Spice of Life! – Page 69 – A khatta-meetha take on life around me through my presbiopic eyes!

25/12/201321/07/2020

Stunning Stupas at Sanchi

The usual factors for choosing a holiday destination for most of us are the Local Attractions (Music, Arts History, Geography, etc), Shopping, Food, Nature, family/friends (at times this helps in NOT choosing a particular place) and so on. After my visit to Hampi, the presence of a UNESCO World Heritage site has become a big plus in the decision process. This explains why we seized the chance to visit Bhopal.

Located in central India, Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh state and I had often transited this city during train journeys but had never actually stayed there. Sanchi is located to the north east of Bhopal at a distance of about 45 kms. It is home to the Buddhist monuments – the Stupas that show case Buddhist art and architecture. This is designated as Unesco World Heritage Site. It dates back to some time in the 3rd century BC and was constructed by Emperor Ashoka. After its hey day period, it was ignored and forgotten for several hundred years. It was re-discovered and then explored and developed by British Officers during the Raj. There are plenty of reviews and descriptions of this site available on the internet so I would not like to repeat those. This page on the website of the Archeological Survey of India offers excellent information.

Sanchi Stupa, Unesco world heritage site, Madhya pradesh tourism

Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi

Sanchi is easily accessible by road from Bhopal. Entry is with a nominally priced ticket and the guard at the entrance politely told us not to eat inside. There is an excellent museum near the ticket hut but I suggest visiting it after seeing the Stupas. Its a very good idea to take services of a local guide as they have an uncanny knack of retelling the history of the place and bringing it alive.

The main stupa (Stupa 1) is said to hold the remains of Gautam Buddha and the other stupas are of his disciples. It is distinguished by its bigger size and by the triple umbrella (chhatravali) on its dome. It has four entrances (toranas) and the southern one is thought to have
been the principal entrance. The
other ones (east, west, north) were built later. Each gateway has two pillars (square with carvings on all sides) and a superstructure of curviform architraves (also carved with different stories).

Our guide brought attention to details inscribed on the pillars which relate the life and preachings of Gautam Buddha and Jataka tales. Parts of the site have been restored. At no site is the Buddha depicted in the form that we now know him to be but he is depicted symbolically. E.g. Umbrella held above the throne, dharma chakra, footprints etc.

If you happen to visit any place near Sanchi do make it a point to go there. It has a serene atmosphere and the Gautam Buddha’s ideas are conveyed in a very subtle manner via the carvings. There are beautiful seats under the trees that are ideal for this purpose. The skills of the artisans in years gone by is humbling especially considering that they did not have the so-called advantage of ‘modern’ technology. Dont miss the stone pillar with a mirror like polish or the huge stones that would have been hauled from miles away and then installed in its position or the interlocking cylindrical stones that form the peripheral boundary of the main Stupa. These are just a few examples. There are many more at Sanchi. .

This site has special walkways for visually challenged individuals and a sign post in braille. This is among the few places that I have seen that offers this facility for the differently-abled.

At the entrance is a small shop that sells some brochures and CDs that have extensive information and history of the site. However they do not have any significant mementos or fridge magnets (I am really partial to those!) which is sad considering that this is such an important destination. I do hope concerned authorities do something to rectify this. Rest rooms are available and there is small shop that sells basic food
items. So do go prepared with snacks or something to eat depending on
where you have travelled from.

Here is a slide show of some of some photos. It only gives a glimpse of the beautiful place and the images probably do not do full justice. Double click on the image for the slide show to open in a new tab… then its possible to read additional descriptions of the photos.

Considering my interest in trees, this blog will be incomplete if I don’t write about the trees I saw there. The most important is the Bodhi tree planted just at the entrance. There are several Khirni trees at Sanchi, all flourishing and their shiny dark green leaves glowed in the cool morning sun. I also noticed a Kalam (Mitragyna parviflora), lots of Bougainvilla and other trees usually used for landscaping. Here is a slideshow of the trees at the Buddhist monuments at Sanchi.

Enjoy!

05/12/201321/07/2020

Ticket Trauma

Sawai Gandharva
Bhimsen Mahotsava is a much awaited, annual musical
festival in Pune. It’s prestigious for the artists performing there but from my
experience getting tickets for the ‘chair’ can be something of a prestige as
well. Not for the money, no… The ‘sofa’ seats are priced much higher.

The reason is the efforts that go into
procuring the tickets. For some reason, tickets are only sold at a few select
outlets in Pune, and as of 2013 there is no online option for ticket sales.

Seating is in three categories, ‘Bharatiya
baithak’ (sitting cross legged on the ground- usually covered with sheets)
‘Chairs’ and ‘Sofas’. These are in increasing order of prices.

Each sofa seats three people and those with well-lined
pockets may find it economical but the ‘source’ of these sofa tickets is a closely
guarded secret. Probably a single phone call suffices if you know whom to
contact. A decade in Pune yet I am totally in the dark about ‘getting’ sofa
tickets. Probably I need to change the social circles that I move around in…

Tickets for Bharatiya baithak are freely
available and there is no space reserved for you by the organisers. It’s up to
you to reach the venue sufficiently early to spread your own ‘sheet’ thus
‘reserving’ that space for yourself and your group. The others can come in
later armed with bolsters, pillows, snacks, warm clothing, reading material, iPod, iPad,
knitting or whatever they need to enjoyably spend the following five hours of
that day.

Now for the chairs.. Priced at Rs 2000 this
year, the season ticket entitles you to sit on a specific Chair for all four
days/five sessions. If you think you can stroll in post-breakfast at one of the
outlets to purchase a ticket then Good Luck to you! Let me narrate what
happened at one of the ticket outlets this year.

This store opens only at 9.30 AM and it’s a poor
idea to go there comfortably post-breakfast to buy your tickets. Since there
are a limited number of tickets to be sold, one can return empty handed after 11ish in the morning (we have faced this earlier). Enthusiasts gather there from the
wee hours itself to get the coveted tickets. We reached at 4 AM (it seemed an early enough
hour) but found ourselves to have been beaten by 9 others! Now remember what
seems like nine may be more because one person may stand in for two others who
come by later at a more human hour!

As Sunrise approached the line slowly
became longer. Unluckily the tapris located nearby that would have provided
much needed chai were demolished just the previous day by the Anti-encroachment
squad.

The lucky ones had someone to ‘replace’ them so they could go home for tea and breakfast. Some had their domestic help reach the store 3 or 4AM and came themselves just as the TV reporters arrived! That was some timing!

By 7AM there were about 25-30 people and
healthy conversations ensued about merits of the performing artists. This is Pune and everyone has an opinion. The queue took the form of an amoeba that kept
changing its shape to accommodate the sweepers or the delivery vans to the
stores. All were hopeful and time passed quickly. We were quite sure this ‘shape’
would align itself into a proper single file come 9.30AM.

As the golden hour approached, every incoming
vehicle or person was suspiciously viewed to be the one bringing the goods. Four hours had flown by but the last few minutes seemed to drag on… A
mini truck came by, it was surely too big to be carrying tickets?? Another
gentlemen came at about 9.15AM on a scooter with a huge bag – that seemed more likely
and he had a very official bearing as well. Minutes went by but he kept standing by his
vehicle. Our eyes followed his every move and then suddenly he took out packets
of Chivda and began counting them….

The clock hands crept past 9.30 but the
shutters of the shop stayed firmly closed. Did the notice mean 9.30 AM on 05
Dec 2013 specifically? Someone noticed
that the shop had a rear entrance and some sounds could be heard from the
inside. Yeah! Word rapidly spread down the line (yes we were in a queue now) that
the store is about to open. After all this while, every second seemed like
hours now. Many minutes later the steel frame still stared at us.

By now there were about 60 odd people and
Murphy too had arrived!! The store owner came before us, apologised to say that he
had lost the store key and ‘could we please wait some more?’

Even before these words were conveyed to the
last waiting person one of the early birds produced a key from his pocket “Is
it this one?”

The rattled owner gratefully took it and the
gentleman explained that he had found the key at the doorstep of the shop when
he reached there at night. Assuming it to belong to one of the owners he kept
it aiming to return it in the morning. The entire group heaved a palpable sigh
of relief!

If it were not for this very honest gentleman our wait would have prolonged
further!

The officials soon set up their stuff and
ticket sale proceeded rapidly. Just as it was our turn, two very old and frail ladies turned
up requesting to be given tickets out of turn citing senior citizen privileges.
When asked one of them said she wanted two tickets. No one had the heart to
turn down her request. Gratefully she went in and asked for four tickets!
Now would the second lady go in too?

No, she did not, and the duo left thanking
every one… We got our tickets and returned home triumphant. There was only a
small stack of tickets to be sold and I hope everyone in the queue got what
they wanted.

I guess this too is a part of fully enjoying
the Sangeet Mahotsav!

Here is the link to the Mahotsav website: http://sawaigandharvabhimsenmahotsav.com/

But in this day and age, why can there not be a more user friendly method to sell tickets? If it already exists, then music lovers should be informed about it.
Agree?

21/11/201321/07/2020

Milk- a difficult choice

Milk continues to a part of human diet right from childhood, for adults and well into old age. Yet few years ago we heard of ‘artificial’ milk flooding parts of India. There are reports of dairy owners giving estrogen shots and other ‘special’ feeds to cows and buffaloes to boost milk production. The substances find their way into the milk and from there into our bodies. It is said to be one cause of obesity in children among others.

What then are mothers to do? Is organic milk the answer?

A 2004 study by the University of Aberdeen found that organic milk contained 71% more omega-3 fatty acids than regular ‘non-organic’ milk. Another study by the Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative confirmed that organic milk had 68% more fatty acids. Read more about this news here. Being organic, this milk is free of estrogen and other substances.

Yet organic products are much more expensive than inorganic produce, at times up to 70%. Organic milk is no exception.Quantities available are often limited. Yet there is an increasing trend among urban consumers to buy ‘organic’ milk, as described in this article. Further, some experts say claims of higher nutritional content depend on what comparisons are based on. Here is another article that discusses if organic milk is worth its higher price.

Consider what this price could do to the budget of a home maker struggling with soaring prices and a limited budget yet keen to offer the best to her loved ones. Her position as she makes a choice is not enviable.
What does she do?
What would you do?

02/10/201321/07/2020

Hibiscus

Its biggest claim to fame is Ganesha’s favourite flower.
This flower is also said to benefit hair health.

Hibiscus or Jaswanda as it is called in Marathi grows profusely in and around Pune but it blooms only for a day. The fully grown buds of Hibiscus bloom after sunrise and shut in the
evening. By the time night falls, the buds are fully closed. While one can buy many types of flowers the Hibiscus and Prajakta are two flowers that are rarely sold in the markets. This can be a challenge for the devout as the buds need not necessarily bloom on the day of their Pooja. This may not always happen. So one commonly sees people straining to pluck buds from trees growing along compound walls as they return from their morning walks!

A relative told me a method to ‘trick’ the buds to delay their blooming. This way one can collect mature buds and get them to flower later than the day they would normally. My experiment aimed for a one-day delay but maybe it will work for two days as well. I’ll try that the next time I have a bigger harvest of mature buds and let you all know!!

Here is what I did and I have a set of photographs to show you how the bud/flower behaved.

On a particular day (lets call it Day minus 1) my Hibiscus had about five mature buds that were set to open the next day (lets call it Day 1). I wanted to use the flower on the day after that (to be called Day 2). Under normal circumstances, the buds would have all bloomed on Day 1 and I would have had no blooming flowers on Day 2.

I plucked the buds and kept two of them in the fridge on the evening on Day minus 1.

On Day 1, I took them out and let them stand in some water. The buds were still tightly closed, the other buds of the same ‘age’ had bloomed fully. I used them in my Pooja.

1. Hibiscus buds were tightly closed after being kept ovenight in the fridge

The petals opened slowly and I monitored their progress through Day 1. The photographs have been taken in the afternoon, late evening and night.

2. About one hour outside the fridge.

3. Afternoon of Day 1. Petals start opening

4. Evening of Day 1: Partially open buds

At end of Day 1, the other flowers had closed and these remained in the partially open state.
The buds stayed in water overnight in the room.

5. Night Day 1. Partially opened flowers. (9.29PM)

Day 2: The buds bloomed fully and stayed open for the entire day. The petals shut tightly as the end ended.

6. Fully open flowers (5.40AM)

7. The flower of the previous day (Day 1) had closed. These flowers stayed fresh and fully open. (9.29AM)

8. Petals close in the evening. (6.09PM)

This seems to suggest that the flowers can be ‘tricked’ into blooming later. Their overnight stay in the dark refrigerator must have worked.
While writing this post, I came across this article that offers tips to keep Hibiscus flowers open.

I do not know if we can keep the buds in the fridge for another day
so that they can bloom on Day 3. If any of you tries this, do let us
know.
Take care!

Update (07 Oct 2013): Recently I have seen Hibiscus flowers for sale but this is very very rare. In the meantime you can try my experiment…

Hibiscus flowers are not always sold in the market.

11/09/201321/07/2020

Do we let traditional music forms die?

Its a veritable treat to watch them in action but it can
be auditory nightmare for some. Yes , I am referring to the Dhol pathaks that are a standard and now important feature of Ganeshutsav in Pune. Participants- both boys and girls each of whom plays either the dhol or
other percussion instrument they have practised for a couple of months come rain or sun. Dressed in simple attire and they walk the entire distance of the Ganesh immersion procession. They are totally possessed by their drum beats oblivious
to the vibrations of their drums and the high decibel beats that they create.

Yes, these Dhol pathaks are always in the news for the ‘noise pollution’ they create and less for the tradition they represent. The dailies devote almost equal space to articles and photos that ‘glorify’ these pathaks and articles that describe how ‘bad’ the dhol beats are for our ears, for the participants’ ears and indeed for our entire body. According to this article, a typical 28-inch dhol generates sound in the 3-4Hz and tasha in the 3-22Hz range (peaking at 11Hz). This Times of India article (published on 11 Sep 2013 in Pune) quotes audiologist Kalyani Mandke as saying “Long term exposure to these vibrations can affect a person’s circulatory and/or urological systems. The person playing the instrument is at highest risk, but people in its vicinity cannot escape its effects either.” Read it for more details about a study that describes ill effects of vibrations and frequencies on the human body.

Being a health professional, I understand the gravity of the situation. Just under an hour at a dhol practise venue left my ear drums in a protective ‘shut down’ for two hours. Some of the beats actually cause a wierd feeling in the chest (probably due to the vibrations mentioned in the above article).

Does that mean the ‘Dhol tasha’ are to be eliminated all together? Do we let this tradition die?

Dhol

On another note, I would like to know if DJ’s also face similar health hazards? Or technicians who work near aircraft on runways? I have seen them use ear defenders at civilian airports and at military bases where we were posted. And what about people who work with heavy-duty drilling equipment?

Drums Circle is a new trend that is used for team building and stress relief and it has immense therapeutic value as well in differently abled children. Obviously the sound levels there must not be as high as created by the dhols.

Is it possible to use some kind of ear defenders that will afford some amount of protection and allow the dhol to be played in a safer manner? Instead of criticising and rejecting the dhol tasha, should we not try to find a golden mean? Ideas anyone??
Think rationally.
Preserve our heritage and culture and stay healthy!
Cheers!

07/09/201321/07/2020

The Dhol pathaks are here

Come August and every year the city starts reverberating to ‘dhol’ beat every evening especially along the bank of the River Mutha. And every year there is general outcry against high sound levels, protests from organisations, dire warnings from authorities etc but usually all these have only a limited effect. For the uninitiated ‘dhol’ is a traditional percussion instrument, drum as it were that is played in a group at festive occasions, processions etc. These preparations are for the Ganesh Utsav, that usually falls in sometime in September, which is the prime showcase for the dhol pathak.

This year I had an opportunity to visit one group during their practise sessions. As I mentioned earlier, training begins at least a month before Ganesh Utsav. People from all walks of life get together each evening for about four hours of practise. The Raja Mantri Path in Pune has several groups practising simultaneously which can be troublesome for people living close by. I spent just under an hour there and my ear drums went into a defensive shutdown that lasted for over two hours thereafter! The groups seemed to be well organised and disciplined. The air reverberated with different beats that grew louder as we approached the practise area.

A Dhol pathak during the 2012 Ganesh visarjan procession, this image taken on Laxmi Road.

Practise was on full swing and they did not stop for even a minute for the period we stood there. They obviously forcefully struck the stick on the dhol but the beats seemed to invigorate them rather than tire. The group seemed to follow an apparently invisible command set by the leader (invisible to outsiders) as they smoothly changed their strokes. That’s great team effort!

Ganesh immersion procession, dhol practise

I wonder if this image conveys the speed and force with which the dhol players strike the drums…

Dhol

The group practises

Participants come straight from work, college to practise

I tried carrying the instrument and it seemed to weigh about 5 kgs, which is not much considering its size. It is carried strapped around the waist and a stick called “Tippru” is used to strike one side of the dhol. The other side is struck with the palm of the hand. Girls/women use a slighlty smaller dhol but there is not much of a difference I am told. Smaller drums called ‘tasha’ are also part of the troupe along with big dhols. The entire group plays together to create memerising catchy unforgettable rhythms. An average pathak can have 40-60 people.

Vidyesh has come to Pune all the way from Nagpur just to participate. He has had an amazing experience so far and given a chance would like to come again next year! He says, “Yes the practise is tiring but when we play at full power and full rhythm the pleasure acts as a pain killer!” They use cotton balls to protect their ears he said but after a while they get used to the sound.

Its people like Vidyesh and the many others like him who manage to juggle time with their jobs who are helping keep this traditional art form alive and flourishing. This Ganeshutsav, do go out and enjoy the processions especially the foot tapping,decibel defying dhol!
Cheers!

31/07/201321/07/2020

Does Mothering Ever End?

Every mother will agree that she thinks that the ‘next’ phase in her child’s life will be better or easy on her. Easy in terms of her worries, stress…

Ask anyone who has stayed awake at night when her baby was crying or bit off her nails when the ‘apple of her eye’ was in a school interview or tied herself in knots when her kid’s school bus was unreasonably delayed or has had high decibel, lachrymose arguments as the children grow up for not seeing eye to eye about the colour of the nail polish or site or type of the strange tattoo …

Yet when that ‘next’ phase arrives she finds that the maternal stress never ended nor for the phase thereafter…

There is much written about Motherhood and all it stands for. Selfless Love, Sacrifice, Teaching (customs, traditions, manners, family religious rites and so on…) to name just a few things a Mum is expected to do and do well. Naturally this ‘mothering’ takes a toll in the form of worrying and becomes a second nature to her, especially whenever her child is in front of her.

This is the crux- the child (son or daughter) always remains a child in her eyes. Whether the baby is now school going or a college or post grad student or when about to get married and to top it all… when her ‘child’ has one of his own…

So now she is worrying for her child and the child’s child. There are many Marathi Moms who baby sit their grandchildren as their own children are working. So the grandmother manages (ignores) any of her own age related ailments and plunges into nurturing the young ones… This process continues for the next generation as well, trust me… I have experienced it!!

Here I have to admit that I know a few Moms who have not gone down this “babysit the grandchild” Street but that doesn’t mean they don’t worry.

I think Moms must learn to mentally stay aloof so that they can give sensible and practical advice – IF its sought- to their children (now adults) about their children. Sounds complicated? No one said Motherhood is easy… This strategic mental aloofness is vital so she continues to have time for her own hobbies/activities/friends, devote time for exercise/health and so on…

All this sounds easy to write, or agree to but when put in the actual situation, I am not sure…
Honestly, Does a Mom ever retire? Can she?

27/05/201321/07/2020

May is for Mangoes

May. The month that every one dreads for intense searing heat, blazing sunshine. It is also the month that mangoes are at their peak. While mangoes are available in India right from the month of March, I firmly believer that they taste their best only in May. The heat allows them to ripen naturally and their colour and flavour is best enhanced in these conditions. It is often called the King of Fruits.

Lovely ripe mangos fill the air with their intoxicatingly sweet fragrance that is sure to tempt passerbys to buy them.

It is widely known that fruit that is available in earlier months may be artificially ripened using various techniques. That obviously prevents the real flavour from developing. Reports state that Carbide is often used to ripen mangoes. Since they are available much before their natural ripenening period, they are obviously very costly and yet do not taste like the real thing.
So how do we know?

First and foremost, one must inspect the fruit before buying it. Check the area of the stalk. My regular mango vendor has told me that fruit where this portion (around the stalk) is raised has been plucked early from the tree. That prevents it from developing its full flavour on the tree which is a must.
In additon also check the curve of the fruit. The curve must be gentle and not a deep depression. The image I have added here will better explain what I have just said.

Choosing mangoes, artificially ripened fruit

Check the curve on the mango. It must be a gentle curve and not a deep depression

Check the skin for any obvious marks that suggest application of any powders etc. This article mentions that mango’s ripened with carbide have a uniform yellow colour. Such fruit are not ripe on the inside and is not sweet. Here is a link that describes how to detect a carbide-ripened mango. Hold a lit match stick near the mango surface. If it gives out sparks or catches fire then its quite likely to have been ripened using calcium carbide.

There are still few more days for the Alphonso season. Thereafter there are many other varieties each with it a unique flavour. Try them and continue to enjoy the fruit at its natural peak season.
Enjoy!

30/04/201321/07/2020

Zzzz

Almost universally everyone will know these alphabets to indicate sleep. Sleep is a very important part of our lives, its the time when our body recovers energy spent through the waking hours and the brain too gets to carry out and complete certain functions. I guess that is a very simplistic explanation of complex electrical activity in our brain cells that helps our memory. Sleep is the time when certain hormones are released in kids and young adults, it can stimulate creativity, can help reduce stress… This is just the tip of the a long list. ‘

Thus being deprived of sleep can obviously create havoc with our systems. Read this Huff Post article that has a slide show describing the benefits of sleep.

Those of us in stuck in the rat race, need to pause and think. What are we earning for if we cannot get one of the basic human requirements?

I don’t know about others, but I am surely going to catch up on my sleep now and not later.
Good luck!

28/04/201321/07/2020

Yes, I can

I admit I had huge doubts when I joined the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. It was unlike other such writing events I had participated in- one did not compete with others but rather challenged oneself. While I had posted regularly (What is ‘regular’ defined as as?), there were occasional long gaps. Once that occurred, lethargy set in and I found all kinds of reasons to delay posting – the commonest being lack of ideas.

This challenge seemed to be just what the Doctor ordered.

I am quite proud to have got this far, challenges withstanding. The main one was that I was travelling extensively across oceans and did not always have access to the Internet. Yet with some prescheduling and planning, I have made it to the letter Y. The family helped by suggesting topics and even allowing me to use photos. Some posts were changed at the last moment while some held at the first draft.

I have visited many interesting blogs and found interesting themes. Its been a wonderful ‘global’ experience.
A big Thank You to the April A to Z Blogging Challenge organisers.
Happy Blogging everyone!