Unique Rhythm in Stone
Quoting from Zerin Anklesaria’s article, she describes the trip to the northern territories, which was prompted by the desire to see the Khajuraho Temples built by the kings of the dynasty that claimed direct descent from the Moon God. The story is predictable. It goes back to a sultry night when a beautiful maiden was […]
The Beat of the Millenium
On the night of February 14, 2000, days after his father, the great tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha, passed away, Ustad Zakir Hussain mesmerised an audience at the Trade Centre in Dubai with an emotional performance during the concert “The Beat of the Millenium” featuring nine percussionists creating a fusion of music, an amalgamation of […]
Painting with a Needle (Part Two)
CHIKANKARI: Chikankari of Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh is believed to have been introduced by Nur Jahan, wife of Mughal Emperor Jehangir, and worked originally only with white thread on white muslin. One of the impressions it gives is of being patterned on fine lace. The most popular form of the craft has the threads cover […]
Someone Else’s Shoes
A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, Someone Else’s Shoes was a nominee for the Best Fiction Award in 2023. Jojo Moyes also wrote ‘Me Before You’ and ‘The Giver of Stars’. Nisha Cantor, globe-trotting wife of the stinking rich Carl Cantor, thinks she loves her lifestyle, her expensive clothes, […]
Unearthing a Talent
The doors slid open and Roshan Perera stood on the threshold of FedEx, the international courier company. FedEx had given him hope of initially training with them and thereafter he could apply for a job in the company. He started work in the internal communications division of FedEx using his graphic skills to produce artwork. […]
Painting with a Needle – Part I
Handicrafts from India have attained a worldwide regard for beauty, ingenuity, artistry and as a medium for the expression of rural India. Pride of place is, however, inevitably given to Indian embroidery. Its infinite variety, delicate handwork,
Fragile, handle with utmost care
I was chatting with my old friend Pat last week and we suddenly found ourselves on the topic of caring and sharing. We were in a huge department store and the large box which obviously contained breakable China or other glass items had been stored in a corner where it was hopefully safe. It got […]
Marriage and all that garbage
Is garbage disposal one of the causes of marital disharmony? Grim headlines likely to evoke nostalgic smirks but considered a typical weekend morning when burrowed deep in bed sheets with a tender head cradled in soft feather pillows, you painfully open an eye lid as the first physical movement. As the eyelid falls back gratingly, […]
Art is Bigger than Life
Hands are the instrument for all man’s work, which are of various kinds. Some require skill, others don’t. Some one degree of it, some another. Handicrafts is skilled work; one that expresses the measure of a person’s creativity in physical shape. It is the creation of form and beauty where none or very little existed. […]
A Woman for all Seasons
It is quite rare to find someone who hates television and loathes the violence that pervades the medium. Pearl Douglas classifies the soap ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ as a ghastly TV series that inspires millions of fans the world over. A teacher of drama and spoken English, Pearl trains a diverse range of nationalities […]