Happy Diwali to Indians all over the planet

This is our first Diwali in India and with apologies to my esteemed Indian readers I want to give you a potted version and would happily hear your comments and corrections.
This is a festival which is determined by the Indian lunar calendar and heralds the New Year so it is a moving feast, probably the biggest festival in the Indian calendar. It is celebrated over five days with the central celebration being the Day of the Festival of Lights.

It seems that the festival, like Christmas, is now over commercialized and the papers are full of Diwali offers and bargains and there is a rush to buy and exchange gifts with friends and family.
As my friend explained though this is really a festival that dates back to when most Indians were farmers and were just reaping the first harvests after the monsoon when there was money in the house and food on the table.
It is a time when the goddess Lakshmi is given thanks and a pooja (prayer) is offered for the bounty and the harvest. This is also a celebration of Lord Rama's victory as the King of Ayodhya on his return to the kingdom from 14 years of exile, over the evil Ravana. His wife lit lamps to show him the way home and this custom is continued today. My friend emphasized that essentially it is a time for the family being together and being thankful for prosperity and well being with children given new clothes and shoes.I am off to light my lamps and lights. Happy Diwali everyone.

Shahpur Jat

We visited an area of Delhi called Shahpur Jat, an old neighbourhood which is becoming quite fashionable now. It is a little like Portobello Road in London or Laiki Geitonia in Cyprus.We walked through small streets, quite narrow, with rows of indistinguishable buildings housing little factories and artisan's workshops. Up the stairs, in crammed little rooms embroidery, cutting and designing takes place. Embroidery is done by machine but also by hand and I was personally shocked to hear that both may be eclipsed by computer embroidery. Clearly this is the future but for those with these complicated and often demanding skills it is difficult to ensure their continued livelihood. Some Europeans try to do so working with Fairtrade and exporting goods to Europe. Some young Indian designers are choosing this area for their factories and small retail outlets. All shops were carrying extra offers, discounted bargains and delicacies as Diwali, the festival of lights is tomorrow.

Bollywood comes to the Ginksies

Yes we are well and truly arrivee as they say

First Bollywood star to grace us with her gorgeous presence at home for dinner. Ant loved it.

My Big Fat Greek Salad

I went along to my cooking group today and celebrated a vegetarian diwali lunch so I took along a big fat greek salad replete with tomatoes, cucumbers and olives, onion rings and crunchy lettuce, green peppers and generous bits of greek feta cheese sprinkled with oregano.
It was much admired from the lovely wooden salad bowl it was in, gently caressed by admiring hands, to the way I had arranged it visually, to the secrets of my delicious salad dressing which I had to eventually confess was nothing more than olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper. Every one tucked in with considerable delight. So something that to me was so ordinary and so simple was to most of my group, refreshingly different and quite exotic. How lovely to see that it works both ways and while I delight in their double fried pakoras and their dhal they can smile at may salata.
The best bit was that we ate it with a tea spoon.

The art of Nandalal Bose

1882- 1966)
Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi which is housing a wonderful exhibition on Nandalal Bose. He is considered to be the father of Indian Modern Art. It also shows his close association with Mahatma Ghandi and his support for Ghandi’s non violent struggle.
Nandalal Bose was born in Bihar, India, in 1882. At the beginning of his career in 1905, he was one of many artists and visionaries who sought to revive the spirituality and cultural authenticity of Indian art after 50 years of colonial rule and westernization. In 1919, Bose became the first director of the art school at the new university founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in rural Bengal.
He spent much of his life experimenting with a variety of styles and art forms so when you see his paintings you see Chinese, Indian and Japanese styles but he is most famous for the way he captured the fishermen and the tribal people going about their daily lives and it was this portrayal of village India without dependence on Western materials or styles that captured the attention of Gandhi and catapulted Bose to the status of national icon and the only artist Gandhi patronized. He was inspired by Ghandi’s walk to Dandi to protest at the British salt tax and he supported all his non violent struggles and ideals.
Bose painted a black and white lithograph of the Revered Father in his simple Dhoti and this became one of the best known of his works.

Mehrauli Flower Market

It doesn’t matter how poor this country is and how so many struggle. Beauty is all over and life is precious. So the flower markets abound, not only as a way of making ends meet but also for providing the offerings to loved ones and to the deities. They provide the beautiful garlands and the fragrant flowers which are laid with reverence in front of the shrines and the temples. This is our flower market up the road from us.

Same-ness

Having been here for several months now, I can confidently say that there are some startling similarities between Indians and Greeks/Cypriots.

We both love our families above all else.

We want all our children to be lawyers, doctors or engineers.

Going to the right schools and universities is all important.

Marrying into the right family is still sadly important.

We love our good food.

We eat way too much of it.

We are not known for our sporting capabilities.

We struggle to put teams together for the Olympic Games and that is unbelievable considering the population differences.

We are both yuppie, fashion, society conscious junkies. Read gross over generalization but for those in the know cringingly true.

The rich of both build oversize show-off houses that need retinues of servants to clean and dust them.

Money matters. Whether it is via the fish and chips shop route, the corner shop, or shark-like practices for property development.

We are proud nations who do not like criticism.

We both have disturbingly dysfunctional relations with the UK which can at the same time but for different reasons be heaven or hell.

Culture and history abound but it is only in the latter years of independence that their true value and significance have been realized.

Generous and hospitable in every respect.