Reflections

It’s only recently that I have taken to wearing Bindi and considering that we live in a country where women have been putting Bindi for generations, it feels odd to make that statement.I t’s actually amusing to notice people reaction and prejudice to wearing a dot on your head these days, especially in North India.  Incidentally, where I live I used to wear it only on family gatherings and festivals and weddings. And though I was never questioned or forced for wearing a Bindi in my family, it made me wonder that all these years I have seen my mother wear Bindi everyday and somehow I don't wear it.. why? Bindi, I feel has become more of a fashion statement these days rather than being a part of daily attire as in my mothers generation. And Bollywood has a great role to play in it, considering I grew up watching films like DDLJ, or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Yes Boss etc. shot mostly in foreign countries po...

Nava means nine and ratri means night. Like we spend nine months in our mothers womb, these nine nights are a time for self referral, a time for reflection, a time to go inwards and celebrate. In West Bengal, people celebrate Navaratri with a lot of artistic fervor, their is feast and celebrations. People get together for the famous Dhanuchi Naach - where women dance with the earthen pots filled with coconut husks, shells and incense lit on fire to the traditional beats of 'Dhaks'. People dress up in the best of traditional attires and take part in the festivities which is a way to show reverence to Goddess Durga. In north India, people set up 'pandals' or exhibitions with huge statues adoring Ma Durga in her various forms slaying the demons. But has anyone ever wondered that did those demons really exist? Where did all the fight happen? Who were these demons troubling the common people? As per Vedic knowledge, the first three days are the days of tamo gun...

On the Independence day eve last year, me & my sister decided to visit this beautiful & unexplored place called Hampi. This place is actually like an open museum ground, where one can spend days & weeks exploring the rich temple architecture of India. Also known as Vijayanagar in olden days, in India. This was supposedly the most richest & affluent village during India's golden age. This small village had two huge Ganesha statues greeting us, just as we entered. However these are not ordinary Ganesha Statues, they are hand carved out of huge monolithic boulders measuring about 8ft. Known as Sasivekalu Ganesha and Kadalekalu Ganesha. Here Lord Ganesha appears like a huge Black Sesame seeds. The story goes that once a merchant from far away land had came to Hampi to sell his Sesame Seeds and was granted permission by the kind hearted king to set up his stall in one of the markets. There, he sold all his goods & became so rich that he wanted to give something ba...

Having spent most of my childhood in North India in the capital city, Delhi and nearby areas with frequent trips to homeland nested in Himalayas, I never imagined my first trip down south to be so mesmerizing! One of the recent places I visited was Madhurai. The name Madhurai is derived from the Sanskrit word “ Madhur ” which means sweetness. This place is synonymous with Meenakshi Amman temple situated on the banks of River Vaigai.  It has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era more than 2500 years old. It used to be the commercial and cultural centre for the great Pandya kings. According to the legend, the city got its name from the sweetness (Madhur) of nectar that was showered by the Hindu God Shiva from his matted hair when the city was built around this temple. The architecture of this city was built in accordance to the “Shilpa Shastras”, which are ancient texts about urban planning. The city architecture is built in the shape of lotus flower...