Khajuraho Festival Of Dance 2009

Erotic temples! Harem Pants! In the middle of nowhere! Yay!

Well, lots of people seem to be losing their minds these days. Why not me?

Now, since that is out of the way let’s talk stuff – the Bargain Hunter (I), my sister (M), her friend(A) and J (for those in the know) made our way to the Khajuraho Festival of Dance 2009 for a nice, chilled out weekend. Honestly speaking, I hadn’t expected much from the Festival but I am glad I went.

Contrary to our expectations, the Festival started right on time and that too without any bureaucratic hassles. It started with Manipuri Pungcholam or Drum Dance. This is what percussion is all about – I really wanted to just get up and dance along with them. Then came Assamese Sattriya, supposedly the most popular dance form in Assam. One wonders why. It went on and on, was not well rehearsed, the female singer was too shrill and it went on and on. Half the audience actually left in the middle of the performance. We really wanted to see Jowai, a folk art form from West Bengal but couldn’t endure the Assamese on the stage any more. Ah, well. (Those who want more details – call me!)

Pungcholam Dancers From Manipur

Artists From Assam

Let’s come back to the stuff which this blog is about – shopping!

I had expected Khajuraho to be like Hampi – largely a village, largely green and lots of temples all around. And I also hadn’t expected it to be a great shopping destination. Though, great here depends on your perspective. Since Khajuraho is mostly frequented by foreign tourists (and you will be amazed by the number of 5-star hotels in this hamlet), most shops here stock the standard junk – weird cotton clothes, jhola bags, ‘ethnic’ jewellery, chappals.

And here I confess a guilty secret – I bought one of those weird clothes. It was really hot in Khajuraho and I succumbed to the roomy charms of Harem Pants. But the Bargain Hunter’s work is never done – the shopkeepers began quoting foreign tourist prices to us so we have to show them what is what, ain’t it? First quote – Rs. 180. I laughed. The game began – “Rs. 120, madam, only for you”. I smirked and walked out. The next guy began with a more reasonable price – Rs. 140. But after a successful round of haggling, we finally got the price down to Rs. 80. Not bad for a voluminous hunk of cotton, is it? But they are very comfortable.

As I said earlier, I hadn’t expected to shop much in Khajuraho. So I was happy to discover the Madhya Pradesh State Emporium – Mrignayani – in Khajuraho. They carry a variety of bedspreads, dupattas, sarees, brass figurines, rugs, bags, etc. etc. at rock bottom prices. On which they give you a 10% discount.

The Bargain Hunter is in love with sarees – buys them from every town she goes to. Her mom despairs coz B.H. never wears them – B.H. is a collector in the true sense of the word. Anyways, they had Batik and typical MP ‘Bagh’ block print sarees, bed sheets (double and single), dupattas and cloth bolts. B.H. was in heaven and ignored by her party got down to serious browsing. Ultimately she bought a maroon batik bed sheet (Rs.190), a white and rose double one with bagh work (Rs. 220) and a mauve and white Batik dupatta (Rs.110, all prices after 10% discount).

Batik Bedspread From Khajuraho

And now since I am tired of referring to myself as Bargain Hunter all the while, I am going to continue in the first person…So while I was making the payment, J and I spotted some postcards in the glass display. They were actually pastel water colours of Khajuraho temples and sculpture. Very well done and Rs.45 (after discount) for a set of six – perfect souvenirs for the folks back in office. I bought two.

The man at the counter looked very tired and dejected throughout all this. Then J started chatting to him about Mrignayani showrooms in Bhopal (where she’s lived for two years) and he finally got a spark back in his eyes. He informed us that most of the products were manufactured in Ujjain in government operated workshops. The MP government conducts training workshops in metalwork and textile (block print and batik) printing. The interesting thing is that almost any one can participate in these. Specifically these are aimed at the tribal people who learn a trade and can earn a living. I found it a bit disquieting that a once independent and proud people have now to be trained into their own traditional arts by ‘us’.

Brasswork From Madhya Pradesh

Here are some more Khajuraho pics

Lost in Dilli Haat

If I was ever asked what my favourite shopping destination in Delhi is, I won’t be able to give an instant answer. There are so many choices – the roadside arcades of Janpath or the bargains of Sarojini Nagar? The bustling lanes of Lajpat Nagar or the posh haunts of GK M Block market?

Between the lot of them, they have the goods to satisfy every craving of the dedicated shopaholic. But what if you wanted a taste of India in all its colours and handicrafts? There is only one place to go then – Dilli Haat.

Parchment Faces

Traditionally, haats have been an essential part of the Indian village economy. These weekly markets were the spaces where artisans, farmers and local people gathered for bargains, household goods and gossip. We city kids can still experience some of this ambience at the weekly markets held in some urban localities.

Inspired by this idea of a public/commercial space, Dilli Haat was designed as a permanent artisanal bazaar. The architecture replicates rural construction – thatch roofed kiosks and halls, an open food court, street level display of goods, jaali work partitions, hand-painted motifs on the borders of doors and windows, chaupal – but all in red sandstone. The firm of Pradeep Sachdeva Design Associates was responsible for the plans of this (what initially appeared as a somewhat) contrived space. They are the same people who designed the Garden of Five Senses at Said-ul-Ajab and the treeless, denuded DU Plaza in North Campus. (As an ex-student who remembers the huge green trees who inhabited the latter space before it was improved upon, I am especially surprised that these same people are responsible for a somewhat interesting park within the city.)

Haat Style

Gripes aside, it is this faux village ambience which gives shopping in Dilli Haat its special charm. It is a much needed relief from the sterile malls dotting the city. Also, this kind of a background is the perfect frame for the handicrafts on display. Artisans from all over the country come to Dilli Haat and display their wares. In a way it replicates the motif of travel which was an integral part of the haat experience – both for the buyer and seller.

And this is where the shopaholic’s ecstasy begins – Banarsi silk stoles and bed covers, Naga and Kullu shawls, pottery, delicate mobiles made out of craft paper and leather, Kashmiri paper mache, kantha sarees, block printed fabrics, silver jewellary, Rajasthani jooties…the list just goes on.

Birds Of A Feather

Stalls are hired out only tocraftsmen registered with DC Handicrafts, a DTTDC body. They are charged a nominal fee of Rs. 100 a day so that both buyers and sellers are not inhibited by large overhead costs. Stalls are rotated every 15 days. Every time you go there, there is something new to gawk at. Tip: bargain fiercely, in true haat style. The market does not operate on urban ‘fixed price’ lines. My favorite bargain was for a double bed Banarasi silk bedspread. What was initially quoted for Rs. 1,800 was finally sold for Rs. 1,000. I am good, eh?

What is a bazaar without food? Craving exotic spices? Just head to the food stall managed by Naga Tourism for pork cooked with bamboo shoot or axuni (fermented soyabean). Daal baati churma? – Rajasthan. Pork vindaloo? – Goa. Awadhi biryani? Uttar Pradesh. Dilli Haat has the only respectable food court in all of Delhi. An open space with stone tables and benches, it has kiosks from every state (and Union Territory) of the country. ‘Ex-pats’ feeling homesick know where to go. An informal survey (consisting of 5 friends of yours truly) revealed that a plate of steaming Momos from the Sikkim food stall completed the Dilli Haat experience.

Luscious

Address:  INA, Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi

Entry Fee: Rs. 15 for adults and Rs. 5 for children.

After the success of the original Dilli Haat, the Delhi government planned to open haats at various other locations within the city. Latest is the one at Pitampura.

Stay For A Day

Would you invite a complete stranger into your home to Stay For a Day?

Well that’s the idea that OkTataByebye.com is trying to promote through their campaign Myself, Ashish. Ashish Gupta is a techie by profession but right now he is on a vacation – a long backpacking trip across India. The challange is to see how many families open their homes to him and invite him to stay with them when he halts at their city.

Journey Across India

Ashish will be posting blog updates and photos daily, sharing the couch surfer experience with the online community. You can also track his route through Maps and video updates.

So why don’t you invite Ashish over?

A Round Of Ballet

One of the fashion trends that really takes me back to my childhood is the one involving ballet slippers. We used to call them ‘ballies’ (‘ba’ as in ‘bay’) and they came in all colours of shiny leather, velvet and even jute. ‘Inspired’ by the ballet slipper, these shoes had…heels. I think the correct name for them is Pumps. Behold them in all their pastel glory:

Bubblegum

These were accompanied by such horrors as big hair, neon tights and huge shoulder pads. Anyways, the post is not about nostalgia but about the present avatar of the ‘ballie’. This time around, they are a true homage to the original though as we shall soon see, they have retained their shini-ness. They are now the footwear of choice of all the PYTs and serious Fashionistas out there.

Got Gold?

While I was used to  encountering Mall Rats shod in the latest, I only realized how serious this trend had become when one day I spotted almost every female in the office sporting them.

Reflectors On Foot

Please note that the shininess is going strong. I especially love the detail:

Princess Detail

There were more subdued varieties also walking around.

The Stately One

So black patent leather is still quite popular and in a throwback to the original ballet shoes, the ruching has been retained in the front. As for me, I am still clomping around in my floaters.

(The pics were a team effort, to say the least. All the men had experts comments to give regarding the choice of subject, framing and technique. Thanks to JasDam for posing.)

Happy Green Year!

Morning Green

So today was the first working day of 2009. (Please don’t feel sorry that I have to come in and work on this long weekend. I actually enjoy my work. Weird, I know.)

Anyways…there is a tradition in our organization that every employee gets a bamboo plant on their birthday. This being the beginning of the New Year and an unusually sunny day (for January), my team mates decided to sun-bathe their various possessions.

OkTataByebye

The longer the person has been in the organization, the more green they have (see what I did there?).

Falling In

We are lucky to sit next to the giant glass windows. Sometimes it is possible to enjoy a contemplative sunset inside the office.

Blind Sunset

It was fun to watch the play of light, glass, water and green as the day went by.

Tropical

Wishing you all a very happy and green new year. I hope for more days like this.

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