Of People and Places

  A page from my sketchbook - Pigeons flying in the morning sky, Udaipur A morning walk in Udaipole,Udaipur just after a harrowing train ride from New Delhi. On the main road, children on push carts full of kites smiled at me. Later, they would sell them to the tourists gearing up for Makar Sankranti. Kite flying is looked forward to during the festival here. The sun was up and there was not a speck in the sky, until the roosting pigeons on the electricity poles and shop signs above, shook themselves up, cooed to each other and flew away.  All my blogposts of this visit to Rajasthan -  A folk musician in Udaipur The Kite Runners of Jaipur Inside Ajmer Dargah 

A sketch of CSI Wesley Cathedral, Mysore We stumbled on The CSI Wesley Cathedral on one of our long rambles around B N Road in Mysore . It looked a pretty sight, framed with overcast clouds. The weather made it an absolute joy to be outdoors.  The cathedral is over 140 years old and is one of the oldest churches in South India attached to the Church of South India (CSI). Rev. John Hachian of the Wesleyan Mission sought support in England and collected funds to build this church.  One of the best things about having a sketchbook around at all times, is it lets me cherish moments like this one. And when I revisit the sketch later, it transports me back to the time I was at the place :) 

Part two of the conversation with Abhishek. To read part one of this conversation – click here . Many of the questions that he struggles with, I struggle with too. Some I had thought I had put to peace, but I was mistaken. We talk about things that make me uncomfortable. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone, to confront, to look truth in the eyes – It needs courage doesn’t it? Continued… So you think theatre can play an important role in bringing about change. Theatre can be a powerful influence. In the history of theatre performance in India, most plays were written for the stage, for the middle class and the elite. After independence, the style of writing changed – but even these plays were for people who were wealthy enough to give patronage to theatres. In parallel, a movement began – of working with the common people and performing amid them. Prithvi theatre and IPTA (Indian People’s Theatre Association) – used to go to towns and villages an...

Tomb of Iltutmish, Qutub complex On a cold morning, wearing three layers of clothes I set out to the Qutub Minar by walk.  I was delighted that my friend's house was within walking distance. In the crisp morning, it was pleasant to be moving around in the sunshine. But the occasional gusts of wind can really get you! I walked past Indian guides speaking to tourists in fluent Korean, Mandarin and Spanish. Wearing masks and impeccably dressed, the tourists stood about with garlands of marigold and a spot of sindoor, given ceremoniously by the tour guide in that 'oh so Indian' way. And then it began. The onslaught of children as they filed in, in unruly queues, jumping, pushing, shoving, being shoved by their teachers and yelling at the top of their voices. School bus after school bus disgorged their young, eager passengers and wary school teachers. They gawked at the foreign tourists, cast shy glances at girls, ignored the Qutub Minar and proceeded to the innu...

In Gokarna, many women from the Halakki Vokkaliga tribe are seen selling flowers near the temple. Gaunt, tanned and barefoot, they are distinct because of their clothes, style of draping and the beads they wear around their neck. This 'gowdathi' was selling some lotus flowers and looked bright and pretty among a crowd of French tourists backpacking across Karnataka. I see a lot of old women...where are the youngsters of this tribe? Gokarna is a curious mix of a temple town and a hippie haven. It's a beautiful place. Don't miss it if you travel to Karnataka.  

Belgaum has many beautiful houses dating back to colonial times. With gothic arches, linear shaped buildings, terracotta tiles, they express a serenity and calmness that is hard to find these days. Some people do continue to live in these houses whereas some have an abandoned look. These buildings have an interesting blend of British, Kannada and Marathi architecture.Most of these houses are built from stone, mud bricks with high ceilings, cast iron railings,ornate windows and roofs. I wish we had a heritage walk in Belgaum where we are guided by experts on the history of these buildings. I am sure it would be an enriching experience.

On the banks of the lake Pichola in Udaipur, A folk musician played a stringed instrument while tourists milled about. He was playing a Ravanhatha, it has a beautiful sound and surprising resonance. The sound is bewitching, especially when he does a legato kind of thing (slide from one note to another after it is played) It is called  meend in Hindustani Classical  music where one note dissolves into another seamlessly. He played popular hindi songs diving into one from the other while tourists walked past to other attractions. The lake Palace stood behind him,  blinding white, enigmatic and mysterious to us outsiders. It must be quite something to stay at the Palace, which has now been converted to a luxury hotel. Right in the middle of the lake! How exciting.