Truly a star on earth

Watching ‘Taare Zameen Par’ will make you feel nostalgic about your school days says Anita Iyer.

The story of Taare Zameen Par revolves around an eight year old kid Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) who suffers from dyslexia. The child is always in his dream world filled with colours, fishes, space ships and drawing them on canvas but least interested in numbers and alphabets. When things don’t seem to get better, he is packed off to a boarding school but things get too worse than before. The child goes into shell, keeps to himself and leaves painting his imaginations as he did earlier.

Adding to this is the trauma of being away from his family. The bonding between the son and his mother (Tisca Chopra) leaves you moist-eyed at several moments. Then, to help the child, a new arts teacher enters the boarding school, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan). He provides wings to Ishaan’s imagination and helps him break out from his shell.

It is a movie that doesn’t merely entertain but also educates the audience about the learning disorder dyslexia. As Aamir discovers patterns in Ishaan’s book like mirror image writings, confusion between same sounding words, the viewers are also able to learn and connect with him.

The child, Ishaan is capable to hold on the audiences in the first half without the entry of Aamir Khan and also excels in the second half. At many places, the small kid leaves you spell bound with his natural acting skills and you can actually feel how the kid might be struggling every day. The child’s emotions are captured in beautiful way leaving tears in your eyes throughout.

At the end, Aamir Khan emerges as a true story-teller and deserves a merit to make the child perform in an impeccable manner. The compositions by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and soothing to your ears and accentuate the scenes. The lyric of the song Maa by Prasoon Joshi rightly explains the bond between the son and the mother. Also special note has to made of the visual effects and animations in the movie.

Watching the movie makes you feel nostalgic about our own school days. The movie has a message for all saying parents also pressurize their children to excel academically but parents should enhance the hidden potentials in their child.

Looking at the promos gives an impression that it is a kiddie movie but in the movie a grave problem is discussed in a spectacular manner. It is a movie to be watched along with your kids and it surely change the way you look at them!

Believe in yourself

Raghav Sachar, an up-coming music director and a self-taught master of 30 musical instruments shares a moment with, Anita Iyer

• Tell us something about your background? Do you come from musical lineage?

I do not have a musical lineage but my father’s natural interest in music developed a musical talent in me too. I remember my father who was a Police DG and he had gifted me the first ever-musical instrument ‘Harmonica’ on my fourth birthday and since then he gifted me a new instrument on every birthdays.

• Did you have a craze to learn to play so many instruments from the childhood itself?

I had a fetish for musical instruments right from the beginning. On every birthday I received an instrument and today I play 30 musical instruments including saxophone, harmonica, flute etc. Looking at the instrument, I knew I could play it. As a child, when I used to play the instrument people used to appreciate my talent, this was a motivating factor for me to perform well.

• What are the instruments you play?

The harmonica, flute, three kinds of saxophones, the keyboard, the clarinet, the recorder, the blues harp, the guitar and the didgeridoo (a long wooden flute) are some of them.

• Where did you perform during your initial years?

My father admitted me in a music school in Delhi when I was eight and that further brushed my musical talent. I used to love playing the guitar during my school days and was a part of the rock band - “Canzona”. Along with this band, I traveled all over India and played at IIT Institutions, BITS Pilani etc.

• As a budding artist, who were your inspirations?

I was fond of R D Burman and Mohammed Rafi in my initial years. I used to love Kenny G and his music.

• How did you get started with your career in music?

I used to perform with Canzona rock band and others too. In the meantime, I was involved in making jingles with Shantanu Moitra and Daniel B George. Later in 2001, I went to Monash University in Australia to study Music & Composition and I also specialized in Jazz. When in Australia, I was called by Shantanu Moitra for playing in albums for Shubha Mudgal and Viva. Later, when I came to India I worked on Bollywood flicks like Kal Ho Na Ho, Hum Tum, Kyon Ho Gaya Na, Parineeta and Dhoom, Parineeta and a few more.

• How did you land up being a music composer of ‘Kabul Express’?

I was called for by Yashraj clan for instrumentation of old Yashraj songs. While the proposal was in process, one person saw my composition and they asked if I would like to pitch music for their movie Kabul Express. I readily agreed and the rest is history. Kabul Express was a hit but the instrumentation album never took off!

• Your songs have a lot of western influence complete with jazz to Arabic tones?

While I went for my education abroad, I travelled extensively in South East Asia performing at places like Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia etc. So, when I compose there is a blend of music inspired from different countries, so you can hear diverse genres and fusions in my music. Also, my soul and essence is Indian but education is western so there is again a blend.

• You have worked for Bollywood songs and also albums. So, what do you love doing the most?

I enjoy doing my albums, as my albums are mirror images of events that have happened in my life. The visuals in the video are triggered by personal experiences and my feelings are penned as lyrics in the songs. Whereas, when you compose for movies, there are restrictions. At a point your freedom ends and you have to follow what the director says so your creativity gets restricted.

• How lucrative or challenging is it to perform shows in India and abroad?

Internationally, the audience has a better understanding of the western instruments I play. Also, in India, more importance is given to the singers than the musicians.

• What are you currently working on?

‘Play it loud’ is my recent album, besides that I am composing tracks for movies by Kumar Mangat like Sunday, Halle Dil etc and also some prominent banners.

• Did you even guess that you would achieve so much so early in life?

I think I was lucky as I started off with my career at an early age and also had my bachelors in music. What further came as a boon was that I got noticed and my music was liked by people.

• Now that you have tasted success what is the mantra of your success for aspiring talents?

My advice would be remain focused and be determined to the field. Always believe in yourself and no obstacles can pull you down.

Magic with lasers

Known for his animated series on Panchatantra, Manick Sorcar converses with Anita Iyer about his magical animation journey.

• Being son of legendary magician P.C. Sorcar how did laser excite you rather than magic?
  

I am excited more about doing magic with laser than doing traditional magic. Love for art and science is something, I inherited from my father, late P.C. Sorcar. As a youngster, I helped in painting the backdrops and the lightning design for the various magic items, which inspired me to become an electrical engineer and artist. I still remember, my father taught us that anything can be 'magic' when it is 'extraordinary'. So, I create magic through Laser animations!

• How did you get introduced to laser lighting?

It sort of came as a by-product of lighting in which I had hands-on experience as a child, trained as a part of my engineering degree, and still practicing it. Laser is the acronym name for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation and is a special type of lighting. At my electrical engineering firm in USA we deal with laser lighting for many purposes. Being also an animator and director of our own stage shows, one day it struck me to use the strong beam of laser for animation on stage. The challenge was how to tame the dangerous stick of light to act as a painting brush. One led to another and soon I was using laser animation to act with live actors on stage. The results were astonishing, which brought me recognition and took off like a rocket.

• Tell us something about your initial experiments using laser for animation?

My traditional animation dealt with drawing on papers with a pen, or painting directly on a computer canvas with an electronic pen for animated movements. For laser animation, the strong beam of light is manipulated to be used as a painting brush and then use it either on the screen for 2D or in the space for a 3D animation.

• How difficult was it in 1980's to make an animated character before the revolution in computer graphics?
  

Very difficult, because virtually all art work needed to be done by hand, which needed a great amount of manpower. Computer helped in doing the in-betweens and painting the background scenes, but even today, I prefer to draw some of the important movements of animated characters by hand to give the warmth in it. Computer softwares tend to give a mechanical look in the movements, which I do not like.

• What was the main motive behind making animated series based on Indian stories like ‘Panchtantra’? Was it to revive our Indian culture?

The original purpose was to attract my two US-born daughters to their roots and Indian culture. The first film “Deepa & Rupa” was based on a classic fable from Bengal where live action was uniquely weaved with animated characters. My older daughter Piya (then 12) acted in the lead role. The film bagged over half a dozen top awards from international film festivals and was telecast on TV numerous times. The cultural gap that I was trying to bridge for my daughters, soon got international exposure and was warmly welcomed by mainstream America. It was vividly clear that there was a demand for quality animation for children, which will provide more than just temporary entertainment. I made a series of animation based on fables from the Panchatantra, and other classic sources of India, which became popular at schools, and were repeatedly telecast on prestigious educational channels around the country. I am proud to say, this will be the 16^th straight year my animation films will be aired by the prestigious Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Channels of Colorado; next telecast will be on the New Years Day, January 1, 2008 when the US state will ring in the first morning with these classic Indian animations.

• Tell us something about the production of 'Deepa and Rupa' in 1990, as it was one of its kinds in India?

Deepa & Rupa was recorded as the Very First Indian animation mixed with live action. It was my first major production and the key actors were my daughter Piya (Rupa), and Deepa Reddy (Deepa). It took me almost three years to make as I could only work on it at nights, weekends, and any time I could spare from my daytime engineering profession. It was made in the late eighties when softwares on character animation and picture scanners were still unheard of. As a result, a good portion of the movements of animated characters and background scenes were hand painted and then frame-grabbed to be digitized. It was a long painstaking process, but the end results were brilliant. The media, newspapers, magazines - all gave rave reviews after watching the show on TV, which made it a household name. We got a surge of invitations from schools to make presentation of the film and take question and answer session with the aspiring students who wanted to learn about Indian culture and/or be animators.

• Your animation films have now become a subject of research for academic degrees? How does it feel?

It is most pleasing that my animation films have now become a subject of research for academic degrees. Two years ago “Manick Sorcar Animations that Teach Indian Cultures” was the topic of research work for an American student’s BFA (Bachelor in Fine Arts) degree with double major in animation and visual effects at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. It feels great as what started as an attempt to instill Indian culture in my daughters became a cultural bridge between East and West.

• How challenging was weaving the animated character with live character before the revolution of computer graphics?

It wasn’t impossible, but would take a substantial amount of trial and error effort before achieving the proper result.

• Tell us something about the technique ‘SorcarScope’?

Laser shows are fun to watch but laser can be quite dangerous if not used properly. “SorcarScope” is a technique I developed through which live actors on stage can act simultaneously with laser without any danger.

• Tell us something about your initial showcases of animation works?

After some experiments I dared making “Calcutta Forever: A Laser Fantasy”, a documentary on the 300 year old history of Calcutta that was shown at the prestigious Nandan Theater of West Bengal in 2000. This was recorded as the very first laser documentary ever to be shown inside a theater in India, and was a hit. After that, I went a step further where I mixed life-size laser animation with live performers on stage, which resulted in the creation of “Dancing with My Soul”, and later “Enlightenment of Buddha”. I was delighted when at the international contest; “Enlightenment of Buddha” won the First Place in Italy, and received the Artistic Award, from the International Laser Display Association.

• Your show ‘Laser toons’ at Nicco Park had a record of 78 shows in one month, drawing over 140,000 jubilant spectators. How was the experience?

Very, very thrilling! To be very frank, the entire show was mainly designed with children in mind. But its appeal and the magical effects of the laser became so popular that it started drawing crowd exponentially. People of all ages and demographics, ranging from ordinary people, film actors, and nuns of Mother Teresa to Buddhist Monks came to see the show – some repeatedly.

• How does it feel to be internationally acclaimed for your animation and laser works?

By Almighty’s grace, I have been showered with all kinds of awards and acclaim which indeed made me happy. But I will have to confess; none of them are as pleasing or heart contending as seeing the smile the shows bring on a child’s face.

• Coming from a magical background, didn’t you ever think of fusing animation with magic?

No! I have been busy fusing magic with animation. My award- winning laser animations are only a small sample of that.

• Are you planning something innovative on the animation side now?

Absolutely! My target is to take the technique to a level where nobody has gone before. In my next laser animation you will be able to take a physical tour inside the screen, walking around the 3-D characters!

• What would be your advice to budding animators?

Love your work with heart and have full confidence in yourself. Then follow the teaching of Swami Vivekananda: “Stop not till the goal is reached” and success is all yours.

Ideal marriage!

Tulsi Vivah is considered as a very auspicious ritual in the Hindu wedding tradition, says Anita Iyer.

Tulsi or the Holy Basil is the sacred plant of the Hindus and symbolizes purity. A Hindu house is considered incomplete without the Tulsi plant in the courtyard. It is a part of tradition to water the tulsi plant, light up a diya near it and worship it daily. Tulsi leaves are used in temples for worship purposes and also a part of several customs like marriage and funerals. Tulsi is believed to bestow the inhabitants with happiness and promote longevity.

Guruji Nishikant Upadhyay, a pandit says, “The festival of Tulsi Vivah inaugurates the annual marriage season in India as it is considered lucky for the couple. The general belief is that one who performs this wedding ceremony of marrying Tulsi to Vishnu considering her as their own daughter, gets the esteem of having performed Kanyadan, which is regarded as an extremely meritorious act in Hindu religion”. Tulsi Vivah usually occurs on the 11th or 12th day of the Kartik month on the day after of Kartik Ekadashi.

The legend behind celebration of this festival goes back to the incarnation of Goddess Tulsi devi who was born as Vrinda. Tulsi was married to the demon King Jalandhar. Getting married to him, she prayed to Lord Vishnu for longevity of her demon husband. King Jalandhar received a boon that he would be free from death till his wife Vrinda was chaste. It was believed that he was immortal, unless someone broke the ‘pati vrat’ of his wife. Misusing his powers, Jalandhar declared war and becomes a cause of danger to the gods. To avert the menace, Lord Vishnu on the request of the other gods took the form of Jalandhar and stayed with Tulsi thereby breaking the ‘Pati vrat’. After Jalandhar's death, Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu and turned him to stone (Shaligram) and collapsed on the floor and from her body emerged the tulsi plant. It is a result of this mythological story that Vishnu pooja is considered incomplete without tulsi leaves.

On the day of Tulsi Vivah, a full meal consisting of rice, moongachi gathi, puri , sweet potato kheer , red pumpkin vegetable cooked with pieces of sugarcane, amla and tamarind is offered to Tulsi Vrindavan.

In the evening, tulsi pot is coloured and the plant decorated as a bride. Sugarcane sticks and branches of tamarind and amla are planted alongside the tulsi plant. On the marriage day, a fast is observed and Tulsi vivah ceremony takes place in the late evening. An emblem, either an image of Krishna or generally the Shaligram stone is placed next to Tulsi plant.

The marriage is performed like a normal Hindu wedding by applying Turmeric and Vermilion powder on the plant, chanting of mantras and tying Mangal Sutra around the Tulsi plant. A cloth is held between the 'bridegroom' (Shaligram stone) and the 'bride' (tulsi plant). The cloth is removed after the last mantra of the marriage, ‘Mangal Ashtak’ is chanted and the word ‘Savadhan’ is pronounced and all the people shower ‘Akshat’ on the married couple. After the marriage, Panchamrit (mixture of five dailies - curd, ghee, milk. honey and sugar), and sweets are distributed as prasad among family members and friends.

Tulsi Vivah is a part of our old traditions and finds a mention in Padma Puran. Rajishri Kokate, a chartered accountant by profession says, “This ritual of "Tulsi Vivah", though an old tradition is celebrated with great devotion even today. I was introduced to the concept at my parental home and I still follow it after my marriage. This has been carried forward by our generations and I would imbibe it even in my daughter to follow the tradition in future”.

Interestingly in Goa, the festival takes a different form with sending of Goan Ojhe (sweet) to married daughters from her parental home along with jodi, threads used in oil lamps. This festival of Tulsi Vivah is celebrated in each and every household of Goa with delicious sweets.

Owing to its significance, it is believed that couples getting married on the day of Tulsi Vivah will be together for their next seven lives.

At his fingertips

Arvind Sule uses his fingernails to carve unique works of art, says Anita Iyer

Sule makes portraits, designs, themes, memory drawings and cartoons by moving his pointed thumbnail on a piece of paper. This movement gives birth to beautiful designs. “I remember when I went to Kolkatta, I was amused seeing a man-pulled rickshaw with hefty people sitting on it. I carved that on a piece of paper as a remembrance. I love to portray what I see around - people playing garba, for instance. Also, nature inspires me to draw birds and animals like the tiger.”

Involved in this art form for around 50 years now, Arvind Sule has a collection of about 200 pictures till date. Recollecting the first time he experimented with this art, he states, “Decades back, while travelling to college, I saw a man in the bus carving designs on the ticket. Out of curiosity, I asked him about this art and he showed me the method. I just saw him do it once on the ticket and learnt it after practising many times”.

The art requires a great deal of dedication and patience. Arvind says: “Learning any form of art requires dedication and even carving on paper was difficult. I tried to engrave on newspapers initially and sometimes the paper would tear or the subject would be distorted”.

The most challenging part of his art form is he carves the subject directly on the paper without drawing any prior outline or sketch with a pencil. More surprising is the fact that he never had any formal training in painting or for that reason any form of art, yet the accuracy is maintained.

Arvind explains: “I am more interested in making portraits as it is more challenging owning to the fact that expressions are of paramount importance in such pieces and eyes, lips are to be engraved beautifully”. He has made portraits of Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, P.L. Deshpande, Babasaheb Purandare and the famous Common Man cartoon, among others. Arvind Sule also carves thoughts in words and calligraphy and finds it comparatively easy because it involves curves and moves which are already etched in our minds.

The artist had recently displayed his works at Haiku Art Gallery, Thane. At the exhibition he said, “There are many artists who do something unusual and unique and go unnoticed. My message would be to hold exhibitions if you know of any art form, as only then would it create awareness and other people might consider adapting it”.

Striking the right chord

Lesle Lewis, the veteran of Hindi-pop, shares his musical journey with Anita Iyer

Did you have a musical lineage?

Being a son of P.L. Raj, the renowned choreographer in Bollywood, I was at an advantage. I have been on recordings with my father and have seen music being composed by known music directors like R D Burman, Zakhirji, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji and later accompanied them as a guitarist.

Did you always want to be a guitarist?

In my teens, I wanted to be a drummer, but it was difficult to carry the drum kit so I shifted to guitar because it was easy to carry. I remember on the last day of our school, when asked what my ambitions were, I said, ‘I want to play the guitar’ and the whole class laughed at me but today I am proud that I am a guitarist.

How were you introduced to rock music?

I did my schooling in a boarding school and once a week we could play records there. So, there I got acquainted with the best of rock music with works of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Beatles, among others. These later become my role models.

How did you start your career?

After my schooling, I came back to Bombay and decided to play the guitar. I started playing in Dharavi, Fisherman’s Colony, Police Quarters, and on railway stations. I remember earning Rs. 30 per show and performing once a month. I had to spend Re. 1 each day to carry my amplifiers and instruments in the cab for rehearsals and Re 1 back home. So my income was just Rs.30 and my expenses were nearly Rs. 60 a month. So at that time, playing the guitar was more of a passion for me than a profession. My dad was furious about the fact that being a son of a renowned person in Bollywood, I was performing on the streets but my mother used to cover up for me.

You also played at the Oberoi Towers in the early days?

Yes, while doing jingles alongside, I was also playing at Mumbai's Cafe Royale, Oberoi Towers. I still visit the place; the structure is the same, the podium I used to perform is still there, only the name has changed. Even today some of the waiters know me and it feels great to revert to the old memories sometimes, seeing what I have achieved.

How did you think of making albums when it was not a viable option? How did you perceive of doing something distinct?

I didn’t want to do something that was distinct but something that I liked. My dad, who was a part of Bollywood, always said if you wanted to do music and establish yourself it had to be Bollywood. Anything outside Bollywood wouldn’t work. But I had made my mind to do something alternative to Hindi cinema. I had a panga with my dad and I am happy I opted for non-filmi music.

How did you take the risk of introducing an alternative music at the time when filmi-music ruled?

I would say, maybe I was just lucky that my music clicked. I have played with the aam-janta dancing to my tunes in Umbergaon, Dharavi, so I knew what would stay. It’s all about striking the right chord and making the janta groove to the music.

Tell us something about your love for jingles, which also won you the Indian Academy of Advertising Film Art in 1989.

I was into making jingles with Louis Banks, who was also crazy about electronics and technology oriented like me. There was a time when we did nothing but compose three to four jingles a day. It was fun to make a short tune, which would create waves for 30 seconds. Later, I came up with my own company to record jingles for commercials.

How did Colonial Cousins happen?

Once while I was playing my guitar, Hariharan just hummed some lines and it sounded good. We thought of doing something concrete and Colonial Cousins happened. The Indo-western fusion was rare and it clicked.

You are into jingles and your songs have a lot of western influence, so how was it working with Hariharan, who hails from a classical background?

Not many people know that I am well versed with Indian folk and Bollywood songs, owing to the fact that my dad was into Bollywood. Although coming from a classical gharana, Hariharan had a fair exposure to western music from his schooling days and western music is not alien to him. So, the harmonious blend of western with Indian music came unsurprisingly to us.

All your compositions, right from Paree hu mein to Piyu tu, are distinct…

I make songs specifically for the artist. I design songs keeping in mind the strengths and weakness of the singer. For every artist I have worked with - Suneeta Rao, Alisha, Ashaji, Band of Boys, KK – the compositions are made suiting their voice quality, bringing out the strong points

What do you think about the Hindi-Pop scenario today?

Pop has come up so high today and it is very much become a part of Bollywood. Bollywood does not allow anything bigger than it to survive; it assimilates and makes it a part of Bollywood. Bollywood film music, which had its own identity, has made pop music its property, and therefore today Bollywood music sounds like pop. It is just because Hindi-pop has become a part of Bollywood that it has survived.

What do you think about the remixes in today's music scenario?

Today remixes have become more of video than audio where models dance in skimpy clothes. Remixes entirely depend on taste and if it is done in a good way, it is acceptable or else it’s bad.

What is your take on the endless reality shows which are aired on channels?

The main question that arises about reality shows is - How many know the Indian idols so we actually know who made it real big? It is all about shaping your career and making the right moves to sustain yourself in the industry. Today reality shows have become just an entertainment drama for the viewers with all masala guaranteed.

Tell us something about your new academy for budding artists?

It is an academy for youngsters who believe in music and want to make it big in the musical world. Today in this cut-throat competition, singing is no more about liking, it is about hard-core money. So you have to invest money and at this academy we style you, design you and make sure you get a hearing at the record companies. We would make the artist sound as polished as we can and this academy would be creating lot of opportunities for music directors, technicians and so on.

Traditional, Yet Trendy.

Bandani with its intricate designs in kaleidoscopic colours manages to survive inspite of changing trends says Anita Iyer.

Bandhani are the bright multi-coloured patterns on cotton, muslin or silk cloth using the Tie and Dye method. As the name suggests, the technique of Tie and Dye involves two stages: tying sections of cloth and then soaking it in colour dyes. The word "bandhani" is derived from the verb ‘bandhna’, which means to tie.



Shabnam Deshmukh, Head of Department of Academy of Art and Design says, “Bandhani has survived through the ages inspite of the changing trends in fashion. Many patterns in fashion get replaced but Bandhani has adopted the changes and has survived. Earlier only duppatas, dress materials or sarees were available with Bandhani works on them but today even Kurta, tops, men’s shirts are available”.

She further adds, “People are fed up of wearing machine made modern garments with same prints so they prefer going back to their traditional roots and wearing hand designed garments. The tying effect in bandhani gives it an appealing effect, which cannot be seen in any other form of garments. Also, the colour combination in Bandhani is unique with multi coloured shades on it”.

The colours mainly used in bandhani are yellow, red, green and pink – the traditional colours in Rajasthani culture. Different colors used convey different meaning like red color stands for bride and a yellow bandhani is mainly for the lady who has become a mother recently. Bright colours as green and maroon are extensively used in the art form, but with changing times, as bandhani has become a part of fashion, various shades and English colors like grey, beige are now used for tie and dye.

The process of making bandhani is complex and involves many steps right from tying the cloth to washing the cloth after dying. Portions of cloth to be retained from the dye are tightly tied with wax cotton threads so as to give white circles when wrappings are removed. The remaining part of the fabric is dyed in dark colours like red, purple, dark green, deep blue or black to form the background.

There is a unique design in bandhani where the background is in light color and the patterns are in dark colors. This pattern is made by dyeing sections of the cloth in the desired color with a piece of a felt (non-woolen cloth) and then tying it. The cloth is bleached and only the tied sections retain the colors. Later when the background color is dyed, the finished bandhani emerges, with dark coloured dots on a light background. According to the necessary, the cloth is retied and redyed.

For making small white circles on the cloth, green peas for smaller circles and Kabuli chana for bigger circles and coins can be used for concentric circles. The whole concept of tying before dying is basically to prevent the dye from reaching the fabric evenly. Portions that are tied will stay white, or of a lighter shade because the knot prevents dye to reach those areas. Gradations of colour from dark to light make the bandani cloth look beautiful.

The fascinating thing about the process of bandhani making is the artists often grow a long nail on the little finger of the left hand or wear a ring with a tip on it. This rings helps them to push the cloth upwards to form a point that would then be tied and left uncoloured.

Another interesting aspect is the local name given to each pattern according to the shapes they form. Some of the most common designs are dungar-shahi or the mountain-pattern; kodi for a tear shaped one, boond for a small dot with a dark center, and the laddu-jalebi for the swirling patterns. Others include Tikunthi for circles and squares in a group of three, ‘Chaubasi’ for four and Satbandi for a group of seven.

The origins of this lasting traditional art form can be associated to the State of Jaipur. However, the common belief states that it was brought to Kutch by Muslim Khatris from Sindh. Bandhani was introduced in Jamnagar around 400 years ago and today is a leading center of Bandhani. The literary text of the Harshacharita refers to Bandhani. A bandhani garment is considered lucky for the bride.

A bandhani artist from Kutch Mr. Zakharia Khatri, a 62 year old, National Award winner says, “We have been involved in bandhani making since ages. Our forefathers were involved in this art form, we inherited it and now even my children have adapted it. What makes bandhani attractive are the geometric patterns like dots, circles, squares, waves and stripes etc. Also, the other attractions are the colours used which are generally burnt brown with the designs worked in red, yellow, green, maroon and orange”.

Earlier, natural and vegetable dyes were used to colour the fabrics but today, synthetic modern dyes have replaced them. The main reason being that natural dyes are expensive than their synthetic counterparts. On this, Survat Anand, a fashion designer says, “Contemporary designers are opting for synthetic chemical dyes to keep pace with ever changing fashion tends. Also, the use of chemical dyes has reduced the time required for fabric to absorb the colours, in contrast with the natural dyes which took several days to marinate”.

Golden legacy

The Kanhai Gharana has revived the lost art of golden Krishna paintings in the past few decades, says Anita Iyer.

In Indian mythology, Lord Krishna is the only deity who absorbs various shades of identity and Kanhai Gharana has brought about a revolution in Kanhai paintings, which were on the verge of extinction. Enhanced with gold foil and embossed with precious stones, the Kanhai Gharana created Krishna paintings, which recited visually mesmerizing stories of Lord Krishna. One look at the sparkling Kanhai paintings gives us an illusion of reincarnation of Lord Krishna.

In North India, Kanhai paintings had almost became extinct but Kanhai Chitrakar, one of the pioneers of this art form took up the challenge to revive the art form about fifty years ago. He made use of oil paint to draw on the canvas and decorate with silver, gold jewellery and Jaipur glass stones to enhance that beauty a little more.

To carry the golden legacy further, his sons- Padmashri Krishn Kanhai and U.P Ratna award winner Govind Kanhai joined him and infused innovative techniques to give it a contemporary look. “We gave a new meaning to Kanhai paintings by entering the area of Contemporary paintings, Portraits, Realistic Folk, fusion and 3D paintings. Also the use of Swarovski stones to emboss the paintings made them cost crores, which once were priced Rs. 400-500 only”, says Krishn Kanhai.

It is a mere coincidence that their name is Kanhai, the Gharana is involved in making Kanhai paintings and they stay in Vrindavan, a place intimately connected with Lord Krishna. Krishn Kanhai opines, “We capture the beauty and grace of the Almighty. The emotion portrayed in our works is due to the grace of God. It is beyond our control, it comes naturally on the canvas through the brush as a part of devotion”.

To which Krishn Kanhai adds, "Further we just portray that parts of his life, which can be easily interpreted by the common people. If we get into the depth of the art, it would be beyond their understanding and won't convey any message to the viewers".

The specialty of Kanhai paintings is that it arouses a sense of spirituality and bestows the home with a sense of peace and harmony. “In today’s fast paced world, people do not have time for spiritualism and this painting hung on the walls attracts towards spiritualism. It is more than a painting; people do not resale it soon. They develop a kind of intimacy and attachment towards Lord Krishna. Placing Kanhai paintings in the house changes the vibrations, it changes the mindset of the family members residing in the house”, says Krishn Kanhai.

Quizzed why they are involved only in sketching Krishna and not any other God, Govind Kanhai promptly replies, “Krishna is the only persona who can be well expressed on the canvas because his character itself is very colourful, lively, filled with happiness, and boosts of aesthetic beauty, lavanya and shringar. Also, other gods have fixed postures but there are many poses and deviations when it comes to Lord Krishna”.

Episodes from Bhagvad Gita, Geet Gobind and poems by Meerabai, Surdas, Jaydeva etc. inspires the Kanhai Gharana to sketch breathtaking images of Lord Krishna on canvas. One look at the Kanhai paintings gives an illusion of reincarnation of Lord Krishna.

Govind Kanhai expresses, “We get immersed in the history and imagine how Lord Krishna might be looking in a particular situation be it - Bal Krishna, Yuva Krishna performing Raslila with gopis (females). We go into intricate detailing like the Turban, dhoti, kundal, basuri, mukut etc.; he might be sporting in the scene. We draw Krishna characters as it is mentioned in the scriptures”.

In Kanhai paintings, a good deal of importance is given to the expressions of the elements. “Different expressions gives different effects to the paintings. While making the paintings, attention must be given to expressions, the smile must signify what Lord Krishna might be thinking at that time, eyes should be expressive and communicate with the viewers. Even slight variation in the smile reduces the attraction of the painting”.

The use of gold in paintings dates back to the eighteenth century when it was limited only for the palaces of kings and rulers because it was very expensive. Gradually, Tanjore painters in South India and Nathdwara region in Rajasthan adopted the art forms. Kanhai Chitrahar observed that the Krishna paintings made in Tanjore had typical posture and the body was not proportionate. Also the body language was not impressive with fewer expressions on the faces of Lord Krishna. The Rajasthanis drew only miniature sized with limited scope for creativity, so the Kanhai Patriarch started the Kanhai Gharana legacy to renew the tradition.

Apart from Golden Krishna paintings, the Gharana also boosts of high profile clientele like Mr. Bill Clinton, Hema Malini, Mr. Lal Krishna Advani, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Mr. Amar Singh. Asked what excites them more, drawing Krishna painting or human portraits, Krishna Kanhai replies, “Beauty in any form is worth capturing. We artists like to capture beauty and portray it on our canvas now be it human or God. However, nothing can give the pleasure derived from illustrating Krishna on the canvas”.

Today, the Kanhai Gharana boosts of 15,000 paintings in totality with Kanhai Chitrahar in it from the past 55 years, Krishn Kanhai from past 30 years and Govind Kanhai from past 25 years. The golden legacy continues with Siddhartha Kanhai, the third generation of the Kanhai Gharana entering in.

Age old secrets.

It’s an irony that for treating new-age ailments, we are going back to the age-old Ayurvedic remedies, Says Anita Iyer.

Ayurveda is a living science and one of the oldest scientific medicinal systems providing varied remedies through the ages. Owing to the fast-paced lives today, many professionals are turning towards Ayurveda to rejuvenate themselves. Dr. Prashant C P, an Ayurvedic consultant says, “Earlier these Ayurvedic treatments were only opted by people belonging to the elderly age group. But today, increasingly youngsters and professionals are looking it as a means to rejuvenate their body. We have many stress releasing massages, which relieves them from stress, refreshes their mind and promotes sound sleep, enhances memory and helps them to resist stress”.

Mr. Srikanth Nair, Director of Kerala Ayurvedic Center says, “Today it is noted that especially more and more youth are getting treated for stress and insomnia, chronic problems, arthritis, lower back pain, gastro problems, etc. Due to deviation of lifestyle, many new-age disorders are seen and youngsters are taking up Ayurveda for assured results with no side effects”.

According to Ayurveda, a human body is composed of five elements- fire, earth, air, water and ether. Ayurveda is based on ‘The tridosha (or three elements) theory’. The tridoshas here comprises Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (water). In human body, vata is considered to be present below the navel, pitta between the heart and navel and kapha is positioned in the chest, throat and head area. A person is fit only when all these tridoshas are in a balanced state. Ayurveda not only stresses on physical well-being of a body but also mental and spiritual happiness.

The curative massage treatments in Kerala Spas enhances the nervous and immune systems, relaxes the aching muscles and joints, smoothens and improves the quality of skin, and revives the mind and rejuvenates the body. The Ayurvedic massages are useful in treating ailments like Bronchial Diseases, Rheumatism, arthritis, hypertension, paralysis, nervous debility, sinusitis, Slip Disk and Spondylitis, Nervous debility, obesity and stress related problems etc.

Ajo Tominic, an Ayurvedic consultant and massager for past six years says, “There are treatments in Kerala Ayurvedic Spas for various ailments like Arthritis, respiratory problems, beauty treatments like slimming and body firming treatments. In Ayurvedic spas, the body is massaged with mediated oil made from valuable herbs with healing properties like Bella, Hibiscus, Bhringaray, Aswagandha, Sandalwood, Triphala, Eucalptus, Tulsi, and Lemon Grass which rejuvenates the body”.



These herbal oils are used as they have medicinal benefits and also a medium for smooth massaging the body and to give proper massage strokes. It is a known fact that Ayurvedic treatments have slow but long lasting benefits for human ailments. “For headaches, we normally use a pain killer as a temporary remedy, the headache might subside for the moment but may reoccur. In Ayurvedic Spas, we have a treatment called ‘Shirodhara’ where oil mixed with medicated milk is poured on the forehead for 40 minutes in a day for a period of 7 to 21 days continuously. This treatment relieves mental tension, headache or migraine and relaxes your mind and body”, adds Ajo Tominic

After the massage, the patients go through a process of herbal steam bath and a warm shower following it. Lemon grass or Eucalyptus oil is essentially used in the bath. The steam bath after the massage treatment detoxifies the body and improves the blood circulation. The medicinal properties of the herbal oils are absorbed by pores in the skin and relieve the body from pain and anxiety.

Ayurveda is the science of life and shows a way to eliminate disorders, stay healthy and attain longevity. In Alopathy, diseases are treated the disease after the symptoms are seen but in Ayurveda the root cause of the disease is treated thereby giving long lasting effects.

Dr. Prashant C P says, “Ayurveda is a living science with age-old remedies of about 5000 years. Ayurveda removes the cause of disease and re-establishes balance to our system. In Ayurveda massages, our emphasis is on relaxation and rejuvenation of the body”.

The concept of Kerala Ayurvedic Spa is popular even among the foreigners, as they have seen the wonders of this age-old Indian tradition. Ana Sachs, a 52-year-old lady from USA says, “It was deceptively simple and at first I didn’t think it could possibly work, but by the third day I was walking like I did when I was twenty. I found profound result from each of the different treatments, which is a real testimony to the efficacy of this ancient method. The herbs used in treatment are fabulous and did miracles to the body”.

Mrs. Janani, a PhD Yoga Therapist in Ayurvedic Treatment, USA says, “The oils used were qualitatively superior and helped in rejuvenating my body. My age is 48. I had chronic low grade to severe back pain daily since long due to repeated auto accidents and other injures. But after 3 days treatment of Abhyangam, Shirodara and Swedana, the pain completely disappeared”.

"This spiritual science offers numerous health benefits with no side effects and healing through Ayurveda becomes fun not a punishment for the patient", Concludes Mr. Srikanth Nair.

However, there are others who think otherwise. Like Dr. Manju Ghildiyal, a consulting physiotherapist says, "For chronic pain, massages are useful to give healing effect but for acute Spondylitis, Slip disc or arthritis, massage is not a viable idea. Patients prefer Ayurveda because it has no side effects but in case of acute diagnosis, Alopathy is the only remedy as Ayurveda takes time to heal".

Five merry days of Diwali

In today’s fast-paced life, Diwali can help revive your soul, says Anita Iyer.

The word "Diwali" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Deepavali", where Deepa meaning light and Avali, meaning a row. So, the word ‘Deepavali’ means a row of lights and every home is adorned with a row of twinkling diyas, small earthen lamps traditionally fueled by mustard oil, are placed in rows in windows, doors and outside buildings to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The other attractions of the festival include a surfeit of mithai, Rangoli designs at the entrance of the homes or floral decorations and gifts for all and sundry.

Here we go to the roots of the festival in an effort to keep alive tradition and bring the people who have lost out on the significance of Diwali up to speed.

Of the many legends attached to celebration of Deepavali the most well known is that it is in commemoration of the day when Lord Rama returned to his empire after 14 years of vanvaas or exile. Lord Rama returned after defeating Ravana and so it marks the victory of good over evil. All of Ayodhya were so happy about his return that they spontaneously lit his way with diyas.

The festival of lights is celebrated for five days and each day has it's own significance and ritual. Behind each day, there are many attached legends and myths in the scriptures. Also, each region of India celebrates Diwali in it's own unique way


The first day is Dhanteras or Dhantrayodashi which falls two days before Diwali.
The word "Dhan" means wealth and holds great significance as Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth and prosperity. On this day, home entrances are adorned with colourful Rangoli designs and small red footprints made from rice flour and vermilion are imprinted all over the house to indicate her awaited arrival. Lamps are lit through the night. The legend behind this is that according to the horoscope of King Hima’s sixteen-year-old son, he was destined to die on the fourth day of his marriage by snakebite. His determined young wife didn’t allow him to sleep that night by reciting stories of yore and singing devotional songs. At the entrance of their bedroom, she placed a heap of her gold and silver ornaments and illuminated the room with many diyas surrounding his bed. At midnight when Yamraj, the god of Death arrived in guise of a serpent, the glare of lamps blinded him and he could not enter the prince's chamber. He remained mounted on the heap of ornaments the whole night listening to the young wife’s stories. Thus, the kaal or death of the Prince was held at bay. Since that time, Dhanteras came to be known as the day of "Yamadeepdaan" and the lamps are kept burning throughout the night to worship Yamraj

The more well known importance of this day is that it is extremely auspicious to buy a precious metal. In fact gold and silver shops remain open through the night so as not to turn customers away! Anjali Sonawane, a homemaker says, “Diwali is the most awaited festival in the year. More awaited is the Dhanteras day when we usually shop for gold or silver jewellery or at least something for the home as it is considered auspicious to shop on this day”.

The second day of the festival of lights or Choti Diwali, is called Narak-Chaturdashi. This day symbolizes 'Narakasur Vadh', the death of demon Narakasur, who was also the ruler of Pragjyotishpur. As the story goes, after defeating Lord Indra, the demon snatched away the earrings of Aditi, the Mother Goddess and imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of the gods. A day before Narakachaturdashi, Lord Krishna killed the demon, recovered the earrings of Goddess Aditi, set free the damsels and accepted them as his wives to save them from embarrassment. To convey victory, he smeared his forehead with the demon’s blood and returned home on the morning of Narakachaturdashi. The womenfolk, whom he married, massaged his body with scented oil and gave him a royal bath to wash away the filth from his body. Following this custom even today, men break a bitter fruit called ‘kareet’ with their foot, symbolizing the way Lord Krishna broke the demon’s head. The juice of the fruit is then touched to the tongue or smeared on the forehead. After this all the family members take an oil bath after applying "Uptan", a paste of gram flour and sandalwood before sunrise on Narakachaturdashi.

The third day of the five-day long festival is actual Diwali, which falls on the absolutely moonless dark night of Amavasya. In the evening, "Lakshmi-Puja" is performed when tiny diyas of clay are lit to drive away evil powers. A part of the ritual in Maharashtra is offering dry coriander seeds with jaggery as offering, Naivedya. This day originally reflected the fact that it is harvest season, a time of prosperity and enjoyment. Also, it is said that goddess Laxmi emerged from the Kshira Sagar when the gods and demons carried out Amrit Manthan. Thus, Diwali is a celebration to commemorate the rebirth of Goddess Lakshmi who is regarded as the goddess of beauty, light, cleanliness, wealth and good luck.

According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi visits every house during the dark night of Diwali and gives blessings of peace and prosperity only to those who light lamps and keep their house illuminated the whole night. Therefore, people light up lamps in the house in order to light the path of Goddess Lakshmi and welcome the 'Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity'.
Chopadi Puja is a ritual performed on this day when the Hindu businessman traditionally starts a new ledger or Bahikhata for the next year with the hope of greater prosperity in the coming year.

On the home front, after dressing up in new clothes, carrying out Lakshmi Puja, wishing all near and dear ones a very happy Diwali, consuming great quantities of food and mithai, families burn firecrackers to round off a perfect day.

The Fourth day of Diwali is the Govardhan Puja or VarshaPratipada also called Padwa and signifies the day Lord Krishna defeated Indra. As per our ancient scriptures, inhabitants of Gokul, where Lord Krishna had grown up, used to celebrate a festival and worship lord Indra for showering rains. Krishna protested and said it is 'Govardhan', a small hillock that caused rains and not Indra. This infuriated Indra and he caused a deluge to submerge Gokul. To save the locals, Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan hillock with his little finger and used it like an umbrella. After this incident, a mountain of food is decorated symbolizing Govardhan and offered to Krishna on this day.

The fifth day of Diwali, Bhai Dhooj holds a great significance for brothers and sisters. The legend behind it goes that Yamraj, the Lord of Death visited his sister Yamuna and she put the traditional tilak on his forehead to welcome him. Later they exchanged gifts and had a great time together. At the end, the contented Yamraj announced that brothers who visit their sisters on this day and receive a tilak would prosper in life and be saved from obstacles that come their way. Since then, Bhai dhooj is dedicated to sisters

All of these traditions are kept alive only when parents take the time and effort to inculcate them in children. The most important part is the message conveyed- that of enjoyment and interest in our own culture. In today’s fast paced life where stress is unavoidable, these five days of Diwali offer rejuvenation to the body and spirit. It can be instrumental in awakening of the conscience and enlightenment of the soul, which is necessary for physical well-being.

Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light and surpassing of all obstacles and ignorance that comes one’s way

Dr. Hira Taparia, an aura expert says, “There is a lot of significance in lighting of diyas on Diwali as it increases the aura around us. Lighting of earthen diyas awakens the five elements around us like ‘earth’ element due to the earthen diya, ‘water’ element from the oil used in the diya, ‘fire’ element from the spark, ‘sky’ energy is derived from light it emits and ‘air’ element from the smoke and scent of the fire. When you light the diyas in every room, all these energies are released and surround us. These energies enter our body, thereby filling the hollowness within us and rejuvenating our inner self”. Interestingly the rangolis used in Diwali also have significance, as Dr. Taparia adds, “During Diwali, it is suggested that you make a round rangoli as the energy remains intact in that round circumference. If a star or square is drawn, then the energy gets diverted”.