Column: The Good Life: for Mint Lounge
For Mint Lounge on Indian tigers
Tiger Truths Indian forests are wonderful ecosystems. Teak and sal trees shed dew tears in the misty mornings. Babblers bable; Serpentine eagles soar; Rufus treepies shriek; and humans shiver in the morning cold. Jackals come out of the grasslands. Herds of deer graze under trees. Langurs swing from trees, which themselves whisper and sway towards each other. There is Indian gum, gooseberry, Arjuna, pipal, banyan, frankincense and countless other species. Picturesque as they are, these species are no match for that apex predator in terms of viewing pleasure: Panthera tigris Tiger numbers are up. That is the good news. The [...]
Katha: the power of storytelling
So I have a book coming out sometime in the near future. Read about it here
For The National Abu Dhabi on Sri Lanka
If there is a takeaway from the below piece, consider this. Watch Mani Ratnam's movie, Kannathil Muthamittal (She kissed my cheek). Read Romesh Gunasekhara's (spelling?) books. Sri Lanka: fantasy island Shoba Narayan January 22, 2015 Updated: January 22, 2015 01:37 P There are some places that seem familiar even though you haven’t actually visited them. Paris is like that for Europeans and Sri Lanka is like that for me. Thanks to myth, movies, politics, geographical proximity, and a shared language, Sri Lanka was part of my mindset while growing up in Chennai in the 80s. Lanka-puri was the golden land [...]
Relevance of Sanskrit poetry in today’s world
I loved recording this episode of The Sanskrit Podcast. One thing I didn't know was how important poetry was in ancient India. We have an unbroken tradition of poetry starting from the second century and coming down all the way to Kalidasa. In this episode, we discuss why anyone should pay attention to this rich tradition and repository of points that we have in Indian culture. Poetry is like exercise--you know that it is good to do it, but somehow you can never bring yourself to do it. I confess that I don't read much poetry. I've tried, but usually [...]
For Cathay Pacific magazine on Sri Lanka
Wilpattu National Park, Colombo, and other wildlife treasures in Sri Lanka
Festival of Sacred Music
My friend, Ranvir Shah and his Prakruti Foundation does The Festival of Sacred Music in Thiruvaiyaru every year. Details here This year, the festival is from March 6 to 8 and has a terrific line up. The Manganiyars, Kadri Gopalnath on Saxophone and Filter Coffee, a rock band. Imagine sitting under the stars and listening to this music on the banks of the Cauvery. This festival is open to all. Driving distance from Chennai and Bangalore. Reasonably priced hotel rooms are available and you will be helping village tourism. Details at the website and on Facebook here. Please share. Please [...]
In Times of India
Thank you, Asha
The psychology of a Matunga Tamilian: Mint Lounge
I was conflicted about writing this, because I don't think people should define themselves so narrowly. In terms of the "land they sprung from." But I cannot deny the fact that such an identity exists. So I wrote it. Tried to keep it light. The psychology of a Matunga Tamilian I grew up in Bombay,” says Gayatri, one half of the Carnatic singing sister duo of Ranjani-Gayatri. “Actually, you should say that I grew up in Matunga, which in many ways is like growing up in an agraharam (an enclave beside a temple, usually occupied by Brahmin priests and their [...]
HOW TWO WOMEN ARE CONNECTING POPULAR AND INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC THROUGH RAGAS Tanvi Dubey 894 Stories Friday January 16, 2015, 2 min Read One fine day over a cup of coffee, two friends decided they wanted to do something about making classical music accessible to a larger audience given their mutual love for classical music and storytelling. This is how HumRaag was conceived. The two women, Chitra Srikrishna and Shoba Narayan, are well-known and respected in their fields. Chitra Srikrishna is a Carnatic musician. She started learning music at the age of five, and performing when she was in [...]
A concert
My friend, Chitra Srikrishna and I doing a music gig called "Hum Raag." It is a fun project where we link film songs to classical Indian music. Kabir bhajans, abhangs, light songs, carnatic music, hindustani music and the like. Our next show is on Sunday, January 18th from 5 to 7 PM. At Unnati Bangalore's auditorium. Please do spread the word to music lovers in Bangalore. Details below. Dear Friend, This month we have planned a special program as per details attached. Please do not miss the same. Please make a note: 18th January at 5.00 pm Hum Raag is [...]