A glass of steaming milky syrupy tea is best served cut. One by two or two by three, it embodies the spirit of sharing and camaraderie (and more significantly a resource crunch). Come, have a sip.
Every year, just before and during the 10-day Durga Puja festivities, there is increased activity on this blog thanks to two posts releated to Mahalaya related downloads (there are direct MP3 download links).
Nowadays, I don't seem to put in as much emotion into my writing as I used too. Therefore some posts from the past to welcome this festive season.
Lord Krishna didn't need Axe for his effect. But wannabe Gopals need the aid of external agents in their endeavours. From deo to dating via SMS. Here are some ads on the occassion of Janmashtami.
An Axe deodorant ad wishing Happy Janmashtami. An Axy take on the Dahi-Handi ceremony.
Here are a couple of wannabe Kishan ads of Indiatimes 8888's (now 58888) Dating-Sutra which invited the ire of some Hindu organisations. Topless gopis accompanying a Moto Razr wielding Emran Hashmi lookalike does have a high potential of offending sentiments.
Krishna (avatar of Vishnu) is perhaps the most loveable in the pantheon of Hindu gods. And this allows a lot of liberties to be taken in the Lord's name. Though the Lord wouldn't have minded most of them, some of his followers do.
Dating-Sutra, SMS DAT to 8888. You'll never be without a date.
Does the Sachar Committee report on the socio-economic status of Muslims in India look into the film industry and the Indian Cricket team? In both Bombay ruled for long, but like the city of Bombay both have astonishing tales to tell. Gulu Ezekiel (just learnt that his full name is Gul-Fraaz Mohan Ezekiel), in Hindustan Times, looks at the Muslim representation in the Indian Cricket team over the years and suggests, "Our politicians could well take a leaf out of Indian cricket’s history books rather than periodically condemning it."
Sanjay Patel, an animator with Pixar has kept most of the elements intact in his Little Book of Hindu Deities, but at the same time came up with an image of the goddess which can only be expressed in one word - cute. A friend says she is Amul Butter Girl cute.
There are other 'cute' gods and goddesses in the book (I haven't seen the book, this impression is from what's there on the website), but the transformation of Kali beats them all. Have a look:
There are two wallpapers available on the site for your desktop. One is Kali, the other is of Ganesha - the most artist friendly of the 330 million Hindu gods and goddesses (noticed that the media uses the unisex term, actor for both males and females in the acting profession. Does it apply for the deities too?). And thanks to Aquarianalien for pointing out the site.
The baritone of Birendra Krishna Bhadra reverberating the autumn dawn - Ya devi sarvabhuteshu - courtesy All India Radio (AIR) signals the arrival of autumn. The greens have already started browning, the Sharad Utsav is about to begin. Vishwakarma Puja, a few days ago, opened the doors of joyous festivity. This dusk when the sun shall set, there will be no moon to take its place. Tomorrow, there'll be one - a new one, the first of ten days of festivity and when the moon will become full, the East of India will welcome the goddess of wealth - Lakshmi - into their homes, others will wait till the following Amavasya, when Diwali commemorates the triumphal return of Lord Rama to Ayodha. East Indians (read Bengalis), revering the other avatar of Krishna avatar of Vishnu more, revert their religious focus back to Shakti - this time in the form of Kali... and the sequence continues.
For me the morning of Mahalaya marks the beginning of this all. I might miss it in the morning on radio, but I make it a point to listen to the Chandi Paath on that day. Not for religious reasons, but more for nostalgic ones. Father used to wake me and my brother up at the crack of dawn, just to listen to the broadcast on AIR. This MP3* of an excerpt from the oratorio invoking the goddess Durga by Birendra Krishna Bhadra (music Pamkaj Mallick), also has a long story. It was originally on an LP record, lying in the backroom of a music store in Bhopal's New Market. I asked the owner to record that into an audio tape and a few years later I converted it from a magnetic tape to MP3. The feeling is the same, only the technology has changed.
Here are a few links (as usual) commemorating the initiation of the season festive (download, listen, view, read - whatever): *Oratorio invoking the goddess Durga by Birendra Krishna Bhadra [MP3 2.26 MB 04:56 64 kbps Mono 44 kHz]
I usually make a conscious attempt to keep my abusive vocabulary under restraint. Just because it doesn't sound (and occasionally feel) good. And I have met with substantial success in my endeavour. But the autorickshaw drivers of Delhi, that that extra effort to expose my abusive angles. Today, when one of them, as usual refused to ply by the meter and quoted a fare which was three times of the justified. I simply let go (I usually fold my hands in the Gandhigiri style and smile at them). He attempted a counter attack but got an overdose. Good sense prevailed, he sped away.
The next one asked for 'only' ten rupees more than what I was willing to pay and therefore easily agreed to the unofficial logical fare. But he possessed an inquisitive mind and in the 30-minute long journey asked me questions ranging from the expanded form of NOIDA via the ethics of romancing in public to the prisoners at Cellular Jail. One of his queries was redarding the difference between the Islamic sects - the Shias and the Sunnis.
Don't know whether my answers quelled his thirst, but it got me thinking that so many non-Muslims know so less about Islam (Except for the stereotypical). Two years ago, I had read a simple, brief but explanatory article (though it reads more like a school text) on Islam, authored by (don't be surprised) Sgt. Kristen L Tull of the US Marine Corps. Information always helps. Here's the full text:
Islam: a peaceful religion at the core
Submitted by: MCAS Miramar Story Identification #: 200481918314 Story by Sgt. Kristen L. Tull
The following is just a partial list of prominent Parsis of Indian origin. For a population of 69,601 (33,949 males and 35,652 females) according to the 2001 census they are a hugely successful lot. But their numbers are fast dwindling; their population according to the 1991 census was 76,382, a fall of around 10,000 in 10 years. Alarming, it is.
Prominent Parsis (A partial list)
Adi Godrej AFS Talyarkhan Alisha Chinai Alyque Padamsee Ardeshir Godrej Ardeshir Irani Aruna Irani Avabai Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy Behram Contractor Bhikaji Cama Boman Irani Cyrus Broacha Cyrus Oshidar Cyrus Poncha Cyrus Poncha Cyrus Sahukar Dadabhai Naoroji Dinshaw Maneckji Petit Dorabji Tata Fardunjee Marzban Farobag Homi Cooper Farokh Engineer Farrukh Dhondy Feroze Gandhi Firdaus Kanga Framjee Nasarwanjee Patel Freddie Mercury Gary Lawyer Godrej Sidhwa Homi Jehangir Bhabha Homi K Bhabha Homi Nusserwanji Sethna Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata Jamshed Khudadad Irani Jamshetji Tata Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata KD Sethna KM Nanavati Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji Kaizad Gustad Khurshed F Nariman Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia Mancherjee Bhownagree Meher Baba Mehli Dinshaw Irani Mehli Mehta Nanabhoy Palkhivala Nari Contractor Nauheed Cyrusi Ness Wadia Nina Wadia Nusli Wadia Pallonji Mistry Perizaad Zorabian Persis Khambatta Pherozeshah Mehta Phiroze Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy Pirojsha Godrej Ratan Naval Tata Ratan Tata Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata Rattanbai Petit Rohinton Mistry Ronnie Irani Sam Manekshaw Sam Piroj Bharucha Shapurji Saklatvala Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy, 1st Baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, 2nd Baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, 3rd Baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, 4th Baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, 5th Baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, 6th Baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, 7th Baronet Sohrab Modi Soli Jehangir Sorabjee Sooni Taraporevala Zubin Mehta
Wanted to post this yesterday on the occasion of Navroz - the Parsi New Year, but the internet (as usual) was down.
Just for the sake of experimenting with new things moved to Blogger Beta. There are a lot of enhanced features, but for now almost all of them are of no good to me. You can make changes to your template very easily, but only if you're using one of Blogger's default templates. But html-java script semiliterate me had spend a lot of sleepless nights in designing my current template and I'm not going to let go it so easily. To add to my woes, I cannot post comments on other blogs which haven't shifted to the Beta version. And if someone has disabled the anonymous comment function, I can't voice my opinions. The guys at Blogger promise that things would soon be rectified. Once they are, with the additional features they are promising, it is definitely going to be an enhanced blogging experience.
Often people ask for answers to questions which might not have any realistic relevance. Given my usual antipathy about how things are done in this world, many friends and colleagues have put this hypothetical question before me, "What would you do if you were the Prime Minister?" How am I supposed to answer that question? The average age of Indian Prime Ministers is one at which I would like to blissfully lead a retired life, with great-grandchildren and all. On second thoughts, "I'll remove that column from government forms which asks for religion," I reply.
Religion to me is a very private affair, I don't like to discuss my beliefs and practices but often I have to, much to the displeasure of many. I don't like to visit temples - at least the modern ones. The gaudy architecture and the vulgar 'religious' imitation of popular Hindi film item-numbers being a few of the reasons. Religion is supposed to answer the unanswered. It delves into the unknown realms and fills the gaps of cognitive human knowledge and therefore should provide solace to the troubled soul. But when religion becomes an identity, things become complex and the troubles of the soul increase. When I complain about the unearthly noises at a time when I'm ready to depart for the oneiric realm, I am antireligious.
Is religion keeping the whole neighbourhood awake just because something you had yearned for happened, and you want to thank someone above for that? Or is religion about chanting something that I can't even remotely comprehend? Does religion ask for a circumcision check before thrusting that dagger into the abdomen? I don't want the answers. I've already witnessed the consequences.
It's that time of the year when mother Durga embarks on her annual vacation, family and pets in tow. The hills in autumn seem greener; the streams sparkle a little more. A thousand miles away from home, in a land somewhat alien I can't smell festivity in the air. The conch shells and the drumbeats reverberate in the nostalgic realm. I yearn for the doe-eyed beauties uneasy in their crisp sarees. My ears search for the strains of songs in the tongue I called my own.
They say this is a big city. It celebrates festivals of all hues. There are more than 10 million souls cramped in here, but at this time of the year I feel alone, all alone. It's a time of togetherness of bonding. In my little hill town I knew almost everybody, here in this metropolis all faces seem unfamiliar. With whom shall I share my excitement? To whom shall I narrate my loneliness?
Today is Mahalaya, the day of invocation of goddess Durga in her Mahisasurmardini form (the slayer of the demon Mahisasur). The beginning of the ten days of festivity. My father didn't wake me up at the crack of dawn to listen to Birendra Krishna Bhadra's oratorio (set to Pankaj Mallick's music) on All India Radio. I listened to an MP3 version on my PC instead.
It is of course a religious occasion, but it's not the gods that I miss, it is the people and the atmosphere. They might celebrate it here, but I don't feel at home, a home I've left a thousand miles behind. Memories that I'll cherish forever.
