Located in the leafy cantonment area of south Mumbai, this 19th century Gothic structure, popularly called the Afghan Church, was built as a memorial to the British and Indian soldiers who died during the First Anglo-Afghan War.
How do you escape the non-stop movement of a metropolis like Mumbai, while living in it? Well, finish that Sunday brunch of yours and head out to Dadar’s verdant Parsi colony area for a countryside-like experience, ironically, in the centre of Mumbai city. Dotted with tree-lined pavements, the colony is more than a hundred years … Continue reading A photo-walk through Dadar’s Parsi colony in Mumbai
After writing about Prabha Atre’s Mira bhakti in my earlier post, I return to the theme of devotion with the singer’s another Krishna thumri – “Kaun gali gayo shyaam.” But before we look at the song and its many other versions, let me share a few thoughts on the form of thumri. Patiala gharana singer … Continue reading Thumris of Krishna Bhakti
What is bhakti? Prostrating yourself before the gods to ask for a favour, again and again? Or taking arduous pilgrimages only to come back home to your misery and sufferings? Can bhakti mean devotion to something or someone for purely self-less reasons? Bhakti could be less and less of yourself and more and more of … Continue reading Prabha Atre’s Mira bhakti
‘Suno ramzan ki dastaan’ (listen to a story of Ramzan) is a moving parable about a seven-year-old boy, who dies after keeping a roza during the holy month of Ramzan. A passing mendicant then revives the child on a day the traditional fast is to be broken, in what is seen as a reward for … Continue reading On Eid, Listen to a Story of Ramzan in Indian singer Mohammed Rafi’s Voice
