Indira Ghandi

Today is the 25th Anniversary of the day she was assassinated and the papers are full of tributes to her.Two thoughts come to mind: I remember her assassination, like JFK’s and Diana’s death but am I really that old? Where were you ?

Her words which are such a chilling reminder of what it is to be a politician and to have foresight into your destiny:

"If I die a violent death as some fear and a few are plotting I know the violence will be in the thought and action of the assassin, not in my dying – for no hate is dark enough to overshadow the extent of my love for my people and my country; no force is strong enough to divert me from my purpose and may endeavour to take this country forward."

Adopt a Monument

I came across this interesting news item the other day. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has launched a project which allows a school or college to adopt a monument in their neighbourhood. The kids are given an orientation day and then they can participate in cleaning up monuments that have been defaced or have graffiti all over them.
It was the students who originally came up with the idea and the ASI started its implementation on its first monument round the corner from where I live on the famous Qutub Minar.
What a brilliant idea to instill civic responsibility and pride in one’s heritage. It should be adopted by other countries all over the world.

Sunday morning bird walk on the outskirts of Gurgaon

Picture this, mist in the fields, a slight chill in the air, in the distance the skyline of Gurgaon’s high rises, the new satellite town that has grown exponentially in the last ten years. We are standing next to a sewage water channel. Promise at this point you will read on.The sewage we are told, leaves the city and heads,(treated or untreated it was not clear,) out and from there to the Yamuna river. The channel and the pipes occasionally overflow into the flat and fertile fields causing  wetlands to form.The stench is unmistakable and the thought a little disturbing, but this has become a paradise for birds and wildlife.Paddy fields abound and women toil.

This is where we were at 700 am on the Sunday morning to join an eager group of Twitchers. For those unfamiliar with the word it means avid Birdwatchers!

In the space of a couple of hours we spotted an impressive array of bird life, from pond herons, to green parakeets,  black headed ibises, to iridescent kingfishers and painted storks, sandpipers and stints and lots of wire-tailed swallows. We exchanged bird trivia with others, and heard even more wild and wonderful facts from our guides. By 10 am we were fast asleep in the back of the car and looking forward to our first cup of coffee.

Thought for the day:  Water lilies and birds unlikely outflows from sewage but so uplifting.

UN Day 2009 in India From Grass to Gold

The UN was celebrating the International Year of Natural Fibres and we went along to the reception. Their brochure was entitled from Grass to Gold which I thought was a winning title. Last night the gardens were set up with looms and basket weavers to show us the special relationship that India and its people share with natural fibres so many of which are intrinsic to the Indian way of life.

Think about how many you know coming from plants: Abaca, coir, cotton, flax, hemp, jute, ramie and sisal.
And then do you recognize all the animal ones? Alpaca, angora, cashmere, camel hair, mohair, silk and wool.

India is the world’s second largest producer of cotton and silk but sales are declining so do what you can to sustain people’s livelihoods here by buying its products.


The evening’s titbit: Meeting a small, chubby man with a winning smile and needing orthodontic work who was at school with Cliff Richard in Lucknow all those years ago!!


Now who doesn’t swing to the tune of: “We’re all going on a summer holiday"

A haven off the MG Road

Yes, it sounds like a contradiction in terms for those of you who know the MG road, busy 24/7 with metro works, deviations and sheer load of traffic but there it was at Metro pillar 165 coming from Delhi turn right and follow the road till the end into the Anandagaram Sanskriti Kendra. A secret haven.

“The leaflet says it was established in 1993 as a space where creative minds devoted to diverse disciplines can stay, study and interact.”

It is set in a beautiful garden, with lotus flower ponds and wonderful terracotta horses looking down on you. You can wander in and out of its three museums; the terracotta museum, the museum of everyday art of India and the museum of Indian textiles. It is beautifully kept, one of the few museums where the actual buildings are made of local materials, earth, dung and husk,where the items are well displayed and helpful boards tell you where they are from and what they represent.

What I liked about it - the founder's love of his country and his rich collection of all that is beautiful for us to admire.

The sheer intricacy and skill of objects used in daily indian life, whether it is the most amazing ornate baby walker, chillum pipes or lamps. Exquisite.

Looking forward to taking my vivacious mother-in- law there when she visits next month which will give me a chance to savour the exhibits once more.

Following on from friends and what they say

My friend Richa was telling me about her sons disappointment at not getting his first choice and she said to him :

Life comes with lemons, so make lemonade !

A new visitor, not quite Bollywood, but blessed on the legs front

Yesterday morning we had a new visitor in the house. We have no idea how and where she/ he may have come from but this is her/ his picture. Only grateful that Tara did not get to her before we did !