Culturama October 2015 by Rohini Manian

culturama your cultural gateway to india

Small Steps, Giant Leaps

Culturama marks the International Day of the Girl Child (October 11) with 11 inspirational stories

The ‘Like’ ability Factor Kirthiga Reddy, MD of Facebook India talks about the importance of the ‘right’ company culture

October 2015 Volume 6, Issue 08 Rs 40

October 2015

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Dear Readers, October 11 is the ‘International Day of the Girl Child’, as declared by the United Nations. In line with this, I am delighted to present our Thought Leader for this month: Kirthiga Reddy, Managing Director of Facebook India. However, I am not going to talk about Kirthiga – I am going to tell you about a girl called Kalashi (pictured above with Kirthiga and me). Kirthiga and I met Kalashi at an ancient temple in Chennai. Just as we entered the temple, bells were rung and drums beaten to announce the anointing of the Gods with sandal paste. Then, the curtains were closed as the Gods were being decked with clothes and jewellery. Eleven-year-old Kalashi stood in front of us, palms folded, eyes half-closed, lips moving in soft prayer. We struck up a

conversation with her: “I am Kalashi. I live in the building across the street, and come every evening to the temple. I come alone...No, I am not afraid to come alone. Thanks for taking my photo! No, I don’t have a phone number. What is your name? You have used my name several times, so I ought to know yours.” She was smart and articulate. She laughed easily, posed for a photo, and skipped away after a simple ‘goodbye’. Kirthiga and I were amazed. As we watched her make her way through the alley, we were left with several questions: What can we do to nurture such talent? Who will give her t he right inputs at t he right time? Who will be her mentor? What stops Kalashi from becoming t he next Kirt higa? The answers to these questions can be gleaned from the lives of women who have crossed several hurdles to reach their goals. In this issue, we have a segment with the profiles of 11 women – taken from Women of Pure Wonder: Struggle, Survival, Success, published by Vodafone Foundation, India and Roli Books. A special icon, created by artist Lalithaa Thyagarajan, to represent the spirit of the women who have created their own future, is used in the special feature. We hope you will read these stories and come up with answers to the questions. In a serendipitous occurrence, the Navaratri festival (‘nine divine nights’) falls this month, too. This festival celebrates the female goddesses – and reminds us to revere the role that women play in the (cosmic and physical) world. May we reach higher goals – and inspire those around us to do so too. Ranjini Manian Editor-in-Chief globalindian@globaladjustments.com

Editor-in-Chief Ranjini Manian Managing Editor Yamini Vasudevan Sub-Editor Indrajit Dutta Business Head Archana Iyengar Creative Head Prem Kumar VP Finance V Ramkumar Circulation S Raghu Advertising Chennai Archana Iyengar Bengaluru Meera Roy Delhi/NCR Neha Verma Mumbai/Pune Arjun Bhat To subscribe to this magazine, write to circulation@globaladjustments.com or access it online at www.culturama.in Chennai (Headquarters) 5, 3rd Main Road, R A Puram, Chennai – 600028 Telefax +91-44-24617902 Email culturama@globaladjustments.com Bengaluru 17/16, Ali Asker Road, Off. Cunningham Road, Bengaluru – 560 052 Mobile +91 99869 60316 Email culturamablr@globaladjustments.com Delhi-NCR 1414, DLF Galleria Tower, DLF Phase IV, Gurgaon, Haryana – 122009 Mobile +91-124-4389488 Email del@globaladjustments.com Mumbai #1102, 11th floor, Peninsula Business Park, Tower B, SB Road, Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400013 Tel +91-22-66879366 Email mum@globaladjustments.com Published and owned by Ranjini Manian at #5, 3rd Main Road, Raja Annamalai Puram, Chennai – 600028, and printed by K Srinivasan of Srikals Graphics Pvt Ltd at #5, Balaji Nagar, 1st Street, Ekkattuthangal, Chennai – 600032 Editor-in-Chief Ranjini Manian Disclaimer Views and opinions expressed by writers do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s or the magazine’s.

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

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

October 2015

culturama

Cover Image

Kirthiga Reddy, MD of Facebook India, is Culturama’s Thought Leader of the month. Turn to Page 12 for her interview. Picture: Courtesy Kirthiga Reddy.

Advisory Board Members N. Ram is an award-winning journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu. He is Director of Kasturi & Sons Limited, publishers of The Hindu. Suzanne McNeill lived in India for seven years before returning to Scotland. She is a freelance writer and graphic designer. Marina Marangos is a lawyer, and enjoys travel and writing. She lived in India for four years before moving to Australia. www.mezzemoments. blogspot.com G. Venket Ram is an acclaimed photographer and the creative mind behind many a Culturama issue. www.gvenketram.com

Contributors Susan Philip is a freelance writer based in Chennai, and the editorial coordinator of Culturama’s various coffee table books. Jen Mullen is a language graduate, who has lived in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and India. Eknath Easwaran (1910–1999)was a spiritual teacher, author, and interpreter of Indian literature. In 1961, he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation and Nilgiri Press in California.

Letters to the editor Dear Editor,

I have read with interest your articles in Global Adjustments ever since I relocated from the United Kingdom after living there for more than a decade. Congratulations for your wonderful articles and making the expats connect with the real India. Kudos to the entire team! Mahesh Ramachandran, UK/India

Dear Editor,

I’ve been a reader of Culturama for four years and it always has me enthralled. Its varied presentation of the many facets of India have always made it a must-read for me. I loved reading the ‘Connoisseurs of Culture’ article in September – it revealed so much about music and dance in Tamil Nadu. A real eye-opener! Daniel D’Souza, India

Dear Editor,

After reading the September issue of Culturama – my first – I am even more drawn to India. I came to know a great deal about the country through the ‘Seeing India’ and ‘SMS’ sections. Looking forward to more issues in the future. Robert White, USA

Dear Editor,

‘Trading Places’ in the September issue offered valuable insights into the world of business in India. It was very comprehensive and appealing too. A job well done! Satish Vasudevan, Singapore

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

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Contents Regulars 12

Thought Leaders

Kirthiga Reddy, MD of Facebook-India, talks about the key elements that ensure success – and it is not about the numbers.

India Now

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

India Impressions

To honour the occassion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, we present a collage of the things he touched and was touched by.

India Writes

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

26 Special Feature

Look Who’s In Town

On the occassion of the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, Culturama pays homage to women who have blazed a trail and served as an inspiration to all around them.

India’s Culture 08

Short Message Service

Short, engaging snippets of Indian culture.

Festival of the Month

The nine-day festival of Navaratri is a time when Indians revere three goddesses who grant the blessings of knowledge, money and strength.

Journeys Into India 48

India Diaries

The best way to explore India – and life in India – is through a journey by train.

Holistic Living

Expats in India share their views about life in India.

Calendar of Events

Picture Story

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

We explore the many things that go into making an Indian festival the vibrant affair that it is.

Give to India

Featuring worthy NGOs and charitable organisations across the country.

At Global Adjustments

The Global Investors Meet saw an enthusiastic discussion by expats on why they like to work and live in Tamil Nadu.

Relocations and Property 74

Space and the City

Property listings in Chennai.

73 How do we add meaning and value to the world around us? The answer lies in our day to day activities.

Expatriate Photo Competition

The 18th Annual Beautiful India Expatriate Photo Competition is open for entries. FInd out more details about the categories, special theme for this year and the last date for submissions.

culturama

October 2015

SMS 8

October 2015

culturama

by Suzanne McNeill Short cultural snippets for an easily digestible India

Art, Craft, Textile Cane Haversacks – Arunachal Pradesh Cane and bamboo are the raw materials that fulfil many of life’s daily needs for the tribal peoples of the mountain state of Arunachal Pradesh, in India’s far northeast. The men of the region are expert at constructing everything from suspension bridges and houses to fishing traps, containers and hats from cane. The Adi Gallong tribe is well known for making backpacks, or haversacks. One type, the rathak, is shaped like a rectangular pouch. It is woven in a herring-bone pattern as a mat and then folded in half with the sides joined and the top left open. The other, the pathu, is woven like a basket, in a diagonal weave. Carried by two shoulder straps, the haversacks are lined with natural materials to protect the contents from rainwater.

Photo: John Weir, Canada

Photo: Maricou Annelies, Belgium

Words Baahar and Bahaar

Interpretations Spinning a Prayer Wheel

Baahar, or bahar, in Hindi simply means ‘outside’. In the Urdu language, spelt slightly differently, bahaar has more nuanced meanings. In a more straightforward sense, bahaar means spring time, and often features in poetry and the lyrics of folk and movie songs that tell of the coming of the season. The word also indicates ‘bloom’, ‘beauty’ and ‘glory’, and the plural version, bahaaron, implies ‘flourishing’. The pronunciation of these words, as well as the name of the state Bihar, are very close, so ask for clarification when you hear Indians speak – they will be delighted by your interest!

The teachings or dharma of the Buddha are preserved as a discourse called ‘Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dharma’. The dharma is envisaged as a movement of centrifugal force, spinning away from the centre, and these brightly painted prayer wheels are a physical manifestation of that spinning wheel, sending loving kindness circling outwards to all parts of the world. Written on the outside in Sanskrit is the mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, a sacred phrase that aids meditation and means ‘The jewel in the lotus of my heart’. Spinning a prayer wheel has the same benefit as reciting the prayers.

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Food and drink Gongura Pachadi – Andhra Pradesh

Urban Adventure New Market in Kolkata

A feature that sets an Indian meal apart is the number and variety of accompaniments to the main dishes. Fresh chutneys called pachadi add flavour and are said to act as a digestive. Gongura are red sorrel leaves, and their sour taste is an important ingredient in the hot and spicy cuisine of Andhra Pradesh. Gongura pachadi is made in several quick stages: the leaves are washed, dried and chopped; tamarind and garlic are blended to a fine paste; and fenugreek and coriander seeds are dry-roasted and ground to a powder. Next, the leaves are fried in oil till the liquid has evaporated, and all the ingredients are then combined with a mix of chillies, spices, garlic, curry leaves and urad dal that have been fried in oil.

Calcutta’s first municipal market, which opened in 1874 for the exclusive use of the British ruling classes, was originally named Sir Stuart Hogg Market, but is now better known by its nickname, New Market. Over 2,000 stalls and shops are housed under its roof, selling everything from clothing and luggage to electronics and flowers. Head for the confectioner Nahoum and Sons, which has been selling its rich fruit cake there since 1902, and to the ethnic silver jewellery store Chamba Lama, whose Tibetan owners began trading curios in the city over 60 years ago. Look out, too, for the New Empire movie theatre, a local famous landmark that is one of the city’s few independent cinemas.

He/She Lives On The Mother (Mirra Alfassa) Mirra Alfassa was born in 1878 in France. She was drawn towards mysticism from her earliest years, and later wrote that a series of psychic experiences during her teens revealed to her the possibility of uniting with the Divine. After studying occultism in Algeria, she travelled to the spiritual retreat in Pondicherry to meet the Hindu guru, Sri Aurobindo. Mirra recognised him as the mentor she had encountered in her early visions, and Sri Aurobindo considered her to be an incarnation of the Supreme Shakti, the divine energy that flows through the universe. Together they sought transformation to a mode of higher consciousness called ‘the supramental’. Entrusted by Sri Aurobindo with the retreat’s material and spiritual charge, the Mother, as Mirra was fondly referred to, organised the growing group of followers around the guru into the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, which grew into a large and diverse spiritual community under her guidance. The Mother died in 1973.

culturama

October 2015

culturama

October 2015

Thought Leaders by Yamini Vasudevan

The ‘Like’ability Factor How does a company create a sense of ownership and belonging among its employees? Kirthiga Reddy, MD of Facebook India, offers up some unique solutions, including this brilliant nugget: ‘In India, one of the first things we did was an office décor hack. The employees came, their friends and family came – and we all painted the office!’ India has the largest Facebook user base outside the United States. In June this year, the company said that 125 million users (of its global base of 1.44 billion) come from India. In addition, India hosts the largest number of app developers for Facebook, after the United States, with over 75% of top apps integrated with the social media giant.

stopping me to say, “Wait. I think we are getting ahead of ourselves. Can you first tell us what we are doing to build the right culture, to hire the right people – and then, of course, we can talk about business results. If you build the right culture and hire the right people, the business results will come.” To me, it was an “aha” moment.’

However, numbers were not the first item on the agenda when the company set up its India operations in 2010. As Facebook India’s Managing Director, Kirthiga Reddy, recalls, the emphasis was on the ‘right people’ and the ‘right culture’. She recounts her first meeting with the company’s global heads at the India office. ‘I had a complete business review presentation…I remember starting that discussion, and them

The interview with Kirthiga Reddy is filled with similar ‘aha’ moments. When she talks about how they tapped into the ‘missed call phenomenon’, one wonders why we, who use it every day, didn’t pay close attention. When she points out how start-ups usually go with people they ‘trust’, it is a reminder of how the ‘softer’ elements play a crucial role in decisions. When she talks about the ‘superpower’ called ‘and’,

October 2015

culturama

Contributors to the book 30 Women in Power: Their Voices, Their Stories meet the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 31.

or mobile phones. And we found a couple of things that are contrary to what is happening globally. For example, even with the explosion of Smartphones, many people here still use feature phones – so, we learnt the importance of advertising solutions for feature phones for people here, and in other emerging high-growth markets like Indonesia and Africa.

"Build the right culture. Hire the right people. Business results are inevitable." Photo taken at MICA, one of India's premier management institutes.

it provides a fresh perspective to the question of juggling work and home. Nuggets of practical wisdom gleaned from years of experience, peppered with personal anecdotes – topped off with her warm smile. The conversation with Kirthiga Reddy feels more like a chat than a formal interview. It is not for nothing that she is regarded as one of the most influential women in the Indian business scene today – more than that, she definitely is a very ‘like’able person.

What are some benefits that Facebook has gained from having a strong Indian team? One of the first things that come to mind is what we did on the advertising solutions side. We had a product research team – made up of people from different parts of the world – come to India, to find out how people here are using Facebook

We also found some unique interaction patterns, like the ‘missed call’ phenomena – it is unheard of in the United States and some other parts of the world, but it is something Indians do every single day. You give a missed call to signal some communication – ‘I am here’ or ‘I am on my way’ and so on – and do so without incurring any voice or data charges. We saw that patterns and our team built that into an advertising solution – ‘click to missed call’. Loreal with their Garnier product was the first brand to use that solution for people and brands to communicate. Since then, it has been used in several high-growth emerging markets across the world. Having a team in India lets you be uniquely associated with the trends and insights that might not be visible from external data or statistics – and helps you place the big bets where it really matters.

How can a global citizen increase his/her sensitivity to work effectively on multi-cultural teams? This is such an important question – and I think the biggest things that can help are the skills of listening and observation. To give you an example, when I was leading the Good Technology operations for Motorola in India, I sensed some frustration on both sides of the ocean. The teams in the

culturama

October 2015

At Business Today's 'Most Powerful Women in Indian Business' awards; (Right) with Ranjini Manian, Editor-in-Chief of Culturama and Founder-CEO of Global Adjustments.

United States would say, ‘Why aren’t the teams in India taking more ownership?’ and the teams in India would say, ‘Why am I not being given more ownership?’ If you dug deeper into it, you saw that there was a difference in what people thought of as ‘ownership’. The person in India would say, ‘I come in to work, and diligently do my 10 bug fixes a day. What do you mean I don’t take ownership?’ It was about helping them reframe their understanding. To say, ‘It is not coming in and fixing 10 bugs. It is about stepping back and checking into the root cause. It is about asking whether there is a new technology or product solution we should adopt such that the bugs do not happen.’ The minute you explained this to them, you saw the light bulbs go off – and what they achieved after was nothing short of miraculous. So, it is really about taking the time to understand both sides – of what is being communicated, what is being asked for – and then watch the magic happen.

What are some things your company did right, which contributed to its success in India? While I talked about the need to listen, and the need to have eagerness to want to understand the other culture, it is just as important to know where to push back, where you do not say, ‘Oh, this is how it is done.’ Facebook is a very values- and culture-driven company – it is something we invest a lot in. One of our five core values is ‘Be Open’. We are a very flat, non-hierarchical organisation, and one of the key mandates given to me was to build an

organisation that reflected the global values. As I talked about the values, a lot of people in the industry told me, ‘Kirthiga, not possible. The cultural context is so hierarchical, it is going to be a very tall mandate to build an organisation that will be open.’ We took that as a challenge. We did not say, ‘Okay, that is how India is. You cannot build an organisation with an open culture.’ We went into the art and science of how to build a ‘Be Open’ organisation. We involved the whole company – every member of the team – and had them talk about what ‘Be Open’ meant to them. We helped them go for learning and development programmes. We invested in building skills and talents in people. We got people into a room and said, ‘Talk about one thing the other person is doing well, two things they can do better.’ Today, when I look at indicators like the amount of peer feedback that is being given directly and openly during annual and semi-annual performance summary cycles, I feel really great. And that includes the constructive criticism that is given to me – openly.

Can you tell us about any unique initiatives that Facebook brought into its India office? In India, one of the first things we did was an office décor hack. The employees came, their friends and family came – and we all painted the office! Of course, there was some thought put into it ahead of time. We wanted some photo opportunities; we wanted our core values to be broadly displayed on the pillars. Overnight, there was a transformation – it went from being four walls to being a

October 2015

culturama

“Once you have children, and you are stressed about juggling the different things that life puts in front of you, I will offer you the superpower called ‘and’” Kirthiga with her husband, Dev Reddy, and daughters Ashna Reddy and Ariya Reddy

Facebook home. My children were there, painting on the walls – and they promptly declared that this was the best place I had ever worked in! While this might seem like a lot of fun – which it was – there was a lot of goodness that it created, of which the key element was a sense of ownership.

What are some effective negotiation tactics that work well in India? Number one: It is so, so critical to take the time to understand who the real decision-maker is. Everyone that you talk to will tell you that they are the decision-maker. But when you are trying to strike a deal, and when the time comes to sign the document or cheque, you will figure out that there is some other decision-maker who just pops up. So, make sure you really take the time to find out who the decision-maker is – that is something I learnt early on, and learnt it the hard way. One similarity that I saw in India and the United States – the need to invest in relationships. Really invest in building trust. That goes a long way in any negotiation, much more than how much data, facts you have for the case that you are making. In India, that becomes even more important. We constantly hear of start-ups who get offers to be sold to different companies. You will hear founders saying, ‘Company X gave me a higher offer, but I went to Company Y because I liked how they run the company [or] I liked the people I was going to work with.’ So, really, take the time to invest in relationships.

Could you share your own best practice for women to advance their career and life? I will give you three quick tips, depending on the stage of life you are in.

One: If you are single and thinking of getting married, I will tell you that you should make sure that you choose your partner effectively. In my case, I didn’t have that advice before, but, in hindsight, I know I wouldn’t be standing here and having this conversation with you if not for the support of my husband, and him being a true partner. Two: If you are in the state where you are thinking: ‘Children? No children? When is the right time?’ I can offer to you that there will never be an ideal time to have children. Conversely, if you are thinking of having children, it is always a great time to have children. So just go, have children – and life has a way of working out. Three: Once you have children, and you are stressed about juggling the different things that life puts in front of you, I will offer you the superpower called ‘and’. When my second child was born, I was running product management and had a lot of client meetings to do. I wondered if I had to make trade-offs between my professional and personal life. Then, it occurred to me – I don’t have to. For the first year, I delegated a lot of travel, but for the ones where it would make a difference if I went, I took my baby with me. Every place I went, things worked out. I went to North Carolina; my colleague’s wife had had a daycare before and she said, ‘I will take care of your child’. I went to Dallas; a colleague arranged for my daughter to go to his son’s daycare. I used to nurse, go to meetings, nurse – and it all just worked out! I am not saying that everyone needs to make the choices that I do, but I would say: Push the boundaries; think about situations where it seems like an ‘or’ and see if you can convert it into an ‘and’.

culturama

October 2015

culturama

India now by Susan Philip

The month that was

Scientifically Speaking A prize for ISRO

As we enter a new month, we quickly recap the events, people and places that made news in the past month “Even as it has sought to encompass the globe and reach for the stars, it has remained rooted in its core mission of national regeneration and improving the life of the common man, a goal set for the nation by Mahatma Gandhi.” That is how the President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, described the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Presenting the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 to the organisation, he congratulated every member of the space community for their contribution to the organisation’s achievements. Starting with the launch of small sounding rockets for atmospheric studies, ISRO is now one of the six largest space agencies of the world. Q: On September 24, 2014, ISRO notched up a huge achievement. Can you name it?

Business Matters Do Business with India; It’s easy! Gujarat has been ranked as the Indian state where it is easiest to do business. The World Bank has given it a score of 71.14 per cent. Close on its heels is Andhra Pradesh, which rates 70.12 per cent. The ‘Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms’ report was based on eight parameters, which include allotment of land, procedures for environmental clearance and labour laws. It was prepared in association with KPMG, the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), under the sponsorship of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India. Talking of business, Tamil Nadu, which ranked 12th on the World Bank report, organised a well-attended Global Investors Meet – the first such gathering in the State. The investment finalised was to the tune of Rs. 2.42 lakh crore, more than double the targeted amount.

A: It successfully put into orbit its first Inter-planetary mission to Mars, becoming not only the fourth country in the world to do this but also the only country to achieve the feat in the very first attempt.

Awards and Accolades Another feather in Jhumpa’s cap US President Barack Obama has honoured Jhumpa Lahiri, an American author of Indian origin, with the National Humanities Medal, 2014. Lahiri’s debut novel, Interpreter of Maladies, published in 1999, won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize as well as the PEN/Hemingway Award and was The New Yorker Debut of the Year. She was one of ten winners of the Humanities Medal, which honours individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities

culturama

and broadened people’s engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy and other humanities subjects. Q. The Lowlands is a well-known work by Lahiri. Can you name another of her books which has been adapted into a film? A: The Namesake

Sports Spots Paes-Hingis walk away with Doubles crown

October 2015

of this dance style, rooted in the traditions of the southern Indian state of Kerala, were designed by her. The recipient of various awards, including the coveted Padma Shri from the Government of India, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Kerala Nruthya Natya Puraskaram, Sathyabhama began learning classical dance at a very tender age. She became the first woman to hold the post of Vice-Principal of Kalamandalam, Kerala’s prestigious Deemed University for Art and Culture, and went on to become its Principal. ‘Mohinyattam’ literally means the dance of the enchantress. It is one of the eight classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

This and That TCS funds a research centre in Carnegie-Mellon

India’s Leander Paes and Martina Hingis of Switzerland won the US Open Mixed Doubles 2015 title. They are the first team in 46 years to win three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in the same season at the US Open. The match, against Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey, was a hard-fought battle which lasted an hour and 17 minutes. With this victory, Paes claimed his 17th Grand Slam crown. Q. A few days after the victory, Hingis starred in another win in which an Indian was involved. What was that event? A. She partnered Sania Mirza of India to take the US Open Women’s Doubles title.

End of an Era The enchantress sleeps The world of Indian classical dance mourned the passing of Kalamandalam Sathyabhama. She is credited with purging the ancient dance form known as Mohinyattam of external influences, and making experimental reforms to the art. The now well-known white and gold costumes

Indian multinational IT major Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) has contributed US$ 35 million to the Carnegie Mellon University in the United States, to fund a technology centre there. The centre will provide space for research collaboration between TCS and Carnegie Mellon students and faculty, and will be run jointly by the two entities. Robotics and artificial intelligence will be the areas of focus at the proposed centre. TCS is part of the Tata Group, which includes companies with pursuits as diverse as automobiles and tea. Did you know? The prestigious Yale University in the United States has a connection with India. It is named after Elihu Yale, a British trader who rose to become Governor of the British East India Company, and held office at Fort St.George, then Madras, now Chennai. He amassed a vast fortune during the 27 years he was in India since his arrival in 1670. After his return to England, he was approached by one Rev. Cotton Mather of Boston, asking for a contribution for Connecticut College, New Haven, and suggesting that a substantial donation could result in a change of the institution’s name to Yale College. Elihu obliged with the largest donation to the college in its first 122 years – amounting to a total of about 600 Pounds. The rest is history. And coming a full circle, the University introduced Tamil in 2004.

October 2015

culturama

India Impressions by Susan Philip

League of an Extraordinary

Gentleman

As we pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary (October 2), we prsent here a mélange of people, places, events and concepts that the Mahatma touched, or was touched by

On the Dandi March to make salt. (Right) At work during his voyage to London in 1931.

Assassination: On January 30, 1948, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi fell to an assassin’s bullets while he was on his way to evening prayers in Delhi. The date is observed as Martyr’s Day, when, at 11 a.m., India pauses in silence for two minutes as a mark of respect to the Mahatma.

Ben Kingsley: An actor best-known for his role in Richard Attenborough’s iconic film, Gandhi, Kingsley, originally known as Krishna Pandit Bhanji, was born in England, although his father, like Gandhiji, is of Gujarati descent. The film won both Kingsley and Sir Richard the coveted golden statues.

Coining a Memory: Indian currency notes bear his image and so do many coins. Every major Indian city has a road named after him, often abbreviated to M.G. Road. Innumerable statues and busts of Gandhiji are scattered

across the country. And also other parts of the world, including Pietermaritzberg, the place where he began his fight against prejudice.

Decoration (and rejection): Gandhiji was awarded the Kaiser-e-Hind, or ‘Emperor of India’ medal in 1915 by the British Raj for his contribution to the war efforts in South Africa. However, saddened by the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre five years later, he returned it as a mark of protest.

English connections: He went to England to study law. Before devoting himself to legal studies, he tried to turn himself into an ‘English’ gentleman, taking lessons in music, dancing and elocution. But he soon gave these up, and left for India the day after he was called to the Bar and enrolled as a practitioner in the High Court.

Friend of the poor: C. F. Andrews, an English priest, first

culturama

met Gandhiji in South Africa. Known as ‘Deenabandhu’ or Friend of the Poor, he was one of the few who felt able to call the Mahatma by his given name, Mohan.

Gandhi Cap: Made of homespun cotton, or khadi, the white cap, with pointed ends both in the front and back, became synonymous with Gandhiji and the freedom struggle, as he wore it regularly. Most leaders of the Independence

October 2015

Monikers: Mohandas was the youngest of six children, and was fondly called ‘Moniya’ by his family. Sarojini Naidu, poet and freedom fighter, whose relationship with him was close and warm enough to tease, nicknamed him ‘Mickey Mouse’ (referring to his large, sticking-out ears).

Nobel Prize: The highest of the world’s accolades eluded him, although he was nominated five times and shortlisted

With Lord Pethwick Lawrence, British Secretary of State for India. (Right) With Lord and Lady Mountbatten

Movement sported it too, including India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Hey Ram: Popularly believed to have been the Mahatma’s dying words, ‘Hey Ram’ is also a bilingual, semi-fictional Hindi-Tamil film with the central theme of religious bigotry and universal love. Written and directed by noted Indian actor Kamal Hassan, it was an Oscar entry.

Influence on World Leaders: The success of Gandhiji’s philosophy of protest through non-violence has inspired many men and women across the globe, including Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, Barack Obama and John Lennon.

Jawaharlal Nehru: Nehru was deeply influenced by Gandhiji, and the latter promoted him as his political heir. Although ideological differences did crop up between them in course of time, the love and regard they had for each other never waned.

twice. In 1989, when the Peace Prize was awarded to the Dalai Lama, the Chairman of the Nobel Committee made amends by saying it was “in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi”.

Others on Gandhi: “I have worn these sandals for many a summer…even though I may feel that I am not worthy to stand in the shoes of so great a man. It was my fate to be the antagonist of a man for whom…I had the highest respect.” General Jan Smuts, Prime Minister, Union of South Africa, to whom Gandhiji presented a pair of sandals he had made in prison.

Phoenix Settlement: An overgrown, snake-infested plot of land near Durban became the laboratory for Gandhiji’s ideas of self-help, dignity of labour, and equality. On it he set up the Phoenix Settlement in 1904. Although it was vandalised in 1985, it was reopened in 2000, and Gandhiji’s ideals live on there.

Kasturba Gandhi: She was only 13 when she married Mohandas, also the same age. She stood by him in all his endeavours, metaphysical and physical. Known simply as ‘Ba’, she died in prison of bronchitis, aged 74, in her husband’s arms.

Lord Irwin: He took over as Viceroy of India at a time when the country was in total turmoil. His defining role in the Indian Independence Movement was the signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931, which led to the suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Gandhi in his younger days. (Right) With his wife, Kasturba.

October 2015

culturama

During his travels through the country to spread the message of non-violence.

Quotes from Gandhi: “A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.”

brought some quick results. After his release, he made the eradication of untouchability part of his campaign.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

Gujarati bhajan that speaks of the ideal life of a true follower of Vishnu. Other favourite songs included ‘Raghupathi Raghava Raja Ram’, ‘Lead Kindly Light’, ‘Here is Thy Footstool’ (from Gitajanli) and the opening verses of the Quran.

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

Rajaji: C. Rajagopalachari was a core member of Gandhiji’s ‘political team’, and was called his ‘Southern Commander’. Their ideological bonding was extended when Gandhiji’s youngest son Devdas fell in love with Rajaji’s daughter Lakshmi, and married her with the blessings of both fathers.

Sabarmati Ashram: Located on the banks of the River Sabarmati in Gujarat, it was set up in 1915 as a home for the Gandhian ethos comprising Education, Truth (Non-Violence and Love), Celibacy, Control of the Palate (no liquor or meat), Honesty, Simple Living, Use of Selfmade Articles, Conquering of Fear and Eradication of Untouchability. It is now preserved as a museum.

TIME Magazine: It named Gandhi the ‘Man of the Year’ for 1930. The magazine, in its annual issue, picks a man, woman, object, idea, even a generation, which, for better or worse, has done the most to influence the events of the preceding year. The choice is widely regarded as an honour, equivalent to an award.

Untouchability: Gandhiji’s name for the ‘Untouchable’ community was Harijan or Children of God. He began his Untouchability Fast at the Yerwada Jail in 1932, and it

Vaishnava Janato: Gandhiji’s favourite hymn is a

Websites on Gandhiji: http://gandhihistory.com/ http://www.progress.org/gandhi/gandhi01.htm http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003987/bio

(E)Xperiments with Truth: Or more correctly, The Story of My Experiments with Truth is Gandhiji’s autobiography. It was published in weekly instalments in Navjivan, his Gujarati journal, while the English translation appeared in Young India.

Young India: Gandhiji realised the importance of journalism as a means of communicating ideas and ideology early on in his life as a crusader, and was involved with many publications. The Young India which he edited became the mouthpiece for the Civil Disobedience Movement. Zulu Wars: When the British declared war against the Zulus in South Africa, Gandhi’s loyalties were divided. His heart was with the Zulus, but as he was demanding his rights as a British citizen at that time, he felt it his duty to contribute to the British war efforts. So he organised the Indian Ambulance Corps, which helped look after the war wounded.

culturama

October 2015

culturama

India writes

iREAD

Unbound: 2,000 Years of Indian Women’s Writing Edited by Annie Zaidi

Reviewed by Indrajit Dutta

Annie Zaidi’s voluminous compilation is an absorbing read. It is no easy task to compile in one book 2,000-year-old works and recent articles, yet, nothing has gone unrepresented. What appeals to me the most is that the book, comprising 11 sections, can reach out to anybody regardless of gender – a reason being it offers a stark glimpse into many facets of life, such as hesitation, frustration, bitterness, sexual desire, love and bliss. Some famous writers featured are Iravati Karve, Mahasweta Devi and Kamala Das. Many pieces bring out the grim reality of violence against women in India. The account of Aruna Shanbaug’s horrific rape is given by noted activist and author Pinki Virani. After the rape, Aruna lay comatose in a Mumbai hospital for 42 years before losing her life in April this year. Often, one leaves out the sordid details of the crime – not so Pinky’s piece; explicit descriptions of Aruna’s blood-stained body and near-death condition after her violation shook me to the core. Another work which would affect any reader is Manju Kapur’s ‘Name: Amba Dalmia’. Here, we have a griefstricken mother trying to somehow cope with life after her daughter's death in an accident at the age of 21. A significant feature confronting the reader is the mother realising that while the loss will haunt her forever, she has to move on and find solace. Strong emotions are at the centre of almost every story here – none more so than ‘The Appeasement of Radhika’. Here, ironically, the female protagonist’s husband expresses his wife’s pain felt at separation and her heavily lust-laden affection for him. Whether the separation or the various scenes of intercourse, one cannot read this just once. Literature on women in India would perhaps be incomplete without shedding light on taboos that women endure or the discomfort wrought by social norms. One such work is Vibhavari Shirurkar’s ironic and humorous ‘Kharemaster’, where a 30-odd-year-old man is in a quandary about how to consummate his marriage with his 16-year-old bride. With no fewer than 126 works, Zaidi’s compilation comes across as a tad long. However, it does provide a terrific insight into the numerous facets of a woman’s life, be it her relationships or daily struggles.

About the Author Annie Zaidi is a well-known author, whose works include Gulab, Love Stories # 1 to 14, Known Turf and Other True Tales. She also authored Crush, a book of poems. Annie began her career as a journalist, and worked for Mid-Day and Frontline. Her works have been published by Caravan and Deccan Herald as well. Annie lives in Mumbai.

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Special Feature by Team Culturama

Small Steps,

Giant Leaps

culturama

October 2015

On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, Culturama pays a special tribute to women who have paved the road for a more equal tomorrow, and who serve as worthy guides for members of the next generation

October 11 is the ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ (also referred to as Day of the Girl and the International Day of the Girl) as declared by the United Nations. October 11, 2012, was the first Day of the Girl. The aim behind the institution of this day is to provide support for more opportunity for girls and to increase awareness of gender inequality faced by girls around the world. The inequalities stretch into areas such as right/access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination, violence against women and child marriage. However, there are several women who have broken social norms, stepped away from comfort zones and are paving the road for a more equal tomorrow. These women serve as an inspiration for peers in the larger community and as worthy guides for members of the next generation. Culturama pays a special tribute to the spirit of women who have pushed the boundaries with a set of 11 profiles, extracted from Women of Pure Wonder: Struggle, Survival, Success, published by Vodafone Foundation, India, and Roli Books. The book, which showcases 60 women from varied fields such as education, healing and business, and from all levels of economic progress, brings to fore the manner in which change is brought in society – one woman at a time. The image on the facing page of a woman sculpting herself (used within this segment as a special icon), is a pictorial depiction of the manner in which these women have used the opportunities available whilst simultaneously overcoming hurdles to achieve success. The photographs and text were extracted from ‘Women of Pure Wonder: Struggle, Survival, Success’. Copyright for photographs and text rest with Vodafone Foundation, India. The book was published by Roli Books Pvt Ltd. The extracts were published after getting the necessary permissions. Illustration by Lalithaa Thyagarajan

October 2015

culturama

Moulding dreams Anita Kumbhar Potter

In India, the caste you are born into often decides your profession. It is remarkably difficult to break away from that construct. The son of a priest must also be a priest, the daughter of a sweeper must resign herself for a life with the broom. In Anita Kumbhar’s case, she imbibed the skill of pottery while growing up in a family of potters, and subsequently marrying into another at a very young age. Anita, 35, tried to break away from the profession, but ultimately succumbed to the financial stability that it offered. Not one to be beaten down, Anita, a native of Gondvale in Maharashtra, who had studied till grade ten, found her own path within the confines of the pottery business. She created innovative designs and marketing techniques to create a product different from the usual matkas (mud pots for collecting and storing water) and chulhas (cooking stoves) that were traditionally made by potters, and were often seasonal. “My mother-in-law used to make some small idols and figures as a hobby. I decided to see if other people would be interested in them, especially for festivals.” So she took a loan from a local rural bank, and started making an assortment of unique clay products in large numbers. Anita’s strategy was brilliant.

Her products were customised for the various Indian festivals. And since there are so many festivals to be celebrated in India, her business flourished nearly all year round. She made idols of Ganesha for Ganesh Chaturthi. Her tiny mud bullocks were a great hit at the livestock festival, Bendur. She even fashioned little soldiers, which could be given to children as Diwali gifts. As her business grew, Anita decided she needed to enhance her skill set. She started going to MBA classes planned by the rural bank, learning to manage her earnings, carefully planning her income and expenditures. She began taking loans periodically in order to expand her business. She set up stalls at fairs, establishing a roaring trade, sometimes making up to Rs. 2,000 a day. Anita takes her responsibilities as a mother very seriously. “My son is in grade four, and my elder daughter is in grade eight. They have big and beautiful dreams. My son wants to do engineering. I don’t know if I will be able to save enough money to make their dreams come true. But what I do know is that I will give them the freedom to choose what they want to be in life, and not be bound by their caste. This is the reason why I work so hard.”

culturama

October 2015

Rebel song Sheelu Singh Rajput Aalha Performance Artist The young girl sits with her chin in hand, watching the images flit about on the screen. The VHS tape emits a faint buzz, which combines with the slightly distorted audio of the recording. On the screen, a man, dressed as a warrior, brandishes a sword and sings in a loud, high-pitched voice. Every flourish of his sword or his tone makes the girl’s eyes shine brighter, and she mouths the lyrics of the song. She wants to be just like him when she grows up. Sheelu Singh Rajput, 18, is no ordinary village girl. Now grown up, she has made her childhood dream come true. She has become an Aalha singer. Generally a male bastion, Aalha is a folk music tradition of Uttar Pradesh in the Awadhi dialect in which singers describe and act out stories of the great kings, Aalha and Udal, and their valourous deeds. Sheelu has broken the convention and leapt into the fray, despite being a girl. She and her contemporaries have added more stories to the mix, including the tale of the brave Rani of Jhansi. Always interested in music, Sheelu used to sing bhajans (hymns), but her favourite memories are of her father reading Aalha stories to her. “I always had a fascination for it and tried to recite them in my own way. Hearing the stories was nice, but then we saw some videos. I loved them, especially the swordplay! I thought if I became a performer, I could also wave a sword about. Then I saw a woman from Madhya Pradesh performing Aalha, and I decided this was what I wanted to do.” She performed for the first time at the Hanuman temple near her home. During her performance, she was spotted by Aalha Samrat Sri Lallu Bajpai, one of the

most popular proponents of the form and someone who Sheelu had watched videos of growing up. Seeing her talent, he asked her to join his group, and trained her in the correct techniques. “He taught me everything I know. Sadly, he died recently. But he told me to continue singing, so that people can always remember this tradition of ours.” Her parents are supportive and proud of her achievements as a singer and as a woman. “They feel I have brought honour to our family’s name,” she says. Do they not worry about her getting married? “There is no pressure on me, I can marry when I want to.” Sheelu is in the second year of her bachelor’s degree. “My studies are important too. When I have exams, I cut down on my performances.” Confident and assured, Sheelu knows what she wants. She would like to sing for as long as she can, because it is her passion – but also because it has done so much for her. “How can I explain what Aalha means to me? It has given me knowledge and exposure to the world, of what is outside my village. And I can earn money for my family and for my studies.” Sheelu has performed on several stages, in Benaras, Bhopal, even in Delhi, sharing the limelight with film stars and local singers. She sings, she acts, she emotes – she explains that it is all about communicating something to the audience. “This is our history. These old folk songs are getting lost. Kids today don’t know anything about them. I want to bring to them traditions of the village and show the world how rich they are. I want to spread Aalha all over.”

October 2015

culturama

Empowering others Vanita Pise Manufacturer of Biodegradable Wares

If you are born with talent but don’t have the advantages of education and financial stability, it would be easy to miss out, or be missed out. However, if you are Vanita Pise, you create your own advantages. Vanita, from Mhaswad in Maharashtra, dropped out of school in grade nine. She married into a rich family, had three children and then watched her world crumble as her husband’s poultry business failed. This was in 1997. The family was broke, and in debt. Vanita took the reins. She tried many avenues: daily wage labour in other’s fields; buffalo rearing and milk supplying (by taking a loan from a women’s co-operative bank). Her husband and her in-laws didn’t like her working outside the home, but Vanita persisted, struggling to keep home and hearth together. Then one day, she came across the self help group (SHG) movement. Suddenly, her outlook broadened, and her entrepreneurial skills had a chance to emerge. Her life, and that of her family, changed dramatically. Vanita, 40, started producing paper cups, which are used for prasad or prayer offerings at temples. “I saw an advertisement in the paper inviting people to make these cups, and I thought it was a good idea. The cups don’t need much water, which we have a shortage of. They don’t spoil easily, and they are biodegradable.” In 2004, she decided to deepen her engagement with the business, and took a loan

of 15,000 rupees. “We have a local, socially-driven women’s cooperative bank. This is good for us because they don’t ask for too many documents; and because they know and trust me, it is easier to get a loan. And they also help with marketing,” she explains. With this loan, she bought raw materials and a machine to increase the output of the paper cups. Vanita started churning out 5,000 cups a day. She then became a dealer for the machines, and facilitated 17 other women in starting their own ventures. Today, Vanita’s business and her income have grown exponentially. “I now have machines for making cups, for crushing wheat, and also a new one for making the big thalis (plates) people use at weddings. My total investment in these is Rs. 2 lakh.” She also employs six women. Her success did not go unnoticed. In 2006, she received national recognition as one of the winners of the CII-Bharti Woman Exemplar award from the Prime Minister of India. This honour is given annually to “grassroot, poor, under-privileged community level women who have excelled in their contribution to the development process. The main duty of the person who receives the award is to empower others.” By helping her sisters initiate income-generating activities, and by making sure her children are educated (especially her two daughters), Vanita has provided inspiration, training and guidance to so many people.

culturama

October 2015

AISC RaptorVision

RaptorVision student contributors to this article: Ann-Sophie Nesselhauf, Subbu Tadimalla, Iniyan Kannan, Noluenn de Portzamparc, Suchitra Anand, and HyeJin Kim. Editors: Grace Gahagan, Associate Teacher, Ann-Sophie Nesselhauf, Editor-in-Chief, and Kirsten Welbes, Director of Advancement.

The United Nationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; International Day of Peace was originally founded in ZLWK WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO 'D\ RI Peace being observed in September of 1982. Soon afterwards, the revolutionary statement by the UN General Assembly took place in 2001, declaring that September 21 would RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDOO\ EH SURQRXQFHG WKH 'D\ RI Peace, a day that would be devoted to encouraging and strengthening practices of peace amongst all nations. The UN International Peace Day has since been celebrated in various parts of the world, including our small community here in Chennai. At American International School Chennai (AISC), we have for years commemorated this cherished day with exciting parades, entertaining activities, photo-booths, as well as pavilions containing colorful exhibits of traditional costumes, festivals, and cuisine. As an international school with 850 students coming from 36 different nations, it is of the utmost importance

that we foster an environment of open-mindedness, acceptance and appreciation. With the institution of UN Day, the children from Kindergarten to the 12th grade are exposed to the intricacy, complexity, and beauty of international cultures, which is absolutely vital in a

the nation onto the stage. Often nearly KDOI WKH VL]H RI Ă DJ WKH\ UDPEOHG RQWR stage with as much pride and gusto as they could possibly feel, planting WKHLU IHHW DQG KROGLQJ WKHLU Ă DJ KLJK Maybe the most satisfying part of UN Day is to be given the opportunity to embrace and showcase our culture at

worldwide community. Not only will a more elaborate comprehension of the Earth come about, but also a sense of compassion and connection will subconsciously arise in childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minds. Students with a diplomatic, sensitive, and enthusiastic response to GLIIHUHQW VRFLHWLHV ZLOO WUXO\ Ă RXULVK LQ the globalised world we currently live in, and in knowing that, AISC has been celebrating UN Day for so many years. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme for UN International Peace Day is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Partnerships for PeaceDignity for Allâ&#x20AC;?. As an 11th grade student stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;dignity is one of the features that allows you to become an actualized woman or man,â&#x20AC;? and with dignity, we saw our community stroll through the halls.

the parade, a moment which we will cherish in our hearts and remember forever.

As the parade slowly came to an end, extravagantly decorated pavilions IURP DURXQG WKH ZRUOG Ă&#x20AC;OOHG WKH J\P with traditional activities, cuisine, souvenirs, and beautifully shining smiles. Here, at each stand, students had the ability to be educated about a country and experience part of its culture, exposing them to the world. However, there is an end to every day. As the long day approached its end, stands were packed up and the gymnasium cleaned by staff to perfection. One wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have guessed anything special happened that day. However, the message of UN Day is Children, adolescents, and adults of still resonant in all our minds. Dignity. all ages, wore their traditional clothing 6HSWHPEHU WK ZLOO GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ or costumes with pride on this day, be memorable for anyone and whether it was the Indian saree, the everyone present. Just as memories German dirndl, or the Korean han-bok. do, the theme of UN International Perhaps the most endearing of them Peace Day 2015 should carry on with all were the ones that were entrusted every young girl and boy into their ZLWK WKH WDVN RI FDUU\LQJ WKH Ă DJ RI adulthood and longer. Dignity for All.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;International, Peace, Day, UN, United, Nations, May, UN Peace, Peacekeeping.â&#x20AC;? UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

October 2015

culturama

Corporate Mogul with a Heart Meera H. Sanyal President, Liberals India for Good Governance; Former CEO and chairperson, Royal Bank of Scotland, India

“During the 26/11 terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2009, a senior banker and my mentor was murdered. This was a major turning point in my life. As the shock of the attacks faded, it was clear that without competent and effective political leadership, every aspect of our lives were at stake. However, I felt that simply criticising the system and taking part in candlelight marches was not the solution. It was important to take a stand and engage constructively with the democratic process. Therefore, in 2009, I stood to be elected into the Lok Sabha as an independent candidate from South Mumbai. At the time, my actions were considered quixotic by many. I lost those elections, but learnt a great deal about my city and the hearts of its people. I don’t belong to a political family. My father, a naval officer and a deeply idealistic person, brought us up to love India, and imbued in us his belief that each of us must serve our country. He led by example working for the Navy till the day he died. My mother, a lawyer, gave up her legal practice to be a full time wife and mother. From her, my brother and I learnt about the practical aspects of life; that no job was too small but also that no dream was too big. My husband Ashish has always been a wonderful partner and friend. I started my banking career 30 years ago with Grindlays Bank. I have been fortunate to work with organisations like Lazard, ABN AMRO, and RBS, which gave me the opportunity

to explore different facets of banking. In many ways, I became an ‘intrapreneur’ in these organisations and looking back, feel happiness and pride in the new teams, projects, and companies that I was able to establish. In 2001, I had the opportunity to set up ACES, the global offshore services entity for RBS (then ABN AMRO) in India – which grew from a small team of 6 persons to an organisation that provided careers for over 21,000 young people. As mentor of the bank’s micro-finance program, I was able to play a part in financing over 6,50,000 women entrepreneurs across India. We then took this a step further and provided skill-based training and grants in the form of seed capital to 75,000 women in tribal and forest areas, helping them become proudly self-sufficient solo-preneurs (solo entrepreneurs)! In March 2013, I made the decision to relinquish my post as CEO of RBS India, in order to devote time to the economic, social, and political causes that I am passionate about. Of late, I have been delighted to see a rising wave of independent citizen candidates and newly formed political parties. The initial reluctance to participate in politics has given way to the realisation that politics do matter. We can and must participate not just in the political debate, but in the process itself. We all have a story, which often starts with one small step.”

culturama

October 2015

culturama

550 Babies to her Name Kanku Bai Trained Midwife

When Kanku Bai was a girl, herding her parents’ cattle along with her two sisters (while her brothers went to school), the future she imagined for herself was probably a good deal different from where she stands today. Kanku never went to school. She comes from a small village in Rajasthan. She was married off at 17.

“My husband accompanied me to some of these classes. Then he understood the value of my work,” she says proudly. He began to support her whole-heartedly. And once she started bringing home a salary, her family was on her side too. Kanku Bai’s children, including her two daughters, are all educated.

Who would have thought then, that one day she would have delivered over 550 babies?

Today, Kanku Bai looks back on her work with pride. She has spent years making the lives of women and children in her village healthier, safer, and better. “I feel honoured that my work as a traditional birth attendant gives me an opportunity to help save the lives of both women and newborns.”

Kanku’s life was no different from any other girl in rural India – running her home, serving her in-laws, looking after her husband and children’s needs. She would occasionally assist the midwife in the village when a baby was being born. But fate had other plans for her. Seva Mandir, an NGO, holds Village Development Committee meetings in rural Rajasthan regularly. This time, the agenda was a training programme for traditional birth attendants. The committee, looking at her past experience, recommended that Kanku be chosen for the training. Much against the wishes of her in-laws who saw no merit in her leaving the confines of the home, she started attending the week-long training sessions. She soon learned some important lessons about safe motherhood, pregnancy, childbirth and antenatal care.

Her work has rendered her proficient in so many areas. In assisting in aseptic deliveries and other emergency obstetric procedures; building trust in modern medicine within the community; encouraging institutional deliveries by personally accompanying hesitant mothers to hospitals; and using the traditional knowledge of her community to strengthen medical procedures. “The respect I have earned in my community has allowed me to motivate other mothers to care for their daughters.”

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Medicine for the masses

Asma Rahim Public Health Professional

It is difficult to encapsulate Dr. Asma Rahim in a few short paragraphs. Her achievements are numerous – from being one of the region’s most prolific community medicine and public health experts, to writing a clear and practical textbook: Principles and Practice of Community Medicine, and her research into rheumatology along with her several awards, fellowships, and accolades. Asma’s father was a doctor, and she and her sister were actively encouraged to follow in his footsteps. Asma graduated in medicine from Kasturba Medical college, Mangalore, and went on to do a medical degree in community Medicine. “Everyone wanted me to become a gynecologist. Female physicians, surgeons, and public health professionals were very rare those days...But I wanted to do something different. I wanted to work among the public to promote awareness on preventing diseases and promoting health.” Currently, Asma is an additional Professor in the Department of Community Medicine, as well as the convener of the Medical Council of India’s Regional centre for Medical Education at her alma mater in Kozhikode. They conduct workshops for over 200 teachers across 14 schools in South India on contemporary teaching and learning methods every year. “Medical teaching is the only field where teachers are not given formal training. I am proud to be a teacher of teachers.” Though Asma has been lauded for her

internationally published research papers, her greatest sense of achievement comes from her community-based projects. “We identified and trained women in the local self help groups (SHGs), some of them with only eight to ten years of schooling, to identify fevers like chikungunya and dengue early, thus preventing complications and saving lives.” Asma has been married for 24 years to a pediatrician, who she says is her “greatest supporter, critic and soulmate”. However, one of Asma’s toughest challenges was her very early marriage, which was forced on her right in the middle of her final year. “I was dead against getting married that early, knowing fully well that I would be unable to cope with the demands of academics, family, and long-distance relationships. But all my pleading fell on deaf ears. It took almost seven to ten years for both of us to get settled, bring romance into our marriage, and to really get to know each other as individuals.” Asma recognises the challenge of balancing the professional and the personal for women. “When we decided to have a second child, I took a sabbatical and spent a year as a full-time mom. But my work never suffered since I started working on my textbook at the time!” Asma has no plans to stop now. She has just completed an International Fellowship in Medical Education from the PSG Regional institute, Coimbatore. “I would love to be a student all my life,” she says.

culturama

October 2015

Global Wellness Series

A Weighty Question Dr. Vaithiswaran.V, Sr.Consultant & Head of Minimally Invasive, Bariatric & GI Surgery at Global Hospitals, warns about the dangers of obesity It’s been proved beyond doubt that, in Asians, the most important risk factor for diabetes and high blood pressure is obesity. Obesity may also lead to heart attacks, strokes, some types of cancer and problems with reproductive health.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a good indicator to assess the severity of obesity. If you are Asian and BMI is less than 24 you need not worry. If your BMI is greater than 37.5 or more than 32.5, and you have diabetes or hypertension, you might have to consider weight loss surgery. Obesity surgery has been scientifically proven to be safe and effective. Unlike liposuction which is a cosmetic procedure, Bariatric (obesity) surgery causes sustained weight loss. Patients should thoroughly know the pros and cons of such a surgery. These surgeries have best results when performed on a motivated and a thoroughly informed patient by a good Bariatic surgeon in a well equipped tertiary center capable of handling any complication if it occurs. However, the best solution to obesity is prevention by eating healthy food from childhood and having adequate physical activity well into old age. Ways to lose weight: • Choose a low carb diet • Avoid junk food • Exercise • Get your hormones checked • Eat only when hungry • Stress less; sleep more

October 2015

culturama

Thriving on the Intangibles Nandini Sardesai Educator and activist

“Where do I begin and what does one say about oneself? I feel a little diffident and humbled on being asked to write a semiautobiographical essay. It has been a rather long journey and is a vicarious experience recalling memories, bitter and sweet. My father was a police officer, so I was brought up with discipline and a strong sense of moral values. We were two sisters, and sometimes, I would overhear chuckles of sympathy for my parents for not having a son. I was hardworking and determined to excel in academics. I would cry if I lost my first place in class. as I had an impressive track record, all my relatives thought I should become a doctor since this was the stereotyped role for a clever (sic) female. But I fell in love with a dashing cricketer and got married at 18. My teachers thought I would give up and I received little encouragement to pursue higher studies except from my darling husband. I did not hesitate to take up the challenge. It was not easy juggling the responsibilities of married life and being a student. Cricketers in the 1960s were paid a meagre 500 rupees for a test match. In my final year, I got pregnant and had my son, Rajdeep and graduated that same year! I eventually became a full time mother, and by the age of 25, had a daughter to take care of. It was at that stage when a chance meeting with Sister Colombier made me rethink my future and I decided to do my B.Ed. I was fortunate to have a mother-in-law who stayed with me for that year since the

children were very young. Meanwhile my husband, Dilip, had taken up a job in a private business firm. Our lifestyle improved and our children were given an excellent, all-round education. Meanwhile, I did my master’s and started teaching at my Alma mater, St Xavier’s. Soon the nest was empty and I wanted to make every moment count as I self-actualised my potential. The opportunity came when I took up cudgels to fight for gender parity at the Bombay Gymkhana which was the bastion of colonial patriarchy. I had to endure many a bitter chauvinistic barb and this battle went on for two years. The war was won with unexpected help from enlightened males. Yes, women all over the world and especially in India, suffer from a plethora of indignities and abuse. Not only do they need to fight back with grit, they also need to be tough and enlist the support of men. The essence of empowerment is not giving up, reaching out, caring and sharing, understanding, tolerance, having empathy and sensitivity. The material accolades for my teaching are minimal but it is the intangibles that give me a sense of satisfaction. Many of my students have accomplishments to their credit, and some of them have not only been in touch but have become good friends. Even after retiring I continue to teach as visiting faculty and keep myself occupied in activities as a feminist and an activist.”

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Hope and Community Sanjeevani Mali Self Help Group Interventionist

Sanjeevani Mali was married at the age of 16, and ever since, she managed home and hearth. In 2005, the self help group (SHG) movement came to the Katgaon village of Tuljapur district in Maharashtra. Sanjeevani, along with a group of women, established a SHG and became its president. This was a milestone moment for a grade seven dropout. Sanjeevani was clueless when she was required to open a bank account for the SHG, and she was quite baffled by the process. “It was the beginning of my entry into the world of financial institutions and their complicated procedures,” recalls Sanjeevani. Even though the initial learning challenged Sanjeevani, she persevered and stepped out into the world. “I acquired a great deal of guidance and education about the operations of the mahila gram panchayats, government schools and hospitals of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP). I was then able to transfer my learning to the management of our SHG, and soon thereafter picked up the confidence to set up a grocery retail shop.” Running her own venture required Sanjeevani to interact with and seek support from district officials and this helped her to network and imbibe critical life-skills. “I became a popular entrepreneur in my village and thereby earned a great deal of goodwill. This recognition further boosted my confidence and I registered for the Zila Parishad (district level body) election,” she says. “The member of the legislative assembly who interviewed me was greatly impressed by my work and promptly offered me a nomination ticket to

contest the elections.” Sanjeevani credits Godavari, Naseem, and Prema among other members of the SSP for honing her skills. “Their support enabled me to travel extensively within Maharashtra, and also to Delhi to train aspiring entrepreneurs and share our vision with others. All the training programmes have been rewarding and I always returned to my SHG with invaluable insights. Our group has galvanised the formation of 40 SHGs in our village.” Sanjeevani and her SHGs interventions have served the needs of the villagers in several spheres. She has implemented programmes on organic composting methods for farmers who largely cultivate sugarcane and grapes as cash crops. “Our SHGs trained in Nanded, Satara, and Boramani to specifically cater to these farmers as both the crops are water-intensive and demand large quantities of fertiliser. We inducted 100 farmers and educated them in organic composting techniques. They benefited greatly and went on to constitute a group of their own called Swayam Nirman community, and half its members now practice horticulture.” Sanjeevani’s SHGs implement government schemes in comprehensive ways. “Eighty per cent of our girls go to school and get married at the age of 18 or after. We offer medical checkups, and nearly all children are vaccinated for polio. We are proud to say that six kindergarten schools, one senior school, two English-medium schools, and a government hospital are some of the facilities we have.”

culturama

Welcome to KiwiLearners At KiwiLearners, we follow the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum which has strong principles, goals and strands designed to support the holistic development of children as they learn. We believe that it is essential that children feel happy, secure and comfortable as they play, that they feel safe to try new things, and develop increasing skill and confidence across learning areas. Play supports children to develop concentration and perseverance. We encourage children to learn how to play together as well as work alone. They learn to share and cooperate, develop

October 2015

independence and learn that it's all right to ask for help. The role of the teacher is to develop programmes centred on the interests of children in the centre and link learning opportunities to these. For this reason teachers observe children's interests and provide play activities and resources that: • Build on children's prior knowledge • Extend children's use of language and symbols • Encourage children to actively participate • Allow children to make their own choices about what they do and who they play with. Parts of the programme are specifically designed to develop a child's social skills within a large group. This includes morning and afternoon teas, lunches and group times. Teachers at KiwiLearners are always pleased to speak with parents and caregivers about their child and the programme. They keep records of individual children's progress and achievements and welcome parent involvement, interest and contributions.

Door No. 3, Ayshika House, Stillwater Court, 2nd Cross St, off Sunrise Avenue, Neelankarai, Chennai - 600 086 Tel: 044-2449265 / 24492616 Mob: 9444309203 / 9444609203 Email: info@kiwilearners.com Website: www.kiwilearners.com

October 2015

culturama

Queen of the Jungle Sunita Dhairyam Founder, Temple Tree Designs

She watches a dhole, an Asiatic wild dog, quenching his thirst at a katte, a watering hole. She takes a picture in her mind’s eye, and returns to her canvas. Round, flat, Filbert, and fan brushes. Burnt sienna, umber, and ochre oil paints. Flowing strokes and jab strokes. She creates a life-like form: a dhole. She smiles, delighted with her painting. Sunita Dhairyam, 50, has a deep love for nature and wildlife that was nurtured by the indelible influence of her grandmother, a wildlife artist, and her aunt, a wildlife photographer. Sunita was unwittingly wired with the same passion. She grew up in Zambia and studied in India; married and worked in Minneapolis, USA as a mural artist. Years passed and faced with the death of her marriage, she longed to return to India. In 1995, she bought a piece of land and set up a solitary home in Mangala village near Bandipur Tiger Reserve. “My family thought I was crazy. I bought the land purely for my love of wildlife and the view of the Nilgiris. But I had to fight huge battles to survive and to stay. If I had known what challenges lay ahead, I may not have had the courage to live in Bandipur,” she says. It took Sunita a year to build a one-room shelter, her home, on a barren piece of land sans running water and electricity. By a divine stroke of luck, officials of the Karnataka Forest Department happened to hear of her art, and commissioned her to paint murals in the Bandipur Safari

lodge cottages. She brought the jungle indoors with largerthan-life wall murals of wild gaur, elephant, leopards, and tigers – she began to make a living. Sunita recognised that the “ecosystem of animals and humans was fragile”. She understood that the livelihood of the villagers was dependent on their scrub cattle whose dung they sold as fertiliser to tea and coffee plantations. In 2000, Sunita offered her land to Dr. A.R. Pai, a philanthropist, to set up a free medical clinic. This paved the way, in 2006, for the Mariamma charitable trust, founded in collaboration with Dr. Pai and Shree Devi. The trust provides cattle compensation to locals and aims to reduce the human-wildlife conflict, thereby saving endangered species in an eco-sensitive zone. Monies, however, were short for the implementation. Sunita went back to the drawing board and to her intrinsic talent to finance the trust. She set up Temple Tree Designs to produce clothing, home décor items, paintings, dhurries, and more, all with her signature wildlife motifs. “We plough back 20 per cent of our earnings to Mariamma charitable trust to provide villagers with cattle compensation,” She says the trust also provides healthcare for the poor, education for talented rural population, and animal birth control for domestic dogs. Her holistic solutions to foster harmony between humans and animals, come from her resilience, adaptability, creativity, and intelligence.

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Energising lives

Trishala Dangare Biomass Stove Marketer

In 1993, the Latur district in Maharashtra was the epicentre of a devastating earthquake, which left thousands of people homeless and just as many children orphaned. Seismologists explain the release of stored potential energy from rocks as a phenomenon that occurs after an earthquake. Metaphorically speaking, Trishala Dangare of Latur exemplifies this phenomenon. Wed into a joint family, Trishala, all of 35, found that her household duties superseded and sidelined her education and master’s degree in commerce. Even so, she was driven by the conviction, “Everything that is new should be mine.” Out on a shopping trip in a rural area of Latur, Trishala stopped to look at an unusual cooking stove. She tracked down the manufacturer and subsequently the distributor Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP). The Oorja stove was a revelation for Trishala. The stove is a biomass-based cooking solution, fired by fuel pellets made from agricultural waste, a brilliant alternative to firewood and its toxic fumes. Trishala’s mind lit up with the opportunities it could offer to women in rural areas. Initially, her family discouraged her business proposition but eventually her husband supported her decision to begin marketing the stoves. Given her fledgling start-up enterprise, Trishala spawned her business plan with a door – knocking approach, making herself in-charge of her business. However, one week and 100 households later, she had managed just one sale. Soon, word spread and the

customer shared the experience with others, raving about saving time, money, and energy by using the stove. The demand for the stoves grew manifold and Trishala expanded the width of her product mix to solar lights, water purifiers, fuel pellets, and more. She carved a niche for herself and held a monopoly in the market as the only agency to sell eco-friendly products in the rural areas of Maharashtra. Trishala signed up for a course in entrepreneurship at Sakhi Sandhi Business School and learned critical skills in sales and marketing techniques. She has empowered herself further by taking a loan from Rang De, a micro-lending non-profit outfit in an effort to diversify her business. “I want to increase sales and diversify, but I have constraints of manpower and finances. If I could afford a twowheeler I would learn to ride it and cover areas beyond the 12 to 15 km I normally reach by bus or auto. I am dependent on training personnel from SSP to accompany me and given their busy schedules, I have to sometimes forego a village visit. I need more training for myself to be independent,” she says. Her 18-year-old son helps to repair the Oorja stoves. “He is self-taught and is already learning the ropes of the business,” she remarks proudly. This entrepreneur and homemaker keeps it all together through meditation. While Trishala continues to spread awareness amongst rural women, there is one thing to be said about her, it’s all about the energy!

culturama

ADVERTISE

IN T HIS MAGAZINE

October 2015

culturama

As One Sulekha Ali Founder, Arzoo

It is impossible to tell that Sulekha Ali, a young Muslim woman, is a survivor of the violent anti-communal riots of 2002 in Gujarat. She speaks with alacrity and wisdom clearly beyond her years. Although Sulekha came out physically unscathed, she still breathes the memory of the horrific plight of children at Shah Alam camp, where she took refuge for six months. It was here that she changed, in more ways than one; her thinking shaped by her interactions with the traumatized children at the camp. Sulekha recalls vividly, “I saw horrific scenes in the medical camp where I volunteered to administer first-aid. The children who came in for treatment were anxious to narrate the heinous scenes they had witnessed...Listening to their stories made me feel as if the experiences were my own; I felt as if someone was tearing me up from within.” Sulekha gravitated towards these children. “There were kids from 15,000 families. They wandered around, disturbed, and I wondered what I could do. So I began playing with them and that’s how I connected with them.” Sulekha forged deep bonds with the children and when she left the camp to return home, she realised that she had to start her life over again. Although Sulekha’s trajectory in social work crystallised in Shah Alam Camp, she defined its name and mission when she set off to Bangalore to learn paper craft. “Arzoo means desire in Urdu, and the word echoed my sentiment,” she says. She set

up an activity centre to teach paper crafts. Curious children from both communities began to saunter in to play carrom and other games. “Once I had gained their trust, we started enacting children’s stories with a social message of unity and communal harmony.” Sulekha realized the need to impart values to these children through education, and she says, “Riots took place mostly in areas inhabited by low socio-economic groups. An educated society will have a different outlook. I grew up in a home that did not consider education to be important. I went to college on my own initiative and that enabled me to think about teaching.” Arzoo’s mission was thus decided with a focus on education, communal harmony, skills training, and income generation. Sulekha and her co-workers began to organize medical camps, conduct workshops for men and women, teach paper making and create cards, lamps, folders, diaries, and bags. At Arzoo children from both communities observe roza (fasting during Ramadan), celebrate Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights) and reverse ethnic roles in cultural programmes. Sulekha says, “When Gandhiji called for freedom, everyone joined in without thinking of their religion. Freedom was everybody’s concern and need. We need to be human first.” Sulekha must know that she continues to share, with her children, the most valuable lesson of all: harmony.

culturama

October 2015

culturama

India Diaries by Jennifer Mullen

Romancing the Rails zoetrope. According to Wikipedia, the route has two thousand bridges over a distance of 580 km, which would mean 2.8 bridges per minute â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this did raise our eyebrows slightly. One of the biggest challenges when planning a rail journey in India is understanding how to buy a ticket in the first place. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m confident that those who graduated from my university with a Transport Management degree would also scratch their heads at the confusing torrent of contradictory Photo: Jean Michel Tammam

For expats living in India, one of the key experiences to forge a connection with this infinitely varied country has to be taking a rail journey â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which led me to (excitedly) make plans to travel on the Mandovi Express. Starting in Mumbai, the express takes 12 hours to snake down the coastline down to Goa. We imagined the moving canvas of paddy fields, bridges over glittering rivers and dark tunnels that come and go so frequently, it feels like you are part of a giant Victorian

culturama

October 2015

information about waitlists and quotas – not to mention deciding in which class you should actually book a seat. For future reference, foreigners can go to the departure station 24 hours in advance, with a passport, and (being India), the obligatory additional Xerox copies of all passports, plus some special forms for good measure. You then book tickets on an ‘emergency’ tatkal basis, which has a provision for a limited amount of seats at a slightly elevated price. Given that the Indian Railways carry on average 23 million passengers a day, there seemed to be very little margin for error! In Mumbai, a gaggle of different nationalities were gathering excitedly at the foreigners counter, animatedly debating the merits of second class A/C versus third class sleeper. When the tatkal bookings opened at 10 a.m. sharp, the station activity levels suddenly resembled a frenzied trading floor. Rail officials dressed in white coats sprang to life, fingers hammering their keyboards whilst competing with travel agents who were trying to book online. I later found out that the Indian Railways website receives up to 1,200,000 hits per minute and hourly traffic can be more than annual traffic for some popular Indian websites. Our dexterous railway officials triumphed. We skipped out of Mumbai’s central station brandishing our precious tickets, like characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The day of travel dawned and the area approaching Mumbai station felt slightly eerie in the pre-dawn gloom, as recumbent shadows on the street suddenly solidified into real people waking up. Having seen the wealth of South Mumbai’s beach suburbs just a few kilometres away the day before, the gulf between the rich and poor in India seemed very real at that moment. CST station was already a hive of activity at 6.30 a.m., a microcosm of Indian society, with those in traditional or religious robes, mingled with groups of laughing teenagers in jeans, and torrents of commuters advancing in from the suburbs. The air was itchy with dust and fumes, punctuated with whiffs of spice and the occasional sharp waft of slightly less pleasant odours. There was a huge feeling of collective anticipation as the golden beam of the approaching train illuminated the platform. After a mere hour or two’s delay, during which we reminded ourselves that the real romance of travel comes with a sense of having to work for something, we were finally off. Heading out of Mumbai, you can appreciate the scale of this gigantic city, with its formidable skyline silhouetted against a burnt orange sky, filtered by pollution. It was the Lego block landscape of globalisation, yet here and

Photo: Olivia Taghioff

There is little to match the camaraderie that one experiences on a train journey in India – of course, a dose of scenic views only adds to the allure there enterprising locals were making use of space, such as vegetable plots between railway lines. The Mandovi Express is renowned for its excellent food – and it certainly did not disappoint. Hot samosas were served in triangles of newspaper; yesterday’s headlines smeared with grease and obscured by a fiery red masala powder made from peanuts. The rattling noise of the train was accompanied by the cries of chaiwallahs and other food and beverage vendors galloping through our compartment, their competing chants reminding me of horse race commentators – which led me to imagine this cross-over dialogue: “Chai chai is gaining on veg cutlet. But here comes paani (water) on the rails”! A few hours into the trip and the dry, arid landscape was the colour of daal. The track followed a winding river for what seemed like hours, the sun dancing off the water. The sky seemed vast and the moving horizon tossed up fleeting glances of temples, mosques, water buffalo and fields subdivided into angular agricultural terraces, uneven like an Escher print. At level crossings, pedestrians jostled up against the barricades, like eager runners about to commence a

October 2015

culturama

marathon. Some of the tunnels felt so long, my respect for Indian engineering increased 10-fold. I stood for a while by the open train doors, silently exhilarated at being so close to the world outside thundering by. The thrill of a journey feels more acute when there are risks; therefore, I furtively pointed my foot outside the train door like a naughty child, just for a breathless second to feel the breeze on my toes. In the West, we are somewhat babied by signs and regulations, about ‘minding the gap’ and ‘fastening one’s seatbelt’. The rusted carriages of a train wreck, scattered like Jenga pieces down a ravine, did however quickly jolt me out of my daydream about riding on the train roof. Another noteworthy part of Indian train travel, particularly when you travel in second or third class, is the good natured warmth of the passengers around you. My Hindi-speaking friend relayed conversations that were happening about election hopes, forthcoming weddings and family gossip. We were touched that people sat and drew pictures with our children to keep them entertained. At

Photo: Marina Marangos, Greece

one point, an Indo-European tournament of Angry Birds filled the carriage with laughter. Smiling conversations in sign language also made us feel that the more kilometres we crossed, the greater our understanding was becoming of the many faces and personalities of India. Alas, the Mandovi was less than an ‘Express’ that day and more of a snail. Yet, as we clocked up our fifth hour of delay, the general mood of the train was still surprisingly jovial. As we finally approached our destination in Goa, the only real difference was the chaiwallah’s call, which, after 17 hours, was more an occasional husky croak. Goa was cloaked in darkness as we approached. Weary and blackened from train dirt, we said goodbye to our Mandovi travel companions and squeezed ourselves into a taxi, drooling at the thought of cold Kingfisher and spicy pork vindaloo. Despite the fact that we had missed a significant part of the scenery and never did verify those two thousand bridges, we did not feel any less fulfilled. Our time on Indian trains has only just begun.

culturama

October 2015

Look Who’s In Town Bengaluru

Everyday Delights Katie Delly and her family moved here from the United States, when her husband took up a position with Target in India. She talks about how things are different from their home country, but delightful nonetheless My first point of contact with India was through my husband Matt. A few of his colleagues had worked in India before and they supplied us with a wealth of knowledge. In addition, I also did research on the Internet. Similar to the United States, each region of India has a distinct vibe and cultural experience. I appreciate the vibrant culture here. This year, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to celebrate Independence Day in both countries. In America, it is a big celebration with parades, barbecues, fireworks, food, family and friends...it is basically a big party. In India, we celebrated with our neighbours. People gave speeches about what the day means to them, and there were various performances that included dancing and singing. It was a beautiful tribute to the meaning of ‘Independence Day’. India on a Plate Where we grew up, there is more of an emphasis on meat and dairy products. In India, we are eating more vegetarian meals, and less processed food. I am up for trying almost anything and have never been timid about eating spicy foods, but our children don't care for anything spicy.

Wanderlust My number one goal during our time in India is to travel as much as possible. We have only lived here for a short time, but we have already been to Mysore, Coorg, Puducherry (Pondicherry) and Kerala. In Mysore, I fell in love with the palace. It was absolutely stunning. In Coorg, we got to zip-line and hike through the forest. In Puducherry, we enjoyed going to the beach. Kerala was so great we went there twice! We even got to attend our first Indian wedding, and enjoyed a day on a beautiful houseboat. For the rest of 2015, we have trips planned to Goa, Agra, Jaipur and Delhi. What I Would Like in India The traffic and infrastructure in Bengaluru makes it difficult to travel around locally. We are getting used to it, but we have experienced our fair share of car sickness. I am Taking Home... New friendships and a love of Indian cuisine and culture!

Take

Best Indian friend: We have many wonderful Indian neighbours, especially Uttpal, Neela and Sujuta. Favourite Indian food: Dosa and naan Favourite hang-out spot in India: Golfshire and the outdoor seating area at our house Intolerable India: Traffic Loveable India: Tradition and deep culture

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Look Who’s In Town Chennai

Chennai Ca l l i n g Congolese national Patrick Tshibangu, a student at the University of Madras, tells us about the difference between the India he saw in the movies and the real one he got to witness first hand My sisters watched a lot of Bollywood movies and TV shows back home – and my knowledge of India came from the stories they told. The country was otherwise a mystery to me, and little did I realise that I would land up in Chennai one day! I came to the city through a common friend, who helped me get admission to a course at the University of Madras. I always knew that India was an awesome country with a variety of cultures and languages; however, as they say, seeing is believing! The lungi or veshti fascinated me, as a similar dress is worn by the ladies in my country. India on a plate The first time I tasted chicken biryani, I cried as I couldn’t stand the spice level! Back home, we eat a lot of sweet food and the spices here are very different. I once went to a place that served only Indian food and I had no clue as to what was what. I ordered kal dosai, which I thought was a meat dish. What came to my table – a thick rice crepe – was a shock! After living in South India for three years, I have Indian friends who have shown me good restaurants and I know now what to order. Wanderlust In the last few years, I have visited different beaches around the city, such as Mamallapuram, temples across India, the Taj Mahal, and the cities of Delhi and Mumbai. I have also visited the deserts of Rajasthan, hill stations such as Ooty

and Kodaikanal and the town of Rameswaram in the South. Travelling has given me a sense of how different India is in terms of language, food and beliefs, and yet is one country. India has never ceased to fascinate me and I am yet to finish my exploration. I find that people are friendlier in the South when compared to their counterparts in the north. Being a student, I enjoy the festivals here – it is an opportunity for me to take a break from my classes! I have participated in Diwali, Holi, Onam and Pongal celebrations. What I would like in India If I could change something in India, it would be the caste system – especially when it affects those who are underprivileged. I am taking home... The acceptance among the people here – which helps different faiths and cultures to live together.

Take

Best Indian friend: Meryl Saji Favourite Indian food: Chicken biryani Favourite hang-out spot in India: Trekking in hill stations and visiting ancient buildings Intolerable India: Traffic on the roads Loveable India: Friendly people

culturama

October 2015

culturama

October Calendar of events

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

Art & Exhibitions

Art Documentary Mumbai

Photography Workshop Chennai

A documentary on Paul Cezzane will be staged by What About Art, a Mumbai-based professional arts management company, in collaboration with Alliance Francaise. The documentary, directed by Jacques Deschamps, details Cezzane’s development as an artist to his encounter with the Impressionists.

The Seascape Photography Experiential Workshop will take place on October 2 at Marina Beach under the guidance of Saritha Dattatreya. Saritha, a photographer, is also an educationist from Hyderabad. Those interested will have to pay a registration fee of Rs. 900 plus service taxes. For more information, email info@dcpexpeditions.com or call +91-22-6181 8464.

Date: October 15 Time: 1900 hrs Venue: Baitush Apartments (near Sigdi Restaurant), 29th Road, Bandra West

Date: October 2 Time: 0430 to 0830 hrs Venue: Marina Beach

Painting Exhibition Bengaluru Flame of the Forest is an exhibition by father and daughter duo Paresh and Aditi Hazra. Mythological figures such as Krishna and Radha, and mythical icons such as mermaids are Paresh’s area of focus, while Aditi has chosen to highlight various female forms. Paresh Hazra has had his works in Delhi, Calcutta, Honk Kong and New York. Date: September 25 to October 14 Time: 1900 to 2200 hrs Venue: Knykyny Art Gallery, Building No. 104, Embassy Square, Road No. 148, Near Police Commissioner Hall, Infantry Road

culturama

October 2015

Events

Tea & Coffee Expo Mumbai

Marathon Bengaluru

Tea and coffee lovers can head to the World Tea & Coffee Expo 2015 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon. This is the third edition of this event and it is organised by Sentinel Exhibitions Asia Private Limited. For more details, visit http://tradeshows. tradeindia.com/worldteacoffeeexpo

The Bengaluru Marathon, which aims to spread awareness about Pediatric Cancer, will feature participants in three categories – the full marathon (42 km), half marathon (21 km) and five-kilometre run. Registration fees apply. For more details, visit http://www. bengalurumarathon.in

Date: October 1 to 3 Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre, Nesco Compound, Off Western Express Highway, Goregaon East

Date: October 18 Venue: The marathon will begin at Kanteerava Stadium. From there participants will go around Ulsoor Road, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Hosur Road and then head back to Kanteerava Stadium

Painting Exhibition Delhi An exhibition of Rajasthani Pichwai paintings by Udaipur-based artists will be held at Hauz Kaus village. The vibrant colours of these paintings set them apart from other Rajasthani works. The themes in these paintings revolve around Lord Srinathji, a manifestation of Lord Krishna. Date: September 24 to October 20 Time: 1100 to 1900 hrs Venue: Hauz Kaus village, Hauz Kaus, South Delhi, NCR

Music Festival Kolkata Music fans can have a whale of a time at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender festival. The sixth edition of this event goes east this year to the ‘City of Joy’. Well-known act Parikrama will be one of the performers this time. Tickets are priced between Rs. 1,250 and Rs. 2,250 and can be bought at https://insider.in. Date: October 31 to November 1 Time: 1400 hrs onwards Venue: Aquatica, Near Rajarhat Township, Kochpukur

October 2015

culturama

Disney Musical Mumbai

Music Concert Chennai

Disney is set to recreate the magic of Broadway in India for the first time ever with its iconic Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which ranks as one of the longest running and highest grossing Broadway shows of all time. Based on the Academy Awardwinning animated feature film, this classic musical love story will be presented to Indian audiences on the same scale as the megaproductions seen on New York’s Broadway and London’s West End. The production will be in English and approximately 130 minutes in duration, featuring some of the best in musical theatre the country has ever seen. Over 100 of the best performers in India will bring the story alive on stage, with world class production values, lavish sets and gorgeous costumes.

Musician Ankit Tiwari will be performing in Chennai for the first time – and he is joined by singer Shefali Alvares. The duo promise an evening of music extravaganza. Ankit has won several accolades, such as the FilmFare Award for The Best Music Director, GiMA Awards for The Best Debut in Music and Best Album of the Year and Zee Cine Awards for The Best Music Director.

Date: October 23 to November 1 Time: 1500 or 2000 hrs onwards (depending on day of booking) Venue: Dome Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., D Wing, First Floor, NSCI, SVP Stadium, Lala Lajpatrai Marg, Worli

Dance Drama Delhi The 59th edition of Ramlila, a dance drama based on the epic Ramayana, will be presented by the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra. The drama, produced and directed by Mrs. Shobha Deepak Singh, offers insights into mythological traditions in contemporary times. Tickets are available at denominations of Rs. 500, Rs. 300, Rs. 200 and Rs. 100. For more information, visit http:// www.sbkk.in Date: October 13 to November 9 Time: 1830 to 2115 hrs Venue: Kendra Lawn, 1, Copernicus Marg

Date: October 11 Time: 1900 hrs onwards Venue: YMCA: Royapettah, 24 Westcott Road

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Picture Story by Team Culturama

Eat, Pray, Dance Vibrancy is at the heart and soul of festivals in India – with the celebrations usually centred on colourful idols of various gods and goddesses (particularly for Hindu festivals), with jewellery and bright pieces of cloth used to adorn the idols. Some festivals, which are celebrated publicly, involve music and dancing as well. Sweets and flowers are offered to the deities, and distributed among devotees as prasad or blessed offering. This sense of joie de vivre binds the different parts of the country, as people participate in the celebrations with vigour. The liberal use of colour – in various forms – adds to the festive atmosphere.

culturama

October 2015

1. The clay incense burner, also called dhunuchi, is used prominently in worship. It is lit by placing burning coal at the bottom, which ignites a layer of slow-burning coconut husk, on which incense is sprinkled. During the Durga Puja in eastern India, it is common to have dhunuchi nritya, or a frenzied dance, to the accompaniment of drums. Photo: Christine Valade, France 2. What you see here is a plastic version of mango leaves that are strung together and hung at the entrance to the house. Mango leaves acted as an air purifier – these substitutes are more of a token symbol and are preferred because they don’t dry out! Notice the Christian-inspired motifs on them – an indicator of cross-cultural influences at play. Photo: Tineke Sysmans, Belgium

3. The things put together for worship are also chosen to please the different senses – the fragrance of flowers, the pleasant taste of sweets, the glow of a lamp and the touch of bright sindhur (vermilion powder), with the chime of the temple bells completing it all. Photo: Cara Louwman-de Bruin, The Netherlands 4. Celebations apart, no festival is complete without prayers being offered at home or at the temple. Some people even hold special prayer sessions, which may involve the recital of scriptures (such as the Bhagavad Gita) in their home over a couple of days. Photo: Cara Louwman-de Bruin, The Netherlands 5. Kolu, or the festival of dolls, is held during Navaratri in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. It involves the arrangement of figures of deities and scenes from daily life in a series of steps. The festive mood sets in much earlier – when family members go shopping for the dolls. Photo: Carlo Sem, Italy 6. Sweets are a regular fixture at all Indian festivals – and confectioners try and come up with ingenious ways to make their offering even more tempting. This plate of tri-coloured treats pays homage to the Indian flag even as it doubles up as a festive offering. Photo: Reem Aousy, Iraq

October 2015

culturama

Photo: John L. Toole

Festival of the month

Navaratri October 13 to 22 ‘Navaratri’, which means ‘nine nights’ in Hindi, is a nineday festival that honours three female manifestations in the Hindu pantheon – Durga, the Goddess of primal energy, Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, and Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge. An interesting aspect of this festival is that its celebrations are solely dedicated to showcasing and celebrating the feminine aspect of the universe. The first three days are said to be dedicated to Goddess Durga, the next three to Goddess Lakshmi and the last three days to Goddess Saraswati. Celebrations vary from state to state. In Tamil Nadu in the South, Navaratri is marked by the custom of Kolu – a display of dolls ranging from that of deities to scenes from village life. The display, arranged on a series of steps, is held in honour of Parvati (another form of Durga). The women of the household invite their friends and relatives to view their Kolu and then reciprocate the visit. The Mysore Dasara, celebrated in Karnataka, another southern state, is a grand 10-day affair. The city of Mysore has a long tradition of celebrating the Dasara festival and the festivities attract a large audience including foreigners. Notably, the Dasara Festival completed its 400th anniversary in 2010.

In the eastern regions, particularly in West Bengal, Durga Puja is a key part of the celebrations. Colourful idols of Durga slaying the demon Mahishasura add to the gaiety of the occasion. In keeping with festivities, aarti, a form of homage, is performed to the beat of the dhak (a drum) while some followers perform a dance called dhunuchi naach. In Gujarat in the western part of the country, the garba raas and dandiya raas play a huge role in the celebrations. Held as a communal event – usually in a public hall, it sees a group of people use medium-sized sticks, which they gently strike against the other’s as they move to a particular rhythm. Some forms of the dance also involved free-hand movements. Another festival that comes under the banner of Navaratri is Dusshera, which is especially popular in the North. This festival, celebrated after the nine days of Navaratri, marks the triumph of Lord Rama (an avatar of Lord Vishnu, the Creator of the Universe) over the ten-headed demon ruler Ravana, who had abducted Sita, Rama’s wife. In North India, celebrations are held in the form of parades known as Ram Lila, where the viewer sees passages enacted from the epic Ramayana (which details the life of Lord Rama). A much-awaited part of the celebrations are the burning of giant effigies of Ravana, which involve a significant exhibition of pyrotechnics. The day after Navaratri, called Vijaya Dasami, is a time when people begin

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Weir, Canada

Photo: Christine Valade, France

Photo: John

new ventures or begin their first class in art forms such as music and dance. Given below is a list of places in different metros you can go to take part in Navaratri celebrations.

Kolkata Durga Puja sees the ‘City of Joy’ at her most vibrant as young and old fill the streets in their best clothes. A noticeable feature is the fact that many women wear white saris with bright red borders. Some of the pujas in North Calcutta are very famous and have been hosted by famous Bengali families and organisations for more than a hundred years. In recent years, pujas in South Calcutta, such as the one in Maddox Square, have gained prominence.

Delhi Popular Dusshera celebrations are mostly held in Old Delhi. The Ram Lila Maidan is a famous venue – the performances kick off in the evening and go on till late in the night. These days, however, fireworks are seen more than the enactment of the epic.

Mumbai With a large Gujarati population in Mumbai, the garba raas and dandiya raas are celebrated with gusto. Popular centres are the Naigon Police Parade Ground in Ghatkopar and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium in Worli. A

common attraction is that Bollywood singers are known to perform in the festival.

Chennai The huge demand for Kolu dolls during this period means that mini exhibitions spring up in places where they are set up for sale. Popular places to visit to see dolls are the streetside shops in Mylapore, the Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan in Mount Road and shops in West Mogappair.

Bengaluru Garba raas seems to have caught on in the IT hub – popular venues are Electronic City, Brigade MLR Convention Hall, National College Grounds in Basanvagudi and Koramangla Indoor Stadium. The India Immersion Centre at Global Adjustments will celebrate Dussera with a special Kolu display in mid-October. If you would like to participate in the event, please contact Aishwarya (+91-95972 05865) or Usha (+91-98405 20394) or email contactiic@globaladjustments.com for more details.

culturama

October 2015

culturama

Photo: Christine Valade, France

Now and then a book comes along that captures the yearnings of a generation. In my lifetime, Somerset Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge was such a novel. Published towards the end of World War II, it spoke to a war-weary world in a way the author could never have imagined. I discovered The Razor’s Edge soon after the war was over. India had won independence, and I was embarking on my teaching career. The timing was perfect, for although I did not know it, I was about to be plunged into the same search the story describes. Maugham takes his title from a line in the Katha Upanishad, one of India’s most profound scriptures: ‘Sharp like the razor’s edge, the sages say, is the path to self-realisation.’ His central character is an American named Larry, whom he claimed to have met through acquaintances in the United States. Whatever the truth about Larry’s identity, we recognise ourselves in his story; to that extent he is as real as you or I. As a very young airman, Larry sees his best friend die in battle, and the casual way in which life is snuffed out plunges him into a search for meaning. He studies the world’s great writers and philosophers, but they only feed his rage to know.

In Europe he stays awhile at a Benedictine monastery, where a monk observes insightfully, ‘You are a deeply religious man who doesn’t believe in God. God will seek you out...Whether here or elsewhere, only God can tell.’ Eventually Larry makes his way to India, where he learns to meditate. When Maugham meets him next, he has returned to Europe. Noticing a subtle but profound transformation in his friend, Maugham asks him, ‘Have you found what you were looking for?’ ‘Yes,’ Larry replies quietly. ‘And what was that?’ ‘Peace.’ ‘And what will you do,’ Maugham asks a bit skeptically, ‘now that you have found it?’ ‘Live,’ Larry says with a smile. ‘With calmness, forbearance, compassion, and selflessness.’ He adds, ‘Of course I’ll work.’ He plans to get a job in a garage, he explains, and save enough to buy a taxi. Maugham is dumbfounded. ‘Can you for a moment imagine that you, one man, can have any effect?’ ‘I can try,’ Larry replies. ‘Nothing that happens is without effect.’ When even one person tries to lead a spiritual life,

culturama

October 2015

Holistic living by Eknath Easwaran

Making Your Life Count

Whoever we are, we can improve our contribution to the world simply by giving complete attention to the job at hand in a spirit of detachment. We don’t have to compare our lives or work with others. All that is expected of us is that we give our very best to whatever responsibilities come our way ‘the influence of his character spreads...It may be that if I lead the life I’ve planned for myself it may affect others; the effect may be no greater than the ripple caused by a stone thrown in a pond, but one ripple causes another, and that one a third; it’s just possible that a few people will see that my way of life offers happiness and peace, and that they in their turn will teach what they have learnt to others.’ In a small way, you and I are like Larry. The mere fact that I am writing this and you are reading it places us in the company of seekers like that young airman poring over the works of the world’s great thinkers in the library. And Larry’s choice at the end of the book points to a profound truth: the influence each of us has in the world depends not so much on the work we do as on the kindness, patience, and compassion we show in the details of everyday life. In other words, it is not enough if we make progress in meditation. We have also to make sure that we share the fruits of our efforts with everyone around us, helping them to move from sickness into health, from despair into hope, from hatred into love, from a wasted life into a life that is precious to themselves and those around. And the very best way to do this is through our personal example.

5 Join Us Every Saturday India Immersion Centre in Chennai facilitates a weekly spiritual fellowship group following Easwaran’s Eight Point Programme of Meditation. E-mail us for more information at globalindian@globaladjustments.com. If you are in other cities, visit www.easwaran.org for e-satsangs.

Here, the Bhagavad Gita, which Mahatma Gandhi called his ‘spiritual reference book,’ offers some very practical advice: whoever we are, we can improve our contribution to the world simply by giving complete attention to the job at hand in a spirit of detachment. We don’t have to compare our lives or work with others. All that is expected of us is that we give our very best to whatever responsibilities come our way. As our capacity to contribute increases, greater responsibilities will come to us. That is the way spiritual growth has always taken place down the centuries. Reprinted with permission from the summer 2015 Blue Mountain journal, by Eknath Easwaran. Copyright 2015 by The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, P.O. Box 256, Tomales, CA 94971, www.easwaran.org. The article can be accessed at: http://bmcmwebsite.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/ bm-journal/2007/2007Summer.pdf

October 2015

culturama

Give to India by Shefali Ganesh

Genie on a roll A social venture formed by young college students, Moving Forward aims to help villagers in Tamil Nadu get water to their homes in an efficient and hygienic manner through the ‘Paani Genie’ In the summer months, from March to June, colourful plastic kodams (pots) tied to cycles is a common sight in Vinayaganallur, a small town about three hours away from Chennai. The pots are taken in groups to a water source that is around 2 km away and brought back with a week’s supply for the family. Families that have a cycle or motorbike to help ferry the pots are considered lucky. In some homes, the women of the house carry the pots on their heads or hips, and make multiple trips to fetch water. On a hot summer day, a bunch of young students from Chennai happened to chance upon this sight – and it set them thinking. One of them, Jay Puducheri, hit upon an idea of simplifying the task – along with his friends, Jay took the first step and set up ‘Moving Forward’, a not-for-profit venture. Through Moving Forward, the youth aim to connect educated young people to the underprivileged, so as to offer solutions to real time problems. A fledgling product of the venture is ‘Paani Genie’ – a barrel that can be rolled towards the source of water, filled up and rolled back without much effort. The concept is an existing one that is successfully used by organisations like Wello Water in Rajasthan’s villages. According to studies that his team conducted, says Jay, “Women in these villages take five to six hours in a week making multiple trips to collect water for their family. The

culturama

October 2015

kerala BACKWATER BLISS

responsibility lies mostly with the women, which in the long run it takes a toll on their health.” By bringing the concept to Tamil Nadu, Jay hopes to ease the women’s burden. As a first step, the Paani Genie team identified the right village for their pilot study – they looked for a village where the primary water source was at least 2 km away and where there were at least 100 to 150 homes. They hit upon Vinayaganallur, a village not too far from Chennai – which made it easier for them to build a relationship with the villagers. “Men and even children seemed to be enthusiastic about this new method of water collection,” says Jay. Having established their pilot village, the team set out to work out the economics of manufacturing the water barrel with a Chennaibased manufacturer. The Paani Genie barrel will be designed from high-quality food grade plastic that can withstand the rough terrains of a rural landscape. Also, if the barrels are damaged after time, they can be converted to storage bins after cutting off the top halves. Vinayaganallur requires around 100 barrels – each barrel costs the team Rs. 3,000, and the team decided to sell the barrels at a heavily subsidised rate of Rs. 100. Hence, the team is now on the lookout for possible sponsors to fund the cost of barrels. Paani Genie is a solution that not only eases their lives of villagers but also contributes to long-term livelihood opportunities. With the Paani Genie, the Moving Forward team is on a roll, making a mark in the everyday life of rural India. The Paani Genie team can be reached at paaniegenie@gmail.com, +91 9940157743 (Jay Shiv Puducheri) or +91 9940197971 (Maanasa Madhu Krishna).

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

October 2015

culturama

At Global Adjustments by Team Culturama

Home, Sweet Home

At the recently concluded Global Investors Meet 2015, a panel of five expatriate leaders spoke about the many things that made them feel ‘at home in Tamil Nadu’

“The @homeintamilnadu Expat speak panel discussion @GIM 2015 was perhaps one of the best among all the sessions we had the privilege to attend.” – Chartered Accountant, UK “I had the privilege of sitting through your session, which I felt was one of the most interesting session held that day.” – Partner, Kochar and Company (one of India’s top M&A law firms) “We thoroughly enjoyed the panel discussions that were well moderated and got excellent inputs from the expat speakers.” – FDI advisor specialist “It was an educative and entertaining discussion at the same time, and I thoroughly valued and enjoyed it.” – IPR professional

Do expats feel at home living in Chennai? This was the topic of discussion at a session at the recently concluded Global Investors Meet 2015, which was held in Chennai. The panel comprised Kyongsoo Kim (Consul-General of the Consulate of the Republic of Korea), Hidehiro Ishiura (Director-General of JETRO), Markus Villinger (Managing Director, Daimler Bus Division), Paul Kivlehan (Director, Barclays) and Fernanda Pinto-Dalby (Senior Recruiter, Renault). The session was moderated by Ranjini Manian, Founder-CEO of Global Adjustments. The session covered a number of topics that are of interest for expats looking to move to Chennai – ranging from housing, work environment, availability of goods and services, safety of women, healthcare facilities and their experiences with Indians. Ranjini said that while expats initially find it difficult to find their feet in Chennai, they start to miss the city when they eventually leave. Her comment resonated with all the panellists, with Kyongsoo Kim reiterating that “Tamil people who are so warm-hearted”. All the panellists acknowledged that they had faced teething problems when they first moved to the city. While Fernanda Pinto-Dalby talked about how her family had seen around 32 houses before finding the right fit, Paul Kivlehan recounted his experience with neighbours who loved to play loud music well into the night! However, they soon veered to talking about how the people of the city had made them feel more than welcome. Fernanda Pinto-Dalby said that she had been always been treated with respect by men and women; Hidehiro Ishiura said that Tamil Nadu could be a part of India, but something about it set it apart from the rest of the country. Paul Kivlehan, who has been living in Chennai since 2013, said that he loves the whole energy of the city. Markus Villinger added that he was impressed with the knowledge, skills and energy of Tamil people. The underlying sentiment of the session was summed up by Markus Villinger, who talked about a coffee table book published by his company. The book, titled Two Times Crying, touched on how the expats ‘cried’ out of frustration when they came to Chennai, then (really) cried when they left the city as they had become attached to Chennai and its people.

culturama

October 2015

Sneak Peek culturama YOUR CULTURAL GATEWAY TO INDIA

November 2015

November is a time of celebration at Culturama – as this is time when the awards ceremony of the annual Beautiful India Expatriate Photo Competition will be held. In this spirit, we mark all things Indian and all things beautiful. Jungle Book: Explore the natural wonder of Nagarhole – and go on a trek through the thick jungle. Who knows, you may even see a tiger! Rainbow of Emotions: Black and white photography is an art of its own – for the nuances of emotions are seen even more clearly in the play of light and shadow. Write to culturama@globaladjustments.com to subscribe for your copy.

Postcard from India January in Benares in “This was shot a – and, as lours from Indi co ve lo I . 14 20 . I stayed in was a good shot you can see, it ying t 20 minutes tr os m al r fo e ac that pl nice shot, when this to find the best She saw t of the house. woman came ou turned hide. I left and me and tried to started the photo! She back and shot r pictures plenty of othe ok to I g. n hi ug la e I prefer. t this is the on of this street bu pictures: e place to take Varanasi is th ples.... anga ghats, tem G s, op sh s, et stre otography.” e re-discover ph m e ad m a di In ce

ois Vial, Fran

- Jean-Franc

October 2015

culturama

At Global Adjustments by Team Culturama

Happily Ever After (?)

hez

e Donate Sànc

Photo: Enric

The India Immersion Centre recently conducted a ‘Happy Marriage’ workshop at a college in Chennai, in which doubts and fears about marriage were cleared and a positive impression about the age-old institution was reinstated A huge batch of 1,900 students of SIET College for Women in Chennai attended the ‘Happy Marriage’ workshop conducted by Usha Ramakrishnan, Director of the Indian Immersion Centre. The workshop was also a social initiative by Bharat Matrimony Ltd – an online matrimonial forum – intended to create happy families and help youngsters build a secure future.

When the programme started, participants were asked whether they were afraid of getting married – about 80 per cent of those gathered raised their hands in response. Their fears stemmed from having to face the unknown, a sense of anxiety as to whether their ambitions would be denied, and the stories about premature divorce among friends and relatives. The programme addressed the source of their fears by giving them a glimpse of the role of young women in building a happy family. It also shed light on the adage, ‘Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus and they walk the path together on Earth as partners’. In particular, it addressed the fact that women today balance career and family – and the means to do so effectively. By the end of the session, it was heartening to see most of the girls raising hands when asked how many of them look forward to a happy married life! The India Immersion Centre (IIC), the NGO wing of Global Adjustments, conducts several programmes and workshops for people of all age groups. If you would like to participate in the programmes, or have the IIC conduct workshops in your school or college, please e-mail the details to contactiic@globaladjustments.com

culturama

October 2015

culturama

4 Chennai Property Nungambakkam Independent villa for rent • 2,500 sq.ft. independent house • 3 bedrooms • Spacious sitting room and modern kitchen

OMR Condominium for rent • 4 bedrooms; 2,300 sq.ft. • Sea facing • Club house, gym, pool, and power back-up

ECR Independent seaview villa for rent • 4000 sqft • 4 Bedroom • Western style open kitchen, dining, living area • Landscaped garden, Pool, Sit out Patio • 100% generator back-up

Boat Club Road Luxury city apartment for rent • 3 Bedrooms, 2800 Sq Ft Sea-facing villa, • Garden, swimming pool, Gym • All rooms air conditioned, full generator back-up

OMR Brand new gated community for rent • 4 BHK Apartments • New built gated community • Swimming pool, Gym & Club

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

culturama

October 2015

76 Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India RNI No.TNENG/2010/32752. Postal Reg.No.TN/CC(S)Dn./396/2013-15. Licensed to post without prepayment under WPP No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-268/2013-15. Date of Publication:1st of every month.

E: info@globaladjustments.com | P: 98416 54816 Follow us on: