May 2013 Northern California Edition by India Currents

Of All the Coffee Places by R. Benedito Ferrao

May You Bear a Hundred Daughters by Meera Ekkanath Klein

On a Quest

Geography, Anyone?

by Gayathri Chakravarthy

Celebrating 27 Years of Excellence

may 2013 • vol. 27, no .2 • www. indiacurrents.com

Local engineers graphing global social connections by Gayatri Subramaniam

Trust with Limits facebook.com/IndiaCurrents twitter.com/IndiaCurrents 1885 Lundy Ave, Suite 220, San Jose, CA 95131 Phone: (408) 324-0488 (714) 523-8788 Fax: (408) 324-0477 Email: info@indiacurrents.com www.indiacurrents.com Publisher & Editor: Vandana Kumar publisher@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 225 Advertising Manager: Derek Nunes ads@indiacurrents.com Northern California: (408) 324-0488 x 222 Southern California: (714) 523-8788 x 222 Marketing Associate: Raj Singh marketing@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x221 Graphic Designer: Nghia Vuong EDITORIAL BOARD Managing Editor: Jaya Padmanabhan editor@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 226 Events Editor: Mona Shah events@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 224 COLUMNISTS Dear Doctor: Alzak Amlani Films: Aniruddh Chawda On Inglish: Kalpana Mohan The Last Word: Sarita Sarvate Zeitgeist: Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan Contributors: Jasbina Ahluwalia, Madan Ahluwalia, Yatindra Bhatnagar, Gayathri Chakravarthy, Benedito Ferrao, Jeanne Fredriksen, S. Gopikrishna, Madhumita Gupta, Mahendra Jaiswal, Kanniks Kannikeswaran, Andrew Lam, Meera Ekkanath Klein, Mihir Meghani, Rajee Padmanabhan, Mimm Patterson, Sandip Roy, Shanta Sacharoff, Arun Sekar, Kavitha Sreeharsha, Gayatri Subramaniam, Mani Subramani, Viji Sundaram Cover Design: Nghia Vuong. On the cover: Graph Search Team: Nilesh Dalvi, Sriram Sankar, Kedar Dhamdhere, Rajat Raina, Mitu Singh, Sandhya Kunnatur, Nidhi Gupta INDIA CURRENTS® (ISSN 0896-095X) is published monthly (except Dec/Jan, which is a combined issue) for $19.95 per year by India Currents, 1885 Lundy Ave., Ste 220, San Jose, CA 95131. Periodicals postage paid at San Jose, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to INDIA CURRENTS, 1885 LUNDY AVE, STE. 220, SAN JOSE, CA 95131 Information provided is accurate as of the date of going to press; India Currents is not responsible for errors or omissions. Opinions expressed are those of individual authors. Advertising copy, logos, and artwork are the sole responsibility of individual advertisers, not of India Currents. Copyright © 2013 by India Currents All rights reserved. Fully indexed by Ethnic Newswatch

For our twenty-fifth anniversary, my husband and I decided to go out of town for the weekend. We left our house to my octogenarian mother and two sixteen year olds. We placed my spry mother on high alert and took the precaution of informing family and friends of our decision. I clutched my phone like a lifeline during those thirty-six hours, texting my kids (too) frequently. My twins asked me, when I came back, why I didn’t trust them. My answer was a potpourri of evasive explanations. But in the light of recent heartrending events in the town of Saratoga, I have been giving the idea of trust more thought. The tragic suicide of fifteen-year old Audrie Potts is a searing reminder of teenage recklessness. The Saratoga High School girls and boys availed themselves of a parentless house, drank heavily, and three boys raped and debased Potts while she was passed out. Even accounting for teenage hubris, it is very difficult to explain the complete dissolution of morality. There is ample scientific evidence to support teenage risk-taking behavior. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study shows that in 2005, 20% of 10th graders and 30% of 12th graders drank over 5 drinks at one time in the two weeks before the study. These numbers are staggering and serve as

a prompt to repeat that conversation about trust and consequences with our teenagers. Largely, it is a question of limits. Realization of personal character has to do with the limits that are placed on us by our parents, friends, neighbors, well-wishers and detractors. These limits often act as moral brakes. Most teenagers test and negotiate these limits. I can personally testify to the countless times I’ve heard the phrase, “It’s not fair!” While our immigrant experiences have shaped our children’s lives and expectations dramatically, the hyper-connected world they live in also removes some of those cultural barriers and limits we place on them. There is no reliable algorithm to make sense of this unceasing noise. For pubescent minds, gulled into the hypnosis of instant affirmation, the world pinpoints into like buttons. At a recent school event, a fellow parent confided, “I trust my daughter implicitly.” It alarmed me because I was unable to agree with her. While I trust my children to act responsibly, for the most part, I am hesitant to qualify that trust with the word “implicitly.” Truth is, trust cannot be mistaken for love, neither reality for aspiration. I trust my teenage children within limits. But I love them implicitly. Jaya Padmanabhan

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2 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

INDIA CURRENTS may 2013 • vol 27 • no 2

PERSPECTIVES 1 | EDITORIAL Trust with Limits. By Jaya Padmanabhan

Northern California Edition www.indiacurrents.com Find us on

6 | FORUM Is President Obama a Good Negotiator? By Mani Subramani and S. Gopikrishna

56 | RECIPES A Mother’s Day Offering. Roti Wraps, Cashew Chutney, Strawberry Lassi. By Shanta Sacharoff

12 | On a Quest

18| PERSPECTIVE May You Bear a Hundred Daughters. By Meera Ekkanath Klein

Members of the “Graph Search” team discuss why sorting, searching and compiling recommendations on Facebook is an opportunity for enhanced interaction.

28 | ON INGLISH Offend Me and You’ll Be Chutney! By Kalpana Mohan

By Gayatri Subramaniam

30 | COMMENTARY The Bystander Problem. By Kavitha Sreeharsha 34 | ANALYSIS Of All the Coffee Places. By Benedito Ferrao 63 | MEDIA The Denial of American Grandeur. By Andrew Lam 70 | VIEWPOINT The New Rape Whistle. By Viji Sundaram 78 | IN MEMORIAM Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. By Yatindra Bhatnagar 144 | THE LASTWORD I Dream of Gardens. By Sarita Sarvate

17 | EDUCATION Geography, Anyone? By Gayathri Chakravarthy 36 | BOOKS A Review of The Abundance and The Great Big Book of Horrible Things. By Jeanne Fredriksen, Arun Sekar

8 | A THOUSAND WORDS Twice-Born Yoga. By Ragini Srinivasan 10 | OPINION Boston Marathon—A Runner Remembers By Sandip Roy

LIFESTYLE

24 | Feature Discovering Congruency A Mother’s Day Tribute

By Rajee Padmanabhan

52 | Travel City of Possibilities— London By Shivam Khullar

132 | Films A Review of Himmatwala, Nautanki Salaa and Jolly LLB By Aniruddh Chawda

68 | RELATIONSHIP DIVA Marital Growing Pains. By Jasbina Ahluwalia 76 | MUSIC: Compositions of the Trinity. By Kanniks Kannikeswaran 102 | REFLECTIONS Pluralism Reaches a Milestone in America. By Mihir Meghani 112 | HEALTHY LIFE Sacred Connection: Body Therapy and the Art of Touch. By Mimm Patterson 125 | DEAR DOCTOR The Gift of Feeling Deeply By Alzak Amlani

WHAT’S CURRENT 88 | Cultural Calendar 104 | Spiritual Calendar www.indiacurrents.com | 3

4 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

voices Cheering Desi Women

The cover story by Geetika Pathania Jain was very well written (Mistress of Emotions, India Currents, April 2013) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist directed by Mira Nair is one heck of a good movie and possibly her most difficult film project to date. Ras Siddiqui, online Regarding the cover story, (Mistress of Emotions, India Currents, April 2013), congratulations to Mira Nair! I look forward to her new film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist. It is wonderful to see an Indian woman, and an Indian-African-American woman (as Mira commutes between the United States and Africa) doing a film on a country not her own, and one that had not always been very democratic or inclusive of its own minorities. It is a reflection of the culture and civilization of India; though that has its limits and limitations. It is Pakistan’s turn to make some films, with kindness and goodness, on issues concerning its own minorities. More power to Mira Nair, and I look forward to her other films. I am proud of all our Desi women—inside and outside India! Lets cheer everyone on! Anonymous, online

Zuckerberg

I agree with Jaya Padmanabhan’s point in her editorial (Sandberged and Prototyped, India Currents, April 2013). Leaning in could have unintended consequences—depending on who is doing the “leaning-in.” Each woman who aims for success must do it in her own way, intelligently analyzing her own situation, options and possible costs. Chitra Divakaruni, TX

Regarding the recent editorial (Sandberged and Prototyped, India Currents, April 2013), I have one question for you: Who the heck is Sheryl Sandberg? And why the heck should you care what this rich corporate woman says, thinks or does? Send Amy Goodman or Goodberg to do some analysis on Sheryl Sandman or Sandberg ... and put it all over Facebookerberg with Zuckerberg. Leave it at that! Anonymous, online

An honest and pragmatic editorial (Sandberged and Prototyped, India Currents, April 2013). The stars were aligned for Sheryl Sandberg and she took advantage of every opportunity that came her way. Kudos to her for that and for using her position to inspire other women. If even ten women are energized by her to fight for what’s rightfully theirs, then it’s worth it. But not everyone is lucky enough to have the best education, upbringing, marriage and career breaks. And even if they did, should taking the world on as COO be the only option? I love this editorial for raising these doubts on how some who have it all can inadvertently look down on others who don’t. I hope that for every ten women she inspires, she doesn’t make ten others feel inadequate! Vidhya, online

Learning From Our Children

I loved the article about learning from our children (A Mother Grows Up, India Currents, April 2013). I could relate to all the experiences that were so eloquently conveyed in the article. I, too, feel that I’ve grown up with my son and he has perhaps taught me, and is still teaching me all the intricacies of using a computer! Madhumita, online

Leagues and Bounds

I disagree with Jasbina Ahluwalia’s advice in the Relationship Diva column (Shooting Out of her League, India Currents, March 2013). What does “out of her league” mean? Most women look for intelligent men who will be their companion, help them reach the goals they deserve and support them in ways that they would like to be supported. Most women find strong confident men attractive. Does that constitute reaching above themselves? You would be better served by teaching men how to pursue relationships with sensitivity, instead of teaching women how to be less than themselves. Ranjita Sai, online

SPEAK YOUR MIND! Have a thought or opinion to share? Send us an original letter of up to 300 words, and include your name, address, and phone number. Letters are edited for clarity and brevity. Write India Currents Letters, 1885 Lundy Ave. Suite 220, San Jose 95131 or email letters@indiacurrents.com.

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Most Popular Articles Online April 2013 1) Is That My Karma in the Envelope? Kalpana Mohan 2) The Scorpion’s Diet. Rajee Padmanabhan 3) Epsilon’s Worldly Possessions. Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan 4) Mistress of Emotions. Geetika Pathania Jain 5) Sandberged and Prototyped. Jaya Padmanabhan 6) The Lone Traveler. Dilnavaz Bamboat 7) The Mystique of the Past. Chitra Divakaruni 8) A Clarified Taste. Malar Gandhi 9) Bridging the Gap Between Bollywood and Hollywood. Shyamal Randeria-Leonard 10)The Entrepreneurial Way. Rajesh Oza

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forum

Is President Obama a Good Negotiator?

No, Obama is not a good negotiator

Yes, Obama is a good negotiator

By Mani Subramani

By S. Gopikrishna

resident Obama is a good orator, a good communicator, a visionary and a thinker. But he is just not good at striking a good deal with the opposition on matters of policy. He often compromises his advantage before the other side has shown their hand. This was evident in the health care debate when he gave up on the public option—a government run health care agency which would compete with the other health care agencies—which he campaigned for in 2008. The Republicans had not so much as presented their plan at the time. In fact they never did present an alternative. Instead of using the public option as an exemplification of free market capitalism and bludgeoning the opposition with it, he pretty much gave up the argument, conceding defeat before the debate began. The apparent reason for the unilateral compromise was to get bi-partisan support. In the end merely three Republican senators joined the Democrats in supporting the Affordable Health Care Act. The debt ceiling fight in 2011 is another example of his inability to use his leverage. Instead of showing up the Republicans for their intransigence in refusal to raise taxes he offered them a “compromise” of three times the spending cuts as tax increases. At a time when it would have been easy to explain the stimulative effects of spending increases, he tried to strike a broad deficit cutting deal with the Republicans. Fortunately, Republican inflexibility prevented the deal from being adopted. Obama believes in the Yet again, in recent misconstrued notion times, with the battle over gun control, the President that if he compromisto compromise by es, then the opposition tried meeting the Republicans will follow suit. mid-way and giving up on a complete ban on assault weapons and merely seeking comprehensive background checks. It was a telling statement on his negotiability that he was not able to muster the 60 votes required to pass the bill. Maureen Dowd in her New York Times editorial asked the crucial question, “How is it that the president won the argument on gun safety with the public and lost the vote in the Senate?” Isn’t it ironical that Obama won re-election by making an issue of the Republican party’s uncompromising political stance? He believes he can use emotion to sway the opposition. He discounts the influence of political lobbies. Obama believes that if he compromises, then the opposition will follow suit. Obama has not understood the nature of the beast he is dealing with. The Republican party is made of two main segments—the faction which rejects evolution and the medieval wing that rejects global warming. There can be no negotiation with people with unreasonable ideas. How can there be a compromise on the size and role of government when one group is trying to deliver the most efficient government while the other is intent on destroying the government entirely. So President Obama needs to go into his campaigning mode and persuade the opposition to act, instead of giving away strategic leverage and putting the middle class in a compromising position. n Mani Subramani works in the sem-conductor industry in Silicon Valley.

6 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

ince history repeats itself, we should reflect on the work of the last president from Illinois, President Lincoln in order to understand the possible impact of President Obama’s work. Lincoln’s reputation rose from contemporary condemnation to eventual validation and veneration. Lincoln’s slow and steady victories rested on his ability to rise above the daily din and focus on a long term vision and pursue the same through skilful engagement of the opponents and persuasiveness—the same qualities that define Obama. As demonstrated with the Lincoln legacy, success is better reflected in incremental progress rather than immediate victories. The negotiation process is often a reflection of how well two sides choose to eventually tango after the initial and obligatory tangling. Obama’s ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by preventing America from going over the financial cliff more than once is a tribute to his negotiating abilities. Good negotiation alternates between conceding and conquering depending on the relative strengths of the negotiators. In June 2011, Obama realized conceded ground to the Tea Party in order to preserve the larger goal of preventing the financial cliff. However, in 2013, with the Tea Party on the wane, and a strong second mandate, Obama did what a steely and good negotiator would—he stared the Republicans in the eye, refused to blink and challenged them to raise taxes on everybody when ... Obama’s strategy revisiting the crisis. The results: minimal spending may not have the dracuts coupled with a boost matic flair of his orain tax rates—both anathema to the Republicans. tory skills, but results In true Flying Dutchman in slow, steady and style, when the dispute over the suspension of the sustainable victories ... debt ceiling rears its head again, on May 19, 2013, I believe Obama will push the Republicans towards the wall incrementally but not dramatically. A negotiator needs to be able to design and access alternative methodologies to achieve one’s goals, a move that the President has proved to be adept at, especially when it comes to advancing progressive social policies. Obama reengineered the make-up of the Supreme Court, shaping the thought platform to be on the forefront of progressive social agenda and bypassing the righteous rightwingers who lack popular support but have the numbers to slay progressive legislation. The appointments of Justices Sotomayor and Kagan translated into surprise victories, just as the overhauling of the Health Care Act was. True, he was not very successful with legislating background checks on gun control, however, Obama is a man of patience and the chapter on gun control is not over as yet. Obama’s strategy may not have the dramatic flair of his oratory skills, but results in slow, steady and sustainable victories, which, I believe, history will look upon favorably. n Toronto based S.Gopikrishna writes on issues of pertinence to Indians and Indian-Americans.

Do You Have a Picture That Tells a Story? India Currents invites readers to send in a picture and caption to publish in our magazine. We’ll pick the best picture every month and award a cash prize to the winning entry. Entries will be judged on the originality and creativity of the visual and the clarity and storytelling of the caption. So pick up that camera and click away.

Send the picture as a jpeg image to editor@indiacurrents.com with Subject: A Picture That Tells a Story. Deadline for entries: 10th of every month.

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a thousand words

Twice-Born Yoga By Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan

erkeley is a veritable mecca for yoga practitioners. Here, studios are (happily) more numerous than Starbucks, each offering its own specialty: Bikram, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kundalini, Yin yoga, Hatha Flow, Vinyasa, “Hot Vinyasa,” restorative yoga, passive asanas, and something incredibly popular in my neighborhood called Forrest, which blends Hatha yoga with the teachings of the Oglala Lakota Sioux. It’s commonplace to see Berkeleyites in grocery stores with multicolored yoga mats strapped to their backs. Some have babies strapped to their fronts, too; others manage to bicycle with yoga kits perched behind them. Once, I even saw a unicyclist balance his PVC-free harmony mat on his way to “yoga for the people.” Yoga here is a way of life. Certainly, it is a key contributor to the local economy. Yoga has never been my thing. Despite years of training in bharatanatyam, I’m not remotely flexible, and the closest I’ve come to meditation is runner’s high during a half-marathon. But in the past few months, given the occasion of my pregnancy and walking-distance proximity to a dozen studios, I have become a prenatal yoga regular. Weekly, I don the only pair of stretch pants that still fit, inexpertly roll my mat, and roll myself over to yoga class, where I join other “mamas” in queen’s pose, downward dog, the one-legged pigeon, cat and cow, and all the other animal-inspired postures you can assume with a belly the size of a four-square ball. My yoga class, like many of them, is taught by an American woman with a Sanskrit chosen-name. She opens each of our sessions with a mindfulness meditation, at the close of which we join hands in “anjali mudra” over our hearts and chant “Om” three times, before offering an invocation to Ganapathi. We chant the “Sahana Vavatu” Shanti mantra, or what she calls the teacher-student prayer. Most of the students, non-Indians, join enthusiastically in reciting the invocations and prayers. Often, our collective “Om” resounds with power and peaceful intention. Over the past many months, I have learned that my teacher considers herself a student of Tantra, prays to Saraswati, and listens to New Age music of the Deva Premal-variety. None of this surprises me. For decades, yoga has been embraced by legions of non-Indians in the United States, whether through the teachings of Vivekananda, the example of Madonna, or the likes of Deepak Chopra. Yoga here is veritably twice-born, of India and America. It was inevitable that the range of teachers and schools on offer would proliferate a subculture of musical, spiritual, and somatic identification. My teacher’s “Namaste” at the finish of class is offered sweetly with a smile and is returned joyously by most of those in attendance, and I’ve never thought to criticize or question what some might term the willful appropriation of what is perhaps only nominally Hindu practice. Others, apparently, aren’t as content to let things be. In a suburb of San Diego, a debate has been unfolding over whether or not yoga can legally be taught as part of the physical education curriculum in public elementary schools. In December, the New York Times reported that a group of parents at Paul Ecke Central Elementary have been protesting the Encinitas Union School District’s institution of thirtyminute yoga, breathing, and relaxation classes. They are apparently 8 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

unmoved by the school’s opt-out clause and are convinced that what the teachers call “gorilla pose” and “mountain pose” are part of a broader Hindu proselytizing movement. The parents’ cries of First Amendment-violation have drawn considerable media attention in recent months. “Namaste. Now Nap Time,” articles declare. “Relaxation or religious indoctrination?” But despite the manufactured hysteria over yogic indoctrination (which seems somewhat akin to Oklahoma’s fear of Sharia Law), yoga is currently being introduced at schools all over the country as part of health and wellness programs. Others have been more creative about tempering the purported Hindu religious content. The Wall Street Journal reports that Chabad schools in New York have their students chanting “shalom” instead of “Om.” Does it matter what the students chant? Is yoga a secular practice? The other day, my yoga teacher turned to me and another Indian student and asked how we felt about the prayers and chants, the references to the Hindu pantheon, and the various fusion versions of the “Gayatri Mantra” accompanying our stretching and balancing exercises. “I think,” she added, “that a lot of my Indian students don’t mind, because they tell me that my pronunciation is good.” I winced inwardly, even as I assured her in all sincerity that I had no issue with her particular brand of yogic spirituality—that, in fact, I respected, enjoyed, and appreciated the intentions and integrity she brought to each offering of a prayer or mantra. But pronunciation? In truth, the clipped t’s in each of her “Shanti’s” had been bugging me for weeks, and Deva Premal’s “Gayatri Mantra” was beautiful when competing with the heating system, but on further scrutiny clearly evidenced the singer’s non-native t’s and d’s. I didn’t say any of this, of course. Pronunciation is such a trivial card to pull, never mind a misleading indicator of that noxious thing called “authenticity.” Nevertheless, some Hindus chafe at the New Age-transformations American yoga practice has brought to “our” age-old meditative practice. The parents at Paul Ecke would no doubt find my yoga class rife with Hindu symbolism and threats to the established Judeo-Christian order of suburban California. Who’s to say who’s right? Who does yoga belong to? Is it yoga without “Om?” Is it yoga, if no one understands the words? The other Indian student and I exchanged glances, as the rainbow-room of Berkeley mamas-to-be bowed their heads in earnest supplication. I’m not sure what she was thinking. But the more I think about it, the gladder I am to have this space for baby. Already she is Indian and American, brown and white, with Hindu, Christian, and Jewish grandparents. She will be a 21st-century Berkeley baby. Twice-born yoga should be right up her alley. n Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is a doctoral candidate in Rhetoric at UC Berkeley.

www.indiacurrents.com | 9

opinion

Boston Marathon: A Runner Remembers By Sandip Roy

evesh Khatu ran the Boston Marathon twice—once in 2009 and once in 2010. This year he was not running the race. But ever since the bombs went off at America’s oldest and most iconic marathon, his phone and Facebook wall have been flooded with anxious messages. Khatu once set himself a goal of 12 marathons in 12 months. His marathons have taken him all over the world—London, Berlin, New York, Mumbai. But Boston, he says, is special. “You have to qualify to be able to run in it,” says Khatu, who lives in San Francisco. “Running it is considered an accomplishment. It’s like, say, getting into Harvard Business School. Even non-runners know about it.” That’s what makes the attack on the marathon so heartrending. That’s what exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen does not get when she sneers on Twitter “Hey Americans! Don’t cry like 9/11, #BostonMarathon is not like 9/11. Come live in South Asia, bombs are like everyday fireworks.” There’s no point getting into a raceto-the-bottom competition of death tolls. The fact that many more were killed in Iraq on the same day as the bombs went off in Boston (and indeed on the day before and probably the day after) does not mitigate the tragedy of what happened in Boston any more than the daily gun violence in America’s inner cities diminishes the horror of the Newtown elementary school shooting. A story about 30 members of an Afghan wedding party being killed by a U.S. bomb is making the rounds of social media as if it happened at the same time as the Boston attack. People forwarding it assume that, though it is actually from 2002. It does not excuse it. It’s just this is not the time to discuss blowback, what America deserves or does not deserve or speculate about who might have done it. “People shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts,” Obama rightly said. “But, make no mistake, we will get to the bottom of this.” Leave aside the iconic nature of the Boston Marathon, that it happens on a state holiday known as Patriots Day marking the battles of Lexington and Concord and is 10 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

thus imbued with a sense of Americanness despite the runners who come from all over the world. There is just something “particularly devastating” about an attack on a marathon, writes Nicholas Thompson in the New Yorker: It’s an epic event in which men and women appear almost superhuman. The winning men run for hours at a pace even normal fit Copyright © 2013 Sonia Su. Boston Marathon. people can only hold in a sprint. But it’s also so ordinary. It’s not held in a stadium or on a track. It’s held in be a part of the Boston Marathon.” But he writes that while you cannot the same streets everyone drives on and walks down. An attack on a marathon is, in some ignore the scar, you have to remember it’s ways, more devastating than an attack on a “only a part” of the whole. Kathrine Switzer stadium; you’re hitting something special but is also a part of that same story, disfigured as it might be now. In 1967 she snuck into the also something very quotidian. That’s why the choice of a marathon as marathon by registering under the gendera bomber’s target is so baffling. It’s not a neutral name of KV Switzer. But five miles symbol of a country’s pomp, military might into the race, an irate marathon director or financial wealth. It’s always been about the jumped off a truck and tried to force her to endurance of the human spirit. And it’s been “get the hell out of (his) race.” The men running with her fought him off. open to all in a way few sports are. That story is moving because it shows Khatu says he started running marathons that race does not belong to anyone. It was in 2005 because he was very unathletic during school and college in India. His focus had not the marathon director’s property and always been on excelling in academia. But it’s not the bombers’ who tried to put their marathons seemed like a challenge he could deadly stamp on it. Zirin writes the bombing now “marks take on. So many different kinds of people, many who had shown no aptitude for other us” like a scar. “But like a scar, we may need to wear it proudly.” sports, run the marathon. Khatu has changed his profile picture on “Few things compare to the sense of acFacebook to his runner’s tag from the 2009 complishment that you feel after running the Boston marathon—runner number 8130. 26.2 miles to finish a marathon,” he says. That’s pretty much what Kathrine Swit- “I vow to requalify and run Boston again,” zer, the first woman to run the Boston Mara- he says. Otherwise, as Switzer implies, you might as well lose faith in human nature. n thon, said about it as well. “If you are losing faith in human nature, Sandip Roy is the Culture Editor for Firstpost. go out and watch a marathon,” she said. Dave Zirin tells her story in a mov- com. He is on leave as editor with New America ing blog for The Nation about the Boston Media. His weekly dispatches from India can marathon. He mourns that now “(l)ike a scar be heard on KALW.org. This article was first across someone’s face, the bombing will now published in New America Media and First Post.

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On a Quest Facebook’s Graph Search: Weaving a New Social Tapestry By Gayatri Subramaniam

Graph Search Team Members Nilesh Dalvi, Sriram Sankar, Kedar Dhamdhere, Rajat Raina, Mitu Singh, Sandhya Kunnatur and Nidhi Gupta

Most Internet users use Facebook to keep up with the “Mohans” and “Kumars.” With “Graph Search,” Facebook’s latest tool box offering, social connections can be further refined and configured into affinity lists. Graph Search team members discuss why the ability to sort, search and compile recommendations from publicly shared lists is an opportunity for enhanced social interaction.

s my husband races to his computer to search for an answer to settle an argument between us, I roll my eyes and wonder how we ever managed all these years without instant search and response. The concept of a search engine is not new. In fact, it goes back at least to the 1940s, when visionary engineer Vannevar Bush published an article in the Atlantic Monthly called “As We May Think.” In the article, he predicted that “wholly new forms of encyclopedias will appear, ready made with a mesh of associative trails running through them, ready to be dropped into the memex and there amplified.” The memex that he referred to was an adjustable microfilm viewer that he imagined would have a structure similar to what we now know as the World Wide Web. What was unique about his pro-

12 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

posal was that he was particularly interested in the way the brain links data by association instead of traditional hierarchical storage. Search engines have been evolving over the last two decades, but I bring up Bush’s paradigm in view of what Facebook is now attempting to do. Until recently, search results were generated by standard keywords, and fell into broad categories such as People, Photos, and Groups. The “Typeahead” feature made Search a little more sophisticated by anticipating what a user might be searching for, and feeding likely matches in a dropdown menu. Facebook’s new internal search engine, “Graph Search,” takes personalized searches one step further by customizing results and forming relationships, just as one might in

real life. Unlike Google, Lycos and other search engines that bring together results from a web made up of online information from all over the world, Graph Search is a cosy microcosm, or a “social graph” in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s words, that creates a network of one’s stated relationships with friends, favorite locations, photos and music.

The South Asian Element

Graph Search’s dynamic “Search Quality and Ranking” team is led by Sriram Sankar. Sankar is a Stanford alumnus who worked at Sun and Google, among other companies in the Valley, before joining Facebook. His dedication to the project and belief in the product is obvious when he says, “Search is my second profession (after compilers) and I’ve been

Mitu Singh joined Facebook in 2010 and is part of the “Search Entities” team. He has worked on a few things since starting there, “but nothing as awesome as Graph Search.” He has an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology—Sloan School of Management, which, he jokes, is something he desperately tries to hide from the engineers. This enterprising Sriram Sankar uses Graph Search to display Photos of India Currents team makes up some of lucky to have been mentored by the very the cogs in the big machine that has created best minds in this area.” For the last three the new feature at Facebook. years Sankar has been working on first building the search feature from the ground up How Does Graph Search Work? to support all of Facebook’s search ranking To understand how Graph Search works, needs, and then building the team around it, consider that as a Facebook user, you have a an enterprise that he calls “one of the most profile that might contain your name, birthsatisfying things I have done.” day, where you live, etc. You represent an enSandhya Kunnatur has been part of the tity. A group to which you belong is another “Search Infrastructure” team for the last year entity; so is the place where you live. Each of and a half. A graduate of National Institute these entities is related—these “relationships” of Technology Karnataka (NITK)—Surathmay represent friendships (if the entities are kal, and Stanford University, Kunnatur loves people), tags (if the entities are photos), to spend time exploring nature and has been ownership (if the entity is a group) and so using Graph Search to find fun places to on. Consider next that every friend of yours visit. on Facebook is also an entity that is similarly One of the newer members on the team connected to various people, places or appliis Nidhi Gupta, who has been part of the cations. You already know that you can easily Search team for the last six months. Envifind a friend or you can find a place. What if ably, this is her first job after graduating from you could do it all with one search in a way Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)—Bhuthat connects your social circle? baneswar. Take this search for example. I’d like to Kedar Dhamdhere was part of the “Search find a couple with whom my husband and I Ranking” team at Facebook in 2012. Prior to that he worked at Google for six years where he was introduced to search engine technology. An engineer from IIT-Bombay, with a doctorate in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University, Dhamdhere gives a nod to his namesake Kedar raga as he expresses his love for Indian classical music. Nilesh Dalvi is a Research Scientist on the Search team. An IIT-Bombay and University of Washington graduate, Dalvi worked as a Scientist at Yahoo! prior to joining Facebook. It’s easy to see why Dalvi would fall easily into this line of work that connects pieces of data—in his spare time, Nilesh is an avid puzzler! Rajat Raina from the “Search Ranking” team has been at Facebook since 2009, and has worked on ads and search teams. A graduate of IIT Kanpur and Stanford University, Raina loves following the Indian cricket team.

can play tennis this weekend. If I use Graph Search to execute this query, it narrows the results to three people who meet the criteria of being my friend and liking tennis. Team leader Sankar explains that Graph Search uses my connections, contextualizes my query, and customizes the output in a way that previous search engines could not. The results are biased to suit me and only me, since the same query by another user would bring a very different cross section of results. The search can be refined by other variables, such as gender and location, but what it did is save me the bother of sorting through my friends list (which, in my case, is not that long, but you know what it would feel like if you have 5,000 friends!). What’s more, Graph Search uses natural language processing rather than traditional keyword searches. So I was able to type a search using my everyday language and the way I naturally speak instead of skewing it to a computer-preferred language or a checkbox. Graph Search has the ability to look at every single word in the query and index all of the user’s prior actions (such as likes and comments) and make a relationship between the words before producing the results.

The Sky is the Limit

In conversation with Research Scientist Raina, I learned that scalability was a challenge for the team. The vastness of the data that is already indexed is hard to comprehend, says Raina, and deciding how to handle the anticipated growth in data, and rank the results, were factors the team had to take into consideration. So far, the team appears to have succeeded and Raina chuckles that “the sky is the limit” regarding the variables one can use, as long as whatever is being searched is within the confines of what

www.indiacurrents.com | 13

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is publicly available. Even journalists can find a treasure trove of potential sources to use in their articles. Facebook stores more than 240 billion photos and one can get information on places and interests that are linked not only to trusted friends, but to public photos of cities or landmarks as well.

The Small Business Advantage

Moving out of the personal realm, it is likely that this application could allow small businesses to create a niche for themselves, and help them compete with the giant corporations. Ideally, a small business that has an accurately categorized page with detailed information on its services can acquire a fan base that will spread its reputation through Graph Search, the Internet’s version of “word of mouth.” Graph Search does not currently support ad searches, but advertisers would want to use this to their advantage, and Facebook would presumably benefit as well, since advertisers make websites financially viable. That said, Facebook is still viewed as a social hangout, a place to find your old buddies from school and college and stay in touch with colleagues and friends. As blogger and e-commerce CEO Philip Rooke writes, “The user expectation is still all about social connections and the mere ability to offer targeted commerce does not mean that the user will welcome or positively embrace the new Graph Search features and become more active consumers in Facebook.”

Shh, Privacy Please!

Also challenging in creating Graph Search was privacy, an ever-controversial topic among Facebook users. According to Raina, the team decided to handle user privacy by ensuring that Graph Search would not reveal anything that was not already visible on Facebook. In other words, your current privacy settings on Facebook will be honored by Graph Search. Of course, as users of Facebook already know, you can control who can see your friends list, but your friends control who can see their friend lists. What does that mean in real terms to the average user? When a user does a search, Facebook responds to the query with a list of entities whose public or shared aspects of their profile match the search terms. With Graph Search, this means that what people intended to share with their Facebook audience (friends, friends of friends, or someone with a reason to search specifically for you) is now available to someone who was not looking for you, but happened upon you in their search. Even photos that you hide from Timeline will show up in searches unless

your privacy settings prevent sharing. True, it is all information you chose to share, but you feel less exposed when you think your information is there for an acquaintance to find than if you know that your information can be accidentally discovered by a stranger. (And perhaps it is a false sense of security, but we humans are good at hiding behind that!) The problem is not unique to Graph Search; it is a risk with anything posted online. A few years ago, when I produced the school play at our public school, a journalist covered it for our online neighborhood newsletter. It was accessible to our neighbours, but it was unlikely that anyone else was looking for it. However, it made me a little uncomfortable when it showed up with the names of all the participating neighborhood children when I was searching for something else online. Graph Search poses the same problem. As Adi Kamdar writes in globalvoicesonline. org, “There’s a difference between posting information for anyone to find and posting information to be searched and sorted. If you walk down a crowded public street, you are probably seen by dozens of people—but it would still feel creepy for anyone to be able to look up a list of every road you’ve walked down.” It remains to be seen whether the Graph Search feature will encourage users to open up more and share more of themselves and their preferences to maximize the social networking experience, or tighten their privacy settings so they won’t unintentionally show up in someone’s Graph Search. Another way to look at Graph Search’s functionality is to question whether the privacy in fact limits our search options! Social recommendations are wonderful for local restaurants or to find best soccer program

for our kids. But if you are looking for something more obscure like the “most fun things to do in Mongolia,” the most content-rich answers are not necessarily going to come from your friends. Guillaume Decugis, CEO of scoop.it, believes that ultimately “Facebook will face a dilemma. Either Graph Search remains a private, social search that sticks to friends of friends, in other words potentially entertaining but limited, biased content that will not be the most relevant. Or, Facebook makes more private data accessible to Graph Search to make it more relevant, hurting privacy advocates in the process but perhaps more importantly losing what makes its core value proposition: connecting with friends in a trusted environment.” Facebook launched the beta version of Graph Search in January 2013 to a limited number of users. If you wish to try it, you can ask to be on a waiting list, and you will be added as space opens up. At this time, it is only available in U.S.-English with future multi-language launches in the works. As for privacy, it remains up to you, as always, to decide how much of your life you want to share online and with whom. In a generation that seems to favor and promote those who have a presence in the social media, Graph Search provides new opportunities. Just remember that opportunity and risk often go hand in hand and handle your online presence wisely. Meanwhile, I’m off to play tennis with one of my blurred friends pictured in this article. n Gayatri Subramaniam is a San Jose-based instructional designer and writer. She is an ardent tennis fan who believes that if she had only been taller, stronger, faster, and blessed with more talent, she would’ve been a Grand Slam champion.

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Geography, Anyone? A primer on teaching Geography at home By Gayathri Chakravarthy

ndian American parents often bemoan the fact that Geography is not taught in American schools. Certainly it seems that no tangible benefit can arise from a study of this subject and career options in the field seem non-existent; how many of us have even heard of a “geographer?” Yet, this subject is of particular importance to immigrant families, with geography and the wider branches of social studies playing a surprising part in the social, intellectual, and personal development of our children. Current research in pedagogical science has proven that an appreciation of cultures, countries and languages has diverse benefits ranging from appearing to delay the onset of certain diseases to enhanced social inter-action and self-esteem! Geography leads children to observe and appreciate the world around them; it helps them make wise choices about their environment, and to relate more meaningfully to people from other lands and cultures. Recognizing the importance of maintaining and fostering cultural heritage, our country has now moved from analogizing itself as the homogeneous blending of a “melting pot” to the distinct diversity of a “salad bowl,” valuing acculturation over assimilation. Our children are in the unique position of experiencing firsthand two major cultures. How can parents maximize this natural advantage? Here are some strategies and resources that have helped me.

Gaming Theory

My kids can be every kind of pest but unfortunately could never be accused of being bookworms; they’re more likely to burn up bandwidth than burn the midnight oil. So getting them to use some of that online time for geography games was easier than plonking an atlas before them. Computer games as learning tools are increasingly gaining acceptance and two online resources I liked were ilike2learn.com and sheppardsoftware.com. These inter-active sites present factual knowledge and work well for upper elementary and middle school children, with content grouped into easy categories such as

rivers, continents, mountains, etc. These sites have been cleverly labeled as learning games, with children clicking on a “play” button for each level. The child progresses to the next level only after mastering content so assessment becomes easy for the parent. Do give these “games” a go!

It’s The Tempest!

When my son recently asked, “Why do I need to learn Shakespeare? I’m never going to use it in my life!” I should have retorted, “Son, into each life some rain must fall, and in your case it’s the Tempest!” But seriously, when our kids question the relevance of any learning content, it’s sometimes hard to come up with a satisfying response. The truth is that both teachers and parents need to make learning as relevant as possible, and one way parents can help is by incorporating Geography into their child’s day as often as possible; get your kindergartner to look up the weather map in the newspaper every day, ask your middle-schooler to research your holiday destination. As Indian Americans, our children are quite literally more “worldly-wise” than their peers and opportunities abound in their daily lives to connect with geography, be it calculating time-zones when calling Grandma, or celebrating ethnic festivals.

The Glossies

As much as I like online learning, I can’t deny it gave me a pang to hear that the Encyclopedia Britannica had published their printed edition for the last time a year ago. I guess those weighty hardcover tomes didn’t quite cut it with Gen-Y kids. A recent survey of 6-14 year-olds revealed that one in ten think an encyclopedia is something you cook with, travel on, use to catch a ball, or used to perform an operation. Really! But magazines such as the National Geographic and The Smithsonian are a different kettle of fish. Cleverly understanding that a picture is worth a thousand words, these magazines have crammed their pages with breath-taking illustrations that captivate both children and adults. Consider subscribing to these magazines. These journals aren’t just limited to geography, but offer content

broadly covering the entire umbrella of social studies. These magazines come with versions suitable for younger kids as well and even children who don’t read yet will love looking at the pictures.

Collecting Change

When my daughter felt the tooth fairy had dealt her a raw deal by leaving her a dollar bill instead of a shiny quarter, I knew I was onto a good thing! She needed little encouragement to start her own coin collection, especially after the U.S. Mint produced those fantastic state quarters. A close examination of these commemorative coins offers an opportunity for interesting research into the fifty states. Indeed, any collection, rock, shell, or coin is replete with learning opportunities. Tell your kids these coins are going out of circulation fast and you’ll have them begging for change!

Linking Cultures

Straddling two diverse cultures can be challenging for our children, who sometimes perceive the adherence to native culture as a deterrent to social acceptance among peers. Making connections between cultures will help them acquire the knowledge and skills required to “walk in two worlds.” They will learn to recognize and cope with crosscultural values that often seem at odds with each other. Ask your child to find parallels between their cultures such as in the celebrations of Thanksgiving and Pongal/Sankranthi, both celebrating harvest and nature’s bounty (some kids may even make the connection between the over-flowing pot and the cornucopia). As our world gets increasingly globalized, and the earth metaphorically flattens and shrinks, geographical boundaries may become less relevant, but cultural differences will always remain, and an awareness and understanding of the different physical and cultural characteristics of people and places will become integral to our children’s success. n Gayathri Chakravarthy lives in Cupertino, CA and has been teaching Math for over 12 years in public schools in California, Australia, and India. www.indiacurrents.com | 17

perspective

May You Bear A Hundred Daughters By Meera Ekkanath Klein

“Y

our culture is killing girls,” a friend says as we take stock of the fresh vegetables at the Davis Farmers’ Market. I turn my attention away from the pile of snowy white cauliflower heads. “Your culture is killing women,” she repeats, this time waving a well-manicured finger in my face. This wasn’t what I was hoping for on my weekly shopping trip to the outdoor market. I wanted to pick peacefully through the carrots, peas and purple potatoes. I just wanted to fill my cloth bags and get back home to my family. Instead I sighed and moved toward a perfect bunch of ruby red beets. “What do you mean?” I asked over my shoulder. “Didn’t you see that 60 Minutes report? About how in India pregnant couples go for an ultrasound and when they find out the baby is a girl, they have an abortion. How can your country people do that?” I let go of the beet that I had intended to juice and replied in as even a tone as I could muster, “Really, that may not be the general situation …” “But why does your culture have no respect for women?” she interrupted. “Listen, I said firmly. “In my own case, my family is matrilineal and girls are a welcome addition to families. In fact, the matriarchy stops with me because I have two sons and no daughters.” She paused and cocked her head to one side, “Oh, I didn’t know. I’m sorry. It’s just, well, that segment on India was so upsetting.” I nodded, “I know. I saw that 60 Minutes report too, and it made me angry to think it goes on. But my own family has been a matriarchy for hundreds of years. Girls are very important to my family.” My friend apologized again and headed toward the bakery stall. I thought about what she’d said. It is true that society misuses privilege in India, and the media’s need for

18 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

The author’s wedding procession

sensationalism focuses on the evils of our culture to elicit just the reaction that my friend had displayed. While I am aware of the heinous practice of sex selection in India, in my own life I have had the privilege of being brought up differently. Right there among the fresh eggs, jars of chunky almond butter and baskets of sweet strawberries, I closed my eyes and conjured a vivid memory of my wedding day more than 25 years ago. The thirty-odd guests were squeezed into my mother’s living room for the ceremony. The priest had just lit a ceremonial fire on a metal plate and the smoke from the burning twigs mingled with the melodious Sanskrit chanting. I breathed in the perfume of the garland of fresh jasmine blossoms around my neck and blushed at the attention from the more than 60 eyes on me. The priest finished his chanting and motioned to my mother to bring the “thali” or auspicious leaf-shaped gold piece tied to a saffron-yellow thread. He blessed the “thali” and my husband tied

it around my neck with three knots, symbolically binding us together. As part of the ceremony, each elder in attendance blessed us. When it was my mother’s turn to bless us she placed her hands on my forehead and said, “May you bear a hundred daughters.” My mother’s wish didn’t come true. I was blessed with two boys who have my family name “Ekkanath” as their middle name. Stories about Ekkanath men and women have been part of my sons’ bedtime stories. Both of them are familiar with the history and culture of my family. But thinking of my friend’s reaction to the news story, I realized perhaps more people should hear about our unique history. What better way to honor my mother’s memory on Mother’s Day than by sharing the glories of matriarchy? The matrilineal Ekkanath family has lived in the same village for hundreds of years in the state of Kerala. The matrilineal tradition was a way of life for my mother’s family and

My hope is that my sons will grow up to be young men who respect women and will love their daughters as much as their sons. They will do this, I hope, because they will be men of character but also in memory of their own matrilineal lineage. it flourished before that. During its heyday, the Ekkanaths lived in a spacious ancestral home with more than 80 women, men and children as part of the extended family. The Ekkanaths were farmers and owned rice paddies, coconut groves and mango orchards. In this small tropical village the oldest female member was the “keeper of the keys.” She managed the household and family. The men, usually brothers and uncles, looked after the family’s lands and were treated with respect and reverence. But it was the women who were the heart of the ancestral home, secure in their homes with property rights and other financial benefits. Widows were not shunned and orphans were welcomed into the household. In the matrilineal tradition lineage is traced through the mother and so only Ekkanath women can pass on the family name to the next generation. Luckily, my mother and grandmother’s lineage will continue in India through my sister and her daughters. My sister, Geetha, lives in the bustling city of Bangalore and is bringing up her two daughters in a modern household where the girls learn Sanskrit as well as karate. Geetha and her husband are partners in a spice plantation in south India. They cultivate black pepper, vanilla and cardamom plants in a sustainable way and plan to keep the villagers employed. Even though the practice of matriarchy is on the decline in modern India, I keep it alive and well in Davis by talking about it. My hope is that my sons will grow up to be young men who respect women and will love their daughters as much as their sons. They will do this, I hope, because they will be men of character but also in memory of their own matrilineal lineage. In this case, history repeating itself will be a good thing. n Meera Ekkanath Klein lives in Davis and is working on getting her first novel published.

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feature

Discovering Congruency A Mother’s Day Tribute By Rajee Padmanabhan

he lives of a mother and daughter achieve a certain level of congruence when the daughter steps into motherhood for the very first time. The transition to this new, all-consuming role gives the daughter an opportunity to reflect on the all-too-often taken-for-granted permanent presence in her life—if she were to be so lucky—that of her own mother. She begins to see her mother from a fresh perspective—as a woman, with many more struggles than her own, who in spite of everything, provided the essential nutrient of unchanging, unswerving love. A daughter’s appreciation of her mother grows at a geometric progression as the years of motherhood make an arithmetic progression, through its inescapable trials and travails. (I secretly hope that my mother, a math teacher, enjoys the last sentence.) My mother is the fifth-born of ten children, the second daughter amidst five sisters and four brothers, in a family that was financially and emotionally drained by the illnesses and eventual deaths of two of the brothers. My mother, along with her older brother, had to share the financial responsibilities of running a big family with six sisters to be “married off.” As someone who grew up in the relative comforts of an upper middle class lifestyle, I cannot begin to imagine the strains on my mother’s young shoulders especially at month-end when funds were short and the list of basic needs of a family of ten equally long. After finishing her B.Sc. B.Ed, my mother worked two jobs, as a high school math teacher during the day and as a math tutor all evening. My parents’ marriage moved my mother from one state to another, location-wise and financially—both for the better. Marriage brought with it the prerequisite of her having to quit her job. I find it hard to fathom how a woman who was defined by her work for ten long years and who had never entered the kitchen in all those years, did not think twice before plunging into the domestic dynamics of a joint family. Having three children, my 24 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

two brothers and I, in quick succession, must have kept her on her toes. Etched in my childhood memoryscape is the image of my mother poring over The Hindu editorial every morning as if her life depended on it. My mother was as literary as my father was pragmatic. In preparation for elocution contests, Shakespeare’s monologues (“Et tu, Brute?”) were drilled in to us with the same intensity as that of multiplication tables. Having a math teacher for a mother is a double-edged sword—you learn the tricks of the trade early, but also face the wrath of the at-home-math-teacher if you had the gall to make silly mistakes in tests. During the hot summer months when load-shedding meant that we would be without power for an hour or more, my mother turned those times into candle-lit music practice sessions! My identity as a girl was first formed when all of us would sit around the dining table and listen to my mother recite her Tamil poems questioning the hypocrisies faced by women in modern India. Her voice would boom, “A thousand Kannagis will rise up to

obliterate the injustices.” She opened the window for me to hear the music in words and the words in music. My mother has her flaws. For one, she butchers Malayalam with such impunity that it routinely provides us with comic relief. She mangles manga (mango) and thenga (coconut) in equal measure. Palatal nasal sounds that give Malayalam its signature lilt elude her to this day. And then there was the time when she was learning to drive a car—oh the terror that was unleashed on the streets of our sylvan colony! It all came to a crashing halt after she rammed the car into the neighbor’s perimeter wall thereby compounding the already-not-so-friendly relations with the said gentleman. All these vignettes fall way short of describing the person my mother, my dear Amma, was and still is today—a very kind and wise soul who treats everyone equally—be it the maid, the vegetable vendor or the neighbor. She has taught us by example that giving to people in need, from whatever one has, is the way to happiness. As I start my second decade as a mother, I often get a sense of déjà vu. I catch myself using towards my son the many aphorisms, approbations and admonishments that were the arsenals in my mother’s unrelenting attempts to make a kind, compassionate and thoughtful woman out of me. Randy Pausch, in his moving book “The Last Lecture,” talked about how he had won the parent lottery. That line struck me, for it gave me a way to express my own feelings towards both my parents. On this Mother’s Day, I hope that I have lived in such a way that my son, some day, even for a moment, feels that way about me. n Rajee Padmanabhan is a perennial wannabe— wannabe writer, wannabe musician, wannabe technologist. She lives with her iPad and iPod in Exton, PA, occasionally bumping into her husband and son while either of her i-Pals is out of charge.

www.indiacurrents.com | 25

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On Inglish

Offend Me and You’ll Be Chutney! By Kalpana Mohan

chutney—noun 1. a pickle of Indian origin, made from fruit, vinegar, spices, sugar, etc: mango chutney 2. a type of music popular in the Caribbean Asian community, much influenced by calypso [C19: from Hindi catni and Urdu chatni; of uncertain origin] First Known Use: 1813

n Indian cuisine, a chutney is a spicy condiment made of chopped, sautéed vegetables or fruits, cooked with spices and tamarind. “To be made chutney of,” as the expression goes in Tamil, is to being pureed down to one’s raw juices. Every few days, I’m so nettled by someone that I want to make chutney of him or her. A few days ago, my target was my husband. The problem with sautéing and dicing the husband is that at the end of all the grilling you must cross his path again and again—in the bedroom, the kitchen and the family room. I made up with him after about 1.75 days of stony silence during which time I steered clear of his orbit around our island kitchen. I lurked in the penumbra called our guest bedroom until my home began feeling like a bargain Costco coffin on Pluto. Days later, I found myself wanting to make chutney of a woman. This time, the object of my wrath was a Princeton alumna named Susan Patton who informed the young women of Princeton that even though Sheryl Sandberg wanted them to lean in to their ambitions, flex their muscles and speak up so their voices were heard, in Patton’s opinion, finding a husband before graduation was the most important thing they could do for personal fulfillment: “Forget about having it all, or not having it all, leaning in or leaning out—here’s what you really need to know that nobody is telling you.” (My husband actually agreed with the pitiable woman and that realization alone was sufficient to cause a second nuclear fission in our home but I decided, it being Sunday evening and all, our garbage takeout day, I should just wait until Monday to resume our fight.) In that letter to the editor of The Daily Princetonian, Ms. Patton claimed that the only way for women to guarantee they got their “equal” was to find their Prince Charming right within the ivy-laced walls of their campus, the place that would guarantee them their intellectual match: “As Princeton women, we have almost priced ourselves out of the market. Simply put, there is a very limited population of men who are as smart or smarter than we are. And I say again—you will never again be surrounded by this concentration of men who are worthy of you.” At a time we were thinking, all of us, of “leaning in” with Ms. Sandberg, Ms. Patton told our girls that all they needed to do instead, was to just get a degree, lean back in bed and let a man, worthy of both their degree and their degree of intellect, lean forward and mount them. Like many female readers, young, old, straight or gay, I was ready—to use several idioms from Tamil—to puree Ms. Patton into chutney. I wanted to tell Susan Patton that while I too had a husband who had married “down”—that is, he did not get betrothed to his academic equal if you considered our educational degrees—he had done perfectly well for himself. (I haven’t asked him to corroborate this.) While he is a smart guy and his clear thinking stuns me sometimes, I’m equally baffled when he cannot see the nuances that I perceive in our daily lives. I wish Susan Patton understood that it is not about finding your intellectual equal all the time, 28 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

in any generation, past or present. Marriage is about having the wisdom to accept each other’s strengths and weaknesses and making peace with it. I thought of my parents’ marriage. My mother did not complete 4th grade. She didn’t speak English. She was probably the only one among the mothers of my school years who did not speak the language. My father’s family, on the other hand, cared a lot about education because he hailed from a background of teachers. Yet, she went abroad with him twice and made a life with him far away from her comfort zone managing to talk to household help in pidgin English and rustling up a good life for us wherever we were. When I listen to my father talk about his late wife, I realize how proud he was of her pluck, insight, resourcefulness and wisdom. Unfortunately, the school you attend does not often give you the values for life. I believe that while the college my daughter attended gave her skills that will carry her through her career, the values she learned at home will help her navigate the course of her marriage and, ultimately, her life. Certainly, Patton made some valid points about finding a mate with whom one shared similar values but she upset many women with her myopia with respect to intellect, gender and, most importantly, choice; furthermore, just as I felt, there was “elitism oozing out of every pore of that letter”, according to yet another woman, a journalist who also happens to be an alumna of Princeton. In the last many days, Patton’s letter has stirred up so much chili pepper and horseradish in the media that I worry about the state of her stomach. It thrills me that there were many men and women who chased her with a pen doubling up as a Cuisinart blade. They made mincemeat of her in their opinion pieces. I have no doubt that by the time this story appears in print, Patton would have been just one in a diorama of perceived offenders in my life. It is such a matter of comfort to know that there’s always an accessible target for some of my pungent chutney in the form of a good, loyal husband whose biggest sin yet is that he posts minute-by-minute updates of his daily peregrinations even when he knows it violates all the laws decreed by the Home Command. n Kalpana Mohan writes from Saratoga. To read more about her, go to http://kalpanamohan.org and http://saritorial.com.

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commentary

The Bystander Problem Examining the costs of ignoring human trafficking By Kavitha Sreeharsha

he Indian community, in India and overseas, continues to reel from the horrific gang rape and subsequent death of Jyoti Singh Pandey in New Delhi last December. Much has been said about the patriarchy and misogyny that enabled this monstrous crime. But just as startling is the revelation by the victim’s friend Awindra Pandey that passersby did not assist either of them. The aftermath of their victimization was plain to see and yet bystanders did not lend a hand. Human trafficking, another critical human rights issue, often more difficult to see than sexual assault, exists before our very eyes, yet we are blind to it. As I contemplate those Delhi passersby, I wonder if our community understands the cost of standing by and doing nothing? In 1994, I recall walking down Berkeley’s Durant Avenue from campus on a cold winter day and seeing a woman in a sari and chappals, navigating rain puddles without even a sweater. Even amid Berkeley’s socio-economically diverse population the sari-clad woman, barely sheltered from the elements, stood out on U.C. Berkeley’s campus, a neighborhood occupied primarily by students wearing backpacks, bundled in warm clothes. I wondered: What brings her to Southside? Where does she work?

The Reddy Rule

In 2000, the arrest of Lakireddy Bali Reddy sadly answered those questions. Reddy had brought men, women, and children from his village in Andhra Pradesh to work at his popular Pasand restaurants and maintain his numerous apartments in Berkeley. The Los Angeles Times reported that Reddy employed these immigrants, “using the young girls among them as his concubines.” But even more disappointing, Reddy’s appalling acts were generally dismissed as an outlier, a single extreme case rather than the

30 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

wake up call that should have rallied our Bay Area Indian community against human trafficking, something that affects our brethren, working both skilled and unskilled jobs.

Of Human Bondage

In India, human trafficking fails to raise an eyebrow. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that there are 11.7 million enslaved in the Asia-Pacific region, compromising well over half of the estimated 20.9 million enslaved worldwide. These nearly 21 million slaves are men, women,

work conditions, unable to return home. But these human rights atrocities against South Asians seem so far away and instead of spurring us to action, inadvertently create a sense of helplessness.

Domestic Slavery

There is a woman I’ll call Malini. A New Delhi recruiter sent Malini to a Bay Area family as a domestic worker. She was not allowed to leave the house or reveal her true identity. Her employers prevented her from speaking with her family back home and held on to her passport—she was trapped. Malini’s trafficker was Indian and A Creative Commons Image active in the Indian community, confirming something difficult to acknowledge—Indians can be trafficked but they can also be traffickers. Never has that been so evident than in the case of Varsha and Mahender Sabhani, Indian immigrants from Long Island, New York, who were convicted of trafficking two Indonesian women as domestic workers, forcing them to eat hot peppers and their own vomit, and hitting them with rolling pins.

In Other Industries, Too

boys, and girls compelled into service: either commercial sex or labor. Modern slavery is on display every day in India: children forced to beg, young girls recruited into brothels, and men in debt bondage toiling away in agricultural fields. Meanwhile, human trafficking of migrant workers from India and other South Asian countries remains unaddressed in the Gulf States. Local newspapers in the Gulf States are peppered with casual stories of South Asian domestic workers running away or committing suicide, with little explanation of the workers’ motivation. Indian and other South Asian construction workers are reportedly locked into contracts under horrendous

Indian workers have been trafficked in other industries in the United States as well. In 2006, a federal court found that the John Pickle Company recruited workers from India, misrepresenting their work conditions and holding their passports, compelling them to work in an oil industry parts manufacturing plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There are also lawsuits pending against Signal International, alleging that nearly 500 workers from India were trafficked to work in shipyards operated by the marine industry company.

The Indicators

When the Reddy case broke, the concept of human trafficking was unfamiliar. Though, even today, human trafficking remains a hidden evil in our community. The U.S. State

Department estimates that only 42,000 of those enslaved were identified and protected last year—less than 1% of those enslaved. Human trafficking persists because trafficked people are unfamiliar with the concept and related rights and protections. They often distrust the very law enforcement meant to protect them. Human trafficking identification and protection will only increase if those outside law enforcement are aware of basic human trafficking indicators and referrals. Any one of us could be the one person to encounter a trafficked person and inform them of their rights and protections, if only we stop acting like bystanders. Understanding human trafficking and its indicators requires us to move past the salacious headlines that conflate sex trafficking and human trafficking. The ILO reports that human trafficking is comprised of 22% sex trafficking and 78% labor trafficking and state-imposed forced labor. And while sex trafficking is truly abhorrent, labor trafficking in the United States typically affects migrants or immigrants more than sex trafficking. Looking at human trafficking through a sex trafficking prism prevents us from recognizing labor trafficking in our very neighborhoods. We overlook our complicity in purchasing slavery-tainted goods. Your shirt might have been sewn in Tamil Nadu, necktie made from Karnataka silks, or carpets from Rajasthan—all using slave labor. Being informed consumers will only improve corporate behavior to address slavery in supply chains. And, the Indian community’s leadership in Silicon Valley industries local industries can drive proactive efforts rather than lukewarm responses to legal compliance requirements. In the twelve years since Berkeley police arrested Reddy, anti-trafficking laws and infrastructure have grown exponentially. Awareness has taken hold and mainstream communities have begun to supporti anti-trafficking efforts. The Indian community is rising to the highest levels of private and public sector leadership, including California Attorney General Kamala Harris who has made human trafficking a priority. Isn’t now the time to make sure we are not bystanders in addressing the human rights issue of our time? n Kavitha Sreeharsha is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Global Freedom Center (www.globalfreedomcenter.org), which strengthens efforts to identify and prevent human trafficking through tailored training and technical assistance to a range of professional sectors.

www.indiacurrents.com | 31

ask a lawyer

Disclosing Grandfather’s Old Watch By Madan Ahluwalia

I am going through a divorce. Do I have to disclose all the worldly assets I have? In other words, do I have to disclose the old watch I got from my Grandfather?

The underlying concern and objective is always the same: one party feels the asset belongs to him or her and therefore, he or she should not have to disclose it. Or it is pure greed and the party decides that she or he would like to keep it. In all divorce cases in California, each party has the legal obligation to disclose. Disclose literally means to share information on income and expense as well as assets and liabilities of the parties. Jeff Landers recently wrote in the Forbes that “women are surprised to learn how commonplace it is for husbands to hide assets from their wives.” He states that typically they tend to hide or understate marital property; overstate debts; report lower than

32 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

actual income and higher than actual expenses. In a divorce, each party should be fully informed of the other’s financial affairs so as to be able to make decisions about dividing up the assets and liabilities and also to determine resolution on other issues (such as support). Here are a few points to consider: • Duty to Disclose. The duty to disclose is not optional. The parties are required by the law to make disclosures on prescribed forms twice. • Full Disclosure. Disclosure has to be complete and supporting documentation needs to be provided. For example, if you have a bank account, you have to not only provide information on the bank, account number, dollar amount and when you acquired the account, you also have to provide an account statement with it. • Community or Separate? In the disclosure forms you can assert a right and claim that a given asset is yours or a certain liability

belongs to your spouse. Of course, you have to be able to prove it as well. Mere assertion of such a right does not make it so. For example, if you have your grandfather’s watch, it was probably a gift to you and hence it belongs to you alone but you must disclose it on the legal forms. • Penalty of Failure to Disclose. Failure to disclose a certain asset, can result in penalties. Penalties vary from state to state and from case to case to but in general, the law empowers the courts to exact some form of punishment for this blatant contempt of court. Perjury in legal proceedings, could also expose you to jail time, and your spouse can end up owning the entire asset 100%. So, if you are in doubt, Disclose! n Madan Ahluwalia is a California attorney located in California. Visit him at www.ahluwalia-law.com

legal visa dates Important Note: U.S. travelers seeking visas to India will now need to obtain them through Travisa Outsourcing. Call (415) 644-0149 or visit http://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/ for more information.

May 2013 This column carries priority dates and other transitional information as taken from the U.S. State Department’s Visa Bulletin. The information below is from the Visa Bulletin for May 2013. In the tables below, the listing of a date for any class indicates that the class is oversubscribed. “Current” means that numbers are available for all qualified applicants. “Unavailable” means no numbers are available.

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analysis

Of All the Coffee Places In search of Starbucks’ chai in Mumbai By R. Benedito Ferrão

“K

ya?” “STAR-BUCKS,” my brotherin-law articulated into his mobile phone. The irony was delicious. We were having difficulty finding the newly opened Starbucks in Bombay, and now directory services seemed to be confused as well. In Southern California, one can’t go far before tripping over the ubiquity of Starbucks stores, where there are sometimes even three within the same city block. So, on this visit to India, why did I need to find the Bombay one so urgently having never really been a fan of their beverages in the first place? I wanted to know if they sold chai. Yes, it was perverse. But haven’t you had a chuckle over the nomenclature employed across coffee shops in the United States? What exactly is a chai tea latte, anyway, and do they not get that it is tautologous to say chai and tea? But I needed to find out first hand what it would feel like to order chai at an American coffee shop in India. It was no different from the revulsion I had to overcome in taking my first yoga class ever in Los Angeles. Sweating it out Bikram-style reminds me of an episode from the erstwhile television show The Sopranos. In it, Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri sounds a lament as he bears witness to the dilution of Italian culture during a visit to a coffee place that is meant to stand-in for Starbucks. Colorfully, the Italian American gangster expounds: “[expletive] espresso, cappuccino. We invented this [expletive] and all these other [expletive] are gettin’ rich off it.” Paulie becomes so impassioned that he makes off with an espresso machine as his vendetta against the culture vultures. To this day while I will grudgingly admit to loving how I can now contort my body in ways I would never have dreamed possible, I still refuse to say Namaste at the end of a much-deserved and blissful shavasana. Of course, what Mr. Walnuts gets wrong is that though the Italians may have found ways to add chic to a cup of joe, it was the Ethiopians—once embroiled in Italy’s imperial designs—who originated the brewing of the drink. And just as one might guess that the inspiration for the coffee place being derided in The Sopranos was Starbucks, there is no mistaking the similar motivation behind

34 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

the green and white color scheme of the logo for Kaldi’s, an Ethiopian coffee chain. Named for the goatherd of native legend who is said to have noticed the energizing effect of coffee bean consumption on his animals, Kaldi’s is famed for its own versions of Starbucks’ favorites. If Starbucks can serve chai, then one supposes it is fair game for Kaldi’s to rip off a Caramel Macchiato. As much as I would like to think that Kaldi’s was reappropriating from Starbucks what was really theirs to begin with, on a recent visit to Addis Ababa and because it was my first time there, it seemed wrong to sample the Ethiopian elixir at any place other than a non-descript mom and pop shop. I felt as invigorated by the experience as after a rapid fire bout of Surya Namaskars. Despite the backhanded homage paid to

What exactly is a chai tea latte, anyway, and do they not get that it is tautologous to say chai and tea? it, Starbucks is still to set up its own shops in Ethiopia. But that is not to say that the Seattle-based business has not had an impact on the country both culturally and economically. Between 2005 and 2007, a storm brewed in, shall we say, a coffee mug when the Ethiopian government alleged intellectual copyright infringement in the branding of coffees sold at Starbucks under such regional names as Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo. The capability to uniquely brand affects pricing. By adopting names associated with Ethiopia’s coffee-growing regions, for the purposes of branding, Starbucks was in a position to undercut Ethiopia’s capacity to not only name but also price their own regional products. In turn, this threatened the livelihoods of subsistence-level farmers in one of the poorest nations in the world where coffee is a major cash crop. The issue was resolved in 2007 most likely to avoid a public relations fiasco. Starbucks promised greater cooperation with the Ethiopian government, but changes on the ground are yet to manifest given the ability of the large corporation to control demand.

Starbucks has continued to court controversy internationally. In 2012, it came to light that the company had paid no corporate taxes in the United Kingdom for three years. In response to customer outrage, the coffee chain announced that it would make good on its unpaid dues to the tune of 20 million pounds over the course of two years. Despite these issues around the globe, there is no doubt that Starbucks has iconic status globally while serving as a symbol of globalization. Although having set up their first shop in mainland China in 1999, Starbucks was late to the coffee party in South Asia. The metro hubs in India were already familiar with Costa Coffee from the United Kingdom and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf—a business with a strong Southern Californian connection. These are in addition to such home grown chains as Cafe Coffee Day and Bru World Cafe. Nonetheless, when Starbucks finally did makes its debut as a Tata Alliance company in October 2012, its first Indian store in Bombay drew queues so long that a security guard had to effect crowd control. Since then, Starbucks has gone on to open a few more shops in Bombay and Delhi, catering to the local palate with items like paneer wraps alongside muffins. A couple of months after its Indian establishments joined the corporation’s worldwide constellation, my efforts to visit the first desi Starbucks in Elphinstone Building, a colonial era landmark, were met with failure. Finally able to make our intent understood to the directory services operator assisting us with our query, we discovered that our taxi had just overshot the location. It would take forever to maneuver through rush hour traffic. On this, the end of my time in Bombay, the opportunity to order a chai in the land of its origins, but as translated by Starbucks, had passed me by. I could not help wondering if I had missed much while I settled for a cup of “cutting chai” at a local stall. n Among other things an Angeleno, R. Benedito Ferrão has familial connections to East Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. A cup of coffee from any of those locations takes him back vicariously.

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The Business of Life By Jeanne E. Fredriksen

THE ABUNDANCE by Amit Majmudar. Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company: New York. March 2013. $26. 272 pages. henryholt.com; amitmajmudar.com. Available in hard cover and for e-readers.

hen author Amit Majmudar tells a story, he chooses a unique approach. In his dramatic and touching debut novel, Partitions, he examined the effects of partition through the posthumous eyes of a Hindu father, husband, and doctor watching his children on their journey to be reunited with their mother. In his second novel, The Abundance, Majmudar’s narrator is a woman diagnosed with cancer. Written with compassion, charm, and wit, The Abundance is less about the effects of illness than about the healing between aging immigrants and their American-born children. In short, Majmudar keeps a sharp eye on the business of living rather than on the process of dying. The book’s narrator, an Indian woman, mother, and wife living in Ohio, wants daily life to carry on as uninterrupted as possible. Husband Abhi, a neurologist, supports and protects her, understanding the reality of the situation without emphasizing it. She hesitates to share news of her cancer with her two grown children because she doesn’t want to disrupt their lives. Both have families of their own, are successful in their professions, and live elsewhere. When circumstances force her to tell her children, daughter Mala and son Ronak are reluctantly drawn back to the Midwestern world of their parents. Mala, an ENT surgeon, eventually sees the cancer as a wakeup call for herself and decides to spend time learning the art of cooking from her mother. Frequent quarrels between the two erupt and subside, providing a familiar level of continuity in their relationship. When son Ronak— or Ron, as he prefers to be called—steps in and offers his assistance, sibling rivalries resurface, tempers flare, and the newly-found harmony between generations is threatened. The Abundance offers a refreshing detour

36 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

from the typical tale of immigrant experience, and this stems directly from the author himself. A nuclear radiologist and award-winning writer and poet, Amit Majmudar has a clear vision of both Indian and American cultures, allowing him to write with understanding and without judgment. “I was born in New York City,” he told me. “I lived in Ohio until I was in second grade; then my family moved to India, and I did two years in school there; then we moved back to Ohio, and I’ve lived there ever since. I’ve lived in both societies; it’s not like I was a tourist or visitor to India, I really lived there and absorbed the language and habits. It changed me, I think for the better.” How so? “I tend not to condemn either way of life in strong terms, the American or the Indian;

in fact, I think those terms, “American,” and “Indian” and “Indian-American,” vary so much from case to case, individual to individual, family to family, that they are almost meaningless.” Both of the narrator’s grown children were born and raised in the United States, are self involved, and are, in their own ways, likeable. They are, interestingly, opposites from their spouses. Mala’s Indian-born husband Sachin and Ronak’s American wife Amber are more agreeable and family-oriented. I wondered what Majmudar was trying to illustrate by this contrast. “At the time, I wasn’t trying to illustrate anything; that was just their characters. But in retrospect … it strikes me that their spouses come from traditional, more ‘rooted’ societies and family structures. Sachin has strong roots in India, Amber has strong local roots in Ohio; and this influences the way they perceive family and continuity.” Told by a character that has lived more of her life in America than in her homeland, The Abundance offers ample opportunity for reflection. The narrator draws parallels between Indian and American societies. She thinks about how different her life is in America compared to her sisters-in-laws’ lives in India. She takes time to study her children, seeing who they were and who they have become. The ability to reflect so clearly comes with age, and while the toll of aging is examined in the book, it is not without a quiet celebration of the resulting wisdom. In creating the book’s narrator, Majmudar managed to ignore gender constraints and create a strong, believable female character. She is vital and independent despite her illness. Considerate of others, she strives to maintain the quality of her own care giving (found, primarily, in her cooking), and she loves having her family around her. Nevertheless, she understandably becomes irritated with her increasing inability to do simple things. She is such an honest and real character that I wondered if she were based on anyone in particular.

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“Those ‘vital and independent’ characteristics derive from my own real-life mom for sure,” Majmudar told me, “although the actual personality and condition of the narrator don’t match my mom’s. Also my mom loves to cook for everybody, so that definitely is drawn from life.” The narrator isn’t, however, without her failings. One source of frustration goes back to her early days in America, when as a young mother she failed to pass the exam required for foreign medical graduates. While she pretends to have let it go, there remains a fragment of disappointment and, perhaps, jealousy that is stirred up when she and Mala are together. “There’s a lot of interpersonal complexity that derives from that vis-à-vis her daughter, who’s a successful ENT surgeon,” Majmudar explained. “She feels like a failure next to her daughter, which is an interesting source of tension. Also it motivates her devotion to her family; as if she’s overcompensating in some way; so it complicates that, too. There was just too much psychological richness in that incompleteness, that imperfection, to pass up.” And in the end, the narrator remains unnamed. Not even in dialogue between husband and wife or in a quick scene with acquaintances is she referred to by name. At first, I found this odd, even discomforting, as if she were invisible. However, as the novel continued, I saw her namelessness bring universality to the character. Majmudar explains it as being “… in keeping with her selfless personality. Also, her namelessness kept her one with me. To name her would have separated her in some way from me. This way, she remained me. I still don’t know what her name is.” In the acknowledgments for The Abundance, Majmudar says he writes his novels “out of fears I cannot overcome in any other way.” Now that he is two novels old, have Partitions and The Abundance alleviated any of his fears or helped him to understand them? His response was, of course, aimed at the heart of The Abundance: “I probably understand them better, but the fears, naturally, remain. Whenever anything is precious to you, as my family is to me, you worry about them. But not too much, I hope. Just enough to keep me valuing them moment to moment.” n Amit Majmudar, who won India Currents magazine’s Katha short story contest in 2004 and 2005, is graciously serving as this year’s judge. Jeanne E. Fredriksen reads and writes from Wake Forest, North Carolina, where she is happily at work on her young adult novel. 38 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Chronicle of Disaster By Arun Sekar THE GREAT BIG BOOK OF HORRIBLE THINGS by Matthew White. W. W. Norton & Company. 2012. $25.64. 688 pages. Available in hard cover.

an a book based on statistical data grab readers’ attention as strongly as writings containing fiction, political intrigues, biographies, media gossip etc.? Matthew White proves it is possible with his 688-page tome, The Great Big Book of Horrible Things, with the subtitle, “The Definitive Chronicle of History’s 100 Worst Atrocities.” The book traces wars, atrocities, genocides, and multicides, in chronological order, from around 500 BCE till 2010 CE, and lists the numbers killed, cause of the incidents, locations, and the responsible parties in each case. The author intersperses the descriptions of events with discussions of relevant issues such as religious killings, genocide, the western way of war, crazed tyrants etc., After some comprehensive data analysis from different viewpoints such as the underlying religious, psychological, economic, and other factors, the author ranks the top one hundred “atrocities” in order of the death toll. Some natural causes such as famine also make the list. The oft-quoted phrase “lies, damned lies, and statistics” is losing its vigor due to the recent precise and highly logical mathematical data analysis techniques. The author is cognizant of the “fuzziness” of the recorded body counts, and uses a common sense approach to separate the grains from the chaff. The overwhelming conclusion is that the twentieth century is the most violent one, with the second world war claiming the first rank with 66 million victims. The author finds interesting results from the “raw numbers” in the one hundred ranked multicides. China is the top location, followed by Europe, Russia, and France. The French are featured as participating the most with 18 events, closely followed by the Chinese and British. A total of 455 million killings cover a span of 100 events with economics listed as the predominant reason behind the killings. The victims were mostly civilians, and as the author writes in the introduction, the army is usually the safest place to be in during a war! The book has an interesting analysis about the role of religion in the one hundred

horrible events. Many hold the opinion that there will be no wars if religions are eradicated. White makes a careful study of how to estimate religious cause for an atrocity or war. In most cases a tyrant or an elite group might have used religious fervor to advance a personal agenda. Hitler was not a devout Catholic, and Saddam Hussein’s practice of Islam was self-promoting. The raw numbers, actually show only 10% of the killings attributed to religion. In the categorization of religious adherents most involved in conflict, the author finds Christians and Muslims in a majority of cases with Jews participating in others. White brings to notice the fact that followers of Eastern religions haven’t often killed each other over who has a better God. The monotheistic viewpoint of one allpowerful God sowed the seeds of dissent and extreme passion. The book sheds lots of insight into human nature in general, and provides clues to the minds and behavior of dictators, religious fanatics, and common people. The reader is swept through the large canvas of human civilization spanning over 2,500 years in time. As Steven Pinker puts it in the foreword to the book, “White presents a new history of civilization, a history whose protagonists are not great emperors but their unsung victims-

millions and millions and millions of them.” Five events pertaining to the Indian subcontinent figure in the list of one hundred: Bahmani-Vijayanagara War (1366 CE, Rank 70), Aurangzeb (1658-1707 CE, Rank 23), Famines of British India (1769-70, 1876-79, 1896-1900 CE, Rank 4), Partition of India (1947 CE, Rank 70), and Bengali Genocide (1971 CE, Rank 40). White’s analysis and conclusions on India and Hinduism should be mandatory reading for Indian politicians, who even after half-acentury of freedom, are trying to manipulate religious sentiments towards their vote-bank. According to White, “Wars of conquest are rarely launched from India. A naval expedition against Indonesia in the 11th century and scattered raids into Afghanistan may be history’s only attacks outward across the natural borders of India.” This might be explained by geographic isolation, however, White notes, that “there is also a notable scarcity of massive killings inside India as well. Considering that India has usually contained around one-fifth or one-sixth of the population-as many people as either China or Europe—why doesn’t India show up on my list as often as China and Europe?” White indicates that the worst incidents of violence were inflicted by non-Hindus: Lytton, Yahya Khan, and Aurangzeb. White used the term “eerily non-threatening” to describe India’s largely peace-abiding culture. But he also questions if it was possible that none of these violent events were documented, “that no one wrote it down?” He claims that Hindu philosophy has never been very interested in “recording the chain of cause and effect,” which might be the reason that few such tales and details of events show up in history. Even so, the author states, “that doesn’t entirely explain why there are so few recorded mega deaths after 1000 CE, when historians arrived alongside the major Muslim conquerors. I should also point out that I managed to find two mega deaths (Mayan and Aztec) in the poorly recorded history of pre-Columbian America, so why not India?’ Mr. White’s conclusions reiterate what Professor Thomas R. Trautman writes in India-A Brief History of A Civilization, published by Oxford University Press in 2011: “The world India made (outside India) was not put together at the point of a spear but through the appeal of its products, its religions, and its sciences.” How true that sounds even in 2013 CE! n

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travel

City of Possibilities London’s many hued wonders By Shivam Khullar

Big Ben

St. Paul’s Cathedral

here are many that will shiver at the thought of winter in Europe. I am not one of them. I rather enjoy Europe garbed in snowy glitter, especially during the holiday season. My husband and I traveled through Germany, Italy and Austria in the winter of 2009 and that magical experience left us wanting more. We visited Paris in 2011 and finally landed in London for Christmas in 2012. I grew up in India where the British rule casts a rather permanent shadow on the country’s culture. Several glorious architectural splendors were built during the British Raj, (like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai (still referred to as VT, short for its original name Victoria Terminus), the Senate House of the University of Madras, and Victoria Memorial in Kolkata) and were inevitably inspired by the English style of architecture. The escapades of the British royalty has kept many a conversation going in my family. My mother grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, which was also a British colony at the time, and distinctly remembers the day when she wore a yellow dress and welcomed the Queen to her primary school. And she actually got to shake hands with the Queen 52 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

British Library

herself! Cambridge and Oxford universities, home to several Nobel laureates, have also been a reason for my interest in Britain. Furthermore, ever since I moved to the United States, I have fancied the idea of living in London for a few years, just to taste the difference between the two countries. What I love about London is that there is something for everyone in this city. Whether a foodie, a history buff, a lover of art/ architecture, London has lots to offer. It is a mecca of art, science, fashion, culture and architecture. Compulsive planner that I am, I made a list of key attractions prior to our trip. But once we were in London, we let chance play its cards. If you still insist on planning, buy the Frommer’s guide for London. But this article should give you just enough information to mix and match serendipity with a little bit of planning. One of the best decisions we made was to book a full day tour of Windsor Castle, Bath and Stonehenge with Evan Evans Tour. The all-day tour starts early in the morning from Victoria Coach terminal and heads to Windsor Castle, the official residence of Her Majesty. We had four hours to explore the main attractions at the castle including the magnificent State Apartments (all 21 of

Windsor Castle

them), St George’s Chapel, the burial place of ten monarchs of England and Queen Mary’s dolls house, a miniature masterpiece. After Windsor, the tour took us to Stonehenge. It is a bit of a drive, but a rather beautiful one. Stonehenge happens to have its own micro climate, so be prepared. You might wonder what is so puzzling about a few rocks standing in the middle of a large green field. But I suggest you stand close to these structures and the answer will be evident. I could not stop my mind from racing in all directions as I stood in front of these rocks, trying to find a reason or a purpose for their presence. After the rather mystical stop at Stonehenge the tour proceeded to the beautiful city of Bath. Bath attracts millions of visitors every year who come from all over the world to check out the site of the original Roman Baths. The site is also home to the temple of Sulis Minerva, the Roman Goddess considered a life-giving Mother figure as well as an executor of curses wished by her devotees. You can tour the ruins and admire the plumbing infrastructure that existed ages ago. Back in London, if you are a museum buff, please set aside at least a day to visit a

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few of these (there are 240 of them!). Some of the most visited museums in London are the British Museum, Imperial War Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tate Modern. There is a lot of information about these museums on their websites, so I will spare you the details. But two things I highly recommend while you are out exploring the museums: the Portrait Restaurant at the National Portrait Galler offers beautiful views of the Trafalgar Square area and the British Library. The British Library has no parallel. The most intriguing highlight of this library is the “Treasures of the British Library” exhibit, where some of the library’s most precious possessions are displayed, including a copy of Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible, and manuscripts and journals of several authors including Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Jane Austen, Robert Browning and Oscar Wilde. As we exited this exhibition, we turned left and came upon the Philatelic exhibition. Chancing to look straight ahead, we saw ourselves reflected on a tall glass tower full of books. The glass tower holds over 65,000 books that formed the collection of George III. The cafe under this mammoth tower is a great place to grab a quick espresso before moving on to the next destination. I recommend that you add the Shakespeare Globe Theatre tour to your list. The Globe Theatre is a replica of the original Globe Theatre from the Shakespearean era. There are open air plays staged here all through the year and tickets are available ahead of time. The Tower of London is a historic landmark that must be seen. This castle was built in 1078 C.E. and has been well preserved over the years. The audio tour guide walked us through the attractions at the Tower. Some of the main attractions are the White

Tower (an iconic symbol of London), an exhibition of the King’s armor over the years, the Crown Jewels—including the Kohinoor diamond, Yeoman Warder tours and Prisoner’s exhibition. The site of the Tower also offers views of Tower Bridge. After the time spent indoors at the museums, we decided to spend a day outside enjoying the fresh air in London. We rented bikes by the hour and it provided us a great opportunity to explore London along the Thames. We started our journey at St Paul’s Cathedral, a beautiful and iconic church that attracts a lot of visitors and locals. We climbed up to the dome of the cathedral and captured some great views of London from its observatory. We took a detour from our path along the Thames to visit Temple Church. As we reached the Embankment Tube station, we turned right and came upon Trafalgar Square. We parked our bikes by St Martin at the Fields and enjoyed the square on foot. There are some nice restaurants in this area if you are up for lunch. Back on the bike path, we rode along the Victoria Embankment Gardens, towards Parliament Square. It can be tricky to find bike parking in this area. We parked a little further away to avoid the crowds. Parliament Square is home to some key landmarks in London. Westminster Abbey is located in this square, and so are the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. We took the time to explore this area. We sat in the park in the middle of the square and marveled at the architectural splendors that were built at different points of time in history. When we got back on our bikes we decided to cross the Thames to get a perspective from the other side. It was a good call. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament lit up as

Bath

Inside Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

London Eye

Westminster Abbey 54 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

the sun went down. It was spectacular. We proceeded on towards the London Eye glittering in blue, right after Westminster Bridge. The London Eye experience is much talked about but it takes a lot of time due to the long queues of people. We decided not to stop and instead continued along the river towards the Millennium Bridge. This is a steel suspension bridge that offered a beautiful view of St Paul’s Cathedral. After crossing the bridge we arrived exactly where we started from, St Paul’s Cathedral. After a day of biking in London, it was time for some shopping. There are several mega stores in London that offer the latest in fashion. Of course, there is Harrods and Harvey Nichols in Kensington, House of

Frasier, John Lewis and Selfridges on Oxford Street. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss Covent Garden. The Apple Market, East Colonnade and Jubilee Markets in Covent Garden offer unique and distinct shopping experiences. There are also some entertainment shows in the evening when the markets close down. There are a lot of restaurants in the area if one is looking for a fancy place for date night. I loved the movie Notting Hill and hence made it a point to visit Portobello Market in Notting Hill to check out the house with the blue door and the book shop that is featured in the movie. The market here is full of street vendors selling fresh produce, junk jewelry and old books. We strolled through these streets and will definitely go back there next time. For a focused shopping experience, Oxford Street is the place to go, where one can find everything under the sun. Oxford Street ends in Hyde Park, a lovely stop to rest and soak in some London charm. London is home to some fancy boutique hotels and charming restaurants and pubs. Bar food has evolved with time and includes Indian items like chicken tikka masala on the menu. I could not have asked for moreâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; good beer and spicy indian curry were readily available at every restaurant. I do have a recommendation for some fabulous Indian fare. Dishoom, a fusion restaurant located in Shoreditch has a nostalgic menu. Nostalgic you might ask? Yes, this restaurant has recreated the old Bombay cafe scene with Pav Bhaji, Chilli Cheese Toast and Frankies. Delicious food and a charming ambience made this my London favorite. London is a charming melting pot of people with diverse ethnicities, interests and vocations. To be in London was like being in a Delhi that could have been, if we had kept up with the needs of the times. The architecture, food, markets, and energy in London was much like the Indian experience, just a little different. In London, the city of many possibilities, I experienced some amazing moments that I will cherish forever. The list is long but it includes biking in rain, getting lost, drinking beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner and last but not the least, standing under Big Ben, feeling happy and content that my wish had finally come true. Christmas in London might be a charming way to end your year. Do consider it. n Shivam Khullar is an astute business consultant, an opinionated writer, an avid reader, a creative cook, a hopeless coffee lover, a light traveler and a loving wife.

The blue door from the movie Notting Hill

Chicken Tikka Masala

Parliament Square

Selfridges

Oxford Street decoration

Stonehenge www.indiacurrents.com | 55

recipes

A Spoonful of Special Cooking for Mom on Mother’s Day By Shanta Sacharoff

very culture worships its mothers. Historically, African, Indian, Greek and early Christian civilizations had specific rituals dedicated to worshipping the Mother Goddess. Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated all over the world including Canada, the United States, many countries of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In the United States, Mother’s Day began in 1872 when Ann Jarvis, an anti-war activist, called for Mothers’ Peace Observance Day, urging all mothers to rise up for peace. In 1914, Mother’s Day was recognized as a national holiday in the United States, and the second Sunday of May was set aside to honor the contributions of all mothers. Since then, Mothers’ Day has become commercialized with flowers, candy, gift-giving and eating out. Food, cooking, feeding, nourishing and

56 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

nurturing have all become synonymous with motherhood, but although our mothers are often worshipped, loved, feared and praised, they are rarely fully appreciated for all they do. This year on Mother’s Day, nourish and nurture your mother. Treat Mom to a simple and nutritious meal made at home. Let your Mom know that you love her, and that you can feed her too! If you have siblings, get together with them to make Mom a special meal following the recipes outlined here, and get Dad involved in the process too. He can help you gather the ingredients, and handle the hot pan. Be sure that Mom doesn’t have to do anything! No planning, no cooking, and certainly no cleaning up. Give her the day off! This menu of roti wraps with sprouted mung beans served with cashew chutney and strawberry lassi is suitable for lunch, brunch

or for a picnic. All three dishes can be served at room temperature and most of the preparation can be done ahead of time. Shop for the ingredients a week in advance in case you have to visit specialty stores for some things such as mung beans, whole wheat roti or tortillas. Sprouting the mung beans is a 2-3 day process, so allow enough time, and make sure you have the necessary spices as well. This is a simple menu, but if you have not cooked much, you might want to practice making these three recipes, at least once, before Mother’s Day. n Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, author of Flavors of India: Vegetarian Indian Cuisine, lives in San Francisco, where she is manager and coowner of Other Avenues, a health-food store.

Illustration by Serena Sacharoff

Roti Wraps with Mung Bean Sprouts Mung Bean Sprouts

irst, sprout the mung beans as described below. Sprouts are at their nutritional peak when they are fresh. Unlike the long white mung sprouts commonly found in supermarkets or Chinese groceries, the mung bean sprouts with short shoots that this recipe calls for are not usually available in stores. However, making them at home is fun and easy to do. Rinse one cup of dried mung beans thoroughly and drain them. Place the beans in a large bowl with 3 cups of water. Cover the bowl and let it sit on the kitchen counter overnight. Do not refrigerate. The next day, drain the water and transfer the soaked beans to a colander. Cover the top of the colander with a moist double-layer of cheese cloth, a piece of muslin, or a clean damp tea towel. Fasten the cloth with a rubber band. Place the colander itself in a large bowl to catch any drips and keep it away from direct sunlight. Over the next several hours the beans will start to germinate and soon you will see sprouts emerging. Place the cloth back on the colander, and sprinkle a little bit water to keep it moist. Towards evening, check to see if the sprouts are 2-3 inches long. If not, leave them at room temperature overnight. When the sprouts are 2-3 inches long, they are ready to be used in the following recipe for roti wraps. One cup of mung beans will yield enough sprouts for this recipe with some left over. If you are not ready to use the sprouts, place them in a covered container and refrigerate. If you rinse them every other day in cool water they will keep for up to two weeks. Some recipes call for raw mung sprouts. Uncooked mung sprouts contain a proteininhibiting enzyme. Cooking for a few minutes destroys this enzyme making the sprouts more nutritious.

Roti Wraps Makes 6 servings (with two wraps per person)

Ingredients 3 tbsp of vegetable oil ½ cup finely chopped green onion with some of the greens 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced 3 cups of fresh mung bean sprouts with short shoots (see directions above) ½ tsp whole cumin seeds 1 cup carrots cut into match sticks or shredded ½ cup daikon or other mild radish, cut into match sticks or shredded

1 teaspoon salt ¼ tsp or to taste cayenne pepper freshly squeezed juice of 1 or 2 limes ¼ cup water 3 tbsp chopped cilantro 1 package (about a dozen) whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat rotis (or gluten-free corn tortilla) Method Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the green onion. Saute for a few minutes. Then, add the garlic and cumin seeds. Stir fry briefly, and add the bean sprouts, carrots, daikon, cayenne and salt. Continue to stir fry for five minutes. Next, add the water and lemon juice. Cover and cook the mixture for five minutes. Then open the lid and stir fry briefly to evaporate any liquid left. Transfer the cooked mung to a platter, and garnish with cilantro. Prepare the rotis or whole what tortillas as follows: Heat a griddle or tava on moderately high heat. Lay a roti or tortilla in the pan and cook on one side for a minute or so. Spread no more than ½ teaspoon of oil on top, quickly covering the whole surface, and then flip it over. Cook on the second side for a few minutes. Flip the roti again a few more times while pressing with the back-side of a spoon or a clean kitchen cloth to cook the whole surface of each side evenly. Stack the prepared rotis together on a plate, covered with a clean towel to keep them warm. To make a wrap, spread ½ cup of the mung bean sprout mix onto a roti or tortilla, keeping the filling away from the edges. Fold into a wrap as shown in the illustration. As each wrap is completed, move it to the serving platter. If you plan to serve them hot, have your oven preheated to 350 degrees and place the platter of wraps in the oven to keep them warm. They can also be served at room temperature, or packed for a picnic. Serve with Cashew Chutney and Strawberry Lassi, recipes below.

Raw Cashew Chutney Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients 1 cup raw cashews ½ cup warm water ½ cup fresh cilantro (or parsley) 1 or 2 fresh hot chilies, such as jalapeno, seeds and veins removed 2 to 3 tbsps of freshly squeezed

lemon or lime juice 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger ½ tsp salt Method Place the cashews in a bowl with the warm water. Cover and let the cashews soak for 30 minutes. Do not drain. Put the nuts along with the water they were soaking in and rest of the ingredients in a jar of a food processor or blender and mix until the cashews form somewhat of a creamy consistency with some chunkiness. Let the chutney stand for a few minutes closed, before transferring it into a serving bowl. Serve 1-2 tablespoons of chutney with each roti. Refrigerate leftover chutney in a jar or other closed container. It will keep for at least a week.

Strawberry Lassi Makes 4 servings

once had Strawberry Lassi in Gujarat. After coming back to California where strawberries are plentiful, I could not wait to try this recipe! Ingredients 3 cups of plain yogurt 1 cup cool water 20 large strawberries, washed, cleaned and hulled ½ to 2/3 cups honey, agave syrup or sugar (adjust sweetener to your taste) ½ teaspoon edible rose water or vanilla extract Method Place all of the ingredients in the jar of a blender or food processor and mix for several minutes until pureed and well blended. Place a few ice cubes into four glasses. Pour lassi over the ice and serve. If you are packing the lassi for a picnic, refrigerate to keep it cool until you are ready to pack your basket. Serve along with spicy curry and raita. n www.indiacurrents.com | 57

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media

The Denial of American Grandeur Boston bombers in the bloody footsteps of the Nguyen brothers? By Andrew Lam

s the story of the Tsarnaev brothers unfolds—from asylum, to attempts at assimilation and finally to terrorism—I hear echoes of another set of brothers from my own country, Vietnam. On April 4, 1991 three Vietnamese brothers and a friend—all teenagers—took over an electronics store in Sacramento, California. The group held forty-one people hostage, garnering national attention as journalists flocked outside the store. Inside, the boys prowled about with their guns, the hostages tied up. What did the Nguyen brothers want? They wanted $4 million dollars, 1000-year-old ginseng roots (thought to make one invincible in battle), helicopters and bulletproof jackets. Their plan: To fly back to Vietnam and take on the Vietcong. Negotiators on the scene were baffled, and when talks broke down the four began to wound hostages as a means of showing they were serious. The SWAT team ultimately stormed the grounds, killing three of the four hostage takers and critically wounding the oldest of the three brothers. Three hostages were killed before the siege ended. Today, the eldest brother, Loi Nguyen, is serving three consecutive life sentences for the crime. Tamarlan Tsarnaev, 26, and his younger brother, Dzhokhar, 19, are the alleged perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombings of last week, which claimed three lives and injured hundreds more. Tamarlan was killed in a manhunt after the attack. His brother is now in custody and faces a possible death sentence. Like the Tsarnaev’s, the Nguyen brothers were described by those who knew them as decent, even obedient children. They attended church regularly. There was little hint at the barbarism they would later commit. Their parents, too, in the aftermath of the bloodshed were left to wonder: Why? Alas, not everyone who comes to America really manages to enter America. The late U.C. Berkeley sociologist Franz Schurmann

once noted that the two paths for children of immigrants to become American once lay either through education or the military. But there’s no longer a draft, and the other institution, the American education system, is failing our kids. The Tsarnaev brothers, though reportedly well-adjusted and well-liked, too, failed school. One of their uncles, when asked for an explanation of their actions, described them as “losers” who harbored a hatred of those who were able to settle into life in America. “These are the only reasons I can imagine. Anything else, anything else to do with religion, with Islam, it’s a fraud, it’s a fake,” he said. Often the successful border crosser will use language to overcome shame by refusing silence. He will find ways to articulate and redefine himself; his revenge over his ignominious past is his successful transition in America, his newfound status. But when access to America’s grandeur is blocked or denied, especially for children from war-torn lands, old memories have a way of reaching out. Inherited trauma, ever-present in refugee homes, becomes seductive, something to latch one’s identity to. Unable to move forward, they reach back to the wars of their homeland. Lacking imagination, violence by default becomes their game. Though I have moved far from my own refugee past—I’ve become an American writer and journalist—I never underestimate the speed with which an immigrant boy can go off track, and how his vision of America as a land of milk and honey can quickly shift to that of a bona fide Waste Land with something as simple as a failing grade. For children from strife-torn lands, the Old World, though distant and forsaken by the years, sometimes calls out for blood. The war, the humiliation, the subsequent exodus, life in exile, poverty, the continual subjugation of our people back home, our invisible refugee life in America—all are compounded into a kind of unshaped angst.

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Alas, not everyone who comes to America really manages to enter America. The Tsarnaev brothers once again proved T.S. Eliot prophetic—in the bloody footsteps of the Nguyen brothers, the Virginia Tech Shooting, Oklahoma bombing, Columbine Massacre, and Waco—April seems indeed the cruelest month. n Andrew Lam is the author of two books of essays, “Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora,” and “East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres.” His latest book, a collection of stories about Vietnamese immigrants struggling to remake in America’s west coast, “Birds of Paradise Lost,” was published in march of 2013. This article was first published in New America Media. www.indiacurrents.com | 63

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relationship diva

Marital Growing Pains By Jasbina Ahluwalia

Q A

What are some of the growing pains a newlywed couple could face?

Spouses are well-served by being on the same page. Some of the most common complaints from newlyweds revolve around division of labor and in-law intrusiveness. Division of labor within the household is no longer as clearly prescribed by gender as in the past. Discussing what the two of you envision as a well-functioning household, and then determining which partner fulfills which roles can minimize the risk of wrong assumptions. It’s possible that roles may shift or be shared over time as circumstances change. Besides, some couples may organically fall into their respective roles (whether it be because one person most desires that role, one person is best-suited to that role, or having that responsibility taken care of is of most importance to one person). In many cases negotiation of household roles (ie bill payer, cook, housecleaner, pri-

mary breadwinner) can be helpful in minimizing the risk of day-to-day frustration. One of the many life-enriching aspects of marriage is the golden opportunity to welcome new family members into your life. Relationships with parents-in-law, sisters-inlaw, and brothers-in-law can be extremely life-enhancing for a couple. That said, in-law issues can be a source of considerable marital conflict if spouses are at loggerheads with respect to how much family input both partners desire and need. While ours is widely described as a “familycentric” culture, what that means exactly in terms of expectations can vary greatly from individual to individual. Redefining boundaries with parents may be warranted, and in such a case the couple is well-served when each partner assumes the responsibility of communicating such boundaries to their respective families of origin. In addition, if one of the partners feels continuously disrespected and/or hurt by the behavior of his/her new family members, his/

her partner’s decision to dismiss or ignore the issue out of fear of “rocking the boat” can result in detrimental feelings of lack of support (and potentially even deleterious feelings of abandonment and betrayal) by one’s partner. Finally, I think all spouses are well-served by a willingness to communicate their needs and desires openly, clearly and directly with one another, cutting slack for the non-essential rather than overreacting, and liberally showing each other appreciation and respect. Wishing newlywed (as well as to-bewed) readers a shared life of love, laughter and fulfillment! n Jasbina is the founder and president of Intersections Match, the only personalized matchmaking and dating coaching firm serving singles of South Asian descent in the United States. She is also the host of Intersections Talk Radio, a monthly lifestyle show. www.IntersectionsMatch. com. Jasbina@intersectionsmatch.com.

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viewpoint

The New Rape Whistle: Electric Bras and Condoms with Teeth By Viji Sundaram

odern technology has brought us a new kind of rape whistle—an electrified bra that shocks anyone who touches it and sends out a GPS signal to police. But the invention is just as ludicrous as its predecessor—and once again puts the impetus of preventing rape on women, instead of where it belongs: the education of men and boys. A group of female engineering students in India has unveiled a new electrified bra to protect women from getting raped. The bra, according to reports, not only shocks the attacker the moment its pressure sensors get activated; its built-in GPS also alerts police and the victim’s parents to the location where the attack is taking place. The designers of the bra, which is called Society Harnessing Equipment, or SHE for short, eventually hope to connect it with smart phones via Bluetooth and infrared technology. I am sure the female engineering students in Chennai who designed this piece of lingerie did it with the best of intentions, following the national uproar that was generated by the rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in Delhi last December, and several other well-publicized rapes that have occurred in the country since then. (Not to mention around the world—just this week in Brazil, an American tourist was gang raped for six hours on a mini bus in Rio de Janeiro.) The fact that the engineers felt it necessary to design such a bra shows that Indian women have little faith in the sweeping rape law the Indian government passed last month to protect women against sexual violence. India has never had trouble enacting laws, just enforcing them. And as every Indian knows, any law can be bypassed by greasing the right person’s palm. Why should the rape law be any different? And how can you blame women for not expecting much from the law? The practice of dowry (money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage) is still almost endemic in India, despite the fact 70 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

that an anti-dowry law was passed in 1961. In 2010, there were 8,391 reported cases of dowry deaths—young women who were murdered or driven to suicide by their husbands or their in-laws for not bringing in an adequate dowry—according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Women’s rights activists say that for every dowry death reported, there are dozens that go unreported. Of the reported cases in 2010, only one-third of the perpetrators were convicted. The majority of rapists, too, get off scotfree. And not just in India. In most African countries, rape convictions are not common. Worse, affected women don’t get immediate access to medical care, and DNA tests to provide evidence are unaffordable. Which is perhaps why two years ago in South Africa, Dr. Sonnet Ehlers designed a female condom with “teeth” to it. Jagged rows of teeth-like hooks line the inside of the latex condom and attach to a man’s penis during penetration. Once RapeaXe,—as the condom is called—lodges in the penis, only a doctor can surgically remove it. While doing it, the doctor can summon law officials to arrest the man. But if the electrified bra and the condom with “teeth” are meant to empower women, these inventions only show the state of women’s powerlessness—and their lack of faith in laws meant to protect them. India’s new rape law, which, in addition to harsher sentences for rape and acid

attacks, criminalizes “eve-teasing” which, as Lavanya Sankaran points out in a column in The Guardian, is a “coy and euphemistic name for the sexual harassment—the stalking, groping and lewd comments—that every Indian woman is forced to navigate every time she walks out of her home.” The law also expands the definition of rape and clearly states that the absence of physical struggle doesn’t equal consent. And no longer will misogynist police officers be able to not register complaints and compromise survivors’ rights during investigations. All of that sounds wonderful, but is the law really going to protect women? Not until there is a change in culture, beginning with the way mothers and fathers teach their sons to be men. After all, as Sankaran notes, social pressure in India is far more powerful than any law. The solution is not to get women to buy a new high-tech kind of rape whistle. The mindset of men must change, and the change has to begin at home. n Viji Sundaram is New America Media’s Health Editor/Writer. Before joining NAM in 2006 Viji was a general assignment reporter with India-West, a national weekly published in San Leandro, CA. While there, Viji won eight journalism awards, five from the South Asian Journalism Association and three from New California Media.

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www.indiacurrents.com | 73

Atma Gnan (The knowledge of the Self) is the final goal of all seeking. Without the knowledge of the Self, there is no liberation. In the Gnanvidhi ceremony, the belief that “I am this body-mind complex” is destroyed and the conviction “I am Pure Soul” is eternally established. This conviction is permanent and will blossom into deeper and subtler levels of awareness as one follows the simple guidelines that are given to nourish, protect and accelerate this newly revealed awareness. Date

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74 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

music

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music

Compositions of the Trinity Exploring differences in Karnatik Kritis By Kanniks Kannikeswaran

e commonly refer to Karnatik Music as the prevalent Art Music form in the region south of Vijayanagar (Hampi). We refer to Art Music traditions in the rest of India as Hindustani music. While both systems share the concept of the raga and the tala, and both shine in the presentation of the myriad hues of a raga through extempore improvisation, the systems differ in one respect: in the importance given to “compositions” in a performance. While Hindustani music presents short khyals with elaborate improvisation, a Karnatik music concert features kritis, which have a longer format. Thus although the music system of India, regardless of regional variations, is several centuries old, present day concerts feature much of the developments that have taken place over the last couple of centuries. A kriti is the most commonly seen compositional form in Karnatik music. Typically a kriti is a three part structure with an opening pallavi, an anupallavi and a charanam. The bulk of the kritis heard in today’s concerts were written about 200 years ago by a trio of contemporary composers who are collectively referred to as the trinity. The three composers are Syama Sastri, Thyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775—1835). These three composers would never have imagined their collective beatification as the trinity! Although the three composers lived within a few miles of each other during some parts of their lives only sparse anecdotal references to their meetings are available. The honorific “trinity” is purely a 20th century phenomenon. Collectively, the trinity account for about 1200+ kritis. Of the three, Thyagaraja was the most prolific composer. Such was the spontaneity of his compositions, in free flowing Telugu, that his disciples would struggle to keep pace, learning them and committing them to manuscripts. Thyagaraja’s compositions are mellifluous and adorned with “sangatis,” melodic variation of a given line of text which, repeated several times, add to the magic of the kritis. Sangatis are at the center 76 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

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of Thyagaraja’s compositions. Thyagaraja was a Rama bhakta (devotee) and his compositions reflect a personal relationship between him and Rama. Syama Sastri was a Devi bhakta and his repertoire of about a 100 songs are rich in melody and rhythmic content. Again the compositions are in conversational Telugu and reflect the depth of Sastri’s bhakti towards Devi Kamakshi. Dikshitar’s compositions stand out from those of the other two of his contemporaries. • Dikshitar was committed to the musical grammar of his guru parampara (heritage)—that of Venkatamakhi—and his compositions feature several of the ragas outlined in earlier musicological works. • Dikshitar exhibited a pan-Indian orientation. He had spent a portion of his life in Benaras and his compositions are almost entirely in Sanskrit in contrast to his contempories who composed in Telugu, the court language of Thanjavur. • Dikshitar’s compositions feature a number of “desiya” or North Indian ragas and there are several similarities between the construction of his compositions and the ancient dhrupad compositional form of North India. • Dikshitar’s compositions are pre-meditated and constructed with care and they do not reflect the spontaneity of Thyagaraja’s compositions. In fact there are groups of compositions on specific themes like the Guruguha Vibhakti kritis or the Navagraha kritis or Devi Navavarana. • The compositions are rendered in a slow meditative tempo calling for a great degree of breath control. • Dikshitar’s compositions are not dedi-

cated to one single deity but to several. There are several kritis on Devi, Shiva, Ganesha, Skanda, Vishnu, Lakshmi, the Navagrahas and others. It was in the late 1800s and the early 1900s that the migration of Karnatik music happened from the royal courts of Thanjavur and other places to the music halls and sabhas of Chennai. Central to this was the glorification of the trinity (in the post trinity period). And at the core of this was the music of Thyagaraja popularized by his disciples. Dikshitar’s compositions and Syama Sastri’s compositions also found their way to the kutcheri but the central pride of place was with Thyagaraja. In fact, the leading classical singer Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer is said to have remarked “Thyagaraja Kirtanam thaan kirtanam, mattadu ellam pokkirittanam” (Only the kirtanams (kritis) of Thyagaraja are kirtanams, everything else is only mischief.) It was thanks to Dikshitar’s nephew Subbarama Dikshitar that a large set of his compositions got published in 1905 at Ettaiyapuram in the deep south. Several more compositions attributed to Dikshitar attained circulation in the 1950s and 60s due to the effort of T.L. Venkatarama Iyer who learned them from Ambi Dikshitar, son of Subbarama Dikshitar. In today’s world, you can find the majority of the compositions of the trinity on the internet. You can hear them in the numerous kutcheris that ring through Chennai during the music season. And if you look out for differences in compositional styles between the trinity, you will definitely be able to discern them. n Kanniks Kannikeswaran is an internationally renowned musician, composer and music educator, whose award winning research on the Indo-colonial music of Dikshitar is beginning to influence Indian music pedagogy. Kanniks is considered to be a pioneer of the Indian American choral movement. He teaches Indian classical music at the University of Cincinnati. www. kanniks.com

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In Memoriam

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala 7 May 1927—3 April 2013

ifty one years back in New Delhi a petite, slender, fair, young lady attended a meeting of PEN, an international organization of poets, essayists and novelists. That was my first interaction with Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. The memories of that first meeting are hazy. Nobody had then realized that Jhabvala would blaze a new trail that would put her in league with Bette Davis and Elizabeth Taylor, each with two Academy Awards. While the other two got theirs for acting, Ruth’s were for outstanding screenplay. Jhabvala passed away on April 3 in New York, her home for 38 years. She would have been 86 years on May 7. Till 1962, Ruth had written three novels and a few short stories and was establishing herself. She was not Indian, had adopted the country after her 1951 marriage to Cyrus Jhabvala, an Indian Parsee architect she met in England. She lived in India for 24 years and raised three daughters. Soon after the PEN meeting I wrote to Mrs. Jhabvala to be a Patron/Advisor for a publishing company I had planned to start. A shy and simple lady, she wrote back in her own hand, and wished us all the best wondering what exactly she could do for us. That project, unfortunately, did not take off but I kept following her career from a distance. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala has left a treasure of a dozen novels, nearly two dozen screenplays and around three dozen short stories (eight collections). Her writings spanned the globe and during that journey received two Oscars, for Howards End and A Room with a View (both adapted from the novels by E.M. Forster). She received the Booker Prize for her novel Heat and Dust (later made into a movie) and several other awards. It was rare to get both, the Oscar and a Booker Prize. In India, the German-Jewish, Britisheducated Jhabvala quickly learned to drape a sari, her regular dress in public. She wrote on Indian topics, tasting Indian dishes, Indian flavors and aromas, learning Hindi, and visiting Indian bazaars. However, Jhabvala was essentially a central European; her childhood memories were 78 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

By Yatindra Bhatnagar

of England. In 1975 she came to the United States—the final journey in three continents and became a citizen in 1986. She was an enigma, and wrote of her love-hate relationship with her roots, her adopted country and her environment, “perhaps I am just fickle by nature and get tired of countries the way other women do of husbands or lovers.” But all that did inspire her to write furiously, and gave her fame, and of course, money. Jhabvala had two close collaborators— producer Ismail Merchant and Director James Ivory. They met in 1961, and soon became close and lifelong friends. Jhabvala wrote and the other two produced-directed 20 movies starting with her 1960 novel The Householder—the movie was released in 1963. It had the handsome Shashi Kapoor and the classy beauty Leela Naidu in leading roles. No blockbuster, the movie did yet get considerable critical praise. Ruth was born in Cologne in Germany. Her childhood coincided with the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Germany and World War II. This frenzy of the Fuehrer annihilated over 40 members of her extended family who perished in the Holocaust; her father took his own life. She was disgusted and saddened with the events but did not write about them. She had turned away from Germany and then Europe—later even from India. Indian customs, arranged marriages, spirituality, poverty, backwardness and pollution drove her away to the United States. The other major reason was collaboration with Merchant-Ivory. Starting with her hobby of writing film scripts as a “recreation,” Jhabvala special-

ized in screenplays and adaptation from great novels. She was happy to bring her own perception of life, love, deceit, deception, self-deception, vengeance, twists and turns, joy and gloom through her writings. Earlier she wrote for herself, to make her happy: “I was at the bottom of a deep abyss. No one read them. But I enjoyed it.” Among Ruth’s works some critics listed the following to be the best five: A Room with a View—her first Oscar in 1986, a story of romance and repression in Edwardian-era England; Howards End—her second Oscar about class relations in 20th century England; Heat and Dust—won the Booker Prize; The Householder—The first film produced by Merchant Ivory Productions; Surviving Picasso—This 1995 film depicted Françoise Gilot's relationship with Pablo Picasso. Several critics praised Ruth for her sharp sensibility in analyzing class, culture, ethnicity and the experience of exile. She seemed to understand modern India without a myopic vision. She was reported to have told the Rabbi who visited her on her deathbed that her husband Cyrus Jhabvala was the best thing that she could recall in her life. The Guardian wrote about her: “She was a brilliant storyteller. Her work darkened towards the end of her life. Her vision was bleak, her tone austere, But her supply of complex characters and subtle, vivid scenes was inexhaustible and she caught the ambiguities of human behavior and the pleasures of the senses in precise, perfect words.” What a tribute! Ruth Prawer Jhabvala started writing at six. Her last short story “The Judge’s Will” was printed in The New Yorker of 25 March, 2013. She is survived by her husband, and three daughters Renana, Ava and Firoza-Bibi married to men from three different countries—India, England and America—from three continents just like Ruth herself. What a life, what a legend! n Yatindra Bhatnagar has half a century of experience as a journalist, author and poet. He has worked for newspapers, radio and television and has published over 20 books.

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dance & music

KALANJALI Dances of India Establshed in 1975

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CLASSES IN BHARATANATYAM

India's most ancient classical dance

Following traditional Kalakshetra syllabus - all levels

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Bharatanatyam classes (Kalakshetra style, incl. Extensive Theory) Enrollment for New Students at Santa Clara, San Jose & Fremont For details contact Suganda Iyer

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NEW SHIVA MURUGAN TEMPLE Happy Mother’s Day!

Sun. May 5 - Mother’s Day Puja Devotional Music - 11am Latha Sriram & Students Sun. May 26 - Vaikasi Visakam Bharathanatyam Jeyanthi Sridharan & Students Shri Murugan's Kalyanam Sun. June 9 - Murugan Puja Bharathanatyam Radica Giri & Students

Temple Benefits Sunday, May 5, 2013 Bharathanatyam

Vishal Ramani & Students

Venue: Cubberley Theatre PHOTO: VIGGY MOKKARALA

PUJAS & FESTIVALS

Sunday, June 2, 2013 Devotional Music

Sindhu Natarajan

Venue: Historic Hoover Theatre.

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presents a red carpet gala

MAMMA MIA! Celebrate the women in your life Honoree LATA KRISHNAN

Master of Ceremony KERN WASAN

2013 Benefactor Award for her steadfast support of Narika's programs for the past 10 years.

Actor in multiple Hollywood movies including: Finding Preet, The Door, Giuana 1838, and Namaste...Say Hello to Love.

SEEMA PATEL

Advisor for Labor and Civil Rights, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

With special guest: N. Parthasarathi, Consul General of India The Gala Features:

Wine tasting A Silent Auction A Celebrity Fashion show by The Grand Trunk A vibrant dance performance by Giju John & Company Memorable Jazz music by â&#x20AC;&#x153;Facing Eastâ&#x20AC;? Tasty, organic, artisanal cuisine A special Mother & Daughter/ Mother & Son Fashion Show for attendees to walk down the runway Performance by Luis Aguilar and the Couture Dance Alliance, current "World Salsa Champions." And much more...

On Sunday May 12, 2013 at 5pm At India Community Center

For tickets contact: gala@narika.org

525 Los Coches Blvd, Milpitas

To buy your tickets, go to narika.org

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events APRIL 2013

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events Edited by: Mona Shah List your event for FREE! JUNE issue deadline: Monday, May 20 To list your event in the Calendar, go to www.indiacurrents.com and fill out the Web form

Check us out on

special dates Mother’s Day

May 12

Buddha Purnima

May 25

Memorial Day

May 27

CULTURAL CALENDER

May

2 Thursday

Salma-A Film. Directed by Kim Longi-

notto features the story of Salma, a South Indian woman who endured a 25-year imprisonment and forced marriage by her own family and in-laws before embarking on a political career and national renown as the most famous female poet in Tamil. Organized by San Francisco International Film Festival. 6:15 p.m. Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, 1881 Post St., San Francisco. $15 general, $13 members, $10 children (12 and under). (415) 561-5000. info@sffs.org.

underCurrents & the Quest for Space. A multidisciplinary arts exhibition

and discussion investigating the space occupied by Asian America, socially, artistically and physically. Four Indian American

88 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Mount Madonna School’s annual performance of Ramayana, June 6-9

artists—Salma Arastu, Samantha Chundur, Zilka Joseph and Pallavi Sharma will be participating. Ends May 25. Organized by Asian American Women Artist Association and Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center. SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St., San Francisco. (415) 252-7996. info@ aawaa.net. www.aawaa.net.

May

3 Friday

9th Annual Conference on Tamil Studies. The conference explores the

role of audience in the articulation of Tamil language and culture. How is a listening public conceived, when shifting bonds of thinkers, creators, and addressees create new possibilities for expression, as well as new

recommends

Kathak’s Journey Through World Music

“I

’ve come a long way. I never thought, 20 years ago, that I’d be where I am today. But today I have some encouragement to look forward, and I wonder, in 20 years what will I be doing?” reflects Anuradha Nag, Artistic Director of the Tarangini School of Kathak Dance in San Jose. Every two to three years the Tarangini School hosts a gala performance, and this year Nag has created a unique lineup for Tarangini School’s 20th anniversary. Nag is a senior disciple of Padmavibushan Pandit Birju Maharaj, who named Nag’s fledgling school Tarangini in 1992. Maharaj is a seventh generation artist of the Lucknow gharana of kathak. His ancestors danced in the courts of the last Mughal emperor in the city of Lucknow until the 19th century. Nag inherited this lineage, also studying with an impressive list of list of teachers during her training in India. At 13 she passed the Nritya Prabhakar with distinction and placed first in the Pashchim Banga Nikhil Bharatiyo Competition. Since she was young she has devoted her life to dance. “I went into dance and never looked back. Nothing came between me and my dance. Nothing,” says Nag. “I always dance; the creativity is so healthy” says Nag, and her deep passion and creativity when it comes to dance is reflected in the development of her upcoming performance. The first portion of the performance is entitled Yatra, and is a journey through music from across the world. “I wanted to bring the world together through dance,” explains Nag and as a result she has drawn together a fascinating mix of classical music and folk. Sufi music featuring Kabir, Irish folk music, orchestral music from Tchaikovsky, and flamenco rubs shoulders with Chinese and Japanese music. This diversity forced Nag and her dancers to stretch their sense of rhythm. “This music does not have our typical beats of 8, 10, or 16. We kept the intonation but had to create a kathak influence” explains Nag. One of Nag’s dancers is an accomplished ballerina, and Nag carefully matched traditional kathak movements to ballet for the first half of the performance. “For the second portion I added another emotion that’s not one of the usual nine emotions in kathak. I decided to add vatsalya, the love of a mother for her child” says Nag. “During the 14th through 17th

By Michelle Baird

Anuradha Nag, Artistic Director of Tarangini School of Kathak Dance

centuries, a great Bhakti movement swept through central and northern India, initiated by a loosely associated group of sants. This is the period where Krishna’s mother’s love comes to predominate,” Nag explains as she describes how central mothers are to the emotional development of their children. The latter half of the performance traces rasas throughout Krishna’s life, focusing on Radha’s emotions. The piece begins with Krishna having just left Radha and Radha passing through adoration, anxiety, anger, repentance, and longing. Through this emotional transformation on stage, Radha eventually becomes Radhika, accepting Krishna’s nature and developing a saintly and divine love. Nag will join her four senior dancers in portraying Radha in the second half of the performance, and her passion for depicting Radha’s emotional journey comes through as she talks about Radha’s internal dialogue throughout the course of the performance. “Krishna is always playful, but maybe he’s not coming… anxiety builds. Why isn’t he coming? And the whole night passes,” Nag narrates. The performance is the culmination of 20 years of creativity, and also demonstrates

the effortless love Nag has for her students. “My life is very full. I love them so much. Each one is different and each one has an individual place in my heart,” says Nag who will showcase all of her students in the first half of the performance. “Seeing them grow and mature makes me so proud of them. Some of them have been with me for 20 years, and now I’m teaching their children. Really, it’s a blessing” reflects Nag. Despite her skill and creativity in dance, she also has a keen sense of childhood and adolescent development. “When they start with me they are scared. At 10 or 12 they start to push my buttons. At 14 and 15 there are lots of ups and downs. But then we become friends. And they keep coming back,” Nag says, noting that when her college students return, their parents will often come to her studio to find their daughters. “Rain or shine, didi is there” is what the students’ parents say about Nag. And rain or shine, didi is there, and she’s dancing.n Saturday, May 11, 5 p.m. Smithwick Theater, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos. Tickets start at $18. taranginikathak.brownpapertickets. com. www.indiacurrents.com | 89

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events San Leandro. $10. (510) 278-2444. badarik@ pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama.org.

Salma-A Film. Directed by Kim Longi-

notto features the story of Salma, a South Indian woman who endured a 25-year imprisonment and forced marriage by her own family and in-laws before embarking on a political career and national renown as the most famous female poet in Tamil. Organized by San Francisco International Film Festival. 2 p.m. Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. $15 general, $13 members, $10 children (12 and under). (415) 561-5000. info@sffs.org. festival.sffs.org.

Gatha Odissi—A Journey from Temple to Stage. A 14 member odissi dance

team from India will perform. Organized by Yuva Bharati and Center for World Music. 4 p.m. Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton. $50, $20. www.yuvabharati.org/home/current.php.

Ayurvedic Cooking. Learn about the Salma screens at SF International Film Festival, May 1, 5

limits. Ends May 5. Organized by Center for South Asia Studies. 4:30 p.m. 370 Dwinelle Hall, University of California, Berkeley. mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/southasia, southasia.berkeley.edu.

Chole Cook Off Competition with Iron Chef Maneet Chauhan. Cook

Indian Chole (Chana Masala) in your kitchen and bring it in for the ICC Chola Chef 2013 Competition. Audience will be given small cups to taste and rate. Winners will be selected by the audience and Chef Maneet Chauhan. Audience will taste the servings and score the entries. 6 p.m. India Community Center (ICC), 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas. $25 for participants. (408) 9341130. steffany@indiacc.org. www.indiacc.org/ cooking_competition.

ICC Golgappa Cooking Competition. How many do you think you can eat

in one minute? If you’re up for a bit of fun, come along and try your luck. Participants will be randomly picked on the day of the event by Chef Maneet Chauhan. There will be 10 men and 10 women selected for two separate competitions to be crowned as “ICC Gol Queen” and “ICC Gappa King” along with special prizes. 6 p.m. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Blvd., Milpitas. Free. (408) 934-1130. steffany@indiacc.org. www.indiacc.org/cooking_competition.

90 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

ICC Teen Chef 2013. A high school

cooking contest where three high school kids will compete head-to-head in an “Iron Chef ” type competition. The contestants can demonstrate their creativity and culinary skills while cooking something in 45 minutes on site with the ingredients provided by ICC. Chef Maneet Chauhan will judge. 6 p.m. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas. (408) 934-1130. steffany@indiacc.org. www.indiacc.org/cooking_competition.

Karnatik Vocal Concert. By Sikkil

Gurucharan, accompanied by V. Sanjeev (violin) and Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam). The concert will include traditional raga compositions with elaborate and intricate improvisations. 8-11 p.m. La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $15 advance, $20 door. (510) 849-2568. www. lapena.org.

May

4 Saturday

Flea Market and Classical Concert Fundraiser. Entertainment includes Odissi

dance, bands, belly dance, and bollywood dancing. Saturday evening Hindustani vocal concert by Shubhangi Sakalkhar and group. Sunday evening Karnatik Instrumental music by Anuradha Sridhar,Sriram Brahmanandam and group. Ends May 5. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave.,

benefits of following a Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle. Organized by Art of Living Foundation. 5-6 p.m. The Art of Living San Jose Center, 495 Blossom Hill Road (off of Entrada Cedros), San Jose . Free. secure.artofliving.org/ event_details.aspx?event_id=105427.

Kalawati. Solo sitar recital by Habib Khan, accompanied on tabla by Swapan Chaudhuri. Followed by an orchestral presentation of Raag Kalawati with Ramesh Srinivasan (mridangam), Satish Tare (tabla), and John Waller (drums). Organized by Habib Khan Saraswati Temple and Gurukul. 5 p.m. Mexican Heritage Plaza Theate, 1700 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose. $20. (408) 528-0786, (650) 255-9752. habibkhan@comcast.net. www. habibkhan.com.

Flute Recital by Rupak Kulkarni.

Accompanied by Hindole Majumdar (tabla) and by Somnath Roy (ghatam). Organized by Basant Bahar. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Jain Temple, 722 South Main St., Milpitas. Free (members), $25 (non-members). (510) 651-6386. contact@basantbahar.org, jbhargavan@gmail. com. www.basantbahar.org.

Books, Bangles and Bollywood. A festive evening of wine, dinner and dancing to benefit JustREAD and JustMATH tutoring programs. Guest of honor is Joe Simitian, with dance performances by S3Productions. Register for the optional Bollywood Flash Mob dance lessons, then perform on

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events

Yatra

the night of the event. Organized by JustREAD. 6 p.m. Sunnyvale Communtiy Center, 550 East Remington Drive., Sunnyvale. $100. justreadevents@gmail.com.

Techung For Peace in Tibet Concert.

Techung and his band sing to inspire their fans to never give up the belief that their small community can succeed at maintaining its culture and regain freedom in their native Tibet through peace and nonviolence. 7-10 p.m. The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. (at Arch St.), Berkeley . $20. (812) 641-1345. marykateoreo@gmail.com. www.techung.com, limitlesssky.net/on_tour.

Arvinder Singh—Live in Concert. A

program of ghazals, pop songs and dance numbers. Organized by The Shah Foundation. 8-11 p.m. Santa Rosa Veteran’s Building, 1351 Maple Ave., Santa Rosa. (707) 7800262.

May

5 Sunday

Tagore Jayanti—Vocal Music Concert. Entitled “Influence of Ragas in

Rabindrasangeet”, in honor of Rabindranath Tagore’s 152nd birthday celebration. The program will demonstrate how Tagore used ragas in his songs. Singers include Shyamoshree Gupa Diamond, Aditya and Ashidara Das, and Sonali Bhattacharya. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St. (at 3rd Ave.) San Francisco. Free. (415) 668-1559. culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net. www.culturalintegrationfellowship.org.

Educational Seminar and Cultural Programs. Participate in an educational

seminar and discussion with Annie Fox (author, educator), Rajesh Setty (entrepreneur, author and alchemist), and meet other community speakers and parents. Organized by itsdiff 501. 2-6 p.m. Mutipurpose Room, Mission San Jose Elementary School, 43545 Bryant St., Fremont . Free. (650) 793-6508. itsdiff@gmail.com. itsdiff8400.eventbrite.com, www.facebook.com/itsdiff, www.itsdiff.com.

Spanda by Leela Samson and Ensemble. Leela Samson is a flag bearer of the

precise Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam. Spanda (a vibration), is symbolic of the enduring and perpetual energy that is the life force of the universe. The dance is choreographed by Leela Samson. Organized by Vrindavan Indian Dance Academy. 3:30 p.m.

Students of Srividya Eashwar, the Artistic Director and Choreographer of Xpressions Dance School

magine you are on a journey though India exploring her rich culture. What if this cultural heritage was presented though a spectrum of dances instead? Xpressions, a performing arts school intends to do just that. They will take us through a magnificent journey, a Yatra of different states of India with its ever changing colors, cultures, sights and sounds during its tenth annual show. Every year, Srividya Eashwar, the Artistic Director and Choreographer of Xpressions, presents a show where her students can display their talent and progress. Incorporating a blend of semi-classical, film and fusion dances, over a 100 dancers will present innovative choreography that blends in the new while maintaining the essence of the traditional. Eashwar formed Xpressions in 2003 as a way of promoting Indian folk dancing in the Santa Clara County. The children in this area grow up in a culture that is different from that of their parents, and Indian folk dancing is an easy way to keep in touch with their Indian roots. “I hope my teachings of artistic Indian folk dances will help promote and preserve Indian culture

so that second and third generation Indian American dancers can continue to present the dance expressions of their heritages in this beautiful valley,” adds Eashwar. Through her teachings she has been able to expose her students and the audience to more than thirty-five different popular as well as rare folk dances from different parts of India. Over the past ten years, Xpressions has grown from some ten girls to about a 100 plus students who have performed at over a hundred events including the San Jose and San Francisco Museum of Art Exhibitions, ICC Annual Banquet, TiEcon conference and the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. This year’s show promises to be a visual feast, as the dancers entertain with new items and take them on a trip down memory lane with highlights of dances and achievements from the last ten years with a special dedication to their teacher and their parents.n

Spangenberg Theater, 780 Arastradero Road., Palo Alto. www.southindiafinearts.org.

membering Mukesh. Retro style musical

Salma-A Film. Directed by Kim Longi-

notto features the story of Salma, a South Indian woman who endured a 25-year imprisonment and forced marriage by her own family and in-laws before embarking on a political career and national renown as the most famous female poet in Tamil. Organized by San Francisco International Film Festival. 3:45 p.m. New People Cinema, 1746 Post St., San Francisco. $15 general, $13 members, $10 children (12 and under). (415) 561-5000. info@sffs.org. festival.sffs.org.

Jeena Yahan Marna Yahaan—Re-

Sunday May 12. 3.30 p.m. Woodside Performing Arts Center, 199 Churchill Ave., Woodside. $30, $35 (includes dinner). (408) 8383079. www.xpressionsdancemusic.com.

with Nitin Mukesh live in concert. Organized by Instant Karma and East West Daily Deals. 6 p.m. San Jose Airport Garden Hotel, 1740 N 1st St., San Jose. $25,$39, $59, $79,$100,$150. desiclub.com/Mukesh.

May

10 Friday

Strategies that Empower Women. A

career and mentoring conference with a diverse panel of experts: Anjali Gulati (MD), Laurie Smith (Sheriff), Michelle Bolton (Founding Partner and Executive Coach, ExecutivEdge), Nandini Nayak (Managing Director, Accenture). The conference will www.indiacurrents.com | 91

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California’s Best Guide to Indian Events

Mamma Mia!

Narika Mother’s Day Gala

“F

rom the Washington Post to local ABC-TV news and the San Jose Mercury News, Narika has been in the news speaking out about the need for holistic measures to end all forms of sexual violence against women,” says Preeti Shekar, Executive Director of Narika. The organization provides information, support and referrals for victims of domestic violence and abuse. It promotes the empowerment of South Asian women to confront and overcome the cycles of domestic violence and exploitation. “Narika fields between 1200-1500 calls every year on it’s helpline. It is important to get support from the community it serves,” says Vandana Kumar, Board President. Speaking about the upcoming gala, Shekhar adds, “Narika’s gala is all about celebrating the women in our lives on the occasion of Mother’s Day.” Gala Chair Alka Ramchandani adds, “I don’t believe there is a better way to celebrate Mother’s Day evening than with family and friends at an event dedicated to women, mothers, and future mothers.” “We tried to incorporate ideas that everyone would enjoy, such as wine tasting from new and upcoming wineries, specialty cocktails, and artisanal and organic cuisine,” explains Ramchandani. The gala will feature actor Kern Wasan as MC, “sure to charm the socks off of every woman in the

Padma Bhushan Thomas Kailath 92 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

By Michelle Baird

Lata Krishnan

audience,’ adds Ramchandani, cultural performances, a celebrity style fashion show, as well as a talk by a survivor client of Narika. The event will honor Lata Krishnan, President of the American India Foundation and CFO of Shah Capital Partners. The event will also honor Padma Bhushan Thomas Kailath. The first India-born student to earn a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT, Kailath has done pathbreaking work in signal processing and other areas of electrical engineering. Professor of Engineering, Emeritus, at Stanford University, Kailath is a longtime Narika benefactor. “Narika is going through a wonderful renewal and revival with dedicated support on our Helpline and through the re-launch of our flagship South Asian Economic Empowerment and Development (SEED) program, as well as increased strategic advocacy, outreach, and community engagement,” explains Shekar. This revival comes at a crucial time, after an outpouring of outrage both in India and the US over the widely publicized fatal gang rape of a medical student in the capital in December. Violence against women is not only a concern in India, however. “My vision for Narika is to get to a place where the community acknowledges that abuse happens and therefore steps up to remedy the situation,” says Gayathri Sundar, Treasurer. “Even today as we Indian Americans are emulated as a model immigrant community known for middle class values of hard work, commitment to excellence, entrepreneurship and high regard for education… yet like all other communities there exists domestic violence in our families and men, women, and children suffer ultimately because of violence,” explains Sundar. Their staff and volunteers

serve women from the Bay Area’s South Asian community. Women from across a spectrum of religious, cultural, and class backgrounds, including both recent immigrants and third generation professionals, turn to Narika for support. “The lives of survivors is deeply instructive. It is remarkable how they put the pieces of their lives together with limited help from Narika… that is not only very uplifting by also inspires me tremendously to continue to volunteer for Narika,” says Sundar. Although domestic violence is a challenging dynamic to confront and unravel, it is the success stories of the women who succeed that energizes and sustains volunteers. I recently went on a South Asian Radical History Walking Tour with Anirvan Chatterjee and Barnali Ghosh, which highlighted the history of South Asians in Berkeley since the early 1900s. One of the designated stops commemorated the labor and sex trafficking victims of the Lakireddy Bali Reddy case, and we discussed Narika’s involvement in the case and advocacy for the victims. “A group of young, educated, and enlightened South Asian immigrant women came together 21 years ago to address the issue of domestic violence in our communities when the latent issue of abuse or family violence was not talked about or even acknowledged by community members,” reflects Sundar. There is still high demand for the work Narika does, yet there’s a sense this is an important moment to pause and celebrate. “We have gone through tough fiscal times like most nonprofits, yet it is the commitment of our current board, staff, and volunteers to continue the work as long as the community needs our services,” concludes Sundar. This Mother’s Day is a chance to reflect, celebrate, and support Narika. “There are many ways we get support for our work from the community; volunteers on our Helpline and volunteer instructors for our SEED program and for individual projects, but supporting our gala is a terrific way for our supporters and allies to ensure our long-term sustainability,” finishes Shekar.n Sunday, May 12, 5 p.m. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Blvd., Milpitas. www. narika.org/gala. gala@narika.org. Tickets $150.

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events additional genetic, metabolic, and inammatory markers for heart disease and diabetes. Organized by South Asian Heart Center. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. El Camino Hospital, Conference Rooms A-F, 2500 Grant Road., Mountain View. Free. www.southasianheartcenter.org.

Kathak Lecture and Demonstration by Shovana Narayan. The topics

covered are gender issues in kathak and perceptions. Workshops and Q&A will follow the lecture. Organized by inSyncKathak and ICC. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas . Free. (408) 203-2540. inSyncKathak@gmail.com. inSyncKathak.weebly.com, www.indiacc. org/Kathak_Lecture.

May Flute recital by Rupak Kulkarni, May 4

support to pursue your goals. Win a coaching session with Dilip Saraf, Linkedin’s #1 Career Coach. Organized by Indian Business and Professional Women. 2-5 p.m. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas. $20 (online), $25 general. info@ibpw.net. www.ibpw.net.

Saffron & Silk. Proceeds from the event

will help support scholarships for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend the ICC summer camp, preschool or other youth program. The evening will include hors d’oeuvres, an open bar and a performance by BlackMahal. Organized by India Community Center. 6:30-10:30 p.m. Sharon Heights Country Club, 2900 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park. $150. rrekhi@indiacc.org. www. facebook.com/events/411788978916917/?ref=t s&fref=ts.

12 Sunday

Spelling Bee 320. Organized by Rainbow Math After School Center. 10 a.m. Rainbow Math, 39675 Cedar Blvd., Suite 135, Newark. Free. (510) 402- 6284. info@ rainbow-math.com. www.rainbow-math.com. Karnatik Music Vocal Concert. Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan accompanied by Arun Ramamurthy (violin), and Kallidaikurichi S Sivakumar (mridangam). 2:30-6 p.m. Shirdi Sai Parivar, 1221 California Circle, Milpitas. $15. (408) 722-1671. ashoksubra@gmail.com. Yatra—The Journey. 10th annual dance

showcase by students of Xpressions, Artistic Director Srividya Eashwar. Organized by Xpressions. 3 p.m. Woodside High Sschool Performing Arts Center, 199 Churchill Ave., Woodside . $30, $35 (including dinner). (408)

838-3079. vidyasdance@gmail.com. www. xpressionsdancemusic.com.

Gujarati Kavya Sangeet. Amar Bhatt presents a concert of Gujarati music and poetry. Accompanied by Dimple Patel on tabla. Organized by Tahuko Foundation. 4-9 p.m. The Menu Restaurant, 2700 El Camino Real, Mountain View . $20 (includes dinner). (415) 902-3707. jbhakta@Tahuko.com. htt://:www. Tahuko.com. Spring Recital. Students of Abhinaya

Dance Company present Sons of Shiva. Organized by Abhinaya Dance Company. 4-6 p.m. School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose. General $15, student/senior $10. (408) 871-5959. abdanceco@gmail.com. www. abhinaya.org.

Mamma Mia—Celebrate the Women in Your Life. The gala’shonors Lata

Krishnana, with a benefactor award. The Master of Ceremonies is Kern Wasan, a Hollywood actor, with Special guest, S. Parathasarathi, consul general of India. Wine tasting, a silent auction, organic cuisine and a mother?daughter/son fashion show. Dance performance by Giju John and company and jazz music by Facing East. Organized by Narika. 5 p.m. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Blvd., Milpitas. (510) 444-6068. gala@narika.org. www.narika.org.

Karnatik Vocal Concert. By Manasa Suresh and party. Organized by Shruthi Swara Laya. 6 p.m. Sangati Center, Subterranean Art House, 2179 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 552-5824. ggavimal@sbcglobal.net.

Karnatik Vocal Concert. By Manasa Suresh, accompanied by VVS Murari (violin). 7 p.m. Shruthi Swara Laya, 3273 Seldon Court, Fremont. (510) 552-5824. ggavimal@ sbcglobal.net. www.shruthiswaralaya.com.

May

11 Saturday

Women’s Screening. Indians and other South Asians have a much higher risk of heart disease, and 25 percent of heart attacks in this population occur before the age of 40. But typical routine screening is not enough to identify or predict your risk. Advanced screening is offered to identify

Burqavaganza, a play, May 16 www.indiacurrents.com | 93

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events

The Empress and the Eunuch By Sanjiv Desai

feel a sense of heady excitement as I grab my suitcase off the baggage carousal at San Francisco airport. I am here from Delhi to do a back flip in time and step into the shoes (…or do I mean slippers?) of a eunuch at the Moghul court in 16th century India. For me participating in Noor—Empress of the Moghuls is the culmination of two long associations, one with Vinita Sud Belani, Founder and Artistic Director of EnActe Arts and the other with Feisal Alkazi, renowned Indian director with over 300 plays under his belt. “Noor is the perfect embodiment of what EnActe wants to showcase,” explains Belani. “It’s a new play by a contemporary playwright, set in the century when India was one of, if not the richest nation in the world. It deals with issues of power, intrigue, gender and love in a very contemporary way, we start to feel that issues resonate across the centuries. In format the play eschews the grand Mughal-e-Azam or Jodha Akbar style that we normally associate with that period, we get an intimate and unapologetic look at historically accurate events, through the eyes of the court eunuch.” www.shruthiswaralaya.com.

May

16 Thursday

2 Workshops Series—Spring Cleanse and Panchakarma. Seasonal change from winter to spring creates changes in our metabolism and immunity. Do a natural cleanse with guidance of experts and support of peers. Vivek Shanbhag, a licensed Naturopathic doctor and Ayurvedic practitioner will help in creating a personalized spring cleanse. Ends May 23. Organized by YogaAyurveda. 7-9 p.m. Natural Medicine Clinic, Academy and Wellness Spa, 1470 Larkin Ave, San Jose. $150, $200 (after May 10). (408) 876-0636. drshanbhag@aol.com. www. YogaAyurveda.org.

94 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Aditya Thakur ( playing Asaf Khan) in a romantic pose with Ranjita Chakravarti (playing Ruqayya Begum)

Ummm…that would be me, flitting easily between the segregated world of men and women, watching as one woman breaks purdah and usurps the power unarguably reserved for men, unleashing a flood of disbelief, jealousy and revenge in her journey from Mehrunissa to Noor Jahaan.n Friday May 24 8 p.m., Saturday May 25, 3

Burqavaganza—A Play. A love story in the time of jihad written by playwright, Shahid Nadeem, uses the burqa as a metaphor for a society that thrives on double standards and covering up the truth. The entire cast, male and female, wears a burqa. Burqavaganza goes toe to toe with the long standing obsession with the burqa, and offers a side-splitting critique on rising fundamentalism, political corruption, and the war on terror. Banned in Pakistan by the National Arts Council in 2010, Burqavaganza is a ground breaking political satire that provokes the audience to rethink and lift the veil of prejudice, outdated values, and hypocrisy within all societies. Ends June 2. Organized by Rasa Nova Theater and Brava! For Women in the Arts. 8 p.m. Brava Theater Center, 2781-24th St. (at York), San Francisco . $20. (415) 641-7657. brava.org/

p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday May 26, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Brava Theater, 2781 24th St., San Francisco. (415) 641-7657. http://www.enacte.org/ current-production/ or www.vendini.com Friday May 31, 8 p.m., June 1, 3 p.m. and 8 pm, Sunday June 2, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Montgomery Theater, 271 S Market St., San Jose. (408) 295-9600. at http://www.enacte.org/ current-production/ or www.sjtix.com.

current-shows/current-shows/burqavaganza/#. UXFsf6J0ZvA, www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=cf9eea7f90283a52993a7 04a5bd92fd2, brava.org.

May

17 Friday

Talat Mahmood and Manna Dey Night. Vocals by Dhananjay Kulkarni,

Anuja Surlaker, Madhuvanti Bhide. Instrumentalists are Robin John, Venky Subramaniam, Rakesh Vallishayee, Surjit Singh Bawa, James Prasad, Neil Kulkarni. Organized by Aapki Farmaaish. Jain Temple Auditorium, 722 S. Main St., Milpitas. General $15, VIP $25. (408) 242-7278. AFarmaaish@gmail.com.

TiECon 2013. Friday will feature three

Prashanti Art Inc. Presents Its Second Annual Fine Art Exhibit

Held on 31st March 2013 at Centerville Community Center, Fremont, CA

ore than 125 kids of Prashanti Art Studio participated in art contest based on subject 'Protect Nature' to support M a n a v t a U S C h a p t e r a n o n - p ro f i t organization in bay area. Along with kids Prashanti Nekkanti introduced Adult artists to showcase their art first time in Indian community. Many housewives and senior

citizens step forward and presented their art works. Well known Bay Area Artist 'Simone Archer' was judging this show. She took more than 3 hours to select few exceptional art works done by kids and as well adult artists. Her keen observation and technical critic shows her experience and knowledge towards art.

INDIA CURRENTS GRAPHIC (408) 324-0488

Prashanti Nekkanti got an award in recognition of outstanding contribution for promoting non-profit organizations and providing chances to many new artists to exhibit their talent. Award presented by Mrs. Anu Natarajan (Vice Mayor, City of Fremont CA), Artist Simone Archer, and Mukund Gorla, president of Winners of 2nd Annual Fine Art show at Prashanti Art Inc. are from top to bottom: Kothai Pillai, Padma Balaji, Amratha Rao, Suhani Samai, Praneel Deevi, Sreetharun Bodagala, Pradyun Singh, Tanirika Singh, Aparajita Vemuri, and Vaidehi Gupta. Bottom right Pawan Gowda was praized by Anu Natarajan for his organization 'Green Kids Now'

www.prashantiart.com • (510) 374-2752

Join Xpressions in celebrating 10 years of Dance

"Yatra - The Journey”

Sunday, May 12, 2013 - 3.00 pm Presented by

Artistic Director Srividya Eashwar Yatra highlights the students’ journey with Unique, Vibrant and Award Winning Indian Folk, Semi-Classical, Film and Fusion Dances

Venue- WHS Performing Arts Center 199 Churchill Ave.Woodside CA

Tickets: $30 and $35 (with dinner) Available at www.Sulekha.com/BayArea www.xpressionsdancemusic.com

(408) 838-3079 www.indiacurrents.com | 95

96 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events

high-growth tracks - Mobile, Big Data and Software Defined Infrastructure (SDI). Saturday will feature the Entrepreneurs Track. Ends May 18. Organized by TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs). Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Pkwy., Santa Clara. tiecon.org.

May

18 Saturday

Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal Music Exam.

For the following: tabla, vocal, kathak, bharatanatyam. Ends May 19. Organized by Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal California Branch. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Tabla Niketan, 7844 Mcclellan Road, Cupertino . (408) 792-7014. satish_tare@yahoo. com. www.tablaniketan.com/notifications.php.

Cooking Class—Ayurvedic Spring Recipes and Healing Culinary Herbs.

Hands on class with Gayathri Shanbhag. Organized by YogaAyurveda. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Natural Medicine Clinic, Academy and Wellness Spa, 1470 Larkin Ave, San Jose. $60 plus $15 materials fee. (408) 876-0636. drshanbhag@aol.com. www.YogaAyurveda.org.

Himalayan Fair. Arts and crafts, live

music, Himalayan cuisine. Ends May 19. Organized by YogaAyurveda. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Live Oak Park, Berkeley. http://www.himalayanfair.net. www.minimela.com.

Asian Heritage Street Celebration.

The festival will have a variety of pan-Asian delights with an estimated 20-30 food trucks and vendors in attendance. Handmade arts and crafts items as well as a fashion show and an expanded Faces of Asia Cultural Procession with awards and cash prizes given to the best and most colorful contingents. The Asian Art Museum will offer free admission to all fair goers. Organized by AsianWeek Foundation. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Civic Center to Little Saigon, Larkin St., from Grove to Ellis. asianfairsf.com.

Festival of the Silk Road. Featuring concerts of dance, music and poetry from Iran, China, Armenia, Balkans, Turkey, India, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Greece, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and the Roma. Afternoon workshops, performances, costume exhibits, and a Silk Road bazaar. The evening will feature a student showcase and an all star concert featuring master artists from around the Bay Area. T. Organized

Ek Shaam Sufi Ke Naam, a concert, May 19

by Afsaneh Art and Culture Society (Ballet Afsaneh). 2-10 p.m. Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater, 1700 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose . $10$45. (415) 488-0944. info@dancesilkroad. org. www.festivalsilkroad.com, festivalsilkroad. eventbrite.com.

Nrithyamala—A Colorful Portrayal of Emotions. Presented by Indumathy

Ganesh, Artistic Director of Nrithyollasa Dance Academy and Akshaya Ganesh. Accompanied by students of the academy. The dancers weave a tapestry of emotions through stories strung together in various dances, invoking the Almighty’s blessing with an earnest appeal praising His various attributes. Choreography by Indumathy Ganesh and Akshaya Ganesh. Vidya Iyer (nattuvangam), Sindhu Natarajan (vocal), N. Narayan (mridangam), Shanthi Narayan (violin). Organized by Nrithyollasa Dance Academy. 6:30 p.m. Jackson Theater, Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont. General $15, student/senior $12, reserved $30, family (4 tickets): $50. (510) 623-8230, (510) 857-3714, (925) 469-1255. info@nldance. com. www.nldance.com.

Swaram. A musical event by Shyamal and Gargi Bhatt, from India, presenting old

and new melodies by K.L. Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Kishore Kumar, Rafiji, Lata, Asha Bhosle and Shamshad Begum. Dinner will be served. Organized by Bay Area Youth Vaishnav Parivar. 6:30 p.m. Shreemaya Krishnadham, 25 Corning Ave., Milpitas. $30, $20. (408) 586-0006, (408) 832-5373. atalati@ yahoo.com. www.bayvp.org.

May

19 Sunday

Sunnyvale World Multi—Cultural Day. Celebrate the rich diversity and cultur-

al heritages of Santa Clara County. Uniting for a common cause to elimination Hepatitis B within Santa Clara County. Organized by Hep B Free Santa Clara County. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale. Free. www. worldculturalevent.com/Default.aspx.

Alameda Asian American Heritage Festival. Vocalist Rita Sahai on preserving our culture and heritage. 2 p.m. Park and Otis Drive, Alameda. (510) 847-2020. www. ritasahai.com.

Dance Performance by Vidhya Subramanian. Accompanied by Sindhu Natara-

jan (vocal), Chetana Sastry (nattuvangam),

www.indiacurrents.com | 97

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events woman alone briefly broke purdah and wielded the power reserved for men. Who was she, this Persian commoner, abandoned at birth, who rose like a phoenix from the ashes of a brutal marriage to become the most powerful woman in the Mogul empire? Ends May 26. Organized by EnActe Arts. 8 p.m. Brava Theatre, 2781-24th St. (at York), San Francisco. $15-$100. vinitabelani@enacte. org. www.enacte.org.

May

Nrityamala, a dance performance, May 18

Krishna Parthasarathy (violin), Ravindrabarathy Sridharan (mridangam). Organized by SanKritiLaya. 4 p.m. Mission City CPA, 3250 Monroe St., Santa Clara. General pass, $60, students/seniors, $50. (650) 336-5292. www. sankritilaya.org.

Kavi Sammelan. Featuring poet Kumar

Vishwas, accompanied by Ramesh Muskan and Archana Panda. 5 p.m. Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, 450 Persian Drive., Sunnyvale. $25, $35, $55. (408) 307-6645, (408) 687-1955.

Ek Shaam Sufi Ke Naam Concert. Fea-

turing Indian classical vocal maestro Ustad Iqbal Ahmad Khan, khalifa of the Dilli Gharana, accompanied by Pandit Ramesh Misra (sarangi), Vishal Nagar (tabla), and vocalist Sonia Saraswat. Organized by Sonia Saraswat of Dilli Gharana. 6 p.m. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Blvd., Milpitas. $50, $30, $20. (408) 813-2449, (408) 255-3419. saraswatconcerts@gmail.com. mycity.sulekha. com/ek-shaam-sufi-ke-naam_buy_613633, www. dilligharana.com.

May

24 Friday

Noor, Empress of the Mughals—A Play. Written and Directed by Feisal Alkazi. At the zenith of this all-powerful, deeply patriarchal dynasty of Mogul rulers, one 98 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

25 Saturday

May

31 Friday

East Meets West in San Francisco.

An evening of music, dance, wine, food, silent auctions and socializing to support the completion of the documentary film “Petals In The Dust: The Endangered Indian Girls.” Guests will also get a sneak peek at the some clips from the film. 6:30-9 p.m. Starr King Room, First Universalist Unitarian Center, 1187 Franklin St., San Francisco. $45. www. eventbee.com/event?eid=964795202.

Karnatick Music Concerts-Triple Header. 2-3 p.m. Kirthana Srikanth (vo-

Noor, Empress of the Mughals— A Play. Written and Directed by Feisal

cal), Parthiv Mohan (violin), Ajay Gopi (mridangam). 3:45-5:15 p.m. Keshavan Srivatsan (violin solo), Gopal Ravindhran (mridangam). 5:30-8:30 p.m. Ashwin Srikant (vocal), Sruti Sarathy (violin), Gopal Ravindhran (mridangam). Organized by Sri Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikan Fine Arts (SR Fine Arts/SRFA). 2-8:30 p.m. Community of Infinite Spirit (Divine Science), 1540,Hick’s Av., San Jose. Free. (408) 973-1017. shobanasujit93@gmail.com. www. srfinearts.info.

Alkazi. At the zenith of this all-powerful, deeply patriarchal dynasty of Mogul rulers, one woman alone briefly broke purdah and wielded the power reserved for men. Who was she, this Persian commoner, abandoned at birth, who rose like a phoenix from the ashes of a brutal marriage to become the most powerful woman in the Mogul empire? Ends June 2. Organized by EnActe Arts. 8 p.m. Montgomery Theatert, 271 S Market St., San Jose. $15-$100. vinitabelani@ enacte.org. www.enacte.org.

Hindustani Vocal Concert by Arati Ankalikar. Accompanied by Ramdas

June

Palsule (tabla) and Milind Kulkarni (harmonium). Organized by Swar Sudha. 7:30 p.m. Private Residence, Cupertino. $30. (408) 398-8160, (408) 461-8390. swarsudha@ swarsudha.org.

May

26 Sunday

Hindustani Vocal Concert by Arati Ankalikar. Accompanied by Ramdas

Palsule (tabla) and Milind Kulkarni (harmonium). Organized by Swar Sudha. 7:30 p.m. Private Residence, Cupertino. $30. (408) 398-8160, (408) 461-8390. swarsudha@ swarsudha.org.

Goa By The Bay. A Goan musical

extravaganza celebrating it’s culture in an evening of fun, food and music. Featuring: Miss Goa California (open to all Indians of age 18-29). Ballroom dancing competition, Portuguese Goan dances. Goa’s top DJ for dancing. Organized by Voldi Entertainment. St. Ann’s Church Hall, 1000 Judah St., San Francisco. $80 (includes dinner). (415) 6949014, (415) 819-0906. goabythebay@gmail. com. www.voldientertainment.com.

1 Saturday

Green Kids Conference. A conference dedicated for children ages 5 to 18 years. Educating them and their families on environmental issues, to promote, encourage, and reward new innovative ideas. Organized by Green Kids Now, Inc. 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus, 1065. La Avenida St, Building 1, Mountain View . Free. (510) 793-1343. info@greenkidsconference. org. greenkidsconference.org.

June

2 Sunday

Race for Literacy 2013—5K/10K Run and Walk. Separate races for the

kids, raffles and post race Indian breakfast. Organized by India Literacy Project. 9 a.m. Vasona Park, Los Gatos, CA . $25 general. (408) 827-5457, (412)728-1564. ilprun@ ilpnet.org, vijayalakshmi.d@gmail.com. www. ilpnet.org, www.raceforliteracy.org.

Public Lecture. Entitled “Haridas Chaudhuri’s Integration of Meditation into Higher Education” by Joseph L. Subbiondo, President of California Institute of Integral Studies. The talk will focus on an emerging aspect of the current day, mind-

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events

ful movement: meditation in higher education. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St. (at 3rd Ave.) San Francisco. Free. (415) 668-1559. culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net. www.culturalintegrationfellowship.org.

May

6 Thursday

Shinkoskey Noon Concert. Vocalist Rita Sahai on preserving her culture and heritage. 12-1 p.m. Mondavi Center Lobby, 1 Sheilds Ave., Davis. (510) 847-2020. www.ritasahai. com.

Ramayana—A Play. The Ramayana is an annual all-school event in which the entire student body takes part with drama, dance and song. Ends June 9. Organized by Mount Madonna School. Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose. $50-$25. www. mountmadonnaschool.org/Ramayana, ramayana.brownpapertickets.com.

June

7 Friday

Vande Mataram—A Play about Greed, Gunpowder and Gandhism. Aug 8,

1942: On the day Gandhi launched the Quit India movement in Bombay, a band of rebels met in Patna to plot their own campaign. Led by a University of Colorado trained philosopher, they planned to blow up public buildings and landmarks to sabotage both the Quit India movement and the British Empire. A veteran of World War I was recruited to build bombs; a renegade Congressman provided ideological cover; a couple of businessmen provided money; a restauranteur offered his backyard as a bomb factory. This is the story of their campaign, its motivations, flaws, triumphs and failures. Based on a true story, the Keezhariyur Bomb Case in Malabar, Kerala - Vande Mataram is a lament for Indian nationalism and the absurdity of being an Indian rebel in the 1940s. Hindi (with English supertitles). Ends June 23. Organized by Naatak. Tabard Theater Company, 29 North San Pedro St., San Jose. General $18, VIP $28 VIP (till May 19). www.naatak.org.

June

8 Saturday

Hari Hara Smaranam—A Bharatanatyam Recital. By Navia Natara-

jan, Sangita Vasudevan and Ramya Ramnarayan. Accompanied by Snigdha Venkatramani (vocal), Vidya Balan (nattuvangam), Ravin-

Vande Mataram, a play, June 7-23

dra Bharathy Sridharan (mridangam) and Lakshmi Balasubramanya (violin). Organized by Yuva Bharati. 4 p.m. Mission City Center for Performing Arts, 3250 Monroe St., Santa Clara. Free (members), $15 (nonmembers). (650) 565-8859. yuva_bharati@ yahoo.com. www.yuvabharati.org.

June

9 Saturday

YESS Mega Tamil Light Music Event. Featuring Pragathi Guruprasad,

Ravi Gopinath, Vimala Roshni, Anush S Ganesh, Srinath, and Gayathri. Organized by Bharati Tamil Sangam. 4-8 p.m. Spanganberg Theater, 780 Arastadero Road, Palo Alto . $100, $50, $35, $20, $15. (650) 868-0510, (510) 857-3714, (408) 3731977. tickets@bharatitamilsangam.org. www. bharatitamilsangam.org, x.co/yess2013.

June

10 Monday

ICC Art and Chess Camp. Art camps

use a variety of art materials, explore different cultures and encourage creativity. Chess camp provides an in-depth view into the world of chess through games, activities and practice. Ends Aug. 23. India Community Center (ICC), 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas. (408) 934-1130. steffany@indiacc. org. www.indiacc.org/artcamp, www.indiacc. org/chess. ICC Preschool Camp. Students learn about science, arts and crafts, puppets and stories of India, Eric Carle and his stories,

farm animals, fairy tales, and more. Each subject is divided by week. Ends Aug. 16. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas. (408) 934-1130. steffany@indiacc. org. www.indiacc.org/preschoolcamps.

ICC Table Tennis Camp. Beginner and

entry level, with a focus on basics to build a solid foundation. Ends Aug. 23. India Community Center, 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas. $295. (408) 934-1130. steffany@indiacc.org. www.indiacc.org/ttcamp.

Share your health stories with India Currents readers! We are accepting original submissions that focus on health and wellness. Send your 600-800-word essay on disease prevention, exercise, ayurvedic cooking, or any other health-related topic to Mona Shah at events@indiacurrents.com.

100 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Om Sri Mathre Namaha

Vaidica Vidhya Ganapathi Center

SRI LAKSHMI GANAPATHI TEMPLE 32B Rancho Drive, San Jose, CA 95111

(Capitol Expressway West and Montrey Road Junction, Opposite and 1 Block from Capitol Cal Train Station)

(408) 226-3600 Friday, May 10, 2013 At 5.00 pm Sri Bhuwaneswari/Sri Lalitha Devi Abhisheka Kritika Vratha Sri Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subraymanya Abhisheka continued with Sri Lalitha Sahasra Nama chanting Aarati and Manthra Pushpa Monday, May 13, 2013 Sri Akshaya Tritiyai Tuesday, May 14, 2013 At 6 00 pm Shiva Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa At 7.00 pm Sri Ramanuja Jayanthi special Pooja Aarati and Manthra Pushpa Wednesday, May 15, 2013 At 6.00 pm Shiva Abhisheka Aarati And Manthra Pushpa At 7.00 pm Sri Sankara Jayanathi Special Pooja Aarati and Manthra Pushpa

• www.vvgc.org or siliconvalleyhindutemple.com

Thursday, May 16, 2013 Sukla Sashti Vratham At 8.30 pm Sri Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subramanya Sahasra Nama Archana Wednesday, May 22, 2013 At 6.00 pm Praodhsam Shiva Sri Rudra Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa Thursday, May 23, 2013 At 6.00 pm Shiva Abhisheka Sri Narasimha Jayanthi Special Pooja Aarati and Manthra Pushpa Friday, May 24, 2013 At 4.00 pm Sri Bhuwaneswari/Sri Lalitha Devi Abhisheka continued with Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Chanting Aarati and Manthra Pushpa At 6.00 pm Vaikasi Visakham Sri Vaishanava

Sri Narasimha Jayanathi, Sri Pournami Vratha Srisathaynarayana Swamypooja/ Vratha Aarati and Manthra Pushpa Monday, May 27, 2013 - Memorial Day Week End Timings Tuesday, May 28, 2013 At 5.00 pm Special Sri Guru Peyarchi Homa Guru Transition Homa, Sri Sankata Hara Chathurthi Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Homa/Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Abhisheka Special Gurru Archana Aarati and Manthra Pushpa Sunday, June 2, 2013 At 4.00 pm Chandra Mana Vaisakha Masa Poorva Bhadra Nakshatra Sri Hanuman Jayanahti special Pooja, Sri Lakhsmi Ganapathi Abhisheka Sri Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subramanya Abhisheka, Sri Shiva Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa

Please Make A Note:: Temple Address: 32 Rancho Drive, San Jose CA 95111 Temple Timings: Week Days Morning 10.00 Am To 12 Noon, Evening At 6.00 pm To 8.00 pm - Week Ends And Holidays 10.00 am To 8.00 pm FOR BHAJAN'S RELIGIOUS DISCOURSES, MUSIC AND DANCE PERFORMANCES, PRIVATE POOJAS PLEASE CONTACT TEMPLE FOR FURTHER DETAILS MANGALANI BHAVANTHU,SUBHAM BHUYATH,LOKA SAMASTHA SUKINO BHAVANTHU, LOVE ALL SERVE ALL LOVE IS ALL

For Pujas & Rituals Contact: PANDIT GANESH SHASTHRY 245-5443 / Cell: (925) 209-7637 E-mail: srikalahatheeswara@yahoo.com

5639 Kimberly Street, San Jose, CA 95129 — Home: (408)

APPEAL TO THE DEVOTEES SRI LAKSHMI GANAPATHI TEMPLE (VVGC) 11355 MONTEREY HWY., SAN MARTIN, CA 95046

NEW SITE PROJECT (12.7 ACRES OF LAND)

OUR APPEAL TO THE BAY AREA COMMUNITY • PLEASE SUPPORT Dear Devotees, VVGC sincerely appreciates the continued support over the years. It has not only outgrown its capacity to accommodate the increasing number of devotees from many faiths, but has also been facing challenges such as inadequate parking. VVGC is in the process of acquiring a much larger plot of land, about 12.7 acres, at 11355

Monterey Road in San Martin, CA (About 18 miles from the present location). We are currently working with Santa Clara County to obtain the necessary permits, and will start offering regular services at the new site as soon as we get the use permit. We hope to move to the new location gradually within the next 9 months. The estimated cost of the land is about

Please make the check payable to VVGC with a memo at the bottom to read "San Martin Site” Mail to: VVGC, 32 Rancho Drive, San Jose, CA 95111 YOUR CAN DONATE ONLINE FROM THE WWW.VVGC.ORG WEBSITE BY USING CREDIT/DEBIT CARD OR PAYPAL ACCOUNT BY CLICKING ON THE PAYPAL DONATE BUTTON

Your support is absolutely essential for this ambitious plan.

$1.5 million. VVGC has embarked on an ambitious fund raising campaign for the first time, and requests the devotees to come forward to either make a donation, for which a receipt will be mailed OR make a pledge (loan) payable to VVGC. We will mail you the promissory note. All donations are tax deductible, to the extent allowed under the Law.

VVGC is committed to provide the excellent traditional services that the Hindu community in the Bay Area has enjoyed over the past few years. In addition we plan to conduct Yoga, Meditation, Music and Language classes as well as facilities such as an Auditorium and a Library. — Thanks, VVGC Please feel free to contact any of the volunteers listed below. Subramaniam Y. Dixit (408) 628-9166 • RamKumar (503) 997-5368 Sarangapani (408) 332-9894 • Sriram (650) 438-5477 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.VVGC.ORG

www.indiacurrents.com | 101

reflections

Pluralism Reaches a Milestone in America Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu sworn into the U.S. House By Mihir Meghani

merica is becoming more Hindu, there is no doubt about it. Phil Goldberg’s book, American Veda, traces the history of the influence of Hinduism on American life over the past two and a half centuries. Similarly, Lisa Miller, in her Newsweek article We Are All Hindus Now, (Published Aug 15, 2009) shows how American thought and practice is moving in a direction that can best be described as Hindu. For the most part, however, this influence has occurred without an outright acknowledgement of or public association with anything identified as Hinduism. Last November, Tulsi Gabbard became the first Hindu elected to the United States Congress when she handily won her first election to a federal office. The election in Hawaii not only reflects the character and charisma of Tulsi, but also an acceptance, at least in her Congressional district, of Hinduism. As Americans without familial connections to India have adopted Hindu beliefs and practices, so too have Hindus in America embraced American life and simultaneously adapted Hinduism, with its ancient mooring in India, to the American landscape. Tulsi was born to a Hindu mother of American Samoan ancestry and a non-Indian, Christian father who had adopted some Hindu practices. Raised a Hindu, she, like most Hindu, Jain and Sikh Indian Americans, questioned her beliefs, studied them, read scripture and made a conscious decision to maintain her religion and practices. She explained, “Hari nama, the holy names of God, and the transcendental wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita have always provided me with wisdom, spiritual strength, direction and purpose in life, as well as solace and comfort when faced with the possibility of death at any moment.” Hinduism, or Sanatana Dharma—an ancient, living, vibrant system of religions, traditions, beliefs and practices, encompassing not only India but every country in the world and with over one billion adherents—could only survive in such numbers for so long with an inner

102 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Congresswoman Gabbard and Speaker John Boehner hold the Bhagavad Gita at her oath-taking ceremony, January 4, 2013

strength that rests on universal truths adaptable to a wide range of people and the ability to inspire people to greater acts. Recall that Mahatma Gandhi was inspired by this same tradition to take ancient Hindu and Jain principles of ahimsa to a political level. Tulsi takes inspiration from that same tradition when she acknowledges, “I learned early on that I was happiest when I was using my life in the service of others.… The spirit of karma yoga has been the motivating factor for everything I do in my life. The more I engaged in activities that weren’t just for myself, the happier I became, and the more I wanted to do.” That inspiration led her to found the Healthy Hawaii Coalition, teaching schoolchildren about caring for the environment and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle. That inspired her to run successfully for the Hawaii State Legislature, give up her “safe seat” to join her Army National Guard team for a year-long deployment in Iraq, run successfully for the Honolulu City Council and win a challenging Congressional

election. When Tulsi took the oath of office, she did so on a Bhagavad Gita, cementing this ancient guide to action in American and Hindu history. Her oath has added meaning because the Bhagavad Gita has deep meaning for Tulsi, guiding her and continuously inspiring her to do seva, or selfless service. This is another defining moment for modern Hinduism, because it should serve to remove any doubts about the ability of a proud, public, practicing Hindu to reach a prominent post or position in this country. Unfortunately, despite inheriting such a rich heritage, many Indian Americans have shamefully tried to minimize their tradition and hide their Hindu identity from anyone who could potentially think ill of them or misunderstand their beliefs, while others have maintained everything Hindu but decided to call it something else. And worse yet, some have chosen to abandon their heritage altogether. Governors Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley

are prominent examples of the latter. Instead of seeking inspiration from their Hindu and Sikh backgrounds, respectively, they sought shelter and support in the faith of the majority of their neighbors. They, in some sense, are the opposite of what America is—their contribution to America’s melting pot or salad bowl was thereby negated for the most part. Their decision was in fact bad for America, as America is, at its core, becoming more and more pluralistic. Lisa Miller wrote that Americans are more accepting of multiple paths to God and the belief that “many religions can lead to eternal life.”

Tulsi Talks About Taking the Oath on The Bhagavad Gita

I was raised in a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-faith family. My mother is Hindu; my father is a Catholic lector in his church who also practices mantra meditation. I began to grapple with questions of spirituality as a teenager. Over time, I came to believe that, at its essence, religion gives us a deeper purpose in life than just living for ourselves. Since I was a teenager, I have embraced this spiritual journey through the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. I chose to take the oath of office with my personal copy of the Bhagavad Gita because its teachings have inspired me to strive to be a servant-leader, dedicating my time and energy

on a daily basis in the service to others, karma yoga. My Gita has been a tremendous source of inner peace and strength through many tough challenges in life, including being in the midst of death and turmoil while serving our country in the Middle East. When I was deployed to Iraq, the only real shelter for me was my bhakti yoga practice and the Bhagavad Gita’s message of the eternality of the soul and God’s unconditional love. Like Mahatma Gandhi, I believe that we cannot overcome the divisive challenges facing our communities, countries and world if we do not recognize and respect all others as children of God, despite our differences of nationality, race, ethnicity, religion and so forth. These principles of karma yoga and bhakti yoga, therefore, can be a uniting principle for all people, regardless of their religion. I look forward to working with my fellow Congressmen and women to improve the economy, stop wasting our limited resources, protect the environment and ensure that our children will have a bright future. Of course, since I’m a practicing Hindu, the unique concerns of Hindu and Indian Americans are very near and dear to my heart. My door will always be open to them. Pluralism is acknowledging and celebrating the diversity around us, and thriving

more because of it. It is the legacy of ancient and modern India. It is the essence of Hinduism, and, in the broadest sense, its branches—Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. It is the thread that ties together India’s various cultures, religions, beliefs, practices and races. Kudos to Tulsi for being public, open and proud of her Hinduism and for sharing with the rest of the world the core message of Hinduism that inspired her. Tulsi’s victory is a proud moment for Hindus, because it reminds us that we can reach similar levels of society with a public Hindu identity. Tulsi’s oath should be emboldened as individuals to examine our beliefs, seek inspiration from our heritage and look for the practical application of our spiritual tradition, just as Tulsi found motivation for her karma yoga (pursuing God or Truth through good work) in Hinduism. Her oath-taking was an even prouder moment for all Americans because it reflects the best that America can offer the world— pluralism.n Mihir Meghani, M.D., an emergency physician living in Fremont, California, is a co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation. His article originally appeared in India-West.

www.indiacurrents.com | 103

SPIRITUALITY & HEALTH

May

4 Saturday

63rd Aradhana of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. Talk by V. Ganesan,

grand-nephew of Ramana Maharshi followed by Veda Parayanam and aarati. Lunch will be served at 1 p.m. Organized by Arunachala Ashrama. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Fremont Senior Center, 40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont. Free. (510) 656-2752. sunita_parasuraman@yahoo.com.

Essence of Spirituality by Swami Mukundananda. Ends May 10. Orga-

nized by Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog. 2:30-4 p.m. Fremont Hindu Temple, 3676 Delaware Drive, Fremont. Free. (408) 594-8197, (408) 858-4332. secretary@jkyog.org, Jatik.Patra@ gmail.com www.jkyog.org/2013-events/fremont, www.jkyog.org/2013, www.youtube.com/user/ JagadguruKripaluYog.

Sri Sundarakhanda Ramayana of Gowswami Tulasidas. Group singing

followed by aarati and mahaprasad. 2:305:30 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro. Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama. org.

Hanuman Abhishekam Sundar Khanda. Organized by Swami Naray-

anandha. 5:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@ balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

Kirtan with Bhagavan Das. Special

benefit concert with Anandi Ma. Organized by Dhyanyoga Centers. 7-10 p.m. Dhyanyoga Center Antioch, 3306 Contra Lona Blvd., Antioch. $30. (925) 779-9660. dyc.org/events/ ayurvedic-principles.

May

5 Sunday

Behind the Physical Cosmos. Sunday

Service. Organized by Self-Realization Fellowship. SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento. (916) 483-9644. SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 252-5299. Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond. (510) 232-6652. www. yogananda-srf.org. Contact temples for times.

Reconciling Faith and Reason. Sunday lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Organized by Vednata Society. 11 a.m. Vedanta 104 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Talks on Vedanta by Swami Chidananda, May 19-24

Society of Northern California, 2323 Vallejo Street, San Francisco. (415) 922-2323. temple@sfvedanta.org. www.sfvedanta.org

temple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

Beginner/Intermediate Yoga Course.

May

(Sivananda Tradition) Introduction to Kriyas which remove blockages and purify the physical and energy bodies. Furthering your understanding of yogic philosophy and its aims. 1011:30 a.m. Vishnu-Devananda Yoga Vedanta Center, 3767 Union St., Fremont. $80-$120. (510) 273-2447. vishnuyoga@gmail.com. www.vishnuyoga.org.

May

6 Monday

Pradosham Rudra Abhishekam. Or-

ganized by Swami Narayanandha. 6:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www. balajitemple.net.

May

9 Thursday

Amavasya Shiva Abhishekam. Organized by Swami Narayanandha. 9:30 a.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balaji-

10 Friday

Ayurveda in Aging and Spritual Practice. Navigate the changes in your

body as you age with Ayurveda with three teachers, Anandi Ma, Dileepji and Vasant Lad. Ends May 12. Organized by Dhyanyoga Centers. Dhyanyoga Center Antioch, 3306 Contra Lona Blvd., Antioch. (925) 779-9660. dyc.org/events/ayurvedic-principles.

Sri Bhuwaneswari/Sri Lalitha Devi Abhisheka. 5 p.m. Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple. 32B Rancho Drive, San Jose. (408) 226-3600. www.vvgc.org. www.siliconvalleyhindutemple.com.

Kritika Subramanya Swami Abhishekam. Organized by Swami Naray-

anandha. 6 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@ balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

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nized by Vednata Society. 11 a.m. Vedanta Society of Northern California, 2323 Vallejo Street, San Francisco. (415) 922-2323. temple@sfvedanta.org. www.sfvedanta.org.

Sri Bhagavad Gita Talk and Discussion. Readings and discussion led by Vinodini

Patel, followed by aarati and mahaprasad. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro. Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama. org.

Basava Jayanthi-Basava Abhishekam.

Organized by Swami Narayanandha. 7 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www. balajitemple.net.

May

Mata Amritanandamayi, May 30

and freedom, not as a concept, but as a direct experience. Ends May 14. Organized by Art of Living. 7-10 p.m. Fremont Art of Living Center, 555 Mowry Ave, Suite C, Fremont. $395. (650) 387-1006. Girish.Jashnani@artofliving.org. secure.artofliving.org/ user_login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fcourse_reg. aspx%3fcourse_id%3d14422&course_ id=14422.

May

11 Saturday

Enhance your Yoga Practice. Vivek Shanbhag will speak about customizing yoga routines for each Ayurvedic mindbody type. Organized by YogaAyurveda. 7:30-9 p.m. East West Bookstore, 324 Castro St., Mountain View. Free. (650) 988-9800. drshanbhag@aol.com. www.YogaAyurveda.org.

May

12 Sunday

God’s Nature in the Mother. Sunday

Organized by Swami Narayanandha. 7 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www. balajitemple.net.

May

106 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

18 Saturday

Sri Balaji Subrabhatam and Abhishekam. Organized by Swami Naray-

anandha. 8:30 a.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@ balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

Evening of Nadhaswaram. S. Kasim and S. BabuGrandsons of Sheik Chinna Moulana Sahib and Asthana Vidhwans of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. Followed by prasadam. Organized by Shirdi Sai Parivaar. 2-6 p.m. Shirdi Sai Center, Multi Purpose Room, 1221 California Circle, Milpitas. $15. (408) 705-7904. saibandhu@shirdisaiparivaar.org. shradhasaburi.org.

Action and Contemplation. Sunday

lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Orga-

14 Tuesday

Sri Ramanuja Sri Sankara Jayanthi.

2-Day Meditation Training Program.

Ends May 12. Organized by Institute of Sri Ramchandra Consciousness. 9:30 a.m.6 p.m. Private Residence, Heathrow Terrace, Fremont. Free. (510) 405-1630. shishir.joshi@ sriramchandra.org. www.sriramchandra.org.

13 Monday

May

19 Sunday

God-Mindedness—Key to Freedom.

Sunday Service. Organized by Self-Realization Fellowship. SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento. (916) 4839644. SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 252-5299. Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond. (510) 232-6652. www.yogananda-srf.org. Contact temples for times.

Stages in Spiritual Life. Sunday lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Organized by Vednata Society. 11 a.m. Vedanta Society of Northern California, 2323 Vallejo Street, San Francisco. (415) 922-2323. temple@sfvedanta.org. www.sfvedanta.org. Talks on Vedanta. Swami Chidananda, visiting from India, will examine valuesystems and their restraints on one’s ability to arrive at the supreme truth. Drawing insight from the Mundaka Upanishad (Atharva Veda) that bring to us clarity on self-knowledge. Ends May 24. 7:30-9 p.m. Jain Temple Auditorium, 722 South Main St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-2961, (650) 4642671. harishsrao@gmail.com, venkybrinda@ yahoo.com. www.fowai.org. Sri Satyanarayana Swami Puja and Kirtan. Followed by aarati and mahap-

rasad. 11-1 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro. Free. (510) 2782444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama.org.

May

20 Monday

Lectures on Hastamalaka Stotra.

Swami Chidananda is visiting from India where he lives a monastic life in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. In this morning series of lectures, Swamiji will examine the Hastamalaka stotra. This prakarana-grantha makes for excellenct review of Vedanta and for some deep contemplation. Ends May 24. 7:30-8:45 a.m. Jain Mandir, 722 South Main St., Milpitas . Free. (408) 263 2961, (650) 493-7927. harishsrao@gmail.com, venkybrinda@yahoo.com. Http://www.fowai.org.

May

22 Wednesday

Pradosham Rudra Abhishekam. Or-

ganized by Swami Narayanandha. 6:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www. balajitemple.net.

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recommends

Song of the Divineâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Kirtan By Vidya Joshi

raversing the rich and varied cultural landscape in India, one can come across different forms and interpretations of the practice of kirtans, but the glue that binds them all is the ultimate feeling of inner peace and connectedness that it invokes. Kirtan at its core is the practice of chanting and singing hymns or mantras, in praise of the divine, usually to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tabla, mridanga or pakhawaj drums, and hand cymbals. The original intention behind kirtans was to bring sacred chanting out of the temple precincts and into the streets for the common man to experience. It is believed that ritual chanting is among the most universal of human impulses, and hence, most religions of the world including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism have one form of the chanting or other as part of their religious expression. In Sikhism, kirtans are viewed as central to their religious practice, an expression of the hymns and compositions of Sikh scripture. They are a way of life in Hinduism and Buddhism, and are sung widely in South India and in Bengal, as devotional songs with accompanying performances.

Anna Schultz 108 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Mahesh Kale

In the last ten years, they have become a phenomenon across the United States, and have transformed musically to appeal to the ears of American audiences. They have been incorporated into a new generation of spirituality, in modern day yoga and meditation centers to quiet the mind and bring us back to the reality of the present moment through chanting of ancient Sanskrit mantras. Kirtan may result in a religious experience for some, and a spiritual experience for others. It can be both or neither for some of us. Having its roots in classical music, one can literally be drawn into the melodious aspects of kirtans as well. If you just relish the melody, you are already drawn into this world of uplifting and enlivening music. Kirtans in Maharashtra are different from those performed in the rest of India, mainly due to their narrative, musical, and theatrical elementsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;an art of spiritual teaching through musical story telling. Typically performed by lead artists, called kirtankars, who sing one or more famous songs, followed by a philosophical interpretation of the prose. Kirtans involve the audience, both as a participant and as an evaluator of the art form, most likely in a sawaal-jawaab tradition. Traditionally, the mythic sage, Narada is considered to be the first kirtankar. Narada is a storyteller and musician, who is said to witness events and sing about it later. Narada

does share the spotlight with Sant Namdev, who is credited with being a pioneer of Marathi Kirtan or Varkari Kirtan around 900 years ago in the 13th century. Much like Narada, Sant Namdev was a traveler and during his travels, recited his religious poems or abhangs with the aim of bringing people closer using the medium of spirituality. He is said to have lived for more than twenty years in Punjab, where he composed abhangs in Marathi and Hindi. Several of these abhangs came to be included in Sikh scripture, bringing closer the practices of Shabad Kirtan of Punjab and the Warkari Kirtan of Maharashtra. It is this ancient art form that you will get to experience, if you find your way to Stanford University on May 4. A one-of-a-kind concert, Song of the Divine where Mahesh Kale will take on the role of the kirtankar and Anna Schultz will fill in the role of his philosophical interpreter. This unusual musical journey, so traditional in nature and yet so contemporary in its presentation is truly a marriage of two unlikely minds. n Saturday, May 4. 5 p.m. Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University, 471 Lagunita D.r, Palo Alto. $20, $10 (student). Music.stnaford. edu, www.icmafoundation.org.

SRI

MAHA KALESHWAR MANDIR www.srimahakalamandir.org

2344A WALSH AVE., SANTA CLARA, CA 95051 Temple Hours: Weekdays 6:30-8:30 am; M and F 1-8 pm; Tu-Th 5-8 pm; Sat. Sun 10 am to 8 pm. Daily arati at 6:30 pm; Please check our events schedule at www.srimahakalmandir.org

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Sri Rudra/Lakshmi Moola Moorthi Prana India Currents Fax: (408)&324-0477 Narayana Homa. Pratishta MAHA Cultural Programs KUMBHABHISHEKAM Date (See website for details) Initials 4 PM 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM Samoohika Lalitha Ad is Correct 4 PM Simha Lagna Sahasranama Pooja, Asthabandhanam All Moola Murthi Moola Moorthi & 2 PM Needs Changes Vaastu Bali Diksha Homa Srinivasa Kalyanam, 108 DEREK NUNES Pooja Sathyanarayana Gurupada Pooja 1885 Lundy Ave., Suite 220

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Swamiji’s 20 Years of Service Celebrations on 1st and 2nd June,(408) 2013324-0488 / (714) 523-8788 FAX: (408) 324-0477 PARTICIPATE - SPONSOR - DONATE GENEROUSLY Please join us with family and friends on this auspicious occasion 5004 N. First St, San Jose, CA 95002 • www.balajitemple.net • info@balajitemple.net • (408) 203-1036 • (408) 956-9050 www.indiacurrents.com | 109

May

23 Thursday

Narasimha Jayanthi. Organized by Swami Narayanandha. 6:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

May

24 Friday

Poornima Sri Satyanarayana Pooja.

Organized by Swami Narayanandha. 6:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

Sri Bhuwaneswari/Sri Lalitha Devi Abhisheka. 4 p.m. Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi

Temple. 32B Rancho Drive, San Jose. (408) 226-3600. www.vvgc.org. www.siliconvalleyhindutemple.com.

May

25 Saturday

The Self-Knowledge Retreat. The

spiritual instruction focuses on the discernment between the Self and what is not the Self, between what is real and what is not. Time for silent meditation in addition to the instruction. Ends May 26. 10 a.m. Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT), 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Registration Required. (831) 425-7287. sat@cruzio.com. www.satramana. org/html/the_self-knowledge_retreat.htm.

May

26 Sunday

Understanding Life and Death. Sun-

day Service. Organized by Self-Realization Fellowship. SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento. (916) 483-9644. SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 252-5299. Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond. (510) 2326652. www.yogananda-srf.org. Contact temples for times.

Sri Buddha Jayanti—Talk by Mansur Mohammed. On various aspects of

Buddhist philosophy followed by aarati and mahaprasad. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro. Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. badarikashrama.org. Hanuman Chalisa and Pooja. Organized by Swami Narayanandha. 7 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@ 110 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

May

27 Monday

Sankata Hara Chatruthi. Organized by

Swami Narayanandha. 7 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

May

28 Tuesday

Saraswati Durga Pooja. Organized by

Swami Narayanandha. 7 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 956-9050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

May

29 Wednesday

Maha Kumbhabhishekam for Pandu Ranga, Sai Baba and Swamij’s 20th Anniversary. Priests from different tem-

ples will perform poojas at the temple. Ends June 2. Organized by Swami Narayanandha. 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 5004 N. First St., San Jose. (408) 203-1036, (408) 9569050. balajitemple1@gmail.com, info@balajitemple.net. www.balajitemple.net.

May

30 Thursday

Meet Mata Amritanandamayi. Ends

June 5. 10 a.m. Bay Area M.A. Center, 10200 Crow Canyon Road, Castro Valley. (510) 5379417. www.amma.org.

June

1 Saturday

Sri Sundarakhanda Ramayana of Gowswami Tulasidas. Group singing of

the Sri Sundarakhanda from the Ramayana followed by aarati and mahaprasad. 2:305:30 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro. Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama. org.

June

2 Sunday

Sucess Through Attunement with God. Sunday Service. Organized by Self-

Realization Fellowship. SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento. (916) 483-9644. SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 252-5299. Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond.

(510) 232-6652. www.yogananda-srf.org. Contact temples for times.

Sri Rudra Homa. Havan to Shiva fol-

lowed by aarati and mahaprasad. 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro. Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. badarikashrama.org.

Sri Hanuman Jayanathi Special Pooja. 4 p.m. Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi

Temple. 32B Rancho Drive, San Jose. (408) 226-3600. www.vvgc.org. www.siliconvalleyhindutemple.com.

Public Lecture. Entitled “Haridas

Chaudhuri’s Integration of Meditation into Higher Education” by Joseph L. Subbiondo, President of California Institute of Integral Studies. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St. (at 3rd Ave.) San Francisco. Free. (415) 6681559. culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net. www. culturalintegrationfellowship.org.

June

8 Saturday

29th Anniversary Celebrations for Badarikashrama. Saturday: Cultural

Program, odissi dance, Karnatik concert by Sushila Narisimhan and group, Hindustani vocal concert by Nachiketa Yakkundi, a panel discussion by Swami Tattwamayanandaji, Swami Prasannatmanandaji, Suman Shah, Sargam Shah, Subita Sudarshanna, and Swami Omkaranandaji on “Atmano mokshartham jagadhitayaca,” (for one’s own salvation and the service of humanity). Sunday: Samuhika 108 Sri Satyanarayana Swami puja and katha conducted by Swami Omkaranandaji followed by aarati and mahaprasad, Bhajans by Rita Sahai and students. Ends June 9. 10:30 a.m. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro. Free. (510) 278-2444. badarik@pacbell.net. www.badarikashrama.org.

June

9 Sunday

Creating World Unity Through Yoga Meditation. Sunday Service. Organized

by Self-Realization Fellowship. SRF Center Sacramento, 4513 North Ave., Sacramento. (916) 483-9644. SRF Center Los Gatos, 303 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 252-5299. Richmond Temple, 6401 Bernhard Ave., Richmond. (510) 232-6652. www.yogananda-srf. org. Contact temples for times. © Copyright 2013 India Currents. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use strictly prohibited.

www.indiacurrents.com | 111

healthy life

Sacred Connection: Body Therapy and the Art of Touch What it can do for you

y intention was to write an essay about the science of massage. How it soothes the vagus nerve, lowers blood sugar and brings relief to chronic pain. I wanted to tell you about fascia and metabolites and breaking up scar tissue with cross fiber frictioning. I wanted to tell you that word of mouth— asking your friends—is the best way to find a good body therapist and if you can’t afford monthly bodywork, think quarterly instead and celebrate each solstice and equinox with a massage. But my mind wandered and when I wasn’t looking a memory was stirred of an article I once read in a magazine about the importance of touch. And while my brain was determined to take one path to the completion of this essay, my heart was determined to share the benefits of massage in another, altogether different way. I carried the article with me for over thirty years, tucked in an old inter-office manila envelope filled with other flotsam from life: torn pages, fortunes that didn’t come true, yellowed notes and faded photographs. It’s an article about our need for connection. It was written long before we manifested our current state of self-imposed isolation and appeared, I think, in either Redbook or Women’s Day. I remember reading it as an idealistic young woman and promising myself that I would not become the type of person who shied away from the kind gesture. I promised myself I would remember that a gentle hug, or something as simple as one hand placed in the hand of another, offered comfort and compassion on a level that surpasses words of empathy or advice. Too many decades and too many moves have passed since the author’s message landed in my heart. The box that held my collection of words, trinkets and memories was finally abandoned. So was the promise I made to myself, even though the truths in the article are even more relevant today. We live in a time when it is easier to become virtual friends with real life 112 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

By Mimm Patterson

strangers while mindlessly wolfing down a sandwich during our lunch break than it is to share a thoughtful meal with someone we’ve known for years. The warmth of authentic friendship has been exchanged for a cold screen and hard keyboard. I believe we are losing our ability to bear witness, confide and communicate with a simple, silent gesture. And if I’m right, is there anything we can do about it? There are the little things: closing the laptop, turning off the cell phone and taking the time to look people in the eye. Listening with a whole heart, fully present. And then there are the things that buck convention, saying “hello” to strangers you pass on the street. Making bank deposits in person. Introducing yourself to the neighbors. These good intentions, however, only skim the surface of a deeper issue. In order to be open with others, we need to consider how we open our hearts to ourselves. It’s a process that requires time and patience; a process that requires our full devotion. These are conditions that are difficult to conjure when we’re busy broadcasting the contents of our underwear drawer to the world in one hundred and forty characters or less. So how do we reconnect with spirit? I believe one way is through the sense of touch. Bringing spirit and the material together. Bodywork. Typically, we think of bodywork as a means of fixing a sore back or stiff neck. More like a session of physical therapy than therapeutic massage. When we approach bodywork as a method for relieving stress it’s considered, at best, a temporary fix. Rarely do we consider massage a means for bring-

ing us back to ourselves and never do we consider massage as a transformative practice with the potential for healing our wounded collective psyche. But I believe therapeutic massage is all these things. It relieves the aches in our body and the aches in our soul. Preparing to receive therapeutic massage requires trust. Preparing to offer therapeutic massage requires mindful presence. When a massage therapist meets you for the first time they will ask a few questions regarding your health but they are also assessing your mood and energetic presence. You’re communicating with your practitioner through gestures and body language. Together, relying more on intuition and less on discussion, the two of you are determining how your journey together will proceed. When we climb onto the massage plinth to receive this gift, we should remember what is being given. Bodywork reminds us that we are flesh and bone, muscle and fascia. But it reminds us, too, that we are thoughts and feelings, impulses and emotions. The vulnerability we feel as we melt into the therapist’s hands helps us to regain our lost sense of Self. As we lie with our eyes closed we are participating in an unspoken exchange of energy that offers connection, tranquility and space to feel our aliveness. Yet I understand why we hesitate. Handing over control is difficult. It takes us out of our comfort zone. But what if handing over control and moving out of our comfort zone is akin to pressing our reset button? What if not being in charge of what happens next offers a different perspective and asks us to make different choices? Instead of struggling to retain control we might open up to the possibility of acceptance; spending some time outside of our comfort zone might encourage us to draw different and broader boundaries. It might inspire us to close the laptop, turn off the phone and reach out to the human sitting across the table from us.n Mimm has been a yoga teacher, massage therapist, reflexologist and writer. When she’s not balancing in Ardha Chandrasana or wrestling with a sentence, Mimm’s either playing her guitar or doing homework. She is working towards a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology.

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ONGOING SPIRITUAL EVENTS Daily Laughter Yoga Club. Simple effective

yogic exercises with laughter therapy for perfect health and happiness and to reduce stress. Serra Park, Hollenbeck Roadd, Sunnyvale. Daily. 7 a.m.-8 a.m. Free. (408) 4901260. mkm.blr@gmail.com.

Vishnusahasranama. Daily, 12 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www. balajitemple.net.

Aarti. Daily, 8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678

Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Patanjali Yoga Sutras: Satsang. Parama-

layam.org. info@yogalayam.org.

Sunday Worship Services. The service offers a nonsectarian message of hope, faith, and the essential harmony of the world’s religions, emphasising on self-realization, awakening to the inherent goodness of our spiritual nature and living in harmony with divine will. Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, 1146 University Ave., San Jose. Sundays, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (408) 283-0221, x30. www.CSEcenter.org. Lecture on different religious traditions. The meditation hall is also open for those who wish to deepen their meditation practice. Organized by Cultural Integration Fellowship. 2650 Fulton St. San Francisco. Sundays, 9-11 a.m. (415) 626-2442. Yoga and Meditation. Sundays, 9:30-11 a.m. Premarpan Yoga and Wellness Center, Los Gatos. Free. (408) 406-8197. premarpan@ gmail.com. www.premarpan.com.

Nome on self-dnowledge and self-inquiry, recitation and readings from the Upanishads, recitation of Tamil Ribhu Gita. Organized by Society of Abidance in Truth. First and fourth Sundays of the momth, 10-11:30 a.m. 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 425-7287. www.satramana.org.

Advaita Vedanta and the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Society of Abidance in Truth, 1834 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz. Sundays, 10 a.m.-12 noon. (831) 425-7287. www. SATRamana.org. Monthly Satsangs of Vaswani Mission of Bay Area. Includes video discourse tapes of Dada Jashan, reading of the Noori Granth, Gita path, bhajans, and shloka recitation. Fremont Hindu Temple, 3676 Delaware Dr., Fremont. Third Sundays, 10:30–11:45 a.m. (510) 796-4472, (408) 218-6364. prmlani3@ yahoo.co.in.

hamsa Nithyananda says, “Don’t add movements to your life, add life to your movements.” That is yoga. Patanjali is a great sage and inner world scientist from ancient India. He was the first person to systematize the oral yogic tradition and encode it in a concise form called Yoga Sutras, roughly over 2,000 years ago. Through these talks, he enables the flowering of yoga in you, so you can see a visible change in your very postures, ethical discipline and sensory perceptions. Program broadcast live from India, conducted by Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Organized by Life Bliss Foundation. Daily, 8-9:30 p.m. Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail.com. www.vedictemplebayarea.org.

panied by the divine and auspicious chants of Rudram and Chamakam we perform abhishekam (holy bath) to Lord Anandeshwara, Anandeshwari (Shiva and Parvathi), Shiva linga, Devi, Karthikeya and the Nava grahas using divine powder, sandalwood powder and turmeric. It is later followed by grand alankaram (dressing up) of the deities, naivedhyam, and Maha Aaarthi. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail.com. www.vedictemplebayarea.org.

Community Gatherings include a short

Sunday

Sunday Service Sikh Temple, 2301 Ever-

alization Fellowship. SRF, 303 E. Main St, Los Gatos. Sundays, 11 a.m. (408) 252-5299.

Simplified Kundalini Yoga (SKY),

Abhishekam and Alankaram and Special Pujas to magnificent deities, accom-

green Ave, West Sacramento. Sundays, 10 a.m. (916) 371-9787.

plus physical exercises. We guide and initiate SKY meditation. We also provide Kayakalpam and Introspection courses. Sundays, 8-10 a.m. Sunnyvale-Sanadan Dharma Kendra,897 Kifer Road, Suite #1, Sunnyvale. Free. (510) 456-8953. sky.bayarea@yahoo.com. www. skybayarea.org.

1930 S Grant St, Stockton. Sundays, 10 a.m. (209) 946-9039.

Guru Gita Chant Siddha Yoga Medita-

Free. Open to all. (650) 218-4223. braroo@ gmail.com.

tion Ctr, 4115 Jacksol Dr., San Jose. Sundays, 8 a.m. (408) 559-1716.

Purification and Meditation Ananda Sangha, 2171 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Sundays, 9 a.m.-9:45 a.m. (650) 323-3363. www.anandapaloalto.org.

Meditation and chanting. Yogalayam,

1717 Alcatraz Ave., Berkeley. Sundays, 9-10:30 a.m. (510) 655-3664. www.yoga114 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Sri Akhand Path Sahib Sikh Temple,

Sri Aurobindo Meditation and Study Group. Sundays, 11 a.m.-Noon. In Danville.

Jainism Classes for children 4 years and older. Organized by Jain Center of Northern Califorina. Jain Bhavan, 722 South Main St., Milpitas. First and third Sunday of every month. 10-11:30 a.m. $35 annually for members, $50 anually for non-members. (408) 517-0975, (408) 262-6042. www.jcnc. org. Satsang, silent meditation, discourse by

Sunday Services Self Realization Fellowship, Sacramento Center, 4513 North Ave, Sacramento. Sundays, 11 a.m. (916) 483-9614. talk with discussion, kirtan, puja, meditation, and treats. San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute, 770 Dolores St., San Francisco. Sundays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (415) 821-1117. www. integralyogasf.org.

Ramanama meditation and kirtan.

Organized by Badarikashrama. Badarikashrama, 15602 Maubert Ave, San Leandro. Sundays, 11 a.m. (510) 278-2444. www. badarikashrama.org.

Sunday Service Organized by Self Re-

Sunday School for children 6-14 years

of age to give them a general knowledge of the universal truths of Vedanta, to acquaint them with the basic teachings of the major living religions, and to inspire reverence for the great religious teachers of the world. Organized by Vedanta Society of Northern California. Vedanta Society of Northern California, Old Temple, 2963 Webster St., San Francisco. Sundays, 11 a.m.-Noon. (415) 9222323. www.sfvedanta.org.

Zoroastrian Temple Arbab Zoroastrian Temple, 10468 Crothers Rd, San Jose. First Sundays, 12 p.m. (408) 365-0119. Nithya Dhyaan Meditation Satsang,

a powerful meditation technique to achieve physical and mental well-being. Organized by Life Bliss Foundation. Sundays, 3:30 p.m.

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451 (Kung-Fu School), Los Coches St., Milpitas. Sunday Festival, an evening of bhajans, arati, discourses and Krishna prasadam. Organized by ISKCON. ISKCON, 951 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose. Sundays, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. (408) 559-3197.

Festival and Feast an evening of bhajans, Bhagavad Gita classes, aarti, kirtan, and prasad. Radha Krishna Temple, 2990 Union Ave, San Jose. Sundays, 5:30 p.m. (408) 5593197. Satsang. Kirtan, lecture, prasad distribu-

tion, and vegetarian feast. Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram, 2900 N Rodeo Gulch Rd, Soquel. Sundays, 6 p.m. Free. (408) 462-4712.

Meditation with devotional chanting and talk on yoga philosophy. Sivananda Yoga Center, 1200 Arguello Blvd., San Francisco, Sundays, 6 p.m. (415) 681 2731.

Satsang. Prayer, chanting meditation, lec-

ture series on devotional topic (Geeta, Bhagwatam, Brahma Sutra, Upnishads etc.), followed by arti and prasad. Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) Center-San Jose. Sundays, 6-7:15 p.m. 4940 Avenida de Carmen, Santa Clara. (408) 980-9953. www.JKPSanJose.org.

Women’s Sufi Gathering Discussion of Sufi principles, poetry, literature and meditation. Organized by International Association of Sufism. Berkeley venue to be announced. Sundays, 7 p.m. Free. (510) 849-5309.

Let us brighten your smile! • • • • •

Devotional Meetings Programs includ-

ing prayer, chanting meditations, video discourse (Bhagvad Gita series), arti and homage. J.K.P. Sunnyvale Center, 955 Ponderosa Avenue #27, Sunyvale. Sundays, 7:30-8:45 p.m. (408) 738-1201. dk.taylor@sbcglobal.net days, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. followed by Preeti Bhoj. Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 734-0775. www.sunnyvaletemple.org.

Bhajan, Kirtan, Sathsang or Puja.

Sundays, Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@ gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Monday Bhagavad Gita—The Song of God

with Kamala Lee, teaching the scriptures of the Bhagavad Gita. Organized by Integral Yoga Institute. Integral Yoga Institute, 770 Dolores St, San Francisco. Mondays, 6 p.m.7:30 p.m. $48. (415) 821-1117. www.inte-

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Sri Rudrabhishekam Mondays, 6:30-8

p.m. Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 734-0775. www.sunnyvaletemple.org.

Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati lead Sanskrit chanting, commentary and discussion of scriptures including Lalitha Trishati, Bhagavad Gita, Sundarakand, Chandi Path. Devi Mandir, 6:30 p.m. Live web broadcasts at www.shreemaa.org/ broadcasts (707) 966-2802.

Shiv Puja. 6 p.m. Bhajans with music, discourse, and arati. Vegetarian food served. Free. Shree Ram Mandir, 3401 Claus Rd., Modesto, CA 95355. mandir@modestotemple.org. (209) 551-9820. Rudrabhi Sheka. Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Tuesday Discourses on Sri Rudram. By Vijay

Kapoor. Half hour of chanting followed by explanation of meaning, based on books by

116 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Swami Dayananda Saraswati and Swami Maheshananda of Dakshinamoorti Math. 7:30- 9 p.m. Jain Bhawan, 722 S. Main Street Milpitas. Free. arshavidyacenter.org, vijaykapoor@gmail.com.

Shri Appaji Meditation. Participate in

unique psychosomatic spiritual meditation techniques Shri Appaji has developed after years of in-depth analysis, research, and experiments. Group meditation, discourse sessions. Shri Appaji Meditation Center, Sunnyvale. Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. (women only), 7:30 p.m. (men and women). $10/session, first Tuesday free. Registration required. (408) 7359025. shri_appaji@hotmail.com.

Jain Spiritual Lectures on topics such

as syadwad, anekantwad, nonviolence, forgiveness by samanijies from Jain Vishwa Bharati, Ladnun, Rajasthan. Jain Bhavan, 722 S. Main Street, Milpitas. Tuesdays, 8-9:30 p.m. Free. (408) 262-6242, (650) 207-8196. www.jcnc.org. hirensaraiya@hotmail.com.

Gakara Ganapathy Sahasranama

Hindu Community & Cultural Ctr, 1232 Arrowhead Ave, Livermore. Tuesdays. (925) 4496255. www.livermoretemple.org.

Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda

Saraswati lead Sanskrit chanting, commentary and discussion of scriptures including Lalitha Trishati, Bhagavad Gita, Sundarakand, Chandi Path. Devi Mandir, 6:30 p.m. Live web broadcasts at www.shreemaa.org/ broadcasts. (707) 966-2802.

Sri Hanuman Puja. 6:30-8 p.m. Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 734-0775. www.sunnyvaletemple.org. Osho Meditations. Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. at Amrithika, 248 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto. Free. (650) 462-1980. www.amrithika.com. Hanuman Chalisa and Durga Pooja and Subramanya Strotam. Tuesdays,

7-8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@ gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Chanting Hanuman Chalisa. Chanting of the powerful Hanuman Chalisa in a group grants the devotee protection from all harm and blesses him/her with health, wealth and prosperity. It is followed by special aarthi to Ram parivar (Ram, Lakshman, Sita, and Hanuman). Transcripts of the Chalisa provided (in English, Hindi, and Tamil). Tuesdays, 8-9:30 p.m. Nithyananda Ve-

dic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail.com. www.vedictemplebayarea.org.

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Wednesday Yoga for Wellness. This class will offer tools to help manage stress, enhance the immune system, promote healthy digestion and sleep, and optimize the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own healing mechanisms, by using movement, breath, meditation, and sound in a supportive group setting. Wednesdays, 9-10:15 a.m. Yoga Shala, 330 Melville Ave, Palo Alto. $15. (650) 857-0226. dhurgareddy.nd@gmail.com. www.dhurgareddy.com. Worship Services include a burning bowl

ritual that supports each one in consciously letting go of that which no longer serves our highest good and inviting in that which does. Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, 1146 University Avenue, San Jose. Wednesdays, 12-1 p.m. (408) 283-0221, x30. www.CSEcenter.org.

Bhagavad Gita Class An in-depth explo-

ration of the Bhagavad Gita, led by Vaisesika Dasa Adhikari. ISKCON, 951 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Free. (408) 5593197.

Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati lead Sanskrit chanting, commentary and discussion of scriptures including Lalitha Trishati, Bhagavad Gita, Sundarakand, Chandi Path. Devi Mandir, Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. Live web broadcasts at www.shreemaa.org/broadcasts (707) 966-2802.

Bhagavath Seva - Voluntary Service to

God. Wednesdays, 6:30-8 p.m. Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 734-0775. www. sunnyvaletemple.org.

Ramayana Katha Aranya Kand with pravachan by Shastriji. Vedic Dharma Samaj, Fremont Hindu Temple, 3676 Delaware Dr., Fremont. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. (510) 6590655. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, a discourse by Swami Prapannananda. Vedanta Society of Sacramento, 1337 Mission Ave., Carmichael. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. (916) 489-5137. www. vedantasacto.org. Mandukya Upanishad is a class by Pra-

pannananda on Vedanta scriptures. Vedanta Society of Sacramento, 1337 Mission Ave., Carmichael. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. (916) 4895137. www.vedantasacto.org. www.indiacurrents.com | 117

Devotional Meetings including prayer, chanting meditations, video discourse (Bhagvad Gita series), arti and homage. J.K.P. Sunnyvale Center, 955 Ponderosa Avenue #27, Sunyvale. Wednesdays, 7:30-8:45 p.m. (408) 738-1201. dk.taylor@sbcglobal.net. Satsang. Prayer, chanting meditation,

lecture series on devotional topic (Geeta, Bhagwatam, Brahma Sutra, Upnishads etc.), followed by arti and prasad. Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) Center-San Jose. Wednesdays 7:30-8:45 p.m. 4940 Avenida de Carmen, Santa Clara. (408) 980-9953. www. JKPSanJose.org.

Sri Aurobindo Meditation and Study Group. Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. In

Danville. Free. Open to all. (650) 218-4223. braroo@gmail.com.

Meditation. Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Atmotsava (Ramana Nama San-kirtanam), meditation, readings, devotional

chanting and learning of kirtans. Organized by Society of Abidance in Truth. 7:30-9:30 p.m. 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 425-7287. www.satramana.org.

Atmotsava (Ramana Nama San-kirtanam), meditation, readings, devotional

chanting and learning of kirtans. Organized by Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT). First, third, and fourth Wednesdays of the month, 7:30-9:30 p.m. 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 425-7287. www.satramana. org.

Thursday Yoga for Anxiety, an on-going, drop-in yoga class for people with mild to moderate anxiety as well as for those seeking to reduce anxiety in their lives. Teachers use movement, breath, meditation, and sound in a supportive group atmosphere. Organized by Healing Yoga Foundation of San Francisco. Thursdays, 4-5:15 p.m. 3620 Buchanan St, San Francisco. Donations. (415) 931-9642. admin@healingyoga.org. www.healingyoga.org/ schedule.html. The Secret of the Self, introduction

to meditation and philosophy in the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. Organized by Sri Sambha Sathashiva Vidya Peetham. Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m. Nine Star University of Health Sciences, 441 DeGuigne Drive, Suite 201, Sunnyvale. info@vidyapeetham.org. www. vidyapeetham.org. 118 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba haarathulu dhoop aarti. Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple, 32B Rancho Dr., San Jose. Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. (408) 226-3600. www.vvgv.org. www.siliconvalleyhindutemple.com.

the month, these sessions will be held at 240 Monroe Dr., Mountain View. (650) 323-3363. www.anandapaloalto.org.

Satsang Siddha Yoga Meditation Ctr, 4115 Jacksol Dr, San Jose. Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. (408) 559-1716.

mentary and discussion of scriptures including Lalitha Trishati, Bhagavad Gita, Sundarakand, Chandi Path. Devi Mandir, Fridays, 6:30 p.m. Live web broadcasts at www. shreemaa.org/broadcasts (707) 966-2802.

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St, Los Gatos. Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. (408) 2525299.

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pain, and weight. Thursdays, 10:15-11:15 a.m. Sunnyvale studio. Contact for location, (415) 203-9231, taoak@yahoo.com.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Mind,

guided Kriya meditation led by Pratibha Gramann, longtime student of Sri Baba Hari Dass. Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. Shubhamayurveda Center, 3606 Thornton Ave., Fremont. rmg.pratibha@att.net.

Dada Bhagwanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Satsang. Thursdays,

8-10 p.m. For location, call (408) 910-6052, (408) 578-5685.

Jain Swadhyay with an illuminating study of Jain scriptures Series continues on Samyag Tap, Samyag Gyan, Samyag Darshan and Samyag Charitra, with samanijies from Jain Vishwa Bharati, Ladnun, Rajasthan. Jain Bhawan, 722 S. Main Street, Milpitas. Thursdays, 8-9:30 p.m. Free. (408) 262-6242, (650) 207-8196. www.jcnc.org.

Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati lead Sanskrit chanting, commentary and discussion of scriptures including Lalitha Trishati, Bhagavad Gita, Sundarakand, Chandi Path. Devi Mandir, Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Live web broadcasts at www.shreemaa.org/broadcasts (707) 966-2802.

Shirdi Sai Bhajans. Shirdi Sai Center,

897-B, E. Kifer Rd., Sunnyvale. Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. (408) 705-7904. www.Shirdisaiparivaar.org.

Sri Sai baba Aarti and Bhajana.

Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Friday Kirtan and chanting. Organized by Ananda Sangha. Ananda Sangha, 2171 El Camino (at College), Palo Alto. Fridays, 7:30-9:15 p.m. Free. Note: Only on the first Friday of

Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati lead Sanskrit chanting, com-

Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Parayanam

and Sri Maha Lakshmi Puja. Fridays, 6:30-8 p.m., Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 420-450 Persian Dr., Sunnyvale. (408) 734-4554, (408) 734-0775. www.sunnyvaletemple.org.

Sri Santhoshi Mata, Durga Devi Pooja and Lord Lakshmi Pooja.

Fridays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Kirtan, an evening of chanting. Words

provided. English as well as some Indian chants accompanied by harmonium and guitar. Every second and third Friday, 7:30 pm, Ananda, 2171 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, free (650) 323-3363, free www.anandapaloalto.org

Meditation, self-inquiry meditation instruction by Nome, silent meditation, and dialogues. Organized by Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT). Every first and third Friday of the month, 8 p.m. 1834 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 425-7287. www. satramana.org. Group Meditation with mantra chanting and lecture with Swami Pranavananda, a senior meditation teacher. His kirtan and music is lively and his talks are practical. Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, 1200 Arguello Blvd, San Francisco. Fridays, 8 p.m. (415) 681 2731, SanFrancisco@sivananda.org.

Bhajan Class for Children, ages 4-18.

Fridays, 8-9:30 p.m. Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail.com. www. vedictemplebayarea.org.

Saturday Srivenkateshwara Suprabhata and Vishnu Sahasranama Strotam. Satur-

days, 8-9 a.m. Balaji Temple, 678 Cypress Ave., Suunyvale. (408) 203-1036. Balajitemple1@ gmail.com. www.balajitemple.net.

Simplified Kundalini Yoga (SKY),

plus physical exercises. We guide and initiate

Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Literature, a discourse by Swami Prapannananda. Vedanta Society of Sacramento, 1337 Mission Ave., Carmichael. Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. (916) 489-5137. www.veantasacto.org.

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eN-kriya is a 42-minute process involving intense pranayama (breathing techniques), mudras (yogic hand gestures), asanas (yoga poses), and meditations. At the individual level, one experiences: physical health and healing, emotional well-being, spiritual ripening through kundalini awakening, Levitation and high state of awareness. Enkriya doesn’t contain any religious rituals or beliefs and it doesn’t matter who you follow. Organized by Life Bliss Foundation. Program broadcast live from India. Two-way live connection. Conducted by Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Saturdays, 8-10 p.m. Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 513 Los Coches St., Milpitas. Free. (408) 263-6375. info.vedictemple@gmail.com. www.vedictemplebayarea.org. www.nithyananda.org/en-kriya.

Introduction to Vedanta and Meditation. Based on the text Tattvabodha, by Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s disciple, Vijay Kapoor. 9:30-11 a.m. Jain Bhawan, 722 S. Main Street Milpitas. Free. arshavidyacenter.org, vijaykapoor@gmail.com.

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dear doctor

The Gift of Feeling Deeply By Alzak Amlani

I am a man in my mid-fifties and over the last few years I have become more in touch with my feelings, not just anger and frustration, but also hurt, sadness, tenderness and a sense of vulnerability. I have mixed reactions to these feelings as I was always accustomed to holding it together and being strong. Some people think I am becoming more fearful and weak and others are saying they like me more this way. I am actually confused and don’t know exactly what is going on with me. I feel much more affected by events, people and my inner experiences.

This is a natural stage of development and your feelings of confusion are clearly a part of the range of inner experiences you are encountering. Boys are actually quite sensitive when young. They are often conditioned out of their tenderness into being tough, withdrawn, stoic and even aggressive. Masculinity and strength get defined as being stern and non-affected.

This is an unnatural way of being human. It sets men up for a competitive attitude, distrust and distance from each other. Many boys and men have a hard time talking about personal lives and resort to sports, cars, politics and business topics. This kind of disconnection with our basic human emotionality closes us down and may even lead to depression. There is a good book on this subject by Terrence Real called, I Don’t Want to Talk About it: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression. It offers ways to breaking the barriers that men often build, and having more fulfilling and meaningful inner lives and relationships. The gift of being human is that we can actually be open to a wide range of experiences. Let them in, feel them and have them affect and change us. This is how we grow and become more responsive to our inner life and the situations we find ourselves in. It also makes us more resilient, resourceful and empathetic. Aging, suffering, and being

open to a range of life experiences will erode our rigidity and defensiveness. This can be disorienting and emotionally disturbing. It can also help transform us, if we spend time inquiring into our experiences, getting the support we need, being open and transparent with ourselves and others. This helps us feel more real, even though we might end up feeling vulnerable. Ultimately, we are stronger when we are more connected to our inner selves. This can help us be more pliable and less fixed, more responsive and able to find newer and more attuned ways to actually being present to ourselves, others and life’s changing circumstances and demands. n Alzak Amlani, Ph.D. is a counseling psychologist in the Bay Area. (650)325-8393. Visit www.wholenesstherapy. com.

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classifieds CLASSIFIED ADS: $10.00

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PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE: To place a classified ad online, go to http:// www.indiacurrents.com/forms/placeclassified/ ANNOUNCEMENTS LEARN HINDI-URDU. Live in India with a family of native speakers. 10 Hours/ week. Formal lessons by experienced professor. $600/month total. vedvatuk@yahoo. com. SEEKING EQUITY FILM INVESTORS interested in investing in an Independent Feature Film. A-list cast. Email: bstrambler@yahoo.com. BEAUTY THREADING, FACIAL, HAIR, and full range of Shahnaz products. Khoobsurat Threading, 1014 E El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, CA 94087. Contact Shefali (408) 8350097. KASHISH SALON - Threading, facial/waxing, Hair & Makeup, bridal and wedding studio. Two locations San Francisco (408) 219-0046, Santa Clara (408) 260-2676. CHILDCARE MOST TRUSTED INDIAN DAYCARE by loveable Marathi family in Cupertino. Contact (408) 792-7014 or visit www.gharkuldaycare.com. CLASSES: DANCE CHHANDAM SCHOOL OF KATHAK DANCE. Classes held in Berkeley, Mountain View, San Francisco, San Bruno, San Rafael, and Union City. Beginning classes available in all locations. Call (415) 759-8060 or visit www.chhandam.org. ODISSI DANCE CLASSES with Guru Jyoti Rout. Jyoti Kala Mandir College of Indian Classical Arts. www.JyotiKalaMandir.org.

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indiacurrents.com CLASSES: MUSIC CLASSES OFFERED BY LAKSHMI C. SAXENA in San Jose. North Indian vocal music: classical, semi classical, light music like bhajans, geet, ghazals, film songs, instrumental music: harmonium, tabla. Also Hindi lessons. Available for performances. Call (408) 268-3651 or email Lsaxena99@ yahoo.com. ALI AKBAR COLLEGE OF MUSIC offers study in North Indian classical music. Four 8-week sessions a year are taught by master musicians. Classes are offered in vocal, instrumental and tabla. All are welcome. For more information please call (415) 4546264. CLASSES DE ANZA COLLEGE CUPERTINO, CA Learn Hindi, Earn 5 credits per quarter. Professor Nilu Gupta. guptanilu@fhda.edu. (510)713 - 2500. WEEKEND TUTORING MATH/ENGLISH for students in grade 2-9. After school martial arts taught by a 3rd degree black belt instructor: 4423 Fortran Ct. 95134. (408) 687-8249. KARNATIK MUSIC LESSONS along with Bhajans for kids and Bhajans (many languages) for Adults, offered at Sanatana Dharma Kendra Sunnyvale. Contact (408) 464-3810, email: latha.ganapathy@gmail.com. ART TEACHER WITH MORE THAN 14 years of experience in teaching and selling art. Classes are open for Tanjore oil painting, water colors and charcoal. Classes held in Cupertino. Interested? Please call Namita (408) 242-6361. COUNSELING FREE PEER COUNSELING and support offered to South Asian women. Maitri has a live person handling phone calls 9am-1pm (Mon-Fri) and a voice message helpline at all other times. Are you having problems with your partner? Are you going through cultural adjustment problems? Call (408)4368398. Our South Asian female volunteers speak many South Asian languages. Toll free hotline 1(888) 8-MAITRI or go to maitri@ maitri.org.

IS A FAMILY MEMBER HURTING YOU? Contact Narika, a domestic violence hotline for South Asian women. Our services are free and strictly confidential. Call (800) 215-7308. EDUCATION VEDIC MATH AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT. Sharpen your mental math and problem solving skills. Calculate at lightning speed with amazing ease and accuracy. More information (408)931-1000, vedicmath@comcast.net. FABRICS KHOOBSURAT SAREE PALACE. Visit our showroom for a vast selection of ladies, gents, children clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry etc. (408) 774-1284. FOR SALE INSTRUMENTS - Greatest selection of North Indian instrumetns in the U.S. Ali Akbar College store sells the finest quality sitars, sarods, tanpuras, harmoniums, tablas, flutes, etc. Complete repair service. We ship anywhere in the U.S. 1554 4th San Rafael, CA 94901. Call (415) 454-0581. www.aac. org/shop. HEALTH ARTHRITIS, AUTOIMMUNE-DISEASES, INFLAMMATION, PAIN Allergies, Asthma, Fatigue, Chronic-Illness. Learn how to recover. Two books at Amazon.com. www.RA-Infection-Connection.com. HELP WANTED SUCCESSFUL INDIAN RESTAURANT IN SF Bay Area seeking Assistant Managers & Servers experienced in Indian cuisine. Call Kumar at (650) 245-9575. INSURANCE AMILA INSURANCE SERVICES - Looking for a better deal on Auto Insurance? Call (408) 723-2100.

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Tiger Beat By Aniruddh Chawda

HIMMATWALA. Director: Sajid Khan. Players: Ajay Devgn, Tamanna Bhatia, Paresh Rawal, Zarina Wahab, Mahesh Manjrekar. Music: Bhappi Lahiri and Sajid-Wajid Theatrical release (UTV)

irector Sajid Khan had considerable box office success with Hey Babyy (2007), Housefull (2010) and Housefull 2 (2012). Like anywhere on this planet, three in a row landed Khan the right to an ever larger budget to expand, perhaps experiment or start a new trend. Khan decided on a remake of the 1983 Jeetendra-Sridevi hit Himmatwala. While Himmatwala (2013) misses the originality mark, it does serve as reminder that loud period pieces—with their grindingly repetitious scripts, drum machines and break-neck dance action—are best experienced only once in a lifetime. Circa 1983, when Amitabh Bachchan’s career graph was on a stratospheric trajectory, Bachchan’s presence in Mumbai-based cinema was so entrenched that many of Bachchan’s contemporaries had to re-think strategies to survive. Rajesh Khanna tried 132 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

soft romance movies with much-younger newcomers Poonam Dhillon (Zamana) and Tina Munim (Alag Alag) with limited success. For his part, Jeetendra made a beeline for south India, and rolled out a library of Hindi movies made in Chennai by either Raghavendra Rao (Tohfa, Justice Chowdhury) or K. Bapaiah (Mawaali, Aag Aur Shola)— all, yes all, of which cast Jeetendra opposite Sridevi—a combination that was though most favorable in countering the Bachchan juggernaut. The most successful of the Jeetendra-Sridevi time capsules was Himmatwala, a kitschy fast-action Rao entry itself a remake of the Rao’s own 1981 Telugu hit Ooriki Monagadu. With such a cheesy pedigree, featuring no less than Bappi Lahiri—the gold-chained kind of B-movie musicals—and double-entendre, campy dialog that Kader Khan “pioneered,” the 1983 movie was a time-capsule that simply cannot be watched without an inward smile. Himmatwala 2013 should have registered at least a minor box office tremor—and yet no such luck. The original Himmatwala was a per-

fect storm of light hearted stranger-in-a-strange-land bait that made Jeetendra a viable comeback star while introducing Sridevi to mega stardom. In the lead, Ajay Devgn simply can’t capture the campiness without a uniform and gun he got away with lock, stock and barrel in the 1980’s sendoff Singham. Newcomer Bhatia— while acceptable in her dance moves—does not hold water to Sridevi’s original. Her claim to fame may be that in certain lights she bears a passing resemblance to Sridevi. In a paper-thin storyline, Devgn I-will-make-this-right protagonist arrives at a village to rescue his would be mother (Wahab) and younger sister from the exploits of a corrupt local land-grabber (Manjrekar) and his manipulative underling (Rawal). To keep the machismo factor rolling, the bad guys throw everything at Devgn—the landlord’s hot-headed daughter (Bhatia), a real live tiger and a legion of heavily-muscled goons. The most interesting encounter by far is Devgn taking on the tiger. The tigerchocolate hero combo captured in the same frame—filmed in Thailand and oh-so-realistic—is fun to watch. What made the original Himmatwala tolerable was Bappi Lahiri banking on Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar for the popular “Nainon Mein Sapna” number staged on a sun-drenched south Indian beach with in a faux neo-classical Indian backdrop. While Sajib-Wajid do a decent re-take of Lahiri’s tune and the staging this time is, you know, the same, since, hello, this is a remake, the songs just seem out of place—and to imagine that amounts to serenading a 1983 Bappi Lahiri tune thirty years onwards! n EQ: C+

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Drama King Confessional NAUTANKI SALAA! Director: Rohan Sippy. Players: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kunal Roy Kapoor, Pooja Salvi, Gaelyn Mendonca. Music: Mikey McCleary. Hindi with Eng. Sub-titles. Theatrical Release (T Series).

he last time that Hindi filmmakers successfully superimposed the broad and bold stroke language of a stage drama onto successful movie comedies was perhaps in the 1970s and early 1980s when Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Chupke Chupke) and Basu Chatterjee (Khatta Meetha) hit gold. That is a long time indeed! For this gimmick to work, the right mix of charm, directorial finesse and comic timing all must triangulate with more-or-less pinpoint accuracy. In a remarkable follow up to his highly successful debut in Vicki Donor, Khurrana partners with Sippy to elevate Nautanki Salaa! by nailing the sweet spot smack in between absurd comedy and absurd love triangle. Based on Pierre Salvador’s winsome French comedy Apres Vous (2003) with Daniel Auteuil, Nautanki very naturally translates a French comedy of errors into a frothy Mumbai setting. Ram Parmar (Khurrana), who much prefers his stage name RP, thank you, is a semi successful stage actor hawking his trade by plugging himself into the lead in a play celebrating the life of Raavan, the demon king from the Ramayan. RP’s one weakness—or most obvious weakness, if you will—is that he can’t turn away from anyone who asks for help, surely an odd trait to have in a very crowded city. In a moment of weakness—or moral penitence, if you will—RP rescues Mandar (Kapoor), a suicidal donothing hanger-on who instantly becomes RP’s shadow, alter-ego, uninvited roommate and chief moocher. As RP’s luck would have it, when he attempts reuniting Mandar with his estranged girlfriend Nandini Patel (Salvi), RP finds himself drawn to Nandini. Natuanki Saala! yet again highlights newcomer Khurrana’s expanding screen presence. After scoring a sizable critical and box office hit with his debut in the delightful Vicki Donor last year, Khurrana again proves why he is being lauded as a new breed of front lining names. Not only can Khurrana muster decent mid-tempo serio-comic histrionics in front of the camera, he is also equally talented behind the scenes. In addition to the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, in a

first ever, Khurrana also showcased his vocals with the superb “Pani Da Rang” number from Vicki Donor for which he landed the Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer trophy. In Nautanki, Khurrana does a pretty decent down-tempo turn with “Saadi Galli Aaja,” which he helped write both the music and the lyrics for. And yet, Nautanki is far from a one-man show. Countering Khurrana’s weight are some amazing production values courtesy of the deep pockets at T-Series channeling their clout behind smartly made smaller movies. The Raavan stage play artifacts are beautifully stark and evocative of the evil king’s ten-headed persona. There is also Kapoor, who made his mark as a flatulent and plumber’s crack exhibiting Delhiite in Aamir Khan’s Delhi Belly. Khurrana and Kapoor together are as delightful to watch as Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi were in the Munna Bhai M.B.B.S franchise. Newcomer Salvi provides the right amount of charm in completing this strange love-triangle while TV-star Mendonca adds just a touch of sizzle as RP’s vampy stage co-star. A loose, figuratively modern translation of Nautanki Salaa! is, let’s face it, Drama Queen. Since the key word is Nautanki—which instantly evokes cheap staging, unrehearsed slapstick, pancake-make up “musicals” perpetrated as village road shows from the back of diesel lorries with engines suspiciously always-running as if on standby for quick getaways before restless audiences begin hurling shoes or rotten tomatoes (or even worse) at the stage. That just about

sums up the spirit of Nautanki Salaa! Here’s hoping that Nautanki Salaa! turns into a franchise of sorts for Khurrana, Sippy and company. n EQ: B+ Globe trekker, aesthete, photographer, ski bum, film buff, and commentator, Aniruddh Chawda writes from Milwaukee.

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Sunday, May 5, 2013 5:30 PM Vidwan Sri. T. H. Subash Chandran - Ghatam / Konnakol Sri. Ganesh Kumar - Synthetic Kanjira Venue: Spangenberg Theater, Sri. S. Hari Krishnan - Keyboard Sri. Hindol Chattopadhyay - Sitar 780 Arastradero Rd., Palo Alto, CA Sri. Sankar Viswanathan - Mridangam Tickets: General Seating $20; Preferred: $30; VIP: $50; Sponsors - FREE

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Saturday, May 11 2013 - 5 p.m. Sri Ramakrishnan Murthy - Vocal Sri V.V.S. Murari - Violin Sri Arun Prakash - Mridangam Venue: Center for Performing Arts Menlo-Atherton High School 555 Middlefield Rd., Atherton, CA Tickes: General Seating: $20 Preferred Seating: $30; Sponsors: Free

Sri U. Shrinivas & Sri U. Rajesh - Mandolin Sri Madirimangalam Swaminathan - Mridangam Sri Trichy K. Murali - Ghatam

Venue: Spangenbert Theater Gunn High School 780 Arastradero Rd., Palo Alto, CA Tickes: General Seating: $25 Preferred Seating: $35; VIP: $50; Sponsors: Free

Krishna - Bharatanatyam Sunday, May 19, 2013 - 5:30 p.m. Choreographers - Sri. Shijith Nambiar & Smt. Parvathy Menon Nidheesh Kumar • Sreenath K.R. • Bhavajan Kumar • Divya Shiva Sundar • Sruthy Jayan Sharanya Varma • Venkatesh Krishnan (Stage Lighting Designer) Venue: School of Arts & Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza 1700 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose, CA 95116 Ticketing: General Seating: $20, Preferred Seating: $30, Sponsors: Free. Upcoming FALL Concerts:

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Sri Abhishek Raghuraman and more....

A Jolly Good Show By Madhumita Gupta JOLLY LLB. Director: Subhash Kapoor. Players: Boman Irani, Arshad Warsi, Saurabh Shukla, Amrita Rao. Music: Krsna. Hindi with English Sub-titles. Theatrical Release FOX Star Productions.

t a time when India’s legal-system is under a lot of flak, Jolly LLB is like another well-deserved kick in its pants. Hats off to Subhash Kapoor for this movie which takes the bull by the horn, exposes much that ails India’s legal system and still holds out hope in the form of that one gutsy lawyer, the one conscientious judge and the one honest policeman. The movie revolves around a small-time lawyer from Meerut who dreams big. Jagdish Tyagi aka Jolly (Warsi), decides to move from Meerut to Delhi chasing those dreams but discovers that making it big is as tough, if not tougher, in Delhi. His chance of becoming as big a legal star as Rajpal (Irani), his role-model, ironically comes with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case that he files against the botched-up case Irani has just won. In this David and Goliath story this nobody pitches himself against the formidable Irani, whose expertise and manipulation had just managed the release of a rich culprit. Eighty percent of the film is a taut court-room drama where the two lawyers lock horns under the seemingly bored eyes of judge (Shukla). The credit sequence of two cars racing each-other on empty Delhi streets establishes immediately that the film is taking on the controversial case of a drunk brat driving a BMW mowing down some pavement dwellers under his SUV. What follows is a brilliant expose on the convoluted way our law and order system works in exonerating the rich and guilty. Though predictable in parts, the corrupt police, the mighty rich, talented but corrupt lawyers and judiciary, the film touches upon some other much-reported cases and lays the Indian legal-system bare. And that is the real feather in the director’s cap. From the decrepit courtrooms where, forget AC, even the fans barely work and even the judge is served cold tea, to the local dialect, everything is realistic as opposed to the well-appointed courts and stylized dialogues we’ve so far been used to see in Hindi films.

Situational comedy and some of our most talented comic-actors, Warsi and Shukla, save the film from becoming a documentary. One of the many such spontaneously hilarious scenes is when pandemonium breaks out in the court and the judge can’t yell “order, order” as he is frantically looking for his gavel. And another which draws guffaws is the arrival of the skinny, old policeman Haldiram with a perpetual tendency to asthma and fainting fits as Warsi’s bodyguard! Among the actors, if Warsi is the ambitious lawyer come to life, Irani is at his nasty best with his superior sneer and smooth ways. Shukla, however, takes the cake as the hassled, honest judge who may placate a senior lawyer but is not above shouting him down when he breaks the decorum of “his” court. It’s his summing up at the end which brings home the irony of the long arms of law tied tightly down due to India’s cumbrous system. No matter how clearly the judge sees the case, he’s incapable of doing anything in the absence of “evidence,” which never gets there as the police and lawyers are in cahoots with the goons. What can a common man expect from such a system? The ensemble cast, many from TV and theatre, have been used judiciously without a single superfluous role, be it Jolly’s practical but affectionate brother-in-law, the haughty, old businessman—Agashe, Kaul (Ramesh Dev) as the righteous canteen-wala, the “missing” eye-witness, Albert Pinto, (Harsh Chaya as magically inscrutable as ever) or Haldiram the bodyguard, who finally does his duty at the one critical point he’s supposed to. One minor grouse: While we’re mov-

ing happily away from formula and finding brave new stories and ways of story-telling, why can’t we move away from the mandatory romantic-angle? Frankly, Amrita Rao would’ve have been more convincing as the “voice of reason” as Warsi’s younger sister, which is what she looks more like rather than his love-interest. The chemistry is practically nil and what’s more, nobody would’ve missed a heroine in this court-room saga. The music and background score are where the film loses some ground. The music by Krsna is uninspired at best and unnecessary as it tampers with the flow. The background score, for some unknown reason, travels back in time to the 70s when it used to be a loud cacophony and strives too hard to underline scenes, again, unnecessarily. Subhash Kapoor had told a good story with Phans Gaye Re Obama but here, with a tightened script, he shows a commendable grip and completely deserves all the accolades he’s getting. n EQ: A Madhumita Gupta is a freelance writer and a teacher. www.indiacurrents.com | 137

Lunch At Bay

viewfinder

By Mahendra P. Jaiswal

er n n i w This picture was taken by Mahendra P. Jaiswal at the Marina Bay opposite Berkeley, California. The picture was taken at lunchtime and shows a person feeding the seagulls that were hovering over the man in a bid to grab the feed. Photography is one of Mahendra P. Jaiswalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hobbies. In 1958, one of his photos was selected in a UNESCO contest; and another photograph received the second prize from Kodak. He has printed two booklets of his photo collections. He can be reached at jayjaiswal@sbcglobal.net.

India Currents invites readers to submit to this column. Send us a picture with caption and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll pick the best entry every month. There will be a cash prize awarded to the lucky entrant. Entries will be judged on the originality and creativity of the visual and the clarity and storytelling of the caption. So pick up that camera and click away. Send the picture as a jpeg image to editor@indiacurrents.com with Subject: A Picture That Tells a Story. Deadline for entries: 10th of every month. 138 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

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the last word

I Dream of Gardens By Sarita Sarvate

flower growing on a bush was the amazing discovery of my childhood. We lived in the old city then, where flowers were wilted things wrapped in leaves and sold outside of temples. Or they were strings of jasmine or chrysanthemums draped into women’s hair. They were not objects that one simply looked at for pleasure. Until, at age five, DinooKaka—Uncle Dinoo—took me riding on his bicycle. Aai, my mother, had woven the ends of my long tresses with a red ribbon, the ends of which were tied atop my head. Thus I rode the crossbar, nestling into DinooKaka’s arms. Soon, the narrow gullies gave way to mansions and boulevards. We rode into the wind, faster and faster, until we came upon a tiny bungalow surrounded by a yard. This too was a novelty, for in the old city, houses encompassed courtyards, not vice versa. A young woman welcomed us. Even at that young age I could tell that DinooKaka was romantically interested Plants like birds in her. To leave the young lovers alone, I wandered of paradise and ginger the yard and discovered soared against the back- a flower on a bush. That was my endrop of the blue sea here, trance into the Garden of Eden, made even while the birds sang in a more memorable by the chorus, and the air smelt fact that afterwards, we ate forbidden ice cream of my childhood. served in stemmed glasses at a restaurant. By the time I got home, my hair was a mess. But I didn´t care. I had discovered nature. From that day, I began to dream of gardens. The gardens of my imagination were so very colorful, no real garden would ever come close to them. When we moved to the outskirts of town, I discovered garlands. Every year, during the Ganesh festival, our school organized a garlandmaking contest. I picked flowers off fences and strung them with needle and thread. But when I got to school, I discovered that my entry paled in comparison to other entrants’ broad, multi-string creations with large pendants. Later, when my father built our bungalow and planted a rainbow of zinnias, I chased after the butterflies they attracted. But my favorite plant in that garden was the Lajalu plant, the Shy One, whose leaves closed upon contact. It was by the side of that Lajalu bush that I would play house with my little brother, or later, shed tears over a heart break. For decades, I longed for that Lajalu bush, until a little girl in Argentina brought it to my attention while strolling in the el campo. I continued dreaming of gardens, long after my mother’s nervous breakdown. I would be walking inside a conservatory of flowers in my dream, when looking down, I would see blood and flesh oozing out of my insides. Aai would be sitting on the edge of the lily pond, smelling a rose. I did not need Freud to interpret my dream; it spoke of Aai’s failure to help me with my adolescent dilemmas. In India, Mughal Gardens were considered the very essence of paradise. When I finally saw the Shalimar Gardens, on a college trip to Kashmir, its soaring poplars, its cascading waterfalls, its terraces, its tranquil ponds, and its Son et Lumiere show at dusk, seemed like

144 | INDIA CURRENTS | May 2013

poetry. But the gardens were geometrical, not quite what I had fantasized. At the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, my friend Bakul taught me Ikebana, with stalks of cherry blossoms sheltering a trio of buds. Here was a new esthetic, of balance and asymmetry. It was then I began to dream of Japanese gardens. But I did not see one until San Francisco. Alas, that Japanese garden, like much of Golden Gate Park, was functional, not surreal. My longing for gardens continued. In California, I had expected gardens, like everything American, to be larger than life. So I was disappointed to discover that they mostly consisted of greenery. The only exception was the Berkeley Rose Garden, where arcades of rose vines descended down terraces overlooking the blue bay. But groping around its steps in the dark with a group of Indian students, I never saw its charm. Instead, I watched my friends plunder roses for our rooms in I-House. I know. Only the Indians, right? In New Zealand, gardens were a mix of tropical and temperate flora. There I found the garden closest to my imagination. It was an English garden, wild, full of colorful bushes competing for space. You could smell the musty earth here, as stalks of phloxes and irises reached for the sun from a dense undergrowth. It was this garden I would visualize years later, as I would read The Secret Garden to my sons. The Hawaii Botanical Garden in Hilo was a dream, although not quite my dream. Plants like birds of paradise and ginger soared against the backdrop of the blue sea here, while the birds sang in a chorus, and the air smelt of my childhood. But the best garden I have ever seen was on a hike in the Trinity Alps. I was lagging behind on a ridge when I came upon a hillside covered with wildflowers. The mountain was a panorama of colors, arranged so esthetically, no human could have conceived such a fantastic design. It is this garden I see now in my mind’s eye whenever I think of gardens. Recently, I had a chance to visit the Huntington Gardens of Pasadena. They were so dreamy, they looked like palettes painted on the ground. There were cactus gardens and Australian gardens and jungle gardens and lily ponds. But what mesmerized me the most were the Japanese and the Chinese gardens, with waterfalls and ponds and bridges and pagodas stretching as far as the eye could see. The air was misty, the smell of a different world. I have always had a garden. And be it in New Zealand or California, it has always had a strawberry patch. I remember the lushest peach blossoms in my garden the year my older son was a baby. I recall the first crop of persimmons so large and custard-like, people from all over the Bay Area drove by, begging to eat them. Now I have a Fuji apple, a plum, and a pear tree, waiting to fruit. The most blissful time of the day for me is when I sit in my garden soaking the sunshine and watching the hummingbirds hovering all around. I wish people treated gardening as the prime and sacred art that it is. n Sarita Sarvate writes commentaries for Pacific News Service and KQED. Visit www.saritasarvate.com

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