Need- The mirage of life

Need, other than the basic life saving ones, is a mirage. It makes devout out of atheists, believers out of skeptics even beggars out of kings or queens. Egged by it the world shrinks into a single whole and corrodes the human spirit thus peeling it off to a frayed figure. When driven by the force, reason and logic deserts the seeker making the situation all the more dismal and abject. What all can see as sheer futile effort makes the needy turn into a monomaniac and devote the last breath in fulfilling the want. If only the pointlessness of the pursuit dawned upon the pursuers, so much vain effort could be spared. Life is a mirage and most ruin half their life in search of the oasis that doesn’t exist. And even if the oasis is reached it appears shallow and fails to appropriate the efforts taken. Is this the essential tragedy, human life must undergo for tasting the forbidden fruit? 

The Flip Side

An official assignment took me to a slum at the outskirts of Kolkata. Being born in India and living in a Metro slum was not an alien word or concept for me. There are a couple of them in and around my area. My cook and maid come from two such. But the one I visited on the official visit left me dumbfounded to the core. The approach road from the NH that led to the area was enough to give fits but what lay ahead was abominable. The time of my visit being July the area was all the more hellish. No proper road existed except narrow pathways. Children like swarms of flies looked as pathetic as cannot be expressed in words. Each 6-7 yrs was carrying a 1-2 yrs old and almost all were half or full naked. It was a quagmire of phlegm, mud, rain water and other offal. Children smeared in mud and dirt picked ‘Ash phal’ (a seasonal fruit) from the heave of dirt and drank rain water seeping down from the slanting roof of a shabby grocery shop. At the center point was a congregation of young men. Their vain effort at resembling Salman or Shah Rukh made them look vulnerable in a way. As we passed the spot they passed lewd remarks. The decayed red teeth (result of chewing beetle nuts) actually reflected the decay of the society and so instead of irritating me made me thoroughly depressed. I could feel their despair and deprivation and felt a kind of guilt for wearing branded clothes and shoes especially when their feet were bare and soiled. I am no economist and don’t understand the jargons of the subject. But the word ‘inclusive growth’ is too conspicuous now-a-day to skip anyone’s notice. Lot is being said about the importance of the idea but one visit to Maheshtala was enough to see that till now it is just a phrase of two words creating storms over some expensive tea cups in some elite boardrooms. Amazing was the meeting with the father of ten who unflappably says he earns 100 bucks per day and spends most of it in procuring his daily share of country liquor and plans to engage his children in begging in order to fend for themselves. All the while the anemic wife of the haughty husband stood silently beside him with despondency written large in her sunken face. Their little brigade, it appeared to me, was their way of taking revenge to the unknown or may be to us (the favored ones).

On my return journey the faces I met kept popping up and Left me utterly disillusioned. The thing that was loud and clear to me was- My India is definitely not ‘shinning’!!

Small Screen, large lures: look before You Leap

                                           

With the advent of cable television, the small screen is now gained almost as much stardom as the big screen. Last 15-20 years saw a revolution in the essential character of the small screen. From the sedate national channels to the flamboyant cable ones, television has metamorphosed it self in the last decade. This metamorphosis has resulted in severe competition as well as success for the small screen artists.
Taking a candid and intelligent approach
Lot is heard now-a-days about people leaving their successful careers in respective fields in order to be small screen artists and get recognition, success and stardom. With the exponential success of the TV serials more and more young stars are joining this field and emerging as celebrities. While it sounds rosy to hear about the stardom and success of these hitherto ordinary people, the pathway of this kind of success has always been mildewed. Both the film and television industry are infested with cons waiting on prowl to take advantage of the aspiring actor/actresses. The inexperience and hunger for instant recognition and success of the wannabe actors and actresses often land them into the traps skillfully laid by the cons. So it becomes very important for the aspiring artists to be very cautious while embarking on an acting career. A proper homework on the whereabouts of the reputed and authentic persons in this field can prove to be quite handy to people choosing acting as their career. Any lucrative offer at the inchoate of one’s acting career must be treated skeptically as those kinds of offers normally bamboozles in the end.
Reality shows: the inside story
While talking of cons, it must be said that the reality shows are inundated with them. The reality show business in itself is somewhat shrouded, as the reality factor of such shows are to be doubted. The singing and laughter shows are still ok. But the ones that deal with the very idea of trying to make money at the cost of humiliation and suffering of others itself sound immoral. In such cases it becomes the responsibility of the contestants who volunteer and sign in such shows to be sensible about what they are opting, and whether that can spell trouble (physical or mental) to them or to others. The reality shows at times prove to be a threat to the participant’s lives. In their quest for money and popularity the organizers of such shows even put the participants at danger, at times even life threats. It’s also important to be aware of the reputations of the channel and the production house before signing the contract. Total understanding of the contract before signing it is also of utter importance.
The art of balancing                     
Once the acting career of any actor gets rolling, problems of completely different nature come to the fore. The change that comes over an artist’s life leaves the people close to him at an emotional crisis. The hitherto close friend or companion suddenly appears remote and this feeling results in stress in both the person’s life. Such situations are to be tackled very sensibly and with utmost sensitivity. Loved ones are always very special in everyone’s life and they should be treasured life long. No amount of success can replace the warmth and love of the friends and relatives. So it must be kept in mind that success is instant but relationships are forever: while basking in the success of recognition and stardom one has to keep their feet firmly on the ground. Success or moving ahead in life is definitely something to be coveted, but it must be kept in mind that the success should on usher in pain or trouble to people who are close to us. In our country this kind of situation occurs predominantly among women, as we live in a predominantly male dominated society. When a woman gets more success than her male counterpart, the vicious male ego immediately starts working, thus creating a stress in the relationship. An intelligible handling of the situation by giving as much time and comfort level as possible to one’s partner can solve such issues easily.
The secret of success
Every career has its own professional hazards, and professionals in their respective fields need to deal with them. In today’s world of rat race and cut throat competition no amount of success comes easily. Film or television industry is no exception. Rather the stardom involved in these fields makes it a more tough and competitive place. Most of the apparent success stories have a gruesome story to tell. But that doesn’t mean that people in this field have only negative things to share. The very fact of emerging a celebrity from an ordinary person is in itself gripping and worth taking the way however rocky it might be. Besides, with an intelligent, focused and sensible approach towards one’s career and success and also with proper understanding between individual job and personal relationship, anyone can emerge successful both in professional and personal lives. 



 
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Heritage Tourism in Purulia

    

Imagine a pied panorama of pristine splendor unfolding itself in myriad multitudes: a repertoire rich in variety and essence manifested through nature, people, culture and heritage. This is Purulia, a tropical district of West Bengal, which lies in the westernmost region of the state. Rocky hills defining the landscape uphold the wild and unassuming nature of the land and its people while the serene water bodies embody the intangible wealth intrinsically inherent in them. The Pandora’s Box of Purulia remained encased till banglanatak dot com in conjunction with the Government of West Bengal and UNESCO, took the first step to explore the opportunity for an alternative community-led tourism in Purulia, West Bengal, using the traditional artistic skills of local population as primary resources. To achieve the goal effort has been taken to understand the local population and their skills in addition to inventorying heritage places and buildings. The focus of the effort was to make the community the real and the principal beneficiary of tourism development.

The natural attractions of Purulia include flat green agricultural lands or barren arid fields dotted with ponds and transected with rivers are bordered by hills and mountains. The ponds are full of Shaluk and Lotus blooms. Wild flower bushes grow alongside the roads. Subarnarekha and Damodar rivers define the boundaries of the District. Three main rivers of West Bengal have their origin here, namely Kansabati or Kansai, Dwarakeswar or Dhalkishore and Shilabati or Shilai. Hills like Ayodhya, Panchakot and Joychandi stand sentinel to the beauty and treasure of the region. The lakes look beautiful in contrast to the rocky, hard, uneven terrain and are of great attraction to tourists. Another major attraction here is the Built Heritage. History manifests itself in the built heritage of Purulia. Palaces and temples reflect the royal past. The classic architectural splendors primarily constitute of temples of Jain origin and design. The vast treasure house of sculpture and carvings showcase excellent creativity and craftsman-ship of the artisans. The master craftsmanship depicted in the architectural brilliance of the temples of Rekh Deul, Deulghata, Telkupi, Chelyama, Baromasya, Pakbirrah and Garhpanchakot leaves one awestruck.. Kashipur, another integral part of Purulia is famous for the Panchakot palace, a brilliant edifice of architectural wonder.

The ambit of Purulia’s attraction remains deficient with out its people. Nearly one million people living in Purulia district belong to scheduled tribes and castes (36% of the population). While Santhals are the largest tribal group, other tribes are Kurmi (Mahato), Munda , Kheria-Shabar , Ho, Birharh,  Oraon,  Mal, Mahali, Ghasi etc. Some of the tribes like Birharh, Mal or Bedia are quite primitive and lead a nomadic lifestyle. Despite assimilation of diverse cultures, with the passage of time, many tribes still retain their distinct identities in their traditional cultural and religious practices. These comprise their various customs, ceremonies, religious rites, languages, performing arts etc.  Each tribe has its own 'totem' or symbol. Tribal people are extremely poor and are highly dependent on the forests for their livelihood. Kitchen utensils are made with Sal leaves. Timber is collected from the forests. Bidis are made by rolling tobacco in Kendu leaves and is a common livelihood at Jhalda-I and Jhalda- II blocks. This is an extremely unhealthy livelihood leading to the spread of tuberculosis.  The Forest Department is encouraging forest fringe dwellers to adopt sustainable livelihood options based on non timber forest products like lac and Tassar cultivation, eco-tourism etc.

The tribes of the area practice myriad festivals all through the year and each festival is unique in its essence. The traditional dance forms of Purulia like Chau Naach, Jhumur songs and dance, Pata Naach (Line Dance), Bhuang Naach, Kathi Naach, Ghora Naach, Dansai, and Machhani are so rich and vibrant that if presented properly can have a global appeal. This potential was rightly identified by banglanatak who took initiative to safeguard these folk forms by imparting proper training to the artists and also forming resource centers at the area where the form now gets incubated and thrives with flair. Resource Centers at Chelyama and Bamnia were built with the support of European Union as part of the project Ethno-magic Going Global. They offer workshop, exhibition and rehearsal space. They also have rooms for the casual-visitor. The Chau dancers have been capacitated to perform both nationally and globally and that has created interest about the art forms and today a number of visitors visit Purulia to learn more about the cultural and traditional heritages of the region.

Since the past two decades, poverty alleviation and economic development initiatives of the Government have successfully mobilized local population to be conscious about the potential of their natural and cultural resources and work collectively to better manage them. The availability of such local human resources constitutes a promising basis for a community-led cultural tourism. 122 SHGs of folk artists formed and art skills are strengthened. Art forms are revitalized and there is growing interest among local youth to learn their traditional folk arts for augmenting income opportunities.  Folk Art Hubs have been established and are being managed by the folk artists. Art is becoming a means of livelihood. However, the place being economically poor and the people being unaware about the potentials of the intangible cultural heritage of the place, a number of challenges were faced. Banglanatak successfully handled them by creating mass awareness and building capacity for local entrepreneurship that included:

• Training of SHGs (self help groups) to overlook the protection of heritage sites, work as tourist guides, manage tourist lodges etc.
• Skill building of crafts person and artisans to create souvenirs and mementos out of local handicrafts.
• Developing the local performing art groups to be more functional, skilled and professional.
• Strengthening Community Based Organization by strengthening linkages and forming formal networks like SHG Federations, Activity Clusters, and Cooperatives.
• Facilitating access to Government Schemes by mobilising Panchayat participation.
• Encourage Sustainable Pathways of Development

Once the community was aware about their potential, efforts were taken to promote community festivities and rituals replete with grandeur and pomp which gradually built a sense of pride among the people. The local cultural activities of the inhabitants were made an agenda for building up a mainline economic activity involving tourism as the pivotal point. Promoting festivals as heritage tourism destinations highlighted the fact that, shows of cultural performances are not about instant gratification nor one-off commercial events  for  single audience but a round the year activity and a way of life for the people. New contexts and events were created to revitalize the social functions which are being naturally obliterated with changing times. The Holi Festival has been a roaring success. The festival is gaining huge popularity among locals and outsiders since last nine years. The fair is organised by local organizations like Anneshwa and Lok Sanskriti Mancha. It is held at Deulghata of Garhjoypur on the bank of Kansabati river for three days starting from a day prior to Holi (in the month of March) when the red 'Palash' flowers are in full bloom. It is one of the most colourful, vibrant and entertaining festivals that have attracted more than 12000 rural and around 200 urban tourists.  About 300 folk artists come from various districts of West Bengal and perform Chau, Jhumur, Nachni, Natua, Baul-Fakiri, Gambhira and Domni throughout the night at different locations of the fair ground. During the day, tourists celebrate 'Holi' with 'Abir' on the banks of Kansabati or at the local royal palace. Stay arrangements for boarding and lodging are made on site, at the tents.  The concept of tourism here is unique as the Tourist here can participate in tribal way of life, lac cultivation, mask making or Tassar weaving processes will develop a niche market and promote unique participatory tourism. It may be developed in the model of 'mushroom picking' or 'berry picking' (common in U.S.A) that are popular among tourists as well as local residents. The leisure Activities include learning steps of Jhumur or Chau., Making natural colours from leaves, flowers and barks, Playing ethnic instruments, Making paper-mâché masks., Making  strands of silk yarn. Visitors can have comfortable stay in village homes (bed and breakfast style) with proper sanitation, electricity (solar) and other essential amenities.

Four to five hours from Kolkata, Purulia waits for you, to unfold its intricate tapestry, dappled drawn with exotic bounty and unadulterated bliss!!

Modeling as a Career

Modeling is the most fascinating and lucrative career in today’s world. The sheer glamour that’s quintessentially associated with this profession has always attracted the young generation all over the world. Initially dominated by women, modeling has now become a common field for both the sex. With the upsurge of the fashion industry, this profession has gained immense importance and popularity. Other attractions of being in the modeling world are the scopes for traveling various places within and outside the country. Another interesting attraction that’s there in this field is getting the chance of meeting various classes of people. Ostensibly rosy, this profession involves lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance to be successful. Being a short lived career it is a highly competitive. Besides, stress factor is very high here and the hours are erratic. The job also requires a lot of grit and patience. Another important thing that’s to be kept in mind before deciding on this career is one’s mindset. The comfort level at the work place is imperative. It’s essential to decide what you can do and what you cannot. Modeling is essentially embroiled with dress codes. Its repertoire is from lingerie to saris and it needs different mind sets for the two. Jumping into the career without setting the mind can spell trouble. One has to think of his/her family background before deciding on a modeling assignment, especially at the initial stage. The small town people are still skeptic about this industry, as it’s surrounded by lot of grape vine. It’s better to be pragmatic from the beginning and taking up things gradually so that the sentiments of one’s family and friends don’t get hurt. Once they get used to the world of this professional, they will be able to accept things that they perhaps would have failed to, at the earlier stage. There are no hard and fast rules as such in this profession. Besides over the years the profession has gained an honorable position in the society. There are so many professionals in this field now that taking a professional approach from the beginning minimizes the chances of being conned. Some finds going to professionals costly and so they look for the less reputed one. Most of them end up getting disappointed and the effort and money that were involved go down the drain. It must be kept in mind that there are no short cuts to success, and the more the money and glamour the tougher it gets to reach the zenith. Once in this business there has to be absolute mental preparations for sweating and waiting. Any abrupt decision can back fire badly. Being a lucrative and glamorous job, provocations and lures will always be more than one, so self restrain is very important. While getting their first lessons for test matches, batsmen are taught which ball to play and which to duck. Same is true for this profession. One has to be skeptical in picking and choosing offers. Being candid and taking a discerning, intelligent and sensible approach towards one’s career is what is required; that done rest will fall into place.

The Number Wizard

Kolkata-based Gaurav Tekriwal (42) is a man with a mission. He is hell-bent upon abolishing the fear of mathematics aka maths-phobia which is ubiquitous on school and college campuses across the country. A numbers and calculus wizard is his own right this postgrad of the University of Calcutta and certified chartered financial analyst believes that maths phobia can not only be made history but also substituted by love of this “exact and stimulating science”.

According to Tekriwal this mental and psychological miracle is possible through the study of vedic mathematics. This ancient method enables a learner to make mathematical calculations 10-15 times – over 1500 percent – faster than in normal mathematics. The sutras of this branch of mathematics are easy to understand, easy to apply, easy to remember and develops left and right sides of the brain by increasing visualization and concentration abilities. Most important Vedic maths is fun to learn eliminates math-phobia which millions of students suffer because they’ve been taught this joyful science the wrong way. “Vedic Maths is also lot different from traditional maths. You just have to remember some formulas called "Sutras" and with it you can do your calculations speedily. Vedic Maths helps in creating an interest in Mathematics. It can also be called Magical Maths as the methods seem so easy and simple that it looks like Magic!” informs Tekriwal.

Founder president of the Kolkata based Vedic Maths Forum India. A full-time vedic

maths educator and motivational speaker, Tekriwal decided to be an entrepreneur form the beginning. “When I was preparing for my MBA Entrance Exams I came across Vedic Maths which was a quicker way to lots of calculations in a stipulated time. I was blown away by it's potency in calculations and was spell bound by its sheer simplicity and ease. I shared it with few friends and taught this to them. They too were infected by its speed which brought lots of other friends who wanted to learn it too. I noticed there weren’t any teachers around who were teaching it. One fine day I got an invitation from a school principal to do a workshop in her school. I was shy and did not know how to handle the same. But I did it anyways as I was not doing anything concrete. This workshop got some reviews in the press and it brought some more invitations from schools who wanted to organise workshops. It was at this point I decided to become an entrepreneur rather than become a MBA. I then took steps in the direction to become good in the field. I learnt from the masters the current Shankaracharya of Puri and Shakuntala Devi. Made a Website and authored a book and a DVD set. This started selling and then one thing led to another. After a couple of years I decided to set up a full fledged institution and teach vedic maths professionally. This gave birth to Vedic Maths Forum India. Later, I realised that there was tremendous scope of this abroad where Math literacy rate is low. In these countries where Math literacy ratio is low, students are looking for alternative solutions to Maths. Vedic Maths fits in this category perfectly,” enunciated Tekriwal, who has authored a ten-hour, five DVDs set of High Speed Vedic Maths audio-visual programme. Since 2006, Tekriwal has been conducting seminars and workshops all over India to re-kindle students’ and professional interest in mathematics and developing their mathematical skills. Thus far 7,000 students have participated in his workshops and tutorial classes. The Vedic Math Forum India has already spread wings outside India and has operational bases in seven countries now. Of late Tekriwal’s brain child been entrusted by the South African government to teach High Speed Vedic Math Methods across 9000 schools in South Africa.

Reaching out to the soul

"My master has planted in my heart the Jasmine of Allah’s name.
Both my denial that the creation is real and my embracing of God, the only reality, have nourished the seedling down to its core.
-When the buds of mystery unfolded into the blossoms of revelation, my rntire being was filled with God’s fragrance.
-May the perfect master who planted this Jasmine in my heart be ever blessed."

This is the psychedelic quest of Murshid or God which is the ultimate philosophy of Sufism. Recently Kolkata witnessed a three day musical quest for the ‘Murshid’ in the first ever International Sufi festival in Kolkata, held at Nicco Park, on Feb 4-6, 2011. Named as ‘Sufi Sutra’, the event was a grand success with more than 100 artists participating from Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria, Tajikistan, Iran, Bangladesh and India (6 states participated, Rajasthan, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and West Bengal). The Performances enthralled more than 30, 000 audiences with their scintillating performances. During the day, the workshops between the various music groups from the different countries led to exchange and sharing of their music, instruments, and philosophy, which was attended by more than 2500 audiences including youth, music lovers and musicians. An exhibition was also organized on Sufism.

The entire event was conceptualized by celebrated percussionist Tanmay Bose. “It was long timed planned. Sufi has strong connection with Bengal. Sufi Muslims used to sing bangla kawali at dargas. But we didn’t value the treasure and gradually it got relegated to oblivion. I wanted a revival of Sufi in Bengal as well as an international exposure for the Indian Sufi singers. My experience of international music helped me shortlist 14 countries who would perform at the event of which seven finally came and presented their music at Sufi Sutra together with the Indian musicians. It was once again proved that music transcends all barriers irrespective of language and region,” accounted Bose.

Participants included celebrated Sufi musicians and bands from both India and abroad. International performers like Baran Music Ensemble from Iran, Egyptian Mawlawyiah Troupe, team from Bangladesh led by Ms. Anusheh Anadil, team from Afghanistan led by Mr. Nawab Khan, Tahleeleh Troupe from Damascus, Syria were the cynosure of the soiree. While the home players like Mir musicians from Bikaner (Rajasthan) led by Vasu Khan, seven members Qawwali team from Rampur (UP) led by Haji Modh. Ahmad Khan Warsi, Warsi brothers from Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), six members team from Delhi led by Dhruv Sangari and Baul & Fakiri, Bangla Qawwali from West Bengal had the audience humming the popular Sufi numbers with them and swaying in the ecstasy of the intoxicating intonations.

Mr. Amitabha Bhattacharya, the director of Banglanatak.com, the chief organizer of Sufi Sutra, regards the endeavor as a platform for the Bauls Fakirs of India for a proper scope to exchange, collaborate and open of a new global market through the International Sufi musicians. “This was a part of our initiative "Art for livelihood", which started in 2004 with the objective of making folk art primary sources of livelihood for the artists and through national and international exchange and collaboration.  EU came as partner in Dec 2009, when they supported our entire initiative, including this festival,” enunciated Bhattacharya.

The festival was a big hit in Kolkata as thousands of people thronged the grounds of Nicco Park to be a witness to the grand occasion. The audience saw the world’s best Sufi musicians performing live at a truly international festival with real international taste and flavor. “'Sufi' is important from both music and philosophy point of view and Kolkata being the 'leader in cultural plurality’; we feel there cannot be a better place than this city to host such festival. This evolved as a people's festival, rather than just another program, that's the success of this festival in Kolkata,” recollected Siddhanjan, a member of Banglanatak.com. “At this hour of political unrest we wanted the Bauls and Fakirs, the sufi musicians from the East, to convey the message of peace, love and brotherhood through their music. Their philosophy of rejecting the division of caste, creed, religion etc. and knowing God with profound admiration by self sacrificing and belief, is what needed to be proclaimed in today’s world,” further illustrated the young organizer.

Gulam Fakir, a resident of Murshidabad, worships music as his almighty. Proficient in Lalan Geeti, Murshidi and Darbari school of folk music, Gulam was a proud participant of the Sufi Sutra. “It’s the first of its kind in Kolkata, and we are fortunate to be a part of the music extravaganza. It was a great of my life to play the dotara while the international

Sufi artists sang the most divine Sufi numbers. Equally entertaining and learning was experience of singing while the global players accompanied us with their musical instruments. What enthralled me most is the predominance of the tune of ‘Ajan’(the Muslim call for prayer) in the songs that were sung by the international performers.” recalled Fakir. 

Avradip Saha, a fashion photographer and script writer by profession, has long association with Sufi as he says the music transports him to another level of ecstasy and realization. His love for Sufi brought him to Sufi Sutra on the last day of the event. “I got intoxicated listening to the Sufi numbers at the event. It was a grand occasion and I saw the performance of Bangladeshi Sufi singers. The group named Ajerbaijan rendered some scintillating numbers that stole the hearts of the listeners. The audience shook their legs in joie-de-vivre and I also joined them. But it would have been great if we could get to hear some Bengali Sufi songs. However the music was incredible,” enthused the young Sufi aficionado. .

While the Egyptian Mawlawyiah troupe enchanted all at the spot with their vibrant show of music and whirl dance, the Indian singers intoxicated the crowd with some popular numbers. In its process the event, instead of being only a string of performances triumphed to be an ultimate search to touch the divine light.