Dance - The Latino Way!

It’s amazing to see the growing popularity of Latin American dance forms in India. Sometime back, one of my friends participated in a dance workshop, which included both corporate professionals and students. The workshop culminated in a charity event marked by some spectacular performances by talented dancers.

It was a razzle-dazzle of Salsa dancers and Bachata dancers, while others tripped between Merengue, Cha Cha and Jive. There’s something special about classy dance, sassy music and a spirited audience; all the ingredients of a first-class evening. I have to agree with the Austrian writer Vicki Baum when she says, there are shortcuts to happiness and dancing is one of them.

It's Here Again! Happy New Year!

Year 2014 has been pretty hectic and sadly I haven’t been much active in the blogosphere. It will be a shame to end the year without even one post. And now, as we get ready to usher in the new year, seems to me the perfect time to rectify this mistake. As folks gather around and celebrate the dawn of the sparkling New Year, here's wishing it brings gifts of joys, good health and cheer. May 2015 greet you with days as fragrant as roses, as colorful as rainbow, as bright as sunshine and as happy and cheerful as a lark. Happy New Year!

Ganesh Chaturthi à la Pottery Town!

I had been meaning to go to Pottery Town for quite sometime now. But something or the other always came up at the last minute. The last attempt, a week back, had to be cancelled as rain played spoilsport. So this Sunday, I was glad to be finally in Pottery Town despite a not-so-good weather forecast. Pottery Town is a street full of pottery vendors in East Bangalore behind Frazer Town, quite close to the Cantonment Railway Station. It was formed years back when the Government decided to give a piece of land on lease to a group of 60 potter families. The profession has been carried on for more than three generations with currently more than 20 families still in business.

The place provides a great opportunity to see the world of potters and their workmanship. The entire life cycle of pottery can be experienced, right from wheels making pottery to drying them in symmetric way and finally burning them in kilns to make the final product. The pots are then painted using spray paints and kept in shops for sale. Mahendra and I reached the place early, around eight in the morning, hoping to get some pictures of potters turning their wheels and moulding clay into beautiful pots. But we were in for a pleasant surprise.

The whole place was transformed in anticipation of Ganesh Chaturthi which was the next day. Beautiful idols of Lord Ganesha in myriad shapes, sizes and colors, each depicting the Lord in different poses adorned the streets. Several makeshift tents had scores of completed and work in progress statues with artisans putting finishing touches.

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi or simply Ganeshotsav, is one of the most joyous of Indian festivals. The day marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, the benign elephant-headed god, considered the destroyer of all evils and harbinger of good luck. Lord Ganesha is the lord of all the good qualities in us. He is also the lord of knowledge and wisdom. It is believed that when we worship Lord Ganesha, all good qualities will blossom in us.

People across the country, and even abroad, celebrate Ganeshotsav with great zeal and passion. But the celebrations are opulent, colourful and elaborate in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and the entire coastal belt of Konkan where thousands of small villages annually come alive with the music and lights of Ganeshotsav. In this region, the festivities were started by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement, cocking a snook at the then British government. During the British Rule of India, common public was prohibited from gathering in large numbers. Lokmanya Tilak founded the publicly celebrated Ganeshotsav Festival as a means of promoting the dream of Indian Independence, uniting people from diverse groups, and enhancing their sense of social belonging.

Wishing everyone a happy Ganesh Chaturthi! Ganapati Bappa Morya! Mangal Murti Morya!

Celebrating 66 Years of Freedom - Happy Independence Day!

15 August 1947, India became a free nation. Pandit Nehru's landmark speech captures the essence of the political freedom from the British Empire, "at the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance."

India did not achieve its independence from the British Empire on a silver platter. It was the culmination of decades of struggle led by revolutionaries like Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhash Chadra Bose and countless others. In those days Indians weren't considered equal to the foreigners who ruled over them in their own country. Today, all Indians enjoy equal rights irrespective of their race or region. We have the freedom of speech and expression, freedom for life and freedom for hope. We owe our freedom to those unsung heroes who made supreme sacrifices in India's freedom struggle so that we grew up in a free country.

On August 15, we celebrated the 67th Independence Day. The Flag hoisting followed by the National Anthem and some cultural programs is the norm. On this day. the whole nation is gripped by a fervent wave of patriotism. Vehicles, public and private, can be seen sporting the national flag as they ply to and fro. Shops which remain open, are usually spruced up in tricolours, some flying the national flag at the shop entrances. Youngsters adorn themselves with the tricolours of the national flag displaying it on scarves, badges, wristbands, hairbands or face paintings. The spirit is reinforced as most television channels start play patriotic movies and songs as a build up to the Independence Day. The whole nation rejoices in happiness and celebration, saluting the ones who made this possible.

Sadly, this euphoric feeling of unity and big hearted patriotism doesn't last more than 24 hours. People get back to their well paying jobs and cozy lifestyles once the fervour wears off. Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to fly into space, was asked a question on how India looked from space by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He responded, "Saare Jahan Se Acha, Hindusthan Humara!" Given the humble start and plethora of challenges faced by our country, its achievements over the last 66 years are quite remarkable. As a proud Indian, I believe we can be the best. But only if the citizens of this great nation sustain the Independence Day spirit for 365 days of the year. Vande Mataram!

Eid-ul-Fitr - Celebrations in Bangalore!

I was up today at the crack of dawn, which is rather unusual for me. One of my shutterbug buddies woke me up to join him in capturing the festivities of Eid-ul-Fitr. Yesterday the moon had been sighted. My friend proposed going to Fraser Town where a good gathering was expected. So there I was was sitting huddled in the backseat of his Scooty Pep, quietly chiding myself for forgetting my jacket, as we travelled from BTM to Fraser Town.

In Bangalore, Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated with great fervour and gaiety. This festival marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan (also known as Ramdan). Eid-ul-Fitr literally means the festival of breaking the fast. During Ramzan, Muslims fast from dawn till sunset with no food or water. The idea behind the fasting is that by experience hunger, they will develop compassion for the less fortunate.

Thousands of Muslims clad in traditional attire trooped to the nearest Idgahs and mosques to offer the special Eid namaaz. Mass prayers were held at mosques. The namaaz was followed by warm exchange of greetings and embrace spreading the message of love and unity.

My friend and I were well in time for the Eid namaaz and got some good pictures. In fact, we had a gala time. An early wake-up meant a rather long day but it has been good fun. Eid Mubarak!

Sital Sasthi - The Carnival of Sambalpur

The carnival of Sital Sasthi is inarguably the most famous festival of Sambalpur, and Western Odisha by extension. A tradition more than 400 years old, today it draws in over a million people. Sital Sasthi is annually held on the sixth day of the bright fortnight of Jyestha. It marks the end of a parched summer season, the scorching heat giving way to cool monsoon showers. Often cited as the biggest carnival in Western Odisha, Sital Sasthi is the celebration of the the celestial wedding of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati. Almost all the Shiva temples in the city conduct this divine marriage ceremony but the prominent ones include the Brahmapura temple of Nandapara, Lokanatha Baba temple of Jhaduapara and Jageswara Baba temple of Modipara, the first two have been organizing the festival for centuries.

The divine wedding is performed with all the rites observed in an Odia marriage making it an interesting blend of human and divine rituals. Exactly one month before the wedding Thala Utha is performed, a ritual in which the names of the couple to perform the role of the bride's parents are announced. The five-day festivities begin with Patar Pendi during which the parents of the groom send a formal marriage proposal to the parents of the prospective bride. The groom's party includes his father and seven others who are known as the Sapta Rishi (seven learned men). The Saptarishi are responsible for describing the nature and good characteristics of the groom to the parents of the bride-to-be and convince them to approve the proposal. The father of the groom gives a bundle of Sal leaves (and thus the name Patarpendi) to the prospective in-laws symbolizing the engagement of the two deities.

Wedding invites are dispatched with Lord Narasimha to all the deities in the locality, this ritual being called Nrusingha Niuta. The common man also gets an invite. On the day of the wedding, Lord Shiva arrives at the bride's house in a late-night traditional Odia barajatri procession. Led by Lord Hanuman, the procession is a glittering parade of deities, their temple servitors and local residents accompanied by traditional music from gongs, conchs and trumpets and spectacular fireworks. The in-laws of Lord Shiva take pride in organizing the wedding ceremony with meticulous planning just as any parents would at their daughter’s wedding. The kanyadan of Goddess Parvati performed by her parents is considered a big privilege.

After the marriage ceremony, the newly weds make a journey around town called Nagara Parikrama. The breathtaking finale of the festival is the famous carnival of Sital Sashti. The deities, decked up in richly decorated backgrounds called Parbah, are carried around the city on motorized floats. At crossroads and important places the procession halts and there is extravagant display of fireworks, dancing, drumming and various kinds of merry-making. The procession can extend to almost 5 km.

Close to seven thousand artists from different parts of the country participate in the festivities and showcase their mesmerizing allegorical pageantry in the carnival. Hoards of elaborately costumed dancers parade the streets, some on floats while the others on foot. The performances include traditional dance forms like Bihu from Assam, Gidda from Punjab, Mahadi and Jhumer from Chattisgarh, several local flavours like Ghumra, Dusavatar, Samprada, Dulduli, Ghoda nacha, Bagha nacha, etc as well as modern dance troupes from Kolkata and Raipur. Musicians playing traditional musical instruments as well as modern songs add to the festive environment. Other forms of entertainment include display of martial arts, gymnastics, sword skills, doll dance, etc.

The floats showcasing modern dances with mostly female artists dancing to the beats of popular Bollywood songs is usually the epicenter of the entertainment for the young crowd. Thousands of revellers throng the streets to witness this extravaganza of colour, music and fanfare. It isn't just the performers who get into the spirit of the festivities as the crowd also joins in with equal enthusiasm.

It is said that one gets atonement from all sins if they see the Gods as part of this procession. This draws in lots of devotees whose zeal is undeterred by the scorching heat. The carnival is a part of the culture, the rhythm, the aesthetic language of the region. Following the fiery climax, the curtains come down with the Gods returning to their respective temples.

Gudiya Sambhrama

With the aim of reviving the fading age old traditions and culture in contemporary society, the Heritage Trust conducts Gudiya Sambhrama, the Bangalore Temple Festival, across different temples in the city. Since its advent in 2010, this annual festival has emerged as one of the city's and probably South India's most innovative and energetic temple festivals.

The event organized across 22 heritage temples, a few of them thousands of years old, endeavors to reverberate the city with traditional dance, music, theatre, puppetry, story-telling and more with artists hailing from all over the country. Traditionally temples have not been limited to only religious activities; they had served as centers of communities for centuries, a platform for performing arts. Gudiya Sambhrama is an attempt to take the classical arts back to the temples and in the process reduce the ever growing chasm between today's generation and our rich culture.

I was lucky to catch the Odissi dance event organized at Sri Siddhivinayaka Devasthana in HSR Layout. All the dancers were from Sharmila Mukerjee's Sanjali Center for Odissi Dance institute in Bangalore. Sharmila Mukerjee, who learnt Odissi dance from the notable guru Kelu Charan Mahapatra, and her troupe kept the audience enthralled with their scintillating performances.

The event was special for me as Odissi dance originated from Odisha, my native state. Considered my many as the oldest surviving dance form of India, it is distinguished from other classical dance forms by the importance it places on the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis, the Tribhangi and the basic square stance known as Chouka which symbolizes Lord Jagannath. The dance is characterized by various stances, called Bhangas, which involve stamping of the foot and striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures.

Saraswati Puja

In the eastern parts of India - Odisha and West Bengal, Saraswati Puja is celebrated on Vasanth Panchami (which literally means the fifth day of Spring). Hindus, especially the student community, worship Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, with great devotion and reverence. The goddess is also a patron of music, art and science.

I had the good fortune to visit a puja organized last week by the Bengalis in Bangalore (BIB) association. And it did trigger a trip down memory lane. Saraswati Puja is not celebrated in a big way in Bangalore (or I can probably extend it to the whole of South India). But back home, in Odisha, educational institutions across the State will have a festive ambience on this day.

Seeking blessings of the goddess of knowledge, students from primary schools to universities organize the puja with fervor and gaiety. The rituals start early in the morning and last till midday in schools, colleges, coaching centers, community places and households. The environment is abuzz with chanting of mantras by priests and the ringing sounds of conch shells. Students line up to perform pushpanjali, offering flowers to the goddess along with the chanting of mantras. Devotees place books, pens and musical instruments at the feet of the goddess. The worship of books also meant this day has traditionally been a no-study day.

Also, this day is considered auspicious for Vidya Aaramabh or Khadi Chuan, as it is commonly called. Young kids mark the beginning of their academic journey on this day by learning the first letters of the alphabets with the blessings of the goddess.

Happy New Year!

2013 is coming…
Before 2012 ends,
I wish to thank people who have touched
Various walks of my life,
In their own different ways.
Thoughtful people,
Who have shown their concern,
And have always been there for me.
Do remain so…always.
Take care and thanks once again.
I wish you a great 2013!
Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Silent night, Silvery snow...
Evergreen tree, bright & aglow...
Christmas is here bringing good cheer...
May it bring for you...
Gifts of love and joy too!
Merry Christmas!!

Charlotte Motor Speedway - NASCAR Racing

Though headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, NASCAR has always had a strong bond with North Carolina, especially Charlotte. Even today, all but a handful of NASCAR teams are based in or around Charlotte. Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts some of the more prestigious NASCAR races including the Coca-Cola 600 and Sprint All-Star Race.

Watching a NASCAR race is quite an experience. With the advent of the racing season, thousands of racing fans descend on Charlotte, making it their home for the next couple of months. Camps are set-up, fires lit and the aroma from the cooking pots wafts through. There is a general festive atmosphere all around. If you are in Charlotte during the race season, it's certainly a must see event. And don't forget your ear muffs :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on the 17th of March every year. The St. Patrick's Day parade is an annual tradition in Charlotte, North Carolina. I was fortunate to witness the 15th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade last year. More than 60,000 spectators had gathered on both sides of the street to watch the parade. Crowds cheered and cameras flashed as the parade marched through the heart of the city to the sound of bagpipes. The combination of flags, floats, kids and pipe band music made everyone smile and be Irish for a day.

It seemed the city had turned green. Most of the spectators had sportively dressed up in green for the event. They even had green wigs and green jewelry. Some were dressed as leprechauns with fake orange beards while some had shamrock shaped sunglasses. Many kids could be seen sporting some bobbly, antennae like shamrock headgears.

Cheers to the New Year!!

We are about to bid a final bye to Year 2011 as the sun sets on yet another year. All Indians will remember this year for the glorious win in the ICC Cricket World Cup championship. It had been the dream of a billion people and finally the dream has been realized.

However, Year 2011 will be remembered in history as the year of protests. Be it the Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa or Occupy Wall Street in US, people have demonstrated they will no longer be mute spectators. Even India witnessed demonstrations and protests across the country as the people responded to the call from Anna demanding for stronger legislation and enforcement against endemic political corruption in the form of a strong Lokpal Bill.

In a few hours from now, Year 2012 will take possession of the clock of time. It will usher in the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months. Tomorrow is a new day, another chance for us to get it right. We cannot go back and make a brand new start but we can always start afresh and make a brand new end. Cheers for the new year and another opportunity to make a new beginning!!

Merry Christmas!!

May the spirit of Christmas
Bring happiness to your heart,
Peace and joy to your home.
And blessings to you and your loved ones!

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Independence Day!!

Today is the 65th Independence Day of India, a reminder to express our gratitude to the tireless efforts of previous generations for gifting us the freedom of this country. India is a great country. Something that is a part of us, something very dear to us. But today, corruption runs rampant. It seems to have permeated every sphere of life. Open any newspaper, switch on any news channel, you will defintely find a news article on some scam or the other. Bad roads and filth are common place. Markets are very susceptible to inflation and price hikes have become very frequent. We also seem to be eternally plagued by internal differences.

The night is darkest just before the dawn. I hope, the dawn is coming. On this day in 1947, India had a choice. I believe the folks at the helm choose wisely and India became a Democratic Republic. These wise folks fought for our Indepenence and then gifted us Democracy for our future. India decided that it will not be a few that will decide what is best for it, but all its citizens will. The present day Indians are gifted children. We have the gift of liberty to choose the way we live. Our major challenge is to ensure that every citizen recognizes this gift and every citizen is protected from threats to such liberty.

My country has come a long way since 1947. Education is in a better state than ever before. India currently has the largest English speaking population in the world. Remote villages have now been connected by road network thereby facilitating the development of these places. We have made a lot of progress in providing electricity to each and every nook and corner of the country. You will find many confident modern girls with origins from small villages in almost every industry. Life expectancy has increased by almost 10 years. All these are signs of a progressive nation.

We have miles to go and we will get there provided we raise a more compassionate, more tolerent, more rational and more confident generation. Many of us have been outside India and know what clean road looks like, how simplest of government related things are done in an honest straight forward fashion, how girls confidently take on anything that comes their way. I wish all these intellectual, forward thinking progressive people will come back to India, come back into our spheres and togather we can work hard to build a great nation. If someone opens the door when we walk in, we say "thank you". This country has opened so many doors in our lives, how can we ever thank it enough?

Wishing Mother India a Happy Independence Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

A smile when you wake up, a beautiful bouquet of flowers or any other gesture with a touch of love. Although we share our feelings with our loved ones every day of the year, today is special. It is Valentine's Day, celebrated across many countries around the globe. Just in case you haven’t done so already, take a moment and share your love with your special one. Happy Valentine's Day!!

Disneyland Orlando - The Parade at Night!!

Some more pictures from my visit to Disneyland Orlando during the Christmas weekend in 2008. This time from the Disney parade at night. There are a lot of lovely colourful parades going on throughout the day at regular intervals which is fun to watch. But the night parade is something special as now all the floats will be lighted with a thousand bright and colourful little lights that add a different perspective to the whole event. Definitely one of the things to catch while in Disney.

Mickey Mouse leading the parade in the first of the floats to pass by. The crowd sitting patiently on both sides of the path till this point started cheering. Lots of flashes of lights on both sides, indicated the multitude of cameras clicking to capture this parade.

More floats followed. Each beautifully decorated with some Disney character at the helm.

A beautiful dancing peacock in green was next in line in the parade.

A shoal of fish passed by to the loud cheers from the crowd. Somehow I thought the fish had the look of simpletons about them.

Next in line was a steam engine that passed by with a loud whistle.

This crocodile could have come straight out of the story of Peter Pan, maybe in search of the pirate captain, Captain Hook.

The next float had an angry bird with its wings spread wide apart, ready to take flight.

This float had the three little pigs playing the fool and making the crowd laugh.

The pumpkin chariot straight out of folk-lore. One could see a beautiful damsel sitting in the chariot.

This was a really beautifully decorated float with lithe birds and butterflies adorning the chariot.

The final floats passed by with one of the seven dwarves waving. And with this the last parade of the day, the only parade at night, came to an end.