Satyamev Jayate - how we've killed our rivers

At the end of another powerful episode of Satyamev Jayate, they featured this lovely song.

Lit

Watch all the episodes on You Tube... Each episode is an eye-opener and lasts about an hour, ending with a song.

Conceived and presented as a reality show by Aamir Khan, they are taking on issues like Untouchability and Dowry, intractable issues for centuries and impacting a billion plus people.

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The Mysore Palace- Indo-sarasenic Excellence

Walk through Mysore Palace

I quote from a website devoted to Henry Irwin, who designed the Mysore Palace: Indo-saracenic architecture represents a synthesis of Muslim designs and Indian materials developed by British architects in India during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The hybrid combined diverse architectural elements of Hindu and Mughal with Gothic cusped arches, domes, spires, tracery, minarets and stained glass, in a wonderful, almost playful manner.
Robert Fellowes Chisholm(1840 - 1915), Henry Irwin and Gilbert Scott were among the leading practitioners of the time. Chisholm, one of the most gifted English architects working in India and a vehement supporter of Indian craftsmen, stated:

"the men who will actually leave the impress of their hands on the material. These men have an art language of their own, a language which you can recognise but cannot thoroughly understand. For this reason an architect practising in India should unhesitatingly select to practice in the native styles of art - indeed the natural art-expression of the men is the only art to be obtained in the country."

Chisholm was the Principal of the School of Industrial Art at Madras, and won the commision for designing the Presidency College and the University Senate House.

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Suryanamaskar Surprise in New Delhi Airport

A great sculpture at IGI T3! Watch it on You Tube

"You told us to care and share"

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Vatapi Ganapati

This Ganesha image is an ivory painting roughly 3 inches tall, done by a master craftsman in Udaipur with vegetable dyes and brushes some of which are as thin as a camel hair. I purchased this in 2006 after I spoke with the craftsman's student, who told me he wouldn't perhaps reach his master's level ever.

The place Vatapi is the heritage site of Badami today. Wikipedia states that the name Vatapi has origin in the Vatapi legend of Ramayana relating to Sage Agasthya who got rid of the demons Vatapi and Ilvala. Badami (=Vatapi) was the capital of the Early Chalukyas who ruled muchof Karnataka and Andhra between the 6th and 8th centuries. "The Hamsadhwani song Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje by the composer Mutthuswamy Deekshitar is in praise of the Vatapi Ganapati which is now in Tiruchenkaatankudi near Tanjavur. In 7thcentury, Vatapi Ganapati idol was brought from Badami (Vatapi - Chalukya capital) by Sirutondar (General of Pallavas)."

At Ganesha Talkies in Mysore, where I saw many splendid English movies in '60s, the curtains used to go up with the song Vatapi sung by Ghantasala. Vatapi Ganapatim is a common enough starter song in many concerts, especially instrumental concerts. Sometimes we fail to appreciate the true depth and worth of things just because we see them or hear them often. The more I think about it, the more inspiring is this masterpiece of a composition by Muthuswami Dikshitar. The meaning of this song is available in this very informative website.

Dikshitar has given a beautiful description of the deity and its mythical and mystical dimensions. To me the Ganesha concept is nottrivial... the elephant-headed God represents all that is thoughtful,powerful, benign and multi-dimensional without any mythological excesses. It also somehow deifies our physical existence, and the twinprinciples Bhukti+Mukti. Ganesha is joyous, gracious, auspicious and grand, all at the same time.

The raga Hamsadhwani seems to be the incarnation of Ganesha.. The raga suits the worship of Ganesha so well. Like Ganesha, it has strong and simple contours, and has instant appeal. Its melodic appeal crosses all cultural borders. As I visualize the notes of Hamsadhwani, the fundamental Sa  provides a strong and stable melodic base at the Muladhara. The Ri defines grace, Ga defines majesty, Pa represents vocalised prayer, Ni represents meditation and the higher Sa the union with the Infinite. Just think of the attributes of Ganesha...exactly the same!

It seems appropriate to give you a beautiful rendering of this song by Vidwan Lalgudi Jayaraman ( thanks to my rasikottama friend).