Monday, January 30, 2006
A musical weekend
I was lucky to attend the ITC Sangeet Sammelan at Nehru Centre in Worli over the weekend. It was my first experience of a classical music concert and, I enjoyed it very much. And whats more, the passes for the concert were not charged for :-)
On the first day was an excellent vocal performance by Kaushiki Desikan (daughter of Pt. Ajay Chakraborty). This was followed by an equally enthralling Sarod play by Ayan Ali Khan (son of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan who was sitting in the audience). And the last performance was another vocal rendition by Ustad Rashid Khan. The second day's solo tabla by Pt. Kumar Bose and vocal performance by Ustad Arshad Ali Khan were also nice.
As the ITC executive pointed out, the ITC's Sangeet Research Academy was part of efforts towards corporate patronage of Indian classical music which has lost its erstwhile royal patronage after the winding up of princely states.
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Current music - Raag Des/Rashid Khan
On the first day was an excellent vocal performance by Kaushiki Desikan (daughter of Pt. Ajay Chakraborty). This was followed by an equally enthralling Sarod play by Ayan Ali Khan (son of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan who was sitting in the audience). And the last performance was another vocal rendition by Ustad Rashid Khan. The second day's solo tabla by Pt. Kumar Bose and vocal performance by Ustad Arshad Ali Khan were also nice.
As the ITC executive pointed out, the ITC's Sangeet Research Academy was part of efforts towards corporate patronage of Indian classical music which has lost its erstwhile royal patronage after the winding up of princely states.
---
Current music - Raag Des/Rashid Khan
Monday, January 23, 2006
City puzzle
If you don't have anything to do at work, try to crack this city puzzle from yesterday's Mindsport (from Sunday Times of India).
I was able to crack it with quite an effort and have the complete solution.
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Current music : Muh ki baat sune har koi/Jagjit Singh
I was able to crack it with quite an effort and have the complete solution.
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Current music : Muh ki baat sune har koi/Jagjit Singh
Friday, January 20, 2006
blog.misc
Sample this :
aandhiyon se jaghad rahi hai lau meri
ab mashaalon si bhad rahi hai lau meri
naamo nishaan rahe na rahe ye kaaravaan rahe na rahe
ujaale mein pee gaya roshan huaa jee gaya
kyon sehte rahe, ruu-ba-ruu roshni heyy - 2
Or this one:
mann ki gali tu phuharoon si aa
bheeg jaye mere khwabon ka kafila
jise tu gungunaye meri dhun hai wahin
tu bin bataye mujhe le chal kaheen
jahan tu muskuraye meri manzil wahin
Really difficult to set tune to. I think only A. R. Rahman, the late
R.D. Burman or, Hridaynath M. can give justice to these.
---
Yahoo is giving away extra "dot" addresses for existing Yahoo mail
users. Go here if you want an address like cool.dude[at]yahoo.com
or hot.hunk[at]yahoo.com :-)
aandhiyon se jaghad rahi hai lau meri
ab mashaalon si bhad rahi hai lau meri
naamo nishaan rahe na rahe ye kaaravaan rahe na rahe
ujaale mein pee gaya roshan huaa jee gaya
kyon sehte rahe, ruu-ba-ruu roshni heyy - 2
Or this one:
mann ki gali tu phuharoon si aa
bheeg jaye mere khwabon ka kafila
jise tu gungunaye meri dhun hai wahin
tu bin bataye mujhe le chal kaheen
jahan tu muskuraye meri manzil wahin
Really difficult to set tune to. I think only A. R. Rahman, the late
R.D. Burman or, Hridaynath M. can give justice to these.
---
Yahoo is giving away extra "dot" addresses for existing Yahoo mail
users. Go here if you want an address like cool.dude[at]yahoo.com
or hot.hunk[at]yahoo.com :-)
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
The coast of Raigad district
Day 1 in 2006, I was on a whirlwind tour of North Konkan. My destinations comprised of the Janjira sea-fort, Nandgaon and Kashid beaches.
I must say, the road from Alibaug to Murud, is one of the best coastal drives in India.
The Janjira fort is a huge structure (area 22 acres) standing about a km. inside the sea. You have to take a boat from Rajpuri (about 5 kms. from Murud) and it takes about 20 mins to reach the fort. A large part of it is still intact, and it is quite interesting to learn about its history from the guide.
Nandgaon and Kashid beaches are along the Alibaug-Murud road. Both are nice, the only difference between the total seclusion of the former, and the crowdedness of the latter.
I am disappointed by the way MTDC has gone in promoting tourism. Maharashtra has so much to offer to tourists, a coastline of 720 kms, forts, sanctuaries, places of religious importance, and what not. Also, what is needed is to improve the infrastructure ( read: roads, power, hotels etc.)
in the places of tourism.
Just see how Kerala has promoted it successfully as "God's Own Country".
I must say, the road from Alibaug to Murud, is one of the best coastal drives in India.
The Janjira fort is a huge structure (area 22 acres) standing about a km. inside the sea. You have to take a boat from Rajpuri (about 5 kms. from Murud) and it takes about 20 mins to reach the fort. A large part of it is still intact, and it is quite interesting to learn about its history from the guide.
Nandgaon and Kashid beaches are along the Alibaug-Murud road. Both are nice, the only difference between the total seclusion of the former, and the crowdedness of the latter.
I am disappointed by the way MTDC has gone in promoting tourism. Maharashtra has so much to offer to tourists, a coastline of 720 kms, forts, sanctuaries, places of religious importance, and what not. Also, what is needed is to improve the infrastructure ( read: roads, power, hotels etc.)
in the places of tourism.
Just see how Kerala has promoted it successfully as "God's Own Country".
