October 2011 Northern California Edition

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Writing Ethnic in America

Verdict Without a Trial

Exiled at Home

IndiaCurrents Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence

october 2011 • vol. 25 , no .7 • www.indiacurrents.com

Indian Americans find environmentally responsible ways to celebrate this festival season.

The Price of Silence 1885 Lundy Ave, Suite 220, San Jose, CA 95131 Phone: (408) 324-0488 (714) 523-8788 Fax: (408) 324-0477 Email: info@indiacurrents.com www.indiacurrents.com

Publisher & Editor: Vandana Kumar publisher@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 225 Advertising Manager: Derek Nunes ads@indiacurrents.com Northern California: (408) 324-0488 x 222 Southern California: (714) 523-8788 x 222 (408) 324-0488 x 221 Graphic Designer: Nghia Vuong EDITORIAL BOARD Managing Editor: Vidya Pradhan editor@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 226 Calendar Editor: Nadia Maiwandi events@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 224 COLUMNISTS Forum: Rameysh Ramdas Films: Aniruddh Chawda Dear Doctor: Alzak Amlani The Last Word: Sarita Sarvate Uncubed: Krishna Sadasivam

Recently I got into a political argument with a friend, which, rather predictably, ended with us retreating to our respective corners to nurse our wounds. After tempers had cooled, I mulled over the incident. Perhaps my vehemence had been inappropriate, but was I right to engage?

They say you should never discuss religion or politics in public, and I can aver from personal experience that my forays into political debates with friends and family have, almost always, been met with yawns, eye-rolls, and barely disguised disinterest or discomfort. That is understandable. People lead busy lives. The combative nature of modern politics is dispiriting and a media environment that relishes contests and ignores substance is unhelpful. Then there is the information overload, which makes us retreat into cocoons, hoping that our circle of friends will act as trusted filters. It hasn’t helped that a myth of individualistic success and obstructionist and ineffective government has been perpetuated so successfully as to become pervasive. Yes, it is understandable.

But it is not acceptable.

Because we are inundated with a neverending tirade of demagoguery, and because affairs of state are reported irresponsibly in a he-said, she-said template, we forget that, underneath it all, decisions that affect our lives

RAJU S. KOSURU

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REAL ESTATE • LOANS

Contributors: Jasbina Ahluwalia, Madan Ahluwalia, Kaushik Barua, Chetan, Priya Das, Malar Gandhi, Smita Garg, Madhumita Gupta, Satya Kalra, Yamuna Kona, Lakshmi Mani, Veena Patwardhan, Shanta Sacharoff, Girija Sankar, Suchi Sargam, Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan, Mani Subramani, Kalpana Sunder, Vivek Wadhwa

Information provided is accurate as of the date of going to press; India Currents is not responsible for errors or omissions. Opinions expressed are those of individual authors. Advertising copy, logos, and artwork are the sole responsibility of individual advertisers, not of India Currents.

are taken each day by people who we have had the opportunity to elect or reject. Minor bills are passed that can have major impacts in our lives. No amount of wealth or influence can protect us from the e-coli in our spinach, nor can a fancy car protect us if we are driving over a bridge that has not been repaired due to lack of funds. No gated community can protect us from the criminality that arises from inequity or the natural disaster that is untended because of cuts in emergency personnel.

We may elect our politicians because we like the cut of their jib or the sparkle in their smile, but behind their rhetoric is actual voting history, bills tendered and passed. We may despise a politician for not delivering on an issue we care about, or having weak negotiating stances but, once again, they have complete records in black and white for us to peruse.

And we can choose to educate ourselves and others, or we can pretend it is all happening to someone else. We can choose to let uninformed opinion stand, or we can become the trusted provider of facts. For the 99 people who cannot be moved, there will be the one who says, “Really? Tell me why you are right and I am wrong.” Or, better yet, one will say, “Let me tell you why I am right and you are wrong,” and we will learn something new.

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MAXIM REALTY india currents • october 2011 • 1

2 • india currents • october 2011

Northern California Edition

PERSPECTIVES 1 EDITORIAL: The price of silence. By Vidya Pradhan 4 LETTERS 6 FORUM: Are employee unions still relevant in the

United States? Two opinions. By Rameysh Ramdas and Mani Subramani

Veena Patwardhan looks at creative ways of celebrating festivals in an eco-friendly fashion while still staying true to our traditions

12

8

TECHNOLOGY: Software vs. science. By Vivek Wadhwa

22

NOT FOR PROFIT: Indians for Collective Action honors Anna Hazare. By Smita Garg

30

25th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: Writing “ethnic” in America. By Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan

80

DESI VOICES: Do we deliver a verdict on adultery without a trial? By Chetan

104 REFLECTIONS: Navratri is more than a celebration.

By Satya Kalra

128 PERSPECTIVE: Meeting the surrogate: the second article in a series on surrogacy. By Yamuna Kona 144 THE LAST WORD BY SARITA SARVATE: Exiled at home.

Author Bharati Mukherjee discusses her new book Miss New India

LIFESTYLE 56 RECIPES: A sure sign of autumn. By Shanta Sacharoff 121 DEAR DOCTOR: Making a difference. By Alzak Amlani

42

124 THE HEALTHY LIFE: Ten popular beauty foods.

By Malar Gandhi 138 RELATIONSHIP DIVA: Playing the field.

By Jasbina Ahluwalia

Kalpana Sunder timetravels to the ancient city of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka

51

DEPARTMENTS 32 Ask a Lawyer 33 Visa Dates 140 Uncubed

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 34

FICTION: “Home Where all the Stories are Born,” a Katha 2011 honorable winner. By Kaushik Barua

40

BOOKS: Reviews of Miss New India and Last Man in Tower. By Girija Sankar and Lakshmi Mani.

76

MUSIC: Indians in the blues music scene. By Priya Das

135

FILMS: Reviews of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, That Girl in Yellow Boots, and Mausam. Interview with Imran Khan. By Aniruddh Chawda, Suchi Sargam, and

Madhumita Gupta

WHAT’S CURRENT

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

88 Cultural Calendar 106 Spiritual Calendar 125 Classifieds

89 92

Youth in Action FundraisingWalk Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts india currents • october 2011 • 3

IC

voices

Don’t Put Down Teachers’ Unions

As an educator, I enjoyed this heartfelt and truthful piece and appreciate the input (A Salute to Teachers, September 2011).

So many people blast teachers unions without an understanding that they—the NEA, the AFT, and other unions that larger cities might have (i.e., the Chicago Teachers Union)—are not there to protect bad teachers; they exist for many other reasons that benefit education workers and, ultimately, the students themselves. And people, for some reason, feel comfortable complaining about teachers and their “cushy lifestyle and benefits” when clearly they don’t have any understanding of a teacher’s nearly 24/7 “lifestyle” or how their benefits work.

Teachers, firefighters, police, and public medical employees are not the drain on state budgets that they have been made out to be.

Rather, it is the states’ mishandling of, misappropriation of, and robbing from the pension funds that created the problems that so many state governments face today. It is a shame that the worker has to shoulder the burden of correcting other peoples’ mistakes.

To any IC reader who is employed as an educator of any kind, I say “be proud of what you do and be joyful in how your work affects generations of children, our future.”

Jeanne E. Fredriksen, online

The Widening Economic Gap

The United States created this housing crisis and may get out of it (The American Dream? September 2010). But I am more worried for people in emerging markets—being set up by sharks inside and outside their communities to be “the new indebted middle class of servitude.”

You might be surprised how much gap exists between professions. People with PhDs are paid peanuts, while those who pay capitation fees to get medical degrees make millions. Educators, who shape minds and society, are paid peanuts, while entertainers make millions. Brilliant thinkers make peanuts while mediocre marketing people make huge bucks. Where are the American values?

Debt might have been avoided in a more balanced society where “money, wealth, accumulation of wealth and profits” are not the only priority. Unfortunately immigrants always seem to say that they came to America for its money, wealth, economic opportunity or profitability, rarely for culture, education, social ideals, etc.

If greed got you into debt then you need to fend for yourself. On the other hand, if you got into debt because of bad information and deception then you deserve our sympathy and

4 • india currents • october 2011

support.

Next time worship your social scientist who knew these problems in advance, and the social workers who help in spite of people’s stupidity, naivety or greed.

Meera Srinivasan, online

Too Simplistic

I enjoy reading Ms. Sarvate’s column.

However, I worry that she sometimes makes extremely uncritical observations and is quiteprone to sweeping generalizations.

Why worry about that? Because India Currents is a dominant forum for engaging the South Asian “voice” in America, and it

Elections 2012 Are you a South Asian involved in American politics? India Currents is planning a series of articles leading up to the Presidential elections in 2012.

We are looking for varied viewpoints—from the grassroots organizer to the seasoned campaigner. To share your experiences and perspectives, get in touch with us at editor@indiacurrents.com with the subject line “Elections 2012.” is our civic duty to ensure that the voice isn’t sneaking in false assumptions and drawing of unexamined “similarities” between otherwise different things as the “truth.”

In “Hazare, My Hero,” (September 2011) Sarvate does wonderfully well when she appreciates Anna Hazare’s satyagraha against corruption in India. In the specific Indian context, Hazare’s movement blossoms into concrete and meaningful political action.

It is only when she tries to lift the Hazaretype action lock, stock and barrel and tries to dump it into a totally different context— American politics—that she begins to lose credibility in my eyes.

Claims like “there is more corruption in America than there is in India” sound plain silly. Of course, corruption is a part and parcel of governance the world over, as is structural violence built into political systems. But such

a sweeping comparison reflects fuzzy thinking.

It is impossible to imagine an “American Hazare” because historically and culturally, America is not attuned to voices like that of Hazare’s. There have been voices like those of MLK, who adapted and adjusted Gandhi’s voice to suit American purposes. And if you will, MLK’s great contribution was “words.”

Your primary claim that “words” ought to be subservient to “actions” smacks a bit of antiintellectual smugness.

Noam Chomsky ’s “ words” help us understand mass-media hegemony (which is a universal problem) and corporate power (again something that is an Indian problem as well) with a great deal of clarity. “Words” lead to action, if not physical, then ideological and mental.

Elizabeth Warren is someone I admire, and she, to me, represents an American Hazare with a difference, just as Anna Hazare could be an Indian Warren with a difference.

And why would somebody do a satyagraha in front of the New York Stock Exchange? I don’t understand.

Lastly, I’m sorry that she has been mistreated by her hometown police force in CA. But that’s no reason to condemn an entire police force as “corrupt.” And I’m shocked that she justifies corruption among members of the Indian police force by saying that they’re too poor!

Sharmila Mukherjee, online

Microfinance Not Implemented Properly

The concept of microfinance is excellent, but its implementation was wrong, especially the role played by NGOS, with their callous attitude towards women (Challenging the concept of Microfinance, September 2011).

The government, instead of helping, criticized the scheme. Dismissing Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Prize winner, from the Grameen Bank which he founded to alleviate the poverty of women, is disgraceful.

Rajendra Mandal, online

Speak Your Mind

Have a thought or opinion to share?

Send us an original letter of up to 300 words, and include your name, address, and phone number. Letters are edited for clarity and brevity.

Write India Currents Letters, 1885 Lundy Ave. Suite 220, San Jose 95131 or email letters@indiacurrents.com.

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india currents • october 2011 • 5

IC

forum

Are Employee Unions Still Relevant in the United States?

Rameysh Ramdas

Mani Subramani

Today’s global economy needs strong unions

Unions have outlived their usefulness

or over a century since the advent of industrialization, unions have shaped American workers lives and industry in profound ways. The Clayton Act of 1914 paved the way for unions by exempting human labor from being considered a commodity or article of commerce and thus allowing for collective bargaining. While union membership has been in decline since the 1960s, it is still widely prevalent in representing many industries in our economy such as auto workers, teachers, nurses, and the police.

Unions have succeeded in making many reforms at the workplace, such as the 40-hour workweek, overtime pay, sick leave, unemployment insurance, workplace safety and hazard protections and ending child labor, that have benefitted all workers in America, not just those that belong to a union.

Wisconsin Republicans, led by Governor Scott Walker, stripped that state’s public employees of any collective bargaining rights in March 2011. That assault on the employee unions now stands poised to spread nationwide, fanned by the Republican Party.

While some may argue that unions have lost their purpose and do not benefit the workers they represent, the truth is far from that. In this age of rapid globalization, outsourcing, off-shoring, and unfettered pursuit of profits and savings by both corporations and the public sector, often at any cost to the workers, unions remain the last bastion of support and defense for many American workers. At the same time, I would acknowledge that the unions need to focus on their basic function and renew their partnership with the employers rather than have an adversarial unyielding stance.

An example of a positive cooperative union-employer endeavor is a proposed labor agreement that General Motors and the United Auto Workers union reached in September 2011—with win-win provisions that would re-employ about 570 GM previously laid off workers, revive a now-idled assembly plant in Tennessee and pay one-time bonuses of about $5,000 for each current worker, and yet allow GM’s cost structure to remain within their goal. Such cooperation benefits both workers and allows employers to add jobs.

Another opportunity for such cooperation is the proposal to address the San Jose City budget shortfall—Mayor Reed has a pension reform plan that is expected to save $67 M in the next year. The employee union should consider reasonable compromises that will preserve city jobs while still providing for a fair pension.

The answer to our country’s economic woes is not the destruction of the unions but rather their reform to partner with employers, including the public sector. Unions and employers must work together to grow the competitiveness and profitability of the employers while still ensuring that the employees’ legitimate interests are protected.

We need employee unions now more than ever in this global economy to step up and advocate for the American worker. n

he union movement in the United States peaked in the 70s, when they represented about one quarter of the workforce.

Unions have been in a steady decline since and make up about 12.4% of the entire workforce and only 7% of the private workforce today. While unions in the past helped maintain wages and the standard of living for the middle class, this trend is unsustainable. Economists have proved that unionization frequently produces higher wages at the expense of fewer jobs, and given the current economic climate, we should not be advocating for policies that depress jobs.

Also, the future of our workforce is changing. As of 2009, a third of the workforce participated in freelance or independent activities.

Money magazine estimates the number to grow to 40% over the next decade. A study by the University of Maryland suggests that the social media “app economy” is responsible for 182,000 jobs. Then there is the example of a new company called Task Rabbit which uses an online tool to connect people with time to spare with “employers” to run errands. Collective bargaining, pension benefits, improving working conditions etc., become irrelevant in a free and flexible workplace.

We need a new safety net for these employees when they trapeze between contracts and employers. A new social contract, perhaps a Medicare part P(private) which would cover anyone under certain conditions. We ought to be thinking regulated, defined benefit pension plans similar to social security, funded and owned by employees. Instead our attention has been diverted by the attempt of Republicans to demolish these archaic institutions that have not evolved in step with the dramatic changes to the way people live and work.

That public support for unions is low can be demonstrated by the reaction of voters after the egregious union busting in Wisconsin. Despite protests by unions and substantial press coverage of these events, Democrats failed to win sufficient seats in the recall elections to gain majority in the state legislature.

Such apathy is understandable. The few remaining unions often take intransigent positions in negotiations, such as the one taken by postal employees unions, which will not give up the “no layoff” clause, or the San Jose public sector unions’ refusal to negotiate pension benefits. In the latter case the city had to let go of 10% of the police force so that the remaining 90% would have comfortable pensions. Teachers unions have weird rules protecting bad teachers and dispensing with newer, better ones on the basis of seniority.

Union managements often become bureaucracies that lose touch with rank and file members, thus defeating their objective of representing them fairly. We have all heard of overpaid employees in every branch of the public sector who fight tooth and nail to keep their cushy retirement benefits continuing. It is this attitude that alienates trade unions for most people.n

Rameysh Ramdas, an SF Bay Area professional, writes as a hobby.

Mani Subramani works in the semi-conductor industry in Silicon Valley.

F

In this age of rapid globalization, unions remain the last bastion of support and defense for many American workers.

6 • india currents • october 2011

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Collective bargaining, pension benefits, improving worker conditions etc. become irrelevant in a free and flexible workplace.

October 1st - October 6, 2011

NAVARATRI

Daily 5:30 am – 7:30 am Sri Durga Saptasati patha 10:30 am Sri Durga Homa 7:30 pm Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Puja & Kirtan Saturday, Oct. 1st 8:00 pm Mataki Chowki Sunday, Oct. 2nd. 12 Noon Bhajans by Suman & Sargam Shah following the homa Tuesday, Oct. 4th 8:00 pm Astami Puja & Garba Thursday, Oct. 6th, 6:00 pm Vijaya Dashmi - Sri Durga Homa & Garba

October 15, 2011, Saturday

2nd Annual Flea Market

Benefit for Badarikashrama’s Primary School in Madihalli, Karnataka * Food Booths, Good quality goods & prices * Entertainment: Arabic Dance by Ashiana Dance Troop with Monica Sawyer & Ellie, * Puppet Show & Magic Show by Srikant Hemmady with Ankita & Sankalpa - Shows 2 pm & 4 pm * Mendhi by Mendhi (decorative hand painting) Support a worthwhile cause for the rural children in India.

Fun,Food, & Fabulous Bargains (donations accepted until Oct. 10th.)

October 16, 2011, Sunday - 1:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prayer Day

PEACE MARCH IN NEIGHBORHOOD with Mahatma Gandhi Puppet, the creation of Jes Richardson (snacks before march from 12 noon to 1 pm) Call ashrama to participate.

Talk by Jes Richardson Educator, travelling peace activist, founder “Bridge of Hearts”, world peace org.

Art Competition Awards Talk by Asha Sharma Educator, author “An American in Gandhi’s India”, “An American in Khadi”

JES RICHARDSON

Presentation of Vashundhara “ “Ode to Mother Earth” written and directed by Rita Sahai with a Hindustani Choir and Orchestra

ASHA SHARMA

RITA SAHAI

6:30 pm Aarati & Mahaprasad (Dinner)

October 30, 2011, Sunday - 2:30 pm

DEEPAVALI CELEBRATION Concert: Shubhangi Sakhalkar Prashant Pathak - Harmonium Kedar Karmarkar - Tabla

Shubhangi Sakhalkar brings a brilliant pedigree to her music. A gold medallist with an M.A. degree in Hindustani classical music, Shubhangi believes in sharing her knowledge and raising awareness about Indian Classical music.

She is recognized as one of the finest artists and teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an inspiring mentor to many students. Come with family and friends to hear her superb voice and devotional singing.

Events are free and open to all.

www.badarikashrama.org • email: badarik@pacbell.net • Call: 510-278-2444 india currents • october 2011 • 7

INDIA CURRENTS GRAPHICS (408) 324-0488

Sri Lakshmi Homa

IC

technology

Vivek Wadhwa

How Software is Harming Science and Engineering

A

recent column by Netscape co-founder, software entrepreneur, and noted Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreesen caused a stir in the tech community. Andreesen postulated that the software industry was “eating the world” and “poised to take over broad swathes of the economy.”

This is delusional.

It’s a clear case of someone with a hammer—Andreesen developed software, ran software companies, and now invests in software companies—seeing everything as a nail.

The irony is, software is hardly a hotbed of innovation.

While technology races ahead in many other fields, software has advanced but meagerly in the past 20 years. In terms of solving grand challenges, software has largely failed to deliver. Take the case of voice recognition. It’s much better than it was in areas like airlines’ reservation phone trees. But despite billions of research dollars no company has produced commercially available, affordable voice recognition software that can understand and transcribe, from voice to text, conversations involving multiple voices.

Likewise, voice recognition software requires training to work well—it’s not speaker independent. Yes, an IBM team did take on live Jeopardy! champions and beat them but the Herculean effort required to program a supercomputer to accomplish this just illustrates the enormous chasm that continues to exist between software and the solution of truly great challenges.

Compare this to advances in fields like DNA profiling and decoding. Over the course of a mere two decades, the ability to sequence or perform tests on DNA has become orders of magnitude cheaper—even to the point that sub-$100 DNA testing services will likely emerge within the next three years.

Or how about the field of 3D printers, a mind-bending class of devices that fabricate 3-dimensional objects and even devices with moving parts. It can do this in a matter of minutes by layering precise patterns of materials painstakingly and accurately, with the help of software and smart computers (note: software plays a supporting role here). In the race to innovate and serve the developing world, companies like General Electric are 8 • india currents • october 2011

Photo Credit: UC Davis Science Labs

Advances in science and engineering have been much more remarkable than advances in software over the last decade

developing medical imaging technologies that cost 1/10th or 1/20th the price of comparable devices sold in the U.S. Yes, software has made some limited progress in key areas. Search engines have had a material impact on the world. Some types of enterprise software have made a huge difference in business efficiency. But I’m hard-pressed to think of any other softwarebased product that has enabled revolutionary changes in society due to the innovative nature of the product and not to the innovative way people use the product. And, of course, Andreesen does give a nod to the other enablers of the growth of software such as cheap Internet-ready devices, the global telecommunications grid, and the microprocessor.

Andreesen’s portfolio of companies includes many that are highly touted but thoroughly unoriginal. Twitter is, basically, another way to do SMS using the Internet.

Facebook is Friendster 3.0 hacked up by some kids in a door room that has enjoyed good timing and deployed excellent UI. And then there’s Groupon, an enterprise that has achieved a single feat of innovation—creating dubious new accounting terminology to justify inflated IPO valuations.

In fact, I’ll make a bold statement: I believe that software is draining talent needed in other areas of science and engineering. Smart kids in college major in computer science rather than mechanical engineering because that’s where the money is. Yet some smart kid coding social games for Zynga serves very little societal purpose—particularly when that same kid could have instead decided to build innovative low-cost drip irrigation systems to serve famers in the developing world where irregular irrigation, dwindling water supplies, and poor infrastructure are a crushing trifecta.

The last thing we need is a world consumed by software, Marc. Please invest in more startups that seek to change the world in a meaningful way, and not just to make a mint in social media and useless software companies. n Vivek Wadhwa is a visiting scholar at University of California-Berkeley, senior research associate at Harvard Law School, and director of research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke University. You can follow him on Twitter (@ wadhwa) and find his research at wadhwa.com.

india currents • october 2011 • 9

Swami Bodhananda Saraswati is highly respected in India and America as an

accomplished teacher of Vedanta and Meditation. Swamiji has been characterized as a 'cutting edge' Swami, deeply imbued with the perennial philosophy of Vedanta and a living expression of its ideals. Come, experience his Vedic Wisdom!

Meditation and Satsang

Swami Bodhananda Saraswati

Meditation I Dates: Oct 24- Oct 28, Mon-Fri Time: 7.00am -8.30am Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu Temple 420, Persian Drive, Sunnyvale, CA Donation: $65 (Early Bird - $55 per session and $95 for both meditation sessions before Oct 15th) Vedanta and Parenting Watch Swami Bodhananda on Parenting Dates: Oct 30th, 2011, (Sat) Time: 9.00am -3pm Venue: Chinmaya Mission Clayton Ashram 10160 Clayton Rd, San Jose, CA Donation: $90 ($75-early bird before Oct 15th)

Meditation II Dates: Oct 31 Nov 4, Mon-Fri Time: 7.00am -8.30am Venue: ICC (TBD) 525, Los Coches Street, Milpitas, CA Donation: $65 (Early Bird - $55 per session and $95 for both meditation sessions before Oct 15th) Watch Gita and Management Swami Bodhananda on Gita Dates: Nov 6 (Sun) Time: 9am-3pm Venue: Chinmaya Mission Clayton Ashram 10160 Clayton Rd, San Jose, CA Donation: $90 ($75-early bird before Oct 15th)

* Discount Offer: Donation $199 for all of the above Swamiji's public programs paid before Oct 15th

Details about Workshops

For Details Contact: workshop@yogabharati.org

Call: Geetha Swamy (650) 704-1720 • 408-341-YOGA (408-341-9642) General email inquiries: info@yogabharati.org

www.yogabharati.org

10 • india currents • october 2011

INDIA CURRENTS GRAPHICS (408) 324-0488

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Advanced: For those who have been attending meditation sessions and have attained certain level of progress in posture, breathing and concentration or for those who completed Basic course above, this advanced session will focus on various levels of samadhi leading to nirbija and sahaja samadhis. Sound vibrations, visualizations, life regression and yoga nidra techniques will be used to to take the mind beyond the known and all forms of dualities and conflicts to the summit of Samadhi, the Shiva experience, and the dance of bliss.

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Celebrate this festival season the eco-friendly way

T

By Veena Patwardhan

he farmer pauses in his task of adding finishing touches to the Ganesh idol.

He has lovingly sculpted it out of clay scooped from the nearby river that nourishes his crops.

“How’s the garland coming along?” he shouts out to his daughter seated in the shade of the gulmohar tree in their tiny courtyard.

“It’s almost ready, Baba,” she replies, adding one more flower to the others she has strung together using fibers from the stem of one of their banana trees. “Mother is plucking a few more mogras and jaswandi flowers from the garden,” she adds.

It is Ganesh Chaturthi. The family has been up since dawn and in a short while, will instate their idol and start the puja. There will be no pomp, no show, just a profound gratitude for the bounties of nature and a heartfelt prayer that the next year be as harmonious and prosperous as this one. And on the day of immersion, the small Ganesh idol will be reverently immersed in the same river flowing nearby, where it will slowly disintegrate and become one with the source from which it has come.

Rituals like these above, once a loving tribute to the circle of life and gratitude to the regenerating powers of earth and water, have been subverted into noisy, commercial, public affairs, leaving in their wake a trail of environmental destruction and pollution.

But with increased environmental awareness, trends are changing, as Indians at home and abroad are figuring out ways to celebrate their festivals in a way respectful to the environment, while staying true to their traditions.

12 • india currents • october 2011

F

estivals like Ganesh Chaturti and Durga Puja were once simple family events. The image of Ganapati, the Lord of the “Earth” element (the other four elements or tatvas being water, fire, air, and ether), was once shaped out of mud and then worshipped. The significance of immersion of the idol, whether that of Ganesh, the elephant god, or Durga, the destroyer of evil, was a symbolic portrayal of the truth of returning to the essence of being after having taken physical form, one that is also embodied in the phrase “From dust to dust, from ashes to ashes,” that is recited during Western burial services.

Today eco-friendly earth or clay has been replaced by a man-made substances like Plaster of Paris (PoP) that takes months, even years to disintegrate; safe, natural colorants like turmeric have been supplanted by chemical colors laced with toxic substances like lead, chromium, and mercury that kill aquatic life and adversely affect eco-systems and, through the food chain, affect human health as well. Instead of using only flowers as adornments, we now use decorations made out of non-biodegradable substances like styrofoam, plastic, and zari.

Imagine the collective effect of such harmful substances on our eco-system when hundred of thousands of such idols are immersed in Indian wells, lakes, rivers, and seas, in the fall months year after year. Last year, around 190,000 Ganpati idols were immersed in Mumbai alone, over 10,000 of which were large community idols, some so gigantic they required cranes to immerse them. A similar number of Durga idols are immersed each year, amounting to thousands of tons of nonbiodegradable waste in the sea and other water bodies.

With fresh water being a dwindling resource, the repercussions of water-polluting activities are likely to be catastrophic. Caught up in religious fervor, messages about environmental pollution and its consequences have been slow to percolate into the mainstream.

Other Festivals and Pollution

Festivals like Diwali, Dassera, and Holi can also be toxic for the environment. Diwali is now more a festival of noise rather than a festival of lights. Despite warnings from doctors about the harmful effects of the sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide fumes released into the atmosphere, the practice of lighting firecrackers continues unabated.

Holi, meant to be a joyful celebration of the arrival of spring, was once celebrated with natural colors prepared from blossoms. Now toxic chemicals like lead oxide, copper sulfate, and Prussian blue, and even carcinogenic chemicals like aluminum bromide, and mercuric sulfite are used for preparing Holi colors.

The gulals (dry colors) are made up of a toxic, heavy metal-containing colorant, and the base is usually asbestos or silica, both of which are

known to be harmful to health.

In the United States, apart from the July 4th celebrations that mimic the noise and air pollution of Diwali, Christmas can be an orgy of energy consumption as houses compete to dazzle with outdoor displays.

Encouraging New Trends

Thankfully, the future is not entirely gloomy. Spurred by environmental education and activism, India is witnessing a revival of the ancient practice of worshiping “green” Ganpati idols. Though still a trickle, the flow towards environment-friendly celebrations has been gathering strength. Thanks mainly to the tireless efforts of organizations like eCoexist, the Jignyasa Thane Trust, Mumbai’s Save Powai Lake Committee, IIT Bombay, the Mumbai-based Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Upasana Trust, the National Green Corps, Andhra Pradesh, and scores of environmentally conscious individuals and groups

Date’s coconut shell Ganpati

across India and around the world, a steadily increasing number of worshippers and even Ganesh mandals are now switching over to clay idols. The trend of using metal or stone re-usable idols is also gaining in popularity. eCoexist (www.e-coexist.com), based in Pune, has always been committed to environmental education and promoting naturefriendly festival celebrations. Manisha Gutman, the founder of eCoexist says, “We realized that we needed to give people a solution as well, and we started the production of eco-friendly Ganesh idols.” Her organization uses the services of skilled artisans from the villages of Pen in Maharashtra and Sirsi in Karnataka to make a range of clay Ganesh idols in a variety of designs, all colored with natural pigments.

Devotees in India have also begun using and creating idols made out of recycled paper or natural fibers. Mumbai-based sculptor Ramesh Date has gone a step further down the eco-friendly route. Date’s beautifully handcrafted coconut shell Ganpati idol is a collapsible, re-usable, three-piece marvel. The only part that has to be replaced each year is the whole coconut that forms the belly of

the idol. After the final puja, the coconut is symbolically immersed in a bucket of water at home, following which it can be distributed as prasad, or soaked in water for a few weeks till it sprouts a shoot. Subsequently it can be planted to grow a new coconut tree.

Asked what made him choose coconut shells as a medium, Date explains, “Ancient Hindu texts refer to the coconut tree as kalpavruksha, a celestial tree. Moreover, the coconut itself has a special place in Hindu rituals and is also called shreefal, a divine fruit.”

Impressed by Date’s novel concept and his superbly sculpted creations, my own family switched from using PoP Ganpati idols to Date’s coconut shell murti two years ago. So far, we have planted two coconut palm saplings, one each year, and the experience has been very gratifying.

Preserving Our Traditions and the Environment

Uday Kunte and his wife Vera of Yardley, PA, symbolically immerse a silver idol they have been using for years. Vera also uses the floral offerings to prepare compost for her garden.

While metal or stone idols can be reused each year, clay or paper mache ones can be left to disintegrate in a tub of water at home, though the latter takes a long time to do so.

Gutman says, “If you immerse the clay idol in a bucket and pour the water into a garden, you are sending it back to nature, which is soil in this case. So, it’s not only traditional but also eco-friendly.”

Many NRI associations across America organize community Ganeshotsavs and pack away their idol after the final puja each year to re-use it the following year. Nitin Vaidya, Presi

Ganpati immersion at Stony Brook University, Long Island,NY india currents • october 2011 • 13

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Holi celebrations at Iowa State University

dent, Maharashtra Mandal of South Florida, says, “For Ganeshotsav, though we do aartis and the traditional puja, we mostly skip having noisy processions and the immersion. We re-use the same idol every year, so the issue of polluting the environment doesn’t arise.”

Prasad Prabhu of State University of New York, Stony Brook, concurs. “We use a PoP Ganpati idol, but we only immerse it for a few minutes into a small tank of water prepared by us, and use the same idol each year.”

Dakshini, an organization that serves Bengalis in Southern California, has begun curtailing the amount of disposable waste at their Durga Puja celebrations. Says founder Sarnath Chattaraj, “We try and minimize the use of plastic by opting for banana leaves and other compostable serving material.” The pandal at Dakshini’s puja is also made with as much recyclable material as possible and water fountains are created for the devotees’ use to minimize the use of bottled water.

“We also don’t immerse the idol,” adds Chattaraj, whose festival attracts over 1,200 celebrants each year, “we reuse it. Instead we immerse the flowers and leaves used in the celebration in the sea or compost them.”

Asked how they incorporate eco-friendly practices into their Holi celebrations at Iowa State University, Divita Mathur, President of the university’s Indian Students’ Association says, “For Holi, we use only natural colors.

We celebrate this festival on campus in one of the grounds so that the water used is absorbed by the lawn. Apart from that, we are very particular about cleaning up the place whenever we have an event—be it inside the campus or outside in a park.” Abhishek Bharad, President, Indian Student Association, Louisiana State University, says, “We celebrate Holi with gusto at LSU, but we use natural, not synthetic colors.”

Greening Christmas

Cynthia James and her environmental geologist husband Paul from Plano, Texas, have cut out outdoor lighting all together, putting out just a lone Christmas star instead, a symbol that is perhaps a much more poignant reminder of the heartwarming story of the star of Bethlehem that led the wise men to the infant Jesus.

Artificial or real Christmas trees—which is the more eco-friendly option? As Paul puts it, “Where you live should help you pick the better option. In my home state of Maine, where there is an abundance of pine trees, it makes more sense for people to use real trees which are later recycled as mulch. But in places like say, the southwest where tree farms are unsustainable, an artificial tree that can be re-used year after year would perhaps be the smarter option.” At the annual Christmas party organized by GEMs (Goans, East Indians and Mangaloreans), an organization of which Cynthia is a member, they use the same artificial Christmas tree each year. But Cynthia adds, “Of course, however hard we try, we could never invent anything more recyclable than a real tree.”

Rohan and Isabella James learning to make home-made Christmas decorations

There are lots of options today for celebrating Christmas the more eco-friendly way.

Those who love the smell of pine as it makes the whole house smell like Christmas, yet would rather not have a real tree, could opt for a fresh pine wreath or garland instead. And for those who would prefer to keep plastic trees out of landfills and would rather support the cultivation of real Christmas trees there’s a modern solution. Companies like the Living Christmas Tree Co. in Southern California and San Jose Christmas Tree Rentals in the SF Bay Area let you rent a tree for Christmas and take it back after New Year’s Day. The tree is then replanted at the farm. Some people hang strings of lights and other decorations on one of the potted plants or trees in their garden and use it like a Christmas tree.

Cynthia and her family also recycle old Christmas cards to make gift tags, and she encourages her children to make their own decorations. Last year, the James children, Isabella and Rohan, learnt how to make home-made Christmas decorations at an event organized by a church nearby.

I

ndian Americans have also figured out a way of leveraging technology to reduce waste that accrues with planning large events like festivals. Subodh Kirtane, Secretary, Seattle Maharashtra Mandal, says, “We have almost completely eliminated paper-based communications. We use periodic email blasts to intimate our members about festival celebrations and other upcoming programs.”

To the concerns that such attention to the environment detracts from the enjoyment of the event, the Kuntes suggest that being spared the cacophony of loudspeakers blaring from morning till night, the deafening “music” belted out during processions, and the earsplitting noise and toxic fumes of crackers—all of which have become an integral part of our festivities in India—makes for a deeper spiritual experience.

D

esis can also take a page from the rising trend in eco-friendly music festivals in the United States. Large music festivals have traditionally been sources of many different kinds of pollution—air pollution from the diesel generators and cars of attendees, garbage from cans, cups, and plates, chemical toilets, and discarded food. Partying is an inseparable part of most festivals, but it also creates millions of tons of non-biodegradable trash. Now festivals vying to be the most responsible have a “leave no trace” policy and enlist volunteers to clear garbage and sort out recyclables. Some offer solar-powered booths and bicycle powered cell phone chargers for the convenience of the concert-goers. Even musicians have got into the act, preferring bio-diesel touring buses and redesigning their itineraries to minimize travel.

At Iowa State, Mathur says they try to follow some of these practices not just during india currents • october 2011 • 15

parties but also at all events where they serve food and beverages. She adds, “We strictly use disposable plates and dishes that are recyclable.” Such “green” products may have a slightly higher price tag, but they certainly don’t cost an arm and a leg. With many restaurants in California adopting compostable containers for take-out, one hopes that the practice will slowly gain currency in private celebrations as well.

A change to eco-friendly practices is a slow process. But the message about “greening” our celebrations would be more widely acceptable if we can convey that such behavior actually takes us closer to our traditions and that protecting God’s creation—nature— is a wonderful way of worshipping Him. n For more details about eCoexist products, environment-conscious devotees in the United States can contact Natalie Leek (nrleek10@ gmail.com).

Those interested in finding out more about Date’s innovative idols can contact him at (91-9869124306).

Veena Patwardhan is a Mumbai-based writer, copyeditor, and science journalist, and Assistant Editor of Let’s Travel magazine (www. letstravelzine.com).

Green Ideas For This Festival Season For the worshipper or festival enthusiast, being environmentally conscious doesn’t imply having to make any significant compromises in either the spirit of the festivals or the traditions we try so hard to maintain. Here are some sensible choices we can make in the upcoming festival season: •If you are keen on going through the immersion rites, get a clay idol or any ecofriendly/biodegradable one. Getting a reusable metal or stone idol that can be reused is also a good idea, as it is the symbolism that is most important, not the disintegration.

•Participate in community celebrations. By performing rituals in a communal fashion rather than individually, you can help reduce usage of possible pollutants.

•When it comes to Holi, always use natural colors. You could even make some in your own kitchen using materials like leaves, flowers, turmeric, beetroot, or pomegranate peel. Here’s some information to help you get started. http://hinduism.about.com/od/ holifestivalofcolors/a/naturalholi_2.htm •Use diyas (earthen lamps) instead of electric lights this Diwali. They may not produce the same kind of wattage, but their soft light will help you connect to the traditions of your ancestors in a way no set of string lights can. They are also reusable.

•Use bio-degradable or reusable cups, plates, and flatware in your celebrations. These are now widely available even in box stores and discount warehouses.

•The festival season is often a time to shop for new clothes. Take a moment to clear your closet and donate your well-preserved items to a local charity. Consider exchanging infrequently worn festival outfits with friends or family. Look for apparel rental services.

•Recycle whatever you can. Last year’s decorations, gift wrap, and even the greeting cards can be saved and re-used. Re-invent these items and give them a new lease on life.

•Consider renting a Christmas tree from a tree farm.

•Real trees for Christmas must be recycled in accordance with your city’s regulations.

Check your city’s website for more information.

•Look for LED lights this Christmas; these are more energy efficient than traditional bulbs.

Pia Ka Ghar wishes you “A Happy & Prosperous Festive Season”

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Smita Garg

The Power of Community Indians for Collective Action (ICA) has been doing stellar work over the years

T

he sounds of “I am Anna” reverberate even in the United States, even as images of Hazare surrounded by adoring Indian masses at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi linger on, days after Hazare’s 10-day fast in August 2011. Now Indians for Collective Action (ICA), an SF Bay Area non-profit organization, has taken the lead in giving due recognition to this humble and unassuming hero of the grassroots movement against corruption in India. Hazare will be felicitated at an award ceremony in October 2011 in Santa Clara, CA. This is not the first time that ICA has honored a person of such prominence as Hazare. In the past, they have honored the likes of Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Inderjit Khurana, D.R. Mehta, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, S.R. Hiremath amongst several others known for their developmental and social work in India. ICA has also honored Indian Americans like Rajiv Shah (USAID), Nipun Mehta (CharityFocus), and Nilima Sabharwal (Home of Hope), who have made a meaningful contribution to the world through their charities and social work.

This year in addition to Hazare, honorees include Paul Polak, who has worked extensively on developing effective solutions for poverty eradication and is founder of International Development Enterprises (IDE); and another “Team Anna” member Prashant Bhushan. Along with the award ceremony, ICA is hosting a Social Innovation Expo. In considering these events, it would be useful to highlight some of ICA’s work in the area of community service, both in India and the United States.

The History and Mission of ICA

Indians for Collective Action was first formed as a catalyst for rapid economic advancement of India by P.K. Mehta in Berkeley in 1965. In 1968 it was formally incorporated: a non-profit, charitable organization with the goal to serve the poorest in the Indian society.

In fact, well-known non-profits such as Asha for Education (the largest U.S.-based organization supporting basic education in India) and Foundation for Excellence (the largest scholarship-awarding foundation to deserving Indian students) have their roots in ICA. In the four decades of its existence, the organization has supported several developmental programs all over India. ICA supporters Ravi Chopra, a scientist who has done

22 • india currents • october 2011

groundbreaking work in the area of water resource technology; Sandeep Pandey, cofounder of ASHA, and Srikanth Nadhamuni of eGovernment, have now moved to India in order to pursue full time social work.

ICA volunteers have generously donated time and money in support of projects which aim to alleviate poverty, fight injustice and inequity in India, making it perhaps the oldest service organization in the United States working towards those goals.

Looking at ICA’s history, its initial goal of helping the poorest of India hasn’t changed much. Rather, it has evolved with time. Unmesh Sheth, the current president of ICA, elaborates, “Since its inception, ICA has believed that economic opportunity thrives best in a sustainable environment and a just society.” To achieve that goal, ICA supports innovative, community-based development projects in United States and India, which empower people to bring positive changes in their lives and be writers of their own destiny.

How ICA works

To achieve its mission, ICA has taken a multipronged approach. Giving recognition to agents of social change such as Hazare, Bedi, or Polak is one such approach that got its start in the 1990s. A more traditional approach is partnering with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India through volunteering or funding their work. Most of ICA’s partner NGOs work in the areas of children and youth programs, special needs, women’s programs, healthcare, education, microfinance, etc. Some of these NGOs are SEWA, Apna Ghar, Vidya, Indian Vision Foundation, Utthan, One World children’s Fund, and People’s Science Institute.

Then there are programs like InSPIRE and the ICA Knowledge Network. InSPIRE

Project Ruchika

is designed for youth who are 18-22 years old.

Under this program, groups of young people travel to India to work with NGOs focused on different sectors of integrated development such as education, rural development, environment, youth, and leadership. The program provides a real-life understanding of economics and development of the marginalized poor—an experience no institute of higher education could possibly offer (ed: see http:// www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2010/01/13/ inspired-by-india). The ICA Knowledge Network, on the other hand, is made up of experts from the United States providing expertise in areas of development where that know-how is required.

More recently ICA has taken another step: to understand the social and economic problems of India better, the organization has instituted the Ambassador Program. This program gives anyone who is interested in seriously pursuing development work in India an opportunity to connect with the country at a much deeper level. The program forms an important part of ICA’s engagement campaign which aims to create opportunities for the Indian diaspora to engage more meaningfully with the motherland.

Apart from supporting projects in India, ICA is also engaged in serving the Indian community in the United States. Realizing that the expatriate community has specific needs, Sheth talks about ICA’s support in creating programs to that end, “Increasingly

india currents • october 2011 • 23

Anna Hazare, who will be honored at the ceremony

we feel that empowering volunteers to find local community-oriented programs is extremely important.” Thus was born Pallium-IndiaUSA, formed with the help of Jerina Kapoor, a pediatrician passionate about providing culturally sensitive care to those who need palliative care in the local Indian community. “ICA helped them (Pallium-India-USA) define a mission, build a structure, get a non-profit status, as well as commit some of its volunteers to expand their base. Pallium is only one year old and has grown from just one volunteer to over fifteen, providing services to the local community,” adds Sheth.

The Social Innovation Expo 2011

ICA has been organizing the Social Innova-

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tion Expo since 2005. It is an annual event where non-profits such as Association for India’s Development (AID), ASHA Silicon Valley, India Literacy Project (ILP), Foundation for Excellence (FFE), and CharityFocus are invited to showcase their work to the community. Also featured are ICA programs: InSPIRE, the Ambassador Program, and the ICA Knowledge Network. This year the expo is expected to be much larger due to participation by many more non-profits. The event’s mission is to help prospective volunteers find a nonprofit that works for a cause which is close to their heart.

I

CA’s mark is evident in the founding and growth of many organizations that are working towards social development and progress. Detailed literature on its numerous projects and personal stories can be accessed on the ICA website, www.icaonline.org.

The Award Ceremony

ICA has been active in supporting the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement spearheaded by Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, and Prashant Bhushan. The organization’s goal here is to unite as many NGOs as possible in support of IAC. With its large base of volunteers and an extensive network of social activists and cultural organizations dedicated to the development of India, ICA has built a

unified support for the movement from the United States. With encouragement from IAC leaders, ICA also has, in the works, the selection of an ambassador who would coordinate all U.S.-related IAC activities.

Sheth reiterates ICA’s goal here, “In addition to honoring the people involved in the India Against Corruption movement, ICA has been instrumental in unifying the efforts of individuals and organizations such as People for Lok Satta and Association for India’s Development (AID).” His hope is to utilize the October 2011 event to, “bring more attention, educate people and unify efforts for IAC movement in India and the United States.” n The award ceremony for Anna Hazare will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center on October 15, 2011. For more details on the program, please check ICA’s website or contact Unmesh Sheth, (usheth@gmail. com, 510-676-9502) or Abhay Bhushan (akbhushan@aol.com, 650-868-6645). Also see our calendar listing.

Smita Garg is a writer, educator, researcher.

Her interests lie in the areas of social work, education, and the arts. Smita has worked extensively with corporations, non-profits, and community outreach programs. She also conducts art workshops and camps all over the SF Bay Area for kids and grown-ups.

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25 years

Writing “Ethnic” in America A columnist grows up with India Currents

By Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan

M

y grandmother made me an American Girl, and an Indian one. I remember my grandparents visiting from India in 1993: my cosmopolitan Papa, as at home eating on a banana leaf as with fork and knife, and my ambitious Ammamma, who had moved from a Kerala village to London as a teenager, and seemed always to be renegotiating the shock of that initial encounter with Western cultures, values, and norms. They visited us often, and we them. My parents, who had come to the United States in the late 1970s for higher education, made it a priority—financial, temporal, psychic—to take my brother and me to India regularly. I went to India first at two months old and thus never registered the event of a first encounter. My Papa’s granddaughter, I ate comfortably with my hands. I would later laugh but never fully appreciate jokes about ABCDs and coconuts, so well-adjusted did I feel to my so-called hybrid identity.

But I thought a lot about what it meant to be Indian in America. I was eight years old in 1993 and had recently begun receiving my very own subscription to American Girl magazine. As I have written before in these pages, the magazine featured real-life girls as paper dolls, and I was to be the centerfold of the August/September 1995 issue. I take no credit for that early foray into minor celebrity.

My Ammamma saw the magazine, realized that they had yet to feature an Indian American, and gathered together the requisite photos and stories about my foremothers. The result was a paper pop-out version of me with accompanying text: “Meet Ragini Srinivasan—and some of the remarkable women in her family. Ten-yearold Ragini lives in San Jose, California. She can trace her family back 100 years, to her great-great-grandmother, who lived in India!”

So much meaning inheres in a single exclamation point. I was only able to trace my matriline back to 1906; previous paper dolls had taken readers to Ohio, 1783, and Iceland, 1834, to their greatgreat-great-greats, and so on. The fact of my being Indian compensated for my limited genealogy, something which my grandmother, perhaps because of her own experience as the lone sari-clad woman on London streets, had intuited: the allure of the exceptional and unusual ethnic subject. Sixteen years later, I read that introductory text as an announcement not just of an Indian-American girl to the motley readership of American Girls, but of the constellation of issues which would occupy my thinking, writing, and scholarship in the years to come. I have been interested in the ways in which we are each determined—by space, place, speech, and economies of culture, by birth and family, by social, political, and legal institutions. I have been interested in the ways in which we stage our “introductions,” to deploy the word in the broadest sense.

Meet Ragini: I have writ30 • india currents • october 2011

ten for India Currents since 1999, when, encouraged by my mother, I submitted two unsolicited pieces to the magazine. It is perhaps not an overstatement to say that IC and I grew up together. When, as an 8th grader, I submitted my first piece, titled “Why I Never Became a Girl Scout,” India Currents was just 12 years old.

IC was by then a mainstay in Indian homes, and I had often heard my parents remark on the quality of the articles and opinions.

Unlike certain other diasporic rags, IC did more than ethnic cheerleading, more than feel-good stories of spelling bee wins (though there was, and remains, a context for that kind of content).

I began contributing a regular column in summer 2001, after having been invited to do so by then-editor Vandana Kumar. For six years, my column ran on the “Youth” page. Unlike IC’s film, music, or book reviewers, recipe or advice columnists, or even features writers, I wrote creative nonfiction, fragments of memoir, and personal essays, very much in the spirit of “Desi Voices,” Ranjit Souri’s “Personal Items,” Lakshmi Palecanda’s “Bottom Line,” and even Sarita Sarvate’s “Last Word.” Mine was an “early” word from the second generation, the American-born children of India Currents’ original readership. In the years since, scores of other second-generation voices have filled the magazine’s pages, complicating its narratives, and revealing other sensibilities.

My first columns dealt with a mélange of teen issues (college applications, dating, driving, conformism), interspersed with sociopolitical reflections (on feminism, multiculturalism post-September 11th, animal testing, child labor, literary conventions) as well as attempts to interrogate (my) Indian-American identity. I had spent over a decade learning bharatanatyam, for example, and I wanted to understand the desire to preserve “authentic traditions” in diaspora. I attended an all-girls Catholic high school, and my columns reflected my evolving conceptions of mentorship and guru-ship, the nuances of sexism and racism in the classroom, and the politics of religion.

In 2003, I entered Duke University in North Carolina, where I did my undergraduate work in literature, anthropology, and women’s studies, and where my understanding of race, gender, and cultural production in America was necessarily complicated. My articles for India Currents grew more nuanced, reflecting my exposure to grassroots activism in Durham and engagement with crises like the lacrosse scandal and Hurricane Katrina from a position of painful proximity. My time at Duke provided me an invaluable perspective on the American South and enabled me to cultivate a more expansive understanding of “Americanness” itself, as a project inclusive of varied political attachments, cultural ideals, and historical investments.

During my college years, under editor Ashok Jethanandani, my writings for IC became explicit attempts at “translation,” attempts to pose theoretical questions concretely, communicate scholarly ideas in accessible, productive ways, and to engage in public life through writing. I became more attuned to the disparate expectations and interests of India Currents’ diverse readership, which continue to guide the writing I do today in the “Zeitgeist” column under the editorship of Vidya Pradhan. Whether writing about my wedding, my great-grandmother, or the philosophy of history, I

strive to bring the same critical sensibility to the page while maintaining an ethos of honesty and generosity toward the reader whom I would hope to engage.

An Editor’s Questions

In mid-2007, I assumed the editorship of India Currents, a position I would hold for two years. Editing IC will always remain one of my greatest privileges and responsibilities.

I learned a tremendous amount from the IC team, our writers, and from the imperatives of producing a text each month that could serve as a voice “of” and “for” a community both real and imagined. Throughout my tenure, I found myself alternately challenged, inspired, and perplexed by the demands of the magazine. What was our purpose, and why? For whom did we write?

Publications like India Currents, which have ethnic-specific niches, operate on the logic that the content we produce is that which has been or would be excluded from or ignored by the mainstream media. Our motivation has historically been twofold: to profile individuals, highlight achievements, and circulate ideas which would otherwise never be published, and to inculcate in our readers the belonging, pride, and recognition that cannot be achieved through the consumption of mainstream media.

Ethnic publications thus first demarcate territory according to the perceived need for coverage of our minority communities. This need is expressed in different ways: our young people need role models; we must be able to “see ourselves” in the faces on TV and in newspapers; the dominant culture does not value our achievements, dances, movies, books, religions, or successes. We must “tell the stories” that wouldn’t otherwise be told.

This raison d’être is called into question when, for example, the New York Times or the San Jose Mercury News has already profiled the young Indian filmmaker, say, whom IC is highlighting next month.

The question of “telling our stories” is one I broached in a pair of editorials (“Hyphenated Writing,” May 2008; “Stories without Limits,” June 2008), asking the following: In what ways do the concerns of a diasporic publication differ from those of India-based publication? How can we think critically about the vocabulary that is being used to describe the diasporic experience? What limits do we place on the content we produce? And what criteria do we uphold for the knowledge and experiences we communicate to our readers?

Responses I received from certain incredulous readers were telling, particularly one suggestion that I look to our magazine’s name for a clue to appropriate subject matter.

But IC had always inhabited a more critical stance on identitarian issues, and I was never content with simply running “Indian”

or “Indian-American” content. What did that mean, anyway? Weren’t there enough outlets out there running all-things-desi? The South Asian Journalists Association’s SAJAforum, for example, used to pick up anything and everything “desi in the news,” from bylines in major papers, to crime-beat appearances, to e-mail spam that arrived in the name of an imaginary Indian: “Wilson Patel wants to transfer money into a safe foreign account …” Today, SAJAforum is more discriminating about its posts, which perhaps reflects the proliferation of other desi-identified blogs.

Of course, critiquing what it meant to “tell our stories” did not mean that IC could escape that most difficult of questions: “Why is this article in India Currents?” When I was editing IC and we ran stories on subjects like poetry, social work, or global warming, we had to answer the question by profiling Indian poets and Indian social workers, by asking Indian environmentalists to share their journeys with our readers. We made it Indian—if not by authorship then by interviewee—in order to publish it in India Currents. Our content, then, was structurally and methodologically quite consistent, even when we were exploring new thematic grounds.

I sometimes found this a frustrating constraint on our material, but I struggled to come up with a better answer to the question of what merited publication in IC. My editorship also made me more aware and appreciative of the magazine’s unique business model. Since 1987, IC has been a community resource. That means that it has maintained incomparably low advertising rates, a free distribution model, and a reliance on freelance contributions to generate editorial content.

Chris Anderson of Wired magazine has for some time been discussing the “new” economy of “free.” India Currents has employed a “freeconomic” model for years, realizing (as Google has now) that advertising can effectively subsidize the reader’s experience of the magazine. Of course, IC maintains the necessary “separation of church and state”like chasm between the advertising and editorial departments. But the free model has enabled us to stay connected to—and support the continued existence of—small businesses, groceries, law firms, salons, and realtors. In a hyper-corporatized world of WalMarts, Starbucks, and oligarchic financial institutions, it is a creditable achievement.

Cultivating a Critical Readership

In 25 years, India Currents has come to command a certain commitment from its readers, advertisers, and contributors. As a longtime writer for the magazine, I believe we must continue to do the work we do, publish the stories we do, address the issues we do, and represent the readers we do. And, I believe we must be able to answer a very simple

question from would-be detractors: Why? There are many answers. Here’s one: A side effect of having an ethnic or communityidentified readership is that many of our writers use “we” language. This has varying effects on readers. In India Currents’ case, those who identify as Indian, or in some cases South Asian, are faced with the choice of whether or not they want to be implicated in the narrative, argument, or anecdote in question. “Am I,” they must ask in response to every sentence read, “part of this ‘we’ or ‘us’ being deployed?”

And to what end? Those who identify as non-Indian, who read the magazine as a text representative of “an-other” culture, must reconcile their own “otherness” to the shared assumptions, knowledges, and bilingual asides of an “imagined” and actual community of writers and readers.

Certain letters that I received during my editorial tenure confirm that readers are often engaged in this kind of work. Consider this response from an Indian reader to Sarita Sarvate’s August 2008 story on yoga vacations.

Sarvate had traveled to Kerala for a yoga retreat, only to find herself in a new age ashram populated primarily by Caucasian Americans and Europeans. Her article tried to come to grips with her conflicted feelings of belonging and entitlement, of being a tourist among tourists in her “native” land, of cringing at mispronounced slokas and being unable to assume standard yoga positions. The reader’s letter—a criticism of what she perceived to be the writer’s hostility to non-Indians at the ashram—was almost conspiratorial: “I would advise,” she wrote, “that we avoid creating misunderstandings between Indians and American readers.”

By asking readers to engage with the persistent deployment of ethnicity, and by providing open, progressive forums within which different visions of community might be complicated and challenged, India Currents is doing work that cannot be done by mainstream outlets, whether because of the muzzle of political correctness or the precedence that “news” often takes over commentary. We are perhaps even fostering new ethical reading practices, since our texts demand from readers a heightened level of investment, shared responsibility, and attention to potentially problematic representations.

Herein may lie the greatest potential of the ethnic and community media: Against the dictates of journalistic impartiality, and in spite of academic movements away from the privileging of knowing subjects, we have placed our bets on the enduring value of critical self-awareness. It is a privilege and an honor to be part of this ongoing effort with India Currents. n Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley. india currents • october 2011 • 31

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I

n a divorce, there are typically four types of issues which are decided—marital status, support (spousal support and child support), child custody, and property division.

Child custody is often the main bone of contention for divorcing couples. Because it directly affects spousal and child issues it acquires increased significance. Each parent feels he or she is a better parent and wants to have sole custody or more custody of the child than the other parent. Regardless of the facts, the issue can become a tug of war between divorcing individuals. Child custody issues don’t go away until the child has turned 18 and this can bring the divorced parties back to court repeatedly.

The court has to balance the interest of the parties and uses legislation as a guide.

However, in the absence of clear directive, public policy and discretion of the court (the judge) dictates and drives the process. In the California court system, there is built-in protection in the sense that the divorcing couple

32 • india currents • october 2011

has to go through family court. The Office of Family Court Services performs child custody mediation, emergency screening, and evaluation services upon court referral. The law says parents who cannot agree about custody and visitation must go to mediation. It serves as a neutral territory and allows parties to get information and knowledge and work differences out with the help of a trained counselor.

For example, in Santa Clara county, parents go to a Family Court orientation class first to learn about what will happen in mediation. You will get a handbook called “Kids, Court, and You" that will help you get ready for your mediation. The handbook gives information on child custody and visitation, child development, co-parenting and parallel parenting arrangements, and tips on how to avoid arguments.

What happens if the parents can’t come to an agreement during mediation? There is no single magic formula and the following factors are taken into consideration:

• The safety and welfare of the child.

Needless to say, a parent with “bad’ history—drug usage or criminal background, for example, will be less favored over the other.

• “Frequent and continuing contact” with both parents and shared parenting. The court also has to take into account Family Code section 3011 which encourages frequent and regular contact with each parent.

Custody orders are primarily of 3 kinds: • Exclusive custody (“legal” and “physical”) to one parent.

• Sole physical custody.

• Sole legal custody.

Explanations for the above are beyond the scope of this article. It is highly recommended that you work with a competent attorney to handle your divorce if young children are involved.n Madan Ahluwalia is a California lawyer. He can be reached at 408-416-3149. His website is www.ahluwalia-law.com.

IC

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visa dates

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October 2011

T

his column carries priority dates and other transitional information as taken from the U.S. State Depart­ment’s Visa Bulletin. The information below is from the Visa Bulletin for October 2011.

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fiction

Home, Where All The Stories Are Born

Kaushik Barua Katha 2011 Honorable mention

1947, Kham, Tibet

I

n the semi-darkness of his childhood evenings, Lhasang’s father, Tsepon, enacted the life of King Gesar of Ling. Tsepon leaped and swirled, dodging arrows here, thrusting a sword there, the sleeves of his chuba, hanging well below his hands, rustling as they kept up with his heroics. “I am King Gesar,” Tsepon said, “Sent by the gods to save the dharma. And to kill the enemies of the Buddha.” He swung his sword in a wild arc. The performance ended with Tsepon swooping down to lift Lhasang into the air.

Or it ended when both father and son were grounded as Pema, Lhasang’s mother, hustled them into the kitchen for dinner.

Lhasang was six when he first saw Gesar being performed outside his house. The wandering drungpas who performed the epic visited Lhasang’s village. As soon as he heard about their arrival, Lhasang ran to the tent that

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34 • india currents • october 2011

had been set up for the drungpas. “Hurry up, Pa-la,” He screamed to Tsepon who followed, panting, behind him. But when he reached the drungpas, his enthusiasm was sobered by the first sight of the performers. They were too quiet, settling with a rehearsed ease on the cushions waiting for them.

“But they look … they look …,” He turned to Tsepon, “ordinary!”

“No, they’re only acting normal now.

That’s because they’re saving their energy,” Tsepon said.

“For what?”

“For the evening. When they perform. Just wait and you’ll see.”

In the evening, Lhasang got to sit in front, the children forming the first ring around the bards. Beside a bonfire, dried barley flour, tsampa, was sprinkled to form a temporary stage for the singers. The evening began with a prayer for the life of their Kundun, the Dalai Lama. After the gods had been pleased, the drungpas started. Their shoulders were padded, heavy gold brooches hung down their chests.

And from the crowns on their heads, four poles with flags shook in the wind as they leaped, their arms slicing the air. They were giants in the evening!

As the embers faded, Lhasang heard the whispers that were rippling through the audience. Those closer to the arena swore they saw hoof marks appear in the tsampa as Gesar’s ghost joined them. Lhasang felt the chill of the night close in. He looked behind him and saw Tsepon, one eye fixed on Lhasang. Lhasang turned back towards the performance, reassured. He peered through the flames, searching the ground for Gesar’s presence.

Later, he admitted to Tsepon that he was scared. “Always remember Kundun,” Tsepon said, “He will always keep you safe.”

Lhasang heard that many of the drungpas had learned the epic by magic. At home, he told Pema his theory, “They suddenly wake up from sleep. And they already know all the verses. It’s a seed of magic in their heads.”

But Pema was quick to dislodge this idea.

“All magic is nonsense,” she said. “But you see, sometimes real life is more magical than magic. Hundreds of times, the story has been passed. From an old man’s lips to a waiting young man’s ears. Each time one dies, another takes his place. Isn’t that magic?” “Actually, I don’t care if it’s magic or not,” Lhasang concluded, “I still prefer Pa-la’s

.

performance.”

R

iwoche, where Lhasang grew up, in 1947 was a little village in the Kham province of eastern Tibet; to call it a town would have been ambitious though official records might have done so. About thirty kilometers northwest of the village was a monastery that preceded the village by at least six hundred years. Riwoche nestled on the banks of the Dzachu River.

Lhasang learned early never to venture into the Dzachu. “You do not ever enter the river!”

Pema screamed when she saw him step into the water, her fingers twisting his earlobe around, “Do you want to be taken away by the lu-naga spirits hiding there?”

Riwoche’s proximity to the monastery meant the villagers could make the short trek to the monastery and tap into the hearts and wallets of the pilgrims. Tsepon went further than most, braving expeditions to different corners of the country. He returned from his excursions with goods that could again be fed into other travelers’ routes to sate the hunger of the larger cities: Kathmandu to the south or the Tibetan trading centre of Chamdo on the east.

Often the dregs of his exchanges were stored at home, becoming momentarily a treasure trove for Lhasang—tea from Yunnan dried into cakes and wrapped with yak hide or salt from the lakes of the northern changtang plateau. And the most bewitching of his father’s hauls—the rare coral, lapis or turquoise—which in other hands and ears would have denoted nobility. But in Lhasang’s palms, they were just a seductive palette of colours.

Safe as the world may have seemed to Lhasang, it was not. And since nature refused all that humans needed, they had to steal from one another. Thus some of the nomads who roamed Kham had to pounce on trading caravans, forcing the redistribution that a frugal geography denied. Traders often had to cross perilous passes in the mountains, where bandits lay waiting. A good bargain didn’t guarantee a successful deal. A trader also needed a sure foot and a surer gun. But Tsepon never carried a weapon.

“Why don’t you carry a gun? I heard everyone who goes outside the village needs one,” a concerned Lhasang asked Tsepon during one of his daily prayers.

“Come here,” Tsepon patted his knee. He fished out an amulet hanging from his neck under his chuba, “You see this?” Lhasang

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fingered the cylinder; it contained little paper scrolls crammed inside.

“This is from the Jokhang. The House of the Lord in Lhasa. All the gods that protect Bod have blessed this. You must remember—if the gods want to protect you, then no human can touch you. And if the gods want you dead, then no gun can save you,” Tsepon said.

“All the gods? How many are there in Tibet?”

Tsepon screwed his eyes closed, “I don’t know. As many gods as there are humans I think. But if you have to choose one, then choose Kundun—the Dalai Lama. He watches over all of Tibet. The whole of Bod might be just a swamp, but he is the lotus. He will always keep you safe.”

“Then how come you have never told me any stories about him?”

“Because he has just been found; he is still a boy. There are many miracles that he will perform in his life, but we have to wait. Do you want to hear the tale of Padmasambhava tonight; the man who brought Buddhism to us?”

“No Pa-la, I don’t want to hear about any more lamas,” Lhasang complained, “Tell me about the man with the black cloak. The assassin.”

“Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje,” Tsepon squeezed his head with his fingers, as if he was kneading the story out of his mind, “The man who conquered fear. And killed the godless king…”

For Lhasang the boundaries of fear lay much closer, at the sight of the neighbour’s mastiff, straining at a rope that tied him to the door.

Thankfully his mother Pema was always available, clapping at the dog as she did to repel evil spirits. Pema was, in Lhasang’s world, already a source of magic and protection, someone who could shield him from forces he could not 36 • india currents • october 2011

comprehend, who could even transform the nature of things. For had he not seen clumps of yak-hair, laid out on the floor, foam up into balls of fluff when she trashed them with a thin cane, the stick whistling through the air as it flexed back and forth? And had he not carried with his own hands the yak milk that she transformed into the hard balls that he kept snuggled in his mouth for hours before they softened and the first hint of cheese trickled through? Pema also assumed the role of protector. So Lhasang’s play zone was restricted to their courtyard, under the sometimes-watchful-sometimes-vicious eyes of the mastiff. In fact, sometimes if he was being too frisky and she was busy in the kitchen, she just bundled him into a blanket so he couldn’t disappear into the fields outside. And she left him squirming inside the blanket, dumped on his mattress, for an hour or two. “That is no way to treat a six-year-old kid,” Tsepon complained to Pema’s back. “What do you know about how to treat children?” Lhasang, from inside his blanket, heard Pema huff. “Well, I have one, don’t I?” “I’ll let him out when I finish cooking,” Pema said and Lhasang heard the ladle scratch the noodle bowl from his blanket-world, “You don’t know your own son, Tsepon. He only pretends to obey. But he never does. He needs hard love. Especially if he must survive Kham.”

Thus Lhasang grew up between reality and stories, straddling the uncompromising fact of his mother and the untiring fiction of his father.

Pema rebuked him all the time: “Don’t go out alone,” “Don’t tease that dog,” “Don’t stand behind the mule downstairs when it’s eating.”

And Tsepon fed him stories every evening: about Padmasambhava, who came to Tibet from the Swat valley at the insistence of the ruler Trisong Detsen; who had subdued the de-

mons of the land, spread the words of Buddha; who even convinced his consort—temporarily converted into a flying tigress—to give him a lift to Bhutan where he worked his wonders again.

About Milarepa, who started his life with great evil but found enlightenment later; whose heart was as white as his robes and whose skin turned as green as the nettle tea he drank all day.

“Why do you have to spend all your time telling him these fantastic tales?” Pema sighed.

“Because,” Tsepon would insist, “These are the saints who have created Bod, who have shown us the dharma.”

“Saints?” Pema said, “Now Bod has more bandits than we have saints.”

Lhasang nodded at both of them; he couldn’t understand either anyway.

That year—he was six—Lhasang was taken by his parents to the nearby monastery for Losar. Their mules followed the river north for two hours, first cantering along the road, then grappling for some time with the gravelly slush of the narrow path where the river lapped the foot of the hills, and finally climbing a ridge to see the Riwoche monastery sprawled in front of them. It was a brilliant sight for Lhasang: a massive, squat building like a giant wrestler crouching on his toes. The vertical stripes of red, white and brown on the walls enhanced the height of the main structure but it was still the breadth—spanning for almost half a mile—that seemed extraordinary. There was a smaller second floor topped with a shingled roof that curved outwards. And above that, in the centre, a spire-like tower reached upwards, like a lotus stem on a lake. And though he had heard of many wondrous buildings in the tales that filled his evenings, this immense structure suddenly seemed very alien, it even seemed

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When they crossed the bend in the river, Lhasang knew the village would sneak out from behind the next hill. And soon, despite the reluctant yaks, he would be home. Where he could sink, like butter in the morning tea, into the world where he belonged. frightening.

Tsepon swung Lhasang down from the mule. Lhasang was also dressed in a chuba like his father, swathes of lambskin hanging down from both shoulders and tied at his waist by a leather belt. His braid had grown so long that when he was play-acting as a Khampa warrior, he could whip his hair around till it reached his mouth and therefore he could ride his steed into battle with a dagger clenched between his teeth. However, his bravado melted when he absorbed the scene in front of him.

They entered through the huge doors on the eastern flank into the dukhang, the large inner courtyard. It was imposing even when bare and now looked endless, filled out with a sea of praying monks in their orange robes. On the fringes the crowd pushed forward and still couldn’t unglue itself from the walls. Lhasang walked into the hall, and was lost at once in the bear-hug chaos of the monastery.

The crowd of the faithful had a life of its own, swirling like the ocean that the gods had churned for nectar. Darker clumps of chubas filtered into the lake of maroon and saffron that led the chanting. Initially the three of them hugged the walls, even Tsepon taken aback by the thousands of monks and laymen who had gathered. Guttural incantations bounced off the corners till echo and voice met midway, in the closed eyes and open hearts of the crowd. As the crowd sank further into their faith, Tsepon shut his eyes and loosened his clutch on the immediate. Pema, usually wide eyed in vigilance, also shut herself off in prayer. Lhasang stood in front, his vision cut off by the grey-brown walls of people around him. Like the gods they were beseeching, the crowd too moved in inexplicable paths carrying believers along, moving people this way and that. Soon Lhasang had been swept away by a surge of the ardent.

There was no way he could move on his own, or find his way back, in the crowd. When Lhasang realised he had been separated from his parents, he looked to the walls for refer38 • india currents • october 2011

ence. Craning to see over heads, he saw the statues and murals lining the hall, but no sign of Tsepon or Pema. Among the numerous Buddhas he saw the thousand armed version of Avalokiteshwara, an eye embedded in each palm looking down on Lhasang’s despair. And all around him, there was a wall of people.

He felt giddy with desperation, it seemed like the prayers were rising from everywhere. And soon the gods seemed to be mocking him.

“You Khampa warrior! You little Gesar!” they screamed, “You can’t even find your parents now?” He clawed his way through some of the legs surrounding him, but none of the lurching figures were his parents.

His screams for “Ama-la” and “Pa-la” faded into the chants. And the reverberations that shuddered through him gave birth to many fears—not seeing his parents again, never being able to find his way back home. He tried to remember home; maybe concentrating on his desire would somehow bring it closer.

He remembered squinting as he entered the ground floor and his feet shuffled through the straw, the four mules tethered to the central pole, chewing their fodder and shitting, he remembered feeling the yak-dung wall till it led him to the inclined tree trunk, climbing the trunk to his parents’ bedroom, walking to the little corner where his mattress lay bundled.

Suddenly Lhasang was snapped out of his visit back home and he was back in the anguish of the monastery; he felt a large hand planted on his shoulder.

“Are you Tsepon’s little one?”

“La ong. I am Tsepon’s son,” Lhasang whispered.

“We’ve been combing the whole crowd for you. Where did you disappear?”

Lhasang waved his arm around, signalling the general direction—which was everywhere.

In front of him, a thick man’s eyes followed his arm. The man had his hair tied in concentric loops above his head, wrapped in a black tassel and topped with a silver nugget. A turquoise earring dangled from his left ear and was almost as long as his beard. His name was Dawa and he was a senior dignitary of the region who knew Tsepon. And part of the crew of searchers his parents wailed into action when they realised the little hand holding on to Tsepon’s chuba was not Lhasang’s.

“Come; let’s go find your parents. They must be going crazy with despair.”

Dawa grasped Lhasang’s hand and eased his way through the gathering. The cloud lifted from Lhasang’s mind. He held on tight to Dawa’s hand. They searched all over the monastery, squeezing through the crowd, trying to fish out his parents, but couldn’t find them.

“Where are Tsepon and Pema?” Dawa roared at the crowd.

A hail of replies followed, “They went upstairs” “No, Tsepon went up to the ridge” “Pema was talking to the dob-dob lamas; they’re riding towards the river now.”

“Bah,” Dawa spat out, “I have to leave for the village. Tell Tsepon I’ve found the kid, and I’ll be taking him back home. I’m not leaving him here with all you lkug pa—you fools will lose him again. They can come back, no need to scamper all over the hills.”

They didn’t wait for Tsepon; Dawa was an impatient man. And Lhasang didn’t know what to say as Dawa explained, muttering under his breath, the need for communication in such times. Dawa pitched Lhasang onto one of his yaks and set off for Riwoche. While Dawa and the other men gripped the yaks with their legs, Lhasang’s legs stuck out on both sides, and he had to rely on the good temper of his ride for safety. Each time the yak hunched over to climb a slope, he had to grab a handful of yak hair to stay perched. And when the yak group flagged, one of Dawa’s servants whipped out a large stone, pounding their behinds, and the beasts—mildly irritated—picked up their pace again.

When they crossed the bend in the river, Lhasang knew the village would sneak out from behind the next hill. And soon, despite the reluctant yaks, he would be home. Where he could sink, like butter in the morning tea, into the world where he belonged.

Home finally, where all the stories were born. And where all stories should come to rest. n Judges Comments: Shilpa Agarwal: This first chapter in what I hope will develop into a full novel stood out for me for its beautiful language and its ability to evoke a certain time and place in Tibet. The child-protagonist’s perspective was well done, especially the juxtaposition between his wonder at the traditional stories told in his village and his growing consciousness of the frightening changes that have come to his world.

Ronica Dhar: As the first chapter of what I trust is an epic novel, this submission distinguished itself for its ambitions around historical and mythological themes.

Kaushik Barua works with the United Nations and is mostly based in Rome. He has written for The Guardian, the literary journal Pyrta and the poetry journal Kritya. His first novel Windhorse will be published by Harper Collins India in 2012. Windhorse follows a group of Tibetan refugees who set up a guerrilla resistance force against Chinese occupation. It is set in Tibet, India, USA and Nepal from the 1940s to the 1970s. The novel follows two main protagonists, Lhasang and Norbu. Lhasang loses his home and all that is familiar when the Chinese occupy Tibet. As a refugee, he realises that to regain his life, he must defy his family and his faith. Norbu grows up in an affluent expatriate Tibetan family in India. As he moves towards the Tibetan resistance, he prepares to forsake more than just his family fortune. The extract describes Lhasang’s childhood in eastern Tibet.

india currents • october 2011 • 39

IC

books

Lakshmi Mani

Girija Sankar

The Zeitgeist of Modern India MISS NEW INDIA by Bharati Mukherjee.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Hardcover. 336 pages. $25.

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njali Bose is a small town girl with big city dreams. In defiance of her parent’s wishes for her to be married soon after high school, Anjali seeks bigger and better things. Her aspirations and her journey from small town Gauripur to Bangalore, 21st century India’s city of hopes and dreams, is writer Bharati Mukherjee’s final offering in a trilogy dealing with the clash of contemporary and traditional India, following Desirable Daughters and the Tree Bride.

Fast paced, and with too many characters clamoring for the reader’s attention at times, Miss New India attempts to capture the zeitgeist of a young, modernizing country through Anjali’s journey, both literally and figuratively.

In Bangalore, India’s Silicon Valley, Anjali finds a place to stay at Ms. Minnie Bagehot’s, an Anglo-Indian landlady and certainly one of the more colorful characters of the book.

Every setting in the book offers contrasting views of India. In Miss Bagehot’s house, Mukherjee portrays the old fading India of the Raj era. The Dollar colony, the ersatz American suburb transplanted in Bangalore, functions as the symbol of the new India.

Anjali’s parents represent the old guard of custom, tradition, and family honor while her new friends in Bangalore represent the dynamism of the modern generation.

But Mukherjee expects the reader to accept that small town values are perforce contradictory to big town sensibilities, an assumption not even her central character seems to maintain consistently. Anjali’s characterl, despite being the focus of the story, is not well developed. Everything, from Anjali’s

40 • india currents • october 2011

decision to acquiesce to being seen by prospective grooms, her bus journey across the country, her new friendships and new life in a big city, seem rushed. Her naiveté and apparent lack of confidence in some areas and brazenness in others contributes to a very foggy portrait of the character. And the many partially developed side plots—the cantankerous landlady, the gay mentor, the young American photographer friend, the roommate with dangerous liaisons—dilute the central plot and with, the character of the protagonist.

The story ends through a serious of rapidly unfolding events, some more contrived than others.

Miss New India, in trying to portray all that is happening to India—the rapid social, economic and cultural changes— perhaps offers too little in the process, quite like a 13-day 14-country tour of Europe. It might work for some, but others might prefer a meandering 7-day trip through just one country instead.

Mukherjee, however, excels in her detailed portraits of the social life and work culture in Bangalore. The reader gets a ringside seat into the everyday operations of call centers and the closely related language training institutes.

Miss New India is a primer on 21st century India to readers who are unfamiliar with the country and its culture. One gets a sampling of the traditional family mores and values, the small town mentality, and the stillpresent gender bias. But one also gets a good helping of the newness in Bangalore, and the fast -talking call center operators.

While offering nothing new in its story arc, Miss New India lends credence to the idea that 21st century India is the perfect muse for a story teller with all its dynamism, internal contradictions, and a billion stories within.n

The Last Honest Man LAST MAN IN TOWER by Aravind Adiga.

Alfred A. Knopf. Available in the United States in September 2011. 560 pages. Hardcover. $26.95.

A

fter a collection of short stories, Between the Assassinations, Adiga comes back to the novel form, setting Last Man in Tower in Mumbai, where real estate can be the fast track to riches.

In Last Man in Tower, India has not changed much in the three years following Adiga’s debut novel The White Tiger, which garnered him the Booker Prize. The story takes place in the buildings (known as “towers”) of the Vishram Cooperative Society.

Set in the suburb of Vakola, the residential complex becomes a target for developers as the area gentrifies and appreciates in value.

When Masterji resists the overture of the developers, he dies under mysterious circumstances. The cover-up by the perpetrators and their attempts to label his death as a suicide makes the reader question if the moral compass of modern Mumbai is completely broken, though one must admit that there is plenty of cinematic precedence for that kind of behavior.

Adiga does not leave us with this bleak conclusion. There is at least one other man who refuses to barter his freedom to choose where he wants to live. Adiga’s portrayal of his characters shows them as flawed but not without humanity. Ajwani, the broker, feels guilty even though he does not participate in the murder of Masterji. The Puris are good citizens who accept the deal because they have an 18-year-old son with Down Syndrome, and need the money for his medical care.

Money corrupts these ordinary people with normal lives and aspirations even as they experience feelings of guilt and sorrow over the death of the last honest man in their midst.

Unlike the cynicism of White Tiger, here Adiga seems to suggest that one individual can make a difference, even if it is only in the hearts and minds of the people he leaves behind. n Lakshmi Mani writes on American and Indian-American literature, and is a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow.

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A Country Undergoing Seismic Social Change Bharati Mukherjee discusses her new book Miss New India, the last in a trilogy that began with Desperate Daughters and continued with Tree Bride hat was the inspiration for Miss New India? In previous interviews, you had mentioned visiting Bangalore and meeting call center customer specialists … can you elaborate on that? Did the character take shape over time or was it any one person who provided the creative spark?

I visited Bangalore many times. A first cousin of mine also lives there; she used to work for the UN, and later bought some land and built a house in Dollar Colony [ed: a place that is mentioned in the book], a place where people could reserve land only with international currency. Only expats who could afford it would buy there.

I have always been interested in immigration, but what I was witnessing in India now was a seismic social change, in gender relations and in social relations. There is now internal migration in India—people from small towns, like Anjali, who would never go to an IIT, or Yale, but still have the opportunity to strike it big in the metropolises of India.

People like Anjali attend missionary schools, learn English, and want to go places that their parents wouldn’t have even dreamed of. I was witnessing, on these trips, a whole new middle-class emerging—young women from modest backgrounds, whose only escape would have been marriage, moving to a big city, interested in adventures for themselves, with no chaperones, no community to show their disapproval; I got to know a lot of them during my visits. Some stayed at Anglo-Indian boarding houses; some were pooling their resources together and renting apartments. I made several trips to get to know these women. I also got to know the trainers who work at call center training centers. Some trainers whom I’d met on my first trip to Bangalore had already moved on and started their own training business the next time I met them!

What I hope I have gotten across through the book is that there are both winners and losers in the new India. There are the young Anjalis who have significant disposable incomes and seem to be caught up by the wave of consumerism. There is this sense that I have made it, I can go to the mall, and buy a Versace or a Gucci with my salary, my money. Their parents would not have been able to do it.

But there is also corruption and land grabbing. I recently read in the New York Times about the farmlands are being compromised and being sold off for commercial real estate.

Also, even though I hadn’t interviewed anybody that was raped I have read about the gang

42 • india currents • october 2011

Photo Credit: Chip Cooper

W

raping of women employed in call centers in places like Gurgaon.

There is both corruption and empowerment. I have tried to capture both in the book.

Was there any one individual in particular whom you’d met that provided the backdrop for Anjali’s character?

There was a young woman who came with her parents for high tea to my cousin’s place. The parents thought I might know of Silicon Valley bridegrooms for their daughter. The conversation was flowing well, until all of a sudden, the father and the daughter started quarrelling. The girl must have been in her late 20s. She told me that she would come back and visit me the next day. She did come back and poured out her story, about her dreams and ambitions, about how she bought a condo for her parents and yet the power dynamics between parents and children had not changed. Parents continue to control their adult children’s social activities. She told me how women of her age were no longer interested in marriage as the only goal in life, but rather as one of many goals. Her story is not Anjali’s story, but hers and the many others that I later encountered on my trips to India provided the initial sparks for Miss New India.

I also interviewed venture capitalists

who had started companies in India.

As an essayist or a sociologist, you write about general trends. But as a novelist, you write about a single character that seems ordinary but has extraordinary interests. This is what I tried to do with Anjali.

Minnie is a very interesting character. Miss Minnie Bagehot reminded me of Mrs. Harter, our neighbor in Ooty who lived in an old bungalow. How did this character take shape for you?

Oh, I have known several of them all my life! In Kolkota, where I grew up, there were many such Anglo-Indian ladies. In Bangalore though, they seem to be a dying breed. Again, I wouldn’t say that everything in the book is a perfect reflection of reality. After all, it takes memories and imagination to transform perceived reality into fiction.

Did you actually sit-in on a training session for “accent enhancement” at the training centers?

I didn’t sit through a training session. But I did spend much time with the trainers and got many hours of interviews with them. I also pored through their training manuals.

In your research did you find that the new corporate culture or even the sub-culture of Bangalore erased or disguised class, caste, and communal lines? Would you characterize it as positive or is it merely a superficial thing?

There are seemingly two corporate models in Bangalore—the old traditional business model and the new IT corporate culture, which in turn seems to be a replica of Silicon Valley. The IT city in Bangalore is in fact called Silicon City! There is much more fluidity and interaction between different ranks of people in the new IT culture, which contrasts with the structured tier-conscious culture of the old business model. Also, pay scales today are very different. In the IT corporate culture, it really doesn’t matter where you come from. Caste or class doesn’t matter as much as your ability to get the job done! I found that very striking.

But of course, this new corporate culture still has to contend with poor roads, and outdated infrastructure.

What kind of a reaction has the book received so far from the Indian audience in India or in the United States?

Back in May, USA TODAY named it one of 10 must-read books. The book has already been featured on a number of book blogs, clubs, reading groups.

I think what the Indian audience likes about the book is the main characters’ belief in their right to happiness. Also, the book

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What I was witnessing in India now was a seismic social change—people from small towns who would never go to an IIT, or Yale, but still have the opportunity to strike it big in the metropolises of India. deals with the idea of immigration in reverse.

People like Peter Champion, a white American who immigrates to India; or people like Parvati and Auro who move back to India, or even Anjali, who migrates internally, within India. These are themes that resonate with the Indian audience.

Do you see yourself writing more about the new India?

I really couldn’t tell you what sparks the idea for a new novel. Writing a novel is a major undertaking. Currently, I am working on

44 • india currents • october 2011

two projects—the very beginnings of a novel and a collection of stories.

Any books that you read recently that have really caught your interest?

I plan to read Solo by Rana Dasgupta.

With all the flying that I do between San Francisco and New York, I expect to find some reading time in flight!

I am thrilled that Indian writers in English are now moving on from subjects related to India or the immigrant experience and taking on whole new projects. The trouble, say 15 years ago, was that people treated Indian fiction about India or the immigrant experience as sociology or ethnography. Writers like me had to persuade people to see past the ethnography and treat our work as literature and imaginative work. We had to say, if you want to read about tribes, then read scholarly work.

Is it easier to get published these days if you’re Indian American? How is this different from when you started out?

There is a sense now, and quite rightly so, that very fine literature is coming out of India, and the Indian diaspora. This did not exist when I started out. But at the same time with all the problems that the publishing industry in general is going through right now, I just don’t know if books as we know them will exist anymore. When some publishing companies are being owned by oil conglomerates, who knows what shapes books will take.

I think that we now have a large group of

Anglophone writers of Indian origin. English was a foreign language that history bestowed on us Indians. If India had been colonized

by Germans, then we would have had Indian writing in German instead. But since London and New York are major hubs of the publishing industry they are able to discover Indian writers who write in English. However, finding a market for translated manuscripts is that much harder because the industry does not seem to be interested.

What kind of advice would you offer fledgling writers amongst the readers of India Currents? What do you tell your students?

I tell my students to read as much as they can and to write with passion; if you don’t have passion, then writing is simply going to be an exercise; it will also end up seeming like an exercise. In my creative writing workshops, I urge my students to read, read, read; you don’t always have to read works of writers who write like you … you can learn from both good books and bad books.

I would like to hear your take on recent debates in India about who can write the big India book? Do you have any comments on that?

I thought India Calling by Anand Giridharadas, [ed: see the August 2011 issue of India Currents] was a very moving book and I enjoyed it very much. n Girija Sankar lives in Atlanta and works in the area of International Development.

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travel

Kalpana Sunder

Echoes From the Past Time travelling in Sri Lanka

The magnificent city of Anuradhapura is refulgent from the numerous temples and palaces whose golden pinnacles glitter in the sky. The sides of its streets are strewed with black sand, and the middle is sprinkled with white sand; they are spanned by arches bearing flags of gold and silver on either side are vessels of the same precious metals, containing flowers and in niches are statues holding lamps of great value.

In the streets are multitudes of people armed with bows and arrows; also men powerful as gods, who with their huge swords could cut in sunder a tusk-elephant at one blow.

—Translation from a native book by James Ricalton in “The City of the sacred Botree (Anuradhapura).”(1891)

I

t is a fascinating destination for both amateur and professional archeologists. One of the ancient world’s largest monastic cities, founded in the 4th century B.C., and sacred to Buddhists, Anuradhapura was once a capital city of the kingdom of Sri Lanka.

It was a walled city where the arts, hydraulic technology (there were vast reservoirs around the city), and Buddhism flourished and lasted for 1400 years. It had a royal palace, a quarter for nobles, a place for foreigners. Outside its city walls were the

Bodhi tree

monasteries. Just like the pyramids constructed by the pharoahs of Egypt, the kings of Anuradhapura erected bell shaped stupas called dagobas which were magnificent architectural achievements of their time.

L

Buddhist monk in Anuradhapura

egend has it that Anuradhapura was the fabled capital of King Ravana in the Ramayana! Today it is effectively two worlds—the well-laid out modern city and the ancient city to the north-west.

The ancient city is a sprawling complex of shrines, stupas, tanks, temples, and monasteries. We see crowds of pious pilgrims, stalls selling brilliantly colored frangipani in intricately woven baskets, multi-hued prayer flags fluttering in the breeze, and saffron clad monks walking barefoot in mindful contemplation at the bubble shaped Ruwenweli Mahaseya. This is a white washed dagoba initiated by the King Dutugemunu, or Dutthagamani (circa 140 B.C.), and finally completed by his brother after his death. It is said that the brother simulated the finished stupa with bamboo frames and white cloth, so that the king on his deathbed could admire his wonderful creation.

Apart from food, clothing and other extras the king was supposed to have paid 6.4 million coins in wages to the labourers who

built this magnificent stupa. The walls of the dagoba are made up of lime plaster elephants that, according to mythology, carry the weight of the world on their sturdy shoulders. An ancient limestone statue, on the dagoba’s south side, is supposed to represent Dutugemunu contemplating his masterpiece.

A

nuradhapura is famous for its Bodhi tree, an offspring of the famous peepul tree in Bodhgaya, India, under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. In 246 B.C., King Devanampiya asked the emperor Ashoka to send a branch from the fabled Bodhi tree. It was brought to Ceylon (the old name for Sri Lanka), by Ashoka’s daughter Sanghamitra.

It is probably the oldest documented tree in the world, more than 2,000 years old, and still looks in the prime of health. It has been tended to for 23 centuries, even when the city was abandoned and shrouded by jungle. It stands on a special platform, protected by a gold railing dotted with younger peepul trees and festooned with colourful prayer flags.

W

e drive past the red brick Jetavana dagoba, which, at 120 meters, was the third tallest structure in the world after the pyramids of Giza at the time of its construction! This was the work of the heretic king india currents • october 2011 • 51

ver and pearls. Today all that is left of this magnificent structure is 1600 pillars, set in parallel lines. The rest of the structure was made of wood and was completely burnt over the years.

We end our visit to Anuradhapura at the Isuruminiya Vihara, a stunning rock temple built between basalt boulders. This dates from the 3rd century B.C and stands near mirror-like ponds. It is decorated with statues of frolicking elephants. Our guide points out a mural of two lovers seated on a bench.

They are supposed to be Saliya, King Dutugemunu’s son, and his wife. They met in the pleasure gardens, fell in love. Because the girl was not of royal blood, Saliya is said to have given up his claim to the throne!

Anuradhapura has been magical. We feel like intrepid explorers, who have stumbled upon a fabled “lost city.” Our imagination has been fired by images of bygone riches, sprawling palaces, tales of love and war, and an advanced ancient culture.

Elephant Pond

Mahasena (circa 300 B.C.) and took a quarter of a century to build.

Our guide takes us to the ruins of the Abhayagiri monastery, which remained the largest monastery in the region for over 600 years and housed more than 5,000 monks. It is said that, in 44 B.C., King Vattagamini was taunted by a Jain hermit of the Giri monastery while fleeing after losing his throne to South Indian Chola kings. He remained in hiding in jungle caves for 14 years. When he Ruwenveli dagoba

52 • india currents • october 2011

came back to power he razed the Jain monastery to the ground and built a Buddhist monastery in its place.

We see the Kuttam Pokuna, ornamental twin ponds which are an ancient engineering marvel. These man-made ponds were created for the use of the thousands of monks who lived on the premises. On one side is a trapping mechanism which filters the mud and dirt, after which the water flows into a chamber before entering the pond. The precise geometry, the flights of stairs with balustrades, and the verdant greenery in the background make it a beautiful and tranquil place. Nearby is the “Elephant Pond” another large pond which was once used by the monks for bathing. It’s fascinating to hear that these ponds are contemporaries of the Roman baths like Caracalla that have been restored to their former glory.

What fascinates me are the “rice-boats” in the remains of the Mahapali Refectory— stone troughs that were once filled with rice. The monks used to line up here with their bowls and food would be doled out to them. Our guide says that this trough could fill 3800 bowls. Famous Chinese monk and traveler Fa Hien visited Anuradhapura and is said to have received alms from this very kitchen.

Close to the Bodhi tree is a building called the “Brazen Palace,” because once it had a gleaming bronze roof. It was once an exalted building nine stories high. The Mahavamsa (a historic poem about the kings of Sri Lanka, written in the Pali language) describes it as having a thousand rooms, and an ivory throne inlaid with gold, sil-

F

rom Anuradhapura, we drive to another of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO sites—Dambulla.

We climb up uneven rocky stairs, taking in the spectacular landscape and panoramic views (including that of the rock fortress of Sigiriya), followed by an assortment of vendors, an enthusiastic band of macaques, and a snake charmer with a king cobra. There are stalls with semi-precious stones, the ubiquitous postcards, and serene Buddhas. Teenage monks in red, orange, and brown robes sprint up the steep stairs effortlessly.

The Dambulla caves in Sri Lanka form a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to the 1st century B.C. Buddhism has had a tradition of rock-cut caves where monks meditated or lived away from human habitation. These caves were also occasionally used as a hide-out for dethroned kings. These humungous rock caves once provided refuge to King Vattagamani who lost his kingdom to Tamil invaders in 43 B.C. and was forced into hiding for a period of 14 years. When he reclaimed his throne, he had a temple constructed among the caves as a mark of his gratitude. These temples are a riot of paintings, murals and Buddha statues. King Nissankamalla (1187-1196 A.D.) gilded many of the statues and the caves began to be called Ran Giri or Golden Rock. The rock caves are reached by a flight of steep stairs cut into the rock face. At the bottom of the steps is the kitschy Golden Temple topped by a huge seated Buddha. A sign claims that it is the largest Buddha in the world—it certainly is the gaudiest, with bright colours and gilt!

The caves have gabled entrances and drip ledges to keep the water from seeping in. We start our explorations at the first cave. It is named after the god Vishnu, who is credited with creating these caves. A first century Brahmi inscription outside commemorates the founding of the temple. Inside this narrow

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cave is a sleeping Buddha with gold paint and his disciple Anandha standing near his feet.

There are old, eroded murals blackened by burnt incense and some clumsy new repainting. Outside is a bo or peepul tree with bright and colourful prayer flags and lit lamps. Pilgrims offer prayers here, lighting incense and offering fruits and lotus flowers.

The “Cave of the Great Kings” is spectacular. Its dull lighting creates an aura of mystique. There’s an enormous collection of Buddhas here, of all sizes and poses, built out of brick, wood, and granite and covered with stucco and paint. The reds and golds of the innumerable statues and deities shimmer in the dark interiors. The only sound that is audible inside the cave is the trickle of water, from the roof, which is said to never run dry. Devotees believe that this water has healing properties.

The walls and ceilings are covered in murals with scenes from the Buddha’s life, ranging from a dream his mother had during her pregnancy to his struggle for enlightenment and holding of the first sermon. The murals follow the contours of natural rock formations and look like flowing tapestry.

The other three caves are more recent and are also covered with colourful frescoes and filled with meditative Buddhas and Hindu deities. One cave has a sloping ceiling and looks like a gargantuan tent. All the statues are carved out of solid rock here—an outstanding feat! We see paintings and statues here

Wall painting, Dambulla

in the typical Kandyan (after the historic city of Kandy) style. Outside is a pond filled with brilliant purple lotuses where the king is supposed to have washed his feet before prayers.

History, beauty, and artistry can really be a potent combination! n Getting there: It is possible to get to Anuradhapura on the A9 highway from Kandy. The drive from Colombo is approximately five hours by bus; or 4 hours by private vehicle. Buses travel along this highway, as well, and there is a bus station in the Anuradhapura New Town.

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IC

recipes

Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

A Sure Sign of Autumn!

I

weighed almost a ton!) there are some tiny varieties too.

Perhaps due to their large and colorful appearance, pumpkins have been woven into fairy tales of almost every continent. In fact there is even a variety known as the fairy tale pumpkin.

In the United States, pumpkins are used as carved decorations for Halloween, but these pumpkins are not ideal to cook with.

For soup, pies, bread, or a stew the sugar pie pumpkin works best. It is less stringy than larger varieties and its meat is sweet and fine grained. For a soup recipe, select a mediumsized pie pumpkin with a bright orange skin that weighs about 2 to 3 pounds.

In addition to being easy and gratifying to cultivate, pumpkin is also very nutritious.

It is low in fat and sodium and high in other important nutrients.

Pumpkins are easy to cook. They can be

either baked or steamed. To bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Cut the pumpkin lengthwise into two halves. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and strings. (Seeds can be saved, roasted, and served as a healthy snack.) Oil the surfaces inside and outside the pumpkin and set the halves on a baking sheet with the cut side down. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the meat is soft when a fork is inserted, but still firm enough to be cut into chunks.

To steam, cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise and remove seeds and strings. Steam the two halves in a steamer for about 20 minutes.

Cook them just enough to loosen the skin while keeping the flesh firm and intact. Cool, peel, and cut into chunks. n

Gujarati Kadhi with Pumpkin

peanut oil ¼ teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds teaspoon cumin seeds 2 to 3 whole red chilies A large pinch of asafetida A few fresh curry leaves and/or 1 table spoon of chopped cilantro Whisk together water, yogurt, garbanzo flour, powdered spices, and salt until smooth. Add the garlic/cayenne paste.

Bring the mixture to a boil in a pot, then turn the heat down.

Cook for 15 minutes stirring constantly until the soup has a creamy texture. Add the pumpkin and continue to cook for a few minutes.

For the final step, in a separate small pot, heat the oil and then add the mustard and cumin seeds. After the seeds start to pop, add the chilies and the asafetida. Stir, and then

add this smoking mixture to the pot of kadhi.

Cover immediately, and keep it covered for five minutes.

Taste, correct for saltiness, and top with fresh curry leaves and/or cilantro. Serve hot with rice and/or bread. Instruct the diners to remove the whole chilies and curry leaves, or you can take them out as you are serving.

Some food historians believe that the word “curry” came from a British mispronunciation of the name of a yogurt soup called kadhi. In Gujarat in northwestern India, kadhi is considered a comfort food. It can clear the sinuses and relieve other symptoms of the common cold. It is easy to digest and can lift your spirits when you are feeling down. Kadhi is a simple, light soup with a sauce-like consistency that is made with lots of water, some yogurt or coconut milk, and a bit of garbanzo flour. Other ingredients such as peanuts, green beans, okra, yams, or pumpkin can be added to embellish the soup.

Ingredients 2 cups cooked pumpkin, cut into small cubes 6 to 7 cups water 1 ½ to 2 cups plain low-fat yogurt 3 tablespoons besan (garbanzo flour) ¼ teaspoon each turmeric and coriander powder 2 cloves of minced garlic mixed with ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder and made into a paste using a rolling pin or a mortar and pestle ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon mild cooking oil such as corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, or

56 • india currents • october 2011

Illustration: Serena Sacharoff

n the SF Bay Area, sometimes the only clear signal that the season is changing is the arrival of new fruits and vegetables in the market. Sweet summer produce such as corn and stone fruits are replaced by root vegetables and big squashes such as bright orange pumpkins—as if nature is preparing us for autumn’s cooler temperatures and reduced daylight by offering vegetables with an abundance of vitamin A for eyesight, and the nutrients and fiber needed to support the immune system.

Pumpkins have a history as an edible fruit in many ancient cultures. They are native to Central America and Mexico, but have spread all over the world. Pumpkins come in all different colors and sizes. The familiar color is orange, but some varieties of pumpkin are even green, white, or even pale blue! While we associate pumpkins with massive sizes, (the current record holder for the biggest pumpkin

Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, author of Flavors of India: Vegetarian Indian Cuisine, lives in San Francisco, where she is a manager and coowner of Other Avenues, a health-food store.

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Ingredients 2 cups freshly made pumpkin puree or 1 15 oz can of puree 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, any type 2 cups water 2 cups or one 15 oz can of coconut milk 1 teaspoon salt 1-2 tablespoons of prepared Thai red curry paste (found in specialty or health food stores) or prepare your own curry paste with the following ingredients Thai red curry paste 1 or 2 red dry chilies or 1 teaspoon cayenne 1 stalk of lemon grass chopped into small pieces 2 tablespoons chopped shallots or white parts of green onion 3 cloves of chopped garlic ¼ teaspoon chopped lime peel (skin) 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves with their stems 1 teaspoon each powdered coriander and powdered cumin 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice To prepare the Thai curry paste, place all the above ingredients in the jar of a food processor or a blender and puree into a coarse paste. Store in a glass jar. For this recipe you will need only half of the amount you have made.

The remainder can be saved in the refrigerator for upto a week.

Heat the vegetable oil in a pot and add 3 tablespoons of the Thai curry paste you have prepared. (Store-bought paste is denser so you may need less.) Stir-fry for 2 minutes, and add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove any rough fibers of the homemade paste that rise to the surface.

Lower the heat and add the coconut milk.

Cook over a moderate heat for five minutes, stirring constantly. Add the salt and pumpkin puree. Lower the heat again and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the soup thickens to a cream-like consistency. Adjust seasoning, adding more paste if desired. Serve with bread and/or rice. n

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Sunday, October 9, 2011 - 3:30 pm

Sri. Tiruvarur Vaidyanathan presents

“VIBRATIONS” (A percussion ensemble) Sri. B. V. Raghavendra Rao - Silent Violin Sri. Tiruvarur Vaidyanathan - Mridangam and Konnakkol Sri. Kashyap Mahesh - Vocal Sri. R. Janardhan - Double Guitar and Saxaphone Sri. N. Guruprasad - Ghatam Sri. N. Sundar - Tabla, Morsing and Effects

Venue: ICC (India Community Center) 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas, CA 95035 Sunday, October 30, 2011 - 3:30 pm

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Sri. Abhishek Raghuram - Vocal Sri. Vittal Ramamurthy - Violin Sri. Anantha Krishnan - Mridangam

Smt. Gayathri Venkataraghavan Sri. Mysore Srikanth - Violin Sri. Neyveli Skanda Subramanian - Mridangam

Venue: Santa Clara Convention Center 5001 Great America Pkwy., Santa Clara, CA 95054

Venue: ICC (India Community Center) 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas, CA 95035

Friday, November 11, 2011 - Sunday November 13, 2011

Lecture Demonstration Series by Sri. T.M. Krishna

SIFA in collaboration with Pallavita will be presenting Vidwan TM Krishna's Lecture Demonstration series being organized as part of Pallavita's VivRti-2011 Fall Festival www.Pallavita.org/Festival.html Friday, Nov. 11, 2011: Lec Dem by Sri. T.M. Krishna Saturday, Nov. 12: Lec Dem by Sri. T.M Krishna and Smt. Sangeetha Sivakumar Sunday, Nov. 13: Musically rich Lec Dem by Sri. T.M Krishna Venue: Smith Center, Ohlone College 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539 Tickets: 50% Discount for SIFA sponsors Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 3:30 pm Smt. Sangeetha Sivakumar - Vocal Kum. Akkarai S. Subhalakshmi - Violin Sri. Melakkaveri K. Balaji - Mridangam Venue: Center for Performing Arts Menlo-Atherton High School 555, Middlefield Road, Atherton, CA 94027

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india currents • october 2011 • 73

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Nrithyollasa: (510) 623-8230 • info@nldance.com

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D 18 Sa (4 FA

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music

Priya Das

Desi Blues

Indian musicians are making a mark in the genre

S

lide to Freedom, a popular Indian-Canadian blues and country band, is releasing their third album, called 20,000 Miles, in October 2011. It will appeal to anyone who enjoys blues, folk, alternative, country, world, or Indian classical music. Yes, that is a lot of genres, but that is what you get when the artists involved are so diverse. The artists on this album are India-based Salil Bhatt (son of Grammy winner Pt. Viswa Mohan Bhatt) on the satvik veena, Canada-based Cassius Khan (tabla) and Doug Cox (on dobro and vocals), and the American Campbell Brothers and Betty Soo, on guitar and vocals respectively.

The “Slide” refers to the different slide instruments being used. Bhatt is the creator of the satvik veena, a 19-string instrument made of a 100-year-old oak wood block. The traditional veena has two inverted covered domes on both ends. The satvik veena looks like a guitar on one end, and a veena on the other. It can therefore sound like either, both, or neither, depending on which strings are being used. It is played by placing it on the lap, and sliding a tube of steel along the long end while plucking the strings as on a guitar on the other.

Cox plays the dobro, which is also a kind of guitar, played also with a “steel,” typically favored by blues musicians. The Campbell brothers are known for their gospel music, highlighting the electric steel guitar, and powerful vocals. Khan is well known in many music worlds as the tabla-playing ghazal singer.

Soo is the rare Asian-American blues singer from Texas.

The origin of Slide to Freedom was in 2005, when Bhatt and Cox first played together. When it was time to work on an album together, the goal was to find a musical space where the Indian musicians weren’t trying to fit into Western ideas and the others didn’t

have to mimic Indian music. They have stayed true to that goal in all their albums, which explains why Slide to Freedom’s work has been able to reach a broad spectrum of music-lovers.

The previous album, Slide To Freedom 2: Make A Better World, won a nomination for the Juno award, Canada’s Grammy, and featured Ramkumar Mishra on the tabla, in addition to Salil Bhatt and Doug Cox. 20,000 Miles has additional musicians, and is being marketed as blues and country music, which makes sense whenever Soo and Cox sing. There are two tracks that are indicative of the group’s synergies: In the first, called “Still Small Voice,” Bhatt starts with a very Indian sounding tune, closely followed by the other instruments. Soo then opens it up with gusto, the string instruments punctuating her rendition with a matching rhythm. In the second, called “Suislide,” Khan enunciates the bols (lyrics) against an electrifying string backdrop. Soo cries out in response, with Bhatt providing alaap (purposeful humming in Indian classical style). The influence of the Campbell brothers is evident in “Revival,” where the strings open up to Soo crooning, “…no husband beating his wife, no child hungry and alone...Hallelujah is this revival …” “Anjuman” is a classical Indian piece. “Angel of Death” has both Cox and Soo with moving lyrics and music.

In “Spooky,” the band starts with a smooth riff on the strings, the sharp veena sound complementing the deep tones in Cox’s singing, which is very Bhupen Hazarika-like.

Surprisingly, Slide to Freedom is not the only Indian blues band. Consider this: There was a blues music festival in Mumbai earlier this year; an Indian blues band played at the Memphis festival in the United States; there

Slide to Freedom

Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar of Soulmate

is a blues club in Delhi; there are a few blues bands in India that play regularly at clubs and music festivals. So yes, there is a desi blues scene.

The conventionally accepted “blues” music, the legacy of the African American slaves is characterized by lyrics and vocals embodying the sound of anguish or long suffering, supported by the flattened notes of a string instrument, typically the guitar. The flattened notes, in music parlance, are called the blue notes.

Why does this music appeal to desis? Tipriti Kharbangar, vocalist in the Shillong-based band Soulmate, that represented India in 2007 and 2009 at the International Blues Challenge in the Memphis, TN said in a recent interview, “It’s because it’s simple, powerful, and easy to relate to. I’m a very simple woman with simple thoughts, so this is the best way for me to express what I feel.” To Tips, as Kharbangar is called, blues don’t have to be about pain, there can be happy or sexy blues. Her musical partner Rudy Wallang, is a living legend in Indian guitaring circles. Soulmate has three albums, available online on their myspace page http:// www.myspace.com/soulmateshillong.

Another band, Blues Conscience, is Chennai-based and plays blues-influenced music, with a rich, smooth sound. The band comprises Anek Ahuja on bass and vocals, Aum Janakiraman on guitar and vocals, and Neil Smith on the drums. Their work is available on their website www.bluesconscience.com There are a few other bands, but their work is not easily accessible. The increasing maturity of the desi blues market though, is something one needs to look out for. Interestingly, while Slide to Freedom has introduced Indian instruments into the blues, the only claim to des by the other bands is that they are Indians playing in India, with some lyrics that are Indiainspired (such as “Shillong” by Soulmate and “Kamasutra” by Blues Conscience). It will be very interesting to see how the desi blues scene evolves and whether it will make it big in the U.S. or international market. Or perhaps given the growing audiences, India will become a mecca for all music blue! n 20,000 MILES by Slide to Freedom. Audio CD. October 2011 $14.78.

Priya Das is an avid follower of world music.

76 • india currents • october 2011

india currents • october 2011 • 77

78 • india currents • october 2011

Artistic Director:

INDUMATHY GANESH

Bharatanatyam classes offered in Fremont, Pleasanton and Saratoga

Regular Classes Resume after the Labor Day weekend.

Saturday, October 8 & Sunday, October 9

Vijayadasami Celebrations New sessions start in October

Please send email to info@nldance.com for more details

(510) 623-8230 Email: info@nldance.com http://www.nldance.com

NAVRATRI GARBA-DANDIYA 2011 with

DR. SHARVARI DIXIT AND TROUPE Reaching out to the cause of humanity

Celebrate the Navratri 2011 season with Dr. Sharvari Dixit and her troupe with traditional garba and dandiya folk music. We are reaching out a helping hand to the causes of humanity, focusing this year too on the community and the spirit of charitable endeavor for our 16th year in the Bay Area.

COME DANCE WITH US in 2011 on these dates: Sept. 24th for INDUZ

at Centerville Jr High, Fremont

Oct. 1st, Oct 7th & Oct 8th for G.C.A. INDIA CURRENTS GRAPHICS (408) 324-0488

At Washington High, Fremont

For Tickets & Info: DrSharvariDixit@Gmail.com (408) 313 5348

Members: Dr. Sharvari Dixit, Prarthana Rawal and Ashka, Anvita Gautam, Pt. Arshad, Vikas, Raj, and Aarjav Associated Members: Subhash Kulkarni, Vinod Khatri, Abhinay Padhye, Vandana Shukla, Renison Macwan, Pravin Patel.

Oct 2nd for BAYBASI at Foster City

Oct 15th for INDIAN STUDENTS ORGANIZATION at San Jose State Univ

india currents • october 2011 • 79

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desi voices

Chetan

Verdict Without a Trial Before we rush to condemn adultery, let’s understand its root causes

U

nconscionable! Shameless liars! Sinners!

A popular social networking site was abuzz with comments on adultery recently.

As I read through the comment thread, I realized that I had become an unwitting witness to a section of society publically denigrating people they deemed to be unfaithful to their partners. Their comments reflected a mob mentality that serves a judgment on impulse rather than reason. I felt as if I was right in the middle of a scene from the old Bollywood movie Roti where a group of villagers pelt stones at a woman accusing her of prostitution. The only difference here was that this mob did not pelt stones; rather they unleashed a verbal tirade on social media.

As I mulled over the issue, I wondered— is it healthy for a society to crystallize something as intimate and personal as moral righteousness into “one size fits all” and enforce it upon everyone? Do we as a society tend to sacrifice common sense for the sake of morality? As external observers, are we privy to all the details of why a relationship is the way it is? Without giving the “accused” an opportunity to tell his or her story, isn’t the verdict fundamentally flawed?

not an arrangement for two minds. But we often see marriages that are merely social arrangements out of need or convenience. The oft unspoken rationales for matrimony, especially in Indian society, include the fulfilment of social, cultural, physical, economic, or legal needs, the assuagement of family elders’ wishes or very simply the mounting pressure of aging. This means that a) one or both the partners may not have the right maturity and outlook to unify with another soul or b) souls lacking harmony at the mental or a deeper level may attempt unification through marriage. In either case, the disharmony creates an imbalance which can take away meaning from the relation and prevent it from achiev-

I

believe it is one thing to be against adultery, another thing to presume that all those who have transgressed must have no conscience, no dignity and no self-worth.

I certainly do NOT advocate insincerity to your partner. Adultery is neither a matter of pride nor a welcome change in the social ethos. But I would also not jump the gun to term someone a “sinner” just because he has deviated from widely accepted norms of right and wrong. It is very easy to condemn and scorn someone who has acted against your ideas of morality and, thereby, shaken the social fabric that comforts you. However, it takes prudence to step back and re-look at the issue objectively. Sometimes a different picture may emerge.

I

t is a well-known fact that many Indian marriages are not born out of love. A beautiful relationship such as marriage tends to lose its meaning when people jump into it without understanding its primal component—synchronicity of two souls. The basis of marriage should be the union of two souls, 80 • india currents • october 2011

discontentment. Meeker souls often choose to suffer silently and divert their attention to other areas of life such as children, friends, or career to seek acceptance and meaning.

And for ones more zealous to life, digression becomes a real possibility, either to fill-in the gaps or just for the thrill of feeling alive again.

C

ynics would argue that divorce is always an option. I agree. But it is also true that the same society that condemns adultery is also not very accepting and encouraging of divorcees. Women especially, are taunted (directly or indirectly) and chastised for giving up on their marriage. They are constantly reminded of the stigma associated with divorce. This creates a toxic atmosphere of fear and despair that can sap vital life energy from a person who feels pressured to continue in the dysfunctional marriage rather than ruffle any feathers. If divorce is a matter of shame and adultery a sin, I humbly ask—isn’t this indirect repression as equal a matter of shame as divorce?

Isn’t condemning someone to a life of useless arguments, blame, accusations, “silent treatments,” and unspoken despondency as sinful as adultery?

A

ing its true potential. This disharmony may eventually level out in some marriages but in the remaining, it is only a matter of time before the cracks appear.

Many accept this dysfunction as an inescapable reality of matrimony and remain muted to its toxicity. In such couples, the dysfunction manifests as a gradual fading of the passion and interest in their partner and concomitant loneliness. The idea of returning home to the partner or spending time with him no longer stirs excitement. In other couples where the dysfunction is not readily accepted, it becomes more and more evident in the form of frequent disagreements, fights, disappointments, criticism, and mutual resentment.

Whether muted or apparent, the dysfunction does create an undercurrent of gloom and

ny meaningful discussion on this issue is moot without understanding the root cause of these dysfunctional relationships. At the root of all ills that plague human relationships. including ego, jealousy, insecurity, and insincerity, lies a weakened human spirit. This weakening is a direct or indirect consequence of social and moral conditioning that forces individuals to act and react in a pre-programmed manner. That is why we see people marrying and staying in unhappy marriages for the wrong reasons.

Such a malnourished seed cannot grow into a healthy tree. Love, respect, trust, and commitment, which are the true fundaments of a meaningful relationship, cannot grow out of guilt, inveiglement, coercion, or collective enforcement from the outside. In reality, even when the love has not blossomed from within, people go on pretending to love because the social conventions of marriage demand you must love your partner. Even when there is no commitment, they feign it because the marriage implies commitment. These presumed

dance

“should” and “should-nots” affixed to marriage trap people in their own mind, creating immeasurable misery and suffering. The relationship becomes one of bondage, not of joy.

I

believe that, to address this difficult issue, we must aim to empower individuals by investing significantly into their spiritual development. Often the primary focus is on developing one’s mental and intellectual ability to excel in the material world. This impetus tends to create individuals who may achieve material success but are often disconnected from their true self. This disconnect is the root of mental ills such as ego, anger, and possessiveness that undermine human relationships. If marriage is a spiritual union of two souls, how can we expect an individual, who is disconnected and fragmented from within, to build a meaningful relationship with another?

It is, therefore, important to encourage those preparing for matrimony to enquire into the significance of marriage beyond the mere fulfilment of a social and cultural duty.

Rather than matching horoscopes and comparing caste, religion, education, or affluence levels, mutual harmony should be the most important criterion. To build that harmony, they must work to create a solid foundation through open and honest communication, and development of mutual respect based on a deep understanding of each other’s direction and purpose in life.

W

hen a relation has fallen prey to dysfunction and one or both the partners have resorted to digression, it is essential that we refrain from taking sides and not focus our energy on criticism, reprehension, and mud-slinging. The best approach would be to allow the concerned couple to introspect and seek a mutually acceptable solution. After all, we cannot expect to cure a dysfunction that has arisen out of anomalies in the structural elements of our own society through a single panacea derived out of morality. It is the hallmark of an intelligent and tolerant society that it does not fixate on concepts of morality. There is a glowing example of such open-mindedness in Indian culture. For eons, Indians have worshipped the divine union of Krishna and a married woman Radha. But no one ever calls Radha an “adulterer” or Krishna a “sinner.” That’s because their love is considered so divine that it transcends the socially defined boundaries of moral behaviour. In fact, their union remains the timeless epitome of love. If we can worship Radha-Krishna with our heart and soul, then it behooves us to show restraint in dealing with the “sinners” among us.n Chetan writes on new dimensions of understanding in love, relationships, and human consciousness. This article is excerpted from his forthcoming book. He blogs at www.theloverumor.com

Jayendra Kalakendra Artistic Director:

Suganda Sreenath

Bharatanatyam classes (Kalakshetra style, incl. Extensive Theory)

• San Jose

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New classes are forming at all locations For details contact Suganda Iyer

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Email:

sugandaiyer@comcast.net

BharathaKala Kutiram Artistic Director:

Jayanthi Sridharan offers Bharathanatyam Classes in North San Jose

Call: (408) 251-3438 e-mail: bkkdanceschool@gmail.com

Jyoti Kala Mandir College of Indian Classical Arts ODISSI DANCE CLASSES NOW IN YOUR AREA!!! with

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KALANJALI Dances of India Establshed in 1975

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CLASSES IN BHARATANATYAM

Srividya Eashwar Classes offered in a combination of styles including Folk, Semi-Classical, and Fusion at various locations in Cupertino and San Jose.

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SACRAMENTO, LAFAYETTE, BERKELEY Registration and Information:

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NRITYANANDA

School of Kuchipudi Artistic Director

Hima Bindu Challa Disciple of

Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam

classes in

Kuchipudi (510) 770-9090

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www.nrityananda.org Fremont San Jose (Evergreen)

Pt. Habib Khan Peter Block Mohammad Nejad Matthew Montfort John Waller Ravi Gutala

ha for Education presents Pt Habib Khan in Ecstasy - An evening of Indo-Jazz fusion music."

urday, November 5th, 2011 at 6 pm

angenberg Theatre 0 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Habib Khan er Block hammad Nejad tthew Montfort n Waller vi Gutala 82 • india currents • october 2011

gha (650) 861-2122 • Sanjana (650) 255-9751 • Venki (408) 373-0868

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andit in Presents ” Ecstasy - An evening of Indo-Jazz fusion music.”

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Peter Block

John Waller

Ravi Gutala

Spangenberg Theatre

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Saturday, November 5th, 2011 at 6:00 pm sharp VIP Priority

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Megha (650) 861-2122 • Sanjana (650) 255-9752 • Venki (408) 373-0868

india currents • october 2011 • 83

INDIA CURRENTS GRAPHICS (408) 324-0488

Mohammad Nejad

Matthew Montfort

84 • india currents • october 2011

india currents • october 2011 • 85

KALALAYA

Presents the Annual Dance Musical by

Madurai R. Muralidaran

SENSE

BEYOND

Venue: Ohlone College Smith Centre Date : Sunday, Oct. 30th, 2011 Time: 4:00 pm Tickets: $20, $30, $50

Madurai R. Muralidaran, Uma Muralikrishna Anuradha Nag and dancers Deepa Mahadevan and dancers Shirni Kanth Uma Desai Niharika Mohanty and dancers Natyalaya Kuchipudi School of Dance Nrityananda School of Dance Bindu Pratap and dancers Aero Dance Academy Tickets available at www.Sulekha.com • Komala Villas (408) 733-7400

Contact: Deepa Mahadevan (510) 209-8783 • Kala Iyer (510) 305-9285 86 • india currents • october 2011

INDIA CURRENTS GRAPHICS (408) 324-0488

Participating dance schools and dancers:

india currents • october 2011 • 87

Edited by: Nadia

Maiwandi

IC calendars are updated daily!

List your event for FREE!

november issue deadline: Thursday, Oct. 20 To list your event in the Calendar, go to www.indiacurrents.com/submit-event and fill out Web form

Get the West Coast’s most complete list of South Asian events at India Currents .com

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter!

special dates Gandhi’s Birthday

Oct. 2

Navratri ends

Oct. 5

Dashera

Oct. 6

Sharad Purnima

Oct. 12

Karva Chauth

Oct. 16

Maharishi Valmiki B’day Oct. 22 Dhan Teras

Oct. 25

Divali

Oct. 26

Govardhana Puja

Oct. 27

Bhai Duj

Oct. 28

Idu’l Zuha

Nov. 6

Guru Nanak’s B’day

Nov. 10

I C cultural calendar October

1 Saturday

Zankaar Four Raga Concert. Hindustani

classical concert. The four Ragas are Bhatiyar, Basant, Basant Bahar, and Gara. The event includes a Karnatik version of ragas, instrumental (flute) and eight movie songs based on the theme ragas. Organized by Sangeet Dhwani. 2:30-5:30 p.m. Divine Science Center, 1540 Hicks Ave., San Jose, 95125. Free. RSVP:

88 • india currents • october 2011

Rudresh Mahanthappa will perform in Karnatik-jazz band Tuesday, Oct. 4 in Oakland.

pradjoshi@gmail.com. (408) 394-0554. pradjoshi@gmail.com. www.sangeetdhwani.org.

Sharod Utsav (Autumn Festival) and Durga Puja 2011. Sharod Utsav (Autumn

Festival) and Durga Puja is the biggest Bengali festival of the year celebrated in some regions of India and several parts of the world. This festival is celebrated for five consecutive days during autumn. For the Bengali community, it is the most significant socio-cultural event. The fourth annual Baybasi event will celebrate Durga Puja in the morning, and several cultural events in the evening, including a Dandiya event on Sunday. The festival and puja runs Oct. 1-2,

9 a.m.-10 p.m. Ends Oct. 2. Organized by Baybasi, Inc., Foster City. Bowditch Middle School, 1450 Tarpon St., Foster City, 94404.

Free, except for the Dandiya, which will be ticketed for non-members. baybasi@gmail. com. www.baybasi.org.

Navratri Garba-Dandiya. Featuring Sharvari Dixit and troupe. Organized by Gujarati Cultural Association. Washington High School, Fremont. (408) 313-5348. DrSharvariDixit@gmail.com.

SEF Dandia. The biggest and the most happening dandiya in the Bay Area. Featuring, huge dancing area, fantastic artists and

IC

recommends

A Step Toward a Better World YouthInAction organizes fundraising walk to fight global poverty

Gohar Jaffer

I

t’s easy to forget the people who struggle to live on less than a dollar a day when we are blinded by today’s materialistic society. Living in America, I don’t see a lot poverty; I know it exists but I never think about it until someone talks about it.

Many times on TV I’ve seen commercials showing families who are living in horrifying conditions. The commercials then ask for a donation. I’ve felt sympathetic for all those who are suffering, but at the same time it has seemed unreal to me.

This changed for me last spring when I was in Mexico. My family and I were in a tourist area for lunch. As we sat at our table we saw a small boy around the age of 7 walking around with a box tightly grasped in his small hands. He had no shoes and his clothes were faded and torn. I watched the young boy walk from person to person asking for money while everyone said no. I felt really bad for this boy who walked barefoot on the hot ground, just to be declined money over and over again.

I got some money from my mom and walked over to the boy. The smile that appeared on his face was priceless.

Now, whenever I hear of such conditions, I think of this small boy. I have a desire to help those like him live a better life, and the Aga Khan Foundation has helped me achieve this goal without having to wait until I was older or richer.

Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. (AKF USA) is a nonprofit organization that helps fight against global poverty in many different ways. One way to bring these efforts to the attention of Americans is Partnership Walk, an annual event to raise awareness and funds, to help the people in the impoverished areas of the world. One hundred percent of the donations raised go directly to projects supported by Aga Khan Foundation. So every penny you give helps somebody who really needs it.

The reason I choose to support this organization is because I know that the contributions don’t just go to help people as a hand-out for a certain amount of time. Donations are used to help people become independent and selfreliant for the rest of their lives. One of AKF USA’s main goals is to educate all those who are deprived from it. For example, in Afghanistan Aga Khan Foundation is benefitting 90,000 children by working with communities to establish community schools for those who are economically disadvantaged

Youth volunteers (left to right) Nabiha Jiwani, Ashley Lin, Saif Jivani, and Sara Jivani.

I have a desire to help those suffering live a better life, and the Aga Khan Foundation has helped me achieve this goal without having to wait until I was older or richer. and geographically remote. This is especially important for Afghan girls who have had limited opportunities for education.

To help these people I joined the YouthInAction team, which helps raise awareness and funds for AKF USA. As a group of about 15 Bay Area high school students, we manage a variety of projects to spread awareness about the organization, fundraise, and contribute to the Walk itself.

Our YouthInAction team coordinates a kid’s corner with many different games. Also, we

have planned a talent and fashion show for our supporters. At Partnership Walk, families can have a lot of fun and, at the same time, support projects that improve the lives of marginalized families who strive to improve their living conditions. I’m proud to be on this team because I know that I am doing what I can to help the needy. Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. gives a chance to everybody who wants to help.

I hope you can join us so that together we can be the change we want to see and end global poverty!n Sunday, Oct. 9, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Central Park, Lake Elizabeth, 40204 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont. Free. sanfrancisco@partnershipwalk.org. http://www.PartnershipsInAction. org/walk.

Gohar Jaffer is a 10th-grader at Monte Vista High School who joined the Partnership Walk in 2009. She has been an active participate in YouthInAction since 2010. india currents • october 2011 • 89

a great sound system, Preetysha & Troupe of Los Angeles, Dhol Baaje Entertainment, This event has sold out for the last seven years!

Organized by Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF).

Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara. $15. Children 5 and under free. Free parking.

(408) 658-0191. sefdandia@gmail.com. www. giftofvision.org.

October

2 Sunday

Gandhi Day: World Non Violence and Peace Day. A salute to the legacy of

non-violence, peace, and tolerance, featuring children’s activity, arts, craft, painting, inspirational cultural program, testimonials, and other activities in message of nonviolence andpeace. Community leaders from various ethnicities will be present. Organized

by India-American Organization. 12-4:30 p.m. Cupertino Library-City Hall, 10800 Torre Ave., Cupertino, 95014 . Free. (510) 789-6182, (510) 221-6175. GandhiDay@samrao.com.

.

IC

www.nonviolencepeaceday.org.

Samkirtan. KalaAwishkar, which is celebrating its five-year anniversary, has been invited to Pune, India, to perform. To mark the occasion, 30 students of KalaAwishkar will be performing followed by performance of guest artists, Satish Tare, GanapathiRaman, Madan Oak, and Prasanna Rajan, and Shraddha Joglekar, artistic director of the dance school will present Nav Rasa. Organized by KalaAwishkar Dance School. 3-7 p.m. Hoover Theater, 1635 Park Ave., San Jose, 95126. $10.

(408) 656-5019. kalaawishkar@yahoo.com. www.kalaawishkar.com.

Fifth Gandhi Statue Birthday Reading.

Marking the 142nd anniversary of the birth of Mohandas Gandhi. A walk to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial at Yerba Buena Gardens will follow. Organized by Peace for Keeps. 3-5 p.m. Gandhi Plaza, Behind the San francisco Ferry Building, Market St.. Free.

(510) 845-5481. pazmopa@yahoo.com.

Maa ... Tere Liye 2011. Music recital by students of Praveen Chaddha. Organized by Shanamo. 4:30 p.m. Holly Community Center, 31600 Alvarado Blvd., Union City. (510) 7985440. www.shanamo.com.

Annual Day at Tiruchitrambalam.

Featuring all students of Tiruchitrambalam followed by solo dance recital by Deepa Mahadevan, artistic director of Tiruchitrambalam, with live orchestra (nattuvangam by composer Madurai R. Muralidharan). Organized by Tiruchitrambalam School of Dance.

3:30 p.m. Ohlone College, Jackson Theatre, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont, 94539. $15.

(510) 209-8783, (510) 656-8742, (510) 3642858. mahadevan.deepa@gmail.com. www. deepamahadevan.com.

Nritya Tarangini. A kuchipudi dance

recital, presented by Tejaswi Kondapalli and directed by Uma Rama Rao, based on Saint Narayana Teertha’s “Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini” in the 17th century. It is

recommends

AMU’s Sir Syed Day

I

ndia has numerous tourist attractions. I visited some of them during a trip there in 2004, but one among them stood out, especially since it is not exactly a tourist magnet. Surprisingly, it was a university that captured my attention, my late father’s alma mater.

Known as Aligarh Muslim University, or AMU, it is probably the most noteworthy attraction in the city of Aligarh, besides the fort. For those not familiar with that part of India, Aligarh is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and is otherwise known for its manufacturing of locks. But the university has a presence in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Middle East, as well as overseas, and the San Francisco Bay Area is no exception. I’ve found that its alumni are some of the most dedicated people anywhere to identify with their university.

The AMU Alumni Association is putting on its annual Sir Syed Day event, an event that has been on my social calendar for approximately 10 years now. With the recent addition of the Aligarh Education Endowment Fund (AEEF) fundraiser to the annual Mushaira (Urdu poetry recital), the alumni of this esteemed university both share and show their enthusiasm for the vision of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan the founder of AMU, who was born in Delhi in the early 1800s. He experienced firsthand the revolt of 1857 in India against the British and its brutal fallout. Inspired by Western scientific pursuits, he urged India’s Muslims to pursue modern scientific education and, against all odds, succeeded in founding the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental (MAO) College in 1875, which became a university in 1920.

Why is Aligarh Muslim University important today? Besides being one of India’s foremost educational institutions for Muslims (the campus is now open to all religions), the end result of Sir Syed’s vision has been an educated alumni contributing to the world of science, engineering, medicine, and the arts (among others). The global community is benefitting from AMU graduates in

90 • india currents • october 2011

From left: Kaumil Shah, Rahul Shrimali, Rushi Vakil, and Sahil Patel.

India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (left) at an AMU convocation.

all fields. It was difficult to imagine that a community once imploding due to its defeat by the British could follow a reformist path and elevate itself.

This year’s event will include Urdu poetry, during which poets from India, Pakistan, and North America will share their unique skills; entertainment; food; and more.n—Ras Siddiqui Oct. 15, 6 p.m. India Community Center (ICC), 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Tickets: (650) 212-2544. amualumni@hotmail.com. http:// www.amualumni.org.

the longest opera written in the Sanskrit language. The text consists of 150 keertanas (songs) that detail Lord Krishna’s life from his birth till his marriage to Rukmini. The text also contains many slokams (poetry) and gadyams (prose) to keep the story line connected. Kondapalli researched Tarangini as part of Fulbright Scholarship for 2010. This is a unique production that aims to explore “Krishna Leela Tarangini” through Kuchipudi dance. The production will follow the story line of Krishna’s life through a collection of five dance items. Each piece tells a part of Krishna’s life, from the point of view of a unique character that comes into contact with him. Through these various songs the dancer explores the moods of different raagams and the rhythms and math of different talams. Dancer will display acrobatic talent that unique to Tarangam choreography. 4 p.m. Mission City Center for Performing Arts, 3250 Monroe St., Santa Clara, 95051. Free.

(408) 836-0795.

Navratri Garba-Dandiya. Featuring Sharvari Dixit and troupe. Organized by Baybasi Inc. Foster City. (408) 313-5348. DrSharvariDixit@gmail.com.

October

4 Tuesday

Rudresh Mahanthappa: Samdhi.

Saxophone concert with Mahanthappa, accompanied David Gilmore (guitar), Rich Brown (bass), and Damion Reid (drums). In Sanskrit, Samdhi means “that which combines or unites” or “the interval between day and night.” In more traditional Hindu terms, it refers to the period between the end of one age (or yuga) and the dawn of another. For Mahanthappa, this project represents a new direction in combing the complex melodic and rhythmic elements of both Karnatik music and the traditions of jazz within an electro-acoustic format consisting of alto saxophone with electronics, electric guitar,

electric bass, and drums.

A direct result, of his research as a Guggenheim fellow, this new work deeply engages the listener while breaking new ground in the multicultural landscape of modern music. Organized by Yoshi’s Oakland. 8-11:30 p.m. Yoshi’s Oakland, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland, 94607. $20. (510) 2389200. www.yoshis.com.

6

October Thursday

Vijayadasami Celebrations. Organized by Nrithyollasa Dance Academy. For more information, contact: (510) 623-8230, or info@nldance.com. nldance.com.

October

7 Friday

Comedy Off Broadway Oakland. Featur-

ing Hark Dulai and Dan Nainan. Also with Jimmy Shubert and Todd Bridges. Hosted by SamIshani Joshi will have her bharatanatyam arangetram on Oct. 8 in Cupertino. son Koletkar, the world’s only Indian Jewish standup comedian. Organized

by Comedy Off Broadway Oakland. 8-9:30 Navratri Garba-Dandiya. Featuring Sharvari p.m. Miss Pearl’s Jam House, 1 Broadway.

Dixit and troupe. Ends Oct. 8. Organized by $10 general; $8 students. (510) 214-2626.

Gujarati Cultural Association. Washington High info@coboak.com, irene@mahatma-moses.

School, Fremont. (408) 313-5348. DrSharvaricom. www.comedyoffbroadwayoakland.

Dixit@gmail.com. com/20111007.html, www.harkdulai.com, www.danielnainan.com.

Third Annual Saratoga Dandia 2011. Gar

India Against Corruption team (from left) Anna Hazare, Paul Polak, and Prashant Bhushan will be honored on Saturday, Oct. 15 in Santa Clara. india currents • october 2011 • 91

IC

recommends

Photos: Courtesy the Asian Art Museum

Maharajas Meet Contemporary Art

“Procession of Maharao Ram Sing II of Kota,” circa 1850; watercolor on paper. (Right) Turban ornament, 1750-1755; gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphire.

Michelle Baird

I

have been waiting, with great expectation, for the opportunity to view the 200 exquisite pieces of art in the Asian Art Museum exhibit “Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts.” I will finally get my chance to visit the exhibition while exploring the extraordinary culture of princely India. The paintings, photography, rich textiles, opulent jewelry, and beautiful furniture featured in the exhibit trace the change in the institution of Indian kingship from the collapse of the Moghul Empire in the early 18th century through the end of British rule in 1947.

At the “docent sneak peak” of the exhibition, hosted by Qamar Adamjee, assistant curator of South Asian art at the museum, I was able to view the exhibition highlights.

Among the wealth of pieces, my favorites include a watercolor painting from 1750,

92 • india currents • october 2011

“Chand Bibi of Bijapur Shooting with her Ladies,” that offers a compelling glimpse of the life of the women behind the maharajas, revealing skills and talents usually associated with men and power. Another favorite comes from a collection of photographs of “Jazz Age Maharajas” exploring the dual Indian and Western identities maharajas fashioned for themselves. This grouping includes an impeccably styled photo of Yeshwant Rao Holkar II of Indore. For the jewelry lovers, there’s also the Cartier necklace created for Sir Bhupindra Singh, Maharaja of Patiala, created with over 3,000 diamonds.

Adamjee discusses the stories behind the exhibit’s works: “Whether or not as deliberate design, the ways in which the subjects are depicted, their gestures and stances, the objects that have been included in or left out of their images, and the overall settings tell us some-

thing about how they wished to be viewed both in their own time and in posterity.”

Each of the objects in the exhibit was carefully created to convey an image and story about what a maharaja is and what a maharaja means in princely India. Looking at how and why those meanings were created through each object on display is the most intriguing story of the exhibit.

Adamjee likens the images of individual maharajas in the exhibit to pictures of modern-day celebrities, and even our decisions about which picture we choose for our Facebook profile. With this contemporary connection in mind, I visited the works by Sanjay Patel, the author and artist behind the stunning book, Ramayana, Divine Loophole.

His work will be featured in its own gallery on the third floor of the museum, where he is carefully connecting his modern-day interpretations of Hinduism with pieces from the museum’s permanent collection. Patel is also doing the artwork for the exhibit outside of

ba and Dandia with Madhvi and Asim Mehta and group. The proceeds from this event will be donated to the Saratoga Unified School District. Redwood Middle School Multipurpose Room, 13925 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga, 95070. saratogaeventsrsvp@gmail.com. sites. google.com/site/saratogadandia2011/.

October

8 Saturday

Annual Senior Day. Seniors are welcome to come and enjoy a day full of activities, including talent show. Register by Oct 4th to participate. 1218@yahoo.com, dhbaskaran@yahoo.com; or (925) 371-5640, (925) 875-9689, (925) 449-6255, Ext. 3. Organized

by HCCC/Shiva Vishnu Temple. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Temple Assembly Hall, 1223 Arrowhead Ave., Livermore, 94550. Free. (925) 294-4559. suman1218@yaho.com. http//www.livermoretemple.org.

Diwali Festival. Visitors to the festival will

the museum building, as well as layering his brightly colored drawings in murals on the normally white walls of the museum’s interior courts.

Combining the historical and contemporary art worlds, the Asian Art Museum is bridging the opulence of royal India with the interpretations of a Pixar artist. Sanjay, with a personality as vibrant as his art, explains, “People see my work and think it’s unique. This is bull. My work is a total knock-off and the fact that people don’t see it shocks me,” he says.

“That’s the whole point of my show: to show people the connection between the most ancient artifacts and my modern interpretation. To place an exquisite stone sculpture of Vishnu from the 12th century next to a digital illustration created at this moment. Then to step back and to let people decide what’s original and what’s not.

What’s special and what’s not, what’s art and what’s pop culture.”

For any lover of Sanjay Patel’s pop culture interpretations of Hinduism, the chance to see his work in direct conversation with the Maharaja exhibit and the rest of the museum’s collection of Indian antiquities is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s also an experience that could only happen in San Francisco. Believe me when I say I’ll definitely return to this exhibit several times before it ends!n Oct. 21, 2011-April 8, 2012. Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., San Francisco. $17 general; $13 seniors; $12 college students; $7 children 13-17; children under 13 free.

(415) 581-3500. www.asianart.org.

be treated to a festive atmosphere of sari festooned trees, spectacular lanterns, and a cultural kaleidoscope of activities and performances. Beginning with the popular Kids Zone art show and grand opening, featuring community and elected leaders in traditional Indian clothing, the festival appeals to all senses. Indian food, music, and dancing, featuring classical kuchipudi and kathak to folk koli, and innal kolatam to popular Bollywood dances. Attendees may get decorative mehendi drawn on the palm of their hands, learn their future with a visit to the fortune teller’s stall, or attend the bazaar with Indian art, clothing, jewelry, children’s books, and toys. The elaborate and exciting Kids Zone will be packed throughout the day with children visiting the magic show, petting zoo, pony rides, bounce houses, face painting, and coloring contests. Organized by Cupertino Chamber of Commerce. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Memorial Park, 21251 Stevens Creek

Blvd., Cupertino, 95014. Free. (408) 252-7054, (408) 806-9142. info@cupertino-chamber.org, alice@cupertino-chamber.org. www.cupertinochamber.org.

Bharatanatyam Arangetram of Ishani Joshi. Student of Mythili Kumar, artistic

director of Abhinaya Dance Company.

Organized by Abhinaya Dance Company. De Anza Visual and Performing Arts Cener, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, 95014. (408) 871-5959. abdanceco@gmail.com.

ICA Navratri Raas-Garba. With Madhvi

& Asim Mehta. Organized by India Cultural Association. Hindu Temple South Bay (Sunnyvale Temple), 420-450 E. Persian Drive, Sunnyvale, 94089. (510) 881-8770, (408) 295-8609, (510) 438-9093. Ashp50@aol.com, apatel44@yahoo.com. www.icabayarea.com.

SEF Dandia. The biggest and the most

happening dandiya in the Bay Area. Featuring, huge dancing area, fantastic artists and a great sound system, Preetysha & Troupe of Los Angeles, Dhol Baaje Entertainment, This event has sold out for the last seven years!.

Organized by Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF).

Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara. $15. (408) 658-0191. sefdandia@gmail.com. www.giftofvision.org.

October

9 Sunday

Partnership Walk. Be the part of the

solution to end global poverty. Come to the Bay Area Partnership Walk and join tens of thousands across the U.S. to help build a more secure and peaceful world. Partnership Walk is a day of entertainment, learning, and fun for the whole family. Visit the Village in Action, an interactive exhibit where you can learn about innovative ways to solve hunger, poverty and disease around the world. PartnershipsInAction raises awareness and funds

Richa Shukla, Sanjana Shukla, and company will be featured at the Divali event on Oct. 15 in Hercules. india currents • october 2011 • 93

IC

recommends

Jennifer Marshall

That’s Epic D

oor Dog Music Productions presents the world premiere of “The Epic Project: Madmen, Heroines, and Bards from Around the World” as part of the acclaimed San Francisco World Music Festival. Live music commissions of many of the world’s oldest epic stories will be performed over four days by renowned masters representing India, Burma, Azerbaijan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Spain, Taiwan, Africa, and Tibet, with each of the four days taking a different theme. The first day is designed for youth, focusing on schools of the Bay Area and featuring master musicians, and includes members of the festival’s Youth Orchestra. The second day of the festival is titled “Mad Men and Epic Heroes,” featuring tabla master Swapan Chaudhuri and music and chants from Krgyzstan. The third day will focus on “Heroines,” with four international female master singers. And the last day will highlight epic “Bards,” with Karnatik master Anuradha Sridhar, a renowned Chinese musician, and a multigenerational orchestra.

“People really see the essence of these traditions in their classical renderings,” says music director Jim Santi Owen. “If you let everybody do their thing in the most authentic way, that’s where you find the threads to weave this musical tapestry.”

Highly respected tabla player and teacher Chaudhuri will be accompanied by his students. “I wanted to perform with the younger kids because they are the people who are going to hold the flag later on,” he says. His performance will mark his 30th anniversary of teaching in the Bay Area. Having started playing the tabla at the age of 5, Chaudhuri’s musical expertise is steadfastly rooted in tradition, however, he has collaborated with many musicians, from jazz to popular artists. As well as performing a solo piece from the “Ramayana” epic, Chaudhuri will share the stage with other international maestros for whom he has composed music to be improvised upon in each player’s own cultural style.

The lifetime achievement and teachings of Sridhar will be honored in “Bards,” a celebration of those who have committed their lives to memorizing and telling epics, safeguarding their traditions and culture. The evening will celebrate Sridhar’s mastery as a performer and her unfaltering commitment to the preservation and promotion of Karnatikmusic. She will perform the South Indian epic “Silappatikaram,” the story of a powerful and chaste wife’s devotion to her husband and 94 • india currents • october 2011

Anuradha Sridhar

their triumph over injustice, incorporating complicated rhythmic structures and skillful improvisation.

“This epic is very ancient and we have beautiful literature written about the story, which happened probably in the 2nd century,” she says. “I am going to take certain verses from there and then I’m going to tune it to depict various moods and emotions that are in the story.”

Students from Sridhar’s Trinity School of Music will join her and other international performers, playing a variety of instruments and singing in a host of foreign languages, “to interact with an African singer or someone from Tibet or Taiwan. That is really amazing to give that opportunity to a 10-year-old …. It is priceless,” Sridhar says.

Just as epics have been preserved orally and passed down through the ages, the “Epic Project” aims to preserve the musi-

cal techniques, skills, and repertoire that make up our cultural heritage through sharing performances and teaching students at the highest level.

“It is our global inheritance, to inherit these songs, these rhythms and patterns, melodies. We’re trying to raise citizens of the global world,” says Owen.

Chaudhuri acknowledges the task. “I am trying my level best to preserve tradition because that’s how you identify later who you are. To maintain that, that’s our strength, our culture,” he says.n Thursday, Oct. 27–Sunday, Oct. 30. Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California St., San Francisco, 94118. $20; seniors over 60 and children under 12 free.

(415) 561-6571, (415) 292-1233. info@ doordog.org. www.sfworldmusicfestival.org.

B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B

SHIVA MURUGAN TEMPLE P U J A S

&

F E S T I V A L S

www.shivamurugantemple.org HAPPY DEEPAVALI Temple Benefit Programs Sun., Oct. 30, - 4 pm Bharthanatyam “UTHPALA” “The Lotus” = Symbol of Purity Shreelata Suresh & Students Venue: Cuberley, Palo Alto - 4 pm Suggested Donation (Tax Deductible) $50, $20, $10 Contact Satya @ 650-888-2158 Usha @ 650-213-9199 PHOTO: VIGGY MOKKARALA

PUJAS & FESTIVALS

SHIVA MURUGAN TEMPLE / SAIVA SIDDHANTA ASHRAM 1803 Second Street, Concord, CA 94519

• Weekdays: 10am - Noon & 6pm - 9pm • Weekends: 10am - 9pm Voice Mail (925) 827-0127 • Fax (925) 827-0209 • www.temple.org

B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B

Sat., Oct. 1 - Durga Homam Sun., Oct. 2 Navarathri Celebration Bharathanatyam Nirupama Vaidyanathan & Students Sat., Oct. 8 Navarathri Celebration Devotional Songs Kala Iyer & Students Sun. Oct. 9 Navarathri Celebration Srikanth Chari & Students - Veena Hema Sista & Students - Devotional Songs Sun. Oct. 23 Deepavali Celebration Bharathanatyam Indumathy Ganesh & Students Sun. Oct. 30 - Mahaskanda Sashti Thirupugal Songs Lata Sriram

india currents • october 2011 • 95

96 • india currents • october 2011

for grassroots community projects in Africa and Asia that help save lives. Our projects move families out of poverty by building the skills and tools they need to become selfreliant. One hundred percent of funds raised go directly to projects supported by Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. Registration starts at 8 a.m.; the walk begins at 10 a.m. Partnership Walk is an initiative of Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. and organized by its network of volunteers across America. Organized by PartnershipsInAction. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Central Park, Lake Elizabeth, 40204 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont, 94537. Free. Register: www.

PartnershipsInAction.org/walk. sanfrancisco@ partnershipwalk.org. www.PartnershipsInAction.org/walk. (See story.)

978-2787. comments@ybca.org. www.ybca.org.

October

Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The nation’s

largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

Events are held annually in the fall in nearly 600 communities nationwide. The San Francisco Walk is one of the largest in the country, and has raised over $1 million every year since 2007. 8:30 a.m. check-in; 10 a.m. walk. Organized by Alzheimer’s Association.

Arena Green Park, San Jose. Free parking at HP Pavilion. (650) 962-8111. www.alz.org.

(See story.)

Diamond Jewelry Exhibition. Featuring

Indian designs in 18K yellow and white gold.

Organized by Donil Jewelers. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sheraton, 1100 N. Mathilda Ave., Sunnyvale, 94089. Free. (408) 507-0979. doniljewelers@ hotmail.com. www.doniljewelers.com.

October

14 Friday

The Matter Within—Opening Night Party. The unveiling of “The Matter Within” with performances and dancing lessons from the Non Stop Bhangra crew, an interactive rangoli ceremony with Monica Henderson,

15 Saturday

Author Asha Sharma will give a talk at the Gandhi Peace Prayer Day on Sunday, Oct. 16 in San Leandro.

and “Cadre,” a Matter Within-themed smartphone game designed by the gaming geniuses at Groundcrew. Organized by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. 9:30 p.m. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., San Francisco, 94103. $5 advance; $7 at door; YBCA members free. (415) 978-2700, (415)

2nd Annual Flea Market. Featuring food booths, quality goods at great deals, and mendhi. Also, entertainment: Arabic dance

by Ashiana Dance Troop with Monica Sawyer, Ellie puppet show and magic show by Srikant Hemmady with Ankita and Sankalpa, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. All proceeds to benefit Badarikashrama’s Primary School in Madihalli, Karnataka, India. Support a worthwhile cause for rural children in India. Donations accepted until Oct. 10th (no clothes, please).

Organized by Badarikashrama. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@ pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama.org.

The instrumental Heart Beat Ensemble will give a concert on Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara. india currents • october 2011 • 97

The Matter Within: New Contemporary Art of India. As contemporary art becomes

more widely recognized within India, there has also been a growing awareness of its international development and impact. “The Matter Within: New Contemporary Art of India,” is an exhibition of sculpture, photography, and video by artists of India living inside the country as well as in the diaspora. Inspired by material culture, literature, spirituality, and social and political aspects of the history of the South Asian region, the exhibition is organized around three thematic threads that resonate from contemporary India—embodiment, the politics of communicative bodies, and the imaginary. Of particular interest are the artistic practices that either incorporate these concepts or operate within a gap between these existing thematic categories.

Whereas sculpture and painting have a long history within both sacred and secular traditions of Indian art, in recent years photography and video have emerged as significant media as well. Ends Jan. 29. Organized by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. 12 p.m. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., San Francisco, 94103. $7 general; $5 Senior/ student/teacher; YBCA members free. (415) 978-2700, (415) 978-2787. comments@ybca. org. www.ybca.org.

Divali Fest Comes to Libraries. An af-

ternoon of dances, arts and crafts, and more.

Bharatnatyam by students of Kalanjali (artistic director Katherine Kunniraman), Kanha School of Dance (artistic director Ashwini Srivatsan), Saraswati Kala Nilaya (artistic director Barbara Framm), and Bollywood dance

by Richa and Sanjana Shukla. Organized

by Prabha Gopal of Bay Area Performance.

3-5 p.m. Hercules Library, 109 Civic Drive, Hercules, 94594. Free. Info: (925) 947-1908, Venue: (925) 947-1908. gpaolini@ccclib.org.

BPA-PG.com.

Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam Solos.

By Siri Yellamraju, Chitra Kalyandurg, and Ramya Ramesh students of Shashikala Penumarti, Anuradha Nehru, and Vishal Ramani of Yuva Bharati. Organized by Yuva Bharati.

4-6:30 p.m. Cubberley Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, 94303. Free. (650) 565-8859. yuva_bharati@yahoo.com. www. yuvabharati.org.

Pushpanjali: Paluskar Jayanti. Heera

Kulkarni presents Pushpanjali: Paluskar Jayanti, a tribute to the legendary musician Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, with Raga Academy students, Raja Sivamani (veena) and Daljit Singh (tabla). Sponsored in part by SMAC and Films Division India. Organized

Meera Jayaraman will have her bharatanatyam arangetram on Saturday, Oct. 22 in San Jose.

by Heera Kulkarni and Sangeet Bharati. 3-6 p.m. Tentative venue: Roy Herburger Elementary School, 8670 Maranello Drive, Elk Grove, 95624. Free. (916) 686-5785. sangeetbharati@ hotmail.com. www.heerakulkarni.com, www. sangeetbharati.org.

S. Main St., Milpitas, 95035. $20 general; free for Basant Bahar members. (408) 390-7094, (510) 651-6386, (408) 390-7094. contact@ basantbahar.org. www.basantbahar.org.

ICA Banquet Honoring India Against Corruption Team. India Against Corrup-

evening of Urdu poetry, food, and a worthy cause. Celebrate the legacy of a great man and the institution that he built. Organized

by Aligarh Alumni Association of Northern California. 6-11:45 p.m. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches S., Milpitas, 95053. $40, $50, $100. (650) 212-2544. amualumni@hotmail.com. www.amualumni.org. (See story.)

tion team: Prashant Bhushan, Indian social activist, public interest lawyer, Supreme Court of India; Paul Polak, father of Social Innovation and Eradicating Global Poverty founder; and Anna Hazare (not in person), Indian social activist and social reformer leader of anti-corruption movement in India. Join us in honoring these exceptional individuals for their dedication and commitment to helping underserved communities.

Organized by Indians for Collective Action.

4:30-9:30 p.m. Santa Clara Convention Center (Mission City Ballroom), Santa Clara. Registe and tickets: www.icaonline.org. (510) 6769502, (650) 868-6645. usheth@gmail.com, akbhushan@aol.com. www.icaonline.org.

Vocal Concert. By Raghunandan Panshikar, accompanied by Bharat Kamat (tabla) and Niranjan Lele (harmonium). Organized by Basant Bahar. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Jain Temple, 722

Sir Syed Day 2011: International Mushaira and AEEF Fundraiser Dinner. An

Breathless Slides and Breathing Rhythms. A great world music and fu-

sion concert, with world-renowned artists including ChitraVina RaviKiran, Millinneum awardee; Glen Valez, five-time Grammy awardee; Trichy Sankaran, (rhythm); George Brooks (saxaphone), Lori Cotler (vocal percussionist) and Mohan Rangan (flute).

Organized by Events2Please. 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Spangenberg Theater, Gunn High School, 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, 94306. $25, $40, $60. Have dinner with the artists, $125.

Tickets: http://www.Bit.Ly/fusionconcert;

P l a c e y o u r e v e n t f o r f r e e : w w w. i n d i a c u r r e n t s . c o m / s u b m i t - e v e n t 98 • india currents • october 2011

IC

recommends

Priya Das

One Man, Five Dance Forms A

portly man wants to dance. So he seeks and gains an education in it. Starting with North Indian kathak, he proceeds to Orissa (odissi), Andhra Pradesh (kuchipudi), Kerala (mohini attam), and finally to Tamil Nadu (bharatanatyam). That is the premise of “Sense Beyond,” a dance production created by the young, iconic dancer/choreographer Madurai R. Muralidharan.

Known to push conventional boundaries in his work, Muralidharan was inspired by the film icon Kamal Haasan to create the make-up and costume for the overweight protagonist Yadav in his own production.

In the movie Avvai Shanmugi, which is a remake of the American Mrs. Doubtfire, Haasan transforms himself into a rotund nanny to be with his daughter. On stage, Muralidharan will don a specially prepared costume and make-up to depict Yadav, and then journey through a transformation, both physically and mentally into an ideal student of dance and a model dancer. Yadav will shed his excessive weight, and symbolically his past baggage, and immerse himself into the art, which elevates and satiates him beyond the sensory level. Hence, the title.

“By weaving the story through the whole of India, Guru Muralidharan has brought about a confluence of the diverse and rich culture of India seamlessly woven into his creative script,” says Deepa Mahadevan, artistic director of Bay Area’s Thiruchitrambalam Dance Company. “Moving away from religious overtones, this piece portrays the journey of a man in his step by step evolution as a dancer.” A disciple of Muralidharan, Mahadevan is the primary coordinator for the production, responsible for the interaction with all participating dancers and dance schools.

Representing the various dance forms are prominent bay area teachers and their students. Aerodance, led by Ranjani Manda will set the stage for a “Holi” dance sequence; Anuradha Nag will lead her students (Tarangini School) in kathak; Niharika Mohanty and her students (Guru Shradha) will present odissi; Bindu Pratap and students (Nritanjali School) mohini attam; and Deepa Mahadevan and students (Tiruchitrambalam School) bharatnatyam.

“By weaving the story through the whole of India, Guru Muralidharan has brought about a confluence of the diverse and rich culture of India seamlessly woven into his creative script.”

-Deepa Mahadevan

Thiruchitrambalam Dance Company

Also participating is Shirni Kanth, who runs the Mythri Natyalaya School. Kuchipudi will be showcased by India-based Uma Muralikrishna, accompanied by students of Natyalaya (led by Jyothi Lakkaraju) and Nrityananda (led by Himabindu Challa) schools of dance. Muralikrishna has shared the stage with Muralidharan often, the

most recent as Madhavi in the dance production Silapathigaram, which had also brought together several Bay Area dance schools in 2010. Both dance-dramas have been produced by Kala Iyer’s Kalalaya.

The theme of the “Sense Beyond” being secular, specific emphasis has been placed on it being presented in a nonreligious format, with a crossover appeal. The lyrical or language component, so often the reason for alienating Indian dance from a more mainstream audience, has been minimized. Audiences of any hue and calling will be able to associate themselves with the sentiments of the story. The music has been composed

by Muralidharan himself; and recorded in India with some leading musicians such as instrumentalist Rajesh Vaidya, percussionist D.A. Srinivasan, vocalist N. Kesavan, violinist Embar Kannan, and flautist Navin (who featured in A.R. Rahman’s Slum Dog Millionaire score).

What the audience can expect is to experience the energy that is the undercurrent in all of Muralidharan’s choreographies, in the narrative, and in the music, which Mahadevan says, is “styled as a Broadway musical.”n Sunday, Oct. 30, 4 p.m. Smith Center, Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont. $20, $30, $50. Tickets: www.sulekha.com. (510) 209-8783, (510) 305-9285. india currents • october 2011 • 99

https://www.sulekha.com/ticketsV3/buytickets. aspx?cid=606176. (408) 857-4454, (650) 504-9182. contact@events2please.com. www. events2please.com/concert.

Navratri Garba-Dandiya. Featuring Sharvari Dixit and troupe. Organized by Indian Students Organization. San Jose State University, San Jose. (408) 313-5348. DrSharvariDixit@gmail.com.

SEF Dandia. The biggest and the most

happening dandiya in the Bay Area. Featuring, huge dancing area, fantastic artists and a great sound system, Preetysha & Troupe of Los Angeles, Dhol Baaje Entertainment, This event has sold out for the last seven years! Organized by Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF). Alameda Fairgrounds, Pleasanton. $15.

(408) 658-0191. sefdandia@gmail.com. www. giftofvision.org.

October

16 Sunday

Divali Celebration with South Indian Classical Music. By Shyamsundar Kotagal,

who will present a few compositions from the repertoire of a typical Karnatik music concert and will explain concepts that are crucial to understanding the nuances of this musical tradition. The compositions will be in Telugu, Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi languages. Kotagal is an alumnus of the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He is a licensed psychologist and is the director of one of the clinical programs at RAMS Inc., a non-profit mental health services agency. Organized by Cultural Integration Fellowship. 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St., San Francisco, 94118. (415) 668-1559. culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net. www.culturalintegrationfellowship.org.

Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prayer Day.

Peace march in neighborhood with Mahatma Gandhi. Puppet creation (12-1 p.m.), snacks

A SUGGESTION: India Currents goes to press as much as six weeks in advance of some events listed in it. Even though organizers do their best to stick to the announced schedule, in rare cases events are rescheduled or cancelled. To avoid disappointment, we recommend that you always check the organizer’s website, and

CALL TO CONFIRM!

100 • india currents • october 2011

Malavika Kumar will perform at the Next Generation Solo Series on Saturday, Oct. 22 in San Jose.

for marchers before march. Call ashrama to participate. Featuring: talk by Jes Richardson, education, founder of Bridge of Hearts, activist; art competition awards; talk by Asha Sharma, author of “An American in Khadi: An American in Gandhi’s India.” Presentation of Vashundhara: “Ode to Mother Earth,” written and directed by Rita Sahai with Hindustani choir and orchestra, aarati and mahaprasad (dinner). Organized by Badarikashrama. 1-6:30 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free.

(510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www. badarikashrama.org.

Heart Beat Ensemble. All-instrument

ensemble led by Ghatam S. Karthic and Embar Kannan on silent violin along with the energetic Satya (keyboard), B.S. Arunkumar (rhythm pads), Poongulam Subramanian (mridangam), and B. Sundarkumar (kanjira).

Organized by Sankritilaya and Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandir. 4 p.m. Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, 95054. $20 general; $15 student/ senior. (408) 252-1359. vijimani@sankritilaya.org. www.sankritilaya.org.

October

18 Tuesday

South Asian Networking and Lead Generation. An event packed with activities

to ensure that you make the most of this evening and walk out with business and leads, instead of just business Cards. You will find many creative ways to promote your business, such as, role plays, giveaways, 30-second elevator pitch, and more. The event will begin with lead generation seminar and tax saving strategies for the year end. Organized by

Share your stories on health with India Currents readers!

We are accepting original submissions that focus on health and wellness.

Send your 650-800-word essay on disease prevention, exercise, ayurvedic cooking, or any other health-related topic to Nadia Maiwandi at events@indiacurrents.com.

www.fixtro.com. 5 p.m. Fremont Hilton, 39900 Balentine Drive, Newark. Register: www.fixtro. com, use discount code “indiacurrents” for free tickets. (510) 709-4030. info@fixtro.com. www.fixtro.com.

October

20 Thursday

VivRti 2011: Workshop Series. By Vidwan Sri T.M. Krishna, featuring work on structure, preparation,and presentation of a concert, and the essence of a ragam. Ends Oct. 24.

Ohlone College, Newark. Register: vivrti@ pallavita.org. pallavita.org/education.

October

22 Saturday

Next Generation Solo Series: Malavika Kumar. Organized by Abhinaya Dance

Company. 2 p.m. Willow Glen Middle School Theater, 2105 Cottle Ave., San Jose, 95125. $8 general ($10 at the door); $6 students ($8 at the door). (408) 871-5959. abdanceco@gmail. com. www.abhinaya.org/index.shtml.

Bharatanatyam Arangetram of Meera Jayaraman. Student of Nirupama Vaidhya-

nathan, artistic director of Sankalpa Dance Foundation. The dance will be in Vazhuvoor style with accompanying live orchestra.

Organized by Sankalpa Dance Foundation.

4 p.m. Jackson Theater, Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont, 94539. Free.

(510) 791-2218. meera.j.dance@gmail.com. arangetram.pingg.com/Meera.

October

23 Sunday

Semi-classical, Abhang, Natyageet, Fusion Concert. Featuring Raghunan-

dan Panshikar, accompanied by Niranjan Lele (harmonium) and Bharat Kamat (tabla). Son of well-known Marathi stage artist Prabhakar Panshikar, Raghunandan Panshikar is disciple of doyen of the JaipurAtrauli gharana, Gaan Saraswati Kishori Amonkar. Under her keen guidance, he worked painstakingly to imbibe her complex and unique musical style through rigorous daily riyaaz. In addition to a mastery of the presentation of classical raags, Panshikar’s command of semi-classical genres (thumri, ghazal, bhajan, abhang) accounts for his versatility and singularity among Hindustani vocalists. By training with Kishori-ji in these various styles, Panshikar developed an innate, emotive vocal quality and honed his Hindi/Urdu, Marathi, and Sanskrit diction. Panshikar’s presentation of ghazal compositions has enthralled music aficionados. He com-

posed music for Sangeet Naatak “Avgha Rang Ekachi Zala,” classical fusion album “Morey Sawariya,” and playback singer for Govind Nihalani’s Hindi film “Drishti.” Organized by Swar Sudha and Foundation for Excellence (FFE).

3-7 p.m. Jain Temple Auditorium, 722 S. Main St., Milpitas, 95035. $20, $25. Tickets: http:// www.swarsudha.org. (408) 243-9110, (408) 4216273, (925) 227-1955. swarsudha@swarsudha. org. www.swarsudha.org, www.facebook.com/ groups/108192392537074/.

October

27 Thursday

The Epic Project at the 12th San Francisco World Music Festival. From the Silk

Road steppes of Kyrgyzstan and the Yanar Dag fire mountains of Azerbaijan to the Sun Moon Lake forests of Taiwan and the Tamil Nadu rivers of India, “The Epic Project: Madmen, Heroines and Bards from Around the World” brings together master performers of epic songs together for the first time on one stage. Drawing from the world’s oldest epics, including video projections live-streamed from several countries around the world, this threeday commission will feature an Ashyg poet minstrel singing folk dastans of Azerbaijan, a Chinese Nanguan master performing “Dream of the Red Chamber,” and a Krygyz Manas epic chanter telling the story of its hero, Manas, in one of the world’s longest epics! Ends Oct. 30.

Organized by Door Dog Music Productions.

8-9:30 p.m. Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California St., San Francisco, 94118. Festival pass: $50. Individual shows: $20 general; $17 members. Festival pass: $50. Seniors/ children under 12 free. Tickets: (415) 292-1233.

(415) 561-6571, (415) 292-1233. info@doordog. org, msantoro@doordog.org, ychen@doordog.org. www.doordog.org, www.sfworldmusicfestival.org.

(See story.)

October

30 Sunday

Uthpala: Bharatanatyam Fundraiser Concert. Vishwa Shanthi Dance Academy

(artistic director, Shreelata Suresh) presents a benefit concert for the Shiva Murugan Temple in Concord. Senior dancers and students perform along with Suresh, in a specially composed and choreographed recital. Live musical accompaniment by Guru V. Krishnamoorthi, Harini Krishnan Vikas, N. Narayanan, Shanthi Narayanan, and Hrishikesh Chary. Organized by Vishwa Shanthi Dance Academy. 4 p.m. Cubberley Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, 94306. (650) 888-2158, (510) 525-1793, (650) 213-9199. www.shreelatasuresh.com.

Sense Beyond, an exploration of five Indian

“Uthpala,” a bharatanatyam fundraiser for the Shiva Murugan Temple, will be held Sunday, Oct. 30 in Palo Alto.

dance styles (kathak, odissi, kuchipudi, mohini attam, and bharatanatyam). Created by the young, iconic dancer/choreographer Madurai R. Muralidharan. Sunday, Oct. 30, 4 p.m. Smith india currents • october 2011 • 101

Center, Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont. $20, $30, $50. Tickets: www.sulekha. com. (510) 209-8783, (510) 305-9285. (See story.)

November

4 Friday

Singing for Greener Tomorrow. A platform to generate awareness about the environment, using music as a vehicle to bring communities together. Featuring world music band with Ben Kunin (sarod), Anoop Bhattacharya (tabla), Sanjib Saha (guitar), Bob Olson (saxophone), Cajon: Mark Koperweis (cajon), Kerry Kriger (flute), Malini Banerjee (vocal), and Manidipa Bhattacharya (vocal), plus several other musical acts. 7:30-11:30 p.m. Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, 95054. $10. Tickets: http://www.singingrecord.com/ events.html?task=view_event&event_id=1. www.singingrecord.com, www.facebook.com/ pages/Singing-Record/133617860049121.

November

5 Saturday

Bharatanatyam Arangetram of Sravani Mylavarapu. Student of Indumathy Ga-

nesh, artistic director of Nrithyollasa Dance Academy. Accompanied by Indumathy Ganesh (nattuvangam), Asha Ramesh (vocal), N. Narayan (mridangam), and Shanthi Narayan (violin). Organized by Nrithyollasa Dance Academy. 4-7 p.m. Jackson Theater, Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont. Free. (408) 517-0433, (510) 623-8230. info@nldance.com. www.nldance.com.

November

6 Sunday

Aathvaa Sarg (The Eighth Canto). A

play by Surendra Verma, in Hindi with English supertitles. Directed by Manish Sabu, and produced by Pradeep Gupta. Mahakavi (poet laureate) Kalidas has just finished writing the eighth “sarg” (chapter, or canto) of

The Hindi play “Aathavaa Sarg” by Naatak will be performed Nov. 6-12 in Palo Alto.

his epic poem “Kumarsambhav.” A firestorm of controversy ensues and puts Kalidas on a collision course with the self-appointed protectors of faith. Are they entitled to make decisions of propriety for the rest of society?

Set in the Gupta Empire, “Aathvaa Sarg” is a story of artistic freedom versus censorship.

The debate is remarkably similar to contemporary controversies sparked by cartoons, paintings, or “satanic” verses. Come and witness an epic conflict between the virtuous silent majority and the self-righteous vocal minority. Ends Nov. 12. Organized by Naatak.

Cubberley Theatre, Palo Alto, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, 94303. $16 advance purchase by Oct. 17; $20 afterward. (408) 9056831. tickets@naatak.com. www.naatak.com.

November

11 Friday

VivRti 2011: Fall Festival. Featuring

lecture-demonstration series by T.M. Krishna, co-hosted by South India Fine Arts; artists Sangeetha Sivakumar, Patri Satish Kumar, Melakaveri Balaji, Akkarai Subhalakshmi; Bay Area school ensembles; bharatnatyam dance; percussion ensemble; violin ensemble; and more. Ends Nov. 13. Smith Center, Ohlone College, Fremont. $10-$20. pallavita.org/festival. © Copyright 2011 India Currents. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use strictly prohibited.

Have you had an inspirational experience?

Share it with the readers of India Currents!

India Currents runs monthly spiritual essays written by members of the community. We accept spiritual or religious-themed essays from any religion or denomination, or lack thereof. IC looks for pieces that are written from a personal standpoint, rather than academic.

Send your 600-800-word submissions to Nadia Maiwandi at events@indiacurrents.com.

102 • india currents • october 2011

india currents • october 2011 • 103

IC

reflections

Satya Kalra

Navratri More Than Just Celebration N

avratri (Nav Durga) is a nine-day festival of Hindus honoring the Mother Goddess. This celebration occurs twice a year: The first one is in the spring during March/April, and the second one is in the fall during September/October, based on the lunar cycle. This year, the holiday begins Sept. 28.

Navratri is not just a time to celebrate and of joy but is to attain everlasting happiness, peace, and anandam (bliss) through self-discipline, self-control, and sacrifice. It is nine days of living in Mother Goddess consciousness and experiencing her grace and love.

During this time, people celebrate by performing different types of pujas and ceremonies. Also, many Hindus observe fasting; eating only fruits, vegetables and dairy products, perform specific sadhana, prayers, practice celibacy, and visit temples. Many temples, as well as private homes, offer special prayer programs called jagran with singing and music throughout the night.

On the final day, young girls up to age 9 are worshipped as goddesses and given gifts as an offering of gratitude to mother goddess for her blessings. It is believed that at that age the girls have pure energy like mother goddess. In some parts of India, the idol of the Goddess Durga is immersed in the holy rivers on the 10th day (Dashehra).

The festival signifies the nine glorious aspects of the Divine Mother and is celebrated not only in India but in many parts of the world. Mother Goddess is also called Shakti, the energy of God. She is the energy of the trinity, as the creative aspect of Lord Brahma, sustaining aspect of Lord Vishnu and destructive aspect of Lord Shiva are all encompassed within Her. The divine trinity of Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati together represent feminine energy that provides protection, love, prosperity, and knowledge to all their devotees. Goddess Durga is known to remove evil, misery, and pain from our lives.

Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, and Goddess Saraswati is known as the goddess of knowledge. Nav Durga is therefore a special time to worship and sing the glories of the goddesses, and pray for good health, prosperity, purity of mind, love, peace, and Anandam/bliss. As large numbers of people pray during this time, the collective energy 104 • india currents • october 2011

becomes very powerful and it is said that the prayers offered are often heard by the goddesses.

Navratri (Nav Durga) is spiritually significant because it represents the three stages of an individual’s spiritual journey: self-purification, self-transformation, and self-realization.

Self-purification (eradication of the negative tendencies of our minds and hearts): During the first three days, the Goddess Mother is worshiped in her powerful, destructive and terrifying form of Kali/Durga.

People pray to Mother, asking Her to use Her destructive power to destroy all imperfections and faults (eradication of the negative tendencies of our minds and hearts), and purify them enough to become a receptacle of her divine energy.

Self-transformation: After self-purification, the next three days of Navaratri aredevoted to worshipping the goddess in Her prosperity-bestowing form as Mahalakshmi.

Goddess Mahalakshmi does not merely bestow material prosperity, but also grants qualities which a sincere spiritual seeker requires, namely, calmness, peace, equanimity, compassion, and love. By worshipping and praying to Her, one starts developing positive

attributes and experiences inner prosperity, peace and happiness (self-transformation).

Self-knowledge: During the last three days, Goddess Saraswati is worshiped as the bestower of the true light of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Once one is purified by Goddess Durga (vices being annihilated), transformed by Goddess Mahalakshmi by receiving the spiritual wealth of inner peace, calmness, compassion and love, then the devotee is ready to receive the true light of understanding. By worshipping and praying to Goddess Saraswati, the devotee is now blessed with true wisdom (self-knowledge).

Navratri is not just a time to celebrate Goddess Durga’s victory over the demons; it is also the time to pray to Durga to remove our enemies/vices within us, like anger, selfish desires, greed, ego, and undue attachments. We must pray to her to destroy our inner enemies/vices. Only then can we attain self-purification, self-transformation, and self-knowledge—everlasting happiness, peace, and anandam, “Sat Chit Ananda.”n Satya Kalra is the founder of Path to Anandam. She can be reached at satya@pathtoanandam.org. www.pathtoanandam.org.

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October

1 Saturday

Navaratri: Sri Durga Puja, Nine Days Worship of Divine Mother. Daily: 5:30

a.m., Sri Durga Saptasati Patha; 10:30 a.m., Sri Durga Homa; 7:30 p.m., Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Puja and Kirtan. Oct. 4, 8 p.m., Astami Puja and garba; Oct. 6, 6 p.m., VijayaDasami Homa and garba. Ends Oct. 6.

Organized by Badarikashrama. 5:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama. org.

Durga Puja. Ends Oct. 2. Organized by

Sanskriti Inc. 11 a.m. Centerville Junior High School, 37720 Fremont Blvd., Fremont. Free.

(408) 206-3435. millyroy@aol.com. www.sanskriti.org.

Mata Ki Chowki. Group signing of bha-

jans to the Divine Mother, followed by aarati and prasad. Organized by Badarikashrama.

8-10 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free. (510) 2782444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama.org.

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The Examples of a Saintly Life. Organized

by Self-Realization Fellowship. SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento.

(916) 483-9644. SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 252-5299. Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond.

(510) 232-6652. www.yogananda-srf.org. Contact temples for times.

October

2 Sunday

Gandhi Birthday Celebration: A Vocal Concert Offering by Sri Karunamayee.

Sri Karunamayee is renowned for her soulempowering vocal music, having studied under the late Pran Nath. From the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Delhi, Karunamayee excels in North Indian classical vocals. She will be accompanied by Arshad Syed (tabla) and members of the Sur Laya Sangam Study Center for Indian Devotional Music in Albany, Calif. Organized by Cultural Integration Fellowship. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St., San Francisco, 94118. (415) 668-1559. culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net. www.culturalintegrationfellowship.org.

October

3 Monday

Goddess Durga, the Mother Goddess who protects and redeems in situations of distress, manifesting fearlessness and strength. Ramen Chakrabarti officiates in this authentic Hindu ritual, one of the first continuing celebrations of Durga in the Bay Area. The Sri Chandi will be recited by Professor James Ryan, co-chairman of the Asian and Comparative Religion Department at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Prasad will be shared with guests. Organized by Cultural Integration Fellowship. 6:30-8 p.m. Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St., San Francisco, 94118. (415) 668-1559. culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net. culturalintegrationfellowship.org.

October

4 Tuesday

Astami Puja and Garba. Organized by

Badarikashrama. 8-10:30 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578.

Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama.org.

October

7 Friday

Ribhu Gita. Readings, with commentary

Annual Durga Puja. Durga Puja is celebrated all over India in worship of the

and dialogue, by Nome from the book, “Ribhu Gita.”. Organized by Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT). 8-9:30 p.m. Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT), 1834 Ocean St., Santa

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Cruz, 95060. Free. (831) 425-7287. sat@ cruzio.com. www.satramana.org.

October

8 Saturday

Sri Sundarakhanda Ramayana of Sri Tulsidas Goswami. Group singing of the

Sundarakhanda from the Ramayana. Followed by aarati and mahaprasad. Books available of the text. Organized by Badarikashrama. 2:30-5:30 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free.

(510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www. badarikashrama.org.

October

9 Sunday

Living in Constant Remembrance of God. Organized by Self-Realization Fellow-

ship. SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento. (916) 483-9644. SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos.

(408) 252-5299. Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond. (510) 232-6652. www. yogananda-srf.org. Contact temples for times.

Sri Satyanarayana Swami Puja and Kirtan. Organized by Badarikashrama. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama. org.

October

16 Tuesday

Spiritual Laws that Govern Healing.

Organized by Self-Realization Fellowship.

SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento. (916) 483-9644. SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 2525299. Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond. (510) 232-6652. www.yoganandasrf.org. Contact temples for times.

October

21 Friday

Ramana Darshanam. Focused on the

teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, as contained in books published by Sri Ramanasramam. Passages are read aloud, and their meanings are explained in detail so that seekers can fully practice the teachings and comprehend their profound significance.

Dialogues also occur in which aspirants raise questions from their own practices and receive answers so to provide better absorption and a deeper, extensive understanding of the knowledge revealed by the Maharshi. Organized by Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT).

8-9:30 p.m. Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT), 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, 95060.

Free. (831) 425-7287. sat@cruzio.com. www. satramana.org.

108 • india currents • october 2011

Shubhangi Sakalkhar will perform at the Deepavali event on Wednesday, Oct. 26 in San Leandro.

October

23 Tuesday

How to Read Others’ Character, and Improve Our Own. Organized by Self-Re-

alization Fellowship. SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento. (916) 483-9644.

SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 252-5299. Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond. (510) 2326652. www.yogananda-srf.org. Contact temples for times.

Sri Ramanama Sankirtana and Meditation. Group singing of 108 verses of Ramayana, followed by aarati and mahaprasad (lunch). Organized by Badarikashrama. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free. (510) 2782444. badarik@pacbell.net.

The Alchemy of Tranquility: The Unity

of Ancient Wisdom Within the Heart of Psyche and Spirit. Lecture by Ellen

Hammerle. Rumi said, “The roads are different, the goal is one.” The Sufi practitioner becomes a scientist within the laboratory of his or her own heart so that he or she may discover the self. However, Sufis are aware of the importance of both the mind and the heart in transformation, consciousness, and awareness. The alignment of mind and heart experienced through practices guides the person to knowledge. Hammerle will summarize the goals and strategies of a Sufioriented, psycho-spiritual method where one is taught to experience paying attention in a practical way. She works with intention, presence, heart, and awareness. Organized

by Cultural Integration Fellowship. 11 a.m.12:15 p.m. Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St., San Francisco, 94118. (415) 668-1559. culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net. www.culturalintegrationfellowship.org.

Om Sri Mathre Namaha Vaidica Vidhya Ganapathi Center SRI LAKSHMI GANAPATHI TEMPLE

(408) 226-3600

32B Rancho Drive, San Jose, CA 95111

(Capitol Expressway West and Montrey Road Junction, Opposite and 1 Block from Capitol Cal Train Station)

www.vvgc.org or siliconvalleyhindutemple.com

Sunday, October 2. 2011 Sashti Vratha Sukla Sashti Vratha At 8.30 pm Sri Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subramanya Sahasranama Archana Tuesday October 4. 2011 Durga Ashtami At 4.00 pm Shiva Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa At 5.00 pm Chandi Homa Chandi Havan At 9.00 pm Sri Hanuman Chalisa Wednesday, October 5, 2011 Maha Navami Saraswathi Pooja Thursday, October 6, 2011 Vijaya Dasami Temple Opens At 7.00 Am with Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatam continued with Shiva Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa Aksharabhyasa 1st Batch 8.00 am, 2nd Batch 9.00 am, 3rd Batch 10.00 am, 4th Batch 11.00 am , 5th Batch 12 Noon, 6th Batch 1.00 pm. Please contact temple for further details Aksharabhyasa Please bring the following items: Turmeric Powder, Kum Kum, Sandal Powder, Agarbathi Camphor, Coconut 2 nos, Banana 6 nos, Varieties Of Fruits, Flowers, Rice, 1 Pkt, Coins (15 Nos), Naivedya (any sweet of your choice), Slate and Pencil (Writing Materials), New Dress For The Baby, Beetel Leafs 6 Nos, Beetel Nuts 4 Nos.

Continuous Archana To Sri Bhuwaneswari Devi At 5.30 pm Shirdi Sai Haarathulu Dhoop Aarathi At 10.15 pm Final Druga Aarathi and Jai Jagadesha Hare Aarathi for Balaji Ekantha Seva. Temple Closes Sunday, October 9th, 2011 At 4.00 pm Pradosham Shiva Sri Rudra Abhisheka, Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Abhisheka, Sri Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subramanya Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa Tuesday, October 11, 2011 At 5.00 Pm Shiva Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa At 6.00 pm Pournami Vratha/Pooja Sri Sathayanarayana Swamy Pooja/Vratha. All are welcome to participate with family.

Saturday, October 15, 2011 12 Noon Navagraha Homa/Sri Saneeswara Graha Homa continued with Navagraha Abhisheka, Sri Saneeswara Graha Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa At 2.00 pm Sri Venkateswara Abhisheka continued with Sri Vishnu Sahasranama chanting Aarati and Manthra Pushpa At 4.00 pm Karva Chauth Sri Sankata Hara Chathurthi Ganapathi Homa, Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Abhisheka, Kritika Vratha Sri Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subramanya Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa

Monday, October 24, 2011 Soma Pradosham At 6.00 pm Shiva Sri Rudra Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa Wednesday, October 26, 2011 Naraka Chathurdasi Snanam Deepawali Festival, Amavasya Temple Opens Morning 9.30 am Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatam continued with Sarva Devata Shodasa Upachara Pooja, Shiva Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa At 5.00 pm Sri Lakshmi Kubera Pooja continuous Archana to Sri Bhuwaneswari At 10.15 pm Sri Lakshmiji Aarati, Balaji Sri Ekantha Seva Thursday, October 27, 2011 Skandha Sashti Begins October 27, 28, 29 & 30, 2011 Daily Night At 8.00 pm Sri Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subramanya Sahasranama Archana Monday, October 31, 2011 At 5.00 pm Shiva Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa At 6.00 pm Skandha Sasthi Kavadi Festival, Sri Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subramanya Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Tula Vishnu Punyakalam

Please Make A Note:: Temple Address:: 32 Rancho Drive, San Jose CA 95111 Temple Timings: Week Days Morning 10.00 Am To 12 Noon, Evening At 6.00 pm To 8.00 pm - Week Ends And Holidays 10.00 am To 8.00 pm

FOR BHAJAN'S RELIGIOUS DISCOURSES, MUSIC AND DANCE PERFORMANCES, PRIVATE POOJAS PLEASE CONTACT TEMPLE FOR FURTHER DETAILS MANGALANI BHAVANTHU,SUBHAM BHUYATH,LOKA SAMASTHA SUKINO BHAVANTHU, LOVEALL SERVE ALL LOVE ISALL

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GANESH SHASTHRY 245-5443 / Cell: (925) 209-7637 E-mail: srikalahatheeswara@yahoo.com india currents • october 2011 • 109

INDIA CURRENTS GRAPHICS (408) 324-0488

Saturday, October 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 At 8.00 pm Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Archana

October

26 Wednesday

Deepavali Sri Lakshmi Puja & Kirtan.

Followed by Sri Satyanarayana Swami Puja and aarati and mahaprasad (dinner). Music

by Shubhangi Sakalkhar. Organized by Badarikashrama. 7:30 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free.

(510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www. badarikashrama.org.

Dipavali. Meditation, readings, and puja

to Sri Ramana Maharshi with devotional chanting of bhajans. Organized by Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT). 7:30-9:30 p.m. Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT), 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, 95060. Free. (831) 425-7287. sat@cruzio.com. www.satramana.org, satramana.org/html/dipavali.htm.

October

28 Friday

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110 • india currents • october 2011

of existence. Practice of Sri Sri Yoga cultivates a more healthy and happy lifestyle.

Ends Oct. 31. Organized by Art Of Living. 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Fremont Art Of Living Center, 555 Mowry Ave., Suite C, Fremont, 94536. $150 general; $100 students/seniors. Register online. secure.artofliving.org/ course_details.aspx?course_ id=10754.

October Saturday

29

Lam Rim with Phagyab Rinpoche. The renowned

Phagyab Rinpoche will teach lam rim (Tibetan: “stages of the path”) on this auspicious day. Lam Rim is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the stages in the complete path to enlightenment as taught by the Buddha.

Rinpoche (Ngawang Sungrab) is a knowledgeable and wellrespected Buddhist scholar, practitioner, and healer. He was born in Kham, Tibet, and ordained at 13 when he began

Tibetan Buddhist monk Phagyab Rinpoche will teach lam rim (“stages of the path”) on Saturday, Oct. 29 in San Francisco.

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his monastic training at Ashi Monastery.

After leaving Tibet, he entered Sera Mey Monastery in India where he was tutored

by Khenpo Lobsang Jamyang and Khensur Tinle Topgye. In 1994, he was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the Eighth rebirth of the Phagyab Rinpoche, a beloved lama from Kham. Rinpoche earned the Geshe degree, and currently resides in New York where he has established a Buddhist educational and healing center. There will be a lunch break at the teaching. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St., San Francisco, 94118. $50 donation. No one turned away for lack of funds.

(415) 587-1773, (415) 513-6308. kumquat@ sfsu.edu.

form a bhakti kirtan (devotional concert) of traditional Hindu call and response musical prayers, mantras (celestial deities invocations), bhajans (sacred hymns), and cosmic chants (spiritualized songs of Paramahansa Yogananda). This event is held during the monthlong yoga teachers training. Organized by Sivananda Yoga Farm. 8-10 p.m.

Brahma Hall, 14651 Ballantree Lane, Grass Valley, 95949. $15 donation. (530) 272-9322. yogafarm@sivananda.org, patryanscj@yahoo.com. soundcloud.com/mejdadas/, www. yogafarm.org, www.yogafinder.com/yoga. cfm?yoganumber=19854.

Special Kirtan Concert. Conscious in-

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October

30 Sunday

by Self-Realization Fellowship. SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento.

Share your stories on health with India Currents readers!

We are accepting original submissions that focus on health and wellness.

Send your 600-800-word essay on disease prevention, exercise, ayurvedic cooking, or any other health-related topic to Nadia Maiwandi at events@indiacurrents.com.

(916) 483-9644. SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 252-5299.

Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond. (510) 232-6652. www.yogananda-srf. org. Contact temples for times.

Deepavali Celebrations with Homa and Concert. Concert by Shubhangi Sakalkhar,

one of the top vocalists in Hindustani music in California. Lighting of lamps for Deepavali by children. Organized by Badarikashrama. 2:30-6:30 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free.

(510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www. badarikashrama.org.

November

5 Saturday

Sri Sundarakhanda Ramayana of Sri Tulsidas Goswami. Group singing of Sri

Sundarkhanda, followed by aarati & mahaprasad (dinner). Books available with text.

Organized by Badarikashrama. 2:30-5:30 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama. org.

November

6 Sunday

Sri Satyanarayana Swami Puja & Kir-

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p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, 94578. Free. (510) 278-2444. www.badarikashrama.org.

The Man Who Sent the Magi. Lecture

by Doug Krotz. “The Man Who Sent the

Magi” refers to the ancient Persian prophet Zoroaster, whose prophesies were responsible for the journey of the Magi, the three high priests who journeyed over 1,000 miles to worship and honor the birth of infant Jesus.

There is little popular knowledge about this marvelous person or the religion he founded, and almost nothing about the interconnections and interactions of his religion and

A SUGGESTION: India Currents goes to press as much as six weeks in advance of some events listed in it.

Even though organizers do their best to stick to the announced schedule, in rare cases events are rescheduled or cancelled. To avoid disappointment, we recommend that you always check the organizer’s website, and

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those of Judaism and Christianity. Doug will share his extensive research on the person known as Zoroaster (or Zarathustra), and have available his recently published book of the same title. Organized by Cultural Integration Fellowship. 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St., San Francisco, 94118. (415) 668-1559. culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net. www.culturalintegrationfellowship.org.

November

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ART Excel Course, for children 8-13. De-

velop leadership skills which enable youth to become positive role models for their peers; increase mental clarity, focus and concentration; release negative emotional and behavioral patterns; retain emotional balance in frustrating situations. Course will cover stretching, yoga; specific breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, meditation; problem solving skills, development of social skills, leadership training, games, group dynamics, creative projects and service projects. Ends Nov. 13. Organized by Art of Living Foundation. 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Sobroto conference center, 600 Valley Way, Milpitas, 95035 . (408) 623-2139. jp.samala@artofliving.org. secure. artofliving.org/course_details.aspx?course_ id=10818.

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13 Sunday

Chasing Agni: Sri Aurobindo’s Hymns to the Mystic Fire. The ancient seer-poets

of the Rig Veda spoke in symbol, image, and mantric rhythm of an ever-ascending and sacred world in which we live. In his yoga practice, Sri Aurobindo, himself a Cambridgeeducated classicist and poet, translated from the Sanskrit every Vedic hymn to the god Agni. Agni is called among other names, the immortal in mortals, summoner of the gods, the bearer of our offerings, the destroyer of all evils, the truth, the messenger to the gods. By making the Rig Vedic chants accessible to the modern English-speaking society, Sri Aurobindo passed down key insights into the processes of transformation and renewal which can guide us to the rivers of light, joy, and harmony reminiscent of the Vedic sun world. Join Vishnu as he elucidates the writings of Sri Aurobindo on Vedic writings about Agni. Organized by Cultural Integration Fellowship. 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. 2650 Fulton St., San Francisco, 94118. (415) 6681559. culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net. www. culturalintegrationfellowship.org. © Copyright 2011 India Currents. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use strictly prohibited.

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ONGOING SPIRITUAL EVENTS Daily Laughter Yoga Club. Simple effective yogic exercises with laughter therapy for perfect health and happiness and to reduce stress.

Serra Park, Hollenbeck Roadd, Sunnyvale.

Daily. 7 a.m.-8 a.m. Free. (408) 490-1260. mkm.blr@gmail.com.

Vishnusahasranama. Daily, 12 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale.

(408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Aarti. Daily, 8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Patanjali Yoga Sutras: Satsang. Paramahamsa Nithyananda says, “Don’t add movements to your life, add life to your movements.” That is yoga. Patanjali is a great sage and inner world scientist from ancient India.

He was the first person to systematize the oral yogic tradition and encode it in a concise form called Yoga Sutras, roughly over 2,000 years ago. Through these talks, he enables the flowering of yoga in you, so you can see a visible change in your very postures, ethical discipline and sensory perceptions. Program broadcast live from India, conducted by Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Organized by Life Bliss Foundation. Daily, 8-9:30 p.m. Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail.com. www.vedictemplebayarea.org.

Sunday Simplified Kundalini Yoga (SKY), plus physical exercises. We guide and initiate SKY meditation. We also provide Kayakalpam and Introspection courses. Sundays, 8-10 a.m. Sunnyvale-Sanadan Dharma Kendra,897 Kifer Road, Suite #1, Sunnyvale.

Free. (510) 456-8953. sky.bayarea@yahoo.com. www.skybayarea.org.

Guru Gita Chant Siddha Yoga Meditation Ctr, 4115 Jacksol Dr., San Jose. Sundays, 8 a.m. (408) 559-1716.

Purification and Meditation Ananda

Sangha, 2171 El Camino Real, Palo Alto.

Sundays, 9 a.m.-9:45 a.m. (650) 323-3363. www.anandapaloalto.org.

Discourses on Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 12 by

Acharya Prabodh Chaitanya. Organized by Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Sundays, 9-10 a.m. Linclon High School, 555 Dana Ave., San Jose. (408) 998-2793.

114 • india currents • october 2011

Meditation and chanting. Yogalayam, 1717 Alcatraz Ave., Berkeley. Sundays, 9-10: 30 a.m. (510) 655-3664. www.yogalayam.org. info@yogalayam.org.

Sunday Worship Services. Seekers from all faith backgrounds are welcome. The service offers a nonsectarian message of hope, faith, and the essential harmony of the world’s religions, emphasising on self-realization, awakening to the inherent goodness of our spiritual nature and living in harmony with divine will. An inspirational message, silent meditation, sacred music and scripture from many traditions help us to remember what is true—life is good. Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, 1146 University Ave., San Jose.

Sundays, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (408) 283-0221, x30. www.CSEcenter.org.

Lecture on different religious traditions. The meditation hall is also open for those who wish to deepen their meditation practice. Organized by Cultural Integration Fellowship.

2650 Fulton St. San Francisco. Sundays, 9-11 a.m. (415) 626-2442.

Yoga and Meditation. Sundays, 9:

30-11 a.m. Premarpan Yoga and Wellness Center, Los Gatos. Free. (408) 406-8197. premarpan@gmail.com. www.premarpan.com.

Abhishekam and Alankaram and Special Pujas to magnificent deities, accompanied by the divine and auspicious chants of Rudram and Chamakam we perform abhishekam (holy bath) to Lord Anandeshwara, Anandeshwari (Shiva and Parvathi), Shiva linga, Devi, Karthikeya and the Nava grahas using divine powder, sandalwood powder and turmeric. It is later followed by grand alankaram (dressing up) of the deities, naivedhyam, and Maha Aaarthi. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas.

Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail. com. www.vedictemplebayarea.org.

Sunday Service Sikh Temple, 2301 Evergreen

Ave, West Sacramento. Sundays, 10 a.m. (916) 371-9787.

Sri Akhand Path Sahib Sikh Temple, 1930 S Grant St, Stockton. Sundays, 10 a.m. (209) 946-9039.

Jainism Classes for children 4 years and older. Organized by Jain Center of Northern Califorina. Jain Bhavan, 722 South Main St., Milpitas. First and third Sunday of every month. 10-11:30 a.m. $35 annually for members, $50 anually for non-members. (408) 5170975, (408) 262-6042. www.jcnc.org.

Satsang, silent meditation, discourse by

Nome on self-dnowledge and self-inquiry, recitation and readings from the Upanishads, recitation of Tamil Ribhu Gita. Organized by Society of Abidance in Truth. First and fourth Sundays of the momth, 10-11:30 a.m. 1834

Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 425-7287. www.satramana.org.

Advaita Vedanta and the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Society of Abidance in Truth, 1834 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz.

Sundays, 10 a.m.-12 noon. (831) 425-7287. www.SATRamana.org.

Monthly Satsangs of Vaswani Mission of

Bay Area. Includes video discourse tapes of Dada Jashan, reading of the Noori Granth, Gita path, bhajans, and shloka recitation.

Fremont Hindu Temple, 3676 Delaware Dr., Fremont. Third Sundays, 10:30–11: 45 a.m. (510) 796-4472, (408) 218-6364. prmlani3@yahoo.co.in.

Discourses on Gitas from Tulsi Ramayana by Acharya Prabodh Chaitanya. Organized

by Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Sundays, 10: 30-11:30 a.m. Linclon High School, 555 Dana Ave., San Jose. (408) 998-2793.

Sunday Services Self Realization Fellowship, Sacramento Center, 4513 North Ave, Sacramento. Sundays, 11 a.m. (916) 483-9614.

Community Gatherings include a short

talk with discussion, kirtan, puja, meditation, and treats. San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute, 770 Dolores St., San Francisco.

Sundays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (415) 821-1117. www.integralyogasf.org.

Ramanama meditation and kirtan. Orga-

nized by Badarikashrama. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave, San Leandro. Sundays, 11 a.m. (510) 278-2444. www.badarikashrama.org.

Sunday Service Organized by Self Realization Fellowship. SRF, 303 E. Main St, Los Gatos. Sundays, 11 a.m. (408) 252-5299.

Sunday School for children 6-14 years of

age to give them a general knowledge of the universal truths of Vedanta, to acquaint them with the basic teachings of the major living religions, and to inspire reverence for the great religious teachers of the world.

Organized by Vedanta Society of Northern California. Vedanta Society of Northern California, Old Temple, 2963 Webster St., San Francisco. Sundays, 11 a.m.-Noon. (415) 9222323. www.sfvedanta.org.

Zoroastrian Temple Arbab Zoroastrian Temple, 10468 Crothers Rd, San Jose. First Sundays, 12 p.m. (408) 365-0119.

Nithya Dhyaan Meditation Satsang, a powerful meditation technique to achieve physical and mental well-being. Organized by Life Bliss Foundation. Sundays, 3:30 p.m. 451 (Kung-Fu School), Los Coches St., Milpitas.

Sunday Festival, an evening of bhajans,

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Sunday Festival, an evening of bhajans,

arati, discourses and Krishna prasadam. Organized by ISKCON. ISKCON, 951 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose. Sundays, 4:30-6 p.m. Free.

(408) 559-3197.

Traditional Vedanta and meditation classes. Presented by Swami Dayananda’s Arsha Vidya Center. Jain Bhavan, 722 S. Main, Milpitas. Sundays, 5-6:30 p.m. for beginning students; 8-9:30 a.m. for intermediate students.

(650) 208-9565. vijaykapoor@gmail.com.

Festival and Feast an evening of bhajans,

Bhagavad Gita classes, aarti, kirtan, and prasad. Radha Krishna Temple, 2990 Union Ave, San Jose. Sundays, 5:30 p.m. (408) 5593197.

Satsang. Kirtan, lecture, prasad distribution, and vegetarian feast. Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram, 2900 N Rodeo Gulch Rd, Soquel.

Sundays, 6 p.m. Free. (408) 462-4712.

Meditation with devotional chanting and talk on yoga philosophy. Sivananda Yoga Center, 1200 Arguello Blvd., San Francisco, Sundays, 6 p.m. (415) 681 2731.

Satsang. Prayer, chanting meditation, lecture

series on devotional topic (Geeta, Bhagwatam, Brahma Sutra, Upnishads etc.), followed by arti and prasad. Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) Center-San Jose. Sundays, 6-7:15 p.m.

4940 Avenida de Carmen, Santa Clara. (408) 980-9953. www.JKPSanJose.org.

Let us brighten your smile

Women’s Sufi Gathering Discussion of Sufi principles, poetry, literature and meditation. Organized by International Association of Sufism. Berkeley venue to be announced. Sundays, 7 p.m. Free. (510) 8495309.

• • • • •

Devotional Meetings Programs including prayer, chanting meditations, video discourse (Bhagvad Gita series), arti and homage. J.K.P. Sunnyvale Center, 955 Ponderosa Avenue #27, Sunyvale. Sundays, 7:30-8:45 p.m. (408) 7381201. dk.taylor@sbcglobal.net Sri Ram Amrith Vani and bhajans. Sundays, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. followed by Preeti Bhoj. Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 734-0775. www.sunnyvaletemple.org.

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Bhagavad Gita. Organized by Integral Yoga Institute. Integral Yoga Institute, 770 Dolores St, San Francisco. Mondays, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. $48. (415) 821-1117. www.integralyogasf.org.

Sri Rudrabhishekam Mondays, 6:30-8 p.m.

Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 734-0775. www.sunnyvaletemple.org.

Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati lead Sanskrit chanting, commen-

tary and discussion of scriptures including Lalitha Trishati, Bhagavad Gita, Sundarakand, Chandi Path. Devi Mandir, 6:30 p.m.

Live web broadcasts at www.shreemaa.org/ broadcasts (707) 966-2802.

Rudrabhi Sheka. Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m.

Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale.

(408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Discourses on Sri Ramacharitmanas (Tulsi Ramayana) by Acharya Prabodh

by Acharya Prabodh Chaitanya. Organized

by Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Tuesdays, 6: 30-7:30 a.m. Sandeepany San Jose, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose. (408) 998-2793.

Shri Appaji Meditation. Participate in

unique psychosomatic spiritual meditation techniques Shri Appaji has developed after years of in-depth analysis, research, and experiments. Group meditation, discourse sessions. Shri Appaji Meditation Center, Sunnyvale. Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. (women only), 7:30 p.m. (men and women). $10/session, first Tuesday free. Registration required. (408) 7359025. shri_appaji@hotmail.com.

Jain Spiritual Lectures on topics such

as syadwad, anekantwad, nonviolence, forgiveness by samanijies from Jain Vishwa Bharati, Ladnun, Rajasthan. Jain Bhavan, 722 S. Main Street, Milpitas. Tuesdays, 8-9: 30 p.m. Free. (408) 262-6242, (650) 207-8196. www.jcnc.org. hirensaraiya@hotmail.com.

Chaitanya. Organized by Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Mondays, 10-11 a.m. Sandeepany San Jose, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose. (408) 9982793.

Gakara Ganapathy Sahasranama Hindu Community & Cultural Ctr, 1232 Arrowhead Ave, Livermore. Tuesdays. (925) 449-6255. www.livermoretemple.org.

Tuesday

Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati lead Sanskrit chanting, commen-

Discourses on Mandukya Upanishad Ready for Extreme Makeover?

Osho Meditations. Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. at

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(650) 462-1980. www.amrithika.com.

Hanuman Chalisa and Durga Pooja and Subramanya Strotam.

Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Discourses on Brhad-Aranyaka Upanishad by Acharya Prabodh Chaitanya.

Organized by Chinmaya Mission San Jose.

Tuesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Sandeepany San Jose, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose. (408) 998-2793.

Chanting Hanuman Chalisa. Chanting of the powerful Hanuman Chalisa in a group grants the devotee protection from all harm and blesses him/her with health, wealth and prosperity. It is followed by special aarthi to Ram parivar (Ram, Lakshman, Sita, and Ha-

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numan). Transcripts of the Chalisa provided (in English, Hindi, and Tamil). Tuesdays, 8-9: 30 p.m. Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail.com. www.vedictempl ebayarea.org.

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Wednesday Yoga for Wellness. This class will offer tools to help manage stress, enhance the immune system, promote healthy digestion and sleep, and optimize the body’s own healing mechanisms, by using movement, breath, meditation, and sound in a supportive group setting. Wednesdays, 9-10:15 a.m.

Yoga Shala, 330 Melville Ave, Palo Alto. $15.

(650) 857-0226. dhurgareddy.nd@gmail.com. www.dhurgareddy.com.

Discourses on Kena Upanishad by

Acharya Prabodh Chaitanya. Organized by Chinmaya Mission San Jose. 10-11 a.m. Sandeepany San Jose, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose.

(408) 998-2793.

Worship Services include a burning bowl

ritual that supports each one in consciously letting go of that which no longer serves our highest good and inviting in that which does.

Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, 1146 University Avenue, San Jose. Wednesdays, 12-1 p.m. (408) 283-0221, x30. www.CSEcenter.org.

Bhagavad Gita Class An in-depth explo-

ration of the Bhagavad Gita, led by Vaisesika Dasa Adhikari. ISKCON, 951 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Free. (408) 5593197.

Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati lead Sanskrit chanting, com-

mentary and discussion of scriptures including Lalitha Trishati, Bhagavad Gita, Sundarakand, Chandi Path. Devi Mandir, Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. Live web broadcasts at www.shreemaa.org/broadcasts (707) 966-2802.

Bhagavath Seva - Voluntary Service to

God. Wednesdays, 6:30-8 p.m. Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 734-0775. www.sunnyvaletemple.org.

Ramayana Katha Aranya Kand with pravachan by Shastriji. Vedic Dharma Samaj, Fremont Hindu Temple, 3676 Delaware Dr., Fremont. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. (510) 6590655.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, a discourse

by Swami Prapannananda. Vedanta Society of Sacramento, 1337 Mission Ave., Carmichael. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. (916) 489-5137. www.vedantasacto.org. india currents • october 2011 • 117

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lecture series on devotional topic (Geeta, Bhagwatam, Brahma Sutra, Upnishads etc.), followed by arti and prasad. Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) Center-San Jose.

Wednesdays 7:30-8:45 p.m. 4940 Avenida de Carmen, Santa Clara. (408) 980-9953. www.JKPSanJose.org.

Sri Aurobindo Meditation and Study Group. Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. 2134 Carmenere St., Danville. Free. Open to all.

(650) 218-4223. braroo@gmail.com.

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Devotional Meetings including prayer, chanting meditations, video discourse (Bhagvad Gita series), arti and homage. J.K.P. Sunnyvale Center, 955 Ponderosa Avenue #27, Sunyvale. Wednesdays, 7:30-8:45 p.m. (408) 738-1201. dk.taylor@sbcglobal.net.

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Atmotsava (Ramana Nama San-kirtanam), meditation, readings, devotional

chanting and learning of kirtans. Organized

by Society of Abidance in Truth. 7:30-9:30 p.m. 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 425-7287. www.satramana.org.

Atmotsava (Ramana Nama San-kirtanam), meditation, readings, devotional

chanting and learning of kirtans. Organized

by Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT). First, third, and fourth Wednesdays of the month, 7:30-9:30 p.m. 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz.

Free. (831) 425-7287. www.satramana.org.

Thursday Discourses on Kena Upanishad by Acha-

rya Prabodh Chaitanya. Organized by Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Thursdays, 6:30-7: 30 a.m. Sandeepany San Jose, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose. (408) 998-2793.

Yoga for Anxiety, an on-going, drop-in

yoga class for people with mild to moderate anxiety as well as for those seeking to reduce anxiety in their lives. Teachers use movement, breath, meditation, and sound in a supportive group atmosphere. Organized by Healing Yoga Foundation of San Francisco.

Thursdays, 4-5:15 p.m. 3620 Buchanan St, San Francisco. Donations. (415) 931-9642. admin@healingyoga.org. www.healingyoga.org/ schedule.html.

The Secret of the Self, introduction to meditation and philosophy in the tradi-

tion of Kashmir Shaivism. Organized by Sri Sambha Sathashiva Vidya Peetham. Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m. Nine Star University of Health Sciences, 441 DeGuigne Drive, Suite 201, Sunnyvale. info@vidyapeetham.org. www.vidyapeetham.org.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba haarathulu dhoop

aarti. Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple, 32B Rancho Dr., San Jose. Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.

(408) 226-3600. www.vvgv.org. www.siliconvall eyhindutemple.com.

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Ancient Wisdom, Modern Mind,

guided Kriya meditation led by Pratibha Gramann, longtime student of Sri Baba Hari Dass. Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. Shubhamayurveda Center, 3606 Thornton Ave., Fremont. rmg.pratibha@att.net.

Dada Bhagwan’s Satsang. Thursdays, 8-10 p.m. For location, call (408) 910-6052, (408) 578-5685.

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Shirdi Sai Bhajans. Shirdi Sai Center, 897B, E. Kifer Rd., Sunnyvale. Thursdays, 7:30-8: 30 p.m. (408) 705-7904. www.Shirdisaipariva ar.org.

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B, E. Kifer Rd., Sunnyvale. Thursdays, 7:30-8: 30 p.m. (408) 705-7904. www.Shirdisaipariv aar.org.

Blvd, San Francisco. Fridays, 8 p.m. (415) 681 2731, SanFrancisco@sivananda.org.

Sri Sai baba Aarti and Bhajana.

days, 8-9:30 p.m. Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail.com. www.vedictemplebayarea.org.

Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Brhad-Aranyaka Upanishad by Acharya

Bhajan Class for Children, ages 4-18. Fri-

Saturday

Prabodh Chaitanya. Organized by Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Sandeepany San Jose, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose. (408) 998-2793.

Guided Meditation, followed by discours-

Friday

Guided Meditation followed by video

Kirtan and chanting. Organized by Ananda Sangha. Ananda Sangha, 2171 El Camino (at College), Palo Alto. Fridays, 7:30-9:15 p.m. Free. Note: Only on the first Friday of the month, these sessions will be held at 240 Monroe Dr., Mountain View. (650) 323-3363. www.anandapaloalto.org.

Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati lead Sanskrit chanting, com-

mentary and discussion of scriptures including Lalitha Trishati, Bhagavad Gita, Sundarakand, Chandi Path. Devi Mandir, Fridays, 6:30 p.m. Live web broadcasts at www.shreemaa.org/broadcasts (707) 966-2802.

Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Parayanam and Sri Maha Lakshmi Puja. Fridays, 6:30-8 p.m., Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 7340775. www.sunnyvaletemple.org.

Sri Santhoshi Mata, Durga Devi Pooja and Lord Lakshmi Pooja.

Fridays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Kirtan, an evening of chanting. Words pro-

vided. English as well as some Indian chants accompanied by harmonium and guitar. Every second and third Friday, 7:30 pm, Ananda, 2171 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, free (650) 323-3363, free www.anandapaloalto.org

Meditation, self-inquiry meditation in-

es on Taittiriya Upanishad. Sandeepany, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose. Saturdays, 6:30-8 a.m.

(408) 998-2793. www.chinmaya-sanjose.org.

discourses on Svetashvara Upanishad by H.H. Swami Tejomayanandaji. Organized by Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Saturdays, 6:308 a.m. Sandeepany San Jose, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose. (408) 998-2793.

Srivenkateshwara Suprabhata and Vishnu Sahasranama Strotam.

Saturdays, 8-9 a.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Simplified Kundalini Yoga (SKY), plus

physical exercises. We guide and initiate SKY meditation. We also provide Kayakalpam and Introspection courses. Saturdays, 9 a.m. Fremont Temple. Free. (510) 456-8953. sky.bayarea@yahoo.com. www.skybayarea.org.

Sri Venkateswara Suprabhata Seva

and Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam. Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m. Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 734-0775. www.sunnyvaletemple.org.

Video Satsang, bhajan, kirtan, Pranayam

(breathing technique), Mantra jaap and Dhyan program. Organized by Shri Yoga Vedanta Ashram. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

First and Third Saturdays, 2-5 p.m. Second Saturdays, Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, 420-450 Persian Dr. Sunnyvale. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. First and Third Saturdays, Fremont Hindu temple, 3676 Delaware Dr., Fremont. Free. (831) 2124680, (408) 667-8884. www.ashram.org.

struction by Nome, silent meditation, and dialogues. Organized by Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT). Every first and third Friday of the month, 8 p.m. 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 425-7287. www.satramana.org.

Balajyothi Classes The classes focus on slokas, bhajans, story telling and activities.

HCCC Library and Learning Center, Livermore Temple, Livermore. Every 2nd and 4th Saturday, 1-2 p.m. ranganathanarchana@yah oo.com, pmadhusu@yahoo.com.

Group Meditation with mantra chanting and lecture with Swami Pranavananda, a senior meditation teacher. His kirtan and music is lively and his talks are practical. Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, 1200 Arguello

Discourses on Acharya Prabodh Chaitanya, Ch. 4, by Acharya Prabodh Chaitanya.

120 • india currents • october 2011

Organized by Chinmaya Mission San Jose.

Saturdays, 1:30-3 p.m. Washington High School, 38442 Fremont Blvd., Fremont. (408)

998-2793.

Video Gita from Tulsi Ramayana, by

Acharya Prabodh Chaitanya. Organized by Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Saturdays, 4:306 p.m. Los Cerros Middle School, 968 Blemer Road, Danville. (408) 998-2793.

Bala Vikas Classes Organized by San

Jose Sathya Sai Center Study Circle. Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple, 32B Rancho Dr., San Jose. Saturdays, 6 p.m. (408) 226-3600. www.vvgv.org, www.siliconvalleyhindutemple .com.

Eucharistic Celebration in Tamil. Or-

ganized by Bay Area Tamil Catholic Community. Second Saturday of every month, 6: 45 p.m. St. Joseph Parish Church, Mountain View. www.tamilcatholic.org.

Osho Evening Meditation Meeting

based on Osho’s vision and techniques.

Meditation class followed by vegetarian potluck dinner. Organized by Ritesh Arora (Amaresh). 989 Lakeshire Ct, San Jose. Saturdays, 7 p.m. (408) 294-6737, (650) 842-9140. www.osho.com, arora_ritesh@yahoo.com.

Devotional Meetings Programs including prayer, chanting meditations, video discourse (Bhagvad Gita series), arti and homage.

J.K.P. Sunnyvale Center, 955 Ponderosa Avenue #27, Sunyvale. Saturdays, 7:30-8:45 p.m. (408) 738-1201. dk.taylor@sbcglobal.net.

Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Literature, a discourse by Swami Prapannananda. Vedanta Society of Sacramento, 1337 Mission Ave., Carmichael. Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. (916) 4895137. www.veantasacto.org. eN-Kriya for Kundalini Awakening. eN-

kriya is a 42-minute process involving intense pranayama (breathing techniques), mudras (yogic hand gestures), asanas (yoga poses), and meditations. At the individual level, one experiences: physical health and healing, emotional well-being, spiritual ripening through kundalini awakening, Levitation and high state of awareness. En-kriya doesn’t contain any religious rituals or beliefs and it doesn’t matter who you follow. It just deals with breath. Every human being whether one believes in god or not is eligible to practice eN-kriya process. Organized by Life Bliss Foundation. Program broadcast live from India. Two-way live connection. Conducted

by Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Saturdays, 810 p.m. Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail.com. www.vedictempl ebayarea.org.www.nithyananda.org/en-kriya. © Copyright 2011 India Currents. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use strictly prohibited.

I C dear doctor

Alzak Amlani

Making a Difference Q

I often wonder and worry about the disparity I see among various people in the world. This seems to exist along class, caste, race, and many other human characteristics. I believed that all the work that people have been doing towards social justice for years was resulting in more equity and less privileged-based opportunities for people. However, seeing the shrinking of the middle class in America and the large financial scams of the last decade, I feel that the greed of the few has more power than the good intentions of the majority. As an individual I feel weak and powerless in the face of such forces. How I can influence any positive change?

A

Classism, racism, sexism and other -isms that exist in the world have been present for centuries in various forms. I believe it is more recent that such issues can be dealt with in a socio-political setting where people with much less power can have some influence.

However, I believe, that to address these deep cultural issues, we also need to look at the individuals that we have become over the

centuries due to collective training. We have been trained to believe that the few people in power will be interested in the common good and, therefore, don’t spend much of our own time participating in the democracy of this country. Freedom and personal power to influence society require a tremendous amount of responsibility and participation. Most of us are preoccupied with our individual and familial needs of economic survival and acquisition of personal success in a highly materialistic and self-oriented culture. We rarely put in the the time and energy to think more deeply about the issues you raise and very few of us are intelligently participating in creating a living democracy. It is not surprising that our representatives do not adequately represent us and it is corporations that are involved heavily in politics to influence policy.

I believe we can only move towards social justice as a nation if more of us realize how asleep we actually are to these realities and how much the cultural myth of material acquisition and security controls our time and lifestyle. This would wake us up to class dis-

parity and lack of real community and motivate us to get engaged. We are seeing pockets of this, partly due to the frustration about, and confrontation with, the larger forces that you have named.

Americans can learn from the struggles and revolutionary strides made this year by the societies in the Middle East. As more of us come together in public and find collective ways to demonstrate what we want, more people will be moved to leave their lonely lives striving towards the next personal achievement or object, and engage in civic life, where we collectively struggle and work for the quality of society we want for people of every class, background, and identity. This movement can be fulfilling, empowering and might be the only way that the majority who want to share resources can begin to trust each other and, thereby, build lives and policies on new ethics.n Alzak Amlani, Ph.D., is a counseling psychologist in the Bay Area. 650-325-8393. Visit www. wholenesstherapy.com

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A domestic violence helpline for South Asian women Our services are free and strictly confidential Call us for information and support from someone who understands your culture.

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Bangla •Farsi •Gujarati • Hindi • Kannada • Malayalam •Marathi • Nepali • Punjabi • Sinhala • Tamil • Telugu •Urdu india currents • october 2011 • 121

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Physicians Medical Group of San Jose appreciates its members' unique cultural views regarding medicine and patient care. Our physicians and staff speak several languages, including Hindi, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin and Tagalog.

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IC

the healthy life

Eating for Beauty Malar Gandhi

B

eauty, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is “the qualities that gives pleasure to the senses or exalt the mind.” Beauty is predominantly a concern for the female population.

There is an old saying that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” However, there are definite social concepts of physical beauty, and individuals who are perceived to be beautiful enjoy advantages than their less attractive counterparts. Women in particular always faced pressure to conform to a particular standard of beauty. However, men increasingly face the pressure to look good as well.

Through the decades, women have managed their appetite by rigorous fasting and concentrating more on extracurricular activities. In India, fasting is one of the common practices. Many women were and are inclined toward ritual-based fasting and distanced themselves from the act of eating.

They believed only through severe fasting and abstinence one mind exercise and improve.

Ayurveda (ancient medical compendium) describes how to be content with simple food like porridge and soup in order to enhance one’s creativity.

Many of our religious rituals are based on scientific principles of good health, although most of them have become so steeped in superstitious beliefs that the original ideas on which they were founded have become lost and forgotten. However, it originated as a means of restoring, rejuvenating, and preserving good heath. In ancient times, regular fasting was followed by enlightened sages as a method of internal purification, based on the idea that one fasts, the body processes are allowed to rest.

Beauty, health, and food are connected.

Food is the primary thing that affects us. “You are what you eat” is a concept that has been known in every culture and civilization. People are becoming aware of the links between food, health, and beauty. This has made them more receptive to the idea of personal care through proper diet, nutrition supplements, and physical activity. Eating right and getting more exercise are the best ways to enhance appearance and restore a sense of well-being.

Eating a nutritious and balanced meal regularly can increase the chances of living a longer and more robust life. And looking good is also an interesting side effect of healthy eating. The good thing is that many of the same foods that are good for heart, brain, and other vital parts of the body are said to be great for external appearance as well. Nutritional com-

124 • india currents • october 2011

ponents of specific foods can help one with complexion and overall appearance. A diet rich in “phyto-compounds” can stimulate DNA repair, increase collagen production, reduce inflammation, and improve blood flow.

Traditionally, Asian countries such as India, China, Thailand, and Japan offer dishes full of rice, legumes, and seafood. The Indian meal is delicately balanced with all food groups, mainly based on a vegetarian diet.

Being more beautiful could be as simple as having regular cups of warm chai. According to Ayurvedic medicine, staying warm burns toxins. Practitioners say drinking hot fluids, eating spicy foods, and taking warm showers stave off the sick seasons as well. For the biggest dose of antioxidants, eat five servings of colored vegetables and fruits a day.

10 Popular Beauty Foods Curry Leaves are loaded with iron.

Using mature leaves in cooking promotes healthy, strong hair.

Many Ayurvedic texts points out that having amaranth greens along with mung dal (split green gram) will make one’s eyes sparkle.

Fenugreek seeds are natural body coolants, it also helps to flush the toxins out of body. Using them in sambar and curry regularly will help reduce acne and clear the skin.

Gooseberries are rich in vitamin C, which prevents pigmentation clumping and strengthens capillaries so that it doesn’t

break or bruise easily. Honey-preserved gooseberries are found in Indian stores, and is an added bonus. Taking one fruit a day will supply all the essential vitamins to the body.

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, which decrease aging by lowering inflammation. Antioxidants can also increase collagen production and tighten the skin, making one look younger and healthier.

Taking cucumber in juice form along with other vegetables will make tired eyes brighten up. For instant relief, one can cover his or her eyes with cucumber slices.

Snacking on almonds will be beneficial to cell restoration. It gives skin a more youthful appearance and will in turn help fight the early signs of aging (fine lines and wrinkles).

Using poppy seeds in health drinks or applying its paste on dark lips may eventually lighten the pigmentation and pinken lips.

Pomegranate is rich in antioxidants.

Taking one cup of pomegranate juice a day, will enhance health, and give a radiant complexion, and bright, clear eyes.

Mangoes are rich in carotenoid; having a cup of mango chunks along with warm milk before bed time may help keep your skin supple and smooth.n Malar Gandhi is a freelance writer, who specializes in culinary anthropology and gourmet Indian cooking.

IC

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readers. Call (408) 324-0488 and place your ad today!

MAIL FORWARDING: $5.00

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REPLYING TO A FORWARD NUMBER: Seal your letter in an envelope, and mail it to INDIA CURRENTS FORWARD, 1885 Lundy Ave, Ste. 220, San Jose, CA 95131. Be sure to write the correct FORWARD NUMBER. No commercial solicitations please.

BUSINESS FOR SALE DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS FOR SALE? List your grocery store, video store, restaurant, liquor store or gas station for sale right here in India Currents classifieds. Call (408) 3240488 to place your ad.

CHILDCARE ANNOUNCEMENTS THEINDIANLIST.COM is designed to help you pick out the best of Indian restaurants, realtors, groceries, shopping, services, events and all else right where you are. Also, find us on facebook.com/theindianlist and on Twitter @theindianlist to get recommendations and updates on Indian businesses.

BEAUTY HIRING FULLTIME/PARTTIME eyebrow threader in Fontana, CA. Interested call (909) 565-7685.

WITH OVER 10 YEARS of beauty experience, we bring our service to your doorstep.

Every bride wants to look and feel beautiful and radiant on her wedding day. Call (408) 401-9821 to schedule your next event.

SEEMA BEAUTY SALON. Threading, waxing, facials, color, hair-cut, henna, perms, Japanese style hair straightening, head massage, hair conditioning, manicure, pedicure and bridal makeover. Located in Sunnyvale.

Call (408) 244-6009.

NAZ THREADING SALON, Sunnyvale. Facial: gold, pearl or diamond $40 with free veg. peel; waxing: full leg $29, full arms $18; manicure and pedicure $25; men’s haircut $12. Valid on Tues from 9am-1pm. Call (408) 400-0629. nazbeautysalon@yahoo.com ARE YOU A BEAUTICIAN? Do you do threading, waxing, facials, perms, hair cutting and styling? Place your advertisement here in India Currents Classifieds and reach 32,000

BALMANDIR, CUPERTINO. Infant/toddler care, convenient Cupertino, I-280/Foothill Blvd location, close to Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Palo Alto. After-school program available, qualified staff, pre-school activities, age appropriate program, large playground.

Call (408) 737-0790. www.balmandircupertino.com KARVE’S FAMILY DAY CARE. License #434406420. In Cupertino, early childhood educated and experienced. Safe, enthusiastic, and encouraging environment. Abundant toys, age-appropriate activities, vegetarian food. Call (408) 343-1073. www.sanskardaycare.com.

L’IL STARS afterschool care for Cupertino schools-Collins, Stocklmeir, Portal, and Eaton. Free pick up. Homework help. License #434411071. Call Deepa (408) 255-2596.

CLASSES: DANCE CHHANDAM SCHOOL of Kathak dance.

Classes held in Berkeley, Mountain View, San Francisco, San Bruno, San Rafael and Union City. Beginning classes available in all locations. Call (415) 759-8060 or visit www. kathak.org.

SRIVARNISA KALALAYA offers bharathanatyam classes at Sunnyvale (Central and St. Mary). Flexible timings. Contact Nirupama at (208) 954-2477 or email nirupama.varadarajan@gmail.com. Also available for Nattuvangam.

CLASSES: MUSIC

CLASSES OFFERED BY LAKSHMI C. SAXENA in San Jose. North Indian vocal music: classical, semi classical, light music like bhajans, geet, ghazals; film songs; instrumental music: harmonium, tabla. Also Hindi lessons.

Available for performances. Call (408) 2683651 or email LSaxena99@yahoo.com ALI AKBAR COLLEGE OF MUSIC offers study in North Indian classical music. Classes are offered in vocal, instrumental and tabla.

All are welcome. For more information please call (415) 454-6264 or http://aacm.org/classes. html AKHIL BHARATIYA Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal. India music examinations are conducted in vocal, instrumental, dance, kathak, and bharatnatyam. Call (408) 7927014 or email contact@tablaniketan.com COSMIC KHAYALS. Shweta Jhaveri offers north Indian classical and semi-classical vocal music classes in San Rafael and Berkeley.

Please visit shwetajhaveri.com

CLASSES HINDI LANGUAGES CLASSES offered by Madhu Bhasha Kendra for Children 3+ to Adults in Bay Area. Accredited by WASC and UC System for High School Foreign Language Program. Credits and Grades transferrable for students in Palo Alto, Fremont, Milpitas, Saratoga, Cupertino. www.hindionline.org FORMER COACH OF INDIAN CHESS TEAM, batches staring soon. Email: sunnyvale.chess.club@gmail.com for details or call (510) 996-3204.

COUNSELING IS A FAMILY MEMBER OR LOVED ONE hurting you? Contact Narika, a domestic violence hotline for South Asian women.

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perspective

Yamuna Kona

Our Meeting With The Surrogate Part two of a series on one woman’s experience with surrogacy

O

n July 26, 2011, we receive a call from the Senior Embryologist, Dr. Rajyalakshmi, of Dr. Rama Devi’s Institute of Fertility. The embryo will be formed tomorrow—on my birthday—and will be implanted in the surrogate’s womb. The day after, we’ll finally get to meet the woman who could make our family complete. Wow! And the joy begins with the 11-page contract emailed from the clinic’s legal department. With a smile on his face and anxiousness in his tone, my husband asks, “Ready to make this legal? Wait-a-minute, are we the ‘2nd Party’ or ‘intended parents’?”

Our lawyer reviews and confirms the contract is legitimate and fair per Indian regulations. The clinic’s main concern is that the baby(ies) should have a loving home, whether or not we—the “2nd party” and “intended parents”—separate, or one or both die during this process, and we must provide a name and contact information of another, responsible, guardian, should any of the above occur. We read it three times, but it’s still so confusing.

And there are sections we don’t agree with, but I suppose there’ll always be restrictions and guidelines in any path we choose. And we just have to keep faith that the good will outweigh the not-so-good. My heart freezes for a moment, as my husband reads aloud, “The surrogate is not responsible if the fetus is stillborn, born with an illness, defect, or has a miscarriage. Fetus reduction may occur when one more may be eliminated if it poses a threat on the surrogate’s health, or to one of the other fetuses. However, the intended parents are to compensate the surrogate, even if the surrogate miscarries, or doesn’t deliver a normal, living baby.”

I can’t seem to sit still, and my husband can’t stop smiling, and keeps fussing with his iPhone while we wait in the doctor’s office. I thought he would have hesitations, act ashamed, or be less involved in the process and appointments. But he reminds me of every other expectant father I’ve seen.

With every creak and footstep, my eyes move to the shadows in the hallway, wondering if the young woman passing by is the SM—surrogate mother. We’re told our doctor is tied up in the Operation Theater down the hall, and soon I hear moans of another surrogate in labor. I smile. We could be the lucky 128 • india currents • october 2011

couple in nine months.

T

he contract is signed and we’re waiting to meet the surrogate. Months ago I envisioned a young woman sitting in front of me, making me feel like she was doing me a favor, or like I was less than a woman. But Sumalatha doesn’t appear to be smug, or like she has the upper hand. She’s 25, quiet, and she doesn’t talk much at all. She smiles a lot, and nods her head. With the counselor in the room, it feels awkward. She says the medicines she takes to help the embryo to attach to the uterus are making her nauseous, and she is a bit sore from the implant but, otherwise, she is feeling ok.

The clinic advised us not to meet the SM, for fear that she may grow attached to us, and they didn’t want to encourage any type of emotional fix on the child that is biologically ours. But after reading umpteen positive stories of patients from this clinic and others, we decide that we need to be a part of the process and witness the development. The fetus hasn’t formed … yet, but meeting the woman who is helping our embryo grow is calming and brings a sense of reality to our dream.

Sumalatha needs to lie down, so a nurse helps her up to the patient’s ward on the fifth floor. We’re told she will be there for at least 21-30 days, and she’ll be monitored several times a day, fed different medications to assist in the transformation of the embryo into a fetus. Rajyalakshmi tell us that it will take anywhere from 15 to 21 days for a fetus to form, but for full confirmation, it is safe to make it official on the 30th day.

My husband and I smile at each other. It’s like anticipating a Christmas gift, only a hundred times better. At this point, we both realize it’s really no different if the SM has our child (or children) or if I do, and when we’re alone for a moment, he whispers, “Don’t know why we waited 11 years to do this.”

I only smile, because I want to be positive, but I know it can still go either way.

On our way out of the hospital, we meet Sumalatha’s husband, Ram Krishna, who isn’t

much older; he is 27, and used to work as an ambulance driver. My husband tells Ram Krishna to let us know if Sumalatha needs anything, and we exchange phone numbers.

His only response in his mother-tongue, Telugu, is, “We just want this to be successful for you both.”

Sumalatha and Ram Krishna seem like a decent couple. What is the driving force for this couple to endure such a painstaking and tedious endeavor? Monetary compensation?

S

ince the couple lives only a block away from the clinic in Ameerpat [Hyderabad], Sumalatha isn’t required to reside in the hospital quarters, as the other surrogate mothers are. She can stay in her home, but a morning and evening nurse will monitor her on a daily basis when she leaves the hospital after 30 days, and there is final confirmation of a fetus (es). The nurses will bring her breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and any additional vitamins—the diet as prescribed by her nutritionist—and they will check her vitals, and administer any medications needed to facilitate a smooth pregnancy. Should everything go as planned, she will have an examination and an ultrasound at the clinic every 15 days, for the first six months, which we will be present for. Thereafter, until the eighth month, she’ll have an examination every week. Once the eighth month arrives, she will reside at the clinic for the duration and be monitored every day. After thorough examination and confirmation that the baby is fully developed, all surrogates are usually

scheduled for a C-section at the end of their eighth month, unless the full nine month term is needed, says the doctor. She explains, “This is because the surrogates have been administered medications to push along the pregnancy and development, and 95% of the time, labor must also be induced.”

After 15 days, we receive another call from the clinic. The blood test proves we’re pregnant! On the first try! I can hardly breathe. I never imagined this overwhelming feeling of elation. Tears fill my eyes. I’ve forgotten all about the surrogate, the process, the unconventional method. Now I can relate to an expectant mother. BUT… it’s still too early to celebrate. We’re told that we should be cautiously optimistic, because the fetus hasn’t formed yet, and there’s always a risk, as with any pregnancy. So we’re supposed to hang tight, hope for the best, and try to relax for the next 15 days and maybe even longer.

After signing more paperwork, and handing over another payment, we meet Sumalatha and Ram Krishna outside the clinic.

I find it strange that they keep looking over their shoulder. For a moment, I feel like I am in an action movie and we are in the middle of a drug deal. They admit they are waiting for us here, because the clinic regulates our contact, and under contract they aren’t permitted to meet us independently. I can certainly understand the clinic’s point of view.

After all, the clinic is trying to protect us and itself. Even though we have signed a contract dissolving the clinic of any liability, they strongly discourage intended parents becoming emotionally attached to the surrogate. But I’m realizing more and more every day that it’s near impossible to be impassive, especially because the surrogate has something very precious of ours. It’s only natural to want to give in to all her requests. I suppose the next few months will be a great balancing act.

Sumalatha looks well. She’s not pale, and is dressed in a simple sari, with her hair in a loose braid. She wears a thick turmeric coated yarn necklace, in place of the traditional a gold mangalsutra. Ram Krishna smiles as he says, “It’s been hard leaving our four-year old daughter with my mother-in-law for the last couple of months.”

Sumalatha gets emotional. “I feel like crying when my daughter asks me why I’ve left her, and starts wailing for me to come back.

Krishna can stay with her every day since he lost his job a few months ago, but he wants stay with me. We decided to do this for our

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daughter. We don’t have much. My father is gone, and my husband lost both of his parents at a young age. Since we have no inherited land or assets of our own, we thought this was a good idea, and at the same time it’s helping someone.” She looks at me, grabs my hand, and suddenly we make a connection, clinic policies notwithstanding.

On the way home we start coming up with baby names. There’s a good chance that we may end up with twins, so we are goofing around with pairs of names, even though we both know it’s completely premature. If the embryo doesn’t attach to the surrogate’s uterus then we have two more tries in the package “deal” we’ve already paid for. And while most would say to believe in William E. Hickson’s quote, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” timing and coordination with the surrogate’s body is everything in this game, plus there’s a money factor, not to mention our visas. The antes are up, but we’re betting our faith will be the perfect “ace” in our sleeve, and we won’t fold just yet. n Part one of the series, titled “Rock-a-bye-baby Chronicles” can be found in the June 2011 issue of India Currents and online at http:// www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2011/06/24/ rock-bye-baby-chronicles Yamuna Kona will continue to share her journey of becoming a parent via surrogacy in future issues of India Currents.

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I C films Aniruddh Chawda

Sibling Thievery MERE BROTHER KI DULHAN. Director: Ali Abbas Zafar. Players: Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ali Zafar, Parikshit Sahni, Kanwaljit Singh. Music: Sohail Sen. Theatrical Release (Yashraj).

T

he Yashraj brand has become synonymous with romance and romantic comedies. Their last offering Band Baja Baraat (2010) fit that formula hand-in-glove and also turned into a box office hit for the label. Even as the production house, headed by father-son team of Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra, prepares for yet another installment of the surprisingly resilient Dhoom franchise (Dhoom 3 will break out in 2012), the label never strays far from the marketing model that has made it so successful in a history spanning five decades. Their newest offering is Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, which even sounds like a Yashraj entry. Purely romantic, never serious, and often hilarious, Dulhan proves again how sticking to a successful formula can lead to even more mid-tier success.

Set primarily in Delhi and the hill country in Dehradun, Dulhan ropes in Kush Agnihotri (Khan) who gets marching orders from his parents to find a suitable bride for his brother Luv Agnihotri (Ali Zafar, newbie Pakistani actor/singer, no relation to the director). When Kush zeroes in on the best match for his brother Luv, its only too late that Kush real-

izes that Luv’s would-be wife is none other than the free-spirited Dimple Dixit (Kaif), Kush’s former college party friend. As both camps prepare for Luv and Dimple’s nuptials in the foreground, everything goes haywire in the background as Kush and Dimple brush off their campus tiffs-gone-by and rekindle an unusual alliance.

While this is all predictable, formulaic Filmmaking-101 type stuff, Yashraj packages it with enough shine and airtight space to keep it from going stale. Kaif, whose Hindi diction requires her voice to be dubbed (and, in spots, the dubbing is painfully apparent) continues her charge up the hill after racking up some of the biggest box office hits in recent years (Singh is Kinng, Rajneeti, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, New York). Kaif is now the highest paid female actor in Hindi films. Wisconsin-born Khan, fresh from the box office success of Delhi Belly, easily essays the recent college grad routine. In support, in addition to Zafar as Luv, Sahni and Singh as parents from opposite families also bring a touch of egalitarian class. The lush country vistas of the Himalayan foothills and the charms of Delhi rooftop conversations add to a romantic and earthy grounding that director Zafar makes sure his vehicle does not stray from.

Recent arrival Sohail Sen, who earlier made a splash with What’s Your Rashee?

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est tunes this season. Any soundtrack that opens up with the words “Matrimonial si aankhen” (matrimonial eyes) has got to have playful mischief up its sleeve. Foremost is Neha Bhasin’s “Dhunki, ”which tosses up dance-worthy electric guitar work infused into an outdoor, put-your-hands-in-the-air mood true to its staging on the back of a moving truck and also on a train. Then there is Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s “Isq Risk.” Khan has a rep for rock-solid sufi-inspired vocals hailing from the same music clan as his legendary uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In this sleeper tune, Khan is both effortless and effervescent. With “Choomantar,” Benny Dayal, who moonlights into playback singing when he is not fronting for the pop group S5, gets help from what can only be described a chorus of chipmunks—which takes nothing away from this mid-tempo dance ditty. Accompanied by Irshad Kamil’s credible lyrics, Sen’s score sets itself up as an early contender for the most popular, if not the best, soundtrack of the year honors.

Another trait Yashraj banks on is better marketing. A 74-theater U.S. release netted $400,000 on opening weekend, roughly the same as Ajay Devgn’s Singham managed over its entire 5-week U.S. run, despite a blockbuster status in India. That easily added to Dulhan as a hit and net moneymaker for Yashraj, even before satellite TV and DVD/ video sales come in. The studio smartly relies on the go-to formula of movies like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan even while they engage in full-throttle A-plus budget, action flicks like the Dhoom franchise. We don’t mind them as family friendly, musically inclined outings even though they add up to, as Dulhan does, little more than a case of sibling thievery.n EQ: B

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india currents • october 2011 • 135

Suchi Sargam

Going Suburban

Imran Khan is happy that his latest film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan is a hit with the masses

I

mran Khan’s latest big screen outing Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (MBKD) had many expectations riding, given the critical and commercial acclaim of his last film Delhi Belly.

Dulhan has fared fairly well at the box-office both in India and abroad. In a post-release interview, the actor, who happens to be superstar Aamir Khan’s nephew, shares why he is happy with his decision to do MBKD. How satisfied are you with the response to MBKD? I am thrilled. So far, it has been the biggest opener for me. That is a very big deal.

Has this been bigger than Delhi Belly (DB) which released in July 2011?

This one has opened much, much higher than DB. DB had opened to some pretty high numbers but this has overtaken it.

In terms of performance and creative satisfaction, which of your eight movies has been your best so far?

The best will always be Jaane Tu... Ya Janne Na (JTYJN). JTYJN is my first film and there is an emotional connect to it, apart from everything else. My reason to do MBKD was to do something which would connect more with the heartland of India. Until this movie, whatever I have done has been a much more urban thing, be it an I Hate Luv Stories (IHLS), or Break Ke Baad, or Delhi Belly. MBKD, of all other films I have done, has performed stronger in the heartland of India—in UP, Punjab, Gujarat. This market was not my strong point until now. With this film performing so well in these markets, it

means I am expanding my market, which is something an actor really wants to do.

Did it matter to you that MBKD was a Yash Raj banner production?

You know there are three things that I look at—script, director, and producer. You need to have a script that you find entertaining and makes you feel like you might watch the movie. You must have a director who can convince you that “this guy will execute the script,” and make an exciting and entertaining film. And you must have a producer who can support and promote the film correctly.

The best of scripts and directors, if let down by the producers, will not be able to make a good film. All three are important for me.

Do you feel that the character you play in MBKD is very similar to what you played in IHLS? In MBKD, my character Kush is a very well behaved boy, from a middle class family, doesn’t drink, smoke, date girls. In IHLS, my character (Jay Dhingra) did everything, partied heavily, and was with a new girl every night. I didn’t see any similarities. Kush is really not similar to him.

MBKD has quite a few entertaining incidents—your being kidnapped under sedation, the risky-looking scooter balancing act ... any such interesting episodes in real life?

Not really. I have generally been a responsible and well-behaved individual. (smiles) Of your eight movies so far, four are under debutant directors, including MBKD under Ali Abbas Zafar. Was that a conscious decision?

You know, I meet anyone who calls me.

I sign on to projects that excite me. For the most part, I meet directors who are closer to my age. We tend to speak the same language, tend to have similar interests in life, so I think the stories that they are telling tend to connect with me. I react at an emotional level.

If I hear a story from a guy, and it catches my attention and interest, then I want to do that script.

What do we expect from you next?

Currently I am shooting Ek Main Aur Ek Tu for Dharma Productions that has me and Kareena (Kapoor) working together for the first time. It is scheduled to release by February 2012. At this point I am not allowed to talk about it. Karan (Johar) will make the announcement. n Suchi Sargam is a journalist in India.

136 • india currents • october 2011

Aniruddh Chawda

Riding Hood THAT GIRL IN YELLOW BOOTS. Director: Anurag Kashyap. Players: Kalki Koechlin, Naseeruddin Shah, Gulshan Devaiya, Prashant Prakash. Theatrical Release (Big). Strong parental advisory.

A

nurag Kashyap has, without doubt, one of the most eclectic film careers in Hindi cinema. Along with highly lauded writing credits for both Satya and Udaan, Kashyap is also known for making the off-beat cult fave Dev D and the upcoming Gangs of Wasseypur, about mafia hegemony over coal mining in India’s Jharkhand state. Now, teamed up with Koechlin, who Kashyap married earlier in 2011, he delivers one of the most disturbing entries in recent Hindi film annals. That Girl in Yellow Boots is less about fashion footwear than it is a profoundly in-your-face diatribe on obsessive compulsions that cross family, geographical, cultural, and sexual boundaries.

Parked entirely in a seedy looking Mumbai, which serves as an anonymous whathappens-here-stays-here setting, co-written by Kashyap and Koechlin, the story follows Ruth Edscer (Koechlin), a young Indian-British girl who is working in Mumbai in hopes of discovering her long-lost Indian father. Overstaying her tourist visa, Ruth helps out at a massage parlor in hopes of making connections to “foreign returned” men who may help her reunite with her father. Ruth also carries on with the two-bit junkie, Prashant (Prakash). Prakash’s

transgression with Gowda (Devaiya), a minor underworld don, invariably leads to Ruth’s path crossing that of Gowda on a lukewarm trail that may lead to Ruth finding her father.

Because Yellow Boots spirals in and out of control over the search for a lost father, it is similar to, in some ways, and very different from Zoya Akhtar’s Zindago Na Milegi Dobra.

In an age where non-traditional relationships are increasingly commonplace, here are two very different quests for biological roots in hopes of soothing an unsettled heart and mind. In a revisionist approach to Yellow Boots as a fairy tale, the resonance to Red Riding Hood surely cannot be brushed aside. Like Riding Hood getting side-tracked on the way to grandma’s, Yellow Boots can just as easily be taken as a complex follow-the-rules-or-else fable about the loss of both moral and sexual innocence.

The sexual imagery that Yellow Boots conjures up is no less frightening. In a world where the Lolita-like Ruth caters to mostly older men, there is an undercurrent of close calls to two powerful universal taboos—pedophilia and incest. Shots of massage room close-ups are clinical and without fanfare.

They are all the more disturbing because sex is taken so lightly. One has to keep reminding oneself—this is a Hindi movie, this is a Hindi movie! Koechlin’s Ruth is a rare “exotic” creature in a city built on one-dimensional beauty and lots of money. The beauty is controlled by women and the money supply is controlled by the middle-aged, often nondescript, sexually repressed hordes of male bureaucrats who are power brokers. Koechlin, after a limited role as a rich princess in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, emerges as a surprisingly strong central driver here of what is essentially a feminist outreach for self-definition. She absolutely nails the fresh-faced “foreigner” look.

Along with the frank depiction of a seedy sexuality, there is the cussing. Yellow Boots has perhaps the most out-there, anatomically descriptive, Hindi expletive-filled dialog in memory. Like much else going on here, after the first few outbursts, the lingo also recedes into the domain of the mundane. While Ruth’s story lacks the fascist zealousness that pervaded, say, Manish Jha’s chilly Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women (2003)and its pursuit of female infanticide, Yellow Boots is groundbreaking, nonetheless. Originally screened at the Toronto Film Festival in 2010, where it was received well, Yellow Boots received wide release only recently. While it is far from average family viewing, for discerning viewers, this is powerful stuff. n EQ: AGlobe trekker, aesthete, photographer, ski bum, film buff, and commentator Aniruddh Chawda writes from Milwaukee.

Madhumita Gupta

Spanning Seasons of Conflict MAUSAM Director: Pankaj Kapoor Players: Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Supriya Pathak, Anupam Kher. Music: Pritam. Theatrical release: CinergyPictures, Religare

T

he first Mausam (1975) had the creative Gulzar at helm and starred stalwarts Sanjeev Kumar and Sharmila Tagore. The actress, who till had been known more for an affected style of delivering her dialogues, bloomed under Gulzar’s sensitive touch and went on to win the National Film award for Best Actress award that year.

After 36 years, celebrated actor Pankaj Kapoor, well-known for his masterful portrayals as the eponymous Maqbool (Vishal Bhardwaj’s interpretation of Macbeth) and the cocky detective Karamchand on television, has picked up the reins of direction of the new Mausam, a period film which transports us from the lush fields of Punjab to the ballrooms of Scotland with poetic ease.

Spanning the years between the turbulence in Kashmir in 1992 and the present, Mausam is an interesting juxtaposition of love blooming in the backdrop of communal and racial hatred in India and the world.

Aayat (Sonam Kapoor) comes with her aunt (Pathak) to the peaceful village of Mallukoot in Punjab when communal riots began tearing her homeland of Kashmir apart. She is wooed relentlessly by the mischievous Harry (Shahid Kapoor) who falls for her at first sight. The love story barely picks up steam when fate intervenes and they separate, only to meet years later in Scotland.

They pick up the threads of their love story till, once again, fate steps in.

The beauty of the movie is that it is an unadulterated love story after a long time on the Hindi screen. And what makes it a compelling watch is that the crests and troughs of this love story synchronize with the worst cases of communal disharmony in recent memory. They meet for the first time due to terrorism in Kashmir and from then on the Babri Masjid incident, Mumbai bomb blasts, Kargil, 9/11, and finally the Gujarat riots, all become turning points in their story, with a

message of love triumphing over hatred. The recurring motifs of trains and large cementpipes work well and take us to the Raj Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna era.

A word about the performances—this is quite possibly the best Shahid has ever done.

His progression from an irrepressible village boy with a passion for racing against trains and a knack for sneaking free lunches and rides to a serious fighter pilot and a forlorn lover is very credibly done. Sonam is good as the giggly girl but just about adequate as the grown-up undergoing various upheavals of life. One wishes that veteran actor Kher had a more substantial role.

Pankaj Kapoor and his cinematographer Binod Pradhan have captured a Punjab very unlike the swaying mustard fields a la Yash Chopra. This Punjab is peopled with delightful but true-to-life characters, whether it is the vitriolic tai or the forgetful but belligerent chief.

Kudos to the director for this very lifelike environment and its people. One deft touch which tells of the existing camaraderie is that no territories—not even boundary walls—are shown in this village where all live as one family.

Another strong point of the films is its music.

It has been a while since we had had a whole album this good. Pritam manages to cock a snook at his detractors by making Mausam one of his best. From the opening strums of the acoustic guitar in “Rabba Mein Toh Mar Gaya Oye” Shahid Malliya is gorgeous. The rustic dholak beat works beautifully with the very modern sounds of the guitar. Malliya’s range can be gauged by the reprise track, later on in the movie, which speaks of love and loss equally evocatively.

Made with a lot of love and affection, the only drawbacks of Mausam are its length, the unfortunate lack of chemistry between the lead couple, and some irrelevant sequences towards the end.

All in all, a worthy first attempt by the debutant director. Here is looking forward to more from you, Mr. Kapoor! n EQ: A india currents • october 2011 • 137

I C relationship diva

Jasbina Ahluwalia

Playing the Field Q

I met a guy online last year. While we seemed to have little in common, he expressed interest and I responded. After communicating via email and phone for a couple weeks, we met in person. While meeting him didn't change my initial impression regarding having little in common, it was an enjoyable evening and I did feel attracted to him.

During the next several months, we continued seeing each other, but the intensity of my reservations about the potential of a long-term relationship with him increased, the more our differences were revealed. At this point I decided to resume my dating efforts.

Is it okay for me to continue seeing my online friend(I do enjoy his company) while seeking out other potential partners?

Jasbina is the founder and president of Intersections Match, the only personalized matchmak-

INDIA CURRENTS

138 • india currents • october 2011

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ing and dating coaching firm serving singles of South Asian descent in the United States. She is also the host of Intersections Talk Radio, a monthly lifestyle show featuring conversations with published authors/experts on relationships, health and wellness. www.IntersectionsMatch.com.Jasbina@intersectionsmatch.com

meet new people? Self-nurturing, be it via physical activity, spending time with family and friends, and/or pursuing an interest which feeds your soul? n

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When he’s not creating comics or working as a freelance illustrator, Krishna teaches full-time in the Media Arts and Animation department of the Art Institute of Tampa in Florida. See more of his work at http://www.uncubedthecomic.com/

140 • india currents • october 2011

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india currents • october 2011 • 143

IC

the last word

Sarita Sarvate

Exiled at Home I

bought my ticket to India the other day. The next day, I wanted to cancel it. Because it hit me that my parents were gone. That I was an orphan. Without a country.

I realized then that our idea of home is closely linked to our parents.

For, without my parents, what is India but a collection of people and buildings?

When did I first have the notion of homeland? Was it when my father, Dada, helped me paste photographs from the Illustrated Weekly of India into my first grade picture book? Those images of Jawaharlal Nehru playing with his grandsons on the lawn of Teen Murti, the Prime Minister’s residence, became indelibly etched in my mind as symbols of India. There was a picture of the peak of Kanchanjunga, the second highest Himalayan peak, and a kathakali dancer wearing a mask. Later, in dance class, my teacher would tell us about kathakali, but it would not be until 2008 that I would actually see it performed, in a Yoga Ashram in Kerala, six years after my father’s death. The dance evoked memories of my father for me then.

My mother gave me a different vision of my country. For her, India’s epitome was Bombay (now Mumbai), that cosmopolitan metropolis where Parsi ladies visited the racecourse and where Anglo-Indian girls in short skirts worked beside her at the General Post Office. Recently, I saw a short film of Bombay from an even earlier era, circa 1932, its colonial buildings and statuary still intact, and it brought tears to my eyes.

India remains fixed in the imagination of my generation of Indian Americans, a country frozen in memory and time. International long distance phone calls were unheard of in the 1970s, and the only mail was through the postal service. Internet, Skype, and calling cards did not exist. Neither did multiculturalism. The way to succeed was to assimilate, so we adapted to American ways.

I remember playing some music from Bollywood (which was not called Bollywood then), for my housemates in Berkeley, and feeling sheepish when they ridiculed it. Who would have thought that one day the same music and dance would become trés chic in America?

Traveling back home was expensive then, not something to be undertaken every year.

India changed, but its transformations jarred us every time we went to visit. The streets, the buildings, the traffic, the people, everything slowly changed, until little was recognizable except that little oasis called home where the same voices spoke the same boring and yet comforting anecdotes of a bygone era. Often, I sat in the front room, listening to my parents telling the same stories again and again, and wishing we could discuss more profound topics. Now that even those mundane conversations are beyond reach, I long for them.

For us immigrants, a parent’s death is a loss twice visited. In a way, we lost them long ago, when we first crossed the seven seas. When we finally lose them from this mortal world, grieving becomes impossible because nothing around us connects us to them.

Now when I go to India, I will have to discover a new meaning in everything. I will have to elicit memories of my parents from long-lost relatives. I will have to connect with old friends and ruminate about old times. And while I am going through the motions, I will have to wonder, why am I here? What ties me to this place now?

For me, the greatest song ever written about country was Manna

To be born and to die in the same place, surrounded by your family, is a privilege that many no longer have.

144 • india currents • october 2011

Dey’s “Ae Mere Pyare Watan” (Oh My Dear Country) from Kabuliwala (1961). It moves me every time I listen to it. It talks of sunrise and sunset, of the fragrant air of the Kabuliwala’s home country, Afghanistan. But those are just metaphoric expressions of the man’s longing for home. What he really yearns for is summarized in the next to last stanza; Ma ka dil banake kabhi seene se lag jaataa hai tu Aur kabhi nanhi si beti banke yaad aataa hai tu Jitna yaad aataa hai mujhako Utna tadpataa hai tu Tujh pe dil qurbaan Sometimes, you come to me as my mother’s heart, he says, and sometimes, like my little girl, and every time I remember you, I ache.

Of course I cannot even imagine what it must be like to leave a child behind, as many immigrants from Latin America are forced to do, but leaving a mother is hard enough.

In the era when that song and that story was written about a Pathan Kabuliwala, thousands of Afghans came to India to work. In fact we had our own Kabuliwala who came twice a day to make chapattis, well into the 1970s. I have no idea if Pathans still come to India. I would suspect not, given all the post 9/11 madness. But in that era, the idea of settling permanently in another country was novel. Only working class people were forced to do so. Middle class folk went to England, and returned home.

Exile was an alien concept. We would never want to live like a second class citizen in a Western country, I remember people saying. Yes, many countries did have the system of second class citizenships then.

Now, millions of people live in places they were not born in.

I was surprised to find a Bangladeshi working as a manager in my hotel in Venice, Italy, for example, and a Palestinian woman running a restaurant in La Paz, Bolivia. Mass migrations of people have changed the world landscape today. You can find a Sikh almost anywhere. And if you can’t find one, you know that the place has to be really parochial.

Yet, deep down, our longings have not shifted. To be born and to die in the same place, surrounded by your own people and family, is a privilege that many no longer have. And yet the people I have left behind cannot comprehend my loss. They think of me as the one who escaped to the land where streets are paved with gold.

Luckily for me, I have my sons here. Who, for whatever reasons, feel no particular ties with India, except for its food, which they love. So I know I will die here, in this land. I know that hundreds of relatives will not attend my last rites. I am torn by conflicting loyalties, and affinities, and bonds.

I can no longer identify with the words, Hum jahaan paida hue us jagah pe hi nikale dam Where I was created, There I will take my last breath.

But I wish I could. n Sarita Sarvate writes commentaries for Pacific News Service and KQED. Visit www.saritasarvate.com

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NOTE: 1. Rates are for owner-occupied purchase and rate and term refinance . 2. Conf-Jumbo is for loans between $417k and $625,500. 3. Rates for Jumbo loans vary with amount. * APR as of September 19, 2011. Rates may vary daily. APR based on maximum loan amounts for various ** No cost rates require impound accounts. Purchase rate could be higher or lower depending on pro-ration of buyer and seller expenses. Advertised rates are only a sampling of loans offered by us. Please call for custom quotes.

180 day early closure fee and other restrictions may apply on all loans.

Note: Rates quoted are for approved loans and are subject to change without notice. UP FRONT locks available on new loan applications at 0.125% higher rates and need 0.25pt lock in deposit. Additionally, there may be other restrictions that could apply in specific loan scenarios that could change the actual rates applicable. Rates provided as a general guideline only.

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RAMESH BHAMBHRA

Care-Mor Home Loans Carefully Planned Mortgages

Our Specialty—No Points, No Cost Loans!

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360 Kiely Blvd., Suite 235, San Jose, CA 95129 Bus. (408) 243-3155 ext. 201

1 (800) 4 BHAMBHRA • 1 (800) 424-2624 Approved Broker Dept. of Real Estate, CA. Lic. #896358