2020-11 Melbourne

IndianLink

PUBLISHER PawanLuthra

EDITOR

RajniAnandLuthra

SOCIAL MEDIA

SuruchiSehgal

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

PreetiJabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

e rann

1s ance

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

nAustralianclassicbywellknownhistorianGeoffrey Blaineyusesthe phrase "thetyranny ofdistance''

10 describehow distanceandisolation have shapedAustralia'shistoryandits nationalidentity.

holidayitinerariesinIndiaareplanned, shoppingisdoneforfamilyandfriends, andshoppinglistsare preparedfor 1J1dia.Thereisasenseoffreedominthe airasoneheadstowardsDiwaliandthe plannedholiday.

0home-schooled.Thiswillextendto Diwalicelebrationstoo,aspeoplespend moretimeinquasi-isolation.

SALES

CharutaJoshi

Indian Unk is a monthlynewspaper published in English No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Unk, may be reproduced m partorinwholewithoutthewrittenconsentofthe editor.Opinionscarriedin Indian Linkarethoseof thewntersandnotnecessarilyendorsedbylnd1an Link. Allcorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedto:

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FormostmigrantsfromIndia, especiallythosewhohavearrivedon theseshoresinthelast decade,the distancebetweenlhe two countriesbas notbeenamajorissue.The tyrannyof distancehasbeenconqueredbyfast internet,WhalsApp, Facebook,and flightsfromamultitudeofairlineswith reasonable prices.Grantedlhe 12-18hourflightbackhomeislong,butmost takeitasPhaseOneoflheirholiday.

Itisaroundthistime eachyear thattheannualpilgrimageto India begins. Airlines,knowingthe demand willbe heavy,hikeup theirfares, and the challengeisto getawaybefore thisprice increase.Timeisallocated betweenvariousfamilymembers,

01 thislime.ThiswillbeaDiwali unlikeanyother.ThelocalIndian communityhasbythistimeofyear usuallybeenloanoverloadofDiwali partiesandn1elas.Thefairsorganisedby variouscommunityorganisationsaround Australiahavebeenseeinggrowing numbersinattendance everyyear. It is believedrhatto theweekendleadingto Diwali,upto 100,000 Indian Australians willhaveattendedonefairortheolher nationally. Andthisdoesnotinclude those going tothevarioustemplesto offertheirprayers, orthose tensof thousandsgoingto thegarba-dandiya dancenights.Thecommunityisbuzzing andalivewiththefestivityofDiwali.

Thisyear,withsocialrestrictionsin place,the celebrationswillbemore personal.Smallgatheringsathome, restrictednumbersatfunctionplaces, socialprotocolatplacesofworship.The themeofthiscoronaviruspandemichas beentobringfamiliesclosertogether,as peopleworkedfromhome,andstudents

WhatwiUbemore difficultisthe inabilitylo travelLoIndiatospendthe festivalseasonwithfamily, especially theciders.To mostIndian-Australians, havingspentthelasteightmonths lockedupinthisislandcontinent,the inabilityto travelwillstarttohithome. Chancesare,ourtravelrestrictionsmay applywellintothenextyear, andthe circuitbreakerwillbe the discoveryand massrolloutofavaccine.

Forthosewithfamiliesandstrong supportnetworksin Australia, this too willpass; buttolhose here by themselves,especiallystudents,thenext fewweekscanbe challenging.

Markingfestiveoccasionsonone's owncanbe gloomy, andavirtual Diwali, lhougbtheorderofthe day, isnosubstituteforphysicalproximity andthelaughter,funandfrolicofa traditionalDiwali.

Perhapsil'stimeforthesettled communitymembers to opentheir homesupto these studentsthisDiwali. Afterall,isn't Diwalia timewhenLord Ramwaswelcomedhome?Timeforus todosonow,for those inneedin2020.

BageshriSavyasachi,RheaL Nath, ShaniaO'Brien,SuruchiSehgal, RitamMitra,GauravMasand, MinalKhona,FarzanaAhmad

SPECIAL FEATURES

HERITAGE

Australia's first Sikh temple gets heritage status

TRADITION

Ancient Indian board games

SPECIAL FEATURE

Steve Waugh's India, in a new bookofphotos

DIWALI

Kids' Diwali art contest: Winners

CRICKET

#AusVlnd: Bring it on!

18 24 28 30 38 30

RELISHING A COVID DIWALI

What you'll miss most, PLUS, 12 fun and quirky new ideas for a Diwali in a strange year

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YOUR SAY

THEARCHIBALDS

RAJNI ANANDLUTHRA reported ontheSydneyartist ClausStangl's portrait of L-FRESH The LION at this year'sArchibaldPrizeexhibition.

Phlllp Stassi wrote: "An interestingAustralian..." indeed. Theartist deserveshighpraisefor thesewordsandthis approach.The portrait isbeautifulandarresting.Hemadeanoblepictureof a noble-looking man.

HarJas Doabla wrote: Sogood toseeL-FRESH at theArchies. He'spopped up thisyearin somanyplaces, onABC'sQ andA andinone of your own video series.Andnow at theAGNSW inagiant painting.Alsoloved yourpieceon RameshMario'sself-portrait attheArchibaldPrize. Both menofcoursewill soonbeseen inArchie Plus, anArchibald offshoot atthe Gallery, involving portraitsof otherkindssuchasin sculpture, musicanddance.

ONTHATTANISHQAD

Readers weighedin onthe controversysurroundingthejewelleryadin India that wasforced tobe withdrawn forits liberalleanings.

Dhanya Samuel wrote: From asecular democraticIndia, wehavebecome a fascist, non-secular country.

Shweta Deshpande wrote: Whatis wrongwththisad?Itisa wonderful inclusivework.

Gino Rikhye wrote: Hateiseasiertopropagatethanlove.

Renu Datta wrote:Thisisaone-sidedview, respect theother view too.Only demandisnexttime, thesecularpicturebereversed, withaHindugroom and Muslim bride.It will bethe bestexampletoshowsecularismand tolerance. Smritl Jalswal wrote: Nothing wrong withthisad. GrowingupinIndia,Ihad manyfriendsthat wereMuslims.Neverdidit occurtomewhat religionthey were. Lovejihadisa ridiculousidea. Peoplecanchoosewhichever religion they want tomarry, that's theirhumanright.Also, if thisadhad theroles reversed, I still wouldlike it. Becausehateisnot thepoint. I think many would agree welove peacefullyinIndia withfreedomtofollowanyreligion-mosques andtemplessideby side.enjoyingRamzanandDiwalione aftertheother Religionunites us, not dividesus.

Ananya Hazra wrote: What's theprobleminthisad?Onereligion is celebratingtheotherreligion'srituals, what's the issue in that?Doesthe Hindu notcelebrateChristmas bycutting cake anddecoratingSanta? No one protestsforthat, then whyare people protesting forthis?Ritualsare only for self-satisfactionand for societyshow-offs. So, beitHindu, MuslimorChristian ritual.what'stheproblemin celebratinganyritualsby any individual?What isreligion, bythe way -whenwewere bornwe didn'tcomewithany special mark forourreligion.Allof usarehuman; anyone cancelebrate anyritual, howdoesit matter?Whydopeople differentiate?

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

MAKINGMEN OUTOFOUR BOYS

AUSTRALIA'SFIRSTSIKHTEMPLE

RAJNIANAND LUTHRA reported on Gurdwara Sahib atWoolgoolgaNSW being granted heritagestatus.

Renu Datta wrote:Alwaysthememorablestoppage whiledrivingbetween NSWandQLD, nowtotheside.

TJSingh wrote: Maywe keepexcelling. May wealwaysstand together.

Amblka Glrglanl wrote: I've alwaysloved going tothis Gurudwara.

Andrea Stewart wrote:Ireadwithinterestyourarticleabouttheheritagelisting ofthefirstSikhtempleinthelatestissueofthepaper. Ithoughtyoumight be interested in aphotoof thefirstcommitteein1968 that youmightnothave seen. MyfatherBertStewartwasthepublicanmentioned inthearticle.

SAYIT AGAIN

In thewake oftheShore School's year12muckupdaysaga, academic leaderMOHANDHALL wroteabout theshift weneed in ourboys' education Glen M wrote: I likethe waythisgivessolutions.

Geetha R wrote: "Impact ofimpulsivityon personal life". Ilikedthis linea lot

Cansomeonejusttext me what we'reoutraged about today- Idon't havetimeto gothrougheveryone'stweets

Whitney Cummings, comedian

Someof youhavenever ordered achailatte from Starbucksin front ofyour immigrantmotherandseenthe paininhereyesanditshows Ashml, Twitteruser

RahulDravidis anamazing person, he's lowkey and humble. AndMukeshAmbani -I'dliketoknowhow he's beensosuccessful. Hehasa greatinfluencer over people. Hecanreallymake adifferencein people'slives.

Steve Waugh, onIndiancelebritiesheadmiresmost

NOTARY PUBLIC VSJUSTICEOF PEACE

TheConsulateGeneralofIndia(Sydney)recentlyannouncednewrules accordingtowhichcertaindocumentswill now needtobe certifiedby aNotaryPublicratherthanaJusticeofPeace(JP). Themovewasmet by complaints, givenitcostthelocalcommunityhundredsofdollarsin documentation

Amrtt Jagota wrote: Priceis one factorin gettingdocs done fromNotary Public.AccesstoNotaryPublicisthesecondfactor. Rather, whynotletus makeself-attestations, a practice whichishighlypromotedandusedin

India

Aartl Agarwal wrote:Thenew rule onlycameinduetorortsby some people. Itis acost indeed, buthowelsecanweassuretheauthorities that documents are genuine.

Amrtt Jagota again:Thenew ruleisnot triggered bynon-genuine documents. Itismainly fromtheinterpretationthatJP certification inNSWis not appropriate, wheninfactithasbeenalwaysbeenthepractice.

Pradeep Dhavallkar wrote:AsaJPmyself,IcontactedtheNSW Department ofJusticeaboutthe new Consulate ruleregardingcertification ofcopies.TheyhaveclarifiedthatJPs areauthorisedtocertifythecopies of any documentsas far astheysight theoriginal. I'mforwardingto you theresponse fromthem.(DearMrDhavalikar,JPsforNSWcancertifya true copyofany documentno matterwhere itcomes from,as longasthe documentisan original. Howeverdifferentcountries, organisationsand Departmentshave theirownregulationsandGuidelinesaswhattheywill accept. Kindregards, JohnKurmann, DepartmentofCommunitiesand Justice).It would be greatly appreciatedifIndianLink takesthisforward with IndianConsulatefor clarificationandconfirmation

Join the conversation with Indian Link. Use our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, lnstagram or Linkedln. Or email us on editor@indianlink.com.au

Halloweenis aday whenwhitepeople finally getasked"What areyou?"

Harl Kondabolu, comedian

I've beencelebrating "donut day" every day since 1997, and that has nothing to dowith the virus

Byron Kaye, Reuters journalist

TEACHING PEACE

Youlikedourfeature onMelbourneeducatorMargaretHepworth's experimentswithGandhian methodology.

Margaret Hepworth wrote:You capture the essence ofmy work, Isincerely appreciate this.Ireceiveda beautiful messagefromDr ElaGandhi-Gandhi's granddaughter-yesterday. Shesays"Let ustogetherachieve apeacefuland betterworld. Togetherwecanachievea lot."I believeweareall working on this togetherand itisaspecial blessing whenthe mediachoosestosupport movementsthatare findingourwaytowardsworldpeace

Arunoday Basak wrote:Fascinatingto seeGandhi at workinthismanner. AroundGandhiji'sbirthday inOctober everyyear, themediapresents many articlesonthe'relevance'ofthemanincontemporarytimes.Yourpiece showsa practical applicationthatseemsto besuccessful.

MYINSTA

Send us aphoto(orlnstagram one)ofIndianLink inyourdailylife, andwe'll pick oneto feature here.

Reader Riya. I sent usthispie: Sneakingina read between assignments.

Isaw babyducksonmy walk thismorning! Iswear, with Melbourne lockdowneasing, the worldJust seemslikea brighter, happier place. Sograteful.

Zoe Simmons, writer

Iused to retweetalot because itwaseasy andused verylittle energytoclick once. Butnowit's TWO clicks, andthat'stoomuch energy. What amI?Atriathlete?

Andre Borges,journalist

After2 weeksofmultiple healthscreensandasking everyonetoquarantine,I surprised my closestinner circle with atripto Woolworths Bridle Jabour, writer

Over $2000 in prizes for lighting up your home!

It's the year to get those Diwali lights out big time!

WorldRemit and Indian Link invite families across Australia to decorate the exterior of their homes with lights to celebrate Diwali.

The competition is for everyone, including non-Indians - you can just keep the lights up until Christmas!

Diwali during a global pandemic is probably something you never saw coming. You know usually how during this season, there's a strong urgeto avoid over-zealous relos andjust muck around with mates? Maybethat urge eroded awaythese past few months, and you mightjust do whatever ittakesto feel like you're living in a pre-COVID world. Well, you're not the only one. If you thought this year's Diwali would be a downer, you're highly mistaken. Knowing thatthere are people outthere who share your feelings, can be comforting. Hereare some eccentric excerpts that might help your Diwali withdrawal and renew yourfaith in the festive season. From spiked sharbatto pompous parties,folks tell us here whatthey love, hate or miss aboutthe Festival of Light.

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

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Ran!Jofi rivalry

AASH· IYER

Growingup, the only time I d beexcited to get up early in the morning, was during Oeepavali. All because I was entrusted with the major responsibility of making rangoli in front of the house (Rangoli is essentially thefirst impression people have ofthe level offestivity in your family.) "What masterpiece will I produce today'?" I would ask myself, eyeingfrom the corner of my eye the aunty next door stepping out to make her rangoli. She'd start by makinga flower mandala I'd go a step further and make two mandalas. She'd be almost done with her design while I'd be meticulously working on my colour combinations. She'd add a finishing flourish by placinga lit dlya in the centre of her rangoli, so of course I'd loot my garden forflowers and shred their petalsto my design, simplyto go one up on her (By now, you know I don't take my rangoli lightly.) If your design lasted the whole day and no one stepped in it, you'd won. If your guests asked, "Who made the rangoli in the front?", that was it, you'd made ityou'd be doing next year's rangoli as well.

Mebendirni&cbief

Al AGOYAL

At Oiwali every year, myfather Invitesthe henna auntiestocome and apply mehendi on the handsofall ourfamily members and friends, and everyyear, I am disappointed in them Theydo the world's most intricate design on my palm, and then stop at my wrist. WHY?? "Keep going," I say to them, because I want my entireforearm covered in design, notjust my palm. They reply tactfully, "We'll finish with everyone else and then come back to you". No, no, no, I scream internally, the mehendi will dry

In two different stages and the shades won't match So, every year, I take matters Into my own hands You can see, later, a clear difference between the traditional designs and the hennajalebis I create on my forearm. It does bother me a little, but not as much as havingthe beautiful decorations end sadly at my wrist. This year, I'm worried about being responsible for my own designs. I missyou, henna aunties

Donf �e&by, �eta

SOMESH BHA ERAO

Sometimes I do regret beinga nautanki in front of my parents, my degree in performing arts notwithstanding.. Everysingletime guests came visiting during Diwali, my mum would go, "Why don't you show uncle and aunty your performance from this year?" As I'd sit squirming, tryingto resist, Dad would follow it up with "He's so talented, audience tohpurikhadihoke taa/iyan bajaarah/ th/!"

It was cute when I was 7, but even now? I'm almost 20 and I rarely step out of my room when guests are over, so when I do harmlessly waltzinto the hallto socialise like a good beta, Mum neverfails to embarrass me. Howdo I explain to her that I am an artist, not a puppet! I need ambience, yaar, I can'tjust start dancing at the parents' whim. Thankfully, this COVIO-Diwali, at least my dignity will remain Intact.

Cockfaif-rnockfaif

PIS'-11 ntJGGAL

Back in India, watching thefireworks while slightly tipsy from spiked sharbat was the bomb All the conservative family members would be inside chatting, some uncles would stand in circle in the parking lot smoking, teenagers would finally have a reason to talk to their crushes bywishingthem "Happy Diwali", and kids would run around engaging in fire hazards, it was a simpler time. You d bepeople-watching, perhapsfrom the terrace of the building or your apartment balcony, and a warm feeling would overcome you. As someone who doesn t properly fit into the adult category or the kids' category, I would take myself and my friendsto the theka, buy a quart of Old Monk and slyly add it to the sharbat. Watching the nightsky with a glassfull of poison while vibrant colours lit up the darkness, was a great feeling. Isn't thatwhat Diwali is all about? Driving away darkness and enjoying the maahaul (vibes)?

Cash �iffs

Buttering up all the elders during pooja for Diwali money is a skill. Statements like "Dadajl, what receding hairline? I've never seen such luscious hair," and "Unclejl, where did you find that sherwani? Looking likejust like Shahrukh in K3G", will definitely get you across the $20 mark Dads are usually harder to convince, since they know you better and don't fall forpetty compliments I usually reserve my grand trick for my old man, "You knowwhat, Dad?This year I'm goingto put my Diwali money in the bank and notspend any of it." He falls for it every year. Another big challenge Is Bhai Dooj. Howto solve a problem like brothers? Theyare cheekyand always giveyou a measly $1 coin until Mum shouts at them and makes them pull out some more cash. Unfortunately, this year, all my targets can rest easy and my Diwali nest eggwill be empty.

f't!4rry Diwafi

AXMI R J N

I still reminisce about our firstDlwali with Scooby. It was a bigeffort to salvage ourfestivities. He was only six months old but was the canine embodimentof a hurricane! Our house has two floors, so we were lucky enough to be able to move all the important stuff like lights, lamps, pooja items and our temple, upstairs, in the no-Scooby zone. All our personal things wouldtake a backseatand Diwali prep would be prioritised Important possessions would undoubtedly get misplaced Opal cards, library cards, garage keys, all would need to be cancelled and re-ordered by the time the celebrations wereover However, as the yearsgo by, sweet Scoobsgets more and more used to a Diwali household and respects ourtraditions and rituals as much as we do.

tJ. UP�IYA MISHR

Towish or noffowish

l(QMAI AHU�A

EveryDiwali Mum andDad racktheir brains tryingto come upwith theperfectpartyguest list. You exclusive,couldsayourpartiesaresomewhat we only inviteabout 50ofour closestfriendsandfamily. Unfortunately, like Santa ClausduringChristmas, wetoojudge whetheryou've beengoodor bad throughout theyear.Therearemultiplethingstoconsider that cou�d �re�entyoufrom receivinga highly coveted1nv1tat1ontotheAhuja Diwalisoiree Ifyourfamilydidn't inviteourfamilyonat least2outingsin theyear; ifyou've had aspatwithanyofmyparents'friends and ithasnt beenresolved before November; ifyou didn't compliment Mum's hydrangeaswhenshe postedthem onher lnstagram; and finally, ifyou'resomeonewho says "I'm nota political person", forgetabout beinginvited ThisDiwali, it'sjustgoingtobeusandourneighboursthePatels, if Patel Auntycedeshersecretthepla recipeto Mum.

Woeis

BAGESHRI SAVV�SArH1

Ah, what'sthat intheair?It'sawhiffoftheincoming festiveforwardsonWhatsApp.Thesuperbstylings of babygraphicdesignerswho incorporatecheesy text intoa Diwali backgroundareabouttodominate yourWhatsAppstorage,just likelastyear. Prepare yourselves, people.Turnoffauto-download, mute thetam groupchat, andget readytolookat blurred previewsof imagesandsay"Thankyou!Sametoyou!". Pleaseknow,WhatsAppforwarders, that mygeneration considersyourmessagesastheworst, simply because theyareimpersonal.

Butthenagain,fellowreceiversoftheseforwards, letus acknowledgethatthatthesendersareactuallythinking ofusduringthisbusytime.So, ultimately, ItIspersonal. Infact, it'sa kind actthatspreadsgood energyand vibesviaasimplemessage, even ifitmakesuscringe. Itmeansthatthis Oiwali, we'renotalone, orthatwe're a little lessalone.

Nosu�stltuttons

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BY SHANIAO'BRIEN

t'sbeen anunexpectedyearof navigatinglhrough manyfirsts, and no\v, our first 'virtual' Diwali has arrived. In ahappycoincidence-albeit a rareoneforthe disaster that2020has been - Diwali fallson a Saturdaythisyear, 14 ovember. H'stimeto party, to bring outyoursarisand kurtasandpujathalis. andofcourse,yourelectronicdevicesbecause an unprecedentedyearrequires unprecedented methodsofcelebration!

\Viththesequirkyideasforafunand COVlD-safeDiwali,we'rehopingtogiveyou anotherreasontosmilethisfestiveseason.

Songbola: Musical bingo

What doyouget\vhenyou mixthe nostalgia ofTambolaor Housie with alJ the latest hit songs? lt'sSongbola - a 1nusicaJ game that replaces numberswith songs. ln \Vhat'ssuretobecome the latestcrazein desiculture, creatorSongbola by DJ Hitesh letspeoplebookprivatesessions and send i11 theirown playlists too. It's an excellent \Vay toshowoffyour musicknowledge anda funex.poseonho\Vmany SRKsongs live rent-freeinyourhead. (Guilty!)

Songbola hasgonedown like ahouseon fireat Diwaliparties,weddings, birthdays, andanniversa1·ies. ltcan beplayedentirely overZoom, making thispartyinvitation opentoyourganganywhere in theworld.

Masaledar mocktails

Ifyou takepride inyourdrink-making ski!Js,we'vegot a Utt.le challengeforyoucanyoucreateadrinkwithacheekydesi twist?This Diwali,we dareyou to peekinto themasafadabba inthepantry,pickthe oneingredientyoucould neverimaginein adrink,and heroit! Willilbecardamom? Saffron?Turmeric? It'suptoyou!

Thischallenge isdone best in tandem with apartner, sogogiveyourfamily a much-needed break from their laptops and start makingup your recipes no\v! Don'tforget touse the hashtag #MyMasaledarMocktail and tagus on social media. Will your special recipebe the starofthe Diwali partythisyear?

Techy taash

It'sthat timeofyearagain to hedgeyour betsandletyourcompetitivestreakfly. Onlinewebsiteslike Arkadiumofferevery cardgan1e imaginable and apps like Zynga Poker offermultipJayeroptions. (Yes,we know-noteven a pandemiccan keep usa\vay from ourtaash parties!) With a simple WhatsApp invitation and a little bit ofplanning,you'reallset loenjoy Diwali just like anyyear,from thecomfortofyour living roon1. Besides,wouldn'tit be so mucheasier to only put on akurta top and sit in front ofa laptop anyway?

Radiant rangolis

There'ssomethingundeniably homely about making rangolis as a family, whether it's designingoneyourself, usinghandy rangoli-1nakingtools and stencils,orlet's face it, peeking into Sharma aunty'sfront yard (or lnstagram post!) to 'borrow' her design.

Whyshould thisyearbe anydifferent? Bringyour laptopoutside, pullyourharem

pantsup,andgetona Zoomcallwith yow·£amity,wherever theymay be.An interestinggamewould beto pickouta design togetherand let each individuaI choosetheirowncoloursandingredients - will your cousin pickthe same red petals asyou? Orwould she ratheruse rose petals? Ifyou Likea little competition, try tin1ingthe activity toseewhocan finish first. We'veevengotyourpresentsorted: acustomised, COVlD-themed Diwali giftpack! Readonformore

COVID Diwali gift packs

Giftsandgiftpacksare anevergreen Diwali tradHion,sowhynot blend tradition with necessity? Withoursuggested COVID-themedgiftpacks,you can show yourfamilyand friendshow muchyou valuethem,and how muchyou havedone tokeep them safe. Feel frectoexpand on this list,but our suggestions include: hand sanitiser, DiwaU-themed handmade facemasks,kadha (a traditional immunityboostingspice mix forchai),a mla berry po\vder, turmeric latte mix,minijars ofhoney, andgreen teasachetsan1ong classicelen1ents like,nithaiand nuts. Of course,we haven't mentioned organic candles, orbuyingthem fro1n charity-based operations,becauseyou'resowokeyou've already organised those

Virtual puja

Soyou're awayfrom homeandfeel like doinga traditional Diwalipuja thisyear. Getvirtual,baby! Get togetherwith family, orfriends, and seta tin1e whenyou'll all tune in. Get themostpuja-awareperson inthegroup toorganise,and follow their lead.Theycanbecome Head Pujari, and sendout listsofwhat to include inyour

rnakesliift ten1ple, oryoucanalJ throwin yourideasbeforehand.

Antakshari antics

H's an age-oldgameofsinging BoUywood songs,competingtoseewho has thebest kno\vledge ofmusic, and itdoesn't haveto stopthisyear! Grabsome mates, formyour teams,andget theball rollingwith Virtual Antakshari. You'd need agood host to keep trackofscoresand mute/unmute teamswhen it'stheirturn and ifthey're generous, the host couldsharescreenand puton the lyrics too! ThisAntakshari mightbevirtual, buttheexcitementand con1petitivenesswill beas real as itgets.

Fashion show

Don'tyoujusthate it\Vbenyou dressup and there's no onearound to seeit? Well, thisyear's Diwali fashion sho\vwill make sure that's notgoing tobea problem. Put on your bestfestive attire,create agreat playlist,and let the party begin! Strut along the runway(livingroom orbedroon1, yourpick!) and showoffyourkurtasand leliengastoyourfriendsand familyon videocall, andget themtojoinin too. lt'U getus all outofourlazysweatpantsatlast andyou neverknow,yourauntiesmight have movesyou'd have neverseencoming!

Attheendoftheday, there is nothing betterthan thejoyand togethernesspuja season brings. There's no reasonyou should put offcelebratingthisyear - who's to sayavirtual Diwalipartywon't be the best oneyou'veeverthrown?

We at lndiauLinkhopeyouhave adha111aakedaarDiivafiandsend best wishes fromourhon1esto yours.

Giving your Diwali traditions a twist with these fun and quirky adaptations

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

aybackinthe 1960s, three Australians inWoolgoolga NSWgottogetherto helpthe growingSikhcommunityfind asafespaceforthemselves tobeable to practice theirculture.

Theydid notknowthathalfa century later, theirgrassrootseffortswouldbecome a heritagesite.

Australia'sfirstGurdwara(Sikh temple) atWoolgoolga nearCoffsHarbourwasthis monthlistedonthe SWgovernn1ent's StateHeritage Register.

"TheTempleisofgreat significance tothe culturalhistoryofNSW asit demonstratesthe migration andpermanent settlementofthe Sikhcomn1unityinour stale," the NSW MinisterforHeritage Don Harwin saidwhile making the announcen1ent.

"Itisawonderful achievementbythe Sikhcommunityinourstateand country," tbeTemple committee's PublicOfficer Amandeep Singh Sidhu told lndia11 Link. Theheritagelistingwas soughtforthe original buildingthatwasbuiltin 1968, calledThe FirstSikhTemple.The new gurdwaracurrentlyin useca1ne up adjacent toit in 2019. In afirsthowever,heritage statuswasgranted tothe entire block, includingthenewconstruction.

"Thisisquitesignificant,asithighlights tbe site'simportanceinthestate'scultural history," Sidhu observed.

Itwas in2013 thatthe processfor heritagelistingcommenced. ''Weputthe

application in,and fromthenonitwasa meticulousprocessforthe authoritiesas theystudied the history, the relevanceto community, relationship to the n1ainstrean1, andmade physical siteassessments. Jtwas a staged process,with thelocalcouncil involvedfirst."

Ultimatelytheassessingauthorities\Vere convinced thesite has"strongorspecial association with aparticularcommunityor culturalgroupin SWforsocial,cultural orspiritual reasons,"and"is important in the courseorpatternofthecultural or natural historyofNSW."

MemberforCoifsHarbourGurmesh Singh,Australia'sfirstSikh men1berof Parliament,said hiselectorate isadiverse and thrivingregion.

"Receiving heritage Iistingfor the temple isverysignificant forour region, and a proud 1noment forAustralia's Sikh community," he said.

Thestrikingwhite structurewithornate oniondomesand scallopedarchesstands outfrom adistance. Upclose,itimpresses

ReaderAndreaStewartsentus this pie ofthe firsttemple committeein 1968, which includedherfatherBert, thepublican mentionedin this story.

with itsfabric-coveredflagpolewhich holds aloft the triangular Nishan Sahib(Sikh flag),andthesculpturesofhorse-back protectors.

Tracingthehistoryofthe temple, Sidhu outlined,"Thecommunitybeganto build upherein the 1940sand '50s. Just like backhomein Punjab,manyofthe settlers werefarmers.Theywouldgettogetheronce a monthforprayers,and afe\Vtimesayear theywoulddriveup in buses to Bangalao\V 250 kms from here, to Baba Ran1 Singh's farm. Hehad brought the Guru Granth Sahiboutfrom Indiaandwouldhost communal prayers around it.Thiswenton for25years. Bythetimehepassedon, the communityhadgrownlarger, weddings werebeginningto take place,and the need wasfelt foraplaceofworshipwitha larger hall forspiritual andsocialactivities.The WoolgoolgaGurdwara thustookshape."

He added,"Thefirstcommitteewas made upoflhreeWhiteAustralians - the principalofa localprin1aryschool, alin1ber millowner, andapublican.Thatcommittee

stayedforalongtime. Quitecharitably, Lbeywereconcernedabouttheemotional wellbeingofthe Sikhs that livedaround them andworkedforthemon the farms and mills.You needaplacewhereyoucan gatherandshareyourexperiencesandyour culture, theysaid."

Today, some2000-3000visitorspass through thegatesoftheg-urdwara annually. Sidhu revealedthat thereare about80-100 regulars butotherscome from alloverthe country.

"Manyvisitfrom themainstream con1munitylocallybecausewearelistedas aheritage site. Groupsofstudentscomefor excursions Crom schoolsin theareawithin a radiusof200kms.Aged carefacilities alsobringtheirresidentsoutto usforday trips."

The Sikh communityin Australia have madea markforthemselveswith their seva (service) to theirfellowcitizensinthe mainstream, particularlyin recent limes ofbushfires,floodsand COVJD-caused isolation.

ThegurdwaraatWoolgoolga has been givingbackwith itsowninitiativessuch asAustralia's Biggest J\llorningTea(the CancerCouncil'sannual fundraiser),music lessonsforinterested musicians, andother social-cultural programs.

"Weareproud Sikhs,proud Indians, and proudAustralians," Sidhuconcluded. ThegurdwaraisthesecondSikhsite inAustraliatobegranted heritagestatus. TheotheristheAustralian Sikh Heritage Trail in Riverton WA,a monument commemoratingthe historyofSikhs inthis country.

Gurdwara Sahib Woolgoolga NSW, an early Sikh site in this country, is now recognised, celebrated and protected.

SIKH TEMPLE IN AUSTRALIA

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BY RHEAL NATH

n tracingthe relationships between Indiansand theircolonisers,there's often one interestingfigure that stands out- the Indian ayah. She caredfor Lhe children, workedasa lady's maid, and helped in the runningofthe household. The bestayahseventravelledwith the families, findingthemselvesin England, Australia,andothercolonies.

Anewproject now aio1sto collect the historiesandexperiencesofthese travelling Indianayahs.

Newcastle University's Prof. Victoria Haskins,whoisleadingthe project, told IndianLink, "HistoryisfuIIofhuman experiences that have shaped us. Most countries' histories, includingAustralia, tendstobebland,focusingon boring outlinesofprominent British menor facelessmasses. l'n1 more interested in the marginalised, and theirlesserknown stories."

JoinedbyDrClaireLowrie from the UniversityofWollongongand Prof. Swapna Banerjee ofthe CityUniversityof ew York, Prof. Haskins·project istitledAyahs andAmahs:TranscolonialServantsin AustraliaandBritain1780-1945. Itlooksat domesticityandchildcare,thingsweoften takeforgranted.

"It's notwellvalued,even though it's fundamental to anycivilization. Childcare and rajsingchildren maintainsthesocial fabric. Evenprominentwomeninhistory often hadothers tohelpraisetheirkids," Prof. Haskinssaid.

Thefascination forherstems fron1 the ideathat thechildren "grew uplovingthe verypeople theywereoppressing."

"I'mconstantlyamazed at the ideaof lookmgatthe peopleyou havecolorused and saying, 'right,nowtakecare ofour children'," shelaughed.

Herinterestinthisfieldofresearch began fomanecdotesabouthergreatgrand1nother'sgrandmother, Maggie Hobbs. Maggiewasborn in India, orphaned,andsent to Scotland tolivewith familybeforerunningawaytoAustralia. Overtheyears,shehadshared manytalesof thefearsomeayah fromherchildhood.

Ofcourse, Maggieisbutoneofmanyold linksbetween lndiaandAustralia. Victoria pointsout anotherlinkin JessieStreet,one ofAustralia'searliestfeministsandadvocate forwomen'sandAboriginal rights,who camefrom West Bengalwith anayah.

"Weoftenseetwoimages oftheayah," Prof. HaskinsreveaJed. "Onone hand, they'rea threatbecause they're an outside presencein the house. Butthey'realso partofthe fan1ily,even though they're not kin. In Australia,people really aren'tvery comfortablewith the historyofdomestic servants."

Theterm 'ayah'datesback tothe 1850s anddraws itsrootsfromthePortuguese language.Asynonymousterm 'amah' was used fordomestichelpfron1HongKong

and SingaporeofChineseorigin.

Theprojectaimstocombthroughcolonial immigrationrecordsinAustralia, England's Indiaofficerecords,archivesofnewspapers, courtcases,andsomepersonalrecordsto findthestoriesofayahs,butasProf. Haskins putsit,it'soften"aneedleinahaystack."

"TheayahsspokeEnglish,buttheywere oftenilliterateand didn'tleaverecords. How can,veheartheirstoriesthen?" sheasked.

Therearehintsthat the ayahshadasemiorganised net,vork,includingboarding houseswhen theywerebet,veenjobs. Althoughtheydidn'thave special legal rights, there's afeelingtheylooked out foreachother. Someeventooktheirlegal actionagainst theiremployers.

"Therewasthepracticeofa'lossofcaste payment'whenanayah moveda,vayand left thecountry. Oneearlyaccounttalksabout anayahwhotookheremployertocourt whenshedidn'treceiveapayment, andthe employerargued thatthe ayahwasMuslin1 sotherewasn'tanyargumentofcaste," Prof. Haskinsshared.

Anothercommonpractice wasgetting referencelettersfrompreviousemployers fortheirservices.

Still, there isn'tagreat dealof information available, which makes this projectevenmore important.

"Notalotisknown about manyIndian familieswhocametoAustralia beforethe WhiteAustralia Policy, although there's somescattered n,entionsin history," Prof. Haskins admitted.

She highlights anold reference ofIndian women workinginclothingfactoriesin Redfern,SydDeyinthe 19thcentury, and figures like Henry Princep, known as WesternAustralia'sfirstChiefProtectorof Aborigines, whowasraised in India and EnglandbeforecomjngtoAustralia.

"Everyonehasastory. J often tellmy students'everythinghappened in history", sowhatisit thatwechoose to remember?"

Prof. Haskinswondered aloud.

Forthoseinterestedinsharingtheirfamily storiesabouttheirancestorsinAustralia, especiallyaboutayahs,amahs,anddomestic service,youcan reachouttotheprojectat victoria.haskins@ncwscastle.edu.au.

AnIndianayahatEdinburgh Ayahsinaphotoalbumfromthe1880s

:JohannZoffany's1786paintingColonelBlair withhisFamilyandanIndianAyah

Anayah'sboardinghouseinHackney,London

A new project aims to collect the experiencesof Indian women who worked as ayahs during colonisation, Australia included

Prof. VictoriaHaskins

''I'm constantlyamazed atthe idea of looking atthe peopleyou have colonised and saying, 'right, nowtake care ofourchildren''

Indian women diagnosed with breast cancer at younger age

In a n1ajor US study, researchers bave found that Indian and Pakistani won1en are diagnosed with breast cancer, including n1ore aggressive forms of the disease, at a younger age.

The study, published in the l11ternatio11al JournalofCancer, examined the characteristics of breast cancer in Indianand Pakistani-An1erican and non-Hispanic white women in the US.

"Our resuJts provide an insight into breast cancer in Indian and Pakistani women, suggestingseveraJ hypotheses to guide future scientific studies to better understand the risk factors," said study author Jaya M Satagopan from Rutgers University in the US.

The researchers revie\ved incidence data among Indian and Pakistani won1en bet,veen 1990 and 2014. They also reviewed disease characteristics, treatment and survival data between 2000 and 2016 for 4,900 Indian and Pakistani \VOmen and 482,250 non-Hispanicwhite women wilh breast cancer.

They found that the occurrence in Indian and Pakistani women was lower than in non-Hispanic while women; however, the number of Indian and Pakistani won1en diagnosed with this form ofcancer increased over the years.

Indian and Pakistani women wHh breast

cancer ,vere more likely Lo be diagnosed at a younger age and at more advanced stages of tbe disease.

In addition, they received more subcutaneous or total mastectomies than non-Hispanic white women.

While the researchers found that Indian and Pakistani women were less likely to die ofbreast cancer than their non-Hispanic white counterparts, their health was tracked for a shorter time.

Priorcancer research has shown that fewer Indian and Pakistani women participate in scientific studies and that several socio-cultural factors maydelay their seeking health care.

Research also has shown poor n1amrnogram screening rates in Indian and Pakistani women, which is linked to a lack of family support, beliefs that cancer is divine punishment for past deeds, having lived in the US for less than 10 years, low English proficiency and a lack offaith in the health system.

The study indicated that there are important differences in this population thatjustify further studies to better understand biological, sociocuJtural, and systeni-level factors such as interactions with the heaJth system, affecting breast cancer screening patterns.

•As the South Asian population grows, it is imperative that we work to promote health equity in cancer prevention, screening, early diagnosis and treatment through community

engage1uent and a team science approach," said study author Anita Kinney.

Women's names on house plaques in North Indian districts

As a n1arkofrespect to the girl child, several bon1es in the Indian district of Muzaffarnagar which is known for its strong patriarchal system, have put up nameplates with their daughters' names written on them.

"More than 200 nameplates with names ofdaughters were put up on the doors of the houses in various villages in the last fe,v days. The campaign is still on,• said district probation officer Mohd Mustaqeen1.

The initiative is a result ofa #BetiBachaoBetiPadhao can1paign launched by the Department ofWomen and Child Developn1ent.

"Families with no daughters were told to put the nan1es of their women members,' he said.

Officials have toured scores of villages to encourage people to adopt this practice and a majority of Lhem have happily accepted the proposal.

Asimilar drive regarding women's names on house plaques bad evoked an encouraging response in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, which have dismal gender ratios.

ow Uttar Pradesh has adopted the campaign to stem rising cases ofcrin1e agai11st women.

14-yr-old scientist Anika Chebrolu wins $25K prize

lndian-American teenager Anika Chebrolu has \VOn a $25,000 prize for her wo.rk on a potential Covid-I9 treatment.

14-year-old Anika has also been conferred the title of "America's Top Young Scientist" for winning this year's 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a middle school science competition in the US.

Herinvention uses in-silica methodology for drug discovery to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an atten1pt to find a cure for Covid-19.

Anika, who comes from Frisco, Texas, said lhat she entered the competition as she has "always been amazedbyscience experiments."

She said she was originally drawn towards finding effective cures for influe112a after a severe bout oftbe infection last year.

But because of the widespread in1pact of the Covid-19 panden1ic, she changed directions to target SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, sbe told C Anika Chebrolu said she \Vould like to learn more from 3M scientists to pursue her drug development and that she wouJd like to conduct in-vitro and i11-vivo testing ofher lead drug candidate.

Theyoungscientist who finds internet to be the most exciting invention ofthe past 100 years, hopes to become a medical researcher and professorin the next 15 years.

Indian studentwins Pioneer Alumni oftheYearaward in UK Indian student leader Riddi Viswanathan, a graduate from the University ofManchester, hasbeen awarded GlobaJ international Education Award 2020 for her contributions towards diverse student communities. She's beingparticularly recognised for her vital role in addressing hate crime in UK universities. Riddi hasheld leadership positions in the UK as the former diversity officerand the First fuU-time International Students Officer at lhe University ofManchester Students' Union.

She has also been elected as the Overseas Representative 2019-20 for the ational Union ofStudents (NUS) UK, \Vbere she

A hornbi/1feedson banana atthe Pobitora wildlife sanctuaryin Morigaon districtofAssam, India.

Photo: AP

Amanrepairs thegroveofhismother in Hyderabad, Indio, aheadofAll Souls'Doyon 2Nov2020. Theday honoursthedeportedas friendsand familiesgathertoprayattheresting places oflovedones

hasbeenthefirst Lndianto representover 400,000 overseas studentsfromover 192 countriesinthe UK.

Riddi,a nativeofPuducherry, shared the 'PioneerAlumnioftheYear' award with ThomsonCh'ngfromCurtin University, AustraJja_

ThePioneerawardsaretheonlyglobal awards that celebrateinnovationand achievementacrosstheinternational educationworld. Thisyear'stheawardshad a totalof 18categories.

•1 am trulygrateful to the Universityof Manchester, my students' u.nion, myfamily and friendsforalwaysencouragingme. This isdefinitelyagreat n101nentformeaswe celebrate international education but the challengesfacedby the n:ugrantstudents acrosstheglobeduetothepandemicspread bassomehowfadedthecelebration.Wecan truly celebrate internationaleducationwhen all students, regardlessofthecolouroftheir passportscan accesseducationequatly, globally,"Riddisaid.

Over65% MNCsview India astop choiceforfuture investments

lndia will emergeasoneofthe top three choicesforoverseasinvestmentsin the next2-3 years, accordingtoasurveyby Chartered Insurance Institute (Cll) and EY. Morethan two-thirdsofthe MNC respondents indicated lndia isthefirst choiceforfuture investments.

Thesurveyalsoshowedthat25 percent oftherespondents,whorepresent nonIndian HQ M Cs,view India asthefirst choiceforfuture investments.

"More than 80percentofall the respondentsand 71 percentofthe nonIndian headquartered respondentsplan to makeinvestmentsglobaUyinthenext 2-3 years,"the reportsaid.

•About30percentofcompaniesare planningto investn1ore than $500million. About 50percentofthe respondentssee Indiaamongthe top threeeconomiesor leadingmanufacturingdestinationsofthe worldby2025," it added.

The respondentshavepickedma1·ket potential,skilled workforceand political stabilityas the topthreereasonsto make India theirfavoureddestination.

Other keyfactorswhich contribute to the attractivenessofIndia as aninvestment destinationinclude cheapLabouravailability, policyreforms, and availabilityofraw materials.

"Recentreformsin thecountrysuchas corporatetaxcuts,easeofdoingbusiness measures,simplificationoflabourlaws, FDl reforms, andfocusonhumancapitaJ haveemergedasthetopdrivers forfresh investn1ents,• thereportsaid.

on-Indian HQ MNCshavealsoopined thatmajorinvestmentininfrastructure and 100 Smartcitiesaswellasfinancialsector reformswill also helpestablishing lndiaasa favourabledestinationfor FOi."

In addition,the surveybroughtout some key recommendationssoughtbythe respondents.

Asperthe report "Infrastructure development, fasterclearances,and proper implementation ofthe improved labour lawsand labouravailabilityasthetop three issues that the companies,vant the governmentto focuson, followed byR&D and innovation,and tax reforn1s.

"Intermsoftrade policy reforn1s, investorswould liketo seea faster turnaround time forexports and imports, improved cargo handling,and trade facilitation n1easuresto bein place."

Indians biggestbeneficiaries asCanadatoadmit401,000 newimmigrants

Canada will admit a record 401,000 new immigrants in 2021,against the usual annualintakeof350,000.

The figureswiJI riseto 411,000 in2022 and 421,000 in 2023 to makeupforthe shortfall of2020due totheCovid-induced restrictions.

Itischeeringnewsfor Indiansas they account forthebulkofimmigrationsinto Canada.

In fact, Indian immigrationintoCanada hasjumped exponentiatJyinthelastthree to fouryea1·s. While 39,340 Indian inunigrants weread1nittedin 2016, the figuresjumped to 85,000 in 2019-a riseof 105percent.

Restrictive US policiesandshortage ofIT and healthcare professionalsaretwoofthe manyfactorsbehind the rapidriseofIndian immigration intoCanada.

Si1nilarly, the nu1nberofIndianstudents goingto Canada hasjumpedfron1 76,075 in 2016 to219,855 in 2019, shov,iinga riseof almost300percent.

Thanks to lherecord numberofstudents and newco1ners, Indians havebecome oneofthefastestgrowingcommunities in Canada,withtheirnumberscrossing 1.6 million ina countryofover37 million.

AsCanada'sbirthratedeclines, new immigrantsaccountfor82 percentofits populationgrowth.Moreover, newcomersalso b1ingbillionsofdollarsintoCanadaeachyear.

Sectorssuchas healthcare, ITand farming cannotsurvivewithoutnewimmigrants.

Sincenearly60percentimmigrantscome undertheeconon:uccategory, theysupport theeconomybystartingnewbusinesses.

Government statisticssaythatmore than 33 percentofbusinessesareowned bynewcomersbecause theCanadian

ecosystemencouragespeopleto becon1e entrepreneurs, notjobseekers.

Immigration Minfater Marco Mendjcino said while announcingthenewimmigration targets,"NewconJers are playinganoutsized roleinourhospitaJsandcarehomes,and helpingusto keep food onthetable. Aswe look torecovery, newcomerscreatejobs notjustbygivingourbusinesses theskills theyneedtothrive,butalsobystarting businesses themselves."

'Highermarriageage provideswomenwith socioeconomic benefits'

Highermarriageage isexpectedtoprovide enorn1oussocio-economicbenefitsfor women,a State BankofIndiaeconomics report (SBI Ecowrap)said thismonth.

The reportcomesafterPrime Minister arendra Modiannouncedthatinhis Independence Dayaddressthatthe govern1nentwill soon takea decision to raise the minimumagewhen awomancan be married.Theminimum age iscurrently set at 18years.

"Still, 35percentoffemales in India aremarried beforetheageof21 years. Thesituation isgrave insome states. Surprisingly, the situation in West Bengal is theworstacrossallstateswith themean marriage age only20.9yearsandalmost 47 percentoffemalesgetting married before theageof21 years,evenworse than Bihar and Rajasthan,"thereport said.

Thereportsaidthatthiswillleadalso to social benefitslike loweringthe Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) aswellasan improvementin nutrition levelswhileon the financialfront,opportunitieswill beopened upforwomentopursuehighereducation andcareers andbecomefinancially empowered, "thus resultingina more egalitarian societyin thinking".

Increasinglhe legal agebasthepotential to reduce India's MMRsignificantlyfrom 113 (2018). Itwill also lead to increased education levels thus improvingtheabysmal femalelabourforceparticipation ratio.

8lndo-Canadianselected MLAsin BritishColumbia polls

Eight lndo-Canadianshave been elected to the87-mcmberAssemblyofCanada's British Columbia province.

Therewere27 lndian-origin candidates in

thefray in theelectionsheld inlateOctober. AUeightwinnersbelongto theruling New Democratic Partywhich secured anabsolute1najoritywith 55 seats in the 87-menJber House.

Threeofthe winnersarewomen.

Notedhuman rightslawyerAman Singh became thefirst turbanedSikh MLA in BritishColumbiaeventhoughthe province was the first toelect a Punjabi (MoeSihota) asan MLA in 1986anda Sikh (Ujjal Dosanjh) as Premierin 2001.

Singh caused amajorupset bybeating formerjournalist }as Johal oftheopposition LiberalPartyin Richmond-Queensborough. Mostoflndo-Canadian victoriescame in theIndian-dominatedcityofSurreyon the outskirts ofVancouver.

ProminentwinnersincludeLabourMinister HanyBains,DeputySpeakerRajChouhan, formerministerJinnySimsandparliamentary secretariesJagrupBrarandRaviKahlon.

Bains retained bisseatofSurrey- ewton bybeating fellow Punjabi Paul Boparai of the Liberal Party.

Bains,whocomesfrom Hardaspurvillage near jalandhar, haswon thisseatsince2005. DeputySpeakerRaj Chouhanalsoretained bisseatofBurnaby-EdmondsbybeatingTript Atwalofthe Liberal Partyand Iqbal Parekh oftheGreenParty.Chouhancame toCanada from Punjabasastudentin 1973.

Jagrup Braroftherulingpartyalso retained hlsseat ofSurrey-Fleetwood by trouncing feUow Punjabi GarryThind of the Liberal Party.

Aformer Indian basketball player, Brar hasnowwon thisseatfive timessince2004.

Thefifth lndo-CanadianmantowinisRavi Kablonoftheruling DPwhobeatAlmoraborn NeernaManraloftheGreen Partyand JetSunner(Jatinder) ofthe Liberal Party.

Amongthe\Vomenwinners, JinnySims (Joginder Kaur)beatfellowPunjabi DrGulzar Cbeemainthe Surrey-Panoramaconstituency. BornatPabwanvillagenearJalandhar,Sims cametoCanadaattheageofnine.

Rachna Singh ofthe rulingpartyretained herSurrey-GreenTimbersseatbybeating DilrajAtwaloftheLiberalParty.

Nikki Sharma ofthe ruling DPwonin Vancouver-Hastings.

Indian-originsmake upabout 10percent ofthe British Columbiapopulationoffive million. IANS

Photo:AP

BY SURUCHI SEHGAL

henyouforceyourkidstoditch thePlaystation/Xboxandplay asimplegameorSnakesand LaddersorLudo,areyouaware tbatyouarecarryingona 5000-year-old Indianlegacy?

InthesetiJnesofvideogamesandgadgets, theverycreativeandwiseancientIndian gamesareslowlybeingforgotten.Several familiarna111eslikeCbess,Snakes& Ladders, Cards,Ludo,Polo, Judo& Karate,Hopscotch andCarromowetheirgenesistoIndia.

BeitLordShivaandhisconsortParvati playingPachisi,thePandavaslosingDraupadi overagan,eofdice,ortheMughalsenjoying anafternoonorchess -boardgameshave alwaysplayedanimportantroleinthehistory andmythologyoflndia.

Beroresomeofthesevanishintothesands oftime,let'sstrivetorevivethen,,intheir authenticIndianform,andwhatbettertime Lhannow,amidstCOVIDlockdo\vn?

Chess(Chaturanga)

Findingamentioninthefamousepic Mahabharata,Chaturangaistheoriginofthe moderngameofchess.

Chessinitsoriginal Indianformwas calledAshtapada-Sanskritforspider('eightlegged'}.Itwasplayedwithdiceonan8x8 checkeredboardsanswhiteorblackcolou1·s. OtherIndianboards includedthe 10,.10 Dasapadaandthe9x9Saturankain.

Later,thisgameevolvedinto\vhatisknown asChaturanga,meaning'quadripartite' (dividedintofou1·parts).Thetwo-handed chaturangawastheearliestknownformof chess,dividedinto4brancheslikethearmy.

LikeancientIndianarmies,thepieces\Vere calledelephants,chariots,horses,andfoot soldiers,andplayedtodevisewarstrategies. Thegamewasplayedonaclothsurface by2,3,or4players.Unlikemodernchess, Chaturangacombinedthestrategyofchess \Viththerandomnessofadiceroll. Itwas abattlesimulationgamethat renderedthe lndianmilitru·ystrategyofthetime.

TheaccountofPersiansberngintroduced tothisgameisaninterestingone.Persian poetFirdousiwritesinhishistoricalpoem,

theShahnarna,aboutambassadorsfrom Hindwhoapproached KingChosroesl Anushirwan,vithachessboardaskedhim tosolvethesecretsofthegameandpay tribute.Thekingaskedforsevendaysof grace,duringwhichwisemenvainlytriedto discoverthesecrel.Finally,theking'sminister tookthepieceshomeandunravelJedthe secretinadayandanight.

TheynameditShatranj:thetem1 'checkmate'comesfro1nthePersian'shahmat'meanrng'thekingisdead.'

Cards(Krida Patram)

thelordofdivinities;Asrapati,lordofgenii; Vanapati,thekingoftheforest,andAhipati, lordofsnakes,etc.

TheMughalGanjifasetshad representationsofdiversetradesLike akkashparnter,Mujallidbookbinder, Rangrezdyer,etc.,Inaddition,therewere alsothePadishah-i-Qimash,kingofthe manufacturersandPadishah-izar-i-Safid,king ofsilver,etc.

Later,cardscarnetobeplayedbyalllevels ofsociety. Differentshapesofcardswerein play,mostcommonbeingcircularones.The artofhandmade,hand-paintedcardssurvived forhundredsofyearsbeforeitwastakenover byprintedpapercardsbythe Europeansin the 17-18thcenturies.

Pallanguli (Pallankuzhi)

Abul Fazal, EmperorAkbar'scourtier, wrote in hisbookAin-e-Akbari, whichisa mirrorofthelifeofthat tin1e,aboutagame playedwithcards.

AncientIndianplayingcardswerecalled KridaPatram.Theyweremadeofcloth piecesandshowcasedancientthemesfrom the RamayanaandMahabharata.

Thelargestnumberofsuchcardsaretobe foundinOrrisa. FabricpaintersfromOrissa haverepresentedvasiousillustrationslike theNavagunjara,amythicalbird-humananimal,theformassumedbySri Krishnato testArjuna'sfidelity. Ulustrationsfro1nthe DashavataraofVishnuarealsoportrayed.

Thecardswere made ofcloth,and to obtain the required thicknessa nu1nberof sheetsofclothweregluedtogether.The outlinesofthe rimwerepainted inblack and then thefigureswerefilled inwith colour.

Inn1edieval India,theywerecalledGanifa/ ganjifacardsandwereplayedintheroyal courtsofRajputana,Kash1nir(then Kashyapa Meru),Odisha(thenUtkal), the Deccanarea aswellasNepal. obilityandroyaltyhad theircardsmadefromivory,tortoiseshell, motherofpearl,inlaid,orenamelledwith preciousn,ctals.

Thepackusuallyconsistedof4setsof 12cardseach.Onesethadasitshighest ratingcardtheAshvapati-lordofthehorses. ThesecondhighestwasSenapati(general) followedbytenothercards.Anotherset ofcardshadGajapati(lordofelephants), Senapatiandtenothers.Anotherpackhad arpati(kingwithpoweroverinfantry) andothercardslikeDhanpati,thelordof treasures;Dalpatithelordofthesquadron; avapati,thelordofthenavy;Surapati,

HaveyoueverplayedBrainvita? Itholdsa vaguesimilaritytoanancientgamefrom South India.Variationsofthegan1earecalled KuzhiparainMalayalam,AliGuliManein KannadaandYamanaGuntaluinTelugu.

Pallankulidevelopedskillandquick thinking.Twoplayerscompetedonaboard with 14cupssetoutwithsixseedsineach cup.Theplayersdistributedtheseseedsinto theothercupsuntiltherewerenoseedsleft. Thepersonwhoreachedtwoconsecutive cups,vithoutseedshadtobowoutofthe game.Theplayerwiththe1naximumnumber ofseedsintheendbecamethewinner.

Itwasverypopularamongwomenand requiredgoodmemoryandalertness,asthey hadtocountandrememberthenumberof seedsaccumulatedbytheopponent.

Ludo (Pachisi)

thegamefindsitsmentioninthe.Mahabharat.

TheinfamousbetinMahabharatthat wasplayedbetweencousinsPandavasand Kauravas,wasagameofChaupad.Thisepic wasdatedaround800to 1000BC.

Historianspointoutthatthereisa depictionofthisgameinthecavesofAjanta EllorainMaharashtra,showingthatthegame wasquitepopularintheMedievalera.Itwas alsoenjoyedbyMughalemperorslikeAkbar. TheBritishlatermodifiedthegametousea cubicdicewithadicecupandpatenteditas 'Ludo'in 1896inEngland.

ChausarorPachisiinvolvestwoto fourplayerswhousecowryshellsand woodenpawnstostrategiseandplantheir manoeuvresandwinthegame.

Eachplayer'sobjectiveistomoveallfour oftheirpiecescompletelyaroundtheboard, counter-.clockwise,beforetheiropponentsdo. ThepiecesstartandfinishontheCharkoni.

Snakes & Ladders (Moksha Patam)

ThecliildboodfavottriteSnakesandLadders, hasitsorigininlndiaandwascalledGyan Chaupar,Mokshapat,Moksha Patamu,or Para1naPadam. ItwasusedtoteachHindu valuestochildren.

Thegamewascreatedbythe 13th-century poetsaintGyandev.Theladdersinthegame representedvirtuesandthesnakesindicated vices.Thegan1ewasplayedwithcowrieshells anddices.TheillustratedsquareshadaGod oroneoftheheavens(kailasa,vaikuntha, brahmaloka)depictedonthetopofaladder andthebottomdescribedagoodquality. Conversely,eachsnake'sheadwasanegative qualityoranasura (demon).Asthegame progressed,thevariouskarmaandsamskara, gooddeedsandbadtookyouupanddo,vn theboard. Interspersedwereplants,people, andanin1als.

TheethicsofthisconceptwasaLifelesson itself.Thegooddeeds/Lraitsactedlikeladders toachieveheaven,whereasthe1netaphosical evilsnakeofsinsandvicespushedyouback intoacycleofre-births.

BeforeLudowentonline,itusedtobea boardgame.AndbeforeitwascalledLudo, itwasa4th-centuryIndiangamecalled Chaupar/Chausar.Madeoutofclothorjute,

TheBritishtookthegametoEnglandin 1892andnameditSnakesandLadders,and changedittoreflectVictorianvalues.

Chess, playing cards,Snakesand Ladders, Ludo. We're still playing them more or less like they did in ancient India

our

1wa I nee s,a

oo 1es

Woolworths helps customers celebrate Diwali with expanded South Asian product range

iwali preparations are nowmade easierand n1oreconvenientwith specialSouthAsian products available inselected Woolworths storesacrossthecountry.

Diwalioccupiesan unparalleled place in LbeheartsofIndian-origin people, and on this auspiciousoccasion, Woolworthshas en1braced the in1portanceofthe role food playsduring this festival. It is nowoffering tailored productsforLheSouthAsian community,available inover200stores nationally and alsoonline.

Therangeofproducts includessnacks, spices, rice,atta flourandothercooking ingredientstohelpcreate 0avourfuI specialdishesduring the festive period. These speciallysourced products notonly offerpopularfooditems,but also provide great convenience to the South Asian communityin Australia to help them prepare forthe Diwali celebrations.

Popularsnacks suchas ParleG biscuits and Parle rusk, aswellas much loved Chings oodlesarealso available, providing theopportunitytoeasilyenjoy these little treats for Diwali.

Accompaniedbypopularbeveragessuch as Red Label lea, Brucoffee, Kushijuices and MTR Badam drinkcans, Woolworths hascustomers' meal,snack andgifting

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needscovered this Diwali.

Specialpricesareofferedonkey householdingredientssuch as Daawat Basmati rice,Aashirvaad Whole Wheal AttaFlour,Amul Ghee, KaloombaGinger & GarlicandOhara SunflowerOil, used ineverydaycooking.

WoolworthsGeneral Managerfor Grocery Food Ewan Shearersaid, "We understand Diwali is an important time for familygathering, celebration and feasting. Ourteamshave been working hard toexpandourSouth Asian product range and ensure custon1ershave all the ingredients and productstheyneed to celebrate."

He added, "Wehave the rightvariety oflocaland internationalproducts offeringgreat value tohelpour customers during theirbusypreparationsleading inlothe Diwali festivities. On behalfof Woohvorths, I would like towish the entire com1nunitya veryhappy.Diwali."

For more informationonWoolworths stores that stock the Diwali range,visit \Vww.woolworths.com.au/di\vali.

TheDhvaliproductrange variesfro111 store tostoreandtheDiwaliSaleisavailable frotn 110111 until Tuesday 17th ovember 2020, unlesssoldoutearlier.

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PAWAN LUTHRA talks to Australian cricket great Steve Waugh about his decades-long love affair with India, and about his new book of photographs from there

''alwayswantedtogetintothe alleyways,thebackstreets,in themountains,inthedesert,the beaches;justseepeopleplaying cricketandtakephotographs,"Australian cricketgreatSteve\Vaughtoldl11dia11Link, surroundedbyhjsshotsofcricketin India.

Hespent 17 daystravellingaround Indiaearlierthisyear,n1ostofthese spentwithacamera,aimedateverything cricket•cricketers,cricketcrowds,cricket parapherna1ia.

Hebroughtbackwithhlm20,000images.

Theyformthebasisofhisnewbook TheSpiritofCricket - India,andsomeare currentlyondisplayataSydneygallery.

"Ittookmeacoupleof,veekstosort throughtheshotstogettoabout500," revealedLheforn1ercricketerwhoismuch lovedinlndia. "lnthebook,thereare220."

India through Steve Waugh's lens

Steverevealshlsfavouriteimagescomefrom cricketaspartofdailylifein India.Onethat hasfascinatedhlmnoet1d,involvesphysically challengedcricketers.

"I'veneverseenanythinglikethat,"he described."Theyjustleaptupintheairlike ninja,vardors.Missingpartofalimbwith polio,theyuseabamboostickasacrutch.One ofthemhaditunderhlsarms-helandedon topofthecrutch,polevaultedandbo,vledthe

ball! Iwastotallyblownawaybythat. Itwas son1ethingoutofthisworld,soIlovethatshot."

Ofcourseasaphotographer,Stevewas abletohoneinonhisspecialinsightsasa cricketer.

•1sortofknev,thatmaybethisguywas goingtogetbowledinaminuteand Iwanted

tocapturesomeofthestumpsflyingoutof theg,·oundwiththedusteverywhere.There weresomanytimesIactuallygottheball hittingthestumpsandthestumpscoming outoftheground,whichisnoteasytoget,"he expressed.

Anotherfavouriteshotcan,efrom a

cricketfactory, ashewatched aworker handcrafta ball.

"I'mreallyproudofthatonebecauseit capturestheprecisionoftheballmaker's handsstitchingcricketballs,"hedescribed. "Theymakeeightperday.Theguy\vho's niakjngit,youseehjshandispretty weatheredandold,he'sabout80. 1lovethat lhephotographshowsthemovementinone handandtheprecisionintheother."

Headded,"Asaplayer.,youtakeitfor granted•thereallygoodbats,glovesand theballs.Youdon't reallyknowwherethey comefrom. Butseeingthembeinghandmade andhand-stitched,gavemeanemotional connectiontoitall."

Hisfavouritephoto,in,vhichagameof cricketisplayedinfrontoftheicorucTaj Mahal,becamethecovershot.

"Capturingthatimagewasachallenge," Steverecalled. ''Thedaywewerescheduled toseetheTaj,wedrovefivehoursfrom Delhi,onlytofindthatitwasfoggedin.So wethoughtok,we'llwail,butitdidn'tlift. Ten-hourroundtrip,nophotosoftheTaj. Hadtogobackthenextday! Itwas 18hours ofdrivingtogetthatshot,butI thinkit\Vas worthit."

Stevereceivedspecialinstructionfrom TrentParke,anex-cricketerandprofessional photographerwhotravelled\Vithbim.They spent 12-14hoursatworkeachday,usually Startingatthecrackofdawn.

How India changed Steve Waugh Stevewas21 \vhen he fil·stloured Indiawith tbe Australian team in 1986. As anaiveyoungman from lhe WesternsuburbsofSydney, settingfoot in the largestdemocracyin the world, his first reaction was, "This ischaos".

"I remen1bergettingontbebusandjustbeinga1naz.ed," Steve recalled,laughing.''Thetrafficwaszig-zag, noone wasstayingintheirlanes, andnoonestopped forthered lights. I thought,well,this isinteresting,thisisdifferent toAustralia! Everyoneon thestreetsjustS\Varming aroundwithavarietyofanimals,cats,dogs,monkeysand allsortsofthingsgoingonal thesame time. Itwaslike beingonadifferentplanet,literally."

There have been n1any life-changingmomentsin India, but Steve speaksparticularlyfondlyabout meetingMotherTeresain Kolkata.

•1 wasluckyenough tomeet herbrieflyand that reaJJysetmeon apathwayofbeinginvolved in philanthtopicactivities. I wantedtodosomething inasmallwaythatshe'ddone herwhole life.That opportunitycameon thenexttripto India at Udayan, a rehabilitation centrefor kidswhoeitherhave leprosyor haveparentswith leprosy. Fromthat, theSteveWaugh Foundation really evolved inAustralia," hesaid.

Back in the day,an inquisitive andcurious Steve carried hiscamera and sat at the frontofthe team bus,utterlyfascinated bywhatwashappeningoutside. 34yearslater,hestillfeltthe samechaoson his photography trip lo thecountry, butobserved that this time round,itwasa bitmoreorganised.

Al\vaystheone being photographed, Steve lamented aboutneverbeingable tostopto take pictureswhen he played in India.

"Whenyou're an international player,youbopoffthe busand you're surrounded bythousandsofpeople, so it'sin1possible," he revealed.

Cricket is a religion and cricketers, gods

TheonethinglhathasstoodoutinSteve'sdecades-long relationshipwithIndia,isitspeople,andtheirloveof cricket.

"Peoplescen1verywelcon1ingin lndia,"hcremarked."

Andifyouhavealink tocricket,thenstraighta\vayyou've gotthatconnection."

Themannerinwhichcrickethascapturedthe imaginationofLndia'speople,alsocomesinforsome analysis.

"Cricketmeansalottothepeople. I thinkit'sbecause it'sasimplegame,aJJyouneedisimagination,enthusiasm andabatandball,that'sallyou needtodotoplay cricket.That'sthecaseinIndia,youcanfindabatand ballanywhere,youcanmakethestumpsfrombricks,or fencesorrocksorstonesorwhateverisavailable,andyou canhaveagameofcricket."

Hemused,"Thereare800millionpeoplelivingunder thepovertylineandcricketbringsthemtogether. Itgives themsomethingtobeproudofbecauseit'ssomething biggerthanthemselvesandtheyfeelasifthey'reconnected andapartofit. Ithinkthat'swhyit'sareligionin India, becauseitgivesalotofpeoplebopeandhappinessand theyfeelproudtobeassociatedwithcricket."

Stevealsonarratesan incidentinKolkatathatn1ay depicthowcricketersareelevatedonapedestalin India andareseenasgods.

"Takingphotographsoutside the Victoria Monument in Kolkata, therewasa bigopenplayingfieldbehlnd uswhere the armywasdoing some trainingexercises. All ofa sudden,oneguycame runningtowards me. He see1ned prettyagitatedand hewasyelling'you can't take photos here,we'retraining!'. Assoon as hegot within6 feet,he reaJised it was111eand said, 'Oh, l'1n verysorry... canyou please takea picturewith us?'. lt instantlychanged from 'no photographs10 'please can wehavea phototogether'".

Givenheunderstandsthecountrysowell,we're tempted toask,howdoyousolveachallengelike India?

"Patienceand persistence. Andyou'vegot 10 buildrelationships,1 thinkinbusiness,youcan't be successful ifyou'redoing it byernailorphonecalls, you'vegot tobethere in person,gettingtoknowthat personand lettingthemgettoknowyou. Ittakestime".

OrderthebookThe SpiritofCricket- Indiaat stevewaugh.com.au

AselectionofphotosCromthebookareexhibited atThe Playbox,21 Oxford St, PaddingtontillJan 11,2021

UP CLOSEAND PERSONAL WITH STEVE WAUGH

Howmanytimeshaveyou been toIndia? 40odd.

Aplacewhichyoualwaysgoto ortrytogowheninIndia?

Udayanin Kolkata,the rehabilitationcentreI've supported.

Bakedbeans,butt.erchicken, orbhindi?

Bhindi

CookanythingIndian?

Icookbasiccurriesathome,I likefishcurries.

YouradmirationforMother Teresaiswellknown.Two otherIndianpersonalitiesthat fascinate?

RahulDravid,he'slow-keyand humble. Ithinkhe'sincredible. AndMukeshAmbaniJ'djust liketoknowhowhegotsobig andsuccessful;hecanreally makeadifferenceinpeople's Iives.

BrettLeehasactedina Bollywoodmovie.Haveyou beeneverapproachedfora role?

Ihaveand itwasaprettyquick 'no'. Iknowmylimilationscricketandphotography. Get Brett Lee,he'sbetterthanme.

Seena Bollywoodmovie?

It's notaBollywoodmovie,but I likeSlu,ndogMillionaire. I alsoliketheAustralianmovie Lion,I thoughtitwasfantastic. Pickedupabitofthelingo?

Thebasics,dlta11yvaad, 11a111askaarandnatnaste. It's nice\Vhenyoun1eetpeople, itstraightawaybringsasmile ontheirfaceandbreaks downthatbarrierofdifferent languages.

lnwhichoneofthesetwo instanceswouldyourheart beatfaster- facingCurdy Ambroseonabouncypitchin Trinidad,orthatmomentwhen youcheckyourcameratoseeif yougotthatperfectshot?

ProbablyCurlyAmbrosebecausewithphotography you'renotgettinginjuredbut facingCurlyAmbroseyoucan getphysicallyhurt.

WhyshouldIndiabeon everybody'sbucketlist?

Ithlnkit'sjustunique,it's likenootherplace. You're neverbored,there'salways somethinggoingon.The peoplearefriendly,thefood isgoodandithasdillerent landscapes. lt makesyoufeel alive.

WINNER (8-12) AARAV PANICKER 8

RUNNER UP (8-12) SAANVI CHAUDHARY, 8

RIVAKHANDELWAL10

ANIKAAGARWAL, 11 '_/

APARNAJAIN, 9

KAAYA GOYAL, 10

KIMAYA KAPOOR, 10

ZALAK BHATT, 11

AAYUSHI MAHAPATRA, 8

YASH MANDOWARA,11

Well done, kjddos!

An amazing effort from ouryoungest readers yetagain in this year's Indian Lin� Diwali k!idsArtcompetition.

Congratulations to ourwinners �al'iav Panicker(8-12 years category) and �kshara Srinivasan :_/ ...:/ -_/ (upto 7years category). Aarav and Akshara win bookvouchers worth $75 eacti.

Congratulations also to Runners-Up Saanvi Chaudhary �8-12 years category) and Devanshi Mandowara (upto 7years category) who win book vouchers worth $50 each.

Aarav's design will feature as Indian Link's official Diwali card for2020.

WINNER (UPTO 7 YEARS) AKSHARA SRINIVASAN 6

ALISHAAGARWAL, 6 ANAV DARAK, 7

KASHVI GODBOLE, 5 VASHVI SHAH, 6 )

RUNNER UP (UPTO 7 YEARS) DEVANSHI MANDOWARA7 , \

KUSHAGRAAHUJA, 6 ADITHI PRIVA, 7 )

VEDANTIKAKUHALURI,6 MANYA PURI, 6

AIBC launches Victoria chapter ofAustralia India Women in Business

LeadershipDiversityOfficerTataConsultancy Services.

BY PREETI JABBAL

otivatingspeechesfromapanel ofwon1enchange-n1akers markedthelaunchofAIBC's AustraliaIndiaWomenin BusinessVictoriachapter,recently.

WithablendofsociaJpurposeand businessacumen,thesewomenhaven1ade theirn1arkinthefieldofentrepreneurship, activism,andleadership.

Gritandpassionwereevidentasthe paneUJstssharedtheirresiliencestrategies duringthechallengesofCOVIO-19and discussedpost-pandemicopportunitiesfor econon1icrecovery.

TheAustraliaIndiaBusinessCouncilisa membership-basedgroupthatwasfor111ed in1986tofosterbilateralrelationships betweenIndiaandAustralia.

TheirnewlyformedWomeninBusiness ChapternotonJyrecognisestheeconomic caseforgenderequality,italsoaimsto supportitsmemberstopromotetheir brands,expandtheirreferralnetworkand catapulttheirbusiness.

AccordingtochairpersonReelPhulwani, theVictorianchapterwillinvolveavariety ofdiscussions,specialspeakers,resources, andfunactivities.Theintentistocteatea communityofILke-mindedandpassionate \vomeninbusiness.

"AtAlBC wehavecollectivelycome totheconclusionthatbystrengthening visibility,collectivevoiceand representation,theAustralianIndian Won1eninBusinesscanbeourmost promisingareaofinvestn1ent,"said Reetduringthewebinar.

ModeratedbyShebaNandkeolyar, NationalChairAJBC\.VomeninBusiness, thewebinarstartedwithanopening addressfromLindaDessauACGovernor ofVictoria.

TheGovernoralsoformallylaunchedthe VictodanchapterofAustraliaIndiaWomen inBusiness.

Sheexpressedherpleasureatattending theeventasitcelebratedandfurther enhancedtheverywarmrelationship betweenVictoriaandLndiaandit recognisedtheabsolutecrucialroleof \VOmeninthatrelationshipandskillsand

experiencetheybringtothetableinterms ofbusinessactivitiesbetweenAustraliaand India.

AccordingtoShebawhensheformedthe WomeninBusinessNationalchapter,she hadastTongvisiontotrygenderdiversityin abilateralbusinessspace.Herobjectivewas tofacilitatea50/50proportionofwo1nen's participationinthisspace,beitasan entrepreneur,abusinessownerorawoman leaderleadingaprofessionalcompany.

Shebawentontoinvitetheaudience tohearaboutthebestpracticesobserved bythepowerfulpanelofspeakersasthey sharedtheirexperienceonhowthey navigatedtheCOVID-19disruptions.

TheaudienceheardfromJaalaPulford, MinisterforEmployment,Ministerfor InnovationMedicalResearchandthe DigitalEconomyaswellasMinister forSmallBusines,KaushalyaVaghela MP,MemberofLegislativeCouncilfor WesternMetroregionandMichelle Wade,CommissionertoSouthAsia,State GovernmentofVictoria.

Strongentrepreneurialpresenceand inspirationalwordsofencouragementwere providedbyJahnabiPhookan(National PresidentFLO),MeghanSpeers(Partner, Deloitte)andOr.RituAnand,Chief

Thiswasfoilowedbybriefaddresses fromReetPhulwani(DirectorMedsurge Pharmaceulicals),SadhnaSmiles(CEOReal EstateIndustryParlners)andMi1·aDsilva(Co-FounderDeliveryCentric).

AUthespeakerswereunanin1ousintheir drivetoelevatewomenandconquerbarriersto genderequality.

"ItisLmperativethatweregrouppost-COVlD tofigureouthowwewillmoveforward, contributetoentrepreneurshipambitionsand continuethecrusadeforgenderparity.Ithink theAJBCWomen'schapterhasbeencreatedat anopportunetia1eandIwLUbeinterestedin seeinghowitgrows,"saidMeenakshiShahJ, oneoftheonlineparticipants.

GiventhatCOVIDhashitwomenharder thanmenprofessionally,there'sanimportant roleforplatformssuchasthisinre-invigorating supportforwomenemployeesaswellas entrepreneurs.

RavneetPawha,AIBCVictoriaPresident wrappedupthe\veil-coordinatedevent\Vithan officialvoteofthanks.

GiventhatCOVIDhashitwomenharder thanmenprofessionally,there'san importantroleforplatformssuchasthis inre-invigoratingsupportforwomen employeesaswellasentrepreneurs.

LIBERAL

uss1e soc1a wor er s ru es

0 00 a oa

Melinda Parker says COVID has further challenged an already fragile system

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

san8-year-old,Melinda Parker

"IreadaboutaBritishsinglewomanwho rescuedgirlswhohadbeenabandoned.She hadalargechildren'shomein India. 1-lerlife ofservice\Vasinspiringtome,"Melindatold IndianLink.

TheSydney-basedlndophlleandsocial \vorkerhelpsrunanEnglishmedium communiryschoolforlocalchildrenin KeshnandvillagenearPuneinfndia.

Qualityeducation comes at a price

GyanankurPublicSchoolisan GOthat servessevenvillages.Gyanankur,whichis Hindifor"seedlingsofknowledge",educates kidsfron1disadvantagedbackgrounds.

"Wedoourbesttonurtureeveryprecious seedlingthatcomestoou1·school,"Melinda revealed."Wehavemanyfamiliesthatcan payourfairlylowfeesandmanywhocanpay halfornone,andweadaptaccordingly."

Describingtheprocessofimplen1entinga systemofqualityeducation,shesaid,"Our staffarelocalorcomeinbusesfromPune city.Wehaveverystrongcorevaluesthatwe endeavourtoimplen1entinaUeverything ,vedo- valuesofjoy,transparency,dignity andservice.Thingslikehonouringourlocal strugglingfarmersinourschoolculture, honouringtheladieswhodocleaningwork intheschool,1nakingclassesandlearninga joyfulexperienceforourstudents."

ThechaUenges,however,include functioningwithinasystemofeducation whichis"rifewithcorruption".

"Weworkespeciallyhardtodoourwork withoutengaginginbribing,"Melindastated. "Atrustworthyboardmanagesouraccounts andthisboardinno,vaybenefitsfro1nthe school'sincome;instead,theyseeitasa privilegetoserve."

Adapting tothe COVID-19 lockdown

Thepandemichasposedanentirelynew setofchallenges.AssoonasCOVfD-19hit, Gyanankurhadtoshutitsdoors. Melinda narratedthewretchedramificationsofthe COVlD-19lockdownonthestudents,their families,theteachers,thefunding,and functioningoftheschool.

"Manyofourparentshavelosttheirjobs.

Wehavekept allourstaffonbuthavehadto giveonlyhalfsalariessinceMarch,which I findheartbreaking. Innationisfairlyhighin Indiaandfoodforafamilyoffouriscloseto Rs2000."

Sheadded,"Thestaffarestrugglingtopay theirrent andpayingfordatatoworkfron1 home.Wearedoingourbesttohelpthestaff especiallythosefacingdifficultlandlords. Evenourschoolpremisesarerentedfrom twobrothers- oneismuchmoresupportive thantheother.Thestaffwhohavemortgages nowhavehadthemortgagemoratorium stopped. Manyofourschool parentsalsolost work,andnottomention,healthcostsare high."

Someofthestudentsdonothavethe luxu1·yofelectricityathomeandothersdonot have mobilephones. Moreover,mostofthe teachersatGyanankurdonothavelaptops. Theyhavehadtoupskillthemselvesand Leachonlineusingtheirphones.

"Ourstaffalsohavefacedalotof challengestoconnecttoparentswith constantlychangingnumbers,internet outages,poweroutagesetc. However, Iwould sayourstaffhaveasolidconnectionto80% ofourstudents."

Theschoolisalsohelpinginotherways.

"Wealsocollectedfundsin Punetobuy groceryparcelsforsomeofourstaffand

n1anylocalfamilies.Wehavealwaysworked atbeingthe'Gyanankurfamily'ratherthan justaplacetowork," Melindaexplained.

Itisevident Melindahasdevelopedan intricateunderstandingofthesocio-political systeminwhichshecontinuestowork.

"Underneathmysimple answers toyou,there arealotofcomplexitiesaboutdependency andcharity,governmentandpolitics,systems andcorruption,therighttoeducationof everychildand\Vhypublicschoolsaren't meetingtheneed,"sherevealed.

A life ofservice

When MelindaParkerwas29,shewasinvited torunanadulteducationprogramin India. Sincerotelearningwastheprevalentmethod ofinstruction,thepopularstylehadnot allowedthesepeopleaschildrentoperform wellinschool.

Theadultlearnerssheinteractedwithwere notstraight-Astudents,butgradually,she noticedthattheypossessedanidlereservoir ofimportantcognitiveskills.

"Theprogramwasbasedonenquiryand askingquestionsandIlearntduringthat time abouttheimpacloftherotelearningapproach leftbytheBritish,"Melindadescribed."I lovedseeingadultswhooftendidn'tdowell inschoolrealisehowsmartLheywereand developcritical thinkingskills."

read Ploughed UnderbyAmy Carmichael,astorythatbeganher affairwith India.

Besideshavingfoundafulfillingpurpose, MelindaParkeralson1etherhusband,a felloweducator,inIndia.Thepairshared similarvaluesandpassionsofsocialworkand volunteering,whichledtothemstayingback toworkinthecountry.Towardstheendof herworkinIndia,Melinda'sjourneytookher tothestepsofGyanankur,aruralschoolset upbythefatherofafriend.

"IgotintotheschoolbecauseadearIndian friendwhosedadstartedit,askedforhelp. Myexperienceattraditionallndianschools mademeverypassionateabouttheuntapped potentialofmanyyoungpeople,especially thosefromlower-incon1ebackgrounds ·whodidn'tgetanopportunityforquality education."

Itwaswithasenseofsatisfactionthatshe re1narked,«1 alwayswanttodosomething tofightpoverty,investinpeople'spotential,

anddevelopcommunities.AtGyanankur, 1 seealJ thetimethetren1endouspotentialof theruralkids."

Currently,MelindalivesinSydneyasa part-timesocialworkerandisamothertotwo youngaduJts.Sheexplainedthatshefindsit hardtohelpnearlyasmuchasshewouldlike.

"I kno\vthereisa lotmorethatcanbe doneasourstaffareallworkingveryhard and I fearthat thestressofdoingallthis fromho1ne,n1anyonphonesonly,willwear themdown. I alsoreaUywanttostressour team in Indiaarewonderfulandaredoing son1uchproblen1solvingandcreative thinking. I amaverysn1allpartoftheteam and Isowanttohonoureachofthemforthe incredibleworktheydo\Vhilstfacingtheir ownchalJenges,"shesaid.

TodonatetoGyanankurandhelpMelinda continueherwork,gotowww.gyanankur.com

''I always want to do something to fight poverty, invest in people's potential, and develop communities.

At Gyanankur, I see all the time the tremendous potential of the rural kids."

Parkerat work

6th - 8th November 2020, s:oo pm - 8:oo pm

L·terature I Arts c·nema

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Tagore International Literature and Arts Festival

5 Continents I 15+ Countries I 200+ Performances & Sessions I 1000+ Writers and Creators

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Supported By

orlyfiveamateurartistspulled offathealricalcoupofsorts\Vith Bouquet, a9-playacl,heldonline recently.

EvenasCOVID-causedlockdown persisted,theMelbourne-basedtheatre academyNatyadarpanembracedthe virtualmediumloensuretheirwork continuedtoreachaudiences,albeitona screenoftheirchoice.

Withovertwomonthsofregular engage1nent,thoseinvolvedwere incrediblybusydespitethelockdowns, keepinglhe111selvesoccupiedinpursuitof theircreativityandpassion.

Theyperformedlivefrom33hotnesto anaudiencesituatedacross14timezones intencountries,includingAustralia, NewZealand,Vietnaol,Singapore,India, Pakistan,UAE,UK,USAandZa1ubia.

Nearly700tickets,soldat$5perhead, helpedraisefundsfortheFriendsofthe ChildrenFoundationfortheirongoing communitybuildingprojects.

Truetoitsnan1e,Bouquetoffereda diversityofflavoursandgenreswithnine shortplays,theirthen1esrangingfron1 comedy,crime,thriUer,socialtodark, mostofthemoriginalandexperimental.

Sevenoftheseproductionswere

leaseswitchoffyour cameras,yourphonesand putyourselfonspeaker view,notgalleryview," announcedArjunRaina,sutradhaar (narrator)ofZoomplayStraightFro111 a Horse'slleart.

Duringthepandemicandthesubsequent lockdowns,thistheatrecrewlookedat adversityinthefaceandadapted.

Ticketstothisuniqueplayarrivedinthe formofalinktoaZoommeeting,,vhere theaudiencehasallowedthehosttotake the,vheel.

StraightFro,naHorse'slleart:A Zoomplayfeatureseccentricandkooky charactersthatentertainyoufromthevery beginning.SetinregionalVictoria,the playtakesplaceinahealingcentrerunby VictoriaShaw,awealthyandnarcissistic woman.Shehase111ployedParo,arobotic nurse,torunthecentreand take careof lheresidents.

Addressingtheelephantintheroom, Paroseemslikea1nodcrnroboticversion ofParofrom Devdas,,.,,hereawoman nursesanaddictbacktogoodhealth. loactuality,thenameisstereotypically Punjabi,areferencetothearmyofmigrant nursesworkingintheagedcaresector whoareofthatbackground.

basedonscriptswrittenil'lhouse.Visual backdrops,painstakinglycreated,,vere successfullyabletotransportaudiences insideatraincompartn1ent,acourtroon1, ajungle,evenamotorcarindrive.

Twoplayswerecreativeadaptationsof cult-makingproductionslike1Vatsa1nrat, basedontheoriginalplaybyV.VShirwadkar, andTrappedwrittenbyYogcshSo1nan.

PriortoeachactMukundandAshwini DeshpandeastheMCs,explainedthe contextoftheplayandintroducedtheartists. DressedintraditionalMaharashtrian

outfitstheydedicatedtheeventtothe 140thanniversaryofIndia'sfirstmusical playSangeetShakuntal.Thefirstshowof thisiconicplaywasheldinPuneon31 October1880.

AninvocationsongdedicatedtoLord atraj,theGodofPerforn1ingArts,was alsorecreatedbyDrSubhashSharma andsungbyPrachiGaindbarand SaurabhMishra.Thesongwasaunique collaborationwithmusicprovidedbyIndia onmusicalequipmentusedintheoriginal playinthe1880s

Creatingthecircun1stancesbehindthe playswereinterestingdigitalbackdrops andtheme-relevantbackgroundmusic. Despitevariedskills,thecollaborative spiritoftheplayelevateditsdelivery. Theemotionalimpactwasequally heightenedasitwouldhavebeenduring aliveperformance,astheactorsnailed theirdialogueswithvaryingdegreesof competence.

"Beingapartofthisuniqueeventwas extremelysatisfying,"saidManderVaidya, thefounderofatyadarpan."Wehad somethingtobeproudofatseverallevels. Thiswasamongthefirstnine-actplays tobeheldonline,reachingnearly2000 peoplearoundtheworldanddedicatedto agoodcause.1twaswortheveryminute ofthegruellinghoursthatweputinas con1munitygroup."

Preetl Jabbal

MrX,AlisonRichardsasVictoriaShaw, La,vrieO'DwyerasJonSha\¥,Peter FernonastheRabbit-ridder,andTeam HendersonandMichaelCamplinas detectives.

lnthebestway,StraightfromaHorse's 1-Jeartislhatinsightful,comedicand amusingdistractionfromtherealitiesofa COVlD-ridden\Vorld.

Guilt,deception,andillegalimmigration -youidentifyeachoftheseandmorein StraightFronz a Horse'sfleartall,vhile holdingbackyourpealsoflaughter.

Youwouldthinkthatthesewouldbe revealed'straightfromthehorse'smouth', butitisadressage-obsessedpatient, holdingsomeprettydarksecrets,that bringshomethen1essageinthisplay.

Fromanuttycancerpatienttoa drunkenridderofrabbits,froma schemingproperty-developersontoa coupleoffuneralcoverinsurancejokers, thestorybringstogetheranassortmentof characterswithdifferentbackgroundsand

motivations.Themanydyna1nicsandmore thanoneplotlinemightseen,confusing, butyoumusttrusttheending.

Thecontemporarypoliticalandsocial referencesinthescript,providemuch value-add.

Theplaywaswrittenin2013butnever performed.Whileitdoesnotmentionthe pandemic,theparallelissuesofseparation andagedcareareunmistakable.Featuring characterslivinginaholistichealing centre,theplaydoeslheworkofletting youempathisewiththepatients.

ActorsincludeDipanjaliRaoasParo, ScottWelshasAndy,CherianJacobas

ArjunRaina,writer,directorand producer(andalumnusofNewDelhi's NationalSchoolofDrama)disclosedto Indian link thattheplanwastopractice duringlockdownandperformatvenues oncethelockdownlifted.AZoomplay wasthelastthingonhismind."Bythe secondlockdown,werealisedwewould havetogodigital".Themotivationbehind theplay,herevealed,camefromopen readingsconductedoverZoomthat garneredpositiveresponsefromviewers inlndiaandAustralia.

Staginga70-minutedramawhereyou onlyseetheactorsfromchestupandwith nophysicalinteraction,soundslimiting. Yetthisproduction,,¥ithitslivemusic, soundeffects,appropriateexitsand entries,immersiveactingandafriendly narratorLotakeyouthroughitall,doesit effectively.

Bageshrl Savyasachl

ere no

What lies ahead in an unprecedented summer ofcricket

BY RITAM MITRA

syou read thispiece,we are ,veil into theT20World Cup, the mostglamorous ofinternational cricket lournan1ents, beingheld in Australia for the first time. Record crowds have been floodingthrough thegatesacrossthe country, kickingoffperhaps themost anticipated sumn,er in Australian cricket history. Foreven thougb tbeexplosive tournament seemslike itwas made forprin1etit11e television, it is merely a curtainraiser.Ahead lies Afghanistan's firstTestagainstAustralia in Perth in late ovember, followed bythe BorderGavaskarTrophy, which ,viU pit Kohli's lndia against aresurgentAustralian side enjoyingthe returnofDavid Warner and Steve Smith, the duowho missed the previousedition during their balltan1peringsuspensions.

Ofcourse, that is the paragraph with ,vhich thispiece,vouldhave begunhad 2020unfolded as expected. As itstands though, COVlD-19 has,vreaked havoc on the Australian summerofcricket, theimmediateconsequences beingthat Australiawi_ll nothosttheT20World Cup until 2022 andAfghanistan will nolongerbe touringAustralia. All thatremainsisthejewel in thecrown ofCricket Australia'ssummer,byno coincidence the mostvaluable commodity in thegame, a touring Indian team.

After several monthsofdeliberation, navigatingno shortageoflogistical challenges, CricketAustralia recently announced that Indiawouldplaythree ODls, threeT20lsand the four-Test BorderGavaskarTropby, ina tour reportedlyworth son,e $300 million to Cricket Australia. Sydneywill benefit mostfro1n the heavilyre-jiggedtour, with the ground staled lo host l\vo ODls and lwoT20s aswelJ as the traditional ew Year'sTest match,which foronce, is guaranteed tobea live rubber.

Formanyreasons, this,viii be atour like noother. Therewill be none ofthe usualfanfare thattypicallyaccon1panies i.nternational cricketers. On match days, it's unlikelythatstadiumswill operateatgreater than 50% capacity,

a strangescenarioforathletesused to limitless adulation.The Indian playersin particular, longaccustomed to the hordes ofsupporterswhowaitoutside the team hotel, a veritablearmyoffansstanding patientlybythe trainingnets, and the throngs ofsupportersclan,ouringby the team bus, will be forced tofind comfort in a silence that could be both ,velcome and unsettling. Noselfies, noautographs, just cricket.

The criticalquestion is\Vhatimpact theseseismicenvironmental shiftswill haveon the players and thequalityof thecricket theyareable toproduce. ln some ways, the COVID-19 restrictions are a blessingforthe Indian team;while thelimited fan interaction may reduce thepressure that no doubt seeps in fro1n beingconstantly reveredas pseudoreligiousidols, half-capacitycrowdsand dholisat stadiumswill still be around toget theiradrenalinegoing,vhenitis needed 1nost.

Evenbeyond the newCOVID-safe playingconditions, newexperiences await the Indian contingent compared to its 2018/19 tour.The firstTest, inAdelaide,willbea Day/Night Test - India'sfirst inAustralia, and onlyitssecond overall (bycontrast, Australia has playedsevenand remains undefeated in the format). Meanwhile, theGabba, traditionally the firstTest oftheAustralian summer(even though ithas beeneschewed for Indian tours inyearsgoneby),willnowplayhostto thelastTest, afterquarantine issues in Queensland forced the visitorssouthof theborder.

Then there istheweight ofheightened expectation forthevisitors. For the first timeever, Jndiawill tourAustralia absentthewoundsofdefeat, with Kohli's chargeshavingwon the 2018-19edition 2-1, a scoreline that flattered the home side and handed Indiaits firsteverTest serieswin on Australian soil. In fact,

Indiahavewon three oftheirprevious fourTestseries againstAustralia,a staggeringrecord. But ifthere isanything moredangerous than an Australian team at home, it isan Australian sidethat is notonlyatop the ICCTest rankings, but hell-benton revenge (though the players refuse to use the word).

And lastly, perhaps thegreatest challengeofall. Bythe tin1e the first ball isbowled in Adelaideon 17 Deceinber, neither rndia norAustraliawillhave played aTest match in thepreceding 10 months. Many playerswillhaveplayed onlyT20 cricket in that time, though theAustraliansenjoy theadvantage here,with the Sheffield Shield first-class competition currentlyproceedingin full swing.

Kohliand CowillarriveonAustralian soilarmedwith a blueprint forsuccess; but if2020has provedanything,it isthat eventhe bestlaid plansoftengoawry.

The Indianteam, long accustomed to the hordes ofsupporters, will beforced tofind comfort in a silencethat could be bothwelcome and unsettling. No selfies, noautographs,justcricket.

The Indian players won't getthesame receptionthey're accustomed to thistimearound.

The battles within

headofIndia's history-making tourofAustralia t,voyears ago,expectations,vere high. While Indiawasatthe time in the ascendancy, sittingatop the ICCTest rankings, thehome teamwere nothing shortofa shan,bles, ,vith theirtwo best batsmen ,nissingthrough ball-tampering suspensionsand the sidecon,ingoff consecutive andconvincingserieslosses to Pakistanand South Africa.

Asthisyear's series loomscloser however, it istheAustralian team that is at the topofthe rankings, boosted not only bythe return ofMessrs Sn,ith and Warner, but the rapid emergence ofMarnus Labuschagne.Against the backdropofa global pandemic,a vastlydifferent series a\vaits, and the various battleswithin the ,varpromiseto form fascinatingsubplots.

The GOAT debate

Thisyear's Border-GavaskarTrophywas supposed to pit Virat Kohli and Steve Sn,ith against eachotherat the height oftheirpowers; KohIi,viii be 36in four years' timeand S1nith 35, bywhich ti,ne theirtalentsmaybewaning. Though a cricket match is played between 22 players, there isnounderstatingthe talismanicrole that Kohliand Smith each

the

battle forthe upcoming AusVs Ind Test series

serve fortheirsides and fortheir fans.

The two front-runners forthe best batsmen in theirgeneration,each has plentytoprove. Kohliwillbe hungry to demonstrate thathe can come outon top against afuJl-strength Ausu·alianside, while Smithwill be searchingquite simply for redemption - andpotentiallythe dangledcarrotofan opportunitytoonce more lead hiscountryagain.

Pace battery

The Australian and Indian teams each possess thebest paceattack in their own hon,e conditions.The Australian pace battery ofStare, Hazlewood and Cu1nmins is unchanged from the lastedition ofthe Border-GavaskarTrophy, in which the Indian batsmen, ledbyveritable batting machine Cheteshwar Pujara,made 1nerry, firstbluntingand thenexcoriatingthe Aussie quicks.The Indian bowlers,led by spearhead Jasprit Bun1rah,were then left free to blo\vawaythe inexperiencedand tiredAustralianbatsmen.

With so n,anyofthe same suspects involved,itwouldbeeasybutmisguided toexpect thesameoutcomelounfold this timearound. Forone, Smith,Warner and Labuschagne areanentirelydifferent prospect to Harris, Head and Handscomb,

meaning more recoverytin1e for the Australian attack. Also ofrelevance iswhether Bumrah remains aseffectiveabowlerashewas beforesustainingstress fracturesin bis back 12 months ago. In three one-day internationalsagainst ewZealand in February, Bumrahconceded 167 runsand tooknowickets,whilehisTest wicketsin that tourcame ata significantprice. On flatterpitchesinAustralia, Bumrah will needtorediscoverthe form that saw him lead India toa historic serieswin in2018.

Thequestion ofthe keeper

Auslralian captain/keeperTim Paine and electricIndian keeperRishabh Pant may havebecome viral sensationsfor lheir banterbehind the stumps,but itwas Pant who had the lastlaugh onthe field in the previousedition, with theexplosive left• hander rackingupa blistering 159* in the lastTestat the SCG.

But Panthassuffered an under whelmingsecond halfto hisfledgling career, returningn1eagrenumbersagainst theWest Indiesand NewZealand. With part-time keeper KL Rabulhavingstrongarmed his way backinto lndia'ssquad,and India'sbestkeeperWriddhin1an Saha also named in thesquad, Pant'sspotlooksless

secure than it did 12 months ago. Leavingout Pantandrelyingon KL Rahulwillallo,vKohlitoplayanadditional batsman;youcanonlyexpectthatthe Indian captain,viiialreadybeLickinghislips.

A day/night delight

ThefirstTestoftheseries,viiibeplayedas aday/night matchattheAdelaideOval,the first time the BCCI hasagreedtoplayadaynightTestoutside lndia. Itpromiseslobe amomentousoccasion,oneinwhichIndia areshortoddsblinkfirst,givenAustralia's formidableundefeatedrecord in theseven day/nighttestmatchesithasplayed.

Howquickly India adjusts to the vagariesofthe pink Kookaburra ball atwhathas been a traditionaUyhappy huntingground, willgo a longwayto settingthe tone for the series. It'sa challenge notonly forthe batsn1en,but for the captains too,given thestrategicshifts thataccompanyday/nightTests.

Regardlessofthe outcotne, watching thefamed Indian battingline-up facea fieryspell fro1n StarcandCo under lights against the magical blood-redAdelaide sunset isa sight for cricket-starved eyes; there'snodoubt thatwe have earned it thisyear.

Rltam Mitra

Though a cricket match is played between 22 players, there is no understating the talismanic rolethat Kohli and Smith each servefor theirsides andfortheir fans

Homemade energy bars

I loveenergy bars - whetherasaquick biteforbreakfast,oragreat snack in between meetings. Flavourful andfilled withnutrients,theydohave a Diwali connect. Surprised? Lookup varo, a dry fruitchikkiwhich is a traditional Sindhi DiwaliS\Veetmeat.

Preptime: 10mins,Cooktime: 45mins

INGREDIENTS

■ 1 cuprolledoats

■ 1/3cupnutsof choice(almonds, walnuts)

■ 1/3cupseedsofchoice(sunflower, pumpkin,sesame)

■ 1/3cuphoney

■ 1/4cupraisins/dried berries

■ 2-3 tbsp butter/veganbutter/oil

■ 6-7dateschopped.

INSTRUCTIONS

■ Dryroastseedsand nutsseparately for10 minutes each,keepaside. Chop nuts up whencool.

■ Dry roastoats for10 minutes, keep aside.

■ Heatoil/butterinanon-stickpan, adddatesand cookfora few minutes.

■ Add honeyandbringtoaboil.

■ Addall theotheringredientsand mix withaspatula.

■ Turn offtheheatandshift the contents to a traylined withbaking paper

■ Make incisions in theshapeofbars.

■ Allow toset and thencut in pieces.

■ Packthemall individually, to keep themfromstickingto eachother.

■ Storeaboxat roomtemperature.

Gluten-free Guiab :Jamun

Ok, soyou shun themallyear round, butcome Diwali,yougivein. Such is theallureof Guiabjan1uns, thosesyrupydecadentdonutssometimes known asthe kingofIndian sweets. This recipe isagluten-freeversion, n1adewith an unlikelyingredient, sweet potato. Thoseofyouwhoaregluten-freebychoiceorcompulsion,youcan nowindulge!

Preptime: 20mins,Cooktime: 40 mins

FOR SUGAR SYRUP

■ 1.5cupsugar

■ 1.5cupwater

■ 3-4dropsoflemonjuice

■ 5-6saffronstrands

INSTRUCTIONS

■ Bringallingredientsto a boil.

■ Keepithotbymovingtoa verylow flameorkeepingitovera waterbath (ontopofa vesselthatisboilingwater)

FOR GULAB JAMUN

■ 1 cupsweet potato boiled andgrated

■ 1.75 to 2 cups milk powder

■ 1 tbsphotghee

■ Oilfordeepfrying

Baked vegan samosa

Indianhightea?Yougottahavethesamosas tobalancetheGulabjan1uns! Butchill,'cos ,ve'rebakingthemhere, inournew-world way.Sure,youcangetyourready-to-bakes thesedays,butthey'renothinglikethese ones,madeentirelyfromscratch. Bakeand servebotwith mintandtamarindchutney. Goodoldtomatosauceworksfinetoo.

Preptime: 30mins,Cooktime: 30mins

FOR SAMOSA PASTRY

■ 2 1/2 cup plainflour

■ 1/2 cupto3/4 cupwater

■ 1/3 cupoil

■ 1 tsp carom/ajwain seeds

■ Salt totaste

Mixtheflourwithsalt, caromseeds (ajwain),oiland riceflour.

Knead thedoughwithwatertogeta

semi-harddough.

Add extraflourasneeded to keepfrom stickingtohandsand board

Placethedoughina well-oiled vessel and coverwitha cloth/plastic wrap for15 minutes.

FOR STUFFING

■ 2 cupboiled veggies potatoand peas

■ 1 tbspoil

■ ½tspgarammasalaorcurry powder

■ 1/4 tspdry mango powderor1 tsp lemonjuice

■ 1 tspgingerand chilipaste

■ Saltand pepperto taste

Heatoil in pan, addginger/chilies

Add theboiled veggies.

Saute for5 minutes, add spices,salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

■ Boilandgratesweet potato.

■ Addmilkpowderto itwith1 tbsphot ghee.

■ Knead thedough,add moremilk powder ifrequired.

■ Shapeinto balls.

■ Heat oil ina kadhaion lowflame

■ Frytheballson lowflame

■ Useaspoonto keep moving them aroundslowlyin theoil.

■ Once they turndark brown, take themout withaslotted spoonand introducethem to thesugarsyrup.

■ Letthemsitsoakingin thesyrup, fora fewhours.Trynotto move themaround so theshape is maintained.

■ Servechilled orat roomtemperature.

TO MAKE SAMOSAS

Takeasmallportionofdoughand roll intoasmalldisc.

Cut itintwo equalhalves,makea cone bystickjngtheedges with water. Fill thestuffingand closetheconewith water. Sealthe edges witha fork Line up thesamosa ina bakingtray.

Bakeina preheatedoven(fan-forced)at 180degreesCfor15 minutes

Brush/spraywithoiland bake further for15-20 minutesoruntilgolden brownincolour.

Allowto coolon therack. Servewarm.

Note: If youwant to bake with wholemeal, ensureyou usehalf plain flourand half wholemeal. Beware however,as this pastryisaHttle softer.

Since we've all been making healthful choices this year, GAURAV MASAND leads us to a healthy Diwali

A SUITABLE BOY

1 (Netfllx)

STARRING:Tabu, lshaan Khatter,

I TanyaManiktala, RasikaDugal, Ranvir I Shorey, KulbhushanKharbanda,Vinay Pathak, RandeepHooda

I DIRECTOR: Mira Nair

I thesecond category.

1 Maybeitwasthechallengeof adaptingVikramSeth'sbookofthe

samename.Amassiveworkoffiction comprisingnearly600,000wordswould 1 seemdifficulttocaptureinsixepisodes.

I Indiansspeak inthelanguageathome 1 andoutside-evenTabu'sexquisitely executed courtesanSaeedaBailooks I passablemouthingEnglishdialogues. I Ontheotherhand, watchingA

1 SuitableBoyinHindi throwsupa differentglitch.Sinceithasbeenshotin I English, thereisnaturallynocoherence I betweenlipmovementandtheuttered I words.SeenwithHindidialogues,the

1 ironicallyIndianstorylookslikeaproduct

ofmessed-upsound engineering, tothe I pointofbeingludicrous.

I Davies'storybased onSeth'snovel startsoffonabrightnote.Wemeet 1 Lata(TanyaManiktala), astudentof

I literaturewhoisstrong-willed, intelligent, I I andfree-spirited.Hermotherinsistsitis I timeforhertogetmarried, thoughshe 1 can'thelpfallinginlovewithMuslim

I boyKabirDurrani(DaneshRazvi),a I I historystudentintheUniversity.Lata's I 1 problemsinlifearequiteremoved fromthoseofMaan(lshaanKhatter), I

Ormaybe,just asit wasblatant in I youngestsonofrevenueminister I

I thecase ofKamaSutra, Nairwasout I MaheshKapoor(RamKapoor). Maan I ( makinganIndianfilminIndiaforthe I seesthestatuesqueSaeedaBai(Tabu) I I ThetroublewithA SuitableBoy is I West(youcould saythatideadefines performatafamilyfunction, andfalls I despitesomuchstorytotell, the allher India-centricworks, butat least I head overheelsforher. I narrative tendstoflag. Itisascript I SalaamBombay!orMonsoonWedding I Thesestoriesofloverunintandem I I drawnfromoneofthemosteventful I managed tofall into anengaging I withasocio-politicalportraitofIndia I I phasesofIndianhistory-theearly I storytellingrhythm). thenarrativetriesdrawingup. Mahesh

ofits production meritsand acting. Besides, for all flawsyoumay spot in thescript, MiraNairdeliversthe minimum qualityyoumayexpect from acinematic product tagged withher name.Thisis agood-lookingshow all through, and Nair'seyefordetail while setting up thespecificsofasocietal milieu isalways commendable-right fromherdaysof Salaam Bombay!and MississippiMasala.

Nairhasassorted aninteresting cast, and her ensembleofactorsdo brilliantly tobringthecharacters alive, toplinedbya majestic performanceby Tabu as Saeedaand lshaanKhatter's spirited renderingofMaanKapoor.

Thefactisestablishedlongbeforethe firstepisodeendsthatTanyaManiktala hasadazzlingsmile.Only,sheneedn't haveflashed itateveryhalfachance -herscreenpresencelookspromising enough.Theadvantageofhavinga talentedcastinalmosteveryframehas somenuanced turnof actingondisplay.

I fiftieswhenanewlyindependentnation

ThescreenwritingisbyWelsh I Kapoorcanvassesforalawthatwill I wasdiscoveringsovereignty-andyetit I veteranAndrewDavies, whoseemed I render theZamindari systemobsolete. I I strugglestocapture thatessence. I somuchin comfortzoneadaptingPride I Theyearis1951, and theembersof 1

I Oneof two things happenwhen I AndPrejudice, VanityFair, BleakHouse Hindu-Muslimtensionthatstarted I Mira NairtriesmakinganIndian film orSenseAndSensibilityand,notto I duringPartitionarestillverymuchalive. I inIndia. Shecraftsastorythatis I forget, co-writingHouseOfCards.Yet, I Theepisodesunfold rollingout I I beautifullyauthentic and inspiredby ( anelementoflazinessseemstotake I theseand other subplots, assundry I anIndiathat is(think SalaamBombay! 1 overthestorytellingasDaviesattempts charactersjoinin. Despitesomany 1 orMonsoon Wedding), or, shetries tocraftanIndianstory. I charactersand narrative threads,you recreatinganIndia that was, inwhich I Amajorproblem isalsothelanguage. I soonbeginto realise thestorytelling I casethe outcomeisbeautifully plastic I Based onanEnglishnoveland I lackslife.Thereis very littlethat I (thinkKamaSutra). adaptedbyaBritishwriter, theprimary I happensinLata'sand Maan'slives I Thisshowdiligentlytriestobelong to I languageofthedialoguesisEnglish. that can bedeemed surprising. theformerlot, buttendstogravitateto I Itseemsokaywatchinguppercrust I A SuitableBoy worksbecause I

MATRIMONIAL$

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ActorslikeRamKapoor, Rasika Dugal, NamitDas, MahiraKakkar, Shahana Goswami,AamirBashiror Manoj Pahwadon'thavetotrytoo hard to convinceinany role.The showhugelybenefitsfrom that fact. ThentherearethelikesofRandeep Hooda, RanveerShorey,VinayPathak, VijayVarma, KulbhushanKharbanda andVivaanShah, addingappeal with limited but soundlyeffectivefootage.

Despitethesestellar performances, you realisethe evidenttruthasthe episodesroll.A SuitableBoy struggles tobeastory thatholdsyour attention. The seriesseemsoverwhelmedbythe oddsit mighthavescaled, and merely managesto showcaseIndia in a way numerous other western filmmakers have alreadydone.

Vinayak Chakravorty

I and hungerfor revenge, while Guddu I isattracted to Shabnam(Shernavas Jijina).All this, even asKaleen I Bhaiya'sreigncontinues.

with manyweb series is that the cumulativeruntimeisfarmorethan what thestorydeserves. Mirzapur2

I could have been wrapped up within sevenor eight episodes. Instead, unnecessary minutes are wasted on melodrama, itemdancesand random shotsat romanceand violence alike.

MIRZAPUR 2

I ended, it wasobvious that gunning 1 for vengeancewould be Guddu(Ali I (Amazo Prime) Fazal) and Golu's(ShwetaTripathi)

I STARRING: PankajTripathi, Shweta I sole motive, afterthey lost their loved Tripathi,AliFazal, Divyendu Sharma, I ones to thebrutalityof MunnaTripathi I RasikaDugal I (Divyendu Sharma).Thestoryline, I CREATED: Puneet Krishna

I however, incorporates severalother

subtexts of retribution.

Lots of guns and blood, drama, hint of I Beena(RasikaDugal), wife I sleaze, cussand explosivedialogues, I ofMirzapur'stoweringBahubali

I and acast ingood form withafew I AkhandanandTripathi, orKaleen

I exciting newadditions. If youarehappy Bhaiya(PankajTripathi), emergesas tosee alot moreof what we already I one of the most intriguingcharacters I sampled inseasonone, thenMirzapur I in the new season, with herpersonal I 2 worksjustfine. But if youwanted it I revenge agenda. Various other I toscale anotherlevel, itdoesn't quite minorcharacters, including Kaleen happenover 10 episodes. I Bhaiya's righthand manMaqbool I Goingbywhere thefirst season I (ShajiChaudhary) and the politician's

I TAIS (ZeeS)

I STARRING: Pulkit Samrat,Jim Sarbh, I Harshvardhan Rane, KritiKharbanda, 1 AnkurRathee,ZoaMorani DIRECTOR: BejoyNambiar I **"

I Taishbanksonaverybasicformula ofhonourand revengethateventhe

I mostcommercialofBollywood makers I stopped peddlingawhileback, though I BejoyNambiarservesitwithpolish.The storyunfoldsagainstthebackdropof I good-lookingLondon and nearbylocales. I Forsomenovelty,yougetachoicein

I formats-youcould watchTaishasasixepisodeseries,orasafeaturefilm.

I Theoption in format isn't the only I experimentation aboutTaish. Nambiar I and co-screenwriters(AnjaliNair, Karlik R.Iyer and NicolaLouiseTaylor)adopt I a non-linearapproachin storytelling, I which makesthenarrativeseem more I interestingthan itactuallyis.

Theoperative mood ofmurderous I rageisestablished inthe opening I sequence, with abloody showdown I in a poshpub inLondonbetween youngSunny(PulkitSamrat)and I the gangsterKuljinder(Abhimanyu

Singh). TheencounterleavesKuljinder inavegetativestate, and soon the gangster'syoungerbrotherPaali (Harshvardhan Rane) and gang are bayingfor Sunny'sblood.

Things getcomplicated because Sunny isin towntoattend a wedding. Krish(AnkurRathee), the younger scion ofthe affluent Kalrafamily, is gettingmarried toMahi(ZoaMarani), and Sunny islikefamily. Allhellbreaks loose whenPaliand gangarrive at

I mollZarina(Anangsha Biswas) find reasons toseek vengeanceasthe episodes rolls. I

Mirzapur2depictsthematic I I stereotypes wehave seen manytimes I before, including in season one of I this show, and it gets the boost of impressiveproduction value.The pace and storytellingare efficient till thepoint wherethestorybuildsup, I I but tendsto ebb in some of the latter I episodes.

I Essentially, storytelling inMirzapur I 2 ismostly about outlining what I coursethe individuallivesof theprotagonists take, as well as I introducing afew newcharacters.

I The season opens with Guddu, Golu I and Guddu's sisterDimpy(Harshita 1 Gaur) on therun. Guddu isstill gravelyinjured. Golu, toughened by I circumstances, is learning to liveby I thegun.

1 As theepisodesroll, Dimpy will eventuallyfallforthesmooth-talking I Robin(Priyanshu Painyuli). Goluis I tornbetween her emotionalangst

Theshow isredeemed by itscast. Every actor, perfectlyhandpicked, I doesafabulousjob, especially the I primaryfemalecast. RasikaDugal, I lshaTalvar and ShwetaTripathi are flawless. I I

The series ends on asimilarnote asseason one, withabig shoot-out, though theimpact is not half as exciting. For those who love postcredit scenes, hang around tillthe I end. Here, it'llleave animportant character withan interesting twist. Also, itreassuresfansthatseason I three is on way.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I -----------------------�

I thesimplereasontheir emotional I 1 dilemmasare not altogether original, or I convincing.

I Asthestorymovesinto itslast I episode, it'salmost asifNambiarand I team werein a rush to wrap uptheir talewith asleekly executedchase I sequenceand somefilmi melodrama.

I Amajorhitch for many willbe the elaborateuseofPunjabidialoguesyoufeelat timesasthough youhave I logged into aPunjabi gangstermovie I withoutsubtitles.

I I I I

thevenueanddeclaretheywillfind and nail theassailant, orensure no weddingtakesplace.

I Thenarrativemovesintoflashbacks

I totracethereasonforSunny's I violence, and alsosumsuptheplot. Nambiarissubtleinthe wayhe I introducesimportantcharactersI Krish's elderbrotherRohan(Jim Sarbh) 1 orRohan'sPakistanifianceeAarfa(Kriti Kharbanda)-aswellasvital plotspins.

I Yet Taish lacksaninnateability

I accords

Taish hasastrongideaovershadowed I I sadlyby poorstorytelling.Thecastis I brilliant, and yetthecharactershaveto I oftengothroughcontrivedsituations

I I tosimplycarrythestoryforward. It'sa labourofironies.

NOVEMBER 2020 43 I I I I

I I I 1 I 1 I I I I I

November 2020

BY Ml AL KHONA

MinaI Khona has been readingtarotcardsfor thelasttwodecades. Sheusesherintuitionand connectwiththecardsmostlyto helppeople.

Youfeel like breakingoutand changingyourcareer, resolving problemsand endingrestrictions. Iflookingtosellyourhouse, itwill getsold.Takea breakfrom workif thingsgettoo much. Becarefulwhile driving,andwithsharpobjectsat home. Moneyissueswillease upwith time. Letgoofyoururgetocontrolyour spouseandtherelationshipwill change forthe better. Resolveyourproblems with mentalstrength.Anew business venture isforetold.

Asuddenchangeofeventsmakes youfeeleverythinghaslostits meaning. Havefaith becausethis destinycard istryingtoteachyou something.You mayhavetoletgoof an issueyou have been holdingon toforlong; letthedivinestepinand takecareofit.An unexpectedchance at makingmoremoneyisawelcome respite.Youremotional life couldsee someturbulencethis month.Stay awayfromthosewhodrain yourenergy.

IThis isperhapstheendstageofa I lotofstruggleso be preparedfor thingstogettougher. Bewareof I office politicsorsomeonetryingto I cheatyou.Travelrelated plans could I have hurdles. Bethoroughwithany paperworkyoudoorhavetosign I on.Avoidstressbecauseyouare I overburdenedwththecurrentsituation. Achesand painscould addto it.A I suddenfinancialwindfall could come I yourway. Keepthings in perspective; 1 everythingwillgetbetter.

I Afeelingofwantingchangemay I occurthis month butyouwill continuetogowiththeflow.You I receiveappreciation atworkand I colleaguescontinueto besupportive.A 1 positivefeelingkeepsyou buoyant all month. Healingofa physical I ailmentoranemotional issuewill I take place. Becarefulofminor I accidentsaround thehouse,though. Financesaregood and anymoney I owedtoyouwill be paid.A business I partnershipcould cometoanend.

youfeelexhausted.Alossofincome I couldoccurbutanewopportunity,Ina I differentlineofworkmaycomealong.

Itisa monthoflearningtoletgo, Virgoswillindulge in somespring sacrificing,and gaininga new I cleaningthismonth - intheirhomesand perspectiveduetoa personora I theirlives.Asyouplanthewayforward, situation.Whileyourcareermaystart I tie uplooseendsatworkanddon'tstart an upwardgraph,therecould bea loss anythingnewtillyou completeolder ofa relationship in yourpersonal life- I projects.Additional responsibilitiesat whetheritisafriendora lover.Takecare I homewilladdtoyourworkload,making I ofyoureyesto preventanyinfections. Expensesare high this monthsospend I Judiciously. Worriesaboutthefuture areunproductive; instead,changeyour reactionstogladacceptance.

I Walkawayfroma relationshipthat seemstobegoingnowhere.

I Asituation iscausingyouanxietyand Evenifcircumstancesindicateotherwise, while work isfrustratingasyou wish I keepupyourgoaloffulfilmentinyour I tomake moremoney, itcould bea I personalandprofessionallife,andtrust I romanticinvolvementthatmakesyou I thattheuniversewill makeithappen. tense.You preferto bealonethan Anunexpectedfinancialgainduetoa I unhappywithsomeone.Someonewill I serendipitousmeetingisexpected.Work I unexpectedlyhelpyou in completinga I mayseehighsandlowsbuttheoutcome

I projectoran ideatakingof.Youranxiety I willbepositive.Don'tletself-doubtbogyou I could be underlyingdepressionandyou down.Youremotionalswingscouldcause I may needtoseeadoctor. Moneyseems I sleeplessnights.Ifyourwishmanifests I tightbutthesituationwillease upsoon. I differently,acceptitasitwill bebetter.The Have patience with new projects. universe nevermakesamistake.

Thecircleofliferenewsitselfandyou

I Youdrawthenumber7thismonth. havedivineprotectiononyourside. I Allsevensareasign ofspiritual Workandfamilygoalsdon'tleaveyou growth.Asyourlifeplateausout, anytimeforromancethis month.Apet I yourealisethere'smoretolifethan could needshotsorafamily member I whatyourrealityisrightnow.You couldfall ill. Moneycould be blocked I mayevenwalkawayfroman unpleasant orcome In spurts. You could havea situationatworkor in yourpersonal misunderstandingwith yourbossor I life. Slowdownifyouarerushedor afriend.Successwill comethrough I yourbodywill makeyou doso. friendsorfamilyandfirstimpressions.A I Outstandingdebtswill becleared.Ifyou cycleofeventsends;a newbeginningis changehowyou react,youcan change on the horizon. I yourworld.

I ThedreamyAquarian pullstheTaurus I cardthismonthsotheymaybe more groundedthan usual.Anexcould I return andthingscouldchangeforthe I better.Youremotionalproblemscould I impactyourworkandyoumaynotbe abletocompletea project.Avisittoa I dentistcouldbeontheanvil. Money I issuesneed resolving.Afreshstart I onthespiritual planegivesyouthe encouragementyouneed.Friendsand I familyaresupportiveineveryway.

I Atough monthasyougetIntoproblems I withlovedonesandatwork;self-doubt and lossensue.Youcouldend up ina I clandestineloveaffair.Someoneclose I could needhospitalization,oryoucould I need medicalhelpyoursetf. Difficult colleaguescouldcausean unpleasant I timeatworkthatmayleadtofinancial I loss.Youmayletgoofan unfulfilling I relationshiporparadigmthatdoesn't workforyou. Lean onyourspiritual I guidanceforsupporttoseeyouthrough.

sincethebeginningoftin1e,light hasbeenelaboratelyincorporated intovariousreligious,cultural andtraditionalcelebrationsaroundtheworld.

Asatributeto Di\vali - oneofthebest-known festivalsoflight-we'vecompiledherealist oftenfestivalsthatemulateitstraditionof lightinguptheworld.

10. St. Martin's Day, Netherlands

Celebrated in remembranceofSaint Martin, the patron ofthe poor, thisevent takesona newn1eaningin the etherlands \Vhere it iscomme1norated with lights. As the dayoffeastingdrawstoaclose on 11 Novembereachyear, the nightis litupwith childrenheadingoutcarryinglanterns andsingingsongsin praise of'SintMaarten.'Theirdoorknockingisrewarded with candyand othersweet treats from neighboursand friends.

9. Kobe Luminarie, :Japan

ThecityofKobein Japanobserves an annualillumination festival in December in memoryofthevictin1softheGreat Hanshin EarLhquakeof 1995.The devastatingeventleft 6000 deadand many withoutelectricityand food. Usinglights to expresshopeand recoveryforthe victims hascontinued asa tradition eversince. The festival featureshundredsofthousandsof lights and handpaintedlanterns,and is viewedbymillions.

8.

Umbanda, Brazil

ThepeopleofRiode Janeiro,Brazilhead to Copacabana, lpanemaand Leblon beaches tohonourlheAfrican Goddess lemanjaas theclockstrikesmidnighton 31 December. The beachesarespeckledwithlighted candles, andgiftsofflowersand perfumes arcthrown in thesea asofferings. lemanja isrevered astheGoddessofthe Sea and Carnal Pleasuresbythe (oUowersofthe Umbanda religion,butotherfestival lovingBraziliansjoinin thedancingthat continuesthrough untildawn.

7. Lantern Festival, China

The Lantern Festival iscelebratedin China,vith much pon1p and show to indicate an official end to the LunarNew Yearcelebrations. Itisa festival ofgreat significance in theChinesecalendar markedwitha spectacleoflightsand fireworks. Magnificentpaperlanterns (usuallyredincolourforgood luck)are setfreeat nighttosymbolise lettinggo of the past and usheringin newbeginnings. Childrenhead lo the templescarrying lighted lanterns while solvingriddles \Vrilten on them.

6.

Saint Lucia's Dayiscelebrated in many Scandinaviancountrieson 13 Dece,nber to mark the wintersolstice and the beginning oftheChristmasseason. InS,veden, the dayiscelebratedwithlights,parades, candles andgirlsdressingupasSaint Lucia.TraditionaUy, theeldestdaughter ofthe family risesearly inthe 01orningon the day,dressesinwhite,wearsacrown

oflighted candles and servescoffeeand special buns totherestofthefamily.The name Lucia isassociatedwith light.

5. Loi Karathong, Thailand

Held in the 12th lunar month, Loi KarathongistheThai festivaloflights payinghomagetothewaterspirits.The eventisobservedbylocalscreating beautifulfloatingarrangementsconsisting ofincensesticksanda candle. On the nightofthe fuUmoon, people launchthese arrangementsin the sea,rivers,canalsor ponds,makingwishesastheydoso. Aln1ost allwaterwaysin thecountrypresenta spectacularsighton the nightwith little bobbinglightsas farastheeyecansee.

Thisweek-longholidayiscelebratedin honouroftheculture and traditionsof AfricandescendantsinAmerica. During the festivities, candlesare liteveryday, giftsexchanged and afeastshared. The ritualincludes thepouringofadrinkas anofferingto God.The mainsymbolsof

Kwanzaa arethe unitycup,acandlestick holder, seven candles,a mat, the Kwanzaa flaganda posterwithseven Kwanzaa principles: unity, self-determination, collectivework and responsibility, cooperativeeconomics, purpose, creativity andearth.Thecelebration has been observed fron126 Decemberto 1 January everyyearsince 1966.

3. Hanukkah

The Jewish festivalorHanukkah begins on the25thdayofthemonthofKislevand endsonthe2nddayofTeveton the Hebrew calendar. It isknownas the Festivalof Lightsasitcelebratesthe historiceventof the liberatingoftheTempleand the miracle ofa lamp thatburnedforeightdays,even thoughithad oilforonlyone. Anewcandle islitoneachoftheeightnightsofthe festivaltomark the miracle.Specialfood is prepared andgiftsgiventochildren.

2. Christmas

Christianscelebrate the birlhofJesus Christ with a n1assiveshowoflightson 25 Decen1bereveryyear.Anexplosion oflightsis on displayas houses,gardens and streetsare illuminatedwith stringsof lights, Christmastreesare decoratedwith fairylightsandcandles, and logfires adorn the interiorsofEuropean hon1es. Festive foods,giftsandcardshelpspreadgood cheerand makethiscelebrationcomplete.

Diwali,orDeepavali, fallsonthe 15thday ofthe Hindu monthofKartik. Itisoneof themajorreligious festivalsofthe world and iscelebrated in Octoberor oven1ber everyyear. Devoteescommemorate the victoryofgoodoverevilbydecorating their houseswith clayoillampsand candles, sharingsweets,buyingnew clothes and visitingfamilyand friends. Although mainlya Hindufestival,it isalso consideredauspiciousby Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains. In lndia today, people ofall faithsjoininthefive-dayfatnilyfestivities.

Farzana Ahmad

LaiKarathong, Thailand KobeLuminarie, :Japan

Because the human race has always held a mystical fascination for light symbolorhope,faithanddivinity

Santa Lucia Day, Scandinavia

4. Kwanzaa, USA

1. Diwali