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Publishing DownloadBook SmallTalkBigThings PDF
Publishing DownloadBook SmallTalkBigThings PDF
Big Things
brought to you by Global Adjustments
Cover Image
Gautam Patole (www.artdesh.com)
Editorial Team
Ranjini Manian
Susan Philip
Yamini Vasudevan
Sethulakshmy Nayar
Design
Prem Kumar
Project Lead
Nayaab Musvee
ISBN: 978-81-909181-6-9
All India Copyright All rights reserved in any media. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
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publisher against any claims relating to the advertisement.
Entertainment
The Cricket Craze 36
Fairs and Melas 42
Downtime Delights 50
Cinema Cinema 54
Tradition
Customs of India 66
Indias Contributions 76
Fabrics of India 80
Accessorising India 90
Indian Slang 40
Acknowledgements 122
PDA (public display of affection) is so NOT India. In many contexts, Indians are uncomfortable with even
casual acts such as draping an arm around someone of the opposite sex (although same-sex touches dont mean anything but friendship)
or giving them a welcome kiss. Social mores are changing, though. With more exposure to the practices of the West, the younger
generation is becoming more demonstrative when showing affection. Still, in much of India, it is still far from being the norm.
Sharing space is
hard to do in India, given
the population figures.
Markets, malls and movie
theatres are usually heaving
with people, and Indians are
often happy with literally
zero personal space in some
cases. Yet, personal space is
important, especially when
two genders are involved; so
if you see someone backing
up as you approach, take
that as a signal that invisible
barriers have been breached.
Photo: Mary Kay Fallbeck, USA
Treading on toes is
Biryani is the best-known one-pot rice dish. It is a celebration dish Pappads and pickles are part of the Indian meal, no matter
all over India. The preparation varies according to geographic location. which state you visit. Pappads can be of different types and sizes. In
The saffron-infused Lucknowi version is usually made by layering Tamil Nadu, the big, fragile appalams are the most popular; in Kerala
partially pre-cooked rice and meat and slow-cooking in a sealed vessel. you have stouter, smaller versions known as pappadams; while in the
The Hyderabadi incarnation is spicier, while in the Mumbai variety kewra north, the pappads come spiced with pepper and cumin, and are usually
water (an extract from the Pandanus flower) brings another dimension roasted, not deep fried. While pappads add crunch to the typical Indian
of taste. Kolkatas twist is to add potatoes to the meat; and all along meal, pickles give it a lift. Raw mangoes and tart lemon are most popular
the Malabar Coast, the rice used is not the customary Basmati but a as the star ingredients of pickles. They are usually made with sesame oil,
short-grained variety. Then theres the Sindhi biryani, the vegetarian and the taste differs from state to state. Garlic, ginger, gooseberries, green
tehri and many more. The lighter pulao or pilaf is a firm favourite, too. chillies, a particular species of greens and even fish and meat are pickled
You get them in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian styles, and up too. A word of caution: high in salt content as they are marinated, these
north, in Kashmir, an extra layer of flavour is provided by the addition accompaniments to Indian meals are not what doctors order in excess.
of dry fruits and nuts, sometimes even small chunks of fresh fruit.
Sachin is a name to contend with, even worship, in India. In this country, cricket
often evokes the fervour usually reserved for religion, and, carrying this forward, Sachin
Tendulkar is nothing short of a God. The Little Master (a reference to his huge talent despite
his small stature) has made history by scoring his 100th century in International Cricket.
Wisden has ranked him the second greatest cricketer of all time, after Sir Don Bradman.
atkinson, UK
Photo : Ian W
The Aranmula Vallamkali is an annual boat regatta full of colour, sound and excitement, held on Keralas River Pampa. Unique river
craft called snake boats are rowed by about a hundred oarsmen each. Paddling to the rousing, rhythmic chants of singers, and the crowd goes into a
frenzy cheering them on. The race is a major tourist attraction during the Onam festive season, which usually falls between August and September.
Photo: India Tourism Chennai
Photo: Govinda
Pushpak (1987, Silent Film): An unemployed youth assumes Viswaroopam (2013, Tamil): Nirupama, a nuclear
the identity of a millionaire to get a taste of the good life. The movie oncologist, hires a detective to trail her effete Kathak-dancer
reinterprets the silent film genre using expression, body language, music husband Viz, who seems to be harbouring some secrets. What
and symbolism in the absence of dialogue in this dark comedy. she finds turns out to be more complex than she imagined.
Nayagan (1987, Tamil): Based on the life of Masaan (2015, Hindi): A movie about five lives that
Varadharaja Mudaliar in Mumbai, Nayagan tells the story intersect along the River Ganga in Varanasi. There are no villains in the
of Velu, an immigrant from Tamil Nadu, who eventually conventional sense nor characters that can be easily identified as good.
becomes a godfather to the beleaguered masses. (Masaan is a colloquial term for burning ghats or crematoriums.)
Chitram (1988, Malayalam): Kalyani hires Talvar (2015, Hindi) is based on a sensational real-life
Vishnu to act as her husband, projecting the picture of a happy double murder case in Delhi which hogged media attention for a very
marriage to her visiting father. Although they bicker constantly, long time. It presents three conflicting accounts of the developments
Kalyani soon falls in love with Vishnu, who hides a tragic secret. on the fateful night when a teenage girl and the domestic help at
her home were killed. It leaves many questions unanswered.
Hyderabad Blues (1998, English): A low-
budget realistic comedy about a young NRI who visits his
hometown, Hyderabad, on vacation, and resists relentless pressure
from his parents to get him arrange-married in a hurry.
Rakesh Sharma
made history when he boarded
the Soyuz T-11 and was
blasted into space on April 2,
1984. He became the countrys
first astronaut, and was part
Bengal Gazette was Indias first English of the Indian Space Research
newspaper and also the first to be printed in the whole
Organisations joint venture
subcontinent. Brought out by James Augustus Hicky,
with the Soviet Intercosmos
it was a weekly which started on January 29, 1780. It
programme. Recently, India
launched a vibrant culture of journalism in the country.
became only one of four
Today, the newspaper industry in India is thriving,
countries in the world to
bucking global trends which favour digital media.
send a mission to Mars.
Cornelia Sorabji was the first Indian woman barrister, Dadabhai Naoroji, a Parsi from Bombay, went to England
the first lady graduate from the Bombay University and the first as a partner in the first Indian company to be established there. Although
woman in the world to study Law at Oxford! This extraordinary he subsequently resigned, he stayed on and his home became a meeting
lady was also a social worker, and she often offered free legal services place for those connected with India. Such was his stature that he
to poor women and orphans. India now has a prestigious chain of was elected to the British Parliament from Finsbury Central in 1892
institutions providing sound training in law and legal practices, as a Liberal Party representative. Since then, many persons of Indian
collectively known as the National Law Universities. There are also origin have been distinguished members of the British Parliament.
many other well-respected centres of legal learning in the country.
Taxila or Takshashila
is within Pakistan today, but it was a
great and revered centre of learning in
ancient India. It is considered the first
university of the region and one of the
first in the world. Besides the Hindu
scriptures and arts such as archery and
hunting, medicine and law were also
taught. Famous students included
Chanakya (strategist and administrator
par excellence), Charaka (ayurvedic
doctor) and Panini (grammarian).
Marriage is a rite of passage celebrated in India as the union of two families. The simplest form of Indian marriage is the ancient
gandharva wedding, which involved merely the exchange of garlands between bride and groom. The swayamvara system was also in
vogue among certain sections in times past a girl was given the freedom to choose her groom from an array of suitors gathered to
seek her hand. In modern India, symbols and customs of Hindu wedding ceremonies have been adopted by other religions, chiefly
Christianity, such as the tying of the mangalsutra, a neck ornament, by the groom around the brides neck. This is a common custom
and a symbol of undying love and commitment. Keeping a sacred fire alight as witness in some form is considered a blessing.
a Eder, Italy
Photo : Elen
All over India, women draw
floor designs at dawn outside
their homes, both humble and
palatial. These are known as
kolam in the south and
rangoli in the north
of India. The designs are a
fine science. Rice flour,
standing for prosperity, is
the most common medium. It signifies peace and purity. The
yellow of the turmeric root, standing for prosperity, and vermillion, for
auspiciousness, are used as fillers traditionally. The motifs are many and
varied flowers, fish, animals, birds and man himself, as also geometric
patterns, symbolising the oneness of the universe. Ants feed on the rice
flour, another gesture signifying mans responsibility towards all creatures
great and small. Drawing dots, and then lines around the dots, is said to
signify circumventing the problems of life. The daily drawing, wearing
out and being wiped off the next day to be replaced by a fresh kolam or
rangoli also comes as a subtle reminder of the impermanence of life.
Ayurveda, the ancient system of holistic healing native to the Indian It is common in India to see cows inside the premises of temples.
subcontinent, holds that food is medicine. According to ayurvedic texts, They are raised so that their milk can be used for worship of the
regular intake of cows milk cures diseases, improves sleep and adds to deities enshrined inside. Go daan, or gifting a cow, is a part of the
overall good health. The heaviness of milk can be balanced by the addition rituals at some traditional Hindu weddings and ceremonies.
of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and black pepper. In keeping
Cyclones are an accepted and expected part of the monsoon experience, too. Low-pressure troughs form in the Indian
Ocean, Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal and sometimes turn nasty. Rural areas usually bear the brunt of the furious winds,
while cities are more or less safe. But live wires pose a threat, so power is often shut down during cyclones.
Of Children
of childrens books in India. CBTs portfolio includes fiction,
history, biographies, science fiction, travelogues, humour and drama,
besides picture books and read-aloud books. (The CBT building
in New Delhi also houses an international dolls museum, billed as
Growing up in India in times past meant the worlds largest collection of dolls.) Now, other publishers such
a diet of tales that were essentially Indian. as Tulika, Tara Books, New Horizon Media, Navneet Publications
They followed the universal formula of and Dreamland Publications too focus on childrens literature.
didactic stories or stories with happy
endings, and were full of animals, princes
and princesses, magic and humour.
Modern Indian tales too keep little ones
(and some adults as well!) entertained.
Heres a selection of well-loved kids fare.
The Panchatantra
Tales and Jataka Tales
are to Indian children what
the stories of Hans Andersen
and the brothers Grimm
are to Western kids. These
Photo: Wikipedia
Earthenware
pots are ubiquitous
in India. Their porous
quality provides
excellent cooling
without harming the
throat and lungs or
releasing harmful
CFC gases. A handful
of specially chosen
herbs added to the
water affords an extra
Photo: Alex Gaylon, Creative Commons layer of protection
Incense sticks or agarbathis, also known as joss sticks, are on hot summer days.
Indias answer to aerosol room fresheners sweet smelling, they In keeping with
do no harm to the ozone layer. Associated with temples and puja the times, earthen
rooms, their fragrance conjures up the peace that prayer brings. pots now come
They come in a variety of scents, from rose to sandalwood. Today, with convenient
theyre used also in aromatherapy. The perfumes are derived from metal taps.
nature; and its a cottage industry, involving mainly women.
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