Christmas In My 40s: Navigating Yuletide In A Desi Identity
Christmas is complex for me. It’s a journey through painful nostalgia, colonised history, the morality of forgivness & questioning where I really belong.
Festival
New Breath, New Life
What if the choice of good and evil is actually about choosing healing over pain?
Harvest Festival
I’ve moved away from a lot of festivals steeped as they are in religion, the biggest reason for violence & turmoil in my country right now. I was talking to a stranger yesterday when I realised just that this is a good time to remember abundance. But it only feels…
I Wear: A Watery Diwali
Fiery persona notwithstanding, my Cancerian side shows up every once in awhile. Red is usually my go to colour but occasionally I like to dip into the aqua palatte. Diwali with all its fire and noise and mayhem, made me want to retreat to the comfort of blue, purple and…
Fear Culture: My Week Since The #MumbaiGangRape
One week since this happened. The media has its baby for the fortnight or so. TV is gruesome entertainment with politico-types competing, reality-show like to see who can say the most outrageous/stupid/TRP-generating things. How has real life been for the regular Mumbaiker? I can tell you how mine has been….
Everything That’s Wrong With Raksha-Bandhan
It might seem that I’m opposed to all Indian festivals but I’m actually, not. Not even to today’s grand occasion of Raksha-bandhan. Well, I have no problem with honoring the sibling relationship. If anything, I’m all for occasions that remind you to be grateful for the presence of special people…
Goddess
I drag feet of clayThrough a day too longFlap through the slime of bad moodsTo islands of coherent thoughtAnd prepare for the battle of the sore back I fidget in my chairAnd remember too late,I’m wearing whiteI work late so the paper’s pristineAnd so no one sees the stains when…
Down With Women’s Day!
The barrage of communication, that popular media is bombarding at us about March 8th, can’t have escaped anyone’s notice.
Blurring The Boundaries: Gangaur Celebrations
A friend invited me to judge a fashion show at the Gangaur celebrations of her (Marwari) community. I didn’t even know about this festival until she asked me.
Christmas
I was talking to Ajay about attending midnight mass tomorrow. He asked me why I was attending. Here’s why. I grew up in a predominantly Christian area. My neighbors were a family of three very creative daughters. All of December was spent creating paper flowers, eggshell-and-confetti buds, tinsel-and-thermacol cutouts. All…