16 December 2008

Christmas in good ol' Cal

Nearly a fortnight is left before we can wish each other a 'Merry Christmas', but my mind is already there, in good ol' Cal - conjuring up images of a brightly lit Park Street and Park Circus, the grand midnight mass at St. Paul's Cathedral, an effervescent Flurys and Nahoums selling its delectable fare, and a colourful New Market where frantic last-minute shopping for christmas trees, stuffed Santas and colourful confetti is on for the big day.
Its been over 6 years since I have been in the city for Christmas; and this time around, when I am keenly hoping to be there, the very thought of it makes my heart skip. For those who are not from Kolkata, its a feeling hard to come by and even fathom. Christmas in Kolkata, during a pleasant December end, is "different", charming and cheerful. Those fond memories kept crawling back every year...this year I will be there to relive them once more!

10 December 2008

Music, books and love…in a time of recession

The other day, while speaking to a friend, I learned, how the present economic slowdown has affected our lives in more ways than one…Apart from the financial crunch which we all seem to be struggling with i.e eating-out less, cutting down on movies as well as the habitual splurges - here’s what a few of my friends/acquaintances, who have either received the dreaded pink slip, or are sitting idle in office are up to these days.

Vikram – is learning photography and writing more.

Ritika – is detoxing somewhere near the turquoise shores of Thailand. Her new found interests post-the job loss, includes, yoga and reading books on spirituality.

Varun – has found “true love”…(wonder whether the girl shares the same sentiment though??)

Atul – is helping his wife with cooking these days…(my thumbs-up for that!!!)

Prachi – is seriously contemplating taking up music, her first love, as a full-time career option.

***All names have been changed to protect privacy of the individuals.

08 December 2008

It’s Cheers to the Bengali sondesh now…

The Bengali’s love for the venerable sweetmeat or ‘mishti’, as Bengalis call it, is as feted as is his intellectual fervour. Everytime I have returned from Kolkata, a bagful of mishtidoi (sweet curd), rasgolla, or sondesh (of different shapes and sizes) have been stuffed into malleable polythenes, each to be handed later to my many non-bengali and Bengali friends/colleagues residing in Delhi. Often the sweetmeats would dissapear within minutes of the boxes being opened – with my hungry friends hankering for more…and complaining simultaneously that the quantity was too less!!

The other day, while rummaging through the newspaper, I read that a well-known Bengali confectioner had introduced what he termed as the “Rum-Sondesh”, i.e sondesh laden with rum…. Now, I don’t know how many of my friends have already read that news piece…. but I can well imagine what my bagful of sweets would weigh on my next return from Kolkata!

P: S - In an unfamiliar little lane near Russel Street, in Kolkata, you can also find ‘rum-phuchka’ that’s nothing but delicious pani-puri served with rum instead of tamarind water...'Rum'-pum-pum...I can already hear you guys singing!!

07 December 2008

A musical tribute


Yesterday, music lovers from all across the city braved the chill of a crisp December evening to gather at Delhi’s Nehru Park. The occasion – Music at the Park, an event promoted by Spicmacay, which had invited sarod- maestro Amjad Ali Khan.

Dressed in his trademark churidaar-kurta, the sarod master took to the stage with an appeal for world peace and harmony; and thanked the 300-odd audiences who had turned up despite “red alerts” issued across the city post 26/11.

As he strummed the firm chords of the sarod, playing the lilting ‘Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je’ (gandhiji’s favourite bhajan), a carnatic piece, a newly composed concerto and many more compositions, the crowds listened rapt - enjoying the Ustaad’s every delicate move and nimble manouever on the sarod, as well as the impish challenges he put forward to the tabla players, to match up to his skills.

P.S: music lovers, as I have already mentioned in this write-up had turned up to savour the fine tunes of the sarod. There were those who enjoyed music, those who were connoisseurs, some who wanted to learn more about Indian classical music and others who wanted to catch a glimpse of the Ustaad himself. However there was one cheerful Indian fellow sitting behind me, explaining frantically to his firaang friends about Amjad Ali Khan’s music and his mastery over the “santoor”. …WAIT. Did I hear that correctly – the SANTOOR? Yes, the SANTOOR it was, which he repeated time and again and confidently so, throughout his mini-lesson on Indian music to credulous foreign guests!!

02 December 2008

Is India still shining??

The much-hyped phrase “India shining” seems to have lost its sheen very drastically…its “India blazing” now…full of black smoke and soot, symbolically captured in the burning of the Taj hotel. The outpouring of anger and frustration of the citizens of this country is completely justified – after all, for years it’s the common man, who has borne the brunt of callous governance.

It has taken a 26/11 for us Indians to sit up and take note – the intelligentsia and the affluent are FINALLY speaking. These affluent voices were never so strong during the 2006 blasts of Mumbai or the series of terror strikes in Delhi, Jaipur or Bangalore. 26/11 is nothing but a rude shock for US, the affluent Indian – we are shaken out of our wits because we are finally scared.

In its 60 years of existence as a “free” nation India has added quite a few colourful feathers to its vast repertoire of achievements. However, basic minimum amenities of food, shelter and clean water still remain a distant dream for millions in this country – add to that widespread poverty, illiteracy, caste divide, female infanticide, regionalism, a neglected north-east…. well the list just goes on…So are we indeed free then?

To put it across very simply, in countries like Norway, Sweden, Australia, Japan, Switzerland and many other nations, the human development index is rich because the state and its citizens act ‘responsibly’ – social welfare, education, economic development and life expectancy are the prime pillars for a “quality life”. India on the other hand is a burning cauldron – with its own social ills, grave economic divisions between classes, and crass politics; and until these frayed issues are cooled it is in vain for a country like ours to proclaim itself to be “shining”.

Its time we did some serious soul-searching and asked some basic questions - are we indeed “responsible” citizens? Is it not time to get our own house in order first before pointing the finger of blame at others?

28 November 2008

Mumbai

We have seen it all, 24 hr television, online news, blogs and on social networking sites – the trauma, the scare and the bloodbath perpetrated in the three-day long siege of a city we all love. Amidst the shock, the distress and the death there was one piece of news that trickled into our humdrum lives – my close relative had lost a very good friend by the name of Kaizad. Kaizad, a Taj hotel staff lost his life inside the kitchen, after receiving 3 gunshots. He was on his way to becoming one of India's most sought-after young chefs. In his last moments, Kaizad called some of his closest friends, in an effort maybe to say a final ‘goodbye’.

For me Kaizad is just a casual acquaintance – someone I had met only once at a relative’s wedding – a tall, strappy fellow in his mid twenties, marked by a quiet and calm demeanour. Images of that wedding night flicker in my mind…and more poignantly now.

Kaizad is only one of those unknown faces amidst the many hundreds who have lost their lives in this dastardly act. And in the end, the so-called ‘spirit’ of Mumbai will indeed live on – hopefully our collective conscience will not forget this attack on our pride, our souls and our lives.

26 September 2008

going,going…Gone

OK so the TATA’s have finally made up their minds –to bid adieu to the hostile terrain of singur. I saw the first rollout of machinery on huge trucks and felt like its big wheels were crushing all my hopes, prayers and earnest wishes for them to stay on – for the hundreds who need to earn a living, for the dwindling image of West Bengal and for poor old CM Bhattacharya’s sake. For every proactive step that he takes, a defiant and over-zealous CPM politburo and a recalcitrant leader by the name of Mamata di (if only she had an ounce of ‘mamata’ (compassion) left in her) crush all his hopes and condemn his efforts; so much so, that the poor old man is left fuming helplessly and ends up saying an unpalatable ‘sorry’ for even daring to speak up. So much for living in a democracy!!

02 September 2008

The hills beckoned again...

The hills beckoned once again, and this time it was Mukteshwar. I had visited Mukteshwar about 5 years back, and was expecting it to have been ravaged by commercialisation like a la Nainital. But lo! The undulating greens, the rustling trees swathed the hills like it has been forever. The rains played spoilt sport and dashed all our hopes of trekking through the narrow pathways garlanding the hills – we were caught up indoors, either reading, listening to music, chatting or playing with my niece. And once the sun shone bright on the hills and the happy rainbow smiled from a corner, we were up and about – packed our umbrellas and water bottles in the blink of an eye and literally ran out of the hotel to savour every moment. The shiv-mandir, chauthi jaali and the view from the PWD bungalow were all part of this itinerary….by the end of it we were thirsty and somewhat hungry too, and were lucky to find a shabby roadside tea stall. I was kind of hesistant about the quality of tea that would be served in this scruffy little place…. but minutes later a man and his wife, sexagenarians both, walked upto us with happy faces and served the most amazing masaala chai I have had in years. We made ourselves comfortable on the roadside milestones and makeshift stone seats, while sipping tea and listening to stories of their life and living in these ardous hills…somewhat amazed at their tenacity and touched by their joi-de-vivre.

06 April 2008

Dollops of ghee.....served with love!!!

Glorious, luxurious, magnanimous- I am still recovering from my recent visit to Amritsar. After a fulfilling visit to the peaceful Golden Temple, we took an auto to navigate our way through crowded roads, lanes and by lanes in our mission to find the best paranthas, delicious chicken tikka, rich lassi, crispy jalebi...(Ok, stop now, I can hear telling myself!!)
The love of a true-blue Punjabi for his guest is reflected in the quantity of food (mostly laden with dollops of ghee) he offers and kind of forces them to eat. We met many such jaunty restaurant owners, who loved food and loved it even more to watch their guests relish.

P.S: My gym instructor fails to understand how on earth I could possibly put on those 3 kilos in 3 days....the love of my Punjabi hosts is indeed showing!!!

Goa, Yoga or the Great Indian Wedding

Brand India added just another feather to its ever-increasing repertoire of achievements. From emerging as one of the largest economies in the world, it is now being touted as one of the world’s greatest holiday destinations offering the ‘authentic’ oriental experience—be it massages, marriages or medical tourism.
Once the much-hyped land of rope-walkers and snake-charmers, India is now basking in its newfound status as the spiritual and the spirited. The government, too, is investing millions in luring the globetrotters to the country’s exotic locales.
Liz-Hurley and Chatwal-Sachdev, the recent celebrity couples to marry in India, were extravaganzas where both bride and groom flew in from hundreds of miles away—only to savour an authentic Indian wedding. Set against the backdrop of heritage sites like the Mehrangarh Fort and the Umaid Bhawan Palace, these opulent bashes were replete with naach-gaana and all such exotic fanfare that make the ‘great Indian wedding’.
Marriage Tourism, according to experts, is a million-dollar industry which not only brings in foreign exchange but also provides the much-needed impetus to local folk artistes, handicrafts and all things quintessentially Indian. And, as India vies for a share of the lucrative Medical Tourism market, Ayurveda, an ancient Hindu healing method, has also seen resurgence through the techniques like meditation and yoga especially to wealthy tourists.
India hogged the spotlight even at the recently held International Tourism Bourse 2007 in Berlin, the largest tourism fair in the world. As the official partner country, it showcased its vast array of new tourism products—also a part of its Incredible India campaign. So, if Europe has wine gourmet tour guides, India’s flaunting its tea-tasting tourist circuits. Pitted against the luxurious spas of the world are India’s traditional massages and beauty treatments. That apart there are pilgrimages, heritage trips and Eco-tourism along with the sea-sand-and-sun experience that is Goa. Also touted as the next big thing is Convention Tourism—providing just the right mix of work and pleasure to business tourists.
Tourism experts say that the country has a fascinating array of exotic locales, quality resorts and a 5000-year-old rich culture—plenty to lure every traveler. According to the 2006 Conde Nast Readers’ Travel Awards, India is the flavour of the season among overseas holidayers. It features as the fourth most attractive holiday destinations of the world, ahead of traditional hot spots like US, France, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa.
International tourists visiting India can now look forward to better travel links (roads, airports and railways), lower fares and overall improved infrastructure. A surge of hospitality properties—including service apartments in hot-spots like Goa, Kerala and metros like Bangalore and Mumbai—are contributing to this upward trend in tourism.
India’s landscape is changing, what with its growing political and economic stability and increasing opportunities for business and investment. The government’s proactive policies vis-à-vis the vibrant Incredible India campaign, tax concessions to promote infrastructure, budget airlines and FDI flow into tourism are boosting tourism in the country like never before.
Figures have it that Indian tourism is a significant segment of the country’s economy—estimated at a whopping US$ 32 billion, 5.3 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). India’s domestic tourism is expected to increase by 15–20 per cent p.a. over the next five years.
As more and more tourists flocking India, their number is expected to rise to 5 million in 2007. And, with the country hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games, this share will only increase to about 1.5 per cent in 2010 from a mere 0.52 per cent in 2006. Incredible indeed, India’s tourism industry is poised to grow to about US$ 90 billion—from the current US$ 39 billion—in the coming 10 years.
All efforts to diversify tourist attractions by offering new products such as adventure tourism, wellness tourism, medical tourism and golf tourism will surely spur international as well as on domestic tourism. Poised to be the ‘No. 1 tourism destination’, India is sending out the invitations: Come one, come all!