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
Gurukul we have heard of. A place where young ones went to learn. Today, a cool guru is the operative word! Seeing young India and them millennials at a Sunday morning function celeb a 75-year-old guru (though she looks 50 – proving once again dance keeps one young, fit and smiling – like this Guru Sucheta Chapekar […]Read More
Today in cultural field, or even in ancillary industries like hotel/ food/ fashion/ weddings the word curator or curated by is often used. The dictionary meaning says: the selection and care of objects to be shown in a museum or to form part of a collection of art, an exhibition, etc or the curation of […]Read More
A very healthy new year! Happy now means healthy; Post Covid has taught us that. A for…. a year ahead with hope. A for… a new way to think A for … Not my name or me but just be! The year started with A book, A film and A conversation @BIC. That’s Bangalore International […]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
© 2019-23, Lifeandmore. All rights reserved | Powered by LaserWebMaker.Com
