In my first article of this series I have mentioned about the tradition of Boita Bandana and Bali Jatra that commemorate the glorious maritime adventures of Odias in South East Asia. The businessmen who engaged in such maritime trade were known as sadhabas. There is a popular folk tale in Odisha about one of sadhaba … Continue reading The Missing History of Hindustan
mera gaon mera desh
Having missed the theme reveal post as I was late in waking up to the AtoZ challenge, I hope this post would compensate for that. In almost all Indian languages, a village is called a Gramam or any of its minor variations. Same way the word palli and its minor variations (like in Kannada it … Continue reading mera gaon mera desh
What about some thoughts for foods?
Having chosen a deshi theme, I will be talking of Indian Foods. Nothing in particular. Some random observations foraged over the years. Disclaimer: I am neither a foodie nor some kind of a Chef- in- the-making taking advantage of the period of lock down. A sweet battle with our neighbour Unlike some Indian states which … Continue reading What about some thoughts for foods?
we can’t do away with English but …
I had the opportunity of listening to William Dalrymple when he had come to the Times Literature Festival, Bengaluru this year to promote his latest book - The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company. From his account it appears that, unlike the Mughals, the British did not have to struggle either to … Continue reading we can’t do away with English but …
danda nacha- a religiocultural celebration since time immemorial
It is one of those few memories of my early childhood. Or it could be the first series of events of my life that I am still able to recall in bits and pieces. I am attending the famous Danda Nacha closing ceremony at a village named Gallery with my mother and my grandmother. The … Continue reading danda nacha- a religiocultural celebration since time immemorial
Can Indian Classical Music Kill Corona Virus?
Myth: Playing of Indian Classic music kills Corona virus in the surroundings. Truth : Forget about killing, there is no evidence to suggest that Indian classical music has remotely disturbed the cellular composition of the virus. A time may come when WHO delivers the above message to our cell phones. I would agree with it, … Continue reading Can Indian Classical Music Kill Corona Virus?
my B-town connections
Because ‘Bombay’ starts with the alphabet B and most of the Hindi movies borrowed their style and substance from Hollywood, I think the naming of Hindi Film Industry as Bollywood was perfectly logical. The yellow journalists used to call Bombay the B-town, while using it with reference to the glitterati that inhabited the city. By … Continue reading my B-town connections
the land of exceptional arts
image source: https://thesrinibash.wordpress.com/2018/11/22/160/ In the month of October/ November every year, the ancient city of Cuttack is witness to the largest open fair of Asia. Known as Bali Jatra, the festival starts on the full moon of Kartik and continues for a week or so. There is another event that happens throughout Odisha on the … Continue reading the land of exceptional arts
will vasudhaiva kutumbakam ever be a reality?
Today when the whole of humanity is divided even in the face of a common enemy, what lofty ideals our ancient seers had. They conceived of a utopia where the whole humanity is bonded like a one family. This was long before a map of the whole world was available. By virtue of my association … Continue reading will vasudhaiva kutumbakam ever be a reality?
that which we call progress
What we call progress is nothing but our solutions of the puzzles thrown at us. Some of them are cosmic, some local, some biological, some social, some related with our survival and so on. Every answer brings new questions. Matter is composed of molecules. What about the composition of molecules? What about the composition of … Continue reading that which we call progress
