celebration

They wait, in their toxic colours in swathed in plastic, these un-green Ganeshas...a miniscule mimority tries to make green idols, much older people remember a time when a little pinch of mud or turmeric was enough to represent the elephant-faced god. I wonder how many of them remain, mercifully, unsold, and are recycled the next year.

It seems to be men who transport these colourful bangles all over the cities and villages...rainbow fragility on women's wrists that are given in fours at religious festivals,and adorn, in dozens, a pregnant woman's arms. Women pride themselves on wrists that can acommodate smaller bangles, while the bangles are often used as a major insult in our men-are-dominant culture. Made of plastic, metal, and sometimes the finest glass..these circlets are an integral part of our culture and heritage. Valley School, 05 Sept 2015.

Most Hindus celebrate the birth of the dark baby God, Krishna, by installing an image of the god and worshipping it in the traditional manner, with flowers,fruit, and other offerings. However, Priya Mukund, of J P Nagar 3rd Phase, celebrates the festival a little differently.  She has, over the years, made a large collection of figurines of Krishna: as a baby, holding ball of butter; sleeping in a cradle.holding a flute while he herds the cattle; in unison with Radha; or in the form of preceptor, revealing the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. The figurines start from very old pieces in…

Around 9am on Sunday morning as I walked to my nearby slum where I teach yoga to superbly enthusiastic kids every week, I saw a poster hanging at its entrance. Rajnikanth’s smiling face jumped out of the poster. Alongside were two words in English: Happy Birthday. It  was a small poster, about A3 size, strung up casually, hanging in the air, tilted. The poster had more love than execution (Wish I had taken a picture, but I usually don’t take my phone to the class). Representative purpose only Before the class began, I asked the kids who put it there and…

Noticed a group of energetic, charming ladies with warm smiles and welcoming voices convening in East End Circle (Jayanagar, 9th block) on Saturday afternoons? If yes, they may be the empowered women from Stree Jagruti Samiti (SJS), a collective of domestic workers in Bengaluru. Around since the late 1980's due to the tireless efforts of Geeta Menon (one of its co-founders along with social worker Rita Roy) and various supporters/associates like APSA and SICHREM, SJS has campaigned for labour rights, dignified treatment, benefits, etc. With 1200 members and a part of the Domestic Workers' Rights Union (DWRU), it has spread…