Food Mojo
This link to an almond pedha seems like its totally worth a try -
http://www.veginspirations.com/2010/02/2-minute-microwave-almond-pedha-fudge.html
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Friday, 7 October 2011
In the name of god
I have been thinking of an apt introduction to this note, decided to ignore all that and be upfront, just like how my experience to one of the most coveted holy spots in Bombay was.
The plight of the people I saw outside the mosque is all I can remember of Haji Ali. Besides being a tourist spot, it is also a place of worship very well known to the people of India.
I’m agnostic, and probably the only reason I remain as one is because I still believe that there is an overwhelming energy that surpasses me most of the times, when I enter a holy place. Be it a Church, a Hindu temple or a Mosque, is supposed to evoke that boundless energy in you, it surely does that for me.
As much as I’m perceptive am not very judgmental. I was genuinely giving it a try from the moment I stepped into the walkover bridge of Haji Ali. How do I find peace when the entrance to the mosque is ushered by hungry, lecherous hawkers, all kinds of beggars, lepers, stray animals, physically challenged, mentally challenged, photographers with their printing machines to give you an instant copy, local guides, you name it and this place is a congregation of them all. This is perhaps the only place I know of where retail therapy and religion co-exist in a single platform!
As I entered the mosque, I refused to remove my footwear, that’s how clean the place was. As I walked around the Dargah, I often heard something break under my feet. Added to which, there were eagles hovering above my head, and for all that am not a very tall person! They were fluttering right above me, waiting for me to move away from what I happened to have crushed, there were bone pieces all over the floor. I choose to ignore, and step outside and see people exiting towards the rocks bordering the sea. Some spit, some dump the left-overs from their picnic baskets, some urinate and some vomit, in the midst of all this some pose for a picture or two!
I am not being pessimistic about the place or the religion; I will be lying if I said none of this happens in a Hindu temple or a church for that matter. Just for relevance, even Sidhi Vinayak temple isn’t as clean as it could be. But there is this overwhelming energy one cannot deny while sitting inside the prayer hall. Amidst the crowd chanting “Ganapati Bappa Moriya”, you will not have to try too hard to find peace. The Cathedral church, in Chennai leaves you with such a lasting impression that you yearn to go back there again.
I am mighty disappointed that my first visit to a mosque had to be this way. Forget the people visiting this place, even for the ones who stay at the mosque, the one’s who sell wares on the footpath to the mosque, if faith and belief is not the foundation of this place, then what is?
Is it a set of like-minded sexist men who like to cover their woman from head to toe while they wander the street passing lewd comments about other women, the reason for them to be united as a religion? Because I do wonder if there is a Mother Mary, goddess Lakshmi, I’d like to see a Muslim goddess who laid the path for how women of her religion should be.
I’d be more than happy to be proved wrong about all that have said above, not in the name of terrorism but in the name of reasoning.
I have tried to capture, to my best effort without any bias. Have a look and share your thoughts/criticisms - http://www.flickr.com/photos/sowmyaportfolio/sets/72157623109886349/with/4284198045/
The plight of the people I saw outside the mosque is all I can remember of Haji Ali. Besides being a tourist spot, it is also a place of worship very well known to the people of India.
I’m agnostic, and probably the only reason I remain as one is because I still believe that there is an overwhelming energy that surpasses me most of the times, when I enter a holy place. Be it a Church, a Hindu temple or a Mosque, is supposed to evoke that boundless energy in you, it surely does that for me.
As much as I’m perceptive am not very judgmental. I was genuinely giving it a try from the moment I stepped into the walkover bridge of Haji Ali. How do I find peace when the entrance to the mosque is ushered by hungry, lecherous hawkers, all kinds of beggars, lepers, stray animals, physically challenged, mentally challenged, photographers with their printing machines to give you an instant copy, local guides, you name it and this place is a congregation of them all. This is perhaps the only place I know of where retail therapy and religion co-exist in a single platform!
As I entered the mosque, I refused to remove my footwear, that’s how clean the place was. As I walked around the Dargah, I often heard something break under my feet. Added to which, there were eagles hovering above my head, and for all that am not a very tall person! They were fluttering right above me, waiting for me to move away from what I happened to have crushed, there were bone pieces all over the floor. I choose to ignore, and step outside and see people exiting towards the rocks bordering the sea. Some spit, some dump the left-overs from their picnic baskets, some urinate and some vomit, in the midst of all this some pose for a picture or two!
I am not being pessimistic about the place or the religion; I will be lying if I said none of this happens in a Hindu temple or a church for that matter. Just for relevance, even Sidhi Vinayak temple isn’t as clean as it could be. But there is this overwhelming energy one cannot deny while sitting inside the prayer hall. Amidst the crowd chanting “Ganapati Bappa Moriya”, you will not have to try too hard to find peace. The Cathedral church, in Chennai leaves you with such a lasting impression that you yearn to go back there again.
I am mighty disappointed that my first visit to a mosque had to be this way. Forget the people visiting this place, even for the ones who stay at the mosque, the one’s who sell wares on the footpath to the mosque, if faith and belief is not the foundation of this place, then what is?
Is it a set of like-minded sexist men who like to cover their woman from head to toe while they wander the street passing lewd comments about other women, the reason for them to be united as a religion? Because I do wonder if there is a Mother Mary, goddess Lakshmi, I’d like to see a Muslim goddess who laid the path for how women of her religion should be.
I’d be more than happy to be proved wrong about all that have said above, not in the name of terrorism but in the name of reasoning.
I have tried to capture, to my best effort without any bias. Have a look and share your thoughts/criticisms - http://www.flickr.com/photos/sowmyaportfolio/sets/72157623109886349/with/4284198045/
Monday, 21 December 2009
Edge of Faith
While your busy commuting by train everyday, from home to office, back and forth, sitting on the backseat of a chauffeur driven car reading your morning newspaper while sipping on the best take away coffee to work seems like a breath of fresh air.
Well, that’s the same feeling I got when I visited Edge of faith, a unique photo exhibiton by Prabuddha Dasgupta.
Not to say any of the other shows I attended during the day were bad or mundane, but I always knew what I was in for.
Bright and spotless white walls with focus lights that are ergonomically designed to bejewel each masterpiece of the artist, obtrudes on the wall, void of any distractions.
To further accentuate that moment of connect between the photographer and the guest, there will be a comforting instrumental music in the background.
Well, you might be thinking that the experiences of an upcoming photographer visiting art shows tend to be cynical. But I hope you will understand what I mean, when you visit Prabuddha Dasgupta’s exhibit in a rundown warehouse in Byculla Mumbai.
I have no idea if this is the same modus operandi he had followed for rest of his exhibitions. But this one worked perfectly. The theme of his work circle upon the Goan people who are tangled between their Portugal influences and the eventual necessity to adapt themselves to changes culturally and otherwise as Indians!
About 30 of his pictures are up on these stained, decrepit walls of a derelict warehouse. The viewer enjoys the experience of crooning his neck between the branches of trees that adorn each of his frames to get a good look at his images. As you soak into the goan-ness in each of these images, a local train zooms past you in the background setting you on an ethereal time travel to Goa.
While I stare upfront into the eyes of the girl standing behind a huge cross for a background…there is an eerie silence in the warehouse. You will find yourself staring at Prabhuda’s pictures in absolute stillness that is disrupted once in a while by a crow or two that echoes the mood of Prabhuda’s mind and its interpretations on the walls of this warehouse.
The exhibition, Edge of faith, was such a wholesome experience for me, probably because this is the first time that I am experiencing a display of very realistic work in a very realistic environment that it almost makes it surreal for me. The kind of feeling, one would enjoy very rarely!
For those of you in Mumbai, the exhibition is on at 561, 563, NM Joshi Marg, Byculla.
Cheers,
~s~
Well, that’s the same feeling I got when I visited Edge of faith, a unique photo exhibiton by Prabuddha Dasgupta.
Not to say any of the other shows I attended during the day were bad or mundane, but I always knew what I was in for.
Bright and spotless white walls with focus lights that are ergonomically designed to bejewel each masterpiece of the artist, obtrudes on the wall, void of any distractions.
To further accentuate that moment of connect between the photographer and the guest, there will be a comforting instrumental music in the background.
Well, you might be thinking that the experiences of an upcoming photographer visiting art shows tend to be cynical. But I hope you will understand what I mean, when you visit Prabuddha Dasgupta’s exhibit in a rundown warehouse in Byculla Mumbai.
I have no idea if this is the same modus operandi he had followed for rest of his exhibitions. But this one worked perfectly. The theme of his work circle upon the Goan people who are tangled between their Portugal influences and the eventual necessity to adapt themselves to changes culturally and otherwise as Indians!
About 30 of his pictures are up on these stained, decrepit walls of a derelict warehouse. The viewer enjoys the experience of crooning his neck between the branches of trees that adorn each of his frames to get a good look at his images. As you soak into the goan-ness in each of these images, a local train zooms past you in the background setting you on an ethereal time travel to Goa.
While I stare upfront into the eyes of the girl standing behind a huge cross for a background…there is an eerie silence in the warehouse. You will find yourself staring at Prabhuda’s pictures in absolute stillness that is disrupted once in a while by a crow or two that echoes the mood of Prabhuda’s mind and its interpretations on the walls of this warehouse.
The exhibition, Edge of faith, was such a wholesome experience for me, probably because this is the first time that I am experiencing a display of very realistic work in a very realistic environment that it almost makes it surreal for me. The kind of feeling, one would enjoy very rarely!
For those of you in Mumbai, the exhibition is on at 561, 563, NM Joshi Marg, Byculla.
Cheers,
~s~
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Idea for a garage sale
The days spent in Ooty were spartan yet effortlessly gratifying. I come back home (home being Bombay for now!), there were just too many things (read gadgets, books, clothes, CD covers, candles, random cute things) that I didn’t want to look at / use anymore. Assuming I’d like to sell a sandwich maker, there are zilch takers for it in the market, it just doesn't make sense to give it to my bhai (she is gonna take a lifetime to understand the purpose of sandwich maker and later justify that "10 rs wala sandwich issey behtar hai"!) As a resultant of my unjustified prudence, I have accumulated quite a number of things I don’t require, but might be useful for someone else.
I am thinking it will be wonderful even if a couple of us in the same city / nearby area can get together and have a garage sale. I’m sure we have a “100 need to buy” list in the back of our minds, and the takings from this sale will help us get to that sooner. Thereby, we can resume the circle of consumerism hence garage sale all over again. “For the less inclined towards shopping kinda people”, this money can go in the way of donations to gay organizations, and other such… etc!
I am thinking it will be wonderful even if a couple of us in the same city / nearby area can get together and have a garage sale. I’m sure we have a “100 need to buy” list in the back of our minds, and the takings from this sale will help us get to that sooner. Thereby, we can resume the circle of consumerism hence garage sale all over again. “For the less inclined towards shopping kinda people”, this money can go in the way of donations to gay organizations, and other such… etc!
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Am back and so is my website!
Its been a while. Lots of things have been happening in my life.
I had my photography exhibition in Bangalore and Mumbai. That's probably when I also realised how I suck at marketing myself. Bombay turned out pretty good. Had great responses. Fell ill during the exhibition, hence missed a couple of days. Besides that all is well.
I have my flash website ready. For those who have issues opening a flash site, you can check my flickr site to browse thru my pics.
I am now on the look out for photography assignments across all sectors (photo news agencis, ad agencies, magazines, film stills, etc). Have just started approaching people and should finally bounce back to being the work addict I used to be a year back :-).
That's it for now. Will spam ya ppl with detailed updates on the struggles of an upcoming artist very soon.
Till then
Sowmya
Thursday, 10 September 2009
days of struggle
I'm still in Chennai, trying to get my portfolio sorted out. Had a series of shoots in Mumbai and have a few more to be done by end of this week in Chennai. My convocation is on the 19th of this month. Hoping to have a decent body of work ready by then.Did a road trip to Kancheepuram last week. Attempted a couple of moonlight shots but in vain.
Have a lot of experiences to talk about. That I shall, very soon.
At this moment, my brain is so dead and am hoping its not one of those creative blocks that am going through cuz this is seriously not a very good time for that!
I was generally browsing through and found this artist highly impressive and inspiring.
http://www.mehmet-ozgur.com/oscommerce/catalog/index.php
Have a lot of experiences to talk about. That I shall, very soon.
At this moment, my brain is so dead and am hoping its not one of those creative blocks that am going through cuz this is seriously not a very good time for that!
I was generally browsing through and found this artist highly impressive and inspiring.
http://www.mehmet-ozgur.com/oscommerce/catalog/index.php
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
travels
Its been a mad mad week...with my shoot with 3 different models in one shift!(had an amazing session) and then my travel to Chennai with a kid for a co-passenger. Right now am getting in touch with ASI for permissions to shoot in some beautiful temples in this part of the country. Let's see how that goes.
~S~
~S~
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