Indian wedding ceremonies today: fusion of tradition and modernity

 

As time moves, there will be significant changes in material and cognitive culture. Changes in accordance to time bring in new dimensions to life and culture. The features of evolvement as a generational symbolical shift, growth and innovation are unavoidable and essential. We have been into 21^st century now. Shifting from 20^th to 21^st century is like stepping into a surrealistic world, with cutting edge technology innovation. Technology has shrunk  time and space, speeding up things unprecedentedly. After globalization, affected by the closeness, the world culture is reshaping in a new way.   To compete or to accommodate to the changing times becomes very challenging for our generation as everything moved very slowly during our times.

Last few years were hectic. There was a series of marriages in the close families and among the friends. All boys and girls, whom we had seen playing with soft toys yesterday, have now grown suddenly into beautiful and handsome adults. How time had shifted, we did not realize. There was joy and exuberance in the air as the marriages got fixed and arrangements began. Elders in the family used to have meetings to discuss the details of the marriage ceremonies. As the arrangements were being made, my mind was racing on a different line --a comparison between yesterday and present day marriages. The marriage ceremonies have evolved very elegantly but differently in recent years, fusing  tradition and modernity, the north and south Indian marriage ceremonial elements, and making it more participatory, enjoyable, and spectacular for everyone in the family and friends. In south India, marriage ceremonies earlier were very simple minus any pomp, with limited instrumental music [ Mainly Shahanayi] highlighting the main events during the marriage ceremony. There were couple of Hindi film songs from Rajesh Khanna’s film which were suitable for the occasion and the songs would be played in every marriage.

Indian weddings have been shaped aesthetically these days.  May be globalization, free market, consumerism and economic growth – all have contributed to this element. There is a remarkable shift  in  marriages from religious and sacred rites to multi—layered experience. Now, experience becoming central, weddings have become more elaborative, participatory, and enjoyable, entailing pre-wedding photo- shoot, Mehandi, sangeet and reception.

  Pre- wedding photo-shoot, a common feature nowadays, is usually shot at an idyllic location, in elegant costumes which reflect the filmy taste and trends. The person behind the lens also directs the young couple to pose in filmy romantic ways, as a film director. Titanic film’s signature pose is a must in every pre- wedding shoot along with other famous Bollywood film poses. The whole narrative is constructed to create personal identity of the couple and to provide scope for the couple to know each other better and much before the final ceremony.

The marriage was taking place. I was among the audience. Two large scale digital screens were mounted on either side of the dais, and the previously done photo-shoot was going on the screens uninterrupted. My eyes were switching between the screens, simultaneously following tunes of the latest regional film songs which matched the flow of shoot. I thought life is certainly oscillating between film and reality. Earlier the influence of films reflected only in fashioning clothes, hair styles and mannerisms. But now it is evolved and elevated to performance.

Mehandi and Sangeet ceremonies too have become regular features in south India, a new trend passed on from north India. I think this fusion is good because earlier there was no music, no song, and no dance in the marriage ceremonies. The collective dancing and singing during mehandi and sangeet ceremonies have added beauty and elegance to the ceremony.  It is really enjoyable and cathartic. Even the Baarat has become more colorful with music and dancing. Singing and dancing have blended into these wedding ceremonies seamlessly, generating lot of exuberance and providing scope and space for emoting.

Considering the fashion in weddings, Bollywood, kolliwood, and sandalwood – all seem to have confluenced. International film trends also are blended seamlessly to get a distinct spectacle. Nowadays,it is all pastiche—be it fashon, music or food. Every girl presents herself as a film star. Flowing embellished gowns, handcrafted blouses, heavy jewellry, and shiny eye liners, the smell of saints, everything looke surreal. Glitz and glamour all around .An array of photographers flashing lights continuously blocked the view of the center stage. A half –dozen drones were hovering overhead. The whole ceremony, I felt, was like a film -- gap between film and life zeroing on.

 

            Now, food curating has a precedence and prominence in all weddings.  Global cuisines and local Chaats are blended to cater to hosts of all stratas. Global cuisines reflect modern, sophisticated cosmopolitan look, whereas Chaats, reflecting regional identities, give a rootedness and emotional connectivity. Food has its own language and identity.  A fine blend of south, north, east and west cuisines has been normalized in the weddings, embellished with an array of global cuisines.  A flow of Chaats like Pani-Puri,Pakoda etc  is must during the mehandi programme. A special attention is required in arranging the Chaats as young and old enjoy it. Ultimately, it is food that makes the weddings successful and memorable.

Destination weddings have become common now. People are choosing hotels,resorts and palaces for the destination wedding.Under  Event management--  everything  gets arranged  –printing,publicity,photography, accommodation, transportation, food, security and many more. Only thing is one must be ready to shell out the money. Destination marriages provide a space for relatives and guests to know one another leisurely as they are staying together in one place without any disturbances. Secondly, as they closely celebrate the event together, it leads to a collective memory. Life experiences, lived experiences matter a lot these days

This is only a brief account of Indian wedding ceremonies. This evolving shows how and to what extent globalization has influenced directly and indirectly, each and every nook of the world. If anyone like to view an Indian wedding ceremony, one can go through these movies listed below:

Monsoon Wedding, Hum Apke Hai Koun, Band Baaja Baaraat, 2 States                        

Let me know how you want marriage ceremonies to evolve in future.

      

 

  Monsoon Tea with a Thought

     June begins with enchanting monsoon rains, bringing a drastic transition in the surroundings and human life. The wet surroundings, the smell of earth, the croaking of frogs, the smell of pakodas — all fused together ooze a distinct charm for those who crave to have a tryst with rains.  Late one rainy evening, we decided to visit Mugad tank which is close by.  The chilly wind and the lush green wet surroundings were very inviting as we travelled slowly, enjoying the monsoon vibes. As the sun had already set , the light grey hue spread across the sky was deepening with the ticking. From far, the tank full to the brink looked very serene when we alighted from the car. The whole area was totally at peace with itself, in harmony with the musical sound of the wind and the chirpings of returning birds. The vast, flat, stretch of lush green grass ground dotted with large trees and bushes at distance looked really regal. I was ruminating how mesmerizing is nature, which makes us emotional and dumb in its presence. A few meters away from where we were standing, down the meadow, there was a house amidst a cluster of trees and the greyish smoke emitting from it spiraled up with the cold wind of the monsoon. The particular visual slowly unfolded the layers of my memory. The hut emitting smoke denoted so many meanings- the presence of life- an activity-an evening meal getting prepared, a bright wood-fire for warmth on a rainy day, which all of us modern people have forgotten due to the modern inventions of gas and electricity cooking gadgets. Just switch on a button and start preparing meals. Of course, it is much easier and time saving compared to the earlier methods. Now, I am in my early 70s, and I have seen how things have evolved during the last fifty years. The passage of time has changed the outlook of life totally.  When I was in primary school, my mother used to cook with fire wood on a mud stove. It used to take most of her time, giving no scope either for her self-care or to follow her  interests. The elaborative cooking on mud stove day after day had consumed her.

 Due to the wet fire wood, the cooking would be a herculean task for women specially on rainy days Those were very hard days — long ques for kerosene oil are unforgettable.  Once the fire was lit and the water in the pot started boiling for tea preparation, the whole kitchen would to come to life. We siblings used to sit near the fire warming up our hands and feet and drinking tea with some snacks or freshly fried pakodas. The light spread from the fire used to brighten up our faces. After some time, we used to move slowly away as the heat would become intolerant to bear. In the Monsoons, soaked to the skin, walking lengthy distances from school and colleges, we would rush to sit near the fire, in the kitchen with some warm drink. As years rolled by, there was a sea change in architecture and building constructions and people evolving with time had embraced modern amenities and gadgets. On shifting to our new house, we started cooking with gas stove. With the arrival of a new gas stove, and the fire wood mud stove taking back seat, the charm of the kitchen faded. Our presence in the kitchen started decreasing day by day as we all started going to our respective rooms with our tea and snacks. We started missing  the heat, warmth, light and the play of light and shadow, and gossiping more than anything. The monsoons without the complementary friend fire looked dry and desolate. Just as an alternate, we started using coal stove on monsoon days. Again, the family members began to assemble around the coal stove, and munching fried peanuts and warming ourselves as we shared jokes from school and college. As days rolled on, the coal stove too receded in to the dark allowing room- heaters to occupy the space. As time moves on, it brings in a lot of changes in all spheres. With shift in the basic elements, the human relations get affected. As I stated, earlier the kitchen used to play a significant role in connecting and bonding each and every member of the family with one another with its warmth. Now it is shifted to drawing room.

Now the drawing room is central to everyone and for everything. Family members huddle together in drawing room or you can call it T.V. room alternatively, for gossiping and having food. Now a days, most of our time is spent in front of T.V —shifting from one channel to another,  catching glimpses of  news, film, history, geography, fashion, food  and more, until  we get bored to death. In spite of all these rich entertaining visuals and information, an itch grows silently within us craving for human connectivity and human relations. A small talk over a cup of tea, an understanding smile, a gentle nod of positivity, smiling eyes, a mischievous grin, a tender touch on the shoulder -all become luxury.

Since the arrival of television and cell phone, there is a significant change in the society and human relations. Heavy consumption of television and mobiles has reduced human relations to zero. Heavy consumption has led not only to addiction but also to loneliness. In the present world, the flow of visuals and information becoming central and crucial for society has marginalized human relations, eliminating empathy and humanity. Nobody has time to connect with friends, relatives and neighbors and to fathom the emotional and psychological angles of human relations and to cherish a beautiful friendship. Good relations and friendships grow with time, patience, understanding and empathy. When people are short of time these days, how can one dream of beautiful relations and friends who can share our pain and pleasure and stand by us in our difficult times. Looking back, I think life was more beautiful without television and mobile phones. No doubt, technology has indeed benefited us greatly and made our life very smooth and easy. We need to question ourselves how much and to extent we can use and enjoy the benefits of technology and at what cost.

As human beings, woven in to the fabric of nature, we carry a profound responsibility: to spread love and humanity, the very essence of our being, to everyone in this world.  

Let me know your valuable views through comments.                                                       If you liked this article, you go through  this article Moments of life and hidden nuggets  https://www.visualartandculture.com/2015/08/moments-of-life-and-hidden-nuggets.html  and let me know your thoughts.

Moods of Nature

 

The monsoon has arrived much earlier than expected this year. It was to come two days later , and we were awaiting its arrival with all the eagerness. The previous day was very sunny , bright and warm. The Newspaper said that the monsoon had reached Kerala state in time and proceeds towards karnataka state within couple days. Every species was eagerly waiting for the monsoon as the summer days and nights had become intolerable with increased suffocating heat. The very next morning, on getting up, I found the overcast sky indicating the nearing of the monsoon. The cloudy sky and the windy weather persisted all through day but without any drizzling. The following day, in the morning, it had started raining silently. Chill wind brushed our cheeks and arms fondly and teasingly reminding us of our warm clothes neatly packed in the cupboard. The atmosphere was very pleasant and inspiring. I enjoyed my first monsoon tea in the balcony watching the rain, in the background some old Hindi film song was coming from the radio. It made my day. Nature has its moods and swings. But contrary to this, there were splashes of summer rains in the month of May. This time, the May rains were very frightening and scary; lightening , thunders and gusty wind all combined made the raining very frightening. The rain seemed as if it was raging over the earth. The lightening one after another followed by the sky breaking thunders seemed never to cease. The rain continued nearly for three to four hours, the electricity went off, old trees and branches fell off on the road and vehicles parked road side. Traffic came to a halt. As the darkness started setting in , the scene began looking more scary though the rain had come to an end bringing respite . Since so many years, I have experienced the summer rains which have brought happiness to me. I always associate the first rain with the smell of the earth and freshness of greenery around. Summer rains are usually characterized with lightning and thunder. But the recent experience of the rain in the third week of May is memorable. I had never seen in all these years of my life the rain being so furious and raging. The thunders were so deafening that it seemed as if it was going to strike somewhere very near me and ripping me apart any moment. Though being in the safety of the house , I felt very nervous and weak against the fury of nature. Nature has different moods and each has different

color and tone.

But the monsoon rains are soothing , musical and delightful to watch. It seems nature is at its best and peaceful ,and wants to shower, nourish and beautify all the living things on the earth. with the blessing of rain god, all creatures take a deep breath after the summer. Trees, plants, birds, insects and animals - all welcome rain after the insufferable summer. Every shade of green looks brilliant and fresh after the rain wash, birds flutter around joyously chirping songs of their soul. With a kettle of tea and pakodas , Monsoon rains are always welcome and enjoyable.

 

C sharp C Blunt : An experimental Indo-German play

Presented by: Flinntheatre

Directed by: Sophia Stepf

Text Collaborators: Swar Thounaojam &Irawati karnik

German Director and German’s Flinntheatre – an indo-German association that explores the areas of digital dramaturgy. Repetition and user choices to create a new hybrid form of theatre – meets- performances art come together in this play.

Actor M.D.Pallvi  in C Sharp C Blunt

                                                                                                                                                                                             

Every year I go to Pune, which is a cultural centre of Maharastra, to attend the theater festival. A  strong tradition of theatre has been established there over a period. It seems, the people of Pune love theatre more than films.  The legendary actor Balgandharva, Marathi singer and stage actor, was from Maharastra.  Balgandharav’s contribution to marathi theatre is enormous and commendable. The actor used to play the role of women in the plays, as women were not allowed to take part in those days. The plays of Balgandharav were so famous that every woman wanted to drape saris like BalGandharav and imitate his style. Those plays enriched and established an audience permanently for theatre. Over a period, the people of Pune have developed a refined intellectual taste for the theatre. Continuously, efforts are carried out to contribute to the field with genuine interest from playwrights, actors and the connoisseurs.

Recently, I had been to Pune to watch theatre festival. There I watched two plays. Of the two plays, one was based on Shakespeare’s Mid Summer’s Night, which I had seen at our place earlier. The other one named C Sharp C Blunt was an experimental play based on contemporary mobile phone application. What interested me greatly was the whole treatment given to the play. The techno- based language and the involvement of the audience in to the play as if the audience were operating with the application, was appalling and reflected the contemporary life.  C sharp C Blunt, the play is based on the concept of the loop, where an electric musician is seen live on the stage and creates and layers loops from the live sound.  This mobile application shilpa is a popular application of 2013, software developed to offer the audience the entertainment in flesh and blood. The application behaves the way men desire their women to behave and sing accordingly.  The hidden sexual desires of the users, and how their minds work, are reflected, and presented in the play, very boldly. The play is in English language and the techno-based language enthralls the audience and involves verbally too. It was just like using the software right there by the audience.  The actor who performed single on the stage nearly for 75 minutes is also a very talented singer, and this enhances the beauty of the play. Her singing ability also presents a perfect blend of east and west music, a collage, a feature of postmodernism.  The play also indicates the predicament of the women entertainers in the present- day entertainment industry.

I loved this play because the content is very contemporary and the approach entirely novel. One must see this play.

Women's Liberation Movements: Existence and Identity of Second Sex

On the eve of International Women's Day, one needs to know the struggle women have put forth for the last so many centuries to achieve the identity and status today.

The word Woman connotes compassionate, loving, sacrificing, empathetic, dutiful, obedient and tolerant – the list goes on. Who have linked these adjectives to the word Woman and why? These adjectives are not chosen by women themselves but by men.  With these very adjectives women have been conditioned physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally for centuries by men, the superior sex. These very adjectives glorify woman’s soul and ego and have  been misleading  the women for centuries and  have led them to servitude finally. Men have been clever in selecting these adjectives which have emotionalized and sentimentalized  women to oblige and do things, which no doubt empowers men.                                                  History of Feminism

If the word Feminism had not been invented and not popularized, things would have been quite different for women even today. With the movement of feminism, an awareness was brought into women, which certainly helped women to move on new lines and find their own identities. Feminist movements spread across the world creating a consciousness among women about their existence and identity.  Enlightening women, these movements emboldened them to assert their fundamental rights hitherto neglected and denied to them.  In the course of time, women resolved to switch their roles and to change the age old perception of them. Slowly, gracefully, with determination, women started liberating themselves. Feminist movements, no doubt, made women conscious of their rights – political, social and economic rights   – voting in general elections, getting education, holding jobs, getting good payment – raising their voices against domestic violence, against rape and so on—formed the basis of their agenda.

Mary Wollstonecraft was the first one to raise the question of gender equality at the time of Enlightenment. Rousseau, the father of Enlightenment, defined about a democratic state where all men were equal. Here the Mary Wollstonecraft  questioned the discriminatory attitude of Democracy towards women —and tried  to expand the concept of democracy by equaling women with men. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman was  her first published feminist treatises.Wollenstonecraft's insights led further to feminist movement which was called suffragetts.

The Feminist History can be divided in to three phases such as the First Wave , the Second Wave,the Third wave.

The First Wave : The first wave occurred in the 19^th and early 20^th century and this movement mainly focused on the Right to Vote in the General Elections.

 The second wave : The second wave was at its height in 1960s and 1970s and it focused on women's liberation.

The third wave : The Third Wave feminist movement started in 1990 and has continued up to the present time. During this phase, the movement focused on issues like financial, social and cultural inequalities.

 The First Wave:  The first wave started in 19^th century. British women and men had made efforts to secure voting right to women in 1860 itself. But it was in 1906, first time, the word “Suffragett” appeared in a British Newspaper. It was a campaign held by women demanding their right to vote. When a leader like Emmelike Pankhurst and her daughters Christable and Sylvia founded the Social and Political Union(WSPU), in 1903, the movement  got an impetus. Its slogan read like this “ Deeds not Words”. As the years rolled by, the movement became aggressive and militant in nature. When Suffragett movement was going strongly, the breaking of war in 1914 curtailed its movement suddenly. Emmelike Pankhurst and others joined war to serve. As a result, around one million women joined war. May be the participation of women in war was an eye opener for many and for many transitional things that took subsequently. In Feb 1918, Government permitted women to vote who are over the age of 30, or either owned property or rented. As a result, 8.5 million women were entitled to vote in 1918. On 2^nd July 1928, a law was passed allowing women over the age of 21 to vote.

The Second Wave:  1960s and 70s – The second wave feminist movement concentrated on eradicating the inequalities in the social and cultural spheres. Not only that, it touched on every aspects of woman’s experience—politics, jobs, the nature of woman’s work, family, woman sexuality, domestic responsibility and so on. The movement got double force with the college educated mothers who wanted to have fundamental rights for their children. The educated mothers initiated their children into feminist movements.  When women got education and began to read, the movement took a different colour and became more popular. The book, The Second Sex, written by Simone De Beauvoir, became very popular during that period because it clearly mentions the problems of women – no chance to make money, domestic responsibility, and lack of support from the society -- which hinders the growth of women.  Through the second movement, women got the right to education, right to work, and right to vote. Betty Friedan, an American feminist writer, was a key player in the second wave. Her book the Feminine Mystique,1963, gives a new horizon for women. She argues --how false it is that woman is satisfied only with child bearing and homemaking and the woman’s identity is fixed by father, husband and sons—this is completely wrong.  The book is considered to be one of the most influential books of 20^th century. Betty Friedan launched modern feminism, an intellectual movement of the 20^th century. Betty Friedan advocated career oriented independence for women instead of domestic life which limited her scope of growing and establishing her identity independently.

On the other hand, women faced some other disheartening issues like banning of abortion and contraception—which was indeed a violation of women’s rights. Way back  In 1918 , an American lawyer, socialist,feminist named Crystal Eastman had written that birth control was the fundamental right of a woman. The movement had become so strong at that time that even the President of America was compelled to address the issue. So, President John.F.Kennady had created President’s Commission on The Status of Women and Eleanor Roosevelt was to lead it. This report supported nuclear family and preparing woman for motherhood.

The Third Wave: It started in 1990 and has continued till today. It began in United States.

This wave focused its attention on financial, social and cultural inequalities and how to equalize them.  Second and third wave feminists now focused on developing individuality and identity. The third wave feminism concentrated on Consciousness-raising—making women to understand that male domination would hamper the individual growth of women and identity and these feminists engaged in Micro-Politics. Third wave feminists used personal narratives as form of feminist theory. With these personal narratives, they stated that the definition of feminism differs from period to period.

With right to education, right to vote, right to work, women have excelled in many fields. Education has given them confidence, security and identity. Women now are holding better positions and their status too has changed both economically and socially —more independent and identity conscious they have become. Women on par with men have entered into all fields – navy, army, air force, which were not open to women earlier. Now we are seeing some real changes, but still a long way to go.

Women's Liberation Movements: Existence and identity of second sex

On the eve of International Women's Day, one needs to know the struggle women have put forth for the last so many centuries to achieve the identity and status today.

The word Woman connotes compassionate, loving, sacrificing, empathetic, dutiful, obedient and tolerant – the list goes on. Who have linked these adjectives to the word Woman and why? These adjectives are not chosen by women themselves but by men.  With these very adjectives women have been conditioned physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally for centuries by men, the superior sex. These very adjectives glorify woman’s soul and ego and have  been misleading  the women for centuries and  have led them to servitude finally. Men have been clever in selecting these adjectives which have emotionalized and sentimentalized  women to oblige and do things, which no doubt benefited men unendingly for centuries. The process of conditioning starts the moment the girl is born. What to do and what not to do – are dictated from parents. The discriminatory guide lines are set from parents from the childhood for the girl child. In this conditioning process, a girl starts growing, which certainly diminishes her confidence and positivity.  Over centuries, efforts have been made to bring equal status to women, but the rate of success seems very marginal even today.

One needs to go through the history of feminism to note what kind of efforts have been made and since when. A brief look into the history shows how women have fought continuously  to get fundamental rights and to seek and establish their existence and identity.

History of Feminism

If the word Feminism had not been invented and not popularized, things would have been quite different for women even today. With the movement of feminism, an awareness was brought into women, which certainly helped women to move on new lines and find their own identities. Feminist movements spread across the world creating a consciousness among women about their existence and identity.  Enlightening women, these movements emboldened them to assert their fundamental rights hitherto neglected and denied to them.  In the course of time, women resolved to switch their roles and to change the age old perception of them. Slowly, gracefully, with determination, women started liberating themselves. Feminist movements, no doubt, made women conscious of their rights – political, social and economic rights   – voting in general elections, getting education, holding jobs, getting good payment – raising their voices against domestic violence, against rape and so on—formed the basis of their agenda.

Mary Wollstonecraft was the first one to raise the question of gender equality at the time of Enlightenment. Rousseau, the father of Enlightenment, defined about a democratic state where all men were equal. Here the Mary Wollstonecraft  questioned the discriminatory attitude of Democracy towards women —and tried  to expand the concept of democracy by equaling women with men. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman was  her first published feminist treatises.Wollenstonecraft's insights led further to feminist movement which was called suffragetts.

The Feminist History can be divided in to three phases such as the First Wave , the Second Wave,the Third wave.

The First Wave : The first wave occurred in the 19^th and early 20^th century and this movement mainly focused on the Right to Vote in the General Elections.

 The second wave : The second wave was at its height in 1960s and 1970s and it focused on women's liberation.

The third wave : The Third Wave feminist movement started in 1990 and has continued up to the present time. During this phase, the movement focused on issues like financial, social and cultural inequalities.

 The First Wave:  The first wave started in 19^th century. British women and men had made efforts to secure voting right to women in 1860 itself. But it was in 1906, first time, the word “Suffragett” appeared in a British Newspaper. It was a campaign held by women demanding their right to vote. When a leader like Emmelike Pankhurst and her daughters Christable and Sylvia founded the Social and Political Union(WSPU), in 1903, the movement  got an impetus. Its slogan read like this “ Deeds not Words”. As the years rolled by, the movement became aggressive and militant in nature. When Suffragett movement was going strongly, the breaking of war in 1914 curtailed its movement suddenly. Emmelike Pankhurst and others joined war to serve. As a result, around one million women joined war. May be the participation of women in war was an eye opener for many and for many transitional things that took subsequently. In Feb 1918, Government permitted women to vote who are over the age of 30, or either owned property or rented. As a result, 8.5 million women were entitled to vote in 1918. On 2^nd July 1928, a law was passed allowing women over the age of 21 to vote.

The Second Wave:  1960s and 70s – The second wave feminist movement concentrated on eradicating the inequalities in the social and cultural spheres. Not only that, it touched on every aspects of woman’s experience—politics, jobs, the nature of woman’s work, family, woman sexuality, domestic responsibility and so on. The movement got double force with the college educated mothers who wanted to have fundamental rights for their children. The educated mothers initiated their children into feminist movements.  When women got education and began to read, the movement took a different colour and became more popular. The book, The Second Sex, written by Simone De Beauvoir, became very popular during that period because it clearly mentions the problems of women – no chance to make money, domestic responsibility, and lack of support from the society -- which hinders the growth of women.  Through the second movement, women got the right to education, right to work, and right to vote. Betty Friedan, an American feminist writer, was a key player in the second wave. Her book the Feminine Mystique,1963, gives a new horizon for women. She argues --how false it is that woman is satisfied only with child bearing and homemaking and the woman’s identity is fixed by father, husband and sons—this is completely wrong.  The book is considered to be one of the most influential books of 20^th century. Betty Friedan launched modern feminism, an intellectual movement of the 20^th century. Betty Friedan advocated career oriented independence for women instead of domestic life which limited her scope of growing and establishing her identity independently.

On the other hand, women faced some other disheartening issues like banning of abortion and contraception—which was indeed a violation of women’s rights. Way back  In 1918 , an American lawyer, socialist,feminist named Crystal Eastman had written that birth control was the fundamental right of a woman. The movement had become so strong at that time that even the President of America was compelled to address the issue. So, President John.F.Kennady had created President’s Commission on The Status of Women and Eleanor Roosevelt was to lead it. This report supported nuclear family and preparing woman for motherhood.

The Third Wave: It started in 1990 and has continued till today. It began in United States.

This wave focused its attention on financial, social and cultural inequalities and how to equalize them.  Second and third wave feminists now focused on developing individuality and identity. The third wave feminism concentrated on Consciousness-raising—making women to understand that male domination would hamper the individual growth of women and identity and these feminists engaged in Micro-Politics. Third wave feminists used personal narratives as form of feminist theory. With these personal narratives, they stated that the definition of feminism differs from period to period.

With right to education, right to vote, right to work, women have excelled in many fields. Education has given them confidence, security and identity. Women now are holding better positions and their status too has changed both economically and socially —more independent and identity conscious they have become. Women on par with men have entered into all fields – navy, army, air force, which were not open to women earlier. Now we are seeing some real changes, but still a long way to go.

Moghul Miniatures : Reflection of flora and fauna

Jahangir with Falcon

     When we look at paintings, we slowly realize how these paintings communicate to us. Each line, each form, each colour, the spatial arrangement speaks volumes. By studying these paintings, we can realize what kind of culture prevailed during that period. The very word ‘culture’ itself denotes lot of things like material culture, the way of living, the behavioral aspect, tastes,  ideas, concepts and values. Keeping all these things in mind, one can have a look at these rich paintings for deeper understanding. When I look at these mogul miniature paintings in the backdrop of  fast growing urbanisation in recent years, which is a matter of concern for all of us,   these  paintings beautifully unfold before us the richness of vegetation, which the artists have captured in fine lines and colours. Now cities are growing both horizontally and vertically because of the greediness of real estate people and that too at the cost of beautiful, rich vegetation.  If urban development continues in the same manner, the next generations will see vegetation only in paintings and books.       

Moghul  and Rajput miniatures, two independent schools of art,  are considered to be the cream of Indian art, which flourished from 15^th  to 17^th century. The Moghul Dynasty was established in India by the emperor Babar. Emperor Babar was much more in interested in expanding his empire, so he could not give much attention to the developments of art and architecture, though he had a strong liking for art, literature and music.  But the emperors who followed  Babar have given India a huge collection of unforgettable miniatures  and architecture of excellence to India.  The emperor Barbar’s son Humayun, when he ascended to the throne, was forced in to exile to Persia in the beginning as one of his generals rose against him. Emperor Humayun as a refugee was given shelter by Safavid Dynasy which was ruling Persia then. During his stay in Persia, Humayun got acquainted with the Persian art and artists. As a result, while coming back to India after defeating the general with the help of Safavid  emperor, he brought a couple of famous artists from Persia. Those Persian artists and Indian artists worked together and produced a body of interesting works , which is the fusion  of Indian and Persian  sensibilities.  Today also, we see these works with great pleasure as these have tremendous charm.

Coming to the point, in Moghul miniatures we see a lot of importance being given to vegetation. The rulers and the artists as well gave priority to detail about the vegetation. It shows their close connectivity with nature and love for it. While going through the pages of Moghul history, I read that emperor Jahangir, the grandson of Humayun, was very much interested in collecting the rare spies of birds, plants and flowers. He used to instruct his ministers to collect rare things and document them through painting. And these paintings were preserved in a systematic manner in a chronological way.  As a result, we see mogul miniatures, especially the borders embellished with beautiful flora and fauna. Most of the portraits of these emperors and their family members have beautiful borders interlaced with flowers, birds and plants.  Human being as a part of nature, his/her association with nature is essential for harmonious living and these borders inhabited with vegetation reflect the same concept.

Shah Abbas II with falcon

During his time, the emperor Jehangir used to get his portraits done by famous artists. As a result, we see a series of portraits of Jehangir in various moods. Not only his portraits, his family members too had got their portraits done by the court painters. The court painter culture had developed during the reign of Jehangir, who was very much interested in art, literature and music. Those highly respected court painters were very skilled   and  each one was expert in a certain field. Sometimes the artists expert in a certain field used paint that part and other artists used to contribute their expert skills to the remaining parts, so it used to be a collective work. So, most of the paintings are not signed by the artists.  Due  to the existence of these court painters, the practice of painting had continued for a long time. The emperor Jehangir had an eye for beautiful and rare species;  the rich portrait of Jehangir with Falcon on his right hand is the indication of his genuine interest in nature. The falcon seems to be in a sweet mood as wings have been raised to cheer up the majesty and the emperor is looking at the bird intently. The most interesting fact is the long gown of the emperor has been covered with animals like deers, tigers, birds and plants.  Roland Barthes has written extesively about the dress and decoding, and we can apply the same decoding theory here to get deeper meanings.

Here is one more painting belonging to a dynasty called Safavid Dynasty, which  ruled Persia then. The portrait belongs to Shah Abbas II who ruled Iran from 1642 to 1666. He was the seventh Shah of Safavid dynasty. The emperor Jehangir’s portrait and the portrait of Shah AbbasII have similarities. Shah Abbas has been shown with a falcon on his right hand and the borders have been covered with the thick vegetation with animals and birds. Life of animals and birds has been observed closely and depicted naturally by the artists in both the paintings.  Romancing, copulating, killing – all have been depicted through delicate sensuous lines and colours. Though these borders give pleasure at the first sight, on the second and third look, the paintings reveal the secrets of the vegetation. The birds, animals, tress, plants have been rendered very realistically.

The Moghul Miniatures are a source of eternal inspiration for artists and the onlookers. Though small in size, they speak volumes.      

Cultural Changes: Keep communication alive and language usage intact

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           Myriad cultural changes have taken place in India within a decade and plus. With the advent of technology, life all over the world has changed drastically in every aspect. Everyone, young and old, has become techno savvy and is enthusiastic to adapt to new changes that the time demands. No doubt, it is a very positive sign to change oneself to the contemporary situation as life is governed by the technology these days. An awareness of cultural , social, political  shifts along with the pros and cons of technology enable one to deal with daily affairs with maturity and dignity. Social networking sites have brought people nearer across the world, and yet, at the same time they have distanced the immediate neighbors. These radical changes are really disturbing and need a sincere and honest thought. As a result, the charm of communication, human relations, and human values -- where physical presence matters, physical touch matters, eye contact matters, hearty smile matters—all are missing. Many times, to my utter surprise, I find  young boys and girls sitting indifferently engrossed in surfing their smart phones even at birthday parties and religious functions-- communications is on the decline.  Language, the essence of communication, too has been changing with the passage of time.  Nostalgically speaking, friends used to gather at somebody’s place or at a restaurant  in the evenings to chat and share their ideas, and to discuss. Now people have suddenly become busy and professional – No time to engage into a hearty communication – all these changes have been taking a toll on the usage of languages. In the present situation, visual language is taking precedence over verbal and written language. Visual language through visual images like photos, posters, hoardings is governing the whole cultural scenario. Social networking sites like FaceBook, Instagram, WhatsApp – all bombard with visual images. If some FaceBook friends try to engage friends with written message—without a visual -- these written messages  are surely going to be brushed aside.   Leave alone simple communications or discussions, my heartbeats become uneven suddenly when I read in the newspapers about closing down of the famous book stalls.  Treasure houses of knowledge, books stalls, and the famous ones in cosmopolitan cities too, have been disappearing one by one. It really makes me sad!  Earlier, books were the main source of gaining knowledge and to feel the diverse cultures of the world. By reading the book of different authors of different countries, one would get the perfect feel of  those diverse cultures. The authors would make us journey into those countries with such vivid descriptions that we never ever felt an alien while traversing those countries in to those pages. The writer’s elaborate description fused with reader’s fancy created a wonderful journey and a wonderful world for every growing child and an adult.  Those mental journeys in to abyss kept us busy, happy and well informed.

                                         Recently, when I visited printing press in a neighbouring small town, I saw a small poster pinned to the display board. The small poster was conveying a huge message, directly and indirectly. Take care of apostrophes and commas -- language is changing ! Since the technology has entered into our life, the usage of language has changed considerably. Specially,the language of messages in social sites has taken a new shape—it is conveniently shortened and without any punctuation marks.  We have already lost several languages and some are on the vanishing verge. It is time to think seriously about usage and saving of languages. 

Language of Dress

 In 60s and 70s, tailors were very much in demand.  Ready-to-wear clothing was not available in small towns, and in fact, nobody liked to wear readymade dress in those days. To discover a good tailor and get dresses stitched properly by them was an uphill task.  With lot of hopes and dreams, one used to give the fabric material along with a page torn from the magazine, which carried the photograph or sketch of a latest fashionable skirt or top, in it.  Seeing the photograph, the tailor would nod and say he would stitch it the same way. He used to enter the details of measurements in a long note book, which had turned yellow with the passage of time and the pages at the corners had curled by constant usage. He would ask us to come after a fortnight.  Since we were in hurry, that fortnight seemed to be like a quarter year, stretching endlessly.  When the particular day approached, with all possible positive thoughts we used to go to the shop to get the dress. On climbing a spiral staircase, we used to enter into the shop. On seeing us, he used to grin sheepishly.  Taking the receipt from us, adjusting his spectacles, he would look again into the long notebook to get the number of the bundle stitched. After a long search in the cupboard, he would finally pull out the bundle as if he had accomplished a mission. With all eagerness, we used to open the bundle to see whether it had been stitched the way it was instructed. To our surprise, the outcome is entirely different and the tailor would explain that design was slightly altered to fit properly.  What an audacity!  As he could not digest the new fashion, he had stitched it the way he knew.   In spite of the measurements given correctly, dress used to be either too short or too long in the end.  Since then fashion has evolved differently and with great speed, now more and more people are becoming aware of trends. Fashion channel on T.V highlights the latest trends around the world and shows how fashion language has changed over years..

Those who are avid followers of fashion are well acquainted with fashion magazines.  Vogue magazine, started in1892, is one of the oldest fashion magazines and has been popular throughout the world for its rich photographs of ladies in fashionable dresses in glossy papers. It  is a great credit for one to appear in this magazine. Usually, fashion has been associated with actors and the rich. Actors dressing in different way create their own fashion language.  In semiotics, Roland Barthes says fashion works as a language – coded language, a sign. Dresses when decoded speak out the truth and classify people as rich, poor, elegant, conservative, artistic, flamboyant and so on.

      Fashion is a popular style at a particular period and that is associated with culture.  With the passage of time, fashion has evolved better and better- design wise, material wise, and aesthetic values too have changed. Fashion is a trend in a particular time and it keeps changing time to time. To be on the bandwagon, it is essential for one to move with the time and accept the trends that are latest and fashionable. The word fashion is applicable to all fields.  

                                         One could assess the personality of a person by the way he or she is dressed and how it is carried on. Dress denotes character, taste, attitude, sophistication and elegance of a person in detail. Some persons look amazingly beautiful and dignified in simple attires and command respect. This is  possible because their attire reflect their philosophy of life. It does not matter whether one looks trendy or not, one has to be graceful and dignified. Every human being, basically, desires to be loved, respected and complimented. For that, one has to make efforts to choose the right dresses with right colors for the right occasion. The colors of the dresses indicate the qualities of persons. Persons who are very active usually prefer bright primary colors.  Those who are usually sober go for brown and grey colors. Highly elegant people always blend their dresses with grey, black and white shades. Colors indicate the psychology of a person. Dressing is also an art and it comes in hand while working out on combinations of materials, colors and trends. Preference for colors vary as one ages and maturity reflects through the dresses one wears. Apart from dressing elegantly, one has to be comfortable in the dress.

Observing the latest trends and its adoption by en masse has made me to reflect seriously on this particular issue. In the present condition, everyone desires to look one’s best with all the readily available dresses and accessories. T.V. is the main source through which everyone gets a dose of fashion and latest trends every day. Films play a key role in setting up trends and dictating

en masse.  Window shopping and online shopping have facilitated people at great lengths. Fashion trends keep changing very fast as consumers are willing to consume more and more.  Mass production means identical items in huge quantity. By using identical objects people all look alike, like Xerox copies.   

To be fashionable, there is no need to purchase all the fashionable things that land in the market, try them, and present oneself as a big goofy.  Age, body structure, nature of a person, job status, education, religion and family background  -  all these  play key roles in selecting  dresses.  One has to visualize how a dress would look on one when it is worn on.   A conscious effort will definitely will bring some changes in one’s tastes and selection of dresses. In  Bollywood  ,Simi Garewal,  Shabhana Azami,  Rekha, Deepika Padukon  are remarkably well dressed and have left  their  indelible individual statements on the viewers. One can combine readymade garments and accessories in one’s own way with personal creativetouches and can make individual statements.

From Postcard to Whats App

Sculptor Vilas Kulkarni [ first one from the right]

      

          When our show was going in the Jehangir Gallery,Mumbai , at the same time, in the same place, Delhi artists were exhibiting their works in the spacious auditorium gallery. In the auditorium hall, postbox sculptures made in the fiber glass medium stood as testimony to the bygone period and caught the attention of each and every visitor's attention since the post boxes are connected to everyone's life. Delhi based artist Vilas Kulkarni had this concept of post boxes in his mind since a long time but the concept got materialized when he was planning for his Mumbai show. When asked about these sculptures, he was emotionally remembering the olden days. The technology has smoothened the ways and people are getting news very fast today but the new gadgets cannot bring the warmth and emotional touch that the letters used to bring, the artist expressed. Now the messages and emails are very brief and devoid of feelings as everyone sees and feels. Now the conversation is carried mainly in English. So the works displayed were satirical and reflecting the contemporary truth. From the red post boxes were spilling out only English letters as if all the regional languages have taken back seats. As English is flourishing across the world as global language, the regional languages are slowly vanishing one by one. If serious efforts are not put in , the regional languages will fade away within no time. Now the total scene has changed completely due to the invasion of computers and mobiles and new applications, so naturally the post box has taken a back seat. The post boxes used to play a very important role in everyone's life a few years back. The post cards , inland letters and covers which carried messages to friends ,parents and relatives used to be carried by this post box. Those were the days when connectivity was difficult and a distant dream. One had to wait for many days to get news. Post cards usually carried brief messages especially the death messages written in two three lines. Inland letters were lengthier than postcard and shorter than covers. The educated people opted for inland letters and inland letters were not as open as post cards. The postcard letters used to be read by one and all, whether one intended to read it or not, one could not abstain from eyeing its contents - open letters, open secrets. The covers always contained long sheets of paper either white or lined or tinted ones written with ink pens. While writing, sometimes the bluish or blackish ink used to smear on the pages here and there. In those days news and messages travelled slowly and reached the destination many times after its importance diluted. But everyone used to wait eagerly for the post man to come and deliver the letters at one's door step.

The invention of computers and mobiles has ultimately has put an end to the letter writing. During the high school days, language question papers used to have one question about letter writing. Now only for official purpose letters are written and dispatched as hard copies. Emails , messages and WhatsApp have become popular these days. Nobody bothers to sit and write letters elaborately now a days.


The small post boxes spread in the auditorium, catching everyone's eyes, stood as the testimony for the bygone period of emotions. The post boxes present in the auditorium belonged to different cities, and one them belonged to my place as the artist is originally from my place. The post box had our city name and pin code. I was really happy to see the particular post box. Some of the works were very interactive as some small children wrote small, small messages on paper and put into the boxes. After some years, the post box will become an antique piece and will be kept in the museums.
The invention of computers and mobiles has ultimately has put an end to the letter writing. During the high school days, language question papers used to have one question about letter writing. Now only for official purpose letters are written and dispatched as hard copies. Emails , messages and WhatsApp have become popular these days. Nobody bothers to sit and write letters elaborately now a days.

The small post boxes spread in the auditorium, catching everyone's eyes, stood as the testimony for the bygone period of emotions. The post boxes present in the auditorium belonged to different cities, and one them belonged to my place as the artist is originally from my place. The post box had our city name and pin code. I was really happy to see the particular post box. Some of the works were very interactive as some small children wrote small, small messages on paper and put into the boxes. After some years, the post box will become an antique piece and will be kept in the museums.

 Are you missing  elaborately,  passionately handwritten  letters, readers?  

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