STE
EP ROAD
1. Text Over Calls 2.Soulmates 3.Sometimes I Wonder! 4. The Last Walk
r e v O t Tex s l l Ca Uday Arun Sakat Batch 20-22
Lately, as the world succumbs to pandemic. There is a sense of belonging for people We want to be with
Can't be there in person so people have taken video calls by storm Longs hours of calls, VCs and Skype chats But this is one part of people.
The other types are there, the virtual introverts... These are the happening people in groups, but when times come for one to one conversation.. Their charm fades... They prefer texts over a call...
Maybe because it's safe, can't exchange feelings, can't hear voices, can't share the sense of belonging... And they like it this way, maybe in an underlying way but they love this way of conversing.
They are more happening behind a textbox than a video call. These are Virtual Introverts and In-person Extroverts for all their life.
But both these types exist and both are beautiful in their Own way. I am these people
Which type do you belong to?
SOULMATES Shalini Dutta Batch 20-22 Do soulmates exist in the real world? Is it the romantic literature that created a silhouette of imagination?
Or is it the mystical weave of an exoticism and desire that the worldseems to have given a name for its own selfish sake
It might be possible that cupid himself was disillusioned enough in love to aim his arrows at two random souls Am unaware if soulmates are drawn towards each other come what may the adversity
But whenever I close my eyes, I imagine to embark upon a journey with you which I want for an eternity.
Did I find my soulmate in you?
Sometimes I Wonder! Lakshay Rathi Batch 21-23
Sometimes I wonder what we are living for
To satisfy our body or our soul
Trying to breathe without even knowing
How do we even know that this is reality?
What if it all was but just a dream?
Sometimes I wonder if just breathing is living
Or do I need to live to continue breathing?
It all feels like an illusion
Sometimes I feel like I have a goal
Or is it just a delusion?
It’s hard to understand,
Whenever we allow ourselves to fall
Why does it feel like we can finally stand?
Is it just me or the whole world?
Who wants to go far away from sanity,
To go search for madness
That is eternal,
That darkness present in the darkest parts of our souls
Sometimes near, and sometimes far far away from light
That makes me feel whole
Sometimes I wonder if I’m even real
Or just a tiny speck in the thoughts of fantasy?
The Last Walk Shubham Kulkarni Batch 21-23
The sun sank, winds got quieter, You're besides me, yet so far,
You're numb, but I can read your eyes, Don't fret, for we know it's our last walk,
Just walk with me, so that I can stand, It's painful to know, that you would never come back,
This is how it is heart-breaking, Memories fade, soon this walk will too,
Don't fret, for we know it's our last walk, Just walk with me, so that I can stand.
BACKPACKER'S BREW
A Road Trip to Remember
4 Days 400 Km & A Bicycle
Exploring the Roots
Photo Credits Niyati Shriyan
A ROAD TRIP TO REMEMBER LAHUL, SPITI
AHANA
CHAKRABORTY
BATCH
20-22
We all know the basic definition of travelling. It is the
And you do all of the above stuff with no regrets and
movement of people between distant geographical
being happy, literally. Because, traveling is the essence of
locations. But the question is, do you really feel the
your existence.. So, to answer the call of my existence, I
definition covers the full meaning of travelling or the
planned a trip with my friends around may-june, 2019, of
emotion associated with it (to most of the people, I
course in the “pre-corona” era. We chose Lahaul-Spiti
believe) even by one percent? Majorly the answer is a big
valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. Straight from the
fat no. Travelling is an indomitable thirst that makes you
bucket list of most of the travelers, nestled between India
fight with your manager every year for a couple of weeks’
and Tibet, the cold deserted, scenic land-locked
holidays. It makes you spend some hard-earned money
mountains have an unearthly appeal to the mountain
on shopping essentials for the trip. It makes you sit down
lovers. I will try my level best to describe my journey in
with your laptop and phone to do something apart from
words which is almost an impossible task as the actual
your dull and monotonous office work, to plan the trip.
beauty of the place is inexplicable.
We started our journey from Kolkata airport, took a flight to Delhi. We took a bus from Delhi to Manali. Previously we had planned to reach Spiti valley through Rohtang LaKunzum La (‘La’ means a mountain pass). But to our surprise, we found both the passes to be closed due to heavy snowfall (untimely, now that is the beauty of the mountains, everything is unpredictable). So, we changed our plans and targeted to enter Spiti valley through Rampur Bushahr, district Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
From Rampur, we headed out for Kaza. The roads became bumpy, dusts covered our Toyota Innova like snow covers a tree. We started to gain elevation, everything else kept on moving downwards as we kept on crossing hairpin bends, one after another. Air became chiller, car windows got foggy. At Nako, we discovered snow-covered mountain tops and everyone erupted with pure joy. After a very hard journey, the snowy lines at the horizon gives you the pleasure you can amount as reaching at cloud nine. We were about half-way through our destination for that day.
Nako gave us fresh energy. We refueled our minds and body with some soupy Maggi and hot tea and started for Tabo. The road now was curvier, air chiller and it started to become thinner as well. This part of the Himalayas is completely bare, you can’t see any patch of green anywhere, just harsh mountains as if they are made of mud, ruthlessly going upwards to touch the sky. This area is very much prone to land-slide, it is believed that the building process of the mountains is still going on, the habitants feel earthquakes every now and then.
This place is also legendary for shooting stones. You will see stones coming at you from nowhere and hitting your car with an unimaginable speed that is capable of injuring you. We closed every window and sat tight just to travel through that part safely. Throughout the whole journey we hardly saw people on the road, the natural geography was very rough with almost no vegetation, no arable land and no sign of advancing digital technologies (read no internet, even no towers at all).
This place is prehistoric, far from maddening city crowds, free from human intoxication. We were awestruck with its primitive beauty, engulfed with its breathtaking scenes, alarmed with the danger associated with it at the same time, ‘cause a single miscalculated turn of the steering could get us all meet the God in his own land. Nevertheless, we continued with our lives at our driver’s hand agreeing upon one thing that this journey is not for the faint hearted. Finally, we reached Kaza at night.
We came out of the car, looked up and found the mesmerizing night sky which it seemed had opened its vault and splashed the dark canvas with dazzling stones and shimmering neon lights. For the first time in my life, I felt the presence of the universe under that sky, I felt like being a part of the cosmos, I felt the presence of something way bigger than everything else around us, perhaps I felt eternity.
Lahaul-Spiti is a place that stands still in time, abundant with natural beauties, at every bend of the road you would feel how lavish the creator had been while designing the place with his magical paintbrush as every view is unearthly, pure and tranquil. We know that every journey has a destination. But Spiti makes you aware about the difference between what we know and what we feel. The place holds a vastness in front of you, makes you feel your heartbeat at every step, shows you the extraordinary capabilities of the mother earth and how diminutive we are in front of it. The place is larger than life and you realize one thing, You do not reach anywhere in Spiti (or in life), Your journey is the destination.
Travelling is the essence of your existence
- Words & Photos by Ahana Chakraborty
4
D A Y S
4 0 0
K M S
&
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B I C Y C L E
LAKSHAY RATHI BATCH 21-23
“If it makes you happy, it does not have to make sense to anyone else”. I have been planning about this bike-packing trip since my undergraduate days but was always turned down by my friends as they thought that it was a bizarre and dangerous idea to go from Kurukshetra to Dehradun let alone climb the road to Mussoorie on a bicycle. And that is exactly why I wanted to do this. Finally one of my friends agreed to go with me but the day we were supposed to start our trip, even he turned me down. Now I had two options, either to go back home and spend my semester break doing “Diwali ki Safai” or take the risk of going solo. Well I am proud that I decided to go alone. I started on 30th October at 6 AM setting the route of 160 kms to Dehradun. The first 50 kms to the main highway were very smooth. After that I kept on taking a break every 25 kms to conserve my energy. For the 100th km break, I took a turn down the main highway to find some shade in a sugarcane field and there I decided to have the lunch packed by my mother. I laid down gazing at the trees surrounding me, sun rays filtering through the branches touching my face, it was so calm and energising.
After the short break, I kept on going for about 20 kms, where the climb of Dehradun started. It was not that steep of a climb but the fact that I had already cycled for 120 kms made it the toughest one for me yet. I rested every 3 kms on the roadside along with the monkeys but by the time I reached the last climb I was completely exhausted and needed help. That was the moment when I was afraid I would regret deciding to come solo and was very surprised to see that no one was stopping to help me. Finally, a biker who was coming from Dehradun stopped to help me. I told him that I ran out of food and water, so he turned back to bring some biscuits and water. After having that I thanked him and rested for a couple of minutes more to start again and was able to reach the highest point of Dehradun climb at about 945 mts. From there it was all downhill to Dehradun and that is where I reached the maximum speed of 50 Km/h. I finally entered the city of Dehradun at around 5 PM and went to my hotel planning for the toughest streak of my trip, the mussoorie climb.
On 31st October I packed some boiled eggs and started early at 7 AM. One of my friends from Dehradun told me about a route which is safe for bicycle riding and is very scenic but is steeper and longer than the normal route. It was about 30 kms of climb to Mussoorie with an elevation of 2200 mts. The route was very scenic with no cars and roads surrounded by greenery. I was veray lucky to have clipless shoes with me because of which I was able to climb the “Alpe de Kimadi” which is a segment of 30 mts of climb with a gradient of 7.2% (the steepest part of the whole ride). I somehow managed to reach the Kimadi falls-- my first rest spot at 14 kms. The water of the falls was at around 7 deg C. I locked my bicycle, climbed down and put my feet in the water which helped me in recovering from the fatigue of the last two days of cycling. After resting for 30 minutes, clicking some pictures and feeling refreshed, I left the spot to a gruesome climb of 16 kms ahead of me. During this phase of ride I fell down due to some pebbles on the road and got some minor injuries on my knees and elbows.
Luckily there was this couple who helped me get up and asked “ kaha se aa rahe ho bhai” and were taken by surprise when I replied with ‘Kurukshetra’. They helped me to get up, offered some food and water and wished me luck for my way ahead. My next stop was at 24 kms, a Maggi point where I found two puppies who were cuddling around my feet. I was exhausted at this point but seeing the destination so close I kept on going by dividing the rest of the route in 10 mts segments and just aiming for the segments one by one. By 3:30 PM I reached Mussoorie, it was one of the happiest feelings of my life. I did not stay there for long, just clicked one picture in front of the Mussoorie library and left. Now, what lied ahead of me was the best part of this whole trip “the descend”. started at 4 PM from Mussoorie and reached Dehradun in just 1 hr and 14 minutes. It was also the most dangerous part as you are moving downhill at a very high speed so your braking has to be perfect.
After reaching Dehradun I called my cousin and she told me that they are planning to go to a Halloween party and that I should join them. So, I set the route to her place and celebrated Halloween with my sister and her friends. The next day I had to leave for Kurukshetra according to the plan. On 1st of November, I woke up early to leave for my home but was unable to move from the bed. It felt like hundreds of needles were piercing through my whole body. I could not even walk properly so I decided to take rest for the day and leave the next day. On 2nd November I woke up at 8 AM feeling much better and left for my home. As I already had an experience of the route, I packed my food accordingly and bid farewell to my cousin, thanking her for letting me stay at her place. I left at around 10 AM and now the road which was all uphill became downhill. In just 90 minutes I was able to cover 50 Kms but due to headwind the fatigue started to kick in soon, so I decided to call my friends to pick me up at the 100 kms mark.
I rode slowly till 100 kms till the cavalry arrived to pick me up and my adventure ended there. All the friends and family kept on asking me why I was doing this, that I could have taken a bus or a car to Mussoorie, why a bicycle and I know no matter what I tell them they will not be able to understand. It is a feeling, a feeling of being alive and independent, a feeling of happiness when you meet new people on your trip or exploring an unknown route, a feeling which cannot be described in words. You can call this my way of blowing off the steam of all the stress of lockdown. I know that each one of us has their own adventure planned in their mind but they keep on postponing it due to many reasons, let me tell you the one thing of which I am absolutely sure after this adventure is that if you are waiting for the right time to do what you have wanted to do, it is now.
EXPLORING THE ROOTS Brijesh Chattopadhyay Batch 21-23
The fast-paced world, hectic work schedules and social responsibilities are a few things that all human beings have to deal with in life. Different people find their peace amidst these through various ways, from scrolling Instagram reels to cooking. There is also a breed of humans who finds peace in exploring the world, the Travellers.
Most of us are keen to travel to various parts of the country or world to enjoy the beauty of nature, historical monuments, and technological marvels. Based in Kolkata, Digha, Puri, Darjeeling, and Sikkim are the most common tourist destinations. However, the world was literally shut down due to the recent pandemic putting an end to all forms of travelling for a significant amount of time. So, instead of travelling long distances, my friends and I decided to revisit our home town, Kolkata.
“If we were meant to stay in one place, we would have roots instead of feet” – Rachel Wolchin.
Yes, I know, many of you will think what is the point of exploring the city in which I have lived for more than twenty years now. However, for me, travelling is not just about exploring new places, but also exploring new experiences associated with visiting old places. I do want to provide a disclaimer that we had no set route planned; after all, ‘Life’s best moments usually happen unplanned.’
We started a one-day road trip of the city at 5 am on a chilly morning of 25th December 2020. What is a better way to start a journey than enjoying a beautiful sunrise with a cup of ‘karak chai’? You will find a perfect mix of both at Prinsep Ghat, on the bank of the mighty Ganges. Add a cheap 350 rupees per 30 minutes boat ride to the mix, and you will definitely find a soul enhancing experience, which is unheard of in a bustling metropolitan city.
One of Kolkata’s major attractions, both for locals and outside travellers, is its delicious and pocket-friendly street foods. The morning breakfast at Teretti Bazar brings a big smile to the face of foodies like myself. Even though Kolkata is not an early waking city, the streets of Terreti seems to be bustling with crowd as if it was office-time. There are usually two types of people to be found there. The first reaches the shops as early as possible to bag the freshest batch of vegetables, fish, and meat. The rest consist of people like us, who wake up early and drive 15 km from their homes just to taste Chinese breakfast. We treated ourselves to a plate of hot momos and soupy noodles, which reminded me of the momo at Darjeeling I enjoyed on my college trip. Aah! Those were the days. Anyway, not deviating from the topic, make sure to reach Terreti Bazar by 9 am; otherwise, you will only find leftovers.
After filling our hearts and stomachs with delicious food, we drove around in our old Santro. We decided to do a speed run over the Durgapur Expressway but unfortunately could not cross 80 km/hr. But is driving only for enjoying the speed? Call me an old man, but sitting in the driver’s seat, cruising at a constant speed, feels so peaceful that I cannot even put the right words to it. We went non-stop till Saktigargh, vibing to typical road trip songs. After a quick stop at Saktigarh for some refreshments, we drove back. I know it was too early to drive back, it was just 3 pm, but it was Christmas after all. I believe everyone from Kolkata knows where our next destination is. Yes, it’s the famed Christmas party spot, Park Street. Let me tell you about a unique trait of Kolkata. Even though it is home to primarily Bengali population, you will find all festivals celebrated with the same enthusiasm and zeal as Durga Puja. We reached Park Street around 8 pm, and it was already crowded with people from different parts of the city. Along with the largest church of eastern India, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Park Street oozes an aura of happiness and is covered with merry lightings during this time of the year. After a long wait at the door of Peter Cat restaurant, we finally managed to get some much-needed dinner before we decided to head back home.
From the cold winds of the Ganges to the delicious cuisine of Park Street, Kolkata captivates the travellers with a new experience through its same old tourist spots. In general, travellers, including myself, like to explore new areas and places which are treat to eyes. The trip to Prinsep Ghat made me realise that I was no longer excited by the craze of riding a boat or clicking pictures in front of the James Prinsep Ghat monument. The peace and quiet moment in the middle of the Ganges touched my soul more. Similarly, the childhood excitement of speed from the passenger seat vanished when I took the wheels, only to find myself enjoying the roads devoid of office-day rush. As we ended the day, I could not help but wonder how the same streets and the same Ghat would make me feel when I travel 10 years later. A new career, a new point in life and the same old, warm and friendly Kolkata, a combination waiting to be EXPLORED.
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To my future son BY AMAN SHYAMSUKHA | BATCH 20-22
Dear future son, I believe I am a bit young I want to tell you some things and trust me, this is not just for fun
Maybe you are not so handsome or smart like me But accept it, you are a mini version of me
I hope to see you becoming a person with a strong personality A person who won’t go back on his words, whatever be the reality
I hope that you play some sports like football And come back home even without scoring a goal
Winning is not the only thing that you should desire Learning from the failures is what you should admire
Never let the feeling of others judgement to come around Failure in your own is what that can only let you down
People may question you, why have you changed? But you don’t need to answer as you are not scared
Hold the door for women and for men too Because kindness doesn’t have an asterisk which could sue you
Sometimes you can let your guard down Because life experiences are what that won’t let you fall down
Don’t let yourself be shackled in your own sadness Always look for the ways and show your willingness
Never let your loved ones cry Relations is the only thing that money can’t buy
Find a girl who is an unedited and unfiltered version of herself Falling in love with her is falling in love with yourself
At times you will lead and at times she’ll be your guide Don’t get arrogant and always have her by your side
You don’t give her rights, she already has them God gifted them to her, so honor and protect them
Love her with all your desire Don’t be a person who contains a lover’s fire
Don’t play with someone like they are toys And then blame your mistakes on ‘Boys will be Boys’
Pain is the force that lets you know you are still alive It’s on you, how to take this pain in order to thrive
Be a strong man and don’t let your emotions to hide Don’t be like your father who hesitated to cried
I want you to laugh with your old man or you could even cry with me But whatever it is, I won’t be a person who stops you I will let you go Because that’s how you will grow
”0”USAND MILES
TH
BY ANIRUDHA KAUSHIK | BATCH 20-22
On a breezy Sunday morning Over the hills shines the sunlight I walk out into the picturesque scene And think, “The weather is just right”
I walk towards my garage There it stands all bright and a new shine I couldn’t believe my eyes That this special car is mine
The engine roars to life And onwards we go The journey is long ahead We have much to explore
The twisty roads of the mountain range The trees providing further shade Clear wind blowing over me A beautiful sense of being free
A moment to live and thrive That’s the only thing we want with our lives A feeling of letting go Of our worries and sorrows
A feeling of thrill No worries of any debt or bill I may have no one by my side But I don’t need anyone for this ride
For a bond was made Between man and machine All the doubts seemed to fade My will unwavering
For this drive was something More than any escape A pilgrimage or that sort of a thing To bring myself up to shape
To carry on with something That will bring fear, sorrow, joy and strife An uphill unending battle That is titled Life
From hills to the coast, what a drive it was From sunrise to sunset, how tiring it was A perfect little place for the vehicle to park And enjoy the view until it went dark
This brings an end to what was a glorious drive A wonderful journey, what way to live a life But suddenly echoed a terribly scream I opened my eyes, and I was just a daydream.
As I sat to continue with the days monotony I thought “I wish I could really do that journey” What an adventure it was, a journey of a thousand miles Without moving an inch, I got a drive of a lifetime.
I could witness a million splendid sunsets along the seashore, the sky screaming crimson and the sea brimming with desire, yearning for her lover; and as the day long wait finally ends, the sea gets to behold the moon, darkness cradling their love. And still when you ask me, the most beautiful thing in the world, would be the creases beneath your eyes tired from a long but satiating night. the most beautiful feeling would be to run my fingers through your skin left bare while it responds to the touch sending shivers to me instead. The most beautiful sight would be you still wrapped up in sheets scrunching your eyes while the morning sun kisses your face.
Creases Beneath Your Eyes Bipasha Batch 21-23
The most beautiful verse would be the words your fingertips playfully scribble on my back and the most beautiful painting, the bruises on my neck.
I could witness a million splendid sunrises,
and still when you ask me, the most beautiful dawn would be to see you wake up beside me while your sleepy little head peeks up from my embrace and your eyes take me in.
QUIET -Sruthy Menon Batch 20-22
WEDNESDAY | FEB. 14, 2019
Why look for the quietest hour, When every hour is quiet in my life. Voice, it is soft and sharp, they say But I feel just the vibration. words, lines and phonetics They merge it seems. But I see just lips open and close You hear the modulations, I see the expression.
You record the voice, I save the feeling. You hear music, soothing While I look into the eyes of the musician, Trying to decipher their inner music. Ever shut your mouth middle of this talking world? Intimidating and uncontrollable feeling, ain’t it? I live there, mouth open In this quietest hour, Feeling lost, ain’t you? Let this deaf-mute man, old be your guide.
For my silence can find decibels in the quietest hour, For my silence can find answers what noise cannot. For every hour is quiet in my life.
F L E E CT r TON S E
The halt towards a beautiful begining Rock Music A tribute to Tribe
Perfection?
A Brief Pause
Screenplay: the art of revealation
The halt towards a beautiful beginning Noel Chacko Batch 20-22
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ROCK MUSIC AND ITS EMERGENCE
PRIYAM NASKAR BATCH 20-22
“If Music is a Place -- then Jazz is the City, Folk is the Wilderness, Rock is the Road, Classical is a Temple.” ― Vera Nazarian (Russian-American Writer) The genre of Rock music is broad and originated initially as the Rock and Roll genre in the US in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The style of Rock music adopted the culture directly from Blues and Country music. Also, its roots propagated from folk and electric blues and to some extent was influenced by Jazz. The genre, unlike other genres, is very diverse and focuses on love, emotions, politics, and intolerance of society. During the late 60s, when classical Rock hit its peak, several Hybrid Rock emerged including Blues Rock, Folk Rock, Raga Rock, jazz Rock and to name a few. These different Rock genres were considered the catalyst for the propagation of Psychedelic Rock which was greatly influenced by “hippie culture”. Later, Progressive Rock also came into existence and made Rock music more diverse. Progressive Rock greatly emphasizes artistic elements. That means its tempo, style, and other components can be changed many times in one song. Vocals are more superior, more sophisticated in composition and instrumentation with more complex lyrical content. This genre was perceived as an exclusive field for experimenting by certain intellectual young white folk. In the second half of the 1970s, Punk Rock took its insurgence by being energetic social and political critiques. The hegemony of Punk Rock was later influenced by Post Punk and eventually, a new genre was created named Alternative Rock. The upheaval of this genre emerged from the independent underground musician. It got famous in the 90s. Years after years, Rock music was perceived as an expression of youth for the insurgency against societal intolerance, injustice and adult consumerism. The majority of Western music that is in 4/4 time, throughout history, has a different beat, where the heavy beat is 1, while 2, 3, and 4 are weak beats. If it is in 4/4 time and you clap along to it on the 2 and the 4, then it's rock music. Rock music is mainly centered around electrical guitar for the bass & lead and drums and cymbals for percussion. The keyboard, Piano, Synthesizer are the complemented accessories. Since the late 1950s and particularly from the mid-1960s onwards, Rock music often practices verse-chorus structure derived from blues and folk music. The vocal technique is craftsmanship which is why it has a range from fairly standard singing to high-pitched screaming ("Child in Time", Deep Purple) or low-pitched growling (too much Death Metal). Critics often term Rock music as amateurist. While Rock is often associated with being harsh and being simple music for idiots, both of these clichés are patently untrue. Rock can be a very gentle and emotional genre (a lot of Clapton's work would come to mind), and it can be very complex at the same time (Dream Theatre, or the aforementioned "Child in Time", or the entirety of Pink Floyd's "The Wall"). When Rock music took off in western countries, India was no longer behind. When the world was fascinated with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, Indian Rock music witnessed Raga Rock, a fusion of western rock music with Indian music.
At that time, Rock bands in India were intimated as a Beat group. In the 60s and 70s, bands like Thunderbird, Mystik made their mark in Indian Rock culture. Western bands were also heavily influenced by Indian music. Like the world-famous band, The Beatles came up with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely-Hearts Club band in 1967. In the late 60s, Psychedelic Rock became very famous. The genre was heavily inspired by "mind expanding” drugs such as Marijuana and LSD and that genre reflected drug-induced states through the use of electronics and intense volume. Rock Music till the time hit Bollywood and music produced showed the courage to embrace it and made thousands of songs renowned as Filmi Songs. Indian musicians tried fusion this time as well. They mixed traditional Indian music with independent rock culture. The audience also did not decline to taste the new flavour in Indian music. But somehow Filmy songs overshadowed this fusion rock at that time. This is the time of the 70s. Many of the households were still dependent on All India Radio. So due to the lack of audience, Rock culture was still not instilled in millions of other populations. This was the time also when Moheener Ghoraguli (The horses of Moheen), an Independent Bengali Rock band was manifested from Kolkata and started full-fledged rock music from the place where people are more concerned about cultural heritage. So, naturally, they did not get the success they deserved because of the apathy of the audience. Besides, the music industry was more dominated by Playback Singers then. So, standing on that ground talking about Rock is kind of blasphemy for them. But it is arguably believed that “Moheener Ghoraguli” was the first rock band in India. And then the 80s arrived, Rock world was blooming- Bon Jovi, Deep Purple, Kiss, Tom Petty, and The Heartbreakers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Van Helen, Aerosmith, and Guns n Roses to name a few. In 1984, the first non-vernacular Indian Rock band came into existence named Rock Machine. Their first album, Rock and Roll Renegade hit the industry in 1988 which was largely influenced by Bon Jovi, Deep Purple, Def Leppard, etc.
MTV arrived in the early 90s. With this arrival, Indian Music lovers finally got a different exposure and taste to new genres of music and television also started to play Rock, Thrash Metal (An extreme subgenre of Heavy Metal characterized by its aggression and fast tempo), Grunge (Genre with distorted electric guitar), Punk Rock, etc. Seeing this Indian music produced also tried their hands into this. India also got its first magazine dedicated to Indian Rock Music in 1993 named Rock Street Journal by Amit Saigal. India has a population of 1.3 billion. Out of this 60% belongs from rural areas where westernization still sounds odd. Among the remaining 40%, many people, even after belonging to urban areas, are still attached to their roots. They may speak English but English songs for them do not carry much appeal. They find western culture to be hippie and ridiculous. So, when someone who has never listened to rock suddenly starts listening to it develops the opinion for Rock music as “Rock is just noise” and “will never try it further” mindset. This is why softer rock bands like Coldplay are liked by many audiences. Kids in normal households in India also grow up listening to Bollywood music and may never develop the taste for Rock and suddenly when they are exposed in front of huge distortion of the guitar, they may lose their interest. Nevertheless, India still has many platforms which uphold the glory of Indian Rock like NH7, Headbangers India, Indian Music Mug, Unholy Maunder, Indian Music Revolution, Indian Metal Scene, etc. Gradually, rock culture has now been imbibed by many Indian audiences far and wide. Be it on a regional level, on a national level, or in movies. Music composers also show courage to throw in a dash of rock and punk fearlessly and most of the time it comes out great. This way Rock culture started and evolved in India and lastly, be it rock, jazz, grunge, metal, or classical, music has been an integral part of Indians since the time western countries even started thinking of it. Henceforth, the kind of complex history of Rock possesses and the kind of ability rock has to imbibe other genres on its own makes it difficult to bind to a rigidly delineated musical definition. So, “What is Rock? It's complicated. It is impossible to explain when a genre has this much diversity. Hence, it is better to not try to put Rock, especially music, into a little box because the music was not made to be fit into a little box.
A Tribute to Tribe Ansari Basit Batch 21-23
I was immersed in Instagram late at night on a Sunday. Scrolling through the same stale Instagram reel trends. I found something unusual, which forced me to take a chair,turn on google, and research about it. A tribe predominantly located in Central India valued premarital sex to ascertain compatibility before marriage so as to have the liberty to leave the spouse if one falls in love with someone else. Sounds weird, right? So let us take a journey to ponder some unusual lifestyles, cultures and beliefs of some significant tribes in India.
The gond tribe In one of the most famous Gond legends, it is said that when the Gond gods were born, their mother abandoned them. It was the Goddess Parvati who later rescued them to save their lives. However, things didn’t go according to the plan, and the spouse of Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva captured the gods in a cave. No one could ever rescue them from Lord Shiva. But one day, the known Gond Hero, Pahandi Kapar Lingal, succeeded in his mission and rescued all the Gond Gods from the cave with the help of Goddess JanguBai. The name of the tribe is derived from a distinctive headgear known as the “tallagulla,” which originally would be adorned with the Indian bison’s horns and peacock feathers. Also, there is a saying that the word “gond” comes from kond, which means green mountains in the Dravidian idiom. Being culturally rich, you are likely to find a black and white painting design on their walls. The Gond paintings focus on natural elements and their God. They use dots and lines to show the beauty and power of nature in the form of animals, plants, forests, and deities. Gondi people like to celebrate their festivals with dance and music. A big part of Gond culture is Dandari Dance. The dance in which they narrate the mythological stories of Gond. People dance in circles and help the audiences understand the significance of Gond mythology. Gond society is divided into four groups; each group is known as phrastries or saga in Gondi. Each saga traces its descent to one of the four gods who emerged from the cave after their release by the hero lingal.
THE KHASI TRIBE If you are seeking to discover the culture hidden in the mythical mountains of Meghalaya, the ethnical clamor of the Khasi tribes, which are filled with lots of music, playing musical instruments like drums, guitars, flutes, wooden pipes, and metal cymbals, surely going to make your tour to Meghalaya bright and striking. Khasis, like many tribal societies in this region, did not have a written script, and the oral tradition (ki parom) continued through centuries till the British came. Because the belief is vital that they are all descendants of the ancient mother divided into individual clans, traditionally, marriage within the same clan is prohibited. In Garo Hills, where clans are divided into maharis, a man is not supposed to marry a girl of the same mahari. In an open field, a group of 22 men with swords, shields, and chowries (fly-flaps or whisks) perform Ka Shad Mastieh (dance of men) to the accompaniment of tangmuri (pipes) and drums. The women, usually unmarried girls, dance at the center taking tiny steps, hardly lifting their feet from the ground. Their dance is called Ka Shad Kynthei. They hold down their arms to their sides and have their eyes demurely cast down. What’s better than knowing about the cultures of just 3 tribes? To know about most of them! Here book that might help you in your endeavour One may read Painted Words: An Anthology of Tribal, edited by G.N.Devy to more about the various tribes and their cultural diversity in India.
tHE bHIL tRIBE Initially, forests and hilly areas around southern parts of Rajasthan were the habitants of Bhils. To protect their forests and themselves, bhils used bows and arrows to fight with their enemies. It was also an easy weapon to make when you have a lot of wood in your hand. Scholars suggest that this popularity of bow knowledge led to the name of this tribal group. Bhil is also known as the ‘Dhanush purush of India’ . Every bhil village has its own deity that protects the village and its members. Bhils have different deities of different aspects. They have a crop God named Karkulia Dev, they have a serpent God named Bhati de and Bhilat Dev, they have a village God named Baba dev, they have a dog God named Bhairav dev and they have a lion God named Bag dev. Bhil is a conservative tribe where they only marry in their class. If they marry outside their class the person from the lower class needs to come to the higher class after cutting all ties from their family and friends. One look at a Bhil painting, and you’ll immediately begin to recognize it anywhere you see the art form. Bhil paintings usually consist of large, un-lifelike shapes of everyday characters filled in with earthy, yet bright colours, and then covered with an overlay of uniform dots in several patterns and colours that stand out strikingly against the background.
P e r f e c t i o n ? -Himani Nemade Batch 20-22
These days people are settling in for being themselves. Great. But as everything has flaws, eh. Previously, we needed everything flawless, disciplined, perfect- work, biological clocks, ecosystem, rules and execution. So, eventually do we become robots? After doing so much there goes a saying that ‘no one is perfect’ Gradually, in today's world, we have come to a momentum where people have started accepting that they don't need to give their best to things they don't like, fair. So, they are settled. Settled to late worthless nights on phones, indoor games (tv and phone), stagnant relationships that aren't working, rather dead communication, irksome! hmm. Is something wrong here? As virtual measures that adhere to standard of living are increasing, the standard of living is declining. And that is why when someone wants to attain peace now goes away to primitive way of living i.e. tending to be perfect. A disciplined life! Nowadays, being random is in fashion. There are bizarre effects of any adaptations in this new era whereas one needs to balance things off. Being yourself or doing what you love will come when you physically and mentally tend to have perfect mindset, step by step. These days there are quotes that "it's okay to be you". Yes, it is, for people who need it. You should think, whether you do. Simply at the age of doing something miraculously good in your life and "being you", having time in your hand, reading quotes like "it's okay to be late" and "different people take time", pushing yourself will be great. Then you will have a fallback. This set is hard to understand if you haven't observed people's mindset like "Jo hoga, dekha jayega". (Not risk related, future related).They say after all, life with an aim is a worthy one!
A BRIEF PAUSE By Prathmesh Pawar 2020-22 Batch
Today for a moment, who knows why I took a brief pause, Something was wrong and I wanted to know the cause.
Maybe I was lost in the world competing fast governed by rigid laws, Trying to be perfect in everything I do and was scared of my flaws.
Making mistakes, facing criticism was bad and all I wanted was applause, Thought success means everything, but today I realized it’s not mentioned in any clause.
Felt rejuvenated, relaxed and found my much-needed space because, NOMADIC | 24 Today for a moment, now I know, why I took a brief pause.
Carpe Diem
Bookie Bits Slice of Life
Color Splash Photoquest
Bookie Bits Books to look forward to in 2022 By Sarvajit & Niyati 21-23
Man's Search for Meaning Author - Viktor. E. Frankl
Man’s Search for Meaning is a documentation of the author’s time in Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp. The book largely concentrates on the psychological feelings he experienced throughout his time at the camp. The initial shock, the subsequent apathy and the loss of identity he felt while being at the camp are all covered. He covers the feelings of depersonalisation and his own feelings on the psychology of men and how every aspect of the camp was projecting such psychologies in some way.
A Thousand Splendid Suns Author - Khaled Hosseini
This book revolves around the lives of two women, their individual pasts and how they end up marrying the same man. Contrary to everyone's beliefs the two share a deep bond with each other and overcome life altering challenges together and this rare bond is what makes this book stand out.
The two women Mariam and Laila have very impressionable childhoods. Mariam, an illegitimate child who never received love from her parents, is married to Rasheed who is 30 years older than her. On the other hand, Laila is a much younger girl of very conservative parents and just one companion, her best friend Tariq, who she ends up falling in love with.
With the aftermath of the Kabul war and some unforeseeable circumstances, Laila is also married to Rasheed which angers Mariam. However, slowly the two women form a sisterhood and end up quite literally saving each other's lives. The women who were meant to hate each other end up as soul sisters.
The book, set up in a tense political climate, talks about complex relationships, strength, friendship, freedom and about choosing one’s own family.
A River in Darkness Author - Masaji Ishikawa
A river in darkness is a memoir of Masaji Ishikawa. Originally from North Korea, he details how escaped from the country and how he struggled to set up life in Japan. The book covers a wide range from the propaganda in North Korea to Japanese racism and even the levels bureaucracy that would play out in Japan as he attempted to set his life up in Japan.
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Photoquest Quenching the artist's lens
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