the first one over the walls of Lanka.1 The Ramayana has had a profound effect on Indian art and culture, and is said to represent the very soul of India. Its themes are timeless and universal: goodness and love, evil and treachery, nobility of character, selflessness and devotion. The Mahabharata, written by a Brahmin named Vyasa between 400 and 100 BCE, is the story of the five Pandava brothers, including the archer Arjuna, and their war with their cousins, the evil Kauravas. The heroes and villains are all larger than life, and the war is fought with the weapons

1 The Ramayana, translated by Ramesh Menon, North Point Press, New York, 2001.

Illustrations: Lalitha

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of the Gods. The Mahabharata is the longest epic ever written and, as well as the great family saga at its heart, consists of ethical discourses and independent philosophical treatises including the Bhagavad Gita, ‘the Lord’s Song’. This treasure at the heart of the Mahabharata is presented as a dialogue between the enigmatic Lord Krishna and Arjuna, as war rages around them: His voice full of despair, Arjuna cried, ‘Krishna, you say the way of the mind is finer than the way of action. Why, then, do you goad me into this savagery? You bewilder me now and I am lost! Show me one straight path by which I can be free.’ Though evil attacked his heart, Krishna spoke quietly. ‘The dual path has been taught in it since the world began: the way of gyana, knowledge, for men of contemplation; for men of action, the way of karma, of deeds, of battles. You do not become free by doing nothing; by abstaining from karma, you do not become perfect. He who does nothing, but broods over his desires, is no sage, he is a hypocrite. Do the work you are born to, for without working you cannot sustain even your own body. Let war be your worship, Arjuna.’2 These verses have resonated down the years and gripped the minds of Hindus.

Folktales and Fables The Panchatantra is a collection of interwoven stories, mostly animal fables, told in much simpler verse and prose. They were composed in the third century BCE in Sanskrit,

though it is believed they form part of older oral tradition. The author was a learned man called Pandit Vishnu Sharma. It is said he was asked by a king, anxious at his sons’ lack of wisdom, to teach them the ways of the world – and, certainly, the tales have the purpose of implanting moral values and ethics in the young. Pancha means five, and tantra means practice or principle, and the overall aim of the stories is to illustrate the primary Hindu principles of nīti – the art of living wisely. Each tale offers a distinct moral lesson. Here’s the story of the cunning hare and the witless lion: There was once a powerful lion called Bhasuraka who ruled the jungle. He was merciless and killed other animals indiscriminately. To avoid such slaughter, the terrified animals decide to draw lots in order to select one to be sent to the lion each day. One day a hare was chosen. Unwilling to become the lion’s food, he started for the lion’s den [but] walked as slowly as possible. On the way, the hare came across a well. He peeked down from the edge and when it saw its own reflection, he hit upon a plan. The hare tricks the lion into believing that a rival has eaten his allotted meal for the day, and that he is living in the well. On hearing this, the lion became furious and leapt inside the well to attack his own reflection. He drowned […] The other animals

2 The Mahabharata, A Modern Rendering, translated by Ramesh Menon, Kindle edition, 2004.

Illustration: Lalitha

November 2014

Illustration: www.siththandotcom

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November 2014

Illustration: Lalitha

gave the hare a hero’s welcome and praised his cleverness. From then onwards, the animals roamed about the jungle happily.3 The moral of the story? Intelligence is superior to physical strength. These stories have been translated into many languages, and some of Aesop’s Fables are believed to be derived from the Panchatantra. The same desire to share knowledge and teach morality infuses the Jataka Tales, written around 300 BCE. These tell of the former lives of the Buddha. They are scattered throughout Buddhist writings and have parallels in the Mahabharata and the fables of the Panchatantra. The future Buddha, the Enlightened One, may appear in these tales as a god, a king, an outcast or an elephant. Each offers a guide to moral conduct and good behaviour, such as learning to be a good loser, how too much of a something can lead to downfall, and that you can’t expect others to help you if you don’t help them. That all deserve respect is the moral of a Jataka Tale entitled ‘A Bull Called Delightful’. 3 From the website, Tales of Panchatantra: http://tinyurl.com/lion-hare.

The Enlightened Being was born as a calf. Since he was well bred for strength, he was bought by a high class rich man. He became very fond of the gentle animal, and called him ‘Delightful’. The rich man makes a bet with a friend that Delightful can pull a heavier load than the friend’s bull, and attaches 100 bullock carts together, loaded with sand and gravel. Then he harnessed him to the first cart and climbed up onto it. Being so high class, he could not resist the urge to make himself seem very important. So he cracked a whip in the air, and yelled at the faithful bull, ‘Pull, you dumb animal! I command you to pull, you big dummy!’ Delightful is dismayed by such ill-mannered treatment. He refuses to pull the carts, and his master has to pay his friend. The bull then says to his master: ‘Why did you call me ‘dumb animal’ and insult me even in the presence of others? The fault is yours. I have done nothing wrong. But since I feel sorry for you, go again to the merchant and make the same bet for two-thousand gold coins. And remember to use

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Illustration: Lalitha

only the respectful words I deserve so well.’ The return challenge is arranged: When all was ready, the rich man touched Delightful’s forehead with a lotus blossom, having given up the whip […] he said, ‘My son, please do me the honour of pulling these 100 bullock carts.’ Lo and behold, the wonderful bull pulled with all his might and dragged the heavy carts, until the last one stood in the place of the first. 4 The rich man learns a valuable lesson in humility and respect.

Fairy Tales and Ghosts The ancient stories of Vikram and Betaal are told in a very different tone. There is a dark, ghostly element to the narrative that frames the 24 tales of the cycle. King Vikram promises a sorcerer that he will bring to him Betaal, a ghoulish spirit who inhabits and animates dead bodies. But capturing Betaal isn’t easy, and the condition is that the king should carry the ghoul in complete silence. However, each time the king attempts to do so, Betaal tells a story that ends with a riddle that the king is compelled to answer, thus breaking his silence. As each tale is told, Betaal escapes, only to be recaptured and the storytelling resumed. The stories narrated by Betaal form a series of fairy tales, populated

by beautiful queens and love-struck princes, mysterious travellers, faithful servants and yogis, and are not frightening in themselves. Instead, they range from frivolous riddles to questions of royal judgment to philosophical dilemmas. But it is the framing narrative set in the grim forest, where begins and ends every tale that contains the element of life-or-death threat and the dark side of the afterlife: The darkness of the night was terrible, and the rain poured down with such violence, that it seemed as though it would never rain again after that day; and unclean goblins were making such a noise and uproar, that even brave and resolute men on beholding them would have been perplexed; but the Raja pursued his journey […] he saw that goblins were laying hold of and eating men […] When he cast his eyes on the tree he saw, that from the root to the topmost twig, every branch and leaf was in a blaze; and on every side there were confused cries of ‘Kill! Kill! Seize him! Seize him!’5

India’s ‘Bravehearts’ Tales of valour from India’s rich cultural history are retold in countless heroic, semi-fictional and biographical stories of kings, freedom fighters and great women. Many of these are recast for children in the form of comics and graphic novels, and seek to instil pride in the bravery of great

4 From the Buddha Net website: http://tinyurl.com/delightfulbull 5 The Bytal Pucheesee, translated by Captain W. Hollings, W. Ridsdale Military Orphan Press, Calcutta, 1848, see http://tinyurl.com/vik-bet.

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November 2014

Advertiser's Feature

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November 2014

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journeys and acts of selflessness by saints provide not only inspiring tales but principles by which to live. Service to others is celebrated in the retelling of the life of the elderly widow Dokka Sitamma, who lived at the end of the 19th century, and was believed to be a saint for her charitable work feeding the poor and sick. ‘Come in! Come in! I have just finished cooking and was hoping that you would join me for dinner tonight,’ Sitamma would quickly say to those who came to her in need, thus sparing them Illustration: Lalitha the humiliation of having to beg for food. warriors who knew no fear, defied the odds and were martyrs But Sitamma is despised by the orthodox believers in to the cause of nationhood. her village. She gives away her few possessions and leaves for In a tale that recounts the bravery of the Rajputs against Varanasi to die and attain liberation. It is a difficult journey, the much greater forces of the Mughal army, the emperor’s but Sitamma is filled with happiness as she approaches the commander Man Singh believes he has captured King Pratap: end of her earthly sojourn. Taking shelter, she overhears a A blow from a Mughal soldier knocked off the headgear of the family in the next room. They are hungry, and the father Rajput. The Mughal general let out a howl of rage […] consoles his daughter: ‘You are not Rana Pratap!’ screamed Man Singh. ‘Where is he?’ ‘Tomorrow we will go to the home of Sitamma. She never sends The man in Pratap’s armour merely smiled and answered, away those who are hungry…she treats her guests with respect and ‘Far, far beyond your reach, Man Singh. Akbar will never capture never expects anything in return for her charity.’ the Rana.’ […] Sitamma abandons her journey, returns to her village and The courageous Jhala Manna has donned the injured begs for food from her neighbours: Pratap’s armour to save his king. ‘Before the father could knock on the door and end the ‘Surrender!’ shouted a Mughal soldier. ‘Tell us where Pratap is family’s suspense, it swung open. The fragrant smells of dal and and we will let you and your men live.’ rice greeted them.’7 The reply was another peal of laughter from Jhala Manna, who Sitamma is trembling with exhaustion and fatigue, but in led his men in one final assault on the Mughals. Death was certain, losing herself in the service of others, finds personal liberation. but Manna didn’t seem to care.6 To this day, the stories of Sitamma are retold around the districts where she lived. 1 The Lives of the Saints The noble qualities of India’s holy men and women are also lauded in traditional stories. The personal spiritual

6 ‘The Moth that Dances Around the Mughal Flame’ from Kesariya Bana and Other Tales of Valour, Nimish Dubey, Ponytale Books, Kolkatta, 2007. 7 ‘Sitamma Feeds the Poor’, from Wisdom’s Blossoms: Tales of the Saints of India, Doug Glener and SaratKomaragiri, Shambhala, Boston & London, 2014.

culturama

November 2014

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Look Who’s In Town Bengaluru

The Great Outdoors

1 Her love for Bengaluru’s outdoor spaces makes American Pam Kaplan, Vice President of a leading IT company, our ideal guide to the city’s green spots

One day at, Cubbon Park in Bengaluru, Pam Kaplan found a way to laugh her worries away – she discovered a weekend laughter club on her morning walks and soon joined the club. “They were funny and really made me laugh! I captured a small video on my cellphone and it made my day. Now, every Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m., I am part of the laughter club at Cubbon Park. It is the best part of the weekend! Who knew laughing could be so much fun?” The Garden City of South India impressed Pam in a short while, after she landed there a year ago. A photographer by passion, she enjoys the “challenge of trying to capture what I see”.

At Home in DC Washington DC is a great city that offers something for everyone: Outdoor trails, biking, museums, restaurants, interesting outdoor spaces, a big river, theatre and lots of concerts and festivals throughout the year. As the nation’s capital, there is also a great deal of cultural diversity as we have people staying here from all over the world. Bengaluru is very different from Washington, but I have found that it is also a great city with a lot to offer. During my time here, I discovered some wonderful restaurants, interesting outdoor spaces and temples, fascinating festivals, beautiful handicrafts and shopping – and wonderful, warm people! Bengaluru is a welcoming place for expats.

Park City I am an avid walker, and walk in Cubbon Park every day between 6–7:30 a.m. before heading to work. The Park is closed to traffic at that time and there is a fairly large walking community. It is great to see many familiar faces at the start of each day and to interact with nature as the sun starts to peek through the branches of the trees. Lalbagh Botanical Garden is also a great outdoor destination with a lot of history. If you can, try and go on one of the daily tours – it is worth the time. My husband and I recently visited Nandi Hills, just outside of Bengaluru, on a Sunday drive. We had a great time and enjoyed some beautiful views, interesting temples and fresh air. It is always good to bring your own water and a cellphone. You never know when you might come across a perfect photo opportunity – even when you are simply out to exercise!

When in USA A trip to Washington DC during the cherry blossom season should be on everyone’s ‘bucket list’! The National Mall, Mount Vernon and the monuments are fantastic outdoor walking spaces and will give you a small taste of American history. 1

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November 2014

Advertiser's Feature

Discover India

beyond the brochure

Photo: Mehak Sethi

Breakaway brings journeys off the India Map for the intrepid traveller eager to explore the country’s art, culture and beauty. Look into the eyes of India’s people through our carefully curated itinerary or a customised one even. Choose from Plantation Tours, Craft & Textile Tours, Art & Heritage tours to discover India’s proud heritage. Take a pick from the Social Sector Interaction options that give you an idea of social and rural ventures of change. Time you ‘Breakaway’ from the tired notions of travel. 1

Global Wellness Series

Eat healthy Dr. S Palaniappan of the Department of Gastroenterology talks about cultivating healthy eating habits. Healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations or depriving oneself of foods you love. Eating the right food at the right time in proper intervals sums up healthy eating. Some important points to note: - Eat in moderation and do not stuff yourself. - Take time to chew the food. - Breakfast is the most important food of the day - Eating fruits and vegetable in adequate measure is important It is good to be aware of the healthy and unhealthy types of carbohydrates. Whole grains, beans etc are healthy while sugar and white flour are unhealthy. Also avoid unhealthy fat like in red meat and fried foods. Drinking adequate water prevents dehydration and tiredness. Eating high quality protein is also of paramount importance. Limiting salt intake can be helpful in prevention of hypertension. Spaced meals, meals with healthy carbohydrates, fat and protein; drinking adequate water to prevent dehydration; avoiding unhealthy foods and a bit of exercise to help burn the calories , all go a long way in keeping oneself healthy .1

November 2014

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Look Who’s In Town Chennai

Chow-time in Chennai 1 Scotswoman Joanne Laird, a learning and development consultant based in Chennai, has adopted not just the city’s head wobble but also the food it doles out

Joanne Laird’s first memories of Chennai are often associated with the spicy pani puri that she tasted at the city’s favourite fast-food spot, Gangotree. The memory was not entirely a pleasant one, though. “The spicy juice hit the back of my throat and I coughed out the contents of my mouth all over the man serving it! The entire shop came to a standstill!” But that didn’t leave a bitter taste in her mouth – a year and a half later, the staff at Gangotree knows her as a regular pani puri customer. The Scotswoman has now adopted Chennai as home – it is after all where she met her fiancé, “I embraced it for everything it is – the smell of the rivers doesn’t bother me; the food is flavourful, not spicy; and the people are welcoming and friendly”.

Home food Food is a passion of mine: To cook, eat, read about or watch programmes about it! Back in Scotland, eating out was a luxury because of the lack of time and the expense associated with it. Indian cuisine, back then, was my least favourite as I couldn’t cope with spice and often ended up falling ill the following day. In India, it is all about food, cooking, eating and entertaining others. So, I not only have had the pleasure but also the luxury of eating out regularly as well as learning how to cook. People here often try to take me to a continental restaurant thinking it would please me, but I am so in love with Indian cuisine now that my first choice would always be traditional India restaurants. I enjoy very spicy foods now, and am fascinated by how each masala is made, often writing down recipes to take home and try. Food in my opinion is more affordable here – having said that, I often compare it to prices back in Scotland, which probably is not realistic or fair.

Chennai on a Platter My personal favourites are Amethyst for the ambience, service and indulgence (soups, fish and chips, cakes and chocolate mousse); Gangotree for pani puri and mango ice cream; Hotel Apoorva Sangeetha for the best breakfast in the city (mini combo-breakfasts and sambar vada and dosa to die for).

Tips for the foodie Don’t be afraid to try new things – they are often the best. If the restaurant is busy with locals, it tends to be good. Ask the waiters for what is good; they are usually very honest. And always leave room for warm gulab jamun and ice cream at the end!

When in Scotland Scotland’s produce speaks for itself – choice is plenty, diverse and any genre of food is available in stores and restaurants. With a restaurant on every corner, it is extremely difficult to choose, but here are three: - The Bothy serves traditional Scottish cuisine (http://www.bothyglasgow.co.uk) - The Rogano for a romantic dining experience (http://www.roganoglasgow.com) - Two Fat Ladies for the best dishes in town (http://twofatladiesrestaurant.com/citycentre) 1

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November 2014

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Global Children by Team Culturama

Tiny Footprints, Lasting Memories “Love children, especially, for they too are sinless like the angels; they live to soften and purify our hearts and, as it were, to guide us.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Russian novelist) Children are like mini ambassadors – especially when they travel to places other than their hometown. They unabashedly ask questions, make comments and insist on seeing and touching everything they come across. Unlike adults, they are not bound by social protocol or distinctions of ‘us’ and ‘them’ – and it is this open-mindedness that makes them so endearing. To mark the occasion of Children’s Day in India (November 14), Culturama decided to focus on kids who spent some of their formative years here in India. We asked them (their parents, as well) about how India has shaped their lives and outlook, and how they viewed the country that had been a second home. These children have left India, but India remains in their heart and soul.

A Tribute to Amanda Parker John and Sandra Parker (left and centre) came to set up Ford India’s plant at Maraimalai Nagar in Chennai. Amanda Parker (right, holding her child) was a teenager back then. Today she is no more, and has left behind two boys. To honour her memory, Global Adjustments instituted the Amanda Parker Award in our 17th Annual Photo Competition, and created the Amanda Parker cash grant. The person chosen for the cash grant was Kanaka (bottom left). Kanaka, 35, has to live through seeing her husband dying from brain cancer. He has only a few weeks left. Her husband was an agricultural labourer and has no savings. They have no children and her father is supporting them for now. Kanaka had, providentially, learnt tailoring before marriage and is a certificate holder. The tailoring machine awarded to her is a means to support herself for life after her husband passes away.

“Everything about India – from the smell of burning incense at home; the smile on everyday faces; the picking of flowers; eating chapatis, idlies and rice with our hand; and dancing to ‘Aal Izz Well’ and ‘Chammak Challo’ will remain with us!” Charlotte Chipperton, Australia

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“India will remain in our heart forever as the place that showed me the richness of another culture, and also about how I could share my own cultural richness with India and its people – what a cornerstone these are in our lives!” Anthony Marangos Gilks, Australia

“India will remain with us, because it was here that my culture and desires to become a worldly citizen stemmed. Because of my multi-cultural past, I am proud to be me, and I am grateful to have been born in India.” Christopher Riley, USA

November 2014

“This photograph was taken of our daughter Rhea in Chennai. We feel that India made her into the kind, compassionate and empathic child she is today. Chennai is fully responsible for her love of turtles, beaches and conservation, and her craving for idli, dosa and vadai! Even our religion came beautifully alive for her with the Ganesh Puja and the stunning Navaratri dolls. Sejal Wasani, UK

A day after Chris was born, in India, my mother was in the room with me and the ward sister. I was cuddling him and he smiled. I gushed and my mother said, “Don’t be silly, babies can’t smile. He has gas.” Immediately, the ward sister said, “Oh no, madam, babies are innocent souls and they can still see the angels. So, of course, they can smile”. And that is India in one sentence – a country of such extremes but also such beauty in faith. Eve Riley, USA “I carry my love for India around my neck each day. Carried from the bustling streets of Chennai to the manicured halls of my university in North Carolina, the Om symbol around my neck serves as a daily reminder of my exposure to India. Living in Chennai as a young child and returning to work there as a young adult, I experienced firsthand the economic growth and cultural transformations of Indian society over the past two decades. What sets India apart from other emerging economies, however, are the deeply ingrained social mores and spiritual values that manifest themselves in daily life. The crucial lesson that I learned from my experiences in India is to take time to reflect, compose yourself, and meditate on your thoughts. Setting aside time for daily reflection has transformed my perspective, boosted my productivity, and allowed me to live a much more satisfied life.” Caroline M. Huskey, USA

November 2014

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Picture Story by Helen Taylor

Celebrating Tradition The neighbourhood of Mylapore is said to predate the founding of the city of Chennai â&#x20AC;&#x201C; little wonder that it is such a rich repository of culture and tradition. It is also a fitting venue for a vibrant festival that brings together music, dance, theatre and handicrafts every January, on the eve of Pongal (the Tamil harvest festival). Dubbed the Mylapore Festival, the event is centred around Sri Kapaleeshwarar Temple, the streets around it and the Nageshwara Rao Park. For four days and nights, the neighbourhood is abuzz with communal bonhomie, with music and dance performances, workshops, exhibitions, guest talks and heritage walks. As night falls, crowds gather to watch spectacular classical and folk performances against a backdrop of colourful lanterns and banners, and to browse through the handicraft and food stalls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; be sure to mark this down in your calendar for next year. 1 Merry-go-round rides bring a smile to the face of this child. The festival includes fun and games for all ages.

The magnificent temple tower forms the backdrop for the evening performances. The stage is all set with lights and colourful decorations for the show.

Classical music and dance programmes are held in the open yard of the temple premises every evening.

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November 2014

One of the festival’s highlights includes the street-side shops that offer great bargains. Trinkets, paintings, home decor and more – the stalls are a must-visit for the enthusiastic shopper.

The ‘Food Street’ of the Mylapore festival is a big draw every year, where families and stall owners serve delicious food to all.

The Festival is an opportunity for entrepreneurs of all ages and sectors to exhibit their skills – such as this young artist.

Particpants in the annual ‛kolam’ contest battle it out to create the most intricate traditional patterns from white rice flour.

November 2014

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Seeing India by Akhila Ravikumar

heaven on

Earth

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Satya vada, Dharmam chara - the royal emblem of the Narendranagar palace. Photos: All photos by the author

1 The Ananda in the Himalayas is a surreal getaway – where peace, harmony and balance come together in a luxurious setting

November 2014

If anyone had said to me that you could leave your home in Chennai in South India, after having a cup of tea at 5 a.m., and get to Ananda in the Himalayas by lunch time, I would not have believed them – but it is true! Ananda, located in the Himalayas, won the Condé Nast award for the world’s best destination spa. And it is only a short, smooth – and painless – journey away! Jet Airways flies to Delhi everyday at 6.45 a.m, and, upon landing, you will have enough time for coffee at Starbucks or a bite at the Dilli Street food place. The 11 a.m. connection on the same carrier to Dehradun is reached via a slow amble to the gate, which is close by. Before you realise it, a mere 30 minutes later, you find yourself in Dehradun Valley. From here, take a 45-minute taxi drive up the forested slopes and, suddenly, the tiled roofs of the Ananda come into view. What one does not expect is a glimpse through the lush greenery of a beautifully ornate building, painted a pleasing golden yellow hue, perched high in the hills, appearing like a magical castle out of a fairy tale. This is the Narendranagar Palace! Arriving at Ananda is pretty much an exciting taste of royalty. The palace, named after the king who resided there, is exquisite in its detailing. The canon-embellished main gateway opens out, and the imposing emblem of the

November 2014

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Paramarth Niketan's students singing for the Ganges sunset ritual.

The world participates in the music and dance.

Devotees make twin offerings -flowers for the Ganges and organic fish food.

royal seal announces: Satyam vada, Dharmam chara – a saying from the Hindu scriptures, which exhorts one to ‘Speak the truth and live a life of values’. It felt like an excellent start to a three-day intensive experience of wellness and calm. As we woke up the next day in our home away from home, a couple of elegant peacocks greeted us with a full display of their amazing plumage in the undulating lawns of Ananda. The day's agenda was filled with a daily spa massage, a talk on Indian philosophical thought by a resident teacher, a class for the beginner or the intermediate level in yoga, practice sessions of pranayama and meditative practices to improve sleep patterns and thought processes. Interspersed in between these sessions were eagerly awaited healthy mealtimes, served by attentive chefs and waiters. There were cuisines to suit all palates, with wellness being the central theme. Healthy options from Indian or Western cuisine filled the eight-page menu – making a choice was obviously difficult, so we asked for recommendations. Every meal we ordered was delicious – served piping hot, with tender, loving care. It was a gourmand’s paradise without oily or fatty options; the calorie count, written against each dish, was reassuringly low, and we found ourselves turning to balanced meals than indulgent ones. We heard that Oprah Winfrey is a frequent visitor to Ananda, and it's easy to figure out why. Her favourite spa treatment, called Ananda Fusion, is their signature treatment – one that we could easily get

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November 2014

Reverentially acknowledging water, the major component in the human body, as divine.

Solitary splendour - man and beast.

addicted to! When a combination of traditional massage techniques, hot stones, deep tissue massage and sea salt scrubs is applied, the effect on skin, body and mind is both exhilarating and calming. Therapists, trained in the Ananda philosophy in wellness, have to study for almost a year before treating customers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and their sincere dedication to treating the guest as a representation of the divine shows in their rituals. Each spa treatment begins with the feet being immersed in warm water with pebbles. This sets the tone for the luxurious, expert care that is to follow. A hot sauna and steam

treatment opens up the pores and the nectarine-ginger-lemon tea, given after the massage, soothes as it hydrates. A second massage that was unique was the ancient abhayanga, where two therapists massage the person with herbal oils in unison, following a system set down in the tenets of ayurveda. A Swiss lady we met there said she makes this her annual retreat, and finds that her shoulder pain and tensions are relieved by the third day. Another firm believer from the UK chose to come here for two whole weeks to detox and rejuvenate her body and soul. A group of 14 Americans made Ananda the starting point of their North Indian sojourn, and gushed about the wonderful time they had time spent at this resort. One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to Rishikesh â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a 30-minute drive downhill from Ananda, where we could witness and partake in the ritual of Ganga arati. This famed ritual is one where the Ganges is worshipped as Mother Goddess, and an offering of prayers is made while several lit lamps are waved in unison. This ritual takes place at sunset, and the orange rays drench the river and all around with a heavenly glow. A hundred young trainee priests from the Parmarth Ashram descend the steps towards the river â&#x20AC;&#x201C; making it look like a stream of saffron merging with the Ganga. Seated alongside them, we joined the holy men and

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Ferry boats take you to the Ganga arati – at just Rs. 25 per head.

For those who prefer a boat to themselves – it is Rs. 500.

Family prayers by the Ganges – a traditional jug with a cow-shaped spout holds the sacred water.

women, local populace and visitors from all over the world, all singing traditional hymns to Ganga, Hanuman, Shiva and nature too – all united in a rare, sacred moment where no distinctions existed. The picturesque river, as old as time itself, was even more inspiring as we all took a vow that no more plastic and polythene would be used or discarded in the Ganga – a promise towards the revolution to clean India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced on Independence Day (August 15). Back at the Ananda, we made sure to experience all of its delights – one of which was to explore the palace. We discovered that hot tea and delightful eats were served in the palace lounge every evening; we experienced the delights of the miniature golf course and sparkling pool; and relaxed at the spa and enjoyed yoga in the outdoor pavilions in the company of peacocks. As the short retreat drew to a close, we took a last look at the lovingly manicured lawns, the bamboo groves, the lush vegetation and the magnificent view of the valley below. It could be a while before we could enjoy those invigorating walks again, and enjoy listening to the cicadas and birdsong. The fragrance of Ananda's signature perfume, which we carried with us, would serve to remind us of the beauty and serenity – and of a taste of heaven, right here on earth. 1

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IN T HIS MAGAZINE

November 2014

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In Conversation by Ranjini Manian

A Harmonious Balance 1 Ashok Khanna, Founder of Ananda in the Himalayas talks about his life, beliefs, and The ananda philosophy

Ashok Khanna, founder of Ananda in the Himalayas, had several years of experience in the hotel industry before he founded the spa. Here, he talks about the inspiration behind his decision, the basis of a healthy life, and the secret behind keeping his workforce happy

You come from a family of hoteliers. At 48, you started this business. Was it an entrepreneurial journey or more of a spiritual journey? When I left the Oberoi, it was an entrepreneurial decision. At that age, you are not really spiritual. Then I spent a lot of time at Gangotri, went to all the dhams (pilgrimage site) and came into contact with some very interesting people, and became a little spiritual. I got those guys to help me set this up. A friend of mine lives in a cave in Gangotri for nearly four months a year, then shuts it up. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live in these caves in the winter. I got together with him and a couple of others and began this place with the idea of a holistic experience. I have decided to keep it as Hindu-centric as possible and not get carried away like many destination spas.

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November 2014

What should your guests take back from the wellness programme at the Ananda to their everyday lives? At least 70 percent of guests tell us that: ‘We have learnt to look within’. If you have made a person look within, he realises that he’s doing a lot wrong – maybe his diet is wrong, or he’s burning up too much midnight oil leading to burnout. At least that realisation is 50 percent of the battle won. The other 50 percent is getting down to doing it. That is what we are all about. People should realise there is something more than money and material gains. That realisation is what people get. To start with, we do awareness creation. We do a lot of interactions when people come here for programmes. For instance, when you take a yoga detox, we will send you asanas, after you leave, every week for three to four months. If you continue to interact, we will carry on. Almost 55 percent of our guests are repeat customers, and 50 percent of them are Indians. When we talk to Indians about yoga or ayurveda, they are not attracted, maybe because they have heard too much. Opera Winfrey enjoyed her experience here, and this is her third visit. Mrs. Gates also visits us.

Suggest three ways in which a working person living in a bustling city can incorporate holistic wellness and harmony into their life. One thing you must do is to come and detox at a spa at least 15 days in a year. It carries you through for about six months. Then, diet is very important. Some sort of exercise with stretching and breathing will keep you going. I find that people have time for work, for socialising, but they forget to look after themselves. Ultimately it is about you, you have to look after yourself.

The food at your spa is fabulous! Do you have any plans of doing an ‘Ananda TV show’ or any other way to promote this further? No, we haven’t taken it outside of the spa. It is a combination of food, mental stimulus and exercise. You have to be very close to nature, and harmonise your body with nature. This can’t be done sitting in the metro cities.

You have said that the most important element of Ananda is its people, and their ability to understand the ‘Ananda philosophy’. From a corporate perspective, how does an organisation get its people to imbibe the inherent philosophy of the organisation? It is a lot of hard work, and very expensive too. For instance, spa helpers are not allowed to treat any guests before they are trained for at least nine months. Our staff strength is 250, but we have to carry 300 people, because it takes so long to train them. It is the same with restaurant and housekeeping. We have to train them for the first three months on health and awareness, and what the Vedas stand for. You have to empower them and also feel for them. It is not only money that people work for. Even the youngsters don’t leave for more money – they need someone to look after them and talk to them. 1

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Photos: All photos by the author

Seeing India by Elaine Wood

Gwalior’s Grandest

1 Described by a Mughal emperor as the ‘pearl in the necklace of the forts of the Hind’, there is history, architecture and a whole lot of stories

Beep. An SMS at 10p.m.? Who? Why? Mike and I had had an early night for the next morning’s 5a.m. start and were almost asleep. The airline was kindly informing us that our plane to Delhi had been cancelled. Now I know that travel seldom goes exactly to plan, but this was a serious problem! By 2a.m., I had found another flight. A speedy driver and a bit of luck would get us to the station in time for the Gwalior train. The porter in his red jacket and silver armband scooped up our luggage had us seated in the cool tranquillity of our air conditioned compartment with four minutes to spare. The train left punctually and four hours later we’d arrived at the The Usha Kiran Hotel in Gwalior. The Usha Kiran was originally the palace guest house of the ruling Scindia family. Its art deco gorgeousness and impeccably smooth green lawns were wonderfully calming. Our reason for visiting Gwalior was the fort – one of the oldest and largest in the country. It would have been quite menacing, but for the row of yellow duckies marching along the turquoise tiles on the battlements.

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We began our exploration with an uphill walk, watched over by giant statues of Jain tirthankars. They’d been carved into the cliffs along the path to contemplate the world in peace. Centuries later, when he invaded the area, Babur was mightily offended that they were “stark naked with all their private parts exposed”. Once he’d defaced and neutered many of them, Babur described the fort as “the pearl in the necklace of the forts of the Hind”. On our way up we were greeted by dozens of orangeturbaned Sikhs on a pilgrimage to their temple within the fort. It was built to commemorate the release of an important Guru who’d been imprisoned in the palace dungeons in the 17th century. We admired the lotus pond and the white marble temple and the impressive appearance of the men with their beards and silver kirpans, but the gap between English and Punjabi proved too great for us to learn the reason for the festive atmosphere. Our walk took us past a ninth century Hindu temple, which the British had turned into a soda factory following the mutiny, and past the modern Scindia School with its well maintained playing fields and pavilions, and then on to the 15th century Man Singh Palace. The Man Singh palace is the most elaborate of the seven within the fort. The yellow ducks on the battlements keep company with elephants, parrots, banana palms, lotuses and crocodiles, while intricately carved stone screens decorate the interior. It’s a four-storey building with two storeys underground. These were originally cool summer havens of music, swings and rosewater scented baths for the lovely ladies of the harem; later, they acquired a sinister role as places of torture and death. It was here that Aurangzeb, son of Shah Jahan of Taj Mahal fame, having sent the head of his brother Dara to their father, disposed of his final rival to the throne. After the serious business of the fort, we needed a little light relief. A visit to the superbly kitsch Jai Vilas palace was perfect. Forty of the 500 rooms have been converted to a museum. The hunting gallery of tigers rampant and couchant, shot, stuffed and moth-eaten, rivals the crystal staircase leading to the world’s largest chandeliers for extravagant decadence. And it’s hard to choose between the dining room with its model silver train that chuffs around the 100-seat table bearing port and cigars, and the swimming room with its three diving boards, boat and mirror-tiled bar. We returned to our hotel, thoroughly exhausted. A drink beneath the pomegranate murals in the pink Art Deco bar was the perfect end to a day of a thousand years’ worth of Gwalior’s grandest sights. 1 A version of this article appeared in At A Glance (the former name of this magazine) in May 2009. The author is an Australian who lived in Mumbai.

November 2014

RajastHan

palaces. forts. relive the past.

milesworth holidays india • srilanka • maldives • and beyond

visit: www.milesworth.com Milesworth Travels & Tours Pvt. Ltd., 39 R M Towers, 108 Chamiers Road, Chennai. Tel: +91-44-24320522 / 24359554 Fax: +91-44-24342668 E-mail: holidays@milesworth.com

November 2014

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November Calendar of events

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

Art & Exhibitions

Events

Photo Exhibition New Delhi

OWC Christmas Bazaar Chennai

Art Heritage presents a unique photo exhibition – Ecstasy, by Cop Shiva. Shiva is a policeman whose passion for photography led him to create a collection of his works. Among many aspects of human nature that a policeman needs to understand, one is the truth behind the mask. The images Shiva has captured reflect the Indian psyche and of the man on the streets.

The Overseas Women’s Club of Chennai will host the annual Chennai Christmas Bazaar. The OWC exists to provide a network of support and assistance for its members. One of its annual events include the Christmas Bazaar. The event has over 25 stalls to shop from. Entry tickets can be purchased at the venue or from any OWC member. Proceeds will go toward the OWC Charities. For more information, visit www.chennaiowc.com

Date: October 16 to November 20 Time: 1100 h to 1900 h Venue: Triveni Kala Sangam, Tansen Marg, New Delhi

Date: November 12 Time: 1030h to 1600h Venue: Hotel ITC Grand Chola, Chennai The OWC exists to provide a network of support and assistance for its members.

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The Park’s New Festival Across six cities The New Festival from the Prakriti Foundation showcases new and emerging work in the fields of dance, music and theatre. The festival will tour six cities: Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi. Highlights of the festival this year are contemporary dance performances ‘the Black Album’ by Londonbased Avant Garde Company, ‘Between the Web and the Loom’, an exhibition by Claire Pencak, and more.

November 2014

Global Adjustments and Hyatt Regency Presents

The 17th Annual Beautiful India Expatriate Photo Competition

Date: Till November 23 Venue: Across cities

Pushkar Camel Fair Rajasthan Pushkar Mela, the colourful camel fair held in Rajasthan, is a 10-day event that draws tourists from across the globe. Desert tribes and camel caravans will set up tents to trade cattle, camels, jewellery and spices on the banks of the holy Pushkar Lake, and nearly 20,000 traders will come into the tiny town. The small temple in Pushkar will also host festivities and folk music performances, in which locals participate. Pushkar is a seven-hour journey by road from Delhi. Date: Nov 1 to 6 Venue: Pushkar, Rajasthan

The awards ceremony for the 17th Annual Beautiful India Expatriate Photo Competition, organised by Global Adjustments, will be held on November 16. The event will include a couple of performances in line with this year’s theme of ‘Global Children’, and will be followed by a delicious spread for brunch. This is an opportunity, to see first-hand, some of the best images of India, as seen through an expat’s eyes and lens. By invitation only. Call Rosanna at +91-98416 33180 for more details. Date November 16 Time From 10 a.m. onwards Venue Hyatt Regency, Anna Salai, Teynampet, Chennai

November 2014

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Dance Presentation Chennai

Theatre Show Bengaluru

Samadhina, a dance programme by danseuse Shobana will be presented by The Walk of Hope foundation. The dance is based on the same principles of classical dance, but with music ranging from film and even Sufi compositions. The Walk of Hope is a 15- to 18-month-long padayatra (walking journey) that will start in 2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C;16, and go from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. The padayatra will cover 6,500 kms across 11 states of India for peace, harmony and tolerance. For more details, visit www.walkofhope.in. Tickets are available at www.bookmyshow.com

Rangashankara presents the Urdu play, Ismat aapa ke naam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a collection of stories by controversial writer Ismat Chughtai. The stories are set in middle-class Muslim homes in small town Uttar Pradesh. The play, despite its regional language, has universal appeal for the simplicity of production and storytelling. Tickets are available at www. bookmyshow.com

Date: November 9 Venue: Music Academy, Chennai Time: 1830h

Korean Fete Chennai

Date: November 9 Venue: Rangashankara, 36/2 8th Cross II Phase J P Nagar, Bengaluru Time: 1530h

The Republic of Korea Navy Cruise Training Task group will be visiting Chennai on their ships ROKS Cheonji and Choi Young. They have sailed a long distance to show commitment to universal values of peace and harmony, to build a long lasting friendship. On this occasion the Korean Consulate in Chennai will host a three day-fete, which will have a Korean food festival. The highlight will be a performance by the Navy band. All are welcome. Date: November 15 to 18, Band performance on November 16 Venue: Madras University Grounds, Chennai

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November 2014

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The Lighter Side by Marina Marangos

…Dust to Dust

1 Dust is the bane of householders in Delhi, given how it finds its way even into crevices and cracks – but a season of extended monsoon rains made one expat change her mind For those of you who are familiar with English comedy and, in particular, Little Britain, you will recall, with a giggle, that there was a popular sketch in the series about a group that was trying to lose weight – and they were advised by their rotund weight loss manager to eat dust, dust, dust. Well, India is your dream destination, where losing weight and eating dust comes completely free of charge – and dare I say effortlessly. When I first arrived, I was curious about the young boys at the traffic lights selling these large orange dust cloths. It wasn’t long before I recognised their intrinsic relationship to people and life in India.

The first thing that amused me was that my housekeeper and my driver were laying claim to particular dust cloths and it was very clear that mixing them was just not going to cut it for either. I wondered why – for the driver, the dust cloth (the orange kind) is his closest work tool. This is the cloth that comes out every morning and takes that insidious layer of dust off the car, ready to be launched in to a haze of Delhi traffic, dug up roads, murram (a form of laterite) roads and more. My housekeeper had a couple permanently attached to her body (the slightly more yellow variety), but each seemed to fulfill a slightly different function. I have never lived anywhere in my life where your bed is dusted – the sheets too, but dusted it was. She waged a war on dust like you have never seen. I did ask myself where it all came from as we lived in the depths of south Delhi, surrounded by some areas of green but I would not be harsh in saying that Delhi could be described as ‘dusty’. The dust penetrated into cupboards, onto ironed

November 2014

PhotoS: Marina Marangos, Greece

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Photo: Alan Dougans, Australia

clothes and settled on the crease as a gentle reminder of its existence. It settled on my books (and I had a lot of those), my files, in the borders and on every item on the bathroom shelf and kitchen. She waged her war and I was fully behind her, supplying those dust cloths as if there was no tomorrow. ‘Did you win?’ I hear you all ask. Years later, and I am not one for exaggeration, I wipe yet another bit of settled ‘Delhi dust’ where it has lain quietly, victoriously and undisturbed. We fight on – but perhaps with a little more respect or perhaps lassitude for its far-reaching universality. So you will agree with me that when the first rains come, they are hailed by one and all. The leaves regain their colour, the dust settles into the ground and lies there for a while. The atmosphere clears momentarily and the crops grow. All good outcomes, of course, except one year when the monsoon decides to linger. Day after day of torrential rain has an altogether different effect on the household. I wonder if you can guess it – yes, green mould spread on everything

1 I would not be harsh in saying that Delhi could be described as ‘dusty’. The dust penetrated into cupboards, onto ironed clothes and settled on the crease as a gentle reminder of its existence we owned and no amount of dusting would eliminate that mouldy smell. Shoes were put out to dry in the sun, leather bags too, and all our suits were dispatched to the dry cleaners. I never thought that I would ever be in a position to think about choosing between them, but when the fungus fought dust, dust came out on top – a thin film of the blessed stuff seemed preferable to things growing out of them. So I picked up my dust cloth and followed my housekeeper into the depths of the dusty house, singing as we always did – she her Nepali folk songs and me a rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Devils and Dust’. 1

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Festival of the month Guru Nanak Jayanti – November 6 Guru Nanak was the first in line of the 10 gurus of the Sikh faith, and the founder of the religion as well. His birth anniversary is commemorated as ‘Guru Nanak Jayanti’ across the world by Sikhs. Festivities start days before, and the gurudwaras (the place of worship for Sikhs) are decorated grandly in preparation. Akhand path – a continuous two-day reading of the Guru Grant Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, is organised at gurudwaras. Devotees holding the Sikh flag and singing hymns go around in a procession a day before the festival. These processions may include a group of Sikhs who display their proficiency in sword skills and martial art forms. On Guru Nanak Jayanti, Sikhs begin the day by singing hymns early in the morning and attend their local gurudwara to participate in the langar or free communal meal. The food is prepared in a kitchen at the gurudwara and served by devotees. The langar is a practice that was established by Guru Nanak, based on the principles of honest earning, sharing of earnings by serving others and remembering God at all times. Till date, every gurudwara, big or small, maintains the tradition of langar to honour the message of love and peace for all, as taught by their beloved Guru. To Do: See the colourful procession and watch people demonstrate their proficiency in Sikh martial art forms. And join others for a meal at the langar – people of all faiths are welcome to participate (the kitchen at the Golden Temple in Amritsar feeds several thousands of visitors every day).

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November 2014

At Global Adjustments Navarathri 2014

Of Dolls and Dandiya 1 A pleasant evening in October saw a gathering of expats (resembling a miniature United Nations) come together to celebrate navaratri at the India Immersion Centre of Global Adjustments, Chennai The dolls were the stars of the evening, but no less than the men, women and children from 11 nations who came together to immerse themselves in the India experience. The occasion was Navaratri (celebration of nine divine nights) and the centre piece of the celebration was the seven-stepped golu or arrangement of dolls. Global Adjustments, in its efforts to build cultural bridges, hosted the festive event to an audience of enthusiastic expats. For many in the crowd, it was their first festive experience in India and, in some ways, an introduction to the country’s culture and customs. After a traditional welcome to the event, the concept of ‘Navaratri – Celebrating Divinity’ was elaborated upon. An interactive dance session led by danseuse Shobana Balachandra and her disciple helped them understand the different ways the festival is celebrated across India. The event also saw the expats shake a leg to a lively dandiya tune, complete with sticks in hand and a smile on their faces. With Gandhi Jayanti (Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary) just around the corner then, on October 2, the event ended with the gathering singing his favourite song, ‘Raghu pati Raghava Raja Ram’. With smiles on their faces, children humming the song and tagging behind, the families were one happy lot that evening. They took home memories of their first dandiya dance and also a replica of the holy cow to remember the event by. 1

If you are an expat in town and would like to immerse into India, email us at info@globaladjustments.com

November 2014

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Myth and Mythology by Devdutt Pattanaik

the intoxicated elephant 1 Just as an intoxicated elephant can cause extreme damage to all around it, a loss of control due to obsession with pleasure and power is a dangerous state to be in A friend of mine brought a bottle of wine that he called Madeira wine from the Madeira Islands of Portugal. These islands were the port of call since the 16th century for ships making their way to and from East Indies or India, where madira was the Sanskrit word used for alcohol. And the word came from root mada – to be intoxicated. The God of lust, Kama, was called Madan, and his wife, Rati, Goddess of erotica, was called Madanika. Mada, very specifically, referred to the dark fluid that oozes out of the temple of a male elephant in musth. This fluid came to embody the spirit of extreme intoxication seen in musth (intoxicated) elephants who are highly aggressive and unstoppable. In Kalidasa’s works, and in earlier Sanskrit and Tamil literature, elephants in musth were always described to evoke moods associated with extreme hedonism and masculinity and power and pleasure. Scientists, however, are not sure what musth truly is. They are not sure if the bull elephant is erotically aroused or just in severe pain due to swelling of the temporal glands that

press against his eyes. Or if the temporin fluid, which isrich in protein and fat and other chemicals, flows into its mouth causing it to get aggressive and agitated. It is difficult for scientists to study musth as the ‘intoxicated’ bull elephant is extremely dangerous, uncontrollable and is known to kill other male animals, even the female elephants that are close by. Philosophically, the state of ‘unmada’ is associated with extreme sensual arousal when all good sense evaporates and one is obsessed with pleasure and power. It referred to extreme attachment and possessiveness, a loss of control that is in a way pleasurable. The monastic orders and practices like yoga were designed to combat mada, calm the mind and bring back perspective and focus. Thus there are stories of the Buddha calming an elephant in musth, and of Krishna killing Kuvalayapida, an elephant in musth directed at him by Kansa. In a way, Kuvalayapida embodies Kansa’s madness born of fear of death prophesised at the hands of his nephew. In the Mahabharata, an elephant

culturama

November 2014

Photo: Mathilde Bonifac, France

called Ashwathama is killed and Drona assumes it is his son. Symbolically, the writer is referring to Dronaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obsessive love for his son that colours all good judgement. Drona is in mada and Krishna stops him. Ravana is described as being in mada when he refuses to let Sita go even though Ram has killed his son, his brother and Hanuman has set Lanka aflame. Shiva is called Gajanataka, he who flays alive the elephant-demon whose musht threatens the world. From musth comes the words mast and masti, which in colloquial language also refers to irreverent fun. It is an elephant that is happy, a haathi in masti, whose head is used

by Shiva to replace the severed head of Vinayaka, the son of Gauri, and resurrect him as Ganesha. If Gauri embodies the domesticated desires of the forest, then Shiva embodies the tempering influence of the hermit. Together, they create the perfect son, in whom passion is balanced with good sense. 1

Published on August 31, 2014 in Mid-Day. Reprinted with permission from www.devdutt.com

November 2014

culturama

Holistic living by Eknath Easwaran

p e t S a Take d r a w r o F

Photo: Olya Morvan

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November 2014

1 Most of the difficulties faced by people arise from a tendency to calculate all that is given and received. Unfortunately, Advancing age alone does not guarantee spiritual advancement – for that, we have to step out of the sandbox of pleasures and move away from pleasures and possessions

Most of the difficulties people have in personal relations, at home and at work, arise from one ridiculous attitude: “If you give this much, that’s all I’m going to give. If you are going to try to grab that, I’m going to try to grab it, too.” This peculiar stance is written into our human conditioning; that is why so much determination is required to change it. But living in freedom requires a complete reversal of perspective. Instead of asking, “How much can I get?” we have to learn to ask, “How much can I give?” This is far more subtle than it may sound. Most of us need a long, long time to learn to ask this question in every aspect of our lives, even in our thoughts; it entails a complete turnabout in our direction of living. But that simple turnabout transforms our vision. The entire world looks different. Instead of feeling helpless in a world of hostile forces, you live in a world of hope, equal to any challenge, and, by that transformation, you help everybody around you. In the perspective of mysticism, most of us are still playing in the world as if we were children in a giant sandbox. We have our rattles, we hold on tightly to our popsicles; for the vast majority of us, most of life is spent with toys. Figures like Sri Krishna, Christ and the Buddha come to the edge of the sandbox and remind us gently, “Look, your hair is turning

grey. Do you want to play here forever? There are vast worlds to be discovered.” But often we reply, in effect, “Right, Lord. Just let me finish this one sand castle.” I feel very happy now to see so many high school and college students coming to learn to meditate. They are extraordinarily fortunate, for they are getting out of the sandbox early in life. If we keep playing with pleasures and possessions for decades, before we realise it, the sandbox becomes our universe. Then we have no thought for what we really are, who is within us, what is our destiny, whether life has any goal. If this outlook sounds bleak, it is actually full of promise. It implies that we can always grow up. I am an inveterate optimist, and not of the naive variety either. If we take this compassionate view of human motivations, we won’t consider the world around us hopeless. That core of Infinity is still there, right within us, shining away just as brightly no matter how hard we try to look the other way. It should kindle our determination all the more to think how boundless his love for us must be, so anxious is he to draw us closer to him, no matter how much we may tarry. 1

Reprinted with permission from ‘Deepening Determination’, 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/deepening-determination.html)

November 2014

culturama

Realty bytes by Anita Krishnaswamy

The View

within

Photo: Douglas Vanherpe, Belgium

For all those niggling questions you might have on housing and realty in India, write to anita@globaladjustments.com

Why do Indian windows not have standard sizes? It is so hard to fit out the soft furnishings in because there is no uniformity of windows! It is true that there isn’t any uniformity of windows in the construction of homes in India. In the North, the openings are smaller to keep the warmth in, while in the South, windows and doors have grills, a remnant of the British days. Currently, windows are becoming very modern, light and airy, but custom-made drapes are still the way to go. Why don’t homes have a clean welcoming look when we view them? Landlords in India feel it is better to spend money to clean, polish, scrub and paint after a tenant is confirmed to suit their taste. They don’t want to do it up first and then have it changed again to suit another person who might rent the property. External appearances are not given much importance, but once fixed up, it can look wonderful. We encourage visitors to use their imagination and work closely with their realtors to find their perfect homes. What is a phase changer in a home? It is an electric rotary switch that can be swapped when power goes out in one of the incoming lines to a home, especially in areas known for power outages. The three phases of power supply have been created to distribute the load evenly in a home. Clarify with your landlord if this is a problem in the property you take. Usually, the modern ones have automatic phase changeover.

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November 2014

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November 2014

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November 2014

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November 2014

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