Glimpses of Kala Ghoda, Feb 2012

It is that time of the year again when the Kala Ghoda Festival comes to tingle our art sense and love for culture. Whether it is through the innovative and creative installations or the colourful paintings or the performances that are showcased, culture drips from each second of the 9 day festival! As usual I have made sure that I am present for most of the days during the festival.

This year, most of the stage performances were held at Cross Maidan. There were also a few folk dances at the amphitheatre at Kala Ghoda. I managed to watch a long awaited dance form - the Lavni! This is one of Maharashtra's traditional dances which are performed to a dholak. Check out a brief video of the dance.

A few evenings ago, I attended a Flamenco dance routine at the Cross Maidan. The twirl of the dresses accompanied by the foot stomping kept me engrossed and by the end of the 4 routines my eyes and heart longed for more!! The way the dancers swayed to the music and the enthusiasm they exhibited on the stage, the audience, me included were transfixed to the dancing figures. See the twirls here...

The dances continued late into the night and as I walked home I found myself walking to the rhythm of the beats of the Flamenco! Ole!!!

Back again!

After a really long hiatus and a huge writer's / blogger's block I am back! Hopefully this time the writing will continue on a regular basis! 

A Moth Attack, A Leaping Frog, Snails and Insects on the Dinner table – My Kolad Adventure

What do you get when you have six girls excited about going out on a weekend trip? Well, for starters you get a little of noise, you hear high pitched voices, a mass of giggles and of course as they pass you, you feel you are in the middle of a mini tornado! This was the situation as we made our way out of office to our ride to take us to Kolad.

The drive to Kolad was a medley of traffic and the rains till we reached the perimeters of the city. Once we crossed Panvel and made our way to Penn the skies were dotted with dark rains which showered us with cool droplets of rain. The lush green surroundings banked on each side of the road instantly took us to another level of peace!

We reached our destination at Kolad – Sai Farms around 7 p.m. We trudged to out room where we found 6 beds neatly made and our bags came tumbling onto them. As we stepped out onto the balcony we were greeted by a breathtaking sight of a long lazy river across our room.

After chilling on the balcony our growling stomachs reminded us that it was time for dinner. We made our way to the dining area and sat down while our eyes looked longingly at the kitchen mesh doors. And at that very moment out of the corner of my eye I saw my team member leap off her chair!! And she yelled “Frog!!” I was intrigued by the frog and went towards it. As it leaped to get out of the way, my team member leaped along with it – but in the opposite direction!!

As we settled down after the frog leapt to safety under a cupboard, we all became aware of all the insect lives around us. There were creepy crawly insects, big and small around us and a few on the table too giving us company for dinner! ;)

Soon after we served ourselves dinner, the Moth Attack started… Two – three moths (beautiful ones I must say!) started flying around. And their dance around us was guided by the shrill shrieks of my friends who felt that they were under a Moth Attack!! Due to this “attack” they shifted to a table that was unlit and completed their meal without further visitors to their table!

After a scrumptious meal we made our way back to our room and turned in for the night as the next day would see us doing an adventure sport….

Independent in the whole sense?

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action--
Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake.
- Rabindranath Tagore

As we in India embark on our 63rd year of independence I wonder if we are truly independent….

Independent from corruption, independent from terrorism, independent from tyranny from small time thugs, independent from our fellow human beings who don’t seem to want to have anything to do with you…

We may be independent such that we have no other country ruling us – but are we independent of the so called leaders that we have running the country today?

I am proud to be an Indian, free from the rule of another, free to make my own decisions, free to live the way I want…. But there are aspects of this independent India that hit me and make me wonder what went wrong with us and why?

Why do the same free Indians want to make an extra buck during the Commonwealth games? We have gathered media attention for sure but for all the wrong reasons.

Why do we have to keep one of our most beautiful states under curfew day after day due to violence in the valley? Why can’t we diffuse the internal terrorism in the north and the east? Has human life lost its value? Aren’t we still under someone else’s rule?

Coming nearer to home we are kept hostage by our fellow humans be it the force that believes that Maharashtra can only have people who are only Maharashtrians; or be it the regular men in khaki who refuse to drive you to your chosen destination – so much so that we had to go on a “strike” against them?

So as we embark on our 63rd year of Independence I would like independence from corruption, from terrorism… May I ask for my fellow Indians to work towards a truly Independent India?

This is indeed India! The land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendour and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of hundred nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of traditions, whose yesterday's bear date with the moldering antiquities for the rest of nations-the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the world combined.
- Mark Twain

Zoroastrianism and few of its Rituals

Zoroastrianism is a ritual intensive religion. Rituals are an integral part of the religious life. On the basis of their purposes and functions of the rituals, they can be divided into various groups like Thanksgiving Rituals known as Jashans; Consecration Rituals known as Visperad, Videvdad etc; Rites of Passage known as Navjote, Navar and Maratab (initiations), Marriage and Death among other various rituals.

The word “Navjote” is derived from two words Nav (new) and Zot (offerer of prayers). The Navjote ceremony is performed of all Parsi children both boys and girls, generally between the ages of 7 to 9. The ritual involves 3 stages – purification, presentation and benedictions. The main purpose of this ritual is to ceremoniously invest the child with the Sadra “the sacred shirt” and the Kasti “the sacred girdle”. The Kasti is made of 72 strands of sheep’s wool intricately woven with ritual observances. Wool symbolizes innocence. It is known to be able to absorb evil vibes and thus act as a protective shield. As shown below there are 9 parts of the Sadra.

Zoroastrian marriages are generally solemnized after sunset, as it was one of the promises given to the Hindu King Jadav Rana by the ancestors of Zoroastrians who came from Iran to India about 1200 years ago. Marriages can also be solemnized in fire temples in the morning. The marriage ritual is referred to as “the Ashirwad” since the priests give “ashirvad” (blessings) to the couple. The senior priest starts the initial part of the Ashirvad, during which rice grains or a mixture of rice, coconut shreds, pomegranate seeds and rose petals are showered on the couple. These items are significant as they all carry a meaning: coconut – symbol of utility and helpfulness to each other and society; rice – indicative of prosperity and plenty; pomegranate – symbolizes fertility and abundance of children and rose petals – indicate fragrance of happiness in married life.

The Zoroastrian mode of disposal of the dead is designed to ensure theological correctness, ecological safeguards and spiritual fortification. The Dokhma (Tower of Silence) is a consecrated circular structure built of stone. Dokhmenashini is the only valid Zoroastrian system of disposal of the mortal remains. The system upholds two of the basic tenets of the religion:

Disposing the corpse, as quickly as possible with the least possible harm to the living people as also any creations like earth, water, air and especially fire.

Least harm or discomfort to the soul which is now getting ready to go to its first stage of its journey into the other realms.

A Snapshot of the Parsi Culture

Over the last weekend I visited a small exhibition showcasing the Parsi culture and its various rituals. Yes, I was accompanied by my mother and my masi joined us too. I already knew bits and pieces about the culture that had been handed over to me my mother’s side of the family but after visiting the exhibition at Albless Baug (Charni Road) I became a little more enlightened. Let me share some parts of the Parsi heritage and culture with you.

Prophet Zarathushtra was the first prophet to reveal religion in the world. He was a divinely appointed prophet. Zarathushtra is an Avestan word. Greeks called him Zoroaster which means “Possessing a wise camel” and “A golden star”. During the Kayanian dynasty, the power of evil was increasing. It became so unbearable, that Geush Urvan, the soul of Mother Earth cried out in pain to Ahura Mazda. After discussions with Bahman and Ardibahesht Ameshaspands, Ahura Mazda proclaimed that there was just one soul who could help her – Zarathushtra Spitama. He was sent as a Prophet to the world.

Throughout his childhood there were a number of murder attempts made on him, but he survived them all. He passed away at the age of 77 years and 11 days. Prophet Zarathushtra accepted the teachings of the already existing Mazdayasni belief system, added many of his teachings and gave a very strong religion to the people of Iran.

Fire temples are special consecrated structures housing a consecrated fire. The sacred fire is housed in a small room, which is the sanctum sanctorum. It is kept burning ever since its enthronement. Priests offer prayers and fuel to the fire at least five times during the day at the turn of the five gahs (watches of the day). The consecrated fires in fire temples are specially made. There are three grades of fire: Atash Behram; Atash Adaran and Atash Dadgah. These 3 grades of fires are made by collecting, purifying and consecrating fires from different sources and then amalgamating them into one fire. For the Atash Behram, fires from 16 different sources are used; for the Atash Adaran, fires from 4 different sources are used; for the Atash Dadgah, it is not necessary to collect fire from different sources, nor is it necessary to perform any particular rituals over the fire.

IPL 3 Semi Finals – MI v/s RCB @ DY Patil – a mind-blowing experience!!

As the hour hand inched closer to 6 p.m. yesterday the excitement within me started to mount and take over my senses. I had bought my tickets online and had to get them exchanged for “original” tickets – weird but that’s what my printout said! As we approached the relevant gate we were informed that the counter had closed and we could get it at another counter. After approaching Gate No 7 for the tickets, I realised I was one of the many hundreds who were also inching their way towards the counter. Suddenly there was a roar of voices and the news floated back to us that they had stopped issuing the tickets and we could enter the stadium with the printouts. So, off we trudged to the stadium gates.

As we stood in the line in front of the gates, a Kingfisher helicopter hovered over us and landed in the ground outside the stadium. As everyone craned their necks to catch a glimpse of who was in the cabin, the pilot gets out, opens the cabin door, is handed a camera and he obliges by clicking a couple of snaps of the passengers inside. After the smiles had been captured by the lens, Deepika P got out of the cabin and while all the men on the field drooled, she strode across into a waiting car and made her way to the stadium. Soon after, another Kingfisher helicopter hovered and landed on the field and out stepped the owner of the brand – Mr. Mallya himself, dressed in a red tracksuit.

Being a cautious person, I hadn’t carried my mobile into the stadium as per the various updates issued in the papers but was amazed and surprised to see the number of individuals roaming around with their cell phones plastered to their ears!! As I made my way towards the gates the civilized lines turned into an unruly mob who had the weird thought that if they all pushed together to get to the gate, they could all go through instead of one by one that the turnstile allowed! And I would like to ask the organizers where was all the extra security that they had harped about in each of their interviews with the newspapers?? Where were the 3 tiered security checks? I was just asked if I was carrying a cell phone and when I replied in the negative I was allowed to walk right into the stadium without even a pat down by the female cops!! Wow I loved this kind of security!!! Were we all really safe???

As I stood at the end of the corridor my eyes and ears strained to take in the wonderful sights and sounds in front of me. The cricket ground was brightly lit and the green grass shone as if each blade had been washed and shined for the semis. The atmosphere was electrifying and I felt as the sole electric conductor in the stadium. The music blared out English and Hindi hit songs while occasionally the IPL trumpet blared followed by the cheers / roar of the crowds already present. Watching both the teams warming up in the field added to the already mounting excitement. After settling into our seats I merrily joined in with the chants of “Sachinnnnnnnnnn… Sachin!!” and “Mumbaiiiiiiiiii….. Indians!!!!”


As the match started the chants went on and on, encouraging the Men In Blue while they battled out the game against the Royal Challengers in the middle. My MI flag (which now stands on my office table) flew high in tune to the music and the chants. The air suddenly grew heavy and you could hear the stillness in the air as Sachin was declared out! The silence hung heavily all round me as we all craned our necks to catch the replay on the screens not wanting to believe what had just happened. As he walked back to the pavilion the crowd finally accepted his dismissal and with a somber silence sat back to watch the overs unfold. The air got charged once again as S. Tiwari and Pollard started to unfold their magic onto the Bangalore bowlers.

The excitement in the atmosphere went on till Bangalore started losing wickets to Bhajji and Malinga. The MI team was on fire!! When the final over came up there was a loud roar as the crowds smelt victory round the corner and the last 6 balls were met with equal cheers. As the last ball was played the crowd went berserk and started dancing in the aisles, in their seats, on their seats, jumping up and down all the while chanting “Sachinnnnnnnnnnnnn……. Sachin!!!” followed by “Mumbaiiiiiiiiiiiii….. Indians!!!”


I left the field feeling exhilarated as the intoxication of watching the semis flowed through my entire body!! It was one of the most amazing and awesome experiences that I have had. Am I glad I went!!! :) :)