One is in the official state of Lord of the Universe literally, Jagannath! He is everywhere. Even in the lift, as in photo below, one can see the devotion. The beauty of Odiya culture is its total surrender to Lord Jagannath through flowers, food and fan club of the lord. On every table, in most homes […]Read More
When parents name their new borns, often there is astrological, family or social realities to consider. I was originally named Arvind, after Sri Aurobindo. My eyes were like buttons and stood out, hence Arvind meaning eyes ( like lotus). Lochan got added! Why? The story comes in a while. How good ideas and bad names […]Read More
As Independence Day approaches, I’m reminded of Swaraj is my birthright slogan. Today it has a totally new meaning: I ,me, myself. Tilak, Bal (nothing childish about him) Gangadhar was a Puneite. Well, that’s how we remember him even if he was born in Bombay he was brought up in Pune. Growing up in Punjab […]Read More
Raja is not a word, it is a state of being. Raja aadmi means dil se raja – large hearted. Not merely royalty. Merely? Them royals might kill me and the story of Seraikella killings come to mind. Seraikella Chhau on cover of Surya mag (March 1977) of Maneka Gandhi Seraikella is a small principality which […]Read More
Culture is often defined by symbols. So Indus had that dancing girl from Mohenjodaro, which some later day historians claimed wasn’t even really Mohenjodaro or a dancing girl but a girl with hip problems! (Since it is bent at hip). France has Eiffel Tower. Italy has pasta and Leaning Tower of Pizza, err, Pisa. America – such […]Read More
It is considered impolite to begin a sentence with I, me, myself and thereby hangs a tale. The tale of two cities, two cultures. India and Bharat. Modern and ancient. Yesterday and today. I, me, myself is a new malaise effecting us Indians. A new virus. Another virus is calling anyone up anytime just because […]Read More
The year-end always becomes a time for stocktaking. This year let us examine where arts and culture is headed as a nation. Are we a nation? Or an assembly of different states, all knit together with one thread of being Indian. What is even Indian in India of today? Food, fashion or faltu things. Faltu […]Read More
Let’s face books. Not time pass facebook or data, meta, peta. What’s a book? Paper, cover, print and photos? Or, between two covers there are ideas that can change world, inspire individuals or help motivate society? Even move governments or make them fall. But, books today are like the radio of a bygone era. A […]Read More
India being larger than Schengen countries (they have 26 countries, we 28 states plus 8 union territories), how does one even plan or think of one policy for the entire country? Well, we have one on agriculture then why not culture, aver many? Or we have on economic, social, financial and even maybe one on coal and mines! […]Read More
Happiness Class or Curriculum. What an idea, Sir ji. Whose? HH the Dalai Lama, no less. Where? Delhi govt. schools, as models. And thanks to the most sauve Delhi culture-scene broadcaster Rajiv Mehrotra – he of the PBS fame – a documentary got made on the subject, recently screened at the IIC, Delhi. Dr Binay […]Read More
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