Rajan: The Ganesha artist Rajan has drawn nearly 600 Ganesha sketches of all shapes and imaginations. Currently, he has more than 525 black and white sketches, some 30 colour paintings and 15 on glass. He says, "I am seeing only Lord Ganesha ji in all ways of life".. RAJAN STARTED drawing on school black board at the age of five. Plenty of sketches that he drew during school and college days we...

The majesty and grandeur of India’s timeless festivals has to be seen to be believed.I got these pictures in an email and I just have to share these with everyone. With gratitude and thanks to the site responsible for these pictures. I hope to be there amongst the crowds one day. The majestic elephants The traditional drummers The faithful gather The temple elephants come out to a rapturous welcom...

Our girls can't pub, saala..(sing to music of pappu can't dance saala..)   In the constituency of Udupi, where the honorable Home Minister of Karnataka hails from, there are thousands of pubs which do not attract the wrath of Sri Rama Sene, Hindu Yuva Sene, ABVP, or any socially responsible outfit of any hue, saffron, green or white.The naxalites are silent too. These pubs have signboards in Kanan...

  It is official. The India will not tolerate the mall culture. Karnataka CM Yeddi is cocksure. Gehlot too kande pe kanda mila reha hei. Ramdoss is ever the 'das': He is consistent: smoking, drinking, and partying is injurious not only to health but to our morals; these are western evils; they defile our youth and culture.  As TOI editorializes, it is no longer only the saffron agenda. There  is n...

Mangalore City and its surrounding three coastal districts of Karnataka (Daksina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada) are distinct from rest of the state. For most of the population, Kannada is not their mother tongue, but study the language in school. The major languages are Tulu and Konkanni. In Non-brahmin Hindu and Jain homes, Tulu predominates, while in most Catholic homes, it is Konkanni. The...

This is probably why Reliance Fresh and its counterparts have had so much dificulty in establishing their retail feifdoms.Inspite of the stories of gloom and doom about the impending death of the chota dukaan wala and the rehriwala this unorganised retail industry has continued to carry on its business, serving every nook and corner of the country, where there is a demand for their produce.Abs...

My life in India and visits to India are generally confined to its metros and other larger cities so like any urban metro-wasi my thoughts and concerns also tend to be city centric .I huff and puff about the power failures, the poor infrastructure, poorly set up and managed transportation systems and when the talk veers to progress, usually the sprouting of Malls and the new flyovers and 4 lane...

 What was once just one portion of the thousands of kilometers long border that India and Pakistan share has over the years evolved into a place almost of pilgrimage…….for both nations. I am not sure whether the name Wagah comes from some village or bit of land on ‘our’ side or ‘their’ side but there it sits right bang on the Grand Trunk Road,in the middle of the fertile Punjab fields that are p...

    The phrase “unity in diversity” aptly describes India- the home of largest democracy in the world with a civilization of over five thousand years.   The ethnicity of India lies in its diverse cultures, traditions, manners, habits, tastes and customs.   Each and every region of the country portrays different customs and traditions.   We speak different languages and yet we are all bound with...

I have consulted my jyotishi, like my honourable BJP national executive committee. They meet at 12 minutes past 12 noon. Their reward will be 12 seats extra in the next Lok Sabha elections. We don't have any elections to lose. It is going to be food, food and food all the way. On banana leaves. And wholesome vegetarian. Following Onam tradition, we will eat odd number of dishes. Though poiltically...

The memorial to those felled by the bullets of general Dyer on that black day in 1919 The narrow entrance(and exit) to the Bagh that was blocked by the general's men preventing any escape. The spot from where the General's men shot the unarmed men and women. A small mosque like structure( A dargah maybe) inside theb Bagh that still bears the bullet marks from that fateful day. A view of the well i...

Now for the best kept secret of Amritsar.It is also the city that is home to the famous Durgiana Temple that was built sometime in the 16th Century and closely resembles the more famous Golden Temple in most respects.It is hugely popular with the Hindu community,especially during the Navratras.Most tourist brochures miss mentioning this temple......maybe because after the Golden temple it does loo...

Golden Temple Darshan   The gate through which one goes to the building where a 24 hours 'Langar' from the free community kitchen is run. The Darbar Sahib in all its glory  A view of the other buildings in the temple complex Devotees thronging to get into the inner sanctorum...

August 3, 2008. Sunday. It is 10:00 a.m. in Yedapadavu in Dakshina Kannada distrcit of Karnataka. It is sleepy little village at 25 Kms stone on State Highway 66 from Mangalore to Karkala. My friends and I decide to have tender coconut water at a roadside shop. While enjoying the nectar, I spot a howling group of middle aged men, having fun. I approach and decide to take a picture of them in their...

    For the people living in Chattarpur village of Madhya Pradesh (India), Bullock carts have become a status symbol. And surprisingly, the reason behind this is acute shortage of water. Let me put some logics in place here. Locals treading the rugged paths of the village in search of a possible source of water either on foot, on bicycles or on bullock carts has become a common scene now in the re...