Culturama october 2014 by Rohini Manian

culturama your cultural gateway to india

October 2014 Volume 5, Issue 8

Step Up To Success Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first rural marathon gives girls an opportunity to break the shackles of gender inequality

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Dear Readers, I am writing this note from Noida, at an event by a leading IT conglomerate, where B-School women are being encouraged to ‘emerge to inspire’. As a keynote speaker, I shared with them my own journey in cultural and gender intelligence. In particular, I shared three important things that I learnt in my life: Take t he first step confident ly; Excel in your passion, while not pressuring yourself to be perfect at everyt hing; Leverage your skill to impact t he greater world. Women need role models. I was raised by a professional working woman – my mother – who competed with men in the world of banking to rise in the ranks. She taught by example what it took to stay inspired. She set the bar high for me and my sister, and gave us the faith that we were capable of crossing it. Unfortunately, I cannot say that the same applies to every girl in this country – even the world. Research has

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proved that girls are expected to be ‘nice’, and that strong ambition in women is often seen in a negative light. What a pity! Women have equally wonderful though slightly different qualities from men, which, when put to good use, could be used to better the world. It is time to change this state of affairs. And there is no better time than now – especially since October 11 is the International Day of the Girl Child, as declared by the United Nations. Women are capable of juggling the 3 P’s – people, profit and the planet – in an efficient manner. We just need to remove the hurdles in their path. And one man tried to do just that by organising India’s first rural marathon in the North Indian village of Bichola – ‘In Focus’ (pg 14) has the story. As is well known, Indian mythology celebrates the power of women by epitomising them as goddesses – one of the most prominent ones being Ganga, the goddess who is said to have embraced the earth as a river. Read about the legend associated with her in the ‘Feature’ (pg 30). As we gear up to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights (pg 66), let us make a resolution to light up the lives of all the women we know. It does not take much – just a shift in perceptions and priorities, some additional sharing of tasks, and providing them unstinting support so they may contribute. To mark this ongoing effort, we dedicate this month’s issue of Culturama to the power of shakti – to our women. The cover image by the most talented artist, Gautam Patole, Mumbai, encompasses this wonderfully. Let us each educate a girl as we would then educate a family. Hope you have a wonderful month ahead. Ranjini Manian Editor-in-Chief globalindian@globaladjustments.com

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Credits Award-winning artist Gautam Patole from Mumbai has beautifully captured the importance of education in empowering girls. His work is a fitting tribute to the ideas embodied by the International Day of the Girl Child (October 11). Visit his website at www.artdesh.com

Letters to the editor Dear Editor,

“Your article in the September 2014 issue, ‘Ni hao to Namaste’, was really interesting and informative.” -

Vanessa Butler, India

Editor-in-Chief Ranjini Manian

Dear Editor,

Associate Editor Yamini Vasudevan

"The lead story in the September issue was amazing! Enjoyed reading about India China peace-making with a Shaolin monk’s India visit, just ahead of the two Prime Ministers signing up for improved relationships at Gandhi’s hometown!"

Business Head Sheeba Radhamohan Sub-Editor Shefali Ganesh Senior Designer Prem Kumar Finance Controller V Ramkumar

Annelize Booysen, USA

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

Dear Editor, “I enjoyed the ‘Cover Story’ (on Dr.P.C. Reddy), ‘The Month That Was’ and ‘Ten for the Road – Chattisgarh’ in the July 2014 issue. Your views in ‘Cultural Lens’ were simple and offered dependable tips for Indians and Westerners.” -

Payal Gandhi Hoon, India

Dear Editor,

“I am a Parsi, have travelled around the world, and am a long-time resident of Madras. I have enjoyed reading Culturama for two decades. The photography is vibrant and the crosscultural perspective informative while being rooted in our customs. Your magazine has content that can be read, re-read and enjoyed. It is timeless.” -

D.M. Belgamvala, India

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

1 Read 4 Locate

2 Shop 5 Connect

3 Do

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Culturama’s contributors 01 Susan Philip is a freelance writer based in Chennai, and the editorial coordinator of Culturama’s various coffee table books.

03 Devdutt Pattanaik is the Chief Belief Officer of the Future Group, and a writer and illustrator of several books on Indian mythology. Visit www.devdutt.com

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

04 Preeti Verma Lal is a New Delhi-based freelance writer/ photographer. If God had asked her what she wanted, she’d tell Him to turn her into a farmer who also writes lyrically; her fingers stained with wet clay and deep blue ink. www.deepblueink.com

Advisory Board members 05 N. Ram is an award-winning journalist and former Editorin-Chief of The Hindu. He is Director of Kasturi & Sons Limited, publishers of The Hindu. 06 Suzanne McNeill lived in India for seven years, first in Chennai and then in Delhi. She has now returned to Scotland, where she works as a freelance writer and graphic designer.

07 Babette Verbeek is a correspondent for BNR Nieuwsradio who previously worked in Amsterdam and Milan. Now she joyfully explores the beauty of South Indian culture. 08 Marina Marangos is a lawyer by profession but enjoys travel and writing. She lived in India for four years before moving to Australia. She blogs at www.mezzemoments.blogspot.com

09 G. Venket Ram is an acclaimed photographer and the creative mind behind many a Culturama issue. To know more about his work, log on to www.gvenketram.com 10 Beth Chapman is an American business management consultant living in Bengaluru. Former President of the city’s Overseas Women’s Club, Beth is an Indian culture aficionado.

11 Marcel Van Mourik is a Dutch photographer living in New Delhi for the past three years. Together with his cameras, he is passionate about discovering Indian culture. 12 Kathelijne van Eldik, from Holland, has been in Mumbai since 2004. Her employment with an airline is not a surprise, considering she has been raised in different countries and has it in her DNA to travel.

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Contents Regulars 30

Feature

Source of life, medium of purity and a channel to the after-life – water features in India’s spiritual traditions in many forms.

India Now

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

14 In Focus

A school in a village in northern India holds India’s first rural marathon in an effort to empower girls and break social barriers.

India’s Culture 10

Short Message Service

Short, engaging snippets of Indian culture.

In your Kitchen

Add a dash of spice(s) to your menu with a Sindhi specialty.

Festival of the Month

India Writes

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

Ten for the Road

Trivia about an Indian state – featuring Haryana this month.

Cultural Lens

When trying to communicate across cultures, sharpen your listening skills first.

Look Who’s In Town

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

Join in the festivities for Diwali and the prayers for Muharram.

The villagers of Pilkhuwa make stunning block-printed bedsheets by hand – and keep alive a tradition that is several decades old.

Myth & Mythology

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

Journeys Into India

Picture Story The Lighter Side

An expat tries to learn Hindi (all the better to bargain with) and experiences an unusual case of ‘miscommunication’.

Calendar of Events

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

Give to India

Featuring worthy causes across the country.

Relocations and Property 74

Realty Bytes

Property listings across the metros

Space and the City

Property listings across the metros.

Seeing India

Get a bird’s eye view of the world, chant a prayer as you spin a wheel and horn-shake with a pashmina sheep - Ladakh awaits.

Holistic Living

Poverty is not just a condition related to lack of money or material comforts, but one related to a depletion of love and care as well.

64 Remembering the Mahatma October 2, the birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, is celebrated in India as 'Gandhi Jayanti'. To mark this occasion, Culturama looks back at some key events in his life.

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SMS 10

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by Suzanne McNeill Short cultural snippets for an easily digestible India

Art, Textile and Craft: Dabu Printing Jodhpur

Dabu is a form of resist dyeing that uses a special type of clay paste or mud to prevent the background colour from penetrating the entire fabric, thereby creating a pattern. It is one of the many techniques used to pattern textiles by hand across Rajasthan. The mud, called dabu, is impressed onto the fabric to the desired design using beautifully carved wooden blocks. Sawdust is sprinkled onto the fabric, which sticks to the clay as it dries. When the fabric has been dyed, it is washed to remove the clay before being re-dyed to add colour to the patterned areas. Dabu printing is a labour-intensive and lengthy process, but produces textiles of unique quality.

He Lives On Alla Rakha

Alla Rakha, a master of the tabla, was one of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most influential musicians. He helped introduce Indian classical music to the West through his long-time association with sitar player Ravi Shankar. Born in Jammu in 1919, he left home at 12 to live with an uncle in Gurdaspur in Punjab. There, he learned tabla under Mian Qader Baksh, a proponent of the local gharana, a technique unique to the Punjab. His career took him from theatre accompanist to session musician with All India Radio and the Hindi film industry, but it was as an accompanist to solo artists that he earned renown as a virtuoso playing highly melodic rhythms, and as an electric showman. Alla Rakha died in 2000, and his legacy is continued by his sons, Zakir Hussain and Fazal Qureshi.

Food and Drink

Erachi Pathiri, Kerala Erachi pathiri is a Ramadan delicacy from the Malabar region of northern Kerala where the very rich snacks are popular choices for iftar, the evening meal when Muslims end their daily fast. Pathiri is made from dough, or a flatbread such as roti, that is stuffed with a filling of beef, mutton or chicken, which has been cooked with spices and then shredded. Each pathiri is deep fried, then dipped in an egg custard flavoured with cardamom and fried again to create delicious pasties that are a meal in themselves!

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Interpretations Antique Box Iron

Despite the proliferation of electric goods across India, antique box irons are still in evidence. They are used by press wallahs (this term generally refers to men who iron clothes, but women also do this job) at street-side stalls or on mobile carts going house to house offering ironing services. The iron is prepared by filling the interior of the hollow base with burning charcoal. The lid of the box has a wooden handle, and a twist of wire holds the closed lid in place. The press wallah will charge Rs. 5 to Rs. 7 per piece, and the quality of the ironing is second to none!

Photo: Bernadette Baars, Germany

Photo: Cara Louwman-de Bruin Dutch

Words

Urban Adventure

Shaastra is a Sanskrit word that means ‘teaching’ or ‘rule’, and refers to a source of authority within Hinduism that might be a single work or a collection. The great scriptures of Hinduism are known collectively as shaastra, and act as a shastra, or ‘weapon’, using which one can detach oneself from the permanent things of life. Seeing the eternal in the ephemeral is the goal of life that Hindus call moksha. Shastra is any weapon that is held in the hand. In mythology, the physical shastra could be endowed by the gods with the supernatural power of the astra, which would render it impossible to counter.

Reclaimed from the sea in the 19th century, bustling and chaotic Colaba Causeway is the main thoroughfare linking Mumbai’s ‘culture square’ with the military cantonment at the city’s southernmost point. It retains its colonialera buildings, which now house restaurants serving Maharashtrian, Italian, Lebanese and Chinese cuisine, and cafes, including the iconic Café Mondegar, and Leopold Café that features in the novel Shantaram. The Causeway’s main attractions, however, are the stalls that line the street, selling colourful jewellery, footwear, handicrafts and textiles. Bargain hard for anything that catches your fancy!

Shaastra vs Shastra

Colaba Causeway – Mumbai

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In Focus by Preeti Verma Lal

Step Up To

Success

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Photo: All photos by the author

1 A school in the village of Bichola is attempting to break the glass ceiling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by getting girls to run in a marathon, neck to neck with boys

4 a.m. Saturday, August 30, 2014. A day before Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first rural marathon. The dusty village of Bichola is still swathed in slumber. Mehroom, 17, wakes up before the sun, switches on the solar lamp, pulls out the English textbook and learns her lesson. Minutes later, she mops the courtyard of her mud-house with cow dung. Her father, a labourer, is still asleep. So are her five siblings. In her small house, there is no electricity. Poverty occupies a corner, the bane of being a girl sprawls around. This morning, however, Mehroom is like a blithe spirit. She slips on her black track pants, laces her white sneakers, braids her oiled hair into tight plaits. It is still dark. She steps out. To run in darkness when no one sees her sprint through dirt lanes. The village knits an eyebrow if

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she wears trousers. When she narrates her dream of becoming a nurse, a million scoffs fall her way. While the village sleeps, Mehroom runs. Like a bird out of a cage. Fast. Her gait swift, her breath rapid. She has registered for India’s first rural half marathon. The distance of 21 km is too daunting. She will run 10 km. At 4 a.m., she is trying to run better. Train her lung to not go breathless. And, hopefully, win tomorrow. Three hours later, she changes into the green/yellow school uniform, pins the dupatta, wipes her black bicycle and rides 4 km to Pardada Pardadi School. That Saturday, Mehroom was not the only one practising for the half marathon. Hundreds of girls from various schools in Anoopshahr were defying gender stereotypes – few with the consent of their parents, others in a mood of rebellion. Nearly

1,000 participants registered for the marathon, of which 75% were female. An urban female might pooh-pooh the ballyhoo about running along with men, but in a feudal heartland, a few steps in tandem with men are as laudable as breaking the glass ceiling. 6 a.m. Same day. Fat raindrops are pelting my car bonnet. I am driving from New Delhi to Bichola. I have packed a rain poncho just in case the rain gods play truant during the marathon. No sneakers, no dry-fit vest in my bag. I will not be running the half marathon, which is being held under the aegis of Pardada Pardadi Education Society (PPES). Since 2000, PPES has been working towards improving the lives of rural girls/women through education, employment and empowerment. At 10 a.m., when I drive into the school’s porch, I can smell excitement in the air. Posters of Aao Sath Chale (Come, let us walk together) are being pinned; there is a huge crowd at the registration desk and volunteers are scurrying around like cats on helium. Ankur Agarwal, who holds a doctoral degree in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, is swamped with lastminute to-dos; Lokenderpal Singh of Axalta Coating Systems is running through the name-list; coach Virender Singh of Run With Me Foundation is spewing instructions. And Virendra Sam Singh, the founder of PPES, is retelling the story of how, after 35 years in the United States, he returned to his ancestral village in 2000 to “pay forward life’s

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kindness”. He started with a dream, a scrap of land and five reluctant girls. Today, the school bustles with the enthusiasm of nearly 1,000 girls. To the story, Sam adds the importance of the marathon as a tool towards empowering the girl child. In the corridor, I bump into Mehroom and Mani Kumari, both Class XI students. They smile, ask my name and how I have been. I walk with them into their classroom where a gaggle of girls are discussing their marathon practice. I join the babble. I ask them if they know that Marathon was actually a city in Greece. They know not. Do they know that, until 1984, the Olympic marathon was a male-only run? They know not. Do they know that banana is the best thing to eat before a marathon? They know not. Suddenly, Bharati Pal interrupts with, “I know it is good for health. I am running because I want to”. Marathon facts suddenly looked puny and redundant. Arti Kumari tells me she will run with her two brothers. Mani Kumari will run only 5 km. She is not allowed to wear trousers at home. “I will run in a salwar. How does it matter what I wear?” Anu Chaudhary, 15, wants to prove that she is as good as men. “I will try. I will muster courage. If I try hard, I know I will run 10 km.” On the green carpet on which I sat cross-legged with a bunch of girls, I could smell revolution. A marathon was pumping confidence in million metric tonnes. This was not my first time in Pardada Pardadi School. But for the first time

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I felt the gender inequality being challenged. By the girls. For themselves. For all the girls. 4.45 am. Sunday, August 31. The day of the marathon. I rub sleep off my eyes and run down for breakfast in Sam’s ancestral home. Across the table is Arjuna Awardee Sunita Godara, the event’s chief guest (pictured in top left photo). Dressed in red, Godara, 1992 Asian Marathon Champion, who also holds the Indian record for running the maximum marathons, is hurrying with her breakfast of papaya, banana and milk tea. She is enthused about the marathon. “Marathons are great for physical fitness, but more than that this will boost the morale of the girls. It will change society’s clichéd perception about the girl child. Marathon is the only sport where everyone begins together. It will give the girls a sense of equality, it will test their endurance…” I want to believe that all this will actually happen. It is 5 a.m. It is still dark. I drive 6 km to Pardada Pardadi School. On the way, I see girls cycling to the school; a girl is riding pillion on a motorbike, her hair flying. The iron gates of Pardada Pardadi School are open and hundreds of marathon participants have already gathered. So many have come to lend support. To run along with the girls. There’s Justice (Retd) Sat Paul Bangarh of Punjab and Haryana High Court. Shishir Gupta, an American Express consultant, had driven in a day before with his guitar. Michael Rubey, an American Peace Corps volunteer, now teaches mathematics to the PPES

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girls. Nandita Shetty wears a bunch of safety pins as a pendant – just in case someone needs them to pin the runner’s bib. The DJ is playing high-adrenaline songs and runners are warming up. There is no dress code. A few girls are in salwar kurtas, a few women in saris, some men have no shoes on. Nothing matters except the fervour of running a half marathon. 6 a.m. A huge crowd has gathered outside the gate. Bichola has never witnessed anything like this before. The spectators stand like revolution fence-sitters. Godara flags off the race and Sam releases yellow and green balloons into the sky. Hundreds of boys and girls gallop. The runners forget their harsh realities. And run. Swiftly. Not merely to win – to fly free like birds. To break shackles of male/female stereotypes. To muster self confidence. To believe that dreams are real. When the loudspeakers blare songs from Rang de Basanti and Chak de India and strangers egg them on with throaty bhaag Milkha bhaag, their steps hasten. Men and women run together. Panting. Huffing. Determined to finish. They are not alone. The local community chips in. Kela Devi, a wrinkled 80-something woman who can barely see through her hazy spectacles, stands by the flag-off point to ‘see’. A large bill is extended to those who quietly did their best: Mr Monu (refined wale – oil man), Ram Kumar (sabzi wale – vegetable man), Mr Vijay (jalebi wale – sweet vendor), Yusuf Khan (fruit wale – fruit vendor). Blackberrys donated tees, so did Axalta Coating Systems. Cash tumbled from Indian Oil’s kitty. As if it was everyone’s marathon. The race is over. Medals are handed out. Winners stand by the ‘I am a Finisher’ banner. I catch my breath at the Pardada Pardadi Entrepreneurship Stall. Mani Kumari was trying a business project. She painted my finger nails in lavender. I abhor nail paints, but give in to Mani’s request. It was her step to empowerment. I could not dampen her spirit. Surrounded by giggly girls, I forgive the hurried stroke of lilac spilling beyond my cuticles. I am sitting next to Sam, who, after 14 years of selfless dedication to the cause of the girl child, is tirelessly talking of his new initiatives to empower girls. My mind is bustling with winning numbers. 1084: Mehroom. 1154: Ruby Chaudhary. 784: Arpita Saini. 2117: Nisha Lodi. The afternoon sun is burning red. The girls have run the half marathon. Now, they are riding their bicycles home. With medals around their neck. With a neverbefore pride floating in their eyes. They pedal fast. Oblivious that under the shade of an Ashok tree lay feudalism and gender inequality. Breathless. Defeated. Their race is over. Mehroom’s journey has begun. And Sam is there to hold her little finger to the destination. 1

1 The girls have run the half marathon. Now, they are riding their bicycles home. With medals around their neck. With a neverbefore pride floating in their eyes. They pedal fast. Oblivious that under the shade of an Ashok tree lay feudalism and gender inequality. Breathless. Defeated

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Marathon Man Virendra Sam Singh, Founder PPES 1 “I literally had to walk through villages and request villagers to send their daughters to school. I started with five girl students. Today, there are nearly 1,000.” After 35 years of working and living with DuPont in the United States, what brought you back to Bichola, your ancestral village? Life has been kind to me, and I knew I had to pay forward the kindness. And education, I know, is the best tool to change lives – thereby generations. Specially, education of a girl child in a feudal setup where they have no rights, no say. More importantly, girls have no dignity of existence.

In a feudal heartland, how difficult was it to work for the girl child? In 2000, when I returned to my ancestral village and mooted the idea of Pardada Pardadi School, everyone scoffed at it. There were no takers, no supporters. Everyone thought it was impossible. I literally had to walk through villages and request villagers to send their daughters to school. I started with five girl students. Today, there are nearly 1,000.

What kept you going? Perseverance and the belief that it is doable. One cannot start a journey and stop midway. One cannot weave a dream and give up halfway.

It has been 14 years since you started PPES, what has been the biggest game-changer? Academics alone would not have taken the girls anywhere. Skills are important. To boost attendance, I also promised to give the girls Rs. 10 for each day of school – the accumulated money would be theirs when they turn 18. That helped. Now, we have self-help groups of women, a call centre run by PPES girls, incense stick projects. A few of PPES girls are enrolled in other varsities for degrees in nursing and hotel management. One girl just left for the United States on a full scholarship. More than life’s games, it is changing the perception of girls, their families and society.

What will the marathon achieve? It is like breaking the glass ceiling. Metaphorically, it is about making the girls – and society – believe that they too can run neck and neck with men. Girls can rub shoulders with boys. Perhaps do better. 1

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India now by Susan Philip

The month that was 1 A quick recap of events, people and places that made news in the past month

Business Matters Wealth to the people In a massive financial inclusion drive, the Government facilitated the opening of a whopping 1.5 crore bank accounts on a single day, under a scheme called the Prime Minister’s ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’. Targeting the poor, both urban and rural, it enables people to open zerobalance accounts with any bank in the private or public sector. Simplified procedures facilitate on-the-spot opening of accounts, and camps were set up in 77,000 locations across the country on the inaugural day. The Jan Dhan Yojana, roughly translated as ‘Wealth to the People Plan’, has set a target of 7.5 crore bank accounts by January 2016. Each account holder will get a RuPay debit card and access to basic mobile banking. The scheme is aimed at loosening the grip of loan sharks on vulnerable sections of society, and raising the economic health of the nation.

Now, swipe a multi-currency card

It’s Happening Now Flood havoc in the Himalayas The state of Jammu and Kashmir was hit by the worst floods in living memory, affecting thousands upon thousands of people. The death toll has been staggering, large numbers of people have lost their livelihoods, and the devastation is still being assessed as this magazine goes to print. Over 2.3 lakh people have been rescued in the ongoing operations. Public and private agencies, armed forces and Good Samaritans have come together to do whatever they can to provide relief to the victims. But as the flood waters recede, fear of water-borne epidemics is now gripping the state. Food, water, blankets, clothes and medicines are being supplied to the needy on a war footing, but a lot more needs to be done. You can donate in cash or kind through various organisations. http://www.giveindia.org/t-jammu-kashmir-flood-victim-relief.aspx and http://www.oxfamindia.org/kashmirfloods are two websites that could point you towards making meaningful donations.

The State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced India’s first multi-currency international card, which allows payment to be made in multiple currencies. Initially, the pre-paid card will support payments in the US Dollar, Euro, Great Britain Pound and Singapore Dollar. Other currencies will be added in due course. The facility has been launched in tandem with MasterCard. The multi-currency card, which permits users to load the foreign currencies at select SBI branches in four major cities, is expected to benefit people travelling outside India for business, studies and tourism. MasterCard’s network of about 36 million merchant establishments and 1.9 million ATMs globally adds weight to the product.

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End of an Era

This and That

Rest in peace, Guruji

Anytime water

B.K.S. Iyengar, founder of the Iyengar School of Yoga, and guru of celebrities and commoners from the Orient to the Occident, slipped away from this world on August 20. Active almost till the end through his yoga school, the 95-year-old was the recipient of the coveted Padma Vibhushan, one of India’s highest civilian awards. He was ranked among the world’s leading yoga teachers and had written many books on the subject. He has been credited with spreading the practice of yoga to about 60 countries, and has been hailed as a modern rishi. His techniques came to be known as ‘Iyengar Yoga’. Pick up a copy of ‘Light on Yoga’ or ‘Light on Pranayama’ for insights into India’s ancient wellness routine.

A chapter closes India’s literary scene has been diminished by the passing of U.R. Ananthamurthy – acclaimed writer, critic, academician, intellectual and public figure. Winner of India’s highest literary honour, the Jnanpith Award, as well as the Padma Bhushan, Dr. Ananthamurthy was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker International Prize in 2013 for his overall contribution to fiction. He was a visiting professor at many renowned Indian and foreign universities, including the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and University of Iowa. His works, in Kannada, have been translated into several Indian and European languages. Watch ‘Samskara’, the path-breaking Kannada movie based on Dr. Ananthamurthy’s debut novel of the same name. It won the National Film Award for the Best Feature Film in 1970, among other accolades.

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Water is a precious commodity – especially in the desert state of Rajasthan. Here, walking many miles under an unforgiving sun to fetch as many pots of water as can be balanced on head and hip has been a part of the daily chores of village women for centuries. But technology is changing tradition. Scottish energy major Cairn India, the Rajasthan Government’s Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Tata Projects and village-level elected bodies have joined hands to set up ATM-type kiosks with reverse osmosis plants to provide potable water at the swipe of a card in several selected villages. A mere five rupees will buy 20 litres of water, and it is available 24X7. Under the aptly titled ‘Jeevan Amrit’ or ‘nectar of life’ project, some 22,000 people have been benefitted. At present, 17 such water kiosks are running and more are expected to be added. The villagers are provided re-chargeable cards with an initial value of Rs. 150.

Nalanda rises from the ashes Nalanda was a name synonymous with learning for around 800 continuous years, from the 5th to the 12th centuries AD. The ancient University in present-day Bihar attracted thousands of students from many parts of the world. The completely residential campus had as many as 2,000 teachers and was known for its aim of seeking and imparting holistic knowledge. Now, 800 years after the sprawling campus was razed by invaders, the University has risen like a phoenix. Classes began on the first day of September, with 15 students and eight faculty members in the disciplines of Historical Sciences and Environment and Ecology. More students and faculty are expected to be enrolled in the near future. Over 1,000 applications have been received from around the world. The campus is located in Rajgir, just 12 km from the site of the original University. The re-born university will also be fully residential, and will have seven schools in science, philosophy and spirituality and social sciences, on completion. Q: Only three major universities existed in the West before Nalanda ceased operating in the 12th century. Can you name them? A: Al Azhar in Cairo, Bologna in Italy and Oxford in England.

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India writes

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Losing Amma, Finding Home: A Memoir about Love, Loss and Life’s Detours by Uma Girish

Reviewed by Yamini Vasudevan Barely a month after she moves to the United States with her husband and teenage daughter, Uma Girish receives news that her mother has been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. This, when her daughter has just started high school in a new country, her husband is kept away from home on account of work-related travel, and Uma is straddling the challenges of setting up house in a new country. The stress of juggling domestic tasks and an upcoming trip to hometown Chennai are dwarfed by the overwhelming sense of fear of the toll the disease would take on her mother – and Uma herself.

The trip to India is filled with bittersweet moments – there is a point when estranged siblings rally together in the face of their mother’s illness; her mother is put on chemotherapy; Uma finds solace in returning to the cocoon of maternal affection and familiar surrounds; there are trips to temples and several desperate prayers uttered. All through, Uma grapples with the unsaid threat of losing her mother forever. When her mother is forced to shave her head due to the extreme hair loss from chemotherapy, Uma battles with her own sadness and the intense negative social connotations that the act involves. When Uma returns to the United States, it is with the knowledge that it may be their last goodbye but hope that it might not be true. Less than a year later, Uma receives news that her mother has passed away. She is sucked into a whirlpool of grief – which is exacerbated by her father’s decline, siblings’ disagreements and her own guilt at not being able to care sufficiently for her husband and daughter. Back in the United States after attending her mother’s funeral, she takes up a part-time position with a retirement home. The job helps divert her attention and the relationships she forges with the elderly helps Uma come to terms with her own grief. On a parallel level, she finds herself grappling with some larger, spiritual questions – about life, purpose and what comes after death – all of which shape her decision to become a grief guide and bereavement volunteer. While Uma Girish’s account focuses heavily on her own experience, it sheds light on domestic and cultural factors that influence how a person reacts to, and comes to terms with, difficult life situations. The narrative makes one feel as if he/she is alongside Uma, a silent witness to one of the most meaningful episodes of her life. And that is the most endearing feature of this book – which will keep the reader coming back till the end. Who Is It By? Uma Girish is a grief guide, certified dream coach, author, speaker and bereavement volunteer at a hospice. Her writing has been published in seven countries and several of her short stories have won awards. She lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter. Visit her website at www.umagirish.com 1

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October 2014

Ten for the Road by Susan Philip

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Haryana

1 Explore the 29 states of this fascinating sub continent. This segment will set out a collection of interesting, bite-size facts from each state – this month, we look at haryana 1.

How the Land Lies: This land-locked state in northern

Political Pressures: One reason for the state’s creation

Past Glories: The region is the site of the legendary battle

India is very important strategically, as it cups national capital Delhi on three sides. A large part of the state falls under the National Capital Region (NCR), and enjoys all the attendant advantages. Haryana shares its capital, Chandigarh, with the neighbouring state of Punjab. was the desire for an identity separate from Punjabi speakers. Haryanvi, with dialectical variations, is the official language of Haryana. When the state was created in 1966, Haryana was willing to have any language other than Punjabi as a second official language – and the choice fell inexplicably on Tamil, a language from the South. It was only four years ago that Punjabi was given ‘second language’ status. of Kurukshetra, the culmination of the epic Mahabharata. It was here that Lord Krishna is believed to have given invaluable advice to Prince Arjuna, which is immortalised in the Bhagavad Gita. History also records three epic battles at Panipat in the region – between the 16th and 18th centuries – that changed the course of Indian history.

4. Business Hub: Haryana’s Gurgaon district, a major

industrial hub, is also home to Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s leading passenger car manufacturer, and Honda – the world’s largest manufacturer of two-wheelers. It is also a sought-after destination for the IT sector.

Culture Quotient: The raagni, a type of poetry, is

Personality Plus: Sportspersons from Haryana have done

Sights to See: A visit to the Sri Krishna Museum at

Tasty Treats: Like its culture, Haryana’s cuisine is not

Crafted with Care: No one who is interested in handicrafts can afford to miss the Surajkund Crafts Mela. An annual event held every February, the Mela brings together craftsmen from across the length and breadth of the country.

indigenous to this region, as is swang, a form of folk art integrating music and folktales. Pt. Lakhmi Chand, an exponent of raagni, is known as the ‘Shakespeare of Haryana’.

India proud. Many of the medalists at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games were from this state. But most famous is the ‘Haryana Hurricane’ – Kapil Dev, the swashbuckling all-round cricketer.

Kurukshetra is a must. Feast your eyes on the works of a galaxy of Indian artists, both modern and from the past, which are displayed here. widely different from that of neighbouring States, but it does lay claim to something unique – the chyawanprash – an ayurvedic tonic and immunity builder. It is believed that Sage Chyawan perfected the formulation at his ashram in Haryana’s Dhosi Hills.

10. Worshipfully Yours: The Mata Mansa Devi temple

complex, dedicated to a form of Shakti, the Mother Goddess, is spread over 100 acres at the foothills of the Shivalik Mountain range. Navrathri – the nine nights dedicated to the Goddess – is an especially auspicious time to visit. 1

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October 2014

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In your Kitchen by Harini Sankaranarayanan

Recipes sans Borders

1 A reflection of their movement from Pakistan to India, The food of the sindhis is a mix of Muslim and Hindu influences, which come together in a delicately spiced blend

Photo: www.shobskitchen.blogspot.in

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Bhuno Ghosht Ingredients ¼ kg Mutton chops Water (in sufficient quantity to cook the mutton) 1 tbsp Wheat flour mixed with 3 tbsp of water 1 tsp Pepper powder 1-inch piece Ginger (finely chopped) 5–6 Green cardamoms 2 tsp Coriander powder 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves 4 tbsp Oil Salt (to taste) Directions Powder the cardamoms, keep the skins. Finely chop the ginger. Fry the cardamom and ginger until golden brown. Add the mutton chops and salt and continue to fry. When the water from the mutton dries up, add the pepper and coriander powders. Fry for a few more minutes, then add water (as needed) to cook the mutton. When the mutton is tender, add the wheat flour-water mixture to help thicken the gravy. When the gravy is ready, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

The Sindhis are basically from Sindh region in modern-day Pakistan,” explains Priya Manian, a Design Facilitator based in Bengaluru. “The Hindu Sindhis moved to India during the Partition and, as such, you can see a great deal of Sufi influence in their thinking.” The evolution of the cultural identity of the Sindhis makes for interesting reading. As they moved to various parts of India, the Sindhis assimilated the culture of those regions. Merchants by profession, it profited them to become a part of the social group that was prevalent where they decided to settle. For an ethnic group who came in as refugees, they soon became a very important community and began to exert their influence in all spheres. Sindhi food too, like the people, shows influences of their roots – which extends as far as Baluchistan – alongside flavours incorporated from their newfound home. Food was always seasonal and fresh, making use of all available local ingredients. The spices or masalas were used whole, without the tiresome work of grinding them into a paste – the use of whole spices gives the food a unique flavour. Some of the basic spices that Sindhis use are turmeric and coriander powder, to which whole spices like cardamom and cinnamon are added. Dried mango powder lends food that special tang. A traditional breakfast would start with porridge made with jowar (sorghum) or a dhal pakwan – a hearty dish of lentils and fried bread. Lunch would be more elaborate with rice and roti (sometimes a koki – a spiced speciality bread that can also be had as a

October 2014

snack), a meat dish, a vegetable dish, dhal and something crispy and fried. Sai baaji, a popular spinach dish, and the sindhi kadhi, a yoghurt-based dish, are firm favourites. “We also love lotus root and mushrooms,” says Priya. These are cooked in a multitude of different ways. There is very little seafood in their diet, which can easily be explained by the fact that they mainly lived inland. Mutton and chicken, however, make frequent appearances in the menu. It is interesting to note that Muslim influence can be found in the halal meat, but beef is avoided because of a touch of Hindu sentiment. Among the more popular sweet dishes is the mitho lolo, a sweetened flatbread, or a kheer made from vermicelli and dates cooked down with milk. Tosha, fried dough dipped in sugar syrup, is another favourite. Of course, no Sindhi meal is complete without the Sindhi papad and pickle. “Anybody visiting a Sindhi household will definitely be offered sherbet, a cool drink made from local flowers and sandalwood,” says Priya as she talks about the Sindhi way of hospitality. “We love our food. My favourite is still the koki and breakfast of dhal pakwan.” For those who don’t have any Sindhi friends to wangle an invitation from, here is a recipe from her collection. 1

Feature by Suzanne McNeill

The Fount of Tradition

Photo: Cara Louwman de Bruin, The Netherlands

1 Water represents the essence of Indian spiritual thought â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as the giver of life, the medium of purification and a channel to the after-life

Water plays a tremendous part in Indian tradition and ritual. This role stems from Hinduismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ancient creation stories and religious scriptures, where the rivers that flowed with this vital element were hymned as life-giving and nourishing. Rivers became personified as goddesses and are worshipped as purifiers. Later religions such as Islam and

October 2014

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Photo: Claude Bahout

Sikhism also place water at the heart of their spiritual and cultural practices, drawing heavily on the idea of ceremonial acts of washing, and cleanliness before God.

Myths Related to Rivers … she was awesome, she was magical, and her nearness made the body feel so light it seemed the soul could soar out and be free … When they bathed they felt cleansed; not just bodily but in spirit. – The Ganga, Ch 13, The Ramayana* Most compelling of the myths related to water is that of the Goddess Ganga – the deity whose river, the Ganges, is India’s second longest. The Ganges rises in the Western Himalayas – the abode of the gods, starting at a confluence of rivers formed by snowmelt and glaciers and emerges, turquoise-blue, from the mountains at Rishikesh before arching through the northern plains of India and emptying into the Bay of Bengal in present-day Bangladesh. The Ganges was originally a heavenly river, a goddess who “flowed in heaven as a river of light and purified anything she touched”. Her presence on earth was implored by the prayers of King Bhagiratha in order to purify the ashes of his ancestors, who had been burnt to death by the anger of a sage whose devotional prayers they had violated. Ganga was furious at the summons, and began to crash down to earth,

threatening to shatter and crush everything in her path – even the very earth itself – but her turbulence was halted by Lord Siva, whose head bore the fall of the Goddess, trapping her deluge in his matted hair. Chastened, Ganga was released onto the earth to where the remains of Bhagiratha’s ancestors lay. “… he saw his ancestors rise from the ashes in sudden spirit fire, their astral bodies purified, their long ordeal ended … they rose into heaven.” The Yamuna, flowing from the north of Haridwar through Delhi and Agra, before meeting the Ganges at Allahabad, is India’s other great sacred river. The Yamuna is closely associated with legends of Lord Krishna, who, as a newborn, was carried to safety across her waters to escape his murderous uncle. As a boy, he played and swam in the river. Her glittering banks, beautiful gardens and milk-like waters are praised in a 16th century Sanskrit hymn, Yamunashtakam, as having divine qualities – and the blessings conveyed by her waters are said to wash the body and soul. India’s third ancient river is the Sarasvati. The Rig Veda, the oldest of the Hinduism’s sacred books, lauds and celebrates the Sarasvati and is said to have been composed on her banks, but the river has long vanished amidst the sands of the Thar Desert. *Taken from Ramesh Menon’s translation of ‘The Ramayana’ (First North Point Press, 2004). All quotes about the Ganga are from this book.

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Notions of pollution and purity are central to Hinduism. Purity has physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions, and lays down many obligations of ablution on the devotee. Numerous rites of passage are marked by water rituals and ceremonies. Consecrated water is sprinkled onto the body of a newborn child by a relative of good character in one ceremony, and the naming ceremony, namakarana, begins with the mother wetting the head of her baby to symbolise purification. A ceremonial bath will mark the onset of puberty in a young girl. Hindu weddings are full of small but immensely significant rituals that make up the larger ceremony. These include a rite called abhishek, in which the couple are sprinkled with water. Another is the emotional ritual of kanya daan, when the father hands over his daughter to the groom, which may be initiated by the father pouring sacred water into the bride’s hand before placing her hand in her husband’s. All these rites combine to seek purification and blessing from the elements on the most important day of the couple’s lives. Upon death, the body of the deceased is given one final bath, but Hindu belief has it that family members also require saving from the pollution that comes with the process of their kinsman’s death; they will remain polluted until the soul completes its journey to the next world and must be purified through ritual. After visiting a house where a death has recently occurred, Hindus are expected to take a bath. Bathing is an essential part of Hinduism’s purification rituals, but none more so than bathing in the rivers considered holy, particularly the Ganges. Her water is believed to be always pure, and purifying. Along her course, devotees bathe in the river waters, and pay homage to their ancestors and the gods by cupping the water in their hands, lifting it and letting it fall back into the river. They offer diyas (clay lamps), small bowls adorned with flowers and incense and set them afloat on the river in memory of loved ones, and pilgrims take flasks of Ganges water home with them. This is the most sanctified of the waters used in the domestic rituals described herewith, and particularly when used in the last rites. When a loved one dies, Hindus bring the ashes of the deceased person to the Ganges. Since Ganga had descended from heaven to earth, she is also the vehicle of ascent from earth to heaven. However, Hinduism is not alone in assuming a degree of impurity or corruption in its adherents that must be cleansed, particularly before or during a religious ritual, nor is it alone in using water as both a literal and symbolic act of cleansing.

Photo: Catherine Harte

Purification Rituals and Ablutions

October 2014

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Photo: Julie Chitty

Photo: Carles Berruezo Domingo

The Prophet Mohammed taught his companions to wash before praying: O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles … Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favour upon you that you may be grateful. – Sura 5:6, The Holy Qur’an Thus, the preparations are laid down – first the right hand is washed to the wrist in cold water, then the left. Next the mouth and throat, the face, the arms and the neck. Finally the devotee must wash his feet up to the ankles, the right first, then the left. This act of cleansing is called wudu, and purifies the person in order to make him or her fit to stand before God. Purification with water is a typical element of religious ritual across the country. Sikhs hold a ceremony of initiation or baptism with holy water called amrit (nectar) for those of an age to understand the commitment they are making. The ceremony is one of spiritual rebirth, and is a promise to lead a pure and pious life within the order of Khalsa, the collective body of Sikhs. Initiates must first bathe and wash their hair, and, as part of the ceremony, five handfuls of amrit are given to them to drink, five are sprinkled over the hair and another five are sprinkled into the eyes of each of the devotees. The faith’s central religious text, the Guru Granth Sahib, unites the idea of amrit with doctrine: The words and the teachings of the holy saints are ambrosial nectar. Whoever meditates on the God’s Name attains salvation. Chant the Name of God for every possible second. The pains and sufferings of today’s world are eradicated when the One Name abides within the mind. – Verse 744, Guru Granth Sahib The daily, private devotions of a Sikh should include a bath on rising at dawn, which symbolises the washing of the soul in God Himself.

Festivals of Water and Cleansing River banks and confluences of rivers (called sangam) are considered sacred places that provide a meeting point between heaven and earth and religious festivals held in such places attract millions of pilgrims each year. The most famous is the Kumbh Mela, possibly the largest gathering of people on earth, which is celebrated four times every 12 years. The site of the Mela rotates between four places of pilgrimage: Haridwar on the Ganges, Ujjain on the Shipra, Nasik on the Godavari and, most auspiciously, at Allahabad at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers with the longlost Sarasvati, called the Triveni Sangam. A famous story tells of a cosmic struggle between the gods and demons during which drops of holy nectar fell to these four earthly sites; the rivers are believed to turn back to nectar at the climax of the festival. Devotees thus have the opportunity to bathe in the essence of purity, auspiciousness and immortality. The prominent towns and religious sites along the banks of southern India’s Kaveri River, which rises in the Western Ghats and flows eastwards across the Deccan plateau to the

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October 2014

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Photo: Isaa Sayegh Sandrine

Photo: Enric Donate Sanchez, Spain

Bay of Bengal, host celebrations each year marking the 18th day of the Tamil month of aadi. Women perform pujas to the river goddess and bathe at the ghats. Kaveri was the daughter of a renowned sage. She desired happiness for her father and a blessed land for the people, and prayed to Brahma that she might be turned into a river and flow through the country, pouring her blessings on her community and turning the land green and fertile. It is believed that Vishnu’s blessing conferred such sanctity upon Kaveri that even the Ganges is said to come underground, once a year, to the Kaveri to cleanse herself.

use during rites of consecration. During a temple’s festive season, the idol of the presiding deity may be floated around the tank on a decorated raft. Temple waters might also be used to perform the daily abhisheka of the temple’s idol. Abhisheka is a Sanskrit term that spoke of consecrating a king, part of the Brahmanic ritual of initiation, but now refers to a devotional activity. Here, it is used for the ritual when a priest pours a liquid offering on the image of the deity and is usually a prelude to religious rites. In contrast, the religious festivals of Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja end with the enormous spectacle of the idol paraded through the streets in great processions, accompanied by much singing and dancing, and taken to the sea or to the river to be immersed. Here the statues dissolve in the water, back into the earth, symbolising that everything in life is impermanent except the divine self within. 1

Temple Tanks and Rituals Man-made bodies of water such as the tanks or wells built as part of a temple or mosque complex are revered no less than the place of worship itself. The tanks serve many purposes: they are vital for water storage, particularly in the arid states of the northwest or areas such as the Deccan peninsula where the rivers are not snow-fed, and have a role (not always understood by later engineers) in recharging underground aquifers. Some were built several stories underground, with long staircases, to reach the water table, transforming into a huge cistern during the rainy season. The steps have an aesthetic value, and can be used for community recreation and gathering. But like the natural water bodies, their vital role is for ritual cleansing before prayer, and for

More Information:

The next Kumbh Mela will be held at Nasik on the banks of the river Godavari from August to September 2015.

Here is a link to a blog with descriptions and photographs of India’s heritage of step-wells, many now forgotten: http://tinyurl.com/stepwells.

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October 2014

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Photo: Diana Grieger, Germany

Cultural Lens by Ranjini Manian

The Long and Short of It 1 Finding a common ground with a person from another culture is not as difficult as it seems â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all you need to do is keep your ears open.

One cultural stereotype about Indians is that we talk a lot. Put complete strangers together on a train and by the end of the journey, they are swapping notes on everything from the state of the country to the state of their digestion. But translate that to a business situation, or worse, an international business situation, and the results are not quite so happy. You are usually talking to someone whose language skills are different from yours. She/he may not have English as a first language and even if she/he does, may speak English quite differently. Everything, including diction and speed, is dissimilar.

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Be aware of the limits involved in conversation. Never swear or be rude. Even if the other person does, do not respond in kind. If it is a business meeting, keep the conversation focused on the agenda after initial greetings. Don't talk about the flat tyre you had that morning or grumble about your constant migraines, unless your relationship with the person is slightly more personal. But keep even that to after your meeting is done. In a social setting related to business you have more leeway. But remember, certain topics are taboo – sex, income and even potentially controversial topics like religion and politics. Listen very carefully. If you are a good listener, you ultimately cannot fail in any conversation. Note everything that is said and mentally underline anything that you want

October 2014

to discuss further. After the person has finished speaking, ask your question. You will not only come across as intelligent and on the ball, but in a social setting, people will be flattered that you really listened. Remember body language. Maintain eye contact at all times. Don't look over his/her shoulder, never look at your watch and do not fiddle with keys or shuffle while listening. Smile. People can hear a smile even on the telephone. Make polite sounds that show you are listening, like “hmm” or “yes” so the person on the other end of the line knows you are still with him or her. Be positive. Don't criticise, complain or condemn but be visibly enthusiastic about the conversation you are having. Often nod your head and say “yes”. If you need to disagree, there are non-confrontational, graceful ways to do this. Be simple and brief. A British manager told me how he learnt to readjust his linguistic practices while in India. Wanting a photocopy of a document when his secretary was out for lunch, he called in the office assistant to help. “Do you have a lot to do now, or would you mind terribly making me a copy, Raja?” (18 words) he asked of Raja, the office assistant. Raja looked blank. “Again sir, please,” Raja said tentatively. “Oh I’m sorry. I just asked if it would be okay for you to please make a copy of the meeting notes?” (22 words) the manager repeated. “Why sorry, sir? Nothing wrong!” Raja exclaimed in horror, latching on to the word “sorry”. “No, no, nothing wrong, I just wanted a copy. But don’t bother. Let Mary (the secretary) come back from her lunch.” “Madam Mary gone lunch, Sir. I here help sir,” smiled Raja. “Yes - one copy please.” (4 words and a wave of the paper) “Oh Sir want copy?” “Yes, that is what I was wondering.” “Sir?” “Copy, Please.” “Copy wanting?” “Yes, copy. Please.” (3 words) – and off Raja dashed down the corridor to come back in a jiffy with the copy in his hand! Three words did the trick without entirely sacrificing the British need for politeness. 1 This is an edited version of an article that was published in The Hindu Business Line, September 18, 2006. Read the full article at http://tinyurl.com/p7c4mwk

October 2014

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Look Who’s In Town Bengaluru

Hit the Ground Running 1 Karin Callin races us across Bengaluru’s parks and open spaces to show us the best way to stay fit and fine

For Karin Callin from Sweden, first impressions may not be the best when it concerns her India experience. Bengaluru was very “different from home”, but, a year later, she has a lot more happening in her new home. Now, the Competence Development Manager has fantastic friends and is making the best of her life in the Garden City. A fitness enthusiast, she finds the city’s green spaces a haven for various outdoor sports. However, Karin has also had a share of laughs. Once, “when I was out jogging, a man stopped me and said, ‘Madam, why do you run when you have a car?’”

The Speedy Swede Fitness is a lifestyle for me, as it is for most Swedes. Everyone in Sweden, more or less, is into gym training, jogging, sports and group training. You will find a lot of people jogging out in the streets and in the forests. Here in India, I do not see many women following fitness routines, apart from yoga. I love trail running in Sweden, but it is impossible to do that here. On the other hand, I started to play squash, which is new to me.

Walk the Talk You must try yoga. There are many different types – find one that suits your needs. Get a coach – for squash, gym training or tennis. It will help you improve and it is definitely worth the money!

Power walking! Take a fast walk together with friends early morning before breakfast and see how the city wakes up. Use the camera in your cell phone and you will get many funny pictures!

Tips to stay fit The best fitness experience is the one that you are most comfortable with. In summer, do your work out in the morning before it gets too hot. And drink plenty of water! Find a partner with whom you can workout – you can help pep each other up.

When in Sweden Sweden is a very peaceful country with almost no dangerous animals, so you can enjoy nature’s silence and good views. Make sure you wear several layers of clothes in winter, as it can get really cold. Use reflectors when you are outside – it is quite dark outside year-round and this is a cheap and easy lifeguard. Check out group training classes at a gym. If you get homesick, you can even find yoga and ‘Bollywood’ classes. Try trail running or power walks in the forest – there are specific paths you can follow in several places. If possible, try winter sports, such as skating, cross-country skiing and slalom. 1

culturama

October 2014

Global Wellness Series

Plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, cranio-facial surgery, micro surgery. Cosmetic surgery is a kind of plastic surgery that deals with the aesthetic reconstruction of parts of the body. The science is an ancient one that dates back to the 6th century BC, when Indian physician Sushruta practiced it. He made important contributions to the field of plastic surgery, which was later translated into Arabic language. Modern surgeons offer an entire gamut of services, with personalised care in a holistic environment. Reconstruction of breasts, nose and a special expertise in facial aesthetics are some of the special interest among the surgeons here. Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body and to improve the patient's appearance as well as self-esteem. Some examples of cosmetic procedures are breast augmentation (implants), liposuction, facelifts, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), and rhinoplasty (nose surgery).

Cosmetic surgery 1 Dr. V.B. Narayana Murthy, Senior Consultant Plastic Surgeon talks about the different types of Cosmetic surgery.

Reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body, caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease. It is generally performed to improve functions, but may also be done to approximate a normal appearance. 1

October 2014

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Look who’s in town Chennai

Tuk-tuk-ing in Chennai

1 We follow Nina Conrad around Chennai in a tuk-tuk (AUTO) and on a train, through the streets of this southern city to find her favourite entertainment spots

When Nina Conrad’s friends visited her in Chennai, they were in for a surprise. Nina, a German, took them around the southern metro – which she had discovered over the last year – with surprising ease and seeming expertise. The experience left her visitors enthralled with the city’s sights. “We took a train from the nearest station to Chennai Central, from where we used the tuk-tuk or auto rickshaws to go to Parry’s Corner. We walked for hours through the narrow streets, looking at the flowers and doing some shopping. After taking in some of India at its purest, we went back home.” While Nina misses the barbeque parties, Christmas theatre, sports and get-togethers in Germany, she has discovered what’s on offer in Chennai for leisure and entertainment.

At a Leisurely Pace Hotels like the Leela Palace and Park Hyatt are great places to go for lunch or dinner; they also have bars where you can catch up with friends. We often go out as a family (with the kids) for Sunday brunches at hotels. We also visit the Crocodile farm on ECR – which is often combined with a break at Fisherman’s Cove. There is a quad-bike renting place on ECR – definitely fun, but it can be a bit expensive, so we cannot indulge in it often. The city’s malls, especially Phoenix Marketplace and Express Avenue are fun to visit;

we often catch a movie at the cinema theatres there. For a day-long trip with the family, try the entertainment parks such as Dizzy World. You could also check out the child-friendly hotel pools in different parts of the city – tell your friends in advance and plan for a fun outing!

When in Germany Indians should definitely visit the ‘beer gardens’ and visit the old parts of the city during summer. During the rainy or winter season, there are several museums, theatres and exhibitions you can visit. 1

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October 2014

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October 2014

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At Global Adjustments Expatriate Photo Competition 2014

CULTURE & FESTIVALS

Photo Juan Pablo, Mexico

INTO INDIA There is always a point when the ‘other’ becomes ‘one of us’. In India, where the reigning sentiment is one of ‘athithi devo bhava’ (the guest is equal to God), visitors become guests and then friends with ease.

Colours, lights and music – these are just some elements associated with celebrations in India. Given that there is at least one festival every month (sometimes, a whole lot!), there is always reason to deck yourself up and join in the fun.

FACES

Photo Christèle Gauthier, France

Photo Diana Grieger, Germany

A click in time! 1 For the last 16 years, Global Adjustments has been organising its Annual Beautiful India Expatriate Photo Competition – a time when this wonderful land is seen through the eyes of the visitors, when facets of life, tradition and culture are seen through the eyes and lens of the outsider. Pick the categories you want to participate in and send in your entries now! (More details on the facing page.)

Famed writer R.K. Narayan, said in Malgudi Days: “The material available to a story writer in India is limitless… the writer has only to look out of the window to pick up a character (and thereby a story).” For those who prefer to condense a thousand words into a single image, the choices are plenty.

PLACES

Photo Ben Bowling, USA

Lush meadows, vast deserts, urban jungles and gurgling waterfalls – India’s landscape abounds with choices and contrasts. Forts, temples, islands, mountains, and scenic backwaters – take your pick.

SPECIAL CATEGORY – GLOBAL CHILDREN Children, with their innocent, wide-eyed view of the world are the best ambassadors of friendship. And what better way to spread the values of peace, love and tolerance than to get the little ones to forge lasting friendships across borders?

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October 2014

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Block printing is still done the traditional way – by hand. Once a layer has dried, another round of printing is done to reinforce the pattern.

Picture Story by Marcel Van Mourik

Block Beauty Wood blocks are made of lime, holly, sycamore, plane or pear wood. A block cutter has to be particularly careful when working on the finer grooves.

Pilkhuwa, a small village in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (nearly 35 km from New Delhi), is known for its block-printed textile products. According to a myth, during colonial rule, a royal elephant named Pil got lost around these parts, and soldiers were searching for it. When the villagers asked them what had happened, the soldiers replied, “Pil khuwa” (short for “Pil kho gaya” or “Pil is lost”). The place was thus called ‘Pilkhuwa’. Today, it is best known for its khadi products – labour-intensive handloom textiles championed by Mahatma Gandhi. Entire families are involved in producing these textiles – from weaving and dyeing to washing, printing and carrying sun-dried bedsheets back from the field. 1

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Lengths of fabric are pre-painted by applying paint on a metal mould. The two men hold the ‘brush’ on either side and spread the paint.

October 2014

Bobbins of yarn rest on a wall – each yarn has its own quality and is recognised by the colour of the bobbin.

A large number of colourful bedsheets are spread out to dry in an open field.

A collection of wood blocks in different size and shapes are kept handy.

The printed fabrics are hung to dry in the sun, before they are dyed or another layer of paint is laid on.

The block-printed patterns are filled in with colour – a leaf, a flower at a time.

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Seeing India by Shefali Ganesh

On Top of the World

1 Take a few steps on the Silk Route, smile at the beatific Maitreya Buddha, horn-shake with a pashmina sheep or take a ride through twisted roads in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;land of the high passesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Seeing India by Shefali Ganesh

Photo: All photos by the author

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At first there was stupendous silence, then gasps of awe and then came the noisy ‘clicks’ of cameras. The Himalayas may 02 have this effect on most people, especially if you seem to be within arm’s reach of the snow on its peaks. The captain announces the landing at Leh airport, to a chilly early morning temperature of 12 degrees Celsius. As we land, we watch the sun and the clouds playing shadow games on the mountains. Coppery-purple shades emerge every minute, each defying our imagination. The excitement is palpable, we are, after all, in the ‘Land of the high passes’ – Ladakh, surrounded by the Karakoram ranges of the great Himalayas in the northern most Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. We arrive at the quaint town of Leh, with a strong feeling of having been transported to Tibet. The town with its flatroofed buildings and latticed wooden windows takes us back to a different era. The link to Tibet is more than an aesthetic one – ‘La-dvag’ in Tibetan, which means ‘high passes’, eventually became ‘Ladakh’. We discover that the Dalai Lama is in Leh to initiate the Buddhist ritual of Kalachakra. Hope of catching a glimpse of him excites us – now, we are really looking forward to our week-long stay. Located at more than 11,000 feet above sea level, Ladakh’s high-altitude atmosphere takes some getting used to. The desert district is locked in on all sides by harsh mountains. Not a terrain you would call ‘welcoming’, but the people of Ladakh, with their warm smiles, more than make up for it. Walking at a slow pace is the best way to explore Leh. ‘Fast’ is definitely not the go-word in this old-world town (the bike riders who roar past with almost hourly precision are an exception). The marketplace in Leh is a riot of assorted goods – Buddhist prayer wheels of all sizes attract souvenir shoppers; tinned Amul butter (it doesn’t melt!) is seen alongside dried fruits; a man sells winter clothing, while a furry dog sniffs at a stall selling hot momos. The commonplace cacophony belies the significance of this market. In the 19th century, it was part of the Silk Route from Central Asia to India; today, a soldier standing guard by a prayer wheel is proof of Ladakh’s importance as a part

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picturesque path up to the monastery. Hemis houses the temple of the revered Buddhist guru Padmasambhava, in whose honour the Festival is celebrated each year. The dance is performed by monks who, after hours of chanting rituals, gambol into the vast courtyard and perform to the theme of good triumphing over evil.

The gompa run

of the national border. We are just about 200 km away from Kargil – the site of an India-Pakistan war in the late 1990s. Apart from serving as a gateway for traders from Central Asia, Ladakh was also part of the route that Buddhism took when it spread to China. The Shanti Stupa at Leh, built by Ladakh and Japan, is a memorial of the peace that this religion brought to the world. Apart from housing the Buddha’s relics, the Stupa’s location is great for those picture perfect shots. When the panorama tires us, we spot a tiny coffee shop below the stupa; here, a cup of gur-gur chai or butter tea revives us and Maggi noodles never tasted better! We see a lot more of Maggi as we go through Ladakh – it even becomes our lunch at the Hemis monastery, where we witness the legendary Hemis Festival mask dance. Gushing rivulets of icy glacial water and wild rose bushes form a

After visiting a series of Ladakh’s monasteries or gompas, you might be forgiven for not being able to differentiate one from the other. However, the Thicksey monastery deserves a special mention for its turquoise-and-gem-studded Maithreya Buddha statue. Maithreya’s beatific face bestows a feeling of calm on the most weary of travelers. The red and gold prayer wheels along the walls of the monastery have the allencompassing mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ on them. The wheels seem to imply that what goes around comes around. The mantra follows us everywhere, through fluttering prayer flags, high up in the mountains, en route to Nubra valley – a long journey through non-existent roads. The only thing that distracts our attention from the steep precipices is the tongue-in-cheek roads signs of Project Himank, an initiative of the Border Roads Organisation or BRO (a classic: ‘After Whisky, Driving Risky’). We are stopped by workers as road work is in progress, and a figure in overalls approaches us for a lift. An engineer with the BRO, Naresh is a cheerful

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companion, and wows us with stories about landslides, glacial road floods and playing ice hockey. This proud ‘mountain tamer’ of Project Himank gives us a hand at making a snowman before waving an energetic goodbye. We stop to gape at the views from Khardung-la pass, which – despite its dubious distinction of being the world’s highest motorable road at 18,380 feet – still pulls in the crowds. The warning sign, ‘Stopping for more than 20 minutes is dangerous to one’s health’ doesn’t deter us from taking our time to enjoy the snow-clad scene, take photos and enjoy cardamom tea and thupka (noodles in clear soup). We cross the Khardung-la pass and enter Nubra valley, formed by the river Shyok. The valley is an amazing expanse of rocky landscapes coupled with seemingly accidental meadows, and out-of-the-blue sand dunes. Here, the Diskit Monastery beckons us with its tall Maitreya Buddha. We read that the monks built their monasteries on steep hills to guard against marauding dacoits. Our visit to Nubra is complete after a bumpy ride across the dunes on doublehumped Bactrian camels and a look at the hot springs of Panamik village.

A Hop Away from China We triumph at having survived the Khardung-la, not knowing that the worst roads are not really behind us. Our trip to Pangong Tso Lake crosses maybe a dozen mountains, icy rivers, the Chang La pass and the greenest of meadows.

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True to Project Himank’s warning, ‘Expect the unexpected’, as we turn a deathly bend, we see a black shape looming ahead. Our driver stops and asks me nonchalantly if I want to take a picture with the angry looking yak ahead! I am told to avoid looking directly into the animal’s eye, pose carefully and quickly run back to the vehicle. Picture taken, I have barely settled back to nature-watching when I see the tiny heads of marmots (a distant cousin of the squirrel) popping out from the ground. Alongside a stream were pashmina sheep, one of which nearly follows us to our vehicle. Not wanting to be rude, I say “hello”, and the sheep is happy enough to let me do a horn shake! We finally spot the bright blue of the Pangong Tso Lake – of which only 40 percent lies in Indian territory. In other words, we are just a hop, skip and jump away from China. The lake’s pristine blue waters reflect the coppery shades of the mountains and the white billowing clouds. A couple of swans do a graceful salsa across the crystal clear waters; we almost clap and ask for an encore. Commending ourselves on being bravehearts to have twisted our way across so many mountains in a mere week, we return to Leh to shop for souvenirs. Ladakh is now a jubilant tick off my bucket list – and I have a T-shirt that says so. It is as if the mountain air releases an elixir that makes one footloose in joy for a long time to come – maybe signs of more Himalayan adventures. 1

Did you know?

India’s national ice hockey team is from Ladakh.

The Leh Palace is modelled after Tibet’s Potala Palace, the original home of the present Dalai Lama (The movie Seven years in Tibet is based on the story of the Dalai Lama).

Read Tso and La - A Journey in Ladakh by Vikramjit Ram for a glimpse into this magical land.

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IN T HIS MAGAZINE

October 2014

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Photo: Enrice Donate SĂ nchez

The Lighter Side by Marina Marangos

Comedy of

Er rors

1 Learning a new language can be a daunting task â&#x20AC;&#x201C; add in the challenge of accents, and you could end up with a barrel of laughs!

culturama

As expats living in India, we pick up some of the strange use of the English language that occurs in newspapers, in the spoken word and even take great delight if we find a hilarious road sign or a shop front. To be honest, we laugh at how some Indians use the English language. And stop squirming as you read this – because it is true, and we are all guilty of it – but there is also something rather splendid about how careful they are with the language and its idioms, which makes it special. Long may it last. ‘Entering from backside’ springs to mind as one of my favourites; ‘Horn pelese’; the ‘Hole Sale Paper merchant’; the sign painted on a rock ‘Be Mr Late, better than late Mr.’ and countless others. So today I want to talk to you about the other side – about expats speaking an ‘Indian’ language. Well, one of them at least. If you live here, you are probably aware how massive this country really is and that it doesn’t have only one language but… wait for it… 33! Yes, there are 33 distinct languages in India and a lot of Indians do not just speak ‘Indian’ – any more than the Chinese speak ‘Chinese’. Most Indians will speak several languages, usually the language of their parents, of their state (it can be different), of neighbouring states if they need to be understood, the government lingo, the Bollywood and business lingo. I have met Indians who speak six or seven languages and this is not because they are all learned and clever – although most of them are – it is simply the way their country is structured and this is what is expected of them. My gardener speaks two languages, my housekeeper three. Just to highlight the better known ones, there is Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Rajastani, Assamese, Sindhi, Nepali, Telugu, Tamil, Sinhalese, Kannada and Malayalam – to name but a few! So I thought it was important, especially if we were going to live in India for many years, to learn to speak at least one of the languages and the one I chose was Hindi – so I found a language teacher and got a small group of willing women around to participate in these lessons with me. The aim of the game was to learn properly but also have a firm understanding of the basics to enable us to order our vegetables, seek out directions and call for the doctor. We got off to a flying start. I was so excited to learn the vowels and finally be able to read my housekeeper’s name in script. Every week, we had homework. I tried to learn my words and sounds carefully and we progressed on to the consonants and then the double consonants. At this juncture I started getting a little behind and, tried as I might, I could not remember all the conjoint consonants and perhaps regularly emitted the wrong sound, let alone drawing the wrong line between the letters which, unbeknown to me,

October 2014

PhotoS: Marina Marangos, Greece

changed the meaning of what I was writing with some hilarious consequences. I truly did my best and I guess I picked up a fair amount, though, to be fair to our teacher (who was a purist), he was more concerned about teaching us the beauty of the language and its Sanskrit routes rather than how to haggle the price of some strange-looking prickly cucumbers. One night my husband and I were out at an official dinner – he was networking and I was quietly eating my dinner. I finished and as one of the many waiters that were around approached to take away my plate I turned to him and said in my best Hindi, “Pani, please”. He looked a little perplexed but then a broad smile came over his face and he disappeared. So I waited for his return but it seemed to take a while. A long while. Finally I saw him coming towards me – and there, on a silver tray, was a breakfast pot of honey. Well, as you can well imagine, I was completely flummoxed by this offering. And then the little light bulb inside my head went off. I said pani but he heard ‘honey’! And so the last laugh is with all those excellent Hindi speakers out there who get it in a way, which I guess I never will. I get top marks for trying though, wouldn’t you say? 1

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culturama

October Calendar of events

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

Art & Exhibitions

Solo Art Show Delhi

Exhibition of Paintings Chennai

Art Alive Gallery presents a collection of works from the private studio of sculptor and installation artist, Narayan Chandra Sinha. The show, titled ‘Debi’, stands between crafts and fine arts. The show reflects an intelligent use of discarded materials – by putting them together to tell a story about culture and tradition. The artist experiments with automobile parts, metal scrap, utensils and more.

Artists P.G. Dinesh and Pravin Sawarkar will exhibit their collection of paintings. The show is titled ‘Pop Culture: Forest Fantasy’. Artist P.G. Dinesh explores the urban culture in a tongue-in-cheek manner, using various elements of popular culture and urban kitsch. Pravin Sawarkar, on the other hand, leads one into a dream-like space of naïve fantasy with almost fairy tale hues. Call +91 44-28332226 for more details.

Date: October 7 to November 15 Venue: Art Alive Gallery, S-11, Panchsheel Park Time: 1100h to 1900h

Date: October 1 to November 25 Venue: Apparao Galleries @ Sandy’s, Ganapathy Colony, Teynampet and Wallace Garden, Nungambakkam

Exclusive Art Show Chennai Heartbeat Foundation, an NGO, and Gallery Sri Parvati will present an exclusive show by artist Udaikumar. The show will feature 50 works of art, and will support the artist, who suffers from muscular dystrophy. Proceeds from the sale of paintings will go towards the artist’s medical needs. Date: October 24 to 29 Venue: Gallery Sri Parvati, Eldams Road, Chennai

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October 2014

Events

Clarinet and Piano Recital Delhi

Kancheepuram Textile Trail Chennai

Saxophonist and clarinetist Peter Horvath and pianist Beata Gincsai will perform together in Delhi. Peter Horvath is a member of the Zuglo Philharmonic Orchestra, while Beata is a prodigy who began to play the piano at age six. The two artists have been playing together for the past two years. Contact the venue for more details.

Learn more about the unique brand of textiles woven in the looms in Kancheepuram. In this tour, you will meet craftsmen who have kept these traditions alive and listen to their stories. A wonderful opportunity to explore a tradition that dates back to the 15th century. Call +91 9310007855 or email bindu@break-away.in for more details

Date: October 18 Venue: IIT campus, Hauz Khas

Dates: October 11 and 18 Venue: The tour will begin in Chennai Time: 0800h to 1700h

Concert film screening Chennai/ Mumbai/ Delhi/ Bengaluru The record-breaking tour of ‘One Direction’, one of the world’s biggest bands, will be aired in cinemas across various theatres. Filmed live at the iconic San Siro Stadium in Milan, the exclusive 75-minute concert film also features some never-seen-before segment with the band. Visit www.bookmyshow.com to book tickets. Date: October 11 and 12 Venue: Cinema screens in all major Indian cities

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English Theatre Bengaluru

Music Festival Mumbai

‘Under the Mangosteen Tree’ is an adventurous mix of seven stories by prominent Malayalam writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The stories have the common threads of love, humour and pathos running through them. A connecting link in this heady concoction is the character of Basheer himself, who plays narrator, participant and witness in turns. The stories are blended together in a non-linear yet seamless narrative that reveals the extraordinary range of Basheer's writing and experience. The play is directed by Rajiv Krishnan. Visit www.bookmyshow.com for tickets.

The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) presents the ‘One World Many Musics’ Festival. The two-day festival features music from across the world that exerts crosscultural influences on one another. This year, the event celebrates the power of music as the healing force, with contemporary music by an electric folk fusion band, ‘Papon and the East India Company’ and others. Call +91 22 22824567 for booking tickets.

Date: October 12 Venue: Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield Time: 1500h and 1830h

Mythological Drama Delhi Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra presents its 58th edition of the enchanting Ramlila – a mythological drama that has eternally captured the soul. The drama presents ageold learning with technological ingredients that a modern repertoire can offer in choreography and music. Call +91 11 43503333 for further details. Date: September 25 to October 21 Venue: Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, 1 Mandi House, Copernicus Marg, Delhi Time: 1830h

Date: October 18 Venue: NCPA, Nariman Point

English Theatre Chennai Prakriti Foundation presents ‘An evening of Short Plays’ – a set of eight short plays performed in one evening in short durations. ‘A typist with destiny’ is about two bumbling clerks who are rewriting history; ‘How to drink a coffee’ is a guide on deciphering the intricacies of coffee moments and relationships. Visit www.eventjini.com to book tickets. Date: October 1 Venue: Museum Theatre, Egmore, Chennai Time: 1900h

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October 2, 1869 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is born in Porbander. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, was the diwan (Prime Minister) of Porbander, a small princely state in present-day Gujarat. His mother, Putlibai, was Karamchand’s fourth wife – the first three wives having died in childbirth.

May 1883 The 13-year old Gandhi is married to 14-year old Kasturbai Makhanji. Recalling their marriage, Gandhi once said, “As we didn't know much about marriage, for us it meant only wearing new clothes, eating sweets and playing with relatives.”

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"Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.” – Albert Einstein

Remembering the

Mahatma On October 2, India will felicitate ‘Gandhi Jayanti’ – the birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Known primarily for his non-violent form of protest, Gandhi is regarded as one of the primary leaders who helped India achieve independence from colonial rule. The honorific ‘Mahatma’, first given to him in 1914 in South Africa, is now used worldwide. In remembrance of his invaluable contributions, Culturama looks at some key events in his life.

September 4, 1888

Gandhi travels to England to study law at University College, London. Although Gandhi experimented with ‘English’ customs, such as dance lessons, he could not stomach the bland vegetarian food offered by his landlady. (He survived thanks to London’s few vegetarian restaurants.)

April 1893 Gandhi travels to South Africa to work for an Indian firm. There, he faced racial discrimination commonly directed at black South Africans and Indians. He was thrown off a train after refusing to move from the first-class to a third-class coach while holding a valid first-class ticket.

November 6, 1913 Gandhi begins the ‘Great March’ for Indian rights in South Africa. The March consisted of 2,037 men, 127 women and 57 children. Gandhi was arrested – one in a string of several political arrests over the course of his life.

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June 26, 1914

February 22, 1944

Gandhi suspends the South African struggle after passage of the Indian Relief Act. The passage of the Bill ended a struggle of eight years’ duration. The Act was considered as a mutually satisfactory settlement of the problems raised by the passive resistance movement led by Gandhi.

Kasturba dies at the age of 74. Stress and less than satisfactory conditions in prisons caused Kasturba to contract bronchitis, which was made worse by pneumonia. She died in Gandhi’s arms, while both of them were still in prison.

August 15, 1947 January 9, 1915

Gandhi receives a hero’s welcome upon his return to India. Three days later, he was honoured by the people of Bombay at a magnificent reception. The Government of India also showered honours on Gandhi.

The Partition of India takes place. On August 14, and August 15, respectively, the Dominion of Pakistan (later Islamic Republic of Pakistan and People’s Republic of Bangladesh) and the Union of India (later Republic of India) were created. The Partition displaced up to 12.5 million people in both new countries.

January 12, 1948 December 1921 Gandhi is invested with executive authority of the Indian National Congress. The party was reorganised with the goal of swaraj or selfrule. Gandhi expanded his platform to advocate swadeshi – boycott of foreign goods, and that khadi (homespun cloth) be worn.

1927 Gandhi’s autobiography, ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’, is published. In 1999, the book was designated as one of the ‘100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century’ by HarperCollins.

March 12, 1930 Gandhi embarks on the salt satyagraha, a nonviolent campaign against salt tax. Begun with the Salt March to Dandi, it was the first act of organised opposition to British rule after declaration of Independence.

August 8, 1942 The All India Congress Committee launches the Quit India Movement. This was a definitive call for independence. By doing so, Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table. Almost the entire Congress leadership was put into confinement less than 24 hours after Gandhi’s speech.

Mahatma Gandhi announces fast to end communal violence. “…my greatest fast,” he wrote to Miraben, his English disciple. He launched a fast-unto-death, asking that all communal violence be ended. On January 18, when Hindu, Muslim and Sikh community leaders assured him that they would renounce violence, Gandhi broke his fast.

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“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”

January 30, 1948

– Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is assassinated. Gandhi had a narrow escape on January 20, when a bomb exploded in Birla House in New Delhi where he was addressing his prayer meeting. On January 30, a young man named Nathu Ram Godse came to Gandhi’s prayer meeting. He raised his hands to say ‘Namaste’, then whipped out his pistol and fired three shots. Gandhi fell with the words ‘Hey Ram’ on his lips. Remembering the spirit of Gandhi Books to read: • Gandhi the Man – by Eknath Easwaran • My experiments with truth – Gandhi′s autobiography Movies and documentaries: • Gandhi (English), directed by Richard Attenborough • Lage raho Munna Bhai (Hindi), directed by Rajkumar Hirani • Mahatma Gandhi talks (English) – the first movie on Gandhi by Fox Movietone News (http://tinyurl.com/qy4ekur)

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Festival of the month Diwali October 23

Celebrated shortly after Dussera, the festival of Diwali is an occassion that marks the triumph of good over evil. People in North India celebrate it as the day when Lord Ram returned home after a 14-year exile. During his exile, spent in the forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, Ram fought with and defeated the demon king Ravan. (Ravan, who was smitten by Sita’s beauty, had kidnapped her.) In the South, the legend goes that this was the night when a demon named Narakasura was defeated by Satyabhama, Lord Krishna’s wife. In some parts of India, the festival also honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and people perform pujas for her. Across the country, people mark Diwali by lighting lamps, bursting firecrackers, and sharing sweets.

Photo: G. Venket Ram

Diwali is also associated with charity – you can do your bit by contributing to a charity of your choice. On the fun side, the Indian film industry often releases big blockbusters during Diwali – take this opportunity to catch a movie with family and friends!

Muharram October 24 to November 23

Observed more by Shia Muslims, Muharram is a solemn occasion observed during the first month of the Islamic calendar. The day marks the martyrdom of Hussein Ibn Ali (or Hazrat Ali), the grandson of Prophet Mohammad, and, hence, is seen as a day of mourning. Believers wear black or white clothes, and walk to dargahs (memorials of saints) in long processions. They carry with them bamboo replicas of the saint’s tomb, and recite verses that express their sorrow as they walk. Some people flagellate themselves to express their grief. Fasting from sunrise to sunset is a common practise among many Muslims for the first 10 days of the month.

Photo: Aurelie Marsan, France

3 Watch the fascinating ‘Pulikali’ or tiger dance in Kerala. Men paint their bodies with tiger marks is said to represent the courage of Hussein Ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed.

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October 2014

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Give to India by Shefali Ganesh

by Women for Women

1 The SMSS Hindu Mahila Mandiram in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, has been working to better the lives of homeless women and girl children in South India for close to a century

The SMSS Hindu Mahila Mandiram accepts donations to sponsor children or elderly people. For more details, visit their website: www.mahilamandiram.net

The home where Devika grew up, at Poojapura in Thiruvanthapuram, is nearly a century old. The building has a large courtyard with a konna-poo tree (golden shower tree) around which she and her many siblings played games. She loved to dance as a child and was encouraged by her ‘mother’. Now a trained dance teacher, married and with a child of her own, this building will be a special part of Devika’s childhood memories. But this is no typical ancestral home – Devika was one among many who came to the SMSS Hindu Mahila Mandiram, from a broken family. Like Devika, many homeless girls have been raised by this NGO over the past 94 years. There is yet another interesting facet to this ‘home’: At the Mahila Mandiram (‘temple for women’), women are the heroes. And their role model is Ms. K Chinnamma, who founded the NGO in 1918. As an inspector of schools and a flag-bearer for the cause of women, Chinnamma saw, during the course of her work, the difficulties faced by orphaned girl children in Kerala. She brought together a group of 12 destitute girls under one roof and gave them shelter – the start of an effort that would blossom into the Mahila Mandiram. Chinnamma’s perseverance and hard work drew the attention of the then Maharaja of Travancore, His Highness Sreemoolam Tirunal. In 1920, the home, as it stands today, was built on the land gifted by the Maharaja. An organisation recognised by the Social Welfare Department of Kerala, today, the NGO is working with nearly 100 destitute girls in the ages of 5 to 18 years. The Mandiram follows the ‘SOS Villages’ system, wherein groups of girls are placed under the care of ‘foster mothers’ – who are all trained social workers. They live together in a house as siblings, sharing the bond of a common ‘parent’. The children learn family values, gain confidence through the love and acceptance from their siblings and become all-rounded individuals. Education till secondary school level is taken care of by the Chinnamma Memorial Girls High School, which is a recognised educational institution in the state. After schooling, the girls are trained in weaving skills, computer courses, food catering technology and other vocational courses. Girls who

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kerala BACKWATER BLISS

show an aptitude for the arts, as Devika did, are given sufficient guidance in terms of education and career. Apart from looking after young girls, the NGO also has an Old Age Home. For its 14 residents, this is a place where they share their joys and sorrows, and enjoy the last days of their lives. For people like Saradamma, who lost her vision early in life, there is no other place she would call ‘home’. She went on to get a degree in music and now entertains her friends with her renditions of devotional songs. As Chinnamma’s work took concrete shape, the Mahila Mandiram Committee, headed by Secretary Ms. Sreekumari, decided to expand on their founder’s vision. The NGO has now begun a project called ‘Panchavadi’ (named after the five mythical trees in the Hindu epic Ramayan). The project is a five-pronged one – Vatsalya (mother’s love) for girl children; Santhwana (solace) for the homeless senior citizens; Susiksha (education); Pariraksha (healthcare) for residents and locals; and Prashanthi (peace), a spiritual centre for the residents. Close to a century after it was begun, Chinnamma’s work continues to touch the lives of women of all ages. Thanks to the SMSS Hindu Mahila Mandiram, there is now a home for little girls who had none and a place for the elderly women at the old age home who laugh their regrets away with childlike mirth. 1

milesworth holidays india • srilanka • maldives • and beyond

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

October 2014

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Myth and Mythology by Devdutt Pattanaik

Going a full circle

Photo: Tineke Sysmans, Belgium

culturama

October 2014

1 We are always travelling. And when we keep travelling, we end up returning to the place from where we started – hopefully a little wiser

All his life, Buddha kept speaking about the impermanence of all things and the relationship of desire and sorrow. So it was ironical that after he died, his relics such as bone, tooth and hair, were placed under mounds of clay and cow dung, which were decorated with parasols and garlands of flowers and transformed into a stupa. People did not want him to go; they wanted the permanence of the Buddha, if not the person then at least the idea. They walked around this stupa in reverence. This act of circumambulation came to be known as the parikrama – going around the perimeter, the circumference of the stupa. This ritual movement of reverence gradually came to be explained metaphysically. For it mimicked the action of the cosmos: all things go around to come around. Everything is cyclical, like the seasons. Shortly after Buddha, we have India’s greatest empire – the Mauryan Empire, with its greatest king, Ashoka, who reigned in the 3rd century BCE. Royal laws travel radically outwards from his capital city of Pataliputra in the Gangetic plains, north to Gandhara, modern Afghanistan, and south to Andhra Pradesh. The spread of his power is indicated by his edicts that were carved out in stone. He encouraged monks and nuns to travel to different parts of the world to spread the word of the Buddha. Travel takes a new form: not the search for a new home, not raids into other people’s lands, not the quest for trade, but the spread of ideas.

The idea of both empire and proselytisation seem rather alien to the Indian way of thinking, which has been more inward looking, and one wonders if these ideas were inspired by the actions of Alexander, the Great, who overthrew the great empire of the Persian emperors and shook up the world of his times, and came right up to the northwestern borders of India. He wanted to change the world and unite it with his ideas, inspired by Greek philosophers; hence, he established many cities called Alexandrias along the way. They say that on the banks of the Indus he met a naked ascetic, who he called a gymnosophist. It probably was a Jain Digambar muni. ‘Digambar’ means the ‘sky-clad’, a euphemism for naked. Finding him seated, at peace, on a rock, staring at the sky, Alexander asked him, “What are you doing?” The gymnosophist replied, “Experiencing nothingness. What about you?” Alexander declared, “I am conquering the world.” Both laughed. Alexander laughed because he thought the gymnosophist was a fool for not travelling, for not having ambition, for living a life without a destination. The gymnosophist laughed because there are no destinations in the world. Seated or moving, we are always travelling. And when we keep travelling, we end up returning to the place from where we started, hopefully a little wiser. 1

Published on July 21, 2013 in Mid-Day. Reprinted with permission from www.devdutt.com

October 2014

Photo: Anoushka Raval, UK

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October 2014

Holistic living by Eknath Easwaran

Thumbs-up to

L OV E Many years ago, after Mother Teresa achieved world recognition for her work in India, she came to visit the West. It wasn’t long before she delivered a surprise: She had decided to extend her work to the United States, starting missions in New York and elsewhere – including, eventually, San Francisco. At the time, the Bay Area met Mother Teresa’s announcement with shock. After all, this was Mother Teresa of Calcutta, not San Francisco. We knew the third world needed her, but this was the first world. What could someone like Mother Teresa have seen here that warranted placing San Francisco in the same category as Delhi, Colombo, and Addis Ababa? I have never forgotten the answer she gave. “There is hunger for ordinary bread,” she explained, “and there is hunger for love, for kindness, for thoughtfulness; and this is the great poverty that makes people suffer so much.” In every human being, she was reminding us, there is a deep need for love – not only to be loved, but to give love as well. This need is written in our hearts. It is part of what we are as human beings, an inner necessity every bit as real as our need for food and drink. All the world’s great religions explain this in the same way. We need to love, they tell us, because love is our real nature. “The soul is made of love,” says Mechthild of Magdeburg, “and must ever strive to return to love. Therefore, it can never find rest nor happiness in other things. It must lose itself in love.” Once we grasp the sense of these quiet statements, they can change our lives forever. They mean that being able to

1 Just as negative emotions have the power to harm, positive emotions have the power to heal. And Mother Teresa knows what to prescribe: good will, patience, over-riding love for all love fully, unconditionally, is our native state. We cannot lose this native capacity, cannot get rid of it even if we try. The most we can manage to do is cut ourselves off from it, burying it under layer after layer of the self-centered conditioning that accumulates so easily in the modern world. But that conditioning can be removed, and when it is removed, what remains is our original goodness – a capacity for love that is, in principle, without limit. At bottom, the promise of every personal relationship is to open up this wellspring deep in our hearts. We aren’t often aware of this promise, of course. We think of love as an emotional or even biochemical need that can be satisfied by something outside us. But as Mechthild says, it is a need of the soul rather than of the body – of our inmost self. In other words, our hunger for love is really spiritual. We can think of Mother Teresa as a perfect physician. She puts a thermometer to modern industrial civilisation, checks its blood pressure, and gives her diagnosis without hesitation: “Acute spiritual malnutrition.” But malnutrition is reversible. Just as negative emotions like anger, fear, and greed have great power to harm, positive emotions have power to heal. And Mother Teresa knows what to prescribe – good will, patience, over-riding love for all. 1 Reprinted with permission from ‘The Second Half of Life’, an article by Eknath Easwaran from The Blue Mountain Journal. Copyright The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, P.O. Box 256, Tomales, CA 94971, www.easwaran.org. (Extract from http://www.easwaran.org/learning-tolove-blue-mountain.html)

October 2014

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October 2014

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October 2014

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October 2014

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