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“We need literary connoisseurs” We need literary connoisseurs to bring to light the influential writers, their works in the country, and that is what is lacking, said Jeyamohan, one of the most influential cotemporary Tamil writer. It was a short encounter, but Jeyamohan as he does with his writings was clear, starighforward and forceful in the points he made. It is shocking level of ignorance that exists about Indian language writers – JeMo talked about the instance of The Hindu publishing a small obituary on La.Sa.Ramamritham with a wrong photo. How are the speakers, panellists chosen for the literary festivals, seminars or awards in this country? As most of us are aware, it is just a small coterie that decides, and wields influence. Who decides on a Jnanapith Awardee, it is the politicians and the powerful, not the quality, calibre of the writer, author. We need to create a group of people, literary connoisseurs who can write, bring out the names of the most influentia...

I had to write this note today, for if I can’t start a debate, register a protest on the use of recorded bird calls for sighting on Salim Ali’s birthday, what other time would be appropriate. Two years ago at BNHS Sasan Gir camp we noticed almost all the guides on the safari (In almost all national parks, the guides are boys appointed by the forest department during the safari season, and they are allotted by rotation) had recordings of bird calls on their mobile phones. What was seen as a good tool to learn and identify bird calls has become a tool in the hands of ill-informed guides to please their customers – I presume the birds responded to calls and were sighted. We had in Gir told the guides not to play any calls. In Gir at least the issue is settled for most visitors come hoping to sight the lions and not so much for birding. Also, a dry forest like Gir makes bird sightings lot more easier than the dense Himalayan forests or the rain forests of North East. We were ...

November 1990, was more grim and looked a real winter of discontent than what November 2015 looks like, not sure how many would agree with that. 25-years ago when I took up my first job as a trainee journalist with Bennett Coleman, deputed to the now extinct The Independent the discussion inside and out of the newsrooms were about the imminent breaking up of India, the balkanisation of India, and how the idea of India wouldn’t hold anymore. Like a rangoli drawn on water, to literally translate a Tamil idiom, neer mel ezhudhiya kolam the National Front government fizzled out. Even after Bofors Rajiv Gandhi had some sympathy among voters, and V.P.Singh some elite following after Mandal. It was in those turbulent days one travelled alone to Bombay then, alone. In September of 1990 one had written the last academic exam of life and was immersed in writing the thesis to get M.Phil., degree. Already had UGC certificate for lecturership after passing the first  ever such nat...

Many would snigger at food posts as much as the saree posts. Nevertheless, for me food, textiles are all part of the glorious cultural tradition, to be talked about and cherished. It is only when I started visiting temples in the North, a few homes in Mumbai during festivals, I started seeing the phenomenon of buying food from the restaurants and sweet shops for Naivedhyam, Thiruvamudhu in the Sri Vaishnava parlance. Sri Vaishnava temples in the south have families who have been in the service of the God as hereditary cooks and only they can make food in the Thiru Madapallis even today. Even at home, in south India as far as I know even today Naivedhyam has to be prepared afresh and not bought. If one isn't able to cook, offering of fruits, milk, butter would do. More than buying Naivedhyam, I was saddened by the thought a distinct bhog for Ganesha, the kozhukattai or modak, remained so only in shape and not in its substance. Call us “exclusive”, but kozhukattais are not made gen...

22 September 2015 at 22:38 Public Friends Only Me Custom Close Friends Family See all lists... Freelance Writer Self-employed Mumbai, India Area Go Back There are a lot of things which are fixed in my brother’slife, like the food he would eat and the restaurants he will order them from –for the years he lived in western suburbs it was just a veg kholapuri from thesame Udipi. Now, in Navi Mumbai it is veg chili mili from two or three, oneUttarakhandi, and two Udipi restaurants. Nowhere can you find a stable customerlike these days, when everyone wants to experiment with the latest. That iswhere a story of a Food Panda or aZomato becomes irrelevant to the lives of may be at least half the population.Street food, udipis, Iranis have been for long the sustaining forces of thisgreat city. Recently we heard the story of journalist Olga Tellis, who haslived all her live in Colaba without an active kitchen. Apparently she told ashocked Shoba De, her friend, “well no one would run...

10 August 2015 at 17:57 Public Friends Only Me Custom Close Friends Family See all lists... Freelance Writer Self-employed Mumbai, India Area Go Back                                                    Little bit of fusion Howto name it? I hardly attempt fusion,for I try to be just as close to the original recipe as possible. There aretimes I need to make adjustments for avoiding onion and garlic – last timeManjusha came up with a red pepper chutney I had to improvise it to make itinteresting and less sweet without them. Also, some compromises have been made tothe ideology of sticking to ‘glocal’. Since daughter wants some pasta andnoodles occasionally I have some cheese and olive oil in the kitchen now. So, broccoli,red and yellow bell peppers too find their way in these days. Had to rustle up a quick ‘brunch’ today from thelast night de...

13 April 2015 at 19:53 Public Friends Only Me Custom Close Friends Family See all lists... Freelance Writer Self-employed Mumbai, India Area Go Back Am I obsessed with food, no, I am not. But, why am I writing notes here mostly on food. Starting with my earliest note, the effort is to keep writing about some simple recipes which we tend to forget with time. Only last week was reading an article "Is broccoli to be blamed for California drought" - why should we run after some exotic stuff, pay a huge price in terms of our pocket as well as on environment. Quinoa one day, broccoli the other day, oats the wonder cure. This morning my friend here, Sulabhaji posted photos and medicinal properties of beal fruit or wood apple. I still have doubts whether the beal, wood apple she posted is the same as the one we call vilampazham. ...Some of them in her picture and while searching on google showed Vilampazham. Vilampazham pachchadi used to be an occassional affair whenever ...