'Rakhi' means Love, Affection, Sweets & presents!

According to www.raksha-bandhan.com/ - “Raksha Bandhan’ or the ‘Rakhi’ festival is a sacred thread embellished with sister's love and affection for her brother. On the day of ‘Raksha Bandhan’ sisters tie a ‘Rakhi’ on their brother's wrist and express their love for him. By accepting a ‘Rakhi’ from a sister a brother gladly takes on the responsibility of protecting her sister. In Indian tradition the frail thread of Rakhi is considered stronger than iron chains as it binds brothers and sisters in an inseparable bond of love and trust. Rakhi holds immense significance in Indian cultural ethos. The custom of celebrating Rakhi started in Vedic times and even today brothers and sisters consider it must to celebrate the occasion in traditional manner. When brothers are away sisters send Rakhi to them and express their love. Accepting the Rakhi with grace brothers send Return gifts to their sister. This loving gesture goes a long way in strengthening brother sister relationship and building stronger family ties. The importance of Raksha Bandhan is same as Diwali festival in India.”



Those are the facts about ‘Rakhi’ but if you speak to regular people, each one will have a special anecdote, a special feeling and a special brother to talk about. India is a largely family oriented country and brothers are valued as much for their participation in family as they are for the sex they belong to. An Indian family is not considered complete without a son who is a brother for the daughter and an heir for the family name. Sadly this results in many socially and ethically untoward practices but this is not a forum to discuss those issues. This is a forum to talk about a lovely festival called ‘Rakhi’. For me it is especially exciting because I have a wonderful brother and 16 male first cousins. Rakhi as a day has been the same all my life, each and every ritual is carefully planned and executed, even now, when my aunts are way into their 70’s.



The festival celebrations are held in one of the home of the four sons my paternal grandfather had. We all gather there at noon and some of us meet only on these occasions. We would love to meet more often but life’s constraints don’t always make it easy. My father’s sisters abstain from eating till they have tied a ‘Rakhi’ on their brother’s wrists. The kids (us) on the other hand aren’t all that conscious, there are way too many sweets and snacks going around to keep this kind of familial discipline. Our 86 year old family cook (fondly called ‘Maharaj’) is still engaged to cook for this day. The fare is vegetarian but the variety is exceptional. Maharaj claims a cup of ‘ghee’ (clarified butter) gives him the strength to cook for over 40 people. In fact we have a dessert served every year called ‘Moong Dal Halva’. It's made of soaked and ground ‘Mung’ lentils, roasted in clarified butter and finally finished with sugar syrup. This needs to be constantly stirred for almost an hour and Maharaj can sit on his haunches and do this with 2-3 kilos of ground lentils. Thats one reason I spend a lot of time in the kitchen during such occasions; it’s the best place to learn nuances not available in cook books.



The ceremony lasts a while because we are so many of us. Beautiful, colorful threads are tied on our brother’s arms, the younger ones look adorable with their wrists full of garish sequin and paisley designs. The ‘Rakhi’ is tied, a vermillion ‘tika’ is applied to the forward with a touch of rice grains for auspicious reasons and a wide array of sweets are offered, all in return for a promise of TLC from our brothers and of course, a gift. When we were kids the gifts would range from books to shoes and gorgeous Indian salwar kameez’s picked by my aunts. Now that we are older, it’s even better, it’s cash! Fortunately for me, my brothers are successful, generous souls and the novelty in gift money is always there. Over the years I have stopped planning for this loot; it’s for me to waste. So this year I am off to malls right after lunch, I need to splurge and I believe Guess and Body Shop are on sale. Yippee!!

Photosindia.com graces international magazine covers

On the topic of ‘right faces at the right places’, I must add that I am seriously considering proposing that tag line for our ‘people’ images. Whenever Photosindia.com images appeared in advertisements we felt gratified by that presence, we felt validated for the kind of research and effort we put into image making and most of all we felt proud. Our images are used across American and European business and lifestyle magazines because of their multi cultural, urban feel. Whenever a product or feature is speaking to Asians, they look to us for inspiration.

Photosindia.com images were used on the cover of a trendy print production based out of Texas, USA. Diya’s Salaam Namaste magazine is targeted at Indian Americans and people doing business with them. From Lifestyle to Bollywood, Diya’s SN has got it all. The features in the magazine are typical of Indian culture and I am sure it makes hundreds of thousands of Indian’s feel more at home, feel more at sync with their country. There are recipes from back home, the fashion scene and best of all the gossip. The most endearing part is the fabulous balance of Eastern culture and Western living that is evident in every article.



With time the canvas is expanding, the usage of our imagery is changing manifold. Fortunately for us consumers are awakening to the potential cost and design benefits of royalty free stock photos. Considering that most creative people try to tell an entire story through one visual, the impact of an image is essential, it should hit home. Photosindia.com images tug at the heart, lighten the moment and add class to a product. Producing for an unknown buyer is the real challenge in stock photography. With collections running into millions, there is still a demand for that elusive image we hope we can think up and produce. At that moment the right question to ask is, what does India look like today? Who is she in 2008? And then make images out of the answers. India is fresh, alive, vibrant, wholesome, unique and today India is brand new.

Our images are apt for such publications because they tell stories we have already captured in our images. The love of a family, the bonding of friends, the support system of a community, it is all so ‘India’! The featured images do complete justice to the concept of this magazine. The image complements the words and makes a delectable package for everyday reading.

Goddess of the Arts - Saraswati

Saraswati, the Goddess of the Arts. A bearer of wisdom, a beacon of knowledge and an aficionado of music, she is a Goddess that has alternative blessings. Ones that don’t scream wealth and power, her blessings are subtle and unique. She is the one who protects the skilled, the talented and the gifted. She exudes confidence in every idol she is sanctified in. She is the one to turn to if you want to clear those nasty entrance examinations, she is the one who resides in the homes of accomplished musicians and artists, she is the embodiment of learning.

Saraswati is depicted as a woman with four arms. In one she carries the sacred book of Hindu principles, the ‘vedas’. In another she carries a rosary, a symbol of spirituality as a means of higher consciousness. Her two other accessories are a stringed instrument called the ‘veena’ and a pail of sacred water. The ‘veena’ she plays is the song of love, feelings and emotions. The water she carries symbolizes purity. Saraswati is a benevolent Goddess who is appeased by the worship of arts and sciences. A commitment to one’s talent is prayer enough for Saraswati is the one who has bestowed those creative gifts. By respecting and nurturing those gifts we are respecting and nurturing her.

Not many people are aware of the hidden nuances in the depiction of gods and goddesses in Hindu mythology. Whether it is an idol or a painting, there are teachings even in the surroundings of the Gods. Saraswati is often accompanied by a white swan mythology says that when a mix of water and milk was offered to the swan, it would drink only the milk from it. Symbolically, she could distinguish between the good and the bad, pure and impure. Some artwork also depicts Saraswati in the company of a peacock, a bird known for its proud and flamboyant nature. Since the peacock is depicted as Saraswati’s mount, she in one sense conquers the pride and her teachings are simple, don’t be concerned with external appearances. The soul is the keeper of all goodness.

Try Ayurveda this Navratri

'Vasant Navratri' is early this year, from 6th – 15th April 2008. The nine holy nights of Navratri are dedicated to Goddesses Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth), Durga (Goddess of Creative and Feminine energy) and Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) . The practice of observing a nine day fast also called ‘Navratri Vrat’ is widely popular in Northern India and though these 9 holy days occur twice in a year in the Hindu calendar, the rituals and practises remain similar. A better explanation of these 9 holy days is given by www.shanidham.com - "Navratri is a Hindu festival of worship and devotion. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava - Nine and Ratri - nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti (metaphor for goddess Durga ) i.e. female divinity are worshipped. Shakti is the root of everything. Navratri commences on the first day (pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin. The festival is celebrated for nine nights twice every year. The dates of the festival are determined according to the Hindu lunar calendar, the festival may be held for a day more or a day less. The following 9 forms of goddesses are worshipped during these nine days."

Most urban homes are extremely conscious of ‘navratri days’ and it is not uncommon for restaurants to lose tens of thousands of rupees worth of income during this period. The people that don’t actually fast the entire day make it a point to at least abstain from non vegetarian food and liquor. Punjab and Haryana are equally enthusiastic about this time of the year and both men and women fast for the entire day, eating only one meal after sundown. In metropolitan towns and cities observation of a daylong fast has taken on a new meaning. Rituals permit partaking of fruits, dairy products (salt free) and vegetables, pretty much excluding only lentils, rice and grains. Pretty easy ‘fast’ if you ask me. Entire menus are developed to accommodate these nine days and make sure patrons come in even if it means eating breads make of vegetable flour (water chestnuts can actually be made into a kind of coarse, greenish flour, which can be kneaded and rolled to make ‘roti’)! So there is a loophole for everything. Cool! I like the whole accommodating feel this kind of fasting has, it’s more like detoxifying.



Speaking of detoxifying, this may be a good time to discover a new facet of vegetarian food – Ayurvedic Food. The basics of Ayurveda are hard to chronicle in a blog, in fact that kind of science requires deep study and practise. From a laypersons point of view, Ayurveda perpetuates that a healthy body is one that is in harmony with all the elements, is self healing and is balanced. In order to achieve this kind of overall health one must first bring harmony and balance into their lives through a nutritious diet and an active lifestyle. Ayurvedic cooking incorporates these principles into cooking methods, ingredients and recipes to produce a holistic fare. Cooking is almost treated like alchemy in Ayurveda. The combination of herbs, spices, seasonal vegetables and natural sugars and fats in Ayurvedic cooking is the key behind transforming an ordinary vegetarian dish into a balanced and highly nourishing meal. Ayurvedic food is aromatic, wholesome and almost healing in nature. The principles of the five Elements, the three Doshas, the three Gunas, the seven Dathus and the six Tastes form the core of Ayurvedic food. There is a special emphasis on organic ingredients, seasonal fruits and vegetables (nature provides in tandem with the needs of the body and the state that it is in), cooking methods and even the cook’s internal vibrations. The most inspiring part about this is the fact that it does not take more effort, time or means to make an ayurvedic meal. You should have access to fresh vegetables, fresh ground spices, herbs, a healthy cooking medium like olive oil (preferable, but I believe Canola is really good for the heart) and a cooking area that is well ventilated and clean.



Few practises of Ayurvedic cooking are given below as a start-up:

• Ayurvedic cooking doesn’t insist on the use of ‘ghee’ or clarified butter but their argument is quite intriguing. ‘Ghee’ is essentially a diary product, it is a proven digestive, it lubricates the connective tissue, it is a catalytic agent and carries the medicinal properties of herbs. All cooking mediums and fats should be consumed in moderation and the same holds good for ghee too.
• Sautee spices in ghee/oil first so that all its essential oils are released.
• Do not extensively wash vegetables, instead wash gently and soak in warm water to release germs.
• Plan your meal and organize your ingredients.
• Have a positive frame of mind when you cook, unwind and treat the activity like an experience and not a chore. You will infuse the food with love and good vibes.
• Eat up to 1/3 capacity of your stomach, drink to 1/3 and leave 1/3 for God (Ashtanga Hridayam).

Lastly here is an easy recipe of delicious Indian food. Cumin is one of my favourite Indian spices, so we will do a light and summery ‘potato yoghurt curry’ that you can have with white rice and any Indian bread.

Potato Yoghurt Curry
4 boiled potatoes cubed (large pieces)
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dry coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala
2 tbsp fresh yoghurt
2 tsp olive oil/ghee/cooking oil
1 ½ cup warm water
Salt

Heat the oil, add the cumin seeds and let them darken slightly. Add the spices and potato. Stir and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Mix the yoghurt in warm water and add with a dash of salt. Cook on low for 6-7 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves. This dish is ideal for summers, its light yet has the wholesome goodness of potato carbs, the garam masala adds a zing but its heaty properties are reduced by the yoghurt.

Gandhi's words 60 years on...

Jack Hollingsworth is the Chief Creative Officer of all the images you see on this blog. To a large extent he is the soul of the brands while we all are the constituents of its beating heart. This year Jack’s motto for the team comes from a man very close to my psyche, a man who has influenced many things in my life, a man who makes me proud to be Indian, Mahatma Gandhi.

"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so" - Mahatma Gandhi



So much has been written about Gandhi that I don’t expect this blog to do more justice to his character, I am simply writing this as an ode. He was assassinated on 30th January 1948 and as we draw away from that date, I find myself thinking of him and his words a lot more. I had my share of insecure college days, the jitters of a new marriage, the shakes of a new job and lately the ultimate paranoia of being a new mom. Gandhi had words for me through each phase of my life. Words that felt like they were written only for me and my situation. Did Gandhi know a girl like me? Well he probably did, his entourage could beat Britney Spears hollow, if only we chased his ideals the way we chase her shopping sprees!

The words that stayed with me through the hardest parts of my life were -

"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and yourself melt away."

It worked every time. It’s not that I looked for happiness in the misery of others, never! The principle was so evident, ‘I, me, myself” maybe the main components of my life but in the general scheme of things, I am too minute to consider, I am actually a ‘one’ that is a part of millions. These words were inspiring and what our generation needs the most, they were humbling. These words always make me realize how fortunate I am and that my existence should not be for me alone. I should ‘counter’ enrich the lives of people that enrich my life. My teen years were governed by one of my favourite quotes – “I want freedom for the full expression of my personality”, I felt that was such sweet liberation. In a world where real icons are hard to find, Gandhi remains relevant and contemporary even after 60 years of passing on. Before I knew it, the teen years were over and I was bang in the middle of my first job. I didn’t have a very forgiving boss and he didn’t have the word ‘naïve’ in his vocabulary, making my work environment highly volatile from day one. It was into the third week that my brother gave me a little purple print out that said – “Nobody can hurt me without my permission”. Oh God, it was so simple!

My list of favourite Gandhi quotes is actually running into page 3 and I don’t think it’s fair to burden you with them all. I will leave you with two priceless ones consider them a ‘mantra’ and find that ‘true peace’ we all seem to be chasing.

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems”

“We must be the change we wish to see” - Mahatma Gandhi

Falling in Love in India

Falling in love anywhere is easy; staying in love anywhere is tough. Yet each country poses its own unique cultural and social challenges to the human race when it comes to love. The west is perceived as a place where the entire multitude is still writhing in the ecstasy of the 60’s. It is not the permissive nature of the nation that gives this impression, it is the media projected out of there, into millions of middle class Indian homes. Thank you cable TV. I am not going to rant about how twisted that makes our slightly prudish minds, I am genuinely thankful to Cable TV. It has opened a whole new chapter of entertainment for me, considering my idea of fun was the outdoors and books. A good combination according to my parents but teenagers needed more than that. Suddenly everything was so colourful and loud, that’s my most vivid memory of 24x7 TV viewing. I remember the Valentine months most. Every show had a ‘valentine’ episode, every product had a ‘valentine’ promise and every channel had ‘valentine’ specials. I am quite sure there was an Ad for coconut oil that promised ‘Valentine Beau’ attracting tresses in a week. Thankfully it aired a fortnight before ‘Valentine’s Day’.

Unregulated cable TV seeped into Indian life around the time of the Gulf War in 1991. Metropolitan cities in India could view live broadcasts of glowing scuds whizzing across Kuwaiti skies, courtesy CNN. Shortly after that came the day time soaps, some of which are still revered by the now 30 + year old Indians. The third momentous entry was definitely MTV, with its brazen attitude, mind numbing graphics and freaky dating shows. You could practically see the minds blossoming right out our skulls.

Things are more or less the same 15 years down the line. There are more channels, more products and more ‘this and that days’, but the marketing blitz for Valentine’s comes in a close second after Diwali. Locally every restaurant and store has a promotion aimed at lovers of all kinds, young, old, just friends, mistresses, crushes and of course teens. Nationally, FMCG and Fashion brands cash in on this occasion. The Indian psyche has morphed itself slowly but surely. We don’t condone ‘love marriages’ yet all our kids are manically buying Valentine paraphernalia every February 14th. We don’t approve of dating among our teenaged kids yet each one of them knows when Valentine’s Day is versus when Gandhi was assassinated. Love makes the retail world go round, money makes the real world go around.

So far the general perception and awareness about Valentine’s Day is limited to the love between a man and a woman. This makes the marketing efforts concentrated towards the youth of India, 51% of India is below 25. So I am guessing it is fair to call this kind of product pushing an ‘advertising frenzy’. If only the awareness could be brought up a notch and India would realize that Valentine’s Day celebrates love, all kinds of love.

I can picture Kingfisher Airlines doing a ‘Senior’s Valentine’s Special’. Any Indian couple over 65 years old, flies to any one of the ten listed romantic destinations in India at half the price. Now, open this promotion to foreigners. Give them Agra for the Taj, Goa for the party, and Ladhakh for the mountains, give them an Indian love experience. China attracts 87 million tourists a year versus India’s measly 2.5 million. We need to hop on the global media bandwagon, make ourselves heard, make ourselves seen, and make ourselves marketable. Let cable TV be our guiding light. It is time to wake up and take stock of every day that means something to somebody and then sell, sell, sell!

Happy Valentine’s Day. Do check out our eclectic collection of ‘love’ images on Photosindia.com. ; )

View Valentine 2008 Stock Photos by PhotosIndia.com

Colors Of India

I was surprised to learn that Islam came to India long before the Muslim invasions. It was a balmy day in Kuwait and our guests were discussing the similarities between South Indians and Kuwaiti’s. Another new fact came into light; it was the trading of spices that led Arabs to the Malabar Coast in South India. Back in the 7th century it was merely an Islamic influence that could be felt; the invasions of course reinforced the faith firmly on Indian soil. This inclusion added further to India’s colorful culture and people. It was the trader families of Kerala and other parts of the Malabar Coasts that were the closest to their Arab business associates, and this closeness led to a slow conversion into Islam. In Malabar the Mappilas may have been the first community to convert to Islam.

Today, 16.4% of India is Muslim. They have contributed considerably to the fields of performing arts, crafts, politics, education and business ventures. Some of India’s leading literary giants, artists, film stars and leaders are Muslim and this alone makes Indian society a diverse and enriched structure. India’s most famous landmark the Taj Mahal is a classic example of Islamic architecture and construction prowess.

The union of so many faiths is felt most during festival season. Diwali follows Eid and Christmas follows Diwali. For almost 3 months, India is in a blanket of faith, celebration and thanksgiving. Eid is a Muslim festival that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims observe a strict fast, they do not eat from sunrise to sunset, and some don’t even have water. They donate generously, participate in charitable activities and promote a sense of peace and unity. It is a time of spiritual renewal for those who observe it. At the end of the month, Muslims throughout the world observe an exciting three day celebration called Eid ul Fitr. A common practice is for people to stay up and watch the full moon rise on the night on Eid. The day of the festival, a typical Muslim family wakes up early and does the first prayer of the day. They then attend prayers in mosques, parks, stadiums and arenas. The crowd greets and embraces each other as a gesture of love and celebration. The festivities continue at people’s homes after the congressional prayer. Special sweets and foods are prepared for friends and family. The finest clothes and jewelry are the highlights of the day. This is an occasion with great religious significance; the celebration is jubilant and hearty. It is a day of forgiveness, peace, brotherhood and unity. Muslims also mark this day with thanks to God for his guidance and blessings bestowed upon them.

Ultimately we all seek the same things from our faith – security, a sense of belonging, peace of mind, the love of God and a prevalence of brotherhood.

I'm not superstitious, but ...

View Stock Images Gallery by PhotosIndia.com

We made good friends with this one model we worked with last year. Very lovely young lady, she was nice enough to keep in touch way after she received her images shot by us. We got a call from her last month saying she has a bunch of friends in town and they were all very keen to be professionally photographed. We were already riding high on our 6,000 sq. ft. studio so we asked the whole load of them to come in for auditions. So here we were sitting around waiting for everyone’s headshots to be assessed, when Manav suggested they all make a trip and shoot that. The motley mix of post-teens started discussing every possible drivable location from Delhi. They were all foreigners and from different countries too. This discussion didn’t take long to finalize into an overnight trip to Agra. The home of the Taj, the land of love and loss, the haven of a lovesick king’s biggest accomplishment. Some had seen it with their parents on a day trip, some hadn’t at all. The excitement was electric. The final list read, an Indian girl from LA, a Persian girl from Florida, an all American girl, a Scottish boy, an Estonian boy and finally a Zimbabwean boy. What an awesome bunch they made. So many nationalities and cultures of the world in this group of six. The only thing they shared in common was the age and the generation and that was glue enough to start this trip off very well.

The story I am about to tell you only goes to reinforce my crazy obsession with Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’. In my Utopian fairyland I believe that we can live without religion, without possessions and without countries, we can live like brothers and like thinking human beings. Ultimately we are all the same. I read an article by the photographer who shot the famous portrait of ‘the Afghan girl’, Steve McCurry he said to the effect that a farmer in Afghanistan is no different from a farmer in the US. I guess he meant that as people they are the same, their environments and scenarios are different but they share the same worries, the same ambitions and the same dependency on nature. Anyway, back to the story. These guys were on the road with our Art Director (part Portuguese, part Iranian), Photographer (All from the state of Bengal), Make-up Assistant (state of Punjab) and Studio Hand (I would assume Bihar). They stopped at a harmless looking vegetarian ‘dhaba’ (typical Indian roadside diner, usually very rustic). They ordered heartily and sat back and waited. Suddenly the girls started noticing dragon flies, not one, more like one million. So one of the girls got up from the table and crouched on the floor screaming for one of the knights to save her. The lovely Scottish boy got up, swatted away the dragon flies and stepped over her head to get back to the table. She shot up and said “step back over me”! That’s all she said. One by one each person on the table said “ya, my mom says you have to step back over the person if you stepped over them once.” The tempo got louder and everyone, every different person there knew that they had all heard and participated in one of the oldest ‘old wives tales’ ever. Across the cultures and borders they all grew up hearing this one ‘superstition’. The biggest deal wasn’t that they had all been told the same tale by their Scottish, Estonian, Indian, Persian, Zimbabwean mothers, it was how they all suddenly related on another level. This highly infused gene pool of people sat there, ages 19 – 35 years and said in unison – “coz then you won’t grow tall”. Across most of the globe, covering 4 continents, all these people were told the same reason too! When I heard this story, it stirred me in many ways. Are we all essentially the same? Just people. People with stories, lives, joys, pains, fun, work, family, passions, traditions, the list goes on and it goes on for all of us.

The Nirula's Story

I spent a considerable number of years hearing about the ‘great consumer experience’ that could only be ‘experienced’ abroad. Anywhere abroad, I asked? The spectrum for ‘abroad’ for most Indian’s was restricted to the US and the UK. Would I find the same costumer experience in Dhaka or Mogadishu? I seriously wondered! These lamentations have come into my mind since a friend of mine visited ‘Nirula’s’ the other day. Ah! ‘Nirula’s’ for those of you that haven’t had this baptism of fudge, ‘Nirula’s’ was India’s only fast food joint till almost a decade ago. There were several in New Delhi and one in Kathmandu. Yes, I have eaten there as well. There is a different novelty in finding a home grown brand ‘abroad’ … Nepal is pretty ‘abroad’ in my opinion! See that’s my take on home grown, the guy behind the counter is ‘uncle’ and he will remember you the next time you come and your friends will think ‘Nirula’s’ is your haunt, that’s the perfect life for a 12 year old. ‘Nirula’s’ also holds the symbolic title of ‘the place of many firsts’ … it was the place I saw a film star for the first time, I found my first ‘crush’, I got my ‘board exam’ results, I got 20 bucks extra as change, I got high on food (before you jump to conclusions, it was one of those innocent highs, that only food can produce).



The food wasn’t something to write home about but this was the only place where one could order, burger and fries with a milkshake on the side and feel on top of the world, teleported all the way to the home of junk food, the US. Looking back I must reiterate that Nirula’s meant just a handful of yummy things to most people. There were the footlong fiends, the veg. burger lovers, the ice cream soda devotees but the ultimate followers of ‘Nirula’s’ were those that swore by the hot chocolate fudge.

That’s where this whole rant began. Manav, my friend decided to relive the joy by visiting the newly acquired ‘Nirula’s’ last week. ‘Nirula’s’ was a traditional family owned restaurant, run by the grand old man Mr. Nirula, I imagine. He must have been a regal old man with a mighty ‘Punjabi’ heart and appetite, also ‘Punjabi’s’ (those that hail from the state of Punjab in India) had great taste and western exposure. So I could understand his need to supply North India with much needed fast food! After competition like McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Dominos hit Indian shores, it shook the foundation ‘Nirula’s’ stood upon. They didn’t have hand tossed pizza’s, their fries were insipid and they didn’t have the omnipresent ‘thali’ back then, so no fallback option. What they had in their favour was ice cream. It was good and cheaper than Baskin Robbins. So there was Manav, looking forward to his hot chocolate fudge at the newly acquired ‘Nirula’s’. In June 2006, Navis Capital Partners a Malaysia based company acquired the Nirula's Group of Companies. He was to realize when he took the order that he had been served a hot butterscotch sundae instead. He says he may have made a mistake in ordering which I find worthy of mention simply because the same benefit of doubt cannot be bestowed upon ‘Nirula’s’. They vehemently refused to address his quandary. Imagine an old customer, as old as he is today, ordering an all time favourite dessert, ready to pay the difference for even a dollop of fudge on his sundae, is told a simple ‘no’! Now I wonder if the foreign acquisition made a difference in this ‘customer experience’. Our childhood haunts are becoming commercial trash and we are treated like it. The ‘home’ feeling is totally absent and not even a smile will make matters better. I feel sorry that Manav’s history with ‘Nirula’s’ will end this way and end it will because we now have over 5 varieties of commercial ice creams available, we have Hershey’s chocolate syrup and who can’t dry roast few peanuts at home. This is a lesson for ‘Nirula’s’, the recipe for hot chocolate fudge given above doesn’t mention the ‘Nirula’s’ touch because I don’t think it exists anymore.

Eyes open wider

I took me a couple of weeks to get over the whole ‘Bharatanatyam’ shoot. I don’t know why, it never takes me this long to absorb something extraordinary and I tend to produce very varied stock for my brand - Photosindia.com. It was probably some latent disappointment regarding my own experience with ‘Bharatanatyam’ that did it, I wasn’t great at it but I am sure I could have pursued it longer such to let the grace and discipline seep into my everyday life. Anyway, I kind of obsessed with the idea of exploring the various dance forms our country had to offer. And if you are still gaping at the number of languages, cuisines and cultures we actually have, then this topic will surely amaze you. Almost every state of India and we have 28, has a dance form they call their own. That meant I needed to get cracking, book my studio space with our Creative Director and get a hold of all these lovely artists. My endeavours were well rewarded within weeks. I found just the right person for one of India’s most awe inspiring dances – Kathakali. Certain elements remain common to all dances of India, they are storytelling personified and they are all extremely graceful, vibrant and emotional. But ‘Kathakali’ is just a wee bit more of all the adjectives I have used. Kathakali is the traditional dance-drama of Kerala, the way ‘Bharatanatyam’ traces its roots to Tamil Nadu and it is sheer, raw ‘power’. That’s the best word to describe it.



The day of the shoot started early. Our model was a veteran performer very keen to enlighten us about the nuances of Kathakali. He had prepared us for a 3 hour makeup session and we all thought he was exaggerating, apparently …. He was not. The first hour he lay motionless on the floor, while his team prepared colored pastes in little bowls made of coconut shells. It’s this kind of quaintness that always gets me. I mean, this man has a mobile phone, he probably downloads his performances from the video camera to DVD and yet they didn’t start getting him ready till the traditional brass lamp was lit and a little prayer was said. I always knew that most of the south Indian dance forms were rooted in Hindu mythology but this was true devotion. The base coats on his face took longer than a fashion model's makeup, then came the colors – rich parrot green, bleeding orange and the stark yellow of the ‘tilaka’. The makeup itself that transformed this man into a living caricature, a living, breathing mythical creature from way back into our past. He seemed to loom larger than he was when he came in. One by one, ornaments came out of an old, dented trunk (there was the quaintness again).



I noticed him change from an ordinary person to a revered character, his team was all over him, cajoling him like he was a child, adoring him like they were his mothers and keeping his comfort our utmost priority. There were steel talons on one hand, headgear that rose a foot in the air and solid gold arm bands that I had never noticed before. In a way it saddened me, I had seen quite a few performances in the last 15 years and I never stopped to notice these fantastic details. Sure enough, it took him 3 hours to get ready and all I could think of was how an Amazonian state like Kerala could have a dance form that requires a thermal costume weighing over 8 kilos?? This had to be true devotion! I remained mesmerized for the next few hours. Not just by the movements and expressions but by the subtleties. Our model’s team had a different attitude towards him once he was in costume, they were short of worshipping him and we all felt it. It was like being in the presence of God, or at least the closest thing to it. After a few frames we noticed that his eyes were very blood shot, so we asked if the atmosphere was bothering him. He gently informed us that he needed to portray the angst, the power, the menace and the megalomania of his character, thus the red eyes. He had applied a powder derived from a 'brinjal' like vegetable (which I suspect is the chili family, don't the seeds look alike?) in his eyes and thats what made them burn red this way.

Before we knew it … the shoot was over. I felt awful, there was still so much to explore, so many questions to ask. All I could the end the day with was an apology to our model, I apologized for being just the ‘audience’ all these years. I apologized for not recognizing the immense talent and fervour that goes into being a performer of Indian classical arts. And finally I thanked him, thanked him for showing me the essence of ‘Kathakali’. Apart from the makeup, the costume, the élan and the rich history, it was the devotion, the discipline and the traditional grounding that I will never forget. So next time you go to see any Indian classical dance, remember to feel the history and appreciate the entirety of what you see.

Make it Spicy

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I was in Kuwait a couple of years back and my standard tone in every restaurant and every meal was ‘make it spicy’! And then there was this one episode which made me stop saying it all together. We were at a fabulous Mediterranean restaurant called ‘Mezz Al Ghanim’ and I was drooling quietly at my table when a friend of mine asked if everything was okay. Assuming that the staff was not too familiar with the English language I told her that the food here was great but not ‘spicy’ enough for me. Out of nowhere came this handsome Iranian waiter and he said “Do you mean pungent maam? Because you come from the land of spices, everything here has spices from India, inhale now and I swear your nasal passage will open just by the fragrance of our cooking.We can make it pungent but it will kill the spice.” That’s when I realized he was right, I wanted ‘hot’ food and that had nothing to do with spice or flavor. This is a common misconception, spices are meant to add to the base ingredients of a dish and have a wonderful aroma and flavor, just the way continental food uses herbs.




There are a variety of Indian spices, cloves; cinnamon, cardamom, black cardamom, mace, black pepper are some of the common ones. Out of the 109 spices listed by the ISO, India produces as many as 75 in various regions. India accounts for about 45% of the global spice exports, though exports constitute only some 8% of the estimated annual production of spices at 3.5 million tons. Over all, spices are grown in some 2.9 million hectares in the country. India produces around 2.75 million tons of different spices valued at approximately 4.2 billion US $, and holds the premier position in the world spice market. Because of the varying climates in India - from tropical to sub-tropical, from 0-45 degree centigrade, almost all spices are grown in this country. In all of the 28 states and seven union territories of India, at least one spice is grown in abundance. So you can see a large part of the agricultural base in India is ‘spices’. In ancient times, spices were as precious as gold; and as significant as medicines, preservatives and perfumes. India - the land of spices played a significant role in the global spice market. No country in the world produced as many spices as India.

Indian cuisine encourages the use of whole spices for meats etc. and ground spices for vegetables, lentils and curries. Most Indian home still get their spices ground personally to ensure purity and consistency. I go over 20 miles to get my monthly spices ground and it has to be every month because spices lose their qualities with time. Whole spices are better if they are roasted before use. The oils of the spice get released and add to the dish. The potency of a spice can be gauged by where it was grown and how it was stored and preserved, I tend to buy spices that are slightly small because I feel they will be more potent and they usually are. One killer recipe I must share uses few of the common spices of India. It’s a lamb dish though in India we use an older animal and call the meat, 'mutton’. Wash 1 kilo of mutton, marinate in 1 cup of yogurt and 1 teaspoon each of roasted spices – cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, black cardamom, 1 bayleaf, black pepper, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Keep it in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Fry 3 pureed onions mixed with a puree of 4-6 garlic pods, in 2 tablespoons of ghee, add the marinated mutton (reserve the marinade though). Fry on high for 5-7 minutes, leave to simmer on low (covered) for 45 minutes. Add 1 cup of coconut milk, 2 teaspoons of ‘garam masala’ (a combo of cinnamon, cumin, cloves, mace, cardamom and black cardamom) and salt to taste. You can either leave it to simmer for another 20 minutes or put it in a pressure cooker for a whistle or two and there you have it ‘Mutton Shirazi’…have it with white rice or a nice, crisp 'naan' (type of Indian bread). On this topic, I must clarify, ‘curry powder’ is not the most common spice mix of India, ‘garam masala’ is! In fact as an Indian in India, I wonder what curry powder is? All our curries have different powdered spices, so who made a generic one?

Sweet Surrender

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My mother was an avid cook, actually she was a closet ‘chef’ and only very late in life did she pursue a part time venture in catering. I had spent most of my childhood on the kitchen parapet and most of my adulthood leaning against it. Unfortunately I never bothered to actually learn from her, I just stood there and watched. So what I ended up with was loads of cookery wisdom and zero practical knowledge. Anyway, a Bachelor’s course with ITC-WelcomGroup changed that but going back to my mom, one huge pearl of wisdom was – “Cook with all your senses. Feel with your fingers, inhale with your nose, taste with your mouth, look at the colors and textures with your eyes and most important hear the sizzling, the frying with your ears and you will never go wrong.” Though this can be applied to any cuisine in the world, I apply it most to when I make Indian sweets. You can’t beat the sound of ‘gulab jamuns’ frying in hot oil, the monotony of the ‘kadchi’ or ladle moving tirelessly through kilos of chickpea flour (‘besan’) sounds blissful to me and of course the fragrances … cooking spices can tickle your nose and whet your appetite but Indian sweets will make your mouth water right away.

The variety of Indian sweets available is unbelievable. But then you must have heard that about everything in India, the cuisines, the cultures, the languages! The most common ingredient for all the sweets across India could possibly be milk and dry fruits but the combinations with other local ingredients produces an assortment of tastes, textures, colors and shapes. North India produces sweets that are extremely dairy based maybe because Punjab is the dairy hub of India and the heart of the north. The milk is reduced over hours of simmering in a heavy pan to produce an ingredient called ‘khoya’ or ‘mawa’ or milk solids. ‘Khoya’ forms the base of almost every ‘burfi’ (I would avoid spelling it as 'barfi, though!), ‘laddoo’ and ‘peda’, it is also used as a garnish for a variety of winter ‘halva’s’. A lot of dry fruit is used as fillings or garnish, especially cashews and almonds, which also form the base of an extremely popular ‘burfi’, quite like its continental cousin the marzipan. Towards the East, the sweets get more exotic. The famous ‘sandesh’ from West Bengal (yes, that’s in the East of India) is a classic favorite and found all over India now. They are made from a variety of ingredients like chickpea flour (‘besan’), cottage cheese (paneer) and even coconut, curd and ‘khoya’. In the West, sweet foods are extremely popular, especially in Gujarat, where even regular food has a sweetened tinge. Their sweets use a lot wheat and refined flour along with jaggery and candied fruits and nuts. Down south the basic flavors remain constant but in a very different presentation, the ‘laddoo’s’ there look like the same ones seen up north, but one bite is all you need to have to know just how different the entire recipe actually is. South Indian sweets use fruits and vegetables extensively too, pumpkins and yams as well as bananas and coconut.

All in all, Indian sweets are rich and delicious, most confectioners have maintained their standardized recipes and still produce quality sweets made of high grade ingredients. All confectioners clearly state that their goods are perishables and need to be consumed within 24-48 hours. It is only now that some brands are marketing Indian sweets with longer shelf lives, it may be an endeavor to reach distant markets but it does compromise on the quality and actual taste of the product. Personally, I would say a ‘laddoo’ is way healthier than a chocolate bar, given the preservatives and the shelf life, I may just be right!

The Taj - A Symbol of Devotion

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The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned it as a mausoleum for his favorite Persian wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction began in 1632 and was completed in approximately 1648.

Some dispute surrounds the question of who designed the Taj Mahal; it is clear a team of designers and craftsmen were responsible for the design, with Ustad Ahmad Lahauri considered the most likely candidate as the principal designer.

The Taj Mahal (sometimes called "the Taj") is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 when it was described as a "universally admired masterpiece of the world's heritage.



In 1631 Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their daughter Gauhara Begum, their fourteenth child. Contemporary court chronicles concerning Shah Jahan's grief form the basis of the love story traditionally held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.

Construction of the Taj Mahal was begun soon after Mumtaz's death. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648, and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.

The complex is set in and around a large charbagh (a formal Mughal garden divided into four parts). Measuring 300 meters × 300 meters, the garden uses raised pathways which divide each quarter of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and the gateway, and a linear reflecting pool on the North-South axis reflect the Taj Mahal. Elsewhere the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains

The Charbagh garden was introduced to India by the first Mughal emperor Babur, a design inspired by Persian gardens. The charbagh is meant to reflect the gardens of Paradise (from the Persian paridaeza — a walled garden). In mystic Islamic texts of the Mughal period, paradise is described as an ideal garden, filled with abundance. Water plays a key role in these descriptions: In Paradise, these text say, four rivers source at a central spring or mountain, and separate the garden into north, west, south and east.

Most Mughal charbaghs are rectangular in form, with a tomb or pavilion in the center of the garden. The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the main element, the tomb, is located at the end rather than at the center of the garden. But the existence of the newly discovered Mahtab Bagh or "Moonlight Garden" on the other side of the Yamuna provides a different interpretation — that the Yamuna itself was incorporated into the garden's design, and was meant to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise.

The layout of the garden, and its architectural features such as its fountains, brick and marble walkways, and geometric brick-lined flowerbeds are similar to Shalimar's, and suggest that the garden may have been designed by the same engineer, Ali Mardan.

Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, including roses, daffodils, and fruit trees in abundance. As the Mughal Empire declined, the tending of the garden declined as well. When the British took over management of the Taj Mahal, they changed the landscaping to resemble the formal lawns of London.

Myths about the Taj Mahal are now so old or compelling that they are often repeated as facts. A longstanding myth holds that Shah Jahan planned a duplicate mausoleum to be built in black marble across the Jumna river. The 'black taj' idea originates in the fanciful writings of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a European traveller who visited Agra in 1665. The story suggests that Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb before the black version could be built. Ruins of blackened marble across the river, in the so-called Moonlight Garden (Mahtab Bagh) seemed to support this legend. However, excavations carried out in the 1990s found only white marble features discoloured completely to black. The garden buildings had collapsed due to repeated flooding. Others speculate that the 'black taj' may refer to the reflection of the Taj in the large pool of the moonlight garden.

Numerous stories describe — often in horrific detail — the deaths, dismemberments and mutilations which Shah Jahan inflicted on various architects and craftsmen associated with the tomb. No evidence for these claims exist.



Sometimes misinformation about the Taj has been used for political or self-serving advantage. Lord William Bentinck, governor of India in the 1830s, supposedly planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and auction off the marble. There is no contemporary evidence for this story, which may have emerged in the late nineteenth century when Bentinck was being criticised for his penny-pinching Utilitarianism, and when Lord Curzon was emphasising earlier neglect of the monument. Bentinck's biographer John Rosselli says that the story arose from Bentinck's fund-raising sale of discarded marble from Agra Fort.

My take on Indian Food

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The writer’s block I developed for this topic has been the most painful. ‘Indian food’ would ideally be my favorite topic, actually it is my favorite topic but I have no clue where to start. Should I pick a region (North, South etc.), a state (Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal …), a cuisine (Awadh, Konkan…), a religion (Jain, Parsi …)? India has foods that could cover a world on its own, and no it’s not just curry we are serving tonight! In fact curry is the last thing ‘Indian cuisine’ would like to boast of, she is a gourmet and curry is too much fusion for her pride. ‘Indian cuisine’ cannot be defined because of its vastness, it cannot be categorized for the same reason too. What can explain the delicacies of this amazing country is the experience itself. So after you read this, take a trip to the closest restaurant that serves a cuisine other than that of your region (if you are in India) and if you are abroad, go to any Indian restaurant and no two will taste alike.



Let me start with two of the broadest categories I can find – Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian. Vegetarian’s in India are a large majority and most restaurants even international ones keep well stocked menus for them. There are no ‘vegan’s’ per se but there are communities that avoid onions and garlic all together, like the Jain’s. International flights readily offer ‘Jain’ meals because they are essentially a trader caste and run some of the largest family led business conglomerates. India has always had a strong farming culture which offers fresh seasonal vegetables through the year. The interesting thing about all the foods of India is that their history lies entrenched in ‘Ayurveda’. For instance, cauliflower is a winter vegetable, scientifically it is proven to be difficult to digest, its best consumed in cold weather because the body has a slow metabolism. It is available only in the winter months. Summers produce lighter, more water based vegetables and fruits like a variety of gourds and melons. Summer and winter foods throughout India vary and science behind it is always good for digestion and essential for the elements of that season. In states like Gujarat and Rajasthan, a vegetarian spread could mean over 100 dishes and again no two will taste alike. The famed ‘thali’ is the Indian counterpart of a 10-15 course meal, except that it’s served together and replenished as often as the patron likes. A variety of pulses, wet and dry will be served, along with curried or stir fried vegetables, pickles, yoghurts infused with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers or tempered with curry leaves, fritters called ‘pakoras’ of seasonal vegetables will complete the thali.

Non vegetarian cuisine on the other hand has historical value. The innumerable invasions of India, the Mughal era that started in the 1500’s, the Portuguese in Goa and the French in Pondicherry, all left a stark impact on the dishes of those areas. Some states like Kerala and regions like the Konkan coast can share fish and seafood recipes from hundreds of years ago but by and large non vegetarian food in India has constantly evolved. I once read a fun story about the famous ‘Meen Moily’ fish curry of Kerela (‘meen’ means fish). A British lady (I am sure it was over a 100 years ago), loved the authentic Kerala fish curry except that she found it too spicy (the real black pepper spice not the god awful red chilli one), so she worked it around with naturally sweet coconut milk, a whole lot of curry leaves and just a few green chillies… her name was Molly. Try that dish and you will thank me, in fact I think I’ll cook it tonight. Fish and seafood are cooked throughout coastal India, being a peninsula there was a lot of coast to cover. West Bengal uses coconut milk too but their ‘masala’ base is mustard seeds, Goan’s on the other hand are as fond of coconut milk but their ‘masala’ is a potent combination of dry red chillis and vinegar. You would have never tasted two prawn curries so different from each other and yet from the same country. Other meats like chicken, lamb and pork are very popular too. Imagine multiplying 100 vegetables x 25 cuisines x 1 billion homes … that’s the variety we offer.

Business Process Outsourcing and its Indian story

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What really is Business Process Outsourcing or BPO? Nope, it’s not the evil giant that swallowed all the jobs from the west, its just a sector that’s making waves in India and making hell of a difference abroad. This sector has now become so specialized that India offers high end work referred to as Knowledge Process Outsourcing or KPO and other variants such as Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO). Unlike what most people think, this industry did not take shape in the last decade, this process of outsourcing back end work actually happened way back in the 80’s. This is when biggies like British Airways and American Express started looking for cheaper business venues. Cheaper didn’t necessarily mean there was a compromise on talent, India always had plenty of talent to offer. At this stage the telecom boom was starting to happen as well, realty was on the rise and suddenly there was all these personnel that wanted to come back home. With them they brought their jobs, it was a simple relocation that clicked. Next came GE, Jack Welch always knew potential when he saw it. GECIS was their baby and that was just the start of the nursery India was to become.



By the year 2000, several BPO companies mushroomed all over Sub-urban cities like Gurgaon, Pune, Bangalore etc. MNC (Multinational companies) were awed by the working ethic of Indians as well as budget goodies like tele-services, office rentals, relatively low pay packages, it was glorious all the way. The industry grew at a rate of 38% in the year 2005. For the financial year 2006, the projection was of US $7.2 billion worth of services provided by this industry.

Today the global BPO Industry is estimated to be worth 120-150 billion dollars, of this the offshore BPO is estimated to be some US$11.4 billion. The Information Technology sector that comprises of ITES (IT-enabled services) and BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) entities has driven India into an economic boom. Today India is a much sought after destination for global offshore outsourcing companies because of its track record. This is an employment generating sector, the BPO industry alone created job opportunities for around 74,400 additional personnel in India in the year 04-05. The last headcount stood at 400,000 which was 40% of the approximate one million workers estimated to be directly employees in the IT and BPO Sector. Nearly 75% of US and European multinational companies now use outsourcing or shared services to support their financial functions. As per the estimates on ‘Wikipedia’ - 72% of European multinational companies have outsourced financial functions over the past two years. Additionally, 71% of European companies and 78% US companies plan to use these services in the next 12-24 months. Overall, 29% of US and European companies expect to increase their use of outsourcing of financial functions, with spending expected to be nearly 16% higher than current levels.

India is truly Shining!

PUSHKAR: The home of ‘Brahma’, the Creator and the Pushkar Fair

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Pushkar is a small town in Rajasthan, it is as picturesque as any desert town can be but it has other claims to fame that make it a prominent address on the Indian map. Pushkar, literally meaning 'a lotus that has bloomed in mud', and it also home to one of the only two temples dedicated to Lord Brahma. The seat upon which Lord Brahma resides is a blue Lotus also known as ‘Pushkara’ in Sanskrit. Lord Brahma is a part of the Hindu Holy Trinity and he serves as the ‘Creator’ of mankind, the way Lord Shiva is considered the destroyer. Lord Brahma is said to be the son of the Supreme Being. He created the universe and he had several symbols associated with his persona.



Mythology states that Lord Brahma annoyed Lord Shiva during a tryst and the curse bestowed upon him was that no man on earth would worship Lord Brahma the way other deities are worshipped. Another school of thought attributed this curse to a demi God who was ignored by Lord Brahma. But it is the practicalities of modern society that have asked for a more plausible explanation. Like the one stated by Mr. Surin Usgaonkar “The true philosophical reason why Brahma is not worshiped like the other deities is as under: Worship involves faith and faith to certain degree means accepting supremacy of someone without questioning. Brahma, on the other hand, represents true knowledge. The knowledge and faith are philosophically antithetical concepts. Knowledge blooms in self-doubt, constant questioning, criticism and discussions and it lapses in faith.”

Leaving such heavy thinking aside, let’s go back to Pushkar, where this whole dialogue began. Pushkar has one of the two temples dedicated to Lord Brahma and it is here that one of the largest cultural, trading and religious fair takes place every year. ‘Pushkar Mela’ (‘mela’ literally means fair or carnival) is India’s largest cattle fair. It is a spectacular event with Rajasthani men and women in their traditional attire, ash smeared holy men and more than one lakh people, from all over Rajasthan as well as tourists from different parts of India and abroad in attendance. Apart from the people there is bevy of bulls, cows, sheep, goats, horses and camels for sale and barter. It is not just business here, this week long fair also has fabulous events and brilliant shopping stalls. There are hysterical camel races, where photographers are known to get trampled (objects in the lens appear farther than they really are!!!). Rajasthani gypsies in their vibrant colorful skirts perform dance and music recitals through the days and nights. The shopping stalls glitter all the way with handcrafted leather goods to dainty glass bangles and beautiful textiles. Craftsman from all over Rajasthan and neighboring states bring their wares out for the world to see and appreciate. At Pushkar there is something for everyone. The shopper will find his delights, the trader will get a great bargain and the tourist will see the colorful and charismatic India they were hoping to see.

‘Pushkar Fair’ is always held in the month of Kartik. It starts two days before the full moon of the month and ends a day after it. This year the fair is from 18th-24th November 2007, a tad later than usual. It is the Pushkar lake in this city that all devotional activities center around. It has 52 ghats (like cement bleachers/steps) and is the main reason for the confluence of so many people from all parts of the country and abroad. It is considered imperative to take a dip in the Pushkar Lake on the night of a full moon. According to the Puranas (meaning ‘ancient Indian tales’), a pilgrimage to Pushkar destroys all evil and washes away all sins. A person that has had a dip in the lake at Pushkar and worshipped Brahma achieves salvation. For this reason, thousands of people gather here for this great annual pilgrimage and fair. Could there be an easier way??

The Indian Connection

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Doing business in India has never been easier. The markets have opened, the government has taken serious economic stances to encourage foreign investment and ‘globalization’ isn’t a scary word anymore. Gone are the days when ‘Amul’ butter felt threatened by the attractively packed imported ‘fats’. Screaming ‘Fat Free’ off their labels, but the good old Indian wasn’t easy prey. There was a skewed kind of brand loyalty that had ‘nostalgia’ written all over it and the average Indian needed a bit more than just great packaging in multiple languages.

Thus started the media frenzy. ‘Tang’ came back with a bang, images of young Indian’s lolling about with sweaty glasses of ‘Tang’ made for the picture perfect West. After all in reverse Indian companies had invested over $2 billion in the US in 2006-07 and completed a total of 48 deals with the firms there. Suddenly, everybody knew us and we found retail heaven. Indian companies went on to announce 115 foreign acquisitions worth $7.4 billion, and it wasn’t always done by large business conglomerates but also by several small and medium enterprises of India.



With this kind of attention, India went on to become the hot spot for the $42.7 billion telecom giant Motorola’s production base for coming out with new technologies for emerging markets. The Indian economy was expected to grow at the rate of 8% this year and this would have been the fourth year in a row for 8% GDP growth. Then the other day we have Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram expressing supreme confidence that GDP growth will touch 10% in the current fiscal. It seems to have a lot to do with the age profile in India as compared to the global working population. This has to be a better dividend for the Indian economy. Our core working populace is young Indian’s adding significantly to the country’s growth. They are the big earners and the big spenders. They are the target audience for every sector possible because now they can afford their dreams. Websites like orkut.com have young Indian's congratulating each other over new houses bought in foreign countries, imported cars bought in local cities and European holidays every summer. With pockets this deep, aspirations this huge and limitless possibilities …it is India all the way.

The Sensual Sari

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The ‘sari’ adds a whole new meaning to the term ‘the whole nine yards’. It is a 5000 year old traditional outfit, worn by an estimated 75% of the female populace of India. It is a one piece garment and its length ranges from five to nine and half yards. All of which is wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder. It is worn all over India in over 15 regional styles and in every way that a 'Sari' is fashioned it adds sensuality and femininity to a woman’s body.



From the basic cotton to rich silk, sexy satin and elegant organza, the sari comes in a variety of fabrics. Sari’s can be block printed with natural dyes; they can be embroidered with intricate patterns or woven with imaginative designs. Even avid ‘sari’ collectors will say no one can have them all. Some of the popular regions for ethnic ‘sari’s are West Bengal where the wondrous ‘Baluchari’ comes from, it always has images of Indian religious epics as a pattern. The state of Tamil Nadu offers the richly brocaded ‘Kanchipuram’, they are silk saris much sought after and considered a must for every woman to own. Orissa has mastered the art of yarn dyed patterning, their Sari’s are stark and geometric. Rajasthan and Gujarat derive their inspiration from the gypsy culture of that region, their bandhini’ sari’s come in vibrant colors achieved from the process of ‘tie and dye’. The list of ethnic sari’s is endless but the ‘sari’ has evolved. As times have changed so has the ‘sari’, in order to suit the 21st century Indian women, sari’s come with more modern designs and in more manageable fabrics. Embroidery on ‘sari’s’ has been replaced by sequins and ‘Swarovski’ crystals, only to invite a whole new generation into its fold (pun intended)!

What really makes this outfit extremely versatile is that it can be worn as a trouser, as shorts or as a simple skirt, without one single stitch on it. Sari’s suit the weather of the Indian subcontinent, it is airy and light yet sensual and suggestive. A hint of the midriff is all an Indian woman will divulge but the sari hugs a woman’s curves so beautifully, that she stands out despite her whole body being covered.

The ‘sari’ is draped and tucked into a skirt like garment called the ‘petticoat’ and on the upper body a short bodice called a ‘blouse’ is worn. The midriff is bare. Every state of India has a traditional weave for the ‘sari’ as well as a traditional style of draping. North India produces fine block printed cottons and textured silks like those found in Varanasi. South India on the other hand prefers to ignore the glaring sun and produce richer and heavier silk saris with ancient motifs and patterns. Every region of India boasts of a typical ‘sari’ only found in that area.

So if you haven’t worn one yet, go ahead take the plunge. The real secret of the ‘sari’ is – it adds curves to the right places and hides curves in the wrong places. Enjoy!

About the famous ‘BINDI’

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Indian women are famed for their bright clothes and traditional jewelry. Added to this burst of color are a host of other adornments in the form body art and piercings. One strong symbol of body art is the ‘bindi’ or ‘bindiya’. It is usually a red dot worn in the center of the forehead, just between the brows.

A powder of dried turmeric and lead produces ‘kumkum’ or ‘sindoor’ used to apply the traditional red bindi. In southern India vermillion is used to apply a ‘bindi’, it is made of powdered red mercuric sulphide. Now bindi’s are available in a variety of colors and materials. Married women wear it as a norm, while younger women prefer to wear it as an accessory.

Several theories explain the tradition of this ornamental dot. Those of a scientific bent of mind say the 'bindi’ is applied on an integral nerve point. This center point is considered an integration of higher wisdom and inner strength. The ‘bindi’ is thus applied to retain energy. The traditionalists believe it brings good fortune and luck. It is auspicious and a symbol of marriage, the most sacred of all ties. Mystics have always argued that the ‘bindi’ is the third eye, the seat of all Hindu goddesses and their powers. Ultimately it is the Fashionista’s that have brought the ‘bindi’ into the limelight by wearing it simply for its stark presence and mystery.

‘Bindi’s’ are now tradition and trendy. They come in intricate patterns with gems and sequins adding to the vibrancy. They are worn with both ethnic and western clothes, making a global statement in fashion.


Not only women, but Hindu men also wear a dot on the forehead, indicating their third eye. The 'bindi’ for men can also be called a ‘Tika’ or 'Tilak', it is usually longer and applied with the thumb. The ‘Tika’ is an auspicious symbol for men too, it reminds them of their spiritual heritage. In terms of history this ‘Tika’ helps to identify a Hindu among the members of other religions. Christians wear a cross, the Jewish wear a ‘yarmulke’, the Sikhs wear a turban and so on.


Ulitmately its women that identify most with the 'bindi', it signifies female energy or ‘shakti’. This red dot has gone from a symbol of marriage into patterns that go with a woman’s moods and the occasions in her life. It is all about empowerment and femininity.