It is said that the chant “Mookam karoti vaachaalamPangum langhayatey girimYatkripaa tamaham vandeyParamaananda Maadhavam” Can make the cripple climb mountains and the mute speak eloquently. The mantra asks for grace in order to ease someone out of difficult situations. It means: “I salute that Madhava,The source of Supreme Bliss,Whose grace makes the dumb man eloquentAnd the cripple cross mountains.” Continue reading A Chant for Difficult Times
BY DRISHTI RAKHRA Telling someone that I’m from Bangalore is never easy. The statement of belonging always appears with a little bit of shame. My memory of Bangalore is not steeped in the sharp twists and turns of Kannada, it is not heavy with the experiences of going to landmarks like Lalbagh on weekends or eating breakfast at one of the many efficient darshinis of … Continue reading Remembering Bangalore From Februaries Past
BY JOYA LALL “Hey Daddy! When are you coming home?”- the first line that comes to mind when thinking of both my older brother Dev and myself, as infants unable to understand why ‘Daddy’ was constantly away for so long! ‘This ‘Daddy’ was one of India’s then tennis representatives, constantly travelling both nationally and worldwide. According to Google, this ‘Daddy’ was in ‘the Indian ‘Davis … Continue reading “Hey Daddy!”
On the eve of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, India’s foremost authority on geopolitics urged the United Kingdom to play a more assertive role in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s dangerous “authoritarian capitalism”. The excellent Global Britain Centre held its launch reception at the Carlton Club in London on Tuesday 1 February. Amandeep Singh Bhogal and Lewis Feilder have created the new venture to … Continue reading Global Britain Centre Launches
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH I was born twenty years after India, my motherland, attained independence from British Colonial rule. Nevertheless the impact of approximately two hundred plus years’ regime and socio-cultural interaction was so deep rooted that it took many more years to gradually lessen the impact. In a personal vein, I was born during this period of transition and turmoil; and now more than fifty years later what remains … Continue reading An Anglophile’s Nostalgia
Ingredients 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 onions, very finely chopped 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds 3 tbsp madras curry paste 1 kg (peeled weight) raw beetroot, peeled, halved and thickly sliced 1 green chilli, halved lengthways 400g tin chopped tomatoes 3 tbsp ground almonds 4 tbsp low-fat natural yogurt, plus extra to serve basmati rice, to serve (optional) Method STEP 1 Heat the oil in a large lidded pan, stir in the onions and cook for 8 mins until … Continue reading Beetroot Curry
God, my Lord! You are my Saviour,the Destroyer of all distress,the Mitigator of all pain and suffering,and the Bestower of bliss, peace and tranquility.I surrender myself to You, Oh Lord,Who are my Father and my Mother.Shower Your grace on me, Your child.Oh, Redeemer from all sins,the Remover of all darkness,Oh, Adorable One!I meditate upon Your sublime graceso that I may become virtuous.Abiding in my intellect, … Continue reading Gayatri Mantra
BY DRISHTI RAKHRA I teach a translation syllabus to undergraduates for 4 out of the 17 hours of class mandated by the UGC. When I think of my timetable, the MS Word image pops up in my head, as clear as a PNG file, as if I’ve just clicked on it. In my head, the four hours are blocked off as the easier ones, ones … Continue reading We Should All Be Translators
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH Ingredients Ayar mach 500 grams tomato (medium size) 1 bay leaves (large) 2 ginger paste ½ tbsp green chili paste 4 teaspoon /variable cumin powder 1 teaspoon coriander powder 1 teaspoon salt 1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon green chili cut lengthwise 2 mustard oil 6 tablespoon water 2 cups Procedure 1. Marinate the fish with salt and … Continue reading Ayar Maach
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN Author Izaak Walton called fly fishing ‘the contemplative man’s recreation’. And Walton was right. While a decent cigar can be smoked to last for forty-five minutes or so, one can fly fish for hours and then days. Cogitation is unavoidable. Being at one with nature, hearing and feeling the river water, gauging the changeable parameters – the flux – of that day’s … Continue reading A Chance to Wash One’s Soul
COUNTRY SQUIRE INDIA 