I cannot believe that, FOUR years after I wrote this post about a proposed Brahmin agraharam (no other caste/religion allowed) in Hyderabad, I still get comments on it. Mostly defending the project. Someone must have put a link somewhere to agitate all these people who want to live only with their own kind. Always think people like this will one day self-implode.
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Ravi Shankar, who has died aged 92, was one of the giants of twentieth century music. As a performer, composer and teacher, he was an Indian classical artist of the highest rank, and he spearheaded the worldwide spread of Indian music and culture.
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I have been meaning to blog for a long time, because there are so many things going through my head while I undertake this new journey of motherhood. But lying in bed and blogging via ipad just didn’t seem to work. I’ve also had to do a lot of reading for my PhD (not easy when you just want to sleep!), so not had the time.
The first few weeks of baby A’s life were sleepless. At first he had jaundice-he was a sleepy baby and I had to wake him every 2 hours to feed. Had to blow on his face, jiggle him up and down-and even sprayed water on him once. Then, a little while later he couldn’t stop feeding! Born three weeks early, he was a little tiny, but he’s a much chunkier chap now!
In the first couple of months after Baby A’s birth, I think I was too frightened and too tired to enjoy him properly. My mother left for India when he was nearly 3 months old and I cried for a whole week afterwards. It was not just that I would miss her help and grandmothering. I didn’t realise that when I had my own baby, I would need mothering too.
I found pregnancy, and then breastfeeding, utterly exhausting. These are stages in a mum’s life that can be painted with a very rosy hue, however I did not have any romantic feelings towards either being pregnant or nursing, although I was deeply grateful to be pregnant and to be able to breastfeed. I just felt bone-numbing exhaustion and had constant thoughts about when I could go to the toilet again/why I needed to go to the toilet again and when could I sleep again. Whether I would ever be able to sleep again. The best part of pregnancy was conception.
Now I feel so much more confident with Baby A and am able to delight in the changes that occur almost every week. At seven months he is a very vocal little guy, trying desperately to talk, crawl, stand, grab…and render me bald by yanking all my hair out. He is asserting his independence-strongly. There is no other way to describe him, but to say that is he is JUST SO CUTE.Every morning I must inhale his baby smell, nibble his cheeks and let him deliver his latest lecture to me.
Here he is, claiming he can feed himself:

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My sister and I recently lost someone who was like a second father to us. In addition to bringing up his own daughter, he partly brought us up. When I can, I would like to write more about Udayan and the enormous impact he had on our lives, but for now here is Madhu Jain’s tribute to him:
There was something of a Robin Hood about him. No, he didn’t rob the rich to help the poor. But he certainly tried, and often succeeded, in putting in touch those who needed help with those who could provide it. During the last few years his practice was doing rather well. Clients with deep pockets made their way to his airy Worli office overlooking the Arabian Sea. His consultation fees had gone up, like everything else. However, for those who did not have money he charged a nominal fee – or in some cases nothing at all. I am sure many of them now feel orphaned.
It is hard to believe that somebody with such a lust for life has gone. The same passion went into his engagement with cinema and books as it did for cricket, art, architecture, Elvis Presley and travel. Even furniture. He was a foodie par excellence… link

