Village life in India

Village Wedding Scene Warli Painting

Exploring any art form also opens your eyes to the time and place that it originated in. I spent the weekend working on this piece. Many aspects of this scene reminded me of the visits to my father's village Kakanur in Karnataka. It was here that my parents spent the first 7-8 years after marriage. Then, when I was born, last one of four, they shifted to the nearby town Shimoga, for the sake of children's education.

Cooking was done on mud stoves that used firewood. Two of my aunts, both beautiful tall women, would start the fire every morning to cook for a large joint family and all the visiting relatives. I remember this is what my mother used as well when I was little. She walked to a nearby woodlot to put in the order. It would be delivered in front of our house on a bullock cart, a wood cutter would then be hired to slice them into stackable pieces. All of us kids would carry them on our stretched arms, careful not to get splinters into our skin, and bring them inside and to the back of the house where amma would stack them up neatly to pick from everyday, for cooking in the kitchen and to heat water in the bathroom. Firewood was the only source of fuel for domestic use at that time. Then of course, we saw it evolve to kerosene oil stoves, electric coil stove, then the gas stove with detachable gas cylinders that needed to be replaced/replenished when empty, and were lighted using a matchstick. Now, I just have to turn the knob and tik,tik,tik, viola! ready to cook on four/five different burners.

Back to Kakanur (our village), those large black clay pots occupied the corner on kitchen counter, one with water and the other with seasoned buttermilk. I always preferred buttermilk over water because it was well-water and hence tasted different from the Tunga waters in Shimoga. What a relief it was to run to the kitchen after playing out in the sun, and be able to dip the steel cups and drink from those pots which kept the beverage nice and cool on hot summer days. These clay pots also evolved, with a tap attached to it, which was a common thing in everyone's kitchen until refrigerators occupied the kitchen corners.

Another village scene with birds in the sky, fish in the water, people going about their activities with a large tree sheltering them.

Simple does it - Warli Art

I have noticed that I am drawn to all things simple. I first saw Warli art on a saree that was on display at a small stall at Mysore Dasara Exhibition many years ago, shopping with my sister. Those were the best use for Rs. 500 in my opinion. It happens to be one of my favorite sarees to this day. Since then, I have seen it on many articles like handbags, pouches, wall art, a variety of clothing articles and every time I have paused to observe and admire the art. Unintentionally some of the warli ideas had crept into my doodles. I remember looking up youtube videos for tutorials and practicing, but hadn't been able to give it enough attention to continue to develop the skills.  Although the thought of taking classes had crossed my mind, I had found neither the time nor the inclination to really explore until now when my kids are grown and flown.

When I saw a flier go by my FB feed about Warli Art Classes at the Center for Arts and Wellness in Westborough, I immediately reached out to see if I could attend. I am realizing now, as I sit through these classes learning and practicing every Saturday morning for an hour and half, why it has always fascinated me. It is because it is simple and the focal points are all drawn from nature! We may sometimes believe that we need to think hard to make something beautiful happen. On the contrary, what I feel like I am learning here is to train my brain to not overthink. Look at the nature around you, notice the distinct shape or form of the subject of interest, work it with the application of the Warli idea: A simple silhouette style stick figure drawing based off of simple geometric shapes. I have a long way to go, before I get the simplicity down, get the proportions and shapes right etc, but I am thoroughly enjoying every moment, whether it is in class or homework.

Of course you can find a great deal of information on the internet that makes for some very interesting read about the Warli Tribe, their way of life and their art form. Start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warli_painting

Ms. Mehta has put together a fine curriculum, with learning modules, practice sheets, knowledge check sheets after every minor module and homework exercises that make you put your own creative hats on. I and my two classmates, both middle schoolers, have fun learning from each other in class. Like it is with anything else, I notice that it is easier to pick up when you are young, probably because there is less to unlearn.  I look forward to Saturday mornings for my time at the Center for Arts and Wellness, where they have created such a beautiful space, conducive for learning. As we learn Warli art, we are treated to the sounds of children singing raag Bhupali in their music class, a definite bonus.

The two girls in class remind me of myself when I was a little girl in Shimoga participating in a painting competition, sitting on the floor criss crossed in the corridor of a school building, along with hundred other students all with camel water paint boxes and brushes.  I remember painting a temple on a hill top, along the riverside with trees and shrubs, all inside a nice big circle. Years later, when I started college in DVS, I was astonished to hear from one of our professors Mr. Dashrathi, that he remembered me from that painting day and he also remembered what I had painted!  Apparently he was one of the organizers/volunteers at the event.  All those of you who spend time teaching these fine arts and performing arts, and create opportunities and spaces for children to explore and experience these, please know that you touch their lives in beautiful ways.  

Nov 2, 2019 update:
It was the last class today and here is what I produced. My first Warli Paintings!

My first Warli painting and the inspiration behind that design

NEKK early day stories

As my younger of the two daughters enters junior high and prepares to take off to attend college and the older one enters her second year in college , I am naturally going down memory lane and finding myself uttering the much cliched "how time flies", "they grow up too fast" etc one too many times.  But can one help that?  Now feels like an apt time to reminisce and share with everyone, our family's personal stories with NEKK (New England Kannada Koota).

The year was 1994 (flashback tune, a bursting cloud fading, bringing you to the bygone era).  Ok, enough drama :-) I arrived at Boston Logan Airport on Sept 18th, Sunday.  Exactly a week later, Sept 25th Sunday was NEKK's Ganesha Festival Celebration and I was there in one of my wedding sarees, bashful new bride, introduced to everyone as the wife of the secretary of NEKK at that time.  At the entrance to the auditorium, met two families who said their hometowns were close to Shimoga.  Music to my ears!  It was Shobha and Shankar Hegde, Usha and Jayarama.  To see so many people in traditional outfits, speaking in Kannada, reaching out to introduce themselves and interested in striking a conversation with me, suddenly made me forget the seven seas that I had crossed just the week before and feel right back at home.  As luck would have it I won the bingo game that day, on my first attendance at an NEKK event, never to be forgotten by our dear Raja Rao! Every time he introduces us to anyone, he makes sure he mentions it.

The year that followed, although can be termed as the honeymoon period, included exploring the Universities and Masters Programs, working part time and attending school for a Master's Degree at  Northeastern University, just walk-able distance from home, as Chaitanya crossed the street and walked 5 mins to work everyday at Harvard Medical School.  Weekends were filled with NEKK activities.  Planning events, committee meetings, dance practice sessions etc.  I took the commuter train to come to friend's houses in the suburbs.  Poornima Gururaja, Roopa Doraswamy, Shobha Hegde (both daughters were part of our dance group), were all wonderful hosts!  I first saw ready-made butter milk in carton at Poornima's house which was served along with the traditional carrot+green beans saaru with rice and store bought uppinakaayi.

Planning and executing NEKK's 25th anniversary, was one that will always remain etched in my memory.  Rajendra and Renuka Rao, the then president and first lady of NEKK, Balchandar and family, Jagannath and Padma and a host of other members at the time, filled the roles of our aunts and uncles I had left back in India.  As I watched Poornima feed her little toddler at one of the NEKK events I could not help the tears that welled up in my eyes remembering my own niece who was a toddler, who I missed so dearly.  Somehow, without a conscious effort and probably due to absence of the modern day technologies, the people here got closer and felt more like extended family than the large extended family I had left back in India.

After completion of degree, starting a family and a first real job at the same time made it a bit challenging to continue to give time to NEKK.  But we stayed members and attended events regularly and kept in touch with the friends we had made in the process.  The singing, dancing, acting bugs always come back to bite you and attract like minded people like magnets :-)  So team Lahari happened.  I would need to make a separate blog post to write about all the memories made during the Lahari practice sessions and performances.  A beautiful friendship emerged with Sumana, Madhu, Sumana, Satish, Padmini, Sudhir, Sahana, Sandesh, Rajesh, Bharat, Meera, LeSantha, Jay, Sarva.  One where we now go for periods of time not having spoken to each other but when we do meet we pick right where we left off.  We rehearsed every Sunday for hours together in Satish and Sumana's home.  God bless them for those countless cups of afternoon tea!  All out little ones thoroughly enjoyed the endless play dates (or at least that is what we'd like to think) while we practiced.  I don't even know what to say or how to thank the spouses for the patience they had to not only let us go for that long, but to listen to us for the most part and share their feedback, contribute to the potlucks etc.  About 10+ shows, not only at NEKK and IAGB, but a few in the NY area as well.  We always talk of our goal to get back together and jam some more after all our children are in college ;-)

Then there is Meena Kadaba, my dancer friend.  What joy she and Padmini brought when we presented Bharatanatya together.  And the kids programs, Ramayana dance drama among others, shall hold a very special place in all our minds and hearts.

As the girls grew with dance and music, they made special friendships and so did we with more Kannada families . . . Mamta, Murali, Jaya, Sridhar, Jyothi, Nagendra, Jyothi, Pravin, Sharada, Ram, Nikhila, Srinivas, more get-togethers, more practices, more fun times.

There are host of others friends we have made in the process, who I have not mentioned here.

These are videos of some of the performances:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIjUekHadZk

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OqHWpub5-k

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3aJ3LlQhDQ

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS_4xXbB9T8

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3DpoYnSVLE

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQnGIxWT84Q

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvNCaW3_T7E

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ha7Wr-33Zc

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q486Y9zNQk4

namma bhAshe (our language), in America

Kanglish:  As you may have guessed, Kannada+English=Kanglish.  Kannada being our mother-tongue, it is rather hard to express some things in any other language, so it creeps in.  Following are some stories about that.

When expressing disappointment at something that my little one had done, or rather, not done, I said in an angry mom's voice "ippattu sala hELde already, why can't you just do it?! blah blah blah . . . . "  The poor thing just watched me quietly with a guilty face knowing quite well that I was frustrated.  Later, when I had calmed down, and was completely engrossed in a game with her, she asked me casually "Amma, what does 'ippattu' mean?"  I said it meant 'twenty', but wondered why she asked and it suddenly occurred to me that she had heard me use the word when I was scolding her earlier!  That was one of the first times I realized the nuance in communicating with our kids growing up here and felt strange wondering how much of what we say they miss.

Some words that seem to have the right impact only in the mother tongue.
At the dinner table:
- Can you please pass me 'tuppa'? (clarified butter)
- May I have some 'mosaru'? (yogurt/homemade curds)
- I don't want more 'anna' (rice). Thanks.  I'll have more 'saru' (curry)
- I love 'happaLa'!
- Are we having 'talipiTTU' with 'uupinkaayi'?

When my mother and father were visiting us here in Boston, the little one was about 3 years old.  She said one time "If you make noise, thatha (grandpa) will "bythar" (scold) you.
Are you 'kaTT' ing?  (pronounced as 'cut' has the exact opposite meaning in English).  kaTTu=tie.

The next one is not Kanglish, but another interesting word out of a preschooler's mouth.
We were driving with S, a toddler and M a preschooler.  As always, well prepared with snacks and juice boxes etc.  M asked "can I have juice now"?  We were not on the road for long yet and it was not time according to my planned schedule.  So I said that I would give it to her when we were off the highway.  Being the good girl that she was, she patiently waited for a while and asked "Amma, are we on the low-way yet?".  Synonyms and antonyms were being taught in her preschool class at that time!

Amma and Appaji's 50th Wedding Anniversary!

"The richest love is that which submits to the arbitration of time."
 - Lawrence Durrell

"Love is not blind – It sees more and not less, but because it sees more it is willing to see less."
 - Will Moss

"One man by himself is nothing. Two people who belong together make a world".
- Han Margolius