Saying namaste to the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project
The joy of cross-cultural mash-ups
In some ways, India and Canada could not be two more different countries: Canada is new, India is old; Canada is cold, India is hot; Canada is efficient and orderly, India is chaotic and spontaneous. Yet these cultures are really mixing it up in many different spheres — and certainly in my own life over the past five years. Recently, I attended several India-Canada cultural mash-ups that left me noticing the similarities, the differences — and the misperceptions that Canadians, and westerners, seem to generally hold about Indian culture. (more…)
The greatest break-up story ever told
Oooops, missed Video Friday on BreatheDreamGo because of the Eat, Pray, Love juggernaut. (btw, did you know that juggernaut is a Hindi word? It refers to Lord Jagganath and the massive chariots pulled through the streets of Puri during the annual Rath Yatra festival. Apparently, the frenzied faithful used to throw themselves under the chariot’s wheels to be crushed to death — much to the dismay of the British Raj.) This video is a trailer for the delightful full-length feature film, made by cartoonist Nina Paley, about both her break-up and the Indian epic The Ramayan. You can watch the full-length version and read the true-life story behind this inspired creation and how Paley decided to release copyright on it on her website, Sita Sings the Blues.
Every summer, ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness — otherwise known as the “Hare Krishnas”) holds a picnic on Toronto Island called the Festival of India – Feed Your Soul. It’s a wonderful event and I never miss it. Everything is free — even the food! — and people of all ages attend. You can join a free outdoor yoga class, have your astrology chart done, enjoy the vegetarian feast, buy Indian clothes and trinkets and best of all, sing and dance along to incredibly happy, joyful kirtan (sacred) music. The event wraps up on Sunday late afternoon with a rousing kirtan session that everyone joins in. It’s basically a celebration of god, a spiritual rave — and no drugs or alcohol are needed to send everyone in a frenzy of joy. I took this video while everyone else was in the kirtan tent chanting along to the music. More pictures from the event follow.
In the park, Delhi
Delhi often gets a bad rap, especially by tourists (and Mumbaikers!). But if you live here, or stay in one of the nicer areas and take time to get to know the city, you will find that Delhi has many lovely green spaces, excellent restaurants and cafes, shopping opportunities galore and a rich cultural life (not to mention a plethora of historical sites, five-star hotels, spas, universities, spiritual centres and much more). Delhi is, after all, the capital of India and home to the diplomatic community. It is a sophisticated city full of possibilities – once you get past the heat, air pollution, crowds and chaotic traffic conditions, of course. (more…)
Last night on Bloor Street in Toronto, it was snowy and cold and a long way from sunny India. But I had a wonderful experience that had the taste of the magic I experienced in India. Ajay and I were walking to the Royal Conservatory of Music to go to a sarod and tabla concert. It was a last-minute opportunity and I didn’t know anything about the musicians we were going to hear, or even the music.
I came across a distinguished-looking Indian couple, she in a magnificent deep red sari, and struck up a conversation with them as they were going to the same place. They said they knew the musicians well, which I took as a good sign. These musicians had followers! We talked about India, and I told them I was going again this winter, and then we went into the concert hall.
On the morning of April 14 approximately 10 million people streamed into the sacred town of Haridwar in north India to bathe in the Ganga on the most auspicious day during the 2010 Kumbh Mela. I was one of them. Find out how I found myself alone, and at home, at the world’s largest spiritual gathering.
In Varanasi, where the veil between life and death seems very thin, a boat ride on the river can become a journey to the other side. Come along with me on a boat ride on the Ganges River in India’s oldest, holiest city and pierce the veil.
The Ganges / Ganga River is the Mother of India. The River speaks in many voices as she travels from the high Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. At the source, her song is joyous, full of the the jubilance of youth, the rush of fresh mountain streams, the sincere chanting of pilgrims and the excitement of the onward journey.
