Week Ending July 21, 2019
On Monday I was introduced to the Central Ridge Forest Reserve, a large park/forest near the American Embassy in Delhi.
Along the path we saw cattle, monkeys and wild hogs. What we didn't see was the mid-fourteenth century hunting lodge built by Firoz Tughlaq and inhabited by Begum Wilayal Mahal, self-proclaimed great granddaughter of the last Nawab of Awadh from 1985 until her death in 1993. Her daughter and son stayed on until they too died in 2016 and 2017 respectively. We plan to go back and find that. Its all right here in the city!
Tuesday we visited with the girls in Mehrauli. We talked about their dream jobs and how to prepare to get them. Nandini, Depanshi and Sonu worked together.
Grant helped Ganga and Radha with their puzzle: "Success doesn't come to you, you go to it!"
Gulnahar can be a little domineering, so she was left to work by herself. Each girl is so different, but each is beautiful in her own way.
The program also featured a male kathak duo. Kathak is a more vigorous north Indian dance style which is also story-based. Its themes range from myth to epic to stories of Krishna and are told through the hands and facial expressions.
The big baggy salwar pants added dramatic flare.
These guys danced for about 40 minutes!
On Thursday afternoon Sister Hansen came over with two sisters, to work on the quilts.
Sister Potharaju is from Hyderabad and Sister Thyagarajan is from Chennai.
Friday we walked down the street to the Sangeet Shyamala, a local cultural arts center to watch another dance concert by a pair of young performers. The first was a male Bharatangtyam dancer.
He was strong and agile and his dancing was very precise and athletic.
He was followed by a young female Kathak dancer. Both were very good. Unfortunately the photos and videos don't do them justice.
The vocalist was accompanied by a harmonium (a little hand pumped organ on the right), a simple version of a sitar (at the back) and the tabla or drums. This first piece was a musical offering to the gods and in this clip the vocalist is displaying her virtuosity. The next two pieces were love songs inspired by the monsoon season when everything is green and blooming.
Our favorite instrument is the tabla. Its amazing how many sounds it can make!
The audience filled our living room and flowed back into our dining area. Although the music sounded a little strange to us, it was familiar to the audience who enjoyed it thoroughly. We served a light meal after the concert. It was a lovely evening and the guests were incredibly kind and gracious.
Primary in the Park Residence Hotel, room 104. Their badges say "I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
This is Canock, on of my Primary friends.
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