Diwali: Festival of Lights India Night Indian Dance - The Overseas ...

ANNAMARIA FERRUCCI – CARMINE FERRENTINOATTI TRA VIVIDI DIRITTO COMMERCIALEPROVA SCRITTA CONCORSO NOTARILECon la presentazione di GUIDO CAPOZZI

Spotlight onCharities2010 Charity ShowcasePhotos by Nancy ZrymiakMany OWC members and guests made use of the opportunity to see the charities and information about their work in one place.Nancy Zrymiak tells us about theOWC Charity Showcase.The annual Charity Showcase event was organizedby the Charity Committee and held at the ITCWindsor Hotel in September. Each charity sent tworepresentatives and set up tables with pamphlets andinformation. It was a wonderful opportunity for morethan 65 OWC members to meet with our 26 charities inone room.as handmade artwork, sewing, and crafts. They brought alongsamples to display and assured us we would have a chance tobuy their products at the annual OWC Christmas Bazaar.We received a lot of comments from members on how terrificit was to meet with all the OWC Charities at once. Thankyou to Vinita Bartlett and management of the ITC Hotel TheWindsor for hosting the event and providing refreshments.The Windsor’s continued support of the OWC merits a biground of applause.Members moved from table to table at their leisure and hadmeaningful one-on-one discussions with reps from eachcharity. People asked questions and got a sense of the varietyof charities that we support: women, children, physically andmentally handicapped, destitute, HIV/Aids patients and more.Many members were truly touched by the work that ourcharities do, including their dedication and passion. They wereable to find out more about the volunteering needs required byeach charity. In turn, it was nice for the charities to talk to ourmembers and know that we care and support them.Many of the charities have income generating projects suchReason to smile: Charity committee members with ITCWindsor manager and OWC President – Nancy, Mona, VinitaBartlett, Kate, Beth, Priti, Louise.6 The Rangoli 11/2010

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OWC Membership BenefitsA number of our sponsors offer OWC members generous discounts on their goods and serviceson the production of a valid membership card. Conditions apply.Hotels, Restaurants and Bars• The Windsor 20% discount(40% discount at “Sundowners”) inDakshinDublin BarDum Pukht Jolly NabobsRoyal AfghanRaj Pavilion• The Oberoi 15% discount on food &soft drinks inPolo ClubRim Naam (excluding Sundaybrunch)Szechwan CourtLe Jardin (excluding Sundaybrunch)• The Lalit Ashok 15% discount on allfood and beverage in24/7 Coffee ShopBaluchiOKO• Royal Orchid Park Plaza15% discount on food inGeoffrey’s BarLimelight Restaurant• Leela PalaceCitrus 20% discount on Thursdaylunch buffetZen 15% discount on food(not Sun)Jamovar 15% discount on food(not Sun)• Taj Gateway Northern Gate15% discount on food• Taj West End 15% discount inMyntBlue GingerMasala Klub• Via Milano Koramangala15% discount• F&B 10% discount atSt. Marks Rd: Balucchus, GlobalTree cafe & La Patisserie100 feet BoutiqueBayLeaf• CaperBerry Dickenson RoadDinner 10% discount on food andsoft drinks, 5% discount onalcoholic beverages• Olive Beach 15% discount flat• Vivanta by Taj ITPL 20% discount atLatitudeTerracotta• Shiro UB City10% discount on the regular menu• Summer Vine Brookfield15% discount• Park Hotel Bangalore20% discount on food inAqua We request you to make areservation in advance & letMonsoon the Restaurant Manager knowupon arrival that you would beI-t.alia using this discount. Thisdiscount can be extended forlunch or dinner on a table ofmaximum of 10 persons.Services• The Windsor 20% discount Diana’sBeauty Parlour• The Lalit Ashok 25% discount allservices at Rejuve Spa• Dr Pawan (Vet) Indiranagar20% discount off overall treatment fee• Asian Woman’s Spa and AsianUnisex Spa Koramangala20% discount on spa and salonservices• Scandal Unisex Salon Marathahalli20% discount on servicesabove Rs.100• EMA Spa and Anti Aging CenterIndiranagar – 25% discount• Herald TribuneSpecial Annual Subscription rate ofRs.5580• Kenko 10% discount on spa andservices• Impressions Dental Clinic Whitefield10% discountShopping• Amber Artefact Leela Galleria10% discount• Svisti Leela Palace & Cunningham Rd5% discount• Himalayan Dowry Store MG Rd30% discount on carpets,10% on everything elseMore Benefits• Complimentary copy of the OWC monthly magazine The Rangoli.• Complimentary coffee/tea at Leela Palace each Thursday morning.• Complimentary monthly meeting with guest speaker at The Windsor.• Monthly invitation for you and your partner to Sundowners North at The Dublin Bar,The Windsor, with 40% discount on food and beverages; and to Sundowners Eastat the poolside bar, Zuri Hotel, Whitefield, with 30% discount on all food and drink.• Access to monthly road trips, weekly play groups and a variety of other OWCspecificactivities and social events.Please remember:All text and photographsin this magazine are subjectto copyright.No part may be reproducedin any form without priorwritten consent of the authoror photographer.8 The Rangoli 11/2010

Speaking outPhoto by William GouldListening to Lucas reminded me of listening to Jere VanDyk, who was held captive by the Taliban in Pakistan;retell his trial of captivity where everyday his life couldend in a heartbeat. The parallels were uncanny. Theyboth seemed relieved and relished their life and freedombut were well aware that the threat though diminishedand at a distance, still remained deadly to them andthose they loved.Lucas gave a definition of terrorism: “the calculated useof violence, or threat of violence, against civilians toattain goals that are political or religious or ideologicalin nature; this is done through intimidation or coercionor instilling fear”.William Gould, our new monthly speakercoordinator, attended Paula Lucas’s movingtalk on domestic violence.The OWC recently hosted an event with Paula Lucasof the Americans Overseas Domestic ViolenceCrisis Center. Paula spoke from personal experience onthe issues and intricacies of domestic violence overseasand why she had founded her organization. While herpresentation referred to Americans specifically, the issueis of course universal.There are five types of domestic violence according toLucas:»» physical abuse»» emotional abuse»» social abuse»» sexual abuse»» spiritual abusePowerfully Lucas drew the analogy between terrorismand domestic violence and detailed the uniquechallenges faced by women internationally. Paula’s ownstory of barely escaping with her life and those of herthree young children and a suitcase from the MiddleEast was Byzantine, full of catch-22s and terrifying.Her voice was filled with emotion as she spoke of herperilous journey.One thing that Lucas stressed is that when people returnto America a whole new set of issues await them:»» they might suffer from reverse culture shock»» local agencies lack knowledge of international issuesand laws especially regarding child custody andinternational parental abduction»» they will probably be lacking a support network»» physical danger and the possibility that the abusermight abduct either the woman and/or her children»» legal issues by state and the Hague Convention»» it may be difficult to find a job»» they could have a bad credit rating.Lucas decided when she herself was in a shelterfor battered women that if she survived she shouldhelp other women in the same situation. So in 1999while still living in the shelter she founded TheAmericans Overseas Domestic Violence CrisisCenter. Their crisis line operates 24/7, in eightlanguages and in 175 countries. In India you woulddial 000-117 1866 USWOMEN. Their website ishttp://www.866USWOMEN.org.Beth Chapman, OWC President, then spoke about herexperience with domestic violence (see her piece in lastmonth’s Rangoli) which happened in the United States.Despite the differences in their situations, their coreexperience were similar including their reactions to theinitial violent incident. It was clear that both women’sdetermination to overcome and free themselves from,and not be defined by, their abusers and their situationshad enabled them to succeed and that they were boththere for the women who had not.10 The Rangoli 11/2010

Bone Appetite!Photo by Mythri Shankareasily recognised and prevented. According to recentWHO statistics, one in two women and one in four menover the age of 50 will have an osteoporosis-relatedfracture in her/his remaining lifetime. Osteoporoticfractures lower a patient’s quality of life, can causedisability and can be expensive if the patient needshospitalisation or surgery.Follow these five basic steps to ensure good bone health:1. Get your daily recommended amounts of calciumand vitamin DEat foods rich in calcium such as: milk and milkproducts (eg cheese, yogurt, ice-cream, buttermilk);greens and other vegetables (eg turnip, spinach, kale,radish, okra); fruits (eg custard apple, guava, banana,jackfruit, fig, orange, chiku/sapota); dry beans (egrajma, chole, channa, lobia, black-eyed peas, kidneybeans, black beans); and nuts (water chestnuts, peanuts,groundnuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, almonds, fruit seeds).These can all be encorporated into your diet in creativeways such as custard apple milkshake, spinach bread ortortillas.I eat icecream so I won’t get osteoporosis.Dr Mythri Shankar MD (USA) gives ussome useful advice on how to look afterour bones.Osteoporosis in Latin and Greek literally meansosteo = bone, and, porosis = with holes (porotic).Osteoporosis is often called a “silent disease” becausebone loss occurs without symptoms. People may notknow that they have the disease until their bones becomeso weak that a sudden strain, bump or fall causes afracture or a vertebra to collapse. Collapsed vertebraemay initially be felt or seen in the form of severe backpain, loss of height, or spinal deformities such askyphosis or stooped posture. It is often under-recognisedand under-treated, especially in Asia.Osteoporosis is the number one cause of fractures anddebilitation in the elderly population. Its onset can beIndian gooseberries, popularly used in spicy pickles,have an ayurvedic content value which enhances theabsorption of calcium into the body. On the contrarycertain chemicals called “oxalates”, present in pulses(which themselves are a rich source of calcium), retardor inhibit the absorption of calcium into the body. Thiscan be easily prevented by soaking the dry pulses for acouple of hours, throwing out the initial water, resoakingthem in fresh water for 6-8 hours and then using themaccordingly. The water they are soaked in for the secondtime is rich in other water-soluble dissolved mineralsfrom the pulses and should be incorporated into cookingas much as possible.Vitamin D is also a very important component for strongbones. There are three ways to get vitamin D: sunlight;food (eg fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon and tuna,egg yolks and liver); and supplements and medications.The important thing is to get enough sunshine to make ahealthy amount of vitamin D, but not to stay out in it solong without clothing or sunscreen protection that we getburnt. There is no danger of making too much vitaminD, as once the vitamin reaches saturation point our skinautomatically stops making it. This point is reachedwhen your skin goes just slightly pink in the sun, longThe Rangoli 11/2010 11

efore you are in danger of getting sunburnt. Mostsunscreens filter out the UVB (which is responsiblefor synthesis of vitamin D in the skin). But very fewsunscreens filter out UVA (which is responsible for skincancers and is not filtered out on a cloudy day).2. Engage in regular weight–bearing exerciseChoose something which suits you and you arecomfortable with. Walking, jogging, treadmill orelliptical are all excellent for bone strength. Groupsports like throw ball and volley ball are also good,especially for women as they use many differentmovements. Cycling or swimming are not particularlyeffective in increasing bone strength, but are sometimesrecommended as the only alternative in patients whohave weak knees or osteoarthritis. Yoga is also very goodfor muscle toning and general wellbeing.3. Avoid smoking and excessive alcoholNicotine causes many problems. It is a poison whichaffects several organs slowly. Not to mention causingheart disease and cancer.4. Talk to your healthcare provider aboutbone healthCertain groups of people are at a higher risk ofdeveloping osteoporosis. Maternal history of fractures,menopause (natural or surgical), medications likecorticosteroids (asthma, arthritis), chemotherapy(cancer), anticonvulsants (epilepsy) etc, thyroidmedications, diuretics (kidney problems) are particularlyat high risk amongst others. Most of the patients donot present with any symptoms until much later, like afracture, or decrease in height. So it is very important toestimate risk by undergoing screening.5. When appropriate, have a bone density test andtake medication if advisedSpecialised tests called bone mineral density (BMD)tests can measure bone density in various sites of thebody. A BMD test is synonymous to blood pressureand cholesterol level in hypertension and blood sugarlevels in diabetes. The standard and most accurateway to test for BMD is by DXA (Dual Energy BoneDensitometry).2010 OWCChristmas Bazaaris coming to townSaturday, 4th December 2010Showcase Your Products tothe Largest Gathering of Expatsand NRI families in Bengaluru!Fee Rs. 5,000 per table.For more details please email owcxmasbazaar@gmail.comowc ads.indd 139/19/10 3:07:12 PM12 The Rangoli 11/2010

Yoga For YouKanchana Rao-Soni interviewsSwami Yogaratna, leader of thenew OWC Yoga & MeditationClub.What is yoga?Yoga is an ancient science of harmonizingyourself. It is thousands of years old andpracticed throughout the world. Yogameans the union of mind, body, and spirit.It is the union of the individual with thehigher consciousness.Yoga is neither a religion nor agymnastics class. It is a science. Sinceyoga evolved in India it uses Sanskrit, thelanguage of its time. However, yoga canbe just as easily learnt in simple English.Yoga is not Hinduism. Actually, yoga ismuch older than Hinduism. So whetheryou believe in Krishna, Christ or Allahit doesn’t matter, yoga tells us there isa higher consciousness and you canget closer to it by practicing certaintechniques, which are universal anyway.Why do we need it in our lives?Yoga is a really useful thing for themodern world. Our lifestyle has changeddrastically since the cave era and yet ourbodies have not changed at all! In theolden days life was easy-going, most ofus lived in the countryside close to nature.There was no competition because therewas less population and so people weremore calm and balanced and had peaceof mind. Today, we are so stressed outbecause of the rat race, competition,over-crowding, and traffic congestion thatwe need yoga and meditation to relax,refresh, empty, and focus our minds.The founder of the Bihar School of Yoga,Swami Satyananda Saraswati, says “yogais the need of today and the culture oftomorrow”.What are the different types of yogasavailable in the marketplace?»» Power Yoga was developed by anIndian in the USA for people, whoenjoyed dynamic yoga.»» Bikram Yoga is done in a heatedroom, in order to transform the innerparts of your body and make youstrong.»» Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga refers to the8 paths of Yoga as described by SagePatanjali, which are Yama, Niyama,Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara,Dharana Dhyan, and Samadhi.»» Iyengar Yoga, started by B K SIyengar, offers advanced asanas(poses) for people, who prefer tochallenge their bodies with strenuousyoga and like to stretch their bodiesto the limit.»» Bihar School of Yoga is for peoplewho need gentle, calming yogaand enjoy stillness. It offers jointloosening asanas. These are verygood for arthritis or rheumatism andfor beginners who are very stiff. It’salso good for very elderly peopleand those who are convalescing. ThePM 1 series is ideal for people whocannot move much. Of course, it alsohas advanced asanas.Can yoga really help cure chronicillnesses and delay the onset ofgenetic ones?Definitely. Yoga also delays the onsetof the aging process because yoga isthe science of self-improvement anddevelopment. So it improves us in allsorts of ways.Hypertension is easily managed byyoga because yoga nidra or psychicsleep meditation goes deep within torelease all our stresses, strains, fears,and phobias. It is a panacea for allailments such as high-blood pressureand heart problems. And it’s so easy todo because it’s done lying down. Thereare pranayamas (life-force exercises),which immediately bring down theblood pressure by vibrating and dilatingour blood vessels. These pranayamastone up all the workings of the innerorgans and hormones to bring yourblood pressure into balance.Diabetes is caused by genetic propensity,poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress.Yoga has the asanas to help strengthenthe body, tone up the pancreas, stimulateinsulin production, and reduce weight.Pranayamas (life-force exercises) cangive the pancreas more energy to dowhat it is meant to do. Meditationreduces stress and helps our pancreascope with the amount of sugar in theblood and makes us more aware of ourdiet.The yoga that we are doing works on adeep level. The asanas, the pranayamas,and the meditation go to the genetic aswell as the karmic source of the diabetesto improve the gene bank so we are lesslikely to have those problems.Can yoga help us psychologically?Can it ease depression?Yes, yoga can help us. Depression is adisease of the mind where the mind hasgone too deep within itself and got stuckin a negative spiral. Yoga can help us toreturn to the physical aspect so that themind and body are more in harmony.The trick with depression is to extrovertyour mind and come back more to thephysical plane and earth element. Ofcourse, it’s not as easy as saying it, youreally need to work hard at it. There arecertain cleansing practices in yoga thatare also very good for clearing all thetoxins and negativity from our mind.The new OWC Yoga & MeditationClub has just been launched. They havemonthly meetings in various locationsaround the city. The club also has anopen online forum to help membersfind yoga teachers, equipment, schools,classes, and meet people with similarinterests.The Rangoli 11/2010 13

Imagine this sceneKid’s CornerA working husband casts ajealous eye over his expatwife’s lifestyle.Imagine this scene, writes a husbandwhose identity must remain a closelyguarded secret because if his wife discoversthat he wrote this he’ll be in big trouble.As I leave the house early one Tuesdaymorning, I say to my wife, “I’ll be latehome tonight, the big report is due withthe customer this Friday and I haven’t evenmade a start on analyzing the data, nevermind writing the report and we have a twohour conference call with the East Coastaccount team starting at seven o’clock todiscuss what’s going into this report.” Thewife replies, “Well if you think your dayis bad and stressful, my tennis coach hasjust texted me to say he is held up and mytennis lesson is going to start 30 minuteslate. This means I’ll have to rush to getchanged and be very short of time to get toUB City for the girls lunch date. The trafficis very bad going into town at that time andit not fun sitting in the back of the Innovareading the paper when the traffic is sobusy and it’s the kids early finish at schoolso I’ll have to leave the lunch at threeo’clock and rush back to collect them fromthe school bus and I haven’t even told thecook what we want for dinner yet!”Actually, to be fair I exaggerate in theabove paragraph. The conference call wasonly one hour.A few midweek holidays recently gave mea glimpse into the life of an expat wife. Iliked what I saw and realized that this wasthe life I was always destined to lead – thewaking up refreshed, the leisurely breakfaston the terrace followed by a light workoutin the gym followed by being driven to atop class restaurant for lunch, before beingdriven home to spend quality time withthe children happily sitting doing theirhomework and chatting excitedly abouthow much they enjoyed school that day.Now at this point I should say that therecan be negative issues with being an expatwife. Many women have put on hold veryhigh-powered careers to accompany theirhusbands out to India. (A quick look at thepre-India careers of the OWC committeeillustrates this point beautifully). There canalso be issues of isolation and loneliness,but this is perhaps a subject for a futurearticle written by someone who is a lotmore seriously minded than I clearly am.I’m willing to risk those negatives to livethe life of an expat wife because when Ihear things like “I’m getting a little tired ofthe spa so I’m going to give it a miss thisweek”, you know someone is having justtoo good a life. So how can I achieve thislifestyle? I can see three options:Send my wife into the office in my placeand hope that no one notices. Sadly thiswill not work. My wife being far moreorganized and competent than I, thesubsequent rise in productivity would soonbe noted and we would be rumbled.Get a divorce and then marry a high-flyingcareer woman. There are some problemswith this. First the divorce part is maybenot ideal. Second it could be a hard sell tothe high-flying woman – please marry meso I can lay about your house all day andeat pizza. Third, I did marry a high-flyingcareer woman and somehow I still findmyself working!Reincarnation – come back in the next lifeas an expat wife. A few downsides with thisapproach; I’d have to die first and I cannotbe 100% sure that reincarnation actuallyworks and if it does there is a chance Icould come back as a street dog or evenworse, Wayne Rooney!So I guess I’m not going to have the chanceto find out if the expat wife lifestyle wouldbe as good as I imagine. But given a stackof video games, a fast internet connection,the complete DVD box set of the ‘ITCrowd’ and a deep fat fryer, I suspect itwould …Nisha McNealis(aged 8 when she wrotethese) shares some poetrywritten after a family tripto Ranthambore.TigerSilent as shadows,Still as the dead,In his eyes,A flash of red.He crouches low,In wait of prey,For another mealOn another day ...DeerPrancing and dancing,The deer gallops by,Feeling so lightIt could just maybe fly.Down to the river fora drink and a dip,and some fresh grass shootsperfect to nip!PeacockHandsome and proud,The Peacock walks by,King of the birds,Though he really can’t fly.His feathers are glisteningAnd spreading their light,The peacock is a lovely bird,So pretty, so bright.The Rangoli 11/2010 17

Indian culture Indian cultuThe Festival of LightsDiwali, or Deepavali as it’s known in South India, is a five day festival with themost important day (the 3rd day) falling on 5 November this year. Kalyani Comallooks at some of the traditional ways of celebrating this beautiful festival.Diwali! Festival of lights. It’svery name is a contraction ofa Sanskrit word that means rows oflights. To a child it is the Fourth ofJuly, Christmas, Thanksgiving and NewYear’s Day all rolled up into one grandbash! Like Thanksgiving, it is a timefor feasting, family and, dare we sayit, over-eating. Like New Year’s Day,it is a time for a fresh start and newbeginnings.Diwali is not one of your easy toexplain festivals. There are at leasthalf a dozen reasons for the festivaland there are regional twists andvariations. One of the more popularlegends is the return of Lord Rama,18 The Rangoli 11/2010

e Indian culture Indianone of the ten incarnations of Vishnuto his home town after 14 years ofexile. In joyous anticipation, hissubjects turned night into day with oillamps lining every house and street.Another legend has Krishna defeatingthe evil demon Narakasura, andyet another tells of the vanquishingof pride by another incarnation ofVishnu, the Vamana. For many itis the start of the new financial yearand Lakshmi pooja, or prayers to thegoddess of wealth, are in order.So how does one celebrate Diwali? InSouth India, you begin the day witha pre-dawn ritual bath, and wear newclothes and eat sweets. Then beginsa flurry of setting of fireworks thatoften continues into the night. Whilefireworks are inseparable from Diwali,the governments of many cities haverealised that there is a significant dropin the air quality levels on Diwaliand have begun restricting both thedecibel levels as well as chemicalcontent of the fireworks.Watch out for Diwali melas all overtown, where there will be booths andstalls selling handicrafts and hennatattoos. Diwali parties will mushroomall over town, often late in theevening, culminating with fireworks.Many hotels will have Diwali bashesand most housing complexes willhave neighborhood block parties.Dress up for these parties. You willbe competing with the fireworksso raise your glitter level severalnotches! It is customary to takesweets to one of these parties andoften to receive some from your hostas well. Neighbors will send boxesof sweets over to each other andsmall clay lamps are a good presentas well. Light a row of lamps outsideyour house and on either side of yourfront door if you want to decorate ala Diwali. There are inexpensive andvery pretty ethnic lamps and candlesavailable almost everywhere and area great gift to take back home aroundChristmas time as well.Photo by Sarah KhatriThe Rangoli 11/2010 19

Indian culture Indian cultuThe Beginner’s Guide to …Indian ClassicalInspired by the wonderful Odissi danceshowcased at the Nrityagram road trip,Roberta Kimmins found out more aboutclassical dance styles that we can enjoywhile in India.The Indian sub continent is rich in dance traditions. Aswell as Indian classical dance styles, there are literallyhundreds of different folk dances and special dances forregional festivals. These ancient traditions have been a mineof inspiration for lavish Bollywood dance sequences, whichare probably the Indian dance most people are familiar withbefore they come to India.Indian classical dance has a long history grounded in theprecepts of the Natyashastra; a treatise on the performingarts written by the sage Bharata between 200BC and 200AD.Currently the Indian National Academy for Music, Danceand Drama (Sangeet Natak Akademi) recognises eight dancestyles as ‘classical’.BharatanatyamOriginating in Tamil Nadu, Bharatanatyam started out astemple dance and is now one of the most popular and widelyperformed dance styles in India. The name is derived fromthe Sanskrit names for four important elements of dance:Bha from Bhava meaning emotion; Ra from Raaga meaningmusic or melody; Ta from Taala meaning rhythm; and Natyammeaning dance. Bharatanatyam is characterised by linearforms and is very dynamic and powerful.KathakA North Indian dance style, Kathak traces its origins backto the nomadic singers and storytellers of the region. Thename is derived from the Sanskrit word katha that means‘story’. Later, in the 16th century, Persian influences wereincorporated resulting in a unique style including pirouettesand rhythmic tapping of the feet. Today, there are three majorschools (gharanas) of Kathak dance: Jaipur, Lucknow andBanaras.KathakaliThe famous dance drama of Kerala, Kathakali is highlystylised story telling with ornate costumes and impressivemake up. It has a rich gestural language that allows the dancerto tell complex stories from mythology and is unique inincorporating very expressive eye movements. The drama of aperformance starts well before the dancers come on stage, asthey must take on the shape and personality of the gods, herosand demons that they are portraying.KuchipudiFrom Andhra Pradesh, this dance style also has its roots indance drama. Its name comes from the village near the Bayof Bengal where the dance originated. Based on complicatedand fast rhythmic patterns, it is complemented by a veryflexible upper body and is vivacious and sensuous. A veryunique element is the Tarangam where the dancer performson a brass plate while holding two lighted diyas (oil lamps)and balancing a container of water on their head. The dance isusually performed to Indian classical compositions.ManipuriManipuri comes from Manipur, a state in north eastern Indiaon the border with Myanmar. This traditional dance style usesvery delicate, lyrical and graceful movements. Uniquely, thedancer’s feet are not put down nor lifted up precisely on thebeat of the music, but slightly earlier or later to give extraemphasis to the rhythm. One of the most important themes ofthis style is the story of Krishna and Radha.MohiniyattamThis dance style comes from Kerala and is traditionallydanced by women as solo performers. It is considered to bevery graceful and alluring; the name itself means ‘the dance ofthe enchantress’. Lasya (languid grace) and Sringara (beautyand love) are the essential elements of Mohiniyattam. Likemany classical dances, Mohiniyattam was revived in the 20thcentury after a period of decline.Editor’s note: Thanks to the Nrityagram website for some of this information.20 The Rangoli 11/2010

e Indian culture IndianDanceOdissiOriginating in the state of Orissa in the 2nd Century BC,Odissi is India’s oldest surviving dance style. It was revivedand revitalised in the 1940s and early 1950s by PadmaVibushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Pankaj Charan Dasand Guru Deba Prasad Das. Odissi is unique amongst classicaldance forms in the importance of the tribhangi (three partsbreak) where the head, chest and pelvis move independentlycreating an ‘S’ shape with the body.SattriyaCreated by the Assamese saint Srimanta Sankardevain the 15th Century, Sattriya was originally used as anaccompaniment to the one-act plays called Ankiya Naatperformed in monasteries. Even today, mythological storiesare still the basis of the dance although the style itself hasevolved and is now danced by men and women who are notlinked to monasteries. Sattriya is accompanied by musiccalled borgeets that are based on classical ragas.Book Review by Susan BouetFive Point SomeoneSet at the beginning of the IT boom, this book details the lives ofthree engineering students studying at the IIT Delhi campus.They become friends purely by chance and proximity and thedynamics of their relationships throughout the time they are incollege is charming through all its ups and downs. The friends trynumerous plots to beat the system and thereby escape the rigorousgrading and monotonous curriculum at the college. I foundit to be a glimpse into the, sometimes impossible, family commitmentsyoung people in this country face. For instance, onecharacter, Alok, is charged with single handedly pulling his familyfrom poverty. The three friends try to survive the pressures ofgoing to a highly academic technology school in the midst of aneducation centric culture and still have a good time. While theyend up at the bottom of the heap in this particular lot of youngpeople, they have achieved much more than the average universitystudent does throughout the world. You will enjoy the charactersand their antics, come away with a lot of understandingand have a smile on your face.If this storyline sounds familiar to you it could be because thefilm, 3 Idiots, released in 2009 was based on this book!Author: Chetan BhagatFirst published in 2004 by Rupa and Co.ISBN: 8129104598Some of our charitiesneed specific itemsthat we might have athome but no longeruse. If you have any ofthese items in workingorder and would liketo donate them, pleasecontact the charitydirectly. There won’tbe a collection pointfor this, so please onlydonate items if you areable to arrange fordelivery to the charity.Wanted for our Charities…Deena SevaDeena Seva has a residential homethat cares for 92 babies and childrenand 30 women who are HIV+ or haveAIDS.Location: DeenanilayaContact: Sister Pratibha,infantjesusc.home@gmail.com»» Single Bedsheets»» Single bed size Mosquito netting»» Clothing for babies, toddlers, andgirls aged up to mid teens and boysaged up to early teens.Vision IndiaVision India is a residential facility formentally ill destitute women whoseprimary goal is the psycho socialrehabilitation of vagrant/wanderingwomen found on the streets ofBangalore.Location: WhitefieldContact: Joby Verghese atjobyjv@rediffmail.com»» Exercise machine (treadmill,elliptical trainer, etc.)»» Storage and shelving units»» Pots and pans and other cookwarefor the kitchen.The Rangoli 11/2010 21

The dance of lifePhotos by Cindy BajemaSheila Mapes made a veryworthwhile trip to theNrityagram Dance Villageand found it was a rare treat.The field trip to Nrityagram DanceVillage in September turned outto be a triple treat, gifting the 50 OWCparticipants with a mesmerizing danceperformance, a tour of the tranquilvillage grounds, and a delicious Indianlunch.The village was the brainchild ofProtima Gauri, who came to dance late(in her 20’s) but enthusiastically. Shelived with her dance guru, spendingeach day eating, breathing and livingthe art. Her dream of offering the sameexperience to others resulted in theNrityagram Dance Village.Why would dancers live together ina village? The answer is beautifullyput on their website, “It is a crucibleof inspiration and ideas, a comingtogether of creative minds, which pushthemselves to the absolute limits oftheir abilities. A space where dancers,musicians and choreographers livetogether for years, developing theirideas, perfecting their technique andcomplementing their learning of dancewith a knowledge of mythology and theepics, Sanskrit, yoga, meditation and themartial arts.”The first part of our visit, theperformance, deepened myunderstanding of the Odissi dance style,one of the eight distinct classical Indianforms. (For an excellent overview of allthe forms, visit the Nrityagram DanceVillage website, www.nrityagram.org, and click on ”Expression”.) Theprincipal dancer, Bijayini Satpathy,taught us that although Odissi’s rootsdate to the second century BC, it wasrevived and reshaped only 60 years ago.A quick tutorial demonstrated why studyof this dance form requires years ofdevotion: as with ballet, a set number ofarm, hand, torso, and foot positions mustbecome so automatic that the dancer cancombine them in infinite ways.But it is the phenomenal facialexpressions that make Odissi dancescome alive. We were privileged to sit atclose range, where we could thoroughlywitness the dancers’ portrayal of thepower and tenderness of a goddess orthe pain and anger of the woman whowaited all night for her womanizinghusband. Emotions were so wellportrayed that, as one observer noted, “Igot teary-eyed!” One could understandthat it takes a village setting to traindancers to live their art so completelythat their whole body emotes the storyportrayed in each dance.Odissi perfectly reflects India, theland of contrasts. Fluid, round, lyricalmovements contrast with percussivelyjangling ankle bracelets and dancers’slapping feet. Arm positions stop justshort of absolutely straight lines, but thetimeless emotions portraying the jiltedwoman stretch straight back through themillennia and into the future.Awed by the performance, we embarkedon the second portion of our visit:a tour of Nrityagram. Its 10 acresinclude housing for the dancers, fieldsof vegetables to nourish the residents(and us as their guests!), and space forboth practice and performance. Lushplantings and tranquil spaces providemental respite for the dancers, whowork their bodies for 8–10 hours aday. Construction now in progress willaccommodate writers, painters andmusicians as the scope of the villageexpands to embrace other expressivearts.Our third treat came in the form ofa lovely traditional Indian buffet. Inthe open-air dining area, we chattedwith old and new OWC friends andappreciated the calming fountain andcomical geese that grazed among theoutdoor tables. An unexpected bonuscame in the discovery that the villageoffers accommodation, providing anescape 1.5 hours but a world away frombustling Bangalore.Many thanks to Kate de Montjoye forarranging this enlightening tour ofthe Nrityagram Dance Village. Katepromised us that the drive would be wellworth it, and she was correct!The Rangoli 11/2010 23

The Royal Lunch BunchPhoto by Nancy ZrymiakNancy Zrymiak donsIndian attire for the firstlunch bunch after thesummer school break.The women of the OWC came outin style to the first lunch bunchof the season at Khansama. Somedressed in sarees, beautifully pleatedand draped, while others wore salwarkameez. So many designs and colors –some traditional, some modern – it wasfascinating to see what everyone choseto wear.The Khansama staff greeted us allby putting a red dot on our foreheadsand aromatic sandalwood paste to theback of our hands. A sprinkle of waterover the head and a handful of jasminecompleted the welcoming ritual.Inside the restaurant we sat at threelarge tables decorated with ornatecopper goblets and matching placesettings. Framed Maharajas peereddown at us from the walls, and scenesof old India surrounded us, makingus feel as if we were in another eraaltogether.The Indian food was plentiful andthere was something for everyone.Such a great variety of tender kebabs,marinated meats, grilled paneer,prawns, vegetables, and breads wereserved: a flavourful feast for all.During lunch, one artistic womanmanaged to decorate each of us withthe traditional, swirling designs ofmehndi. This was no small feat as therewere at least 30 hands to paint. As anadded treat Khansama gifted each of uswith bangles and bindis.Those of us not used to wearing sareeschecked our pleats and adjusted ourpallus, happy to have made it throughthe event without unravelling. Weleft the restaurant, not just with anappreciation of the many tastes ofIndia, but also for the millions of Indianwomen who wear sarees everyday:working, riding bikes and motorbikes,carrying huge loads, and, well – justliving life – an inspiration to all.26 The Rangoli 11/2010

With India Night comingup, William Gould checksout the options in men’sclothing.Ihad never really considered buyingtraditional Indian men’s clothesuntil asked if I would write a piece onit. After moving to, and setting up, inBangalore, I found myself with verylittle time, a deadline looming andholidays declared again. Even Wikipediawas useless on this topic unless youalready knew the names.I decided to start with a trip to a wellknownshop in Whitefield. I had mytwo kids in tow (age 5 and age 2). Iheaded straight to the back of the shopwhere the men’s and children’s clothesare. My son was interested in gettingsome traditional Indian clothes too.Soon, we had settled on an ensemblefor him, a nice blue kurta with stitchedmulti-colored stripes and white pajamabottoms, he seemed quite chuffed withit. I wonder what his mum will think ofit when she gets back from America?There are three lengths for the men’stops, which are called kurtas: short,half short and long. The clerk assuredme that long was the way to go for aMenswearguy like me (6’ 2”). The silk ones wereuncomfortable and pricier. I found onefairly plain blue cotton kurta but thepajamas (the trousers) got stuck on mycalves and would never fit right. Thekurta on its own was not going to cutit. I figured it would be easy to havepajamas altered or made. My kids werebanging on the door by now and callingfor me. Then I heard them in the trialroom next to me and knew it was timeto go.beadwork. I had my son with me and heliked them all but his favorite was therelatively plain white one and for thefirst time with payjamas they actuallymade it past my calves!Another option of course is to go to atailor and get everything custom made… maybe for India Night!Photos by Lars Hohne (1), William Gould (2)I had seen shops at the Leela PalaceMall and around the city with traditionalclothes but I wanted somethingdifferent. So I decided to go to theheart of the matter, a manufacturer/wholesaler located a few blocks off themain road near UB City. It was darkwhen I arrived. A security guard metus and took us to the weaving roomoff an alley. It was incredibly noisy butamazing to watch the machines andpeople at work.After ushering me upstairs, they had tofigure out who should deal with me. Thekurtas ranged in price from relativelyplain white inexpensive ones to fancyones made of silk with stitching and28 The Rangoli 11/2010

India’s National FlowerThe lotus is India’s nationalflower but don’t mistakeit for a waterlily! It’s anentirely different plant asRoberta Kimmins finds out.While driving past waterwaysin different parts of India,I’ve occasionally seen beautiful pinkflowers rising serenely above the water.‘Waterlilies’, I’ve thought to myself.Being someone who likes to think sheknows about plants, I was dismayedto realize that all this time I’ve beenmaking a dreadful misidentification.The beautiful flowers are lotus, India’snational flower. It’s scientific name isNelumbo nucifera and it has as manycommon names as there are languagesin India. In English it’s known as theIndian Lotus, the Sacred Lotus andstrangely, Bean of India (apparently forits leguminous-like seeds).SymbolismNative to the Indian subcontinent, thelotus has long been seen as a symbol ofpurity and non-attachment. It is oftenmentioned in the Puranas and Vedas inthis context, emphasizing that althoughthe lotus grows in the mud, its flowerrises above the water and is untouched.Buddhists see the lotus in much thesame way, as floating above the muddywaters of attachment and desire andsymbolizing purity of thought, speechand action. For Hindus, the flower isassociated with Vishnu and Lakshmi,with Vishnu often being described as the‘Lotus-Eyed One’. Other Hindu godsand goddesses, for instance Saraswati,are depicted sitting on lotus flower seats.The plant has also come to symbolizelong life, health and good fortune. Thisis because seeds of the lotus remainviable for thousands of years. Innortheastern China 13,000 year old lotusseeds were found that were still able togerminate.Flower of Nelumbo nucifera at Botanic Garden, Adelaide, South AustraliaUsesThe flowers, seeds, young leaves androots of the lotus plant are all edible.Lotus root is especially popular in Asiancooking, while the petals are sometimesused as a garnish. The stamens of theflower can be used to make a herbal teacalled lianhua cha in China and are alsoused to flavour ordinary tea leaves. InIndia, phool makhana, popped lotusseeds, are popular and used in manydishes. Lotus root is used in curries andother dishes. Different parts of the lotusare also used in traditional remedies inmany parts of Asia.Growing your own Lotus plantYou don’t need to have a large pond togrow a lotus plant. It is quite possibleto grow them in a container of water inyour garden. Here’s how:A large round container will workbest. That way new runners from themain plant won’t end up jammed into acorner. It’s easiest to grow a new plantfrom a lotus tuber which you shouldfloat in water for around 10 days untilit starts to sprout. This will help itestablish quickly.When the tuber has sprouted, plant itin a shallow pan full of loamy compostor soil. Cat litter trays are apparently agood choice. The pan should not havedrainage holes. Take care when you’replanting the tuber because they can bequite brittle. Make sure the sproutingend is just above the soil level. It’s alsoa good idea to put a flat stone on top ofthe tuber under the soil to stop it floatingup while the roots are developing.Add some pea gravel on top of thesoil and then top it up with a couple ofinches of water. Put the pan in a sunnyplace and keep an eye on it. It shouldn’tbe allowed to dry out but it must be inthe sun. Lotus plants need at least 6hours of full sun every day.Once leaves start coming up, you canput the pan in your water container. Theleaves should be near the surface of thewater so you might need to stand thepan on upside-down clay pots until theplant gets bigger. As the plant grows,you can remove the pots until the pan issitting on the bottom of your container.With lots of sun and a little fertilizer,you should soon have this serene andbeautiful flower blooming in your owngarden.Photo by Peripitus / Wikimedia Commons30 The Rangoli 11/2010

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What is a brinjal ?Karen Lee finds out aboutthis vegetable with manynames.Ilove finding out about and tryingdifferent fruits and vegetables andcoming to India is a great opportunityto use ingredients I have read aboutin cookery books but not found inthe shops in my small town at home.Many vegetables have the same namewhere ever you may be in the world;a few have a number of aliases. Onesuch vegetable is brinjal. I had neverheard that name prior to my arrival inBangalore. In the UK and many partsof Europe, it’s an aubergine. In the US,Canada, Australia and NZ, an eggplant.Even in India brinjal has many differentnames, including baingan in Hindi(which literally translates as “noexceptional qualities”!) and badane inKannada.To me, an aubergine was a large, oval,deep purple vegetable that is bitter andmushy when cooked. In India, there arethought to be 2000 varieties of brinjal,from tiny to giant (1kg in weight),oval, round, long, thin, bulbous, pricklyand in many hues – deep purple, redpurple,green, yellow, white, stripedand even orange. I’ve been told thatchayote (or chow chow) is a brinjal,even though it’s a squash and thereforecompletely different. No wonder Iget rather confused at the vegetablecounter! Rather interestingly, brinjal areactually a fruit – a berry to be preciseas it contains many seeds. These are thebitter part; they contain nicotine as thebrinjal plant is a close relative of thetobacco plant. But don’t worry aboutbecoming addicted as you would needto eat 9kg of brinjal to get the sameamount of nicotine in one cigarette.Brinjal is a key ingredient in manyIndian dishes. Highly nutritious, it’sknown as both “poor man’s meat” andthe “king of vegetables” possibly from aTamil folk tale (it has a crown!). Highlyadaptable, it can be cooked in manyways – baked, roasted, BBQ’ed, fried,pickled, used for dips and chutneys andeven soufflé. Eaten raw, brinjal are lowcalorie with high water content and anexcellent source of potassium and otherkey nutrients such as calcium, folicacid, vitamin C and other anti-oxidants.Unfortunately they do absorb oil andso become high calorie if fried. Whencut, brinjal oxidise rapidly and shouldA small brinjal selectionbe placed in salty water to prevent theflesh turning brown. This should alsohelp reduce some of the bitterness. Usedin many different dishes, for festivals ordaily use; each area of India has theirown speciality using brinjal – Baigan kabharta in North India, Enna KathirikaiKoulubu, Tamil style, in Sambhar inthe South and apparently an excellentvangibaath (brinjal puloo) at MTR inBangalore!As well as delicious dishes, brinjalhas medicinal properties and is usedfor a wide variety of illnesses suchas lowering cholesterol and bloodpressure, diabetes and some cancers.It is believed to treat bowel problemssuch as flatulence and even used in apaste for haemorrhoids! Beware though,as it is also thought to have “heating”properties that can lead to “melancholiaand madness”.Recipe of the Month:Brinjal CurryDry fry 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds and grind with alittle water to form a paste. Grind half a coconut andkeep separate. Then grind half an onion, handful ofcoriander, 4 tomatoes. Combine the tomato and sesameseed paste and add 350mls of water with chilli powderand garam masala (to taste). Put to one side.Dissolve 2 tsp of tamarind paste in 100mls of hot water.Choose 6-8 brinjals – small oval ones are good – slice offthe “crown” then cut into four without chopping rightthrough, so the brinjal remains intact but the flesh opens– pop in a bowl of salted water to prevent oxidation.Next heat a small amount of oil in a large pan and temperhalf a chopped onion, tsp each of mustard seeds andcumin seeds, 10 black peppercorns, handful of methi andcurry leaves, 5-10 whole garlic cloves, 2 tbsp garlicpaste, tsp of turmeric and a pinch of asafoetida. Thenadd the brinjal and fry with the lid on for 2 minutes toallow the oil to soak in to the brinjal. Once everything hasbrowned slightly, add the tomato mixture and a teaspoonof salt. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 10 minutes.Then add the ground coconut and simmer for15-20minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and theraw curry smell softens. Serve with rice or bread. Ifthere’s any left over, this curry keeps well for a few daysin the fridge.Karen Lee’s cook makes this delicious brinjal curry – evenher family who are not really brinjal fans enjoy it.The Rangoli 11/2010 33

Overseas Women’s Club(Division of the OWFB) www.owcbangalore.orgADVERTISING POLICYWith a membership of almost 1000 members, the OWC is great forum to advertise your products and services to NRIsand expatriates living in Bangalore. If you wish to advertise with us, we have the following ways:The RangoliA monthly magazine which informs our members of our events and activities. We sell advertisement space in thismagazine. We require advertisement material to be in Tiff, CDR, PageMaker, Adobe Illustrator or PDF format.Please follow advertising guidelines on how to send artworks. All advertisement materials must be submittedby the 8th of the month along with payment for the advert to be printed for the next month’s issue of The Rangoli.We require full payment in advance before we print the advertisement. The rates for the advertisements are as follows:Position AdsBack Cover Page Colour onlyBack inside Cover Colour onlyPage 2 Colour onlyPage 5 Colour onlyPage 7 Colour onlyRs.13,500Rs.12,000Rs.12,000Rs.12,000Rs.12,000Regular AdsFull page Colour Rs. 9,600Full page Black and White Rs. 3,800Half page Black and White Rs. 2,200The OWC offers 10% discount for a year’s booking (11 issues) of advertisement in our monthly magazine The Rangoli.The above prices are including the service tax. If there is a deduction of TDS from your end, kindly submit the TDSform at the earliest to enable us to file our returns. Cash or cheque to be made payable to OVERSEAS WOMEN’SFOUNDATION, BANGALORE. Contact: Advertising Coordinator, Ly-Lan McCarthy owcads@gmail.comHard Copy MailersWe offer the facility of posting your pamphlets and other advertising material to our membership. We use the post forthis and we require from your end, the matter to be put in envelopes, stamped with the necessary stamps and delivered.We do not use the courier service nor allow advertisers to use their own courier service for the labeled envelopes.The OWC charges Rs. 4,000 for this service. This is inclusive of the service tax. Cash or cheque to be made payable toOVERSEAS WOMEN’S FOUNDATION, BANGALORE. Contact: Vivi George vivimg@gmail.comE-MailersAn e-mailing service to our members is available. We will endeavor to ensure e-mailers will be sent out within 72 hoursupon receipt of materials and payment. Rs. 4,000 for this service.Cash or cheque to be made payable to OVERSEAS WOMEN’S FOUNDATION, BANGALORE.Contact: VP Communications, Caroline Salmon owccommunications@yahoo.co.inWebsite AdvertisingThe OWC offers advertisement space on our website, www.owcbangalore.org. Cheques to be made payable toOVERSEAS WOMEN’S FOUNDATION, BANGALORE. Contact: Bindu Mohan binsunmaya@yahoo.comPLEASE NOTE: The OWC does not necessarily endorse these advertisementsnor accepts responsibility in connection with the services rendered.34 The Rangoli 11/2010