Happy 2009!...

Chilly days, and chillier nights

Hot coffee under warm quilts

Blooming garden, and multi-coloured butterflies

The smell of baking wafting across the house

Can the new year be far behind?

Here's wishing all my readers a happy, peaceful, and safe 2009!

I will be away from my blogs for the next few months as I will be moving houses.

Hope to be back with you all, dear readers and visitors, in the middle of 2009 when I share fresh snippets from my life and experiences in the new house.

Sharing Vacation Moments: Rishikesh

On a pleasantly cool winter morning in early November, we boarded the train to our vacation destination Rishikesh. Situated in the lower Himalayas in the northern part of the country, this town is well-known both for its spiritual connection as well as for its charming natural beauty.

As our train chugged across the pretty Indian countryside, we enjoyed these vistas.

Reaching Haridwar around midday, we drove past its famed ghats into the looming mountains ahead, on to our destination Rishikesh.

In the evening we went down to the mighty river Ganges. The kids were mesmerized to see so much water…. such a wide expanse of river! They floated flowers, incense and ‘diyas’.

As the evening turned to dusk the riverside echoed with the sounds of holy ‘mantras’ and huge traditional lamps were lit for the ‘arati’.

Next morning we visited the two suspension bridges – Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula - that take you across the vast river.

From the bridges one gets to see mesmerizing views of the Ganges and the surrounding hills. And loads of fish in the water… the kids loved it! :)

On the third day we chose to spend some more time by the riverside, at an unhurried pace. We got into the water, which was surprisingly warm and comfortable even for the kids.

Those are my feet in the river...

We drew pictures on the sand. And we collected shiny round stones from the riverside, both as mementoes and for using in the gardens of our new home.

We also spotted some feathered friends…and marveled as the sun turned the river into a shimmery sheet of molten gold.

In the evening we headed back home but not before we spotted a family of monkeys at the Haridwar station, deftly balancing their way across the iron girders of the station roof!

Hope you enjoyed this tour of Rishikesh with me.

P.S.: I have a confession to make. This post does not carry my best pictures of the trip simply because I am wary of plagiarists. Of late I have come across numerous incidents of stealing from blogs, and have hence decided to play safe. Sorry for robbing my readers of the best shots!

November News: Connected Again

In case you are wondering why I am posting news about last month… well, the thanks go out to my internet service provider who unceremoniously disconnected our internet just because they were going through some technology upgrade. So I am back on the Web and in blogosphere only after a month-long hiatus. Without cribbing any further about my horrendous ISP (I’ve spent most of last month doing that!), here’s the update.

November is a month of occasions for us – lots of birthdays and anniversaries fill up the month, including both my parents’ birthdays, and theirs and our anniversaries. I celebrated six years of togetherness with my dearest hubby, who gifted us a snazzy new digital camera for the occasion. :) A scrumptious lunch at a new American restaurant followed by some excellent coffee made the day for us. I loved how the café guys served coffee topped by artwork (literally!); one cup had a leaf topping while the other sported a heart!


Then we went for a 3-day vacation to Rishikesh, where besides catching up with extended family, we spent some wonderful family time together in lovely environs. For our 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter, it was the first exposure to journeying by train, and seeing mountains and a river. And they saw India’s longest river, the Ganges!


Well, I’ll end this update with a promise of posting a more detailed description of our vacation along with some more cool pictures! :)

Diwali Greetings

Deepavali wishes to all my readers. May the festival of lights spread much joy, happiness and peace.

Here's an arrangement of floating candles and marigold flowers that I created a couple of years back.

Happy And Relaxed

I am really chilled out these days, enjoying life as a home maker and full-time mommy.

It is so much better to enjoy the festive season without worrying about rushing to office the next day.

I am working on creative projects that I have been wanting to do for a long time now.

I am keeping busy taking pictures in the garden, and planning for a family vacation next month.

I get to spend so much more time with the kids, playing with them and goofing around.


Here’s a picture of them taking a joyride in the toy train at a school fete.


Life is bliss! :) And I’m planning to keep it this way for sometime – no unnecessary pressures anymore. The sole focus will be to enjoy the small things that matter…

The Ravana Makers: Part II

For those of you who missed out the first part of this story, you can catch up here. And if you have been keeping up with the tale, then here comes the rest of it….

Once the paper layers of the Ravana effigies dry completely in the strong autumn sun, the body parts are painted in bright colours.


The faces are painted in striking fluorescent shades while the torso pieces generally get a coat of black. This is because the torso is covered with bright, decorative paper designs.

The expression on the faces is plain hideous, with bulging eyes and a toothy, wicked smile!

Don’t they look cute all lined up like that?

On the eve of Dussehra, trucks and tempos arrive to carry away the pieces they ordered. So you have all the various pieces bundled into the back of a truck, like this…


The craftsmen who create these effigies earn through various other means of livelihood through the rest of the year. However, around this time of the year they gather in groups to create as many as a thousand effigies of the demon king.

These effigies are used on Vijayadashami, to mark the victory of good over evil. Colourfully painted and decorated, with crackers strapped inside, these effigies are put up in parks and open spaces with the help of ropes.

Fire-tipped arrows are then aimed at them, as everyone enjoys watching them go up in flames with a loud bang.

Dussehra and Vijayadashami greetings to all my readers! May the Good always prevail….

The Ravana Makers: Part I

A couple of months before the autumn winds start blowing and the festive season begins, the pavements (sidewalks) around the residential area I stay in witness a flurry of activity. Truckloads of bamboo poles are layed out and a dozen or more people start working on them, slicing them into halves, and then further. And thereby hangs a fascinating tale…..

Come with me as I show you a glimpse into this cottage industry of creativity that I have witnessed for the last many years. It is a tradition that is passed on from one generation to another, from father to son. It is the art of making Ravana effigies.

First the bamboo is spliced into thin strips. The strips are then tied together to form frames shaped according to the different parts of an effigy. So you have separate bits for the face, the upper torso, the lower torso and the limbs. And, yes, the crown…. Ravana was a king after all, remember!

Bamboo frames of the torso lying on the pavement

The bamboo frames are then given a cloth base, with yards of fabric tightly stretched and wrapped around them. This forms the ground for the paper mache work that follows.

The frames covered with colorful cloth stretched across

This is how the cloth-covered frames look from the inside

Large squares of thin brown paper is slathered with glue and pasted on the frames. The process is very similar to decoupage.

Applying glue on brown sheets of paper and pasting them on to the frames

Part I of this remarkable tale ends here as I bring you reports and pictures live from outside the colony gates. Part II of of the Ravana making process shall reach you soon… stay tuned.

Let the Festivities Begin!

Today marks the official beginning of the festive season in this part of the world.

Dussehra is one of the most important festivals in India. Celebrated almost throughout the country albeit in different ways, it marks ten days of fasting or feasting (depending on which part of the country you come from), with a final celebration of good over evil on the tenth day.

In north India, the festive period begins with the ‘navratras’ when devotees worship the nine forms of the goddess. Special fasts are observed by the people and special foods are cooked during this period. This festival also commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana who, as told in the Ramayana, abducted his wife Sita and held her captive in his kingdom.

A batik representation of the ten-armed Goddess Durga on her lion

In the other parts, the same fervour can be seen over five days of celebrating Durga Puja, where the goddess Durga is worshipped for having slayed the demon Mahishasura. However, in these parts, instead of fasting the goddess is appeased by community feasting.

Isn’t that amazing? – two completely divergent ways of celebrating the same thing, even while being in the same country. This is truly unity in diversity!

Here’s wishing festive cheer and happiness to all my Indian readers, while the rest of you enjoy the festive season through my posts. :)

P.S. – Stay tuned for a fascinating story related to the Indian festival of Dussehra. Coming soon!

Tis’ A Time For Change

It is that time of the year again… when there is a nip the air

Large white clouds float across the blue skies making fascinating shapes

The chameli flowers (Indian jasmine) spread their sharp fragrance in the air

Photo from external source; click on photo for original source

...and the mornings become chilly.

Monsoon showers try to assert their weight in one last show of day-long showers before the autumn sets in.

Autumn in India means the advent of the festive season. The sales start in earnest as festive buying picks up. The Ravana-makers start making bamboo frames of the demon king. (I'll tell you more about this in a future post, promise!)

As the days become shorter, everyone starts counting days for the upcoming holidays.

And in this time of change, I have decided to bring about some alteration in my life. Yes, I am standing on the verge of another ending, or maybe… it will be a new beginning after all!

At the end of the month, I shall quit my well-paying full-time job for the sake of home, family, kids, and most importantly, for myself. My heart tells me that I owe my time more to my kids at this point in life than to some random software product. And I have chosen to hear the sayings of my heart...

Of course there are mixed feelings – slight trepidation for the financial setback (after all who doesn’t want money to raise two kids), but somehow the feeling of freedom and liberation is far greater. I feel more confident of finally leading the life I had always wanted - with my paints and brushes, and the attendant creative chaos. To me this is leading the charmed life, and I am so thankful to have a partner who not only understands but supports my decision.

What would you follow at the important junctures of life – your head or your heart? I have mostly followed my heart, and never regretted a moment for it!

Am leaving you with this lovely image of the fall colours that I saved from some e-mail forward. We don't get these in India but here's wishing all my readers all the beautiful hues in your life...

Autumn Visitor and Pansy Progress

We had a visitor this morning in our garden; I quite like its blue-black-yellow spots. Sorry about the picture quality though.... I was too scared to go too near and make it fly off! But clicking on the picture for a larger view may help. Does anyone know its name?

This week my artist friend Debbie has started work on the giveaway I won over at her blog Reflections of Debbie. The yellow pansy is coming up beautifully, and you can see her work in progress right here. I am keenly following this, Debbie, for the artist hidden deep within me loves to see the process of creation unravel in all its glory.

Hope all of you enjoy the creative process just as much.... and a little bit more! :)

Weekend Additions

Long time since I posted something… well, I have been busy. What with my daughter turning three and starting playschool, I’ve been on a whirlwind. But I did manage to catch a stationery fair over the weekend; you can read about that here.

And I bought some gorgeous kantha embroidered material for myself. See here to find out more about this amazing embroidery style.

I find the black one looks very elegant, and will look even better when stitched and worn as a kurta. Can you spot the peacocks in there?



And I love the traditional rural motifs on the white one.… aren't they sooooo lovely?

I find that some self-indulgence always boosts my spirits! :) How about yours?

Can’t Stop Smiling Today: Thank You, Debbie!

It is a beautiful day outside – sunny and bright, but with a cool breeze gently caressing my face. The kind of day that makes you feel that autumn is just around the corner. But the reason for my happiness is something else…. Whoopee!! I just won the Gallery Days Giveaway contest over at Reflections of Debbie. And ever since I read her post announcing the winner I can’t stop smiling.

The yellow pansy that made it to the top is from my mom’s terrace garden. I clicked it a couple of years back, wanting to make a watercolor of it myself. Never got round to doing that, but today I feel so special that Debbie chose to turn this into a drawing.

Thank you so much, Debbie. You have made me so happy today. Can’t wait to see you start on the drawing. And now that I have a new house (you can read about that here), I promise you that this drawing will hold pride of place in my new abode.

Chaat Cravings: Celebrating Street Food

India has a thriving street food culture. You’ll find it everywhere - in the middle of busy markets, at local street corners, even mobile street food vendors with their push-carts and trolleys laden with yummy goodies, meandering through residential areas.

Street food encompasses a huge range of gastronomic delights, right from mouth-watering snacks that vary with season to sweetmeats and lollies. Any Indian worth his or her salt will tell you about the ‘chaat’ that this country loves.

Chaat is basically a mix of local savouries, and is prepared from locally available ingredients. So the definition of chaat, and the ingredients that go into preparing a plate, can vary from one part of the country to another depending on local flavours.

Here is a picture of the plate of ‘bhel-puri’ that I lapped up last evening after work. Made from puffed rice, it contains a mish-mash of onions, potato cubes, tomatoes, chillies, bhujia (dry savoury), and is generously garnished with coriander and tamarind chutneys.

And don’t miss the display of ingredients at the chaat counter. I love the way the green chillies are made to stand up against the 'sev' and limes.


Notice that small image of Lord Shiva in the bottom left corner? Just a gentle reminder that you surrender yourself to street food only if you have immense faith in God! :)

Go, give in to a lip-smacking treat...

Are My Pictures Perfect?

Blogosphere is so full of interesting people.... like my new artist friend Debbie who is holding a giveaway. Go over to Reflections Of Debbie to check out the details. And then rush off with your cameras....

Debbie, here are my entries for the Gallery Days Giveaway. And at the cost of sounding immodest, I really, really wish one of these becomes the winner. Though I am half-way across the globe from you :) but I would so love to have a picture in my post!

Yellow Pansy

Gorgeous Leaves

Mimosa flower

The competition at Reflections Of Debbie closes on 25August, Monday, so you still have the weekend to take pictures and send across a link.

Keeping my fingers crossed....

For the Love of Lilies

I just had to show you this. Remember when I told you in the warmer month of June how a few drops of monsoon rain does wonders for the white grass lilies in our garden? Well, here they are, in all their glory.

An absolute delight to behold, as a huge cluster sways gently in the morning breeze.

Sometimes the simplest of Nature’s creations have the power to affect us profoundly…. just as these do. Every time we get a large bunch, our happiness quotient goes up a few notches. :)

Monsoon Magic

It has been raining here this weekend.

Sharp showers and overcast skies made me want to share a few glimpses of what the monsoons mean to me…

Pitter-patter raindrops, as they create their own music

Lush, leafy green all around… and toadstools popping up here, there, everywhere

Bhuttas (corn on the cob) roasted over a charcoal fire to a golden yellow, with a dash of lime and masala

Colourful umbrellas on squelchy, waterlogged roads

And of course, everybody’s favourite – chai and pakoras (tea with vegetable fries)

Happy soaking this season!

Of Ganesha and other deities...

It is amazing where the internet takes you!.... Yesterday, while researching something on Lord Ganesha, the pot-bellied, sweet-loving Hindu deity who rides a rat (and happens to be one of my favourites from the divine family), I came across the Lotus Sculpture site.




By its own admission, Lotus Sculpture claims to be one of the finest proponents of “hand made statues of Hindu Gods and the Buddha”, and the visuals on their web pages stand testimony to that. Lotus Sculpture imports sculptures that are brought to life by artisans in south India, Bangladesh and Thailand.
Their warehouse is located in Connecticut and it is owned by the amazing Kyle Tortora. Go here to read more about him and his travels, especially to the parts of Asia from where he sources his statues and sculptures.

The Lotus Sculpture site also has a mine of information for the casual reader, and I admit (a trifle sheepishly, given my Indian roots) that I learnt quite a few mythological tales from here that I would have never known otherwise….

I thought of posting some of my favourites from the fabulous collection at Lotus Sculpture. Happy drooling, everyone!

All pictures in this post are taken from the Lotus Sculptures website.