Kipling's magical poetry

VIKAS DATTA explores the famed author's works ofsoldiers, monarchs and revenue-raising

ifted novelises ha\7e n e\7e r been confined co a spec ific genre, or even to a form of literature, for they are ad roit tn weav ing mag ic with words, using them in sentences o f matchless prose or evoking their aesthetic and rhythmic aspects in verse. Bur someh ow their poetic contribution is always overshadowed b y their prose co rpu s Sir Walter Scott, Hans Ch r istian Andersen, Thomas Hardy, right down to M ich ael Ondaatje, Alice Wal ker, Ru sseU Banks,John Updike, Vladimir Nabokov, Er ica Jong and their ilk are not e.xactly more famous as poets. But there was one who strode both sp he r es with aplomb - and Rud ya rd Kipling's art was recognised by conferment o f th e Nobel Prize for Litera ture - tl1e fii·st ever to an E nglish writer.

Kipling's (1865 -1936) prose creatio n s, n ot onl y the Irish boy drawn into the "Great Game" or the foundling who is raised in the jungle b y a wolf- pack, b uc also from the w ider a nimal ki ngdom like the faitl1ful mongoose, the intrepid wolf, the wise bear, or tl1e evil tiger, have achieved bounc11ess fame, fo r which rea der has not come across the names of Kim, Mowgli, Rik:i-Tiki -Tav i, A kayla, Baloo and Shere Khan? But, he also penned enduring verse - about me o ld but brave water bearer Gunga Din, that solem n admonitio n of duty and scoicism '1f", t he ep ic adventure in " The BalJad of East and West'', and tl1e m uch -pilloried but as much misunderscood ' 'The \V h ite Man's Burden".

Kipling's poetry covered a wid e range - histor y, both Euro pean and Indian, nature and the vi ews of animals, and even clever parodies o f meclieval Persian poets like Omar Khayyam and his " Ru baiyyac" and Hafiz

Some of h is most effecti \7e poetry - tha t will strike a chord even today - is about the treatment o f the ordinary soldier - active or r etired.

" Tommy", short for Tomm y

Atki n s, a generic name for a British soldier, end s with a warning :

For· it's Tovmry this, rm ' To1JJl!Q! that, an' 'Chuck hi111 011t, the brt1te!' But it'.r '.'iauiom· of 'is cotmf!y' 1/Jhen the gum begin to shoot/ A 11' it '.r Tom11'Y this, a11' Tollllll)' thtil, an' anythi11gJ1011 please

An' To11111ry ain't a bloomin'fool - yo11 bet that ToJJ111ry sees!"

Egual.ly distressing is the condition of the Charge o f the Li g h t Brigade's su rvivor s:

There 111ere thirty 111illio11 English 11Jho talked ef E11gla11d's t11ight

There IJ)et e f1JJe11!J brok.en troopers who lacked a bedfor lhe night

Thry had 11eitherfood nor 111onl!)', thg• had neither service nor tmde

Thry were on(y shiftless soldiers, the last ef the Light Brigade

A deputation goes to Lord

Tennyson, who immortalised them in ve r se, and mal,es a plaintive request: No, thank you, we do n 't wan t food, sir; bm couldn't you take an ' writ e

A s01t qf 'to be conh1111ed' a11d 'see uext page' o'the fight?

We think that someone has bl1111dered, a11' co11/d11'tyo11 te/l'em ho1JJ?

¥011 1/J1·ote 111e IJ/ere heroes 011cc, sir.

Please, 1JJrite //JC are starving 1101/1

K ipling could as easily bring ep isodes of I ndian history, real or apocryph al , to vhTid life - as in "Akbar's Bridge" whe n:

Jelaludin Muhammed Akba1; G11ardia11 ef Ma11ki11d Mo ved his standards rtut ef D elhi to Jaunpore ef lower Him!, 111/'here a mosq11e 1JJa.r to be builded, and a lovelier m 'er was planned.

Wan dering along the Gom ti at dusk, the emperor tries to he lp an irate, s tranded w idow, fer r ying her across the river but getting c lawed by tl1e woman w h o has now idea of who b e is I-le recounts his d o lorous ad ven tures to h is

V ic eroy Munim Khan

A nd he mderl, '.S'ire of Asses-Capo11O11Jl's Oum Uncle-kno)J)

I-most impotent ef bung!ers-1-this ox

1})ho ca11not 1'011-'• l-Jela/11di11 M11ha11m1ed Akhoi; G11ardia11 ef MankindBid thee h11ild the hag her bridge 1md put 0111· mosquefiwll 011t t0i mind.

He could pen heartfelt tributes - as to the larger - tha n life US President (and hw1rerconser\7ationisc:, war hero, explorer, author, progressive politidan a n d No b el Peace Prize winner) Theodore Roosevelt in

"Great- Heart".

Hard-schooled l:ry lo11gp01/Je1; Yet 111ost h11111b!e ef 111ind [J7h ere aught that he was Might advantage 111ankind

Leaf semant, loved master, Rare co111rnde, St/1'1' guide Oh, our 111orld is 11011e the safer No1JJ Great-F-Ie01t hath died!

But Kipling is also an incomparable parodist, using the R11ba!Jyat to portray cra\7ails of Auckland Colvin, tl1e finance member (1883- 87) in the council of Vi c eroys Ripon and D ufferin in raising resources i n India. No111 the N e]J) Y er,r, revivi11g last Year}

D ebt The Thoughifit! Fisher msteth IJ)ide his Net;

So I 1vith begging Dish and reacfy Tongue A ssail all Men for all thr,t I can get P,91 and J promise 1?J the Dmt of Spri11g , Riltrenchment If my promises ran bring Co111fort, Ye have Them 110111 a tho11sa11dfold-

By A !!ah! l will promise A11ythi11g!

The sentiments will be well understood both by finance m in i sters - and tax payers!

Sweet tooth? Add a little nutrition to your Diwali

Diwali, the festival of lights, is just around t he corner. A celebratio n of good n ess, knowledge a nd hope, every Indian household looks forward to this festival irrespective of caste, creed or reli gion.

A profusion of traditional sweets and s nack s are prepared in every home. In fact, delicious, ghee- laden sweets have become so much of a highlight o f Diwali , that many even refer co it as the 'festival o f sweets'.

The Indian sweetmeats also known as mithai are n ot just desserts. These delicio u s, sweet morsels nibbled through the entire festival period are ofte n considered a co mbinatio n o f snack, co nfectio nar y and dessert.

Bac k home in Indi a, this is the time when yo u get together with the ocher female members o f the h ouseho ld preparing the sweets and s nacks in advance. It is customary to exchange sweets with famil y and friends during this co lourful festive season and some of the traditional Diwali sweets include laddoo, barfi, hallJ!u, sohan papdi, mmvu kachori, 111oti pak, packed in beaucifull y decora ted boxes l'v[y pick for this fescive season is the barfi, a s imple mithui made from milk, g hee and sugar. There are plen ty of v ariacions bu t some o f t he famous ones include the besrm barfi (mad e with gra m flour), kt!J11 burfi (a lush addition of cas hewnuts) ,pista barfi (wi th the g reen goodnes s of pistachios), coconut bfJlji (with the sweetness of fres hly grated coc o nut) This D iwali, l ee's add a heal thy nv isc to our hwnble barfi with this delicious carrot or g'!}ar hmfi

Carrots have an extremely high nutrition proiiJe; packed with vita min A and antioxidants, it is indeed t he common man's powerfood. The carrots n ot only lend nutritio na l goodness to this barfi, but the beautiful ora nge colour imparted makes it perfect fo r this colourful festi ve season.

Being such a s imple recipe, preparing sweets this Diwali does not have co be a chore. These can be made ahead of cime and also in bulk co be distributed a mong

INDIANLINK family and friends. And a plus facror - kids love it!

Eaten on its own , or served with a dollop of ice -cream, this gorgeous ly delicio us, health y carrot lra,fi will definitely be the 'wow' factor at your dinner parties.

So, here's how you make these soft, melt in the m o uth , carrot cakes w ith a h int of cardamo m, sweet raisins and crunchy almo nds.

, :I (Makes 8 squares)

3 tbsp ghee

2-2 ½ cups grated carrots

1 cup milk

½ tsp cardamom powder

½ cup sugar (or as per taste)

Pinch salt

2 - 3 tbsp go lden raisins (optional)

Toasted almonds or cashew nuts for garnish

Heat ghee in a large pan Add the grated/ €hopped ca rrots and saute on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.

Now add milk, cardamom powder and¼ cup sugar and cook the carrots further. When most of the liquid evaporates, taste and add more sugar, golden raisins and a pinch of salt. I ended up using slightly less than½ cup of sugar as I like the barfi to have the natural sweetness of carrots.

• The sugar will introduce some more liquid.

Stir constantly and cook it further till fairly dry. The barfi is done when the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and starts to come together. It will also have a lovely sheen to it.

Remove from heat and spread the barfi onto a greased plate/flat dish and flatten to 1/2 inch th ickness. Top with toasted almonds or cashew nuts. Cool slightly in pan and refrigerate till set.

Cut into squares using a greased knife and serve. The barfi wi ll be set, but with a soft, melt-in-the-mouth consistency. Refrigerate any leftovers in a closed container.

The carrots are cooked in milk to make the barfi creamier. If you are vegan, use vegan butter instead of ghee, and water or milk substitutes instead of regular milk.

For an even easier recipe, use sweetened condensed milk instead of milk and sugar. Use beetroot instead of carrots to make beetroot barfi Beets may need more milk as they take longer to cook.

Asymbol of hope, faith and divinity since the beginning of time, light has been elaborately incorporated i nto various religious, cultural and traditional celebrations around the world As a tribute to Diwali - one of the best known festivals of lights - this month we've compiled a list of top ten festivals that emulate its tradition of lighting up the world.

10. St Martin's Day

Celebrated in remembrance of Saint Martin, the patron of the poor, this event takes on a new meaning in the Netherlands where it is commemorated with lights

As the day of feasting draws to a close on 11 November each year, the night is lit up with children heading out carrying lanterns and singing songs i n praise of'SintMaarten.'Their door knocking is rewarded with candy and other sweet treats from neighbours and friends

9 Kobe Luminari e

The city of Kobe in Japan observes an annual illumination festival in December in memory of the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 The devastating event left 6000 dead and many without electricity and food Using lights to express hope and recovery for the victims has continued as a tradition ever since. The festival features hundreds of thousands of lights and hand painted lanterns, and is viewed by millions

8. Umbanda

The people of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil head to Copacabana, lpanema and Leblon beaches to honour the African Goddess lemanja as the clock strikes midnight on 31 December every year The beaches are speckled with lighted candles, and gifts of flowers and perfumes are thrown in the sea as offerings lemanja is revered as the Goddess of the Sea and Carnal Pleasures by the followers of the Umbanda religion, but other festival loving Brazilians join in the dancing and smoking that continues through until dawn

7. Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival is celebrated in China with much pomp and show to indicate an official end to the Lunar New Year celebrations It is a festival of great significance in the Chinese calendar marked with a spectacle of lights and fireworks Magnificent paper lanterns (usually red in colour for good luck) are set free at night to symbolise letting go of the past and ushering in new beginnings Children head to the temples carrying lighted lanterns while solving riddles written on them

6 Santa Lucia Day

Saint Lucia's Day is celebrated in many Scandinavian countries on 13 December to mark the winter solstice and the beginning of the Christmas season In Sweden , the day is celebrated with lights, parades, candles and girls dressing up as Saint Lucia Traditiona lly, the eldest daughter of the family rises early in the morning on the day, dresses in white, wears a crown of l ighted candles and serves coffee and special buns to t h e rest of the family The name Lucia is associated with light.

5 . Loi Karathong

Held annually on the evening of the 12th lunar month, Loi Karathong is the Thai festival of l i ghts paying homage to the water spirits The event is observed by locals creating beautiful floating arrangements consisting of incense sticks and a candle On the night ofthe full moon, people launch these arrangements in the sea, rivers , canals or ponds, making wishes as they do so. Almost all waterways in the country present a spectacular sight on the night with little bobbing lights as far as the eye can see

4 Kwanzaa

This week-long holiday is celebrated in honour of the culture and traditions of African descendants in America During the festivities, candles are lit every day, gifts exchanged and a feast shared The ritual includes the pouring of a drink as an offering to God The main symbols of Kwanzaa are the unity cup, a candle stick holder, seven candles, a mat, the Kwanzaa flag and a poster with seven Kwanzaa princi ples: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, co-operative economics, purpose, creativ ity and earth. The celebration has been observed from 26 December to 1 January every year si nce 1966

3. Hanukkah

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins on the 25 111 day of the month of Kislev and ends on the 2nd day ofTevet on the Hebrew calendar It is known as the Festival of Lights as it celebrates the historic event of the liberati ng ofth e Temple and the miracle of a lamp that burned for eight days, even though it had o il for only one. A new candle is lit on each of the eight nights ofthe festival to mark the miracle Special food is prepared and gifts given to children

2. Christmas

Ch ristians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with a massive show of lights on the 25th of December every year. Th is is the biggest light festival celebrated i n countries around t h e world An explosion of lights i s on display as houses, gardens and streets are i lluminated with strings of lights, Christmas trees are decorated with fairy lights and candles, and log fi r es adorn t h e interiors of European homes Festive foods, gifts and cards hel p spread good cheer and make this celebration complete

1 Diwali

Diwali, or Deepavali, is also known as the Festival of Li ghts, and falls on the 15t h day of the Hindu month of Kartik. It is one of the major religious festivals of the worl d and is celeb rated in October or November every year Devotees commemorate the victory of good over evil by decorating the ir houses with clay oil lamps and candles, sharing sweets, buying new cl othes and visiting family and friends. Although mainly a Hindu festiva l, it is also considered auspicious by Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains. In India today, people of all faiths join in the five-day family festivities

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ARIES tv1arch 21 - April 19

October is going to bring many changes in all areas of your life. You will feel settled in your relationship, though the cards are showing that you may at times feel that you are trying to force issues that your partner may not feel the same about. Work will bring many new avenues, and you must charge forward with all your brilliant plans now. This month upsets with friends and colleagues will be resolved.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

This month will be a great time to relax and enjoy taking it easy. There will be social events with family so this is chill out time for you. You need to take things easy and this is the right time. The cards are indicating a time to spend time in clean, fresh air and take advantage of nature. There has been a lot of pressure on you in your work and you will find that things will be a lot easier from now on.

GEMINI tv1ay 21 - June 20

This is going to be a month of new fun and friendships. Make sure you keep a check on all your finances and bills this month and don't let anything go unpaid. You need to make a list of all the things that need to be paid and when. You will be busy making plans for the end of the year and you may be a bit absent minded. Try notto over indulge with heavy food this month.

CANCER June 21 - July 20

This month you will be doing a lot of socialising with your family. You seem to have been too wrapped up with your work and friends. Now you will be making more time for your loved ones, and it is needed. Do not be Impulsive with your speech, as you may offend a few people. Work will be hectic and at times you will feel very over burdened. It will seem as though you are not making progress. Get p l enty of sleep.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

You are feeling very happy and looking at your life and surroundings in a very positive manner. You are making sure that things work out for you both professionally and personally. With work you are looking to expand your areas of expertise. There will be many more contracts and negotiations taking place. The cards are indicating a time oftravel and experiences for you. Take time out to have romantic meals with your lover.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

This month you will be feeling a little stressed out. Relationships may not be going the way you desire. There will be a need for you to try and control situations around you, which will not work. You need to use tact and love. You do at times rush in with all guns blazing. There will be peaceful resolutions and tranquillity and ha.rmony will return.

Work will be explosive at times with demands being made of you.

PR~DI CTI ONS ~O R OCTOBER

By NANCY JADE ALTM EA

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

Your mind seems to be working overtime, you have so many thoughts and ideas that you seem to be sleeping awake. Try and do some meditation to keep yourself grounded and calm. This month you will be taking part in more social events, where you will find a lot of new and interesting friends. The cards are indicating a time when you may find a new love interest. Listen to relaxing music before bedtime to help you sleep better.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

This month you seem to be catching up with all your chores around the house. There may be things that you have neglected so you will be spending time doing a bit of DIY and this will be therapeutic in its own way. Things have been very stressful with work, but your hard work will pay dividends. You may be in line for a promotion or increase in pay. Make sure you are exercising to keep your mind and body in balance.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

This could be a month where you need to appear calm and collected. There will be many demands made of you at work. You also need to be careful how you speak to your colleagues as there could be someone who is trying to catch you out. Relationships will be strained as there could be some issues around family and their health. The cards are indicating that you could be looking to move to a new home or buy a new car.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

This month your main focus will be your social calendar. There will be a lot of invitations and events that you are invited to, so keep yourself well-paced as you have a habit of overdoing it. There will be some interesting developments With work. You will be meeting people in authority and discussing new ideas and plans for the future. The cards are showing a very busy time ahead for you. Make sure you do not strain your knees.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - f=eb 18

You need to be a bit cautious with your activities this month. If you are planning any dangerous sports or holidays including hiking mountain climbing or such take it easy on yourself. You need to relax in calmer surroundings. Work has been very demanding and, as you are always wanting to please your superiors, you have had to work hard and do a lot of overtime. Take care of your health especially your immune system.

PISCES f=eb 19 - March

20

This month you will book yourself a lovely vacation, as you need to take the strain off your weary body. Things have not been easy for you this year so far and it is time to totally unwind. You may be planning a new business venture, but you need to take care of your belongings as you are a little careless lately. You may be worried about the health of a younger member of your family. Lots of fresh air is needed.