Attire

The Sari
Legend has it that when the beauteous Draupadi - wife of the Pandavas - was lost to the enemy clan
in a gambling duel, Lord Krishna promised to protect her virtue. The lecherous victors, intent on
"bagging" their prize, caught one end of the diaphanous material that draped her so demurely, yet
seductively. They continued to pull and unravel, but could reach no end. Virtue triumphed, yet again
in this 5,000 year old Indian epic, the Mahabharat. Legend, fantasy, history or fact, it is the first
recorded reference to the enduringly attractive SARI - the most enduring of all items in the history of
women's fashion.
Over the centuries changes in the lifestyle of Indians has been reflected in the variety of materials
used for a Sari and the way it is draped in different parts of the country.

Draping a sari
In the South of India, the nine-yard length is draped between the legs to fashion flowing pants. The
Coorgis from Central and South India wear it to look like a modern western full-length gown. The
traditional six-yard sari, is a classic that is almost Grecian in its elegance. Allowing for generous
pleating and draping around the body and over the shoulder, it could be of shimmering silk or the
finest gauzy cotton, perhaps a pastel-hued solid color or a riot of woven flowers, embroidered with
golden threads, or finished with a richly tasseled border, it speaks of romance or riches, of sobriety
or gaiety, of sophistication or innocence.

Men are intrigued by the demure floor-length attire and tantalizing display of a bare midriff in the
back. It is said that a Sari rarely fails to flatter a woman. The sari suits all figure types, makes all
women look goof, and feel feminine. It is an instant and eternal fashion, created by the hands of the
wearer and subject to none of the vagaries and changes that plague the fashions of the western
world.
The success of the Sari is attributed to its total simplicity, practical comfort, and sense of luxury a
woman experiences when she wears one. The Sari is mentioned in Hindu literature and depicted in
Hindu painting as far back as 3,000 B.C.

A charming folktale explains...

"The Sari, it is said, was born on the loom of a fanciful weaver. He dreamt of Woman. The shimmer
of her tears. The drape of her tumbling hair. The colors of her many moods. The softness of her

touch. All these he wove together. He couldn't stop. He wove for many yards. And when he was
done, the story goes, he sat back and smiled and smiled and smiled."

How to drape a sari

It's not as difficult to wear this unstitched length of 51/2 metres of fabric, as you might suppose.
Step 1 -The Right Foundation
At least part of the secret of the sari are the underpinnings below - a waist -to- floor length
petticoat, fitted at the waist by elastic or a tightly tied drawstring. And well-fitting blouse or ""choli"
that ends just below the bust. Cholis are available in a range of styles with all variations of necklines
and all styles of sleeves.

Step 2 - Getting started

Starting at the navel, tuck one end of the sari (usually the plain end v/s the ornate end, which is the
"pallu" to be draped over the shoulder) into the right side of the petticoat. Wrap the sari around the
body once. Make sure that the lower end of the sari touches the floor.

Step 3 - Pleats
Beginning from the tucked-in end start making pleats in the sari, about 5 inches wide. Make about 7
to 10 pleats and hold them up together so that they fall straight and even.

Step 4 - Tuck em away

Tuck the pleats into the waist slightly to the left of the navel, and make sure that they are turned
towards the left.

Step 5 - Around once more

Drape the remaining fabric around yourself once more, from left to right. Bring it up under the right
arm and over the left shoulder so that it falls to about the level of the knees.

Step 6 - Secure it
The end portion thus draped is the pallav, and can be prevented from slipping off
the shoulder by pinning it to the blouse. A small broach is a nice touch.

The Bindi
Most Hindus wear a mark on their foreheads, between the two eyes. This point,
known by various names such as Ajna Chakra, Spiritual Eye, and Third Eye, is said
to be the major nerve center in the human body. According to ancient Hindu sages,
red lead powder (sindhoor) and sandalwood paste have cooling properties, and therefore using these
substances on the forehead between the eyes cools the nerve center associated with that location,
and consequently the mind becomes calm and quiet.
The mark does not have any standard shape and form and is applied differently by members of
different Hindu sects and sub-sects. It is applied as a red, yellow, or saffron 'U' by worshippers of
Lord Vishnu. Worshippers of Lord Shiva apply it as three horizontal lines of ash (Bhasma). Men wear
an elongated dot or tilaka, while women wear a round dot or bindi.
More then their cooling properties, bindis are worn by women as a symbol of their wedding vows. We
are told that in ancient times, in Aryan society, the groom used to apply his blood on his bride's
forehead as a recognition of wedlock. Myth is that it protects the wearer from the bad eye.
Today the religious significance of the bindi is largely forgotten and it is worn more as a fashion
accessory.

Cinema
It's a world that never blinks. Indian cinema is a dream machine that churns out a new fantasy, a
new romance every day. The 800 odd films the industry produces each year, make it the most prolific
film factory in the world, leaving behind even the ubiquitous Hollywood.
When you think of the handful of films made in such film capitals as France and England, India's
cinematic centers of Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore appear almost impossibly
unreal churning out films by the hundreds. But they also cater to an audience whose appetite for the
by-and-large escapist cinema or more aptly the cinema of dreams is unsatiated even after decades
of this mass production. Culture mandarins may protest, but the fact is that this very cinema particularly that peculiar genre of Hindi mainstream cinema - is possibly the single most binding
force that unites communities and people in a land as diverse as India. Witness the collective rooting
for Lagaan, India's recent entry to the Oscars (in the best foreign language film category). It is
almost as if all of India is willing popular matinee idol Aamir Khan and his band of no-hopers turned
winners (at what is incidentally India's most popular sport - cricket) to bring home the honours.

The start of an abiding love affair

The first rudimentary film screening in India dates back to the last decade of the nineteenth century
and in 1912 what is widely believed to be the first Indian feature film - Pundalik - was made. And by
1931, when Alam Ara, the first Indian film with sound was made, an abiding love affair was well and
truly on. Millions of people looking for entertainment beyond their daily lives embraced this magical
new medium.

Fantastic and moralistic

Not that Indian cinema is only fantastic. It is actually a curiously moralistic universe where good
almost always triumphs and true love is rewarded if not in this world then certainly in the next. Of
course, there are lots of troubles and tribulations along the way. To soften the impact of these,
Indian film-makers liberally use song, dance and slap stick humor.

The phenomenon called Amitabh

Perhaps the best known name in this colourful industry has been that of Amitabh Bachan, the Big B
as he's called for the dominant role he played in the industry through the 1980s and after as much
as for his towering personality. Indeed as French film producer Alain Chamas, who tried without
success to sign him for a film opposite Richard Dreyfuss and John Voight, said "He's not a star but an
industry".

Regional Cinema
Yet the best film makers in the country have come from regional cinema - Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil
and Kannada. The best-known of them is, of course, the late Satyajit Ray, the Bengali film maker
who put Indian cinema on the world map through his Apu trilogy. Among contemporary film makers
people like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mani Ratnam, Goutam Ghose and Santosh Sivan have added new
dimensions to Indian cinema, winning critical and popular acclaim.

Making their mark internationally

But its not just at home that Indian cinema is keeping audiences happy. Talented film-makers of
Indian origin are making their mark on the international film circuit. The impact of Indian filmmakers on the international arena has been in several waves. The 60s and 70s saw names such as
Ismail Merchant, Krishna Shah and Jug Mundhra. In the 80s, producers such as Patel, Amritraj,
Anant Singh and Deepak Nayar made their mark along with women directors Mira Nair and Deepa
Mehta.
Among those whose names are part of the international film frat are Manoj Night Shyamalan, Tarsem
Singh, Ashok Amritraj, Shekhar Kapur, Mira Nair, and Jay Chandrashekhar. Their films are hot on the
international film festival circuit. At this year's Venice Film Festival the prestigious Golden Lion Award
was bagged by Mira Nair's film Monsoon Wedding, an earthy comedy set amid the pageantry of a
Punjabi wedding. At the Toronto Film Festival, the film shared the People's Choice runners-up prize
with Maya, a film by Digvijay Singh.

The Film and Television Institute of India

The kindergaten for film training and education in India is The Film and
Television Institute of India in Pune. From a modest beginning, it has, with the
passage of time, grown into a unique centre of teaching technical skill and knowhow in the whole of Asia. FTII has been credited with the resurgence of Hindi
cinema and the steadily improving standards of regional cinema since promising film makers like
Mani Kaul, Kumar Sajhani, Saeed Mirza, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Kundan Shah, Girish Kasarwalli,
Jhanu Baruah, Ketan Mehta, Chitarth Singh and Ashok Ghai received their training here. The
Institute has also given the Indian film industry some of the best known acting talent in the country
- stalwarts such as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabhana Azmi, Om Puri, Jaya Bahaduri, Danny Dengzongpa
and Mithun Chakraborthy have all trained here at some point.

The Cornucopia of Indian Cuisine

Indian food is conquering the world. And why not? India's cuisine is as diverse as its culture,
languages, regions and climate. Yes it is spicy, but not always hot. India is probably the one land
that boasts of as wide a variety of vegetarian cuisine as non-vegetarian cuisine. And as expected
every region of India has its own unique dish as well as subtle variations to popular dishes.

Dals and Spices

Aromatic spices are the essence of Indian cuisine. Spices such as Coriander, Cumin, Fenugreek,
Asafoetida etc., give Indian food its distinct flavor but the skill lies in the subtle blending of a variety
of spices to enhance the basic flavor of a particular dish. Indian cuisine also uses plenty of milk
products like ghee (clarified butter) and dahi (yoghurt), a variety of dals (lentils) and regional
vegetables. Depending on the region and the season the variety of vegetables available differ and
the way the vegetable is cooked depends on the main dish main dish being served. For example
Sarson ka saag (mustard greens) is a perfect complement for the Makke ki Roti (corn flat bread)
eaten in Punjab, while sambhar (lentil soup) and coconut chutney are a staple with idlis (steamed
rice cakes) and dosas (rice pancakes).

A Non-vegetarian's Delight
Although a number of religions exist in India, the two most influential to Indian cuisine are the Hindu
and the Muslim traditions. The latter is most evident in dishes like Mughlai food, kababs, Kormas,

Koftas (meat-balls), Biryani (rice with meats), Rogan Josh, and barbecued preparations like tandoori
rotis and tandoori chicken which are made in clay ovens popularly known as the tandoor. A majority
of these are staple foods in the North of India, parts of which were ruled by the Mughals.
Hindu cuisine in the North mainly comprises rotis (unleavened flat bread) or parathas (unleavened
layered flat bread), rice and an assortment of dishes like dals, fried vegetables, curries, chutney, and
pickles. In the South, the focus is more on light steamed food and rice is staple and coconut is a
basic ingredient in most dishes. Usually rice is served with sambhar, rasam (a thin soup), dry and
curried vegetables accompanied by papads. The South Indian dosas, idlis and vadas (made of
fermented dal) are popular throughout the country.

Desserts and Mithai

Sweetmeats also enjoy a major focus in Indian food and the variety can be mind boggling. Again
milk is the basis for many Indian deserts. Kheer (rice pudding) and Seviyan (Vermicelli pudding) are
common desserts throughout the country except that Kheer is called Payasam in the South. But
arguably the tastiest sweets in India are the spongy rasagollas and the gentle sandesh that come
from the East. Snacks, especially from Gujarat, are also popular. Try the samosa, the khandvi and
the dhoklas and you will come back for more. Finally every meal is ideally wrapped up by a paan
(betel leaf) that considered a digestive!

DANCE
If dance is the spirit made visible, then the first swaying of the spirit blossomed in an infinite variety
of dances in ancient India. The expression of joy was sanctified by the submission of this happiness
at the altar of the Creator. After all Indians do believe that it is creation itself that is the dance of the
creator. All Indian dances - folk, gypsy, classical or simply ritual - have a mad riot of color and an
internal geometry of forces that is entirely beguiling. All of them have elaborate costumes and
jewelry that are unique and visually alluring.
Dance evolved in India both as sheer exuberance and orgiastic self-expression and later as a
structured offering to the Gods of the best in the human spirit. Folk dances, like the Bhangra or the
Maharashtrian Lavani, embody wild happiness, whereas classical dances, like Bharatnatyam and
Odissi, have a stylized form that needs a certain amount of familiarity to pick out its nuanced
eloquence. The gypsy and tribal dances of India are repetitious movements that lull you by their
sheer beat.

Recounting stories from the past

Some of the dance forms like Kathak from North India, Kathakali from
Kerala in the South, and Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh, are all basically
connected to the art of story telling. The myths, legends and stories of India
are passed on from generation to generation through these colorful, baroque
dances with bold strokes. The dances recount stories popular from the
Hitopadesaha and the Panchatantra, the two great epics the Mahabharata
and the Ramayana. Using earthy humor, they impart their didactic message
which is mostly that Good triumps in the face of evil. These are also a kind of dance-drama-withoutdialogue.
The classical dances have less earthy vigor, based as they are on the tenets of the Natyashastra, one
of the oldest extant treatises on aesthetics. Nataraja, the God of Dance, the presiding deity of dance
is invoked before every classical performance be it Manipuri in the North East, or Mohiniattam in
Kerala or Bharatanatyam in Tamil Nadu.

Movements and Expressions

Since action is simulated by a series of elaborate facial expressions that are more or less
standardized, little variation is expected. Within the matrix of these gestures however, a lot of free
play is allowed. This is why every Indian artist is original in their own way. The movements of hands
are called the mudras, which are stylized and even mannerist. Subtle movements of the lips and
eyes are used to express the nine emotions called the navarasas that contribute to our experiences
in life. These are desire, anger, peace, happiness, fear, derision or shame, the terrible, and of course,
laughter.
In fact the combination of the three qualities viz. expression, rhyme and rhythm i.e. Bhava, Raga,
and Tala go into the determination of the term Bha-Ra-Ta, which is used as the name of one dance
style viz. Bharata Natyam. The five great dances in the classical tradition are the Bharatanatyam,
Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Kathakali. In the north there is Kathak that is really a later dance style
that has an unmistakable stamp of the Mughal ethos in its costumes though the subject matter is
invariably the tale of the blue God, Krishna. Kathakali is so stylized and operatic that it seems a far
cry from the lilting Kuchipudi or the soft swaying Odissi.

Dance or arithmetic
It's a good idea to see the classical dances as a perfect expression of the unified disciplines of yoga
and paranayama i.e. breath control and physical movements. These physical movements are
mathematically very intricate and need great concentration. This is especially true of the footwork
that in its fractionated rhythms would put a mathematician to shame.
In the past, temples and royalty patronized dancers. Many of the classical dances have theological
themes. Dances, while being a medium of entertainment, were also later performed to propitiate
some deities. Some dances evolved solely as worship and do not exist outside the festival times of
various deities or seasonal ritual. The koodiyettam, yakshagana, theeyettu, mudiyetti, thera koothu
etc are tribal ritual forms that have fewer hand gestures but have a greater involvement of the
viewer.
Classical dance postures have been carved on the stone walls of temples all over India especially in
Khajuraho and Konark in Northern India, and at Chidambaram, Madurai, Rameshwaram, etc. in the
South.
The hegemony of Indian dance percolated to all of Southeast Asia. You wouldn't be way off the mark
if you saw similarities between the graceful dance styles of Indonesia and Thailand and Burma and
some Indian dances.

Modern Dance
Modern dance in India does attempt to change the content and address itself to
more socially relevant themes using the old grammar of dance. New practitioners
like Chandralekha, a Bharatnatyam dancer, have tried to incorporate other dance
styles in an attempt to do a fusion dance. But audiences prefer the pure version
and hence most concerts stick to the tried and tested format. If you went to a
dance performance you would probably spend a good two -three hours before the
dancer completed her repertoire.

FASHION
India has a well known textiles heritage which has, by and large, dictated the fashion scene in the
past and continues to do so even today. In fact, India is one of the few countries in the world where
traditional garments have not been replaced by western wear. Today, India's fashion industry is
flourishing, with both traditional and western wear in demand.

Classic Traditional Styles

For women, the sari is, of course, the ultimate fashion statement that never goes out of style
especially if it has traditional weaves and prints. The salwar kameez - a sort of loose trouser and
tunic - which was originally was worn by women in Punjab, has now become the national dress worn
by women across the country thanks to its high comfort factor. Other traditional attire like lehengacholi are still very popular and a must for ceremonial occasions like festivals or weddings.
Traditional men's clothing is also very popular in the country. For leisure-wear, these include the
traditional kurta pyjama or lungi with a kurta or shirt. On formal occasions the men bring out their
Sherwanis - a long jacket with a Chinese collar - worn with churidar, pyjama or silk dhoti; kurta and

traditional head gear.

A new breed of highly talented and trained designers are fast making their mark in the fashion
business at home and globally. India is also one of the world's largest exporters of garments,
supplying clothes and furnishings to some of the biggest names in the fashion business worldwide.

The Hottest Designers

If you are looking to make a real with-it fashion statement by flaunting a designer
dress, then the first name that you will encounter is that of Ritu Kumar. Though
better known as the lady who dresses Indian beauties, Kumar is India's foremost
designer and is largely responsible for reviving India's textile and embroidery
heritage. She has boutiques in India's metros where one can pick her clothes.
Other designers who are creating waves on the international circuit are Ritu Beri
who has been showing in Paris for the past few years, Abraham & Thakore who are
well known in hi-fashion stores in the UK and Europe, Raghuvendra Rathore, who
is well known for his sleek cuts and Anshu Arora who caught the eye of may big
retailers when she showcased her modern peppy wearable collection at the India
Fashion Week last year.
Another well known designer is Hemant Trivedi who has designed some exquisite
outfits for Miss Indias at international beauty pageants. Anita Dongre from Mumbai is known for her
classic elegant styles and has also represented India at the IGEDO Fashion Fair, Germany.
India's fashion designers don't design just western wear - they are just as much in demand for
making exquisite bridal wear which largely comprises traditional garments and accessories. JJ
Vallaya embellishes exotic lehengas with Swarovski crystals, and Muzzafar and Meera Ali have
rediscovered the best of Chikankari. Then there are designers like Rohit Bal and Neeru Kumar who
have ably led the rediscovery of khadi as a fashion statement for the well-heeled.
Other well known designers are Savio Jon and Wendell Rodricks who hail from Goa, Priyadarshini
Rao, Tarun Tahiliani and Manish Malhotra who along with designers like Rocky S are extremely
popular in the film industry.
All Indian metros have boutiques that sell expensive hi-fashion garments and designer labels, but
there are also plenty of markets, including street markets, that offer terrific value. All you need is a
bit of patience, an eye for detail and some good bargaining skills.

Theatre
It's not for nothing that you find Indians being called melodramatic and
expressive. They have a long history of expressing themselves through drama.
The genesis of Indian folk theatre and dramatics can be traced to the religious
ritualism of the Vedic Aryans. Dance, ritualism, and the turbulence of everyday
living all melded together into a kind of theater. Ritual enactment of the earliest
Aryan tribes consisted of a cathartic mock hunt wherein some tribesmen were the
hunted some the hunters. This crude dramatic enactment led to the fine

delineation of dramatic treatises like the Natya shastra that has encodes like the
Poetics of Aristotle.

Natyashastra
Drama according to the Natya shastra was the doings of men but it was clear that
it was merely a portrayal and not just unedited reality. It had to have action,
emotion, dance and music--- a tradition that continues down to our movies, and
speech and poetry, gestures, movements and intonation all were to be used for
this.

From the primitive groves, drama moved into the temple yard and the mandapa or
the stage with four pillars with a back stage and front stage. The Natya shastra
made sure that the play had a special ingredient, the narrator or the sutradhar,
one who literally strung the play like a lone chorus commentator. All drama like all
art was to be dedicated to God and every play typically starts with an invocation.
The two great epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata can be called the first
recognized plays that originated in India.

The early playwrights

One of the earliest Indian dramatists was Bhasa whose plays have been inspired
by the Ramayana and Mahabharata while Kalidasa was an original playwright who
wrote classical plays like Abhijanan Shakuntalam, Kumarsambhavam,
Meghadutam and Malavikagnimitram. Kalidasa was the court playwright at the
famed Gupta court. He lived at Ujjaini, the capital of the Guptas. The last royal
patron of Sanskrit drama seems to be King Harshavardhana of the 7th century.
Harshavardhana is himself credited with having written three plays viz. Ratnavali,
Priyadarshika and Nagananda.
Despite lack of patronage two more leading playwrights came after Bhavabhuti,
Shudraka whose main play was the Mricchakatikam, and Rajashekhara whose
play was titled Karpuramanjari.

The decline of Sanskrit theatre is evident from the fact that while Mricchakatikam
was in Sanskrit, the Karpuramanjari was in Prakrit, which was a colloquial form of
Sanskrit. Rajashekhara has himself said that he chose to write in Prakrit, as the
language was soft while Sanskrit was harsh. Sanskrit plays continued to be written
up to the 17th century under the patronage of the great Vijayanagara Empire of
the South. The Prakrit language split into the numerous languages of India and
each produces a rich cornucopia of plays.
In Thailand, especially it has been a tradition from the middle ages to stage plays
based on plots drawn from Indian epics. This had been so even in Cambodia
where, at the ancient capital Angkor Wat, stories from the Ramayana and
Mahabharata have been carved on the walls of temples and palaces. Similar, bas
reliefs are found at Borobudur in Indonesia.
The influence of the Muslim rulers gave rise to the Parsi Theater, which was
melodramatic, historical and is considered a forerunner to the kind of early films
produced in India. It laid great emphasis on dialogue and meter and was highly
stylized. Politics is a major subject for theater. Every region of India has its own
robust theatre tradition that satirizes and informs of political conditions even as it
brings more awareness. Lampooning and satire especially of local politicians is
strong in the South and Maharashtra.

The Indian People's Theater Academy

The freedom movement of India as well as the Communist movement produced
the Indian People's Theater Academy or the IPTA that had a didactic raison d' etre.
Like moths to a lamp, the best talent of India flocked to it and produced socially
relevant as well as aesthetically experimental and new theater that was appealing
in its commonsense and social concern. The playwrights and artists who emerged
wound their way into the film industry.

Modern Theatre

Many of the newer playwrights like K. A. Abbas went on to produce movies based
on their plays. People like Girish Karnad also adapted Indian myths into English
like transposing the Mahabharata rivalry into a modern day context. The longest

performed play, Adrak ke Panje, a comedy, closed recently. Ratan Thiyam,

Ebrahim Alkazi, Prasanna, Cho Ramaswamy, were active during the eighties and
made many memorable contributions in bridging the gap between the traditional
and the modern theatrical concerns. There is also a fringe but active English
drama that has also evolved from doing adaptations of popular English plays to
using the language to enact Indian themes. Street theater or activist theater a la
Brecht is also fairly fashionable. Consumerism has now produced entertainment
dramas that do roaring business in Maharshtra and even in the South.