I grew up on a steady dose of films. Bollywood films of yore had a set pattern. A ‘fight sequence’, ‘a dream sequence’ a song imploring God, a romantic song, and if not always then mostly, a Holi song. The iconic ‘Rang Barse’ is still a must-play song on Holi.…
In India, beautiful attire is associated with any festival that we celebrate. Karwa Chauth is a festival celebrated by married Indian women, mainly in the Northern state of the country, seeking blessings for the long life of their husbands. The main ritual of that day is fasting throughout the day…
I had just stepped into my teens when my grandmother thought I should start praying and fasting on Mondays, to Lord Shiva. To get a husband like him in the future, was my grandmothers explanation. I listened to her and did start, partly out of respect, and mostly because of…
Each December as the year wraps up and prepares to exit, Tamil Nadu comes alive. For December is the month of Margazhi (pronounced Maar-ga-li) Margazhi is considered to be the most beautiful month in Tamil Nadu and commences on the 16 th of December each year. Scriptures say that Lord…
He sees you when you’re sleepin’ He knows when you’re a wake He knows if you’ve been bad or good So be good for goodness sake Oh! You better watch out, you better not cry Better not pout, I’m telling you why Santa Claus is comin’ to town …if…
Diwali is to Hindus what Christmas is to Christians and Eid is to Muslims. It is also perhaps the only festival celebrated by Hindus of all communities across India and abroad. Diwali falls in the latter half of the year, usually between mid-October to mid-November. On this day we pray…
When Vidya asked who would be joining her for a #WorldSmileDay blog hop, I hopped on immediately. I had to, I love smiling! I smile all the time and I smile from my heart. So, what are the things that make me smile? Vanity is my Sanity so I…
As someone born and brought up in Bombay, now Mumbai, Ganesh Chaturthi wins hands down as my favourite festival. This 10-day festival starts on the fourth day of the Hindu lunar-solar calendar month Bhadrapad, which typically falls in the months of August or September. I eagerly await the annual arrival…
Karwa Chauth is an annual festival largely observed by women in the Hindi-speaking Northern and Central regions of India. It usually occurs 10 days before Diwali, and on this day women fast without food or water from dawn till they spot the moon, as they pray for a long and…
The well-known Ramakrishna Mission Hospital and Math were situated on the route between school and home. Every Pujo season, on the way to and from school, I peeped out of the car window to see if the Pandals were being set up yet. The excitement of spotting the bamboo skeleton…