tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16009775710302326882024-03-05T15:18:37.229-08:00ashleshaa khuranaCULTURE FROM THE VANITY BAGAshleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-69042221984957061982014-07-20T18:27:00.000-07:002014-07-20T18:29:31.194-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Surat’s Sizzling Street Treats</div>
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Ashleshaa Khurana</div>
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The monsoon finally made its date with Surat, albeit a month late; but, that has not been a deterrent to Surat’s foodies who are fond of munching in the rain and even otherwise. From secluded pockets around Tapi town function roadside kiosks that add a crunch to your regular munch and make you want more. Here are a few such sizzling street treats that won’t burn your pockets but will set your tongues on fire with their fiery flavours.</div>
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Bread-rolls by Champa at Parle Point. This is the onerous labourer’s breakfast joint near Ambika Niketan bus-stop. The rolls are crunchy crusts of bread wrapped over a bed of steamy mashed potatoes spiked with mustard seeds, chopped green chillis, coriander leaves with salt to taste and turmeric for colour. Served with runny sweet and spicy gram flour chutney which will make you lick your fingers and click your tongue.</div>
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Piping hot soup at Nakhuda Nasta Centre,Rander. At the corner of teen batti char rasta near Chunarwaad Masjid,this place functions from sehri to iftar time – 6 a.m to 7 pm, other than the khowsuey and other yummy delights written about before, it serves bowls of vegetarian and chicken soup which is heart warming and filling. Garnished with crunchy bits of spring onion greens, fried garlic and crispy wheat strips you have to sip and slurp this one to believe how good something so simple and light can taste.</div>
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Sai Ragda Petis on Tower road, opposite Hariharan Pustakalay .Functioning from just beside the Mahidarpura police station, the stall here is set up only 4 pm onwards. I discovered this hot favourite via true blue Surti Manoj Singapuri whose camera lens loves Surat .Don’t be fooled by the docile looking heart shaped potato petis , it is packed with spice infused gram dal, the chilli level of which will remind you of Bhut Jolakia- the world’s hottest pepper. This is doused with a serene smooth ragda to calm your taste buds simultaneously. Topped with uniformly chopped onions, and fine sev over which a tongue teasing tamarind relish is drizzled. In case you ears begin to smoke with the chilli, they also serve hot soft gulab jamuns .</div>
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Masala corn on the cob at Lakeview Garden,Piplod. This is easily Surat’s most under-rated rain treat. The boiled corn is American, the heat provided to it thereafter is on a tin stove filled with burning coal embers. Once the smoke sets up its flavours, the ‘bhutta’ is rubbed with lemon juice,salt and red chilli powder. Wrapped in lime green leaves, one bite and you are in juicy heaven!</div>
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Mayur Bhajiya, Nanpura . I found It because #Foodoholic Prakash Anandani was tweeting while eating there .While it deserves an entire column; today’s recommends with the rain are its oomph la la tomato and chilli pakoras. The veggies are slit, within them is stuffed a spicy filling with a hint of sugar,next they are dipped in entirety in a gram flour batter and deep fried .These seemingly innocent looking bhajiyas have layers of flavours to be discovered once you bite in.</div>
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Surat’s jaman during the rainy season will surely get into ‘sulag sulag jaye mann’ singing mode.Devour these and set fire to the rain .</div>
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<a href="mailto:ashindia@hotmail.com">ashindia@hotmail.com</a></div>
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Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-4261070697272430982014-04-27T18:41:00.001-07:002014-04-27T18:41:34.751-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Surat: Epitome of Gujarat Model</b></div>
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As ‘the Gujarat Model’ becomes the centre of political debate this election season, no other city in the state stands as significant as Surat. Last week, our city was judged as India’s best city to live in for the amenities it offers its citizens . For Surtis, it has always been the way of good life they have lived since ages.This is a trend that Tapi town has been following since centuries. Development is ingrained in the basic roots of this district and its denizens and overcoming all odds that have come its way ,Surat has managed to outshine all other Indian cities when it comes to progress, here is why :</div>
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<b>Trade</b> : A globally renowned port, with extensive amounts of commodities including textile and precious stones,exported out of and imported in here, Surat was one of the major money spinners of India as early as the fifteenth century.Surat’s markets were called ,”as populous as those in London” by Peter Mundy . With its constant international and national visitors of the mercantile community, many of whom settled here, it was a cosmopolitan centuries before Bombay, Delhi, Chennai and Calcutta.</div>
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<b>Finance</b>: Records state that Surat’s local businessmen from Surat like Virji Vora, Hari Vaishya, Mulla Abdul Gaffur who bankrolled the administration be it Mughal or British, lending lakhs of rupees in those days to the governing authorities, so that the city would have a steady governance to enable the traders to function better in their business. Surat’s shroffs controlled the price of the bullions and decided the rates at which gold from around the world would be exchanged here.</div>
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<b>Infrastructure</b>: Built in 1510,Gopi Talav ,the city’s much celebrated lake had enough capacity to provide water to the entire city and a system to collect rain water ,as well cisterns to purify it from mud and dry leaves. Sir Thomas Roe , the English diplomat who obtained farmans for the English to trade in Surat in the 17<sup>th</sup> century wrote how ,”Surat is the fountainhead and life of all East India trade. The road to Swally (Suvali) and the port of Surat are the fittest in all the Mughal’s territory. The Surat-Agra-Delhi business corridor existed even 400 years ago as a major trade route! Edward Terry, chaplain at the English Factory of Surat penned,”Surat has luxurious summer houses with garden walks, fountains and bathing places that the wealthy merchants of Surat have built for them outside the city. Jari and textile industries took advantage of electricity as early as 1920’s thanks to Surat Electric Company.</div>
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<b>Education : </b>Surat was the seat of the learned Jain Bhataraks since the 14<sup>th</sup> century.One of India’s earliest universities the Arabic IBO University,originally founded by the 43<sup>rd</sup> Dai Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin in 1814, is located in Zhampa Bazar,home town of the foremost among litterateurs Kavi Narmad, Surat had a world class library –The Andrews Library way back in 1850,stacked with tomes from around the world ,even though India’s literacy rate at the time of Independence was only 12.2%</div>
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<b>Agriculture and animal husbandry</b>: The Encyclopedia of Indian Agriculture include Fryer’s accounts the 17<sup>th</sup> century describing Surat’s fields growing in abundance potatoes and brinjals .The Portuguese brought in the cultivation of potatoes which they called ‘Batata’ as we still do.Abu Fazl’s early records praises the pineapples, pomegranates, custard apples,mangoes and oranges grown here. While the hundreds of little villages which surround Surat grew in abundance everything from cash crops like poppy, to sugarcane to cotton, the city has had Panjarapol since more than 250 years now where the best of the veterinarians attend to cattle needs.</div>
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Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-44372416909201972782014-04-13T18:44:00.001-07:002014-04-13T18:44:49.424-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CHURNING OUT LAUGH RIOTS</div>
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Ashleshaa Khurana</div>
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Leaving Surtis hysterical with humorous performances, The Comedy Factory team made its debut in Surat last Saturday. The audience bent over their belly buttons laughing till they cried watching and listening to the first ever stand –up comedy show in Tapi town of quality calibre.</div>
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Brainchild of Manan Desai – an ace performer of dead pan humour , an intelligent mind with a poker straight face, The Comedy Factory renowned for its insanity around Gujarat found new fan following for their playful and mischievous dialogue while shooting down hilarious point bullets at existential and metaphorical buzzing bugs of present day topics. Team member Ojas Rawal, the specialist at researching local flavour focused on food and human behaviour encapsulating it brilliantly with the culmination of western and Indian mannerisms.</div>
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In for a funny treat, Surtis had the added advantage to watch winner of CEO’s Got Talent- Atul Khatri at what he does best-make people laugh. He found Surat’s audience as receptive as that of Bombay,Delhi and Bangalore. Amidst unending claps and whistles, he rendered dirty-hairy jokes about Sindhis, snack –shop tourism of Gujaratis and issues over toilet tissues. Weaving audience participation within his pieces to make them even more live wire. This CEO of a computer company, who found his calling in stand up comedy and has been short listed as one of the country’s most promising artists at that, Khatri said ,” I actually suffered from stage fright as a kid and although was never trained for this began it to make life spicier and increase my own confidence. It requires real guts. On stage one is up there, alone and knows he has to deliver the value of the audience’s money, engage them in an interaction, and ensure that the risky material in a joke does not offend, even though it is always at someone’s expense. Stand up comedians perceive even serious problems differently, with unique presentation. Within 30 – 35 minutes they begin strong, keep up the fizz and end with a grand high.”</div>
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Ace of The Comedy Factory base -Smit Pandya won the audience applause and hearts with his desi flavoured fun takes. Spontaneous, free spirited, the clarity of his diction and voice modulation match up to that of Paresh Rawal. Pandya a theatre artist since the age of 11 is a lecturer and his Masters degree of Social work along with his mirth has helped him save three suicidal youngsters. With thousands of clicks on his Youtube performances, he makes sure his acts do not get monotonous.” Stand up comedians intertwine current topics into acts so that audiences can identify with them. We constantly upgrade ourselves to lift the genre and quality of entertainment. Manan and me have therefore begun the ‘Improv comedy ‘acts .”</div>
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Managing director Vidya Desai points out that while profits are not the main motive, “The Comedy Factory is a platform where artists from all over India unite to bring a cosmopolitan flavour of English and regional comedy ,social and political issues, and acceptable adult content to the audience.”</div>
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Event partner Prakash Hathi said,”I have seen few things in life are better in actuality than on screen –this was one such event. Extracting humour out of everything, the way these guys connected with business minded Surtis was amazing.”</div>
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Freelance media consultant Hetvi Choksi said,”Am not a stand- up comedy lover and was forced to attend by a friend but I enjoyed it to the extent that my jaws were hurting post the show. I haven’t laughed so much in a live event and am looking forward to more in future.</div>
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Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-86566731264352028792014-03-07T19:15:00.000-08:002014-03-07T19:19:44.875-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What Women Want<br />
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International Women's Day 2014 is themed on 'Inspiring Change'</div>
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Centuries after neurologist Sigmund Freud failed to
psychoanalyze what it was that women want, and more than a hundred years of
International Women’s Day celebrations later, modern man is still clueless
about what it is that women want.</div>
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Maybe be it would help a little if we began with what men
want. Peace, love, joy, money, power, sex,success and adventure would wrap all
that an average man would desire in his life. The truth is, women are no
different and require all of the above equally.</div>
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But here is where the rules of the game differ when it comes
to men and women. She goes through PMS, labour and childbirth, yet is called
the weaker sex because she is naturally inclined to be more emotional and
sensitive. She runs home, hearth, handles saas-bahu issues playing both the
roles, and raises the children while he is called the man of the house. She
multitasks and steps out to earn but has to constantly protect her reputation
in doing so. Men who go about womanizing are called ‘dudes,’ women who find it
in their heart the capability to love more than one man are immediately branded
being sluts. If he raises his voice for anything, he is a hero, if she has the
courage to do so, she is a ‘burn the bra feminist who wants to be a man ‘</div>
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International Women’s Day is a special day designated for
women to come forward seize the day to pledge and promise themselves first, and
their mothers, sisters and daughters that they will be the change they need to
see. Whether it is women in space, more lady pilots, more leaders, more
activists amplifying for women’s rights to issues ranging from abortion to commercial
sex workers, with every advancing generation, women are getting one step
further towards their goal, breaking barriers the globe over.</div>
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What women need to do is think global and act local. Even as
they love to adorn themselves , they need to be beyond being just an object of
beauty seeking appreciation. Women need not cite a hero among them, for they
all are one, just the way they are, all they need to do is realize it and never
give up on themselves ,especially when all others do.</div>
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That is why IWD is
important. Happy Women’s Day.Celebrate being you, just the way you are.</div>
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Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-3859148717474778442013-07-23T10:54:00.002-07:002013-07-23T10:54:25.271-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Morality is what you make of it.</div>
Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-88413425226558783192013-04-28T20:55:00.000-07:002013-04-28T21:14:19.398-07:00Surat's Power Puff Gals <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Kimi Dangor </div>
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Durva Gandhi</div>
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Malvika Mehta</div>
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Puja Kedia </div>
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Anxiously awaiting their Board exam results, an entire generation of Surtis is poised to put their best foot forward on the route that will lead them to what they want to be in the future. While the boys are set with their one track agenda of ‘We want to be millionaires’, the uppermost question on the minds of our girl students is ‘what field should I venture into?’<br />
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Last month, Surat’s super sports girl triathlete Pooja Chaurushi added another sparkler to her tiara by racing through adverse alien conditions and rough terrains, and winning a gold in the women’s sprint event at the South Asian Triathlon Championship .This takes her international medal tally to four, and this fantastic 21 year old is set to win a whole load more. What Pooja has achieved takes years of hard training, dedication and focus.<br />
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If you are amongst those who have through your school years not been particularly inclined towards either athletics or academics and are more confused than ever before of what the future holds for you, let me have the pleasure in pointing out a few Surti gals who have tread with their dainty feet roads that have been less travelled by localites and have achieved outstanding results while pursuing their hobbies.<br />
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Like the other very talented Puja we are lucky to have in Tapi town is professional photographer Puja Kedia.Young, spunky, and with a spectacular eye for the right click, it’s an absolute pleasure to watch the result of what her camera has focused upon. Puja has the knack of making everything look beautiful. It comes from the kind of person she is. She brings romance into her pictures whether its classical Kathak poses by an artist performing at the English cemetery where she literally makes the music of tablas and ghunghroos come alive or romantic wedding clicks which bring mushy tears to the eyes or funny captures of Surtis enjoying life around town that speak about the very essence of their spirit.<br />
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Then there is the charmer Kimi Dangor daughter of the brilliant late architect Bomi Dangor. Kimi shifted base to Mumbai in her twenties and made it on her own to become one of the most read writers on lifestyle and fashion. A die hard fashionista herself (she describes herself as a recovering shopoholic) Kimi has an ardent following in women who want to know whats trending in the fashion scene.She is the fashion police on what bag is in, which cut is out, whats a classic, who is the copy cat and is the ultimate guide on the ‘it’ look and more. Being self made, she has a perfect line of advice for beginners,"The best way to begin is start small."<br />
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Another Surti star is Durva Gandhi, voted Elle ‘woman to watch out for’ in 2009, she has moved on from being an art collector to a curator to a designer to a publisher and has released this month her book called, “Secrets of the Art Millionaires” where she spills the beans on the do’s and don’t’s of collecting art –the way the auction houses and people of the ‘inner circle’ of art do, to make money while investing in whats aesthetic. Durva was always a bright child, way beyond her age. She is spiritually inclined which brings calm to her otherwise vivacious personality.<br />
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Surat’s new kid on the block is the petite and sweet Malvika Mehta –voted Femina Style Diva Goa 2012, this pretty miss is pursuing the pleasure of being a make up artist now.Confident, stylish and a thorough optimist, she is set to conquer what she ventures out to achieve.That is the attitude that wins the world.<br />
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You can connect with all of the above achievers on the online social network, to be inspired, to know more and to make your hobby your career. Good luck.</div>
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Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-15991919803237034932013-04-21T05:33:00.001-07:002013-04-21T05:33:14.366-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=ashleshaa+khurana+crest&bav=on.2,or.&bvm=bv.45512109,d.bmk&biw=1024&bih=672&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=cNtzUaS3KcWHrAfz54GIBg </div>
Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-48079746474553039622013-04-15T05:09:00.001-07:002013-04-15T05:09:29.088-07:00Bullet Battalion's Motorcycle Diaries .........va va vroooommmmmm!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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BULLET BATTALION’S MOTORCYCLE DIARIES<br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Get your motor runnin’, Head out on the highway</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Looking for adventure and whatever comes our way ......</span></em><br />
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Steppenwolf’s classic number from Born To Be Wild is what could aptly descirbe Surat’s Bullet Battalion. For a team that was formed barely more than a year ago, this gang of bikers has covered more than 7000 kms countrywide.<br />
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“We began with a team of four guys and now have 20 members to our non- profit organization with no commercial interests.”Says Ravi Bhatia - one of the core members of BB since its inception. All members of Bullet Batallion own classic models of Royal Enfield that are either 350 cc or 500 cc and have a passion for hitting the highway for day rides, as well as indulge in long distance travel once every two months.<br />
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The Battalion is all for bike -buddy bonding and its members vary in their age group from 24 to 42 years. “Age is just a number, on our recent day trip to Wilson Hill in Dharampur, we had a 61 year old rider enthusiast from Valsad join us, and his Bullet was a 1971 model that zipped with zeal.”Says an engineer groupie, who prefers to remain incognito; the BB gang also has as its members’ businessmen and bankers who hum in unison, the feeling of Steve Earle’s song:<br />
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<em>“Nowadays I got me two good wheels and I seek refuge in aluminum and steel </em><br />
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<em>It takes me out there for just a little while and the years fall away with every mile”</em><br />
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In June last year, a few BB guys cargoed their bikes to Chandigarh and then set forth for a journey to Ladakh. “We practiced for four months before attempting to ride upto the highest motorable peak. It was a dream come true that got us motorcycle lovers very emotional. The route was scenic yet tough, it also had a 22 km stretch of sand that had us sweating even in minus degree temperature; but, every time we gave up on ourselves the road beckoned us invitingly, tempting us to tour on.” Says Ravi Bhatia.<br />
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Alongwith their yen for riding, they also developed the art of motorcycle maintainance hence they carry along clutch wires, tyre tubes, air pumps and are well equipped to handle minorbreakdowns. Helmets are compulsory; long distance rides require bikers’s boots and jackets that are armoured to protect shoulders and backs. Pure passion drives this battalion who feel while others are commuters, they are comrades hence they ride in a single line alignment, at 60 kph, and ensure that the fastest rider is at the end, each rider is responsible for the one behind him thus no one is left out.<br />
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While alternate Sundays are reserved for city rides to Suvali and Dumas, on the 27th of April, they plan to make the metal hit highway mettle to Mumbai and catch an IPL match.<br />
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BB rides and Kms:<br />
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Padamdungri 250<br />
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Saputara 350<br />
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Ladakh 3000<br />
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Dandi 110<br />
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Kutch 650<br />
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Gira Fall, Dang 250<br />
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Valsad 180<br />
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Wilson Hill 300<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/Bullet.Battalion">www.facebook.com/Bullet.Battalion</a>
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Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-39194778268130618302013-04-11T00:23:00.000-07:002013-04-11T00:23:44.886-07:00Not another brick in the wall <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Not another brick in the wall<br />
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Few things in life match up to the energy and infectious enthusiasm of youth.Dressed down, with dishevelled hair, armed with a ‘devil may care’ attitude, life in college is all about imagining how destiny can be designed. As Eleanor Roosevelt rightly said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”<br />
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Last week, Surat’s senior citizen and highly respected architect Ar.Tarun Dave, suggested to this columnist that,”You have shown us Surat’s glorious past,now its time to show the city its forthcoming potential .”<br />
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What better way to discuss future trending than to talk about the generation next, hence, today’s column is about the recent annual festivel organised in totality by ASAC- Architecture Students Activity Council, the student body at the Faculty of Architecture, SCET.<br />
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‘Whats new, one would ask, don’t all colleges do that?’ Here is why this one was different:<br />
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Earlier in this year, these very students made special efforts for a presentation on Surat’s ancient ship building technique- they had sourced an old boat from Surat’s Machiwad area, and set it up near the college amphitheatre with masts and sails. In exotic yet frugal fashion, they had lit up the entire pathway with bulbs that beamed from within paper plates partially stapled to represent oyester shells. <br />
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Coming back to the festival, aptly named EVOLVE, its concept depicted and revolved around evolution of the living form of thought.Nourished by little other than Kalubhai’s chai and affordable canteen bites, students took time out from tedious submissions to construct a fish pond and an eco-friendly amphitheatre. Bhumit Shah and his team painted some wonderful graphics on walls, numerous artistic hands set up sculptures and installations. A team led by Dhruv Rupawala and Abhinav Kelawala took inspiration from Rajarshi Smart’s art and put up an exquisite version of an autorickshaw ,converting it into a trolling three wheeled monster with a multi expressional kathakali dancer’s face. Various proffessional workshops on paper pulp, bamboo, canvas painting, film making and theatre were held taught by renowned artists that arrived from all over India .Students grooved to college rockstar Ian Christian’s rock band‘Morphine’.<br />
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ASAC chairman Dhruv Gusain pointed out,”Our student body of three hundred like minded people who love to experiment gave birth to EVOLVE.” Working as a team with pure gumption, these tweenie boppers multitasked as artists, witty writers, marketing gurus who succeeded at raising funds and sponsorship support by a leading hardware brand and hotel ,to bring out a first rate journal edited brilliantly.They then approached 4 eminent architects from metro cities and impressed them enough to visit Tapi town. Ar.Krishnarao Jaisim from Bangalore thanked ASAC for,” An eventful evening at a very fascinating venue with a fascinating lot of students.” Ar.Sonal Sancheti from Mumbai acknowledged,” There is culture to the college, that I can see through a smallest thing like an invite.I think you all are in a great place.”<br />
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An educational institute is as good as its students prove to be.Having historically bagged 4 prestigious National Awards this year including The Nari Gandhi Trophy and The Rueben Trophy citations; these are exemplary architects of the future. All they ask from us are ears that will listen, tongues that will appreciate and hearts that will understand. They know where they are headed, and no brick in the wall is going to stop them from what they are poised to achieve in the Surat of tomorrow.<br />
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Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-45938076305068874582012-09-29T20:02:00.002-07:002012-09-29T20:21:01.078-07:00From Bhuj to Bonhams<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Breathtaking art on silver artifacts by Bhuj silversmith Oomersi Mawji, adorns world’s most prestigious mantelpieces</b>.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQS8yMDEyLzA5LzMwI0FyMDA0MDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom">http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQS8yMDEyLzA5LzMwI0FyMDA0MDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom</a></div>
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O M BHUJ claret jug profusely decorated with animals and birds .It has a lion crushing a hare on its lid and a snake snake being charmed up a branch by a snake-charmer playing his 'been' as its handle Pic:Bonhams<br />
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Silver gilt presentation trophy from private collection of Wynyard Wilkinson said to have been presented to Lady Wynford by the Kutch Maharao Pic;Bonhams.<br />
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Sketch of Oomersi Mawji at work by Percy Brown </div>
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Causing a stir at an upcoming exhibition at Bonhams, London ,is a spectacular pear shaped claret jug in silver, elegantly ornamented with repousse work, a serpent entwined around its handle. Crafted in Gujarat’s Bhuj during the late1800’s, this piece-de-resistance is ready to go under the hammer on 2nd October and is one amongst ten lots that are estimated to sell for £40,000 to £ 70,000 in total. Alice Bailey,Head of Bonhams Indian and Islamic Department ,comments, ”This ewer is a stunning example of O.M. craftsmanship at his best. This presents a rare opportunity to collect an outstanding piece by the most celebrated Indian silversmith. Another O.M. work was recently acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia which is currently displaying it.”<br />
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Considered ‘the greatest silversmith of the 19th century ‘by connoisseurs of art, the works of Oomersi Mawji of Bhuj are objects of much desire in the global art collectors circuit. Mawji’s works have found shelf space at the world’s greatest museums for art and design .London’s Victoria & Albert Museum holds his classic tea set, Musee Guimet at Paris boasts of a cobra water jug designed by him, Harvard’s Arthur M Sackler Museum prides in a Kutch rose water sprinkler. Custom made to order, with his signature that reads O.M. BHUJ, Mawji’s magnificent trademark designs include ecological elements from Bhuj’s topography, flora and fauna. Oomersi created dramatic designs in unsurpassable repousse relics decorated with a network of profusely scrolling vines, motifs of Indian animals and birds, especially the Sarus ,were at times incorporated with exotic elements such as tiger’s claws, wild boar’s teeth, elephant tusks, mother-of-pearl.<br />
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Born to a family of luhars in Bhuj sometime around the 1840’s,Oomersi grew up to prove true the popular Indian saying ‘Sau sonar ki,ek luhar ki’( a blacksmith can achieve in one blow what a goldsmith needs to work a hundred upon ). His distinct talent at designing soon gained him the enviable position of royal court silversmith to Kutch Maharao Shri Mirza Raja Sawai Khengarji Bahadur Nod, founder of the oldest museum in Gujarat. Silver was imported to Kutch from Africa in those days of maritime trade and in the absence of tax levied upon the same, many artisans indulged in designing it for global export. Describing the Kutchi technique of designing silver, C.W. London in ‘Arts Of Kutch’ informs how Kutch silversmiths deftly smoothened and then lined with mercury and sliver the insides of objects with repousse detailing, which requires to be beaten from the reverse side to produce a raised design. For details on the outside which required hammering, the object was filled with resin wax which helped strengthen it with a solid core.Once the piece was ready ,the object was heated and the wax poured out. The artifact was then cleaned with a mild nitric acid solution ,burnished and then polished to sparkle.<br />
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While India’s princely rulers commissioned surahis(water jugs) attar-daans (perfume containers),paan-daans (betel boxes),gulab-pash(rosewater sprinklers)and hookahs in silver,the British Raj brought opportunity to manufacturing more modern ware such as tea services,claret jugs,wine decanters,salt cellars,pepper pots and trophies gilded in silver,travel flasks.<br />
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Mawji ‘s earliest available work designed on English watermarked paper dates 1863.He drew his designs on paper first as a guide for himself and exhibit for his clients. Gaining immense popularity via his exquisite work, Oomersi attracted the attention of the Maharaja of Baroda who became his chief patron. Mawji and his sons later shifted to Baroda and thereafter signed their work as O.M.Baroda. <br />
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From the 1860’s through the firm’s last years in the 1930’s, magnificent designs by Oomersi Mawji and Sons managed to create market for Kutch silver on an international scale. Kutch silver was sold at Liberty of London in 1885 and exhibited prominently in India and Europe. In 1903, at an Indian Art Exhibition, Delhi, artifacts designed by Oomersi Mawji were priced at Rs.1,515 for a vase,Rs.359 for a bowl and Rs.200 for a card tray. Rukmani Kumari Rathore, specialist at Indian Art, Bonhams says,” Indian silver is very collectable at the moment.There has been a lot of interest in silverware from the workshop of Oomersi Mawji especially items with an interesting history and good provenance.O.M items have done well at auction recently.On the 24th of April 2012, at Bonhams last Islamic and Indian sale, O.M.’s silver tea set in the form of three birds sold for £25,625 “<br />
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<br />Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-64677324257834103812012-05-20T19:42:00.001-07:002012-05-20T19:43:26.225-07:00Ladies Vs Men With Mean Machines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ladies Vs Men With Mean Machines <br />
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Apropos the luxury car frenzy that has taken Laladom by storm; no, tell me really, what is it?<br />
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The dictionary explains the word ‘vehicle’ as a means of conveyance that takes you from point A to point B. That could be your average BMW, but then again, it could also be a bicycle, or a bullock cart, no?<br />
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So then, whats all this honking fuss about, huh?<br />
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Do you think people judge you for the kind of person you are by the Mercedes you are seen in?<br />
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I mean, do these four wheel drive SUVs make you feel more towering?<br />
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Does that place the intellectual corporates in those boring sedans a little lower?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYD6-ri8iwBlXqUS9zbY1wQJOyfQx1jM-Pk_eJYklSu24bGwYleN8tc8yFie0S9b_WNcxVlU8gp24jJLN1RaC9UGBdTozKubQMHizQHbU-jYBwa71QUJWxHieN2VoqhRSxjsruJOZBp3s/s1600/Robert+Doisneau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYD6-ri8iwBlXqUS9zbY1wQJOyfQx1jM-Pk_eJYklSu24bGwYleN8tc8yFie0S9b_WNcxVlU8gp24jJLN1RaC9UGBdTozKubQMHizQHbU-jYBwa71QUJWxHieN2VoqhRSxjsruJOZBp3s/s320/Robert+Doisneau.jpg" width="252" /></a>Robert Doisneau</div>
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So,if you have a BMW and your friends own a Skoda Superb or Laura or an optra by Chevrolet ,you are their big daddy,huh ?<br />
What about the guy who has an Audi SUV but in a lesser priced model, what rung is he on? <br />
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And, according to that logic, does that mean that anyone who owns Bentleys is way above your league?<br />
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What about guys who don’t own any cars? Does that mean they are beyond competition? <br />
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How does one spell the name of your car again? Don’t know? Okay can you pronounce Volkswagen? <br />
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Doesn’t the word EMI actually translate to ‘living in borrowed heaven ‘?<br />
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Why do worry and ask about the mileage, petrol/diesel, when you are more than willing to chip out a fortune on your Land Rover? <br />
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And after spending all that indecent amount of money, why do you spend a whole load of more for a fancy number on its plate? Isn’t the Hulk of a car noticeable enough to have its distinct identity?<br />
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Why do you test drive models in maximum overdrive even as the salesman chews on his tie when you treat your own car as the most delicate darling on earth?<br />
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You tend to complaint that we mull way too much over our shopping then why do you take a lifetime before selecting ’the one’?<br />
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Why do spend lakhs of rupees on something that your polyester clothed chauffeur is going to drive?<br />
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Any clue whether your car is a front wheel, rear wheel or all wheel drive? <br />
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What makes a second hand celebrity owned car that has run more than 40,000 kms and has attended more parties and has been more photographed in its lifetime than you will ever be in yours more valuable than a brand new one that makes you feel like a star?<br />
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Does proximity to all things beautiful make you feel better about yourself?<br />
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What exactly do you mean when you drool,”What ae booty!”<br />
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Why do you forget your wife/girlfriend is a person and the car is a thing; not vice versa?<br />
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For those rare few who beg to differ from the question above; why on earth do you then comment on their backsides similarly?<br />
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You actually believe ‘aaja meri gaadi mein baithja’ is a great pick up line, don’t you?<br />
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What is so sexy about a huge, wide, room of a car that blocks and jams the entire traffic on Ghodod road at any time of the day?<br />
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What exactly are you hinting at when you ask for the one with ‘more leg space and spacious back’?<br />
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Does the big car’s engine seem to increase your horsepower vroom, you think?<br />
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What about the new ones that have an equally powerful engine as the Honda sedan in a more compact body like the Nissan Micra? Is it because Ranbir Kapoor advertises the latter?<br />
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Why is it that the smaller hatch back is presented to the women in the house as ‘ladies car’?<br />
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Why does your heart undergo a stress test every time your wife takes your car for a spin?<br />
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Why do you call the smartly designed small cars like Brio, a ‘tukda’ or ‘Hondi’, nickname Santro, Swift and Ritz as stunted growth and consider i10, nano and Zen as toys?<br />
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Why do company logos matter so much if all those like Jazz, Liva and Asta i20 are branded and priced equally?<br />
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Why do you cover your steering wheel in leopard print and turn the dashboard into a flashy wooden finish to instantly give away your identity?<br />
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With all your business sense, why do opt into investing in something that will instantly lose 20-30% of its market value the minute you drive it out of that showroom ?<br />
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You do know that if we spent that kind of amount, it would be on the kind of jewellery that would be custom made and one of its kind’s classic and that it would be an asset not a liability?<br />
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Wouldn’t a Vintage be a wiser buy?<br />
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What are you without your car?<br />
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<br /></div>Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-19135954859539465342012-03-22T21:59:00.000-07:002012-03-22T21:59:20.951-07:00Surat's Legendary Namesakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDUTweQ_Iv35GjLuUgEEmti-b9LW0S-O1V9WyqdkYAHS7_yylxX0rYVMrQp4uAavbchf_Ki48I-e9pIK_Cl8pMgfwx8zOQrLhUCfb6oIA6kpMAESes4uXchIRxK-qkRWdakchntdDKPc/s1600/Port+of+a+Mughal+Princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="210" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDUTweQ_Iv35GjLuUgEEmti-b9LW0S-O1V9WyqdkYAHS7_yylxX0rYVMrQp4uAavbchf_Ki48I-e9pIK_Cl8pMgfwx8zOQrLhUCfb6oIA6kpMAESes4uXchIRxK-qkRWdakchntdDKPc/s320/Port+of+a+Mughal+Princess.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Call it co-incidence or otherwise, but every place in the world worth going to has another place by the same name ;Surat being no exception to this law of tourism, has a town in Thailand named similar to it –Surat Thani which also has a river Tapi flowing by ,if you please. The province which means ‘city of good people’ was thus called by King Vajiravudh –Rama VI only as recently as 1915. Our good old Tapi town on the other hand, has been known as Surat since ancient ages and has more than one tale attached to the reason it is so called.<br />
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How did the name ‘Surat’ come about? Whom is the city named after? What does its name mean? Historians and poets through the ages have pondered over these questions much before you and I did; which has caused speculation regarding the same to run rife in books penned long ago. Some suggestions abide by historic happenings others are merely inspired by local folklore, but, all make interesting stories behind the raison d’être of Surat’s name.<br />
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Surat Itihaas Darshan Vol I informs readers that the word ‘Surti’ has its first written reference in an essay ‘Kahanadde’(1456 A.D), which mentions Khambhat and Rander as well. Surat finds its first mention in Jain scriptures dated 1478 .Tapi Puran which is believed to have been written during the 16th century mentions the river as being Suryaputri –the Sun god’s daughter and hence the town was called Suryapur .Ancient texts also mention numerous prayer rituals which were carried out as a salute to the Sun from here and the religious importance attached to the same.<br />
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Poet Narmad’s take on the town’s namesake theories are as varied as his works and laced with a certain romance. One of his stories goes that Surat was so christened by Khwaja Safar Suleimani aka Khudawand Khan who built the Castle .Narmad suggests that the town is named after Khan’s amour with a lady named Surat. Another one of Narmad’s fables speaks about a trader named Rumi from Constantinople who fell in love with a concubine called Surtha, she belonged to the harem of the Emperor of Turkey. Both escaped the wrath of the royal rage and sailed out into the sea. They arrived on the shore of Tapi opposite to Rander and set up the trading port with the permission of Gujarat’s sultan. Rumi met with great success thereafter and named the town Surat after his lady love.<br />
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Surat also has its share of royal stories that suggest that it has been named after kings. One of them reads that the king of Kamrej had land measuring 1400 vinghas here which had 14 wells. Kavi Narmad tried to find all 14 and is believed to have listed 10. The Bhagwad Golmandal Kosh states that the owner of Surajwadi was Sursen, an heir of the king of Kamrej and that our town has been named after him. Author Ishwarlal Ichharam Desai has written in ‘Surat Sonani Murat’ that Surat was named as the capital of King Surath who has been mentioned in a text named ‘Govind Das Erakrchara’penned by Govind Das,a disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.<br />
French traveller Anquetil Du Perron of Paris, who visited Surat in 1758 mentions in his travelogue that a popular folklore here is about a prominent fisherman called Suratji Mahigir. A leader who protested against the Portuguese attacks and urged the Sultan of Ahmedabad to have a strong castle built to protect the locals. According to Perron, Surat was named after Suratji.<br />
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While some believe that the town was named after Malik Gopi’s mother Suraja ,historian Mohan Meghani informs readers via his book ‘Solmi sadi nu Surat’ about the folk lore of trader Malik Gopi who built Gopi Talav and set up the town as a successful trading port .Legend goes that he inherited immense wealth from a beautiful nautch girl named Suraj whom Gopi’s widowed mother served as house help. Suraj willed all her wealth to Gopi and later left for Hajj, never to return. Upon achieving great success as a trader and the title of Malik in 1515, Gopi called for Brahmin to name the trading town and suggested they name it ‘Suraj’, as a tribute to the generous lady who had left him her entire fortune. The reigning Mughal Sultan Muzzafar Shah however thought it would be inappropriate to name the town after a courtesan and suggested the word ‘Surat’ instead.<br />
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Suraa is the Arabic word used to mention every stanza of the Holy Quran and the Indian Muslim version of the same is known as Suraat.Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-84511428170915950202012-03-21T23:05:00.000-07:002012-07-05T05:56:37.070-07:00Surat’s Celebrated Tonsorial Artist: Tom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Surat’s Celebrated Tonsorial Artist: Tom<br />
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<b>‘Oh, Surat!’</b><br />
<i>‘Let us ask the first old Indian one can meet, soldier or civilian, where he was the happiest, and which he thought was the pleasantest station in the whole of Bombay Presidency?<br />His answer will be immediate-“Oh Surat! It was such a splendid city; the river was so fine, the commerce and shipping rendered it so cheerful, and the Moslem buildings were so magnificent; besides all that there was such good feeling in society –oh, there was never anything like Old Surat!”<br />And then, with garrulous delight ,the veteran hog hunter proceeds to dilate on the numerous ‘first spears’ he has taken ; on the pleasant picnics at Dumas and Vaux’s Tomb ; on the sporting songs of the celebrated Major Morris ,so often trolled forth in chorus from tents pitched upon the banks of the pleasant ‘Tapti’; nor does he forget to laugh once more over that character of fun and gossip ,that Figaro of the East ,Old Tom ,the Barber of Surat.’</i><br />
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When British ladies Marianna Postans and Marianne Young brought out their book on the Nawab of Surat in 1857, Tapi town’s introductory paragraph highlighted all of Surat’s delights which, as you may have noticed above, included the town’s favourite tonsorial artist, Tom.<br />
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Comparing him to Pierre Beurmachais’ Figaro-Le Barbier de Seville, albeit a little less mischievous, less dangerous but equally witty, lively and charming; the authoresses fondly note how everyone who had visited Surat in those days remembers Old Tom with a friendly feeling ,as an eccentric, peculiar character who brought many moments of entertaining chats to his customers .<br />
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It is a curious fact not generally known that this popular ‘hujjam’ (as locals called him) of Surat has been mentioned in many books which were published in the mid 1800’s by Britishers. So much so, that the Saturday Review on Politics vol 25 has its bunch of authors wondering why Sir Bartere Frere has devoted an entire page to Old Tom, in Old Deccan Days, which mentions him as,’ An ancient local celebrity named Tom the Barber whose vivid recollections of chronicles from former days could ill conceal the pride that he revealed them with.’<br />
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Everybody liked Tom and looked forward to his visits and varied tales as he went from house to house attending to the town’s elite. Described by different Europeans as a coiffeur with a swarthy complexion, about 45 years of age, clean shaven, with mischievous eyes, dressed in white linen, huge spectacles, small turban, a checked towel thrown carelessly over his shoulder, with a sheet sized cloth tied to his waist which displayed methodically arranged razors, soap box and pots of silver.<br />
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The resplendent paraphernalia exhibited around his abdomen consisted of his work tools inherited from his father, whose business he succeeded. Tom made sure everyone was well informed about the royal silverware’s history. Apparently the senior hair stylist had been gifted a shaving kit in pure silver by the Duke of Wellington who had honoured him with several sittings during his progress in the province of Gujarat. <br />
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Reputed to be an inquisitive and mendacious barber, who blended fact with fiction to present entertaining enchanting tales, Tom’s personal favourite was one about a sharp shooter who shot at earthen pots carried by women at the town well, with the pearl of his wife’s nose ring; but was killed in the battle by another good shot of a soldier who fired his gun for the first time.<br />
Often a victim of his own success, he was much talked about by Tapi town’s tittle- tattle brigade. Upon remarrying a young and blooming wife, he was subjected to many cutting jests which were less witty but more telling than his own, but he chose to ignore them and exercised his vocation earnestly, blessing all his employers with a century’s age saying, “Mata pita make you hundred years old.”<br />
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As soon as any European arrived in Surat, Tom would call upon him at his lodgings requesting even heavily bearded and mustached men,”My Master, no let shave-let cut hair? Litt-lee long beard grow. Litt-lee six children and two wives die.Too much cholera.No let Tom cut hair-litt-lee .All sahib now no shave, long beard grow and Tom get no rupee.”<br />
George Waters recollects in his 'Indian Gleanings' how he perplexed the chatter box into silence by offering him his dog to be trimmed because his own beard was too dear to him. After a minute of silence, Tom indignantly stood up and saluting with his knavish style bid the sahib adieu, never to return again.<br />
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An old Surti saying goes,’visit a popular barber and you wont need to read the newspaper’. Maybe it was stemmed by the story of Old Tom-the superfluous hair-destroying artist of a sufficiently civilized society.</div>Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-42218926118081656242012-03-21T23:01:00.000-07:002012-03-21T23:01:25.310-07:00Surat's Proverbial SixersSurat's proverbial sixers<br />
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Most cities around the world have proverbial words attached to them that best describe their nature or law of the land. American author Henry Van Dyke once wrote ,“Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in the air; And Paris is a woman's town, with flowers in her hair; And it's sweet to dream in Venice, and it's great to study Rome;<br />
But when it comes to living, there is no place like home.” <br />
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Amongst all other cities, Rome has so far been a favourite with writers. Often while watching a Hollywood flick or reading a book we come across lines like ‘All roads lead to Rome’, ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do’, ’Rome was not built in a day’, or to ‘Fiddle while Rome burns’ –The ideas behind these statements have always been ambiguous. As Oscar Wilde said, ’’The truth is rarely pure and never simple”; nothing could stand truer than the same for the origins of proverbs and idioms.<br />
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Even as Rome stands much celebrated worldwide, Surat and Surtis have their own set of old sayings; still oft quoted within its sheris and markets which visitors would fail to understand. Some are simple, others complicated but all share equally the distinction of being associated with the essence of Surat as a city.<br />
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You may have heard the most popular ‘Surat nu jaman ney Kashi maran’ that best describes the town’s lip smacking cuisine but a funnier one goes ,’Surat na vengan matey toh dev talsey chey’ meaning ‘Even the gods pine for Surat’s delicacies’.<br />
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Food has often been the forte of Surti proverbs .We have one which goes ‘Surat na suhvaala lok,nadi utariney meley ponk’ which talks of smooth Surtis and the good life they live by feasting on Ponk by the riverside. Another recommends,’Surat ni barfi ,Mathurana penda, Mumbai no halwo ney Khambhat ni sutarfeni.’<br />
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Then there are those sayings which glorify the city like ‘Surat sonani murat’, Surat sheher ney sunnani leher, Surat ni gat (speed)<br />
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Others still have been framed to hit it below the belt as well. Like ‘Surat sheher na lok,divasey boley ne raatey fok !’ meaning the Surti folks promise something by the day and go back on their word by night. You may have heard of ‘Delhi ka thug’ but Surat’s scoundrels are called’ Surti thug, haathma chattar ne gajvaama pathhar’ meaning Surat’s cheats hold an umbrella over the head but have stones in place of their wallets. <br />
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Smooth talkers are called ‘Surti ne vaat karey ullti’ which suggests Surtis are not straight forward but beat around the bush. Surtis have also been called ‘Surat na gaanda ney Bharuch na dahya, Surat na luchha ney Mumbai na maanda ‘while the former adjective describes Surtis as crazy the latter says Surtis are smart.<br />
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The jolly good nature of laid back locals is best described via ’Surya ast toh Surti mast’ –Surtis rejoice at sundown. Sethiyas are called ‘Surti ney Mangalmurti’ or even ‘Surat ney saheb ni murat’. Creditors were teased with ‘Multan kay Mallahji, Delhi kay Laaley; Surat kay Bhaisaheb, bheekh maangney ko chaley’<br />
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While all other proverbs are general in nature, the ones that describe the ladies of Tapi town are particularly distinct to their demeanor. On one hand they have been literally elevated on a pedestal in the saying ’Vadodra ni neechi naari ney Surat ni Paniyaari’ on the other there is an old couplet that goes ’Navsari ni nasaakhari, ney Bharuch ni bhatiyaari; Suratni toh aevi saari ,key khoon kariney kuttwa chaali’ meaning that Surti women are so crafty that they can get away even with murder.<br />
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An ancient entertaining ace penned long ago,which sketches out in general, the picture of Surti women who love to gossip remains true till date and goes, ’Gopipura ni gupp ney Chautey chaali chapachapp!’Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-88672128969639739962012-02-08T04:59:00.000-08:002012-02-08T04:59:17.453-08:00Discovering Damao In Daman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZcL8vNxnHJOMgGQAPai00QtFUfqR349Hacj7RDGJSQjeSu55-9oL5o1Akbe3VQJ8Ah-4RMPAzd5oy4qsP-HtLe7AjXkyCN5uh1GodJBLc6Oam4rm9CyLf1_qrxkM97iYSfHkqppn2fk/s1600/Bazarucos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="170" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZcL8vNxnHJOMgGQAPai00QtFUfqR349Hacj7RDGJSQjeSu55-9oL5o1Akbe3VQJ8Ah-4RMPAzd5oy4qsP-HtLe7AjXkyCN5uh1GodJBLc6Oam4rm9CyLf1_qrxkM97iYSfHkqppn2fk/s320/Bazarucos.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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DISCOVERING DAMAO IN DAMAN<br />
<br />
<br />
Vasco Da Gama discovered the sea trade route to India in 1498, but the Portuguese discovered Daman only in 1523 and that too by default. India’s Viceroy D.Nuno da Cunha had ordered ships to set sail towards Hormuz; when the one carrying Diogo de Melo got caught in a huge storm resulting an off coast embankment on the Daman Ganga river.<br />
<br />
Enchanted by the grandeur of the city’s port, Diogo brought it to the Viceroy’s notice. However, the Portuguese could conquer Daman only on 2nd February 1559, when Constanino de Braganza, the Governor of Goa, attacked the local Abyssinian defense of 3000 soldiers with a fleet of more than 100 vessels.<br />
<br />
The Governor ordered a new, stronger fort –St.Jerome to be erected, strategically located at the harbour, just a stone’s throw from the town market and appointed Diogo de Noronha as Captain – Major of Daman, with a team of 1200 men .For 400 years since, the twin fort city remained under Portuguese rule, until Operation Vijay launched on 17th December, 1961 by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force linked the territory to become an integral part of India. <br />
<br />
Four centuries of Portugal’s influence gave birth to new customs and cultures and the locals went with its flow. Historians confirm the territory of Daman, known as the Northern Province, extended from Bulsar to Bassein ( Valsad to Vasai). The Portuguese masterminded export of Indian goods to foreign shores from Daman’s market. ‘Trade and finance in Portuguese India ‘, by Celsa Pinto points out how Daman and Diu derived their strength from Gujarat’s plains, noted for their fertile soil and agricultural productivity like cotton, centers of textile like Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot supplied woven fabric while lowlands surrounded by hills and jungles benefited for opium production and teak. Daman’s percentage of coastal traders was higher than the other two Portugal settlements of the Estado.<br />
<br />
A paper written on Damao, by author Athos Fernandes for an international symposium,now published as a book on Goa-Portugal Their Cultural Links, informs readers about Portuguese domination in Daman - The first coin mint was established in 1617, when D.Lourenco de Tavora gave the license to mint copper coins known as bazarucos. The second and third mints came up on 1617 and 1769.Till date, locals often use the term ‘Num te bazaruco’- “I don’t have money.”<br />
<br />
In 1773, the prime minister of Portugal announced that the shipyard at Daman-Caliana had done more than the entire maritime unit of Goa had achieved in a century. Christened Royal Shipyard thereafter, it made famous vessels like frigate ‘D .Fernando e Gloria,’ (19th century) which sailed for 33 years, transporting military personal from India to Angola, to Mozambique and back.<br />
<br />
By the 19th century, Daman had its own newspaper -’O Portugues em Damao’, a weekly which began on 18th July 1835 and was so much in demand that it got distributed at night itself .Its editor was Prof.Solinas ,from Goa. Unlike the British who concentrated only on trade, the Portuguese were on a mission to spread religion and conversion. Churches, convents, colleges and seminaries sprouted up, beckoning neighbouring denizens. ’Our lady of Remedios’ at the Church in Moti Daman is believed to be a Hindu, one of the seven sisters of Goddess Laxmi, worshipped by seamen. .<br />
<br />
Flavours of culinary cuisine such as espetada de leitao, pao-de-lo, alh –piment de bombilins,xacuti,dal bafad,dampaca, bacalhau and borao ,savoured with imported wines along with locally prepared bolo de sura-fermented sap of the palm tree found favour at local tables on festive days. Caravel dance and Portugal’s fado music retained immense popularity with the Damanense. Fishermen’s folk songs merged with local lore are still sung out at the sea. <br />
<br />
Four hundred and fifty years since Daman was first influenced by the Portuguese, the impressions of its culture remain stamped all over the town. Last week, the Damanense celebrated World Daman Day on 2nd February, in nostalgia, sighing ,’Saudade Damao’and singing as Portuguese poet has penned in his collection ‘Mensagem’-<br />
<br />
“O Mar Salgado, quanto do teu Sal Sao Lagrimas de Portugal !”<br />
<br />
(Oh salty sea, how much of your salt are tears of Portugal!)Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-43828058126005187062012-02-08T04:51:00.000-08:002012-02-08T04:51:57.617-08:00Corkage Charge In Tipple Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqQkDY7oJ7K0p65LJ2aXCkOVGIm5M6cpvLggyejAPqAkW7zkapYg2OhK_LuZQdWFvypKPTcKKf7jmvlaguv0ANz-XWltQLvebMxP60dk-PkH3SBjo2KF4mNM1T5pK-vDcm1NJa1Ymgzw/s1600/corkscrew_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqQkDY7oJ7K0p65LJ2aXCkOVGIm5M6cpvLggyejAPqAkW7zkapYg2OhK_LuZQdWFvypKPTcKKf7jmvlaguv0ANz-XWltQLvebMxP60dk-PkH3SBjo2KF4mNM1T5pK-vDcm1NJa1Ymgzw/s320/corkscrew_300.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Corkage Charge In Tipple Town<br />
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<br />
Surat’s most popular senior citizens-Mr.Magan Batla and aunty Batli held a, ‘Dampened Spirits Drive’ last evening.<br />
<br />
It was in lieu of a protest against the arrest of the honourable city Mayor’s cousin brother and others, on charges of consuming alcohol in a public place (a Ghoddod Road discotheque, barely half a kilometer from Umra Police Station and just a hop, skip and jump behind the Mayor’s home, a backyard premises he has rented out).<br />
<br />
It wasn’t an Alcoholics Anonymous meet, mind you, which surprisingly exists at large through the dry state, with Surat scoring the maximum number of members there too.<br />
<br />
This was one where so called thinkers of Tapi town came together to discuss on a sober and serious note, the price and punishment that denizens are paying for prohibition.<br />
<br />
On the promise that they remain incognito, anguished Surtis stated their quotes and views of the public in general.<br />
<br />
“Prohibition has become the new weapon for vendetta in our town! Anyone can pick up the phone and complaint .There is no end as to how many ‘mehfils’ police raids will yield from homes, every single night.”<br />
<br />
“Imagine what kind of names will tumble out if we apply via RTI to know who all have been arrested for alcohol consumption in Gujarat, so far?”<br />
<br />
“Vat 69 ney vaat laga di!”<br />
<br />
“My uncle is penning a new prohibition Kolaveri version called,” Why this hypocrisy, hypocrisy policy di, ho Modi!”<br />
<br />
“Where is the booze coming in from? I read that bootleggers supplying to Gujarat have an annual turnover of 1500 crores!”<br />
<br />
“Those are last year’s figures, now that the noose is tighter, rates might have doubled.”<br />
<br />
“I always assumed that having an alcohol permit meant ‘License to drink’ but, my friends were sitting ducks and met their nemesis in an apartment when they were raided for drinking at home!”<br />
<br />
“Dint this happen the same night as the one in which Parmeshwar Godrej’s party for Oprah was raided thrice by the Mumbai Pandus?”<br />
<br />
“No, and stupid, Mumbai does not have prohibition issues, they were raided for causing commotion next to an MLA’s residence.”<br />
<br />
“I am a teetotaler, yet, I pay more taxes because prohibition costs a loss of Rs.3000 crores of revenue to the government and I heard that they have to make up for it by hiking our basic taxes.”<br />
<br />
“Aaprey toh kaee didhu, aapunney kaai pher parto nathi, lai javo ander,juo ! Bus,aapra bapa hudhi vaat nahi pahunchvi joyey ,whu ?” <br />
<br />
‘I have decided to pen a book on it and name it “Night at Police Station; Nightmare at Civil Hospital”<br />
<br />
“Surat’s police are trying really hard to brush off last year’s accusation of procuring the maximum bribes in the matter of prohibition. A leading weekly national magazine had summed it up to around 70 lakhs.”<br />
<br />
“Can you imagine that wedding cocktail parties are now the main reason for Surtis to organize destination weddings? How do you expect us hoteliers to lose millions of rupees in this manner and still take it in the right spirit?<br />
<br />
“The closest getaway is Daman, with the amount of spurious liquor flowing from there these days; you could have a river of elixir running through it!<br />
<br />
“I hear after acing at duplicate Black Label, they now excel at aping single malts too, packaging and all!”<br />
<br />
“Daru, daru, daru, daru, daru, daru, daru hic!”<br />
<br />
“Can we please get back to the issue now? Do you know how distilleries are minting millions by shoving excise free booze into the state?”<br />
<br />
“Also, hooch king pins are crorepatis here.”<br />
<br />
“This is just a vote bank policy, in the name of Gandhiji.”<br />
<br />
“Did you know that Gandhiji’s grandson had once stated on national television that, “There are many other things which Bapu stood for which we should be practicing, but which no one does. Prohibition in Gujarat is an industry which finances politics, politicians and police."<br />
<br />
“How come having no prohibition in SEZ does not offend Bapu, but consuming alcohol in other areas of Gujarat does?”<br />
<br />
“I think it’s the women in the state, who vote in favour of prohibition, whom politicians do not want to displease.”<br />
<br />
“ Eni maaney !!!!!! ……….pun mari ni maaney !”Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-69067266821446525012011-12-08T18:05:00.000-08:002011-12-08T18:05:31.832-08:00British Punch: A Surti ConcoctionBRITISH PUNCH: A SURTI CONCOCTION<br />
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<i>You know from Eastern India came<br />
The skill of making punch as did the name.<br />
And as the name consists of letters five,<br />
By five ingredients it is kept alive<br />
</i><br />
It is a curious fact, not generally known, that Britain’s favourite alcoholic beverage – Punch, was stirred up in the English factory at Surat. The word itself is derived from the Hindustani word Palepunsche or Panch; meaning ‘five’ which were the number of ingredients that added up to prepare the spirit.<br />
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In an account of the English factors at Surat,in his book on ‘Early Records of the British Settlements in India’,J.Talsboy .Wheeler narrates how on Fridays ,after prayers, the President and a few friends met for the purpose of drinking to the health of their wives ,whom they had left in England.” Some made to their advantage of this meeting to get more than they could well carry away, though every man was at liberty to drink what he pleased, and to mix the arrack as he thought fit or to drink Palepuntz which is a drink consisting of aqua vitae,rose-water,juice of citrons, sugar and cinnamon.”<br />
<br />
<i>This recipe I give to thee,<br />
Dear brother in the heat.<br />
Take two of sour (lime let it be)<br />
To one and a half of sweet,<br />
Of old arrack pour three strong,<br />
And add four parts of weak.<br />
Then mix and drink. I do no wrong —<br />
I know whereof I speak.<br />
</i><br />
That the Brits found the heat and dust in India unbearable is no state secret. Besides, the locally available arrack was as traveler Bernier put it,” a drink very hot and penetrate, like the brandy made of corn in Poland.” Little wonder then, that diluting the arrack in the punch provided the high without heat to the English.” It (punch) acts as a drug, for, it cleanse the stomach, and dissipates the superfluous humours by a temperate heat particular to it.” wrote the traveler who highly approved of the decoction.<br />
<br />
<i>And if I get drunk, well, me money's me own <br />
And them don't like me they can leave me alone <br />
I'll chune me fiddle and I'll rosin me bow <br />
And I'll be welcome wherever I go.<br />
</i><br />
<br />
Another factor that made punch extremely popular was that it was affordable. As Philip Anderson states in,’The English in Western India’,”The soul of a feast which is good wine was to be found nowhere but in the Dutch and English factories. Usually imported from Shiraz or the Canaries it was available at six crowns a bottle.” On festive days, two common tables were laid out, one where the Governor and higher servants dined while the other was appointed to the English factors and writers, differing only in this, ’one had a great deal of punch and little wine and the other what wine you please, and a little punch” The finest arrack flowed in from Goa and Bengal and was best savored by diluting its strength in punch. During winter months, local toddy replaced arrack. Often, factors like Fryer carried brandy in a flask and diluted it with sherbets when invited to teetotaler dinners by the Surti moors.<br />
What more diversion can a man desire? <br />
<br />
<i>Than to sit him down by an alehouse fire <br />
Upon his knee a pretty wench <br />
And upon the table a jug of punch<br />
</i><br />
<br />
Tapi town was once tipple town and its taverns were popularly visited by English sailors. Anderson further writes,” Cases of poisoning were said to be frequent in these taverns. The rude manners of British seamen led them to use a freedom with the dark ladies. A rough kiss or an offensive piece of raillery would often result in the sailor paying penalty by his death. The black wench whose employment was to make that beloved mixture of arrack and punch would contrive in a subtle skillful manner to make the punch bowl fatal for the man who abused her, while his companions drank without the slightest injury to themselves.”<br />
<br />
Punch was as popular with the Dutch as it was with the English. At Surat’s Dutch cemetery, there once existed a tomb with a huge punch bowl in stone on top. Made in the memory of a merry maker who wanted his friends to come drink and celebrate each time they visited his grave. <br />
<br />
<i>And when I'm dead and in my grave <br />
No costly tombstone will I crave <br />
Just lay me down in my native peat <br />
With a jug of punch at my head and feet.<br />
</i>Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-64744612825854673672011-12-04T04:36:00.000-08:002011-12-04T04:37:40.829-08:00ORIGINAL SURTI OOMPH LA LA!Original Surti Oomph La La!<br />
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<br />
Hollywood’s ultimate sweetheart Marilyn Monroe once observed,” The trouble with censors is that they worry if a girl has cleavage. They ought to worry if she hasn't any.”<br />
<br />
Bollywood’s cleavage kumaris on the other hand, have a heavier load to carry; they work hard to bust myths that women who expose skin and a little more other intimate stuff, need not know how to act as well. <br />
<br />
As women go ‘eeeyuw!’ in disgust and men drool oh la la in lust over Vidya Balan’s dirty pictures that have been in our faces since a month now, Surti Lalas are lamenting for a different reason altogether.<br />
<br />
Ever since Lalas became aware that Balaji Film’s blasphemous yet famous upcoming flick has been ‘inspired’ by the late southern siren Silk Smitha, speculation has been rife in our man made textile markets as to how our Art silk nee Nylon Namithaa, would have been the best choice for the role, compared to Viscose Vidya.<br />
<br />
Earlier this year, I had interviewed Vidya and she had opened her heart sharing girlie secrets saying,” Deep down I am actually just a simple Tam –Brahm girl who loves collecting jhumkis, removes her ayurvedic kaajal with desi ghee and lounges about in comfy Juicy Couture track pants when not shooting cinema, there is nothing over ambitious about me. ”<br />
<br />
Consider this, an actor who had worked with Silk in the past pointed out to TOI that,"Vidya lacks oomph and looks nothing like Silk. Her physical attributes don't add up. Silk was dusky, she was slightly over 5 feet 7 inches tall; her eyes were big and when she did those sexy movements of licking her thick luscious lips and rolling her eyes up in a dreamy way, she gave men something to think about.”<br />
<br />
Surat’s Namithaa on the other hand, fits the description of Silk‘s bill to a T. Other than being equally voluptuous, like Smitha, Namita hails from a small town yet has achieved superstar status on her own gutsy chutzpah and charm. Like Silk, she has successfully played the sultry seductress and flirty Savithri among other roles, wearing knotty blouses in Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam and Kannada films. In 2009, with her first Malyalam flick Black Stallion, she became ‘the most Googled Indian Actress’<br />
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From a plain Jane girl next door in Adajan, Namita Vankawala to Namithaa Kapoor the southern superstar for whom, fans have built an exclusive temple, was a journey accomplished by flaunting vital stats along with acting assets for a long run in the industry.<br />
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Tapi town’s veteran theatre personality, Kapil Dev Shukla , who trained Namita, an MTB College of Art’s student in dramatics reminisces how sincere she was, “She was under my tutelage from 1999 to 2004 and was a keen and quick learner with great potential. After winning Miss Surat, she acted in four plays for my company. She was extremely hard working and always came prepared with her dialogues, her diction was extremely clear. The first role she enacted was in my play ‘Priya Pappa’ and you may be surprised to know she played the character of a mother in it. ”<br />
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It took a lot of convincing to get Namita’s parents to allow her to participate for the 2001 Miss India title. In her own words, she came from “a very orthodox family where girls get married at the age of 19.” Her businessman father and homemaker mother were not too happy about their daughter joining the glamour industry. That year, Celina Jaitley won the title, Namita was the fourth runner up but, secured first position in the ‘viewer’s choice ‘category. Since 2002, she shed her inhibitions and catapulted to Tolly/ Kollywood queen status. Back home, if Namithaa were to walk Surti streets, few would recognize her, leave alone worship her, but this buxom babe has always maintained that it is Surat alone that strums the strings of her heart.<br />
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Surat dished out Bollywood’s very first sizzlers- Fatma Begum, Sultana, Shahzadi and Zubeida who set box-office cash counters jingling, sent censors in a tizzy and drove viewers crazy. Like them, Namitha has made it big on her own in alien territory on the mere basis of her original Surti oomph la la.Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-67042950023126133112011-11-19T11:48:00.000-08:002011-11-19T11:48:18.643-08:00Ghazal's Unforgettable MaestroGhazal’s Unforgettable Maestro <br />
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It’s been a month since his unfortunate death, yet, this columnist, along with millions of other fans world over, can’t quit mourning the silence of ghazal’s soothing yet tragic voice because we relate our lives to his songs.<br />
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My earliest memories of listening to ghazals albeit without then understanding their beher (meter), are of those at parties my parents threw for their Gujarati theatre artist friends in our Bombay home. As the evening grew on, the LP would play out some soul stirring fare by Jagjit and his partner in rhyme - Chitra. Occasionally, the late and very handsome Pravin Joshi would hum along gently as one hand held a cigarette and the other hand gestured in the air while his eyes welled up. His wife, the original drama queen -Sarita Joshi ( now a television star) would go a step further and give a shot at a few light hearted graceful dance moments. The Ghazals lent their intensity to the ambiance with lilting lyrics like Nida Fazli’s,“Duniya jisse kehtey hai jaadoo ka khilona hai” and Firaq’s, “Bahut pehle se unn qadmon ki aahat jaan letey hai,tujhey ae Zindagi hum duur se pehchaan letey hai” <br />
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Later, we shifted base from Mumbai to Surat and the parents loved entertaining the locals at terrace dos (they still do, since old habits die hard).It is with much nostalgia and a very heavy heart that we reminiscence all afore heard songs now.<br />
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The magic of the maestro’s renditions lay in the fact that his compositions unpretentiously put convoluted Urdu poetry into simple harmonious tunes; which found way to the lips of the common man . So, you would have a Surti businessman swooning to the poetry of Faiz or that of the mellifluous Mirza Ghalib, totally oblivious of the ‘takhallous’, yet in perfect sync with Ghazal’s rules of 'Matla', 'Maqta', 'Beher', 'Kaafiyaa' and 'Radif' .Who could have imagined a Surti lala lisping, “unnke dekhe se jo aajaati hain muh per raunaq, woh samajhtey hai ke bimaar ka haal achha hai”, had it not been for Jagjit Singh.<br />
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It was his ear for well penned verse that made him stick to his guns when he insisted on recording as his first LP, the skillfully scripted “Baat niklegi toh duur talaq jayega,log bewajah udaasi ka sabab puchengey”, a nazm that he had chanced upon in the Urdu magazine ‘Shama’ ;even though previous efforts to record it had run out of luck, the LP version went on to become one of his greatest masterpieces. Who can forget the effervescent charm of “Teri khushbu mein basey khat mein jalaata kaise?” or the jugalbandhi of two ghazals sung as one,with genius tact – Sudarshan Faakir’s“ Ishq mein ghairratey jazbaat ney roney na diya” along with Khwaja Hyder Ali’s “ Yaar ko mainey mujhey yaarne soney na diya “ <br />
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Lyrics for Singh’s first Gujarati ghazal album “Jeevan Maran Ek Chey “were verses of Gujarat’s Ghalib aka Mareez of Surat. Jagjit made sure his audience understood him well, he never missed an opportunity to take time out in between live concerts, to explain the lafz that he was going to sing, and this bonded him to his listeners’ big time. Be it Surtis at Indoor Stadium or The Royal Albert Hall, with its prim and propah crowd, none would hesitate to sing along in chorus, ’ahista,ahista’ to ,’shabe furkat kaa jaagaa huun farishton ab to sone do/ kabhii fursat mein kar lenaa hisaab ahista ahista’.<br />
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From Punjabi renditions teamed with humorous anecdotes to the tear jerker “Kagaz ki kashti ,woh baarish ka paani”, there was something for everyone .Other than his commercial cinema hits, his ghazals were for all of love’s seasons .Be it Sahir Hoshiyarpuri’s flirty,” Kaun kehta hai mohobbat ki zubaan hoti hai, yeh haqeeqat toh nigahon se bayaan hoti hai -the intoxication of new found love, to a lover’s yearning, from a jilted lover’s lament to love lost for ever.<br />
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I distinctly remember a comment by one of Surat’s popular surgeons, Dr Piyush Khanna, all starry eyed at the riverside lawns of a local five star hotel where Singh performed to an awestruck audience.” He is the real doctor alright, a doctor of broken hearts which he miraculously cures instantaneously.” Said the surgeon.<br />
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One of my favourite Jagjit – Chitra number is “Sunntey hai ke mil jaati hai hurr cheez dua se, ek roz tumhey maangke dekheyngey Khuda se.”<br />
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Alas! If only we could just ask him back from the Almighty.Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-33836327695776962452011-10-11T07:38:00.000-07:002011-10-11T07:39:19.329-07:00Hope Less For HeritageTombstone to kitchen slabs:<br />
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The SMC (Surat Municipal Corporation) is all set to sell Surat’s heritage-Hope Bridge as scrap. Should we be surprised? In a sheer case of neglect by the local governing body, Surat’s heritage sites seem to have slight hope of surviving. Here is another such story:<br />
GRAVE DANGER <br />
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In 2000 years of its existence in India, the now minuscule Jewish community has never faced anti-Semitism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KjEDUIPjW9vSBNul45GmZM_0ia9YMwIxCulakwEGttpdzNmnXDhvBG40eHXkinlB2q93JX2fA8JpENsVH6dohlKPIKqKnuLLy7JMRC3t2cFtmOXHk9r00FpTE3KEa0i5eFmJZ8dWDx0/s1600/Jewish+Cemetary4-Katargam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="206" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KjEDUIPjW9vSBNul45GmZM_0ia9YMwIxCulakwEGttpdzNmnXDhvBG40eHXkinlB2q93JX2fA8JpENsVH6dohlKPIKqKnuLLy7JMRC3t2cFtmOXHk9r00FpTE3KEa0i5eFmJZ8dWDx0/s320/Jewish+Cemetary4-Katargam.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Holding on to their own identity; the Jews in India have Christian neighbours, Hindu colleagues and Muslim caretakers.<br />
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They celebrate with equal zest Durga Puja, Diwali, Rosh Hashanah and Christmas. Their synagogues here often resound with incantations in Hebrew echoing recitation from Talmud and Torah.<br />
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Our superstars and celebrities sport Star of David tattoos, our gourmands relish delicatessen from kosher cuisine, prime areas in metros such as Mumbai and Kolkuta are till date known after icons such as Sassoon and Ezra.<br />
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It was in Surat that the Baghdadi Jews first step foot on when they arrived in India .A prosperous merchant community from Aleppo, descendants of which migrated to Calcutta. They were cosmopolitan businessmen who extended their trading and financial network around the globe, dealing in Arabian horses, precious gemstones and rosewater.<br />
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The Encyclopedia of Jewish Diaspora‘s earliest record states,’ In 1730, Joseph Semah arrived from Baghdad to Surat and set up the Surat Synagogue here.’ When it comes to Jewish cemeteries however, Surat stands not much better off than Pakistan. As land sharks, vandals and garbage encroach upon and shatter the sanctity of their final place of rest, the last surviving tombs of Baghdadi Jews in Surat, struggle to protect their proof of life.<br />
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While the city’s English and Dutch cemeteries are now protected by the ASI and are the pride of the city’s ancient past, an 18th century Baghdadi Jewish graveyard is surprisingly, part of a private industrial estate ! Its present owners, the Asarawallas, chase off any visitors who try to enter the premises which faces the main road on Katargam. <br />
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Miscreants often climb over the 10 foot wall to use this unique burial ground as a urinal, garbage dump or sit around the graves to enjoy locally made alcohol, bottles of which they dump around this graveyard.<br />
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“In general, the cemetery is in a terrible state of neglect, this is clearly a legacy looted.” says Dr. Shalva Weil, Senior Researcher-Research Institute for Innovation in Education, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel<br />
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One of the graves within is that of Moseh Tobi, buried here in 1769, he was considered an elder leader. In his book ‘A History of the Jews in Baghdad’, David Solomon Sassoon has mentioned “In the year 1769 Moses Tobi, who is styled ha-Nasi ha- Zaken [The Elder Prince] died in Surat”<br />
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In the urban mess of the city, while this heritage site is on the verge of extinction, another Jewish cemetery has already disappeared. In February 2003, Dr.Sara Manasseh from London, visited and reported the dire straits of two Jewish cemeteries in Surat, to the then Municipal Commissioner, Mr.Aloria.<br />
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Ms Manasseh’s report stated how these burial sites of historical, communal, national and archaeological importance were infested with wild pigs and garbage, urging the local governing body to take action and save them. <br />
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No action was taken, as a result of which, the Bene Israeli Kabrastan, which was in the vicinity of the SMC offices at Mugalisara, now longer exists. ”There are no more Jews left in Surat, in the absence of caretakers, their graves have disappeared too. The entire area was encroached upon by slum dwellers who converted marble tombstones into kitchen platforms.” Says Jolly Wellington, who resides in the vicinity.<br />
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“Jewish graves have beautiful cupolas and marble gravestones. But often, Jewish graveyards are not preserved by the civic authorities as part of the city’s heritage and history. In this context, the Vadodara Israeli Kabrastan is a very good example, as to how, a citizen’s initiative could preserve it”says writer Esther David.<br />
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In 2004, the Israeli Kabrastan at Nizampura in the Banyan city was saved by an awareness drive run by TOI and prominent denizens who lent support.<br />
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Can we hope to save our heritage? Or is that too much to ask from us Surtis; a business minded community whose prosperous present exists due to its glorious past.Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-77058743017231446932011-10-02T21:04:00.000-07:002011-10-02T21:04:50.091-07:009 Divine Prachin Garbas<b>9 Divine Prachin Garbas</b><br />
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With the return of popular Prachin (traditional) Garbas this year, raas revelers within Surat’s sheris have been swinging to pious ancient prayers.<br />
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Penned centuries ago, the essence of these folklores in song format is about the miracles of Mataji in all her Nav Durga incarnations <br />
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All garba evenings commence with the Jay Aadhya Shakti Aarti , post which garbas are sung out in praise of individual goddesses <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Qj90yk6lm6hyphenhyphenvQ8_laZHQDXe9C8ZXxYW3mmHczNwpnw4FQYykHkD-81gAs3pb7QuZaT1d2ljGaI7yRYfNFWiuPzi1tQgzeMwN45K72MN-SD8nwZwtcWHyI0i1kPHNuyyEOriqpiwmnE/s1600/Navratri79-Umiyadham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="223" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Qj90yk6lm6hyphenhyphenvQ8_laZHQDXe9C8ZXxYW3mmHczNwpnw4FQYykHkD-81gAs3pb7QuZaT1d2ljGaI7yRYfNFWiuPzi1tQgzeMwN45K72MN-SD8nwZwtcWHyI0i1kPHNuyyEOriqpiwmnE/s320/Navratri79-Umiyadham.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<b>1.Padvey thee pehlu Ma nu nortu jee rey</b>- Officially sung out as the first garba of Navratri, this song comprises of the importance of the nine nortas in accordance to the nine goddesses, describing the strength of each avatar - Śhailaputrī, Brahmachārini, Chandrakaṇṭā, Kuṣhmāṇḍā, Skandamātā, Kātyāyanī, Kālarātrī, Mahāgaurī and Siddhidātrī<br />
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<b>2.Aadhya shakti tujne namu re bahuchara</b> – Penned by Vallabh Dholabhai Bhatt,this is known as ‘Vallabh no garbo’. Mythology mentions that Bhatt was born deaf and dumb but was gifted the boon of Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and miraculously cured, after which he spent his life penning devotional songs like ‘darshan gyani aanand no garbo’. Legend also has it that Vallabh’s faith in the unseen Goddess led him to be imprisoned by the then Mughal ruler and his prayers to Aadhya Shakti Ma resulted in her promise of showing her presence to humans. The goddess appeared at Nathdwara, within the idol of Shrinathji, which is why, since then, Shrinathji, who is a male God has been adorned with a ‘nathni’ (nose ring.)<br />
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<b>3.Maa no garbo re ramey raj ne darbar</b> –Known as ‘Virat no garbo’ this one goes all out to describe the sheer splendour and magnitude of the Goddess’s might.<br />
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<b>4.Maa Pava te gadh thi utarya Mahakali re</b> ( Goddess Mahakali descended from the Pavagadh hills) <br />
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<b>5.Tu Kali re ne kalyaani Maa</b> ( Thou ,goddess Kali are the miracle maker ) <br />
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<b>6.Patayee raja garbadiyo koravo</b><br />
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<b>7.Tu Pava ma ‘pragtani’ re Maa</b><br />
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These four songs sung in praise of Ma Kali Pavagadh wali are arguably the most popular and also the most controversial. While the first two speak of her divine prowess, the latter two are about the story of king Patayee of Pavagadh, notorious for having misbehaved with Kali Ma by trying to hold the helm of her sari pallu and inviting her to spend a night at his palace, which is why ,many singers belt out the lyrics as ‘Tu Pavani Patrani re Ma “ ( you are the queen of Pavagadh) which is incorrect. Rajkot’s music composer Utpal Jivrajani argues this theory and points that,”Historical granths have clearly stated that king Patayee was in fact Maa Kali’s great devotee.”<br />
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<b>8.Vishwambhari stuti akhil vishwa</b>-This devotional song with authentic chhand matra ek taal is phonetically pronounced in Sanskrit. The charm of this classic composition lies in the fact that it is sung out in perfection, at every home, crossroad and garba venue, even by people who do not know Sanskrit and are neither trained in music.<br />
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<b>9.Amba aavo to ramiye Maa maney ramta nahi aavde</b>- A friendly teaser to Amba Maa ,inviting her to teach and play garba with mere mortals, its lyrics are endearing and childlike.<br />
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It is through songs such as these that the bond between goddesses and devotees has strengthened since ages. As the baton of tradition is passed on down generations, the ‘Garbhdeep’- lamp within earthen pot stays illuminated forever even as believers soulfully belt out ,’Pawan sapata thay,toye Maa no garbo ghoomto jaay’Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-60939612910605106872011-10-02T20:54:00.000-07:002011-10-02T20:59:02.166-07:00Layman's Quickie Dodhiyu GuideLayman’s Quickie Dodhiyu Guide<br />
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All right people, its time to sway and it don’t matter if you think you are not up to it. You need to be out there in the swirling circle as hearts and feet go scampering, trying to out do each others beats. <br />
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You have tried your hand at fencing the simple raas dandiya and returned home with a swollen finger or two. You managed to maneuver within human circles that swung to the humble two taali and three taali garbas, but now, dread dandiya season’s big bad daddy - the Dodhiyu.<br />
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A’ Dodhiyu’ in Gujarati means ‘one and a half’. It consists of a ménage-`a-troi of hop, skip and jump. One needs to hip hop, skip a beat or two and then jump in victorious delight. Often, the hands do not climax in a clap, even as one’s head sways in smooth surrender.<br />
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Invented by Amdavadis in the early eighties, the Dodhiyu is dependant on rhythm alone .It allows independent expression of one’s major body parts, as limbs, abdomen, hips, eyes and neck gracefully groove to an unchained melody. Instructors describe it as, ‘a dizzy drill which makes you forget whether you are going to or fro, while you crave for more.’<br />
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Here is a step by step breakdown to understand it a little better:<br />
You begin in a circle facing outwards, step out with your right foot while your left hand shows the way, then step inwards half a circle with your left foot even as arms gracefully sway out in full swing, fore fingers pointing skywards, next, a sudden turn in the opposite direction,a full circle ensures that you are part of the merry go round, jerk your body as you skip a beat and take a heech before you take the next two steps forward, one inward and the other outwards to complete the routine of one permutation and reach the position you had begun from - a total of 6 moves if you please.<br />
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If you think that was complicated, remember, it’s just the first, basic step. One then upgrades to 8, 10, 12, 16, 22,26,32,36 steps which include innumerable variations of hand and footwork.<br />
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While Vadodara’s garba girls are renowned for their graceful gait in this art, in Surat, Dodhiyu is slick and spicy and has more ingredients to it than the Surti Undhiyu. This year Surtis are swaying to the Millennium Twist - a do it yourself 42 step Dodhiyu which makes the watchers swoon as revelers go in and out and all about, doing their thing in a peacock like prance.<br />
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Be warned that the Dodhiyu is extremely addictive and once you have mastered the art, nothing will manage to stop you from swinging.Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-35503167369153248102011-10-02T20:51:00.000-07:002015-10-22T17:55:46.215-07:00Here Come The Hautesteppers......Ae HaaloIn Gujarat, it is one thing to celebrate Navratri for its religious purpose and completely another to live it up for its sheer glam quotient .These nine and a half nights bring along with them the haute stepping sultans of swing, out in full splendour with bare feet, barer backs.
Backless cholis make sexy humjolis(companions)and Gujarati women hold their place in history for having invented the same. In his book’ Indian Dress: A Brief History’, author Charles Louis Fabri has noted how, ‘The first recorded examples of the choli, the bodice or blouse, are found, in the pre-Mughal miniature paintings of Gujarat, mostly Jain religious manuscript illuminations.’ Present fashion’s gravity defying tactful tailor technology not only manages to gracefully hold the shoulder boulder in place but also save face in stringy situations, even as the booty is held together by a mere fancy broach or semi precious stone. “Bollywood has a marked impression on Surat’s revelers this year. I have designed Kareena cholis with Bodygaurd movie colour themes, as well as Singham ghaghras. Surtis are swearing by locally made laces on brocade, jacquard crepes for ghaghras teamed with sheer chiffon or georgette dupattas .The look is heavy but light in weight .Only participants of competitions are sticking to traditional patch worked gear.” says Sangeeta Choksi, who designs for Surat’s suburbians.<br />
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The Jolie art behind the cholis too has undergone a new avatar. Younger girls are opting for tattoos on small of their backs and their waists, a la Deepika from Dum Maro Dum, shown off at the spot where the odhani is tucked in. Ahmedabad’s popular tattoo artist Jagruti Parmar points out that,” Youngsters want their tattoos to look permanent and so, this year, stickers and paint are passé. The in thing is translucent nail varnish and a transparent top up coat ensures that its sweat proof too. It’s easy to apply and quick to change. Girls have patterns like a base butterfly /dragonfly etched out in black ink and they come in to change the design and colour of their wings everyday, to match their outfit.” The boys meanwhile are getting temporarily inked on neck napes and behind ear lobes, to show off body art. Magnetic diamante ear studs for boys as well as push button navel studs and rings for girls are sparkling this season, and have replaced body piercing. Florescent coloured braids are making way within hairdos to match up to the magnetism of garba gear.
Unlike Vadodara’s strictly traditional garba ramzhat, jhankaar beats are set to jazz up Mallika Sherawat’s ‘Jalebi Bai’ number at commercial venues within the state. Rajkot’s Racecourse grounds are offering pure Prachin and Arvachin Garbas sung out in the praise of the nine goddesses of Navratri.” The locals have demanded pure folk songs this year. Also making a big come back are Titodas, and remix Dhunki Daklas like ‘Ae Ma khamma khamma maadi’.Daklas are played to the beat of talking drums - an instrument known as Daklu.” Says singer Utpal Jivrajani. The only modern theme here is sneakers, as twirling troupes have matched chaniya cholis and kediyu dhotis with sports shoes for better stepping comfort. It’s the season of dancing, prancing and romancing and Gujaratis are putting their finest step forward.Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-20526142093475639772011-09-18T18:58:00.000-07:002011-09-18T19:00:45.599-07:00Stand By MeHope For Heritage<br />
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<i>‘When the night has come and the land is dark<br />
And the moon is the only light we see.<br />
No I won’t be afraid, no I won’t be afraid <br />
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.<br />
And darling, darling, stand by me</i>…..’<br />
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These lyrics that were originally penned by John Lennon for The Beatles’ legendry album -‘Unsurpassed Masters’, have now, somehow found their way for a song in Ra.One-an upcoming Shah Rukh Khan flick. But these lyrics literally stand true for Surat’s good old Hope Bridge. <br />
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For, since the time it was constructed, the Hope Bridge has never failed to strongly stand by us Surtis. Since 1882, records have been maintained of flood gauges at the Hope Bridge. <br />
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Official reports in the book ‘Hydrology and water resources of India’ by Sharad K. Jain, Pushpendra K. Agarwal, Vijay P. Singh ,state how “Floods were a frequent phenomenon in Tapi river before Ukai Dam was constructed. During 1876 to 1970, danger level was crossed at the Hope Bridge, in Surat on 19 instances. This implies a frequency of once every five years. High floods were experienced during three consecutive years from 1882 to 1884.There was a very high flood in August 1944 and actually two almost similar flood peaks occurred in the same week. A heavy flood, only slightly lower than that in 1994 was experienced again in 1945. Consecutive large floods were also observed in 1958 and 1959.Heavy floods were observed in 1968, 1969 and 1970.The floods of September 1959 and August 1968 were catastrophic. The floods of 1994 and 1998 also cause considerable damage to Surat city.’<br />
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While we Surtis have recently waged a war for air connectivity, the Hope Bridge is our pioneer symbol for connectivity. In the book ‘Power Protest and Participation: Local Elites and Development in India’, author Subrata K Mitra has pointed out that,”One of the major factors for Surat’s substantial change in economy was the growth of means of transport and communication. The construction of a railway line in 1860 and the building of a bridge the Hope Bridge on the Tapti in 1877 contributed greatly to trade and commerce. Closer links with the world outside also provided greater incentives of mobility.’ How can we afford to disregard the importance of this network of metal that has helped the town strengthen its mettle?<br />
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Even as we extend our unconditional support to the Anna Hazare movement, it is Hope Bridge that connected Gandhians and played a major role in the lives of many. Bapu’s personal secretary, Mahadev Desai, the man who translated Bapu’s ‘My experiments with the truth’ to English, has a strong connection with Hope Bridge. In Desai’s biography, ’The Fire and the Rose’, it is noted how Mahadev and his friends commuted via the bridge for education.,’The three boys used to go to Surat from Adajan through the fields, on the river bank and then cross the river by Hope Bridge.Mahadev studied at Surat High School.’<br />
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In an interview with our previous Municipal Commissioner Ms. S .Aparna, I asked which her favourite place in Surat was. She answered,” I love being on the bridges. Surat appears most beautiful from them.” As denizens of this town, if you still fail to connect with Hope, try asking your parents or grandparents about it and watch their memories flow. The beauty of Tapi riverfront project is unimaginable without the ancient charm of the Hope Bridge. Envisage how someday, you could take your favourite novel and coffee mug and enjoy it on a riverside bench while you gaze out at the fabulous framework of Hope Bridge occasionally.<br />
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Earlier this year, the people of Kashmir saved their heritage bridges –Zaina Kadal (15th century) and Zero bridge (1957), the last two wooden bridges which are ‘the epitome of tradition.’ The Punular Suspension Bridge in Kerala (1877) was saved by a citizen movement. From peaceful protest walks, to candle light vigils and college student visits for causes believed in, it’s the citizen support that has helped save heritage, the world over. <br />
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You need not be a superhero to save heritage, just be you, as Hope calls out ,<br />
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<i>'whenever you are in trouble wont you stand by me ,oh now ,now stand by me,just as long as you stand,stand by me,stand by me.<br />
</i>Ashleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600977571030232688.post-71592556025485841822011-09-11T20:40:00.000-07:002011-09-11T21:03:09.035-07:00Hope For HeritageHope for Heritage<br />
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Theodore Hope,a British civil servant in the late 1800s,was in love with Gujarat's heritage and even penned a book on Ahmedabads architecture.It is a sad commentary on todays times that the Surat Municipal Corporation is planning to sell as scrap a bridge named after him <br />
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The state government may be willing to reduce to rubbish Surat's Heritage Hope Bridge circa 1877, but theman behind the bridge-Theodore Cracraft Hope believed in appreciating and preserving Gujarat’s ancient architecture.<br />
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Hope penned the book ‘Architecture at Ahmedabad :The Capital of Goozerat’in 1866 ,for The Committee of Architectural Antiquities of Western India,under the patronage of Premchand Raichand .Dedicated to the memory of Hon. Alexander Kinloch Forbes, who inspired Hopes and awakened a “ Love for the romantic history and graceful architecture of Goozerat “ in him.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_8s7DE5oZ3svwmVuWgSLBB3UA-dfQtlJjqZzVa8dDa7Mq9-AJCFHpOmVEnaiBh87iEclsrOCv0ph1j1KApu0UFJcdejfdQJd7qi-B6O4TDOfojDIsewRJ3ARa0zjUEPZ662fTXJPeGY/s1600/wow+vav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_8s7DE5oZ3svwmVuWgSLBB3UA-dfQtlJjqZzVa8dDa7Mq9-AJCFHpOmVEnaiBh87iEclsrOCv0ph1j1KApu0UFJcdejfdQJd7qi-B6O4TDOfojDIsewRJ3ARa0zjUEPZ662fTXJPeGY/s320/wow+vav.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUwzH1qg44uIPExVmtT633kugcFEaX2QrwPR1hULXDdSTDTuTMURhQl6WXv1TyIP-u5gBnH1noEgw7J8dNGcZ9TRPaOu6Q09ugpfFdubJawIeMGsUmXdQLXfMGvQNiWxgwUoweMJ9dKY/s1600/sarkhej+roza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="265" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUwzH1qg44uIPExVmtT633kugcFEaX2QrwPR1hULXDdSTDTuTMURhQl6WXv1TyIP-u5gBnH1noEgw7J8dNGcZ9TRPaOu6Q09ugpfFdubJawIeMGsUmXdQLXfMGvQNiWxgwUoweMJ9dKY/s320/sarkhej+roza.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzdwNic0Yk5otKMyuNpRjOTOVwGNOLJTM8bNj-H78j6tzUc80HixfjLuW0cHM8z6jPAxHOYeZogeGAWG9qUbEZh7cNJkMMl8zt2qhViSE53XFGy07mD9EvlX4K5YfmFe4MIkeZtz0Gwc/s1600/Kankaria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="268" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzdwNic0Yk5otKMyuNpRjOTOVwGNOLJTM8bNj-H78j6tzUc80HixfjLuW0cHM8z6jPAxHOYeZogeGAWG9qUbEZh7cNJkMMl8zt2qhViSE53XFGy07mD9EvlX4K5YfmFe4MIkeZtz0Gwc/s320/Kankaria.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcznlduRXPIawAOsV7tdhFlpj59J74fD2cTdEqbaInTVOBk0cnc6yBHE1YlJJJ44vXuVPJbvOAaBZtEwzN7nBJMwbWOIDpC7Qjc8_Wg2uL8l38kF6TMio3esEgKttTrHQys2UTSrJMkZ8/s1600/Sirkhej.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="270" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcznlduRXPIawAOsV7tdhFlpj59J74fD2cTdEqbaInTVOBk0cnc6yBHE1YlJJJ44vXuVPJbvOAaBZtEwzN7nBJMwbWOIDpC7Qjc8_Wg2uL8l38kF6TMio3esEgKttTrHQys2UTSrJMkZ8/s320/Sirkhej.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM2pqvrfWHeoxiEyk3hQe0htqyuCcTkzxtMItBuDmkXZ-oH5nOFw2KfuTYa9eVaHWtyMEyEmjXFRAyK7r58koXtsE90Y-Hm7HLoBctJUCYSjnbmt_rU8Zvf8nlhRKV_aQ1zd8i84-ijI/s1600/Jama+Masjid+central+arch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM2pqvrfWHeoxiEyk3hQe0htqyuCcTkzxtMItBuDmkXZ-oH5nOFw2KfuTYa9eVaHWtyMEyEmjXFRAyK7r58koXtsE90Y-Hm7HLoBctJUCYSjnbmt_rU8Zvf8nlhRKV_aQ1zd8i84-ijI/s320/Jama+Masjid+central+arch.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZiHb_YDUqyhBeMHmTMQwqbvWIBOKh2rCBcpeb69FkyOnapTIdt2tzwvC6raGtVLmCBSy_BccwMN99v4oydft1dmSJJUKA43hLfCVdvSmY1c2-TCVZXqXpPKIolNH-RhxBTTMFuPiSh4/s1600/Muhafiz+Khan%2527s+Minaret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZiHb_YDUqyhBeMHmTMQwqbvWIBOKh2rCBcpeb69FkyOnapTIdt2tzwvC6raGtVLmCBSy_BccwMN99v4oydft1dmSJJUKA43hLfCVdvSmY1c2-TCVZXqXpPKIolNH-RhxBTTMFuPiSh4/s320/Muhafiz+Khan%2527s+Minaret.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4pdEOCQK6GYv9m5Jizy8GHqpO3oft_5S96ZGIOSNBo9RwgHSCJu1ny9MuXHNXCYcHWjBDf9_FzJ8sHEciMj0yKe77vVq8V63He1CeNVLpp_J-fM6BrQVOsJfrhdBe2ucM7UUL1_JTPY/s1600/Shah+Alum+Assembly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="259" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4pdEOCQK6GYv9m5Jizy8GHqpO3oft_5S96ZGIOSNBo9RwgHSCJu1ny9MuXHNXCYcHWjBDf9_FzJ8sHEciMj0yKe77vVq8V63He1CeNVLpp_J-fM6BrQVOsJfrhdBe2ucM7UUL1_JTPY/s320/Shah+Alum+Assembly.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvS-sriNeWTTxFvpbzj5I7bqUfvTED5ok53MpLA7G6eqOi4bgqv9LpDe6eNhje_aMISPllVFTprOvRnu3DHXV5vaPODzYuW0z-CYCoh0vu21k_uGJNo9qxu9gDkzqtYsg998cHuzUZqo/s1600/Architecture+at+Ahmedabad-Capital+of+Goozerat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvS-sriNeWTTxFvpbzj5I7bqUfvTED5ok53MpLA7G6eqOi4bgqv9LpDe6eNhje_aMISPllVFTprOvRnu3DHXV5vaPODzYuW0z-CYCoh0vu21k_uGJNo9qxu9gDkzqtYsg998cHuzUZqo/s320/Architecture+at+Ahmedabad-Capital+of+Goozerat.jpg" /></a></div>Pics:Col.Thomas Biggs.Architecture at Ahmedabad:Capital of Goozerat,1866<br />
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The book is a meticulous labour of historical and descriptive sketch of Gujarat’s dynasties and Ahmedabad's built Heritage structures. Recreated through Theodore’s words that describe the splendour of Jain architecture in Gujarat, as well as the mystic of Ahmedabad’s various Mosques with their unique mode of natural lighting; all of which, are stunningly captured within the camera of Colonel Biggs.<br />
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Hope was besotted by the tracery and niches found in Ahmedabad’s ancient architecture and describing both, the Hindu-Muslim forms of design ,he has written ,” Generally these were drawn with a free hand, and at the same time they form the most beautiful details, taken singly, to be found in Ahmedabad. All are different, not only in detail but often in character, but all are beautiful.”<br />
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Theodore considered the stone windows of Sidi Saiyed Jaalis as unsurpassed universally and has described them thus,”As examples of this class, they are perhaps unrivalled even in India. At Agra and Delhi there are some nearly as fine, but neither so extensive nor so exquisitely balanced as these. There is something wonderfully beautiful in the mode in which construction is, in these examples, combined with mere ornamentation. It is probably more like a work of nature than any other architectural detail that has yet been designed even by the best architects of Greece or the Middle Ages.”<br />
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Hope’s effort to spread awareness about the state’s history and built heritage wealth via this book has found shelf space worldwide; not only in the British Library but also at Harvard University Library and other prestigious educational institutions around the world, where historians, scholars, students of architecture and fine arts refer to it for sourcing information about Gujarat’s glorious past.<br />
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Theodore spoke five European languages when he first joined the Bombay Civil Service in 1853. Within two years, he was appointed as Inspector for Gujarat’s then newly formed Education Department. His ‘Hope Vachanmala’ (Hope’s Readers) ,a set of well known text books were prepared for use in basic schooling, translated by local scholars and found instant popularity. In his book ’ Literary Cultures in History’, author Sheldon Pollock has stated how Navalram Pandya ,a pioneering critic, found many similarities between Hope’s style of writing to that of our own great poet Narmad Shankar Dave’s in ‘Narmadgaya’. Pandya observed that,” Both their narratives were simple, native and mature and were equally loved by the educated and uneducated, unlike other pompous Sanskritized Gujarati.”<br />
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The energetic collector of Surat, Sir Theodore Cracraft Hope was among the finest of the colonial gentry and in his service of 34 years in India; he spent eight years at Surat, enhancing the city’s civic amenities. He was a favourite among locals not only because he was a model of administrative efficiency but because he heard the petitions every evening himself and chatted freely with the Surtis to sort out their issues.<br />
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During Surat's most extensive period of reform, as collector of Surat and head of its municipality, Hope reported to his seniors,"Municipal government can never be a popular government in the sense that it is liked by the people because the very reason de'etre of the Municipality is a perpetual war with those problems which are normal with the mass of the population, and are either followed or looked on with favour by too many upper classes." states Douglas E Haynes in his book ,’Rhetoric and Ritual in Colonial India.’<br />
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Today, Surat’s Hope Bridge, hopes for a little understanding of its priceless value by its Municipal governing body, as it stands proudly amidst other bridges, as the first amongst its sequels.<br />
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http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=4&edlabel=TOIA&mydateHid=11-09-2011&pubname=&edname=&articleid=Ar00400&format=&publabel=TOIAshleshaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386964212116388754noreply@blogger.com0