Pune is today among the most cosmo city with real culture. They talk softly, don’t push and break lines like the rest of India. Behave. Rarely cheat or abuse, unless provoked then the Maratha rule and role come to surface! Peshwas DNA is there. Don’t forget this is also the land of Swaraj is my Birthright. […]Read More
As Holi approaches, the colours of India come to play. Before that, by Basant Panchami there’s Spring in the air, anyway. Then there was the Mahakumbh where 50 crore Indians mostly, brought colours to the sangam of three rivers – Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati – from all over the world. Then colours are brought individually, […]Read More
Mysore pak, Mumbai Masala and Mahakumbh. That’s the canvas this month. Add the marriage of Brazil with India; folk with modern and tags with riches-to-rags story. Mysore Pak Mysore is the erstwhile royal kingdom out of which Karnataka was born. The Ekikarana movement which started in the later half of the 20th century, culminated in […]Read More
Akumal Ramachander Unusual name. Unusual man. An alien as he often called himself. Possessed by more than a missionary zeal to help arts and artists; a brilliant mind and heart of gold. A world citizen, even if born in a village, with roots in Mulkanaddu. Mother’s side in the court of Mysore Maharaja and father, an Army […]Read More
What better time than today to recount this immortal poem by poet Iqbal …Saare Jahan Se Achcha Hindustan Hamara. Hindustan is a concept; Hinduism, a philosophy. India is an amalgamation of many states, regions, kingdoms put together that held by a common belief. After the Indus age, the pre and post-Vedic ages (see chart for […]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
Ram… Rama…Ramayeti dominated the cultural eco system last month. With the official opening of the Ram lalla temple at Ayodhya, many artistes made a beeline to visit and have the chance to perform there. Was is to get political or media eyeballs or just sheer devotion, or both, only they can say. Each to own. […]Read More
While most things start humbly, some grow to become a banyan tree. “Sitting under a banyan tree, you’d find a Bharatanatyam teacher” my father was told in 1940s, when he asked Ram Gopal group members Mrinalini Sarabhai and MK Saroja where to learn Bharatanatyam from. They said so because their teacher Vidwan Muthukumaran Pillai had […]Read More
© 2019-23, Lifeandmore. All rights reserved | Powered by LaserWebMaker.Com
