Last week was Janmashtami. The birth of Lord Krishna. Krishna, the adorable imp of legend; the heartthrob of Brindavan. Krishna who grew to be the shrewd advisor to the Pandavas. The one to whom the wisdom of the Gita is attributed. This time of the year, in the Indian calendar, is that of plenty, of …
Can a poem haunt one? I’ve not been able to stop thinking (I’m sure you guys are thinking- “Here she goes again! One day it’s pigs, another day, it’s poems!”) of ‘Kubla Khan’ written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Kubla Khan Or a Vision in a Dream. A Fragment In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately …
I look forward to my Wednesdays! Not just the interactions with like minded people, not only the array of delectable treats, but also the learning that comes from these beautifully pared-down talks. Kabul and Kandahar and their respective roles in the trade along the Silk Route, was our first talk for the day. The story …
The new Study Group has begun! And it’s on a topic that appeals to the romantic, in each one of us- the Silk Route. There was an overwhelming response, and in the space of a mere couple of weeks we had 24 people who signed up to research on myriad aspects of the Silk Route. …
Our Study Group on Women in Statecraft- In a Man’s World, came to an end last month. We had three presentations. Börte Üjin, and Kwa Geok Choo. Two strong women, wives of Genghis Khan and Mr. Lee Kwan Yew. And more importantly, companion, confidante and counsel to their man. Fittingly, our last presentation was on …
This week’s presentations were on five women. Three of whom I’d never heard of! Golda Meir, The Soong sisters Sirimao Bandaranaike It was fascinating to hear the story of Golda Meir a Ukrainian refugee whose family migrated to the US when she was a young girl. Who resisted her mother’s attempt to get her married …
I have fallen way back in writing about our Study Group presentations. Six nine presentations have been done since I last wrote. Five women of steel have had their stories told. Women who inspired poetry, women who shaped their nations; women who supported their husbands, women who took to the battlefield. Women who dealt with …
Study Group Wednesday again! And this time two presentations on two amazing women. Two Persian women, separated by 350 years of history. One who stood by her man through intrigues and the dirty court politics of Mughal India; and the other, whose man stood by her, lending her his quiet strength and support through the …
Our presentation this week was on Edwina Mountbatten. Countess of Burma, Vicereine of India! Portrait by Philip de Laszlo. A did a fabulous job of presenting this very conflicted woman with deep insecurities, in a sympathetic light. An heiress with a privileged childhood, Edwina’s early life was one of hedonistic excesses. An early marriage to …
My spice of choice is the chilli. Red or green, the spicier the better! When you think of chillies, they seem to be inextricably linked to the east- to India, to Thailand, to Sri Lanka. Where the food is as fiery as the temperature is high. So it came as a complete shock to me, …