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Showing posts from November, 2011

Meet the Street - Daleep Singh turned 40 yesterday!

Daleep Singh has been driving autorickshaws on Delhi roads since 1993. Born and brought up in Delhi, he has seen the starting prices of a ride in the auto rise from Rs 3 to Rs. 20 now. Nowadays, he and his auto can be found plying between Central Secretariat Metro Station and India Gate. Though he's happy this way, he prefers to take tourists on Day-long trips around Delhi during which he shows them India Gate, Qutb Minar, Humanyun's Tomb, Rashtrapati Bhawan and almost all other monuments of Delhi. He earns about Rs. 1000 - 1500 for this kind of a trip. It was his birthday on Saturday November 12th and he turned 40 that day.  

When Hanuman and Taj Mahal Took Over the Delhi Sky- Delhi Kite Festival

Yes, Lord Hanuman and Taj Mahal were hovering over the Delhi sky and no one was surprised. Yes, no one! Why? Because it was the first ever Kite Festival organized by Delhi Tourism. And Hanuman and Taj Mahal were just two of the many unusual shapes that had conquered the Delhi sky today. Kite flying enthusiasts from many parts of India headed to India Gate to unravel the strings and to let their kites soar. Never before in India have I seen such unique collection of kites even though the tradition of kite flying has been a part of our culture since the time of Krishna. And, to be honest, I was expecting to see more. Lord Hanuman, Taj Mahal, and the Smiley were the only ones that were truly unique at least while I was there. But since this was the first day, perhaps I am being too harsh. Click here for more pictures of the event, some of them better than these. Gaining entry into the festival was surprisingly hassle-free and in spite of VIP presence, the participants and visitors did no

Diwali - We Love the Complexity (Article Published in TOI Jammu)

M any of us may not have seen those days and some might even find it hard to believe that those days existed. But, yes, there was a time when light strings were hardly used. A lot more candles and diyas were used instead. Decorations consisted of a simple rangoli made of rice paste, a “Happy Diwali” sign cut out of card board, and paper lanterns crafted at home.   And even sweets were made at home. Diwali must have meant a lot more hard work back then. Things have changed over the years. Instead of candles and diyas that burn themselves out, twinkling light strings are used. Gone are the hassles of refilling the oil and replacing the candles, you can simply turn the switch on and sleep peacefully. Your house will not become any less attractive to Goddess Lakshmi while you dream. Special Rangoli colours are available to counter the hassles of preparing a rice paste and then getting a simple mono-coloured Rangoli at the end. Decorations of various types and sizes are so easily available

Unusual Rituals - Windows into the Past (Article Published in TOI Jammu)

Rummaging through the market to find that one elusive ingredient required for Lakshmi Puja, putting up those flickering, dancing lights to ensure that your house stands out, purchasing those sensational fireworks that light up the sky, and   visiting relatives and friends to exchange those gifts bought at the last minute – yes, we are all caught up in this frenzy! It’s Diwali. But if you think that the way we celebrate Diwali is wild and frantic, you are in for a surprise. Consider one the traditions alive here in Himachal.   Much after the entire world is moving on after the festival of lights is over, a much darker version of Diwali dawns upon some villages of Kullu, Sirmaur, and Shimla districts. Buddhi Diwali, as it is known locally, is celebrated almost a month after Diwali on the new moon. The revelries involve dancing and singing mantras in tune with the reverberating beats of drums and other local instruments. Hundreds of cattle are sacrificed to appease deities. Gradually,

Mumbai Meets Dilli at India Habitat Centre

Humour, art and literature are perhaps the most effective ways to reflect upon a society. A society that cannot laugh upon itself loses out on growth, maturity, and health. While I was in the UK, I got enough opportunities to attend stand-up comedy shows because some of my batchmates from MA were regular performers. Most of the shows were good but they only just met expectations simply because British are known to have a sauve sense of humour so expectations were accordingly high. Ashish Shakya Ever since I came back to India, I was desperate to attend a stand-up comedy show in India. The expectations were again high because I've seen a considerable improvement in the standards of our comedy shows on the television. "Tarak Mehta ka Ulta Chashma" and "Lapataganj" are just two examples. I wish the same could be said about our movies. So when Tanmay tweeted about "Mumbai Meets Dilli" scheduled for 5th and 6th of November in Gurgaon and Delhi, I immed

World without Bhupen Hazarika

( Attribution: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L0216-0033 / Katscherowski (verehel. Stark), / CC-BY-SA) The first time I came across Bhupen Hazarika's name was 18 years back when his soul-touching music and voice floated in the background while Dimple Kapadia in her Rajasthani attire denuded her body of all jewellery. It was Rudali, not exactly a favorite amongst the teenagers back then but truly artisty in every other sense. What made Rudali special for me was nor the breath-taking acting by the cast neither the off-beat, heart-wrenching story. In fact, it wasn't even the silky-smooth voice of Lata Mangeshkar bringing those rustic, alluring lyrics to our homes. It was that coarse, broken, seemingly untamed male voice that sang Maula O Maula, Dil Hum Hum Kare, Samay O Dheere Chalo, that stood out even to my untrained ears. But of course, Bhupen Hazarika is (and in spite of his demise yesterday, I still say 'is') much (and much) more than Rudali. His singing career started as