out of india

well we've finally come to the end. i don't know how i can possibly sum up nine months in any concise way, except by using platitudes like 'amazing experience' which are gag-inducing but nevertheless true.

people always ask me what my favorite place has been in these past few months. a fair question, and one that i would most likely ask myself if the roles were reversed, given that i have managed to visit 13 states over the course of the last few months. the problem is i just find it an impossible question to answer. india in particular is an incredibly diverse country, in almost every sense of the word you could imagine. so naturally every place i've visited is spectacularly different - in food, language, customs, dress, you name it. so how can i possibly choose a favorite place?? or trip, for that matter. was it visiting the craft villages of kutch? riding buses and trains through the jungles of kerala? getting spoiled by families in indore? taking a road trip through the desert in rajasthan? playing holi in delhi? sampling french pastries in pondicherry? tramping around the ruins of hampi? splashing in the invitingly warm waters of the arabian sea in goa? browsing through piles of books in bangalore? dancing garba in ahmedabad? gorging myself on the world's heaviest food in amritsar?

i'll stop myself there; i'm sure you get the idea.
suffice it to say that i can't possibly choose a favorite place in india, but every trip, town and village has special memories for me. (except for chennai. chennai is the worst.) bombay, of course, is particularly near to my heart. even for all its infuriating moments (two words: local trains) there are so many amazing aspects too (two words: marine drive).

so did i accomplish everything i set out to? perhaps not. but i think i did accomplish quite a bit. there's always more of india to see but i'd say i got around quite a bit. i've managed to get a pretty good grasp on hindi (comprehension-wise.. i still sound like a confused caveman when i try to speak) which i'm quite proud of. some of my prouder moments were being able to follow entire hindi movies (not counting houseful 2, since it has no plot) and managing to yell at people in somewhat coherent language (don't worry, they deserved it). and, most significantly, i've made some truly fantastic friends while here. (and so the letter-writing list grows) to the point that, while i was sitting in the mumbai airport at two in the morning, instead of feeling sad i just felt so grateful that i had such great friends who would even come to the airport just to see me off at the door or call me in the middle of the night for a last farewell.

so as i sit here in heathrow airport surrounded by gray clouds behind soaring glass windows and too-clean rows of seats and floor tiles trying to drown out the chattering brittish tweens behind me with my indian playlist i'm certainly feeling a little wistful. but more than that i feel so fortunate to have been able to make such wonderful memories in this country i love. 

and don't you worry, india. i'll be back for those other 15 states!

my mumbai

well i've spent several months now chronicling my travels around the subcontinent. i'd say it's time i gave a little attention to my own little corner of this country. in my months here, in between travels, i've had some time to explore little bits of this massive city and have even been lucky enough to have some visitors to show around. and so, here i have some favorite places i shared with them and will now share with you, dear reader (since i assume there is only one of you).

if you ask any mumbaiker what they love or miss about the city, chance are the first thing (or twenty) will be food. (i distinctly remember hour-long conversations about food my friends had before my arrival that i understood almost none of.) true, the same goes for pretty much any indian, but i think many would agree that mumbai has some of the best street food around, and there's no shortage of variety here. i figured it was a good place to start.

mmm.. spicy non-veg...

i got a crash course in street food early on at muhammed ali road, which i chronicled here, and then again here. it's basically a place where, particularly during ramadan, you can find all manner of sweets (both subtly sweet and syrupy, deep-fried) and non-veg deliciousness. the atmosphere is electric, with families out to celebrate and young people buzzing around gorging on the amazing food. i'll be sad when ramadan rolls around in july and i can't find my way back here.

pav bhaji: just add butter!

then there are the street foods you can get any time of year. the most famous of these, of course, is vada pav. the portuguese influence in bombay is most evident in foods like this, that include bread (that would be the pav/pau). vada pav is a delicious little fried ball of potatoes, spices and green chilis served on a bun with green chutney and a dry red chutney powder. they can be found on just about every street corner, especially in the south. just look for a crowd of men standing around eating. then wash it down with a rs. 5 glass of sugar can juice (which will probably be found no more than ten feet away). also in the pav family, we have the famous pav bhaji. i like to think of this as an indian sloppy joe, although it's totally vegetarian. don't worry, though, the vast variety of vegetables are tempered by the paula deen-levels of butter in this dish. i watched it being made in this giant tawa and it was almost grotesque. we're talking bricks of butter here, people. but of course that's also what makes the dish so delicious. you can find it at almost any little cafe or beachside stand. at juhu beach you can sit on the steps and beckon someone over for the extra bread (don't worry, it's got butter on it too) that you will inevitably need.

beach corn

while you're at juhu beach (a veritable street food heaven) you should try some roasted corn. walking along the crowded sands, in between the photo hawkers and the local picnickers, you'll invariably find someone at a cart roasting ears of corn over the hot coals. he may even let you fan the fire yourself. but whatever you do, be sure to get lemon and masala on it. otherwise it's just a plain old ear of corn. the tangy spiciness makes you lick your lips after every bite - you'll never want to eat corn any other way.

name your poison

but my favorite snack at juhu beach has to be the gola, another of mumbai's claims to foody fame. while to the untrained eye it's basically a snowcone, in reality it's so much more. for one thing, the ice is crushed before your eyes on a great old metal hand-powered grinder that you just know weighs 40 pounds. the ice is served on a stick and the syrup (stored in old whisky bottles) is poured into the cup it's served in. so that, when the flavor from your snack inevitably drips down to the bottom, you just dip it back in the cup. ingenious, right? and the syrups - as you can probably see from the image - come in a wide variety, including typically indian fruits and flavors like mango, khus, and rose. and you have the option to drizzle the whole thing with malai, fatty fatty coconut goo, that just makes the whole thing extra creamy/sticky/delicious. now your only problem is trying to not drip onto your feet. (yeah, right)

lights, smoke, action

then there are the late-night foods. quick snacks, like kebabs and chicken tikka rolls that are great for post-beer wandering down south. bademiya is probably the most famous such establishment. you'll see it from afar with its billowing smoke and crowds of people milling around. there are plastic tables too, but the food's so fast you hardly even need to sit down. in the few minutes you spend waiting for your seekh kebab or chicken roll you can watch the guy making the rumali (super thin) roti by spinning and spreading the paper-thin dough over the stone dome - it's mesmerizing. like watching master crêpier on the streets of normandy. also across the street is a great dive bar, gokal, that has some of the best kheema (minced meat and spices) i've ever had.

also a staple: paper menu under plastic table cover

also in the south (mostly) you'll find a fair amount of parsi food. the city has a substantial parsi population although it, along with the number of persian cafes, is dwindling. the ones that remain are some of the oldest and most interesting though. the décor looks as though it hasn't changed in fifty years (it probably hasn't) - dust-covered frames hang filled with deceased relatives, musty plastic chandeliers hover over checked tablecloths covered in plastic. yellowing wallpaper peels off walls covered in old posters or placards ('upstairs for family only'). in short, charming. you can go to britannia for the famous berry pulao, teapot cafe for its  chicken dhansak or ideal corner for one of their changing weekly specials. but my favorite thing to do is go to kyani and enjoy the standard irani chai and bun maska. the joy is in the simplicity - irani chai is essentially regular chai with a little something special (it's also called special tea) and a bun with butter. generally this means a lot of butter (you're shocked, i know) but i shamelessly scrape the excess off with my finger before devouring it.

a stone's throw from kyani is metro theater, one of the oldest in the city. virtually every book i've read that takes place in bombay has made reference to at least one of these classic theatres - metro, eros, regal. though metro has been redone inside into a 6-screen multiplex, at some of the others balcony tickets can still be had for rs. 150 or less. there are also some in the grant road area (just past the red-light district, apparently) that constantly run cheesy movies from the '90s (think DDLJ) for a pittance. like the parsi cafes, these theatres are some of my favorite relics of a bygone past that nevertheless remain a vibrant part of the cityscape.

yes this is bombay

actually the south is full of such buildings. even if the façades are dirty and neglected, you can't hide the beauty of some of these structures. they're even more beautiful in the mossy, high saturation of monsoon season, when i first began wandering among them. in the fort area you'll find quasi-sassanian parsi buildings along MG road, neo-gothic revival style over by the oval maidan (the big open grassy space that always reminds me of the mall in DC - just substitute softball games for cricket and football), and of plenty of art deco (second largest number of art deco buildings in the world!). even a few baroque buildings (blue synagogue). i love meandering around the fort area - you turn a corner or wander down an alley and all of a sudden you look up and find yourself in a street that could be somewhere in europe. well, until you almost run into a cow in the road.

the dark horse

just south of fort is the kala ghoda area. so close, in fact, that i'm not entirely sure where one ends and the other begins. it's named for the black horse statue that no longer stands there. even the cool mural (pictured) has been painted over since i took the photo, sad. the area's great for all the galleries and cafes peppered throughout it. artisan's gallery, which caters to craftspeople throughout the country, the institute for contemporary indian art, the jehangir gallery, with its famous art café and many spaces with constantly changing exhibitions - all are great to wander in and out of. you can see some pretty great artists in these and other galleries. also nearby is the national gallery of modern art, which has a surprisingly nice little collection, and which shamefully few people are even aware of.

shor in the chor

another of my favorite little pockets of the city is chor bazaar. a funny name (as 'chor' means thief), it actually derives from the word 'shor' (referring to the noise-level - much more appropriate). but somehow chor stuck, and chor it remains. i'm generally a fan of all things old and cheap so flea markets are sort of my thing. and any flea market that includes things like ancient cameras, rusted old tea tins, and vintage bollywood posters has my seal of approval. this goes without saying, but also a great place to hone your haggling skills. you know, if you [scoff] need that sort of practice.

standing

well as long as we're talking about old things, i feel i have to mention the national park. a bit of a hike, up at borivali (though really only a train ride away) the national park contains the kanheri caves, some of which date back as far as 1st century BCE. while, true, it's no ellora, you will still see some pretty old buddhas without having to leave the city limits, or spend the better part of your day on a boat to the elephanta caves (which i am told are overrated). the caves are carved right out of the hills and the shallow steps criss-cross all over the gently sloping rocks. i never did figure out the number system, but suffice it to say that there are over 100 caves. even if you don't make it to them all (and really, i doubt you would) you'll see your fair share of pretty impressive statues and deep relief carvings (and some that are less deep: 'vijay 2004'..). definitely worth the trip. but maybe don't wait till midday in one of the hotter months to go there, like we did..

sun down, lights on

rounding out the list of typical must-do highlights on the mumbai list is the haji ali dargah. it's on every major tourist list, and for good reason. it's sort of like the mont saint-michel of the city, a mosque you can only reach at low tide. when i visited it happened to be the perfect time of day. the sun was low in the sky and the breezes coming in off the sea were blowing our dupattas around our shoulders. we made the walk on the raised stone path, leaving the tall city buildings and stones near the shore behind us. we walked all over the mosque itself, buzzing with activity before the evening prayers. then just as we were getting ready to make the trek back the lights came on and the call to prayer began. the mosque looked so beautiful in dusk, with the strings of lights coming on, so of course we stuck around for a bit. when we did make it back to land we rewarded ourselves with an obligatory stop at the famous haji ali juice center. overpriced, maybe, but where else could we find custard apples out of season?

marine drive-by

much of the appeal of haji ali (apart from the juice) is the water itself, of course. no matter what time of day or season - even in pouring rains - people can always be seen along marine drive just sitting facing the sea. young couples arm in arm, kids kicking around a football, or men just staring out at the water. the calm constancy of the sea seems to be a good antidote for the craziness of the city. even as cars whiz by just a few meters away, people seem to take solace in water and soak in the tranquility of the sea. i think there's just something undeniably peaceful about looking out and seeing nothing but rippling water.

paperback heaven

the last - though certainly not least - of my favorite things to do here is shop. india's a great place to shop in general so in mumbai i've found time to uncover some little pockets of great finds. the first of these is flora fountain, my first go-to book stop. sure, there are little stalls and streetside blankets set up with books around the city. but those are very hit-or-miss and often filled with pirated books (boo!). i prefer flora fountain, which has piles and piles of secondhand books attended by friendly and incredibly knowledgeable bookwallas. i just hand them my list and they can tell me immediately if they have any of the titles and, even more impressively, where in the massive stacks they are. most days when i stop by i come home with at least one or two new finds.

then of course there are clothes. down on colaba causeway you can get all manners of shirts and scarves (you can find some nice silk ones if you dig a little) but of course you have to put up with the constant hassling from vendors who at first assume you are a silly tourist. a little farther north on MG road you can find all sorts of men's shirts, belts, underwear - which vendors will try their best to pawn off on you despite being both a woman and clearly uninterested. to round out my shopping i go to hill road, just a short walk/ride from my place in bandra. all kinds of dresses, shoes, accessories, but again, you have to be willing to dig. i have a few favorite go-to spots along the road.. but i can't divulge all my secrets, can i?

good golly, diwali

finally! the long-awaited diwali celebrations are upon us. we could tell the holiday season was fast approaching because a) signs and ads all over feature diwali sales and b) it sounded like WWIII outside our window. for those of you who aren't familiar, diwali is the festival of light (it's most often, and aptly, described as christmas and the fourth of july rolled into one) though really it's more like the festival of light and sound.

strands of lights at crawford market

at any rate, i tried to get a feel (look, sound, whatever) for the festival from all angles. i started out down at crawford market, where i had been advised to wander around to see lanterns. upon arriving my roommate and i recalled why we had said we'd never come back here. it's quite crowded - with vehicles and people - which seems to make people think they can elbow you for no good reason. and most of the stuff they sell is, well, crap. and worst of all, no lanterns! at least none to speak of. a few cheap crappy ones with ganesh printed on the side. disappointing. what we did find, though, were lights. every little electrical shop and alley was filled with strands of colored lights of all varieties.

they don't look quite so cheap when it's dark and they're lit up

fortunately, i had better luck when i arrived in thane, a suburb of mumbai that's a pretty good hike (though easily accessible from the train), where my advisor happens to live. after some shopping (believe it or not, we drove all the way back to crawford market) and lunch we went out in the evening for different shopping. this time it included clothes and, luckily for me, some lantern spotting. there are all different varieties, as you can see, but they're virtually all made in china. there are a few that are still made locally but they're hard to find and seem to run out quickly. i've seen options for making your own as well, though i didn't try my hand at it this time around.

apartment complex on diwali-eve

later that evening we also went to a small local fair that had a set of stalls - carnival games, bangle vendors, dried fruit and salted fish - and a stage where a mythological play was being performed by villagers from a town in maharashtra. my advisor took me backstage, where i had very awkward encounters with the actors putting on their makeup (i was assured this was okay!) and tentatively took pictures as they stared back at me blankly. i saw a bit of the play but we didn't stay long. as i couldn't understand a word of the marathi, that was fine with me. the ride back (on the back of my professor's wife's scooter!) was lovely. with the wind in my hair, i had a great view of all the lights of the city.

smoke, crowds and general chaos

and the next day was diwali! we woke up early to take baths with special oils and then, feeling 'fresh', put on our new clothes. sukhada (my advisor's daughter) and i went down to the nearby lake, where all the 'youngsters' gather in the morning to set off crackers (firecrackers, that is. india has this penchant for abbreviating). as expected, it was loud and crowded with scooters, people, and smoke. all over, friends were meeting (or trying to meet) and greeting each other with a hearty handshake and a 'happy diwali'. we met some friends of sukhada's too, who insisted on taking us out for lunch and then (other friends) for coffee. sukhada acquiesced, despite her 1:00 deadline (a journalist never gets to rest). we did also stop to get some crackers, naturally. the roadside stands are very reminiscent of those in the states, with just as much variety but probably fewer safety regulations.

clay diyas - some plain, some painted

from there sukhada headed to the office and i headed back to my 'hood, where shops were open and festivities were in full swing. the area around my house was transformed for diwali too, of course. vegetable vendors had added lanterns to their wares, in front of the sweet shop was a stand with colors for rangolis, and on the ground nearby baskets full of clay diyas, or small oil lamps. i bought myself a variety of small items to get myself in the diwali spirit (and perhaps a few sweets as well..) before heading home.

boys lighting sparklers (after all the big stuff was gone)

that evening i set out for juhu beach, just north of my area. i first stopped at the ymca, to the boys' home that i just started visiting. i was late for the diwali festivities, evidently, but was nevertheless eagerly greeted with many handshakes and 'happy diwalis'. the boys set off firecrackers for quite some time. it's kind of the perfect holiday for boys (and plenty of girls too, i should say) - it's loud, you get to play with fire, and people give you sweets. no wonder my friends have such fond memories. they squeezed every possible bit of entertainment from those firecrackers, even scraping the shrapnel paper strips across the floor for a pop-pop-pop sound. it was nice to see them all so excited.

rocket launch

from there i walked just down the beach a few minutes to an entirely different celebration. our affluent and very well-connected friend 'bullet' (yes, everyone calls him this) had us over and we were greeted by a large table full of indian foods and iranian sweets brought back, no doubt, from someone's recent trip and/or layover. once we had our fill we headed up to the building's roof where we, along with a few other friends and neighbors, set off fireworks for at least two hours. we had a smattering of all varieties - slithering snakes, 'strobe lights', spinners, and of course a host of rockets and loud bombs. i had fun setting them off but even more fun playing around taking pictures. kristen, and the 5 year old neighbor's son, were skeptical at first but eventually got into it, trying to see what and how many they could set off next. in between our own firework fun, of course, there were the sights and sounds of crackers being set off all around us. we were told it was much less than in past years, but to us it still sounded like artillery shells being set off all around us. it's dissipated somewhat, in the days since, but there are still the occasional kabooms that momentarily make us think we're in a civil war zone.

so there you have it! a successful diwali, i would say. may you and your loved ones be blessed with peace and prosperity in the new year. and all that stuff.

mumbai movie mania

well after all this travel it feels really good to get back into the city and stay put for a while. at last i've been able to feel settled in my place - i've found a tailor, got myself a pressure cooker.. things are starting to come together. i was also glad to be back in town in time for the mumbai film festival! at home i'm something of a movie junkie (except in richmond - which has an appalling lack of art theaters, especially for all the art students and hipsters it has) and i try to see interesting ones when time and budget allows.

the mumbai film festival, now in its 13th year, has become pretty big and internationally respected. this year it boasted 200 films from all over the world. and, being in india, it's also probably one of the more affordable film fests to attend (i was able to get a student pass - unlimited movies for 7 days for Rs 700 = $15). also, being in india, it was probably one of the more crowded film festivals. the lines for some of the highly anticipated films were over two hours! but perhaps this is normal at film festivals; i don't have much of a frame of reference here.

i thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this event and tried to make the most of my pass (though it was a pretty busy week). i ended up seeing some wonderful films that i thought i would share. it's true, this is perhaps not very travel-related. buut, it's my blog so too bad. if you're not interested in movies, read no further.

pather panchali (india, bengali)
the film festival had a nice mix of new movies and classics films, both indian and international. i took the chance to see the first of satyajit ray's monumental apu series on a big screen. and in style, i might add. this was in the director's gold theater, which meant everyone sat in their own armchair. i'm talking lazyboy-style recliner here, with a footrest and everything. but i'm getting off track. it is a satyajit ray film, so it's definitively in the category of 'art film'. as such it may often be described as slow or boring. but what he's done with point of view - telling the story through the eyes of little apu - and the subject matter (rural poverty) he brought to the fore, was groundbreaking. a great way to kick off my film fest experience, with a little indian film history.

deool (india, marathi)
the image for this film doesn't do it justice. (i might add, though it should be obvious, that the images here aren't mine. i mention this primarily because i generally like to use only my own images) though i suppose it does portray the dichotomy at work in the town. some people would dismiss this film out of hand because it's in marathi. but i don't think the language was chosen to be regionalistic or exclusionary, but rather for a sense of authenticity. the movie takes place in a village in maharashtra - a setting which contemporary indian films have largely strayed from. the film itself is really about breaking down and subverting typical stereotypes of indian villages as well as exploring the nature of religion and commercialism today. this is particularly poignant in the character of kesha (no dollar sign), a good but simple man who struggles with these ideas within himself. a wonderful film and thoroughly entertaining - with plenty of laughs and even a few item numbers. it releases in november in india - go check it out!

labrador/out of bounds (denmark, danish)
this movie wasn't my first choice. or even my second, actually. the lines for 'the artist' (showing on two screens!) proved too long and 'chinese take out' was rescheduled so i ended up seeing this movie without being entirely sure what to expect. but it was actually about what one might expect from a typical 'artsy' film. slow, pensive and rather bleak in both setting and subject. i think this film could best be encapsulated as an exploration of identity, with each of the three characters isolated on a tiny scandinavian island grappling with themselves and their relationships to one another. it took an odd turn that was sort of unsettling but i'm guessing the director intended this turn of events to startle the viewer and expose the extremes and complexities of human desire.


arranged happiness (germany, kashmiri/english)
there seems to be no end to movies that deal with the notion of arranged marriages. it's a topic that evidently still fascinates the west and this director created a personal documentary in attempts to better understand and explain the phenomenon on a closer level. the film dealt with the proposed marriage of the director's then-boyfriend's (now husband's) sister to a neighboring family in kashmir. it chronicled this entire process while also examining the director's relationship to ashiq, the bride's brother and how their relationship is played out (largely in secret) with the family. it's an interesting and intimate look at the process of marriage and one that is refreshingly apolitical. i didn't find the editing or cinematography of the film particularly outstanding but the story itself unfolds nicely and has some pleasant images.

toast (UK, english)
what a lovely film. and one that further corroborates my theory that all movies starring young british boys are delightful (see also: millions, son of rambow, finding neverland, about a boy, etc etc). the premise itself is charming, a10-year old boy who yearns for all things gourmet but, in the character's own words, 'has never eaten a vegetable that didn't come from a can'. his passion for food plays out throughout the more troubling events in his life (helena bonham carter plays a sort of wicked stepmother) and becomes a source of joy in an increasingly bleak existence. the movie ends on a high note and leaves a good taste in your mouth, so to speak.

stanley ka dabba (india, hindi)
back to back movies about food. warning: don't watch this movie if you're hungry! (and happen to love indian food) every conceivable type of food and snack is represented here (yes even vada pav - it was filmed in mumbai after all). the film was a heartwarming story of stanley, an incredibly adorable child. one of those 'unfortunates with a heart of gold' types. you don't learn stanley's whole story right away, but you're drawn to his good natured ways and clever charm. the film shows one side of the inequalities of society without being over the top dramatic or utterly devastating. this film will certainly put a smile on your face and a growl in your stomach.

breakfast, lunch, dinner (china/ thailand/singapore, mandarin/thai/malay)
this film, oddly, had little to do with food at all. in reality it was three films, all asian in origin, that happened to include different meals. the stories also shared the common thread of marriage, which was addressed in very different ways. the films, having different directors, naturally had individual narrative styles. but they all seemed to share a sense of loneliness - whether it was in a bleak deserted chinese park in winter, or the hauntingly empty streets of singapore by night. i think each film really addressed that notion on a metaphysical level as well - the idea of being alone with someone else and how the concept of marriage fits into that. each of the films made use of very long shots of simple actions (or little action at all) which could have bordered on the tedious but i thought the technique was effective as a means of getting the audience to totally feel a part of that setting. not a power punch of a film but a quiet meditation on what it means to be alone and together.

habemus papum (italy, italian)
i was totally intrigued by the storyline here: a behind-the-scenes look (well, interpretation - it's fictional) at the selection of a new pope. i thought the story would end with the selection itself but in reality that's just where the story began. with moments of humor and little winks of tongue in cheek satire the film addresses the intersection between holy and divine that the pope must necessarily negotiate. i'd love to get some of my catholic friends' perspective on the film as well. tragically, i had to leave this film early to catch the artist (having waited for 30 minutes in line and still missed it before. and i should add that this film screening began 30 minutes late so that threw me off) but i really would love to see the end of it as it seems like the director was building to something particularly poignant.

the artist (france, english)
as i alluded to earlier, this film was probably the cornerstone of the film festival (images of it adorned much of the festival's publications) and easily one of the most - if not the most - highly anticipated film. and it was well worth the wait! like many before it, this film is an homage to the movies themselves. a silent film, it deals with the beginning of the golden age of film and the shift to talkies. think of a cross between 'singin' in the rain' and 'sunset boulevard'. the film was made beautifully and the casting was absolutely spot on. the protagonist, george valentin, seemed to be a mix of (appropriately) rudolph valentino and gene kelly. it was refreshing that this film got the attention it did. in a festival full of movies that try to push boundaries and to, in some cases, be edgy for the sake of being edgy, it was nice to see a sweet, simple film that honored the idea of entertainment itself and reminded us why we were all there in the first place.

pina (germany, various)
along with 'the artist' was perhaps the other most anticipated film showing at the festival (though lars von trier's 'melancholia' was a popular draw as well). and not just because it was in 3D. the film was an homage to the late pina bausch, a monumental german dancer and choreographer who died in 2009. though i hadn't heard of her before this film, the impact of her work was made clear not only through her work but by the devotion and admiration of her dancers. pina herself was evidently somewhat reclusive and so the film unfolds largely through performances interspersed with statements from the dancers themselves. the dances were visually stunning, provocative and cerebral, meditating on ideas of the cycle of life and gender in society (at least that's what i got!) the performances themselves were enhanced with a thoughtful use of 3D technology (not this gratuitous crap we get in hollywood. justin bieber 3D, really?). plus i'm always interested to see how people interpret the seminal 'rite of spring'. though i would have liked to see more of pina herself performing, it's clear that her legacy really lives on in the dancers she's trained and the spirit of the dances she has created. a visually stunning film to end my festival experience.

all in all, despite some issues (technical problems with films, overcrowding and crazy lines) i thoroughly enjoyed the film festival. i wished i could have seen more movies but i think i still made the most of the pass within my means. furthermore, i walked out of every film with that sensation of 'where am i..?', an indication of the transportive (it's a word, i checked) power of the medium itself.

ganpati (part 3: taking it to the streets)

piles and piles of tasty modak

alright, so we've seen the earliest parts of ganpati celebrations.. home pujas, public shrines.. darshan, veneration, prasad. now comes the crazy part.

processing through the house
(gym shorts and muscle shirts optional)

i showed up at another friend of a friend's house, my box of sweets (modak, at left) in tow. after traffic and slight misdirection, i arrived towards the end of the puja. in time for a little clapping and the requisite 'ganpati bappa morya' - this refrain goes on pretty much all night. the final offerings were made, the holy fire was offered to all, and prasad was had by all. then it was time to take the murti out of its pandal (in this case a really interesting woven basket) and into the streets. candles were lit along the floor and the deity was made to stop briefly over each of the flames on on its way out.

we made it down the stairs only to realize that it had begun to pour, putting a bit of a damper on the proposed 30-minute walk to the beach. no matter! ganpati, and everyone else, was strapped into various cars and the procession continued by caravan. it seems we weren't the only one with this idea, as the roads were pretty congested (but then in mumbai i guess it's hard to tell what the cause of traffic is since it's basically a fixture).

balloons and lights add to the festivity

the processions weren't limited to cars, though. driving by, we witnessed all methods of transport - ganeshes on carts lined with palm leaves, families hovered around the deity in the backs of trucks, balloons festooning canopies, groups marching to the beat of the dhol (or even drumsets), and - my personal favorite - a mobile dance party, complete with blaring speakers and flashing strobe light. the pouring rain had clearly put no damper on these celebrations.

 a passing bus joins in the strobe light dance party

when we finally made it to the beach kristen and i were stunned at the vast expanse of shoreline that now lay before us. high tide and low tide are two very different entities here, it seems. along the darkened shorelines, we could see families gathered around faraway fires and hear the distant intermittent chants. the deity can be immersed after one and a half, three, five, seven or ten days (the tenth being the biggest) so this was just the first of many such events. the beach was littered with deities washed ashore, as well as flower malas, plastic bags, and ash. we all gathered around the deity for a final lighting of the fire and reciting of sacred verses before the deity was ceremoniously immersed into the water. this task was left to three or four of the men, while we waited near shore and tried not to think about what was in the water that was creeping up our shins.

we bid the deity farewell and that was that. it's a bit sad to think i won't be able to see the madness that will ensue in the coming days, but i'm glad to at least have gotten a glimpse into the craziness that is ganpati in mumbai.

ganpati (part 2: the deities)

while the first day was busy with the bustle of the home puja, the next few days out and about were full of their own kind of craziness (and this is most decidedly not the craziest part of this festival, mind you).

i was eager to get out and see these ganpatis that were supposed to be lining the streets. i joined a friend and we wandered through the streets, annoyed by the vague advice we were given, when asked where to look: 'they're everywhere'. well it turns out this advice was spot on. they are indeed everywhere. we didn't get more than 50 meters past the train station (ville parle, in case you're keeping track) when we approached our first ganpati, housed in a tent of tarps, as they usually seem to be. we approached each one, removed our shoes, folded our hands respectfully, gave some coins as offerings, (my friend paused as i took the requisite picture(s), and we received prasad on our way out - usually nuts and little sugared balls, although the fancier places gave out modak. within the first half hour we must have seen at least half a dozen ganpatis, which is pretty good since my friend was told one should aim to see about seven (though i later heard nine as well). we must have at least doubled that by the end of our two-hour excursion.

the next day i had a similar encounter in a different part of town (farther south, near grant road) with a different friend. she must have gotten the inside scoop, because we saw some fantastic specimens - and some of the bigger ones i've seen, or even heard about.

the murti themselves are so varied i'm sure i won't be able to do them justice, so i'll let these pictures do the talking for me..

one of the first we saw.. i was interested in the environment they had created (and the changing lights were a nice touch as well.)

while most have that typically white/shiny appearance (which incidentally is generally plaster of paris) there was some nice variety. i appreciated the differences in color and shape this one used.

why is this ganesh so shiny? it's covered in buttons! over 80,000 of them. in past years the same idol has been made using chocolate, garam masala (spices), dried fruit, and stationery. resourceful indeed!

note the smaller deity image, which typically is placed before the main image. this is so that devotees can come up to take darshan and give offerings. also of interest - while most of the ganpatis we saw were in tents, some (like the ones in this village we wandered into) are simply placed in alleyways.

..and then others are housed in incredibly elaborate pandals like this one. we spent quite a while marveling and taking pictures of this fantastic setting. it's so nice that taking pictures is allowed (and that people do it so widely.. making me feel slightly less awkward about the process) though at this particular one the pandit was getting a little annoyed - too much clicking not enough darshan.

  

i thought this one deserved another shot, magnificent as it was. you don't quite get a sense of the size here, but it's about 14 feet tall. it's one of the 'big 5' ganpatis in mumbai. the biggest of these can draw lines that take hours, literally, (the average wait is about five) to reach the deity. if this sounds crazy, now imagine these same 10-20 foot deities being carried on canopies and paraded through streets teeming with masses of people. that's what's going to happen on the 10th day.

these few shots just scratch the surface - i must have seen over 25 ganpatis (well over the quota, whew) and that was only covering two very small areas. just thinking about the number there must be in this city is mind-boggling.

ganpati bappa morya (part 1)

As I've been told by nearly everyone I've met, I've managed to come to Mumbai at exactly the right time. First there was Janmashtani (aka Dahi Handi), the celebration of Krishna's birth, next was Eid-al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, which was quickly followed by the kickoff of Ganesh Chathurthi. The latter, widely called Ganpati here, is a 10-day festival that begins on the birthday of Ganesh, the beloved elephant-headed deity. The festival is incredibly big in the West, and particularly zealously celebrated in Pune and Mumbai.

rangoli and pookalam

I don't think I could have asked for a better crash course in the festival than I've had these past few days. Day one began bright and early, catching a train to meet my professor at his home across town. I arrived to a beautiful home that was busy with activity. Your first impression of the place was 'there are a lot of deities.' Then your second impression was 'there are a lot of trophies.' My advisor later pointed out his cases and cases of trophies, awarded for folk art performances (I imagine) - his daughter is a classical dancer as well. As I sat awkwardly on the couch, I felt nervous.. what in the world was I going to do here all day. But Dr. Khandge quickly assuaged my fears. 'Make yourself at home, relax. [and the compulsory:] Would you like some tea?' I chatted with his daughter and son, who was skyping in from Virginia, and watched as everyone put the finishing touches on their pandal (a platform to house the deity).

preparatory offerings

I sheepishly asked whether I could take pictures - 'of course!' was the answer. That was why I was there, after all. I should have known the time would pass quickly if I could take pictures. I can easily while away hours taking pictures (much to the chagrin of people I'm with). Just then Dr. Khandge pointed me toward the rangoli, which the women were creating outside the doorway. The pookalam (design made of flowers) was already already in place. When I got outside the women were beginning to fill in the outline of the rangoli with the colored powder. It was mesmerizing to watch.. and quite beautiful once finished.

clapping and chanting mantras are integral to the puja

receiving darshan and making offerings

The rest of the morning was filled with busying for the arrival of guests who included a young cousin named Rishika, who, luckily for me, took an immediate liking to me and, even luckier, spoke English. She spent the better part of the morning asking me if I knew Justin Bieber ('personally??') and trying to teach me Marathi (sigh, another language). She also served as my occasional interpreter, explaining that everyone was discussing.  The morning went quickly and before I knew it guests had arrived and the puja (prayer ceremony) had begun. I imagine these can get repetitive even if you understand the language, but for me it was a succession of chanting, ringing bells, presenting offerings (see pic) and clapping. the deity is then ritualistically placed in the pandal, where everyone gets a chance to receive darshan (gaze of the deity) and receive blessings. After doing so the appointed pujari offers prasad (blessings in the form of food) to the devotees. Once the deity (or murti) is in place he is adorned with flower garlands, cloth, and sprinkled with offerings like flower petals and powders (spices). At this point one of the younger cousins was given the honor of performing the aarti, offering fire to the deity (which is done by lighting camphor on a tray and rotating it before the murti), and the circulating it to everyone so that they can receive the warmth of the holy fire. The aarti itself was accompanied by chants and clapping, including the frequent interjection of: 'ganpatti bappa - morya!' (which roughly translates to 'oh Lord Ganesh'), a phrase I'm sure I heard (and repeated) no fewer than 8 dozen times in the past 48 hours. This is followed by several other phrases, whose transliterations and meanings I don't know.

After the puja process, we began the much anticipated eating process, though we were tided over by the offerings of ladoo and modak (sacramental sweets). Much fuss was made over whether I needed anything else while eating (a spoon? more rice?) but I ate on the floor with my hand with the best of 'em, if I do say so myself. Over the meal my advisor explained that Ganesh is seen as the god of the masses. I can't think of a better place than Mumbai for ultimate celebrations of such a deity.

After lunch I was advised to go take a nap, which didn't take much convincing (after little sleep the night before). I slept well and was awakened to 'Glenna! It's time to put on sari' In a matter of moments I was ceremoniously taken out of my kurta and wrapped up in a lovely maroon sari. It was at this point that I realized that I had a large tear along the seam of my kurta. ('Yes, everybody was talking about it'. Great.) There must have been six of seven ladies filtering in and out of that room. One woman, Monika, skillfully wrapped the sari, brushed out my curly hair (no easy feat), put up my hair in traditional style - with flowers, and did my makeup (hello, burgundy lipstick). I think they enjoyed dolling me up. Rishika cutely doted on me, saying things like 'You look prettier than Aishwarya Rai' which is both very flattering and absolutely untrue. (She was used as the face of Indian Barbie, to give you a frame of reference.)

traditional kirtan, stories of the gods in music and song

The guests began filtering in.. and just kept on coming! I would say I've never seen so many Indians in one room but that just wouldn't be true. Much fuss was made over my presence, some more obviously than others (Rishika informed me: 'everyone is talking about you.' then added, 'they are all praising you.') Eventually once everyone had arrived - I would say at least 35, but perhaps more - the puja began. It was much the same as before, though this time I was given the task of performing the aarti, which I hope I did without looking to bewildered. Prasad was given, guests took darshan, and offerings of flowers, money, sweets and more were presented to Shri Ganesha. Everyone once again gathered on the floor - a beautiful blend of colorful saris (I swear it was as if they coordinated - no two were the same shade) and kurtas. The daughter, Sukhi (the dancer) oversaw a group of her students performing a classical dance. Then the musicians came out and we saw a traditional kirtan, a mix of sung and spoken word stories about the gods. All I could make out were the names of the gods, but I was later told that I was 'very attentive'. Whew. This was followed once again by food - paranthas, dal, rice, pickle and plenty of sweets. As the evening came to a close and guests began to filter out, the family and I discussed this and that.. my impressions of India, Indian English, yoga asanas. We had a final cup of chai together before hitting the hay.

Utterly exhausting. And this was just day one! More to come...

eid mubarak!

you may remember me mentioning my sojourn to mohammed ali road a while back. well, with ramzan coming to a close we decided it was time to venture out there again. my roommate (i should probably start calling her by her name - which is kristen) hadn't been there at all but was eager for a crazy, totally indian experience.

people running to and fro under the shadow of the masjid

if it was crazy we wanted, we got it. our first adventure involved getting onto the central railway line for the first time.. which proved harder than expected in the labyrinth of stairs and covered walkways that is bandra station (not even the craziest station.. by a longshot). we ended up on the wrong train but ended up at the right stop (if that makes sense..) which was, appropriately, 'masjid'.

i was quite proud of us for navigating ourselves successfully to mohammed ali road. we only asked for directions a few times. i had assumed we could follow the noise and lights but, this being eid eve, there were noise and lights everywhere. as well as trucks, buses, motorcycles, carts, bikes and street vendors. but what else is new. at one point kristen was wedged between a massive truck and a motorcycle; she was convinced she wasn't going to make it out without losing a few toes.

a local proprietor enticing potential clients

once we made it to mohammed ali road, we descended into the madness. if i had thought it was crowded before, well, i was right. but it was even more crowded this time around. families with little ones dolled up in their finest sparkly attire, young guys roving in packs, and of course the older men beckoning each and every passing potential customer. 'madam, madam, come sit.'

we bounced around to different places - standing, sitting, sampling. eating this and that. i won't bore you with the details of what we ate (as it was largely a reprise of my earlier trip, supplemented by a few different varieties of meat and starches) but suffice it to say that we were quite stuffed with all kinds of greasy delicious food.

at one point we turned down a side street, only to find ourselves face to face with skinned goats and various animal innards. we gauged that we weren't on the tourist street anymore and quickly turned back.

getting back was almost as exciting. by sheer dumb luck we managed to snag a cab among the throngs of people. the first solid 15 minutes of our cab ride we spent at about 5 miles an hour, happily watching the madness pass us by from the comfort of our seats. it seemed to be a never-ending parade of white spotlights, people rushing here and there, and the dangling lights of ramadan. as we made our way back to the west and passed high-end brunch places and fancy gyms, we wondered 'can this really be the same city..?'

when it rains, it monsoons

so in our coming to mumbai we've managed to hit the tail end of monsoon season. i was prepared for this, though, having been warned that 'it will be flooding' when i get to mumbai and hearing talk of trudging through streets with several feet of water. so when i arrived to find rather sporadic and light to medium rains i just shrugged off the warnings as the typically hyperbolic cautionary tales you so often hear as a westerner.

well i may have spoken too soon.

the rains make everything extra green

true, the first few days of our stay were only sporadically rainy (which was merciful, given all the other drudgery we had to go through.. tramping all around town looking at apartments and whatnot). but something must have snapped a few days ago. the skies opened up and the rain just poured down. it was exciting at first. after settling into our new place it was lovely to cozy up next to the window with a cup of tea and listen to the rain beating down on the tin awnings.


but pretty soon the cabin fever set in. having just arrived in a new (and massive) city, we were itching to explore. we had grandiose plans of visiting national parks, museum-hopping and market-wandering for the weekend. the one time i did venture out the walking tour i had hoped to join was canceled before i even got there. this seemed premature to me, but i guess these mumbaikars know a thing or two about the rains. sure enough, within the hour the downpour began. unfortunately this happened to be in the midst of my walk along marina drive and nariman point (meaning a bit of a walk from the train station). despite holding my umbrella (which i have dutifully carted around with me everywhere i've gone) i was soaked within minutes. (note to self: no white in monsoons.. luckily i hadn't made that particular mistake that morning) my friend and i stopped for some chai and vada pav to see if the rains would stop. but, alas, no end in sight. still, getting caught in a true monsoon downpour seemed like something of a rite of passage, like i had been cheating all those times before, just watching the rains from the comfort of my window.

last night my roommate and i were commiserating about the rains and the frustration at not being able to explore as we wanted to. but, faced with another day stuck inside, we resolved to go out anyway. when we did we realized that, naturally, life goes on, even during these crazy rains. sure, some shops shut down early and we heard some trains were flooded or running slowly. but, as my roommate pointed out, when it rains four months out of the year you just have to keep going.

i think i'm beginning to understand the romance of the rains. and while i still enjoy the unpredictability of virginia weather, i can certainly appreciate the anticipation of a massive rain that follows 8 months of heat and humidity.

well, the rain's really coming down now. if you'll excuse me i'm off to make some chai.

jackpot

a team of govindas greet their fans

so, as i mentioned, yesterday was krishna's birthday, a holiday known as janmashtani or locally as dahi handi. basically the story goes that as a boy krishna was very mischievous and was well-known for stealing butter. but since the pots were up on high shelves, he needed his friends' help to reach the delicious buttery goodness. so in his honor, teams of kids (boys and girls, respectively - called govindas) get together and make human pyramids to try to reach the clay pots strung up high (which now also come with a healthy monetary sum). so i guess the idea is to encourage friendship and teamwork (with the ultimate goal of doing something you're not supposed to do..)

the teammates themselves are known as 'govindas' and they seem to cruise around the city all day in their trucks and matching shirts, waving and gesticulating to any and all onlookers. these clay pots are strung up all over the city and it's not clear to me whether teams travel around to attempt more than one pot-break or if it's more of a one-and-done type of situation.

scrambling up the pyramid

in any case, the spectacle that we witnessed on our street all happened quite quickly. which perhaps was why people started gathering so early to grab a good spot. i mean, you wouldn't want to miss the action. the team assembles and before you even realize they've started, the boys (or girls) have already formed the base and are well on their way to the second tier. we watched them form a pyramid, determine it wasn't tall enough, and sort of collapse in on themselves. luckily, no injuries. though - side note - the smallest one does wear a helmet. though it looks like it's probably made of foam.

by the time they started their second attempt i was able to grab my video recorder, which (unfortunately) does a better job of explaining this than i do. i'm not sure whether they reconfigured or just grabbed another kid in a yellow shirt, but whatever they did, it must have worked. the pyramid rose up high enough, and as the smallest boy was lifted up on to his friend's shoulders the crowd started to cheer. this all reached its climax when the helmeted boy reached up to the clay pot and broke it (word to the wise: don't use your head, like john abraham, or you may injure your face. go figure), thus releasing some kind of muddy orangey liquid (not butter) which spilled down onto the group below.

said sea of yellow

this is followed by much jubilation as the team comes down, returns to the streets, and the cheering crowds part for the victors. they seem beside themselves. a sea of yellow drifts by, all smiles and waves to their adoring fans. i guess it's not often you have the undivided attention of your whole town at the age of 12.

i should add that i discovered that these events (or the cash prizes, anyway) are largely sponsored by political parties and/or celebrities. this would seems to tinge the event's otherwise innocent origins. what would krishna say..