The festivities of the Autumn season

Come October and the air is filled with delight and ecstasy. Yes, it marks the beginning of endless celebrations and cooling down of the atmospheric temperature; relieving the people from the monotony of daily chores and the hot and humid summer. What is remarkable is the vibrant nature of the festivals that take place during this season; starting with Durga Puja and Navratri to Dashmi celebrations, followed by Deepavali or Diwali. Bakri Id and Christmas also take place in the latter half, when nearing Winter!

During the Puja celebrations, all Puja Pandals are decorated with idols of different Gods. The streets become colorful with bright lights and the entire city streets are flooded with people in the best of clothes. I have memories of celebrating these festivals with my family. I used to wait for the new dresses and to go out in the evening to visit the different Puja houses and dine outside in the best restaurant in town, which again used to be flocked with people. I have also celebrated these festivities in Delhi and Bangalore. This year too I can’t wait for the time to arrive. It is enthralling to realize that the celebrations are only a week away. It is time to put on the best of dresses and venture out of the house each evening to be with the people on the streets – to rejoice, celebrate, have the best sweets and food in town!

Barfi - A Review

Barfi is set in the 1970s in the beautiful hill-station of north India, Darjeeling. The movie is the tale of unconditional love defying societal norms and man's definition of normality and abnormality. Beautifully directed by Anuraag Basu, the movie narrates the tale of Barfi, a hearing and speech impaired who falls in love with beautiful Shruti, only to be rejected in favor of a 'normal' husband. Mystically, he meets Jhilmil who is autistic and despite their odds, both share a bond of love and genuine warmth. Only later does Shruti realise her mistake, is helpless and understands how she falls a prey to the cruelty of social pressures.

Barfi is an epitome of cinematography beautifully portrayed and redefined. Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'cruz  are flawless in the lead roles. It is a light-hearted movie and crucial issues are dealt with simplicity and a sense of humor. The chase and run scenes between the police and Barfi are spiced up with comical gestures and melody which sends cheers and laughter down the crowd.

The movie makes us rethink about the chains that we have tied ourselves into - marriage, monetary pleasure, sacrifice, status and most importantly, our definition of a 'normal' life. It makes us question about the passions, emotions, feelings and values that we subconsciously and more often consciously forgo; in favor of the more obvious. The narrator (Shruti) remarks with grief in the end as to how she could have always lived the life of her favorite grandparents who died in arms together - bonded by love. She regretted not being courageous, not giving in to her passions and betraying love. She knew the life that Jhilmil led could have been hers, Barfi would have only been with her - if - she didn't miss her chance!

A weekend in Ooty - :)

It was a fun weekend in Ooty. It provided a much needed break from the monotony of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The picturesque scenery of the green mash lands with pine and fur trees was breathtaking. It was quite foggy on the first day, and the chilled air cut through our bones like a sharp knife. The landscape was much clearer on the second day. We wandered through the tea gardens, the waterfalls and peaks and relished every bit of the journey. It was quite sad when we realized that the weekend was over and we had to start our journey back home. Nevertheless, I plan to visit the land again and very soon at that!

Here are some of the moments that I captured :

Amidst the beauty of nature, greenary and wilderness...

Roof top views from my balcony on a cloudy evening...

I cherish the beauty of the sunset on this chilly, cloudy day, as I sip my evening cup of tea.....

Hot and fast

The secret to Assam’s fast food cooking: Add one or two tea spoon of mustard oil to boiled rice in a plate. Mix the oil and the rice thoroughly. Garnish with a green chilli/pickle/lemon. Trust me, it is worth a try J

Spring 2012

After a period of 5 long years, which seemed like an era to me, I got the chance to visit Assam amidst the jubilation of the Bohag (Spring) season.  Rongali bihu, also known as Bohag bihu, celebrates the coming of Spring. It is a time of merriment and feasting.

I have old memories of heavy showers during Bohagi Bidai (end of Bohag season), which would bring an end to the Bihu festivities in different Bihu tolis (Bihu pandals). Year 2012 was exceptional though. It was raining cats and dogs throughout the Spring. I was forced to stay indoors mostly, yet I managed to relish the landscape and eternal beauty of the land.

Here are some glimpses of Tezpur and neighboring places which I captured during April: