Category: Ballads

  • World Gypsy day

    World Gypsy day

    One of the dance forms we learnt in our Bharatnatyam curriculum was the gypsy dance, the costume would vivid, with gold spangles, and colourful hair tassels’, a tambourine in the hand and quick beats. Most of us loved it for the sheer energy it created. Gypsies seemed exotic. Gypsies the Nomads.. Travelling in caravans, in…

  • Manusmriti and Forbidden Food.

    Manusmriti and Forbidden Food.

    Goa University runs what is called Visiting faculty public lectures, these are usually a one credit course, for those who want accreditation else it is just a learning process. Most of us are there many taking time off from work the classroom is a pleasant mix. Initially I had the time I attended a lot…

  • Mahabali cannot be Dwarfed.

    As we were driving down from Panaji, to Margao I saw this banner that said, 37%  Goan have votes AAP, 27%BJP, and some X% congress, the conclusion was AAP leads, what occurred to me, is it could also be interpreted as 63% Goans are clear that they do not want AAP. Ultimately every story is…

  • Gokarana

    Gokarana

    Yesterday being  Ganesh Chaturthi, we decided to drive down to Gokarna. I have no pictures of either temple or the surrounding, for I was lost in memories of the two which visited years ago. The legend has it that Ravana the Lord of Lanka, carried the atma lingam of Shiva, fearing the consequences of this,…

  • Maya-Matanga The Vanishing Elephants

    I have just come across a book in our library called the Mathangalila. Mathangalila, is Sanskrit text written by author Nilakantha which deals with the science of Elephant. The book talks about Asiatic Elephants, diagnosis and cure of illness that afflict elephants, use of elephant parts in medicine. Folklore round elephants. Elephants are very part…

  • Nagarapanchami

    Nagapanchami August 7th 2016 The worship of the snake god happens all over India and other indigenous  cultures. In the Tulu – Malayala region it is very vibrant since it is essentially the snake territory. We have the cult of Nagamandala, the Nagapatri and other folk rituals which tell the stories connecting nature-animal-man.  Most families…