Tag: India

Indian Fashion

Hey fellow adventurers! This is another blog post that I’ve been looking forward to writing! I’ve always been intrigued in Indian fashion but I’ve never looked into it.

Although India has had a popular style of fashion for a long time, Indians have only been interested in the fashion industry since the 1980’s. Popular items of clothing in the pre-1980’s were:

  • Kurta: a loose shirt falling somewhere around the knees, worn by women and men
  • Dhoti: a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 15 ft. (4.5 meters) long, wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist, worn by men
  • Gagra Coli: the combination of a midriff-baring blouse and waist or hip high long skirt, worn by women
  • Sari: a piece of fabric that is anywhere between 5-9 yards long (4.5-8 meters) wrapped around the waist and draped over the shoulder which symbolizes grace, worn by women

Now a day, there are a few regions that wear only traditional clothing but in most places, you’ll see a mix of traditional and new styles. There are so many different mixtures of styles depending on the occasion, the region and the person’s taste in clothing. Especially in places like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, you’ll see more western style clothing. A popular mixture of traditional and western style fashion is wearing a kurti (a shortened kurta) with jeans.

Some popular Indian Instagram accounts that cover fashion:

https://www.instagram.com/cocktailfortwo/

https://www.instagram.com/urbaneyebyrg/

https://www.instagram.com/giasaysthat/

https://www.instagram.com/blueberryblackout/

https://www.instagram.com/thegirlfromfuss/

https://www.instagram.com/fmwdotcom/

https://www.instagram.com/thesnobjournal/

https://www.instagram.com/bioblad3/

https://www.instagram.com/theclicchic/

https://www.instagram.com/heisgotthestyle/

https://www.instagram.com/deekshakhurana/

https://www.instagram.com/singhstreetstyle/

https://www.instagram.com/the.f.drug/

If you’re like me then you’ve been wondering how women wear saris. I found this YouTube video that explains how to put it on and a couple different ways to style it:

While researching Indian fashion, I came across a Hindi filmed called Fashion that sounds interesting. The audience gave it a score of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes (no critic score available). On Rotten Tomatoes, it’s described: “Set against the glittering backdrop of the glamorous but ruthless world of haute couture fashion, this film tells the story of a small town girl with big city ambitions. Meghna always knew she was meant to be famous, but she was about to find out the hard way that success came at a price. Fashion is the tale of what happens when the price of success becomes too much to pay.” Unfortunately, the trailer I found doesn’t have English subtitles but it’s still interesting to watch:

That’s it for the post on fashion! What’s your favorite aspect of Indian fashion? Please let me know in the comment section below! I’m loving kurtis but I eventually want to get a sari. Thank you so much for reading my blog! Until our next adventure!

Dabbawallas

Hey fellow adventurers! I’ve been looking forward to this blog post all month! I’m honestly in awe of the Dabbawallas! Maybe, by the end you’ll understand why.

Dabbawallas are an essential part of everyday life in Mumbai. For 800 rupees ($12.50 USD) a month, Indians can get a homecooked meal delivered to them 6 days a week. Their organizational system is one of the best in the world with some saying they only make one mistake every million deliveries and others saying six million. Either way, they’re the best delivery men I know of! They definitely put my local pizza hut to shame!

Dabba is the name of the cylinder metal container (tiffin) that the food comes in and wala refers to the man that carries those lunches. Dabbawalla roughly translates to “tiffin box delivery man” or “the one who carries the box.” Wives and mothers of the men that sign up for this service make their loved ones home cooked meals. The Dabbawallas pick up those meals from their homes and take it to the recipient’s work or school via train and bicycle by 1PM (13:00). It’s essential that they deliver these lunches on time. But it’s also important that the recipients give their empty containers back to the Dabbawallas on time as well. If the recipients fail to give their empty containers to the Dabbawallas three times, they’re dropped as a customer. Apart from the train, the Dabbawallas don’t use any modern devices to help them in their delivery. Over 200,000 lunches are delivered by Dabbawallas every day.

Recognizing that India needed a service that delivers hot food to busy, working men, Mahadeo Havaji Bachche started a lunch delivery service with about 100 men. Today, there are at least 5,000 Dabbawallas delivering food, and the service is still growing. Dabbawallas wear white kurtas and white Gandhi caps. Each Dabbawalla earns 8,000 rupees ($125 USD) a month, making this service one of the better paying labor jobs in India. Many of the Dabbawallas either have low literacy skills or are illiterate so the system uses mostly colors and numbers to direct men as to where the food should go. But I can’t explain as well as Dabbawalla so I highly suggest you listen to this man describe the system (it’s a short video): http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170119-the-ingenious-codes-of-indias-dabbawalla

In 2014, a movie centered around this service came out called The Lunchbox. I haven’t seen it yet but it looks interesting and the critics at Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 98% so that’s promising. They describe it as: “Middle class housewife Ila is trying once again to add some spice to her marriage, this time through her cooking. She desperately hopes that this new recipe will finally arouse some kind of reaction from her neglectful husband. She prepares a special lunchbox to be delivered to him at work, but, unbeknownst to her, it is mistakenly delivered to another office worker, Saajan, a lonely man on the verge of retirement. Curious about the lack of reaction from her husband, Ila puts a little note in the following day’s lunchbox, in the hopes of getting to the bottom of the mystery. This begins a series of lunchbox notes between Saajan and Ila, and the mere comfort of communicating with a stranger anonymously soon evolves into an unexpected friendship. Gradually, their notes become little confessions about their loneliness, memories, regrets, fears, and even small joys. They each discover a new sense of self and find an anchor to hold on to in the big city of Mumbai that so often crushes hopes and dreams. Still strangers physically, Ila and Saajan become lost in a virtual relationship that could jeopardize both their realities.” Trailer here:

Though times are changing in India just like the rest of the world. With more and more women working in India, some women don’t have the time to make a hot lunch to be delivered to their husbands. If this trend continues, the delivery system will be forced to change. There’s some talk that the wives of the Dabbawalla might need to be the ones that make the lunches in the future. As of right now though, most women are still at home and making lunches for the husbands.

Are you lot impressed like I am? Feel free to post your opinions in the comment section below! I would love to know! Thank you so much for reading my blog! And until our next adventure!

Independence Day

Hey fellow adventurers! Happy Indian Independence Day! This isn’t a normal day that I post but I had to say something about Independence Day today! Also, kudos to whoever made today’s featured image! That’s beautiful!

You might remember me talking about Indian independence from Britain in my history blog post but I’ll recap in case you forgot or haven’t gotten around to that one yet. The British Parliament signed the Indian Independence Act in August 1947 and it went in to effect on the 15th of August 1947. Also on this day, Britain split up what was then India into today’s India and Pakistan. However, we’re focusing solely on modern day India. I’ll talk about modern day Pakistan another month. Independence Day is observed as a national holiday in all Indian states and union territories.

On the morning of Independence Day, the current president of India (Ram Nath Kovind) gives a speech, the “Address to the Nation” and then hoists the Indian flag on top of the Red Fort. In his speech, the prime minister pays tribute to the leaders of the Indian independence movement, acknowledges India’s achievements over the past year, raises important issues and talks about the future of India. Twenty-one gun shots are fired for the occasion. They sing the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana.” After the speech, the have a parade to show off the Indian armed forces and paramilitary forces as well as showcase scenes from the independence struggle and India’s diverse cultural traditions. Independence Day parades aren’t limited to Delhi however, other parades will start popping up across India. Government and non-government institutions will hold flag-hoisting ceremonies and events. Some cities will have kite flying events. You’ll see the Indian flag everywhere as people try to show their allegiance to India. People will even try to match their clothing, wristbands, cars, household accessories to the Indian flag. Independence Day now a day is more of a celebration of all things India. Some cities outside of India celebrate today as well (specifically places with a lot of Indian immigrants).

Until our next adventure! Satyameva Jayate.

Krishna Janmashtami

Hey fellow adventurers! There’s going to be two posts today. The first is the usual post and the second is this one about Krishna Janmashtami since that takes place today, on the 14th. Hope you enjoy them! 🙂

Krishna Janmashtami, usually just referred to as Janmashtami, is a Hindu holiday that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the god of compassion, tenderness, and love. He is worshiped as the eighth avatar of the god Vishnu and also as the supreme God in his own right. Janmashtami is one of the largest festivals in the Hindu world, and is observed on a different day each year since the date is determined by the lunisolar cycle rather than the Gregorian calendar.

The festivities take place over forty-eight hours. For the first event, Krishan Ashtami, Hindus wake up before dawn to sing and pray in honor of Krishna. Some will also dance and preform dramatic rituals that tell the story of Krishna’s birth and life. A lot of Hindus will also fast in his honor. Vigils (staying awake during a time people normally sleep to keep watch or pray) are held until midnight when it is believed that the deity was born. Sometimes, people will also bathe and dress statues of the baby Krishna to commemorate his birth. On the second day, Janam Ashtami, Hindus will break their fast of the previous day with elaborate meals that often contain milk or cheese curds, said to be two of Krishna’s favorite foods.

Until our next adventure!

Indian Folktales

Hey fellow adventurers! I love folktales! Some of the most creative and interesting stories are folktales. My favorite book as a girl was a kids’ version of One Thousand and One Nights (more commonly known as Arabian Nights). My favorite story being one of the lesser known “The Prince and the Tortoise.” However, even though Indian folktales influenced the Arabian Nights, maybe even slipped in to the books, that’s not what we’re talking about today. I’m going to talk about some of the more popular Indian folktales but I’m also going to leave out a lot of stories too. There are a lot of Indian folktales!

Jataka Tales

Originally written in Pali in 300 BCE, the Jataka Tales has since been translated and spread across the world. The stories were written to impart knowledge and morality on the reader. The tales mostly focus on the many births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form.

Panchatantra Tales

Originally written in Sanskrit and Pali, the Panchantantra Tales have been translated into multiple languages. These tales were compiled in the 200 BCE. It is believed that the stories were written by Vishnu Sharma and other scholars for the purpose of teaching moral values and governing skills to the young sons of the king. The tales consist of animal stories told in prose and poetry.

Hitopadesha Tales

The Hitopadesha Tales are a compilation of short stories composed by Narayana Pandit. Translated from Sanskrit, the stories are told in prose and poetry. A lot, if not all, of these stories are over 1,000 years old. The Hitopadesha Tales are often compared to the Panchatantra Tales. Unlike the Panchatantra Tales though, the Hitopadesha Tales was written for the common folk.

Ramayana

Translated from Sanskrit, “Ramayana” is an epic poem that narrates the life of Prince Rama. The story follows him as he gets banished from his kingdom, travels across India with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, rescues his wife with an army of monkeys after she was kidnapped by Rakshasa the demon king of Lanka, and then eventually returns to his kingdom to be crowned king. Considered by many to be one of the most important literary pieces of ancient India, this piece has been influencing art in Southeast Asia for centuries. This story has been retold in multiple different art forms countless times. Below is the story being told through dance.

Mahabharata

Also translated from Sanskrit, “Mahabharata” is made up of almost 100,000 (ten times longer than the Iliad and the Odyssey combined), making it the longest epic poem known. The story follows the Kurukshetra War, the war between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, over the throne of Hastinapur. It was announced earlier this year that Dr. B. R. Shetty invested $150 million (American) to produce “Mahabharata,” making it the biggest Indian motion picture ever. It’s going to be directed by V. A. Shrikumar Menon and will come out in two parts. The first part is planned to be released in 2018 and the second part in 2020.

If you want to read some Indian folktales:

http://www.worldoftales.com/Indian_folktales.html

http://fairytalez.com/region/indian/

If there were any folktales that you believe deserve mention, please tell me in a comment below. I would love to read about it! Until our next adventure!