The Story of India..

Tired of watching 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' over and over again (not that I would completely stop lol) I decided to watch the series of documentaries called 'The Story of India' by Michael Wood based on my friend Abhi's advice(thanks a ton Abhi!)....and I loved it! For all os uf who were kids in the late eighties and early nineties, an age that cable TV hadn't invaded, the word documentary usually conjures up images of lifeless, never ending Doordarshan programmes with monotonous music (sorry if I hurt any Doordarshan fans here, but had to tell the truth!). And the narrative is usually a gender neutral voice pronouncing every word with utmost care, thereby killing (other than the viewers) the essence of what is being said!

This is probably why any of us would strongly resist calling 'The Story of India' a documentary. The show(to call it so, for lack of better words) is full of life; mostly due to the enthusiastic host, Michael Wood who injects life into every story he tells. While the show is aimed at British audiences, it is a must watch for any Indian, and in my opinion, every schoolkid before he/she starts studying(and almost simultaneously!) hating history as a subject. For Wood, as he travels across India , history is all around for us to see. He carefully traces back little traditions and practices to ancient times, pausing just long enough to keep our attention and then moving on to the next fascinating chapter in the story of our glorious land; a stark contrast to usual documentaries that harp on the same point in detail until it becomes intolerable.

The visuals flit from images from the past to present day India where Wood walks along, talking to historians and the local chai-wala with the same ease. He also carefully sets the time period mentioning other historical events such as the fall of Rome, thus painting a complete picture of Indian history's place in that of the world. But don't be put off by my frequent usage of the word 'history'! Wood also touches upon present day issues such as caste based politics and the Ram Janmabhoomi, sensitising the viewer, to past events that have led to them.

At the end of each documentary you are surprised at how much he managed to cover, just by tracing back events through curiosity, rather than as 'history'. He begins for instance, by tracing the man whose forefathers were the first ones to reach India from Africa! And you realise that Wood is not just another one of those, India crazy westerners for whom this is a fad (his daughters are named Minakshi and Jyoti!) : his pronounciation and knowledge of both North and South Indian languages is impeccable.

At the end of the day, even if you aren't a history buff - give it a watch. Some of the visuals are so amazing (a boat on the Ganga early in the morning, Kerala in the monsoon) that you are genuinely sorry you need someone to show you this breathtaking beauty around you. And you might learn a few surprising facts. Did you know for instance, that the story of Lord Rama's golden age was probably inspired by that of King Chandragupta Maurya?! And you must appreciate how difficult it is to cover over 10,000 years of history in six interesting capsules (history haters, you've got to agree!). For your benefit here they are:

1. Beginnings
2. The Power of Ideas
3. Spice Routes and Silk Roads
4. Ages of Gold
5. The Meeting of two Oceans
6. Freedom and Liberation
Here's the wiki link to the series as well...Happy Watching!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_of_India

Exam-ine this!

Come March and it is exam time all over the country. A few weeks back,while driving to work, I saw kids outside a school waiting to write public/board exams and I felt a twinge of nostalgia followed by relief! This April, it will be a whole year since I have NOT written a single exam for atleast about 18 years! Seems wierd that I even think of such stuff? Not really...read on.

I have always had a love-hate relationship with exams. I started off doing fine, then went on to think of them as a necessary evil and finally ended by realising their futility after surprisingly, getting used to them. I was fortunate enough to grow up in places and around people who did not beleive exams to be the be all and end all of life. My dad always insisted that I be one among the best in class which meant doing well at exams but he insisted equally that I do well in other areas such as becoming the class leader (what a thrill that used to be back then...lol) or extra curricular activities. My mom looked at them as a necessary evil as well, helping me to study, but never more. I had friends who were mostly like me as well and to others who weren't, I was indifferent.

I guess things changed when I came to Chennai for the last three years of school. Suddenly, marks were all that mattered and almost everyone had realised it earlier than me! I worried myself sick before every exam and agonised over them after they were over(especially Maths, an anathema!). I pushed myself hard and tried to outdo the others - actions I regret today. I remember not sleeping a wink before the Chemistry board exam in 12th standard and feeling awful the next day - lol. All in all, a forgettable time. In hindsight, looking at the uselessness of those (sometimes few) marks which I strived and obtained, I feel genuinely sorry for kids whom I see in that state today. I truly beleive that society takes them for a ride leading them to believe that school exams and public exams are ultra - important because they are not.

As is often the case, college changed me. Competition dwindled and worked to my advantage. I realised that if I didnt push myself so hard, I did better. I even scored the best in Maths! Realising my unsuitability for the exam phenomenon, I abandoned the last minute hurry and made myself a more relaxed schedule. It was a winning combination! I did better in exams and even better at other activities. I followed this ever since, even through my post graduation and it clicked! I avoided studying the 'possible questions' which professors doled out and looked at the syllabus and the aim of the subject. While I am not the topper of the class (nor was it my aim), I think I managed to pass decently and more importantly, learn more. I know today that I can take a course and learn whatever is taught, even if there isn't an exam at the end.

A few unpleasant experiences related to exams have led me to still fear an exam because there is often more to it than what I can control and also because it often negates every other method of assessment which may have been followed. I would genuinely be interested in making a change about this in the future if I can. But in the meantime, I genuinely feel everyone needs to build on an 'exam philosophy' in life. Mine, for instance was 'its useless and you know it, but you need to get through it fast, if you want write about how much you hated it'! LOL. But seriously, you do. It might become a parable for many other aspects of life.

Of course, exams bring along a lot of other memories. Sharpening penciles and getting the pencil box ready, last minute 'all the best' wishes to friends before entering the exam hall and of course, the elation of getting back a paper that you've done well! But they stop at that. I feel happier today to learn stuff and work against my own standards.I think I am freer today because I dont have to write exams and what's best, having the choice of never doing so again in the future!

Memories - I

In one of my favourite Agatha Christies, a character who has gone through a lot of difficulties in her life says " No matter how tough life is later, it's a blessing if one has had a happy childhood..because noone can ever take that away from you" (Patricia Fortescue in "A Pocketful of Rye"). I guess that is true.

I went back to Trichy last weekend for my college alumni meet. While Saturday was spent gregariously with friends and a party, on Sunday afternoon,I made my way in the city bus to my grandparents' at Srirangam. Entering Srirangam always makes you feel like you're entering a different world..maybe because the quiet laidback town is a contrast to the college life I leave behind. Also, because it reminds me a lot of my childhood. When I was a kid, we used to go to Srirangam every summer. And memories of walking the dusty streets alongside the goats reminds me of a time gone by.

After an afternoon of catching up with family, it is evening. There are no cousins to keep me company anymore and my bus to Chennai is five hours away. I decide, like often, to skip the crowds and queues at the Lord Ranganathar (Big) temple that Srirangam is known for and make my way all alone to the Kaatazhagiya Singar Kovil at the end of the street. The name refers to the beauty of the lion of the forest, Lord Nrisimha being half man and half lion, the place obviously having association with a forest in earlier days. It's the quieter, lesser known temple in the town, and yet I am told attracts crowds now.

However, it is not crowded when I enter. I walk along the stone led pathway and watch people lighting lamps. I do the customary round around the temple and then climb up the stairs to see the main deity inside. I love the smell of the temple, a warm welcoming smell, that makes you admire the massive deity inside. Some things never change. I remember the many times I have come here with family. As I walk out of the main chamber I see a relative who remembers me once I tell her whose daughter and granddaughter I am and I am given kalkandu prasadam (a sweet offering made to the temple deity and then distributed to others). I stop there right outside the main chamber and pause to look at the wall paintings of the various forms of Lord Nrisimha outside. I am keenly aware that I am probably becoming more religious(!) or is it?

I am just beginning to remember that I have some memory of standing here before too, when I hear a small girl standing next to her sister, call out: "Matsya Koorma Varaha Nrisimha...Varaha enga pa?(Avatars of Lord Vishnu in chronological order)" and I now know what it is! I remember standing here with my brother figuring out the avatars from the paintings too. It may seem trivial, but it is such a vivid memory that I am surprised. I guess I haven't moved so far away from childhood after all, I wonder. I may worry more about money and work and the future, I think now that it's been several months at a job, but childhood memories will always remain. And Patricia Fortescue is right.