a taste of the real ethnic stuff for mumbaikars

mumbaikars are excited.and rightly so.particularly those who are addicted to wadapav and zunka bhakar.the quintessential marathi manus snack is donning new clothes.its image is getting a massive makeover thanks to the shiv sena who are planning to set up a chain of wada pav stalls on a co-operative basis.once succesful,the branded wada pav is expected to spread throughout the state through a network built by a sena-sponsored association of vendors .

the hot fried potato sanndwiched pav is now being upgraded and will acquire the status of a desi burger.finally, jumbo king is going to face the heat.to help promote job opportunities for the locals,only maharashtrians will be alloted the sena sponsored stalls.there will be mobile stalls and uniforms will be in shaded saffron and the new avatar will be called 'shiv wada pav. like macdonald's, everything going into the wada will be standardised so that no two wadapavs will taste differently,said a sena spokesperson.

in a parallel development the bmc is planning to bring in a proposal to legitimise 184 zunka bhakar stalls functioning in mumbai but not having licenses. a new scheme called 'annadata aahar kendra' will be launched to revive the earlier scrapped scheme. shiv sena leaders are in discussions with bmc to see how existing kendras can be accomodated as many of them are in the no-hawking zone.

the state elections are due next year and the common man is the beneficiary for the largesse which the government and shiv sena plan to provide by making the wada pavs and zunka bhakars within their reach without much physical or monetary strain.

the waiters in the wada pav stalls will also greet their customers in typical maharashtrian style."jai maharashtra".

"dasavatharam" and 'dashavatar'

south indian actor-director kamal hassan's magnum opus 'dasavatharam' was released last week. he is also the story,screenplay and dialogue writer.direction is by ravikumar. in chennai alone it was being shown in 21 theatres for over 135 shows a day.by the end of the first week it is estimated that about three lakh people would have watched the movie.it has been released in other states as well. the rs 70 crores project is supposed to be the costliest tamil film ever made surpassing the earlier record made by superstar rajnikanth's shivaji.i saw the last show last saturday at inox.the 190 minutes' movie had english sub-titles though i did not need it. and i returned with mixed feelings.

kamal is a talented actor. no doubt about that. his acting was spectacular and also downright absurd and comical at times. many of his critics consider him to be a narcissist, self-projecting ,vain and hugely egoistic.casting himself in ten roles in the same movie is a projection of his highly bloated perception of his own image,according to them. and with a weak story line, the movie at many instances bordered on the absurd and ludicrous.the movie turned out to be as confused and complicated as its protogonist.the critics got yet another opportunity to lambast him.

having said that, what is the movie all about? an international plot about apocalypse? why so much of hoopla and hype? what message does it convey, if any? is it only for entertainment for the moviegoers? or is there any purpose or intent or a messsage- subtle or otherwise?

according to hindu religion, lord narayana the supreme lord, descends on earth in difffernet incarnations(avatar), when evil overtakes good. he sets things right, accomplishes his mission and then returns to his abode till dark days reappear forcing him to descend again. he has taken nine forms so far and his tenth form is yet to manifest. the word dasavataram(das+avatharam-ten roles) is used as a metaphor for the title of the movie.in ancient times in the then bharathavarsha there used to be an artiste called bahurupi.as the name suggests he was adept in donning many roles all rolled into one.

kamal hassan's ten roles are:

1) rangarajan nambi,a 12th century staunch vaishnavite,who refuses to accept the suzeranity of lord shiva over the universe as forced upon him by the great chola king,an ardent shaivite. he gives up his life trying to save the idol of lord govindaraja chanting 'om namo narayanaya'

2) george bush,president of usa, who is fighting an unending war against terorists who have brought the world to the brink by using biological warfare

3) an indian born american scientist govind ramaswamy who comes to india in search of a deadly virus-inducing chip that has been stolen from his laboratory and which has the potential to destroy all mankind

4) ex cia agent fletcher hired by terrorists who is also after the same chip and is chasing the scientist

5) research and analysis wing(raw) agent balaram naidu

6) a pushto speaking eight feet tall pathan

7) a centenarian tamil iyengar woman,krishna veni patti, who suffers from alzheimer's and hides the chip inside the murthy of her lord

8) a punjabi pop star avtar singh suffering from cancer

9) a japanese martial arts teacher who is on a mission to avenge his sister's death in the hands of fletcher and

10) a darkfaced srilankan activist,vincent poovaraghavan who fights the sand mafia and eventually gets killed by the tsunami.

finally,of course, the chip is destroyed and the culprits are brought to book.

while kamal hassan is convincing in some of the roles like the vaishanavite priest, raw officer, krishna veni paatti and activist vincent, the other roles both their masked faces and their acting border on the profane and sheer stupidity. the movie begins with the scene of the temple of lord govindaraja, the argument between the chola king and the temple priest rangarajan nambi resulting in the forced removal of the lord's main idol and its ultimate drowning in the sea alongwith nambi. for every action there is a reaction. and that all people in a way are interconnected from generation to generation. one may say this is the message of the story. the law of karma takes shape at the end of the movie. 800 years later, a fault in the bottom of the ocean created the dreaded tsunami in december 2004. if you are a believer in the theory of chaos you might subscribe to this story line. laughable as it may seem, karunanidhi, tamil speaking george bush and manmohan singh are brought on a common platform to share their concerns on international terrorism.

asin acts as the brahmin girl attached to her perumal(lord vishnu's moorthy) ,mallika sherawat as fletcher's accomplice( kitsch in some scenes) and jayaprada as the loving wife of popstar avatar singh.excepting asin,the others have hardly any role to play.the special effects are excellent.more than 11 companies have worked on creating this spectacle.himesh reshammiya's music is below par,though the song mukunda mukunda went well.camerawork by ravi varman (or jeeva?) was outstanding.in particular, the removal of lord govindaraja's idol and the process of immersing it into the sea and the finale when tsunami strikes were beautifully picturised.

in sum,a spectacular visual effect,action-packed, alone cannot carry the movie through. with a weak and confused story line, bad make-up resulting in unrealistic and farcical portrayals, lack of crisp editing ends up as a marathon exercise somewhat wasted. it dazzled only to disappoint. it may still cause the cashbox in the boxoffice to jingle. but it will not go down as a winner.

there was a special screening arranged for karunanidhi.he was so impressed that he gave kamal a kiss and hug.there were accusations of plagiarism by one senthil kumar who alleged that the script of 'ardhanari' had been copied.the court rejected the petition asking for a stay on the release of dasavatharam saying that the two stories are entirely different. and of course the controversy regarding the vaishnavite/saivite clash.many hindu outfits protested against what was being shown.their petition too got rejected.

and it can happen only in india. on the day when dasavatharam was released,dashavatar an animated magnum opus in hindi directed by bhavik thakore was also released. it is based on the ten avatars of lord vishnu. i have to see whether this animation by phoebus media and the characters come anywhere near ratatouille or beowulf. there are voice-overs from shreyas talpade,tom alter,roopa ganguly and sachin khedekar.

do we need superman when we have vishnu as a super-duper hero morphing into his ten incarnations with ease and elan?

thai curry in the air

normally,i don't eat on board the aircraft. unless it is a very long flight.generally, both the smell and the contents put me off. but i do take a look at the menu card and see whether the airlines are creative and keep changing their menu or whether they stick to the tried and tested pack. indian airlines now renamed air india offfers typical desi food.and occasionally some indian chinese. kingfisher's food is supposed to be excellent. i have tried it on a few occasions on early morning flights. yes,they deserve the credit. recently on a kol-mumbai jet airways flight,i decided to be a bit experimental when i had a look at the menu card and requested for a thai vegetable curry. and i must say i thoroughly enjoyed it.it was delicious. it brightened my day.

the presentation was simple and the curry colourful and aromatic. fragrant rice beautifully garnished.

makroot and basil flavoured vegetable curry in red masala served with steamed rice and brinjals cooked in basil sauce. i liked it so much and even wanted to ask the airhostess for a second helping! i think our palates have an afflinity to thai cuisine. i have eaten thai food before. but this one was out of the world. a fine blend of sweet and sour.spicy yet subtle.i have heard a lot about the thai pavilion at the president hotel,cuffe parade and about their famous chef ananda solomon. it is time for me to test him out.

the castle in the air

he is the fifth richest man in the world and he is making an audacious statement.by building the world's most expensive home at mumbai. mukesh ambani and wife nita ambani while holidaying in new york at mandarin hotel were so impressed with what they saw there that they decided to hire the same architect for their 27 storey skyscraper being built at a cost of about 2 billion dollars.

like the chinese' feng shui' we have 'vaastu' in india which has been used beneficially for channelising the energy movement in the building.six stories of parking lots for accomodating 168 cars,nine elevators,a 65 seat movie theatre and wine room,swimming pool and yoga studio, an ice room in a manmade snow flurry and three hellipads,antilla, has it all. it is coming up at a furious pace on altamaount road at malabar hill.

while visiting my daughter who lives nearby,i happened to see this monumental structure rising up eclipsing all things around. being built on a plot of land bought controversially from the muslim wakf board for only about 5 million dollars, the mumbai municipal corporation issued several instructions for stoppage of work due to insufficient permission. nevertheless,the project goes on undeterred and unfazed. expected to be ready by early 2009, the ecofriendly home which has a magnificent view of the arabian sea from the higher floors will be costlier than any 5 star hotel and will put lakshmi mittal's new mansions in london far behind.

mukesh's father,the famous late dhirubhai ambani and the founder of the 'reliance' empire had built a skyscraper in colaba during his heydays and had named it 'sea wind'. the son having a networth of 43 billion dollars has gone many steps beyond the father by building 'antilla'. it is a 'real' castle in the air.

the great khali

i had never heard of this humongous persona till a few days back. he has been in the limelight for his wwe performances and has not received much admiration from his fraternity in india. the great khali as he is known has a massive chest and he is wellknown for his trademark black shirt.his height,weight and diet are in the fingertips of children who look up to him with great awe.the media attention he is getting is awesome.there is great hoopla surrounding his return to india.this ex punjab police officer was mr india in 1995 and 1996.he now lives in georgia,atlanta,usa.

while in school, i was briefly exposed to some boxing.when i watched a st xavier's vs la martiniere boxing match and saw my friend being repeatedly hit on the face by his opponent,i walked out and said to myself "enough is enough". a few years later while we were in kanpur on a short stay, i watched for a brief while a wrestling match betweem king kong and dara singh. i liked the spectacle of two heavily built persons fighting it out.compared to boxing,i thought this was more civilised. later i used to read occasionally about the exploits of mohammed ali and dara singh who later did some filmy roles.mohammed ali became incapacitated by a severe hit on his head.i wondered whether it was all worth it. but then it runs in the genes.his daughter has taken after him and seems to have achieved a certain class.

'asli hindustani ko harake dikhao,phir hum maanege ke tum bhi kuch cheez ho", says dara singh. (defeat a true hindustani wrestler,then we will accept that you are something), who believes that khali is no wrestler.he is only an entertainer.dara singh who dismisses the wwe rules of fighting,asks why khali has not accepted the challenges of indian wrestlers.palwinder singh cheema,rustom-e-hind and olympian champion has thrown the gauntlet."tab pata chalega ki kaun tagda hai".(then we will know who is tough).

irrespective of all these criticisms,khali is quite unfazed. he loves kids and the kids love him.he displayed his phenomenal strength by picking up street kids like matchsticks when he visited the ngo doorstep school.many children don't drink their milk unless they hear stories about khali. and many parents make their children watch the wwe shows and tell them that if they want muscles like khali they better drink up their milk. and it works according to the parents. khali is keen to see children pursuing wrestling as a hobby.however, he sounded a note of warning to the children."don't fight at home". carrying some kids on his hefty shoulders,he told them that he too was a fan of sachin tendulkar and shah rukh khan.

the 7'3,190 kg wrestler who is no dancer is now being made to dance to the tunes of choreographer pony verma.he is learning the punjabi bhangra and is still far away from rap or hip-hop.it's for khali's debut film aptly titled"kushti".(wrestling).bollywood now has a new star in the works. dalip singh rana.

say "khwa-so" (croissant)

while flying from mumbai to kolkata last friday by an early morning flight, i discovered something about this delicious puff pastry that i had not known before.i love croissants.and it used to be my morning breakfast with coffee during my frequent trips to the midlands in england many years ago.and i have always pronounced it as croi-ssan.i got a bit of education on the low-cost airliner "indigo" when i asked for a vegetarian breakfast.these airliners don't provide you with free refreshments.you have got to buy them.i decided to try a croissant with paneer and mirchi in it. i liked the taste and just two croissants was what the doctor ordered.the croissants came nicely packed with the package containing useful information about the origin of croissant and how it is mistakenly pronounced and what is the right pronunciation.

i had thought that the croissant is a french invention.totally wrong.a courageous and watchful baker in budapest,hungary while working one night in 1686 heard rumbling noises and immediately informed the city's military.the turks were planning a secret attack by tunnelling under the city's walls.the tunnel was demolished and overnight the baker became a hero.when asked what he wanted as reward,the modest baker requested for the sole right to make a special pastry commemorating the incident.he shaped the pastry like a crescent to mock the turkish flag.implied meaning was the the hungarians had eaten the turks for lunch!

as far as the correct pronunciation is concerned,i must admit it is tricky.say it like "khwa-so" with a nasal "o" at the end.indigo made it simpler by providing a how-to-pronounce- guide in different languages.

"leavened variant of puff pastry by layering yeast dough with butter and rolling a few times in succession,then rolling and rolling",croissant, is not easy to make by any stretch of imagination and neither can it be made fast. a competitor to the american doughnuts, croissant is high in calories and fat. the french will swear by their "pain au chocolat", a croissant pastry wrapped around almond paste or chocolate before it is baked. i would love to have it too.

"bow barracks forever"

having lived in kolkata for many years,when i first heard that a movie had been made revolving around the anglo-indian community,i was intrigued. "bow barracks forever" is all about a small community living behind the bow bazaar police station off central avenue in kolkata. as the name suggests,these dwellings were built during the first world war for the army. later when they departed,civilians moved in to stay there. most of the residents are anglo- indians though iraninans,parsis and chinese also live there.the buildings were not well constructed and as no maintenance was ever done, it has fallen into disrepair. so much so that the structure has became unsafe and the lives of the residents are at stake. the state government declared the complex unsafe for living and plans to demolish it and construct new buildings.the residents suspect the motives of the government as they fear of a nexus between builders and politicians and refuse to quit.they would far rather continue in an unsafe house rather than lose their only shelter by being thrown out into the streets.

written and directed by anjana dutt the film, a pritish nandi production, is basically about the triumph of the human spirit and how a determined person can surmount odds which look impossible to deal with.it is also an attempt to raise awareness about the anglo-indian community and its major concerns today. many of the younger generation have migrated to australia,canada and the usa. the old have been left behind to fend for themselves. it is a 118 minutes movie shot almost entirely in the bow barracks,a red bricks housing block,in a thirty day schedule. the script is very mediocre. there is hardly any story.the music is of an old world kind. beatles,etc. music is by anjana dutt's son,neil. the highlights of the movie are some excellent acting by lilette dubey,victor banerjeee and sabyasachi chakraborthy.the characters are real but their stories are fiction.the anglo-indians are picturised as a happy-go lucky people,having lots of fun,and enjoying their drinking to the hilt. wine making for own consumption as well as limited sale was quite common among the anglo-indians of bow barracks. particularly during the christmas season. the true spirit of the bow barracks is evident here. the youth club of bow barracks organises concerts and parties and everyone has fun-old,young and the kids.

the language used is often profane and has large sexual content.there is the oversexed rebellious housewife(moon moon sen),the badly battered housewife(neha dubey),the foot loose youngster(clayton rodgers),a strong and dignified mother(lilette dubey) and the lovable peter the cheater(victor banerjee) and the wife beater tom(sabyasachi). all these characters play out their roles quite impressively but the weak script and the absence of a strong story makes the movie fall flat. there is even a cameo by usha uthup.the dialogues in bengali had no subtitles and it looked as if the movie was made for a bengali audience.

the rundown paada(dwelling) has about 1500 occupants of about 130 families living on 3 bighas.the construction is 90 years old. a scene where peter the cheater,the saxophonist drunkard and swindler, with his twinkling eyes begs lilette for a kiss on the cheek is superbly enacted and very moving.like it or not they are all stuck in bow barracks.there is a paradox.some of them want to get away from hell on earth and are not able to do it for circumstantial reasons.others think it is paradise on earth and would never dream of leaving their abode.while the afternoons are dead quiet with many of the elders enjoying their siesta,the evenings are the exact opposite with the whole place resembling a mela.again an effervescent community life in the midst of a conservative hindu bengali area.

the madrid international film festival which concluded in end march threw up a big surprise.lilette dubey was awarded the best actress award for her role in "bow barracks forever".

anjan dutt's intentions were good.but the drawbacks have been major minuses and have made the film a commercial flop. the anglo-indian community,an endangered species, has given kolkata "music,food and park street". it remains to be seen whether they have the last laugh.

a holy combo - 5 in 1

yesterday was a very auspicious day.friday 22nd march.it was fortunate that i signed a very important agreement for my company on such an occasion.

the moslems celebrated their prophet mohammed's birth anniversary. eid-e-milad-un-nabi.his death anniversary also falls on this day.it was jamshed navroz for the zoroastrians.the first day of the fasli calendar.the jews celebrated purim,the day when esther,the hebrew princess was married to the persian king ahaseurus.the christians were solemnly observing good friday. jesus christ was crucified on this day and christians believe that blessings of humanity arose as a result of jesus's execution. two days later jesus was resurrected from the dead.and the hindus celebrated the colourful holi. a festival of bohomie and camaraderie.

and it was also the day when celestial weddings took place. lord shiva married parvati on 'panguni uttiram' day. lord rama (an avathar of lord vishnu) married sita (an avathar of mahalakshmi) in the third month of the lunar calendar.known as phalguni in the north and panguni in the south. uttiram star was on the ascendant. mahalakshmi emerged on this day when the ocean was churned(samudramanthan) in search of nectar.and also the only day in the year when lord ranganatha and ranganayaki thayar come together at the srirangam ranganatha temple.on this day sri ramanujacharya,the vaishnavite preceptor offered three compositions (gadya traya) at the feet of perumal and thayar.

the victory of good over evil,the defeat of the asuras.when hiranyakashipu became intolerable and tried to kill his son prahalada,a devotee of lord vishnu,by making him sit on his sister holika's lap who then entered a pyre. holika was covered with a woolen shawl to prevent her from getting burnt. miraculously,the shawl flew and covered prahalada and holika ws burnt to death.from that day onwards,holi is celebrated by lighting a bonfire.and following it up the next day with splashing of colours on each other's faces.the men in gujerat where lord krishna was born, are driven away by sticks on this day as was the case when lord krishna used to chase the maidens in mathura and the young girls would take sticks in their hand and go after krishna.

substantially,the theme of all these religious festivities remains the same.goodness,the victory of truth over evil and the togetherness of humanity. let us all pray on this auspicious day for peace in this planet and happiness for all mankind.

luciano parolari - the king of rissoto

luciano parolari,who? that was my first question. then i was told that he was in mumbai and would be showcasing his culinary talents at the taj mahal hotel on 15th and 16th february. the only luciano i had heard of was the famous opera singer luciano pavoroti who died while performing on the stage some six months ago. this was a special invite and i didn't want to miss this opportunity. after all the invitation said that frank sinatra, alfred hitchcock, robert de niro and luciano pavoroti all loved his cooking.

luciano parolari is the executive chef of the "villa d'este', a hotel about 60 kms from milan. covering an area of 25 acres built in 1568 for a cardinal,it has seeen many royals and aristocrats living in it during their short holidays. in 1873, it got a face-lift and became a modern luxury hotel. the chef has a garden which was created about four years ago which provides him with fresh herbs and vegetables. there are two private villas too which are available on short-term lease. next time you think of a fancy and romantic holiday, you surely must consider villa d'este. the famous 'lake como' is nearby. luciano parolari is also an author. he has written four recipe books and has been associated with villa d'este for the last forty years.

it was,therefore,a memorable dinner that i had with my family and a few friends. famous indian chef hemant oberoi soiled his hands too in the kitchen which gave the food an eastern flavour. blogger friends would wonder what a vegetarian like me would enjoy in a dinner prepared by an italian chef. that would be an interesting thought. luciano came over to our table and realising that most of us were vegetarians suggested what we should have.which made our job easy. going through the menu card and reading the italian menu was indeed very formidable.

for appetizers we had "misto di verdure alla griglia con formaggio caprino" (grilled vegetables with goat cheese).this was followed by "risotto alla milanese con barolo e fonduta di taleggio" ( milanese rissotto with saffron,barolo wine and taleggio cheese fondue) and also "pasticcio di lasagne con verdure e mozzarella" (home-made lasagne with vegetables and mozzarella cheese). we didn't order any main course as our daughter l, herself a foodie and who has a food blog, suggested that we restrict ourselves to the appetizer and the first course. that was good thinking.the food on the table was more than filling. and for dessert we had "cupola di cioccolato amaro all'arancia e gelato al torroncino"(bitter chocolate mousse flavoured with orange and nougat ice-cream). alongwith with sparkling wine which was the right accompaniment for the heavenly food that we ate and enjoyed and the pampering by the attendants it was a royal treat. i felt as if i was dining at the villa d'este itself.

congrats to the taj management for having thought of such a combination of two famous world chefs,one italian and another indian and for having made this a special and unforgettable dining experience for us.

maakali@kalighat

the first fourteen years of my life were spent in kolkata.i used to visit the kalighat temple every friday alongwith my mother.kalimaa's figure is so strongly etched in my mind that i can always recall it instantly. after we left kolkata and came over to mumbai, my visits to kolkata were few and far between for many years. however, whenever i got an opportunity i would visit the kali temple and pay my obesiance to goddess kali. recently, during my visit to kolkata i had some free time and decided to go to the kali temple.

mahadevi(great goddess) is the most complex and powerful of all goddesses. she occupies a high pedestal as the consort of shiva. she is his 'shakthi' or female energy. this is mirrored in the variety of roles she adopts. she has a different name for each of these roles. sati,parvati,durga,kali.some of these characters are mild and some fierce. both a bringer of fertility and exacter of living sacrifice. sati is a mild form of devi. she was the daughter of sage daksha and was married to shiva at her own insistence against her father's wishes. later in order to defend her husband's honour, she threw herself on her father's sacrificial fire. shiva was not invited by daksha for the fire-sacrifice and thus he insulted shiva. shiva appeared on the scene and in a fit of fury chopped off daksha's head. griefstricken at sati's death and locking her body in a tight embrace he performed the taandava dance.howling in agony, he made earth a miserable place,full of suffering. alarmed at this development and fearing for the well-being of the cosmos, lord vishnu cut off sati's body from his arms. each of the places where the fiftyone pieces of her body fell became sacred.a shakthi peetha. this is the origin of the worship of yoni,the female sexual organ by tantriks. sati is considered to be the ideal hindu wife. the practice of self-immolation called 'suttee' was started by her. later,shiva regained his senses and restored the life of his father-in-law daksha by transplanting a goat's head on the severed body. daksha continued his sacrifice and the wheel of time moved on.

kali is even more terrifying than durga; another form of shakthi. she is the black earth-mother.her rites involve sacrificial killings-humans too at one time. she is associated with devil-worship.she has black skin and a hideous tusked facce,smeared with blood,the brow bearing a third eye.she has four arms.kali developed her thirst for blood after killing the demon rakthavira.she is portrayed with her tongue hanging out and her mouth dripping blood.this signifies the motive force that gives monmentum to all activity.she is supposed to have subdued her own husband by trampling him underfoot in her dance of victory.kali means conqueror of time.as the inexorable destroyer she is equated with time.

the kali temple was built almost 200 years ago on the banks of the river adiganga at kalighat by raja ram mohun roy.the present structure was built by shibdev roy chaudhuri,a zamindar.it has a bangaldar-style arched roof.over the years the lovely temple has fallen into neglect.kolkata is supposed to have derived its name from goddess kali.the river has now shifted and there is a small canal instead.this renowned shrine is one of the 51 shakthi peethas in india.the small right toe of sati is believed to have fallen on this spot. kali is one of the main deities of bengal.she is the destroyer or liberator depicted in a fearful form.she delivers happiness to her devotees.the image at kalighat is that of a goddess wearing a necklace of skulls,holding a bloody sword and standing over shiva.kali is a dark goddess.she is carved out of black stone.she stands undera silver parasol with her body glittering in gold and silver.

the temple is generally very crowded and particularly so on saturdays.the temple and its precicncts remain today almost the same as it was fifity years ago. as soon as you set your foot,you are hit by the sight of pandas,beggars, flower-sellers and sweetmeat shops.if one is not streetsmart,the pandas could take the unsuspecting piligrim for a ride.
tantrik practises are prevalent in this temple.even to this day goat sacrifices are made in the temple.it is an enchanting temple where the golden-tongued kali,the spouse of the three-eyed one, bestows everlasting happiness on her worshippers.

incidentally,a well-known bengali scientist and rationalist has confessed to having experienced a miracle when his wife and first child were saved when doctors had given up all hopes."surely,there is some supreme power somewhere to do and undo anything in this mortal world.we are to get in touch with that power through the blessings of the almighty.for me the 'nirmalya' from kalighat did that miracle.something above all sciences a human can think of".

'jodhaa akbar'-picture perfect

the magnum opus has been made at a cost of about rs 50 crores.but from day one it has been mired in controversies.was jodhaabai really akbar's wife? the proud rajputs say no.they feel history has been distorted.according to them, akbar's son salim was married to the fiery jodhaa, daughter of king udai singh of marwar and not king bharmal of amer now known as jaipur.other rajputs believe that maharaja bharmal of amer was surrounded by the mughal army and under tremendous pressure and to prevent unnecessary bloodshed,he gave one of his daughters to akbar as part of a matrimonial alliance.but jodhaaabai was not the daughter of the queen. she was not the actual princess but the daughter of one of the king's concubines. the pride and self-respect of the rajputs,they say,has been hurt by distortion of history.

the screening of the movie has been banned in rajasthan,chattisgarh and in some other places as well.director ashutosh gowarikar is confused and hurt. after all he did painstaking research for many years before the story was finalised.he claims that he also checked with a royal family of rajasthan regarding akbar and jodhaabai. in addition to the marriage being a politically convenient one, love is supposed to have blossomed between the mughal emperor and the rajput princess. or is it allowing the imagination to fly fanciful heights? the truth is vague and therefore open to interpretations. in any case isn't it quite common in india that marriages take place first and then love blossoms? he doesn't swear that everything he has shown is recorded history.he has taken liberties with the plot but then wouldn't the movie become too staid without such deviations? we must take the movie at its face value and enjoy every bit of it. thanks to gowarikar's brilliance, the production is a masterpiece. ably supported by javed akhtar's lyrics, a.r.rahman's scintillating music,superb acting by hrithik roshan and aishwarya who enjoy a wonderful chemistry and outstanding cinematography by kiran deohan,nitin desai's beautiful sets. "jodhaa akbar" is nothing short of picture perfect.

compliments have been pouring in from everywhere and from some unexpected quarters too.hrithik said that he would treasure amitabh bachchan's reaction to his performance. in the quawali/sufi song 'khwaja mere khwaja',hrithik does a trance dance. ab remarked that not since stanley kubrick's legendary 'sci-fi 2001: a space odyssey' has there been such an apocalyptic moment on film.it was a moment of spiritual ecstacy in which hrithik got fully immersed.that was the moment when akbar connected with divinity.one hand pointing towards heaven and the other to the ground.he was transferring the gift from god to people down below.he acted as the medium of divine communication.what a marvellous performance!

an offshoot of ja has been the comeback of enamel jewellery what with aishwarya sporting these exquisite ornaments with a dash of colour.'tanishq',the official designer of the movie,has launched a 'pret' line called jodha akbar collection. it is a fusion of excellent craftsmanship of the mughals and rajputs with contemporary style.

jodhaa comes out as a very strong character. a feminist figure very zealously guarding her rights. when told about her father's decision she asks him whether the mughal king is capable of understanding the significance of 'sindoor'. she chides him; but she cannot let her father down. she relents; but with two conditions. which she conveys to akbar in privacy.one that she will follow her religion to which there shall be no interferencce and the other that she will not touch him unless he has won her over truly. akbar agrees and announces the conditions in public. also later when akbar suspects her integrity thanks to the machinations of maham anga his foster-mother, she goes back to her parents and refuses to return.when the truth is revealed,akbar is apologetic and begs her pardon.

the scene where jodhha serves akbar a rajasthani meal made for the mughal emperor sans all the meat dishes of the rajput royalty and savoured with dalbhatti churma,gatte-ke-saag,ker-sangri and many more mouthwatering items that she serves was delightful to watch. and to prepare all these items, jodhha takes charge of the bawarchikhana or bakawal as it is called.she meets the mir bakawal,the superchef,and gives him instructions. all the utensils get thoroughly washed and jodhaa and her retinue take over.when akbar's foster-mother maham anga insists that mir bakawal must taste the food first before it is offered to the emperor and that is the rule and practice and that it cannot be changed, jodhaa rettorts that it was a wife's priviledge to prepare food for her husband. then again maham anga instructs the court to say bismillah(in the name of god) and eat.this was the formula to be followed for muslims for eating food prepared by hindus.historians have recorded that akbar gradually converted himself into a vegetarian. we can surmise that jodhabai's exquisite cooking must have transformed his eating habits.

the three hours and twenty minutes duration of the movie, some would say was a tad too long.gowrikar could have done some tight editing.but the picturisation of the taming of the elephant by akbar,akbar's diligent practice of sword fighting,the sword fighting by jodhaa and akbar,the sufi song 'khwaja mer khwaja' sung in a modest masjid and the final confrontation scene on the battleground of akbar with his brother-in- law the deceitful and rebellious mirza sharifuddin hussain(nikitin dheer) who is vanquished but whose life is spared because of akbar's love for his sister is beautifully portrayed.

to sum up ja is an epic romance movie which has everything that is required. with captivating performances,soul-stirring music and brilliant cinematography what is wrong if the imagination is allowed to fly a bit. even if the love story has no historical basis,we have to appreciate the power of the cinema to make the past relevant to the present.ashutosh gowarikar deserves full kudos for adding some mirchi and masala and for creating a truly pleasurable experience for the audience.

mithya(illusion,deception)

written and directed by rajat kapoor of 'bheja fry' fame and starring naseeruddin shah,ranvir shorey,neha dupia and vinay pathak,the movie turned out to be literally what it is called. a deception.the protogonist ranvir shorey(vk) like many others is bollywood struck and descends on amchi mumbai from noida to start a filmi career.his histrionics is limited to his 'kholi' where he lives.on the ground,it is reality.he ends the day sitting on the marine drive parapet with a whisky bottle in his hand to drown his misery.suddenly there is an underworld shootout right behind him.he jumps over the parapet and struggles to remain safe.the killers shoot anyone they see to leave no eyewitnesses behind.they miss him and having completed their job they urinate over the parapet .vk misses the shower by a few inches.

unfortunately,he really doesn't escape.his face gives him away.he is a lookalike of the mafia boss(rajbhaisaheb) who was the one who was shot.the underworld accidentally and luckily get hold of him and make him an instrument of their nefarious designs.he is sucked into a life of gangsterism and deceit.he keeps on assuring his mother in noida that he is doing very well as a bollywood hero after sending her lots of money which he negotiated and got from the mafia for doing their dirty jobs.gangster naseruddin shah and his sidekick(vinay pathak) have their own plans.they send him to rajbhaishaeb's home to replace him.how implausible!

vk romances naseeruddin's moll neha dupia and when he replaces rajbhai,he gets close to his wife( iravati harshe).there are some intimate moments with her too.he seeps into rajbhai's character after tremendous intital hesitation.so much so that he becomes very close to their two children.a person who is compelled to change his own identity becomes the person he replaces and loses his own identity.the dupilcity is found out by rajbhai's brothers and he gets a thrashing of his life. he returns in tatters.

supposed to be a comic thriller,it fails miserably inspite of having an excellent cast.the dons do their roles well.neha dupia as the vamp is a disappointment.ranvir shorey does quite a decent job.he has to show a range of emotions from being funny to frustration and sadness.he falls sick when he is given a lousy vada-pav.when not given an omlette he yells that he will kill himself.when he buys whisky,he opts for the brand which comes alongwith a free glass.in the midst of the killings he tries to save his glass.the story line is weak,the pace is slow and very often it reaches a 'cul de sac'.

true to its name it flatters to deceive.an avoidable movie.

hullaballoo

i decided to see a hindi movie last week. "halla bol".i like ajay devgan's acting.he is a serious actor.and brings talent and life into the roles he enacts.his acting was brilliant in 'omkar'.pankaj kapur who is shaheed's father and vidya balan are the other important actors in this film.both are famous for their acting abilities.direction is by rajkumar santoshi.all in all everyone has good credentials.but the movie turned out to be a disappointment.hullaballoo or halla bhool.compared to rang de basanti, this was not a patch.

sameer khan(ajay devgan) is a superstar.when it comes to his career he is a past master in manipulating.he is selfcentred and narcissist.he is a perpetual womaniser.he is witness to a gruesome muder of a young girl.his life goes topsyturvy.he doesn't want to get involved. so he cooly tells the police that he didn't see the murder happening. guiltyconscious, he finally decides to stand up and inform the police of what he saw.the two young killers have high connections.one's father is a politician and the other's is a liquor baron.they pull no stops to have sameer khan eliminated.

sameer was neglecting his wife(vidya balan) and was ungrateful to his guru(pankaj kapur) who taught him the rudiments of acting by giving him roles in his streetplays.from thereon he started getting roles in films. and then he became famous.but fame went into sameer's head.his superstar status and the money and women made him go completely astray.his wife decided to leave him.his parents thrilled with their son's fame and fortune moved in to live with him.but after seeing the metamorphosis in his personality,they decided to go back to their humble abode.his bandit turned social activist guru comes back to his life and pulls him up.sameer realises that he has to speak the truth.he is ready to fight it out in the streets.justice must be brought to the victim.he takes this cause to the people.vox populi.he takes on the minister and liquor baron.he has contempt for the belgian chandeliers,beijing mugs and italian paintings and persian rugs in the minister's house,where he accosts the minister.and scotch whisky.he unzips and urinates on the persian rug and says "this is the dhaar of hindustan".

i had expected a lot from rajkumar santoshi.though he depicts well sameer's helplessness when caught in a political storm and handles the complexities in sameer's character excellently,he fails because the plot is a bit period.santoshi's adaptation to the recent trends in cinema leaves a lot to be desired.guruji(pankaj kapur) is made into a superman. his superb acting steals the show.

cinematography and music are ordinary.the scene where guruji recalls the days when they protested against social injustice through street plays,is memorable.well written and directed.though a socially relevant subject,it fails to put the message across effectively.halla bol turns into a hullballoo.

sufi for the soul

it touches your heart and heals your soul.it appeals to all people.it cuts across age and gender barriers.one can keep on hearing sufi songs or even hum them all the time.such is the impact sufi songs have on people.

last sunday i visited the kala ghoda fair at mumbai.this is annual event and extremely popular.it is a visual extravaganza of india's art and culture.the exhibition is an open air event and plays,movies and music programmes are held in the amphitheatre or in the nearby halls or gardens.the sufi music programme was in the horniman circle gardens.what a delightful time i had listening to kavita seth and her karwaan sufi band.the orchestra consisted of drummers accompanied by tabla and mandolin.

kavitha gave her heart out in her scintillating superb performance.she is like a pop diva.young and attractive with a mellifulous voice,she was so lively on the stage.and the packed audience liked every song selection that she made.starting with 'allah oh' and followed by 'lambhi judaai' and some other lovely numbers.

in november we had attended a wedding in rajasthan when i had for the first time attended a sufi programe.i liked it and decided to attend every sufi music concert when i got such an opportunity.you can call me a sufi buff.

sufi madeness is required in our lives.it enters the depth of our beings through the door of our hearts.the heart longs to love,sing and dance and go ecstatic.sufi spirit is based on the premise of love.love for all. love that transcends all barriers.god is the beloved.godliness permeates everwhere and it radiates from every nook and corner. sufism has no time for intellectual debates.it is focussed on intense passionate love.sufis don't renounce.they rejoice.sufis call it 'ishq'. it is the sufi alchemy.create such a passion that it takes you to the ultimate."i searched for god and found only myself.i searched for myself and found only god"

the 13th century poet jalaluddin rumi wrote in persian about soul and union with god.he is the best known sufi poet across the world and usa's number one and best selling poet today.last year his 800th birthday was celebrated by the rumi foundation in a grand manner."rumi" means one from roman anatolia. he accidentally met a wandering dervish called shams tabriz .that chance meeting changed his life completely.they fell in love.islamic orthodox scholars insist that it was 'spiritual love' while european translators thought they were gay.shams was driven out to damascus by rumi's family and later when he returned to konya, his family members had him killed.devastated,rumi wrote some 26,000 couplets besides rubaiyat and ghazals.rumi has a terrific following in india too. he is seen as the soft face of islam and sufism goes well with the bhakthi movement.

rumi was not just a poet.he founded a religion of love.through his couplets and ghazals.which are sung all over the world.which touch your heart and stir your soul.you do not need any other medicine.listen to sufi music and rejoice with sufism.revel in life and get sufi-mad. "if you are not one with the beloved,seek! and if you are in union,rejoice!"-rumi

the big fat indian lunch

jayalalitha,the ex cm of tamil nadu, is known for thinking big.she recently courted narendra modi,cm of gujerat.modi had won the recently held state election with a thumping majority disproving his critcs and naysayers.he belongs to bjp and by inviting him and giving him honours, jayalaitha,the shrewd politician that she is,has signalled her readiness to join hands with bjp whom she had abandoned many years ago.

it has been reported that narendra modi was invited to jayalaitha's posh poes garden residence for lunch on pongal day. a lavish spread consisiting of delicacies from various indian states were placed on the platter. aviyal,samosa,bisi belle bhath,avakai,rosogollas,wheat halwa,pulav etc.etc. of course tamil delicacies like venn pongal and chakra pongal,idi-appam,poriyal,kuzhi paniyaram,ennai katthrikai,kara kozhambu featured prominently. it was a gargantuan lunch. a 45 course lunch fit for a king.narendra modi is a teeotaller and a frugal eater. narendra modi had to suffer an embarrasment of riches.

i wonder what would be the reaction of karunanidhi and clan to this maha saappadu.stalin and kanimozhi,the favourites of kalaignar, have recently made truce with their discarded sibling azhagiri,who recently celebrated his 57th birthday at madurai with pomp and splendour.with the family united jayalalitha would find it difficult to drive any wedge.however she still has a chance. dayanidhi maran booted out of dmk by his thatha (grandfather) must also be planning his next moves. will he join hands with his erstwile foe jayalalitha? it is difficult to say. in politics there are strange bedfellows.

pashmina

i recently attended two weddings.both the families are well known to us.buying a gift for the newly weds is often a bit tricky.many of the gifts get trashed or get recirculated if they are surplus to their requirements or if they are not unique. or not of great value.the problem becomes compounded if the newlyweds are doing well and settled abroad.most of the things that you can think of,they have it anyway.the gifts, therefore, have to be carefully chosen. they are not willing to carry extra baggage with them when they fly back.

some hosts insert a small note alongwith the wedding invitation saying "no gifts please,only blessings". that lightens the invitee's task. but if you sincerely want to give a present, under such circumstances what do you do? a gift cheque is an option.but it becomes a bit impersonal. i decided to present pashminas to both the brides.they live in london.they would for sure use it and light as pashminas are,carrying them should pose no problem.they are valuable and one would look really classy with the pashmina decking the upper torso. i was happy that i had found a perfect solution. a gift having elegance and finnesse.

what is pashmina? it is a rare soft wool from the underbelly of the capra hircus goat. these goats are in abundance in the palins of the northern himalayas.nepal,tibet and kashmir.the westerners refer to this wool as "cashmere".the pashmina shawls and scarvess come with various designs and the price band extends from 600 rs to a few lakhs.the shops in taj mahal hotel and the oberoi are reputed for selling original pashminas.there are many other well-established shops too dealing in original pashminas. the fabrics are known for their softness and texture. the scarves and shawls are all delicate and brightly coloured. sometimes pashmina is blended with silk. it gives it a soft and warm feel.

due to the recent melting of snow in the himalayas and the severe cold about one lakh 'chyangra' goats have already died. if the cold spell continues, sadly, many more goats wil lose their lives. what a pity. they give their coat for our warmth but when they need warmth they cannot be saved.

the french italian connection

the lovers have tied the knot.what was media speculation in the last few months has now become a reality.french president nicholas sarkozy has wed for the third time.this time with an italian songwriter,singer and former supermodel carla bruni.unlike other past french presidents,he did not keep his love affair under wraps.he was open about it.immediately after his second marriage broke up his new relationship with carla commenced.it seems he was prepared to call off his love affair with carla if his second wife who had desreted him returned.that was not to be.

sarkozy recently visited india and was goi's guest of honour for the republic day celebrations.he wanted to bring alongwith him his beau. the main attraction was the taj mahal.diplomatic compulsions prevailed and he left her behind.but he is not giving up. he promised to come to india once a year during his reign.that meant that carla will accompany him during his next visit. that is if the union survives till then.

before leaving for india,sarkozy issued a statement that bangladesh-born taslima nasreen would be given the prestigious "prix simone de beauvoir" award this year.it is simone de beauvoir's birth centenary.she was a french philosopher,novelist and essayist.and a long time companion of jean paul sartre.she was a champion of the worldwide feminist movement and fought against misogyny and male chauvinism.he wanted to give the award personally in india,but our government developed cold feet.

his rating in france has come down,though the french lke their presidents to be virile.people feel let down that a comparitvely young and dynamic person chosen by them to lead the country is now having a major distraction. will he able to conduct the affairs of his country with focus and energy? that is a tough call. let us hope he settles down quickly to addressing the problems of his country.there are just too many of them.

there is some psychoanalysis doing the rounds.about sarkozy's height.he is only five foot five.according to them he was humiliated when his second wife chose a taller man.so he rebounded by choosing a glamorous woman.after all wasn't napolean bonaparte,the french emperor,a very short man? maybe his greed for power and for women had something to do with his height.

the french are known to be good lovers.and good rulers. hopefully,sarkozy will prove his capabilities in both the fields.

'falafel's'

three enterprising israelis with three generations of experience in the running of restaurants and having fast food joints at new york,europe and israel have now set up at mumbai at lamington road,gowalia tank and colaba, fast food joints offering falafel.

falafel is an arabic word meaning peppers.these are made out of chickpeas which are ground and deepfried and converted into small balls.the three musketeers call their eating place a hummus house.hummus is a vegetarian puree of chickpeas which is supposed to be very nutritious.many spices and herbs are used which besides adding to the aroma and flavour also have nutritional and digestive values.

i had seen this modern and spanking new restaurant last week while returning from my office and decided to try it out very soon. our daughter l and grandaughter r were visiting us over the weekend and after having had a big brunch we decided to go out for some light snacks later in the day. it was the right time to experiment with falafel's. i must say that it was a very enjoyable experience. i have had falafel several times before in dusseldorf where i visit a greek restaurant for a vegetarian meal. they would always offer me pitta bread,hummus and some vegetables like potato and aubergine and a superb combination of spices and herbs nicely cooked with rice. i was, therefore, quite aware of what was in store.

we liked the pitta bread and falafel combo. like the omnipresent wada pav of mumbai, the falafel was sandwiched between two pieces of pitta bread.the combination had a great taste. while l chose to top the falafel with a cold lemonade,i preferred to have a pepsi. it was the right drink to have after a light lunch. the ambience is excellent. the layout is neat and crisp with high stools and long tables for three persons to sit on either side. on the mezzanine floor there are about a dozen tables laid out but they were full. the service was very courteous.

falafel's is probably one of the latest fast food joints to have come up in south mumbai.non veggies may not be very happy that this colaba joint serves only veg falafel.it calls itself a veg hummus house.when i asked the manager as to why did they have this as a only veg joint,he replied that they had done a market research and the study indicated that a only veg falafel fast food joint would have very good customer response. i was a bit surprised. colaba is not matunga or mulund having a large south indian or gujerati population. in colaba ,you have a potpourri of people from different communities,cultures and nationalities. there are many foreigners too. i wonder whether the study was off the mark for selecting coloba for a veg falafel place. time alone will tell.

anyway, i am very happy that we have a fastfood falafel joint within walking distance from our home. falafel's also offer home delivery. what more could one ask for? and by the way for the two of us, the combo cost came to rs 190. that was cool.

ring out the old and ring in the new

that is what we are all supposed to do at the beginning of a new year.put the past behind you and look to the future.don't carry old baggage.take a positive approach and deal with life's problems confidently and energetically to achieve success in life. and isn't the 'bell' a very apppropriate instrument to signify this act of wishing for better things to happen.

the other day,i read an article in a metals magazine about the timelessness of a finely cast tuned bronze bell.it said that though the demand in europe was declining,the demand in the USA was quite strong and also in regions like asia and australia.would you think that an ancient communcation system would have a future in the 21st century? today,there is demand for bells one manufacturer said is not that people need them,but because they want them.and demand for bells is driven as much for their beauty and longevity as for their sound.

there are bells and bells.western bells,eastern bells,buddhist bells etc etc. and they vary in composition,shape and size.from small carillon bells to the giant bell which could weigh as much as 20 tonnes.the composition and design give the bells their distinguished sounds.generally the composition is 80% copper and 20% tin.some foundries add zinc and lead too.last year near the mount fuji in japan,the largest swinging cast bell weighing 36 tonnes was installed.its diameter is 13 feet!

bells were used all over the world in the medieval days as a communication system. a loud sound could be heard for miles away. while many go for new bells,the old ones are also getting renovated and restored. unlike in the past when ropes were used to ring bells,an electronic keyboard is used these days.in 2001 when ohio state celebrated its bicentennary year,a new bell was cast for each of the 88 counties by using a portable foundry which travelled in a flatbed truck

bells always fascinate me.their shape, their size,the materials used for making them and the sound that emanates.the feeling of tranquility when you hear the bell chiming is awesome.our house is in in front of the rajabai tower(designed on the lines of the big ben at london) across the oval-maidan at mumbai.the chiming of the tower bell also reminds me of the value of time and that time waits for no man.

the role and function of bells throughout the history of civilisation has ranged from very mundane purposes to the sacred or profane.from mourning to joy.it is said that in europe christian peasants were more afraid of swearing falsely by the bells rather than the bible itself.in the bible,the sound of bells is called his "voice".it means divine truth.

there are many legends about bells.the great srivaishnavite acharya sri vedanta desika has an interesting epithet-ghantavatara,"incarnation of the temple bell" of tirupati. his mother while on the holy mountain had a dream that she swallows a bell and just as she swallowed this bell in her dream,the temple bell at the shrine of tirupati disappeared.the ritual bell is reborn as the child later known as venkatesa,the lord of tirumala.
the cathedral bell at avignon,france,rang on its own when a pope died and also it is supposed to have tolled nonstop for 24 hours.

the balinese bells are known for their superb purity of tone. the metalworkers in bali,indonesia, belong to a highly respcted caste called the 'pande'! i visit temples quite frequently and the first thing that i do is to ring the temple bell.it creates an auspicious sound.the sound from a good bell is uninterrupted,reverberating,deep and sonorous.in hindu temples,bells are hung at the entry and rung to inform the deity of the arrival of the devotee.ringing of bells is supposed to arouse the divinity within deities into which life has been infused.the sound of ringing of the bell matches with the chanting of 'om', the lord's universal name. it helps to drown the the inauspicious noises from outside which spoils the concentration of the devotee. it helps the worshipper to find inner peace. it is also believed to protect the devotee from the harmul effects of problems. according to 'skandapurana',ringing of temple bells absolves man from sins committed over hundred births.at home also the bell is an indispensable article in ritualistic worship. it is sounded even before the actual worship commences,in order to invit the gods to assemble and drive away the evil forces. the body of the bell is supposed to represent the divinity of time,viz.,anantha,and the tongue the goddess of speech,sarasvati;the handle signifies the vital principle(prana) in the form of hanuman,garuda,nandi or chakra.

there are temples and churches all over the world famous for their bells.one of the oldest and largest bells in the world is from korea.made in 771 ad,it is 9ft tall and is 5 times the weight of big ben.the 500 year old chenna kesava temple at nandigrama generates the 'om' sound. made of copper during the kakatiya dynasty and weighing 25 kg,it has never been repaired.in orissa,in the district of dhankanal,the mahimadharma temple has a giant size temple bell weighing 120 quintals.it is made of eight metals,has a height of 5 feet,a radius of 14 feet and when harped it can be heard 25 km away. and then there is a giant 36 tonne swinging bellin gotenba city,japan,which is supposed to be the world's largest swinging bell.it has a diameter of about 12 feet and height of about 11 feet!

among roman catholics,the tolling of bells happens usuually during a funeral and before a marriage.on a regular basis bells are rung every day to announce the commencement of prayers.in buddhist temples,it is rung 108 times;eight times in the old year and 100 times in the new year.by ringing the bell you are supposed to have driven away 108 worldly desires.

our body is a living entity of vibrations and sound wavelengths.ringing of bell and chanting of mantras cause the mind to quieten and the body feels supremely relaxed.

eroticism and obscenity

recently the division bench of the bombay high court was seized of a matter involving the representation of nude figures on cigarette lighters.the manufacturer was arrested by the police and the matter was being argued in the high court.the defense was that it was a piece of art and that there was nothing obscene about it.reference was made to pictures on condoms which are being sold and the court was informed that if they could be marketed without any confiscation, why was the defendent being targeted. the prosecution was left with the rather unenviable task of explaining to the bench the subtle difference between artistic nudity and obcenity.

in early december,i had visited khajuraho temples which is famous the world over for the erotic motifs in the temple carvings.after taj mahal,it is the most popular destination for tourists and honeymooners.there are many theories explaining the abundance of these carvings in the temples.beauty lies in the beholder's eyes. what is art to one can be obscene to another. one man's meat can be another man's poison.

according to tantrik belief,the female principle of voluptuous activity is the motive force that sustains the universe,because without it the male principle of static potentiality would remain in a passive mode. the images of mithuna(embracing couples) illustrate spiritual union with the divine.this tantric trend became powerful in the 5th century a.d. during the golden age of the gupta empire.it is diametrically opposite to the ascetic stream in indian tradition.they are opposite poles of the human approach to existence.both vishnuite and shaivite temples adorned with such celebrations of human unity with nature and divine were built in khajuraho a millenium ago.

the erotic sculptures,according to experts on this subject, are made in order to convey that one must rid oneself of kama,krodha,lobha and moha before entering the sanctum sanctorum.our guide explained that the eternal khajuraho female had vital stats of 36-24-34.the stunningly explicit sexual sculptures to me just conveyed pure beauty and i could see no perversion or obscenity in the temple erotica.