A Slice Of India In Australia

Last week, our office took us to Sydney for a small trip. A good time was had by all. And much shopping was done. I was particulalry delighted to see this shop in Sydney, with all the lovely, colorful stuff one would usually find in India. I loved the Rajasthani patterns on the cushions, and the tiny ring boxes, among other things. After a long, tiring walk, looking for something to buy, we almost ended up buying some Indian things, all the way down under. Fortunately, good sense prevailed and we walked out, still tempted by the lovely display.

Spreading the cheer!

It's June, and forget the birthday week, even the birthday month is gone! But since my camera is finally functional, I can share some of the pictures after all this time. But first of all, I want to post the pictures of some of the beautiful flowers I received from friends and family. The advantages of being old are many. People around you know your preferences by now. So they know that I love roses, carnations and African daisies. And I got these in plenty. The living room looked all bright and pretty for the few days after my birthday. In fact, I have always loved fresh flowers. They bring that extra something to your living space. And go rather well with my love for all things colorful.

I remember once receiving some really pretty flowers from my husband, who was then my boyfriend. Since he had sent them to my office, my boss teased me saying that the flowers will stop once we get married. Well, they haven't!

Summer Sunshine

Ran into her again. Yup, the first ever shotcouture girl! It was a special day, because the blog has come a long way since then. She was, as usual, dressed well, and this time it was her shoes and her bag. The bag was an old Ritu Kumar design. Those fringed boots are being graced by the most fashionable feet across town. Her skinny jeans and layered tees combo are perfect for her petite frame. She wore an ancient silver Rajasthani necklace, called Hasli. It’s like a massive, rigid ring for the neck. A pair of well-suited shades and our young lady is all set for a day out in the Mumbai summer!

Thinking Out Of The "Box"- Installation Art

This one is really interesting. We have all heard of the Tibetan Prayer Wheels. They are literally wheels on a spindle. Traditionally made from metal, wood, leather, or coarse cotton, they form the base for depiction or encapsulation of prayers, mantras and symbols such as the Ashtamangala (too complicated to explain in this space). It is believed that the spinning of the prayers wheels has the same effect as orally reciting the prayers or the mantras.



Prayer Wheels In Samye --- Photo courtesy, Wikipedia

What some of you might or might not have heard of are the Mumbai Dabbawalas. The word translates literally into “one who carries a box”. A “dabba” is a cylindrical tin or aluminium container or box. It is used for carrying one’s lunch, and there are special delivery services that use men to send these pre-packed lunch boxes to their destinations. So a dabbawala loosely translates into a “lunch box delivery man”. This is a highly specialized service, and an integral part of the life and culture in Mumbai. Many people in Mumbai commute to workplaces far away from their home. This makes it inconvenient for them to carry a wholesome, elaborate lunch-meal to office. So many office workers order cooked meals sent by a caterer who delivers it to their workplace, in the dabba. These are recollected the same day, and the next day, a fresh dabba is sent over. To mark the dabbas, the dabbawalas use a distinguishing symbol or color on them. Many NGO’s use these dabbas to put spread social service messages across the city, simply by putting a removable sticker on them!



Dabba! - Photo courtesy, Wikipedia

So what am I getting at? Yes. The installation art at the Kala Ghoda Festival. As a tribute to this integral part of the bustling city, one of the installations was a depiction of the simple dabbas as … prayer wheels! It was truly inspired and breath-taking. I loved the use of vibrant colors on the dabbas, made to look like rotating prayer-wheels. I love the way art can seamlessly bring together a spiritual concept and a day-to-day survival idea. Brilliant!

Kala Ghoda Festival - Cat Tales

As I promised earlier, I am starting a series of the installation art pictures from the Kala Ghoda Festival. But first, a breather. This was perhaps the cutest site at the Festival. There was this exhibition stall with artwork made from scrap. Pretty interesting stuff. While I was browsing through their junkyard art, I spotted these two metal kittens. And right behind them, were two real ones. They was just too well-placed! I was not the only one to notice this sweet coincident. There were cameras flashing all around me. I took several pictures from different angles. The black one, especially, was a real dude. They were not scared of the cameras, and lounged comfortably as the world around them took their pictures.

I wanted to buy one of the cats: the metal one. But the prices were, as usual, prohibitive. Besides, after seeing the two lovely kittens sitting behind these two, buying just one somehow seemed unfair. I know that a lot of hard work must have been involved in the making of these pieces of art. But the entire idea of the festival was to make art more accessible. I know for sure that they did not sell as much as they’d have liked to. Maybe next year, the sellers will get the drift. Volumes of sales will make up for the margins. I hope they see the buyers’ point of view.

Culture Khichdi -8

One of the final pictures in the series. After this, I plan to do an entry on the installation art and the shops at the Festival. I love the long dress-knit jacket combination. It’s really simple, but works for me because of the way it bring out the colour of her eyes. In the background, you can see the audience gathered for a rock band performing at the makeshift amphitheatre. For the entire duration of the Kala Ghoda Festival, this is the stage where several arts, dance, theatre and music performance draw people from across the city. This is my favorite part of this festival and every year, there are some memorable performances.

Culture Khichdi - 7

I did not ask her, but it seemed like a transracial adoption. One sees a lot of them in Mumbai. Tranracial adoption means parents of a particular race or ethnic group adopting a child who is of a different race or ethnic group. All in all, a perfect shot for a series titled Culture Khichdi!

Though that wasn’t why I clicked her photograph. What grabbed my attention was her smoothly tailored jacket. The fabric seemed so fluid; structured but light. And her minimal accessories really did it for me. Her look was simple yet elegant. I guess, I also fell in love with the innocent expression on the kid’s face. Such sweetness! The gentleman standing close by just happened to walk into the frame and was not a part of the family.

In the background, you can see a part of the entrance gate for the Kala Ghoda Festival. Further away, the old building you can see is the Army & Navy building. It is just one of the old buildings in a row – David Sassoon Library, Elphinstone College, the Army and Navy Building and Watson's Hotel. They are all built from the same yellow Malad stone, and give the area a unique character.

Culture Khichdi - 6

The Culture Khichdi series is far from over. I plan to finish with some interesting pictures of the installation art, and some interesting observation shots. But for now, the next in the Kala Ghoda Festival series. This young girl was all colour with her beautiful Indian kurti and juttis. With her look, I could just sense the summer around the corner. I am a big fan of juttis myself. They are a form of traditional Indian footwear, a kind of slip-ons, skillfully handcrafted in leather. Juttis are often embroidered with beads and threads in different colorful patterns to create vibrant and unique designs. Almost always flat, though heeled versions are now available, they are extremely comfortable and ideal for Mumbai’s hot climate. They can be worn with traditional Indian wear, or with a pair of jeans like this girl has worn. She was also carrying a hand embroidered bag which is not clearly visible in this photograph. All in all, she was all sunshine and bright smile.

Culture Khichdi - 5

These two were Photogs… the real stuff. They went around clicking lovely pictures of the Festival, and I decided to take one of theirs. They both had this fun air to them. I love the shoes on the one on the left, and would give an arm for the curls the lady on the right has. In the background, you can see a photography stall that took out your pictures in the seventies style. If you see carefully, in the background you can see those clay apples hanging from a tree. And I really need to invest in a better camera.

Culture Khichdi - 4

I love shoes with coloured laces. They have this real sweet playfulness to them that reminds me of the sports field from my school days.
They both had a very casual, about-town look. Dressed down appropriately enough for a street festival, they both looked really comfortable with their styles. I think that along with the shoes, the red scarf really made her stand out.

Culture Khichdi - 3

He of the funky t-shirt and pony-tailed mane. She of the Rolling Stones attitude and gold necklace. I rarely like jewelry on men. But on certain individuals, it seems so right. This couple personified Rock Chic to the last letter. They were bold, they were unique and they head-banged their entry into the shotcouture hall of fame. He was cool enough to beat the heat in head to toe black, and sporting enough to turn around and pose patiently for me to be able to shoot the back of his tee. And she was a born groupie. This one is for the Nay-Sayers who find black boring and bland. There is something very interestingly mismatched (and gladly so) about this couple and the artsy yet very Indian Kala Ghoda Festival!

Culture Khichdi at the Kala Ghoda Festival - 1

Each year, the Kala Ghoda Festival gets bigger and better. At this time of the year, this heritage rich area in Mumbai comes alive with colors and a rich potpourri of gallery and pavement art shows, literary events, film screenings, music concerts, dance performances, exhibitions, workshops, heritage walks, a food fiesta, and a street festival that brings in people from across the city, and yes, sometimes from a different part of the world. For me, it was, above everything else, an opportunity to profile fashion individuality at its diverse best. Foreigners in Indian clothes, Indians in western designer labels, and many folks dressed uniquely enough to be featured on shotcouture.

Beginning today, I will be posting pictures from the festival that concluded last week, on the 11th February. I have called this series Culture Khichdi for a simple reason. Khichdi is an Indian dish made from a combination of rice and lentils. In colloquial terms, khichdi is also used to imply a mixture of sorts (think hodge-podge in English).

This lady’s short kurta was breathtaking. A delicate green embroidery on white… and with that hair and impish smile, she reminded me of a slightly younger version of Dame Judi Dench. Those shoes, though overtly casual, make sense when you know just how much walking around is required at the festival.

Winters in Delhi- 2

The one time that I wanted to kick myself for not picking up that fringed skirt. She looks so snug and warm! And that black and brown works for her. But what I loved most about her was her hair. It was done up really cool! I really need to grow mine a little longer. Resolutions! Resolutions! Back in Mumbai, I am missing Delhi already. The two days of real cold we had here were no fun, for the simple reason that it gave us too little time to rake up our winter fashion quotient. And layering is something we are just not familiar with. Sigh!

Shoes, glorious shoes!

To visit Delhi, and not come back loaded with fashion goodies is a sartorial sin of the worst kind. High on the priority this time were shoes. Since I am already quite well-stocked on heels, I decided to pile up some flats in the shoe drawer. This shop in Modern Bazaar is a blessing. Any pair for Rs 250! I need not mention that I went quite overboard. The designs were simple and wearable, and I can vouch for their lasting quality. I have shopped here for years and the variety has never disappointed. I took home some really pretty lovelies in red, black, silver and copper. And my feet aren’t complaining either!

Delhi Winters...

Born and brought up in the Northern part of India, winters were an important part of my life. I love winters for a lot of reasons, but mostly for the lovely coats and boots one sees around at this time of the year. And no one does winter fashion better than that loveliest of cities, Delhi. The lady in the photograph is a designer by profession. From head to toe, she was dressed warm and stylish. The fact that she was carrying a hugely funky bag helped too. My only grudge is that I could not get a good picture of her jacket, since she wasn’t too keen on her face being shown on the site. Pity, because she was such a lovely!

Winters at MacDonald’s

I fell in love with the attire! Sweet and unassuming student, right outside Colaba MacDonald’s. I love the way he has put together two warm colors to create an unusual combination. Very winter-fash. The wooden buttons and the light piping are just great. And love the slip-ons! Very appropriate for a long walk down the streets. And with so many glam-people making fake glasses a must-have accessory, suddenly a pair of simple peepers has become a hot number.

Those boots!

A walk down the Colaba Causeway is always exciting. And for a number of reasons. Street fashion is at it’s very best here. You can see for yourself what I mean. Do you see those boots? So next season! Fashion fabulous is what I call this attire. It’s great for this weather: warm colours, yet bright enough to perk up a winter afternoon.



Apart from her colorful bag, she has kept her accessories simple and that's what really makes this look so special. And yes, love her boots! I am a sucker for great footwear and feel that Indian women have a long way to go when it comes to experimenting with shoes. Sad, because good footwear can make one look so interesting.

Saturday Night

I am a sucker for red. Clothes, shoes or accessories. If you are wearing red, you have my attention. Especially in a sea of black on a Saturday night. There is nothing unusual about the accessories, but I love the color. It just made her stand out.

Gangsta Rap!

You would think that teaching is a boring profession. Now, most days, I would admit that you are not very far away from the truth. But then, this happens. College students have the wackiest sartorial sense. And these pictures prove my point. Enough said about trying to be the crowd. I wouldn’t usually approve of thus attired Gangstas in my class, but heck, it does a day or two good to have a spot of that yellow snoring in the back seat.





The Bling is not to be missed. No wonder he wasn’t taking notes. Not with those gloves on!

Boho Chic

Today seems like a good day to start. So a couple of pictures off the street. I see this girl pretty often and she is always dressed well. Here, I like the fact that she has kept the bling minimal, with just a beaded bag and pretty earrings. The black sleeveless tee, worn inside the green dress teams well with the tights. Also, I like the shredded scarf. It sort of balances the different colours. She was wearing a metal coin belt for added effect. Not many people carry boho chic so well.