What makes Mythili Maami special? Why have so many of us been with her for two decades and longer? Why did we not leave the Academy of Indian Dances and set up on our own like so many other dancers?The answer lies in a story that each one of us is only too willing to share.My teacher has her stories too - of learning to dance and sing, of being chosen to say the prayers at school, of sitting on a train and hugging her bag all the way to Patna from Chennai ... She has stories about Kalakshetra and stories about Australia. She talks to us about her experiences with teachers like Gowri Pati, Pushpa Teacher and Jaya Teacher. Stories must find their way into a book some day - and this one took root when my father said that we must all write it. We took our time, but released it for Maami's 70th birthday. It's here, and I can't quite believe … [Read more...]
Kothi Heritage, Jodhpur
You know how fancy, hoity-toity people tell you that when you go to Rajasthan, you absolutely must stay in a palace? "It's part of the experience," they say. And depending on the kind of person you are, you may nod politely and say mentally, 'Ya, right', or you may just shoot the suggestion down.We didn't stay in a palace, no, but we did stay at Kothi Heritage, which was used for two months in a year as a vacation home. And how was that possible? Because Make my Trip offers you a free night when you do a certain number of bookings!Kothi Heritage belonged to Shri Bachhraj Ji, Senapati to the Maharaja Jaswant Singh (IInd). Many, many years later, his great great grandsons Tapan and Trideep Singhvi decided to convert it into a heritage hotel. They handpicked the furniture and set it up -- and it's truly charming. We had breakfast outdoors on the lawn in perfect weather. (I … [Read more...]
People and Places, Jodhpur
I think local cuisine is a big part of the travelling experience. At Hotel Prateek in Jodhpur, the menu card had a little note telling me what to visit and what to eat! And I love meeting new people when I travel; it's all part of the experience!Walking down from Mehrangarh Fort, we met a couple standing outside their little blue house. It was a steep slope, and we really had no idea where we were headed. We wanted to know whether we would get a rickshaw at the foot of the hill."Bilkul! Kyun nahin? Lekin kahaan jaaoge aap?" "Bas, poochna tha ... Rickhsaw milega, to theek hai!" He clicked his tongue. "Paidal hi chale jao! Ghantaghar ke ek taraf se andar jaakar doosri taraf se nikalna. Vahaan se aap seedha jaakar nayi sadak dekh lo. Aur phir, Hotel Priya mein dinner kar lena. Sirf Priya mein khana, theek hai? Baki sab bekar hai, vegetable bahut ganda … [Read more...]
Ghantaghar, Jodhpur
A Ghantaghar, a huge clock tower, stands at the centre of the market at Jodhpur. In my mother's time, there were camels around the Ghantaghar too, but now, I can barely imagine there being enough room for a goat, let alone a camel!The clock cost three lakhs way back in 1911. One lakh was paid for the making of the clock in London, one lakh was paid to have it installed in Jodhpur, and one lakh was paid to ensure that a clock like that was never made again! From the Mehrangarh Fort, we saw it standing out of the Blue City. That's when I knew I wanted to visit it.As darkness began to fall, we saw it lit up in all its glory. It was magnificent!And, loveliest of all, we read a board there saying that one could climb to the top between about 10:30 and 5:30 on any day except Saturday! So we went back the next day at 4:15, and stayed there for over 45 minutes.Why … [Read more...]
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
Jodhpur - how welcoming you were to us! I know that Jodhpur, much more than Jaipur, is a place I'll visit again!After my workshop at Central Academy, Pal, I heard stories about the Jodhpur Fort. I heard about how there are people who do not want to leave Jodhpur because they cannot live without their daily darshan of the fort. I don't know how true that is, but it is true that the fort took our breath away! Sure, India has many beautiful forts. I've been to a few. Sinhagad - I've been more times than I can count. Daulatabad - I went long ago, and among the few things I remember is the fact that the whole place smells of bats.Mehrangarh FortCost per adult (Indian) Rs 100Still camera Rs 100Audio guide Rs 170Visit duration We spent just about two hours. I recommend three hours at least!Mehrangarh Fort was something else. From the structure of … [Read more...]
Monkeys at Matheran
The monkeys at Matheran are notorious. Everyone has a monkey story - here's mine.I stepped out early in the morning, and was charmed. I love the freshness of mornings, and Matheran was exceptional. It was one of those times when I felt I simply had to share the morning withe everyone, so I went back into the room and tried to wake everyone up. Unsuccessfully. Before long, I myself had slipped back into bed. The warmth of the bed was as enticing as the cool outside.I woke up with a start. Sitting on our chair, with a packet of milk powder in its hand, was a monkey. It had pushed open the door and had taken what it saw first. As the sleeping humans slept on, it surveyed the room, wondering what else to grab.Unfortunately for it, the sleeping humans awoke and shooed it out. It bounded out casually with its milk packet.Later, I saw it in the trees. It had bitten a hole … [Read more...]
Matheran – Day Two
At Matheran, all we really wanted to do is get away from all the people and explore. So, the day after our visit to the market, we decided to walk to 'Nature of Panorama Point'. I, for one, could not stop smiling at the name.The moment we left the smell of people and horses behind, there was no one. Everyone wanted to go to the market, it seemed. We left them far away and walked along a mud path, breathing in freshness that seems to have disappeared from Pune. The weather was not consistently pleasant - it did get hot - but who cared?I love walking through a forest of greens. I love leaves brushing past me. I love the smell of the hills!We saw dragonflies and butterflies everywhere. Even though we were with someone who is afraid of butterflies (lepidopterophobia), we were enchanted.After over an hour of walking, we met a few people, cheerily greeted them … [Read more...]
Matheran – Day One
Everyone keeps talking about Matheran. All my life, I've heard about how beautiful it is. People keep telling me that there are no cars, only horses, and that it's a breath of fresh air. This Diwali, I finally went to Matheran--and realised that everyone was right!In The Toy Train, I wrote about how the steam engine in Darjeeling was pulled off the tracks because there too many accidents. And guess what? That's what happened to the toy train at Matheran. I don't take ownership for that; I promise!The moral of the story, though, was that we drove to Matheran and then walked everywhere instead of taking the train, and it was simply lovely.The day we reached, we made our way up the narrow gauge rail track to the market area, a place bustling with life. The sun set slowly as we wandered around, watching the street light up.People say all kinds of things about night … [Read more...]
Kalakshetra Performance – The New Indian Express
Yes, we really performed. Even though the picture does not show it, I was really there too. … [Read more...]
Jatayu Moksham
The Kalakshetra troupe performed in Pune for the first time last evening. Finally.When I watch them dance, I understand. I understand why Kalakshetra is such a reputed name in the dance world. I am awed by the vision of Rukmini Devi, and her incredible imagination. I see dance as architecture, performance and storytelling. I am moved to laughter and tears, empathy and revulsion.I don't particularly like the Ramayana as a story. I find Sita a rather insipid character, whimsical and petulant. Rama, to me, is too good to be true. Too much of an unbelievable mixture of human and god. I am revolted time and again by the way Rama and Lakshmana taunt the rakshasi Surpanakha before shaming her. There is too much wrong with the story, for me. Yet, on stage, it is divine. The characters are living, breathing individuals. Sita, roused to anger, is formidable. In love, she wins my … [Read more...]